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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The War Pianist in Books

Feb 19, 2023  
The War Pianist
The War Pianist
Mandy Robotham | 2023 | History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who knew radio operators during WWII were known as pianists? I certainly didn't.

The story is told from the perspectives of the two pianists ... Marnie in London and Connie in Amsterdam. Marnie and Connie are exceptionally strong characters and the author transported me into their worlds amongst the bombs of the blitz and the invasion of the Nazi's where trust can be a dangerous thing.

With oodles of tension, the fear palpable and the bravery and courage of those working against the Nazi war machine excellently portrayed, the War Pianist is a gripping story and whilst this is a work of fiction, it felt authentic and was totally riveting.

Many thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The War Pianist.
  
The Unforgivable (2021)
The Unforgivable (2021)
2021 | Drama
7
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A great story with some twists (0 more)
Slightly weak ending (0 more)
Great story
Well after watching a short while I realised this is actually based on a short TV series from the UK in 2009 starring Suranne Jones. A really gripping drama. This is basically a remake but set in the US.
The key story elements are the same as a young woman released after a long period in Prison for killing a cop tries to track down her younger sister. She struggles as her past catches up and the victims family are keen for revenge.
It holds up pretty well to the original, the writer also help produced this. Just the ending seemed a little less dramatic in this version. Still a very good story and a gritty role for Sandra Bullock.
  
Liar Liar (DS Grace Allendale #3)
Liar Liar (DS Grace Allendale #3)
Mel Sherratt | 2020 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gritty, realistic and absorbing
Mel Sherratt describes herself as a "meddler of words" and I am not going to argue with her! I would also put her in the category as one of THE best crime writers in the UK that I have had the pleasure to read and one where I have never been disappointed.

Here we have another great story full of mystery and twists and one which I found hard to stop reading way too late into the night. This is book 3 in the series however, I don't think you have to have read the other 2 in order to enjoy this and I certainly feel it works well as a standalone.

Each and every character, both goodies and baddies, are well developed; their circumstances believable and scarily plausible. The setting is perfect and so well described I felt I was there. The pace is fast and engrossing with plenty of action and a fare amount of violence and scenes of peril right from the start however, this shouldn't come as a surprise if you've read the blurb.

The book is written with alternating chapters of the present and the past and rather than this complicating matters, it provided an insight into one of the main characters' motivations and justifications as to why she responds as she does. There are several strands that could all have a bearing on the investigation and rather than cause confusion, added to the mystery and intrigue making this an engrossing book and one which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys gritty, realistic and absorbing reads.

Thanks go to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.