Book thought's: What my husband did, by Kerry Wilkinson

 

    Maddie's life is idyllic, she lives on the outskirts of a beautiful village with her husband Richard, in a comfortable home, has a daughter, Kylie off at collage, and a quiet peaceful life. 

    But that all changes when a her friends husband knocks on her door, late one night, with his dog by his side and tell her he's found a body in the river, not far from her door, and he needs her to call the police. 

    The body, is that of twelve year old Alice, and the last person known to have seen her that night, turns out to be Maddie's husband Richard, who never returned home from a trip out to visit a friend. 

    When Richards car is found abandoned and tucked away, as if purposefully hidden, with Alice's headband dropped beside it's wheel, Maddie is left reeling. Did her husband have a part in all this? Soon the man she thought she knew so well, begins to unravel before her eyes. 

    This is a gripping well written book, that keeps you guessing and is easy to lose yourself in. I know I spent half the night absorbed by it, fighting to keep my eye's open so I could read, just one more chapter, and then grabbed it up again as soon as I woke. 

    The characters are well developed and believable and the small village dynamics are eerily accurate, and I should know, I live in a village just like it. 

    I loved Maddie and really felt for her as her whole life unravels around her, and the village she had once been so involved with begins to turn its back on her. 

    You can feel her heartbreak and anguish radiating from the page and I longed to dive in and hug her close and give her the support she was so seriously lacking. 

    Kerry is a master with words and writes in a simple style that is easy to sink into and lose yourself within the story, I love it when a writer can do this. 

    I am so grateful to NetGalley, Kerry Wilkinson and his publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review and I will definitely be reading more books by this author.  

    If you would like to know more about this book you can check out the blurb and get yourself a copy by clicking here.

    The book, is currently available in the following formats: Kindle, paperback and Audio. 

Book thoughts:: The stranger in my bed by Karen King

  

     Freya thought she had found the man of her dreams, romantic, kind. But as soon as they were married everything changed and Phil showed his true colours, lashing out at her violently on multiple occasion. But just as Freya is at her breaking point, and ready to leave, Phil has a terrible car accident, and when he comes around can not remember the last to years of their life together, conveniently everything since the honeymoon. 

    This writer can clearly write, her words flow well but this genre doesn't seem like her natural stomping ground. within about five minutes of starting to read I pretty much had the whole story sussed out, and spent most of my time reading waiting for the twist that said, oh no your wrong, duped you. But it never came. 

    Instead it rambles on, very slowly and very repetitively.  And I failed to connect with any of the characters. All I wanted was for it to end. 

    Best I can give this one is 2 stars. It's so frustrating though, because I feel like this person can write, just not a Thriller, she seems more like a chick lit type of writer, or a romance at a push perhaps a cosy mystery. 

    As always thank you to NetGalley, Karen King and her publisher for allowing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

    If you'd like to know more about the book, or to pre-order a copy, you can do so by clicking here. It's available in Paperback, ebook and audio book formats. And releases on the 23rd of November 2020.

Book thoughts: her sister’s child by Alison James

Blurb: She rolls over and reaches for her instinctively: her baby. Her hand hits air and flaps redundantly. She stumbles out of bed and switches on the light. But this only confirms it. The baby is gone. Someone has taken her.

Sixteen years ago, Lizzie Armitage woke to find her newborn baby gone. Just days later, Lizzie was dead.

Her sister Paula swore she would do everything she could to find the child. If she hadn’t promised to keep Lizzie's pregnancy secret, maybe the baby wouldn’t have disappeared. And maybe Lizzie would still be alive. But, in nearly a decade, Paula’s never found any trace. Until now…

When Paula bumps into an old friend from the past, she realises she wasn’t the only one who knew about her sister’s child. Someone knows what happened that day. Someone knows where Lizzie’s baby went.

But can Paula find out the truth before another family is ripped apart?

A twisty, unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you hooked until the last page. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, Friend Request and The Girl on the Train will love Her Sister’s Child.

My thoughts: what a great book. The characters are well developed and you really feel for them. I even found myself feeling for Marian. It's a sad story that at times has your heart in your throat, the plot is great, although I never did quite figure out why Johnny was quite so keen to help. I may have missed something though, I'm good at that.  I mean I suppose it could just be his nature as he does pop up a lot in Paula's younger years to offer her assistance. 

It's a clever plot though with some good twists and turns, and this is definitely an author that I'll be looking out for in the future. 

Big thanks to NetGalley, Alison James and her publisher for allowing me to read and advanced copy in return for an honest review. 

Book thoughts: The girl she wanted by K.L. Slater

 

Blurb: What was my sister doing standing over Florence’s cot in the middle of the night?

I trust my sister Carrie with my daughter’s life.

But then she’s accused of a terrible crime.

Carrie lives under our roof, she pushes my daughter on the swings, she takes her out for ice cream.

She swears she’s innocent, but can I believe her?

