Category: book reviews

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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

*These links are affiliate links

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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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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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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*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Lido by Libby Page

Published April 19th, 2018 by Orion
Literary Ficiton, Romance

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SYNOPSIS:

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

Meet Rosemary, 86, and Kate, 26: dreamers, campaigners, outdoor swimmers…

Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George.

Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She’s on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it.

So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim – it is the heart of the community.

‘Feel-good and uplifting, this charming novel is full of heart’ LUCY DIAMOND

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MY REVIEW:

“It is raining smiles.”

Emotional, heartwarming and uplifting, The Lido is a truly special book. A story about  the restorative power of friendship, the power of community, life, love, and loss,  it warms you from the inside like Ready Brek and was the perfect book to chase away the cold January blues. 

Rosemary, 86, has lived in Brixton her whole life and has swum at the lido every day since she was a child. It’s the place she met her beloved late husband, George, and remains the centre of her world. Rosemary isn’t your typical elderly woman. She’s feisty, fiercely independent, and has an unquenchable zest for life. The lido is her lifeline to friendship, freedom and community, and its potential closure would mean losing a part of herself. 

Kate, 26, is a reporter for the local newspaper who was assigned to report on the potential closure. She’s recently moved to Brixton and hasn’t managed to make any friends. She’s lonely, filled with self-doubt, and crippled with anxiety and depression, but hasn’t told anyone. The two women forge a strong friendship and join forces with members of the local community to try and save the lido.

This book had languished on my shelves for far too long and I am so glad I finally took the plunge (excuse the bad pun). Libby Page’s writing is alluring, uplifting and emotionally resonant. She takes you through a rainbow of emotions, creating an overwhelming feeling of warmth and positivity despite the loneliness and sadness that runs through the story. But it’s the characters that are my favourite part of this book. I love an intergenerational friendship and the one between Rosemary and Kate is one of the best I’ve read. They were fascinating characters individually but even better together. I loved how Rosemary got Kate on board her quest to save the lido by getting her to swim and the ways they both enriched each other’s lives. I listened to this book on audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the characters and story to life. I was bereft when the story was over and am excited to read the follow up, The Lifeline, which is out in April. 

So if you’re looking for a book to brighten your day, The Lido  is the book for you.

Rating: 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From Libby’s official website:

I’m Libby Page, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lido, The 24-Hour Café, The Island Home and The Vintage Shop of Second Chances. The Lifeline, a follow-up to The Lido, will be published in the UK in April 2024.

Before writing The Lido I worked as a journalist and in marketing. I live in Somerset with my husband and young son.

Are you signed up to my newsletter? By being a subscriber you will receive the latest news about my books as well as regular reading recommendations and behind-the-scenes content.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Reviews Support Debuts

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: The Knowing by Emma Hinds

Published January 18th, 2024 by Bedford Square Publishers
Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Historical Fantasy Fiction, Alternative History, LGBTQ Romance

Welcome to my review for the gorgeous gothic debut, The Knowing , which was the first Squadpod Book Club book for 2024. Thank you to Bedford Square Publishers and EDpr for the gifted copy of the book. Join us here on Instagram Live at 7.30pm tonight (22nd January) for our live discussion with the author.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘If you love Sarah Waters and dark historical fiction, you will no doubt be hooked.’ – Diva magazine

‘Vivid, visceral and utterly immersive. Extraordinary’ Liz Hyder

In the slums of 19th-century New York.

A tattooed mystic fights for her life.

Her survival hangs on the turn of a tarot card.

Powerful, intoxicating and full of suspense. The Knowing is a darkly spellbinding novel about a girl fighting for her survival in the decaying criminal underworlds.

Whilst working as a living canvas for an abusive tattoo artist, Flora meets Minnie, an enigmatic circus performer who offers her love and refuge in an opulent townhouse, home to the menacing Mr Chester Merton. Flora earns her keep reading tarot cards for his guests whilst struggling to harness her gift, the Knowing – an ability to summon the dead. Caught in a dark love triangle between Minnie and Chester, Flora begins to unravel the secrets inside their house. Then at her first public séance, Flora hears the spirit of a murdered boy prostitute and exposes his killer, setting off a train of events which put her life at risk.

