The Girl With The Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

The Girl with the Suitcase: A captivating historical novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 391

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author is available to PRE-ORDER now!

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. Elizbeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?



My Review

Mary has known poverty and cruelty her whole life, it is wartime and she is desperate to escape her job as housekeeper, cleaner and general dogsbody. When she meets the beautiful Elizabeth who offers her a chance at a new life, she has just came into a fabulous house in Ireland, inheritance from an estranged aunt. A bomb hits, the girls are in an underground shelter when everything goes dark. Mary wakes injured but alive, she is misidentified and finally has a chance to live, really live but can she do it?

Aw Mary, what a poor soul and hard going "upbringing" she had. We find out more about Mary and why she is the way she is by going from present to past. As always Pearse's books feature some of the darker side of humanity, abuse, SA, child endangerment, substance abuse, stolen identity. You get reeled in because you are rooting for Mary aka Beth but you do question some of her decisions and behaviours. I think that is one of her gifts, she gives you characters who aren't wholly whiter than white (Mary), and some downright horror bags the "stepfather".

When Mary goes to Ireland we meet a whole cast of people, sweet, nosey, hearing about the aunt, ooft she was a character in herself. We see how world war 2 affected different parts of the world, meat rationing, families, love, loss. It is a busy book as is Pearse's way but she does it so well the story flows and envelopes you. Lots of characters/happenings, some time and place jumps but all done effortlessly.

Even when I have a reading block I can still inhale one of her books, 4.5/5 from us, I need to check her backlist and see what I have missed (we have read loads but she has published loads) and catch up on any missed. She is a fab writer, pulls you emotively and allows you to escape your own life and merge into a world full of love, loss, sadness, friendship, family, she ticks the boxes.

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The Long and Winding Road by Lesley Pearse

The Long and Winding Road: the extraordinary life story of Lesley Pearse by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (in and out as able)

Pages - 351

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

One of the world’s bestselling storytellers, Lesley Pearse writes brilliantly about survivors. Why? Because she is one herself . . .

Born during the Second World War, Lesley’s innocence came to an abrupt end when a neighbour found her, aged 3, coatless in the snow. The mother she’d been unable to wake had been dead for days. Sent to an orphanage, Lesley soon learned adults couldn’t always be trusted.

As a teenager in the swinging sixties, she took herself to London. Here, the second great tragedy of her life occurred. Falling pregnant, she was sent to a mother and baby home, and watched helplessly as her newborn was taken from her.

But like so many of her generation, Lesley had to carry on. She was, after all, a true survivor. Marriage and children followed – and all the while she nurtured a dream: to be a writer. Yet it wasn’t until at the age of 48 that her stories – of women struggling in a difficult world – found a publisher, and the bestseller lists beckoned.

As heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, Lesley’s story really is A Long and Winding Road with surprises and uplifting hope around every corner . . .



My Review

Pearse has been writing books and taking us on adventures for years, now, this is her story and my what a life it has been so far. The tale opens so sad, her and her brother are found out in the garden, cold, no jackets and in the snow. Their mum having died a few days earlier, her and her brother are split up before finally being reunited with their dad, his new wife and new sister. We then follow Lesley's life growing up, experimenting, marriage, kids, drugs/dabbling, jobs and through to her writing journey and pretty much present day.

I think what makes this different to a lot of the other memoirs we have read is obviously Lesley's childhood, war/post war and growing up in such a different time. Then she has brushed shoulders with a few famous names and had quite a journey with a whole array of people/circumstances. Good people, not so good people, the nicer and not so nice examples of humanity.

There is quite a few emotive parts too, women getting pregnant back then and what happened to them with no husbands/fathers around. Forced adoptions and abuse of those vulnerable young ladies pregnant and their family having turned their backs on them. Pearse wasn't quite in that boat but did still find herself vulnerable and on a path that had lasting effects.

