Three Days and a Life by Pierre Lemaitre

About Three Days ad a Life

Antoine is twelve years old. His parents are divorced and he lives with his mother in Beauval, a small, backwater town surrounded by forests, where everyone knows everyone's business, and nothing much ever happens. But in the last days of 1999, a series of events unfolds, culminating in the shocking vanishing without trace of a young child. The adults of the town are at a loss to explain the disappearance, but for Antoine, it all begins with the violent death of his neighbour's dog. From that one brutal act, his fate and the fate of his neighbour's six year old son are bound forever.

In the years following Rémi's disappearance, Antoine wrestles with the role his actions played. As a seemingly inescapable net begins to tighten, breaking free from the suffocating environs of Beauval becomes a gnawing obsession. But how far does he have to run, and how long will it take before his past catches up with him again?

My review of Three Days and a Life

Oh this book, I still can't get this book out of my head. It is one of those books that stays with you long after you have read the final page. It's taken me a while to sum up my thoughts, so that I can try and write my review. Three Days and a Life is incredibly hard to review in terms of plot, so I am not going to talk about the plot, instead I'll focus upon the way in which the book has been written and the beautiful imagery conjured up in the small French village of Beauval. I'll also add that I completely fell in love with this book.

Three Days and a Life is written from the third person point of view and is very easy to follow. The novel begins in 1999, just before Christmas when little Rémi disappears from the village, shortly after the violent death of his family's dog. We follow the inhabitants of the town, including Anotne and his mother, Madame Courtin, as they begin to search for the little boy. Alter several days, the time then shifts to 2015, and once again we follow Antoine. The narrative flows beautifully, and the author creates a sense of tension and urgency to his writing, with an unsettling undercurrent. I couldn't put the book down.



The remote village of Beauval is skilfully brought to life on the page, as well as its inhabitants. I could clearly picture the row of houses, the smell of the woods and the way that life must have been like for the people living there.  

Understanding Beauval, is pivotal to understanding the complexity of the characters and the reasons in which they act. It is a close community, deeply affected by the disappearance of little Remi, and the village is never quite the same. I think that the reason that this book touched me so deeply, is that it is about how a little boy disappears, and the effect upon his family and the wider community. The beginning of the book I found very difficult to read, as some of the details are quite disturbing.

Pierre Lemaitre is a gifted storyteller of cutting edge thrillers that are also thought provoking. I cared aboiut these characters, even though I never liked Antoine. The fact trhat I didn't like him simply didn't matter, I still found him hugely readable and complex. This is a gripping tale of morality, of growing up and of dealing with the chances and decsions that you make in life. It left me breathless. My thoughts kept drifting back to this novel, days after I had finished reradong it. It is a disturbing read, but a compelling one that challenges our moral compass.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to the publisher,MacLehose Press, and Bookbridgr for a paperback proof copy.

Three Days and a Life is published by MacLehose Press on 13 July 2017 and is available to preorder on Amazon here.



Fear by Dirk Kurbjuweit #bookreview

About Fear

YOU'D DIE FOR YOUR FAMILY.

BUT WOULD YOU KILL FOR THEM?

Family is everything.

So what if yours was being terrorised by a neighbour – a man who doesn’t listen to reason, whose actions become more erratic and sinister with each passing day? And those you thought would help – the police, your lawyer – can’t help you.

You become afraid to leave your family at home alone. But there’s nothing more you can do to protect them.

Is there?

'FEAR shifts our moral codes. It makes us sympathetic to violent revenge, accessories to murder. Do we want the victim to survive? No, we don't' - HERMAN KOCH, bestselling author of THE DINNER

My review of Fear

Wow! Where do I start with this book review? I absolutely loved Fear for its originality, creeping sense of unease and that knowledge that everything that happened was completely believable, and could happen to any one of us. This really is a compelling and challenging psychological thriller.

Fear is the first novel by Dirk Kurbjuweit to be translated from his native German, but is the author's seventh novel. He writes with cutting clarity, having based the novel om real life vents, those of being stalked. This somehow makes the events of the novel even more chilling.

Dieter Tiberius is the stalker. He lives in the basement flat. A man of a different social class to the rest of the building, and to the Tiefenthaler family: Randolph and his wife, who have two small children. He is described as being different from the very beginning of the story. He looks different and he acts differently, he is an outsider. From the way that his character is displayed on the page, we should be fearful of him. Does he deserve the violent revenge that is bestowed upon him? This is where the novel is very clever, in that my moral compass shifted as I read through the pages.

We learn at the beginning of the story that Hermann Tiefenthaler, father to Randolph, is in prison for manslaughter. The victim is Dieter Tiberius, but the true nature io the crime, and exactly what happened are not revealed until the very end of the story. We read Randolph's thoughts about what has happened, his relationship with his father, past and present and how he perceives his relationship to be with his wife. This is very much a slow burning and dark read about revenge and the need to protect your family at all costs. To completely understand the  motives of the Tiefenthaler family, we need to understand them, their character, and this is what the author does beautifully, through the telling of stories, encounters and how life was for Randolph growing up in a household that was full of guns.

Fear tackles some serious issues. Those of gun ownership, child abuse, social inequality and social class. How we are raised and the social class we are elevated to, all have equal importance in this novel. For me though, the heart of this novel came down to the fact that because the police would bot protect Randolph and his family from the torrent of psychological abuse that they were receiving, they felt they had to take matters into their own hands. The law is powerless to protect them from psychological abuse. This is in itself an interesting concept, that of a psychological attack, the written word, one spoken word against another. Whose version of events do we really believe?

