Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 352

Publisher - MichaelJoseph

Source - Arc Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time.

There is nothing that Simone won’t do for her daughter, Lucy. The two have always been close, and with Lucy about to leave home for university, they depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone, missing from their rental cabin. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…

Though Simone’s husband urges her to bring in the authorities for help, she knows she can’t take any chances. The kidnappers might kill Lucy if she tells anyone. No mother would take that risk. Instead, that night, she drives to the isolated meet-up.

What she finds there changes everything. The mysterious kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do something. The unthinkable.

A catastrophic chain of events is set in motion, with chilling consequences that extend beyond Simone and her family. What follows is a heart-pounding journey through the small towns and punishing deserts of remote Texas, in which Simone’s courage—and morality—is pushed to the brink as she discovers what it truly means to be a mother.



My Review


Mother and daughter are back together after Lucy (daughter) has been away to a wee retreat style and now mum and daughter are doing a cabin/camping trip together before she heads to university. The trip is in USA, Texas and they are from the UK, after travel they finally meet and get to the cabin have a snack and go to bed. When Simone wakes it doesn't take long to notice Lucy is missing and a phone starts ringing, it isn't hers, it isn't Lucy's and Simone's world falls apart. Someone has kidnapped Lucy and Simone will do whatever it takes to get her back and the kidnapper has indeed offered a way to get her daughter back.

Oooft - it kicks off quite quickly and Simone is just a normal mum, maybe a bit more distrust of authority due to her upbringing with an addict parent and social work involvement. Her husband wants to go to the police, he is a lawyer and fixer but Simone will take no chances with her daughters life and is going to do exactly what she is told.

The book is kinda in two halves, the kidnap and Simone trying to follow the kidnappers instructions and what happens when she gets to the "end game" and everything that follows thereafter. There are a few scenes that are really tense and you totally feel for Simone. Some of her behaviours/attitudes and Lucy's did irritate and or annoy me but it is a highly charged sleep deprived state and trauma responses so you need to give a bit of leeway but still.

It has tense moments, some moments you are like oh no why why why and others I was like really?!?!?!? It absolutely kept me engaged and I wanted to know how it was all going to play out, I read it in one day which considering how my readers block has been is no mean feat, 4/5.

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6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten & giveaway

6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - One More Chapter

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.

At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

My Review

What a tag line, One House, 8 killers, no witnesses. I mean I am a Holten fan anyway so I was going to be reading this regardless but it is a great draw! Its a bit like a halfway house, these criminals are really dodgy bad guys, murderers, out with restrictions, they must be home between hours of X and Y. Substance testing, meetings etc, they are all dangerous and committed really bad crimes, therefore the community of course were up in arms about this house opening but it is established and going.....when a murder happens in the house *gasp* and everything really kicks off!

The book goes between characters points of view AND we hear from the killer without knowing who the actual killer is so I went a little Murder She Wrote and had tons of suspects, lmao I never get it right *sigh*

The unlikely friendship between the reporter Sloan and Helen, elderly lady who lives next door to the problem house, is sweet and I really felt for Helen. Helen was against the house from the beginning but finds sometimes keeping your enemies closer helps. Sloan is a character who has overcame some horrific personal battles, death of a loved one from murder, addiction only to come out the other side. Helen is lonely and connects with Sloan over their joint interest in no.6.

The book has some real unsavoury characters, skulduggery, insight into the killer I mean we hear directly from them without knowing who they are. The reader is drawn quickly into the story and kept intrigued and guessing as you go, looking forward to Holtens next, 4/5 from us!

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AND we are doing a wee giveaway so if you are in the UK and read ebooks you have the chance to enter and win a copy of 6 Ripley Avenue. It is UK only because Amazon doesn't allow me to gift outside my own country and the book is sent from Amazon to your kindle. Competition runs to the end of the month, entries are checked so please only complete those you have done.

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The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott

The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

No one expected them to go there. The question is: will any of them leave?

Six friends travel to a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands for an old school reunion. They’ve rented The Lighthouse – a stunning, now abandoned building that was once notorious for deaths at sea.

