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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Killing Her Softly in Books
May 22, 2019
Afraid for her life after spending ten years in an abusive marriage, Kate Finelli has to find the courage to get herself out. When she calls the sheriffs office, she hears a familiar voice--Jack, the first man to show her love. Can Kate trust him to help her get away from the long-suffering abuse?
Jack left Harpers Glen for a career in the FBI. Hes returned to fill in for the sheriff, the man who mentored him his whole life. With strained family ties, Jack doesnt plan on staying in this small town for long, until a panicked call comes in from Kate. He left when she chose his brother, but must stay to help her now.
With the backdrop of a murder investigation and threatening notes, Kate and Jack find each other again. Will the tension within their family keep them apart? Or will their struggle for safety bring them together after all these years?
This is a fast paced romance mixed with some suspense. This story does deal with domestic violence.
Cleverly written and brought together.
Enjoyed the storyline and the plot.
Very believable characters and developed out well.
Enjoyable quick read.
Recommend reading.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest voluntary review.
Jack left Harpers Glen for a career in the FBI. Hes returned to fill in for the sheriff, the man who mentored him his whole life. With strained family ties, Jack doesnt plan on staying in this small town for long, until a panicked call comes in from Kate. He left when she chose his brother, but must stay to help her now.
With the backdrop of a murder investigation and threatening notes, Kate and Jack find each other again. Will the tension within their family keep them apart? Or will their struggle for safety bring them together after all these years?
This is a fast paced romance mixed with some suspense. This story does deal with domestic violence.
Cleverly written and brought together.
Enjoyed the storyline and the plot.
Very believable characters and developed out well.
Enjoyable quick read.
Recommend reading.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest voluntary review.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Kill Process in Books
Jan 16, 2020
An impressive techie thriller
I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this story to begin with and from an author I've never heard of before, but this is actually a very good, immensely detailed techie thriller.
Hertling has an enthralling writing style and manages to keep a decent pace throughout, and the huge amount of detail that he has put into the technology side of this book is rather impressive. From the detail around the social networks and tech startups to the tools and abilities of a hacker, this really spares nothing when it comes to the descriptions of Angie's world and skills. Admittedly even for a fairly able techie myself, this maybe goes a little overboard on the detail side, but that's preferable than being too vague! Angie herself is an interesting protagonist and pretty likeable, although I did find her actions a tad irritating at parts. I did appreciate though how well this managed to integrate domestic abuse into a tech thriller.
My biggest gripe is with the ending. Angie's actions were a little predictable and over the top, and I was expecting a big reveal or twist that never came. Still despite the ending, this is still an very good read and would definitely recommend to anyone especially if you're into your technology.
Hertling has an enthralling writing style and manages to keep a decent pace throughout, and the huge amount of detail that he has put into the technology side of this book is rather impressive. From the detail around the social networks and tech startups to the tools and abilities of a hacker, this really spares nothing when it comes to the descriptions of Angie's world and skills. Admittedly even for a fairly able techie myself, this maybe goes a little overboard on the detail side, but that's preferable than being too vague! Angie herself is an interesting protagonist and pretty likeable, although I did find her actions a tad irritating at parts. I did appreciate though how well this managed to integrate domestic abuse into a tech thriller.
My biggest gripe is with the ending. Angie's actions were a little predictable and over the top, and I was expecting a big reveal or twist that never came. Still despite the ending, this is still an very good read and would definitely recommend to anyone especially if you're into your technology.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated A House of Lies: The Darkest Lies Hurt the Most in Books
Feb 4, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
A House of Lies: The Darkest Lies Hurt the Most by Barbara Sales is an extremely hard read because of the subject matter. Secrets, lies, and domestic abuse take center stage in this heart-wrenching book. I was unable to put it down and ended up finishing it in one day.
This book primarily focuses on Izzy, her mother Charlotte, and her father Harry. Harry loves his little princess more than anyone else but is extremely mean to her mother. He can’t seem to understand why Izzy is cold to him after seeing him beat her mother and even blames her mother for turning Izzy against him. Both Charlotte and Harry have their secrets though and one day after one of their fights everyone’s lives change forever.
Harry ends up dying in the hospital after crashing his car and it is a bittersweet time for Charlotte. While she is happy to be free from his abuse she still has their daughter to worry about. On top of all that Charlotte finds that Harry had more secrets than she originally thought and now has to get the family out of the financial mess that Harry has left them in. However, Charlotte is not without her own secrets and one day the biggest one will be her undoing.
Considering the topic I found it interesting that the story was told from both the male and female perspective, usually, these types of stories are one-sided. I also really enjoyed the backstories into each character and the surprise twist at the end really caught me off guard. On occasion I found myself getting Charlotte, Margaret, and Annabelle confused though I am not sure why. It may have just been because of how closely their lives lined up. Now that I have finished the book I know exactly who each person is or was.
Adults and mature readers are the only ones who should open this book. Containing everything from foul language to abuse and rape this book touches on some very tough subjects. Readers have been warned, there are many triggers in these pages. I rate this book a 3 out of 4. It is a well-written story of secrets and lies that one family hides for many generations. Once I started reading this one I did not want to stop and was once again able to finish an entire book in one day.
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This book primarily focuses on Izzy, her mother Charlotte, and her father Harry. Harry loves his little princess more than anyone else but is extremely mean to her mother. He can’t seem to understand why Izzy is cold to him after seeing him beat her mother and even blames her mother for turning Izzy against him. Both Charlotte and Harry have their secrets though and one day after one of their fights everyone’s lives change forever.
Harry ends up dying in the hospital after crashing his car and it is a bittersweet time for Charlotte. While she is happy to be free from his abuse she still has their daughter to worry about. On top of all that Charlotte finds that Harry had more secrets than she originally thought and now has to get the family out of the financial mess that Harry has left them in. However, Charlotte is not without her own secrets and one day the biggest one will be her undoing.
Considering the topic I found it interesting that the story was told from both the male and female perspective, usually, these types of stories are one-sided. I also really enjoyed the backstories into each character and the surprise twist at the end really caught me off guard. On occasion I found myself getting Charlotte, Margaret, and Annabelle confused though I am not sure why. It may have just been because of how closely their lives lined up. Now that I have finished the book I know exactly who each person is or was.
Adults and mature readers are the only ones who should open this book. Containing everything from foul language to abuse and rape this book touches on some very tough subjects. Readers have been warned, there are many triggers in these pages. I rate this book a 3 out of 4. It is a well-written story of secrets and lies that one family hides for many generations. Once I started reading this one I did not want to stop and was once again able to finish an entire book in one day.
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/house-lies
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Medea's Curse (Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist, #1) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I was really drawn to this book from the blurb and was grateful to Legend Press via the Legend 100 Club for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
I found this a really difficult book to review because on the one hand, the story was captivating and interesting despite it being about some pretty despicable crimes (infanticide, child and domestic abuse, stalking and violence) but on the other, the writing style made it really, really hard to read which spoiled it for me in a big way. There are a lot of characters and the story jumps around a bit; I normally dont mind this if theres a thread which connects them all but in this novel, there were different threads that crossed but werent necessarily linked so this made it difficult for me to keep track. I also have an issue with the main character, Natalie King. Again, shes difficult to critique. On the one hand shes a very strong, independent woman but on the other, I found her to be extremely unlikeable and I wasnt able to warm to her at all.
Having said all that, its very clear that the author knows her stuff and despite the difficulties I had in reading this particular book, I would be tempted to read another written by her.
My blog: <a href="https://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/medeas-curse-by-anne-buist.html">Reading Stuff 'n' Things</a>
I found this a really difficult book to review because on the one hand, the story was captivating and interesting despite it being about some pretty despicable crimes (infanticide, child and domestic abuse, stalking and violence) but on the other, the writing style made it really, really hard to read which spoiled it for me in a big way. There are a lot of characters and the story jumps around a bit; I normally dont mind this if theres a thread which connects them all but in this novel, there were different threads that crossed but werent necessarily linked so this made it difficult for me to keep track. I also have an issue with the main character, Natalie King. Again, shes difficult to critique. On the one hand shes a very strong, independent woman but on the other, I found her to be extremely unlikeable and I wasnt able to warm to her at all.
Having said all that, its very clear that the author knows her stuff and despite the difficulties I had in reading this particular book, I would be tempted to read another written by her.
My blog: <a href="https://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/medeas-curse-by-anne-buist.html">Reading Stuff 'n' Things</a>
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Dec 4, 2018
Another attempt at converting Stieg Larssen's very-popular-about-ten-years-ago characters into viable English-language multiplex fare. Film opens with implied child abuse followed by implied domestic violence (there's a lot of implication, in order to avoid the 18 certificate that scuppered the box office of the Daniel Craig/Rooney Mara movie), but this is mainly to set an authentically grim tone - the plot could fairly easily be retooled for one of the Bourne movies, as evil secret organisation tries to get its hands on apocalyptic McGuffin, hero gets framed for doing nasty things, and so on.
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Hazel (2934 KP) rated What July Knew in Books
Feb 5, 2023
I have read and enjoyed a couple of Emily's books before and this was no exception and something a little different to my usual reads.
July has had a difficult start in life having lost her mum very early in her life but as she nears her tenth birthday and wants to find out more about her mum, her life becomes even more difficult especially when she is not allowed to ask any questions otherwise there are "lessons" that she needs to learn.
I absolutely loved July and was immediately drawn to her and her story. Her innocence was endearing and I matched her desire and need to find out more about her mum and what happened to her.
