Plague by Dean Koontz

Plague by Graham Masterton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Head of Zeus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

-A horrifying story, a deadly prophecy

Oceans are infested, beaches turn black, cities reek with poisonous pollution. The entire eastern seaboard of the United States has been sealed off - all those attempting to flee the contaminated zones will be shot!

As men, women and children murder and loot in a world gone mad, one man and his daughters struggle to survive. The bond of love between them strengthens and grows as they fight desperately to keep their fragile hold on hope - and life.

Father and daughter - caught in a terrifying world ravaged by an unknown, virulent, super-plague. Will an antidote be found... in time?


My Review

Echoes of the stand and a crossover of Covid - despite this being written in the 1970s that is the vibes I was getting. A small child infected, potentially patient zero with what turns out to be highly infectious and huge kill rate. Set in America, kicking off in Miami, when the medics try to warn the government they of course know better and give faff and lip service to the media. By the time they actually pay attention it has spread far and wide, society as we know it has gone to pot and every man is for themselves.

Ooft guys this is a very very dark read and will have multiple triggers for folks to approach with caution. Like I read loads of horror, true crime, dark stuff (in amongst fluffy/light) but I was a bit like God this is rough. I think maybe because we went through (and even now) such a lackadaisical/selfish response/period when the pandemic hit and even now you still see people very me me and not caring about their fellow man. So I think that hit a bit hard for me. You have chaos as society falls apart, folk robbing the dead, lack of care for human life and then the degenerates who use/abuse people they come across. Like there are no morals (well some of the characters do) and there are episodes of abuse/desecration of bodies, SA so just go into it knowing it is dark/dark themes and quite brutal.

Koontz really does create very believable worlds/characters and shows the good and bad sides of humanity. I thought it was well written, kept you hooked with a mixed bag of characters but it was pretty dark, soulless and some will love how it wraps up, some not so much, 3.5/5.

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Dancing in the Dark by Maureen Lee

Dancing in the Dark by Maureen Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 448

Publisher - Orion books

Source -

Blurb from Goodreads

A brilliantly compelling Liverpool saga following the lives of two women - three generations apart.

Millie Cameron is not at all pleased when she finds herself obliged to sort through the belongings of her aunt Flo, who has recently died. She hardly knew her aunt and besides, she has her own career to think about. But when she arrives at Flo's basement flat, Millie's interest is awakened.

As she sorts through her aunt's collection of photographs, letters and newspaper cuttings she finds herself embarking on a journey - a journey to a past which includes a lost lover and a secret child.

Picking through the tangled web of Flo's life, Millie makes the startling discovery that all the threads lead to herself...


My Review

First thing to say guys is the book features domestic abuse & violence towards children, not overly graphic as some books. The opening chapter is from the wean's point of view as they know what is coming, whilst it isn't gratuitous or depth of details, Lee writes the character's fear & words so authentically it is just worth an fyi. It reverts back to and has lasting reach as the children are adults, one being the main character and it has shaped how she is as an adult, her issues with relationships and letting anyone get close. Now, from nowhere she finds out her estranged auntie has died and she has to go and sort her house and belongings. What starts off as a reluctant chore soon becomes life changing for Millie. We flip from present with Millie to the past with Flo and learn about her life, mixed in and happening during war time.

Whilst the characters are overly loveable and warming, Millie does go through quite the journey of personal growth and finding herself by learning about her aunt. There are some very shady decisions/behaviours/relationships throughout and my God I wanted to slap a few people. The book deals with some dark topics and unsavoury, infidelity, domestic abuse, manipulation, unwed mother and what can happen (this was actually really sad) and how choices of the past can last throughout your whole life. It is hard to give too much heads up as we don't do spoilers and we would be venturing into that if we go further.

I liked Flo, she had a bit of a unique way of thinking especially when she decides what she can do to help the war! I liked her though, she got taken advantage of, people who should have been there for her weren't and she got done dirty more than once, I would have liked to have hugged her, poor soul.

It is a book centred heavily on family, family dynamics, relationships, secrets, lies cause and effect to name but a few. This is my second read by Lee and I have I think six more on the tbrm, if you want to leave you life for a little while and get caught up in la scandalosa of others this is for you, 4/5.

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Inside The Mind of the Yorkshire Ripper by Chris Clark and Tim Hicks

Inside the Mind of the Yorkshire by Chris Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 345

Publisher - Ad Lib Publishers

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

The account of the crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, including those he was not charged with and has never previously been connected to.

