Review: The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

I've always enjoyed reading Megan Miranda's mystery novels. She is one of those authors who is consistently good, and The Last to Vanish is no exception.

The resort town of Cutter's Pass, just off the Appalachian Trail, has become notorious for a string of unsolved disappearances. Abigail works at the Passage Inn, where some of the missing people were last seen. It's a job she loves but she still doesn't feel fully accepted by the locals. When Trey West turns up to investigate his brother's disappearance, Abigail can sense the town closing ranks. Perhaps if she helps him, he'll leave and everything will return to normal? Maybe, maybe not - but is she prepared for what she is about to discover?

The Last to Vanish is a slow burn murder mystery. I loved the descriptions of the area and how Abigail feels like an outsider. Bit by bit we learn more about the people who disappeared, and their reasons for visiting Cutter's Pass, and more about the townsfolk and why they are so close-knit. There are some jaw-dropping twists, although one of these, towards the end, was in the form of undisclosed information, which I always feel is a bit of a cheat!

An enjoyable read, which should appeal to authors such as Julia Heaberlin, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. 

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Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda 

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Review: Survive the Night by Riley Sager

One of the best thing about Riley Sager is that each of his novels is a slightly different spin on crime fiction. Whereas Home Before Dark was a spooky suspense, Survive the Night is a cat-and-mouse thriller.

Movie-addict Charlie's way of coping with her parents' deaths is to turn stressful situations into a classic film inside her head. She has pills to prevent these hallucinations but the latest traumatic event in her life has her throwing them down the drain. Big mistake. Because when she decides to abandon her studies and return home, she accepts a lift from a fellow student who isn't quite who he seems to be. It doesn't help that as her suspicions grow, and her stress levels rise, her mind begins its favourite trick of putting a sinister twist on the most innocent of actions. Or maybe her mind isn't playing tricks at all. Maybe she really should be worried...

Survive the Night is an extremely clever thriller that mixes Charlie's fantasies with reality. If the main character isn't sure what is going on, the poor reader doesn't stand a chance! Although I was led up the garden path on a few occasions, I did guess the ending fairly quickly. There are lots of fabulous twists on the way, including the jaw-dropping epilogue. There is also a nail-biting finale and lots of classic film references for movie buffs, and pop culture references for those of us old enough to remember the 90s (er, hem...).

A fabulous read, great fun and thoroughly recommended! I can't wait for the film!

Thanks to Riley Sager and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Review: Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

I'm a huge fan of Megan Miranda's twisty mysteries and was thrilled to receive an early copy of her latest, Such a Quiet Place, about the small tight-knit community of Hollow's Edge. The kind of place that when something bad happens, it's easier for the residents to believe a newcomer is guilty rather than suspect one of their own.

Two years ago, Ruby Fletcher was convicted of the murders of Brandon and Fiona Truett on the testimonies of her friends and neighbours. Freed by a mistrial, Ruby is back and expecting to slot right back into her old life - much to the horror of her old 'friends', including housemate Harper. Why on earth has Ruby come back? Is she out for revenge? Or is it possible that she was innocent all along?

I enjoyed this slow-burn, claustrophobic murder mystery where the tension tightened as each clever twist was revealed. It perfectly captured the spirit of a small community working together to create a safe and pleasant neighbourhood for everyone. There's a Neighbourhood Watch, an online community board, and parties where everyone brings something for the BBQ. Hollow's Edge is a terrific place to live. Except everyone has security lights and cameras, and they obsess about each other's movements and actions. They think they know each other. They think they know each other's secrets...

This is one of those stories where everyone is a potential suspect so no one can be particularly likeable. Even Harper donates Ruby's belongings to a charity shop the moment she is convicted! I didn't guess the final twist, but I did miss the dash of romance I'd come to expect from Megan Miranda's previous novels. Such a Quiet Place should appeal to fans of domestic suspense and small town mysteries, and authors such as Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus (Atlantic Books) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

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The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Review: Down by the Water by Elle Connel

I downloaded this book because I'd read the blurb and somehow assumed it was a ghost story (boy appearing from nowhere in a photo, etc) but it's a psychological suspense!

