Review: The Argument by Victoria Jenkins

March 31, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the argument by victoria jenkins - Review: The Argument by Victoria Jenkins

The Argument by Victoria Jenkins
Published by Bookouture on December 10, 2019
ISBN: 9781838880897
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological, General
Pages: 247
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Review: The Argument by Victoria Jenkins

‘OMG!!!!! This book is in my top 10 for 2019.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I raced through it, often with my heart in my throat!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow! So not what I was expecting. But in the best way possible!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It happens to every mother. One day, the daughter whose whole world you once were, becomes someone you barely know. And you don’t know the secrets she’s hiding…

One night, 15-year-old Olivia comes home late from a party she was strictly forbidden from going to, and she and her mother, Hannah, start arguing. Soon Olivia speaks the words that every parent has heard from their teenage child:

‘I hate you. You’ve ruined my life. And I’m never speaking to you again.’

Olivia has never been an easy child, a sharp contrast to her easy-going, happy-go-lucky little sister. But Hannah thinks Olivia’s outburst is the end of a normal family argument. In fact, it’s only the beginning of a nightmare…

After one day of silence, Hannah thinks Olivia is taking a teenage sulk too far. After two days, she starts to feel anxious that something more serious could be going on. After a week, when her daughter still hasn’t spoken, Hannah knows that Olivia is hiding a bigger darkness – something that could threaten to tear their precious family apart…

The Argument is an unputdownable psychological thriller that asks how far we can push our families before they finally break. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, The Woman in the Window, and The Silent Patient.

Readers are loving The Argument

‘It got me from page one and I couldn't stop reading ‘til I found out how it would end.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I got so totally engrossed… I read it in under a day... A brilliant psychological thriller.’ NetGalley Reviewer

‘The TWIST (and I write that in caps that incredible of a twist it was) made my jaw hit the floor when it happened... I couldn't put it down...’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Fantastic… so well written and emotional... I would highly, highly recommend this book.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘From the first page, I was swept right in… I read late into the night. So many twists that I never saw coming… highly recommend.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Am still in shock after reading this… brilliant… a must read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Usually I can see twists coming… But this book. Oh man. I had no idea this was going to happen, I did not see it coming.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Never saw that twist coming.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘A devastatingly good book… if this doesn’t leave you shuddering nothing will. Brilliantly well done.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

I absolutely adore stories focussed on relationships between teenage children and their parents. I love the nature of how both in the real world and in fiction they can turn into big sticky messes. There is no guidebook on how to navigate the murky waters of parenthood, but I would live in hope that we would all fare better than the events that take place in The Argument. The mother/daughter relationship is one that often falls foul to the trappings of clashing personalities and this story is no different. Be prepared to hear the painful ticking of the clock in the silence of everything that is left unsaid.

In a quiet cul-de-sac a mother and daughter are engaged in the battle of hormones. The daughter thinking, she knows best and the mother enforcing her will with drastic consequences. Olivia sneaks out to a party that she has been emphatically banned from. Her parents, Hannah and Michael do not want her there under any circumstances. Olivia is fifteen and looking through an objective microscope, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what could happen…a teenager going missing. Rape. Drug misuse. Alcohol abuse. The list is endless. Olivia finally arrives home and an argument ensues. Hannah is angry, and Olivia professes that she has ruined her life and refuses to speak to her again. Seems very like teenage behaviour, right? However, it is at this point my eyes and my brain cant compute. Something doesn’t add up with Hannah, my senses are on red alert.

Olivia sticks to her guns. She indeed doesn’t speak to her parents for several days. You know there isn’t something quite right about the dynamics between Olivia and her parents and conversely between Rosie, her sister and her parents. It’s clear as day that she gets treated differently and a knot forms in the pit of my stomach. The untold narrative between Hannah and Michael, the silent looks passed between them. What aren’t they saying? Why are they so quick to pass the blame to their eldest daughter when things start to go disastrously wrong?

My tongue was itching to scream the answers into Olivia’s ear. She was on the right track she just had to hunt harder and take decisive action before it was too late. Could a diary give her all the answers she has ever needed? Could it explain why she has always felt different…never quite fitting in. As a mother of three (boys I might add) this was a narrative that was difficult to both digest and understand. Being a mother of teenagers is a difficult road to travel but ultimately, we have to give them the freedom to make their own mistakes. We need to be their beacon of trust and love. The one constant that will have them returning to you. I count myself lucky that I seem to have found a workable balance.

Just when you think you have the story worked out in The Argument, along comes a bomb to blow your thoughts into space. So many details unravelled to turn my brain into soup. I was confused by the actions of certain characters. I revelled in the confusion, I was completely here for it. Trust in the author she will deliver you safely to the final page but not without a rollercoaster ride of emotions. We are engulfed in a fog of toxicity, but it will clear and bring us the light once more. Everything we learn leads in multiple different directions but it all has a purpose. Victoria Jenkins is the spider spinning her web and the reader is the unwitting fly tempted by the thread.

The Argument is a book that the term edge of your seat was invented for. The edge of my seat is worn out – I spent most of the novel on it! Victoria Jenkins grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go until the final page had been put to rest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

1053000 - Review: The Argument by Victoria Jenkins

Victoria Jenkins is a Welsh author who has made a name for herself writing the highly popular Detective King and Lane series of novels. The first novel in the series was “The Girls In The Water” that Jenkins first published in 2017, to much critical acclaim and popularity among crime fiction fans.
The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.

Jenkins lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based.

Victoria Jenkins

Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

March 23, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the girls in the lake by helen phifer - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

The Girls in the Lake by Helen Phifer
Published by Bookouture on December 9, 2019
ISBN: 9781786819253
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, General, Thrillers, Medical, Crime, Suspense, Traditional, Women Sleuths, Romance, Psychological, Small Town & Rural, Private Investigators, Hard-Boiled, Noir, Amateur Sleuth
Pages: 291
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Peering over the side of the boat, the glare of early morning sun catches on something pale in the inky water. The boy’s curious fingertips break the surface, pulling up a tangle of long blonde hair from the reeds below…

The discovery of a girl floating face down in Lake Windermere, her naked skin almost translucent in the freezing water, looks like yet another tragic teen suicide. But the victim’s lack of clothes make Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams want to investigate further. Anything to distract her from the arrival of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s body on the mortuary table that morning.

