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Blog Tours book reviews

Blog Tour Review: Bad Seed by Jessica Eames ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for this compelling page-turner. Thank you to Tracey at Compulsive Readers Blog Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Trapeze books and NetGalley for my e-book ARC.

SYNOPSIS:

Nicola is going to die. Just like her husband did.

Nicola thought she’d gotten away with it. 

Since her husband’s death, life has been getting back on track. She has a new boyfriend, Phil. A new home, living next door to her brother-in-law, his wife and their children. She is closer than ever with her daughter, Sarah. She even likes her job at the local shop, though she’s had some time off recently with illness. The Doctor says it’s menopause, that it’s nothing to worry about. As if he could know how she’s feeling.

Nicola is finally moving on with her life.

But then she receives the note. Someone knows what she did. They know the secret she doesn’t even think about when she’s alone.

And they want revenge.

A gripping domestic thriller told from the points of view of three women from the same family, each with their own heart-wrenching revelation. 

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MY REVIEW:

Clever, twisty and surprising, I devoured this gripping novel in under twenty-four hours. Told in three parts, a different woman from the Gregory family narrates each one, offering us a glimpse behind the curtain of this seemingly ordinary family as secrets are revealed and lives are shattered irreparably. Opening with an intriguing prologue that left me on tenterhooks, this was a rollercoaster ride that didn’t end until we reached the jaw-dropping final page that sent a shiver down my spine. 

This sinister and unputdownable domestic thriller will have you questioning just how well you know your family and wonder what secrets they might be hiding. Behind the warm smiles of this family is an undercurrent of obsession, lies, betrayal and distrust. Someone is out for vengeance. But who? Everyone was a suspect and my mind was in overdrive trying to untangle the clues. But this book was hard to predict and I was repeatedly blindsided by bombshells as they were unveiled, making me question everything I thought I knew and having to try and figure things out all over again.

One of the things I loved was the author’s use of different narrators for the three parts of the book. It gave the characters a greater depth and illuminated parts of the story that a single narrator couldn’t have. I enjoyed getting to know each of the women and found myself connecting to each of them as I read their part. The plot was pacy and the tension increased with every section, keeping me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

If you love page-turning thrillers full of twists then you need to read this book. Bad Seed is a brilliant and addictive story that you won’t be able to put down.

Out now.

Bad Seed Asset TRICK OR TREAT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jessica Eames is the pseudonym of a UK publishing industry insider, based in London Twitter- @JessicaEames2

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October Wrap Up

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Another month is over so it’s time for another monthly wrap up.

October has been another great month for me. I took part in eight blog tours and attended a book event in Nottingham where Laura Purcell interviewed Jessie Burton and I got to meet two of my favourite authors. On a personal level we celebrated my partner’s 40th birthday, he started a new job that means he’ll be home more and I went to watch The Wizard of Oz ballet with my Mum on a rare girls night out.

In terms of reading,  I’ve read eleven books and one novella. I was hoping to have finished The Photographer of the Lost but that will end up as my first completed book of November instead. I’m finding that I’m reading slower when the book is for a tour as I want to be sure I soak it all in and take as many notes as possible to write the best review I can. But I’m fine with that as I’ve read some incredible books I might not have picked up if it weren’t for being on the blog tour and I wouldn’t trade that for having a few more books on my total at the end of the month.

So, here’s what I read in October:

  1. The Family by Louise Jensen ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
  2. The Thorn Girl by Laura Elliot (previously titled In My Mother’s Name)  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  3. The Birthday House by Jill Treseder ⭐⭐⭐.5
  4. The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  5. The Blossom Twins by Carol Wyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  6. The Widow of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  7. Her Mother’s Lies by Rona Halsall ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
  8. Seven Days by Alex Lake ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  9. The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
  10. Bad Seed by Jessica Eames ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  11. The Lost Ones by Anita Frank ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  12. Keeper by Jessica Moor ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As you can see it’s been a great month with some fantastic books – including four 5-star reviews. I’m not choosing a favourite this month as I think all the 5-star reads are deserving of that title, but the most memorable for me was definitely The Blossom Twins as it was nail-biting, shocking and emotional – the best yet in Carol’s Detective Natalie Ward series. I’ve still not recovered from the turmoil of that book! It is released on December 12th and my review will be posted December 14th as part of the blog tour.

