BLOG TOUR: Festival Days (The Clapham Trilogy book 3) - Julie Anderson

May 1951

Celebration is in the air with the Festival of Britain and for the first time in years the mood is one of hope rather than hurt.

For Detective Constable Faye Smith, London is not as safe as it seems. The criminal underworld is gaining strength, enjoying a lively existence below the surface. Then two bodies are found in the war-time shelters, a man and a woman. Who are they?

What’s their story? Why were they murdered and how did they end up in the shelters?

Meanwhile, Ellie Peveril is busy with a celebration of a different kind. Ellie does all she can to support her friend but has her own worries, with ex-fiancé Patrick Havistock looming in the shadows. Faye, keen to unravel the mystery of the double murder, finds herself tangled up in crimes that stretch far beyond a simple killing.

Faye and Ellie must face their toughest case yet as their lives change, irrevocably, for the future.

What did I think?

Festival Days is the third and final book in The Clapham Trilogy and it's a real firecracker.  I only joined the series at book two so I enjoyed catching up with DC Faye Smith again but you can definitely read it as a standalone and still enjoy it.

Set in 1951, Faye is a woman in a man's world and it's unheard of to have a woman on the force in the 1950s but her colleagues are more accepting of her now.  Faye's latest case that this book centres around is quite tricky as it looks like a gangland execution so she needs all the help she can get.  

Faye's friend Ellie should be looking forward to her wedding day but she is convinced her ex-fiancé will turn up to ruin her day.  Even with all her own worries, she finds a way to help Faye but it puts her in grave danger.  What a wonderful friendship they have!  It makes me quite sad that this is a trilogy and not a long-running series as I could read more about these amazing characters.

Incredibly atmospheric, gripping and tense, Festival Days is a fantastic conclusion to an outstanding trilogy.  Whilst I'm sad it has come to an end, it does give me the opportunity to read book one for the first time and experience the trilogy in its entirety.  This is a highly recommended read that is sure to pick up new fans to the series.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

Erased - Miha Mazzini

She Doesn't Exist.

Neither Does Her Baby.

Now What?

When a “software error” erases Zala from the system, she discovers that officially, she and her newborn don’t exist.

As Zala fights desperately to prove her existence, and save her child from adoption, she uncovers the Kafkaesque reality of Slovenia’s system — one that erased 25,671 citizens on February 26, 1992.

A chilling thriller about bureaucracy as violence, and one mother’s battle against the state. 

What did I think?

Oh my word, Erased by Miha Mazzini is an emotional and heartrending book that is astonishingly based on real events.  It just blew my mind that this could happen but also reminded me how easy it is to press the delete button on a keyboard.  I thought identity theft was scary but deletion of identity is even worse!  This isn't an imaginative dystopian novel; this deletion actually happened in Slovenia in 1992. Wow!

Zala is about to give birth to her first child so she attends her local hospital, only to be told that she doesn't exist on the computer system.  She is accused of being an illegal immigrant and presented with a bill for her hospital stay, oh and the hospital is keeping her baby.  I can only imagine what Zala felt like and I had feelings of shock, outrage and devastation as I followed every step of her journey as she fights for her baby and her identity.

It's an incredibly emotional read as I really felt for Zala as she is on her own.  She is a very strong character though and there's nothing more powerful than a mother fighting for her child.  Miha Mazzini's evocative writing brings Zala to life so the reader can't help but take her to their heart.  I actually forgot that it was a translated novel when I was reading it so I have to give a shout out to the impeccable translation by Gregor Timothy Čeh.

Shocking, disturbing and harrowing, Erased is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that really makes you think about your own electronic identity and how easily it could be erased.  I would highly recommend this outstanding book to readers of all genres.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Fly on the Wall Press (use code BOOKMAGNET10 for 10% off)

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: A Death in the Afternoon (The Clapham Trilogy Book 2) - Julie Anderson

Summer 1948

London swelters amid post-war reconstruction, while continued rationing and the black-market fuel the rising crime wave. The empires of gangland bosses grow and thrive, protected by corruption and bribery.

During a party in Clapham a student nurse from the South London Hospital for Women and Children dies in a fall from a balcony. Is it an unfortunate accident as the local police believe? Or something more sinister?

