Tag: #thriller #mystery

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April Wrap Up

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Didn’t April fly by? I can’t believe its over already. It was a strange month for me in many ways and it affected my reading. I read nine books this month and I either absolutely loved them or didn’t like them at all. There was no in between.

It took me a while to read some of the books this month, especially the ones I’ve loved because I didn’t want them to end. And if I haven’t enjoyed them I’ve read them super fast. Does anyone else do this?

So lets talk about the books shall we?

First up was Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer. No. Nope. Just no for me. I didn’t like this one at all. To felt pointless and depressing. It’s supposed to be a thriller but I didn’t find it engaging at all. It was dull. I had no desire to learn about Hummingbirds that much. Also, if I ever read the Silvina again I will cry. Literally cry. Thanks to the publishers for gifting me with a copy of this book. It’s out now.

Up next I read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joys Goffney and it was absolutely brilliant. It deals with such important themes to wonderfully. I really need all young adult books to be this good. Seriously. This one is out now. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. You can check out my full review here

Thirdly I read Of Women And Salt by Gabriela Garcia. What a book! It’s the kind of book that is so intriguing. The writing is lyrical and brilliant. I was totally enraptured by this book. I just loved it. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

(We’re just taking a break here because I had two five star reads in a row and that deserves to be celebrated.)

Then I read Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein. Well the five star reads didn’t last for long. I just didn’t enjoy this one at all. It also didn’t have much depth, and it was just about a love story. If a book is going to be just about a love story, it needs to be good. And this one just wasn’t. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

Up next was Kate In Waiting by Becky Albertalli. Now this is how all YA books should be. It was fun, charming, inclusive, funny and romantic. Becky is one of the best young adult authors around. I loved it. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now. You can check out my full review here

Then I read Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. Well much to my surprise I absolutely loved this book. Full of strong female characters, beautiful story telling and Greek Mythology. It’s really beautifully done. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now. You can check out my full review here

Seventh this month I read Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. Have I found my favourite new fantasy series? Yes I think I might have. I loved everything about this book. Everything. I need book two now. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out May 4th. You can check out my full review here

Then I read Still Life by Sarah Winman which was absolutely fantastic. It will definitely be one of my favourite books of the year. I loved it. I’ll remember these characters for a long time. Just absolutely brilliant! Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out June 10th.

(Another two five star reads in a row. When does that ever happen?)

Lastly I read Male Tears by Benjamin Myers and I didn’t enjoy this at all. A few of the stories were okay, the rest I didn’t see the point in. Was a big disappointed for me. Maybe the title lead me to believe this was going to be something else, but for me it missed the mark. My favourites were definitely the shorter stories. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

So that’s if for me this month. Not as many as March but some fantastic books. Quality over quantity.

Are you going to read any of these? Let me know.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#contemporary, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, fiction, review, thriller, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC book review: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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Title: Firekeeper’s Daughter

Author: Angeline Boulley

Publisher: Rock The Boat

Length: 469 pages

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Daunis’s mixed heritage has always made her feel like an outsider, both in her hometown and in the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When she witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to be part of a covert FBI operation into a series of drug-related deaths. In secret, she pursues her own investigation using her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the criminals. However, the deceptions – and deaths – keep piling up and soon the threat strikes to close to home. Now Daunis must decide what it means to a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe women), and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

As you’re going to read in the rest of this review, I absolutely adored this book. I thought it was just brilliant. From beginning to end. I will say this book definitely deals with some difficult things so definitely check the trigger warnings for sexual assaults, drugs, grief, death. But I will say they are all dealt with honestly and lots of integrity.

The story right from the beginning was extremely intriguing. There were so many ways I could see the story going and it made it exciting to read. And it was all so detailed. Angeline really has written the perfect balance of character development, romance (yes there’s a romance that I thought was totally believable and sweet), mystery and action.

We follow the main character Daunis as she agrees to help the FBI in an an operation of drug related deaths, and she’s a brilliant character. She’s so complex and has such depth. It makes her so interesting to read. I love how smart she is and I love her how proud she was of her tribe and to an Ojibwe women. So great to see this in a YA book and In such a positive way.

