Category: book reviews

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Kranostein

Published April 10th, 2018 by St Martins PR
Biography, Autobiography, True Crime

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SYNOPSIS:

Longlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize
Winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature
Winner of the Australian Book Industry Awards

A woman who sleeps among rubbish she has not put out for forty years. A man who bled quietly to death in his loungeroom. A woman who lives with rats, random debris and terrified delusion. The still life of a home vacated by accidental overdose.

Before she was a trauma cleaner, Sandra Pankhurst was many things: husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wife… But as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Now she believes her clients deserve no less. Sarah Krasnostein has watched the extraordinary Sandra Pankhurst bring order and care to these, the living and the dead – and the book she has written is equally extraordinary. Not just the compelling story of a fascinating life among lives of desperation, but an affirmation that, as isolated as we may feel, we are all in this together.

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MY REVIEW:

The Trauma Cleaner is the extraordinary story of Sandra Pankhurst, who created a trauma cleaning company that takes care of a wide range of cleaning needs from hoarding to decomposition. I went into this expecting a story about a woman who cleans crime scenes but this ended up being so much more. 

Pankhurst was born male and raised in a violent home where her sexuality and gender identity was used against her. She transitioned as an adult and has worn a variety of hats, including husband, father, drag queen, sex worker, small business owner, and trophy wife, before opening her trauma cleaning business. Author Sarah Kranostein spent a few years with Sandra, interviewing her and accompanying her on a number of her cleaning jobs, something that allows her to not only tell us Sandra’s story, but that of some of her clients. 

The book is filled with lots of fascinating characters, but none are more intriguing than Sandra herself. She’s quite the character and it is impossible not to be drawn to her. She’s a complex person who has lived a life filled with sadness and trauma and there are some dark and graphic scenes in the book. She is also an unreliable narrator, though we are never sure if this is a case of outright lies or her past drug use and trauma. And although she can be selfish, she is also warmhearted and non judgemental, able to talk to anyone or put herself on any level.

Powerful, moving, funny, and compelling, this book reminds us of the importance of kindness, compassion, and human contact and connection in our lives. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah Krasnostein is a multi-award winning writer and critic. She is the best-selling author of The Trauma Cleaner (2017), The Believer (2021), the Quarterly Essay, Not Waving, Drowning (2022) and On Peter Carey (2023). She holds a PhD in criminal law and is admitted to legal practice in New York and Victoria.

Sarah has been awarded the Victorian Prize for Literature, the Australian Book Industry Award for General Non-Fiction, the Victorian Premier’s Prize for Non-Fiction, the Dobbie Literary Award, and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. She was a finalist for the Walkley Book Award, the National Biography Award, the Melbourne Prize for Literature and the Wellcome Book Prize (UK). In 2022, she was awarded the Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism.

Sarah is a regular contributor to The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Her work can be found in a variety of publications in Australia, America, and the UK including The Guardian, Tablet Magazine, Longreads, Literary Hub, The Jewish Quarterly, Meanjin and Oxford Handbooks Online as well as various academic journals. She has lectured in post-graduate criminal law and taught creative writing.

Sarah was born in America, is based in Australia and has lived and worked in both countries.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Audio Books book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar, Derek Dillard & Craig Borlase

Published September 14th, 2023 by Gallery Books
Autiobiography, Memoir, Biography, Cults & Demonism, Other Religions

TW: Sexual abuse, neglect, religious indoctrination, trauma

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SYNOPSIS:

For the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting. Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.

Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines. She didn’t protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives and mothers and are discouraged from attaining a higher education, and that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.

But as Jill got older, married Derick, and they embarked on their own lives, the red flags became too obvious to ignore.

For as long as they could, Jill and Derick tried to be obedient family members—they weren’t willing to rock the boat. But now they’re raising a family of their own, and they’re done with the secrets. Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.

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MY REVIEW:

From the moment I first stumbled upon an episode of  ‘19 Kids and Counting’ I was an avid viewer. Like many, I was fascinated by this huge family and their fundamentalist beliefs that were even stricter than my own fundie-lite upbringing. And while I didn’t buy that they were as perfect as they tried to portray, I was blindsided and horrified when the dark truths they were hiding were revealed. 

