prettylittlewriter

Synopsis
‘Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all--a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.’

This was gripping from start to finish. I read it in two days, hours really as for half the days I was working, and I just couldn’t put it down!

My first Shari Lapena novel, I’d heard great things about her books so I picked this one up with high hopes and I certainly wasn’t disappointed!

I really felt for Anne, suffering from post-partum depression to start with, and then having her baby taken away and having to deal with that really would have sent anyone over the edge into a breakdown. I hated that Marco was flirting with her neighbour all night too, it really pissed me off as flirtation in general is one thing, but to do it in front of your other half, is just cruel.

So when we get into the story, and we find out that it wasn’t just a bit of flirting, I wasn’t surprised.

I also wasn’t surprised when we found out what Marco had done.

What I was surprised by, was how the story ended. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Well, there were two aspects I wasn’t expecting. The person who orchestrated the entire kidnapping plan, and the murder that took place after.

Shari really knows how to pull you in and throw in some absolute shock factor content!

I won’t say anything else as I wouldn’t want this review to have any real spoilers, all I will say, is that if you love a crime novel, then definitely read this!

5/5 stars

This psychological thriller keeps you guessing right until the very end. 

‘When Alicia Berenson commits the ultimate crime by shooting her husband in the head five times, she vows to be forever silent. Psychotherapist Theo Faber decides he is the one that can break her silence, so he takes a job at the mental health facility where she is located, and commits to getting a breakthrough.

Theo’s search for the truth threatens to consume him, and his true intentions become questionable.’

I was hooked on this book.

I have seen so many mixed reviews on this novel, so when I picked this up, I was nervous about how much I would enjoy it.

Theo is a likeable character, although his dedication to Alicia’s truth is quite strange to begin with, it seems he only has good intentions, and really does want to get Alicia talking again. You also feel incredibly sorry for him when you find out his wife is cheating on him, as it sends him spiralling further.

As we do not hear from Alicia herself until later in the novel, mainly through her diary entries, it is difficult to really gauge what kind of person she is, and whether she really did kill her husband.

I liked the aspect of the Greek tragedy play within it, Alcestis. It really adds to the narrative, and is a very clever way of eventually explaining why Alicia is staying silent.

Throughout the novel, there are other characters that you are thrown as a potential suspect in the murder of Alicia’s husband, Gabriel, or at least, one of the reasons for Alicia herself refusing to talk. You begin to wonder whether she did murder her husband, or if she is covering for someone else.

I thought it was very well written (ignoring the few spelling mistakes within), and had a clever plot, with an absolutely brilliant twist at the end!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a shocking ending, and fans of psychological slow-burners.

4/5 stars

 I was kindly gifted this ARC by Raven Books.

'Josephine Morrow is Girl One; The first of nine miracle babies conceived without male DNA. When the commune they were raised on is burned down in a suspicious fire, taking the life of their creator Dr. Bellanger and the youngest miracle daughter, the remaining Mothers and Girls scatter across the country in an attempt to build new lives for themselves. Years later, Josie’s Mom disappears, so she sets off on a trip across America, tracking down her estranged sisters in a desperate search for her mother, making friends, and enemies, along the way.'

This novel was incredibly thought-provoking and unique. How incredible would it be if there was a way for women to have children without a sperm donor? So many single women (and lesbian couples) would probably jump at the chance to create a child all on their own.

Josie is a brilliant protagonist, giving us insight into life on the homestead as a child; she is brave, charming and relatable.

We follow her journey of discovery through her own eyes, learning things about her past, and the present, as she does.

I also absolutely adored the character of Cate, another of the miracle babies that Josie recoups with along the way.

There were some difficult and heart wrenching moments; Sara really knows how to pull on the readers heartstrings.

As we all know, I don’t like to give spoilers,  but I will say that there are so many twists in this novel, that you are kept on your toes throughout, and I certainly didn’t expect some of them!

I did feel a little cheated after one of the big surprises surrounding the character of Tom, mainly because it was revealed to us, and then just fell on the back burner with everything else that was going on. I do think there could have been a few more chapters to delve into it, but I understand why Sara didn’t, as the book is fairly fleshy as it is!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would highly recommend to anyone that likes a thriller, combined with a bit of sci-fi!

The novel will be published in the UK on August 5^th in hardback.

4.5/5 stars

If you're a horror fan, this book is for you.

M. J. Aldridge has created a dangerous and sneaky villain that evades everyone until the very end.

'When two people go missing and end up locked in a room together with no food, no water, and no escape, they realise that they have been kidnapped and left for dead.
The only item left in the room with them is a gun, with a single bullet inside.

Only one person can leave that room alive.

DI Helen Grace is on the case when a young girl appears; dishevelled, malnourished and full of terror. After hearing of the brutal situation she was in, and more bodies being found along with other survivors, DI Grace realises this is a serial killer with a passion for games and a deadly motive.

It's a race against time to solve the murders and put a stop to the game before too many bodies drop.'

Initially when I started this novel, I told myself I knew how it was going to pan out. I knew Ted was going to be evil, blah blah; truth is, I knew nothing!

I loved that you had chapters from Olivia's point of view, something I personally have never seen before. She was a sassy little thing, and combine that with my love for cats anyway, I just adored her character.

Lauren was a character I found annoying, and I believe that is exactly how Catriona wanted to portray her, she was a child after all, and being kept away from the outside world with no human connection other than Ted, was bound to make her highly emotional.

Ted I completely misread. At first, I believed he was going to be one of these terrible men that kidnap young girls, killing them and moving on to the next.  
He was so completely and magnificently complex, and everything that happened to him as a child was completely horrifying and hardening. 

There were so many twists within this book that I honestly couldn't keep up. Every time there was a huge revelation, a few chapters later there was another! I was on the edge of my seat constantly, and I didn't want it to end.

It's also important to mention that some of the things within the novel may be triggering, there are parts which relate to child abuse and mental health problems, but each of these things were an integral part of the story that made it the incredible book that it is.

I won't say any more, as I do not want to share any spoilers, but I want to ask every single one of you that sees this, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK.

You will not regret it.

This book is also being adapted for film, so I am incredibly excited to see what comes of that! 

5 OUT OF 5 STARS!