Tag: 5 stars

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Other People by C. B. Everett

Published April 10th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Pscyhological Thriller

Welcome to my review for this riveting locked-room mystery. Thank you to Black Crow PR and Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

And Then There Were None  meets The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Ten strangers.
An old dark house.
A killer picking them off one by one.
And a missing girl who’s running out of time. . .

Ten strangers wake up inside an old, locked house. They have no recollection of how they got there.
In order to escape, they have to solve the disappearance of a young woman.
But a killer also stalks the halls of the house, and soon the body count starts to rise.
Who are these strangers? Why were they chosen? Why would someone want to kill them?
And who – or what – is the Beast in the Cellar?

Forget what you think you know.

Because while you can trust yourself, can you really trust THE OTHER PEOPLE?

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MY REVIEW:

Ten strangers wake up locked inside an old house with no recollection of how they got there. To escape, they must solve the disappearance of a young woman in the next 12 hours. And that’s not all. Someone wants them dead and soon they are picking them off one by one…

Dark, mysterious, funny and heart-poundingly tense, The Other People is a captivating locked-room murder mystery filled with comedy. C. B. Everett showcases himself as an author to watch with this sensational debut. It jumps straight into the action and then barely pauses to catch a breath, keeping me guessing as I read on tenterhooks. Masterfully written, fast-paced, cleverly plotted, complex and intricately interwoven, Everett had me in his thrall from the first page, totally pulling me in and making me fall for his red herrings. I loved how it addresses the reader throughout, making me feel part of the story and pulling me in so deep that I felt as trapped as one of the characters and unable to leave until all my questions had been answered. 

The story is narrated by a large cast of compelling, flawed and unreliable characters, giving the reader a glimpse inside their minds but leaving us unsure who or what we can trust. While all of them are well written, I have to say that, for me, it was the Beast in the Cellar who stole the show. Witty, sarcastic and candid, this cryptic character talks to the reader, taking us through the mystery, mocking familiar thriller tropes, philosophising, and warning us to be careful who and what we trust. I lived for their scenes and often found myself laughing out loud during them. 

Another thing I loved about this book is how unashamedly it is itself. It is proud of being a murder mystery and Everett reveled in using the familiar murder mystery tropes. I also liked how he explored some of the deeper questions surrounding the genre, such as whether or not we mourn unlikeable victims, and how we want more than ‘just a killer’, preferring someone with motives and inner turmoil to someone who simply wants to kill. 

Darkly funny, claustrophobic and suspenseful, this is a first-class thriller that is not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C.B. Everett is the pen name for author Martyn Waites. He trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama and worked as an actor for many years before becoming a writer. His novels include the critically acclaimed Joe Donovan series, The Old Religion, and The White Room. In 2013, he was chosen to write Angel of Death, the official sequel to Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, and in 2014 won the Grand Prix Roman Etranger for Born Under Punches. He has been nominated for every major British and French crime fiction award and has also enjoyed international commercial success with eight novels written under the name Tania Carver.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiiles xxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Readalong

READALONG REVIEW: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

Published February 13th, 2025 by Bantam Press
Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Women Sleuths

Welcome to my review for this nerve-shredding debut. Thank you to Bantam Press for the invitation to take part in the readalong and for sending me a proof copy of the book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘When you trap a group of mystery authors on a secluded island, the result is wickedly delightful mayhem! It’s Agatha Christie on steroids‘ ― Tess Gerritsen
‘You’ll trip over the twists in this sneaky, snaky mystery‘ – A.J. Finn
‘Glass Onion meets Cluedo in this intricate and clever thriller‘ ― Catherine Cooper

Six thriller authors. One writing retreat.
You’d die to be on the guest list . . .

The Host
Legendary mystery author J. R. Alastor’s books are sold all over the world, but no one knows his real name. After years hiding in the shadows, he has sent out six invitations to an exclusive murder mystery retreat on his private island.

The Assistant
Mila del Angél has been hired to ensure the week runs smoothly. She has yearned for revenge on a ghost from her past for years – and this could be her chance to get it.

The Players
The six bestselling thriller writers accept their invitations without question – it’s an opportunity any author would kill for.

The Game
What should have been a week of trope-filled games takes a sinister turn when one guest is found dead, and the others find themselves in the midst of a nightmare drawn from Alastor’s dark imagination. They may have written thrillers – but now they and Mila must survive one…

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MY REVIEW:

Six thriller authors are invited to a secluded island for a writing retreat hosted by enigmatic mystery author J. R. Alastor. His assistant, Mila, has been hired to ensure that the week goes off without a hitch. But Mila has plans of her own to avenge a wrong done to her many years ago. The week starts off as planned, but things take a sinister turn when one of the guests goes missing and the writers find themselves trapped inside a nightmare darker than any thriller they could have written…  

As a bibliophile whose favourite thriller trope is locked-room or claustrophobic mysteries, this book felt like it was written for me. I loved the idea of thriller writers being caught up in a real life whodunnit and fighting for survival as they try to unmask the killer. Masterfully written, cleverly choreographed, intricately woven and filled with nerve-shredding tension, the foreboding dripped like blood from every page. When I started I was taking part in a readalong but soon found myself so completely hooked that I threw the reading schedule out of the window and devoured it in just a few hours, on the edge of my seat as my heart raced. Richly drawn, complex and flawed, the characters leaped from the pages and my mind whirred with some wild theories and suspicions, but they were nothing compared to what actually took place in this jaw-dropping whodunnit. 

Suspenseful, chilling and utterly mesmerising, this is a book all thriller lovers need on their TBR. Ande Pliego has showcased herself as a writer to watch with this magnificent debut, and I will be pre-ordering whatever she writes next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ande Pliego began writing stories when she discovered she could actually wield her overactive imagination for good. A lover of stories with teeth, she writes books involving mind games, dark humor, general murder and mayhem, and most importantly, finding the hope in the dark.

When not reading or writing, she can usually be found dabbling in art, scheming up her next trip, or making constant expeditions to the library. Born in Florida, raised in France, and having left footprints all over the globe, Ande is settled in the Pacific Northwest, USA, with her craftsman husband and little son.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BLOG TOUR: Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell

Published January 30th, 2025 by Scribner UK
Literary Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this extroardinary and unforgettable debut. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Scribner UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘A moving portrait of life inside the housing system and the courage it takes to try to build a home in society’s cracks’ GUARDIAN

‘Brand-new, urgent and hugely satisfying’ RODDY DOYLE

‘As emotionally charged as it is brutally real. The writing is flawless. I was profoundly moved’ ELAINE FEENEY

‘Will make your blood boil and your heart soar. This is an important novel’ CLAIRE KILROY

‘Gorgeous, maddening, thrilling and compassionate’ SHEILA ARMSTRONG

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An extraordinary and urgent debut by a prize-winning Irish writer, NESTING introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction.

On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is that home is no longer safe.

This was meant to be an escape. But with dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband Ryan’s relentless campaign to get her to come back. Because leaving is one thing, but staying away is another.

What will it take for Ciara to rebuild her life? Can she ever truly break away from Ryan’s control – and what will be the cost?

Tense, beautiful, and underpinned by an unassailable love, hope and resilience, this is the story of one woman’s bid to start over.

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MY REVIEW:

One afternoon Ciara Fay finds the strength to leave her abusive husband, Ryan. It’s a split-second moment of clarity, so Ciara grabs the clothes from the washing line and a few other meager items that are to hand and flees with her two daughters. She has just a few hundred euro to her name and knows only that she has to get the three of them to safety. But reality quickly dawns for Ciara as she finds herself with dwindling money, nowhere to stay, no job, and a head filled with self-doubt and inner demons. A broken housing crisis sees Ciara and her daughters living in a single room in a hotel, while Ryan incessantly sends messages that either pledging his undying love or drip with venom. As the months tick by with no end to their struggle in sight, Ciara doubts her choices. She found the strength to leave. But can she find the strength to stay away?

Searing, soulful, heart-shredding and hopeful, Nesting is a powerful and moving story that will stay with you long after reading. A story of doubt, fear, trauma, courage, joy and hope that broke me into pieces and then put me back together again. I was very nervous about reading this one as I knew from the synopsis that it would bring back so much of my own trauma. I left my own abusive marriage for the final time in 2008 and so much of Ciara’s story is my own. But while it is a difficult, painful and uncomfortable read, even if you’ve never experienced abuse, it is also an urgent story that needs to be read. 

Roisin O’Donnell showcases herself as a talent to watch with this astonishing debut. Expertly written, every word bleeds raw emotion as she strips bare the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies leaving and staying away from an abusive partner. And she achieves this in a way that is more vivid and achingly real than I’ve ever read before. There is omnipresent fear that lingers over every page alongside the helplessness, vulnerability, strength and courage that flow through the story. I devoured it in a single evening, unable to turn away and felt like an empty shell after finishing this unbelievable debut; loving it completely but also feeling like a hollow shell once it was over. 