The nurse’s friends ask a newly qualified female detective constable to investigate, a woman who is facing difficulties of her own. Before long all are drawn into the criminals’ deadly games, as gangsters jostle for territory and power. With the solution almost within grasp, their lives are threatened and one of them faces a dreadful fate.

Can the others find her before it’s too late?

And what is the truth about...

A Death in the Afternoon?

 

What did I think?

A Death in the Afternoon is the second book in The Clapham Trilogy but it is the first one I have read and I loved it so I can confidently say that it can definitely be read as a standalone.

Constable Faye Smith has just been promoted to detective and in a 1940s police station she epitomises a woman in a man's world.  Faye can take care of herself though, despite any obstacles that are thrown in her way.  Faye used to work in the hospital so she is determined to get to the bottom of a nurse's death - did she fall or was she pushed?

I absolutely loved Faye and when the plot takes a dangerous turn I simply couldn't read fast enough.  My heart was in my mouth as my eyes raced down the page and the clock kept ticking down.  It just shows the immense talent of the writer when a reader cares so much about an already established character that they have only just met.

Gripping, blisteringly fast-paced and incredibly atmospheric, A Death in the Afternoon is unpredictable and unputdownable.  I will definitely be picking up a copy of The Midnight Man to read more of Faye's backstory and I can't wait for book three.  Julie Anderson has certainly picked up a new fan right here!

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

JACK JORDAN BLOGATHON: Do No Harm

It's the start of the Compulsive Readers Jack Jordan blogathon and first up is Jack Jordan's unmissable thriller Do No Harm!  

For my stop on the tour I am resharing my review and if you haven't read Do No Harm yet, I can't recommend it highly enough.

My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…

Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.

As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.

As a mother, I know I must kill him.

You might think that I’m a monster.

But there really is only one choice.

I must get away with murder.

Or I will never see my son again.

Could you kill another person to save your own child?

When heart surgeon Dr Anna Jones returns home to find her son kidnapped, she is forced to make an impossible choice. Kill a high-profile patient on the operating table, or never see her son again.

Told from the perspectives of Anna, her scrub nurse, Margot, who has her own secrets to protect and DI Rachel Conaty, Anna must first make the impossible decision…

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

 

What did I think?

This is THE book that everyone is talking about this year and rightly so as it's BRILLIANT!!  I've been a fan of Jack Jordan since I started my blog in 2015, the same year he wrote his stunning debut, Anything for Her and I have been itching to get my hands on a copy of Do No Harm.  It wasn't in my hands long though as I couldn't put it down.

The characters, the plot, and the writing are all exceptional.  This is the definition of a heart-pounding thriller as the writing is so vivid that I felt like I was in the operating theatre myself.  The different character perspectives add depth to the already gripping story as each character struggles with their own demons.

Any story with a moral dilemma begs the question: "What would you do?" and it's a question that I asked myself over and over again as I was reading.  I think it would be a quick and easy decision for anyone who is a mother but I found that I was able to look at it more objectively.  Anna's not exactly the nicest character so that adds another element into the equation. 

Do No Harm is unputdownable and unmissable - it is definitely the book that everyone should read this year.  I would be very surprised if it's not picked up for TV or film as it's such an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster of a thriller that is so entertaining, gripping and fast-paced from start to finish.

Jack Jordan's star continues to rise and Do No Harm is easily his best novel yet (and I've absolutely LOVED all of his others).  I don't know how he will follow it, but I'm looking forward to seeing him try.  Very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour in May 2022 and I am reposting my review on the paperback publication day.  I chose to read this book (TWICE!) and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Waterstones

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

Follow the tour:

Do No Harm - Jack Jordan

It's paperback publication day for Jack Jordan's unmissable thriller Do No Harm!  

To celebrate, I am resharing my review and if you haven't read Do No Harm yet, I can't recommend it highly enough.

My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…

Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.

As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.

As a mother, I know I must kill him.

You might think that I’m a monster.

But there really is only one choice.

I must get away with murder.

Or I will never see my son again.

Could you kill another person to save your own child?

When heart surgeon Dr Anna Jones returns home to find her son kidnapped, she is forced to make an impossible choice. Kill a high-profile patient on the operating table, or never see her son again.

