A thriller with a twist

OUT NOW! No Good Lie by Claire Stibbe, published March 15, 2023 by Bookpreneur, @ClaireStibbe #blog #Review #Writingcommunity

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Winner of the PageTurner Writing Award 2021

The darkest secrets hide in plain sight.

When Freya Thorne finds a woman’s body on the beach, she is swept back into the nightmare of the past. She knows the similarities to her daughter’s tragic death cannot be coincidence, but nobody will believe her.

Letters arrive with chilling threats. This stalker knows more about Freya than any stranger could. Weird sounds disrupt her nights, and she knows someone’s been in her house. As the stalker draws Freya into a terrifying game, she uncovers more questions than answers. Her life is being threatened, and she doesn’t know who to trust. Someone has been pulling her strings, and that someone is determined she must suffer. Because Freya broke a promise. And promises aren’t meant to be broken.

Great for fans of Perfect Stranger and Only Mine.

What People Are Saying:

A twisty domestic thriller that features everything readers enjoy about the genre: dark secrets, a fast-moving plot, and a terrifyingly plausible premise. — Dr Maurice Singleton, PhD in Narrative Theory, Author and Lecturer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A disturbing story about marriage and secrets. — BookList  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An addictive portrayal of how marriages can unravel. — Elite Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Impossible to predict, impossible to put down.” The Bookster ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BUY HERE

About the Author:

Claire Stibbe is the winner of the 2021 Page Turner Award for Fiction and a prolific novelist. Today, she writes domestic suspense novels that draw on her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse. Her aim is not just to tell gripping stories but to inspire other survivors to find freedom and independence.

Author photo: © James English

Claire worked as an Executive Assistant for twenty years in both London and the Far East, including working for a Prince, for chartered surveyors, ship brokers, marine consultants, and hotel and catering. She now devotes herself full-time to writing and her novels owe much to her years as a member of the Albuquerque Police Citizen’s Academy where her main focus was the impact of violence towards women and their families.

Claire now lives in Utah with her husband and son, and her cat, Edward, who sleeps on her desk while she writes. She is addicted to reading and sharing the crime fiction love. To keep up-to-date with her new books and blogs, sign up for her newsletter at: https://linktr.ee/ClaireStibbe

Other Books by This Author here UK and here US

The Marriage Act by John Marrs, Published by Pan Macmillan, @johnmarrs1 @panmacmillan #dystopian #contemporary #blog #review

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From the bestselling author of The One, now an eight-part Netflix series. Set in the same world as The One, The Marriage Act is a dark, high-concept thriller.

‘One of the most exciting original thriller writers’ Simon Kernick

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives, monitoring every word, every minor disagreement . . . and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey.

Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power.

‘Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never let’s go. The Marriage Act is a brilliant examination of relationships and the power we let others have over us. And talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts! C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man

“A smart, gripping and scarily believable story from the master of the speculative thriller.”―TM Logan, author of The Curfew and The Holiday

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan; Main Market edition (19 Jan. 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 103500125X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1035001255

The Marriage Act by John Marrs is set in a similar time to two of his’ previous books, but what makes this one so unique and so terrifying is a right-wing Government that promotes “happy” marriages with large incentives. Better NHS, better housing, etc., all of which sound beneficial (sound familiar?), but if these marriages are monitored by hearing devices placed strategically all over the house, whatever couples do or say may incite different levels of Government concern, amounting to the possibility of an in-house therapist.

In a desperate attempt to right devastated marriages, this plausible tale involves control in a dystopian landscape. For me this is the perfect medium for abuse. Singletons are forced into a lower and less sustainable existence. Their struggles are frighteningly real, forcing many to consider the love, honour and obey scheme carved out by the The Sanctity of Marriage Act. But for those already choosing to live within this oppressive structure, life isn’t quite so rosy. Think The Handmaid’s Tale meets The One.

The book follows several characters, which may be a little confusing to start with.. Each have secrets and motivations which will ultimately put their place in society at peril. Each have a backstory that allows the reader a hint of how they arrived at their current status and the extreme measures they endured. After filling out a questionnaire, matches are made for individuals. But how will they evade the ears that hear? I can’t imagine such an intrusive society, listening into every aspect of your private life, and where one couple were forced to write conversations on scraps of paper to dodge the Audite.

