Woman Reads BooksHello! Thank you so much for stumbling onto my little blog.
I love reading - and spend far too much money on books every month (or week to be honest). I thought it might be nice to share my thoughts on some of the books that I've read. I hope you enjoy having a look at my reviews and ramblings - please feel free to contact me using the form provided.
Happy reading!2024-03-19T05:15:00+00:00urn:md5:2870f953650165bc3e5a172d738388c0DotclearPerfect Kill - Helen Fields (pub. Avon)urn:md5:b87e1d03c63c9ab6742f0f0b797c5d7f2019-10-29T11:01:00+00:002020-02-10T09:57:29+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.5E4B013E-B1BE-4637-861C-8BFCD1A51499_s.png" alt="5E4B013E-B1BE-4637-861C-8BFCD1A51499.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="5E4B013E-B1BE-4637-861C-8BFCD1A51499.png, Nov 2019" /></p>
<p>He had never heard himself scream before. It was terrifying</p>
<p>Alone, trapped in the darkness and with no way out, Bart Campbell knows that his chances of being found alive are slim.</p>
<p>Drugged and kidnapped, the realisation soon dawns that he’s been locked inside a shipping container far from his Edinburgh home. But what Bart doesn’t yet know is that he’s now heading for France where his unspeakable fate is already sealed…</p>
<p>DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are working on separate cases that soon collide as it becomes clear that the men and women being shipped to France are being traded for women trafficked into Scotland.</p>
<p>With so many lives at stake, they face an impossible task – but there’s no option of failure when Bart and so many others will soon be dead…</p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>It felt really weird to be reading this last week, the same week a lorry container containing the bodies of 38 men and women was found in Essex. The bodies are believed to have been smuggled into England, and although <em>Perfect Kill</em> focuses on trafficked women and men, the similarity is chillingly realistic. Whilst it is unthinkable to imagine the horror and desperation the real-life victims suffered, Helen Fields manages to convey some of the panic they very obviously went through.</p>
<p>And so we lead into yet another <em>Perfect</em> instalment of the Callanach and Turner series, and whilst it isn’t essential that you’ve read the previous 5 books, I would of course recommend them wholeheartedly. Luscious Luc is still over the channel in France with Interpol investigating human trafficking when he joins ex-colleague and ex-friend Jean-Paul to work on a case involving a macabre murder. It was good to read the relationship between the two and see how it developed over the course of the book, particularly as Luc seemed much more in control mentally over the events of the past that saw him wrongly accused of rape. His involvement in the case proves vital to the missing person case DCI Ava Turner and her team find themselves working and thus the two of them are thrust once again together.</p>
<p>Now if you haven’t read any of Field’s previous books, Luc and Ava are going through what can only be described as a rocky patch in their relationship. The ripple of attraction that kept me hooked for the first few novels having washed upon the shore and crashed out somewhat painfully; so in <em>Perfect Kill</em> they have to find their way out of the maelstrom of emotions they both feel to a more harmonious working life. And, even though I’m being denied the happiness of seeing them together, it is satisfying to read of them coming-back to the crack team they initially proved themselves to be.</p>
<p>The crimes they are investigating are as disturbing as I mentioned at the start, there are no real light moments, but whilst they are written realistically they’re thankfully not gratuitously macabre. I suppose what I’m trying to say as ineloquently as usual is, the subject makes you think yet won’t make you feel too uncomfortable reading it! I’ve probably not clarified that at all have I? Anyway, the writing is as engaging as ever, as once again Helen Fields proves herself to be worthy of one of the places at the top of many a must-read list. The action is kept at a steady place throughout, and there’s not a moment of slowness at all, the gaps between the action being filled with the dramas unfolding around it. The lives of the varying team members being as gripping as the crimes themselves,</p>
<p>I really could waffle on for ages about this series, and this book, but that would be boring for everyone involved I’m sure, so I’ll finish in my usual way of saying; this Is another cracking read from Helen Fields. <em>Perfect Kill</em> is out on 6th February 2020, be sure to beg, borrow or buy a copy as soon as you can.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/10/29/Perfect-Kill-Helen-Fields-%28pub.-Avon%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/183Forget My Name - J.S. Monroe (pub. Head of Zeus)urn:md5:200ebe156ebd7efeb89f77bf1a10f3e32019-06-23T12:51:00+01:002019-06-23T12:51:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.fmyn_s.jpg" alt="fmyn.jpg" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="fmyn.jpg, Jun 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>She is outside your front door.</strong></p>
<p><strong>She got on the train after a difficult week at work. Her bag had been stolen, and with it, her identity. Her whole life was in there – passport, wallet, house key. When she tried to report the theft, her mind went blank. She couldn't even remember her name.</strong></p>
<p><strong>She says she lives in your house.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Now she's outside Tony and Laura's front door. She is certain she lives in their home. But they have never met her before.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Would you let her in?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>I'm so thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for <em>Forget My Name</em>, primarily because it's fantastic!</p>
<p>From the opening line 'I can't remember my own name' I was hooked on this intriguing and suspenseful novel, and found the amnesiac 'Jemma' a likeable character. I'm not sure I would have been so welcoming to a stranger on the doorstep as Tony and Laura were, but I could see how they were drawn in, particularly when the stranger claims to live in their house.</p>
<p>So things take an interesting turn when local man Luke bumps into the newcomer and is certain he recognises her, and then weirder still when the local Dr Patterson believes she could be renown murderer Jemma Huish. And thus begins this twist-filled read.</p>
<p>I felt sure that by Chapter 42 I'd got it all worked out, that I knew who was the 'baddie' in the story; needless to say I'd gotten it totally wrong! I like being surprised by books and so this was a very welcome turn.</p>
<p>Like his previous bestseller, <em>Find Me</em>, Monroe weaves the plot in a way that kept me engaged throughout, with another scientific aspect which once again interested me. The story switches between mystery, psychological thriller and crime, and I did enjoy the various strands that are interwoven like a tapestry. It lends itself to questions of trust, obsession and lies, and would be a brilliant book for discussion in a group. How much do rumours make us suspect or accept a stranger?</p>
<p><em>Forget My Name</em> is bound to be another bestseller for J.S. Monroe, and deservedly so.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks to J.S. Monroe and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to review <em>Forget My Name</em>, and thank for joining me on my stop on its Blog Tour. Check out below where it's heading next</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.blog_m.png" alt="blog.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="blog.png, Jun 2019" /></p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/06/23/Forget-My-Name-J.S.-Monroe-%28pub.-Head-of-Zeus%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/182Come Back For Me - Heidi Perks (pub. Cornerstone, Random House)urn:md5:9e4ed4297d4fd453b6a5096cbab714eb2019-06-10T11:17:00+01:002019-06-10T11:17:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.CBFM_s.png" alt="CBFM.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="CBFM.png, Jun 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>A tiny island community is stunned by the discovery of a long-buried body.</strong>