I must put my darling Florence first. But I can’t just throw my sister out.

She knows something about me that nobody else does.

A completely gripping rollercoaster of a read about the darkness families hide behind closed doors. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Girl She Wanted.

My thoughts: As psychological thrillers go, this one is a nice easy read. Some, can be very fast paced, but this one gently eases you into the story, slowly unfurling, in a tantalizing way, that keeps you absorbed. The characters are well developed and believable, and I really liked Alexa, even if, at first she does come across as timid and a little nieve, she developed well through the story, slowly growing in strength, in a way that was easy to relate too. And K.L Slater keeps you guessing with some clever twists and crafty plotting.  

A great read and a big thank you to NetGalley, K.L. Slater and her publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this wonderful book for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Book thoughts: Mother by Laura Jarratt

Blurb: Two Girls. One Chance.

When Lizzie's car crashes with her two daughters inside, she faces a terrible choice. And when she recovers from her injuries, she has to deal with the impact of that tragedy as well as the police investigation into it.

As Lizzie and her family struggle to come to terms with the events of that night, things take an even darker turn. Just what did happen on that remote country road? Who is responsible? And can the family get through this together...Or will the truth finally tear them apart?

my thoughts:  So this is the Story of Lizzie and her family. Lizzie goes away with her children, alone, as her husband Dan has to work.

On the return journey,  as her two daughters sleep, she spots strange lights that look as if they are in the trees, but she can’t be sure, as the road in her location is very twisty. 

Suddenly bright white lights are coming right for her and she tries to swerve out of the way. And in the process her windscreen is smashed out and she finds herself bumping down through the woods and the trees at a frightening pace, unable to get her breaks to work.

She hears her eldest daughter scream, feels the car flip, and then the car, with them inside, crashes down into the water and rabidly begins to sink. 

Suddenly Lizzie is faced with a terrible choice, freeing herself from her seatbelt and swimming into the back of the car which is already underwater, she is forced to make a choice, or which daughter to save. They are both unconscious, neither able to free themselves and she has just second to choose, or she will lose them both. 

Can you imagine how awful that would be? The agony of that moment, of making a choice like that? She makes her choice, get the daughter she choose to the shore and preforms CPR. Once her daughter is breathing, she hurry’s back to the water, knowing it is hopeless,  knowing it is too late but having to try.

Laura, writes this difficult scene beautifully and has you on the edge of your seat as you wait to see the outcome. 

Who will she choose? Will she be able to get back to the other child? While worrying to about the child she has left on shore. Cold and alone. Might she still loose them both? Or will she die trying to save them? 

This is a heartbreaking look at grief and family. Laura shows, how we all deal with grief differently, in this accurate and at times devastating plot.

She builds characters that are perfectly in-perfect, and full of depth. That pull you into the story and make you bleed with them. 

There are plenty of twist too, to keep you hooked.

An amazing author with an amazing talent and I will definitely be reading more by her in the future. 

A big thank you to NetGalley, Laura Jarratt and her publishers for allowing me to read this book for free, in exchange for an honest review. It has been an absolutely pleasure.

Book thoughts: five little words by Jackie Walsh

Blurb: When new mother, Laura Caldwell, opens the card dropped through her letterbox, she expected to see a heartfelt note, congratulating her on the birth of baby Shay. 

Instead, she sees a message that makes her blood run cold. 'Your husband is a murderer.' It couldn’t be true, could it? Not Conor, her adoring husband. He couldn’t be behind the brutal killing of local barmaid, Vicky. Not him. 

But while Laura fights to discover the truth about her husband, she’s also holding dark secrets of her own; secrets she’s spent years trying to hide. Could the card be a desperate attempt at revenge – or could her husband really be a murderer? There’s a tangled web between this perfect couple – and the truth might just destroy them...

My thoughts: This is a story of secrets and lies spread across generations. It’s not a fast paced read, but a slow unraveling of revelations. 

Laura newly married to the handsome, and wealthy Connor cannot believe her luck. But when a murder takes place in the small village she now calls home just as Laura and Connor should be at their happiest, with their new bundle of joy, Shay having been born, everything Laura had been so sure about suddenly becomes far less certain. 

Is Connor really as wonderful as she believed, what secrets is he hiding, but Laura has secrets of her own and so it seems do others on both sides of the family. 

Suddenly life becomes about who killed Vicky and whether Laura’s new husband is really a murderer. 

With some clever twists and plenty of intriguing leads. Jackie Walsh guides you through a twisted wed of lies and secrets, with cleverly crafted characters and an impressive understanding of human nature and the ingrained need we all have to keep our past buried, sometimes even from those we love most, and how often, even the most cleverly hidden secrets have a way of finding the light. 

And intriguing read that will keep you guessing from beginning to end and a must read for all lovers of psychological thrillers, family intrigue and the lies we try to keep. 

Thanks to NetGalley, Jackie Walsh and her publisher for allowing me to read this book in advance,  in return for an honest review.