Also folk taking advantage in different situations, Pearse is nobody's fool but even she found herself on the disadvantage of circumstances. That made her push on and always come through but ooft I just wanted to reach out and hug her more than a few times. Honest, raw, emotive and so so many adventures - it is no wonder her books draw you in as she has such a wealth of experience and researches otherwise, she gives us a wee insight into her publishing journey and achievements also, 4.5/5 for me, what a woman!

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Deception by Lesley Pearse

Deception by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

What happens when the person closest to you has led a life of deception?

After the funeral of her mother, Sally, Alice Kent is approached by a man named Angus Tweedy. He claims to be her father and tells her that he served time in prison for marrying Sally bigamously.

What does he hope to gain by telling her this now, thirty years on?
How can her adored dad Ralph not be her true father?
And why did her mother betray her so badly?

She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to ever speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother.

Whatever the cost.

As Alice journeys into the past she discovers her mother may never have been the woman she claimed to be . . .



My Review

When Sallys mum died getting to the funeral is the priority, being a little bit late she clocks a car tailing her and thinks nothing of it. Once the funeral is passed she meets a man who tells her something that will turn her whole world upside down. Did Sally ever really know her mother? Now she is determined to do some digging and get answers about her mother, who she really was and her past.

The book flips between present day and back to Sally's mums youth and the years leading up to meeting Sally's dad. Back and forth we learn the impact of secrets of Sally's mum, what made her the way she was and of course the ripple effects it has on Sally.

As we delve into the past we deal with some pretty horrific encounters, abuse, manipulation, pregnancy (and things surrounding it of that time period), adoption, death/loss. You know what Pearse's books bring especially those set in the time period, women being abused, unwanted pregnancy etc. Emotive at times as is the author's signature, 4/5 from us.

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Liar by Lesley Pearse

Liar by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Amelia White dreamed of being a reporter, but the closest she'd come was selling advertising in the local paper.

Until the fateful day she stumbles on a truly shocking scoop.

A murder victim, round the corner from her home.

When the police and reporters descend, Amelia is horrified at the assumptions made and lies soon to be spread about this poor young woman.

Convincing her local paper to let her take up the story herself, Amelia is determined to protect the victim from these smears. But when another body is found, the police investigation stalls.

Now, Amelia's own unfolding investigation may be the only chance of uncovering the truth, and stopping more killings.

If only she can work out who the liar is . . .


My Review

Amelia works for the newspaper selling advertising space but really wants to be a reporter so when she stumbles upon a murder victim her chance finally comes. With her easy going manner and the fact she found the body she gets to have an exclusive and write a piece that she hopes will put her on managements "map". The body discovery also brings a chance meeting of Max, a friend, neighbour and love interest, things seem to be looking up for Amelia but she cannot let go that a killer is still out there and soon finds trouble at her own door.

Set in 1970 it is nice to have a female character who wants to succeed in her career as well as her personal life. The struggles at work, dating and getting caught up in a murder case, when the killer strikes again Amelia is in the heart of it. She wants the story of the victims, who they were and for their families not just sensationalism or tearing the women's characters apart.

Amelia is a character I went back and forth on, she is kind, sweet and for a reporter (ish) she has a big heart. She also has some questionable actions and judgements but we all know someone like that and sometimes it brings a bit more realism to the character.

The book deals in a few topics, murder, abuse of a few varieties, violence, relationships to name a few. I like Pearse's stories, even when I don't love the characters I still get totally drawn in and there are a few to dislike. 3.5/5 for me this time, I think I still have one or two to buy and catch up on but I have read most and either enjoy or love them.

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You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse

You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - From a fellow bookworm

Blurb from Goodreads

Betty Wellows is running for her life . . .

Young Betty dreams of settling down to an ordinary life in Hallsands with her fisherman husband. But when he returns broken and haunted from the Great War, she finds herself persecuted by his distraught mother - and yearns to escape.

It is only when a storm devastates the village that Betty sees her chance. Fleeing to Bristol and changing her name to Mabel Brook, she seeks a new life - only to discover destiny has other plans.

Penniless and alone, Mabel suffers a brutal attack before being rescued by a psychic named Nora Nightingale. She gets her first taste of those who receive messages from the dead and realizes she may have this power herself.