<strong>For Stella Harvey the news is doubly shocking. The body has been found in the garden of her childhood home - the home her family fled without explanation twenty-five years ago.</strong>
<strong>Now, questioning her past and desperate to unearth the truth, Stella returns to the isolated island. But she quickly finds that the community she left isn’t as welcoming as she remembers – and that people in it will go to any length to protect their secrets.</strong>
<strong>One thing rings true…</strong>
<strong>You can’t bury the truth forever.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Flitting between two timeframes of the present and 1993, <em>Come Back For Me</em> is a novel brimming with mystery and tension.</p>
<p>It opens in the past, during a storm which echoed the frantic departure of Stella and her family from the isolated island home on Evergreen. Throughout the novel there's the sense that the islanders augment this isolation with their actions towards visitors who choose to spend time on the island they call home. Mind you this is explained somewhat by the discovery of a body buried in the woods which bordered Stella's childhood home, drawing Stella back towards the island and right into the middle of a rather splendid murder mystery. The plot is woven so intricately that I had no idea at all how it was going to end, and the journey up to the ending was really engaging, enhanced I feel by the different timeframes in the novel.</p>
<p>Stella herself, along with the rest of the Harvey family are likable characters, and I particularly liked the dynamic between Stella and her older sister Bonnie. With her absent brother Danny, I got a real sense of how life on the island and their subsequent departure had shaped their futures; there was obviously a black cloud over what had happened, but we were as in the dark as Stella was. The different narratives worked well I thought, giving alternative versions of events on Evergreen, heightening the mystery surrounding the body.</p>
<p>I enjoy Heidi Perk's writing, she has such an easy writing style that it isn't hard to stay hooked into her novels. <em>Come Back For Me</em> is a tale about lies and secrecy, and how the truth can never stay buried forever.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/06/10/Come-Back-For-Me-Heidi-Perks-%28pub.-Cornerstone%2C-Random-House%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/181The Perfect Wife - J P Delaney (pub. Quercus)urn:md5:753f3bcdcb42425de128571d08a7217f2019-05-28T21:58:00+01:002019-08-06T11:23:03+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.C6F9DACE-197A-4B1F-80B5-D8988B4A6AEC_s.png" alt="C6F9DACE-197A-4B1F-80B5-D8988B4A6AEC.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="C6F9DACE-197A-4B1F-80B5-D8988B4A6AEC.png, May 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>Abbie wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. The man by her side explains that he's her husband. He's a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley's most innovative startups. He tells Abbie she's a gifted artist, a doting mother to their young son, and the perfect wife.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Five years ago, she suffered a terrible accident. Her return from the abyss is a miracle of science, a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that has taken him half a decade to achieve.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband's motives - and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together for ever? And what really happened to her, half a decade ago?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>If I could turn back time to read <em>The Perfect Wife</em> afresh again I really would - I loved it. It’s an interesting concept; a robot as a replacement for a missing (presumed dead) wife. It could sound like perfection to some, but technician Tim takes it a level further in A.I. Abbie, making a ‘cobot’ capable of hosting his wife’s memories and feelings, turning the machine into so much more. And asking the question. ‘What makes us human?’ When does A.I. become more than a series of coding? I did feel as uncomfortable as Abbie when she was treated more as a commodity, a thing devoid of rights and personal respect.</p>
<p><em>The Perfect Wife</em> raised lots of interesting questions and I enjoyed being challenged in my beliefs. I’m not sure if this was Delaney’s intention, but that was my reaction to the story.</p>
<p>Like Delaney’s previous novels it felt quite carefully crafted, weaving through two narratives that always kept me wanting to read just another page (or twenty). The plot is handled like David Bowie turning that ball through his fingers in Labyrinth*, twisting and turning its way through the characters and the pages they inhabit. The perfectness that Tim creates with Abbie is simultaneously at odds with his son, Danny, who has Heller’s syndrome, a profound form of autism. It was insightful for ‘Abbie’ to find a way to communicate with Danny - finding a logical way to decipher what he meant by his repetition of phrases from Thomas the Tank Engine to convey what he wanted for breakfast. I liked the positive way that this showed Danny’s autism; that perhaps Tim was the failure for not seeing what his son was trying to communicate. That in trying to mould Danny through an extreme version of the ABA Protocol and the quite unpalatable school that he placed Danny in, he failed to just ‘be’ with his son. Whether this was as a result of him thinking that perfection in a person can be obtained, or in just wanting the best for his son, is another question waiting for us to debate.</p>
<p>There are so many things just itching to be discussed! But needless to say, this is one of those books that you just won’t be able to put down. I absolutely loved it from beginning to end.</p>
<p><strong><em>The Perfect Wife is out on 8th August 2019 from Quercus Books - don’t miss it!</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>I know it wasn’t Bowie himself manipulating the crystal ball, but you get my meaning!</li>
</ul>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/05/28/The-Perfect-Wife-J-P-Delaney-%28pub.-Quercus%292#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/179I Know Who You Are - Alice Feeney (pub. HQ)urn:md5:f1931490323ab4770aed5bb0f7b876242019-05-28T21:24:00+01:002019-05-28T21:24:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.00E428F8-F5C8-463E-B7F6-48B386711199_s.png" alt="00E428F8-F5C8-463E-B7F6-48B386711199.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="00E428F8-F5C8-463E-B7F6-48B386711199.png, May 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thinks they know but can’t remember where from. But I know exactly who you are. I know what you’ve done. And I am watching you.</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesn’t seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think she’s hiding something and they’re right, she is – but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret she’s never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>I really enjoyed <em>I Know Who You Are</em>, the second novel from Alice Feeney, following on from her bestselling debut <em>Sometimes I Lie</em>. It’s a proper twisty and turny read, written in two timeframes; the present where actress Aimee Sinclair’s husband Ben has seemingly vanished; and the 1980s which tells us Aimee’s disturbing history.</p>
