The Other Side Of The Wall by Andrea Mara - Review and Giveaway

Thanks to the author, I have two signed copies of The Other Side Of The Wall to giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning, just enter via rafflecopter link below. Open INT and closes 28th August. Good Luck!

My Review

Sylvia sits feeding her baby in the early hours of the morning. Exhausted, she nods off and wakes with a jolt. The dog is barking. Placing her son in his cot, she looks out the window to see why. She is horrified to see a child, floating face-down in her neighbour's pond. When she rushes into the garden, there is no sign of the child and no answer from next-door, despite her incessant knocking.  The incident unnerves her, but she puts it down to lack of sleep and the news that a local child is missing. But she just cannot shift the uneasy feeling that she did not imagine what she saw...

A string of odd happenings lead Sylvia to distrust her new neighbour, Sam. His wife and children are away for the summer and, while he is friendly and a hit with her own husband, she just cannot shake her unease. She struggles to make her husband believe that there are strange things happening and begins to doubt herself. Is there really something going on on the other side of the wall, or is she imagining things?

Andrea Mara opens up her debut with a bang. The night-time exhaustion and dim light add uncertainty to Sylvia's sighting of the child in the garden, but then more unusual events lead to unexplained happenings on the quite suburban road. Told from multiple viewpoints (Sylvia's, Sam's, Kate, an un-named woman) and over different time spans, the layered story reveals itself, one page at a time.  Sylvia's voice is one we all know: juggling work and home-life; trying to please everyone, forgetting about yourself; avoiding interaction with neighbours for fear of judgment; questioning your own parenting skills or even your own sanity, at times. Kate and Sam are going through a difficult time and we learn why they spent so little time together and why Kate is rarely seen. The tension builds, the questions becoming more frequent and the turns jarring the reader from their sense of comfort. 

All is not what it seems and not everyone is telling the truth. At just under 400 pages, this is a psychological thriller to test your trust in its narration. The changing timelines and characters do take a while to get used to, but this is a fine debut that you will struggle to put down. 

The Other Side Of The Wall is available in PB and ebook format. You can order your copy, with Free Worldwide Postage, HERE. The ebook can be ordered via amazon link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Treatment by C.L. Taylor. Review from Mia Madden, aged 13.

Review from Mia Madden, aged 13.

This is the stunning YA debut from C.L. Taylor. It is about sixteen-year-old Drew Finch, who's brother, Mason, has been sent to a reforming school.  One day, Drew meets Dr. Cobey, a person who has been working at the school. Cobey gives Drew a letter from Mason saying that the school has been brainwashing teenagers. She dismisses it at first, thinking that her younger brother is just pranking her, but then she starts to grow worried. What if her brother is being serious? What if Norton House actually was brainwashing teenagers?

She does a little bit of research and finds nothing, except for a single person claiming to know the truth about Norton House. Drew meets up with this person, who calls themself Zed Green. Zed brings her boyfriend, who was a victim of Norton House's 'treatment'. The boy, that was once a rebellious skater-kid, was now a mindless, polite, contributor to society. Drew decides to take action. She has to find a way to be sent off to Norton House to rescue Mason, without raising too much suspicion. Will she get to the school to save Mason? And will she be able to avoid the treatment, herself?

I would never be able to do this book justice. I absolutely adored it. It's probably the best book I've read this year and I would be surprised if it doesn't win some form of award. C.L. Taylor is now my favourite (non-Irish) YA author. I just couldn't see the end coming! I love Drew's character, probably because she reminded me of myself. At one stage, she claims she was Emo. I'm sort of an Emo now. I mean if she listens to Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, Paramore and other bands that I like, she's basically an older, British, fictional version of me! Anyway, I would definitely recommend this book for ages 11+.

The Treatment is published by HQ Young Adult on 19th Oct 2017, in PB and ebook format. You can pre-order your copy via amazon link below:

**We received a copy of this title, from the publishers, in return for an honest review...

LMFM #LateLunchBookclub July recommendations.

      

#LateLunchBookclub 

July Recommendations

  
 Friday, 7th July.

