Tag: mystery

Categories
Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Family Experiment by John Marrs

Published May 9th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Cyberpunk

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘If you love Black Mirror you have to read John Marrs. The Family Experiment is chilling, inventive, horribly plausible and brilliantly addictive.’ – C. J. Tudor, author of The Gathering

‘The books of John Marrs have become a quiet phenomenon. The Family Experiment will cement his reputation for writing intriguing thrillers rooted in the near future that tackle big issues . . .thoughtful, well written . . .and alarming’ Daily Mail

Some families are virtually perfect . . .

The world’s population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families let alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality tv show. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . . .

Set in the same universe as John Marrs’s bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate ‘tamagotchi’ – a virtual baby.

‘John Marrs is a writer at the top of his game and The Family Experiment is his best yet. Frighteningly plausible, gripping, dark, and so clever.’ – Claire Douglas, author of The Woman Who Lied

‘An unsettling and immersive roller coaster which hurtles towards a chilling denouement – a truly thought-provoking, single-sitting thriller. Loved it. ‘ – Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club

‘The Family Experiment is an eerie and darkly addictive thriller that will have your mind whirling throughout.’ – Culturefly

********

MY REVIEW:

The UK is at breaking point thanks to a soaring population, overcrowded cities, and economic crisis. Many people can’t afford to live, let alone start a family and raise them. But there is a new way to raise a family for those who long to do so: meta children. For a monthly subscription, clients can create a virtual child from scratch, accessing them through a VR headset. To launch their new initiative, the company behind the Virtual Children has created a reality TV show following ten couples as they raise their Virtual Child from birth to eighteen, which will be condensed into a nine-month period. The winners will then pick their prize: keep their Virtual Child or try for a real baby. 

Dark, menacing, unsettling and twisty, The Family Experiment is the latest gripping thriller from John Marrs. Set in the same universe as his previous books The One and The Marriage Act, this is a masterclass in speculative fiction. Expertly written, skillfully plotted and cleverly constructed, he combines heart-pounding tension with complex family relationships and moral and social issues facing us today.  What makes the things that Mr. Marrs writes about in his speculative thrillers so compelling, is how deeply uncomfortable and terrifyingly plausible they are. With how far technology has come and the soaring cost of living, I can imagine a world where ‘tamagotchi children’ exist as an alternative to flesh and blood. Personally, I find it all deeply unnerving and only like the idea as a way to get an idea of what parenthood is like, not as a substitute for living children. 

A bingeable thriller filled with twist after twist, The Family Experiment keeps you guessing until  the very last page. Complex, clever, surprising and unnerving, this is a must-read for any thriller lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 2 months free with my affiliate link*

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan.

*******

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

Audiobook Review: How To Kill Men and Get Away with It by Katy Brent

Published February 16th 2023 by HQ
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Dark Comedy, Contemporary Romance

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Meet Kitty Collins.

FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started…

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

A deliciously dark, hilariously twisted story about friendship, love, and murder. Fans of My Sister the Serial Killer, How to Kill Your Family and Killing Eve will love this wickedly clever novel!

********

MY REVIEW:

“The men I kill deserve it. Every single last little bit of it…”

Influencer Kitty Collins is followed home from a night out by the man who wouldn’t leave her alone in the night club. When he attacks her she accidentally kills him and, to her surprise, seems to get away with it. That night is the start of Kitty’s addiction. She has a taste for revenge. And she knows how to get away with murder…

A deliciously dark, twisted, witty and addictive story of friendship, love, life and murder, How To Kill Men and Get Away With It is an intoxicating mix of Dexter, Sweetpea and How To Kill Your Family. I devoured this in just a few hours, hooked from the first page and unable to stop once I’d started listening. The ink-black humour had me laughing out loud and there is an added layer of mystery to the story thanks to Kitty’s stalker and I enjoyed trying to guess who they might be, going through a number of suspects before ultimately deciding on my prediction.

I loved Kitty’s snarky, warped and fiery character. She’s someone I think all women will relate to on some level with her frustration of how some men treat women without any comeback. And while I’d obviously never kill anyone, I did enjoy living vicariously through Kitty as she took revenge on men for their predatory behaviour. Kitty’s relationship with her friends are a big part of the story and I enjoyed seeing this side to her, as well as the dilemmas it raised as she tries to keep her murderous activities secret. I also really enjoyed seeing her vulnerable and kind of insecure side to her when she met and fell for Charlie. Despite it all, I was rooting for her to find a happy ending rather than living her life alone wreaking revenge. 

