Inside Job: The Life of a Prison Psychologist by Dr Rebecca Myers

Inside Job: Treating Murderers and Sex Offenders. The Life of a Prison Psychologist. by Dr Rebecca Myers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

And here I am. Totally alone in a cell with a convicted sex offender who is free to do what he wants. There is no officer. No handcuffs. No radio. Only the man across the desk and me. He looks more petrified than I do.

HMP Graymoor. One of the UK’s most notorious prisons. Home to nearly 800 murderers, rapists and child molesters.

Reporting for her first shift inside is Rebecca: twenty-two, newly graduated – and about to sit down with some of the country’s most dangerous criminals.

In this gripping, hard-hitting memoir, forensic psychologist Dr Rebecca Myers revisits her time in the ‘Hot Seat’ with Graymoor’s infamous inmates – who might not be as different to us as we think.

This is as close as we can get to knowing what really goes on inside the damaged minds behinds bars.


My Review

Guys this is absolutely not for those who struggle with triggers and the author is documenting her life experiences working within one of the most infamous prisons. Inmates are chosen to partake in a program to treat, face and the goal is helping them to not reoffend. They have committed horrendous crimes, SA, SV and murder, the treatment program is very graphic and leads them through exactly what they did to their victims. Facing their crimes, going through it from the victims point of view. I have never read anything like that before and you are hearing from the offenders. Some are remorseful and some are vile and have no remorse be go into it with open eyes and be prepared.

Dr Rebecca is pretty much going in blind, this is her first shift and we follow her through her time in the prison, relationships *side eye* and gaining her confidence. It isn't just her time in the facility and interactions with staff and prisoners. We see some of her personal life and some questionable decisions whilst she is trying to establish herself and make an important change to these individuals. If successful stopping further acts of harm towards others and getting the inmates to acknowledge, process and rehab so they won't commit offences in the future.

It would be interesting to see how much research and stats there are (it is touched on briefly) over the years and how many offenders of this nature are followed up. It seems in this day and age there is even more and more crimes of sexual violence, deviancy and murders or maybe we just hear more because of how much coverage there is now we don't just rely on papers and news outlets. It is a had read due to the content but really eye opening and I am sure would spark much debates, 3/5.

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The Asylum by Karen Coles

The Asylum by Karen Coles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Welbeck

Source - Bought/gift

Blurb from Goodreads

1906: Being a woman is dangerous, being different is deadly.

Maud Lovell has been at Angelton Lunatic Asylum for five years. She is not sure how she came to be there and knows nothing beyond its four walls. She is hysterical, distressed, untrustworthy. Badly unstable and prone to violence. Or so she has been told.

When a new doctor arrives, keen to experiment with the revolutionary practice of medical hypnosis, Maud's lack of history makes her the perfect case study. But as Doctor Dimmond delves deeper into the past, it becomes clear that confinement and high doses are there to keep her silent.

When Maud finally remembers what has been done to her, and by whom, her mind turns to her past and to revenge.


My Review

Check your triggers, set in the early 1900s's Maud is in an Asylum, not a good place for anyone and the time for a woman, absolutely not. There is a new doctor in and Maud is the perfect candidate for his research. As he tries to get Maud to open up and trust he takes her back to her past and we flip between the two. As He digs deeper and Maud starts to remember it is clear there is someone who doesn't want her to and Maud's safety is at risk.

The before and memories are a bit slow burn to get to what we want, whatever caused Maud to block our her memories. The treatment she gets in the asylum, I use the word treatment loosely absolutely diabolical, brutal, evil and really unsettling. What she endures, how she is treated and the fact she is in a medical establishment, it is nothing short of abuse and I always think when it is vulnerable people it is even more horrific and by people who are meant to care for them and in a position of power. Absolutely enraging and upsetting and really brutal at points because historically we know things like that happened, I know this is fiction but still.

