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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale

Published September 21st, 2023 by Pan Macmillan
Historical Fiction, Mythlogy, Fantasy

I’m a little late due to illness, but here is my review for this laybrinthing and mesmerising gothic tale. Thanks to Chloe and Pan Macmillan for the invitation to take part in the blog tour and for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘A labyrinthine delight of a novel . . . Dickensian darkness is infused with ancient myth. Historical writing at its finest . . . .’ Essie Fox, bestselling author of The Somnambulist and The Fascination

London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway. An orphan since her mother died four years past, leaving Nell with only broken dreams and a pair of satin slippers in her possession, she spends her days dredging up coals, copper and pieces of iron spilled by the river barges – searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone.

But one day, Nell discovers a body on the shore. It’s not the first corpse she’s encountered, but by far the strangest. Nearly seven feet tall, the creature has matted hair covering his legs, and on his head are the suggestion of horns. Nell’s fellow mudlarks urge her to steal his boots and rifle his pockets, but as she ventures closer the figure draws breath and Nell is forced to make a decision which will change her life forever . . .

From the critically acclaimed author of The Toymakers comes an imaginative retelling of the legend of the Minotaur, full of myth and magic and steeped in the grime of Victorian London; perfect for lovers of historical fiction with a mythical twist.

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MY REVIEW:

“They damned him in legend. Well, it’s always easy to damn a man who’s different, isn’t it?”

The familiar legend of the minotaur gets a makeover in this magnificent tale. 

London, 1861. Ten-year-old Nell is part of a crew of mudlarks who spend their days searching a stretch of the Thames along Ratcliffe Highway for treasures to placate their master, Benjamin Murdstone. Then one day she finds something unexpected among the usual lumps of coal and iron: the corpse of a huge creature, almost seven feet tall with what seem to be horns on his head. But as she’s trying to decide if she should take his boots and rifle his pockets for things to sell, she realises it is still alive and is forced to make a decision that will change the course of her life…

“From the front, he was less car a man; in profile, more bestial still… His eyes were marked not in fury but in caution and terror. They rolled, just like a fawn’s as it tries to take in the world it’s just been instructed it will have to survive. 
It wasn’t only Nell who was shaking. The stranger was shaking too.”

What comes to mind when you think of the Minotour? Beast. Giant. Brute. Savage. Behemoth. Monster. But what about his human side? It is here that Dinsdale succeeds in showing us that we may think we know this mythical creature but there is so much we don’t know. Have we ever taken the time to understand his pain, dreams and desires? This is the Minotour like you have never seen or imagined him before. Through Minos’ character, Dinsdale lays bare the deepest parts of the Minotaur’s soul, showing us the human side of him for what feels like the first time while examining the monster that lives inside all of us and asking us to consider what it is that makes us human. 

“The mudlark and the monster, staring at each other across the dancing flames. The things I find in the mud, they should change my life. Those words seemed to fill up the whole of the seaward cave – for wasn’t Minos one of those things?”

Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers is one of my all-time favourite books, and I’m a sucker for a Greek mythology retelling, so I was excited to read his take on the Minotaur myth. At almost 500 pages this book is quite the tome, and I did think it could have done with being a bit shorter as there are times it seems to lose its way a little. But it always finds its way back and Dinsdale has created a story that truly stands out from the crowd, not only because of the book’s striking cover. The writing is melodic and almost dreamlike in places, giving us a Dickensian vibe as Dinsdale merges Victorian Gothic with myth and history. It is evocatively illustrated, transporting me back to Victorian London so vividly that it felt like I could see the smoke rising from the chimneys, smell the pungent air, and feel the biting cold of winter. It was a cruel and unforgiving place for many, something Dinsdale explores through characters who are living on the margins of life, doing whatever they must to survive another day, and dreaming of maybe one day lifting themselves into a better life. They are a flawed, fractured group of people and some choose to be kind, while others choose cruelty or betrayal. But they all pull us into their lives and make us root for their success or comeuppance. Young Nell was by far my favourite character and a real joy to read. Feisty, determined, this young orphan has no-one and nothing in the world yet she has the kindest soul. I was rooting for her to fulfil her dreams and adored the sweet friendship she and Minos shared. 

