Tag: Five stars

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

REVIEW: Eighteen Seconds by Louise Beech

Published April 27th, 2023 by Mardle Books
Memoir, Depression and Mental Health Biographies

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mental health, suicide, abuse, neglect, trauma.

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SYNOPSIS:
My mother once said to me, ‘I wish you could feel the way I do for eighteen seconds. Just eighteen seconds, so you’d know how awful it is.’

I thought about it. Realised we could all learn from being in another person’s head for eighteen seconds. Eighteen seconds inside Grandma Roberts’ head as she sat alone with her evening cup of tea, us girls upstairs in bed. Eighteen seconds inside one-year-old Colin’s head when he woke up in a foster home without his family. Eighteen seconds inside the head of a girl waiting for her bedroom door to open.

Writer, Louise Beech, looks back on the events that led to the day her mother wrote down her last words, then jumped off the Humber Bridge. She missed witnessing the horror herself by minutes.

Louise recounts the pain and trauma of her childhood alongside her love for her siblings with a delicious dark humour and a profound voice of hope for the future.

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MY REVIEW:

“This is my story. No fiction to hide behind.”

February 2019. As author Louise Beech took her usual morning walk she paused to photograph some early daffodils she was surprised to see. Five hours later she gets the devastating news that her mother has jumped from the Humber Bridge. Had Louise not stopped to take that photograph, she might have been there when it happened.  

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so it feels like the perfect time to be sharing this review.  Powerful, poignant and heart-wrenching, Eighteen Seconds is the true story of Louise’s life and the aftermath of the harrowing event that shook her family to its core. It was hard-hitting and emotional from the start, and I cried many times while listening to the audio version of this book.  But this is Louise Beech, and even the most solemn of stories cannot be told without her trademark wit, and there is lots of laughter amongst the tears. However, this isn’t only her story. It is also the story of her family, and includes interviews and quotes from her siblings and other family members that discuss how events impacted them. The strong bond Ms. Beech shares with her siblings is clear to see, and I loved their banter and their sense of humour, which they use as a coping mechanism and a way to lighten the darkest of times. I loved her reflections of her grandmother and the special relationship they shared. These were deeply moving and made me think of my own Nan, who I was very close to. 

“… humour is the wonky mirror for emotions often too difficult to look at directly.”

This isn’t an easy read, but it is an important one, featuring topics such as trauma, mental health, suicide, and abuse. It also highlights how dysfunction, pain and trauma don’t only affect us in that moment, but our whole lives, with ripple effects trickling down through the generations as we attempt to not only survive, but flourish, and break those harmful cycles.  And Louise seems to have achieved this. Her love for her own children shines brightest of all in this book and it is evident she is a wonderful mother. I admired her ability to help her children through their problems while navigating her own pain and breaking those toxic cycles. 

“I discovered the one thing that thawed me: writing.”

There is no question that Beech is a talented author. She is one of my favourite authors and I’ve loved every book of hers that I’ve read. Consequently, I expected this book to be well written, but I was unprepared for just how beautiful, potent and unflinching her prose would be this time around.  The narration was fantastic and perfectly conveyed the appropriate emotions for the listener while bringing to life those whose stories are being told. Though my own story is obviously different, her story resonated with me on a personal level in many ways, particularly the exploration of the effects of trauma in chapter five. I laughed, cried, raged, and felt every emotion in between as I was swept away by this phenomenal and courageous memoir.

Eighteen Seconds is a tableau of heartbreak, healing, and forgiveness that demands to be read. Piercingly frank, raw, heartrending, and courageous, it never shies away from the pain and messiness of family and life, striking a resonant chord as it pulls on your heartstrings and then ties them back together with uplifting humour. Louise’s story is one I will never forget and I applaud her for being brave enough to share it with the world. It is a reminder that those who have been through the greatest pain often have the kindest hearts and brightest smiles, and my admiration for this author has grown after reading her story. 

Bravo, Louise, and thank you. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Louise’s debut novel, How to be Brave, was a Guardian Readers’ pick in 2015 and a top ten bestseller on Amazon. The Mountain in my Shoe longlisted for the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize 2016. The Sunday Mirror called Maria in the Moon ‘quirky, darkly comic, original and heartfelt’. It was also a Must Read in the Sunday Express and a Book of the Year at LoveReadingUK. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was described as ‘engrossing and captivating’ by the Daily Express. It also shortlisted for the RNA’s Romantic Novel of the Year and longlisted for the Polari Prize 2019. Call Me Star Girl hit number one on Kobo. It also longlisted for the Not The Booker Prize and won the Best magazine Big Book Award 2019. This Is How We Are Human was a Clare Mackintosh August Book of the Month 2021. Audiobook memoir Daffodils came out in 2022, and novel Nothing Else too. Her memoir is coming in paperback as Eighteen Seconds April 2023.

Louise also writes as Louise Swanson.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Book Features Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce (The Emmy Lake Chronicles Book 2)

Published June 24th, 2021 by Picador
Hisrtorical Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Coming-of-Age Fiction, Book Series

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SYNOPSIS:
The Times bestseller Yours Cheerfully is the charming and hilarious tonic we’ve all been waiting for.

‘The best possible antidote for the blahs, the doldrums, all slumps, all dumps… Loved. Every. Word.’
Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

London, September, 1941. Following the departure of the formidable Editor, Mrs Henrietta Bird, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake at Woman’s Friend magazine. And while the war rages on, Emmy is even firmer that she must do all she can to help on the Home Front. As ever, she is determined to Make a Go of It. When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit female supporters to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to be asked to help.

But when she and best friend Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the real challenges that women war workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma: should she carry out her duty or stand by her friends?

