Your Life in my Hands by Rachel Clarke

Your Life in My Hands: A Junior Doctor's Story by Rachel Clarke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 280

Publisher - Metro Publishing

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

How does it feel to be spat out of medical school into a world of pain, loss and trauma that you feel wholly ill-equipped to handle? To be a medical novice who makes decisions which - if you get them wrong - might forever alter, or end, a person's life?

In 'Your Life in My Hands', television journalist turned junior doctor Rachel Clarke captures the extraordinary realities of life on the NHS frontline. During last year's historic junior doctor strikes, Rachel was at the forefront of the campaign against the government's imposed contract upon young doctors. Her heartfelt, deeply personal account of life as a junior doctor in today's NHS is both a powerful polemic on the degradation of Britain's most vital public institution and a love letter of optimism and hope to that same health service.



My Review

Rachel Clarke was a journalist and is now a doctor working in the NHS. I love reading real life stories, healthcare and think everyone should read them to get a glimpse of what it is to work in that kind of environment. Even people working in the NHS, reading other professionals experiences is an eye opener and makes you appreciate them more, in my honest opinion.

This one is different from the others I have read and I think it is two fold, one because the author was a journalist before hand. Two because whilst the story does have some of the stories on what Clarke experiences in her work a lot of it isn't. There is huge coverage of the junior doctors strikes, the governments impact on funding cuts and patient care, services cancelled and politics politics politics.

We hear a wee bit about her personal background/life and the steps taken, sleeping and camping outside, protests and a meeting with Matt Hancock. I tend to prefer these books about the actual hospital experience so this one was different. It is shocking how many patients and staff suffer due to government decisions and how the news manipulates things to slant in favour of certain politicians or against the NHS. Bureaucracy, quotes from the news and lots of information about the doctors strike, it makes an interesting read, just a tad different from what I was expecting, 3/5 for me this time.

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Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan

Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Headline Review

Source - Vine copy

Blurb from Amazon

At the first wedding, there's a shock

The second wedding is unexpected

By the third, Delphie thinks nothing could surprise her. But she's wrong . . .

Delphie is enjoying her brother's wedding. Her surprise last-minute Plus One has stunned her family - and it's also stopped any of them asking again why she's still single. But when she sees all the missed calls that evening, she knows it can't be good news. And she's right.

Delphie has been living her best life, loving her job, her friends, her no-strings relationships and her dream house by the sea. Now she has to question everything she believed about who she is and what she wants. Is her mum right - is it time to settle down? Or does she want to keep on trying to have it all?

Each wedding of a glorious summer brings a new surprise. And as everything Delphie thought she had is threatened, she has the chance to reshape her future . . .



My Review

Delphie has a job she loves, she gets to experience the riches of life she can't afford, her boss is a great guy. What she lacks in her personal life she more than makes up for in her work achievements much to the Umbridge of her family. When tragedy strikes Delphie's life is turned upside down and she finds herself caught up in chaos, relationship dramas, feuds all whilst trying to sort her own life out.

I liked Delphie, strong, independent, career driven, focusing on what she wants despite everyone else pressuring her to settle down, marry a person instead of her job. I liked the dynamics between the characters, how different some of them are, bitchy, bridezilla and ugh the creeps at her work. I was spitting chips and some of the antics/attitudes. And one point I actually gasped out loud, I was raging!

Perfect book for a poolside read or just getting out of your own life to nip into someone elses, it has tons of drama to keep you hooked. Past love coming back into her life, marriages, scandal, families, job issues, a strong independent business woman - not just your typical love story. I liked it, sure I have read O'Flanagan before and I will read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Coffin Maker's Garden by Stuart MacBride

The Coffinmaker’s Garden by Stuart MacBride
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 496

Publisher - HarperCollins

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A village on the edge…
As a massive storm batters the Scottish coast, Gordon Smith’s home is falling into the North Sea. But the crumbling headland has revealed what he’s got buried in his garden: human remains.


A house full of secrets…
With the storm still raging, it’s too dangerous to retrieve the bodies and waves are devouring the evidence. Which means no one knows how many people Smith’s already killed and how many more he’ll kill if he can’t be found and stopped.


An investigator with nothing to lose…
The media are baying for blood, the top brass are after a scapegoat, and ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson is done playing nice. He’s got a killer to catch, and God help anyone who gets in his way.



