The Girl With The Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

The Girl with the Suitcase: A captivating historical novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 391

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author is available to PRE-ORDER now!

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. Elizbeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?



My Review

Mary has known poverty and cruelty her whole life, it is wartime and she is desperate to escape her job as housekeeper, cleaner and general dogsbody. When she meets the beautiful Elizabeth who offers her a chance at a new life, she has just came into a fabulous house in Ireland, inheritance from an estranged aunt. A bomb hits, the girls are in an underground shelter when everything goes dark. Mary wakes injured but alive, she is misidentified and finally has a chance to live, really live but can she do it?

Aw Mary, what a poor soul and hard going "upbringing" she had. We find out more about Mary and why she is the way she is by going from present to past. As always Pearse's books feature some of the darker side of humanity, abuse, SA, child endangerment, substance abuse, stolen identity. You get reeled in because you are rooting for Mary aka Beth but you do question some of her decisions and behaviours. I think that is one of her gifts, she gives you characters who aren't wholly whiter than white (Mary), and some downright horror bags the "stepfather".

When Mary goes to Ireland we meet a whole cast of people, sweet, nosey, hearing about the aunt, ooft she was a character in herself. We see how world war 2 affected different parts of the world, meat rationing, families, love, loss. It is a busy book as is Pearse's way but she does it so well the story flows and envelopes you. Lots of characters/happenings, some time and place jumps but all done effortlessly.

Even when I have a reading block I can still inhale one of her books, 4.5/5 from us, I need to check her backlist and see what I have missed (we have read loads but she has published loads) and catch up on any missed. She is a fab writer, pulls you emotively and allows you to escape your own life and merge into a world full of love, loss, sadness, friendship, family, she ticks the boxes.

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Alien Invasion The Rage War #2 by Tim Lebbon

Alien: Invasion by Tim Lebbon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 319

Publisher - Titan books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

For centuries Weyland-Yutani has tried to weaponize the aliens. Now someone has beaten them to it, sweeping through Yautja space and turning predator into prey.Faced with the overwhelming forces of the Rage, Earth envoys forge an unprecedented alliance with the Predators. Yet even the combined might of two races may not be enough to stop the carnage, as an unstoppable swarm of Xenomorphs topples planet after planet, penetrating ever deeper into the Human Sphere.


My Review

This is book two but you can absolutely read it as a standalone! Predators and humans, marines and a synthetic are joining forces to face the ultimate threat. Aliens have always been sought after by the company because of their value as a weapon, well someone has beat them to it. Not only have they honed it to weaponize them, control them and added some even more deadly features *gasp* I know right!

It took me a wee bit to settle into this one as it jumps about a fair bit, the marines, the synthetics, the predator(s), there are so many characters/scenes. Once I did get into it and settle to what was going on I did enjoy it. The aliens, your chances have always been low with them but once weaponised and controlled, especially in the numbers these guys are, ooft.

I am hoping we see more of the queen in book three and things come to a head, that karma finds those that need it AND get to see more of the predators. There really has only been one main featured with little mention of the others even though we know they are there and teaming up with us, at a distance.

The people behind the alien weaponization are not just sickos but absolutely mad, like genuine madness. Even the whole plan I am like what the actual so it will be interesting to see what book three holds and where it is going to take the story. I do quite like the synthetic, ours not the other side, 3/5 for this one.

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A Cornish Legacy by Fern Britton

A Cornish Legacy by Fern Britton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read -

Pages - 425

Publisher - Harper Collins

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads (to follow)

My Review

Ahhhh I had my whole review typed and she wiped (using a Bluetooth keyboard and my phone).

The book is split into two parts, we start present day and Cordelia is heading, reluctantly, to Wilder Woo. A beautiful huge house that I am envisioning as a mansion. It holds nothing but negative memories and hurt for Cordelia. Her bestie Sammi is making her go, it is hers now and she needs to face her past.

The book deals with many themes, some sadly are fleeting and with one especially being very dark/triggering I personally don't think it needed to be in there. Some themes throughout, especially in part one are relationship heavy. Families, friendship, love and an insider look at love bombing, gaslighting and toxic love and people.

I was not a huge Cordelia fan at times but I did feel sorry for her. Part two has brought us to present day and Cordelia purging her soul by telling her aunt the truth of all that happened to her. She is still hating Wilder Woo but now we know why and Aunt Rose is determined to see the place. Part two is much more positive, healing and restoration to self and the gaff.

Set in Cornwall, a mixed bag of people with flaws, characters and some with hearts of gold. Mrs Joy was a beacon of joy, at one point I wondered if she was a ghost. She always knows what you want, what you need and shows up literally whatever thing/task is required, an actual Mary Poppins vibe. I am not sure if this is my first Fern Britton book, I did like it so overall 3.5/5 for me this time. The imagery and settings are actually so well done, perfect for sitting indoors with the horrible rain/wind and a nice fire on the go!

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No Mercy by Max Connor

No Mercy by Max Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 6 days

Pages - 412

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The old unit will reunite to complete one last mission in honour of their fallen comrade. But all she wants is revenge … When their old comrade, retired veteran and decorated Royal Marine Frankie Chapman, dies during a home invasion, the 11/06 club come back together to recover his stolen military medals. After they find out the medals have fallen into the hands of a wealthy billionaire who dabbles in human trafficking, they form a plan to steal the medals back – and Frankie’s daughter, Josie, wants in on the action.

