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BOOK REVIEW: The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

Published July 15th, 2014 by Gallery Books
Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this “skillfully penned tale of murder and cover-up that will keep readers enthralled until the powerful finish” (Fresh Fiction), family secrets and a serial killer from the past converge in this electrifying thriller.

In 1985, Edward Shank famously gunned down the Beacon Hill Butcher, ending the serial killer’s reign of terror over the city of Seattle. But now in his eighties, Edward’s action-packed glory days are long behind him. The decorated former Seattle police chief has given up his high-maintenance Victorian home to his grandson Matt for a quiet life at the nearby Sweetbay Village Retirement Residence, where mac-n-cheese Wednesdays have become the highlight of his week.

Though it’s hard to watch his grandfather get older, Matt is thrilled to inherit the large house he grew up in. Already an accomplished chef with a popular restaurant and a TV show in the works, Matt’s dream life is finally within reach…until he discovers a crate buried in the backyard that holds a secret about his grandfather so terrible, it threatens to ruin all their lives if it ever gets out. Especially his girlfriend Sam’s, whose mother was killed when she was only two years old.

As Matt struggles with his dark family secret, Sam’s obsession with solving her mother’s murder continues to grow. A true crime writer now working on a book about the Butcher, Sam has always suspected her mother was one of his victims, even though she was killed two years after the Butcher was supposedly gunned down.

But when new victims begin to turn up, their murders eerily similar to the Butcher’s all those years ago, Sam realizes she might be right. The more she digs into the old murders, the more dangerous it gets…and the truth is closer to home than she ever could have imagined.

“A tense, suspenseful, thoroughly creepy thriller” (Booklist), The Butcher sinks its teeth in you from the very first page.

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MY REVIEW:

Retired Seattle Police Chief Edward Shank is famous for gunning down The Beacon Hill Butcher in 1985 and ending the serial killer’s reign over the city. Now in his eighties, Edward decides the time has come to move to a retirement home and leave his Victorian house to his grandson, Matt, who is thrilled to inherit the house, having been raised there by his beloved grandparents after the death of his mother. An accomplished chef with his own popular restaurant and a TV show in the works, with the addition of the house Matt feels his dream is finally in his reach. But all that falls apart when he discovers a crate buried in the back garden that holds a dark family secret so explosive that it will ruin many lives if it is discovered, leaving Matt unsure whether to tell the truth or try to keep it hidden. 

As Matt struggles with this conflict, his  girlfriend Sam’s obsession with solving her mother’s murder grows. Sam has always suspected that her mother was one of The Beacon Hill Butcher’s victims, even though she was killed two years after the Butcher was killed. And when new victims killed in the same way as the Butcher’s victims emerge, it looks like she could be right afterall. But as she delves deeper into her search for the truth, Sam puts herself in greater danger, unaware just how close the truth actually lies…

Unsettling, eerie and addictive, this nerve-shredding thriller had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Expertly written, defly plotted, fast-paced and packed with surprising twists, Jennifer Hiller showcases why she deserves her crown as the Queen of chilling thrillers. And this time she takes the traditional murder mystery format and turns it on its head, revealing some of the twists – including whodunnit – early on, but she keeps the tension taut and still packs in so much that keeps us guessing. She also explores a range of topics in the story, including the twisted mind of a killer, if behaviours can be inherited, and confronts the shades of grey that exist in all of us. 

Richly drawn and compelling, the characters leapt from the pages and pulled me into their stories. I may not have always liked them, but I was always fascinated by them and Hillier made them leap from the pages. I could feel  Matthew’s torment bleeding from the pages, Sam tugged at my heartstrings, while Edward was so dark, vile and unsettling that he made shivers run down my spine. 

A murderous, grisly and disturbing thriller, The Butcher is a must read for anyone who likes their thrillers dark and twisted. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Hillier imagines the worst about people and then writes about it. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set.

She’s the USA Today, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star bestselling author of THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK. Her six previous novels include LITTLE SECRETS, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anthony Award, and JAR OF HEARTS, which won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and was nominated for the Anthony and Macavity Awards.

Her latest book, THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, is available now.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

BOOK REVIEW: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Published July 23rd, 2020 by Picador
Historical Fiction, Medical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Romance, Lesbian Literature

Welcome to my review for this powerful and unforgettable story. Thanks to Picador for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Three days in a maternity ward at the height of the Great Flu. The Pull of the Stars is the Sunday Times Bestseller from the acclaimed author of The Wonder and Room.

‘An immersive, unforgettable fever-dream of a novel’ – The Times

The old world dying on its feet, a new one struggling to be born . . .

Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia’s regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney.

In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other’s lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work.

In The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue tells an unforgettable and deeply moving story of love and loss.

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MY REVIEW:

Dublin, 1918. Ireland is a country ravaged by war and in the grip of a pandemic. At an understaffed hospital in the city centre, we follow Nurse Julia Power as she cares for expectant mothers who have contracted the flu. She is helped by Birdie Sweeney, an inexperienced volunteer helper, and Doctor Kathleen Lynn, an Irish Nationalist on the run from the police. Over the course of three days, we see them battle to give patients the best care, bring new life into the world, and tragically lose lives to this mysterious disease. 

Beautiful, moving, harrowing and immersive, The Pull of the Stars is an unforgettable piece of historical fiction. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, Emma Donoghue had me hooked from the first pages, transporting me into Julia’s world and making me feel like I was in the room with her. Likeable and easy to root for, Julia was a great protagonist. I loved the care she had for all of her patients, her passion for nursing and that she was refusing to conform to society by staying unmarried as she turned 30. The other characters are equally as compelling. Birdie was naive  but enthusiastic and willing to learn. And my heart broke as we learned more about what she’d been through growing up in religious institutions. Dr Kathleen Lynn, who is based on a real person, was modern, visionary and unafraid to do whatever it takes to further her cause. Each of the women are strong in their own ways and I loved seeing the effect they had on Julia’s life in just three short days.

1918 was a dangerous time to be a woman, especially in a country like Ireland where religious beliefs meant there was an expectation to marry young, an aversion to contraception and a societal expectation to churn out babies back to back regardless of whether or not you wanted to or could afford them. Donoghue explores these issues along with others such as the horrific realities of the Magdalene laundries and religious institutions, and the terrible infant mortality rate, especially amongst poorer families. The characters represent different social groups and offer us an example of many different lives. There are victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, impoverished and malnourished women struggling to give birth for a twelfth time and terrified teenage first-time mothers. Each of these women are fighting to survive at a time when the mortality rate was 15% and we see successful births and tragic losses of both mothers and babies.

One of the things I love about historical fiction is getting a glimpse of life at the time the book is set and as someone who has always been fascinated by medical history, I enjoyed learning about how different treatments and knowledge were at the start of the twentieth century, while also seeing how knowledge about hygiene and medicine were growing at the time and helped to save lives. I appreciated that Donoghue didn’t shy away from the more shocking and gruesome aspects of nursing and the complications that can arise in obstetrics, although it may be too intense for some readers. 

Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Dublin in 1969, Emma Donoghue is a writer of contemporary and historical fiction whose novels include the international bestseller “Room” (her screen adaptation was nominated for four Oscars), “Frog Music”, “Slammerkin,” “The Sealed Letter,” “Landing,” “Life Mask,” “Hood,” and “Stirfry.” Her story collections are “Astray”, “The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits,” “Kissing the Witch,” and “Touchy Subjects.” She also writes literary history, and plays for stage and radio. She lives in London, Ontario, with her partner and their 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

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

BLOG TOUR: The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

Published February 6th, 2025 by Tor
Science Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy, Gay Ficiton, Paranormal Fantasy

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this heartwarming and extraodrinary story. Thank you to Stephen at Black Crow PR for inviting me to take part and to Tor for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘The sci-fi romance adventure you never knew you needed’
– Jennifer L. Armentrout, author of Fall of Ruin and Wrath

An action-packed supernatural road trip featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors. The Bones Beneath My Skin is a gripping, heartfelt story that explores what it means to be human – by bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune.

**ALL first edition hardback copies feature delightful designed sprayed edges – available while stock lasts**

He lost everything. Then he found himself . . .

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright is at a loose end: his parents are dead, his older brother has disowned him, and he’s been fired from his job. Looking for a sense of direction, he returns to his family’s summer cabin in Oregon.

The cabin should be empty – but it’s not. Inside is a man named Alex, and an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. There’s far more to Art than meets the eye. But as Alex and Nate bond over just how special she truly is, they discover that powerful forces are closing in – forces that want nothing more than to control her.

As danger draws near, Nate decide whether to drown in the memories of his past, or fight for Art and a future he never thought possible.

With his uplifting tales of hope and redemption, there is a TJ Klune book for every reader.

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“I didn’t get that. Not before. I don’t think any of us did. Not until they felt a heart beating in a chest like I have. Not until I felt bones beneath my skin. We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow, we’re all made of dust and stars .”

