Book thoughts: Silent night by Nell Pattison.

    Paige Northwood, works as a freelance sign language interpreter. Having learned to sign as a child in order to communicate with her deaf family, Paige loves her work, but when she finds herself interpreting for the police, in the investigation of a missing deaf boy, and a murdered head teacher, she finds herself buried in a silent web of lies, deception and deceit so deep, she isn't sure they can ever get to the bottom of it. But with a child's life at stake, and the potential for more children to be harmed, Paige knows that the truth must be pulled from the silence. 

    This is a gripping read, with an interesting take on your typical crime/mystery/thriller book. Paige is an engaging and intriguing character who is easy to like, and relate to. She cares deeply and try's not to jump to conclusions. Their are a lot of different characters in this book though and that sometimes made it hard for me to keep track and I often muddled them up. Although with my Crohn's disease turning my brain to mush, it's not that hard for me to get muddled.

     There was some clever misdirection in play with this book, which meant I was pretty much left guessing till the very end. Which is always a good thing in these types of book. 

    And despite my struggled to keep the characters all straight in my head, I did really enjoy this one, and am very grateful to NetGalley, Nell Pattison and her publisher, for allowing me to read a copy of this great book, for free in return for and honest review. It has been an absolute pleasure. 

    If you interested in reading the blurb or getting your own copy of this great book, you can do so by Clicking here. It's currently available  as a paperback, eBook and audio book. And at the time of publishing was on offer, in Kindle format for just 99p so if you want a kind copy, go grab yours quick. 

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: 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: All your little lies by Marianne Holmes

Blurb: When everything you say is a lie, can you even remember the truth?

Annie lives a quiet, contained, content life. She goes to work. She meets her friend. She’s kind ofin a relationship. She’s happy. Not lonely at all.

If only more people could see how friendly she is — how eager to help and please. Then she could tick “Full Happy Life” off her list. But no one sees that side of Annie, and she can’t understand why.

That all changes the night Chloe Hills disappears. And Annie is the last person to see her.

This is her chance to prove to everybody that she’s worth something. That is, until she becomes a suspect.

My thoughts: The first thing that really stood out to me about this book was the main character Annie, she’s so awkward and tragic. It’s like she has no filter, stuff just comes out and is often taken the wrong way and you find yourself constantly imploring her to just, stop talking. 

Her best friend Lauren isn’t much of a friend either. It feels like she simply tolerates Annie, either out of a sense of duty or pity. And Annie is strange there is no denying that, but it’s baffling at first, like okay she constantly puts her foot in it and says the strangest things at times and comes across as quite awkward but there is more too it than that, people seem to be naturally repelled by her and very quickly. And you feel sorry for her and want to know why as you can’t quite pinpoint it yourself. So that alone could keep you reading but also the flow of the story is nice, it’s gentle and steady, but intriguing, and you know there is more going on than meets the eye, not just with Annie as she is now, but something in her past too. The way her mother is with her, and perhaps Lauren too, and you wonder, what do they know, that I don’t yet? It’s very well done though, subtle and clever.

This is an intriguing and clever story and kept me hooked throughout. I definitely recommend it. 

Thanks to NetGalley , Marianne Holmes and her publisher for allowing me to read this one for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Book thoughts: The girl who never came home by Nicole Trope

The blurb: They find her just as the sun is beginning to rise in the early morning mist. They had begun at dawn, the group of searchers keen to get going. A missing child spurred everyone on. In the end, it was a flash of colour, a bright neon pink that caught her eye. They had been looking for pink.

Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover, when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.

It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.

As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.

It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.

Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?

My thoughts: This is an intriguing tale, with interesting and complex characters that are believable and easy to relate too. 

Zoe is a beautiful vivacious girl, but she’s also a bully. When she goes away on a school camping trip, no one expects that to be the end, but when Zoe goes missing and is found dead, we are taken on a journey through the thoughts, fears, regrets, secrets and torturous guilt of all those who were there that night as well as those who were closest to her. 

