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Inside by D.M.Siciliano|Audio Review

     coycaterpillar      Leave a Comment

Inside Banner - Inside by D.M.Siciliano|Audio Review

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.

inside by d m siciliano - Inside by D.M.Siciliano|Audio ReviewInside by D.M. Siciliano
Published by The Parliament House via PublishDrive on May 20 2020
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Supernatural, Suspense, Psychological
Pages: 350
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
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five stars - Inside by D.M.Siciliano|Audio Review

“Inside is a gripping, page-turning novel from a promising new horror writer.” -April A Taylor, award-winning author of The Haunting of Cabin Green and Sinkhole

1987 “Does it burn in the dark?”Reid is a bully, but he’s still Alex’s best friend. When Reid pushes Alex and their friends into invading a historically haunted Massachusetts house, Alex knows it’s a terrible idea, but indulges his friend. What could go wrong?Inside, a mysterious Shadow looms in the darkness. The door to the house vanishes, leaving them trapped. The group flees through the tiny, one-roomed house that defies logic, constantly shifting, presenting them with new doors, hallways, and rooms that seem to be plucked from their memories and fears. One by one, the Shadow hunts them, intent on burning them all from within.Is there any way to escape? Or will they be burned from the inside out?

I hope you are all ready to sit in the corner and rock your way through this review.  Inside, looked like the poster for the latest horror movie – this apt title hides the deeper meaning to the story.  Huge revelations, relationships pulled so taut that they threaten to snap.  This book has you standing on the precipice of hell, the flames threatening to lick at your heels, the heat seducing you within.  A house is just bricks and mortar, right?  Ha! the house was built with the devils’ hands, each brick more evil than the last.  The house embodies a threatening shadow using your fears to destroy and weaken you.  Don’t rely on your Nike’ because you can’t outrun hell. 

Reid one of our five protagonists has the bright idea of breaking into a haunted house.  He bullies his friends into joining him.  The whole town know the house is evil, they don’t know what haunts it or why – they just know its hell personified.  The premise of the house emitting an extreme heat – like hells own personal gateway.  The awful truth of what lies within had me scared right from the start.  The reader doesn’t have time to ponder the what’s before it all goes sideways.  The evil and the fear instantly make itself known like being thrown into the eye of the storm. Can they weather it?

Not one of the protagonists wants to back out.  They want to prove their worth, their courage and Reid uses all the bully-boy tactics in the book.  It becomes very clear that they aren’t going to get out of this easily.  They are faced with shifting walls and windows and the main exit disappearing. Interesting premise, right?  The house becomes a living and breathing entity.  Fear and loathing become king.  These initial scenes gave me such a palpable sense of dread, the words came to life and threatened to choke the life out of me. 

The Protagonists have no clue to what lurks in the dark but boy oh boy does the author know!  This made me check my shoulder and windows whilst I was reading.  My chest felt like it had been pumped full of icy cold dread and I was completely here for it.  The story encapsulates teenager’s innocence and stamping all over it. 

How long can five friends stay strong for one another? The evil picks apart their psyche, taps into their biggest fears and it plays them off against each other.  Its creeping presence hunts the characters one by one and breaks them down so that their mind is broken, but also with the intention of breaking their physical form too.  Would anyone survive the ordeal? 

The narrative was explosive.  The book, from the very first page was pulse pounding – to the point I thought my skin was going to tear and blood spurting from within.  Childhood was forever destroyed but the author also brought to the forefront the dark and deep nature of traumatised upbringings.  The storytelling was irresistible to the horror lovers.  The author has brought together two frightening narratives spanning the evil within the house and deep nature of childhood.  This is a book that runs parallel with the essence of childhood – some don’t make it out alive. 

The audio narrative was explosive. Exquiste amounts of intrigue and drama injected into an already spine chilling story. if you thought the story couldn’t have been built upon you’d be wrong – it burst into a glorious three dimensional technicolour.

