The Book Of You by Claire Kendal

The Book of You by Claire Kendal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 hours

Publisher - Harper

Pages - 362

Blurb from Goodreads

For Clarissa, being called to do jury duty is a relief. It means she can leave work for a couple of weeks and avoid the unwanted attentions of her university colleague, Rafe. An intense man who is an expert on grisly folk tales, Rafe has always unnerved her, and Clarissa still cannot understand how she could have let herself have a drunken one-night stand with him.

As the trial unfolds, Clarissa begins to see the parallels between the violent tale related by the young woman whose attackers she is judging and her own situation. But with no crime to report and only her gut feeling to guide her, she is powerless. What can you do when the lines between fantasy and reality, love and fixation become dangerously blurred? How do you protect yourself from an enemy that no one else can see?

With an original structure and a heroine whose voice is equal parts unsettling and unforgettable, The Book of You is tinged with the darkness of a macabre fairy tale, yet is terrifyingly close to reality, a story that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.


My Review

What a great wee debut novel!

The book opens in diary form, Monday, 2 February, 7.45 a.m. from Clarissa in first person form. The book goes with this theme as well as 3rd person narrative. The diary entries are well signposted and flip back to when she first really encounters Rafe and things go down hill from there, it does it really well and you can follow the time shift easily. Rafe is obsessed with Clarissa, stalks her, believes they are in a relationship and won't take no for an answer. We follow their encounters both in present day as Clarissa keeps a diary of "evidence" of their interactions and going back to how they got to where they are now.

This is a really creepy, thought provoking story about just how easy it can be to fall into the clutches of an unhinged human being. I have read many crime and thriller books, even a few psychological thrillers but this is my first stalker type one and it is really haunting. Some of it is graphic, sexual and makes for really really uncomfortable reading. However, busy as I am with coursework, I couldn't put it down. The author has done an amazing job of creating a tale filled with fear & horror for the main character which you are dragged right into. I have never been stalked however after reading this book, I felt like I had experienced the trauma of it, such is the vividness of Clarissa's world she paints.

There were one or two issues I had with the book however it was more to do with unanswered questions and a few stickler points that are a personal preference when reading. I honestly think, if you like a good book that will freak you out and have you looking over your shoulder, you really must give this a read. 4/5 for me this time and I look forward to more from this lady and hope she is in the process of writing her next! Thanks so much to Harper for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review and highlighting a debut novel to me.


what a great wee debut novel!

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Bad Blood by Julie Shaw Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the Blog Tour for Bad Blood by Julie Shaw, her newest novel which is now available to buy in paperback or kindle edition.





I have had the pleasure of reading this book already, you can read my review here.







Welcome Julie, thanks for stopping by and taking the time out to answer some questions for us.



1. Hi Julie, welcome to So Many Books So Little Time. This is your first Blog Tour if I am correct, how are you finding it?

I am really enjoying it. It’s especially interesting to answer the numerous questions I have been asked as it gets me really thinking about why I write the things I do.


2. I have read one of your books before Bad Blood, your settings are always in lower class gritty scheme settings, what draws you to these and do you think you will ever branch out from them?

I was actually brought up in very similar circumstances to a lot of my characters. By that I mean on the same estates, had very similar friends, and had family members who lived through very difficult circumstances. Since being very young I have tried my hand at all genres, and many different styles of writing, but I’m much more comfortable writing about the grittier, seedier side of life. Will I branch out? Maybe, I don’t know at the moment, but what I do know is that I feel much happier writing about the tougher side of life.


3. The character Lizzie, page 30 had me horrified, without spoiling it for others, how did you manage to come up with her and that scene? Creative genius or tapping into a true event?

Oh dear, unfortunately I have known many Lizzie’s in my time. Her character is an amalgamation of quite a few women I knew over the years. That scene was also easy to write as that was very definitely a true scenario, believe it or not.


4. Who inspires you to write?

Lots of people actually. As a child I would lose myself in any books I could get my hands. A story took me away from everything and I could be anyone and anywhere I wanted to be. If I had to choose an early writer that made me think ‘yes! I want to do this!’ then it would have to be Enid Blyton – I thought she was simply incredible. These days however, my hero is Kimberley Chambers. Her characters are so bad, I just love them! Now she really does tell it like it is!