With witnesses keeping tight-lipped and any clues washed away by the tides, it’s up to Beth to find the evidence her team needs. But then another girl is found in the lake, this time still clinging to life. She tells them she was at a party on a boat, and that she was pushed…

As more bodies surface, tiny traces of boat paint lead Beth to a tragic accident involving a group of school children years ago, and the feeling that the killer might be closer than anyone could ever have imaged. But with her personal life spinning out of control, can she persuade her team before another life is lost?

An absolutely unputdownable serial killer thriller that will have you sleeping with the lights on. Fans of Patricia Gibney, LJ Ross and Angela Marsons will have to hold on tight for this nail-biting rollercoaster ride!

Readers love The Girls in the Lake:
‘Brilliant… keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the last chapter...loving this series and the characters in it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Plenty of twists… I didn’t want to put it down… suspenseful and riveting, you will want time to read it in one sitting.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Hooked from the beginning and it kept me engaged until the very last page.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Full of twists… full of tension… several times I caught myself holding my breath.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another thrilling, tightly plotted addition to this already fabulous series...I loved this book…fast paced, realistic… plenty of action, mystery and suspects. Definitely comes highly recommended and deserves all of 5 stars.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘I thoroughly enjoyed… an engrossing tale… I don’t know where the time went, one minute I started to read and a few hours later I was finishing.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A humdinger of a crime thriller that grabs you and draws you in from the brilliantly written and powerful opening scene to the nail-biting, butt-clenching finale.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars

The water is beautiful. The water will also pull you under into its murky depths without a care or a thought about race, gender or social standing. If you don’t grant it the respect it so deserves it will unleash its power and it isn’t a battle you are going to win. The Girls in the Lake is a steady paced police procedural which picks up a few weeks after book 1. I felt that the first half of the novel was slower paced but it took off like a rocket in the second half.

The story is centred around the main character, Dr Beth Adams, a forensic pathologist. She has had an extremely tough life, having been subjected to a traumatic abusive relationship for the past seven years. Fast forward and she has marginally moved forward happy in the knowledge that her ex is in prison but still frozen in the past and being haunted by the effects that relationship has instilled in her. She is now living with DS Josh Walker. Life is good but usually when its that good something comes along and has a habit of turning it on its end. Cue, two dead bodies turning up in lake Windemere and the onslaught of the impending investigation.

Things get even more personal with a third girl being pushed into the water from a troublesome party boat…are the three women connected or was its mere accidents?

I really liked the character of Beth. Although she often participated in the sport of self-depreciation, she was an extremely strong character. She knew her worth and knew what she needed to do to move forward and boy did she go out and do it. She is one hell of a woman! I think to a certain extent she is struggling with the possibility of suffering from PTSD and seeks solace in the bottle more than she should but again we all have our crutches to bear. She navigates the murky waters of following her gut instinct and at points I thought that she was more on the ball as a detective than the actual police were.

The girls in the lake was a haven for geeks like me. I really enjoyed reading about the science behind the pathology of Beth’s work and the other forensic anomalies that popped in her freelance investigating. Call me a weirdo but I love what killed someone and the science that backs it all up even more.

I was mildly frustrated with the avoidable spat that occurred between Beth and Josh. In any relationship, trust and communication is paramount and their issue just seemed like a non-issue. Beth seemed to go a little off the deep end without having any proof and it did feel a little at odds with the character that I had been becoming acquainted to previously. But, overall, The Girls in the Lake was an enjoyable reading experience and I would like to give the first book a go.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

download - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Helen Phifer is the #1 Bestselling crime and horror novelist of the Annie Graham and Lucy Harwin series. Helen lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children. She has lived in the same town since she was born. Surrounded by miles of coastline and not too far away from the beautiful Lake District. She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.

Her debut novel The Ghost House was released October 2013 and introduced readers to police officer Annie Graham. It went on to be an Amazon #1 bestseller in Canada. It reached #1 on the Amazon Contemporary Horror Charts in both the UK and the US, pushing her idol Stephen King off his #1 spot many times.

She was thrilled when the second book in the series The Secrets of the Shadows managed to push The Ghost House off its #1 spot even if it was a little surreal. This was followed by The Forgotten Cottage, The Lake House, The Girls in the Woods and The Face Behind the Mask.

The Good Sisters is a standalone old, fashioned horror story which Helen admits scared her so much when she was writing it that she couldn’t write once it got dark. Set in an abandoned convent it will definitely give you the chills.

March 2017 saw the publication of Dark House, a gripping psychological thriller which introduced readers to the dangerous world of Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin. Dying Breath and Last Light are books two and three in that series.

The Haunting on West 10th Street is a supernatural thriller set on the streets of New York.

The Girl in the Grave featuring Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams is released 16th July 2019.

