The Possible World by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz My rating: 5 of 5 stars A unique story about the lives we live and how they inhabit our memories, The Possible World is compelling and absorbing with exquisite prose and beautiful characterization. It isn’t my usual genre, but it was so absorbing, the characters so compelling, the…
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The Quality of Silence - Rosamund Lupton
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Rosamund Lupton is one of my favorite authors, and The Weight of Silence didn’t disappoint. Set in the extremely harsh landscape of Alaska, this novel is wonderfully atmospheric with lots of suspense, perfect plotting and beautiful prose. Yasmin and her deaf daughter…
What Goes Around - Julie Corbin
What Goes Around by Julie Corbin My rating: 5 of 5 stars Told in two parts – by the betrayer and the betrayed – What Goes Around is a dark, compulsive psychological thriller focusing on themes of obsession and revenge. After Ellen’s husband abruptly ends their marriage and leaves her for another woman, Ellen suffers…
Before I Let You In - Jenny Blackhurst
Before I Let You In by Jenny Blackhurst My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very clever novel with lots of twists and turns, Before I Let You In follows Karen, Bea and Eleanor who have been friends since they were kids. One day Karen, who’s just received a big promotion as a psychiatrist, starts…
If I Die Before I Wake - Emily Koch
If I Die Before I Wake by Emily Koch My rating: 4 of 5 stars A cleverly written psychological thriller written from the POV of a victim who everybody thinks is in a coma. The twist is he can actually still hear, feel and think. He’s trapped inside his own body while trying to figure…
I Never Lie - Jody Sabral
I Never Lie by Jody Sabral My rating: 4 of 5 stars I Never Lie is a compulsive, easy read that I sped through. It is a book about addiction and its consequences, centering on the protagonist’s alcoholism. The story follows Alex, a self-destructive reporter who fled to London from Manchester after a traumatic incident…
Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng My rating: 5 of 5 stars Truly one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Everything I Never Told You opens with the death of teenager Lydia, Marilyn and James Lee’s favorite middle child. Both have had their share of disappointments in life and…
All the Hidden Truths - Claire Askew
All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew My rating: 5 of 5 stars This captivating crime novel deftly balances that perfect line between moving and gripping, tackling a topical and emotive issue that has been in the headlines a lot lately. A why-dunnit rather than a who-dunnit crime novel, you see the crime and how…
Unraveling Oliver - Liz Nugent
Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent My rating: 4 of 5 stars A cleverly written why-dunnit, in which Oliver, a handsome, charming man, has beaten his wife Alice near to death. In the aftermath, Oliver tells his story and we learn why he did it. Unravelling Oliver does a great job of creating suspense and tension.…
My journey to publication – The full story
My journey to publication – The full story I’ve never liked New Year’s resolutions. I think they’re unrealistic and silly. If I make a resolution it’s a life resolution, something I’m willing to work at forever. But back in January 2011 I was chatting with my sister and her husband about a story I’d read…
The Fear - C.L. Taylor
The Fear by C.L. Taylor My rating: 4 of 5 stars CL Taylor is a reliably excellent author, and she has again provided a fantastic thriller about sensitive subject matter. The story follows Lou Wandsworth, who ran away to France with her teacher Mike when she was 13. Now, at 32, she discovers he’s grooming…