5. What are your three top favourite books of all time?

I hate this question J I have so many that I love and I always feel horribly guilty about the ones I don’t mention. Also, my answer may surprise you. Okay, so the number one spot has to go to Mr Shakespeare himself with Romeo and Juliet. My first ever tragic love story. I was blown away by it. The number two spot would go to Roots by Alex Haley – another book that helped form my opinion on the world, and last but not least, They Put Me Inside by Tony Grestone – a book I read as a young teenager that really did change me.



6. What is next for Julie Shaw? Do you have another book in the process already?

I have just handed in Blood Sisters, which I’m sure you’ll like if you enjoyed Bad Blood, and I am just about to start writing a sequel to Bad Blood in fact. We don’t have a definite title for it yet, but I’m hoping it will be Sins of the Father. Watch this space J


7. Where can fans find you?

Facebook is simply Julie Shaw, though I also have a page especially relating to my books, and that is Canterbury Warriors. My Twitter is @jueshaw


8. Anything else you would like to add or tell readers about yourself?

I think I have gone on for long enough lol, but I do really appreciate all of my readers and particularly you fantastic bloggers who spread the word. Thanks again J xx



And up for grabs is 1 paperback pre-loved copy of Bad Blood, as always, use the Rafflecopter below to enter, this giveaway will run for 1 week.

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Mays giveaway is The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

This is a brand new book, the competition is open only to the UK however you can check the WBN giveaway (2 copies up for grabs, open to all).

I read a kindle copy of this on holiday, my review is here http://www.alwaysreading.net/2014/05/review-shining-girls-by-lauren-beukes.html. As always the competition will run until the end of the month and you can enter via the rafflecopter below.

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Review - So Much For That by Lionel Shriver

So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 7 days

Publisher - Harper

Pages - 534

Blurb from Goodreads

Shep Knacker has long saved for "the Afterlife," an idyllic retreat in the Third World where his nest egg can last forever. Exasperated that his wife, Glynis, has concocted endless excuses why it's never the right time to go, Shep finally announces he's leaving for a Tanzanian island, with or without her. Yet Glynis has some news of her own: she's deathly ill. Shep numbly puts his dream aside, while his nest egg is steadily devastated by staggering bills that their health insurance only partially covers. Astonishingly, illness not only strains their marriage but saves it.

From acclaimed "New York Times" bestselling author Lionel Shriver comes a searing, ruthlessly honest novel. Brimming with unexpected tenderness and dry humor, it presses the question: How much is one life worth?


My review

Shep Knacker is our main character along with his wife Glynis and his best friend Jackson. Shep has sold up his family business in the hopes of going to "the Afterlife" traveling to and living in his one chosen place on earth with his loved ones. Years on and he has decided this is the day he is leaving whether his family join him or not, he is going. Sadly his wife has some life changing news and Shep will be staying to help her face her diagnosis and pay for the health care she requires.

The book gives a bleak look at how much health care in the US can cost both between Glynis and his friends little girls care, she has FD, Familial dysautonomia. The book has a lot of medical information both on Glynis's condition and Jackson's daughter. I found this really interesting but have to say the book isn't purely about cost or the medical system however it is a large theme throughout the story.

Shep is a fairly simple chap, has done well financially and wants to move to a more civilized country. His nature and duties keep him home to look after his wife. He is a doormat, used by just about everyone in his life and it isn't long in the story before we find out and see how little he is respected. The characters are not very nice people at all, I actually hated his sister who is one of the most vilest creatures I have ever read about.

I am never sure how I feel about this writer, I read we need to talk about Kevin, started off not impressed then couldn't put it down. This one captured my interest, however had the medical side not been in it I am not sure I would have found it as engaging as I did. It is a book that certainly makes you think and I wanted to see it out to the end. 3/5 for me this time, I would read this author again but won't be rushing out to buy all her work.

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Review - Dirty Game by Jessie Keane

Dirty Game by Jessie Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Publisher - Harper Collins

Blurb from Goodreads

Adultery, murder and dangerous love collide in Jessie Keane’s gritty debut thriller set in the London’s East End. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante.

For longer than she cares to remember Annie Bailey has lived in the shadow of her older sister Ruthie. Now Ruthie has her hands on Max Carter, the much feared head of the Carter family and a top class villain.

