The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood

The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz: A totally gripping and absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 page-turner, based on a true story by Ellie Midwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time take to read - 2 days

Pages -

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Netgalley & bought a treebook copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel tells the inspiring true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose heroism will never be forgotten, and whose fate altered the course of history…

Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive.

Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. As an interpreter for the SS, she uses her position to save as many lives as she can, smuggling scraps of bread to those desperate with hunger.

Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. Though he looks like everyone else, with a shaved head and striped uniform, he’s a fighter in the underground Resistance. And he has an escape plan.

They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.

A promise is made––they will escape together or they will die together. What follows is one of the greatest love stories in history…



My review

This is apparently based on a true story, the first female escapee from Auschwitz and an unlikely place for two people who fall in love. The book is set in Auschwitz and we follow Edek and Mala's story, each having their own chapters and it flipping between the two.

Through Edek we see the horrors in the camp, the utter disregard for human life and some of the worst atrocities. It is very hard hitting, hard to read and very emotional. Mala has things better than most prisoners there, she works in an office for the Nazi's, has clothes, food, warm, decent sleeping quarters and yet she risks everything to try and do what she can to save those she is able to and ease suffering to the others.

Edek and Mala work together to do what they can to help the resistance, their people and of course the more they see of each other a friendship begins. These kinds of books always knock you in the feels, fiction or non fiction, as they are often well researched so have an authentic voice. I went to Ann Franks house/museum in Amsterdam and reading this brought back that experience too. Your heart hurts and you are horrified to contemplate how people could do these murderous/vile/inhuman acts. Despite this being a relatively short book (under 300 pages) it manages to cover a lot of what happened there and the book has plenty for the reader to follow up reading once you finish the book. 4/5 for me this time, prepare yourself for anger, tears, horror and an emotive rollercoaster.

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The Executioner by Chris Carter

The Executioner by Chris Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 472

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Imagine your worst fear - and then meet your worst nightmare...

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest's head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim's chest, the figure '3' has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims' minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.



My Review

We open with a priest being murdered, when the police find him, the scene is so horrific many officers struggle to keep their breakfast. Is it a message to the chapel? Hunter & Garcia are called in due to the brutality of the crime. When the next body turns up they know they have a serial killer on their hands, one that kills the victims with their worst fears.

If you have read Carter before you know he is pretty gruesome, this one is no different. We are with the killer at parts and the majority we are with Hunter and the team, investigating, digging. How can a killer know someone's worst fears & then manage to carry them out. Are the victims randomly picked, how does the killer choose the victim and manage to set it all up?

As well as all of that Hunter has a new captain, a woman who is ready to make her mark and take no crap from anyone, including Hunter who we know has a tendency to do his own thing. Page turner as always, utterly horrific and brief mentions of animal torture, I always struggle with that but thankfully it doesn't feature loads throughout. 4/5 for me this time I have a fair few in the series on my tbrm so hopefully catch up sooner rather than later.

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Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -455

Publisher - Balzier + Bray

Source - Competition win

Blurb from Goodreads

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.


My Review

Meet Jane, forced from her family to train to defend and keep safe families with money, to become an Attendant. Effiencent in slaughtering zombies but also etiquette so as to behave in an acceptable manner in front of the families and their friends. Jane isn't the only one, Miss Prenton's school of Combat is one of the better ones, taking in children under the Native and Negro Reeducation Act. Racism is alive and well and America will use it to keep their "better" families safe and use the "undesirables" of what is left of society to protect the elites!

This book is so infuriating in parts, the main character Jane is a delight, she is sassy, smart and has her own plan. She needs to bow to some of the rules but she won't allow herself to be compromised which leads her to being in many hot water situations.

Told in first person narrative we learn a bit about Jane's upbringing and day to day life and issues within the school and how these girls are treated, what the end goal is. The author has taken slavery and put it into an apocalyptic situation, exploring some of the most horrific behaviours of human beings. Whilst this is of course a work of fiction, the school aspect is taken from very real events from history. The kids in America from Native families had been forcibly removed and sent to "schools" to be taught how to be civilised. At the end of the book the author has included some books readers can check out to read more about this, pretty shocking.

The book itself is an interesting take on the zombie apocalypse, the racism, supreme-ism is probably more in the story than that of the apocalypse but both interweave and an interesting read. I can't imagine anyone reading this and not being upset or annoyed at some of the behaviours of the characters but you will love Jane. She is strong, loyal, brave, fearless and just a great female character. This was my first dance with this author I would absolutely read her again, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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No Ordinary Girl by Cheryl Elaine

No Ordinary Girl: Mind : tainted. Body : broken. Revenge; in motion... by Cheryl Elaine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 3 hours

Pages - 179

Publisher - AAH Publishing

Source - Review copy/bought an ecopy from Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

What started out as a night of celebration for Aimee soon turned into a nightmare. Snatched by cruel, sadistic monsters - the worst creatures mankind has ever produced - she’s thrown into a metal container, among other victims too frightened to make a single sound.

The game-keepers force everyone to play. They deliver torment and pain in equal measure. Every hunter has their own agenda and reasons to maim and torture.

Detective Johnson is one step away from catching the killers. Wrestling with his instincts as a father to serve justice his own way, this is no ordinary case for him. Can he stop the vile sadists before they damage more young girls, as well as his own daughter?

Aimee’s ordeal within the compound brings her to the conclusion that she’s no ordinary girl. But can she hang onto her sanity long enough to escape? And will she find a different way to play?

This crime thriller will keep you riveted. It’s no ordinary story.

Please note: contains graphic content.