Nicole lays out the story in a very clever way, allowing us to slowly discover the truth through a whole host of characters. 

Hearing their side of things, and seeing them struggle with what has happened, while also wrestling with their own sense of guilt and culpability.

There was not a single character that I felt wasn’t real, wasn’t really grieving or wrestling with their own involvement t or failure to act.

It also deals with some complex issues. In the modern age Bullying has gone beyond the playground, children can no longer escape to the safety of their home and gain a well needed reprieve. The bully’s are now able to follow them everywhere, attacking them night and day, in constant streams of endless abuse, torture and public humiliation, via social media and the internet. 

But that’s not the only danger of the internet, complete strangers can become anyone, and what a young girl believes to be a handsome Boy, could actually be a dirty old man. Children are easy prey and despite parents and teacher best efforts to teach the youth of today, to be careful, to be smart, they often get swept away by kind words, sweet promises and clever deception. 

Faced with all this how can today’s youth survive, do you know who your child is really talking too. 

Nicole deals with this issues beautifully and shows just how easy it is for the internet to play a devastating part in destroying lives.

I was hooked from the first page to the last and would definitely like to read more by this author in the future. 

A big thank you to NetGalley, Nicole Trope and her publisher for allowing me to read and advance copy of this wonderful book, in exchange for an honest review. I have truly loved it. 

Love and hugs all

Joss xx

Book thoughts: My sister’s husband by Nicola Marsh

The blurb: The sunroom at the back of the house is just as I remember. I can’t taste homemade lemonade or smell oatmeal cookies without thinking of home, of the beautiful cliffs of Martino Bay, and I feel welcomed. But all thoughts of a happy family reunion are destroyed the moment I see him… 

He’s as handsome as I remember: broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes, hair the colour of burnt toffee.

The man who once meant the world to me. The reason I fled eleven years ago. I’ve never told anyone the terrible mistake I made that night. The secret we share. I’m still haunted by the crashing waves at the bottom of the cliffs, the blood…

But what is he doing at my sister’s house?

And then I see her. My baby sister. She smiles, she tips her hand so I can see the ring. And his arm slides around her waist, pulling her close…

A twisty and emotional domestic thriller for fans of Liane Moriarty, Kerry Fisher and Sally Hepworth from USA Today bestselling author Nicola Marsh. It will keep you turning the pages deep into the night absorbed by every last word.

My thoughts: I devoured this book, desperate not to put it down, but to keep reading right to the end. Sadly, life didn’t allow that, as is so often the case.

This is a story of sisters and jealousy that passes from one generation to the next. Of secrets, lies and a little bit of crazy thrown in for good luck.

Brooke hasn’t been home for eleven years, having fled her home town, after one bad choice shattered her world and left her broken. Ever since she has roamed from place to place alone, and riddled with guilt, for the part she played in the death of someone she loved. 

Meanwhile her younger sister Freya struggles with grief of her own and the pain of having been abandoned by her older sister. And despite her aunt and cousin Lizzies support, and having a job she loves, a daughter who she adores and being newly engage, she still can’t quite shake the jealousy and animosity she has always harbored for her all to perfect sister. 

Raised by their aunt April, Brooke and Freya always felt loved, cherished and incredibly lucky. 

But when Brooke’s family finally call her home, all these years later, Brooke is determined to try and face up to the past she has fled from for so long. 

Only to find that the past isn’t finished with her yet, and that even the aunt she adored, isn’t as wonderful as she’s always believed. 

Full of surprising twists, and slow tantalizing snippets of revelation this book sucks you in and keeps you guessing to the very end. It is a brilliant read and a must for all lovers of thrillers, family rivalry and secrets and enticing suspense. 

I would definitely be interested in reading more by this author in the future and am incredibly grateful to NetGalley, the authors and her publisher for allowing me to read this amazing book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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.