📖 Book Review ~ The Lucky Winners by K L Slater

Michael Joseph
14 August 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book

 

When Merri and Dev buy a ticket on the last day of a national draw to win the house of their dreams, they never, in a million years, expect to win.

Less than a week later, they’re receiving the keys to their new Lake District mansion.

For Dev, it’s a dream come true – no more stressful rent negotiations, or waiting for the landlord to finally fix the damp. Of course he’s delighted to be interviewed about their good luck.

But Merri feels a little uneasy. Dev doesn’t realise there’s a reason she’s never wanted to put down roots, always trying to run away from the memories of what happened the day her little sister died.

At first it’s easy to think she’s imagining the shadowy figures in the lakefront garden. It’s silly to think that someone is watching her through the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

And then a body is found in the lake. And Merri’s new perfect life is about to come crashing down..

📖 My Review..

We’ve seen the adverts on television enticing us to purchase a ticket for the chance to win a dream house in an idyllic landscape. When Dev purchases such a ticket as an anniversary gift for his wife he does so with no thought of actually winning but fate has a fickle way of interfering in lives and to their surprise Dev and Merri do win the dream house in the Lake District however, as they discover, to their cost, that all is not as it seems in this dream paradise.

The author has done a great job of exploring the pitfalls of moving into a property which doesn’t feel remotely like home and with a local community who are both resentful and suspicious of Ben and Merri’s good fortune. All credit to Dev and Merri they really do try to settle in but with secrets from Merri’s past threatening to spill into her new life there is a deep sense of unease which gains momentum as this complex story moves forward. The author has done a great job of building up the tension and introducing characters who are intent on their own agenda. I enjoyed the sections which explained Merri’s backstory which added a different dynamic to what is an effective psychological thriller.

About the Author

Kim is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village.

X @KLSlaterAuthor #TheLuckyWinners

X @MichaelJBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~ Double Stakes by Alison Morton

20 May 2025

Mélisende Thriller #3

My thanks to the author for the book

and the invitation to the blog tour 

 

June is the National Crime Reading Month and I am pleased to share my review of this crime novel by Alison Morton…

A kidnapped daughter. A rigged election. A family under siege.

Former French special forces intelligence analyst Mélisende is desperate for recovery time after a gruelling mission. But when enforcers attack her family home in rural France, she uncovers a shocking truth – her sister-in-law’s gambling debt has put them all in danger.

Before Mel can untangle the crisis, she is ordered to Germany, where the daughter of Achim Nessler – the front-runner for chancellor – has been abducted. The kidnappers’ goal? To force Nessler to throw the upcoming election, paving the way for a hard-right victory that could upend not just Germany, but all of Europe.

Racing against time, Mel and fellow investigator Jeff McCracken dive into the murky world of extremist politics where old wounds and new betrayals collide. But as their hunt leads them deep into eastern Germany’s shadows, Mel discovers a chilling link between the case and her own family’s troubles.

Now, with both a nation’s future and her loved ones at stake, Mel must risk everything to stop a conspiracy that hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

📖 My Review…

Mélisande des Pittone’s peaceful retreat at her family home in France is shattered when she discovers that her sister-in-law’s behaviour has put them all in grave danger. However, before Mel can investigate further she is ordered to take charge of a complex investigation in Germany where the daughter of the man who is in line to be the next chancellor has gone missing. Together with her partner, Jeff McCracken, Mel discovers that nothing about this investigation is going to be straightforward and with particular problems from extremist far right political groups both Mel and Jeff soon discover that the case is far more complex than either of them could ever have imagined. 

Cleverly written, with a realistic sense of time and place, and plenty of believable action, we are plunged deep into the complicated world of European political activism and the extremist behaviour of individuals who will stop at nothing to get what they want. With tensions running high in this fast action thriller, we are plunged deep into a shadowy world where prejudicial doctrine flourishes. There are twists and turns aplenty and as Mel and Jeff edge closer to the truth so a very dangerous threat starts to become very personal for Mel and her family.

Whilst Double Stakes in the third book in the Mélisande Thriller series it is possible to read as a standalone story however, for better enjoyment, and to observe the character progression, it is better to enjoy this excellent series from the very beginning.

