Wedding Bells for Nurse Connie by Jean Fullerton

Wedding Bells for Nurse Connie by Jean Fullerton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off for 3 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Orion

Blurb from Goodreads

East End saga queen Jean Fullerton returns with a delightful new novel in the Nurse Connie series

It's 1948 and the nurses of the East End of London are making the most of life post-war. For Connie in particular, things are looking rosy as she looks forward to planning a future with her sweetheart, Malcolm. But, as many a young bride-to-be has proved, the course of true love never did run smooth and Connie finds herself having to grapple with interfering mothers and Malcolm's reluctance to set the date.

But while there are many obstacles to overcome before walking down the aisle, at least Connie can relax in the knowledge that she'll soon be married to the man of her dreams, can't she?

Life at work isn't all smooth sailing either. The newly-formed NHS is keeping the nurses of Fry House extremely busy and as ever in the life of a nurse heartbreak lurks at every turn. But there are some new faces to keep things interesting. And one in particular might be the answer to all of Connie's problems...




My review

Nurse Connie has a lot going on, it is 1948 and the newly-formed National Health Service (NHS) is coming into effect, Connie is a senior nurse and having to deal with this, staffing levels, patients and planning her future with Malcolm. The new reform brings new issues, a new fresh doctor arrives and stirs up patients and staff alike.

There are other books before this one, I have read the one featuring Connie (Fetch Nurse Connie) so I knew a good bit of her background with Malcolm. They have been dating for a while and his over bearing mother is ever present and demanding. The arrival of doctor Hari MacLauchlan stirs up racist attitudes, misconceptions and negative feelings for some. In a time where racial terminology was accepted as the norm, ignorance, poverty and over crowding was in abundance, Connie struggles to do her job & remain within social accepted behaviour.

It really makes you think how much has changed in terms of health, societies attitudes towards woman and their bodies, religion, racism & how much is still the same in some parts of the world. I really enjoy these type of books and didn't realise there was so another few so will be buying them, 4/5 for me this time. Thanks so much to Karen from My Reading Corner for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.

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Sail by James Patterson & Howard Roughley

Sail by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 388

Publisher - Arrow

Blurb from Goodreads

"Barely out of sight of land, the Dunne family finds its summer getaway to paradise already turning into the trip from hell. Carrie, the eldest, has thrown herself off the side of the boat in a bid for attention. Sixteen-year-old Mark is getting high belowdecks. And Ernie, their ten-year-old brother. is nearly catatonic. It's shaping up to be the worst vacation ever." "Katherine Dunne had hoped this trip would bring back the togetherness they'd lost when her husband died four years earlier. Maybe if her new husband, a high-powered Manhattan attorney. had been able to postpone his trial and join them it would all have been okay." Suddenly, a disaster hits - and it's perfect. Faced with real danger, the Dunnes rediscover the meaning of family and pull together in a way they haven't in a long time. But this catastrophe is just a tiny taste of the danger that lurks ahead: someone wants to make sure that the Dunne family never makes it out of paradise alive.



My Review

I really enjoy Patterson books although his collaborations with other authors not always so much. This one is perfect for a beach read or if you just want something that isn't challenging. The Dunnes are taking the family boat out for a trip together to try and reconnect & sort out their issues. Peter Carlyle is the step dad and staying behind in New York, his wife, her three kids and her brother in law from a previous marriage head off. Personal problems arise, a horrendous storm hits and then there is an explosion, certainly not the best start to a holiday. Stranded, hurt and presumed dead, the Dunnes need to do what they can to stay alive.

There is a lot about this book that you find yourself having to suspend reality to get through but once you do that it is actually an enjoyable, fast paced read. The characters have a lot of personal issues to get through but once they are in peril that takes a back seat. The book splits between the Dunnes encounters and back home with the smarmy step father hot shot lawyer.

As with all Patterson books, the chapters are tiny which annoys some people but I actally really like that, you can dip in and out as time allows. As I said a good choice for a day by the pool and if you can get past the most unlikely events happening you will enjoy the book, 3/5 for me.

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The Teacher by Katerina Diamond

The Teacher by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Blurb from Goodreads

You think you know who to trust?
You think you know the difference between good and evil?

You’re wrong …

A LESSON YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.

This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.

Warning: Most definitely *not* for the faint-hearted!




My Review

I picked this one up as part of a new feature starting on the Crime Book Club although I had heard lots of people raving about it. A head teacher is found hanged at a prestigious school in Devon, not long after receiving a parcel. Soon more bodies turn up, each more gruesome than the other and the police in Exeter know they have a deranged killer on their hands. As they investigate, the police find a horrendous motive and secrets that will rip open their small community. They have to stop the killer before they strike again, but who will be next and will they want to?