Seducing Max wasn't a problem, but the guilt, shame and anger of rejection afterwards was.

Thrown onto the streets Annie finds herself living with Celia, a wayward aunt with a shocking secret. As the months pass Annie's resourceful nature sees her mature and carve out a life for herself, albeit not legal. But if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned and her lavish new lifestyle and connections may be about to come crashing down around her.

Annie has unwittingly placed herself between two rival gangs and upset too many people, and these kind of people don't forget. But as everyone knows, Annie Bailey is no ordinary woman.


My Review

This book starts straight from the first few pages, hell even from the first sentence "Annie Bailey knew she was dying." The book opens with Annie Bailey, our main character who has been shot and is recapping her life as it flashes before her eyes. We go back to before her sisters wedding and Annie seduces the bridegroom, spurned she can't help but keep her mouth shut. She finds herself thrown out of the family home and caught up in a new life style, surrounded by her sisters husbands rivals. Soon she becomes trapped between the Carters & the Delaney's and when rivals both want something people always get hurt!

Oooh this is a great read, crime, gritty, murder, sex, betrayal & lies. If you like Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller, Kimberley Chambers etc you will like this. The only thing that I would say is there are a few terms that may offend some people. For example the characters are rough around the edges and derogatory towards one of the gay characters, terms like shirt lifter etc.

There are a few elements to this story, of course the big one is Annie going through the transformation of girl into woman. Learning to stand on her own two feet and learn the ropes of a "knocking shop" and initiating her own ideas for it. The issue of Max Carter, the man she loves who is now married to her sister and furious with her for her indiscretion. As she is shunned from her family and Max she moves further into Delaney territory and soon finding herself in deep water!

I really liked the pace of this book, like I said it pulls you in from the start. I felt a mix of emotions towards Annie but by the end I actually started to like her. 4/5 for me and I will be reading this author again.

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PRR - The Killing Game by J.A. Kerley

The Killing Game by J.A. Kerley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 7 days

Publisher - Harper

Blurb from the back cover

He's coming to get you...

After a humiliating encounter with a cop, Gregory Nieves lauches a vendetta against the Mobile Police Department, Alabama. Nieves can't fight a department, so he selects one man who symbolizes all men in blue: Carson Ryder, the MPD's specialist in bizarre an twisted crimes.

Carson has never seen a killing spree like it: nothing connects the victims, the murder weapon is always different and the horrific crime scenes are devoid of evidence. It almost seems like he's being taunted. Even laughed at.

Carson doesn't know it yet, but he is caught up in a sadistic game of life and death. And there can only be one victor...


My review

The story starts with our killer, a small introduction to him and how he tries to blend in to society and keep him reactions normal. Then we flick to Carson, under cover and about to get into a situation that will hail him hero or reckless. The story flips throughout from the killers view and then back to the police and Carson. We slowly learn more about why Gregory is the way he is and what sets him off on this killing spree.

The story is well done although you are drawn in slowly. Carson soon realizes he has a dangerous killer on the loose and has to work out what has set him off and where he will strike next. An almost impossible task as his kills seem to have to actual motive, weapons and victims are different from one to the next and there is no killer more dangerous than one who strikes at random and with no pattern.

Carson eventually needs to turn to a source for help he would rather steer clear from, his brother who is incarcerated for murder. His brother can give insight that Carson will get nowhere else so he needs to in order to get clarity on the crimes and the killer. I was disappointed at how little Jeremy, Carson's brother, actually featured in this book.

The chapters are fairly short in length which I always like, I enjoy reading Carson's character as he is likable and this time he has a new relationship budding with Wendy, one of the girls from the class he has been helping out with. I felt we could have had more about those two and definitely more about Gregory, his childhood and the horrors he endured and survived that created the killer and psychopath he became. The ending is where the book dropped marks for me, I do enjoy a good twist but this one I didn't see coming at all and it annoyed me as there should have been more on this particular twist, even a few hints rather than shot out of the blue, I feel. I also think it was a tad short and left lacking in regards to Gregory when he is such a huge part of the story. However lots of people have loved it and it is a good story however for me it is a 3/5. Thanks so much to Harper for providing me with a copy and the fun crime competition that is going on to celebrate the book as well.

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