<p>There aren’t many likeable characters in the story, with the exception of Aimee herself, and even then she has a few flaws, though with reason of course. I couldn’t even find many positives in the detectives which is an interesting feat in itself. Certainly most of them have something to hide, and they act as deviously as this suggests so there’s not that much to endear themselves to the reader.</p>
<p>As I’ve said it’s full of twists, and I enjoyed being taken along for the ride. Feeney has an easy writing style and I felt safe that she knew exactly where she was taking me. I am left with a couple of unanswered questions now I’ve finished, but I’m quite content to leave them unanswered to be fair. <em>I Know Who You Are</em> would make an excellent choice for a book group though as there are lots of threads that could lend themselves well to a good exploration and debate. On the other hand it’s a perfect read for a little downtime, curled up on the sofa, or my preferred choice of a good sun lounger; soaking up the terrific plot whilst you treat yourself to a bit of sunshine.</p>
<p><em>I Know Who You Are</em> is a great read; greatly recommended.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/05/28/I-Know-Who-You-Are-Alice-Feeney-%28pub.-HQ%292#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/177Those People - Louise Candlish (pub. Simon and Schuster)urn:md5:7b1847301abb75fd419c6aa2f76ee92c2019-05-28T19:50:00+01:002019-07-01T17:58:29+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.9036CC15-453B-4BC0-854A-F8228BD2D539_s.png" alt="9036CC15-453B-4BC0-854A-F8228BD2D539.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="9036CC15-453B-4BC0-854A-F8228BD2D539.png, May 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>You don't like them.</strong></p>
<p><strong>They're not like you.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Are you one of those people?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don't follow the rules and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate all too quickly to public rows and threats of violence.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Then, early one Saturday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone’s story is the same: They did it.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But there’s a problem. The police don't agree.</strong></p>
<p><strong>And the door they're knocking on next is yours.</strong></p> <blockquote><p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p></blockquote>
<p>Once, many moons ago, I lived next door to a horrid man. I was only young at the time and for some reason he took a dislike to me; obviously because he was horrible rather than something I’d done! So I had huge sympathy for the residents of Lowland Way when Darren and Jodie moved in and spoilt the idyll, in fact at times I felt perhaps too emotionally invested in it. It’s this empathetic connection that makes <em>Those People</em> such a good read.</p>
<p>Darren and Jodie aren’t likeable characters at all, determined as they are to alienate themselves from their immediate neighbours surrounding their house. But it’s not what they do that keeps you reading, it’s the effects their actions have on everybody else that’s the draw. The perfection of Lowland Way and its Play Out Sundays, to the marriages and businesses that Darren and Jodie manage to slowly but steadily destroy. Who doesn’t silently pray for good neighbours when houses in our own localities go up for sale? It’s all too easy to imagine how possible it would be for a new occupant to be as vile and disturbing as they are.</p>
<p>The story is a slow unravelling rather than a fast-paced thriller, but it doesn’t suffer for that at all; in fact I’m not convinced it would work any other way. It begins with the present and then skips back in time so we get a definite sense of the destruction caused, as well as the question of who it was that committed the crime. To be honest there were that many suspects it was hard to choose.</p>
<p>I enjoyed the book and my mind is already pinning this as a perfect summer holiday read, though perhaps don’t pack it if you’re not on the best terms with those on your street.</p>
<p><strong><em>Those People</em> is published by Simon and Schuster on 27th `June. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an HONEST review.</strong></p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/05/28/Those-People-Louise-Candlish-%28pub.-Simon-and-Schuster%292#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/175Their Little Secret - Mark Billingham (pub. Little Brown)urn:md5:fac818482947b3430e8ab96cabe684832019-05-02T09:25:00+01:002019-05-02T09:25:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.A2DF0CE3-5858-4268-A57E-FF5E506D6C96_s.png" alt="A2DF0CE3-5858-4268-A57E-FF5E506D6C96.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="A2DF0CE3-5858-4268-A57E-FF5E506D6C96.png, May 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>She says she's an ordinary mother.</strong>
<strong>He knows a liar when he sees one.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sarah thinks of herself as a normal single mum. It's what she wants others to think of her. But the truth is, she needs something new, something thrilling.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Meanwhile, DI Tom Thorne is investigating a woman's suicide, convinced she was driven to do it by a man who preys on vulnerable women.</strong></p>
<p><strong>A man who is about to change Sarah's life.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>There’s no way I could do anything but gush about a Mark Billingham novel, just in case you’re in any doubt as to where this review is heading! <em>Their Little Secret</em> though, is great - brimming with terrific writing and twisty well-crafted plot that makes Mark Billingham a master of crime fiction.</p>
<p>The trinity of Thorne, Tanner and Hendricks is as compelling as always; though I do confess to being slightly worried about Thorne, he seemed a little...I’m tempted to say off-colour, but I’m not quite sure that’s what I mean. I guess all you need to take from that is I’m perhaps a little too invested in Tom Thorne’s well-being than is natural! It’s all the author’s fault anyway, he’s crafted characters that are as real as the person sitting next to us; each as realistic and individualistic as our friends and family, there’s never a moment that I think ‘Oh they’d never do/say that’ - it’s just totally on the ball, always. And, as always, it’s just like meeting up with old friends, you just pick up where you left off the last time you saw them.</p>
<p>Anyway, the plot; as I said it’s as terrific as always - even if it seemed that Thorne and Tanner were somehow a little on the back foot with this case - a suicide that for whatever reason, pricks up Thorne’s attention. I’m not going to witter on about it, because it’s there in the blurb and, like many hotly awaited things, there’s no point in me spoiling it for you. But it is enough to make you suspicious of any new parents on the playground that’s for sure. Besides there’s nothing more I need to stay, other than if you enjoy a thriller, no, if you enjoy reading, you’re not going to be disappointed.</p>
<p>As always the only downside to <em>Their Little Secret</em> is it inevitably has to end, and so then I have to wait for the next one - and however long it takes, it is always too long. You can probably guess that I urge you to grab a copy of the book, but I’ll say it again GO, BUY, READ, LOVE <em>Their Little Secret</em>.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/05/02/Their-Little-Secret-Mark-Billingham-%28pub.-Little-Brown%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/173The Perfect Betrayal - Lauren North (pub. Random House)urn:md5:cf53a30769ddf4709a298da4d3097f7b2019-03-08T13:06:00+00:002019-05-28T18:56:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.pb_s.png" alt="pb.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="pb.png, Feb 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>'I THOUGHT SHE WAS OUR FRIEND</strong>.
