BOOK REVIEW THE COUPLE AT NO 9 BY CLAIRE DOUGLAS

When pregnant Saffron Cutler and her boyfriend Tom move into 9 Skelton Place, they didn’t expect to find this.

Two bodies, buried under the patio over thirty years ago.

When the police launch a murder investigation, they ask to speak to the cottage’s former owner – Saffy’s grandmother, Rose, whose Alzheimer’s clouds her memory.

But it is clear she remembers something . . .

What happened thirty years ago?
What part did her grandmother play?
And is Saffy now in danger? . . .
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Firstly a big thank you to Ella at penguin for my copy to review . I have loved her previous books so was thrilled to review this.

I binged this In the early hours of the morning from cover to cover! It’s compelling and captivating .

Just wow this blew me away!

Claires words weave a mystery to solve and her writing reels you in to finish the story.

Unpredictable and chilling .

Thought provoking as the lies are exposed . Cleverly written and a fantastically gripping read.

Published 30th September

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BOOK REVIEW THE NEW HOME BY CHRIS MERRITT

The best thing about Freya’s new home is her beautiful neighbour, Emily. Finally, someone to laugh with over wine.

But when Freya goes round for dinner, everything Emily’s husband, Michael, says seems to make her shrink. Freya is sure something’s wrong.

Then Emily goes missing.

Freya is certain Michael knows more than he’s saying. But no one will listen. Even Freya’s own fiancé wants her to move on. He says this was meant to be Freya’s fresh start, and now she’s getting obsessed, risking everything again.

But then Freya finds a photograph in the attic, that makes her wonder if it was really chance that led to her new home.

Is Freya’s fiancé lying to her? Are Michael and Emily who they say they are? She knows she must find Emily. But the more she uncovers, the more Freya wonders is she losing her mind, or is she in terrible danger?

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

I absolutely loved this !

Chilling, gripping and packed with suspense.

Raced through this to find out the truth. All is not as it seems and who can be trusted??

Unpredictable ,dark and thrilling.

Published 2nd September and I’ll definitely be reading more from him.

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BOOK REVIEW THE FINAL CHILD BY FRAN DORRICOTT

He won’t forget her…

Erin and her brother Alex were the last children abducted by ‘the Father’, a serial killer who only ever took pairs of siblings. She escaped, but her brother was never seen again. Traumatised, Erin couldn’t remember anything about her ordeal, and the Father was never caught.

Eighteen years later, Erin has done her best to put the past behind her. But then she meets Harriet. Harriet’s young cousins were the Father’s first victims and, haunted by their deaths, she is writing a book about the disappearances and is desperate for an interview with the only survivor. At first, Erin wants nothing to do with her. But then she starts receiving sinister gifts, her house is broken into, and she can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. After all these years, Erin believed that the Father was gone, but now she begins to wonder if he was only waiting…

A tense and emotive thriller, The Final Child is a powerful tale of a survivor being forced to confront her painful past.

A big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley, I loved her debut so was excited to read this.

If it wasn’t for my body giving me a tired week I’d have inhaled this in one go …its that much of a fantastic read.

You’re hooked straight away with relatable and complex characters. The plot is fast and addictive with many twists and turns .

Chilling and thrilling with a unpredictable story . Haunting and thought provoking this gets under your skin.

I loved this and highly recommend if you are enjoy authors such as CJ Tudor and Fiona Cummins

Published 7th September

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BOOK REVIEW THE DISAPPEARING ACT BY CATHERINE STEADMAN

* 
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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