The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey Little, Brown Book Group UK NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh. Melanie is a very special girl. Emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is the most powerful and affecting thriller you will read this year. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for my review copy of this book. This is one of those books that leave you thinking about it, even when you put it down. A difficult one to write about for fear of giving to much away, and not wishing to spoil it for other readers. This story is based around a young ten year old girl Melanie. Who spends most of her time locked up in cell, then is taken out of her cell to go and learn, Melanie really enjoys learning. I found the book quite interesting to start off with, and kept wondering where it was all going. It is an interesting read, but just not for me if i'm honest. It's well thought out and well put together and looking at other reviews some have loved it. so maybe this is one of those books that you will either love or you wont.
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When Tsara Adelman leaves her husband and two young children for a weekend to visit her estranged uncle, she little dreams he is holding several local children captive on his lavish estate. Mike Westbrook, father of one of the boys, kidnaps her to trade her life for the children's. Soon Tsara and Mike are fleeing through New Hampshire's mountain wilderness pursued by two rogue cops with murder on their minds. 3.5/5 Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs Linden Tree Press Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for a review copy of this book. After reading the blurb on this book, I thought it sounded like something I would enjoy. It then became lost on my kindle amongst other books, and I have only just gotten around to reading it. It felt a little slow for me to start off with but it did pick up pace as the book went on. Tsara Has managed to convince herself that she should go to visit her Uncle, at his estate. Things have gone on in the past that has put let's say a strain on their relationship, so his invite to her seems like a way of making amends. Unfortunatly for Tsara she is then Kidnapped. And this seems to be where the book really picks up. The book is told from different points of view, which helps make it interesting. All in all not a bad read. 4.5 Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is tasked with apprehending a brutal murderer stalking the streets of London - and leaving not a shred of DNA evidence. As the suspect list mounts, his frustration and pressure from his superiors intensify. Grace Murphy, who is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandfather, falls deeper into despair when her friends’ bodies are discovered. Fearing she may be the killer’s next target, she begins to question if her horrifying nightmares are the key to unravelling the murderer’s identity. How far would you go to uncover the truth? Would you venture into the shadows to unmask a killer? I would like to thank Tara Lyons, Shell Baker of Chell's Book Reviews and Crime Book Club For my Review copy of this book. 4.5/5 For a Debut this is a pretty damn good read. Tara your dreams of becoming an author are now coming true and you should be pretty damn proud of yourself. This is a great read for any crime thriller fan, I have read Tara's other book that was co written with the awesome M A Comley. And can see Tara becoming a much loved author of many. Grace Murphy isn't in a very good place at the moment. She has just lost her Grandfather, and is trying to deal with the loss. But then it seems like people who are being murdered are somehow linked to Grace, and Grace doesn't know of any reason why this is or even if she is going to be next. How difficult must that be to deal with. Grace decides to seek help. Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton of the MET Police is working the case along with his team, and Unfortunately the Killer isn't leaving them any DNA so its not going to be straight forward. I liked Denis Hamilton in this book. And it would be interesting to hear more of him in the future. The team seemed to really work well together rather than it just being all down to one person. The killer seems like very self assured. And seems to know what they are doing. But can they stay in the shadows. You do start to think you know who, what and why, but oh no, the author has done a great job of twisting things around in this book and it really will keep you gripped. It is an easy read and you will find yourself flying through it, and at just over 200 pages it is one that will not take you to long to read. Tara you should be proud of yourself with this book, and I certainly can't wait to read more from you. Well done Girl. About the Author At the age of 30, Tara Lyons decided to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Tara studied English Literature at Brunel University, and worked as an assistant editor on an in-house magazine for eight years . In addition to her solo endeavours, Tara is also working with New York Times and USA Today best selling author, Mel Comley. Web of Deceit, their DI Sally Parker novella is available now. They are in the process of creating a new crime series together. When Tara is not writing or reading, you'll find her in a near-by Wacky Warehouse, stuck in the ball-pit with her son. Sign up to the author's mailing list for exclusive news, sneak peak previews and giveaways: http://eepurl.com/bN2KoH Find out more and connect with the author: www.taralyonsauthor.blogspot.co.uk www.facebook.com/taralyonsauthor Twitter: @taralyonsauthor
Be careful who you trust...
