Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay @HQstories #Book #Review @linwood_barclay

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

Published by HQ

Publication Date: 5th September 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Book Description:

It begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in Manhattan. Each presses the button for their floor, but the elevator climbs, non-stop, to the top where it pauses for a few seconds, before dropping.

Right to the bottom of the shaft.

It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again. And when Wednesday brings yet another catastrophe, New York, one of the most vertical cities in the world is plunged into chaos.

Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. But what do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line?

It will be a race against time for detectives Jerry Borque and Lois Delgado to find the answers before a deadly Friday night showdown.

My Review:

I'm sure I have mentioned before that I rarely read US writers - I just can't seem to click with the setting somehow. This then is one of the biggest exceptions to that statement. I didn't want to put the book down - literally. The action starts right from the first page and had me gripped all the way to the closing scenes. The descriptions of the problems New Yorkers experienced with elevators across the city had my pulse racing and the relationship between mayor Richard Headley and journalist Barbara Matheson simmered with distaste all the way through the book.

The big reveal as to who was responsible was completely shocking in its content even if I had vague suspicions about those involved. I actually gasped with disbelief at the actions of one of the characters in the climax to the book, stunned that anyone could actually be capable of such actions. 

There are an interesting smattering of decoys deployed throughout the story to put the reader off the scent and the variety of personalities drawn by the author makes this a very good read - although if you are of a sensitive disposition or already have a fear of lifts then maybe this isn't the best book for you. Personally I loved it and will certainly not pass over any of this writer's other work in future due to it being set across the Pond. 

A resounding 5 stars from me.

About the Author:

Linwood Barclay is an international bestselling crime and thriller author with over twenty critically acclaimed novels to his name, including the phenomenal number one bestseller No Time For Goodbye. Every Linwood Barclay book is a masterclass in characterisation, plot and the killer twist, and with sales of over 7 million copies globally, his books have been sold in more than 39 countries around the world and he can count Stephen King, Shari Lapena and Peter James among his many fans.

Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, and Linwood wrote the screenplay for the film based on his bestselling novel Never Saw It Coming. He is currently working with eOne to turn the Promise Falls trilogy into a series. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children. Visit Linwood Barclay at www.linwoodbarclay.com or find him on Twitter at @linwood barclay.

The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh #NetGalley #Book #Review #TheSecretsHeKept @HeraBooks @JackieWalsh_ie

The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh

Published by Hera Books

Publication Date: 6th November 2019

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Book Description:

You know everything about your husband. Don’t you?

He loves you. He loves your children. He’d never put his family in danger.

One of these is a lie.

It started like any other day at the hairdressers where Sally works as a stylist… until her first client innocently shows her a family photograph; a photograph that causes Sally to collapse in shock.

In one moment, Sally discovers that Tom has been hiding an explosive secret – one that could tear apart the life they’ve built together. Faced with an impossible dilemma - search for the truth, or keep her contented life? – Sally is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets… and that sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear.

My Review:

Sally Cooper thought her husband had dropped the biggest possible bombshell on their marriage when he admitted to her that he had blown all her savings on an investment opportunity which failed quite spectacularly, scuppering her dream of owning her own hairdressing salon, forcing her to work all the hours she could in someone else's salon. It is whilst working in there that a customer shows her a photograph which puts her financial issues in their place and completely rocks the foundation of her marriage to Tom. A photograph which suggests her husband has a teenage son and a secret life which he has told Sally nothing about.
After much deliberation Sal confronts Tom about the possibility of the existence of the child in the photograph, but his reaction does little to calm her fears or explain anything.  Tom's behaviour changes in that instant as does the whole pace of Sal's life. Yes, things were hectic before as she worked crazy hours to try to keep a roof over their heads and the bills paid - not to mention keeping up with their daughter's demands for the latest fashion and make up trends - but throw in a lack of sleep and an overactive imagination due to the fact that Sal knows her husband is keeping things from her and Sal is struggling to cope. Then a local woman is found murdered in a street not too far away from theirs, leading to the police on their doorstep.
I could totally understand Sal's torment in this book: she wants to believe her husband but the way he is acting and the facts the police are giving her are saying something different completely. Why would he lie now about the existence of the boy in the photograph? Does anyone else know? And why are the police knocking on their door in particular?  She's a strong character and I admired the way she handled herself in some really tricky situations along the way but there's a limit to every person's tolerance.
I particularly liked the character of Sally & Tom's daughter, Amber; typical of many teenagers she has plenty of sarcastic lines in the book, temper tantrums and sulks, but you can see that underneath it all she's a good kid. As is often the case Amber channels most of her anger and angst towards her mum as it's she who has the "bad cop" role when it comes to parenting. While the adults have clearly tried to keep a lot of their "grown up" issues away from her she's far more astute than they realise. Dad Tom I could quite happily have strangled myself on more than one occasion and by the end of the book it appeared that maybe the boy in the photograph is more like his dad than anyone realised. After all, it's not just adults who can keep a secret is it?

