Blog Blitz - The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne

She made her bed. You’ll lie in it.

Rebecca only wanted to help out – to be kind. Richard seemed so alone after his wife, Nicole, died, and Rebecca wanted to make sure he knew he had someone to rely on.

But now she’s in Nicole’s immaculate house. Drinking from her favourite crystal wine glass. Keeping shoes in her orderly closet. Comforting her sweet and grieving step-daughter. It feels like Rebecca is living another woman’s life.

And as she gets to know the neighbours, Rebecca hears stories that make her wonder: was free-spirited Nicole happy in this perfect life, or did she feel trapped? Did she feel, as Rebecca is beginning to, that something wasn’t quite right?

The book everyone’s talking about! If you loved The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us and The Girl Before, you’ll be totally gripped and unable to put down this twisty page-turning psychological thriller.

I love featuring local authors on my blog and Sheryl Browne is another fantastic Worcestershire author. I have been Sheryl Browne's novels for a number of years and I love that she writes for two very different genres, that of contemporary fiction and also psychological thrillers.

The Second Wife is a psychological thriller that I enjoyed immensely. Sheryl very cleverly writes unputdownable fiction where the reader is engaged from the prologue through to the very end. I had a number of late nights as I couldn't put The Second Wife down.

There are all the usual ingredients for a psychological thriller - intrigue, twists and turns and lots of drama and suspense.There are moments of darkness and the added deceit makes The Second Wife a story that must be read.

I can't wait to pick up Sheryl's next release - she is definitely one of my go to authors!

Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me to take part in the Blog Blitz and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review. 

Blog Tour - Don't Turn Around by Amanda Brooke (Extract included)

 Today I am pleased to welcome Amanda Brooke to my blog to celebrate the publication of Amanda's latest book, Don't Turn Around. I have been given the prologue from the book to share on my blog to capture my blog reader's attention ………………

She died. You're next.

Now he's coming for you

Ten years ago, Jen's cousin Meg killed herself after failing to escape an abusive relationship.

Now, Meg's ex is back and Jen's domestic abuse helpline has started getting frightening calls from a girl who knows things about Meg - details that only the dead girl or the man who hurt her could have known...

As Jen starts to uncover the past, someone is determined to stop her. Can she save this young woman from Meg's fate? Or is history about to repeat itself?

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008219185

Don't Turn Around is a psychological thriller and although I found the story to be rather slow in pace, I did enjoy it. It covers some sensitive issues including suicide and abuse but this is done sympathetically and all is in keeping with the storyline. 

I have read a number of Amanda Brooke's books and although this is not one of my favourites I still enjoyed it.

I have been lucky enough to be given the prologue to share with my blog readers to celebrate the book's launch. Hope you enjoy ......

Prologue 

The Confession 

The rhythmic slap of my ballet shoes against the linoleum-covered steps echoes down the stairwell. As my pace slows, my head droops and my gaze falls onto the worn and familiar treads that lead to the seventh floor and home. I know each and every scuff mark, every chip of paint, and even the crumpled tissues and sweet wrappers discarded by my thoughtless neighbours are familiar to me. 

Unlike my apartment block’s gleaming city-centre exterior, its spine has an air of abandonment. The stairwell is rarely used and less frequently cleaned, and there have been times when I’ve taken it upon myself to return with rubber gloves and a bin bag, but no more. Believe me, I’ve tried, but nothing I do ever makes a difference.

My legs are trembling by the time I reach my floor and I take a moment to catch my breath. Drawn to the window with its view of the Liverpool waterfront, I follow the line of docks until they’re rudely interrupted by the modern edifice of a thirteen-storey office block that sits awkwardly between Canning Dock and the Pier Head. This is Mann Island, and although it hasn’t been an island for centuries, the place where I work certainly looks stranded next to the iconic outlines of the Port of Liverpool, Cunard and Liver Buildings. The Three Graces had been basking in the afterglow of a crisp autumn day when I’d set off on the short trek home along the Strand, but the world has darkened since, and the Graces have been reduced to silhouettes, pockmarked with yellow, fluorescent lights. As I step back from the window, my eyes refocus and I catch my reflection.

The apparition floating beyond the sheet of glass is weighed down by the heavy houndstooth woollen jacket hanging off her shoulders. Her round face is framed by straggly mouse-brown hair and a severe fringe that’s become frayed from her exertions. Her complexion is pale against the starless night and there’s no spark in her eyes. The fight has left her.

