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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

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

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

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

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Amazon* | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org*

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

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

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: My Daddy is a Hero by Lena Derhally

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

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SYNOPSIS:

A husband. A father. A killer.

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

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

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

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

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

L-R: Bella, Celesta and Shannan Watts

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon* | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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

‘Mesmerising and evocative…an imaginative triumph’ Observer

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

BLOG TOUR: Halfway House by Helen Fitzgerald

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: On A Quiet Street by Carla Kovach

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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Everything she is about to tell them is a lie…

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

The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

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

Then the mark: Ryan Sumner.

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:
THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘I loved this book’ RICHARD OSMAN

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BOOK REVIEW: The Actor by Chris MacDonald

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, HE MUST SACRIFICE EVERYTHING . . .

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


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

‘MASTERFULLY PLOTTED’ ERIN KELLY

‘WOW, JUST WOW’ BIBLIOTREASURES

*****

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Readers, hello.

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

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

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

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These purchase links are affiliate links