Helen Phifer

Review: Dark Hollows by Steve Frech

March 10, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

48414275. SY475 - Review: Dark Hollows by Steve Frech

Dark Hollows by Steve Frech
Published by HarperCollins UK on December 6, 2019
ISBN: 9780008368227
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Thrillers, Psychological, Suspense, Horror, Mystery & Detective, General
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Review: Dark Hollows by Steve Frech

‘Wowzers, what a read... I absolutely LOVED this book... An unputdownable page turner of a read.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars
Jacob Reese enjoys the quiet life, running a coffee shop and renting out his cottage in The Hollows, Vermont.
But the calm is shattered when a woman who looks eerily similar to his ex-girlfriend Laura turns up to stay in the cottage, and leaves a mysterious note in the guest book.
Now Jacob’s seeing Laura everywhere—a glimpse of her face across the street, her music box left outside his house, a gift he gave her years before hanging from the trees.
But it can’t be Laura. Because Laura’s dead.
Someone knows Jacob’s secret—what really happened the night Laura died—and they’re out for revenge...
A gripping and twisted thriller. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Gregg Olsen and Mark Edwards will love Steve Frech.
Readers LOVE Dark Hollows:
‘Wow!... This book just pulls you right in... I couldn’t put it down!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Best psychological thriller of 2019.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Couldn’t put it down... Absolutely fantastic nail-biting novel, so gripping I just could not stop reading.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Exciting and thrilling... Like riding a rollercoaster... Should be on everyone’s reading list.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I burned through this.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Once I started I couldn’t put it down!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow! I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from page one.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Impossible to put down.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Great book! I could not put it down. Read the book in one day. Had me guessing until the end.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘This one would go down on my list of favorite thrillers this year... I loved this book!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

Dark Hollows. The premise of this book instantly grabbed me. A spooky setting, an intriguing backstory, a loveable mutt and shrouded in the cloak of Halloween. The vista was hypnotic. I envisioned myself walking the paths, talking to the characters and being entranced by the quaint little town of The Hollows. Life is finally going the way Jacob Reese wants it to. He’s a respected businessman, a well-liked individual and most importantly he’s put his past to bed. It’s not coming back to haunt him…until of course, he takes that booking from an attractive female. A booking that he decides to forgo his usual booking protocols for.

Jacob Reese inherited money from his parent’s death. They didn’t quite see eye to eye when they were alive but none the less, they left everything to their only child. He put that money to good use and bought his home and a cottage to rent out in The Hollows, Vermont in New England. He topped it off by buying a coffee shop on the main street – life was good. There was an undercurrent of dread palpating through-out Dark Hollows that had my fingers itching ready for the madness that was surely just around the corner.

Things are about to get even better for Jacob, with talks of a company interested in turning his gem of a coffee shop into a franchise he could be looking at a cool couple of million in the bank. He can’t believe his luck! With a hardworking team and a booming business all his dreams could come true – that can happen, right? Can the appearance of a face from his past (or is it?) undo everything he has worked so hard to achieve or is his mind just working overdrive? Red Hair. Those Eyes. That Scar. He’s imagining it, he’s almost sure of it, and yet…

Things kick into overdrive when he wakes up the next morning and finds his house guest gone. The front door is left open, the entire house takes on a creepy edge and he can’t bat away the feeling that something is dreadfully wrong. The dog feels it. He feels it. Has he let something sinister into his house and more importantly, how on earth do they know certain details about his past? Halloween is edging towards them, its meant to be fun but it just adds to the threatening dread that builds in intensity.

At some points I had a hard time connecting with the Jacob we met at the start of the story to the Jacob that we become accustomed to from the middle of the book onwards. We met a kind and generous man with an infinity towards giving back to the community. Whereas we got to meet a man that became consumed by his desire to get to the root of his troubles (not necessarily a bad thing but…) he became, obsessive, taking courses of action that were not only unhinged but could have landed him in even more trouble. Sometimes the character didn’t fully add up.

Dark Hollows is a great read that will give you the creepy feels. It was an immersive examination of how your past is never really in the past. Actions have consequences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Frech lives in Los Angeles. His debut thriller, ‘DARK HOLLOWS’, is available through Harper Collins/HQ Stories. His followup novel, ‘THE NIGHTINGALE HOUSE’, a supernatural thriller, will be available in July of 2020. In addition to writing, his award-nominated podcast, ‘Random Awesomeness’, has been developed for television by the Emmy-winning team at ‘Thank You, Brain! Productions’. He is also the co-creator of ‘Sports? with Jessiemae Peluso’ for Comedy Central. He is a frustrated fan of the Chicago Bears, finds cooking to be very cathartic, and is amazing a pub trivia.

Steve Frech

Review: The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton

March 7, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

the fallout by rebecca thornton - Review: The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton

The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton
Published by HarperCollins on December 5, 2019
ISBN: 9780008373146
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Domestic, Psychological, Family Life, Marriage & Divorce, Women, Friendship, General, Suspense
Pages: 432
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

two stars - Review: The Fallout by Rebecca Thornton

The accident. The lie. The fallout will be huge . . .
When Liza’s little boy has an accident at the local health club, it’s all anyone can talk about.
Was nobody watching him? Where was his mother? Who’s to blame?
The rumours, the finger-pointing, the whispers – they’re everywhere. And Liza’s best friend, Sarah, desperately needs it to stop.
Because Sarah was there when it happened. It was all her fault. And if she’s caught out on the lie, everything will fall apart . . .
‘A fizzing, unputdownable, gripping read’ Elizabeth Day
‘The perfect page-turner’ Susan Lewis
‘Secrets, lies, suspicion and betrayal: THE FALLOUT has it all – and then some’ T M Logan

What would you do if your five-year-old son fell and got injured on your watch. Your best friend tells you they checked on him before the accident happens. He was safe and happy. You would trust that, wouldn’t you? The Fallout examines the chain of events this accident triggers; they are catastrophic, and no one’s lives will ever be the same again. Friendships should be filled with trust and compassion to what ends will the threads that hold them together snap. The Fallout examines the confines and limits of friendships and the parenting circles of school age children. The two-faced sides of mothers that spend all their time professing kindness but are entirely judgemental at every turn.

I mulled over how to review The Fallout and generally how I felt about it. It was a premise that was topically relevant but in a lot of ways it fell a bit flat. You are fully aware that these things take place. The WhatsApp groups between parents, the snippy behaviour, the envious behaviour of parents that are placed on a pedestal and you can’t help but want their life. These things are going to take place in such a technologically advanced era.

