Keep It In The Family by John Marrs

Keep It in the Family by John Marrs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read -

Pages - 380

Publisher - Thomas and Mercer

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

In this chilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past.

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a shocking message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their home was once a real-life murder house, with the evidence still concealed within the four walls.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Tormented by the terrible things she saw, she is desperate to dig into the past to find answers.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family—but will the previous tenants stop her from discovering their secret?


My Review

We open with the prologue thirty nine years earlier that quickly paints a dark picture and then we go to modern day. We flip between different characters point of views, mostly Mia and Finn with some news clip transcripts/podcast chat etc. Mia and Finn are together, Mia is pregnant and they have took a huge gamble on this house. When they discover the message "I will save them all" carved into the woodwork Mia does some digging and things get dark, very very dark.

The chapters are short and as is Marrs's way, always a very early hook and he creates characters you love to hate. I did gasp a wee bit and switched back and forth a bit of like/dislike and I love when a book does that, pull the rug our from under you.

So many themes and I don't want to give anything away cos we don't do spoilers obvs but martial issues, toxic relationships, kidnapping, murder, really dodgy people and you will never look at suitcases in the same light.

I am having horrific reading slumps and this has pulled me out and I have read most of his boks, just checked ad three left to go, I need to bump them up the list for sure. If you haven't read Marrs do it, this is a great place to start, 4/5.

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Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour (RandomThingsTours) for my stop I have my non spoiler review, enjoy.


About the author

Shari Lapena is one of the best-known thriller writers working today. Every one of her thrillers has been a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. She has spent a total of 76 weeks in the top 10 and has sold over 7 million copies across all titles and formats worldwide. Her debut, The Couple Next Door, was the overall bestselling fiction title in the UK in its year of publication and has been optioned for TV by Paramount. For more information about Shari and her books, you can visit Shari’s website here: https://sharilapena.com/.

Buy link for the book, OUT NOW, from Amazon UK.

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 336

Publisher - Bantam books

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

Welcome to Stanhope! A safe neighborhood. A place for families.

William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he's been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.

Hours later, Avery's family declares her missing.

Suddenly Stanhope doesn't feel so safe. And William isn't the only one on his street who's hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery's neighbors become increasingly unhinged.

Who took Avery Wooler?

Nothing will prepare you for the truth.



My Review


Ooft buckle in folks! Imagine your worst day, you are happily having an affair and out the blue it is ended, you are dumped. You are angry, upset, confused and head home early to try get your head around it but your kid is unexpectedly home too. You loose your temper, you leave furious and later your kid has gone missing. A bad day is about to get so much worse. And the thing is it isn't just the cheater(s), just about everyone in this book is going to have a bad day that gets worse!

A missing kid, affairs, shady neighbours, everyone is a suspect, tis like a modern day murder she wrote (for the hunners of suspects rather than muuuuuuurder), I was accusing everyone. This goes from bad to worse and just when you think ooft that person's day can't get any worse, it bloody does :D

I think the pull for these kind of books is how normal and relatable (ish ) well some of them lol, the characters are, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, neighbours - every day people. And the impact some decisions/acts can have not just on themselves and the ripples of their behaviours.

If I hadn't been working I would have probably got through this in one sitting, it is no secret we are big Lapena fans in here. Not everyone can write flawed/dodgy characters that doesn't turn a reader off or just annoy them, Lapena creates ones that whilst they can be unsavoury/shady you absolutely keep riveted, glued to the page and either root for them and or their demise. Already looking forward to the next one, this book is out to buy now, 4.5/5.

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PRR - Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George

Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 week +

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Pages - 708

Blurb from Goodreads

When Hadiyyah Upman disappears from London in the company of her mother, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers is as devastated as the girl's father. They are her close friends as well as neighbours, but since the child is with her mother, nothing can be done. Five months later, Hadiyyah is kidnapped from an open air market in Lucca, Italy, and this triggers an investigation in the full glare of the media spotlight. Barbara's clever manipulation of the worst of London's tabloids forces New Scotland Yard to become involved. But rather than Barbara herself, her superior officer DI Thomas Lynley is assigned to handle a situation made delicate by racial issues, language difficulties, and the determination of an Italian magistrate to arrest and convict someone - anyone - for the crime.



My Review

Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers next door neighbors child Hadiyyah Upman disappears from London, along with her mother. The father is devastated, as is Havers who is close to the family, suspecting her mother has taken her. Five months later the mother returns screaming Azhar, the girls father, has kidnapped her from Italy in retaliation. Together they must all work together to piece the case together and find the little girl before harm befalls her. DI Thomas Lynley is on the case to handle relations, translate upon arriving in Italy, racial and family issues. On top of that, the press is watching and reporting and there is a leak coming from the police.

Well what a story this turned out to be! To begin with I quite liked it, kidnapping by the mum and no idea where she went only to turn up months later saying the child has been truly kidnapped. The immediate response from Havers was ridiculous, she attacks her hair in response to the news. I still don't understand that and she has no relationship bar friendship with Azhar yet does so many things to potentially wreck her career AND break the law, repeatedly. Her behaviour is off the wall, she puts everything at risk and breaks the law continuously like a love crazed person rather than a respected, high ranking police detective.

When they are in Italy, Elizabeth George does a mix between Italian and English. Phrases are spoken in full Italian then the response or action is commented upon in English which I found totally distracting and very annoying. There is also some racist words battered around which will definitely offend some people so keep that in mind when picking the book up.

The book seemed far too long and went off in tangents which seemed more about padding the book out than adding anything to the actual tale. Lynleys "relationship" with Daidre I just didn't get either, he seemed to pursue and pursue and get nothing back at all from her other than what seemed forced communication. They seem to be at the same point in the start of the book as at the end so it really had no bearing or contribution to the tale at all, unless it is set up for the next book but even still I felt it added nothing.

I found myself getting bored often reading this one, some parts where quite good which is why is gets 2/5 however ultimately there was more to fault than like, for me however harden fans may still love it. Thanks so much to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy to review in exchange for an honest review, this one just fell wide of the mark for me. I won't be rushing to pick up another by this author but won't rule out trying her again in the distant future.

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