Loved learning about Native American culture. Obviously it wasn’t this books job it educate me, but it did. But it never felt like an information dump, it showed us what we needed to know, then it showed us profound things. I loved learning about the traditions and some of them are absolutely beautiful. It was just detailed in the best way. It was brilliant own voices representation that we need more of.

I absolutely loved the ending to Firekeeper’s Daughter. The momentum and story had been building and the intensity had been growing so I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It was also action packed! It had me on the edge of my seat. I also personally didn’t figure out the mystery. It was just so epic.

Listen, if it’s done right, this will make the perfect mini-series. I can see it in my head so clearly. It’s begging to be made. It felt cinematic. Netflix, you need to get on this, but don’t mess it up. This book deserves only the best.

I can’t wait for you to read this book and see all the intricacies of it. You won’t regret reading this brilliant young adult book. I’ll look forward to whatever Angeline Boulley writes next.

Thank you to Rock The Boat for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out April 1st.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fiction, #literature, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, gothic, gothic horror, thriller, Uncategorised, ya

Book Review. Girl in the Walls by A. J. Gnuse

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Title: Girl In The Walls

Author: A. J. Gnuse

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: 4thEstate Books

Synopsis: Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the Walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her. And home is where you stay, no matter what. Eddie is a teenager now, almost a grown-up. He must no longer believe in the girl he sometimes sees from the corner of his eye. He needs her to disappear. But when his fierce older brother senses her, too, they are faced with the question of how to get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists. And, if they cast her out, what other threats might they invite into their home?

I was lucky to receive a very early proof of this book from 4thestate and now that I’ve read it I feel even more lucky because it was so incredible. It’s not out till March 4th 2021 but I couldn’t wait to read it.

What an interesting premise. I was so intrigued by the synopsis and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve always said there’s someone living in out loft called Harrison but that’s a different story. The author has crafted the story so it’s totally believable. It’s the little details of house Elise moves through the walls, how she lives while the family are out that I loved. I was genuinely intrigued from the first page until the last. It was brilliant.

At the heart of this novel is grief, and A. J. Gnuse has dealt with it brilliantly. It’s subtly heartbreaking. A girl so lost by her parents death that she has to return to the only home she knows to feel close to them. As story goes on and you learn a little more about Elises life before she became the Girl in the Walls, it becomes even more heartbreaking.

Elise is a brilliant character, In fact it’s full of brilliant characters. Marshall and Eddie are fantastic. The tension and connection that’s between Elise and Eddie is genius, the way he knows she’s there but won’t admit it. He’s terrified of her but also protects her. I love it. I didn’t expect the story of the family in the house but I’m so glad it was included. It made this book even better.

I’m not going to lie to you, at times I was scared. When a certain character is introduced (no spoilers) there were times I was holding my breath. This is by far the best gothic novel I’ve ever read. It’s just written so brilliantly, it’s got moments of real tension and fear.

The ending. Oh my god. It was brilliant. Those last few pages had my heart pounding. Literally pounding. I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough. I just had to do find out what happened. And it didn’t disappoint. At all. My stomach was literally in knots. I haven’t been like this about a book in a while. But Girl in the Walls was so brilliant I couldn’t help it.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a grippy gothic tale that doesn’t disappoint. I can’t stop thinking about this book. It will stay with you a long time after you’ve finished it.

Thank you to Liv at 4thestate for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out April 1st.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

author, blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, gothic, gothic horror, historical fiction, review, thriller, Uncategorised

Book Review: The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell

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Title: The Shape of Darkness

Author: Laura Purcell

Length: 398 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury Raven

Synopsis: When silhouette artist Agnes’s clients start being mysteriously murdered, she approaches Pearl, a renowned child spirit medium to try and make contact and reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl soon discover they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back…

I know Laura Purcell is a hugely popular author, who many of my fellow bookstagrammers absolutely love, but I’ve never read a book by her before. So The Shape of Darkness is my first.