Fear is a challenging read. Do we believe Randolph? Do we empathise with the victim? The real question is, how far would you go to protect your family? It will leave you reeling. My thoughts kept coming back to this book, days after reading it. This book is not published until January next year and it already has a huge following on social media. This book is going to be huge, and for very good reasons.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

Fear is published January 25th 2018 by Orion Publishing Group. You can pre order the book on Amazon here.

About the author

Dirk Kurbjuweit is deputy editor-in-chief at Der Spiegel, where he has worked since 1999, and divides his time between Berlin and Hamburg. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the Egon Erwin Kisch Prize for journalism, and is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels, many of which, including Fear, have been adapted for film, television and radio in Germany. Fear is the first of his works to be translated into English.

The Ultimatum by Karen Robards #bookreview

About The Ultimatum

The first thriller in the Guardian series by New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards, perfect for fans of Karen Rose and Sandra Brown.

Bianca St. Ives is smart, talented and beautiful. She's also a high-end thief, a master manipulator, a card shark, and a genius of disguise.

A femme fatale Robin Hood running a multinational firm with her father, she makes a living swindling con men out of money they stole and giving it back to those who should rightfully have it. Her father has prepared her well to carry on the family business, and now the prodigy has surpassed the master.

But her latest mission didn't go to plan - millions of dollars and top secret government documents went missing, and her father was supposedly killed. But not everyone believes in his death, including the US government. They'll stop at nothing to capture Richard St. Ives - a high-value target who has been on most-wanted lists all over the world - even if it means using Bianca as bait.

With only a fellow criminal for backup and her life on the line, it's up to Bianca to uncover the terrifying truth behind what really happened . . . and set it right, before it's too late.

 

My review of The Ultimatum

Well, The Ultimatum is my first ever Karen Robards book and it won't be the last. Wow! This book was amazing. It left me breathless, from the gripping and very scary prologue, right through to the last word, I just couldn't put it down. Ms Robards really is a wonderful storyteller. This is a fast paced thriller that pulls no punches, is action packed, but is also heavily character driven,  and this surprised me. It's an entertaining and compulsive read.

I couldn't put this book down, it really does have it all: action, suspense, crime, romance and a female protagonist who is utterly spellbinding, Bianca St. Ives. The beginning of the novel describes Bianca's situation, as she finds herself in the middle of an aborted mission that has gone horribly wrong. Wow,  as I read these first few chapters that described her predicament, I saw the movie playing in my mind. The descriptions of what was going on around her, as well as her inner monologue were so captivating. I actually felt that I was Bianca, as my heart raced and the panic began to set in... and the book continued at this relentless pace.

The book is obviously plot driven and focusses heavily upon action and suspense. However, this book is also heavily character driven. I often find when reading this genre that character is less important than that of action, but this book redresses the balance, as character is incredibly important. Bianca is obviously the main focus and I really got to know her and her thought processes throughout the novel. I needed to understand her I feel to fully appreciate the novel. Without such a strong female lead, and a likeable one who has a soft and vulnerable core than you otherwise might expect, this book would not be as much of an emotional read, and it is highly emotional.

The Ultimatum is a crime thriller that is packed full of plot and exciting, memorable characters and I loved it. I loved Bianca and what she stood for. It was an incredibly fun, enjoyable and emotional read... and oh my, that ending! I can't wait to read book two in the series.

With thanks to the publisher and Bookbridgr for an advanced hardback copy for review purposes.

The Ultimatum is released in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton on 15 June. 2017. It is available
from Amazon on the following link.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimatum-Guardian-Karen-Robards/dp/1473647339/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497193365&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Ultimatum

About the author

Karen Robards is the internationally bestselling author of over forty romantic suspense novels, which have regularly appeared on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others. She is the mother of three boys and lives with her family in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

You can find out more at www.karenrobards.com and on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/AuthorKarenRobards or follow her on Twitter @TheKarenRobards.

My Sister by Michelle Adams #bookreview

About My Sister

My name is Irini. I was given away.

My name is Elle. I was kept.

All her life Irini thought she was given away because her family didn't want her. What if the truth is something worse?

Two sisters. Two separate lives.

One family bound by a harrowing secret

My review of My Sister

My Sister is a dark, disturbing and uncomfortable read that I enjoyed immensely. The story is told from Irini's point of view, the stater who was given away, and it is through her eyes that we learn the truth behind what happened... and why.

So, this story is about a family which is divided, that was torn apart when Irini was given away at the age of three. Irini has very few memories about this time in her life, and even now as a grown woman she has no idea why her parents made the decision for Irini to live with her aunt, instead of them.

The novel begins when Irini receives a phone call from her estranged sister, Elle, the sister whom her parents chose to keep. From this beginning, this one phone call, I had a slow burning sense of foreboding, that something really bad was going to happen. This book is a slow burner, and deliberately done so to give the book a creepy and unsettling feeling. Although described as a psychological thriller, for me the real thrill of the book was in the slow understanding of what was happening, in he understanding of the characters and in the realisation that their relationship was toxic.

My Sister is so very hard to review without giving the plot away. It is so intricately layered, going backwards and forwards in time, allowing us to glimpse both Irini and Elle in the past and present, which helps to shed light on who they are and why they have such a destructive relationship. Some of the events that take place in the past are truly shocking, but once told, made me realise the complexity and importance of their relationship. So, instead I want to write about how this book made me feel, the way in which the characters made me feel and interacted with each other. The main emphasis is obviously the relationship between Irinii and Elle, and from the start I had the feeling that they were best kept apart. Elle was most obviously a live wire, someone who was hard to contain, and I didn't like her, although I could empathise with her. I also felt slightly the same way towards Irini. Although the protagonist of the story, she was a character who was incredibly hard to like. To be honest, it took me until the very end to get what she was all about, but I actually think that this was the point. That I had to grow to love her, in order to understand her. Having said all that, I did empathise with her, and the situations that she found herself in.

