April 2024 – Page 2 – Emma's Biblio Treasures

READALONG REVIEW: Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear

Published April 11th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my review for this deliciously dark thriller. Thank you to The Likely Suspects for the invitation to take part in the readalong and the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SWEET LITTLE LIES COMES A DARK AND TWISTY THRILLER ABOUT SECRETS, LIES AND REVENGE.

ONE WOMAN’S SECRET
TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY
THREE DEADLY BETRAYALS
FOUR POTENTIAL SUSPECTS
FIVE BAD DEEDS

‘A big high five for Caz Frear’s Five Bad Deeds – a page-gripping, nail-gnawing good read’ Cara Hunter

‘A deliciously dark story of how one woman’s life of seemingly domestic bliss can unravel faster than she ever thought possible. I predict it will be one of the big hits of 2024 – I loved it’ Nikki Smith

‘Deliciously waspish, twisty, and relatable’ Claire McGowan

Ellen Walsh has done something very, very bad. If only she knew what it was . . .

Teacher, mother, wife, and all-around good citizen Ellen is juggling non-stop commitments, from raising a teen and two toddlers to job-hunting, to finally renovating her dream home, the Meadowhouse. Amidst the chaos, an ominous note arrives in the mail declaring:

SOONER OR LATER EVERYONE SITS DOWN TO A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES.

Why would someone send her this note? Ellen has no clue. She’s no angel – a white lie here and there, an occasional sharp tongue – but nothing to incur the wrath of an anonymous enemy.
Everyone around Ellen – her husband, her teenage daughter, her sister, her best friend, her neighbours – can guess why, though. They all know from bitter experience that while Ellen’s intentions are always good, this ultimately counts for very little when you’ve (unintentionally?) blown up someone’s life. Could the five bad deeds that come to haunt Ellen explain why things have gone so horribly wrong?

As she races to discover who’s set on destroying her life, Ellen receives more anonymous messages, each one more threatening than the last . . . and each hitting closer and closer to home and everything she cherishes.

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MY REVIEW:

Ellen Walsh is a busy mother juggling the demands of raising her teenage daughter and toddler twins with her teaching job and renovating her dream home. Out of the blue she receives an ominous note that reads ‘Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.’
Who sent the note? What did she do to incur such malice and vengeance? As Ellen tries to answer these questions, those around her have no such trouble understanding why someone may want to bring her down. Because while she may be full of the best intentions, Ellen’s deeds are not as good as she’d like to think and there are five bad deeds that could be the answer why her life is falling apart…

Five Bad Deeds is a nail-biting story of secrets, lies, frenemies, scandal and suspicion filled with tension and foreboding. I devoured this book in one sitting, handcuffed to the pages and so desperate for answers that I didn’t even notice the time and read through the night until the sun was about to rise again. Skillfully written and cleverly plotted, Caz Frear showcases her storytelling expertise as she drops clues into prose like hidden breadcrumbs for us to follow as we try to identify the culprit from the multiple suspects. But who has the biggest motive for wanting to destroy Ellen’s picture-perfect life?

I love it when you aren’t sure if someone is the good or bad guy and when you don’t know if you can trust a character, and this has both those things in abundance with an array of frenemies, backstabbing, frayed relationships and dark intentions woven into the plot. Even Ellen was potentially untrustworthy and I enjoyed that I could never be sure if she deserved all the chaos and torment coming her way. The story was told from multiple points of view which allowed us to not only get an insight into Ellen’s perspective, but also that of the people around her, and we soon discover just how differently she sees herself compared to the people around her. But who is telling the truth? I loved that it was so hard to predict and how every time I was sure I had things figured out another revelation would pull the rug from under me and make me reassess my predictions.

Deliciously dark, twisty, chaotic and venomous, this riveting story is a must-read for any thriller lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Caz Frear grew up in Coventry and spent her teenage years dreaming of moving to London and writing a novel. After fulfilling her first dream, it wasn’t until she moved back to Coventry thirteen years later that the writing dream finally came true.