My Review

Firstly let me say I didn't realise this was book three in a series and I haven't read the first two. That said, I liked it so much I will be going back and getting/reading them. A storm is raging and the house of Gordon Smith is slowly crumbling.....right into the sea. When part of it goes in his neighbour clocks human remains and detectives go in and have a look, elderly Smith is nowhere to be seen. Ex copper Ash Henderson is helping the team and comes across horrors in Smith's basement however evidence is falling into the sea and they already risked their lives by going in. An investigation kicks off with an unlikely alliance and lots of hinderance along the way. Where is Smith, how did he get away with it for as long as they did, how can they prove it with only old pictures, frictions in the team and another killer on the loose.


Oooh so obviously as I said I hadn't read the previous two books so Ash to me was new and brilliant, damaged - seriously the guy has a gun shot to the foot and hobbling. Grief stricken and had some temper and fists on him. He is very protective of his colleague who has her own demons to battle and trying to keep her heed out the bottle. So much has obviously transpired with these characters and I do love a bit of a rogue good guy.

There are two investigate themes in the book, one is a child killer and the police are actively investigating that. The main theme is the finding of this Smith and any evidence before it crumbles into the sea. A killer who has operated for years, victims men and women, undetected and now being hunted. We also have a wild card crackpot criminal who is desperate to find her grand daughter but she isn't opposed to battering someone, has a criminal history and not a fan of the police.

It has plenty of action, characters to love and hate, lots happening, bad words so don't pick it up if you get offended with swearing. There is also violence mentions of torture and harm to animals so just an FYI. I do enjoy Scottish characters/fiction and as I say I will be getting and reading books one and two. Not sure if he is coming back to this series but I do hope so, they are a good cast and I would like to hear more about them, 4/5 for me this time.

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In Cold Blood by Netta Newbound and Marcus Brown

In Cold Blood: Discovering Chris Watts: The Facts - Part One by Netta Newbound
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over a few days

Pages -

Publisher -

Source - Amazon Prime ebook

Blurb from Goodreads

We guess it’s safe to say most people will have heard of the Watts case.

Christopher Lee (Chris) Watts, the dashing, seemingly genteel, affable man who murdered his entire family in a calculated attack that shocked the entire world.

Shanann Watts, his pregnant, incredibly beautiful wife whose life was snuffed out because her doting husband decided he wanted a fresh start.

Bella Marie and Celeste Cathryn (CeCe) Watts, adorable sisters who worshipped their father, the very man who suffocated them both in cold blood using their comfort blankets against them. He then went on to dispose of their tiny bodies into huge tanks filled with toxic crude oil.

Nico Lee Watts, Chris and Shanann’s unborn son.

No doubt, most of you watched the story unfold on the news, open-mouthed, in total shock. What could push a loving father to brutally murder his family? Surely there was some mistake? We all have preconceived ideas of how a monster should look–grotesque, hideously deformed, a crazed madman–not this handsome, mild-mannered, shy, polite gent who was often portrayed as the perfect husband and father.

So, what happened?

During this series we will look at the facts, the police investigation, the evidence, hear Chris Watts’ explanation and his reasoning. We will try to make some sense of what occurred during the early hours of August 13th 2018.

We will endeavour to present to you all aspects of the case, right from the initial investigation and how it unfolded, to the first and subsequent confessions all transcribed word for word (where possible) from actual video and audio footage obtained from the FBI’s Discovery Files.



My review

So I haven't seen the FBI Discovery Files footage but I did watch the Netflix show on the Watts family and what Chris did. This book has the word for word transcriptions of the interviews with the police & Chris, Chris's secret girlfriend, the lie detector test and the conversation Chris has with his father when he confessed to killing Shanann.

They have transcribed the interviews pretty much verbatim, if there was ums and ams they are exactly as they were spoken. The book opens with a brief intro to the authors, then a look at definitions of sociopaths and the different kinds and which they feel is relevant to Chris. Then the rest of the book is all of the interviews. At the end of each there is maybe a paragraph or two from the authors with speculation on what has just been said.

It is interesting, as I said I hadn't seen the files, the authors stress if you have then the book is not for you. I assume because the majority of what you see if what they have scribed in the book, if you haven't seen the files and are drawn to true crime then you will be fascinated and shocked.

The text can be a bit heavy going and monotonous but it is exactly what was said, I would have expected much more input from the authors but there is really not much. It is largely the interviews which is shocking and we seen some from the Netflix but apparently it is much more in the files.

Now the title does say part one but I hadn't appreciated it would stop where it did, it ends abruptly just as Chris tells where he put the wee girls. Part two is £8.99 (at time of posting) and despite having seen the Netflix documentary and knowing exactly what happens I had to get part 2, I hate being left hanging. There is a third part but there isn't much to it, less than 100 pages I think but I will look at it properly when I finish book two, 3/5 for me this time.

