BOOK REVIEW QUEEN BEE BY NINA MANNING

In the quiet village of Helesbury, Miranda Wallace prides herself on being the most popular member of her small social circle; the perfect friend, the best mum – the queen bee.

Until one day, Verity arrives. Cool and indifferent, Verity is everything Miranda isn’t, but she threatens to shatter Miranda’s picture-perfect life.

Suddenly plagued with insecurities, Miranda is certain Verity is hiding something. And Miranda knows all about secrets and the damage they can cause, because she’s hiding some of her own.

So when Verity threatens to reveal the truth about Miranda and destroy the perfect life she’s built, Miranda knows she has to act to protect the people she loves – even if the results are deadly.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I devoured this is one go !

An addictive psychological thriller about friendship and all that entails . Jealousy, resentment and lies are prominent themes that are explored really well .

The reader knows something happens as there’s alternate police interviews , this means theres a sense of foreboding tension.

I really enjoyed this and highly recommend if you like your books with twists ,tension and addictive pages!

Published 26th January and do check out her other books too

BOOK REVIEW THE UNHEARD BY NICCI FRENCH

He did kill. Kill and kill and kill.’
 
Tess’s number one priority has always been her three-year-old daughter Poppy. But splitting up with Poppy’s father Jason means that she cannot always be there to keep her daughter safe.
 
When she finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter’s brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. Something that her young mind is struggling to put into words.
 
But no one will listen. It’s only a child’s drawing, isn’t it?
 
Tess will protect Poppy, whatever the price. But when she doesn’t know what, or who, she is protecting her from, how can she possibly know who to trust . . . ?  

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley and apologies in the delay.

I raced through this today , I was hooked. What a great book!

Fast paced ,gripping and unpredictable. This takes you on a real journey of revelations,secrets,and lies.

As a mum I know what it is like when you know something isn’t right with your child . What happens when no one believes you and youre portrayed as someone losing the plot?

As the search for the truth heightens the plot thickens and no one is who they say they are. Packed with suspense this will have you turning the pages at a fast rate desperate to get answers…

A clever,thought provoking thriller that weaves into your mind. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Published 16th September

BOOK REVIEW THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET BY DIANE CHAMBERLAIN

IN A SMALL TOWN, A RUMOUR CAN START A FIRE…

1965. A young white female student becomes involved in the fight for civil rights in North Carolina, falling in love with one of her fellow activists, a Black man, in a time and place where an interracial relationship must be hidden from family, friends and especially the reemerging Ku Klux Klan. As tensions rise in the town, she realises not everyone is who they appear to be.

2020. A recently widowed architect moves into the home she and her late husband designed, heartbroken that he will never cross the threshold. But when disturbing things begin to happen, it’s clear that someone is sending her a warning. Who is trying to frighten her away, and why?

Past and present are set to collide in the last house on the street . . .

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy. I’ve not read many of her books so was looking forward to reading this.

This is written in two timelines with two narratives . An emotive ,powerful story of love,loss,race and family.

Through Diane’s descriptive beautiful writing the reader is transported to another time and place.

Packed with history and a reminder of a time that once was and the views many people held.

A rich story which explores the lives of 2 women whom affected by grief and how this affects them and those close to them.

Published 20th January

BOOK REVIEW THE ECHO MAN BY SAM HOLLAND

An incredible new thriller from an exciting new talent!

The murders have begun…
Across England, a string of murders is taking place. Each different in method, but each horrifying and brutal.
 
But the killer is just getting started…
Jess Ambrose is plunged into the investigation when her house is set ablaze. With her husband dead and the police pointing at her, she runs. Her only hope is disgraced detective Nate Griffin, who is convinced Jess is innocent.
 
And he’s going to shock the world…
Soon, Jess and Griffin discover the unthinkable; this murderer is copying the world’s most notorious serial killers. And now, imitation isn’t enough. The killer dubbed The Echo Man is ready to create his own masterpiece, and it will be more terrifying than anything that has come before…

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley but also I was sent a copy over Christmas.

I loved this and can tell you now its going to be a huge 2022 debut.

This is everything you could want from a psychological thriller .

Fast paced ,gory and chilling

Addictive with characters you get quickly attached to.

Twisty and tense .

Completely unpredictable and disturbingly dark! . This had me utterly hooked straight away and predict big things for this book and I look forward to seeing what he writes next!

Published April 14th

BOOK REVIEW THE CURFEW BY TM LOGAN

The Holiday and The Catch.

