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All the Bright Places
All the Bright Places
Jennifer Niven | 2015 | Children, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.8 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Sometimes there's beauty in the tough worlds - it's all in how you read them."

I found this difficult, not because it wasn't beautifully written and not because it wasn't a beautiful story but, because it was so close to home. Thought provoking, thought changing and a new way to look at things.

Finch is wonderfully messed up, Violet is damaged and confused. Together they mark disaster but it also brings out something all so remarkable.

“We are all alone, trapped in these bodies and our own minds, and whatever company we have in this life is only fleeting and superficial.”
  
The Key to Death's Door
The Key to Death's Door
Mark Tilbury | 2018 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Key To Death’s Door by Mark Tilbury is a tense, mystery, thriller novel interwoven with supernatural and horror aspects, which reminded me of Stephen King style reads.

When Teenager Lee Hunter and his best friend Charlie Finch go on a fishing trip, Lee drowns only to discover that when he awakes he has travelled back in time about 30 years and is now living the life of another lad called Paul Collins. To his horror, he, his family and his best friend are at the mercy of the evil and sadistic Daryl Finch, Charlie Finch’s father and they are all about to be killed.

After being successfully resuscitated by Charlie, Lee comes back as himself – to the current time period – knowing the horrific truth about Charlie’s father, Daryl, and what he is capable of. With his newfound knowledge Lee sets out to avenge the death’s of the Collins’ family. But where to start? Who is going to believe Lee knows what happened all those years ago, when he wasn’t even born then?

The Key to Death’s Door is a clever story, and raises serious issues of child abuse, wife beating, animal cruelty and murder in such vivid detail, I totally wanted justice for what had happened, and for Daryl Finch to get his comeuppance for his past and present atrocities. There’s no way he could be allowed to get away with what he’s done, surely?

I loved the relationship of best friends Lee and Charlie, they were portrayed realistically for their ages, and their characters were fun to read. They might not always have been able to say what they really meant to each other, but they had each other’s back, and at times their conversations were even quite funny and endearing. Contrast this with the scenes in the Collins’ house, which were utterly brutal and horrifying and you’re in for a thrilling ride with a supernatural twist. I certainly enjoyed The Key to Death’s Door and will look for more of Mark Tilbury’s work from now on.
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated One Eye Open in Books

Jul 12, 2020  
One Eye Open
One Eye Open
Paul Finch | 2020 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have made it no secret that I am a fan of Paul Finch ... how could you not be with characters from his previous books like DS Mark "Heck" Heckenburg and PC Lucy Clayborn? Well here we have another memorable character ... DS Lynda Hagan.

This is a stand-alone book which follows the investigation into a seemingly straight forward car crash involving an ex-Formula 1 driver (Wade) and his wife Harriet (Harri) but it is anything but and we are soon taken on a non-stop ride full of action, suspense and intrigue involving gangs, grasses/snitches and one relentless and determined copper.

Told from Lynda's perspective in the present and Wade's timeline from the weeks leading up to the crash, with a great plot and a break-neck pace with twists and breath-holding moments, this is a great crime thriller. I wonder if there are going to more books featuring DS Hagan, I would quite like to get to know her a bit more because I think we only scratched the surface in this and I think there is more to her than meets the eye! If so, I will be the first in the queue.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.