<strong>I THOUGHT SHE WAS TRYING TO HELP US.'</strong>
<strong>After the sudden death of her husband, Tess is drowning in grief. All she has left is her son, Jamie, and she'll do anything to protect him - but she's struggling to cope.</strong>
<strong>When grief counsellor Shelley knocks on their door, everything changes. Shelley is beautiful, confident and takes control when Tess can't bear to face the outside world.</strong>
<strong>But when questions arise over her husband's death and strange things start to happen, Tess begins to suspect that Shelley may have an ulterior motive. Tess knows she must do everything she can to keep Jamie safe - but who can she trust?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p><em>The Perfect Betrayal</em> was a tale of two halves for me. It had some really good elements to it, but I think on the whole I found it just skirting the edges of plausibility; though I will confess that the ending probably makes up for any shortcomings. I did enjoy it don't get me wrong, it was a good easy read, which does I think engage the reader. My main area of concern though is just how far Tess was willing to trust Shelley. I get that she is grief-stricken, that Shelley helps her. but the moments of distrust that Tess had about her would have surely stopped her in her tracks. I don't know, maybe that's what Lauren North was aiming for when she wrote it? See, it's just too tricky to call for me. I know that if I suspected anyone of some of the things Tess imagines she did, she or he wouldn't get anywhere close to my child. Anyway, I'm going to park that thought up there and witter on some more!</p>
<p>Despite my misgivings I did like Tess, and I thought that Lauren North managed to convey Tess's grief well, that feeling that somehow the world should have stopped when her husband died, and the reality that life does still go on for those still alive. I, perhaps naturally, didn't warm to Shelley in quite the same way; I did feel sorry for her with her own grief, but it was difficult to feel anything more than distrust with the way she is written. Similarly Tess's brother-in-law Ian, this question surrounding money he claims he is owed again makes it difficult to warm to him; even if he did bring her dinner one time. The insecurity and danger Tess feels in general makes for an engaging read; particularly the over-protectiveness of her son Jamie, and the mysterious person she keeps feeling is watching her - all combine to create this sense of foreboding that runs through the story.</p>
<p>But the ending. Wow.</p>
<p><em><strong>I thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an HONEST review. The Perfect Betrayal is published on 14th March 2019</strong></em></p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/02/06/The-Perfect-Betrayal-Lauren-North-%28pub.-Random-House%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/168The Lingering- S.J.I Holliday (pub. Orenda)urn:md5:ba7bbbbea5abc0b2bf82eadd5394fc9b2019-02-20T19:10:00+00:002019-02-20T19:28:05+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.17FF1D1C-FD4A-4F18-806B-4E8880F79DF4_s.jpg" alt="17FF1D1C-FD4A-4F18-806B-4E8880F79DF4.jpeg" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="17FF1D1C-FD4A-4F18-806B-4E8880F79DF4.jpeg, Feb 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for a fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history.</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>The problem with reviewing books is twofold: firstly it makes me spend too much money, but, more importantly, it means that some of the books that I really want to read get pushed out of the way by others; <em>The Lingering</em> is such a book.</p>
<p>I knew it was going to be good not only because I’d heard so much about it on Twitter, but also because it’s published by Orenda - a sure sign of a terrific read if ever there was one. The setting of Rosalind House, a former asylum, is sufficiently isolated that it becomes the stuff of gossip and legend in the nearby village, and thus transforms itself into that “scary house” from my childhood; the place that I’m sure lots of us know of, that either caused us to cross over the road when passing it, or heard stories about it being haunted. Though in <em>The Lingering</em> we probably get more evidence of it than we did back then! It does feel isolated though, almost other-worldly, from the start as Jack and Ali pass through “the bleak but beautiful landscape” to find the house and are met by the sound of choral singing from the other residents. This coupled with the extract from The Book of Light that gives <em></em>“guidelines for a Light & Bright Existence<em>”</em> serve to show that the community that Jack and Ali are about to enter is somewhere separate from their previous life.</p>
<p>And thus we’re faced with the first question of why they have chosen to enter such a place, especially when in the second chapter Ali says <em>“How dare he be so calm about all this? After everything he’s put them through?”</em> - just what exactly are they (and everyone else for that matter) running from? And why, oh why, after the “happenings” do they all not just turn on their heel and run?! No, I know that, not everyone believes in ghosts, in hauntings, but I’m telling you now if that happened to me in the bath, I might not even stop for my towel!! For indeed, Rosalind House, is as creepy a place as the Overlook Hotel, full of seemingly malign spirits intent on harm who focus their intentions on Ali. This unease is enhanced by Angela’s secret sneaking, hunting for evidence of ghosts by placing monitoring devices through the floorboards of Ali and Jack’s room.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt about it, this is a brooding tale of secrets and danger; reminiscent of those gothic tales of old. I loved <em>The Lingering</em>, though I will admit to choosing a time when the house was full rather than wait til I was on my own to read it - good job too!</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/02/20/The-Lingering-S.J-Holliday-%28pub.-Orenda%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/171A Gift For Dying - M. J. Arlidgeurn:md5:2ea282c133086120e87275a2ba916a6c2019-02-10T08:37:00+00:002019-03-06T19:38:34+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.23CE6058-0EBC-482E-AE50-255C15F645E8_s.png" alt="23CE6058-0EBC-482E-AE50-255C15F645E8.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="23CE6058-0EBC-482E-AE50-255C15F645E8.png, Feb 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>She heard their screams. She felt their fear.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Now she's their only hope...</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adam Brandt is a forensic psychologist, well used to dealing with the most damaged members of society.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But he's never met anyone like Kassie.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The teenager claims to have a terrible gift - with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die</strong></p>
<p><strong>Obviously, Adam knows Kassie must be insane. But then a serial killer hits the city. And only Kassie seems to know where he'll strike next.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Against all his intuition, Adam starts to believe her.</strong></p>
<p><strong>He just doesn't realise how deadly his faith might prove...</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Ooh this is such a good book! I love the way M. J. Arlidge writes, it just flows beautifully, there’s hardly ever a wasted word and the books are jam-packed with every bit of tension and suspense you could possibly want, A Gift For Dying being a fine example of this.</p>
<p>The whole premise of Kassie being able to somehow predict these murders was written in such a way that I never thought to question it, it just made perfect sense, and it’s such an interesting twist that I savoured every word. She’s a really great character, haunted yet feisty - what a combination, I couldn’t help but root for her. In fact, murderer aside, I was pretty much rooting for all of them, there’s such a great collection of characters here, from Kassie; to loving, painter Faith. brave and loyal Adam; right to dogged detective Gabrielle Grey.</p>
