Tag Suspense

The Dream Home by T.M. Logan @TMLoganAuthor @ZaffreBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #suspense #thriller #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today of The Dream Home by T.M. Logan. I have several books by this author and he always has me hooked in his stories.

My huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my spot on the Blog tour and for arranging my copy from the publisher Zaffre Books.

Their dream house will become a nightmare . . .

Adam and Jess move into a new house with their three young a rambling Victorian villa right at the very top of their price range. Before long Adam discovers a door hidden behind a fitted wardrobe, concealing a secret room . . .

Inside Adam discovers an array of forgotten items, among them a wallet, an antique watch and an old mobile phone. Jess thinks they should simply throw them away. But Adam resists. He is fascinated by these items and how they came to be inside the hidden room.

But like the house, Adam has his secrets too. And soon he will find himself setting in motion a series of events that will place his family in terrible danger . . .

MY REVIEW

People have pasts and secrets and sometimes those secrets are also concealed within the walls of a house. Some of the secrets are small and almost benign, but, just occasionally they are serious and dangerous. So when Adam and his family move into a house which is within their budget they are delighted. It does need work and there is plenty of room for them in this Victorian villa.

Adam discovers a room, that didn’t appear in the plans and it is well disguised, but he discovers that this room holds a secret. It will open a big can of worms that he did not expect!

This is a cleverly written book and one that starts well. The family are introduced and the scene is set. There are not many people in this book, mainly the family and just a handful of carefully selected others. Moving into a new house, working and renovating does not leave much time for meeting any neighbours properly.

the discovery of the hidden room opens up into something much more devious and dangerous. The threat to the family becomes very real and the author does this so well. It makes you doubt as to where this will go. The suspense is something that creeps in and as the story continues it becomes more threatening and the thriller element really kicks in.

This is a story that has many twists and turns, when another character is brought in I did not know if he was credible, dangerous or what they were. By this time in the story everyone became suspicious. I can say that I was never sure “who was it” in this book until it was dropped!

This is a brilliant story and one that is full of suspicion and threat. It is one for those who like thrillers that have a sinister edge to it that borders on being a psychological thriller. Twisted and devious and one I would definitely recommend.

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The Fury by Alex Michaelides @MichaelJBooks #crime #thirller #suspense #murder #NetGalley #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today of The Fury by Alex Michaelides. I do own his previous books but this is the first time I have read a book, I will get to his other ones.

My huge thanks to Michael Joseph and Random House publishers for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Totally original and utterly compelling, with a voice all of its own, this is the outstanding new thriller from the no.1 internationally bestselling author of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides.

This is a tale of murder.
Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

One spring morning, reclusive ex-movie star Lana Farrar invites a small group of her closest friends for a weekend away, on her small private island, just off the coast of Mykonos.

Beneath the surface, old friendships conceal violent passions and resentments. And in forty-eight hours, one of them will be dead.

But that was just the beginning…

You may think you know this story. Think again.

MY REVIEW

I still have to read The Silent Patient and I have two copies so there is no excuse, but when I saw this one I liked the synopsis and it turned out to be a very enjoyable read. This is a dark slow burner of a thriller and one that focuses on a small group of friends.

Told from the perspective of Eliot, one of the group the whole narration comes from him. He tells of those involved, the past and the present and takes the reader on an enigmatic journey through to the final scene. The story is laid out in acts and this does work well as the story is about theatre, an actress, movies and the connections between the characters. It is a tragedy as such but one that is not as straightforward as it first appears.

I really enjoyed this story and I liked how devious the characters become. The story lays out the scenario and then the fun begins, getting to know the characters and how they all came to be on the Greek Island. You don’t immediately know why there was a death but you know there was one. It is the journey to the answers rather than the answering of questions that makes this a good read.

The isolation of the island gives it an atmospheric air, especially with the mythological histories and also the strong Hitchcock presence in the story, he is mentioned a few times and is a muse as such. Again this adds to the atmosphere and intrigue.

Having a group of people in the story is good, but having just one narrator was ideal for this story and it worked so well. It gave a one-sided view of events, but then it changed and became a battle and turned into a psychological thriller as well.

This is a story that has a lot going on but it is told in a well laid out way and this is what made the story so addictive. Watching the twists develop and appear was great. It is a whodunnit and there is a lot of misdirection, the characters are flawed and not really that likeable if I am honest. The end of the story came in a whirlwind with a frenetic feel as the truth finally emerged.