What books did you read in October? Were any of these on your list?

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Blog Tour Review: The Lost Ones by Anita Frank ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Lost Ones was one of my highly anticipated books this Autumn so I am thrilled to be able to take part in HQ’s Halloween takeover and to share my review with you today. Thank you to Joe Thomas at HarperCollins UK for the invitation to take part and my gifted copy of the book.

SYNOPSIS:

Some houses are never at peace.

England, 1917

Reeling from the death of her fiance, Stella Marcham welcomes the opportunity to stay with her pregnant sister, Madeliene, at her imposing country mansion, Greyswick – but she arrives to discover a house of unease and her sister gripped by fear and suspicion. 

Before long, strange incidents begin to trouble Stella – sobbing in the night, little footsteps on the stairs – and as events escalate, she finds herself drawn to the tragic history of the house.

Aided by a wounded war veteran, Stella sets about uncovering Greyswick’s dark and terrible secrets – secrets the dead whisper from the other side…   

In the classic tradition of The Woman In Black, Anita Frank weaves a spellbinding debut of tragedy, loss and redemption.

MY REVIEW:   

“Things happen in this house that defy explanation.. I am afraid.. . I am afraid of this house.”

Wow! Anita Frank blew me away with this mesmerising novel. Atmospheric, tender, alluring, harrowing and chilling, The Lost Ones is an exploration of family, love, grief, tragedy, secrets and the supernatural expertly woven together into a breathtaking story that I couldn’t put down. 

“Of one things I was becoming increasingly convinced: behind the crass grandeur and tasteless opulence, the walls of Greyswick were infused with so many secrets and lies that the very fabric of the building breathed deceit.”

Stella Marcham has returned home from nursing the wounded in France after the death of her fiance, Gerald. She is crushed and desolate, overwhelmed by her grief. Only her sister, Madeleine understood and slowly brought her back from the brink. Her parents don’t recognise her grief and think there is something wrong with her and call Dr Mayhew saying they think she needs help. Like before, an asylum is mentioned, much to Stella’s horror. How can she get them to understand she isn’t hysterical and just needs time?

When her brother-in-law Hector asks Stella if she’ll go and stay with her pregnant sister at his ancestral home, Greyswick, she jumps at the chance – it’s the perfect excuse to get away and to repay her sister for all she did for her after Gerald’s death. Arriving at the mansion, Stella finds her sister a shadow of her former self and vows to do whatever she can to help.  That first night she experiences the first of many strange events that will lead the sisters to believe there’s a supernatural element at work, beliefs that will see them labelled troublemakers and hysterical. But even after Madeleine is sent back to their parents’ home, Stella is determined to investigate the dark history and secrets of Greyswick and discover the truth.

“And finally, I told him of that day, the day my nightmares were created.”

The Lost Ones is gothic fiction with heart. Interlaced with the chilling ghost story, scandalous revelations and shocking twists are love stories about the many different forms that love takes. But it is the sweet love story of Stella and Gerald that was one of my favourite parts of this book. The flashbacks where Stella remembered their happy times together would make me smile but also make me ache for what she’d lost when he’d been killed in France. Stella’s raw, agonising and overwhelming emptiness and grief was palpable and the chapter where we finally learn the circumstances of Gerald’s death broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

“Something happened in this house, something that led to terrible consequences…And there’s someone still here who never wants it revealed.”

