Book Review: The Sister by Louise Jensen

PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing

PUBLICATION DATE: June 26th, 2018

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me this stunning paperback copy of The Sister by Louise Jensen to read and share my review with my followers.

I have read books by Louise Jensen in the past and wow she is an amazing author, so when I received this novel in the mail I was thrilled!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

This book follows the main character Grace as she is mourning the recent loss of her best friend Charlie.

‘I did something terrible, Grace. I hope you can forgive me…’

Grace is haunted by Charlie’s last words, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend.

 

MY REVIEW: 

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The book alternates between the present with Grace mourning the loss of her best friend Charlie and trying to uncover the seemingly many secrets her best friend was hiding, to the past when Charlie and Grace were best friends and seemingly inseparable.

Charlie’s last words to this day are haunting Grace. What could Charlie have done that would be so unforgivable, that even her best friend Grace wouldn’t forgive her? In her quest to uncover the truth, Grace stops at nothing to find out what her best friend Charlie meant by these words. Grace has a hard time sleeping and adjusting to everyday life without her best friend, and it is affecting her everyday life, including her relationship with her boyfriend Dan.

Charlie’s mother never did tell Charlie who her birth father was. After Charlie’s death, Grace decides to search for her best friends father online and comes into contact with someone who says they know Charlie and are in fact related to her. Grace is thrilled to have met someone from Charlie’s past and another person from her family.

Grace meets this person and is excited. They quickly bond and Grace cannot imagine what her life would be like if she hadn’t met this person. They are like new best friends….

Suddenly, strange things begin happening. Things that get increasingly darker and more sinister, and Grace begins to turn paranoid. Someone appears to be sabotaging Grace and her life. Things begin going missing, she receives strange telephone calls, posts are made on Twitter about her, the daycare where she works is vandalized and she gets the blame for it, and someone seems to be deliberately setting her up.

Who is after her? What do they want with Grace and why are they doing such things to her?

To make matters worse, things with her boyfriend Dan are taking a turn for the worse. He seems moodier and grumpier, and they argue more than they ever did. Soon they find themselves drifting further and further apart. What is going on? Can she save her relationship and find out who seems to have it out for her and is trying to ruin her life?

I loved this book and I devoured it from cover to end. There were a lot of twists in this book that shocked me that I did not see coming. And that ending! Wow! I loved it! I love books with a final shocking twist and turn in the end, and this book certainly had that! One that I did not see coming but I loved!

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

 

Book Review: The Stranger Game by Peter Gadol

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018

 

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and Hanover Square Press for sending me a free advance reader paperback copy of this book to read.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

This book follows the story line of the main character, Rebecca, and her search for her on-again, off-again boyfriend Ezra. Ezra appears to have gone missing, as Rebecca realises she hasn’t seen him or spoken to him in quite some time. They have never gone this long without talking and she begins to become concerned. Rebecca brings her worries to the attention of the police, who do not seem concerned at all. The police suggest to Rebecca that Ezra is maybe playing the “stranger game”.

What is the “stranger game”? Rebecca has never heard of this before. The “stranger game” is a game that has gone viral, and it has players of the game following others in real life. Someone you see in a store, someone you see driving down the road, someone out walking their dog, etc. You simply spot them at random and then begin following them.

There are many rules to the game, and they are usually followed, but sometimes the rules begin to change, as players become addicted to the game and it grows more intense. Sometimes people disappear…

Rebecca begins to play the game herself in the hopes she can find out what happened to Ezra and where he is. She slowly becomes addicted to the game and finds she cannot stop playing. Will playing the game help lead her to finding Ezra?

 

MY REVIEW: 

This book started off very interesting to me. A real-life game that people play called the “stranger game” where players follower random, unsuspecting people around, and they have no clue they are actually being followed. Super creepy right? I think so. I mean I certainly wouldn’t want people following me around, watching my every move, especially when I have no idea I am being followed.

Can you imagine? Is this really a game people play? I haven’t heard of it before, but it makes me wonder if this is really a thing… The synopsis of the book is what intrigued me to read this book, and the story was quite interesting.

