The Last Thing to Burn - Will Dean

 

He is her husband. She is his captive.

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting ...

What did I think?

I've heard nothing but good things about Will Dean books, namely the Tuva Moodyson series, so when I saw that his new book was a standalone thriller I decided that the time was right to see what all the fuss was about.  The Last Thing to Burn is a hard-hitting book dealing with human trafficking so it's not easy to read at times but oh my word, it's absolutely brilliant.

Will Dean really manages to portray Thanh Dao's every emotion as we read about her being held captive by farmer Lenn.  I refuse to call her Jane as that isn't her name, which Thanh Dao keeps reminding us.  Thanh Dao holds on tightly to her identity through her meagre possessions that Lenn burns one by one in the Rayburn stove every time he perceives that she has stepped out of line.  Lenn watches Thanh Dao's every move through video cameras set up in the house so she really can't do anything without Lenn seeing.

Thanh Dao and her sister Kim-Ly were brought to the UK from Vietnam in a shipping container but their dreams of a better life were shattered when Thanh Dao was sold to Lenn.  Kim-Ly is working in a nail bar in Manchester to pay back the cost of their passage and Thanh Dao is warned that if she tries to escape, Kim-Ly will be sent back to Vietnam with the full debt to repay.  What a predicament to be in; Thanh Dao is desperate to be free of Lenn but her love for her sister is the only thing that keeps her going.

Thanh Dao has to clean, cook and lie back and think of Vietnam so it felt like I had stepped back into a different century; back to a time when a woman's place was in the kitchen.  Lenn is an absolutely odious man, treating Thanh Dao like a slave which of course is what she is.  Some of the things he does and says had my mouth gaping in shock and horror, he really is very selfish and doesn't have a caring bone in his body.  No wonder he had to buy a 'wife'.  There's certainly no fear of Thanh Dao suffering from Stockholm Syndrome!

As Thanh Dao's hatred for Lenn intensifies, and circumstances change, she becomes braver and starts planning her escape.  The tension is ramped up to fever pitch and I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest; it felt like there was a string on a fret board being tightened and tightened until it reached breaking point.  Even my reading pace increased as if any extra seconds I could give Thanh Dao would help.  As I raced towards the conclusion, I was totally floored by another twist in the tale - to say I gasped out loud is an understatement.

The Last Thing to Burn is a heart-pounding thriller that is as taut as a bowstring.  Filled with tension and suspense, this is a dark and disturbing novel that is difficult to put down because Thanh Dao's story completely draws you in.  It's horrific and shocking but incredibly powerful, evoking so many emotions in me (especially negative emotions towards Lenn, admittedly).  Human trafficking is a difficult subject to read about but full marks to Will Dean for drawing attention to the plight of so many women who leave their home country in search of a better life, only to find themselves enslaved.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

COVER REVEAL: Dishonoured - Jem Tugwell

Jem Tugwell is an awesome author who I might never have discovered if I hadn't started blogging about books.  That's one of my favourite things about blogging: discovering new authors and trying genres you wouldn't normally read.  Today I'm thrilled to be taking part in the cover reveal for Jem's first psychological thriller, Dishonoured, that will be published on 14th January 2021.  So let’s have a look at the amazing cover...

Oh this looks SO good!  I love the screaming man depicted on the businessman's suit and I think this is going to be a real brain bender.  You can read the synopsis of the book below, where you can also find out more about the author and click on your chosen preorder link.

Here's a little bit about the book:

WE’RE ALL ONE MISTAKE FROM RUIN…

Dan has worked hard for the perfect life.

He has a loving wife, beautiful kids, a fabulous home and is a successful businessman.

But one afternoon he steps onto a train with a stranger.

It was a simple mistake…

Four stops later, Dan is a criminal who has lost everything.

Someone hates him enough to destroy him.

Through a web of lies and deceit Dan battles to win his life back.

Dishonoured is a compelling psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages.

A new take on the familiar psychological thriller with a male protagonist and a cast of characters that will keep the reader guessing right to the very end.

Perfect for readers of Lisa Jewell, Teresa Driscoll and Erin Kelly.

About the author:

Jem Tugwell was born in Berkshire and has a BSc in Computer Science, an MBA and a Crime Writing MA from City University.

In a past life, Jem had a successful career in IT and investment management.  Jem's loves are snowboarding, old cars and bikes.  He lives in Surrey with his wife and dog and has two children.