On the first evening, someone goes missing. The group search all through the night to no avail. But when the five remaining friends return to the lighthouse early the next morning, they are shocked to find James inside. He’s looks terrified – but won’t say a word about where he’s been.

The party vow to put the strange night behind them and enjoy the rest of their stay, but when more unexplained things begin to occur, tensions escalate. It’s clear James knows something, but nothing will persuade him to give up the secrets of the island. Is he protecting his friends from a terrible truth, or leading them into more danger?

A chilling, gripping and powerfully atmospheric suspense novel with a gothic edge.



My Review

A bunch of long time pals head for a few days away, remote island, stunning lighthouse, beautiful views and the island is theirs alone. They have a history with each other, five of them plus one of the crowds new girlfriends. Small things start happening, item(s) go missing and then one of the group goes missing and more strange things start happening, are the group truly alone or is one of them unhinged?

What a great creepy set up, you have two couples, two singletons, in house jokes and history between the five with the new girlfriend trying not to stand out too much. Two ladies first time away from their child, one of the group is an ex of the other, it has been a while since they were all together. Fun time, joy, jokes, snipping and when things start to go to pot anger, sniping, tears, secrets, accusations - it all kicks off.

Along with all the group drama there is another theme, haunting, ghostly, darkness - suspense and creepiness is weaved throughout. We hear from the characters pov and it changes with the chapters but is well done and flows. The way Dorricott writes you are submerged in the setting which is perfect for the creepy tale and everything that follows, perfect read for a dark night or secluded setting, 4/5.

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Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins

Today is my turn and last stop on the blog tour for "Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls" by author Michelle Rawlins.

For my stop I have my review, enjoy!

Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - HQ

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

With the country at war, can they come together this winter?

Winter, 1939
As December draws nearer and with her family facing their first Christmas without Bert, Nancy is desperately trying to keep up her children’s spirits and her own.

Young Patty should be excited to be spending her first festive season with sweetheart Archie, but why does she worry he’s keeping something from her?

Betty is missing her beloved William as he continues his RAF training but she’s determined not to sit around wallowing. In the midst of the coldest winter on record and with the introduction of rationing, times are tougher than ever but Betty has an idea to make sure nobody goes without this winter.

And with our Steel Girls rallying around each other, can there still be hope this Christmas?

The second novel in the new heartwarming Steel Girls series following our feisty factory sister’s bravery and hope during wartime, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Elaine Everest.



My Review

so I didn't realise this was book two in a series but you can absolutely pick this up as a standalone. We have a Betty, I LOVE a Betty as you know so boxes being ticked already. 1939, winter and families are trying to adjust to their loved ones off to war. Positions changed, women were working in the steel factory to aid the cause and to make ends meet. Betty, Patty and Nancy - working together, surviving each day and looking forward to things being back to normal.

Aw you guys, a wee Betty and omg she is an actual scone. So kind, thinking of others, she is just a tonic to read. I have been reading horror for October reads and some of that was really dark and creepy. So to come into a book where the people are doing their bit, pulling together despite living through such horrible times. Loved ones away to war, rationing coming in and still people go over and above for each other, a sense of belonging and community.

We have the courting and relationships strengthening, families missing their loved ones, new relationships blossoming and an authentic feel for that time period. I actually liked it so much I bought the first book in the series when I finished this so I can read more on the characters and look forward to the next in the series. Survival, loved, relationships, hope in a time of darkness, community, love and strength. It is more about the people and them getting through each day than the darker aspects of or intricate details of the actual war, 4/5. This was my first dance with this author but it won't be my last.

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Killing Mind by Angela Marsons

Killing Mind by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 367

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

It had seemed so simple. Get in, get the information, get out. But now they were getting inside her mind and she didn’t know how to stop them…

When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide.

But a visit to Samantha’s parents rings alarm bells for Kim – there’s something they’re not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.

Then a young man’s body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.

Beneath the retreat’s cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.

Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it’s Kim’s only hope if she is to catch a killer – someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted.

With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim’s neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?