‘Buoyant and bubbly, a tonic in testing times’ Mail on Sunday
‘A brilliant follow up to Dear Mrs Bird’ Clare Mackintosh
‘Absolutely lovely!’ Marian Keyes
‘Full of wit, friendship and the uplifting knowledge that when people come together, great changes can be made’ Katie Fforde

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MY REVIEW:

“I thought of Yours Cheerfully, there had certainly been letters about war work, but had I taken them seriously enough? Or had I been concentrating too much on the lovelorn and romantically baffled? Who exactly was I trying to help? The ministry I was so desperate to impress, or the readers I had promised I would do everything I can to support?”

Picking up where the previous book left off, we are back with Emmeline Lake in this marvellous sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird. It is September 1941 and Emmy has been given the job of assisting the new advice columnist at Woman’s Friend. With war still raging around them, she is determined to do all she can to help on the Home Front. So when the Ministry of Information calls upon women’s magazines to help recruit female supporters of the war effort, she is thrilled to be asked to help. Spearheading a new series focusing on real women workers, Emmy learns the stark truth of the challenges they face each day that leaves her in a quandary: will she carry out her duty or stand up for what she believes in?

Lively, uplifting, moving and funny, this is a scrumptious treat of a story that soothes your soul like a balmy spring day. After loving the first book in this series I had been meaning to pick up this sequel since it was released. With the third instalment now being published, I have finally got around to it and decided to listen to the audiobook so I could fit it around my physical reads. And I am so glad I did. Wonderfully written and impeccably narrated, the story came to life as I listened, transporting me back to war-torn London and immersing me in the world of the everyday people trying to survive. When you have a chipper, lighthearted story set in such a tumultuous and dark time, it is a real reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This book broke my heart and then mended it again many times over. And I couldn’t get enough.

“There are women who stick up for each other, and women who don’t.”

One of my favourite elements of this book was its cast of strong female characters, including the protagonist who is at the heart of this story. Bubbly, courageous and admiral, Emmy Lake is a likeable and relatable heroine who is a key part of this story’s charm. It was great to be back with her and watch her blossom in both her personal and private life but it was the themes of female friendship and women supporting and uplifting other women that I enjoyed most of all. The other characters, particularly Emmy’s friends, are compelling, spirited and memorable, leaping from the page as much as Emmy did. And as much as I enjoyed revisiting the characters from book one, there were some great additions to the cast that were vital in making this book so special. A particular mention has to go to young Ruby who stole my heart and made me smile every time she was on the page. 

Jaunty, vibrant, heartwarming and tender, Yours Cheerfully is a book you get lost in. A joy from beginning to end, I would highly recommend it. I loved the audiobook so much that I immediately bought Mrs Porter Calling and started listening. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

AJ Pearce was born in Hampshire, UK. Her favourite subjects at school were English and History, which now (finally) makes sense.

She majored in American History at the University of Sussex, spending her Junior Year at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA.

Her debut novel Dear Mrs Bird was a Sunday Times Bestseller and has been published in the USA, Canada and Australia and in translation in over fifteen languages. 

Dear Mrs Bird was shortlisted for the Debut of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards as well as the Royal Society of Literature Sir Christopher Bland Prize and the Historical Writers’ Association’s Debut Crown 2019 for the best historical debut. It was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in the UK, and in the USA was shortlisted in the US Library Reads Favorites of Favorites 2018. In 2022 it was chosen for BBC Radio 4’s Book Club.

AJ has appeared at literary events and festivals across the UK, including Cheltenham, Henley, Ilkley, Chipping Norton, Durham, Guildford, and The British Library.

Her second novel, the sequel Yours Cheerfully, was published in 2021 and was a Times Top 10 hit. Her new novel, Mrs Porter Calling is the third in the Emmy Lake Chronicles series and will be published 25 May 2023 in the UK and 8 August in the USA/Canada.

AJ will be touring the UK around the publication, starting in May. Please go to the Events page for full info and how to book tickets.

When not talking about, researching, or writing books, AJ enjoys being fairly rubbish at a variety of hobbies, and has recently decided to try to learn to paint. Should anyone have alerted members of the Royal Academy of Arts, it is more than likely that no one is holding their breath.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophile xxxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Recommends Support Debuts

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

Published April 27th, 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton
Mystery, Thriller, Suspemse, Psychological Thriller

Welcome to my review of the deliciously dark debut, Death of a Bookseller, which was the Squadpod Book Club pick for April. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
A BOOKSHOP. A TRUE CRIME CASE. A DEADLY FRIENDSHIP.

THE UNMISSABLE DEBUT THRILLER.

Roach – bookseller, loner and true crime obsessive – is not interested in making friends. She has all the company she needs in her serial killer books, murder podcasts and her pet snail, Bleep.

That is, until Laura joins the bookshop.

Smelling of roses, with her cute literary tote bags and beautiful poetry, she’s everyone’s new favourite bookseller. But beneath the shiny veneer, Roach senses a darkness within Laura, the same darkness Roach possesses.

As Roach’s curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, it becomes clear that she is prepared to infiltrate Laura’s life at any cost.

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MY REVIEW:

“The path to understanding the human condition was soaked in blood and guts, it was stalked by serial killers and sadists and mass shooters, and it was laced with upsetting stories of violence and death, of neglect and abuse. If we really wanted to better ourselves as a society, we had to be prepared to deal with the unsavoury parts as well as the nicey-nice parts.”