My Sister is not a light read, it is a book with so much depth and understanding about the relationship of sisters. The story is incredibly clever, and almost  a manipulative tale about the bond that sisters share. Even when they are forced to live apart, the bond is never truly broken. I really liked this refreshing spin on the subject of sisters, the clever narrative and the intricate descriptions of events taking place... and as for the ending. Well, it simply took my breath away.

My Sister is published by Headline. The kindle version published on 20 April 2017 is available to by from Amazon here. Paperback published 11 Jan, 2018.

With thanks to the publisher and Bookbridgr for a paperback review copy.

About the author

Michelle Adams grew up in the UK and now lives in Cyprus, where she works as a part-time scientist. She read her first Stephen King novel at the tender age of nine, and has been addicted to suspense fiction ever since. MY SISTER is her first novel.

The Knowing by David Graham #bookreview

About The Knowing

United by destiny, they must stand together to face an ancient evil.....

Ceri Edwards and two school friends lift the lid on an ancient book of recipes belonging to Betty Williams, a volunteer at the local hospital in Pontypridd, South Wales. Two Kansas City cops step off a flight at London Heathrow and one of them falls to the ground with a painful conviction that there's something evil in the air.

United in their destinies, Ceri and the police officers are drawn into a world where prophecies are pitted against invisible forces planning to raze London to the ground and bring down the Royal Family.

It all rests with Dai Williams, recently knighted MI5 agent and reluctant hero, to bring some order to the improbable events and to ensure that afternoon tea at The Ritz continues for another hundred years.

A great cross between Kim Newman and Ben Aaranovitch and a thrill for any fan of contemporary urban horror.

My review of The Knowing

The Knowing is a fabulous urban, horror thriller, that defies its genre. I actually thought that this book was more of a mystery/supernatural/science fiction type of a read... it is most certainly a genre busting book, and I loved it! I also didn't realise that this book follows on from The Screaming, but this book worked for me as a stand alone novel. I will, however, be reading The Screaming in the near future.

The Knowing is set in futuristic London, where Ceri Edwards from Pontypridd, South Wales and police officers from the States, have to fight against invisible forces who are wanting to destroy the country. The prologue sets the scene beautifully for the action to follow, and from that moment on the pace really doesn't let up. Mr Graham writes is such an easy and engaging way, with both humour and wit. Although set in a futuristic dystopian world, I understood completely the world in which these characters lived, as the author had constructed such an elaborate and detailed environment. The world in which they inhabit felt as real to me, as the world in which we live today.

The plot is a complicated and enjoyable one. I don't want to go into it in detail, as it will obviously give the game away, but all I will say is that the plot was well constructed and executed. Just imagine London as a corrupted city, with no mobile phones or internet, as this type of technology has been banned. It's a completely different world.

This book also worked for me because of the rich array of characters who each had their own unique story to tell. I enjoyed all of the characters in this novel, all had their own point of view and I felt like I got to know them.  My favourite character had to be Ceri, a young teenage witch, a quirky and likeable girl, who unleashes much mischief when she opens the book of ancient curses.  I found the way in which she spoke and acted incredibly authentic, just like that of a teenager learning about the world and how to fit into it. She really does have a rite of passage in this novel.

On paper, I really shouldn't have enjoyed this book, as I am not a big horror, urban fantasy reader... but this book, as I have already mentioned, defies being labelled, so if you are not a huge horror fan, do not be put off. This really is a gripping and enjoyable read. I couldn't put it down.

The Knowing, published by Urbane Publications on 30 Mar. 2017 is available to buy from Amazon here.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

About the author

David Graham lives in an ostensibly carbon zero house in rural Kent with his partner and two cats amidst fields of maize and poly-tunnels of strawberries. Previously, he lived and worked in London as a consultant in the NHS. His previous non-fiction titles include: Medical Computing and Applications, Creative Sound and Computer-Assisted Medical Learning: Clinical Anatomy. David turned his attention to writing fiction in 2012. Since then, he has written one self-published novel (Looks Could Kill) and two traditionally published novels (Captive and Wet & Wild) under the name David Ellis. Looks Could Kill was in the Amazon Kindle Top 10 of spy thrillers and was downloaded more than 3,000 times. Captive was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. He has also written two romance novellas under the name Richard Longfellow. His horror thriller The Screaming was published by Frostbite Publishing in the US in 2014, and by Austin Macauley in the UK in 2015. His new book The Knowing is the sequel to The Screaming and is due to be published early 2017 by Urbane Publications.

Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen

 About Gone Without a Trace

No one ever disappears completely...

You leave for work one morning.

Another day in your normal life.

Until you come home to discover that your boyfriend has gone.

His belongings have disappeared.

He hasn't been at work for weeks.

It's as if he never existed.

But that's not possible, is it?

And there is worse still to come.

Because just as you are searching for him

someone is also watching you.

 

My review of Gone Without a Trace

Gone Without a Trace is a psychological thriller set in the Wirral, Merseyside. I was initially drawn to this book because I grew up on the Wirral (and still have family there), plus the fact that I was fascinated by the notion that a person, a loved one, could just disappear without a trace. I wanted to know what had happened and why. This book delivered on both counts, but I'll admit that I found it an uncomfortable read.

So, the story begins when Hannah returns home from a successful work conference, wanting to celebrate with her boyfriend, Matt, but she finds that he has gone. He has taken everything that was his, leaving no trace of him, or his personality behind. He has also erased all social media accounts and his contact number from Hannah's phone. She has no way of contacting him. This sent a chill down my spine. The fact that a person could do this, that it was possible to do this, and that your normal, everyday happy existence could be obliterated, just like that.