The book teases out the story, who is Maud, why is she there and why does it seem like she is being deliberately given the short end of the straw every single time. I can't give much in the way of triggers and themes because we don't do spoilers. I would say go into this with open eyes and prepare for themes that centre around abuse types that have been historically documented in asylums. 3/5 for me this time, I felt it slow at times, shocking at others but I was kept interested and wanting to see what was in Maud's past and what future, if any was ahead for her. I would read this author again.

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Diamond by Jesse Keane

Diamond by Jessie Keane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 543

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

This thrilling and twisty crime novel is perfect for fans of Martina Cole' My Weekly'A rollercoaster of crime, revenge and murder' The SunIn the early years of the last century, a desperate young girl changes her name and flees the confines of her brutal, dominating gangland family in London. Now calling herself 'Diamond Dupree', she goes to Paris to become an artist's model but the world there is different to what she had supposed it would be and she soon falls on hard times. When she manages to escape at the end of the First World War, she leaves behind her a mystery - and a dead man.Back home in London, she reluctantly re-joins the Soho family 'firm' she'd once been glad to leave behind. Having grown tougher during her time in Paris, she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with, a feared and respected gangland queen. But then she meets Richard Beaumont, the youngest son of a wealthy aristocratic family, and sparks fly. But can she escape the long arm of the law and the hangman's noose, when the crimes of her past finally catch up with her?For fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers, as well as viewers of Peaky Blinders, this is historical crime fiction at its most compelling.'No one delves into the underworld like Keane!' Woman's Weekly'A brilliant historical crime read' Bella'A gritty and enlightening read'



My Review

When Diamond's father faces those they have been running from, noone could know it would change their lives forever. Trying to navigate loss at fourteen is never easy but when her estranged uncle forces his way into their lives things go from bad to worse. Forced to do things she would never by choice she meets Richard Beaumont, a man who has as much affect on Diamond as Diamond has on him.

Ok so I normally love Keane's books, this one is historical fiction, her uncle is an absolute vile abusive ratbag, he avoids doing his duty for his country because why should he risk his life when he could be making a mint! The timeline and reference to the war really is the only historical so it isn't huge to the book although it is more relevant to Richard who is home from serving, ptsd and survivors quilt. We don't hear a whole lot about him in the book until much later so I was a bit meh. Also Diamond, Diamond made me want to pull my hair out at times, the way she reacts to a violent SA encounter, the way she falls for these guys quicker than heels on an ice patch. I know a lot with a book can be impacted upon with the readers mood but the rage I had for some of this, especially after the SA, just no!

Her uncle Victor is just horrible, like we get his card very quickly and he only escalates as the book goes on. DV, SA, drugs, murder, abuse, coercion, cheating honestly the guy has zero redeeming qualities and I just wanted karma through the whole book.

I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. A lot of unsavoury characters, some questionable behaviours and turf war and old grudges over rivals, I can't say gangs because that doesn't fit right but crews or organised crime gangs would cover it, 3/5 for me. I will read her other stuff because I do like her books, I just didn't love this one but I know I am in the minority.

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Blood Communion by Anne Rice

Blood Communion by Anne Rice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 288

Publisher -

Source - Gift from a friend

Blurb from Goodreads

The Vampire Chronicles continue with a riveting, rich saga--part adventure, part fairy-tale--of Prince Lestat and the story of the Blood Communion as he tells the tale of his coming to rule the vampire world and the eternal struggle to find belonging, a place in the universe for the undead, and how, against his will, he must battle the menacing, seemingly unstoppable force determined to thwart his vision and destroy the entire vampire netherworld.