Labyrinthine, mesmerising, imaginative and heartfelt, Dinsdale held me in his thrall as he spun his magical tale, my heart pounding as we raced towards that chilling finale. A truly astonishing piece of gothic fiction, Once A Monster will change how you look at this well-known myth forever.. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Robert Dinsdale was born in North Yorkshire and currently lives in Leigh on Sea. His novels include; The Harrowing (Faber 2010) Three Miles (Faber, 2011) Little Exiles (HarperCollins, 2013) Gingerbread (HarperCollins, 2014), and Paris by Starlight (Del Rey, 2020).

His first venture into magic, The Toymakers, was published by Ebury in 2018.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: She’s A Killer by Kristen McDougall

Published October 5th, 2023 by Gallic Books
Thriller, Dark Comedy, Satire, Humorous Fiction

Happy Publication Day to She’s A Killer and my stop on the blog tour for this deliciously dark debut. Thank you to Gallic Books for the invitation to take part and my copy of the book.

Keep an eye on my Instagram account for a giveaway next week…

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SYNOPSIS:

‘Smart, assured, and extremely funny’ Eleanor Catton

‘A fabulously dark pleasure, delivered in prose of singing tautness’ Luke Jennings

Eleanor Oliphant meets Killing Eve in this darkly funny and gloriously unhinged New Zealand sensation, longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2023.

ALICE: 30-something, IQ of 159 (almost a genius), only communicates with her mother in Morse code. Her imaginary friend is back.

ERIKA: 15, daughter of hot ‘wealthugee’ who loves Russian literature, genuine genius, killer eyeliner and killer instincts.

The climate is in crisis and wealthy immigrants are flocking to New Zealand for shelter, stealing land, driving up food prices and taking over. But Alice has far more important things to worry about: hating her best friend’s husband, getting free wine and quiet-quitting her dull day job. Until she meets Erika.

Now, Alice is about to find herself drawn into action of the most radical – and dangerous – kind. Just what is a slacker to do?

Bold and brilliantly bizarre, She’s a Killer is the satirical dystopian cli-fi thriller you never knew you needed. Until now.

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MY REVIEW:

“I’m a fan of unhappy endings. They’re more honest.”

A snarky genius, mother issues, murderous rage, feminism and the end of the world. Put them all together and you’ve got the recipe for She’s A Killer. Satirical, bizarre, unexpected and macabre, this deliciously dark debut is dripping with black humour from start to finish.

30-something Alice has an IQ of 159 but is stuck in a dead-end job, struggling to make ends meet, and only communicates with her mother through morse code. Though she’s almost a genius, Alice has always struggled to empathise with others, isn’t interested in friends or relationships, and is totally unbothered about things that seem to worry others such as climate change and the wealthy immigrants flooding into New Zealand. She’s more worried about why her imaginary friend has come back. 
But when Alice meets fifteen-year-old Erika – the daughter of a hot ‘wealthugee’ she has a thing for – everything changes and she soon finds herself caught up in extreme actions that could have devastating consequences…

Well, this book was quite the trip! As soon as I read the tagline describing it as ‘Eleanor Oliphant meets Killing Eve’ I knew I had to read it. From the opening pages it was clear this wasn’t going to be like anything else I’ve read, but I was sure I had an idea where it was going. I was wrong. This book turned me upside down, twisted me round, and then shook me up for good measure. It was an unpredictable thrill-ride of crazy twists and turns I never saw coming. Kristen McDougall is a new author to watch. Her writing is witty and sharp, engaging the reader with her characters whilst also heightening the tension and keeping them guessing. And while it’s entertaining, the story also feels timely and urgent; like a warning or a call to arms. It’s quite the show. And McDougall pulls it off with finesse. 

Vexatious, snarky, intelligent, and darkly funny, Alice is the sort of unlikeable protagonist I love. She’s a bitch to everyone, including her imaginary best friend, and I got totally sucked into her world. After all, who doesn’t enjoy watching a ‘bad girl’ do or say  things that you’d never dream of doing. I’m fascinated by people who are highly intelligent yet have little common sense or understanding of others, and that certainly applied to Alice. She thought she was superior because of her intellect but she missed so much because she was all IQ and no EQ. Her conversations with Simp, her imaginary best friend, had me laughing out loud and I’d sometimes forget it was herself she was talking to. The secondary characters were all fun to read but it was Erika who stole that show and really challenged Alice. She is bright, fierce, self-assured, and quite frankly, intimidating. I loved the banter between her and Alice, especially as they had totally different values, outlooks and goals that often caused them to clash. You could tell that Alice isn’t used to being around people who are more intelligent than she is and it was quite funny to watch her be so unnerved by this unusual teenage girl. 

