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29/9/2018 0 Comments

Review: French Exit

French Exit by Patrick DeWitt
Genre: Literary Fiction
Length: 256 pages
Publication Date: 27 August 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: ARC via NetGalley
 
Stars:  4 out of 5

 
Link: AMAZON (UK)

ABOUT FRENCH EXIT:
 
Frances Price – tart widow, possessive mother and Upper East Side force of nature – is in dire straits, beset by scandal. Her adult son Malcolm is no help, mired in a permanent state of arrested development. And then there's their cat, Small Frank, who Frances believes houses the spirit of her late husband, an infamously immoral lawyer whose gruesome tabloid death rendered them social outcasts.
 
To put their troubles behind them, the trio cut their losses and head for the exit. Their beloved Paris becomes the backdrop for a giddy drive to self-destruction, helped along by a cast of singularly curious characters: a bashful private investigator, an aimless psychic and Mme. Reynard, friendly American expat and aggressive houseguest.
 
Brimming with pathos, warmth and wit, French Exit is a one-of-a-kind tragedy of manners, a riotous send-up of high society and a moving story of mothers and sons.
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My Review:

I was very keen to read French Exit. I loved DeWitt's The Sisters Brothers (about to be released as a film starring John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix as the eponymous brothers).
 
Noun. French exit (plural French exits) (offensive) A hasty exit made without saying farewells to anybody.
 
DeWitt has a perfect turn of phrase. And the story is pure farce, it was a joy to read. However, it's quite possible I didn't actually like any of the characters, as the story shines a light on human behaviour at its most honest, but that didn't stop me enjoying the page-turner.  The ending was the perfect embodiment of the title - a French Exit.
 
A refreshing and enjoyable read.
 
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 
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19/9/2018 0 Comments

Review: Perfect Remains

Perfect Remains by Helen Fields
Genre: Crime Fiction/Thriller
Length: 417 pages
Publication Date: 26 January 2017
Publisher: Avon
 
Stars:  4.5 out of 5
 
Link: AMAZON (UK)


ABOUT PERFECT REMAINS
 
On a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing.
 
In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness…
 
Detective Inspector Luc Callanach has barely set foot in his new office when Elaine’s missing persons case is escalated to a murder investigation. Having left behind a promising career at Interpol, he’s eager to prove himself to his new team. But Edinburgh, he discovers, is a long way from Lyon, and Elaine’s killer has covered his tracks with meticulous care.
 
It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes … The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined.
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My Review:

The book is interspersed with chapters from the view of the killer, and the perspective from the law rushing against the clock to find him. Even though the reader is sometimes one step ahead having the killer's method in mind, there is twist after twist. Predictably, there is a new policeman in town but that's where any certainty ends. It's impossible not to fall for the beautiful and broken DI Callanach with his back-story woven into the story in small segments like a jigsaw puzzle.
 
The gore of the action is sometimes too gruesome. And there were a couple of times I gasped aloud and turns in the plot. When the finale presented itself, it could have gone a number of ways and I was not able to put the book down until I had finished it.
 
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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12/9/2018 0 Comments

Review: All That Was Lost

All That Was Lost by Alison May
Genre: Romance/Saga
Length: 244 pages
Publication Date: 6 September 2018
Publisher: Legend Press
Source: ARC via NetGalley
 
Stars:  4.5 out of 5
 
Link: AMAZON (UK)

ABOUT ALL THAT WAS LOST:
 
In 1967 Patience Bickersleigh is a teenager who discovers a talent for telling people what they want to hear. Fifty years later she is Patrice Leigh, a nationally celebrated medium. But cracks are forming in the carefully constructed barriers that keep her real history at bay.
 
Leo is the journalist hired to write Patrice’s biography. Struggling to reconcile the demands of his family, his grief for his lost son, and his need to understand his own background, Leo becomes more and more frustrated at Patrice's refusal to open up.
 
Because behind closed doors, Patrice is hiding more than one secret. And it seems that now, her past is finally catching up with her.

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My Review:

The book starts brilliantly. The concept is great – as I tucked in to the first chapter I was delighted that the story lives up to the novel idea. It's a beautiful story that flicks between current day and Pat's teenage years in the sixties.  As Pat's story becomes clear it's clear to see how she became the grand Patrice Leigh, and her role in supporting people who seek out a medium. Much my reading was spent thinking is she or isn't she (the real thing)?. Interwoven with Leo and Louise's lives respectively, the pain of grief and losing a loved one is heartfelt. When the loose ends came together at the end, I wanted to reread the book again straight away.
 
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 

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6/9/2018 0 Comments

Review: Lying to You

Lying to You by Amanda Reynolds
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Page Length: 368 Pages
Publication Date: 26 July 2018 (Paperback)
Publisher: Wildfire
Source: ARC via NetGalley
 
Stars:  4 out of 5
 
Link: AMAZON (UK)

 
ABOUT LYING TO YOU:
 
You think you know the truth about that night, but what if your husband is LYING TO YOU?
 
When Jess Tidy was Mark Winter's student, she made a shocking accusation. Mark maintained his innocence, but the damage was done.
 
Karen Winter stood by her husband through everything, determined to protect her family.
 
Now, ten years later, Jess is back. And the truth about that night is finally going to come out…
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My Review:

Jess has made a new life in London, putting the tragedy of her youth behind her until her brother calls – their mother has passed away unexpectedly and Jess is forced to confront her past. Ten years earlier, Jess alleged something awful happened to her, which caused a teacher to go to prison.

The story is told from three perspectives: Jess, the teacher's wife Karen Winter, intertwined with transcripts from Jess' counseling sessions.
 
The book should be called Lying to Red Herrings. The twists and turns, together with the breadcrumbs, left you wanting to find out more. It's made up of quite short chapters so it's quick to get through.  The ending felt a little rushed with how the story unfolded. But how it ended was an unexpected surprise.
 
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.
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