This was a tough read in parts as it deals with domestic and child abuse and although it isn't gratuitous, if these are triggers for you, I would think strongly whether you want to read it.
Although it's a little slow to start, there is a pervading sense of unease amongst the drip drip of information that makes you want to keep reading and I would recommend to those of you who enjoy a great mystery but, more than that, a strong story of friendship, family and finding out where you belong within that complicated structure.
Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of What July Knew.
July has had a difficult start in life having lost her mum very early in her life but as she nears her tenth birthday and wants to find out more about her mum, her life becomes even more difficult especially when she is not allowed to ask any questions otherwise there are "lessons" that she needs to learn.
I absolutely loved July and was immediately drawn to her and her story. Her innocence was endearing and I matched her desire and need to find out more about her mum and what happened to her.
This was a tough read in parts as it deals with domestic and child abuse and although it isn't gratuitous, if these are triggers for you, I would think strongly whether you want to read it.
Although it's a little slow to start, there is a pervading sense of unease amongst the drip drip of information that makes you want to keep reading and I would recommend to those of you who enjoy a great mystery but, more than that, a strong story of friendship, family and finding out where you belong within that complicated structure.
Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of What July Knew.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Secrets of Paper and Ink in Books
Feb 27, 2019
My first Lindsay Harrel novel and most definitely will not be my last! She has a beautiful talent for creating characters that will make you feel like family, and a plot line that is full of faith and hope.
I wasn’t sure what I would gain from this book, at first. It’s got emotional triggers, as someone who has gone through the emotional domestic abuse in the past. But, the way Harrel weaved the pain and heartache, the hope and faith, together, she created a novel that completely engulfed me. I loved that. I gained more than just a new author to read. I gained friends in the characters, I gained knowledge of letting go of the past and moving forward.
Sophia and William were two characters that will forever be with me. As they work together to save Ginny’s bookstore, as Sophia reads the words of Emily Fairfax through her journal entries, I was pulled into the sweeping novel and wasn’t set free until the last page was reached. The plot line was unique and absolutely breathtaking!
If you are looking for a tenderly written, powerfully moving novel, then grab this one up. It’s emotional, it’s hopeful, it’s definitely one to recommend to all. Five stars, two thumbs and hats off to an author whom will be on my auto buy list from now on! Well done, Lindsay Harrel. Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins (Thomas Nelson) and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
I wasn’t sure what I would gain from this book, at first. It’s got emotional triggers, as someone who has gone through the emotional domestic abuse in the past. But, the way Harrel weaved the pain and heartache, the hope and faith, together, she created a novel that completely engulfed me. I loved that. I gained more than just a new author to read. I gained friends in the characters, I gained knowledge of letting go of the past and moving forward.
Sophia and William were two characters that will forever be with me. As they work together to save Ginny’s bookstore, as Sophia reads the words of Emily Fairfax through her journal entries, I was pulled into the sweeping novel and wasn’t set free until the last page was reached. The plot line was unique and absolutely breathtaking!
If you are looking for a tenderly written, powerfully moving novel, then grab this one up. It’s emotional, it’s hopeful, it’s definitely one to recommend to all. Five stars, two thumbs and hats off to an author whom will be on my auto buy list from now on! Well done, Lindsay Harrel. Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins (Thomas Nelson) and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
ClareR (5561 KP) rated Tall Bones in Books
Apr 6, 2021
Tall Bones by Anna Bailey is a beautiful, terrible, haunting book. This is not the USA of Soccer Moms and happy church gatherings. Whistling Ridge is a town with deep problems: domestic and child abuse, racism, corruption, drugs, homophobia and a Pastor who condones most of these things.
Abi and Emma are best friends, and when Emma leaves Abi, at Abi’s request, at a party at the Tall Bones, she expects to see her the next day. Except she doesn’t. Abi goes missing, seemingly without a trace. Everyone and no one is suspected of her disappearance. After all, her father, Samuel, is a thug and a bully, her mother is clearly beaten regularly, as are her children - why wouldn’t she run away?
To be honest, after reading this I couldn’t understand why any of the young people stayed in Whistling Ridge - unless their world view is like that of their, largely speaking, bigoted parents.
This book is shocking - a real kick in the guts type of story. And it’s not a one off kick. I hated 99% of the characters by the end: and this is the bit where I say how much I enjoyed reading it. Yes, here we are again with my love of the horrible characters. It’s easy to like nice characters, not so easy to get enjoyment out of the dark and evil types (or is it?!😈).
Either way it’s an atmospheric, dark, fascinating novel. And I loved it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this fabulous novel.
