Betray Her by Caroline England

Betray Her by Caroline England
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 368

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Best friends forever.

That's the pact you made.

You'd do anything for her.

(And you have)

She has it all.

If you could take it for yourself . . . would you?



My Review


Jo and Kate met at boarding school when they were little girls, Kate coming from a more upper class and money type family, Jo a bit scruffy and feeling out of place. A friendship cemented and now we are decades later, the ladies are in their thirties and living very different lives. Kate seems to have it all, Jo struggling personally and her icy exterior and chip on her shoulder still impacting on here life choices/happiness. As Jo spends more time with Kate she realises her friends perfect life may not be so perfect and just how well do they know each other?

A psychological thriller that focuses heavily on friendship and family. We go between present and past getting more of a feel for the girls and how their friendship cemented and endured their hard times at school. There are a lot of twists along the way and lets the reader see sides of the ladies that helped shape who they are now.

In the present day, even though the ladies are close, some of their interactions, how they spoke to each other, for me there seemed an undercurrent. Supportive words but just a hint of something being a bit off but I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. For me I really didn't like Jo, she seemed to look down on people and have a massive attitude because of her experiences as a kid which you can understand to a degree but still. Kate I flipped a wee bit about as she seems like the sweet one, caring, housewife, family orientated but was it because I disliked Jo so much. I flipped back and forth on both the characters as England gave a bit more on one, then the other, then flung a curve ball every now and again. A book that keeps you on your toes, the timeline jumps are done well and flow so as not to distract from the flow of the story and gives you more insight into why they are as they. 4/5 for me this time, I have another of this authors on my tbrm, I need to bump it up, a story that will keep you guessing to what is coming next.

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House of Skin by Jonathan Janz Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for House of Skin, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content.




About the author:




Jonathan Janz grew up between a dark forestand a graveyard, which explains everything. Brian Keene named his debut novel The Sorrows "the best horror novel of 2012." The LibraryJournal deemed his follow-up, House of Skin,"reminiscent of ShirleyJackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Peter Straub's Ghost Story" Since then Jonathan's work has been lauded by writers like Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Tim Waggoner, Bryan Smith,and Ronald Kelly. Novels like The Nightmare Girl, Wolf Land, Savage Species,and Dust Devils prompted Thunderstorm Books to sign Jonathan to an eleven-book deal and to give him his own imprint, Jonathan Janz's Shadow Side. His novel Children of the Dark received a starred review in Booklist and was chosen by their board as one of the Top Ten Horror Books of the Year (August2015-September2016). Children of the Dark will soon be translated into German and has been championed by the Library Journal, the School Library Journal,and Cemetery Dance. In early 2017, his novel Exorcist Falls was released to critical acclaim. Jonathan's primary interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children,and though he realizes that every author's wife and children are wonderful and amazing, in this case the cliché happens to be true. You can learn more about Janz at www.jonathanjanz.com.

House of Skin by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 312

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

All it needs to live again is fresh blood!



Myles Carver is dead. But his estate, Watermere, lives on, waiting for a new Carver to move in. Myles’s wife, Annabel, is dead too, but she is also waiting, lying in her grave in the woods. For nearly half a century she was responsible for a nightmarish reign of terror, and she’s not prepared to stop now. She is hungry to live again…and her unsuspecting nephew, Paul, will be the key.



Julia Merrow has a secret almost as dark as Watermere’s. But when she and Paul fall in love they think their problems might be over. How can they know what Fate—and Annabel—have in store for them? Who could imagine that what was once a moldering corpse in a forest grave is growing stronger every day, eager to take her rightful place amongst the horrors of Watermere?


My Review

When Paul Carver inherits the estate of Watermere he is set for life, estate, money and finally the chance to write the book he has always wanted and escape his mundane life. A family he knew nothing about, his uncle Myles now dead everything is his. The book will be written,, the dead won't rest and Paul will find out why his family was so hated in this wee town.

If you think back to old school horror, the black and white movies on at the weekend in the 80s, hammer horror, haunted houses with eerie back stories you get the feel for House of Skin. We have a duo timeline, current day with Paul and the past with his uncle and the beautiful Annabel. Coveted by many, she is stunning, beautiful a force to be reckoned with, fierce, dark and deadly, Watermere was Annabel's home and Annabel isn't ready to let go.

There is a lot of spooky hair raising scenes, some subtle and as the book progresses the levels of chilling darkness rise. There is also a lot of sex, sexual undertones, obsession, haunting, abuse, some really dark elements of humanity. I think fans of horror will eat this up especially if you like books combined with sex, flips in and out of duo timelines and a building tension, 3.5/5 for me. I have read this author before and will read him again. I think a prequel to this book would be epic and have reached out to the author about it. I think there is so much of this, the past, that would be amazing to explore and uncover it would give readers tons of insight into these characters, I so hope he pens it, fingers crossed.

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Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes

Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 448

Publisher - HarperTorch

Source - gift ages ago

Blurb from Goodreads

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You, the basis for the major motion picture, comes the touching, unforgettable story of three generations of Irish women faced with the fundamental truths of love, duty, and the unbreakable bond that unites mothers and daughters.