She has a first-class degree in History & Politics, which she’s put to enormous use over the years by working as a waitress, shop assistant, retail merchandiser and, for the past twelve years, a headhunter.

When she’s not agonising over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at the TV when Arsenal are playing or holding court in the pub on topics she knows nothing about.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Bride and Groom by Rona Halsall

Published April 5th, 2024 by Bookouture
Psychlogical Thriller

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this ominous and compelling thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the proof copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

Walking down the aisle in the packed church, sunlight glints off my ivory silk gown. This should be the happiest day of my life. But as I carefully lift my veil and greet my husband-to-be, my heart is pounding with fear. Does someone out there know what we’ve done?

Ethan gently squeezes my hand as he slides the golden ring onto my finger. But I know we aren’t worthy of happiness.

As I look down at my wedding ring, in a blistering flash, I suddenly remember another piece of that pitch-black, rainy night… but I try to focus on Ethan’s gorgeous blue eyes. I know exactly what he’s thinking. We can never tell.

All our family, friends and loved ones smile as they watch Ethan and I promise to be together until death us do part. But only we know what that really means…

Because we have already killed someone.

My dear, sweet new husband isn’t quite all he seems…

But then again, neither am I.

An incredibly addictive psychological thriller that will keep you up all night, gasping at the truly mind-blowing twists! A completely unputdownable, edge-of-your seat page-turner for fans of The Perfect Marriage, Freida McFadden and Shari Lapena.

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MY REVIEW:

When Nicci and Ethan make their vows to one another on their wedding day, only they know the real meaning and weight behind them. Underneath her smile, Nicci’s heart is pounding with fear because she and Ethan have just vowed to never reveal that they were responsible for the hit and run that took a man’s life. But Nicci can’t shake her guilt. Or the worry that someone else might know their secret. And she’s beginning to wonder if her new husband is who she thinks he is…

Well, Rona Halsall did it again. She jumps straight into the intense action and a feeling of foreboding hovered over every page of this story. I will confess that I thought I had this all figured out and it seemed like it was a predictable read. I should have known better. Ms. Halsall pulled me in hook, line and sinker, and just as I totally relaxed in the knowledge that I knew where this was heading…Bam! I’m smacked in the face by a delicious curveball that changed everything I thought I knew and reminded me why she’s the queen of misdirection. Rona, I am sorry I ever doubted you. From that moment on it was a tense rollercoaster ride where I held on for dear life as she took me from one shocking revelation to another.

There are some deep topics explored in the story such as toxic relationships, coercive control, and, of course, moral dilemmas. And this story provided one of the biggest moral dilemmas Ms. Halsall has written yet: should Nicci confess that she and Ethan were responsible for the hit and run that night to ease her torment, or should she keep her vow of silence? Halsall expertly wrote Nicci’s internal torture over her dilemma and I felt everything alongside her at every turn. A people pleaser who struggles with anxiety, Nicci was easy to relate to and I was cheering her on as she found her inner strength as the story went on. But this is a dual narrative and Ethan’s voice was very different. Just as brilliantly written, I loathed this manipulative man. He was a great, but stark, contrast to Nicci and as his secrets were slowly revealed he got more and more chilling.

So if you want a compelling, unpredictable and ominous thriller, this is the book for you.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rona is the #1 Best Selling author of psychological thrillers published by Boldwood and Bookouture. She loves to turn domestic storylines on their head to keep her readers guessing what the heck is going on.

Her 2023 release, THE BIGAMIST, has been short-listed for the International Writers Awards 2024, for Best Original E-Book, which is probably the peak of her writing career to date!

She has been a bit of a nomad during her adult life, moving around the north of England, before settling in Snowdonia, North Wales where she brought up her family while working as a business mentor. She lived on the Isle of Man with her husband and mad little Border Collie, Maid, for several years before returning to Wales. Recently, she has recruited a new member to the writing team – a Romanian rescue dog called Evie.

She is an outdoorsy person, who loves nothing better than stomping up a mountain, walking coastal paths and beaches and wadering round forests and woodlands while she’s plotting her next book. She has three children and two step-children who are all grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of material for new stories.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*
*This is an affiliate link

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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