Alien The Cold Forge by Alex White

Alien: The Cold Forge by Alex White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Titan books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A dramatic new Alien novel, as Weyland-Yutani seeks to recover from the failure of Hadley's Hope, and successfully weaponize the Xenomorphs.

With the failure of the Hadley's Hope, Weyland-Yutani has suffered a devastating defeat--the loss of the Aliens. Yet there's a reason the company rose to the top, and they have a redundancy already in place. Remote station RB-323 abruptly becomes their greatest hope for weaponizing the Xenomorph, but there's a spy aboard--someone who doesn't necessarily act in the company's best interests. If discovered, this person may have no choice but to destroy RB-323... and everyone on board. That is, if the Xenomorphs don't do the job first.



My Review

Guys you know I love an alien book and this one has all manners of shady horrible characters, often there is always at least one. Dudes you can have your pick however there is one company guy who gives Carter J Burke a run for his money. His main job is to save the company money and he sees himself as the ultimate Alpha male so he enjoys toying with people, manipulating, gaslighting and generally anything that will entertain him as well as benefit the company. He gets sent to a station to investigate, they know someone isn't doing what they should be (company first). The station has xenomorphs and eggs at their disposal and are experimenting with animals and crossing many unethical lines.

There are a few scenes that animal lovers will find difficult, there is a new type of abuse of an android we haven't seen before. Some spice scenes/references which you don't see much in these types of books.

The other big difference in this one is there aren't colonists, this is purely research, scientists and shady/bad people. Self serving and pretty much no morals, almost everyone has their own agenda, one of the scientists has a degenerating health condition and manages to use an android to get around physically and do her bidding/work. That flings a new thread into the franchise too which was interesting both from her point of view and the androids. A refreshing take on a franchise that has so much attached to it, there isn't a book or movie on them I wouldn't read, 4.5/5 for me.

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The Shark by Emma Styles

The Shark by Emma Styles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 311

Publisher - Sphere

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

At the height of Australian summer, a serial killer dubbed The Shark stalks a beachside suburb, targeting young female swimmers whose bodies are later found on the shoreline.

Disempowered and angry at the failures of the police to protect them, two young women are hell-bent on revenge. Raych has lost someone and will go to any length to discover what happened to her, while Carmen suspects her own disturbing connection to the killer.

Together they form an uneasy alliance and, in a moment that changes the trajectory of their lives, Carmen and Raych abduct and imprison the prime suspect. Do they think they can save the day, or are there intentions darker? Can they trust one another's agenda? And when another young woman goes missing, what stops them from going to the police?

A dark and voice-led serial killer thriller that subverts the tropes of crime fiction at every turn, The Shark is an unforgettably propulsive novel about victimhood, power and autonomy from Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize-winner Emma Styles.


My Review

I loved the idea of this one, anything with sharks for me is a win let alone flinging a serial killer into the mix. The book chapters, so the first and opening is a male kidnapped by two females and then the chapters are split and alternate between Raych and Carmen. Raych talks about how it starts with her and Carmen and how they "met" not counting the three days they spent together in a mental health facility. They have both been stalking the same guy, the killer, Raych lost someone she loved, her bestie and the police have let them down, all of the victims. Carmen has her own reasons for wanting him and together they both fall together and end up unlikely allies.

So the book really took me a bit to settle to, both the girls have their own issues, mental health, home life but they have the same goal. Finding the person responsible for the deaths of local girls who are star swimmers, the girls have the same goal.

It is chaotic, choppy, disorganised and I think it adds weight to how troubled both girls are for different reasons but it did make things a struggle for me. There is a lot of ground covered in the book, we flip flop about to what they girls experienced, their time together in a mental health care facility, their issues. For Raych her sexuality and her encounter with her bestie right before she disappeared so there is a lot of emotion and unresolved questions let alone what actually happened to her. Is the killer stashing her somewhere. The plan is simple, kidnap the bad guy and do what is needed to get the answers they seek whilst avoiding the cops and if able, find and save Raych's best friend Piper.

The first three quarters was a bit of a rough ride for me. I did want to know more about the girls, why is Carmen's sister such a horror. What did happen to Piper, will Raych find her friend, will the killer admit to everything? I also was expecting there to be more sharks but I always want more when it comes to sharks lol. It was just a bit all over the place for me until the last quarter and then I really felt it came into itself, evened out and got a grip on what was happening. This was my first time reading this author, I would read her again but hoping the narrators are a wee bit more reliable, 3/5 for me.

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Family Lies by Karen Rose

Family Lies by Karen Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out as able over 5 days

Pages - 513

Publisher - Headline

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The fourth nerve-shattering installment of the San Diego Case Files from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose sees Kit McKittrick’s sister caught in a maelstrom of deadly family secrets.

As an infant, Kit McKittrick’s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.

Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman’s doorstep, shots are fired and Kit is hit...and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.

Although she’s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was she Akiko’s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?

As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko’s birth family, and she’ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.


