A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Clare Mackintosh, A Game of Lies.

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They say the camera never lies.
But on this show, you can’t trust anything you see.

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they’ve signed up for.

Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won’t just be eliminated – they’ll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they’d ever imagined, and they’re trapped.

The disappearance of a contestant wasn’t supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she’s watched on screen, and find out who these people really are – knowing she can’t trust any of them.

And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

MY THOUGHTS

I’m a big fan of Clare Mackintosh’s writing, and I really enjoyed her latest book, A Game of Lies. DC Ffion Morgan is back in Clare’s latest crime novel. In this book, Ffion and her team are called to a suspected crime scene, after the discovery of bones, during the filming of a new reality television show in Wales that has taken the country by storm. It is the show that everyone is going to be talking about. But following the discovery of bones at the site, and the revelation of what the show is really about, one of the contestants, goes missing.

Clare Mackintosh is a writer who knows how to bring her characters to life, and the opening dialogue between Ffion and DC Alun Whitaker really had me laughing. There definitely does seem to be a love-hate relationship between them.

Reality television shows have only grown in popularity in recent years, and they are getting more daring. In Clare Mackintosh’s novel, the contestants of the show, Exposure, really have no idea what they have signed up to, thinking that this will be an easy ride to fame. When the reality hits them and the public, it comes as a massive shock, but it makes the programme even more gripping and entertaining for the viewers.

What Clare Mackintosh does a brilliant job of, is showing what really drives the interest of the viewers. You can see right from the get go that no one is interested in the wellbeing of the contestants taking part. The viewers are interested in the drama of what happens on the screen, and who is going to be the first of the contestants to crack, and people are taking bets as to what is going to happen. As the show gets underway, it is clear that the contestants all have secrets they are desperate to keep hold of, but what secret was so terrible that it would make one of the contestants want to disappear, out of fear of having their secret made public? I really wanted to find out what this information was, and what was going to happen to the rest of the people who were taking part in the show.

I really enjoyed A Game of Lies. It is a pacy, addictive read. The characters and Clare’s writing kept me flying through the pages. I highly recommend this series.

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 20th July 2023

Print length: 370 pages

A Game of Lies is available to buy:

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The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by Claire Douglas, The Woman Who Lied.

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Emilia Ward lives quietly in suburban London with her husband and two children.Just an ordinary wife and mother. But also a bestselling crime writer.When she starts writing her tenth Detective Miranda Moody novel, however, life takes a frightening turn: an incident straight out of one of her novels occurs in real life.Just an unsettling coincidence, she thinks. Until it happens again.Then someone she knows dies exactly like a victim in the book she’s still writing . . .
Why is someone doing this?
How do they know what she is writing?
And how long before Emilia and her family are next?

MY THOUGHTS

Claire Douglas has written a belter of a thriller with her new novel, The Woman Who Lied. It needs to be on everyone’s reading list this summer. I loved the set-up and the premise to this book, which follows bestselling crime novelist, Emilia Ward. But as Emilia is gearing up to release the latest book in her Detective Miranda Moody series, strange events start happening to her. What’s even stranger is that these events mirror scenes that she has written in her books, and soon Emilia starts to fear for her own life and her family.

Claire Douglas has created a tense atmosphere in this book. It was really entertaining watching the drama unfold on the page. Claire Douglas has lots of twists and turns up her sleeve. I wanted to get to the bottom of what was happening to Emilia and why it was happening now. It becomes clear to see that Emilia is carrying a big secret, and Emilia fears that this is what is driving the motive of the person, who is behind these events that are happening to her. It was impossible not to look at any of the other characters in this book with suspicion, especially as what is happening starts to edge a little too close to home for Emilia, and soon things turn deadly.

I really wanted to get to the bottom of what Emilia’s secret was, and it made me wonder how much of an impact this secret could have on her career and her relationship with her family. Claire Douglas does a brilliant job of building on the tension here, and it becomes really creepy as Emilia gets closer to understanding what is going on. What I thought was fascinating, was that the story was told from the point of view of a character, who is also an author. We can see the ups and downs that Emilia faces in her career, and also her desire to get rid of her most popular character, so she can try something new, like how Arthur Conan Doyle was in the end with Sherlock Holmes.

