January 2021 Wrap-Up

Has anyone else felt as though January has just dragged? January always goes slow but this year it has really been a tough month to get through. Here in the UK we’re still in lockdown and it looks as though that’s set to continue for the next two months at least. I have made the most of my time at home by getting on with the first draft of my second book which I have now completed. The current word count is 91, 498 words. Now I need to put it away for at least a month before I look at it again. I think it’s always best to come back to it with fresh eyes. But I am really happy with what I’ve written.

At the beginning of the year I set a goal on Goodreads to read a 100 books in 2021. I have now so far read 17 books.

This month I took part in five blog tours and I’ve listed the links below in case you missed any.

The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello

Dishonoured by Jem Tugwell

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

The Captive by Deborah O’Connor

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

I have a busy month in February and I’m taking part in seven blog tours. Coming next month, I’ll be taking part in the blog tours for An Eye for An Eye by Carol Wyer on the 3rd February, The Art of Death by David Fennell on the 3rd February, Black Widows by Cate Quinn on the 5th February, Shadow of a Doubt by Michelle Davies on the 5th February The Last Snow by Stina Jackson on the 5th February, Deity by Matt Wesolowski on the 9th February and Smoke Screen by Thomas Enger and Jorn Lier Horst on the 14th February.

I received a couple of exciting books in the post this month, Future Perfect by Felicia Yap and I Know What I Saw by S.K. Sharp.

That’s all from me this month. Let me know what you’re currently reading in the comments. I’m currently reading Shiver by Allie Reynolds and Out in the Cold by Stuart Johnstone.

WWW Wednesday – 27/01/21

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What have you finished reading?
What will you read next?

What am I currently reading?

‘Girl A,’ she said. ‘The girl who escaped. If anyone was going to make it, it was going to be you.’

Lex Gracie doesn’t want to think about her family. She doesn’t want to think about growing up in her parents’ House of Horrors. And she doesn’t want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped. When her mother dies in prison and leaves Lex and her siblings the family home, she can’t run from her past any longer. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the House of Horrors into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her six siblings – and with the childhood they shared.

Beautifully written and incredibly powerful, Girl A is a story of redemption, of horror, and of love.

Intuition is everything in the police force, something that Sergeant Don Colyear knows better than most.

When a superior officer’s decision not to respond to a routine disturbance has fatal consequences, Colyear finds himself sent away from Glasgow to work in a remote Highlands town.

Despite not wanting to be there, a feeling shared by his commander, Colyear soon settles into life investigating petty crimes. But it isn’t long before he discovers something strange about the town. A string of teenage disappearances seems to have been ignored by the authorities. And when a groundsman from the local sporting estate is gruesomely murdered, Colyear suspects that long-held secrets could be coming to the surface.

As he delves further into the town’s history, it isn’t long before his own life is at risk.

What have I finished reading?

The only thing the three women had in common was their husband.
And, as of this morning, that they’re each accused of his murder.

Blake Nelson moved into a hidden stretch of land – a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah – where he lived with his three wives:

Rachel, the chief wife, obedient and doting to a fault.
Tina, the other wife, who is everything Rachel isn’t.
And Emily, the youngest wife, who knows little else.

When their husband is found dead under the desert sun, the questions pile up.
But none of the widows know who would want to kill a good man like Blake.

Or, at least, that’s what they’ll tell the police…

Everything she touches breaks . . .

Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperate to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.

So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.

But her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees that he is hiding secrets of his own.

But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easy they can be to break . . .

What will I read next?

New York, 1945. Lillian Pentecost is the most successful private detective in the city, but her health is failing. She hires an assistant to help with the investigative legwork. Willowjean Parker is a circus runaway. Quick-witted and street-smart, she’s a jack-of-all-trades with a unique skill-set. She can pick locks blindfolded, wrestle men twice her size, and throw knives with deadly precision – all of which come in handy working for Ms P.

When wealthy young widow Abigail Collins is murdered and the police are making no progress, Pentecost and Parker are hired by the family to track down the culprit. On Halloween night, there was a costume party at the Collins’ mansion, where a fortune teller performed a séance which greatly disturbed Abigail. Several hours later her body was discovered bludgeoned to death in her late husband’s office. Problem is, the door to the office was locked from the inside. There was no-one else in the room, and the murder weapon was beside the victim; the fortune teller’s crystal ball.

It looks like an impossible crime, but Pentecost and Parker know there is no such thing…

When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can’t seem to let go.

