I am delighted to be joining in with Mark Tilbury’s blog blitz for the relaunch of The Key to Death’s Door!

If you haven’t read it yet then you really should add it to your list now!

Follow, like, and share the book love with these awesome book bloggers….

Here is my review, originally published on 21st April 2018….

Well, Mark Tilbury’s books never fail to draw you in from the very first page! They’re not easy reads in regards to some of the subject matters and if you’re easily offended by violence then they probably won’t be for you, but if you like a dark psychological thriller then you will LOVE them. Mark Tilbury has a knack for creating the most evil of characters, who will make your skin crawl, but also very likeable characters who I always warm to and find myself praying for as their stories progress. Having LOVED all of Mark Tilbury’s other books I couldn’t wait to read The Key To Death’s Door and I was hooked, as always, from the start!

We meet Lee Hunter who is just 14 years old, living a normal life, like a normal teenager until he nearly drowns in the river whilst out with his friend, Charlie. In fact, Charlie saves his life, but not before Lee experiences the last few days of a previous life. A short life where he meets a devastating end at the hands of one man. One man he soon realises he still knows now, 30 years later! This man, who is not really worthy of the title, is a totally sick character. The filth that comes out of his mouth and the things he puts this family through are nothing short of horrific! It’s not pleasant reading at all, at times, and being an animal lover too he absolutely turned my stomach. I would have wanted to kill him myself. Lee and Charlie are determined to bring this man to justice, but how will they find proof. Who is going to believe he regressed to a past life when he was drowning?

Lee is a lovely character. He obviously loves his mother, and he respects her rules, but he can’t help being swayed a little by Charlie. Lee and Charlie are like chalk and cheese, with VERY different upbringings, but the banter between them is great and quite amusing at times. They have a strong friendship. It’s absolutely heartbreaking what Charlie has to contend with at home and Lee does his best to support him, but he’s torn between helping out his mate and not wanting to upset his mother. Eventually they hatch a plan to gain the evidence they need to put this monster down for good, but nothing is ever straight forward and they find themselves in a very dangerous situation with seemingly no way out.

I absolutely loved the supernatural aspect of this story and I find the idea of some of us having led previous lives fascinating. When my son was about 3-4 years old he used to talk about when he used to be a runner, when he used to be older and he used to win all of the races!! He talked about this a lot, for a good few months and when I asked him what he meant, he was insistent that he used to be older and he used to win all the races he ran! I’m convinced he was remembering a past life, but he never mentioned anything as he got older.

This is a totally unique story which flows perfectly from page one. The twists and turns are shocking and unpredictable. Although it’s very much plot driven the characterisation is immensely strong. They are very real people and their story is totally believable, which makes it all the more scary!

Mark Tilbury certainly knows how to write a compelling story! He is easily one of my most favourite authors. I get on very well with his writing style and I know I’m in for a treat whenever he has a new book out.

I can’t wait for the next one!

happy reading 🙂

Good Girl (DS Grace Allendale Book 4) 

Mel Sherratt

(review written on 8^th December 2020)

OH, MY GOODNESS!

I LOVED the previous three books in the DS Grace Allendale series, and I have absolutely LOVED this book. Talk about an utterly compelling story. Heart-breaking, but compelling.

To say this story is hard hitting would be an understatement. It starts with the stabbing of a sixteen-year-old girl, Erin, just a stone’s throw from her home. Every parent’s worst nightmare! I can’t even begin to imagine the pain. It doesn’t bare thinking about. Absolutely devastating for all involved and, as if this isn’t traumatic enough, the story proves to be far more harrowing than I could have ever imagined.

Grace, and the team, are obviously determined to get to the bottom of what initially seems to be a random mugging gone terribly wrong. I really feel for police who have to deal with such horrific incidents. They might not be personally attached to the victims and their families, but they are still human and are obviously affected by the cases they are faced with, especially where young lives are devastated at the hands of despicable people. I applaud their determination and dedication. It’s isn’t a job I would be able to do.

I love the police procedural aspect to this story. It always fascinates me.

I love that we have got to know Grace that little bit more with each book also and I especially loved how this book ended!

Her ‘relationship’ with the Steele family is an interesting aspect of Grace’s story too. It makes her a unique character, especially as she is a police officer.