But Mabel fears her gift may be a terrible curse as it becomes ever harder to hide from the truth about who she once was - and the tragic life she left behind.

Soon Mabel receives her own message and is forced back to the very place she has escaped. A place of heartbreak and perhaps even murder - but to secure her future Mabel must confront her past one last time.


My Review

Betty is living under the hateful eye o her mother in law. Her husband is a shadow of the man he used to be after coming home hurt from war. Betty has an opportunity to flee and become Mabel leaving everything behind. A new village, a job and an eye opening to life outside the one she knew as Betty, Mabel meets danger, friends and love before being "called" back to where it all began. You can run but you cannot hide from your past, this is Betty's story.

There is a lot going on in this wee book, the effects of war, working life, psychic's, love, friendship, love, loss! Pearse creates yet another world of characters that, like or hate, you get immersed in and want to know what is coming next. Some characters got me so riled, the way some people behave and others where a breath of fresh air.

The thing with Pearse is she always creates worlds that shines a light on human behaviour, good and bad which makes for compelling reading. 3.5/5 for me this time, I need to check my read pile and see which books I still have to read of hers.

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Dead to Me by Lesley Pearse

Dead to Me by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 544

Publisher - Michael Joseoh

Source - Bookstore

Blurb from Amazon

Dead to Me is a story about loyalty, love and the strength of friendship in the face of adversity, from international number one bestselling author Lesley Pearse.

Spring 1935.
On London's Hampstead Heath two girls meet by chance: well-mannered and smartly dressed Verity and dishevelled and grubby Ruby. Yet the mismatched pair form an instant friendship strong enough to survive their parent's disapproval.

When war engulfs the country - sending Ruby to Devon while Verity struggles to find a new beginning under a shadow from her past - the girls are convinced they will always be there for each other.

Until the day one breaks the other's heart . . .

Can Verity and Ruby find a way back to each other before it's too late?


My Review

Ruby survives by whit, fast thinking and doing what she can to eat. Verity has never known hardship, she has the best of clothes, education, food, yet not a spoiled child. A chance meeting sees the two girls cross paths and become fast friends. Ruby educates Verity on the harsher side of life, Verity to Ruby how to be more ladylike, educated, speak properly. When their roles are reversed and the girls separated the girls managed to find each other once again and their friendship tested, can they survive what life has to throw at them?

Oh I do enjoy Pearse's stories although there is so much darkness from some of the horrible sides of humanity it seems wrong to say enjoy. The book spans across the 1930s and what a rollercoaster it is. Pearse has never shied away from writing about some of the cruelty of humans but she also brings to life some of the very best and better aspects of humanity. There are elements of abuse in this and issues faced by desperate young women of that time but nothing is gratuitous.

A few chapters turned into 330 pages for me, whether you love or hate the characters (and there are some of both for me) you can't help but want to know what next for them. Some of the characters had me in a rage, some "awwww" you know you are going on a bit of an emotive trek when you pick up one of her books. 4.5/5 for me this time, still got a few of this authors to read and will be getting to them as soon as I can. If you haven't read her yet you NEED to, something for everyone!

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The House Across The Street by Lesley Pearse

The House Across the Street by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Twenty-three year old Katy Speed is fascinated by the house across the street. The woman who lives there, Gloria, is the most glamorous neighbour on the avenue, owning a fashionable dress shop in Bexhill-on-Sea. But who is the woman who arrives in the black car most Saturdays while Gloria is at work? Sometimes she brings women to the house, other times they have children.

Hilda, Katy's mother, disapproves of Gloria. She wonders if these mysterious visitors have just been released from prison. Is Gloria secretly bringing criminals, or worse, into the heart of the community?

Then one night, the house burns down. In the wreckage, the bodies of Gloria and her daughter are found. Katy is sure the unexplained visitors must be responsible until her father is arrested and charged with murder. Have the police arrested the correct person? Are the rest of the street safe? Can Katy find the truth before it's too late?


