Tag: February 2024

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Readalong

READALONG REVIEW: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

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

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: The Maiden by Kate Foster

Published February 29th, 2024 by Mantle
Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Biographical Fiction, Domestic Fiction

It’s a bit late, but I’m finally sharing my review for The Maiden, which was our SquadPod Book Club choice for May. Thank you to Chloe at Mantle for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024

‘A masterpiece’ ― Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

‘Exceptional ― a tense, thrilling investigation, with a decidedly feminist slant‘ ― Daily Mail

Inspired by a real-life murder trial, Kate Foster’s The Maiden is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist, giving a voice to women otherwise silenced by history. Winner of the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year 2023.

In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me.

Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides, with headlines that leave little room for doubt: Adulteress. Whore. Murderess.

Only a year before, Lady Christian was newly married, leading a life of privilege and respectability. So, what led her to risk everything for an affair? And does that make her guilty of murder? She wasn’t the only woman in Forrester’s life, and certainly not the only one who might have had cause to wish him dead . . .

‘Riveting . . . the tension persists until the last page’ ― The Times

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MY REVIEW:

“I am struck by the power of it. Fury. Revenge. For look at the trouble it can wreak.” 

Whore. Adulteress. Murderess. These are the names used to describe Lady Christian after she is arrested for the brutal murder of her lover, James Forrester. These words hold weight, condemning Lady Christian to a sentence of death by beheading should she be found guilty of the crime. She protests her innocence. But there is a witness who claims to have seen her commit the crime. But can we trust the words of this other woman? A woman who may have her own motives for wishing Mr. Forrester harm. Which of them is telling the truth? And what really happened on that summer’s day under the sycamore tree?

Astonishing, alluring, bawdy and evocative, The Maiden is a mesmerising debut ablaze with tension, the threat of the eponymous guillotine hanging over every page. Exquisitely written and assuredly told, Kate Foster transports her reader to 17th Century Scotland, bringing it to life in detail so colourful and vivid that I could almost smell its putrid scent. I was in her thrall as she reimagined these real-life events, weaving them into an unputdownable tale of love, lust, scandal, and bloody murder.  

“Because, in the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me.”

In this telling, Foster has focused on the stories of the two remarkable women at the heart of the murder trial: Lady Christian, and Violet, a former prostitute who was working as a maid for James Forrester at the time of his murder. These very different women were more similar than they first seem. Both were strong, colourful, unusual and unforgettable characters who leaped from the pages and demanded our attention. They have been used, abused and neglected by men and are fighting for survival in a patriarchal society where they hold no power. I loved reading their stories, thankful that Foster has finally given them a voice after so many years of silence. 

Moving between timelines and perspective, the story imagines what happened to these women before that dreadful day. Snippets taken from broadsheets that talk about the heinous crime and subsequent trial appear sporadically, helping to build tension. Foster avoids the day of the murder for a large chunk of the book and even then only reveals pieces of what happened. Then, as the story begins to focus on the trial, the tension rises, building into a crescendo that culminates in a finale so shocking that it left my jaw on the floor. I loved that I could never be sure if Lady Christian was guilty, who might have killed Lord Forrester, and if the women were reliable narrators. It added to the tension and suspense, leaving me feeling like I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading. 

Bold, brave, moving, funny and surprising, The Maiden is an extraordinary debut not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

Published February 15th, 2024 by Century
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Adventure Fiction

I’m finally sharing my review for the charming and uplifting Island in the Sun, which was a SquadPod Book Feature in February. Thank you EdPR and Century for the proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

A tale of friendship, courage and romance, the latest novel from bestselling author Katie Fforde is here.

‘The queen of uplifting, feel good romance’ AJ PEARCE
‘Top-drawer romantic escapism’ DAILY MAIL
‘Warm, brilliant and full of love’ HEAT
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When Cass is asked by her father to take on an unusual photography project in the Caribbean Island of Dominica, she really can’t see a reason to say no.

But the remote island has just been hit be a severe hurricane, leaving destruction in its wake. Cass is travelling with Ranulph who is searching for the rare stone carvings her father wants her to photograph.

Their hunt leads Cass down a path of bravery and self-discovery, and she soon falls for Ranulph, who has been by her side every step of the way.

But does he feel the same way about her?

