My Sister by Michelle Adams Book Review

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My name is Irini. I was given away.

My name is Elle. I was kept.

All her life Irini thought she was given away because her family didn't want her. What if the truth is something worse?

Two sisters. Two separate lives.

One family bound by a harrowing secret. 


MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed this book by Michelle Adams. A taut, frightening tale about two sisters and the poisoned relationship that binds them.

Irini and Elle are two very different sisters. Irini is shy and she is still trying to work out who she is; Elle is confident, bold, outgoing and dangerous. But something is not right in their relationship. When Irini was three her parents decided to give her up but decided to keep Elle. Irini desperately wants to know why her parents abandoned her when she was only a baby. Why did they choose to keep Elle and not her?

I found My Sister impossible to put down once I had started. Michelle’s writing is hugely addictive and she draws you into her characters world. There was some really nice description in her writing. I loved the depth that she explored in the two sisters’ and she made me want to get to the bottom of it all and what started their spiky relationship.

The novel begins with Irini receiving a call from her sister in the middle of the night. Elle tells her that their mother has died and asks if she will be coming to the funeral. For Irini this is her chance to find out why she was given away as a baby, maybe she can finally get to the bottom of it all.

There are some unsettling scenes in this book and I found Elle a really dislikeable character, but this was great in adding to the tension and it kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. You can sense a storm looming on every single page of this book and the revelations towards the end really did surprise me.

If you start reading this book, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t have any plans for the rest of the day because you’ll want to get it finished. A great debut! Five stars from me. Thank you to Millie Seward at Headline for sending me a copy to review. 

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 20th April 2017

Print length: 384 pages 

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My Sister by Michelle Adams Blog Tour

Today I'm thrilled to be taking part in the My Sister blog tour. As part of the blog tour you can read the first chapter on my blog.

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MY NAME IS IRINI

I WAS GIVEN AWAY

MY NAME IS ELLE

I WAS KEPT

All her life Irini thought she was given away because her family didn't want her. What if the truth is something far worse? 

TWO SISTERS. TWO SEPARATE LIVES. ONE FAMILY BOUND BY A HARROWING SECRET 

CHAPTER ONE

The buzzing of my telephone is like the scuttling of a cockroach underneath the bed. No real danger, yet still I am terrified. The same fear that a knock on the door just before bedtime brings, always bad news, or a murderer there to live out a fantasy. I look back and see Antonio sleeping by my side, naked save for a white sheet draped over his hip like an unfastened toga. His breath glides in and out, comfortable, at peace. I know the dreams that come to him are good, because he smacks his lips and his muscles twitch like a contented baby. I glance at the red numbers glowing on the alarm clock: 2.02 a.m., a warning sign.

I reach for the phone, my movements slow, and glance at the screen. Unknown number. I press the green button to answer the call and hear the bright, cheerful voice. But it’s a lie, designed to fool or blind. ‘Hi, it’s me. Hello?’ It waits for an answer. ‘Can you hear me?’

I pull the sheet higher, protecting myself as a chill spreads across my skin. I cover my breasts, the left of which hangs just a bit lower than the right. The beauty of fifteen degrees of scoliosis. It is Elle’s voice I hear, the one I knew it would be. The last remaining connection to a past I have tried to forget. Yet still, even after six years of absence she has managed to scramble up the walls of the chasm I have gouged between us, wriggle her way back in like a worm through mud and find me.

I reach up, turn on the lamp, illuminating the darkest monster-filled corners of the room. When I raise the phone to my ear I can still hear her breathing, creeping out of the shadows, waiting for me to speak.

I roll away from Antonio, wince as my hip throbs with the movement. ‘What do you want?’ I ask, trying to sound confident. I have learnt not to be polite, not to engage. It helps not to encourage her.

‘To talk to you, so don’t you dare hang up. Why are you whispering?’ I hear her giggle, like we are friends, like this is just a normal conversation between silly teenage girls. But it isn’t. We both know it. I should hang up despite her threat, but I can’t. It’s already too late for that.