My Review

Katy is always watching the house across the road, usually when ironing. Gloria is always bringing in women to her home but why, what is she doing, why the mystery? When the house burns down and bodies are found Katy can't rest, she needs to know what Gloria did and why her father is arrested.

The pace of this one is a wee bit different from the others I felt. We start off getting to know Katy, her sharp tongued mother, her relationship with her father and brother. The book splits into three main parts, the family dynamics, the murder and the investigation.

Katy's story is really involved in the whole book, we learn of the family interactions, Katy's friendships and the sheltered life and her complex relationship with her mother. Katy is such an innocent and pure character, loyal, fierce and brave if a little misguided.

The book takes a few dark turns, violence, murder, secrets and some tense scenes that kept me turning page after page. The story isn't continuous action or a thriller from the get go but Pearse has a knack of hooking you from the beginning even with the family build up scenes. If you like her previous books I think you will enjoy this one, 4/5 for me this time.

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Secrets by Lesley Pearse

Secrets by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read -

Pages - 548

Publisher - Penguin Books

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

Can truth stay hidden for ever?

Set in the 1930's, the classic novel from bestselling author Lesley Pearse tells the story of one girl's struggle against cruelty and, her quest for love.

Twelve-year-old Adele Talbot's unhappy mother Rose succumbs to madness after a family tragedy and Adele is placed in a bleak children's home. But when her trust is betrayed she runs away - hoping to find her grandmother in Sussex.

By the time she does so, Adele is desperately ill and has to be nursed back to health among the beautiful Rye Marshes. And then she meets the wonderful Michael Bailey.

As friendship blossoms into love and they come of age together - Adele becoming a nurse and Michael joining the RAF - she believes she can put her troubled past behind her. But with the outbreak of war and the sudden appearance of Rose, bearing shocking family secrets, suddenly all of Adele's hopes appear impossibly fragile ...


My Review

Life has never been very kind to Adele, ignored and abused by her parents, when a tragic accident forces Adele to takes off to find her grand mother. Used and abused, Adele finally makes it to a safe haven, finding love and acceptance with her grand mother and meeting Michael. We follow her growing up, getting a career and finally finding her place, despite world war two going on. However as is the way, the past rears its ugly head and Adele finds everything she loves being threatened and the past no longer able to be ignored.

I do love Pearse, she covers some very tough topics and "Secrets" is no exception. Abuse, neglect, briefly paedophilia, relationships, family, secrets, war and friendship to name but a few. Poor Adele is just a child when we meet her and deprived of basic care, love and mistreated by those meant to love and cherish her. We watch her bloom and grow, relationships form and the social issues presented between the classes in the 1930/1940s.

I can't say which story lines I favoured most because there were so many, in fact I don't think I could pick out one I hated. Obviously the paedophilia one made my skin crawl and I hated the perpetrator, in fact both the individuals. Everyone else I think shaped the story perfectly, it was emotive and keeps the reader hooked page after page. 5 stars for me this, I have another few of Pearse on my TBRM and will be buying the others I have still to read.

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Without A Trace by Lesley Pearse

Without a Trace by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 5 days

Publisher - Penguin

Pages - 416

Source - Book shop

Blurb from Goodreads


Coronation Day, 1953.

Molly Heywood has always been a pillar of strength for her local community, so when her friend Cassie fails to attend the Coronation Day party in the village, it is Molly who heads out in the rain to look for her.

But nothing can prepare Molly for what she is going to discover.

Now with Cassie gone and her six-year-old daughter Petal missing, it is up to Molly to head to London to uncover the past Cassie kept so well hidden.

But will Molly discover the truth before it's too late? Or has Petal disappeared forever?



My Review

Molly is one of the naive and sweetest characters I have read in a while, her friend Cassie is wild, is a single mother and prefers the company of men to women. When Cassie is found murdered and her child missing Molly can't let things go. The investigation fizzles out but Molly can't let go. Leaving home to get away from her abusive father, make a life for herself whilst still holding out hope of finding little Petal, Molly embarks on a journey that will force her to grow up and see the real dangers outside a little town.

