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Every Little Secret [Audiobook]
Every Little Secret [Audiobook]
Sarah Clarke | 2022 | Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth." Buddha

From the outside, Grace, Marcus and their daughter Kaia appear to be a happy family who have it all but, below the surface, secrets lie which threaten to tear their lives apart.

This was a good book to listen to; it started strong, had a few chapters that dragged on a bit but then finished strong. The story is told from 3 timelines and from multiple points of view but whilst I did get lost a few times, this was probably because I was dipping in and out of the audiobook rather than listening to it in big chunks but I soon got back on track.

The characters are strong and well developed and whilst they might not be the most likeable people in the world, I didn't think it mattered too much to me in this particular instance.

The story and plot were interesting and it was a real puzzle trying to work out who was telling the truth and how it was all going to end which I really enjoyed. There are a number of twists and the ending was great.

Overall, a good domestic, family thriller which the narrator did a good job of distinguishing between the characters and keeping you engaged.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and share my thoughts.
  
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ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Beholders in Books

Jan 19, 2024  
The Beholders
The Beholders
Hester Musson | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was such a good book. I felt thoroughly ill at ease throughout, and the excellent narration by Ashley Tucker, Harriet Carmichael and Elliot Fitzgerald added to that. Victorian society is always portrayed as being very primitive and proper and on the surface, the Gethins are. But dig a little deeper and there are a lot of frightening things going on in this house.

Ralph Gethin MP, owner of the house, isn’t at all what he seems, and there’s a simple explanation why all of the staff are so attractive.

Clara Gethin’s attitude towards her baby did puzzle me, though. It’s understandable that she doesn’t like her husband and what he and his friends get up to, but why she should distance herself from her baby seemed to be out of character. There would (to me) always be the hope that Clara could influence her sons attitudes towards the staff and those less fortunate and make him less swayed by his father.

Harriet’s diary entries are a really good way of showing just how claustrophobic life as a servant could be: in one house all day, every day, not even able to get fresh air in the grounds, not really able to form friendships. It sounds awful.

This was a gripping listen, made more impactful by the different narrators. I didn’t want to stop listening!

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
  
    Jewel Mania™

    Jewel Mania™

    Games and Entertainment

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    Jewel Mania - The new match 3 sensation is here, with brilliant jewels in over 600 dazzling puzzles!...

A detailed look into the world of forensic pathology.
I don’t read a lot on non-fiction and when I do it is rarely an autobiography or memoir but when I happened to see Unnatural Causes I decided to jump in and hopefully get a better understanding of a profession so often touched on in my beloved crime thriller books. I didn’t regret it for a second.

Dr Richard Shepherd, as one of the UK’s top forensic pathologists, has performed over 23,000 postmortems; that’s a lot of dead bodies! Fascinated by cracking the puzzle of what killed each one this book covers a whole host of unusual cases. Clearing up many misconceptions of the world of forensic pathology we get a great insight into a job few people could stomach.

As he covers many interesting cases we get a unique behind the curtain look into some famous murders and disasters. Shipman, Stephen Lawrence, the Hungerford massacre, the Marchioness disaster, he is even involved in Diana’s inquest. The look into the very difficult area of the death of babies shows a complicated area where everything is not as black and white as we’d like it to be.

His single minded quest for the truth and the very distressing nature of his work takes a toll on his mental health and family life. Although not as fascinating as the cases themselves it’s important to cover this, bring into sharp focus the debt society owes to those willing to surround themselves in such a grim profession.
  
DS
Dream Sight (Dream Waters #3)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dream Sight is the third book in the Dream Waters Series. We go straight back into the thick of the action, with Charlie shouldering (literally) the weight of the mirage, whilst the Dragon King searches for his lost princess. There are red herrings, and diversions aplenty, as the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together. There are also fresh happenings that will be surprising, and enjoyable (and no, I'm not talking about the same events!)

Whilst this book feels like it is being wrapped up, there are also more loose ends, which lead nicely to the fourth book. Rose plays more of a part in this book, and Nellie also plays her part, with sorrowful consequences. Tristan plays a role in Mia's life (new character) and I can't wait to find out more about that.

I won't give out anything about the story, as I do feel you need to read these to get the full effect. Suffice it to say, the old favourites are there, new characters are introduced, and old enemies are there to despise.

As with books one and two, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The scenes flowed where they should, and kept my attention. Most definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue with this series.

* 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!
  
Finding Joy Street isn't your normal, run-of-the-mill, contemporary romance. What you get is a helluva lot more than what you see. Cali Blue gives across the impression of being permanently positive and "practically perfect in every way". However, she is dealing with a whole lot more than what she allows people to see, and this also influences her career of choice. When she meets London for the first time, sparks fly, but not in the way you expect. If I remember correctly, a "prick in a nice suit" is one description of him. However, he gets under Cali's skin and not always in a bad way. When she needs help, he is there unconditionally.

I thoroughly enjoyed how these two got to know each other, figuring out the puzzle of what makes Cali/London Cali/London! The attraction is there, and it does yo-yo for a while, but Melissa Belle allows their relationship to grow way beyond just a quick romp.

If I had one 'bad' thing to say it would be that the place names being names got a bit old, but consider that just one of my personal quirks. About the story itself, I can give nothing bad. It deals with some major issues in a sensitive and sympathetic way, without glamorising or playing the victim card.

Extremely well written, and a joy to read, I look forward to more from The Tarot Series. Definitely recommended.

* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Saw (2004) in Movies

Dec 17, 2019 (Updated Jan 8, 2020)  
Saw (2004)
Saw (2004)
2004 | Horror
The Start
Saw- this one started it all, this one started the franchise. This one is the best one out of all of them. This one has the best story, the best plot and the best twist ending to all of them. This one is more detective film than a tourture film, it still had tourture in it, but its more about the two main charcters trying to survivor and figure out where their are and the detective trying to find them. With introduction Jigsaw/John Kramer, doctor Gordon and Amanda Young.

The Plot: Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.

After this one, the franchise became more of a tourture porn franchise, well it did become tourture porn in the sequels, with focus more on tourture and the traps rather than a story. The story is just sprinkled within inside the tourture porn and traps, you just have to find the story.

Like i said before this one is the best one out of all of them, the best story, the best plot and the best twist ending.

Want to play a game, do you punk? Well do you?