The biggest flaw in The Fallout, for me wasn’t the really the story itself. The characters didn’t connect with me nor were they very nice people. Sarah, although been through an incredibly traumatic event some of her actions were dubious at best and damaging at worst. She seemed to be more concerned about her incredibly dangerous obsession with Ella and her life rather than the safety of a child. Her actions through-out the story just pushed the dominoes over and they kept catapulting to a dangerous climax. She was naive and seemed to be lost within herself.

Liza is a woman that is still in that new-born phase of losing themselves to being a mother to a fully demanding infant. It’s hard to juggle being attentive to the baby’s needs and also being fully present to a five-year-old. It’s a very difficult balance to have successfully. The part of Liza that I just couldn’t cope with was how she let her husband, Gav railroad her into parenting decisions. He has taken the decision to separate from her but refuses to move out of the marital home, WTF is all that about? The way he talks to her is abhorrent, claiming that he needs to keep an eye on her.

Ella is the woman that seems to have it all. She knew Sarah and Liza when they were all expecting their five-year olds at the NCT workshops. She then ghosted them all and has always been the object of Sarah’s obsession. Her money, her house, her beautiful children. What is she hiding and why has she now come into their lives again. Is everything as perfect as it seems?

The Fallout is told in Sarah and Eliza’s perspectives and the viciousness that can be yummy mummies. An accident that leads to Sarah telling a lie that leads to her subsequent guilt. The mummies and their children and their exclusive fitness club was anything but my cup of tea. They all seemed so far removed from the real world. The ending, in my opinion was more of an anti-climax. The story could have been great but the execution of it didn’t work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Thornton’s third novel – THE FALLOUT – will be published in April 2020, with a Kindle release on December 5th 2019.
Twitter: @RThorntonwriter
Insta: Rebecca_Thornton_writer

Rebecca Thornton

Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

February 28, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

avenge the dead di frank farrell book 3 by jackie baldwin - Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

Avenge the Dead (DI Frank Farrell, Book 3) by Jackie Baldwin
Published by One More Chapter on February 28, 2020
ISBN: 9780008383909
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Christian, Suspense, Action & Adventure, Literary, General, Thrillers
Pages: 410
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

Sometimes murder is the only way to get even...
The gripping new Scottish crime thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for fans of L J Ross and Val McDermid.
Four friends with dark secrets. One killer out for revenge.
DI Frank Farrell and DS McLeod are tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a defence solicitor’s wife in Dumfries.
It’s been over a year since they left the town after an investigation robbed them of a dear friend. But now they’re back and must find a way to move on.
When the son of another defence solicitor is murdered, a strange tattoo etched on his body, the case takes them into darker, more disturbing territory.
It leads them back into the past – to a horrific fire in a cottage that took a woman’s life, to four friends harbouring dark secrets – and finally to a killer waiting patiently for revenge.
Praise for Avenge the Dead
‘Expertly plotted, I was completely engrossed in the investigation and the lives of the characters, there were twists and turns all the way through keeping me on the edge of my seat... definitely a “just one more chapter” kind of read!’ Sharon Bairden, Chapter in My Life
‘Brutal and gritty in parts whilst sensitive and emotional in others, this book had me turning the pages well into the night’ Alison, NetGalley
‘This was another riveting foray into the world of DI Frank Farrell! From the first chapter, I could not put this novel down, staying up late to finish just to see what would come next’ Krystal, NetGalley

Avenge The Dead is an exquisite case study on how the past never truly can stay buried. Life in the spotlight can have dire consequences. The invisible bands that hold together relationships and families can violently tear with no means to be repaired. The story paints a vivid picture of how an action change the landscape of one’s life forever. This gritty police procedural ticked all the boxes. Jackie Baldwin gently coaxed me down an unsuspecting path before setting her trap – I aimlessly walked straight into it and she wasn’t sorry a bit! I greedily lapped it up like there were no tomorrow.

DS Mhairi MacLeod and DI Frank Farrell are pulled in to assist with the murder of a very prominent solicitor in Dumfries. Are things as straightforward as they seem? The husband has an alibi, but it seems weak. Is it always the spouse that’s to blame or is there darker avenues at play?

The investigation has many hurdles, none so prominent as the obvious turmoil that DI Frank Farrell is suffering from. He’s a mess. Can he really be trusted to lead an investigation appropriately and to completion? Drinks a problem. Bottling up his emotions has become a problem. it’s obvious that something needs to be done. This humanity and realistic reaction to trauma was especially well done. Although I wanted him to get better, the depths of my feeling for the situation was one of empathy.

Avenge The Dead tackles some particularly difficult topics. We are fed the idea that the murdered wife was less than faithful to her solicitor husband. An affair with another solicitor. Is it possible that either her husband or her lover could have murdered her? Is she keeping any other secrets in her closet or is the husband? The author led us on a merry trail of betrayal, secrets and brutality. The clue finding was an adventure and I was more than ready. Buckled up and ready to go.

We are catapulted into the fire alongside our detectives once again when it comes to light that another murder has been committed. This time, a son of another solicitor. I know what you’re thinking…what’s the connection between the solicitors? Buy the book to find out, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Some of my estimations were way off the mark, its actually laughable just how wrong I was. The author skilfully pulled the wool over my eyes, I was blind to it. The pace was like a bullet…swift, complete and without mercy.

Avenge The dead is seeping in the need for justice. Clear your schedule because you won’t rest until that last page has been digested. Jackie Baldwin discusses dark themes with compelling authority.

Thanks to Emma@ Damppebbles for my place on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie 02 by Kim Ayres 683x1024 - Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

Jackie Baldwin is a Scottish crime writer. Her debut crime novel, Dead Man’s Prayer, was published by Killer Reads on 2^nd September 2016. The second in the series, Perfect Dead was published on 15^th June 2018. For most of her working life, she has been a solicitor specialising in Family and Criminal Law. She later retrained as a hypnotherapist. Married with a grown family, she recently moved from Dumfries to East Lothian.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieMBaldwin1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackieBaldwinAuthor/

Website: http://jackiebaldwin.co.uk/

Competition Time!