About the Author:

Jackie Walsh lives in Dublin with her husband Paul. Her interest in writing developed with the spare time that followed the success of her business. She’s a member of the Irish Writers Centre, The Irish Crime writers group, and loves to travel to writing festivals including Harrogate and Bristol.

Follow Jackie on Twitter @JackieWalsh_ie

Her Dark Heart by Carla Kovach #book #review @bookouture @CKovachAuthor #publicationday

Her Dark Heart by Carla Kovach

Published by Bookouture

Publication Date: 19th November 2019

Police Procedural 

My thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication and to be part of the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

Book Description:

Rory is waiting at the door of the pre-school – a painted picture of his mother Susan in his small hand. But Susan isn’t going to see the picture, because she has vanished.

Susan Wheeler is a devoted mother. She would do anything for her three children. She drops them off and picks them up every single day. Until one day when Susan kisses them goodbye and then never comes to pick them up.

Susan’s mother Mary is worried. Susan is recently divorced and has been finding things hard recently, but she loves her kids – she’d never leave them.

Susan’s sister Clare is furious. It’s just like her to go missing. It’s not the first time, either. Susan has always been a troublemaker. Always seeking attention. She knows Susan has been lying to the family for years. And she knows that Susan has been sneaking out of her family home for weeks…

As the hours turn into days, even Clare becomes fearful for Susan. And, when Mary discovers Susan’s diary, she begins to uncover a dark secret from her childhood. Something no one in the family knew. When the final diary entry leads the police to a man who is discovered dead in a local park, they’re left wondering whether Susan has vanished because she is a victim. Or because she is a suspect…

An explosively compelling crime thriller from bestselling author Carla Kovach – if you love Lisa Gardner, Robert Bryndza or Clare Mackintosh, you’ll love Her Dark Heart.

My Review:

I came into this series part way through at book 3 and have been hooked ever since.  I love the way we are presented with a new case in Gina Harte's police career as the focus of each book yet have the back story of Gina and her ongoing battle with the demons from her past - plus her personal/professional relationships with colleagues and the overlap therein.

This book sees little Rory at nursery where mum Susan has left him for his regular day care session.  The other children are all collected and closing time draws near then passes, leaving the staff no option but to ring the emergency contact number for Rory's grandmother in order to arrange for her to pick him up. Hours pass and there is still no sign of Susan - but not all of her family members seem concerned that she seems to have vanished.

As readers we have an insight to what has happened to Susan - only snippets along the way, but enough to know that Mary's instinct is right - as the author drops in an occasional chapter portraying events from an anonymous yet dangerous voice from Susan's past.  The remainder of the book is told from Gina's point of view. She knows the family is holding back on disclosing some vital piece of information but cannot seem to find the key to unlock the case. There are a few possible villains set in the frame, including Susan's abusive soon-to-be-ex husband however I was rocked by the events leading up to the end of the book, which set off at a much faster pace once Gina and her team eventually made their breakthrough. Nothing prepared me for the whodunnit in this book though.

Some people may not like the way Gina continues to refer to her emotional past throughout this book, but having read the earlier books I felt it good to know that she is finally facing the ghosts of that past and dealing with them in a much more positive way than before. The feelings of the various different characters are explored well in this book both in the present day and in years gone by. Longstanding differences and misunderstandings between the family members involved in the case are brought to light in the hope that the whole family will come together as a much stronger unit in the end.

Overall I found this to be a very emotional book as the flip side to the police procedural side of the missing person case at its core. I do feel that, although this can be read as a standalone book, it is better to have a knowledge of what has gone before in order to understand why Gina acts the way she does.

A great series to get immersed in.

Buy your copy:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07WZMKTB6Social

Apple Books: https://apple.co/347kkWi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/326Hsmb

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2MJQLEP

About the Author:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. Author of supernatural drama 'Flame,' psychological thriller 'To Let,' crime thriller 'Whispers Beneath the Pines,' and holiday comedy, 'Meet Me at Marmaris Castle.' Carla also writes stage and screenplays, some of which have been produced in the Worcestershire area. Her feature film 'Penny for the Guy' is being made and is set for release in 2019.

Her latest book, Her Dark Heart, has been published by Bookouture. It is the fifth book in the DI Gina Harte crime series.

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaKovachAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CKovachAuthor

Website: https://griffbuck.wordpress.com/

Someone Is Lying by Jenny Blackhurst #Book #Review #NetGalley #SomeoneIsLying @JennyBlackhurst @headlinepg

Someone Is Lying by Jenny Blackhurst

Published by Headline

Publication Date: 14th November 2019

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Book Description:

One year after Erica Spencer trips and falls down a flight of stairs at a lavish Halloween party, the residents of the exclusive gated community where she lived have comes to terms with her death and moved on with their lives.

Until one day, a post on the school's website announces there will be a podcast to expose what really happened on the night of the accident. Six suspects are named, with the podcaster promising to reveal the murderer by the end of the series.

Everyone in this community has secrets to keep, and one of them is already a killer...

My Review:

Keep your friends close, but your enemies in your pocket. Never was a statement more fitting.  The residents of the gated luxury community of Severn Oaks all know each other well - or so they thought until a mysterious social media post threatens to blow apart the friendships they work so hard to maintain.

One of their number, well respected community organiser Erica fell from her neighbour's tree house during a Halloween party the previous year; an accident so the police and coroner decided some months before the podcasts started. Whoever the author of these announcements is sees it differently, and not only that wants the world to know "the truth" of what happened that night - and states they have evidence to back up their claims.  This book follows events from the first podcast, predominantly from one of the resident's points of view but also spotlighting various other neighbours' involvements too.  At first the local constabulary are reluctant to get involved with the social media circus which the podcasts create but when another resident goes missing they are forced to start asking questions.

The pace of this book is perfect, with virtually every person who lives behind the gates seeming to have an influence on events at the Halloween party or a possible motive for wanting to cause Erica harm. It's a very flowing read with lots of possible scenarios being pitched at the reader throughout the book which keeps the pages turning quickly. Just about any one of them could be responsible for Erica's demise - including the latest missing person. After all, why else would they disappear - unless they are the one recording the podcasts? The more questions the detectives ask, the more secrets are uncovered which only leads to more head scratching back in the incident room.

I felt this book to be quite reminiscent of The Couple on Cedar Close by Anna Lou Weatherley where the residents appear to be good friends however under that veneer of friendship nobody properly trusts one another. The final chapters certainly shocked me, the plotting throughout the book definitely managing to throw me well and truly off the scent. I look forward to being able to discuss the ending with people once this book is published and I can see it being a popular book club choice over the coming months.

About the Author:

Jenny lives in Shropshire where she grew up dreaming that one day she would get paid for making up stories. She is an avid reader and can mostly be found with her head in a book or hunting Pokemon with her son, otherwise you can get her on Twitter @JennyBlackhurst or Facebook. Her favourite film is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, but if her children ask it's definitely Moana.

In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson #Netgalley #InHerEyes @MulhollandUK @HodderBooks #Book #Review

In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson

Published by Mulholland Books

Publication Date 14th November 2019

Crime/Psychological Thriller

320 pages

Book Description:

You're at home with your family.
You think you're safe.
You're wrong...

Ava's life is the kind other people envy: loving husband; great kids; beautiful house. Until the night a violent home invasion turns the dream into a nightmare, and leaves her beautiful daughter fighting to survive.

And then things get worse. Ava realises that the attack wasn't random. Someone is targeting her family. Why? Who could hate them enough to kill?

Ava must find out what really happened that night, to save those she loves from even greater danger. But when everyone around you has been lying, how do you decide who to trust?

And Ava has secrets of her own...