In this spellbinding novel, Lestat, rebel outlaw, addresses the tribe of vampires, directly, intimately, passionately, and tells the riveting story of the formation of the Blood Communion and how he became Prince of the vampire world, the true ruler of this vast force, and how his vision for all the Children of the Universe to thrive as one, came to be.
The tale spills from Lestat's heart, as he speaks first of his new existence as reigning monarch--and then of his fierce battle of wits and words with the mysterious Rhoshamandes, proud Child of the Millennia, reviled outcast for his senseless slaughter of the legendary ancient vampire Maharet, who brought forth the Great Family of the undead; Rhoshamandes, a force who refuses to live in harmony at the Court of Prince Lestat and threatens all that Lestat has dreamt of.
As the tale unfolds, Lestat takes us from the towers and battlements of his ancestral castle in the snow-covered mountains of France to the verdant wilds of lush Louisiana with its lingering fragrances of magnolias and night jasmine; from the far reaches of the Pacific's untouched islands to the 18th-century city of St. Petersburg and the court of the Empress Catherine . . .




My Review


This is the last book in the vampire series, I think had I not left as long gaps between reading them maybe this one would have been a bit different? Lestat has changed over the years, like actually evolved and if you aren't familiar with his humungous back story you really need to go back and read them.

There are many mythical beings in this one and a lot of animosity, a war threatening due to issues and grudges that happened previously. Lestat has to face ad adversary that threatens all he holds dear and everything they have set up.

Death, murder, threats of violence, vampires obviously, the clones from the previous books, the close circle of those around Lestat and what they have built. I just wanted and expected more I guess, it isn't a bad book at all but going on things that have happened in the previous books I just expected so much more, 3/5 for me.

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The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding

The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 256

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

When the ghosts of two young children start to haunt a local school, trainee ghost hunters Eve, Clovis and Tom are invited to help investigate the case. But before long they realise there is more to this haunting than they first realised. Could it be that the ghost children are victims of Jack the Ripper? And is the evil Ripper of Whitechapel about to unleash a new campaign of terror from beyond the grave?


My Review

A thin book and my first by this author however I believe it is part of a series, yes it is book two of a series. I don't think I missed out having not read book one as it does bring you up to speed with the characters and a wee bit of back story. Basically two children's ghosts are at the local school, trio Eve, Clovis and Tom are in training, ghost hunting with Eve's uncle who is a pro at it. They not only find the children but something far more darker and terrible, dun dun dun, the ghost of Jak the Ripper who Rufus (Eve's uncle) has encountered before.

Rufus is connected to an organisation that deals with the supernatural and a different plane of reality which I loved. It kind of reminded me of the people in the Mayfair witches who kept a history of the witches and ghosts. The two worlds and how easy it is for things to cross over, the different types of ghosts and of course Jack the Ripper is always going to be a big pull. He has always had mystery, horror and fear surrounding him and now he is a ghost with the ability to hurt humans, freaky for sure.

The only think I would say, the characters are young, it is a young adult book but some of their behaviours are really quite young, the parental/family issues especially for one of the characters. Then they are quite mature in other aspects but then very young in others. Give me anything with ghosts and I will be delighted, add a baddy like Jack in, sold. It jumped around a little but I did love any of the ghost stuff so for me it is a 3/5. This is my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read her other books!

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Anarchy by Megan DeVos

Anarchy by Megan DeVos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 396

Publisher - Orion books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads


The world is different now. There are no rules, no governments and no guarantees that you will be saved . . .Rival factions have taken over, fighting each other for survival with no loyalty to anyone but their own. At twenty-one, Hayden has taken over Blackwing and is one of the youngest leaders in the area. In protecting his camp from starvation, raids from other actions and the threat of being kidnapped, he has enough to worry about before he finds Grace. The daughter of the head of the rival camp, Greystone, Grace is slow to trust anyone-much less the leader of those she has been trained to kill . . .This is danger. This is chaos. This is anarchy . . .


