No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan

No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Blurb from Goodreads

You’d kill to protect your child – wouldn’t you?

When radio presenter Anna Graves and her baby are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her daughter.

But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister.

A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the ‘Ophelia Killer’, responsible for a series of murders twenty years ago.

Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgiveable, if committed to save your child’s life…?


My Review

Walking along with your child on the beach and out of nowhere a teenager attacks, self defence is a must but what happens when you accidentally kill the attacker? Social media goes wild and Anna finds herself and family being scrutinised, judged and dragged through the mill. If things aren't bad enough, Anna starts receiving messages from someone claiming to be the serial killer from decades ago who was never caught. The police aren't willing to listen and Anna finds herself under scrutiny from not only them, the press and the public but on the radar of a killer.

This is my first dance with this author and I have to say, from the opening chapter I was hooked. The prologue takes us to the killer and their first victim which in itself puts grabs your attention, then we flip to Anna, popular radio show host who finds herself on the beach and under attack with her daughter. The story follows her, the victims family and the small town reaction to a well loved radio host under the social media scrutiny after a horrendous event. How society as a whole judges her and how it impacts on her family, how people judge on what would you do, how you act and every other aspect of Anna's life.

I really enjoyed this multidimensional story, with a host of complexities ranging from relationships, friendships, secrets, motherhood, family, murder, societal values & judgements not to mention the whole cat and mouse aspect! A great introduction, for me, to this author, I will be seeking out more by this author, 4/5 for me. Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review, you can buy a copy now from all good retailers.

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Kimberley Chambers & Anna Smith author event at Waterstones

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful the window pane is in Waterstones.



I am literally just through the door and home from yet another fabulous event hosted by Waterstones, was also lunching and dinner with friends, the book chat was the finale of the day. Tonight's event was the lovely Kimberley Chambers and Anna Smith chatting together about their books, Chambers Tainted Love is out today in paperback.



There was a wee clearance box out to browse whilst we waited so I picked up another book, shhh don't tell my other half! The ladies had a great and relaxed evening, introduced themselves and a bit about their background. Chambers is hilarious, if you have never had the pleasure of meeting her or hearing her talk, you really should get to one of her events. One of the gentlemen in the audience actually praised her for when he reached out online she replied as a lot of well known authors who are very popular don't always. Anna Smith I don't really know (not that I know Chambers but she does have an online presence), I may have read one of her books but it has been a while if I have, I need to seek one out. I also don't see her on any of the online book groups whereas Chambers has a huge presence and often in or the subject of much chat in them.



The ladies had a great flow with each other, easy banter which had a knock on effect with the audience. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth trying to get audience interaction, not so tonight, in fact had the chap in Waterstones not made time for signings we may still be sitting there.



I also got to briefly meet Fliss, one of Chambers team, I have spoken to her online so it was lovely to meet the actual person and she is just as lovely in person. The team at Waterstones did a grand job as always and the ladies got a great turnout for the chat, I don't think there was an empty seat by the time they got started.



You can find the ladies on Twitter & Facebook Anna Smith @annasmithauthor



And Kimberley Chambers @kimbochambers



What a great day and to top it all off, I came home with one or two new books :P

The Missing by Chris Mooney

The Missing by Chris Mooney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 hours

Pages - 368

Publisher - Atria Books

Blurb from Goodreads

Darby McCormack was in high school when she first encountered the killer: someone murdered a woman in the woods where Darby and her two best friends were partying. His race to silence the witnesses was sure-footed and violent - but somehow Darby survived.

Twenty-five years later, Darby is a crime-scene investigator for the Boston Police Department, and a chilling case - a woman's late-night abduction - has her uncovering strange leads to missing women, past and present. As forensic clues lead her closer to a psychopath called the Traveler, Darby must finally resolve the nightmare of her past and come face-to-face with a killer who is determined to keep the missing - and the horrors they endured at his hands - from ever coming to light.


My Review

We open with a young Darby McCormack, drinking with her friends in the woods when they see a woman being murdered. The killer takes his revenge but Darby manages to survive, we flip to twenty three years later and Darby is a CSI. Investigating a young woman's abduction Darby finds a lead that will blow the case wide open and chase a killer who will stop at nothing to keep his game going.

Oooh I started this thinking just one chapter and then I will go to bed, I was still reading at 4am, I could not put it down. We follow McCormack and alternate a few chapters with the killer, the book draws you in from the get go with a murder within the first few chapters and the pace hottens up from there. As the investigation picks up McCormack realises this is a methodic, intelligent, psychopathic killer who has perfected his "art" over the years and isn't about to stop.

