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The Savage Garden
Book
The lights here are all dark and vixens pull men into the shadows. Hers was a tale as old as...
romance
Dream a Little Dream (To Love a Psycho #1)
9.0
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Book
His student. His obsession. His undoing. “Aaron Jones was a spark in the dark. Beautiful....
Dark MM Romance Contemporary Psychological Thriller
Voklane (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria, #8)
10.0
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Book
Ryan liked the slip that revealed she’d imagined a future with him, though he shouldn’t. Liked...
Post Apocalyptic Fantasy Romance
Watchers of the Beloveds: Journey of Forgiveness
Book
In the modern world, where the celestial and mortal realms converge, a tale of forbidden love and...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The House in the Woods (Atticus Priest #1) in Books
Apr 23, 2023
A very good start to a new series and one I am very much looking forward to getting my teeth into.
A gruesome murder has occurred in an isolated farmhouse and DCI Mackenzie 'Mack' Jones and her team are sent in to investigate. Their initial thought is that it's a tragic murder-suicide however, fingers soon point to the person who discovered the bodies of his family, Ralph Mallender and he is quickly arrested, charged and brought to court.
Ralph's wife is convinced of her husband's innocence and employs the services of disgraced ex-police officer and now private detective, Atticus Priest to try and find any evidence missed by the police which will help her husband's case.
Not being tied by the constraints of the police, i.e., the law! Atticus sets about the task at hand and quickly discovers things are not quite what they seem much to the annoyance of 'Mack' who just happens to be his former boss and with whom he has had a previous relationship.
The book is told from both Mack and Atticus' points of view and takes place during the court case which mixes police procedural, Atticus' unconventional methods of investigation and court room thriller. The pace is initially a slow burner as there is a wealth of detail that, at times, seems a little unnecessary but once you get past that, it soon ramps up into a thrilling read with plenty of twists and turns.
Overall, a really enjoyable start to a new series and one I am very much looking forward to following and I must give a thank you to Welbeck Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The House in the Woods.
A gruesome murder has occurred in an isolated farmhouse and DCI Mackenzie 'Mack' Jones and her team are sent in to investigate. Their initial thought is that it's a tragic murder-suicide however, fingers soon point to the person who discovered the bodies of his family, Ralph Mallender and he is quickly arrested, charged and brought to court.
Ralph's wife is convinced of her husband's innocence and employs the services of disgraced ex-police officer and now private detective, Atticus Priest to try and find any evidence missed by the police which will help her husband's case.
Not being tied by the constraints of the police, i.e., the law! Atticus sets about the task at hand and quickly discovers things are not quite what they seem much to the annoyance of 'Mack' who just happens to be his former boss and with whom he has had a previous relationship.
The book is told from both Mack and Atticus' points of view and takes place during the court case which mixes police procedural, Atticus' unconventional methods of investigation and court room thriller. The pace is initially a slow burner as there is a wealth of detail that, at times, seems a little unnecessary but once you get past that, it soon ramps up into a thrilling read with plenty of twists and turns.
Overall, a really enjoyable start to a new series and one I am very much looking forward to following and I must give a thank you to Welbeck Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The House in the Woods.
Merissa (14046 KP) rated Dream Stalker in Books
Nov 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
DREAM STALKER is told from a first-person perspective and we arrive in Salem near Samhain, also known as Halloween. It is a sad time as Lily's friend, Kitty commits suicide in front of her, but not before passing her a box and telling her to find the truth. This leads to a tangled mess of truths and half-truths, with deaths and accusations flying around.
Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.
There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.
At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 15, 2021
Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.
There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.
At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 15, 2021
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Last Cabin Girl in Books
Aug 28, 2023
114 of 235
Kindle
The Last Cabin Girl
By
Tom Swyers
⭐️⭐️
As the pandemic begins, Josie Thompson is a struggling waitress, mom of two great kids. She wants a fresh start far from her abusive husband, the confining small town she calls home, and a long-held secret her family refuses to disclose.
