Grab This Book – Page 36 – Helping readers find great books they may otherwise miss

Who We Were – B.M. Carroll

A KILLER TWENTY-YEAR REUNION.
AND YOU’RE INVITED…

Twenty years after they went their separate ways, friends and enemies are coming together for their school reunion. Katy, who is desperate to show that she’s no longer the shy wallflower. Annabel, who ruled the school until a spectacular fall from grace. Zach, popular and cruel, but who says he’s a changed man. And Robbie, always the victim, who never stood a chance.

As the reunion nears, a terrible event that binds the group together will resurface. Because someone is still holding a grudge, and will stop at nothing to reveal their darkest secrets…

My thanks to the publishers who kindly provided a review copy of Who We Were through Netgalley.

School days. Did you love them? Hate them? Would you want to go back to a 20 year reunion and meet the kids you chummed with now that they have grown up?

In Who We Were BM Carroll poses that very question and gived her readers an intense look into the lives of a core of classmates who are all being invited to attend their 20 year reunion. For most it brings back some unhappy memories from a time they were carefree and less aware of how their actions may be impacting on others. Facing up to those younger versions of themselves will cause unease and disruption to their lives.

The focus is mainly on one group of friends. The cooler kids, the pretty one, the sports star, the class clown but there are also some of the misfits in the mix too…the kid with epilepsy and mental health issues, the nerdy girl who seems too nice to be in the coolest set.

It is Katy, the carrot-haired nerd who is driving the reunion. She is now a popular teacher and still in regular contact with a few of her school friends. Katy links the different family groups and her enthusiasm to reunite them keeps events rocking along for the first half of the book.

Other characters feature frequently with new chapters looking in on different family dramas. The author has captured all of their secret problems and tribulations really cleverly, enough that we know there are issues but in the main not too dramatic to have those dramas visible for outside parties to see.

The secrecy is important as a mysterious entity is sending spiteful emails to the schoolmates mocking their high school persona and how their lives turned out. They are using these secrets to expose inner fears or past trauma and upset the recipient.

Soon friends are drawing closer together but with a wariness and insecurity which suggests they don’t really trust their old friends. Someone has a grudge and as events unfold it seems the risk of harm is increasing. Notes left on pillows, homes violated and family members threatened…as we get deeper into the lives of these people we become more invested in rooting for their safety and more worried about which of the group may be looking to harm others.

By the time we reached the endgame I had suspected all the characters and I would point the finger of blame at someone new every three or four pages.

Who We Were is an engaging drama which I could easily envisage as a tv adaptation. The characters are well depicted, given a depth and reality which made me want to read more about them. Good fun was had with this book.

Who We Were is published by Viper Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081759L4M/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 30

King of the Crows – Russell Day

“Ocean’s Eleven meets 28 Days Later.”

2028, eight years after a pandemic swept across Europe, the virus has been defeated and normal life has resumed.

Memories of The Lockdown have already become clouded by myths, rumour and conspiracy.

Books have been written, movies have been released and the names Robertson, Miller & Maccallan have slipped into legend.

Together they hauled The Crows, a ragged group of virus survivors, across the ruins of London. Kept them alive, kept them safe, kept them moving.

But not all myths are true and not all heroes are heroes.

Questions are starting to be asked about what really happened during those days when society crumbled and the capital city became a killing ground.

Finally the truth will be revealed.

I received a review copy from the publisher.

By the time you read this King of the Crows should be available to buy. Go get it. Right now. Is shall wait for you to come back before I continue. There is a handy purchase link at the foot of this review – got you covered.

Okay – have you bought your copy? Brilliant decision. The King of the Crows is likely to be the most memorable book I shall ever review here on Grab This Book. Well it’s a book about a global pandemic which I read during a global pandemic. If that’s not memorable then I am scared to know what could top it.

So you may be thinking that a book about a pandemic isn’t the story for you at the moment. That’s your choice obviously but if you are happy to accept that this is a work of fiction and isn’t meant to ever happen then sit down, strap in and get ready for an unforgettable ride.