But Josie wants more than just her father’s medals returned. She wants retribution, and she’s out for blood …



My Review

When a robbery results in the death of retired vet Frankie Chapman his old team pull together to get his military medals back. They weren't counting on his daughter not only joining them but being the driving force in some aspects. The more they dig the dirtier the people they find. As they get closer to finding the medals the danger ramps up, pulling resources they are trying to do what is right and will cross whatever lines it takes.

The book opens well with Frankie, bless him he is a good soul and Josie, his daughter, takes after her old man. The team investigating took a bit to really get started I felt, there was so much they needed to do and explore. Then we get to the people behind it, there is nothing this guy won't take if he wants it, money is no objective and no morals.

Once we get into the third end of the book I felt that is where it really came into its own, action, plan, movement, lets do this! Up to that I would say was more getting to know the character(s), them building up and becoming a team, the old boys previously served together but Josie was just their comrades daughter. One thing that did annoy me with Josie when when they called her a term of endearment (which was frequent) she would get annoyed and pull them on it, often! Maybe its just a generational thing, my folks friends still use kiddo, pet, terms for young women and whilst it can be grating as an adult let alone one who is breaking the law with them it just happened more than I liked. That and a frequent bladder although I absolutely got it and am the first to admit I am super prickly just now so things that normally would be water off a ducks back really gets under my skin just now.

I do like Josie's character and hopefully this is just book one in a new series, this is an established author writing under another name but I think this is my first time reading him, I will need to check. 3.5 rounder up to 4 because whilst I liked some bits and disliked some of the first 3/4's I did really really like the last quarter of the book. Pace, action, banter, interactions with each other so yeah 4/5 for us overall with all things considered.

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It's Always The Husband by C L Taylor

It’s Always the Husband by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -

Publisher - Avon

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The school gates have never been so dangerous…

When newly divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge, she is soon drawn to the enigmatic Will, father to her young daughter's best friend.

But Will's devastating past holds questions that nobody knows the answer to – and after two tragedies tore his life apart in just a few short years, gossip and rumours abound about what really happened to the women he loved.

Because whilst one dead wife is tragic, two starts to look like murder…



My Review

Jude has just recently moved into a small town post divorce, she can't warm to the mums who convene at the school gates gossipy judgement oozing out of them. She is however drawn to Will, one of the single dads at the gates and they get on, they have young daughters of the same age and there is no denying the attraction. When Jude finally goes to a group meet set up by the driving force that is Victoria, head mum she is pumped for info about her relationship with Will. In between the gossip and alcohol Jude also finds out why they hate Will so much. His first wife died and his girlfriend went missing, the group is worried for her whilst spilling some gossip and secrets of their own.

So the book goes between the key characters povs, Jude, Victoria, Victoria's ex Andy (who is a cop btw), Sorrell across X days. With a creepy eerie suspense building like what is Will's deal, the domestics between Victoria and Andy (they have kids so custody and all the jazz). Victoria is a total PTA mum but also in everybody's business, little miss popular, its a bit of a bitch and a control freak. The group is a very mixed dynamic, Jude is over their nonsense before even getting fully embroiled in it all but she needs info. What she does hear only makes her want to do some more digging, she has her own trauma from the past which pushes her on and her needs for answers.

Oooooh what a bitchy wee town, gossip, drama, secrets, suspense, thriller, trauma, like this has it all. I have been having some hard readers block but this pulls you in and lets you absorb all their drama/chaos/suspense so you can pause your own life for a bit. This is one of the reasons I love reading so when you can't it is super stressful, this book pulled me out of mine. Full absorption, some shady characters, skulduggery and who doesn't like scandal in a small town that isn't your own, 4.5/5. We are big fans of Taylor's work and yet to read one we didn't like, yet another fab read of dastardly deeds, dodgy biscuit people and a whole lot of drama and danger!

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Flawless by Elsie Silver

Flawless by Elsie Silver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 424

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The rules were simple . . .
Keep my hands off his daughter and stay out of trouble.

But now I’m stuck with her . . . And there’s only one bed . . .
Oh well, rules are made -- to be broken . . . aren't they?

I’m the face of professional bull riding -- the golden boy.
Or at least I was, until it all blew up in my face.
Now my agent says I have to clean up my image, so I’m stuck with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as my “full-time supervision.”

But I don’t need a goddamn babysitter --
especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk,
and a mouth she can’t stop running.

A mouth I just can’t stop thinking about . . .

Because Summer isn’t just another conquest.
She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn’t run --
she pulls me closer, even when she shouldn’t.

She says this means nothing -- but I say this means everything.

She says there are boundaries we shouldn’t cross.
That my reputation can’t take any more hits -- and neither can her damaged heart.

I say I’m going to steal it anyway.


My Review

Well guys I have finally read my first cowboy book, YEEEEEHAW! Rhett is a champion bull rider, raking in the ladies, bad press, money and titles but he isn't getting any younger. When he finds himself in yet more hot water, this time costing him sponsorship his agent assigns his daughter Summer to keep him in check and help fix his rep during this next title competition. She is desperate to make a good impression to her dad as this is her first run at a job in his company but there is no denying Rhett is as hot as he is trouble!

Ok once you get past some of the cringe smut talk, like she tells him to shoosh and I was like halleluiah, shut it chatty cathy lol! I believe this could be considered enemies to lovers trope? He resents her because she is effectively a babysitter, his family rip on him because they are all boys and thats what they do. Rhett is stunning and famous so women are flinging themselves at him and buckle bunnies are a thing. I got an education as well as a spicy story!

This is book one, I assume the others are the same characters, I have bought the next three but not read them as yet. I loved the family threads and how they are with each other, the friendships, his moody brother - I hope we get more of his story. Her bestie seems like a good yin too so I am hoping the next books give us more into them.

There is spice, adult smut talk - I am sure some folk will LOVE that but a lot of that I had a riddy for him lmao. Hot and spicy, sweary, cheeky and of course cowboys/bull riding, I do feel sorry for these animals, I know it is a fiction book but sports with bulls are a real thing so heads up, 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars because I did like the relationships, family, buildup but some of the cringe chat/scenes and animal stuff took a bit of the spark off it so all round a 4 for me and I will be reading the next books.

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Book sleeve with zip giveaway

So sorry I haven't had one up for a bit, still chasing the winner of the last one (we usually say 48 hours and we will pick another winner, it has been weeks, going to give them one more message!) but here we are. Open worldwide, to enter please use the Rafflecopter below, good luck.

What is up for grabs? X1 book sleeve with a zip as pictured.

It has a handle on the side you can hang it on your wrist or a bag.

Zip along the top so your book won't fall out.

Lined inside, black soft material.

It also has an open pocket at the front (no zip on that part), decent depth. The sleeve is large and can fit paperback and hardback or your kindle.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love At First Sight by Laura Jane Williams

Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

She’s found the one. He’s just not the one for her.

Jessie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Until one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger's arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant.

Quick-fire flirting turns into the most romantic day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they're forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – has she just lost the one?

After weeks of searching, Cal turns up on her doorstop holding two dozen red roses. It feels like fate.

The only thing is, they’re not for her…


My Review

Ah Jessie, shopping when she meets Cal, both are shopping, fire alarm goes off and they end up chatting and having a pretty magical date/evening. When Cal is a hero their night is cut short, they hadn't gotten each others details and the love that could have been is cut short Jessie can't believe it. So imagine her surprise, x amount of time later Cal appears with flowers but they aren't for her and Jessie can't say anything without upturning her life.

Ooft talk about nightmare, poor Jessie cannot catch a break, her dad is dating someone her age and she isn't the nicest at all. Her would be dream man disappeared and now she wishes he had stayed gone but she can't deny she is attracted to him still but actions and consequences. Her local butcher is a dish but he is a bit of a ladies man and she can't bring herself to take him seriously. Her boss is famous, high maintenance but also mostly friendly and Jessie dotes on her wee boy but even that aspect of her life isn't clear cut and issues are at every corner.

Jessie is nice but she also ripped my knitting a fair few times, some of her choices, behaviours, actions I was like really gurl come on! Her dad I wanted to slap more than a few times too, her employer, Cal, more than half the playing cast at times lol but I am also the first to admit I am beyond irritated the now so things that may have irked me now enrage lol.

Enjoyable poolside ride or just a wee wanting to dodge your own reality for 5 minutes, that being said it does have themes of infidelity, toxic behaviours, coercion, bitching, game play, emotional blackmail, a few doosies, 3/5 for us this time.

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Frankie by Graham Norton

Frankie by Graham Norton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 291

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Netgalley and bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Frankie Howe has lived a long life, her small flat is crammed full of art, furniture - and memories. Damian, her young carer, listens as she gradually tells him parts of her story - a story that takes us into a progressive, daring world of New York artists on the brink of fame, aspiring writers and larger-than-life characters.

Always just on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie is never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage. But the outsider holds certain advantages, sees things others don't, can influence without drawing attention. And when the map has been lost, it's anyone's guess where you may end up, or the accidental choices you find you have made. Frankie discovers that life is not always the one we hope for, or the one others expect of us.

Travelling from post-war Ireland to the dazzling art scene of 1960s New York by way of London, Frankie is an immersive, decade-sweeping novel about love, bravery and what it means to live a significant life.


My Review

Damien is a carer and a bit adrift in his life when he gets called on for a job to look after an elderly lady who has hurt her leg and needs some care. Meet Frankie, her bestie Nor has arranged Damien to come and care for her during recovery and Frankie is spicy, fiercely independent and not amused. However with Damien staying over and a lot of hours to get through together Frankie starts to warm up and tell Damien about her life, she is the main character dahling. The book bounces between present day, elderly Frankie and going back to her early years and how we got to present day.

Ooft guys, there is a few emotionals so buckle up. I just wanted to hug Frankie, especially when we go back in time to young Frankie. She is so innocent, sweet and gets a bit of a shady hand dealt, we go from teen, to her first marriage and going from one situation to another, friendships, relationships, making her way in the world. She is one of those people you could just listen to their stories over and over, with Norton he draws us into her world so we can "live" it with her.