‘It’s the middle of the night.’ I can hear the quiver in my voice. I’m shivering. I swallow hard.

There’s a rustle as she checks the clock. Where is she now? What does she want this time? ‘Actually, it’s the early hours of the morning, but whatever.’

 ‘What do you want?’ I ask again, aware that she is picking at my skin, creeping under the layers.

Elle is my sister. My only sister from a previous life from which I have kept few memories. The memories I do have are blurry, as if I am looking back through a window drenched in heavy rain. I’m not even sure if they represent reality any more. Twenty-nine years is a long time for them to morph, transform into something else.

My second life, the one I am stuck in now, began when I was three years old. It was a bright spring day; the frosts of winter had melted and the animals in the nearby woods were venturing from their dens for the first time. I was wrapped in a thick woollen coat, so many layers of clothes that my joints were immobile. The woman who had given birth to me pulled red woollen mittens on to my hands without saying a word. What a three-year-old remembers.

She carried me along a dry, muddy path intersected by grass until we arrived at a waiting car up ahead. I was a late developer, and parts of me, like my hip (a poorly formed socket held together by loose, stringy tendons),hadn’t really developed at all. I hadn’t managed the whole walking thing. I didn’t put up a fight when she pushed me into the back seat and strapped me in. At least I don’t think I did. Maybe I don’t really remember anything, and this is all just a trick of the mind, to make me feel that I have a past. A life where I had parents. A past with somebody other than Elle.

Sometimes I think I can remember my mother’s face: like mine, only older, redder, wrinkles like a spider’s web weaving around her lips. Other times I’m not so sure. But I’m sure that she didn’t offer any last-minute advice to be a good girl, no quick kiss on the cheek to tide me over. I would have remembered that, wouldn’t I? She slammed the car door, stepped back, and my aunt and uncle drove me away from her like it was the most normal thing in the world. And even then I knew something was over. I had been given away, cast out, dumped.

‘Are you listening to me, Irini? I told you I want to talk to you.’ Her sharp voice comes through quick as a blade, wrenching me back to the present.

‘What about?’ I whisper, knowing that it has already begun again. I can feel her on me, slithering back into place.

I listen as she draws in a breath, trying to calm herself. ‘How long is it since we spoke?’

I edge further away from Antonio. I don’t want to wake him up. ‘Elle, it’s two in the morning. I have work tomorrow. I don’t have time for this now.’ It’s a pathetic attempt, but I have to try. One last effort to keep her away.

‘Liar,’ she spits. And I know that’s it, I’ve done it. I have made her angry. I throw the covers off, swing my feet out of the bed and brush my fringe from my eyes. My pulse is racing as I grip the phone to my ear. ‘It’s Sunday tomorrow. You don’t have work.’

‘Please, just tell me what you want.’

‘It’s Mum.’ The word jars me when she uses it so casually. Drops it like a friend might use a nickname. It feels alien, makes me feel exposed. Mum, she says. As if I know her. As if somehow she belongs to me.

‘What about her?’ I whisper.

‘She died.’

Moments pass before I breathe. She’s gone, I think. I’ve lost her again. I cover my mouth with a sweaty palm. Elle waits for a response, but when I offer nothing she eventually asks, ‘Well, are you going to come to the funeral?’

It’s a reasonable question, but one for which I have no answer. Because to me, mother is nothing more than an idea, a childish hope. A dream. But my nagging curiosity spurs me on. There are things I need to know.

‘I guess,’ I stutter.

‘Don’t force yourself. It’s not like they’d miss you if you didn’t.’

I wish that didn’t hurt, but the knowledge that my presence would not be missed is a painful reminder of reality even after all these years. ‘So why ask me to come?’ I say, aware that my mask of confidence is slipping.

‘Because I need you there.’ She speaks as if she is surprised I don’t already understand, as if she doesn’t know that I dodge her phone calls, or that I’ve changed my number twenty-three times, and moved house, just to stop her from finding me. Six years I have kept the distance, my best run yet. But she weakens me, and to be needed by her makes me limp. Pliable. ‘And you still owe me, Irini. Or have you forgotten the things I’ve done for you?’