This book is not just a crime and murder story, it looks at the impact relationships and exposure have on human behaviour and choices. Secrets, lies, murder, love, partnership a bit of cat and mouse and police procedures. I actually gasped out loud reading a particular scene in this book and I haven't done that for ages. I loved this book, 5/5 for me & I had already bought the next four after the author joined our online book club so will certainly be reading him again.

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Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant

Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Publisher - Mulholland Books

Pages - 293

Blurb from Amazon

It starts with a lie. The kind we've all told - to a former acquaintance we can't quite place but still, for some reason, feel the need to impress. The story of our life, embellished for the benefit of the happily married lawyer with the kids and the lovely home.

And the next thing you know, you're having dinner at their house, and accepting an invitation to join them on holiday - swept up in their perfect life, the kind you always dreamed of...

Which turns out to be less than perfect. But by the time you're trapped and sweating in the relentless Greek sun, burning to escape the tension all around you - by the time you start to realise that, however painful the truth might be, it's the lies that cause the real damage...

... well, by then, it could just be too late.


My Review

Paul is a has-been, a successful author of a novel, decades past, and not managed to do a whole lot else. When he bumps into an old acquaintance, Andrew, from his glory days Paul can't help but accept his invitation to dinner. He meets Alice, not his usual type, older and mother of spoiled teenagers but she has money & Paul is never one to miss an opportunity. With his self infated ego and the ability to spin lies at the drop of a hat, Paul wangles his way on holiday with this upper class group and his new girlfriend. His small lies get bigger and Paul finds himself caught up in a web of deceit where he isn't the only one with something to hide.

Paul is our protagonist and not a very likeable chap. He is a womanizer, a sponger, a liar and those are probably not his worst traits. Alice is a means to an end however Paul finds himself drawn to her and becoming jealous of her friendship with Andrew, the old acquaintance that brought them together. Trying to keep on top of his lies, examining his feelings for Alice and be accepted by the rich snobs Paul embarks on a journey of self examination and growth. As Paul seems to start to grow as a person his lies threaten to catch up with him and bring it all down.

None of these characters are particularly likeable, they each have their own agenda and irritating traits. The story gets under your skin, it is at times unsettling and splits between the current dilema we know Paul ends up in as thats how the book opens but also what happened to the girl Alice is looking for. The girl who went missing in Greece ten years ago that Alice is frantic to find and won't stop looking for until she has answers. It is a busy wee book once it gets going and an engaging story that draws the reader in, 3/5 for me this time. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I have never read this author before, I would certainly read her again, Lie With Me is available to buy from the 28/07/2016.

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The Fire Child by S K Tremayne

The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Publisher - Harper Collins

Pages - 400

Blurb from Goodreads

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.

But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

‘You will be dead by Christmas.’


My Review

We start 178 days before Christmas, Rachel is a new wife, moved to be with the man she loves and his son Jamie. Young Jamie is troubled, his mother died and as Rachel spends more time with him his behaviour becomes even more worriesome. Jamie appears to be haunted by his mother and making scary predictions that Rachel fears are coming true. The most recent "You will be dead by Christmas", Rachels husband doesn't want to know so Rachel starts to dig into Jamies claims and their past. Some things are best left alone but Rachel is scared, lonely and the more she digs the more her husband pulls away from her, is Rachel really in danger?

This is Tremaynes second book and I actually prefered this one to the first. It has the same eery spooky under currents of the Ice Twins but I felt this one draws you in from the offset. The chapters vary in length but are all relatively short which I quite like in a book. Each chapter has a photograph at the beginning of the chapter of the settings of the book which is a relatively nice touch, I have the hardback version but assume all formats will have this.

The characters are well drawn, the little boys behaviour fluctuates from affection and acceptance of Rachel to withdrawn and preocupation of her demise or his mothers ghost. Rachel is a bit unreliable as a person, she begins relatively strong but as she gets spooked her behaviour becomes somewhat questionable. The book deals with some tough issues, death, mental health, violence, loss, love, acceptance, ghosts, martial issues to name just a few. I think if you take the story as it is you will really enjoy it, creepy, dark and eery with a bit of suspension of reality required. 3/5 for me this time, I would read this authors work again, thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Willnot by James Sallis

Willnot by James Sallis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 192

Publisher - No Exit Press

Blurb from Goodreads

In the woods outside the town of Willnot, the remains of several people have suddenly been discovered, unnerving the community and unsettling Hale, the town's all-purpose general practitioner, surgeon, and town conscience. At the same time, Bobby Lowndes--his military records disappeared, being followed by the FBI--mysteriously reappears in his hometown, at Hale's door. Over the ensuing months, the daily dramas Hale faces as he tends to his town and to his partner, Richard, collide with the inexplicable vagaries of life in Willnot. And when a gunshot aimed at Lowndes critically wounds Richard, Hale's world is truly upended.