I don’t recognise this woman captured by the failing light, or perhaps I do. There’s something about her that reminds me of Meg. My cousin’s hair was a similar shade although you would describe hers as golden, and she never hid behind a fringe. Meg was bold, and yet the hopelessness in the face that stares back at me immediately brings her to mind.

I retreat to the exit door only to stop when I hear a noise. The soft squeak of a rubber sole on linoleum came from the floor above, or I think it did. The world falls silent again and I’m about to dismiss the crawling sensation that I’m being watched when—

‘Hello, Jen.’

Instinctively, I grab the safety bar but I don’t open the door because I’ve already recognised the deep voice that sent a jolt of terror down my spine. The fact that he’s here shouldn’t surprise me, and I know it won’t matter if I run away, or stand and fight. He’s already won.

I turn my head slowly but he stops me.

‘Don’t turn around.’

Keeping my head to the side, I stare at the window with its mirror image of the landing behind me. 

No figure appears from the shadows, no hand reaches out to wrap around my neck.

‘What is this? Don’t you have the guts to face me?’ I ask, my voice surprisingly calm.

There’s a pause and when he replies, he sounds closer. ‘If I thought it was going to be easy, we would have had this conversation ten years ago.’

‘This conversation?’ I ask. ‘If it’s a confession you’re planning, I’m not the one you should be talking to. It’s Meg’s parents who deserve answers.’

‘Ruth and Geoff don’t need to hear what I have to say.’

‘I suppose you’re going to tell me you’ve been protecting them all these years.’

‘Not only them.’

My laugh catches in my dry throat. ‘Oh, I see. You’ve been protecting me too.’

‘If Meg had wanted you to know everything, she’d have told you everything.’

‘Maybe she tried,’ I reply as I picture a torn scrap of yellow lined paper. Meg’s suicide note, or at least a remnant of it.

‘No, she didn’t,’ he says with finality. ‘Christ, Jen, didn’t you know her at all?’

‘She was my best friend. Of course I knew her!’ I tell him, raising my voice to camouflage the doubt.

‘Not like I did,’ he says in a whisper.

A door swings open three flights down and shrieks of laughter ricochet off the walls as a group of raucous, and possibly drunken friends race to the ground floor. Their giddiness reminds me of times lost, but I can’t trust my memories. How many of Meg’s smiles were a disguise for unfathomable pain?

When another door slams shut and stillness returns, I hear the whisper of stealthy footfalls. I scan the reflection of the empty landing and glimpse movement on the small section of the stairs that are visible to me. I spy a pair of black boots and legs clad in dark jeans. I twist my body towards him.

‘I said, don’t turn around.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I can’t . . .’ He curses under his breath. ‘I won’t do this if you’re looking at me.’

Thank you to the publishers, Harper Collins, for inviting me to take part in the blog tour in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Deep Dirty Truth by Steph Broadribb

The third book in the terrific Lori Anderson series

A price on her head, and just 48 hours to expose the truth, and save her family…
Single-mother bounty hunter Lori Anderson has finally got her family back together, but her new-found happiness is shattered when she’s snatched by the Miami Mob, who they want her dead. But rather than a bullet, they offer her a job: find the Mob’s ‘numbers man’ – Carlton North – who’s in protective custody after being forced to turn federal witness against them. If Lori succeeds, they’ll wipe the slate clean and the price on her head – and those of her family – will be removed. If she fails, they die.
With only 48 hours before North is due to appear in court, Lori sets across Florida, racing against the clock to find him, and save her family…
Brimming with tension, high-stakes jeopardy and high-voltage action, and a deep, emotional core, Deep Dirty Truth is an unmissable thriller by one of the freshest and most exciting voices in crime fiction.


I really like Lori Anderson as a character, a strong female character lead who has great morals and beliefs which shape her into a hard hitting and head strong woman. She has strong family ties and family always comes first as she maintains to keep her family together.

Steph's writing is strong, with a hard hitting storyline, that keeps the reader engaged from the very start. The book reads as a movie script and would be great to watch on the big screen as it has all the makings of a Hollywood film.


This is the third book in the Lori Anderson series of books by Steph Broadribb and I I have heard lots of good things about Steph's previous books from fellow book bloggers, I will definitely  be reading the first two very soon. 