Darkly funny, compelling and unflinching, this fast-paced thriller is one not to be missed.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 2 months listening for free*

********

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.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Toxic by Helga Flatland

Published May 23rd, 2024 by Orenda
Literary Fiction, Mystery, Humour, Translated Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Toxic, the atmsohperic and unsettling new novel from Helga Flatland. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda for the gifted proof in exchange for an honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Shamed schoolteacher, Mathilde, moves to a dairy farm in the Norwegian countryside for an ‘easier life’, but she’s soon up to her old tricks … upending and unsettling the lives of two reclusive farmers.  Exquisitely written, razor-sharp and simmering with an unexpected tension, Toxic marks the return of one of Norway’s finest writers…
 
‘Flatland has the gift that I most often covet in the work of other writers: the ability to make everyday events compelling … how the quietest existence can brim with urgency and drama’ Ann Morgan
 
‘Helga Flatland writes with elegance and subtle humour’ Daily Express
 
‘The author has been dubbed the Norwegian Anne Tyler and for good reason’ Good Housekeeping
 
––––––––––––––
 
When Mathilde is forced to leave her teaching job in Oslo after her relationship with eighteen-year-old Jacob is exposed, she flees to the countryside for a more authentic life.
 
Her new home is a quiet cottage on the outskirts of a dairy farm run by Andres and Johs, whose hobbies include playing the fiddle and telling folktales – many of them about female rebellion and disobedience, and seeking justice, whatever it takes.
 
But beneath the apparently friendly and peaceful pastoral surface of life on the farm, something darker and more sinister starts to vibrate and, with Mathilde’s arrival, cracks start appearing … everywhere.

********

MY REVIEW:

Atmospheric, intense, surprising and seductive, I flew through this book in just a few hours. Exquisitely and elegantly told, Helga Flatland merges folklore of female rebellion and defiance with a story of obsession and toxic love to create a novel that feels both relatable and original. Set at the start of Covid, Flatland transports us to that time of uncertainty and fear. A time where we cleaned packages, scrubbed surfaces, and saw every other person as a potential threat from the invisible peril that loomed. It was the ideal setting for this story, adding to its surreal and dreamlike vibe that drifted alongside the fizzing tension and frenzied longing. 

The story is told by Mathilde and Johs, two very different people who are strangers when the story begins. Both are emotionally scarred, flawed and compelling, but it is Mathilde whose story gripped me most to start with. Mathilde is a secondary school teacher in Oslo when she begins a passionate relationship with 18-year-old Jakub, who is one of her students. It is never clear if she is a reliable narrator and there are signs she may live in a fantasy world from the start as she tells us Jakub was the one to pursue her and she was powerless to resist. We soon see signs of obsession as she is consumed by him then refuses to let go after he abruptly ends their affair. She’s so far gone that she sees nothing wrong with the power imbalance between them even after her boss points it out and is filled with  indignation when she’s dismissed from her job.  

 I wanted to shake her! But, we’ve all had relationships where the other person is like heroin to us and we can’t get enough, so, inappropriate as it was, I wondered if maybe that is what this was. 

Now in disgrace, Mathilde decides she needs a fresh start and rents a cottage on a dairy farm run by Johs and his brother, Andres. At first, it was the flashbacks to Johs family history that gripped me most in his thread, slowly unveiling how their strange and damaged dynamic was created by restrictive traditions and tales of folklore. But, we soon discover how troubled Johs really is as he develops his own unhealthy fixation. Meanwhile, Mathilde has her sights set on another inappropriate paramour. A noxious storm was brewing and I was transfixed as I tried to predict how this would end. But you could have bet me millions of pounds and I would have never guessed. Ms. Flatland plays a blinder, ending with an unexpected, strange, and ambiguous twist that left me with a deep sense of unease. 

A beautiful but unsettling novel that lingers long after reading, Toxic has put Helga Flatland firmly on my autobuy list. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helga Flatland is one of Norway’s most awarded and widely read authors. Born in Telemark, Norway, in 1984, she made her literary debut in 2010 with the novel Stay If You Can, Leave If You Must, for which she was awarded the Tarjei Vesaas’ First Book Prize. She has written four novels and a children’s book and has won several other literary awards. Her fifth novel, A Modern Family, was published to wide acclaim in Norway in August 2017, and was a number-one bestseller. The rights have subsequently been sold across Europe and the novel has sold more than 100,000 copies. A Modern Family marked Helga’s first English publication when it was released in 2019, achieving exceptional critical acclaim and sales, and leading to Helga being dubbed the ‘Norwegian Anne Tyler’. One Last Time is her second book to be translated into English (by Rosie Hedger), and published in 2021.

********

MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

Matt Bagguley grew up in the UK Midlands before moving to Oslo in 2001. Originally a musician and designer, he now works as a full-time translator of Norwegian to English and has translated a range of titles within publishing and film, including Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated comedy-drama The Worst Person in the World, Simon Stranger’s historical novel Keep Saying Their Names, and Nora Dåsnes’s graphic novel Cross My Heart and Never Lie, which recently won the Stonewall Book Award.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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

BOOK REVIEW: Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Published September 28th, 2023 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Murder Biography, Serial Killers

Welcome to my review for this dark, brutal and intoxicating thriller. Thank you to BookBreak and Pan Macmillan for sending me this proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A Richard & Judy Book Club pick
New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist


Bright Young Women is an unflinching thriller based on Ted Bundy’s heinous crimes, as two women search for justice in the wake of his brutal murders. From Jessica Knoll, author of the New York Times bestseller and #1 Netflix movie Luckiest Girl Alive.

