Category: Debut Book

4/11/2018 0 Comments

Review: My Name is Anna

My Name is Anna by Lizzy Barber
Genre: Crime Fiction/Thriller
Publication Date: 1 November 2018
Publisher: Cornerstone Digital
Source: ARC via NetGalley

Stars: 5 out of 5

Link: AMAZON (UK)

ABOUT MY NAME IS ANNA

Two women – desperate to unlock the truth.
How far will they go to lay the past to rest?

ANNA has been taught that virtue is the path to God. But on her eighteenth birthday she defies her Mamma’s rules and visits Florida’s biggest theme park. She has never been allowed to go – so why, when she arrives, does everything seem so familiar? And is there a connection to the mysterious letter she receives on the same day?

ROSIE has grown up in the shadow of the missing sister she barely remembers, her family fractured by years of searching without leads. Now, on the fifteenth anniversary of her sister’s disappearance, the media circus resumes in full flow, and Rosie vows to uncover the truth. But will she find the answer before it tears her family apart?

My Review:

Not a spoiler – the back cover says it all. Rosie's older sister went missing fifteen years previously, and Anna wonders about her real parentage is. What I thought was going to be a straightforward thriller, how wrong was I! It got murkier and murkier the further I read. I was completely embroiled in Anna and Rosie's stories respectively. And at one point shouting 'No!!!!!' at the book.

A fantastic debut from Ms Barber.

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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9/10/2018 0 Comments

Review: All The Hidden Truths

All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length: 384 pages
Publication Date: 9 August 2018
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: ARC via NetGalley

Stars: 4 out of 5

Link: AMAZON (UK)

ABOUT ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS:

This is a fact: Ryan Summers walked into Three Rivers College and killed thirteen women, then himself.

But no one can say why.

The question is one that cries out to be answered - by Ryan's mother, Moira; by Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and by DI Helen Birch, put in charge of the case on her first day at her new job. But as the tabloids and the media swarm, as the families' secrets come out, as the world searches for someone to blame... the truth seems to vanish.

A stunningly moving novel from an exciting new voice in crime, ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS will cause you to question your assumptions about the people you love, and reconsider how the world reacts to tragedy.

My Review:

Another brilliant debut!

I found the book a little difficult to get into but by the third chapter or so, I was well and truly in the story. It is told from three perspectives: Ryan's mother, Moira; Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and DI Helen Birch. The subject matter is hard, dark, and thought provoking, as is how the media and social media respond to such a catastrophe. I really enjoyed the conflicting narration, and felt for all the characters in the hopeless and heartbraking situation. Not to mention the finale is devastating.

I hope this is the first installment of a DI Birch series.

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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28/8/2018 0 Comments

Review: Something in the Water

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Page Length: 352 Pages
Publication Date: 26 July 2018 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: ARC via NetGalley

Stars: 4 out of 5

Link: AMAZON (UK)

ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE WATER:

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough; Mark a handsome investment banker with a bright future. They seem to have it all, until Mark loses his job and cracks start to appear in their perfect life.

But they’re determined to make it work. They book their dream honeymoon and trust that things will work out – after all, they have each other.

On the tropical island of Bora Bora Mark takes Erin scuba diving. Mark is with her – she knows he’ll keep her safe. Everything will be fine. Until they find something in the water.

Erin and Mark decide to keep their discovery a secret -- after all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events... which will endanger everything they hold dear.

My Review:

2018 IS THE YEAR FOR DEBUT NOVELISTS!

The story starts slap bang in the middle of drama and then you go back to the beginning where there is a very slow build. By the time that Erin and Mark reach their honeymoon it feels like they are family and you know everything you need to know, you are left in a complete (false) sense of security.

Erin and Mark find something in the water, which may or may not be illegal, and may or may not be illegal for them to keep. The conundrum is – what should they do? Its very careful and clever plotting keeps you in suspense until the very end.

A stupendous debut!

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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