WIN

An Avenge the Dead Prize Bundle featuring all three books in the DI Frank Farrell series signed by the author plus extra treats!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Blood Will Be Born by Gary Donnelly

February 27, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

blood will be born by gary donnelly - Blog Tour: Blood Will Be Born by Gary Donnelly

Blood Will Be Born by Gary Donnelly
Published by Allison & Busby Ltd on February 20, 2020
ISBN: 9780749025267
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, General, Hard-Boiled, Noir
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

five stars - Blog Tour: Blood Will Be Born by Gary Donnelly

‘Brilliant. An exciting new voice in Northern Irish noir’ Adrian McKinty, author of The Chain
MURDER. BLACKMAIL. WELCOME TO BELFAST.
DI Owen Sheen vowed never to return to Belfast, but he needs answers about his brother’s death. He is on loan from London’s Met to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, although before he can dig into the past, he must babysit DC Aoife McCusker on her first murder investigation.
As the case slides into chaos, can Sheen put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her job long enough to ensure that this first case is not her last?
‘A gripping debut thriller. The story thunders to its bloody conclusion’ Stuart Neville, author of Those We Left Behind
'Blood Will Be Born is a rare find - a sucker punch to the gut that will also put a tear in your eye. Unflinching but never cynical, twisty but utterly plausible, and full of heart. I loved it. I only wish it didn't feel so timely' Catriona McPherson, author of Strangers at the Gate

Blood Will Be Born sets its explosive tone in the mind-blowing prologue. Imagine a bullet ricocheting off the walls in a box room. This is exactly how I would describe this cracking debut novel. That bullet is speeding towards its end goal. It’s impossible not to get hit in the wreckage, this is the delightful experience that Blood Will Be Born will engross you in. every twist, every delightful description has you ducking but also in rapturous attention. The story leaves you with a nasty case of whiplash that leaves you pained and distraught. The deep meaning behind the title is pure poetic brilliance.

Bearing in mind that this is a debut, it is seeping in palpating brilliance. Gary is the Irish Noir Fisherman extraordinaire. He’s pulled you in hook, line and sinker. His narrative pulls you in, ties you up and leaves you for dead.

A revisited past. Anger and anguish. A thirst for revenge. Mixed loyalties. It’s a heady mix

The setting gives you the immense feeling of unrest with a bubbling undercurrent of both events gone by but also events being ready to be perpetrated. The troubles are still at the forefront of everyone’s minds. It won’t do any good to forget, but the want and raw need to forget is what drives the people. It’s that human want -peace and quiet. What I loved most about Blood Will Be Born is just how flawed the characters are. John Fryer is a haunted man. Left in an asylum to basically rot. He is consumed by the death (his own doing) of a young man in 1976. He was a tough guy in the IRA but has his time being locked away really changed him?

Christopher Moore. His only motivator is revenge. Revenge for him and his father. His perceived sin has rotted his brain for years. Apparently being born to a protestant father and a catholic mother is akin to pissing on the altar of Jesus. Harsh words spoken and never forgotten and now he’s back, and he’s going to make people pay.

DI Owen Sheen. Belfast was a painful memory. He hasn’t been back since he was a boy. A bomb that killed his brother. They fled to England for their lives. Time moves on as they say, and he is now a detective in Metropolitan Police, murder squad. When the opportunity knocks on his door to take a position on the Historical Crimes Unit he grabs it by the balls. His hunger for revenge is fuelling his decision.

DC Aoife McCusker is flawed but she is determined to prove herself when she lands a promotion in serious crimes in Belfast. She’s a bit miffed when she has to babysit a new DI Joining their team. They head to the crime scene – the murder of an apparent sweet old lady. Does she have a connection to the individuals responsible for Owen Sheen’s nightmares?

Blood Will Be Born is an utter kick to the genitals. Its swift, brutal and it brings you to your knees. Its utterly compelling and deviously plotted. A dark twisted tale that will leave you gripped from start to finish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

2017 07 26 PHOTO 00000290 800x800 1 - Blog Tour: Blood Will Be Born by Gary Donnelly

Gary Donnelly is a crime and thriller writer from Belfast who lives and works in London. BLOOD WILL BE BORN, the first in the DI Owen Sheen Belfast thriller series, was originally published as an e-book to critical acclaim in 2017 and will be properly relaunched in trade paperback/e-book by Allison and Busby in February 2020 with the sequel, KILLING IN YOUR NAME, to follow in September 2020. Watch Gary speak about his book in this 30 minute televised interview on Novel Ideas for NVTV. The audio book, published by Isis Publishing Ltd, is spoken by Irish actor Stephen Armstrong. Adrian McKinty, the award winning author of The Chain, had this to say about the book: “A twisty, violent, cop thriller set in post conflict Belfast where hard men lurk in pubs and back alleys awaiting their chance to mete out the old kind of justice from the dark days of the Troubles. Brilliant. Gary Donnelly is an exciting new voice in Northern Irish noir.”

Gary attended a state comprehensive school in west Belfast, read History at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and has lived and worked in London since the late 1990s. In his time he has been a Belfast cemetery manager, a business conference organiser in the City, a council gardener in Neasdon, and gained a further degree in Psychology, which he teaches in north London. Gary is married to the lovely Sacha and has two non-returnable children. He can cook up a storm and play a mean guitar (after a few drinks).

Gary has this to say about his writing: “I always wanted to write a novel and after I enrolled on a course at the City Lit two years ago, the initial outline of BLOOD WILL BE BORN emerged from one of the homework exercises. But the story has been incubating for much longer. I left Belfast 20 years ago but you see it never really left me. The course finished, and I kept writing; on my day off, weekends and while travelling into work. I took the first 3000 words to Crimefest 2016’s Pitch an Agent slot and some top flight agents gave the sample and the synopsis and big thumbs up, which was very encouraging. Enough, in fact, to get up at 5am to write before work, and finish the first draft.