The author has filled this book with an array of compelling and fascinating characters. Stella was a great protagonist. Though she feels weakened by her grief, she is a strong, determined and brave woman who was easy to relate to and root for. Annie Burrows, Stella’s housemaid, is vital to the story and probably the most intriguing character. She is a strange girl who unnerves people, but in fact she is an anxious, timid, quiet young woman who tries to keep herself unnoticed in the background as much as possible. As the strange occurrences increase Stella notices little things about Annie and begins to see her in a new light, realising she has a gift that could be the key to solving the mystery of Greyswick.

Mrs Henge and Lady Brightwell were fantastic antagonists and there was an oppressive atmosphere that radiates from the page anytime they were in a scene. Lady Brightwell is the matriarch of Greyswick, an imposing and unflinching woman who and insists on things being done properly. She has little time for what she considers to be the histrionics of Stella and Madeleine and is insistent that there are no ghosts or secrets to be uncovered. She’s a tough adversary, especially when everyone else is on her side. Mrs Henge, the housekeeper, is an ominous, foreboding character. I was suspicious of what she knew from early on but couldn’t ascertain how much Lady Brightwell or others were involved.  

“I would find a way to fit the pieces of this appalling puzzle together.”

Anita Frank is an author to watch. I am in awe of her talent and still can’t believe this is a debut novel. Expertly and elegantly written, flawlessly plotted and utterly immersive, The Lost Ones had me  hooked from the first page. The vivid scene setting made me feel like I was right beside Stella in the shadowy, claustrophobic halls of Greyswick, chills running down my spine as the eerie things begin to happen. I even had to sleep with the light on as I was so unsettled by sinister events and the ghost of a young boy. 

Even if spooky stories aren’t usually your thing I would urge you to try this one as I think it’s a story that has something for everyone. I can’t recommend it highly enough and I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

Out today.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anita Frank was born in Shropshire and studied English and American History at the University of East Anglia. She lives in Berkshire with her husband and three children and is now a full-time career for her disabled son. The Lost Ones is her first novel.

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Blog Tours book reviews

Blog Tour Review: In My Mother’s Name by Laura Elliot ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for In My Mother’s Name.  Thank you to Bookoture for the invitation to take part, and to Bookoture and NetGalley for the eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

SYNOPSIS:

A swallow flutters its wings in a dimly lit attic as Adele Foyle stumbles across the secret diary of the mothers she has never met, and a shocking account of a crime committed twenty-five years ago…

Adele Foyle has returned to Reedstown, the last place her mother, Marianne, was seen alive. With her mother’s words etched in her mind and in the pages tucked into her jacket pocket, Adele has one purpose: to find those responsible for the devastating attack on Marianne and see them brought to justice.

Born into a Mother and Baby home run by The Thorns, a self-proclaimed religious group led by Gloria Thornton, Adele needs to first unlock the disturbing chain of events that led to her own birth if she is to understand what happened to her mother.

But news of Adele’s arrival and the diary spread like wildfire amongst the close-knit community of Reedstown. Old memories are stirring up fresh wounds.

No-one wants the truth to be told. The diary is just a story, they say. Yet as Adele begins to unravel the layers of deceit, the tissue paper lies begin to fragment.

Her mother was telling the truth. Adele just has to prove it.

A heart-stopping, intense and emotionally engrossing read that will keep you compulsively turning the pages late into the night. If you read one book this year, make it In My Mother’s Name.

MY REVIEW:

This was a compelling, intriguing, moving, exhilarating, surprising and unputdownable read that I devoured in one sitting, staying awake until the early hours. I had too many questions that needed answers to put it down. This book held me hostage until the last page and it was worth every extra cup of coffee I needed the following day to get them.

When I started this book I wasn’t expecting so many different layers to the story. It was these layers that made it so addictive as this diary, loaded as it is with such heinous accusations, turns out to be just the beginning of a hotbed of decades of lies, corruption and conspiracies in Reedstown. As the layers unravelled truths are revealed and we visit some of the darkest corners of human depravity, but also witness acts of kindness, and the goodness in humanity. 