The Knowing is a stunning debut inspired by real historical characters including Maud Wagner, one of the first known female tattoo artists, New York gang the Dead Rabbits, and characters from PT Barnum’s circus.

Something Powerful Is Coming.

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MY REVIEW:

Something powerful is coming… 🔮🐉💜

Darkly atmospheric, intoxicating, unapologetic and consuming, The Knowing is pure gothic escapism. This magnificent debut brought the past to life in a breathtaking story of love, passion, self-discovery, secrets, lies, betrayal and murder that is inspired by real people from history including Maud Wagner, one of the first known female tattoo artists,  New York gang the Dead Rabbits, and characters from PT Barnum’s circus.

Flora, the only female tattoo artist in New York, lives in the slums with her abusive tattoo artist boyfriend and reads cards for a living. She meets Minnie, a charismatic circus performer, who offers Flora a new life in her upmarket home. Still earning cards to read her keep while struggling to harness the Knowing – her gift for summoning the dead. When the Knowing begins to whisper dark secrets that some don’t want revealed it sparks a chain of events that sees Flora fighting for her life. 

Wow! What a phenomenal start to 2024’s Squadpod Book Club. This is one of those decadent reads that you want to luxuriate in and savour every word, providing a sensory experience that makes you forget the world around you and lose yourself in the one the author created. Emma Hinds has immediately secured a place on my autobuy list with this magnificent tale and I still can’t believe this is a debut. The writing is exquisite and evocative, transporting me back in time and across the ocean to Flora’s world. It was like the story had been conjured into being around me in vivid technicolour and I could  see the grimy streets, smell the stench of the slum, and hear the whispers of the dead from the shadows. From the opening pages there’s a sinister suspense that pervades every page which comes from the Knowing and the ghosts who lurk in the shadows and I loved the memorable moments where Flora’s gift takes centre stage and the atmosphere is at its darkest. It leaves shivers down your spine and I read most of the book in a sense of breathless anticipation.

“I’d learned to turn my eyes away from dark corners where spirits might lurk. The  Knowing was like having a broken bone that never healed quite right. It twinged. Occasionally the world would show and the shadows would lengthen, my breath would catch in my windpipe and my heart would lurch, but I would look away. Growing up in Five Points had knocked the truth into me: there was safety in not knowing.”

The book is filled with richly drawn characters that I loved reading. The women are strong, fierce, courageous, and inspiring who have a fire that can’t be extinguished whatever they are put through. They have the misfortune to be born in an era where men own and control them but they fight for their power and independence wherever they can. On the flip side, most of the men were vile, menacing, dominating and predatory. These are the kinds of men who see women as things, not people, and care only about power and control, using them as reasons to subject women to terrible things. Much of what is on these pages is taken from history, so of course the women who refused to be submissive or behaved in a way they didn’t like were labelled as ‘hysterical’ or ‘insane’. No matter how often I read this kind of behaviour it always enrages me. Heaven forbid women have their own thoughts and feelings. 

Unsettling, haunting, potent and mesmerising, I was bewitched by this gorgeous gothic debut. It is the kind of book that is just screaming for an adaptation and I’m going to need that to happen ASAP. An absolute must-read, I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Emma is a Queer playwright and author living and working in Manchester. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of St Andrews. She focuses on historical narratives, female voices, and Queer stories. Emma’s debut novel, The Knowing, is an exploration of female trauma in the vivid and cruel world of the Victorian freak show. Her latest play, PURE, was featured in Turn On festival at Hope Mill Theatre Manchester and she was the recipient of the Artist Development grant at Hope Mill Theatre. She has written a few previous non-fiction books in her capacity as an academic (in another life she was a theologian) with an essay published, Tarantino and Theology; with Gray Matter Books and her book, Ineffable Love: Christian Themes in Good Omens; published by Darton Longman Todd. Emma uses she/her pronouns.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: On A Quiet Street by Carla Kovach

Published January 15th, 2024 by Bookouture
Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Romance

Today is my stop on the blog tour for On A Quiet Street, the new thriller from Carla Kovach. Thank you to Bookouture for the eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

Every family has its secrets. Some are more deadly than others…

I live on a quiet tree-lined street with my perfect husband Cain. But when 18-year-old Charlotte knocks on the front door, what she says has me questioning just how well I really know my husband.

