Coffin Moon
10.0
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From award-winning author Keith Rosson comes a gripping tale of a Vietnam veteran and his niece...
ClareR (6256 KP) rated Spitting Gold in Books
Jun 4, 2026
Atmospheric writing places the reader in Paris after the French Revolution, where Baroness Sylvie is living a perfect life with her affluent lawyer husband.
Her estranged sister, Charlotte Mothe, visits with an offer that’s hard to refuse. Their father is very ill, Charlotte needs to pay the bills, and Sylvie must come out of retirement and conduct a seance to help her out. But Sylvie is risking her marriage.
Spitting Gold is a debut, and I thought it was gripping and entertaining - it kept me reading! The characters were fleshed out, believable and colourful (to say the least!). There were moments where it made me feel very uncomfortable - was it the ghosts?
There’s a bit of something for everyone here: historical fiction, mystery, the paranormal, sapphic romance and family dynamics.
Recommended!
The Low Road
8.0
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In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay....
Women's Fiction Historical Fiction LGBT+
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Life in Books
Dec 31, 2023
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The Life
By Martina Cole
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Bailey brothers are gangsters determined to make their mark in the world. Peter and Daniel are chalk and cheese in many ways - Peter's calm exterior belies his ruthless nature, while Daniel's penchant for spectacular violence is legendary - but together they are unstoppable. From the late seventies they rule London's East End and, when their sons join the business, it seems that no one can touch the powerful Baileys. Although it's never easy at the top; there is always someone waiting to take you down - sometimes even those closest to you...Lena Bailey is determined to shield her youngest child Tania from the Life. But when a terrible tragedy occurs, Tania's eyes are opened to their world in a way that forces her to make an irrevocable choice that will determine her future. Martina Cole's gritty and gripping new novel is an unflinching portrait of a family torn apart by violence and betrayal, but ultimately bound by loyalty, by blood, and by a burning desire for revenge...
Another brutal book from Martina this time it’s a full family drama. In all the books she’s written Petey is the one character I was glad to see got what he deserved!
On the way, she reflects on her life, telling Bean the stories of her disappointments, buried ambitions, loves and hopes for the future (getting home, mainly!). It’s a long, hot, dangerous walk home for anyone, let alone a heavily pregnant woman. The catastrophic circumstances are vividly described, including the death of a woman, the lack of fresh drinking water, the abandoned cars and the desperation to keep her baby, herself and her husband safe.
It puts a lot of things into perspective for her and in a way, encourages the reader to look at what’s important in their lives (ok, that might just be me).
This is a gripping, unputdownable read/ listen, and Ariel Blake, the narrator, sounded perfect as Annie. Not that I necessarily needed this book being brought to life - it’s scary!
Murder at Beechwood
9.0
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For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th...
Plain Like Vanilla: An American Tale
9.0
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Plain Like Vanilla is a gripping tale of murder, betrayal, and awakening. Charlottesville,...
Mystery
Merissa (14120 KP) rated Phoenix Rising (Phoenix #1) in Books
May 8, 2023
Daughtry is our main female and, to be blunt, her life has been a pile of..., but most especially this past year. She found the inner strength to break free of an engagement with a vindictive and abusive man and then found herself cut off from her family when they threw her out. She has major issues stemming from a lack of love and trust, but rather than being annoying, this just made her character all the more relatable.
I'll be honest when it started, I thought it was going to be a love triangle (which is one of my pet peeves) but instead, it took a fresh twist that had me gripping my Kindle, unable to put it down until I had read "just one more page."
This story is refreshing, full of humour and quick wit, traumatic with events, and full of a whole gamut of emotions. Absolutely fantastic and I loved every page. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 17, 2015
Make Me Clean
10.0
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She will leave your surfaces sparkling. But she may well leave you dead... Maria is a good woman...
Trigger warning: domestic violence & murder!
ClareR (6256 KP) rated The Colours of Death in Books
Apr 18, 2022
They’re a fantastic cast of characters, and they work well together )literally, in the case of the police team). It’s another angle on discrimination: instead of religion or skin colour, the Gifted are discriminated against because of their gifts - something they have no choice or control over.
This novel feels a little dystopian in places: when people go ‘missing’ if they lose control of their gifts, for example. And all Gifted are kept on a register where they’re regularly assessed. If they exceed a certain level, they’re removed from society for everyone else’s safety.
I really enjoyed this - the storyline was interesting, gripping, in fact, and exciting when it needed to be. The main character was flawed and very likeable, and the food constantly made me feel hungry!
I will be looking out for the next book in the series.