The Retreat by Sarah Pearse #bookreview #blogtour @SarahVPearse @TransworldBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Sarah Pearse, The Retreat. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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This is a warning for all our guests at the wellness retreat.

A woman’s body has been found at the bottom of the cliff beneath the yoga pavilion.

We believe her death was a tragic accident, though DS Elin Warner has arrived on the island to investigate.

A storm has been forecast, but do not panic. Stick together and please ignore any rumours you might have heard about the island and its history.

As soon as the weather clears, we will arrange boats to take you back to the mainland.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy your stay.

MY THOUGHTS

I loved Sarah Pearse’s debut novel, and I was really eager to read her latest, The Retreat. Sarah’s latest book is set on an island off the coast of Wales. The primary setting is a luxury retreat, but the island also has a dark past, and when a woman’s body is found, people begin to wonder if the island’s history is firmly in the past, or if it is about to resurface.

I love a mystery novel set in an isolated location. You can instantly feel the creeping sense of danger as you know that the person behind what is happening is still on the island. You don’t know who to trust amongst the characters, and you have no idea if this person will strike again. Sarah Pearse knows how to deepen suspense in her writing, and I loved the creepy vibe to this book which drew me in from the first few pages, keeping me hooked.

I liked that she brought back the Detective from her first novel, Detective Elin Warner, and it was good to get to know her more. In the first book to feature her, Elin was out of her comfort zone as she was on holiday, and out of her jurisdiction. Now she is back on her home turf. It was interesting to see the change in this dynamic. The characters who are on the island, on holiday, were intriguing as well, and I thought Sarah Pearse gave them some interesting backstories.

I really wanted to know what was going on, on the island, and if there was any chance that the events happening in the present were linked to the events that happened there in the past. I loved the backstory that Sarah Pearse gave the location which really added to the tension. It really helped bring the setting to life, and I’m still thinking about the island now, after I’ve read it.

I was utterly gripped by The Retreat, Sarah Pearse is fast becoming a favourite author of mine, and I know that I’ll read whatever she writes next. If you love a creepy setting, then you definitely need to pick up The Retreat.

Publisher: Bantam Press

Publication date: 21st July 2022

Print length: 368 pages

The Retreat is available to buy:

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Dark Objects by Simon Toyne #bookreview #blogtour @simontoyne @fictionpubteam @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Simon Toyne, Dark Objects. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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An Impossible Crime Scene
A wealthy woman is found brutally murdered in the locked fortress of her London mansion. Surrounding her are four mysterious objects, including a book on forensics by Dr Laughton Rees.

An Inescapable Past
As a teenager, Laughton’s life was destroyed after witnessing her mother’s brutal murder. Now a mother herself and forensic analyst, she is an expert on how to read crime scenes – but never works live cases.

An Uncatchable Killer
Pressured by the lead detective to help with the investigation, Laughton begins to realise that the objects left by the body are not just about the victim, they’re also about her. Her childhood was destroyed by one killer. Now she must catch another before her daughter’s is destroyed too.

MY THOUGHTS

Dark Objects by Simon Toyne is one of the most addictive crime novels I’ve read. I really, really enjoyed reading this book and the character’s came to life on the page. With knife crime sky rocketing, the police are facing intense pressure. But they are faced with a perplexing crime scene, when the body of a wealthy woman is found, in an affluent area of London, but beside the body, is a book written by Dr Laughton Rees on how to get away with murder.

I loved the set-up to this book. It makes for a very complex case, especially when the woman’s husband is nowhere to be found, immediately making him a suspect. I had to know what happened in their home in the hours leading up to the discovery of the woman’s body. What makes things even more complicated for the police is that the press immediately descend.

I liked DCI Tannahill Khan the moment Simon Toyne introduced him and Dr Laughton Rees. Laughton is a very intriguing character; she has her own personal problems going on in her life, especially with what is happening to her daughter, Gracie, at school, and I could feel the emotions that she was experiencing because of this. I liked the working relationship between Laughton and Tannahill, you can see that they enjoy each other’s company after they first meet each other, and I loved the chemistry that was there between them.

I was never sure what direction this book was going to take. The crime is very perplexing and it made me wonder if the police were looking in the right areas. There are plenty of twists and turns which make the book hugely enjoyable, and it becomes even more interesting when Laughton becomes involved. This turns up the tension, especially as her book was found at the scene, and I wanted to see what she could add to the investigation. Would she be the key to unlocking the mystery and finding the person responsible?