The Mailer family are oblivious to the terrible danger that enters their lives when seven-year-old Anthony is referred to the child guidance service by the family GP following the breakdown of his parents’ marriage. Fifty-eight year old Dr David Galbraith, a sadistic predatory paedophile employed as a consultant child psychiatrist, has already murdered one child in the soundproofed cellar below the South Wales Georgian town-house he shares with his wife and two young daughters. Anthony becomes Galbraith’s latest obsession and he will stop at nothing to make his grotesque fantasies reality. The book includes content that some readers may find disturbing from the start. It is dedicated to survivors everywhere. 5/5 This is one of those books I have been meaning to get around to reading for a while now. I was thrilled when the author contacted me and asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy for review. So John, super big thanks for that. In what seems today like a pretty standard family situation, Mum and dad have split up, and the kids live with mum. Only problem for the Mailer family is that it seems to have hit 7 year old Anthony very hard, and he is struggling to cope with the changes in his life. They decide to take Anthony to Dr Gilbraith who can certainly help this young boy, or so the parents think, Dr Gilbraith is a very caring man, very good at what he does and very respected. Or so people think. It turns out that Dr Gilbraith is not helping these young children that need his help and support but abusing them. And young Anthony becomes his latest fantasy obsession. While reading this book, I kept wanting to be able to pick up a phone and tell the parents what was going on, you feel helpless that you can't help. (give yourself a slap and realise its just a story) But it's a story of every parents worst nightmares. This book is very Cleverley put together, and you find yourself engrossed in it from quite early on. And I felt I got really involved with the story line, with all that seems to be going on in the news recently you could quite be forgiven to think this was almost a true story. It is very close to reality. A very difficult subject to stomach but The author has done an astounding job on what is quite topical in today todays news. The author certainly has knowledge in what he has written about and it stands out in this book. He has used his experiences as a police officer and a Child Protection social worker to help create this brilliantl told story. I was also amazed to find that this is actually John's Debut Novel. I was really surprised at this as it's written like a long standing author would write it. I have the 2nd book ready to read, and I really can't wait to start it. Thanks again John for the Review copy. John Nicholl Web site. johnnicholl.com
Big Big Thank You to Netgalley and Zaffre. For a review copy of this book. A woman at home in Liverpool is disturbed by a persistent tapping at her back door. She's disturbed to discover the culprit is a raven, and tries to shoo it away. Which is when the killer strikes. DS Nathan Cody, still bearing the scars of an undercover mission that went horrifyingly wrong, is put on the case. But the police have no leads, except the body of the bird - and the victim's missing eyes. As flashbacks from his past begin to intrude, Cody realises he is battling not just a murderer, but his own inner demons too. And then the killer strikes again, and Cody realises the threat isn't to the people of Liverpool after all - it's to the police. Following the success and acclaim of the Callum Doyle novels, A Tapping at My Door is the first instalment of David Jackson's new Nathan Cody series. My Thoughts 5/5 Wowzers... Where do you start with a book like this. Just go and buy it and read it. I can't put it all into words just won't hold out will it. But that's basically the top and bottom of it. This book has everything a reader wants. It grabs you right from the start and doesn't let go. The pace just intensifies. Right up to the very end your a gripped and wanting/needing to keep going. By Far one of the best Serial Killer Thrillers I have read in a long time. I'm also lucky that this is the first book I have read from this author, so I can now go and check out some of his other books. I believe this one is the first in a new series, by god I hope this Author can write quickly because I really want to read more of this series. Sometimes a book comes along and it should get more than the 5 star review, this is by far a 5+ Star book. After a chat on social media with a fellow blogger who had just read this book, and reading his review, I realised I needed to bump it up my to read list, so I made a decision to start it as soon as I had finished the book I was currently reading. But It got the better of me and I put my other book to one side and started this one. I'm so glad I did. You can read that review here over on Book Addict Shaun's Blog. I had to read it at every opportunity, and my kindle become glued to my hand. I read the start of it while lay on the sofa, all lights out only me in the house, and then a tapping at my window next door bringing me some cake. Although I was really grateful for the cake, I almost shat myself. lol. you'll understand when you start the book. I stood outside of the school classroom reading while waiting for my little one, read it on every break I could while at work. If I'm honest I became a little bit ignorant and unsociable as I wasn't really interested in what anyone had to say, I NEEDED TO READ. I really liked the main character in this book, Nathan Cody. He has one or two issue's to say the least, he's been through some shit that's for sure, but you know what, I think if he come to live with me I could really help him sort those issues out. What a brilliant Character. I think an author has done an amazing job when you start to believe that the characters are actually real people. That takes some doing, but DJ has really cracked it with character. Cody is Working for MIT after previously doing undercover work, shortly into a new case and he ends up working with a new detective, who turns out to be his Ex Girlfriend. This is where you start to learn a little more of Cody as she knows only to well what he's like, and manages to coax him into facing some of his issues. I could see this turning into a fantastic working relationship, a longstanding relationship where they just know so much of each other. I also really liked Megan. (not in the same way I liked Cody though lol) The story was brilliantly told, and I just couldn't get my head around the reasoning behind the Killings, you really think you know why they are happening and BOOM....... no one could have guessed that. it was like it just come out of the blue. Absolutely Brilliant read. I wish I could word my thoughts