O’Donnell masterfully writes these characters and their complex emotions, creating relatable and real characters filled with the shades of grey that make us human. Ciara makes mistakes, but I connected with her quickly. Ryan is clearly controlling from the first pages, but we also see the charm and emotion that drew Ciara to him and made her stay for so long. I think getting Ryan’s character so right was vital so the reader can understand why she is so torn and doubts herself so much. These kinds of people know how to turn on the charm and get inside our heads so that we no longer know who we are and only hear their voice in our head. O’Donnell portrays that perfectly, showing the reader how it is possible to feel so lost without the person who is tearing you apart from the inside. The story also contains beautiful examples of friendship and community in the relationships Ciara formed with the other people at the hotel. There is also real beauty to be found in the community and friendships that Ciara formed with the other people at the hotel. In her darkest hour she found people who rallied round her, supported her, and helped her find the light once again. Something all of us need. 

Tense, haunting and unforgettable, Nesting is an extraordinary debut that packs a strong emotional punch. I expect to see this on many of the prize lists this year and can’t wait for whatever Ms. O’Donnell writes next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Roisín O’Donnell won the prize for Short Story of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards in 2018, and was shortlisted for the same prize in 2022. She is the author of the story collection Wild Quiet, which was longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award. Her short fiction has featured in The Stinging Fly, The Tangerine, the Irish Times and many other places. Other stories have been selected for major anthologies such as The Long Gaze Back, and have featured on RTÉ Radio. Her debut novel Nesting will be published in 2025. Roisín is represented by Eleanor Birne at PEW Literary. She lives near Dublin with her two children.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowen Ivey

Published February 4th, 2025 by Tinder Press
Literary Fiction, Fairy Tales

Happy Publication Day to this dark, moving and extraordinary tale, which is our SquadPod Book Club book for February. Thank you to Tinder Press for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Where there is wonder, there is love – an unforgettable story of the beauty and savagery of the Alaskan wilderness, from the author of the million-copy international bestseller, The Snow Child.

‘I read with my heart in my mouth, filled with wonder’ Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
‘An enthralling novel about the endurance of love, the power of forgiveness and the savage, irresistible allure of wild places’ Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

Birdie’s keeping it together, of course she is. So she’s a little hungover on her shifts, and has to bring her daughter to the lodge while she waits tables, but Emaleen never goes hungry. It’s a tough town to be a single mother, and Birdie just needs to get by.
And then Birdie meets Arthur, who is quieter than most men, but makes her want to listen; who is gentle with Emaleen, and understands Birdie’s fascination with the mountains in whose shadow they live. When Arthur asks Birdie and Emaleen to leave the lodge and make a home, just the three of them, in his off-grid cabin, Birdie’s answer, in a heartbeat, is yes.

Out in the wilderness Birdie’s days are harsher and richer than she ever imagined possible. Here she will feel truly at one with nature. Here she, and Emaleen, will learn the whole, fearful truth about Arthur.

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MY REVIEW:

Haunting, beautiful, breathtaking and profound, Black Woods, Blue Sky is an unforgettable masterpiece. A moving story of love, survival, resilience and hope, it’s been a few months since I read it and I still think about it all the time. Eowyn Ivey has created something very special, almost magical, with this book. And everyone needs to read it.

The story follows Birdie, a single mum to six-year-old Emaleen. Birdie is a reckless character who thinks she’s holding it together, but others see it differently. She often leaves young Emaleen alone while she works at the bar or goes fishing. While working at the bar Birdie becomes close to a quiet and strange young man named Arthur. But Arthur listens to her, is kind, he’s great with Emaleen, and the pair share a fascination with the mountains near their Alaskan small town. So, when he asks Birdie to leave her life and bring Emaleen to live offgrid with him she doesn’t hesitate to agree. 
Life in the wilderness is harder than she imagined, but so much more beautiful. But Arthur is acting strange and Birdie begins to think he’s hiding something. Soon, she and Emaleen discover the shocking and fearful truth about him that is beyond anything they ever imagined. 

No-one writes like Eowyn Ivey. I became an instant fan when I read The Snow Child a few years ago and this book solidified her status as one of my favourite authors. Utterly mesmerising, insightful, chilling and devastating, every word went straight to my soul. This book is one of a kind; a dark and forbidding fairytale that is both something from your dreams and straight out of your nightmares. The story builds steadily over three parts but got more intense in the final third and I read with my heart in my throat and shed tears as my heart shattered into pieces. Set in Alaska, the story’s strong sense of place is one of its greatest qualities. Ivey uses the harsh but beautiful  wilderness as another character in the story. The imagery is so evocative that I could see the snowy mountains, hear the twigs crunch under my feet and feel the frigid coldness on my skin.