A group of friends arrive at an isolated Scottish castle for a weekend hen party. They haven't seen each other since university and there are still secrets, tensions and old grudges simmering away beneath the surface. Their holiday starts off well but begins to go wrong when they are trapped for an extra few days and the food mysteriously runs out. Strange things happen, they squabble amongst themselves, but then one finds a diary that could explain everything...

I have mixed feelings about this story. The writing is good, the author is great at creating a creepy atmosphere and there is that constant feeling of menace. You just know Bad Things are going to happen. The characters are mostly horrible, particularly Georgie. I was hoping that if this was one of those books where they all got killed off one-by-one (it isn't), then she would be the first to go! While the second part of the story is a cracking read, the first part was a little too slow and I did have trouble working out who-was-who because of all the characters.

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves slow-burn suspense and books like The Hunting Party (Lucy Foley) and In a Dark, Dark Wood (Ruth Ware).

Thank you to Elle Connel and Wildfire (Headline) for my copy of this book which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. 

Halloween Reads 2020

After the year that's been 2020, you're probably not looking for any more scares! I know that I've been reading more romance and less crime fiction lately, purely because I need the escapism. But I've gathered together some of my favourite 'spooky' reads this year and listed them below. As per previous posts, they're not all strictly ghost or horror stories. One of my favourites, Magic Lessons, is historical fiction blended with magic realism. And Home Before Dark is one of those 'haunted or not' stories, where you're left to make up your own mind. 

Whatever you love to read, I'm sure there is something here for everyone!

Happy Halloween!

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

A prequel to Practical Magic and Rules of Magic, this tells the story of the Owens family matriarch, Maria Owens. Starting in 1664, when baby Maria is found abandoned in a snowy field and bearing the mark of a bloodline witch, it follows her adventures as she flees England via a Caribbean island to New York, before heading to a little town called Salem. And we all know what happened in Salem - or do we?

Genre: Historical Fiction/Magic Realism

Full review here:

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

When Maggie Holt was five years old her family moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling old Victorian mansion that already had a sinister reputation. They lasted all of three weeks before fleeing in the middle of the night, vowing never to return. No one would have known or cared - except Maggie's father wrote about their ghostly experiences. Now, nearly thirty years later, Maggie has the idea to move back into Baneberry Hall to renovate and sell it. She's not at all worried about the ghosts but because ghosts don't exist - do they?

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Suspense/Ghost Story

Full review here.

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

In 1634 the Saardam is on a voyage from Batavia to Amsterdam. Among the passengers is Samuel Pipps (a 17th century Sherlock Holmes), who is being transported to his execution accompanied by his loyal bodyboard, Arent. As soon as the ship sets sail, things start going wrong. The ghost of a dead leper stalks the decks, strange symbols appear on the sails and carved into the ship's timbers, and livestock is mysteriously slaughtered. Could there be a demon living amongst the ship's passengers and crew? With Samuel imprisoned below deck, all lives depend on Arent solving the mystery...

Genre: Historical Mystery/hint of Supernatural

Full review here:

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

It's 1985 and fifteen-year-old Lauren's life hasn't been the same since her father was found brutally murdered. Strangely, no one wants to talk about his death or how it happened. Lauren's best friend Miranda has become more interested in clothes, make-up and boys, and no longer wants to hang out with Lauren at the old ghost tree. But when the remains of two teenage girls are found and Lauren has a vision of a monster dragging them through the woods, she knows that she will have to be the one to do something no matter what anyone else believes.

Genre: YA/Supernatural/Horror

Full review here:

The Haunted Shore by Neil Spring

Although Lizzy grew up in an old Martello tower right on the beach, she has always felt uneasy about the place. After losing her job, she is forced to return to look after her invalid father. Unknown to Lizzy, her father's health (both mental and physical) has deteriorated significantly and her brother has hired the sinister and belligerent Hazel as a housekeeper/carer. If that wasn't enough, almost as soon as Lizzy moves back into the tower she begins hearing strange noises and glimpses ghostly figures on the beach. Is she imagining things or is the stress finally getting to her?

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Ghost Story

Full review here.

The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Lexi has conned her way into a job as a nanny even though she has no experience of working with children. Her new employer, Tom Faraday, is an architect working on a new-build in a rural part of Norway. This is the second house he has built on the site. The first one collapsed under mysterious circumstances. He is determined to finish this new house as a tribute to his late wife, Aurelia, who drowned in the fjord. Meanwhile, Lexi and his eldest daughter start seeing the ghostly figure of a woman, dripping with water...

