Beth

This book is so good! It is dark, suspenseful, anxiety inducing, must keep reading and turning the pages kind of fantastic. This is my first time reading any of C J Tudor's books and I am mightily impressed. This is a genre bending type of novel that is part thriller, part horror with some historical fiction, superstition and supernatural elements. Set in the unique location of Chapel Croft, a small village in Sussex, this story follows Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo who are relocated to the Sussex parish after some scandal has occurred in her old Nottingham parish and she is asked to lie low and relocate temporarily until things settle down.

The novel then goes back and forth in time and follows Reverend Brooks experiences in Nottingham as well as in the present and it also has segments of other characters past and present that leave clues to the wider narrative. I found the tradition of The Burning Girls in Chapel Croft very interesting and I loved how the author weaved in this local history and superstition into the novel. She also explained the significance of The Burning girls well and stitched them into the narrative brilliantly.

I found the plot was constructed and executed incredibly well. There were so many layers and levels to the plot that could have made the reader confused and left the author writing themselves into a corner. But after the expertise the author used in taking you through this story as a reader. I trust this authors storytelling skills. And I will be reading her back listed titles. A very impressive thriller.

Thanks to the author C J Tudor, Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A nice little afternoon spend, bringing in the Christmas cheer with these lovely short story collection!

This was an incredibly pleasing debut. A tightly woven police procedural type thriller that can also successfully stand its own ground as a stand alone novel.

I loved the POC representation in the story, both Ramouter and Henley and how refreshing it was to have the main characters in a thriller plot be non-white. Something which is surprisingly rare in the thriller genre or in my experience anyway.

This story follows Inspector Anjelica Henley who has had previous issues with the infamous Jigsaw Killer Olivier. But when dismembered body parts start getting dumped around the Deptford area and the MO is strikingly similar to the Jigsaw killer murders, Henley becomes embroiled in finding out what happened. But if Olivier is safely behind bars then who is the new murderer and what could his possible connection to the original Jigsaw Murders be?

A clever fast paced thriller. With sharp and tight plotting. This book is incredibly dark and disturbing. Content warnings for rape, dismemberment, murder and horrific violence. If you prefer your murder mysteries more cosy and more tame then I wouldn't recommend picking this up. But if you can handle the gore and the graphic nature of the violence in this book then I would say this is the next great thriller to be sinking your teeth into!

Thanks to the author Nadine Matheson, HQ and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I don't want to dwell too much on the negatives in regards to this review. So I will try and be as succinct as possible. I do think this was a promising premise but executed poorly. The plot was clunky and had some holes in pivotal plot points. I also think this book was drawn out to the point of ludicrousness. There was a chapter called The End and then another four chapters after. While the chapters are a few pages long, I was eye rolling and puffing with impatience by the end. I just wanted to finish it by 60% in. But I loved the idea of a Girl in the Walls. It was so creative to experiment/run with the idea of the noises a large old house makes and create a narrative from that.

I just didn't understand the point of this novel. The author wrote themselves into corners with where they took the plot. But I loved the character of Eddie, he was super endearing. And the girl, Elise intrigued me but she became a one dimensional character as she spends the whole novel in the walls.

Overall I think this book would have been much more compelling, had it been significantly condensed. But the writing was really enjoyable and the author wrote wonderfully about the house. It really brought the setting of the novel to life.

Thanks to 4th Estate and William Collins, the author, A.J Gnuse and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic companion document to read alongside the Sky documentary The Vow about the Nxivm organisation. This included extra content and information that wasn't discussed explicitly in the TV documentary such as Allison Mack's and Lauren Salzman's deeper connections and influences in the DOS element of the organisation. As well as the wider and more damning influences of the Bronfman sisters and their roles in the organisation as a whole.

I was also shocked to learn about Keith Ranieres promiscuity within the organisation and his sexual relationship with Camila who was a minor at the time. This organisation has been so interesting to learn about through the documentary released onto Sky in 2020. I was fascinated to learn how men and women were indoctrinated into this organisation and why they went to the extent of allowing themselves to be branded and to be controlled by Raniere and his teachings.

This book was very informative and well researched. The author had a very close relationship with key members that were whistleblowers on the organisation like Sarah Edmondson. This made the book feel more authentic and closer to the victims and their testimonies which I found powerful. I really enjoyed this Non-Fiction and if you are interested in learning more about Nxivm, I would highly recommend picking this book up!

Thank you to author Sarah Berman,Steerforth Press and Edelweiss for a free downloadable ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think for fans of World War Two historical fiction, this book will be just the ticket for you! This book has two main parallel timelines, 1944 Paris and 1953 California. The novel follows Charlotte and Jean-Luc living in Nazi Occupied France in the 1940s, who fall in love and make a life changing decision before fleeing to the United States. The implications of their decision back in 1944 comes back to haunt them in their new lives in America.

This book briefly touches on the Jewish experience in Nazi Occupied France and being taken to Auschwitz. But the novel deals with wider issues of identity, heritage, culture and the connection to home. This is a hard hitting historical fiction and beautifully written.

I have decided to give this book three stars only because I feel like historical fiction as a genre is oversaturated with World War Two novels. And while this was a compelling read, this book didn't add anything particularly unique to this genre. But if you love World War novels, I highly recommend this book. A very strong story.

Thanks to the author Ruth Druart, Headline and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5

This book is super dark, weird and unnerving. But entirely engrossing. I think Moshfegh is a genius. Her books defy explanation. She is so creative within the confines of the written novel form, often stretching its limits and boundaries. If you get Moshfegh's writing, you cannot fail to be impressed by her sheer talent.

A 3.5 star read. This book isn't for the faint of heart. From the outset this book dives into the criminal underbelly of London urban crime in the 21st century. As a reader,we are immersed from the first chapter into a world swarming with gang shootouts, drug dealers, postcode warfare and armed robbery. A world the author lived and breathed growing up. From this unique autobiographical perspective Gabriel Krauze helps the reader traverse a side of London far removed from the tourist hotspots the city is renown for. A brutal and harsh look at the cold reality of knife and gun crime in the English capital. This debut novel sears with an authentic vernacular style and a poignant reflective undertone.

I would have rated this novel higher as the own voices narrative of the criminal underworld of London is both powerful and breathtaking. However it just missed out on a 4 star rating as the length of the novel was too long for me and the development of the plot too slow.

Thanks to 4th Estate/William Collins, NetGalley and Gabriel Krauze for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5. This book was absolutely stunning. This authors writing style was simply gorgeous. This collection tackles the topic of modern China, its culture and history and politics and frames each story in a truly compelling way. Some stories are more surrealist but the collection as a whole is very realistic and grounded. There are dashes of magical realism but it isn't an experimental collection. Some of the sentences in this collection were so beautiful and I found every single story so strong. This is a knock out of a collection. It deals with Chinese identity in America, communism in China, relationships between parents and children, lovers, friends and so much more. My favourite story was the last one in which a group of Chinese commuters are trapped in a train station for weeks on end due to governmental regulations. One of the strongest short story collections I have ever read. I highly recommend.

Thanks to the author Te-Ping Chen, Mariner Books and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read all of the Booker shortlisted books but from the nominated books I have read, Shuggie Bain is in a different league. Set in Glasgow in the 1980s through to the 1990s, this novel is a Bildungsroman that follows protagonist Shuggie Bain's journey from childhood into young adulthood. While Shuggie, raised in poverty and squalor battles with his homosexual identity in a homophobic era. He also has to contend with his mums spiralling alcoholism from a very young age.

This novel is confrontational and hard hitting. It doesn't shy away from the brutal and destructive nature of alcoholism and it's detrimental affect on close family members. This was one of the most heartbreaking and soul wrenching books I have read in years. Shuggie is a beautiful and loyal character who loves his mother Agnes and desperately and ultimately fruitlessly tries to keep his mother from the devil drink. Poignant and raw and littered with the authentic Glaswegian working class vernacular, this book is searing with the heartbreak of addiction, poverty and the complicated relationship each character battles between survival and love.

I would be over the moon for this to be the 2020 Booker winner as it is so honest and heartfelt as well as extremely haunting and painful to read. For a debut this book is incredibly impressive and I cannot wait to see what this author will write next.

Thanks to the author, the publishers Grove Press and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not at all what I expected. Having never read any Tana French but knowing how renown she was in the bookish world for her creepy and atmospheric thrillers, I was expecting a much more fast paced read. Maybe because most thrillers and mysteries I have read in recent years have propulsive storylines and hairpin twists, I was expecting this book to deliver a similar format. I was initially intrigued that it didn't as it made for a refreshing change in pace. But overall this book was too slow for me. I expected this book to build up tension for a big reveal. I was constantly looking for a turn in the plot that never came. That isn't a fault of the writer or the book but I find the slower pace of this novel wasn't as engaging to read. The Irish setting also gave the novel a melancholic energy that wasn't to my reading preference. However I can appreciate that many other readers would have enjoyed that choice.

This book follows Cal, a retired Chicago police detective who moves to the Irish countryside to enjoy his retirement in peace. However his solitude and serenity doesn't last long when one day a local youth Trey, turns up at his door asking for help in finding their missing sibling Brendan. When Cal begrudgingly agrees to help, Cal finds out the hard way that the idyllic Irish countryside isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I enjoyed the writing style and the premise of this book was interesting. I just think I didn't get from this book what I was expecting going in, which left me a little disappointed. But I can see why Tara French is so highly regarded and I am very excited to go back and read her back catalogue and see if I can find another book of hers to connect with better. A 3.5 star read.


Thanks to the author Tana French, Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is plain to see that this book is a love letter to the cannon of great African American writers and their works.It is heavily influenced by the authors Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Octavia Butler and Maya Angelou amongst others. This is a sweeping story following a plantation in the Deep South of America and follows the slaves Samuel and Isaiah. Sam and Isaiah form a budding sexual and intimate relationship despite their struggles to survive on the plantation. However their daily lives on the plantation are far from harmonious and it only gets worse for the two black men as the novel progresses.

The novel also focuses on different characters perspectives like the other slaves and the slave owners family. This novel also has similar supernatural / spiritual elements like The Water Dancer which I didn't enjoy as much as the main plot line but I do feel added to the overall epicness of the novel. This will not be great for readers who need propulsive writing as this book is lilting and more of a slow burn.

But I will be ordering this in physical copy at some point as I feel I haven't got the most out of this book in an ebook format. I would love to re read this book much more slowly and take my time to connect with the slower pacing and lyrical writing style. Although I do think the last quarter of the novel could have been more purposefully condensed.

Thank you to the author Robert Jones Jr., riverrun publishing and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book is a knockout. It's electric. I have literally just finished the ending and it has made all the hairs on the back of my neck prick up. This book is hella dark. It's unnerving and psychologically disturbing but it's razor sharp. I have never read a book like it. Like other reviewers have commented on, it straddles the line perfectly between literary fiction and a dark twisty psychological thriller.

This book follows Blythe who falls in love with her husband Fox and decides to have a baby. While she is apprehensive, as she had a difficult relationship with her own mother. She is optimistic that she will take to motherhood like everyone else. But she didn't bargain on her first born being quite so challenging.

This writer is a triumph. She writes suspense so well. This book had me heartbroken then infuriated and then extremely anxious all in the space of a few pages. She can write sharp edges to the plot that are most widely recognised in horror or thriller genre writing but while also juxtaposing the text with insightful and gorgeous literary writing. That ending was everything.

I loved how the novel played with the reliability of the protagonist. I also loved the accessibility the reader is given into the intimacy of the family dynamic. Some scenes in this book are burnt into my brain. This read has a haunting, claustrophobic beauty to it. A masterpiece.

Thanks to the author Ashley Audrain, Penguin UK and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, fast paced dark thriller. Set in the private school of Belmont, the story follows the current teacher of the year recipient Mr Crutcher. On the surface he seems like a successful teacher who is respected at the school and has a nice family life with his wife. But we learn his wife left him...why? and he keeps finding ways to exercise revenge on colleagues and staff who start getting under his skin. This book was a solid thriller that had many distasteful and nasty characters, not just Mr Crutcher. It was fun to dislike the characters and enjoy the at times absurdity of the murders and hijinks that ensue at the school. But a rip roaring read that you will race through!

Thanks to the publisher Michael Joseph, the author Samantha Downing and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short story collection with a novella included as well. I really enjoyed this collection.

It feels fresh and vibrant but it deals with big issues and themes around race and identity and loss. I found the writing style really snappy and clean and found myself instantly immersed within the stories. I highly recommend picking this collection up if you are looking to try more short story collections. I definitely will be checking out other work from this author.

Thanks to the author Danielle Evans, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book much more than I ended up actually enjoying it. The author has so much potential and I loved the main characters especially Mike, Benson and Mike's Mother. But the plot lacked focus and felt too flimsy. I know this author is more well known for his poetry and maybe this book was just the authors' way of working out the kinks in his writing style while he was adapting from poetry to narrative form.

I will certainly read anything else this author writes as his character development was fantastic. But the slow nature of the relationship between Benson and Mike was too frustrating for me and they spent most of the novel apart in separate countries which meant we spent more time with filler narratives than their own on/off romance.

Thanks to Atlantic Books, Bryan Washington the author and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. What a book?!! More chillingly relevant than ever before. It fizzes and pops with ideas and theories surrounding morality, religion, genetic engineering and socio-political agendas. It manages to subvert the current way we view the world and changes the perception of what modernity really means. I have so many things to express about this novel that I haven't enough space on this platform to discuss. But read it! Everyone read it! A more subtle dystopian that will resonate, terrify, unnerve and fascinate. Phenomenal. Just read it!

4.5 rating. This book was sharp and clever and had reveals that were genuinely surprising and I didn't see coming. I loved the podcast element and really enjoyed the intervening of a past case in the Neapolis area with a present day active case. Would highly recommend to thriller fans.

3.5. A short sorrowful book that packs an emotional gut punch. A novel that straddles the line between poetry and prose. Short, sharp and powerful.

I really enjoyed the unique spin of this thriller which focuses on the three different brothers perspectives and which zooms in on intimate moments and memories the brothers shared from each of their different perspectives.

This novel follows three brothers: Will, Brian and Luke and the secrets that they share and also hide from one another and how it leads to all of their downfalls. Will the eldest is a professional producer of movies. Brian the middle child is a English teacher that spends some time in Paris working before becoming the family manager. And finally there is Luke the youngest who becomes an Irish pop sensation before eventually winding up washed up.

I previously read Skin Deep by Liz Nugent and loved it and was expecting that dark and brooding vibe that I found so propulsive in her precious thrillers. But this book is much more of a slow read and if I am being honest it was drawn out for a little bit too long. The last third reinforced each brothers deplorable behaviour and resulted in the reader remaining indifferent to the final plot twist which was unfortunate. If that was the purpose from the author I think it was a shame as I have found in previous thrillers dark characters very multifaceted and layered. Which has allowed me to both hate their behaviour but be shocked or sad about their sufferings. In this book I did not feel any connection to the main characters and so found the last third became more of a drag than pleasurable.

This book has some very strong elements to it. I loved the family dramas and the microscopic look this book takes into events and memories. I also enjoyed how this book tied well into its cultural landscape with the references to the #MeToo movement and current affairs. I liked the character development of the brothers and the intensity of our relationship as a reader to their most vulnerable moments.

But I unfortunately think this isn't the book I was expecting from the blurb and from the author. A good read but not as enjoyable as Skin Deep. However I love this author and will continue to read this authors other books.

Thanks to the author Liz Nugent, Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredible non fiction. I always have so much respect for non fiction authors as so much research and referencing has to take place to shape a non fiction book. Also with the rise of narrative non fiction, hungry readers like myself are expecting more and more from our non fiction reads. But this book certainly delivered!

This story focuses on the Galvin Family. A wealthy all American family, Don and Mimi become notorious in their friendship circles for having a huge family. 10 sons and 2 daughters. But this fascinating family only become more compelling when it becomes apparent that around half of the sons seem to be developing schizophrenia in young adulthood. How is this possible? Is their a genetic component to schizophrenia? How can some siblings develop symptoms/ diagnosis of schizophrenia while other siblings seem to be unscathed by the mental illness?

This non fiction is a deep dive into the intimate lives of the family and each individual family member. It also looks at how the consent of the family to have their blood samples and DNA studied by scientists,has helped us understand more about the elusive mental illness schizophrenia.

This was so compelling and infinitely fascinating. The structure and writing was brilliantly composed and comprehensive. This is another favourite non fiction author to add to my list. I was so impressed with the compassion and sensitivity in which he dealt with the Galvin families story.

This book is gripping as narrative non fiction. But fundamental as an academic resource adding to the cannon of schizophrenia research. Kolker, through the Galvin sisters was able to get first hand accounts of events within the family that gave a plausibility and respectability to this study of a family. A fantastic book that I deeply admire.

Thanks to the author Robert Kolker, Quercus and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a pleasure to re read. This is the first book in the series since my re reading began that I had forgotten every little that happened and the logistics of the characters and the plot advancement. That for me was so lovely because it allowed me to fall in love with this story all over again, as if for the first time. As Lupin is one of my all time favourite characters and Sirius as well, it is always so nice to have the reveal of those characters as decent in this book. And this is the first book we start to understand more about the character of Severus and as he is also one of my all time favourite characters, I find his development in this book really important. I also enjoyed that this book allows the characters of Harry and his friends to evolve and grow up. I enjoyed that the danger in this book gets more complicated and that the lessons and the stakes are starting to get higher from this book onwards. This book is a beloved classic of mine and I can't wait to continue on with the series!

This memoir was an absolute bombshell. This story follows the famous French writer Gabriel Matzneffs sexual abuse of 14 year old Vanessa Springora, the author of this memoir. This book made me visibly cringe at points and I was seething when reading about the liberal attitudes to adults relationships with minors in the 70s. It was such a tragic story and it was hard to read about this insidious manipulation and sexual exploitation. It was heartbreaking to read about the detrimental effect of this abuse on Vanessa personally. The only saving grace in this story, is that Vanessa was strong enough to tell her story and exonerate her demons to move forward with life and love. I found the discussions on consent and the legality of minor/ adult relationships and emotional abuse and the grey areas around consent and rape very insightful and powerful in this book. This should be compulsory reading for every human being. Everyone needs to be educated on grooming, rape and abuse and this book tackles this topic with integrity and grace. Beautifully written and as impressive as Know My Name by Chanel Miller.

Thanks to the author Vanessa Springora, 4th Estate and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved it!!!! I think it was great because it wasn't really science-fiction, it was about the impact of war and how soldiers after the war tried to come to terms with their own war trauma.I admire Vonneguts subtlety, the alien race being a wider metaphor of Bill's own PTSD and his need to escape his mundane and scarred life . Modern authors I feel strive to do what Vonnegut managed to do so effortlessly. They pump out metaphors or elements of magical realism to emphasis a wider issue or concern of the main protagonist . However I often find that modern authors underline their points too strong and it becomes too forced. However Vonneguts tone was unrelentingly subtle yet ever present. His repetition of ‘so it goes' emphasises the repetition of death which seemed like a constant in the novel. It also subtly reminds the reader of the pain of loss and constant death Bill seems to be confronted with in his post War World.I was thoroughly impressed . Obviously his work is heavily inspired by science fiction texts. However this is not really a science fiction novel at all. It's a war novel. And it's so much more than either of those genres. It's powerful in its own merit and I urge you to read it! A full 5 stars for me.