About the Author

Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. She lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her latest three contemporary thrillers, Double Identity, Double Pursuit and Double Stakes. 

Her eleven-book Roma Nova thriller series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue.

Six years’ military service, a fascination with Ancient Rome and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction have inspired her writing. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.

For the latest news, subscribe to her newsletter at https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/ and receive 'Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’ as a thank you gift.

Social Media Links

Connect with Alison on her World of Thrillers site: https://alison-morton.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

Alison’s writing blog: https://alisonmortonauthor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonmortonauthor/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton

Alison’s Amazon page: https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alisonmortonauthor

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/alisonmorton.bsky.social

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/alison_morton  @alison_morton

Newsletter sign-up: https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/

📖 Blog Tour ~ Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy

Bantam Books/ Transworld
8 May 2025

My thanks to Sophie Ransom PR for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

A propulsive rollercoaster high concept international thriller which dares to take the world to the edge of oblivion.

THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS JUST SAID GOODNIGHT.

On the anniversary eve of the 9/11 terror attack, New York swelters under a heat dome of record temperatures. Even the global leaders assembled at the UN HQ are forced to admit that the climate crisis has reached boiling point and the world’s time is running out.

That same day, at precisely 5:25 p.m., everyone on Manhattan Island – every man, woman and child, including all the world leaders at the UN – falls unconscious. Everyone that is, except for Samantha Rossi, a single mother reeling from devastating personal news and Nick Lockwood, a wounded NYPD detective who wakes from a coma just as the City That Never Sleeps falls into one.

📖 My Review..

Literally, in the blink of an eye, at 5:25pm on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary the entire island of Manhattan goes to sleep. Four million people fall, and remain where they fell, be that on the pavement or at their desk in an office block or whilst walking in the street and as Manhattan goes eerily silent there are only a handful of eco-warriors who know precisely what is going on and they are about to put their ambitious plan into action.

The story hits the ground running and doesn’t let up pace until the whole of this clever plot is revealed. With  a real sense of time and place Manhattan, lost in time, becomes another fascinating character in this daring story and I followed with a real sense of trepidation watching as the plot unfolded and the perpetrators started to reveal their true personalities. There’s a real sense of disquiet, rather like the deserted streets of our towns and cities during the recent global pandemic, an otherworldliness starts to evolve, with streets and building littered with bodies, there’s a glimpse of a futuristic world which could, however frightening it seems, be just around the corner.

This is a really accomplished thriller, from its scarily realistic setting, to the well thought out characters particularly those of the terrorists and also Samantha Rossi and Nick Lockwood who become real champions and who under normal circumstances would never have met and interacted. I flew through the story in a couple of sittings, reluctant to leave the sleeping Manhattan to its own devices and fascinated to see what would happen next in this fast action thriller.

Beautifully written, with such incredible and believable detail, I can well imagine Manhattan Down being picked up and made into a movie, it really is that good.

About the Author

Michel Cordy is the best selling author of 6 high concept thrillers, including the Sunday Times international bestseller The Messiah Code, The Lucifer Code  and the Sunday Times best seller, The Miracle Strain.  Having taken time off from writing novels to work in film, Michael Cordy is back with Manhattan Down. His novels have been translated into several languages and four have been sold to Hollywood. Michael lives in London with his wife and daughter.

X @MichelCordy #ManhattanDown

X @TransworldBooks

X@soph_ransompr

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Trap by Ava Glass

 

Penguin
1 August 2024

Alias Emma #3

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Edinburgh. The 50th annual G7 Summit is being hosted by the UK, and intelligence agent Emma Makepeace, has less than a week to decode, defuse and disable a deadly threat to the leaders of the free world

The Russians are in town and Emma and her team know a high-profile assassination is being planned. But who is their target? And who is the assassin?

There is only one way to find out. Emma must set a trap using herself as bait.

From the majesty of the Scottish Highlands to Europe’s most lavish hotels, using private jets, phone taps, and her training and instincts honed by three years hunting Russian spies, Emma Makepeace must trick her way into the moneyed, champagne-fuelled playground of the super-rich in order to trap the killer.

But Emma doesn’t count on liking her target, or the fact that he might actually fall for her, and with the clock ticking and her cover wearing increasingly thin, danger looms over her. One false move and they could both be dead.

📖 My Review...

The 50th annual G7 Summit is being held in Edinburgh and Emma Makepeace and the secret intelligence organisation she works for is on high alert, especially when information reaches them that there is an assassination attempt being planned. With time running out Emma takes on one of her most challenging cases, placing herself, and others, in grave danger.

What I enjoy most about this series, and this is now the third book, is the way the author weaves together very plausible scenarios so that right from the start you get pulled into a dangerous plot which will have you on the edge of your seat. Emma Makepeace is a feisty and determined character, she doesn’t suffer fools and is rarely found relying on anyone, and yet in this story, I think we see something of a softer side to her, however, letting her guard down is never really an option.

Whilst The Trap continues the series with characters we have met before, it was good to have new people added into the mix, altering the dynamic and adding an interesting layer to this exciting thriller. The action moves really quickly, from Edinburgh, to Europe in an exciting story which hits the ground running from the very start and doesn’t let up on the action until the very last page. Leaving the story on something of a cliffhanger, I am hopeful that we will meet again with Emma Makepeace in further thrilling adventures, I can’t wait for more…😊

About the Author

The Trap follows Ava Glass’ debut spy thriller The Chase and her critically acclaimed 2023 thriller The Traitor, which was a Grazia Book of the Month, Sunday Times Book of the Year, Washington Post Book of the Year, Cosmopolitan Book of the Year, and Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

Film rights to The Chase and The Traitor have been acquired by the producers of The Night Manager, who are currently working on a pilot, now in the final stages. Next step will be casting!

One of very few women shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the UK’s spy fiction prize, and one of the vanishingly few female authors writing about spies, Ava Glass is breaking down the door to the most male dominated genres in the English language – the espionage novel.

Ava Glass’ fiction is based on her first-hand experience working with female spies for the British government, which has seen her dubbed “the new queen of spy fiction” by The Guardian. This alongside a decade working as an investigative journalist and crime reporter in America covering homicides for publications including the New York Times and Reuters makes her writing both fresh and dangerously believable.

Social Media

X @avaglassbooks #TheTrap

#QueenofSpyFiction #SummerReads 

#BestBookForSummer #Couldntputitdown

@PenguinBooksUK #cornerstonepress

The Trap by Ava Glass is published by Penguin in Paperback (£9.99)

 

📖 Book Review ~ The Trial by Jo Spain

Quercus
25 April 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

2014, Dublin: at St Edmunds, an elite college on the outskirts of the city, twenty-year-old medical student Theo gets up one morning, leaving behind his sleeping girlfriend, Dani, and his studies - never to be seen again. With too many unanswered questions, Dani simply can't accept Theo's disappearance and reports him missing, even though no one else seems concerned, including Theo's father.

Ten years later, Dani returns to the college as a history professor. With her mother suffering from severe dementia, and her past at St Edmunds still haunting her, she's trying for a new start. But not all is as it seems behind the cloistered college walls - meanwhile, Dani is hiding secrets of her own.

📖 My Review..

It’s the start of another ordinary day at the prestigious college where Theo Laurent and his girlfriend Dani MacLochlainn are students. Leaving Dani sleeping Theo quietly gathers together his things and disappears from her life forever. Fast forward ten years and Dani has returned to St Edmunds as a history professor, and just as determined to discover what happened to Theo all those years ago. Dani soon discovers that there is more going on at St Edmunds than she could ever have imagined. Uncovering the mystery which surrounds the college and doing her investigation means that Dani interacts with those professors who were there in her student days and finds that not all of them are as they seem.

The Trial is a compelling thriller which had me turning the pages faster to see exactly what happened to Theo in 2014. The involvement of the college in some shady dealings of its own means that there is never a dull moment in the narrative. There are twists and turns aplenty and more than enough red herrings and nefarious characters to keep you guessing. 

Taut, tight and brilliantly imagined this is Jo Spain writing at her absolute best.

