Tag: thriller

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Lost Little Angels (Detective Eve Bennett Book 2) by Holly S. Roberts

Published July 14th, 2023 by Bookouture
Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural, Romance Novel, Crime Series

I’m a few days late due to illness, but here is my review for this tense and twisty thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

She wakes suddenly, realizing with a panic that her darling baby daughter should have woken long before now. Racing to the pink-colored nursery, she lets out a deep cry as she opens the door. The crib is empty. Her little girl has vanished.

It’s after midnight when Detective Eve Bennet receives a distraught phone call from an unknown number. The voice at the other end begs her not to hang up—a baby has gone missing. But what the caller says next makes Eve’s heart race. “She isn’t the first. There are many, many more.”

Rushing to the missing girl’s home, Eve finds the house empty, and when she knocks on their neighbors’ doors, not a single person answers. Whoever reported the missing baby doesn’t want to be found…

Secrets are held tight in the small town of Hilldale and as an outsider, Eve knows that the only way to uncover the truth is to persuade someone to talk. She finally has a breakthrough when a young wife goes against her husband’s wishes and tells Eve it’s not just babies being taken—mothers are disappearing too.

The woman leaves Eve a hand drawn map leading her to an isolated trailer park. What she finds there shocks her to her core. But she hardly has time to think before she notices a lone figure watching her every move. She’s not alone.

Can Eve save herself in time to finally unmask the truth before more innocent children disappear forever?

Fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Lisa Regan won’t be able to put down this utterly gripping crime thriller from a USA Today bestselling author.

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MY REVIEW:

Just after midnight Detective Eve Bennett receives a call from an unknown number. It is a distraught woman claiming her baby is missing and that there are many others who have also vanished. Eve rushes to the caller’s home only to find it empty and the neighbours unwilling to answer the door. No one is willing to talk in Hilldale. The town is home to a polygamist sect and secrets run rife, as does their distrust of outsiders. Eve and her team have to convince someone to talk if they are to find the baby or her mother. And what she eventually uncovers is worse than anything she imagined…

The second book in the Detective Eve Bennett series takes us back inside the twisted world of a fundamentalist cult and the battles Eve and her team face trying to help their innocent victims. But don’t worry if you’ve not read the first book, because Holly S. Roberts catches you up succinctly, making it possible to read this one while still feeling like you understand all the nuances of the story and character relationships. It is well written and gripping, taking you through a wide range of emotions and keeping you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end as she expertly weaves heartbreak, anger, frustration, laughter, disgust and strength into the narrative.

Eve Bennett is a fantastic protagonist, and I stand by my comments from my review of book one where I referred to her as ‘a new star in crime fiction.’ Feisty and tenacious; she is passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless and helping people escape the cult. It is personal for her, as she escaped the cult as a teen and is still coming to terms with the long-term trauma of being raised there. It was great to see her slowly allowing love into her life in this book and watching her continue to grow as a person. Her team is also made up of fascinating characters and I love their dynamic. It makes you believe in them and root for them to solve the case despite the many obstacles in their way. There are also some brilliantly written villains in the book who will make you rage and your stomach turn, Roberts expertly walking that fine line by making you feel those feelings while also helping you understand the indoctrination they’ve been subjected to and also never using it to excuse their actions, making it clear they should still be held accountable. We also see some incredibly brave characters who risk their lives either by helping Eve or reaching out for  help themselves. It is a reminder of just how dangerous these extremist views can be and the risk to those caught up in them. 

Gritty, chilling, twisty and tense, this heart-pounding thriller is a must read for fans of the genre. Now I just have to wait impatiently for book three.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

TW: Religious indoctrination, abuse

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Holly Roberts began writing to alleviate stress in her day job, that of a homicide and sex crimes detective. Romance was her go to genre because she required a happy ending. She also touched on cozy mysteries and added six books to her forty book romance repertoire. Now that she’s retired and her mind at peace, she decided to delve into crime thrillers using her background and thirst for research to write the Eve Bennet series.

