**Weekly Wrap Up**

Have I got news for you, I hope you are sitting comfortable as I’m sure my news will shock some of you! I’m thrilled to report I’ve read three books this week, and still managed to fit in a 39 hour working week! I surprised myself this week and may have to go and have a lie down to get over the shock now I’ve shared my book news with you all 😂😂

Books I read this week

The Detriment by David Videcette

The Betrayed by Casey Kelleher

The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne

I’m just starting a fourth book which I’m really excited about for so many reasons, it’s going to be a first for the book review café and I’m so excited but also very nervous about it,  but for now my lips are sealed 🤐🤐

Book post I received this week

Book description

A happy child.

Every parent knows the world can be scary. Lawyer Jen Sutton knows it better than most. And she’ll go to any length to protect her son from what – and who – lies outside their front door.

A loving mother.

Some might say she’s being over-protective. But isn’t it a mother’s duty to protect her child from harm?

A family built on a lie.

Jen has kept her secrets safe. Until the postcard arrives, signed by the one person she hoped would never catch up with her… and her new case begins to feel a little too close to home.

One thing is clear: Jen has been found.

Now, she faces a choice. Run, and lose everything? Or fight – and risk her son discovering the truth.

 

Book description

Losing the trial of his life could mean losing everything.

When a young reporter is found dead and a prominent Philadelphia businessman is accused of her murder, Mick McFarland finds himself involved in the case of his life. The defendant, David Hanson, was Mick’s close friend in law school, and the victim, a TV news reporter, had reached out to Mick for legal help only hours before her death.

Mick’s played both sides of Philadelphia’s courtrooms. As a top-shelf defense attorney and former prosecutor, he knows all the tricks of the trade. And he’ll need every one of them to win.

But as the trial progresses, he’s disturbed by developments that confirm his deepest fears. This trial, one that already hits too close to home, may jeopardize his firm, his family—everything. Now Mick’s only way out is to mastermind the most brilliant defense he’s ever spun, one that will cross every legal and moral boundary.

Book description

Punk rocker, bird nerd and book lover Rob Bell had a full, happy life. He had a loving wife, a big-bottomed dog named Daisy and a career as a respected science journalist. But beneath the carefully cultivated air of machoism and the need to help other people, he struggled with mental health and a drug addiction that began as a means to self-medicate his illness. In 2015, he ended his life in New Zealand on a winter’s night.

But what happened? How did a middle-class Catholic boy from the suburbs, who had an ocean of people who loved him, and a brain the size of a planet, end up dying alone by his own hand? How did it get to this point?

In the search to find out about the man she loved, and how he arrived at that desperate, dark moment, Poorna Bell, Executive Editor of The Huffington Post UK, went on a journey spanning New Zealand, India and England to discover more about him.

A month after his death, she shared her personal tragedy in an open letter to Rob on the site, which went on to be read by hundreds of thousands of people across the world. This is Poorna’s story, not only of how she met the man of her dreams and fell in love, but also Rob’s story and how he suffered with depression since childhood and had secretly been battling addiction as a means to cope with the illness.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 and a staggering 1 in 4 of us will experience mental illness disease at some point in our lives, but the stigma surrounding mental health means that millions still suffer in silence.

Chase the Rainbow is an affecting, poetic, and deeply personal journey which teaches to seek hope and happiness, even in the most tragic of circumstances. Shattering the stigma surrounding depression and suicide, Poorna Bell challenges us talk about what we most fear, and to better understand the personal struggles of those closest to us.

I haven’t requested any ARC’s from Netgalley as my percentage is 82% and I hope to read a few more from my pile and get it higher, until them I’m still on a self imposed book buying ban and I think this is the third week I haven’t bought any books! But I’m sure I will more than make up for it at some point.