‘I was adopted as a baby and I’m looking for my biological parents. I was told they live here.’

My heart races as I fear Cain has been keeping a huge secret from me. Does he have a child he never told me about? And has he been lying all these years?

I can’t trust anything Cain says. Desperate for answers, I agree to meet Charlotte in secret. But it’s Charlotte who is full of questions: about our lives, our relationship. It’s only when she lets slip the name of the road I used to live on, that I realise how much she knows about me, too…

Cold fear floods through my body. My husband may not have told the truth, but his lies are nothing compared to mine. If Charlotte knows my darkest secret, my whole life could fall apart. How far will I have to go to keep the truth hidden?

If you loved The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and Gone Girl you will be absolutely gripped by this heart-stopping psychological thriller.

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MY REVIEW:

Leah lives on a quiet street with her husband Cain and their life is picture perfect. But when 18-year-old Charlotte knocks on their door saying she’s looking for her biological parents the walls start to crumble and long-held secrets threaten to finally be unearthed…

OMG. This one hell of rollercoaster ride! Tense, twisty and thrilling, I stayed up reading this one late into the night and read it in under a day. Carla Kovach is an autobuy author for me and I know whenever I read one of her books she’s delivering a riveting thriller that I’ll love. And while I’m a big fan of her Gina Harte series, I do look forward to her standalones so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one. 

Fast paced, cleverly written and cunningly plotted, this has secrets, lies, suspicion and loss. All the relationships are dysfunctional, creating one big cluster of  toxicity and mistrust. I couldn’t even be sure about Leah, vacillating between believing what she was saying and thinking she was hiding something more. It is a complex and intricately woven maze of trouble that didn’t go in the directions I thought it would AT ALL. The twists and turns kept coming, deviating into completely unexpected directions again and again until I finally stopped trying to figure things out and decided to just enjoy the ride.

So if you love thrillers that make you feel lots of emotion, keep you on your toes and surprise you, then this is a must read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Published January 2nd, 2024 by Headline
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Horror Thriller

Welcome to my review for the mind-blowing First Lie Wins. Thank you to Caitlin at Headline for the gifted proof in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

You meet a stranger at a party. She looks like you. Even has your name. What does she want? And how far would you go to protect it?

‘The best cat and mouse suspense I’ve read. I’m still breathless’ LISA GARDNER
‘I devoured it. Absolutely brilliant’ HEIDI PERKS
‘Unexpected and pacy. A brilliant central character’ HARRIET TYCE
‘A clever, high-stakes now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t thriller’ A J FINN
‘An absolute CRACKER of a book’ RACHEL ABBOTT

** MAJOR TV SERIES OF FIRST LIE WINS IN DEVELOPMENT **

—–

Everything she is about to tell them is a lie…

Evie Porter has everything a girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a picket fence, a fun group of friends.

The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

First comes the identity. Once she’s given a name and location by her employer, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it.

Then the mark: Ryan Sumner.

The last piece of the puzzle is the job. For Evie, this job feels different. Ryan has gotten under her skin and she’s started to picture another kind of life for herself – one where her boss doesn’t pull the strings.
But Evie can’t make any mistakes. Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to – her real identity – just walked right into this town. A woman, who looks just like her, has stolen her name – and she wants more. As Evie’s past begins to catch up with her, can she stay one step ahead to save her future?

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MY REVIEW:

“There’s an old saying: The first lie wins. It’s not referring to the little white kind that tumble out with little to no thought; it refers to the big one. The one that changes the game. The one that is deliberate. The lie that sets the stage for everything that comes after it. And once the lie is told, it’s what most people believe to be true.”