A virus has spread across much of Europe. It started with cats (totally vindicating my abhorrence for the feline species) and it spread to humans. The author spends time showing how the early stages of infection were noticed by some of the key players in the story and it is soon very obvious that this virus is unforgiving and deadly. Those infected will keep functioning while their minds are destroyed – the virus keeps the body moving even when when it is badly deteriorated. The image I had throughout was of the zombies from the Resident Evil videogames.

In London there is a major tipping point in the attempts to combat the spread of infection. Troops open fire on a busy city bridge with the intent of stopping the infected crossing the Thames. Innocent and uninfected civilians die and those cutoff from ‘safety’ are forced to do whatever it takes to survive. With safety in numbers being key the story will track one group at a critical period in their travels around London.

The group in question have gained fame. After the viral outbreak society does return to a form of normal and a blockbuster movie was made (based upon the book written by one of the survivors). His name was Robertson and he became known as King of the Crows. I am not telling you why as that revelation is one of the many great elements of the book.

Robertson is one of the key characters the book will follow. Through London’s streets at the height of the crisis and in the future element of the story when the film has made him a celebrity but he is sitting in a police station being interviewed by two cops. They feel Robertson is a criminal but exactly what he has done is not immediately made clear. The interview scenes help link the action elements when the pandemic was at peak.

In addition to London we spend time in France. They had a worse infection than the UK and this element of the book tracks an American banker who gets stuck in a Parisian guest house as the city enters lockdown. Her flight to safety is very much a solo affair and has a different feel to the team efforts in London.

Also keeping the story flowing are urban dictionary explanations of new pandemic terminology. Chat room extracts where online debates rage about actual events which shaped the movie. These punctuate action sequences and allow us to keep abreast of events as scenes change and time passes.

The book is described as Oceans 11 meets 28 days later. It is not immediately obvious why those two films are singled out – all becomes clear. It’s wonderful to finally understand what has motivated some characters. The endgame blew my mind – did not expect what Russell Day meticulously plotted. So very good.

I remember last year when publishers Fahrenheit Press started to crow (sorry) about a manuscript they had received – Zombies and gangs and banks. They made it sound exciting, daring, like nothing you would get anywhere else but from Fahrenheit. It is all those things. You did buy your copy didn’t you? Good.

King of the Crows is published by Fahrenheit Press. It is available in limited edition hardback, paperback and digital format. As with all of Fahrenheit’s books, buying a physical copy will net you a free digital copy too. Order link here: https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/collections/fahrenheit-press/products/king-of-the-crows-russell-day

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April 22

The Murder Game – Rachel Abbott

Eight Guests. One Killer. No Escape

A year ago today, we gathered for Lucas and Nina’s wedding at their glorious Cornish home overlooking the sea.

But no one was married that day.

Last year there were nine of us. Now there are eight. And Lucas has invited us back for a macabre anniversary.

Tonight, he’s planned a game for us: we each have a costume and a role to play. The game, he tells us, is about to begin.

What does Lucas want? What are we not being told? And how will this terrifying game end?

I received a review copy from the publishers. My thanks also to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the chance to join this tour.

Do you ever pick up a new book and not read the blurb on the cover? Perhaps for an author you always read so you don’t need to know what the story is about? I do it quite often, sometimes just so I go into a story with no idea what lies ahead. That’s what I did with The Murder Game. I knew Rachel Abbott’s reputation for writing clever thrillers and after I saw the splash “Eight Guests. One Killer. No Escape” I thought this sounded like a book for me. Naturally I assumed I would be reading about a secluded location where someone was picking off the guests one-by-one. Naturally I was totally wrong – well you know what they say about never assuming.

I got the remote location bit correct. A large luxury home down in Cornwall where, 12 months ago, a group of old friends gather with their plus-one to celebrate Lucas’s wedding. Lucas is the wealthy one and his friends are pegged as hangers-on. They seem to crave his attention and bask in his company. Though each are successful in their own right their successes pale against the wealth of Lucas and their childhood dependency upon his favour never fades.