Thank you to Orenda Books and Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Her Pretty Bones by Carla Kovach

THE UNPUTDOWNABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE NEXT GIRL

She’s just the girl he’s looking for…

A young woman falls from a van speeding down a quiet road. Battered and bruised, she turns her head to the person who comes to her aid. ‘Help her’, she whispers before her eyes close.

Days later, the body of another young girl is found in a shallow grave just a few miles away. The similarities between the two girls are startling – same age, same frail body, same shocking red hair.

As the town fears there’s a serial killer living amongst them, Detective Gina Harte must put aside her own struggles at home, and catch the killer before he finds another perfect girl.

AN ABSOLUTELY HEART-STOPPING CRIME THRILLER FROM 8CARLA KOVACH – if you like Lisa Gardner, Robert Bryndza or Clare Mackintosh, Her Pretty Bones will have you hooked.



I am a huge Carla Kovach fan - Her Pretty Bones is Carla's third book in the fantastic series DI Gina Harte and I really think Carla is getting better and better with every new release. 

Her Pretty Bones is set in my local area, my childhood was spent in Redditch and I know the areas of the town in which Carla has set the book. The bakery on the corner of the town centre was a clear memory in my childhood and as the story went to Winyates I was able to follow the story. Although I don't think the Cleevesford area was a real place, there are plenty of areas around Redditch where the action could have taken place. It was also great to see Worcester included, the controversial gold beacon of the city's library, The Hive, included along with the rolling hills of Ronkswood Hill (near to where I live) all added a personal aspect to this book and I really enjoyed it.

The storyline is disturbing, starting with a young girl falling from the back of a moving van. Later the audience is introduced to  a young girl who appears to be being kept against her will, locked up looking after an old lady who is also very ill, the remains of another young girl found dumped in wooded area. 

The story is told from a number of different point of views, each adding a further layer to the story and keeping the reader involved in the storyline and needing to know more about the crimes being committed. DI Gina Harte does a fantastic job in moving the criminal investigation along at a continued pace where the story unfolds and comes to an unusual conclusion.

I really enjoyed this book, and as I have previously said, Carla is getting better and better with each book and I can't wait to read what comes next for DI Gina Harte.

Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour in return for an honest review.

My Name is Anna by Lizzy Barber

Two women - desperate to unlock the truth. How far will they go to lay the past to rest? ANNA has been taught that virtue is the path to God. But on her eighteenth birthday she defies her Mamma's rules and visits Florida's biggest theme park. She has never been allowed to go - so why, when she arrives, does everything seem so familiar? And is there a connection to the mysterious letter she receives on the same day? ROSIE has grown up in the shadow of the missing sister she barely remembers, her family fractured by years of searching without leads. Now, on the fifteenth anniversary of her sister's disappearance, the media circus resumes in full flow, and Rosie vows to uncover the truth. But will she find the answer before it tears her family apart?

Publisher: Cornerstone
ISBN: 9781780899251 

When I started 'My Name is Anna' I was unsure if the book was for me. I found Anna to be a character that I couldn't relate to, with a mother who is obsessed with cleanliness and her faith. However when she escapes from  her mother's clutches and is taken on a trip to a theme park by her boyfriend for her eighteenth birthday I decided to continue and I am glad I did as I was introduced to Rosie and her family, seemingly a completely different family who have been touched by tragedy as they are 'marking' the anniversary of the disappearance of her sister when she was only one.

The book alternates between the two main female characters, Anna and Rosie, who each have their own issues and the book tackles a number of themes which are very relevant in today's world and are both hard hitting and thought provoking.

I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it all my blog readers who are looking for a book that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned!

Thank you to the publishers, Cornerstone, for inviting me to take part in the blog tour in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - All the Lonely People by David Owen

Everyone tells Kat that her online personality - confident, funny, opinionated - isn't her true self. Kat knows otherwise. The internet is her only way to cope with a bad day, chat with friends who get all her references, make someone laugh. But when she becomes the target of an alt-right trolling campaign, she feels she has no option but to Escape, Delete, Disappear. 

With her social media shut down, her website erased, her entire online identity void, Kat feels she has cut away her very core: without her virtual self, who is she?

She brought it on herself. Or so Wesley keeps telling himself as he dismantles Kat's world. It's different, seeing one of his victims in real life and not inside a computer screen - but he's in too far to back out now.