Here are the books I have chosen for July's #LateLunchBookclub. It can be hard to please all readers, so I have chosen from different genres in the hope of finding you a perfect summer read. All these books are available from your local bookstore, library or online. (Remember, if you can't find a book in-store, your bookseller can order it in for you.)

I really hope you enjoy the recommendations and feel free to leave me a comment on the blog, twitter: @margaretbmadden or facebook: Bleach House Library. Follow #LateLunchBookclub for all LMFM book reviews, interviews and chances to win some book bundles.  #LateLunchBookclub Podcasts are also available on the LMFM website. So, here we go...

JULY READS

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Female Fiction: The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington

On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene lives with her successful husband, Matt. The perfect couple in every way, Stella appears to have it all. Next door, at number 72 however, lives Rea Brady. Gruff, bad-tempered and rarely seen besides the twitching of her net curtains, rumour has it she’s lost it all…including her marbles if you believe the neighbourhood gossip.

But appearances can be deceiving and when Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common. Both are trapped in a prison of their own making.

Has help been next door without them realising it?

With the warmth and wit of Maeve Binchy and the secrets and twists of Liane Moriarty, this is the utterly original and compelling new novel from Irish Timesbestseller Carmel Harrington.

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General Fiction: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?

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Thriller: Honeymoon by Tina Seskis

There's trouble in paradise . . .

For as long as she can remember, Jemma has been planning the perfect honeymoon. A fortnight's retreat to a five-star resort in the Maldives, complete with luxury villas, personal butlers and absolute privacy.

It should be paradise. But it's turned into a nightmare.

Because the man Jemma married a week ago has just disappeared from the island without a trace. And now her perfect new life is vanishing just as quickly before her eyes.

After everything they've been through together, how can this be happening? Is there anyone on the island who Jemma can trust? And above all - where has her husband gone?

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Non-Fiction: The Boy Who Gave His Heart Away by Cole Moreton

‘How do you say thank you to someone for giving you their heart? It is the greatest gift a person can ever give.’

Marc is a promising young footballers of 15, growing up in Scotland. A few hundred miles away in England, Martin is a fun-loving 16-year-old. Both are enjoying their summers when they are suddenly struck down by debilitating illnesses. Within days, the boys are close to death.

Although their paths have never crossed, their fortunes are about to be bound in the most extraordinary, intimate way. One of them will die and in doing so, he will save the other’s life.

This is a deeply powerful and dramatic story. It is extremely rare for the family of a donor to have any personal contact with the recipient of their loved one’s organ. Yet remarkably, the mothers of these two boys meet and become friends, enabling the extraordinary, bittersweet moment in which a mother who has lost her son meets the boy he saved. Reaching out and placing her palm flat against his chest, she feels the heart of her son beating away inside another. Her boy, the boy who gave his heart away.

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Young Adult: Girl In Between by Sarah Carroll

I know the mill has a story cos there’s something strange going on. I heard something. I’ve decided that I’m going to find out what it is later today when Ma leaves. Cos even if it is scary, we live here and we’re never leaving. So if there’s something going on, I need to know. 

In an old, abandoned mill, a girl and her ma take shelter from their memories of life on the streets. To the girl it’s home, her safe place, the Castle. But as her ma spins out of control and the Authorities move ever closer, the girl finds herself trapped – stuck in the crumbling mill with only the ghosts of the past for company.

Can she move on before it’s too late? 

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Short Stories: Joyride To Jupiter by Nuala O'Connor

 

A heartbroken man deals with his wife s Alzheimer's as best he can. The Jesus of O'Connell Street reflects on his situation, which isn't half bad. A too-young girl witnesses her father s shocking infidelity. A quiet murder on a riverbank. Imperfect lovers and unlikely friends thwart and bolster each other as they act out their dramas on the beaches of Brazil, in the bedrooms of Dublin, and in the wilds of North America.

 With prose both lyrical and profound, the award-winning Nuala O'Connor writes of maternal love and cross-generational friendship but here, also, are stories of ageing, suicide, and the buoyancy of new love. In these urgent, humane stories of ill-advised couplings, loneliness and burgeoning hope, we find O Connor's trademark humour and sensuality, and the quest for longed-for truths. A truly stunning collection by one of Ireland's finest writers.