Ivey has filled the book with characters who are richly drawn, fascinating, and achingly real. Ivey lays bare their flaws, fears and imperfections, making them more relatable, while their strength and resilience made them easy to connect with. Through Birdie, Ivey offers an honest portrayal of the difficulties of single parenthood, showing that alongside the love, joy and strength it brings is also incredible hardship and moments where you doubt your ability. As someone who was a single parent, I related to Birdie but also felt enraged by her behaviour and was rooting for her to become a better mother. However, I did appreciate that Ivey didn’t gloss over the more challenging parts or make Birdie an idealised version of a single mother. Arthur was more enigmatic, the fears of his father for his ‘dangerous’ son making us question what this nice guy is hiding. This led to a lot of tension as I tried to guess what was going on and while my guesses seemed crazy, I couldn’t shake them. But the star of this show was undoubtedly little Emaleen. It was impossible not to love this smart and sweet child who has made a permanent home in my heart. .

An extraordinary story that is like nothing I’ve read before, this is a book that everyone should read.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eowyn (pronounced A-o-win) LeMay Ivey was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. She worked for nearly a decade as a bookseller at independent Fireside Books in Palmer, Alaska, and prior to that as a reporter for the local newspaper, The Frontiersman.

Her new novel, Black Woods, Blue Sky will be released February 2025. To the Bright Edge of the World was published in 2016. Her debut novel, The Snow Child, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and is a New York Times bestseller published in more than 25 languages. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a UK National Book Award winner, an Indies Choice award for debut fiction, and a PNBA Book Award winner

Eowyn’s essays and short fiction have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, London’s Observer Magazine, Sunday Times Magazine, Sunday Express Magazine, Woman & Home Magazine, the anthology Cold Flashes, the North Pacific Rim literary journal Cirque, and Alaska Magazine, among other publications.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Readalong

BOOK REVIEW: Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Published January 16th, 2025 by Tor
Horror Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Supernatural Ficiton, Paranormal Fiction

Welcome to my review for this unsettling and unforgettable read. Thank you to Tor and Bookbreak for my place on the readalong and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A twisted Southern Gothic horror the New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group.

‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Every moment of their waking day is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid . . . and it’s usually paid in blood.

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MY REVIEW:

“Sit. Listen. I need you to understand what they did to us when we were girls.”

Unsettling, uncomfortable and deeply relevant, Witchcraft For Wayward Girls is a beguiling novel that will stay with you long after reading. For this may be a tale filled with hexes and conjuring, but the real horror lies in the brutal reality of these girls’ lives and the injustices they are subjected to, rather than the paranormal. 

The story takes place in the sweltering summer of 1970 when fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida. Wellwood is a house for those they call wayward girls. For fast girls. For unwed mothers. At Wellwood, Fern meets girls from all walks of life, all in the same shameful position, who are there to live out the days of their pregnancy before surrendering their babies for adoption and then returning home to forget it ever happened. Every minute detail of the girls’ lives is strictly controlled: from the food they eat to how they spend their time. The adults tell them it is what’s best for them. Then she meets a librarian, Miss Parcae, who gives her a book about witchcraft. For the first time, the girls have power in their own hands. But there is a price that must be paid for that power. A price that is far steeper than any of them ever imagined. 

A master of his craft, Grady Hendrix expertly merges powerful storytelling, heart-stopping tension and chilling horror to create a masterpiece that was so good I read it twice this month. This is a dark read like no other. A book that will haunt you, consume you and then spit you out when it’s done. I admit, I went into this expecting a typical horror read and was totally unprepared for the beautifully tragic story I got instead. It is a story full of dread, heartache, trauma, rage and power that had me on the edge of my seat listening with bated breath. The richly drawn characters were compelling and I was quickly invested in the lives of these young girls. Holly’s story in particular stood out and filled me with so much rage that I wanted to get revenge on her behalf. 

I’d heard about the terrible homes for unwed mothers but this book conveys the atrocities that took place inside them with devastatingly evocative detail like I’ve never read before. These girls had no agency whatsoever and every facet of their life and day was tightly controlled. Even knowledge about their own bodies. These girls were kept in the dark about what would happen during labour, leading to some of the most distressing scenes I’ve ever read. I wanted to scream as the staff who should help and heal became sadistic and cold towards these terrified young girls. How could they be so cruel?