I really did enjoy this book. I found it super intriguing throughout and I can definitely say that Laura keeps her readers on their toes. I never knew what was going to happen and I absolutely love that.

We follow to main characters, Agnes and Pearl, as they team up to try and find out who is murdering Agnes’s customers. I really enjoyed the character of Agnes. From the start I just connected with her. I felt for her. It took me a little while to connect with Pearl, but I can definitely say she is an interesting character. There characters arcs and the way they connect is so interesting.

The Shape of Darkness is wonderfully gothic. It’s at times dark, and I’m not going to lie to you at times I was very creeped out. This book is really atmospheric. It’s also meticulously researched, you can tell. The detail Laura goes into about Agnes’s job as a Silhouette artist is phenomenal. It’s such an interesting aspect to the story.

I said earlier that this book is intriguing and keeps you on your toes and it’s true. You just never know where the story is going to go. And I will say I didn’t expect it to go that way. At all. I was so shocked. I won’t give anything away as I know so many of you are going to read this book, but you’ll know what I’m talking about when it happens.

I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s a wonderfully gothic, intriguing story with some character depth. I don’t think you’ll forget this book once you’ve read. Now you’ll have to excuse me, I’m off to buy Laura’s other books!

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out January 21st.

Until the next review

JTH

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ARC Book Review: ‘The Lie’ by Hilary Boyd

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Title: The Lie

Author: Hilary Boyd

Length: 360 pages

Publisher: Micheal J Books

I was lucky enough to be sent this from the publisher and I couldn’t wait to get started on it.

Synopsis: Romy and Michael have it all. Over 30 years of marriage, two grown-up sons and a beautiful London home, as well as a weekend bolthole by the sea. Until the arrival of a letter changes everything. At first Romy can’t believe what it is saying. That Micheal could do something so terrible. But then other lies start to emerge and she begins to wonder who the man she’s shared her heart, her bed and the best years of her life with, really is. Walking away should be the start of a new chapter for Romy. But an urgent telephone call brings her back into Michael’s life – and propels her into the past and the allegations that ended their marriage.

I really enjoyed this book. It was difficult to put down. I read over 200 pages in one night and trust me, that never happens with me.

What kept me hooked was the question of who was lying. When a letter shows up at her house, Romy’s husband is accused of assaulting a teenage girl, Romy stays by her husband side to begin with after he denies it but she always doubts him. It was fascinating to read her perspective and I couldn’t wait to find out the truth. It was dealt with incredibly well, sensitively but honest and real.

‘The Lie’ was filled with such wonderful characters. Romy, the main character, was instantly likeable. I was just drawn to her. And as the story progressed, all I wanted was for her to stand up for herself and get her happy ending. You could tell she was doing what she thought she should do, and I so wanted her to choose herself. I won’t spoil it for you, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out if she does.

It also has a wonderful romance in it, which I was also invested in (incase you haven’t noticed I was invested in the whole book). It was organic and romantic. Much needed sweetness, with the main storyline being such a tough subject.

It also had a satisfactory ending. Often when books are leaving all the questions to be answered at the end it can be a bit of a let down, but I didn’t find that with ‘The Lie’. I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough to find out what happened and I wasn’t disappointed. That’s a sign of great writing and storytelling.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It was an intense story with fantastic characters, that was ultimately a struggle to put down. I throughly enjoyed it.

Thank you Michael Joseph Books for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now. Make sure you check it out.