The book explores different themes and as I said emotive with it, coming of age, loss, love, LGB, AIDS, personal growth and woven with emotive scenes, like I said I wanted to hug Frankie, bless her. Whilst I loved it the last quarter went so fast and I wasn't ready to end the story and felt it came quite quickly, dare I say rushed. I would have loved another 100 pages, uck I could have kept reading to be honest, I really liked Frankie and escaping my reality to envelope in hers for a wee while, 4/5.

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What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Netgalley and bought a copy

Blurb from Goodreads

One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while interrailing through Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash. Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection—a bond deep enough for them to scrap their itineraries and plan to meet again in Spain. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, Ellie has landed her dream job working as a gardener for a viscount and viscountess on their sprawling five-hundred-year-old estate in Wales. She finds peace amongst the towering topiary hedges and colorful gardens, but her idyll is shattered when Ash crashes back into her life. And when it becomes clear why he didn’t show in Madrid, her heart breaks anew—for what the truth means for her, and for his fate.

But they have never been able to resist each another, and when the sparks of their attraction fly, Ellie’s life will catch flame. She will have to make a choice.


My Review

Ellie is interrailing (I think of it as backpacking but not sure if there is an actual difference), trying to deal with stuff and personal growth. When she meets Ash she has no intention of dating, she is dealing with a whole host of stuff but then Ash, beautiful Ash and her just click. For three days in Lisbon love blossoms and they make plans to meet and travel together. Typical something happens and they don't meet, she is late and he isn't there when she arrives. Six years of struggling with the loss of what could have been, her family expectations and everything her and Ash had she does something for herself and gets her dream job. Just as everything is going perfectly Ash crashes back into her life, everything is turned upside down, there is a lot of hurt, questions and barriers you could not begin to imagine but what they felt all those years ago still burns, in them both. What do you do when you are pulled together like moths to a flame but everything is stacked against you?

Aw guys, so I have read a Paige Toon ages ago (I checked Goodreads, 2012!) so when we got the chance to read this one, clickity click! I am a sucker for a romance and who hasn't had either a holiday romance or the old one who got away. Coupled with that you have so many family issues, on both the main characters, Ash and Ellie, parental expectations, keeping up with the Joneses . With this one we have a wee bit of classism, societal divides for example the gardeners at Ellies new job, they all work at this beautiful prestigious 500 year old estate but there is a tone between other hired staff and the gardeners.

When Elli and Ash finally find each other again, especially after six long years there is so much to unwrap! I loved the will they won't they, the barriers flung between them, the shady attitude especially exhibited by Ash's dad and one of the help at the house. People can be absolute bangers, snobbery and how folk treat each other, even Ellie's parent's, despite not being in the book much their impact they have on Ellie is huge and far reaching.

A tale of love, near misses, societal barriers, travel, family, relationships, friendships and following your heart and dreams. At one point I had goosebumps, a few moments of NOOOOOO what are you doing! As I said I have only read one of Toon's books before this and will be getting more, 4.5/5 from us.

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The Second Wife by Alex Kane

Happy publication day to Alex Kane for "The Second Wife" out to buy NOW on Amazon (UK link).

The Second Wife: A pulse-pounding crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages - 359

Publisher - Hera

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

She’s got her man. But does she know what he’s hiding?

Young, feisty, and beautiful, heads turn wherever Danica Campbell goes, even if she only has eyes for her fiancé, Ricky Fyfe. He might be thirty years older than her, but his job as a big-time club owner in Glasgow means he can afford to give Danica the life she deserves.

Danica knows he has a history – after all, his adult daughter Teigan works at the club – and she knows that Teigan’s mum, Elle, disappeared decades ago. It doesn’t matter, because Danica knows that Ricky will do anything for her.

Until the day that a woman walks into their lives – and everything that Danica knew about Ricky falls to pieces. Faced with the reality of Ricky’s past, Danica’s got some hard truths to swallow. But what Ricky doesn’t know that Danica might just be keeping some secrets of her own – and when he discovers them, their happy ever after might just come to a shocking end…


My Review

Happy publication day! So meet Elle, she thought she knew what she was getting into with Ricky, it isn't until she is committed and has his baby she realises how trapped she is. Ricky is cruel, violent, aggressive, gaslighting and a big name in the business of drugs and violence. Fast forward to present day, Elle is long gone, abandoned her newborn baby Teigan all those years ago, and Teigan she is now her dads right hand man. He has a new wifey to be, Danica, same age as Teigan, everything looks great for Ricky until things start going wrong in his business, the two women on his life don't get on and it seems someone is out to get him. Who would dare, Ricky is top of his game, a killer, a hot head and someone is going to pay!

Well the opening chapter, prologue sorry, pulls you right in, danger and skullduggery from the start! From there on in we have gaslighting, dv, addiction, murder secrets, relationships, drugs and one of my faves, actions and consequences, a bit of everything.

Short chapters, fast paced, some real shady shocking characters/actions, murder, coercion, gaslighting it has a bit of everything. If you haven't read Kane before you can absolutely start here, bit of a wild ride, 4.5/5.

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Silent Evidence by Clea Koff

Silent Evidence by Clea Koff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Avon

Source - Review copy & bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Every body has secrets...

Jayne and Steelie founded Agency 32/1 with one purpose in using their specialist forensic skills to help police solve crimes.

When a bundle of frozen body parts fall out of a van on a Los Angeles freeway, FBI agent Scott Houston knows just where to go for an off-the-record post-mortem. But to everyone’s horror, Jayne and Steelie quickly determine the parts aren’t from one body. The body parts are from multiple bodies.