With a map at the start of the book to orient the reader to regions etc., this is a very well-constructed novel, the type readers have come to expect from John Marrs. The book promises challenges that far outweigh the norm, together with aspects of horror to keep you glued to each page. This is a speed-rap of a story, brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and John Marrs for allowing me the privilege of reading an advance copy of this fabulous book. A full five stars from me!

About the Author:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan. Follow him at http://www.johnmarrsauthor.co.uk, on Twitter @johnmarrs1, on Instagram @johnmarrs.author and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/johnmarrsauthor.

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Suicide Thursday by Will Carver, published by Orenda Books. @will_carver @OrendaBooks #BlogTour @RandomTTours #review

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I was extremely excited to be invited on Will Carver’s Book Tour for his new book, Suicide Thursday. This is another wild ride that will have his readers enthralled!

Book Description:

A disenchanted man struggles to get beyond the first chapter of the books he’s writing, and to separate fact from fiction in his own life. His friend’s suicide changes everything … The mind-blowing, heart-rending new thriller from cult bestselling author Will Carver.

Eli Hagin can’t finish anything.

He hates his job, but can’t seem to quit. He doesn’t want to be with his girlfriend, but doesn’t know how end things with her, either. Eli wants to write a novel, but he’s never taken a story beyond the first chapter.

Eli also has trouble separating reality from fiction.

When his best friend kills himself, Eli is motivated, for the first time in his life, to finally end something himself, just as Mike did…

Except sessions with his therapist suggest that Eli’s most recent ‘first chapters’ are not as fictitious as he had intended … and a series of text messages that Mike received before his death point to something much, much darker…

‘One of the most exciting authors in Britain’ Daily Express

‘Weirdly page-turning’ Sunday Times

‘This book is most memorable for its unrepentant darkness…’ Telegraph

‘Wickedly fun’ Crime Monthly

_________________________________________

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B59NYJF7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orenda Books (November 24, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 24, 2022

Suicide Thursday by Will Carver is one of the hardest books I’ve ever reviewed. So I’m going explain how I felt, rather than try to put this in any kind of intelligent format. Anything by this legendary master of crime fiction is always beautifully written and wickedly funny. He delivers the kind of superlative and daring storytelling his readers expect—a darkly delicious page-turner you can’t put down.

Mike has ended his life. He has efficiently and meticulously succeeded in something Eli Hagan never could. Eli may want to end many things, but he certainly couldn’t do this. As he and Jackie survey the scene, the description of someone who may have tried to reverse what he’d done gave me the creeps. It also gutted me and the mental residue stayed with me for hours. Thus ends a perfect threesome, which now becomes a reluctant twosome. A bleak beginning to a story with so many questions which are addressed in the three days leading up to Mike’s suicide.

Eli hates his job at DoTrue, a computer manufacturer in which he is a publicist. He counts down the seconds before leaving work where his day really begins in the pub. With his obsessive need to create, Eli is a writer, a prolific “starter” of books with no incentive to finish them. His fake therapist, the only person he can trust, provides a sounding board for all his pent-up frustrations, and true to form feels authentic to what all writers do. Talk to themselves. He wants to break up with Jackie, but hasn’t enough mettle to pull it off. In any case, this appears to be a moot point. She’s great for him in so many ways, except for her friendship with Mike, which does muddy the waters a little.

The book is interspersed with texts from two people where one—the encourager—is engaged in what could be described as 2nd degree manslaughter. It’s this malevolent backing that not only filled me with rage, but also may trigger some readers. The chapters with Jackie and her cat resemble “Needless Street” where we are privy to Descartes cattish thoughts. This added the right amount of light relief to tip the scale back again. I couldn’t decide if I liked Eli, or if I was simply entertained by his dry wit and kept up with him for the ride. The characters each have an equal amount of endearing qualities as despicable, and this is what makes Carver’s books weirdly funny and mesmerising. They border on provocative, usually about obsessions that spiral out of the control and unmasking the dirtier, darker side of human nature. All in all, they are oh-so cleverly done, you can’t get enough!