2024 is shaping up to be the year for first-class thrillers. And this one is another corker. A propulsive game of cat and mouse that packs a suspenseful punch, First Lie Wins is a mind-blowing thriller you need on your TBR.

Evie Porter seems to have it all: the doting boyfriend, the nice house, fancy friends and tickets to the best events in town. But things aren’t what they seem and Evie Porter doesn’t actually exist. Her identity has been created for her by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, her boyfriend, Ryan, is her mark and she will shed this life and identity as soon as her job is complete. But when she meets a woman who looks just like her that is claiming to have her real identity she starts to suspect that this job isn’t like the others and she could be in real danger. It is soon apparent that while Evie is playing her game, others are playing theirs. Is she prepared? And can she stay one step ahead and uncover the truth before it’s too late?

When the Squadpod were offered the chance to read First Lie Wins I was excited as this sounded right up my street. But when I heard that it had been chosen as Reese’s Book Club pick for this month I knew I was in for a real treat. Expertly written, fast-paced, cleverly plotted and unpredictable, Ashley Elston has shown she’s a talent to watch with this outstanding debut. A thriller lover’s dream, it is one of those books that grabs you by the throat and throws you to the floor when it’s done with you. I devoured this one quickly, Elston holding me in her thrall until the final page.

“I should have seen this coming. 
It’s been a long time since I’ve been blindsided.”

I love a book that gives up its secrets slowly, and this one does just that. We know from the start that there is much more to Evie than meets the eye. We know she’s keeping secrets and telling Ryan and his friends strategic lies that are part of something much bigger but have no idea who she really is or exactly what she’s hiding. Despite her morally grey character, I couldn’t help but root for Evie, something that was helped by her backstory, which humanises her; revealing a soft and broken side to the strong and unflinching woman she is today. After Evie meets the woman using her real name we discover she isn’t the only one with secrets and I loved trying to figure out which of the other characters were genuine and who was part of the complex web of lies Mr. Smith had spun. Elston gives up her secrets piece by piece, teasing us with intriguing flashbacks, little breadcrumbs of information and surprising curveballs that slowly unveil the truth. And when it was revealed I was left reeling and in awe at how cleverly this was written. 

Jaw-dropping, unexpected and consuming, First Lie Wins is a sensational thriller that you don’t want to miss. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ashley Elston is the author of several novels, including THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING (a finalist in the Best Young Adult Novel category of the International Thriller Awards) and 10 BLIND DATES. Her work has been translated into 23 languages. She graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Ashley worked for many years as a wedding photographer before turning her hand to writing. Ashley lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons.

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

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

Published July 22nd, 2021 by The Borough Press
Thriller, Supsense, Dark Comedy, Satire

Welcome to my review of the delciously dark How To Kill You Family. This is my first audiobook and backlist book of 2024. Thank you to The Borough Press for the copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘I loved this book’ RICHARD OSMAN

‘An antiheroine able to best villainous male protagonists such as Patrick Bateman any day’ OBSERVER

‘Chilling, but also laugh-out-loud funny. Another corker’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

They say you can’t choose your family. But you can kill them.

Meet Grace Bernard.
Daughter, sister, serial killer…
Grace has lost everything.
And she will stop at nothing to get revenge.

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MY REVIEW:

“I have killed several people, some brutally, others calmly, and yet I currently languish in jail for a crime I did not commit…”

Grace Bernard is currently in prison for a notorious crime that she didn’t commit. Ironically, her real crimes are unknown and Grace is actually a serial killer who has calmly and meticulously murdered six members of her family and will stop at nothing in her quest for revenge.

A deliciously dark and deadly debut, How To Kill Your Family is a gripping story of familial dysfunction, vengeance and murder. After it languished on my shelves for far too long I decided to listen to it as my first audiobook of the year. And I’m so glad I did. Bella Mackie has created a story dripping with jet-black humour and a compelling anti-hero you won’t forget. It was one of those great audiobooks that are easy to listen to because both the story and narration are so good and I got completely lost in this story. I thought I knew where it was headed and listened safe in that knowledge. But I was completely wrong and was left reeling with my jaw on the floor. Also, how could she end it there?! So cruel. 