<p>It seems strange to say that the murders happen at regular intervals, but what I mean is they don’t overshadow each other and didn’t make me feel like we had to get from one murder to another for things to happen. I’m not sure if I’ve made that any clearer, but there’s so much going on here that the murders are only one part to the story; when they do happen they are gruesome but not in an overly explicit way. But the pace steadily increases as the story develops and it kept me gripped, as all of Arlidge’s novels do, so I read it pretty quickly (and then invariably wanted to read more).</p>
<p>I’ve no doubt that regular readers of M J Arlidge will love this book as much as I did, but if you haven’t read any of his books yet A Gift For Dying would be a terrific way to introduce yourself to him. A fabulous book.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/02/10/A-Gift-For-The-Dying-M.-J.-Arlidge#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/169When I Had a Little Sister - Catherine Simpson (pub. 4th Estate)urn:md5:f5ea2272ab28a86dd9817c0120963dab2019-02-01T16:34:00+00:002019-02-01T17:19:48+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.BCDC10AE-43F6-4B58-98C4-4B59AC23FD78_s.png" alt="BCDC10AE-43F6-4B58-98C4-4B59AC23FD78.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="BCDC10AE-43F6-4B58-98C4-4B59AC23FD78.png, Feb 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>When did she decide to die? Was it before midnight on Friday the 6th, because she couldn’t face another night or was it before dawn on Saturday the 7th because she couldn’t face another day?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Did she think about us? Did she think about her dog, Ted, or her cat, Puss, sleeping on Grandma Mary’s old sofa in the conservatory and who would be waiting for her to feed them in the morning? What about her horses in the stable? Did she think about them? Did she imagine Dad finding her? It would have to be Dad, after all. It couldn’t be anyone else.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Did she know what she was doing?</strong></p>
<p><strong>On a cold December day in 2013 Catherine Simpson received the phone call she had feared for years. Her little sister Tricia had been found dead in the farmhouse where she, Catherine and their sister Elizabeth were born – and where their family had lived for generations.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tricia was 46 and had been stalked by depression all her life. Yet mental illness was a taboo subject within the family and although love was never lacking, there was a silence at its heart.</strong></p>
<p><strong>After Tricia died, Catherine found she had kept a lifetime of diaries. The words in them took her back to a past they had shared, but experienced so differently, and offered a thread to help explore the labyrinth of her sister’s suicide.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Unfamiliar as I am to posting about non-fiction books, there was something compelling about <em>When I Had a Little Sister</em> when I heard it was available for review that meant I pressed the button to request, I’m so glad I did. <em>When I Had a Little Sister</em> is a thoughtful, loving account of a relative suffering from mental illness told by a sister whose love shines through in every word,</p>
<p>I loved the way Catherine Simpson told the history; there was no linear pattern and that felt right, it was as if she was telling the story for the first time, allowing herself (and thereby us) to go off, not quite at a tangent, but to move through the tales of her extended family pretty much as one would expect a friend to do. Introducing us to those important people from her childhood and sharing some memory of them that she’d plucked from her heart. Not perfect of course, but then this is a tale of honesty, and no one is perfect.</p>
<p>I related so well to her family, probably because in a way they reminded me of my own. Not in experiences granted, but certainly in the way things were dealt with; particularly by her mother. Those closing down of questions, the shying away from discussing the important things, I could identify with it all. So I could understand how Tricia’s illness was not spoken about directly, why the questions remained unanswered.</p>
<p>It’s written in a easygoing style which I found really engaging and captivating. Even in the depths of despair, through the frustration, Catherine’s love for her sister is so plainly evident it’s both touching and heartbreaking. I guess that is why, even though the heart of the memoir, the depression, the bi-polar, might have been difficult to read, I didn’t find it so. The author was unlikely to get the answers she craved, but I shared in the desire to find a reason, to examine Tricia’s life and see if there was a catalyst for her illness. The tale is tragic, what loss of such a young woman would not be tragic; but it isn’t depressing. Through the losses there is laughter, silliness and yes, yet again, love,</p>
<p>I’m not going to reduce this to a “I couldn’t put it down” snapshot, though I did read it in a day (make of that what you will), but I will say I really enjoy the glimpse into the heart of the family. I put the book down and immediately bought the author’s previous book (<em>Truestory</em>), and I look forward to reading more of her writing. <em>When I Had a Little Sister</em> is something special, thank you for sharing the story.</p>
<p><em> I thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book and give an HONEST opinion in return. When I Had a Little Sister is published on 7th February 2019</em></p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/02/01/When-I-Had-a-Little-Sister-Catherine-Simpson-%28pub%2C-4th-Estate%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/167Apple of My Eye - Claire Allen (pub. Avon)urn:md5:073f3f5817e3ae09942d3b42bf4020d82019-01-27T18:55:00+00:002019-01-27T18:55:41+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.AF73EBF1-1202-46B3-B78C-BD69548C5383_s.png" alt="AF73EBF1-1202-46B3-B78C-BD69548C5383.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="AF73EBF1-1202-46B3-B78C-BD69548C5383.png, Jan 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>Just how far is a mother willing to go?</strong></p>
<p><strong>When a mysterious note arrives for seven months pregnant nurse Eliana Hughes, she begins to doubt every aspect of her life – from her mixed feelings about motherhood to her marriage to Martin, who has become distant in recent months.</strong></p>
<p><strong>As the person behind the note escalates their campaign to out Eli’s husband as a cheat, she finds herself unable to trust even her own instincts, and as pressure builds, she makes a mistake that jeopardises her entire future.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elsewhere, someone is watching. Someone who desperately wants a baby to call their own and will go to any lengths to become a mother – and stay a mother…</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Told through the voices of three characters: pregnant hospice nurse Eliana Hughes, her doting mother Angela, and the stranger Louise, <em>Apple of My Eye</em> is a delicious tale of loss and motherly love.</p>
<p>Poor Louise who has lost a multitude of babies whilst pregnant is the one who seemingly threatens the happiness, but it was hard not to feel some heartache for her. To miscarry one baby is horrendous enough, and it’s easy to see why she became quite mentally unstable, especially considering she could no longer conceive and the breakdown of her marriage. To the extent that she is prepared to steal a baby to replace the one she lost so late in pregnancy; awful yes, but understandable.</p>
<p>Eliana then seems to have it all: a pregnancy, a job she loves working at a hospice, and a devoted husband and mother. She’s a very likeable character, obviously caring; and so the unravelling of her happy bubble is one that is sure to keep you hooked throughout.</p>
<p>It didn’t matter that I’d worked out the various strands by halfway through for it is really well written, and by this time I was invested in the characters and I wanted to know how events concluded, especially Louise’s marriage which is very much threatened by an unknown person. The relationships are developed and examined in a very interesting way, primarily the one that Louise shares with her mother Angela; the strength of a mother’s love and the consequences of sacrifices made. There are bound to be elements that we can all identify with and for me that’s what makes <em>Apple of My Eye</em> so engaging.</p>
<p>I won’t go any further into the plot for fear of spoiling it, but I do heartily recommend grabbing yourself a copy and snuggling down for a good read.</p>
<p><em>Apple of My Eye</em> is out now.