A serial killer is on the loose. Worse, Scott’s call has put Jayne and Steelie’s lives in jeopardy, as their unique skills can uncover evidence to unmask the killer. Can they find the killer, before the killer finds them?


My Review

So this is my first time reading this author Jayne and Steelie are main characters who founded Agency 32/1, specialists in Forensics and help with cold cases identifying body parts and bringing closure to loved ones. When body parts are found and appear to be from different people the girls are invited in and consult on the case. A serial killer who is very knowledgeable in what they do and showing no signs of stopping, the FBI are on the case and the killer shows no signs of stopping.

I took a wee bit to warm to this one, it was a little bit, I don't want to say chaotic but that is the closest word I can get to in that different povs but not always clear. I am the first to admit my head space isn't the best at present and if a book takes me this long when I have no interruptions I know its a me issue. I had to keep tabs, the investigation, the issues between the hierarchy in the ranks/agencies. The spark between two of the characters and some throwbacks references to their history, I felt I was maybe reading a second book not first, like had I missed some story. I think it is a bit of how it is written and my mild readers block but I did settle to it.

The baddy was well done, evil, shocking, shady and sometimes makes the hair on the back of your neck stand. I would read more of this series and think it was a good start for book one and a foundation book, 3.5/5.

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Koresh: The True Story of David Koresh and The Tragedy at Waco by Stephan Talty

Koresh: The True Story of David Koresh and the Tragedy at Waco by Stephan Talty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 8 days

Pages - 464

Publisher - Head of Zeus

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Back Cover

"If you think you know what really happened at Waco and why, think again" Bob Kolker
In the Spring of 1993, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. A 51 -day standoff ensued. Known as the Waco Seige, it has become a founding myth of the extreme wing of American conservatism, invoked by militiamen, gun rights advocates, and the alt-right. The leader of the evangelical sect, an extreme form of Seventh-Day Adventism, was David Koresh.

Koresh is Stephan Talty's extraordinary, meticulous narration of the events that led up to the Waco Massacre. Drawing on new sources, FBI negotiation tapes, and interviews with family and friends, this definitive biography explores how Koresh grew from a young man to a cult leader, and investigates why the siege has become an enduring symbol for radical opponents of the democratic state.

My Review

So I hadn't read or seen anything about Koresh, I had heard maybe a few passing references in crime programmes but just Waco in passing. This was my first real introduction to David Koresh aka Vernon Howell. The book takes us back to the early years, his mum, his birth and life up through to him getting involved in the cult and how he took over becoming David Koresh and everything that transpired after that.

So if you know the story, apparently there is a lot of misinformation about the siege, what happened, what the ATF and FBI did. This book gives verbatim accounts/tape transcriptions/recordings, the surveillance, how each team got involved, even the then President of America, Bill Clinton who was only a month in office at that point.

In Vernon's rise he abused underaged females and when he was deep into Waco and the leader he subjected many of the followers to abuse, violence, gaslighting, manipulation. There are so many dark themes/actions/happenings, so much done because he wielded a power over people, proclaimed messiah/leader. As he gained more followers and "visions" and heard the voice of God he became "more than a human" and his people treated him as such. Things got so dark I had to stop reading halfway through just to get a breather and read a different genre because it was horrific and heartbreaking and I knew it was just going to get darker.

It is mind blowing how one individual could influence and cause so much hurt/chaos/violence and even once Waco was over, more violence happened from different groups/causes/people against law enforcement/the government. I think psychologists would have a field day breaking down the behaviours and control of this individual and the impact he had on many who heard him preach. Like people didn't just give over their cash, sell up and go there, they allowed him to claim multiple wives even if they had a husband in the compound, their underage daughters. It is jaw dropping, even someone who got out, when they met him again even though they were enemies the person had a fondness and great love for him, like *GASP* it is wild, 4/5 for me. It is so interesting but heartbreaking, shocking, stomach turning, prepare yourself going into this one, it is dark.

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The Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith

The Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages -

Publisher -

Source -

Blurb from Goodreads

Once more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious 44 Scotland Street from Alexander McCall Smith . . .

Bertie's respite from his overbearing mother, Irene, is over. She has returned from the middle-east, only to discover that her son has been exposed to the worst evils of cartoons, movies and Irn Bru, and her wrath falls upon her unfortunate husband, Stuart. Meanwhile, Bruce has fallen in love with someone other than himself; Big Lou wants to adopt her beloved Finlay; Matthew and Elspeth host the Duke of Johannesburg for supper and Bertie decides he wants to move out of Scotland Street altogether and live with his grandmother, Nicola.

Can Irene and Stuart's marriage survive? Will Bruce's newfound love last? And will Bertie really leave Scotland Street? Find out in the next instalment of this charming, beloved series.


My Review

So this is like book eleven in the series and normally I say you can read as a standalone but I think knowing the back stories does help for this one. For me, this isn't my favourite so far but it is still enjoyable. Bruce, narcissistic, pretty, lover of noone more than himself has a new lady and he is besotted so this is a turn up for the books and could this be Bruce's karma? Bertie is still long suffering with his mother Irene as is Stuart, his dad but has Stuart finally had enough?