Holly has two movie/television options under her belt for her amazing life story. Part of the reason is Holly became a police officer at age 45 and led two high profile cases, one involving a serial killer. Now she enjoys the excitement of writing about crime while sitting at home with her two dogs, laptop, and a cup of hot tea close by.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

*These links are purhcase links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: One by Eve Smith

Published July 20th, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction, Political Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this outstanding, thought-provoking thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Karen at Orenda for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

A powerful, prescient, gripping speculative thriller: a woman’s job of enforcing climate-emergency Britain’s one-child policy is compromised when she discovers a personal link to an illegal sibling on the ministry hit-list, leading to a shocking discovery that changes everything…
 
‘A tightly paced plot set in an all-too imaginable future … a page-turning, thought-provoking read’ Jo Callaghan
 
‘Eve Smith is a master storyteller for our troubled times’ Simon Conway
 
‘A terrifying vision of a global climate emergency, a jaw-dropping government conspiracy and some truly devastating twists … one hell of a speculative thriller’ Tom Hindle
 
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One law. One child. Seven million crimes…
 
A cataclysmic climate emergency has spawned a one-child policy in the UK, ruthlessly enforced by a totalitarian regime. Compulsory abortion of ‘excess’ pregnancies and mandatory contraceptive implants are now the norm, and families must adhere to strict consumption quotas as the world descends into chaos.
 
Kai is a 25-year-old ‘baby reaper’, working for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning. If any of her assigned families attempt to exceed their child quota, she ensures they pay the price.
 
Until, one morning, she discovers that an illegal sibling on her Ministry hit-list is hers. And to protect her parents from severe penalties, she must secretly investigate before anyone else finds out.
 
Kai’s hunt for her forbidden sister unearths much more than a dark family secret. As she stumbles across a series of heinous crimes perpetrated by the people she trusted most, she makes a catastrophic discovery that could bring down the government … and tear her family apart.

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MY REVIEW:

One law. One child. Seven million crimes…

With a tagline like that, how could I resist picking up the latest speculative thriller by Eve Smith. Her debut, The Waiting Rooms, was one of my favourite books of 2021 and from that one sentence alone I knew I was in for a terrifying treat with this one. And I was right.

The story is set in a future where a catastrophic climate emergency has left our world in chaos. The UK is now run by the Nazi-esque ONE Party, who enforce a dictatorial regime. Everything is heavily monitored, there are consumption quotas in place, and there is a strict one-child policy that must be adhered to. 

Kai Houghton works for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning as a ‘baby reaper’, one of those in charge of enforcing the one-child policy and imposing severe  penalties such as forced abortions and imprisonment for anyone attempting to exceed their child quota. Then one day she receives an alert that turns her world upside down. When an illegal sibling is identified as hers, she begins a secret investigation in the hope of protecting her parents and her job. But Kai unearths more than she bargained for and is faced with a difficult choice: expose the heinous crimes she’s uncovered that could destroy the government, or keep her family together. 

Powerful, gripping, and thought-provoking, I devoured this outstanding thriller, enrapt by the nightmarish future that sprang from Eve Smith’s imagination. From the start this is a world that feels both familiar and foreign. It is clear that life has been infiltrated by technology and data even more than today, slowly revealing more of the tyrannical rules and regulations and offering what feels like a terrifying glimpse of what could be our future if we continue to abuse our planet and strip away human rights. 

Smith is a master storyteller, expertly merging complex moral dilemmas, social issues, dark secrets, and mystery, then weaving in compelling family drama that gives the story its beating heart. It is brilliantly written, tightly plotted and propulsive with a constant tempo of dread; the mercurial presence of ONE looming over every page. The unexpected twists left me blindsided and I found it impossible to put the book down, racing through it quickly with a desperate need for resolution. But would it be the one I hoped for?

Well written and memorable characters are a key part of a great book for me, and this book delivers. Kai is a fantastic protagonist. Smith makes the reader feel every emotion she does, leaving it impossible not to feel for her as her world is torn apart and everything she thought she knew crumbles into pieces. As she faces seemingly impossible choices that test her moral compass, you ask yourself what you would do in her shoes. Would I have the strength to do what’s right even if it means losing everything? Smith doesn’t shy away from the painful consequences of people’s actions while making the reader feel the character’s emotions and face the shades of grey that led to their decisions. 

Atmospheric, chilling, and uncompromising, this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. An absolute must-read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Eve Smith writes speculative fiction, mainly about the things that scare her. She attributes her love of all things dark and dystopian to a childhood watching Tales of the Unexpected and black-and-white Edgar Allen Poe double bills. In this world of questionable facts, stats and news, she believes storytelling is more important than ever to engage people in real life issues.

Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as “an exciting new voice in crime fiction”, Eve’s debut novel The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was selected as a Book of the Month by Eric Brown in The Guardian who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s.