In this memoir the Duggar’s fourth child, Jill, finally tells her story, bravely narrating the audiobook version that I listened to. A story of  indoctrination, control, fear, trauma and abuse, Jill discusses the strict religious doctrine, purity culture and modesty culture they were raised in, their set gender roles that included the girls being parentified from a young age under the guise of ‘buddy teams’, the bleak reality of their poverty-stricken life before TV fame, and how religion was used as a way to control, silence and shame. Also woven through Jill’s story is the cost, which was not just financial, but emotionally, talking about how affording a better lifestyle because of the show meant there were prices to pay and how the money became another tool used to control them. Some things should not be for sale, she says, and I agree. 

I decided to listen to this on audiobook which Jill bravely narrates, and you can hear the emotion in her voice throughout. There were a number of revelations in this book that I was unprepared for despite the shocking secrets that had already come out of the Dugger closet. My jaw hit the floor and I was enraged at how her parents treated their children and the lengths they went to to try and keep control. While her mother, Michelle, isn’t innocent, it is clear that her father, Jim Bob, is the greater villain of the two and I was disgusted by so many of his actions. He retains a  tight grip and control on most of the family and my heart broke for Jill as she discussed being painted as the black sheep for daring to live her own life. 

A powerful, heart-rending and ultimately inspirational story, I highly recommend this book, particularly if you have an interest in cults or controlling families.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHORS:

Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger Duggar appear with the rest of their family on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, which airs five times a week and is now in its tenth season. The Duggars have appeared on such national TV shows as the Today show, Good Morning America, The View, Inside Edition, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and more.

Derick Dillard has been in the public eye since his first date with Jill Duggar, and over 4.4 million people tuned in for their two-hour wedding special on TLC. He starred on the TLC shows 19 Kids and Counting and Jill & Jessa: Counting On. Derick served in fulltime Christian ministry for five years, working in Asia while single, and then together with his wife Jill in Central America. Before going to law school, Derick worked in management at the Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, as a tax accountant. He is a practicing attorney, licensed in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Derick and Jill live in northwest Arkansas with their three sons.

Craig Borlase is a bestselling ghostwriter specializing in memoir. Previous works include the New York Times bestseller Finding Gobi and My Name Is Tani, the story of an eight-year-old chess prodigy.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon* | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: The Spy Coast (The Martini Club, 1) by Tess Gerritsen

Published January 18th, 2024 by Bantam Press
Thriller, Suspense, Spy Fiction, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Pensioners in the Pages, Book Series

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Spy Coast, the exhilarating new thriller from Tess Gerritsen. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Bantam Press for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘The Spy Coast is The Thursday Murder Club on steroids’ SAGA Magazine

‘I loved it. A hugely entertaining read!’ ANN CLEEVES

Maggie Bird is many things. A chicken farmer. A good neighbour. A seemingly average retiree living in the seaside town of Purity. She’s also a darned good rifle shot. And she never talks about her past.

But when an unidentified body is left on Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a calling card from old times. It’s been fifteen years since the failed mission that ended her career as a spy, and cost her far more than her job.

Step forward the ‘Martini Club’ – Maggie’s silver-haired book group (to anyone who asks), and a cohort of former spies behind closed doors. With the help of her old friends – and always one step ahead of the persistent local cop – Maggie might still be able to save the life she’s built.

The Spy Coast is the first novel in the Martini Club series.

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MY REVIEW:

“If they knew her name, then they must know about the others as well. The past, it seemed, was about to catch up with them all. 
So much for a comfortable retirement. It was time to go back to work.”

Tess Gerritsen has been one of my go-to thriller authors ever since I read The Surgeon and I am a huge fan of her Rizzoli and Isles books in particular. I’ll read anything she writes, but I will admit to being very excited when I read the synopsis of The Spy Coast and discovered she was writing a new series about a retired group of spies. After reading the author’s note at the beginning of my proof copy where she shared her inspiration for the book I was even more hyped and knew that this was going to be a book I loved. 

The Spy Coast introduces us to Maggie Bird, a retiree who you couldn’t glance twice at. A couple of years ago, Maggie moved to Blackberry Farm and settled into her new life in the quiet seaside town of Purity, Maine where she works as a chicken farmer and attends a book group with her friends called the ‘Martini Club’. But while these pensioners can be sweet as honey, they also have a vicious sting in their tails and these five friends are actually a cohort of former spies. When the body of an unidentified woman is left in her driveway, it seems Maggie’s past has come back to haunt her, and the ‘Martini Club’ combine their skills and experience to try and track down the person who wants her dead. Also on the case is Purity’s tenacious police chief,  Jo Thibodeau, who is at first exasperated by the Martini Club, but soon begins to wonder who this group of pensioners really are. They must keep one step ahead of her if they want to keep their secrets safe. 

