**Making a dent in my book shelf** #MiniReviews #BookChallenge part 1

One of my bookshelves

Like every book blogger in the country I have numerous books sat on my bookshelves I’ve been meaning to read for ages. So I decided to set myself a mini challenge and read as many books as I can from my own personal collection between now and the end of December (which December? I’m not sure yet😂🙈).

All the books mentioned were bought by myself in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise – she’s just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems…

Just one more night. Then I’ll end it. 

Alison drinks too much. She’s neglecting her family. And she’s having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up. 

Alison’s client doesn’t deny that she stabbed her husband – she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I’m watching you. I know what you’re doing. 

But someone knows Alison’s secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she’s done, and who won’t stop until she’s lost everything….

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wildfire (21 Feb. 2019)

A disturbing story of toxic relationships, manipulation, desire and betrayal, I raced through Blood Orange by debut author Harriet Tyce. I genuinely enjoy a Psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of toxic relationships. I can genuinely say I loathed every character in this book. Alison appears to have it all, but it’s not enough, here’s a woman whose hell bent on pushing the ‘self destruct’ button. 

I’m afraid I lacked empathy for Alison, mostly because of her reckless behaviour, but such is the power of the author’s writing, I ended up hoping she would find a way to turn her life round and rid herself of the unhealthy relationship She had with her husband, and her lover. The men in Alison’s life are manipulative, bullies, and unpleasant,  any woman in control of her life would see the warning signs and run for the hills! And yet I really enjoyed this book, there’s an overwhelming sense of dread, as Alison’s life begins to unravel, and the all important tension increases all the way to the hugely satisfying finale. Highly recommended to those who enjoy unsettling, dark domestic noir. 

One Last Pray For The Rays by Wes Markin 

School should be the safest place in the world. Not this winter.

Detective Michael Yorke faces his most harrowing case yet.

When 12-year-old Paul disappears from school, Yorke’s only clue is a pool of animal blood. Fearing the worst, he turns toward the most obvious suspect, recently released local murderer, Thomas Ray.

But as the snow in Salisbury worsens, Ray’s mutilated body is discovered, and Yorke is left with no choice but to journey into the sinister heart of a demented family that has plagued the community for generations. Can he save the boy? Or will the evil he discovers change him forever?

As anyone who follows my blog will know I do love a crime thriller that veers towards the dark side, and One Last Prayer by Wes Markin fitted the bill perfectly, it’s brutal, gritty with more than a touch of the macabre. One Last Prayer For The Rays opens with a hell of a bang, and from that moment on the author holds you in his clutches with a gripping story, that’s shocking, gory, and so deliciously twisted

The story centres on 12-year-old Paul Ray who disappears from school, from a distance the Ray family could be seen as a generation of pig farmers, and nothing more, but delve into their murky and flawed family tree and you will find generation upon generation of depraved psychopaths, the kind that emit evil from every pore, where violence is the norm, and remorse is a word that doesn’t feature in their vocabulary! Dysfunctional doesn’t even come close to describing this family, but one things for sure their a family you won’t forget in a hurry.  One Last Prayer For The Rays is a strong police procedure,  fast paced read that gets darker and more tangled with each turn of the page. which made for a compulsive and thrilling read.  

If you are looking for a cosy Murder mystery then this definitely isn’t the book for you, but if you’re a crime thriller whose not adverse the the occasional gory scene then this one’s definitely for you. An incredibly strong debut and one to read with the lights on. This is the first book I read by Wes Markin, but it definitely won’t be my last. 

My thanks to Shell Baker at http://bakersnotsosecret.blog for recommending One Last Prayer For The Rays to me. 

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Independently published (29 Jan. 2019)

The Holiday by T.M. Logan 

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Provence. 

But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends. 

One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined. 

Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

If you were thinking of going on holiday with your closest friends, you may want to think again! The Holiday by T. M. Logan serves as a warning that it’s just possible that your best friends could also be your worse enemies! As three families, four friends,  find out when they spend a week together in Provence. This book is very much character driven, no fast paced plot here, but it certainly made for an intriguing read, shrouded in subterfuge each member of the family has something to hide. As the author reveals secret after secret each character comes under close scrutiny, all the characters have their flaws some have very unpleasant traits, to be honest they are a pretty unlikable bunch, but never the less this also made them more intriguing.

You never quite know who to trust as Kate tries to uncover which of her friends is having affair with her husband,  and the author doesn’t help by tantalising the reader with red herrings along the way. As the temperatures in Provence increase so does the tension between the four friends, what first starts out as a simmering niggle  develops into boiling rage of emotions that ends in tragedy. The plot is an interesting one which explores themes such as secrets, parenting, loyalty and betrayal. The Holiday is the perfect summer read for those who enjoy a slow burning psychological thriller. 

• Print Length: 480 pages
• Publisher: Zaffre (25 July 2019)

 

A Woman Scorned by Jack Jordan #MiniReview @JackJordanBooks @CorvusBooks

Book description 

Are you afraid? 

You should be. 

The husband: in over his head with no way of knowing the truth.

The mistress: blinded by love, betrayed by her family…

The neighbour: will stop at nothing to protect the life he has fought to create.

The wife: a woman bent on revenge, but how far is she willing to go…?

A Woman Scorned by Jack Jordan is a short story but don’t think for one minute that this means it lacks plot detail or character development. This is a hell of a short story that packs a very devious punch. If you haven’t read a book by this author yet here is a good place to start, as you get a feel for the authors writing. One thing I love about Jack Jordan’s writing is his ability to come up with a plot that’s refreshingly original in content and brilliantly plotted.  