Quirky, original, thought-provoking and gloriously unhinged, She’s A Killer is a debut that will make you laugh while your heart is also pounding with tension. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kristen McDougall is a novelist, short story writer and creative writing lecturer. Her 2017 novel Tess was longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards and shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award. She’s a Killer was longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards 2022. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

REVIEW: The Ghost Woods by C. J. Cooke

Published: October 13th, 2022
Publisher: Harper Collins UK
Genre: Gothic Ficiton, Fairy Tale, Mystery, Suspense, Supernatural Fiction, Magical Realism, Horror Fiction
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

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SYNOPSIS:

In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.

This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child.

Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.

Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.

Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds – and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.

As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew – and risk what she holds most dear.

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MY REVIEW:

Hauntingly atmospheric and eerie, The Ghost Woods was the perfect read for this time of year.  Chilling, mysterious and bursting with folklore, a sense of dread lingers over every page.  I read with my heart in my throat and the light turned on, eager to discover the truth yet also fearful of what was to come.  And don’t even try to get me to go into the woods anytime soon.

I was a big fan of C. J. Cooke’s last two novels so I was anticipating another great read but with its exquisite storytelling, richly drawn characters and evocative imagery, this is my favourite of her books so far.  The strange rumours and eerie folklore surrounding Litchen Hall and the woods cast a sinister shadow, while an atmosphere of isolation and helplessness lingers over every word. 

Gorgeously gothic, claustrophobic and menacing, The Ghost Woods is an addictive tale that will captivate and unnerve you.  Add this spooky story to your TBR now!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

CJ Cooke, also known as Carolyn Jess-Cooke, grew up on a council estate in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the height of the Troubles. She started writing at the age of 7 and pestered publishers for many years with manuscripts typed on her grandparents’ old typewriter and cover notes written on pages ripped from school jotters. 

Since then, she has published 15 books in 23 languages and won numerous awards, including an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors, a Tyrone Guthrie Prize, a K Blundell Award, and she has won a Northern Writer’s Award three times. In 2011, her debut novel, The Guardian Angel’s Journal, was published by Little, Brown. The novel was an international bestseller. Her second novel, The Boy Who Could See Demons (2012), is a cult classic. Her sixth novel, The Lighthouse Witches, was published in October 2021, and was an Indigo Book of the Month, an international bestseller, a New York Public Library Book of the Year and nominated for both an Edgar Award by Mystery Writers of America and an ITW Thriller Award in 2022. It is soon to be a major TV series produced by StudioCanal and The Picture Company. The Ghost Woods is her latest novel and is published in October 2022.

CJ holds a BA (Hons), MA, and PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast, and commenced her academic career in 2005 as a Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Sunderland. Shortly thereafter, she published four academic works in swift succession on Shakespearean Cinema and Film Sequels, before establishing her career as a poet, editor, and novelist.

Now Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, CJ convenes the prestigious MLitt Creative Writing and researches ways that creative writing can help with trauma and mental health. Throughout 2013-18 she directed the Writing Motherhood project, which explored the impact of motherhood on women’s writing. She is also the founder and director of the Stay-at-Home! Literary Festival, which is dedicated to providing people with accessible, inclusive, and eco-friendly ways to access literature.

CJ has four children and lives with her family in Glasgow, Scotland.

(Taken from C. J. Cooke’s website)

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

REVIEW: End of Story by Louise Swanson

Published: March 23rd, 2023
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Dystopian Fiction
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

Get ready to meet your new favourite thriller author! End of Story is a heart-pounding masterpiece you won’t want to miss. Thank you to Louise Swanson and Hodder & Stoughton for my gifted ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Too much imagination can be a dangerous thing

It has been five years since writing fiction was banned by the government.