“We may have dubbed these meetings our ‘book club’ evenings, but what we’ve really come for are the martinis. And the gossip.”

I’m a big fan of the current trend for ‘pensioners in the pages’ and Maggie and the Martini Club are a fantastic group of new characters that I adored. As you’d expect for a former spy, Maggie holds her cards close to the vest and struggles to trust even those closest to her. Flashbacks slowly reveal her history and offer clues to the person they are searching for, while in the present Maggie has to learn to share her secrets if the Martini Club are going to find the person who wants her dead. These characters were so much fun to read and a great reminder that we aren’t over the hill just because we reach a certain age or retire, and that we shouldn’t underestimate someone on the basis of those things either. 

This book is exactly why Tess Gerritsen is one of my favourite crime authors. Mysterious, thrilling, twisty, and action-packed, she had me in her thrall from the first page and kept me guessing as I tried to predict what would happen. A crime fiction powerhouse, I know I can rely on Gerritsen to deliver a fast-paced, scalpel-sharp page turner that is skillfully written and cleverly plotted. And while  a story about a group of retired spies might sound like a cosy mystery, this is classic Gerritsen, and has a much darker, gritty edge. I couldn’t get enough but also never wanted it to end and ‘just one more chapter’ was the constant refrain in my head as I struggled to put the book down so I could sleep. 

Suspenseful, propulsive, unexpected and addictive, The Spy Coast promises to be the first in a riveting new espionage series and I can’t wait for the next instalment. If you loved The Thursdays Murder Club but also enjoy darker mysteries, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.

While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction and in 1987, her first novel, Call After Midnight, was published. It was just the first of 32 suspense novels that she’s written over a 36-year writing career. She also wrote a screenplay, “Adrift,” which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.

Tess’s 1996 medical thriller, Harvest, marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list and her novels have hit bestseller lists around the world ever since. Among her titles are Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, Listen to Me, and her upcoming spy thriller, The Spy Coast, which has just been optioned by Amazon Studios for a television series. Her books have been translated into 40 languages, and more than 40 million copies have been sold around the world.

Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the hit TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles,” starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.

She lives in Maine.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the review from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

Categories
Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley

Published May 26th, 2022 by Bantam Press
Humorous Fiction, Literaty Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Lesbian Literature, Urban Fiction

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SYNOPSIS:

Get ready to hop onboard this summer’s unmissable book – the perfect feel-good and heart-warming read.

Readers are falling in love with The People on Platform 5:

‘Incredible book, full of joy and warmth and love!’
‘A great novel with some truly wonderful characters‘
‘The fantastic cast of eclectic characters will steal your heart & have you rooting for their happy endings’
‘A feel-good, once-in-a-lifetime story‘
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Every day at 8:05, Iona Iverson boards the train to go to work with the same group of people who she makes assumptions about, even giving them nicknames. As a seasoned commuter, she knows there are rules that everyone should follow:
· You must have a job to go to
· Don’t consume hot food
· Always pack for any eventuality
· You must never speak to strangers on the train

But then, one morning, Smart-but-Sexist-Surbiton chokes on a grape right in front of Iona. Suspiciously-Nice-New Malden steps up to help and saves his life, and this one event sparks a chain reaction.

With nothing in common but their commute, an eclectic group of people learn that their assumptions about each other don’t match reality. But when Iona’s life begins to fall apart, will her new friends be there when she needs them most?

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MY REVIEW:

One of my promises to myself this year is that I’d read more of my backlist and, as The People On Platform 5 has languished on my shelves for far too long, I decided to listen to it this month. Uplifting, engaging, emotional and hilarious, this love letter to the joy of friendship and the power of connection was just what I needed to lift my spirits on the cold January days. 

Every day Iona boards the train to go to work and sees the same group of people, giving them nicknames and making assumptions about their lives. But she sticks to the strict rules all commuters should abide by and never speaks to them. Until one day when a grape sparks a chain of events that will bring an eclectic group of strangers together. 

This was my first time reading a book by Clare Pooley, but it won’t be my last. Beautifully observed and wonderfully written, this heartwarming story is one I’ll not forget. Romance, humour, heartache, drama, skeletons in closets, and secrets waiting to be revealed, this gorgeous book had it all. It shattered my heart and then pieced it back together, and I often found myself laughing out loud. Who knew that the commute to work could be so eventful. 