There is a real sense of danger, especially with the discovery of Laughton’s book at the scene. It felt as though the person behind the crime was targeting her, and it made me eager to know what was going to happen as the book progressed. There is a lot that is going on in this book, but the pace flows really well and I loved the short, snappy chapters. I raced through it in a just a few greedy chunks. This is a book that you will not want to put down.

I’m certain Dark Objects will be in my top ten reads of the year. It’s certainly one of the best crime novels I’ve read recently. Crime fiction fans, you are in for a real treat if you haven’t read this book yet. I highly recommend it! 

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication date: 7th July 2022

Print length: 416 pages

Dark Objects is available to buy:

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Night Shadows by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir #bookreview #blogtour @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for the gripping new novel in the Forbidden Iceland series by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Night Shadows. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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The small community of Akranes is devastated when a young man dies in a mysterious house fire, and when Detective Elma and her colleagues from West Iceland CID discover the fire was arson, they become embroiled in an increasingly perplexing case involving multiple suspects. What’s more, the dead man’s final online search raises fears that they could be investigating not one murder, but two.

A few months before the fire, a young Dutch woman takes a job as an au pair in Iceland, desperate to make a new life for herself after the death of her father. But the seemingly perfect family who employs her turns out to have problems of its own and she soon discovers she is running out of people to turn to.

As the police begin to home in on the truth, Elma, already struggling to come to terms with a life-changing event, finds herself in mortal danger as it becomes clear that someone has secrets they’ll do anything to hide…

MY THOUGHTS

I’m really enjoying the Forbidden Iceland series by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. Icelandic Noir has become one of my favourite sub genres in crime fiction. What I love about this series is how Eva draws on the setting, and I think I have mentioned this before in my earlier reviews of this series. She creates such a chilling atmosphere using the landscape and it’s what always makes me bump these books to the top of my reading pile.

This time around, in Night Shadows, Detective Elma faces a complex, intriguing case starting when a young man burns to death in a house fire. But when they discover strange searches in his Internet history, a link is drawn to the disappearance of a young Dutch woman.

I was fascinated by the case Elma investigates in this book. I wanted to know what was going on in the life of the man who is killed in the fire. When it was revealed what he was searching for just before his death, my interest heightened, it really creates a much more chilling atmosphere to the book and it made me think that there was something far deeper going on here. There were so many intriguing aspects to his story and I wanted to know what the problems were he was facing shortly before his death. Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is a writer who really keeps you thinking about the possible motives and the possible suspects. Elma faces a difficult task in piecing together what happened in the days leading up to the fire and as Eva takes us back in time, she throws in many red herrings that kept me on my toes.

I also liked the added detail into Elma’s personal struggles in this book. It helped bring her character to life, especially as we delve into her thoughts and feelings about what she and partner, Saever face. I really connected to their relationship in this book as Eva explores it deeper. It made me wonder just how things were going to pan out for them and how their relationship would be affected in the long term.

The ending is tense; I was flicking through the pages at top speed to find out what was going to happen. I thought the reveals that came were so well done and chilling. If you haven’t yet read this series then you are really missing out, it’s becoming one of my favourite series in crime fiction and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 21st July 2022

Print length: 276 pages

Night Shadows is available to buy:

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The Woman on the Bridge by Holly Seddon #bookreview #blogtour @hollyseddon @Tr4cyF3nt0n

On my blog today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Holly Seddon, The Woman on the Bridge. With thanks to Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for inviting me to take part.

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How far would you go to save a perfect stranger?

Maggie is trapped. Dumped on her wedding day, rejected by her family and hounded by a man determined to make her suffer.

Charlotte is desperate. Double-crossed by her only friend and facing total ruin, she will go to any lengths to save what matters.

Two women, one night. A decision that will change everything.

MY THOUGHTS

The Woman on the Bridge begins with a very dramatic opening when Charlotte, already going through her own personal problems, happens across a woman, Maggie, standing on a bridge in her wedding dress, intent on throwing herself off. Charlotte reaches out to Maggie, and manages to bring her down off the bridge and to safety. But as a friendship between them begins to develop, Charlotte has no idea how what she has done, will change her life.

This was such a tense read, right from the opening pages and as the novel progresses; Holly Seddon ups the tension even more. I really connected to Charlotte as I was reading. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, especially as the problems she is facing in her personal life are revealed. And as the plot of the book developed, I couldn’t believe the direction Holly took the story in. I was rooting for Charlotte right the way through this book.