Deliciously dark, sinister, disturbing and addictive, Death of a Bookseller is one of those books that grabs you by the throat on the first page and doesn’t let go. True crime, books, toxic female friendship, and obsession; this book had everything my dark heart loves and I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

I love a book with a complicated and unreliable protagonist, and this has two of them.  Roach and Laura are both unlikeable yet magnetic characters who seem to have little in common. Laura is a bubbly, outgoing, social butterfly who loves bookselling and writes found poetry to illuminate the lives of victims of violent crime, while Roach is a strange, macabre loner who is obsessed with true crime and views customers as a nuisance. Roach thinks the pair are destined to be friends, but Laura wants nothing to do with her. Determined to win Laura over, Roach foists herself upon her in a way that’s oppressive and deeply uncomfortable, her obsession becoming increasingly fanatical until it spirals out of control. But Roach’s obvious psychopathic tendencies, I couldn’t see her as the ‘bad guy’. Laura’s mean-girl antics rubbed me the wrong way and left me ultimately sympathising with Roach, even after we dig deeper and discover the fractured girl haunted by trauma that is hiding beneath Laura’s mask. Yet overall, there is no clear villain and no winner, just two very troubled young women.

“My life really started when I gave up trying to fit in, when I settled into myself, like an alligator sinking into a swamp.” 

Alice Slater is a debut author to watch. She knows how to sink her claws into her reader and not let go, making this one of those books you clear your schedule and lock out the world for. From the opening pages something sinister crackles in the air and the tension continues to build as you read, reaching a fever-pitch as we approach the finale; I can still feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins just thinking about it. Exquisitely written, astutely choreographed, and intricately crafted, Slater takes the reader to some unsettling places in her exploration of the dark underbelly of female friendship, toxic obsession, and the darkness that can lurk inside a twisted mind. She also exposes our infatuation with true crime and reminds us that these monstrous acts are not merely for our entertainment, but leave behind a ripple effect of grief, heartbreak and trauma that can last a lifetime. But don’t get it twisted, this isn’t a sombre novel, and to offset the darkness there are lots of cringey, awkward moments and ink-black humour that lightens the mood. And how can we forget Roach’s giant African land snail, Bleep, who slowly crawls along the bottom of the book’s pages in a brilliant creative detail. 

Quirky, compulsive, messy, chilling, and dark as night, Death of a Bookseller is one of those books that manages to be both relatable and off-the-wall insane. So, if like me you enjoy uncomfortable, creepy novels about dark things, then this is a book you have to read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Alice is a writer, editor and ex-bookseller from London. She co-hosts the literary podcast What Page Are You On?, and edited Outsiders: A Short Story Anthology (3 of Cups Press). Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and appeared in Dear Damsels, Cunning Folk, and On Anxiety (3 of Cups Press). She is working on her first novel. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

Signed Indie Edition – Goldsboro Books | The Feminist Bookshop

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BLOG TOUR: Atalanta by Jennifer Saint

Published April 13th, 2023 by Wildfire
Greek Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Atalanta, the magnificent third book by Jennifer Saint. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Caitlin at Wildfire for the gifted proof copy.

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SYNOPSIS:
The heroic story of the only female Argonaut, told by Jennifer Saint, the bestselling author of ELEKTRA (UK, Sunday Times, May 2022) and ARIADNE (UK, Sunday Times, April 2021).

‘A brilliant read’ Women & Home | ‘A spirited retelling’ Times | ‘Beautiful and absorbing’ Fabulous | ‘A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology’ Harper’s Bazaar | ‘Jennifer Saint has done an incredible job’ Red

When a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment.

Left exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.

Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason’s band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place in the legends in a world made for men?

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MY REVIEW:

“The world should know the name Atalanta. They should see what you can do.”

I think we’ve all heard the infamous story of Jason and the Argonauts. Those of us of a certain age will find our minds instantly flash to the 1963 movie of the same name and its now-dated special effects. But it turns out that we have been missing an important detail in most of these retellings; Atalanta – the only female Argonaut. Now it’s time to hear her heroic story.

Jennifer Saint’s books have become one of the most anticipated highlights of my reading year. I love how she gives a voice to the forgotten women and lesser-known parts of the infamous myths. A perfect combination of entertaining, educational and enthralling, her love for the subject radiates from every page. You will lose yourself in these stories, the real world falling away as she brings ancient Greece and its mythology to life in vivid technicolour. She makes the heroes, gods and goddesses feel real, allowing us to really see them, rather than them remaining one-dimensional characters from a distant time, something that is particularly evident in how she explores and expands the female perspective so these women are no longer consigned to be merely possessions or accessories to men. I think Atalanta is her best book yet and I am only sad that I now have a year to wait for another one of her books.

“I felt his words awakening something within me, opening up a vision of myself alongside the catalogue of demi-gods and heroes. I saw myself, as though from the outside. A baby opening her eyes to the savage bear, a child running through the forest, a young woman loosing arrows at rampaging monsters. It felt as though every moment of my life had been building up to this: my destiny. “

Atalanta is a feisty, formidable, and unyielding woman who I found utterly fascinating. Though mortal, the expert huntress and warrior has a strength and ability that surpasses other mortals, in part thanks to being raised first by bears and then by the goddess Artemis in the forest. She knows nothing but a life of freedom surrounded by nature, so when she first encounters the city she finds it overwhelming and claustrophobic. Atalanta is excited by the thought of joining Jason and his Argonauts in the search for the Golden Fleece as Artemis’ champion; the promise of battle and adventure is a greater lure than her fear of leaving all she knows.  But she soon realises she has a lot to prove as the men either doubt her abilities or find her strength emasculating. It’s an uphill battle but Atalanta never wavers from the challenge and proves herself again and again. I loved hearing this story from a new perspective and am thankful I’ve finally been introduced to this remarkable woman. 

Lush, atmospheric, immersive and bursting with adventure, Atalanta is another masterpiece from the pen of Ms. Saint. A must-read for anyone who enjoys great storytelling. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote ARIADNE which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne – the woman who made it happen. Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two children. Both ARIADNE and ELEKTRA are Sunday Times bestsellers.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BLOG TOUR: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Published April 20th, 2023 by Viper Books
Mystery, Thriller, Gothic Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Horror Fiction

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Today I’m sharing my review for the mesmerising and haunting Looking Glass Sound. Apologies that this is a few days late due to illness. Thank you to Angie at Viper Books for the invitation to take part and the gifted proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
Writers are monsters. We eat everything we see…

In a windswept cottage overlooking the sea, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood companions and the shadowy figure of the Daggerman, who stalked the New England town where they spent their summers. Of a horror that has followed Wilder through the decades. And of Sky, Wilder’s one-time friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, The Sound and the Dagger.