Eve’s previous job as COO of an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. When she’s not writing she’s racing across fields after her dog, trying to organise herself and her family, or off exploring somewhere new.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Bert’s Books | Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These purchase links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023 Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds

Published June 22nd, 2023 by Headline
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

I’m a bit late, but I’m finally sharing my review for the thought-provoking and fierce thriller, Good Girls Die Last, which was a Squadpod Reviews book last month.

Thank you to Headline for the gifted copy.

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SYNOPSIS:

Today, nothing is going right for Em. And it’s about to get much worse.
Heartbroken by a recent split, with her 30th birthday looming, she loses her job and her home in the same morning because of two swaggering, dishonest men – the boss who sexually harassed her and the flatmate sleeping with her behind his fiancée’s back. But all Em can think about is catching a flight to attend her sister’s wedding and see her dying mother.

With a record-breaking heatwave, and a serial killer making the streets unsafe, London is completely gridlocked. Em’s life has always been full of men getting their own way, and today the scorched city teems with them standing between her and home. As Em’s troubled past returns to haunt her, she refuses to let them win. Her defiance leads to shocking consequences that soon spiral wildly out of control.

In a world where men don’t listen, and girls have no voice, one woman can change everything.
Today, no one will be staying silent.

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MY REVIEW:

“They don’t like a woman with a loud voice. You start shouting, bringing attention to them and it scares the shit out of them.”

Em is having one of those days where nothing is going right. She’s lost her job, lost her home, and a heatwave has brought London to a standstill forcing her to have to drag her suitcase across the city to try and make her plane back home for her sister’s wedding and to see her dying mother. But the heat isn’t the only dangerous thing about London’s streets; a serial killer is targeting women and making the streets feel unsafe. Tired of men getting their way at her and other women’s expense, Em refuses to let them win anymore. And her defiance will cause shockwaves…

Good Girls Die Last is a gripping and timely thriller about violence against women, female rage, female fear, and finding your voice. Natali Simmonds has created a book that is part entertaining thriller, part social commentary, and part call to arms. All women will recognise the fear and frustration on these pages. We’ve all had a man say, ‘Smile love, it might never happen’, or make lewd comments when we’re simply walking on the street. We all know that feeling of rage boiling inside while we are forced to plaster on a mask of normalcy and smile sweetly. And Em embodies us all when she decides to take her stand, even if she was unprepared for the ripple effect it caused. Fast-paced, laced with dark humour, and brilliantly written, I loved the mysteries that the author wove into the story that kept me on the edge of my seat. What is in Em’s past that she’s running from? And who is the serial killer stalking London’s streets? I needed answers and inhaled this book to get them. And that last sentence! I’m still reeling from that particular body blow. 

“It’s not the big things that send you over the edge. People think it is; not having a house, losing all your money, all that. But it’s not. It’s the little things that kill you. The stuff that sneaks up on you while you’re busy holding on tight to the big things.”

Em is all of us. A deeply flawed but real and relatable character who is fierce, feisty and furious. Still reeling from heartbreak, grappling with her 30th birthday looming, keeping who she really is a secret from her family, and harbouring a dark secret of her own, Em’s rage finally boils over. She’s tired of being walked over by misogynists who feel entitled to their own way at the expense of women, and tired of keeping quiet and sweet. But Em isn’t the only brilliant character in this book. I also really loved Rose, the spunky and memorable woman who Em meets on her pilgrimage to the airport and forms a quick but strong bond with. 

Fiery, enraging, unapologetic and brimming with tension, Good Girls Die Last is a thought-provoking feminist thriller every woman needs to read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Natali Simmonds’ debut thriller Good Girls Die Last will be published in hardback by Headline in June 2023. A feminist, London-centric Falling Down meets Summer of Sam, Good Girls Die Last is perfect for fans of A Promising Young Woman.

Natali also writes fantasy under the pseudonym of N J Simmonds (her adult trilogy The Path Keeper, Son of Secrets, and Children of Shadows was shortlisted for the 2022 RNA Fantasy Award), along with Middle Grade fantasy, and is one half of paranormal romance writer, Caedis Knight. Whatever the genre, Natali’s stories are always gritty and unflinching, full of complex women and page-turning suspense.