Dark, menacing, unapologetic and unforgettable, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix makes up lies and sells them to people. His novels include HORRORSTÖR about a haunted IKEA, MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM, which is basically “Beaches” meets “The Exorcist”, WE SOLD OUR SOULS, a heavy metal horror epic, THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, and THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, coming on July 13, 2021. He’s also the author of PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, an award-winning history of the horror paperback boom of the Seventies and Eighties. He wrote the screenplay for, MOHAWK, a horror flick about the War of 1812, and SATANIC PANIC about a pizza delivery woman fighting rich Satanists.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

Published March 2nd, 2023 by Sandycove
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychologial Thriller

Welcome to my review of this dark, original and astonishing thriller. Thank you to Sandycover for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**

**WINNER Crime Novel of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023**

**SHORTLISTED for The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award**

**SHORTLISTED for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2024**

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

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MY REVIEW:

When Sally Diamond’s father dies she does what he told her to do: put him out with the rubbish. Everyone seems to think what she did is strange and shocking but Sally can’t understand why. After all, she was only doing what he asked. Now, Sally is the centre of a media storm and police investigation. And a sinister voice from the past Sally doesn’t remember has appeared. It is among all of this chaos that Sally must step into the world for the first time, making friends, learning to make her own decisions and discovering the horrifying truth about her past. 

What a book! Dark, strange, tense and twisty, this was so freaking good. Expertly written, intricately plotted and perfectly paced, I was in Liz Nugent’s thrall from start to finish. But this isn’t an easy read. An intricate and layered story of family, abuse and self-discovery, Ms. Nugent puts us through the emotional wringer and takes us to some incredibly dark and twisted places. She also keeps us guessing, spinning the story on its head a number of times with surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. I was on the edge of my seat and devoured this book quickly. 

At the heart of the story is the eponymous Sally Diamond, a 42-year-old woman who has lived a reclusive life with her parents. Sally is one of the most unusual and unforgettable heroines I’ve read. And I loved her. Naive and quirky, she struggles to interact with others and has earned a reputation for being ‘strange’. Nugent expertly portrays her fractured vulnerability and as the horrifying truths of her past emerge, my heart broke for her. Sally faced a steep learning curve as she took control of her own life for the first time and learned to do the everyday tasks we do without thinking. Thankfully, she has help from some trusted people, such as her aunt, but it wasn’t easy, especially with the added pressure of public scrutiny, a police investigation, and the arrival of someone from a past she doesn’t remember. That’s a lot for even the most well adjusted person to deal with but I was rooting for Sally every step of the way. 

In part two of the story Peter, the stranger from her past, takes a more central role and the narration moves between the two characters. It is in this part of the story we also begin to understand more about what happened to both of them as children, see how they have been damaged by what they were put through, and how it still affects them even in adulthood. Peter is a difficult character to categorise as I felt for all he had been subjected to but also didn’t understand many of his actions, which often felt quite villainous. He is brilliantly written and a great reminder of the shades of grey that exist in us all. 

Original, sinister, surprising and endearing, this astonishing story is a must for any thriller lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

‘Truly excellent, beautifully written … strongly recommended’ Sophie Hannah

‘Gone Girl meets The Spinning Heart … a great cracking read … I couldn’t put it down’ Ryan Tubridy, RTÉ

‘The compulsion to continue reading never wanes and most impressively the ending doesn’t buckle under the weight of expectation … a persistently satisfying read’ Sunday Times

‘An ambitiously structured and compelling “whydunnit”‘ Daily Mail

‘Formidable’ Irish Times

Liz was born in Dublin in 1967, where she now lives. She has written successfully for soap opera, radio drama, television plays, short stories and animation for children.

Liz’s first novel Unravelling Oliver was published to critical and popular acclaim in March 2014. It quickly became a firm favourite with book clubs and reader’s groups. In November of that year, it went on to win the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year at the Bord Gais Energy Book Awards and was long listed for the International Dublin Literature Prize 2016. She was also the winner of the inaugural Jack Harte Bursary provided by the Irish Writers Centre and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Dec 2014. Her second novel, Lying in Wait, was published in July 2016 and went straight to number 1 where it remained for seven weeks. Liz won the Monaco Bursary from the Ireland Funds and was Writer in Residence at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco in Sept/Oct 2016. In Nov 2016, Lying in Wait won the prestigious RTE Ryan Tubridy Listener’s Choice prize at the Irish Book Awards.

Aside from writing, Liz has led workshops in writing drama for broadcast, she has produced and managed literary salons and curated literary strands of Arts Festivals. She regularly does public interviews and panel discussions on all aspects of her writing.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Published January 29th, 2015 by Pan Macmillan
Historical Fiction, Romance Novel, War Story, Historical Romance

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on this masterpiece. Thank you to BookBreakk and Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Bestselling Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

Soon to be a major motion picture, Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale has captured the hearts of millions of readers becoming a number one bestseller across the world. It is a heart-breakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the endurance of women.

