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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.
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
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
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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.
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.
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…
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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.
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!
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.
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.
‘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.
#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.
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.
**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
Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.
Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate. When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.
A riveting cat-and-mouse game that explores the intricacies of marriage, and the many ways in which people lie to themselves…and others…a psychological thriller in every sense of the word. Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
The Golden Couple is a propulsive, twisty, unputdownable thriller — with two heroines you won’t be able to get enough of… and a twist you’ll never see coming. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have outdone themselves! Laura Dave, the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
Product details
ASIN : B092T947PJ
Publisher : St. Martin’s Press (March 8, 2022)
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendriks and Sarah Pekkanen is probably one of the best books I’ve read this year. So well written and brilliantly plotted, it was impossible to put down. Hardly surprising when you have two collaborative minds. I loved every chapter. As Avery doesn’t know what to expect when she opens her door to new clients, I didn’t know what to expect when she opened the door to Marissa and Matthew Bishop. What I loved about this book is that, although Avery is a hero, her clever techniques have certainly met their match with the Bishops. The challenges and struggles she faces are all very real. Very believable.
To have a therapist who not only counsels people, but inserts herself into their lives to get the bigger picture is a novel idea. Her controversial process is spontaneous and clever. An ambush of ten sessions sure to burrow deep into her clients’ heads. She is successful. She is determined. What could possibly go wrong? I couldn’t wait to see what Avery’s investigations might reveal; her keen eye to detail and the personalities into which she’s tapped. By about the 72% mark, I thought I’d figured out the ending, but I was nowhere close.
Marissa may hide childhood secrets, a dormant crush which is not so dormant now. But she does not know how what she’s got herself into, how someone is cataloguing every detail of her life, and won’t let go. Someone who may be responsible for the death of Tina, her best friend. This classy domestic noir is far more than a few chapters of shocking twists. It’s an addictive exploration into complex psychological issues, obsessiveness, morality and ethics by a classy double act we have all grown to love. It leaves a residue behind and that’s what I crave in a great thriller.
More please!
About Greer Hendricks
GREER HENDRICKS is the coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl, You Are Not Alone and the forthcoming The Golden Couple. Prior to becoming a novelist, she spent two decades as an editor at Simon & Schuster. She obtained her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Allure, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children.
About Sarah Pekkanen
Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally-bestselling author of THE WIFE BETWEEN US, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE, all cowritten with Greer Hendricks.
Sarah is also the author of eight internationally-bestselling solo novels: THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, THESE GIRLS, THE BEST OF US, CATCHING AIR, THINGS YOU DON’T SAY, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS and THE EVER AFTER.
THE WIFE BETWEEN US – an instant New York Times bestseller – is a twisty psychological tale that has been optioned for film by Amblin Entertainment. Sarah and Greer are penning the screenplay for Amblin.
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL is currently in production as a television series by eOne,with Sarah and Greer serving as executive producers.
Please find Sarah on Facebook, Instagram and twitter @sarahpekkanen
BIO: Sarah is the mother of three boys, which explains why she wrote part of her debut novel at Chuck E. Cheese. Seriously. Sarah penned her first book, Miscellaneous Tales and Poems, at the age of 10. When publishers failed to jump upon this literary masterpiece (hey, all the poems rhymed!) Sarah followed up by sending them a sternly-worded letter on Raggedy Ann stationery. Sarah still has that letter, and carries it to New York every time she has meetings with her publisher, as a reminder that dreams do come true. Please visit http://www.sarahpekkanen.com
I was thrilled to be invited on Louise Jensen’s blog tour for her new book, All For You. Here is another heart-pounding, sizzling psychological thriller from the best selling author of The Date and The Sister.
Lucy: Loving mother. Devoted wife. And falling to pieces. Aidan: Dedicated father. Faithful husband. And in too deep. Connor:Hardworking son. Loyal friend. But can never tell the truth.
Everyone in this family is hiding something, but one secret will turn out to be the deadliest of all . . .
Can this family ever recover when the truth finally comes out?
Readers are GRIPPED by All For You
‘This book keeps you on your toes! It is an excellent psychological thriller, with the tension building up throughout . . . A well-deserved 5 stars from me’ NetGalley reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Compelling and chilling. Louise is at the top of her game when it comes to writing a unputdownable psychological thriller’ NetGalley reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Louise Jensen has done it again . . . The writing had the sheer talent of wanting me keep reading one more chapter deep into the night’ NetGalley reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Full of suspense and edge-of-your-seat moments. If I could give more than 5 stars I would because this book is definitely one of my favourite reads’ NetGalley reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
All For You by Louise Jensen is a twisty thriller narrated from three different perspectives. Lucy, Aiden and Connor. I had a feeling the title would be significant, but how significant isn’t revealed until near the end. The prologue tells us something terrible has happened to Connor, Lucy’s eldest son. There are flashbacks, taking us back to their time at school and a teenage dare that went horribly wrong at summer camp. A truck-load of secrets provide tension and panic and a family weighed down with anxiety and guilt. What happened to Connor’s girlfriend, Haley? Who can we trust?
Lucy, whose chapters are narrated through first person point of view, is an orthopaedic surgeon. She has given up her career to car for her teenage son, Kieron who has chronic liver disease. Looking for a liver transplant would be enough to knock her to the kerb, but there are too many problems aside from something as serious as this. The author really holds Lucy’s feet to the coals and we see her tested almost to breaking point. Through her narrative we see a dedicated wife and mother, and a child suffering from the sickness. Connor’s chapters show a conflicted teenager, whose love for his brother is paramount. But he is traumatised and struggling to cope and the truth of what happened is clawing at his sanity. As are all the secrets each Walsh family member keeps. Aiden, Lucy’s husband is a vet. His secrets threaten to destroy his career and his marriage and there’s something in his past that is relevant to the present. The fact that someone is watching them, only intensifies the pace even more.