This book will be Wilder’s revenge on Sky, who betrayed his trust and died without ever telling him why. But as he writes, Wilder begins to find notes written in Sky’s signature green ink, and events in his manuscript start to chime eerily with the present. Is Sky haunting him? And who is the dark-haired woman drowning in the cove, whom no one else can see?

No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder feels his grip on reality slipping. And he begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does.

Discover the new dark thriller from the bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street

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MY REIVEW:

“Writers are monsters, really. We eat everything we see.”

Take a bow, Catriona Ward, because once again you have knocked it out of the park! Looking Glass Sound is everything I hoped for, while also being nothing like I expected it to be. And like Ward’s sensational debut, The Last House on Needless Street, it left me wondering what the hell I’d just read but loving whatever it was. Haunting, twisty, forbidding and utterly remarkable, it reads like one of the eerie local folklore stories kids whisper to each other in the night or tell around the campfire. But what is real and what is in the imagination? That’s the question you’ll be trying to answer as you read this book. And with its ideal combination of making you feel like you never want it to end while also making you feel like you need to devour it whole, you won’t want to put it down. I would have inhaled this in one sitting if not for my eyelids betraying me and forcing me to tear myself away to go to bed in the early hours. 

Looking Glass Sound is a book best read almost blind. The less you know, the better it is. So I’m going to talk very little about the plot. What I will tell you is that the story follows a young man named Wilder Harlow, and the events at Whistler Bay that shook the small seaside town to its core. He writes a memoir about what happened only to have it stolen by someone he trusts, leaving Wilder plotting his revenge for decades. When he finally returns to Whistler Bay to take that vengeance, strange things begin to happen that make Wilder question what he sees and hears. Could there be something supernatural at play? Or is his grip on reality slipping away? Told in multiple timelines and filled with unreliable, shady characters who have ulterior motives, you will have no idea who or what you can trust in this inventive smoke and mirrors horror thriller. 

“It was just my mind, making pictures in the dark. Old fears, reaching long fingers up from the pit of the past. Did I really expect there would be no consequences, when I decided to open the coffin of the past and poke at its corpse?” 

Catriona Ward is without a doubt one of the most original voices in fiction today. Her books are instantly recognisable as her own unique brand of thriller; she lulls her reader into accepting the story as one thing while hiding another underneath it. After reading her first book I knew it was there; this secret, hidden part of the story that I wasn’t seeing. But it didn’t spoil anything for me. In fact, it only heightened the tension as I waited for the shoe to drop, desperately trying to predict the twists. But once again she blindsided me with her revelations, leaving me trying to pick up my jaw from the floor. Ward is also a master at blurring the lines between what is real and what is in the imagination – including just enough of a supernatural feeling to make you question what is really happening. She is a master storyteller, which is evident in the book through flawless plotting, perfect pacing, imaginative twists, and a constant tempo of nerve-shredding malevolence and foreboding that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And let’s not forget the scene-setting, which is so evocative that  it felt like the story came alive around me, something that was intensified by my proof copy having some sentences underlined and notes written in green ink, just like in Sky’s original manuscript. Some of the notes even addressed me by name, sending chills down my spine and covering me in goosebumps. A terrifying and unique addition to the story, it was a stroke of genius! Whoever came up with this idea deserves a raise!

Darkly atmospheric, unnerving, sinister and brilliantly bizarre, this mesmerising story will linger long after you close that final page. 

READ. IT. NOW.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

CATRIONA WARD was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and is a graduate of the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia.

‘The Last House on Needless Street’ (Viper Books, Tor Nightfire) was a Times Book of the Month, Observer Book of the Month, March Editor’s Pick on Open Book, a Between the Covers BBC2 book club selection, a Times bestseller, and is being developed for film by Andy Serkis’s production company, The Imaginarium.

‘Little Eve’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2018) won the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award and the August Derleth Prize for Best Horror Novel at the 2019 British Fantasy Awards, making her the only woman to have won the prize twice, and was a Guardian best book of 2018. Her debut Rawblood (W&N, 2015) won Best Horror Novel at the 2016 British Fantasy Awards, was shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Award and a WHSmith Fresh Talent title. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. She lives in London and Devon.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

*Purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson

Published April 13th, 2023 by Zaffre Books
Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romance Novel

Welcome to my review for the gorgeous and heartfelt The Girl on the 88 Bus. Thank you to Zaffre books for the gifted copy of the book and for the invitation to take part in the tour.

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SYNOPSIS:
‘The characters are relatable and lovable; the story is uplifting and romantic, full of emotions and heart, celebrating the importance of making human connections and embracing our dreams. This book is my happy place!’ Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love Hypothesis

‘I loved it ‘ Hannah Tovey

‘Heartwarming, gorgeously written and I fell instantly in love with the quirky cast of characters’ Jessica Ryn

‘A must-read’ Sarah J. Harris

When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, broken-hearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly pensioner Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like her own. They made plans for a date, but Frank lost the ticket with her number written on it. For the past sixty years, he’s ridden the same bus trying to find her.

Libby is inspired by the story and, with the help of an unlikely companion, she makes it her mission to continue Frank’s search. As she begins to open her guarded heart to strangers and new connections, Libby’s tightly controlled world expands. But with Frank’s dementia progressing quickly, their chance of finding the girl on the 88 bus is slipping away . . .