She’s right. I do owe her. How could I have forgotten? Our parents might have given me away, but Elle never accepted it. She has spent her life clawing her way back to me, her presence littering my past like debris after a storm. ‘No, I haven’t forgotten,’ I admit, as I turn and take a look at Antonio still fast asleep. I squeeze my eyes shut, as if I can make it all go away. I’m not here. You can’t see me. Childish. A tear sneaks out as I clench the sheet tight in my fist. I want to ask her how she got my number this time. Somebody must have it. Maybe Aunt Jemima, the only mother figure I have ever known. If she was still taking my calls I could contact her to ask. Let her know what I think of this latest familial betrayal.

‘Call me tomorrow if you are coming,’ Elle says. ‘I hope you can. Don’t make me come to London to find you myself.’ She hangs up the phone before I have a chance to answer.

ABOUT MICHELLE 

MICHELLE ADAMS grew up in the UK and now lives in Cyprus, where she works as a part-time scientist. She read her first Stephen King novel at the tender age of nine, and has been addicted to suspense fiction ever since. MY SISTER is her first novel. Follow Michelle at @MAdamswriter 

Thank you to Millie Seaward at Headline for sending me a copy of the book and for a place on the blog tour. 

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An Act of Silence by Colette McBeth Book Review

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A powerful psychological thriller about a mother faced with an impossible choice, and the consequences of her decision for years to come. Perfect for fans of APPLE TREE YARD, DISCLAIMER, and television dramas STATE OF PLAY and NATIONAL TREASURE.

These are the facts I collect.

My son Gabriel met a woman called Mariela in a bar. She went home with him. The next morning she was found in an allotment. 

Mariela is dead.

Gabriel has been asked to report to Camden Police Station in six hours for questioning. 

Linda Moscow loves her son; it's her biological instinct to keep him safe. But if she's not sure of his innocence, how can she stand by him? Should she go against everything she believes in to protect him?

She's done it before, and the guilt nearly killed her.

Now, the past is catching up with them. As old secrets resurface, Linda is faced with another impossible choice. Only this time, it's her life on the line...


MY THOUGHTS

I read a sample of An Act of Silence by Colette McBeth when I attended the Killer Women Festival in London last October. After reading the first few pages I couldn’t wait to read the rest of the book and I was thrilled when my Netgalley request was approved.

In the novel we meet Linda Moscow, a former politician who was once the home secretary. When her son Gabriel returns home to ask for her help she is put in a difficult situation. Gabriel is a suspect in the murder of a girl who he slept with the night before her body was found in an allotment which backs onto his house. The police are building a strong case against him and Linda must decide if whether or not she believes her son. Is he really capable of something as heinous as this?

The direction that the novel took after the shocking opening really surprised me and added real depth to the story. An Act of Silence is an intricately plotted piece of work with great characters that were really well developed. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and at different points in time. There were times when I did find this a little confusing but it didn’t take me long to work out what was going on. Colette really made me feel for her characters, especially for Linda who is at the heart of this novel and her quest to get to the truth in this book was inspiring.

I loved the ending of this book. I thought it was a great way to wrap up the story and it left me feeling very satisfied. Colette McBeth is a very talented writer and I can’t wait to read more from her. I’ll be reading her previous novels very soon.

An Act of Silence is a powerful, emotional story. It is crime fiction at its very best. Thank you to Netgalley and Wildfire for providing me with a copy to read.

Publisher: Wildfire

Publication date: 29th June 2017

Print length: 352 pages

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Gone Without a Trace Book Review by Mary Torjussen

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GONE WITHOUT A TRACE is a compulsive thriller about a woman who returns from work to find her boyfriend has vanished. Fans of BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and THE SISTER will be gripped.

No one ever disappears completely...

You leave for work one morning.

Another day in your normal life.

Until you come home to discover that your boyfriend has gone.
His belongings have disappeared.
He hasn't been at work for weeks.
It's as if he never existed.

But that's not possible, is it?

And there is worse still to come.

Because just as you are searching for him someone is also watching you.


MY THOUGHTS

Gone Without a Trace is a debut novel by Mary Torjussen. It is a psychological thriller with twists and turns that will keep you enthralled and on the edge of your seat. I was hooked.

When Hannah returns home from work she finds that her boyfriend, Matt, has disappeared, taking with him every item belonging to him and all the memories they shared together. It is as if he never existed at all. What follows for Hannah is a tense quest for answers as to why her boyfriend has left her like this. Has he done it deliberately? Or is there another reason behind his disappearance?

I really enjoyed this novel. Mary hooks her readers from the first page and doesn’t let them go until they reach the end. There is plenty of drama going on in this book to keep you entertained. As Hannah strives to find answers behind her boyfriend’s disappearance her own life begins to fall apart and her work, as a result, begins to suffer.

There was a twist in this book that really took me by surprise and it made me think: ah, yes, why didn’t I see this coming. Mary plays with a lot of emotions in this book, especially when Hannah’s life begins to break down over her boyfriend’s disappearance. It’s really difficult to talk too much about the plot without giving the story away, there were definitely times when the book kept me reading well into the night.

This is a great debut from an exciting new talent. I can’t wait to see what Mary does next. 

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 23rd March 2017

Print length: 352 pages

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Follow Me by Angela Clarke Book Review

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LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW .... DIE

The 'Hashtag Murderer' posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to his next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public's imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own dark past?

Everyone is following the #Murderer.

But what if he is following you?


MY THOUGHTS

Follow Me is the first book in the social media murder series by Angela Clarke. It was an exciting and up to date thriller that explores just how dangerous social media is, and how warped the human mind can be, looking in particular at our fascination with dark and grisly crimes. Although we say that such crimes are terrifying and abhorrent, we are all playing armchair detectives whenever a high profile murder case hits the news and pointing the finger at who we think is the person the police should be after. Angela looks at this in a new way when the criminal in her book uses Twitter, and gains masses of new followers on a daily basis all desperate to know their next move. 

Follow Me introduces us to Freddie Venton, an aspiring journalist, but currently she is working as a waitress at Espress-Oh. We are also introduced to Nasreen Cudmore, a police detective. Freddie and Nasreen are old friends, but they haven’t seen each other for years, so it comes as a shock to Freddie when she bumps into Nasreen one day at work. When Freddie infiltrates a crime scene that her friend is working on she becomes involved in an investigation which takes the media world and the public by storm. A serial killer is posting clues as to his next victim on Twitter. 

I loved the main characters in this book. There were times when I was shaking my head at Freddie’s decisions, particularly in the early chapters, and I wasn’t sure if I liked Nasreen in the beginning. But by the end I was rooting for them both and I can’t wait to see what Angela has in store for them next. Angela drew me into her characters world, so much so that I didn’t want the story to end. I did find it a little unusual that the police would use a civilian in such a high profile case, and help them to investigate crime scenes, but that didn't impact on my enjoyment of the story.

The idea of using social media was fascinating and provides a brilliant hook, especially for those using Twitter and Facebook, and I am a prolific Twitter user.

There is tension on every page of this book which will keep you turning the pages. There is tension between Freddie and Nasreen as Freddie becomes more involved in the investigation, I wanted to see how this was going to affect their relationship further as the investigation progressed. 

Follow Me is a great debut and Angela Clarke is an author to watch. 

Publisher: Avon

Publication date: 31st December 2015

Print length: 352 pages

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Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips Book Review

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Lincoln is a good boy. At the age of four, he is curious, clever and well behaved. He does as his mum says and knows what the rules are.

'The rules are different today. The rules are that we hide and do not let the man with the gun find us.' 

When an ordinary day at the zoo turns into a nightmare, Joan finds herself trapped with her beloved son. She must summon her strength, find unexpected courage and protect Lincoln at all costs - even if it means crossing the line between right and wrong; between humanity and animal instinct.

It's a line none of us would ever normally dream of crossing.

But sometimes the rules are different.


MY THOUGHTS

I raced through Fierce Kingdom. It was such a powerful and emotional story which I’m sure will stay with me for a long time. It was the first novel by Gin Phillips which I have read and I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out to see what she does next. 

The novel is told over several hours in which Lincoln and his Mum are trapped inside a zoo which has been infiltrated by gunmen. It is just approaching closing time when the action starts and what starts as a perfectly normal day for Lincoln and his Mum; it soon turns in to a horrific nightmare. In today’s world, you can see how, sadly, this can very easily happen which for me made it all the more frightening. I thought the zoo was a great setting for the story; as well as the danger of the gunmen on the loose, you also have the added danger of the animals some of which can be dangerous. 

The novel also explores the maternal bond between a mother and her son, just how far would you go to protect your child? This must’ve been a difficult subject to explore. And then there was the ending of the novel which was so tense that I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. You’ll certainly need to take a breather once you have finished this one. 

A powerful and emotive story with an original concept which I’m sure will be a big hit this summer. Thank you to Alison Barrow at Transworld for sending me a copy to review.


Publisher: Doubleday

Publication date: 15th June 2017

Print length: 336 pages


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The People At Number 9 by Felicity Everett blog tour

I'm thrilled to be on the blog tour today for The People At Number 9 with a guest post by Felicity Everett and a review.

My journey in writing The People at Number 9 and getting it published.

‘Journey’ is a good word to use in the context of my new novel The People at Number 9. If my husband’s work had not taken us on a journey, 10,000 miles from home, to Melbourne, Australia, I might never have seen what stared me in the face when I got there – that there was great fodder for a book in my old London suburb of Lewisham. I had lived there for twenty five years and I’d become very attached to it. Living there had been nothing like the cliché I had been warned about as a Mancunian moving to London – I had feared an aloof, inhospitable place where no-one passed the time of day. I found a close-knit and supportive community. Sometimes, I must admit, it got a little bit too close-knit  - there could be gossip; a sense of your neighbours always knowing your business, which got me wondering… what if there was business to know…

That’s when I dreamed up the idea of two couples living next door to each other, one perfectly happy leading a humdrum suburban existence, and parenting their two children, the other, new to the area, Bohemian; arty; raising their kids haphazardly, but having a lot of fun.  What if couple one became so intoxicated with couple two, were so inspired by their creativity and their glamour that they began to make changes to their own lives – to emulate their new friends and become entangled in their lives in such a way as to lose sight of who they really were? It seemed to me, then, that I had the beginnings of a novel. I joined a writer’s group in a nearby suburb (Melbourne is a fantastic city for writers and writing) and over the next eighteen months I wrote and work-shopped The People at Number 9. I was a bit worried that the London setting might seem parochial and put people off, but the Aussies in my group loved the sense of place and by then the characters seemed real to me, so I carried on. Just as we were due to up sticks again and return to the UK, I finished my first draft and sent it to my agent. She was enthusiastic, and when I’d tweaked it a bit, she sent it out to some prospective publishers.  I was really lucky in that the publisher that went for it was Kate Mills, who was just launching a new imprint, HQ, for Harper Collins – it would be the first novel off the press under that imprint, which made me really proud.  

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Meet the new neighbours. Whose side are you on?

When Gav and Lou move into the house next door, Sara spends days plucking up the courage to say hello. The neighbours are glamorous, chaotic and just a little eccentric. They make the rest of Sara's street seem dull by comparison. 

When the hand of friendship is extended, Sarah is delighted and flattered. Incredibly, Gav and Lou seem to see something in Sara and Neil that they admire too. In no time at all, the two couples are soulmates, sharing suppers, bottles of red wine and childcare, laughing and trading stories and secrets late into the night in one another's houses.

And the more time Sara spends with Gav and Lou, the more she longs to make changes in her own life. But those changes will come at a price. Soon Gav and Lou will be asking things they've no right to ask of their neighbours, with shattering consequences for all of them,..

Have you met The People at Number 9? A dark and delicious novel about envy, longing and betrayal in the suburbs... 

MY THOUGHTS 

The People At Number 9 is a debut by Felicity Everett.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book. From reading the blurb I was thinking that it would be a twisty psychological thriller, it wasn’t quite that, but I was very surprised by what I read and I found it an exciting and intriguing read.

When Gavin and Lou move next door to Sara and Neil, Sara is desperate to strike up a conversation with Lou. When she finally gets round to saying hello they soon develop a friendship and for Sara, in Lou, she has found a new best friend. But the relationship soon begins to turn toxic and leads to a devastating twist which will have consequences for them all. This novel had some great characterization which for me was one of the strong points of the story. 

What I really loved about this book was the dialogue. This is where Felicity excelled in her writing which made the book engaging and kept me turning the pages. I could sense a time bomb ticking in the background as I read this book and I was waiting for that moment when one of the couples was going to snap and I loved how Felicity built up the tension. The twist at the end really did surprise me; I wasn’t expecting it to take that direction.

On the front cover of the novel, the publishers ask us: whose side are you on? For me I couldn’t really decide. I think I definitely preferred Sara over Lou however.

The book wasn’t quite what I expected but overall I really enjoyed this story. Felicity is a writer to watch and I will certainly be looking out for her next book. Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review.  

Publisher: HQ

Publication date: 6th April 2017

Print length: 320 pages

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Her Husband's Lover by Julia Crouch Book Review

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She stole her husband. Now she wants to take her life.

After the horrors of the past, Louisa Williams is desperate to make a clean start.

Her husband Sam is dead. Her children, too, are gone, victims of the car accident in which he died.

Sam said that she would never get away from him. That he would hound her to death if she tried to leave. Louisa never thought that he would want to harm their children though. But then she never thought that he would betray her with a woman like Sophie.

And now Sophie is determined to take all that Louisa has left. She wants to destroy her reputation and to take what she thinks is owed her - the life she would have had if Sam had lived. Her husband's lover wants to take her life. The only question is will Louisa let her?

MY THOUGHTS

I read Her Husband’s Lover by Julia Crouch in just under twenty four hours. It was that good; I simply couldn’t put it down. This was the first book by Julia that I have read and you can now label me a big fan, I’ll definitely be reading her other books and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

In Her Husband’s Lover, Louisa is recovering from a traumatic event and she is still being traumatized by the horrors of her past. She has lost her husband and her two children in a horrific accident and now Louisa is trying to make the best of things and move forward with her life. She has bought herself a new flat, found a new job and found a new partner.

But when her husband’s lover starts hounding her for money to support her child things begin to spiral out of control for Louisa. She thinks that she can keep Sophie under her reigns and is determined not to part with a penny but Sophie has been doing some digging and has uncovered disturbing information about Louisa’s past. Can Louisa really afford not to pay Sophie, to keep her quiet?

I loved the suspense in this book. From the moment you start reading you know that you are in for good one and I couldn’t believe it when I reached that twist which made me gasp out loud. There were some chilling scenes in this book, particularly towards the end.

I loved the voices that Julia gave Sophie and Louise which were very distinctive. I’m a huge fan of novels where the reader is allowed to step inside another person’s head and it is a great tool to use in helping to misdirect the reader and plant red herrings.

I think I have definitely found a new favourite author with Julia Crouch and if you haven’t read Her Husband’s Lover, well, you’d be mad not to. 

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 26th January 2017

Print length: 480 pages

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10 questions for Amanda Reynolds

Today I am delighted to welcome Amanda Reynolds onto my blog to answer ten questions about her new novel, Close To Me, published by Headline's new imprint, Wildfire and on writing.

Firstly, can you give us your one line pitch for your book?

Jo can’t remember the last year. Her husband wants to keep it that way.

Can you tell us a little bit about your experience about getting published? How quick was it for you to find an agent and a publisher?

This is such a topical subject at the moment, with many authors sharing their difficult journeys to publication. I think it’s good to show aspiring authors we all struggled and faced multiple rejections before we found success. Personally, I wrote several books before Close To Me. There were definitely times when I wondered if it would happen for me, and rejections, however positive or polite, are very hard to absorb. Now, I’m glad it took a while, I learned so much along the way, not least that tenacity is key.

In Close To Me, the main character, Jo, suffers from a head trauma which causes her to lose a year’s worth of memories. Did you have to do a lot of research into memory loss and how did you go about it?

I did a lot of research, both first-hand accounts, and of course via the internet. There’s a wealth of information out there, both medical and from those affected and their loved ones. I tried not to dwell too long on the forums as it’s so sad, Jo was luckier than some, as she observes herself. I did Google some images; not a good idea. I’m not squeamish, but it was not for the faint-hearted.

Are you a planner? If so, can you tell us a little bit about your process?

I’m a terrible planner, but I did plan out Close To Me. I knew where I wanted to take Jo and Rob and roughly where they would end up, so I had a ten page synopsis, which is amazing for me! Normally I like to get writing and see where the characters take me.

What advice would you give to any aspiring authors?

I’d say, do it! It’s the best job in the world, but be prepared for the long haul and take critique when offered, particularly if the person giving it is a professional. It doesn’t mean you should change your work, but it’s always good to listen with an open mind.

Read widely, and not just in your chosen genre, it will improve your writing.

Most importantly, write every day. If you write, you’re a writer, if you don’t you’re not; simple as that!

Is there anything that you wished you’d known about the publishing industry before you became a published author?

Not really, I’ve found it to be a wonderfully welcoming community filled with interesting and supportive people. I love being a part of it!

I understand that you also teach creative writing, can you tell us a little bit more about this and where you teach?

Five years ago I founded Cotswold Creative Writing, and taught two classes a week until quite recently. I’m now on a sabbatical whilst I concentrate on Close To Me and my next book, but I’m really missing my classes. It’s such a privilege to hear the wonderful stories shared each week. That would be another piece of advice for aspiring authors; join a writing group.

Do you stick to a writing routine? Do you have a limit for how many words you write a day?

I’m very disciplined when writing my first draft. I aim for a thousand words a day, every day, for three months. It really works for me, otherwise I’d mess around no end, ordering stuff on-line and reading articles!

When did you decide that Close To Me was ready to start submitting to agents?

I already had an agent when I was writing Close To Me. She’s a wonderful editor and we work really well together so I knew when she said it was ready to go, it was! The first draft of any book is only the beginning and it takes a lot of patience to get it right. I suppose when you get to the point you feel you can’t add anything new, it’s time to step away.  

And finally, what are you reading at the moment and what are you looking forward to reading this year?

At the moment I’m reading How To be Human by Paula Cocozza. She’s on a debut panel with me and three other authors at The Cuirt International Festival of Literature later this month so we’ve swapped books. It will be my first time in Ireland and my first time talking about Close To Me so I’m very excited, and a bit nervous.

I’m looking forward to so many books this year, especially Into The Water by Paula Hawkins and The Child by Fiona Barton, also See What I have Done by Sarah Schmidt and Tin Man by Sarah Winman, and a memoir called I found My Tribe by Ruth Fitzmaurice. 

Thank you so much Amanda for taking the time to answer my questions. You can find my original review of Close To Me here  and you can purchase Amanda's book by clicking here 

Lie to Me by Jess Ryder Book Review

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How can you tell the truth...if all you've ever known is a lie?

Three minutes. That's all it takes for Meredith's entire world to fall apart when she watches the videotape of her four-year-old self with Becca, the mother who abandoned her.

Meredith can't believe what her eyes have seen. Yet what if her memory has locked away the painful reality of her childhood? Can there be any truth in the strange and dangerous story her mother forced her to tell on camera?

The search for answers leads Meredith to Darkwater Pool, the scene of the murder of a young woman, Cara, over 30 years ago. What could possibly be the link between her mother and the victim?

To find the truth Meredith must search through a pas that is not her own. The problem is, she's not the only one looking...

A dark, compulsive psychological thriller that will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Louise Jensen.


MY THOUGHTS

Lie to Me is a new psychological thriller by debut author Jess Ryder.

When Meredith finds an old video tape whilst clearing out her father’s attic, she is curious to see what it shows. Her father’s reaction to the discovery of the tape is shocking and he urges her to throw it on the fire. But Meredith is determined to see it and to find out what secrets it contains. What Meredith discovers changes her life completely and she embarks on a dangerous journey to find out the truth. Who is the girl her mother refers to in the tape? And what happened to her mother when she disappeared all those years ago?

I did enjoy this story, but I have to admit that I struggled to get into it for the first quarter of the book after the first couple of chapters. I did think that there were some places where it did go on for a little bit and I found myself skim reading a little. There were places when I would have liked for there to have been a little more dialogue. But I did find Meredith’s voice engaging which stopped me putting the book down. The second half of the book was however much more gripping, particularly when the cold case investigation of a murdered girl and Meredith’s quest for answers about what happened to her mother steps up a pace and when Isabel Dalliday, a celebrity in the theater world appears on the scene.

I really liked the characters in this book and I thought that they were well developed. I thought that Meredith’s growing relationship with Isabel was a great source of tension.

The novel is told over two time periods, focusing on Meredith’s and the police investigation in the present day and in the 1980s before the murder of a girl named Cara Travers. I also really enjoyed the scenes when the story flashed back in time; Isabel and Cara were great characters.

The ending scenes in which Jess pulled all the strands together was really well done and I thought the idea behind this was quite original. Jess racked up the tension in these scenes and I wasn’t expecting that final twist. 

Overall an enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy to review. 

Publisher; Bookouture

Publication date: 19th April 2017

Print length: 396 pages

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Hide and Seek by M J Arlidge Book Review

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Prison is no place for a detective

Helen Grace was one of the country's best police investigators. Now she's behind bars with the killers she caught.

Framed for murder

She knows there is only one way out:
stay alive until her trial and somehow prove her innocence,.

Locked up with a killer

But when a mutilated body is found in the cell next door, Helen fears her days are numbered.

A murderer is on the loose.
And she must find them.
Before she's next . . .


MY THOUGHTS

M J Arlidge excels in tension in the latest DI Helen Grace thriller! After Little Boy Blue ended on THAT cliff hanger, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into the next book in the series and I think it’s probably fair to say that this is the best Helen Grace book yet. It didn’t take me long to finish it and it has left me craving the next book. This is a series that keeps getting better and better.

In Hide and Seek, for Helen Grace the table has been turned. Helen has been imprisoned after being falsely accused of murder in the nail biting previous novel, Little Boy Blue. With doors seemingly closing in on Helen at all angles, she must rely on her good friend and colleague, Charlie Brooks to prove her innocence, but Charlie is getting little support for her investigation within the police and time for Helen is running out and Charlie’s superiors are keen to wrap up the case. And now, a serial killer is on the loose in Holloway prison, where Helen is currently awaiting her trial. It seems that things are about to get a whole lot worse for Helen before they get better. Prison is no place for a detective and when she is surrounded by prisoners who she herself has helped to put away, it gets even worse.

What I love about M J Arlidge’s writing is his pace. Arlidge doesn’t linger on description or fancy language, but dives straight into the action, with short, punchy chapters and brilliant dialogue. This works extremely well in building tension which Arlidge is a master of. I really liked in this novel, how he made me feel for some of the inmates in the prison even though these people are convicted criminals.

There were definitely moments in this book when I wanted put it down for a breather but I simply had to turn the page to find out what happened, particularly in the prison scenes when Helen is hunting for the killer. The scenes featuring Charlie, as she attempted to track down Helen’s nephew, also had me holding my breath. There were plenty of suspects and red herrings; when I thought I’d nailed who the suspect was; Arlidge pulled one final twist out of the bag.

I think you would benefit from reading the previous books in the series to fully understand what is going on in this instalment but it is possible to read it as a standalone.

Arlidge delivers again and again with his Helen Grace novels; he will definitely leave you wanting more. I highly recommend them! 

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 29th December 2016

Print length: 384 pages 

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