The Coven by Graham Masterton

The Coven by Graham Masterton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Head of Zeus

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

They say the girls were witches. But Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, is sure they were innocent victims...

London, 1758:

Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, has found a position at St Mary Magdalene's Refuge for fallen women. She enjoys the work and soon forms a close bond with her charges.

The refuge is supported by a wealthy tobacco merchant, who regularly offers the girls steady work to aid their rehabilitation. But when seven girls sent to his factory disappear, Beatrice is uneasy.

Their would-be benefactor claims they were a coven of witches, beholden only to Satan and his demonic misdeeds. But Beatrice is convinced something much darker than witchcraft is at play...



My Review

This is book two with the character Beatrice Scarlet, I hadn't read book one and don't feel I have missed out on anything by not having read it. Beatrice and her little girl have to move to St Mary Magdalene's Refuge for fallen women where she is promised a job and lodgings. Beatrice is drawn to helping the girls from their previous lives and has faith they can turn it around. A wealthy gentleman who supports the refuge takes the girls to work in his factory. When his latest batch flee after apparently conjuring up Satan and devil worshipping Beatrice feels something is horribly wrong and it isn't the devil!

Ooft this is not a book for the faint hearted, there is murder, sexual deviancy, sexual abuse, prostitution, faith, lies, love, relationships, family and that isn't covering it all! Beatrice is a fantastic character, remember this is set in the 1700s and here we have a very vocal woman, educated, loyal, intelligent and fearless. It is fantastic to have any book with a strong female character, Beatrice has already lost so much and now she is putting her life on the line for these fallen girls.

The healing part is really interesting too , she is an apothecary's daughter and finds more folk coming to her for remedies than the doctors. I loved her knowledge and the alternative healing options, I need to google to see how popular that kind of thing really was back then, I think it is really interesting. Some of the scenes are very graphic, sexual and disturbing so be warned if you are going to pick the book up, there is reference to animal cruelty also. If you can get past this or don't mind some very dark passages I think you will fully engage with this tale. Graphic, stomach turning, fierce, dark and a fantastic female character it has to be 4/5 for me this time. I do have another one or two of Masterton's books on my TBRM I do need to bump them up!

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The Girls by Lori Lansens

The Girls by Lori Lansens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - dipped in over the course of 1 week

Pages - 368

Publisher - Back Bay Books

Source - Pound shop

Blurb from Goodreads

Meet Rose and Ruby: sisters, best friends, confidantes, and conjoined twins. Since their birth, Rose and Ruby Darlen have been known simply as "the girls." They make friends, fall in love, have jobs, love their parents, and follow their dreams. But the Darlens are special. Now nearing their 30th birthday, they are history's oldest craniopagus twins, joined at the head by a spot the size of a bread plate.

When Rose, the bookish sister, sets out to write her autobiography, it inevitably becomes the story of her short but extraordinary life with Ruby, the beautiful one. From their awkward first steps--Ruby's arm curled around Rose's neck, her foreshortened legs wrapped around Rose's hips-- to the friendships they gradually build for themselves in the small town of Leaford, this is the profoundly affecting chronicle of an incomparable life journey.

As Rose and Ruby's story builds to an unforgettable conclusion, Lansens aims at the heart of human experience--the hardship of loss and struggles for independence, and the fundamental joy of simply living a life. This is a breath taking novel, one that no reader will soon forget, a heartrending story of love between sisters.



My Review

Rose and Ruby are twins, conjoined craniopagus twins and this is their life story. We are introduced to the girls then how they girls came to be with their aunt Lovey and uncle Stash. Told through their words, particularly Rose as she writes their autobiography, Ruby has some entries too. The girls take us through their life, experiences growing up, working, relationships, ideas and dreams.

This is a moving story of family, strength, love, acceptance and an opportunity to learn more about a condition we don't see very often, well I haven't. I found myself putting the book down to google cases and looking up true life cases of craniopagus, symptoms, statistics.