When Natali’s not writing books, she works as a freelance brand consultant and writer, and lectures for Raindance Film School (among others). Originally from London, she now splits her time between Spain and the Netherlands where she can be found drawing, reading in her hammock, or complaining about cycling in the rain.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*These links are affiliate links

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

BLOG TOUR: Conviction by Jack Jordan

Published June 22nd, 2023 by Simon & Schuster UK
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Legal Thriller, Political Thriller, Legal Story

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this heart-pounding thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Simon & Schuster for my gifted proof copy.

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SYNOPSIS:

TO STEAL A MAN’S FREEDOM ALL IT TAKES IS . . . CONVICTION

Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children as they slept before burning the family home to the ground. 
 
When the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she knows it could be the career making case she’s been waiting for. But only if she can prove Wade’s innocence. 

A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must lose this case or the secret about her own husband’s disappearance will be revealed.
 
Failing that, he will kill everyone she cares about until she follows orders.
 
Neve must make a choice – betray every principle she has ever had by putting a potentially innocent man in prison, or risk putting those she loves in mortal danger.

For fans of Steve Cavanagh, Linwood Barclay and Gillian McAllister, introducing the latest novel from the master of the moral dilemma, Jack Jordan.

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MY REVIEW:

“There is right, and there is wrong; black and white. There is no grey area to use to one’s own advantage, or the justice system would collapse like a house of cards. Pull one rule away, and the whole thing topples.”

Promising Barrister Neve Harper is preparing to defend the case that could make her career. Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and children in cold blood as they slept before setting the family home ablaze. He says he’s innocent, but the evidence all seems to point towards him. But Neve’s excitement at the challenge ends when one night she is approached by a man who knows her darkest secret. He threatens to expose it if Wade isn’t found guilty and says he’ll hurt those she loves to ensure she complies. Will Neve betray her morals and put a potentially innocent man behind bars in order to save herself and those she loves?

Unbearably tense, twisty and addictive, this was another outstanding thriller from the golden pen of Jack Jordan. It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan and Jordan just keeps getting better as he establishes himself as the King of the moral dilemma thriller. Fast paced, perfectly plotted and exquisitely written, Jordan is a master of his craft, sprinkling breadcrumbs into the intricately layered narrative and constructing the story to ensure all of the twisty threads collide with perfect timing all while keeping you on the edge of your seat with an atmosphere thick with the a ticking time bomb of ominous dread. And then there’s that ending. How could you end it there?! I needed more!

One of the things I love most about Jordan’s books is his characters, who are always morally complex, richly drawn, compelling, and memorable. And Neve Harper is no exception. I liked her immediately, something that didn’t change even when her awful secret was revealed thanks to Jordan’s expertise at writing anti-heroes that we love to root for. He does this by weaving their anguish and dilemmas into the narrative; making you confront all the shades of grey in each situation, and highlighting how anyone can find themselves in a situation where they do things they never imagined possible. He also gives even the darkest of his characters some heart, making you feel some empathy for the villains when their motivations are laid bare along with their pain. It takes real talent to do this and Jordan achieves it like the seasoned pro he is, making their anguish so palpable that you can’t escape it. 

A heart-pounding and nerve-shredding thriller that sizzles with suspense, Conviction is a must-read for any self-respecting thriller lover. Just don’t make any other plans after you start reading, because I guarantee you’ll be cancelling them. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jack Jordan lives in East Anglia, England. He is an introvert disguised as an extrovert, an intelligent person who can say very unintelligent things, and a self-confessed bibliomaniac with more books than sense.

He is the global bestselling author of Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, and Night by Night and an Amazon No.1 bestseller in the UK, Canada, and Australia. After selling at auction in the UK and numerous foreign territories, Do No Harm is which was the thriller of the summer in 2022. It has been described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse.

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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 blog tour.

*These purchase links are affiliate links

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Audio Books book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Published August 8th, 2019 by Harvill Secker
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Horror

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SYNOPSIS:

IT WAS THE DREAM JOB. IT WOULD BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE.

‘So clever and original . . . from the first gripping page to the last shocking twist’ ERIN KELLY, author of He Said/She Said

‘Ruth Ware just gets better and better. The Turn of the Key is her most compelling and addictive to date; I read this in a two sitting frenzy, barely able to turn the pages fast enough’ Lisa Jewell, author of The People Upstairs

When Rowan stumbles across the advert, it seems like too good an opportunity to miss: a live-in nanny position, with a very generous salary. And when she arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten by the luxurious ‘smart’ home fitted out with all modern conveniences by a picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare – one that will end with a child dead and her in cell awaiting trial for murder.