More than anything, Libby wants Frank to see his lost love one more time. But their quest also shows Libby just how important it is to embrace her own chance for happiness – before it’s too late.

The author of The Last Library brings us this beautifully uplifting novel about how one chance meeting can change the course of your life forever

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MY REVIEW:

“In the space of one bus ride I’d fallen head over heels in love, and now I had no way of finding her again.” 

Endearing, heartwarming and uplifting, The Girl on the 88 Bus feels like a big hug that warms you from the inside out. It will make you laugh, make you cry, make your heart ache, and make it soar as you go on an unforgettable journey with characters that will stay with you long after reading. Filled with romance and hope, this book is both an unconventional love story and a journey of self discovery, with some valuable life lessons sprinkled in along the way. 

When I picked up this book I was needing something lighthearted after reading some heavier books back-to-back. I remembered how much I loved Freya Sampson’s debut and was hoping for some of that same magic again. I was not disappointed. Once again Ms. Sampson has written a truly special story that I didn’t want to put down. The meet-cute at the beginning of the book has to be the most adorable one I’ve ever read. *Sigh*. And while it was this scene alone that cemented it as a book that would stay with me, it was the exquisite writing, surprising depth and unexpected curveballs of this story that left me reeling and made it one of my favourite books so far this year.

“On the 88 there’s always the chance for a bit of drama or a brief chat with a stranger, a nugget of something new.” 

This wonderful story is elevated by the motley crew of quirky characters who are impossible not to love. I was captivated by them, invested in them, and rooting for them to find the elusive redhead who had rocked Franks’ world. Libby is a compelling protagonist with problems that many of us will relate to. I enjoyed watching her rediscover herself and her confidence after coming out of her long relationship. It is so easy to lose ourselves when with the wrong person but not realise until it’s too late, leaving us adrift and trying desperately to reconnect with ourselves when that relationship ends. I’ve been there and Libby captures those feelings perfectly. But dear old Frank was the character who stole the show for me. I had a soft spot for him immediately and fell in love with him more and more as we discovered more about him; how he’s been making friends and changing lives on the 88 bus for years. It was a reminder that the smallest acts of kindness can impact people in the biggest ways, how we never know the impression we have on someone, and how our lives can change in a moment. 
No character is too small or inconsequential to make an impact in this book, which I loved. I could mention them all, but instead I’ll give a shout-out to the delightful Esme, who made me laugh every time she was on the page, and Peggy, the mysterious lady who we are never quite sure where she fits in, but most of us can relate to for her love of people watching on the bus. They both made lasting impressions from their first appearances in the book and jumped from the pages again and again. 

A bingeable read full of heart and humour, this is feel-good fiction at its best. An absolute must-read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Freya Sampson is the USA Today bestselling author of two novels, The Last Chance Library and The Lost Ticket/The Girl on the 88 Bus. She worked in TV as an executive producer and her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British Royal Family, and a number of factual and entertainment series.

She studied History at Cambridge University and in 2018 was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize.

She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

REVIEW: The Institution by Helen Fields

Published: March 2nd, 2023
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Hardboiled, Pscyhological Thriller
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this unflinching locked-room thriller. Thank you to Avon Books for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

They’re locked up for your safety.
Now, you’re locked in with them.

Dr Connie Woolwine has five days to catch a killer.

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital, a scream shatters the night. The next morning, a nurse’s body is found and her daughter has been taken. A ransom must be paid, and the clock is ticking.

Forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer. Now, she must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth and use her unique skills to find the girl – before it’s too late.

But as the walls close in around her, can Connie get the killer before The Institution gets her?

A claustrophobic, haunting crime thriller that will keep you up at night, perfect for those who couldn’t put down The Sanatorium and Amy McCulloch’s Breathless.

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MY REIVEW:

“The people inside these walls are broken. All of them. It’s bad enough being here against your will. Imagine having so little to live for that of all the places in the world, you would choose to spend the precious years allocated to you in this godforsaken place. “

She’s done it again! A crime fiction powerhouse, Helen Fields can always be relied upon to write sinister, never-shredding stories that leave you breathless. And with The Institution she has done exactly that. This chilling masterpiece certainly packs a punch. The prose is brutal poetry, every word gleaming with malice, and there’s an undercurrent of danger and foreboding running through the pages that made dread crawl up my spine as I read. I couldn’t put it down and devoured the story whole. The many twists, turns, and red herrings left me unable to catch my breath and, as I approached the finale, the threads began to tangle together at breakneck speed. And that ending! I did not see it coming. Bravo, Ms. Fields. Bravo. 

“She turned as she walked, looking around, uncharacteristically spooked. Not that it was ghosts she feared. The killers she was profiling were so much worse than the spectres of myths and legends. Ghosts were simple in comparison.” 

How do you find a killer when you’re surrounded by them? That’s the dilemma facing Dr Connie Woolwine in this dark, twisty and unnerving thriller. Dropped inside of a nightmare, Connie is sent to The Institute, a high-security prison, to investigate the death of Tara, one of the nurses who works there. Tara has been found brutally slain, her unborn daughter ripped from her womb in the attack, and there is a ransom demand for her safe return. With one life already extinguished and another whose clock is ticking down to death, the forensic profiler goes deep undercover to try and find the killer. 

A dark, forbidding and eerie fortress, The Institute houses the criminally insane. It is a cesspit of evil where the worst of society are sent to live out the rest of their days. The saying ‘humans are the scariest of monsters’ has never been more apt, and the humans inside these walls are truly terrifying.  Violent, disturbed, depraved, repugnant and mercurial, you would be crazy yourself if you weren’t scared of these men. And it is amongst them that Connie must live and work, going undercover to find a killer. But when a frightful storm cuts them off from the rest of the world, the only person who knows her real identity is stranded elsewhere, leaving Connie even more vulnerable. 

