The Blurb

New home.  New life.  New beginning.  Love affairs can blossom in the most unlikely places…

When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s time for fresh air and a fresh start.  Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there’s an awful lot to learn about farming.  Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom…

But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything.  Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty?  As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces?  When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems…

My Review

The cover of this book is gorgeous and the contents are equally gorgeous! A great story with fantastic characters, Kitty’s Countryside Dream is an absolute delight from start to finish. Part romantic comedy part mystery, this book had me both laughing out loud and sobbing!

Kitty is left a flat and a chicken farm by her late grandmother – a grandmother she had no idea existed! The perfect new start for her following the death of her mother, however, Kitty is unprepared for the secrets she discovers her family have been keeping from her.

The characters in this book are easy to relate to and I could not help but love all of them. Christie has written them with such warmth and in a way that fully immerses the reader into their lives. For the two days it took me to read this book, Kitty, Tom, Lucinda, Robin and Jeannie were like old friends. You cannot help but empathise with Kitty from the start. I found myself rooting for her and hoping her new life in the countryside would be everything she wanted it to be.

The wonderful descriptions had me feeling as though I was living Rosefield and I missed the setting and the characters when I had finished the book!

Kitty’s escapades with the chickens when she first arrives at the farm are really funny and Christie has written the book with real wit and insight into how a ‘townie’ would cope in that situation.

The second half of the novel has a more serious storyline with Kitty discovering devastating family secrets. Written with sensitivity, I couldn’t help but be moved and touched by Kitty‘s plight, yet Christie still manages to keep the balance of humour which drew me more to Kitty’s character.

Heartbreaking at times yet ultimately heart-warming and uplifting, this is a really lovely tale of friendship, love and family. This book turned out to be so much more that I was expecting, I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it and highly recommend it.

Published by Bookouture on 25 February 2016.

 

The Blurb

It’s the perfect love story.

Lily Meets Ed at a party, and on their second date, he proposes.  She’s a lawyer, he’s an up-and-coming artist.  They own a small but beautiful flat in London and mix with all the right people.

But Lily has a secret.  Something from her past, that is soon to collide with her present.  And she thinks her new husband is hiding something too… 

The vows they made will soon be tested to the very limits.  ‘Till death us do part…’

My Review

‘Can a marriage end in murder? Even if it’s already dead?’ 

I was intrigued from the start by the title of this book, which raised a whole lot of questions for me before I had even started reading.  Is there a secret wife and the husband is a bigamist?  Is the wife referring to herself?  I love a great title and cover and this title certainly whet my appetite for this book. 

To be honest I had this book sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read for a while and I had pretty much forgotten the book’s description when I had started reading.  I read the description after I had finished and I don’t think it does the book justice.  This is such a multi-layered, cleverly crafted plot and this does not shine through for me in the blurb. 

It begins with us being told about the death of artist Ed Macdonald and then rewinds back fifteen years.  The story is split into two parts and told, chapter by chapter, by newly-wed, successful lawyer Lily, in first person narrative, and nine year old, daughter of Lily’s neighbour, Carla, in third person narrative.  An interesting way of writing the two voices, the different narrative structures adding a distinctly different tone to both characters. 

My Husband’s Wife is a slow burner.  The first part concentrating on Lily and her husband’s life and the life of Carla and her mother.  Lily and Ed married very quickly after initially meeting.  It is clear that all is not well within the marriage and both spouses are harbouring their fair share of secrets and lies. 

‘But that’s how some lies start.  Small.  Well meaning.  Until they get too big to handle.’ 

Carla and her mother, Francesca, are Italian and do not have any contact with their family in Italy.  Carla is having a difficult time at school and is not helped by her mother who, for the most part, seems to be more interested in meeting her own needs.   Carla, Lily and Ed meet following an incident at Carla’s school and their relationships are formed when Lily and Ed care for Carla while her mother is supposedly at work.  I did wonder at first what exactly Carla’s role was in the story, however, it all begins to make sense. 

The second part of the book takes us forward a few years and Carla is now an adult.  It all comes together beautifully, and the first part of the book is needed to gain an understanding of the actions and events that follow. 

The characterisation is fantastic.  Lily is guilt-ridden, trying to escape from her past experiences.  Her meeting of Joe Thomas, who she represents through his legal appeal after being found guilty of murder, impounds on her feelings about her past and, through him, she feels she can gain some redemption for her previous actions. 

Carla is a precocious child, however, I really felt for her.  Her life with her mother is not easy and she is impacted upon by her mother’s actions.  I could really empathise with the anxiety she feels during the first part of the book.  As an adult she is manipulative and conniving, yet with glimpses of a conscience which, for me, made her a more authentic character.  She misplaces the blame for the way her and her mother’s lives have turned out. 

There are so many twists and turns in this book. My jaw dropped open so many times with each revealed revelation it began to ache!

‘..one never really knows a person properly.  Especially ourselves.  Every human is a melting pot of contradictions.’ 

For me this is a story about trying to escape from your past, misplaced blame and the impact of guilt.  Jane has written so eloquently about how the past and the actions of others can affect your behaviour it made me hold my breath.  Added to this are the plot twists I never saw coming, all making for a brilliant read. 

A very accomplished debut novel that I cannot recommend highly enough.  This book blew me away!  I cannot wait to read more by this author. 

Thank you Jane Corry, Penguin Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

E-book version out 26 May 2016, paperback published 25 August 2016 by Penguin Books.  