She knows she’s made mistakes. But she’s not guilty – at least not of murder. Which means someone else is…

‘Will hold you captive until the brilliant ending’ SHARI LAPENA, author of Someone We Know

Full of chilling menace and sinister secrets, The Turn of the Key is a gripping modern-day haunted house novel that will keep you reading through the night.

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MY REVIEW:

When Rowan gets a job as a nanny working at Heatherbrae House she thinks it’s the answer to all her problems: a generous salary for a live-in position at a luxurious house. But unbeknownst to Rowan, this dream house will turn out to be her worst nightmare – one that ends with her in prison accused of the murder of one of the very children she was hired to take care of. But is she guilty?

After having this book on my shelves for almost four years I finally got around to reading it, opting to listen on audiobook when I wasn’t feeling up to reading a physical book. I’d read some reviews that raved about the audiobook version and they were totally right! Unsettling, taut and addictive, I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t stop listening. Whenever I wasn’t listening I was thinking about it, desperate to know the truth about Rowan’s guilt or innocence. 

The story is told in the form of letters Rowan is writing to Mr. Wrexham, the man she hopes will take on her case and help prove her innocence. She begins by begging for his help and then takes us back to the start of the story, when she first saw the job advert in the newspaper, and then taking us through every event leading up to the day she says she found the child dead. It is a tense and ominous story, full of forbidding as we try to guess who died, what happened, and what is the secret that Rowan admits to hiding? I’ll admit, many of my guesses were way off, and I loved that what I did get right I hadn’t been able to predict until just before the reveal, leaving me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

This is my second time reading a Ruth Ware book and my favourite so far. Her skillful storytelling and evocative imagery had me on tenterhooks and made me feel like I was right there alongside Rowan. The characters were brilliant; Rowan was  easy to relate to and her young charges broke my heart and frustrated me in equal measure, especially Maddie. Heatherbrae House is like a character in its own right and looms large over every page. The idea of a whole house run by an app makes me uneasy, and this modern fear merges with a more traditional horror to create an inescapable malevolent atmosphere. But what I liked best about this audiobook was the narrator whose animated narration transported me into the story and was so unnerving in places that my blood ran cold. I can still hear that terrifying ‘Creek. Creek’ *shivers*

Compelling, sinister and utterly brilliant, The Turn of the Key is a must-read for any thriller fan, though I’d definitely recommend listening to it on audio for added atmosphere if you can. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key, One by One and The It Girl have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film and TV, and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022 Paperback Publication Day

BLOG TOUR: The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen (The Rabbit Factor Trilogy Book 2)

Published June 22nd, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Hardboiled, Police Procedurals, Humorous Fiction, Book Series

Happy Paperback Publication Day to The Moose Paradox, which is the second in one of my favourite-ever series. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for asking me to reshare my review today as part of the papaerback publication tour, and to Orenda Books for my ebook ARC.

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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.

‘In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?’ Chris Brookmyre

‘One of those rare writers who manages to deftly balance intrigue, noir and a deliciously ironic sense of humour … a delight’ Vaseem Khan

‘What a book! Antti has managed to put the fun into funerals and take it out of fun fairs in a gripping nail-biter … a thrilling and hilarious read’ Liz Nugent

**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 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 be eagerly awaiting book three, which is out in November.

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 Books | Berts Books | 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.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BOOK REVIEW: Keep Her Secret by Mark Edwards

Published May 30th 2023 by Thomas & Mercer
Thriller, Psychololgical Fiction, Crime Fiction

Happy Publication Day Mark Edwards! I’m thrilled to be opeining the blog tour today for this sensational thriller.
Thank you FMcM Associates for the invitation to take part, and to them and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted copy of the book.

TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic Abuse

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SYNOPSIS:
In this sinister tale from 4 million copy bestselling author Mark Edwards, a deadly secret turns a couple’s new romance into a nightmare. And they’re not the only ones who know the truth…

After twenty years apart, Matthew and Helena have rekindled their college romance and are away in Iceland on their first holiday together. Swept up in the romance on a mountain hike, one moment they are taking the perfect photo, the next Helena is hanging from the cliff edge…

Terrified, Matthew almost misses Helena’s sudden and shocking confession―but what he hears chills him to the bone. And when Helena reveals the full truth Matthew is horrified, not only by what she’s done, but why she did it. Does he really know her at all?