Estranged from her mother since she ran away from her rural Irish home as a young woman, Kate swore a future oath that she’d always be a friend to her daughter, Sabine. But history has a way of repeating itself, and Kate now faces an ever-widening chasm between herself and her daughter. With Sabine about to make her own journey to Ireland to see the grandmother Kate abandoned, Kate is left wondering how they ever made it here, and what she can do to close the gap between them.

For Joy, seeing her granddaughter is a dream come true. After the painful separation from Kate, she’s looking forward to having time with Sabine. Yet almost as soon as the young woman arrives, the lack of common ground between them deflates her enthusiasm. And when Sabine’s impetuous, inquisitive nature forces Joy to face long-buried secrets from her past, she realizes that perhaps it’s time to finally heal old wounds.



My Review

Sabine goes to live with her grand mother, to help with her grand father, get away from the city and give her mother time to mop up after another failed relationship. Life could not be more different from her city life, telephones, boys, technology, at the farm it is routines, regimented, horses and no networking. Sabine is a vegetarian, her grand parents host hunting parties -Sabine is about to go on a journey that changes everything as she has known it.

The book has two timelines, current day with Sabine on the farm with her grand mother Joy and grand father Edward and back to when Joy was a young girl (1950's), meeting Edward and what follows. A large focus of the book is relationships, personal growth, the decisions we make and the consequences that follow. Infidelity, parenthood, a love of love and focus on horses. Sabine is initially an irritating selfish teen but she grew on me a bit, her mother Kate enraged me, self worth completely tied up in men ugh absolutely infuriating.

A book that has you up and down, back and forth, opinions changing on characters frequently. Whilst I love Moyes you can see a huge difference in her writing now to this, her debut novel, it is still an enjoyable read and she is so talented in her writing abilities. A good story, strong visuals in how she conjurs up scenes and you can easily believe your are back in the 1950's and easily slide into the current day. She handles the duo timeline well and whilst I was reading one I was loathe to jump to the other and back and forth. 3.5/5 for me this time, still enjoyed it but not my favourite, if you aren't familiar with this author I recommend starting with one of her more recent books and working back.

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The Birdwatcher by William Shaw

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - As and when over 2 days

Pages - 336

Publisher - Mulholland books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


Police Sergeant William South has a good reason to shy away from murder investigations: he is a murderer himself.

**Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year
A methodical, diligent, and exceptionally bright detective, South is an avid birdwatcher and trusted figure in his small town on the rugged Kentish coast. He also lives with the deeply buried secret that, as a child in Northern Ireland, he may have killed a man. When a fellow birdwatcher is found murdered in his remote home, South's world flips.
The culprit seems to be a drifter from South's childhood; the victim was the only person connecting South to his early crime; and a troubled, vivacious new female sergeant has been relocated from London and assigned to work with South. As our hero investigates, he must work ever-harder to keep his own connections to the victim, and his past, a secret.
The Birdwatcher is British crime fiction at its finest; a stirring portrait of flawed, vulnerable investigators; a meticulously constructed mystery; and a primal story of fear, loyalty and vengeance.



My Review

William South is a police officer in a small town, when a fellow birdwatcher is found brutally murdered William is compelled to find out what happened. When a name from his child hood pops up as a suspect William finds himself revisiting his childhood and the secret he had long ago buried.

As well as the murder, South has a new partner Cupidi who has her hands full with her teenage daughter and her own past she would like to keep quiet. An unlikely friendship with Cupidi and her daughter, South finds himself no longer the lone ranger, even his bird watching time is shared. South wants the crime solved and can't take a step back or follow orders, who did this, why and are people who they say they are?

I really liked this, the murder kicks everything off and we follow the investigation, the relationships South has with the folk living in town and flashbacks to his time growing up in Ireland. I loved the bird watching parts, it isn't something I have ever done myself but this is the second book I have read with it in it, it works well.

If you have issues with swearing, be warned there is a fair amount of it in this book, the police banter and some of the characters are rough and ready so it is fitting with the story. There are brief flashes to the troubles in Ireland as South was brought up during that time and we have a wee glimpse into that time period. It is very well written, the characters come to life and draw the reader in pretty much from the beginning. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Chalk Man by C J Tudor

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 342

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads


In 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy little English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code; little chalk stick figures they leave for each other as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing will ever be the same.

In 2016, Eddie is fully grown, and thinks he's put his past behind him. But then he gets a letter in the mail, containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out his other friends got the same messages, they think it could be a prank... until one of them turns up dead. That's when Eddie realizes that saving himself means finally figuring out what really happened all those years ago.

Expertly alternating between flashbacks and the present day, The Chalk Man is the very best kind of suspense novel, one where every character is wonderfully fleshed out and compelling, where every mystery has a satisfying payoff, and where the twists will shock even the savviest reader.