What follows is Hannah's inner struggle to piece together what happened. Has Matt left her of his own free will? Was he threatened? Had he fallen in with the wrong crowd? Was he taken against his own free will? At first it is unclear what has happened, but slowly Hannah begins to figure out what has happened, as do we.

The characters in this novel are a complex bunch and I didn't really like any of them, but having said that, I think that this was intentional. I could be subjective, watching as an outsider. I even felt like I was watching Hannah from a distance, but in doing so I was able to take a step back and see the bigger picture. I honestly feel that I wasn't meant to get close to her.

As I have already mentioned, this is an uncomfortable read, which became even more uncomfortable after the dramatic plot twist that I honestly didn't see coming. A difficult and taboo subject is raised, and I applaud the author for her bravery in writing about such a sensitive subject. What I also liked was the fact that this novel is very much two stories. The story before and after the plot twist. It very much felt like I was reading two very different stories, but for very obvious reasons. This was a brave thing to do, but for me, it worked.

This is a slow novel to begin with, but an all consuming one all the same. The pace only really picks up about three quarters of the way through, but then there really is no letting up, as we face surprise after surprise. It's almost as if I was lulled into a false sense of security.

Gone Without a Trace is a dark and challenging book, and most definitely lives up to its psychological thriller status. The ending truly shocked me, and I still find myself thinking about Hannah and Matt. This is a hugely enjoyable read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Gone Without a Trace, published by Headline on 23 Mar 2017 can be bought via Amazon here.

With thanks to the publisher and Bookbridgr, for my paperback copy, for review purposes.

 



The Darkest Lies by Barbara Copperthwaite

About The Darkest Lies

Melanie Oak appeared to have the perfect life. Married to her childhood sweetheart, Jacob, the couple live with their beautiful, loving, teenage daughter, Beth, in a pretty village.

Nothing can shake her happiness - until the day that Beth goes missing and is discovered beaten almost to the point of death, her broken body lying in a freezing creek on the marshes near their home.

Consumed with grief, Melanie is determined to find her daughter’s attacker. Someone in the village must have seen something. Why won’t they talk?

As Melanie tries to piece together what happened to Beth, she discovers that her innocent teenager has been harbouring some dark secrets of her own. The truth may lie closer to home and put Melanie’s life in terrible danger…

A completely gripping psychological thriller with a twist you won’t see coming. Fans of The Girl on the Train, The Sister and Before I Let You In will be captivated.

My review of he Darkest Lies

The Darkest Lies is a captivating and brilliant read from Barbara Copperthwiate. This novel takes the ideal and seemingly perfect family unit and turns it on its head. Secrets are kept in this tiny rural village, located by desolate marshland and, as a reader, I got to spy on all of its occupants. This is a somewhat disturbing, chilling read that had me racing through the pages, savouring every word. I found it hugely enjoyable.

The novel is fast paced throughout, it really doesn't let up from the moment you read the somewhat chilling prologue. It left me frantically gripping onto the cliffhanger, wondering what on earth had just happened. It's such a clever start to the novel and sets the scene beautifully for just how desolate the marshes are in this quiet and sleepy little rural village. In fact, the way in which the village and its inhabitants are evoked is so descriptive, I actually felt like I lived there.

The Darkest Lies illuminated family life and that every perfect family has its own share of secrets. When thirteen-year-old Beth is found left for dead in a cold creek on the boundaries of the village, Melanie begins her own investigation in the village to find out what happened to her daughter and who attacked her. What she discovers is that her daughter had her own share of secrets and Melanie begins to question who she can trust. Melanie was an interesting character and I understood her completely. Partly because she is a mother like me, and that as a mother you would do everything in your power to protect your child. I understood her need to find out the truth and I was with her one hundred percent on this. I also believed in her because of the skilful witting, I saw what she did, I was with her every step of the way during her journey, during every twist and turn.

This is a dark novel, and I'll admit that it unsettled me. The fact that a family could have their entre world turned on its axis was shocking. I could have been reading about my family, or a family down the road. Parents who loved each other, and their daughter, began to question each other and had to face the harsh reality that they didn't know everything about their not so little girl. This is what really unsettled me, that our children are not children forever and that they need to forge their own path. It's just that sometimes we have no idea of what is really going on in  their lives.

This is really a novel of two stories. We have Melanie's story, as she strives to find her daughter's attacker and uncover her hidden secrets, as well as the story from the attacker's point of view, an unknown voice that I found completely compelling. The two timelines work wonderfully well together and create a gripping narrative, right until the final, surprising twist. I honestly did not see it coming.

The Darkest Lies is a dark, compelling and unforgettable read that had me hooked from the very beginning. The final paragraph haunted me, long after I had finished reading.

The Darkest Lies is published by Bookouture on 12 May 2017. You can find the book on Amazon here.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

About the author

Barbara is the author of psychological thrillers INVISIBLE and FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD. Both have been Amazon best sellers. Her latest book, THE DARKEST LIES, is out on 12 May.

Much of her success is thanks to her twenty-odd years' experience as a national newspaper and magazine journalist. She's interviewed the real victims of crime - and also those who have carried those crimes out. Thanks to people sharing their stories with her, she knows a lot about the emotional impact of violence and wrong-doing. That's why her novels are dark, realistic and tackle not just the crime but its repercussions.

When not writing feverishly, she is often found hiding behind a camera, taking wildlife photographs.

To find out more about Barbara's novels, go to www.facebook.com/AuthorBarbaraCopperthwaite or follow @BCopperthwait on Twitter. To find out more about Barbara go to www.barbaracopperthwaite.com

Dancers in the Wind by Anne Coates

About Dancers in the Wind

SHE IS HUNTING FOR THE TRUTH, BUT WHO IS HUNTING HER?

