Dead Inside by Noelle Holton

Synopsis

The killer is just getting started...

When three wife beaters are themselves found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood - who is connected to all three victims - is hiding a dark secret.  Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered.

And he is Lucy's husband,

Now the police are running out of time, but can Maggie believe her friend Lucy is a cold-blooded killer?

Author: Noelle Holton
Publisher: Killer Reads
Publication Date: 31st May 2019

My Review

To be honest I was a little apprehensive about starting this book.  I have read so many great reviews but what if it didn't live up to my highly built up expectations?  I am so relived to say,  Oh my god, it certainly did stand up and was everything I hoped it would be and a little bit more.  I loved, loved, loved this book.

It is a dark story of domestic abuse and murder but it's told in a very human and touching way.  I felt deeply involved with all the characters, even the ones I didn't like that much got under my skin.

The main thing I liked about this book were that the characters were not just fictional characters.  They lived and breathed on the page like the humans they were portraying.  There was such conflict in each character.  Lucy, a strong probation officer was falling apart inside and ground down due to the domestic abuse she was suffering from her husband Patrick.  Patrick on the other hand was a wife beater but even he was shown to have a softer side.  Deep inside he did love Lucy and his kids but his own upbringing fuelled with violence had cast him onto the wrong path.

Maggie was another one of the leading characters. She's seconded from a Homicide Team to work under the Domestic Violence umbrella.  We know little of her back story apart from that she needed a break after a difficult case.  She's nicely portrayed in the book as a strong female but inside she has been shaken by the events of the previous case and I have a feeling that more will be revealed as the series goes on.

There was a little bit of everything I enjoy in a book. The police investigation, was woven through nicely, just enough without being in your face.  The grizzly murders were given just the right amount of page space without being grim just for the sake of it and the domestic abuse was sprinkled into all the right places when needed.

The story flowed effortlessly and this book kept me awake long into the night.  The saddest part of all was that it had to end and we are left in limbo for a while until we can hopefully follows Maggie's story further and learn more about the characters we have met in this awesome book.

The Paramedics Daughter by Tara Lyons

Synopsis

Would you lie to your family to protect yourself?

Paramedic Abi Quinn is hailed as a hero by the patients she saves with the London Ambulance Service, bur a secret she's kept since she was a teenager now threatens to shatter that perfect illusion.

When her daughter Rose goes missing while studying at Brighton University, and ghosts
from her past return to haunt her, Abi's caught in a face against time to untangle the web of lies she set in motion over twenty years ago.

Everyone has something to lose.

Everyone is trying to protect themselves.

Everyone is broken.

But what lengths will they go to in order to stop the truth from being exposed.


Author: Tara Lyons
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
Publication date: 1st May 2019

My Review

I was really looking forward to reading this book especially readings all the great reviews however whilst it's not the worst book I have read, it's certainly not the best.

The story started off brilliantly when we were introduced to Abi, the paramedic racing to the scene of a terror attack in London.  This was just up my street and I settled down to get stuck in then I don't know the book just seemed to go a bit flat.


Abi's daughter Rose, is a student in nearby Bristol and when Abi is unable to contact her the panic rises as she attempts to track her down.  There is a brief chapter that lets you know that all is not as it seems in Rose's world and she maybe in trouble.  Apart from that we have no idea if she is safe or not until the end of the book. Abi heads to Bristol but doesn't head straight to Rose's flat.  She is side tracked and ends up bumping into her ex-lover and what would turn out to be Abi's estranged father.

The relationship triangle was a little far fetched for me and I couldn't help thinking to myself, that would never happen.  The chances would be off the scale.

I didn't find this a page turner but I did find the character of Abi quite intriguing.  She is a paramedic and therefore everyone assumes that she is a strong person but underneath the uniform she is full of self doubt and worry.  I can't say I overly liked and warmed to any of the characters in the book but it wasn't as bad as some of the worst reviews I've seen have made out.

The ending was a bit of a shock and I certainly didn't see it coming.  I would have liked to have known more about how the other characters lives had changed after the big revelation. Unfortunately I am left making up my own stories in my head for them and nothing was revealed.