Though the story is told from multiple points of view, our main focus is on Adele Foyle and her late mother Marianne, who died giving birth to her. Adele was raised by her grandmother and it is only after her death that she finds her mother’s diary. She knows that inside could be the answers to the questions her grandmother refused to give her, but is also worried that she might be better off not knowing. Ultimately, she needs to know and learns the awful truth of her birth and all that her mother suffered. Her anger and need for justice takes over her life, leading her back to Reedstown instead of following her fiance to start their new life in Colorado. She knows she has an uphill battle ahead, but is unprepared for the ferocity of the opposition she faces and the lengths some will go to to silence her and keep the secrets of the past buried. Adele was a well-written character. She is resolute, strong, and steadfast, her rage assailing her. But she is also broken, scared and lost, a young woman grieving the mother that was taken from her and everything she believed to be true that has been shattered. I was rooting for her every step of the way and it was this connection and need to see her get to the truth that kept me turning the pages well into the night. 

Entries from the diary give a voice to Marianne and enable her to be an integral character in the story. We see who she was and learn her innermost thoughts at the most difficult time in her young life. Just fifteen years old, pregnant after rape, torn away from her home and put in the Atonement Home that she calls a prison. Each entry is both heartbreaking and infuriating as she is repeatedly failed by those around her. The decision to make Marianne real through these entries, rather than just a shadow of the past, helped me connect to both her and Adele in her quest for justice. The author wrote characters who got under my skin and I too wanted justice for Marianne and the truth for Adele. 

In My Mother’s Name is an addictive and emotionally charged thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This was my first read by this author but it won’t be my last. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading mystery and thrillers.

Out now.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist who writes psychological thrillers and lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her novels are: The Wife Before Me, Guilty, Sleep Sister, The Betrayal, Fragile Lies, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor. In My Mother’s Name is her latest novel published by Bookoture. 

SOCIAL MEDIAL LINKS:

Website: http://lauraelliotauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elliot_Laura

(@Elliot_Laura)

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

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elliot_Laura

(@Elliot_Laura)

 

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

 

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book reviews

Review: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

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SYNOPSIS:

THE DEUBUT NOVEL FROM THE CREATOR AND WRITER OF HIT TV SHOW THE KILLLING.

As the leaves fall, he’s coming for you…

One October morning in a quiet suburb, the police make a terrible discovery.

A young woman is found brutally murdered with one of her hands missing.

Above her hangs a small doll made of chestnuts.

Examining the doll, Forensics are shocked to find a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

Can a new killer be the key to an old crime?

And will his spree be over when winter arrives – or is he just getting started?

MY REVIEW: 

A chilling, grisly, haunting book that’s brimming with tension, The Chestnut Man is the perfect autumn read. From the opening pages there’s a malevolent atmosphere, like evil is lurking in the shadows just waiting to strike. 

A young mother is found in the children’s playground behind her garden. She’s been savagely tortured, mutilated and murdered while her son slept inside unaware of the horror. It’s like nothing the officers investigating have ever seen before. And there, hanging on a beam above the playhouse, is a chestnut doll that contains a clue with links to the kidnapping and murder of a 12-year-old girl last year that was thought to be solved. 

When another young mother is killed in a similar way, the same chestnut doll at the scene, it becomes clear they are in pursuit of a sadistic killer who’s only just getting started. Now, the urgent chase is on to identify and stop him before more lives are taken – and to discover his connection to the year old murder case.

Not for the faint hearted, this was a warped, gruesome, eerie and riveting thriller. Complex and layered, the writing is sharp and atmospheric with nail-biting tension throughout. I found it impossible to predict and loved how the author slowly strung the pieces together to create the startling final picture. Its starts strong, with the grisly back-to-back murders that had my heart pounding, and I breathed a sigh of relief when there was a pause in them for a while. It felt a little slow in the middle and I did begin to wonder if focusing on so many different characters was a mistake, but he soon pulled it back together and had me on the edge of my seat.

The Chestnut Man is an outstanding debut and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. 

Out now.