Jem has published two other novels with Serpentine Books.  Proximity and No Signal are the first two books in his 'iMe' series.  These are crime novels set in the near future, featuring DI Clive Lussac and his partner Zoe Jordan.  Dishonoured is his first psychological thriller.

Please visit Jem's website (www.jemtugwell.com) to read more.

Follow Jem on Twitter @JemTugwell

or Facebook JemTugwellAuthor

Preorder links:

Paperback: Waterstones

Ebook: Amazon UK or Amazon US 

Note for PRs:

DM @SerpentineBooks on Twitter or email info@serpentinebooks.com to request an ARC. 

Joe Faber and the Optimists - Gill Oliver

Inspired by the author’s experience as a caregiver. Fuel for the heart.

Joe Faber is a funny guy, good with his hands, and great with words – until the stroke which leaves him severely disabled. But this is more than his story. There’s Fran, Joe’s wife, who draws up her manifesto and decides to act like an optimist; she hasn’t planned to be a carer. Their talented daughter Jess, who turns her trouble into music. While Jess’s fiancé Matt, the management trainer, innocent, positive and daft, will do his best to keep them all on target.

Art School training made Joe a close observer of the world, but once he leaves hospital, how does the world see him? And care is erratic. So will Fran have to give up the job she loves? Can Matt’s energetic but insensitive sister be trusted to organise the wedding? There’s heartbreak and absurdity along the way; but humour is the family’s greatest asset in the drive to get Joe back on his own two feet. You’ll hear some wonderful fiddle music, and visit some magical Shetland places. Besides being fiercely honest about a tough subject, Gill Oliver's second novel is marked by a zest for life, and will surprise you right to the end.

What did I think?

I feel fortunate to be able to say that I have never encountered a stroke in my family, although I know about FAST (face, arms, speech and time) to remember the most common warning signs of a stroke.  Although one of the main characters in the book suffers a severe stroke, this is such a wonderful story of a warm and loving family, filled with positivity which of course you can guess from the title of the book.

Joe, Fran and Jess are a fantastic family of three and they are understandably devastated by Joe's stroke.  Jess has just got engaged so she's about to fly the nest which leaves Fran as the sole wage-earner.  I really felt for Fran as she was torn between leaving her job to care for Joe full time and leaving him in the hands of carers so she could earn a wage.  Fran decides that she and Jess could worry and wallow in self-pity or should could take the glass half full approach and be optimistic.  Of course they have their wobbles, but on the whole they embrace the optimistic approach and I could really see how much this helped Joe.

Rather than focus on Joe, Gill Oliver has written a story that encompasses the whole Faber family and we encounter some marvellous characters.  I loved the story about Jess being invited to play in the Shetland Folk Frenzy (it's a real event, google it!) and it really gave Joe something to aim towards, however ambitious the doctors thought it was.  Continuing the strong theme of family, Jess has an auntie and cousins on the isles and what colourful characters they are!  I wish I could say I loved all the characters but the parents of Jess's fiancé, Matt, are a nightmare.  I had to admire Fran's restraint on occasion.

Joe Faber and the Optimists is a wonderfully warm and hopeful story about how one family copes with a stroke.  The thing that really came through loud and clear for me is that although the person may look and sound different after a stroke, we need to remember that they're still the same funny, kind, intelligent, amiable or cantankerous (delete as appropriate) person that we love.

A thoroughly enjoyable read whether or not you've been affected by stroke, Joe Faber and the Optimists really ought to be recommended reading in stroke clinics around the world.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon - Glenda Young

'You deserve more than this, Jess... You deserve to know the truth about the McNallys.'

When a newborn baby girl is found abandoned with nothing but a scarlet ribbon tied to her basket, Ada Davidson, housekeeper of the wealthy McNally family's home, the Uplands, takes her into her care. Sworn to secrecy about the baby's true identity, Ada names her Jess and brings her up as her own, giving Jess no reason to question where she came from.

But when Ada passes away, grief-stricken Jess, now sixteen, is banished from the place she's always called home. With the scarlet ribbon the only connection to her past, will Jess ever find out where she really belongs? And will she uncover the truth about the ruthless McNallys?

What did I think?

I've only recently discovered local Sunderland author Glenda Young and what a fabulous discovery she is.  Living in the North East, it's almost obligatory to have family sagas in your library and I read a fair few in my youth.  I thought my saga reading days were over until Glenda Young hooked me with her proggy mat hook in Pearl of Pit Lane so I was very eager to read her new book, The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon; so eager in fact that I read it in just two sittings over the course of 24 hours.