We catch up with the goings on with our favourite and not so favourite characters as they go about their lives and have some dramas and blips as we go. Big Lou, I really like her and would love to see her get her happy ever after.

This book we do see a wee bit of revelations, comeuppance maybe, new characters, dramas as McCall gives us normal every dayisms with a bit of flare/comedy, 3/5.

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The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland

The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read -

Pages - 400

Publisher - Choc Lit

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Peek-a-boo I see you…
When five-year-old Helen Stephens witnesses her mother’s murder, her whole world comes crumbling down. Rejected by her extended family, Helen is handed over to child services and learns to trust no-one but herself. Twenty years later, her mother’s killer is let out of jail, and Helen swears vengeance.

Jason Moody runs a halfway house, desperate to distance himself from his father’s gangster dealings. But when Helen shows up on his doorstep, he decides to dig into her past, and risks upsetting some very dangerous people.

As Helen begins to question what really happened to her mother, Jason is determined to protect her. But Helen is getting too close to someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden …


My Review

Helen is five years old and has Epilepsy, Helen is the only "witness" to her mothers murder however she only has fragmented confused bits of memory. Now twenty years later Helen is a different person, estranged from her family and in India. When the family reaches out, only one thing could bring her home, her mums killer is out of jail and Helen wants revenge.

The book is a bit different, our main character has always been treated poorly due to her condition which has made her keep every one at arms length. Now faced with her past she will do what she has to to get revenge for her mum. She gets into a halfway house, amidst her mission she finds herself drawn to Jason, the guy who runs the house. Jason has some shady links to his past and Helen could find herself in more trouble than she expected.

The book has some shady characters, a few threads/themes and the thing I think that maes this one different is getting a character who lives with seizures. We see how she copes, what triggers her and in turn how she keeps herself away from others, relationships and how your path can start one way and end up on a very different road.

I liked it I didn't love it, it was interesting and had a few colourful characters, this was my first read by this author, I would read her again, 3/5.

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Human Remains by Jo Callaghan Blogathon

Today is my stop for Human Remains by Jo Callaghan, book 3 in the Kat and Lock series.

Human Remains by Jo Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The truth will always come out, but at what cost?

Fresh from successfully closing their first live case, the Future Policing Unit are called in to investigate when a headless, handless body is found on a Warwickshire farm. But as they work to identify the victim and their killer, the discovery of a second body begins to spark fears that The Aston Strangler is back. And as the stakes rise for the team, so do the tensions brewing within it.

When DCS Kat Frank is accused of putting the wrong man behind bars all those years ago, AIDE Lock – the world's first AI Detective – pursues the truth about what happened with relentless logic. But Kat is determined to keep the past buried, and when she becomes the target of a shadowy figure looking for revenge, Lock is torn between his evidence-based algorithms and the judgement of his partner, with explosive results. 

When everything hangs in the balance, it will all come down to just how much an AI machine can learn, and what happens when they do . . .


My Review

Guys if you haven't read book one and two PLEASE go back and read them first then come back because they are fab, you need the back story and they are pretty epic so just do it. So we open with someone plotting dastardly plans towards Kat and then onto the present day and finding of some bones, possibly human and DCS Kat Frank needs to investigate.

The interactions between Lock and Kat are absolutely one of my fave things about these books, LOCK is a machine but learning o fast it is actually scary. He can process information, scenes, stats but the human intuition and nuances escapes him. We see the short comings of AI but also the positives but the Sheldoness of the machine is an absolute fave.

As well as investigating the bones and what follows from there Kat is being scrutinised publically and online as a podcast has an old case of hers under the scope and questioning is she got it wrong. Is it linked to the new finding of bones and Kat is good but she is human and the pressure is on, cracks are showing. Add into that her son is coming home and bringing his new girlfriend home, it is stress city for Kat and folk online seem to have it in for her and someone is watching her every move and waiting.

Lots of high emotions, the pace is fast and multifactorial with different threads/stories taking place - all interlinked. I cannot wait for the next book in the story and see where it is going, Lock reminds me a bit of Vision/Jarvis from the avengers like he is good, he was created for good purposes and has a bit of Sheldon (from the Big Bang Theory) and I like all off them, echoes of but Lock is a whole new creation. Strap in folks this one will take you through a host of emotions & I didn't want to put it down, I NEEDED to know! 4/5.

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Predator: Incursion by Tim Lebbon book 1

Predator: Incursion by Tim Lebbon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 1 week

Pages - 270

Publisher - Titan

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Predator ships stream into human space in unprecedented numbers. The Colonial Marines, controlled by Weyland-Yutani, respond to the incursion, thus entering the Rage War. This terrifying assault by the Yautja cannot go unchallenged, yet the cost of combat is high. Predators are master combatants, and each encounter yields a high body count. Then when Lt. Johnny Mains and his marines—the VoidLarks—enter the fray, they discover an enemy deadlier than any could imagine. Book one in an epic trilogy that continues in INVASION and concludes in ALIENS VS. ARMAGEDDON. The universe will forever be changed.