The police believed that Sutcliffe attacked women only in Manchester and West Yorkshire, travelling in his car. The authors show that, in fact, he attacked his victims across the UK and sometimes even overseas, while driving his employer’s lorry.

Now that Sutcliffe is dead the full extent of his crimes cannot be known, but authors Chris Clark and Tim Hicks have meticulously researched his life and, in this definitive investigation, they reveal many previously unknown victims for the first time. The book includes a number of first-hand accounts from women and children who narrowly escaped death at Sutcliffe’s hand.

The police failed to deliver justice for the victims’ families – both in the original investigation and in subsequent cold-case reviews – and the media has failed to hold them to account for this failure. The authors hope that by revealing all Sutcliffe’s attacks and telling the victims’ stories they can help to bring closure for friends and relatives of his victims, both those who are known and those who have remained unacknowledged – until now.


My Review

So I have seen many documentaries and or programmes over the years about the Yorkshire Ripper including articles and discussions on true crime groups. I had no idea just how horrific his MO was, I think every one knew about the hammer(s) but this book gives graphic details and insight into just how depraved he really was.

There is a lot of data in the book as well as maps giving locations and routes, potentials too as there are many more victims attributed to him that those commonly posted/discussed. I never knew he was suspected of male victims too and different attack styles to throw the police off. Add into that how he tried (effectively in many ways) to put the police off his track.

The book also discusses those well knows tapes and letters from the alleged ripper and how the police blindly clung to them and just how many times Sutcliffe slipped through their fingers as a result.

The book is shocking in many aspects, the bungled investigations, time after time, how some officers were dissuaded from linking cases that they knew was the ripper. The underhanded behaviours, criminal at times, in some of the actions of lack of actions in handling victims, witnesses, statements. It is amazing he was caught and you cannot help but think how many lives may well have been saved had they not missed or ignored so many tings.

I think another jaw dropper is that despite knowing all they did wrong, when they were reached out to in more recent times they still refuse to release information or acknowledge certain similarities/cases/victims. One of the authors of this book is an ex police officer so it adds more weight and shock to some of the things you read and what was ignored. Truly shocking in so many areas and I think a lot of information in this book will raise more than a few eyebrows, like I say I had been familiar with the case, who isn't but so much information, victims, falsely accused is discussed in this book, it is actually quite scary how badly it was overall (the case handling not the book). For people who love true crime I think this is a must read as there is so much new (well for me anyway) information, it is wild how much he got away with and how many still have no closure/justice, 4/5.

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Cannibal: The True Story Behind the Maneater of Rotenburg by Lois Jones

Cannibal: The True Story Behind the Maneater of Rotenburg by Lois Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days as able

pages - 215

Publisher - Berkley pub group

Source - I think I bought this or was given it

Blurb from Goodreads

German native Armin Meiwes placed this ad in an internet chatroom catering to cannibals. He received 430 responses. Among them was Bernd Juergen Brandes, who arrived at Meiwes’s isolated country home literally to be eaten alive. Escorted to the “slaughtering room”—equipped with meat hooks, a cage, and a butcher’s table—Meiwes assisted Bernd in a gourmet candlelight dinner of his own cooked flesh. Meiwes then stabbed his victim in the throat—bringing the ghastly videotaped ordeal to an end.

From a childhood perverted by unhealthy obsessions to his notorious trial that ended in a stunning verdict, Cannibal discloses for the first time the true story of a real-life Hannibal Lecter and his victim. And with details never before divulged to the public, it takes readers step-by-step through the unspeakable crime that fascinated and revolted the world.



My Review

So this happened in the 1990's and was apparently covered quite wide on the news, I have no idea why but I don't think I ever seen nor heard of it. German native Armin Meiwes was obsessed with the thought of eating another person, his obsession/fetish whatever you want to call it started way back them. Armin was quiet, polite and relatively normal seeming in real life, in his private life he spent many hours online, in cannibal chat rooms and websites looking for someone who wanted to be eaten. Honestly this is a true story and what is more disturbing is he found many people. Most backed out when they realised it was a genuine request and not just a fantasy, until he found Bernd Juergen Brandes. Bernd had his own obsessions again rooted from childhood but he wanted to be consumed and for him and Armin they felt they met their perfect match(s).