Oh I have to say guys, this book is not for the faint hearted, the killings are pretty graphic, brutal and leave the reader with a very vivid picture of what is happening. There are a lot of themes within the book that may upset some readers, exploitation, sex, abuse, torture and murder of course.

The chapters are not particularly long, not as short as James Patterson but not conventional length either, which I enjoy in a books makeup. There are a fair few characters however when switching or introducing a new one, they are highlighted at the top of each chapter. We have a split timeline for one of the characters from then and now, helping to understand why the person is the way they are. Sounds jumpy and complicated but it is actually written really well so the reader can follow it with no problems.

I read this pretty much in one sitting, you get the jist very early on what has happened, or hinted at and don't want to put the book down to see what happens next. The Teacher is a strong debut novel that certainly packs a punch and leaves you a tad squeamish but wanting more. I will be looking out for more of this authors work, 4/5 for me!

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Rise Of The Enemy by Rob Sinclair

Rise of the Enemy by Rob Sinclair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Clink Street Publishing

Pages - 272

Blurb from the Cover

Agent Carl Logan is back in Rise of the Enemy

Everyone has a breaking pint. Carl Logan might just have found his.

The Joint Intelligence Agency sends agent Carl Logan on a routine mission to Russia. It should have been simple. But when Logan's cover is blown, he's transported into a world of hell he thought he would never see again.

Something is different this time, though, and before long doubts begin to surface in Logan's mind as to why the assignment went so wrong.

Logan has never been short of enemies. And sometimes the enemy is closer to home than you think.

Could his own people really have set him up?


My Review

Firstly, I would advise reading the first book in this series before picking up this one, the first is The Enemy. I think you will get more out of this book by knowing the background story of Logan and some of the other names that crop up. Carl Logan has been part of the JIA (Joint Intelligence Agency) for nineteen years, giving his all to the cause. After being on leave and a personal set back, he is on the job and ready to go. This job take him to Russia, behind enemy lines, it should be a straight forward mission but Logan's cover is busted, what follows causes Carl to question everything he thought he knew!

The prologue had me gasping out loud, what the bloody hell happened for Logan to be thinking what he was thinking which saw me racing to chapter one. We are among the action relatively quickly, Logan in Russia, the mission and what happens, the timeline splits to three months later, present day and flips between then and now. The chapters that followed after his cover was blown, the past, is in italics so it is easy to follow the story and differentiate between the timelines. Until we catch up to present day, we follow what Logan endured to bring him to the unthinkable actions he is considering in the prologue.

The book covers torture, this isn't new to Logan however for the reader you get much more of a front seat passenger in his journey of horror. Some of the scenes are so well portrayed I felt quite claustrophobic reading them. We have a greater insight into Logan's psych, he is still recovering from PTSD from his last jaunt behind enemy lines when he faces possibly a greater challenge. This is my second time reading this author, I most assuredly will be getting the third in this series. Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, 4/5 for me. Had I not been working, I would have read this book in one sitting, the pace is fast, the scenes make you squirm but you can't help but reading on and wanting to know what happens next!

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Shrill by Lindy West

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time take to read - 1 day

Pages - 272

Publisher - Quercus

Blurb from Goodreads

West has rocked readers in work published everywhere from The Guardian to GQ to This American Life. She is a catalyst for a national conversation in a world where not all stories are created equal and not every body is treated with equal respect. SHRILL is comprised of a series of essays that bravely shares her life, including her transition from quiet to feminist-out-loud, coming of age in a popular culture that is hostile to women (especially fat, funny women) and how keeping quiet is not an option for any of us.


My Review

This is the debut novel from from Lindy West, a columnist for the Guardian and known in America for some very strong views. This book gives the readers a glimpse into how Lindy went from a shy, self conscious young girl, struggling with her weight and to speak to people to being loud, proud and self accepting. A look into the life of West and what cost can come of being opinionated, in the public eye and challenging misogynistic views.

Firstly, I need to say I had never heard of this author before this book was sent to me and I feel I know her a little after reading such an honest and at times brutal account of her life. The book is, for me, broke into two parts. The first is opinionated, loud, funny and sometimes brash account from a woman who knows who she is and accounting from a time when she didn't. The second is more from what she has experience since becoming more sure of who she is and making her mark in the world.

I think this book will no doubt offend some, make others laugh and hopefully everyone to pause for thought. She is quite graphic when discussing feminine menstruation which may cause discomfort for some readers however points out, quite rightly, that we do not flinch when seeing so much blood and gore on tv.

She recalls being abused about her weight, trolled on Twitter which again some readers may find upsetting, I certainly did. She has come up against many critics and explains her stance point, giving some disturbing examples and other accounts showing how we can learn and grow as people. A relatively positive spin on some unpleasant experiences, a tale of growth and for a few parts a good old fashioned rant, 3/5 for me this time. Thanks to RealReaders for introducing me to a new writer and person of interest, I will be looking up more of West's work. An engaging debut that will make you laugh, grimace, horrified and think!

