Category: Jul – Sep 2016

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The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti – Guest Post and Review.

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Today,I am delighted to publish a guest post by Kate Moretti author of The Vanishing Year. I have only read one of the books that she wants to read and she is in for a treat! My review follows at the end.

Six Suspense Novels I’m Dying to Read This Fall

Something about the cooler weather makes me actively seek the books that scare the dickens out of me. These six are the ones I have on my nightstand, just waiting to keep me awake half the night, jumping at every little noise.

The Kept Woman, Karin Slaughter
I love Karin Slaughter. I start one of her books and I know I’m in great hands, that the plot will twist completely unpredictably and I’ll be lost down a rabbit hole for the next two days. I can’t wait to read this one! The Kept Woman is part of the Will Trent series, about a murder at an abandoned construction site. Because this is a Slaughter book, it’s not just a murder. It’s a murder and a kidnapping, and OF COURSE Trent’s past is linked to the current crime, so this one promises to be emotionally gripping with a whiplash pace.

Good As Gone, Amy Gentry
All I have to say is this: a 13 year-old girl goes missing and eight years later comes home. This might sound ripped from the headlines but what if the girl who comes home isn’t the girl who left? Dum-dum-DUM! The premise grabbed me immediately and I bought the book without question. Plus, what a GORGEOUS cover.

The Couple Next Door, Shari Lapena
I live in the suburbs. We sometimes have neighborhood parties. This book is what the domestic suspense genre is all about. I can literally see this happening to me, and it’s terrifying. A dinner party, a missing baby, a neighborhood turned upside down, all your friends suspects. Pass me a cup of coffee (or tea!) and a blanket. I’ll see you tomorrow!

The Trespasser, Tana French
Three words: Dublin Murder Squad. Yes, please. I love, love, love these books. I was hooked with In The Woods, and Cassie stole my heart in The Likeness and I will read them all sight unseen. No one does depth of characterization, twisty plots, and atmosphere quite like Tana French. If you read (or write!) suspense, French should be required reading. The Trespasser brings back Antoinette Conway, from The Secret Place and gives us a not-what-it-seems lovers tiff/murder. I can’t wait for this one!

You Will Know Me, Megan Abbott
I read everything Megan Abbott writes. She can do teenagers like no one else and every book of hers sets my nerves on edge. Atmosphere is her middle name. You Will Know Me is set in the world of Olympic-track gymnasts and the sacrifices that must be made to protect your child, your life’s investment, your community, even your marriage.

Arrowood, Laura McHugh
I loved The Weight of Blood, Laura McHugh’s award winning debut. Her writing is so beautiful, so evocative. Arrowood promises to be a worthy follow up: gothic mystery, creepy old house, twin girls (Hello, twin girls, not creepy at all). A book about family secrets, murder, and a hint of ghosts? Yes, yes, yes. Perfect reading for Halloween!

About the book

Zoe Whittaker appears to have a charmed life. Newly married to a rich and attentive man, she has the best of everything. But five years ago, Zoe’s life was in danger. Because back then, Zoe wasn’t Zoe at all. When an attempt is made on her life, Zoe fears that her past has caught up with her. But who can she ask for help when even her own husband doesn’t t know her real name? Zoe must decide who she can trust before she, whoever she is, vanishes completely…

My Review

When this book arrived I was very intrigued. Not every book comes wrapped in tissue paper and placed in a box with a single flower.
Zoe has rebuilt her life after a terrifying experience during her teen years. Her childhood has been very much on the poverty line, and she struggled with her memories of how she left it all behind. She has changed her identity and having no family, apart from her birth mother who she had never met, hoped that her past stayed that way. But she became aware that she was in danger, more so when she makes attempts to find her birth mother. With no idea who to turn to her life starts to fall apart.
There are plenty of twists in this novel. You are aware that she is in danger but she is also vulnerable with the loneliness in her life. The friends that she had were aggrieved that she had lost touch when she married and her husband is absent much of the time. She had no independence at all, a devoted husband who wanted to rule every aspect of her life even as far as choosing all her clothes. The only person who she feels that she could rely on is Cash, a reporter who chose to help her but by doing so increased the level of danger.
I had an idea of which way the story was going to go but the outcome was much more complex than I expected. I don’t want to give spoilers so won’t say more but this novel is a quick and entertaining read which demonstrates that you shouldn’t assume anything.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.

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A Suitable Lie by Michael Malone – Blog Tour Review.

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About the Book

Andy Boyd thinks he is the luckiest man alive. Widowed with a young child, after his wife dies in childbirth, he is certain that he will never again experience true love. Then he meets Anna. Feisty, fun and beautiful, she’s his perfect match… And she loves his son, too. When Andy ends up in the hospital on his wedding night, he receives his first clue that Anna is not all that she seems. He ignores it; a dangerous mistake that could cost him everything. A brave, deeply moving psychological thriller which marks a stunning departure for one of Scotland’s top crime writers.

My Review

Well, another book that I have read this year that is incredibly hard hitting. Andy was left devastated by the death of his first wife and was over the moon when he met Anna and she agreed to become his wife and a mother to his young son. The joy was very short lived though and he soon realized how little he knew her.
The abuse that he received from his wife was horrific and at times I found it very difficult to read. I fluctuated between wanting to carry on reading to see what happened next and needing to put it down to relax. But alongside the abuse was the love shown to him by his family and friends. The relationship with his sons was something special to read. I didn’t find anything likeable about Anna, even before the abuse started there was something about her that made me uneasy.
It is difficult to accept that domestic abuse against a man was not taken seriously. Even though the book is set a few years ago I found myself questioning whether attitudes have changed. It’s a fascinating book to read, chilling, difficult to put down and at times difficult to read.
With thanks to Karen Sullivan for the copy received.