His shock turns to horror when, back in England, they discover that someone not only overheard Helena’s confession but plans to blackmail her. Now Matthew must decide whether to go to the police or help Helena keep her secret―and as events spiral out of control, how far is Matthew willing to go to protect his ‘perfect’ girlfriend?

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MY REVIEW:

“What happened next took no more than three seconds. But looking back, as I sometimes do now when I’m unable to sleep, I see it unfolding in slow motion. The beginning of all that followed.”

He’s done it again! I’m delighted to be opening the tour today for Keep Her Secret, the new, first-class thriller by psychological suspense powerhouse, Mark Edwards, which is out today. Disturbing, deadly, and deliciously deranged, it had me on tenterhooks from start to finish. And that ending! Sheer perfection. But, I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s go back a little.

Matthew and Helena are in the heady, blissful days of new romance when she confesses a dark, secret. He vows to keep it, but someone else knows what Helena is hiding and is determined to make her pay, sparking a chain of events that threaten to destroy not only the couple’s new romance, but their entire lives. As things spiral more and more out of control, Matthew is forced to question just how far he’s prepared to go to protect his new girlfriend. Will he keep her secret? And if he does, can they find a way to come out of this unscathed?

“It had been the most insane twelve hours. The view from the top of the mountain. Helen’s fall and rescue. The revelation that had followed. And now this. 
An unforgettable, crazy day, following an intense two weeks. Standing there, beside Helena, I didn’t think that as long as I lived, I would ever have another one like it.”

This book is one of the most insane, unpredictable, intricately-woven thrillers I’ve ever read. From the start there’s a sense of foreboding that intensifies with every page. It’s fast-paced, addictive, and absolutely wild, delivering jaw-dropping twists again and again. It was like being in a boxing ring with the heavyweight champion of the world and I was being pummelled again and again, the shocking twists raining down on me without mercy. And every time I thought it was over, that the bell was ringing and there were no more surprises, I’m on the floor again, knocked out by another shocking revelation.  I can still feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins and my heart beating out of my chest.  

It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Mark Edwards. He never fails to deliver and every new book is a highlight in my reading year. I love how he takes ordinary people living ordinary lives and puts them into terrifying situations. It is the relatability that makes it so frightening because it could be you, your family, your friend, or your neighbour. And it is that relatability we see again in Matthew and Helena. Richly drawn, relatable, flawed and layered, they have that spark that makes them compelling even when they are making questionable choices time and again. As their mistakes pile up they sink deeper into the quicksand with no sign of a liferaft to help them get out. It was impossible to predict what would happen or how they could emerge virtuous from this mess. Another thing I liked is that we can never be sure if we can trust Helena. Is she really who she claims to be or is there a darker, more sinister side hidden beneath a mask of vulnerability? All I knew was that I needed answers and I devoured the book quickly to get them. 

Cryptic, menacing, and propulsive , Keep Her Secret is a turbulent rollercoaster ride that will keep you guessing. A must-read for all thriller-lovers. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people. He has sold more than three million copies of his books and topped the bestseller lists numerous times since his first solo novel was published in 2013.

His novels include What You Wish For, Because She Loves Me, Follow You Home, The Devil’s Work, The Lucky Ones, The Retreat, In Her Shadow, Here To Stay and The House Guest. He has also published two short sequels to The Magpies, A Murder of Magpies and Last of The Magpies, and six books co-authored with Louise Voss.

Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Estonian, Thai, Lithuanian, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish and Russian. In 2019 Mark won The Cat and Mouse Award for Most Elusive Villain at the Dead Good Reader Awards for Last of the Magpies.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Squadpod Recommends Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: The Final Party by A.A. Chaudhuri

Published May 25th by Hera Books
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Urban Fiction, Travel Literature, Coming-of-Age Story

Today I’m delighted to be opening the Squadpod Spotlight tour for The Final Party. Thank you to Hera books for my gifted eBook.

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SYNOPSIS:

SIX FRIENDS.

In a luxury villa set high in the hills above the glamorous town of Sorrento, southern Italy, three couples gather for the perfect 40th birthday celebration.

ONE BODY.

Before the week is out, one of them is dead.

COUNTLESS LIES.

Their perfect reunion quickly becomes the holiday from hell when one of the group starts receiving anonymous messages, threatening to expose a dark secret from their university days.