This story is about what it was like to be a woman during World War II, when women’s stories were all too often forgotten or overlooked . . . Vianne and Isabelle Mauriac are two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals and passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path towards survival, love and freedom in war-torn France.

It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

‘A rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival’ – Kate Morton, author of Homecoming

‘Movingly written and plotted with the heartless skill of a Greek tragedy, you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob’ – Daily Mail

‘I loved The Nightingale . . . great characters, great plots, great emotions, who could ask for more in a novel?’ – Isabel Allende, bestselling author of The House of the Spirits

‘A griping tale of family, love, grief and forgiveness’ – Sunday Express

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MY REVIEW:

Astonishing, breathtaking, phenomenal, heart-rending, courageous and powerful, The Nightingale, is an unforgettable masterpiece. Like most of Kristin Hannah’s novels, this book had been languishing on my shelf for far too long when I finally decided to pick it up on a whim this month. Why did I wait so long? 

The story explores what it means to be a woman during war, telling the story through the eyes of sisters Vivianne and Isabelle as they live through World War Two. The pair are separated and have very different experiences but each possess strength, an unbreakable determination to survive, and a strong moral compass that sees them taking huge risks in order to help others. 

A tearjerker that is filled with kindness, joy, connection and bravery, I was an empty shell when I finished this book. Masterfully told, hauntingly evocative and devastatingly real, it is easy to see why this story is considered a modern classic and so highly recommended. Rating this is one of the easiest five stars I’ve ever given. It left me with the biggest book hangover and even now, over a week after finishing it, the characters and story are still with me and I think about it daily. It has taken a place in my heart and on my list of favourite books of all time. And that final line! Oh, my heart 💔😭

When the year started I had a number of Kristin Hanah’s books on my TBR but hadn’t read any of them. Now, as it ends, I’ve read two of them, they are both in my list of favourite books this year. Ms. Hannah is undoubtedly now one of my favourite authors and I will be prioritising her backlist in 2025. 

I can’t recommend this magnificent story enough. If you haven’t read it, please do ASAP. Just clear your schedule first because once you start you’ll not be doing anything else.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. You can listen for 60 days free by clicking my affiliate link here*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From Kristin’s Website: Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year.  Additionally, it was a selection of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club in 2023. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.  In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstores’ bestseller lists.  Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and the Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.  

The Nightingale is currently in production at Tri Star, with Dakota and Elle Fanning set to star.  Tri Star has also optioned The Great Alone and it is in development.  Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out.  The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and Season Two is currently set to conclude the series on April 27, 2023.  

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Published November 3rd, 2022 by Faber & Faber
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the phenomenal Small Things Like These.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CILLIAN MURPHY

A SUNDAY TIMES AND IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’ ‘100 Best Books of the 21st Century’

WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE AND THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE AND THE IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE DALKEY LITERARY AWARDS

‘Exquisite.’ Damon Galgut
‘Masterly.’ The Times
‘Miraculous.’ Herald
‘Astonishing.’ Colm Tóibín
‘Stunning.’ Sunday Independent
‘Absolutely beautiful.’ Douglas Stuart

It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him – and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church.

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MY REVIEW:

Small Things Like These is a book that I’ve heard nothing but high praise for. It was nominated for the Booker Prize, named one of the New York Times’ 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, and chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club, yet it has languished on my shelf unread since I bought it two years ago. But when I heard that there was a movie adaptation being released, I knew it was time to finally dust it off and discover it for myself. 

Set in a small Irish town as Christmas approaches in 1985, the story follows coal miner and timber merchant Bill Furlong during his busiest season. One morning, during a routine delivery, Bill discovers a young girl locked in a coal shed and is forced to face the stark truth of the church’s control of the town and the horrors they inflict behind closed doors. 

I had heard and read about Ireland’s infamous Magdalene laundries, and this story offers a glimpse into how the church used power, secrecy, fear and control to allow them to continue their atrocities for so long. The last of the laundries didn’t close until as recently as 1996 and it was in 1993 that the unmarked graves of 155 women were uncovered in the grounds of one of the laundries. 

This is a story that is short but mighty. Deftly told, succinct and consuming, Claire Keegan doesn’t waste a word as she explores the very best and worst of humanity in this heartfelt, profound and thought-provoking tale. It is one of those books that you need to sit with after reading, ruminating on the lessons in the story. A short read, it took me just over an hour to read it, but this haunting story will stay with me forever.  