My Review

Kim and the team is back, yaaaaay! When the team are called to a suicide everything seems as it should, sad, horrific but not suspicious. Quickly the team realise there is more to the case and the suicide is in fact a murder. Bryant is distracted by an old case he is emotionally tied to the victim and family so his eye isn't on the ball, nor Stone. Determined to get to the bottom of the case Stone puts an agent under cover to breach Unity Farm, a cult the victim is associated to. Everything looks rosey on the suface but when one death becomes two Stone knows she needs to act fast and some decisions she may come to regret!

Aw I do love Stone and the team, the investigation is always interesting, not heavy laden with details. The team have an emotional bond, to each other and invest time and emotion into those who loose their lives and those left behind. For Stone having a tough persona she is one of the good uns and looks out for her team and makes sure victims get justice.

The Unity Farm I thought was a really good and different angle to go with and into. This is book twelve in a series and it can be hard to keep things fresh. As well as crime, death, investigation - we get a look into a cult, how they get their claws into you, the "benefits" and pull for the members, control, the long reach it has and the horrific consequences it can have. Whilst this is a fiction book you only need to read into some of the well documented cases to see how well/close to reality this aspect of the book is! 4.5/5 for me this time, love Marson's creations, love the team and cannot wait to see what is next for them.

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Strangers by C L Taylor

Strangers by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.


My Review

If you follow my reviews you will know this house is a big fan of Taylors writing. The opening scene captures you straight away and leads you into the book wanting to know, why, how and what happened before hand, who are these people!

Three main characters, Alice - trying to get back into dating, her husband left her, her daughter is having boyfriend trouble and Alice is dipping her toes back into the world of dating. Ursula, ooft what a car crash of a person, we know something has happened and she is struggling to get through day to day. She is her own worst enemy and being a kleptomaniac and compulsively choosing the wrong decision in almost everything isn't helping. Gareth, caring for his mother who has dementia whilst holding down a security job with its own pressures. All three couldn't be anymore different so what links them and what will bring them into each others path?

The dating stuff, ugh I could have screamed at Alice and her daughter, warning flags and just no don't do that, don't text ahhhh. I suppose that is a nod to the authors talent, creating characters and situations that make you so mad because they are so real to life, we have all seen or done some of these things! Ursula, same, warning flags, don't do it, ask this, question that but when you are desperate you tend to ignore warning flags and when things are so bad and you have limited options you can only go with what is available to you. Gareth is a different character, I felt so sorry for him, caring with someone with dementia is heartbreaking, having unresolved father issues is something many readers will empathetic with.

Each character gets chapters and titled so you know whose is who and it is easy to follow. You have no idea what is coming, where the story is leading (for any of them) and I love when books do that for you. 4.5/5 for me this time, I have read all of Taylor's books (to my knowledge) and cannot wait for the next. Out to buy from April 2nd, ebook and hardbackk, paperback will be available in September.

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Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 352

Publisher - Killer Reads

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

When three domestic abuse offenders are found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered. And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the finger of suspicion points at Lucy and the police are running out of time. Can Maggie and her team solve the murders before another person dies? And is Lucy really a cold-blooded killer?



My Review

A debut novel that grips pretty much from the get go. Domestic abusers are being beaten to death and DC Maggie Jamieson is on the case. These men are despicable creatures and trying to uncover why they may be a target isn't hard, figuring out who would want to is! The investigation is on, in between this we have the main character, Lucy Sherwood, probation officer and link to them all. When the fourth victim turns up Lucy is very much a figure of interest with her own secrets and issues can Lucy prove her innocence? Is she innocent?

There is a lot of focus on Lucy, her personal circumstance, her job and what she has to endure, these men are vile "human beings" and we see two sides of Lucy. Lucy the probation officer who takes no snash and faces these men, their intimidation/threats. Then we see Lucy Sherwood, abused wife living with a controlling, aggressive, violent always ready to trigger husband.

I do like a book where yes we have crime/action/murder etc but you very much get the human aspect with deeper insight into the characters. What they endure, survive and how they manage to put their face on to mask it to the world, their colleagues and those closest, very accurate of how some people live in the real word. Whilst we are getting better at talking about domestic abuse and admitting it exists we still have so much more we need to do. I think if you have experienced this in your lifetime this book will hit more than one emotive tone with you, memories, emotions may well be evoked. It is a book that deals with very disturbing scenarios, characteristics and hard hitting themes, it is hard to believe it is a debut. I very much look forward to more by Holten, a star is on the rise, 4.5/5 for me!

