BOOK REVIEW HERE TO STAY BY MARK EDWARDS

A beautiful home. A loving wife. And in-laws to die for.

Gemma Robinson comes into Elliot’s life like a whirlwind, and they marry and settle into his home. When she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks, he is keen to oblige – he just doesn’t quite know what he’s signing up for.

The Robinsons arrive with Gemma’s sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot starts to suspect that the Robinsons are hiding a dark secret. And then there are the scars on his wife’s body that she won’t talk about . . .

As Elliot’s in-laws become more comfortable in his home, encroaching on all aspects of his life, it becomes clear that they have no intention of moving out. To protect Gemma, and their marriage, Elliot delves into the Robinsons’ past. But is he prepared for the truth?

From the two million copy bestselling author comes a tale about the chilling consequences of welcoming strangers into your home.

This weekend was the birth of capital crime and i had pleasure of meeting Mark. Hes a very funny guy and couldnt believe id not read any of his books! And where better to start than his latest.

I read it over the last 2 nights..and now need to get his backlist.

What a writer! Wow.

We have all encountered or know someone who has, difficult in laws. Well this examines the dynamics of this relationship and what happens when they come to visit and get rather comfortable.

I was hooked straight away. Mark captures the little things that can become big annoyances when living with someone.

You find yourself asking what would you do in that situation?

Fantastic book , highy recommend if you love a gripping read thats captivating and twisty.

BOOK REVIEW THE GLITTERING HOUR BY IONA GREY

1925. The war is over and a new generation is coming of age, keen to put the trauma of the previous one behind them.

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing whose life is dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure; to parties and drinking and staying just the right side of scandal. Lawrence Weston is a struggling artist, desperate to escape the poverty of his upbringing and make something of himself. When their worlds collide one summer night, neither can resist the thrill of the forbidden, the lure of a love affair that they know cannot possibly last.

But there is a dark side to pleasure and a price to be paid for breaking the rules. By the end of that summer everything has changed.

A decade later, nine year old Alice is staying at Blackwood Hall with her distant grandparents, piecing together clues from her mother’s letters to discover the secrets of the past, the truth about the present, and hope for the future.

I have finally got round to reading this beauty. Ionas debut was a amazing book which really got the tears flowing.

I had the pleasure of meeting iona rerecently and she was lovely !

The glittering hour is a masterpiece of writing. Beautifully descriptive and atmospheric. Transports the reader back in time when the world really was different .

Magical, mysterious and romantic .

Absolutely loved it and if you do judge a book by its cover you wont be dissapointed . Look its stunning!

I look forward to whatever creation comes next from this fantastic storyteller .

BOOK REVIEW DEGREES OF GUILT BY HS CHANDLER

When you read this book, you will think you know every twist in the tale.

Maria is on trial for attempted murder.

She has confessed to the crime and wanted her husband dead.

Lottie is on the jury, trying to decide her fate.

She embarks on an illicit affair with a stranger, and her husband can never find out.

You will think you know who is guilty and who is innocent.

You will be wrong.

I finally got a copy of this . I have read all of her perfect series written as Helen Fields ..one of my favourite Avon authors. I was intrigued to read her debut under this nameThis book is incredible! Written expertly about coercive control and what happens when things get out of handWritten in alternate narratives this builds the layers of the truth of what happened that day. But we kmow shes guilty… right?Set primarily in the courtroom we ger to see both the jurors and the accused perspectives. Fascinating insight and detail and from someone whos been in Marias shoes i could relate very well to her frustations .Highly recommend. Addictive and quite sexy in some parts. This is a thought provoking and clever book as you have to question yourself at times.

BOOK REVIEW THE WAYWARD GIRLS BY AMANDA MASON

The girls heard it first, the knocking inside the walls . . .

THEN

1976. Loo and her sister Bee live in a run-down cottage in the middle of nowhere, with their artistic parents and wild siblings. Their mother, Cathy, had hoped to escape to a simpler life; instead the family find themselves isolated and shunned by their neighbours. At the height of the stifling summer, unexplained noises and occurences in the house begin to disturb the family, until they intrude on every waking moment . . .