My heart went out to Erin’s best friend, Molly. Even at the end. Another young life devastated by exploitation. My heart broke for the parents of both girls also. Their reactions to finding out just what had been going on during the previous few months is heart wrenching. I could physically feel their pain.

This was such an emotional read which I finished past 1am as there was no way I could sleep until I knew what happened. It is most definitely one I won’t forget in a hurry.

I can’t recommend it highly enough.

All the stars, and then some, for me!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC via Netgalley.

#teamsherratt

Erin was a good girl. But someone wanted her dead…

‘I love all Mel Sherratt’s books’ IAN RANKIN

‘An absolute masterpiece’ ANGELA MARSONS

‘Twists and turns and delivers a satisfying shot of tension’ RACHEL ABBOTT

When sixteen-year-old Erin Ellis is attacked, she dies in the arms of her best friend Molly, just metres from her home. Molly is the surviving girl but says she easily could have been the victim – it was a random mugging gone wrong.
 
With inconclusive evidence, DS Grace Allendale must dig deep within the tight-knit Stoke community for leads. And she soon finds that someone had a motive to kill Erin.
 
As the investigation unfolds, Grace is reminded of a horrifying case she worked on earlier in her career.
 
Is the past coming back to haunt her? And can she push through her fear to catch Erin’s killer before it’s too late?

** The million-copy bestseller Mel Sherratt is back with her most gripping and gritty novel yet. Pre-order your copy now! **

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature 🙂

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.

Do join in, if you have the time. I’d love to see your posts.

Here are my reviews from December 2019 (plus a link to previous FBFs)….

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2019/12/06/flashbackfriday-december-2019-with-claire-douglas-dougieclaire-lynda-renham-lyndarenham-jan-ruth-janruthauthor-mick-williams-keith-bullock-bookreviews/

happy reading 🙂

The Guest List

Lucy Foley

(Review written on 3^rd December 2020)

WOW!

What an excellent read this is!

The tension is palpable pretty much from the very beginning of this story and is maintained throughout. It is one of those books which made me feel on edge (in a good way) whilst I was reading it and played on my mind when I wasn’t.

It is told from the various points of view of the main characters, which I love.

The setting is a glamorous wedding on a private island, which seems idyllic and probably would be if the wedding party and guests were your ‘average’ people. The young, beautiful, and successful (in their own rights) bride and groom seem like the perfect couple who have it all. It should be the happiest weekend of their lives. However, appearances can be deceiving. This book proves that no matter how perfect some people’s lives might seem to the outside world, you never know what secrets there might be lurking in their past. I’m not talking your average skeletons in the closet either, in this case. Secrets like these have deadly consequences.

This book is so cleverly written with amazing characters, likeable or not. They all have their own stories to tell and I was amazed by the connections between some of them, which became apparent as the story progressed. I felt the pain, years of built up grief, and anger almost physically on behalf of certain characters as truths are revealed.

I did NOT see that ending coming!

Just brilliant!

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It will stay with me for a long time to come, I think.

If you love a clever thriller full of suspense and shocking twists, then you will love this book.

I must read The Hunting Party soon!

The No.1 Sunday Times bestseller

*One of The Times and Sunday Times Crime Books of the Year*
*Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Crime Fiction Book of the Year*
*Waterstones Thriller of the Month*
*A Reese’s Book Club pick for 2020*
*Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award*

A gripping, twisty murder mystery thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

‘Lucy Foley is really very clever’ Anthony Horowitz
‘Thrilling’ The Times
‘A classic whodunnit’ Kate Mosse
‘Sharp and atmospheric and addictive’ Louise Candlish
‘A furiously twisty thriller’ Clare Mackintosh

On an island off the windswept Irish coast, guests gather for the wedding of the year – the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater.
 
Old friends.
Past grudges.
 
Happy families.
Hidden jealousies.
 
Thirteen guests.
One body.
 
The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped.

All have a secret. All have a motive.
One guest won’t leave this wedding alive . . .

happy reading 🙂

#sharethebooklove

In case you missed it yesterday, the fabulous cover for Barbara Copperthwaite’s forthcoming release, The Girl in the Missing Poster, was revealed to the world!

DESCRIPTION:

MISSING – Have you seen this girl? Nineteen-year-old Leila Hawkins was last seen on 24 June, 1994, when she left her parents’ anniversary party early and ran into the stormy night wearing her twin sister Stella’s long red coat. She was never seen again.

I wrap my arms around the tree trunk, pressing my cheek against it until the bark digs in and the missing poster is finally secured. I try not to look at the photograph on it. At the features so similar to mine. Perhaps this will be the year someone comes forward.

Were crucial mistakes made by detectives from the very beginning?

Could the pressure of living two lives have led my sister to run away – or even end it?

Or did someone in her tight circle of friends and family have reason to want her gone?

Someone out there must know something.

But the last thing I ever expect is a direct response from the person who took Leila. Wracked with guilt and completely alone in the world without the other half of me, I have no choice but to agree to his strange request: private, intimate details of my life in return for answers.

As the final moments of my sister’s life play out before me, I feel closer to her than I ever dreamed I’d be again. So close, it could almost be happening to me. But when I finally realise who is behind this terrifying tragedy, will I make it out alive?

From the bestselling author of The Perfect Friend, this absolutely gripping psychological thriller will keep you up all night and leave you sleeping with the light on. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you!

Check this out….

Pre-order now!

Amazon: http://ow.ly/XaI550CwvUL 

Apple: http://ow.ly/Pg0M50CwvUK 

Kobo: http://ow.ly/1VPe50CwvUH

Readers love Barbara Copperthwaite:

‘ALLTHE STARS!… If it’s twists you are looking for then READ THIS BOOK!… 5 stars across the board…*INSERT STANDING OVATION HERE*’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘WOW!! This book!!! Holy cow!!!So many lies… who can be trusted? NO ONE!!…I had to keep reading. So many twists and turns throughout the whole book…a psychological thriller unlike any other!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘This book is so good. I literally couldn’t put it down…it kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want the book to end but I needed to know what had happened… This is one of my fav books…WOW!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘WOW– I am speechless… I am absolutely blown away by this book… really, really got under my skin… I feel slightly dizzy now and need a lie-down with a soft pillow and lots of chocolate.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘OMFG this is her best book yet!!… just blew everything else out of the water. Seriously. This book had me on edge…my poor nerves were shattered. Buy it, read it, love it! This book gets ALL the stars from me!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘A darkly addictive and creepy page turner that had me on the edge of my seat…breathtakingly shocking… the final pages were absolutely brilliant. Left me with goosebumps!’My Chestnut Reading Tree, 5 stars

ABOUT BARBARA

Barbara is the Amazon, Kobo and USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers INVISIBLE, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, THE DARKEST LIES, HER LAST SECRET and THE PERFECT FRIEND. She has a new book coming soon!

Her writing career started in journalism, writing for national newspapers and magazines. During a career spanning over twenty years Barbara interviewed the real victims of crime – and also those who have carried those crimes out. She is fascinated by creating realistic, complex characters, and taking them apart before the readers’ eyes in order to discover just how much it takes to push a person over a line.

Her first book, Invisible, was ‘totally gripping, and scarily believable’ according to Bella magazine. Its success was followed by Flowers For The Dead, which was the Sunday Mirror’s Choice Read, beating Lee Child’s latest offering. ‘Will have you looking over your shoulder and under your bed… Original, gripping, with a deep psychological impact,’ their review read.

The Darkest Lies came next, published by Bookouture, and became a USA Today bestseller. The follow-up, Her Last Secret, hit the Number 1 spot on Kobo. The Perfect Friend is a No 1 Kobo and Amazon best seller.

When not writing feverishly at her home in Birmingham, Barbara is often found walking her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy, or hiding behind a camera to take wildlife photographs.

To find out more about Barbara’s novels, go to:

Website: http://www.barbaracopperthwaite.com
Blog: http://www.barbaracopperthwaite.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBarbaraCopperthwaite
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BCopperthwait
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/barbaracopperthwaite

happy reading 🙂

I am thrilled to be joining in with Mark Tilbury’s relaunch celebrations for The Abattoir of Dreams! This was the first book I read by Mark Tilbury and it absolutely blew me away! I have read everything he has published since and I’m proud to say that I am a huge fan!!

I am re-sharing my original review as my little part of this awesome blog blitz. Don’t forget to follow, like and share the book love with the awesome book bloggers on the poster above!

MY REVIEW

(Originally published on 7th March 2017)

Why have a never read a Mark Tilbury book before now??

I stayed up late last night (23^rd February) as I had to finish this book. I was desperate to find out what really happened. I know the words page-turner are used a lot in book reviews, but this really is one.

When we meet Michael Tate he’s in hospital. He’s recently come out of a coma and is paralysed from the waist down. He had, allegedly, thrown himself off the top of the building he lived in after stabbing his girlfriend, Becky, 21 times. However, Michael has no memory of his crimes. He can’t remember anything at all. I wasn’t sure, at first, if I felt sorry for Michael or if he was faking his memory loss as others suspected. It was obvious that something wasn’t quite right about the whole thing. I also imagined Michael to be older than he was, until his age was mentioned.

Detective Inspector John Carver is a sadistic character. He is determined to see Michael put away for this crime and his interrogation methods are despicable. He didn’t seem at all interested in finding out the truth, he just wanted the case closed and Michael behind bars. Michael has no defence and seemingly no choice but to lie there and await his fate.

When strange things start happening to Michael during the night, I wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or hallucinating, but the scenes he is confronted with are heart-breaking. As the story unravelled, I became more and more shocked and sickened by what had happened in Michael’s past. Some people are pure evil and I think Michael might have wished he had never remembered anything of his past for the rest of his life, but he needed to know the truth. Was he really capable of murdering his own girlfriend?

This book is brilliantly written. The characters are very real and believable. I did have to remind myself on several occasions that this is fiction as, to me, it reads almost like an autobiography, particularly as the story progresses. I really sympathised with Michael as I learned more about his horrendous childhood. (I loved the relationship he had with Liam and his dog, Oxo.) To think there are children out there in the real world who have been subjected to the abuse they suffered in their past is beyond devastating.

The pace of the story is perfect, between learning about the past and working towards finding out the truth, I was totally hooked. It’s a very emotional read and one that made me feel physically sick at times. The descriptions of abuse are horrific and very upsetting, but the story is completely captivating and one I am unlikely to ever forget.

Outstanding!!

I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author for my ARC.

If you haven’t read this awesome book as yet then you really should add it to your list, right now….

Thanks for the tag, Crispy Confessions 🙂

The Would you Rather Tag

The Rules (yes, you know the drill)

1. Answer the questions given to you by the nominator.
2. Make your own questions and tag others.

The Answers

Would you rather write one book every year, or only one book over the course of entire lifetime?

I wish I had the talent to write any book, let alone one a year!

Would you rather read books from your mother’s favorite genre or books from your least favorite author?

I don’t think I have a least favourite author, but I’m happy to read any favourite’s of my Mum’s. We have very similar reading tastes.

Would you rather purchase a digital or physical copy of your favorite book?

I tend to buy digital and physical copies of my favourite books. I collect signed copies too!

Would you rather find true love in a bookstore or a library?

I already found true love, 21 years ago! 🙂

Would you rather have a relatable villain or a hero that has the worst personality traits?

A relatable villain.

Would you rather drink coffee or eat chocolate while reading a book?

Eat chocolate ideally, but I’m diabetic so I’ll say drink coffee.

Would you rather read e-books or listen to audio books?

I do have an Audible subscription, but I do still prefer e-books.

Would you rather read The Monster Book of Monsters or The Invisible Book of Invisibility (Harry Potter reference)?

The Monster Book of Monsters.

Would you rather have the power to change the ending of any book, or to change the beginning?

The ending.

Would you rather read a 3-star book by a famous celebrity, or a 5-star book by an unknown author?

Definitely a 5-star book by an unknown author!

The Questions

Would you rather write a guaranteed best seller or have the luxury of reading for 6 hours a day, every day, uninterrupted?

Would you rather drink tea or wine whilst reading?

Would you rather write your own autobiography or write a biography for your favourite author?

Would you rather read about food or eat food whilst reading?

Would you rather read Christmas books for the whole of December or never read a Christmas book again?

Would you rather read books recommended by fellow book bloggers or those on bestseller lists?

Would you rather read romance books or horror stories?

Would you rather watch Christmas films or listen to Christmas songs?

The Rest

My Nominees (no pressure!)

Portobello Book Blog – Reading by the sea

StefLoz Book Blog (wordpress.com)

kraftireader | sharing my love of reading, crafting, recipes, music and shopping bargains (wordpress.com)

Secret Library Book Blog – Books, Books, Books (wordpress.com)