So I have read many a horror (fiction) and many true crime but this one is really and truly disturbing. I think because the book is so so graphic like you are walked through exactly what happened to poor Bernd. Even with the strongest stomach I think you will struggle to get through it, I did I had to put the book down several times and switch to lighter books.

It is unimaginable someone would want to eat another human being or that a human would want someone to eat them and be party to their own mutilation. Hannibal Lector is a scary character but he is fiction, Armin is a very normal, non violent, regular person who yearns to do these diabolical things, feel they are very normal and actually commits the unthinkable. 3/5 for me for this one, absolutely one of the most disturbing stories I think I have ever read, I also feel for Bernd's family/partner having to have lost a loved one and learn the horrors involved, it is just heartbreaking.

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Good Friday by Lynda La Plante Book Tour

Good Friday by Lynda La Plante
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Zaffre

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

BEFORE PRIME SUSPECT THERE WAS TENNISON.

Every legend has a beginning . . .

During 1974 and 1975 the IRA subjected London to a terrifying bombing campaign. In one day alone, they planted seven bombs at locations across central London. Some were defused - some were not.

Jane Tennison is now a fully-fledged detective. On the way to court one morning, Jane passes through Covent Garden Underground station and is caught up in a bomb blast that leaves several people dead, and many horribly injured. Jane is a key witness, but is adamant that she can't identify the bomber. When a photograph appears in the newspapers, showing Jane assisting the injured at the scene, it puts her and her family at risk from IRA retaliation.

'Good Friday' is the eagerly awaited date of the annual formal CID dinner, due to take place at St Ermin's Hotel. Hundreds of detectives and their wives will be there. It's the perfect target. As Jane arrives for the evening, she realises that she recognises the parking attendant as the bomber from Covent Garden. Can she convince her senior officers in time, or will another bomb destroy London's entire detective force?


My Review

Book three of the Tennison series and we see Jane growing a wee bit more - professionally and personally. Getting her own place, moving into the CID and still having to deal with the all the male chauvinistic style attitudes. The timeline in 1974/75 the book is very much terrorist/bombs/IRA and as one of our mains get caught right in the heart of it at the start so it is very graphic, breath taking and heart stopping. La Plante is so good at creating the situations/atmospheres that even me, not a visual reader was absolutely enfolded in the scene/emotions/terror. and that is just the start!

I think what I like about these books is that you have the police side, investigation, crime, murder(s) whatever the book is taking you to. You also get the feel of the times, the vile attitudes/prejudices/stereotypes/racisms et al of that era but also down to tv shows & things that will take you back. The family dynamics, the personal side of Jane whilst striving to be the best she can be at the job despite so much stacked against her and relationships in her life.

Tennison can be so relatable because she isn't perfect but she is a good person, she makes mistakes but never from a bad place, she is good people and for me, characters like that are a breath of fresh air. The pace is bang on, hooked as usually quickly, blend of characters to like, dislike, hate and I can't wait to hit the next one, 4/5.

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The Last Passenger by Will Dean

The Last Passenger by Will Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 482

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing.

And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.



My Review

Caz and her new boa Pete are going away for a bit of luxury, booked onto the cruise liner The Atlantica. Caz feels a bit guilty leaving behind her job, family/mums care even for just a few days but her and Pete are getting to know each other and she deserves a wee bit of time away. However after the first night of fabulousness and being spoiled she goes to sleep and awakes to find the ship completely abandoned. No guests, no staff and no clue as to what happened. The ship is in the mid-Atlantic ocean, surrounded by water/elements and silence. How will Caz survive and can she find out what happened to the rest of her crewmates/staff and Pete?

I LOVED the start of this book and how we are teased into the dramas/shocks and surprises. I mean you immediately think well you are just needing to sit it out and wait for help, you have electricity, food and luxury at your disposal and yet as the layers of the story are revealed we find just how horrific things are and are to become for poor Caz.

For me the book is a mixed bag, what I liked I really liked and what I disliked I really disliked. It is hard to go into it without risking spoilers which we never do. The book bounces between current day on the ship and the survival that is endured and going back into Caz's past and her reflections on her father and the huge impact his betrayal/choices have had on her.