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MY REVIEW:

Twenty-five-year-old Cass is about to enjoy her last summer of freedom before embarking on her teacher training course when her father, a famous wildlife photographer, asks her for a favour. He wants Cass to go to the Caribbean island of Dominica to take a fragile and faded hand-drawn map to help his friend’s son, Bastian, find a rare petroglyph and photograph it. Ranulph, a well-travelled journalist, offers to accompany Cass. She knows she mustn’t fall in love with him but can’t shake her growing feelings for her handsome travel companion even though she knows he can’t possibly feel the same way. Can he?

Uplifting, feel-good fiction and a dose of pure escapism, Island in the Sun was the ideal read to pick up on a cold, rainy March day in England. Katie Fjorde transports us to the sun-drenched shores of Dominica, a mountainous island populated by natural hot springs and rainforests where the Atlantic and the Caribbean meet, for a story filled with friendship, love, adventure and self-discovery.

Cass is a likeable yet sometimes frustrating protagonist and there were moments I wanted to give her a good shake. She’s the youngest in a family of high achievers and has always struggled to voice what she really wants in life rather than allowing her father to decide her path. Throughout the book we see her confidence slowly grow in all areas of her life, but I think her lack of confidence regarding her relationship with Ranulph made it hard to feel invested in their will they/won’t they romance at times. The escapades surrounding the petroglyph provided something a bit different for a romance novel that I really enjoyed. I found myself caught up in the race against the clock to find and document the petroglyph so that Bastian could finish his research paper and submit it for the prize that meant much-needed money for the island. I was rooting for him at every step, particularly as Austin, the loathsome villain of the story, meddled at every step to try and win the prize for himself. I hated this man! He is brilliantly written and my blood would boil every time he was on the page, Fforde expertly using him to raise the tension and keep the reader on guessing.

The island itself plays a key role in this story and Cass’s visit in the wake of a devastating hurricane included a lot of helping the community as they tried to recover from the destruction. Fforde gives the reader a real sense of the way of life on the island and how it feels to see your home torn apart in this way, the hard reality of life after a natural disaster, and the fear that lingers in its wake. But despite all of this the beauty of Dominica and its people shines through and I could understand why Cass fell in love with this place. The people who populated Dominica were some of my favourite characters, with Bastian and Delphine finding a special place in my heart. They played a big part in helping Cass to find her confidence and inner strength, and I found their spirits infectious and inspiring, especially in the face of such hardship.

Charming, fun, adventurous and immersive, Island in the Sun is another winner from Ms. Fforde.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From Amazon:

Dear readers, thank you for visiting my Amazon Page.

I live in the beautiful Cotswold countryside with my family, and I’m a country girl at heart.

I first started writing when my mother gave me a writing kit for Christmas, and once I started I just couldn’t stop. Living Dangerously was my first novel and since then, I haven’t looked back.

Ideas for books are everywhere, and I’m constantly inspired by the people and places around me. From watching TV (yes, it is research) to overhearing conversations, I love how my writing gives me the chance to taste other people’s lives and try all the jobs I’ve never had.

Each of my books explores a different profession or background and my research has helped me bring these to life. I’ve been a porter in an auction house, tried my hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and I’ve even been on a Ray Mears survival course.

I love being a writer; to me there isn’t a more satisfying and pleasing thing to do. I particularly enjoy writing love stories. I believe falling in love is the best thing in the world, and I want all my characters to experience it, and my readers to share their stories.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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*these are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Read Christie

BOOK REVIEW: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Poirot) by Agatha Christie

Published June 1926
Mystery, Detective Novel, Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction

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SYNOPSIS:

Think you know whodunnit?
Think again.

Poor Roger Ackroyd. He knew the woman he loved had been harbouring guilty secret. And then, yesterday, she killed herself.

But guilty secrets rarely stay secret. Who had been blackmailing her? Had it really driven her to suicide? Sadly, Roger Ackroyd wasn’t going to live long enough to find out . . 

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MY REVIEW:

“Everyone had a hand in the elucidation of the mystery. It was rather like a jig-saw puzzle to which everyone contributed their own little piece of knowledge or discovery. But their task ended there. To Poirot alone belongs the renown of fitting those pieces into their correct place.”

King’s Abbot is a hotbed of secrets, rumours, and suspicion surrounding the widow Mrs. Ferrars. After her husband’s death the year before, there were whispers that she was responsible, and now, after her own death from an overdose, there is talk that it wasn’t by her own hand, but revenge for killing her husband. Roger Ackroyd is one of those who believes she was killed and confides his suspicions to Detective Hercule Poirot. Not 24 hours later, Ackroyd is murdered. Could the two cases be linked? And did the secret Mrs Ferras was hiding have anything to do with them?

