Kim Ebner's Blog, page 8

The Bones Of You

Goodreads DescriptionThe Bones of You is a gripping psychological thriller from author Debbie Howells; a story of full of dark secrets, obsession and suspense.I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer.Children who don't die before their parents.A community in shockWhen eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.A family torn apartRosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?A keeper of secretsKate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.My ReviewThis is by no means a new release, having been released in 2015 but it has been one that I've been meaning to read for some time. Boy, am I glad that I decided to get to it. It took me a few pages and chapters before I was totally hooked, but by the time I reached page 50, I was a goner.The novel opens with an absolutely captivating chapter and I knew right from the start that I was going to enjoy this book. The story alternates between the current time narrated by Kate, and the past, being the chapters that are narrated by Rosie. The tension builds so slowly and so well during the Rosie chapters, that I knew there was going to be some sort of explosive reveal or ending. Although I had my suspicions as to what that reveal would be, I was only partially right.This is one of those books with lots of dislikeable characters. I found Rosie's parentsdespicable. Her mother was just weird, plain and simple and her father was a man of multiple faces, the ugly ones coming out behind closed doors. But this is also a book with characters to get behind and to support. Kate was one such character and although I found her slightly naive at times, she was very down to earth and likeable.This book wasn't without its flaws though. I did find some of the characters actions fairly over the top and I also didn't always understand the inclusion of certain characters into the story as they didn't appear to add anything to the story or take it forward in any way, as an example, Kate's journalist friend. Be that as it may, this was a good, easy reading psychological thriller that had me gripped.My Rating: * * * *Publication Date: April 2015Genre: Psychological ThrillerFormat: PaperbackSource: Review copy furnished to me by the publisher. Many thanks to author Debbie Howell and Pan Macmillan publishers for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Right Behind You

[image error]Goodreads DescriptionIs he a hero?Eight years ago, Sharlah May Nash’s older brother beat their drunken father to death with a baseball bat in order to save both of their lives. Now thirteen years old, Sharlah has finally moved on. About to be adopted by retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his partner, Rainie Conner, Sharlah loves one thing best about her new family: They are all experts on monsters.Is he a killer?Then the call comes in. A double murder at a local gas station, followed by reports of an armed suspect shooting his way through the wilds of Oregon. As Quincy and Rainie race to assist, they are forced to confront mounting evidence: The shooter may very well be Sharlah’s older brother, Telly Ray Nash, and it appears his killing spree has only just begun.All she knows for sure: He’s back.As the clock winds down on a massive hunt for Telly, Quincy and Rainie must answer two critical questions: Why after eight years has this young man started killing again? And what does this mean for Sharlah? Once upon a time, Sharlah’s big brother saved her life. Now, she has two questions of her own: Is her brother a hero or a killer? And how much will it cost her new family before they learn the final, shattering truth? Because as Sharlah knows all too well, the biggest danger is the one standing right behind you.My ReviewI'm going to start off with a confession - I've never read a book by Lisa Gardner before and so this book was a first for me. I didn't specifically avoid reading her books but one just never came across my path that I really wanted to read...until this one of course. I loved the blurb and I was drawn in by the premise of a young boy who was forced to kill his father in self-defence. I must also mention that this book is part of a series (I think it's book number 7) but from what I'd heard, the books in this series can be read as stand alone novels and so I decided to give this one a try. Obviously, it's always best to try and read books in order as the backstories of the characters can sometimes be important but I never felt prejudiced in that I hadn't read any of the earlier books in the series nor did I ever feel lost.It was clear to me from the very first chapter that this author can write and that she has heaps of experience behind her. If I didn't know who the author was, I would have guessed that it was someone with experience. But did that good quality writing translate into a gripping story? Well, to be blunt, no. I didn't find myself rushing home every day to read the next chapter and unfortunately I never felt captivated by the plot or any of the characters. There were parts of the story that I enjoyed, namely the flashback chapters to Telly's life with his foster parents. Those chapters were interesting and I got a real feel for Telly and for the person that he was. What I didn't enjoy much in this book was the amount of time that seemed to be spent on tracking...tracking Telly, tracking Sharlah and so on. It felt to me that a lot of time was spent on events that didn't take the story anywhere and that slowed it down. I felt that better editing could have tightened the story up somewhat so that it moved a bit faster, with more action and less talking, pontificating, wondering and tracking. There also seemed to be a lot of repetition (yes, Cal was a cheese maker as well as a tracker, as we're told numerous times) and I never felt like Quincy and Rainie were integral to the story. They seemed to be side characters. And Sharlah's actions and thought processes towards the end of the story seemed much too advanced for a 13 year old.Overall, I'm afraid to say that I didn't enjoy this one much. I actually found myself rushing through the pages so that I could get to the end. But, as often happens, I have seen plenty of great reviews for this book and so it will probably still appeal to fans of this author or readers who have read the other books in the series. Personally, I found that it lacked a punch. And it dragged.My Rating: * *Publication Date: 27 December 2016Genre: Crime Thriller / Police ProceduralFormat: Trade paperbackSource: Review copy sent to me by the publisher. Many thanks to author Sibel Hodge and Jonathan Ball publishers for my copy.

Duplicity

Goodreads DescriptionThere are three sides to every story: Yours. Mine. And the truth…Max and Alissa have a fairy tale life—newlywed, madly in love and enviously rich. Then Max is brutally stabbed to death at their home and Alissa, miraculously, escapes with her life. But why was she spared?The hunt for the killer begins, uncovering a number of leads—was Max’s incredible wealth the motive? Had his shady business practices finally caught up with him? Or was it a stalker with a dangerous obsession?Devoted friends rally around gentle, sweet Alissa as she is left to mourn the loss of her husband and pick up her life. But not everyone is who they seem…Deep-rooted jealousies, secrets and twisted love lie just beneath the surface, and not all fairy tales have a happy ending.My ReviewOh. My. Word. This was a great psychological thriller (with elements of being a police procedural) and it blew my socks off. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved the alternating chapters between the current situation, being Max's murder and the chapters dealing with "The Other One", an unnamed child who's suffering incredible abuse and living a horrible life. I knew that the chapters must relate to each other somehow but this really didn't become clear until about half way through the book.This story was great, the characters were believable and the dialogue was spot on. I sometimes find that authors battle to get dialogue to be realistic. I have, in the past, found myself reading a book and feeling that the dialogue had missed the mark, or I would think to myself "would someone really say that in that situation". In this book, I thought that the dialogue was spot on, from general discussions people were having, to the formal police interviews, it all just seemed right. This was one of the first things that struck me about this book.But things only got better from there. This author is a class act and she's hit the mark with this book. It's interesting, gripping, contains a number of interview type scenes which I personally love and it's a story where you cannot trust any of the characters that you meet. This is a full speed ride and I definitely recommend it. But trust me, you'll be ignoring chores and letting the dirty dishes pile up once you get started with this one so best you clear your diary for a day or two before you start. Great read, with a great twist that I didn't see coming.Rating: * * * * *Publication Date: 27 December 2016Genre: Psychological ThrillerFormat: Ebook / KindleSource: ARC through NetGalley. Many thanks to author Sibel Hodge and publishers Thomas and Mercer for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

The Breakdown

Goodreads DescriptionIf you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might havesaved, and the terrible nagging guilt.My ReviewAuthor B.A Paris become well known after her debut novelBehind Closed Doorsbecame an instant hit. I really enjoyed her first book and so I was excited to read this one, her second. This is one of those easy reading psychological thrillers that hooks you within the first few pages and then develops slowly. It's the type of book that you can't wait to get home to at the end of the day and that you snuggle up with on the couch at night, dying to know what happens next.Cass is an interesting character and although she seems fairly one dimensional at first - a 33 year old teacher who's newly married to a saint of a husband and who lives in a lovely country house - her character soon develops and becomes more fascinating. This happens when the reader learns of Cass's mother's early onset dementia and the memory lapses that Cass herself is now experiencing. This aspect gripped me instantly. We've all experienced those bizarre moments where you're looking for your sunglasses only to find them perched on top of your head, or where you can't find the house keys only to find them in the fridge where you left them while grabbing the milk carton. We all forget things now and then and that's what makes Cass such an engaging character. How far away are any of us from the type of memory loss that Cass is experiencing? And is it possible that terrible things could happen and we wouldn't even remember them?I thought that the first and last thirds of this book were great. The middle section was a little bit weaker and tended to drag on slightly. Here we notice Cass getting more and more panicky over, well, not much actually. Her drastic reactions to the situation and to the calls she was getting seemed to be a tad dramatic and maybe a little overboard. Be that as it may, it's a small criticism in an otherwise gripping story. Unfortunately for me, I also managed to work out most of the plot or the twist if you will fairly early on, but it didn't detract much from my enjoyment of the read.So, did this one live up to all the hype? Yes, in a way it did. Let's just say that it managed to hold its own and it was a very enjoyable read. Will it be one of my top ten of the year? No it won't be but I still really enjoyed it and was entertained by it. More often that not, I prefer to read books that I haven't heard much about but with this one, the hype was everywhere, and so it was impossible to miss. And if by some miracle you haven't heard the hype around it, then block your ears and get going with your reading. It's an easy reading, stay up late at night type of book. Fans of psychological thrillers won't be let down with this read.My Rating: * * * *Publication Date: March 2017Genre: Psychological ThrillerFormat: Trade paperbackSource: My own purchased copy

Ragdoll

Publication Date: March 2017Goodreads DescriptionA body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the 'ragdoll'.Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter.The 'Ragdoll Killer' taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them.With six people to save, can Fawkesand Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their everymove?My ReviewThis is a crime novel that started out its life as a screenplay but was never turned into a movie or TV series. It's filled with sick, and at the risk of sounding weird, innovative murders committed by one bad-ass serial killer. The characters are exceptionally well cast and I found so many of them really interesting, especially Detective William Fawkes aka Wolf, but also Baxter. Wolf is a complicated character with a history that one wouldn't expect of a top detective. He's calculating, extreme, unpredictable and violent, all of which make him exceptionally interesting. Baxter has an incredibly hard shell but is also very witty, and I loved her. She too is battling demons from her past that the reader learns about as the story progresses.Even though this novel is fairly dark, there is a good level of humour throughout the book and I did find myself having a chuckle here and there. The dialogue is witty and realistic and the interaction between the characters is spot on and at times rather funny. I think the author did a really good job of pulling the reader into every scene.The story opens with a scene from the Old Bailey, where a serial killer is on trial for the murder of 27 young prostitutes, all between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Wolf, the detective that brought the serial killer down, is in attendance, and let's just say that the scene doesn't exactly end as one would expect. This chapter sets the scene for what is to take place four years later when Wolf and his protege Baxter are on the trail of another serial killer whose first 6 victims are found in parts, or more correctly, parts of them are found sewn together thereby creating a "ragdoll".This is an exceptionally gripping and enthralling debut crime thriller. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy novels that are dark and twisted, who are able to appreciate the uniqueness of the "Ragdoll Killer" and his various murdering techniques. I, for one, love nothing better than a really good serial killer book and so this one was an instant hit for me. There isn't much not to like about this book. I really struggled with my star rating for this one and I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. I eventually decided on 4 stars for a couple of reasons. I did have a few lingering and unanswered questions at the end of the book. Also, and on a more technical note, I thought that there were a few "point of view" issues in the book. This is probably something that will largely go unnoticed but I did notice this issue here and there. But like I say, it's a technical issue and not anything I need to elaborate on.So, from a great plot, to interesting characters, to a killer that I couldn't quite figure out and a lead character that intrigued me, this book is simply great and I have a suspicion that it's going to be a big hit in 2017.My rating: * * * *Many thanks to author Daniel Cole and Jonathan Ball publishers for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Dark Matter

Publication Date: 26 July 2016Goodreads Description“Are you happy with your life?”Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.My ReviewI wasn't too sure how I was going to feel about this book. It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi and I very rarely, if ever, read it. The good news is that this book doesn't fit squarely into that mold. This book is part Sci-Fi, part thriller and part romance novel all rolled into one very cleaver and totally gripping story.At its heart, this book is about the different choices we make in life and the different paths that those choices take us on. We all wonder from time to time what our lives would have been like if we had made different choices at critical moments in the past. Something as simple as choosing which university to go to, or more complex decisions like which job to take or which city to live in, could and would have taken you on a completely different path. This has always been a concept that's intrigued me and if truth be told, it's also a pretty scary thought sometimes.I don't wan't to create the impression that this book isn't a Sci-Fi novel because it is. It has elements of other genres but it is primarily a Sci-Fi novel, but my advice is not to let that put you off. It's not the type of Sci-Fi novel that involves other planets, extra-terrestrial beings or space ships, but it does involve elements that are not of this world. And more than that I don't want to say.Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this book and it did get me thinking about the possibility of the plot. Could something like what happens to Jason in the book ever happen in real life? Is it actually possible? Without me knowing anything at all about science and the complex nature of the "multiverse" this is a question that I cannot form a knowledgeable opinion about. But it did make for a great read. It's a book that's full of action and this is definitely a book that will appeal to male readers as much as female ones.My rating: * * * *Many thanks to author Blake Crouch and publishers Pan Macmillan for my copy.

Traveling With Ghosts

Publication Date: March 2017Goodreads DescriptionH IS FOR HAWK meets WILD. A beautiful memorial to a great love and a brave survival guide to coming to terms with loss.In the summer of 2002, Shannon Leone Fowler was backpacking with her fiancé Sean in Thailand. The couple were planning to return home after their excursion to the island of Koh Pha Ngan but their plans were devastated when a box jellyfish - the most venomous animal in the world - wrapped itself around Sean's legs, stinging and killing him in minutes. Rejecting the Thai authorities' attempt to label Sean's death as 'drunk drowning', Shannon accompanied his body home to his stunned family - a family to which she suddenly no longer belonged.Shattered, untethered and alone, Shannon set out on a journey to make sense of her loss. From contemplating the silence of Auschwitz to learning the rules for sitting shiva amid daily bombings in Israel, to finding humour and creativity in Sarajevo, a city still scarred by the recent war, Shannon charts a path through sorrow towards recovery.Traveling with Ghosts is a beautiful memorial to love and an intensely personal account of learning to live with grief. It is the story of a brave journey towards survival.My ReviewEvery now and then I need a break from the psychological thrillers and the crime procedurals that I love to read. At times like that, I often love to immerse myself in a true story or a memoir and so this book came along at just the right time for me.Having read the blurb of this book, I really wanted to get my hands on a copy. Although the subject matter sounded sad - being a story of love and loss - there was a part of me that really wanted to read this book for the travel stories that, from the blurb, I knew it would contain. Being a passionate traveler myself, that aspect definitely appealed to me.The second reason that made me want to read this book was that the author lost her fiance off an island in Thailand, a part of the world that I'm familiar with and that my own fiance and I have traveled to. We both absolutely loved Thailand, it's people and it's gorgeous islands and so when I read that the authors fiance had died there, from a box jellyfish sting, my heart just dropped. It's the type of thing that you never expect to happen but yet it can happen to anyone. I couldn't imagine being on such an amazing holiday in such an amazing country and something so terrible and devastating happening. It's one of those freak things that happen to people and, as selfish as it sounds, all you can do is say, "thank God that didn't happen to me". The hard hitting nature of the tragedy is also made to feel more real when the events take place somewhere that you, as the reader, have been and in a place that you know.This book is part ode to a lost loved one and part travel memoir. The author did an exceptional job of introducing the reader to Sean, her 25 year old boyfriend who died in 2002 and to their loving and fun relationship. The pain that the author experienced and the utter devastation to her life are palpable. My heart went out to her in every way possible. It was also fascinating to read about how the author, who was studying to become a marine biologist at the time and who loved the ocean and all its creatures, lost her passion for the sea and was unable to step foot into it until a year after Sean's death.This story jumps between the years prior to Sean's death, to the days around his death in 2002 and then to the 4 month period after his death when the author traveled around Eastern Europe on her own. I must be honest and say that although I enjoyed the chapters about her travels in Europe, I wasn't riveted by them and at times I found myself skimming some of the pages. I think this was more of a personal thing and I'm sure others will enjoy those chapters, especially if you have an interest in Bosnia, Israel, Poland and so on. I found myself loving the story of the relationship, of lost love and of the author's journey to acceptance, but some of the chapters on the Eastern European countries that she traveled to didn't always hold my full attention.This is a well written book, a great salute to the man that the author once loved. It was sad, upsetting and tugged at the heart strings but it was also fascinating and I'm very glad that I read it.My rating: * * * *Many thanks to author Shannon Leone Fowler and to Jonathan Ball publishers for my copy.

The Trophy Child

Publication Date: 26 January 2017Goodreads DescriptionA doting mother or a pushy parent?Karen Bloom expects perfection. Her son, Ewan, has been something of a disappointment and she won’t be making the same mistake again with her beloved, talented child, Bronte.Bronte’s every waking hour will be spent at music lessons and dance classes, doing extra schoolwork and whatever it takes to excel.But as Karen pushes Bronte to the brink, the rest of the family crumbles. Karen’s husband, Noel, is losing himself in work, and his teenage daughter from his first marriage, Verity, is becoming ever more volatile. The family is dangerously near breaking point.Karen would know when to stop . . . wouldn’t she?My ReviewThe best way for me to describe this book is to say that it's utterly "gripping". I read the whole book in a matter of days. The story twists and turns, and many of the characters act strangely which causes beads of suspicion to lodge in one's brain in regard to many of them. There is no clear front runner when it comes to the unfolding of the plot. I was guessing right up until the end.Kate is an absolute tyrant and one can only feel terribly sorry for ten year old Bronte who has to deal with her mother's ridiculous demands and expectations on a daily basis. I must say that I did want to hit Noel around the head on a number of occasions for marrying such a terrible woman and then allowing her to treat their daughter like she did. This story made me appreciate the gentle nature of my own mother and the support that I received from both my parents growing up. The strange thing is that I could actually see some truth in the way Bronte was treated. Pushing children to do tons of extra mural activities and to excel at everything that they do is a symptom of modern parenting. Children are expected to be brilliant at everything they do and if they aren't, extra lessons are arranged, private tutors are employed and teachers are engaged on how best to deal with the child so that they can improve. One can't help but wonder whether this is ultimately in the best interest of the child. Could the weight of such expectation not be doing more harm than good?I'm not quite sure whether I could classify this book as a crime procedural or a psychological thriller. I actually think it has elements of both and so it doesn't fit squarely into one genre. I rather liked that about the book.If I was to be critical of the book in any way at all it would be to say that I found the ending a slight let down and I was expecting something a little more twisted perhaps. Also, Noel was a character that I didn't like at all and I wasn't quite sure how Joanne became quite as besotted with him as she did. I found that a little hard to swallow. Be that as it may, I still loved this book. It's a look into a completely dysfunctional family and although the characters are generally unlikable, it was a great read.My rating: * * * *Many thanks to author Paula Daly and publishers Penguin Random House SA for my copy.

Rattle

Publication Date: 30 January 2017Goodreads DescriptionA psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter.He has planned well. He leads two lives. In one he's just like anyone else. But in the other he is the caretaker of his family's macabre museum.Now the time has come to add to his collection. He is ready to feed his obsession, and he is on the hunt.Jakey Frith and Clara Foyle have something in common. They have what he needs.What begins is a terrifying cat-and-mouse game between the sinister collector, Jakey's father and Etta Fitzroy, a troubled detective investigating a spate of abductions.Set in London's Blackheath, Rattle by Fiona Cummins explores the seam of darkness that runs through us all; the struggle between light and shadow, redemption and revenge.It is a glimpse into the mind of a sinister psychopath. And it's also a story about not giving up hope when it seems that all hope isalready lost.My ReviewWhen I first read this book's blurb I just knew that I had to get my hands on a copy. I mean really, with a line that reads "a psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter", who wouldn't be drawn to this book. And as most of you know, I'm a sucker for serial killers, psychopaths, mentally messed up individuals and twisted stories. I'm happy to report that this one ticked all the boxes for me.This is a story that reads easily and although it's rather long, the pages seemed to fly by. There are a fairly large number of characters, or so it seemed at first, and it took me a good few chapters to get everyone straight in my head, especially because of the fact that they are sometimes referred to by their first names and sometimes by their surnames, but once I had the hang of the characters, the book was an easy read. The chapters are broken down into the days of the week and each chapter heading is the time of day at which the events in the chapter take place.This is a story about a twisted psychopath who kidnaps children who are physically deformed in some way, they are medical irregularities. Little Clara is missing most of the fingers on each hand and Jakey has a bone condition which leads his body to grow extra bones, a secondary skeleton if you will. And this is what appeals to "The Bone Collector", the psychopath who finds joy is his collection of weird and creepy bones. He's the custodian of his family's macabre museum and adding to the collection is part of his purpose in life. This is a man who lives two distinct lives, tending to his sick and ailing wife during the day, while secretly sussing out his next victim whenever he has a free moment.This story is freaky on a number of levels. Not only is the psychopath and his museum weird, but the medical conditions that the children suffer from are also very disturbing. I had never heard of "stone man syndrome" before and so I found myself on Google researching it. And yes people, it does actually exist and it sounds too awful for words. My heart really went out to Jakey in the chapters dealing with his condition and the pain he was in.I found that this story was more than merely a crime procedural. A lot of the story focuses on the characters, their relationships with each other and with their children. It was also a character driven story and actually the psychopath himself doesn't feature massively in the first 300 pages of this book. One would think that that could be a little boring, but it wasn't.For me, the measure of a great book is one that I think about when I'm not reading it and one that I can't wait to get back to. Books that hook me and pull me in are always my favourites. I had specifically decided this year that I was going to be very greedy with my 5 stars and that I wasn't going to dish them out easily. For some people, a book must have amazing description and an almost poetic like prose, for others they want a book to touch something deep inside of them. But for me, I need a book that moves at pace, that grips me, that I think about when I'm not reading it and that I can't wait to get home and read some more of every day. Those are the types of books that I love. They are books that make people read because they are gripping. This book isn't absolutely faultless and I could criticise one or two things, but I would just be nitpicking. This one grips. So on that basis, this book is getting 5 stars from me. I loved it!My rating: * * * * *Many thanks to author, Fiona Cummins and publishers, Pan Macmillan for my copy.

My Sister's Bones

Publication Date: February 2017Goodreads DescriptionARE YOU BRAVE ENOUGH TO GO BACK?Kate Rafter is a successful war reporter. She's the strong one. The one who escaped Herne Bay and the memories it holds. Her sister Sally didn't. Instead, she drinks.But when their mother dies, Kate is forced to return to the old family home. And on her first night she is woken by a terrifying scream.What secret has Kate stumbled upon?And is she strong enough to uncover the truth . . . and make it out alive?My ReviewThe first thing that struck me about this book was how emotional I found the first quarter of the story. I wasn't expecting that. When Kate returns home after the death of her mother, she can't help but think back over her childhood and the time she spent with her Mom, to the close bond that they had and to the abuse that she and her mother endured at the hands of her father. The author definitely manages to pull the reader in with the emotional account and any reader who has or had a close relationship with their mother will probably find Kate's pain tangible.This is ultimately the story of two sisters, Kate and Sally, although we hardly get to know Sally during the first half of the book. We are introduced to her once and other than that the story focuses on Kate, her life as a reporter, her relationship with her family members and her time spent in Syria. Sally only comes into her own during the second half of the story.I must be honest and say that when I learnt that part of the story centered around Kate's life as a reporter and her time spent in Syria, I wasn't very excited. It's not that I don't sympathize with the people of Syria and the refugee crisis but I'm not a fan or reading books about wars, refugees, politics and so on. I don't actively choose to read fiction books that are set in war zones or that focus on the terrible atrocities that are going on in the world. But, luckily, this story didn't delve into the Syrian crisis in much detail and although there are small sections of the book that touch on Kate's time spent reporting from Syria, they aren't lengthy and it didn't detract from the book for me.I liked this book, but I did have some concerns and problems with it. Firstly, I thought that the flow was a bit disjointed and the actions of the characters seemed strange at times with no clear and gradual link between their normal actions and then the craziness. For example, and this doesn't give anything away, Paul's actions towards Sally were so strange. From one extreme to the next with no indication to the reader that his mind set was starting to change. Secondly, and probably because of the jump from a pretty normal story to a strange one, I found things a tad overboard and unlikely. I know that this could probably be a criticism of many psychological thrillers but in this one, it just seemed more pronounced. I didn't feel that the story pulled together well. But that's just me.My verdict is that this is a good read but not one that you need to rush out and buy today. If it comes across your reading path, then give it a go. It didn't blow me away, but it's a fairly decent read that will probably appeal to many people.My rating: * * *Many thanks to author Nuala Ellwood and publisher's Penguin Random House SA for my copy.