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Blog Tour Review: Her Mother’s Lies by Rona Halsall ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this tense and gripping thriller. Thank you to Bookoture for my invitation to take part, and to Bookoture and NetGalley for my e-ARC of the novel in exchange for my honest review. 

SYNOPSIS:

‘She hasn’t told you, has she?’ He squeezed his eyes shut. She watched the muscles of his jaw tense, then his eyes blinked open and he took a deep breath…‘I’m not your father.’

He was there for her first steps, for her first day of school. He helped her with her homework, and took her for ice cream at the weekends. And then, two days before her ninth birthday, Martha’s father walked out. She never knew what went wrong, but she and her mother Fran never saw or heard from him again.

Fifteen years later, frustrated in a life which consists of caring for an increasingly-ill Fran, and heartbroken after the death of a beloved friend, Martha decides she needs some answers, and she knows it’s time to track down the father who left them behind.

Except when she comes face-to-face with him for the first time in fifteen years, he tells her a brutal truth.

He isn’t her father.

Her mother has been telling lies.

And not just about who her real father is.

A page-turning, gripping psychological thriller for fans of Paula Hawkins, Clare Macintosh and C. L. Taylor.

MY REVIEW:

I flew through this taut and twisty thriller. It had me hooked from the first page right until the last, immersing me in Martha’s world as she saw everything she believed to be true crumble and following her in her search for the truth.

Martha and her mother Fran have a difficult relationship. Martha loves her but the twenty-four-year-old craves freedom and resents Fran’s reluctance to untie the apron strings, as well as her financial and practical reliance due to her self-inflicted declining health. She’s torn between following her dreams and enjoying her youth, and being there to help the one person that’s always been there for her. But when Fran is rushed into hospital after a drinking binge triggers a diabetic coma, Martha uncovers a series of lies that shatter her whole world. Turning to the only person she can think of, her friend Izzy, Martha vows to unveil the truths she’s been denied all these years, having no idea that she’s setting down a path that will see her entire life unravel.

I was not prepared for this book. Nothing is as it seems. The author skillfully crafted a deceptive hall of mirrors, luring me into believing I had it all figured out. I didn’t see the bombshell coming until it was on the page. Bravo Rona, Bravo! I was now transfixed and on the edge of my seat, unable to look up until I finished the book.

Her Mother’s Name is layered, complex, emotionally charged, skillfully plotted and sizzling with suspense. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Out today.

Rona Halsall new author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rona is the author of Best Selling psychological thrillers THE HONEYMOON, LOVE YOU GONE and KEEP YOU SAFE. Her fourth book, HER MOTHER’S LIES is out in October 2019.

She lives on the Isle of Man with her husband, two dogs and three guinea pigs. She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful glens and beaches on the Island while she’s plotting how to kill off her next victim. She has three children and two step-children who are now grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories!

To find out more about Rona’s novels, go to http://www.facebook.com/RonaHalsallAuthor or follow @RonaHalsallAuth on Twitter or instagram @ronahalsall.

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book reviews

Review: ‘Seven Days’ by Alex Lake ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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SYNOPSIS:

The addictive new psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of After Anna and Copycat.

SEVEN DAYS UNTIL HER CHILD IS TAKEN.

SEVEN DAYS TO SAVE HIM.

In seven days, Maggie’s son, Max, turns three. But she’s not planning a party or buying presents or updating his baby book. She’s dreading it. Because in her world, third birthdays are the days on which the unthinkable happens…she loses her child.

For the last twelve years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Abducted aged fifteen, she gave birth to two sons before Max, and on their third birthdays her captor came and took them from her.

She cannot let it happen again. But she has no idea how to stop it. And the clock is ticking…

MY REVIEW:

WHAT. A. RIDE. The adrenaline raced through me as I read this jaw-dropping thriller. This is a book that grabs you by the throat and throws you to the ground speechless when it’s finished with you. Fast-paced and expertly plotted, I tore through this book; I would have read it in one sitting if not for that pesky thing called human interaction with my family. But I knew I’d not be able to sleep without knowing what happened so I stayed up until the early hours to finish. Boy was it worth it for that ending!

