BLOG TOUR: The Return of Frankie Whittle - Caroline England

Once you enter, will they ever let you leave?

Frankie Whittle has it all: a career in the City, a gorgeous husband and a baby on the way. It's the perfect life, but it's built on sand. In one terrifying night, everything she has worked so hard for unravels.

She needs a fresh start. When she discovers the very place she was born has been converted into a beautiful gated community, it feels like serendipity. After all she's been through, has she found her dream home?

They say you should never go back, that the past is a foreign country, filled with devastating secrets. How far will those around her go to keep their secrets safe? 

What did I think?

The Return of Frankie Whittle is a dark, disturbing and creepy novel that kept me riveted to the page from start to finish.  I do love Caroline England books; if you expect the unexpected you will not be disappointed.

I wasn't that keen on Frankie Whittle at the very start of the book but I was really worried for her as the story progresses.  She returns to her northern home town in a vulnerable state and it puts a strain on her marriage with her husband remaining in London.  Frankie wants to put what happened behind her and put down roots in Manchester and the security of a gated community is just too difficult to resist.

The whole idea of a gated community gives me the creeps as it seems very cult-like and that's before I was introduced to the suspiciously perfect characters that Caroline England has created.  Everyone is just too happy and friendly as they draw Frankie into the fold and I couldn't help but wonder what their motives were and what they were inevitably hiding.  

I have never guessed the twists in a Caroline England book and I'm not about to start now as her imagination knows no bounds.  There are moments where I couldn't understand why Frankie did one thing or another but a lot of that is down to her own state of mind.  The tension is palpable and I could almost hear a soundtrack of ominous music in my head whilst I was reading.

Dark, tense and gripping, The Return of Frankie Whittle is another fabulous page turner from Caroline England.  With so many shocks and surprises in store for the reader, it's difficult to put down and impossible to predict.  A highly recommended read for thriller fans.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours Bookstagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Waterstones

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Starling Dance - Lucy Elena

 

In a sweltering Roman summer, Laure is trying to start a new life. But can she manage in a city where walls have ears, trees have eyes and even the birds are acting strangely?

It’s been exactly one year since the shit hit the fan and Laure's anxiety exploded into a full-blown burn out. In search of a new start she’s moved to Rome – pasta, Aperol and sunshine should make everything better, right?

But with her 30s around the corner, la bella vita isn’t going to plan.

1. Her boyfriend, the dreamy Davide, has disappeared (Either Laure’s been ghosted or he’s accidentally fallen off a cliff – hopefully)
2. She wants to murder her neighbours: their arguments are keeping her up all night.

In her local café, Laure meets a handsome stranger and the sparks fly, that is until she finds herself caught in a big lie.

‘Hmmm, it’s not ideal,’ says her best friend Eva, as she puffs on a spliff in the bathtub.

Just as things are heating up, a talking tree enters the fray (as if this Roman summer wasn’t weird enough, just ask the birds).

That tree is Viviano, a dynamic and adventurous street performer who poses around the Eternal City dressed as a tree, well, sometimes a cat too and sometimes a ripe tomato. He could be thriving in life but something is holding him back. One thing is certain though: he wants to meet Laure.

Will Laure find her path? Will she accidentally put pineapple on a pizza? And is there a real love story to be found in the surreal swirls of the Italian capital?

The Starling Dance is a love story full of quirk, humour and heart-warming characters, each trying to overcome their personal obstacles and demons to give themselves a chance at life and love.

What did I think?

The Starling Dance is a fantastic debut novel from Lucy Elena.  It may be quite a short book with 184 pages but it is packed with drama, fun and romance.  

I empathised with Laure right from the start as both the work burnout and the noisy neighbours are something I have experienced myself.  Laure is such a strong character though; it takes real courage to leave your home and start again in a new country.  If only her boyfriend hadn't gone radio silent and her neighbours would give the arguing a break for once.

