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 February 2024 + a link to previous February FBFs….
Stevie Buchanan has a difficult upbringing, at least where her mother is concerned. She has a lovely relationship with her dad, but her mum is very cold and sometimes cruel to Stevie. This made it a difficult read at times as I just wanted to jump in there and give Stevie a hug. There seemed to be absolutely no reason for the mother’s behaviour towards Stevie other than perhaps her being jealous of the relationship she has with her dad.
Things go from bad to worse when there’s a work accident which leaves Stevie devastated and her mother bereft. Refusing help or comfort from anyone other than alcohol she shuts herself and Stevie away from everyone and poor Stevie must bear the brunt.
As Stevie becomes a young adult, she discovers a family secret, and her mother can no longer control her in the same way, so off she goes in search of the person who turned her life and the lives of her family upside down….
I absolutely did not expect the twists this story took, or the truths Stevie discovers. It certainly explains, although does not condone, her mother’s behaviour.
My heart went out to Stevie and all she has had to endure. I understood her decision at the end, as well as her doubts. She’s a brilliant character. This is a brilliant, character driven, story.
It’s a shame it’s no longer available to purchase because I very much recommend it.
I have no idea how long it must have been on Kindle for, but I am glad I finally read it.
I have found the author though and added book one of a more recent series of theirs to my Wishlist.
Stevie Buchanan’s family has a secret. Catherine Stone has a secret. Stevie knows nothing. Catherine knows everything. Set between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, this is the story of an innocent life thrown into the deep. When their worlds collide and the real truth is laid bare, no one could have imagined how very dark the secret really is. As Stevie grows from a curious little girl into a strong young woman, the secret is revealed. And so her journey begins. A journey that takes her to Catherine’s door.
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Hi!! If you’ve ended up here you’re likely from Staffordshire, like books, or are just generally curious about what I’m chatting about. Which if it’s the last thing I’ll count myself lucky. What to expect from staffs_booksandbrews? Well, I cannot say I lead a particularly interesting life, but here you’ll be following along with what […]
A Staffordshire Blog
A outstanding new psychological thriller from the 5 million copy-bestselling author of Here to Stay and The Magpies
“I loved this brilliant, edgy, character driven thriller with a passion. So clever and fresh with a wild and incredibly satisfying twist at the end.” Lisa Jewell
******
Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.
No-one expects it to end in tragedy.
Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitation: a dinner party. A chance to see the old gang again.
But as soon as he arrives, something doesn’t seem right.
There’s an unexpected guest. The hosts are clearly keeping a secret. And on the way in, Will is sure he heard crying.
Everyone has something to hide about what really happened that summer.
But only one of them is willing to kill to find the truth…
PRAISE FOR MARK EDWARDS
‘I kept wanting to tear my eyes away but had to keep reading’ IAN RANKIN
‘Edwards is at the top of his game’ ERIN KELLY
‘Twisting and terrifying, the kind of haunting, pacy, spine-chiller that Mark Edwards is the absolute master of.’ CHRIS WHITAKER
‘I was hooked by this clever, fast paced and addictive thriller… I loved it’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS
‘Fast-paced and twisted: it’s another Mark Edwards sensation’ CLARE MACKINTOSH
Deliver Her had waited patiently on my Kindle TBR list for quite some time so I was glad to finally read it. I can’t remember buying it, or who recommended it, but I really enjoyed it. I pretty much went in blind, so I didn’t have any expectations which I quite like sometimes.
This is a thriller/mystery, and it is full of suspense, but I would describe it more as a family saga.
Alex is a teenage girl, struggling with grief after losing her best friend in a car accident. She blames herself. She is starting to go off the rails and her mother, Meg, is understandably concerned and battling with how best to help her. A last straw sees Meg enrolling Alex into a boarding school and hiring a transporter company to take her there. This was all quite extreme to me. I can’t imagine sending my daughter off with strangers but then I can understand how some children push their parents to their absolute limits. I could feel Meg’s desperation although I didn’t agree with her not involving her husband in the decision.
Alex reacts as you would imagine and when the journey doesn’t go as planned the story takes a whole different direction. One I was not expecting!
There are some interesting characters in this book and much more going on than you think at the beginning. There are a lot of different relationships. The main character’s mother/daughter dynamic, husband/wife, sister/brother, sister/sister, as well as friendships old and new, secrets, lies, and new beginnings. I thought it was a great read!
** I purchased the Kindle edition of Deliver Her on 2nd April 2016. It is still available to buy. **
On the night of Alex Carmody’s sixteenth birthday, she and her best friend, Cass, are victims of a terrible car accident. Alex survives; Cass doesn’t. Consumed by grief, Alex starts cutting school and partying, growing increasingly detached. The future she’d planned with her friend is now meaningless to her.
Meg Carmody is heartbroken for her daughter, even as she’s desperate to get Alex’s life back on track. The Birches, a boarding school in New Hampshire, promises to do just that, yet Alex refuses to go. But when Meg finds a bag of pills hidden in the house, she makes a fateful call to a transporter whose company specializes in shuttling troubled teens to places like The Birches, under strict supervision. Meg knows Alex will feel betrayed—as will her estranged husband, who knows nothing of Meg’s plans for their daughter.
When the transport goes wrong—and Alex goes missing—Meg must face the consequences of her decision and her deception. But the hunt for Alex reveals that Meg is not the only one keeping secrets.
Hi all,
This afternoon my Mum and I attended a very exciting book launch in our hometown of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The launch was held at the Philip Astley Centre, in our town centre, which was the perfect venue for this book….
There was a reception from 1pm where we enjoyed complimentary coffee and cake before being treated to a fascinating talk from Steve outlining the history and inspiration behind his book.
Speaking of history, for those who don’t already know, Steve Smith was my High School history teacher (and form tutor for my 5 years at Chesterton Community Sports College). We have stayed in touch since and he has always made an effort to attend anything we have invited him to. He attended our wedding reception in 2002! He also came along when we attempted to organise a 20 year school reunion. There were a grand total of 9 of us there, if memory serves, and that includes my husband, Steve, coming with me. Needless to say we didn’t even try for a 30 year reunion, which is a shame really! He also came along to my 40th Birthday drinks, and most recently, Steve’s 50th Birthday celebrations. So, I am so glad I was able to show my support and attend his book launch today 🙂 (Although I didn’t expect to be the only ex-student in attendance!)
The event was very well attended though. Guests included the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme Cllr Barry Panter….
….as well as Showmen, Showpeople, enthusiasts, collectors, authors, historians, and experts from all around the UK. It was great to see a full venue of support for Steve and his passion for this subject. A thoroughly enjoyable event. I look forward to reading the book and learning more.
Wow! What a brilliant start to a series. I have thoroughly enjoyed The Lost as part of a buddy read with some of my lovely Bookstagram friends. It isn’t a series I was aware of before so I’m glad it was brought to my attention.
Paula Maguire is a forensic psychologist from Northern Ireland but has been living in London for some years now. She has, however, been called back to her hometown to help with the investigations of two missing local girls. Have they simply run away? Could there be a serial killer on the loose? Are there any links to missing girls from years before who were never found? There are a lot of unanswered questions for the team to find answers to and fast.
This is a fast-paced police procedural featuring a forensic psychologist who sometimes ignores orders in her quest to find the truth. Paula Maguire is an interesting and likeable character who has her own backstory to tell. I like that we learn more about her past as the story progresses. I love her passion for her job and her determination to help these girls.
This is a story full of suspense and intriguing characters. It kept me guessing throughout and keen to find out how it was all going to end.
Shocking, heart-breaking, but brilliant!
I have already bought book 2!
** I bought the paperback edition of The Lost on the 27th of December for the purposes of our buddy read **
Not everyone who’s missing is lost
Hard-hitting and unputdownable, THE LOST follows Forensic psychologist Maguire back to her hometown in the search for two missing girls. This exhilarating introduction to the Paula Maguire series by Claire McGowan is sure to grip fans of Elly Griffiths and LJ Ross.
‘Claire McGowan is a knockout new talent’ – Lee Child
When two teenage girls go missing along the Irish border, forensic psychologist Paula Maguire has to return to the hometown she left years before. Swirling with rumour and secrets, the town is gripped by fear of a serial killer. But the truth could be even darker.
Not everyone who’s lost wants to be found
Surrounded by people and places she tried to forget, Paula digs into the cases as the truth twists further away. What’s the link with two other disappearances from 1985? And why does everything lead back to the town’s dark past- including the reasons her own mother went missing years before?
Nothing is what it seems
As the shocking truth is revealed, Paula learns that sometimes, it’s better not to find what you’ve lost…
What readers are saying about The Lost:
‘Well written and keeps you guessing. The best book I have read this year’
‘Fantastic read. Had me gripped from start to finish – I just couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended’
‘Compelling and thrilling. Claire McGowan has a clever ease of storytelling that draws you in and leaves you wanting more‘
** Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a paperback review copy **
Lucy hasn’t left the country in years. In fact, she’s barely left Bristol’s city limits. So, when the opportunity presents itself to join a work trip to the Swiss Alps, she’s wary, especially when she learns that it will coincide with that weekend – the one that, eleven years ago, tore her world in two.
But how can she turn down an all-expense-paid trip to the snow-capped Alps? Lucy knows what Leo would say if he were still with her, and besides, she’ll have her work husband, Jonno, there for emotional support.
What – or who – she didn’t bank on, however, was moody (read: rude) Nate stepping in at the last minute. And what’s worse, they’re the only two in the group who don’t ski, so they’re stuck with each other . . . up the side of a mountain in the middle of a snowstorm.
With the weather closing in, an avalanche leaves them snowbound in an alpine bar with an eclectic cast of fellow refugees. But with roaring log fires and steaming mugs of glühwein (and maybe a shot or two of Jägermeister), it’s a chance for Lucy and Nate to discover there might be more to one another than meets the eye.
Where will their mountainside adventure leave them when the snow finally melts?
** I borrowed Christmas Every Day from the Prime Reading Library **
When Jenny inherits her estranged grandmother’s cottage in Sherwood Forest, she has nothing to lose – no money, no job, no friends, no family to speak of, and zero self-respect. Things can only get better…
Her grumpy, but decidedly handsome new neighbour, Mack, has a habit of bestowing unsolicited good deeds on her. And when Jenny is welcomed into a rather unusual book club, life seems to finally be getting more interesting.
Instead of reading, the members pledge to complete individual challenges before Christmas: from finding new love, learning to bake, to completing a daredevil bucket list. Jenny can’t resist joining in, and soon a year of friendship and laughter, tears and regrets unfolds in the most unexpected ways.
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 January 2024 + a link to previous January FBFs….
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