The characters are a key part of this book and I adored this motley crew of compelling and richly drawn characters. They each narrate the story, offering us a glimpse into each of their lives and how differently they see the same events. But although there are multiple narrators, Iona still feels like the central character, and she was certainly the one who stole my heart most of all. Spirited and ebullient, she stands out from the crowd and refuses to fade away like people expect a woman of her age to do. I loved her nicknames for the other characters before she met them, her little schemes, and her beautiful romance with her wife, Bea. 

Comforting, affecting, entertaining and funny, this was an absolute joy to read. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge and spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising before becoming a full-time writer.

Clare’s memoir – The Sober Diaries – has helped thousands of people worldwide to quit drinking.

Clare’s first novel – The Authenticity Project – was a BBC Radio 2 Bookclub pick, a New York Times Bestseller and the winner of the RNA debut novel award. It has been translated into 29 languages. Her second novel is coming Spring 2022.

Clare lives in Fulham, London with her long-suffering husband, three children and two dogs.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxxx

*These links are affiliate links

Categories
Audio Books book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Published October 24th, 2023 by Simon and Schuster UK
Memoir, Autobiography, Biography

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SYNOPSIS:

The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.

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MY REVIEW:

“The woman in me was pushed down for a long time.”

When I heard Britney Spears was releasing a memoir I wasn’t sure I’d read it. I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan, but I have always enjoyed her music and was interested in hearing her side of the story after she spent so many years silenced. This was definitely a case of ‘Bookstagram made me do it’ but I was glad I decided to listen to this at the end of last year. Powerful and heartrending, The Woman in Me left me with a new-found respect and admiration for Ms. Spears. The writing can be shaky, it’s obviously written by a ghost-writer, and it was sometimes hard to follow, but it was good to finally hear Britney’s side of her story. 

This was an emotional listen. There’s sadness, anger, frustration, heartbreak and joy, taking you on a rollercoaster of emotions as Britney recounts her personal and family history. We learn that the Spears family have been beset by tragedy and trauma for generations. Britney talks about how her alcoholic father, Jamie, continued the cycle of abuse and they all lived under a constant cloud of fear where nothing was ever good enough. At a young age Britney became a ‘little entertainer’, discovering that she came alive, was taken out of her bleak reality, and felt a sense of taking back control whenever she sang or performed on stage. But what felt like an escape for her soon became another tool for control and she was repeatedly let down and betrayed by her family; the very people she should have been able to rely upon most. Even the supposedly heartwarming memories she discusses are concerning and it is so hard to listen to as she’s mistreated again and again. I was enraged and incensed as I listened to the many awful things her family has put her through.

Obviously this wouldn’t be a memoir from one of the biggest female pop stars of her generation without discussing her fame and having achieved huge stardom when she was just a teenager, this is something that has been a massive part of her life. The way she has been treated by the media and paparazzi is vile. It made me so angry to hear how she was slut shamed and mocked, especially when compared to how men in the industry were treated so differently in the same situations. My rage was also inflamed as I listened to Britney’s side of her infamous breakdown and break-up with Justin Timberlake, revealing the media spin that was put on those situations so that she was portrayed as the problem, feeding into what her father wanted the world to see so he could keep control. 

Heart-rending, maddening, and illuminating, The Woman in Me is a candid memoir which serves as a stark warning of the negative side of fame and fortune. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album …Baby One More Time in 1999. During her first decade within the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks “…Baby One More Time” and “Oops!… I Did It Again” became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s.

In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone released in 2003, which yielded chart-topping singles “Me Against the Music”, “Toxic” and “Everytime”. After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and her career went under hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits “Gimme More” and “Piece of Me”. In 2008, her erratic behaviour and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship. The same year, her sixth studio album Circus was released, with the global chart-topping lead single “Womanizer”. After embarking on The Circus Starring Britney Spears, she released greatest hits The Singles Collection, which featured U.S. and Canadian number-one single “3”. In 2011, Spears returned with her seventh studio album, titled Femme Fatale, which was released on March 29, 2011, including the lead single “Hold It Against Me” which has become Spears’ fourth U.S. number-one single. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200. This made Spears the only female artist ever to have six number one debut albums, and have seven albums debut in the top two spots.

Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists in the history of contemporary music. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, with 33 million certified albums. Spears is also recognized as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall. She was ranked the 8th Artist of the 2000s by Billboard. In June 2010, Spears was ranked sixth on Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world; she is also the third most mentioned musician on the internet, according to Forbes.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon* | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org*

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: A Soul For A Soul (Detective Kate Young Book 5) by Carol Wyer

Published January 30th, 2024 by Thomas & Mercer
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series

I’m delighted to be opening the blog tour for A Soul For A Soul, the amazing new thriller from Carol Wyer which is out today. Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the invitation to take part and to Carol Wyer for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

The syndicate have taken everything from her. It’s time to take them down―or die trying.