Lucas welcomed his friends to his Cornish home but the gathering is strange for Jemma (our main narrator) she is one of the plus-one’s. Her husband Matt is a successful and respected surgeon but when he is back in Lucas’s home he seems nervous, secretive and is not taking time to explain to Jemma some of the important background she should know about his old friends. In particular there is a mystery surrounding Lucas’s sister Alex. She is a nervous, flighty and troubled girl. There is talk of an “incident” many years ago which left Alex broken and reclusive. At dinner on the first night Jemma tries to bring Alex into the conversation but she is quickly talked down by her husband and it is clear Alex is not a conversation topic.

We spend time getting to know Lucas and his guests and as the wedding draws closer Jemma becomes concerned about how Lucas and his old friends seem to be holding back secrets. She also becomes suspicious of her own husband’s affection for another guest. But on the day of the wedding tragedy strikes and one of the household is found dead after a terrible accident. The wedding doesn’t take place and Lucas appears broken.

Twelve months later Jemma and Matt’s marriage is on the rocks, events in Cornwall seem to have been a main factor in the decline in their relationship. The couple receive a letter from Lucas. He is inviting them back to his home on the anniversary of the tragic event of the previous year. Matt convinces Jemma they have to attend.

On arriving back at Lucas’s home Jemma finds all the guests from 12 months ago have been invited back. Lucas has decided everyone is to participate in his Murder Game. He believes one of his friends is a murderer and by making everyone play the game he will solve a year-long murder mystery.

So not a book about a killing spree but a clever psychological thriller where Jemma helps the reader navigate through a series of lies and secrets to determine if there really is a killer in their midst. Distrust and anger lead the way, suspicion leads to fear and Jemma becomes aware that revealing a killer may well put the other guests at risk – as she gets closer to the truth someone takes exception to the information she is uncovering. In a remote house with few potential witnesses Jemma is in real danger.

Clever and devious plotting, the clues are there for armchair sleuths to find and reading The Murder Game is time well spent.

The Murder Game is published by Wildfire and is available in Hardback, Digital and audiobook format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07T5X5X68/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 17

The F*ck-It List – John Niven

You’re terminally ill.
Who do you kill?

Set in a near-future America, an America that has borne two terms of a Trump Presidency and is now in the first term of Donald’s daughter as president, Frank Brill, a retired small-town newspaper editor, lives in a world where the populist policies Trump is currently so keen to pursue have been a reality for some years and are getting even more extreme – an erosion of abortion rights, less and less gun control, xenophobic immigration policies.

Frank, a good man, has just been given a terminal diagnosis. Rather than compile a bucket list of all the things he’s ever wanted to do in his life, he instead has at the ready his ‘fuck-it list’. Because Frank has had to endure more than his fair share of personal misfortune. And he has the names of those who are to blame for all of the tragedies that have befallen him.

But eventually, as he becomes more accustomed to dishing out cold revenge and the stakes get higher and higher, and with a rogue county sheriff on his tail, there only remains one name left at the bottom of his fuck-it list.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things blog tours for the chance to join this blog tour. I received a review copy of The F*ck-it List through Netgalley.

Did you read the blurb for The F*ck-it List? Two terms of a Trump presidency and then he also managed to manoeuvre his daughter into the Whitehouse after his 8th year ended.

I found John Niven’s depiction of America under 10 years of “Family Trump” to be a deeply troubling place. But Niven made it all seem so plausible and “documents” the Trump Presidency. He explains how the Gun Lobby grew stronger, legislative changes gave voice and power to racist bigots and frankly the future American society is in a pretty unpleasant place.

That’s the background to The F*ck-it List which begins with Frank Brill meeting with his doctor to be told he only has a matter of months to live – cancer.

Frank accepts his time is limited but rather than brood on his situation he decides to take proactive approach to some of his unfinished business; there are scores to settle and balances to be corrected. Frank has had a good job as a newspaper editor and seems to hold a decent (liberal) attitude which means he is not comfortable in Trump’s America. Unfortunately for Frank his personal life has been a bumpy road with mistakes (his) and tragedy (which I found really upsetting to read). Frank wants to hold certain people to account as he believes they are responsible for some of those tragedies. A road-trip to murder awaits.