The Woman Who Lied is another addictive read by Claire Douglas. Claire is one of my favourite thriller writers, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she writes next.

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 6th July 2023

Print length: 384 pages

The Woman Who Lied is available to buy:

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The Crying Cave Killings by Wes Markin #bookreview @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by Wes Markin, The Crying Cave Killings. With thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part.

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A murdered child. A case from the past. A detective inspector with nothing to lose…

DI Paul Riddick is a man tormented by his own actions and determined to right the wrongs of his past any way he can. But when his instincts lead him to follow a child he believes to be in danger, Riddick gets in deeper than he ever imagined…especially when the child is found dead.

DCI Emma Gardner doesn’t believe Riddick has blood on his hands, but he’s off the case until she can clear his name. If she can clear his name. Because Riddick seems determined to chase ghosts that only get him into more trouble.

Riddick’s certain he didn’t kill the kid in the cave. But he also remembers another case, twenty years ago, with shocking similarities…which means someone is trying to trap Riddick.

Can Riddick uncover the truth, or will this be the case that finally destroys him once and for all?

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed the previous book in the Yorkshire murder series by Wes Markin, so I was definitely intrigued to read the next book. In The Crying Cave Killings, DI Paul Riddick is facing another tough investigation, with the discovery of a murdered child, and this case has a huge impact on him, especially as he thinks there’s a connection to a previous case that took place twenty years earlier, with the discovery of a body in Mother Shiptons Cave. But the closer he gets to the case, the more his obsession makes him a suspect in the eyes of his colleagues.

I was really interested to see what was going to happen to DI Paul Riddick throughout the course of this novel. It is clear to see how personal this case is to him and he is also battling his own demons. You can see why he takes some of the actions that he does in the book, even if they aren’t the best choices for him to make, especially as it puts Paul’s career in the police force and his reputation at risk. He is also having therapy sessions. I was also interested in the scenes when he was together with his therapist, as there was chemistry between them, which I really liked. I’m looking to forward to seeing where Wes Markin will take this part of the story next.

There are some chilling and horrific themes that Wes Markin explores as the case into the murdered child develops. There are also some chapters which are told from the perspective of an unknown individual, and I thought these chapters were so intriguing, as we can see what a damaged person this individual is. I wanted to know what connection this person had to the killings that were taking place. Is this person the killer? It made for some tense reading as Wes Markin gets inside this persons head.

Wes Markin’s latest novel will chill you to the bone and keep you gripped. I’m really enjoying this series, and I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication date: 23rd July 2023

Print length: 466 pages

The Crying Cave Killings is available to buy:

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Eye For an Eye by M.J. Arlidge #bookreview #blogtour @mjarlidge @orionbooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by M.J. Arlidge, Eye For an Eye as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to take part.

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‘Emily’ is a devoted single mother.
‘Jack’ starts a new job in a new town.
‘Russell’ may be falling in love.

They all share the same secret:
none of them are who they say they are.

They are among only nine criminals in the UK who have been granted lifelong anonymity, for their own safety, because of their terrible crimes.

But what if someone exposed their true identities to the families of their victims, who are desperate for revenge?

Probation officer Olivia Campbell is caught in the crossfire of this unprecedented crisis – and as the hunt for the mole behind it all intensifies, so too does the search for the vigilante killers let loose by the leaks…

Everyone is a suspect. Anyone could be a killer.
Who deserves justice? And who gets to decide?

MY THOUGHTS

Eye for an Eye by M.J. Arlidge has a really scary premise. Every now and again a crime is reported on that shocks the country and the world, but what happens to the people convicted of the crime, once they’ve served their punishment? The idea M.J. Arlidge explores, shows us that even dangerous criminals are released, quietly, back into society under a new identity. We’ve seen this in the news recently, where people who have committed heinous crimes, have been given a new life, only for this to then to be blown by the media. So what would you do if you found out that the person who had destroyed your life and your family, was living free? If you had their address and knew where they were now, would you be able to sit by and let them carry on with the rest of their life?

I think this book will definitely make people look at random people who they pass on an everyday basis a little more carefully. It really is chilling to think that people who have done such terrible things are walking around free; they could very easily be living down your street. This book did make me think of a few cases that have taken place in real life. The thought that these people, are walking around free, despite what they have done, is enough to make your blood boil, and I can see why people, whose lives have been forever altered by these monsters, would want to get revenge, and most of the public would probably back them.

One of the main character’s in this book is probation officer, Olivia Campbell, who is currently helping Jack rehabilitate under a new identity, following his release from prison. Olivia is a fascinating character, and I thought her relationship with Jack was so intriguing as it developed over the course of the novel. Although Jack has committed a terrible crime, you can see how vulnerable he is, and there were some scenes where I did almost feel sorry for him, especially when he tries to make contact with his family.

M.J. Arlidge always delivers a pacy and gripping read. I thoroughly enjoyed An Eye for an Eye.

Publisher: Orion

Publication date: 20th July 2023

Print length: 534 pages

Eye For An Eye is available to buy:

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All of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the stunning new thriller by Fiona Cummins, All of Us Are Broken.

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Every one of them has a dark secret

The Family

After a year they want to forget, the Hardwicke family set out to the Scottish Highlands for a much needed holiday.

The Crimes

They are about to cross paths with Missy and Fox, a violent and dangerous young couple hell-bent on infamy, their love story etched in blood and a dark past which must be uncovered.

The Detective

As the clock ticks down, Detective Saul Anguish is on the hunt to find the couple before more lives are lost.

The Mother – who will be forced to make an impossible decision.

MY THOUGHTS

All of Us Are Broken is the stunning new novel by Fiona Cummins. It is one of the most powerful crime novels I’ve read, and I’m sure it’ll stay with a lot of people long after they’ve read it.

I loved the first book in this series so I was eager to see how Fiona Cummins was going to expand on her new characters, especially Detective Saul Anguish. The novel opens with a shocking opening where we see a young family being asked to make an impossible choice by a deranged killer. It is after this scene that Fiona Cummins takes us back. Fiona builds up to this moment, revealing what made the killer the person they are today, exploring their motives.

Fiona Cummins delves into what makes one of the individuals behind the shocking events we see take place tick. Missy is angry. She feels rejected by her friends and believes they are laughing at her. This is what drives her to make a name for herself. She is desperate for her five minutes of fame, but is willing to go to any lengths possible to achieve this. And this is how, along with her new love interest, Fox, they become a new Bonnie and Clyde, as they wreak havoc across the country and commit a horrific number of heinous crime. What’s even more disturbing is how neither of them shows any remorse for what they have done, and when a new crime is committed, it only spurs them on to do something bigger and bolder next time. And for the police it really becomes a race against time for them to track Missy and Fox down before they kill again.

I thought Saul was a very interesting character when Fiona Cummins introduced him in the first book in this series, Into the Dark, and Fiona builds well on his introduction in this book. There was one particular scene in All of Us Are Broken when I was holding my breath, as he visits another one of Missy and Fox’s horrific crime scenes. I don’t want to spoil anything for the reader, but reading this scene made me think that Missy and Fox would not hold back on anything, and I was rooting for Saul to catch them. They are so unpredictable. I had no idea what they were going to do next, and this is what makes them so scary as well.

This is a crime novel that delivers on pace and tension but it will also pull at the heartstrings. Fiona Cummins is a master at making her characters real and intriguing people who you want to follow over the course of the novel. Now that I’ve read it, I can see how perfect the title for this book is. I was utterly gripped to the dramatic finale, as we go back to the beginning scene again, and we see how the events Fiona Cummins describes at the start unfold.

The menace, tension and fear, is on every page of All of Us Are Broken. I highly, highly recommend it.

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication date: 20th July 2023

Print length: 316 pages

All of Us Are Broken is available to buy:

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You Can’t See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir #bookreview #blogtour @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, You Can’t See Me. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland’s remote Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social-media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he’s the boyfriend of Petra’s aunt, but he’s struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close…

As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark.