‘A compelling, almost hypnotic read’ – Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of None of This is True

‘Knoll deconstructs the myth of a criminal mastermind, revealing the women he seeks to destroy as the truly brilliant ones’ – Flynn Berry, author of Northern Spy

Tallahassee, 1978. Sorority president Pamela Schumacher wakes to a shocking scene of implausible violence and death, and is drawn into a mystifying crime that grips the nation for decades . . .

In Seattle, Tina Cannon connects her best friend’s disappearance to the Tallahassee tragedy, and is convinced that a single man is responsible.

Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation . . .

********

MY REVIEW:

“No one tells you how painful it is to be afraid. Like a bee sting to the entirety of your central nervous system.” 

Brutal, dark, fearless and intoxicating, Bright Young Women is based on the heinous crimes of Ted Bundy. As a true crime enthusiast (someone really needs to come up with a better way to say that) this book was on my radar as soon as I heard about it, but it was a glowing review from a fellow blogger recently that made me bump it up my list. And I am so glad that I did as I devoured this in under a day, unable to tear myself away from the heart-stopping story. 

“Right here, right now, I want you to forget two things: he was nothing special, and what happened was not random.”

Tallahassee, Florida. January, 1978. Sorority president Pamela Schumacher is on her way to bed when she hears a thud, followed by footsteps running on the floor above her. She follows them and sees a man fleeing the house holding a weapon in his hand.She goes to check on her sisters and finds a terrifying scene of carnage. Four of her sisters have just been attacked by ‘The All-American Sex Killer’, drawing Pamela into the hunt for a killer that grips the entire nation.

“They will call you hysterical no matter how much dignity you have. So you might as well do whatever the hell you want.”

My nervous system is still on boil after bingeing this harrowing thriller. This book is a master-class in how to write a thriller that drips with malevolence. But it is also so much more. Jessica Knoll barely talks about the killer, focusing instead on the victims and those who loved them. It is boldly but sensitively written, running a rainbow of emotions through the story as she gives a beating heart and a voice to those who are so often forgotten in true crime. She gives these girls real identities and reminds us that they are so much more than a mere footnote in a sadistic killer’s story and that it is in fact he who is the footnote in theirs. She also discusses female rage and how although it is often righteous, it is often dismissed as hysteria, particularly by men. We see this in how Pamela and her sisters repeatedly restrain their emotions instead of allowing themselves to feel and show what’s really inside them.

“Women got that feeling about him, that funny one we all get when we know something isn’t right, but we don’t know how to politely extricate ourselves from the situation without escalating the threat of violence or harassment. That is not a skill women are taught, the same way men are not taught that it is okay to leave a woman alone if what she wants is to be left alone.”

As someone who regularly watches, listens to and reads about true crime I enjoyed the victim-centric aspect of this book and Knoll’s timely exploration of our obsession with true crime and serial killers. But what I particularly loved was how she dismantled the many myths about Bundy in one fell swoop. I simmered with rage as I remembered how he was praised for his good looks, charm and intelligence, but was left with a smile of satisfaction as she busted those myths simply by focusing on who he really was, rather than the caricature he’d become.  And that ending. Wow! It was so powerful and moving that I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces as I listened. 

“Things grow differently when they’re damaged, showing us how to occupy strange new ground to bloom red instead of green. We can be found, brighter than before.”

Knoll seamlessly moves between the multiple timelines and perspectives to tell the story. I particularly liked how she makes the attack on the sorority the focal point of Pamela’s perspectives, telling us how many days, hours or minutes it is before or after the crime. I found this helped me understand Pamela even more. How her life would forever be split into ‘before’ and ‘after’ and how this tragic event had shaped every facet of her existence. Two of the threads are narrated by Pamela while another is narrated by Ruth, another suspected victim of the killer. While each of them are compelling, it is the raw, heartbreaking emotion in Pamela’s narration that will stay with me most of all. I felt what she did in my soul. My heart raced as I listened to her hear the attack and discover her sisters bludgeoned, I shook with fear and anger when she did, I fought back tears as she talked about carrying her lost best friend with her through her life ever since, and I felt her determination to turn this tragedy into something greater than herself.  She is a truly remarkable and compelling character that I won’t forget.

“Time does not heal all wounds. Grief is just like a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of soiled laundry. Grief is a chore you have to do and it’s a messy one at that.”

Intense, chilling, heart-wrenching and evocative, Bright Young Women is an unflinching novel that will stay with me long after reading and will undoubtedly be in my list of top reads this year. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

* I listened to this book on Bookbeat.
You can get 90 Days listening free with my affiliate link here*

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jessica Knoll is the New York Times Bestselling author of THE FAVORITE SISTER and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE—now a major motion picture on Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan, and the articles editor at SELF. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and graduated from The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and bulldog, Franklin. BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is her third novel.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: The Cuckoo by Camilla Läckberg

Published May 23rd, 2024 by Hemlock Press
Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural, Crime Series

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this dark, tense and unflinching scandi noir. Thank you to Libby at Harper Fiction for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Detective Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck are back, in an irresistible Scandi crime thriller for fans of Jo Nesbo and Lars Kepler.