About the Author

Jo Spain is the author of the bestselling Inspector Tom Reynolds series and several international No. 1 bestselling standalone novels. Her first book, With Our Blessing, was a finalist in the 2015 Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller.

Jo, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, writes TV screenplays full-time. Her first crime series was broadcast on RTE in 2018 and she's currently involved in a number of TV developments including adaptations of her own novels. In 2021, she co-wrote Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, with the Emmy award-winning David Logan (airing 2022).

Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and four young children. In her spare time (she has four children, there is no spare time really) she likes to read. Her favourite authors include Pierre Lemaitre, Jo Nesbo, Liane Moriarty, Fred Vargas and Jodi Picoult. She also watches TV obsessively.

Jo thinks up her plots on long runs in the woods. Her husband sleeps with one eye open.

X @SpainJoanne

@QuercusBooks

📖 Publication Day Review ~ The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

 

Macmillan
4 August 2022

My thanks to the publisher and Laura Sherlock PR for my copy of this book

Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance.

Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the Army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm.

This treacherous role will take Travis from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power…where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bullseye.

📖 My Review..

Travis Devine travels to work on the 6:20 train every morning. Deep in thought he glances out of the window to see a beautiful young woman take a skinny dip in a pool and therein starts a journey which will see Devine immersed in the high octane world of financial skullduggery. An ex-army veteran Devine knows how to look after himself and even though his self imposed exile working as a financial analyst for a prestigious finance company is mind numbingly boring, things are about to become a whole lot livelier when the body of a co-worker is found and Devine gets inadvertently drawn into an untidy NYPD investigation. 

With an exciting new protagonist, this high action thriller hits the ground running with a complex and volatile murder mystery which sees Devine pitting his considerable wits against a series of villains who seem determine to drag him into the investigation. However, leaving no situation unchallenged is something Devine does with serious aplomb and by bringing the shady dealings of Manhattan’s financial district to life there is never a moment when the story doesn’t pull you in. Occasionally, there were times when I had to suspend belief, after all this is fiction, however, the story kept my attention and I found, towards the latter part of the story, that  I turned the pages faster to see where it would all end. I wasn’t disappointed 😉

The 6:20 Man is a clever, sophisticated and entertaining thriller, with more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and with a likeable lead character who I rather hope we will see more of in future novels. Whilst this is a standalone thriller, the ending certainly lends itself to this being the start of an exciting new series.

🍺Best read with.. a cold beer and slices of pizza

About the Author

David Baldacci is one of the world's best selling thriller writer. He has sold over 150 million copies worldwide and his books are published in over 45 languages. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge of the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring most recently Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer , Atlee Pine and John Puller, David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US. David lives in his native Virginia.

 Twitter @davidbaldacci #The620Man

@panmacmillan

@Laurasherlock21

📖 Book Review ~ Betrayed by Roberta Kray

Sphere
18 March 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

After losing her mum in a tragic accident, Chrissy Moss fought to survive on one of the East End’s most notorious estates. When a fifteen-year-old girl disappears, hours after delivering a message for a local gang leader, the residents take the law into their own hands, causing buried secrets to resurface.

And you must fight to survive.

With rumours flying about the girl’s disappearance, the truth about Chrissy’s mother is called into question, and Chrissy begins to suspect her death was no accident: it was murder. But people on the estate are refusing to talk, and to find answers Chrissy must unravel an age-old web of deceit that runs right into the heart of London’s East End.

As Chrissy grows nearer to the truth, she unwittingly inches closer to danger. Could it be that she, like her mother, has put her trust in the wrong person?

📖 My thoughts...

Chrissy Moss and her two teenage friends are whiling away a boring Sunday afternoon when the arrival of a handsome older boy shakes them out of their lethargy. When he asks them to deliver a message, this, seemingly innocent action, sets off a chain of events which has repercussions for each of the girls' in the future but it also has links to hidden secrets which have been buried for far too long. 

Not for the faint hearted, Betrayed brings into sharp focus a rundown London estate where neither hope nor charity is allowed to linger and where poverty and abusive behaviour is considered normal. Chrissy and her friends seem to be caught in a quagmire with no escape, so when one of them goes missing, it's only a matter of time before the tinder box of unrest and disquiet goes out of control.

