Review: The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

I was attracted to this book by the absolutely beautiful cover, and then I remembered that I had read and enjoyed the author's previous book, The Nesting. While The Nesting was definitely a ghost story, The Lighthouse Witches is a mash-up of several difference genres: gothic mystery, psychological thriller, there is even a dash of science fiction. Although I started the story with an idea of where I thought it was going (apparently I've watched too many 70's folk horror movies), the twist at the end is astounding - and extremely clever.

The Lighthouse Witches takes place over several timelines. In the 1600s, Patrick watches helplessly as those he loves are accused of witchcraft - the penalty is death; in the 1990s, Liv escapes her problems by fleeing to a remote Scottish island, Lon Haven, where the inhabitants are a superstitious lot, obsessed with witches and curses; and in the present day, Luna travels back to Lon Haven hoping to discover the truth about what happened to her family, twenty-two years previously.

Although I found the constant switching between timelines confusing at first (despite the helpfully labelled chapters and changes of font - yes, I know, I'm an idiot) I was soon gripped by the story and read the book in two days flat. The sinister islanders, the atmospheric setting, the general creepiness of the story, all make for a fabulous autumn read. I loved it!

Thank you to C.J. Cooke and HarperCollins for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Review:

The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Review: The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2) by Naomi Novik

I am a huge fan of Naomi Novik's YA fantasy novels, especially Spinning Silver and Uprooted. Her Scholomance series is a little bit different, set at a dark school for magic. Unlike Hogwarts, this school seems to actively want to kill off its students!

The Last Graduate is the second book in the Scholomance series. It's like a cross between those witch/wizard school stories, like Harry Potter and The Worst Witch, with a hefty dose of The Hunger Games thrown in, and is both brutal and a little bit gruesome at times. Sure, the students at this school are here to learn magic, but they are also here to survive at any cost, which encourages an every-student-for-themselves mentality.

El and her friends are now seniors with the prospect of graduation looming ahead of them. You'd think they'd be delighted to leave the school far behind, except the graduation ceremony is the most deadly of all, with every mal (monster) waiting to devour them as soon as they enter the graduation hall. The practise runs are getting deadlier and deadlier, El can see no way for the students to survive unless they do something really radical... Like, work together?

This series is completely thrilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff, with El battling monsters and spells hurtling at her from every direction. The finale is amazing but (be warned) ends on a humongous cliff-hanger. The amount of work Naomi has put into creating this world, with no detail overlooked, is awe-inspiring. It reminded me a little of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. With that book the backstories were dropped into footnotes, and I did sometimes feel that all the detail (fabulous as it was) slowed down The Last Graduate just when I wanted to race ahead.

I loved the attitude of El (Student most like to say: 'Get lost, I can rescue myself'), who has spent most of her life being viewed with suspicion (thanks to her great-great grandmother's prophecy predicting she's going to cause death and destruction wherever she goes), and is unused to taking a hero's role. Orion, who has spent most of his life training to be a hero, is adorably confused. And El's familiar, Precious the mouse, is sooo cute! 

One of my favourite reads this year! I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Naomi Novik and Del Ray/Cornerstone/Random House for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Review: Horseman by Christina Henry

I love the way Christina Henry takes well-known classic tales and puts her own spin on them, turning them into something new and fresh. Horseman is a 'sequel' to Irving Washington's classic story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, taking place about twenty years later.

Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows of the legendary Horseman, but no one really believes in him until fourteen year old Ben stumbles upon the headless body of a child in the woods. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favourite stories, so I loved the way some of the original text was sprinkled through the book, acting like a touchstone. Ben's grandparents are the famous Brom and Katrina, now wealthy farmers, which causes friction in the village due to jealousy and Brom's habit of ensuring he is always at the centre of things. While Ben is desperate to grow up to be just like Brom, the main theme of the story is about being true to yourself, accepting who you really are and not being afraid to be different. Horseman is also a story about the importance of friendship and family.

Like the inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow, you might think you know the legend of the Horseman but there are still plenty of surprises here! There's more than one monster for a start! The creepy setting and evil lurking in the woods also reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. Like Christina's previous book, The Ghost Tree, I am not sure if the story is supposed to be a  Young Adult, but it does read like one. There are some gruesome bits (headless bodies!) but it's not too scary. I wasn't so keen on the 'ten years later' segment at the end of the book, which I found rather sad, but I did enjoy the final twist. 

Horseman is a deliciously chilling read for autumn. A historical horror story dripping with sinister atmosphere, Christina's fans will love it - along with anyone who adored the original story. A perfect Halloween treat!

Horseman will be published in the UK on 28th September 2021

Thank you to Christina Henry and  Titan Books for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Near the Bone by Christina Henry

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

Review: The Midnight Hour (The Brighton Mysteries #6) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite mystery writers and I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Midnight Hour via NetGalley. This story is number 6 in her Brighton Mysteries, which is slightly darker than her Ruth Galloway series, and runs from 1950 to 1965 (so far!). While it is possible to enjoy this story without reading the others first, each book introduces more main characters, who all become involved in solving the mysteries, so you might find it a little confusing if you don't start with the first one (The Zig Zag Girl).