The bond between these two sisters and their family is beautiful, Lovey is a great character, compassionate, loyal, fierce and understanding, everyone needs an aunt Lovey. Emotive in some places, shocking, beautiful, certainly a different story, 3.5/5 for me, this is my first time reading this author, it won't be my last.

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Darker by E L James

Darker by E.L. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 546

Publisher - Vintage Books

Source - From another blogger

Blurb from Goodreads

E L James revisits the world of Fifty Shades with a deeper and darker take on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the globe.

Their scorching, sensual affair ended in heartbreak and recrimination, but Christian Grey cannot get Anastasia Steele out of his mind, or his blood. Determined to win her back, he tries to suppress his darkest desires and his need for complete control, and to love Ana on her own terms.

But the horrors of his childhood still haunt him, and Ana’s scheming boss, Jack Hyde, clearly wants her for himself. Can Christian’s confidant and therapist, Dr. Flynn, help him face down his demons? Or will the possessiveness of Elena, his seducer, and the deranged devotion of Leila, his former submissive, drag Christian down into the past?

And if Christian does win Ana back, can a man so dark and damaged ever hope to keep her?


My Review

Most people picking up this book would, I imagine, already be familiar with the Fifty Shades trilogy, originally told from Anastasia's point of view. Darker is book two, told from Christian's point of view. I really liked the original books and didn't get the outcry from so many about stalker, abusive etc etc. After reading this, as well as the first book from Christian's point of view, I can understand a bit more why readers may be annoyed.

Christian is very possessive of Anastasia, whilst there are flashes on this in the original books there is no doubt in these. Christian has many issues and I am surprised after reading both books that he actually only has one counsellor. The image of Christian that many readers had I think may be darkened, destroyed, tainted, pick a word that suits. He is very childish at points, MINE he is either thinking or actually saying out loud. He grates me in these books and I didn't get that at all with the other books.

What I did like was we get a bit more understanding of his character than we did in the originals. For me, the interactions with Mrs Robinson was welcomed as I think we all wanted to know what was said, more about their interactions. Book three obviously has a huge interaction with him and her so I really hope James focuses on that and gives us the chat we all want to know how it went down.

The helicopter, the stuff with Jack Hyde again information or interactions from the original books we get a different glimpse from Christian's point of view. Book three was probably my favourite from the originals as it had more story than all of the sexual stuff that was more in depth in book one and two. I hope she keeps the books focused on that angle, more story and a better look into Mrs Robinson's character and relationship with Christian. This book had a bit more understanding and maybe even sympathy for Christian despite him still annoying me. I think if you like the series originally you will enjoy these books from his side as we do get some of the knowledge gaps filled in. 3/5 for me this time, when book three comes out I will read it, I need closure, I have read the other five books and I hope there will be more with Mrs R!

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Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron Blog Tour

Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Publisher - H Q Stories

Pages - 400

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

I may not remember everything, but I know he won’t hurt anyone else.

I won’t let him.

It’s been two months since a serial killer brutally attacked police detective Alisha Green and left her for dead. Two months since she could effortlessly recall simple things, since her mind felt remotely sound. The nameless killer thinks he knows her, thinks she’s just another dead girl among many. Ali Green plans to show him he’s dead wrong about that.

Ali has two enemies now: the dangerous man she’s hunting and her own failing memory. As explosive new evidence comes to light and conflicting accounts from a witness and a surviving victim threaten both her investigation and her credibility, she begins to question what is and isn’t real. And now Ali has no choice but to remember the past…before it buries her.

A hypnotically gripping thriller that proves internationally bestselling author Graeme Cameron is one of the most unique voices in contemporary fiction today.



