Invite Me In has been waiting patiently on my NetGalley list for far too long. My apologies to the author and publisher. I am working my way through my list slowly but surely.
This book was more than worth the wait. What an emotional rollercoaster of a read!
I have to say that I found Eliza a difficult character to like, especially to start with. I did feel for her as I got to know her more though. Her husband is not a likeable man at all. He thinks far too highly of himself and treats Eliza as though he owns her. No amount of money, fancy houses and/or fancy cars are worth what she puts up with daily. She has her secrets though and her husband holds knowledge of them over her. She is trapped and she’s miserable.
It isn’t at all surprising that Dan attracts Eliza’s attention. I admired her attempts to deny that attraction though. Everything else aside, Eliza’s priority is always her children. That I did like about her.
This story is so full of twists I didn’t know what to think for the most part. I love that! It makes me even more determined to find out where the story is going to end. I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years what I learned about these people as the story progressed. There are some amazing characters in this book. Most aren’t particularly likeable, but all are compelling. Such clever writing!
To say this story is full of tension would be an understatement and it has a jaw-dropping conclusion.
WOW! What a story! If you start this book at bedtime prepare to lose sleep. I finished it very late last night. There was no way I could go to sleep until I knew how it was all going to pan out. It grabbed my attention from the very first page and didn’t let go until the very last!
There are some excellent characters in this book. Very real, believable characters who I became very much invested in.
I liked Juliette and Danny immediately and my heart broke for them both for the loss of their young daughter. I could totally understand their need for a fresh start and a quieter life. The house they buy sounds amazing, and I can understand them being drawn to a sleepy, picturesque village, where nothing much goes on. Or so they thought.
Their new neighbours seem a bit odd to say the least. They have had the luxury of the house next door being empty for years and had got used to their privacy. Richard and Sarah are now forced to accept the new couple’s presence.
Richard is a right nasty piece of work. It’s obvious quite early on that he has a controlling nature and he’s not at all nice to Sarah. He made me angry and mostly made my skin crawl. Whatever women see in blokes like him I don’t know, but I can understand how men like him can be charming when they need to be to get what they want. I can’t abide bullies.
I didn’t particularly warm to Sarah either though, yet I didn’t really know why. She’s hardly living the high life she dreamed of. Their house sounds beautiful, but her life genuinely felt oppressed and claustrophobic. She doesn’t have a life really, just a suffocating existence. Does she deserve anything different though? They do say be careful what you wish for!
This is an extremely tense read. It made me feel on edge throughout most of it and I still don’t know how I feel about Sarah. Brilliant writing! This is one of those stories I know will stay with me for a long time to come.
All the stars from me. I can’t recommend highly enough!
Treat yourself
Readers love The Life She Wants:
‘Woah…. blown away by this one…This one left me guessing until thevery end, and I loved it. The twists and turns were shocking yet realistic… I felt my own heart racing… Couldn’t read this one fast enough.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘May possibly be my favourite of Mel Sherratt’s books so far!… I was totally immersed after the very first chapter… This truly is one hell of a ride. Oh, and Mel, you owe me a night’s sleep, as I couldn’t stop reading until I’d finished!!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A totallygripping read that had me reading obsessively until it was finished. I couldn’t put it down it was so twisty and unpredictable. I loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Oh my gosh. What a fabulous book. This had my heart racing.’ StefLoz Book Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A dark and twisted book that I couldn’t stop reading!… So well written it kept me guessing all the way until the end, I was so invested half of my day could just fly by in a wink.’ Leesey Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I’ve read lots of books by this author and I must say that this is one of her very best. A psychological crime thriller that will chill you to the bone and get your pulse racing… A brilliant read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is one grippingtwisted story from the author that is hard to put down… WOWI loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Brilliantly addictive from the beginning until the end and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way.’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘One of the best domestic thrillers I’ve read in a long time! I love the complicated characters, the suspenseful plot and the ending that was absolutely perfect. I cannot wait to tell everyone about this book!’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Afraid Of The Christmas Lights: Festive shorts from the biggest stars in crime fiction (Afraid Of The Light Book 2)
Afraid of the Christmas lights is another excellent short story collection I have had the pleasure of reading over the Christmas period. This one is an Anthology of crime stories which were right up my street. If you are a lover of crime fiction, then I am sure you will love these stories as much I did. Written by a team of extremely talented authors who have donated their time and talent towards putting this book together in aid of two charities, East Surrey Domestic Abuse Services and Rights of Women.
You might already know some of the authors who have contributed. I, personally, have only read books by Jo Furniss previously but I will certainly be adding to my TBR list again with books by the other authors featured.
I don’t think it needs to be Christmastime to enjoy these stories. They would be a treat at any time of the year!
All the stars from me. I very much recommend.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER AWARD
All profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to frontline domestic abuse charities
“TWISTED, DELICIOUS, DEVIOUS”
From the biggest stars in crime fiction comes an eclectic mix of festive shorts
Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Lee Child
“Stellar” —THE GUARDIAN
“Haunting”—THE TIMES
“The biggest stars in contemporary crime fiction”—THE SUNDAY RECORD
“Cracking…All the stories are truly gripping”—MY WEEKLY
“Twisted, devious, delicious. If you’re looking for a mystery in your Christmas stocking, this collection of crime tales will be right up your candy-cane lane”—JO SPAIN
“A perfect festive collection of bite-sized crime fiction”—JOHN MARRS
“A deliciously dark selection pack of stories you’ll devour” —SARAH PINBOROUGH
“A bulging stocking full of prize gifts. Funny, tragic, scary and clever- the perfect Christmas present” — LOUISE BEECH
“A wicked slay-ride through the dark days of winter”— TREVOR WOOD
**************************************************************** IT WOULDN’T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT A LITTLE CRIME…
A Christmas dinner takes a murderous turn, a friendship group loses the festive spirit, and a young girl goes to extreme measures to keep a beloved dog.
Afraid Of The Christmas Lights is a collection of gripping, sometimes funny, and always festive short stories from a group of bestselling crime writers.
From the hilarious to the macabre, there’s something for everyone – whether you’re a Christmas convert or a bit of a Grinch. From a detective tracking down missing Christmas geese, to a cat lady who goes on a date in order to keep Santa Paws well fed, this anthology is the perfect gift to cosy up with this year.
Afraid Of The Christmas Lights is brought to you by eighteen bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, been Richard and Judy bestsellers, won the Crime Novel of the Year Award, the Bath Novel Award and the UK National Book Awards, had their work made into major television series and been published in over 50 territories worldwide.
Mark Billingham Rachael Blok Heather Critchlow Elle Croft James Delargy Clare Empson Jo Furniss Sophie Hannah T.E. Kinsey N.J. Mackay S.R. Masters Val McDermid Phoebe Morgan Dominic Nolan Robert Scragg Victoria Selman Kate Simants Adam Southward Harriet Tyce
Profits from Afraid Of The Christmas Lights will support two front-line charities:
ESDAS: Educates professionals, communities, victims and even perpetrators on the nature of domestic abuse. They offer practical measures, such as legal advice and transport, to enable survivors to find a safe place to live.
Rights of Women: Helps women understand their legal rights and access a range of support services to which they are entitled.
On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at the books I was reading during the same month in previous years, since starting my blog.
Please do join in if you have the time.
Here are my reviews from January 2021 + a link to previous January FBFs…..
Martha Engber recommends Bowen’s Book Publicity. 30 November 2021 · I give Kerry Parsons a 5-star rating for all of the following reasons: — She answered my query quickly and enthusiastically regarding my social media promotion needs for my book “Winter Light,” 2021 IPPY Gold Medal Winner of Young Adult Fiction (https://tinyurl.com/2h33mdd9) — She charged reasonable rates for basic services […]
The Stars Will Shine Again is an excellent collection of short stories written by extremely talented authors. Each story is unique. Some are very emotional. Some are full of surprises. All are very cleverly written.
I was especially impressed by those written by my book blogger friends. What an amazing achievement!
This book would be perfect for reading in one sitting or for dipping in and out of, maybe treating yourself to one story each day. I read three or four stories each night and loved them all. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this book, there is something for everyone and the best part is that all profits go to Help for Heroes. As a Veterans wife this is a charity very close to my heart.
I am also thrilled to have discovered some new-to-me authors. Their other books are going straight on my TBR list!
This book would make the perfect gift to yourself or for any booklover in your life, at any time of the year. I have no doubt I will be purchasing physical copies to send as gifts.
Well done to all who contributed their talents to this wonderful collection and especially to Emma Mitchell for bringing it all together. You should all be so proud.
Many thanks to Emma Mitchell for my digital review copy. I did also purchase a kindle copy.
Hi, and welcome to my overview post of all the wonderful books I have had the pleasure of reading, and reviewing, in 2021. I highly recommend them all!
WOW! Mick Williams never ceases to amaze me! I love his books. Each one is as unique as they come. I honestly don’t know how he does it. He literally has a book to suit every reading taste.
Hope’s Game is quite different to anything I have read before. I absolutely loved it!
I liked Charlie from the get-go. My heart broke for him when I learned of the loss of his daughter. I can’t imagine anything worse. The not knowing would cripple me. It’s no wonder he is unable to find joy in anything since her disappearance. How do you even begin to move on from something like that? Would you even want to? I’d never rest either. It’s no surprise it led to the breakdown of his marriage. I imagine that is quite common in these circumstances. He seems to have disconnected from the world, his family, and anything that isn’t alcohol.
In an attempt to get him out of his grotty flat Charlie’s best friend, Nick, offers him an opportunity which, given his circumstances, is far too good to turn down. £10,000 (for one day of his time!) to participate in a research project he is working on. An AI program called Project Mindspace. Of course, Charlie accepts. He has nothing to lose right!?
He has no idea how much his life is about to change forever.
Charlie’s visits to ‘Under’ both fascinated and terrified me. It isn’t something I would willingly participate in any time soon. I can see how Charlie finds it an appealing method of escapism though.
As the story progressed, I became more and more uneasy. I became increasingly concerned about Charlie and his state of mind. I was right to be concerned!
If you love action, you will love this book. Fast-paced is an understatement.
James P Sumner’s books read like you’re watching a movie. I know that is his intention and he has absolutely nailed it! This book would be awesome on the big screen! There is so much going on, I was exhausted just reading it. How some of the characters do what they do I don’t know. It’s a good job they do, do what they do though otherwise the world they find themselves in would be left in a right sorry state. We all need a hero in our lives and there is more than one in this story.
Just brilliant!
Action packed and full of suspense. Plenty of shocks and surprises. I absolutely loved it!
An easy five stars for me.
Many thanks to James P. Sumner for my review copy.
crime fiction blog featuring reviews, author guest posts and other fabulous booky things (with the odd psychological thriller and horror novel making an appearance!)
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