Everything but the Truth by Gillian McAllister Book Review

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Do you ever check your partner's phone?
Should you?
Are you prepared for the consequences?

Everything but the Truth is Gillian McAllister's stunning breakthrough thriller about deceit, betrayal and one woman's compulsive need to uncover the truth.


It all started with the email.

Rachel didn't even mean to look. She loves Jack and she's pregnant with their child. She trusts him.

But now she's seen it, she can't undo that moment. Or the chain of events it has set in motion.

Why has Jack been lying about his past? Just what exactly is he hiding? And doesn't Rachel have a right to know the truth at any cost?


MY THOUGHTS


There are so many books that I have seen floating around on social media recently, some shout louder than others and Everything but the Truth was one of them, I was desperate to get my hands on a copy to review.

Everything but the Truth is Gillian McAllister's debut novel. It tells the story of Rachel and Jack who are beginning their new life together as they prepare for the birth of their first child. In the beginning of the novel, their relationship appears perfect; Rachel believes that Jack is the one for her and Jack showers Rachel with love. But one night, Rachel reads an email on Jack's I-pad that has arrived in the middle of the night and this changes everything that she thought she knew about him. Is everything she thought she knew about Jack a lie?

When Rachel first begins to suspect Jack of keeping secrets from her, I thought that her change of feelings for him were fair. But as Gillian delves into Rachel's personality it becomes clear that she finds it difficult to trust people and becomes paranoid. Her quest for the truth takes her on a dark path and it becomes unclear as to where this will end up for her. I did find her a little bit annoying, particularly when it was very clear to see how much Jack loved her but I did understand her desire to get to the truth even if it did make her seem a little mad.

At its heart, this book is really a love story but there are dark elements to it as well. I really liked the ending for this book which I thought closed Jack and Rachel's story really well; it wasn't an ending I was expecting. Everything but the Truth is very different to the trends we are seeing now in the psychological thriller market and I liked that, it doesn't rely on unreliable narrators or big twists that leave you questioning what you have just read. If you are looking for something that is different and draws you in with mystery and suspense, this is a book for you. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy to review!


Publisher: Penguin

Print length: 432 pages

Publication date: 9th March 2017


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The Lost by Claire McGowan Book Review

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Not everyone who's missing is lost

When two teenage girls go missing along the Irish border, forensic psychologist Paula Maguire has to return to the hometown she left years before. Swirling with rumour and secrets, the town is gripped by fear of a serial killer. But the truth could be even darker.

Not everyone who's lost wants to be found

Surrounded by people and places she tried to forget, Paula digs into the cases as the truth twists further away. What's the link with two other disappearances from 1985? And why does everything lead back to the town's dark past - including the reasons her own mother went missing years before?

Nothing is what it seems

As the shocking truth is revealed, Paula learns that sometimes it's better not to find what you've lost.


MY THOUGHTS

The Lost is an exciting start to a new series by Claire McGowan. It is Claire McGowan’s second novel - her first novel, The Fall, being a standalone thriller - and with the Dr Maguire series I think I have found a new favourite to add to my reading list.

In Northern Ireland, a new task force, dedicated to finding missing people has been set up in the small town of Ballyterrin. Dr Paula Maguire has joined the new team after returning home after spending time in London. Paula is a forensic psychologist but she has a habit of throwing herself into investigations and isn’t good at following orders. But Paula gets results, and I imagine that she makes most of the police officers who are working on cases jealous and that these officers would like to see the back of her which I’m sure the police in London are glad to be seeing.  

There are many themes in this book which feature heavily in the South of Ireland and Northern Ireland’s dark, modern history. The IRA and the recent scandal of the Catholic Church form the basis of the investigations which the new team are overseeing. I thought the idea of using a forensic psychologist was an interesting one and I was intrigued to see how that would work. In the many crime novels I have read, psychologists are often met with a great deal of skepticism and I was interested to see, from Paula’s point of view, how she gets on with her team.

Paula is a troubled character and it is clear that something has happened in her past, something dark that she has tried to forget. Claire does not reveal Paula’s back story until we are quite a way in and it added an interesting element to the current investigations that were taking place. Paula’s character really grew on me and Claire has left me wanting to find out more about her, so much so that I think I’ll be starting the second book straight away. I still can’t get that ending out of my head and it made me race to download book two.

If you love a good mystery that’ll keep you guessing, this is a book for you. I really liked the plot and how Claire slotted everything into place. The Lost made for a gripping and pacy read; I would definitely recommend this one.

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: 26th September 2013

Print length: 384 pages

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One Little Mistake by Emma Curtis Book Review

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YOU TRUSTED YOUR BEST FRIEND . . . YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE.

Vicky Seagrave is blessed: three beautiful children, a successful, doting husband, great friends and a job she loves. She should be perfectly happy.

When she makes a split-second decision that risks everything she holds dear, there's only one person she trusts enough to turn to.

But Vicky is about to learn that one mistake is all it takes; that if you're careless with those you love, you don't deserve to keep them . . .


MY THOUGHTS

I was lucky to receive an early copy of One Little Mistake thanks to Dead Good Books. I really enjoyed this book and found it a gripping page turner, it only took me a couple of days to finish.

Vicky has everything that most people desire: three beautiful children, a doting husband, a job she enjoys and great friends. Her friend, Amber has been around the longest and its to Amber who she feels closest to. Vicky should be able to trust her best friend with anything, shouldn't she? But has she underestimated Amber? Once Vicky starts digging herself a hole it then seems impossible for her to climb out.

For me I thought Amber and Vicky's relationship was what really gripped me and it was the source of most of the tension in the book. Throughout the story it felt as though their relationship was on a knifes edge and I was waiting for that moment when one of them would snap. The story is told over two time periods, between 1992 and the present day in 2010. For about half of the book I really wasn't sure how the tow timelines connected but when the connection was made I thought, yes, well done, Emma! Although there were already tensions in the beginning of the novel, it reached its peak in the last quarter and I literally couldn't put it down until I had finished.

One Little Mistake is a chilling read and an outstanding debut. This book is a real corker of a page turner and the ending will leave you reeling. I can't wait to read more from Emma Curtis.

Publisher: Black Swan

Publication date: 23rd February 2017 (kindle) 15th June 2017 (paperback)

Print length: 416 pages


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Ragdoll by Daniel Cole Blog Tour

I can’t believe how quickly the publication date for Ragdoll has come around. I can remember spotting it on Twitter last year back in April and February seemed like miles off! I’m thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour. Ragdoll is a book that you do not want to miss!

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The nation is gripped by the infamous ‘Ragdoll killer.’

Your friends, your family and your neighbours are all talking about it.

‘...utterly addictive with brilliant characters and a killer twist you will never see coming – the best debut I’ve ever read.’ Rachel Abbott, No. 1 bestselling author.

‘A star is born. Killer plot. Killer pace. Twisted killer and a killer twist. Kill to get a copy.’ Simon Toyne, Sunday Times bestselling author.

‘A brilliant, breathless thriller. If you liked Se7en, you’ll love this!’  M.J. Arlidge, Sunday Times bestselling author.

Believe the hype. Sold in over 32 countries and counting, RAGDOLL is the standout thriller of the year.

A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victim stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the ‘ragdoll.’

Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter.

The ‘Ragdoll Killer’ taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them.

With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

At 33 years old, Daniel Cole has worked as a paramedic, an RSPCA officer and most recently for the RNLI, driven by an intrinsic need to save people or perhaps just a guilty conscience about the number of characters he kills off in his writing.

He currently lives in sunny Bournemouth and can usually be found down the beach when he ought to be writing book two instead.

MY THOUGHTS

I’m always a little wary when it comes to a lot of hype surrounding a book, for me I often end up thinking, what was all the fuss about? But Ragdoll deserves all the attention and hype that it is getting. Ragdoll is one of the best thrillers of the year.

In Daniel Cole’s debut, we meet Detective William Oliver Layton-Fawkes, aka Wolf, to his team and members of the press. Four years ago, Wolf headed up the enquiry into a series of murders publicised by the press as ‘The Cremation killings.’ After losing control on the final day of the trial, which almost ended his career, Wolf was subjected to months of psychological assessment before returning to the police force.

When Wolf arrives on the scene in the present day, he is faced with a career defining cadaver, which his colleague Baxter excitedly describes as: ‘the one, a once-in-a-career case.’ One body, six victims sewn together to make a corpse; the cadaver is soon dubbed by the press as the Ragdoll and has everyone in the media world talking and speculating. Whilst Wolf and his team are trying to identify the body parts, the investigation into the killing steps up a pace when the killer releases a list of six names to the press and six dates on which the killer intends to murder them. The final name on the list is Wolf’s.

Daniel Cole has created a stunning cast of characters in his first novel. I would have to say that my favourite character was Baxter; I loved her wit and sense of humour which made me laugh out loud in places. I found myself feeling sorry for Edmunds, who is trying to impress the team and crack the case before anyone else, but he struggles to juggle his work and home life together, especially as his girlfriend, Tia, is pregnant.

There are some clever and original ideas in this book, you can see the influence from Daniel's days working as a paramedic. If you love crime, I challenge you not to love this book. Many thanks to Ben Willis and Sam Eades at Trapeze for the advance review copy. 

Publisher: Trapeze 

Publication date: 23rd February 2017

Print length: 384 pages 

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Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey Book Review

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Emily Klein doesn’t know she has killed her husband until the day of his funeral.

At first, signs point to a tragic accident. Yet, as Emily pieces together the events before his death – events which led to her own memory loss – she begins to suspect that her husband’s death may have been the result of more than a terrible twist of fate…

But the accident is only the beginning. Because while Emily’s physical scars will heal, the trauma of the accident has awakened old ghosts. She hears strange sounds, catches things that can’t possibly be there in the corner of her eye. Before long, everywhere she looks, she seems to see her husband.

And suddenly, Emily finds herself asking the most dangerous question of all.

Can she really trust herself?

Reviewers love Those Who Lie:

‘This is a must read for anyone who lives to delve into psychological thrillers!’ – Linda Strong, Netgalley

‘With brilliant main characters and a wonderful plot, this book is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.’ – Stephanie Collins, Netgalley

‘I absolutely adored this book’ – Lu Dex, Netgalley

‘Great book.. keeps you guessing!! If you love twists and turns then this book if for you!’ – Diane Merrit, Netgalley

‘With twists and turns that will wrong-foot you all the way, a dash of dark humour and a strong emotional punch, this is an excellent debut that more than earns its place within the genre.’ – S.J.I. Holliday, author of Black Wood

Don’t forget to leave a review and tell us what you thought!

MY THOUGHTS

Diane Jeffrey’s debut, Those Who Lie, is perfect for fans of Fiona Barton’s The Widow, a tense story that will have you gripped right up until the final page. 

I was excited to read this book after spotting it on social media and I was lucky enough to win a copy on publication day thanks to the publisher. I wasn’t disappointed.

In Those Who Lie, Emily Klein’s husband has been killed in a car accident. She awakes in hospital to find two policemen seated beside her bed intent on questioning her. They are convinced that Emily isn’t telling them all that she knows about the car accident. 

Emily has had to rebuild her life on the shattered remains of a childhood she has long since tried to forget. The story is told over two time periods, in 2014/2015 when Emily is coming to terms with her husband’s death and in 1995 when we learn of the true horrors she faced when she was a young girl. In the present day, Emily has started to receive messages on Facebook from her late husband, Greg’s account. She begins to think of the possibility that he might still be alive and is trying to get a message to her. The timelines were managed really well and I didn’t find myself getting lost or confused as this can sometimes happen when a novel is told over dual time periods.

Emily is a complicated character, it is clear that she is still suffering from the trauma that she faced when she was a child, and when events start to spiral out of control she finds herself making rash decisions, some of the decisions she makes, for me, didn’t paint her in a very good light and at times I found it difficult to like her. But by the end of the novel I really felt that I understood her.

I did find it a little unusual at the start of the novel, for the police to be sitting beside Emily’s bed waiting for her to wake up. I would have thought that the doctors would have kept them outside and made sure that Emily was well enough to talk to them. I didn’t like one of the detectives, who seems to dislike Emily right from the start. The detectives were great tool to use for suspense as I kept wondering when was the moment going to come when they would make their move or when they were going to announce that they had found something. I really liked the ending and I thought that Diane pulled it off in a really neat and satisfying way. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I’m interested to see what Diane will do next! Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy to read.

Publisher: HQ Digital 

Publication date: 27th January 2017

Print length: 233 pages

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Perfect Remains by Helen Fields Book Review

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The first in a nail-shredding new crime series. Fans of M.J. Arlidge and Mo Hayder will be gripped from start to finish. 

On a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing.

In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness… 

Detective Inspector Luc Callanach has barely set foot in his new office when Elaine’s missing persons case is escalated to a murder investigation. Having left behind a promising career at Interpol, he’s eager to prove himself to his new team. But Edinburgh, he discovers, is a long way from Lyon, and Elaine’s killer has covered his tracks with meticulous care. 

It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes … The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined. 

Fans of Angela Marson, Mark Billingham and M. J. Aldridge will be gripped by this chilling journey into the mind of a troubled killer.


MY THOUGHTS

In Perfect Remains, Helen Fields has exploded onto the crime fiction field, in her first, gripping, and totally addictive crime novel.

In Perfect Remains we are introduced to DI Callanach who is half French, half Scottish. He sparks curiosity amongst his new team in Edinburgh when he transfers there from Interpol. There is some animosity in his new team, a few feel that someone from within the team should have been given the role as inspector whereas others embrace the change and welcome him, particularly DI Ava Turner. But DI Callanach knows he will have to do a lot to impress his new colleagues if he wants to win their approval and he is trying to hide a past that he wants to stay buried.

The villain in this novel is really creepy; Helen has thought of some ingenious ways in which he disposes his victims, there are some quite violent scenes in the book, perfect if you love gritty crime fiction.

Helen’s writing is gripping from the start and it didn’t take me long to finish the book. Helen does a great job with building suspense as she brings the book towards its climatic conclusion.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, I’m hoping that there’ll be many more books featuring Callanach and Ava.  

Publisher: Avon

Publication date: 26th January 2017

Print length: 416 pages

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Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney Book Review

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My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.

1. I’m in a coma

2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore

3. Sometimes I lie

Unnerving, twisted and utterly compelling, you won’t be able to put this new thriller down. Set to be the most talked about book in 2017, it’s perfect for fans of Behind Closed Doors, The Girl on the Train and The Widow.

MY THOUGHTS

From the beginning of this novel we know that our character lies and she confesses without hesitation. But what does she lie about?

Sometimes I Lie is Alice Feeney’s debut novel. Amber Reynolds is in a coma; her memories of what happened the night she ended up in this position are sketchy. She is beset by strange dreams as she tries to piece together what she knows and make sense of everything that is happening around her.

I have read a couple of novels recently in which the main character is in a coma and is experiencing what we know as ‘locked in syndrome.’ That is they can hear everything and communicate with themselves inside their mind but they can’t reach out to anyone on the outside, they are imprisoned within their body. It is a fantastic tool for writers to use. The character is trying to unravel events as the reader is trying to do and they are learning new things that they might have forgotten about themselves all the time.

I loved Alice’s writing and Amber’s voice. We learn that she is married to Paul, but their relationship has hit a rocky point and she has a sister called Claire. Amber works for a programme called Coffee Morning but she hasn’t got a very good working relationship with her boss, Madeleine, and she has been given until Christmas to sort things out between them or one of them will have to go.

So what happened to Amber? Why is she in a coma?

Alice has created some really intriguing characters in her novel, as the reader I had no problem engaging in the story, Alice’s writing is really addictive. She delivers some startling twists that will leave you gasping. Her writing is taut and full of suspense; Alice knows how to keep her readers on tenterhooks, every time I picked it up to read I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

Sometimes I Lie is one of 2017’s hotly anticipated thrillers. I’m sure this book will be a top bestseller, I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to review. 

Publisher: HQ

Publication date: 23rd March 2017

Print length: 384 pages

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