NOW

Loo, now Lucy, is called back to her childhood home. A group of strangers are looking to discover the truth about the house and the people who lived there. But is Lucy ready to confront what really happened all those years ago?

Firstly thank you to zaffre for my copy to review. I had seen a lot of buzz and excitement over this book.

A fantastic debut and admittly not my chosen genre but the joys of being a book blogger is the opportunities to try new authors.

Excellently written in a dual timeline narrative. Incredibly spooky and atmostpheric. Amanda has really set the scene for this story. You could feel the dry heat of that long sunmer 1976

Intriguing and chilling.

Examines troubled dynamics within a family.

A compelling read and look forward to reading more from this suthor.

Published 5th September

BLOG TOUR ELEVATOR PITCH BY LINWOOD BARCLAY

It all begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds, and then plummets.

Right to the bottom of the shaft.

It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world – and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment – is plunged into chaos.

Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men and women working in offices across the city refuse leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered.

Who is behind this? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers . . .

Pulsating with tension, Elevator Pitch is a riveting tale of psychological suspense that is all too plausible . . . and will chill readers to the bone.

Firstly thank you to the team at hq for my copy to review which is my first linwood book to read. It wont be the last!

Wasnt sure what to expect but i had heard a lot of praise.

I absolutely loved it!

Slightly scared of elevators now.

Gripping ,thrilling heart racing read.

Unpredictable and addictive i couldnt get enough . Highly recommend this exciting yet terrifying book.

Published 5th September and already selling fast!

Do check out the other blogs taking part in the tour .

BOOK REVIEW HALF A WORLD AWAY BY MIKE GAYLE

Strangers living worlds apart.
Strangers with nothing in common.

But it wasn’t always that way…

Kerry Hayes is a single mum, living on a tough south London estate. She provides for her son by cleaning houses she could never hope to afford. Taken into care as a child, Kerry cannot ever forget her past.

Noah Martineau is a successful barrister with a beautiful wife, daughter and home in fashionable Primrose Hill. Adopted as a child, Noah always looks forward, never back.

When Kerry reaches out to the sibling she lost on the day they were torn apart as children, she sets in motion a chain of events that will have life-changing consequences for them both.

I had the pleasure of attending a local library event of Mike’s this year and not only does he not look a day over 25 he is a interesting smily man to listen to. Ive not read all of his books but i loved his last book the man i think i know which did extremely well in the chart and becamae a Richatd and judy book club choice . I had heard lots of praise for his latest book so was delighted to fnd a signed copy whilst waterstones shopping .

Upon reading the blurb i thought oh this is going to strike a chord with me. Well i wasnt wrong… word of warning get tissues when reading this . Despite being a cry baby there are not many books that actually invokes tears .. well this goes into the list .

There were times it felt like I could have been reading my own autobiography. I have so much in common with Kerry , who grew up in care and now a single mum.

This is a beautiful story of family ,friendship ,love and loss.

I resonated so much with both kerry and noah in different ways and Mike has captured so much emotion. He has explored the impact reuniting has on each of them and their families.

Thank you for writing so sensitively and beautifully.

I urge you to read but yes be prepared to cry.

BOOK REVIEW LIES LIES LIES BY ADELE PARKS

Daisy and Simon’s marriage is great, isn’t it?

After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. A happy little family of three.

And so what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes – Daisy’s used to it, she knows he’s letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And that happy little family of three will never be the same again.

In Lies Lies Lies Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks explores the darkest corners of a relationship in freefall in a mesmerising tale of marriage and secrets.

