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.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Where Do I Go From Here? - India Rigg

Another thing checked off Seffy's list - a promotion before she's thirty! But that's not the kind of thing you can brag about on Facebook - that's reserved for engagements, weddings and photos of adorable little children. When it comes to those milestones, Seffy's struggling; she's divorced, heart-broken and reeling from a recent infertility diagnosis.

Then her best friend suggests she takes a sabbatical, goes travelling, and creates a new list - one full of mile-high clubs, hot strangers and sketchy mushrooms. Maybe amongst all that chaos, she might find a way back to herself - even if that way involves travelling halfway around the world.

But when life's a series of negatives, how far would you go to find a positive?

 

What did I think?

Where Do I Go From Here? is a really fun book to read but it also covers serious topics such as work/life balance, infertility, miscarriage and divorce.  I really enjoyed Seffy's story and my heart was breaking for her as we relive her struggle to conceive through her letters to Aphrodite.

Seffy is approaching her thirtieth birthday as a childless divorcee and the only thing left to tick off her list is a promotion at work.  Seffy is a workaholic and her job is the only fulfilment she has in her life, but there's more to life than work and Seffy is about to find that out.  Seffy's bag is packed and she's off travelling for nine months!

I loved Seffy's relationship with her friend Harry and I was fuming at Luke for divorcing her at her lowest ebb, however, there are always two sides to every story and I was guilty, as usual, of jumping to conclusions.  

India Rigg tackles the difficult subject of infertility with honesty and sensitivity and it really makes you think about what's hiding behind people's smiles.  It's surprising how many couples suffer from infertility and/or have experienced miscarriage so what you may think is an innocent question: 'Do you have children?' is like sticking a knife into their heart and giving it a good twist while you're in there.

Heartbreaking and humorous in equal measure, Where Do I Go From Here? is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It's beautifully written to perfectly balance light-hearted fun with sensitive and emotional subjects.  I wish I'd read it in my thirties when I treated work as my life.  

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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About the author:

Born in North Norfolk, India grew up along its picturesque coastline before leaving to study Cell Biology at Durham University and embark on a career in Marketing.  Expanding from the tiny towns of East Anglia to the hustle and bustle of the big city made her see the world for all its wonders and faults - it's a big place to try and change yourself but India wants to give muted societal issues a voice and give scary topics a friendly face. She believes all good ideas come from a spicy Bloody Mary, a niche documentary and over-hearing conversations in cafes.

Follow India Rigg on Instagram: @indiegram__

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BLOG TOUR: Waiting for the Miracle - Anna McPartlin

 

2010

Caroline has hit rock bottom. After years of trying, it's clear she can't have children, and the pain has driven her and her husband apart. She isn't pregnant, her husband is gone, and her beloved dog is dead.

The other women at her infertility support group have their own problems, too. Natalie's girlfriend is much less excited about having children than her. Janet's husband might be having an affair. And then there's Ronnie, intriguing, mysterious Ronnie, who won't tell anyone her story.

1976

Catherine is sixteen and pregnant. Her boyfriend wants nothing to do with her, and her parents are ashamed. When she's sent away to a convent for pregnant girls, she is desperate not to be separated from her child. But she knows she might risk losing the baby forever.

What did I think?

I know it might be hard to believe but I hadn't read an Anna McPartlin book before picking up her new book Waiting for the Miracle, but what a wonderful book it is to introduce me to this fabulous author.  Although I love reading paperbacks, for once I was glad to be reading on kindle as my pages would have been well soggy with all the tears I shed.

Caroline's story starts with a bang when she loses everything in one day.  I was absolutely furious with her husband and his terrible timing but I was more upset about the dog.  The author's ability to produce such emotions in the reader at such an early point in the book is astonishing.  I knew I was in for a ride on the emotional rollercoaster from the very start and what a ride it is.

The addition of Catherine's story in a dual timeline that takes the reader back to 1976 Ireland is completely heartrending, it's a disturbing time where young pregnant girls were sent away to give birth in convents.  It's a true story we hear often with babies being separated from mothers and searching for them many years later, only to be hit with a brick wall as the church closes ranks.  Catherine's treatment in the convent is disturbing and shocking, especially when she gives birth.  I don't know how nuns such as these managed to live with themselves, all the while believing they are doing a forgiving God's work.

Caroline is part of an infertility group and I loved all of the women in the group.  Newcomer Ronnie seems to be holding back so my desire to uncover her story was immense.  I was also incredibly intrigued to find out how Catherine's story was going to fit into the storyline and I had an idea but of course I was wrong.  Reading books is one time when I love being wrong; it means that the author has successfully misdirected me and given me a wonderful surprise.

Heart-shatteringly breathtaking, I read Waiting for the Miracle with a lump in my throat and I was left in bits at the end.  I lived and breathed these women's lives with them, fully experiencing every moment of joy and sadness that rendered me powerless to stop the tears from falling.  

A stunning and very highly recommended novel but make sure you have a packet of tissues handy while you're reading.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Anna McPartlin is a novelist and scriptwriter from Dublin, who has written for TV serial dramas featured on BBC UK, RTE Ireland and A&E America. She has been writing adult fiction for over ten years, and also writes for children under the name Bannie McPartlin. She lives with her husband Donal and their four dogs.