Fern Dostoy is a criminal. Officially, she has retrained in a new job outside of the arts but she still scrawls in a secret notepad in an effort to capture what her life has become: her work on a banned phone line, reading bedtime stories to sleep-starved children; Hunter, the young boy who calls her and has captured her heart; and the dreaded visits from government officials.

But as Fern begins to learn more about Hunter, doubts begin to surface. What are they both hiding?

And who can be trusted?

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MY REVIEW:

If you tell a story well enough, it’s true. 

I knew Lousie Swanson was a master storyteller and anything she writes is on my auto-buy list.  So when she announced End of Story it immediately became my most anticipated book of 2023.  I decided to pick it up last night after struggling to read all week thinking her books are always compelling.  I knew it would be good, but I was unprepared for the sheer tour de force I was about to read.  So addictive it had me on the edge of my seat from the first lines, I devoured it in just a couple of hours; staying up until 3am to finish as it was impossible to put it down and sleep without a conclusion. 

Exquisitely written, this is one of those books that has to be experienced.  You need to pick it up and allow the author to take you on the ride.  And what a ride it is!  Set in 2035, the story is told by Fern, a former author living in a nightmarish future where fiction is banned.  But she is determined to tell her story and begins keeping a secret diary where she not only talks about her innermost feelings and current life, but how fiction came to be outlawed and her own part in that story.  She is a fantastic character who I immediately felt connected to and enjoyed reading, seeing how her story unfolded piece by piece. 

Darkly sinister and suspenseful, this is a book filled to the brim with fear and tension. But it is also a complex, layered and moving story that has so much more depth than you expect.  An inventive and clever story that is like nothing I’ve ever read.  Ms Swanson has outdone herself with this one.  It is easily my book of the year and I feel sure that anyone who reads it will be adding her to their auto-buy lists.  

If I could give this more than five stars I would.  An absolute tour-de-force, End of Story is a heart-pounding masterpiece.  A work of art.  And you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.  Add it to your 2023 lists now!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Louise Swanson’s debut End of Story arrives in March 2023. She wrote the book during the final lockdown of 2020, following a family tragedy, finding refuge in the fiction she created. The themes of the book – grief, isolation, love of the arts, the power of storytelling – came from a very real place. Swanson, a mother of two who lives in East Yorkshire with her husband, regularly blogs, talks at events, and is a huge advocate of openly discussing mental health and suicide.

She also writes as Louise Beech. Beech’s eight books have won the Best magazine Book of the Year 2019, shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year, longlisted for the Polari Prize, and been a Clare Mackintosh Book Club Pick. Her memoir, Daffodils, was released in audiobook in 2022.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Keep It In The Family by John Marrs

Published: October 18th, 2022
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this chilling novel. Thank you to FMcM for the invitation to take part and my copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

In this chilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets―and not all of them are confined to the past.

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their dream home was once a house of horrors.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Haunted by the terrible things she saw and desperate to find answers, her obsession pulls her ever further from her husband.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family―but is it already too late?

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MY REVIEW:

“You feel the last bit of breath leaving their body. You’re looking into their eyes. A person in that situation is God.”

– Ted Bundy

When a book opens with a quote from a notorious, sadistic serial killer you know it’s going to be a wild ride.  From the first page I had shivers down my spine and was on the edge of my seat, full of anticipation at the promise of such a chilling tale.  

Mia and Finn’s new house is a dilapidated two-storey detached Victorian house on an ordinary street.  It’s a house you’d never really notice but for the young couple this house is a promise of a better future.  But what they don’t yet know is that it is also a place harbouring dark secrets.  Secrets that the person who is quietly watching them knows.  The truth finally begins to emerge after the couple make a gruesome attic in the attic that haunts Mia and leaves her desperate to uncover the truth of what happened in the house.  But someone else will do anything to keep it from being uncovered.  The only question is, which of them will succeed?

“He isn’t the first to be caught in their web and he won’t be the last. Most of them beg for mercy but they are all wasting their time. There will be no change of heart because there never is. No one under this roof believes in compassion. Empathy is an alien emotion here. “

OMG!  What the f#@% did I just read?!  Deliciously dark, marvellously menacing and totally twisted, I am slightly terrified of John Marrs after reading this; though I would love to peek inside his mind to know how he came up with what is his darkest book yet.  I’ve been a big fan of Marrs’ books since I first read The One upon its release in 2017, and with every book he just gets better.  He truly is the king of the twisted psychological thriller.  Everything about his books makes my thriller-loving heart sing as he holds me hostage, my heart pounding as I read with baited breath as he drops clues like breadcrumbs to build the suspense.  Every time you think all the twists have been revealed and you have it all figured out he will pull the rug from under you and turn the world upside down.  It’s a never-ending maze of secrets, lies and murder.  Twist after twist that makes your jaw drop and your head spin.  And I can’t get enough of it. 

