BOOK REVIEW THE DISAPPEARING ACT BY CATHERINE STEADMAN

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A woman has gone missing
But did she ever really exist?
 
Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her.
 
Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.
 
In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk to find out?
  

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

I whizzed through this eager to know the truth.It draws you in and is captivating.

Twists and turns aplenty with big revelations at play.

The world of showbiz is a different world but even more so in la and this story showcases that more than anything.

This gets under your skin, compelling and thought provoking.

Fantastic plot and pacing and a brilliant book to escape with.

Published 24th June

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BOOK REVIEW THE CHILD IN MY HOUSE BY LUCY LAWRIE

What if keeping her safe means losing her forever?

Juliet only wanted to see her childhood home one more time – to look at it from the street. She never intended to meet the new owners, let alone inveigle herself into a position as their new live-in nanny. But it’s too late now to tell the truth about who she really is.

Six-year-old Kitty has progressive mutism and cannot speak. Nobody knows why she keeps making silent phone calls to the police. Juliet makes it her mission to find out.

As Juliet settles into the house, nostalgia for her childhood gives way to uneasiness, as troubling memories surface. She begins to realise that her new employers have a connection to her own past, and family secrets she has tried hard to forget. And she is horrified to learn that they have a secret too – one which could blow their world apart.

Juliet faces an impossible choice. Keeping Kitty safe will cost more than she could ever have imagined.

Firstly a huge thank you to Lucy for personally reaching out to me to send a beautiful package with her new book.

I read a large chunk of this on my way home from dropping my daughter at university so it was just what I needed.

This is a fantastic read which is jam-packed with twists and turns .You think the story is heading one way to be taken another.

Chilling in places and completely unpredictable. Cleverly written and paced. Gripping and intriguing from the very start. .

This shows the clear relationship between our childhood and who we become as a adult . Not only is this a portrayl of Juliet with herstruggles and identity ,but also of Kitty.

A complex tale of secrets, lies ,families,tragedy and love.

Highly recommend and published 5th October

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BOOK REVIEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE BY GAVANNDRA HODGE

Her father was a hairdresser to the rich and famous – he was also their drug dealer.

Her mother was an alcoholic fashion model.

Her days and nights were non-stop parties – she spent them taking care of her little sister and putting out naked flames.

And when her sister dies aged nine, Gavanndra is left alone with her grief. Growing up in the dazzling days and dark nights of her parents’ social lives, surviving means fitting into their dysfunctional world, while stopping the family from falling apart . . .
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Firstly a big thank you to mj books for my copy to review. I am very slowly writing mine so this genre of books always inspire me.

I raced through this hooked from the start.

Powerful, emotive and so raw.

I can relate to many things both in her childhood and as the woman she is today .

Really interesting and thought provoking. Highly recommend.

Published 8th July

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BOOK REVIEW THE SECRET KEEPER’S DAUGHTER BY SAMANTHA KING

Seven notes. Seven days. One family secret.

Holly Mayhew has the perfect family set-up. But when her seven-year-old daughter, Marley, begins to act strangely, refusing to speak and rushing off to hide in her room, she knows something isn’t right.

Desperate to understand why Marley has become so withdrawn, Holly creates a worry box, where Marley posts her thoughts each day.

At first, the messages seem innocent. But as the worry box fills up, Marley’s notes threaten everything Holly thought she knew about her daughter.

What is Marley not telling her, and why is she so scared?

Once the truth is out… there’s no going back.

Would you keep a secret to protect the family you love? Discover family secrets, little white lies, and buried pasts in this utterly gripping and emotional page-turner! 

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

I raced through this eager to know the truth !

Thought provoking and moral questioning this is a fascinating read that has the reader hooked from start to finish . Who can be trusted and what’s got Marley so scared?

A insightful view of the family dynamics and how this flows from childhood to the adult years.

A dark and at times chilling book about the complexities of family.

Published 10th September

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BOOK REVIEW THREE’S A CROWD BY SIMON BOOKER

What happens when an estranged father and son unwittingly fall in love with the same woman?

Out-of-work actor Harriet is recuperating from a crash-and-burn affair with Damian – aka ‘Cockweasel’ – and making ends meet as a barista when she meets two rather lovely men. Tom is a regular at the café, and seems like such a nice guy. Smooth-talking DJ Richard is older, but in great shape – a real silver fox.
 
Deciding to take a chance on both of them, Harriet doesn’t realise at first that she is actually dating father and son. Tom and Richard aren’t on speaking terms, and don’t share a last name – so how was she to know? By the time everyone finds out, both Tom and Richard are truly madly deeply in love with Harriet, and she’s faced with an impossible choice.
 
But as the battle for her affections intensifies, ‘Cockweasel’ makes an unexpected reappearance and begs her to give him another chance…

Firstly a big thank you to the team at books and the city for my copy to review on netgalley. Also apologies in the delay, I’m dedicating this week to catching up on my netgalley tbr!

I raced through this today and it was a great fun read. A fresh original concept with many bumps along the way.

Great characters and there were real lol moments for me especially with Harriets nan .

The story is told through 4 narratives but largely 3 and this gives each unique character their voice and outlook on the situation.

It’s witty, funny ,modern and a joy to read .

Published 24th August and I highly recommend

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BOOK REVIEW THE EVIDENCE BY K.L. SLATER

I can see her through the glass door. She’s smaller in real life than I expected. She looks the exact opposite of the type of woman that might murder her husband.

Everyone’s heard of Simone Fischer. The young mother accused of killing her husband in cold blood, one sunny afternoon, while their son played in the room next door.

So when journalist Esme secures an exclusive interview with her it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. Simone has remained silent since her husband’s death but after a decade in prison, she is willing to talk to Esme. And Esme, recently freed from her own toxic marriage, is confident she can get Simone to open up.