A community torn apart

As a heavy mist rolls into the Swedish coastal town of Fjällbacka, shocking violence shakes the small community to its core. Rolf Stenklo, a famous photographer, is found murdered in his gallery. Two days later, a brutal tragedy on a private island leaves the prestigious Bauer family devastated.

A town full of secrets

With his boss acting strangely, Detective Patrik Hedström is left to lead the investigation. Tensions rise threatening cracks in the team of officers at Tanumshede police station and pressure mounts as the press demand answers.

A reckoning in blood

In pursuit of inspiration for her next true-crime book, Patrik’s wife Erica Falck leaves behind their three children and travels to Stockholm to research the unsolved decades-old murder of a figure from Rolf’s past. As Erica searches for the truth, she realizes that her mystery is connected to Patrik’s case. These threads from the past are woven into the present and old sins leave behind long shadows.

********

MY REVIEW:

The Swedish Coastal town of Fjällbacka is rocked to its core by the murder of Rolf Stenklo, the famous photographer. They are still reeling when just two days later another brutal tragedy shakes them further when three members of the prestigious Bauer family are found slain on a private island. Patrik Hedström is called in to head up the investigations and under pressure to get answers quickly. Meanwhile, Patrik’s wife. Erica, has found inspiration for her next true-crime book and is investigating the decades-old murder of someone from Rolf’s past. As she digs further it becomes clear that the two cases are connected and the past comes back to haunt those who hoped their secrets were buried forever. 

The Cuckoo is the eleventh book in the Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck series, but it was my introduction to both the series and its author, Camilla Läckberg. I am a big fan of Scandi Noir so I have no idea how I’ve gone so long without reading this author. Dark, sinister, tense and filled with shocking twists, this kept me on the edge of my seat. Told from multiple points of view, it moved seamlessly between dual timelines to reveal an intricately woven story of secrets, murder and revenge. This isn’t a book for the faint of heart. There are some brutal and grisly crime scenes, though it is never graphic. Läckberg addresses timely topics, featuring a transgender woman and her unsolved murder in the past thread. This was handled sensitively but honestly and it felt like she’d done a lot of research to get things right. While I enjoyed both threads of the story, I’ll admit the past thread was the one I found most compelling. I was captivated by Lola and her daughter, Petite, and desperate to know what happened to them. In the present, I became more invested as the kill count increased and it became obvious someone was out for revenge. But why? And who could it be? I loved that I found this so hard to predict, with the last third being particularly twisty and surprising. And that ending! I’m still reeling. 

Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck are great protagonists and I liked that Erica was a writer rather than another police officer, giving an added intrigue to the story. They are likeable, relatable and easy to root for, though I’ll admit to having a particular affinity with Erica thanks to our love of true crime. There is a large cast of characters who are all richly drawn and fascinating, but it took me a little time to get them straight. That being said, it wasn’t a problem reading this as a standalone as Läckberg succinctly catches the reader up on any relevant information. 

Suspenseful, ominous and unflinching, this fast-paced scandi noir is a must for anyone who enjoys a dark thriller. I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Läckberg.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Camilla Läckberg is one of the world’s most popular crime authors. She debuted in 2003 with The Ice Princess and has since published another ten novels in the popular Fjällbacka Series. With her new suspense series about entrepreneur Faye Adelheim Camilla took yet another step in her authorship. Today her books have sold more than 35 million copies and can be read in over 60 countries. She has also written short stories, novellas, children’s fiction, movie scripts and song lyrics.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Her Last Goodbye (Detective Gina Harte 15) by Carla Kovach

Published May 17th, 2024 by Bookouture
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this dark and ominous thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

********

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Her small hands tremble and tears run down her cheeks. Shivering in the dark, damp storeroom, the little girl clutches her favourite toy dog. She cries out for help, but nobody answers. Her mother went missing last night and, as dawn breaks, there is still no sign of her.

Four-year-old Cleo shakes with fear as she tells the police that her mother, Darcie, was taken by a man on their way home last night. Darcie told Cleo to run and hide, and the last thing she saw was Darcie being pushed into the back of a car.

When police look into Darcie’s life, they discover a drunken argument with her best friend hours before she went missing, a dark figure seen loitering near where Cleo was found, and a recent assault allegation against a customer at Darcie’s work.

It seems like everyone around the young mother was keeping secrets, but Darcie had a dark secret of her own – one she hasn’t dared tell a soul.

Did Darcie’s deadly past finally catch up with her? And will she find the strength to fight for her life and keep her promise to return for her beloved daughter?

If you enjoy reading Angela Marsons, J M Dalgliesh and Mark Edwards then you’ll absolutely love this addictive page-turner.

********

MY REVIEW:

“Tik, tick, tick. The clock is ticking and when eleven comes, we’ll take a lovely trip down memory lane.”