Thank you to Orenda Books, Will Carver and Anne Cater for the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book.

About the Author:

Will Carver is the bestselling author of the January Series – Girl 4 (2011), The Two (2012), The Killer Inside (2013), Dead Set (2013) – and the critically acclaimed Detective Pace series, which includes Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), all of which were selected as books of the year in mainstream international press. The books in this series have also been longlisted/shortlisted for the Amazon Readers Independent Voice Award, Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, Not The Booker Prize and the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award. Will spent his early years living in Germany, but returned at age eleven. He studied theatre and television at King Alfred’s Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company. He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition business and lives in Reading with his children.

More Books by this Author:

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Red as Blood by Lilja Sigurdardóttir, published by Orenda Books, October 13, 2022. @OrendaBooks @Lilja1972 @RandomTTours #Blogtour #review #crimethriller

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Holy cow! This a non-stop rollercoaster of a thriller. Tremendous excitement for fans invested in this addictive Nordic series from one of Iceland’s bestselling crime writers. Lilja Sigurdardóttir digs deep into her characters’ psyches, adding layers to her gritty and exciting plots. Another binge-read of a novel you can’t put down.

DESCRIPTION:

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  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09YMMMDKH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orenda Books (October 13, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 13, 202

When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Gudrun missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Gudrun will be killed.

Forbidden from contacting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daniel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on.

Meanwhile, Áróra and Daniel continue the puzzling, devastating search for Áróra’s sister Ísafold, who disappeared without trace. As fog descends, in a cold and rainy Icelandic autumn, the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, and confusing.

Chilling, twisty and unbearably tense, Red as Blood is the second instalment in the riveting, addictive An Áróra Investigation series, and everything is at stake…

_________________________________________

Praise for Lilja Sigurdardottir

‘Best-selling Icelandic crime-writer Sigurdardottir has built a formidable reputation with just four novels, but here she introduces a new protagonist who is set to cement her legacy’ Daily Mail

‘Another bleak, unpredictable classic’ Metro

‘Atmospheric’ Crime Monthly

Red as Blood is exactly what I wanted to read today. Extremely compelling and reaffirming Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s mastery of this genre. She consistently delivers more than her readers expect.

In this second and addictive instalment of the An Áróra Investigation series, Flosi arrives home to find a chilling letter. Pay the kidnappers two million euros if he wants his wife Guðrún back. He is not to call the police or the kidnappers will kill her. The only phone calls he makes are to Michael, his accountant in Edinburgh, his daughter, Sara Sól and to Áróra, an investigator who agrees to work undercover with a detective friend to help find Guðrún. But how do the kidnappers know Flosi has money overseas?

The investigation into Guðrún’s habits has to be carried out by officers in plain clothes and every tiny detail must appear normal in case they are being watched by the abductors. While forensic teams dig deeper, both Flosi and Sara Sól are questioned relentlessly. Is Guðrún’s disappearance planned or coincidental? Does it have anything to do with who she is? Or something regarding Flosi’s business? Why is Flosi talking about his wife in the past tense?

Although you might think the perpetrator is easy to guess during the setup, none of it adds up. A hazy memory doesn’t seem likely to Daníel and Helena has a helluva job analyzing many intricate layers. Since kidnaps with a ransom demand are considered a rarity in Iceland, I was instantly wrapped into the propulsive narrative, surprised and astounded to the end.

With Sigurðardóttir’s signature style, this book delivered one twist after another. While one case ends, another carries on to the next book in the series, which is a definite hook for me. All the major players comprise deep layers which makes them easy to engage with. I love the way Sigurðardóttir provides just the right amount of tension in her can’t-put-it-down novels. Her prose is rich and her characters are memorable. In short, she is knockout fantastic!

Thank you to Orenda Books, Random Things Tours and Lilja Sigurðardóttir for the privilege of reading this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja’s English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year.

Other books by this author here.

