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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!
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It’s finally the 31st of December which means that another whole year has gone by! It also means that there’s been an entire year of reading - and what a fabulous year it’s been for books this year! There have been so many amazing reads that it hasn’t made it easy for me to choose my favourites, but here, in no particular order, are my favourite nine books of 2018! My Top 9 Books of 2018 Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman I knew as soon as I finished reading this, that it would make my list of my favourite books of the year. I absolutely loved it and still remember the way it made me feel whilst I was reading it. In fact I liked it so much that I said that if you only read one book in 2018, it should be Sticks and Stones.  The Rumour by Lesley Kara This book completely smashed it out of the park for me. Kara was one step ahead the whole time and masterfully kept me right where she wanted me. It was the epitome of a five star read and I couldn’t fault it. The Fear by C.L. Taylor The Fear really made me realise how much of an expert C.L Taylor is at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat! This book was a dark and unsettling rollercoaster read which had me completely addicted and reacting aloud at the twists. Murder in the Caribbean by Robert Thorogood I absolutely adored this book, it’s written with such skill and in such a warm and witty style, that it brings sunshine and a smile to even the greyest of days. With an engaging mystery at its core and an unorthodox but loveable detective leading the way, Murder in the Caribbean is an excellent addition to the Death in Paradise family and a read not to be missed. The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor The Chalk Man was a haunting, dark and absolutely hypnotising read which I stayed up way too late finishing because I simply couldn’t stop reading! It was so tense that at times I almost forgot to breathe. Bring Me Back by BA Paris This was my first five star read of 2018 and it was fully deserving of every single one of those stars. It had me mesmerised and I lost more hours of sleep reading it than I dare to count, whilst the almighty ending stayed with me long after I had finished reading.  The Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins This is one of those books that had me at the prologue and forced me to read on and on. I lied to myself throughout by thinking 'Just one more chapter' when in reality, I knew that there was no chance of tearing myself away. It was riveting, creepy and extremely engaging. My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland I loved everything about this book. What really piqued my interest though, was the exploration of ‘crowd-sourced crime solving’, ‘armchair detectives’ and online identity as I found it very thought provoking. The fact that it could so easily be a reality made the book all the more dark and tense and Marland’s fresh and different writing style brought everything to life. The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz I love the originality of Horowitz’s series featuring Daniel Hawthorne and the latest instalment was a masterfully written addition which was impossible to put down. There was humour as well as plenty of completely gripping and suspenseful scenes which left me wide eyed and enthralled. You can see all of my original reviews for the above books here: Murder in the Caribbean The Rumour by Lesley Kara The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland The Devil's Dice by Roz Watkins Bring Me Back by BA Paris The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor The Fear by C.L. Taylor
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The Synopsis DI Richard Poole is hot, bothered and fed up. He’s stuck on the tropical island of Saint-Marie, forced to live in a rickety old shack on a beach, and there isn’t a decent cup of tea to be found anywhere. When a boat explodes in the harbour, Richard and his team soon realise there’s a new murderer on the loose. But who is it? And why did the killer leave behind a ruby at the scene of the crime? As the police dig deeper, they uncover secrets that go back decades, and a crime from the past that can never be forgiven. Worse still, they soon realise this is only the beginning. They’ve got to catch the killer before there's another death in paradise… My Review I can’t express enough how much I love the Death in Paradise series, in both the television and book format. So the latest addition, Murder in the Caribbean, got me very excited. However if you’re new to the Death in Paradise series, don’t be put off, as there’s no need to read the books in order and you can easily start with this one and then go back to the others as you choose. Personally, I love the way that opening a Death in Paradise book is like greeting an old friend, (as you get to know the characters and their quirks better and gain more of an understanding of them the further the series progresses) and so I’d recommend starting from the first one so that you have that experience, but as I said, by no means do you have to and they can easily be read in whichever order you choose. The opening of this book is fantastic and grabbed my attention straight away. I think that Robert Thorogood is an absolutely brilliant writer with a real talent for immersing you in the story and the world he creates, with every detail brought to life on the page. His warm and witty writing style made me smile throughout and brought a very welcome hit of sunshine into a cold, grey day. As I mentioned when I reviewed the last book, Death Knocks Twice, despite Richard Poole’s unorthodox ways, you can’t help but love him and his typical ‘englishness’ and he works really well as the DI for me. In fact, all of the characters work really well and it’s not at all difficult to imagine them - at times I felt I could almost hear their voices. The plot had me engaged, with plenty of red herrings keeping me guessing in the lead up to a very satisfying ending. Overall, I’m giving Murder in the Caribbean 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five star favourites shelf! It’s engaging, twisty and thoroughly entertaining. I couldn’t think of a better book for my last review of 2018! This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. About the AuthorRobert Thorogood is the creator of the hit BBC One TV series DEATH IN PARADISE.
He was born in Colchester, Essex, in 1972. When he was 10-years old, he read his first proper novel – Agatha Christie’s Peril at End House – and he’s been in love with the genre ever since. He now lives in Marlow in Buckinghamshire with his wife and children. The Synopsis When single mum Joanna hears a rumour at the school gates, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another and now there’s no going back . . . Rumour has it that a notorious child killer is living under a new identity, in their sleepy little town of Flinstead-on-Sea. Sally McGowan was just ten years old when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death forty-eight years ago – no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman. So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives among them? How dangerous can one rumour become? And how far will Joanna go to protect her loved ones from harm, when she realizes what it is she’s unleashed? My Review What. A. Book. The Rumour is one of those reads that hooks you instantly and keeps you locked in until the very last word. I didn’t find out that it was a debut until I’d finished reading and I never would’ve guessed! It really is outstanding. Kara is a master at predicting what you’ll be thinking and keeping you right where she wants you. I suspected everyone - and I mean everyone - coming up with elaborate theories about how it might all fit together, but I wouldn’t have guessed the ending in a million years! Kara was one step ahead the whole time and had me in the palm of her hand. I loved the writing style and the vividly written scenes added to the atmosphere as the sense of foreboding grew. At times it was so tense that I held my breath and towards the end the tension only grew. I don’t think I’ve ever used so many exclamation marks in my notes as when I was writing about how tense this book was!! My heart flipped at one of the final twists and I don’t think I can put it better than what I wrote in my notes at the time: WHAT. A. KILLER. TWIST. SO CLEVERLY WRITTEN. TRULY CHILLING The ending is phenomenal, so tense and emotionally charged. Just when you think it’s all over, yet another chilling detail sends you spinning once again. I absolutely loved this book. I could go on and on, but I’d rather you read the book and see for yourself, you won’t regret it. Overall I’m giving The Rumour 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five-star favourites shelf. It’s chilling, addictive and a really phenomenal read. This is the epitome of a five star read for me, I couldn’t fault it. This e-book was provided free in exchange for an honest review About the AuthorLesley Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She lives on the North Essex coast. The Rumour is her first novel.
 Today is my stop on the blog tour for Who I Am by Sarah Simpson. Thanks so much to Vicky for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops! The Synopsis I know everything about you And you know everything about me… except WHO I AM. Andi met Camilla at university. Instantly best friends, they shared everything together. Until their long-planned graduation celebration ends in tragedy… Years later, Andi is living a seemingly perfect life on the rugged Cornish Coast with her loving husband, happy children and dream home. Yet Andi is haunted by a secret she thought only she knew. Someone out there is bringing Andi’s deepest fears to life. And she knows there’s no escaping the past that has come back to haunt her… You trusted me with your secrets, you told me everything, you thought I was your best friend... but you have no idea WHO I AM. My ReviewSarah Simpson sure knows how to write a dark and complex psychological thriller! The characters are all so well developed and Simpson really gets right to the heart of them on a psychological level. She’s also wonderfully skilled at creating and maintaining intrigue and suspense and left me wanting to read on and on at the end of every chapter. The story is full of twists and turns too, some of which I predicted and others which I most certainly didn’t! I’d recommend reading this when you can give it your full attention as there are quite a few characters to remember and a lot of detail to take in, but it’s so worth it if you’re willing to give it a bit of extra concentration, as all of the little details subtly contribute to the gradual reveal of what exactly happened in the characters’ pasts. Overall, I’m giving Who I Am 4 out of 5. It’s twisty, gripping and really keeps you in suspense the whole way through. Who I am is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Simpson but I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author! This e-book was provided free in exchange for an honest review About the Author Sarah Simpson has a first-class honours degree in Psychology and has experienced working at a Brain Rehabilitation Hospital. She has spent time as a family consultant for Warwickshire and Oxfordshire solicitors and gained knowledge of the Family Court System. She now lives in Cornwall with her husband, three children and animals.
Twitter handle: @sarahrsimpson Facebook: @sarahsimpsoncornwall Follow the publisher: Website: www.ariafiction.com Twitter: @aria_fiction Facebook: @ariafiction Instagram: @ariafiction |
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