Filled with an abundance of twists and turns, Betrayed rolls along with gusto, cleverly moving forwards in time as we get to know Chrissy, the feisty protagonist of the story, in some detail and it is her voice which comes across loud and clear as she tries to make sense of what happened on that fateful Sunday in 1975, when her best friend went missing.

In Betrayed, the author brings to life the seamier side of life in London's East End with a sense of drama and intrigue and with a palpable tension which lasts from first page to last.

About the Author

Through her marriage to Reggie Kray, Roberta Kray has a unique and authentic insight into London’s East End. Roberta met Reggie in early 1996 and they married the following year; they were together until Reggie’s death in 2000. Roberta is the author of many previous bestsellers including No Mercy, Dangerous Promises, Exposed and Survivor.

Twitter @LittleBrownUK

📖 Publication Day Review ~ All My Lies are True by Dorothy Koomson

 

📖 Happy Paperback Publication Day 📖

 

Headline
21 January 2021

My thanks to the publishers and to EDPR for my copy of this book

Verity is telling lies... and that’s why she’s about to be arrested for attempted murder.

Serena has been lying for years... and that may have driven her daughter Verity, to do something unthinkable. 

Poppy’s lies have come back to haunt her... so will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves?

30 years ago, teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were put on trial for the murder of their teacher. Poppy was convicted. Serena walked free. 10 years after Poppy’s release from prison, and now with families of their own, both women have spent a lifetime trying to forget. But time is no healer. The story is not theirs alone; their families have lived it too. Will the truth of what happened that night ever come to light, or will the abuses of the past destroy everyone they love? A story about family, obsession and psychological abuse, it seems that everyone lies... but whose lies are going to end in tragedy?

📖 My thoughts..

Anyone who has read The Ice Cream Girls will wonder what happened to Poppy and Serena in the years following their dramatic arrest and court appearance. Thankfully the author felt that it was now time to write a sequel, even though initially she said she wouldn't, and I'm really pleased that we have in All My Lies are True a worthy continuation of this compelling story.

All my Lies are True picks up the story several years after the first story finished. Poppy is out of prison and Serena has been living her life seemingly unscathed in the intervening years. However, scars run deep, and although neither women have much contact with the other they remain ever present in each other's thoughts. The passage of time doesn't dim the connection but there is now a new generation for whom the troubles of the past are about to threaten the future. When the events of the present, and I'm not going to say what they are as that would spoil everything, start to spiral out of control then the whole sad and sorry cycle is about to start all over again.

The story is beautifully told, with a scarily realistic edge, and with central characters who get right inside your head and who you invest in from the first page. Some I liked more than others and there's one in particular I was wary of from the start but that's what makes the story so compelling, characters who you believe one minute, and then start to doubt at other times. The story is told from different timelines and several points of view, that of Verity, Serena's grown up daughter, Serena herself, and also Poppy, each of them have a story to tell and each is as compelling as the others.

All My Lies are True has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and because nothing is ever as it seems, I think, that's what makes this book such a riveting and engrossing read. My opinion is that you don't need to re-read the first book in order to get the most out of this follow up as the author gives enough back story for it all to make sense. However, if you've not done, then I do think that you would get more enjoyment if you first read The Ice Cream Girls. 

 📖  All My Lies are True by Dorothy Koomson is out in paperback today 📖 

📖About the Author 📖

Dorothy Koomson is an award-winning, global bestselling author whose novels include the Sunday Times bestsellers The Friend, That Girl from Nowhere, The Ice Cream Girls, The Woman He Loved Before, The Chocolate Run and My Best Friend’s Girl. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages with sales that exceed 2 million copies in the UK alone. Dorothy’s books are powerful, thought-provoking and compelling ‘emotional thrillers’ where moral dilemmas are central and where the complex emotions of family and friendships are explored. 