One of my favourite things to discover in a book is a map and I love the map of Ryhope, Sunderland from 1919 that Glenda Young has included in the front of the book.  They certainly had a lot of pubs in such a small area back then, but with Ryhope being a mining community the men working underground all day certainly deserved a pint or two after their shift.

The main character of Jess is such an outstanding character; I felt very protective of her possibly due to the reader being there at her birth in 1903.  Left on the steps of the McNally house in a basket with a scarlet ribbon attached to the handle, Jess is taken in by housekeeper, Ada.  Jess has such a happy life with Ada, despite James McNally's attempts to erase her existence, until Ada dies and Jess suddenly finds herself homeless and alone at 16 years old.  I really felt for Jess but she shows that she's made of stronger stuff and that horrible James McNally better watch out for the whiplash of karma.

Although very character driven, and what wonderful characters they are, the writing is so vivid that I felt as if I was walking through Ryhope village myself.  I certainly felt like I was on the beach in one particular scene with Glenda Young's evocative writing giving me goosebumps.  I love the little elements of Sunderland history that Glenda includes in her impeccably well researched novel, namely Sunderland's famous Vaux beer and the heartbreaking Victoria Hall disaster.

Glenda Young is an extraordinarily talented storyteller and The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon is a wonderful story from beginning to end; it's more heartwarming than a roaring coal fire.  Superbly written, the storyline is compelling and surprising with characters that are so vivid they virtually leap out from the page.  I absolutely loved it and wholeheartedly recommend 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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INSTAGRAM TOUR: The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

 

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE #1 BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES BY TV PRESENTER RICHARD OSMAN

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

What did I think?

This has to be one of the most eagerly anticipated debuts of the year, due to Richard Osman already being a household name.  Although we're used to seeing him on our screens rather than his name on books, he's certainly proven that he can write with his clever, witty debut, The Thursday Murder Club.

Richard Osman has written a fabulous murder mystery, peppering his prose with clues for us readers to gather as we join in the sleuthing with this colourful cast of characters.  Setting the story in a retirement village is so much fun as we all know how naughty the older generation can be, especially when they're full of cake and vodka.  Elizabeth is the ringleader of this merry quartet who meet up on a Thursday to try to solve the unsolvable.  When a murder happens close to home they can't help but stick their noses in, much to the exasperation of the local police force.  Only ex-London policewoman, PC Donna De Freitas sees how useful the club can be but she isn't on the murder case...yet.

Hugely entertaining with an intriguing storyline, a colourful cast of characters and plenty of giggles, The Thursday Murder Club is a fabulous debut from Richard Osman.  It's great to have an older cast of characters for a change and I'm delighted that this is the first of a new series.  I felt quite sad to turn the final page so I'm already looking forward to revisiting my new friends at Coopers Chase Retirement Village.

This is a book that is already topping the charts and I'm sure that it's going to be there for quite some time.  It's a sharp and entertaining debut that's well worth a read and I'll certainly be recommending it to murder mystery fans.

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: Where the Edge Is - Gráinne Murphy

 

As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides,trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside.  Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.

Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.

When their world crumbles beneath their feet, they are forced to choose between what they cling to and what they must let go of.

What did I think?

I have to start by saying that Where the Edge Is is so beautifully written that I was surprised to find that it is Gráinne Murphy's debut novel.  The emotive writing really drew me into the story and brought the characters' feelings to life.  I found it a very easy book to read and even though it wasn't as tense and gripping as I perhaps expected, it certainly held my interest.

Although the bus accident happens at the start of the book, Gráinne Murphy focuses on the characters around the scene rather than the people inside the bus.  This might come as a surprise to readers who are expecting a survival story of characters whose lives are passing before their eyes as the bus plunges deeper into the earth.  It is a survival story in a way as two of the main characters, Nina and Tim, find a way to live each day after a devastating event tore them apart.

Nina is the reporter on the scene and Tim is the firefighter liaison; they used to be married so it's difficult for them to be in such close quarters, especially when it opens up old wounds.  I found Nina and Tim's story extremely heartbreaking but I loved how Gráinne Murphy showed things both from a male and female perspective.  I don't really want to say what happened to them as it's a bit of a spoiler but I've never considered how hard it must be for a man to take a back seat and hover on the periphery in certain situations.