Well we all know or should know how much i love Adele Parks..ive been reading her books years before i was a book blogger . I think its safe to say she gets better and better.I preordered this one and read it where and when i could today. Its soo good!Such a clever writer.Twists and turns.You think your on one charactars side then the script changes and you question everything.This really explored the effects of alcholism on the family as a whole.It aso deals with some other hard hitting issues…say no more as spoilers.I was hooked and spellbound in these charactars lives and how it was going to end.A fantastic addictive read as always from Adele . She takes the everyday domestic set up and plays with it in way that makes us question our morals . Thought provoking and unpredictable ..do not start unless you have time to indulge it!Im yet to meet her but im sure ill fangirl when i do !

BOOK REVIEW WHEN I LOST YOU BY MERILYN DAVIES

When a young couple are the lead suspects for the murder of their only child, Crime Analyst Carla Brown and DS Nell Jackson are assigned to investigate.

The evidence seems conclusive, but something just doesn’t feel right.

The case is quickly cast into doubt when the lead forensic pathologist starts receiving threatening letters – containing details only the police should know.

Who’s sending them? What do they want? And how did they get hold of the information?

As Carla and Nell dig deeper, it soon becomes clear that this case isn’t the first of its kind.

They must stop at nothing to find the truth – even if it hits close to home.
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Been seeing this all over my twitter. Was excited to read amd it sidnt disappoint . I loved it and had to contact the author immediately with my thoughts…joys of twitter !

Thrilling and unpredictable

I feel she captured the essence of the struggles of certain situations and illnesses im familar to.

Twisty and dark and msde you question everyone. Who can you trust?

Compelling and chilling this was a excellent book.

Also the cover really sets the tone of whats to come!

I look forward to reading more from Merilyn .

BOOK REVIEW THE HOLIDAY BY TM LOGAN

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Provence.

But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends.

One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined.

Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

I love this authors books and it been great seeing it all over shops and social media.

I finally got a copy and read this weekend..though did make me reminisce of my summer holiday….

This was a twisty read that kept you guessing. Addictive and compelling. Charactars you can relate to especially as a parent and a woman.

Fast paced and unpredictable.

It made me question myself …what would i have done? Which shows its thought provoking.

This is a writer who cleverly layers the plot with tension and suspicion.

Fantastic book and was chosen to be a Richard and Judy summer read.

BOOK REVIEW THE GIVER OF STARS BY JOJO MOYES

‘Alice had come halfway across the world to find that, yet again, she was considered wanting. Well, she thought, if that was what everyone thought, she might as well live up to it.’

England, late 1930s, and Alice Wright – restless, stifled – makes an impulsive decision to marry wealthy American Bennett van Cleve and leave her home and family behind.

But stuffy, disapproving Baileyville, Kentucky, where her husband favours work over his wife, and is dominated by his overbearing father, is not the adventure – or the escape – that she hoped for.

That is, until she meets Margery O’Hare – daughter of a notorious felon and a troublesome woman the town wishes to forget.

Margery’s on a mission to spread the wonder of books and reading to the poor and lost – and she needs Alice’s help.

Trekking alone under big open skies, through wild mountain forests, Alice, Margery and their fellow sisters of the trail discover freedom, friendship – and a life to call their own.

But when Baileyville turns against them, will their belief in one another – and the power of the written word – be enough to save them?

Firstly i am a huge huge fan and me before you is one of my favourite books . So i jumped at chance to be in the same room as her . I attended Damian Barr’s lit salon and it was a treat! As part of the ticket we each got exclusive copies ,which i got signed and completly fangirled. Readers she is a vision as well as a phenomenal writer.

Anyway on to the review…

When i first read the blurb ill be honest i was sceptical but it exceeded my expectations. This is a book about friendships,women ,hardtimes and the power of books.

Packed with history ,i felt i learnt a lot of that era and area that had i not read this i wouldnt. Even in 2019 books are expanding minds with knowledge.

Life was tough back then and its pretty tough now and this story shows the magic of words and books.

Fantastic charactars who get right under your skin that you can hear their accents. I was transported to Kentucky as jojo has a way of describing the scene perfectly.

I absolutely loved the giver of stars and highly reccomend .

Published 3rd October.