Her third book, My Best Friend’s Girl, was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads of 2006, and her novels The Ice Cream Girls and The Rose Petal Beach were both shortlisted for the British Book Awards in 2010 and 2013, respectively. A TV adaptation loosely based on The Ice Cream Girls was first shown on ITV1 in 2013. Her novels have all been Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers including That Girl from Nowhere, When I Was Invisible, The Friend and Tell Me Your Secret. Dorothy was a 2018 Quick Reads author with The Beach Wedding which was also selected as a World Book Night giveaway title in the same year, with The Ice Cream Girls a 2019 World Book Night title.

Passionate about the importance of reading and literacy, Dorothy is a regular speaker in libraries and at festivals and supports the work of the National Literacy Trust, an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy www.literacytrust.org.uk and Little Green Pig www.littlegreenpig.org.uk, a Brighton and Hove based charity that offers free writing workshops for young people in need. Dorothy lives in Brighton (well, Hove, actually) and the city is an ever-present character in her novels.

Twitter @DorothyKoomson #AllMyLiesAreTrue

@headlinepg

@ed_pr

Amazon UK

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

📖 Delighted to be sharing my book review on today's blog tour stop 📖

Bantam Press
18 January 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Random Things Tours for my invitation to the blog tour

An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother's recent engagement, she has no choice but to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it's beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous - as does her brother, Isaac.

And when they wake the following morning to discover his fiancée Laure has vanished without a trace, Elin's unease grows. With the storm cutting off access to and from the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

But no-one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they're all in...

My thoughts...

High in the Swiss Alps a new minimalist hotel opens, however, it is not without controversy, as Le Sommet sits on the footprint of what was once a rather grim sanatorium for people with tuberculosis. Local opposition runs high and there are those who would rather the hotel just didn’t exist.

Police Detective, Elin Warner and her partner, Will Riley, have been invited to the hotel to celebrate Elin’s brother’s engagement to Laure who is the assistant manger of the hotel. Emotions run high especially for Elin who is currently on extended sick leave with PTSD. When Laure goes missing, leaving no clues to her disappearance, Elin needs to draw on all her emotional, and professional, strength to try to figure out just what is going on at Le Sommet.

What then follows is a decidedly chilly story which has all the necessary elements of surprise needed for a thrilling whodunnit. The icy setting, against a snowy backdrop heightens the claustrophobic nature of the story and as Elin gets drawn deeper into the investigation, so her own insecurities start to come to the fore.

Right from the start there is an undercurrent of unease, which surrounds, not just the hotel, but also the people associated with it and when atrocious weather causes some guests and staff to be stranded at Le Sommet this creepy sense of unrest is made so much worse when a gruesome discovery is made.

The claustrophobic nature of being high in the Swiss Alps in a creepy and isolated hotel in the middle of a swirling snowstorm and with so many people staying at the hotel who have hidden agendas then you have all the right ingredients for a decidedly chilly and very atmospheric read.

The Sanatorium is a commendable debut by a talented new voice in the psychological thriller/crime fiction  genre.

About the Author

Sarah Pearse lives by the sea in South Devon with her husband and two daughters. She studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Warwick and worked in Brand PR for a variety of household brands. After moving to Switzerland in her twenties, she spent every spare moment exploring the mountains and still has a home in the Swiss Alpine town of Crans Montana, the dramatic setting that inspired her novel. Sarah has always been drawn to the dark and creepy - remote spaces and abandoned places - so when she read an article in a local Swiss magazine about the history of sanatoriums in the area, she knew she’d found the spark of the idea for her debut novel, The Sanatorium. Her short fiction has been published in a wide variety of magazines and has been shortlisted for several prizes.

Twitter @SarahVPearse #TheSanatorium

Instagram @sarahpearseauthor

@RandomTTours

Blog Tour ~ One White Lie by Leah Konen

Penguin
25 June 2020

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of this blog tour today

Imagine you've finally escaped the worst relationship of your life, running away with only a suitcase and a black eye.

Imagine your new next-door neighbours are the friends you so desperately needed - fun, kind, empathetic, very much in love.

Imagine they're in trouble. That someone is telling lies about them, threatening their livelihoods - and even their lives.

Imagine your ex is coming for you.