6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, @nholten40 @0neMoreChapter_ @HarperCollinsUK @RandomTTours

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I was so excited to receive Noelle Holten’s new noir crime book 6 Ripley Avenue, a gripping thriller of secrets and lies. Holten is the author of Dead Inside, Dead Wrong, Dead Perfect, Dead Secret and Dead Mercy, a series I absolutely love, so I new this was going to be FABULOUS!

Book Description:

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ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.

At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

Don’t miss the first nerve-shredding standalone thriller from Noelle Holten, author of the Maggie Jamieson series.

Praise for Noelle Holten:

‘Hugely confident … harrowing, visceral … recommended’ Ian Rankin

‘Kept me hooked’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

‘Gritty, dark and chilling’ Mel Sherratt

‘Unputdownable’ M. W. Craven

No wonder this book is trending in the reading charts. It is a pretty unsettling and creepy read that quickly grabbed my attention with its story and alluring characters. 6 Ripley Avenue is the talented Noelle Holten’s first standalone psychological thriller. With a unique plot line, this book will interest crime fiction lovers.

6 Ripley House, a probation hostel where UKs most violent offenders are housed, is not a popular place amongst the residents of the area. Most notably Helen Burgess, still raw from the death of her husband, who started her neighbourhood watch scheme. But when Danny Wells, a convicted criminal, is killed in the early hours, things intensify. This is a serious problem for Jeanette Macey, Senior Probation Officer and manager of the premises. The surveillance equipment failed to record anything of significance due to neglect, and with Jeanette’s drill—if it isn’t recorded, it didn’t happen—they are lost without proof.

Enter freelance investigative journalist Sloane Armstrong, who is already well-versed in the hostel’s goings-on. I liked her immensely. Plenty of backbone and humour, all the ingredients that make up a gutsy investigator. With so many high-risk offenders housed in the hostel, you’d think the culprit couldn’t be far away. But Helen and Sloane begin their investigation at their own risk, at one point avoiding Jeanette pressing charges. It becomes clear Jeanette is unaware of the illegal activities taking place, even with the intense level of scrutiny they’re experiencing.

This book provides a realistic glimpse into a life only Holten knows about. Her background qualifies her to write not only her Maggie Jamieson crime thrillers but 6 Ripley Avenue as well. Just when you think you have worked out the plot—BAM! Another bend in the road appears. Sinister, evocative, fascinating and very addictive, are just a few of the many characteristics of this book. Written in a clear, crisp style, this book’s structure alternates between five different perspectives. Not an easy task, especially keeping voices distinct. But hats off to the author because it paid off.

The mysteries of the story were well devised and I hope Holten continues venturing into the psychological thriller genre. I’d definitely pick up whatever she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Noelle Holten for the privilege of reading this advance reader copy. Many thanks to Random Things Tours for including me in this amazing blog tour.

About the Author:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. 6 Ripley Avenue is her first stand-alone crime thriller.

Connect with Noelle on Social Media here:

Subscribe to Newsletter: http://ow.ly/cgww50BkBtt

Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40

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

Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/

Instagram: @author_noelleholten

Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk  

Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

Other books by this Author:

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Someone’s Watching Me, by Zoe Rosi, published by Thomas & Mercer, @AmazonPub @zoerosiauthor #blogger #review #thriller

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I was so excited to receive a paperback of Zoe Rosi’s new book: Someone’s Watching Me. OMG what a brilliant book, full of twists and turns, I couldn’t stop reading!

Book Description:

Is someone dangerous out to get her? Or is it all in her mind?

Becky’s life is almost perfect. Growing up, she could never have imagined living in such a safe, beautiful home, with a boyfriend as loving and kind as Alex, and hopes for a little family of her own. But then stand-offish Max moves in next door, and things begin to fall apart.

First, someone starts trolling her social media. Then she finds her tyres slashed. By the time she discovers the dead bird, left waiting for her like a prize, she’s sure someone is after her. And having spied some strange goings-on beyond her kitchen window, she suspects that person is Max.

Frightened, Becky turns to Alex for help, but she’s surprised to find that he and Max have become firm friends—and that Alex is convinced it’s all in her mind. But when news of a missing young woman breaks, Becky knows she has to do something. She’s sure she’s seen this woman in Max’s home—hasn’t she?