       

   

Here's hoping you find some of these recommendations in your hands this summer. Enjoy!

Book Review: The Stolen Girls by Patricia Gibney: DI Lottie Parker Book 2.

It is DI Lottie Parker's first day back at work after after a traumatic ordeal and things are not going well. Already late to work, she finds a young woman and her child on her doorstep. The stranger does not have much English and hands Lottie a letter before disappearing as quickly as she appeared. Not long after her work day begins, the station is awash with activity as the body of a pregnant girl is found by a road maintenance worker. Before long, another body is discovered, and a local teenager has been reported missing. DI Parker and her team find themselves struggling to identify the girls and just how they are connected...

Patricia Gibney has a knack of opening her novels with a bang. Her prologues are tense and gruesome, dragging the reader in by the scruff of the neck. This book opens with a harrowing scene from war-torn Kosovo, 1999. A young boy watches in horror as his mother and sister are brutally attacked while he hides in fear. In the main body of the story, Lottie is ignoring the needs of her children and by throwing herself into to the difficult case, she misses some vital signs of serious problems at home. She forgets her son's counselling sessions; leaves her troubled daughter in charge of her two younger siblings and has reverted back to the take-away dinners. Even the obvious distress of her two girls seems to wash over her, as she worries about the unidentified bodies.

 A direct provision centre, for refugees, is causing Lottie some concern and she confronts the manager but with no effect. The plot thickens, but with no names and no leads, it makes Lottie's job even harder. The case seems to have links to human trafficking and there is an added element of the return of a well-known gangster to the midland town of Ragmullen. DS Boyd is once again on-hand to support his boss, but the previous spark between them is now not much more than Lottie talking down to him as he tries to show his support. Add in the politically incorrect and socially immoral DS Kirby and the office is not the most pleasant place to be. 

This is a page-turning thriller, with a very interesting story-line.  While the themes explored are difficult ones, they are based on fact and it is hard not draw comparisons with the treatment of refugees and the ongoing issues surrounding human trafficking today. This may be a fictional story, set in a fictional town, but there are towns like this all over Ireland, Europe and beyond. There are many, many unidentified bodies yet to be claimed and many people making money on the back of undocumented immigrants. Hopefully, by book three,  Lottie will see the error in thinking her children can manage without her and start to listen to their voices as much as her caseload. She is a great character, but in fear of losing her likability.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patricia yearned to be a writer after reading Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene and even wanted to be Nancy Drew when grew up. She has now grown up (she thinks) but the closest she’s come to Nancy Drew is writing crime!

In 2009, after her husband died, she retired from my job and started writing seriously. Fascinated by people and their quirky characteristics, she always carries a notebook to scribble down observations.

Patricia also loves to paint in watercolour and live in the Irish midlands with her children.

The Stolen Girls is published by Bookouture and is available in PB and ebook format. You can order yours via amazon link below:

I received a copy of this title, via netgalley, for review purposes.

Book Review: The Lying Game by Ruth Ware.

One text message. That is all it takes to dredge up the past. Isa knows something is terribly wrong when she receives a message from an old school friend. Throwing essentials into a bag, she grabs her baby daughter and boards the first train back to Salten, where Kate waits for her three best friends. "I need you" is all the message said, but the girls know she would not summon them without reason. Their boarding school days and The Lying Game come back to haunt them...

Ruth Ware thrilled readers with her previous novels, In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman In Cabin 10, and this one is just as sinister. Isa was late to the foursome, after joining their boarding school in fifth term. They soon find themselves embroiled in The Lying Game and ditching their dorms for the bohemian pull of Kate's home, situated in the isolated Reach area near their school. The house is accessed by trawling through marshy sands and the girls enjoy the freedom that Kate's father allows. They can drink, skinny dip and ignore all the usual restrictions afforded to teenagers. It is not too long before all the freedom catches up with the girls and they find themselves tangled up in a web of lies. 