My Review

Opening scene, xenomorph choas and then we flip to the Colonial Marines who guard earth'/space boundaries (ish) - I am the first to admit I don't describe stuff perfect but you get the jist. Anyway they clock the Predators (the ultimate fighting aliens in the movie with Arnie Schwarzenegger, they can't see us when we have mud all over us and by us I mean humans) although in the book they are referred to as Yautja. Anyway there has always been a bit of barny/murder death kill between us (marines) and them but something isn't right and soon both realise that a bigger foe is coming and our only chance may be to put our differences aside and unite.

I LOVE the alien universe and also the predator so a book that sees crossover HELLO sign me up! It does jump about a wee bit to start with and a wee bit of time jump but once you get into it and understand what the chat it it is good. I felt we had echoes of Predator 2 with Danny Glovers character, a wee bit of a mash between Bishop/Ash/Andy in one artificial human.

If you haven't come to this from the movies/franchise and this is your first dance I think you will still like it but maybe not quite appreciate it just as much as us who consume all the movies (I am still quite new to the books so playing catch up). 4.5/5 for me, I have books two and three at the ready (this is a trilogy set but there are MANY of the xeno books), I absolutely recommend and look forward to book two!

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Ten Cats & One Crazy Cat Lady by Amelia Hendrey

Ten Cats & One Crazy Cat Lady by Amelia Hendrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 weeks

Pages -

Publisher - Wrate's Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Embark on a heartwarming adventure with self-proclaimed 'crazy cat lady' and professional cat sitter, Amelia Hendrey, as she delves into the enchanting world of felines.

Encounter a cast of unforgettable cats, each loved, rescued and mourned by Amelia, who also once shared her home with ten furry companions simultaneously. Experience the laughter, joy and tears that come with caring for these remarkable creatures.

Travel with Amelia to Amsterdam, where she finds a peaceful community of cats living on a canal boat, and to Rome, where she explores a cat sanctuary nestled within ancient ruins. Back in the UK, Amelia sips tea at a London cat café and has a close encounter with a Lykoi, the fascinating 'werewolf cat.'

Ten Cats & One Crazy Cat Lady is a heartfelt celebration of the unconditional love that cats bring into our lives. It will leave you purring with delight and yearning for more.



My Review

Welcome to Amelia's world of cats, past and present, meet her fur babies. Each of her ten cats get their own pages and cute photo to follow, from how she got them until they go over Rainbow Bridge so be prepared.

Cutesy cat references, stories, love, laughter, bonding, loss Hendrey takes you through the stories of their arrival, antics and departures. That would be about the first half of the book, the second is how she takes her love of cats, visits places that offer homes/sanctuary and how she gets into her own business, cat centric.

The book also gives you the names of places she visited, that cares for cats and inspired her own path. I had to dip in and out just because reading each of the cats stories and their loss was a bit much for me, it is natural of course but the stories are back to back so I dipped in and out.

If you love cats you will enjoy this one, 4/5 from us.

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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 329

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…



My Review

I feel like I am the last one to the party and everyone and their granny has read this book. Millie didn't think for a second she would actually land the job as live in nanny et al for the Winchesters, the house is dripping money/class and Millie is living in her car with all kinds of baggage following her around. Get the job she does and she is determined to keep it, even if the wife blows hot and cold and seems off the scale at times. Seriously the more you read the more unhinged you see just how bad the wife is. Her kid is a brat and her husband is not only attractive but super nice and Millie can't help but find herself wondering how his wife bagged him and just how nice he is. Millie find that not is all it seems in the Winchester house but then nor is Millie dun dun duuuuuuuuun.

I read this in under a day, like maybe 7 or 8 hours, had to stop for food and an appointment but immediately picked it back up. The majority of the book we hear from Millie and maybe the last quarter we hear from the perspective of Nina (the wife).

It is shocking - an absolute page turner, normally I give themes in our reviews but to do so would give spoilers this time so apologies I cannot. If you are triggered by certain topics I would maybe check out some other reviews to prepare yourself.

I couldn't predict where it was going and felt the rug pulled a few times which is always a good thing in a book, for sure. 4.5/5 this was my first dance with McFadden and I have just bought book two!

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Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 482

Publisher - Wildfire

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).


My Review

So I kept seeing this on Booktok and I am a total FOMO so of course I had to buy and we had a wee visit to a witch fair so time to read it. It kicks off with a young girl being driven by her furious father, she is being taken to a house for girls like her, girls with a belly of trouble. Once there she is named after a flower, you help around the house, chores, you don't tell anyone anything personal and at the end you give birth in hospital and your baby gets adopted. Each girl is coming from a different scenario but all are to hide away until their "mistake" over and then forget it happened and go to their old life. However the girls end up coming across some magic and find they can have some power, revenge and some say in their predicament and those who have harmed them, dun dun dun.

So the first 100 odd pages we are focused on the girls and their tentative relationships, little bits of their information coming forward and friendships forming. Then we have some witchcraft, magic and things go quite dark. These girls are young teens, some really young and discussions of SA, abuse of power and details, graphic in some places about births. How badly some are treated because they are pregnant out of wedlock, it can make for difficult reading.

The magic parts, especially the offerings, ooft I have a thing about some body parts so I found one particular scene quite barbaric that others may not feel it quite as bad. I think most of us as youngsters watched The Craft so anything with magic/witches will always be a draw.

This isn't my first Hendrix book and it won't be my last, 4/5.