Four-year-old Cleo is found clutching her favourite toy dog in the barn of the B&B. Shaking, the little girl tells police that a man took her mother, Darcie, as they were on their way home last night. Detective Gina Harte and her team are called in to investigate and quickly begin to uncover clues that point to everyone around her keeping secrets. Not only that, but Darcie is hiding a dark secret of her own that may have come back to haunt her. The clock is ticking. Can Gina and her team unravel the clues and find Darcie before time runs out?

Her Last Goodbye is the 15th book in the Detective Gina Harte Series, and it’s another ominous, tense and gripping thriller. I inhaled this book, hooked once more by the skillful pen of Carla Kovach. My love of this series and author is no secret. Ms. Kovach books are an auto-read for me, and she can always be relied upon to deliver a fast paced story that I can’t put down. She is skilled at crafting dark, morally complex storylines and characters that show both the best and worst of humankind. Her multilayered plots never fail to put your emotions through the wringer, and her characters are all brilliantly written and compelling. And her villains. They never fail to unnerve me, but this time she really sent chills down my spine with the lengths this person went to in stalking their victims. I’ll be looking closely at my ceiling from now on!

One of my favourite things about a book series is revisiting much-loved and familiar characters. It was great to be back with Gina and her team, and I appreciated that Ms. Kovach gave them a break in their private life after the intense goings on in the last book. Gina is a brilliant protagonist. Feisty, determined, and with a strong sense of justice, I love how she fights for those unable to fight for themselves. It is nice to see her past torment her less as time goes on, and I appreciate the realistic but sensitive representation of domestic abuse and trauma that is shown through Gina and other characters in this series. As a survivor it is empowering to see books like this that help us to feel seen and raise awareness and understanding of things such as coercive control. All that aside, I am still rooting for Gina to find her happy-ever-after with a certain someone. Please make it happen Carla!

Dark, suspenseful and pacy, this page-turner is a must for any thriller-lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach is a USA Today bestselling author from the UK and is published by Bookouture, Sphere, Boekerij and Virtualo. Her DI Gina Harte series has been translated into Dutch, German and Polish.

As well as novels, she has also written stage and screenplays.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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

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

BOOK REVIEW: The Marriage Act by John Marrs

Published January 19th, 2023 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Bookbreak for sending me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

********

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

‘Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible’ – C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of Darkness

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Set in the same world as The One, now a Netflix Original Series, The Marriage Act is a dark, high-concept thriller from bestselling author John Marrs.

‘A page-turning and thought-provoking read’ – Daily Mirror

Britain. The near future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is supervising every aspect of our personal lives, monitoring every word, every minor disagreement – and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey . . .

Shortlisted for the Goodreads Awards 2023.

Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power.

********

MY REVIEW:

The Marriage Act is a pacy speculative thriller set in Britain in the near future. A right-wing government has brought into law the Sanctity of Marriage Act, actively encouraging marriage by offering benefits for those opting for a Smart Marriage and punishing those who remain single. They believe it is the answer to society’s problems. After all, what could go wrong with a system where the government monitors and controls every aspect of your relationship? Four couples are about to find out…

John Marrs is at the top of his game and can do no wrong in my eyes. Everything he writes is golden; cleverly crafted with a merciless finesse that keeps his reader on tenterhooks from start to finish. A perfect marriage of complex moral and social issues, red herrings, shocks and suspense, this is a masterclass in speculative fiction. It grabs your attention from the dark opening pages that contain a promise of secrets just waiting to be revealed.  Much of this story seems far-fetched at first. But, as you read, you begin to realise that none of this is beyond the realms of possibility. Suddenly everything feels frighteningly real and the fact that I could imagine all of this happening chilled me to my core.

This is the fourth book set in The One Universe, the dystopian world that Marrs created which connects a number of his books, coming after The One, The Passengers, and The Minders. While it isn’t necessary to read these in order to follow what’s happening in this book, I highly recommend reading ALL of Marrs’ books. Now, back to The Marriage Act. Those who sign up to a Smart Marriage are monitored 24/7 by a device called an Audite. The Audite listens and records the couples conversations throughout the day, not only picking up on every word, but also their tone and the volume of their voices. This constant monitoring leads to a claustrophobic atmosphere, feelings of distrust, and people manipulating or avoiding conversations. If the Audite decides your marriage is in trouble they will send a Relationship Responder who then lives with you and helps you work on your marriage issues. In this complex and nuanced story there are many different clauses that also come along with a Smart Marriage, and as the story goes on we see the many flaws in the system. 

The story is told in mixed media from multiple points of view. I listened to it on audiobook and while the narration is fantastic, it did feel very confusing at first and I struggled to keep up with the many characters and threads of the story. But that didn’t last long, and I soon lost myself in the story, devouring the book in under a day. Marrs has created a large cast of interesting characters that come from different walks of life. Some were easier to root for than others, and there were some I couldn’t stand, but all of them were compelling, flawed, relatable and real. They are people you could imagine as your friends, family or neighbours, heightening the feeling that this could all actually happen. 