The moment I closed Inside it has been haunting me…it reminds so much of Stephen King’s earlier work.  It was so gripping; the tension was ratcheted up with a cold dread that had me questioning whether I needed to turn the heating up.  If this is a debut…well the author is going to have a very successful career ahead of her. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DMauthorphoto - Inside by D.M.Siciliano|Audio Review

DM is a lover of all things creative. From the moment she could speak, growing up in Massachusetts, she had a passion for flair and drama, putting on concerts for anyone who was even remotely interested (and even for those who were not). A storyteller by nature, she first pursued her young dream of becoming a singing diva while living in Arizona. She soon found that stage life wasn’t the only form of storytelling she craved, so she dropped the mic and picked up a pencil instead. She still hasn’t given up on her diva-ness, and hopes her pencil stays as sharp as her tongue. 

A dark sense of humor and curiosity for haunted houses and things out of the ordinary led her down the path of completing her first novel, Inside. Several other projects are constantly floating around in her head and her laptop daily, and sometimes keeping her up much too late at night. Occasionally, those projects are so dark and twisted, she needs to leave a nightlight on. 

She now lives in Northern California with her two fluffy furbabies, Cezare and Michaleto.  

D.M. Siciliano

five stars - Inside by D.M.Siciliano|Audio Review

Review| My Dark Vanessa By Kate Elizabeth Russell

     Yvonne      6 Comments

This book contains themes unsuitable for readers under 17. Contains drugs, sex and or abuse
52403407. SX318 SY475 - Review| My Dark Vanessa By Kate Elizabeth RussellMy Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Published by Fourth Estate on March 10, 2020
ISBN: 9780062941527
Genres: Fiction, Literary, Psychological, Women
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Buy on Amazon
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three stars - Review| My Dark Vanessa By Kate Elizabeth Russell

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
“Russell manages a brutal originality. . . . [an] exceedingly complex, inventive, resourceful examination of harm and power.” —The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice
“To call this book a ‘conversation piece’ or ‘an important book’ feels belittling . . . [it] is so much more than that. It’s a lightning rod. A brilliantly crafted novel.”—The Washington Post
A most anticipated book by The New York Times • USA Today • Entertainment Weekly • Marie Claire • Elle • Harper's Bazaar • Bustle • Newsweek • New York Post • Esquire •  Real Simple • The Sunday Times • The Guardian 
Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.
2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.
2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?
Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.

My Dark Vanessa.   Rumours or truth?  Have you inadvertently helped to spread one?  Just how much truth is it seeped in them? It’s a tale of disturbing manipulation and sexual abuse.  It poses an intriguing narrative on whether home life situations alter our decision making and our ability to see something so inherently dangerous we would speak up.  I wanted to love this book so much more than I did, I love dark tales and this should have been like a shot to the jugular – it just felt like it was stretched out beyond the realms of possibility. 

Hide all you want, the truth will always find you.

Regardless of my thoughts about the length of the story, it remains without a doubt an extremely powerful and dark story about a thirty-three-year-old woman revaluating the disturbing relationship she shared with her English teacher when she was fifteen.  The eerie shadow of the tale has many parallels with the book Lolita, which is mentioned several times within its frightening pages.  The very impact of producing this very story to Vanessa was both ulterior motive and predatory.  As an adult she is finally looking at the events with fresh eyes and it doesn’t look like the pure love she imagined at the age of fifteen. 

My Dark Vanessa gives the reader the ability of hindsight.  It is told in dual timelines, during the abuse and after, circa 2017.  As a grown adult it is difficult to imagine just how a young girl can fall for a teacher in his thirties.  An abuser.  A person with a duty of care.  A paedophile.  Let’s not beat around the bush – this is exactly what he is.  A man that is enticed by a teenage girl, a man that knew the boundaries and didn’t give a flying fuck. 

He manipulated her.  He made her believe she had all the power.  The epitome of the word Jailbait.  One word from her and there were consequences.  She had to keep the secret between the two of them.  A girl that was a loner, a girl that was an introvert.  It’s almost like he picked a girl such as that.  But, wait a minute, she was special, he never felt like this about any other girl?  He pulled her in hook, line, and sinker.  He showed her love, right? There was no way he was an abuser.  No way he was a rapist? 