Freelance journalist and single mother Hannah Weybridge is commissioned by a national newspaper to write an investigative article on the notorious red light district in Kings Cross. There she meets prostitute Princess, and police inspector in the vice squad, Tom Jordan. When Princess later arrives on her doorstep beaten up so badly she is barely recognisable, Hannah has to make some tough decisions and is drawn ever deeper into the world of deceit and violence.

Three sex workers are murdered, their deaths covered up in a media blackout, and Hannah herself is under threat. As she comes to realise that the taste for vice reaches into the higher echelons of the great and the good, Hannah realises she must do everything in her power to expose the truth .... and stay alive.

My review of Dancers in the Wind

Dancers in the Wind is a highly innovative and compelling novel from Anne Coats. This book is a mixture of crime thriller slash investigative journalism, with even a dash of romance, that is both gritty and realistic. I loved it.

The novel is set in 1993, and we firstly meet Hannah Weybridge, a freelance journalist and single mother to a young baby, as she is on her way to Kings Cross to interview Princess, a young prostitute, for a national magazine. While interviewing her, she begins to learn of what reality is really like for Princess and for the other women working on the street, and has her eyes well a truly opened. Something changes within Hannah, and her life is soon to be entwined with Princess's and the seedier side of life on the London streets.

Hannah is an incredibly likeable character. She is a mother, and I instantly warned to this nurturing side of her nature. Her maternal instinct most definitely kicked in when she met Princess. However, she also has a steely side, a perceptiveness about her and a determination to find the truth, no matter the cost, in her quest to find out who is responsible for the recent murders of several prostitutes within the Kings Cross area.  

Princess for me was the most interesting character, barely a woman, her life had been ruined from a very young age. The way in which her descriptions of life on the street were described to me as a reader, were very well written, they appeared very much as fact, and it was apparent to me that the author had done much research upon the subject. 

What completely gripped me and made me gasp for breath, was when Princess is brutally attacked and left for dead by one of her punters. In her hour of need she turns to Hannah, literally turning up on her doorstep in the middle of the night, bloodied and broken. The description of Princess in this state, and of how Hannah cares for her, had me in tears. 

We also meet DI Tom Jordan, a police Inspector for the vice squad. He is interviewed by Hannah with regards to his role in the vice squad for her article, but just as Princess becomes part of her life, so does Tom. Here is a man who is handsome but guarded. He seems genuine, in how he treats Hannah and in what he says about keeping the prostitutes safe on the street, but can Hannah trust him? This is the big question in this book, issues of trust when linked to authority. While reading I very quickly made my mind up about him, although I was kept in the dark until the very end. What I also loved was the chemistry between them on the page. For me, they made the perfect couple. 

This book is not an easy read, but then it is not meant to be, it is a book about raising awareness of these vulnerable women, that they are someone's daughter, someone's mother. They are humanised, they are made to count, their lives matter. This is a crime thriller, but one that asks many questions about how these vulnerable women are treated by society and those who are in a position of power to protect them.

I highly recommend Dancers in the Wind, it is a deeply moving book, and I am very much looking forward to book two in the series which is to be published soon. 

Dancers in the Wind, published by Urbane Publications on October 13, can be found on Amazon here.

About the author

I love reading and the type of fiction I write is what I like to read. So my very short stories are often tales with a twist and the longer ones explore relationships – often within a family. Most of these stories were published first in Bella, Candis and other magazines and now appear in two collections published by Endeavour Press.

My debut thriller, "Dancers in the Wind", was published by Urbane Publications in October 2016. This book is a result of an interview I did for a national newspaper and afterwards I thought "What if..." and so Hannah Weybridge came into existence and she continues her life in "Death's Silent Judgement" to be published in May 2017 again by Urbane Publications. I am currently working on the third book in the series. You can find out more about my writing at www.annecoatesauthor.com

Journalism has led me into diverse fields from human interest stories to health and beauty to travel and parenting and so just over seven years ago I founded the website: www.parentingwithouttears.com writing about what inspires (or upsets) me and hosting articles and reviews by other writers and parents. This led to two parenting guides again published by Endeavour Press.

Before that I had written three books (two for Wayland) including "Your Only Child" (Bloomsbury) plus two books about applying to and surviving university published by Need to Know.

I live in SE London with three demanding cats and enjoy going to the theatre and cinema and socialising with friends. You can find out more about the parenting website on twitter @ParentingWT or more about what I am up to @Anne_Coates1

Electric Souk by Rose McGinty

About Electric Souk

Rose McGinty has written a powerful debut novel that crackles with energy and shimmers with lyricism, shedding light on a world that is half hidden.’ SOPHIE DUFFY, author of Bright Stars

‘An enthralling novel; beguiling characters that leap off the page and a beautifully conjured world. Exquisite writing infused with a creeping tension held me spellbound.’ JANE ELMOR, author of My Vintage Summer

‘With its unique blend of exuberance and menace, Electric Souk is a journey and an adventure’ ISABEL COSTELLO, The Literary Sofa

Humanity blisters in this haunting, lyrical thriller about trust and treachery. Ireland's gone bust, and with it Aisling Finn's life. She flees austerity for adventure in the desert. But the Arabia she finds is not that of her dreams. Everyone is chasing a fast buck, a fast woman and another G&T. Expats and locals alike prickle with paranoia.

Debonair fixer, Brian Rothmann, charms Aisling with champagne brunches and nights at Bedouin camps. But is Brian a hero or a desperate expat prepared to go to any lengths to get what he wants? Is this Aisling? Or is he using her as bait? Her only hope is Hisham, a local activist. But where do his loyalties lie?