Mackie takes us deep inside Grace’s mind, allowing us to understand her behaviours even if we don’t agree with them. She’s a fantastic anti-hero: flawed, unforgiving, bitter, emotionally detached, unpredictable, calculated and untroubled by guilt or remorse yet she has a charm and magnetism that makes you root for her. It’s easy to understand why she’d want revenge on those who destroyed her life and I think we’ve all fleetingly considered how to get revenge on those who’ve hurt or betrayed us. But while we’d move on Grace doesn’t and methodically plans and carries out her complex plans, taking her time to avoid being caught instead of acting rashly and making mistakes. She’s consumed by her obsession and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever truly feel satisfied even after her plans were complete. 

Witty, entertaining and addictive, How To Kill Your Family is a brilliant satirical debut that I highly recommend. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Bella Mackie is a former journalist who previously worked for The Guardian and Vice News. She writes a twice monthly Vogue column. Her first book, Jog On, was a memoir about mental health and running. It was a number two bestseller (just underneath Michelle Obama, which is a hallowed spot).

Since then she’s written an accompanying journal to encourage others to try exercise more for their minds than their bodies. Bella’s first foray into fiction, How To Kill Your Family, came out in July 2021 and ended up in the number one bestseller spot. Bella lives in London and spends a lot of time wrangling her large stupid dog.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

Published January 4th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction

Welcome to my review of One of the Good Guys, the unsettling new thriller from Araminta Hall which was my first Squadpod Reviews read of the year. Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘Araminta is one of the most daring and intriguing writers working today. This is a resonant, razor-laced and dangerously glittering novel’ Gillian Flynn

‘An absolutely thrilling tale, full of breathless cliffside terror and fresh feminist theory masked in tight, propulsive mystery. I devoured this book’ Lisa Taddeo

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If most men say they’re one of the good guys, then why are so many women afraid to walk alone at night?

Cole is the perfect husband: a romantic, supportive of his wife, Mel’s career, keen to be a hands-on dad, not a big drinker. A good guy.

So when Mel leaves him, he’s floored. She was lucky to be with a man like him.

Craving solitude, he accepts a job on the coast and quickly settles into his new life where he meets reclusive artist Lennie.

Lennie has made the same move for similar reasons. She is living in a crumbling cottage on the edge of a nearby cliff. It’s an undeniably scary location, but sometimes you have to face your fears to get past them.

As their relationship develops, two young women go missing while on a walk protesting gendered violence, right by where Cole and Lennie live. Finding themselves at the heart of a police investigation and media frenzy, it soon becomes clear that they don’t know each other very well at all.

This is what happens when women have had enough . . .

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MY REVIEW:

“Sometimes I wonder if that’s all life is, especially when you’re a woman, continuously running from fear until it finally overtakes you.”

Deeply unsettling but totally brilliant, One of the Good Guys is a book that demands to be read. Desperation, depravity, danger, dark deeds and disturbed relationships saturate the page of this powerful and all-too familiar tale. This was an amazing start to my 2024 reading and fantastic first Squadpod pick for the year.

Cole has moved to the countryside for a fresh start after the end of his marriage and it’s here that he meets Lennie, an artist who has also recently moved to the area. The pair begin what he hopes is the start of a much healthier relationship, but things aren’t what they seem…

This is one of those books where it’s best to go in blind and just enjoy the ride, so I’ll not say any more about the plot. But I will say you should prepare yourself for a journey to some bleak and troubling places.

“I felt ridiculous, but also a little angry. I was being driven to behave in a stupid, reckless way because my wife had a vendetta against me. Or maybe against men in general. I don’t know any more. Maybe all women hated all men. Maybe they had good reason? At that moment nothing seemed clear.
And I know, historically, it’s been hard to be a woman, but, my God, it’s hard to be a man right now.”