As always, I do love Pearse's books, she brings the time period alive by highlighting either events happening at the time or bringing forth the attitudes and prejudices of that era. Molly is a great character, she is so innocent and despite having a stunting and hateful force in her home kind and trusting to all she meets. The book touches on violence, racism, homophobia, murder, some of the attitudes and issues reflected from that time period. The main focus of the story though is the journey and personal growth of Molly, a sweet and relatively sheltered girl who experiences things that shape and form the woman she becomes. In between that is the mystery of Cassie, who she was, what she ran from, her secrets, her child and life lessons that are still very applicable in this day and age.

The pace is possibly slow in parts for some readers as the book takes its time to reveal its secrets, with personal growth and character self discovery you do find it slower compared to murder/thriller. However Pearse creates characters you invest in and finds you turning page after page to find out what happens and, for me, to get Cassie's back story. Some parts may make for uncomfortable reading as Molly gets involved in a few dangerous or upsetting situations, reflective I felt of real life issues for a young woman alone. Otherwise another fabulous tale from this author, if you have read her before you know what you are getting. If this would be your first dance with this author she carves great tales with happiness, sadness and looks at characters from the best and worst sides of humanity, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Woman in the Wood by Lesley Pearse

The Woman in the Wood by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - under 3 days on and off

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Blurb from Goodreads

Fifteen-year-old Maisy Mitcham and her twin brother Duncan lose their mother to an asylum one night in 1960.

The twins are sent to their grandmother's country house, Nightingales. Cold and distant, she leaves them to their own devices, to explore and to grow. That is until the day Duncan doesn't come home from the woods.

With their grandmother seeming to have little interest in her grandson's disappearance, and the police soon giving up hope, it is left to Maisy to discover the truth. And she will start with Grace Deville. A woman who lives alone in the wood, about whom rumours abound . . .




My Review

Maisy and Duncan Mitcham, fifteen years and and about to have their world turned upside down. They always knew their mother was unwell but to be removed from their home and both children sent to live with their elderly grand mother? With everything they know removed, a grand mother as cold as their father who just abandoned them, the twins get to know the people around them. They hear of the woman in the woods, Grace, anti social, withdrawn and down right rude the child are drawn to find out more. An unlikely friendship turns to suspicion when Duncan goes missing, no one seems as bothered as Maisy and Maisy will not settle until she finds out what happened to her brother even if it means bringing danger to herself.

Oh guys I do love Pearse, her books are often gentle with hard hitting topics dottered throughout, The Woman in the Wood is no different. We cover a range of life issues, mental health, family, relationships, abuse, disappearance, crime, the darker side of humanity and the old societal prejudices. A bit of a slow burner in the beginning to get to know the characters, the kids are pretty much the main characters and we see them learn to adapt with being abandoned by their father. When he does interact with them there is no affection and when we meet the grand mother we start to see why. A proud woman with no huge value on affection on children, little respect for their mother and rather set in her ways.

The book takes a dark turn when Duncan goes missing, there has been a spate of boy going missing and a killer is on the loose. Whilst Maisy is forced to move on she can never let go and braves approaching Grace, the woman from the woods for help. Grace is a fantastic character, excluded from society and in herself very guarded, through Maisy we start to see another side to this abrupt "weird" woman. Through their quest to find out what happened to Duncan, we see just how strong and loyal Grace is with a fierce streak, these two woman go on a mission that will change everything!

There are so many aspects of this book we could focus on, one thing I loved was just how strong the female characters were. Maisy, even at fifteen has a great sense of right and wrong and challenges things which for that time period (1960s) would raise an eyebrow let alone modern day. Grace is something else, having being hurt, judged and ostracized from her own people she still has righteousness and metal to make a stand when called upon. Whilst many aspects of this book are dark, and heinous there is so much that is beautiful. Strong women, the importance of relationships, the good of people, loyalty, friendship and things that take ordinary people and make them extraordinary. I could have read this in one sitting but work and life got in the way, 4/5 for me this time. I have many of this author still to read, I bought up quite a few after her last book so will certainly be reading her again. Pearse is one of those authors that has yet to disappoint, her writing just envelopes you and snares you into the story practically from the get go. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an arc of this book, The Woman in the Wood is now available to buy, let me know what you thought of it!