The five friends haven’t seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don’t know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.

In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor #bookreview #blogtour @cjtudor @GabyYoung

I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor on my blog today. With thanks to Gaby Young from Michael Joseph for inviting me to take part.

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500 years ago: eight martyrs were burnt to death
30 years ago: two teenagers vanished without trace
Two months ago: the vicar committed suicide

Welcome to Chapel Croft.

For Rev Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo it’s supposed to be a fresh start. New job, new home. But, as Jack knows, the past isn’t easily forgotten.

And in a close-knit community where the residents seem as proud as they are haunted by Chapel Croft’s history, Jack must tread carefully. Ancient superstitions as well as a mistrust of outsiders will be hard to overcome.

Yet right away Jack has more frightening concerns.

Why is Flo plagued by visions of burning girls?
Who’s sending them sinister, threatening messages?
And why did no one mention that the last vicar killed himself?

Chapel Croft’s secrets lie deep and dark as the tomb. Jack wouldn’t touch them if not for Flo – anything to protect Flo.

But the past is catching up with Chapel Croft – and with Jack. For old ghosts with scores to settle will never rest . . .

MY THOUGHTS

I’m a huge fan of C.J. Tudor’s writing and her latest novel, The Burning Girls, is another deliciously dark and creepy read. I really enjoyed C.J. Tudor’s last book, The Other People, so I jumped to at the chance to read her next book. It did not disappoint; I read it in just a couple of sittings. C.J. Tudor writes horror really well, and the dark tales she weaves into The Burning Girls are really chilling. If you’re a fan of C.J. Tudor, then you are in for a treat. C.J. Tudor has fast become an auto-buy author for me. I don’t even have to look at the blurb before I buy it.

I loved Jack, the main character in this book. Jack is a vicar, and she leaves her old Parish under something of a cloud, which instantly made me interested in her. When she arrives at the new village, Chapel Close, with her teenage daughter, Flo, right away the creepy vibes set in. There are stories of the burning girls, Protestant martyrs who were burned outside the church during the reign of Mary I of England. Decades earlier, two young girls also disappeared. The girls were never found, and their fates remain a mystery. But that isn’t all. The priest who preceded Jack died. It was concluded that he committed suicide, but the circumstances surrounding his death are very suspicious.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the relationship between Jack and Flo. They are very close to each other. After they first arrive, Flo makes friends with a young boy, Wriggly, who has been targeted by bullies for years. It isn’t long before Flo too finds herself at the mercy of the teenagers who have bullied Wriggly. They are some nasty individuals who will make your skin crawl.

As Jack and Flo become acquainted with their new home, they make some disturbing discoveries revealing long buried secrets. We also begin to understand just what went on in Jack’s last Parish, and we find out why she had to leave.

The Burning Girls is a really addictive read. The writing is taut, and it is chilling from the start right the way through to the end. There are some jaw-dropping twists in this book which I didn’t see coming. You need to add this book to your to be read pile. I have no doubt that this will be an instant bestseller. I can’t wait to read what C.J. Tudor writes next.

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication date: 21st January 2021

Print length: 400 pages

The Burning Girls is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR

Shadow Sands by Robert Bryndza #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the second book in Robert Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series, Shadow Sands.

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When Kate Marshall finds the body of a young man floating in the Shadow Sands reservoir, the authorities label it a tragic accident.

But the details don’t add up: why was he there in the middle of the night? If he was such a strong swimmer, how did he drown? As Kate and her assistant Tristan Harper follow the evidence, they make a far darker discovery . . .

This is only the latest victim in a series of bloody murders dating back decades. A mythic serial killer is said to hide in the rolling fog, abducting his victims like a phantom. And when another woman is taken, Kate and Tristan have a matter of days to save her from meeting the same fate.

MY THOUGHTS

Shadow Sands is the second book in Robert Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series, and once again, Robert has written a cracking thriller. Kate Marshall is a fantastic new character in the crime fiction genre. I really grew to like her in the first book in the series, Nine Elms, and I can’t wait to see where Robert takes the series next. It’s going to be really interesting, seeing how things will unfold for Kate beyond this book’s events.

Kate Marshall is a former police detective, having once worked with the Metropolitan Police in London. But her career in the police came to an end after she caught a notorious serial killer in the 1990s. Now, more than a decade later, she finds herself being pushed back into that world. During a dive with her son, Jake, her son makes a grisly discovery. The body of a young man is discovered under the water, and it is clear that he has been brutally attacked.