But Josie isn’t going anywhere. After murder victims turn up floating in the river near her isolated cabin, the FBI quickly charges her in one of the killings. Thankfully, she’s freed on bond, but charges for the other deaths loom. The FBI thinks she’s a serial killer.
If convicted, she faces life in prison and a future forever apart from her children. Josie can’t let that happen. She must venture out of her comfort zone to prove her innocence, even if it means confronting her issues, including a growing fear of COVID-19.
Can she trust anyone to help? A friendly detective and former police officer? Her estranged lawyer-brother, David Thompson? Her cryptic parents? A wealthy bachelor who has eyes for her?
In a town where things are not what they seem and not everyone can be trusted, can Josie clear her name, or will her own dark secrets be her undoing?
I honestly don’t know what I just read. I hate giving 2 star reviews but I just don’t know what I feel about this book. It started well but I think there were to many ideas thrown into it I found it became completely bizarre towards the end I mean I can see what the author wanted to to do was twist , turn and shock but all it did for me was twist, turn and confuse. We have the covid 19 virus, conspiracy, incest and espionage that didn’t gel well in my opinion. So sorry 🙈
Kindle
The Last Cabin Girl
By
Tom Swyers
⭐️⭐️
As the pandemic begins, Josie Thompson is a struggling waitress, mom of two great kids. She wants a fresh start far from her abusive husband, the confining small town she calls home, and a long-held secret her family refuses to disclose.
But Josie isn’t going anywhere. After murder victims turn up floating in the river near her isolated cabin, the FBI quickly charges her in one of the killings. Thankfully, she’s freed on bond, but charges for the other deaths loom. The FBI thinks she’s a serial killer.
If convicted, she faces life in prison and a future forever apart from her children. Josie can’t let that happen. She must venture out of her comfort zone to prove her innocence, even if it means confronting her issues, including a growing fear of COVID-19.
Can she trust anyone to help? A friendly detective and former police officer? Her estranged lawyer-brother, David Thompson? Her cryptic parents? A wealthy bachelor who has eyes for her?
In a town where things are not what they seem and not everyone can be trusted, can Josie clear her name, or will her own dark secrets be her undoing?
I honestly don’t know what I just read. I hate giving 2 star reviews but I just don’t know what I feel about this book. It started well but I think there were to many ideas thrown into it I found it became completely bizarre towards the end I mean I can see what the author wanted to to do was twist , turn and shock but all it did for me was twist, turn and confuse. We have the covid 19 virus, conspiracy, incest and espionage that didn’t gel well in my opinion. So sorry 🙈
![The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series Book 1) [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/e1b/7f40e687-8bd3-42f4-ad91-b230424c3e1b.jpg?m=1665321953)
The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series Book 1) [Audiobook]
8.0
Rate It
Book
Nazi-occupied France, 1944: I tear open the envelope, extracting a sheet of folded paper. I read it,...
Merissa (14046 KP) rated The Ghost Garden (The de Chastelaine Chronicles #1) in Books
Apr 23, 2019
The Ghost Garden (The de Chastelaine Chronicles #1) by Catherine Curzon & Eleanor Harkstead
Set in the time between WWI and WWII, The Ghost Garden is an incredible tale that will capture your imagination and keep you turning the pages from the very beginning until the last word - and even then it will not be enough. You will be left wanting more, and as this says it is book one in the de Chastelaine Chronicles, I am very hopeful!
Set in an isolated school with a bully of a headmaster, and a meek and mild wife, this story immediately shows you there is more the Cecily than being 'Mrs Headmaster'. She has endured and survived, but not it is her time to thrive... although that doesn't happen without plenty of danger. I loved her acts of rebellion, small as they may seem, but you have to comprehend what she was living with. Those acts, however small, gave her the strength and courage to continue.
And then along comes Raf - blue-eyes and mischievous, infusing life back into the school and into Cecily herself. He is a friend first, never pushing for more. I loved hearing about his past as the story progressed. Their relationship had a naivety, an innocence, to it that was perfect. For all she was a married woman, Cecily was most certainly innocent in the ways of love, although Raf was more than happy to help out!