My Review

A bit The Walking Dead (minus zombies) with a vibe of Romeo and Juliet. So the world is toast and we have small communities of survivors that have their own place (hence the Walking Dead vibes, Alexandria, The Governors place etc). To survive they raid the other communities and head into town, they do what they need to. When Hayden is caught raiding Greystone, instead of being shot on the spot his and anothers life is spared by Grace. Hayden has principles and loyalty so when he sees the chance to repay the favour he saves Grace. She can never go home and must stay in Blackwing. This follows their time in the before, how they meet and everything that follows after.

So natural enemies, teens, natural draw to each other you get the picture. Hayden is the leader of Blackwing so very selfless and aloof. Grace needs to stay with him as she is the natural enemy so not safe in Blackwing but can't be allowed to go home. Forced proximity, readjustment and we get glimpses of the before the world came to be like this.

One thing I noticed was a lot of breath mentioned, took a breath in, let a breath out, inhaled a sharp breath. I didn't count but it was more than a few times and I noticed it, meh! A bit Romeo and Juliette, limited resources, danger coming from just about every field. Survivalism, mixed emotions, danger on almost every corner, 3/5 for me. It is book one so will see how we go.

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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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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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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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A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 338

Publisher - First ink

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Why save the world when you can have tea?

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

From the New York Times—bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.


My Review

I honestly don't know where to start, this is a beautiful copy, mine has sprayed pages which is what drew me to the book, I am a sucker for sprayed pages. So Vampires, tick, romance and revenge it sounded like it had everything I could want. I don't really know what to say, it was very light on the vampire side to be honest to the point I felt they were incidental. Arthie Casimir owns a tearoom that cater to vampires at night, on the sneak. There is a big brutal boss who lords control and power over everything and now Arthie's tearoom is being threatened to be taken from her. With her bestie they embark on a mission with the help of others to do the undoable and take down the bad guy and save the tearoom.

I checked fantasticfiction and it is book one in a series but I feel like I was missing out on so much, Arthie does she have a back story of her own like a whole other book? The romance part again wasn't a huge play at all in the book the only thing that I would say was central and the plot was the revenge and everyone working together.

A mixed bunch of characters, secrets, lies, I would say more flirty and scorn than romance. The coconut thing I will let you read, discover and absorb yourself but that was another thing I was a bit like um ok? The book was ok, I didn't love it but did like some of the characters (Jin - I loved Jin) and interactions which makes it 3/5. Some folk seem to love this book, I think maybe the other series but give me a bit more - I just feel I was missing so much that maybe is why I didn't connect with the characters as much. The book has a map which is stunning, we do love a map.

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Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn

Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to red - 3 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Anderson Press

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Blumwald is a town overshadowed by an ancient curse: in a sinister castle in the depths of the wild wood lives a monstrous Witch. Once a generation, she comes to claim a companion to return with her – never to be seen again. Now that time is drawing near once more...

Mina, daughter of the duke, is grieving and lonely. She has lost all hope of any future for herself in Blumwald. So when the Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up – though she has no idea what fate awaits her. Stranded with her darkly alluring captor, the mystery of what happened to the previous companions draws Mina into the heart of a terrifying secret that could save her life, or end it.


My Review

A very small town, Mina, daughter of a Duke completely ignored, almost Cinderella vibes although the dad is still alive. She is completely ignored/forgotten about whilst her stepmother and her stepsisters have all the love and attention. The small town is under the curse of a witch, every X amount of years a villager is given to the witch, never to be heard from again. With everything being the way it is and feeling so lonely and isolated Mina tributes herself to go with the witch. The book then follows their journey, the witch being cold, irritated and elusive to Mina's questions. The longer Mina is there with no answers the more she has to explore to try and find out what happened to those before her and what is in store for her.

This is different from anything I have read, a bit of fairy tale hints, witch, town curse, mystery, loner main character who is desperate to be loved/accepted or even just acknowledged. Desperate loneliness, suspicion, hints of a dark truth yet to be revealed. And in between all of that we have some LGBT themes, focusing more on the L. Family, love, relationships, secrets, survival and always with a dark secret looming.