A mix of psychological, thriller, mystery, whodunnit, murder, suspense and a very, very good read. It is one I would happily recommend.

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The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini @centurybooksuk #NetGalley #thriller #mystery #bookreview

yvonnembee 5 Comments

I am delighted to share my review of The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini. This is a fabulous devious story with twists and shocks.

My huge thanks to Century Books for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

A woman falls to her death from a London bank’s twenty-fifth-floor roof terrace.

Tate Kinsella, a single out-of-work actor who’s been temping at the bank, is arrested for her murder.

Tate confesses to having been alone with the victim minutes before she died, but insists she had nothing to do with the tragedy.

She’s been framed, she tells her lawyer, who agrees to help prove her innocence.

But it soon becomes clear that Tate’s story is not wholly consistent, and that she may indeed be lying.

Whose secrets is she keeping? And why?

As the mystery unfolds it becomes apparent that the key to the truth lies in the past, and nothing about the woman on the ledge is as straightforward as it first appears.

Obsession. Intrigue. Revenge. The Woman on the Ledge is a psychological thriller and a powerful story of female friendship that won’t let you go until the final gripping page.

MY REVIEW

This is a fabulous thriller that had me hooked and I loved the numerous twists in it. As the synopsis tells you, an out-of-work actress is doing temping work at a bank when she is implicated in the death of a woman. The woman is identified as the wife of one of the bank’s workers. Why is Tate implicated, well she admitted to seeing the woman before she died!

The role of Tate was so good, that she was being blamed for something that was a coincidence of her being at the scene at around the same time as the death. The police believe that they have their woman and are looking to change Tate but she is adamant that she is innocent. Her life is thrown into turmoil as the police investigate.

As the story progresses as other voices are added into the story. The story also goes back and forth in time filling in the gaps, indicating other things happening in others’ lives. In the normal world, life still goes on, people still go to work and argue within their family units but Tate is not getting any of that. She is waiting on the investigation.

This back and forth does give more to the story than you first realise. When this starts to become apparent then things change. The whole idea I had around what the story was going to be was turned upside down and was brilliantly turned into something much more devious and twisted.

This is a brilliant book to read and it is one that starts off well and then the suspense just builds and builds. It meant that it became a book I really didn’t want to put down because the more I read the more I needed to know. So addictive and completely took me by surprise several times.

This is ideal for those who like a deeply twisted thriller and one that I would definitely recommend.

About the Author…

Ruth Mancini was born in south-west London and started her career as a marketing executive for a publisher before undertaking a post-graduate diploma in law and retraining as a solicitor. Ruth has spent the past twenty-five years in and out of courts and police stations, representing those accused of crimes. She still practises as a lawyer for a large criminal law firm with offices in London, conducting advocacy in the courts and defending people arrested at the police station. She also reviews trial files across the firm and juggles her legal work with writing crime and psychological fiction.

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The Traitor by Ava Glass #NetGalley @PenguinUKBooks #crime #thriller #spies #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The Traitor by Ava Glass. Last year I read the first book in this series, Alias Emma and loved it. This second book is a fabulous follow on. You can find my review of Alias Emma HERE

My huge thanks to Penguin Random House for accepting my request to read and review this title via NetGalley.

Book Cover

British spy Emma Makepeace goes undercover on a Russian oligarch’s superyacht, where she’s one wrong move away from a watery grave, in this electrifying thriller from the author of Alias Emma .

An MI6 operative is found dead, locked in a suitcase inside his own apartment. Despite an exhaustive search, no fingerprints are found at the scene. Emma Makepeace and her handler, Ripley, know an assassination when they see one, and such an obvious murder can mean only one Someone is sending a message.

As she digs into his past, Emma discovers that the unfortunate spy had been investigating two Russian oligarchs based in London. He’d become obsessed with the idea that the two were spies, aided by a third man—whose identity he had yet to uncover. When he shared his findings within MI6 in the weeks before he died, the response came back fast and Drop the investigation and move on. Had he uncovered a secret that cost him his life?

To pick up where he left off without ending up in a suitcase of her own, Emma goes undercover on one of the oligarch’s million-dollar yachts, scheduled to set sail from the Côte d’Azur to Monaco. Under other circumstances, this would be a dream vacation. But if Emma’s real identity gets discovered, it’s a death sentence.

