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Tag Archives: Book Review
It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce
I envy authors who write books that are so perfectly written that you find it hard to put the book down, those books that you start to read and then realise you are one hundred pages in, but it feels like five minutes has passed.
I loved It Ends at Midnight with it’s flawed and messy characters. You are never quite sure who to trust so the plot keeps you on your toes. It is a thrilling novel that hold you to the very last page. Honest, open and superb.
It’s New Year’s Eve and the stage is set for a lavish party in one of Edinburgh’s best postcodes. It’s a moment for old friends to set the past to rights – and move on.
The night sky is alive with fireworks and the champagne is flowing. But the celebration fails to materialise.
Because someone at this party is going to die tonight.
Midnight approaches and the countdown begins – but it seems one of the guests doesn’t want a resolution. They want revenge.
IT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT. Coming 14th April from the Sunday Times and Kindle #1, half a million copy, bestselling author Harriet Tyce.
The Truth Will Out by Rosemary Hennigan.
Glorious Books To Add To Your TBR
I have read a huge number of amazing books recently and I need to share them. Add these to your To Be Read list now.
The Island by Adrian McKinty
A dark and delicious read. High-concept, edge-of-your-seat stuff. This thriller is unputdownable. Out May 26th. From the author of The Chain.
A pulse-pounding, high-concept new thriller from the author of the “propulsive and original” instant Sunday Times bestseller The Chain (Stephen King).
You should not have come to the island
You should not have been speeding
You should not have tried to hide the body
You should not have told your children that you could keep them safe
No one can run forever…
The Siege by John Sutherland.
The is the fiction debut from ex-chief Superintendent John Sutherland, author of the Sunday Times Bestselling Blue. You can tell that he knows his stuff. This is masterful and gripping. John Sutherland is a hot new talent. One to watch. Our June 23rd.
Nine hostages. Ten hours. One chance to save them all.
Lee James Connor has found his purpose in life: to follow the teachings of far-right extremist leader, Nicholas Farmer. So when his idol is jailed, he comes up with the perfect plan: take a local immigrant support group hostage until Farmer is released.
Grace Wheatley is no stranger to loneliness having weathered the passing of her husband, whilst being left to raise her son alone. The local support group is her only source of comfort. Until the day Lee James Connor walks in and threatens the existence of everything she’s ever known.
Superintendent Alex Lewis may be one of the most experienced hostage negotiators on the force, but there’s no such thing as a perfect record. Still haunted by his last case, can he connect with Connor – and save his nine hostages – before it’s too late?
One Night With You by Laura Jane Williams.
I loved this novel so much. Brilliant characters, a fun premise, and a whole lot of love. Set partly in the north, this book has such depth, along with characters who are so flawed and human. Gorgeous. Out May 26th.
It’s his first night in London. And her last…
Ruby’s leaving London. She’s not running away from her ex per se, but an exciting opportunity in a new city has landed at the perfect time.
Nic is moving to London. After a bad break-up, he’s excited to see where big-city life could take him.
When a chance meeting throws the pair of them together for just one night, it’s clear that this could be the start of something special. But there’s one problem: she’s leaving, and he’s just arriving. So, after tonight, they’ll never see each other again . . . will they?
Hot Water by Christopher Fowler.
Clever and witty, this is set in the French Rivera. A first-class thriller that you won’t want to put down. Our March 1st.
She sees everything, but can never tell anyone… a wickedly compulsive thriller from the bestselling author of the Bryant & May series.
At a beautiful villa near Nice in the south of France, Hannah Carreras works as a maid. Under strict instructions never to speak to the guests, she blends into the background – but she sees everything. Including the mistress Summer, lounging by the pool awaiting the arrival of her married lover, Steve.
When Steve finally shows at the villa – with his family unexpectedly in tow – Summer has vanished. Steve claims he never saw her. But Steve’s wife is no fool: she knows there’s something going on. Whose tiny bikini lies by the pool? Whose perfume is in the bathroom?
Before long, the local police start asking questions, and the villa’s occupants have something to hide. Only Hannah, always listening, watching, saw broken glass and blood on the patio the day Summer disappeared. Only Hannah thinks she knows what lies are being told…
One Last Letter From Greece by Emma Cowell
The gorgeous Greece setting, the beautiful journey the character takes. A beautiful tale of hope and love. I was gripped from the first page. Out June 9th.
The breathtaking, escapist debut novel from Emma Cowell, perfect for fans of Victoria Hislop, Carol Kirkwood and Karen Swan.