Gary Donnelly

Blog Tour: Little White Lies by Philippa East

February 4, 2020

Little White Lies by Philippa East
Published by HarperCollins UK on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 9780008365400
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological, Coming of Age, Domestic, Friendship, General
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Blog Tour: Little White Lies by Philippa East

‘Breathtaking suspense. A phenomenal talent’ HOLLY SEDDON ‘Terrifically engaging’ JO SPAIN ‘Addictive. I couldn’t put it down’ PHOEBE MORGAN ‘A heart-thumping, racing thriller’ CHRISTINA McDONALD
She only looked away for a second...
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter.
But seven years later, Abigail is found.
And as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared...
Addictive, edge-of-your-seat dark women’s fiction perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, BCC drama Thirteen, and Emma Donoghue’s Room.

It’s a known fact that I love Crime Fiction and I have found myself searching for an added element, something that speaks to me, is a calling card left in a deserted room. It leaves clues for me to discover, to strip layer after layer back until I have been exposed to the dark secrets. This is what you can expect from Little White Lies. The writing style, the thrilling voice – this book gives me the Psychological Thriller Fuzies!

Little White Lies will creep up on you, catch you off guard and kick your heart into a galloping crescendo. You know when an opening chapter lays the foundations to be a rollercoaster ride that your attention will be focusing in rapturous enchantment. My attention didn’t wander, it didn’t ebb, instead it transported into the pages and became one with the story.

So, what had my attention so captured, you ask? Multiple layers of deceit. Child abduction that wasn’t as it appeared. An overbearing aunt. A long-buried family secret. A police Officer that sees more than they want.

The narrative blew me away. The research that brought this story to life was skilfully presented to us in the most realistic form. The feeling of a threatening shadow just creeping into the corners of your vision was palpable. What would be revealed? Would it be a bad thing for their daughter to turn up? What would she say, how would she behave? Is ignorance truly bliss?

Your daughter has been missing for seven years. You’ve pretty much lost all hope of her coming home, alive, right? What happens when you receive a phone call saying she had walked into the police station with another little girl…but, not once has she asked to come to you. That fateful day she went missing. The fact that you were meant to protect her against harm. Just what has she seen and experienced? The story is poignant, heart-breaking and I spent periods during reading just imagining how I would feel if it was one of my own boys. It’s really not worth imagining.

Events really take a turn when Abigail finally comes home. Nothing’s the same. No amount of telling her she is safe, family dinners, shopping trips and decorating bedrooms is going to erase the trauma that this girl has suffered. It is at this point that the brain fog lifts and I’m left feeling bereft like Abigail. The pain is apparent, and she truly doesn’t know which way is up.

This book is an uncomfortable read. I struggled to prise it from the death grip I had upon the book. Philippa East knows just how to punch you in the jugular and wreak havoc with your emotions. This book is akin to being dropped into quicksand with an anchor strapped to your ankle – it forces you to swim between one raw emotion to another. Little White Lies deals with difficult themes, but they are handled with extreme delicacy and tact. It was invigorating to read about a child that did finally return home. It dealt with how the parents would have to navigate extremely murky waters. It was a tale of hope and new beginnings but one of immense patience.

Little White Lies was a devastatingly emotional read. The narrative is like a death grip- unyielding and heartfelt. I read it with my heart in my mouth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hello, I am a fiction writer living in Lincolnshire.

I have written short stories for a several years, a number of which have been published in literary magazines including Brittle Star, Fictive Dream, and Shooter Magazine. I’ve also had a few successes in competitions such as The Fiction Desk and Retreat West.

In 2017, I was long listed in Mslexia First Novel award. This year, I secured a publishing deal with HQ/HarperCollins for my debut ‘Little White Lies’. This Book Club read tells the story of a family whose missing child is found alive seven years after her disappearance; it is a book that begins where other stories end.

In the beginning, I graduated with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy from Oxford University. I subsequently trained as a Clinical Psychologist and worked for 12 years in the NHS before establishing my own psychology practice. This background in philosophy and psychology serves as the inspiration for many of my stories.

I now divide my time between clinical work and writing, and I share my love of writing with my members of the Lincolnshire-based writers’ group The Lindum Scribes.

‘Little White Lies’ will be out in early 2020.

Philippa East

Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

February 3, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

death deserved by thomas engerjorn lier horst - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Death Deserved by Thomas EngerJorn Lier Horst
Published by Orenda Books Limited on January 31, 2020
ISBN: 9781913193010
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Romance, Mystery & Detective, Hard-Boiled, Action & Adventure, Noir, City Life, Crime, International Mystery & Crime, Police & Law Enforcement, Women Sleuths, Political, Police Procedural, General
Pages: 276
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

five stars - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Police officer Alexander Blix and celebrity blogger Emma Ramm join forces to track down a serial killer with a thirst for attention and high-profile murders, in the first episode of a gripping new Nordic Noir series...
Oslo, 2018. Former long-distance runner Sonja Nordstrøm never shows at the launch of her controversial autobiography, Always Number One. When celebrity blogger Emma Ramm visits Nordstrøm’s home later that day, she finds the door unlocked and signs of a struggle inside. A bib with the number ‘one’ has been pinned to the TV.
Police officer Alexander Blix is appointed to head up the missing-persons investigation, but he still bears the emotional scars of a hostage situation nineteen years earlier, when he killed the father of a five-year-old girl. Traces of Nordstrøm soon show up at different locations, but the appearance of the clues appear to be carefully calculated ... evidence of a bigger picture that he’s just not seeing...
Blix and Ramm soon join forces, determined to find and stop a merciless killer with a flare for the dramatic, and thirst for attention.Trouble is, he’s just got his first taste of it...

Some publishers are just complete go-to. Crime fiction and Nordic Noir are phrases that are somonis with Orenda Books. This blog tour invitation for Death Deserved was an automatic YES YES YES. Nordic Noir is a relatively new genre for me, but I am quickly falling head over heels. It has restarted my heart and gave me a passion for crime fiction once more. I couldn’t wait to get my grubby little hands on this exciting and riveting read.