Maggie has been held prisoner in the basement for twelve years. In seven days her son Max will turn three and her captor will take him from her, just like her two other sons. She has to save him but has no idea how. We then follow the story in dual timelines and from multiple points of view, with flashbacks that start the day Maggie is kidnapped slowly unveiling the story of the past twelve years. In the present day she is desperately trying to find a way out and save her son, the seven day countdown adding tension and urgency to the subdued atmosphere.

Maggie was a great character. We watch as she not only goes from teenager to woman, but also becomes a mother three times. We see that behind her terror is a formidable woman determined to fight and protect her child. Her strength, courage and tenacity are phenomenal and she’s a character I grew to like, admire and care for. I quickly fell in love with little Max and my heart broke at what possibly awaited him. He was both a light relief in the dark basement and a cause of even greater despair for both the reader and Maggie. 

Maggie’s captor was a sinister and terrifying figure, though it’s his delusions that are most frightening. He is so convinced of them and truly believes that imprisoning her in a basement and raping her is saving her and that he had no choice but to do it. His audacity in many of his actions – which I won’t detail because of spoilers- were infuriating, as was his arrogance that he’d never be caught.  

I think what made the book so harrowing for me was it’s believability, part of which is because of the well written characters. Each is brought vividly to life as they share the narration of the story. Reading how Maggie’s disappearance affected her family brought a deeper sense of anguish, longing, heartbreak and terror to the story. I have a son the same age Maggie is when she’s abducted so I inevitably pictured the torment I’d feel if it were my child that was gone, living every emotion alongside her parents. But I think the hardest story to read was that of her younger brother James and how it ravaged not only his present, but also his future. 

This is the first time I’ve read a book by this author but I can guarantee it won’t be the last. He knows how to captivate his audience, not letting go until the last page. I was gasping out loud and my heart was in my throat as I read the electrifying finale. This is a story that is perfect for the movie screen. 

Highly addictive, heart-stopping, dark, disturbing and hopeful,  this book is a masterclass in suspense. It is one of my favourite books this year and one you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Alex Lake for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Out now on Kindle.

Out in paperback November 14th.

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Blog Tours book reviews

Blog Tour Review: The Widow of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour. Thank you to HQ Stories for the invitation to take part and my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

SYNOPSIS:

A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of murder. Who can save Pale Harbour from itself?

1846. Desperate to escape the ghosts of his past, Gabriel Stone takes a position as a minister in the remote Pale Harbour, but not all is as it seems in the sleepy town.

As soon as Gabriel sets foot in the town, he can’t escape the rumours about the mysterious Sophy Carver, a young widow who lives in the eerie Carver Castle: whispers that she killed her husband, mutterings that she might even be a witch.

But as strange, unsettling events escalate into murder, Gabriel finds himself falling under Sophy’s spell. As clues start to point to Sophy as the next  victim, Gabriel realises he must find answers before anyone else turns up dead.

MY REVIEW:

Witchcraft, suspicion and secrets abound in this dark, atmospheric thriller that is a perfect autumn read. 

“He wasn’t sure why he was drawn to the house on the hill, but his feet carried him there as if they knew the answer.”

A reclusive, wealthy widow that is the subject of whispered accusations and rumour, and a transcendentalist minister new to town and in search of redemption, are our narrators in this shadowy tale. As soon as Gabriel Stone, a widower himself, hears the rumours about Sophroina ‘Sophy’ Carver he is fascinated by the curious widow who lives a reclusive life on the hill. From the moment they meet there is a spark between them and the pair find themselves dreaming up ways to see each other.

As the pair become increasingly smitten,  the mystery of the dead animals and birds and the effergies left around the town deepens. The townspeople are still convinced it can only be Sophy and think that she has bewitched Gabriel, but he sees how she is being targeted and, as they try to fight their feelings, they begin to work together in secret to search for answers. But, as things escalate, people are found dead and notes reveal Sophy is in their sights, the search for the culprit takes becomes imperative. 