Last week on the book review café

Good Girl Gone by KT Finch #MiniReview | The Book Review Café
https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/06/16/good-girl-gone-by-kt-finch-minireview/

#TopFiveThursday With #BookBlogger Dee aka noveldeelights @BookaholicDee | The Book Review Café
https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/06/15/topfivethursday-with-bookblogger-dee-aka-noveldeelights-bookaholicdee/

Each Little Lie by Tom Bale #BookReview @tOmbale @bookouture | The Book Review Café
https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/06/14/each-little-lie-by-tom-bale-bookreview-tombale-bookouture/

The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards #BookReview @mredwards | The Book Review Café
https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/06/12/the-lucky-ones-by-mark-edwards-bookreview-mredwards/

Next week on the book review café

**Blog tour** The Woman In The Wood #BookReview and content

The Betrayed by Casey Kelleher #BookReview

The Detriment by David Videcette #BookReview

#TopFiveThursday

**Weekly Wrap Up**

I’ve managed to read one book this week, shocking I know (holds head in shame) my usual problem ………

Need I say anymore!!!

I have two more blog tour books to read and then I’m going to spend the next few months catching up on books from my TBR pile that I’m desperate to get to. I really need to read some books to review for my blog, as all the books I’ve read recently are for blog tours so I can’t share them just yet.

Personally I feel I’ve constantly been reading books for blog tours (my own fault for agreeing to so many) over the last couple of months, and it’s slightly spoilt my enjoyment of reading, don’t get me wrong I’ve read some really amazing books, but it would be nice to pick up a book that doesn’t have to be read by a certain date.

What I’m reading next

 

I’m really looking forward to reading The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins. 

ARC I received this week

I have been really good and only requested one book on NetGalley, and it’s one I’m desperate to read so I’m one happy bunny 🐰

 

Book description

Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs in this dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffery Deaver called, “A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind.”

For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.

As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.

With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.

Book description

An electrifying novel about the primal and unyielding bond between a mother and her son, and the lengths she’ll go to protect him.

The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours–the entire scope of the novel–she keeps on running.

Suddenly, mother and son are as trapped as the animals. Joan’s intimate knowledge of this place that filled early motherhood with happy diversions–the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines–is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger.

Books I bought this week

Book description

On a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing.

In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness

Detective Inspector Luc Callanach has barely set foot in his new office when Elaine’s missing persons case is escalated to a murder investigation. Having left behind a promising career at Interpol, he’s eager to prove himself to his new team. But Edinburgh, he discovers, is a long way from Lyon, and Elaine’s killer has covered his tracks with meticulous care.

It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined.

Book description

From a bold new voice in international crime fiction, a chilling debut in which two detectives must hunt down a vengeful killer–and uncover the secret that ties each of them to the crime

A six-year-old girl is found in the Norwegian countryside, hanging lifeless from a tree with a jump rope around her neck. She is dressed in strange doll’s clothes. Around her neck is an airline tag that says “I’m traveling alone.”

A special homicide unit in Oslo re-opens with veteran police investigator Holger Munch at the helm. Holger’s first step is to persuade the brilliant but haunted investigator Mia Krüger to come back to the squad–she’s been living on an isolated island, overcome by memories of her past. When Mia views a photograph of the crime scene and spots the number “1” carved into the dead girl’s fingernail, she knows this is only the beginning. She’ll soon discover that six years earlier, an infant girl was abducted from a nearby maternity ward. The baby was never found. Could this new killer have something to do with the missing child, or with the reclusive Christian sect hidden in the nearby woods?

Mia returns to duty to track down a revenge-driven and ruthlessly intelligent killer. But when Munch’s own six-year-old granddaughter goes missing, Mia realizes that the killer’s sinister game is personal, and I’m Traveling Alone races to an explosive–and shocking–conclusion.

Book description

Zoe Whittaker is living a charmed life. She is the beautiful young wife to handsome, charming Wall Street tycoon Henry Whittaker. She is a member of Manhattan’s social elite. She is on the board of one of the city’s most prestigious philanthropic organizations. She has a perfect Tribeca penthouse in the city and a gorgeous lake house in the country. The finest wine, the most up-to-date fashion, and the most luxurious vacations are all at her fingertips.

What no one knows is that five years ago, Zoe’s life was in danger. Back then, Zoe wasn’t Zoe at all. Now her secrets are coming back to haunt her. As the past and present collide, Zoe must decide who she can trust before she—whoever she is—vanishes completely.

Book description

Following on from the bestselling The Seven Sisters and The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister is the third book in Lucinda Riley’s spellbinding series, loosely based on the mythology of the Seven Sisters star cluster.

Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father – the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star – the most enigmatic of the sisters – is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world . . .

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter, when machinations outside of her control lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society’s most notorious players, Alice Keppel. Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a game – the rules of which are only known to others, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life . . .

As Star learns more of Flora’s incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

 Book description

Who do you believe?

In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack.

She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, it is not only the victim’s life that is changed forever.

Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear.

And while Laura knows she was right to speak out, the events that follow have taught her that you can never see the whole picture: something – and someone – is always in the dark…

Last week on the book review café

My book of the month

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/01/my-book-of-the-month-april-2017/

The One Man by Andrew Gross #Review

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/02/the-one-man-by-andrew-gross-bookreview/

Cover reveal The Detriment by David Videcette 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/02/coverreveal-the-detriment-by-david-videcette-davidvidecette-thedetriment/

Their Lost Daughters by Joy Ellis

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/03/their-lost-daughters-by-joy-ellis-bookreview/

#TopFiveThursday with Sam aka cluesandreviews

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/04/topfivethursday-with-bookblogger-sam-cluesandreviews/

Dead To Me by Lesley Pearse #Review 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/04/dead-to-me-by-lesley-pearce-bookreview-lesleypearce-michaeljbooks-lovelesley/

Block 46 by Johana Gustwasson 

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/05/06/blog-tour-block-46-by-johana-gustawasson-bookreview-orendabooks-jogustawasson/

Next week on the book review café

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens #Review

**Blog tour** child Taken by Darren Young #Review

#TopFiveThursday with another awesome blogger

And lastly I hope you don’t mind me sharing this but the book review café has hit 8,000 + followers, that’s across my blog, FB and Twitter  I’m not sure how or why I’ve gained so many followers, but I must admit I’m thrilled to bits as when I started up my blog I never really thought anyone would actually follow me.

So I would like to say a big thank you to followers old and new for following me. To fellow bloggers who constantly share and comment on my posts you guys rock. I shall be hosting a giveaway at some point to celebrate the occasion, so keep your eyes peeled.

 

 

Dead To Me by Lesley Pearse #BookReview @LesleyPearse @MichaelJBooks #LoveLesley

Today I’ve been asked to share my review of Dead To Me by Lesley Pearse, which I posted on my blog.  Today Dead To Me is published in paperback.  I’m a huge fan of this author so I was very happy to oblige.

Lesley Pearse is the author of 24 incredible novels, with over 10 million copies sold world-wide, Lesley is a masterful storyteller, weaving gripping storylines and unforgettable characters.

Book description

Spring 1935. Two girls meet by chance on Hampstead Heath. To an outsider, they could not appear more different. Verity is well-mannered and smartly dressed, living with her parents in a beautiful house close to the heath. Ruby is dishevelled and grubby, used to a life of squalor where she is forced to steal to survive. Yet there’s an instant affinity between them, and when their fortunes are shockingly reversed, it is the strength of their friendship that keeps them resilient to the challenges and hardships they face.

As Britain prepares for war, Ruby finds herself in Devon with the world at her feet and enjoying her first taste of romance. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Verity is forced to leave behind everything she has ever known and a shadow from the past threatens her chances of a new beginning. But through it all, the girls are always there for each other. Until the day Verity does the one thing that will break Ruby’s heart.

In a country torn apart by fighting, will Verity and Ruby survive long enough to find a way back to each other? Or do some betrayals go with you to the grave . . .?

Despite being a huge crime and thriller fan, (I would say 95% of the books I read are of this genre), I do love a Lesley Pearse book, I’ve read every and I mean every book she has ever written and she never fails to let me down. Dead To Me begins in spring 1935 and tells the story of Verity and Ruby, Its suffice to say the book description tells you all you need to know.

This is a story of friendship, resilience, challenges, hardship and most importantly the bond between two friends. Lesley Pearce has an extraordinarily talent, she is able to create such well developed characters you feel like you actually know them inside out, by the time I reached the end of Dead To Me I felt like I was saying “goodbye” to old friends. As Verity and Ruby suffer one traumatic event after another I felt so many emotions I laughed, I cried and felt so much empathy for these two characters, as I rooted for them to find their “happy ever after”.

