Author: Christina McDonald

Dark Waters by Mary-Jane Riley Alex feels like she’s stagnating since she left London, so when she hears a story on the news about two men who’ve been discovered dead in an apparent suicide pact, she’s desperate to sink her teeth into a good story and decides to investigate. The story is well structured, an…

Take Me In by Sabine Durrant My rating: 5 of 5 stars An utterly compelling psychological thriller that had me gripped from the first page. Take Me In is a brilliant character study of two people who don’t know how to get out of the cycle of their own destruction and self-sabotage. On a family…

Keep You Close by Lucie Whitehouse My rating: 5 of 5 stars After 10 years not talking to her best friend, Rowan receives a call that Marianne has died. Convinced it wasn’t an accident, Rowan returns to Oxford and begins investigating Marianne’s death. Well-plotted, fast-paced and intriguing, Keep You Close is simultaneously atmospheric and tense…

Bone by Bone by Sanjida Kay My rating: 4 of 5 stars Single mother Laura and her daughter Autumn have just moved to Bristol from London. Autumn almost immediately begins to be bullied at her new school. But when Laura tries to put a stop to it she makes a horrible choice that has far…

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a difficult book to review, possibly because it was completely different from how I expected it to be, which was a sweet, coming of age book. Instead it was about family, not living up to expectations, and how…

The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Silent Wife is a family saga/drama that tells the story of two women who are the wives of two Italian brothers, exploring the difficulties of second marriages. An intricate, character-driven story about two very different women, exploring themes of domestic abuse and…

Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims My rating: 4 of 5 stars Why Mummy Drinks is a hilarious insight into the life of Ellen and her typically middle class family. Written very much in the style of Bridget Jones, it is witty and sharp, with a huge amount of swearing and an even huger amount…

Gone for Good by David Bell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Gone for Good is one of those books you pick up and before you know it, you’ve finished the whole thing. It’s just a supremely engaging, easy read that you’ll absolutely fly through, similar in style to Mary Kubiza or Kimberly Bell. Elizabeth…

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a slow burning psychological thriller about four women whose lies as teenagers has come back to haunt them. It is separated into chapters, describing the game they play ‘the Lying Game’: Tell a lie, stick to your story, don’t get caught,…

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my first book by Kimberly Belle, and I absolutely loved it! An outstanding domestic suspense read that had me hooked from the first page. Belle writes in a clear, easy-to-understand way, with very little flowery prose so your focus is on…

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Good Daughter is an intense, sometimes deeply disturbing, character-driven thriller set to the backdrop of two horrific tragedies. When they were teenagers, two armed men entered Samantha and Charlotte’s home, murdered their mother, and turned their lives upside down. Both are left…