I have rated this book 3 stars as it was an OK read but it could have been a little my pacier in places.  I would read more by Tara Lyons as there is definitely potential for the next big page turner.

The Day of the Accident by Nuala Ellwood

Synopsis

Sixty seconds after she wakes from a coma, Maggie's world is torn apart.

The police tell her that her daughter Elspeth is dead.  That she drowned when the car Maggie had been driving plunged into the river.  Maggie remembers nothing...

When Maggie begs to see her husband Sean, the police tell her that he has disappeared.  He was last seen on the day of her daughter's funeral.

What really happened that day of the river?
Where is Maggie's husband?
And why can't she shake the suspicion that somewhere, somehow...

her daughter is still alive?

Author: Nuala Ellwood
Publisher: Penguin Books Uk
Publication date: 21st February 2019


My Review

Having read Nuala's previous novel, My Sister's Bones I was really looking forward to reading, The Day of the accident. I so wasn't disappointed.  Wow, this was a gripping page turner of a read and I read it in two sittings. I loved, loved, loved it.
The book starts as Margaret Allen Rose (Maggie) is standing in the courtroom potentially being charged with manslaughter.

From there we flip to Lewes hospital where we are confronted with Maggie waking up after the accident.  An accident that has taken the life of her daughter Elspeth and her husband, Sean has disappeared without a trace.

Maggie has nothing left in the world.  Not even her home and belongings. The house has been leased to another tenant and her all of her worldly possessions destroyed.  Finding herself alone in a temporary bed and breakfast provided to her by social services she somehow has to try to re-build her shattered life whilst trying to discover the truth of the accident.

This book is interlaced with letters from an unknown ten year old girl to a mother who has abandoned her to the care system for reason that she cannot understand.  These are totally heartbreaking to read.

A carer called Sophie befriends her and when she meets the new tenant of her one time family home Dr Julia Mathers, she is slowly building up a support network.

Maggie is convinced that Elspeth is not dead,  She is a mother.  She would know instinctively if she was no longer alive.  But, Maggie is struggling to remember the details of the accident.  She doesn't even know why she would be at the place at that time of night.  Then, snippets of memory start to come back but none of it makes any sense.

I loved the character of Maggie.  I was instantly drawn to her,  She has led a traumatic life and from a young age she had been a troubled.  It's clear that despite her misgivings she has been a mother that cared.  A mother that wanted her the best for her beloved daughter and would never knowingly put her daughter at risk.

Nothing is quite as it seems in this book and it is full of twists and turns.  One minute I am hoping that Maggie is innocent and the next I am doubting her stability whilst desperately hoping that I am wrong.  I could write all day about this book. It is one that has crawled under my skin and I would definitely say this is one of my favourite books of the year so far.

An offer you can't refuse by Jill Mansell

Synopsis

Ten years ago Lola Malone was offered £10,000, and what seventeen-year-old wouldn't be happy with that.

But there was a catch,  The person doing the offering was her boyfriend Dougie's mother, and it was on condition that Lola broke up with her beloved son.  Lola was outraged.  Nothing - nothing!  could tear her and Dougie apart.  Until she discovered a terrible secret, and suddenly she has no choice but to take the money and run.

Now a twist of fate has brought Lola and Dougie together again, and her feelings for him are as strong as ever. But she broke Dougie's heart - and he's about to discover that she was paid to do it.  She can never tell him the truth, so can she get him back? Well, Lola likes to think she's irresistible.  But even she's got her work cut out this time...

Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher: Headline Publishing
Publication Date: 2008

My Review

I have been hearing good things about Jill Mansell books and have been planning to read one for quite some time. Finally I've done it and I have to say I loved it.  Jill's books are definitely going onto my author hit list and I will be sure to be buying lots more.  This book was published in 2008 so it's a fair few years old but well worth a read.

I loved he character of Lola.  She's a young lady that always tries to do the right thing although sadly things don't always work out as she's plans. The one thing I really loved about her was her loyalty and her truthfulness.  I truly wish I had a friend in my life just like Lola.