Now, many years later, Isa travels back to the Reach and the secrets it contains. Kate is cagey and the atmosphere is tense. The house is literally crumbling away and Kate seems broken. When human remains are discovered, the village of Salten is awash with rumour.  Isa struggles between fleeing back to London with her daughter, or staying to help herself and her three friends confront the past. The past refuses to stay buried, despite the girls best attempts:

"The memories are no longer gentle little 'do you remember?' taps on my shoulder, they are slaps, each one an assault. Even away from the crowd they keep coming."

The chapters fly along, dipping from the days of boarding school, back to the present day.  Isa's role as an attentive mother is juxtaposed against Kate's refusal to be responsible for anyone. 

The Lying Game is a dark and multi-layered novel, with an eerie feel. It has the Gothic atmosphere of Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the slow-building and taut suspense of Apple Tree Yard and the tension of Alfred Hitchcock classic movies. A gentler pace than Ware's previous novels, but the thrills are subtle and effective. 

The Lying Game is published by Harvill Secker and is available in HB and ebook format. You can order your copy, with 20% discount and Free Worldwide postage, HERE. The ebook can be ordered via amazon link below:

Conclave by Robert Harris: Guest Review from Liz McHale.

Big thanks to Liz McHale for her guest review of the bestselling title, Conclave.  Here are her thoughts:

From the moment I started reading this book I could not put it down. Robert Harris draws you in from the start, you really feel you are there.

118 Cardinals come together to elect a new Pope. Simple? Anything but!

Central to the unfolding story, Cardinal Lomeli, confidant to the late Pope and Dean of the College of Cardinals struggles to make sense of the death of the Pope and the enormous task of organising the Conclave.

The wonderful descriptions of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and the surrounding buildings guide you through the heart of the Catholic Church and the hierarchy that dwells within.

There are ego's, friendships, alliance's, secrets and the appearance, at the last minute, of a new member to vote. 

"I'm afraid there's nothing simple about it" 

Some are pure of heart, some wallow in a sense of their own importance, some have secrets only a few are privy to. All this leads to a very organised and not so pure system of voting. Will the most deserving become the next Pope or the one others are afraid to stand up to. As the voting begins you find yourself taking sides also. 

I was so disappointed when I came to the last page as I wanted the story to continue, but.....the last page gives the biggest surprise of all !!

Liz McHale

*We received a copy of this title, via the publishers, in return for an honest review.


Conclave is published by Arrow and is available in paperback and ebook format. Available from all good bookshops and via the amazon link below:

Book Review: 'The Truth Will Out' by Brian Cleary.

Huge thanks to Merith Jones for her guest review of The Truth Will Out. I read and review as many titles as I physically can, but have a handful of readers that I trust to help me out when I cannot catch up. Merith has a wonderful way with words and, like me, is a voracious reader. I really appreciate all her help.

THE BLURB

The novel is set in Ireland. The friendship of Jamie, Shane and Mary Kate is tested to the limit after Mary Kate is brutally raped and lies in a coma. The evidence against Jamie is overwhelming and is compounded by the fact he maintains he cannot recall what happened that night. However, the one secret that Jamie has never disclosed can prove his innocence. Corrupt guards, a narcissistic film director and his mercenary private detective, an ex-girlfriend, a serial killer and an inept solicitor all weave a complicated compelling plot with twists and turns right to the end. A gripping read.

Guest review from Merith Jones.

Cleary throws us straight into the conversation between a lawyer and the prisoner he defends who desperately hopes to finally gain his freedom after forty years. Is this man innocent? Could there have been a gross miscarriage of justice? Or is the truth more complex?

We are taken back to the 70s and Jamie’s childhood recollection of his affections, loyalties and frustrations; a time of sometimes uncontrolled anger but also the potential for friendship and burgeoning teenage romance.  As he reaches his teenage years he confronts the often brutal world of The Sweeney-like policing of the era, particularly centred around the aftermath of a night of heavy drinking about which he has no recollection. His childhood friend has been raped and violently murdered; Jamie doesn’t know himself how culpable he is.