Brighton, 1965. When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found poisoned, suspicion immediately falls on his much younger wife, ex-variety star Verity Malone. The evidence is stacked up against her; even her son thinks she did it. Exasperated by the police, Verity calls in two private detectives to clear her name: ex-police sergeant Emma Holmes and journalist Sam Collins. It soon becomes apparent that Bert had a very long list of enemies. In fact, it would be easier to find someone who didn't want to kill him...

The Midnight Hour is more light-hearted than the other Brighton Mysteries and in a similar style to Elly's recent bestseller, The Postscript Murders. Rather than DI Edgar Stephens (now a superintendent) and famous variety magician Max Mephisto solving the murders, in this book it is Emma (Edgar's wife) and Sam, with the police represented by DI Bob Willis and WPC Meg Connelly, although Emma and Meg do most of the legwork as Sam is chasing a news story in Manchester.

The Midnight Hour is set in the run up to Halloween and Elly has had a lot of fun adding spooky elements to the story. Max is working on a new film in Whitby, playing the part of Dracula's dad, and at one point Meg is convinced she's seeing a real vampire. There are also other tiny supernatural hints.

Despite the light-heartedness, there are darker moments and some serious themes are touched upon. This is the 1960s, so a reoccurring one is equality between the sexes and women's rights, along with harassment and  bullying in the workplace. As the story takes place in 1965, it also mentions the Moors Murderers. 

The Midnight Hour is probably my favourite of the series to date. I particularly liked the character of Meg (along with her eccentric family) and I hope she appears again. There are lots of red herrings; I was led up and down the garden path several times and didn't guess the identity of the murder at all.

Recommended to anyone who loves brilliantly written, fiendishly plotted murder mysteries with fabulous characters. One of my favourite reads this year.

The Midnight Hour will be published in the UK on 30th September 2021

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

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The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

Review: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty specialises in big family dramas that are a little bit darker than they first appear and always have a strong mystery at the core. I've read and loved both Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, but I think Apples Never Fall is my favourite so far. 

The story is set in Australia and centres around the Delaney family. Thirty years ago, Joy and Stan were moderately successful tennis players but when their children were born they gave up the circuit and switched to running a training academy. While each of their children inherited their talent, none of them were good enough to take it further. The very competitive Troy is now a wealthy trader. Logan, who makes a point not to compete at anything any more, teaches business studies. The youngest, Brooke, forever playing catch-up, has recently opened her own physiotherapy practice.  Only Amy remains a free spirit/problem child - depending which parent you ask!

This is one of those stories where if the characters had just sat down and talked through their problems with a family therapist, this would have been a very short, dull book! And if Joy had not vanished without trace at the start of the book, with husband Stan soon touted as the main suspect, all the Delany's simmering and festering tensions would never have rocketed to the surface. As the police begin their investigation, each character is forced to re-examine their past, and how their family relationships - and tennis! - has contributed to how they've shaped their lives. 

Apples Never Fall is an incredibly clever, twisty family drama with brilliantly drawn characters that feel very true-to-life. Liane's skill is such that whichever viewpoint I was reading, that person became my favourite character - until the next scene! If the epilogue seems longer than one would expect, keep reading for a jaw-dropping finish! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Apparently there is a TV series on the way. I can't wait!

Apples Never Fall will be published in the UK on 14th September 2021.

Thank you to Liane Moriarty and Michael Joseph (Penguin) for my copy of this book, which I received via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Review: A House Through Time by David Olusoga and Melanie Backe-Hansen

I loved watching the BBC television series, A House Through Time, presented by David Olusoga. I adore history and finding out about old houses, and had assumed this book tied into that with perhaps a little bit about how to go about researching the history of your own house. Although the first chapter does give lots of tips on how to do this, A House Through Time is pretty much what the title suggests - a social history of housing from Roman times to the present date. There are also a few references to the houses that featured in the TV series, where relevant.

Reading this book felt a lot like sitting in a time machine, watching as houses were built, knocked down and built over again. We moved rapidly through the medieval period, got slightly bogged down with Victorian slums, before speeding up again through the 20th century. The book is packed full of quirky facts - who knew that chimneys weren't invented until the 1200s? - and the fascinating lives of the people who influenced trends (both good and bad!) in house building.

Although A House Through Time was not quite what I was expecting, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Of particular interest to me was the section on the Victorian 'villas' (I grew up in one and this book explains a lot!), the back-to-back slums that my ancestors lived in, and how the cancellation of brick tax meant builders could go mad with different patterns and ornamentations. I had often wondered why this became a trend!

Recommended for anyone who loves old houses, history, and would like to research their own house's history.

Thank you to David Olusoga, Melanie Backe-Hansen and Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

Christmas could hardly be Christmas without a Karen Swan book! Actually, her Christmas stories are usually winter-themed, rather than over-the-top festive, but Christmas always gets a mention! I love that Karen sets each of her books in a different location too. It's like going on holiday without leaving your chair!

