Category: Book reviews

Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was instantly engaged in this book and have found myself thinking about it loads since I read it. As parents we always second guess ourselves and it’s just a hope and a prayer that we’re doing the right thing. Simon’s world is turned…

Precious Thing by Colette McBeth My rating: 5 of 5 stars After reading The Life I Left Behind (also by Colette McBeth), I instantly downloaded Precious Thing. And it didn’t disappoint. Taut and gripping, this is an intense psychological thriller that I really enjoyed. Colette McBeth painted a vivid story in my mind so I…

The Hidden Legacy by G.J. Minett My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really, really liked the premise of this book. While the plot and resulting action didn’t kick in as fast as I’d normally like, I did enjoy The Hidden Legacy in the end. The character development of Ellen was done very well and…

The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this book. Taut and compelling and really innovative. Kept me guessing right up to the end. Colette McBeth is an absolute master of weaving tension with fabulous characters. The story is intricately woven between Melody, who is still reeling…

The Last Thing I Remember by Deborah Bee My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very good premise. The Last Thing I Remember follows Sarah, who’s in a comma due to a head injury, as she tries to remember who put her there. I like the way the book winds towards the finish where we…

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is still one of my favourite books with the twistiest twist I have ever read. You truly won’t see coming. I had to read it a few times to be sure it was true! Absolutely loved this book! The story opens…

Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas My rating: 5 of 5 stars It starts as a lesson in ‘if it looks to good to be true, it is,’ and builds suspense until a fantastic twist a little after midway through. Loads of surprises along the way, a well-meshed plot, fantastic characters, this was a completely…

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced financial journalist, and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander investigate the disappearance of Harriet Vanger 40 years ago. An absolutely fantastic literary achievement, the first book in the Millennium series was unputdownable. It started out a bit daunting,…

The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Fantastic novel by Lucy Atkins with well-developed and life-like characters, creepy scenes, a myriad of twists and turns and an absolutely spot-on ending. Multi-layered and enjoyable from start to finish, The Night Visitor follows Professor Olivia Sweetman and draws you into her life…

The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Lisa Jewell is the master of character development and The Girls in the Garden is no exception. The book is set in a communal garden where the children are completely free to roam in and out of each others’ houses and…

I Found You by Lisa Jewell My rating: 5 of 5 stars A man is sitting on the beach outside Alice’s house. When she goes out to speak to him, he has no name, no jacket and no memory of how he got there. Against her better judgement, she invites him into her home. Unravelling…

Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon My rating: 5 of 5 stars Holly Seddon is great at writing believable, relatable characters. I found Don’t Close Your Eyes completely different from her first book. It’s more a domestic suspense with themes on betrayal, guilt and mental health than a psychological thriller, but that being said,…