Vanessa was aware what was happening between them was illegal, but Jacob Strane convinced her no-one else came close.  The manipulation was complete, and he could get her to do anything for him, even destroy herself for him.  My Dark Vanessa was just too damn long.  Unfortunately, towards the end I found myself getting bored with the retelling of her life that never seemed to be focussing on any one direction.  Her relationship with another boy was meaningless and didn’t amount to anything concrete regarding the overall plot. 

The book was a sucker punch to the gut.  Abuse has major implications upon a survivor’s entire life if they don’t take steps to process it and deal with it.  Vanessa’s life was in ruins from the moment she met Strane.  Her life, her career and potential relationships ended up in chaos.  Strane was right about one thing…

 he lays his head on my lap and says, ‘I’m going to ruin you.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

0G5A3683 - Review| My Dark Vanessa By Kate Elizabeth Russell

I’m a writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. My debut novel, My Dark Vanessa, is available now from William Morrow (US), 4th Estate (UK), and will be translated into over twenty-five languages.

Originally from eastern Maine, I earned an MFA from Indiana University and a PhD from the University of Kansas.

you can find me on instagram @kateelizabethrussell

Katie Elizabeth Russell

three stars - Review| My Dark Vanessa By Kate Elizabeth Russell

Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

     Yvonne      5 Comments

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 contains themes unsuitable for readers under 17. Contains drugs, sex and or abuse
the house on the lake by nuala ellwood - Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala EllwoodThe House on the Lake by Nuala Ellwood
Published by Penguin UK on January 24, 2020
ISBN: 9780241985168
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Crime, Psychological, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Cozy, General, Ghost, Gothic, Romance, Domestic, Family Life, Marriage & Divorce, Military, Horror
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
two stars - Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

No matter how far you run . . .He's never far behind
'Gripping, poignant' Rosamund Lupton
'Eerily haunting' Jane Corry
'I literally couldn't put it down' Emma Curtis
__________________________________________
Lisa needs to disappear. And her friend's rambling old home in the wilds of Yorkshire seems like the perfect place. It's miles away from the closest town, and no one there knows her or her little boy, Joe.
But when a woman from the local village comes to visit them, Lisa realizes that she and Joe aren't as safe as she thought.
What secrets have Rowan Isle House - and her friend - kept hidden all these years?
And what will Lisa have to do to survive, when her past finally catches up with her?
**BUY THE NEW SPELLBINDING THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND MY SISTER'S BONES**__________________________________________
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT NUALA ELLWOOD
'Creepy and deliciously atmospheric, this page-turner has it all - twists and turns and a powerful emotional punch' Teresa Driscoll
'What a great book! It's got everything a good thriller needs, a creepy old house, a remote location, some great complex characters and lots of perfectly timed twists and turns' Netgalley Reader
'Makes you question everything you thought you knew' Emma Kavanagh
'Brilliantly compulsive and with one hell of a twist!' Claire Douglas

The House On The Lake.  The synopsis, the atmosphere, the struggle.  It held such incredible promise.  A woman, Lisa is on the run from her husband, Mark.  A woman and her three-year-old son, Joe.  An impossible situation that finally breaks the woman – it gives her the edge and the courage to leave.  She essentially kidnaps her son and goes on the run, a plan loosely concocted.  She must make it to her friends Yorkshire cottage.  A cottage on the lake.  Rowan Isle House.  A story told in dual timeframes.  The plan didn’t account for how dilapidated the house would be.  It’s no place for a frightened woman…no place for a three-year-old boy.  Hostile and cold just like the life Lisa has been living. 

We also have the point of view of an eleven-year-old girl, Grace approximately fifteen years previously.  The similarities between the two storylines are startling.  They are both living unconventional lives in the house.  The walls of Rowan Isle House has seen some sights.  Grace is living with her father, who is ex SAS and from all appearances seems to be experiencing the symptoms of PTSD.  The girl has an extremely harsh life and it is so far away from a regular childhood it is awful.  He treats her more like a solider, referring to her as solider number one – but only when she passes the tasks that deem her to be worthy of the title. 