To learn more about Waiting for the Miracle follow Anna on Twitter at: @annamcpartlin & Instagram: @mcpartlin.anna

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BLOG TOUR: Through the Wall - Caroline Corcoran

Lexie’s got the perfect life. And someone else wants it…

Lexie loves her home. She feels safe and secure in it – and loved, thanks to her boyfriend Tom.

But recently, something’s not been quite right. A book out of place. A wardrobe door left open. A set of keys going missing…

Tom thinks Lexie’s going mad – but then, he’s away more often than he’s at home nowadays, so he wouldn’t understand.

Because Lexie isn’t losing it. She knows there’s someone out there watching her. And, deep down, she knows there’s nothing she can do to make them stop…

A compelling, heart-racing thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder long after you turn the last page. The perfect read for fans of Louise Candlish and Adele Parks.

What did I think?

What a clever book Caroline Corcoran has written for her debut, it's a book I can't stop thinking about and quoting a particular part of it.  It really got under my skin and scared the hell out of me, to the point where I was simultaneously scared to read about certain events unfolding but also couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened.  All because of a character called Harriet, who gives her neighbours, Lexie and Tom, the impression she has the perfect life but she is actually stark raving bonkers.

Everyone who reads this book will hate Harriet; she's not just crazy, she's dangerously unhinged.  We know she has done something bad in her past after her break up with her boyfriend, Luke, but when she catches a glimpse of her neighbour, Tom, and thinks he is the spitting image of Luke she sets her sights on Lexie's boyfriend.  Just how far she is willing to go to get him shows how dangerous she really is.

It's really interesting that Harriet envies Lexie and Lexie envies Harriet, despite them having never met.  From glimpses they see and snippets they hear, they have scrambled together a frankenstein jigsaw of each other and come to the conclusion that the other has the perfect life.  It couldn't be further from the truth with Lexie struggling with infertility and Harriet being a total fruit and nut.  Having spent a little time in an apartment in London, Caroline Corcoran has really shown an element of the North South divide that I had completely forgotten about; in the North, your neighbours would have you in for a cuppa before you'd unpacked, but in the South you don't have a clue what your neighbours even look like.

Harriet sets off on a campaign to get inside Lexie's head and part of this involves online bullying.  It's good to remind us now and again that anyone can be absolutely anyone online and I found this scarily realistic.  Harriet takes her online bullying to another level though; not simply content with posting nasty comments on Lexie's appearance on social media she thrives on listening to the effects of these attacks through the wall.  That's not even close to the worst thing that Harriet does, but you'll just have to read the book to find out what else she gets up to.

I think Lexie's infertility issue was handled superbly and really helped the reader get inside the head of someone going through this.  Lexie's life revolved around having a baby, and Tom's life to a degree, but it was Lexie who had it on her mind every waking minute.  Their life became all about calendars, alarms and appointments and they lost so much time just being a couple so it's no wonder that suspicions started to appear when they were under so much emotional strain.

I mentioned earlier about a particular part I keep quoting and it's about how we perceive ourselves and other people.  Caroline Corcoran hit the nail on the head when she said we put a rose coloured tint on others but apply a horror filter to ourselves.  We humans do love a good bit of self-flagellation and I've always said that nobody can be as hard on me as I am on myself.

A brilliant, clever debut and a definite page turner, I really enjoyed Through the Wall; I think it's clever, scarily realistic and creepy as hell (not in a ghostly way, but in the way that you never know what mad hatter Harriet will do next).  Beware though, it'll definitely have you looking at your neighbours in a new light and wondering what madness lurks inside them.

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

My rating:

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The Doll House - Phoebe Morgan

You never know who’s watching…

Corinne’s life might look perfect on the outside, but after three failed IVF attempts it’s her last chance to have a baby. And when she finds a tiny part of a doll house outside her flat, it feels as if it’s a sign.

But as more pieces begin to turn up, Corinne realises that they are far too familiar. Someone knows about the miniature rocking horse and the little doll with its red velvet dress. Someone has been inside her house…

How does the stranger know so much about her life? How long have they been watching? And what are they waiting for…?

What did I think?

Yikes!  What a total creep-fest.  When I was younger, I used to really dislike people watching me.  Not that I was ever interesting enough to look at, but I just didn't like the idea of someone watching me eat, drink or read when I was completely unaware.  So the strapline of The Doll House attracted my attention immediately as you really don't know who's watching you.

Corinne and Ashley are sisters who are both grieving for their father and struggling with troubles of their own.  Corinne is desperate for a baby whereas Ashley has 3 children and, although she loves Ashley's children, it's getting harder for Corinne to cope being around them. Corinne is naturally very fragile and her partner, Dominic, is a reporter so he never seems to be around to support her.  When Corinne finds a piece of a doll house at her front door, she doesn't feel threatened...but she should.  As more pieces start to arrive: at her work and inside her home, the already fragile Corinne feels as if she's falling apart...and that puts her just where her tormentor wants her.