Tense, atmospheric, shocking the book certainly has you turning the pages wanting to see what is coming next. The characters I didn't like for the most past, in fact the majority I wasn't a fan of but unlikeable characters can make for a great book. 3/5 for me this time, I love a story of abandoned places/spooky/weird and this book has a bit of all of that with some curve balls along the way.

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Do No Harm by Jack Jordan

Do No Harm by Jack Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…
Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.
WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?



My Review

Oooft, fast paced/tense! We have Anna, renowned surgeon, Margot who is a theatre nurse and Rachel is a cop. We bounce between the three as the story unravels, we meet the characters, get to know them and from the very beginning - well even the blurb we know the jist. A surgeon is told - kill your patient or you kids dies instead and leave absolutely no room for second guessing.

So talk about a bunch of characters you don't like, meet this lot, individuals who should be trusted but are dodgy. Anna, surgeon, cold fish, unlikeable even a self saboteur in some instances (pre this horrible predicament), Margot, nurse and has some very questionable life choices/work *ethic*.

We bounce from one disaster to another, shady behaviours and choices and I don't just mean the bad guys, offt. Thrilling, shocking, violent, murders it is a very full bag and keeps the reader enrapt and guessing, what is coming next!

I didn't like a lot of the characters but even the dodgy/shady ones I absolutely wanted to know what was coming next. I also wanted to slap a few of them lol, sometimes you love to love characters and sometimes the ones you hate are just as captivating - if not more so, 4/5 for me!

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Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Amazon

'Just tell them you're looking for Jane...'

2017
When Angela discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten letters, she begins to look for the intended recipient. Her search takes her to the 1970s and 80s, when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network known only by its whispered code name: Jane . . .

1971
As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was forced to give her baby up for adoption. Swearing she'll do everything she can to make sure other women have the right to choose, she joins the Jane Network to provide safe but illegal abortions. There, she crosses paths with Nancy, who was told that if she ever found herself 'in a position', she should ask for Jane. Nancy soon becomes the Network's newest volunteer, desperately trying to help others while family secrets threaten everything she knows to be true.

Over the years, Evelyn, Nancy, and Angela's lives intertwine to reveal the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice, and the buried secrets that will always find a way to the surface . . .

Spanning decades, Evelyn, Nancy, and Angela's lives intertwine to reveal the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice, and the buried truths that will always find a way to the surface...


My Review

Spanning over many timelines and characters the book focuses centrally on abortion, it is fictional based on historical facts around abortion. It looks at young mothers to be, unmarried, no father for multiple reasons and the home for these "unfortunates" and the nuns that "care" for them.

We go through the horrors women face because abortion is illegal at one of the timelines and what they go through, in detail at points, protests. We also look at motherhood, the impact is has when it is thrust upon you, when you have a partner, when you don't. Options available to women back then or lack of and how one woman's experience drives her to "Looking for Jane".

The book is graphic, brutal, emotive and heartbreaking at points. It has been well researched and multiple links and info available for the reader when they finish.

You don't realise how lucky you are (general you) in the healthcare and options we have as modern day females. That said what is going on in America with the abortion laws really brings a lot of this home just how scary it truly is and the risk women are yet again going to put at. A book that gives pause for thought, 4/5.

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Your Neighbour's Wife by Tony Parsons

Your Neighbour’s Wife by Tony Parsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company, she's the sort of person you'd want to live next door to, who might even become your best friend.

But what sort of person is she really?

Because in one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk. And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won't leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.

There seems to be only one way out.
And it involves murder...



My review

Wow this is an intense read so buckle in! Tara Carver is an independent business women, she runs a dating agency app whilst her stunning, fit husband Christian looks after their wee boy. When Tara flies to Japan for a business convention and meets James, well when the cat is away....... Tara has never done anything like this in her life, she is happy in her marriage and quickly regrets her one night with James. However Tara is about to learn that actions come with consequences and James isn't willing to let her go.

Oh Tara Tara Tara what a nightmare. James seems lovely but dear Lord how appearances can be deceiving. Even when Tara leaves Japan and thinks it is over but really it is just starting. The chapters flip between Tara and Christian as the story unfolds, the tension and steaks run high and things just go from bad to worse. You initially find it hard to have sympathy for Tara, she did cheat on her husband but things get dark really quickly and it isn't just impacting on Tara but those around her and she loves.

