BLOG TOUR: The Memory of Us - Dani Atkins

If you can't trust your head, can you trust your heart?

If she had been found moments later, Amelia's heart would have stopped and never recovered. Instead she was taken from the desolate beach to the nearest hospital just in time to save her life. When her sister Lexi arrives from New York, Amelia's heart is beating, but the accident has implanted a series of false memories. These memories revolve around a man named Sam, and a perfect love story that never existed.

Determined to help her sister, Lexi enlists the help of Nick, a local vet who bears a striking resemblance to Sam. Together, Lexi and Nick recreate and photograph Amelia's dream dates in the hopes of triggering her true memories.

But as love starts to stir between Lexi and Nick, they must navigate a complex web of emotions. How can Lexi fall for Amelia's dream man without hurting her sister?

Filled with breathtaking romance, heart-wrenching emotion, the magic of destiny and the power of sisterhood, The Memory of Us is a must-read for fans of Holly Miller and Colleen Hoover.

 

What did I think?

Dani Atkins is one of my favourite authors so I was delighted to get an invitation to join the blog tour for new noveI, The Memory of Us.  Oh my word, this beautiful book broke me into a million pieces and I didn't simply cry, I sobbed through the second half of it.  I had to put the book down on numerous occasions to dry my eyes or the book would've ended up in as soggy a mess as I was.

A phone call in the middle of the night is never good news and Lexi jumps on the first available plane home to visit her sister Amelia in hospital.  Amelia is lucky to be alive but she's not the same girl as she was before her accident; Amelia thinks that she has a husband called Sam but her family know that Sam doesn't exist.  

It's heartbreaking when Amelia looks to the door of her room every time she hears footsteps in the corridor but she is waiting for a man who will never appear.  Upset and frustrated by her family's doubts about Sam's existence, Amelia draws a picture of him and in a strange twist of fate Lexi meets Nick, who looks just like Amelia's drawing.

This book is filled with so much love that it bursts out of the pages and I absorbed every drop of it into my heart.  I cared about the characters so much that I couldn't contain my emotions and I was so riveted to the book that I kept trying to read even when my eyes were blurring with tears.

The Memory of Us is a beautiful and unforgettable multifaceted love story that is filled with emotion.  I simply adored it and I plan to read it again, although I'm sure I will still cry my eyes out at the same points of the story.  I really can't recommend it highly enough and make sure you have a box of tissues handy when you read it.

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Woman in the Woods - J.A. Baker

I am safe here, in my cottage in the woods where no one knows me or my real name. Here all is peaceful and calm and the real world can’t hurt me – because I know how cruel it can be.

But then I see here again and her pale, white face. Watching me. Taunting me. And then the notes appear.

I know who you really are… I know what you did…

My mind in whirl I don’t know what to do. Now the walls of my cottage feel like a prison. The peaceful woods around me feel like a maze that will trap me forever.

Who is this woman? And what does she want? And can she possibly know what happened during that boiling hot summer of 1976 when I made my terrible mistake. And if so, how?

So many questions paralysing me with fear. One thing I do know.

She must be stopped.

 

What did I think?

I love J.A. Baker books and her new novel, The Woman in the Woods does not disappoint.  Tense, suspenseful and gripping doesn't even begin to describe this fabulous psychological thriller as the main character must be one of the most unreliable narrators I have ever come across.

The main character is an author who lost her memory after a hit and run, which might be a blessing in disguise as she has a very dark secret in her past.  A secret that somebody knows and rather than simply threatening to reveal the secret, she wants retribution.  The simmering tension and increasing sense of unease feels like a cat playing with a mouse before it goes in for the kill.

As the past is gradually revealed, I felt sick to my stomach at the mindless crime committed.  It does give you food for thought as it's an often debated subject about whether children should be given a second chance after they have committed a crime.  They don't have the experience to understand the consequences of their actions but a crime is a crime.  Everyone deserves a second chance, or do they?