I really liked Kate’s relationship with her work partner, Tristan, in this book. He is going through some personal issues, which really made me feel for him. I was also glad that he had Kate as a friend, particularly when he was having difficulties with his sister. I think they’ll make a great team.

Kate doesn’t want to get involved in the investigation after her son makes discovers the body. It is only when the victim’s mother approaches her, and begs her to investigate further, does she decide to help her. It soon becomes apparent to Kate that the police have ignored abductions and potential murders which have taken place in the local area for decades. And it seems as though the police want to wrap up the current investigation. Kate is concerned that a police officer may be involved in what’s going on.

Robert Bryndza also explores Kate’s personal story further in this book. There are some chilling scenes in this section of the book. I was racing through the chapters to find out how things were going to pan out for Kate and her son. You don’t have to have read the first book in the series to understand more about what she’s gone through. But I would highly recommend that you do.

This is a very addictive crime thriller, and I really enjoyed reading it. Robert Bryndza is one of my favourite crime fiction authors, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.  

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 3rd November 2020

Print length: 317 pages

Shadow Sands is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

One By One by Ruth Ware #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the chilling new thriller by Ruth Ware, One By One.

BLURB

Snow is falling in the exclusive alpine ski resort of Saint Antoine

The shareholders and directors of Snoop, the hottest new music app, gather for a make or break corporate retreat to decide the future of the company. At stake is a billion-dollar dot com buyout that could make them all millionaires, or leave some of them out in the cold.

The clock is ticking on the offer, and with the group irrevocably split, tensions are running high. When an avalanche cuts the chalet off from help, and one board member goes missing in the snow, the group is forced to ask – would someone resort to murder, to get what they want?

MY THOUGHTS

Having enjoyed Ruth Ware’s previous novels, In a Dark Dark Wood and The Lying Game, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of One By One. I still need to catch up on some of her books which I hope to get round to doing this year. I thought this was such a tense read and I was racing through it to find out what was really going on here. It was atmospheric and really entertaining. Throughout the book, there was a menacing atmosphere which kept the tension turning up a notch.

I’ve really grown to enjoy locked room mysteries, and One By One is a really chilling one. A group of business partners have travelled to the French Alps and are staying in a luxury chalet. They are there to discuss the next proposals for their new app, Snoop, which they plan to roll out. There are already tensions among the group early on. When they venture out skiing, just before an avalanche is about to come crashing down, one of them doesn’t come back. As they try to work out what is going on and if their friend could still be alive, someone starts killing them one by one. This is when the tensions really begin to rise.

I couldn’t turn the pages in this book fast enough. The chapters are told primarily from Erin and Liz’s point of view, and they are short and snappy. One By One is definitely the kind of book which makes you think; oh I’ll just read one more chapter. As I got to know the characters, the only person I felt sympathy for was Erin. Erin works at the host and is there to accommodate the guests when they arrive, and during their stay. I didn’t like any of the individuals who were staying there. That didn’t stop me, though, from wanting to find out who the killer was. Erin finds herself in the midst of everything that is happening. Liz, the other person whose point of view the book is told from, is one of the shareholders of Snoop.

The pace doesn’t drop at all, and it keeps picking up as the novel progresses. I found it a little slow at the beginning, as the group started to arrive at the chalet, but as I got further into it, I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the isolated setting, which definitely heightens the tension. I could picture the mountains and the chalet really well in my mind. You feel as though everyone is walking around on eggshells. They know the killer could be among them, but the question is, who is it, and why are they doing this?

I really enjoyed One By One. I’m looking forward to catching up on Ruth Ware’s previous books that I have missed. If you’re looking for a chilling, highly entertaining crime thriller which will keep you hooked, then I highly recommend this book.

Publisher: Harvill & Seeker

Publication date: 12th November 2020

Print length: 384 pages

One By One is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones

The Captive by Deborah O’Connor #bookreview #blogtour @deboc77 @ZaffreBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n

I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Deborah O’Connor on my blog today, The Captive, as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

BLURB

Hannah knows the cage intimately. Small, the size of a shopping centre parking space. A bed, a basin, a table and chair. A hatch and metal drawer through which to exchange food and other items.

Then there’s him. Always there on the edges of her vision, no matter how hard she tries to block him out.

Every day, the same thoughts run through Hannah’s mind:

What if he speaks to me?
What if he hurts me?
What if he gets out?