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Keegan’s works of fiction are critically acclaimed, international bestsellers — and have been translated into thirty languages. Antarctica won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Walk the Blue Fields won the Edge Hill Prize for the finest collection of stories published in the British Isles. Foster won the Davy Byrnes Award— the world’s richest prize for a short story. Small Things Like These, a New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Rathbones Folio Prize and won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and The Kerry Prize for Irish Novel of the Year. So Late in the Day was published in the New Yorker and shortlisted for the British Book Awards. Keegan was awarded Woman of the Year for Literature in Ireland in 2022, Author of the Year 2023, the Seamus Heaney Award for Arts and Letters 2024 and most recently the Siegfried Lenz Award.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOGATHON: Redemption by Jack Jordan

Published June 20th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Gay Fiction, Adventure Fiction

Today I’m sharing my review for Redemption, the latest bingeable thriller from the king of the moral dilemma. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsvie Readers Tours for the invitation to take part in the Blogathon, and to The Likely Suspects for my copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him.

But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come.

But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself.

Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son.

Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution.

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MY REVIEW:

“Maybe I am a monster, but I can’t stop now. Not now I’m so close. I could never live with myself if he walked free.”

Evelyn and Tobias Moore’s world is shattered when their son, Joshua, is killed in a hit and run. Now, Aaron Alexander – the man responsible – is being released after serving 11 years but for Joshua’s mother that isn’t justice. She wants revenge; and she’s been counting down the days until she can make that happen. Now, that time has finally come. But as Evelyn and Tobias embark on their journey, they are on two opposing sides: Evelyn dead set on revenge, while Tobias wants to save his wife from herself. Their road trip towards vengeance and murder quickly becomes a nail-biting game of cat and mouse. Can there be redemption?

“I’ve got to do what I was afraid to do before. I’ve got to try and stop her.” 

He’s done it again! Unbearably tense, twisty, unpredictable and heartfelt, Redemption is another five-star read from the King of dilemma thriller, Jack Jordan. A master-class in thriller writing, this book has it all: action, suspense, foreboding and violence, but also heart, grief, rage, bitterness and hope. The story is told in five parts that begin with flashbacks to Evelyn and Tobias’ life in happier times. These sections were so emotional, emphasising the magnitude of their loss and how much their lives have changed since Joshua’s death. There is such a stark contrast that I’d have believed you if you’d told me I was reading about two different couples. Jordan makes you feel ALL the feelings, expertly conveying the nuances of grief and how that can look different for everyone. I got book whiplash as I would be close to crying one moment and on the edge of my seat the next, holding on tight with the breakneck speed of the chase. 

“I didn’t realise how all-encompassing grief could be. How tyrannical the rage against injustice would be on my thinking…” 

Jordan’s characters are always nuanced, relatable and deeply human. One of the things I love most about his book is his expertise at writing anti-heroes you can’t help but root for. He weaves their anguish, pain, dilemmas and humanity into the narrative, highlighting all the shades of grey and making it possible to see yourself in their shoes. Evelyn and Aaron are perfect examples of this. Evelyn’s every word, thought and action is raw, sizzling with white-hot rage, resentment, hatred, bitterness, pain and grief.  She can’t see straight for the need for vengeance and her need to exact what she determines to be justice overwhelms everything else. And as a mother I could understand it. I’m not a vengeful person but I can’t imagine how I would cope in her position and I had a lot of empathy for her, even if I was rooting for Tobias to stop her before she went too far. Meanwhile, Aaron seems like the obvious villain of the story, yet Jordan makes him human with his tragic backstory and deep remorse. I ended up really liking him and rooting for him to survive. Then there is Tobias. Tobias is a broken man who not only lost his only child, but also his wife the night Joshua died. Jordan really makes you feel his heartache and loneliness. His dilemma is palpable as he is torn between helping Evelyn and saving her from herself, even if it means helping the man who killed his child. It was an impossible situation and I felt for him even more as he is thrown into becoming someone he doesn’t recognise in his quest to stop Evelyn. 

Intense, heart-rending and bingeable, Redemption is another unmissable thriller from Mr. Jordan. Read it now!

Rating: 🦂🦂🦂🦂🦂

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019). His thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse. The idea for Do No Harm came to Jack after undergoing a minor medical procedure where he had to be sedated and trust strangers with his welfare. After the anaesthesia wore off, Jack began scribbling his notes, wondering to himself just how iron-clad a surgeon’s oath is, and what it would take to break it…

Jack’s latest book, Conviction, was published in June 2023 and featured in Cosmopolitan’s ‘best new books out in June’ round-up, it was also chosen as one of the June featured books by Magic Radio’s Book Club and the audiobook was selected for Fingerprint Award at Capital Crime 2024.