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Dance With The Enemy by Rob Sinclair

Dance with the Enemy by Rob Sinclair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 3 days

Pages - 361

Publisher - Clink Street Publishing

Blurb from Goodreads

Carl Logan was the perfect agent. A loner, with no real friends or family, he was trained to deal with any situation with cold efficiency, devoid of emotion. But Logan isn't the man he used to be, or the asset he once was. Five months ago his life changed forever when he was captured, tortured and left for dead by Youssef Selim, one of the world's most violent terrorists. When Selim mysteriously reappears in Paris, linked to the kidnapping of America's Attorney General, Logan smells his chance for revenge. Pursuing his man relentlessly, oblivious to the growing trail of destruction that he leaves in his wake, Logan delves increasingly deep into the web of lies and deceit surrounding the kidnapping. Finally, he comes to learn just what it means to Dance with the Enemy.


My Review

Carl Logan is our main character, a loner who works with efficiency, no hesitation and to order. However, after being at the hands of a terrorist when an op when wrong, Logan hasn't quite recovered yet. Pulled back for the job of uncovering who is behind the kidnap of an American attorney general and tasked to get him back Logan is back. Along the way he meets an unlikely partner but Logan doesn't work with people bar the boss, is this the exception and will they help or hinder.

Ooh this is my first dance with this author and had work not got in the way, I could have read it in one sitting. Carl Logan echos Jack Reacher but has an emotional and vulnerable side that we don't get from Reacher. A good guy who is a hired gun, acts on his own and often going over the boundaries of the law to get the job done. He isn't without his flaws and I think that makes him more appealable to the reader as even in fiction, no one is really perfect.

The story is fairly fast paced, from the opening chapter to present day and the case that bring Logan back. Some of the book is a bit brutal in places, from fairly graphic torture scenes and some killings so if you like your books light on that side this may not be the book for you. Many themes are covered, relationships, teamwork, procedures, murder and there are some sex scenes too, just an fyi!

The character of Logan goes through a transition as he recovers, trying to do his job and deal with emotions that he isn't used to, due to his traumatic experience. A flawed character you can't help but root for, this is book one in the series, I will certainly be following up the next adventure. 4/5 for me, thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to a new author, a new series and a great character!

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Cold As Ice by Lee Weeks

Cold as Ice by Lee Weeks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 7 days (on and off)

Pages - 358

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

There's a time to love, a time to hate, a time to heal . . . and a time to kill.
On a freezing cold winter's day, the body of a young woman is pulled from an icy canal in London. To D.I. Dan Carter it looks like a tragic accident rather than the work of a murderer. But D.C. Ebony Willis is not so sure. Why has the woman's face been painted with garish make-up and wrapped in a plastic bag?
Meanwhile cosmetics saleswoman Tracy Collins receives a phonecall. It's been twenty years since she gave up her daughter for adoption, so when Danielle gets in touch, she hesitantly begins to kindle a relationship with her and her grandson Jackson. But when Danielle suddenly disappears, Tracy is plunged into the middle of a living nightmare.
With the discovery of another body, it becomes clear that Danielle is in grave danger. There is no time to lose and Ebony Willis must take on the most challenging assignment of her career - to play the role of the killer's next victim.
From the author of the bestselling Dead of Winter comes a page-turning new thriller that will have you hooked from start to finish.
DC Ebony Willis must relive her own troubled past as she goes undercover to ensnare a ruthless and twisted killer


My Review

A young woman's body is found in a frozen loch, the police quickly ascertain that this isn't an accident and the investigation kicks off. The woman's body has been terribly mutilated and over a lengthy period of time, is this the start of a deranged killer? We meet Danielle & little Jackson, Tracy gave Danielle up for adoption years ago, now Danielle is looking for her to meet her and her little boy. However Danielle soon disappears and Tracy is left to look after the little boy and soon a horrific nightmare.

I really like Lee Weeks writing, the story jumps from the investigation, to Tracy and Danielle and little insights to the killer. The chapters are short which I always like in a book, especially if you are working and only get limited time to read. The killer is twisted and some of what he does to the victims is horrific, more so if you have a good imagination and visualisation. The police enter into a bit of a cat and mouse game and realise just how clever and devious they are.

An action packed read that keeps the reader engaged right to the end, my only complaint is I figured the killer out really quickly for reasons I won't go into as I don't want to spoil it for any other readers. It isn't often I catch on and guess the killer so I was a wee bit disappointed, overall though it is a very clever and twisted story. 3/5 for me, I have read Weeks before and I will read her again.

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