Family and friendship is a big part in Lola's life and this is a theme all the way through the book.  I love the characters of Sally and Gabe and their developing friendship.  They are total opposites and when Sally moves into Gabes flat as he travels to Australia, his worst nightmare comes true when he finds Australia isn't what he planned .  He plans to move back into once upon a time neat and tidy flat but devilishly untidy Sally digs in her heels and refuses to budge.  This begins the start of a messy friendship.

There are lots of relationships developing all the way through this book and it had a nice heart warm feel to it.  I must admit I did secretly hope that Lola and Gabe would pair up as there was a one point what felt to me to be a bit of secret admiration between them but in the end they turned out to be just great mates.  These are possibly the best types of relationships to have.

All the way through this book I was rooting for happy endings for each of the characters and I wasn't left disappointed.  This is a book to curl up on the sofa with alongside a nice cold glass of wine and a big bar of chocolate. I loved it.

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Synopsis

When your past comes calling, it's time to disappear...

Pilgrim is the code name for a man who doesn't exist.  The adopted son of a wealthy american family, he once header up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence.  Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation.

But that book will come back to haunt him.  It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down.  And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman is found face down in a bath of acid.

Her features erased, her teeth missing, her fingerprints gone.  The perfect crime, it;s a textbook murder - and Pilgrim wrote the book.

What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race against time to save America from oblivion.

Author: Terry Hayes
Publisher: Bantam Press
Publication date: October 2013

My Review

To be honest I like to write my reviews straight after reading the book whilst it's all still fresh in my mind however I completed this book over a week ago and to be honest I am still not sure if I enjoyed it or not. It's one of those books that I loved in places and wanted to give up on in others.  I don't discard a book easily and I plodded on through.

It's not my usual type of read however I am trying to broaden my genres and decided to give it a go. I had read really good reviews on this and decided why not.  The book is over 600 pages in length and I did find it really tough going at times.  There were points especially half way through when I seriously considered putting it aside but I pushed on with it and made it to he end. Honestly, I do think this book could have been cut down in length and it really would have sped the story up a little bit.

There were points in the book that really gripped me.  I really loved the building up and the getting to know the character Saracen.  His father was murdered and now he's out for his revenge.  He is a sinister, cunning and very clever man that will stop at nothing to try and destroy America and change the world that we live in forever.  These chapters I was gripped by and the pages flew by.

There were a lot of moments in the book where nothing much seemed to happen to keep my interest and I was tempted to flip through a few chapters to get back to the good stuff.

I really enjoyed it when Ben, tracked down the Pilgrim.  Pilgrim had gone to ground after writing a book on how to commit the perfect murder and he wanted to try and have a normal life but that was never going to happen.  Finding out Ben's back story was quite heart breaking at times and added a little warmth to what other wise could have been a very cold book.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Well, I think I did.  Would I read the sequel? Probably not.

The Butcher's Daughter by Jane E. James

Synopsis

Trust no one.  Not even yourself.

When Natalie Powers returns home for the first time in thirteen years, she must convince everyone hat she has fully recovered from the mental illness, which has seen her institutionalised for most of her young life.

But instead of being welcomed back, Natalie enters a baffling world of deception.  She must fight her way through the lies in order to discover the truth about her mother's sudden disappearance sixteen years earlier.  To do this, Natalie must also try to make sense of the hazy memories from the past that continue to haunt her.

In the village of Little Downey, everybody appears to harbour a mysterious secret, including her father, Frank, the village butcher, who refuses to discuss the circumstances surrounding Natalie's mother's disappearance, but who can Natalie trust if not her own father? Especially when it becomes clear her protector and confidante, Dr Moses, is not all he appears.

Meanwhile a spate of unexplained clifftop suicides has seen the seaside resort go into decline. Are the villagers somehow involved or is it something more sinister at work?

Determined to find out what happened to her mother, Natalie must make sure her own frailty and self-doubt does not catapult her back to the mental institution before she can uncover the truth...

My Review

I hate saying this but this book wasn't for me.  I've read some reviews that raved about the book and it sounded right up my street, a good psychological  thriller with lots of blood and gore but sadly I just didn't connect with the characters.