Genre: Psychological Suspense/folk horror/ghost story

Full review here.

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Halloween Reads 2017

Five Reads That Chilled Me

Note:

All these books were read this year, obtained via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. If you'd like to know more about the other books I've read, or what I'm currently reading, you can find out more on my Goodreads profile.

Photo of pumpkins copyright: Fotolia 

Review: The Burial Circle (DI Wesley Peterson #24)

Kate Ellis is one of my favourite authors. I've read all her books but have a particular fondness for her detective series about DI Wesley Peterson.

The title of this story is The Burial Circle and I had got it into my head that this was something to do with an ancient stone circle. It actually refers to a 19th century basic insurance scheme covering the cost of funerals!

The Burial Circle has a slightly gothic vibe, which I loved, and is a perfect autumn/winter read. Central to the story is an old mill, where a suspected murderer once hid, and the house alongside it where a psychic weekend is being held. I really felt for the poor psychic, who felt bombarded on all sides from the restless spirts. This being a murder mystery, someone is soon murdered and everyone is a suspect. On top of this investigation, the body of a hitchhiker is found buried on farmland several years after she went missing. Can Wesley connect the two cases?

I love Kate Ellis's books because the mysteries are so twisty it is practically impossible to guess how they are going to end! They are so cleverly and perfectly plotted, it is incredible how she ties all the loose ends so neatly. The story's setting in a village where a series of unexplained deaths once took place, along with the spooky old mill, is very atmospheric. I especially love that her books always have a past mystery running through them, echoing the one in the present. 

This was a five-star read for me. Recommended for all readers of traditional murder mysteries, particularly fans of authors such as Elly Griffiths and Kate Rhodes.

Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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The Mermaid's Scream (Wesley Peterson #21) by Kate Ellis

The Death Season (Wesley Peterson #19) by Kate Ellis

The Shroud Maker (Wesley Peterson #18) by Kate Ellis

The Shadow Collector (Wesley Peterson #17) by Kate Ellis

The Cadaver Game (Wesley Peterson #16) by Kate Ellis

Review: The Haunted Shore by Neil Spring

I've enjoyed Neil Spring's supernatural thrillers since I read The Ghost Hunters. I love his blending of the paranormal with psychological chiller. In The Haunted Shore, parts of the story have been inspired by the rumours and WW2 legends centred on a remote stretch of coast in Suffolk called Shingle Street.

Although Lizzy grew up in an old Martello tower right on the beach, she has always felt uneasy about the place. After losing her job in London (and owing a huge amount of money to her dodgy ex-boss), she is forced to return to her childhood home. She agrees to look after her invalid father while her elder brother takes on a new job. Unknown to Lizzy, her father's health (both mental and physical) has deteriorated significantly and her brother has hired the sinister and belligerent Hazel as a housekeeper/carer. If that wasn't enough, almost as soon as Lizzy moves back into the tower she begins hearing strange noises and glimpses ghostly figures on the beach. Is she imagining it or is the stress finally beginning to get to her?

Well, this frightened me half-to-death! The end, in particular, was super-scary - no sleeping without the lights on for me! I loved the unusual setting and the way Neil wove the real-life history of the area into the story. His descriptions of the tower and the beach were incredibly atmospheric, and Lizzy was an engaging heroine. I loved the way she was able to conquer her own personal demons too.

An excellent read for Halloween, particularly if you like chilling psychological suspense mixed in with your ghosts!

Thank you to Neil Spring and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

The cover of The Nesting is absolutely gorgeous and the premise, a modern gothic, was right up my street. I was thrilled to receive an early copy.

The story is about Lexi, who is in desperate straits after both a failed relationship and a failed suicide attempt. She's soon homeless and out of a job too! When she sees an opportunity, she cons her way into a job as a nanny even though she has no experience of working with children. Her new employer, Tom Faraday, is an architect working on a new-build in a rural part of Norway. This is the second house he has built on the site. The first one collapsed under mysterious circumstances but he is determined to finish this new house as a tribute to his late wife, Aurelia, who drowned in the fjord.