This story makes even the most messed-up and crazy family you know seem sane. By giving each of them a voice we are able to really get inside their minds and discover who they are. I felt most drawn to Mia, my heart going out to her in particular after the events at the end of part one.  I also really enjoyed the play on the traditional awful mother-in-law trope. Debbie is detestable for so many reasons and I admit I was team Mia from the start. 

But it is the mystery narrator who I felt was most powerfully written.  Though they are clearly a killer with a warped moral code, they are utterly fascinating. Through flashbacks to their childhood we learn that they are a creation of their horrific experiences, my heart breaking for what they endured and witnessed.  Writing a one-dimensional villain is easy, but it takes true talent such as that possessed by Marrs to craft such a mesmerising yet chilling portrayal of a disturbed individual who is both repulsive yet sympathetic. 

“To some, I’m a saviour, but to others, I’m a monster. I know what my work has been about, all the souls I’ve saved from torment. It’s part of the bargain that I can never share my role with the world. There’d be no hope of them understanding. Blinkered as they are, I could only be a monster. “

But who was our mysterious villain?  I enjoyed trying to piece the clues together to work out the answer but the clever red herrings left by the author led me to also suspect the innocent at times.  Even when I’d guessed correctly I discovered there were yet more crazy antics to come as this person toyed with their victims further and prolonged their torment with glee.  When and how would it end?  I had no idea.  But I don’t think I could have guessed what was in store even with infinite opportunities.  

Keep It In The Family is my new favourite John Marrs book.  And I think it will be yours too after you read this dark, sinister and mind-blowing tale.  Just buckle yourself in and enjoy the ride.  

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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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.

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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

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Call of Cassandra Rose by Sophia Spiers

Published: October 13th, 2022
Publisher: Lume Books
Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Format: Paperback, Kindle

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Call of Cassandra Rose, a sinister, unnerving and addictive debut. Thank you to Anne from Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Sophia Spiers for the gifted signed ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Annabelle seems to have it all. The perfect house, a successful husband, a darling son. But Annabelle is troubled. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, failing at motherhood, and at odds with her new privileged lifestyle, Annabelle begins to self-harm, a habit resurrected from her traumatic past. When she meets the alluring and charismatic hypnotherapist Cassandra Rose, she is offered a way out. Through hypnosis, Annabelle is encouraged to unearth her painful repressed memories and face her childhood demons. But as the boundaries between her hypnotic trance and reality begin to dissolve, Annabelle becomes increasingly vulnerable to much darker forces. Filled with twists and suspense, The Call of Cassandra Rose is a chilling thriller that examines how trauma shapes our lives and asks whether we can ever really escape our pasts.

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MY REVIEW:

“From the moment she had pulled me out of hypnosis, and I’d opened my eyes, I knew I wanted more. I was hooked. 
She’d done the impossible: she’d helped me to escape.” 

Sinister, dark and unnerving, The Call of Cassandra Rose is a compelling debut that oozes an anxious tension from start to finish.  Hard to predict, it keeps you on your toes with its jaw-dropping twists and turns that hit like bolts out of the blue. New author Sophia Spiers shows that she is a talent to watch as she tackles difficult subjects such as mental health, self-harm, abuse and trauma.  Skillfully and sensitively written, it is also achingly real and so hard to read at times that I had to put it aside and take a break before coming back to it.  

In the story’s narrator, Annabelle, Spiers perfectly captures how it feels to be in the grip of the black hole of anxiety and depression,  the fear, isolation and self-doubt of domestic abuse, the power of trauma and the overwhelming battle to fight the urge to self-harm. Annabelle is wracked with guilt, insecurities and is often naive.  Her world a claustrophobic state of terror that is suffocating and you can feel her increasing desperation to uncover the truth of the buried trauma that plagues her subconscious. She was someone I liked, empathised with and felt a strong connection to.  Someone I wished I could reach into the book and save. 

