Category: Book reviews

Review: The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

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Release date: March 6, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn’t fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange’s compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won’t let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park – and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread – and they’ll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Review:

The Family Next Door is garnering comparisons to Big Little Lies and normally when a publisher compares a new book to an older blockbuster I’m annoyed when it doesn’t live up to the comparison. Well, this time the similarities are well founded, this most definitely will appeal to fans of BLL and I predict it will be a smash hit.

This follows five woman who live in the same neighborhood, Essie, Fran, Ange, Barbara and Isabelle so if multiple perspectives are your thing, you’ll be happy with the structure. This was such a fast, effortless read, I tore through it because it was so easy to get caught up in the women’s lives. Plus, they all had juicy secrets and I couldn’t wait to find out what they were hiding.

This was one of those books where I thought I had everything figured out and knew exactly what would happen next but Hepworth had plenty of tricks up her sleeve and I didn’t accurately predict anything, I love that! This is perfect for fans of lighter style suspense, no blood, guts and gore just good old fashioned secrets and betrayals.

The Family Next Door in three words: Dramatic, Evasive and Entertaining.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton #BlogTour @kjhauthor #ThePerfectGirlfriend

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Goodreads

Release date: March 22, 2018

Publisher: Wildfire

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Juliette loves Nate. She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him.

They are meant to be.

The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back. She is the perfect girlfriend. And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.

True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain…

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for The Perfect Girlfriend today!

Review:

That blurb above is the stuff my dreams are made of, it’s disturbing enough to pique my interest, it alludes to obsession and hints at stalker like behavior AND it’s exactly enough to reel me in and make me want to read more. I’m not sure what that says about me as a person, but I have been dying to read this since the first time I read the cover and let me tell you, it was SO worth the wait.

The entire story is told from Juliette’s point of view and Hamilton uses this opportunity to dive deep into her character, she is one complex, unstable woman that I couldn’t get enough of. I never had any idea of what she would do next, she’ll go to extremes to get what she wants and what she wants is Nate and a side of revenge. She’s one of those characters that will cause you to constantly change your mind, she’s like watching a car crash you can’t tear your eyes away from her. As you learn about her past there were moments I felt bad for her then within a few pages her erratic behavior caused me to want to shake some sense into her. She takes delusional to a whole new level, her brand of crazy and unhinged is both fascinating and enough to thank the lord that you’ve never crossed paths with someone like her in real life.

This stands out from other psychological thrillers not only because the characterization is so strong but also because the entire thing doesn’t hinge on a series of crazy plot twists, instead it captivates in a more subtle manner. A sly twist will be inserted at an unexpected moment which took me even more by surprise and lent an air of polish and sophistication that was just so well executed. And the ending was just perfect, I can’t say more but my god was it chilling and totally fitting.

The Perfect Girlfriend in three words: Consuming, Disturbing and Polished.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher and Anne Cater for my review copy.

Review: Closer Than You Know by Brad Parks

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Release date: March 6, 2018

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Disaster, Melanie Barrick was once told, is always closer than you know.

It was a lesson she learned the hard way growing up in the constant upheaval of foster care. But now that she’s survived into adulthood–with a loving husband, a steady job, and a beautiful baby boy named Alex–she thought that turmoil was behind her.

Until one Monday evening when she goes to pick up Alex from childcare only to discover he’s been removed by Social Services. And no one will say why. It’s a terrifying scenario for any parent, but doubly so for Melanie, who knows the unintended horrors of what everyone coldly calls “the system.”

Her nightmare mushrooms when she arrives home to learn her house has been raided by sheriff’s deputies, who have found enough cocaine to send Melanie to prison for years. The evidence against her is overwhelming, and if Melanie can’t prove her innocence, she’ll lose Alex forever.