I thank Avon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book, in exchange for an HONEST review.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/01/27/Apple-of-My-Eye-Claire-Allen-%28pub.-Avon%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/166The Hunting Party - Lucy Foley (pub. Harper Collins)urn:md5:28059dc706bdccc27af14b3ec261ce372019-01-08T14:19:00+00:002019-01-08T14:21:39+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.thp_s.jpg" alt="thp.jpg" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="thp.jpg, Jan 2019" /></p>
<p><strong>In a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, old friends gather for New Year.</strong>
<strong>The beautiful one</strong>
<strong>The golden couple</strong>
<strong>The volatile one</strong>
<strong>The new parents</strong>
<strong>The quiet one</strong>
<strong>The city boy</strong>
<strong>The outsider</strong>
<strong>The victim.</strong>
<strong>Not an accident – a murder among friends.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Okay, let's be fair and say that <em>The Hunting Party</em> blurb sounded just my type of book. But then who can refuse a bit of a murder-mystery around the New Year - and yes before you ask, I did wait to start it until New Year's Eve (because I am that sad). Anyway, what a way to start 2019 this was!</p>
<p>Set in the remote Scottish highlands <em>The Hunting Party</em> was just a delicious unravelling of a mystery, quite Agatha Christie-esque in its telling I thought. The very well-defined characters play their parts with aplomb, sharing qualities that most of us could recognise in long-standing friends. Though I am blessed to say that thankfully none of mine share the same narcissism as Miranda. I liked the fact that the characters, whilst somehow obliged to undergo this ritual of joining together every year, don't really seem to get on that well. There are lots of cutting remarks and questionable behaviour that do make you wonder what it is that is holding them together; why their group has not gone the usual way of graduating classes and fallen one by one as the years passed.</p>
<p>I particularly enjoyed the structure of the story though, told through different timespans - the now, and the flashbacks to the days before New Year and before the murder. I wasn't hung up on trying to work out who had done it. and whilst obviously important. it wasn't the main focus of my attention. I was just enjoying building up the history to the death; the enjoyment of finding out about the past lives of Heather and Doug who were staffing the lodge at the time, and the various interactions the group had with each other. The sense of isolation that the setting provided meant that an air of danger was there from the outset, and carried on until the end. I really did enjoy this book, I think it's a cracking read and would really recommend you grabbing a copy when you can.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2019/01/08/The-Hunting-Party-Lucy-Foley-%28pub.-Harper-Collins%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/165The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides (pub. Orion Books)urn:md5:2970a2b6b41b2e8d3bee546810e31da82018-11-26T12:51:00+00:002019-01-08T14:25:04+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.2BA5A8D4-67DC-4737-8C9E-AF9F28B09420_s.png" alt="2BA5A8D4-67DC-4737-8C9E-AF9F28B09420.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="2BA5A8D4-67DC-4737-8C9E-AF9F28B09420.png, Nov 2018" /></p>
<p><strong>I love him so totally, completely, sometimes it threatens to overwhelm me.</strong>
<strong>Sometimes I think</strong>
<strong>No. I won't write about that.</strong></p>
<p>ALICIA</p>
<p><strong>Alicia Berenson writes a diary as a release, an outlet - and to prove to her beloved husband that everything is fine. She can’t bear the thought of worrying Gabriel, or causing him pain.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Until, late one evening, Alicia shoots Gabriel five times and then never speaks another word.</strong></p>
<p>THEO</p>
<p><strong>Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber is convinced he can successfully treat Alicia, where all others have failed. Obsessed with investigating her crime, his discoveries suggest Alicia's silence goes far deeper than he first thought.</strong></p>
<p><strong>And if she speaks, would he want to hear the truth?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>“ I don’t know why I’m writing this.” Begins the prologue to <em>The Silent Patient</em>, and do you know what, that is pretty much how I feel typing up this review. For there are no real words, other than “Go and beg, borrow or buy a copy” that you need to know.</p>
<p>The book tells the story of silent patient Alice Berenson, who is under the care of psychotherapist Theo Faber, following her conviction for the brutal murder of her husband Gabriel. Alice hasn’t spoken since the day of the murder, but Theo feels he can find a way through the silence to get to the truth of what really happened that day. And this is what drew me into the book, the desire to know what the truth was. Told through the voice of Theo, we’re drawn into his both his professional life at The Grove, and his personal life with wife Kathy. And it is primarily through his sessions that we become familiar with Alice. There are intermittent diary entries from Alice throughout that transform her from the silent patient into a more rounded, likeable and animated character.</p>
<p>The characters are written in a controlled way that meant that I had complete faith in Michaelides’ words, and was more than happy to just relax into the story and enjoy it. And what a story it was; nothing was rushed, it felt like a naturally opening bud rather than forced scenes that shatter when you think about them too much. As usual, I will give nothing away, but I do just have to say that the ending did not disappoint - it’s blooming marvellous, really great. Please do put this on your to-read list you’ll love it.</p>
<p><strong>''The Silent Patient is published by Orion Books on 7th February 2019</strong>''</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/11/26/The-Silent-Patient-Alex-Michaelides-%28pub.-Orion-Books%292#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/164Cuckoo - Sophie Draper (pub. Avon)urn:md5:f3654596d43a176b10acb08313d6ba6c2018-11-07T14:51:00+00:002018-11-26T12:34:24+00:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.0DA98EA8-3A58-4D06-A845-E5812A85652B_s.png" alt="0DA98EA8-3A58-4D06-A845-E5812A85652B.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="0DA98EA8-3A58-4D06-A845-E5812A85652B.png, Nov 2018" /></p>
<p><em>There’s a stranger in your house…</em></p>
<p><strong>When her stepmother dies unexpectedly, Caro returns to her childhood home in Derbyshire. She hadn’t seen Elizabeth in years, but the remote farmhouse offers refuge from a bad relationship, and a chance to start again.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But going through Elizabeth’s belongings unearths memories Caro would rather stay buried. In particular, the story her stepmother would tell her, about two little girls and the terrible thing they do.</strong></p>
<p><strong>As heavy snow traps Caro in the village, where her neighbours stare and whisper, Caro is forced to question why Elizabeth hated her so much, and what she was hiding. But does she really want to uncover the truth?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Well I can certainly see why Sophie Draper won an award for this book, it hooks you in from the really quite creepy prologue, and pretty much doesn’t let you go until the final word.</p>
<p>What I liked so much about it is that I found myself at times just as confused as protagonist Caro, not in a not knowing what was going on way, just in a trying to figure out just exactly what was happening to her and why. She’s something of a hidden character, I think partly because we’re drip-fed her history as she is remembering snippets of her childhood throughout the book. But she is nevertheless likeable despite her often closed personality, brought about by the treatment she received as a child from her stepmother and the more recent relationship with her ex-boyfriend. It’s confusing then that she is met with the utmost distaste from the neighbours she encounters, and I was trying to work out just what she’d done to merit their behaviour. And it’s this slow unravelling that makes <em>Cuckoo</em> an engaging read.</p>
<p>The actual storyline is very clever, and the author manages to weave the plot well, ensuring that I was thinking about it even when I’d had to put it down. With all of the twists and turns <em>Cuckoo</em> had to offer, it was like being on a rollercoaster without any of the associated sickness or dizziness! And I’m not going to spoil anyone’s reading of it by saying the ending was just terrific - I loved it.</p>