The eponymous Cassandra Rose is the antithesis to Annabelle.  Magnetic, alluring and enigmatic, the hypnotherapist appears like a much-needed saviour.  Annabelle sees her as her only hope of getting better and believes she’s piecing her back together like no one else can.  But from the start there was something about Cassandra Rose I didn’t trust and I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I certainly never imagined what was to come and was left reading in breathless anticipation as Spiers took me on a crazy ride that left me speechless.. 

Atmospheric, harrowing and addictive, this unique debut left me wondering what the hell I’d just read.  I’m still not sure.  But I would highly recommend you read it and try to find out for yourself. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

TW: Self harm, mental health, domestic abuse 

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sophia, a Londoner of proud Italian and Greek heritage, studied Film and TV at university. In her twenties she worked in TV and post-production before turning her attention to her true passion: writing. In 2019, she graduated from Faber Academy’s Writing A Novel course and has completed her debut novel, The Call of Cassandra Rose. Sophia lives in North London with her husband, two children, two cats and dog named Ripley.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones| Amazon

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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

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

REVIEW: The Toll House by Carly Reagon

Published: October 6th, 2022
Publisher: Sphere
Genre: Ghost Story, Suspense, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Horror Fiction
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

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SYNOPSIS:
The spine-tingling ghost story everyone is raving about.

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The past isn’t always dead and buried.

A house with history. That’s how the estate agent described the old toll house on the edge of the town. For Kelda it’s the perfect rural home for her young son Dylan after a difficult few years.

But when Kelda finds a death mask concealed behind one of the walls, everything changes. Inexplicable things happen in the house, Kelda cannot shake the feeling of being watched and Dylan is plagued by nightmares, convinced he can see figures in his room. As Dylan’s behaviour becomes increasingly challenging, Kelda seeks answers in the house’s mysterious past. But she’s running out of time.

Because something has awoken.

And now it won’t rest . . .

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MY REVIEW:

“There’s something about this house… It feels weird… the house sort of feels alive.”

Kelda moves into the old toll house wth her six-year-old son, Dylan.  The rural home seems like the ideal place for a fresh start after a difficult few years, but when Kelda finds an old death mask hidden in a wall she is no longer so sure.  Then Dylan’s nightmares start, the young boy terrified of the figures he says he sees in his room, Kelda can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched and there are strange smells and a chill that they can’t erase.  Could there be something supernatural in their home?  And if so, what does it want?  Desperate for answers, Kelda begins to look into the mysterious past of the toll house to try and find out before it’s too late…

Unnerving, sinister and mesmerising, The Toll House is an outstanding debut.  I lost myself in its pages, so captivated by the creeping horror that I lost track of time and devoured ¾ of the book in one sitting and then thinking it might not have been the best idea to read such a scary story before heading to bed at 3am.  

“She was drowning in sorrow, in the terror of what had happened here, of whatever was lurking within these four walls.” 

Exquisitely written, the story starts steadily before building to an unbearable tension that sends shivers down your spine.  The characters are richly drawn and compelling, Kelda and Dylan are so easy to like and feel for while Joe is a more mysterious character that I became increasingly unsure of as the story went on.  The narration moves seamlessly between the past and present, its dual timelines adding an extra layer of suspense as the restless spirits of the past slowly reveal themselves, unravelling the truth of what is happening to Kelda and Dylan in the present.  I was on the edge of my seat, reading in breathless anticipation as it headed towards the jaw-dropping finale.  

So if you’re looking for an atmospheric, chilling and unsettling read for the spooky season, this is the book for you.  Nerve-jangling and hypnotic, The Toll House showcases Carly Reagon as a phenomenal new talent and an author to watch.  I’m excited to see what she writes next and will be buying it without hesitation after this magnificent debut.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carly Reagon is a writer and lecturer in healthcare sciences from Wales. Her work is inspired by her love of history, the rolling Welsh countryside, and all things spooky. In 2017 Carly completed the six month online novel writing course with Curtis Brown Creative and in 2019 she was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊 Emma xxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: The Wife Next Door by Rona Halsall

Published: October 12th, 2022
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the unsettling and unexpected The Wife Next Door. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

It was meant to be the perfect break-up…

Just because it’s over between us, doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. My ex-husband and I still care for each other a lot, and we are determined to put our sweet little boy, Toby first.