The Nesting is a super-spooky, gothic suspense. The chills occur as soon as Lexi arrives in Norway, with both Lexi and one of the children seeing a ghostly figure dripping with water - Aurelia's body was fished out of the fjord.  Also running through the story are extracts from Aurelia's diary, which adds an element of mystery - did she kill herself or not?  And if so, who is to blame? (There are no shortage of suspects!) Adding an extra layer to the story are snippets of Norwegian folk tales.

The Nesting is an interesting blend of ghost story, gothic mystery and domestic suspense, which leaves the reader wondering if Lexi and Aurelia are imagining what they are seeing. (All is explained at the nail-biting finish!) The lush Norwegian landscape is incredibly atmospheric and makes an effective backdrop to the spooky events. It certainly frightened me! I thoroughly enjoyed The Nesting and have no hesitation in recommending it as the perfect chilling winter read. 

Thank you to C.J. Cooke and Harper Collins UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.  

Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

I love Riley Sager's books. He takes a classic horror trope, puts a modern spin on it and then twists it out of all recognition. Home Before Dark is a super-spooky read that mashes up The Amityville Horror and The Haunting of Hill House (the Netflix version), with a dash of The Enfield Haunting, and creates something new and sparkling.

When Maggie Holt was five years old her family moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling old Victorian mansion that already had a sinister reputation. They lasted all of three weeks before fleeing in the middle of the night, never to return. No one would have known or cared - except Maggie's father then decided to write a book about their ghostly experiences. Now, nearly thirty years later, both Baneberry Hall and Maggie are still notorious.

The story starts as Maggie's father dies and she inherits the house. She's a property developer so she has the idea to move into Baneberry Hall and renovate it to sell. She's not at all worried about the ghosts but because ghosts don't exist - do they?

This is such a fun (and spooky!) read. If you love ghost and haunted house stories, you will absolutely adore this. If' you've read lots of horror you'll recognise the nods to various books. I was on the edge of my seat throughout most of the story, which I read very quickly because I couldn't put it down. It was doubly unfortunate that after the scariest part I was supposed to be putting the light out and going to sleep - as if!

I loved the characters. I loved the setting and the historical background the author created. The clever little twists - the graveyard is one but I can't say any more before of spoilers. I can't say much because of spoilers, actually, so I'll just say that it's a five-star read and I particularly liked the way some of the threads were left loose at the end for you to make your own mind up about what really happened...

Thank you to Riley Sager and Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book, which I received via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin

I downloaded this book because I couldn't resist the gorgeous cover and Julia Heaberlin is one of my favourite authors. 

Ten years ago the town's sweetheart Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody hand-print behind. The townsfolk always believed her brother Wyatt had something to do with it and he's now become a recluse. Odette was once Wyatt's best friend and even she isn't entirely sure of his innocence. So when she discovers that he has a young girl at his house, that he says he 'found' at the side of the road, it's hard for Odette not to assume the worst.

The story is told from three points of view: Wyatt's, when he finds a young girl lying asleep in a field surrounded by a ring of dandelions; Odette's, as she tries to discover the girl's identity but finds herself becoming obsessed with the murder of Trumanell instead; and the teenage Angie, who arrives in the small Texas town determined to discover the truth behind the mystery.

I love Julia Heaberlin's novels because they never go in quite the way you think. We Are All the Same in the Dark has a huge twist in the middle (which I hated) but it does give the story a unique edge. It's not a fast-paced thriller, more of a slow-burn mystery, with each clue revealed in a careful 'blink and you'll miss it' kind of way. The author takes the time to build up a deliciously creepy atmosphere, until you're convinced every character is the murderer! Halfway through I was so worried I admit I took a peek at the end. (Don't do this!!!) I'm not sure if I would have guessed the outcome if I hadn't known it in advance.

We Are All the Same in the Dark has an almost gothic feel with some super-scary scenes (the very claustrophobic stuck-in-a-barn-during-a-tornado scene), particularly towards the nail-biting finish. As with the author's earlier novels, I loved the quirky characters, especially Wyatt and Odette. I even warmed towards Rusty towards the end.

I'd recommend We Are All the Same in the Dark to anyone who loves slow-burn psychological suspense populated with eccentric characters. I can also see it appealing to fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware. This was a five-star read for me.