Dark, disturbing and incredibly tense, The Woman in the Woods really got under my skin and at several points really made my skin crawl.  It's another corker of a psychological thriller from J.A. Baker and a recommended read.

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

My rating:

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

About the author:

J. A. Baker is a successful psychological thriller writer of numerous books, previously published by Bloodhound. Born and brought up in Middlesbrough, she still lives in the North East, which inspires the settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in December 2022.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewriterjude 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jabakerauthor/ 

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

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BLOG TOUR: Behind Closed Doors - Carol Wyer

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom—she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it. She knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. And she knows her captor was never apprehended.

Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, and she’ll use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. Desperate to find any link between Lyra’s abduction and her own, Stacey forces herself to revisit her forgotten, traumatic past for clues.

But can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?

 

What did I think?

I'm a huge fan of Carol Wyer's novels so I was very excited to read her new novel, Behind Closed Doors and I'm delighted to say that I was not disappointed.  

When Stacey's stepdaughter Lyra is kidnapped, Stacey is forced to revisit her own kidnapping 30 years earlier as the key to finding Lyra is buried deep in Stacey's past memories.  There's a real race against time feel that keeps the pages turning rapidly; if it's the same kidnapper, then we know they're serious as Stacey has the scars to prove it.

As Stacey tries to recover suppressed memories, it creates a dual timeline as the reader finds out what happened to Stacey in 1992 as well as experiencing Lyra's spookily similar kidnapping in 2022.  I was constantly wondering whether it was the same kidnapper or just someone who knew enough about Stacey's past to become a copycat.  You'll have to read it for yourself to find out which one it was!

Behind Closed Doors is gripping, intriguing and incredibly tense.   Once again, Carol Wyer had me on the edge of my seat as I raced through another one of her fantastic page-turners.  A recommended read.

I received a gifted copy to read and review for the Instagram tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People's Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer's crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages. 

A move from humour to the 'dark side' in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

February 2021 saw the release of the first in the much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young. An Eye For An Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia. 

Carol has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly', featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and the Huffington Post. She's also been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ''Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy... who is very, very grumpy. When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter: @carolewyer

Follow her at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carol-E-Wyer/221149241263847 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolwyer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer 

Website : https://www.carolwyer.co.uk

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The Girl on the Platform - Bryony Pearce

 

A missing child. A single witness.

I am the girl on the platform.

When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something terrible: a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes. 

No one knows where I am.

But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she is written off as an attention seeker. Nobody believes her – not even her own husband.

Can you find me? 

But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child’s life… but could delving into the mystery cost Bridget her own?

A dark and absorbing thriller with the impact of memorable series like Broadchurch or The Missing, perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and Erin Kinsley’s Found.

What did I think?

Wow!  What a brilliant debut from Bryony Pearce; I simply couldn't put it down and read it over a 24 hour period.  I have to admit that when I first saw the title I thought it was an attempt to piggyback on the success of The Girl on the Train (even the synopsis mentions it) but The Girl on the Platform is a fantastic book in its own right.  

Bridget has returned to work after her pregnancy, with her husband Tom being a stay at home Dad for baby Alice.  The pregnancy has left Bridget with a body she no longer recognises and vehemently despises which knocks her personal confidence.  As she travels home from work one evening on the train, she sees a young girl being bundled into a white van against her will.  Appealing to the other passengers to confirm what she saw, not one person can corroborate her story, leaving the police and her family questioning whether she really saw anything at all.

It's not surprising that nobody saw anything out of the train window; most people have their heads down engrossed in their various screens these days.  I really admired Bridget for not bowing to peer pressure and standing up for what she believed in, even though she was the only one.  I believed her completely at first but as the story progresses and Bridget is painted as as increasing unreliable character, I could feel doubt creeping into my mind over what Bridget saw that night.

So very addictive, it's impossible to put The Girl on the Platform down once you pick it up.  The plot is outstanding and even though I worked some of it out quite early on, I still absolutely loved it.  This is such an accomplished debut that I am already excited to see what Bryony Pearce writes next; remember that name as she is definitely one to watch.