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The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie

The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 320

Publisher - Unbound

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again.

Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her.

More than 100 years after his grandmother’s sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams.

He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.


My Review

Firstly, I just want to comment on the cover, mine was an eBook however the cover for the paperback is exactly as the wee attached picture. It has so much detail without being over the top, flashy or in your face but when you pick it up and actually look at it, especially after reading the story, it is really something. The story itself concentrates on three main characters, Jean starting in 1911, Connie in 1954 and up to date is Fred in 2016. Three characters in different times, relatively different circumstances, different individuals all with one thing in common, sewing machines. It doesn't sound like a massive pull or overly interesting but guys, trust me, this is a great wee book.

Jean is torn between doing what is right, supporting her fellow workers in a time when every penny really does count and going against her father to take part in a strike that impacts on her future. Connie is a genteel soul, living with her mother and settled in what little life has given her, a dab hand with her sewing machine she has no idea her skills will bring forth change to her life. And lastly Fred, his life is upside down, a bereavement brings much changes and he commences on a journey of self examination and growth with unexpected surprises along the way.

Oh you would think anything about a sewing machine, especially with three individuals having them in their stories to be dull, a chore to get into. You would be absolutely wrong, this book is a gem that has many layers revealing its history and with each chapter drawing the reader into the world of families, relationships, hardships and issues that are evident for each despite the time differences.

For me I think the book grabbed me more because bereavements are in it and we just lost a family member last week. The act of going through his family history in memories from the flat, Fred is discovering as much about himself as he is his grandparents. Clearing out a home conjures up so many memories and questions not to mention emotions, the author encapsulates this perfectly. Sentences written that are absolutely time appropriate, words used both things that evoked personal memories for me and I imagine other readers. "...she heard their firmly-sprung letter box snapped closed." I remember the brass letterboxes we all had in the eighties that did exactly that, along with ripping the top layer of skin off before it banged shut.

I don't feel I am doing this book justice but it is hard to give examples without giving anything away, the book is beautifully written and you would never guess this is a debut novel. The authors voice is strong and she has a gift for bringing you into a time where even if you weren't born then you can easily envision the time, smells, sounds, feelings and issues. Three timelines go along with the main characters and are clearly marked, signposted and easy to follow. I genuinely hope this author is working on her next novel, maybe more from these characters or in the same period. I do love books that give unexpected gifts and trips down memory lane are something you are always grateful for. 4/5 for me this time, thanks to Netgalley for bringing a book to my attention I may have otherwise have missed. I will be buying a copy of this for a few friends who I think will enjoy it as much, if not more, than I have, an author worth watching I think!

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After She's Gone by Sheryl Browne

After she's Gone by Sheryl Browne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Publisher - Choc Lit

Pages -

Blurb from Goodreads

He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable.
When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.

But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.


My Review

DI Matthew Adams was bullied as a kid, by none other than Patrick Sullivan who is now a top dog pimp, drug runner, murderer and psycho. Their bad blood has gone on all these years and worse still, blood has been shed. When Patrick loses one of his own his retribution is swift, deadly and sets the ball rolling for more bloodshed, anger and vengeance.

Ugh it is never a good thing when a child dies and one of the earlier scenes really hits the reader hard, how can it not when a child is involved. It sets the precedent for everything that follows and cements a long running feud with innocent bystanders set to suffer. We learn about Adams family and introduced to his niece whose "invisible friend" takes the story on a different spin. I would have loved to have heard a lot more about her and seen this aspect of the story explored in a lot more detail, I hold out hope for it in the next installment.

The book is fast paced, we fire in to some disturbing scenes and history between the two main characters. Both have a very negative affect on each other and we see the characters spiral down a dark path. Patrick is a psychopath, as the story goes on we see just how cracked and depraved one person can be and how a balanced individual can destruct when pushed to the limit. The story covers many topics, family, loss, grief, death of a child, abuse, sexual depravity, murder, drugs and prostitution to name just a few. Not for the feint hearted, a good start to a new series, if you haven't read Browne before this is a great place to start. 4/5 fr me this time, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.

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