Category: Book reviews

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of the most powerful, life-affirming, memorable books I’ve ever read. Everybody should read this, but especially anybody who’s been affected by a loved one’s suicide, mental illness or survivor’s guilt. At times heartbreaking, at other times hilarious, at others authentic and…

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman I know I’m in the minority on this one, but for me this went the same way as Lincoln in the Bard0 – WTF and DNF. While there were lovely, poetic sentences, the whole first 25% was such a sullen drag I finally gave up, which rarely happens. Perhaps…

The Night Before by Wendy Walker My rating: 5 of 5 stars Nobody writes damaged characters quite like Wendy Walker! The Night Before is a clever, insightful, shrewdly plotted psychological thriller, which starts out strong and keeps building to a final, heart-pounding conclusion. With a fast pace and life-like characters, this unique and dark story…

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry My rating: 5 of 5 stars Intense, terrifying and at times utterly horrifying, I loved this book and found it one of those cra-cra, intense reads that I just couldn’t look away from. Christopher and Hannah have a perfect life except one thing. They can’t have a baby. But…

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck Despite an intriguing premise, I found this book really difficult to get through. Maybe it just wasn’t my type of book. View all my reviews

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager My rating: 5 of 5 stars Addictive. Creepy. Pulse-poundingly perfect. Riley Sager’s writing is so crisp compelling and unique, and he knows how to write to impress. Lock Every Door is really a study in flawless storytelling, with numerous plot twists, creepy characters and atmospheric writing galore. But it’s…

The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott A wild ride of addiction to prescription pills, lying, adultery, and stalking in which a married couple slowly self destructs. Not sure I really liked any of the characters, but their motives were clear and I enjoyed the POV of Rebekah, the main protagonist. While initially I was a…

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hidden under the shiny, light-hearted surface of a chick-lit suburban drama, Big Little Lies is a book of such depth and complexity it really surprised me. The suspense was richly developed, with comments from other parents and a count-down effect to the night…

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s pretty rare when I read a book and don’t have a clue what’s going to happen next. I was constantly surprised, in the best possible way! In fact, I was so engrossed I literally didn’t hear as my husband took our son…

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood A lovely, moving story about how one parent’s decision to give up their Down Syndrome baby affects the entire family. When Ginny finds out the special school her daughter, Lucy, is being kept is squalid, she decides to take Lucy and run. But her husband and his domineering father are…

No Second Chance by Harlan Coben A first-class crime thriller that oddly vacillates between being really, really fast where I found myself completely immersed, and then really, really slow where I started skimming a little. Coben is the king of plotting, and is obviously an excellent writer, even if sometimes the plot did stretch credulity…

Truth and Lies by Caroline Mitchell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Clever, smart and with super-fast plotting, this crime novel is the first in a series. With a twisty plot and some really well-drawn characters, this was exactly what I needed for a quick, easy read. When DI Amy Winter receives a letter from…