Only Girls Bleed - Elaine Lawless

 

Abandoned by her husband, and with her daughter, Molly, suddenly unable to walk, Alice Campbell is barely holding her life together. No doctor can explain what's behind this – or why Molly is now tormented by night terrors. But when Alice uncovers the unthinkable truth behind her daughter's suffering, she flees, unsure whether the man responsible is dead or alive. Haunted by the past, and on the run from the law, Alice and Molly are trying to navigate a future neither one of them is prepared to face.

Taut, urgent, and deeply compassionate, this novel is a haunting portrait of maternal love, survival, and the devastating consequences of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in America.

What did I think?

I hadn't heard of the Roe v. Wade case, or its overturning, in America so I have had my eyes well and truly opened by Elaine Lawless after reading Only Girls Bleed and I read it in a constant state of fury.

Alice blames herself for missing the signs that led to her ten-year-old disabled daughter becoming pregnant.  Her absent husband blames Alice too, which ignited my fury further, and he's lucky he didn't end up in the same position as Molly's abuser.  You should never underestimate a mother protecting her child and as soon as Alice discovered what was going on she became a wanted woman. 

Although Only Girls Bleed is fiction, it reads like a true story and I can't even begin to imagine the number of people whose own stories are similar to that of Alice and Molly.  I didn't realise some states in America still ban abortion completely, even if the pregnancy resulted from sexual assault or incest.  WOW!  Not only do only girls bleed, the letter of the law leaves them literally holding the baby.  Have I stepped back in time to a period when the patriarchal church laid down the law?  

The title itself is incredibly powerful as it is women who have to live with the consequences of acts to which they have not consented.  I don't think it's unreasonable to say that if men were in the same position there wouldn't even be a debate about abortion and there would be no  ridiculous laws banning it.  Americans have the right to bear arms but they don't have the right to have something removed from their bodies that they didn't consent to being put there in the first place.  Is this 'the land of the free'?

Incredibly powerful and extremely thought-provoking, Only Girls Bleed is a timely and important novel that is unflinching in its candour.  Unmissable and unforgettable - I'll be recommending this one for a very long time.

I received a gifted paperback from the publisher and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Don't Believe A Word (Cristy Ward thriller) - Susan Lewis

They raised me. Nurtured me. And lied about everything.

Sadie’s childhood has always been shrouded in mystery.

But there are three things she knows.

She was raised by two aunts.

She never knew her parents.

She is convinced she was stolen.

Cristy Ward, podcast host, is gripped by Sadie’s story. It’s perfect for her next true-crime investigation. Yet Sadie's aunt claims it’s all a fantasy.

As the evidence begins to stack up, and the lies fall apart, they all could be in a lot more danger than they thought…

 

What did I think?

Don't Believe A Word is the second Cristy Ward thriller but it's the first one I have read.  I do feel that I was bombarded with a lot of characters at the start so I think it would have been beneficial to have read Nothing to See Here first.  The plot itself is completely standalone though and I loved the podcast format.

When one of Sadie's aunts passes away, Sadie discovers that that she may not be related to her aunts after all.  Aunt Lottie has left some intriguing papers that suggest Sadie was found abandoned on a beach but Lottie was an author so there's a big question mark as to whether the papers are fact or fiction.  Cristy Ward picks up Sadie's story for her true-crime podcast and the investigation begins into who Sadie actually is.

Once I got my head around all of the characters at the start, I really started to enjoy the podcast investigation and I loved reading the podcast transcripts.  There is quite a bit going on in the book with Cristy's entertaining personal life running alongside the intriguing podcast so Susan Lewis really keeps her readers on their toes.  

Shocking, surprising and incredibly intriguing, Don't Believe A Word is very well named as there are so many secrets and lies within the pages.  It's well worth a read and I am planning to read the first book in the near future while the characters are all still fresh in my head.

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: One in a Million - Beverley Kendall

A fun, spicy romcom with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

Megastar Whitney “Sahara” Richardson has everything planned - including when she’ll have kids. But a medical mix-up makes her the biological mother of a child she didn’t carry and whose father she’s never met. 

 

World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a half-billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away. However, a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse, and Sahara suddenly has a daughter... whose biological father is reluctant to share.

What did I think?

Having read Token last year (which gave readers a sneaky peek at One in a Million), I was like a cat on hot bricks as I patiently awaited Sahara's story.  I have to say that it was well worth the wait as I absolutely loved it.

Sahara is a global megastar but when the cameras stop rolling she becomes Whitney Richardson, a down-to-earth woman who might want children some day.  That day comes a lot sooner than she planned when the fertility clinic calls to admit to a terrible mistake: Whitney's egg has been mixed up with another woman's and there's now a mixed-race 6 month old little girl who is paying the consequences of this horrendous error. 

Holly Redmond demanded a DNA test when she suspected that baby Haylee wasn't her daughter...but to complicate matters further, the DNA test confirms that Holly's husband Myles is Haylee's father.  As soon as her suspicions are confirmed, Holly gives Myles an ultimatum: choose either her or Haylee.  Myles doesn't have to think twice so it's him and Haylee from now on...until Whitney asks to meet her.

Whoa the chemistry between Myles and Whitney almost causes sparks to fly off the page and the sexual tension crackles and fizzles until the inevitable conclusion.  I loved seeing how Miles and Whitney's relationship grew as well as witnessing Whitney's instant love for Haylee.  

Fun, emotional and a little bit steamy, One in a Million is a fresh and flirty romance with a lot of heart.  It's a bit like an adult fairy tale with a Wicked Witch, a Prince Charming and not one but two Princesses but you'll just have to read it for yourself to see if they all lived Happily Every After.

 

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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JACK JORDAN BLOGATHON: Redemption

The third book of the Jack Jordan Blogathon is Redemption and it's another belter of a moral dilemma in this unmissable, unputdownable and unforgettable book.  

I am delighted to reshare my review for the Compulsive Readers blog tour.

Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him.

But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come.

But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself.

Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son.

Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution.

 

What did I think?

You'll always find me at the front of the queue when a new Jack Jordan book is released and I had very high expectations when I picked up Redemption.  Not only was I not disappointed, Jack Jordan saw my expectations and raised them to a whole new level.  WOW!  

Jack Jordan isn't called the Master of the Moral Dilemma for no reason and whilst there is an absolute belter of a moral dilemma in Redemption, there's also a thought-provoking twist that reminds us that there are two sides to every story.  But which side will each reader be on?  Team Evelyn or Team Aaron?

No parent would ever want to be in Evelyn and Tobias Moore's position; their beautiful 9-year-old son Joshua went off to camp and never returned after being killed in a hit-and-run.  Justice was served and the man who killed Joshua went to prison...but only for eleven years.  I could totally understand Evelyn's fury - Joshua's life was cruelly stolen and eleven years of prison is simply not enough for his killer to pay.  As soon as the sentence was delivered, Evelyn decided to make Aaron Alexander pay the ultimate price: a life for a life.

I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Moores; their marriage has been under a considerable strain since Joshua's death as Evelyn single-mindedly planned her revenge.  Tobias has his own plan though: he wants to stop Evelyn from becoming a murderer and if that means protecting Aaron, then that's what he'll do.

Now this is where the story takes an unexpected turn as I was fully prepared to hate Aaron but peeling back the layers of his story broke my heart.  One tragic event changed the course of his life - he didn't plan to kill Joshua unlike Evelyn plans to kill Aaron.  The character of Aaron is so beautifully portrayed and I found his story incredibly poignant and emotional.  I will never forget him and the lessons his story taught me.

There appears to be no limit to Jack Jordan's talent and imagination so prepare for a long night of reading when you pick up Redemption as you won't be able to put it down.  Set out in sections representing the stages of grief, Redemption is an absolute masterpiece.  Once again, Jack Jordan scoops all the stars for his unmissable new book.

Unmissable, unputdownable and unforgettable - do not miss Redemption: one of the most eagerly anticipated books of the year and one that will not disappoint.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Uk.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Jack Jordan 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 set to be the thriller of the summer in 2022. The idea for Do No Harm came to Jack after undergoing a minor medical procedure where he had to be sedated and trust strangers with his welfare. After the anaesthesia wore off, Jack began scribbling his notes, wondering to himself just how iron-clad a surgeon’s oath is, and what it would take to break it…

Follow Jack on social media:

Twitter: @JackJordanBooks

Instagram: @jackjordan_author

Facebook: @JackJordanOfficial

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BLOG TOUR: Taken - Danielle Ramsay

I am accused of the worst of crimes – murdering my baby – and I have hours before this passenger ferry docks in Spain to find him, alive.

Someone knows about my difficult past and darkest secrets, and now I think they’ve taken my baby. But who would do this to me and why? I know the answer. Or least I think I do…

The police want to know why I have fled my home and husband. How do I tell them that I had a breakdown after my first baby died? That today is the anniversary of his death? That my husband is planning on having me sectioned?

Despite what my husband says, I’m not ill. Am I? For I have discovered he has an agenda…

So how could I have been so wrong about him?

And how do I convince the police I’m innocent, when everyone believes I’m guilty, and get my baby back before he disappears forever?

 

What did I think?

Make sure you're sitting comfortably when you pick up Danielle Ramsay's new novel, Taken, as you won't be able to put it down.  I absolutely devoured it, reading way past my bedtime until I discovered all of the secrets buried in the book.

Alice is one of the most unreliable narrators I have come across and she is tortured by grief, guilt and what ifs following the cot death of her son.  Alice blames herself and falls into a spiral of depression.  Meanwhile, Alice's husband Tom seems to be getting on with life by planning a move back to America but then Alice falls pregnant again.

Oh Alice!  I really wanted to reach into the book to give her a hug.  She feels like everyone is conspiring against her and it's no wonder she is struggling to cope with the birth of her second son after losing her first baby so tragically.  I wasn't sure whether Tom was just good at hiding his emotions or simply uncaring but it really seemed like Alice was a lone passenger on a rollercoaster of emotions.

With secrets in both Alice's and Tom's pasts, the pacing is blistering as I raced through the pages to uncover everything and I was kept guessing right to the end.  Death of a child is a difficult and disturbing subject but it was handled very sensitively and I could almost feel the torment that Alice was going through.  I really enjoyed Taken and would highly recommend it. 

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/TakenSocial

About the author:

Danielle Ramsay is the author of the DI Jack Brady crime novels and other dark thrillers. She is a Scot living in the North-East of England and was previously published by Hodder & Stoughton and Avon.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: DanielleRamsayAuthor

Twitter: @DanielleRamsay2

Instagram: @danielle.ramsay.author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/DanielleRamsayNews

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Redemption - Jack Jordan

Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him.

But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come.

But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself.

Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son.

Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution.

 

What did I think?

You'll always find me at the front of the queue when a new Jack Jordan book is released and I had very high expectations when I picked up Redemption.  Not only was I not disappointed, Jack Jordan saw my expectations and raised them to a whole new level.  WOW!  

Jack Jordan isn't called the Master of the Moral Dilemma for no reason and whilst there is an absolute belter of a moral dilemma in Redemption, there's also a thought-provoking twist that reminds us that there are two sides to every story.  But which side will each reader be on?  Team Evelyn or Team Aaron?

No parent would ever want to be in Evelyn and Tobias Moore's position; their beautiful 9-year-old son Joshua went off to camp and never returned after being killed in a hit-and-run.  Justice was served and the man who killed Joshua went to prison...but only for eleven years.  I could totally understand Evelyn's fury - Joshua's life was cruelly stolen and eleven years of prison is simply not enough for his killer to pay.  As soon as the sentence was delivered, Evelyn decided to make Aaron Alexander pay the ultimate price: a life for a life.

I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Moores; their marriage has been under a considerable strain since Joshua's death as Evelyn single-mindedly planned her revenge.  Tobias has his own plan though: he wants to stop Evelyn from becoming a murderer and if that means protecting Aaron, then that's what he'll do.

Now this is where the story takes an unexpected turn as I was fully prepared to hate Aaron but peeling back the layers of his story broke my heart.  One tragic event changed the course of his life - he didn't plan to kill Joshua unlike Evelyn plans to kill Aaron.  The character of Aaron is so beautifully portrayed and I found his story incredibly poignant and emotional.  I will never forget him and the lessons his story taught me.

There appears to be no limit to Jack Jordan's talent and imagination so prepare for a long night of reading when you pick up Redemption as you won't be able to put it down.  Set out in sections representing the stages of grief, Redemption is an absolute masterpiece.  Once again, Jack Jordan scoops all the stars for his unmissable new book.

Unmissable, unputdownable and unforgettable - do not miss Redemption: one of the most eagerly anticipated books of the year and one that will not disappoint.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Uk.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Swanna in Love - Jennifer Belle

It's the summer of 1982 and fourteen-year-old Swanna Swain is the only one left at camp.

The place is a ghost town by the time her mother Val finally shows up six hours late- stoned and radiant- in a Ford pickup driven by Borislav, her new young Russian lover.

Assuming she is headed home to her air-conditioned Upper West Side apartment, Swanna and her lovable younger brother Madding are instead dragged to Vermont: to an artist colony where kids are not welcome and they are forced to sleep in the back of the truck, while Val is cosy inside the house with the Russian.

Then Swanna meets Dennis, a handsome married father of two, at a bowling alley, and, knowing a thing or two about seduction from Judy Blume, her best friend at camp, and her own parents' many affairs - she sets out to convince Dennis to help her. But love seldom obeys rules, and even a tough, smart, city girl like Swanna might not be able to handle falling in love.

Best-selling novelist Jennifer Belle returns with her first novel in fifteen years with a kind of inverse Lolita that explores adolescent desire from the girl's point of view. In turns hilarious and wildly shocking, Swanna In Love is the most unmissable book of the summer.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  I am positively breathless after racing through Swanna in Love, the breathtaking new novel from Jennifer Belle.  I read it in one sitting and it may as well have been superglued to my hands as I simply couldn't put it down.  I have never read Lolita and I thought the book might have been a little outside my comfort zone but it's just fantastic.

With a mother so flightly she could virtually take off and a father who doesn't seem that bothered about his children, it's no wonder that Swanna looks for affection elsewhere.  Swanna not only looks older than her 14 years, she acts like it too so it's no wonder that she draws attention from men, who may or may not be horrified to find out how young she actually is.  

When Swanna begins a relationship with a married man (and oh he's so weak-willed), I got the feeling that Swanna knew exactly what she was doing.  Is Swanna a seductress or is Dennis a paedophile?  That's the question that was on my lips throughout the book; I thought I would have been enraged at Dennis but I didn't feel as angry as I expected.

Jennifer Belle has created such a funny, likeable and smart character in Swanna and her voice shouts out loud and clear throughout.  I laughed out loud so many times at things that Swanna said, thought or did; in fact, I don't think I've laughed out loud so much when reading a book that's doesn't claim to be in the comedy genre.

Addictive, enthralling, shocking and hilarious, Swanna in Love is easily one of the best books I've read this year.  I'm so pleased I requested a review copy, as I very nearly didn't.  I really can't recommend it highly enough; pick one up and let Swanna surprise you.

I received an ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

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BLOG TOUR: Mother - Laura Jarratt

 

Two Girls. One Chance.

When Lizzie's car crashes with her two daughters inside, she faces a terrible choice. And when she recovers from her injuries, she has to deal with the impact of that tragedy as well as the police investigation into it.

As Lizzie and her family struggle to come to terms with the events of that night, things take an even darker turn. Just what did happen on that remote country road? Who is responsible? And can the family get through this together...Or will the truth finally tear them apart?

A stunning, deeply emotional and beautifully realised cross between SOPHIE'S CHOICE and DAUGHTER.

What did I think?

Once I picked up Mother I couldn't put it down!  I was caught in its vice-like grip from the start and was only released (one numb bum later) when I turned the final page.  It is so compelling that you can't help but be drawn into the story and be affected by the disturbing events within.  My heart went out to every single character in the book and I wouldn't want to trade places with any of them.

Lizzie is faced with an unenviable dilemma when her car plunges into a lake with her two children in the backseat; she only has time to save one of her daughters.  We don't know which one she chose for a few chapters but you can't help wondering which one it is.  Dealing with both grief and guilt, Lizzie has a mountain of a recovery to climb and although she can't remember all of the details about the accident, something just doesn't add up.  The police seem to be blinkered in their investigation so Lizzie and her husband, Dan rack their brains to see who might want to take revenge on them.  As they are both barristers, they could have a long list!

There is so much to discover in this amazing book: which daughter survived, why Lizzie picked her and what really happened that night, to name but a few.  I devoured every single page as if I'd been starved of books and felt so many emotions as the story unfolded.  I was devastated, not just at the grief experienced from the death of a child but at the guilt each character felt: Dan thinks it wouldn't have happened if he had been there, Lizzie feels responsible for selecting a child to survive and one of her daughters has survivor's guilt.

Incredibly thought-provoking, completely devastating but terribly compelling, Mother really got under my skin as I lived and breathed with the characters.  This would be an amazing book for book groups as you can't help wondering what you would have done in the same terrible circumstances.  A wonderful book to remind you that time is so precious and to be grateful for every second you spend with your loved ones.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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Call Me Mummy - Tina Baker

 

THIS MOTHER'S DAY YOU WILL CALL HER MUMMY

Glamorous, beautiful Mummy has everything a woman could want. Except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim - heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop - she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But foul-mouthed little Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.

As Tonya fiercely resists Mummy's attempts to make her into the perfect child, Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserves to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, Kim begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.

Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle...

CALL ME MUMMY. IT'LL BE BETTER IF YOU DO.

What did I think?

This book is absolutely outstanding; it's a highly original child abduction story and it had me completely gripped from start to finish.  I am completely gobsmacked that Call Me Mummy is Tina Baker's debut novel, it's so brilliantly written and has such a breathtaking plot that makes it very compulsive reading.  Honestly, you will not be able to put it down!

The storyline has three distinct voices and they all come across so clearly, it's almost like the reader can hear the characters' thoughts.  Mummy wants a child so badly that she snatches one while the mother is distracted, Kim is the distraught mother who shoulders the blame for losing her daughter and Tonya is the little girl taken from her family and thrust into the middle of this nightmare.

The three main characters are so vivid and multi-dimensional, they really struggled to stay on the page and I felt like I could have reached in and touched them (and I can just hear Tonya saying: “Get off me, you!”).  I adored Tonya, a five year old who is larger than life and such a feisty character.  I felt so sorry for Kim, who seemed to always find herself on the wrong side of public opinion and I got so mad at how people are quick to judge others, especially when they can hide behind their screen.  As for Mummy, she's like a simmering pot that is about to boil over.  As we get to know these characters, we see their worries, dreams and motivations and I love how Tina Baker gives us this 360 degree view.

Equal parts horrifying and mesmerising, Tina Baker's impressive debut is nothing short of exceptional; the writing is stunning, honest, provocative and often surprisingly witty.  Call Me Mummy is without doubt a five star read and I really can't recommend it highly enough - just buy it, you won't regret it.  To emulate a famous retailer renowned for quality: "This is not just a child abduction novel, this is a Tina Baker child abduction novel."  When other adjectives just won't do, I have to say it's fan-flipping-tastic!

I was gifted an ebook from the publisher, Viper Books, via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

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Amazon UK

BLOG TOUR: The Silent House - Nell Pattison

If someone was in your house, you’d know … Wouldn’t you?

But the Hunter family are deaf, and don’t hear a thing when a shocking crime takes place in the middle of the night. Instead, they wake up to their worst nightmare: the murder of their daughter.

The police call Paige Northwood to the scene to interpret for the witnesses. They’re in shock, but Paige senses the Hunters are hiding something.

One by one, people from Paige’s community start to fall under suspicion. But who would kill a little girl? Was it an intruder? Or was the murderer closer to home?

What did I think?

There is nothing more disturbing than the death of a child so the storyline of The Silent House will be very difficult reading for many people, especially those who are parents.  I don't have any children and I even found it difficult to read in places, although Nell Pattison thankfully doesn't go into too much grisly detail in her hard-hitting debut.

Having been burgled during the night when we were asleep upstairs, I do have a fear of somebody coming into my house during the night.  At least I would be able to hear a noise which is more than can be said for the Hunter family, who are all deaf.  The police can't believe that Alan Hunter and his girlfriend had no idea that someone came into their house during the night and murdered Alan's 18 month old daughter, Lexi.  How could they know if they couldn't hear anything?  Alan therefore becomes the prime suspect and Paige Northwood, whose sister is Lexi's godmother, is called upon by the police to be the sign language interpreter when all of the suspects are interviewed.