My Review

By reading the blurb, I took this book to be a crime/murder/who done it with the effects it has on the small town. It isn't that kind of book at all really, whilst there are bodies found and shootings, the book is not primarily about that. It is more centered on the ripples the bodies found has on the town and the main character, who he is, what he does for the town, flashbacks to things that happened in his life.

I have found this to be the case before, reading the blurb sets a bar and raises expectations of what said book will be about, as a result I didn't enjoy this book. I think had I picked it up and just read it I would have liked it far more as most readers loved it and it has high praise indeed. Instead I found there was a lot of characters that I couldn't quite see what part they would play in the crime aspect of the book and looked for plots and skulduggery where there weren't any.

A book that focuses on relationships, how events from the past can shape us as people and how a small town accepts folk quirks and all. It has quite a bit of medical talk in it being as the main character is the town doctor/surgeon I actually quite enjoyed these bits and it kept me reading. Not badly written at all however when you go into a book thinking it is one thing and it ends up being something entirely different it does dampen the enjoyment and raise expectations. Sadly 2/5 for me, I would read this author again however I would skip the blurb next time. Well written and enjoyed by many so give it a bash, it just wasn't for me.

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Bad Blood by Julie Shaw Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the Blog Tour for Bad Blood by Julie Shaw, her newest novel which is now available to buy in paperback or kindle edition.





I have had the pleasure of reading this book already, you can read my review here.







Welcome Julie, thanks for stopping by and taking the time out to answer some questions for us.



1. Hi Julie, welcome to So Many Books So Little Time. This is your first Blog Tour if I am correct, how are you finding it?

I am really enjoying it. It’s especially interesting to answer the numerous questions I have been asked as it gets me really thinking about why I write the things I do.


2. I have read one of your books before Bad Blood, your settings are always in lower class gritty scheme settings, what draws you to these and do you think you will ever branch out from them?

I was actually brought up in very similar circumstances to a lot of my characters. By that I mean on the same estates, had very similar friends, and had family members who lived through very difficult circumstances. Since being very young I have tried my hand at all genres, and many different styles of writing, but I’m much more comfortable writing about the grittier, seedier side of life. Will I branch out? Maybe, I don’t know at the moment, but what I do know is that I feel much happier writing about the tougher side of life.


3. The character Lizzie, page 30 had me horrified, without spoiling it for others, how did you manage to come up with her and that scene? Creative genius or tapping into a true event?

Oh dear, unfortunately I have known many Lizzie’s in my time. Her character is an amalgamation of quite a few women I knew over the years. That scene was also easy to write as that was very definitely a true scenario, believe it or not.


4. Who inspires you to write?

Lots of people actually. As a child I would lose myself in any books I could get my hands. A story took me away from everything and I could be anyone and anywhere I wanted to be. If I had to choose an early writer that made me think ‘yes! I want to do this!’ then it would have to be Enid Blyton – I thought she was simply incredible. These days however, my hero is Kimberley Chambers. Her characters are so bad, I just love them! Now she really does tell it like it is!


5. What are your three top favourite books of all time?

I hate this question J I have so many that I love and I always feel horribly guilty about the ones I don’t mention. Also, my answer may surprise you. Okay, so the number one spot has to go to Mr Shakespeare himself with Romeo and Juliet. My first ever tragic love story. I was blown away by it. The number two spot would go to Roots by Alex Haley – another book that helped form my opinion on the world, and last but not least, They Put Me Inside by Tony Grestone – a book I read as a young teenager that really did change me.



6. What is next for Julie Shaw? Do you have another book in the process already?

I have just handed in Blood Sisters, which I’m sure you’ll like if you enjoyed Bad Blood, and I am just about to start writing a sequel to Bad Blood in fact. We don’t have a definite title for it yet, but I’m hoping it will be Sins of the Father. Watch this space J


7. Where can fans find you?

Facebook is simply Julie Shaw, though I also have a page especially relating to my books, and that is Canterbury Warriors. My Twitter is @jueshaw


8. Anything else you would like to add or tell readers about yourself?

I think I have gone on for long enough lol, but I do really appreciate all of my readers and particularly you fantastic bloggers who spread the word. Thanks again J xx



And up for grabs is 1 paperback pre-loved copy of Bad Blood, as always, use the Rafflecopter below to enter, this giveaway will run for 1 week.

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