Unfortunately, House On The Lake didn’t work for me.  The plot just seemed to be so inconceivably unbelievable.  The urge to escape a terrifying domestic abuse situation is strong, especially when a child is involved but to escape to an inhospitable house with no electric, water or heating just seemed idiotic.  Where was the simple and rational thought process of staying with friends or even accessing the help available through the avenues of the police and women’s aid?  I fully accept the fear factor and it always isn’t easy but surely it would have easier than the route she chose? 

One other thing I found at odds with the situation and Lisa’s behaviour was just how much she put herself out there.  She didn’t want to be memorable to those in the village, but she didn’t exactly do the whole incognito deal well.  She would be terrible in a spy situation.  At the very least she could have had a name change.  That was one aspect of the plot that just didn’t add up. 

The House On The Lake was just extremely slow and for most of the book nothing of any note seemed to happen in relation to Lisa and Joe’s story.  I couldn’t bring myself to be invested or to really care about the conclusion of her story.  Grace was a more pragmatic narrative, but I was only slightly more invested in her as a character.  Although this was the first book I’ve read by the author I will attempt one of her other books. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

15481396 - Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

Nuala Ellwood is the daughter of an award-winning journalist. She was inspired by his experiences and those of foreign correspondents such as Marie Colvin and Martha Gellhorn to secure Arts Council funding for her research into PTSD for her debut psychological thriller MY SISTER’S BONES.

Nuala Ellwood

two stars - Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

Fifty-Fifty By Steve Cavanagh|Review

     Yvonne      1 Comment

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.

fifty fifty by steve cavanagh - Fifty-Fifty By Steve Cavanagh|ReviewFifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
Series: Eddie Flynn
Published by Orion Publishing Group on 3rd September 2020
ISBN: 9781409198918
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Crime, Suspense, Legal, Political, Psychological, Domestic, Mystery & Detective, International Mystery & Crime
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback, ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five stars - Fifty-Fifty By Steve Cavanagh|Review

Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other.Who do YOU believe?
'911 what's your emergency?'
'My dad's dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She's still in the house. Please send help.'
'My dad's dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She's still in the house. Please send help.'
One of them is a liar and a killer.
But which one?
********
Your favourite authors LOVE Fifty-Fifty, the follow-up to the bestselling novel Thirteen:'A terrific writer. He has talent to burn.' Don Winslow
'Unpredictable, daring and completely compelling. Top notch writing.' Alex North
'Very clever, darkly funny, moving, fast-faced.' Jane Casey
'Steve Cavanagh writes the best hooks in the business' Mick Herron
'Absolutely brilliant. Addictive, clever, pacy. Eddie Flynn is one of my heroes.' Jo Spain
'Intelligent, sophisticated and tense.' Mari Hannah

You don’t review books long before you come across the name Steve Cavanagh.  The name is synonymous with the Thriller genre and if you haven’t read anything penned by this ingenious man, then why not? Fifty-Fifty is his new offering.

Fifty-Fifty is a blast to the genitals.  Its swift, precise and you are left reeling on the floor.   I am obsessed with courtroom dramas.  This began when I was a member of a Jury – the atmosphere, the tension and the responsibility emits a fizzing spark within me.  Watching and waiting to see just how it is going to pan out. 

Sisters.  Surely, they are united in shared family experiences?  An unbreakable bond?  These assumptions would be wrong.  Two sisters united in their hate for one another.  They both had a dreadful childhood – a father that become emotionally closed off after the death of their mother.  They were sent off to separate boarding schools and they rarely had contact with their Mayor Father.  The sisters are both difficult to make a connection with.  One appears cold and calculated and one threatens to buckle under the pressure of mental health.  The conflicting stories and the small inconsistences make this an impossible trial to call. 

Opening Fifty-Fifty felt like a door slamming shut behind you when you know no one is home.  Cavanagh knew my weakness and he wasn’t afraid to manipulate it. 

Flynn has his work cut out for him.  This trial is going to take everything he has ever learned as a con man and a lawyer combined to acquit his client.  He is sure that he is defending the innocent sister – Sofia.  She couldn’t have possibly committed such heinous act – she’s too meek and damaged, isn’t she?  The signs started becoming clearer and by that point I was a goner.  I was sure Flynn was on the winning side but occasionally I could feel doubt creeping in. 