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Till We Meet Again by Lesley Pearse

Till We Meet Again by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 500

Publisher - Penguin books

Blurb from Goodreads

How far would you go to save a friend?

Susan Wright walked into a doctor's surgery and gunned down two members of staff in cold blood, then waited for the police to arrest her. Later that day a lawyer, Beth Powell, is assigned to defend her. Susan won't talk to anyone, even to Beth - until both women realise that twenty-nine years earlier they had been childhood friends.

Talking about their troubled families and those happy summers they spent together as children rekindles Susan and Beth's friendship. And as the evidence against Susan mounts up, both women share their traumatic secrets about what sent them down such different paths in life. Their friendship grows stronger, but for one of them, there can be no happy ending ...



My Review

A woman walks into a doctor surgery and opens fire with a gun, then sits and waits for the police. After being arrested and assigned a lawyer the two women quickly realise they know each other, from another lifetime when they both were friends. So much has happened to both, so much has changed and now they stand on opposite sides of the law. Can the past be kept in the past or do old ghosts need to be freed to enable both woman to embrace their future?

Susan is standing trial for murder, Beth is her hard no nonsense lawyer. Once inseparable friends but now brought together by fate. Susan seems to want no help, Beth cannot put the murderer before her with the friend of old who has such an impact on her life. As the story progresses we learn the women's secrets, why they are the people they are now, how choices impacted their lives and how they progress from this point on.

Pearse is such a beautiful writer, considering how dark the content can be, abuse, murder, death, relationships she weaves a tale that draws the reader in. You soon get invested in the characters, whether you love or hate them you just want to turn page after page to see what happens next. This isn't my first Pearse book and it won't be my last, if life didn't get in the way I would have read this in one sitting, 4/5 for me this time.

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A Lesser Evil by Lesley Pearse

A Lesser Evil by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 498

Publisher - Penguin Books

Blurb from Goodreads

Would you cross the street if wickedness lived there?

When Fifi moves to London with her bricklayer boyfriend Dan, her mother is outraged. Despite initial feelings of horror at her new surroundings, Fifi finds the freedom from her middle-class family background exhilarating.

Insatiably inquisitive, Fifi is fascinated by her new neighbours and wants to know what goes on behind all those shabby front doors. Why is Yvette, the French dressmaker, such a hermit? Why doesn't widower Frank join his daughter and grandchildren in Australia? And why doesn't the formidable and well-bred Miss Diamond move somewhere smarter?

But most of all she is ghoulishly fascinated by the Muckles who live opposite in terrible squalor. She listens to their violent quarrels, watches their ill-treated and wretchedly unhappy children, and is appalled by all she sees.

When Fifi tries to help the Muckles' youngest child, who has been physically abused by her father, Fifi unwittingly unleashes a chain of events which will not only bring heartache to her and Dan, but terrible danger to all the inhabitants of Dale Street ...



My Review

Fifi isn't your average girl of the 1960s, she has a career and not falling over herself to get married. When she meets Dan she risks further disapproval from her mother and frozen out from her family, true love will always win. Dan trys to give Fifi everything she deserves, coming from money Fifi has always known the best, choosing Dan introduces her to a new way of life. Moving to London to find work, Fifi follows her husband and meet some of the poorest people and conditions but meets people who teach her about real life. The darker side of the street comes to light, Fifi realises that she is not only next to criminals but a family who abuse their children, exploit anyone who is naive enough to get in their way and who liase with some very dangerous people.

Ooooh I do love Pearse, she has a way of writing that pulls you in and merges you with the characters, feeling the emotions and living the life alongside them. This book, as with the others of hers I have read, covers some hard and emotive subjects. Child abuse, grief, love, lies, violence, murder and terror and just some of the subjects covered in this book. A glimpse into the life of the privileged and that of those struggling to make ends meet, how people respond differently to poverty and how low some people can sink.