As soon as Kat disappears from the online world, her physical body begins to fade and while everybody else forgets that she exists, Wesley realises he is the only one left who remembers her. Overcome by remorse for what he has done, Wesley resolves to stop her disappearing completely. It might just be the only way to save himself.

All the Lonely People is a timely story about online culture - both good and bad - that explores the experience of loneliness in a connected world, and the power of kindness and empathy over hatred.

When I was offered a place on the blog tour to celebrate the publication of 'All The Lonely People' I was really keen to take part. As a starting point, Sophia Walker (the publicist) asked me to think about if the internet has made my life better or if it has made it worse? 

My initial thoughts are that there are definitely some positives; my brother lives in Cardiff and has a young family who I don't get to see very regularly, however through Facebook I am able to watch them grow and see what they have been up to, allowing me to feel that I am not missing out on their lives. I am a book blogger and unfortunately I am unable to attend the blogger events or book launches that I am invited to, however through the internet I am able to be part of an online community and to talk to other bloggers, authors and publishers about books and the world of publishing.

 I am sure that there are things that have been negative since the introduction of the internet. I think that it has made impulse buying a lot easier - having Amazon at the click of a button or Next has made a shopping spree easy when I am in a slump of mood. Also the ability to see what others are doing on social media can mean that I can see what I am missing out on - e.g. missing out on celebrating with family or not being invited to join a group of friends on a night out.

I definitely think that the introduction of the internet and social media has been good for me because it has meant that I can take part in book blogging, living in Worcester and not being able to travel to London regularly, due to anxiety and panic, has meant that although I can't take a job in publishing, I am able to play a small part in book blogging, finding lots of new friends to share my love of books.

'All the Lonely People' is a great book which makes the reader think about how life has changed since the introduction of social media and the internet. The main character, Kat, lives her whole life online, with her own website and a high online presence with many followers, is the subject of cyber bullying and, as a quick fix, she decides to remove herself online. Kat is young, still at school, and  for her this is a big thing. However as she removes her online profile she finds that her body begins to fade and she is not visible to her peers. As time continues, Kat finds that there are other people who have faded from everyday life.

There is also a second character, Wesley, one of the boys who are responsible for the cyber bullying. However, after the final attack which saw Kat removing her online profile, he sees the error of his ways and tries to help Kat but is unable to find her.

All The Lonely People is a very cleverly written book and is both thought provoking and worrying with more and more people living their lives online. My one criticism of the book is that the story went straight into the final cyber bullying event and Kat's withdrawal of her online presence. I think that the story would of benefited from a little build up initially. It would be a great book to be used in secondary schools to promote the subject of cyber safety and also to allow students to consider their home life and their online presence.

Thank you to the publishers, Atom Books, for sending me the book to review in return for an honest review.

Only a Mother by Elisabeth Carpenter

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Orion's Blog Tour for the publication of 'Only a Mother' by Elisabeth Carpenter.

I have read Elisabeth Carpenter's previous two novels and have always enjoyed her writing style. Elisabeth has the perfect writing style  to write  a thriller, she engages with the reader from the very start and keeps them enthralled to the very end, building up the suspense as the story unfolds.

Only a Mother starts with Erica, the mother, awaiting Craig, her son's, release from prison following hte serving of a prison sentence for the sexual assault and killing a young girl. Craig has always protested his innocence, along with Erica, who still lives in teh area and has suffered at the hands of local residents.

Elisabeth Carpenter looks at the difficult subject of a mother's emotions after her child is accused, charged and sentenced for a serious crime. The evidence was stacked against Craig but Erica believes  that not the whole truth has been unearthed.

At the time of the incident a second girl was killed, similar but with marked differences, however Craig was not charged with this second murder.

Throughout the book, Erica goes through a range of emotions - her friends and neighbours ostracise her and she becomes the target as her home is attacked.

The book has two narratives, Erica and Luke, a local newspaper reporter who has grown up during the incident and he is also unsure that the real events have been discovered.

There is a third voice throughout the book - who it is is not revealed to the very end but it is evident that they know what really happened. 

'Only a Mother' really is a fantastic read. It is hard hitting, thought provoking and a book that really got me thinking about how crime and subsequent court cases affect the whole family, 

Elisabeth Carpenter writes a fantastic novel, one which keeps the reader hooked and manages to pack a punch at the end which is not seen coming. I can not wait for Elisabeth's next release to read more by this fantastic author.

Thank you to Orion Books for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.