Witty, weird and wonderful, The Bones Beneath My Skin is another hit from master storyteller TJ Klune. It is a story of a strange and extraordinary little girl and her two unlikely protectors, following them as they embark on an action-packed road trip to safety. A story of found family, love, hope and what it means to be human, this book warmed me from the inside and I devoured it in under a day. I’ll admit, I’m not usually a sci-fi girlie, but I know I’ve loved everything I’d read so far by Mr. Klune so I decided to give it a chance. And I’m glad I did. This story is truly original and like nothing I’ve read before. It has a bit of everything: romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy and coming-of-age saga, all perfectly blended together to create a compelling tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

The story starts in March, 1995. Nate Cartwright’s life is a mess. His parents just died and he’s been fired. So he decides to spend the summer in the secluded cabin in the woods that his parents left him, hoping it will help him find a new direction in life. But when he arrives the cabin isn’t empty. Instead he’s confronted by a man with a gun and a little girl who says her name is Artemis Darth Vader. But Art is no ordinary little girl. She is special, strange and endearing, while Alex is standoffish and overprotective. But over time Alex and Nate bond. And when the people Alex is trying to protect Art from track them down, Nate decides to flee with them on a road-trip fraught with danger and an unknown destination.

The three main characters are richly drawn, fascinating and unforgettable. Nate is the ‘everyman’ who most of us will find easiest to relate to, but I loved reading gruff Alex and quirky Art, too. I had a particular soft spot for Art and loved this astonishing young girl. I liked that even though the three of them are so different they come together to create a heartwarming found family that anyone would love to be part of (minus the gun-wielding men chasing them) and I was rooting for them to get Art to safety. 

A remarkable and moving story for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong, I highly recommend this book. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

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

BOOK REVIEW: The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary

Published September 26th, 2023 by Quercus
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction, Festive Ficiton

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

*THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

‘Beth O’Leary is that rare, one-in-a-million talent who can make you laugh, swoon, cry and ache all in the same book’ Emily Henry


They’ll do anything to save the hotel, except work together . . .

Welcome to Forest Manor Hotel, where the staff and guests are one happy family. Except for Izzy and Lucas – bitter rivals banned from working the same shift, for everyone’s sake.

After struggling for years, the hotel may soon have to close its doors forever. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management this might fix everything. With four rings still sitting in lost property, Izzy and Lucas are forced to work together to try to save the day.

But as their rivalry becomes something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas start to wonder if there’s more at stake here than the hotel’s future . . .

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MY REIVEW:

Forest Manor Hotel and Spa, New Forest, prides itself on being one big, happy family. Well, except for Izzy and Lucas, who are such bitter rivals that they are banned from working together on reception. Business hasn’t been good since the pandemic and the hotel may soon have to close, so a collapsed roof just before Christmas is not what they need. They need to raise funds, and fast. So Izzy and Lucas are charged with sorting through lost property together to try and raise the money needed to fix the roof. And when Izzy receives a reward after returning a lost wedding ring, it looks like they’ve found the solution. There are four more rings in lost property waiting for their owners to be found. Can Izzy and Lucas work together to find them and save the hotel?

Beth O’Leary never fails to deliver. Heartwarming, witty and chaotic The Wake-Up Call is an addictive enemies-to-lovers romcom I couldn’t stop listening to.  One of the things I love about Beth’s books is that not only does she deliver sweet, first-class romance and sizzling chemistry, but she also delivers a layered storyline and compelling characters that leap from the pages. And Izzy and Lucas do just that. I loved their banter, fierce rivalry, and how deeply they loathed one another. But, as we know, loathing can often hide other feelings, and that was certainly the case with them. The sparks were flying and it was fun watching them wrestle with their feelings as they argued and battled it out to try and save the hotel. I was totally invested in their relationship and rooting for them to end up together. The background characters were entertaining and I enjoyed seeing one of the characters from one of Beth’s previous books make an appearance. 

Being set at Christmas made this the perfect festive read to enjoy at the end of last year and I loved the many ways Ms. O’Leary wove the season into the story, including the play on the traditional Christmas rhyme by using five gold rings to try and save the hotel. I was heavily invested in this storyline and rooting for Izzy and Lucas to reunite the rings with their owners and raise the money needed to save the hotel. This storyline added an extra layer of tension that kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat alongside the will they or won’t they aspect of their burgeoning romance. 

An entertaining romcom that will have you hooked at any time of the year, I highly recommend this book. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beth is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, The Flatshare, sold over a million copies and is now a major TV series. Her subsequent novels, The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show and The Wake-Up Call, were all instant bestsellers. Beth writes her books in the Hampshire countryside with a very badly behaved Golden Retriever for company. If she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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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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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx