Keep It in the Family - John Marrs

In this thrilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past.

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a shocking message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their home was once a real-life murder house, with the evidence still concealed within the four walls.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Tormented by the terrible things she saw, she is desperate to dig into the past to find answers.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family—but will the previous tenants stop her from discovering their secret?

 

What did I think?

Keep It in the Family is another cracking novel from the Master of Shocking Twists, John Marrs.  What a dark and twisted mind you have, Mr Marrs! 

The story is told from several points of view and brilliantly interspersed with excerpts from various media such as newspapers, TV documentaries and even an autopsy report.  Mia never really settled into the Hunter family after she married Debbie and Dave's only son, Finn.  Not matching up to Finn's perfect ex-girlfriend and failing to produce a grandchild doesn't help her case with the in-laws.  Mia and Finn's relationship is strong though, isn't it?  

Mia and Finn's relationship is well and truly tested when they buy an old house and Mia finds out that she's pregnant.  Their own home and a much wanted baby should be the stuff that dreams are made of but, as this is a John Marrs book, it turns into a nightmare.  The gruesome discovery in the attic sets off a chain of events that keep the pages turning at a rate of knots until all of the secrets are revealed.

So fast-paced I'm surprised I didn't have blisters on my fingers as I whipped the pages over at full speed, Keep It in the Family is deliciously dark and incredibly twisted.  This is a book that you will be up all night reading once you pick it up, which is just as well as the disturbing plot will give you nightmares.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Stargazers - Harriet Evans

'Don't you think there should be a name for people like us?' he said. 'Who look up and who dream of more, who dream of escaping? Who never lose faith, no matter how hard it becomes?'

'Stargazers,' I said. 'That's what we are'

It's the 1970s, and Sarah has spent a lifetime trying to bury memories of her childhood: the constant fear, the horror of her school days, and Fane, the vast, crumbling house that was the sole obsession of her mother, Iris, a woman as beautiful as she was cruel. Sarah's solace has been her cello and the music that allowed her to dream, transporting her from the bleakness of those early years to her new life with her husband Daniel in their safe, if slightly chaotic, Hampstead home and with a concert career that has brought her fame and restored a sense of self.

The past, though, has a habit of creeping into the present, and as long as Sarah tries to escape, it seems the pull of her mother, Fane Hall and the secrets hidden there cannot be suppressed, threatening to unravel the fragile happiness she enjoys now. Sarah will need to travel back to Fane to confront her childhood, and search for the true meaning of home.

Deliciously absorbing and rich with character and atmosphere, The Stargazers is the story of a house, a family, and finding the strength inside yourself to carry on.

 

What did I think?

You can't help but be drawn to The Stargazers by its beautiful cover and it's as beautiful inside as out.  This is the story of the Fane family and the stately home that has been in their family for decades but is crumbling to dust around them.

Set in a dual timeline where we meet Iris in 1922 and her daughters Sarah and Victoria in 1969 to 2020.  Iris has been driven mad by Fane Hall falling into the hands of her father's brother, Uncle Clive.  It's her house!  As she keeps telling everyone, and it would have been her house if only she had been born a boy.  Iris's obsession with Fane Hall has driven a wedge between her and her daughters and it has also fractured the relationship between the sisters.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to see how Iris treats her daughters.  All that matters to her is Fane Hall and she is determined to get her Uncle Clive out of her house.  It's a deep-rooted simmering feud but it has taken over the whole of Iris's life and she has missed out on so much.

Sarah is living her best life in her new home with her husband, Daniel and their two daughters.  Sarah doesn't know how to be a mother and my heart really went out to her as she struggled to adjust to motherhood while Daniel entertains his entourage of local ladies who hang on his every word.

There is so much going on in this book from school bullying that horrified me to an incident with a tree that I am still laughing about now.  It's one of those books that make you experience the full spectrum of emotions and there are some stunning surprises in store for the reader that I didn't see coming at all. 

The Stargazers is beautifully written with an intriguing plot and a powerful message about home, which really is where the heart is.

I received a hardback copy to take part in the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The House That Made Us - Alice Cavanagh

One Day meets Up: The House That Made Us is a love story – and a life story – told through a series of photographs and based on a true story

 

When Mac and Marie marry and find a home of their own, Mac takes a snap of themselves outside their newbuild bungalow, the garden bare and the paint on the front door still wet. It becomes a tradition, this snap, and slowly the photographs build into an album of a fifty-year partnership.

 

Every year they take a photo and though things change around them – the garden matures, the fashions change, they grow older – the one constant is their love. Every year, come rain, come shine, from the Seventies through the decades, every photo tells the story of their love.

 

Until the last photo, where the couple becomes one, and their story comes to an end…

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I am a total blubbering mess after reading this outstanding book.  Knowing that it was based on a true story, I was reaching for my tissues just reading the dedication at the front, and that wasn't the only tear I shed.  Yes, it's heartbreaking but it is filled with so much love and I enjoyed every beautiful moment.

I simply adored Mac and Marie and how their story played out over a series of photographs in a treasured album.  It's an album that has found its way into new hands where each photo is discovered for the very first time.  It's a dual storyline of sorts, as the photo album is being looked at in the present day and each photo tells a story from the past.   

The characters are larger than life and Mac and Marie instantly found a way into my heart.  It's nostalgic at times as the decades pass and colour choices fade but Mac and Marie's love grows stronger.  Every anniversary they take a photo in front of their house and I couldn't read fast enough to discover their story, whilst simultaneously dreading the final chapter as I was so emotionally invested.

Emotional doesn't even begin to describe The House That Made Us and to say that Alice Cavanagh put me through the emotional wringer is an understatement, however, it's an emotional journey I feel privileged to have been on.

Beautifully written and filled with heart and soul, The House That Made Us is a stunning novel of a full and happy life, with inevitable tears at the end (and the beginning and everywhere in between).  Have your hankies at the ready as you discover Mac and Marie's story for yourself.  An easy five stars and more - completely unmissable and very highly recommended.

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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Thunderstone - Nancy Campbell

‘It was believed lightning would not strike a house that held a thunderstone. And so these fossils were placed on top of clocks, under floorboards, over stable doors . . . But there are some storms that thunderstones cannot prevent.’

In the wake of a traumatic lockdown, Nancy Campbell buys an old caravan and drives it into a strip of neglected woodland between a canal and railway. It is the first home she has ever owned.

As summer begins, Nancy embraces the challenge of how to live well in a space in which possessions and emotions often threaten to tumble – clearing industrial junk from the soil to help wild beauty flourish. But when illness and uncertainty loom once more, it is this van anchored in the woods, and the unconventional friendships forged off -grid, that will bring her solace and hope.

An intimate journal across the space of a defining summer, Thunderstone is celebration of the people and places that hold us when the storms gather; an invitation to approach life with imagination and to embrace change bravely. 

What did I think?

Having loved Fifty Words for Snow, I was keen to read more of Nancy Campbell's writing and her latest book Thunderstone is her true story.  I don't often read memoirs as I find they take me too long to read, and I have 'so many books, so little time', but I read Thunderstone in two sittings.

Nancy's Campbell's writing is as beautiful as ever and the rhythm of the book is as natural as breathing as it flows from month to month, observing the changing seasons.  I feel completely honoured that Nancy has shared her story with me (and all the other readers of her memoir, of course).  At times it's heartbreaking but Nancy's resilience and fortitude gives her the strength of character to overcome any difficulty.  

There's a strong sense of community in Thunderstone and I loved how the barge folk welcomed Nancy and her little caravan into their fold.  Nancy's friendship with Sven is wonderful to read and some of their entertaining interactions often had me laughing out loud.  Some of the stories really shouldn't have been funny but it really is the way she tells them!

Written with raw honesty and beautifully poetic observations, Thunderstone is an exceptional memoir and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.  It was my absolute pleasure to read it.

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

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BLOG TOUR: Home - Penny Parkes

 

A gripping and heartfelt story about overcoming the past and finding where you belong.

 

Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives - caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.

 

But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.

 

Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.

Compelling, rich and evocative, Home is Anna’s journey to discovering that it isn’t where you settle down that matters, but the people you have around you when you do. 

What did I think?

I can't believe that Home is the first book by Penny Parkes that I have read but oh my word I loved it.  I love how the cover of the book perfectly encapsulates the variety of homes in this wonderful novel about Anna Wilson's search for a home to call her own.

Housesitting for the rich and famous sounds like a wonderful job...at first.  Wouldn't we all love to see how the other half live?  Of course the downside of that is moving from house to house and living out of a suitcase but Anna is used to this as her life in foster care saw her constantly on the move.  Anna's backstory has resulted in her stuck in a cycle of moving from house to house, afraid to push the pause button and settle down in her own home in case happiness is cruelly ripped away from her.

I absolutely adored the wonderful character of Anna, from her unwavering professionalism in the face of adversity to her undying love for her friend Kate.  Page by page her story curled around my heart like creeping vines until they bloomed in a torrent of tears at Anna's graduation.  I was so proud of Anna, she felt like my best friend and I didn't even realise I was crying until tears dripped onto the page.  

There are multiple layers to this fabulous story that kept me completely engrossed and totally immersed in the book, as evidenced by my tears.  Home really does feel like it contains the full spectrum of emotions as it evoked so many emotions in me.  Above all I felt incredible gratitude for my own home life and it made me consider how our childhood has the power to influence our adulthood.  

Warm and uplifting, Home is a compelling and surprisingly emotional novel.  It was an absolute delight to read and I'm definitely going to check out Penny Parkes' earlier novels.

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

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BLOG BLITZ: No Place Like Home - Rebecca Muddiman

What would you do if you came home to find someone in your house?

This is the predicament Polly Cooke faces when she returns to her new home. The first weeks in the house had been idyllic, but soon Jacob, a local man, is watching her.

What does he want and why is he so obsessed with Polly?

In a situation where nothing is what it seems, you might end up regretting letting some people in.

What did I think?

As she is a local North East author, I've wanted to read a Rebecca Muddiman book for a while so I jumped at the chance to read her fifth novel, No Place Like Home.  It took me a little while to get into the book, as the chapters seemed to jump between timelines without notice, but once the pieces started to fall into place I realised what a clever book this is.

I think as readers we are perhaps a little spoiled by having 'then' and 'now' labelled on chapters; sometimes it's obvious and other times it's not.  Well, No Place Like Home falls into the latter category but once you get into the rhythm of the book it does become easier to spot...so bear with it, readers!  I have to be honest and say that I didn't have a clue what the heck was going on at first but I was definitely intrigued enough to find out.  

Polly returns to her new home one evening to find someone in her house; her fear turns to anger as she recognises the intruder when he puts the light on.  We then jump back a few weeks to around the time she moved in and she notices somebody across the street watching her as she draws her curtains for the night.  I hate the thought of being watched without my knowledge so I totally empathised with Polly; she should feel safe and secure in her own home, not threatened and afraid.

When we find out that the man watching her is Jacob, an old schoolfriend of Polly's, I could feel my interest levels going up a notch.  They weren't exactly friends at school but when they run into each other years later, Polly is too nice to say no to befriending Jacob...and Jacob doesn't want to be 'just friends'.  I really felt for Polly when she tells one of those little white lies we often tell people to avoid hurting their feelings, only it means a lot more to them than we realise.  I was thinking 'uh-oh, she's said the wrong thing there' as green for go flashed in Jacob's mind.

Now I can't say too much else about the plot without giving the game away, but I just have to say that I have never been more wrong about a character in my whole reading life.  The feelings I had towards this character did a complete 180 as Rebecca Muddiman shows us how very deceptive appearances can be.

No Place Like Home is sinister, unnerving, creepy and utterly surprising.  I felt as if Rebecca Muddiman had got inside my head and pulled all the right strings before revealing how very manipulated I had  been.  Well played, Ms Muddiman!

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Rebecca Muddiman was born and raised in the North East and worked in the NHS for many years. She has published four crime novels – Stolen, Gone, Tell Me Lies, and Murder in Slow Motion. Stolen won a Northern Writers Award in 2010 and the Northern Crime Competition in 2012. She is also a screenwriter and was selected for the London Screenwriters Festival Talent Campus in 2016.

Most of her spare time is spent re-watching Game of Thrones, trying to learn Danish, and dealing with two unruly dogs. Sometimes all at the same time.

Links:

https://twitter.com/RebeccaMuddiman

https://www.facebook.com/rebeccamuddimanwriter/

https://rebeccamuddiman.wordpress.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7053551.Rebecca_Muddiman

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Local Girl Missing - Claire Douglas

Twenty years ago

21-year-old Sophie Collier vanishes one night.

She leaves nothing behind but a trainer on the old pier -

and a hole in the heart of her best friend Francesca.

Now

A body's been found.

And Francesca's drawn back to the seaside town she's tried to forget.

Perhaps the truth of what happened to Sophie will finally come out.

Yet Francesca is beginning to wish she hadn't returned.

Everywhere she turns are ghosts from her past.

The same old faces and familiar haunts of her youth.

But if someone knows what really happened to Sophie that night then now's the time to find out - isn't it?

Except sometimes discovering the truth can cost you everything you hold dear - your family, your sanity and even your life . . .

What did I think?

Told from two different points of view, Local Girl Missing is one of those intriguing books filled with secrets that you just can't wait to unearth.  Along with the fast pace, I loved the two different voices of the story; that of Frankie returning to her hometown when a body has been found and the voice of Sophie who went missing twenty years ago.  Will the truth about Sophie's disappearance be revealed at last?

Frankie and Sophie were friends but, like all friendships, had their ups and downs with Frankie often appearing possessive and jealous of Sophie.  The girls may not have always got along but a secret binds them together as they are the only people who know what really happened when a local boy fell off the pier.  History repeats itself when the same thing appears to happen to Sophie, but without a body nobody is certain what really happened to her.  It is only twenty years later that a body is found and Sophie's brother, Daniel, asks Frankie to return home to identify the body with him.  Frankie is haunted by visions of Sophie and other strange things keep happening to her.  Somebody is watching and playing with Frankie's mind...

This was quite a tense story, my tension often exacerbated by the many ghostly goose-bumpy feelings I experienced.  It is filled with small town secrets and Frankie's return seems to have made them bubble to the surface and burst with catastrophic consequences.  Frankie and Sophie had quite a toxic friendship and the flashbacks to the past made it interesting to see the dynamic between these so-called friends.

Although I didn't really empathise with any of the characters, despite disturbing events in their past,  I found the quality of the writing to be excellent.  It was so atmospheric that I felt chilled to my bones and could almost taste the tang of the salty sea air on my lips.  I'll definitely be looking our for any new books by Claire Douglas and I'll make sure to add her debut, The Sisters, to my reading list.

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

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BLOG TOUR: The House - Simon Lelic

Whose story do YOU believe?

Londoners Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.

So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake.

Because someone has just been murdered outside their back door.

AND NOW THE POLICE ARE WATCHING THEM.

What did I think?

Like an episode of the TV show Damages (that tantalisingly shows us the end of the story at the beginning), the cracking prologue of The House gives us a little hint of what we're in for: a knife, a lot of a blood and the fear that something has gone terribly wrong.  The next chapters are almost the personal journals of Jack and Sydney describing what leads up to the bloody knife incident.  It reminded me a bit of The Blair Witch Project as you know something terrible has happened but you must unravel the thread and start at the beginning to find out the whole story.

Jack and Syd are house hunting in London but with a tight budget they are not confident that they will find their dream house.  When a house comes on the market, they join the queue of prospective buyers and put in the best offer they can afford for not just the house but all of its weird and wonderful contents.  They are shocked when their offer is accepted and the house is theirs.  They never quite settle in due to strange noises and unusual smells and, with both parties keeping their unease a secret from the other, it isn't long before cracks start to show in their relationship.

One good thing comes out of their move to this house as Syd is drawn to a young girl who lives behind them, 13 year old Elsie.  The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as they perhaps have more in common than they first realise.  My heart went out to Elsie, as she hurtled towards the dark and dismal depths of despair and I really did hope that Syd was her light at the end of the tunnel.

With jaw-dropping cliffhangers at the end of almost every chapter, this is a book that you will not be able to put down.  It didn't quite go in the direction that I expected as it started out quite creepy: I think I was expecting 'The House' to play a bigger part, although it does play a key role in the story.  It is so fast-paced that you should prepare your eyes for a good workout because you will speed read your way through The House in no time at all.

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

My rating:

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The Forever House - Veronica Henry

Would you know your forever house if you found it?

Hunter's Moon is the ultimate 'forever' house. Nestled by a river in the Peasebrook valley, it has been the Willoughbys' home for over fifty years, and now estate agent Belinda Baxter is determined to find the perfect family to live there. But the sale of the house unlocks decades of family secrets - and brings Belinda face to face with her own troubled past.

What did I think?

I have said previously that I don't read enough Veronica Henry books but with so many books and so little time, I am delighted that The Forever House went straight to the top of my reading queue.  With the boundless charm and sparkling wit I have come to know and love from Veronica Henry, I was completely captivated by The Forever House and started and finished it on the same day.

There is an excellent dual storyline of two very strong women characters: Belinda and Sally who meet when Sally decides to put her beloved family home on the market and chooses Belinda as her estate agent.  Sally's story is quite sad as she doesn't really want to sell Hunter's Moon but rather has to sell due to her family situation.  Belinda tries to make it as painless as possible whilst we learn the stories of these two fabulous women.

Through flashbacks to the 1960's we read about Sally meeting her husband Alexander Willoughby and his eccentric family.  What an absolute HOOT!  There is a scene with a frozen chicken, a hairdryer and the Willoughby's pet where I don't mind telling you I absolutely roared with laughter, I couldn't have kept it in if I tried.  They are such a crazy family but there is much love and laughter in their house, which is why it is so hard for Sally to part with Hunter's Moon.

Belinda meanwhile, throws herself into work as she is more successful in her professional than private life.  She is saving up for her very own forever house and thought she had found it once upon a time but she doesn't like to remember that part of her life as it is filled with painful memories.  Belinda deserves some happiness and you never know what is around the corner for her.

What an absolutely gorgeous book.  From the warm inviting cover to the charming story within, it's a treat from start to finish.  There is laughter but there are also tears and unfortunately such is life.  The Forever House is a perfect life story and I treasured every moment, including the lump in my throat and the tear in my eye at the end.

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

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