At their first meeting, when Esme sees Simone sitting across the table from her in jeans and a lemon tunic top, she is stuck by her ordinariness. Then Simone begins to tell her story of an abusive relationship where she was a prisoner in her own home, and Esme decides that the truth needs to come out.

But not everyone is pleased that Esme is telling Simone’s story. And when Esme’s beloved sister is left for dead in a nearby wood, Esme’s life begins to unravel. Forced to question what Simone has told her, she can’t help but wonder if murder was the only way out of Simone’s marriage. Why has it taken Simone so long to tell the world the truth? And will the consequences be devastating for Esme?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I’ve read a few of her books and wow she is a phenomenal author. The evidence is no exception to this fact !

I raced through this today needing something gritty to get my teeth into. It’s fast paced and completely addictive.

Who can be trusted and is the truth going to be a bitter pill to swallow. Thought provoking and quite close to home for me in some parts.

A real mix of characters…some not so nice id say.

Excellent plot which is unpredictable and exciting to the very last page.

Published 1st July

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BOOK REVIEW THE UNWELCOME GUEST BY AMANDA ROBSON

Saffron vowed to love Miles no matter what life threw at them both. But when her mother-in-law moves into their happy family home, Saffron’s shiny life begins to tarnish.
 
Even as Caprice’s barbed comments turn to something more sinister, Saffron hopes the new nanny’s arrival will shield her from the worst of it. She’s starting to feel paranoid in her own home.
 
Little does she realise that Caprice longs for a new daughter-in-law – and she’ll do anything to make that happen…

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I have enjoyed her previous books so was looking forward to reading.

I loved this! Raced through it . This is an addictive and compelling book.

You go on a real rollercoaster of a journey with these characters . They are all pretty outrageous with their morals and toxic behaviours.

Completely unpredictable and cleverly written.

You think you know where its going for there to be a swift diverson.

Absolutely brilliant and loved it.

Published 19th August

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BOOK REVIEW MY BROTHER THE KILLER BY ALIX SHARKEY

At 8.00am on Monday 18th June 2001, Danielle Jones left home dressed in her school uniform – and promptly vanished.

The 15-year old’s body was never recovered, but Danielle’s parents soon learned that her ‘Uncle Stuart’, a close family friend, had concealed a decades-long history of sexual violence against teenage girls. Despite the absence of a body, Stuart Campbell was sentenced to life in prison for Danielle’s abduction and murder. But what set him on his path as a violent sexual predator? And how do you come to terms with his actions if he’s your own flesh and blood?

In My Brother the Killer, Stuart’s older brother Alix Sharkey chronicles the violent childhood and troubled teens that helped shape a bright and handsome little boy into one of Britain’s most notorious killers, and led to one of the UK’s most unusual murder trials. Sharkey also poses several terrifying questions: what happens when you discover a deadly sexual predator in your family? Is it possible to trace the root of his heinous crimes? And with the clock ticking towards his possible parole, can Stuart Campbell be convinced to reveal the location of Danielle’s remains?

A devastating hybrid of true crime and family memoir, My Brother the Killer examines the true cost of keeping dark family secrets.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

I’m a big true crime fan and this mixed with a memoir was a fascinating harrowing yet insightful read .

Written with a mixture of diary entries , personal memories from their childhood and newspaper/Court details.

Incredibly thought provoking and a great read.

Published 22nd July

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BOOK REVIEW TRICK OR TREAT BY KATERINA DIAMOND

When six-year-old Marcus is taken from outside his house on Halloween it shakes his quiet neighbourhood to the core.

Everyone was ready for a night of trick-or-treating. Now the unthinkable has happened.

TRUTH OR LIES?

As Detective Imogen Grey arrives to question Marcus’s parents, they tell her there has been a mistake. Their son is just fine.

But if that’s true, where is Marcus?

INNOCENT OR GUILTY?

Imogen becomes locked in a race against time to find the missing child and uncover the truth. Can she discover what’s happened to Marcus before it’s too late?

Firstly a big thank you to the team at Avon for my copy to review on netgalley. I absolutely love Katerinas books so was delighted to be reading.

It’d been a busy time recently so this afternoon I sat and devoured this and I was not disappointed.

Fantastic plot and twisty as ever . Compelling and unpredictable.

Fast paced and a exciting exhilarating thriller .

Great to be back with these characters and to see them each stripped back to see their vulnerabilities and love for each other. Its thought provoking and deals with sensitive topics.

Highly recommend if you like your thrillers to grab you from the go!!

Published 14th October

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BOOK REVIEW THE ANNIVERSARY BY LAURA MARSHALL

Eleven murders. Twenty-five years ago.
Are some truths better left buried?

On 15th June 1994, Travis Green – husband, father, upstanding citizen – walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The final victim was four-year-old Cassie Colman’s father.

As the twenty-five year anniversary approaches, Cassie would rather forget the past – even as her mother struggles to remember it at all. Then something hidden in her mother’s possessions suggests those eleven murders were not what everyone believes.

Once Cassie suspects she’s been lied to about the most important event of her life, she can’t stop digging up the past.

But someone will do anything to keep it buried .

Wow what a read ! I’ve loved her previous books so was excited to read this .

This has all the ingredients needed for a twisty psychological thriller.

How do you ever get over something so traumatic and life changing? And what do you do when a big anniversary of the event is getting nearer??

Who can Cassie trust ? Plus navigating her way as a new single mum and caring for her own mum life certainly feels full on .

Secrets,lies and the past are all in danger of being exposed but who is telling the truth.

A fantastic, exciting, dark and twisty read. Highly recommend if you love addictive unsettling books that leave you wanting more.

Published 5th August

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