<p>I really look forward to reading more from Sophie Draper, but in the meantime I’d really recommend giving <em>Cuckoo</em> your attention, it’s a fab read.</p>
<p><strong><em>Cuckoo is published by Avon Books on 29th November 2018</em></strong></p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/11/07/Cuckoo-Sophie-Draper-%28pub.-Avon%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/162After He Died - Michael J. Malone (pub. Orenda)urn:md5:407e87703b6c96e7a9681a0a22560aba2018-10-09T13:40:00+01:002018-10-09T13:40:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/ahd.jpg" alt="ahd.jpg" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="ahd.jpg, Oct 2018" /></p>
<p><strong>You need to know who your husband really was…</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Paula Gadd’s husband of almost thirty years dies, just days away from the seventh anniversary of their son, Christopher’s death, her world falls apart. Grieving and bereft, she is stunned when a young woman approaches her at the funeral service, and slips something into her pocket. A note suggesting that Paula’s husband was not all that he seemed…</strong>
<strong>When the two women eventually meet, a series of revelations challenges everything Paula thought they knew, and it becomes immediately clear that both women’s lives are in very real danger.</strong>
<strong>Both a dark, twisty slice of domestic noir and taut, explosive psychological thriller, After He Died is also a chilling reminder that the people we trust the most can harbour the deadliest secrets…</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>The thing I love about this book is the journey Michael Malone took me on with grieving widow Paula. Her sense of loss infiltrating every action and reaction she had, without overwhelming the story. Thus highlighting this author's strength: the way he weaves the characters in a solid, engrossing storyline.</p>
<p>Each relationship Paula had with the other characters was different, the way she acted when around them was different. It seems such an obvious thing to say, but it might not ordinarily happen; think about it, I know I act differently according to whom I'm with, yet characters in books are sometimes so rigidly written, that their interactions are quite uniform. The natural fluidity here therefore, makes his characters more realistic in my view, more relatable, more likeable. And I did like Paula, grieving for her husband, as well as still mourning the death of her son 7 years earlier. It's no wonder then that once she is approached by Cara, she insists on knowing the truth about their deaths.</p>
<p>The storyline is as strong as you'd expect from Michael; full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes and totally engaged with the plot. Those cheeky, relatively short chapters ensuring that I did the 'oh just one more' thing, that stopped me from doing anything as useless as tidying. So whilst my brain is thankful for <em>After He Died</em>, my house is probably less so! The pace is punchy without me feeling rushed, beautifully crafted, and written with his usual flair.</p>
<p>With each novel by Michael Malone we get something different, and it's great being surprised by them. I loved <em>After He Died</em>, and I, of course, would heartily recommend it to you.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/10/09/After-He-Died-Michael-J.-Malone-%28pub.-Orenda%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/160Down to the Woods - M.J. Arlidge (pub. Michael Joseph, Penguin)urn:md5:6bef0c0e778cd623f823f2f1c49e70d32018-09-20T14:16:00+01:002018-09-20T14:16:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.73B110D2-3132-4F48-A1DD-B1DE7F30353D_s.png" alt="73B110D2-3132-4F48-A1DD-B1DE7F30353D.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="73B110D2-3132-4F48-A1DD-B1DE7F30353D.png, Sep 2018" /></p>
<p><strong>If you go down to the woods today</strong></p>
<p><strong>The last thing Tom Campbell remembers is camping in the New Forest with his girlfriend, Melissa. Now he is helpless, alone and consumed by fear, hunted through the woods by a sinister, masked figure...</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Tom's body is found, displayed with grisly relish, Helen Grace takes the case. But before she can catch her breath, a second victim is taken - a serial killer is on the loose.</strong></p>
<p><strong>You better not go alone...</strong></p>
<p><strong>Something dark and deadly stalks the forest. Helen and her team must race against time to catch the perpetrator, before more blood is shed.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But the hunt will take Helen back into the eerie twilit woods - and this time she might not make it out alive.</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>This is the 8th book in the Helen Grace series and I have to say I think it’s one of the best. And if you’ve read my thoughts on its predecessors you’ll know that I’ve loved them all.</p>
<p><em>Down to the Woods</em> sees D.I. Grace and her team tracking a rather sadistic killer who hunts his victims through the atmospheric New Forest, and as usual Arlidge leads us down several paths that lead nowhere along the way. I enjoyed these twists and turns, and for the first time in quite a while, I really loved playing a game of guess who. In fact this book made me enthused about reading in a way that I haven’t felt in quite a while; not that I’d realised I’d lost it until the slow flickering bursts of enjoyment started igniting once I’d settled into the story.</p>
<p>Anyway, Helen Grace is right up there amongst my favourite detective characters, and it is always good to see how Arlidge develops her in every book. In <em>Down to the Woods</em> she seems much more settled, almost, dare I say it, happy. I’m not saying that this wouldn’t stand up as a stand-alone read, it would of course, but, if you haven’t read the previous books in the series you would, I feel, get much more out of it. Her history brings a proper insight into her relationships with DS Charlie Brooks, Superintendent Simmons and newcomer to the team, DS Joseph Hudson. These relationships lead you to actually care about the characters, investing yourself in their success and a desire to not see any of them harmed. Not that any of them seemed concerned in keeping themselves out of danger of course.</p>
<p>As I’ve said, there are lots of twists and turns, and the book’s opening sets the scene of fear that continues throughout the rest of the book. It is naturally well-crafted, and kept me glued to it from beginning to end.</p>
<p><em>Down to the Woods</em> is a cracking read; totally recommended.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/09/20/Down-to-the-Woods-M.J.-Arlidge-%28pub.-Michael-Joseph%2C-Penguin%292#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/159Perfect Silence - Helen Fields ( pub. Avon)urn:md5:5d9bfa0401aad025fff125198bc57c262018-08-08T15:02:00+01:002018-08-08T15:02:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.ps_t.jpg" alt="ps.jpg" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="ps.jpg, Aug 2018" /></p>
<p><strong>When silence falls, who will hear their cries?</strong></p>
<p><strong>The body of a young girl is found dumped on the roadside on the outskirts of Edinburgh. When pathologists examine the remains, they make a gruesome discovery: the outline of a doll carved into the victim’s skin.</strong></p>
<p><strong>DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are struggling to find leads in the case, until a doll made of skin is found nestled beside an abandoned baby</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>After another young woman is found butchered, Luc and Ava realise the babydoll killer is playing a horrifying game. And it’s only a matter of time before he strikes again. Can they stop another victim from being silenced forever – or is it already too late?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>I fear I may have fallen into like some crazed stalker fan scenario where Helen Fields is concerned ( not her per se, but her books I hasten to add!) so I'm trying to temper my ravings and urging of people to buy her books, but boy is it difficult, they're just so darned good!</p>
<p>In <em>Perfect Silence</em>, Fields introduces us to yet another horrifying murderer, the babydoll killer. He is of course disturbing, though I have to say not quite so gruesome as previous offerings, or perhaps that's just me acclimatising myself to a murder-reading spree, I guess it's all subjective. There were echoes of Jame Gumb in the dolls made of skin though which was pretty creepy. Anyway, the MIT are certainly kept on their toes trying to catch the killer before any more victims are discovered, and thus the pace of the novel is a steady canter rather than a leisurely stroll around the woods. Coupled with the killings is the investigation into the attacks on the homeless population of Edinburgh; which brings with it the difficulties and problems dealing with the political influences that overshadow the department and the city. This causes some fairly epic clashes between DCI Ava Turner and her superior Superintendent Overbeck, that put her career in a very precarious place.</p>