“Don’t believe anything they tell you. Remember; the truth can be witnessed, but it can never be told.” 

Helen Fields delves deep into the darkness that lurks inside the crevices of a twisted mind in this cast of richly drawn, compelling and completely unreliable characters. Even our protagonist can’t be trusted, the PTSD from her traumatic time in a psychiatric hospital giving her nightmares and making her see and hear things that even she isn’t sure are real. I was delighted to see Connie at the heart of another book after loving her character so much in The Shadow Man. Fierce, tenacious, intelligent and unorthodox, that quirky side is what has endeared her to me so much from the start. I enjoyed how we explored her intricately layered backstory more this time around, and how it intertwines to complicate the investigation in ways she hoped to avoid. Her trauma was powerfully and evocatively written, making my heart race as everything spiralled more and more out of control. I desperately hoped she was going to make it out of this okay and that we get to see more of her in the future.

Deliciously creepy, unflinching and addictive, The Institution gives you everything you could want from a first-class locked-room thriller. It’s Ms. Fields’ best book yet so make sure to add it to your TBR.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

An international and Amazon #1 best-selling author, Helen is a former criminal and family law barrister. Every book in the Callanach series has claimed an Amazon #1 bestseller flag. ‘Perfect Kill’ was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger in 2020, and others have been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize, Scottish crime novel of the year. Helen also writes as HS Chandler, and has released legal thriller ‘Degrees of Guilt’. In 2020 Perfect Remains was shortlisted for the Bronze Bat, Dutch debut crime novel of the year. In 2022, Helen was nominated for Best Crime Novel and Best Author in the Netherlands. Now translated into more than 20 languages, and also selling in the USA, Canada & Australasia, Helen’s books have won global recognition. She has written standalone novels, The Last Girl To Die, These Lost & Broken Things and The Shadow Man. Her first UK hardback, The Institution, comes out in March 2022. She regularly commutes between West Sussex, USA and Scotland. She lives with her husband and three children. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothaus

Published: March 16th, 2023
Publisher: Orenda
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook

Apologies for the delay, but today I’m finally sharing my review for the mesmerising and unforgettable Beautiful Shining People. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Karen at Orenda books for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

A damaged teenager meets an enigmatic waitress in a tiny Tokyo café, sparking an epic journey across Japan that will change everything, forever…
 
‘A fascinating exploration of what it means to be human in a world where everything can be faked, and an alarming projection into a not-too-distant and all-too-plausible future … wonderful, insightful and thoughtful’ James Oswald
 
‘Totally engrossing from the start  – the story, characters and settings will linger in your imagination long after you’re finished … truly wonderful’ Jonathan Whitelaw
 
‘Exquisite world-building, this book had me invested from the very first page. Vivid plot and irresistible characters and a real tug at the soul … you’ll drown in it’ Lisa Bradley
 
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This world is anything but ordinary, and it’s about to change forever…

It’s our world, but decades into the future…
 
An ordinary world, where cars drive themselves, drones glide across the sky, and robots work in burger shops. There are two superpowers and a digital Cold War, but all conflicts are safely oceans away. People get up, work, and have dinner. Everything is as it should be…

Except for seventeen-year-old John, a tech prodigy from a damaged family, who hides a deeply personal secret. But everything starts to change for him when he enters a tiny café on a cold Tokyo night. A café run by a disgraced sumo wrestler, where a peculiar dog with a spherical head lives, alongside its owner, enigmatic waitress Neotnia…

But Neotnia hides a secret of her own – a secret that will turn John’s unhappy life upside down. A secret that will take them from the neon streets of Tokyo to Hiroshima’s tragic past to the snowy mountains of Nagano.

A secret that reveals that this world is anything ordinary – and it’s about to change forever…

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MY REVIEW:

“Before, I thought I understood the world. At least where it was heading. But now? Now, what do I know?” 

Tokyo, many years into the future. 17-year-old John, a tech prodigy, enters a small cafe late at night and meets Neotina, a beautiful and enigmatic waitress. The spark is instant and they slowly begin to get to know each other. But they are each hiding a shameful secret, one they try to hide from the world and are terrified of being discovered. But it is what Neotina is hiding that will turn their worlds upside down and change things forever…

This book is a masterpiece. Mesmerising, dreamlike, and unforgettable, it took my breath away. A story about those who never fit in—the alienated outsiders who want to belong. It’s about the search for purpose, pain, suffering, and the shadows that live within all of us, and what it is that makes us human. 

“Let people misjudge you – condemn you, even. Smile at them, then carry on with your life. Their faults weaken only them.”

Speculative and dystopian fiction is my least favourite genre, yet I was utterly blown away by this book. I lost myself in these pages, unable to stop reading yet also tried to savour every exquisite word. I loved how eclectic the vibe of this story was. It starts out calm and chilled but with a twist of anguish from the secret shame John is hiding, then the air fills with the flush of first love as he and Neotina get closer, before moving into an atmosphere that crackles with danger as shocking revelations change their entire world. Each shift in tension and pace was smooth and seamless, holding me hostage in the author’s web of words.

The characters in the book are a motley crew of outsiders who were likeable and very entertaining to read. Our narrator, John, is an American teenage coding genius hiding a secret shame he wants to fix. Like all teenagers, he just wants to be like everyone else, and he thinks if he fixes what’s wrong with him he’ll finally be ‘normal’. John’s voice perfectly captures the insecurity of those teenage years. That time where, more than ever, the opinion and acceptance of our peers matters so much and we want to fit in rather than stand out. These feelings are also explored in Neotina, the charismatic Japanese waitress he meets. Their relationship perfectly captures the innocence, joy, confusion and fear of falling in love for the first time. But we soon learn that these aren’t any other young people in love. There’s something extraordinary that sets them apart. Stealing the show on many occasions were Goeido, a former Sumo who owns the cafe where Notina works, and his dog, Inu, who has the craziest haircut and a strange story of his own. And then there is Joe, a character who appears briefly but makes a huge impact. 