Thank you to Julia Heaberlin and Michael Joseph (Penguin UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell is one of my all-time favourite authors, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of Invisible Girl.

Teenager Saffyre Maddox has been self-harming since a childhood trauma. Unable to confide in her therapist, Roan Fours, she becomes obsessed with him instead. She follows him around, learning where he lives and all about his life with his family, and he doesn't suspect a thing. She's become 'invisible'. Owen Pick lives in the house opposite Roan but feels as though no one ever really 'sees' him. He's drifting through life, feeling more out of step with the world every day, until he wakes up to find his face is splashed all over the newspapers and wishes he really was invisible.

Lisa Jewell is one of those authors you can always rely on to dish up a cracking good story. She even manages to make one of London's swishest places seem sinister with a fright around every dark corner. Her particular skill is to make us really care about her characters, from her most unlikely heroes to the villains (The Family Upstairs). I particularly loved hapless Owen, bumbling from crises to crises, mostly of his own making. I also felt for the middle-aged, middle-class Cate, who discovers her new life in Hampstead is not turning out to be as perfect as she assumed it would be. This is a theme running through the story: appearances are deceptive, be careful who you judge - and trust! Because, like the fox living in the wasteland opposite Cate's house, there are predators walking amongst us, always ready to strike.

Invisible Girl is one of my favourite reads this year. Lisa Jewell's fans will definitely not be disappointed!

Invisible Girl will be published on 6th August 2020.

Thanks to Lisa Jewell and Cornerstone/Century/Random House UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

I downloaded this book because I am a huge fan of Megan Miranda's twisty thrillers.

As a six-year-old, Arden was washed down a storm drain after sleepwalking out of her house. There was a massive search, involving the entire town and the nation's press, before she was found safe and well. As she grew older and unable to cope with her notoriety, Arden changed her name to Olivia and moved away. Twenty years later, Olivia is sleepwalking again and wakes to find the corpse of a man at her feet...

The Girl from Widow Hills is one of those books where you think you've worked out the end from the start but the author delights in proving you wrong! It starts out as a slow burn before picking up speed and racing towards a clever, nail-biting finish. The events from twenty years ago were included within the story in the form of old interviews and it was fun to see where the two timelines began to contradict each other. I particularly loved the character of Olivia, who is prickly and mistrustful even to those who want to help. And that the one person she does trust is the one person everyone else is telling her to be wary of!

The Girl from Widow Hills is a psychological suspense that will tie you up in knots trying to work out the answer. Would appeal to fans of authors such as Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell. This is one of my favourite reads of this year. I couldn't put it down! 

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus (Atlantic Books) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: Island of Secrets by Rachel Rhys

I was attracted to this book due to the gorgeous cover and because I love historical fiction and exotic locations.

It's 1957 and Iris Bailey is working in a typing pool in dreary old England but dreams of being an artist. To earn extra money she has been drawing the portraits of the rich and famous at Society parties. At one of these parties she meets Nell, the daughter of a famous Hollywood director, who hires Iris to draw the guests at her father's wedding in Havana. It is a fabulous opportunity but once Iris arrives she realises she is hopelessly out of her depth. Even with her lack of sophistication she can see the stark contrast between rich and poor. Cuba is on the brink of revolution...

I really enjoyed Island of Secrets. The glamorous setting of 50s Havana is beautifully realised and seamlessly woven into the story is an intriguing mystery. Nell's movie-star step-mother died in unusual circumstances and Iris soon realises any one of the wedding guests could be a murderer.

One thing I particularly loved about this story is that everyone has some kind of a secret and none of the guests are quite who they seem. There is Nell's eccentric blended family and her father's dangerous mob contacts, along with Iris's new friends Eugene and Joe - a reporter and photographer who have been sent by Life magazine to cover the celebrations. Thanks to the clever little twists I didn't guess the identity of the murderer either, so this was pretty much the perfect book for me.  

I'd recommend Island of Secrets to anyone who loves historical fiction with a bit of a mystery and a dash of romance. I enjoyed it so much I've now bought the author's previous book, A Fatal Inheritance.