As old friendships are tested to the limit, it’s clear that what happens in the dark past won’t stay buried…

A heart-racing psychological thriller that will hook you from the very first page, with twist after twist that will make your jaw drop. Fans of B.A. Paris, My Husband’s Killer and Lucy Foley won’t be able to put this down. If you were hooked by The White Lotus or The Watcher, you’ll love this.

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MY REIVEW:

“Six friends had started the week on seemingly good terms, here for a rest and the perfect birthday celebration. 
But the perfect week in paradise has turned into the holiday from hell. 
Because one of them is dead. 
One of them is a killer. 
But which one of them here is guilty?” 

A multiple point of view and dual timeline novel, The Final Party takes place in Sorrento, Italy in August 2019. Six friends have got together for the fortieth birthday of one of their group, but tensions are high as four of the friends battle with their conscience over secrets they have been keeping for eighteen years. Secrets surrounding the night that another one of their group was attacked and left forever changed by her inability to remember who attacked her or why. What is it her friends know about that night? And which one of the group will end up dead before their celebrations are over?

A.A. Chaudhuri just gets better with each book. Tense, twisty and totally thrilling, she has delivered a first-rate thriller that will knock your socks off! This is suspense writing at its best; a seven-layer cake of a thriller where each slice holds something unexpected. And I couldn’t get enough. From the start there is a sense of something dark and sinister. Of overwhelming dread, long-held secrets and deception. And you can tell that these secrets have the power to blow up their lives if revealed. Chaudhuri expertly drip-feeds the reader little pieces of the puzzle before whipping the rug away from under us every time I thought I’d got things figured out. The uncertainty only heightened the tension and I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. 

When a multi-narrative thriller is done right it is one of my favourite tropes, and this is sheer perfection. The characters are a group of fractured, flawed and relatable people who, quite frankly, are a train-wreck. But they are compelling and I couldn’t help but feel totally invested in their twisted web of friendship, secrets and lies. It was soon apparent that each one of them holds different pieces of this puzzle and no-one has the full picture, not even the ones who think they do. They are eaten up by guilt, regret and the fear of exposure; of one of the secrets being revealed and triggering a domino effect that would see their lives explode in a fiery blaze of betrayal. I really felt for Padma, who is still so eaten up by not knowing the truth about the night that changed her life. Knowing that those closest to her have held the keys to answering her questions all along yet chose to keep her in the dark only compounds the devastation. But even in my wildest theories I didn’t suspect the true horror that was waiting to be uncovered.

Unpredictable, intricate and suspenseful, The Final Party is a nerve-shredding thriller you won’t be able to put down. This is one any self-respecting thriller-lover HAS to have on their TBR.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer, turned thriller writer, who lives in Surrey with her family.

Once a highly ranked British junior tennis player, competing in the national championships and a member of the national squad, she went on to tour the women’s professional satellite circuit as a teenager and achieved a world ranking of 650.

After returning to full-time education, she gained a BA Honours 2:1 in History at University College London, and a commendation in both the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course at the London College of Law, before training as a solicitor at City firm Norton Rose and then practising as a commercial litigator at two other City firms, Kendall Freeman and Travers Smith.

She left law in 2008 to pursue her passion for writing and in 2010 passed the NCTJ fast-track newspaper journalism course, in respect of which she was awarded The Oxford University Press Public Affairs Award for the most outstanding public affairs central government paper.

In 2013 and 2014 she self-published two women’s fiction novels under the name Alexandra Sage: Love & Limoncello and the sequel Love & Loss. Love & Limoncello has sold more than ten thousand copies to date, reaching number 53 in the Amazon Kindle Bestsellers List in October 2014.

THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION, published by LUME BOOKS in July and December 2019, are her first crime book series, plunging readers into London’s glamorous legal world and featuring series’ heroine, Maddy Kramer, fiction’s first female City lawyer amateur sleuth, who teams up with charismatic DCI Jake Carver to solve a gruesome series of murders and a puzzling abduction.

Both books have hit the bestsellers lists in the UK, Australia and Canada, with bestseller tags in Australia and Canada.

THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published as audio books by Isis Audio on 1st  January and 1st March 2021, both read by David Thorpe.

She has also contributed an original short story THE ENCOUNTER to crime anthology GIVEN IN EVIDENCE published by LUME BOOKS in May 2020, has written many articles and short stories for The Crime Writers’ Association.

