The whispers started long before the accident on Harlow Street . . .
Was it at the party, when Whitney screamed blue murder at her son?
Or after neighbour Blair started prowling Whitney’s house, uninvited?
Or once Rebecca and Ben’s childlessness finally puts a crack in their marriage?
But on the terrible night of the accident, the whispers grow louder, more insistent.
Neighbours gather round. Questions are asked. Secrets are spilled. And the gloss on everything begins to rub off. Everyone is drawn into the darkness.
Because there’s no smoke without fire.
No friendship without envy.
And no lie that does not conceal a devastating truth . . .

The Whispers

by Ashley Audrain 

My Review

Wow, this is a tense and suspenseful read.

There are some fascinating and complex characters, friendships, and relationships throughout this story. I can’t say I found any of the characters particularly likeable, except for Rebecca. My heart went out to her. I was equally engrossed in all their stories and relationship dynamics.

Whitney isn’t what you’d call a natural mother. Her friends are witness to her losing her temper with her son during a party, leaving them wondering what might happen behind closed doors. Soon after, a terrible accident leaves her unable to leave his hospital bedside. It seems to have changed her whole perspective on life and made her want to be the mother her children deserve. There are secrets though that, if discovered, could change her life forever.

I was desperate to find out what these secrets were and where the story would lead. OH. MY. GOODNESS!

It’s an uncomfortable read at times but entirely compelling.

That ending!!

Just brilliant!

**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley**

Out Now!

I.C.Y.M.I

Happy reading 🙂

Nine suicides
One Cult
No leader

Nine people arrive one night on Chelsea Bridge. They’ve never met. But at the same time, they run, and leap to their deaths. Each of them received a letter in the post that morning, a pre-written suicide note, and a page containing only four words: Nothing important happened today.

That is how they knew they had been chosen to become a part of the People Of Choice: A mysterious suicide cult whose members have no knowledge of one another.

Thirty-two people on that train witness the event. Two of them will be next. By the morning, People Of Choice are appearing around the globe; it becomes a movement. A social media page that has lain dormant for four years suddenly has thousands of followers. The police are under pressure to find a link between the cult members, to locate a leader that does not seem to exist.

How do you stop a cult when nobody knows they are a member?

Nothing Important Happened Today

by Will Carver 

My review

Nothing Important Happened Today is unlike anything I have ever read before. I’m not even sure how to review this book. It’s certainly unique and weirdly compelling. I can’t really explain why. It just is.

It is a disturbing story featuring many suicides. Groups of people ending their lives together despite seemingly having no link to each other. Other than all receiving the same letter through the post on the morning of their deaths. I still don’t get it!

I was confused, I was intrigued, I was saddened, I was disturbed, but I was fascinated. I couldn’t stop reading it and the ending is pure genius.

happy reading 🙂

An old pram is pulled from the depths, with the bones of a baby still strapped inside.

It’s the moment that new mother, Cora, has been dreading since she moved to Slayton – because someone knows, and is going to make her pay.

With the help of forensic anthropologist Sophia Hudson, and the extraordinary young Elliott Carter, Detective Sarah Noble gets to the bottom of a cold case that refuses to stay in the past. Will she survive the secrets of the bone house?

The Bone House (A Slayton Thriller Book 3)

by Caroline Mitchell 

My review

The Bone House is another excellent read in the brilliant Slayton Thriller series!

Detective Sarah Noble is asked to attend a local lake where a pram has been recovered. The bones of a tiny baby are still strapped into it. Who would do such a thing to an innocent newborn!?

When local resident, Cora, hears of the discovery panic sets in.

What follows is a highly emotional story with so many shocks and surprises along the way. I honestly didn’t know what to believe!

A heart-wrenching tale solved with intelligent policing, empathy, and a determination to discover the truth. Shocking, saddening truth.

Such clever writing.

I very much recommend!

** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley. Apologies for the late review, after I requested this I realised I still needed to read books 1 and 2 first! **

Available now

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Happy reading 🙂

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature!

On the first Friday of each month, I like to look back at the books I was reading the previous year during the same month.

Please do join in if you have the time, I’d love to see your posts 🙂

A big thank you to those who already join in regularly! xx

Here are my reviews from July 2022 + a link to previous July FBFs….

I.C.Y.M.I

Have you read any of the above?

When Stephanie is told she’s pregnant and that she is sick on the same day, she faces an impossible choice…

After trying for a baby for so long, finding out I was pregnant was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. But in the same breath as the news I had been waiting years to hear, the doctor told me I was seriously ill.

If I carry my baby to term, I will almost certainly die.

If I proceed with treatment, my baby will not live.

My husband – the father of this child – is telling me to save myself. But with all the secrets I know he is keeping from me, I can’t trust him anymore.

What would you do?

This Child of Mine

by Emma-Claire Wilson 

My review

This Child of Mine is a heart-wrenching story, but one which is ultimately uplifting.

Stephanie has been dealt a sh*t hand, to put it mildly. She is pregnant after years of trying but fate has intervened and is trying its best to snatch away the very thing she wants most in this world. I can’t even begin to imagine how you would process being pregnant and diagnosed with a life-threatening illness at the same time. Save yourself or save your baby? I honestly don’t know how I would feel in her situation but could totally understand her reluctance to just put herself first. I could also totally understand her husband’s perspective. A heart-breaking situation to find yourself in.

As if that wasn’t bad enough her life is devastated further and it’s no wonder she feels numb and unable to see any hope in her future.

There is though. There is always hope!

This is where the story really began to melt my heart and leave a smile on my face.

Such a beautiful ending.

I absolutely LOVED it!

**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley**

Pre-order now

Happy reading! 🙂

Do you know where your daughters are tonight?

DI Marsha Clay is showing her new detective around the station when she gets a call to say a man has been found dead, and a woman beaten, in their home. Once at the property, they realise that two children are missing.

With no ransom demand forthcoming, Marsha and her team need to delve into the family background. Everything seems to be fine but, when another death is also linked to their case, and an accident from twenty years ago comes to light, it’s clear someone is out for revenge.

Can Marsha gather the information needed to bring the girls home and stop anyone else from losing their lives? And can she find out why DC Jess Baxter really transferred from Manchester to the Staffordshire Moorlands?

Set within the market town of Leek and its rural surroundings, this fast-paced British detective novel is a murder mystery with an emotional pull.

Missing Girls: A Staffordshire Moorlands Mystery (DI Marsha Clay Book 1)

by Mel Sherratt 

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO MEL SHERRATT!!

My review

I think I’m going to get on well with Marsha Clay. What a cracking character and a cracking start to a new series!

I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of Mel Sherratt. I have read and loved everything she has published, and I was so excited when I found out she was starting a new series with another new detective. I couldn’t wait to read it and I’m honoured to have been able to read an advance copy. Mel Sherratt never disappoints. I have absolutely loved Missing Girls.

DI Marsha Clay is introducing Jess to the team. Jess has transferred from Manchester and Marsha is interested to learn why but will bide her time. Let her settle in first. She doesn’t have much time to get acquainted though before they have a murder case to solve and two missing children to find.

This book certainly starts as it means to go on!

I love a police procedural, and this ticks all the boxes for me. I feel like I know the team well already and have enjoyed following the processes they follow to get the results they need as quickly as possible. I love that we saw a more personal side to some of them too. I look forward to getting to know them more as the series progresses.

The case they’re dealing with is a sensitive one and I was as desperate as the team for them to find the girls and get to the bottom of a seemingly random and senseless attack on a retired couple. I was both shocked and saddened as I learned the truth.

Fast paced, as always, I was glued to my kindle way past my bedtime.

If you haven’t read a Mel Sherratt book yet, then why not start with this one?

**Many thanks to Mel Sherratt for my ARC**

Treat yourself

Happy reading! 🙂

As a teenager, Kath Tyler dreamt of leaving her working-class life behind her and living a more upwardly-mobile one. Born and brought up in the Potteries, she was thrilled to meet gifted engineer, Robert Llewellyn, a schoolteacher based in London.

What Kath had not bargained for though was the eccentric family that she was taking on after marrying Rob: a dotty antiques dealer, a wayward son, a daughter who dabbled in the Dark Arts and a famous Welsh artist – they all tested Kath’s patience and increased her wanderlust.

Intrigued by the promise of a life abroad, the young couple journey to exotic lands; their eventual dream is to be one of the Ten Pound Poms.

Tragedy strikes though and the call of family brings Kath home to the Potteries once more; her shock loss is only tempered by the blossoming of her journalist flair.

Where There’s A Will, There’s A Woman is a powerful and emotional saga that starts in the Swinging Sixties and travels with the reader to the present day. It weaves around the lives and loves of two families who might have been worlds apart, but were brought together by the feisty determination of a Midlands girl, who knew how to smooth over troubled waters.

But… will Kath’s fire and grit be enough to solve two Llewellyn family mysteries?
Time will tell…

Where There’s A Will, There’s A Woman

by Mary Mae Lewis 

My review

Where There’s A Will, There’s A Woman is the brilliant life story of Kath Tyler. Kath was born and brought up in Stoke-on-Trent but was determined not to live her adult life there. Her Dad often accuses her of being above her station and thinks she has her head in the clouds, but she will prove him wrong. He hopes she does too really.

When Kath meets Robert Llewellyn, she is pretty sure he will be the one she marries. They don’t have the easiest of starts though and Kath was certainly not prepared for his family. They couldn’t be more different to her family if they tried. They obviously thought themselves superior, his mother at least, but they’re a lot less likeable than Kath’s parents. Tilly reminded me in many ways of a relative of mine. Sam I liked, although he really should have stood up to Tilly more. So many men seem to just put up with women like that for a quiet life though.

I felt for Robert as his parents didn’t seem to take much interest him, which must sting. Kath is lucky to have such loving and devoted parents. Rob seems to take everything in his stride though, obviously following his father’s example.

Kath’s parents are typical, lovely, down to earth, Stokies. Their dialogue is written in proper potteries dialect which I loved!

There are so many laugh out loud moments throughout this book and some heart-wrenching ones. Overall, it is a fascinating story which I found highly entertaining!

I look forward to reading Mary Mae Lewis’ second book, Don’t Stop The Fiesta.

Treat yourself

Happy reading! 🙂

When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in Los Angeles, Robert Hunter is thrown into a nightmare case. The victim suffered a terrible death, and on the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer.

But that’s impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him?

Hunter and his rookie partner, Garcia, need to solve this case and fast.

The Crucifix Killer (Robert Hunter Book 1)

by Chris Carter 

My review

Now, I know I am late to the party but what a start to new series!! New to me anyway. According to Amazon I purchased this book on 13^th July 2015, so I think it’s about time I got around to reading it and I’m so glad I did!

I love Hunter. He’s an easy character to warm to. After the devastating loss of his partner, he’s back with a new one, Garcia. They don’t have long to get to know one another before they’re faced with the murder of a young woman who has been subjected to the most horrific death. Signs point towards the Crucifix Killer, but he had already been caught and executed.

There is some quite graphic violence in this book, but it is absolutely essential to the story. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have the impact it does. I wanted to cover my eyes at times. Some of the scenes are brutal. I was completely engrossed though and found myself as desperate as Hunter to find this killer.

As the body count increases, the case seems to raise more questions than answers and I had no idea what to expect, but thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

When the penny dropped, I was gobsmacked! A jaw dropping conclusion to a very cleverly written police procedural crime thriller.

Book two is on my TBR list and I hope it isn’t too long before I catch up with Hunter again.

Treat yourself

Happy reading! 🙂

‘If you’re reading this, it’s likely I’m dead. Probably murdered’

After a car crash leaves Libby close to death, she starts to question everything – especially if her husband, Jack, has ever really loved her.

Stuck at home recovering from her injuries, Libby starts to obsess over the untimely death of Eve, Jack’s beautiful, perfect first wife.

When Libby finds Eve’s diaries, though, she discovers ‘perfect’ Eve had a secret. And now Libby knows that secret her life may be in serious danger, too…

The Woman He Loved Before

by Dorothy Koomson

My review

The Woman He Loved Before is the second of Dorothy Koomson’s books I’ve read. I enjoyed The Friend in March last year. I really enjoy her writing style and very much look forward to adding her other books to my TBR list.

I loved the unusual way Libby and Jack meet. I wasn’t sure she was going to fall for his charms at first and I could understand her initial reluctance after their first encounter.

I couldn’t make my mind up about Jack more-or-less throughout the whole book. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be widowed so young though and to meet someone you think you can love properly again, but at the same time struggle with letting go of the one you believed to be the love of your life. I just can’t imagine. It doesn’t bare thinking about. I felt for him in many ways but at the same time he did make me wonder.

My heart went out to Libby, especially as she starts to learn more about Jack’s first wife and the life she led before they were married. The story became more and more tense the more I read on. I honestly didn’t know what to think from one chapter to the next. I almost became as anxious as Libby.

Eve is the most intriguing character. I think I liked her the best. I have no idea how she endured the life she led before meeting Jack. My heart broke for the relationship she missed out on with her mother, for the indignity and abuse she faced, and for the tragic way her life was cut so short. She deserved so much better.

I loved Butch too!

This is such a beautifully written, compelling, novel with an extremely satisfying conclusion.

I highly recommend!

treat yourself

I.C.Y.M.I

Happy reading! 🙂

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature….

It’s the first Friday of June 2023 so I’m here to look back at the books I was reading and reviewing in June 2022. I wonder if you have read any of them or maybe have them on your TBR list!??

You can read my reviews by clicking on the cover image if you wish to….

I.C.Y.M.I

What were you reading this time last year?