In this story, award-winning director Clover Phillips is enjoying the accolades from her last documentary when she encounters Kit Foley, a surfer and snowboarder as famous for controversy as he is for winning championships. Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never told his side of the story. Determined to change that, Clover heads to the Austrian Alps with the intention of making Kit the subject of her next documentary. It's hard to get the truth out of someone who hates you, and goes out of their way to avoid you, but is Kit really the heartless monster that everyone believes he is?

A good indicator of how much I love a book is that as soon as I get to the end, I want to start over from the beginning again! I adore flawed characters, and both Clover and Kit are very flawed. Both are obsessed with their careers and neither will let any kind of distraction get in the way. I read this book during the summer Olympics, which worked really well, because I had an insight into how focused athletes have to be if they want to reach the very top.

Midnight in the Snow is an unusual story because (knowing what he has done in the past) it is hard to see how Kit can redeem himself. Everyone hates him, yet he still pushes himself into competing. There are hints of a man on the edge of a breakdown, indicating that perhaps he does care about what people think. As Clover catches glimpses of the man behind his façade, she realises that she'll have to risk alienating him for ever if the truth is to come out.

Midnight in the Snow was my favourite read this year and I'm looking forward to the treat of reading it again over Christmas! It's the perfect winter read, particularly if you like stories with high stakes, enemies-to-lovers tropes, and something a little bit different from those other Christmas books. Also, gorgeous cover!  

Thank you to Karen Swan and Pan for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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The Christmas Party by Karen Swan
The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan

Together by Christmas by Karen Swan

The Secret Path by Karen Swan

Review: The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to authors if I'm feeling a bit down. Her heart-warming romantic comedies are always guaranteed to put the smile back on my face. I was so excited to receive an early copy of The Christmas Escape I couldn't wait to read it - even though it was the middle of summer!

Christy Sullivan has planned the perfect Christmas holiday to Lapland with her husband Seb, daughter Holly and best friend Alix. She's also hoping to finally meet her long-lost aunt Robyn. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with Seb. How can she deprive her daughter of a dream holiday? Her solution is to ask Alix to take her daughter, with the help of Seb's friend Zac, and they will all reunite on Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for? Well, there's nothing Alix won't do for Christy but Christy's plan is going to severely test their friendship, because Alix and Zac have a complicated history of their own...

The Christmas Escape is about family and friendships, how those relationships change over time and need to adapt. My favourite character was Alix. I love characters with flaws and poor Alix has a lot of emotional baggage. Although a loyal friend, she has a habit of speaking her mind - very bluntly. She's never been much of a fan of Seb either - tricky when he's married to her best friend! Due to her own dysfunctional childhood, she hasn't got a clue about Christmas or how to look after children. Now Christy has entrusted her with Holly, who is one of those children that things just 'happen' to. How can Alix hope to keep Holly safe in Lapland, with so many accidents waiting to happen? Then there's Zac, who she was perfectly happy to never see again after their last explosive encounter. Now she's expected her to go on holiday with him? This won't be the relaxing break she was hoping for...

One of my favourite books this year, The Christmas Escape is the perfect festive read, especially for fans of Sarah Morgan, authors like Jill Shalvis, enemies-to-lovers tropes, destination fiction, feel-good romantic comedy, and anyone who's ever dreamt of escaping the humdrum for a perfect Christmas! 

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

Review: Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas (#7 The Ravenels)

I love Lisa Kleypas's historical romances. They are perfect escapism. This is number 7 in The Ravenels series but it can easily be read as a standalone. When characters from earlier books pop up, it is fully explained who they are.

Devil in Disguise is about Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed widow who is running her late husband's shipping company. London Society has been dying to catch her in a scandal but so far she has been too clever to provide them with one. Then she meets Keir MacRae, a whisky distiller from a remote Scottish island, and all her plans disappear like smoke. 

Devil in Disguise is definitely going on my favourites pile, right up there with Love in the Afternoon (#5 The Hathaways) and Devil in Winter (#3 The Wallflowers). I loved that Merritt is such a strong, independent character, running her own business (would we have accepted anything less from Lillian's daughter?) I absolutely adored Keir, who is not an aristocrat but a working class Scot trying to get his head around the strange customs (and language) of the upper class English. It makes for some very funny moments. As well as a scorching (literally) romance there is also a mystery - someone wants Keir dead, the sooner the better.

It took me a chunk of the book to realise that Merritt's mother is Lillian from It Happened One Autumn (#2 in The Wallflowers series). Despite being a Ravenel book, other characters from The Wallflower series also appear, including Marcus and Sebastian. While it was lovely to see how these characters were getting on, I felt that too much time was given to Sebastian. There were even scenes and chapters written from his viewpoint. Now, I do love Sebastian. He's one of my favourite Lisa Kleypas characters, but he is also a very strong character and this was supposed to be Kier's story.  

Despite that, Devil in Disguise is utterly fabulous and I am sure the author's fans will love it, along with anyone who loves escapist historical romance and authors such as Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare.

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

Related posts:

Review: Hello Stranger (The Ravenels #4) by Lisa Kleypas

Review: The Devil in Spring (The Ravenels #3) by Lisa Kleypas

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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Final Girls by Riley Sager

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Home Before Dark by Riley Sager