There are more suspects than you'd imagine in this case and most of them are from the deaf community, so Paige is in the unenviable position of hearing things about Lexi's death that she would rather not have known.  Paige starts asking questions at Deaf Club but it isn't long before she starts receiving threats to drop her own investigation.  With the threats increasing in severity, somebody will stop at nothing to prevent Paige from casting doubt on Alan's guilt.

The Silent House is as chilling as it is gripping; I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page even though sometimes I wanted to hide behind my metaphorical sofa.  Nell Pattison has included an added element of menace to her compelling story by choosing to set such a heinous crime in the deaf community.  It definitely made me more appreciative to have all of my five senses.

A disturbing page-turner that will leave you reeling, The Silent House is a fantastic debut from Nell Pattison and I'll certainly be keeping an eager eye open to see what she writes next.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




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Starve Acre - Andrew Michael Hurley

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place.

Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree.

Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.

What did I think?

What in the name of all that is holy have I just read?  I have never been so creeped out by a book but being able to evoke such emotions meant that I strangely enjoyed it.  I have never read the critically acclaimed The Loney so this is my first introduction to Andrew Michael Hurley's writing and wow can he write!  It's like Andrew Michael Hurley studied horror writing at the University of Stephen King and graduated with first class honours.  

Starve Acre is a very creepy place, reputed to have had an old hanging tree on the land of which Richard is searching for evidence.  When his son Ewan was alive, Ewan claimed to be able to see this fabled tree and Ewan could also hear the voice of scary legend Jack Grey, telling him to do certain wicked things.  Richard's wife, Juliette, is obviously suffering terribly after the loss of her son but she claims to see Ewan in the house.  The story gets really spooky when Juliette invites a group of occultists into her home and even the leader of the group is creeped out by the house.

Starve Acre is deeply atmospheric, as well as being very weird and horrifying but I rather liked it.  Not only due to the lack of chapters, but because of the increasingly intriguing and spooky storyline, it's a book that is very difficult to put down.  To say that it is weird would be an understatement; if you think Stephen King books are weird then Andrew Michael Hurley is like Stephen King on steroids.

Starve Acre is a difficult book to recommend to all as it fits more of a niche group of readers; you definitely need to have an open mind and not take your fiction too seriously.  If you're looking for something different with a hint of the supernatural and a huge dollop of weird, then you'll love Starve Acre.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: What Nobody Knew - Amelia Hendry

My story begins aged 3, when my mother abandoned me and left me with my brutal father to raise me. Nobody knew the secrets that went on inside that house, or the journey that I travelled on after leaving it, until now. This is the story of my survival.

What do you do when no one wants you?

How many people need to destroy a child until that child wants to destroy herself?

What if social services always got told a different story?

What would you do if you were in my position?

Survival is key.


What did I think?

What Nobody Knew is a very difficult book to read, purely because it is the author's shocking true story.  There's no escaping the fact that it is a true story with the inclusion of real reports and letters documenting Amelia's life, which at times left me open mouthed in shock that nothing was ever done to help her.  

It's a very harrowing account of parental abuse and the absolute failure of social services.  Thankfully, Amelia doesn't go into too many details of her abuse, which would have been far too difficult to read so I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to write.  I often had to pause at the end of the chapter to contain my fury at her father, step-mother and social services.  I'm sure social services do some good work but when they get it wrong, they get it SO wrong.  Their mistakes actually ruin people's lives and that's not something I would want on my conscience so it's definitely not a job I could do.  I just think there is often too much red tape and bureaucracy that they forget there is a vulnerable person at the centre of it all who needs their help.

Amelia Hendry's heartbreaking yet inspirational story, What Nobody Knew, is one that will stay with me for a long time.  I can't even imagine the trauma she went through and it takes such great strength to be able to relive her story and show the world that in spite of it all, she survived.  It's survivors like Amelia who deserve to be awarded the O.B.E. for finding the strength to speak out and to help others.  

Amelia has finally found a voice that people listen to and take notice, so if her story helps even one person to spot the signs of abuse or gives someone the courage to speak out against their abuser then it's a job well done.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Amelia is a mum and a survivor. She wrote her book What Nobody Knew to help other people who have been through similar experiences and to educate people who are unaware of what goes on behind closed doors. She has no previous writing experience, she’s just one person who wants to change the world for the better. She also loves cats and reading In her spare time.

Twitter: @AmeliaHendrey

http://Www.facebook.com/ameliahendreyauthor

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