a bit better so I could really do this book the justice it deserves. An outstanding read. A first rate gem of read. Oh god I need to get more books by this author. There’s no place like home…Enough is enough! The always perfect Laurie Chapman had jumped in her car and raced as fast as she could from London heading to Sunset Bay and (she hopes!) the open arms of her estranged sister… Mia Chapman loves running Dolly’s Diner in the picture-perfect coastal Cornish town of Sunset Bay. Now that her and Grandma Dolly’s dream is finally a reality Mia has never been prouder! Until Laurie suddenly turns up on her doorstep… How can she forgive the sister who walked away? Once upon a time Mia and Laurie were best friends. Back together after so long, the time has come for the sisters to figure out what went so wrong all those years ago – and whether they can ever put it right! An uplifting romantic comedy about sisters, friendship and the love of good food. 4/5 Ohhh the Golden sands of Sunset Bay, as soon as I started reading this I wanted a holiday. Having just spent a long weekend at the seaside as soon as I started to read this book I could almost smell the sea, and I kind of wish I had read this while I was there. Because while reading this at home it was actually snowing and I had the fire blazing. (bloody snow in April) It's a good job I was reading this at the time as it lightened my mood. This is the first book I have read by RP, but I have to say i'm going to go and read her first book, Return To Bluebell Hill real soon. If it's anything like this one, then it will be perfect for me to read in the garden when the weather improves. This book is the story of two sisters who are leading very different lives. Drifted apart over time. The trouble is one of the sisters doesn't know why they are not so close anymore. Mia Chatman lives in Sunset Bay, loves her life and runs a Diner, that she inherited from her grandmother. Laurie Chatman, Mia's sister one day decides to take some leave from her stressful job and go visit her sister. Her welcome isn't very warm. But the sisters soon get together and the reasons behind them not being as close as they once were, all comes out. It is then that the sisters become to grow as friends again. It's a great sisterly bond that is repaired. They both then have the ups and downs of life and love and in this book you can follow them on this journey. It's very well written and the description of the place and things in an around Sunset Bay are told perfectly. A very heart-warming story. A great book to curl up with and lose yourself for a while. I was delighted to receive an ARC of this book via Netgalley. On Friday, Nick Grant is an ordinary guy, with a good job, a wife he loves, and an adorable eight-year-old son. On Saturday, his wife is dead, his son is in critical condition, and there is an unidentified body in the basement. Wracked with torment and guilt, he retreats to a rental house he owns in "The Bottoms," a crime-ridden slum in Columbus, Ohio, where he falls into a life of drugs and alcohol. A chance encounter with a young woman who shares her deadly secret sucks Nick Grant into a vortex of criminal activity where he becomes an unwitting player in a dangerous game of chance in a battle between the underworld and law enforcement at the highest levels. What follows is an intricate tale of greed, corruption, deception, and murder. 3.5/5 Life is tough for Nick Grant. After losing his family in a house fire, a tragic accident or is it something else? Nick soon becomes a different person to the one he's always been, drugs and alcohol take over his life. Not the best way to cope with things but for Nick it seems the only way. And as life becomes pretty sh... for him, he finally starts to sort himself out. can he get of the booze and drugs and turn his life back around. Nick takes a job as a window washer, and his journey of becoming clean starts. Only things don't exactly run smoothly for him. He then becomes mixed up in a crime. And the only way to find out what happens is to read the book. I really can't give any more away as it really would spoil it for you. I found this book quite an interesting read, I got through it pretty quickly, as it's just over 200 pages, but it wasn't the fast paced gritty read I was expecting. I found it a little slow in parts and felt we really didn't get to know the main characters properly. But still an interesting read and worth giving a go. Armed with a degree that she doesn't have a clue what to do with, Ciara Bree convinces her two best friends, Elle and Gem to spend their first summer of freedom backpacking across the globe. Now it's time to shop, sunbathe, think about boys for a change, and party hard… LA, Miami, Paris, Santorini, Ibiza, Florence and Dublin…these fabulous jet-setters are in for the summer of their lives. From crashing celebrity parties in Tinseltown to grape-squishing in Florence, Ciara globetrots her way to happiness with her friends Elle and Gem by her side. But Elle’s gorgeous cousin Zack keeps showing up, and while Ciara can think of a few ways to have fun with him, she starts to realise that her summer fling isn’t as uncomplicated as it should be… Join the girls for a summer of fun, travel and romance. A summery treat perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Sarah Morgan. 4/5 When I started this book I hadn't realised it was the whole collection of the Summer Flings stories in one book. Even better a few I hadn't previously read as individual books, and some I had, but that didn't stop me reading them again. Right back into the fun of Best friends on a world tour. What better way to spend a year out after completing collage. There is a super mix of stories in this book, Love, Romance. Trouble. But the fun, The fun the girls have is just priceless. It almost makes you think you could be there with them. I wanted to walk around the plush houses, I wanted to try on the designer clothes, I wanted to witness for myself with my own eye's some of the sun bronzed Hunks. This is certainly one of those books that will do you the world of good, especially if you are sat on a sun lounger at the side of a pool. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun kept jumping in my head, and I found my self keep singing it each time I put the book down. 3 Friends set off on a round the world trip, starting off in LA. The story is full of fun, I could have imagined going on holiday with these girls (many years ago). Ciara, Elle and Gem are just great character. Each one with their own individual personalities. I really got into the fun fun fun in this book, and devoured it in one day. God reading this has just made me think about just how much I need a holiday. A Truly FUN read. A Perfect Beach Read, A super big thanks for the Review copy I received via Netgalley.