My choice for Read Christie in February was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which is widely regarded as her greatest novel. Again I decided to listen on audiobook and was pulled in by the narration from the start, transporting me back to 1920s England and the quaint and peaceful village of King’s Abbot. A compelling whodunnit filled secrets, suspicion and murder, I can see why this is a favourite for many readers. I was captivated, listening on tenterhooks as I waited to learn if my predictions were correct and thrilled when I learned I’d got it right. 

Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, I highly recommend The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I’m loving finally discovering Agatha Christie’s books in all their glory and can’t wait for next month already. 

Rating: 🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie began writing during the First World War and wrote over 100 novels, plays and short story collections. She was still writing to great acclaim until her death, and her books have now sold over a billion copies in English and another billion in over 100 foreign languages. Yet Agatha Christie was always a very private person, and though Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple became household names, the Queen of Crime was a complete enigma to all but her closest friends.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx


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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

Book Review: Idol by Louise O’Neill

Published May 12th, 2022 by Bantam Press
General Fiction, Thriller

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SYNOPSIS:


‘Follow your heart and speak your truth.’

For Samantha Miller’s young fans – her ‘girls’ – she’s everything they want to be. She’s an oracle, telling them how to live their lives, how to be happy, how to find and honour their ‘truth’.

And her career is booming: she’s just hit three million followers, her new book Chaste has gone straight to the top of the bestseller lists and she’s appearing at sell-out events.

Determined to speak her truth and bare all to her adoring fans, she’s written an essay about her sexual awakening as a teenager, with her female best friend, Lisa. She’s never told a soul but now she’s telling the world. The essay goes viral.

But then – years since they last spoke – Lisa gets in touch to say that she doesn’t remember it that way at all. Her memory of that night is far darker. It’s Sam’s word against Lisa’s – so who gets to tell the story? Whose ‘truth’ is really a lie?

‘You put yourself on that pedestal, Samantha. You only have yourself to blame.’

Riveting, compulsive and bold, IDOL interrogates our relationship with our heroes and explores the world of online influencers, asking how well we can ever really know those whose carefully curated profiles we follow online. And it asks us to consider how two memories of the same event can differ, and how effortlessly we choose which stories to believe.

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MY REVIEW:

Dark, unflinching, cryptic and compelling, Idol is an exploration of image, social media, our relationship with our idols, and the nature of truth and memory. The story centres around Samantha Miller, a social media influencer and lifestyle guru with three million followers that hang on her every word who has built a business empire on a foundation of encouraging positivity, being your best self, and her recovery from sexual assault and addiction. To promote her new number one book Sam writes an essay talking about her teenage sexual awakening with her best friend, Lisa. Until now she hadn’t told a soul and after the essay goes viral Sam learns that Lisa doesn’t remember the night like she does. As her reputation crumbles and she teeters on the brink of losing everything, Sam heads back to her hometown to try and convince Lisa to tell the truth. But which woman’s version is actually the truth?

Louise O’Neill has knocked it out of the park again with this thought-provoking and intelligent thriller. Skillfully written, intricately woven and cleverly plotted, I was not prepared for the bumpy ride this was about to take me on. This is one of those books where you are never quite sure what is real and what isn’t, who is a reliable character, and what is going to happen next. Sam is a very dislikeable protagonist. She’s self-centred, vain, image-obsessed and insecure. Even learning of her difficult past and the damage it has caused didn’t endear her to me and I never knew if I could trust her. This climate of distrust added to the feeling of suspicion and tension that ran throughout the story and I could never quite figure out what had really happened that night between Sam and Lisa. Every time I thought I’d got it figured out another twist would turn everything on its head, and my jaw hit the floor when everything was finally revealed.

O’Neill examines a variety of timely topics in this book, including the world of influencers and the disparity between the carefully curated social media posts and their real lives. She also explores truth and memory, asking if there is really only one ‘truth’? Or does the ‘truth’ depend on our perspective? And if two people remember the same event differently, does that mean there is more than one ‘truth’? It’s an unnerving thought as we like to believe that truth is finite rather than determined by perspective. Another topic she looks at is the stories we tell and what we choose to believe. We’ve all heard the saying ‘if you tell yourself a lie enough times you believe it’. But what does it actually mean if a person tells themselves a lie enough times that they become convinced it is real? And how does that affect those around them? I thought the way O’Neill explored this was particularly clever, though I won’t give any more detail to avoid spoilers.

