The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

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The suspense thriller of the year - The Marsh King's Daughter will captivate you from the start and chill you to the bone.

'I was born two years into my mother's captivity. She was three weeks shy of seventeen. If I had known then what I do now, things would have been a lot different. I would have been a lot more understanding of my mother. I wouldn't have adored my father.'

When the notorious child abductor known as the Marsh King escapes from a maximum security prison, Helena immediately suspects that she and her two young daughters are in danger.

No one, not even her husband, knows the truth about Helena's past: they don't know that she was born into captivity, that she had no contact with the outside world before the age of twelve - or that her father raised her to be a killer.

And they don't know that the Marsh King can survive and hunt in the wilderness better than anyone...except, perhaps his own daughter.

Packed with gripping suspense and powerful storytelling, The Marsh King's Daughter is  one-more-page, read-in-one-sitting thriller that you'll remember for ever.


MY THOUGHTS

The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne is a novel I won’t be forgetting about for a long while. It is a powerful, emotional story about a girl defined by her past but who desperately seeks to control her own destiny.

Helena is a young woman with two daughters and a loving husband, Stephen. She lives a tranquil life and earns money for her family by making jam and jelly. But Helena is no ordinary young woman. Helena grew up in captivity. Her mother was kidnapped as a young girl by Helena’s father and gave birth to her during the time that she was held captive. For fourteen years they were both under Helena’s father’s control before their miraculous rescue. But now, Helena’s father has escaped from prison, Helena fears for her family’s safety and heads out into the wilderness to track him down.

The Marsh King’s Daughter has to be one of the best books I have read this year. Karen’s writing is very addictive and she draws you into the story. The novel is told over two timelines, in the present when Helena has learnt the news of her father’s escape and the time when she and her mother were her father’s prisoners. Both stories were equally captivating and there were heart wrenching moments in each. The pace in the novel is excellent, I raced through the final chapters and Karen really delivers on the ending. The book definitely kept me reading well into the night.

This is a novel that you’ll want to watch out for in the summer. A great read. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read.

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 13th June 2017

Print length: 322 pages

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Yesterday by Felicia Yap Book Review

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How do you solve a murder when you can only remember yesterday?

There are two types of people in the world. Those who can only remember yesterday, and those who can also recall the day before.

You have just one lifeline to the past: your diary. Each night, you write down the things that matter. Each morning, your diary tells you where you were, who you loved and what you did.

Today, the police are at your door. They say that the body of your husband's mistress has been found in the River Cam. They think your husband killed her two days ago.

Can you trust the police? Can you trust your husband? Can you trust yourself?


MY THOUGHTS 

I have been looking forward to reading Yesterday since I first heard about early last year and I was thrilled when my copy came in the post. I couldn’t wait to get started.

We all take memory for granted. It is only apparent how much we rely on memory during police investigations, exams and when a loved one passes away. In the world Felicia Yap has created in her debut novel, Yesterday, there are two types of people: Monos and Duos. A Mono can only remember the day before yesterday whereas a Duo can remember two days before. This is how people are segregated in this world, not by wealth or religion but by how much a person can remember. And Monos are often discriminated against by Duos.

Claire and Mark are going through a rocky period in their marriage. Claire is a Mono, her husband, Mark; bestselling novelist turned politician is a Duo. Their marriage is rare in Felicia’s world and The Queen has recently given Royal Assent to an Act of Parliament designed to encourage more mixed marriages between Monos and Duos. When the body of a young woman is found in Cambridgeshire’s river Cam, suspicion quickly falls on Mark. Can Claire really trust the person that she married, can she trust the facts that she has carefully stored over the years they have been together?

Felicia’s unique concept for her novel is intriguing: how do you solve a murder when you only remember yesterday? For the detective investigating the suspicious death of the young woman, this is all too true and he vows to have the mystery solved by the end of the day. I admired his determination as he got to grips with the case and his will power to see it through; this definitely added pace to the novel as the detective raced against the clock to get answers.

Perhaps it would make for a better world if we could only remember yesterday, after all no one would be able to hold grudges against others as they wouldn’t be able to remember the reason why particularly with the state of the world as it is at the moment.

Yesterday is a brilliant debut. If you loved Before I Go To Sleep you’ll love this book. Really, really excellent, I’m sure Yesterday will be one of the biggest hits of the summer. Thank you to Millie Seaward at Headline for sending me an advance proof copy. 

Publisher: Wildfire

Publication date: 10th August 2017

Print length: 432 pages 

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No Place to Die by Clare Donoghue Book Review

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DS Jane Bennett takes charge of South London's Lewisham murder squad following the temporary suspension of her boss, DI Mike Lockyer. His involvement with a female witness resulted in her murder. Mike returns to work but he's a shadow of the detective he was a few months before.

Bennett gets a desperate call from an old friend to say that her husband, retired colleague Mark Leech, has gone missing. Blood spatters found at his home suggests that she doesn't have long to find him.

When Jane is sent to a site in Elmstead Woods she stumbles upon a sinister murder scene. A tomb has been created, and the body she finds is not Mark's - as she dreaded and suspected - but that of missing university student Maggie Hungerford. Her killer recorded her last moments, even providing an air supply which was only cut off when the game lost its thrill.

Two men admit to having a sexual relationship with Maggie. Both deny murder. Someone is lying. And Mark is still missing. When another tomb is discovered, an anonymous tip and mounting evidence suggest a disturbing link which threatens to derail both cases and let a murderer walk free.

Lockyer is shocked into supporting Bennett in a case which becomes ever more ominous and dangerous as the investigation deepens. They know their hunt is for a killer with a mind so twisted that he, or she, is likely to stop at nothing.


MY THOUGHTS

I’ve become a huge fan of Clare Donoghue’s writing since I read the first book in the DI Mike Lockyer and DS Jane Bennet series. No Place to Die is the second book. I thought what made this book interesting was that Clare chose to tell this story from DS Bennet’s perspective. It was great getting to know more about Jane and it was also interesting to see how she saw DI Lockyer from her point of view.

The novel opens with the mysterious disappearance of a former police officer, Mark Leech. The case is important to Jane as Mark’s wife Sue is an old friend of hers. But Mark’s disappearance has to come second when a grisly murder scene is discovered. A young girl has been found dead in a tomb in Elmstead Woods. After receiving a tip off from the public, Jane thinks she is a step closer to finding Mark, the girl is a surprise discovery. And when it is confirmed that the body is that of missing university student, Maggie Hungerford a fresh investigation is opened.

One of the things I really liked in this book was Jane and Mike’s relationship. It is a little bit rocky at the start of the novel, Mike is still reeling after the events that happened in book one and he is taking counselling sessions. The novels plot is strong and gripped me all the way through, I really liked how Clare weaved together a case which took place in the past and the current case they are facing in the present.

No Place to Die is top crime fiction and I’m sure it won’t be long before I read the next book in the series. I’m going to have to hurry up as the fourth novel comes out this year. Excellent writing and a great story. 

Publisher: Pan

Publication date: 12th March 2015

Print length: 400 pages

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The Child by Fiona Barton Book Review

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When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it's impossible to ignore. 

For one woman, it's a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it's the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child's story will be told. 


MY THOUGHTS


I was thrilled to hear that Kate Waters would be returning in Fiona Barton’s next book after reading her debut novel, The Widow. I really liked Kate’s character, especially her strong and determined will to get to the truth and sometimes for Kate it isn’t always about getting a good story out of it, she wants to see justice done. I was also pleased that DI Bob Sparkes made an appearance as he was also a favourite character of mine in The Widow. 

The Child has an intriguing mystery. At the beginning of the novel, a baby’s body is discovered at a building site in Woolwich. The baby may have been buried there for decades and could be linked to the disappearance of a baby girl, Alice Irving. As Kate Waters investigates the case she uncovers a dark past and the case suddenly takes an unexpected, darker turn. Who is “the building site baby?”

The novel is told from the viewpoint of four of the main characters in this book: Kate, Emma, Angela and Jude. I really liked Fiona’s new cast of characters and I was keen to find out more about them as the novel progressed, particularly Emma and Jude. We are also introduced to Joe a trainee at the paper where Kate works, who Kate takes under her wing although she does this rather reluctantly at first. I really liked the friendship that grew between them over the course of the book and I hope that we’ll see more of them working together in the future. 

After I really enjoyed Fiona’s first novel, I couldn’t wait to start The Child. The book started off as a bit of a slow burner, however; it didn’t grab me like The Widow did from the very first page. For me I struggled to get into the book for about the first hundred pages, but once the police discover who the baby that has been found is, the story really picks up. I really liked that we got to know more about Kate’s character and her family life which was missing from the first book but that was Jean’s (The Widow’s) story.

There are some chilling characters as well and The Child touches on some dark themes. I found one character, Al Soames, particularly creepy. I loved the ending in this book which was very satisfying and I really didn’t expect that final twist. 

Fiona knows how to write a good story and you can see in both books the influence from her years working as a journalist which adds authenticity to the story. 

I found The Child an enjoyable read. I highly recommend it and I’m sure that it will follow up on the success of The Widow. Thank you to Becky Short at Transworld Books for sending me an advance reading copy.

Publisher: Bantam Press

Publication date: 29th June 2017

Print length: 368 pages


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Friend Request by Laura Marshall Book Review

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When Louise Williams receives a message from someone left long in the past she feels sick.

Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook. 

Because Maria Weston has been missing for over twenty years. She was last seen the night of a school leavers' party, and the world believes her to be dead. Particularly Louise, who has lived her adult life knowing herself responsible for Maria's disappearance. But now Maria is back. Or is she?

As Maria's messages start to escalate, Louise forces herself to reconnect with the old friends she once tried so hard to impress, to try to piece together exactly what happened that fateful night. But when another friend's body turns up in the woods outside their old school, Louise realises she can't trust anyone and that she must confront her own awful secret to discover the whole truth of what happened to Maria . . .


MY THOUGHTS

Friend Request by Laura Marshall has an intriguing premise: Louise Williams receives a friend request on Facebook from a girl she hasn't seen for twenty five years. But the girl is supposed to be dead, isn't she?

Wow, this was a really good read. I loved the idea behind it and I couldn't wait to start reading. You won't be disappointed by this one. I'm sure this is going to be one of THE thrillers of 2017.

Friend Request is told over two timelines. In 1989 and in the present day. In 1989 Louise is hovering on the outskirts of the popular crowd at school, she feels particularly attached to one girl, Sophie, who she is willing to do anything for to impress. In the present, Louise is a single mum to four year old, Henry. She is still trying to rebuild her life after she split from her husband, Sam. But she has never been able to forgive herself for something that she did when she was at school. And now the past is coming back to haunt her.

I really liked Laura's writing in this book. It is her debut novel and I'm sure that it'll go on to be a big hit. Her writing definitely has that addictive quality that will keep you reading well into the night. The book opens with lots of questions for the reader as a good book should: what did Louise do? What happened to Maria? Is she still alive or is this someone's idea of a sick joke? I couldn't wait to find out who was behind the messages and the twist at the end really did shock me.

Friend Request is perfect for fans of Camilla Way's Watching Edie and Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas. A really good novel, you won't be disappointed with this one. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read.


Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 27th July 2017

Print length: 384 pages


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When She Was Bad by Tammy Cohen Book Review

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YOU SEE THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH EVERY DAY.

BUT WHAT CAN'T YOU SEE?

Amira, Sarah, Paula, Ewan and Charlie have worked together for years - they know how each one likes their coffee, whose love life is a mess, whose children keep them up at night. But their comfortable routine life is suddenly shattered when an aggressive new boss walks in...

Now, there's something chilling in the air.

Who secretly hates everyone?

Who is tortured by their past?

Who is capable of murder?


MY THOUGHTS


I can't stop talking about how good this book is. I've had When She Was Bad on my reading list for some time and I was so excited when I finally got round to it. I loved First One Missing, Tammy's previous novel and When She Was Bad didn't disappoint, I was hooked from page one.

How well do we really know the people we work with? This was such an intriguing premise.

The novel is told from the viewpoint of eight people: Amira, Sarah, Paula, Charlie, Chloe, Ewan, Anne and Rachel. I thought it was great that we were able to get into the head of every character in this book and to discover what they all really thought of each other. The book is also told across two continents: America and the UK. In America, psychologist, Anne Carter is looking back at a time when she worked on a horrific child abuse case which rocked the continent. In the UK, Amira, Sarah, Paula, Charlie, Chloe and Ewan are coming to terms with a sudden shake up of their department and the arrival of their new boss, now it may seem that everyone's job in the department is at stake. Rachel is tough when it comes to her new team; it's clear that she wants the department to succeed but she also wants to leave her mark. Tensions quickly escalate and cracks in friendships soon begin to appear.

What I really enjoyed about this book is that Tammy really makes you think about each character. As I was reading I was trying to work out which one of them could eventually snap, which one of them would end up being the victim. Tammy through in plenty of red herrings and there were certainly times when I thought I had worked it out, only to be proved wrong. The ending was really dramatic.

I think one of my favourite scenes from the book had to be when the team were on their team building weekend, particularly when they were all getting drunk at dinner, I can imagine that this must've been fun to write. I also found the scenes featuring Anne really interesting and I really liked how Tammy wove the two stories together.

What I love about Tammy's writing is the depth that she gives to every single one of her characters. I really wanted to know more about them and I didn't want the story to end. Tammy Cohen is fast becoming a favourite author of mine and I can't wait to read what she writes next. If you love a twisty, psychological thriller, this is a book for you. Five stars from me.

Publisher: Black Swan

Publication date; 21st April 2016

Print length: 384 pages


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The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker Book Review

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See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil ... Do No Evil

For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorised the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realise he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.

As the lead investigator Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unravelling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.

With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer's identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.

MY THOUGHTS

I was lucky enough to read an early copy of The Fourth Monkey by J. D Barker. I tend not to read too much American crime; I do read a lot of British detective series, however. But The Fourth Monkey may have just changed that. The Fourth Monkey is terrifying, creepy and surprisingly funny in places, a real corker of a read and one that I highly recommend for thriller fans.

The police in Chicago are hunting a dangerous criminal who has been murdering people over the past decade and has so far evaded justice. And now they may have had a breakthrough, I don’t want to say too much about what happens from here as I don’t want to spoil it for readers but what follows is a tense, gripping read that will keep you reading well into the night.

The serial killer in this book is very twisted and there are some gruesome scenes, it isn’t for the faint hearted, particularly if you don't like rats. I also thought that some of the ideas in the book were very original, I really liked the fact that there was a lot of dialogue, particularly in the scenes featuring the detectives working on the case. I also really liked the diary extracts, and the voice that the author gave the Four Monkey Killer felt very authentic, and the author drew me into his murky world. 

This is the first novel by J.D. Barker which I have read and I will definitely be reading more from him in the future. The writing is pacy and it didn’t take me long to finish. The final scenes in this novel are explosive and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m sure a lot of people are going to be talking about this book come the summer. Thank you to Lucy Richardson at Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read. 

Verdict: Five Stars 

Publisher: HQ

Publication date: 27th June 2017

Print length: 480 pages

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