I too was worried about Ezra and what might have happened to him, and I found myself hoping that as Rebecca played along with the game that she would be able to find Ezra and they could be reunited.

I enjoyed reading about the game and how it is played. It was interesting to read about Rebecca’s experiences as she played the game, and her experiences of following different random people around.

A few points in the book had me thinking “what the heck is going on” especially near the end, as the book is coming to a close. However, all questions are answered as you continue reading on and all is revealed.

I enjoyed this book overall, although I did find certain parts of the book to be a bit of a slow burn for me.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Blog Blitz & Book Review: The Birthday by Carol Wyer @bookouture @carolewyer #blogblitz #bookreview #bookblog #booksonthebookshelf #bookouture #carolwyer #thebirthday #bookblogger

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the Blog Blitz for The Birthday by Carol Wyer. Thank you to Kim Nash and Bookouture for inviting me to take part in this exciting Blog Blitz.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

One hot summer’s afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home… 

When five-year-old Ava Sawyer goes missing from a birthday party at a local garden centre, the police are bewildered by the lack of leads. That is until two years later, when Ava’s body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party …

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone, and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that still keeps her awake at night…

Natalie soon discovers that Ava’s mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi and as she digs deeper, she’s sure Ava’s father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden centre Elsa see that day? Something that she’s not telling Natalie …

Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn’t come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?

Gripping, fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense, this book will keep you flying through the pages long into the night. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.

 

PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carol Wyer garnered a loyal following as an author of romantic comedies, and won The People’s Book Prize Award for non-fiction (2015). In 2017 she stepped from comedy to the “dark side” and embarked on a series of thrillers, featuring the popular DI Robyn Carter, which earned her recognition as a crime writer.

The Staffordshire-based writer now has more crime novels in the pipeline, although she can still sometimes be found performing her stand-up comedy routine Laugh While You Still Have Teeth.

Website |Facebook |Twitter

 

MY REVIEW:

Three words to describe this book – lies, betrayal and deception! Wow this book was certainly a wonderful read!

This was my first book I have read by author Carol Wyer and it was a fabulously written book. I was hooked from the very beginning. A little girl goes missing at a birthday party and nobody has any clue where she is? Wow that right there sucked me into the story line. Where could little Ava have disappeared? How could no one notice she had gone missing from the party?

I found myself flipping through the pages of this book as I was wanting to know more. One by one the young girls all seem to disappear. Who is responsible? And why are these young girls suddenly disappearing?

I found Detective Natalie Ward to be a very likeable character. She is hard working, determined, and eager to get her job done, much to the dismay of her family – her husband and children. She often works late night, sometimes pulling an all-nighter, in an attempt to solve the case. She won’t rest until she finds out the person, or persons, responsible for these missing young girls.

I enjoyed this book from cover to end. There are so many twists and turns to keep the reader invested in the story and wanting to read more to see if the little girls would be found and the person responsible brought to justice. I thought I knew who the guilty person was only to find out I was wrong, again and again. I loved that about this book. It keeps you guessing and guessing right through to the very end.

I highly recommend you to read this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

 

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Blog Tour & Book Review: Kiss Her Goodbye by Susan Gee @SusanGeeWriter @Aria_Fiction #booksonthebookshelf #blogtour #kisshergoodbye #bookreview #bookblogger #bookblog

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Kiss Her Goodbye by Susan Gee. Thank you for dropping by and reading my review. Thank you to Aria for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Seventeen year old Hayley Reynolds is unwanted at home, and an outsider at school. Pushed away by her best friend Kirsten Green, she makes a deliberate, chilling decision – if Kirsten can’t belong to her, then she won’t belong to anyone. DI Beverley Samuels has the body of a schoolgirl on her hands, a murder that brings back the hauntingly painful memories of the case she’s tried so desperately to forget. There’s something deeply disturbing about this crime – and yet with little hard evidence it’s up to her to decide who she will believe…

Tightly-plotted, tense, and a finale with a heart-stopping twist – get ready for the biggest thriller of 2018. Fans of Claire Mackintosh, Laura Marshall, A. J. Finn and Alice Feeney won’t be disappointed!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Gee was a finalist in the Daily Mail Write a Bestseller Competition as well as a finalist in The Good Housekeeping fiction competition. This is her first novel.