Research, a developing romance, circumstantial evidence and two sisters that are determined to blame the other for their father’s murder – it can’t possibly end in anything but both women being declared guilty, can it? 

Fifty-Fifty was like running with both shoelaces tied together.  If you examine the evidence slowly and deliberately you can make it to the end with one conclusion and your conscience intact.  Hurry to the finish line and all you’ll do is trip up and miss vital information. 

Just who is the villain of this story?  Steve Cavanagh gives the reader a deliciously twisted woman who will stop at nothing to come out on top.  He gives a compulsive insight into just how sickening human nature can be.  Its messed up and propelled by greed and manipulation.  You want to root for the good guy or woman but will the good always prevail?  You only must look to history to find your answer. 

Fifty-Fifty has a razor-sharp narrative that will cut your throat.  A disturbing test of morals that is so perfectly paced.  It is as compulsive as it is dark. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

steve cavanagh - Fifty-Fifty By Steve Cavanagh|Review

Steve Cavanagh is the bestselling author of the Eddie Flynn novels and standalone thrillers. In 2018 The Liar won the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger for crime novel of the year. In 2019 Thirteen won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the year 2019. All of his novels have either been nominated for awards, or have won awards internationally.

He is a former lawyer, and was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he still lives. If you want to get in touch with Steve, use the social media links below. For press, please contact Orion Books, London, or Flatiron Books, New York. Together with Luca Veste, Steve hosts the popular comedy lit podcast Two Crime Writers And A Microphone. 

Steve Cavanagh Website

five stars - Fifty-Fifty By Steve Cavanagh|Review

Review|Her Daughter’s Cry By M.M. Chouinard

     Yvonne      3 Comments

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.

her daughters cry by m m chouinard - Review|Her Daughter's Cry By M.M. ChouinardHer Daughter's Cry by M.M. Chouinard
Published by Bookouture on January 23, 2020
ISBN: 9781786818270
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Thrillers, Suspense, Crime, Psychological, International Mystery & Crime
Pages: 350
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four stars - Review|Her Daughter's Cry By M.M. Chouinard

Someone wants her dead, and she can’t remember why.

Zoe is a wife and a mother. Or so she’s been told. Ask her for more than that and she couldn’t tell you. The blow to her head wiped her memory clean.

Zoe knows the blood on her shirt isn’t just her own. After she was found stumbling out of the woods, the police ran tests. They say it belongs to her missing daughter.

Zoe is trying to piece together what her daughter’s face looks like, but all she can conjure up is a white-hot panic. A fear that her child is in desperate need of her help.

When a man claiming to be her husband turns up looking for her, she knows she can’t trust him. Until she gets her memories back, she can’t trust anyone. Not the stranger, not the police investigating, not even herself…

A completely addictive thriller that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient, Lisa Regan and Gregg Olsen.

Read what everyone is saying about Her Daughter’s Cry:

“Just WOW!! The twists I just didn’t see coming… The story was crazy SO CRAZY!!! If you think you can guess what is going to happen, you will be sadly mistaken!! The characters in this one were great… I loved every second of it.” Crossroad Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Omg, this book had me completely gripped, with twists and turns. I honestly thought it was someone else who had done it. Amazingly written. This is a first time read for me with this author, but I will be certainly reading more… Crime thriller at its best.” NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A perfect thriller.” Shalini’s Books & Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I could not put this book down!! What a thriller this book is!! I love stories that involve memory loss! You are hooked… What a great book!! Highly recommended!” Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Chouinard really upped her game… I was pulled in right from the start… I could not figure anything out no matter how many scenarios I came up with… Wow, the ending I just never saw coming… I devoured it within a matter of hours. Talk about an intense and crazy storyline!... Another five-star read.” Sinfully Wicked Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Had me hooked from the first page to the last with a heart-wrenching story and explosive conclusion… I felt as if I won the jackpot with this one. The writing is excellent, the pacing fast and the characters are beautifully drawn. Off to buy the others!” Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“GREAT story… a must-read… A ‘stay up and finish book’. M.M. Chouinard has created another fantastic thriller!… Looking forward to the next.” Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was captivated by this story… The cat-and-mouse way this book was written made it impossible to put down… This is a hit.” Robin Loves Reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The author did it again… A captivating story that kept me interested from page one!… It was such an amazing story. Just Like Zoe did not know who she could trust, I did not know either… Long story short: an awesome book… Keep them coming, please. 🙂 5 stars.” B for Bookreview ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I absolutely enjoyed this thrilling ride of a book… Well-written, fast paced, thrilling… kept me flipping pages fast… Lots of twists & turns, thrills, and chills are found in this book! Highly recommend!” Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I absolutely loved it! 5 stars! Excellent writing and storyline…” Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I loved The Dancing Girls so I was really looking forward to reading this and it delivered on all levels… Zoe has no idea who she can trust and to be honest neither did I. Fast-paced and kept me guessing all the way through. Another brilliant read!!” NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m such a massive fan of the titles that Bookouture have been putting out and Her Daughter’s Cry did not disappoint.