Despite my unease over the projected reality which John Niven has created I found myself really enjoying The F*ck-it List. Frank has clearly been dealt a few bad blows over his 60 years, does that merit the path of retribution he embarks upon? Possibly not but Niven has written Frank’s story so well that you feel his proposed victims may actually deserve their fate. The morality or appropriateness of his actions is something a book group could really get their teeth into and it would keep a philosophy class engaged for a few sessions too.

Once blood has been spilled there will inevitably be police interest and though he may not know it there is a cop on Frank’s trail. He makes the connections that others miss – but for *spoilers* reasons I am not dwelling too much on the reasons why this is. This sets us up for a fun cat and mouse adventure…Frank is unaware there is a “cat” on his tail but the cop is drawing closer to his prey and soon the two will come face to face. Frank has his own deadline to beat – his health is declining and he cannot rest until he has faced down all five names on his F*ck-it List.

Emotive, unsettling and very nicely pitched storytelling from John Niven – I really enjoyed this.

The F*ck It List is published by William Heinemann and is available in hardback, audiobook and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Niven/e/B001JSC30W/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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April 14

Power Play – Tony Kent

THE ENEMIES AREN’T AT THE GATE
THEY’RE ALREADY INSIDE

When a plane explodes over the Atlantic Ocean, killing hundreds of passengers, including controversial US presidential candidate Dale Victor, it appears to be a clear-cut case of terrorism. The suspect has even confessed to the bombing. But as criminal barrister Michael Devlin is about to discover, everything is not as it seems.

Also suspecting there are other forces at work, intelligence agent Joe Dempsey is driven to investigate. Who would have wanted Victor out of the way – and would commit mass murder to do it? As the evidence begins to mount, everything seems to point to the US government itself, all the way to the top. And now someone is determined to stop Dempsey and Devlin from discovering the truth. At any cost.

With countless more lives on the line, Dempsey must find a way to prove who’s pulling the strings, and free the White House from the deadly grip that has taken hold of power.

I received a review copy from the publisher. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour.

Tony Kent gives Power Play an explosive start (quite literally) which commands your immediate attention. He then spends the next 480 pages treating the reader to one of the best action adventure/political thrillers I have ever encountered. At a time I have been struggling to read and concentrate on any one title, Power Play arrived and nothing else has had a look in.

There is a large cast of characters so my normal approach of summarizing the story is not really an option – this is a story which is supported by the players. It is not easy to single out one or two names and try to explain their role as that only touches on small elements of a big adventure. Power Play is very much that, persons unknown have a vested interest in ensuring one narrative is kept secret. There is a second series of events which the opposing faction would like to know about but at the start of the book they don’t even know there is a secret to uncover. Watching two powerful forces trying to outmaneuver each other and gain control is wonderfully entertaining and Tony Kent pitches it perfectly.

The early chapters had me thinking “Hollywood Blockbuster”. The aforementioned explosive start, followed by an intense life-or-death chase scene. A covert special ops teams taking out a house full of bad guys and American agents conducting unauthorized activities on the streets of London. It was a reading rollercoaster with twists, turns and the story shooting me off in unexpected directions. The action was taking place in the US, in the UK and there was the real feeling this was going to be a “big” story – with The White House on the cover the suggestion is that we are looking at incidents which will have a global impact.

Soon I am thinking “not Hollywood” as a big blockbuster film would need to lose so much of the detail which makes Power Play so damned unputdownable. This is a grand story in terms of players and characters with key roles to play who drive the action and suspense. Power Play needs to be dramatized for television and played out over a number of episodes. This would allow the layers of intrigue Kent has built into the story to be given the chance to establish before Joe Dempsey (Intelligence agent) or Michael Devlin (barrister) can begin to unpick the lies behind the “official” sequence of events.

So many elements of the book just cannot be discussed as they would leave clues and spoilers. Frustrating from a review viewpoint as I’d love to champion some of my favourite elements. Suffice to say the author keeps a fast pace story zipping along by excellent use of tight and punchy chapters, numerous character viewpoints to keep events moving and the constant threat of discovery or exposure keeps the villains of the piece edgy and dangerous whilst keeping our heroes in regular peril (even if they don’t know it).