With different characters alternating their stories, the novel gets darker and darker. There are plenty of red herrings to keep you on your toes. The ending was not one I was expecting, and I was treated to the gnawing question – how far will people go for their loved ones?
All For You is one of the twistiest thrillers I’ve read this year. Many thanks to the publishers, HQ, the author Louise Jensen and to Netgalley for the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book.
About the author:
Louise Jensen has sold over a million English language copies of her International No. 1 psychological thrillers ‘The Sister’, ‘The Gift’, ‘The Surrogate’, ‘The Date’, ‘The Family’ & ‘The Stolen Sisters’. Her novels have also been translated into twenty-five languages, as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller’s List. Louise’s seventh thriller, ‘All For You’, will be published in Autumn 2020 by Harper Collins.
Louise has been nominated for multiple awards including Goodreads Debut Author Of The Year, The Guardians ‘Not The Booker Prize’, best polish thriller of 2018 and she has also been listed for two CWA Dagger awards. All of Louise’s thrillers are currently under option for TV & film.
Louise also has a penchant for exploring the intricacies of relationships through writing heart-breaking, high-concept love stories under the pen name Amelia Henley. ‘The Life We Almost Had’ was an international best seller. her latest release ‘The Art of Loving You’ is out now.
Louise lives with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat in Northamptonshire. She loves to hear from readers and writers.
A thrilling roller-coaster ride about a heist gone terribly wrong, with a plucky protagonist who will win readers’ hearts.
What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in?
Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity–when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam.
When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means she’ll be arrested for her crimes. She’ll go to prison, with no chance to redeem her fortune.
As Lucky tries to avoid capture and make a future for herself, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, who abandoned her when she was just a baby; and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved–whose dark past is catching up with her, too.
This is a novel about truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good. It introduces a singularly gifted, multilayered character who must learn what it means to be independent and honest…before her luck runs out.
REVIEWS:
“An electric story about an unconventional heroine who is on the run from her past with a winning lottery ticket that could change her future forever. But here’s the catch . . . she can’t cash it in! I loved all the twists and turns of this adventure, not knowing where Lucky was going to end up next.” — REESEWITHERSPOON
“[A] rollicking road-trip novel . . . With Lucky’s traumatic childhood with her conman father revealed in flashbacks, it’s no wonder the TV rights were sold to Disney with Stapley tapped to write the pilot. . . . This book club pick will no [doubt] lead to lively debates on duplicity, truth, luck, nature vs. nurture in child-rearing, and how to spot a con from a mile away.” — Zoomer
“A compelling and thrilling road-trip novel about a talented grifter whose past comes back to haunt her.” — 49th Shelf
“A criminal with a winning lottery ticket scrambles to elude arrest in this thrilling adventure. . . . Stapley raises the stakes through Lucky’s increasingly desperate moves while adding depth via flashbacks to Lucky’s childhood, which was full of scams and disappointments, and through Lucky’s gradual reckoning with the truth. This page-turner packs in more than its share of heart.” — Publishers Weekly
Lucky by Marissa Stapley is a pacey read, taking you inside the life of grifters Luciana (Lucky) Armstrong and her father. It alternates between past and present, from when Lucky was left outside a nunnery in New York City in 1982, to present day in a gas station bathroom in Idaho, where she changes her appearance and name, and buys a winning lottery ticket.
Leaping back to aged 10 and her life in the Adirondacks, things aren’t so easy for Lucky. Her father is a con artist, always on the run and never putting down roots. Although the “running” is adrenaline-filled, it is not the life Lucky wants. Nor does she enjoy bilking people to get where they need to go. Imprisoned by the grifter life-style, she searches for a way out, only to find she falls back into the routine as a means to an end. Lying comes naturally because it’s all she’s ever known. But everything is about to crash, and she begins to question all the things she trusted to be true. Who is she, really?
With a father who can spin a believable yarn and get away with it, Lucky is out of luck. She must find out who she is and where she came from in order to bring closure to her journey. This is what kept me reading until the early hours. I wanted her to succeed, but the safety of the lottery ticket was an agonizing burden. The more impossible the mission, the more invested I became in the book.
For me, this was a fun read. Even though you see Cary, Lucky and her father through their dialogue — their past, and their points of view — I did crave a little more detail in order to breach the many layers of these stimulating and compelling characters. It’s a Bonnie and Cyde caper, for sure. The ending wrapped up nicely, and overall, I really enjoyed it. The paperback is short, only about 256 pages, and the writing style is informal and concise. It’s unputdownable and I can see why it is a Reese Witherspoon Bookclub Pick.
About the author:
Marissa Stapley is an award-nominated journalist and the bestselling author of the novels Mating for Life (2014), Things to Do When It’s Raining (2018) and The Last Resort (2019), which is an Oprah Magazine, New York Post, US Weekly and Parade Magazine favourite. Her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines across North America, including the Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, Reader’s Digest, Elle and Today’s Parent. She has taught creative writing and editing at the University of Toronto and Centennial College. She lives in Toronto with her family. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @marissastapley or like her page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MarissaStapleyAuthor/) for updates and contests!
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Claire Stibbe 