When I was Ten by Fiona Cummins

When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 367

Publisher - Macmillan

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

She had lived a lie for thirteen years, and the perfect life as she had known it was about to change forever.

Everyone remembered Sara and Shannon Carter, the little blonde haired sisters. Their Dad was the local GP and they lived in the beautiful house on the hill. Their best friend, Brinley Booth, lived next door. They would do anything for each other but everything shifted on that fateful day when Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were stabbed fourteen times with a pair of scissors in what has become the most talked about double murder of the modern age.

The girls were aged ten and twelve at the time. One, nicknamed the Angel of Death, spent eight years in a children’s secure unit accused of the brutal killings. The other lived in foster care out of the limelight and prying questions. Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down one of the sisters, persuading her to speak about the events of that night for the first time.

Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and Brinley Booth, now a journalist, is tasked with covering the news story which brings to light fresh evidence and triggers a chain of events which will have devastating consequences.



My Review

A child running from a horrific murder then present day - we flip from Catherine, mother to Honor and wife to Edward. She is everything you want to be, attentive, caring, worried about the change in her daughter who is becoming withdrawn, moody and night terrors, Edward is also behaving differently. Brinley is a reporter, never really sinking her teeth into anything worthwhile, dreaming of being with her colleague but noone looks at her like that nor takes her seriously. When a story comes about taking us back to a horrific family murder, Brinley has her chance to be involved in a real story but can she keep her past and present apart and how much will she risk to get what she wants?

Ooft this book has loads going on, as well as jumping from characters we also head back into the past, to the family of the murders. Two sisters living in what seems a perfect home, respected parents of the community - what would drive one of them to murder?

The book teases out the story as we go along, what does Catherine have to do with it and what is the deal with her husband, he is behaving cagey. The storyline that goes back to the siblings is hard reading in parts due to the subject matter. When we are in the present I want don't want to flip to the past and when I am in the past I don't want to flip to the present. It makes for compelling reading and keeps you guessing, where is this going, what does X have to do with Y?

This is my third book for this author and found there is another I have missed, now ordered and on route. For the people who work everything out I think you will enjoy this because it will keep you on your toes. For those who enjoy suspense/thriller/shocking then this is a book for you, 4.5/5 for me, looking forward to the one I missed and whatever she is working on next!

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The Edge by Jessie Keane

The Edge: An Electrifying Gangland Thriller From the Top Ten Bestseller by Jessie Keane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 461

Publisher - Macmillan

Source - Gift

Blurb from Goodreads

The unstoppable Ruby Darke returns as old enemies threaten her family in The Edge, a gripping gangland thriller from top ten bestselling author Jessie Keane.

With a mind sharper than a razor blade it was only a matter of time before Ruby Darke fought her way to the top. From humble beginnings she became the queen of London’s retail, but she didn’t get there by obeying the law.

Now with her son Kit and daughter Daisy finally by her side she’s ready to start a new chapter in her life, but, unknown to all of them, enemies are circling.

There aren’t many who threaten Ruby Darke and live to tell the tale. But this time, she may just have met her match.

If you live on the edge, you may just die on it . . .


My Review

Ruby Darke and her son Kit have their finger in many pies, on the wrong side of the law, protection money, folk running for them, business is good. When someone targets their patch, their business and then takes a shot at them the family have to pull together to figure out who is after them. In between that the police are breathing down their necks, they want to solve the crimes too and if they can take down the family whilst at it, all the better.

So this is book three in a trilogy and I would advice reading the previous however I read book two five years ago, don't remember too much at all and got on fine with this. The action kicks off quickly and goes from there. Ruby has an old flame who is being fingered for the trouble and could there be a spark still there? Juggling her business and family life Ruby is being pulled in all directions and the threat of harm is hanging over them. It is, as is Keane's usual, pacey, gritty, crime/gangland style although a big focus on the family side of it. We also have a hired gun on the loose so jump between the family and the killer.

If you like Keane's previous books you will enjoy this. Questionable behaviour, death, murder, family, love, lies and deceit. 3.5/5 for me this time, read Keane before and will read her again.

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Ash by James Herbert

Ash by James Herbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 10 days

Pages - 693

Publisher - MacMillan

Source - Bought online

Blurb from Goodreads


David Ash – detective of the paranormal – is sent to the mysterious Comraich Castle, secluded deep in the Scottish countryside, to investigate a strange, high-profile case: a man has been found crucified – in a room that was locked. The reports suggest that the cliff-top castle is being haunted . . .

Who – or what – is the reclusive hooded figure that Ash has seen from the window walking across the courtyard in the dead of night?
What are the strange, animal-like sounds that come from the surrounding woods?
And why are the castle’s inhabitants so reluctant to talk about what they have seen?

. . . what Ash eventually discovers is truly shocking.



My Review

This is a re read for me, I first read this in 2012 not realising it was a trilogy and I think it absolutely affected my enjoyment, despite both times getting a 3* rating. I would absolutely advise reading the first two books as it gives you better insight into Ash's character, the theme for the actual book and alerts you to it being all about the supernatural.

Ash is put forward to go to Comraich Castle to investigate a horrific crime and unexplained goings on, David has been very much a skeptic despite his job being an investigator of the supernatural. If you read the previous books you will appreciate why David has since had a change of heart and sets to investigate. However the Castle has a grim past, it is occupied by some of the most loathsome humans of our time and evil is drawn there. Restrictions are put upon Ash as they must protect their "elite" clients who "live" there. Names from the past history appear as characters and links and secrets of folk we mere everyday Joes think have passed appear in Comraich.

It is a weird tale with some dark and horrifying scenes that may turn the stomach of some readers, rape, cannibalism, incest, horror, death, ghosts and that is just touching on some of it. Supernatural goings on, claustrophobic scenes all with the hallmark of Herbert, if you are familiar with his past work you will be fine with this. Some of it is fantastical needing to suspend belief, as is with a lot of Herbert's writing. Despite being almost 700 pages I felt it could have been longer, the ending felt unfinished and for me, somewhat unsatisfactory although I know many love it just as it is. Always the signs an author has done their job when leaving the reader wanting more, for me though I need lots of closure and answers hence it just being 3/5.

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Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Rattle by Fiona Cummins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 352

Publisher - MacMillan

Blurb from Goodreads

A psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter.

He has planned well. He leads two lives. In one he's just like anyone else. But in the other he is the caretaker of his family's macabre museum.

Now the time has come to add to his collection. He is ready to feed his obsession, and he is on the hunt.

Jakey Frith and Clara Foyle have something in common. They have what he needs.

What begins is a terrifying cat-and-mouse game between the sinister collector, Jakey's father and Etta Fitzroy, a troubled detective investigating a spate of abductions.

Set in London's Blackheath, Rattle by Fiona Cummins explores the seam of darkness that runs through us all; the struggle between light and shadow, redemption and revenge.

It is a glimpse into the mind of a sinister psychopath. And it's also a story about not giving up hope when it seems that all hope is already lost.


My Review

Jake Frith is a special little boy, he has a medical condition that means he needs to be extra careful and not hurt himself. For this reason he has come under the watchful eye of "The Bone Collector" a ruthless killer with one purpose in mind and nothing will get in the way of his goal. Etta Fitzroy is investigating abductions and soon finds herself in a cat and mouse game with a dangerous killer.

For a debut novel this book really packs a punch, we explore a rare medical condition, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) and it is evident how much research the author has sunk into that aspect of the book. I love fiction where you learn something and with anything else, if I come across something I don't know or don't know in detail I will go off and read about it so that ticks boxes here. The object of the killers desire is bone malformation and in this tale, two particular children fit the bill which will make some readers feel uncomfortable. There is also animal abuse mentioned, abuse to children and some of the scenes are very dark, creepy and chilling to say the least.

Etta makes for a great character as she has many flaws, she is determined to get the job done and will do whatever it takes to get the results she needs. I think this really brings the character to life and it shows a writers strength and ability to lift characters off the page. Cummins is definitely worth keeping an eye out for, I hope to see more in the series and look forward to her next offering, 4/5 for me this time.

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