Aisling faces severe peril when the sleazy expat and blood-lusting desert worlds collide, as the Arab Spring erupts. She has to ask, whom can she trust? Can she even trust herself?

My Review of Electric Souk

Oh my word! Where do I start? Other than by saying that I loved this book. It has everything. I'm not even sure what genre this book fits into is as it is part adventure story/part thriller/part romance/part spy novel/part epic journey...I could go on. . It is like no other book I have ever read and I was captivated from the very first page.

Electric Souk tells the tale of Aisling Finn, a thirty something Irish woman, who flees Dublin after a failed relationship to seek a brighter and more happier future in the Gulf desert working for the Health Board. However, life in the desert is far from easy, and although she does get her fair share of adventure, she gets far more than she bargained for.

This novel is told from Aisling's point of view and we see, hear and taste what she does. I could taste the red desert sand, smell the mint tea and hear the buzzing of the crowds at the Souk at nigh time. Rose McGinty has managed to capture the fragrance, intensity and the emotions of the desert and the lifestyle which may of us will never know.

We meet many colourful characters along the way. The first is Angie, the bubbly scouser who is in nurse training and who takes Aisling under her wing in this strange new country. Her Liverpudlian accent flew from the pages and I found myself smiling, remembering the voices of my old home. She is a strong female character, and this book is full of them. We have Laila, who becomes Aisling's Sister as well as her interpreter. She is feisty, intelligent, beautiful and quick witted. In contrast we have Mozah, a manipulative woman who is only out for her own ends. It is Aisling though, who had my attention.  The story is told from her point of view and I felt her vulnerability as well as growing strength. Although this book is about deception and learning who you can rust, it is also about Aisling's journey of self discovery.

This book is full of twists and turns. I was gripped until the very end, wanting to find out the many truths. Aisling is in a foreign country, she does not speak the language, nor does she fully understand the rituals and customs, and it is to others that she must turn to feel safe and be protected. But the big question that is raised is who can she trust? As a reader I had my doubts about those characters who seemed trustworthy. I too, just like Aisling, felt a creeping sense of doubt and building paranoia. We meet Mr Brian Rothmann, who is brought in to work on the project. Can Aishling trust him? Is he all who he seems? From the very first moment I met him, I did not like him and was wary of him throughout the novel. We also meet Hisham, Laila's brother, an activist, a polar opposite to Brian, a gentleman, and from the moment he appeared, I both trussed and liked him.

 

Electric Souk fully immerses you in the Arabic world. We go on trips to the mall for coffee and trinkets. We drink whisky from jam jars and stay up until 3 am in the morning. It really is a different lifestyle and one which is evoked beautifully on the page. It is very obvious that the author has spent time in the desert, and is aware of the lifestyle and customs, as she writes with such ease and knowledge.

 

I highly recommend Electric Souk as a book to escape the ordinary world. You will be gripped, shocked and thoroughly entertained. The language is poetic and the pages crackle with intensity. It really is a stunning debut novel.

 

Electric Souk is published on March 23 by Urbane Publications. You can find the book on Amazon here.

With thanks to the author and publisher who gave me an Advanced Reader Copy for review purposes.

 

About the author

Rose McGinty was born with itchy feet, which she has yet to decide is a blessing or a curse. Certainly, surviving Hurricane Sandy, an earthquake, a spider bite, jumping 192 metres off the Sky Tower in Auckland, and nearly being arrested for inadvertently smuggling a rocket in Vietnam, make her wonder about locking up her passport. But then, it was her adventures in the Middle East that gave her the itchy fingers to write. Rose lives in Kent, where as well as enjoying writing short stories, flash fiction and poetry, she also paints. She works in community health services and has worked overseas in Ireland, Canada, Sweden and the Middle East. She completed the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course, under the guidance of Richard Skinner, in 2015. Electric Souk is her debut novel and Rose says of her story, 'The parts of the story that are true, I probably wish were not; while the parts that are not, I probably wish were true.'

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

 

About He Said/She Said

You don't want to be left in the dark. Twisty, gripping and thought-provoking, HE SAID/SHE SAID is the suspense novel everyone is lining up to read and rave about.

'A tour de force - a gripping, twisting, furiously clever read that asks all the right questions and keeps you guessing until the very end.' Ruth Ware, author of The Woman in Cabin 10

'I'm calling it: THIS is the book I wish I'd written' Clare Mackintosh, author of I See You

In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack.

She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, four lives change forever.

Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear.

And while Laura knows she was right to speak out, she also knows that you can never see the whole picture: something is always hidden... something she never could have guessed.

My Review of He Said/She Said

 

He Said/She Said is a fast paced, gripping and compulsive read. Once I began to read I could not put it down, I was hooked from the very beginning. If you love complex characterisations, twisted plots and an enjoyable story to boot, then you will love this book. I did!

 

The story we are told begins fifteen years previously, when Kit and Laura attend an 'eclipse festival' in Cornwall, on Lizard Point. Kit had travelled with his twin brother, Mac, along with Mac's girlfriend (and Laura's best friend), Ling. Laura had to attend a job interview and so traveled to meet them a few days later. They had funded the trip by manning a tea tent at the festival, selling the then, much drunk, spiced chai tea.

 

It is from this point onwards that the loves of Kit and Laura changes forever. After viewing the eclipse, Laura stumbles upon a purse that is in the grass, and on her search to find the recipient, stumbles upon a rape. We later learn that the woman's name is Beth and the man accused of rape is Jamie. The four characters lives from that moment on become entwined, when Kit and Laura are asked to provide witness statements and to then stand as witnesses during the rape trial. I won't say any more about what happens, but this is the beginning of their new lives.