Until the next review

JTH

author, blog, blogtour, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, thriller, Uncategorised, ya

Book Review: The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

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Title: The Devil and the Dark Water

Author: Stuart Turton

Length: 548 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Synopsis: It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported from the Dutch East Indies to Amsterdam, where he is facing trail and execution for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent, while also on board are Sara Wessel, a noble woman with a secret, and her husband, the general governor of Batavia. But no sooner than their ship is out to see than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A strange symbol appears on the sail. A dead Leper stalks the deck. Livestock are slaughtered in the night. And then the passengers hear a terrible voice whispering to them in the darkness, promising them three unholy miracles. First: an impossible pursuit. Second: an impossible theft. Third: an impossible murder. Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes. With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent and Sara can solve a mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

Okay, I’m writing this review right after I finished The Devil and the Dark Water and all I can think about is that ending!!! But we’ll talk about that more later. The more I think about this book, the more I love it. It’s was sooooo good.

Just a little warning this review might seem vague but I really don’t want to give anything about the plot away. I want you to be swept away like I was.

We mainly follow Arent, as he has to solve the mystery that’s happening Saardam while his crime solving partner, who usually solves the crimes, Sammy is imprisoned. Is there a devil aboard called Old Tom?

The plot of The Devil and the Dark Water was pretty incredible. It’s a very detailed and intricate storyline, I definitely had to concentrate. But trust me you’ll want to concentrate. I usually try and guess what was going on, but I couldn’t. I had no idea. It really kept me guessing throughout. It was full of twists and turns, cliffhangers, murder, mystery. Ugh, it was just so damn good.

This book is full of characters. And I have to say at the beginning there’s a lot of names and I did get a tiny bit confused. But like I said, we mainly follow Arent. He’s a great character. He really is. I loved his friendship with Sammy and that’s all I say on that!!! I also loved Sara and Lia. Both fantastic characters. It’s great to read strong female characters. There’s many more you’ll meet when you read this book.

It did take me a while to read this book, but I think it’s because I was enjoying it and didn’t want it to end. Stuart has created such an immersive world. As I read the book I just forgot about everything else. It also has real momentum. It’s a slow build that buy the time you reach the end there’s so much anticipation that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Now shall we talk about the ending?

The ending! I was so shocked! I still can’t believe it. So I’m obviously going to talk about this without giving anything away but the mystery of this book was revealed and I was shocked, but I thought it was a clever twist and I was satisfied. And then there was ANOTHER twist that I didn’t see coming and it shocked me to my core. I had to put the book down for a minute to comprehend what I’d just read.

Also, the ending sort of broke my heart in a way. If you’ve read it you’ll know what I mean.

I really recommend this book. It was brilliant. It’s exciting, immersive and so enjoyable. Please give this one a read. You won’t regret it.

Thank you to Laura at Bloomsbury for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now.

Until the next review

JTH

blog, blogtour, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, thriller, Uncategorised, ya

Book Review: The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

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Title: The Postscript Murders

Author: Elly Griffiths

Length: 342 pages

Publisher: Quercus

Synopsis: The death of a ninety-year-old woman shouldn’t be suspicious. DS Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing to concern her in carer Natalka’s account of Peggy Smith’s death. But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her. And that Peggy had been a ‘murder consultant’ who plotted deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than anyone has the right to. And when clearing out Peggy’s flat ends in Natalka being held at gunpoint by a masked figure. Well then DS Harbinder Kaur thinks that maybe there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all…

I’m super excited to be in the Social Media Blast for The Postscript Murders with Quercus Books. Definitely check out these fantastic bloggers and bookstagrammers for their reviews.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It just had everything you need in a good thriller. Here’s the thing, this book was exciting to read. I was excited to turn the page. I was excited to find out what happened. What more can you ask for?

When I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of how modern it felt. The whole story felt fresh. I think it was because of the characters. They were fantastic. You rooted for all these characters. I loved Harbinder. I loved that she was LGBTQ+, it was fantastic to see the kind of representation in the story and not be hid. Natalka is also great. As is Benedict. They felt like a real team and it was great to read.

Let’s talk about the mystery/ thriller aspect. I couldn’t figure it out. I just couldn’t and trust me I tried. Elly has crafted a mystery that you believe could have many outcomes so it keeps you on your toes. It was also really intricate between all the characters connections which I loved. It really kept it suspenseful. There was also some real cliffhangers in this book, so I just couldn’t put it down.

Now let’s talk about that ending shall we? The whole story is built up and comes together in these pages, and I had my suspicions as to who the murder was and I can confirm I was wrong! You know that feeling when you can’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened, this was me with The Postscript Murders.

I know this review is a bit vague in the way of plot, but I really don’t want to give anything away. Just be swept away and intrigued by all the twist and turns like I was.

Elly has crafted a great murder mystery/ thriller story here. It last gripping from start to finish. And like I said I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Thank you Ella at Quercus Books for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now.

Until the next review

JTH

blog, blogtour, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, thriller, Uncategorised, ya

Book Review: An Inconvenient Woman by Stéphanie Buelens

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Title: An Inconvenient Woman

Author: Stéphanie Buelens

Length: 302 pages

Publisher: Quercus

Synopsis: When Claire Fontaine learns that her ex-husband Simon is marrying again, to a woman with a teenage daughter, her blood runs cold. She is sure that years ago Simon molested her own daughter and was responsible for her mysterious death. She can’t let him get away with it a second time. Vandalism, harassment; whatever it takes, Claire will expose him. Simon doesn’t know where Claire got this delusion from; her daughter’s death was ruled a suicide. Why is she lashing out? Wanting to protect his new fiancée, he hires Sloane Wilson, an ex-cop turned ‘sin-eater’, whose job is to handle delicate cases without getting the police Involved. Simon gives her the task of getting Claire off his back. Sloane must navigate the wreckage of Claire and Simon’s marriage to discover the truth. Is she crazy, or is he manipulative? And can Sloane stay clear-headed enough to figure it out.

I’m also so excited to be on this social media blast for this fantastic book. Check out all these other reviews.

I don’t really read thrillers that often because I tend to find them a little disappointing, but I can gladly say I didn’t find this one disappointing at all. This is everything you want in a thriller. It was intense, suspenseful, intriguing, complex and just super enjoyable.

The question of An Inconvenient Woman is whether we believe Claire or her Ex-Husband Simon as to whether he abused his step daughter. This book definitely keeps you guessing as to who was telling the truth. I can say I believed Claire. There was just something about her character that made me. There’s another level to this book as Simon hires a ‘sineater’ to stop Claire trying to contact his future wife to warn her. This also made me feel like I believed Claire even more as Sloane the sineater was just ugh! But I’m not telling you the answer.

The plot goes to places I didn’t expect it to. It had many subplots and characters that all came together in ways I didn’t expect but it really made sense. The chapters were also short so it kept the pacing quick and fresh.

Here’s one of the (many) things I really enjoyed about this novel, it had so much heart. Claire had such a heartfelt, upsetting back story. It gave the novel and the characters another layer and so much depth. It really took this book to another level for me. Can we have more thrillers like this please?

The ending was so good. So, so good. I’m so glad it didn’t disappoint. It all came together in such a clever way and kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the end. It’s hard to write a review without giving it away. I’ll guess you’ll just have to read it. The ending felt very cinematic to me. It would make a fantastic mini-series.

I would definitely recommend this. It was engaging from the very first page to the end. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a novel I keep finding myself thinking about. It’s out now.

Thank you to Ella at Quercus for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review.

Until the next review

JTH

#fiction, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, gay, lgbt, queer, review, thriller, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC Book Review: Hideous Beauty by William Hussey

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Title: Hideous Beauty

Author: William Hussey

Length: 336 pages.

Publisher: YA Osbourne

Synopsis: Dylan is forced to come out after his secret relationship with Ellis is exposed on social media, but to his surprise everyone is really supportive-or at least they appear to be. But Dylan and Els relationship is short lived, and following a tragic accident, Dylan begins to realise how little he knows about the boy he loves, or those who knew him.

I read this book in one night, I never do that. I actually read it in under 3 hours. I couldn’t put it down. That tells you just how much I enjoyed it.