It is a pretty dark book, some really shady characters/actions throughout, Parson's brings swipe after swipe and things go from bad to worse to really really bad. Pretty short chapters and you are hooked in really quickly. It has been ages since I read Parson's and don't remember that book being anything like this. Really engaging, shocking, page turner and Parson's shows us again and again how things can just keep getting worse! 4/5 for me this time, I will be having a nosey at their back catalogue, my reading mojo has taken a kicking just now with stress etc but this was a book I found I could loose myself in for a wee while. If you think things aren't great yourself at least we aren't Tara ooft!

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The Angels by Alex Kane

The Angels by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 345

Publisher - Hera Books

Source - Arc & bought copy

Blurb from Goodreads

It takes a good woman to take a bad man down

Amber. As the top performer at Angel Silk gentleman’s club, she’s seen it all, been forced to do things she never wanted to do. She’s tired of this life… but can she escape it?

Lizzy. To the women at Angel Silk, she’s the strong queen bee, mother to the girls. But she’s hiding her own dark secrets - and if they come to light, her life could be destroyed.

Jade. The newest dancer at Angel Silk, she’s innocent, beautiful… and trapped. She’s in over her head – but does she have the strength to break free?

Three women, all under the control of feared gangster, Marcus. To take back their lives, they need to come together. But will he let them go – or will finding freedom mean paying the ultimate price?

A completely addictive, gripping and gritty gangland thriller that will have you hooked. If you like Martina Cole, Kimberly Chambers or Jacqui Rose, you will love this nail-biting read.


My Review

A gentleman's club, dancers and a bit extra if the money is right. Amber is one of the top in the club but Amber isn't there by choice, she is just trying to survive. Lizzy is the head of the club, owner and always there for her girls but sometimes we don't see what is right in front of us especially if we are distracted by our secrets from the past. Jade, innocent Jade just loves her boyfriend Marcus, security and investor in the club. She doesn't like the way some of the girls are with him and sees Amber as a potential threat. Jade has no idea just what Marcus is really like, what he is hiding and most importantly - what he has in store for her.

Three women, all involved with the club, each in different ways but all connected to the same fate. A path that brings them all together could be the very thing that threatens their lives or saves them.

This book has some pretty dark themes, abuse, drugs, enforced prostitution, addiction, slavery, violence, secrets, love, murder, lies, it is pretty packed. The chapters are names and we hear and see Amber, Lizzy, Jade and Marcus through their own voices as they each interact and fall deeper into the seedy world that some of them had no idea existed.

Pulled in quickly you are desperate to see where the story goes and just how evil and shady some of the characters are. 4/5 for me, I have read this author before, just bought another of hers and got another one or two to get. Absolutely recommend!

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The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 402

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years.

Turned out her mother was a really good liar.

After five years in prison, Patty Watts is finally free. All she wants is to put old grievances behind her, reconcile with the daughter who testified against her - and care for her new infant grandson.

When Rose Gold agrees to have Patty move in, it seems their relationship is truly on the mend. And she has waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

But has Patty truly forgotten their past?

And is Rose Gold really able to forgive?

A gripping and electrifying tale that will make you question your allegiances until the very end . . .



My Review

Dear Lord what a twisted and shocking story, unbelievable it is a debut! Told between two POV Patty the mother and Rose Gold the daughter, Patty is in the jail after being found guilty of causing harm to her daughter, Rose Gold, for years. We open on release day, Patty is getting out and surprisingly enough Rose Gold is coming to get her. We flip between past and present, five years prior to Patty being release, Rose Gold is trying to adjust to life, freedom, not being sick. We learn each of their individual perspectives, how things came to a head with Patty being outed and Rose adjusting to life. The case was well publicized and poor Rose Gold has had a lot to overcome, so many years being abused, sick and yet totally doting on and dependent on her mother.

A psychological dark suspense, Munchausen by Proxy, recovery as the abused and the insight into the abuser and their very skewed outlook. The narrators are unreliable, shocking, damaged, unhinged as you would expect with everything that has happened. As you delve deeper you are shocked at the revelations, the actions, the thought process - it is one of those books you just don't know what is coming next. Families can be murder and then you have the Watts, ooft, unique isn't quite the right word but they sure are something else.

Dark, creepy, shocking, questionable and a really interesting insight into Munchausen by Proxy from both sides. I would be interested in knowing what research the author did as the book has an authentic feel throughout, fiction that could easily be fact, it reads so well. 4.5/5 for me this time I very much look forward to seeing what comes next from Wrobel!