With Alex concerned that she’s losing her grip on reality, does Becky dare keep digging, knowing her almost-perfect life could shatter into imperfect little pieces?

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09RQQ9B6W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer (September 15, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2022

Someone’s Watching Me is one of those fast-paced books you can’t put down. Sharply written with characters that keep you guessing, it immediately drew me into Becky’s life with Alex-and her job at the estate agent. 

Working for Cartwright and Brooks, Becky works her way up from admin assistant to the sales team where it’s all about the commission, a cutthroat, dance around the political environment where you either sink or swim. Clearly Becky has her work cut out for her, showing properties to clients that should have made for productive sales. But things go disastrously wrong, making her appear unprofessional, not to mention tardy for her appointments.

Office politics aside, there are secrets she is keeping from Alex. None of this bodes well when she’s trying to prove herself. I kept feeling a sense of foreboding every time she had her showings. But when she witnesses something shocking and gets entangled in a mystery of a missing person, the stakes escalate. 

Max next door was my idea of hell, just as Susan was in the office. There were other nightmarish goings on that kept me racing through the pages. The allure of this book is not so much the whodunit element. It’s how Rosi creates tension between Becky and her new neighbor, her work colleagues and her partner, all of whom struggle to maintain the finely tuned facades they present to the world. 

The only person I felt disappointed in was Alex. I wish he’d been more helpful given their closeness. (Personally, I’d have bought telescope!) But Becky continues to obsess over her new neighbour and her peers at work, and as she inserts herself into these lives, as all the best protagonists do, her stalking tendencies seem to match those of her stalker. Becky goes from strength to strength and any hesitation on her part to include law enforcement is completely realistic. I really felt for her as they left her to process and address her concerns alone. 

This book quickly blooms into a solid page-turner with unexpectedly dark undertones. I want to thank the author for including me in her list of reviewers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this outstanding book. 

About the Author:

Zoe Rosi has a background in journalism and copywriting. She worked as a reporter for local and national newspapers before moving into the fashion industry as a copywriter.

Zoe had four romantic comedies published before writing her debut thriller. It was while working as a fashion copywriter that Zoe had the idea for her first thriller, which she describes as ‘The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho’.

Someone’s Watching Me is Zoe’s second thriller.

Look out for her next book Pretty Evil will be published on January 19th, 2023.

Hope To Die by Cara Hunter, published by Penguin UK, @PenguinUKBooks, @CaraHunterBooks @LouNyuar #review #blogtour #writingcommunity

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It looks like a burglary gone wrong, but DI Adam Fawley suspects there’s something more to it.

When the police discover a connection to a high-profile case from years ago, involving a child’s murder and an alleged miscarriage of justice, the press go wild.

Suddenly Fawley’s team are under more scrutiny than ever before. And when you dig up the past, you’re sure to find a few skeletons…

The sixth twisty, up-all-night thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling Cara Hunter. For fans of Shari Lapena, Claire Douglas and Lisa Jewell.

Read here


WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

Authors can’t get enough of Cara Hunter

‘An intelligent and immersive thriller with a gritty human story’ Janice Hallett, The Appeal

‘A great premise, tight plotting, and characters who live beyond the page’ JP Delaney, Playing Nice

‘A clever, fascinating book’ Araminta Hall, Hidden Depths

‘If you start, you won’t be able to stop’ Nicci French, The Unheard

‘A masterclass in how to write crime fiction’ John Marrs, The Vacation

‘The DI Adam Fawley series just keeps getting better and better’ Victoria Selman, Truly, Darkly, Deeply

‘Twist follows twist at a breathtaking pace’ Daily Mail

Hope To Die by Cara Hunter is one of the best police procedurals I’ve read so far. With thorough police work and demanding research, here’s one in which I feel confident. The author certainly knows her stuff.

Inspired by a real case, this twisty mystery begins with a police call to a remote farmhouse in the middle of the night. The intruder, who has no identification, has been shot in the face at close range, and on the face of it, all appears cut and dry. But with lack of fingerprints and nothing stolen, including inconsistences in the home owner’s stories, DI Adam Fawley is hard pressed to believe this is simply a burglary gone wrong.