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The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn- Blog Tour Review.

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About the Book

TV presenter Allis Hagtorn leaves her partner and her job to take voluntary exile in a remote house on an isolated fjord. But her new job as housekeeper and gardener is not all that it seems, and her silent, surly employer, 44-year-old Sigurd Bagge, is not the old man she expected. As they await the return of his wife from her travels, their silent, uneasy encounters develop into a chilling, obsessive relationship, and it becomes clear that atonement for past sins may not be enough.

Haunting, consuming and powerful, The Bird Tribunal is a taut, exquisitely written psychological thriller that builds to a shocking, dramatic crescendo that will leave you breathless

My Review

The Bird Tribunal is a beautifully written novel that concerns Allis a former reporter who goes into hiding after a very public embarrassing incident and the man who she goes to work for.
The level of claustrophobia builds rapidly. The house where they live is very isolated and for the majority of the novel they are the only two characters. The only other character of any significance is a hostile shopkeeper who gives the impression of knowing more about the pair of them without revealing exactly what.
The blurb states that the book is all about an obsessive relationship and my feeling the further I read that three of the characters were equally obsessed with each other. But Allis is also aware and wary that she never really knows what Sigurd is up to. Birds play a part, Allis’s care of them but there are also more sinister events concerning them. Norse Mythology is also discussed, something that I know nothing about but found fascinating.
For much of the novel nothing appears to happen but it is all written in preparation for the finale when the truth is finally revealed in a shocking but poetic way.
A slightly different novel for me, it is a slow building novel but being short it works well. Therefore, it is another book published by Orenda that I would not  hesitate to recommend.

With thanks to Karen Sullivan for the copy received and the opportunity to participate in the blog tour.

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Bone by Bone by Sanjida Kay – Guest Review.

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Today, it is my pleasure to welcome to my blog Liz from lizlovesbooks reviewing the brilliant novel Bone by Bone.

About the Book

Laura loves her daughter more than anything in the world.

But nine-year-old Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless.

When Autumn fails to return home from school one day, Laura goes looking for her. She finds a crowd of older children taunting her little girl.

In the heat of the moment, Laura makes a terrible choice. A choice that will have devastating consequences for her and her daughter…

 

Review

Bone By Bone is both a top psychological thriller and an emotional and hard hitting look at the insidious nature of bullying – it is a bit of a page turner I read 3/4 of this in one sitting and it is scary and realistic – the realism making it more scary than if it were complete fantasy or even read as being slightly unlikely.

Autumn is being bullied at school, her mother tries to put a stop to it and ends up making it worse after one definitive and far reaching decision made in the spur of the moment.

The nature of this novel, in that it shows the slow downward spiral of a mother and daughter whom the system lets down, is extremely topical and very haunting. As they struggle to deal with knock after knock, you will be absolutely glued to the pages, in disbelief and horror at how quickly one seemingly small incident can escalate into a targeted campaign of fear. The actions of the school, of the bully, of his Dad, of the other parents, all cleverly interwoven into the underlying sense of unease will really hit home and Sanjida Kay has a keen eye for the small details that really matter when it comes to telling a story.

One of the things I thought was particularly intriguing about Bone By Bone was the way it looked at many facets, the ending may be unexpected but feels absolutely right and whilst bullying is, by its very nature, a most horrific thing, there are often multiple layers at play and this novel speaks to that very well.

Excellent. Highly Recommended.

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Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra- Blog Tour Review.

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Today I am delighted to take part in the blog tour for Only Daughter that was released yesterday.

About the Book

In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman’s dark past becomes another’s deadly future.

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.

She’d been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen―blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched―though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come.

Eleven years later she is replaced.

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon the imposter is living Bec’s life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends’ names. Playing with her twin brothers.

But Bec’s welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter―and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.

My Review

Only Daughter was a much more sinister novel than I expected
The story takes place in two different times, when Bec disappears in 2003 and in 2014 when a woman claiming to be her is arrested for shoplifting. Each chapter shows a little more from each woman’s story and the danger that they are in.
The story concerning the younger Bec is particularly intriguing. She has a good relationship with her best friend but often feels invisible at home. She is excited about her coming birthday, hoping that Luke her work colleague will ask her to go out on a date. But she is also unsettled by certain things, a feeling of being watched and a fear that the bush fires are too close.
You have no idea of the woman who is impersonating Bec’s real identity, not even her name or the reasons why she is hiding. She refuses to help the police with their enquiries about the abduction or see hypnotists etc, knowing that she won’t be able to fool them.
I enjoyed this novel. As with a lot of books that are set over a couple of different times or individual’s accounts it always switched at a crucial point. There was a threat present through all of the novel especially when the shocking truth about what happened in 2003 was revealed. Definitely a chilling storyline that I did find quite upsetting.
I did like both Becs. The younger one was a mixed up teen who wanted to keep everybody happy, especially her younger brothers. The older one knew that what she was doing was wrong but she wanted to be a good daughter/ sister to the family she claimed was hers. I thought the ending was great, especially after what was revealed towards the end.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received and for the opportunity to take part in the blog tour.

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