Ominous, tense, twisty and thought-provoking, The Marriage Act is a compulsive thriller charged with adrenaline charged with adrenaline that you won’t want to put down. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this book on Bookbeat. You can listen for two months free by clicking this link*

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Masden

Published May 9th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Crime Fiction, Mystery, Hardboiled, Translated Fiction

Today I’m resharing my review for this darkly atmospheric thriller as part of the paperback blog tour. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Orenda Books for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

********

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A snobbish Danish literary author is challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days, travelling to a small village in Iceland for inspiration, and then a body appears … an atmospheric, darkly funny, twisty debut thriller, first in an addictive new series.

‘An original and thoroughly enjoyable treat’ Guardian

‘Dark and sharp … A lot of fun’ Val McDermid

‘Witty, dark, meta, ingenious and hugely compelling. I LOVED the Icelandic setting and satirical observations’ Will Dean
 
‘Hilariously scathing. Satirises genre fiction while creating a first-class example of it, full of suspects, red herrings and twists … wit and originality make it a joy to read’ Mark Sanderson, The Times CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH
 
**Winner of the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel**
**Shortlisted for the Glass Key Award**
 
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Copenhagen author Hannah is the darling of the literary community and her novels have achieved massive critical acclaim. But nobody actually reads them, and frustrated by writer’s block, Hannah has the feeling that she’s doing something wrong.
 
When she expresses her contempt for genre fiction, Hanna is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Scared that she will lose face, she accepts, and her editor sends her to Húsafjöður – a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland, filled with colourful local characters – for inspiration.

But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to uncover secrets that put everything at risk … including Hannah…
 
Atmospheric, dramatic and full of nerve-jangling twists and turns, Thirty Days of Darkness is a darkly funny, unsettling debut Nordic Noir thriller that marks the start of a breath-taking new series.

********

MY REVIEW:

“Hannah looks up, suddenly struck by the thought that she isn’t sure if reality is serving as a blueprint for her novel, or whether her novel may end up predicting reality.” 

Hannah takes her writing seriously. The sweetheart of the literary world, she agonises over every word and is dismissive of genre fiction. At a book fair she declares that genre fiction is so easy, anyone could write a book in thirty days, which she is then challenged to do by another author. Afraid to lose face, Hanmah accepts the challenge and soon finds herself on her way to a remote, tight-knitvillage in Iceland, where she will write her thriller. Two days after her arrival the discovery of a body in the water provides Hannah with the perfect plot material. But things soon spiral out of control and she finds herself immersed in a dangerous and chaotic investigation that puts her, and others, at risk.

“At the end of the day, it’s not the dead we’re interested in. It’s ourselves. The death of another forces the bereaved to reflect on their own lives. Through death, we can put everything into perspective, look at the details of one’s own life anew. And ponder in what way death may eventually come for us. “

Darkly atmospheric, twisty, original and filled with black humour, , Thirty Days of Darkness is a riveting debut that keeps you guessing from start to finish. I’m always excited about a new book from Orenda, but when I read the synopsis for this one I was even more intrigued. I loved the idea of taking some of the criticisms of genre fiction and challenging them by having a character who shares those negative ideas and daring her to prove it’s as easy as they think. I think it’s a difficult plot to pull off as it risks being cliche or a caricature of itself, but Jenny Lund Masden accomplishes it with finesse, crafting a story that is well written, compelling and has the reader on the edge of their seat. Told in short, choppy chapters that help keep the story feeling fresh, there’s an element of satire as Hannah scathingly bashes genre fiction in a book that is an outstanding illustration of why she’s so wrong. 

“She looks down at her nails, flexes her fingers, as if they contain some unknown mystery. Which they do, in a way. They translate her thoughts into words, bring her soul into the world, materialise it.”

I love a flawed character so I was thrilled that Hannah isn’t your typical charming protagonist. Snarky, difficult, snobby, and not particularly likeable, she nonetheless has something about her that makes you want to keep reading, if only to see her fall flat on her face or be proven wrong. It was interesting to watch her journey of self-reflection during her time in Iceland and found her much more likeable by the end. But I was glad she never fully lost her spiky edge. Another thing I enjoyed is watching Hannah spar with her nemesis, fellow author Jorn, who is the one who set her the challenge. But I was never quite sure what to make of him and couldn’t decide if the bad feeling I got from him was genuine or had been coloured by Hannah’s opinions. 

“Don’t stick your nose too deep into all this. This town has secrets that are best left alone.”

I think small towns make for a great book setting, and I loved the ominous atmosphere of this one. It’s a very secretive place and from the start Hannah is warned not to dig too deep, adding to the impending sense of danger and foreboding that crackles on every page. The residents are a colourful bunch of characters, many of whom match the strange vibe of the village and add to the menacing atmosphere. But is this because they know something, or just a case of a small town closing ranks against an outsider? I had mixed feelings but loved that this, along with the author’s brilliant writing, made it impossible for me to feel like I’d actually figured out who the antagonist was right up until the big reveal that left my jaw on the floor.