Bold, twisty, topical and totally riveting, Idol is a brilliant thriller that I highly recommend.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Louise O’ Neill is from Clonakilty, in west Cork. After graduating with a BA in English Studies at Trinity College Dublin, she went on to complete a post-grad in Fashion Buying at DIT. Having spent a year in New York working for Kate Lanphear, the senior Style Director of ELLE magazine, she returned home to Ireland to write her first novel.
She went from hanging out on set with A-list celebrities to spending most of her days in pyjamas while she writes, and has never been happier.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Published February 18th, 2021 by Mantle
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Historical Mystery, Women Sleuths

Thank you to Mantle Books for my proof copy of this book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘The best historical crime novel I will read this year’ – The Times

‘This is right up there with the best of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor’ – Amanda Craig, author of The Golden Rule

From the pleasure palaces and gin-shops of Covent Garden to the elegant townhouses of Mayfair, Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham as she seeks justice for a murdered woman whom London society would rather forget . . .

London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done, and so sets out to solve the crime herself. Enlisting the help of thieftaker Peregrine Child, their inquiry delves into the hidden corners of Georgian society, a world of artifice, deception and secret lives.

But with many gentlemen refusing to speak about their dealings with the dead woman, and Caro’s own reputation under threat, finding the killer will be harder, and more treacherous, than she can know . . .

‘Spectacularly brilliant . . . One of the most enjoyable and enduring stories I have ever read’ – James O’Brien, journalist, author and LBC Presenter

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MY REVIEW:

“In the wrong hands, a secret is a weapon.”

Atmospheric and absorbing, this riveting historical crime story opens on a dark night in Georgian London when Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham finds the bloodied and mortally wounded body of a woman she knows as Lucia, an Italian Contessa. Lucia’s fingers find Caro’s, she gazes into her eyes, and with her last breath she whispers, ‘He knows’. The police are initially quick to investigate but drop the case when they discover that Lucia is in fact Lucy Loveless, a highly paid prostitute. Caro is incensed. So, with the help of  thieftaker Peregrine Child, she sets out to solve the crime. Their investigation leads them into the darkest corners of Georgian society and gentlemen who refuse to talk for fear of sullying their reputation. Can Caro and Perry find the killer before they too are silenced?

Daughters of Night has been sitting on my shelf ever since I received the proof in early 2021 and I am so glad I finally got around to reading it. Laura Shepherd-Robinson is an exquisite storyteller, bringing Georgian London and its dark, shadowy underbelly to life in vivid detail. Her research is evident in the authenticity that runs throughout the book, making me feel like I’d been transported back in time. Exploring topics such as shame, lack of female agency, and the unrelenting exploitation and abuse of women, Shepherd-Robinson writes with compassion, but there is also a brutal honesty, and some of the scenes in this book are not for the faint hearted. 

The huge cast of characters felt reminiscent of Dickens which added to the authentic historic feel. The richly drawn and varied cast of characters leaped from the pages and I connected quickly with Caro and young Pamela, the latter breaking my heart in every scene. Evocatively narrated, I lost myself in the elaborate and intricate plot, my heart pounding as the mystery deepened and the many threads began to weave together to finally reveal the full shocking picture. 

A tense, gripping and intriguing historical mystery that is a must-read for anyone who enjoys this genre. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Shepherd-Robinson was born in Bristol in 1976. She has a BSc in Politics from the University of Bristol and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics.

Laura worked in politics for nearly twenty years before re-entering normal life to complete an MA in Creative Writing at City University. She lives in London with her husband, Adrian.

Blood & Sugar, her first novel, won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown and the Specsaver’s Debut Crime Novel award, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, and a Guardian and Telegraph novel of the year. It was also shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and the Sapere Historical Dagger; the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Best Debut Novel; and the Goldsboro Glass Bell; and longlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year.

Her second novel, Daughters of Night, was been shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year, the Goldsboro Glass Bell, the Capital Crime Fingerprint Historical Novel Award and the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown, longlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger and was a Book of the Year in The Times, The i, and the Guardian.