I was expecting huge things from this superstar double act. The anticipation was melting my brain. The prologue created that taut tension that I crave and live for. My eyes couldn’t stop the uncontrollable speed that they took in the lines of the book. The words took on a life of its own. They grew legs and marched straight up to my face and smacked me silly…it had my full attention.

Deserved Death was an interesting title choice but one that seeped in a rightness as soon as the final page was put to rest. Is any untimely death deserved? What events in a person’s life would make it a given that they deserve to die. I’m sure at some point in our lives we have done something that was immoral or bad, does it necessarily mean that our deaths would be deserved? The authors captured everything that I anticipate in Nordic Noir. They led you down a deserted road, one that had the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention, military style. The possibilities were endless, and my stomach churned like it was on the super spin cycle. Nausea and crime is my favourite combination.

This book sets the tone. The dark and dangerous tone. Just sit and imagine taking in the words and the ominous theme tune to the exorcist playing in the background. You know it isn’t going to be like visiting your sweet aunt for the afternoon. It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride over the Grand Canyon except that half of the track is missing. Heart in mouth. Senses threatening to leave your body. It truly challenges the control you have over your own emotions.

Two narrators. Two broken characters. Connections intertwined. We meet Alexander Blix, a quiet police officer who has gone through the emotional wringer both professionally and personally. He acts from the heart frequently and is more an action man than a procedure man. It causes him difficulties in his job, but he is respected and admired by his close- nit team. He instantly spoke to me on a deep level. He is relatable and is living a life in the shadows not fully grasping it by the balls. A victim of his past. He threatens to become a victim of his future too.

We also meet Emma Ramm, celebrity blogger. She also has her own skeletons in the cupboard. She can appear cold but progressively you uncover the real her, layer by complex layer. At times she seemed like a rubix cube. Frustrating and complex to fathom out.

Set in Oslo, ex-former long-distance runner, Sonja Nordstrøm has recently released her scathing autobiography. Emma Ramm discovers her lack of contact for a TV interview and visits her home. There appears to have been a struggle. There is, however, no sign of her. The police launch an official investigation. An intriguing Number One has been attached to the TV. The scene is unsettling, and you can feel a lingering shadow threatening to creep beyond the edges.

There is a bigger picture emerging. The police investigation is stretched taut to its very limits. Blix is still haunted by the tragedy that saw him kill a 5-year-old girl’s father. Guns still make him nervous, but his persona belies the man he portrays to the world. The cracks threaten to split. Can he keep it together until the end of the investigation?

The main theme running through this book is the human condition and it’s need and pure want of fame and the culture of celebrity. What drives people to want these things with such a hunger? We know from history that money doesn’t make you happy. More often than not it attracts ill mental health like a calling card. In this story the burden of celebrity attracts the dark. It has created a festering wound seeping in dysfunctionality and pain. It certainly made me think about the important things in life. I am quite happy being a nobody.

Death Deserved is a tautly woven, intricately written tale of suspense and layer upon layers visceral action. The authors nail the exact art of Nordic Noir and make you hunger for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jorn Lier Horst Author pic - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Thomas Author Pic 1024x687 - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger are the internationally bestselling Norwegian authors of the William Wisting and Henning Juul series respectively. Jørn Lier Horst first rose to literary fame with his No. 1 internationally bestselling William Wisting series. A former investigator in the Norwegian police, Horst imbues all his works with an unparalleled realism and suspense. Thomas Enger is the journalist-turned-author behind the internationally acclaimed and bestselling Henning Juul series. Enger’s trademark has become a darkly gritty voice paired with key social messages and tight plotting. Besides writing fiction for both adults and young adults, Enger also works as a music composer. Death Deserved is Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger’s first co-written thriller.

Orenda Books

Review: Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban

January 26, 2020

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Published by Pottermore Publishing on December 8, 2015
ISBN: 9781781100516
Genres: Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Contemporary, Young Adult, General, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult Fiction, Wizards & Witches, School & Education, Boarding School & Prep School
Pages: 448
Format: Paperback
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

five stars - Review: Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban

'Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go.'
When the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and screeches to a halt in front of him, it's the start of another far from ordinary year at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Sirius Black, escaped mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, is on the run - and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first ever Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry's tea leaves... But perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds, with their soul-sucking kiss...

I Solemnly swear I am up to no good.

Sirius Black is officially my favourite in the series. Anyone that can exist in Azkaban without having his soul dwindle into an empty pit deserves his happily ever after. Harry Potter is embroiled deeper and deeper into the dark workings of Voldemort. Each year his connection to him is a tangled web of mystery and suffering. Deceit and lies threaten to tear him down- loss of potential, loss of love and a deep ache that just festers. The only two anchors he has is Hogwarts and his best friends, Ron and Hermione.

The summer at the Dursleys has been as terrible as all the rest. The scene with Aunt Marge was particularly satisfying. I’m sure we all wish we could inflate and magic our annoying relatives away at a mere thought. I really wish there had been somewhere else for Harry to go for the summer break…they are beyond abusive and quite frankly I’d love to give one straight into Vernon’s fat mouth.

Harry is back for his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly and boy is this year taking a dark turn. Relationships weaken with the pressures of every day schooling with Hermione taking on too much, losing control and distancing herself from Harry and Ron. It was a great relatable and realistic event…plus, plus, she smacked Malfoy in the gob.

Harry is pretty much on lockdown around the school. A convicted murderer who is known to want to get to Harry due to his servitude to Lord Voldemort is on the run. Sirius Black. He betrayed Harry’s parents and led Voldemort right to his parents. He also killed Peter Pettigrew and killed twelve other people. He has been in Azkaban ever since. Oh, and those Dementors would scare the crap out of anyone. Soul sucking guards…No Thank You!