DCI Kate Young never meant to shoot Superintendent John Dickson at the reservoir that night―even if, as a scheming corrupt cop and head of the shady syndicate, he probably had it coming. But now Kate has photographic evidence that someone else knows her terrible secret…

Tormented by guilt and the voices of the dead, Kate is desperate to unmask the rest of the corrupt officers before her own sins catch up with her. When DI Harriet Khatri, awaiting trial for the murder of Kate’s mentor, claims she was framed by Dickson’s syndicate, Kate reluctantly agrees to help in the hope of finding answers.

Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson finds herself on the hunt for a double murderer―a man who incapacitates his victims with a powerful narcotic called Devil’s Breath. Desperate to measure up to her role-model boss, Emma finds herself hurled into the deep end in more ways than one…

While Kate’s grip on reality wavers and the syndicate closes in, and with the mystery killer taking a special interest in Emma, could this be the case that defeats both detectives?

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MY REVIEW:

I’m thrilled to be one of the bloggers opening the tour for A Soul For A Soul, the sensational new thriller from Carol Wyer, which is out today. But this isn’t only her latest book, it is also her 30th book published, making it extra special. Congratulations Carol! 

The fourth book in the Detective Kate Young series ended with a dramatic cliffhanger which saw Kate’s freedom hanging in the balance, and book five picks up right where it left off. Her confrontation with Superintendent John Dickson didn’t go as planned and she is now left trying to keep her part in his death a secret while also trying to track down the person who witnessed it. Unable to turn to her mentor, William, after he was also killed, Kate feels more alone than ever, is struggling with her guilt, and tormented by the voices of the dead. But she is determined to finally expose the corrupt syndicate once and for all. Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson is on the hunt for a killer. Two women have been incapacitated and killed by the powerful drug Devil’s Breath and Emma must find their killer before they strike again.

This book was one wild ride! Showcasing Carol Wyer’s masterful storytelling, cunning plotting, surprising twists, and compelling characters, the parallel storylines don’t give us a moment to catch our breath. There’s a pervading sense of mistrust and unease and like the characters I had no idea who was friend and who was foe, leaving me suspicious of everyone, while the familiarity and connection that comes with reading a series helped raise the tension as I tried to predict if a much-loved character really was part of the corrupt syndicate. The murder investigation did feel secondary to the corruption investigation at times but that didn’t make it any less intricate or fascinating. In fact, this is one of my favourite methods of murder Carol has written yet. Then there’s the chapters written from the killer’s perspective. These were chilling, sending shivers down my spine as he hunted his victims. And as he puts a member of the team in his crosshairs the stakes get higher, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the dramatic finale. 

Kate Young is a brilliant character and I have enjoyed seeing her mental health struggle portrayed in such a realistic way. Her grief has also been authentic and we’ve seen her go through the various stages that come with losing someone we love. She’s been through more in a few years than some experience in a lifetime, so her PTSD and mental health issues are to be expected. Though I will admit to being surprised and torn as she shifted to being the kind of person she’s always despised in the last book and her battle between those two sides of herself is fascinating to read. In this book she continues to unravel as the guilt eats at her and her grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous as the voices of the dead refuse to leave her in peace. What was once the comforting voice of her late husband has now become an angel and demon on her shoulders that leave her torn between covering her tracks and delivering the justice she still believes in. 

While I found it strange at first that Kate’s promotion means she’s not as involved in the investigations, I did come to appreciate that this allowed other characters the chance to shine. DI Emma Donaldson and her boyfriend, DI Morgan Meredith feature more prominently in this instalment and I really enjoyed seeing more of them. The couple have recently moved in together and both been promoted, with Emma leading the double murder investigation. Their relationship is impacted by these changes and they face a number of personal and professional challenges and dilemmas over the course of the book that felt relatable and real. 

Gritty, sinister,  and suspenseful, A Soul For A Soul is an adrenaline-filled thriller that I highly recommend. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carol Wyer is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the People’s Book Prize Award. Her crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from writing comedies to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1bestselling book on Amazon UK, USA and Australia. Since then, four further books in the series have been published with a fifth, A Soul for a Soul, due out January 30th 2024.