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The Family by Mandasue Heller

The Family by Mandasue Heller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 356

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

HER BOYFRIEND'S A DREAM. HIS FAMILY'S A NIGHTMARE.
Since her mother died of an overdose, kind-hearted Cheryl's always had to look out for herself. Until Dale Moran walks into her life.

Dale and his family have just bought the house across the street, and within a day, he's chased off the violent thugs who've been threatening Cheryl for her ex-boyfriend's debts.

Dale is devastatingly handsome and a fierce protector. It's no wonder Cheryl falls fast and hard. But when Cheryl finally meets the family; when she notices that they go quiet as she enters rooms; when she hears gunshots in the middle of the night on their estate, she has to wonder whether her new romance has taken her out of the frying pan and into the fire...

Cheryl's not sure how wrapped up Dale is in his family's secrets. But she's certain of one The Morans are hiding something. And unfortunately for Cheryl, finding the truth could mean losing her life...


My Review

Cheryl is having a time of it, trying to dodge the thugs who are pressing her for cash her ex owes, a best friend who is a shady biscuit can anything ever go right? Well when handsome Dale scares off the thugs and lets Cheryl know he has no interest in her pal well spark fly. Cheryl feels she has landed on her feet, Dale is head over heels, his mum loves her, his sister in law is a cold fish and clearly doesn't like her. Things are moving super fast but is Dale what he seems to be or has Cheryl jumped from the frying pan into the fire?

Well this book has some really bad shady characters, lots of dealings in the underworld and sweet Cheryl has no idea what is in store. We see some of the darkest sides of humanity, people who do not care for anything or anyone bar themselves and everyone has a price.

Whilst Cheryl is sweet she really irritated me at times, like some of her choices and that best pal needed to go in the bin, pals like that who needs enemies. I so wanted Cheryl to be strong but often she was so blinkered I could have screamed and or her trust in people I was like GIRL COME ON but the book keeps you hooked. You absolutely wanted to know what was coming next, will X get their comeuppance, will Cheryl find a backbone and can we actually trust anyone! Drugs, murder, manipulation, SA, some really dark stuff, coercion and much more, 4/5.

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With Promises to Keep by Ellie Dean

With Promises to Keep by Ellie Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Publisher - Penguin books

Pages - 383

Blurb from Goodreads

The year of 1947 is almost upon them, and the community of Cliffehaven is still reeling from the tragic loss of Gracie, who left behind two young orphans.

Polish refugee and nurse Danuta made Gracie a to love and cherish her children as her own. But with her husband’s health failing, can Danuta’s promise be fulfilled?

Then a bitter winter storm cuts the town off. Peggy Reilly and the rest of Cliffehaven must pull together to survive.


My Review


So first off this is book twenty one in a series, I did not know this lol but it is all good and after reading this I will be going back, buying book one and starting there. It is 1947, folk are still feeling the effects post war, we meet (or if you know the series, reacquaint) with Polish refugee nurse Danuta and her husband Stan. Danuta made a promise to Grace she would look after her two children, one being a baby. It is all a bit precarious, adoption has a lot of expectation an standards, Stan has health issues with his stumps (amputee), they both work and struggle to make ends meet. However a promise is a promise and they will do what they can to keep their word, plus Danuta has always wanted a family, after the tortures during the war she cannot have her own. It is an emotive multifaceted road Danuta is on, many struggles and hurdles facing her, can she get the family she always wanted despite the odds stacked against her.

So I am absolutely getting the other books, it is a small community, it has what you know in these wee towns, classism, snobbery, even when you are all a bit skint there are folks who will gossip and judge so we do see a bit of that. Danuta and Stan are so in love and clearly already been through so much, I reckon if you know the previous books things will pack a bit more of an emotive punch but I still liked it and got it despite this being my first foray into the series, 4/5 for me.

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Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 336

Publisher - Michael Joseph Books

Source - Netgalley & bought one from Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says...


My Review

New baby, finally heading back to work all is great except your husband isn't here for day one of your return and babies first day in daycare, where is he? Heading through the day getting increasingly more nervous, no response to calls, no contact and then news of a hostage situation and then the police arrives at Camilla's (Cam's) work place and life as Cam knows it is gone!

Oooft dun dun dun, what a sweeping start eh. Cam goes through all the emotions, there is no way he could do this, she knows him, she loves him but the police show her, it is indeed her husband. Talk about the rug being pulled out from under you, I think the reason these type of stories grip you so much is the main character is normal, just a worker, a mum a normal person who finds themselves thrown into your worst nightmare.

The book takes us across X span of time, the day of the siege, after the siege and then seven years later, all clearly marked. Different time periods, Cam trying to sort her life, processing, recovering and I think, as the reader, you can't help but put yourself in her shoes. Would you react like that, would you do/think x,y,z way? How do you recover from that, what changed, what did you miss, how could that be your husband, how could he do that?

I was sucked in pretty much from the get go, I could not gage where it was going next, like all this has happened in the first X pages/chapter, where can it go next. I love when a book does that, I am the first to admit I never or rarely ever know the how or why but I think even those who do wouldn't be able to figure out where it is going. An author who keeps you guessing has a talent indeed. The first quarter of the book was intense and packing a punch, it then takes a slower turn but continues to be pacey, engaging and for me anyway invested in the character(s), 4/5. This isn't our first McAllister, it won't be our last, I need to bump the others up the tbrm.

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