Mystery and intrigue wrap around this romance, giving you a fantastic read from a time gone by. I have never wanted for two couples (yes, you read that right) to get their HEA more than I did the characters in this book. One couple, I hope, has a peaceful time, whilst for Raf and Cecily, I hope for plenty more adventures to come.
A stunning novel that I heartily recommend!!!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Set in an isolated school with a bully of a headmaster, and a meek and mild wife, this story immediately shows you there is more the Cecily than being 'Mrs Headmaster'. She has endured and survived, but not it is her time to thrive... although that doesn't happen without plenty of danger. I loved her acts of rebellion, small as they may seem, but you have to comprehend what she was living with. Those acts, however small, gave her the strength and courage to continue.
And then along comes Raf - blue-eyes and mischievous, infusing life back into the school and into Cecily herself. He is a friend first, never pushing for more. I loved hearing about his past as the story progressed. Their relationship had a naivety, an innocence, to it that was perfect. For all she was a married woman, Cecily was most certainly innocent in the ways of love, although Raf was more than happy to help out!
Mystery and intrigue wrap around this romance, giving you a fantastic read from a time gone by. I have never wanted for two couples (yes, you read that right) to get their HEA more than I did the characters in this book. One couple, I hope, has a peaceful time, whilst for Raf and Cecily, I hope for plenty more adventures to come.
A stunning novel that I heartily recommend!!!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Wasp Factory in Books
May 15, 2019
A Sinister, but Excellent Read
I've just finished 'The Wasp Factory' by Iain Banks and all I can say is wow!
This story is told by Frank, a 16 year old boy, who lives on a remote island in Scotland with his father. This is about Frank, his very dysfunctional family and trying to find his brother, who has escaped from a mental institution.
What I love about this book is the way in which Iain Banks writes characters. Frank is such a complex character that, although in essence he is an evil person, there are flashes of innocence and sensitivity about him, that you can't help but like him. One moment you feel like he is the only reasonable member of his family and then gradually, you realize his true character. Despite that, you feel sorry for Frank and the life that he has grown up in and the next, completely horrified by some of the things he does in the novel. He's not just a bad character, which in turn, makes him all the more believable.
I also liked some of the dark humour in this novel. Some of the more disturbing stories of Frank's family history were told in such a way, as to make them funny. I felt guilty for laughing at times, but I couldn't help it!
Away from the story itself, I liked how the novel comments on human nature's need for power and to overpower others. This idea is relevant in the areas of gender, politics and society.
This novel isn't plot driven, but character driven, so the story was a bit slow at times. However, I was not expecting the twist at the end.
This might not be for everyone, because it is so dark and at times, really intense. However, I thought this was a brilliant first read for 2019.
I would give this 5 starts, but I have to knock a point off, because this book dragged a couple of times.
This story is told by Frank, a 16 year old boy, who lives on a remote island in Scotland with his father. This is about Frank, his very dysfunctional family and trying to find his brother, who has escaped from a mental institution.
What I love about this book is the way in which Iain Banks writes characters. Frank is such a complex character that, although in essence he is an evil person, there are flashes of innocence and sensitivity about him, that you can't help but like him. One moment you feel like he is the only reasonable member of his family and then gradually, you realize his true character. Despite that, you feel sorry for Frank and the life that he has grown up in and the next, completely horrified by some of the things he does in the novel. He's not just a bad character, which in turn, makes him all the more believable.
I also liked some of the dark humour in this novel. Some of the more disturbing stories of Frank's family history were told in such a way, as to make them funny. I felt guilty for laughing at times, but I couldn't help it!
Away from the story itself, I liked how the novel comments on human nature's need for power and to overpower others. This idea is relevant in the areas of gender, politics and society.
This novel isn't plot driven, but character driven, so the story was a bit slow at times. However, I was not expecting the twist at the end.
This might not be for everyone, because it is so dark and at times, really intense. However, I thought this was a brilliant first read for 2019.
I would give this 5 starts, but I have to knock a point off, because this book dragged a couple of times.