I liked it, I felt it changed and brought something I wasn't expecting nor really hinted at but with witches magic is magic and anything can happen. This was my first time reading this author I would absolutely read her again, 3/5.

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The Spirit Engineer by A J West

The Spirit Engineer by A.J. West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 299

Publisher - Duckworth

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Belfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society has become obsessed with spiritualism in the form of seances that attempt to contact the spirits of loved ones lost at sea.

William is a man of science and a sceptic, but one night with everyone sat around the circle something happens that places doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen’s parlour tricks gone too far?

This early 20th century gothic set in Northern Ireland contains all the mystery and intrigue one might expect from a Sarah Waters novel. Deftly plotted with echoes of The Woman in Black, readers will be thrilled to discover West’s chilling prose.

Based on the true story of William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, and with a cast of characters that include Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, The Spirit Engineer conjures a haunting tale that will keep readers guessing until the very end.



My Review

William Jackson Crawford, married to Elizabeth and father to three children. Elizabeth still grieves her brother who died on the Titanic and is very spiritual. William is a scientist, one thing leads to another and William gets exposed to the medium Kathleen Golighter. In a twist of events William becomes The Spirit Engineer trying to debunk the seances and spiritual happenings. Everything is seemingly going well, fame, fortune and paid to debunk William finds himself going from scathing sceptic to questioning is the phenomenon real?

Well, I can't say there is many likeable characters, William is actually someone who many a time I wanted to slap and would use the phrase insufferable. The book has death and even a wee shock or two along the way, well I was shocked.

I don't know anything about the real life people featured in the book so I don't know how accurate events/characters are in the book nor their likeness. Was I interested? yes absolutely but I really struggled to like the characters.

The book opens with a dark scene and then takes us back, I completely forgot about that and did immerse in the book, not knowing where it would go. Short chapters and I did enjoy the seances and ghost/haunty parts but I can't say I loved the book, 3/5. It was my first time reading this author, would I read them again, yeah sure.

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A Mother's Secret by Katie Flynn

A Mother's Secret by Katie Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 426

Publisher -

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Though she may feel lost, she will never give up on finding the truth…

1941: Libby’s life on the sprawling farm at Hollybank is a far cry from the bustling streets of London where she grew up, but after the tragic death of her parents she moved to Liverpool to be closer to her long-lost aunt and uncle.

When she discovers they are far from the decent people they claimed to be and have spun a web of lies about her late mother, Libby’s world is shaken. But she is determined to set the story straight and embarks on a journey to unravel the devastating secret her mother kept until her dying day.

Can Libby separate the truth from the lies, and forge a brighter future for herself?


My Review

Set in 1941, war is ongoing (themed throughout the book but not the main focus), it is a saga, small town and some good characters and some real shady potatoes! Libby and co are our main characters Libby has discovered some old diaries of her mums and finds out some things that shake her to her core. We find a lot of exploitation going on, people taking advantage of people, pretending to be something their aren't and out to get what they can for themselves with zero moral compass.

The story I believe features characters from previous books and act as standalones but I kinda felt a bit out the loop for some of this. Like the importance of the diaries, did we meet her mum before or Libby and would that have had a bigger impact on the finding of these and exposure of lies?

I really liked the girls from the farms and the newest addition to their group, an animal makes everything better and that which is good it takes to great. Relationships, families, skulduggery, criminality, it has a wee bit of everything set in the timeline of world war 2. I liked it but didn't love it and I do enjoy this authors works I just felt a bit like maybe I had missed out on important back story, maybe its just me. I do intend of getting the other books and may make more of an effort to read in order of release, 3/5.

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The Last Resort by Susi Holliday

The Last Resort by Susi Holliday
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages -

Publisher -

Source -

Blurb from Goodreads

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime.

When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.

Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.

As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late to get out?