As Emma’s work reveals secrets she’d be safer not knowing, the danger ratchets up. The killer may be closer to home than any of them imagined, and Emma won’t be safe until he—or she—is caught.

MY REVIEW

I adored the first book, Alias Emma and I have been waiting eagerly for this second book in the series. The Traitor lives up to and exceeds my hopes and expectations and I adored it a huge amount.

Emma Makepeace is a tough cookie, she has been through a lot and she is now putting herself on the line again for MI6. She has had a bit of a backseat but now she is ready to get her teeth into a new challenge. She is tasked with trying to discover who the members of a secret organisation are. It means she will be operating alone on a Russian oligarch’s super yacht to try and discover proof of crimes.

While Emma is tough she is not the sort of person who stands out in a crowd, it would not make sense if she did considering her job role is to remain discrete and not to be noticed. This does not mean she is a soft touch, she can fight along with the best and the author has created a stubborn and willed character, but also given her a softer side and she is not above being vulnerable.

The role that she takes on is one that will put her literally in the firing line of very dangerous individuals. Her brief is to gather info and then prosecutions can be made. The Russian is not, however quite as she thought he would be. There are players in this game that she does not know about but they know about her.

This is a dangerous action and adventure story and one that hits the ground running. Emma is a great character and finds herself in some interesting situations. Working out who she can trust is something that tests her to the limits in a world where everyone is a suspect.

I adore this series and this second book was amazing, fast-paced from start to finish, full of suspicion, intrigue and danger. Definitely one for fans of spies, espionage, undercover surveillance and crime thrillers. It is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AVA GLASS is a former crime reporter and civil servant. Her time working for the government introduced her to the world of spies, and she’s been fascinated by them ever since. She lives in the south of England.

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I Did It For You by Jayne Cowie @PenguinUKBooks #suspense #dystopian #thriller #NetGalley #bookreview

yvonnembee 6 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for I Did It For You by Jayne Cowie. This is a dystopian thriller as such, but not one that is set in the distant future. Imagine you had the chance to get rid of the gene that made males violent, would you test your newborn son for that gene?

My huge thanks to Random House UK for accepting my request to read and review this title via NetGalley.

If you could test your son for a gene that predicts violence, would you do it?

Antonia and Bea are sisters, and doting mothers to their sons. But that is where their similarities end.

Antonia had her son tested to make sure he didn’t possess the “violent” M gene.

Bea refuses to let her son take the test. His life should not be determined by a positive or negative result.

These women will go to any length to protect their sons.

But one of them is hiding a monster.

And there will be fatal consequences for everybody…

MY REVIEW

This is a wonderful and yet eerily realistic feeling book to read. The basics of it are that newborn male children are being offered the M test, which will determine if they have a predisposition towards violence. This test has the aim to cut down violence in society and also make it safer for women or those who live with a more violent person. Now initially this sounded like a good idea, but my goodness the author has twisted it into an amazing story as it gave me a perspective from both sides of the M gene. Those having it are shunned and those without it are able to live a more care-free existence. What an eye-opener this was and one that would make for great reading for a book club.

Antonia and Bea are sisters but they could not be more different. Their lifestyles, choices, decisions, parenting and appearance, well they are the polar opposite. The author hints at troubles in the past but this is not fully explained until much later in the story. By then you will be starting to add things together and wondering who is who and who is being completely honest.

This is a dystopian story and it is one that has been done so well, it could be present day or the not-to-distant future. We are all aware of DNA tests for certain conditions so having the choice of what you would do for your newborn child to give them the best life possible, what would you do? The author took the sisters and gave them differences and that made it easier to see things from each of their perspectives. Oh my goodness it definitely made me think and at times it was an almost impossible dilemma to work out who was right as they both had valid reasons. Apologies if this is vague, but I don’t want to give anything away!

The story does flit back and forth in time and between characters, this fills in gaps at key points of the story and literally had me flipping the pages. The further I read the more tense the story got and yes I did guess at a couple of the answers and get them right, but from the outset, I had no idea how things would pan out.

If you like tense and suspense-filled stories that have an eerie and realistic slant to them then this is one for you. An excellent read and one that was a one-sitting book for me. I could not put it down and I would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An avid reader and lifelong writer, Jayne Cowie also enjoys digging in her garden and making an excellent devil’s food cake. She lives near London with her family.