Her third novel, The Square of Sevens, is a Sunday Times bestseller and available from all good bookshops now.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Blog Tours Book Features

BLOG TOUR FEATURE: Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench

Published February 29th, 2024 by Zaffre
Historical Fiction, Romance Novel, Historical Romance, Saga, War Story

Today I’m featuring Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours for the invitation to take part.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Malta, 1943. The war in the air above Malta is over, but the battle for Europe is about to begin.

Margarita, a young singer in a Valletta nightclub, has seen her former lover Henry Dunn only once since breaking off their affair. His wife Vera, an enigmatic archaeologist, arrives at the club to tell her that Henry has disappeared, presumed dead. While investigating, Margarita stumbles upon the hunt for a notorious and dangerous spy: Nero.

As an unlikely bond develops between the two women, and strange secrets emerge, an urgent quest to unmask Nero starts – before he can enact a deadly plan that may threaten the course of the war.

‘An atmospheric tale of adventure and espionage’ Sunday Times of Malta

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Cecily Blench grew up in Herefordshire and studied at the University of York. She worked for an independent publisher before her debut novel The Long Journey Home was published in 2021. She now lives in Bristol and is a freelance writer and editor.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Book Club

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters

Published February 29th, 2024 by Hutchinson Heinmann
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction

Welcome to my review for the SquadPod Book Club book for March. Thank you Hutchinson Heinmann for sending me a proof copy.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘I was hooked right through to the shocking end’ BERNARDINE EVARISTO

‘An excellent read’ GUARDIAN

‘Beautifully written, immersive, thought-provoking’ MARIAN KEYES

‘Obsessed’ KERRY WASHINGTON

‘A shimmering success’ DIANA EVANS

THE PERFECT WIFE. THE PERFECT MURDER.

Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos and a glamorous group of friends. She left London and a troubled family past behind to become part of a community of expat wives.

But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her so-called perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria to take matters into her own hands. As she digs into her niece’s life, she uncovers a hidden truth. But the more she finds out about Nicole, the more Claudine’s own buried history threatens to come to light.

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MY REVIEW:

“Shine your eyes. Nothing here is as it seems”

Nicole Oruwari left London to live in Nigeria with her husband, Tonye, and their two young sons. The glamorous couple seem to have it all and enjoy a privileged life until Nicole disappears one day following a boat trip. When the investigation provides no answers her estranged aunt, Claudine, flies to Lagos to search for the niece she raised like a daughter. But with the Oruwari family and their friends more concerned about their reputations than helping find Nicole, Claudine faces an uphill battle for answers. 

The SquadPod Book Club book this month transports us to the sandy shores of Lagos, immersing us in a compelling dual timeline mystery that is scattered with secrets and brimming with suspense. Multifaceted, rich with detail, and well-written, Vanessa Walters has drawn on her own experiences to offer us a glimpse inside the lives of the wealthy Nigerwives and exposes the murky world that lies beneath the glitz and glamour of the Nigerian elite. An ominous prologue sets the tense and forbidding tone of the story. But don’t expect quick answers as Walters makes the reader sweat, keeping them on tenterhooks from start to finish. I could never be sure where things were heading and every time I thought I knew she would surprise me with a curveball that took it in an unexpected direction. And that ending! OMG. I was NOT prepared. 

“You may not set out to end up disempowered, but perhaps one day you just wake up, and it’s too late; you’ve already got nothing.”

The story is narrated by Nicole and Claudine, moving seamlessly between multiple timelines as it dives deeper into their lives and unearths the secrets hidden there. We discover lives affected by trauma that left scars but also built resilience. Their emotions leap from the pages, with Claudine’s story being particularly powerful and moving. Walters also examines a number of different issues such as marriage, infidelity, motherhood, privilege, cultural isolation, post colonialism, trauma, racism and female agency. These are told through a lens I knew nothing about and it was fascinating to see these issues from a new perspective and learn more about life and cultural expectations in Nigeria. We all need a support network, so I understood why the foreign wives created theirs. The Nigerwives become almost like a surrogate family for one another, helping the women through everything from adjusting to their new home to escaping their husbands if they are abused, and being away from their own family the women are particularly vulnerable to domestic abuse. 

“Lagos was a strange place where friends and even family members lied about travel plans in case it led to them being kidnapped. Sometimes people concealed pregnancies or other exciting news for fear of spiritual sabotage. Also, keeping up appearances was paramount. People performed fake happiness on social media with loving photos and captions, showing off their holidays and material possessions. Didn’t she do the same thing?”