My Review

A group (seven) of popular individuals, influencers, top gamer, celeb style individuals are invited to the island, a vip trip where they will be spoiled and try out the newest technology on offer. On the flight there the group suddenly find themselves not having the trip they expected and having to put on a device that gets into their memories. The thing being, they all have a secret they wish to protect, one that could ruin their lives if it got out. Stranded and their secrets slowly being exposed the group find themselves turning on each other and doing what they need to to survive.

I think I really liked how this started out, bunch of spoiled people who care about themselves and their over inflated opinions grating! Not very likeable characters bar Amelia, she seems ok but it takes us longer to find out what her chat is as her device is a wee bit different to the others.

The book gave me vibes of Lord of the Flies but with adults and not as in your face feralness with each other and echoes of a few others. You feel tension and know something is coming but not what, nothing is what it seems on the face of it and you question what is coming and what you are being told.

I didn't like a whole lot of them so was absolutely wanting them to get their comeuppance. I felt that last quarter of the book took a bit of a different feel so for me, overall 3/5. I think this was my first time reading this author, I would read her again.

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Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - In and out over 6 days

Pages - 451

Publisher - Knopf

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

At the novel's center: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history, and insidious reach of the unknowable Universe.

It is through this spirit, previously considered benign for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times; a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent--and of how and why, and in what manner and with what far-reaching purpose, this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean.

And as we learn of the mighty, far-reaching powers and perfections of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and how and why the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, must reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit.


My Review

I have read the previous books in the series over X amount of years, some I remember more clearly than others and Lestat has certainly been on a journey. This time we see him being the Prince of their people, leader/ruler and he has as an inner spirit hitchhiking in him Amel. When the counsel hear of a vampire being murdered and his brain eaten it brings to attention a new person(s) of interest and a threat to the vampires but they have no idea of just how unique these people are or their purpose!

I really struggled in parts with this one. Some of it was really interesting especially those who can harm vampires, I am purposely being vague here to avoid spoilers. Torture, spirits, higher beings there is a lot in this and a bit of past and present with stories of old being told and beings trying to work out their place amongst each other, both them and the vamps.

Lestat is very different from how I remember him, he is much more chill and wise but he has been through a hundred life times. Louis pops up again not really playing a huge part but then nor are really any of them excluding Amel, Lestat and the others. I almost felt this was a foundation laying book for what is to come, the next book but it was so very long, disjointed a bit and I kept getting pulled out of it. I just don't think it flowed as well as the previous books nor where the characters overly engaging. David popping up did make me think of The Mayfair Witches trilogy and I think I will re read them at some point as I loved them and the Talamasca group - I actually would have loved a book purely on them to be honest. Whilst it is nice to get a few tidbits/updates on previous book characters nothing was overly in depth if you exclude the others and folks from their story. 3/5 from me, of course I will read the next one which I believe is the last in the series but this wasn't my fave by any stretch.

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Cannibal: The True Story Behind the Maneater of Rotenburg by Lois Jones

Cannibal: The True Story Behind the Maneater of Rotenburg by Lois Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days as able

pages - 215

Publisher - Berkley pub group

Source - I think I bought this or was given it

Blurb from Goodreads

German native Armin Meiwes placed this ad in an internet chatroom catering to cannibals. He received 430 responses. Among them was Bernd Juergen Brandes, who arrived at Meiwes’s isolated country home literally to be eaten alive. Escorted to the “slaughtering room”—equipped with meat hooks, a cage, and a butcher’s table—Meiwes assisted Bernd in a gourmet candlelight dinner of his own cooked flesh. Meiwes then stabbed his victim in the throat—bringing the ghastly videotaped ordeal to an end.

From a childhood perverted by unhealthy obsessions to his notorious trial that ended in a stunning verdict, Cannibal discloses for the first time the true story of a real-life Hannibal Lecter and his victim. And with details never before divulged to the public, it takes readers step-by-step through the unspeakable crime that fascinated and revolted the world.