Timely, thought-provoking and relatable, this is a book that will spark conversation and become the latest topic around the water cooler at work or over coffee with friends. Armainta Hall is not holding back, taking us to some of the darkest parts of the human psyche in this unnerving and uncomfortable tale. It feels like she’s talking directly to you and you will see yourself or someone  you know on these pages. It’s hard-hitting and may be triggering for some readers. I admit that it felt like I was reading my own first (abusive) marriage play out on the pages, but I found it relatable and representative of a truth that needs to be addressed, rather than triggering. But there is also a unique beauty to this book that lies in it being a cunningly crafted and expertly written illusion where Hall uses smoke and mirrors to put the reader off kilter and hold them in her thrall. Masterfully written, the complex layers are intricately woven and every detail is carefully and cleverly choreographed, drip-feeding us information before pulling the rug from under us. Bravo, Ms. Hall. Bravo. 

I love an unreliable narrator and I didn’t trust any of the characters on these pages. From the start there was a feeling that something was not quite right and I was suspicious despite the fact that Cole was saying all the right things. Foreboding permeated the pages, and as the story went on there were little things that didn’t sit right or add up to me that contributed to the feeling. It felt like there was something much darker lurking under the surface waiting to emerge. It was chilling. As was the voyeuristic atmosphere that lingers over much of the story and adds to the feeling of malevolence and unease.

Darkly atmospheric, unsettling and addictive, One of the Good Guys is the kind of ink-black thriller I adore. Don’t miss the book everyone will be talking about this year. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Araminta Hall has worked as a writer, journalist and teacher. Her first novel, Everything & Nothing, was published in 2011 and became a Richard & Judy read that year. Her second, Dot, was published in 2013.

She teaches creative writing at New Writing South in Brighton, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is the great niece of Dodie Smith and great granddaughter of Lawrence Beesley, who survived the Titanic and wrote a bestselling account of the tragedy in the book, The Loss of the SS Titanic.

Our Kind of Cruelty, was published by Penguin Random House in 2018. It is a deeply unsettling thriller of a love story, in which a secret game between lovers has deadly consequences…

Her book, Perfect Strangers, was published in August 2020 by Orion. The hardback and US edition (FSG) were published as Imperfect Women.

Her novel, Hidden Depths, was published by Orion in March 2022.

Her new novel, One of the Good Guys, will be published by Zando in the US, and Macmillan in the UK in February 2024.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BOOK REVIEW: The Actor by Chris MacDonald

Published January 18th, 2024 by Michael Joseph
Psychological Thriller, Suspense

I’m finally sharing my review for this sensational thriller that is being released next month. I had the honour of not only reading an early copy, but being quoted on the cover of the book and in it’s description online (under my Twitter username of Bibliotreasures). Trust me when I tell you this is not one you want to miss! Thank you to Jen at Michael Joseph for the invitation to review this one and the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, HE MUST SACRIFICE EVERYTHING . . .

Discover 2024’s most original new thriller, a story of glamour, secrets and obsession…


‘GRABS YOU FROM THE OPENING LINE AND WON’T LET YOU GO’ ALEX MICHAELIDES, AUTHOR OF THE SILENT PATIENT

‘MASTERFULLY PLOTTED’ ERIN KELLY

‘WOW, JUST WOW’ BIBLIOTREASURES

*****

At long last, Adam Sealey has an Oscar within reach. Working with his controversial former mentor, Jonathan, he’s given the performance of a lifetime, and he almost believes it might be worth the cost.

Because Adam subscribes to “the method”. It’s the secret that the world’s greatest actors swear by – digging into their darkest, most personal traumas to bring a role to life.

And Adam’s greatest trauma is worse than most. Losing his mother when he was just a boy. A forced choice between the success he craved and the girl he loved. And that night back in drama school, the night of Adam’s darkest secret, when everyone knows about the dead body, but nobody suspects the truth.

And then he gets a message: someone knows. And if they tell, everything Adam’s worked for will come crashing down.