Alternating chapters and a written police interview allow us to examine witness statements. But none of what the Swann’s say seems to add up. Not when Richard Swann decides to confront the intruder himself with a gun—possibly not locked in the safe at the time—and so conveniently at hand. But where are his night clothes, considering a shot like that would have provided a whole heap of back-spatter?

The writing style and characterisation are top notch. It’s not often I find a book so engaging from page one, but this one is original and authentic. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the first in the series, each of these books act as standalones. I wasn’t sure if the section breaks were in fact chapter breaks since this is an advance reader copy, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. It upped the pace and provided the unputdownable quality I crave.

Thank you to Lou Nyuar at Penguin, Cara Hunter and Netgalley for the privilege of receiving an advance review copy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cara Hunter is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling crime novels Close to Home, In the Dark, No Way Out, All the Rage and The Whole Truth all featuring DI Adam Fawley and his Oxford-based police team. Close to Home was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and was shortlisted for Crime Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2019. No Way Out was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 best crime novels since 1945. And The Whole Truth was a Richard and Judy pick in 2021. Cara’s novels have sold more than a million copies worldwide, and the TV rights to the series have now been acquired by the Fremantle group. She lives in Oxford, on a street not unlike those featured in her books.

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Guilty Women by Melanie Blake, published by HarperCollins, @MelanieBlakeUK, @HarperFiction @HarperCollins #blogger #review #GuiltyWomen #Bookpreneur

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THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

‘If you only read one book this year, Guilty Women won’t disappoint. It will leave you breathless’ The Express

‘Guilty Women’s stamped it’s razor sharp, blood-stained stiletto heel firmly in the lead to be 2022’s book of the year’ The Daily Mirror

Can they get away with murder?

On a beautiful island off the English coast, four TV actresses gather.
Their fifth member is missing – and only they know why she was killed.
As the secret between them threatens to come out, tensions on set run high.
The women are determined that the show must go on – no matter what it costs.
But one of them is on the edge of telling the truth – and no show in the world could survive this scandal…

All of the women have something to hide – but the question is, are they all guilty?

The cast of RUTHLESS WOMEN is back – but this time they’re in trouble…‘

From start to finish, Guilty Women takes you on a dramatic ride. With a blood-stained stiletto for a book cover, it promises to be an addictive and wickedly entertaining read. Said to be about the fictitious cast of Falcon Bay, four TV actresses share a secret and a few more as the book progresses. Accidents will happen. But are they accidents?

I can see this series being one of those — And Then There Were Two — stories. Their fifth member is missing. Who’s next? What drives Madeline Kane? Falcon Bay certainly has a history, and these four actresses are a force to be reckoned with. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate relating to the age-group in this book. It’s refreshing to find older faces in glamourous places. For those of us teetering on the downside of life’s slope, this book confirms how entertaining mature women are. It says a lot for the author.

This book has secrets galore, beautiful gowns, high tension, terrible killings — some of which could be construed as accidents — and a host of well-researched detail that make it a substantial read. Thrust into the world of television and politics, these women are a lively, hedonistic bunch. But fame and fortune has a way of corrupting even the best of them, and I think that’s what kept me reading.

The ending was definitely one I didn’t see coming. Although I’m not usually into soap operas, this book has a tendency to engross its readers. You have to know what happens next. So, if you’re looking for drama and suspense, mixed with a little spice, then this is the book for you. Think Desperate House Wives meets Sex and the City. It’s a riotous read.

PRAISE FOR GUILTY WOMEN:

“You’ll laugh, cry, be shocked and left wanting more… Guilty Women is an unmissable read. Pure escapism. 5 stars!” Ok! Magazine

“Revenge, murder, sex and greed… Guilty Women has it all. Blake’s latest novel proves she’s here to stay as the new queen of the blockbuster novel. Jackie Collins would have loved it” Bella Magazine

“Not for the faint hearted! An unputdownable, revenge and lust filled romp of a read that you won’t want to end!” Heat Magazine

“The perfect killer thriller with sexy scenes that’ll keep you reading late into the night” Notebook Magazine

