You can’t go wrong with any of Claire Allan’s books. I’ve read everything she’s written, and each story keeps me glued to the pages!
Ask No Questions was a well-written page-turner, though dark and gritty, which I didn’t mind. The pacing is perfect, just enough hints to keep you invested, lots of suspense and a main character, Ingrid that I really cared about. She’s strong and ambitious but cares about the people she’s writing about. The case is sensitive, an innocent young girl died on Halloween and her death was unsolved. Ingrid is there to write a piece on the murder, but someone clearly doesn’t want her asking questions…
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends.
Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates. It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating – but someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it’s too late?
I highly recommend this book if you are into suspense/mysteries!
Comes out on January 21, 2021
I loved The Visitors by Mirand Rijks.
I wasn’t sure which direction the book was going to veer off into, I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong- which is good. I love books that keep me guessing. The characters were unlikeable and awful, what a nightmare. Imagine renting out a home on your property to guests that don’t want to leave…
Synopsis:
She offered them a place to stay. They wanted so much more. Hannah’s life is almost perfect. She’s a full-time mother to two young children and married to successful cardiologist Daniel. The only thing missing is a project of her own. So she has poured heart and soul into converting their stone barn into a beautiful holiday rental. Things take a dark turn when visitors Mike and Nadia come to stay.
They are noisy, dirty and disrespectful. Hannah is incensed by their behaviour, worried they may wreck her lovingly restored barn. But she gradually realises that property damage is the least of her worries. Nadia and Mike aren’t here just for a holiday – they have a deeper, darker purpose, one that threatens to destroy Hannah’s entire life. Spiralling into a nightmare that grows worse with each passing day, Hannah has to find the courage to fight back. But Mike and Nadia are clever and ruthless and they know something that Hannah doesn’t – a shocking secret from the past.
Whew! A fun, twisty suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this one.
Out now!
This book was like a warm hug. Can we talk about the beautiful cover? I love the design and it captures the simplicity of the time.
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan is about four women competing for a spot on a cooking show during World War II. It’s also about friendship and strength during tough times and is such a wonderful reading journey. The story itself is just entertaining and pleasant. A lovely change of pace from the darker books I read.
Synopsis:
Two years into WW2, Britain is feeling her losses; the Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is putting on a cooking contest–and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the contest presents a crucial chance to change their lives.
For a young widow, it’s a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over her children’s heads. For a kitchen maid, it’s a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For the lady of the manor, it’s a chance to escape her wealthy husband’s increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it’s a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.
These four women are giving the competition their all–even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together serve only to break it apart?
A must-read for those who love historical fiction and bonus, recipes from the 1940s.
Coming on Feb 23.
Single Mother by Samantha Hayes was a mother-daughter story that captivated me right from the opening pages. Mel gets an unexpected inheritance- a hotel. This might be just Mel needs, a fresh start in a new place far away from the kids who have bullied her daughter.
A strange, unspeaking woman lives there full time. She doesn’t speak and floats around, always lurking Why is she there? Who is she? And Mel’s daughter says she talks to her, why won’t she talk to anyone else? And when some bones are discovered in the backyard, Mel knows there is definitely something wrong with this bizarre hotel she inherited from a stranger.
Synopsis:
The moment Mel and her daughter Kate step inside the small seaside hotel left to her in a stranger’s will, Mel allows herself a rare moment of hope. Could this be the new start away from the school bullies that her little girl so desperately needs? Could they finally be out of reach of Mel’s dangerous ex?
As Mel starts restoring the building to its former glory – ripping up carpets, giving the rooms a fresh lick of paint – it’s hard work, but the place feels a little more like home each day; she’s even made a few friends. If only she could ignore the locals whispering behind her back and the uneasy feeling that her daughter is hiding something from her. Is she reading too much into the threatening messages left around the hotel? Are the glimpses of her ex’s battered red truck real, or imagined?
When the police are called to a disturbing discovery buried under the foundations, Mel knows for certain that accepting the inheritance was a trap, and her daughter’s life is in danger. As the walls of the hotel close in around her, she has no idea who to trust or where to turn. And, from that moment on, Kate refuses to speak a single word. Only days later, she goes missing…
I was totally curious how the book was going to play out, and the story kept me fully intrigued. I’ve read other books from Samantha Hayes and they are all good. I recommend everything she writes!
This one comes out on January 5.
I need more books like The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, its suspenseful historical fiction that is so devious, compelling, and thrilling, I enjoyed every chapter.
I think I may have written about this book a while ago, it’s worth repeating! The Lost Apothecary reminds me of Aqua Tofana, the true story of a woman who made poisonous concoctions to end the lives of abusive men. I am just waiting for a talented author to write a fictional account of Giulia Tofana. Read her fascinating story here.
Synopsis:
One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.
In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.
This book is not to be missed! It comes out on March 2 and its definitely a must-read.
Karen White is one of those authors whose books I always read. She’s an auto-read! I see her name and want to read the book no matter what its about. I was so excited to read The Last Night in London. It was good, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which is a delightful blend of historical fiction and romance. The characters were interesting; the story made me curious and I wanted to keep reading until the wee hours of the morning. Of course, Karen’s writing style always keeps me intrigued.
Synopsis:
London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck—she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies, and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect her friendship with Precious and everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever…
London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner, whose life has been marked by the tragic loss of her mother, travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie has been careful to close herself off to others, but in Precious she recognizes someone whose grief rivals her own—but unlike Maddie, Precious hasn’t allowed it to crush her. Maddie finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, her enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’s haunting past—a story of friendship, betrayal, and the unremembered acts of kindness and of love.
Another terrific book, I’m already looking forward to Karen’s next novel!
Coming on April 1.
If you love suspense, want to read a page-turner, and like novels that keep you fully engaged, you need to read Gemma Rogers’s books. I have read them all and they won’t let you down! Bad Girls is her latest and WOW. Another winner!
Who can you trust? NO ONE! Jess has just gotten out of prison for a mistake she made long ago. She’s paid the price and is soon to be completely free after her probation. She gets a job working at an industrial laundry company alongside other ex-convicts. Unfortunately, her boss Terry is a horrible person and Jess gets caught up in a situation that could land her back in jail if she’s not careful. Who can she trust?
I was HOOKED on this book.
Synopsis:
Fresh out of prison, Jess Strickland has just six months’ probation to serve until she’s free to get on with the life she left behind 4 years ago.
With few options available, Jess takes a job at Brights’, an industrial laundry company alongside other ex-cons, all eager to keep their noses clean.
Here she finds an ally in Karla but soon learns her new boss, Terry, is not all he seems. Realizing she’s no safer on the outside, Jess refuses to be a victim any longer.
My emotions were at an all-time high, my stomach was in knots as I read this book, I was nervous for Jess. The pitch of the story was perfect, I am looking forward to more from Gemma!
Coming out on January 14.
I just finished reading Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor and wow, I was impressed. I thought it would be a light, fun mystery, but this was immersive and dark. It kept me guessing.
When the opportunity is presented to attend a self-help retreatin Gozo, Fran goes for one reason- to figure out what happened to her sister. Two years prior, Fran’s sister Jenna went on the same retreat and went missing. Suspected to have killed herself, Jenna’s body was never found and Fran has questions. She is determined to find the truth. But what she finds out is a layer of secrets and lies from multiple guests. Who can she trust and is she in danger too?
Synopsis:
You come to Soul Shrink to be healed. You don’t expect to die.
Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.
Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of 2 people. But he has never let on what happened to the third suspected victim: Jenna.
Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?
There is more to this fantastic story than what I briefly shared, and I highly recommend Her Last Holiday if you are into mysteries and thrillers. This comes out in April and you will want to put it on your To-Be-Read list immediately.