“Now that she had broken through her wall of fear, the freedom was intoxicating.”

I loved the character of Sophy. She has been damaged by what has happened in her life but seems to glide above it all gracefully. She is misunderstood and maltreated but remains kind, quietly doing what she can to help those she cares for. Gabriel took me some time to warm up to. I didn’t dislike him, but I didn’t really care for him either at first. But as he found the voice to stand against the entire town in defense of Sophy, I began to see his strength and decency shine through. There were some great secondary characters in this novel too. One that stood out for me was Helen, Sophy’s maid and companion. She’s a strange character and I was never quite sure if I trusted her or if I was misinterpreting her over-protectiveness to be something sinister. I like that she wasn’t someone I could figure out, just like I couldn’t shake my suspicions of a number of the others.

“It was not a particularly welcoming place, but now a sense of wrongness took hold of him, as if he were not supposed to be here. As if something did not want him here.”

Part romance and part mystery, this historical, Gothic fiction novel has all the right ingredients for spooky read. The author builds vivid imagery of Pale Harbour as ghostly and unwelcoming from the start. It isn’t a place I’d want to wander through alone at night. Despite this the book started started slower than I would have liked, and for a long time it felt like the love story rather than a gothic novel. But as the author turned up the suspense and built up the eerie and foreboding atmosphere I love in Gothic fiction, I found myself turning the pages as fast as possible and unable to put the book down. I was hooked and on the edge of my seat as we reached the heart-stopping conclusion. 

Publication Date: October 17th

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hester Fox comes to writing from a background in the museum field as a collections maintenance technician.

This job has taken her from historic houses to fine art museums, where she has the privilege of cleaning and caring for collections that range from paintings by old masters, to ancient artefacts, to early American furniture.

She is a keen painter and has a master’s degree in historical archaeology, as well as a background in Medieval studies and art history. Hester lives outside of Boston with her husband and two cats.

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Blog Tour Review: The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this spectacular novel. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for my invitation to take part and to Simon & Schuster UK for my copy of the novel.

SYNOPSIS:

***The epic and long awaited new romance from the author of Letters to the Lost, winner of the RNA award***

  1. The war is over and a new generation is coming of age, keen to put the trauma of the previous one behind them.

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing whose life is dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure; to parties and drinking and staying just the right side of scandal. Lawrence Weston is a struggling artist, desperate to escape the poverty of his upbringing and make something of himself. When their worlds collide one summer night, neither can resist the thrill of the forbidden, the lure of the love affair that they know cannot possibly last. 

But there is a dark side to pleasure and a price to be paid for breaking the rules. By the end of that summer everything has changed. 

A decade later, nine-year-old Alice is staying at Blackwood Hall with her distant grandparents, piecing together clues from her mother’s letters to discover the secrets of the past, the truth about the present, and hope for the future.

MY REVIEW:

Wow! This was my first read by Iona Grey and she left me stunned with this enchanting, poignant and breathtaking novel that is every bit as beautiful on the inside, as it is on the outside. 

Atmospheric, luminous, hedonistic, glittering and affecting, this is a love story, a tragedy and a journey of self-discovery. Moving between the summer of 1925 and the year 1936, we learn the story of the secrets Alice Carew’s mother Selina has kept for over a decade. 

What was at the heart of this novel is love: a love between two people from opposite social classes and the love between a mother and daughter. The two very different love stories that were told were equally moving, compelling and heartbreaking. The author also shows us the many different faces of love throughout the story: sexual love, maternal love, the love between friends, dutiful love, love that is controlling and undying love. We all love in many different ways that vary not only depending on our personality, but the roles different people play in our lives and I loved how many examples of these, as well as the impact they have on our lives, were shown throughout the story.