When two survivors are pulled out of the bus, people are more suspicious than joyous as one of them is Muslim.  I loved the character of Alina; it felt like she wasn't Muslim enough for her family and not Irish enough for everyone else.  Her husband really annoyed me though, especially when he kept trying to speak for her and if I thought he was annoying, his mother was even more so.  I was so mad that Alina's faith made people suspicious of the other survivor, bus driver Richie, and he was hailed as a hero by some people but vilified by others.

Gráinne Murphy really knows how people tick and Where the Edge Is completely captures the many foibles of human nature; it's a very character driven story and the bus crash kind of lingers in the background as the main story plays out on the page.  Thought-provoking and emotive in a way I didn't expect, Where the Edge Is is a superb debut from a very talented new writer.  

 

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Gráinne grew up in rural west Cork, Ireland. At university she studied Applied Psychology and forensic research. In 2011 she moved with her family to Brussels for 5 years. She has now returned to West Cork, working as a self-employed language editor specialising in human rights and environmental issues.

Twitter: @GraMurphy

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BLOG TOUR: People of Abandoned Character - Clare Whitfield

He is my husband.

To honour and obey.

Until murder do us part.

London, 1888: Susannah rushes into marriage to a young and wealthy surgeon. After a passionate honeymoon, she returns home with her new husband wrapped around her little finger. But then everything changes. His behaviour becomes increasingly volatile and violent. He stays out all night, returning home bloodied and full of secrets.

Lonely and frustrated, Susannah starts following the gruesome reports of a spate of murders in Whitechapel. But as the killings continue, her mind takes her down the darkest path imaginable. Every time her husband stays out late, another victim is found dead.

Is it coincidence? Or is he the man they call Jack the Ripper?

What did I think?

As one of England's most famous murderers, Jack the Ripper still continues to fascinate us over 130 years later.  His identity remains unknown and Clare Whitfield has chosen to base her amazing debut novel around this, with Susannah Lancaster suspecting that her husband is the Whitechapel murderer.  I have to say that I absolutely adored this book; I raced through it faster than I have ever read historical fiction, devouring every single perfectly crafted word.

Susannah Chapman, a nurse at The London Hospital, is the envy of her peers when she marries dashing Dr. Thomas Lancaster, who is 5 years her junior.  Forced to give up her job as a nurse now that she is married, she finds herself lady of the house with servants and a creepy housekeeper, Mrs. Wiggs.  The creepy, sneaky character of Mrs. Wiggs really creeped me out, it felt like she had eyes and ears everywhere watching Susannah's every move.

Thomas soon loses interest in Susannah and often doesn't come home at night, leaving Susannah bemused and lonely.  When a murderer starts terrorising Whitechapel, Susannah becomes obsessed with reading as much as she can about it in the press but she soon notices that each murder coincides with Thomas's disappearances.  To add authenticity to the story, Clare Whitfield has included a small piece on each victim and even recreated newspaper excerpts - I absolutely loved this touch, especially the use of the term 'outraged corpse' which brought very vivid (and slightly amusing, if I'm honest) images to mind.  I presume Clare has written the excerpts, although they are so authentic they may very well be real.

Clare Whitfield has very ingeniously turned the Jack the Ripper story on its head and created an astounding piece of cross-genre fiction; it's certainly historical fiction but it's also mystery, thriller, crime and contemporary fiction, thereby appealing to a wide range of readers.  Clare's accomplished writing weaves a rich tapestry that recreates all of the sounds, smells and sights of Victorian London; a London whose streets may be the dark and dangerous hunting ground of a murderer yet remain filled with revelry and debauchery.

Chilling, compelling and intensely atmospheric, People of Abandoned Character is an absolute masterpiece; there are many strands to this wonderful story and I loved every single one of them.  Clare Whitfield's exceptional debut definitely scoops all the stars; an unreserved 5 star read and very highly recommended.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Clare Whitfield is a UK-based writer living in a suburb where the main cultural landmark is a home store/Starbucks combo. Clare nurtures an obsession with female characters that are as much villain as hero, and enjoys lurking in the blurry landscape between perception and reality. She is the wife of a tattoo artist, mother of a small benign dictator and relies on her dog for emotional stability. Previously Clare has been a dancer, copywriter, amateur fire breather, buyer and a mediocre weightlifter. People of Abandoned Character is her first novel. 

Follow Clare on Twitter @whitfield_riley and Instagram @clarerileywhitfield.

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