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The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 402

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years.

Turned out her mother was a really good liar.

After five years in prison, Patty Watts is finally free. All she wants is to put old grievances behind her, reconcile with the daughter who testified against her - and care for her new infant grandson.

When Rose Gold agrees to have Patty move in, it seems their relationship is truly on the mend. And she has waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

But has Patty truly forgotten their past?

And is Rose Gold really able to forgive?

A gripping and electrifying tale that will make you question your allegiances until the very end . . .



My Review

Dear Lord what a twisted and shocking story, unbelievable it is a debut! Told between two POV Patty the mother and Rose Gold the daughter, Patty is in the jail after being found guilty of causing harm to her daughter, Rose Gold, for years. We open on release day, Patty is getting out and surprisingly enough Rose Gold is coming to get her. We flip between past and present, five years prior to Patty being release, Rose Gold is trying to adjust to life, freedom, not being sick. We learn each of their individual perspectives, how things came to a head with Patty being outed and Rose adjusting to life. The case was well publicized and poor Rose Gold has had a lot to overcome, so many years being abused, sick and yet totally doting on and dependent on her mother.

A psychological dark suspense, Munchausen by Proxy, recovery as the abused and the insight into the abuser and their very skewed outlook. The narrators are unreliable, shocking, damaged, unhinged as you would expect with everything that has happened. As you delve deeper you are shocked at the revelations, the actions, the thought process - it is one of those books you just don't know what is coming next. Families can be murder and then you have the Watts, ooft, unique isn't quite the right word but they sure are something else.

Dark, creepy, shocking, questionable and a really interesting insight into Munchausen by Proxy from both sides. I would be interested in knowing what research the author did as the book has an authentic feel throughout, fiction that could easily be fact, it reads so well. 4.5/5 for me this time I very much look forward to seeing what comes next from Wrobel!

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Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Worst Idea Ever by author Jane Fallon. For my stop I have my non spoiler (as always) review, enjoy!

The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 402

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years.

Turned out her mother was a really good liar.

After five years in prison, Patty Watts is finally free. All she wants is to put old grievances behind her, reconcile with the daughter who testified against her - and care for her new infant grandson.

When Rose Gold agrees to have Patty move in, it seems their relationship is truly on the mend. And she has waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

But has Patty truly forgotten their past?

And is Rose Gold really able to forgive?

A gripping and electrifying tale that will make you question your allegiances until the very end . . .



My Review

Dear Lord what a twisted and shocking story, unbelievable it is a debut! Told between two POV Patty the mother and Rose Gold the daughter, Patty is in the jail after being found guilty of causing harm to her daughter, Rose Gold, for years. We open on release day, Patty is getting out and surprisingly enough Rose Gold is coming to get her. We flip between past and present, five years prior to Patty being release, Rose Gold is trying to adjust to life, freedom, not being sick. We learn each of their individual perspectives, how things came to a head with Patty being outed and Rose adjusting to life. The case was well publicized and poor Rose Gold has had a lot to overcome, so many years being abused, sick and yet totally doting on and dependent on her mother.

A psychological dark suspense, Munchausen by Proxy, recovery as the abused and the insight into the abuser and their very skewed outlook. The narrators are unreliable, shocking, damaged, unhinged as you would expect with everything that has happened. As you delve deeper you are shocked at the revelations, the actions, the thought process - it is one of those books you just don't know what is coming next. Families can be murder and then you have the Watts, ooft, unique isn't quite the right word but they sure are something else.

Dark, creepy, shocking, questionable and a really interesting insight into Munchausen by Proxy from both sides. I would be interested in knowing what research the author did as the book has an authentic feel throughout, fiction that could easily be fact, it reads so well. 4.5/5 for me this time I very much look forward to seeing what comes next from Wrobel!



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Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Headline Review

Source - Vine

Blurb from Amazon

Venice, 1943: Under the Nazi occupation, life is increasingly perilous for Italian Jews. Antonina Mazin has but one hope to survive - to leave her beloved parents and hide in the countryside, posing as the bride of a man she has only just met.

Nico Gerardi was studying for the priesthood until circumstances forced him to return home to run his family's farm. A moral and just man, he refuses to remain a bystander to Nazi and fascist atrocities. The only way to keep Nina safe - and protect secrets of his own - is to convince prying eyes that their sudden marriage is a love match.

But farm life is not easy for a cultured city girl who dreams of becoming a doctor like her father, and Nico's provincial neighbours are wary of this soft, educated stranger. Even worse, their distrust is shared by a local Nazi official with a vendetta against Nico.