Told from the perspectives of Anna, her scrub nurse, Margot, who has her own secrets to protect and DI Rachel Conaty, Anna must first make the impossible decision…

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

 

What did I think?

This is THE book that everyone is talking about this year and rightly so as it's BRILLIANT!!  I've been a fan of Jack Jordan since I started my blog in 2015, the same year he wrote his stunning debut, Anything for Her and I have been itching to get my hands on a copy of Do No Harm.  It wasn't in my hands long though as I couldn't put it down.

The characters, the plot, and the writing are all exceptional.  This is the definition of a heart-pounding thriller as the writing is so vivid that I felt like I was in the operating theatre myself.  The different character perspectives add depth to the already gripping story as each character struggles with their own demons.

Any story with a moral dilemma begs the question: "What would you do?" and it's a question that I asked myself over and over again as I was reading.  I think it would be a quick and easy decision for anyone who is a mother but I found that I was able to look at it more objectively.  Anna's not exactly the nicest character so that adds another element into the equation. 

Do No Harm is unputdownable and unmissable - it is definitely the book that everyone should read this year.  I would be very surprised if it's not picked up for TV or film as it's such an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster of a thriller that is so entertaining, gripping and fast-paced from start to finish.

Jack Jordan's star continues to rise and Do No Harm is easily his best novel yet (and I've absolutely LOVED all of his others).  I don't know how he will follow it, but I'm looking forward to seeing him try.  Very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour in May 2022 and I am reposting my review on the paperback publication day.  I chose to read this book (TWICE!) and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Waterstones

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

The Institution - Helen Fields

They’re locked up for your safety.

Now, you’re locked in with them.

Dr Connie Woolwine has five days to catch a killer.

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital, a scream shatters the night. The next morning, a nurse’s body is found and her daughter has been taken. A ransom must be paid, and the clock is ticking.

Forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer. Now, she must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth and use her unique skills to find the girl – before it’s too late.

But as the walls close in around her, can Connie get the killer before The Institution gets her?

 

What did I think?

WOW!  Just WOW!  Do not miss this book!  I have to start my review of The Institution by saying how amazingly brilliant it is.  It's a standalone novel but I was absolutely delighted to be reacquainted with profiler Connie Woolwine and former DI Brodie Baarda who we met in The Shadow Man.  

Set on a criminally insane ward in a remote location, it's fraught with danger as Woolwine and Baarda go undercover to find a murderer after a most heinous crime is committed on site.  It's certainly no mean feat as every man held there is a killer.  Imagine Hannibal Lector being the main character in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Institution is sort of like that.  Are the 'guests' insane or dangerous?  Can any member of staff be trusted?

The increasing danger level had me on high alert throughout the book.  There were several scenes where I gasped out loud or held my breath and I had absolutely no idea who had committed this awful murder, how they'd done it or why.  When all is revealed, the conclusion is immensely satisfying and it left me fist pumping the air (and with a little bit of sick in my mouth - yuk!).

The storyline is very chilling, but it was the last line that gave me goosebumps and chilled me to the bone.  I'm not going to quote it and it could be quite innocent to a lot of people but it really resonated with me as I have been there and regretted it.  I hope it's not something that Connie Woolwine will come to regret and I hope it's a sign that there are more Woolwine and Baarda books to come.

With characters that gave me nightmares, The Institution is gripping, addictive and chilling.  The writing, plot, characters and chilling location are all outstanding and I was left both breathless and speechless at the end.  It's brilliant from start to finish and an easy five stars.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Sometimes People Die - Simon Stephenson

The year is 1999. Returning to practice after a suspension for stealing opioids, a young Scottish doctor takes the only job he can find: a post as a senior house officer in the struggling east London hospital of St Luke’s.

Amid the maelstrom of sick patients, over-worked staff and underfunded wards a darker secret soon declares itself: too many patients are dying.

Which of the medical professionals our protagonist has encountered is behind the murders?

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness what a heartbreaking, emotional and completely addictive read this is.   I wasn't sure whether I was reading a memoir or a thriller at first as it feels so true to life, and perhaps some of the stories are true as the author trained as a doctor, but it's a cracking whodunnit thriller.  