You can find her on Instagram as @CowieJayne

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The Murmurs by Michael J Malone @michaeljmalone1 @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #crime #suspense #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The Murmurs by Michael J. Malone. This is the story of a woman who has lost part of her memory and is trying to understand her past and why she senses certain things. This is the first book in the series and I am really looking forward to what the author has for Annie in the future.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fantastic book from the publisher Orenda Books.

A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed…

On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.

How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as ‘the murmurs’…

With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.

And this time, it will never let go…

A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland’s finest authors.

MY REVIEW

When Annie Jackson is asked about her past, she is unable to answer as she only knows what she has been told. This is since the accident in which her mother died and Annie was found washed up on the shores of a Loch. Her brother is a valuable part of her life and is able to answer most of her questions. The ones he can’t answer though are the ones that come from her ability to know when someone is due to die. She calls it the murmurs. Her family and her ancestors called it the family curse!


Having a brother and other people to give Annie guidance and help is great, but there is a time when she is going to have to confront her past head-on. The thing is, well is she strong enough?

From the very start, I knew I was going to adore this book. It was so annoying that I had such a busy week at work and I could not sit and read it cover to cover as I am sure I would have done given the chance.

The story is that of the family and is told from their individual perspectives and of others who are involved in the story. It is a brilliant format for this type of story as you really get inside the heads of the characters, but that doesn’t mean that you are any closer to understanding how things are going to occur or what is coming.

Given that Annie has this ability to see the future of some, there is a controversial twist. Her mother was a devout Christian woman and there are references to events in the past when ancestors were driven out of the small community they lived in. Having this back and forth between characters and timelines is great as the author is able to leave little nuggets of information that gradually build up over the course of the story.

The author has brought a sense of dread and suspicion to the forefront of his story. Annie is not quite sure who to trust and this works so well for her character. Being reliant on others for information is one thing, but are they telling the truth?

This was also quite an emotional story and one that had me hoping that things would turn out well for Annie just because I thought she deserved to have good things. Her character is one that I really liked, at times full of confidence and at others doubting herself and those around her. Not understanding some of her memories but knowing they are important somehow was great and added another layer of suspense.

This for me was a superb gothic horror-style story but set in the present day. It was atmospheric and there are some wonderfully creepy moments. The characters have a good array of backgrounds and add doubt and suspicion.

If you are a fan of suspense-filled gothic horror stories then you really do need to look at this one. When I say horror I don’t mean the old blood, guts and chainsaw type but the psychological sort and it has been done brilliantly. Great story and characters and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the
heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines
throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood
Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association
of Writers. His dark psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and
is currently in production for the screen, and five powerful standalone thrillers followed
suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a
bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr, where he also works as a hypnotherapist.

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The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard @PenguinUKBooks #NetGalley #mystery #suspense #crime #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard. This is an intriguing and cleverly twisted story and if you are a fan of crime, mystery and suspense then this one might be for you.

My huge thanks to Penguin Random House for my copy of the book via NetGalley.

The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the 90s, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands.

Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully-fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open—and destroy her chances of ever joining the force.

A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon, she’ll realize: what you don’t know can hurt you …

MY REVIEW

As the synopsis tells you, this is the story of Lucy and the search she undertakes for her sister Nicki. Nicki is not the only woman who has gone missing and has little to go on. While Operation Tide has been set up to hunt for the women, not everyone is convinced they are connected.

The story has a cast of characters that are enough for the story, with each one having a role but no others to make it confusing. There is Lucy who needs to know if her sister is alive, why was she taken, whether was there anything that could have prevented it and also the way she goes about trying to discover the identity of the perpetrator.

Angela works in the missing persons unit and is sort of seconded by the FLO for the case to help try to understand what is going on. The case has hit a brick wall and anything new could help. Angela is a person who is a little don’t he naive side and eager to please and be noticed.

Then there is the unknown voice, this voice tells of the way women are abducted and what he does to lure them. This person has a sinister and unsettling nature and tone to him.

Understanding the actions of Nicki and of the abductor is one side of the story, the other is the way Lucy goes about trying to achieve what the Garda are unable to do. This is a twisted story and it takes quite an unexpected route, not only once but a few times. The story does meander as some of the lanes and country tracks around the Wicklow Mountains.

I was never too sure about how this story was going to develop or even end, and I wasn’t excp[ecting the ending the author came up with. It definitely caught me unawares.