His next book, Redemption, publishes this June.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson

Published November 21st, 2024 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Fairy Tale, Historical Mystery

Today is my stop on the blog tour to celebrate the paperback publication of this mesmerising gothic fiction. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda for the proof copy of the book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

An art expert joins a detective to investigate a horrific murder on a Swedish island, leading them to a mystery rooted in Viking rites and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter. The Queen of French Noir returns with a chilling, utterly captivating gothic thriller, based on a true story. FIRST in the The Lidingö Mysteries series.
 
‘Scarier than anything … a dark, dark slice of atmospheric Scandi Noir’ Heat
Heat magazine *Book of the Month*
 
‘The pace steadily accelerates as Gustawsson orchestrates her plot with breathless ingenuity. A successful page-turner from a rising star’ Financial Times

‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying’ Peter James
  
** Winner of the Livre de Poche Readers Crime of the Year and Cultura Ligue de l’Imaginaire Award**

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Don’t
 
Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found. 
 
Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide?
 
Trust
 
As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants.
 
When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories of his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman’s tragic death somehow hold the key?
 
Anyone
 
Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter…

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MY REVIEW:

OMG. My mind is completely blown and I’m still trying to pick my jaw up from the floor after reading this mesmerising gothic thriller. Darkly atmospheric, unsettling and original, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Art expert Emma Lindahl has come to the manor house on the island of Storholmen to appraise the artwork belonging to the Gussman family. But that isn’t all this house is famous for. It is also the place where the infamous hanging girl was found nine years ago. A brutal murder that remains unsolved. And when the body of another young woman is found in the icy waters that surround the island, it looks like Detective Karl Rosen might have found a connection between the crimes. What follows is a breathtaking story of murder, dark secrets and Norse mythology that you won’t be able to put down.

You know when you pick up one of Johana Gustawsson’s books that you should expect the unexpected; a heart-stopping thrill-ride that you can’t put down. Yule Island is all that and more. From the moment I read the author’s note at the start I was in Gustawsson’s thrall, feeling like I’d actually stepped inside the book as I read in breathless anticipation. Expertly written and cleverly plotted, this is a masterclass in storytelling. I was blindsided as she pulled the rug from under me again and again, not giving me time to catch my breath before delivering yet another shocking revelation. As tension builds, Gustawsson intricately interweaves meticulously researched Norse mythology and Swedish history to keep you on the edge of your seat. ‘The Queen of French Noir’ is living up to her title and it’s easy to see why this book has already received so much acclaim.

Gothic fiction is one of my favourite genres and Gustawsson absolutely nailed the dark, gothic vibes of this story from the start: the cold weather, an isolated island shrouded in silence, an old, echoing manor house filled with mysterious residents and the trappings of faded opulence, the screams that can be heard randomly, and the haunting history of the hanging tree. Knowing that Storholmen is a real island and this is all based on a true story adds to the unease that permeates every page. This is one of those books that will have you looking for the monsters that lurk in the shadows and I loved every second.

Told from multiple points of view, the characters are fascinating, relatable and richly drawn. The two protagonists, Emma and Karl, are very different in terms of age, circumstance and perspective. I enjoyed their distinct voices and seeing the investigation from both a professional and lay perspective. But they have similarities too: both are intelligent, determined and have a sober air that surrounds them. I enjoyed how Gustawsson slowly teased their backstories, allowing us to feel invested in their lives and root for them before making us question everything as we wonder if they are unreliable after all. There was a third narrator, Viktoria, who was a housekeeper at the manor. Her chapters gave us a glimpse of life behind the closed doors of the manor and added to the mystery that surrounds it. The background characters are just as well written and I loved the sense of community that existed on the island and how they welcomed Emma into their midst when a lot of small communities will make outsiders feel like just that. But it did make me wonder about the killer as it surely had to be one of the three hundred residents on Storholmen. Could one of them really commit vicious crimes like these while looking their neighbours in the eye? Or was there another explanation?

Claustrophobic, eerie, sinister and unnerving, Yule Island is an absolute must-read. An outstanding Gothic thriller that is perfect for this time of year, I have no hesitation in highly recommending it.

Rating: ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series (Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song) has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in twenty-three countries. The third in the series, Blood Song, was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. Johana lives in London with her Swedish husband, and three young sons, and is currently working on the book four in the Roy & Castells series. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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