Told from four POV the wife, mistress, husband and neighbour each as a part to play in a story of lies, betrayal and secrets. Many psychological thrillers use these well used themed but the author has made them his own, by creating a throughly gripping story. As this is a short story I was surprised by how well the characters were developed, take Amber the wife for instance she’s cold, manipulative, but so intriguing, someone you definitely wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of! When I read a short story I sometimes find it difficult to drum up any enthusiasm for the characters, but that wasn’t  the case with A Woman Scorned, In fact I would like to see a full length book featuring Amber.

Jack Jordan wastes no time in getting to the heart of the story and using the four POV was a genius ploy, as the reader you not only get a sense of each character but the shift in characters POV also heighten the tension as the story unfolds. As psychological thrillers go I was really impressed with how much the author packed into 123 pages, there’s suspense, bucketfuls of tension with a compelling and twisted tale that made me gasp out loud a couple of times. Reading this short story had made me really excited for the authors new full length novel Before Her Eyes which is published in August 2018. 

Pre-order:   Amazon UK 🇬🇧         Amazon US 🇺🇸

Print Length: 123 pages

Publisher: Corvus (3 May 2018)

 

A Murder Of Magpies by Mark Edwards #MiniReview @mredwards

Today I’m finally sharing my review For A Murder Of Magpies, a short sequel to The Magpies which is still one of my favourite books ever. Read on for the book description and my thoughts…….

Book description

The terrifying sequel to the #1 bestseller The Magpies.

Five years ago Jamie Knight lost everything: his home, his wife and their unborn child. But at least the woman responsible, ‘Dark Angel’ Lucy Newton, was in prison, and slowly Jamie was able to rebuild his life.

But now Lucy has been freed on appeal, and before long Jamie receives a message from a desperate stranger. Lucy is up to her old tricks—ruining lives for fun.

Jamie agrees to help. But once again, he has no idea what he is getting himself into…

The Magpies was the first book I read by Mark Edwards way back in 2013 and it’s one that often springs to mind as at the time it was one of the best psychological thrillers I had read in a long time, and it’s still one of my favourite books today. So of course I had to read the sequel A Murder Of Magpies, I should point out it’s a short story and not a full length novel, but don’t let that put you off the author manages to pack a lot into this extremely terrifying sequel, and remember the old adage “good things come in small packages” well in the case of this book it’s very true.

Lucy aka ‘Dark Ange’ has been released from Prison and Jamie, despite moving half way across the world to start a new life is drawn back into her web, when he receives a desperate message from a stranger. As this is a short story Mark Edwards wastes no time in hurling the reader into Jamie’s world, from the start his hatred for his old adversary Lucy is palatable. As for Lucy she’s a psychopath without a doubt, she’s a character you would definitely not want as a neighbour, she’s calculating, manipulative and downright chilling but at the same time you can’t help being fascinated by her.

Shrouded in malice A Murder Of Magpies manages to pack a punch, it’s packed to the brim with tension, something that I find can sometimes be lacking in a short read. After reading both books there’s a lot to be said for living in a detached house, Neighbours can be your best friends or your worse enemy.  I really enjoyed this sequel and meeting up with Jamie and Lucy again, but I only wish it had been a full length novel, so if you just happen to stumble across this review Mr Edwards “more Magpies please”.

Buying links:Amazon UK 🇬🇧        Amazon US 🇺🇸

Print Length: 93 pages

Publisher: Amazon Publishing (27 Feb. 2018)

My Sweet Friend by H.A. Leuschel #MiniReview @HALeuschel

Book description

A stand-alone novella from the author of Manipulated Lives
A perfect friend … or a perfect impostor?
Alexa is an energetic and charismatic professional and the new member of a Parisian PR company where she quickly befriends her colleagues Rosie and Jack. She brings a much-needed breath of fresh air into the office and ambitiously throws herself into her new job and friendships.
But is Alexa all she claims to be?
As her life intertwines with Rosie and Jack’s, they must all decide what separates truth from fiction. Will the stories that unfold unite or divide them? Can first impressions ever be trusted?
In this original novella, H.A. Leuschel evokes the powerful hold of appearances and what a person is prepared to do to keep up the facade. If you like thought-provoking and compelling reads with intriguing characters, My Sweet Friend is for you.

I’m not a huge fan of novella’s if I’m honest and I’m going to state the obvious here and admit I find them too short! I like a book I can sink my teeth into, I like to immerse myself in the plot and it’s characters, but with a novella it’s difficult to fit such detail in to such a short read. Although every now and again I will pick one as I do feel they showcase an author’s writing so you can get a feel for their work. I read Manipulated Lies earlier this year, which I really enjoyed, so when H.A. Leauschel asked me if I would like to read My Sweet Friend a novella  I was more than happy to give it ago.

A “true” friendship is built on trust and loyalty or I would hope so! My Sweet Friend is very much a character study of Alexa who starts out being the “perfect friend” to Rosie, but it’s not long before the lies begin and the truth is distorted in fact it soon become apparent that Alexa is a pathological liar. It was interesting to see how Rosie’s personality changed once she became friends with Alexa, it’s obvious their relationship is having a negative impact on her, and you can’t help hoping Rosie will see through Alexa and end their toxic relationship.

It’s obvious from H.A. Leauschel writing she is well versed in the workings of the humans mind, Alexa makes for a very credible character, after all I’m sure we have all come across someone who lies, distorts the truth or deceives us without feeling any remorse. Although a Novella I felt this short story packed a lot in and it certainly made for an intriguing read. If I had one small criticism I think I would have liked this story to have been a full length book, as I would like to have read more about the changes and shift in power between the two friends, never the less I would recommend My Sweet Friend if you are looking for a quick and intriguing read.

Buying link: Amazon UK 🇬🇧