Devastated by her mother’s death, Sophie longs to get away from an empty house full of memories and a life that hasn’t quite turned out as she had imagined.
So when a chance discovery among her mother’s belongings hints at a past Sophie knows nothing of, she jumps at the opportunity for escape and a chance to heal. The magical, idyllic Greek town of Methoni awaits…
But Sophie – determined to uncover her mother’s secrets – is about to discover so much more. Among the tranquil waters and cosy tavernas, Methoni’s locals offer Sophie the answers she craves, along with unexpected romance and, if she’ll take it, a chance at her own happiness…
Will walking in her mother’s footsteps help Sophie discover who she was meant to be all along…?
The Dark by Sharon Bolton
The Dark takes after its name. A deeply dark thriller that will leave your heart pounding and your hand turning the page as quickly as possible. Out May 26th.
ONCE, SHE SAVED HIS LIFE…
NOW, HE’LL TAKE HERS.
When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?
DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as ‘incels’ or ‘involuntary celibates.’ Joesbury’s team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast.
Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger…
After Dark by Jayne Cowie.
This book is so clever and timely. It is written so well and is so clever. Original and brilliant. Out May 12th.
WELCOME TO A WORLD WHERE WOMEN HOLD THE POWER.
They dominate workplaces, public spaces and government.
They are no longer afraid to cross a dark car park, catch the last train, or walk home alone.
With the Curfew law in place, all men are electronically tagged and must stay at home after 7pm.
It changed things for the better. Until now.
A woman is murdered late at night and evidence suggests she knew her attacker.
It couldn’t have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi… Isn’t it?
Glimpses by Pat Fowle.
A clever idea well executed. Stories on a colourful life well lived.
Most of one’s life is not always memorable. I spent a fair amount of my past just chasing the wind, however, I can recall certain events, some of which I will share. I’ll stick to glimpses.
This is what could be described as a fragmented autobiography; a story told through noteworthy events that have occurred during a colourful life.
Some are mystical, some inexplicable. Short stories that involve humour, but most of all love, like threads of gold that run through a lifetime.
Five Days Missing by Caroline Corcoran
It takes a brave author to tackle a difficult subject, and a mother leaving her newborn baby is certainly one of those. I was intrigued to find out how the author would make this book work. All I have to say is: wow. Five Days Missing flows perfectly with not a word out of place.Just when you think you know exactly what is happening another layer is peeled away.
The characters are all fascinating and believable. I loved most of them. I raced through this novel and enjoyed every page. It’s a masterclass of a psychological thriller. I am going to have to insist that you read it.
Having a baby is all about firsts. The first touch. The first kiss. The first cuddle. They mark a lifetime of firsts – including the first goodbye.
When Romilly says goodbye to her new baby daughter, abandoning her at the hospital hours after giving birth, no one can understand why she would leave – and where she has gone.
In those first few hours she had been the image of a doting mother and would have done anything to protect her baby.
Something has clearly gone wrong. Could it be that Romilly is suffering from postpartum psychosis, just as her mother did?
Or is something even worse at hand? A danger so grave that she would leave her longed-for daughter to escape it…
Caroline Corcoran’s first novel, Through The Wall, came out in October 2019. It was a Sunday Times top 20 bestseller and translated into numerous foreign languages. Her second book, The Baby Group, published in September 2020. As well as writing books, Caroline is a freelance lifestyle and popular culture journalist who has written and edited for most of the top magazines, newspapers and websites in the UK.
Out now.
12 Hours to Say I Love You Book Review
Written by married couple Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz, 12 Hours to Say I Love You is an original, beautiful and completely perfect love story. As you read this story of Pippa and Steve you fall in love with them as they fall in love with each other.
Pippa is lying in a coma as Steve talks to her, willing her to come back to him after a traffic accident. The concept is clever and delivered with aplomb. Stunning stuff. I loved it.
TWO PEOPLE. ONE LOVE STORY. TWELVE HOURS TO TELL IT…
Gripping, moving and beautifully observed, this is a love story told from both sides, with warmth, tenderness and heart.
Whir, beep, click, breath. Whir, beep, click, breath.
Pippa Gallagher is rushed in to hospital following a traffic accident.
As Pippa lies unconscious, she is aware of fragments. The day she met Steve Gallagher, her best friend and the man who would become the love of her life. The heartbreak she felt tonight as she got into her car, her eyes blurry from tears.
Meanwhile Steve sits at her bedside, his eyes fixed on her pale, still face. He has no idea where his wife was going when she crashed. No clue as to why she became distracted behind the wheel. All he knows is that she is his world. And that he wasn’t there when she needed him most.