The protagonist is unnamed and their story of working in the NHS is mirrored by thousands of trainee medical staff in real life.  It's almost like all NHS hospitals should have a sign on the staffroom: leave your life at the door.  The stress, the long hours, the lack of sleep and the pressure is so difficult for a layperson to imagine but I was definitely aware of it whilst I was reading this brilliant book. 

It does read like a memoir at first but a serial killer in their midst and a police investigation add an extra dimension to the story.  The prose is also interspersed with true stories of medical serial killers (some I had heard of, others I hadn't) which are not only fascinating but also make you feel as if you're reading a true story.

I didn't realise how emotionally invested I was in the book until I found myself crying at a particularly upsetting and shocking scene.  It made me think of a moment in Grey's Anatomy that also brought on the tears (and it has nothing to do with McDreamy).  I can't say any more as it will spoil the story but it is heartbreaking.

Drug addiction is a large part of the story and instead of being shocked and appalled, I could almost understand why people turn to drugs, if only to turn their brain off and seek an escape.  

I haven't even mentioned the serial killer plot, which is absolutely brilliant in its own right.  How everything fits together like the pieces of a jigsaw is simply breathtaking.  Now that's what i call 'plotted to perfection'.  

I really loved Sometimes People Die; it's highly original, completely addictive, perfectly plotted and utterly heartbreaking.  A very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Simon Stephenson originally trained as a doctor and worked in Scotland and London. He previously wrote Let Not the Waves of the Sea, a memoir about the loss of his brother in the Indian ocean tsunami. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, was a Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4, and a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year.

His first novel, Set My Heart to Five was a Bookseller Book of the Month and was described by the Daily Mail as ‘Funny, original and thought-provoking.’ It has been optioned by Working Title Films to be directed by Edgar Wright from Stephenson’s screenplay.

He currently lives in Los Angeles, in a house where a famous murder took place. As a screenwriter, he originated and wrote the Benedict Cumberbatch starrer The Electrical Life of Louis Wain and wrote the story for Pixar’s Luca. He also contributed to everybody’s favourite film, Paddington 2.

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Do No Harm - Jack Jordan

My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…

Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.

As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.

As a mother, I know I must kill him.

You might think that I’m a monster.

But there really is only one choice.

I must get away with murder.

Or I will never see my son again.

Could you kill another person to save your own child?

When heart surgeon Dr Anna Jones returns home to find her son kidnapped, she is forced to make an impossible choice. Kill a high-profile patient on the operating table, or never see her son again.

Told from the perspectives of Anna, her scrub nurse, Margot, who has her own secrets to protect and DI Rachel Conaty, Anna must first make the impossible decision…

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

 

What did I think?

This is THE book that everyone is talking about in 2022 and rightly so as it's BRILLIANT!!  I've been a fan of Jack Jordan since I started my blog in 2015, the same year he wrote his stunning debut, Anything for Her and I have been itching to get my hands on a copy of Do No Harm.  It wasn't in my hands long though as I couldn't put it down.

The characters, the plot, and the writing are all exceptional.  This is the definition of a heart-pounding thriller as the writing is so vivid that I felt like I was in the operating theatre myself.  The different character perspectives add depth to the already gripping story as each character struggles with their own demons.

Any story with a moral dilemma begs the question: "What would you do?" and it's a question that I asked myself over and over again as I was reading.  I think it would be a quick and easy decision for anyone who is a mother but I found that I was able to look at it more objectively.  Anna's not exactly the nicest character so that adds another element into the equation. 

Do No Harm is unputdownable and unmissable - it is definitely the book that everyone should read this year.  I would be very surprised if it's not picked up for TV or film as it's such an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster of a thriller that is so entertaining, gripping and fast-paced from start to finish.

Jack Jordan's star continues to rise and Do No Harm is easily his best novel yet (and I've absolutely LOVED all of his others).  I don't know how he will follow it, but I'm looking forward to seeing him try.  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:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Waterstones

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

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Half-Past Tomorrow - Chris McGeorge

 

Shirley Steadman, a 70-year-old living in a small town in the North East of England, loves her volunteer work at the local hospital radio. She likes giving back to the community, and even more so, she likes getting out of the house. Haunted by the presence of her son, a reluctant Royal Navy officer who was lost at sea, and still in the shadow of her long dead abusive husband, she doesn't like being alone much.