Unsettling, mysterious and suspenseful, Thirty Days of Darkness is a must-have addition to the TBR of all thriller lovers. 

Rating:  ✮✮✮✮✰

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed scriptwriters (including the international hits Rita and Follow the Money) and is known as an advocate for better representation for sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater) and her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness, first in an addictive new series, won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year and was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key Award. She lives in Denmark with her young family.

********

MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

Megan Turney is originally from the West Midlands, and after having spent several years working back and forth between the UK and the Hardanger region of Norway, she is now based in Edinburgh, working as a commercial and literary translator and editor. She was the recipient of the National Centre for Writing’s 2019 Emerging Translator Mentorship in Norwegian, and is a published science fiction critic. She holds an MA (Hons) in Scandinavian Studies and English Literature from the University of Edinburgh, as well as an MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies from the University of Manchester.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: His Last Wife by Ruhi Choudhary

Published April 25th, 2024 by Bookouture
Mystery, Thriller, Drama, Psychological Thriller

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this sinister and unpredictable thriller. Thanks to Bookourture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

********

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

“Do not go in there, Anna. Never go in there.” The words ring in my head as I pick the lock to the only room in the house that the man I love tells me I’m not allowed to enter. Trembling as I step inside, I’m about to finally find out what happened to his last wife…

Everyone thinks my life is bliss. The love of my life, Cary, and I live in our dream home and we have a beautiful little girl, Harper. I may not have given birth to her, but I’m her mommy now. But there’s one thing we never talk about…

Cary’s wife before me, Presley, was perfect in every way. But she went missing a long time ago. Cary was distraught when he told me how she was abducted from her car, leaving behind a pool of blood. No one saw a thing.

The neighbors are always gossiping about Presley. I try to ignore them, but one day I hear something that makes my stomach flip. Presley was abducted from her home. The home I now live in. Cary lied to me about the car. But why?

As I search our beautiful home for answers, I stumble across Presley’s diary. My heart thunders in my chest as I discover the truth: Cary had something to do with his wife’s disappearance. And I’m terrified I might be next.

But Cary doesn’t know that I have a secret too. He doesn’t know how far I’ve gone to get this perfect life, and how much further I’ll go to keep it…

An unbelievably gripping psychological thriller, His Last Wife will have you flipping the pages until you reach the final, breathtaking twist. Fans of Don’t Let Her Stay, The Housemaid and The Perfect Marriage won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping read down!

********

MY REVIEW:

Anna and Cary are living in their dream home in an affluent neighbourhood with a beautiful daughter, Harper. Anna may not have given birth to Harper, but she adores the angelic little girl and is her mother in every sense of the word. But there is one fly in the ointment of their happiness: Cary’s first wife, Presley. Presley was perfect, and Anna is struggling with living in her shadow. But when she discovers that Cary lied to her about Presley’s disappearance, Anna begins to wonder if he’s all that he appears to be. She searches their room for answers and stumbles across Presley’s diary, which contains worrying accusations against the man she loves. Could he have played a part in his wife’s disappearance? And can Anna uncover the truth without revealing her own secrets?

Forbidding, ominous and suspenseful, this edge-of-your-seat thriller was like a layer cake; filled with a multitude of twists, turns, red herrings, and revelations that kept coming right until the last page. Cleverly choreographed, intricate, and convoluted, Ruhi Choudhary held me in a vice grip as she shattered my predictions with each unforeseen twist. There’s secrets, lies, toxic relationships, and – possibly – murder; all taking place behind the doors of an affluent neighbourhood where appearances are everything. There’s constant drama, a very real sense of danger that permeates the pages, and so many twists that I felt dizzy. I needed answers!

Chaoudhary has created a cast of varied, compelling, and realistic characters who you can imagine living in a neighbourhood like Rosedale. I felt like I’d stepped into a darker version of the Real Housewives with all of the catty backstabbing, drama and displays of grandeur. Anna was the perfect fish out of water and it was easy to root for her as I think we can all relate to that feeling, but knowing she was hiding something did make me wonder if she was a reliable narrator. Presley might not appear on the pages until her diary, but Choudhary perfectly captures that sense of her shadow being cast over everything and she feels like a constant presence. Also perfectly captured is Cary. Choudhary has expertly written this charming man who love-bombs Anna before slowly revealing his true self. He was all-too recognisable and I was screaming at Anna to run away but understood the pull to remain that she felt because of Harper. But the character I found most chilling was ‘The Watcher’; an unknown person who is watching Anna and Cary and seems to have malevolent intentions. I had so many theories about who this person could be – most of them wrong. 

Sinister, tense and unpredictable, this is a must for the TBR of every thriller-lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

TW: Domestic abuse, emotional abuse, sexual assault

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruhi Choudhary discovered her passion for writing when she was seven years old and wrote her first Star Trek episode. Being a fan of the dark and twisted, she found her calling in crime thrillers.

She likes to write stories that make you a little uncomfortable and characters that you struggle to make up your mind about but stay with you.