Lesley Pearce always delivers on the plot, her story lines are well developed and flow seamlessly, rich in detail Dead To Me transports you first to the 1930’s and then to the blitz. I was captivated by the story of Verity and Ruby, as we follow their journey to adulthood, they face adversity that will test their friendship to the limits. Different as chalk and cheese Verity and Ruby life’s are changed dramatically by circumstances they have no control over, through tragedy and heartache, their friendship goes through many phases, which adds a sense of authenticity to both characters and their relationship. This is fairly long book at 512 pages, but it certainly never felt like it, as I found Dead To Me to be a compelling read, yes some parts of the story were predictable, but this in no way distracted from my enjoyment of this novel.

I really enjoyed this compelling story, the plot has plenty of depth to it with some suspense thrown it. Dead To Me is a heart-warming and evocative tale that is a real delight to read, if you are looking for a book to escape the demands of every day life for a few hours I would highly recommend you read Dead To Me.

Hardcover: 512 pages

Publisher: Michael Joseph (14 July 2016)

Amazon UK 🇬🇧         Amazon US 🇺🇸

Dead To Me by Lesley Pearce

Book Description

Spring 1935. Two girls meet by chance on Hampstead Heath. To an outsider, they could not appear more different. Verity is well-mannered and smartly dressed, living with her parents in a beautiful house close to the heath. Ruby is dishevelled and grubby, used to a life of squalor where she is forced to steal to survive. Yet there’s an instant affinity between them, and when their fortunes are shockingly reversed, it is the strength of their friendship that keeps them resilient to the challenges and hardships they face.

As Britain prepares for war, Ruby finds herself in Devon with the world at her feet and enjoying her first taste of romance. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Verity is forced to leave behind everything she has ever known and a shadow from the past threatens her chances of a new beginning. But through it all, the girls are always there for each other. Until the day Verity does the one thing that will break Ruby’s heart.

In a country torn apart by fighting, will Verity and Ruby survive long enough to find a way back to each other? Or do some betrayals go with you to the grave . . .?

Despite being a huge crime and thriller fan, (I would say 90% of the books I read are of this genre), I do love a Lesley Pearse book, I’ve read every and I mean every book she has ever written and she never fails to let me down. Dead To Me begins in spring 1935 and tells the story of Verity and Ruby, Its suffice to say the book description tells you all you need to. This is a story of friendship, resilience, challenges, hardship and most importantly the bond between two friends. Lesley Pearce has an extraordinarily talent, she is able to create such well developed characters you feel like you actually know them inside out, by the time I reached the end of Dead To Me I felt like I was saying “goodbye” to old friends. As Verity and Ruby suffer one traumatic event after another I felt so many emotions I laughed, I cried and felt so much empathy for these two characters, as I rooted for them to find their “happy ever after”.

Lesley Pearce always delivers on the plot, her story lines are well developed and flow seamlessly, rich in detail Dead To Me transports you first to the 1930’s and then to the blitz. I was captivated by the story of Verity and Ruby, as we follow their journey to adulthood, they face adversity that will test their friendship to the limits. Different as chalk and cheese Verity and Ruby life’s are changed dramatically by circumstances they have no control over, through tragedy and heartache, their friendship goes through many phases, which adds a sense of authenticity to both characters and their relationship. This is fairly long book at 512 pages, but it certainly never felt like it, as I found Dead To Me to be a compelling read, yes some parts of the story were predictable, but this in no way distracted from my enjoyment of this novel.

I really enjoyed this compelling story, the plot has plenty of depth to it with some suspense thrown it. Dead To Me is a heart-warming and evocative tale that is a real delight to read, if you are looking for a book to escape the demands of every day life for a few hours I would highly recommend you read Dead To Me.

Hardcover: 512 pages

Publisher: Michael Joseph (14 July 2016)

Amazon UK

**Weekly Wrap Up**

This week I have managed to finish one book, read another and start on my third so not to bad a week for reading

All Fall Down by Tom Bale

I absolutely loved this book, and I would love to share my review unfortunately you will have to wait until the 4th September, as I’m one of the bloggers on the blog tour.