You know that you are on to a winner when you can’t stop thinking about a book and are looking for excuses to ditch your housework and just read, read, read.  Within a few pages I felt hypnotised by M.M. Chouinard’s skill at reeling you in – she had me by the jugular and wouldn’t let go until I had inhaled her twisty narrative.  I immediately added her back catalogue to my TBR – the book hangover she afforded me was all consuming!

Her Daughter’s Cry was elusive.  After reading the synopsis I knew this book would sink me, but I still felt in the dark.  My kindle was fully charged and raring to go but I felt a palpating sense of anxiety course through me – my hands shook with the possibility of the plot but the author opened the doors to her wickedly compulsive world none the less. 

simon berger rydQVdwcgUQ unsplash 820x1024 - Review|Her Daughter's Cry By M.M. Chouinard

This book is proverbial crack to a book lover.  Is it at all possible that I will do this book justice?  Probably not, hence why the most powerful statement that I can make is TO BUY THE BOOK.  You need to meet Marissa and witness first-hand her journey from no memory to the shocking realisation of what a simple camping trip has turned into.  Our detectives, Jo Fournier and team are racing against the clock to piece together…everything really, the mysterious woman with no memory and what really happened in the woods.  The stakes had never been higher – a serious case of amnesia, someone that needs to stop Zoe and shut her up for good and the relentless impact of consequences.  

I have now come to learn that a book written by Chouinard will set the synapses firing in your brain at one thousand miles per hour.  You will constantly ask questions, but the answers will be given to you in drips and drabs with an earth-shattering twist to make you forget your own damn name.  This book was consumed faster than a kid eats sweets. 

ahmed zayan 6h0xlEZoYZY unsplash 683x1024 - Review|Her Daughter's Cry By M.M. Chouinard

Jo’s character was mesmerising.  She was used to the looks and glances when people realised, she was the one in charge of an investigation.  Her strength was admirable and stubborn to boot.  When someone tells her, she can’t do something then she will go out her way to prove that not only can she do it but ten times better than anyone was expecting.  Elements within this narrative brought a softer side to her character and you were witness to something changing – I look forward to this development in further books. 

Her Daughter’s Cry is a tightly wound and absorbing thriller that will have you instantly talking about it.  Its smart and intense and a twist that will have you gasping with shock.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

5998529 - Review|Her Daughter's Cry By M.M. Chouinard

M.M. Chouinard writes crime fiction (including suspense, procedurals, and cozies), and women’s fiction. M.M. Chouinard’s first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them.