She lives in Toronto and spends her days training to be a scientist and wishing it rained more often!

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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

BLOG TOUR: Profile K by Helen Fields

Published April 25th, 2024 by Avon Books
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the brilliant but unnerving, Profile K. Thank you to Avon Books UK for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

********

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

‘Truly exceptional…twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, a unique concept, and brilliant characters…simply captivating.’ JOHN MARRS

________

He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet.

Midnight Jones is an analyst trained to understand the human mind. But everything changes when, in the course of her work, she discovers Profile K’s file – because K stands for killer, and she knows that someone more dangerous than she could have ever imagined walks among them.

Midnight knows what Profile K is capable of before he even commits his first crime. But as the news rolls with the brutal murder of a local woman, no one believes what she tells them: that he is capable of so much worse.

Profile K will kill again – and, terrifyingly, Midnight realises that the moment she found his file was the moment she became his next target. Because Profile K is coming for Midnight – and the only way to escape with her life is to find him before he finds her…

The million-copy bestseller is back with a dark, terrifying journey into the mind of a psychopath that will keep you riveted until the very last page.

********

MY REVIEW:

He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet.

The Queen of the dark, nerve-shredding thriller is back. And she’s outdone herself with this one. With a tagline like the one above I knew I was in for a twisted treat. Dark, depraved, disturbing and deadly, this book took me to some deeply unsettling places in one of the best and most malevolent thrillers I’ve ever read.

Profile K is an office urban legend at Netco. Something for staff to whisper about to one another over the water cooler. But when data analyst Midnight Jones comes across a so-called Profile K she discovers someone unlike anyone she’s profiled before. This applicant is troubling and dangerous. A ticking timebomb of murderous intent walking among us. Midnight takes the profile to her superiors, only for them to dismiss her concerns and tell her to forget what she saw. But she can’t and Midnight remains haunted by what this person is capable of. And when a woman is found brutally murdered, she is sure that Profile K is behind it. How can she make people listen before he kills again?

A tableau of horror, this is a story painted in blood and violence that has malice dripping from every page. Fields sets the tone from the start with a brutal first chapter that made my blood run cold. She moves between the multiple narrators to tell the story, building an atmosphere of ominous foreboding as we peek inside the daily lives of Profile K’s victims. And it is those victims through whose eyes we see their murders, their terror and pain palpable as the monster strikes and they finally discover their terrible fate. This is a dark thriller-lover’s dream, filled with grisly crime scenes, heart-stopping suspense, surprising twists, and a cold-blooded killer who puts the ‘psycho’ in ‘psychological thriller’. I devoured this one whole, unable to put it down for even a moment once I’d started. 

Helen Fields is an expert in writing fantastic characters that get under your skin and there are an abundance of them in this book. Forensic Psychologist Dr Connie Woolwine returns for a third time. And though she plays a crucial role, she’s a peripheral character who appears quite briefly. Our main protagonist is Midnight Jones, a brilliant character who not only has a great name but is likeable, brave, tenacious and easy to root for. She has a compelling backstory that made me furious on her behalf but I admired her selfless commitment to caring for her twin sister, Dawn. I loved the sisters’ relationship and many of their scenes together were incredibly moving. There is also a cast of fantastic background characters, with Dawn and septuagenarian Doris – a lifeline for Midnight and all-round lovely person- being my favourites. And then, there’s Profile K. This character is one of the most disturbed, savage, cruel, and remorseless killers I’ve ever read. Just thinking about him gives me chills and I was glad he didn’t narrate the murders, as the peek inside his twisted mind we got when he was contemplating or reliving them was bad enough, though his backstory did help us understand how he became this way. 

Menacing, macabre, unnerving and compulsive, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys dark and twisted thrillers. Just make sure you’ve nothing planned when you start reading. 

Rating: 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helen Fields’ first love was drama and music. From a very young age she spent all her free time acting and singing until law captured her attention as a career path. She studied law at the University of East Anglia, then went on to the Inns of Court School of Law in London.

After completing her pupillage, she joined chambers in Middle Temple where she practised criminal and family law for thirteen years. Undertaking cases that ranged from Children Act proceedings and domestic violence injunctions, to large scale drug importation and murder, Helen spent years working with the police, CPS, Social Services, expert witnesses and in Courts Martials.

After her second child was born, Helen left the Bar. Together with her husband David, she went on to run Wailing Banshee Ltd, a film production company, acting as script writer and producer.

Helen self-published two fantasy books as a way of testing herself and her writing abilities. She enjoyed the creative process so much that she began writing in a much more disciplined way, and decided to move into the traditional publishing arena through an agent.

Perfect Remains is set in Scotland, where Helen feels most at one with the world. Edinburgh and San Francisco are her two favourite cities, and she travels whenever she can.

Beyond writing, she has a passion for theatre and cinema, often boring friends and family with lengthy reviews and critiques. Taking her cue from her children, she has recently taken up karate and indoor sky diving. Helen and her husband now live in Hampshire with their three children and two dogs.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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