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Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Worst Idea Ever by author Jane Fallon. For my stop I have my non spoiler (as always) review, enjoy!

The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 402

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years.

Turned out her mother was a really good liar.

After five years in prison, Patty Watts is finally free. All she wants is to put old grievances behind her, reconcile with the daughter who testified against her - and care for her new infant grandson.

When Rose Gold agrees to have Patty move in, it seems their relationship is truly on the mend. And she has waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

But has Patty truly forgotten their past?

And is Rose Gold really able to forgive?

A gripping and electrifying tale that will make you question your allegiances until the very end . . .



My Review

Dear Lord what a twisted and shocking story, unbelievable it is a debut! Told between two POV Patty the mother and Rose Gold the daughter, Patty is in the jail after being found guilty of causing harm to her daughter, Rose Gold, for years. We open on release day, Patty is getting out and surprisingly enough Rose Gold is coming to get her. We flip between past and present, five years prior to Patty being release, Rose Gold is trying to adjust to life, freedom, not being sick. We learn each of their individual perspectives, how things came to a head with Patty being outed and Rose adjusting to life. The case was well publicized and poor Rose Gold has had a lot to overcome, so many years being abused, sick and yet totally doting on and dependent on her mother.

A psychological dark suspense, Munchausen by Proxy, recovery as the abused and the insight into the abuser and their very skewed outlook. The narrators are unreliable, shocking, damaged, unhinged as you would expect with everything that has happened. As you delve deeper you are shocked at the revelations, the actions, the thought process - it is one of those books you just don't know what is coming next. Families can be murder and then you have the Watts, ooft, unique isn't quite the right word but they sure are something else.

Dark, creepy, shocking, questionable and a really interesting insight into Munchausen by Proxy from both sides. I would be interested in knowing what research the author did as the book has an authentic feel throughout, fiction that could easily be fact, it reads so well. 4.5/5 for me this time I very much look forward to seeing what comes next from Wrobel!



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A Special Place in Hell by Christopher Berry-Dee

A Special Place in Hell: The World's Most Depraved Serial Killers by Christopher Berry-Dee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 240

Publisher - Ad Lib

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons. Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible—to mercilessly take the life of another human being.


My Review

If you have read Berry-Dee before then you know what you are in for, this is his 2nd or 3rd book I have read. He refers back to his previous published works throughout so if you do enjoy it you won't need to go to FantasticFiction to get more titles. There is no denying he has had some interesting encounters and researched some of the most shocking individuals in true crime history.

This book covers a fair few killers, some of the absolute worst, across the decades. Some of the killers you will know, notorious, a few I hadn't heard of.

Not for the faint hearted, we genuinely have had some horrific killers in our world and the book doesn't shy away from some of the worse details. The author also has some commentary and opinions that some readers may find offensive. Otherwise, for true crime buffs I think you will "enjoy" the book for what it is and potentially find one or two new ones, 3/5 for me this time.

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Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 386

Publisher - Wildfire books

Source - Vine

Blurb from Goodreads

A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition?

Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.


My Review

I don't think I have read any retellings or if I have it has been one and a long time ago. Ariadne and Phaedra are princesses in Crete, their father King Minos and this is the retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur. I remember the Minotaur story and the labyrinth maze as a kid but didn't know its origins. The book looks at so much more than just King Minos and the Minotaur there are other Gods and legends mentioned, their stories and how they link or relate(d) to each other.

A running theme within the stories of females suffering because of the choices of men (Gods) and the after effects and ripples of that. Absolutely relevant (in some aspects) even in our modern day real life the parallels, greed, infidelity, power, lust, fascination, sex, obsession, wrath of Gods, death, blood lust, parenthood - the list goes on and on.

Ariadne is the main character, we follow through her innocence growing up then exposed to sex, abhorrence with things she bears witness to and experiences. Family ties, cause/effect, there is a level of this that some readers may find hits an emotive spot in them, depending on your life experiences identifying with some of the characters, stories and themes.

This doesn't read like a debut and it has renewed my want for reading myths and legends, some of the stories I hadn't heard since I was a kid and even then only snippets. I LOVED have a character we could walk through these with and quite a few I hadn't heard of at all. Retellings seem to be popular at the moment and I can't wait to grab some more, 4/5 for me this time. I will be keeping an active eye out for Saint's future works!

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