FOLLOW SUSAN:

Facebook | Twitter

BUY LINKS: 

iBooks | Google Play | Amazon | Kobo

FOLLOW ARIA: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

MY REVIEW:

This book starts off with a chilling and gripping beginning. A few twists and shocks that will pull you into the book and have you flipping the pages as you read more. Hayley is a teenager who is clearly troubled, and is facing many issues she has to deal with, which she appears to be struggling with. I found the main character Hayley to not be very likeable as a character. She seemed calculating, mean, dishonest, and had a dark side. Most of the characters in the book, actually, were unlikable and the only one I actually liked in the novel was DI Beverley Samuels.

Hayley’s character gave me the chills as she was quite disturbed and the things she said and the things she did – wow! The girl had issues! Hayley seems to be a psychopath who enjoys lying, deceiving and manipulating others, and making them believe what she wants them to believe. Almost as if she is the master and she is manipulating all of her puppets.

The ending of this book, wow, it was brilliant! There were a few other ways the ending could have went and I suspected a couple of them would likely happen. So it wasn’t that much of a surprised to me to see it end the way that it did, but the ending was so good. You’ll just have to read the book for yourself to see which way the ending goes! 🙂

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Book Review: The Walls (The Becker Gray Series Book 3) by Chris Wendel

Published: June 22nd, 2018

Thank you to the author Chris Wendel for providing me with a free digital copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

In this book we meet Becker Gray, a Police Detective. Detective Gray doesn’t have many close people in his life. He has a couple of friends, including his partner Jeffrey Parker, and a woman named Morgan Beringer, who is the mayor’s wife. One day Morgan Beringer and her husband are brutally murdered.

As if these two murders aren’t enough, more dead bodies show up in various places around the city. Are they all connected somehow or are they all separate cases? The body of a firefighter is found, and then eight members of a powerful gang are killed. Gray discovers all these murders are connected by ties to a Mexican drug cartel, police corruption, and even state attorneys tampering with cases. Gray is determined to find out what is going on and find the person or persons responsible.

This book was a great read from beginning to end. I flew through this book and was engrossed in every chapter, and loved following along with the story line and the crimes that were being committed.

Detective Becker Gray is a very likeable character, despite keeping to himself a lot and not seeming like a very social person. I loved his wit, his sense of humour and his determination to fight for something that he believes in. He tends to keep to himself a lot and doesn’t confide in a lot of people, but I found him to be quite interesting indeed. And he is one heck of a detective.

This book is full of murder, corruption, deception, action and betrayal. Great for any book lover of police procedural or crime books. Once you begin reading this book it is very difficult to put down, and is a fast-paced action read.

I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the personal life of Detective Gray and getting an understanding of some of the things he has been through personally in the past to get an understanding of what makes him the kind of person that he is today. It was interesting to read about his growth as a person and as the main character in the book.

This book is the 3rd in a Becker Gray series and follows Detective Becker Gray, and the book can be read as a series or a standalone. I have not read the previous two books in this series but it was easy to read along without any prior reading from the previous two books. After reading this book I look forward to reading more novels featuring detective Gray.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more by this author.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Blog Tour & Book Review: Silencing Anna by Sadie Mitchell @rararesources @sadiedmitchell

Welcome to my stop on the Silencing Anna by Sadie Mitchell Blog Tour with Rachel’s Random Resources.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Voices surround Anna as she lies on her hospital bed, but she cannot answer them. Her voice has been taken, along with her mobility and her sight. She can hear the nurses chattering and her family that come to visit. Her mum cries a lot and her dad struggles to deal with what he sees. Life used to be good for Anna, but life can change in a heartbeat, as she knows so well.

And then there are the people we think we know. When the smile hides the anger. When the beauty hides the beast.

Only Anna knows the truth, but Anna cannot speak.

