Chat About Books

 Published – 11th February 2016.

5/5*

Well, what a finale!

I decided to read this straight after Rise Of The Enemy (The Enemy Series Book 2) as I needed to know what happened to JIA agent Carl Logan. Book 2 finished on a such a cliffhanger that I had no choice but to start book 3 immediately! I read Dance With The Enemy (Book 1) last year. All three books had me hooked, but I think Hunt For The Enemy (Book 3) has been my favourite. In my opinion the series has just got better with each book. Maybe it’s partly because we’re already familiar with a lot of the characters.

It’s hard to review a third book in a series as I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first two books yet, but I don’t think I’m giving anything away by telling you that Logan has been set up. Framed for a murder he didn’t commit he has had no choice but to go on the run and find the truth himself. He has no idea who’s set him up. His worst fear is that it’s the JIA, his own people who he’s dedicated his life to. He doesn’t know who he can trust anymore. But, with people dying all over the place it’s a race against time to sort it out once and for all.

I liked the back stories which helped to make more sense of the situation. They certainly shed light on a some of the dodgy characters and helped to bring everything together. There are also plenty of surprises along the way!

All in all, this book (and the whole series) is fast-paced and full of suspense. Very cleverly written. Carl Logan is a brilliant character. His story is fascinating. The mix of interesting characters and intriguing story lines keep you hooked from the start.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading this book (or any of the series) as yet, I would highly recommend that you do, but I would definitely recommend reading them in order.

With many thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for my Kindle copy.

You can buy a copy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunt-Enemy-gripping-international-suspense-ebook/dp/B01B744EV8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

You can read my review of Book 2 here: https://chataboutbooks.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/rise-of-the-enemy-the-enemy-series-book-2-by-rob-sinclair/

My short review of Book 1:

Carl Logan is a mysterious character, but this helps to make him one of the best agents the JIA has. He is sent to Paris on a private mission to rescue Modena, who had been elaborately kidnapped. Could this be his chance to seek his revenge on Selim at the same time?
When he crosses paths with FBI agent Grainger, the chemistry between them is immediate. He doesn’t trust easily, but something about her makes him trust her. He’s never felt like that about anyone. Could they solve this case together even though he’s used to being a lone wolf?
This is a good read, with a fast paced storyline and a good twist! I look forward to reading book 2.

About the author:

Rob began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen a ‘can’t put down’ thriller.

Rob’s first novel, Dance with the Enemy, was published in June 2014 and is the first in the Enemy Series following embattled intelligence agent Carl Logan. Rise of the Enemy, the second book in the series, was released in April 2015. The Enemy series has received widespread critical acclaim with many reviewers and readers having likened Rob’s work to authors at the very top of the genre, including Lee Child and Vince Flynn.

Rob worked for nearly 13 years for a global accounting firm after graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2002, specialising in forensic fraud investigations at both national and international levels. He now writes full time.

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

Rob’s website is http://www.robsinclairauthor.com and he can be followed on twitter at @rsinclairauthor

Rob’s Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LFXNU76/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Rob+Sinclair&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Rob+Sinclair&sort=relevancerank

 Published 30th April 2015.

5/5*

Great cliffhanger!

I read Dance With The Enemy (The Enemy Series Book 1) last year. I’ve had this second instalment on my kindle ever since. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to get round to it (so many books, so little time!) but the release of Book 3 made me push this up to the top of my ever growing to-be-read list.

I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Carl Logan. He’s an interesting character. One of JIA’s finest agents. In Rise of the Enemy his latest mission finds him in Russia where things don’t quite go to plan. Logan is captured and held for three months, subjected to horrific torture as they try to force information out of him. His captor, Lena, tells him he’s been sent into a trap, that his own have set him up, but he can’t believe his mentor, Mackie, would do that to him. He does gradually start to wonder though. Who exactly is telling the truth?

This is a fast paced, full of action account of Logan’s desperate search for the truth. Even better than Book 1 I think (I gave it 4 stars) It’s quite violent as you would expect. There’s an unexpected twist and a great cliffhanger at the end. There’s no way you could read this and not want to continue with the series.

Now on to Book 3!

Book description:

Carl Logan might just have found his. The Joint Intelligence Agency sends agent Carl Logan on a routine mission to Russia. It should have been simple. But when Logan’s cover is blown, he’s transported into a world of hell he thought he would never see again. Something is different this time, though, and before long doubts begin to surface in Logan’s mind as to why the assignment went so wrong. Logan has never been short of enemies. And sometimes the enemy is closer to home than you think. Could his own people really have set him up?

You can purchase your copy here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TWR9RVK?keywords=rise%20of%20the%20enemy&qid=1455397616&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

If you haven’t read Book 1 as yet, I would recommend you do so first. You can buy a copy here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dance-Enemy-gripping-international-suspense-ebook/dp/B00KK6FJSC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

About the author:

Rob began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen a ‘can’t put down’ thriller.

Rob’s first novel, Dance with the Enemy, was published in June 2014 and is the first in the Enemy Series following embattled intelligence agent Carl Logan. Rise of the Enemy, the second book in the series, was released in April 2015. The Enemy series has received widespread critical acclaim with many reviewers and readers having likened Rob’s work to authors at the very top of the genre, including Lee Child and Vince Flynn.

Rob worked for nearly 13 years for a global accounting firm after graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2002, specialising in forensic fraud investigations at both national and international levels. He now writes full time.

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

Rob’s website is http://www.robsinclairauthor.com and he can be followed on twitter at @rsinclairauthor

Happy Publication Day to Rob Sinclair

 11th February 2016

Book description:

The breathtaking and action-packed finale to the bestselling Enemy series. The Hunt is on. They’ve erased his past. Wiped out his very existence. But Carl Logan isn’t finished yet. On the run in a harsh Russian winter, Logan – once an invaluable asset but now branded a traitor – has been framed for murder. His own firm, the secretive Joint Intelligence Agency, have labeled him a rogue operative after two decades of loyal service. The agency is hunting him down… and they’re not the only ones. But there’s much more at stake than just Logan’s life. One by one, agents and informants from all sides, all allegiances, are dying. And Carl Logan is the only man who can put a stop to it, once and for all.

Download here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunt-Enemy-gripping-international-suspense-ebook/dp/B01B744EV8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Hunt for the Enemy is my next read. I am currently reading the second book in the series, Rise of the Enemy, and thoroughly enjoying it!

If you haven’t been lucky enough to read this series as yet, you can download your copy of Book 1, Dance With The Enemy, here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dance-Enemy-gripping-international-suspense-ebook/dp/B00KK6FJSC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 or, of course, purchase the paperback edition.

Dance with the Enemy is the explosive first chapter in the highly-acclaimed Enemy series of espionage thrillers featuring Carl Logan. Carl Logan was the perfect agent. A loner. No real friends or family. Trained to deal with any situation with cold efficiency, devoid of emotion. But Logan isn’t the man he used to be, or the asset he once was. Five months ago his life changed forever when he was captured, tortured and left for dead by Youssef Selim, one of the world’s most violent terrorists. When Selim mysteriously reappears in Paris, linked to the kidnapping of America’s Attorney General, Logan smells his chance for revenge. Pursuing his man relentlessly, oblivious to the growing trail of destruction that he leaves in his wake, Logan delves increasingly deep into the web of lies and deceit surrounding the kidnapping. Finally, he comes to learn just what it means to Dance with the Enemy.

Rise of the Enemy (The Enemy Series Book 2):

Everyone has a breaking point. Carl Logan might just have found his. The Joint Intelligence Agency sends agent Carl Logan on a routine mission to Russia. It should have been simple. But when Logan’s cover is blown, he’s transported into a world of hell he thought he would never see again. Something is different this time, though, and before long doubts begin to surface in Logan’s mind as to why the assignment went so wrong. Logan has never been short of enemies. And sometimes the enemy is closer to home than you think. Could his own people really have set him up?

Download here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rise-Enemy-gripping-international-suspense-ebook/dp/B00TWR9RVK/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

About the author:

Rob began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen a ‘can’t put down’ thriller.

Rob’s first novel, Dance with the Enemy, was published in June 2014 and is the first in the Enemy Series following embattled intelligence agent Carl Logan. Rise of the Enemy, the second book in the series, was released in April 2015. The Enemy series has received widespread critical acclaim with many reviewers and readers having likened Rob’s work to authors at the very top of the genre, including Lee Child and Vince Flynn.

Rob worked for nearly 13 years for a global accounting firm after graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2002, specialising in forensic fraud investigations at both national and international levels. He now writes full time.

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

Rob’s website is http://www.robsinclairauthor.com and he can be followed on twitter at @rsinclairauthor

 Published – 14th January 2016.

5*

Wow! Ava McCarthy really knows how to keep a reader in suspense!

Dead Secret begins with Jodie deciding she’s going to kill her controlling husband, Ethan, then kill herself. She has nothing left to live for as Ethan killed their 3 year old daughter – his way of punishing her for threatening to leave him. He could have killed her, but he knows that taking away her daughter is the most effective way of making her suffer for the rest of her life.

I immediately sympathised with Jodie. As a mother I can imagine the pain she must have been in. I wouldn’t want to live either.

However, Jodie’s suicide is unsuccessful so she find herself in prison for murdering her husband. She is determined to end it though, just as soon as she gets the chance. That is until she gets a visit from a journalist called Novak…..

This book kept me glued to my Paperwhite every chance I got. I was routing for Jodie the whole time, desperate to find out the truth as much as she is. I did guess part of what was coming and I thought I had it sussed, but I was so wrong. A shocking twist towards the end. I was gobsmacked!

The final pages had me in tears. Just brilliant!

I highly recommend to anyone who likes an excellent psychological suspense novel.

I will be adding Ava’s Harry Martinez thrillers to my to-be-read list.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my kindle copy.

You can buy your copy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00YG5WQMA?keywords=dead%20secret&qid=1454104789&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

Book description:

From the author of the Harry Martinez thrillers comes a gripping psychological suspense novel. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Haynes and Gone Girl.

Two quick shots. One for him. One for you.

After the death of her three-year-old daughter, Jodie has nothing left to live for – or almost nothing.

She has one task to fulfil before she takes her own life. And that’s to kill the man she holds responsible for her daughter’s death – her seemingly perfect husband, Ethan.

But Ethan is hiding more than just his true nature. And as more horrifying secrets from his past emerge, Jodie’s strength will be pushed to the limit…

About the author:

Ava McCarthy was born in Dublin and attained degrees in Physics and Nuclear Medicine before going onto work for the London Stock Exhange for six years. She currently works in software in County Dublin, where she lives with husband Tom and two children.

 Published 14th January 2016.

4/5

Beside Myself is about identical twins, Ellie and Helen. They live with their mother only, at the beginning of the story, since their father committed suicide when they were only four years old. They might look the same, but they have very different personalities. One day they decide to play a game. They decide to pretend to be each other, just for one day. However, Ellie decides she doesn’t want to swap back. No matter how much Helen pleads with her she refuses to back down. She wants to be Helen forever. The real Helen tries her best to tell her mother (not a character I warmed to at all!) about the game, but she isn’t believed. From then on, the twins live their lives as each other and this story explores the psychological impact this has on them, throughout the rest of their childhoods and into their adult lives.

Ellie (who calls herself Smudge later on) has quite severe mental health issues. I found it quite sad that the twins weren’t close at all, for most of their lives, especially as twins generally share a strong bond. It seems like the new Helen grows into a perfect teenager, with friends and an active social life. She has no interest in including Ellie in anything she does. Ellie is left behind to stew in her frustration. She rebels against everything and everyone and doesn’t really care if she lives or dies. It’s heartbreaking to read at times. She is institutionalised in her teens and her mother makes it quite clear she won’t be welcome back home. I really sympathised with her character.

Helen on the other hand seems to be idolised. She ends up with a seemingly perfect celebrity life. A successful career, devoted husband and beautiful daughter. Ellie feels like this is the life she should have had and it has been stolen from her.

When Ellie receives a letter in the post one day she knows it’s from the real Ellie, (she recognises her writing). It is addressed to Helen Sallis. Could she finally be ready to admit the truth?

She can’t bring herself to read it at first.

Helen’s husband, Nick, tracks her down soon after. It seems that Helen was on her way to see her when she was involved in a car crash resulting in her being in a coma.

We gradually learn more about their childhood before their fathers suicide and the truth behind Ellie’s reasons for wanting to become Helen.

This isn’t the easiest of books to read given the subject matter, but I think it is very well written. I had to keep reading to find out how things turned out for Ellie. I was desperate for her to find some peace and happiness in her life.

I would highly recommend to anyone who likes a good psychological drama.

With many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my kindle copy.

Buy your copy here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408870290?keywords=beside%20myself&qid=1453411820&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Book description (via Amazon):

Helen and Ellie are identical twins – like two peas in a pod, everyone says.

The girls know this isn’t true, though: Helen is the leader and Ellie the follower.

Until they decide to swap places: just for fun, and just for one day.

But Ellie refuses to swap back…

And so begins a nightmare from which Helen cannot wake up. Her toys, her clothes, her friends, her glowing record at school, the favour of her mother and the future she had dreamed of are all gone to a sister who blossoms in the approval that used to belong to Helen. And as the years pass, she loses not only her memory of that day but also herself – until eventually only ‘Smudge’ is left.

Twenty-five years later, Smudge receives a call from out of the blue. It threatens to pull her back into her sister’s dangerous orbit, but if this is her only chance to face the past, how can she resist?

Beside Myself is a compulsive and darkly brilliant psychological drama about family and identity – what makes us who we are and how very fragile it can be.

 Publication date: 14th January 2016

5/5

I was really excited to receive an invitation, via Netgalley, to read this book. I loved What Milo Saw, it was one of my 5* reads last year. I’m happy to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells also.

Norah is married to Adam and is mum to Ella and Willa. She has a best friend called Fay, who is Ella’s Godmother. One day, when Willa is just a baby, Norah asks Fay to look after her for a while, but she never returns. Six years later she’s back and it seems she thinks she can just pick up where she left off! However, during the six years she’s been gone a lot has changed. Fay and Adam are now together and Willa has always believed that Fay is her mother.

I really felt for Fay and Adam. They had believed that they would never see Norah again (she had left a note asking them not to attempt to find her) so they had had to get on with life the best they could. Ella on the other hand, had never given up hope of her mother returning. She has always believed her mum was kidnapped and has had a twitter campaign going for quite some time. Because of this she has never truly accepted Fay as a mother figure.

I felt really angry and sorry for Fay. She has been the one to pick up the pieces after Norah left. She has sorted Adam out, looked after the girls and turned them in to a family. She felt like she was going to lose everything now Norah was back. The hold she has on Adam is obvious and she is the girls real mother so who is she to stand in her way?

Adam doesn’t know what to do when he’s faced with Norah after all this time. He’s made a new life with Fay. She’s made him in to a better man. Been there through thick and thin. But, he never stopped loving Norah. He had firmly believed she was gone from their lives forever.

Ella is over the moon, until she learns that Norah had chosen to leave. What sort of mother chooses to leave her family?

Soon to be 7 year old Willa is totally confused, bless her. She has no idea who this ‘no one woman’ is, although she looks a lot like Auntie Norah who moved to Australia. Ella has pictures of her. Why is everyone acting strange? Surely they should all be happy she’s come to visit. She can’t be a stranger because Louis, their dog, seems to love her.

As the story progresses, we learn Norah’s reasons for leaving and her reasons for returning. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but it’s an emotional roller-coaster of a read.

I love this authors style of writing. I love how each chapter of the book is written from the perspective of a different character. I especially enjoyed Willa’s chapters. I also loved that Louis was as much a main character as any of them.

This book is full of interesting characters, all of who play an important part in the story, regardless of how big or small that part is.

An easy 5 stars for me. I highly recommend! I can’t wait to read whatever Virginia Macgregor writes next.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my kindle copy.

You can pre-order your copy here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010QBV1LY?keywords=the%20astonishing%20return%20of%20norah%20wells&qid=1452678415&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

Book description:

One ordinary morning, Norah walked out of her house on Willoughby Street and never looked back. Six years later, she returns to the home she walked away from only to find another woman in her place. Fay held Norah’s family together after she disappeared, she shares a bed with Norah’s husband and Norah’s youngest daughter calls Fay ‘Mummy’.

Now that Norah has returned, everyone has questions. Where has she been? Why did she leave? And why is she back? As each member of the family tries to find the answers they each need, they must also face up to the most pressing question of all – what happens to The Mother Who Stayed when The Mother Who Left comes back?

From the author of What Milo Saw, comes this powerful, emotional and perceptive novel about what it takes to hold a family together and what you’re willing to sacrifice for the ones you love.

I was lucky enough to receive an invitation via Netgalley to read an advance copy of this, so of course I jumped at the chance after reading What Milo Saw last year. I am loving it already!

It will be released in all formats on 14th January 2016.

You can pre-order a copy here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010QBV1LY?keywords=the%20astonishing%20disappearance%20of%20norah%20wells&qid=1452164974&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0

What Milo Saw was one of my 5 star reads from last year and I have a good feeling this will be one of this years. Watch this space.

If you haven’t read this yet, you really should!

My review from 24th July 2015

5*

Wow!  What a beautiful and heart warming story!
I read this in a few days whilst away on a short break and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Milo is 9 years old and doesn’t see things the way most people see things as his eyes don’t work the same. He knows that one day his sight will fail him altogether, but he loves his life with his pet pig, Hamlet, and helping to look after Gran (his Dad’s Gran). He’s not sure what to do with his Mum though, since his Dad left to have a new baby with ‘his tart’. Sandy is sad all the time and only seems to sit around eating hobnobs. She runs her own beauty business from the shed, but ‘Mrs Hairy’ is her only remaining client. She just seems to be falling into a deeper depression.

When Gran decides she is becoming too much of a burden and sets fire to the kitchen, Sandy feels she has no choice but to find a nursing home for her.
Milo is distraught as he loves looking after Gran. He vows to visit everyday and soon discovers that the care provided is nothing like advertised. We follow Milo as he sets about getting the home shut down so that Gran can come home. We learn of the friendships he makes along the way and how the whole situation brings him closer to his Mum again.

Loved it and would happily recommend it to anyone!

I know most people have posted their top 10’s of 2015 etc. already, but I spent most of last week at a friends house, celebrating the new year and getting stuck in to The Good Kind of Bad by Rita Brassington. I finished it this morning (please see the previous post for my review), so I thought now would be a good time to reflect on some of the fabulous books I had the pleasure of reading last year. I can’t choose my favourite 10, so I’ve decided to just list all of those I gave 5 stars to (in the order I read them). Here goes…..

Have you read any of the above? Were they 5* reads for you too?