Meanwhile, assistant commonwealth’s attorney Amy Kaye–who has been assigned Melanie’s case–has her own troubles. She’s been dogged by a cold case no one wants her to pursue: a serial rapist who has avoided detection by wearing a mask and whispering his commands. Over the years, he has victimized dozens of women.

Including Melanie. Yet now her attacker might be the key to her salvation . . . or her undoing.

Review:

Part domestic suspend and part legal thriller, Closer Than You Know brought some of my worst fears as a parent to life. Imagine going to pick up your baby from the babysitter only to be told they were taken by Social Services earlier that day. Things get even worse when you go home and find your house has been raided and a substantial amount of cocaine has been found. To top it all off, you or your husband don’t do drugs and never would, this whole thing is a set up and you are utterly powerless. Your life is in shambles and you have no choices, no hope. How do you prove your innocence in a seemingly slam dunk case? It’s impossible and that’s what terrifies me.

I kept picturing myself in Melanie’s situation and couldn’t even imagine her fear and desperation. Parks did an amazing job at accurately portraying her emotional state, I could feel her pain and anguish, it broke my heart. The characterization is outstanding, besides Melanie her husband Ben is well developed and you also see things from the perspective of Amy, the lawyer working the case. I loved her and found her to be a sharp, astute woman bound by justice who’s willing to take chances in order to do what’s right.

This was relentlessly paced, there was always something going on, a new development full of twists and turns making it really hard for me to put down when real life was calling. There was enough legal excitement to keep things interesting but not so much that I was bored, this was always exciting and engaging and after two back to back amazing reads from Parks, I’ll be backing him as an author no matter what he writes next.

Closer Than You Know in three words: Complex, Thrilling and Compelling.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: The Visitor by K. L. Slater @kimlslater @bookouture #BlogTour

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Release date: March 2, 2018

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

He’ll make sure she never wants to leave…

Holly never thought she’d move back to her home town, but then something terrible happened. She doesn’t know if she can recover. But she knows she can never tell another soul.

People say her neighbour, David, is “different”. He doesn’t go out much, and never after dark. But in David Holly finds just what she needs: a friend. Someone who’s always there.

No one knows Holly’s secret, or where she lives. She has left the past behind. She is sure of it. So why does she feel as though she’s in terrible danger?

An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller, from the bestselling author of Blink and The Mistake. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Couple Next Door.

I couldn’t be more excited to be one of the stops on the blog tour for The Visitor today!

Review:

You know those books that hook you from page one, that instant interest, the feeling that you won’t be able to stop reading until you have all of the answers? Slater writes those type of books, you are well and truly engaged immediately despite having NO idea what will happen next. It’s always unexpected and always entreating! The Visitor is no exception and Slater is definitely on my auto buy authors list, she writes one hell of a psychological thriller.

Holly is the visitor the title alludes to, she moves in with Cora, an older widow who is lonely and likes the idea of a friendly companion. Holly’s past is shrouded in mystery, you know there is something dark and dangerous about her life before but Slater reveals things painstakingly slowly throughout the book. You also hear from David, Cora and Holly’s neighbor and he too is hiding something from Holly. Everybody has secrets in this one and trust me, they are juicy!

This was another page turner, a gripping read as I raced through the pages eager to find out what everyone was hiding. By the time I got to the end I was holding my breath and my jaw dropped to the floor. There were several stunning revelations that left me reeling, it was so well plotted, I’m impressed.

The Visitor in three words: Compulsive, Addictive and Deft.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

Kim is the bestselling author of psychological crime thrillers ‘Safe With Me,’ ‘Blink,’ ‘Liar’, ‘The Mistake’ and ‘The Visitor.’

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected a stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents and a book deal which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

She also writes award-winning YA fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books, writing as Kim Slater.

Author website: www.KLSlaterAuthor.com

Twitter: @KimLSlater

Facebook: KL Slater Author

February Wrap Up

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Sisters Like Us was a fun, sweet story about mother’s, daughters and sisters.