In February 2021, Alex signed a two-book contract for two standalone psychological thrillers with HERA BOOKS, the first entitled SHE’S MINE was published on 18th August 2021 in ebook and 26th August in paperback. THE LOYAL FRIEND was published by Hera Books on 23rd June 2022 in paperback and ebook and on 26th June in audio with Saga Egmont. In June 2022 Alex signed a deal with Hera Books for three more psychological thrillers. The first of these, THE FINAL PARTY, will be published on May 25th 2023.

Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

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

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

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

THE UNMISSABLE DEBUT THRILLER.

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

That is, until Laura joins the bookshop.

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

Signed Indie Edition – Goldsboro Books | The Feminist Bookshop

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022

PAPERBACK BLOG TOUR: The Guilty Couple by C.L. Taylor

Published April 27th, 2023 by Harper Collins UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Ficiton, Psychological Fiction

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the paperback publication of The Guilty Couple. Thank you to Maddie at Avon Books for the invitation to take part and the gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:
‘Wow. Addictive. And what an ending!’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Claire Douglas

‘A red-hot, non-stop rollercoaster of a book’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell

What would you do if your husband framed you for murder?

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was convicted of plotting to murder her husband.

Now she’s finally free, Olivia has three goals. Repair her relationship with her daughter. Clear her name. And bring down her husband – the man who framed her.

Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her?

Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined – and this time it’s not her freedom that’s in jeopardy, but her life…

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MY REVIEW:

Olivia Sutherland is on trial for plotting to murder her husband, Dominic, and is awaiting the jury’s verdict. Though she maintains her innocence, she is found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison. 

Five years later, Olivia is finally released. Her priority is rebuilding her relationship with her daughter, Grace, but she also has two other goals: prove her innocence and bring down the man who framed her – her husband. But Dominic’s lies run far deeper than Olivia ever imagined and this time she is at risk of losing more than her freedom…

I’m a big fan of C. L. Taylor but it’s been a minute since I read one of her books, so I was excited to start The Guilty Couple. And what a return to her books it was! Intriguing, compelling and suspenseful, I was hooked from the first pages and flew through it in under a day. It’s been a reminder of why I love her books so much and am now pushing some of her unread backlist higher up my TBR. 

Adultery, conspiracy to murder, false incriminations, injustice, betrayal, and even tween angst. This book has them all. It is a messy minefield that is ripe for conflict and suspicion, which the author skillfully explores to unearth as much tension, animosity, and distrust as possible. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, there is also the sense of something underlying; something sinister burrowed deeper underground than any of us can see which adds to the sense of foreboding (I’m looking at you, Dom).  The clues are drip-fed slowly to keep the reader guessing but as things spin further out of control there is a sense of urgency that makes your heart race. It was also hard to predict and I didn’t see the truth until it was right in front of me despite my many different theories and suspicions. 

This is multi-narrative storytelling at its best. Ms. Taylor uses the various narrators to increase the tension and keep the reader on the edge of their seats, creating that perfect balance between giving us more information than the characters and holding enough back to keep our attention. The characters are all complicated, flawed and conflicted, with some being more likeable and sympathetic than others, and the background characters are as richly drawn, captivating, and vital to the story as the narrators. Olivia is a great protagonist because she isn’t perfect. She also isn’t immune to making foolish or reckless decisions that made me want to jump into the book and shake her. But we can see that her bad decisions are driven by sheer desperation, wanting to clear her name, and to get vengeance for what was taken from her. It doesn’t make it right, but it does make it more understandable and she was easy to root for. I also loved her relationship with Smithy, her former cellmate. I had a real soft sport for this character despite her many flaws and loved the bond between the two women.

When it comes to deplorable characters, there is no one more abhorrent in this book than Dominic. God, I hated that man! Alarm bells rang quickly and I didn’t trust this slippery weasel of a man. Ruthless, cunning and vindictive, he made me so angry every time he was on the page and I couldn’t wait for him to get his comeuppance, especially because of how arrogant he was about everything he did. 

Intricately woven, enmeshed in drama, and nail-bitingly tense, The Guilty Couple is a riveting thriller you won’t be able to put down. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Cally Taylor, better known by her alias C. L. Taylor, is a Sunday Times Bestselling author whose pyschological thrillers have sold sold over a million copies in the UK alone, been translated into over twenty languages, and optioned for television. Her 2019 novel, Sleep, was a Richard and Judy pick.

Cally Taylor lives in Bristol with her partner and son.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*Purchase links are affiliate links