This for me was a slower crime mystery, there is a lot of detail for the characters and from the beginning of the story, the tension gradually mounts. There are shocks and at times some humour but the essence of the story is a woman trying to cope with the disappearance of her sister. The not knowing is cruel and the author brings this well into the story.

If you are a fan of slow-burners that gradually ramp up the tensions and add suspicions upon suspicion then this is one that you may like. It is not straightforward and you never quite know where it is going to go or how the conclusion will be achieved. Clever and twisted and one I would d happily recommend.

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The F-Word Reality Shopw by Chris Westlake @ChrisWestlake2 @RandomTTours #thriller #fiction #suspense #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The F-Word Reality Show by Chris Westlake. This is the second book I have read by this author and he certainly knows how to twist his psychological thriller stories.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my copy of this book and for my spot on the Blog tour.

Andrew Macintosh is one of fifty seemingly random individuals offered the opportunity to appear in a reality show, to be aired to millions of viewers across the world. There is only one the contestants must not – under any circumstances – tell anyone where they are going.

Before entering the show, each contestant chooses their F-Word reward for Fame, Fortune or Freedom. Transported to a giant glass hall in the middle of nowhere, guards patrol the hall and cameras watch their every move. There is nowhere to hide.

As the days pass and the events unfold, Andrew discovers that not only is he fighting for his freedom, but he is fighting to stay alive. The choice is brutally straightforward… Andrew must kill, or be killed.

The F-Word Reality Show is a compelling thriller that will leave you wondering whether the cameras watching your every move are your best friend or your worst enemy.

MY REVIEW

This is a story of two parts, one is of Andrew and his life prior to The F-Word Reality Show and the other part is his participation in the show. Just to clarify, the F-Word is not what you think it is! The reality show offers its winning contestant three choices – Fame, Fortune and Freedom. Only one out of the fifty can win, the others are eliminated and you can tell no one you are part of the show.

This is a slow burner and it took me a while to get going with it. It was around the mid-30 % of the book when things start to step up and you realise that this is not quite what you think it is.

The story alternates between Andrew’s story, the past and the present. It is not completely clear as to why he was chosen to take part, but by the end, it is revealed shockingly. Not what I was expecting at all.

This is a mad version of a reality show that has been taken to an extreme level, it is set in 2024 and there are mentions of Covid and people are waiting for a vaccine, hence the freedom option. It gives the winner the freedom to go to a covid free country.

This is one that I really enjoyed, it didn’t immediately grab me. It grew on me and then I found I could not put it down. In some ways, it reminds me of a study of people in extreme situations and how they react.

The show is bizarre and while it sounds like a good idea, there are some rather nasty developments. Andrew does become friendly with some of the others and they form a small group that supports each other. Andrew learns more about the lives of these people.

This is a thriller but one that is quite subtle. Once I got into the story and things began to open up and I realised what things were all about I find it very addictive reading. There is a psychological aspect to this and again this is not obvious at the beginning.

A mix of contemporary fiction, psychological thriller and suspense and there is a mysterious element to it as you wonder and try to work out where the author is going to take you. It is one I would happily recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris’s page-turning novels will make you doubt what happens next, but leave you in no doubt that you sure as hell want to find out. His thrillers toy with your mind and play with your emotions.
Chris has published five novels, including three thrillers. His latest novel, THE F-WORD REALITY SHOW, is a compelling thriller which will leave you wondering whether the cameras that follow your every move are your best friend or your worst enemy.


30 DAYS IN JUNE is a serial killer thriller, and I AM HERE TO KILL YOU is a psychological thriller, with a key focus on cults, the power of manipulation, and brainwashing.


After completing a Creative Writing course in 2010, Chris Westlake’s short story, Welsh Lessons, was awarded 1st place in the Global Short Story Award (not bad for the first writing competition he had entered). He followed this up with 1st place in the Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award and 2nd place in the HASSRA Literary Award.
Chris is determined to write many, many more novels – his main regret is that he didn’t start writing earlier. He is always looking to make his next novel even better than the last. He is continuously experimenting with different styles, different genres.


You can discover more about Chris on his website

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Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland @ultimopress #crime #mystery #suspense #NetGalley #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland. This is a murder mystery that is set in Australia and is the first time I have read anything by this author.