For the next twelve hours, Steve tells Pippa all the reasons he loves her.
But is it too late? Can Pippa find her way back to him?
Here’s what early readers are saying about 12 HOURS TO SAY I LOVE YOU:
12 Hours to Say I Love You is available here.
Top Books To Read In 2022
We have been sent more wonderful books. Here is a selection to get stuck into.
Wild At Once by Vivianne Crowley. Perfect for spiritual people who want to unleash the wild magic within them. Out March 10.
What secret power is hiding within you?
There is an untamed wildness within each of us. Once found and nurtured, this wild power can lead to true and boundless freedom, creativity and purpose, and discovery of your deepest inner wisdom.
Witch, high priestess, doctor of psychology: Vivianne Crowley has been given many labels over the years. Wild Once is the extraordinary and inspiring tale of a life lived magically, of adventures into the unknown and of finding spiritual nourishment through reconnection with the natural world. It shows what can happen when you have the courage to step into the unexplainable and live untamed.
It is also an evocative, intricate account of a hidden world, a rich tour of modern magical practices, from meditation to manifestation, shamanism to spellwork. Magic is waiting to be discovered. It is here, just beneath the surface, if only you know where to look…
We all have wild magic within us; this book will inspire you to find it.
One For Sorrow by Helen Fields. Perfect for thriller fans: this a clever and riveting book. Out in March.
Three for a girl, four for a boy
DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach face death every day – and not just the deaths of the people being taken hostage by the killer.
Five for silver, six for gold
When it becomes clear that with every tip-off they are walking into a trap designed to kill them too, Ava and Luc know that finding the truth could mean paying the ultimate price.
Seven for a secret never to be told…
But with the threat – and body count – rising daily, and no clue as to who’s behind it, neither Ava nor Luc know whether they will live long enough to tell the tale…
A Spoonful of Murder by J.M Hall. Perfect for fans of fun and cosy crime. Out March 17th.
Every Thursday, three retired school teachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café.
But one fateful week, as they are catching up with a slice of cake, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy.
By the next Thursday, Topsy’s dead.
The last thing Liz, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder.
But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it…
Sit down with a cup of tea and this perfectly witty, page-turning cosy crime novel. Fans of Agatha Christie, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page.
Sorry isn’t Good Enough by Jane Bailey. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers. This was a huge hit at Frost, an intelligent and pacy read that leaves you wanting more. Out February 7th.
‘The trouble is, we don’t recognise every danger when we see it. And that’s how Mr Man manages to creep into our lives.’
It is 1966, and things are changing in the close-knit Napier Road. Stephanie is 9 years old, and she has plans:
1. Get Jesus to heal her wonky foot
2. Escape her spiteful friend Dawn
3. Persuade her mum to love her
But everything changes when Stephanie strikes up a relationship with Mr Man, who always seems pleased to see her. When Dawn goes missing in the woods during the World Cup final, no one appears to know what happened to her – but more than one of them is lying.
May 1997, and Stephanie has spent her life trying to bury the events of that terrible summer. When a man starts following her on the train home from London, she realises the dark truth of what happened may have finally caught up with her.
The Royal Game by Anne O’Brien. Perfect for fans of historical fiction. This is a glorious and compelling read.
England, 1444. Three women challenge the course of history…
King Henry VI’s grip on the crown hangs by a thread as the Wars of the Roses starts to tear England apart. And from the ashes of war, the House of Paston begins its rise to power.
Led by three visionary women, the Pastons are a family from humble peasant beginnings who rely upon cunning, raw ambition, and good fortune in order to survive.
Their ability to plot and scheme sees them overcome imprisonment, violence and betrayal, to eventually secure for their family a castle and a place at the heart of the Yorkist Court. But success breeds jealousy and brings them dangerous enemies…
An inspirational story of courage and resilience, The Royal Game, charts the rise of three remarkable women from obscurity to the very heart of Court politics and intrigue.
Her Last Request by Mari Hannah. This is another stunner from Mari Hannah, she is at the top of her game.
Some victims leave clues to their killers…
A Hidden Clue
A victim leaves a note for the SIO who will investigate her death. This not what DCI Kate Daniels expects to find concealed at a crime scene.
A Desperate Plea
The note contains a last request: ‘Find Aaron’. But is Kate searching for a potential second victim, or a killer?
The Countdown is on…
Following the clues, Kate becomes the obsession of her adversary who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will she find Aaron before he does?
Emily and Daisy by Paul Yates. A lovely and thoroughly enjoyable time slip novel.