Power Play should appeal to fans of action thrillers and espionage thrillers. Although I mooted Hollywood adaptation or Television Dramatization for Power Play there is one golden rule which should be remembered…the book is ALWAYS better. This book needs to be read, you need Power Play in your life – you will not be disappointed.

Power Play is published by Elliott and Thompson and is available from 16 April in paperback, audio and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081QYVHKD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 13

Rules For Perfect Murders – Peter Swanson

If you want to get away with murder, play by the rules

A series of unsolved murders with one thing in common: each of the deaths bears an eerie resemblance to the crimes depicted in classic mystery novels.

The deaths lead FBI Agent Gwen Mulvey to mystery bookshop Old Devils. Owner Malcolm Kershaw had once posted online an article titled ‘My Eight Favourite Murders,’ and there seems to be a deadly link between the deaths and his list – which includes Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.

Can the killer be stopped before all eight of these perfect murders have been re-enacted?

I received a review copy from the publishers via Netgalley.

On a quiet day in his second hand bookstore Malcolm “Mal” Kershaw is visited by an FBI Agent. Agent Gwen Mulvey is investigating a series of murders and wants to discuss her theory with Mal. Seeking outside help is not normal FBI practice but Gwen’s theory is not one which has been accepted by her colleagues so she has come to Mal to discuss her idea with the man responsible for creating a list of perfect murders.

Several years prior to events in the story, Mal was preparing a blog post which detailed eight “perfect” murders. These were eight deaths from crime fiction which Mal felt should have been unsolvable. He hardly remembers writing the list and seems to quite enjoy being reminded of the selection. However, FBI agents don’t travel miles to sleepy second hand bookshops to discuss crime novels and Mal realises that the FBI must have linked his blog post to an active investigation. Is he a suspect? Has he given a “playbook” to a murderer? Is Mal possibly in danger too?

The great thing about a Peter Swanson book is that nothing can be taken at face value. He writes wonderfully twisty stories which will have readers second-guessing and even third-guessing everything they believe they understand about the characters and their motives or objectives.

In a market where publishers proclaim a book has a “twist you won’t see coming” Faber and Faber do not need to go there with Swanson. Perhaps “nothing is as it seems” should promote his writing. As such this makes each of his books a joy to spend time with – Rules For Perfect Murders being a great addition to the library.

Some great nods to classic murder tales and lots of unexpected surprises makes this a highly recommended read.

Rules For Perfect Murders is published by Faber & Faber and is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0821VC3P1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 10

She Who Lies – Alex Kane

Blood is thicker than water, the family bond stronger than any other.

They think it’s all forgotten.

But I don’t forget.

The Laird-Shaw family live a life most only dream about. Self-made millionaires Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird built their business from humble roots to global turnover, Stevie’s wife – and Gavin’s sister – Eva is never out of the style pages, while daughter Carla has used her huge following as an Instagram influencer to shine a spotlight on mental health issues.

But behind the glamour lies a web of lies; hidden secrets so explosive that they would bring this family dynasty crashing down. But someone out there knows the truth…and now they’re stepping out of the shadows to reveal the dark heart of the Laird-Shaw family. Because when the truth comes to light, there’s nowhere to hide…and all the money in the world can’t save this family from themselves.

My thanks to Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side for the chance to join the blog tour

She Who Lies was a brilliant read – getting my wrap up in early as I like to leave no doubt over my enjoyment of a story which I got totally immersed in.

This is a story of family secrets, they always give great potential for unexpected revelations and spectacular fireworks when certain facts which were meant to be kept quiet suddenly gain exposure.

The family in She Who Lies are the Laird and Shaw families. Three generations of a Scottish family who have enjoyed fame and success for a number of years but behind the public facade life is not as rosy as they present to the world.

Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird run a garden and landscape firm. They are both handsome and personable guys and early in their business venture they worked on a project for a client who was well connected to the Great and Good of society. Soon Stevie and Gavin are rubbing shoulders with film stars, minor royals and the richest in the land.