“My shadow is deep, and its ingredients are many. It’s rich in loneliness. Isolation. Alienation. Loathing.” 

This may have been my first book by Michael Grothaus, but it will not be my last. Not only is his writing and characterisation exquisite, but transported me to the world he had created. A world that is fictional, yet believable, future. I can imagine everything he wrote coming true and it felt like a glimpse into the world that my grandchildren or great-grandchildren will know. But at the same time it was totally familiar, and it was only when I read a line about self-driving cars or bots serving you in a restaurant that I’d remember this is set in the future. I also loved how detailed the research was and I learned a lot about Japanese culture while reading the book. But what I think I enjoyed most is how he keeps the reader guessing. He had me on the edge of my seat with no idea where things were headed, even halfway through the book. But what I did know is that wherever this led, it was going to be spectacular. And then there is that twist. Wow. I sat there in awe, trying to make myself believe what I’d just read and wondering how I didn’t see it. The clues were all there in hindsight and I totally missed them, feeling as floored and  as the character did when all was revealed.

Moving, powerful and enthralling, Beautiful Shining People is a phenomenal story that will stay with you. I have no doubt that this is going to be one of my books of the year and highly recommend it to everyone, even if the genre doesn’t seem like your thing. Just try it. I know I’m so glad that I did.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Michael Grothaus is a novelist and author. Born in  Saint Louis, Missouri. He spent his twenties in Chicago where he earned his degree in filmmaking from Columbia and got his start in journalism writing for Screen. After working for institutions including The Art Institute of Chicago, Twentieth Century Fox, and Apple he earned his postgraduate degree with distinction in creative writing from the University of London. His writing has appeared in Fast Company, VICE, The Guardian, Litro Magazine, The Irish Times, Screen, Quartz, and others. His debut novel, EPIPHANY JONES, a story about sex trafficking among the Hollywood elite, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award and named one of the 25 “Most Irresistible Hollywood Novels” by Entertainment Weekly.

His first non-fiction book is TRUST NO ONE: INSIDE THE WORLD OF DEEPFAKES. The book examines the human impact that artificially generated video will have on individuals and society in the years to come. His next novel is BEAUTIFUL SHINING PEOPLE, a speculative story set in Tokyo that explores how the things that cast us as outsiders can be the very things that draw us together, and examines whether there is an inherent meaning in the world to come, or if we must create our own.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BLOG TOUR: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

Published: January 19th, 2023
Publisher: Viper
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Episolatry Novel, Police Procedural
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this tantalising and twisty tale. This was my favourie book of December 2022 and I’m so glad to finally be able to share my review with you all. Thank you to Viper for the invitation to take part and the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

*** THE NEW MYSTERY PHENOMENON FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE APPEAL AND THE TWYFORD CODE ***

‘The queen of tricksy crime’ – SUNDAY TIMES
‘An astonishing piece of work’ – IAN MOORE

Open the safe deposit box.
Inside you will find research material for a true crime book.
You must read the documents, then make a decision.
Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby’s trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over.

From the bestselling author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code comes a stunning new mystery for fans of Richard Osman and S.J. Bennett. The devil is in the detail…

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MY REVIEW:

You have a key that opens a safe deposit box.
Inside is a bundle of documents, archived research material for a book that has just been published.
You must read it all and make a decision, either:
Replace all the documents and the box, then throw the key where it will never be found…
Or: take everything to the police. 

And so begins The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. A tantalising, eerie and intriguing story of secrets, lies, delusion, mystery and  murder. 

True-crime author Amanda Bailey is asked to revisit the infamous case of the Alperton Angels, the cult who brainwashed a teenager into believing her baby was the anti-Christ and that God had charged them with sacrificing it in order to save humanity. The girl managed to save her baby, but the Angles sacrificed themselves rather than face trial for their crimes, and the case has been surrounded by whispers of conspiracy and cover-ups ever since.

With the surviving baby about to turn eighteen, the race is on to secure the first interview, and Amanda is determined to get that scoop. But she soon discovers discrepancies in the case and finds there is a wall of secrecy that surrounds the baby and it’s teenage parents, all three of which have not been seen since that night. It seems that everything people think they know about the Alperton Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker, stranger and more sinister than anyone could ever imagine. And some people will do anything to prevent the truth from being revealed.

“There’s something about this case. It burrows insidiously into your mind, then sets about changing it.” 

I had been in a reading slump for a while when I picked this up, hoping that this might be the magic story to break the curse. And, boy, did it have the desired effect! Tantalising, eerie and intriguing, I couldn’t get enough of this book and devoured it quickly. It haunted my every thought and I’d be thinking about it even when forced to stop reading to do other things. I even dreamed about it when I slept! An absolute masterpiece, this was exactly what I needed to get me out of my slump.

Janice Hallett is a true innovator in crime fiction. She writes exclusively in mixed media, yet somehow you forget that you aren’t reading a traditionally written story. She makes it flow seamlessly and I completely lost myself in the world that she created.  A world that feels so real. I  am not ashamed to admit that I turned to google to check if this was based on a real case. It reads so authentically that it felt unfathomable that it could be purely a work of fiction. Ms. Hallett is a master storyteller who has created a story where nothing is as it seemed. The plot is an intricate maze of secrets, red herrings, duplexities and double crosses that I challenge anyone to predict. It is all so detailed and complex that it made my head spin, pulling me one way, then another, and then back again, like clothes spinning round a washing machine. I have no idea how she manages to come up with it, let alone how she keeps all those balls in the air and plots the clues perfectly. Yet it never feels confusing, which is a testament to her extraordinary skill as a writer.