She Regrets Nothing was a grown up Gossip Girl with a dark edge.

Killer Choice was a solid thriller with plenty of unexpected moments.

Spring at Lavender Bay was an adorable read.

Force of Nature was a great atmospheric mystery.

The Promise Between Us was an incredible book about living with OCD.

As Bright As Heaven was a moving HF set during the Spanish flu outbreak.

Best Friends Forever was a lighter mystery with some nice twists.

The Reunion was an intricately plotted and clever thriller.

I listened to The Surrogate and loved it! My favorite Jensen book.

Look For Her was an interesting mystery about a cold case.

The Story of Our Lives was about female friendship and was structured in a fun way.

The French Girl was a slower paced lighter mystery I really liked.

Girl Unknown was a mystery with a strong literary vibe.

Say You’ll Remember Me was a great YA contemporary romance with topical issues.

The Great Alone is phenomenal.

The Lucky Ones was a gothic mystery with some borderline taboo romance.

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties was a realistic portrayal of one woman’s life after divorce.

Only Child was a moving and heartbreaking book, I loved it.

Silent Victim was another hit from Mitchell, I loved it!

Sunburn was a slow burn, extremely well written with a strong ending.

And that’s a wrap! I for one am glad to wave adios to February, it was not my best month reading wise or personally. I was in a slump and my kids were sick SO much! I’m looking forward to March, we start to get warm weather here in AZ and it’s my birthday and anniversary month as well!

How was your month?

#BlogTour A Perfect Marriage by Alison Booth @booth_alison

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Release date: March 22, 2018

Publisher: Red Door

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Sally Lachlan has a secret that has haunted her for a decade, although perhaps it is time to let it go. A chance meeting with the charismatic geneticist, Anthony Blake, reawakens her desire for love and, at the same time, her daughter Charlie shows signs of wishing to know more about her father. Both the past and the future are places Sally prefers not to think about, but if she wants to find happiness, she will first have to come to terms with her long-ago marriage. Only then will she be able to be honest with Charlie. And herself.

A story of love and loss, of enduring friendship and unreliable memory, A Perfect Marriage is an enthralling new book from the bestselling author of Stillwater Creek. The novel is also a tale of redemption, of new hopes and fresh beginnings.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for A Perfect Marriage.

Review:

Anytime I get the opportunity to read a book about a couples marriage, I’m immediately in. There’s something so intriguing to me about what goes on behind closed doors and the fact that the description alludes to secrets made me eager to read this one. Shortly after I started it I felt pretty confident that I could see where things were headed but Booth had a couple of tricks up her sleeve that surprised and delighted me.

This is told in dual timelines, Then and Now and the Now section is told in chronological order while the Then chapters are told in reverse chronological order. This was clever and definitely kept me on my toes as I was slightly confused at first until I figured out what was going on. Sally was a lovely woman who was trying to do right by her daughter, Charlie and you know right away that she hasn’t had an easy life. As you learn about her past you begin to understand her dark history and my heart broke for her, she had to endure some hard things. This read like a family drama with some mysterious elements and was a quick read that I sped through in one afternoon.

A Perfect Marriage in three words: Secretive, Smooth and Interesting.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

Alison Booth’s fourth novel, A Perfect Marriage, will be published in March 2018 by RedDoor Publishing. Alison’s debut novel, the critically acclaimed Stillwater Creek – a story of love and loss, betrayal and hope – was published by Penguin Random House (PRH) in 2010, and was Highly Commended in the 2011 ACT Book of the Year Award.

For more information:

Website – www.alisonbooth.net

Twitter – twitter.com/booth_alison

Facebook – www.facebook.com/AlisonBoothAuthor/

Review: The Hunger by Alma Katsu

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Release date: March 6, 2018

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere.

Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone–or something–is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck–the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions–searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand–evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves “What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased…and very hungry?”