My Review

Absolutely I recommend reading Normal by this author before reading this one, I read it a while back and feel like I want to re read it. DS Ali Green survived her encounter with "The man" the horrific serial killer from Normal and now we are following the police investigation and the after math of all that transpired from the first book. Normal was all about him, his activities, perspective, killings. This book is the police, primarily Ali, the pursuit and the ripples he has left from their encounter. Ali is determined he will harm no one else but how do you do your job, stay safe and keep the team going when you had a horrific injury and your memory is impaired?


It took me a wee bit to settle into this one, it kicks off with a bang and you are draw in quickly. However, there are a lot of characters and the scenes jump around a bit so it takes a wee bit to get your head round. Narration flips from first to third person, multiple characters and settlings and you have to be switched on to keep track. I think it adds to the weight of what Ali is going through, her memory is impaired, she has to keep notes and she is desperate to keep it hidden from her colleagues.

The devastation of this killer is clear from the beginning, he isn't featured much at all but his reach and actions have long lasting consequences. It is a unique story from that point of view, we see exactly how many lives a murderer can impact and the aftermath that follows. What I did really like was some of the subtle genius within Cameron's scenes. For example, what one character did when another finally left, nothing massive or huge but it encapsulates the reality of humanity. For some writers they can describe a place so well you can smell and see it, similar idea here but it is more some of the actions and responses a person does that just screams reality. It isn't a huge thing and some readers may pass over but I think small sparks like that are testament to creative genius. 3.5 out of 5 for me this time, I would like to see a prequel with more info on him and how he came to be, fingers crossed!

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Beyond The Sea by Melissa Bailey

Beyond the Sea by Melissa Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Arrow

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The second novel from Melissa Bailey, author of The Medici Mirror...

One summer's day, Freya's husband and son vanish at sea.

A year on, and struggling to cope, Freya returns to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage on a remote Hebridean island, where she and her family spent so many happy times.

Haunted by visions of her old life, Freya's dreams are dark and disturbed. And when a stranger, Daniel, is washed ashore during a storm, they turn even more menacing.

As dream and reality start to merge, Daniel seems to be following Freya's every move. What does he want from her and is he everything he seems to be?

Is her mind playing tricks? Or is the danger that she senses very real?




My review

Freya has lost her husband and young son to the sea, a year on she heads back to the Hebridean island filled with memories of her family. When she and her sister come to the aid of a stranger, Daniel, she soon realises they have things in common. Whilst Freya is struggling with her grief and some eerie happenings Daniel appears more and more, is there more than meets the eye to Daniel?

So this story breaks down into a few parts. The setting, Hebridean island was covered in vivid detail, I could picture the beautiful setting, the land, the sea, the surroundings. It is one of those locations that makes the reader want to go from book location to actual location. I do hope to visit one day.

Myths and legends come up in this book and I found myself putting the book down and googling some of them, Scottish stories and I want to buy a book on them. I love when a book peaks your interest and I used to love stories like that as a kid so I will be rekindling my love of those kind of stories.

Grief and loss is a big part of the story, it doesn't depress you or pull you down, instead taking you on a journey with Freya, adjusting to life and revisting memories. Learning to cope and keep going especially when you have no closure which I think every reader can connect with on some level. It is a story I wasn't expecting to be how it was, grief, love, loss, legend, a bit spooky at parts, snippets of almost a thriller, stories within a story. It was just really well written. 4/5 for me for this one, this was my first dance with Bailey, it won't be my last. I hope she has other books in similar veins or more focused on the old stories and legends, I could have read that all day long!

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Bookstagrammers

What exactly is a Bookstagrammer? Well, some people think it means different things however ultimately, I think we all agree it is people on Instagram who post all things books.



I have a wee Instagram account, primarily for my bookposts but I do post randoms too, if travelling, animals, outdoors, Potter related stuff, food/drink, Princess Trixie (although she has her own account, yes I am that person who made an account for their cat lol). I would say I am a book geek who just loves taking photos of most things but the hashtags help connect and find like minded folk. You can find my Instagram here!