My Review

So this happened in the 1990's and was apparently covered quite wide on the news, I have no idea why but I don't think I ever seen nor heard of it. German native Armin Meiwes was obsessed with the thought of eating another person, his obsession/fetish whatever you want to call it started way back them. Armin was quiet, polite and relatively normal seeming in real life, in his private life he spent many hours online, in cannibal chat rooms and websites looking for someone who wanted to be eaten. Honestly this is a true story and what is more disturbing is he found many people. Most backed out when they realised it was a genuine request and not just a fantasy, until he found Bernd Juergen Brandes. Bernd had his own obsessions again rooted from childhood but he wanted to be consumed and for him and Armin they felt they met their perfect match(s).

So I have read many a horror (fiction) and many true crime but this one is really and truly disturbing. I think because the book is so so graphic like you are walked through exactly what happened to poor Bernd. Even with the strongest stomach I think you will struggle to get through it, I did I had to put the book down several times and switch to lighter books.

It is unimaginable someone would want to eat another human being or that a human would want someone to eat them and be party to their own mutilation. Hannibal Lector is a scary character but he is fiction, Armin is a very normal, non violent, regular person who yearns to do these diabolical things, feel they are very normal and actually commits the unthinkable. 3/5 for me for this one, absolutely one of the most disturbing stories I think I have ever read, I also feel for Bernd's family/partner having to have lost a loved one and learn the horrors involved, it is just heartbreaking.

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Roald Dahl: Teller of the Unexpected by Matthew Dennison

Roald Dahl: Teller of the Unexpected by Matthew Dennison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 10 days, in and out

Pages - 272

Publisher -

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

“An elegant new biography. In Dennison’s telling, Dahl’s contradictions are beautifully illustrated. I think [Dahl] would have liked Dennison’s writing style, lush but clipped, with such phrases as ‘the ubiquity of caprice’ and ‘buoyant with slang,’ full of a reader’s zest.” -- Alexandra Jacobs, The New York Times Book Review
'Riveting, and immaculately written' Sunday Telegraph
'A superb psychological study of a literary genius' Business Post
'A rounded picture... and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core' Country Life
'Crisply done and well-judged' TLS Roald Dahl was one of the world's greatest storytellers. He conceived his vocation as one as intrepid as that of any explorer and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child's viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in public imagination to the present day. In this brand-new biogrpahy, Matthew Dennison re-evaluates the received narrative surrounding Dahl – that of school sporting hero, daredevil pilot, and wartime spy-turned-author – and examines surviving primary resources as well as Dahl's extensive literary output to tell the story of a man who identified as a rule-breaker, an iconoclast and a romantic, both insider and outsider, hero and child's friend.



My Review

So we all know who Roald Dahl is and have read at least some of his books and even the movies that followed. Personally I knew very little about him, I knew he had lost a child but that was really about it for me. This book was nothing short of eye opening, I had no idea just now much history he had and what a busy "private" life he had.

We hear about Dahl's beginnings, his service for his country, the ups and downs of writing and how he managed to score his big contracts and how his books became the success they were. The shocks for me was how much of a "romantic" life he had before he was married.

He experienced quite a bit of loss and sadness/heartache which I hadn't been aware of, again I didn't know much but even chatting to friends they were unawares also. Reading about his published works was also an education as I actually only knew of a few of the books (some I was exposed to as a child) and of course the ones that made it to movies.

Whilst the book/content was interesting I found the writing hard going at times and it was because the author had a habit of injecting fancy words when they weren't required. I also think I may well not have noticed but for the fact he spoke about Dahl saying you shouldn't use big words when small/simple ones will do, that isn't a verbatim quote but the jist. Then after that so many words appeared I would need to Google and was like well why would you just say parent/mother/father or whatever it was. I even read a few sentences out to a mixed crowd and they were like why wouldn't you just say XYZ. So that took you out of it a little and lead to me putting the book down a fair few times. So that being said that was off putting yet there is no denying the quality of time/research put into the book and educating on so much of Dahl's life we may well be unaware of, 3/5 for me this time.

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The Haunting Season - short stories - multiple authors

The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights by Bridget Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Sphere

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Winter, with its unsettling blend of the cosy and the sinister, has long been a popular time for gathering by the bright flame of a candle, or the warm crackling of a fire, and swapping stories of ghosts and strange happenings.

Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors - master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre - bring this time-honoured tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales.

From a bustling Covent Garden Christmas market to the frosty moors of Yorkshire, from a country estate with a dreadful secret, to a London mansion where a beautiful girl lies frozen in death, these are stories to make your hair stand on end, send shivers down your spine and to serve as your indispensable companion to the long nights of winter.

So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of The Haunting Season . . .



My Review

I am the first to admit I am not a fan of short stories but the names of the authors featuring in this one definitely drew me in. Some stories are creepy/eerie, some ghostly, a few with animal harm which is always a no for me and one or two left me wondering what I had just read.

Perfect for the spooky season or if you just want a bit of a chill/creep. A few of the authors are more skilled in creating the gothic, chilling vibes than others.

I can't say any one story stood out for me but absolutely some were more enjoyable (if that is the right word) than others. Macabre, spooky, weird and just a mix bag of the auld creepiness. 3/5 for me this time, maybe dipping in and out instead of trying to read them so close together may well have made it more palliative for me. Still plenty of folk loved/enjoyed these so absolutely check out the book and see how you get on.

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A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 349

Publisher - Mills and Boon

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

In USA Today bestselling author Eva Leigh’s final Last Chance Scoundrels novel, a young lady and her former betrothed get a second chance at love when they’re stranded at a remote country house…

After Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar, she vowed never to reveal how badly she was hurt. Following a year abroad, Willa wants to move on with her life, so she accepts an invitation to a house party. She’s determined to leave her humiliation behind, as well as the scorching attraction she still feels for the man who jilted her.

When dark secrets from his past surfaced right before his wedding, Dom knew he didn’t deserve Willa. So, he bolted. But he still burns for the only woman who ever claimed his heart. To escape the memories of all he lost, Dom heads to a friend’s estate on an isolated Scottish isle. Yet one of the other guests is the very woman who haunts his every thought and makes him wish for the impossible.

Thrown together by well-meaning family and friends, Willa and Dom try to resist the fiery pull between them. Soon the line between love and loathing begins to blur, and their attraction explodes. But Dom’s past lurks on the edge of their rekindled passion and Willa fears she’ll be devastated all over again. Can these star-crossed lovers find their happily ever after, or will everything detonate a second time?


My Review

Willa and Dom have a past, they broke up badly and haven't seen each other since. They have a linked group of friends/family and now find themselves thrust together on a deserted island for an event. Willa and Dom are in a world hurt, Willa after being jilted at the alter, Dom by causing her so much pain and leaving her as he did. Now there isn't anywhere to run and both are confronted with the fact that underneath the anger (her) and shame (him) they both still are very attracted to each other and have unresolved feelings.

I am a bit conflicted, I really liked the writing and scene setting but some things I liked and thought worked well and somethings really ripped my knitting. Willa absolutely reacted how one would expect after being left at the alter. I struggled with her brothers and her response to them in everything, I would absolutely have done my nut! Her anger/humiliation I think anyone can empathise with but Leigh gives us a bit more of Dom and despite the terrible thing he done he seems like a genuinely nice guy, if you can get past leaving the love of your life at the alter. The build up, scenes, interactions, I think Mills and Boon have certainly branched out over the years and this book gives a bit more bite with the story.

As with the other books, not for the easily offended, there is sex scenes, smut, dirty talk and the C word, I have to admit I cringed a wee bit at some of their scenes/smut dialogue but I know others will love it, 3/5.

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