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MY REVIEW:

“I answered and for a moment there was nothing. A click on the end of the line. Static silence.
Then a voice I hadn’t heard for two decades. A voice that couldn’t be on the end of a phone because dead people can’t speak.
‘How could you?’ it said.”

Sinister, haunting, addictive and utterly mesmerising, The Actor is a riveting thriller with a bigger Oscar night controversy than Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. I was in its thrall from the start, my heart pounding with nerve-shredding chills. It was so tempting to stay up all night and read this in one sitting, but, in the end, sleep got the better of me and I finished it quickly the next day. 

Adam Sealey has given the performance of a lifetime and finally has the Oscar he’s dreamed of in his reach. All of his hard work and sacrifice looks like it’s about to pay off. Because Adam is a student of ‘the method’, an acting approach that means digging into your greatest trauma and pain to breathe life into your character. Adam was taught ‘the method’ at drama school by his controversial mentor Jonathan Dors. And Adam’s greatest trauma is also his darkest secret. A secret that someone is now threatening to expose and bring his world crumbling down. 

“It felt magnificent…there’s an extraordinary rush in wilful self-destruction. Destroying the sacred self seemed to me the ultimate form of empowerment.”

Wow. Just, wow. When I was asked to be one of the first bloggers to read this book I was excited yet totally unprepared for the rollercoaster I was about to ride. Skillfully written, fast-paced, tense and twisty, Chris MacDonald had me in the palm of his hand from the first page until the last. MacDonald goes deep in this book, exploring the darker side of ‘the method’, and asking if it could be damaging to the mental health of those who use it. His examination of the correlation between unresolved trauma, mental illness and ‘the method’ brought to mind how Heath Ledger immersed himself in the role of The Joker, and the discussions that this could have played a part in his untimely death. 

Told in dual timelines, the story moves between past and present. In the present Adam is trying to find out who knows his secret and is threatening to reveal it, the past tells us the story of Adam’s days at drama school and events leading up to the night that still haunts him, long-held secrets are slowly revealed. My mind was a whirlwind of questions and I had no idea what would happen next as MacDonald pulled the rug from under me again and again. And that ending! I’m still reeling from the jaw-dropping shock of it all.

“The ripples of what I did had turned into high-walled waves.” 

The characterisation in this book is nothing short of spectacular. Adam is a fantastic protagonist. Flawed, fractured, tortured and troubled, he’s living a life most of us can’t imagine, yet MacDonald succeeds in making him totally relatable. He’s a lost soul who is looking for acceptance and to make his mark, but as he falls deeper into ‘the method’ he loses his way, turning his back on those who are truly there for him to chase his dream. We see that life has become one long acting role and Adam is either unwilling or unable to be himself, always searching for the right character to inhabit in every situation. It seems like he’s lost who he is in the many characters he’s inhabited during his career. The supporting cast were equally as compelling. Standout characters for me were Jonathan, who was the perfect, elusive villain, and Nina, who was an ideal leading lady. I was really rooting for Nina and Adam and loved their relationship. 

A breathtaking thriller that oozes menace and foreboding, The Actor is sure to be a huge hit in 2024. Add it to your TBR now!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Readers, hello.

I’m a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and actor. I live in Margate with my wife, two children and a co-dependent cockapoo.

My new book is called The Actor and I’m very proud of it. It’s gripping, psychologically complex and draws on my time at drama school and has the most exciting Oscars scene since, well probably only a couple of years ago because Will Smith, WILL SMITH, hit Chris Rock in the face. Then there was the Moonlight thing a couple of years before. The Oscars really is a dumpster fire. Love it.

Thank you in advance for reading if you do. And if you don’t, I hope you’re enjoying whatever you’re consuming these days.

These are my all time favourites:
Book – 1984, Remains of the Day
Film – Chinatown, Step Brothers
TV – Succession, Arrested Development
Album – Hunky Dory
Play – The Seagull
Computer game: Football Manager (I know. Awful.)
Ice-cream – rum-raisin
Pasta shape – Penne

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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