 

This book is a dark read, and a thought provoking one, especially around the issue of rape and that of consent. It is very obvious that he author has done lots of research and provides us with an utterly plausible storyline with regards to the violation of rape victims when in a court of law, and the fact that it is very often their word against the accused. Very often it is the victim who is forced to plead her innocence, with sexual habits, past sexual partners, and state of mind all coming into play.

 

Kit and Laura are captivating characters, each telling their own story via alternating chapters in the book. In doing so, we get a fully rounded account of what has happened during the past fifteen years, helping us to fill the gaps and shed light on the present day. However, it is vary difficult to know who is telling the truth, and it is only during the last few pages of the book that we fully understand what has happened between them. To say that I was shocked, would be a huge understatement. At first I thought that the title of the book referred to the version of events as presented by Jamie and Beth, but in fact I now understand that the book is about Kit and Laura, and their relationship, and that there are always two sides to every story.

 

This book very much centres around the eclipse, with Kit and Laura, being eclipse chasers. I thought that this would put me off, but in fact it did the opposite. I found the information about the eclipse fascinating, and just heaped to add a further layer to the story. All of the important events that happen to Kit and Laura seem to revolve around the eclipse, so it is a part of them, part of who they are as a couple.

 

Erin Kelly is a very talented writer. By the end of the book In felt like I  knew Beth, Kit and Laura, that I knew their souls, what made them tick and what had shaped them, and this is very difficult to achieve. It is these complex characters that make the book a gripping and fascinating read. In truth, I did not like any of them, but that didn't matter, I didn't need to like them, merely understand them, and this was achieved by the end of the book.

 

He Said/She Said is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a book that I highly recommend.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

 

He Said/She Said is published by Hodder and Stoughton on April 20th.

 

The book is available to pre order from Amazon here.

*BLOG TOUR* Wrong Number by Carys Jones - Review and Extract

A missing husband. Mysterious calls. And the biggest lie of them all.

Read with caution - you may never want to answer your phone again...

Will and Amanda Thorne are living the dream until, one day, their phone rings. Within 24 hours, Will is missing and Amanda’s world is shattered.

Who was on the phone? Where has Will gone?

Amanda is determined to find her husband and is drawn into a world of drug dealers, criminal masterminds and broken promises.

As the truth becomes clearer, she has to face the terrible possibility that she may never have known her husband at all...

My review of Wrong Number

Wrong Number is the debut novel from Carys Jones, and is a fast paced psychological thriller that held my attention throughout the entire novel. The story begins when Amanda receives a phone call and what she believes is a wrong number. Although she finds the conversation strange, she puts it to the back of mind. The next day, she wakes early to find that her husband, Will, has already left for work without kissing her goodbye, something that he always does. She finds this strange, coupled with the fact that he has left no note, but it is only when she tries to contact him and there is no response. that she finally realises that he is missing. What happens next is a journey to find out what has happened to Will, and Amanda's life is put in danger.

When I first read the blurb for this book, I was instantly drawn to the idea that one phone call could quite literally change your entire life, that it could tip it upside down, and I wanted to see how the author would deal with this scenario. I have to say that the story that blossomed from this idea is an enjoyable and plausible one. While reading we question how well we know our husband, our wife? Do we ever truly know someone, and if something did happen to them... well, how far would we go to protect that person and make them safe?

I really did enjoy this novel and in particular the character of Amanda. While reading I wasn't sure if the author had meant for her to have Asperger's syndrome,  but her characteristics most definitely fall on the autistic spectrum. I liked this character, a lot. The way that she was fiercely independent and not intimidated by others, especially men. Will, for me, was very much an enigma, but of course that was how he should be. As a reader, we really don't get to know him or why he acts the way in which he does. The one character who truly stood out for me though, was Amanda's ex boyfriend, now a police detective, who joins her in her search for her missing husband. In a world where she doesn't know who she can trust, she knows that she can trust him, and I particularly liked their chemistry and dialogue.

Wrong Number, I found was hugely addictive and incredibly hard to put down. The only negative I have is that the ending seemed to be rushed and ended somewhat abruptly. This was soon made obvious by turning the last page, as there is going to be a second book, but I still would have preferred a slightly more rounded finish, perhaps with an epilogue. However, having said this, Wrong Number is an enjoyable read that will keep you gripped and entertained until the very end.

An exclusive extract from Wrong Number

Below is an exclusive extract from Wrong Number. Enjoy!

4

Every ten minutes, Amanda dialled Will’s number again, clinging to the hope that this time the call would connect. But it was never her husband who picked up. Amanda knew the clipped monotone response by heart as it echoed in her ear: ‘The number you dialled has been disconnected.’

     She’d heard the message so many times that she feared it had been forever ingrained on her soul. That years, even decades from now she’d hear the objective words as they became permanently housed in the darker recesses of her mind.

     ‘Come on,’ Amanda chewed down on her thumbnail as she paced across the landing. Her mobile phone was held to her ear in the midst of a pregnant pause during which she crossed everything, praying that Will would answer.

     Amanda had never been someone to entertain superstitions. She’d put shoes on the table, cross someone on the stairs and deliberately fail to acknowledge a solitary magpie. She didn’t believe in fate. But now, as the morning started to creep worryingly close towards the afternoon, Amanda was willing to do whatever it took to find out where her husband was. She’d cross her fingers, never walk beneath a ladder again and throw salt over her shoulder if she had to.

     Finally, the call was answered. But not by Will. It was the automated response again.

     Dammit,’ Amanda seethed and ended the call with a blunt press of a button. Her mind was racing as she headed downstairs.

     Was Will hurt?

     Was his phone just broken?

     Was he now at work?

     Amanda looked at her phone. She needed to call Mike. To check that Will hadn’t turned up late for his shift and thanks to a suddenly fault phone just couldn’t contact her.