But is the real danger inside … within the family itself?

Masterfully cranking up the suspense, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir draws us into an isolated, frozen setting, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted, as the dark secrets and painful pasts of the Snæberg family are uncovered … and the shocking truth revealed.

MY THOUGHTS

You Can’t See Me is the prequel to the brilliant Forbidden Iceland series by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, which has become one of my favourite crime series. There is a chilling opening to this book as we see a woman walking on her own outside, away from a hotel, during a snow storm. But why is she out here in the dark and the cold by herself? And who is the person who is following her? Eva then takes us back to days earlier, when we see the influential and powerful Saver family arrive at a posh hotel in Iceland for a family gathering. But we also know, in the present day that the police are responding to an incident at the very same location, with the discovery of a body. But what connection does the body have to the Saver family?

I found the Saver family really intriguing. Although this is supposed to be a family gathering, not everyone appears happy to be there, it seems that some members of the family would rather not be there at all. There is one person at the hotel, a hotel employee, who is overwhelmed with excitement, by the Saver family staying there. The Saver family are well known in the public domain, especially on social media. She is desperate to tell people the Saver family are here, and this did make me wonder what was going to happen to her, as she appeared to be so drawn to them. It was like watching a moth flying close to a flame, drawn to its light.

We don’t find out whose body has been discovered until much later in the book. There are chapters that are told from the Detective’s point of view in the present, but Eva Björg Ægisdóttir keeps these chapters short and doesn’t delve into too much detail; the police investigation does take more of a back seat in this book. This is what really keeps the suspense and the intrigue ticking up a notch, and I was kept guessing as to who was going to end up dead, especially as the book focuses more on the family in the days leading up to the discovery of the body. I wanted to know if there were any dark secrets members of the family were keeping.

The final revelations that came towards the end were so shocking, and the book took a direction that I definitely did not expect. Once again Eva Björg Ægisdóttir draws on the Icelandic setting so well, which adds to the atmosphere, and she builds a stunning setting in her writing. I loved that it was set in the winter months as well which made the book even more chilling. If you’ve not yet discovered this series, you are really missing out. I highly recommend You Can’t See Me.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 6th July 2023

Print length: 401 pages

You Can’t See Me is available to buy:

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Black Thorn by Sarah Hilary #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Sarah Hilary, Black Thorn.

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Blackthorn Ashes was meant to be their forever home. For the first six families moving into the exclusive new housing development, it was a chance to live a peaceful life on the cliffs overlooking the Cornish sea, safe in the knowledge that it had been created just for them.

But six weeks later, paradise is lost. Six people are dead. And Blackthorn Ashes is left abandoned and unfinished, its dark shadows hiding all manner of secrets.

One of its surviving residents, Agnes Gale, is determined to find out the truth about what happened. Even if that truth is deadlier than she could have ever believed possible . . .

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve long been a fan of Sarah Hilary’s writing. I loved her last standalone, Fragile, and especially her Detective Marnie Rome series. Her latest novel, Black Thorn, is very different to her previous work. It is a much more character driven story. The story revolves around a tragedy that takes place at a new exclusive housing development called Blackthorn Ashes, located in an idyllic Cornwall setting overlooking the sea. Families have moved already moved in, hoping they have found their forever home and hoping to make new life long memories there. But six weeks after the first families move in, six people are dead and the future of the development, still unfinished, hangs in the balance.

We meet Agnes, one of the original residents of Blackthorn Ashes; her father was one of the original investors in the project. After the horrors of what happened at Blackthorn, Agnes is now living in a caravan, and she is seeking answers. She wants to know what went wrong at Blackthorn, and what caused the six deaths, and she is determined to get to the truth. I loved the eerie atmosphere that Sarah Hilary creates in this book, in both the before and after segments. Sarah takes the novel back in time to before the horrific events at Blackthorn take place and in the aftermath of what happened. The tension builds with the chapter headlines as it counts down towards abandonment.

The story does take some very dark turns as Sarah Hilary gradually reveals what has happened, as Agnes fights to get the truth, and the revelations are darker than Agnes ever expected.

Sarah delves into the relationships of the families at the heart of this novel. She brings to life really well how what has happened at Black Thorn has affected each of them, and the decision to leave Black Thorn comes close to tearing Agnes’ family apart. I really felt as though I was emotionally invested in their lives as I was reading.

Like with all of Sarah Hilary’s novels, I thought Black Thorn was beautifully written, and I thought that it had a deep emotional core that kept me hooked. I am a big, big fan of Sarah’s books, and I’ll be eagerly waiting to see what Sarah writes next.

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication date: 13th July 2023

Print length: 359 pages

Black Thorn is available to buy:

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One by Eve Smith #bookreview #blogtour @evecsmith @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Eve Smith, One as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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One law. One child. Seven million crimes…

A cataclysmic climate emergency has spawned a one-child policy in the UK, ruthlessly enforced by a totalitarian regime. Compulsory abortion of ‘excess’ pregnancies and mandatory contraceptive implants are now the norm, and families must adhere to strict consumption quotas as the world descends into chaos.

Kai is a 25-year-old `baby reaper´, working for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning. If any of her assigned families attempt to exceed their child quota, she ensures they pay the price.

Until, one morning, she discovers that an illegal sibling on her Ministry hit-list is hers. And to protect her parents from severe penalties, she must secretly investigate before anyone else finds out.

Kai’s hunt for her forbidden sister unearths much more than a dark family secret. As she stumbles across a series of heinous crimes perpetrated by the people she trusted most, she makes a catastrophic discovery that could bring down the government … and tear her family apart.

MY THOUGHTS

I love Eve Smith’s writing, but I think her latest novel, One, is my favourite book by her to date. There is a lot of emotion in this book as Eve Smith delves into her character’s thoughts and feelings, and we see clearly what is driving them throughout the novel. Eve Smith’s books always have a scary, very realistic feeling. It does make you think that what Eve is writing could come true.

In this book, set in a not-too-distant future, climate change has ravaged the earth. A new political party has come into government in the UK called the one party. Their main aim is to act where so many previous governments have failed to act on climate change. They introduce a harsh new set of laws, which in today’s world, would be unthinkable for any government to implement. One of their aims is to reduce the country’s population, and to do this, like China have done only recently; they implement a one child policy. But what happens to the families who don’t abide by this law?

This is where we meet Kai, who works for the government which is known as ‘the ministry.’ There is a dramatic opening scene when we see her charging a young mother with the offence of having another child. Eve Smith clearly paints the anguish this woman is going through as she is forced to have her child taken away from her, and Kai shows little or no remorse for her actions. In her mind it is the child’s mother who has done wrong. But Kai’s world is soon to be turned upside down, when she discovers that somewhere out there, she has a sister, and that her parents broke the same laws she is enforcing.

Kai really does find herself in an impossible situation following this discovery. You can see how angry she is at her parents, but there is also part of her that is curious to find out more about her sister, and she attempts to track her down. This drives the tension as Kai knows the actions she is taking, goes against everything her party stands for. She should be reporting her parents. I was really intrigued to see what Kai was going to do, and what path she was going to take. Would she remain loyal to her job or to her family? This is the big moral dilemma that Kai faces.

I couldn’t wait to see how Eve Smith wrapped things up, and she ends the book in a very satisfactory way. There are a few surprising twists along the way, and these increase the tension and the danger in the book, which made me fly through it at top speed.

I thoroughly enjoyed One. It is thought-provoking and a captivating. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 20th July 2023

Print length: 300 pages

One is available to buy:

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Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena #bookreview #blogtour @sharilapena @TransworldBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by Shari Lapena, Everyone Here Is Lying as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Welcome to Stanhope – a safe neighbourhood. A place for families.

William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter Avery unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.

Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing.

Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbours become increasingly unhinged.

Who took Avery Wooler?

Nothing will prepare you for the truth.

MY THOUGHTS

Shari Lapena always delivers a tense read, and I flew through her latest thriller, Everyone Here Is Lying. Her latest novel is set in the fictional town of Stanhope, a perfect place for raising families, that is, until a nine-year-old girl, Avery, goes missing. As the police and the media descend, people soon begin to point the finger at each other as the hours since Avery’s disappearance turns into days. Who was responsible for Avery going missing?

I loved the setting in this book. Shari Lapena creates a claustrophobic feeling as the town comes to terms with Avery’s disappearance, but there is also a sense of a community coming together, as everyone wants to do something to help find Avery. The tension is there immediately, especially as Avery’s father, Dr William Wooler, lies to the police about where he was around the time of Avery’s disappearance. He has good reason to want to keep this a secret. He saw Avery shortly before she disappeared, but he shouldn’t have been home at the time he was. But what secrets is Avery’s father keeping from his family? But what is interesting in this book is that it appears that no one has a good word to say about Avery, even her own family. So what is the motivation behind Avery’s disappearance?

Shari Lapena does an excellent job of keeping the twists coming, as we begin to learn the truth behind Avery’s disappearance. The misdirection in the book was done really well, and Shari Lapena does a brilliant job of keeping your attention focused on certain arears and people, which is what makes the truth even more shocking. I had to know what was going to happen. I thought that nothing in this book was predictable.

I absolutely loved the final chapter which I thought closed the story in such a brilliant way. It wasn’t what I was expecting to happen. I definitely think this is Shari Lapena’s best book to date. She is a writer, who always excels at creating devious characters, and you are never sure, in her books, who you can trust, or where the plot is going to go.

Everyone Here Is Lying is another winner from Shari Lapena.

Publisher: Transworld

Publication date: 6th July 2023

Print length: 326 pages

Everyone Here Is Lying is available to buy:

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The Beach Party by Nikki Smith #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by Nikki Smith, The Beach Party.

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Six friends.
The holiday of their dreams.
One night that changed it all . . .

1989: The tunes are loud and the clothes are louder when a group of friends arrives in Mallorca for a post-graduation holiday of decadence and debauchery at a luxury villa.

A beach party marks the pinnacle of their fun, until it isn’t fun any longer. Because amidst the wild partying – sand flying from dancing feet and revellers leaping from yachts – an accident happens. Suddenly, the night of a lifetime becomes a living nightmare.

Now: The truth about that summer has been collectively buried. But someone knows what happened that night.

And they want the friends to pay for what they did.

MY THOUGHTS

I decided to save reading The Beach Party by Nikki Smith until I was on holiday, and it was the perfect time to read it. Nikki Smith’s new thriller flicks between the period of 1989 and the present day. In 1989 a group of friends are holidaying together in a luxury villa in Mallorca. During the trip the group of friends don’t have a care in the world and they have everything in life to look forward to. That is until the horrific accident that will change the rest of their lives forever.

Nikki Smith creates a tense atmosphere in her novel as we get to know the group of friends while they are on holiday in 1989. We know that something terrible is going to happen while they are on this trip, and this is what keeps the intrigue and suspense ticking up a notch, as I had to know what was going to happen to them. The villa, where they are staying, is owned by Nina’s parents, who are extremely wealthy. Although she has known the friends, who she has brought to Mallorca to stay with her, for a long time, it seems that some of them don’t realise quite how rich her family is. Before long, tensions start simmering amongst the friends.

Nina is definitely a character who comes across as very stony faced, and someone who only cares about herself. I disliked her right from the start of this novel, and I struggled to warm to her friends who were with her, although they don’t all come from the same privileged background as Nina, but I was really intrigued to find out what was going to happen to them on the holiday. Nikki Smith builds on the atmosphere as the group settle into their holiday and creates an almost claustrophobic feeling in the villa.

There is a mysterious element in the present day chapters as well. The group have been invited back to the villa again decades later. They have drifted apart from one another in the years since, but it is not clear who has invited them back to Mallorca and for what purpose. This really increases the tension, especially as Nikki Smith gradually begins to reveal what happened on the holiday. I could begin to see why someone wanted them all back at the villa.

The Beach Party is a fantastic summer read by Nikki Smith that I thoroughly enjoyed.  

Publisher: Viking

Publication date: 30th June 2023

Print length: 388 pages

The Beach Party is available to buy:

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