Gavin’s sister married Stevie before their rise to fame. Eve is the darling of the media and seems to act as the goto point for the media to get to the family. The reader sees how Eve is battling addictions and revelations in She Who Lies will push her to a breaking point. Eve is hooked on Stevie, their marriage is another dependency she feels she cannot do without. So if Stevie has been accused of infidelity how will Eve cope?

Eva and Stevies daughter, Carla, is an Instagram influencer and does lots of great charitable work. She has worked hard to promote good causes and is launching a mental health charity just as news breaks her father is cheating on her mother and her uncle has been accused of rape.

At the head of the family is the matriarch Brenda – Eva and Gavin’s mum. She will do whatever it takes to protect her family and is ruthless to the core. Eva and Brenda do not get on well as Eva believes her mother always favoured Gavin.

A family used to success and with a lifetime of secrets to cover up are about to be fully discussed and debated on the front page of the papers. How are they going to cope?

It should also be remembered – if there are accusations there are also accusers or victims. Their story shall also be told.

She Who Lies is narrated from several viewpoints which allows Alex Kane to share the fears and insecurities of each character as the story unfolds. She does this brilliantly and handles difficult situations with care while not undermining the effect and damage which is caused.

Powerful and compelling storytelling. This is very, very good.

She Who Lies is published by Hera Books and is available in digital format and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085G7HWZ5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 4

30 Days in June – Chris Westlake

On the 1st day of June 1988, the residents of south Wales were thrown into a state of panic when a married couple were brutally murdered in their own home. The killer, nicknamed Spartacus by the media, did not flee the scene immediately; instead, he stayed to carve Roman Numerals onto his victims’ chests.

This was the beginning of a month-long killing spree, each murder taking a step closer to home.

Seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Allen was to be the final victim, on the final day of the month. Instead, he became the only survivor, and the only real witness. The killings ended as suddenly as they began. Jeffrey relocated to London, changing his name, and his identity, to Marcus Clancy. His past life became merely a dark secret.

On 1st June 2018, 30 years to the day since the first killing, a mysterious figure refers to Marcus by his old name, through closing lift doors.

Is Spartacus back? If so, has he returned to finish what he failed to do thirty years ago?

And so begins 30 days of terror for Marcus Clancy, culminating in dramatic fashion on the final day of June.

My thanks to Emma Welton at Damppebbles Blog Tours for the chance to join the tour today.

30 Days in June is a tense serial killer thriller with a few nasty spikes along the way. Not too dark but we are a long way from cozy! Nicely balanced for this reader

30 years ago (1988) a killer dubbed Spartacus committed a month long sequence of murders. His last intended victim, Jeffrey, survived but did not come out the incident unscathed. Jeffrey moved to London and changed his name – hoping to blend into the city and gain anonymity.

In 2018 Jeffrey (now Marcus) gets spoken to by someone who knows his real name. The fears come rushing back. Has Spartacus returned to finish the murder he planned three decades ago? If not Spartacus then who recognized Marcus as Jeffrey and what do they hope to gain?

Narrative is split between two time periods and the full story is slowly revealed to the reader with everything building nicely as we approach the end of the tale.

30 Days in June builds up towarss the finale so don’t come into this book looking for a murder second chapter. It’s a slow burn tale that rewards the reader in the telling rather than trying to blow them off the page with high octane adventures.

Serial killer stories are my favourite so I enjoyed 30 Days In June. Fun was had.

30 Days in June is available in digital and paperback format and you can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08283SZBZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 2

The Familiar Dark – Amy Engel

‘In other places, the murder of two little girls would have blanketed the entire town in horror. Here, it was just another bad day’

Eve Taggert’s life has been spent steadily climbing away from her roots. Her mother, a hard and cruel woman who dragged her up in a rundown trailer park, was not who she wanted to be to her own daughter, Junie.

But 12-year old Junie is now dead. Found next to the body of her best friend in the park of their small, broken town. Eve has nothing left but who she used to be.

Despite the corrupt police force that patrol her dirt-poor town deep in the Missouri Ozarks, Eve is going to find what happened to her daughter. Even if it means using her own mother’s cruel brand of strength to unearth secrets that don’t want to be discovered and face truths it might be better not to know.