The Marauders map was my favourite storyline and the connection to his father was just a sigh out loud moment. This was most definitely my favourite book in the series so far. I can’t wait to make memories with my young children and reading these books with them for many years to come.

Book Review: Single by K.L. Slater

January 19, 2020

Single by K.L. Slater
Published by Bookouture on October 25th 2019
ISBN: 9781786819277
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological, General
Pages: 362
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher, NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Book Review: Single by K.L. Slater

‘I keep feeling like I’m being watched – dropping the boys off at school, choosing wine at the supermarket – but when I turn around there’s nobody there…’

When single mother Darcy’s son falls from a rope bridge at a local playground, life stands still. She clutches his small, limp body, frozen, until a pair of strong hands push her aside, and she watches as George, a local doctor, saves her son’s life.

George is a single parent too, and with his twinkling hazel eyes, easy charm, and lack of wedding band is almost too good to be true, but coffee becomes lunch, lunch becomes dinner, and soon they can’t go an evening without seeing each other. When he invites her to move into his beautiful home with its sprawling garden for her boys, Darcy doesn’t hesitate.

But as Darcy is settling in, she receives a bunch of flowers with a chilling message. George says they’re from an obsessed ex-girlfriend, Opal, and days later Opal turns up at Darcy’s son’s football match. She claims to have shocking information that could threaten George’s custody of his daughter.

Darcy doesn’t know who to trust, but she’s starting to suspect that, whatever the truth, she might have put her beloved boys into terrible danger …

From the million-copy-bestselling author K.L. Slater this utterly gripping psychological thriller will make you gasp out loud as you race towards the unforgettable twist. If you loved The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you.

What everyone is saying about Single:

‘I would liken reading 'Single' to being strapped into a car with a broken axle on the Tilt-A-Whirl carnival ride. You're gonna get tossed around until you don't know which way is up. Yet, in the end, you can't deny that it was one helluva ride. All superlatives aside, this book stands out in its cleverness and execution. K.L. Slater knocked it out of the park. 5+ stars.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Another stunning novel from KL Slater. .Loved every twist and turn. The only negative is what to read next as it won’t live up to KL Slater, fingers crossed her next novel won’t take long!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow, I LOVED this book!!! 5 stars easy!! This is my first novel by K.L. Slater and most certainly will not be my last. …This is the kind of book you cannot put down or stop thinking about. I often had chills and felt like I experiencing this story as the main character. There is no way you will be able to guess the ending.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘WOW WOW WOW!!! What a fantastic book!! I couldn't put this one down. Just when i thought i knew what was going on , I changed my mind, and yet again. Twists twists and more twists. i love this author but this book blew me away best yet from her!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Well a great big enormous WOW this was such a brilliant read, totally compulsive and everything you want in a psychological thriller !! ‘ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book kept me awake until the early hours, promising myself time and again that I would only read one more chapter until I was too far into the story to stop. All in all it's a really great read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘K L Slater is a master of the psychological thriller genre and Single is yet another example of this. I read this book in just a few hours, not ready to put it down and determined to work out how it would end. Every scenario I came up with was wrong, and to me that is a sign of a great story. This one was so twisty and believable - fantastic. If you have not read anything by Slater before what are you waiting for? Seriously, you will not regret it.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What would you do if everything you knew was essentially a lie? We all have different ways of dealing and coping but it isn’t out of the realms of possibility to believe that some people would sink into depression. That’s what Darcy’s situation in Single has been like for the past four years. Her husband is dead, a fight with an illness took him quickly. But, whilst navigating the heavy, murky waters of grief, she discovers that her husband had been unfaithful. He hadn’t just had an affair, but he essentially was living a double life. He spent half the week with another woman. Her psyche broke and all that while trying to support her two sons who obviously no longer had their dad.

The story is principally told in the perspectives of Darcy and that of handsome, personable Urology Consultant, George Mortimer. He is also a single dad to Romy. Her mum also having passed away. They have so much in common. Two lives that seem ready to move forward, together, after having being dealt a really rubbish set of cards in life. As they become closer you can see that George has more than one skeleton in his closet. The story develops, and it becomes more twisty.

The secondary characters in Single were extremely unlikeable. I know that was the author’s intention but at times I felt like they should have been genuine and caring and they would have got a lot further in their needs and wants. Take Darcy’s sister-in-law for example, she professed to being her best friend and having her best interests at heart, but her actions are in complete conflict with that. Who on earth tells their friend that considering dating again after four years is too soon? It’s just manipulative and controlling to the highest extremes.

Darcy had so much on her plate. When the five of them went to Yorkshire to stay in a lodge at Christmas it really started gaining traction. Odd occurrences, the feeling of being watched, letters, flowers being delivered, photos obviously being taken. George talks about a past girlfriend and Darcy wonders if it could be someone from her past? George’s explanation has the warning bells thumping a deathening beat. What is he hiding?

I did struggle to fully be taken in with the twists in Single and I really wanted to be. I wanted it to be more menacing, more shocking, a complete gasp moment when all was revealed. One incident happened, and I couldn’t help but think if it happened to me, I probably wouldn’t have given it two thoughts. I really wanted more tension, a feeling of balancing on a knifes edge that I just didn’t experience with this story. I enjoyed the story and wouldn’t hesitate on giving K.L. Slaters other books a try.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

kl slater 1024x511 1 - Book Review: Single by K.L. Slater

After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, I went back to university at the age of 40 where I gained a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.

Although I also had a day job during the five years I studied at university, the courses gave me the time and space to try different writing and increased my confidence and belief in my writing. Before I graduated from my MA, I had secured representation at the Darley Anderson Literacy, TV and Film Agency who got me my first book deal. My literary agent is Camilla Bolton.

My first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’, actually started life as my dissertation on my English & Creative Writing degree in 2010.

The creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!

Please take a look at my ‘Books’ page for the full list of my titles.

I first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. My award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for my MA in Creative Writing in 2012.

I am now a full-time writer. I have a daughter and two stepsons and live with my husband in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

Website