Her first standalone psychological thriller, Behind Closed Doors, was an Amazon Editor’s Pick and selected as one of the Best Books of December 2022.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on Sky and BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband, Mr. Grumpy . . . who is very, very grumpy.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: My Daddy is a Hero by Lena Derhally

Published December 9th, 2019
True Crime, Murderer Biogrophies, Psychology and Violence

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SYNOPSIS:

A husband. A father. A killer.

Chris Watts was a family man. Everybody, including his family, believed that. Yet, on August 13, 2018, he murdered Shanann, his pregnant wife, and two young daughters, burying Shanann and their unborn son in a shallow grave and dumping their daughters’ bodies in separate oil tanks.

As terrible as his story is, it is also a warning because, to this day, living behind bars, Watts is still acting out the character traits that made him kill in the first place.

In this, the first and only psychological exploration of the Watts family murders, psychotherapist Lena Derhally has pieced together the crime, the events leading to it, and most of all, her beliefs about the “why,” including the fact that Chris Watts—now a self-described “man of God”—is not in the least remorseful about killing his family.

Using police discovery and other sources, Derhally recreates the night of the murders and the investigation that followed. She explores the childhoods, families of origin, meeting, and early relationship of Shanann and Chris Watts. She also examines Watts’s double life and duplicity regarding his well-publicized affair with a co-worker, who, although she claimed their affair was casual, was searching online for wedding dresses at the time of the murders.

The book includes an in-depth look at community psychopaths, the different subtypes of narcissism, how to prevent this type of violence, and interviews with a neuroscientist, a criminal psychologist, and a journalist in order to determine what in Watts’s twisted makeup allowed him to hide who he really is for so long. Using her knowledge of attachment theory, Imago relationship theory, and psychopathology, Derhally draws a profile of the real Chris Watts and–just as important–she warns readers that he is still a danger today.

L-R: Bella, Celesta and Shannan Watts

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MY REVIEW:

“Sometimes the most dangerous people are the ones we least expect.”

My Daddy is a Hero tells the devastating story of the murder of Shannan, Bella and Celeste Watts at the hands of the man they should have been able to trust most. It immediately feels victim-centric, opening with Shannan, who was 15 weeks pregnant, arriving home after a work trip to Arizona in the early hours of August 13th, 2018. Within a few short hours she and her daughters were dead, their bodies discarded in one of the oil fields where Chris worked. 

Heartbreaking, moving and enraging, this was not an easy book to read but it was an important one. This shocking crime has haunted me ever since I first heard about it and I’ve read many online articles and watched a number of documentaries about the case in an attempt to fathom how a seemingly perfect husband and father can murder his entire family. In this in-depth exploration of the crime and investigation, Lena Durhally attempts to answer this and many other questions, crafting a wonderfully victim-centric account of this tragedy, skillfully balancing respect for Shannan, Bella, and Celeste with an honest discussion about the crime. Durhally examines the whole Watts family and delves into the psychology of psychopaths, narcissists and family annihilators in a more general way, asking how we can spot the signs and try to prevent these tragedies before they happen. But I think what is so terrifying about this particular case is the lack of red flags beforehand. Chris Watts appeared to be a model father and husband, betraying very few outward signs of his inner rage or sinister plans. It really is the stuff of nightmares and it is part of the reason he remains a danger, despite his current claims of redemption. 

I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in true crime or the psychology of psychopaths and narcissists. 

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lena Derhally is a licensed psychotherapist certified in Imago Relationship Therapy. She specializes in relationships and sees individuals and couples with a variety of issues. She has published numerous articles in The Washington Post and Huffington Post. She has also been interviewed for a variety of publications as an expert, including Self Magazine and Glamour Magazine. She is the co-host of a psychology podcast, “Sessions with Bob and Lena” and is a public speaker. In her spare time, when she is not spending time with her family and friends, she enjoys being a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington School of Medicine where she mentors medical students. She is also very passionate about raising money and awareness for children with trauma who have been afflicted by war.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon* | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan

Published January 12th, 2023 by Harvill Secker
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women Sleuths, Lesbian Literature

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SYNOPSIS:

In this witch story unlike any other, Lux and Else join forces to take their revenge on a powerful man. Their journey through the wild world will uncover both secrets and danger.

Lux has lost everything when Else finds her, alone in the woods. Her family, her lover, her home – all burned. The world is suspicious of women like her. But Lux is cunning; she knows how to exploit people’s expectations, how to blend into the background. And she knows a lot about poisons.

Else has not found Lux by accident. She needs her help to seek revenge against the man who wronged her, and together they pursue him north. But on their hunt they will uncover dark secrets that entangle them with dangerous adversaries.