This is a love story. A love story with a difference that lives across time and space and explores the ways in which the accidents of love can combine in the forging of a life.
Rural Devon, World War II. In her last year of school and living above the family shop, Daisy studies for her exams and keeps her journal. After he paints a watercolour portrait of her, she falls for James, a young army captain.
Paris, the end of the twentieth century. Emily lives comfortably with her father, having just left university and unsure of what comes next. Upon discovering Daisy’s portrait, she becomes enchanted by the young woman who seems to have inexplicably disappeared from her uncle’s life.
Campiston house in rural Sussex connects the two women. In her teens Emily spends her Summer vacations with her great uncle, but he never speaks of Daisy. Later, James wills the house to Emily who pursues the mystery of Daisy’s disappearance.
Their lives may have different trajectories, but something resonates with Emily as she delves deeper into the traces of Daisy’s world. Each revelation demands that Emily see herself and her world in new ways.
The Goodbye Coast by Joe Ide. An old-school novel with a new twist. Lots of fun.
The seductive and relentless figure of Raymond Chandler’s detective, Philip Marlowe, is vividly re-imagined in present-day Los Angeles. Here is a city of scheming Malibu actresses, ruthless gang members, virulent inequality, and washed-out police. Acclaimed and award-winning novelist Joe Ide imagines a Marlowe very much of our time: he’s a quiet, lonely, and remarkably capable and confident private detective, though he lives beneath the shadow of his father, a once-decorated LAPD homicide detective, famous throughout the city, who’s given in to drink after the death of Marlowe’s mother.
Marlowe, against his better judgement, accepts two missing person cases, the first a daughter of a faded, tyrannical Hollywood starlet, and the second, a British child stolen from his mother by his father. At the center of The Goodbye Coast is Marlowe’s troubled and confounding relationship with his father, a son who despises yet respects his dad, and a dad who’s unable to hide his bitter disappointment with his grown boy.
Steeped in the richly detailed ethnic neighborhoods of modern LA, Ide’s The Goodbye Coast is a bold recreation that is viciously funny, ingeniously plotted, and surprisingly tender.
In Defence of Witches by Mona Chollet. A well-researched and timely novel. Essential reading.
A source of terror, a misogynistic image of woman inherited from the trials and the pyres of the great early modern witch hunts – in In Defence of Witches the witch is recast as a powerful role model to women today: an emblem of power, free to exist beyond the narrow limits society imposes on women.
Whether selling grimoires on Etsy, posting photos of their crystal-adorned altar on Instagram, or gathering to cast spells on Donald Trump, witches are everywhere. But who exactly were the forebears of these modern witches? Who was historically accused of witchcraft, often meeting violent ends? What types of women have been censored, eliminated, repressed, over the centuries?
Mona Chollet takes three archetypes from historic witch hunts, and examines how far women today have the same charges levelled against them: independent women; women who choose not to have children; and women who reject the idea that to age is a terrible thing. Finally, Chollet argues that by considering the lives of those who dared to live differently, we can learn more about the richness of roles available, just how many different things a woman can choose to be.
The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott Book Review
A lighthouse, six old friends and secrets…what could possibly go wrong? The Lighthouse is a book that promises creepy trapped spooky drama and my, thanks to Fran Dorrocott’s fantastic writing, does it deliver. Tense in atmosphere and deep in characterisation, The Lighthouse draws you in beautifully and then offers surprises at every turn. I really loved the characters, even when I didn’t.
Set in Scotland, in a creepy, isolated island, this books has six friends from uni meet up but they get more than they bargained for when they go to The Lighthouse. This book gives you everything you want in a thriller and holds you to the very last page. Anyone who loves Fran Dorricott knows she is a master of suspense and one of the top writers to watch out for. Just brilliant.
No one expected them to go there. The question is: will any of them leave?
Six friends travel to a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands for an old school reunion. They’ve rented The Lighthouse – a stunning, now abandoned building that was once notorious for deaths at sea.
On the first evening, someone goes missing. The group search all through the night to no avail. But when the five remaining friends return to the lighthouse early the next morning, they are shocked to find James inside. He’s looks terrified – but won’t say a word about where he’s been.
The party vow to put the strange night behind them and enjoy the rest of their stay, but when more unexplained things begin to occur, tensions escalate. It’s clear James knows something, but nothing will persuade him to give up the secrets of the island. Is he protecting his friends from a terrible truth, or leading them into more danger?
A chilling, gripping and powerfully atmospheric suspense novel with a gothic edge, perfect for fans of The Hunting Party and The Sanatorium.