Very highly recommended and undoubtedly a five star rating for this superb thriller.

My rating:

Buy it from

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Scare Me To Death (Dan Forrester Book 4) - CJ Carver

 

Thirteen survived. Now someone wants them dead.

A homemade bomb exploded mid-air, killing 214 people on board.

Thirteen people survived.

Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally bludgeoned to death. It looks like a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.

Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long-lost father – who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.

Keep on killing to stop the truth from being revealed.

What did I think?

With a horrifying prologue that chilled me to the bone, I knew from the very start that I was going to love CJ Carver's latest novel, Scare Me To Death, and I was not wrong; it's absolutely brilliant.  Although it's the fourth book in the Dan Forrester series, it's the first one I've read so I can state with confidence that it can definitely be read as a standalone. 

Dan is a wonderfully complex character who lost a lot of his memories when he witnessed a traumatic event.  There's something very odd about that as it is only memories from a specific period of his life (and that of the traumatic event) that are missing; it's like they've been erased on purpose and it's certainly piqued my interest and made me want to read more about Dan in the previous books.

As if that wasn't tantalising enough, Dan's old friend DC Lucy Davies has one heck of a back story both in her career and her personal life.  I loved how Lucy's story developed as her family history was untangled whilst she was investigating a brutal murder.  With all this going on, I'm surprised her head didn't explode!

The story of the murder of Kaitlyn Rogers is so perfectly plotted that it left me breathless.  When Dan follows a lead to Morocco I was on the edge of my seat as the danger level increased and I became even more intrigued by what Kaitlyn had discovered that led to her murder.

Gripping from start to finish, Scare Me To Death is a thriller with a capital T.  Filled with danger and intrigue that left me breathless, I couldn't read this fantastic book fast enough.  Very highly recommended and I'll definitely be reading the earlier books in the series now.

Many thanks to CJ Carver for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Girl You Forgot - Giselle Green

I was an early reader of The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green so I was thrilled to get a spot on the blog tour and I was completely over the moon to see my name in the acknowledgements section of the book.  It is my pleasure to publish my review as part the of the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour.

Does the heart never really forget?

When Ava’s partner Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, the doctors give Will one chance to survive - an operation which means he will lose his recent memory. Ava begs him to take the chance, sure that she can cope with Will forgetting her. After all, they have something very special to live for.

But they are also keeping a heart-breaking secret, and if Will loses his memory, Ava will have to carry that secret alone.

Can they rebuild their love from scratch or will their secrets and past come between them? Will Ava really be a stranger when Will wakes up – or does the heart never really forget…

Giselle Green returns with a heart-breaking, deeply moving story of love, loss, and what it really means to be alive. Perfect for all fans of Jodi Picoult, Susan Lewis and Diane Chamberlain.

What did I think?

A heart-wrenching moral dilemma lies at the heart of The Girl You Forgot: should we lie to protect those we love, even if they have asked us to?  Giselle Green has written such a powerful, emotive and thought-provoking book with completely relatable characters that you can't help but wonder what you would do in the same circumstances.

Ava has just found out that she's pregnant when Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.  Will has the hardest decision to make: should he have the operation at the risk of losing his memory or enjoy what time he has left?  Will decides to go in for surgery but only after he makes Ava promise to withhold something from him when he wakes up.  Will's surgery is successful but he has lost all of his memories from the last 7 years; understandably confused to wake up with a girlfriend he doesn't recognise by his side, he asks Ava to promise to always tell him the truth.  What a double whammy!  Poor Ava.

My heart really went out to both Will and Ava.  As lovely as it was to see Will fall in love with Ava all over again, it was heartbreaking when he admits that wasn't able to experience the simplest of emotions: happiness.  Ava is torn between keeping her promise to Will before the op and keeping her promise to Will after the op.  I certainly didn't envy her that moral dilemma!  I loved how Ava confides in gardener, Harry, who has memory loss issues of his own.  Harry has some amazing words of wisdom for Ava, which is food for thought for her and the reader.   