My Review

This is book four in the San Diego case files, I haven't read the previous three but that doesn't ever stop me. The books are great you can pick them up and read as standalones, this one features Akiko - she has always wanted to know more about her bio family. She has Kit, her foster sister who was also taken in by the same loving family and has her own issues. She is a cop so when Akiko gets a call from someone who says they knew her bio mum Akiko needs to go. Kim insists on going too along with her boyfriend (police psychologist), when they arrive at the callers house they are shot at and it all kicks off from there.

Kim is hurt in the shooting so on medical leave and when more danger arrives Kit is furious when the cop assigned to the case is one who is not just lazy but has a grudge against Kit. Despite threats to her safety and threats from work about consequences if she doesn't let the police do their job Kit won't leave her sister nor stop digging to see who wants her hurt.

The book has loads of threads, characters and secrets which we LOVE, we know Akiko is in the dark, imagine this has been a theme through the previous books. We also learn about how the girls came to meet and be fostered with the family so it is fine we haven't read the previous three. There is danger on every corner, no one seems to be safe and we have no idea where the thread is coming from or why which hooks you and keeps you turning the pages. 4/5 for me this time and I have went back and bought book one of the series and will catch up on those I missed.

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The Forever Home by Erica James

The Forever Home by Erica James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 455

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


Once a grand country house, Hope Hall is now beautiful luxury apartments and when Cassie and Nina become new neighbours, they soon become firm friends. But as perfect as life in the Cambridgeshire countryside seems, both have heartaches of their own.

Cassie is blissfully in love with Ben, but shadows from her first marriage loom large, threatening her happiness.

Nina, a widow, must confront a painful decision that will shatter her mother-in-law’s dreams.

Into their lives comes Venetia, a lively seventy-nine-year-old with a penchant for secrets – one of which is close to her heart, concealed in her handbag… As Venetia recalls her own bittersweet history with Hope Hall, the bonds between the three women are forged, revealing the strength found in friendship and the courage to confront the past.



My Review

Hope Hall is the main setting, it used to be a big giant posh house but not it is expensive upmarket apartments. The story focuses on three main characters, Cassie lives there with Ben, love of her life and her teen daughter is off to see her father. The guy who was MIA for almost all of her life but now with his new young Instagram wife and son has decided he wants to get to know her. Money, glam all so alluring for Emily, when life throws a curveball Cassie finds herself playing host to Emily and two unexpected guests who turn her life upside down. Next is Nina, still grieving the loss of her husband, keeping the art galley going and navigating daily life and her mother in laws expectations and standards, her friendship with Cassie keeps her going. Last but not least is Venetia, seventy nine years young who has just moved into Hope Hall and smuggled her cute wee dog Bon-Bon she fast makes friends with Cassie and Nina. All three have their own struggles in life and some things go from bad to worse but at least they have each other right?

Cassie is so nice but a bit of a door mat, like I get it she loves her daughter and wants to support her but the situation she finds herself in, I would absolutely kick off. Ben is super sweet and supportive and just wants to help Cassie do and sort everything and anything. Nina is also a wee bit of a doormat, she is eaten up by grief and her loss so that is why her mother in law gets away with a lot of what she does. Venetia has a past with the old house and we go back in time to reveal some of it, secrets slowly unravelling as we go.

The book covers many topics, secrets, relationships, grief, friendship, loss, love, harm to animals :/ gaslighting, manipulation, CA, recovery, personal growth. James weaves a world where even if you don't like or love certain characters you absolutely want to keep turning the pages to see where we are going next and what is coming. I had bad readers block so it took me a few days more than I normally would to read. I do enjoy James character building and the dilemmas she throws at you, I really disliked some of the characters and would have loved karma to feature more but I still enjoyed it, 3/5.

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The Fightback by Alex Kane

The Fightback by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 379

Publisher - Hera books

Source - arc

Blurb from Goodreads

You can try and hide. But this gangland boss will get their revenge no matter how long it takes

Lifelong friends Lori Graham and Stephanie Lyle are sitting on the balcony of Lori's flat in Glasgow, chatting, drinking, enjoying the summer's warmth.

Until the peace is shattered by the sound of gunshots from a drive-by shooting.

Running to investigate, the women find both their worlds shattered. One of their sons is the shooter, and one is the victim.

As Lori and Stephanie try and pick through the pieces, they discover that they themselves hold the key to why their boys have turned each other.

A deadly secret from their teenage years has come back to haunt them, and now a face from the past is back for vengeance, using the one thing that will hurt Lori and Stephanie the most their children.


My Review

Lori and Stephanie are bet friends and more family than their blood relatives. Lori's family is wrapped in addiction, her parents, her older brother and she is the only one really looking out for her wee sister. Addiction claims them and danger and death is everywhere. When drugs take their final price it leave Lori with just Steph and with a horrific incident that bonds them forever they remain on the estate. We jump forward and both are parents, still fighting to survive and booze has become solace, when their boys start working for a local kingpin their secret is threatened to come to the light and putting not just them but their boys and both will do anything to protect them.

Ooft, set in Glasgow, Blackhill court, an estate, rough as and now we have this Billy big balls coming in, buying up everything, face of respectability but he is a dodgy biscuit, violent, aggressive but the show of being Mr Goodguy.