Now we’ve moved into houses right next door to each other, with each of our new partners and their children. We’ve even knocked down the garden fence, so Toby can easily run between our homes.

But it seems not everyone is happy about this big, blended stepfamily. I try to ignore the viciously-worded note in the ‘new home’ card, the red pen scrawled through my divorce paperwork, and the day I find myself locked into my house, all the keys suddenly missing…

But I can’t pretend it’s all in my head when a false accusation is made against me that could destroy my life – and Toby’s – forever.

Someone doesn’t like what’s happening under these two neighbouring roofs.

What they don’t know is that they’re messing with the wrong person. And that hell hath no fury like the wife next door…

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MY REVIEW:

Jess and her ex-husband Rob are determined not to let their break-up stop them from being friends.  In an attempt to put their son, Toby, first they move into new homes next door to each other with their new partners and their children and try to create the perfect blended family.

But it seems someone isn’t happy about the new arrangements: there are threatening messages, strange incidents and malicious accusations.  Jess’s family are concerned she’s paranoid but she’s sure someone is out to get her and tear their new blended family apart…

Taut, tense and filled with surprising twists, this is another first-class domestic thriller from Rona Halsall.  Rona was one of the first authors whose books I reviewed and has become a must-read author for me.  So much so that I don’t even read the synopsis before requesting her books or applying for the blog tour.  She can be relied upon to deliver an intriguing, gripping and entertaining read filled with revelations I never saw coming.  The Wife Next Door certainly lived up to those expectations, keeping me guessing up until the jaw-dropping finale.

Protagonist Jess was a great character.  Halsall puts the reader in her shoes and makes us feel everything she does.  I felt pretty sure she wasn’t paranoid but also couldn’t decide who could be behind what was happening.  My heart went out to her as things spiralled out of control and I helplessly watched her life fall apart.  Would she be able to prove her innocence? Or would Halsall deliver one of her sensational twists to reveal she isn’t who I thought?  

Unsettling, claustrophobic and totally riveting, this is a must-read for any thriller lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rona is the author of Best Selling psychological thrillers published by Bookouture. She loves a puzzle to solve, so now she writes them… her challenge is to find domestic storylines with twists that keep her readers guessing right to the end.

She has been a bit of a nomad during her adult life, moving around the north of England. Then she settled in Snowdonia, North Wales where she brought up her family while working as a business mentor. She now lives on the Isle of Man with her husband and two dogs.

She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful glens and beaches on the Island while she’s plotting her next book. She has three children and two step-children who are all grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | Waterstones

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊 Emma xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: The Maids of Biddenden by GD Harper

Published: May 2nd, 2022
Publisher: Ginger Cat
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback, Kindle

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this extraordinary tale, The Maids of Biddenden. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Ginger Cat for the gifted copy of the book.

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MY REVIEW:

‘There is no me; there is no you.
There is only us.’

The Maids of Biddenden is inspired by the real-life story of conjoined twins Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, born in 1100 into a wealthy family from a small Kent village.

Joined at the hip, the sisters overcome fear and hostility to grow into gifted and much-loved women – one a talented musician and song-writer, the other a caring healer and grower of medicinal plants. Entangled in the struggles for power and influence of the great Kent nobles of the time, they achieve much in their lifetimes and leave behind a legacy in Biddenden that survives to this day.

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MY REVIEW:

“Bishop Gundulf had told her of the abbey’s dark secret. And, since then, the thought of it has accompanied her ever waking moment. Today she would see it in the flesh. It. She. They? What was best? Soon she would know.”

Two young ladies.  Two minds.  But one body.  Meet Eliza and Mary Chulkhurst, the Maids of Biddenden.  

This fascinating novel is inspired by the real-life story of conjoined twins born in a small Kentish village in 1100.  Born joined at the hip, the sisters were not expected to survive and were taken to the local abbey to live out their short lives.  But these remarkable girls overcame expectations and flourished, living to 34 years of age and leaving behind a legacy that remains to this day.

