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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 In the Absence of Miracles by Michael J. Malone! Thanks so much to Anne for organising the tour and don’t forget to take a look at the rest of the stops! The Synopsis John Docherty’s mother has just been taken into a nursing home. Following a massive stroke, she’s unlikely to be able to live independently again. With no other option than to sell the family home, John sets about packing up everything in the house. In sifting through the detritus of his family’s past he’s forced to revisit, and revise his childhood. In a box, in the attic, he finds undeniable truth that he had a brother who disappeared when he himself was only a toddler. A brother no one ever mentioned. A brother he knew absolutely nothing about. A discovery that sets John on a journey from which he may never recover. For sometimes in that space where memory should reside there is nothing but silence, smoke and ash. And in the absence of truth, in the absence of a miracle, we turn to prayer. And to violence... My ReviewHaving never had the chance to read one of Malone’s books before, I was unsure of what to expect going in. What I ended up experiencing with In the Absence of Miracles though, was one hell of a powerful read. One that I know I’m going to have to be careful to review in order to avoid spoiling any of its impact. (So this may end up being a slightly shorter review) In John Docherty, Malone has created an incredible character who draws you straight into his story, making you truly feel his emotions alongside him. The author managed to make me care about Docherty and all of the characters so, so much, which is why it had so much of a powerful impact when the truth finally came to light. It also made the issues raised within the book even more shocking. These issues are really emotionally harrowing to read, yet they’re handled so sensitively. Thoughts of the book and it’s contents stayed with me long after I’d finished reading. Overall, I’m giving In the Absence of Miracles 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five star favourites shelf! It’s captivating, heartbreaking and sensitively written. I can’t wait to read more from Michael J. Malone. About the AuthorMichael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes Carnegie’s Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines and After He Died soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.
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 Today is my stop on the blog tour for Three Days in Florence by Chrissie Manby! Thanks so much to Jenny for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops! The Synopsis Kathy Courage has never visited the famous Italian city of Florence before, so she's thrilled when she and her boyfriend Neil are invited there for a wedding. Unfortunately, with Neil's constant complaining and his teenage children in tow, it's not exactly the romantic break Kathy was hoping for. But when a mix-up with her flights leaves Kathy stranded in the city, she decides to embrace the unexpected and stay on alone. What follows is a life-changing few days in the Tuscan sun, as Kathy begins to question the choices that have led her here. With the help of the colourful Innocenti family, who offer Kathy a place to stay, she gradually begins to realise that there's a much bigger world out there, if only she can be brave enough to explore it. Could Italy hold the answers to her future happiness? Or is Kathy destined to return to her old life? My ReviewIf you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I recently returned from a trip to Italy. While it wasn’t Florence that I went to, reading Three Days in Florence brought back the essence of Italy, in a really authentic manner. Manby’s writing perfectly captures every element and made me feel as though I was actually there. The characterisation is masterful and I found myself instantly disliking Neil, rooting for Kathy and falling head over heels in love with the Innocenti family (because really it’s impossible not to). While Crime and Thrillers will always hold a special place in my heart, I really enjoyed the change of genre that Three Days in Florence provided. It was simply a joy to read and is packed with not only warmth and romance, but laughs too, making it a real feel-good summer book. Overall, I’m giving Three Days in Florence 4.5 out of 5. It’s warm, funny and beautifully written. A stunning summer read. This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review The above is an affiliate link About the AuthorChrissie Manby is the author of twenty five romantic comedies including A PROPER FAMILY HOLIDAY, THE MATCHBREAKER and SEVEN SUNNY DAYS. She has had several Sunday Times bestsellers and her novel about behaving badly after a break-up, GETTING OVER MR RIGHT, was nominated for the 2011 Melissa Nathan Award.
Chrissie was raised in Gloucester, in the west of England, and now lives in London. Contrary to the popular conception of chick-lit writers, she is such a bad home-baker that her own father threatened to put her last creation on www.cakewrecks.com. She is, however, partial to white wine and shoes she can't walk in. You can follow her on Twitter @chrissiemanby, or visit her website www.chrissiemanby.co.uk to find out more.  Today is my stop on the blog tour for Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops! The Synopsis Heather and Jess were best friends - until the night Heather's sister vanished. Jess has never forgiven herself for the lie she told that night. Nor has Heather. But now Heather is accused of an awful crime. And Jess is forced to return to the sleepy seaside town where they grew up, to ask the question she's avoided for so long: What really happened the night Flora disappeared? My Review After reading and absolutely loving Then She Vanishes, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I’d never read any of Douglas’ work before this! I’m so shocked that I’ve never come across her books before, but I suppose the good thing is that I’ll now be able to go back and catch up on her back catalogue - and if Then She Vanishes is anything to go by, I will definitely be in for a treat! As soon as I started reading this book, I knew instantly that I was going to enjoy it. I loved it all, but I think my favourite element is definitely the way that the tension is built up over the course of the book. It was so expertly done, that by the end, my eyes were totally glued to the pages. I also loved the wide cast of characters. Whether they were likeable or not, I still enjoyed reading about all of them because of how well-developed and realistic their personalities were. Their dialogue was also realistic and it flowed so naturally. In the end, I found that I really cared about what happened to them. When the truth was finally revealed, I was completely shocked, which was another thing I loved. The ending left me satisfied, other than the fact I was disappointed that the book was over! Overall, I’m giving Then She Vanishes 5 out of 5! It’s tense, compelling and so, so twisty. I will certainly be reading plenty more books by Claire Douglas! The above is an affiliate link. This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review About the AuthorClaire Douglas has worked as a journalist for fifteen years writing features for women's magazines and national newspapers, but she's dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award, with her first novel, The Sisters, which was followed by Local Girl Missing, Last Seen Alive and Do Not Disturb, all Sunday Times bestsellers. She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.
 The Synopsis THE TWINS ARE CRYING. THE TWINS ARE HUNGRY. LAUREN IS CRYING. LAUREN IS EXHAUSTED. Behind the hospital curtain, someone is waiting . . . Lauren is alone on the maternity ward with her new-born twins when a terrifying encounter in the middle of the night leaves her convinced someone is trying to steal her children. Lauren, desperate with fear, locks herself and her sons in the bathroom until the police arrive to investigate. When DS Joanna Harper picks up the list of overnight incidents that have been reported, she expects the usual calls from drunks and wrong numbers. But then a report of an attempted abduction catches her eye. The only thing is that it was flagged as a false alarm just fifteen minutes later. Harper's superior officer tells her there's no case here, but Harper can’t let it go so she visits the hospital anyway. There's nothing on the CCTV. No one believes this woman was ever there. And yet, Lauren claims that she keeps seeing the woman and that her babies are in danger, and soon Harper is sucked into Lauren's spiral of fear. But how far will they go to save children who may not even be in danger? My Review I always try to keep my preconceptions of a book minimal so that my expectations don’t affect my enjoyment of the book. However, due to the description written on the proof, ‘The most unsettling book of the year’, I couldn’t help but have a few ideas of what to expect and part of me was worried this would lead to disappointment. But Little Darlings well and truly lived up to its description, I’d certainly have to agree that it’s one of the most unsettling books I’ve read this year, and there really have been some crackers! I absolutely loved the way that I never quite knew what to believe and how Golding kept me wondering throughout, questioning everything and constantly changing my mind. The descriptions of certain scenes, especially the terrifying encounter which leads to Lauren thinking that the twins will be taken, were so creepy and haunting, I can still picture them in my mind now and shiver at the thought. I think what makes this book as unsettling as it is though, is how real Lauren’s emotions are. Whether you have a child or not, Golding allows you to understand what Lauren is going through and to feel her fear for her twins coming right off the pages. It’s impossible not to hold your breath while you wait to see what the outcome will be of the things she goes though. Overall, I’m giving Little Darlings 4.5 out of 5. It’s unsettling, haunting and kept me questioning absolutely everything! I’m really looking forward to reading more by Melanie Golding! This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review The above is an affiliate link About the AuthorMelanie Golding is a graduate of the MA in creative writing program at Bath Spa University, with distinction. She has been employed in many occupations including farm hand, factory worker, childminder and music teacher. Throughout all this, because and in spite of it, there was always the writing. In recent years she has won and been shortlisted in several local and national short story competitions. Little Darlings is her first novel, and has been optioned for screen by Free Range Films, the team behind the adaptation of My Cousin Rachel.
 The Synopsis Seven-year-old Jocelyn loves her nanny more than her own mother. When her nanny disappears one night, Jo never gets over the loss. How could she vanish without saying goodbye? Thirty years on, Jo is forced to return to her family home and confront her troubled relationship with her mother. When human remains are discovered in the grounds of the house, Jo begins to question everything. Then an unexpected visitor knocks at the door and Jo’s world is destroyed again as, one by one, she discovers her childhood memories aren’t what they seemed. What secrets was her nanny hiding – and what was she running away from? And can Jo trust what her mother tells her? Sometimes the truth hurts so much you’d rather hear the lie. My Review As soon as I saw the ARC cover of The Nanny in my parcel, I got super excited to read the book. I loved the effect of the shadow on the front which created a lot of intrigue and also the colour scheme on the spine. The final cover is just as striking and while you should never judge a book by its cover, I think that in this case you definitely can, as it was just as amazing as I’d been hoping! While it took me a few chapters to fully get into it, the pace worked brilliantly to gradually build up the intrigue, with Macmillan working in a perfect blend of secrets, revenge and family mysteries to keep the pages turning. Every time I finished one chapter, I was desperate to start the next. I thought that the whole story was cleverly written and well told, with a cast of characters who, while not entirely likeable, were really interesting to read and were what made the book enjoyable for me, with their alternating POVs keeping me on my toes! Overall, I’m giving The Nanny 4.5 out of 5. It’s engrossing, tense and there are twists and turns around every corner. I can’t believe I’ve never read anything by Gilly Macmillan before, but I’ll definitely be reading more now! This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review The above is an affiliate link About the AuthorGilly Macmillan is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar-nominated author of What She Knew, The Perfect Girl and Odd Child Out.
She grew up in Swindon and studied at Bristol University and The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She has worked at The Burlington Magazine and the Hayward Gallery and has been a lecturer in photography. She now writes full-time and lives in Bristol with her family. |
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