I should have known something was wrong. I should have sensed it. Felt it in the air, like the build-up of pressure before a thunderstorm, that heavy, loaded calm.

The curfew
Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight.

Th e lie
When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever.

The truth?
Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything…

WHAT WOULD YOU DO

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley . I’m a huge fan of this author who just gets better and better.

Is your son telling the truth?

What happened that night? These are questions that are taunting Andy . As a mum to teenagers I understand and relate the worries and fears.

A close up examination of domestic life and what happens when something falls out of place.

Fantastically gripping and addictive as we race to find the truth. Fast paced and has you hooked from the first page .

Published 17th March

BOOK REVIEW THE HAVEN BY AMANDA JENNINGS

It was meant to be paradise…

Winterfall Farm, spectacular and remote, stands over Bodmin Moor. Wanting an escape from the constraints of conventional life, Kit and Tara move to the isolated smallholding with their daughter, Skye, and a group of friends. Living off-grid and working the land, they soon begin to enjoy the fruits of their labour amid the breathtaking beauty and freedom of the moor.

At first this new way of life seems too good to be true, but when their charismatic leader, Jeremy, returns from a mysterious trip to the city with Dani, a young runaway, fractures begin to appear. As winter approaches, and with it cold weather and dark nights, Jeremy’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic. Rules are imposed, the outside world is shunned, and when he brings a second girl back to the farm, tensions quickly reach breaking point with devastating consequences…

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I discovered Amanda many years ago with The Judas Scar which is actually being republished!! This is very exciting .

I finished this in one sitting cover to cover , I’ve not done that for a while!

This book is going to be huge! It’s so good . It’s addictive and reels you in with characters and a storyline you can connect with .

Families,lies,loss, love and betrayal are themes in this book. Amanda examines the complexities of family dynamics within many different settings .

What happens when power and greed go to someones head? Will they change and what will the consequences be?

What started as a dream and promise of a new way of living quickly turns into something far more like a nightmare.

Written in alternative narratives the reader gets a insight into different mindsets of the situation that’s unravelling.

Haunting, atmospheric and you can feel a foreboding senseof tension .

A fantastic book that’s excellently written . I highly recommend but be prepared to be reading into the early hours!

Published 17th March

BOOK REVIEW INTO THE DARK BY FIONA CUMMINS

THE PLACE: Seawings, a beautiful Art Deco home overlooking the sweep of the bay in Midtown-on-Sea.

THE CRIME: The gilded Holden family – Piper and Gray and their two teenage children, Riva and Artie – has vanished from the house without a trace.

THE DETECTIVE: DS Saul Anguish, brilliant but with a dark past, treads the narrow line between light and shade.

One late autumn morning, Piper’s best friend arrives at Seawings to discover an eerie scene – the kettle is still warm, all the family’s phones are charging on the worktop, the cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted.

In fifteen-year-old Riva Holden’s bedroom, scrawled across the mirror in blood, are three words:

Make
Them
Stop.

What happens next?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley . I love Fionas books so I was excited to read this.

After I finished I tweeted , you are a twisty megamind of thrills. Which I think captures Fionas creative mind perfectly .

This is a complete Web of twists and turns. You are gripped from cover to cover .

Unpredictable and will shock you . You think it’s going one way to go another .

Secrets,lies and revenge are running themes in this story with characters who aren’t that trustworthy. Who is telling the truth?

If you’re new to Fionas books then get reading as she doesn’t dissapoint. You are engrossed in her words and eager to read more after finishing .

Published 14th April

BOOK REVIEW THE CHRISTMAS ESCAPE BY SARAH MORGAN

t was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas escape – a dream trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband, Seb. Her solution? Alix, along with Seb’s oldest friend, Zac, can take Christy’s daughter on the planned Lapland trip, and they will all reunite there for Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for?

There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy, but Christy’s plan to save Christmas is testing their friendship. Especially as Alix and Zac have a difficult history of their own.

As long-held secrets unravel, and unexpected romance shines under the Northern Lights, can Christy and Alix find the courage to fight for the relationships they really want? And could this Christmas escape save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I have enjoyed Sarah’s previous books so was excited to read this festive beauty.

This was perfect book to escape with over the Christmas period.

Romantic,heartwarming and uplifting this is a magical story of love, loss ,friendships and second chances.

Sarah’s writing sets the scene perfectly and you can just imagine you are there under the northern lights .

Highly recommend and perfect for fans of Milly Johnson

Published 21st October