“If you only read one book this year, then Guilty Women won’t disappoint. It will leave you breathless”
The Express

About the Author

Bestselling author Melanie Blake’s own real life Rags to Riches story reads like the plot of an outrageous drama…

At fifteen years old Melanie Blake was told by her high school career advisors that her decision to do work experience at a local record shop was an ‘embarrassment to the school and a clear example that she wouldn’t go far in life or her career’. They were wrong. By nineteen she was working at the BBC’s iconic Top of the Pops show and by twenty-seven she had built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading music and entertainment managers, with her own agency and roster of award-winning artists who had sold more than 100 million records. During this time she also built up an acting agency from scratch which quickly became the most successful independent boutique agency in the UK where she manages clients from some of the biggest internationally syndicated shows in the world.

Her roster have won Baftas, Emmys and pretty much every best actress award going and Melanie is one of the most successful female agents in the world. In the UK alone, over 25 million people a week currently tune in to watch the very stars Melanie represents in their globally syndicated shows. In 2018 after two decades at the top of her game, Melanie decided to manage a smaller client list and concentrate on her other passion, writing – first as a columnist for a national newspaper, then as a playwright and now as a best-selling novelist.

Her first book The Thunder Girls became a Number 1 Best Seller in the summer of 2019 and the play she adapted from the novel broke box office records for a new work at the prestigious Lowry Theatre. She still represents a high profile stable of some of the best known faces on British television but is also now enjoying success in her own right as a producer, author and playwright.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MelanieBlakeUK

Other Books by Melanie Blake

The Maid by Nita Prose, Published by Harper Fiction @HarperFiction @NitaProse #BookTwitter, #bookblogger #writingcommunity #BlogBlast #BookReview #Bookpreneur

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center” (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.
 

“The reader comes to understand Molly’s worldview, and to sympathize with her longing to be accepted—a quest that gives The Maid real emotional heft.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
 
“Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—Glamour

In development as a major motion picture produced by and starring Florence Pugh

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B091Y4KGFH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books (January 4, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 4, 2022

This has to be one of my favourite books of all time. What an endearing, eccentric character at the centre of this locked-room mystery. I found it refreshing to inhabit Molly’s heart-warming world. A lowly nobody, invisible to the guests but 100% familiar to me. I used to be a maid myself in a large hotel, so I resonate with Molly and understand her pride in the uniform and her trolley. This book doesn’t leave a residue, it leaves a deep mark and I’m not sure I’ll find another quite like it.   

Living by her gran’s moral code, Molly works at the Regency Grand Hotel. She doesn’t see her job as a daily grind, or something to pay the bills, she owns it, returning each room to a state of perfection. We meet Molly nine months after her gran’s death and her grief, although palpable, is kept in check by her sheer devotion to her duties. Unable to read social cues, some employees see her as an oddball while others see her as polite and respectful. She may be excluded by some, but others are there to protect her.

Giselle Black, a trophy socialite and regular guest at the hotel, befriends Molly. But her life isn’t as smooth as it seems. Her husband, Charles Black, a famous impresario who owns a quarter of the city, is not a nice man. Not if Giselle’s puffy red eyes are anything to go by. When Molly finds Mr Black dead in his bead, all hell breaks loose and she is at the mercy of the investigative team. Targeted as a suspect, she finds friends she never knew she had and embarks on finding out who could have committed this terrible crime.  

From the start, I knew this book would be one to savour. Only putting it down for work, I was desperate to return to Molly’s world and the people that surround her. Caught in a web of deceit, she is an innocent who appears unable to defend herself. But Molly is surprisingly agile. The inner workings of her brain far exceed those of the fraudsters who are out to harm her.

The humour comes with her naiveté. It’s laugh out loud funny at times, partly due to her impeccable manners and the way she thinks through a situation, especially where romance is in the air. But Molly is far from perfect and that’s what I liked about her. She is believable. She is in all of us.

Thank you to author Nita Prose for making my week so entertaining. I loved Molly and somewhere, deep inside, I’d love to see a State of Perfection Series. Molly is a national treasure.

About the author:

Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean. Visit her at nitaprose.com or on Twitter: @NitaProse.