Terrifyingly authentic, London-set debut crime novel with a psychological edge, by an ex-Met detective. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Stuart MacBride.
NO MOTIVE. NO MERCY. NO REMORSE. A series of brutal killings leaves South London’s Murder Investigation Unit struggling to connect the crimes: no recognizable method; no forensic evidence; and the victims have nothing in common. NO TIME TO LOSE. DI Sean Corrigan’s troubled past has left him with an uncanny ability to identify the darkness in others – a darkness he struggles to keep buried within his own psyche. Sean knows these murders are the work of one man. As the violence escalates, Sean must find the evidence he needs to bring the perpetrator to justice – before the next attack hits too close to home… 5/5 This is a re read. I read this book some time ago and really did enjoy it. It was before I started my blog so there was no review on here. I recently decided to get my arse in gear and get caught up with some of the series of books I have on my Kindle that I haven't gotten around to reading yet. So to make sure I knew what was what I started this again for the beginning. It's funny as I have all ready read the book, you think that you know what is going on and what is going to happen, but having read so many books since this, I can seriously say second time round was just as good, if not better. lol And I still didn't twig what the hell was going on, and who it was. lol. Being a bit thick sometimes has it's advantages. A truly brilliant read. This certainly is a fast paced thriller that will keep you holding your breath and wanting more. And as this was Lukes Debut Thriller you just know the books that follow are going to be amazing. (I Hope..lol) DI Sean Corrigan is a Police officer like no other. He's just so different and amazing. He has the ability to Think like a criminal, to think outside the box so to speak. To envisage what the killer might have done. It is absolutely a brilliant read. Have I said that once? Ah well. As I said this was the second time I have read this book, and the Twist at the end still got me. Really is well worth reading this book. 'The Second Chance Shoe Shop is that rarest of treats, a story filled with warm and wonderful characters who feel like your best friends from the first page.' Tilly Tennant All Riley Flynn wants is to meet someone who makes her happy. But attracting the right kind of man is not easy, and with her heart still hurting from her last break-up, Riley believes she’ll never find love again. A year ago, Sadie Stewart’s whole world was shattered when her husband, Ross, died. She has struggled to keep herself together for the sake of their young daughter, but with the anniversary of his death approaching, Sadie finds herself overwhelmed by grief. Sadie and Riley work at Chandlers shoe shop, in the charming town of Hedworth. But when Chandlers is threatened with closure, the friends are confronted with the loss of not only their jobs, but also their support network - the glue that holds them together when they are close to breaking. As they put together a plan to save their beloved shop, Sadie realises that she might just be learning to live again. Could it be that new beginnings are just round the corner? The campaign also finds Riley unexpectedly crossing paths with charming photographer, Ethan. Maybe her second chance at love is right under her feet … A delightfully romantic tale of love, friendship and putting your best foot forward, for fans of Carole Matthews and Amanda Prowse. 5/5 Well Marcie Steele has done it again. This is now the 3rd book I have read by this author and just like the other two books, I loved this one. Right from early on, you just know that you are slowly being dragged into the story. It's almost like Hedworth is the town where you live, that you know Riley, Sadie and Dan because you've been in the shop a million times. It really does make you believe. I just loved the way the story went. It's a real feel good book. Friendship, love, romance but not all plain sailing, there are a few ups and downs thrown in for good measure. The weather is improving, the sun is popping it's head out a little more, this is one of those books you can go out in the garden with and get lost into it. (the book not the garden). It's down to Riley and her gang at the struggling shoe shop to get sales and profits up, not easy when the shop doesn't cater for the people it needs to. Can Riley and her trusty work mates get things turned around and keep the shop going. Well you'll have to read it and find out. I don't want to spoil any of the story for anyone, so what else can I say other than, You really do need to buy this book and read it. And if you Haven't read the other two, then you might as well treat yourself and get those at the same time. After all it's nearly summer and we all need that feel good factor, and you will certainly get it from these books. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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