MY THOUGHTS

I was a huge fan of Deborah O’Connor’s last novel, The Dangerous Kind, but her latest book, The Captive, is even better. If you enjoy high concept novels, then you really need to put this book on your TBR pile.

Imagine a world where prisons no longer exist. Of course, there is still a justice system. If you are found guilty of a crime, instead of carrying out your sentence in prison, you are placed under lock and key in the home of your victim’s family. If you were the victim of a crime, and if this was the new system, would you do the right thing and report it?

I raced through this book. Deborah O’Connor’s writing is very easy to sink into, and I became utterly gripped. The Captive has such a clever concept, and the very idea gave me chills. Hannah is the main protagonist. Her husband, who was a police officer, was killed several months ago. Now, Hannah is living with her husband’s killer. Her husband was a police officer with the metropolitan police. His killer is a prisoner in her home, and she is responsible for him. The justice system is designed to make the perpetrator feel remorse for their crime. By sending them to live with their victim’s family, they can see the pain and the anguish they have inflicted every single day. In this alternate version of reality, there have been attempts to revert back to the old system of using prisons. But those attempts have never been seen through.

I found it fascinating to see how Hannah would react to having her husband’s killer living in her house with her. If this were the case in the real world, the very thought would fill me with horror and dread if I was in a similar position. But as they grew accustomed to living under the same roof together, it was fascinating seeing their new relationship develop.

We get to hear from both Hannah and Jem. I really liked hearing from Jem’s perspective as well. I wanted to see how living with Hannah after murdering her husband, would have an impact on him. I also wanted to know what the reason was behind the murder. Hannah wants to know this as well, and she begins to investigate further. And Hannah is about to discover dark and disturbing details about her husband’s past, which changes everything.

Deborah O’Connor is a really exciting writer. She’s a writer who explores such unique ideas. I absolutely loved The Captive, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she writes next.

Publisher: Zaffre

Publication date: 7th January 2021

Print length: 416 pages

The Captive is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR

WWW Wednesday – 20/01/21

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What have you finished reading?
What will you read next?

What am I currently reading?

The only thing the three women had in common was their husband.
And, as of this morning, that they’re each accused of his murder.

Blake Nelson moved into a hidden stretch of land – a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah – where he lived with his three wives:

Rachel, the chief wife, obedient and doting to a fault.
Tina, the other wife, who is everything Rachel isn’t.
And Emily, the youngest wife, who knows little else.

When their husband is found dead under the desert sun, the questions pile up.
But none of the widows know who would want to kill a good man like Blake.

Or, at least, that’s what they’ll tell the police…

Snow is falling in the exclusive alpine ski resort of Saint Antoine

The shareholders and directors of Snoop, the hottest new music app, gather for a make or break corporate retreat to decide the future of the company. At stake is a billion-dollar dot com buyout that could make them all millionaires, or leave some of them out in the cold.

The clock is ticking on the offer, and with the group irrevocably split, tensions are running high. When an avalanche cuts the chalet off from help, and one board member goes missing in the snow, the group is forced to ask – would someone resort to murder, to get what they want?

What have I finished reading?

A shamed pop star
A devastating fire
Six witnesses
Six stories
Which one is true?

When pop megastar Zach Crystal dies in a fire at his remote mansion, his mysterious demise rips open the bitter divide between those who adored his music and his endless charity work, and those who viewed him as a despicable predator, who manipulated and abused young and vulnerable girls.

Online journalist, Scott King, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation, investigates the accusations of sexual abuse and murder that were levelled at Crystal before he died. But as Scott begins to ask questions and rake over old graves, some startling inconsistencies emerge: Was the fire at Crystal’s remote home really an accident? Are reports of a haunting really true? Why was he never officially charged?

Two strangers, a child, and a split second choice that will change everything . . .

Ellen was just trying to help a stranger. That was how it started: giving a few minutes respite to a flustered young mother sitting opposite her on the train. A few minutes holding her baby while the mother makes an urgent call. The weight of the child in her arms making Ellen’s heart ache for what she can never have.

Five minutes pass.
Ten.

The train pulls into a station and Ellen is stunned to see the mother hurrying away down the platform, without looking back. Leaving her baby behind. Ellen is about to raise the alarm when she discovers a note in the baby’s bag, three desperate lines scrawled hastily on a piece of paper:

Please protect Mia
Don’t trust the police
Don’t trust anyone

Why would a mother abandon her child to a stranger? Ellen is about to discover that the baby in her arms might hold the key to an unspeakable crime. And doing the right thing might just cost her everything . . .

