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Showing posts from October, 2019

Book review: Conviction

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By Denise Mina Published by Harvill Secker Synopsis: The morning starts as any other for Anna McDonald. But the moment she opens the front door to her best friend, everything changes. Anna turns to see her husband standing at the top of the stairs, suitcase in hand. They’re leaving, together. And they’re taking Anna’s two daughters with them. With her safe, predictable world suddenly shattered, Anna tries to drown out the pain of their deceit by listening to a true crime podcast. There’s a sunken yacht, a multiple murder and a hint of power and corruption. But when Anna hears the name of one of the victims, she realises that this is a murder she can’t ignore. Her past, so carefully hidden until now, will no longer stay silent. To escape the trauma of her loss, Anna throws herself into investigating the case in the podcast. Little does she know that her past and present lives are about to collide, and throw everything she has worked so hard to achieve into freefall. How did

Book review: Night by Night

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By Jack Jordan Published by Corvus Synopsis: Rejected by her family and plagued by insomnia, Rose Shaw is on the brink . But one dark evening she collides with a man running through the streets, who quickly vanishes. The only sign he ever existed - a journal dropped at Rose's feet. She begins to obsessively dedicate her sleepless nights to discovering what happened to Finn Matthews, the mysterious author of the journal. Why was he convinced someone wanted to kill him? And why, in the midst of a string of murders, won't the police investigate his disappearance? Rose is determined to uncover the truth. But she has no idea what the truth will cost her… How did this book end up in my hands? I read a 10-part serialisation of the book via The Pigeonhole ahead of publication. Was it a page-turner? Indeed it was. As the pieces started coming together (almost literally), I could hardly wait for the release of the next instalment in the serialisation. Having to pace myself

Blog tour: Lunar Shadows vol. 1 and 2

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Today I am extremely excited because I have something different for you...  Witcheskin and Rough Sleepers , both set in the Lunar Shadows verse, are two very different but closely entwined stories set in the lush wilds of rural Wales and the harsh gritty inner city of South West England. Two very different main characters and two very different mysteries to be solved. Both are a blend of horror, urban fantasy and LGBTQ+ romance, with colourful supporting casts and complex villains whose motives are driven by their basic human natures. If you are a regular follower of my blog, you will know that this is not my usual cup of tea but - as these books are standalones with their own voices and trans and queer representation - I just couldn't resist! So let's delve a little deeper... Synopsis for Witcheskin : Following the disappearance of his father, keen photographer Owen returns to the Welsh village where his parents grew up to live with his mother and her boyfriend.

Book review: The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods

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By Emily Barr Published by Penguin Synopsis: Arty has always lived in the Clearing, a commune hidden in the forests of south India. But her happy life, separate from the rest of the world, is shattered after a terrible event.  For the first time, Arty must leave her home, and head into the intriguing but frightening outside world. On the streets of India, a chance encounter leads to her becoming an unwilling overnight celebrity.  As she embarks on her journey, she discovers she is being followed by thousands of strangers, who seem to know her every move… Forced to fight against mysterious hashtags and being constantly photographed, how can she find the help she desperately needs?  How did this book end up in my hands? I read an 11-part serialisation of the book via The Pigeonhole ahead of publication. Was it a page-turner? As for most of my recent reads, I had to wait for a new instalment of the book to be released each day. I’m normally quite patient but this was tor

Book review: Little Darlings

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By Melanie Golding Published by HQ Synopsis: Lauren is alone on the maternity ward with her new-born twins when a terrifying encounter in the middle of the night leaves her convinced someone is trying to steal her children. Lauren, desperate with fear, locks herself and her sons in the bathroom until the police arrive to investigate. When DS Joanna Harper picks up the list of overnight incidents that have been reported, she expects the usual calls from drunks and wrong numbers. But then a report of an attempted abduction catches her eye. The only thing is that it was flagged as a false alarm just fifteen minutes later. Harper's superior officer tells her there's no case here, but Harper can’t let it go so she visits the hospital anyway. There's nothing on the CCTV. No one believes this woman was ever there. And yet, Lauren claims that she keeps seeing the woman and that her babies are in danger, and soon Harper is sucked into Lauren's spiral of fear. Bu