They All Fall Down by Cat Hogan

A promising debut which I enjoyed, my review will be live next week

Portraits Of The Dead by John Nicholl

Book post I received this week

The Wharf Butcher by Michael K Foster

Arc’s I’ve received this week

I tried to keep away from NetGalley this week and failed miserably …..oh well there’s always next week 😂😂

Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow

The Taken by Casey Kelleher

Before I Let You In by Jenny Blackhurst

Hide and Seek DI Helen Grace 6 by M.J. Arlidge

Books I’ve bought

I bought three books this week……..

Cut by Marc Rabbe

The House on Cold Hill by Peter James

Bad Blood by Julie Shaw

 

Last week on The Book Review Café

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/08/12/the-forgotten-woman-by-angela-marsons-review/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/08/11/cover-reveal-inside-the-whispers-by-a-j-waines/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/08/11/topfivethursday-with-bookblogger-david-baird/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/08/09/nina-is-not-ok-by-shappi-khorsandi-review/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/08/08/author-interview-with-cat-hogan-author-of-they-all-fall-down-blogtour/

Next week on The Book Review Café

Review for They All Fall Down by Cat Hogan

Review for Dead To Me by Lesley Pearce

#TopFiveThursday with Clair Boor

**Blog tour** Blood Sisters by Dreda Say Mitchell, author interview

Blogging news from The Book Review Café

Author Tom Bale tried to lead me astray when I moaned on Twitter I couldn’t read All Fall Down in one sitting as I had to go to work.

 

And what a fabulous end to the week Christie Barlow included me in her Thank you’s, along with some really brilliant bloggers, in her new book Lizzie’s Christmas Escape.

**Weekly Wrap Up**

Panic over after struggling to read one book last week I have redeemed myself and read FOUR books this week, and I’m giving myself the biggest pat on the back because I exactly managed to read three of the books that were off my TBR pile

The Opticians Wife By Betsy Reavley

Watching Edie By Camilla Way

Unravelled Anna Scallon

Dead To Me by Lesley Pearce

Book post I received this week

The Moment She Left by Susan Lewis.

After Isabella by Rosie Fiore

Blood Wedding by Pierre Lemaitre

Arc’s I’ve received this week

I know I put myself on a NetGalley ban and I did managed a WHOLE WEEK, before I requested any more books!

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva

The book description reminded me of The Hunger Games, which I loved, and thought it would make a change from my usual reads.

I also got sent a widget from author Mark Edwards for his new book, which I can’t wait to read

The Devil’s Work by Mark Edwards

 

Books I bought this week

I bought three books this week

The Paradise Trees by Linda Huber

For The Last Time by Janet Kelly, I bought this book after reading Anne’s review over on
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/ the book description and Anne’s review intrigued me

The Game You Played by Anni Taylor

Last week on The Book Review Café

**Blog Tour** Outside Looking In by Michael Wood You can see my review here

**Guest Post** by Dane Cobain author of Former.ly The Rise And Fall Of A Social Network

You can read Dane’s Guest Post here

**Blog Tour** Made To Be Broken by Rebecca Bradley You can read my review here

Next week on the book review café

It’s going to be a really busy week with plenty going on

Blog Tour All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

Blog Tour The Stepmother by Claire Seeber

#TopFiveThursday with #BookBlogger Tracy Shephard

The Opticians Wife by Betsy Reavley, review

Unravelled by Anne Scanlon, review

Guest Post from Linda Huber author of Chosen Child

Blogging news from The Book Review Café

I’ve been trying think of a new feature I could run on my blog, and eventually I came up with #TopFiveThursday featuring bloggers (everyone loves to know more about blogger’s right? Well I do anyway) basically I ask the following questions & bloggers give me their answers simple eh? I’m not sure how often it will run, I’m hoping it will be a weekly post, and run for as long as I have bloggers to feature, so If you would like to take part please answer the following questions and send your answers to……..lorrugs@btinternet.com

Top 5 books this year (so far)?

Top 5 authors you think everyone should read?

Top 5 books you want to read before the end of 2016?

Top 5 blogging tips that you would give to new bloggers?

Top 5 book blogs you follow? (not that you are likely to….. but don’t include me in your 5 top blogs 😂😂, as I want to help promote as many bloggers as possible)

It would be great if you could send a small bio about yourself and a photo, and also a link to your blog and any other social media links you would like me to include.