The setting for this story is so important that it is like a character in its own right. Life in Lagos is unique and completely different to what we know here in England. It is a conservative and Muslim country where single women are viewed with distrust, marriage gives you automatic respect, where the battle for women is feminism not racism, and the fear of kidnapping is very real. Walters explores this patriarchal and misogynistic society in detail, helping the reader understand the challenges faced by not only Nicole and Claudine, but even men such as Tonye, who live their lives constrained by tradition and fear of shame no matter their privilege. For me, these obstacles only made Claudine’s actions braver as she refused to acquiesce to their attempts at hushing up Nicole’s disappearance or stop searching for answers and I was rooting for her at every step.

A fascinating, intelligent and thought-provoking debut that I’d recommend. Add this to your TBR now!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Vanessa Walters was born and raised in London and has a background in international journalism and playwriting and is a Tin House resident and a Millay Colony resident. She is the author of two previous YA books and The Nigerwife.

She currently lives in Brooklyn.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein

Published February 29th, 20204 by Harper 360
Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, War Story, Urban Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this moving story, Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Louise Fein and Harper 360 for the gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

From the bestselling author of Daughter of the Reich, an historical drama set in London about a bookshop involved in an espionage network.

“An utterly atmospheric and completely compelling read!” —Julia Kelly, international bestselling author of The Lost English Girl

Two courageous women. One astonishing secret. A world on the brink of war.

London, 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but life must go on. Celia Duchesne longs for a career, but with no means or qualifications, passes her time working at a dusty bookshop. The day a handsome American enters the shop, she thinks she might have found her way out of the monotony. Just as the excitement of a budding relationship engulfs her, a devastating secret draws her into the murky world of espionage.

France, 1942: Nineteen-year-old Anya Moreau was dropped behind enemy lines to aid the resistance, sending messages back home to London via wireless transmitter. When she was cruelly betrayed, evidence of her legacy and the truth of her actions were buried by wartime injustices.

As Celia learns more about Anya—and her unexpected connection to the undercover agent—she becomes increasingly aware of furious efforts, both past and present, to protect state secrets. With her newly formed romance taking a surprising turn and the world on the verge of nuclear annihilation, Celia must risk everything she holds dear, in the name of justice.

Propulsive and illuminating, The London Bookshop Affair is a gripping story of secrets and love, inspired by true events and figures of the Cold War.

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MY REVIEW:

“This will remain a mystery unless Celia can find a way to unravel it.”

Atmospheric, gripping and emotive, The London Bookshop Affair is a dual timeline novel set against the backdrop of World War 2 and the Cold War. A story of courageous women, old secrets and love, we follow Celia and Jeannie, two women connected by a long-buried secret who find themselves caught up in the cloak and dagger world of espionage. There is mystery, intrigue, cover-ups, lies, betrayal and romance that are all woven together to create a compelling story that had me hooked. 

I’m a huge history lover, so I’m a sucker for a historical fiction book, and as a big fan of Louise Fein’s last novel, The Hidden Child, I couldn’t wait to read this one. Well written, multi-layered and evocative, I loved how Fein brought the past to life through the small historic details, making me feel like I’d stepped inside a time machine. I could picture 1940s London with its dark, dank heaviness, air raid sirens, food shortages and oppressive fear in the air. In the 1960s I could see the bleak housing, devastation left over from bombings, smell the smoky pubs and cafes and hear the rock music. And in the bookshop where Celia works I could smell the old books and see the dust motes flying in the air. The novel is based on actual historical events, primarily focusing on the threat of nuclear war that lingered over the world at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Special Operations Executive and their secret missions during World War Two. I know very little about the Cold War and knew nothing of the SOE, so I found it to be a very interesting and educational read. 

Against this backdrop of real events were our two heroines, Celia and Jeannie, who leapt from the page in vivid technicolour. These two brave women were fascinating to read and I enjoyed viewing important historical events through the personal lens that their stories provided. The secret that links them was heartrending and there were many times I was near tears while reading. There is also a third narrator: Septimus, a mysterious American who begins a blossoming romance with Celia. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow, though I admit that, like Celia, I wasn’t sure if Septimus could be trusted. But Celia must decide who and what she can believe in, the tension palpable and keeping me on tenterhooks until the big reveal. 

I highly recommend this moving and suspenseful story to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction. And don’t miss the author’s note at the end of the book which provides a fascinating insight into the real life people and events that inspired the book.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From Louise’s Blog:
For just about as long as I could read, I have wanted to be an author.