<p>And so on to what is the major strength of Helen Fields' novels: the characters. DCI Turner has settled into her role a little more in this book I felt, though I did still miss a little of the camaraderie of the early books. She still manages to be the feisty officer she has always been, and is certainly not afraid to speak her mind. DI Luc Callanach seems to be beginning to move on from the rape allegations, though the after-effects are still holding him back in his relationship with Selina (though she manages to find ways to try and help the situation!). Of course I'm not going to be happy until Luscious Luc and Ava get together, and <em>Perfect Silence</em> was sort of reminiscent of a great will-they, won't they love story in parts. I was trying to think of an example, but the only one that springs to mind is Billy and Ally in Ally McBeal which perhaps isn't the greatest example to be fair and probably says more about my referencing skills than anything else! I do so enjoy the relationship between Luc and Ava though, as well as the relationships between the rest of the team, even though DS Lively didn't seem at the top of his cheekiness scale here. The characters are as engaging as the plot throughout, and I don't think I will ever tire of them.</p>
<p>You don't need to have read the previous 3 novels to get the most out of <em>Perfect Silence</em>. You'd be mad not to want to read them though if this was your introduction to Callanch and Turner. As usual I totally recommend this Helen Fields' book, I'll issue the usual warning of clearing your diary to read it, because rather like Pringles, once you start you can't stop. Roll on Book #5!!</p>
<p><strong><em>Perfect Silence is published by Avon Books on 23rd August 2018</em></strong></p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/08/08/Perfect-Silence-Helen-Fields-%28-pub.-Avon%29#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/156The Craftsman - Sharon J Bolton (pub. Orion)urn:md5:8b93b3c076937bd875e3f03ad7cd51212018-08-08T13:14:00+01:002018-08-08T13:14:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.tcr_s.png" alt="tcr.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="tcr.png, Aug 2018" /></p>
<p><strong>Devoted father or merciless killer?</strong></p>
<p><strong>His secrets are buried with him.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Glassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago. Like something from our worst nightmares the victims were buried...ALIVE.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Larry confessed to the crimes; it was an open and shut case. But now he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Did she get it wrong all those years ago?</strong>
<strong>Or is there something much darker at play?</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>Wow - what a fabulous book <em>The Craftsman</em> is, Sharon Bolton at her very best. A crime novel interwoven with the world of magic and superstition works so well set against the backdrop of the Pendle Hills, with its history of witch trials.</p>
<p>The novel opens with the funeral of the convicted serial killer Larry Glassbrook, and I defy anyone not to be a little spooked by the method of dispatch he chose to murder his teenage victims. I don't actually want to dwell on that too much because it brings me out in a bit of a sweat, so horrific is it, but thankfully the descriptions aren't overly graphic. The beauty of the area is brought to life, as is the shroud of mystery it possesses, and I got the real sense of it being written by someone who loves the area. I can't quite put my finger on why this came across, but it did to me.</p>
<p>Likewise the interest in the supernatural came through in droves. At first glance it is hard to see how the two threads of the story could work symbiotically, but they really do. The mystery comes alive to form a natural, established relationship with their surroundings, so that the two are given life by each other. The plot is crafted beautifully keeping me gripped and, in truth, desperate to keep reading it. On those irritating times I had to leave it, the story continued to weave its spell in my head. I will be completely honest and say I wasn't 100% satisfied with some aspects of the ending, but I did accept them as a <ins>relatively</ins> plausible outcome. My doubts about it though, in no way impacted on my enjoyment of the book which I'd be happy to read again tomorrow!</p>
<p>I could continue to waffle on and tell you that the characters are superb, that the book kept me guessing, that the year the story was set in added to the air of other-worldliness, but in fact there's really no need. <em>The Craftsman</em> is a super book - fans of Sharon Bolton will be cheering, and newcomers to her books will be in for a treat - totally recommended.</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/08/08/The-Craftsman-Sharon-J-Bolton#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/154The Brighton Mermaid - Dorothy Koomson (pub. Random House, Cornerstone)urn:md5:a2f05dd4db961de808306b46570a8c802018-06-20T15:35:00+01:002018-06-20T15:35:00+01:00ireneann<p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.tbm_s.png" alt="tbm.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="tbm.png, Jun 2018" /></p>
<p><strong>Brighton Beach, 1993</strong></p>
<p><strong>Teenagers Nell and Jude find the body of a young woman and when no one comes to claim her, she becomes known as the Brighton Mermaid. Nell is still struggling to move on when, three weeks later, Jude disappears.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Twenty-five years on, Nell is forced to quit her job to find out who the Brighton Mermaid really was – and what happened to her best friend that summer.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But as Nell edges closer to the truth, dangerous things start to happen. Someone seems to be watching her every move, and soon she starts to wonder who in her life she can actually trust…</strong></p> <p><img src="http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/public/.logo4_t.png" alt="logo4.png" style="display:table; margin:0 auto;" title="logo4.png, May 2016" /></p>
<p>For years I have been a fan of Dorothy Koomson and not once has she ever disappointed me with her books, surprised me granted and perhaps more so with <em>The Brighton Mermaid</em>. It is much more of a murder mystery than I was expecting for some reason, though perhaps this is explainable by the fact that merely seeing her name on a book makes me automatically reach for it rather than bothering to read the blurb!</p>
<p>There are of course the usual strengths of character and superb writing style evident throughout. Told in the voices of Nell and Macy, and flitting between the past and the present, at first I did have to remind myself which sister was which. Though of course this is totally my fault for not paying attention properly, and in any case once I was in the depths I'd sorted myself out and all was clear! The sisters are, as you'd expect from a Dorothy Koomson novel, likeable and enchanting; from Nell with her streak of feistiness to Macy's displays of OCD, they become fully-formed characters pretty early on in the book. Shaped as they are by Nell and Jude's discovery of the Brighton Mermaid on the beach as teenagers. The ripples of this discovery echoing through their lives and those of their family and friends.</p>
<p>The novel manages to tackle issues like mental health and guilt in a completely natural and organic way, examining them without becoming preoccupied by them. The story is as satisfying as the characters of course and as I started by saying, is a bit Agatha Christie-ish in its essence. It goes without saying that it is as engrossing as all her previous novels and if you enjoy trying to solve a little detective problem you'll certainly enjoy this one. After all who doesn't like a Whodunnit to curl up with? Though even if, for some bizarre reason you don't, there's more than enough of a family and relationship storyline to keep you more than happy.</p>
<p>I could go on and on but it's just a thoroughly enjoyable read, and goes once again to show why Dorothy Koomson has a loyal band of fans, of which I'm most definitely one. Terrific!</p>http://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?post/2018/06/20/The-Brighton-Mermaid-Dorothy-Koomson#comment-formhttp://www.womanreadsbooks.com/index.php?feed/atom/comments/153