There were many wonderful characters in this book and I felt like the author vividly brought each of them to life through her exquisite writing. They felt real to me. I could hear their voices and see them like I was watching a movie; which this should definitely be turned into in my opinion. From the start I felt bad for Alice being all alone in that big house with her aloof grandparents and strict governess for company. Thankfully, she has the comfort of her mother’s faithful maid and friend, Polly, and the secret letters from her mother. It’s clear her mother is the only person she’s ever felt loved by so being separated for so long is bound to be difficult. Selina was an ambiguous character that I felt a range of emotions for. She’s integral to the story and watching as she grew from a self-focused young woman into a devoted mother was fascinating. I loved her group of friends and one of them was by far my favourite character. The fabulous Theo was over the top in every way and brightened any scene he was in. 

The Glittering Hours is my favourite book so far this month and is one of my books of the year. Insightful, romantic, heartrending and magnificent, this is also a fun, bawdy romp that transported me into the roaring twenties, giving a lively look at the glamour, glitz and decadence of the era. 

Out October 17th in Paperback.

Out on Kindle and in Hardback now.

Iona Grey Author Picture

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Iona Grey has a degree in English Literature and Language from Manchester University, an obsession with history and an enduring fascination with the lives of women in the twentieth century. She lives in rural Cheshire with her husband and three daughters. She tweets @iona_grey

The Glittering Hour BT Poster

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The Dark Mirror #DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth

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Purple books for #DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth

This is a very personal post that I’ve been considering sharing for about a year.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Twenty years ago today I married a man who turned out to be abusive. There were red flags before I married him but I was very young, just twenty years old when we wed, and I believed his apologies and excuses. I also didn’t see control and emotional and verbal abuse for what it was and thought because he’d “only” hit me a few times and had stopped, that everything was ok. I was wrong. Our marriage was dominated by various forms of violence that would fluctuate.

I found the strength to leave a few months before our 9th wedding anniversary. By that point we had a four-year-old son that this mama bear needed to protect.

A number of years ago I wrote this short story about that time. In honour of spreading awareness and to remind people that they can leave even after many years, I am sharing it today. I’m terrified and am shaking as I write this but I know it’s the right thing to do.

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The Dark Mirror

I’m ready. I’m wearing the ivory embroidered gown covered in lace and sparkling details, with a long train that flows out behind me like a royal robe. A tiara glitters in the mirror and a full length, white veil covers my perfectly made up face and my curled hair that cascades down my back like a waterfall. As I gaze at my reflection feeling excited about the promises I’m about to make and the life ahead something strange happens; the girl looking back begins to change. She still looks like me with the same blue eyes and auburn hair, but something is different. There is a sadness in her eyes and through them I can see her  head and heart are full of harrowing memories and broken dreams. I can see the pain, heartbreak and sorrow. Reflected in them I see the movie of her life start to play : the love and joy following solemn vows, then the anger in his voice, the plates smashing, the girl cowering in fear of his wrath, the jekyll and hyde of his character as he’s loving and adoring one moment, hateful and vicious the next. I see the anguish as she dreams of leaving but still loves him and wants to stay. I glimpse her heart breaking into a thousand pieces as he smashes up the house and tells her she’s worthless, that the child they will have is better without her and she should be dead.  I feel her longing for release so greatly that death seems favourable. She is destroyed from the inside. He’s taken away who she is and what she knows to be true piece by piece until she is nothing but a hollow shell. He’s destroyed her and thinks he’s won. That she is his and will do as he dictates forever. But he’s wrong. Deep down the fire in her is still there and she claws and fights her way back to the surface and she begins to stand up and be counted. Initially she suffers all the more for doing so. I see the hell she calls home until she can finally take no more and packing a few belongings and clutching the small boy’s hand, she flees, leaving the nightmare and all the broken promises and dreams behind. The vision has me fighting back tears, at all the woman has been through and because I know this is my future. I know she’s showing me what my happy ever after will become. I look away, not wanting to see anymore. When I look back she is gone and all that’s left is a discoloured white veil lying discarded on the floor. 

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