If your new best friends needed you to tell one small lie, and all of these problems would disappear, you'd do it, wouldn't you?

What did I think about it..

Lucy King escapes from an abusive relationship and takes shelter in a small cottage on the appropriately named Shadow Creek Road in the small community of Woodstock in the Catskills area of New York State. Despite her understandable apprehension about strangers Lucy is befriended by her neighbours, Vera and John, an odd couple whose very presence in Lucy's life gave me a scary feeling right from the start. When they make an unusual request of Lucy the tension certainly cranks up another notch on the creepy scale.

What then follows is an interesting psychological thriller which has the necessary elements of surprise whilst at the same time revealing more about Lucy's reasons for leaving behind her life and the dilemma she faces for not always telling the truth. There are twists and turns aplenty with lots to discover as you race through the pages. I enjoyed the the author's easy style of writing as she does this type of domestic thriller very well and maintains the necessary tension with sharp focus. It feels a very modern story with a set of characters who are not always very likeable, but who are believable and who lead you on a convoluted journey until the dramatic conclusion.

Most of the psychological thrillers I have read this year seem to be set in the UK so it's been a refreshing change to travel across the Atlantic to the altogether different scenario of rural Woodstock and hiking in the Catskills with Lucy, Vera and John. I was interested to discover that One White Lie is the author's debut in this genre being more known for her young adult fiction.

Just to point out that One White Lie is also know in the US as All The Broken People.

About the Author

Leah Konen is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and English literature. She is the author of several YA novels - One White Lie is her first psychological thriller. She lives in Brooklyn and Saugerties, NY, with her husband, their daughter, Eleanor, and their dog, Farley.

Twitter @leahkonen #OneWhiteLie

@MichaelJBooks

Website

Review ~ A Killing Sin by K H Irvine

Urbane Publications
4 July 2019

Would you surrender your secrets to save a life? 

London. It could be tomorrow. Amala Hackeem, lapsed Muslim tech entrepreneur and controversial comedian, dons a burqa and heads to the women's group at the Tower Hamlets sharia community. What is she doing there? 

Ella Russell, a struggling journalist leaves home in pursuit of the story of her life. Desperate for the truth, she is about to learn the true cost of the war on terror. 

Millie Stephenson, a university professor and expert in radicalisation arrives at Downing Street to brief the Prime Minister and home secretary. Nervous and excited she finds herself at the centre of a nation taken hostage. And then it gets personal. 

Friends since university, by the end of the day the lives of all three women are changed forever. They will discover if friendship truly can survive secrets and fear.

What did I think about it..

A Killing Sin is a very timely novel as it reveals a world which could so easily be our own especially in the uncertainty of our current political climate. There is much to take in and the abundance of characters and their different roles within the story take a little getting used to but once I had them placed in my imagination the story starting to move along quite quickly.

The author writes well and the plot has an modern day authenticity which helps to keep the pacing quite tight so that the twists and turns when they come feel perfectly placed to grab your attention. I liked the succinctness of the different chapters and the way we heard the different voices coming through very clearly. The three main female protagonists, whilst all friends since university now follow a very different trajectory, and it is the way that these differences coalesce which make up the crux of the novel. To say more about the plot or the outcome of the story would spoil things, but one thing I can say is that the story made me realise just how easily this complex world can spiral out of control.

It must be difficult to write a fictional story about radicalisation and the threat of terrorism without making the plot seems over-sensational and yet the author has succeeded in creating a very believable world whilst at the same time holding together a gripping and imaginative story line.

About the Author

KH Irvine grew up in Scotland and now lives near London. The book was her 50th birthday gift to herself, believing you are never too old to try something new. Her work has taken her to board rooms, universities and governments all over the world and has included up close and personal access to special forces. A Killing Sin is her first book. The second follows on a few years later as Britain moves to civil unrest with the rise of the far right as the personal and political become intertwined.

Twitter @KHIrvine #AKillingSin

@urbanebooks

Blog Tour ~ Gone by Leona Deakin

Transworld
BlackSwan
Ebook 9August
Paperback 3rd October 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my proof copy of the book
 and also to Random Things Tours for my invitation to be part of the blog tour

Four strangers are missing. Left at their last-known locations are birthday cards that read:

YOUR GIFT IS THE GAME 

DARE TO PLAY? 