     Every surface in the kitchen burned brightly beneath the glorious glow of sunlight which was beaming in through the windows. Amanda reached for the percolator and switched it on before stepping back from its loud gurgles and trembles. She pressed her phone against her ear.

     'Yeah?’ Mike gruffly answered as though he were annoyed at the distraction.

     'Mike, hi, it’s Mrs Thorn,’ Amanda tossed her hair out of her eyes and wandered over to the French doors at the far end of the kitchen, looking out at her little garden.

     ‘Oh, Mrs Thorn,’ Mike cleared his throat and softened his tone. ‘Everything okay?’

     'I, um,’ Amanda sighed, realizing that she was about to risk sounding like a slightly crazy person. ‘Did Will show up for work in the end?’ she blurted the question, moving hard and fast like she was ripping off a plaster and trying to minimize the damage caused.

     Mike paused and Amanda felt her stomach squeeze in on itself.

     ‘No, he didn’t.’

     Amanda closed her eyes and leaned against the French doors for support. The heat of the day burned against the glass.

     'Is everything all right, Mrs Thorn?’ Mike wondered kindly.

     Chewing her lip, Amanda wondered what to say.

     No, everything isn’t all right. My husband is missing, his phone isn’t working and I’ve no idea where he’s gone.

     ‘I’m fine,’ Amanda forced herself to smile as she straightened. ‘Will’s phone is just broken so I can’t check where he is.’

     ‘Okay, as long as you are all right.’

     Amanda had never met Mike. From what she’d heard about him through Will he sounded like a decent, fair man who’d take on any new hires at the warehouse so long as they were willing to work hard for him. He wasn’t the kind of guy to suffer fools gladly. Amanda knew that Will’s sudden absence at work was putting his job in jeopardy.

     ‘When he does surface, tell him to give me a call, will you?’ Mike requested.

     Yes,’ Amanda was nodding briskly. ‘I will.’

     The percolator ceased bubbling and rumbling just as Amanda ended her call with Mike. She poured herself a large cup of fresh coffee and then tried Will again. She got the same response.

Wrong Number is out now!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eLIj6t

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2fVsbww

iBooks: http://apple.co/2ggjn8B

About the author

Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader's imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion Rollo.

Follow Carys over on:

Twitter: @tiny_dancer85

Facebook: @CarysJonesWriter

Instagram: tiny_dancer_8

The Liar by Jennifer Wells

About The Liar

1935. A mother's journey to find out what really happened to her only daughter. Complex and intriguing, full of twists and turns. Perfect for the fans of Lesley Pearse and Dilly Court.

What would you do if you saw a girl in a crowd whose face had the same, identical birthmark as your only child?

A child who, nearly ten years ago, you were told died?

It's 1935 and housewife Emma glimpses a face in a crowd – a little girl with a very unique birthmark.

Transfixed by the sight of a stranger; Emma becomes convinced that the girl is her long-lost daughter taken from her at birth. There is only one problem: Emma's daughter is dead. So who is the stranger?
THE LIAR follows Emma's journey as she tries to find out what really happened to her daughter – a journey that unearths secrets from the past and ends in obsession...

'An intriguing mystery that keeps you guessing ... If you like compelling mysteries you will love this well written story' Rosie Clarke.

My review of The Liar



The Liar is set in the summer of 1935. We are first introduced to Emma, whose baby daughter sadly died 9 years ago, shortly after birth. Her baby, Violet, had a very distinctive birthmark on her face, that looked like red tears. From the very first page, I was hooked. I loved this book, I loved every aspect of it.

So, Emma is married to a respectable man, George, who is the village doctor. They live in a large house and she practically wants for nothing, nothing that is but her lost child. The loss of this child has caused a rift between E!ma and her husband, a rift that was probably there before the tragic death of their daughter, but it now appears that even though she lives in this wonderful house, with a wealthy and respectable man, she is in fact all alone in the world.  She is locked into a loveless marriage. George believes that Emma should simply forget about the bsaby, and carry on with her life, but Emma cannot do as he asks.

The book begins when  Emma spots a little girl, aged around nine years old, who has a red teared birthmark on her cheek. She is convinced that this girl is her dead daughter and so the story for seeking truth about what really happened begins. This girl is known as Ruby and lives a completely different lifestyle to that of Emma.  She is brought up in extreme poverty, with her mother, Maude, having to resort to washing and dying aprons to make ends meet. The household is cruel and cold, and my heart ached for little Ruby.

Emma and Ruby both tell thrir own unique story, with the two stories inevitably becoming one. I enjoyed reading about both of these characters. Emma, at times could be a little infuriating, and I found her to be a little bit spoilt in her ways, but I did like her and I wanted her to get to the bottom of who Ruby really was. As for Ruby, well, this child had guts, a sharp tongue and a way of making everyone like her. She also deserved so much better in life.

This book is beautifully written. It is sensitive in its choice of topic matters, those about the death of a child, poverty and abuse. Even though the book is set in the 20s and 30s, for some reason I felt that I was reading about a modern day setting, and modern day issues, and I mean this in a good way. The issues that were relevant back then are still relevant today, those of love, lost love, death, poverty and human cruelty.

The Liar is also very different to what I perceived it to be, from the blurb and cover. I thought it would be a light, historical thriller. But what I got was  a dark, psychological thriller of a read with an ending that was truly shocking... I really didn't see it coming. This really is a cracking debut novel, from beginning to end, and I can't wait to read the next novel by Jennifer Wells.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Aria, for an eBook review copy.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon here.

About the author

Jennifer Wells works in Market Research when not writing. She lives in Devon with her young family and cat. The Liar is her first novel, she is busily working on her next. . .