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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Their Little Secret in Books

Nov 7, 2021

Review of Audiobook

This is my first foray into the world of audiobooks and I am so pleased I chose one of Mark Billingham's books to introduce me to the world of audio because, once again, he and Tom Thorne did not disappoint.

I was engrossed from the start and this didn't let up until the end. I never thought I would be able to get into a book that I wasn't actually physically holding but there was no such problem with this and I took every opportunity to put my headphones in and get lost in this book of intrigue.

I am already familiar with many of the main characters so it was like putting on a pair of comfy slippers being back amongst some good friends that I have grown quite attached to over the years. The narration is done by Mark himself and whilst he changed the voices slightly, he didn't put on a female voice for those particular parts (thank goodness!) so it did make it a little more difficult to distinguish between them but this didn't last long and didn't detract from my listening experience.

The plot is complex and compelling - what is it about a suicide that has Thorne intrigued? How is a murder in Margate connected? What does this have to do with a conman? Where does Sarah and her son Jamie come into this? So many secrets, so many lies and so much intrigue.

I admit that I was worried I wouldn't enjoy an audio book quite as much as an actual book but Mr Billingham removed that doubt with this excellent story that I would definitely recommend to lovers of crime thrillers and I have to thank Hachette Audio via Secret Readers Project for my audio book in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Kudos

The Life of Saul Bellow: To Fame and Fortune, 1915-1964

Zachary Leader

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

2015 will mark the centenary of Saul Bellow's birth as well as the tenth anniversary of his death....

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The List in Books

Jun 20, 2020

The List

Carys Jones | 2020 | Crime, Thriller

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

This is a dark, psychological thriller about paranoia and disturbing secrets all told within an original plot and from 3 perspectives; Beth, the writer of The List and Ruby.

Beth is a loner with no friends or family to speak of apart from a seemingly ideal boyfriend. She seems to have the perfect life, aside from recurring horrific nightmares, but it soon becomes clear that she has a dark and disturbing past that she is keen to forget and put behind her.

The writer of The List is just that ... but why and what does she have to do with Beth and what are her intentions given that the first two people on The List are dead?

Ruby is a teenager in an institution placed there following her part in a totally heinous and horrific attack on a vulnerable child ... what does she have to do with Beth and the writer of the list?

This is a story that although is a work of fiction, is not beyond the realms of reality unfortunately which makes it a hard and emotional read in places. It's also a slow burner which builds in tension as the whole story emerges and Beth's life unravels and this is the only complaint I have, it wasn't as fast paced as I would have liked with a bit too much description which affected the flow for me but, having said that, I would still recommend to dark, thriller lovers who enjoy reading something a bit different for the norm.

Many thanks to Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Queens of Geek in Books

Mar 4, 2021

Queens of Geek

Jen Wilde | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)

8.6

(5 Ratings)

Book Rating

Simple yet sweet look into fandom and friendship

Charlie, Taylor, and Jamie are extremely close friends. They come to SupaCon as one last blast before they all head to college--and to celebrate Charlie, a famous video blogger and actress. Charlie's struggling to get over her very public breakup with her former co-star, Reese Ryan. Taylor is dealing with how the Con flames her anxiety and that she has feelings for her best friend: Jamie. Plus, she wants to enter a contest at the Con to meet her favorite actress from her favorite fandom, but knows her fears would never allow it. And Jamie just wants to make Taylor happy. Can the three survive SupaCon?

This is the seventeenth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!

This was a cute book--easy to read with sweet characters. It's written very simply and honestly it's often trite in its writing and plot. Expect some undeveloped characters, some insta-love, and problems that resolve themselves before they even fully develop. It's a shame, because QUEENS covers some incredibly important topics--Asperger's, autism, anxiety, bisexuality--and covers them fairly well--but often quickly, without a lot of depth.

The book is a true ode to geeks (I say this with the highest praise) and con/fandom lovers. However, not really being a fan of these fandoms, it was hard to truly get into those parts. I loved how much comfort Taylor took in her fandom, but it wasn't something I could be into, if that made sense.

Mostly, I loved the spot-on passages describing social anxiety and the diverse cast. This was an easy YA read, but one lacking true depth; still, it satisfied the "Q" requirement for my A to Z reading challenge. 3 stars, mostly for the bi rep.