As the investigation moves forward Jamie is increasingly dependent on his best friend Shane as the net appears to close around him and court appearance looms. And then…

Cleary gives us an unpredictable and daring twist at the half way point just when the reader has become comfortable with this fast paced procedural and throws our preconceptions up in the air. The pace increases and, with the introduction of an American PI and a manipulative film producer after a new blockbuster story the tone changes.

This is a debut with much to recommend it. The two time settings are skilfully interwoven and the psychological profile of Jamie is convincing. There is promise in both halves of the story and it is to Cleary’s credit that he manages to bring some disparate elements to a cohesive and punchy finale.

If you love a plot driven thriller full of page turning twists and turns then you’ll really enjoy this one – I read it in one sitting and look forward to what Mr Cleary comes up with next !

The Truth Will Out is available in PB and ebook format. You can get your copy in bookshops or via the amazon link below:

Blog Tour: 'Sometimes I Lie' by Alice Feeney. Review and Giveaway.

I was lucky enough to read a very early copy of Sometimes I Lie and read it in one, frenzied sitting. It is with great pleasure that I am now able to share my thoughts on this chilling thriller and offer three paperback copies for giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning one, just enter via rafflecopter link at the bottom of this post. UK and Ireland only, I'm afraid. Good Luck!

MY REVIEW

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.

1. I am in a coma.

2. My husband doesn't love me anymore.

3. Sometimes I lie.

This is the no-nonsense opening page of the debut novel from former BBC reporter, Alice Feeney. We are introduced to Alice as she lies, confused and with gaping holes in her memory, in a hospital bed. She has been in a road traffic accident and is in a coma. She can hear everything and yet has no way to express herself; her fears, her uncertainty and her own self-doubt are all pent-up. Before long we are brought back to the week before the accident and catch glimpses of what led up to the present day. With her husband and her sister taking turns at her bedside, Alice struggles to recall the details; big and small. Her comatose body lets her down and her frustration is palpable;

"Despite my internal cries, on the outside I am voiceless and perfectly still. [...] The Vice tightens around my skull once more, as though a thousand fingers are pushing at my temples. I can't remember what happened to me, but I know, with unwavering certainty, that this man, my husband, had something to do with it."

The novel flicks back and forth with delicious teasers and tightly woven tensions. A thrilling read that is like a kite flying on a uncertain wind. It launches with great gusto, dipping and diving through partial memories, all the while tethered to the reader with a thread of thrilling anxiety.  The story soars and crashes, rises and turns, with gruesome twists and  unforeseen turns galore.  I have no doubt that this novel will crash land onto bestseller lists worldwide and linger there for a long, long time. Whether you are reading on your commute or huddled up in your bed, just do not expect to communicate with anyone as you eagerly turn the pages. It will suck you in, refusing to let you go without a fight.  An intense reading experience that you will not forget in a hurry. Ideal for fans of BA Paris and Elizabeth Haynes. Highly recommended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alice Feeney is a writer and journalist. She spent 16 years at the BBC, where she worked as a Reporter, News Editor, Arts and Entertainment Producer and One O’clock News Producer.

Alice is a Faber Academy graduate from the class of 2016. She has lived in London and Sydney and has now settled in the Surrey countryside, where she lives with her husband and dog.
Sometimes I Lie is her debut thriller.

Sometimes I Lie is published by HQ Stories and is available in PB and ebook format. It is available in all good bookshops or you can order your copy via the amazon link below:

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Blog Tour: 'Six Stories' by Matt Wesolowski. Book Review.

Thanks to Orenda Books for including me on the blog tour for Six Stories. Their titles always excite me and have yet to disappoint...

My Review

Scarclaw Fell, England, 1997. The body of fifteen-year-old Tom Jeffries is found after his disappearance from a camping lodge a year earlier. The cause of death is officially recorded as misadventure and the case is closed. 

Twenty years later, a serialised podcast brings the case back to life by interviewing the friends of Tom, who were there that fatal night. Over six episodes, journalist Scott King delves deep into the memories from six different perspectives and leaves his listeners to draw their own conclusions...