Much of my childhood, when not pretending to be a pony or on my bike, was spent with my nose in a book, or escaping the mundane of everyday life in the vastly more interesting world of my imagination. 

I have always loved to write and as I grew into adulthood, I wrote stories, diaries and poetry. Writing was always just a hobby, as I needed to earn a living and I never once considered it could be a career.

After I finished university, I took some time out to travel, qualified as a lawyer and worked in finance. Life became busy with a career, husband and three children and I had little time for writing. But the bug wouldn’t leave me alone. I used the train journey home from work to scribble ideas, the beginnings of novels, stories and poems. I took an evening class in creative writing at the CityLit and thought one day. 

One day came when I saw an advertisement for a master’s degree in creative writing, aimed at writing a first novel at St. Mary’s University, London. I went home and told my husband with a sigh how much I would love to sign up for that course. Go for it, he said. By this time I was running my own consultancy business, and after realising he wasn’t joking, I didn’t hesitate. I’ll give myself a year, I thought, certain I could get a novel written in that time, and then go back to my job. 

Of course, the year turned into a few, but the result was People Like Us (Daughter of the Reich in the USA) and I’ve not looked back. I’m incredibly lucky in that I have a supportive spouse and am now able to write full time around family commitments. 

I live in Surrey with my family, two naughty cats, and small dog Bonnie, who is the best writing companion I could ask for. Always at my side when I write and she listens most patiently when I need to talk through a tricky plot problem. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent

Published February 1st, 2024 by HQ
Mystery, Dark Comedy, Satire, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Adventure Ficiton

Today I’m sharing my review for the fierce and funny The Murder After The Night Before, which is one of the Squadpods Featured Books in February. Thank you HQ for my gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

From the author of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, don’t miss this wickedly witty and utterly addictive novel, perfect for fans of Bella Mackie, Dawn O’Porter and Killing Eve.

Something bad happened last night.

I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.

But I can’t remember a thing…

My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.

There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.

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MY REVIEW:

Molly wakes up with the hangover from hell, no memories of the night before, a stranger in her bed, and has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. And it only gets worse when her best mate and flatmate Posey is found dead. The police write it off as a tragic accident, but Molly is sure Posey was murdered and sets out to find proof. The problem is, she still can’t remember what happened the night before.

This book was quite the ride! As a fan of dark comedy thrillers such as Sweetpea and  Over My Dead Body I knew I was going to love this one. But what I didn’t expect was to devour it so quickly, how timely it would be, or how Katy Brent would leave my jaw on the floor with her unexpected twists. Opening with Molly waking up after the night she can’t remember, it jumps straight into the action and never lets go, taking the reader along for the ride beside Molly as she tries to piece together what happened the night before and who killed her best friend. It feels claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in on Molly and her world keeps shrinking as she’s increasingly alone and scared to leave the house, and there’s a climate of distrust and suspicion lingers over every page as Molly tries to figure out who she can trust. 

Brent explores some sensitive and timely topics in the book, using black humour throughout to lighten the mood. This is a story that will make you feel every emotion: heartache, rage, fear, joy, laughter. But it is never heavy or bleak and instead makes you feel the many emotions those topics should make you feel. These topics are explored alongside the mystery of Posey’s death, something that I think helps alleviate some of the weightiness of the topics. I liked that Brent included excerpts of some of the tweets surrounding both Molly’s viral incident and Posey’s death at the beginning of each chapter as it felt like I was reading a true story rather than fiction. I was completely invested in both storylines and read on tenterhooks as I tried to figure out what had really happened. 

Molly is a fantastic protagonist. She’s feisty, chaotic, volatile, sloppy and destructive. Quite frankly, this girl is a hot mess. But behind her brittle and spiky veneer is a damaged, fearful young woman who is all alone and I wanted to hug her and tell her it would be ok. She is also the epitome of an unreliable narrator as she can’t even trust her own memories, something that made her even more likeable to me as you know she’s not deliberately being duplicitous. I loved this character and was rooting for her at every step. 

Fast-paced, fierce, darkly funny, and unflinching, this addictive thriller is a must-read. Just make sure you clear your schedule before you start. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Katy is an author and award-winning journalist from the UK. She has worked on newspapers, magazines and websites since 2005, writing about popular culture. How To Kill Men and Get Away With It is her first novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*These links are affiliate links