A book that packs a punch, I have read Pearse before and I will absolutely read her again, 4/5 for me this time!

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Remember Me by Lesley Pearse

Remember Me by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 543

Publisher - Penguin

Blurb from Goodreads

She made a mistake and now she'll never see home again....

Mary, a Cornish mariner's daughter made the biggest mistake of her short life when she steals a silk hat. Convicted and sentenced to be transported to Australia, she endures horific conditions aboard the ship before landing in a brutal and barbaric country

It will take all her courage just to survive.

But Mary is also determined to make something of herself in this rugged man's world. And she dreams that one day she will find a way of crossing the cruel sea that lie between her and home....

Based on a true story, Remember Me brings Mary Broad vividly to life in this moving story of a women triumphing against overwhelming odds.



My Review

Based on a true story, Mary Broad brings to life the horrors that a somewhat trivial crime could bring about in that period of time. 1786, shy of her twentieth birthday, Mary is sentenced to death by hanging, for the crime of stealing a silk hat. Spared her death sentence, she is sentenced to be shipped to Australia to live out her sentence and be put to work. From sentencing, the journey across the sea and eventually landing on the shore and the colony to work and fight for survival.

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction however Pearse has a way with words and draws the reader in quickly, vested in the character you need to keep reading to see how she fares. The conditions Mary faces is horrendous, mixed with other criminals rape and violence are rife. Struggling to survive, get her share of rations, keep away from the body fluids building up in an enclosed filthy environment, Mary uses her wits and all available resources.

It is hard hitting at times, some of the things Mary either sees or endures makes for uncomfortable reading. We experience relationships, betrayal, love, loss, adult and children dying as well as the casual attitude to death as such a common occurrence. This book packs a punch and will take you on an emotional roller coaster. I have read this author before and I will read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

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Review - Forgive me by Lesley Pearse

Forgive Me by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Penguin

Pages - 496

Blurb from Goodreads

Cheltenham, 1991

When Eva Patterson returns home from work one day, a devastating scene awaits her. Her mother, Flora, lies dead in the bath. Beside her is a note saying only: 'Forgive Me'.

Until then, Eva always believed her family's life would be comfortable and secure - but Flora's suicide changes everything. And when Eva discovers that in her will Flora left her an artist's studio in London, she realises how little she knows about her mother's past.

When Eva visits the now derelict studio, she is shocked to find out that her mother was once a successful artist back in the 1960s. A chance encounter leads her to Phil, who agrees to help her restore the studio, as well as offering her the advice and friendship Eva so badly needs.

In the studio attic she finds a collection of Flora's paintings and old diaries, which Eva believes were purposely left for her to find. Searching for answers, Eva encounters a psychic who mysteriously warns her to beware of a 'sleeping serpent', which she soon discovers refers to a shocking crime in Flora's past.

Will discovering the truth destroy Eva's belief in everything she holds dear? And will Phil stand by Eva even when her journey leads her and those she loves into certain danger?



My Review


The story opens with a shocking suicide, a simple note left behind saying forgive me. Eva's whole life is turned upside down, she is only 16 and in the wake of her mothers death some family secrets are revealed. Eva finds herself with no choice but to go to the studio her mother left her in London. Here she finds a whole other side to who her mother was and more family secrets.

This story packs a punch from the beginning, a sixteen year old girl finding herself alone and grieving as her family are so wrapped up in themselves. Meeting a variety of people along the way, nice and not so nice and we get to watch a young girl bloom and grow into a woman and deal with the after effects of her mothers suicide.

This tale covers so many topics, personal growth, betrayal, secrets, love, death, family relationships to name a few. The story keeps the reader engaged and I couldn't wait to here more about Flora and what else Eva might discover about her. I felt a little annoyed nearing the end with Eva and how events turned quite suddenly with no prior warning or hinting. However it didn't take anything away from the story as I enjoyed it before and after that segment. I would recommend this if you are a fan or if you are just starting out with Lesley Pearse, this is as good as any to start with. I think she has a fabulous style of writing and really enjoy her work, 5/5 for me this time.

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