The ending was very good and neatly tied everything up together and there is no getting away from the fact that there were some really shocking and gruesome moments in the book that made my cringe but for me there was just something missing,

Natalie clearly has issues as does every character in the book.  Her mother's death had obviously taken it's toll and clearly it has been something that she has never gotten over.  The village of Little Downey is a sinister place and one that I hope I never have the pleasure of visiting and it's really made me wonder about what really goes on in butchers shops.

I would put this in the horror category as there is plenty of blood and lots of gory scenes.  The reference to the red silk dress of her mothers is something that I could definitely see in a movie and would make a scary, hide behind the cushion moment.

There were a lot of moments in the book that I really did enjoy reading, the complex relationship with Daniel, Natalie's father's employee and Natalie's one time best friend and moving on from there her new found friendship with the Irish gypsy Jed and his slightly wild sister Merry. Despite me not loving the book, I certainly didn't hate it and I do think that elements of the book will stay with me for some weeks to come.

Keep you by my side by Callie Langridge

Synopsis

The past is a dry and dusty place.  Life is too short to look back and regret what we can't change.

At sixteen, Abi is convinced she knows everything about her family.  Her mum, Rose, is strict because she mistakenly believes she can turn Abi into the perfect daughter.  Abi's nan, Gertie, couldn't care less about her granddaughter's messy hair and love of art rather then arithmetic and is always there with a positive word, a glass of lemonade and a hug.

When Abi's family is forced to relocate from London to nan's cottage perched high on a cliff in Dorset, Abi becomes an isolated misfit.  She finds escape from the school bullies in a new and thrilling friendship with a local girl.  But with three generations under one roof, long-kept secrets made in love begin to unravel: Gertie's past in WWII Blitz-torn London and the fallout of her friendship with a young Canadian serviceman; Rose's final holiday with her parents in Dorset in 1963 and an all-consuming romance just weeks before she heads off to university in Edinburgh.

Devastating revelations shake Abi to the core.  Everything she believes about her life and family are turned on it's head.  She is forced to make the hardest decisions to save everyone she loves but not without sacrifice and making painful secrets of her own.

As the past and present lives of he three women unfold from the 1940's to the 1980's we see how
far people will go to protect the people they love.

Author: Callie Langridge
Publisher: Bombshell Books
Publication Date: October 2018

My Review

This was a lovely heart warming read.  The first few chapters were OK and my initial thoughts were this is going to be a nice book but then you really start to get sucked into the characters worlds.                                                                                                                                                                   
The story spans 3 generations of a family and it's almost written like three individual stories that somehow manage to intertwine before, at the end, the whole story is knitted together.  The landscape for each period in time in nicely portrayed without being to heavy.                                                                                                                                                                         
First off we meet Gertie in 1945.  She faces the harsh life of war torn Britain.  The scenes in this era of the book are very vividly written and you can imagine the horrors of living through the bombings and the loss that ensues.

Next we jump to Abi in 1986.  Her family are facing hard times so when they have to pack up their life and move to her Nan's Cliff top cottage in the middle of nowhere Abi finds the going tough.  She is faced with having to start a new school and stand up to the local bullies but soon finds her new best friend Penny.  I love the image I drew up when the two girls were huddled in the bedroom playing recordings of Top of the Pops.  It was a throw back to my own teenage years.

A little further into the book and we meet Rose in 1963.  She's on holiday with her parents and is bracing herself for a big step in her life where she plans to head to Edinburgh to study as a Doctor but things don't turn out as expected.

All families have secrets and lies and this family is not on it's own but it's what you do with the secrets that can make or break a family.

The first half of the book is very gentle where we build up the characters and really get to know them but then the pace quickly increases and things take a turn for the worst for each of the generations.  Each character has their own secret which is eventually revealed.  There are some heartbreaking moments in the book and at times I really wanted to shout at the characters, Abi in particular, not to do it. But then we wouldn't have the story that I really enjoyed.

This is a book to snuggle up with on a rainy afternoon with a large plate of biscuits and never ending cups of coffee and devour from start to finish. As you can tell I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more from this author.