It is very funny when Laure meets a new man in a café and what starts off as a small lie suddenly spirals out of control.  The lies just keep on growing and with Laure being so sleep deprived, it's almost certainly going to trip her up at some point.

Interspersed with Laure's story, we are introduced to Viviano who is very observant human statue.  Viviano has been watching Laure, not in a creepy way but in a love at first sight kind of way, but he has never had the opportunity to speak to her...until now.  Oh I loved Viviano and I was rooting for him to get his girl.

As well as the heartwarming and unusual love story, there are lots of laughs in the book and just thinking of a particular scene in Laure's office is making me laugh out loud now.  I'm not going to spoil it but the attempt to get a photo is hilarious.

Beautifully written, incredibly entertaining and completely mesmerising, The Starling Dance is a stunning first novel that makes me very excited to see what Lucy Elena writes next.  A very highly recommended read and one that I would like to read again.

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

My rating:

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

Lucy Elena is a Londoner with a love of languages and exploring new different cultures. For most of her career she has been a journalist reporting across Europe and Latin America. But she has also experimented with career forays into pasta making (yes, like an Italian nonna) and teaching. Lucy has always loved dreaming up and telling stories and The Starling Dance is her debut novel. When not writing or working, Lucy enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying out new foods and pretending she can play the ukulele.

Social Media Links – 

Instagram: lucyelenabooks

Facebook: Lucy Elena

Tiktok: @lucyelenabooks

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BLOG TOUR: The Self-Made Saint - Alexandra Addams

Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. But these days life seems to be playing her right back.

Divorced, orphaned and forcibly retired, 59-year-old Judith is determined to seize the opportunity to leave her broken home in London and move across the world to Australia. Here she reunites with her estranged adult daughter Cassandra - only to land smack bang in the emotional quagmire of her daughter's anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her new granddaughter Emily has a serious health issue, but her offers of help are ignored and rejected.

When an accident knocks her off her feet, Judith is swamped by the kindly care of her nosy new neighbors. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks even herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders. Realizing if she's to have any hope of reuniting her family, this well-meaning but stubborn curmudgeon must learn the power of saying 'sorry' - and what it actually means to be a good person.

A tender and uplifting novel championing the complex realities of family, solidarity and friendship. 

What did I think?

I really enjoyed this fabulous debut novel from Alexandra Addams that has family, in its different guises, at its heart.

59 year old divorcée Judith Drainger has moved halfway around the world to be near her daughter Cassandra.  Cassandra now has a baby with 'That Andrew' but for the life of her, Judith can't remember her granddaughter's name.  So Judith isn't the type of person you immediately warm to but she definitely grew on me.

Judith may have moved from London to Australia but she can't escape her mother's vicious tongue, even though Marigold has passed away.  This constant sniping (in Judith's head) from her mother is what made me warm to Judith as it helps to explain why she is the way she is.  I thought Cassandra could have been a bit more welcoming but she has does have her hands full with baby Emily.

My favourite character was Judith's neighbour Martha, who you immediately think is incredibly nosy but she has a heart of gold.  I really enjoyed reading Martha's story and I loved the whole community spirit of Martha's circle of friends who welcome Judith with open arms.

With a focus on family, The Self-Made Saint is a very heartwarming and entertaining novel that I would highly recommend.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Bad Women (The Brampton Village Mysteries Book 2) - Jennie Ensor

It is a new year and the Covid pandemic is a distant memory for the residents of Wilton Close. If only the sudden death of neighbour Tara Sanderson wasn’t still haunting some of them. But Tara is very much alive in memories, and consciences – in particular, those of friends Ashley Khan, Elspeth Chambers and Clare ‘Bird Woman’ Titchfield.

Then a young woman from a nearby caravan park is found dead in a local quarry. Police conclude it was suicide; she was gravely ill when she died. But is there more to the tragic death than meets the eye?

Attempting to lay ghosts to rest, Ashley becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, finding an unlikely ally in the local police. Her friends insist on helping, too. Clare must make amends after she carelessly let the local vicar snatch her drawing of the scene of Tara’s death. Elspeth seeks atonement for her role in Tara’s unfortunate demise – while doing her best to quell suspicions that the three friends are guilty of a heinous crime.

The trio find themselves trailing the young woman’s suspected killers, pitching them against powerful men determined to keep their own secrets hidden. To stand a chance of defeating their adversaries, the women must find a courage beyond their imagination.

 

What did I think?

I am delighted that Jennie Ensor has written a sequel to The Bad Neighbour as I loved it and I couldn't wait to visit Brampton Village again in The Bad Women.

Elspeth, Ashley and Clare are trying to put the death of their neighbour Tara behind them but Tara is as relentlessly annoying in death as she was in life.  The three women know exactly what happened to Tara and they are never going to have any peace until the threat of discovery no longer hangs over them.  That might be sooner rather than later with a new detective in town...

There are more suspicious deaths in Brampton for the police to investigate with a little help from Brampton's very own bad women.  The writing is exquisite and the plot twists and turns beautifully to keep the reader on their toes.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see how it was all going to pan out (and to discover why there were chillies on the cover) and I absolutely loved it.

The Bad Women is an intelligent and menacing psychological thriller that is completely unputdownable and unmissable.  A very highly recommended read.

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

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Cat Fight - Kit Conway

When the peace shatters in suburbia, the claws come out . . .

Coralie King, Emma Brooks and Twig Dorsett are friends. Sort of. They're neighbours on an exclusive Sevenoaks estate who get along. It's convenient.

But one May bank holiday, Coralie's husband insists he saw a panther on the bonnet of his car. And cracks between the elite of the Briar Heart Estate begin to emerge.

As the summer wears on and there are more sightings, the big cat frenzy reaches a fever pitch. Tensions between neighbours threaten to boil over. Everyone is watching their back. But is the real predator a seventy-kilo cat with razor-sharp claws? Or is the actual danger of a much more domestic variety?

 

What did I think?

Cat Fight is THE most difficult book to read on a readalong as I couldn't put it down.  It's like Desperate Housewives with neighbours who don't really like each other.

Most of the characters have either secrets or history and if that wasn't enough of a hook, the chapters are interspersed with transcripts of people discussing them that made me put on my virtual running shoes and race through the book.  I couldn't read fast enough to discover what everyone was gossiping about.

One of the neighbours claims that he saw a huge black cat that becomes known as The Sevenoaks Panther but it was dark and he's not the most reliable witness.  When more sightings start being reported, you really start to wonder whether there is a wild cat on the loose but some of the neighbours' actions keep adding sprinklings of doubt.

I absolutely LOVED this book.  I have seen Kit Conway referred to as the British Liane Moriarty and that is spot on.  There is so much mystery, suspense and doubt to untangle to get to the bottom of the Mystery of the Sevenoaks Panther.

Intriguing, suspenseful and completely addictive, Cat Fight got its claws into me at the start and refused to let go until I turned the final page.  Even then, I almost wanted to read it again as I read it so fast and might have missed things along the way.  What an outstanding debut (yes it is, I had to check) - Kit Conway is an author to watch and Cat Fight is not to be missed.

I received a gifted ARC for the Insta Book Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Loom in the Loft - Jay Black

Pubescent short story writer Drew has two dreams: to become a New York Times bestselling novelist, and to convince his single, 30-something neighbour Sasha to tutor him in the intimate arts. When an aged, terminally ill neighbour offers Drew the cash fortune stashed in the walls of her house, he enlists Sasha to assist with its post-mortem extraction. Pressed by the looming arrival of the deceased's estranged adult children, both eager to inherit her estate, Drew and Sasha bank on their promise to keep secrets neither can afford to have exposed.

 

What did I think?

Loom in the Loft is a quick read at just 86 pages long but there is a lot going on in the book to keep the reader entertained.

Set in Canada in the 1970s, Drew is 13 years old but he works hard both inside and outside of school to make his single mother proud of him.  Drew mows lawns for his neighbours and he's so highly regarded that one of his elderly neighbours leaves him a life-changing inheritance.  It's one of the younger neighbours who catches his eye though...

Sasha works from home making blankets in her loft and she sees an opportunity to get Drew working for her, keeping her house clean and her bed warm.  It is clear to everyone but Drew that he is being groomed and manipulated by Sasha, but Drew doesn't really care as his wet dreams are becoming a reality.

It's no surprise which direction the story goes in and I was prepared to feel really angry on Drew's behalf but he is so mellow that I ended up having no ill-feelings towards Sasha as both characters got what they wanted in the end.

I really enjoyed the story and felt it was perfectly paced from start to finish.  The only slight criticism I have is that my reading rhythm was slowed somewhat by the conversion to today's money whenever a monetary figure was mentioned.  It didn't slow me down much though!

Nostalgic and captivating, Loom in the Loft is a very entertaining coming of age story and I think it's well worth reading.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: New Gillion Street - Elliot J Harper

 

Straight-laced and content with the comforts of his home on politically-neutral Neo-Yuthea, Albert Smith leads a quiet and unremarkable life. His days are filled with sipping tea with his beloved wife and tending to his cherished garden—a picture of tranquillity in an otherwise chaotic universe. Little does he know that destiny has extraordinary plans in store for him.

When Mr. Zand, an agent of extra-terrestrial chaos, launches his mayoral campaign, the once peaceful colony faces uncertain and unsettling times.  Striking deaths attributed to mysterious forest creatures, forced arranged marriages, and a looming threat of suppressing secret garden meetings propel the community toward the edge of turmoil. In the face of this encroaching darkness, Albert and his neighbours must band together to resist oppression and fight for their freedom before their world collapses.

What did I think?

Well you don't get more escapism from a book than one set in a fictional world and, although New Gillion Street is a little outside of my reading comfort zone, I really enjoyed my virtual visit to Neo-Yuthea.

The Odds and the Evens of New Gillion Street have been living in relative harmony until one of the Odds decides to appoint himself as mayor.  Mr. Zand is an evil little man but he seems to have the Odds wrapped around his little finger and he wins a landslide election.  Then the full extent of his tyranny is revealed...

Albert Smith just wants to live a peaceful life with his wife and children but he stands up for what he believes in, even if that means disagreeing with Mr. Zand.  Good on you, Albert!  Albert's willingness to accept other beings, whatever their appearance, stands him in good stead and also introduces the reader to a fabulous talking gnome.

The world of Neo-Yuthea is beautifully portrayed through Elliot J Harper's vivid prose and I had a clear picture in my mind of New Gillion Street and the unknown area beyond its boundary.  It took me a little while to get into the story as I don't read a lot of speculative fiction but I really got behind Albert's fight to save his community.

Highly original and incredibly imaginative, New Gillion Street is a very entertaining novel with a strong sense of community at its heart.  A recommended read for fans of fantasy or science fiction and anyone looking for something a little different.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Elliot J Harper is a speculative fiction writer who lives in Leeds, England with his wife, Naomi. His short story, In the Garden, won The Molotov Cocktail magazines' Flash Vision 2021 contest. 

He has short stories in print as follows:

The Curious Case of the Speaking Telegraph in the Spirit Machine: Tales of Seance Fiction & Into the Forest in The Wild Hunt: Stories of the Chase by Air and Nothingness Press, There's a Dead Bear in the Pool in Black Telephone Issue 1 by Clash Books, and Blackout in The Protest Issue of Popshot Quarterly Magazine. He has various short stories online in Maudlin House, Storgy, Neon Books, Coffin Bell, Horrified Magazine and Idle Ink. 

His monthly blog, A Brief Chat, hosts interviews with publishers, magazines, authors, and other creatives.

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The Stranger in Her House - John Marrs

Paul’s just here to help, or so he claims—sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen. But for Gwen’s daughter Connie, there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one. He’s a little too kind, a little too involved…Worse still, Gwen seems to have fallen under his spell.

The last thing Connie wants is a stranger meddling in the safe routine she’s built around Gwen. She loves being the one Gwen turns to for cooking, cleaning and company. But the more Paul visits, the more Gwen is relying on him. By the time he conveniently finds himself between homes and has no choice but to move in, Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out completely.

It’s her word against his, though, and as her attempts to unmask him become ever more desperate she’s not the only one left wondering if she’s lost her grip on reality. But when events start spiralling rapidly out of her control, should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever—or has that been his plan all along?

 

What did I think?

Wow this book is so twisty!  The Stranger in Her House is an absolute cracker!  I've read a few John Marrs books and I think that this is his best one yet.

Gwen has her daughter Connie looking after her and she is getting help from a charity in the form of Paul Michael who is doing odd jobs around the house.  With two caring people looking after her, Gwen is luckier than a lot of people who suffer from dementia...or is she?  It is clear that all is not as it appears and something dark and dangerous is hiding beneath the surface.  The reader is immediately compelled to take sides: are you on Team Connie or Team Paul? 

I'm not going to say any more about the plot as it could spoil it for others but just when I thought I had it all worked out, John Marrs pulled the rug out from under me.  In the blink of an eye I went from feeling smug (Ha! I've worked this one out!) to catching flies in my dropped jaw.  Well played, Mr Marrs, well played!

The Stranger in Her House is twisty, gripping and blooming scary at times, pick this book up at your peril; you'll not be able to put it down until you finish it!  I'd like to see how John Marrs follows this absolute belter of a book.  Very highly recommended.

I received an ARC for the Tandem Collective readalong and it was torture reading it in instalments!  This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: All Good Things - Amanda Prowse

I'm delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for All Good Things by Amanda Prowse.  After reading my review, make sure you scroll to the bottom of my post for details of a fabulous giveaway that Amanda Prowse is running.

In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces, Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener?

Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden…

Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs—hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see.

But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.

 

What did I think?

I had a small moment of triumph when I finished reading All Good Things as it's the first time an Amanda Prowse book hasn't made me cry, but boy did it make me think.  In this day and age of seeing perfect posts on social media, it's sobering to remember that not everything is as perfect on the other side of the camera lens.

A pair of neighbours are put under the microscope in this captivating novel.  The Harrops on one side of the fence, with their house that has seen better days, and the Kelleways on the other with their perfectly pruned roses and expensive cars in the driveway.  Daisy Harrop dreams of becoming a Kelleway one day but this family isn't as perfect as they appear.

I felt like a nosy neighbour myself when I was reading this very addictive book and because they were fictional characters I got to experience some guilt-free schadenfreude at their expense.  The story is set over a weekend and there is an awful lot going on for each character to keep the reader entertained and invested in the story.

All of the characters and their individual voices are so beautifully written that I would have been able to tell whose point of view I was reading even if their name wasn't at the top of the page.  Amanda Prowse's characterisation is exceptional and her incredibly well-developed characters effortlessly drive this wonderful story.

Completely compelling and extremely thought-provoking, All Good Things is a timely and sobering reminder that, despite appearances, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.  There may be no tissues required for this one but it's another outstanding novel from Amanda Prowse and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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/All_Good_Things

About the author:

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-eight novels, two non-fiction titles and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart-topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles; 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Social Media Links – 

Say hello on Twitter:  @MrsAmandaProwse

Friend me on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AmandaProwseAuthor

Tag me on Instagram:  www.instagram.com/MrsAmandaProwse

Visit my Amazon Author Page:  Amanda Prowse Author  

Check out my website: www.amandaprowse.com

Giveaway:

Amanda Prowse would like to give a prize to the best review – any length, any star rating of a Fire Tablet.  Will ship it anywhere worldwide. 

The prize for the best review is a:

Fire HD 10 tablet | 10.1", 1080p Full HD, 32 GB, Black - Without Ads.

• Fast and responsive: powerful octa-core processor and 3 GB RAM. 50% more RAM than previous generation.
• Up to 12-hour battery life and 32 GB of internal storage. Add up to 1 TB with microSD (to be purchased separately).
• Brighter display: vivid 10.1" 1080p full HD display is 10% brighter than previous generation, with more than 2 million pixels.
• Enjoy your favourite apps like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Now, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more through Amazon’s Appstore (Google Play not supported, subscription fees may apply).
• Stay connected: download apps such as Zoom or ask Alexa to make video calls to friends and family.

Please ensure your review is posted by midnight on Sunday 17th September in order to be eligible.  Please tag Amanda Prowse on social media with a link to your review, wherever it is posted.  The winner will be selected and notified by Close of Play on Friday 22nd September.

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The Street - Susi Holliday

Their neighbours welcomed them with open arms. Now they’ve vanished without a trace.

Anna and Peter desperately need to escape London for a fresh start. And they’ve found just the place: a perfect house on a perfect street in a perfect new development on the Scottish coast. But before they’ve even unpacked, they discover that the community they’ve moved into might be keeping secrets of its own…

Eager to fit in, Anna and Peter spend their first evening with their new neighbours, a couple who turn up on their doorstep to welcome them with open arms. But when Anna pops over the next morning to thank them for their hospitality, there’s no answer. The house is bare and unoccupied, and the neighbours have vanished without a trace. What’s more, everybody else on the street is convinced that no one ever lived there at all.

As she battles a growing obsession with the mystery, Anna finds herself becoming increasingly paranoid. She thought she’d escaped her own troubled past, but as the truth catches up with her, life starts to unravel. Maybe she’s not the only resident of The Street with something to hide…

 

What did I think?

I was hooked from the start when I picked up The Street and I couldn't put it down; it's SO intriguing and gets darker and darker as you start to work out what's going on.

There's something not quite right about Anna and Peter's relationship but my interest in that had to be put on the back burner as the freaky street they had moved to took centre stage.  The residents are all strange and a little creepy and the only normal ones seem to be the next door neighbours who disappear without trace overnight.  

I didn't really like Anna or Peter but I did feel sorry for Anna as she starts to feel like she's losing her mind.  Good on her for sticking to her guns though and trying to uncover the secrets of the street, although she doesn't realise how much danger it is putting her in.  I can't say any more for fear of revealing any of the plot and spoiling it for others.

Brilliantly written and filled with tension and suspense, The Street is a massively intriguing mystery that kept me riveted from start to finish.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Bad Neighbour - Jennie Ensor

In March 2020, the Covid pandemic hits the sleepy English village of Brampton. At the start of lockdown, local busybody Tara Sanderson sets up a community group to help vulnerable residents through the crisis. Elderly Elspeth Chambers, her longstanding neighbour and friend, accepts Tara’s offer to buy food and collect medicine for her.

But it isn’t long before neighbourliness and community spirit turn sour. Tensions arise when Tara becomes jealous of Elspeth’s emerging friendship with Ashley Khan, a recent arrival in Wilton Close.

Suspecting there is more to Tara’s hostility toward them than meets the eye, Ashley and Elspeth start to uncover their neighbour’s long-buried secrets, and realise that Tara is capable of almost anything...

 

What did I think?

I've been a fan of Jennie Ensor's books since I read her stunning debut, Blind Side, in 2016 and her fifth novel, The Bad Neighbour, is just as stunning.  Set during the Covid-19 pandemic, the reader is part of the Brampton community as they come to terms with lockdown and whilst the majority of people will do anything to help others, there's always one who will simply help themself.

It gave me chills reading about this dark time in our recent history and I relived the fear and confusion that many of us felt through the exquisite characters that Jennie Ensor has created.  The sense of community that we all saw in our own cities, towns and villages is portrayed beautifully but the plot darkens when one neighbour isn't as community minded as she appears.

Tara is a character that everyone will love to hate; she is so selfish, jealous, petty and scarily dangerous.  Tara gives the outward appearance that she is helping her elderly neighbour, Elspeth, but she doesn't want to do it for nothing and reading about her antics made my blood positively boil.  Just when you think she can't do anything worse...she outdoes herself.

Deliciously dark and hugely entertaining, The Bad Neighbour is a beautifully written, compelling read that I couldn't put down.  Filled with drama and tension, as well as a brilliant cast of characters, it would make a fantastic TV series.  I absolutely loved it!  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:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

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Semi-Detached - Deborah Stone

Bill and Amanda are living in a semi-detached house, stuck in a depressing rut of boredom and disappointment, when Terry and Fiona – glamorous, successful and very much in love – move in next door. Despite their different outlooks on life, the couples befriend each other and life appears to improve for both pairs. But all is not what it seems, and their increasingly interconnected relationships are fated for tragedy.

 

What did I think?

I really enjoyed reading Semi-Detached, despite not particularly liking a single character in it.  It's the odious characters that drive the narrative and kept me hooked as I peeked behind the curtains of this fictional pair of semi-detached houses.

Bill and Amanda have a marriage made in hell; Bill sees Amanda's function as a homemaker and babymaker but she is failing miserably at both.  I did feel sorry for Amanda as she's not even aware that she is living in an abusive relationship and life has clearly dealt her a bad hand.  Then Terry and Fiona move in next door and both couples strike up an unlikely friendship.

It is very much like watching your favourite soap as we follow the lives of the two couples.  There are times when you just know what is going to happen next but there are plenty of other surprises in store and I found myself constantly itching to read the next chapter throughout the whole book.  

With characters you will love to hate, Semi-Detached is a page-turning soap opera of a book - there's lots of drama, tension, shocks and surprises that make it a hugely entertaining read.

Many thanks to the author for sending me a digital ARC; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Perfect Neighborhood - Liz Alterman

 

Think you know your neighbors? Think again.

When actress Allison Langley leaves her former rockstar husband in the middle of the night, her sudden departure becomes the talk of upmarket Oak Hill. But the relentless gossip comes to an abrupt halt when five-year-old Billy Barnes disappears on his walk home from kindergarten. Is there a predator lurking in the leafy suburb? Weeks later, three-year-old Amy-Pat Davies vanishes from her backyard. In addition to sharing a zip code, the missing children have another thing in common – their babysitter, Cassidy McLean, who has a secret of her own.

What did I think?

I really enjoyed my visit to the fictional town of Oak Hill in The Perfect Neighborhood.  I love books filled with secrets and I couldn't read it fast enough to discover what the residents of Oak Hill are hiding.

There is a lot of speculation about actress Allison Langley as she is very private so none of her neighbours know her that well.  When she disappears from her perfect marriage in the perfect neighbourhood, the question on everyone's lips is 'where has she gone and why did she leave?'  Then a small child disappears...

The disappearance of five year old Billy is completely heartbreaking to read, especially seeing the devastating effect on his incredibly dysfunctional family.  Billy's mother is inconsolable but there's clearly something amiss in her marriage as her husband and stepson react completely differently.  I think I had pretty much everyone marked down as a suspect in Billy's disappearance over the course of the book.

When another child vanishes, the spotlight is turned on to the babysitter.  Cassidy was looking after both children when they disappeared and she's hiding something too.  I felt really sorry for Cassidy as she becomes an easy target for bullies at school and she wasn't completely to blame for the circumstances of each child's disappearance.  Yes, she did things wrong otherwise the children wouldn't have vanished, but other factors and people were to blame too.

This isn't just a peep through the curtains of your neighbours, it's a full on nose pressed against the glass glance into their lives.  All their thoughts and feelings are laid bare and my feelings towards certain characters changed as more of their story was uncovered.  It's very well written and I could totally imagine watching it on TV as either a mini-series or film.

Incredibly intriguing and completely compelling, The Perfect Neighborhood is filled with so many secrets that I couldn't put it down until every single one had been revealed.  A recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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