Dark, curious and forbidding, you will not be able to stop reading this book until you have a resolution to your questions. And as the tension ramps up as you race to the finale, you will find yourself on the edge of your seat holding on for dear life as Ms. Hallett takes you on a wild and twisty ride. An absolute must-read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is inspired by her lifelong interest in amateur dramatics. Her second novel, The Twyford Code, will be published by Viper in 2022. When not indulging her passion for global adventure travel, she is based in West London.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: So Pretty by Ronnie Turner

Published: January 19th, 2023
Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this dark, hypnotic and unnerving debut. This was a fantastic start to my reading year and I’m thrilled to be sharing my review with you all today.
Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Karen at Orenda for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

A young man arrives in a small town, hoping to leave his past behind him, but everything changes when he takes a job in a peculiar old shop, and meets a lonely single mother … A chillingly hypnotic gothic thriller and a Mesmerising study of identity and obsession.
 
‘This chilling gothic tale explores the dark corners of identity … beautifully written and a real page-turner’ C J Cooke
 
‘Dark, lyrical and intriguing’ Fiona Cummins
 
‘Like Stephen King on crack … the most accomplished book I’ve read this year. Dark, gothic as hell, and genuinely scary, Turner has managed to portray loneliness, obsession, and monster-worship in one neat little package. I dare you to open it’ M W Craven
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
 
Fear blisters through this town like a fever…

When Teddy Colne arrives in the small town of Rye, he believes he will be able to settle down and leave his past behind him. Little does he know that fear blisters through the streets like a fever. The locals tell him to stay away from an establishment known only as Berry & Vincent, that those who rub too closely to its proprietor risk a bad end. 

Despite their warnings, Teddy is desperate to understand why Rye has come to fear this one man, and to see what really hides behind the doors of his shop.

Ada moved to Rye with her young son to escape a damaged childhood and years of never fitting in, but she’s lonely, and ostracised by the community. Ada is ripe for affection and friendship, and everyone knows it.

As old secrets bleed out into this town, so too will a mystery about a family who vanished fifty years earlier, and a community living on a knife edge.

Teddy looks for answers, thinking he is safe, but some truths are better left undisturbed, and his past will find him here, just as it has always found him before. And before long, it will find Ada too.

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MY REVIEW:

‘It’s a curious box and a box of curiosities. We don’t go inside Berry & Vincent,’ they said. 
‘Why?’ 
‘Don’t go inside Berry & Vincent,’ they said. ‘There’s a devil inside that place.’

Teddy arrives in Rye hoping to make a fresh start and leave the ghosts of his past far behind. He answers an ad for an assistant at Berry & Vincent, a peculiar old shop that the residents avoid and refuse to even speak of. What is it they are so afraid of? And why do they keep telling Teddy to leave before it’s too late?
As Teddy tries to uncover the secrets of this strange place he meets single mother Ada, who has lived in Rye for two years but never managed to fit in. The pair bond over being outsiders and attempt to unravel the mystery of Berry & Vincent. But there is a darkness lurking and secrets that have been hidden for decades will soon be revealed.

Wow! This book needs to come with a warning label! Dark, haunting and malevolent, it chilled me to the bone, made my heart race and left my jaw on the floor. I finished reading it late last night, unable to go to bed until I had the answers to my many questions, and I’m still reeling, the adrenaline coursing through me even now. When you read this book, be prepared to be taken on one of the darkest, most twisted rides you’ve ever experienced. And be prepared to love every minute. 

“They were afraid. They were all afraid.” 

It is no secret that Orenda is not only my favourite indie publisher, but one of my favourite publishers overall. Anytime you read one of their books you know you’re guaranteed a magnificent story told by a skilled storyteller, so my hopes were high before even starting this book. But So Pretty took all of those expectations and blew them out of the water. Hypnotic and unnerving, it is cleverly choreographed, intricately layered and twisty, with the perfect balance of sinister suspense and edge-of-your-seat tension.  The imagery is evocative and chilling, making even the buildings feel alive with an evil that seeps into your pores as you read. There’s a sense of dread that pervades every page and I knew intrinsically that something was very wrong, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that no one would come out of this unscathed. I wanted to turn away and run. But I couldn’t. I was hooked.

Ronnie Turner may be a debut author, but she writes like a veteran beyond her years. A masterful sinister storyteller, she knows how to captivate her audience and blow their minds. I was putty in her hands as she took me down a rabbit hole of twists and turns, elevated the tension, and slowly revealed all the pieces so that the full, horrifying picture took shape. She is an author to watch and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I’ll be first in line to buy it for sure!

“It takes twice as long to be mended than it does to be broken. If ever.”

Humans are the scariest of monsters, something that is explored throughout this book as it delves into the darkness that lurks inside the crevices of a twisted mind and illuminates the dark recesses of identity, and obsession. It is also a commentary on abuse, violence against women, and the lasting impact of trauma, showcasing how our pain can trickle down through generations to damage those we try to protect and reminding us that just because we know why someone acts a certain way, it doesn’t mean that it’s right or acceptable. The characters are all fractured, flawed, compelling, the author drawing you deeper inside their world and creating a bond between them and the reader. My heart ached for Teddy and Ada as they tried to escape the trauma of their pasts, and I rejoiced as they found friendship and solace from their lonely existence. But through it all I could never shake that growing disquiet. The sense of inherent darkness and danger coiled like a viper waiting to strike. And when it struck, it floored me completely and filled my heart with fear.

A buffet of dark delights, So Pretty is an unsettling, eerie and mesmerising gothic thriller. If you enjoy uncomfortable, claustrophobic and seriously creepy novels that will haunt your subconscious long after reading, then this one’s for you. An easy five stars, this was a phenomenal start to the reading year. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature. She now works as a Senior Waterstones Bookseller and barista. Ronnie lives in the South West with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and taking long walks on the coast.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These purchase links are from affiliate links