My Review

Aimee and friend Kelly are heading out to celebrate in the hottest spot in town, what turns into flirting, drinks and joy becomes a hell neither could have imagined. Trapped and split up Aimee finds herself in a situation we only see in the worst kind of movie, she is now a pawn in a game for some of the sickest human beings imaginable. Where chances are slim to none for escape, Aimee has to get her head around what has happened to her, what is coming and start to plan how to survive.

Guys this is the second book I have read by this author, the other one is a completely different genre, it won't be my last! Very quickly the book becomes dark, depraved and you want to put the book down to get away from the horror but compelled to turn page after page. This is not a read for the faint hearted, think Hostel meets SAW and you are just starting to scratch the surface. Human life means nothing, rape, mutilation, brutality, horror are all just part and parcel for the game, human life is expendable and the supply is plentiful.

It isn't just horrific acts although there are plenty so be prepared. We have police investigation, survival, coping mechanisms, self preservation, the impact something like this has on human behaviour from different aspects. Those investigating, the families, the players, the victims and those who know it is only a matter of time before it is their turn. For such a wee book there is a lot going on, back stories on the bad guys and how the innocents react when in this kind of situation you can only imagine.

Stomach churning, bokey and you know the face you make when folk rip their nails down a blackboard am pretty sure I made that face more than once. I cannot believe this is a debut novel, you would think she had been perfecting her art for years. If you like a book that pushes you, horrifies, hooks, makes you uneasy but compels to keep going then look no further, 4.5 for me this time. This is absolutely one of the authors to keep an eye on and I do so hope this is just the start of the stories for the detective.

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Torn Apart by M A Comley

Torn Apart by M.A. Comley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 198

Blurb from Goodreads

Everyone understands about the no-go districts--areas of the city so overrun with gang violence even the police stay away. In this book, the first in a new series, DI Hero Nelson sets out to combat the issue. When Saskia Hartley and her nine-year-old son are run down outside a restaurant, DI Nelson knows it is no ordinary hit-and-run incident. He's looking at a homicide case... and the evidence points to the brutal Krull Gang. When two prostitutes are murdered, but little interest is given to the women on the Krull's payroll, Nelson connects the dots. DI Nelson has to decide whether he's dealing with a turf war or something far more sinister.

My Review

This is my first dance with this author. The opening scene is pretty traumatic, there is a gang running wild in Manchester and the opening scene shows just how tight their grasp is. They commit a horrific crime, rape and murder and are without fear of punishment or capture. As the tale develops we are given a glimpse into why they have this no fear attitude. DI Hero is our main character with his sidekick Julie, they investigate the crime and murders that follow. After a woman and her child are brutally murdered it seems we have a vigilante on the scene and the police need to clue up to catch them.

This book has a strong, yet uncomfortable and brutal start, you are drawn into a dark culture that the DI is trying to break through despite meeting opposition. However, as the book progresses and we are exposed to the main characters the plot weakens, I knew really quickly who the killer was and mostly the why. The detective isn't a particularly likable character although as the story develops he does get better, well his attitude to his family. His investigative techniques reminded me of a mix between Inspector Clouseau of the pink panther and Columbo without the wit.

Despite the negatives, the story itself was engaging, dark, horrific and if the dialog between the detective had ran more smoothly with a bit more input about why the higher up authorities were loathe to go into the estate, I would have ranked this book higher. I like to have my I's dotted and my T's crossed and for a good pat of this book I was left questioning behaviors, attitudes, discussions and actions on a few of the characters however the theme of the story was good and from reading other reviews, I should head back and read the other series by this author. I plan to do this and see how I get on from there, a fair 3/5 for me this time. If you have read this author I would love to hear your thoughts on this one and your recommendations on where to start next. Thanks to #TBConFB for introducing me to a new author and giving me this book to review in exchange for an honest review.

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Review - The Faithless by Martina Cole

The Faithless by Martina Cole

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Blurb from Goodreads

Number-one bestselling author Martina Cole (The Family, Hard Girls) delivers a hard-hitting novel that’s a guaranteed bestseller.

To the outside world, Cynthia Tailor is a woman to envy: she has a devoted husband, a lovely home and two gorgeous children. But Cynthia has always craved the best things in life, and is determined to see that she gets them. Cynthia will let nothing stand in her way, even if it means devastation and tragedy for those nearest to her …

British writer Martina Cole is known for her gritty, gangland thrillers. Two of her novels, Two Women and The Graft, have been adapted for the stage. A non-fiction TV series, Martina Cole’s Lady Killers, became a huge success in 2008.

My Review

Cynthia Tailor is everyones worst nightmare. Beautiful but pure evil inside, nothing will get in the way of her and anything she wants as her family will find out. We start with a pretty huge and brutal event and then go back in time to when Cynthia was young to present day. We meet the family and see how their relationship ends up the way it does and how Cynthia's character develops and just how evil she trully is.

What a great story. I love Martina Cole and have yet to find a book of hers I didn't like. It has her usual bad language, violence, betrayal, heartbreak and jaw dropping moments. The chapters are bit like James Patterson in that they are only 2 to 3 pages long which is great as you can dip in and out as often as you want and I find you race right through a book when it is like that.

There is some kind of action or drama on just about every page which makes this book hard to put down. If your not big on bad language and gangster brtuality then this (and any Martina Cole) book isn't for you. My only moan or issue was I felt there was a bit of repetition of some of the things that were being said. Also there was one or two things (small things) that I wanted dealt with but I am really picky and like every small detail dealt with. Overall a gripping read and page turner so a 4/5 for me.

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