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I post book reviews as often as possible but at least once a week every Wednesday! I hope they help you to find some new books that you'll love as much as I did!
 Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Taking of Annie Thorne by C.J. Tudor! Thanks so much to Jenny for organising the tour, and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops! The Synopsis One night, Annie went missing. Disappeared from her own bed. There were searches, appeals. Everyone thought the worst. And then, after 48 hours, she came back. But she couldn't, or wouldn't, say what had happened to her. Something happened to my sister. I can't explain what. I just know that when she came back, she wasn't the same. She wasn't my Annie. I didn't want to admit, even to myself, that sometimes I was scared to death of my own little sister. My Review I was so excited to get to read The Taking of Annie Thorne as I absolutely loved The Chalk Man. As soon as I started reading, Tudor reminded me exactly why I love her writing so much and proved once again that she’s the queen of the riveting opening chapter. (And as a matter of fact a riveting entire book) I was completely frozen to the spot while I was reading this and it moved along at exactly the right pace, meaning that I finished it in just one day! Tudor’s writing style is so addictive and it really gets under your skin, gradually building up a sense of foreboding that consumes your thoughts so that all you can focus on is what is happening in front of your eyes, gripped even harder by the creepy and sinister edge that runs through the plot. Without giving too much away about the ending, I thought that the final twist was brilliant and unexpected and the epilogue was haunting and so, so chilling. Overall, I’m giving The Taking of Annie Thorne 4.5 out of 5. It’s haunting, creepy and quite simply spellbinding. I already can’t wait for C.J. Tudor’s next book! The above is an affiliate link. This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. About the AuthorC. J. Tudor's love of writing, especially the dark and macabre, started young. When her peers were reading Judy Blume, she was devouring Stephen King and James Herbert.
Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover artist, television presenter, copywriter and, now, author. Her first novel, The Chalk Man, was a Sunday Times bestseller and has sold in over forty countries. The Taking of Annie Thorne is her second novel. Twitter @CJTudor Facebook @CJTudorOfficial
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 Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea! Thanks so much to Jenny for organising the tour. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops! The Synopsis Jón Eiríksson buried one wife this year. How long before he buries a second? 1686, ICELAND. AN ISOLATED, WINDSWEPT LAND HAUNTED BY WITCH TRIALS AND STEEPED IN THE ANCIENT SAGAS. Betrothed unexpectedly to Jón Eiríksson, Rósa is sent to join her new husband in the remote village of Stykkishólmur. Here, the villagers are wary of outsiders. But Rósa harbours her own suspicions. Her husband buried his first wife alone in the dead of night. He will not talk of it. Instead he gives her a small glass figurine. She does not know what it signifies. The villagers mistrust them both. Dark threats are whispered. There is an evil here - Rósa can feel it. Is it her husband, the villagers - or the land itself? Alone and far from home, Rósa sees the darkness coming. She fears she will be its next victim . . . My Review The Glass Woman is quite simply an absolutely stunning read. Despite the beautiful cover, it’s probably not the kind of book I would usually be drawn to straight away, as I tend to choose something in a more contemporary setting, but when I got invited to the blog tour and I read the synopsis I thought it looked brilliant - and gosh was I right or what! By the opening few pages, Lea had ensured that I wouldn’t be putting The Glass Woman down any time soon, by instantly drawing me into the extremely atmospheric setting she created. I have no personal experience of Iceland but I could picture every detail. I remained completely engrossed for the entirety of my train journey, and even managed to ignore someone’s music playing loudly through their headphones! I finished the book in just 2 days and its grip on me didn’t falter once. It’s really well paced and expertly creates intrigue and a growing sense of foreboding as the story progresses. The characters are unique and fascinating to read. All of them are well-developed and explored, allowing me to feel really strongly what they were all experiencing - especially Rósa. The ending is beautiful, moving and absolutely brilliant. It’s so well written and felt really right. Overall, I’m giving The Glass Woman 4.5 out of 5. It’s dark, emotive and compelling. A beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable read. *Just a brief word of warning to those who are slightly squeamish, the later parts of the book can be a little graphic in places, so do be prepared for that. It’s definitely bearable and worthwhile though, so please don’t let that stop you reading it!* This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. The above is an affiliate link. About the AuthorCaroline Lea grew up in Jersey and gained a First in English Literature and Creative Writing from Warwick University, where she now teaches writing. Her fiction and poetry have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.
The Synopsis An uninvited guest. A missing identity. A trail of deadly secrets. When a horrified bridesmaid finds the body of a young woman at a wedding reception, it makes the bride and groom’s choice of a Saints and Sinners theme all the more macabre. There are no means of identification and nobody knows the victim. The bride is convinced someone is trying to sabotage her big day. The groom is sure it’s a dreadful mistake. It’s up to brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis to uncover the truth. They have a hundred guests to question, and a strong suspicion that the motive for murder is personal… The party’s over – and the hunt for the killer is on. My Review The Wedding Guest is part of the Alex Delaware series, of which there have been many, many books. But don’t let that put you off if you haven’t read any of them before. I’d only read one book by Jonathan Kellerman previously which was one co-written with Jesse Kellerman and wasn’t in the Alex Delaware series. Despite this, I was able to slot right in to the series and I didn’t feel as though there was anything I couldn’t follow as a result of not picking up on a reference to a previous book. I do think that it would be beneficial to the understanding of Delaware and his relationships to read one or two of the previous books, but it’s definitely not a necessity before reading this one. Alex is a great central character and I really enjoyed his witty comments and psychological insights, as well as his relationship with Milo. The writing style was very different to that of other books I’ve read recently, but once I got into it, I enjoyed the unique way the book was written and found that it made the story much more memorable. As the book progressed I found myself drawn into it more and more and I really enjoyed how everything unfolded. I didn’t guess the end and it left me wanting to read the next Alex Delaware book already! Overall, I’m giving The Wedding Guest 4 out of 5! It’s well-paced, twisty and intriguing. I’m really looking forward to reading more by Jonathan Kellerman! This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review The above is an affiliate link About the AuthorJonathan Kellerman is the Number One New York Times bestselling author of more than forty crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher's Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted, True Detectives, and The Murderer's Daughter.
With his wife, bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman, he co-authored Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. With his son, bestselling novelist Jesse Kellerman, he co-authored Crime Scene, The Golem of Hollywood, and The Golem of Paris. He is also the author of two children's books and numerous nonfiction works, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children and With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association, and has been nominated for a Shamus Award. Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California, New Mexico, and New York. |
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