Thank you to Rachel Rhys and Black Swan (Random House UK/Transworld) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Glass House by Eve Chase

Eve Chase is one of my favourite authors. I love her dual timeline stories about old houses, and dysfunctional families with dark secrets in their past. I love her books so much it would be hard to choose a favourite. Like a box of quality chocolates, each is equally delicious!

The Glass House is about Rita, who is nicknamed 'Big Rita' on account of her height. She takes on the job of nanny with the glamorous and wealthy Harrington family but soon things go terribly wrong. Jeannie Harrington loses her baby and suffers a breakdown. Her husband sends her and the children to their country house (the remote Foxcote Manor, hidden away in the Forest of Dean) to recover. Rita is given strict instructions to watch over Jeannie and report back to him. As Jeannie goes into a further decline, her daughter finds a baby in the woods and brings her home...

The Glass House (the title refers to Rita's antique terrarium) is a beautifully written, very atmospheric gothic suspense. It's a slow burn, but all the better to appreciate each layer of the mystery unfold. There are two timelines: the early 1970s and the present day. As well as the family secrets, there is a murder mystery too. The ultimate ending was not hard to work out but there are lots of little twists along the way, most of which took me by surprise! I even got the identity of the murderer wrong! I loved the sweet, touching romance between Rita and Robbie, and found myself still thinking about this story several days after I'd finished the book.

The Glass House is one of my favourite reads this year. It would suit readers who love stories about spooky old houses, with characters who have deep, dark secrets, and anyone who is a fan of authors such as Lulu Taylor, Kate Morton and Daphne du Maurier. Thoroughly recommended!

Thank you to Eve Chase and Michael Joseph/Penguin UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is famous for his edge-of-your-seat thrillers, usually in a domestic setting, where old secrets threaten to tear a family apart. This story is slightly different. I think it is now my favourite of all his books but please don't make me choose!

Hester Crimstein is a seventy-year-old defence attorney who is also famous for her own television show (something like Judge Judy). Her grandson, Matthew, is worried about a girl who has gone missing at school - a girl that nobody likes and whom everyone picks on. Hester asks Wilde (a family friend who is also a private investigator) to look into the case for her. Wilde is a very interesting character: a man who was found living 'feral' in the woods as a child. Although incredibly smart, he's not been able to adjust to 'normal' life and still lives in a self-contained 'pod' in the forest. As he investigates the girl's disappearance, another teenager goes missing - and a human finger is posted to the parents...

My favourite character was the ass-kicking Hester but I did love Wilde and his intriguing backstory, and was rooting for him to have his own happy ending. Harlan Coben is a master at writing fast-paced thrillers so I was chomping down on my nails for a large chunk of the book, and his twists are always second-to-none. I read a lot of crime fiction, so it's a big deal for me when I can't guess the ending. I shall definitely be re-reading to see how he fooled me. Utterly brilliant and thoroughly recommended for all Harlan's fans, and readers of authors such as Linwood Barclay and Lee Child.


Thank you to Harlan Coben and Cornerstone (Century) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of The Family Upstairs. I was utterly gripped right from the start - I read the second half in a day! It has everything I love in a book - an old family mystery, a big spooky house, and a thoroughly creepy atmosphere.

Libby Jones works hard selling designer kitchens to the rich and famous but still only scrapes a living. She has a long-term plan: a few more years in her job and, if she's not been promoted, she's off. Then she receives a letter. She's inherited a house in the famous Cheyne Walk in Chelsea, worth millions. The drawback? Once the home of a weird cult, it was supposedly the scene of a bizarre suicide pact twenty-five years ago -  the only survivor was baby Libby. But what really happened that night?

The story is told from three points of view. Libby, Henry (a young boy who lived in the house), and a middle-aged woman now living a hand-to-mouth existence in the South of France. How are these very different people connected?

It would be far more fun for you to read this story without knowing too much about it! So I'll just say I loved the old house, with it's 'hidden' (servants') staircase and sinister locked rooms. Henry was my favourite character, along with Miller - the slobby investigative journalist who helps Libby uncover the secrets in her past. There's a nod to a famous 90s movie about a real-life murderer, the story is jam-packed with twist after twist, the characters are thoroughly engaging, and the final line is an absolute classic. Brilliant stuff!

The Family Upstairs is my favourite read this year and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who loves a clever, twisty mystery with a dollop of chilling gothic suspense.  