My Review:

I'm not a huge fan of books set in the US which is my fault, not the writers',  mainly because I don't understand the hierarchy of the police departments or the different names for the stages of school but this book didn't really relate too much to these, it was far more about the family and how events one night affected the individuals therein.
Ava and Robert have a seemingly perfect home and family life; Robert has made his money with a successful internet app and the business he now runs based on that. Maybe the fact of Robert's success in life being in the public eye caused them to be the focus of the break in that happened that night - or maybe it was just opportunists seeing a big house and expecting a successful raid.  Sherriff Nate Carmichael's investigation would find uncover the truth.
Nobody should have been home that night if things had gone according to plan - another line of enquiry for Nate and his team to follow - and had that been the case then this would just have been a straightforward case of burglary rather than an attempted murder charge.
As Ava starts trying to work things out in her head, she realises that the pieces aren't fitting together quite right and maybe the family were deliberate targets.  Arrests and accusations are made which shake Ava to her core and make her question the very foundation of her life with Robert. How well does she know her family after all?
The story does take some rather incredible twists and turns from here on, with Ava putting herself and best friend Laurie in some questionable positions given the traumatic experience she has just gone through and this was the point in the book where I kind of lost interest.
I kept going in order to find out whodunnit and why, but the unbelievable events needed to link the plot points together completely spoiled what could have been a pretty good book.  A promising first third and an interesting overall plot were let down by the middle section which needed a far more convincing method of detective work to solve the case. If you can excuse that side of the book then it will be a decent read but sadly not one for me.
My thanks to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

About the Author:

Sarah is a British born, LA based screenwriter and author.

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and toddler daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home.

She finished her first novel, HUNTING LILA, just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali. After living there for five years, during which time she wrote another ten books, she and her family made the move to California.

While now writing predominantly for TV and film, Sarah remains a prolific author, writing women's fiction under the name Mila Gray. Her novels in this genre include the #1 bestselling COME BACK TO ME, STAY WITH ME and RUN AWAY WITH ME.

Her first non-fiction book, CAN WE LIVE HERE, based on her family's travels around the world to find a new home, was published in 2015.

Her first psychological thriller, FRIENDS LIKE THESE, is out in December 2018, published by Mulholland Books.

Her books have appeared in translation in Germany, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Poland.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter (@sarahalderson) and at www.sarahalderson.com

The Empty Nest by Sue Watson @bookouture #book #review #BlogTour #NetGalley @suewatsonwriter

The Empty Nest by Sue Watson

Published by Bookouture

Publication Date: 1st November 2019

Psychological Thriller, Crime

Book Description:

‘Sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us, Kat. Everyone has secrets, even the people we love, the people we live with…’

Kat remembers the days when her only daughter Amy wouldn't leave her side. Amy was the baby who cried when you walked out of the room, the toddler who was too shy to speak to strangers, the small child who clung to Kat's legs in the school playground.

But now Amy is grown up, and Amy is gone – to university in a town several hours away. Kat's house – which once felt too full, too noisy, too busy – is deathly quiet, and Kat awaits the daily phone call to tell her that her beloved daughter is thriving and happy.

Until the day Amy doesn’t call, sending Kat into a panic. Her husband and friends say she’s being paranoid – surely Amy is just out, having fun? But Kat feels sure something is very wrong – she knows her daughter, and she would never just disappear.

As the hours turn into days, her fears are confirmed: Amy is missing. But there are secrets about her daughter that Kat doesn't know about yet. And the truth about Amy's whereabouts may be closer to home than Kat could ever imagine...

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and an ending that will blow readers’ minds. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Girl Before and Gone Girl will be gripped by this unputdownable story about a mother’s obsessive love for her child.  

My Review:

Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication ready for the blog tour. The opinions I give here are honest and unbiased.

Amy and her mum Kat are very close. As a single mum for the best part of Amy's life it's understandable that Kat can be seen to be a tad over protective. But Kat has her reasons for being protective of Amy, as her best friend Zoe knows.  But does she know the truth?

Kat's second husband, lawyer Richard is a quirky character. He and Zoe don't see eye to eye and tend to avoid one another however when Amy goes away to university and Kat doesn't get a call or text from Amy for over 24 hours they are in agreement for once that maybe Kat is overreacting. Amy will be out with her newfound uni friends, living it up into the small hours then recovering from the hangover from hell the next day. But Kat's instinct as a mother tells her something is wrong and she won't settle until she knows Amy is safe.

Kat does come over as being very full on as a parent - has her overbearing nature actually pushed Amy away?  As the chapters move on and we find out more about Kat and Amy's history it becomes clear why Kat is the way she is, so I kind of understood her a bit more. But then to cracks in her story start to show and we see that there could be more behind the events in their past. