A gripping thriller if you can suspend your disbelief.
Zoe spots an advert in the paper with a photo of a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to heA gripping thriller if you can suspend your disbelief.
Zoe spots an advert in the paper with a photo of a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to herself.
When she checks the older newspapers she noticed other photos of women, some of whom have been victims of crime and violence since their photos being displayed.
Who is doing this and why? What does it mean?
I enjoyed the sense of unease throughout, even if the end reveal seemed a bit much.
(view spoiler)[ turns out her neighbour has been jealous of Zoe and holding a grudge for years. She discovered a way to make money by using women’s photos and commutes, and selling them to men online. What became even more insane was that her own son was involved in this - all because she discovered his dad?! (hide spoiler)]
Little bit hard to swallow, but still an entertaining enough thriller. ...more
Full of secrets and double crossing and romance. I’m not a big romance lover but the relationships all seem toAnother solid instalment in this series!
Full of secrets and double crossing and romance. I’m not a big romance lover but the relationships all seem to work really well in here.
After the end of book 2, Orion has had his memory wiped and he has been taken by his mother for further experiments. Rosalind won’t let her fake husband go though, and will go to great lengths to get him back.
Meanwhile tensions between the communists and nationalists are still rife, with further threats of war from the Japanese. Full of action but also with sparks of humour. Chloe Gong is fast becoming a fave for me.
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Razorblade Tears, but I still read until the end.
Beauregard has left behind his previous ‘life’. That of driving gI didn’t enjoy this one as much as Razorblade Tears, but I still read until the end.
Beauregard has left behind his previous ‘life’. That of driving getaway cars and aiding in illegal activities. He has a mechanic shop, and his wife and children.
However when a competitor opens up and Bug loses a lot of business, he becomes desperate for cash. So desperate that he agrees to work with someone he vowed never to work with again.
With all the violence and action you’d expect from Cosby. I found I didn’t root for Bug as I did with his other characters/books. If didn’t like a lot of his decisions (but I did understand some of them). And finally the ending left me unsatisfied (view spoiler)[ he doesn’t decide whether to leave the life behind and go the straight and narrow. Or if he is unable to and therefore has to leave his family for their own safety. (hide spoiler)]
I have loved Holly Gibney’s character ever since the Mr Mercedes trilogy. I am so glad that SK loved her just as much to give Holly her own book.
I’veI have loved Holly Gibney’s character ever since the Mr Mercedes trilogy. I am so glad that SK loved her just as much to give Holly her own book.
I’ve seen a few comments complaining about the Covid element in this book. I think it’s really important to talk about topics relevant to the time the book is set. This has always been the case in Mr Mercedes too. Stephen King writes about the unemployment crisis in America, he has never shied away from the hard topics.
When people read this book in later years it will provide information about the years covid was rife. I also believe it strongly fits Holly’s personality - she was always quite extreme when it came to germs etc.
When a young woman’s bike is found but with her nowhere to be seen, her mother asks Holly to investigate. What she unravels is terrifying and dangerous.
Another thrill ride from Stephen King, I throughly enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this first instalment of the series. Strike is a great protagonist and I liked cheering him on and watching him make connections in t3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this first instalment of the series. Strike is a great protagonist and I liked cheering him on and watching him make connections in the case.
I haven’t quite warmed up to Robin yet but I’m sure it will come with time. She seemed a bit keen for approval and even sulky at times.
A man whose sister fell from her balcony believes it wasn’t suicide, but that she was pushed. He asks for Strike’s help to prove it.
There were a lot of characters but I managed to keep up as it went through. The reveal was ok, I didn’t love it but all the explanations made sense.
(view spoiler)[ so it turns out it was the brother all along because she was not leaving him any money in her will. Thought it seemed silly for him to ask a PI to look into it when it had already been ruled a suicide so he’d gotten away with it…but there we are. (hide spoiler)]
I think I will continue with the series.
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Ok, so two things
1. I want to understand the anger people are feeling, and in order to do that I need to read this series.
2. I borrowed this book. Therefore in reading it I haven’t given any money to JKR....more
A school shooting, but in the UK, not America. We flip between numerous characters, from the students and teachers to the What a hard hitter this was!
A school shooting, but in the UK, not America. We flip between numerous characters, from the students and teachers to the police officers and detectives hired to deal with the situation.
An explosion is heard from the woods behind the school, from there unravel a series of events including gunshots and further explosions.
But who are these shooters? What do they want? How did they get to this point?
So much ground is covered for a book that takes place only over 3 hours. So many shocks and terrifying moments, a powerful and frightening read. ...more
Not up there with the ‘Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ trilogy for me but entertaining enough.
A group of 5 teenagers travelling in an RV for spring breaNot up there with the ‘Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ trilogy for me but entertaining enough.
A group of 5 teenagers travelling in an RV for spring break find themselves lost with their tyres blown.
Suddenly it becomes clear that their predicament was no accident, someone wants them there and was information. But what, and who?
Red is our main character and I liked her well enough. I hated Oliver, which I think was the point.
The secrets that came out were a bit far fetched and I’d actually argue happened too quickly. (view spoiler)[ Red was hired to be a witness at a court case and lie. But her name was also given to the mafia just in case it fell apart? (hide spoiler)]
It didn’t really go the way I expected I guess. But it was ok ...more
Another unfulfilling read. Is it me? I haven’t found a book enthralling in like 2 months.
Molly and Katie are twins, and have been inseparable all theiAnother unfulfilling read. Is it me? I haven’t found a book enthralling in like 2 months.
Molly and Katie are twins, and have been inseparable all their lives. That is until Katie moves to New York and leaves Molly behind.
Molly has severe anxiety, she sees danger everywhere and in everything. I found it a bit annoying at times. When she receives a call saying that Katie has been killed she goes to New York to discover what happened to her sister.
I was pretty invested up until this point. Once we start finding out more of Katie’s secrets (view spoiler)[ she was sleeping with her university professor, her boyfriend was cheating on her. It’s a whole drama (hide spoiler)]
It was actually the ending that really decided it for me. (view spoiler)[ first we are told Molly killed her own sister. Which was insane enough in itself. But then it switched to telling us that Katie actually woke up before Molly could act, and then killed her and took her place. (Still with me?) so Katie is now pretending to be Molly. (hide spoiler)]
The whole thing just became stupidly far fetched and I wasn’t able to follow all the changes. ...more
Loved this one! Started as a quiet tale about a young boy who is offered a job byReviewing each story as I go.
Mr Harrigan’s Phone 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved this one! Started as a quiet tale about a young boy who is offered a job by his neighbour Mr Harrigan. Craig reads to him, waters his plants and generally keeps him company. Mr Harrigan is wealthy, and knew a lot about the stock market in his time, but now retired, the world is moving on without him. When Craig wins some money on a scratch card he treats Mr Harrigan to a smart phone and he soon cannot live without it. When Mr Harrigan passes away, he is buried with his smart phone and one day when Craig misses him he calls the phone to hear his voicemail - but what he hears on the other line is something very unexpected. I won’t give away any more than that, but I loved the ambiguity and moral questions in this tale and it was a great start to the book!
Life of Chuck 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great start and concept, but sadly didn’t live up to it by the end. Told in three parts in reverse order. A man’s face appears on a billboard just as the apocalypse arrives. Working backwards we learn who Chuck is and more about his childhood. But ultimately I was left disappointed. (view spoiler)[ we never find out why his name and picture was on the billboards. He saw his own death as a child by I didn’t understand how it connected. (hide spoiler)]
If it Bleeds 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved being back with Holly Gibney! I love her character. This novella is a sequel to The Outsider, when Holly starts to spot similarities between news readers from different time periods she becomes suspicious. Surely there can’t be another creature like the one she previously faced? Fast paced and gripping, I was on the edge of my seat by the end and really enjoyed this one.
Rat 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This could have been too weird, but I found it was just the right level for me. A writer known only for his short stories is determined to write a novel. Despite the drastic end to his last attempt, he is determined to try again. He goes to his fathers old cabin in the woods for some solitude to get some serious writing done. But when he falls ill he starts to hallucinate (or does he). A rat appears offering him his life’s dream - but at a price. I liked that we aren’t really sure what is or isn’t real. Whether the rat was the cause or whether he finished the book himself and the other events are sheer bad timing. Very interesting idea....more
I loved the Bill Hodges trilogy, when I saw there would be another book with Holly Gibney in it I was excited. It had a really strong start. A c3.5 ⭐️
I loved the Bill Hodges trilogy, when I saw there would be another book with Holly Gibney in it I was excited. It had a really strong start. A child is found mutilated and killed - DNA everywhere indicates it is the local baseball teams coach. The police arrest him immediately in the middle of a game in front of the whole town.
But then it comes to light that the suspect was out of the city during the attack. At a convention with 3 other witnesses. So begs the question, how can a man be in two places at once?
I loved this premise and was excited to see what King did with it. I expected supernatural, as I said I’ve read the Bill Hodges trilogy so it wasn’t the supernatural that left me slightly underwhelmed.
It was the lack of explanation. In the previous trilogy we get dense description of how Brady did what he did. But here it’s just kind of thrown at you right at the end and it’s just like - deal with it.
I still enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong but the ending felt rushed and a bit undeveloped.
I will pick up the If It Bleeds short stories soon though. ...more
Elizabeth Cage can see things. In particular, people’s “colour”. Their aura, if you will. She can sense **spoiler alert** A bit too out there for me.
Elizabeth Cage can see things. In particular, people’s “colour”. Their aura, if you will. She can sense danger, and whether a person plans on causing her harm.
She has lived her whole life trying to fly under the radar. She has made herself the most ordinary person imaginable, in hopes of keeping attention away from her abilities.
Unfortunately, someone has been watching Elizabeth. And that someone is her husband’s boss, director of nearby psychiatric hospital - Sorensen House.
What follows is a series of dramatic twists and turns. It was gripping, and I was constantly on my toes.
Spoilers ahead!!!!
Elizabeth is at first, imprisoned in Sorensen House, a facility in itself that seems above the law. She escapes with the help of another inmate called Michael Jones. But he also is harbouring secrets.
And then later on when Elizabeth is living quietly by herself, there is a whole time travel section, where it is unclear what happened. If she was really attacked or whether she imagined it all.
And sadly, this was when it fell over from entertaining to preposterous. I think it tried to do too many things rather than focus on one main plot point....more
Thank you to the publisher and the author for my free copy
Hope Miller has had amnesia for the past 15 years. Since she was found by her now best fri Thank you to the publisher and the author for my free copy
Hope Miller has had amnesia for the past 15 years. Since she was found by her now best friend, Lindsay at the scene of a car crash.
When Hope decides she wants to move to the Hamptons, to get a break and maybe find herself, Lindsay is worried. No one knows her there, how will she cope without her support system?
Suddenly, Hope goes missing. Lindsay is certain something bad has happened but the local police aren’t interested. Lindsay starts digging, and enlists the help of Ellie - an NYPD cop who may have links to Hope.
I really enjoyed this fast paced and twisty thriller. Part of the Ellie Hatcher series but definitely can be read as a stand alone, as I’ve never read the other books.
I would definitely pick up more by Alafair Burke. ...more
An entertaining enough read but not my favourite by Lucy Foley.
Ben has recently moved into a swanky apartment building, on the recommendation o3.5 ⭐️
An entertaining enough read but not my favourite by Lucy Foley.
Ben has recently moved into a swanky apartment building, on the recommendation of his old university friend Nick.
Separately his half sister is going to come and visit him. But when she arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found.
This begins a story full of secrets and obsessions. (Quite a few obsessions really - I’ve never known so many characters to be infatuated with one man.)
Ultimately the reveals were satisfying and it was a page turner so can’t complain. Will continue to read Lucy Foley’s books. ...more
“Payback is a bitch, he thought, and I am that bitch.”
Really enjoyed this trilogy and loved this final instalment.
Bill and Holly find themselves d “Payback is a bitch, he thought, and I am that bitch.”
Really enjoyed this trilogy and loved this final instalment.
Bill and Holly find themselves drawn into another mystery when two women supposedly commit suicide. One of whom was a victim of the Mercedes killer - permanently disabled.
As more and more links between Brady’s victims start to appear, Bill worries that there may be more to the suicides than meets the eye.
And when we find out what is causing these deaths - it is both shocking and twisted. (view spoiler)[ Brady Hartsfield, despite being a vegetable - has found a way to jump into peoples minds and hypnotise them. Using the body of a doctor he manages to create mass suicides through the provision of Zappits. (Game Boys). (hide spoiler)]
Such a terrifying concept, I was gripped and so pleased that (view spoiler)[ Brady gets his just deserts by getting mowed down by Jerome in a snowmobile (hide spoiler)]...more
A reporters car is driven off a cliff, no body is found but she is presumed dead. The case has grown cold - timeAnother fun instalment to this series!
A reporters car is driven off a cliff, no body is found but she is presumed dead. The case has grown cold - time for the Thursday Murder Club to step in.
Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim along with a few helping hands put their heads together to solve the unsolvable.
Throw in fraud, KGB spies, corruption and much more.
As usual, the clues are everywhere and the reveals are super slick. I was able to follow the story and even make a few educated guesses for the reveals!
Keep em coming Richard!
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library copy available for pick up
Finally! I’ve been waiting ages for this one. Such an enjoyable series....more
Four years ago teacher, William Larkin was found dead in the woods by three of his students. The case remains unsKaren McManus hasn’t let me down yet!
Four years ago teacher, William Larkin was found dead in the woods by three of his students. The case remains unsolved.
Brynn Gallagher has recently relocated back to the small town of Sturgis after her fathers job is moved from Chicago. She must face all her old friends, but most awkwardly her old best friend Tripp, whom she hasn’t spoken to since he humiliated her years ago.
Brynn begins working for a true crime podcast looking into Mr Larkin’s death. As usual, there are secrets upon secrets and so many red herrings.
McManus’ books are just so compulsively readable. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. And the final reveal is as satisfying as ever.
Keep ‘em coming KM!
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Library copy available for pick up
If Karen McManus writes it, I will read it....more
3 old friends who have fallen out of touch find themselves thrown back together in the worst of circMy obsession with Karen McManus’ books continues.
3 old friends who have fallen out of touch find themselves thrown back together in the worst of circumstances. When they all choose to skip school together and head into the city, they don’t bank on seeing another school mate there - a school mate who five minutes later ends up dead.
With Karen McManus’ signature addictive writing and secrets upon secrets, I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. Her characters are all flawed and relatable, I enjoyed watching them unravel everything and sometimes even having to fight for their lives.
As usual - I will pick up anything and everything this author writes. ...more
Think this might have been my favourite of the series!
4 stars ⭐️
What really happened the night of July 4th? All our favourite Riverdale characters areThink this might have been my favourite of the series!
4 stars ⭐️
What really happened the night of July 4th? All our favourite Riverdale characters are implemented in the most recent instalment of this series.
Someone knows what they all did and why. But who? When each member of the gang receives a letter from Poison Pen it is with a threat that they do something awful, or their law breaking secrets and that of their friends will be revealed.
I guessed pretty early on who Poison Pen was (even with the red herring about half way through). But I still enjoyed seeing how the characters handled the threats & what they were being forced to do. Also finding out why they did break the law on July 4th.
Overall a gripping addition to the Riverdale books series. ...more
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