Thank you to Lisa Jewell and Cornerstone (Random House) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

I chose to read The Last House Guest because I love Megan Miranda's books - and this is my favourite so far! I think it's because her stories take me into a completely different world and lifestyle - in this case, the fictional harbour town of Littleport in Maine, USA.

Littleport is a popular holiday destination for the wealthy, some of whom stay for the entire summer. Once such family are the Lomans, who have also been buying houses to rent out, causing resentment amongst the locals. Friendships between these two very diverse communities are unheard of, yet Avery Greer and Sadie Loman have been friends for over a decade, fascinated by each other's life. Is there something more sinister behind their friendship? When Sadie is found dead, Avery is determined to find out the truth.

The clever thing about this story is that nothing is quite as it seems. The more Avery investigates, the more she discovers that her assumptions about people and events are quite wrong. And why, exactly did Sadie chose her for a friend?

I loved the contrast between the powerful Loman family, who employ Avery to manage their rentals, and the local families who are slowly being driven out of business - and understandably feel resentful. There are lots of young, attractive characters, all of whom seem to have something to hide. I think this was another reason I really enjoyed the book. Each clue is hiding in plain sight but it still drove me crazy trying to work out 'whodunit'. Even though I read lots of crime fiction, I didn't guess who it was! And I loved the epilogue!

This won't appeal to anyone looking for a gritty psychological thriller. It's more of a suspense/mystery and the tone is almost YA/New Adult in places - which is exactly what I liked about it! So if you're looking for a slice of holiday escapism, dished up with a fiendishly clever puzzle, this is the book for you. Thoroughly recommended! 

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda 

Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

This book caught my eye because of the cover and I'd heard lots of good things about it.

Quincy, Sam and Lisa are the sole survivors of three separate killing sprees, leading the press to nickname them 'the Final Girls'. Each one is beginning to rebuild their lives, when Lisa is unexpectedly found dead in mysterious circumstances. Should Quincy and Sam be worried? Has someone started targeting the Final Girls?  

I'm not reading as much crime as I used to because if you've read as many as I have, the plots begin to feel a little familiar! However, Final Girls is extremely well written, with very engaging characters, and I particularly enjoyed the modern writing style. I have to admit this kept me reading when I was convinced I'd worked out exactly what was going on. But it turned out Riley Sager had some excellent twists up his sleeve and the ending completely threw me. I do love books like that!

I think my favourite character was Sam, because of the way she kept pushing at Quincy to remember the night her friends were killed. And I loved the way Quincy's life began to unravel as her memory came back! I can't say much more because of spoilers, but I really enjoyed Final Girls and would recommend it to anyone who loves twisty thrillers, and references to those old-style horror movies where a bunch of teenagers head off to a cabin in the woods and get killed off one by one!

Review: A Keeper by Graham Norton

I absolutely loved Graham Norton's last book, Holding, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, perhaps another cosy-ish crime story, but A Keeper is much darker and quite sad in places.

Elizabeth Keane has returned to her childhood home in Ireland after her mother's death, intending to close up and sell the house. Instead, she finds a cache of letters hidden in her mother's wardrobe, making mention of the father Elizabeth never knew. That, combined with another unexpected inheritance, makes Elizabeth determined to investigate her mother's past.

"She imagined her family tree as a couple of bare branches with an ancient vulture perched on one of them."

As always, the character studies and dialogue are brilliant. Despite the sadness of the tale (towards the end), there are some funny one-liners too. Instead of multiple viewpoints, like Holding, A Keeper is mostly told from just two - Elizabeth in the present day and Patricia (her mother) in the 1970s. Because I was thoroughly enjoying the story, it didn't dawn on me until about two-thirds of the way through that this is a story about mothers and their relationship with their children. Clever title too!

The dual timeline, the strong female characters and the challenges they face would appeal to fans of authors such as Eve Chase and Lulu Taylor. I read a lot of books, so I kind of knew where the story was heading, but there were some good twists that took me completely by surprise. (So that will teach me to be smug!) 1970s rural Ireland is very well realised and, as I've said, the characters are brilliant and I loved them, flaws and all.

A five-star read, thoroughly recommended! 

Thank you to Graham Norton and Coronet (Hodder and Stoughton) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related review:

Holding by Graham Norton