What will I read next?

When Kate Marshall finds the body of a young man floating in the Shadow Sands reservoir, the authorities label it a tragic accident.

But the details don’t add up: why was he there in the middle of the night? If he was such a strong swimmer, how did he drown? As Kate and her assistant Tristan Harper follow the evidence, they make a far darker discovery . . .

This is only the latest victim in a series of bloody murders dating back decades. A mythic serial killer is said to hide in the rolling fog, abducting his victims like a phantom. And when another woman is taken, Kate and Tristan have a matter of days to save her from meeting the same fate.

Intuition is everything in the police force, something that Sergeant Don Colyear knows better than most.

When a superior officer’s decision not to respond to a routine disturbance has fatal consequences, Colyear finds himself sent away from Glasgow to work in a remote Highlands town.

Despite not wanting to be there, a feeling shared by his commander, Colyear soon settles into life investigating petty crimes. But it isn’t long before he discovers something strange about the town. A string of teenage disappearances seems to have been ignored by the authorities. And when a groundsman from the local sporting estate is gruesomely murdered, Colyear suspects that long-held secrets could be coming to the surface.

As he delves further into the town’s history, it isn’t long before his own life is at risk.

Cut to the Bone by Roz Watkins #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the third book in the DI Meg Dalton series by Roz Watkins, Cut to the Bone.

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A beautiful young social-media star goes missing.

But who took her?

When controversial internet celebrity Violet Armstrong vanishes in the middle of a scorching Peak District summer, the case sparks a media frenzy.

The clock is ticking for DI Meg Dalton and her team to find Violet before online threats explode into real-life violence. And then the blood and hair of a young woman are found in an empty pig trough at the local abattoir…

The more Meg finds out about this unnerving case, the more she becomes convinced that something very, very bad has happened to Violet. With temperatures rising and the press demanding answers, the case is about to take a terrifying turn…

MY THOUGHTS

Roz Watkins has become an auto-buy author for me. When I read her debut novel, The Devil’s Dice, I knew her character, DI Meg Dalton, was one I was going to want to keep coming back to. The latest book, Cut to the Bone, is another brilliant addition to this series which keeps getting better and better.

What I really like about Roz’s work, is that there is always the touch of the supernatural, which gives her books a very chilling atmosphere. And the story of the Pale Child in this book sent shivers up my spine as I was reading it. It made me want to find out more about what was really going on here and if there was any truth in the claims, or if it was just people’s imagination.

The character at the centre of Meg’s new investigation is Violet, a teenage vlogger who has gone missing. Violet has become the poster child for the meat industry. She posts videos of herself, semi-naked, while cooking with meat and has gained a large following and fan base on social media. Two storms are gathering around her disappearance. Animal rights activists are angry at Violet for how she has behaved, and some are saying she got what she deserved. Then there are Violet’s fans. They accuse the activists of having something to do with her disappearance as she was a supporter of the meat industry. Meg finds herself at the centre of this storm as she comes under fire from both sides. Soon she starts receiving threats.

This turns into a really difficult investigation for Meg and her team. They have to get to know the real Violet while angry voices shout at them from all directions. As they investigate further, they begin to find out that she isn’t quite the person who she portrayed herself to be.

When I first learnt about who Violet was, I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for her, but I grew to like her as the book progressed. I wanted Meg and her team to find the answers to her disappearance, but I kept thinking that their efforts would be undermined, by the two groups at war with each other. This is what makes the book a very tense read. Also, I worried about Meg’s safety as well, as she comes under intense scrutiny.

It’s quite a gruesome book. Some parts may make some readers uncomfortable, particularly the sections relating to the meat industry, but it does make for a very gripping read. I love Roz Watkins writing, and I love Meg’s character. There is some tension between her and her colleague, DS Jai Sanghera, who is going through a rough patch in his relationship with his girlfriend.  

I love this series, and I can’t wait to read what Roz Watkins comes up for DI Meg Dalton and her team next.

Publisher: HQ

Publication date: 25th June 2020

Print length: 416 pages

Cut to the Bone is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse #bookreview #blogtour @SarahVPearse @TransworldBooks @annecater

I’m delighted to be joining the blog tour for The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse on my blog today. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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EVERYONE’S IN DANGER. ANYONE COULD BE NEXT.

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

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse is one of the most chilling reads I’ve read. It is the perfect book to read in the winter months, maybe not one to take with you though, if you’re going on a skiing trip. The novel is set in an old sanatorium in Switzerland, recently converted into a luxury hotel. The guests who are arriving are among the first to try it out. But the plans for the hotel came under a lot of scrutiny from the locals. It took years to get the plans approved for the development to go ahead.

I absolutely loved the setting in this book. Sarah Pearse opens her novel with such a chilling prologue, which takes place five years before the main events. It is in an isolated location, and the route to the hotel is a dangerous one. I can remember one year going skiing when I was very young and having a bad experience driving to the hotel, which was almost impossible to find. One of the families who were with us nearly slid off the road. It still gives me chills thinking about that. This is what I was picturing as I read Sarah Pearse’s opening chapters.

It doesn’t get much more relaxing for the guests when they finally arrive at the hotel. They are there to celebrate the engagement of Isaac and Laure. Isaac’s sister, Elin, is a detective back in the UK. Already there is an uncomfortable atmosphere in the hotel. Some of the guests aren’t too happy with the thought of what the hotel used to be. Then Laure goes missing, which is completely out of character and unexpected. Would she really want to go off on her own when she is celebrating her engagement?

Because of the dangerous weather conditions, the Swiss Police are unable to reach them, and Elin offers to help out. However, as a UK police officer, she has no jurisdiction in Switzerland. This is when the tension begins to rise. I had suspicions about almost everyone in the book, and I really liked how Sarah Pearse wrapped everything up, concluding her story on another utterly chilling note.

The Sanatorium is a brilliant, atmospheric read which will keep you turning the pages. I couldn’t put it down, and I finished it in just two days. I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Transworld

Publication date: 4th February 2021

Print length: 391 pages

The Sanatorium is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR

Dishonoured by Jem Tugwell #bookreview #blogtour @JemTugwell @SerpentineBooks @rararesources

I’m delighted to be joining the blog tour for Dishonoured by Jem Tugwell on my blog today. With thanks to Rachel Gilbey from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part.

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WE’RE ALL ONE MISTAKE FROM RUIN…

Dan has worked hard for the perfect life. He has a loving wife, beautiful kids, a fabulous home and is a successful businessman.

One afternoon Dan steps onto his usual train and sees the waitress who served him an hour earlier. It all seemed so normal, but it was the most dreadful mistake. Four stops later, Dan is a criminal who has lost everything. He’d only just met her, so why did she destroy him―and why did she say ‘Sorry’?

Dan battles through a web of lies and deceit to clear his name and win his life back, but first, he needs to find out who plotted his downfall.

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed reading Dishonoured. It’s the first novel by Jem Tugwell which I’ve read, and it was an exhilarating ride. The storyline also felt really fresh, and I connected with the lead character, Dan, straight away. This is the kind of novel which, once you start reading, will keep you reading. The chapters are short and snappy, which make it very difficult to put down. It is utterly captivating. 

Dan has the perfect life. He earns a lot of money, providing a more than comfortable lifestyle for his wife and two children. Life couldn’t be better. But Dan’s happy life is about to come crumbling down. When he is accused of a heinous crime, it utterly breaks him. He loses his job, but more heartbreakingly, his wife and children. But Dan protests his innocence. Yet few people are willing to believe him. Dan takes it upon himself to prove it, and he is determined to do anything to get the life he once had back.

I felt desperately sorry for Dan as I was reading this book. I really felt his anger as everything he had worked so hard for in his life came tumbling down. Once the accusation had been made against him, his family and friends don’t want to know him. I wanted to know why someone would want to do this to him. I also wanted Dan to find that person and regain what he had lost.

Dan’s story made for very gripping reading. I also liked the characters who he works with to try and find the book, especially Anomaly. I liked the fact that Dan seemed to have someone on his side who was willing to help him. I didn’t like the idea of him going through this alone, especially when his wife, Felicity, had taken his children from him.

The tension never lets up as the book races towards its conclusion. I couldn’t stop turning the pages as Dan came closer and closer to finding out the truth behind the current events. And Jem Tugwell turns everything, masterfully on its head here. I don’t want to say anything more as I don’t want to spoil the plot, but I thought the final twists were done very well. I couldn’t believe what I was reading as I reached the end.

Dishonoured makes for such an entertaining read, and I was so impressed with what I read. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that feels fresh, then you definitely need to give this book a go. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Serpentine Books

Publication date: 14th January 2021

Print length: 231 pages

Dishonoured is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones

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