Review written 27 May 2016.

 

The Blurb

Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about shame.  A respected doctor, a well-heeled housewife, a young male prostitute…they could not be more different.  All they have in common is a history of addiction.  But when one of the group is murdered, it quickly becomes apparent that someone else in that circle is responsible.  The investigation is hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these individuals and their therapist together, which makes things difficult for Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner, a woman who can appreciate the desire to keep personal matters private.  If she is to find the killer, she will need to use less obvious means.  The question is: What could be shameful enough to cost someone their life? And how do you find the truth when secrets, lies, and denial are second nature to all of your suspects?

My Review

What act could be so shameful that you deserve to die for it?

When a member of an addictions recovery group is found murdered, suspicions fall on the six people who attend the weekly meetings. The investigation is hampered by the strict confidentiality imposed by the therapist and the group members.

Any one familiar with Mark Billingham will know DI Tom Thorne very well. This is a standalone novel, although it was nice to see some familiar characters. Nicola Tanner is a totally different detective to Tom Thorne but I liked her character. I wonder if we will be seeing her again in the future?

The book switches between the current investigation and the events leading up to the murder, it is well paced with a drip feed of information that all comes together at the end. This results in you having to read more to find out what happened and gradually the jigsaw puzzle is pieced together. It’s a difficult book to put down!

It is set within a therapy group for those recovering from various addictions and I loved this.  A totally disparate group of people who would normally never come together makes for interesting reading. Mark’s characterisation is brilliant and you get to know all of the characters pretty well. I didn’t really like any of them and was suspicious of all of them.  All of the flaws within human beings – greed, gluttony, lust, envy, pride, anger – are seen within these characters. Heather, the member who is murdered, is, ironically, the one I warmed to the most and my suspicions as to who killed her and why changed from chapter to chapter. This book certainly kept me guessing!

It is clear that Mark has well researched therapy groups and addictions. The characters are believable and the lying, denial and selfishness that go hand in hand with addiction are all there along with the reasons as to why these people have become addicts. The therapy sessions are also believable. Focusing on and confessing to actions that have caused them to feel shame during the sessions draws you in to find out what the act is that someone finds so shameful that Heather deserves to die for it.

It is fair to say that Mark has, once again, written a brilliant book. I was drawn in immediately, was compelled to keep reading throughout and the ending surprised me. Fantastic!

Thank you Mark Billingham, Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Published by Grove Atlantic, Die of Shame is out now.

The Blurb

Famous killers have fan clubs

Hamish Wolfe is no different. Locked up for the rest of his life for the abduction and murder of three young women, he counts countless adoring letters everyday. He’s handsome, charismatic and very persuasive. His admirers are convinced he’s innocent , and that he’s the man of their dreams.

Maggie Rose is different. Reclusive and enigmatic; a successful lawyer and bestselling true-crime writer, she only takes on cases she can win.

Hamish wants her as his lawyer, he wants her to change his fate. She thinks she’s immune to the charms of a man like this. But maybe not this time….

Would you?

My Review

‘All notorious killers have a fan club’

The description intrigued me and it’s written by Sharon Bolton, so I really wanted to read this book and Sharon has done it again with another beautifully written, intricate thriller.

A psychological thriller that gets right under your skin and yet is so much more. Hamish Wolfe is the charismatic, charming prisoner serving a life sentence for the abduction and murder of three women, who receives scores of letters from women professing to be in love with him and convinced of his innocence. How can a rational woman fall for a man she hardly knows, that has been convicted of terrible crimes and cannot provide the things you would normally expect within a relationship? This happens, however, outside of fiction and the novel explores this through the mixed media Sharon uses to tell the story of Hamish.

Maggie Rose is the independent, intelligent, quirky, somewhat reclusive, successful lawyer and true crime writer. Maggie follows her own path in life and surely she would not succumb to Hamish’s charm? I had mixed feelings about Maggie. There is definitely something ‘off’ about her and the fact she represents clients through appeal who she does not believe are innocent makes her somewhat unlikeable. However she is very intriguing and you just have to read more to understand her.

Sharon’s skill at weaving together a story that keeps you guessing and changing your mind is second to none and her characters are so interesting. I had doubts throughout the book about Hamish’s professed innocence – is he or isn’t he? – and even doubted the integrity of Detective Pete Weston, the character I warmed to the most.

The relationship between Hamish and Maggie makes for compelling reading and at times I was holding my breath. There are so many questions that are raised throughout the book about their relationship as we see them get to know each other. Is Maggie falling for him? Is Hamish falling for Maggie? Is he using her to suit his own needs ? And how will this all end?

As mentioned earlier, mixed media is used throughout the book to tell the unfolding story and this really added an extra layer to me. How women of a larger size are treated and how women become involved in relationships with men serving life sentences for heinous crimes are all explored. Sharon manages to combine social issues within the story without detracting from the plot and it all fits together perfectly. Via this you are kept guessing as to Hamish’s innocence and his possible motivations if he is guilty.

Full of twists and turns, I did not predict the ending and was totally taken by surprise. Sharon is so talented at weaving a tale that takes you to places you don’t expect.

I was worried that it wouldn’t come close to Little Black Lies, a book I adore, but I was not disappointed. If you want an intelligent, intricately woven thriller full of twists, turns and red herrings I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Sharon Bolton, Random House UK Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Published on 02/06/2016 by Transworld Publishers