Abi and Emma are best friends, and when Emma leaves Abi, at Abi’s request, at a party at the Tall Bones, she expects to see her the next day. Except she doesn’t. Abi goes missing, seemingly without a trace. Everyone and no one is suspected of her disappearance. After all, her father, Samuel, is a thug and a bully, her mother is clearly beaten regularly, as are her children - why wouldn’t she run away?
To be honest, after reading this I couldn’t understand why any of the young people stayed in Whistling Ridge - unless their world view is like that of their, largely speaking, bigoted parents.
This book is shocking - a real kick in the guts type of story. And it’s not a one off kick. I hated 99% of the characters by the end: and this is the bit where I say how much I enjoyed reading it. Yes, here we are again with my love of the horrible characters. It’s easy to like nice characters, not so easy to get enjoyment out of the dark and evil types (or is it?!😈).
Either way it’s an atmospheric, dark, fascinating novel. And I loved it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this fabulous novel.
ClareR (5561 KP) rated Afraid of the Christmas Lights in Books
Dec 1, 2020
I don’t like Christmas books. Usually. I like A Christmas Carol, but I tend not to read many modern Christmas books - unless they’re children’s ones at work, or when I used to read them for my own children when they were little. Which is probably why I liked this so much. Usually in anthologies, there will be a few standout stories that make reading the collection as a whole worthwhile, but I’ve really struggled to single out one or two - I enjoyed them all far too much for that.
Most of the stories are set around Christmas with only a couple of exceptions. That didn’t cause me to like them any less though. The real standouts for me (if I absolutely HAVE to choose!) were: Phoebe Morgan’s Unexpected Present - the gift wrapped so nicely in expensive M&S paper being the main protagonists husband; The Switch by James Delargy had a Stephen King vibe to it (and I should add that it wasn’t because of The Green Mile!); Fresh Meat by Elle Croft gives new meaning to a raw meat diet for your cat; and The Vigilante by Clare Empson was a sad story of a Charles Dickens look-a-like who tries to save victims of crime in the dead of night.
If you need an excuse to buy this, then the proceeds go to ESDAS and Rights of Women, both domestic abuse charities.
Many thanks to The PIgeonhole for serialising this book, and to the authors who joined in. As always, it was a great experience!!
Most of the stories are set around Christmas with only a couple of exceptions. That didn’t cause me to like them any less though. The real standouts for me (if I absolutely HAVE to choose!) were: Phoebe Morgan’s Unexpected Present - the gift wrapped so nicely in expensive M&S paper being the main protagonists husband; The Switch by James Delargy had a Stephen King vibe to it (and I should add that it wasn’t because of The Green Mile!); Fresh Meat by Elle Croft gives new meaning to a raw meat diet for your cat; and The Vigilante by Clare Empson was a sad story of a Charles Dickens look-a-like who tries to save victims of crime in the dead of night.
If you need an excuse to buy this, then the proceeds go to ESDAS and Rights of Women, both domestic abuse charities.
Many thanks to The PIgeonhole for serialising this book, and to the authors who joined in. As always, it was a great experience!!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Life She Wants in Books
Nov 21, 2021
I am a fan of Mel Sherratt's work and always look forward to reading her books but, I have to say, never have I been so confused as I was with this one.
Now, whilst at first this might seem to be a negative, let me reassure you that if you stick with it, everything falls into place very nicely and the confusion was well worth it in the end.
Told from different perspectives over different timelines, this is a complex storyline which deals with various unsavoury but important and contemporary themes; coercive control, domestic abuse and loss. These are hard-hitting subjects but Mel deals with them with respect.
There are a number of characters and all have a part to play but I found I didn't really focus on them that much as I was more interested in the story and how it was going to play out. That's not to say they weren't great characters, far from it, it's just that the story was so engrossing that they felt secondary to me somehow.
Full of secrets, lies and manipulation, this is a book that makes you angry and sympathetic all at the same time. It's definitely one that kept me totally engrossed and I couldn't read fast enough.
With atmosphere, suspense and tension aplenty, this is a book that I would definitely recommend to lovers of psychological thrillers and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Now, whilst at first this might seem to be a negative, let me reassure you that if you stick with it, everything falls into place very nicely and the confusion was well worth it in the end.
Told from different perspectives over different timelines, this is a complex storyline which deals with various unsavoury but important and contemporary themes; coercive control, domestic abuse and loss. These are hard-hitting subjects but Mel deals with them with respect.
There are a number of characters and all have a part to play but I found I didn't really focus on them that much as I was more interested in the story and how it was going to play out. That's not to say they weren't great characters, far from it, it's just that the story was so engrossing that they felt secondary to me somehow.
Full of secrets, lies and manipulation, this is a book that makes you angry and sympathetic all at the same time. It's definitely one that kept me totally engrossed and I couldn't read fast enough.
With atmosphere, suspense and tension aplenty, this is a book that I would definitely recommend to lovers of psychological thrillers and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.