Review:

I wasn’t familiar with the Donner Party but I liked the idea of a historical reimagining that blended fact and fiction with a supernatural twist and when I read a bit about the real life Donner Party I was both horrified and fascinated. That basically sums up my emotional state while read The Hunger I was creeped out one minute and totally engaged the next, I really enjoyed this one.

This is divided into sections by month and follows the Donner Party as they embark on a treacherous journey battling the elements and also the unknown. You hear from various people including Tamsen, George Donner’s wife who terrifies the others as they think her remedies and tonics must be witchcraft, Stanton a man with a dark past and a mysterious aura and Elitha a young woman who hears voices, but is she crazy or are they real? It was so interesting to see the same events through several eyes and get various interpretations of what the group was experiencing, things are intensely trying and seeing how they dealt with the trials and tribulations was endlessly interesting.

This was hauntingly atmospheric, you see the Donner Party deal with extreme heat and the bitter cold and throughout it all there is a stark desperation that is palpable. Their fear, panic and the bleak, unrelenting climate coupled with a supernatural aspect made for a chilling read.

The Hunger in three words: Creepy, Atmospheric and Brutal.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Emily at Glasstown Entertainment for my review copy.

Review: Sunburn by Laura Lippman

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About Sunburn

Hardcover:304 pages
Publisher:William Morrow (February 20, 2018)

A Bustle, Entertainment Weekly and PopSugar Most Anticipated Book of 2018.

“Every time Laura Lippman comes out with a new book, I get chills because I know I am back in the hands of the master. She is simply a brilliant novelist, an unflinching chronicler of life in America right now, and Sunburn is her dark, gleaming noir gem. Read it.” -Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals and cold-blooded murder.

One is playing a long game. But which one?

They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other dangerous, even lethal, secrets.

Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each others lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?

Something or someone has to give.

Which one will it be?

Inspired by James M. Cain’s masterpieces The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce, Sunburn is a tantalizing modern noir from the incomparable Laura Lippman.

Purchase Links

HarperCollinsAmazon�| Barnes & Noble

Review:

Review:

Most of you know I’m an avid crime fiction reader, it’s my go to genre so I’m slightly ashamed to say this was my first Laura Lippman book! Looking through her back catalogue I can see she writes exactly the kind of books I love so I have NO idea how she’s been off my radar thus far. I’ve seen many others say that Sunburn is not typical for her, but I loved it and her writing is so nuanced, so dang good that I won’t be missing out on her books in the future.

Polly is a mysterious woman with a plethora of secrets in her past, you know little about her for a long time, Lippman methodically peels back the layers of her character until you get to the core. Adam also has a mysterious past and the same goes for him, you slowly but surely gain information about his history and you’re just never totally comfortable trusting either of them. Unreliability at it’s best! There are quite a few points of view, but not too many in my opinion, each served a particular purpose and were there for a specific reason, not just as filler. The characters were complex, interesting and so shady, right up my alley.

Many will say this is a slow burn and I totally agree, but it’s also a slow unraveling of a tangled tale that I was never quite sure of. Not sure of who to trust, not sure what their true motivations were and definitely not sure of what would happen next. I never did figure things out ahead of time, the ending totally surprised me, completely unexpected and wholly satisfying.

Sunburn in three words: Subtle, Hypnotic and Unpredictable.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for my review copy.

About Laura Lippman

Since LAURA LIPPMAN’s debut, she has won multiple awards and critical acclaim for provocative, timely crime novels set in her beloved hometown of Baltimore. Laura has been nominated for more than fifty awards for crime fiction and won almost twenty, including the Edgar. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Now a perennial New York Times bestselling author, she lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her family.

Connect with Laura on her website, Facebook, or Twitter.

Review: Silent Victim by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes

8 Comments

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: March 1, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Emma’s darkest secrets are buried in the past. But the truth can’t stay hidden for long.

Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen.