This is a murder mystery with a twist. By using the concept of transcribed podcasts the author draws the reader in; minute by minute; hour by hour. A close-knit group of friends travel together regularly, to the marshy area known as Scarclaw, supervised by some of their parents. The dynamic usually changes when a new member is added to the group, not always for the better, but each child looks forward to their time in the isolated cabin and the opportunities the trips provide. All that changes when Tom disappears in the middle of the night. The group break all ties and the property is sold. When the podcast airs, the individual stories of each group member shed a new light on the death of the teenager and the questions bring back some uncomfortable memories. Six teenagers; six stories; multiple viewpoints. But which one is real?

This debut is an addictive and compelling read with multiple layers. There are elements of suspense, fear, uncertainty and heart-pounding thrills. The unusual technique employed by Wesolowski is right on-trend, with nods to ground-breaking podcasts like Serial and TV documentaries like Making A Murderer and Amanda Knox. The search for the truth has gone beyond traditional police work and investigative journalism. Now the public want to feel part of the investigation; wanting more and more access to witnesses and documentation surrounding these mysteries. The days of Cagney and Lacey are a distant memory. This novel is sharp as a butchers knife, cutting straight through to the nerve of its reader. A read-in-one-sitting experience that will surely inspire many authors to explore new methods of narration. Highly Recommended.

About The Author

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor and leads Cuckoo Young Writers creative writing workshops for young people in association with New Writing North. 

Wesolowski started his writing career in horror and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous magazines and US anthologies.

Wesolowski's debut novella ‘The Black Land‘ a horror set on the Northumberland coast, was published in 2013 by Blood Bound Books and his latest horror novella set in the forests of Sweden is available in 'Dimension 6' magazine through Coeur De Lion Publishing.

Wesolowski was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at 'Bloody Scotland'; Crime Writing Festival 2015. He is currently working on his second crime novel, Ashes, which involves black metal and Icelandic sorcery.

Six Stories is published by Orenda Books and is available in PB and ebook format. You can get your copy at all good bookshops or via amazon link below:

Blog Tour: 'The Missing Ones' by Patricia Gibney. Book Review.

Thanks to Bookouture for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Patricia Gibney's debut crime thriller, featuring DI Lottie Parker. I have met Patricia at many book events and am delighted to see her book 'out in the wild'...

My Review

January 1976, and three children watch with horror as a small body is buried, without ceremony, under an fruit tree. 

December 2014, and  a woman is discovered, strangled, in a rural cathedral. DI Lottie Parker and DS Mark Boyd are called to the scene and can see no reason why anyone would want to harm a fifty-one year old county council worker. She has no family, few friends and apparently no enemies. A distinctive tattoo is found on the corpse and a similar one is located on the body of a suicide victim, just days later. For DI Parker, the coincidence is just too much, and she digs deeper to find a connection. 

The Prologue of The Missing Ones is about as strong as you can get. Disturbing, yet brief, it is enough to draw the reader into the mystery surrounding a child's death. Fast forward almost forty years and we are introduced to DI Lottie Parker, a forty-something mother of three. Widowed over three years, she is still grieving for her husband and coming to terms with raising her kids alone. She tries to balance her work/home life yet there are rarely family mealtimes and she feels responsible. Her vulnerability gives her character more depth and adds some warmth to the story. There is some great chemistry with Lottie and her partner, DS Boyd, bringing a real human element into the mix. As the case gains traction, there are flashbacks to 1970s Ireland and the darkness of the State/Church run children's homes of which we are all too aware of. Decades of secrets and lies are discovered as Lottie searches for links to her investigation. Meanwhile, a homeless man rambles about the past, the shady dealings of planning permission for the renovation of a former children's home come to light and a teenage boy goes missing. The spider web of cover-ups is expanding and the tension builds rapidly.

Considering the recent events surrounding the discovery of hundreds of bodies in a former mother and baby home in Ireland, this book is eerily relevant. Our small island has buried the truth for far too long and society will no longer stand for it. Patricia Gibney has written a fictional account of how a handful of bad apples can destroy the whole cart. There are twists galore and the story gathers pace at a gentle pace, reaching a frantic climax. The horrors of the past seep into the present and the characters are introduced with meticulous detail. This is a thrilling debut, with a fantastic protagonist. DI Lottie Parker has her flaws; she has OCD tendencies, a disastrous relationship with her mother and a terrible concept of what is a reasonable diet for herself and her family. Basically, she is human. I'm a big fan of crime thriller series and look forward to the next installment from this Irish DI and her sidekick, DS Boyd (of whom I may be developing a crush on). 

The Missing Ones is published by Bookouture and is available in PB and ebook format. You can order your copy from good bookstores and via amazon link below:

Book Review - 'Gone Without A Trace' by Mary Torjussen.

Gone Without A Trace by Mary Torjussen

Hannah is on her way home to break some great news to her boyfriend, Matt. She is confident that she is about to be come the youngest director of her company and wants to celebrate. Problem is, there is no sign of Matt at their Merseyside home. She calls out for him, but there is no answer. The lights are all off and she senses something wrong. It is not long before she notices the complete absence of Matt's existence. No clothes, no computer, the huge TV and ipod dock is missing. All the books, cds, records that were his collection, they too are gone. Large framed pictures, a glass coffee table, even his headphones. The place could have been burgled, except all Hannah's old stuff was put in place of the missing items. Her old clunky TV, her ancient stereo and coffee table. What was going on?

She tries ringing Matt on her mobile but his name has disappeared from her contacts and all his messages have been deleted. She has no proof of him ever being part of her life. What the hell is going on?

When Hannah investigates her boyfriends disappearance, she fears he has been kidnapped. He has not been seen in work for weeks and they have no idea where he is now. The house has been stripped of every single sign of him and she fears the worst. Her friends try to reason with her. Maybe he left her? She does not believe he would do that without explaining himself, She calls on her pal Katie to help her through the madness and the girls try to figure out what the hell has happened.

As the story progresses, the taut lines of tension build up slowly and you find yourself metaphorically checking over your shoulder as you read through the uncomfortable and uncertain situations. You begin to doubt the reliability of Hannah, then her co-workers, then Kate. You start to doubt everyone and wonder just who knows what. There is something very strange going on, and you just keep flicking those pages to see what happens next 

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This is a clever, cunning and multi-layered thriller, which will have you playing a guessing game right from the first chapter. The hairs raise on the back of Hannah's back as she enters her darkened house that fateful night, and so will yours. Torjussen has written a fine debut novel, full of twists, turns and shockers. I challenge you not to read in one or two sittings (dinner breaks allowed, for sustenance reasons) and close the last page without thinking 'Damn, that was good,' Tweet me @margaretbmadden with your thoughts.

Gone Without A Trace is published by Headline and is available in PB on 23rd March 2017 and is already available in ebook format. You can order your copy via amazon link below:

Blog Tour - Burned and Broken by Mark Hardie

THE BLURB

The charred body of an enigmatic policeman – currently the subject of an internal investigation – is found in the burnt-out shell of his car on the Southend sea front.

Meanwhile, a vulnerable young woman, fresh out of the care system, is trying to discover the truth behind the sudden death of her best friend.

As DS Frank Pearson and DC Catherine Russell from the Essex Police Major Investigation Team are brought in to solve the mystery of their colleague's death, dark, dangerous secrets begin to surface. Can they solve both cases, before it's too late?


Mark Hardie's stylish and gripping debut introduces a brilliant new detective duo to the world of crime fiction, weaving together two suspenseful stories that end in a breath-taking finale.

'An accomplished debut' The Sunday Times

MY REVIEW

A new police procedural series is always exciting. The reader gets to know the characters from the get-go and follow them on their journey through the world of murder, investigation and discovery. Their individual personalities come alive and the reader can form a bond, book by book.  This is the first in the DS Pearson and DC Russell series, from Mark Hardie, and the protagonists are based in Essex. Investigating the murder of a fellow police officer, who was the victim of an arson attack, it leads them to question their colleagues private life and his work ethic.  Alongside this narrative is the troubled teen, Donna, who is mourning the death of her friend, Alicia. Both girls were just out of the care system and had bonded through their difficult experiences. She does not believe her death was an accident and is searching for answers.  