One day, at the radio station, she is playing around with the equipment and finds a frequency that was never there before. It is a pirate radio station, and as she listens, the presenter starts reading the news. But there is one problem - the news being reported is tomorrows. Shirley first thinks it is a mere misunderstanding - a wrong date. But she watches as everything reported comes true. At first, Shirley is in awe of the station, and happily tunes in to hear the news.

But then the presenter starts reporting murders - murders that happen just the way they were reported.

And Shirley is the only one who can stop them.

What did I think?

As he's a local author, I've been meaning to read a Chris McGeorge book for a while so Half-Past Tomorrow may be his fourth novel but it's the first one of his that I've read.  I always get a kick out of reading books set in the North East and I know the book's setting of Chester-le-Street reasonably well so I felt like I was walking in Shirley's footsteps.

With a storyline that sees into the future, you really do have to suspend belief when reading Half-Past Tomorrow and I'm sure I'll see loads of reviews saying that it's not very realistic.  But that's why it's called fiction, surely?  I like something a little bit weird and unexplainable now and again and this thriller with a difference certainly fits in that category.

Shirley moved to Chester-le-Street after the death of her husband and she volunteers at the local hospital radio station and has joined an embroidery group which stops her from being lonely.  Shirley is literally haunted by the death of her son Gabe as he continually appears in her kitchen and she makes him a cup of tea in his favourite mug.  So even when Shirley is alone, she still has someone to talk to.

When Shirley stumbles across a pirate radio station at work one day, she thinks the presenter has made a mistake with the date.  Surely the news isn't for tomorrow?  But when the news starts to come true and the news reports increase in severity it isn't long before the premonitions of little accidents turn into murder.  Armed with the pertinent details, can Shirley stop the crimes or will everything happen the way it has been reported?

Well I really rather enjoyed my first Chris McGeorge book.  There's so much going on to keep the reader entertained from the mystery of Gabe's death to the future murders.  There's a real sense of community in the book and you get the impression that everybody knows everybody in a small town, which they often do!  I loved the sense that anything could happen in the original and intriguing plot and I found the whole book hugely entertaining from start to finish.

So imaginative and filled with surprises, Half-Past Tomorrow is impossible to guess so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour.  All opinions are my own

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Chris McGeorge studied MA Creative Writing (Crime/Thriller) at City University London where he wrote his first novel as his thesis. His interests are broad - spanning film, books, theatre and video games. He is a member of the Northern Crime Syndicate, a supergroup of writers from Northern England. He lives in County Durham with his partner and many, many animals.

Follow the tour:

Matilda Windsor is Coming Home - Anne Goodwin

In the dying days of the old asylums, three paths intersect.

Henry was only a boy when he waved goodbye to his glamorous grown-up sister; approaching sixty, his life is still on hold as he awaits her return.

As a high-society hostess renowned for her recitals, Matty’s burden weighs heavily upon her, but she bears it with fortitude and grace.

Janice, a young social worker, wants to set the world to rights, but she needs to tackle challenges closer to home.

A brother and sister separated by decades of deceit. Will truth prevail over bigotry, or will the buried secret keep family apart?

In this, her third novel, Anne Goodwin has drawn on the language and landscapes of her native Cumbria and on the culture of long-stay psychiatric hospitals where she began her clinical psychology career.

Find out more on Matilda Windsor’s webpage

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, Anne Goodwin's new novel is completely heartbreaking.  I felt so incredibly upset and angry at events fifty years in the past that altered the course of Matty and Henry's lives.  It's so annoying to think of how differently their lives could have turned out if one selfish action hadn't tore them apart.

Henry barely remembers his sister Matilda who left when he was a small child; all he has to remember her by is a conker that she gave him when she left.  It's almost as if Henry's life has been put on hold waiting for Matilda to return home.  Meanwhile, Matilda has been hidden away in a psychiatric hospital for over fifty years; her mind creating butlers and maids out of the staff to help her cope with her new life and to keep her safe from the evil prince who destroyed her life.  With the hospital facing closure, Matty's life is set to be changed once more.