From the snowy winter woods to the bright midnight sun; from lost and powerless to finding your path, Now She is Witch conjures a world of violence and beauty – a world where women grasp at power through witchcraft, sexuality and performance, and most of all through throwing each other to the wolves.

‘Mesmerising and evocative…an imaginative triumph’ Observer

‘‘An impassioned reclaiming of female desire. Stuffed, Russian-doll like, with stories,… an absorbingly atmospheric adventure’ Daily Mail

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MY REVIEW:

“Beauty is dangerous. Beauty has power. Beauty has violence.”

When Else finds Lux in the woods she has nothing. Everything she had was burned. The world is suspicious of women like Lux but she is cunning and knows how to blend into the background. Lux also knows a lot about poisons, which is perfect for Else because she needs her help to destroy the man who wronged her. But it will take them on a dangerous path where dark secrets are revealed…

It’s the first day of Booksta Review Week and I’m using it as an excuse to finally catch up on the many reviews I still have to write. Most of them are for books I listened to on audiobook, including Now She Is Witch, which I listened to back in October. 

Atmospheric, evocative and enthralling, this is a dark and witchy feminist fairytale about  power, love, loss, bravery, wisdom, and magic. It’s a timely story about disempowered women finally taking back what is theirs, utilising the magic that can be found in nature to do it. Kirsty Logan’s bewitching and poetic prose is transporting and stirring, telling truths that feel as real today as they did in history, helping the reader to connect with Lux and her story. I didn’t take many notes while listening, choosing instead to just enjoy the experience and what stays with me is the bawdy humour, compelling characters and riveting storytelling. 

Powerful, alluring, eerie, and unexpected, I highly recommend this book. 

Rating: 🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kirsty Logan is the author of three novels, three story collections, a memoir, two chapbooks, a 10-hour audio play for Audible, and several collaborative projects with musicians and visual artists. Her books have won the Lambda, Polari, Saboteur, Scott and Gavin Wallace awards. Her work has been optioned for TV, adapted for stage, recorded for radio and podcasts, exhibited in galleries and distributed from a vintage Wurlitzer cigarette machine. She lives in Glasgow with her wife, baby and rescue dog.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Cozy Mysteries Read Christie

READ CHRISTIE 2024: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Series Book 1) by Agatha Christie

Published October 1920
Mystery, Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Detective Story, Classic Fiction

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SYNOPSIS:

When Emily Inglethorp is poisoned the police are certain they’ve found the killer, but Hercule Poirot is not so easily satisfied. The sleuth digs deep into a tangled mystery in his debut appearance as the detective hero of Christie’s classic crime series.

Agatha Christie’s first mystery novel marks the initial appearance of her renowned Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, known for his impeccably neat appearance, fine mustache, and ability to cut to the core of some of the most complex and puzzling mysteries ever conceived. Summoned to investigate a murder in an elegant English country house, Poirot begins assembling clues and finding reasons to doubt the apparently obvious culprit was actually responsible for the murder. Riddles and secrets multiply as documents vanish, secret alliances are unveiled and the seemingly unsolvable is broken wide open. Deliberately conceived and written to puzzle devoted mystery fans, The Mysterious Affair at Styles has delighted readers since its first publication in 1920 and marks a perfect entry point for those new to the author or her unforgettable sleuth.

With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles is both modern and readable.

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MY REVIEW:

Ok. I confess. I’m a bad book blogger and I had never read an Agatha Christie book before this one (despite owning many). Like most people I am familiar with the stories and have watched many film and TV adaptations over the years but never got around to picking up one of the actual books. Every year since joining Bookstagram I’ve wanted to take part in the Read Christie, the official Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, but didn’t manage to fit it in. This year I was determined to make it happen and I am thrilled to have finally read my first Agatha Christie. . 

Each year Read Christie has different prompts and in 2024 they are exploring Christie’s works through the decades, starting in 1920 and going all the way through to the 1970s. January’s prompt is the 20s, so after talking to my Christie-expert friend, Sue, I decided to start at the very beginning with Christie’s first ever novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was first published in the US in October 1920 and in the UK on 21st January 1921, introducing the world to the now-famous Hercule Poirot.

Enthralling, compelling and mysterious, I loved this book. It isn’t a story of Ms. Christie’s that I’m familiar with but I loved that it felt both completely new and comfortingly familiar. It felt like finding a soft toy I’d had as a child and holding it again. Sue recommended listening to the audiobook and I am so glad I took her advice. I loved the little details like the sound of the typewriter keys clicking and thought the narrator was fantastic. I was enrapt and couldn’t stop listening, finishing it in just a few hours. And that ending! Wow. 