M.M. Chouinard Website

four stars - Review|Her Daughter's Cry By M.M. Chouinard

Review: The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

     Yvonne      Leave a Comment

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 dilemma by b a paris - Review: The Dilemma by B.A. ParisThe Dilemma by B A Paris
Published by HQ on January 1, 2020
ISBN: 9780008390754
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Women, Psychological, Family & Relationships, Parenting, Parent & Adult Child, Friendship, General
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four stars - Review: The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

The million-copy bestselling author returns with another breathtaking book... ‘A powerful, beautifully crafted story that ratchets up the tension with every page and packs a huge emotional punch’ TM Logan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Holiday Knowing the truth will destroy her. Keeping it secret will destroy him.
It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.
Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.
The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?
One day that will change a family forever, The Dilemma is the breathtaking, heartbreaking new novel from the million-copy-selling, Sunday Times bestseller, B A Paris.
Praise for The Dilemma:
‘A powerful, beautifully crafted story that ratchets up the tension with every page and packs a huge emotional punch’ TM Logan
‘A departure from B A Paris’s previous psycho-thrillers, this emotional story is gripping’ The Daily Mail
‘A heartbreaking page-turner that will have you up at night reading just one more chapter’ Catherine Steadman
‘A dark family drama ... builds a palpable wall of tension that leaves you desperate to find out what happens next’ The Sunday Mirror
‘A beautifully written story of love and loss which will stay with me’ Louise Jensen
‘What a book... utterly unputdownable!’ Sam King
‘A beautifully written novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. B A Paris has a unique ability to get inside your head and stay there!’ HC Warner

The Dilemma.  To tell someone something that will not only shatter one world, but many.  What more could you possibly want in a psychological thriller?  My attention was immediately stolen.  I was hungering for the words contained in this explosive novel.  I particularly enjoyed the element of older characters being in the forefront.  There unique take on life, their emotions and their reactions when they are faced with the explosive ramifications that life can throw at you.  I was deeply curious to see how the author would weave a highly addictive plot that would have me hooked by the end of the first chapter. 

I cant applaud B.A. Paris enough for writing yet another compulsive psychological thriller.  This book was refreshing and felt entirely unique.  It gave me a propulsive look into a family’s life almost like looking at it through a microscope.  Livia and Adam Hartwood tell their story over the course of a day, told over increments of an hour.  They both have a dilemma.  Both of them know something that will crush the other.  If they divulge that secret, will they ever be the same again?  Livia has experienced a traumatic childhood and no longer has contact with her parents much to her lifelong regret.  Adam had a perfect childhood with supportive parents but has equally made mistakes that have impacted their family life, but will these secrets finally break them? 

Its finally the day that Livia has been preparing for for the best part of twenty years.  It’s her fortieth birthday party, the day that has been arranged to make up for the wedding she didn’t get.  It’s going to be a fantastical affair with everyone and their granny invited.  Livia leaves for the day to treatments at the spa with her friends.  Adam however, needs to get into town to pick up her birthday present.  He discovers however news that could potentially rock their worlds.  How can he possibly let the party go ahead now?  B.A. Paris sent a wave of unfairness coming over me like a tsunami.  How could this actually be a family’s reality? 

This book made me feel things!  I had moments of anxiousness, sadness, fear and sadness.  I had so many questions and my brain seemed to be operating at over its capacity.  A book that makes me ask questions turns it into mush – it was a glorious and exciting feeling!

Livia wants nothing more than to have all her family around her, but one key person isn’t able to make it, their daughter, Marni.  Adam has a difficult past with his children – this is the part I loved.  It made the dynamics of family life more realistic.  Having children young for many people is no picnic.  It can be fraught with hardship and conflicted feelings about the perceived life you have left behind.  B.A. Paris has defined what real life looks like and hasn’t sugar coated it.  It reads effortlessly and ramps up the drama into the top gear. Both Adam and Marni hatch up a plan for her to get there secretly, a birthday surprise for Livia.  Will it all come together and be the day that she has been imagining forever?

The Dilemma is a twisted and utter compelling psychological thriller.  Cunning and captivating a book that deserves the idiom – utterly unputdownable.  Be ready to have our mind blown.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A1G5PCAU6L. US230 - Review: The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

B A Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back and The Dilemma. Having sold over one million copies in the UK alone, she is a New York Times bestseller as well as Sunday Times bestseller and a number one bestseller on Amazon and iBooks. Her books have been translated into 39 languages. Having lived in France for many years, she and her husband recently moved back to the UK.
Her fifth novel is out in 2021

Follow B A on Twitter @BAParisAuthor

BA Paris

four stars - Review: The Dilemma by B.A. Paris