Other books by Nita Prose:

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker, published by Hutchison Books / Riverhead Books @NancyCNTucker @HutchinsonBooks/ @RiverheadBook #Bookreview #BlogTour

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**A GUARDIAN 2021 BEST CRIME AND THRILLER PICK**
___________

If you liked “The Push” or “Girl A,” you’ll enjoy this contemporary urban fiction story, told through the voice of Chrissie the 8 year old killer.

DESCRIPTION:

‘So that was all it took,’ I thought. ‘That was all it took for me to feel like I had all the power in the world. One morning, one moment, one yellow-haired boy. It wasn’t so much after all.’

Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands.

Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn’t get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.

Fifteen years later, Julia is trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried – about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away.

That’s when the phone calls begin, which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it’s clear the caller knows the truth about what happened all those years ago.

And it’s time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?

Complex and riveting from start to finish, The First Day of Spring will leave a pit in your stomach. Many thanks to Hope Butler at Penguin for recommending this book. Debut author Nancy Tucker delivers a nuanced narrative that describes the damage wrought by neglect. A fascinating and devastating read, one of the best this year!

Narrated through the voice of the killer, the opening chapters describe the exiled and demoralized life of Chrissie whose Da is absent and whose Ma is unable to provide. I rooted for her and adored her voice which is testament to great writing. I also resonated with her neediness as she continues to be starved of everything so vital to her development. Her mother is skillfully drawn, a woman who despite all her tears and struggles, has no support, not even for dental work on her daughter’s rotten tooth. The adoption scene almost made me cry. There is enough detail to drop a reader right there without it being labored or overdone. Empty cupboards force Chrissie out into the streets to scrounge for food, or stay in a friend’s house long enough to be offered tea. A child too young to understand what is going around her. The toll it takes on an eight-year old is beautifully described, her vulnerability, the stunts she has to pull to get what she needs. Sometimes there’s humor to her inner monologue which lightens the gut-churning load. It’s not surprising she spirals down a dark path, desperate to be recognized and accepted. But when a two-year-old boy is killed, Chrissie’s point of view becomes so harrowing, it’s hard to read and hard put down.

Julia, Lucy, Chrissie is a mother now, frying fish and mopping floors and giving Molly the childhood she never had. But when a phone call threatens to reveal her past, she must face up to the horror or risk losing her daughter. Her thoughts are ingenuous as if she’s never been allowed to mature, almost a show-and-tell of her tragic life both past and present. Christmas with its cracker and horrid grey soup. There’s always the anticipation of something more sinister.

This is a moving story about the all-consuming consequences of a stolen childhood and the aftershocks that haunt this type of trauma. Gripping and stunningly written, I had a lump in my throat until the end.

Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and to Netgalley and the author Nancy Tucker for an advance copy of this amazing book. It was a privilege.

#TheFirstDayofSpring #NetGalley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Tucker was born and raised in West London. She spent most of her adolescence in and out of hospital suffering from anorexia nervosa.

On leaving school, she wrote her first book, THE TIME IN BETWEEN (Icon, 2015) which explored her experience of eating disorders and recovery. Her second book, THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TO WORRY (Icon, 2018), looked more broadly at mental illness in young women.

Nancy recently graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Experimental Psychology.

Since then she has worked in an inpatient psychiatric unit for children and adolescents and in adult mental health services.

She now works as an assistant psychologist in an adult eating disorders service. The First Day of Spring is her first work of fiction.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

‘Perceptive and compassionate’ GUARDIAN
‘A stunning debut’ WASHINGTON POST
‘I loved this book’ CLARE MACKINTOSH
‘Ccompulsively readable’ ASHLEY AUDRAIN
‘Compelling . . . stunningly powerful’ GRAZIA
‘An unforgettable narrative voice’ PAULA HAWKINS
‘An extraordinary and heart-rending novel’ OBSERVER
‘This is outstanding . . . so powerful’ TRACY FENTON
‘A darkly dazzling debut . . . gripping’ LISA JEWELL
‘A gripping, unsettling debut novel’ ABIGAIL DEAN
‘Sharp-edged and highly discussable’ BOOKLIST