The book deals in a lot of dark topics, drugs, addiction, abuse, violence, endangerment and murder to name a few. It is has strong loyalty, bonds, making amends, friendship, bravery, recovery so it is a mixed bag which is always the making for a great read.

Short chapters which we always love and a bit or personal growth, redemption and my absolute favourite when karma comes a calling to bad people, oh yes, actions and consequences darling, 4.5/5 for us this time.

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Missing by Shelley MacKenney

Missing by Shelley MacKenney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Penguin

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Missing is Shelley MacKenney's remarkable story of life as a 'missing person'. An inspirational tale of her journey through extreme personal crisis. "You can run, but you can't hide from yourself." Abandoned by her mother as a young child and with a father constantly on the run, Shelley's life was never normal. Her family's involvement with South London's criminal underworld left her isolated, vulnerable and lonely. Falling deeper and deeper into depression and despair - she snapped. Shelley got on the first coach out of London with only the clothes she stood up in and £30 in her pocket. She didn't care where she was going, as long as she could disappear completely from her oppressive life. For years, she lived anonymously in refuges, hostels and on the streets. It would take something remarkable to bring her back to the real world.



My Review

Shelley is very sheltered in a family who are constantly involved with the wrong side of the law. Shelley tends to be the exception to the family, she gets an education, she has a respectable job, she is escorted and shielded constantly by someone in the family, usually her nana. She wants to take care of them and before long finds herself getting into debt and pressuring herself to the point where she makes some decisions that have lasting impacts. With it all too much Shelley takes off and runs away. This is her story about the before, during and after, leaving behind the safety of her family and into a new life of never knowing where the next bed/meal is coming from and a constant stream of people looking to take advantage.

It is a gritty raw real telling of life on the streets, going from one help facility to another, trying to make ends meet and facing down all kinds of danger. The amount of people who look to take advantage of people down on their luck, struggling with money and or homeless is actually quite frightening. Even females coming from a place of "safety" males would hang around and threaten and or try their luck.

The thing in this one I would say is how let down Shelley was in regards to her mental health and so many opportunities for support to be provided and yet missed. As a result she ostracised herself from everything she knew, did some risky behaviours and actions and would fall into relationships/friendships that weren't healthy.

A stark look at what drives someone to going missing and a rare look at coming out the other side, a honest personal journey that examines cause and effect and trying to pick up the pieces, reconnect with family after a sudden enforced silence and X years gone by. She talked about her nana a lot, a lady who was tough as nails, in and out of trouble with the law and took no snash from anyone. She actually wrote a book too which is referenced a couple of times in this so of course I had to buy it, hopefully get to it soon, 3.5/5.

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The Spark by Holly Miller

The Spark by Holly Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 355

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - BDWAB

Blurb from Goodreads

"People kept telling me it was impossible that, aged eighteen, I'd found the person I wanted to spend my life with. And yet, here we were." Childhood sweethearts Neve and Jamie are inseparable from the moment they meet. Everyone knows they'll be together forever - that is, until tragedy strikes, and Jamie is torn from Neve's life. One street away, Ash is hit by lightning. As he recovers, family members notice a drastic change in Ash, almost as though he is a different person. "My whole life, there's only been one other person who's looked at me like that." Years later, chance brings Neve and Ash together- and she is struck by his familiarity. He shares so many traits with Jamie, as if their souls are entwined. Neve must ask herself whether she can love for a second time in the face of her grief. Is she ready for what life has to offer? And can lightning really strike twice?



My Review

I LOVED the premise for this one. In love, committed, against odds and distance, love trumps all doesn't it? Well what happens when you lose your one true love and then meet someone who reminds you of them. It isn't just they remind you, they are so similar and then you find something out that makes you question, could this be the man you lost, somehow his soul in anothers body, like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

So Neve and Jamie are THEN and NOW is present day and Neve meets Ash and by God does Ash remind her of Jamie, like eerily so. Their jobs/interests and as they get to know each other even things like touch, writing. It is crazy though, it can't be be they were forever right? And when Neve finds out Ash was hit with lightning and technically died the same night Jamie died, that and other details convinces her that Ash is somehow Jamie or Jamie's soul.

Some of this I loved so so much and others I wanted to scream at Neve gurl what are you doing! With the book jumping back and forth we learn more about Jamie and Neve's relationship and then present day we get to know Ash along with Neve and see the similarities and even goose bump raising stuff because it is eerie and spooky how similar they are. Then fling into that she bumps into her bestie Lara who she hasn't spoke to in years, since Jamie died. We don't know what happened and the reunion is very strained and tentative because Neve doesn't want to discuss "it" whatever happened. We slowly get the secrets as the book goes on, between the two timelines revealing deets as we go. Well I really wanted to know where it was going, how it all played out and what happened back them to not just Jamie but also her and bestie Lara. It was good and I did enjoy it but sometimes I wanted to share Neve and shout COME ON. So 3.5/5 for me, I did like the writing and premise and will look for more by this author as this was our first dance.

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