The Girl You Forgot is a beautiful story, beautifully written by Giselle Green.  It's full of heart being heartbreaking, heart-wrenching and heartwarming in equal measure.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Giselle Green is an award-winning, bestselling contemporary women's fiction author. Mum to six boys (half of whom have flown the nest) and owner of one bright orange-and-cinnamon canary who hopefully never will, Giselle enjoys creating emotionally-gripping storylines about family and relationships.

Social Media Links – 

Twitter Profile: @gisellegreenUK

Website: https://gisellegreen.com/

Facebook Profile: Giselle Green Author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/giselle-green

Newsletter sign up: https://bit.ly/GiselleGreenNewsletter

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BLOG BLITZ: The Faerie Tree - Jane Cable

I've got a Rachel's Random Resources Blog Blitz for you today which means you not only get to read my review of The Faerie Tree by Jane Cable, there's also a fabulous giveaway!  Scroll to the end of my post to enter.  Good luck!

HOW CAN A MEMORY SO VIVID BE WRONG?

In the summer of 1986 Robin and Izzie hold hands under The Faerie Tree and wish for a future together. Within hours tragedy rips their dreams apart.

In the winter of 2006, each carrying their own burden of grief, they stumble back into each other’s lives and try to create a second chance. But why are their memories of 1986 so different? And which one of them is right?

With strong themes of memory, love and grief, The Faerie Tree is a novel as gripping and unputdownable as Jane Cable's first book, The Cheesemaker’s House, which won the Suspense & Crime category of The Alan Titchmarsh Shows Peoples Novelist competition. It is a story that will resonate with fans of romance, suspense, and folklore.

What did I think?

The Faerie Tree is quite an unusual book; officially in the romantic fiction genre, Jane Cable writes a story that is so very true to life, warts and all.  Dark in places but uplifting in others, it touches on grief and mental health among many other subjects you would come across in your life.  The book is very much the story of Robin and Izzie from their first meeting, full of hope and excitement for the future, to meeting each other again 20 years later when Izzie is a young widow.

A Faerie Tree

Robin and Izzie finding each other again feels very much like fate, or perhaps the magic of the faerie tree where they once made a wish.  The faerie tree itself is such a magical idea; a lone hawthorn tree growing in a field is said to be a gateway between the human world and the fae.  With their strong beliefs in the little people, I wasn't surprised to read that you can find a lot of faerie trees dotted around the Irish countryside.  People leave gifts and letters on the bark or branches whilst making a wish.  This is such a lovely idea, whether you believe in fairies or not, as we could all do with a little bit of magic in our lives.  

Robin's life has been anything but magical; he seems to have been bombarded with one tragedy after another.  He is such a sensitive soul and very much on the side of 'flight' when faced with fight or flight events.  Robin's constant running away from perceived problems annoyed me a little; I wanted to give him a good talking to but his response to such events is what made him who he is, which is the man that Izzie was meant to be with.

I love how Jane Cable writes such a realistic story; Robin and Izzie's life is not full of hearts and flowers but challenges that they must overcome in order to make a future together.  It did feel like everything happened the way it should have, even though both Robin and Izzie have suffered their own individual heartbreaks in the time they were apart.

Aside from the faerie tree itself, there is a theme running through the book of memory.  Robin and Izzie have very different memories of their first meeting and it is hard to decide whose is correct; Izzie is very convincing and Robin is too easy to be convinced that his memory is wrong.  It is quite thought-provoking to see how two people can remember the same event differently.

Thought-provoking and filled with emotion, The Faerie Tree is a fascinating novel written with warmth and realism.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Jane Cable writes romantic fiction with the over-riding theme that the past is never dead. She published her first two books independently (the multi award winning The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree) and is now signed by Sapere Books. Two years ago she moved to Cornwall to concentrate on her writing full time, but struggles a little in such a beautiful location. Luckily she’s discovered the joys of the plot walk.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @JaneCable

Facebook: Jane Cable, Author (https://www.facebook.com/romanticsuspensenovels/ )

Giveaway

Giveaway to Win PB copies of The Faerie Tree and The Cheesemaker’s House (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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BLOG TOUR: I Dare You - Sam Carrington

AN INNOCENT GAME. A SHOCKING CRIME. A COMMUNITY FULL OF SECRETS.

Mapledon, 1989

Two little girls were out playing a game of dares. Only one returned home.

The ten-year-old told police what she saw: village loner Bill ‘Creepy’ Cawley dragged her friend into his truck and disappeared.

No body was found, but her testimony sent Cawley to prison for murder. An open and shut case, the right man behind bars.

The village could sleep safe once again.

Now…

Anna thought she had left Mapledon and her nightmares behind but a distraught phone call brings her back to face her past.

30 years ago, someone lied. 30 years ago, the man convicted wasn’t the only guilty party.

Now he’s out of prison and looking for revenge. The question is, who will he start with?

What did I think?

What a firecracker of a thriller Sam Carrington his written with her new novel, I Dare You; it's creepy, fast-paced and bursting to the brim with secrets.  The characters are so well developed that I detested some and felt complete empathy for others.  The whole story is so multi-layered it's like peeling an onion with a secret at its core that will bring tears to the eyes of one of the characters.

I got so angry with the characters when I was reading I Dare You because the children of Mapledon are obsessed with playing Knock, Knock, Ginger on the Cawley house.  The children's obsession with the creepy Cawley house reminded me of the spooky Radley Place in To Kill a Mockingbird.  What even makes a house creepy?  Why do children feel drawn to something that scares them so much?  In the case of I Dare You, the children have picked up on the bullying of Bill Cawley by their parents.  There's more than one bad apple in Mapledon and they don't want Bill Cawley in their poisonous village.  The women of the village get together like witches around a cauldron to hatch a plan to get rid of Bill Cawley once and for all.  The lengths they are prepared to go to oust him from their midst is quite shocking and it really ignited my fury at the complete injustice of it all.

The children's game goes badly wrong one day when one little girl doesn't return home and no body is found.  On the 30th anniversary of Jonie Hayes' disappearance, two women return to the village they once called home; Anna returns after a disturbing phone call from her mother that provides the creepy element of the story but journalist Lizzie's return is a little more mysterious as she hides her true identity whilst asking questions about the past, providing an abundance of intrigue and suspense.    I don't want to say anything more about the plot as to do so would spoil the peeling of the onion for other readers.  Suffice to say, Sam Carrington keeps the reader on their toes as each layer unravels to reveal even more deeply buried layers underneath.  

More gripping than a strip of velco, you won't be able to put down I Dare You until all its secrets are revealed.  It's a blistering, suspenseful thriller that got under my skin and made me so furious but I loved every page of it.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




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BLOG TOUR: One Year Later - Sanjida Kay

Some secrets won’t stay buried…

Since Amy's daughter, Ruby-May, died in a terrible accident, her family have been beset by grief. One year later, the family decide to go on holiday to mend their wounds. An idyllic island in Italy seems the perfect place for them to heal and repair their relationships with one another.

But no sooner have they arrived than they discover nothing on this remote island is quite as it seems. And with the anniversary of the little girl's death looming, it becomes clear that at least one person in the family is hiding a shocking secret. As things start to go rapidly wrong, Amy begins to question whether everyone will make it home...

What did I think?

I'm a little behind with my Sanjida Kay books but having absolutely loved her debut, Bone by Bone, I couldn't wait to get my hands on her new novel, One Year Later.  I have to say that I literally couldn't put this book down; when I wasn't reading it, I carried it around with me as if it was superglued to my hand.  It certainly made a lasting impression on me and I felt incredibly emotional as I turned the final page.

The loss of a child is always going to be highly emotional and I found this story heartbreaking from the very first chapter when we are introduced to grieving mother, Amy.  Amy and Matt's daughter, Ruby-May, died the day before her third birthday whilst in the care of Amy's family.  For the first anniversary of Ruby-May's death, a trip to a remote Italian island is arranged for all but one member of the family - the person who Amy and Matt blame for the death of their daughter.  Some members of the family think it is time to forgive but others want to keep the focus of the blame firmly in the direction it is currently pointed.

I love books like this where the characters have things to hide and maybe aren't what they seem.  I felt a bit guilty suspecting them of covering up the truth as ultimately they are all grieving the loss of a little girl, but I knew that there was more to this story than first meets the eye.  I really enjoyed delving into the sibling relationships between Amy and her brother Nick and her sister Bethany.  The chapters are told from either Nick or Amy's point of view so you get a really good feel for the characters and also little discrepancies between their memories that really heightened the intrigue.

I liked how Dante Alighieri's poem The Divine Comedy is mentioned quite a few times in the book; it really seemed to fit into the story as the characters were finding their way through their own personal hell.  Along with some great references to Star Wars, I was also delighted to see an Avery Barkley quote from one of my favourite TV shows, Nashville, being immortalised in print. Sanjida Kay is obviously a fellow Nashie!

Heartbreaking from the start and packed with emotion, One Year Later is an intelligent and engrossing domestic thriller.  Sanjida Kay perfectly encapsulates the intense feelings we have for our family in her stunning new novel.  A definite recommended read and a sparkling five stars from me.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

SANJIDA KAY is a writer and broadcaster. She lives in Somerset with her daughter and husband. She has written three previous psychological thrillers, Bone by Bone, The Stolen Child and My Mother's Secret to critical acclaim.

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BLOG TOUR: Between the Lies - Michelle Adams

What would you do if you woke up and didn't know who you were?

Chloe Daniels regains consciousness in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. She doesn't recognise the strangers who call themselves family. She can't even remember her own name.

What if your past remained a mystery?

As she slowly recovers, her parents and sister begin to share details of her life. The successful career. The seaside home. The near-fatal car crash. But Chloe senses they're keeping dark secrets - and her determination to uncover the truth will have devastating consequences. 

What if the people you should be able trust are lying to you?

What did I think?

I really enjoyed Michelle Adams' debut, My Sister, so I was very excited to read her new book, Between the Lies, and I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed.  The story is intriguing, the pacing is fast and I read it cover to cover one sunny weekend (yes, we do get the odd sunny day up here in the North East).

I loved the idea of Chloe Daniels waking up from a coma and not knowing who she is.  She has no alternative but to believe the people who say they're her family, even though she doesn't like the smell of them.  Chloe thinks her family is lying to her; I know they are, as I've seen the title of the book, so I was suspicious of everything and everybody.  Her dad is controlling, her mother is an alcoholic and her sister is afraid of their dad.  What are they all hiding?  Little gasp-out-loud landmines of truth are exposed at regular intervals to keep the pages turning rapidly and I was completely riveted.

The police are waiting to speak to Chloe about the accident that left her with a brain injury but she can't remember anything about it.  Chloe's dad is a neurologist so he has put himself in charge of her therapy and uses hypnosis to try to help Chloe regain her memory.  I really worried that he may have been inserting false memories as there are certainly some things that he doesn't want Chloe to remember.  I really wanted some things that happened to Chloe to be false memories but life can indeed be cruel.

Between the Lies is a riveting fast-paced thriller that had me completely hooked from the start and didn't disappoint.  I will definitely be recommending this book to my nice-smelling family and friends.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Michelle Adams grew up in the UK and now lives in Cyprus, where she works as a part- time scientist. She read her first Stephen King novel at the tender age of nine, and has been addicted to suspense fiction ever since. 

BETWEEN THE LIES is her second novel following the acclaimed psychological thriller MY SISTER.

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