As Nina and Nico come to know each other, their relationship deepens, transforming into much more than a charade. Yet both fear that every passing day brings them closer to being torn apart...



My Review

World war two is well underway, it is 1943 - Nina wants nothing more than to stay with her father, helping patients and her mother. To keep her safe her father sends her away to stay with Nico, a friend of their priest. Under the guise of newly weds in love Nico and Nina head to Nico's home, a farm. Nina has to deal with the fear of being discovered, slotting into the hard labour of working on a farm, missing her family and the scrutiny of her new sister in law. As the German soldiers close in and horrors looming Nina realises there is more at risk than just herself.

This is a story of love, family, relationships, bravery, survival, sacrifice, all under the Nazi rule. We follow Nina through an emotive journey, I had a lump in my throat at some parts - some of it is beautiful which makes the harrowing parts pack a greater punch.

I have been to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and read her diary growing up and whilst this is historical fiction all of that comes back to you when you read the concentration camp parts. The author captures the reader with such an authentic feel/descriptors I can't imagine many not being moved reading this. This is my first time reading this author, it won't be my last, 4.5/5 for me this time. I never used to read or like historical fiction but find myself drawn more to them especially when you have an author that takes you on an emotive rollercoaster!

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Looker by Laura Sims

Looker by Laura Sims
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 182

Publisher - Scribner

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


In this taut and thrilling debut, an unraveling woman, unhappily childless and recently separated, becomes fixated on her neighbor—the actress. The unnamed narrator can’t help noticing with wry irony that, though she and the actress live just a few doors apart, a chasm of professional success and personal fulfillment lies between them. The actress, a celebrity with her face on the side of every bus, shares a gleaming brownstone with her handsome husband and their three adorable children, while the narrator, working in a dead-end job, lives in a run-down, three-story walk-up with her ex-husband’s cat.

When an interaction with the actress at the annual block party takes a disastrous turn, what began as an innocent preoccupation spirals quickly, and lethally, into a frightening and irretrievable madness. Searing and darkly witty, Looker is enormously entertaining—at once a propulsive Hitchcockian thriller and a fearlessly original portrait of the perils of envy.




My Review

A shocking insider look at a spiral of mental health and obsession. The protagonist is obsessed with her famous neighbour, from stalking her in real life and online. We get to know her (unnamed protagonist) as she goes about her daily encounters. She has a job, a professor, she is in the midst of a break up, failed IVF attempts and unable to get pregnant are only some of the reasons her o/h has left her.

Despite being a small book it packs a huge emotive punch, she is an unlikeable character and at points I felt sorry for her, others I cringed and another I wanted to slap her. As her obsession spirals so does her personal life and with chaos comes more chaos.

Voyeuristic, shocking, self destructive, disturbing, a psychological thriller with a pace that is hard to label. A descent into madness, we start off in a bad place and it just goes from there, interesting because we go through it with the main character, her view point and how everything is fine despite some very horrific and destructive behaviour until it all comes to a head. I would have loved this book to be longer, I certainly would have appreciated more about what happened next, maybe the author is considering revisiting this character. 3/5 for me, there is a thing in regards to an animal which I just can't, I struggle with anything like that. Otherwise I would recommend and interested to hear what others make of this.

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Letters from the Past by Erica James

Letters From the Past by Erica James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 508

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought from Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

With its winding high street lined with a greengrocers, post office, pub and church, Melstead St Mary is the perfect English village. Neighbours look out for neighbours, and few things trouble the serene surface of the community.

But when residents start to receive anonymous letters containing secret information about their pasts - secrets that no one else is meant to know - life in Melstead St Mary is about to change, possibly forever...

My Review

In a small village everyone looks out for each other or do they? Families are close or are they? Melstead St Mary is a tightknit community and we have a handful of main characters we visit. Evelyn is sorting a big party for her wedding anniversary, Hope is a successful children's author, Julia has married into the family and noone really gets close to her. Romily is the glue that holds the family together, she is also an author and script writer. They all have busy lives and all have something in common, they have been targeted for poison pen letters.

The book took a wee bit to settle into just because there are so many characters and we flip between them and some of their past events. I did enjoy the characters, the stories, how interwoven they are and some belters of secrets some of them had, what family doesn't.

There are some heart warming moments, some shocking themes within the book, abuse, coercion, love, relationships, doubt. When the book flips to some of the past of the characters we learn more about who they are and how strong some of them are. I do love a strong female character and went back and forth on some of them. I liked it but didn't love it, I have read this author before and will read her again, 3.5/5 for me.

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