Matilda Windsor is Coming Home - Anne Goodwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find out more on Matilda Windsor’s webpage

What did I think?

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

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

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

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

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

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon 

About the author:

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

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

Author links:

Website: annegoodwin.weebly.com 

Twitter @Annecdotist

Link tree https://linktr.ee/annecdotist

YouTube: Anne Goodwin’s YouTube channel

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

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

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

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

Newsletter signup https://bit.ly/daughtershorts

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

BLOG BLAST: Allegation - R. G. Adams

An evil monster exposed?

Or an innocent father condemned?

A scandal will shake a small community to its very foundations.

Sandbeach, South Wales. Two women have come forward to make historical sexual allegations against a pillar of the local community, Matthew Cooper. And child-safeguarding protocol demands that Social Services remove the accused from his home and his family, while a formal assessment is carried out.

The Cooper case lands on the desk of inexperienced Social Worker, Kit Goddard. Although intrepid and intuitive, she is ill-prepared for such a high-profile case.

Kit finds herself navigating a local minefield of connections and class, reputations and rumour. Unsure whether her interference is a heroic intervention or a hurtful intrusion, she knows one thing: it will have an impact. The question is whether this impact will be to expose an iniquitous lie, or destroy an innocent life...

What did I think?

With allegations of child sexual abuse, I was expecting Allegation to be an uncomfortable read but there are so many strands to this amazing story that once I got into it I was completely gripped and couldn't put it down.

The main storyline is the allegation of historical abuse and it's one that really got under my skin.  The women haven't come forward before because they feared that nobody would believe them; they are from a rough part of town and Matthew Cooper, the man they are accusing, is well connected so it could appear that they are just after a big pay-off.  The "did he/didn't he" question constantly hovered in the back of my mind while Social Worker, Kit Goddard assessed the safety of the Cooper children.

Kit is a fantastic character; although inexperienced, she's very good at her job and will do whatever it takes to make sure the children are safe.  I didn't envy her at all, locking horns with the Coopers and constantly being threatened that they were going to make a complaint.  The way that Kit kept a clear head and put the children first is really admirable, especially when Kit has so much going on in her personal life.  The gradual revealing of Kit's backstory makes her such a well-developed character and this thread added another dimension to the story.

It took me a couple of chapters to get hooked but once I did, I absolutely raced through the book.  The chapters are quite long, there are only 16 chapters in the whole 313 page book, but the plot is so gripping that I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  The author has first-hand knowledge of social services and I loved getting a glimpse into the life of a social worker.  There are so many minefields to dodge and hoops to jump through that it sounds like a total nightmare and it must be awful to be so unwelcome in a home where they are carrying out an assessment.

Thought-provoking, intriguing and completely compelling, Allegation is a very impressive debut.  I'm delighted to find that it's the first book in the Kit Goddard series; I'll certainly be looking out for more.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

R. G. Adams is a former social worker with thirty years of experience across all areas of social services. She lives in Wales with her family, and Allegation is her first novel.

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Unprotected - Sophie Jonas-Hill

She's fighting to save everyone else but will she have anything left to save herself?

Witty, sharp and sarcastic tattoo artist Lydia’s life is imploding. Her long-term relationship has broken down after several miscarriages and she’s hiding from her hurt and loss in rage.  After a big night out she wakes beside a much younger man who brings complications she could really do without. 

As her grief about her lost babies and failed relationships spirals out of control, she obsesses about rescuing a wayward teenage girl she watches from her window and gets more involved than she should with her charming but unstable younglover. 

Unprotected is a raw and punchy story of love, family and accepting yourself for who you really are.

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, what a flipping AWESOME novel.  Reading books you wouldn't normally pick up has to be one of the best things about blogging; it's so easy to stick to your comfort zone with your favourite authors, but by doing so you're missing out on a wonderful world of outstanding literature with books like Unprotected.  It's going to be hard to review Unprotected as it's so fantastic that I all I really want to say is "just buy it", but I'll try to portray some of the reasons why you should definitely do just that.

Lydia is Hurting and I mean that with a capital 'H'.  Having miscarriage after miscarriage and yearning for a baby proves too much for her partner Max who kicks Lydia when she's down and leaves her.  Oh I could have given Max a good kicking alright!  Lydia has never really felt good enough so she takes the failure to carry a baby for longer than a few weeks more personally than most.  When Max leaves her she spirals out of control, and I couldn't really blame her, but I feared that she would fracture into a million pieces if she hit rock bottom.  

To take her mind off her pain, Lydia picks up an unshakeable one night stand who she refers to as 'The Boy'.  As much as he keeps turning up when she doesn't want him to, it turns out that he is carrying his own pain and in order to help him Lydia needs to muster the strength she has deep inside.  With Lydia's mind going round like a washing machine, it's no surprise that she suffers from insomnia.  When she sees strange things with a young girl going on at the local taxi rank, Lydia's maternal instinct kicks in and she turns into a roaring lioness.

Lydia reminded me of Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander, not only because she has tattoos and blue hair but because she is such a strong character and is willing to fight to keep people safe.  It's absolutely astounding how Sophie Jonas-Hill has created a character in Lydia that is so personal and completely laid bare that I felt as if I could see the bones of her.  Every flaw, pain and quip builds such a multi-dimensional character that makes it easy to forget that she is fictional.  

Absolutely stunning, Unprotected is gritty, raw, emotional and surprisingly humourous.  If you're looking for something different to read, you've definitely found it.  Unprotected is so unique and painfully compelling; I've never read anything like it.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Who's There? - Kerena Swan

Appearances can be deceptive…

Arnold Eastwood is thrilled when social services allocate him a flat all of his own. Independence hasn’t come easily to a young man with Downs Syndrome but now he has the chance to live free from his mum’s nagging, find a girlfriend, watch endless movies and make new friends.

Meanwhile a London drug gang is setting up a supply line in Arnold’s town. They’re looking for someone to deliver drugs for them and somewhere to set up a base of operations.

Soon Arnold and his flat are in the drug gang’s sights. Drawn into the dark underworld of crack cocaine and modern slavery, Arnold soon discovers that friends can in fact be deadly enemies.

The question is: can he break free?


What did I think?

Who's There? is a book that intrigued me immediately; it's quite a simple idea really, a drug dealer taking advantage of a disabled person, but Kerena Swan has created such multi-dimensional characters who carry the plot along at a rate of knots.

Arnold Eastwood is a brilliant character who I took straight to my heart.  Disability aside, I loved how he was addicted to Clint Eastwood films and saw the world as a much kinder place than it actually is.  It was lovely to look through his trusting eyes for just a second before reality struck and Arnold got trapped in drug dealer Poker's web.  I was so angry at the way Arnold was taken advantage of; I felt like I wanted to reach into the book to rescue Arnold and give Poker a good hiding while I was there (and I'm not a violent person!).

Although it's quite a dark story in relation to drug use and drug gangs, there are a lot of heartwarming and hopeful moments.  I can't forget shop owner Madge who took a chance on Arnold and gave him a job or Chip who tried to help Arnold escape Poker's clutches.  I also found it quite eye-opening regarding Social Services; Arnold was forgotten about when his case worker went on holiday, but rather than feel angry about this I could see how much strain Social Services are under.  It's easy to point the finger in that direction and they often get bad press but Kerena Swan humanises Social Services and reminds us that they're only human after all.

A thought-provoking and highly suspenseful thriller, Who's There? is one of those books that you could easily read in one sitting, if you have the time available.  I was completely invested in Arnold's story and couldn't read fast enough to find out how it would all play out.  Who's There? is a very scarily realistic thriller with a big heart.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Kerena Swan trained as a Social Worker and worked for Social Services for over 25 years. For the past 14 years she has owned and managed an ‘outstanding’ rated agency for children with disabilities. Following serious illnesses she decided to fulfil her long-held ambition of writing a book and getting it published. ‘Dying to See You’, published by Bloodhound Books, was her debut novel.

After many years of writing professionally in the course of her work, Kerena has discovered the exhilaration and deep joy of writing fiction and can be found at all hours in front of her computer. Her second novel ‘Scared to Breathe’ is now available and her third book, ‘Who’s There?’ will be released on December 13th 2019.

Kerena lives with her family in a small village in Bedfordshire, UK and her books are set in the surrounding areas.

Drawing on her extensive knowledge and experience of the problematic world of social work and social studies, Kerena adds a unique angle to the domestic noir and crime genre.

If you would like to hear more about new releases, read Kerena’s blogs and download a free short-story – the prequel to Dying to See You – then visit www.kerenaswan.co.uk and join her mailing list.

Facebook – Facebook.com/kerenaswan

Twitter- @kerenaswan

Instagram – kerenaswan

Goodreads link – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48763828-who-s-there

Amazon link – https://www.amazon.com/Whos-There-Kerena-Swan-ebook/dp/B081D5JWXG/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Kerena+Swan&qid=1573648513&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

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BLOG TOUR: What Nobody Knew - Amelia Hendry

My story begins aged 3, when my mother abandoned me and left me with my brutal father to raise me. Nobody knew the secrets that went on inside that house, or the journey that I travelled on after leaving it, until now. This is the story of my survival.

What do you do when no one wants you?

How many people need to destroy a child until that child wants to destroy herself?

What if social services always got told a different story?

What would you do if you were in my position?

Survival is key.


What did I think?

What Nobody Knew is a very difficult book to read, purely because it is the author's shocking true story.  There's no escaping the fact that it is a true story with the inclusion of real reports and letters documenting Amelia's life, which at times left me open mouthed in shock that nothing was ever done to help her.  

It's a very harrowing account of parental abuse and the absolute failure of social services.  Thankfully, Amelia doesn't go into too many details of her abuse, which would have been far too difficult to read so I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to write.  I often had to pause at the end of the chapter to contain my fury at her father, step-mother and social services.  I'm sure social services do some good work but when they get it wrong, they get it SO wrong.  Their mistakes actually ruin people's lives and that's not something I would want on my conscience so it's definitely not a job I could do.  I just think there is often too much red tape and bureaucracy that they forget there is a vulnerable person at the centre of it all who needs their help.

Amelia Hendry's heartbreaking yet inspirational story, What Nobody Knew, is one that will stay with me for a long time.  I can't even imagine the trauma she went through and it takes such great strength to be able to relive her story and show the world that in spite of it all, she survived.  It's survivors like Amelia who deserve to be awarded the O.B.E. for finding the strength to speak out and to help others.  

Amelia has finally found a voice that people listen to and take notice, so if her story helps even one person to spot the signs of abuse or gives someone the courage to speak out against their abuser then it's a job well done.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Apple
Waterstones
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
WHSmith

About the author:

Amelia is a mum and a survivor. She wrote her book What Nobody Knew to help other people who have been through similar experiences and to educate people who are unaware of what goes on behind closed doors. She has no previous writing experience, she’s just one person who wants to change the world for the better. She also loves cats and reading In her spare time.

Twitter: @AmeliaHendrey

http://Www.facebook.com/ameliahendreyauthor

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The Foster Child - Jenny Blackhurst

When child psychologist Imogen Reid takes on the case of 11-year-old Ellie Atkinson, she refuses to listen to warnings that the girl is dangerous.

Ellie was the only survivor of a fire that killed her family. Imogen is convinced she's just a sad and angry child struggling to cope with her loss.

But Ellie's foster parents and teachers are starting to fear her. When she gets upset, bad things seem to happen. And as Imogen gets closer to Ellie, she may be putting herself in danger...

What did I think?

Having read everything she has published, I already love Jenny Blackhurst's books so I knew what I was letting myself in for when I picked up The Foster Child.  Jenny writes books that draw you in immediately and you simply can't put them down and The Foster Child is no different.  I positively whizzed through this with a few late nights of reading and I'm surprised I managed to sleep without nightmares as this creepy book well and truly got under my skin.

I love the two main characters of Imogen and Ellie, who are both damaged by less than perfect childhoods.  They have so much in common that it's no wonder that child psychologist, Imogen, is drawn to foster child, Ellie, when she is allocated her case.  It often felt like the whole town (creepily named Gaunt) was against 11 year old, Ellie; with children, mothers and teachers whispering in corners and branding her a witch.  Strange things do seem to happen when Ellie gets upset and, as much as I looked for a logical explanation, I did have the awful feeling that something supernatural was going on in Gaunt.

My mind was twisting itself into knots as I tried to explain how the bad things were happening.  Everything points towards Ellie having some kind of psychokinesis power but that's something that would only appear in an X-Men movie...isn't it?

This dark, disturbing and intensely creepy thriller will have you up all night, one way or another; you will either be unable to put it down or you will have nightmares!  The Foster Child is another cracking psychological thriller from the super-talented Jenny Blackhurst; you really don't want to miss this one or Ellie will really be mad...

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: My Name is Leon - Kit de Waal

I am delighted to re-release my 5🌟 review on my stop of the My Name is Leon blog tour.  This is one of those books that stay with you long after you have turned the final page; several months after I read it, I still have a little home in my heart for Leon.  If you're looking to read something uplifting, poignant and funny, make sure you don't miss My Name is Leon.

A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you'd least expect to find one.

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to give Jake to strangers. Since Jake is white and Leon is not.

As Leon struggles to cope with his anger, certain things can still make him smile - like Curly Wurlys, riding his bike fast downhill, burying his hands deep in the soil, hanging out with Tufty (who reminds him of his dad), and stealing enough coins so that one day he can rescue Jake and his mum.

Evoking a Britain of the early eighties, My Name is Leon is a heart-breaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how - just when we least expect it - we manage to find our way home.

What did I think?

This book should come with a packet of tissues; I felt so emotionally invested in this book and completely engrossed in Leon's story that I kept thinking about it long after I had turned the final page.

Leon is almost 9 years old and already he is acting as a carer for his baby brother, Jake, and his mother, Carol. As it becomes clear that his mother cannot look after Leon and Jake, or even herself, Leon and Jake are taken into care. So they pack their meagre belongings and go to live with Maureen, their foster carer.  Maureen has fostered lots of children and she welcomes each and every one of them into her home and loves them as if they were her own children.  With Maureen opening her heart to Leon and Jake so unconditionally, I immediately knew that they were in good and safe hands.

I thought my heart would break when Leon kept wondering when his mother would come back for them but as Carol shows no signs of getting back on her feet, it is not long before Jake is adopted and Leon is left feeling understandably bereft. When Maureen is suddenly taken ill it is her sister, Sylvia, who steps in to look after Leon. As Leon struggles to fit in to his ever-changing environment he rides his bike to the local allotments and makes some unlikely friends - a strange bunch of people who are all struggling to fit in and find that, in the end, they just might all fit together perfectly like the missing pieces of a jigsaw.

My Name is Leon is a wonderful advert for foster caring; it's a beautiful story that reminds us that 'family' can come in all guises, not just those we are related to by blood. We hear so many horror stories on the news that it is so refreshing to read a heartwarming, lovely story like this.  I cried at the beginning, middle and end as Leon's plight is an all too common occurrence.  Kit de Waal, in her astonishing debut, has done an amazing job of giving each of her characters a strong and completely unique voice; from Leon's hilarious innocence to Maureen's inexhaustible love.  Such varied and unique characters who inevitably managed to set up house and make a little home in my heart.

Written with such breathtaking tenderness, My Name is Leon is an emotional, poignant, heartwarming story filled with innocent humour and, above all, hope.

I received this book from the publisher, Penguin, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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The Mountain in My Shoe - Louise Beech

A missing boy. A missing book. A missing husband. A woman who must find them all to find herself.

On the night Bernadette finally has the courage to tell her domineering husband that she's leaving, he doesn't come home. Neither does Conor, the little boy she's befriended for the past five years. Also missing is his lifebook, the only thing that holds the answers. With the help of Conor's foster mum, Bernadette must face her own past, her husband's secrets and a future she never dared imagine in order to find them all.

Exquisitely written and deeply touching, The Mountain in My Shoe is both a gripping psychological thriller and a powerful and emotive examination of the meaning of family ... and just how far we're willing to go for the people we love.

What did I think?

Oh my word!  What an absolutely stunning piece of fiction, which sadly could be true to life for many children in foster care.  I saw a lot of excitement on Twitter about Louise Beech's second book, The Mountain in My Shoe, and I have to say that my fellow book lovers have never been wrong yet.  So I checked it out of the library to see what all the fuss was about. This is without doubt one of those books that suck you in from the start and you live and breathe every step of the journey with the characters.  You feel their hopes and their fears and I cried my very own tears but still couldn't stop reading even as the words blurred and became (almost) unreadable.

Bernadette seems like quite a meek woman but she has finally built up the courage to leave her husband, Richard.  Typically, as we know often happens with all best laid plans, he doesn't come home from work that night.  On the same night that Richard goes missing, so does Conor, a young foster child who Bernadette has secretly volunteered to Befriend For Life.  Also missing is Conor's Lifebook which Bernadette last saw on her bookshelf.  Bernadette doesn't even need to think twice about which person is most important to her as she heads over to Conor's foster mum's house to see how she can help.  As they trace Conor's last known footsteps, the tension builds as we fear for his safety and I also feared for my kindle's safety as I was gripping it so much at times.

Between each chapter there is an excerpt from Conor's Lifebook.  A book that describes all his important milestones and memories that would otherwise be lost as he moves between foster homes.  I don't know if this is something that social services actually do, but what a wonderful idea it is.  You take it for granted that your parents will happily recount stories you can't remember from your childhood, but what if your parents weren't there?  If you were in foster care and your memories were left behind when you changed families, who would remember them for you?

This book is as close to perfection as you'll ever get.  Louise Beech is such a talented wordsmith that it is astonishing to find that this is only her second novel, yet exciting to think what is still to come from this gifted author.  I have to give a special mention to the description of colours and sounds that virtually burst out of the pages, descriptions that are so vivid they are nothing like I have ever read before.  Not just colours and sounds, but all of the descriptions are so stunningly exquisite that I didn't even need to close my eyes to imagine the scene.

The Mountain in My Shoe is a breathtaking story of a child in foster care and a marriage in crisis, and how they can both ultimately save each other.  Told from several perspectives with such distinct voices, it is both heart-breaking and heart-warming.  I'll show my age a bit now, but as GCSEs now have an A* grade, this is one book that is definitely worthy of a 5* rating.

If you only read one book this year, make it this one.  

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

My Name is Leon - Kit de Waal

A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you'd least expect to find one.

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to give Jake to strangers. Since Jake is white and Leon is not.

As Leon struggles to cope with his anger, certain things can still make him smile - like Curly Wurlys, riding his bike fast downhill, burying his hands deep in the soil, hanging out with Tufty (who reminds him of his dad), and stealing enough coins so that one day he can rescue Jake and his mum.

Evoking a Britain of the early eighties, My Name is Leon is a heart-breaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how - just when we least expect it - we manage to find our way home.

What did I think?

This book should come with a packet of tissues; I felt so emotionally invested in this book and completely engrossed in Leon's story that I kept thinking about it long after I had turned the final page.

Leon is almost 9 years old and already he is acting as a carer for his baby brother, Jake, and his mother, Carol. As it becomes clear that his mother cannot look after Leon and Jake, or even herself, Leon and Jake are taken into care. So they pack their meagre belongings and go to live with Maureen, their foster carer.  Maureen has fostered lots of children and she welcomes each and every one of them into her home and loves them as if they were her own children.  With Maureen opening her heart to Leon and Jake so unconditionally, I immediately knew that they were in good and safe hands.

I thought my heart would break when Leon kept wondering when his mother would come back for them but as Carol shows no signs of getting back on her feet, it is not long before Jake is adopted and Leon is left feeling understandably bereft. When Maureen is suddenly taken ill it is her sister, Sylvia, who steps in to look after Leon. As Leon struggles to fit in to his ever-changing environment he rides his bike to the local allotments and makes some unlikely friends - a strange bunch of people who are all struggling to fit in and find that, in the end, they just might all fit together perfectly like the missing pieces of a jigsaw.

My Name is Leon is a wonderful advert for foster caring; it's a beautiful story that reminds us that 'family' can come in all guises, not just those we are related to by blood. We hear so many horror stories on the news that it is so refreshing to read a heartwarming, lovely story like this.  I cried at the beginning, middle and end as Leon's plight is an all too common occurrence.  Kit de Waal, in her astonishing debut, has done an amazing job of giving each of her characters a strong and completely unique voice; from Leon's hilarious innocence to Maureen's inexhaustible love.  Such varied and unique characters who inevitably managed to set up house and make a little home in my heart.

Written with such breathtaking tenderness, My Name is Leon is an emotional, poignant, heartwarming story filled with innocent humour and, above all, hope.

I received this book from the publisher, Penguin, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Chance - Peter Dudgeon

A missing convict, a young woman assaulted and killed, an old man murdered in his home. All in different parts of London. With eight million inhabitants, bad things happen to good people all the time.

Only nine-year-old Cassie Janus knows there’s a connection, because she is the killer … in her nightmares at least. 

Cassie has the rare ability to unearth the darkest emotions of others. She sees a past they would rather keep hidden and a future too horrific to comprehend. 

Perhaps the killer can be stopped. If only she can make someone - her mother, her friend, her teacher - believe. Her words are dismissed, her sanity questioned. She knows they’ll believe her in the end … but by then, they’ll be facing death. 

Can she act to save them, or will their fate be left to Chance?

What did I think?

I'm really getting spoilt with all of these gripping books I'm unable to put down and Chance is certainly one of those.  The cover was a bit creepy and I wasn't sure how relevant it was to the story until I started reading.  It reminds us that Cassie is a child who has had to grow up so quickly due to the things that she has seen and experienced, so it makes perfect sense to have Katie on the front.

Aside from the murders, there are loads of tough topics covered in the book, including school bullying, child neglect, physical abuse and drug use.  So there's an abundance of events to play with our emotions in between the killings.  The story revolving around Cassie's mum, Leanne is exceptional.  At the beginning of the book she couldn't care less about how Cassie gets home from school but she certainly turns into a lioness protecting her cub at the end.  This turned my feelings for Leanne from exasperation to admiration - I really didn't think I could experience such a broad spectrum of emotions in one book, never mind for one character!

I enjoyed the story of Laura Robinson, the social worker assigned to Cassie's case.  Laura has struggled with her own problems, giving her the ability to empathise with every one of her cases.  She really looks out for Cassie and goes above and beyond the call of duty.  I held my breath (no pun intended) and gritted my own teeth during one of her scenes, I was so absorbed in the book!

Cassie seeing and feeling the emotions of the killer was an absolutely brilliant idea for a book.  Whether you believe in people having such an ability or not, we are left in no doubt that Cassie is experiencing some things that no 9 year-old should ever experience and my heart went out to her.  Although I guessed who the killer was, I really didn't see the explosive ending coming.  To say any more would spoil the story but you really must add Chance to your reading list and experience this rollercoaster for yourself.

This is such a well-written, flawless book with an exceptional storyline that I would not hesitate to recommend it.  Chance is Peter Dudgeon's second book, I will certainly be adding his first book, Ticket, to my reading list.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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