The police aren’t worried – it’s just a game. But the families are frantic, and psychologist and private detective Dr Augusta Bloom is persuaded to investigate. As she delves into the lives of the missing people, she finds something that binds them all. 

And that something makes them very dangerous indeed. 

As more disappearances are reported and new birthday cards uncovered, Dr Bloom races to unravel the mystery and find the puppeteer. But is she playing into their hands?

What did I think about it...

We've probably all tried at some point one of those enticing questionnaires on social media to find out what type of personality we are and never really attach much significance to the results but as this story points out the importance of collecting data from these, seemingly innocent quizzes, can be very relevant indeed. 

In Gone people are going missing after receiving a mysterious birthday card which dares them to take part in a game. Leaving behind family, friends, work and all other personal commitments, these people are being recruited and quite simply leave everything behind, only to either resurface later ... or disappear completely.

Psychologist and private detective, Dr Augusta Bloom, gets drawn into this rather bizarre situation when a friend of her fellow investigator, Marcus Jameson's, goes missing leaving behind her young daughter. Further investigation ensues and Augusta and Marcus get drawn closer and closer into the centre of a totally perplexing mystery.

What then follows is a really thought-provoking psychological thriller which had me, on more than one occasion, on the edge of my seat. The characters are entirely plausible, some I liked more than others, for reasons which become apparent as the story progresses. I especially enjoyed getting to know more about Dr Bloom, who is quite a formidable figure, and her colleague, the enigmatic Marcus Jameson, with his MI6 background, is quite charming in his own special way. I could, quite easily, see this pairing becoming a forceful investigative duo should the author choose to continue this as a book series. 

Gone is a commendable debut novel from an exciting new talent and I can't wait to see what she writes next !

About the Author

Leona draws inspiration for her writing from her own experiences having started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police and her successful work in psychology since. She is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. This is her debut thriller.

Twitter @LeonaDeakin1 #Gone

@TransworldBooks

#RandomThingsTours

Review ~ The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine

Harper Collins
30 May 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Secrets, lies, betrayal…and murder.

Dr Kate English has it all. Not only is she heiress to a large fortune, she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career and a beautiful mansion anyone would be jealous of.

But all that is about to change. One night, Kate’s mother is found dead, murdered in her own home. And then Kate receives a message: You think you’re sad now, just wait…

Evidently, all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society, and as scandals, infidelities and betrayals are exposed, tensions rise to boiling point. The murderer could be anyone – friend, neighbour, lover, relative. And Kate is next on their list...

My Thoughts..

The writing duo who brought us The Last Mrs Parrish have once again given us a complex psychological suspense story. The enjoyment from reading these accomplished novels is that you never really know who to trust, or indeed, who is even telling the absolute truth.

The story opens after a high society funeral reuniting two friends who were once close but through circumstances have lost touch with each other. The main protagonist, Dr. Kate English seems to have it all, money, privilege and yet, she is not immune to sadness, and as the story proves, grief, loss, secrets and lies can pretty much turn your world upside down. Losing her mother in tragic circumstances haunts Kate in more ways than one and she turns to her childhood friend, Blair,  in order to make sense of what's happening in her life.

The plot is both convoluted and complex and there are many twists and turns before the final denouement and lots of people who could be suspects. The characterisation is strong and whilst some of the characters aren’t particularly likeable, they do add a sense of drama and intrigue. 

I did enjoy reading this novel, however, being honest I don't think it quite held my attention as much as  The Last Mrs Parrish, but hey, that didn't matter. The Last Time I Saw You is still a convincing psychological drama from a writing duo who mix together great ingredients for a thought provoking read.

About the Authors

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Separated by three states, they spend hours plotting via Face Time and burning up each other's emails. They attribute their ability to concoct dark story lines to the hours they spent listening to tales handed down by their Greek grandmother. Lynne lives in Milford, Connecticut. Valerie lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

Website

Twitter @LivConstantine2

@HarperCollinsUK @fictionpubteam