The novel is broken up in to past and present, with alternating voices. Some of the time frames are blended into the one chapter, which demands a little more concentration than an average crime thriller. The story moves at a steady pace and there are nuggets of personal information relating to the characters dotted throughout. DS Pearson comes to life fairly quickly, with DC Russell taking a bit longer. Their partnership is in the early development stage and the chemistry is a work in progress. The pathology scenes are immaculate and are eerily compelling.  Donna and her side-kick, Malcolm, are two teens that you would recognise from any small town or big city. Both are victims of circumstance and unsure of their futures.

Pearson and Russell are a new duo on the crime fiction scene, and I look forward to seeing their personalities and partnership develop over the series. This would make a fantastic TV drama, with the Essex Police Major Investigation Team becoming a weekly favourite. Let the casting begin...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Hardie was born in 1960 in Bow, East London. He began writing full time after completely losing his eyesight in 2002. He has completed a creative writing course and an advanced creative writing course at the Open University, both with distinction.

Mark lives with his wife Debbie in Southend-on-Sea.

Burned and Broken is published by Sphere and is available in ebook format, with PB release on 4th May 2017. You can order your copy via amazon link below:

Blog Tour: 'The One' by John Marrs. Review and Giveaway.

Thanks to Ebury and Dead Good Books, I have an ARC of The One to giveaway to one luck reader. To be in with a chance, just enter via rafflecopter link below.  Good Luck!

Scientists have discovered that each and every one of us has a gene which is shared with one other person. Our soulmate. Our perfect match. All you need is a simple DNA test to discover who you should be with.  Sending a swab off in an envelope is now the way to fulfill your destiny. But what happens if you are already with someone you love and care for deeply? Are you prepared to take the test, in the hope of proving you are already with your destined partner? Are you prepared to travel the world to meet your match? And are all soulmates as perfect as they seem?

MY REVIEW

The concept is simple. You sign up to a website which has millions of DNA results on its database. You provide a mouth swab, return it in a pre-paid envelope, and sit back and wait for the email which reveals your perfect match. The One.  What could go wrong?

Mandy has been matched and begins her research online. Finding his facebook profile gives her access to photos and details of his life and she is suitably impressed. So far, so good.

Jade chats with her match on a daily basis and her friends can't figure out why she can't just bite the bullet and travel the thousands of miles to meet him face-to-face. Can she pluck up the courage for such a journey?

Nick is engaged to be married and is more than content with his current partner.  She, however, wants him to take the test and confirm that they are indeed meant for each other. Nick is highly amused when he is matched with a man. There has obviously been a mix-up. Right?

Ellie is the founder of of the DNA-match website and is wealthy, powerful and determined. When she finds she herself has been matched, she wonders if she should take the plunge herself. She's not getting any younger and the evenings are quite lonely without that special someone. But how can she hide her identity when her face is so famous?

Christopher receives his email a few months after registering and thinks the timing might be just right. He is after getting away with murder, after all.

Five DNA matches; five stories. Each of the five are given equal space and the overall story moves along at a powerful pace.  The chapters are short, sharp and end with mini-cliffhangers. This is one of those books that has the reader gagging for more.  Definitely a 'just one more chapter' book, that sees you reading well into the night. I read it in one sitting and was completely lost in the craziness of DNA matching and all the moral, ethical and potential life-changing issues that could arise from its concept. The added tension of a serial killer at large was a bonus. The challenges that the killer encountered by meeting his match, whist in the middle of a killing spree, gave the character more depth and even likability.

  John Marrs has created a narrative that is frighteningly feasible and entirely compelling. By the end of this novel, you will definitely find yourself wondering if you would be the type to take the test, or not. This may be the most enjoyable thriller I have read in years. A complete page-turner, a razor-sharp concept and short, sharp, addictive chapters all make for an absolutely cracking psychological thriller.  Read it and let me know; would you take the test? 

The One is published in ebook format on 26th January 2017 and in paperback on 4th May 2017. You can order your copy via amazon link below:

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