I was really interested in Charlotte and Maggie’s friendship as it began to move forward from the first few pages. This was, especially, as we begin to learn more about the problems both Charlotte and Maggie have recently been facing in their lives. It was good to see that the two women now had someone who they could talk to, and rely on. I could see easily how their friendship was going to make a huge difference in their lives.

I loved the short chapters in this book, told from both Charlotte and Maggie’s perspectives. We also hear from the point of view of Charlotte’s mother, Penny, who is a really unlikeable character. I really wanted to shout at Penny for the decisions she was making on her daughter’s behalf. You can begin to understand how events for Charlotte in the present, have unfolded the way they have. It really adds to the tension.

There were characters in this book who really made my skin crawl, but I won’t go into too much detail here as I don’t want to spoil it. There is a big twist which completely floored me as I was reading. I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished this at this point, as I wanted to see what was going to happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Woman on the Bridge. It’s twisty and highly addictive. Psychological thriller lovers, you do not want to miss it.

Publisher: Orion

Publication date: 7th July 2022

Print length: 320 pages

The Woman on the Bridge is available to buy:

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Fatal Witness by Robert Bryndza #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new novel in the DCI Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, Fatal Witness.

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Detective Erika Foster is on a late-night walk near her new house in Blackheath when she stumbles upon the brutal murder of Vicky Clarke, a true crime podcaster.

Erika is assigned to the case and discovers that Vicky had been working on a new podcast episode about a sexual predator who preys on young female students around South London, staking out his victims in their halls of residence before breaking in at the dead of night. When Erika discovers that Vicky’s notes and sound recordings were stolen from her flat at the time of her murder, it leads her to believe that Vicky was close to unmasking the attacker, and she was killed to guarantee her silence.

The case takes on a disturbing twist, when the body of a young Bulgarian student doctor is discovered in the same building, and this makes Erika question everything she thought she knew about Vicky. With very little evidence, the clock is ticking to find the killer before he strikes again.

MY THOUGHTS

I was thrilled to see that Erika Foster was returning in a new thriller by Robert Bryndza. It’s been a few years now since I read the last book in the series, but it felt as though no time had passed at all, and I really enjoyed Fatal Witness. I also really liked the way how Robert Bryndza is now taking the series.

Robert opens the book with a horrific opening as we witness an attack on a woman. I could feel the fear that she was experiencing as she began to see what was going to happen next. We’re thrown right into an intriguing and complex case when Erika, having recently moved house, stumbles across a crime scene in her local area. The body of a young woman has been found and as Erika and her team begin to peel back the layers, following the discovery, they discover that there was something mysterious going on in her life before she was killed, which could have led to her death.

Robert Bryndza throws in plenty of red herrings as Erika begins to investigate what happened to the young woman. I really liked how he did this, my suspicion on different characters seemed to constantly be changing, and I was never able to work out what had happened to the woman, or who was responsible. It’s what makes the case really intriguing, especially when Robert reveals some of the work the woman was doing with her true crime podcast, as he begins to build a picture of her life.

I liked the development of Erika’s character in this book; I don’t want to go into too much detail here, but I think it’ll be interesting to see how Robert Bryndza chooses to explore this part of her story in future. I’m really hoping that he still has plenty of ideas for Erika. As Robert looked into this part of her life, it provided some lighter moments, I thought, to the novel.

I thought it was really interesting how Robert Bryndza shifted the course of the investigation, as it’s revealed what the woman, who was found dead, was looking into before she was killed. Had she uncovered something that she shouldn’t have come across? I really wanted to get to the bottom of what was happening in her life, and what had led up to this moment. It’s what made her character even more fascinating, and it added to the darkness in the book, as Robert delved into this part of the story.

I loved catching up with Erika Foster and all the other familiar characters in the series again. Fatal Witness is such a clever and gripping read. Erika Foster fans, you are in for a real treat if you haven’t read this book already.

Publisher: Raven Street Publishing

Publication date: 5th July 2022

Print length: 370 pages

Fatal Witness is available to buy:

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The Bay by Allie Reynolds #bookreview #blogtour @AuthorAllieR @headlinepg @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Allie Reynolds, The Bay.

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The waves are to die for. It’s a paradise they’d kill to keep.

There’s a darkness inside all of us and The Bay has a way of bringing it out. Everyone here has their secrets but we don’t go looking for them. Because sometimes it’s better not to know.

Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, shocked to hear she’s going to marry a guy she’s only just met. But Mikki and her fiancé Jack are about to head away on a trip, so Kenna finds herself tagging along for the ride.

Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. Sky, Ryan, Clemente and Victor have come to ride the waves and disappear from life. How will they feel about Kenna turning up unannounced?

As Kenna gets drawn into their world, she sees the extremes they are prepared to go to for the next thrill. And everyone seems to be hiding something. What has her best friend got involved in and how can she get her away? But one thing is rapidly becoming clear about The Bay: nobody ever leaves.

MY THOUGHTS

The Bay by Allie Reynolds is the perfect summer thriller. I was utterly hooked from the first page and Allie Reynolds creates a real air of mystery surrounding her characters in her novel. Allie Reynolds keeps the tension ticking up a notch, and I thought the group of friends were really intriguing, and there was something sinister about them that made the novel even more gripping.

We meet Kenna who has travelled to Sydney to meet her friend Mikki, and Kenna soon gets embroiled in Mikki’s new friendship group, although some of them aren’t too keen on her being there, especially as they don’t like newcomers at their secret cove.

I absolutely loved the setting in The Bay. Allie Reynolds evokes the Australian coast line so well, especially creating a chilling atmosphere with the dangers that are there, such as sharks and the wildlife on land. I got the sense that this was a group of people who liked being close to danger. As Kenna gets deeper involved in the group, I wondered what was going to happen to her, and just how many of them would be willing to let her stay. It did give the novel quite a claustrophobic feeling as it felt as though Kenna was becoming trapped.

One of the mysteries that makes this novel so engaging is the disappearance of a German girl called Elke, who used to be part of the group before Kenna joins. Kenna finds this unnerving and it appears that no one wants to talk about Elke or what potentially could have happened to her. You get the sense that the group will do anything to make sure that their secrets stay buried. Kenna believes they know more about what happened to Elke than they’re letting on.

With a captivating cast of characters and a well-drawn setting, The Bay will keep you flying through the pages. Allie delivers a very chilling ending and it has left me wondering what is happening to the characters after the final page. I would love to see this book turned into a Netflix series. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 23rd June 2022

Print length: 368 pages

The Bay is available to buy:

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The Redeemer by Victoria Goldman @VictoriaGoldma2 @3CPublishingUK #bookreview

I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts on the debut novel by Victoria Goldman, The Redeemer on my blog today.

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‘REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE … OR MAY YOU NEVER R.I.P.’

Threatening plaques, vigilante killings, a Jewish community in an English town – what’s the link? The clock is ticking to the next murder.

After witnessing a racist incident in a small Hertfordshire town, journalist Shanna Regan uncovers a series of threatening fake commemorative plaques. Each plaque highlights someone’s misdemeanour rather than a good deed.

Delving deeper, Shanna discovers these plaques are linked to vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community.

As her search for the truth becomes personal, Shanna puts her own life in danger. Can she stop the next murder in time?

The Redeemer is a compelling, thought-provoking murder mystery debut, featuring themes of prejudice, identity and heritage, revenge and redemption, and secrets from the past.

MY THOUGHTS

I was really excited to get hold of a copy of The Redeemer by Victoria Goldman, as I’ve heard so many good things about it. For me, it definitely lived up to my expectations. Victoria Goldman explores some tough themes in her novel, the main one being antisemitism, revenge and justice. She does this in a shocking way which makes her debut a powerful and an eye opening read. It will also make you really think about what is going on in the world today.

I connected to the main character, Shanna Regan right from the start. Shanna is a journalist. When she discovers strange fake plaques that have been placed in areas around her hometown; she is determined to find out who is behind them. Someone is placing them where horrific events have taken place, and whoever is behind the plaques, is documenting what happened there in a cruel way. What’s the motive for someone to do this? But what Shanna doesn’t realise, as she begins to investigate, is how much of an impact the investigation will have on her in a shocking and sinister way.

Shanna is a very intriguing character and I was very interested in her own personal story which drives the novel forward as we get to know her. Victoria Goldman’s writing pulls you into the novel and I really liked how she developed Shanna’s character. We can see just how much the discovery of the plaques affects her. Victoria brings her character’s to life so well, and I liked how she explored some important themes that I haven’t seen explored much of before in crime fiction, highlighting important issues. The areas Victoria Goldman does explore in her writing need to be talked about and addressed more in today’s society. I was also really surprised by the ending and the final twist which kept me gripped to the pages as I waited to see what the outcome for Shanna was going to be.

The novel opens in a horrific way, which might be upsetting to some readers, and you can see the threat that Victoria’s character’s face in this book. This threat is always there simmering away in the background, adding to the tension. I was also really surprised by the ending and the final twist which kept me gripped to the pages as I waited to see what the outcome for Shanna was going to be. I was kept utterly gripped by the final few chapters as the book raced towards its conclusion.

The Redeemer is a brilliant debut by Victoria Goldman and it was hugely enjoyable. It’s compelling, fresh and really well written. I’m certainly going to be keeping an eye out for what Victoria writes next. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Three Crowns Publishing

Publication date: 12th July 2022

Print length: 336 pages

The Redeemer is available to buy:

Amazon UK

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Fiona Barton, Local Gone Missing.

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Everyone watches their neighbours.

Elise King moves into the sleepy seaside town of Ebbing. Illness has thrown her career as a successful detective into doubt, but no matter how hard she tries to relax and recuperate, she knows that something isn’t right.

Everyone lies about their friends.

Tensions are running high beneath the surface of this idyllic community: the weekenders in their fancy clothes, renovating old bungalows into luxury homes, and the locals resentful of the changes. A town divided, with the threat of violence only a heartbeat away.

Everyone knows a secret.

This peaceful world is shattered when two teenagers end up in hospital and a local man vanishes without trace. Elise starts digging for answers, but the community closes ranks, and the truth begins to slip through her fingers. Because in a small town like this, the locals are good at keeping secrets…

Everyone’s a suspect when a local goes missing.

MY THOUGHTS

I love a murder mystery set in a small seaside town, so when I read the blurb for Fiona Barton’s new novel, Local Gone Missing, I bumped it right to the top of my TBR pile. I’ve really enjoyed Fiona’s books in the past and I flew through her latest. I loved the air of mystery Fiona created surrounding her characters, and they each drew me into the story, and made me want to find out what was going on.

DI Elsie King is still on sick leave, after recently having treatment for cancer, but she finds herself pulled into an investigation when a local man, Charlie Perry, goes missing. I really liked Elsie King and her voice came through strongly on the page. Charlie’s disappearance was a very intriguing one; I couldn’t even trust his closest relatives as Elsie spoke to them, especially his wife, who seemed very cold and uncaring towards Charlie.

Charlie’s disappearance isn’t the only event in town the police are dealing with. The community are in shock after two teenagers require hospital treatment after taking drugs at a music festival, and there were many who weren’t pleased about the music festival taking place in the town in the first place. It feels as though there is a lot more going on here in this town, than what first meets the eye and Elsie is determined to seek out the truth. It felt as though there were a lot of people with things to hide in this town, giving this book a very dark feeling.

I thought Fiona Barton delved into her character’s backstories really well, and I particularly found Charlie’s interesting, as we begin to see the motives behind his disappearance. There are some shocking and upsetting areas in his life which Fiona explores, particularly with what happened to his daughter during a burglary at their home many years earlier. It’s what makes the final revelations that come towards the end all the more shocking.

Local Gone Missing is packed full of mystery, suspense and a cast of intriguing characters that kept me utterly hooked. I loved how Fiona cleverly weaved everything together and I felt it was a very clean and neat ending. This is a really enjoyable read; I had suspicions about everyone in this book, which made it all the more entertaining, as I tried to work out what had happened to Charlie. I definitely recommend it.

Publisher: Bantam Press

Publication date: 9th June 2022

Print length: 336 pages

Local Gone Missing is available to buy:

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That Green Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the stunning debut novel by Julie Owen Moylan, That Green Eyed Girl.

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1955
In an apartment on the Lower East Side, school teachers Dovie and Gillian live as lodgers. Dancing behind closed curtains, mixing cocktails for two, they guard their private lives fiercely. Until someone guesses the truth . . .

1975
Twenty years later in the same apartment, Ava Winters is keeping her own secret. Her mother has become erratic, haunted by something Ava doesn’t understand – until one sweltering July morning, she disappears.

Soon after her mother’s departure, Ava receives a parcel. Addressed simply to ‘Apartment 3B’, it contains a photo of a woman with the word ‘LIAR’ scrawled across it.

Ava does not know what it means or who sent it.

But if she can find out then perhaps she’ll discover the answers she is seeking – and meet the woman at the heart of it all . . .

MY THOUGHTS

I was drawn to That Green Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan by, I must admit, the stunning cover, and when I read the blurb I thought it sounded enticing and original, plus the New York setting attracted me as well. This is more historical fiction, as it is set in the 50s and the 70s, but it is also a love story with a sense of mystery as well. It’s not the sort of novel I typically read at all, but I’d heard so many good things about it, I knew I had to read it. I loved Julie’s writing and she really brought the setting and the time period the novel is set in to life.

In the 50s the novel focuses on two characters, Dovie and Gillian who are in a relationship with each other, and living in their apartment in New York. This is at a time when homophobia is rife and people aren’t accepting as they are in the world today. You can see the challenges that Dovie and Gillian face, and this is especially the case when Judith becomes a part of their lives. I really despised Judith. It is clear to see what she is trying to do to the two women; she is one of the most spiteful characters who I have come across recently. I wanted her to be able to see the harm that she was doing. It was heartbreaking to see how powerless Gillian and Dovie were.

We also move to the 70s where we meet Ava who is living in the same apartment Gillian and Dovie were twenty years earlier. Ava is determined to track down Gillian after she receives a parcel with no name on but containing items belonging to Gillian and Dovie. Ava becomes more intrigued by the lives of the two women as she begins to look into their past. Ava is also going through her own personal difficulties which really made me connect to her character. The emotion comes through strongly in Julie’s writing and you can see that she really knows who her characters are. It was in these sections where I wanted to know what had become of Gillian and Dovie, and I was desperate to know what had happened to them, especially as we are beginning to see this unfold in the chapters told from their perspective set in the 50s.

I absolutely flew through this book. Julie’s writing grips you from the first page as it effortlessly draws you in, and I was kept hooked right the way through. That Green Eyed Girl is a stunning debut novel and I’m looking forward with eager anticipation to see what Julie Owen Moylan writes next. I highly, highly recommend it!

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Publication date: 12th May 2022

Print length: 400 pages

That Green Eyed Girl is available to buy:

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The Daves Next Door by Will Carver #bookreview #blogtour @will_carver @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Will Carve, The Daves Next Door. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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A disillusioned nurse suddenly learns how to care.
 
An injured young sportsman wakes up find that he can see only in black and white.
 
A desperate old widower takes too many pills and believes that two angels have arrived to usher him through purgatory.
 
Two agoraphobic men called Dave share the symptoms of a brain tumour, and frequently waken their neighbour with their ongoing rows.
 
Separate lives, running in parallel, destined to collide and then explode.
 
Like the suicide bomber, riding the Circle Line, day after day, waiting for the right time to detonate, waiting for answers to his questions: Am I God? Am I dead? Will I blow up this train?

MY THOUGHTS

Will Carver is a writer who never fails to impress me with the originality of his work. I always look forward to seeing what he has in store for us next, and his latest book The Daves Next Door, has left me wondering how on earth Will comes up with his ideas and his characters.

Will’s latest novel is told from the perspective of five individuals. The way how Will narrates the scenes told from their perspective is very unique and it draws you into the characters minds very easily. I especially found the chapters intriguing told from the point of view of a person who thinks they’re God.

There is real tension in this book as we get deeper and deeper into the mind set of each character. As one of the characters rides the Underground each day, he contemplates on his own state of existence, wondering if he is God, in control of the lives around him. He thinks about the possibility of a bomb being strapped to his chest. He is aware of all the other characters in this book as he observes their lives while riding with them on the London Underground. It feels as though this person does have a certain control over them. He gets to choose if they live or die. This is a terrifying aspect to this book and it made me think about the potential dangers we face every time we step outside the front door every morning. We know, in the book, that there will be a devastating series of terrorist attacks across London, and this is what turns the tension up a notch.

There is a real skill to the way how Will Carver writes that sets him apart from other writers. This is especially the case with how he tells the story from each different perspective. I got to know each and every one of the characters and they felt like real people. One of the other characters who I found particularly intriguing was the nurse, Vashti, who, in The Daves Next Door, is caring for an injured sportsman. I found these scenes featuring them really engaging and it was interesting seeing things develop between them over the course of the novel and seeing their personalities change.

The Daves Next Door is addictive, thought-provoking, and it makes for a captivating reading experience. Will Carver fans, you do not want to miss this book.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 21st July 2022

Print length: 335 pages

The Daves Next Door is available to buy:

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