Everyone is a suspect.

Everyone has something to hide.

And someone will answer for her daughter’s murder.

My thanks to Niamh Anderson at Hodder for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour

We are just two days in to the second quarter of 2020 and already I know The Familiar Dark will make it into my Top Ten Reads of the Year. It’s that good!

The story opens with a murder. Two murders actually and the reader hears the thoughts of the victim as her life ebbs away. Two 12 year old girls are dead, Junie and Izzy, murdered by person or persons unknown in a small park in a not so nice small town. As the blurb says “Just another bad day”.

The story follows Eve. Junie’s mum. She was a single parent, struggling to keep herself and her daughter fed, trying to do the right thing and to leave the demons of her past behind her. And Eve had some demons! Her trailer-living mother favoured Eve’s brother, Cal, but both kids had tough upbringing under her care. Eve’s tempestuous relationship with the local meth dealer who would beat her if the wind changed. So on it went with Eve striving to overcome life’s challenges and make Junie the best she can.

Eve is no longer in contact with her mother but her brother is always around to help if he can. Cal is one of the local cops, hard but fair, which is a welcome trait when compared to some of his colleagues. It is Cal who comes to Eve to break the news about Junie’s death.

Eve feels she has had her world taken away from her and avows to avenge her daughter’s murder.

Amy Engel’s story is often harrowing, brilliantly characterized and one of the best types of story as it dragged me into Eve’s world and held me gripped. Eve’s driving determination will see her confront many the issues which have caused her problems in the past. Her love for her daughter is unwavering and she will put herself wherever she needs to be to get to the truth.

Small town stories always have the best secrets and the stakes seem to be so much higher for the players involved. Eve will take on Drug Dealers, corrupt cops, stake out strip clubs and meth dens and she will even face down her controlling mother.

I cheered her on through every page.

There is nothing more rewarding for a reader than a story which gets into your head in the way The Familiar Dark got into mine. Brilliantly written. A “must read” book!

The Familiar Dark is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07T5XP5VQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 1

Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell

TWO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART.

On a summer’s day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?

Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of the children will not survive the week.

Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker’s son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is a tender and unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

My thanks to Georgina Moore at Midas PR and to Anne Cater for the chance to join the Hamnet blog tour.

Now and then I like to change the reading focus. Move away from the gritty crime, graphic horrors and fantastical space adventures and read something out of my comfort zone. Hamnet, I believe, falls into the Literary Fiction category which is not somewhere I tend to dwell and it takes something pretty special to hold my flighty attention. Fortunately, for the sake of this review, Hamnet was one of those gems which kept me reading.

Hamnet is the son of a famous playwright, yes THAT playwrite, but the playwright’s name is never actually mentioned by name in the book – even though he plays a key role in the story.

The playwright is father of twins and at the start of the novel his boy, Hamnet, is frantic with worry for his twin sister who is sick in bed. Hamnet can’t find any of his family and doesn’t know what to do to help his sister.

The opening passages are a delightfully told journey around Hamnet’s house and the streets where he lives. We hear his anxieties, learn about his family – his mother, his father who is travelling to London, his irritable grandfather who makes gloves in the workshop which Hamnet will only enter with caution. Out the house and through the streets to seek the doctor (out seeing a patient) and home again to his ailing twin. The imagery and language used by the author bring events to life in a way I found transfixing.

Though the story is very much about Hamnet we also have some jumping back into the past to see how Hamnet’s mother (Agnes) met his father. Agnes has a witch-like ability to read people which I found fascinating. Maggie O’Farrell gives us a sad accounting of Agnes’s life – the girl who had a desperately tough childhood. The girl who lost her mother at a young age and seemed almost feral to the families who tried to raise her.

The author evokes empathy, frustration or sorrow as the story unfolded. It almost seemed effortless at times as the beautiful language she uses unfurled a story of family and the struggles they endure.

It is easy to see why Hamnet is gathering so much praise, this is fantastic storytelling and it’s a book which held me captivated.

Hamnet is published by Tinder Press and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1472223799/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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