This book was a brilliant start to my Agatha Christie reading and one I’d recommend, especially if you’re looking to start her books for the first time like I was. Roll on another one next month! 

Rating: 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie became, and remains, the best-selling novelist of all time.

She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon* |

Special Edition (Waterstones)*

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BLOG TOUR: Halfway House by Helen Fitzgerald

Published January 18th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Humorous Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this nerve-shredding thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Orenda Books for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

On her first shift at an Edinburgh halfway house for violent offenders, a young woman is taken hostage … and that’s just the beginning… The twisty, shocking, darkly funny thriller by award-winning author Helen FitzGerald.
 
‘A new novel from Helen Fitzgerald is always a major event … magnificent’ Mark Billingham
 
‘Outrageous, hilarious and dark as hell – this is Helen FitzGerald on absolute top form’ Doug Johnstone
 
‘[Lou] is irresistible and very funny … The set-up is fascinating, the narrative is both fast-moving and convincing’ Literary Review
 
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They’re the housemates from Hell…

When her disastrous Australian love affair ends, Lou O’Dowd heads to Edinburgh for a fresh start, moving in with her cousin, and preparing for the only job she can find … working at a halfway house for very high-risk offenders.

Two killers, a celebrity paedophile and a paranoid coke dealer – all out on parole and all sharing their outwardly elegant Edinburgh townhouse with rookie night-worker Lou…

And instead of finding some meaning and purpose to her life, she finds herself trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse where she stands to lose everything – including her life.

Slick, darkly funny and nerve-janglingly tense, Halfway House is both a breathtaking thriller and an unapologetic reminder never to corner a desperate woman…

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MY REVIEW:

“She’d never been scared of him, but she should have been. She should have been scared of them all.”

In a halfway house in Edinburgh Lou O’Dowd is learning the ropes of her new job after relocating from Australia in the hopes of a new start after the end of her detrimental last relationship. The gothic townhouse is currently home to five high-risk offenders: two murderers, a celebrity paedophile, a sex offender and a paranoid drug dealer. What could possibly go wrong…

Fair warning: don’t start this book late at night because you WILL lose sleep. Utterly consuming and totally brilliant, I inhaled this book. I read it in one short sitting, losing myself in its pages and unable to stop reading until I’d reached the end. I was so transfixed thatI didn’t even notice it was 4am. But I didn’t regret a thing. Not even with the bizarre dreams that night and tiredness the next day because this book is INCREDIBLE and has secured a spot on my list of favourite thrillers of all time.

This book has it all: danger, dark humour, suspense, spice, humanity and heart. So even if this isn’t your usual kind of read I think you’ll find something you like in this story. Helen Fitzgerald has outdone herself with this book and taken things to another level of masterful storytelling with her razor-sharp, unapologetic and wickedly funny writing. The story explores a variety of topics, including toxic relationships, addiction and trauma, but it never feels too heavy or bleak, using humour to lighten tone. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments and it’s the small details that make the book great for me. Although, I do have one complaint: why was there so much delicious food in the first half of this book? I was so hungry reading it and haven’t been able to stop thinking about either yum yums or caprese salad since! 

One of the things that makes this book so good is Lou. The girl has issues and is one of those characters you know you shouldn’t like, but Fitzgerald has written her with an irresistible charm and you can’t help but like and root for her. She’s feisty, strong, scathing and funny— the life and soul of the party who cares about being remembered, not being liked, and has a quick comeback for any put-down. She has questionable morals, seems to enjoy saying inflammatory and hurtful things, has few friends and is emotionally detached. Slowly we begin to see beyond her tough veneer, Fitzgerald using flashbacks to reveal how her past has left her hurt, damaged, and unable to trust. The other characters are just as richly drawn and compelling and the residents of the halfway house are an eclectic group who have committed some truly awful crimes. Unsurprisingly, these men gave me the ick. Creepy, dangerous, unstable and shifty, these are the kind of people you’d cross the street to avoid. They set the tone inside the house perfectly and you really get the sense that Lou was locked in with the housemates from hell. 

Claustrophobic, chaotic, propulsive, savagely funny and nerve-shredding, Halfway House is a fiendishly good thriller that’s not to be missed.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and adapted for a major BBC drama. Her 2019 dark-comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in the Literary Review, Herald Scotland, Guardian and Daily Telegraph, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and won the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These links are affiliate links