I literally couldn't put it down, so I read The Doll House in a day as I was immediately drawn into the web of intrigue that Phoebe Morgan has created.  Seriously?  Is this a debut?  I had to double check as it is such a top quality psychological thriller.  There is so much tension is all relationships that I suspected everyone of tormenting Corinne.  After all who would have access to the old doll house?  We are also shown glimpses into a story from the past, but whose story is it? 

I read most of The Doll House covered in goosebumps and if that's not a sure sign of a five star book, I don't know what is!  A highly recommended read - it will definitely get under your skin, play with your mind and creep you out.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Moondance - Diane Chandler

I've made no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of Blackbird Digital Books and its sister imprint, Nightingale Editions.  Their books are so unique, outstanding and memorable that I know I am guaranteed not just a good book, but I book I will remember and recommend for years to come.  Moondance is certainly one of those books and I am delighted to take part in the blog tour with a review and a giveaway.

This is one book you don't want to miss so make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of my post.

Bittersweet, at times funny, and always emotionally raw, this is by far the most moving and honest novel you'll ever read about IVF and its impact on a marriage.

How can you long for someone who doesn't exist?

Cat has always been in control of her life. Happily married to Dom, but flying high as a political lobbyist, she dismisses his desire to start a family ... until she herself is ready.

But what if it is then too late?

Complex and selfish, intelligent and open, if she is to succeed in having that elusive child, Cat must battle through gruelling fertility treatment and the emotional strain it places on her marriage. By her side, Dom, easygoing and ever the optimist, finds that he too risks being run ragged by their journey.

Both are forced to come to terms with their longing for a baby against the blitz on a relationship tested like never before.

By the winner of The People's Book Prize for Fiction 2016

A rare, raw, engaging fictional account of the traumas of infertility told with frankness and humour.

What did I think?

Moondance is one of those books that you come to the end of and realise that you have just experienced something so very special.  I can tell you now that it will be in my top books of the year.  There is so much emotion within the pages that I often felt so much despair that I could have cried, then something would happen to lift my mood and I would end up wiping away tears of laughter.

Cat and Dom seem like the perfect high flying couple.  They both have good jobs and Cat is so proud of her career that most of her clients were guests at her wedding.  I mean Dom was so selfish for wanting some of his family there when Cat had more clients to invite!  I did actually wonder sometimes as to how matched Cat and Dom really were.  Dom was already in a relationship when Cat first met him.  He was unashamedly drawn to Cat and couldn't get her out of his head.  Surely it's fate and they are meant to be, but fate has dealt a cruel blow when the couple try to conceive to complete their family. 

They are both from very different familial backgrounds.  Dom comes from a loving family where his parents and siblings remain close in adulthood.  Cat, meanwhile, is from a broken family with a mother she barely sees and who she calls 'Lizzie' rather than mum.  Cat is quite close to her brother, Billy, and is a confidante to her niece, Daisy.  It is probably due to her family history that children weren't really on Cat's 'To Do' list but it's always the same old story: wanting something you can't have always makes you want it more.

So the couple turn to IVF with so much hope at the start - Cat has never failed at anything in her life!  As time goes on and each failed procedure takes its toll on their relationship, it isn't long before the fingers of blame are pointed.  You'd think it wouldn't matter who's fault it is, but once that thought is out there, there's no going back.  Every argument, every upsetting moment, out comes the accusation of fault and blame.  Are Cat and Dom strong enough to overcome it all?  I actually felt like I went through the IVF with them, I had hope at the start and then I felt my heart plummet at the same time as Cat realised her procedures had failed.  Diane Chandler has cleverly created some very multi-layered characters -  as each layer is peeled away, I felt my allegiance swing from one to the other.  I made some assumptions from my first impressions and it was fascinating to see how my feelings towards each character changed throughout the book. Everyone seems to be hiding a secret in Moondance; some secrets are funny and some might even be relationship breakers.

Obviously, the thread running throughout the book is the IVF procedure, but there's so much more to Moondance than a couple trying to conceive.  The strong theme for me was family: not the incomplete (in their eyes) family of Cat and Dom, but the family they already have.  Cat has brushed aside some of her family but at difficult times you can always rely on the people who love you.  A strong family is invaluable, they experience every high and low of our lives with us.  Diane Chandler has completely captured the effect of infertility and IVF on every single person in Cat and Dom's life in this honest and candid account.  I think we've probably all been guilty of asking the seemingly innocent question: 'Do you have children?' but you just never know how distressing and devastating the answer to that question might be for some people.

Moondance is an outstanding novel that completely bewitched me from start to finish.  Written so beautifully with such powerful emotions, I really felt as though Diane Chandler had left a piece of her heart within these spellbinding pages.  It's definitely going to be one of my top books of the year and I enjoyed it so much that I plan to read it again.  It's not often that I mark a book for re-reading so that's a Bookmagnet seal of approval right there!  

I chose to read an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own

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Win an ebook of Moondance by entering the giveaway now!  Open internationally, winners will be chosen on 6th November and contacted via email.  Good luck!

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