For Hideous Beauty to work as a novel, for the secrets to be in intriguing you have to believe the love story at the centre of the novel between Dylan and Ellis and I can say I did. It was incredibly sweet and was the heart of the book. It’s really heartbreaking what happens ( no spoilers). It deals with that first young love and all joys and heartache that comes with it. Hussey handles it beautifully. It’s so believeable.

I loved the characters. Hussey has created characters that are real, and heartfelt. William also show the complexity of gay teens, the feelings we feel growing up. Those moments of insecurity, those fleeting moments of self acceptance. I also loved the connection they had. It also deals with coming out and it’s dealt with well. It’s dealt with the way only an own voices author can.

This book is full of so much intrigue and mystery. It’s going to hard to talk about without any spoilers but as the story progresses and Dylan begins to receive drawing in the post that are clues, I couldn’t wait to find out who was sending them and what happened. It’s full of shocking, dark secrets that keep the novel moving at a fantastic pace. I couldn’t turn those damn pages fast enough.

The ending, it shocked me. Again, I really don’t want to spoil anything for you, but it made shed a little tear. Grab the tissues, you’re going to need them. I didn’t see it coming, and yet it perfectly fit the story. It was actually really heartbreaking.

I’ve really tried to talk about this book without giving any spoilers so you can experience every bit of this book.

I can’t recommend this book enough. William Hussey has written a beautifully complex, heartfelt novel. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.

Thank you to Osborne YA for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out May 28th.

Until the next review

JTH

blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, thriller, Uncategorised, ya

ARC Book Review: ‘The Guest List’ by Lucy Foley

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Title: The Guest List

Author: Lucy Foley

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Synopsis: It starts with a party.On a remote island, the guest gather for the wedding of the year- the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater. Old friends. Past grudges. Happy families. Hidden jealousies. Thirteen guests. One body. The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as storm unleashes it’s fury upon the island, everyone is trapped. All have a secret. All have a motive. It’ll end in murder.

Now, I have to be honest and say this type of genre isn’t my favourite. I don’t read them very often at all, but I devoured this one. It was so good.

I’m sure a lot of you have read ‘The Hunting Party’ by Lucy and she’s back with this new book, and I think you’ll all love this one just as much.

The story starts on the wedding night, at the reception, when all the lights go out and a scream is heard. The story then goes back to guests arriving on a small island to attend the glamorous wedding of their friend June and her tv star husband. They are all staying together in a rundown castle before the big day.

The story is told through the perspective of five characters. Normally, I don’t like this many and this book even adds more towards the end, but I really enjoyed it this novel. Each character is different and has its own story that really adds to the overall story. This led to a twist I didn’t see coming! It was nice to have so many layers to this story.

Also, with the story being set on a island, and the wedding taking place on a stormy night, it really sets up the perfect atmosphere. It’s sort of got this gothic, derelict feel to it and it was great for the story telling. Lucy really uses it to her advantage. It’s another aspect of this book that’s fantastic.

Now let’s talk about that ending. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out who was killed and who killed them. I’m surprised the pages didn’t start to smoke! The mystery and the tension had been built up so perfectly. I couldn’t figure it out and when it was revealed I was little disappointed. I thought it was cliched. But then BOOM, another twist happened and I was incredibly shocked! I didn’t see it coming. I was so surprised. I loved it. That’s what an excellent thriller is all about.

I hope this isn’t a spoiler, I didn’t think it is.

Lucy really has crafted the perfect thriller. It’s got interesting dynamic characters, so many layers to the book. With the story building and building till it reaches a climax that doesn’t disappoint. And Lucy does extremely well, and is clever is it’s not just a twist of the sake of it. It all made perfect sense. There was some foreshadowing that after the ending is revealed makes perfect sense. I love that.

I can’t recommend this book enough, it was thrilling. I even stayed up late to read it, mainly because I couldn’t put it down and had to know what happened, but I never stay up late. Make sure you pick up this book. Now you’ll have to excuse, I’m off to pick up a copy of ‘The Hunting Party’.

Thanks to Jen Harlow and Harper Collins UK for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out February 20th.

Until the next review

JTH