My Review

What a fantastic debut novel, I had bought this after reading a few reviews and then bumped it up my TBRM (to be read mountain) after it was chosen for the Crime Book Club book of the month. A duo timeline see's us go to 1986 with Eddie and his friends, using chalk men and codes for each other. When "the chalk man" leads them to find a body everything changes. Flip to present day, the group are grown up and receive a message with a chalk man it seems the past never really does stay in the past.

So it took me a few chapters to settle into this one, you know which time period you are in as it is clearly marked. The timeline with the kids was, I felt, really well done, the expressions they use, the chain of thought for kids of that age and time. I always find things like that can make or break a book, authentic voices are really needed and help draw the reader in. I heard a few people are saying it has ripped off IT by Stephen King? I have read and seen the book/movie several times and I can tell you it DOES NOT at all. The only stretch of similarity you could say was there is a childhood group of friends, duo timeline of the 80's and present day and an incident with a stone which in the 80's we all have many stories with stones, rocks or boulders.

Some scenes are a bit eerie, there is tension, murder, violence, excitement and I found myself drawn in relatively quickly to find out what happened then. What happens next and what, if any, relevance the past has to the presence. You would never know this was a debut novel, well I wouldn't think so and I read hundreds of books. I would love to read more about these characters and hope maybe the author will revisit them at some point. Worth a watching and I absolutely will be reading this author again, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Secret by Katerina Diamond

The Secret by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 417

Publisher - Avon

Source - Book shop

Blurb from Goodreads

‘A terrific story, originally told. All hail the new Queen of Crime!’ HEAT

‘A web of a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. This formidable debut is a page-turner, but don’t read it before bed if you’re easily spooked!’ SUN

EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW IS A LIE…

Can you keep a secret? Your life depends on it…

Bridget Reid has a secret, one that could get her killed… If she can escape the man who is keeping her locked in a basement bedroom.

DS Imogen Grey is good at keeping secrets – truths she’d never reveal to her colleagues at Exeter Police. She worked hard to get where she is – she nearly died for it. Now her past is catching up with her…

As DS Grey and her partner DS Adrian Miles search for Bridget, they uncover a terrifying web of abuse, betrayal and murder. And they realise that some secrets are better left buried…



My Review

Bridget Reid is undercover as a prostitute when she goes missing, her partner is beside himself knowing just how bad the situation can be. The people she was living with are brutally murdered and she is nowhere to be found. DS Grey and DS Miles are on the case, Grey has elements of her past she would prefer to remain there but as they dig into the case and collaborate with Reid's team the past threatens to come out.

This isn't one for the faint hearted, the murders and violence are brutal, there are webs of deception overlapping and secrets a plenty. The timeline is duo flipping back to Grey's previous team and present day which took me a little while to settle into however it is well signposted. There is a lot of violence and sexual violence, some of the murders are brutal and graphic so it isn't one for the faint hearted. If you haven't read the authors previous book you can get away with starting on this one however if you can I would read it as you get your intro to Grey in book one.

The book deals with a number of issues, not just the case at hand, DS Grey's past and her very strained relationship with her mother, her past, and fellow colleagues. It is a page turner, the pace never drops and keeps the readers on their toes, 4/5 for me this time. Her new book has just come out, I will be buying it, I think this author is going from strength to strength.

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The Secret by Kathy Hughes

The Secret by Kathryn Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 day

Pages - 416

Publisher - Headline Review

Blurb from Goodreads

Mary has been nursing a secret. Forty years ago, she made a choice that would change her world for ever, and alter the path of someone she holds dear.

Beth is searching for answers. She has never known the truth about her parentage, but finding out could be the lifeline her sick child so desperately needs. When Beth finds a faded newspaper cutting amongst her mother's things, she realises the key to her son's future lies in her own past. She must go back to where it all began to unlock...The Secret.


My Review

We open in June 1975 Mary Roberts whole world ended as she knew it. Flip ahead to 2016, Mary has passed leaving behind her daughter, grandson and a secret that could literally mean life or death for her daughter Beth's son. Beth's fathers identity is a secret, only Mary could have told her who he was, now Mary has died and Beth's son Jake is ill, could Beth's father's identity hold the key to saving his life? As Beth starts to go through her mothers belongings she finds clues that could help save her son, a secret from the past that may touch the lives of many.

Whilst the story timeline flips a wee bit, it is done so in a way the reader can follow easily. 1975 initially, 2013 to give some build to the main characters before heading back to the past where we pick up in 1976. We meet characters who seem to have no relationship or relevance to our present day story. We delve into the past, meet new characters, love and hate them in equal measures, Hughes takes us into a story of love, loss, sacrifice, family and how some secrets can have long reaching consequences and the fall out from it. This is a lovely story that has elements of sadness, courage and the impact secrets can have, how in protecting those we love we can actually cause more harm.

Beautifully written with characters that jump off the page and into your heart, or the ones that irritate you and get right under your skin. A skillful writer who creates a world you fall into and want to keep reading about long after you finish the last page. 4/5 for me this time, this is my first time reading this author, it won't be my last, thanks to Bookbridgr for sending me a copy of this to review and introducing me to a new author.

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