My huge thanks to Ultimo Press for accepting my request to read and review this title via NetGalley.

Two bodies. One long hot summer. A town that will never be the same.

When Adam Lawson’s wrecked car is found a kilometre from Daisy Baker’s body, the whole town assumes it’s an open and shut case. But Jesse Redpath isn’t from Canticle Creek. Where she comes from, the truth often hides in plain sight, but only if you know where to look.

When Jesse starts to ask awkward questions, she uncovers a town full of contradictions and a cast of characters with dark pasts, secrets to hide and even more to lose.

As the temperature soars, and the ground bakes, the wilderness surrounding Canticle Creek becomes a powderkeg waiting to explode.

All it needs is one spark.

MY REVIEW

I like the cover for this book and it is now that I have finished that I realise the relevance. While it looks like a nice cheery cover, the story is dark and twisted and the author has created a wonderful mystery set in this remote area of Australia.

This is quite a riveting story but also one that is a slow burner, the author introduces his characters in a way that makes them easier to remember. These are relevant and while some have more input than others, they all provide something that helps the story along.

I liked the descriptions I was given of the countryside, tracking, weather and the fear that as everything was so dry that it could go up in a moment. I did read in his acknowledgements a the end of the story that he received help and advice from Indigenous People and this has been incorporated into the story so well. It is great to be able to learn more as well as have their experiences and expertise acknowledged and used in the story.

The story is one of murder, but who murdered who is the question. It takes the intervention from Jesse Redpath, a copper from a different district to step in and cause trouble. She knew one of the bodies, and it doesn’t fit with what she knew about him. As she steps out of her jurisdiction she finds her own leads from unexpected places and uses her own skills to discover what is going on.

I enjoyed this story and I was able to envisage various things from the words and descriptions. It is an atmospheric story and one that I got into and kept me turning the pages. It is a mystery and has a crime feel to it. Suspense I think more than thriller but definitely enjoyable and one I would happily recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adrian Hyland spent many years in the Northern Territory, living and working among indigenous people. He now teaches at LaTrobe University and lives in the north-east of Melbourne. His first novel, Diamond Dove won the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction.

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The Hotel by Louise Mumford #thriller #creepy #suspense #NetGalley @HQDigitalUK #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for The Hotel by Louise Mumford. This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy atmospherics of this story.

My thanks to HQ Digital for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Four of them went to the hotel

Four students travel to Ravencliffe, an eerie abandoned hotel perched on steep cliffs on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them leave. The fourth, Leo, disappears, and is never seen again.

Only three of them came back

A decade on, the friends have lost contact. Oscar is fame-hungry, making public appearances and selling his story. Richard sank into alcoholism and is only just recovering. Bex just wants to forget – until one last opportunity to go back offers the chance to find out what really happened to Leo.

Ten years later, they return one last time

But as soon as they get to the hotel things start going wrong again. Objects mysteriously disappear and reappear. Accidents happen. And Bex realises that her former friends know far more than they are letting on about the true events at Ravencliffe that night…

MY REVIEW

I do like a timeslip story and this is one that alternates back and forth between 10 years. Back when a group of 4 friends decided to make a visit to the abandoned hotel called Ravencliffe to make a film. Only 3 of the group return and as it is 10 years since the event there is the chance of a reunion. Will they discover what happened to the one that did not return?

Bex is the main character of the story, she is a recluse and has her own problems. The last thing she wants is to get caught up in a reunion but she knows this may be the only chance to discover what happened to Leo. The story tells of her and Leo’s friendship and also how they are joined by Richard and Oscar. Not a natural group but never the less they decide to go to Ravencliffe and make a film. It is one that will become a cult and internet favourite and gain a lot of followers.

In the present the story stages the reunion and also brings the characters up to date. Where as their earlier history is told in the past. The story flits easily between past and present and there are chapter headings to keep you on track. To be honest through you soon become aware of the changes.

I did like how they focus remained on Bex and how this was more her story, but also slotting in things from Richard and Oscar, and I should mention other characters. There are a few extra’s so to speak, and they do have a role that keeps the story moving.

This is a tense story and one that has atmospherics and a certain creepy feel to it. I am not a fan of horror but this does have the feels of a horror without the blood, guts and chainsaws.

If you like tense thrillers with a cast that you are not necessarily going t like then this is a book that I would recommend. It is a great intro to the author for me and I look forward to reading more.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx