Dublin. The 1920s. As war tTime taken to read - in and out over 4 days
Pages - 448
Publisher - Headline review
Source - Review copy
Blurb from Goodreads
Dublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy - and the hardest of choices.
In a country fighting for freedom, it's hard to live a normal life. Winnie O'Leary supports the cause, but she doesn't go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She's not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.
Joseph's family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come?
Ireland's tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O'Flanagan's grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.
My Review
1920's Ireland, civil unrest and a country at war wanting to be free and amongst that we have Winnie - working in a shop, can do measurements without tape and likes the simple life. When the shop is damaged it brings a meeting with rebel Joseph. We alone with Winnie are dragged into the cause and finding ourselves caught between sides in the war and the dangers of being a civilian within it let alone the partner of a rebel.
I do enjoy books like this, I never used to read Historical fiction but find as I get older I am enjoying it more and more. Plus my history isn't the best so I generally find within reading books like this I stop and research & O'Flanagan does a great job bringing to life the characters and a time period of history.
Winnie comes from a working class style family, Joseph's family whilst having money are very involved in the troubles and supportive/activists with freedom. As Winnie and Joseph's relationship develops we see her being pulled further into the other side, strong belief's and the trouble and threats that come from this.
It is a love story essentially but not exclusively that, set around a rough and at times bloody period of Irish history and we get other veins of normality and harsh reality. Alcoholism, DV, family dynamics, love, loss, grief it is a mixed bag and envelopes the reader in the characters lives, trials and tribulations whilst giving us some important history with emotive moments.
I have read O'Flanagan before and will read her again, 4/5 for me this time....more
While Jamie’s cold, lifeless body lay in theTime taken to read - 3 days as able
Pages - 356
Publisher - Bookouture
Source - Netgalley
Blurb from Netgalley
While Jamie’s cold, lifeless body lay in the morgue, Detective Kim Stone stared at the empty board in the incident room and felt her anger boil. Why were there no photos, details, or lines of enquiry?
When a nineteen-year-old boy, Jamie Mills, is found hanging from a tree in a local park, his death is ruled a suicide. Detective Kim Stone’s instincts tell her something isn’t right – but it’s not her investigation and her temporary replacement is too busy waiting for the next big case to be asking the right questions.
Why would a seemingly healthy boy choose to end his life?
Why does his mother show no sign of emotional distress at the loss of her son?
Still mending her broken mind and body from her last harrowing case, Kim is supposed to be easing back into work gently. But then she finds a crucial, overlooked detail: Jamie had a recent injury that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree. He must have been murdered.
Quickly taking back charge of her team and the case, Kim visits Jamie’s parents and is shocked to hear that they had sent him to a clinic to ‘cure’ him of his sexuality. According to his mother, Jamie was introverted and prone to mood swings. Yet his friend speaks of a vibrant, outgoing boy.
The clues to smashing open this disturbing case lie behind the old Victorian walls of the clinic, run by the Gardner family. They claim that patients come of their own accord and are free to leave at any time. But why are those that attended the clinic so afraid to speak of what happens there? And where did the faded restraint marks identified on Jamie’s wrists come from?
Then the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation and Kim makes two chilling discoveries. The victim spent time at the clinic too, and her death was also staged to look like a suicide.
Scarred from an ordeal that nearly took her life, is Kim strong enough to stop a terrifying killer from silencing the clinic’s previous patients one by one?
A compulsive page-turner that will have your heart hammering in your chest and leave you absolutely reeling when you discover the explosive final twist. If you’re a fan of Karin Slaughter, Val McDermid, and Robert Dugoni, you’ll love Hidden Scars.
Can be read as a standalone.
My Review
If you haven't read the previous books you should because they are awesome but the precious book is really required as it helps understand DI Kim Stone's transition from what happened previously to where she finds herself now. Everything that transpired before has long lasting ripples and helps the reader grasp everything Stone has dealt with to get to this point. Her team is epic but Stone's replacement is an absolute tool, everything that is wrong with a leader/supervisior. With Stone just coming back and not quite there to take over the lead she can't ignore what makes her her and this suicide doesn't sit well and before we know it there is another "suicide" that calls for a closer look.
Kim Stone is such a great character, she has flaws, she is human but her inner compass pushes her past just about everything to do the right thing for the victims they come across as officers. This book has a trio of main themes, Stone and her recovery, the case(s) of course and the team dynamics and sexuality/LGB.
Some parts of the book are absolutely heart wrenching to read, what people will do to their supposed loved ones if they are gay, the lengths some gay people will go to in order to fit into what societal norms are expected in some areas of the world and the absolute extremes of this. I really struggled with that and whilst it is a fictional book/characters there are absolutely clinics/camps/conversions still active and it is 2023!
Murder most horrid, some really horrific individuals that will make you absolutely enraged and an abundance of things going on with our favourite team! You would think by book 17 things would be beginning to get overdone or boring or even just dropping in quality/ideas, nope. Marsons manages to keep it freh, the readers engaged and create more shady horrors that have us cheering on for our team to catch the baddy, 5/5 for me this time!
East London, 1940. Prue Carmichael never dreTime taken to read - 3 days (as able)
Pages - 451
Publisher - Corvus
Source - Review book
Blurb from Goodreads
East London, 1940. Prue Carmichael never dreamed that she'd end up working at a railway yard. But when her reverend father is called up to Stepney, she and her family are uprooted from their country home for a new life in the turbulent city.
Determined to help with the war effort, Prue signs up for work and soon becomes intrigued by handsome train engineer Jack Quinn. But as the spark between them grows apparent, so does his troubled past - a past that Prue's mother would certainly not approve of.
In between cleaning train carriages and helping to shelter Jewish refugees, Prue manages to stay busy. But she has more than one admirer, and when Jack is recruited into Churchill's secret army, a very different suitor begins to pursue her.
As air raid sirens sound overhead, Prue Carmichael is facing her own battle - the fight between her heart and her head . . .
Amidst the ruins of war, will Prue and Jack's love find a way?
My Review
Meet Prue, daughter of a reverend who has been uprooted to Stepney with her family from the small quiet countryside to London (east end). The time is the 1940s and war is afoot. Prue immediately steps up, whilst her mother likes to play the part of doing good Prue is the real deal. She is the first to help out and signs up to do her part, as the men are being called up to fight more and more women are stepping up to do the jobs they would normally do. Whilst Prue's mother is more interesting in matchmaking Prue to the local priest Prue is determined to help out her community and catches the eye of a fellow worker whose reputation is less than pristine!
Whilst the threat of war is around we get to know more about the characters, the priest has his eye on Prue, Prue and one of her co workers have a spark and he is by no means acceptable or what Prue's mother would consider on their level, she is pushing for the priest.
The book tackles different issues, classism - I really wasn't a fan of her mum, the priests wife who gave a face for the public but wasn't actually the nicest or as selfless as her public portrayal. This added to how real and selfless Prue was. When an author does this and captures it well you absorb into the characters and their lives, love them or hate them. Relationships - family and the effects of war.
I have read Fullerton before and will read again, she has a way of creating and capturing an authenticity with time and place and the characters who grace us through the stories. From the shady, heart felt and genuine characters we have a whole mixed bag, 4/5 for me. ...more
Set in Manchester, Running Scared is Time taken to read - < 1 day
Pages - 384
Publisher - Pan Macmillan
Source - Netgalley & bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Set in Manchester, Running Scared is a nerve-shredding thriller by bestselling author Mandasue Heller.
When Alexis ‘Lexi’ James falls out with her best mate Nicole over ‘bad boy’ Ryan King, it’s just the beginning of a chain of events that go from bad to worse to deadly.
Returning home one night to her high-rise flat, she is faced by a terrifying scene that changes her life forever and matters are made worse when she is put into care in another town.
Years later, Lexi has left school and is back in Manchester. A chance meeting with Nicole and her so-called ‘other half’ Ryan ends in disaster and she vows never to see them again. Then one night she is saved from a vicious attack by a charming stranger. He takes her home and their acquaintance blossoms into something much deeper.
When her new man receives a call in the middle of the night and leaves in a hurry, she is horrified when he returns with someone she never thought she would see again. It soon becomes obvious that Lexi doesn’t know her new lover as well as she thought, and she is forced to make a decision that will have devastating results . . .
My Review
It has been a wee while since I read Heller and I forgot how much I enjoy her writing. She creates some real unsavoury characters, some we root for and can still get exasperated but some of their choices and behaviours. Meet Lexi, poor, estate kid, best pal has now got money, isn't a very nice individual and her home life brings its own challenges. When she has a chance to stay out, be with her friend and just enjoy a party.............everything changes!
The story spans over ten years, the first part is meeting the characters and then we flip forward to ten years later. Oooft guys, we see some really reprehensive behaviour, shady/dark sides of humanity, abuse, intimidation, SA, abuse of power/authority, drugs, violence, murder - it has a whole whack of everything.
Even when things get really dark you struggle to put it down, how can people be like this and you get the WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!? for some people's life choices/decisions, why, NO don't do that, OMG, AHHHHHHH. I read this in less a day, sometimes you just want to step outside your own world/drama just for a little while, Heller gives you that opportunity to immerse in some shady underworld style characters, 4.5/5 for me!...more
Adam Kay's secret diary from his time as a junTime taken to read - 3 days
Pages - 274
Publisher - Orion Publishing Co
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Adam Kay's secret diary from his time as a junior doctor This is Going to Hurt was the publishing phenomenon of the century. It has been read by millions, translated into 37 languages, and adapted into a major BBC television series. But that was only part of the story.
Now, Adam Kay returns and will once again have you in stitches in his painfully funny and startlingly powerful follow-up, Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients. In his most honest and incisive book yet, he reflects on what's happened since hanging up his scrubs and examines a life inextricably bound up with medicine. Battered and bruised from his time on the NHS frontline, Kay looks back, moves forwards and opens up some old wounds.
Hilarious and heartbreaking, horrifying and humbling, Undoctored is the astonishing portrait of a life by one of Britain's best-loved storytellers.
My Review
I have read all his books so far, this is book three. This one I feel is a little bit different, there are still patient stories but much more about Adam and his personal life and stories. This book gives us more about Adam, his personal stories, personal life and issues.
Some people mentioned book one discussed self pleasure in a scene, I don't remember that but this book mentions themes like that more than once so just a heads up. He discusses opportunities after leaving his career, how those are received, the way he is treated, costs, things people expect of you and a shocking/scary encounter with a stalker :O
There is still stories of his time in the NHS including dating someone in a higher position than him, can I just say I was mortified by the person in question and insistence on *titles* when you read it you will know lmao.
I will read any of these books but this isn't my fave of the three published,, 3/5 for me this time....more
Warm, humorous and uplifting, Alexander McCall Smith's hugTime taken to read - 3 days
Pages - 233
Publisher - Abacus
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Warm, humorous and uplifting, Alexander McCall Smith's hugely popular novels featuring Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of Botswana's only female private detective agency, have become international bestsellers, sold over seven million copies, and been translated into 26 languages. These acclaimed productions, complete with vibrant music, bring the exotic world of the books vividly to life.
The Daddy introduces us to Mma Ramotswe as she embarks on her first case and takes on a new secretary, the resourceful and talented Mma Makutsi. Together, they must find the truth about a Daddy who appears to have returned from the dead—as well as investigating a wayward teenage girl and attempting to find a vanished child. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 10 September 2004.
The Bone sees the determined duo following Mr Patel's daughter to find out whether she has a boyfriend. They must also solve the darker and more frightening case of the finger bone found in a car—does it belong to a missing boy snatched by a witch doctor? First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 17 September 2004.
Starring Claire Benedict as Mma Ramotswe and Nadine Marshall as Mma Makutsi, these dramatisations are guaranteed to appeal to all fans of the engaging lady detective.
My Review
So I have read Smith before (the Bertie books) and assumed this one would be humourous too (it does say so), whilst there are snippets of "humour" there is a lot of dark issues within the book too. Domestic violence, spousal gaslighting, missing persons - it is a busy wee book.
The main character Mma Precious Ramotswe is a super strong individual, despite having some really hard situations to overcome she does, she is positive, has ideas galore and determined to make her business a success.
I love travelling to other places/cities/countries via books and in this one we hit Botswana Africa and I love descriptions of places/people and animals native to X place. Some of the things within the book may offend or upset some people, there are different cases explored and different topics. For being a thinish book it covers a lot, I believe this is a long series so will get book two when I come across it, 3/5 for me this time. ...more
Time taken to read - in and out for almost 2 weeks
Pages -
Publisher - Berkley
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Gideon Cross came into my life like lTime taken to read - in and out for almost 2 weeks
Pages -
Publisher - Berkley
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness...
He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...
Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private worlds...and desires.
The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...
My Review
I read this first book way back in 2012, I liked it so not sure what took me so long to get to book two. Eva and Gideon are our main characters, flawed, Eva has some demons from her past which impacts her relationships, Gideon Mr super rich and beautiful is also damaged and has demons. They are drawn to each other despite everything, despite not seeming to be the best for each other but here we are.
Obviously it has been a long time since I read these characters so don't remember much of their relationships issues. They are very intense, physical and the scenes are so graphic so not for the easily offended. I know you can totally be in a meh place and it impacts how you receive a story but I wasn't loving these guys. At times I wanted to slap Eva, like really, that is how you react or really you are going to say/do that. Like some of her behaviours/attitudes made no sense and really irritated me.
They also came across at times super toxic and really unhealthy with each other and that irked me so much. Controlling, obsessive (on both parts) quite dysfunctional and thy recognise at least some of it as they engage with a counsellor but again I had issues with him.
Maybe I will enjoy the third book but I won't be rushing to read it, absolutely echoes of fifty shades which I actually did like but this book was only meh for me. I wanted to read more about the side line characters, her best pal, the dodgy ex of Gideon's as I found them to be really interesting, this time it is a very generous 3 for me but appreciate I am not in the mood for this book. Therefore things that may not have bothered me too much last time are really grinding my gears, 3/5. ...more
When David Child, a major client of a coTime taken to read - as able 3 days
Pages - 400
Publisher - Orion publishing
Source - bought
Blurb from Goodreads
When David Child, a major client of a corrupt New York law firm, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to secure Child as his client and force him to testify against the firm.
Eddie's not a man to be coerced into representing a guilty client, but the FBI have incriminating files on Eddie's wife, and if Eddie won't play ball, she'll pay the price.
When Eddie meets Child he's convinced the man is innocent, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. With the FBI putting pressure on him to secure the plea, Eddie must find a way to prove Child's innocence while keeping his wife out of danger - not just from the FBI, but from the firm itself.
My review
It is no surprise to anyone I love Eddie Flynn, since I first came across him in one of the later books, I think I started mid series. Now I am working my way through the first three I missed originally. Eddie is getting pressure from all areas in this one, to secure and defend a murderer, a rising star/celebrity accused of killing his girlfriend. The FBI are leaning on Eddie to get him and make him agree to XYZ, why would Eddie do this? Well the FBI are threatening his family with leverage/evidence on someone he loves. Eddie has no choice but to try and secure the defendant but he is already represented and Eddie has no idea just how bad things could go! With Eddie's moral compass and his most treasured being threatened what will oor Eddie do?
Eddie is such a likeable guy, he comes from a dodgy criminal background, he was a conman now lawyer but even then had his own moral compass and we learn a bit more about his past in these earlier books. He still has contacts from his past and we see them pop up time to time and they themselves are colourful, dodgy and not quite as clear cut as our boy Eddie but brings their own personality/levels of skulduggery in different variations.
I like the way Cavanagh brings the chaos and havoc, the levels some dodgy *professionals* will act and behave, the good and bad sides of humanity. We get crime, shade, trial/court case, drama, relationships, strength, courage and some absolute blinders in the courtroom (and out) from Eddie.
I recommend these books all the time, I love Eddie, I love the series, I still have book three to read then I am all caught up and patiently waiting for the next. Recently we started to watch movies based on John G books and I said The Devils Advocate had echoes of A Time To Kill & I would LOVE to see Eddie on the big screen. If you haven't read these books I absolutely recommend 5/5 from me. ...more
POWERFUL MEN, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AND EXQUISITE REVENGETime taken to read - 4 days on and off
Pages - 294
Publisher -
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
POWERFUL MEN, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AND EXQUISITE REVENGE... Beth, Lara and Rio -- three exotic women with a common cause and vengeance in their hearts.
They're out to avenge a murder and they'll go to any lengths. Their targets: the heirs of the Bassalino crime family. Their weapon: sex. The result: a bloodbath of sexual mayhem through the lethal corridors of organized crime.
Three beautiful women set out to prove that when it comes to revenge, the female is far deadlier than the male -- especially when they're "THE LOVE KILLERS. . .
My Review
A powerful woman, Margaret, activist, saving women from a life of abuse/exploitation, helping them to find their own voice is killed, an organised hit by mafia style criminals. Margaret was very loved and despite her killer being almost untouchable those who love her will not let it go unpunished.
Beth, Rio and Lara take matters into their own hands and take their own revenge, using their womanly ways they get close to the boss man and go after the main man by targeting the things he loves most.
I read Collins growing up so sex, violence, murder, abuse, manipulation are themes you often find so not for the easily offended. I loved the idea of these very different women going after very powerful men, can't say I loved the way they did it, each woman going after their target very differently. Some of the scenes are uncomfortable to read and you are dealing with some of the absolute dregs of humanity. It makes for a quick, shocking and dark at times read, 3/5 for me this time!...more
Source - Mine was gifted by a friend & I bought a copy for BDWBs for woTime taken to read - over 5 days (in and out)
Pages - 386
Publisher - Atria books
Source - Mine was gifted by a friend & I bought a copy for BDWBs for workies
Blurb from Goodreads
Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
My Review
Split across two timelines, past and present we follow Lily and relationships, as a child and witnessing her parents abusive relationship. Her first encounter with a boy and the friendship they share to present day where a chance meeting brings her to Ryle. Sexy, smart, a doctor who is very upfront he doesn't do relationships but is very attracted to her. We flip back and forth between the two and domestic violence reaches across the ages for Lily to being an observer of what her mother endured to finding herself in the very path she judged her mother walking.
This book has received mixed reactions, some could identify and loved it, others feel it almost glorifies domestic violence (especially after the announcement of a colouring book to come) and I think you need to read it and make your own mind up.
The book is in part drawn from the authors own past and things she witnessed (discussed at the end of the book, well the one I had) and the characters she created to highlight and show how someone can become entrapped. Absolutely covers some very emotive/shocking and horrific scenes, domestic violence, loss, gaslighting, manipulation to name a few. I think for many it is difficult to fathom how you can grow up in/surrounded with violent relationships and then be in that yourself. The author pulls in lots of factors surrounding domestic violence, as a child and then as an adult so different view points. There is also sex scenes which has featured in the books I have read by this author, there is a scene, stethoscope I was totally mortified but whatever floats your boat, 3.5/5 for me this time. Whilst some aspects were done/highlight some important issues and absolutely will get audiences discussing domestic violence/abuse there were also parts, for me, just no! This is book one of two, I will be reading the second to see what is next for our characters. ...more
My son has been taken. And I’ve been givenTime taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 432
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Source - Review copy
Blurb from Goodreads
My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice… Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.
The man lies on the table in front of me. As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him. As a mother, I know I must kill him. You might think that I’m a monster. But there really is only one choice. I must get away with murder. Or I will never see my son again.
I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES. WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?
My Review
Oooft, fast paced/tense! We have Anna, renowned surgeon, Margot who is a theatre nurse and Rachel is a cop. We bounce between the three as the story unravels, we meet the characters, get to know them and from the very beginning - well even the blurb we know the jist. A surgeon is told - kill your patient or you kids dies instead and leave absolutely no room for second guessing.
So talk about a bunch of characters you don't like, meet this lot, individuals who should be trusted but are dodgy. Anna, surgeon, cold fish, unlikeable even a self saboteur in some instances (pre this horrible predicament), Margot, nurse and has some very questionable life choices/work *ethic*.
We bounce from one disaster to another, shady behaviours and choices and I don't just mean the bad guys, offt. Thrilling, shocking, violent, murders it is a very full bag and keeps the reader enrapt and guessing, what is coming next!
I didn't like a lot of the characters but even the dodgy/shady ones I absolutely wanted to know what was coming next. I also wanted to slap a few of them lol, sometimes you love to love characters and sometimes the ones you hate are just as captivating - if not more so, 4/5 for me!...more
The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The weddTime taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 330
Publisher - Harper Collins
Source - Gifted by a fellow bookworm
The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
My Review
Everyone is pulled together for wedding extravaganza, that of Jules Keegan and Will Slater, money, fame, fortune and a small well chosen guest list. The location, a remote island on the Irish coast, the wedding everyone wants to be a part of - you would think!
Told from multiple points of view we have Jules the bride, Hannah the plus one, Aoife the wedding planner, Olivia the bridesmaid, Johnno the best man and Will the husband to be. Split between the wedding night when everything kicks off and pre wedding where we get to know all the guests and how they really feel about the others.
Lots of secrets, issues, feelings of unrest, upset, anger and unresolved pasts will finally be addressed, healed, excised and brought to the surface as is the way with weddings! I didn't find the multiple character jumps nor timeline an issue, the reader is teased as we get to know the characters and things revealed as we delve page after page. Maybe a tad frustrated as you would just get something from one character or timeline (pre and night of wedding) and the switch to another. The chapters are brief though so you visit them all for a wee bit and head on to the next.
Lots of drama, relationship issues and some very dodgy characters, especially the old boys club who may be adults now but as soon as they get together they have that pack mentality nonsense which we know to be true to life. I liked it, I have another by this author on my tbrm and looking to reading it, 3.5/5 for me this time....more
Crime: Harold Shipman Non Fiction - Crime InvestiTime taken to read - 3 days
Pages - 224
Publisher - Igloo Books Ltd
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Crime: Harold Shipman Non Fiction - Crime Investigated Igloo Books Ltd
My Review
I don't think there are many people who are not familiar with the name Doctor Harold Shipman and his atrocities. This book takes us through his career, his marriage and the trial.
Whilst the book is less than 250 pages so not a huge book (and it has pictures in it) I took 3 days to read as I had to put it down and pick it back up a few times. The opportunities to have stopped him, investigated properly when huge red flags popped up - the lives that would have been saved, you struggle to get your mind around it.
Arrogance, no remorse, a bit of a chameleon as he would be seemingly warm, trustworthy and kind to some people but rude, cold and manipulative to others. His behaviours and the things reported in this book he got away with (and not just the horrific loss of lives/murders) abuse of power, abuse of medications - to the point he was (at least once recorded in this) found to have had blackouts and seizures and still noone really looked into him. As he progressed in his career his arrogance and confidence where in situations re flags and concerns should have been highlighted.
His family aren't discussed in too much detail, his wife does come up a bit, back when they were dating, how they came to meet and how she stood by him when everything came to light and the court case.
It is one of those books you put down and just think what if, it is heartbreakingly sad/horrific to think what he did, what he got away with, what he almost got away with and just how much he is likely responsible for overall. Not an easy read, not because it is written badly but because of what he did, someone in a position of trust and betrayal of the worst kind, 3/5 for me. ...more
Source - Think a book pal gave me it (was on my tbrm for years)
Blurb from Goodreads
FroTime taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 306
Publisher - Hachette Books
Source - Think a book pal gave me it (was on my tbrm for years)
Blurb from Goodreads
From the bestselling author of P.S. I Love You and Love, Rosie, Cecelia Ahern, comes an enchanting novel that leads you to wonder if Not Seeing is believing!
Readers and critics alike adore Cecelia Ahern for her lighthearted yet insightful stories about modern women and their often unusual situations. In If You Could See Me Now, she takes that theme a step further, offering us a heroine who is entirely believable, and the new man in her life who is, well, slightly less so.
Elizabeth Egan's life runs on order: Both her home and her emotions are arranged just so, with little room for spontaneity. It's how she counteracts the chaos of her family—an alcoholic mother who left when she was young, an emotionally distant father, and a free-spirited sister, who seems to be following in their mother's footsteps, leaving her own six-year-old son, Luke, in Elizabeth's care.
When Ivan, Luke's mysterious new grown-up friend, enters the picture, Elizabeth doesnt know quite what to make of him. With his penchant for adventure and colorful take on things large and small, Ivan opens Elizabeth's eyes to a whole new way of living. But is it for real? Is Ivan for real?
If You Could See Me Now is a love story with heart—and just a touch of magic.
My Review
When you think fantasy its all magic, dragons, space type stuff but for me I would consider this a wee bit in a fantasy type role. Ivan is an adult and what we would call an imaginary friend although he is very much real just not visible to adults/non believers. He goes from one kid to another as they need him. When he becomes friends with Luke he thinks it is Luke he is there for, Luke is looked after by his aunt Elizabeth, a no nonsense woman who has had a pretty rough hand dealt. Her mum was a free spirit and left her and her sister behind with their dad, her sister became a "free spirit" just like her mum and left Luke in Elizabeth's sensible care, only flitting back and forth between dramas and need for money. Her father is also getting on so she is looking after him and working full time and looking after Luke. When it seems maybe Elizabeth can hear Ivan and ivan realises maybe it is Elizabeth he is here for and both may have bigger impacts on the other that they could never have forseen.
Most of us had an invisible friend but imagine that friend was actually real, flitting between people and works for an agency all about befriending/helping those who need him most. It is a very different type of book, it has tragedy, sadness, neglect, family truths/secrets and Elizabeth is so strict/stern and even a bit cold but as the story goes on we understand why she is the way she is. As Ivan becomes more real (and complicated) to her we see her find herself a bit more and the impact she has on Ivan.
I read this on holiday when I was fighting off temps/sickness and feeling rough, it allowed me a little indulgence and thinking back to when I was a wean. If you want something a wee bit out there, different from the normal books you read, bittersweet, personal growth, love, sadness with some magical bits thrown in (not wizard magic, imaginary friend who is real style magic) then this is one for you, I liked it, 3.5/5 for me this time....more
From the bestselling authoTime taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 317
Publisher - Lake Union Publishing
Source - Wishlist Wednesday gift
Blurb from Goodreads
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?
1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.
2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time.
Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years?
My Review
Set over two timelines 1984 we meet Bessie, 16 years old, best friends with Michelle and a sweet family. The second is 2021, Bessie is all grown, married and hasn't spoken to Michelle in decades, her best friend in the whole world. We flip between the two periods, meeting happy go lucky Bessie, loved and the world as her Oyster. 2021 Bessie is bitter, cold, self absorbed and despite a loving husband she is quite unhappy and I would say even lonely.
The two timelines go back and forth, each revealing a bit more information and bringing the reader into the circle. It covers some hard hitting topics as Prowse does tend to do, I don't want to give anything away as we don't do spoiler reviews but it centres around families, deceit, distrust, betrayal, loss, love, friendship and family to name a few.
We also see how things from our past, especially when we don't deal with them can have long reach and ripples long into our future. I have a few Prowse books on the tbrm, the pace isn't break neck by any standards but it reveals its layers as you go, 4/5 for me....more
The truth has no place in a courtroom. The truth doesn't mTime taken to read - < 3 days
Pages - 320
Publisher - Orion
Source - Gfift
Blurb from Goodreads
The truth has no place in a courtroom. The truth doesn't matter in a trial.
The only thing that matters is what the prosecution can prove.
Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.
It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter Amy.
Eddie only has 48 hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if wants to save his daughter.
Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?
Lose this case and he loses everything.
My Review
If you have followed my reviews or bookish accounts (always_reading on insta, smbslt on TT/Twitter) then it is no surprise I LOVE Eddie Flynn. What may surprise is I came to the series late so still had the first three to read. This is book one in the Flynn series, Eddie is a lawyer but he also has a history of being a gifted conman, slight of hand, pickpocket etc. This makes Eddie unique in that he still has some contacts from his old life but he is also a good guy, he has morals too. He is forced to defend a bad guy with a huge empire and string of bad guys behind him and has no problem letting Eddie know just how high the steaks are, you lose my case you lose someone precious to you!
Ooft drama galore, we see Eddie work his magic/charm in the courtroom but also try to keep a step ahead of the bad guys who are watching his every move. Eddie is super cool under pressure and the curve balls just keep coming at him.
It is so nice learning a bit more about who Eddie is and where he got to the place he is today. If you have never read Cavanagh books before this is a perfect place to start, Eddie origins. If you have you can still read this as a standalone. Action, shocks, murder, skulduggery and some brilliant choices/play by Eddie when he is under so much stress and has so so much to lose. 5/5 for me, I have the next two in the series and can't wait to sink into them, just need to find which of my hunners of books shelves I have put them on!...more
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