The whole story is actually written very cleverly and this really makes Matty so unbelievably endearing to readers.  I was sometimes a little confused and unable to differentiate between memories and actual events, which is exactly how Matty must be feeling.  I felt as if I was not only stepping into her shoes but seeing right inside her head.  It's strange but I never really felt as if Matty's memories were unreliable, however, Henry's were a little more cloudy but this is most likely due to him being a child when they were separated.

I absolutely adored Matty; she may be a batty septuagenarian (Anne Goodwin's words) but she's really quite a character.  I am delighted that Anne is writing a sequel so we can continue Matty's journey as I'm missing her already and I really need to know what happens next.

Matilda Windsor is Coming Home is a truly immersive story that really gets under your skin and you can't help but fall in love with Matty, a wonderfully quirky and charming main character of whom I felt incredibly protective.

Many thanks to Anne Goodwin for sending me a digital ARC to review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon 

About the author:

Anne Goodwin grew up in the non-touristy part of Cumbria, where this novel is set. When she went to university ninety miles away, no-one could understand her accent. After nine years of studying, her first post on qualifying as a clinical psychologist was in a long-stay psychiatric hospital in the process of closing.

Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, about a woman who has kept her past identity a secret for thirty years, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her second novel, Underneath, about a man who keeps a woman captive in his cellar, was published in 2017. Her short story collection, Becoming Someone, on the theme of identity, was published in November 2018. Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of prize-winning short stories.

Author links:

Website: annegoodwin.weebly.com 

Twitter @Annecdotist

Link tree https://linktr.ee/annecdotist

YouTube: Anne Goodwin’s YouTube channel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Annecdotist

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anne-Goodwin/e/B0156O8PMO/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Goodwin/e/B0156O8PMO/

Inspired Quill: https://www.inspired-quill.com/blog/anne-goodwin/

Newsletter signup https://bit.ly/daughtershorts

Book purchase links: https://linktr.ee/matildawindsor

BLOG TOUR: Because of You - Dawn French

 

THE EAGERLY AWAITED, LIFE-AFFIRMING AND MOVING NEW NOVEL FROM NUMBER-ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR DAWN FRENCH

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock . . . midnight.

The old millennium turns into the new.

In the same hospital, two very different women give birth to two very similar daughters.

Hope leaves with a beautiful baby girl.

Anna leaves with empty arms.

Seventeen years later, the gods who keep watch over broken-hearted mothers wreak mighty revenge, and the truth starts rolling, terrible and deep, toward them all.

The power of mother-love will be tested to its limits.

Perhaps beyond . . .

Because Of You is Dawn French's stunning new novel, told with her signature humour, warmth and so much love.

What did I think?

Because of You is my first Dawn French book and oh my word it has left me completely broken.  It is such a beautiful, heart-rending story that I struggled to contain my tears from start to finish.  I'm just grateful that my heart isn't made of glass as it would have been completely shattered after listening to chapter 1 and there is still more heartbreak to come.

Read solely by Dawn French, there is something so very special about an author reading their own story; the reading is filled with emotion and the relevant emphasis is placed in all of the correct places.  Dawn French's voice is so familiar but so soothing that I could listen to her for hours, which meant that I was completely enthralled and listened to Because of You at every available opportunity.

I don't want to give away any of the plot other than what is mentioned in the blurb so the story starts as the clock ticks over into the new millennium and two couples are eager to meet their newborn child.  Hope's pregnancy came as a surprise but Hope and her partner, quiet Isaac, are already in love with their baby.  Further along the corridor, politician Julius is already planning the press release for when his wife Anna gives birth.  Neither new mother had planned for what happened next.

As heartbreaking as the story is, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments as you would expect from Dawn French.  Most of my laughs were at the expense of Julius and I'm trying to think of a non-swear word to describe him but 'politician' pretty much covers it!  He's such a self-centred show-off but the way that Dawn French brings him to life meant that rather surprisingly I found him funny rather than annoying.

A heartbreakingly beautiful story, Because of You is a stunning novel that left me so filled with emotion that I struggled to contain it.  Don't be surprised to reach for your tissues when listening to this exquisitely emotional book.

I chose to listen to a gifted audiobook from the publisher and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Follow the tour: