The Serial Killer's Wife - Alice Hunter

 

Every marriage has its secrets…

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

What did I think?

BOOM!  I never saw that coming!  What a great book; it kept me going right up to the very last page.  Alice Hunter's debut is a really interesting idea for a book, questioning how well you ever really know your partner and how people hide their true selves behind a mask.  

I really wanted to feel sorry for Beth when her husband Tom is arrested for murder, but there was just something about her that I didn't warm to and I felt like one of the school mums as I questioned just how much she actually knew.   I considered women's instinct and how we can always seem to sniff out a lie, no matter how cunning our partner thinks they are.  Beth had to know something...didn't she?

As the police investigation progresses I simply couldn't read fast enough, gasping out loud as little landmines of shock and surprise exploded in my path.  Alice Hunter's writing is exceptional, creating layer upon layer of intrigue and unwrapping the secrets of Beth and Tom's marriage like a game of pass the parcel.  With so many twists and turns, my interest was held throughout and my eyes were firmly glued to the page.  There is no doubt that Tom is a killer, but just how many bodies has he buried?

Gripping, compelling and twisty, The Serial Killer's Wife is a brilliant debut from Alice Hunter.  I will definitely be adding her to my watch list and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I chose to read a digital ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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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.

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BLOG TOUR: The Ash Museum - Rebecca Smith

 

1944. The Battle of Kohima. James Ash dies leaving behind two families: his ‘wife’ Josmi and two children, Jay and Molly, and his parents and sister in England who know nothing about his Indian family.

2012. Emmie is raising her own daughter, Jasmine, in a world she wants to be very different from the racist England of her childhood. Her father, Jay, doesn’t even have a photograph of the mother he lost and still refuses to discuss his life in India. Emmie finds comfort in the local museum – a treasure trove of another family’s stories and artefacts.

Little does Emmie know that with each generation, her own story holds secrets and fascinations that she could only dream of.

Through ten decades and across three continents, The Ash Museum is an intergenerational story of loss, migration and the search for somewhere to feel at home.

What did I think?

This beautiful book is so unusual; I absolutely love the format of each chapter revealing a story behind an exhibit in the museum.  With images of buttons you could press to see and hear additional things if you were physically there, it really does feel as if you're browsing treasured items behind a glass case but it's the stories behind them that hold the magic.

I thought it would annoy me that the story isn't told chronologically but I barely noticed it jumping from 1970s to 1910s, then 1980s to 1930s and so forth as I was too busy gobbling up every piece of this wonderful story.  It's actually quite shocking to see racism being so prevalent in each particular decade; without a thought for the person they were hurting, it was quite acceptable to highlight people's differences.  Of course, prejudice isn't just about the colour of your skin as those who are fat, short-sighted, ginger or in any way different don't escape the poisonous venom of cruel kids at school and I can't imagine that has changed much over the years.

This is the story of the Ash family, from James Ash who managed a tea plantation in India in the 1940s to Jassie Ash his great-granddaughter in England in the new millennium.  It is James' son Jay and Jay's daughter Emmie who stole my heart though.  Jay was so cruelly taken away from his mother, along with his sister Molly who didn't really count as she's a girl (shocking), and I think that's why he's such a good father to Emmie.  Jay showers Emmie with all of the love and support he missed out on and she becomes a strong, independent woman who I considered a friend as the novel progressed.

I really can't begin to tell you how amazing this book is; it's written so beautifully and filled with so much nostalgia that it had me casting my mind over my own life.  I remembered things I had forgotten, such as my Dad singing 'Your Tiny Hand is Frozen' when I was a child and the cute little denim jeans purses that were the must have accessory of the 1980s - I had a matching bag too!

Nostalgic, thought-provoking and incredibly touching, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to The Ash Museum and I'm sure the gift shop will be well stocked with packets of tissues as I certainly needed a few while I was reading.  It's such a beautiful, unusual book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Rebecca Smith was born in London and grew up in rural Surrey. From 2009 – 2010 she was the writer in residence at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire. The Ash Museum was inspired by her time there and by being left hundreds of old family photographs and letters.

Twitter: @RMSmithAuthor

IG: rebeccamarysmith7

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Found - Erin Kinsley

 

When 11 year old Evan vanishes without trace, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare.

Especially as the police, under massive pressure, have no answers. But months later Evan is unexpectedly found, frightened and refusing to speak. His loving family realise life will never be the same again.

DI Naylor knows that unless those who took Evan are caught, other children are in danger. And with Evan silent, she must race against time to find those responsible...

A gripping, heart-wrenching thriller with the emotional power of series like BROADCHURCH and THE MISSING, this is the perfect read for fans of Cara Hunter, Heidi Perks, Claire Douglas, Fiona Barton, Susan Lewis and Nuala Ellwood.

What did I think?

What an intensely compelling book!  I picked up Found and couldn't put it down, almost finishing it in a day until sleep overcame me.  Erin Kinsley's brilliant debut novel is an incredibly gripping and highly addictive read.  I always get a thrill when my native North East is mentioned in books so I was delighted to find that one of the policeman was from Gateshead - you can always find a Geordie wherever you go!

It's a different take on a child abduction story as rather than focusing on the dark details of the child's imprisonment, the book is mainly set in the days and months following the return of Evan Ferrers, the abducted child.  Evan refuses to talk about his ordeal and I found my heart breaking for him; I don't know whether it's worse to actually know what he went through or whether it's worse to imagine it, but I could imagine the distress this caused his family.  I really feel like I got to know the Ferrers family over the course of the novel and I felt every emotion experienced by them as I was so emotionally invested in the story.

Found is a strange book to review as although a lot of the story is the police investigation into who took Evan, I felt that this was overshadowed by Evan's recovery with his family.  It's not that I wasn't interested in finding out who Evan's captor was, it's just that Erin Kinsley had written such emotive characters that I was more concerned with their wellbeing.

Found is a gripping abduction novel that tackles its dark subject matter so very sensitively, choosing to focus more on the positives which makes for a heartfelt story.  

My rating:

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PUBLICATION DAY BLITZ: The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over - Holly Hepburn

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Holly Hepburn a fabulous publication day!  Today doesn't just mark the publication of a new book, it's also the start of a brand new series and I think it sounds absolutely brilliant.  It's set in York which is one of my favourite places to visit and I also love Egyptian artefacts which are mentioned in the book so I really can't wait to read it.  If you're as eager to read it as me, I'm delighted to be able to share the first two chapters of The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over.  Scroll down to pay a visit to York and have a little browse inside the Ever After Emporium.

When Hope loses her husband, she fears her happiest days are behind her. With her only connection to London broken, she moves home to York to be near her family and to begin to build a new life.  

 

Taking a job at the antique shop she has always admired, she finds herself crossing paths with two very different men. Will, who has recently become the guardian to his niece after the tragic death of his parents. And Ciaran, who she enlists to help solve the mystery of an Egyptian antique. Two men who represent two different happy endings.

 

But can Hope trust herself to choose the right man? And will that bring her everything she really needs?

Purchase link:

Amazon UK

Click HERE to read the first two chapters of The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over.

Doesn't it sound great?  You will definitely want to buy a copy after reading the first two chapters so here's that purchase link again: Amazon UK

BLOG TOUR: The Whole Truth (DI Adam Fawley #5) - Cara Hunter

 

An attractive student. An older professor.

Think you know the story? Think again.

THE NEW UP-ALL-NIGHT THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER CARA HUNTER, PERFECT FOR FANS OF LINE OF DUTY

She has everything at stake; he has everything to lose. But one of them is lying, all the same.

When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.

Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching.

And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good...

What did I think?

I discovered the DI Adam Fawley series when it was already into its fourth instalment, All The Rage, so don't worry if you're discovering Cara Hunter for the first time as these books work brilliantly as standalones (there's even a fabulous list of characters and their key personality traits at the beginning and I loved this).  The Whole Truth is written so brilliantly that new readers don't feel as if they're missing out on anything and series fans get pertinent facts inserted skilfully into the prose as gentle reminders.

There are a number of threads woven through this story to keep the reader (and DI Adam Fawley) on their toes: a sexual assault, a murder inquiry and a podcast claiming a miscarriage of justice in Fawley's biggest case.  All three grabbed my attention and kept me riveted, with my fingers getting a good workout in making the pages turn faster than ever.  With so much going on it's surprisingly never confusing and it had my mind whizzing nineteen to the dozen but I loved every second of it.

I also love the added extras you get in a Cara Hunter book as the prose is peppered with other media: text messages, podcast transcripts, police interviews, social media posts, news articles and police reports to name but a few.  The only tiny niggle I have is that some of the writing is quite small so I sometimes had to get my nose right into the book; of course it could just be my eyesight deteriorating with age (and too much reading).  

It's true, this really is an up-all-night kind of book, purely because there are no formal chapters of which to promise yourself that you'll read just one more.  Usually a lack of chapters would annoy me but I was actually really glad there aren't any as they would have just slowed my reading down.  So make sure you're sitting comfortably when you pick up The Whole Truth as you really won't be able to put it down.

Filled with twists, shocks and surprises, Cara Hunter has such sleight of hand I wouldn't have been surprised to see a rabbit pulled out of a hat.  The Whole Truth is absolutely fantastic; it's gripping, supersonically fast-paced and completely addictive - this is crime fiction at its finest.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Last Act of Adam Campbell - Andy Jones

A year can go quickly. Particularly when it's your last.

Adam had a good life: a job he enjoyed, a nice house, a loving partner and a bright six-year-old daughter. Then he cheated on his partner. Then she kicked him out of their home. And then he was given approximately twelve months to live.

Despite the devastating news, Adam is determined to turn his life around before it finally runs out. Help comes in the form of an ex-junky, a cantankerous train driver, a nun experiencing a crisis of faith, and a teenager intent on losing her virginity - all living on borrowed time, all desperate to feel alive before their time is up.

What did I think?

Make sure you have your tissues handy when you read The Last Act of Adam Campbell; it's impossible to get through this book dry-eyed.  Whether it be tears of laughter (pumpkin based), tears of joy or tears of sadness - I cried them all over this stunning book.

Adam has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and he has a lot of bridges to build before his time is up.  As his body declines, his mind is kept occupied by an unlikely group of friends he meets in group therapy.  Each of them carrying the weight of their own illnesses on their shoulders, they find that they are indeed stronger together and decide to put on a play depicting famous Shakespearean deaths.  With time being a commodity none of them have, who will be there for the curtain call?

Oh my goodness, this book affected me in ways I didn't expect.  Andy Jones creates such wonderful characters I was so completely invested in that I couldn't prevent the tears from falling at each inevitable conclusion.  It may be a book about death but it is so completely full of life that it warmed the cockles of my heart.  It is so beautifully written and I think it's Andy Jones' best book yet.

Incredibly poignant, hilarious and heartwarming, The Last Act of Adam Campbell is a beautiful book that I will never forget.  I haven't read an Andy Jones book that I've rated less than 5 stars and The Last Act of Adam Campbell is no exception - I'd give it more than 5 stars if I could.

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

My rating:

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