I first heard the term bookstagram when someone asked me why I hadn't added it to my book post (picture of a book I popped on Instagram). So now, if I have a book photo I generally add the tag. However there are some pretty amazing bookstagrammer accounts out there that use it properly. They create amazing book posts, photos of books with amazing backgrounds, books with themes, books with animals, books with book related clothes/items. I can spend hours just scrolling through some of the amazing pictures posted.

Some bookstagrammers also review on Instagram. So a photo of the book, relevant hashtags and then they include their full review, this isn't something I do but I do like the different options and I love the photos.

So I got a book in that I am on the blog tour for "Dead Girls" by Graeme Cameron. As it is crime fiction I have some tape I bought for a party I was yet to use. So, I got it out to do as a wee background, of course Trixie needed to get into it and have a sniff.





We have a new birdfeeder so a lot of birds have recently been visiting and we found this feather this morning so I had to add that into the piccy. How great would it be if in the book there is something bird or feather related!






My turn for the blog tour is this week and I am working a few shifts before it so I have had to put my current read aside to get into this one, many thanks to Joe from HQStories for sending.






If you have an Instagram account or are a bookstagrammer please leave your link so I can check it out. Always looking to add more book related accounts to follow.

A Bargain in Silver by Josie Jaffrey

A Bargain in Silver by Josie Jaffrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 356

Publisher - Self

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

If the price of safety is slavery, would you bargain your life?

A Bargain in Silver is book one of Josie Jaffrey's Solis Invicti paranormal romance series, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London.

A deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience. It's not a deal that Emmy's willing to make, but as her world burns around her she finds herself in the arms of the enemy and the line between oppressor and saviour begins to blur.

After an attack by the infected, Emmy is rescued by the handsome Drew who introduces her to the world of the Silver. Desperate to escape subjugation and confused by her attraction to him, she gathers what remains of her surrogate family and plans to make a break for freedom.

But despite her efforts to resist, she is drawn further into the intrigues of the mysterious Silver through the agency of their ruler, the Primus: Solomon. Emmy refuses to submit to the cold and detached Primus and an attempt on her life makes it clear that he is unable to protect her from the political machinations of his race.

As the connection between them deepens she must choose between her desire and her will to rebel, but can she trust his intentions when everyone is after her blood?


My Review

Emmy works in a bar, she is heading home from her shift when the outbreak happens. No one knows why and it hits quickly, spreading fast. The weepers almost get Emmy when she is rescued by Drew, her first insight into the Silver world. The Silver are vampires and have risen to save humanity, their food source, and now humans need to toe the line.

Emmy is a fiery character, she doesn't like being told what to do and resists Drew at every turn. Drew just wants her safe, takes her to a safe centre and meets Solomon, head of the Silver who also is interested in Emmy. What follows is Emmy's introduction to the new life, humans are pretty much, in her view, slaves although with compliance the vampires will help create as much "normality" as they can. Wee see Emmy struggle to heel, do as she is told whilst battling her attraction to Drew, being drawn to Solomon all the while of course staying safe and away from the weepers.

I think this is a fresh take on the whole vampires scene and I did enjoy it however there are a few things that make the old eyeball twitch. The whole "love" triangle got a wee bit teen angst for me, friendship is a huge thing and when threatened, especially for such a spikey character, I felt Emmy wouldn't have let that go. We see Emmy constantly in peril, she has an attitude, she is fierce, strong and challenging which makes a nice change but at points her actions can be very frustrating.

The book also opens in the new world, then goes back to how it all came about, for Emmy, I think that was almost a spoiler. When she goes back to how it all began to bring us to current events, we know where she is and her attitude to it all.

There is brutality, romance, sex, vampires of course, weepers (the infected) and blood bars what more can a vampire fan want? I hope in the following books we get a bit more insight into what the weepers are, how it originated, initial spread/contaminations. I hope she does an origins for the silvers also. All in all a good start to the series, 3.5 out of 5 for me this time, I will read more in the series!

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