 

PURCHASE LINKS:

https://bookshop.3ppublishing.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=77 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silencing-Anna-disturbing-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07FBN6TP9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532520802&sr=8-1&keywords=silencing+anna

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

This is Sadie’s first novel. She has three children and and a rabbit. She works in healthcare. When she’s not writing or working most of her life seems to involve picking up toys and finding things she’d forgotten she has.

 

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Facebook | Twitter|Instagram

 

MY REVIEW: 

This book was a pleasure to read from beginning to end. The synopsis of the book had me hooked as I love the type of book that is suggested by the description. A woman in a coma, who can hear everything that goes on around her, but is trapped in her own body and cannot speak or communicate with those around her.

Silencing Anna had me literally reading non-stop as I was always curious as to what was going on and what would happen next. What happened for Anna to go into a coma where she is unable to wake up and communicate with others? Would she ever wake up?

We are introduced to many characters in this book. Some of Anna’s friends from her past, her past relationships, her current friends and her family. Anna is a very likeable character and you can’t help but feel sad for her and sorry for the situation she is currently in. Some characters in this book you will grow to despise, but most you will grow to love and really like.

Without giving too much away this book was fantastic and I enjoyed it immensely from beginning to end. The storyline had me hooked and I enjoyed reading as the story unfolded. As we read along we learn how much Anna has gone through, all the love, heartache, despair, and hurt.

We can’t help as the reader wish all the best for her and hope that she is able to recover and wake up. Will she wake up? You will have to read the book to find out.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

 

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Book Review: The Darkness (Hidden Iceland #1) by Ragnar Jónasson

PUBLISHER: St Martins Press, Minotaur

PUBLISHED: October 16th, 2018

Thank you to St Martins Press and Minotaur for sending me a free ARC copy of this book to read and share my review with my followers.

This was the first book I have read by Ragnar Jónasson and I was not disappointed. I will definitely be looking for his other novels. I loved his style of writing and the way he pulls you into the storyline in the first first page.

The Darkness takes place in Iceland, and follows the work of Police Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir. She is being forced into an early retirement and being replaced by a young man in a few shorts weeks. Hulda is told if she likes she can read up on some old cold cases that were never solved. Hulda decides to do this and goes further by investigating an old case that was never quite solved.

The case she takes on is of a young woman that was found dead on a beach in Iceland. She was an asylum-seeker from Russia and came to Iceland looking for safety. The cold case determines that this young Russian woman died of a suicide but Hulda isn’t convinced this is necessarily true and decides to delve further into this on her own in her last days before her impending retirement.

What she finds shocks her. Many questions arise to the death of this young Russian woman that makes Hulda believe it most certainly wasn’t suicide… maybe a murder? Maybe an accident? Hulda is determined to find out the truth, even if she has to put her own life in danger to do so.

The Darkness was so cleverly written that I breezed through the book in no time. Before I knew it I was at the end of the book and I was left wanting to read more, especially after such a gripping ending! Wow. A great book from beginning to end, with lots of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.

I really enjoyed reading about the different characters in the book. We are introduced to a lot of characters both in the past and in the present. We get a glimpse into what Hulda’s life was like early on as a young child and read about what her upbringing was like and her family life that makes her into the person she is today.

We also get to learn about her family life as an adult, with her marriage and what that was like. Hulda is certainly an interesting and likeable character. She is determined, works hard and plays hard, and is quite good at her job as a police detective.

Overall I really quite enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! I will definitely be on the lookout for past and future titles by Ragnar Jónasson. All the stars for this cleverly written novel.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Book Review: After Nightfall by A.J. Banner

PUBLISHER: Lake Union Publishing

PUBLICATION DATE: August 7th, 2018

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a free hardcover copy of this book to read and review. This book was the first I have read by author A.J. Banner and I was impressed.

This was a fabulous book from beginning to end, and it had me turning the pages over and over to read on as I was wanting to find out what would happen next the entire way throughout this book.

The story follows Marissa Parlette and her recent engagement to fiance Nathan Black. They are hosting a dinner party at Nathan’s house. In attendance are married couple Jensen and Lauren, Nathan’s daughter Anna from a previous marriage, and Nathan’s brother Keith and his wife Hedra. It is at this dinner party that Marissa and Noah will announce their recent engagement to everyone.