It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect. A promotion for Emma’s husband, Alex, means they can finally move to a bigger home with their young son. But with a buyer lined up for their old house, Emma can’t leave without destroying every last trace of her final revenge…

Returning to the shallow grave in the garden, she finds it empty. The body is gone.

Panicked, Emma confesses to her husband. But this is only the beginning. Soon, Alex will discover things about her he’ll wish he’d learned sooner. And others he’ll long to forget.

Review:

Do you like books that keep you up late at night because there is just NO way you can put it down until you find out the truth? What about books that are relentlessly paced with short chapters that end on mini cliffhangers leaving you reading chapter after chapter until you realize you’re finished? Or what about books that are full of thrills and excitement but also have a domestic suspense vibe chock full of secrets and lies? If you answered yes to these questions then please allow me to introduce you to the work of the fabulous Caroline Mitchell! Over the past two years she’s become one of my favorite authors, I can always count on her for an original storyline and some serious heart pounding moments and Silent Victim may be her best book yet.

This is told from several viewpoints and flips between 2017, 2013 and 2002 but everything is laid out clearly, there is no confusion but just loads of intrigue. The premise of this hooked me instantly, Emma killed her teacher years ago, but she didn’t mean to and she’s been living in fear ever since. When she digs up his grave and finds it empty things start to go downhill, fast. That’s as far as I’ll be discussing the plot because this went in SO many unexpected directions that I don’t want to reveal much. The tension is insane and the guessing game was endless, I was doubtful and distrusting of everyone at some point and the ending left me gasping for breath. Another hit from one of my auto buy authors, if you haven’t read her books yet they’re all highly recommended by me.

Silent Victim in three words: Nerve wracking, exciting and Menacing.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: Only Child by Rhiannon Navin @rhiannonnavin #BlogTour

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK

Release date: March 8, 2018

Publisher: Mantle

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

We went to school that Tuesday like normal.

Not all of us came home . . .

Huddled in a cloakroom with his classmates and teacher, six-year-old Zach can hear shots ringing through the corridors of his school. A gunman has entered the building and, in a matter of minutes, will have taken nineteen lives.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the close knit community and its families are devastated. Everyone deals with the tragedy differently. Zach’s father absents himself; his mother pursues a quest for justice — while Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and drawing.

Ultimately though, it is Zach who will show the adults in his life the way forward — as, sometimes, only a child can.

I’m honored to be the stop on the blog tour for Only Child today!

Review:

The whole story is told through the eyes of Zach, a seven year old little guy and it begins on the day a gunman opens fire at his elementary school. I have three small kids, 9, 6 and 3 and my two oldest have participated in multiple lockdown drills. I remember when my oldest daughter came home from kindergarten talking about what to do if “a bad guy comes to my school mommy, we have to hide in the bathroom and stay super quiet.” That chilled me to my core but unfortunately that’s the world we live in. The world I’m raising my gorgeous kids in. It’s terrifying. I was a senior in high school back in 1999 when Columbine happened and I remember how scared and confused I was, how I couldn’t comprehend such a tragic event. All of that to say, I knew this would be a difficult book to read, I knew I would be emotional but I also knew it would be important and I’m extremely glad that I did read this because the author handled everything with grace and compassion.

Zach, what a special little boy he is, he has a piece of my heart. Seeing the entire story through a child’s eyes really brought a simplicity to things, kids are so pure and innocent. Children can often be pushed to the side when adults are dealing with grown up problems and that is what broke my heart the most. I wanted to scoop this little man up and take all of his worries away, that’s how realistic he seemed and his voice? Unbelievably accurate, I felt like I was listening to my daughter talk to me.

I could honestly discuss this book for hours, but I’ll finish up and say that I really feel like this is a vital read for everyone. It’s ripped from the current headlines, and it’s every single parents worst fear. Navin did an amazing job at handling the issues in a sensitive and realistic way, this is truly a special book.

Only Child in three words: Compelling, Moving and Timely.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.