Until I received the invitation to this blog tour I had never heard of the Maids of Biddenden but I was immediately intrigued.  How would people of the twelfth century react to conjoined twins?  And what kind of life were they able to live?  Author GD Harper answers these questions and more, skillfully and evocatively bringing Eliza and Mary’s story to life.  

“We were observers of each other’s world and it was wonderful these worlds were different. God ordained that our bodies were bound together, but not our minds. Our minds soared off in different ways, giving us a degree of freedom from each other.”

I was enthralled by these extraordinary women and lost myself in their story.  When we first meet them they are just six-years-old and live hidden from view at the abbey, knowing nothing of the outside world.  We follow them as they return to live with their family, discover the world outside the abbey’s walls and the prejudice of people who have never before seen conjoined twins.  They face unique struggles which we watch them overcome to achieve things that nobody ever expected: Eliza becoming a talented musician and song-writer and Mary becoming a great and renowned healer.  Harper provides insight into the Maids’ innermost thoughts and dreams, allowing the reader to really connect with and feel for them.  What struck me most about Eliza and Mary was not only their strength, but their individuality, something many didn’t see, expecting them to be the same person in mind as well as body.  But they couldn’t be more different from one another, something that poses its own set of challenges that they conquer with the same tenacity as every other obstacle in their path.  

Captivating, uplifting and moving, this is a story that will stay with you long after reading.  A book I would highly recommend. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

GD Harper is a past winner of a Wishing Shelf Red Ribbon Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Lightship Prize for first-time authors and longlisted for the Page Turner Book Award and the UK Novel Writing Award.

His first historical novel, ‘The Maids of Biddenden’, has already been shortlisted for the 2021 Impress Award, longlisted for the 2021 Exeter Novel Prize, the 2021 Cheshire Novel Prize and the Flash 500 Novel Award, and was a 2021 Page Turner Writer Award finalist.

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BUY THE BOOK

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊 Emma xxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

Blog Tour: The Moose Paradox by Antti Toumainen (The Rabbit Factor Trilogy Book 2)

Published: October 27th, 2022
Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Hardboiled, Police Procedurals, Book Series
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobooks

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the hilarious and original The Moose Paradox. 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:

Insurance mathematician Henri has his life under control, when a man from the past appears and a shady trio take over the adventure park’s equipment supply company … Things are messier than ever in the absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly tense second instalment in Antti Tuomainen’s bestselling series…

**Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell**

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Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction? 

Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…

Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…

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MY REVIEW:

We are back at the YouMeFun Adventure Park for the second instalment in Antti Tuomainen’s Rabbit Factor series and Henri’s life is messier than ever.  Starting as it means to go on, we leap head-first into the action and don’t pause for breath as we are taken on a tense roller-coaster ride of crazy antics involving a serious insurance mathematician, unsavoury characters and theme park equipment.

He’s done it again.  Hilarious, bizarre, clever and original, Antti Tuomainen has created another riveting page-turner that I couldn’t put down. I devoured it quickly, Tuomainen’s singular style captivating me completely.  Brilliantly written, tense and pacy, he didn’t miss a beat as he succinctly catches the reader up on events from book one while the madness is still going on around the characters.  It is far-fetched and absurd, yet you totally believe it and he had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  

Henri is one of the most eccentric yet endearing characters I’ve ever read and I challenge anyone not to fall in love with him.  He’s straight-laced, rational, makes sense of the world through numbers and mathematics and finds social etiquette and the actions of others confusing and strange.  You will laugh, you will cringe, and your heart will go out to him.  But what I enjoyed most about this book is that he really came into his own.  It was great to watch him fall in love, read between the lines, understand how to interact with others and show that he is much more astute and capable than he’s given credit for.  I think Steve Carrell is the perfect actor for this character and I can’t wait to see him play Henri when the adaptation comes to our screens soon.

Quirky, original, funny and entertaining, The Moose Paradox is a book you simply have to read. It is one of those books where it’s best to know little about the book before reading but I will say that it is important to read the first book, The Rabbit Factor, before this one in order to make sense of what’s happening.  And because it’s absolutely brilliant. 

So go and read The Rabbit Factor and The Moose Paradox now!  Meanwhile, I will not-so-patiently wait for book three…

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen ‘The King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor is the first book in Antti’s first-ever series.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles 😊 Emma xxx

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

*These purchase links are affiliate links