Lauren used to be Marissa’s best friend. They practically grew up together and lived together while attending College. But something happened all those years ago that threatened and weakened their friendship, but what happened? We learn much later in the story what happened all those years ago.

At the party, Lauren drinks way too much and is visibly drunk. She appears to be flirting with Nathan, much to the annoyance of Marissa and Jensen. Suddenly Lauren says she has to leave and pick up her daughter who is out with friends.

What should have been a joyous occasion turns into a nightmare, as Lauren’s lifeless body is found at the bottom of a cliff. But what happened? Was she pushed? Did she accidentally fall to her death? Or did she purposely walk off of the edge, taking her own life?

The story unfolds as we continue reading on, and everyone is a suspect. Who is innocent? Who has something to hide? Everyone has their fair share of secrets and betrayals.

This was a wonderful book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from beginning to end. it had a lot of twists, turns and surprised that keeps the reader interested and engaged in the book the whole way through. I enjoyed the various betrayals and secrets that were brought to light that makes you question each character in the book. You wonder just who is responsible, and what each person is hiding. Nothing is as it seems and no one appears to be who they appear to be.

I was really impressed with this book and I will definitely be on the lookout for A.J. Banner’s other books.

If you haven’t read this book yet, make sure to add it to your to-be-read list. You won’t be disappointed!

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

 

Book Review: I Am Behind You by John Ajvide Lindqvist

PUBLISHER: St. Martins Press

PUBLICATION DATE: October 16th, 2018

Thank you to St. Martins press for the free ARC paperback copy of this book to read and review. The cover of this book is stunning and has me like 🙂 The synopsis of this book is what drew me to the book, as I love a suspenseful, twisting tale of a book that raises many questions. This book has that! A creepy, supernatural thriller that makes you question just what the heck is going on.

This book was the first book I have read by this author. It follows the plot of 4 families who are all strangers to one another and they are camping in a campground in their caravans. Some are couples, some are families with children. The books starts with a young girl Molly waking up her mother in the early hours of the morning as she has to go to the washroom. Molly tells her mother that the campsite is blank, the toilet block has gone, and there is nothing outside but grass and the field. Even the sun has gone. Something has happened, but what? No one seems to understand what is going on. But clearly something unimaginable is!

This book really twists with your mind and has you thinking just what the heck is happening? Why has everything suddenly disappeared? Why does Molly appear to be such a creepy and disturbed child? Why is everyone seeing their fears?

A very interesting read of a book for sure. I had many questions reading this book, and I found myself scratching my head many times as I questioned what I was reading and confused as to what was happening. A nice horror of a book, you could tell something creepy and sinister was going on, and a lot of different characters are introduced in this book. A lot of confusing parts in this book, and a lot of strange occurrences.

We learn about their past, some of the decisions and mistakes they have made, and their worst fears as they are brought to light. Will they be able to figure out just what is going on? Will they be able to escape and return to the “real” world?

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

3.5 stars

Book Review: The Confession by Jo Spain

PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane Books

PUBLICATION DATE: September 11th, 2018

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for this free finished copy of The Confession by Jo Spain to read and review. That book cover is simply gorgeous 😍🤗 This book had be hooked from the very beginning. With such a strong and powerful first paragraph in the book that left me speechless! Wow!!

Synopsis: Late one evening banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie are sitting in their mansion – like home watching TV. All of a sudden Harry is brutally attacked by a man who just let himself into their family home, while Julie just idly sits by doing nothing and watches the whole thing.

Who was the man who attacked Harry and why did he do it? We find this out and much more as we continue reading the book.

This was a fantastic read from beginning to end. This book is full of lies, betrayal and deception, that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as you read chapter after shocking chapter.

I thought I knew who was responsible for killing Harry but I was proven wrong, again and again. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you are proven wrong. With many likeable characters in this book, there are many characters that you will despise as well.

So many shocking twists, turns and revelations, this is a fabulous psychological thriller. Add this book to your to be read list now, this book will not disappoint.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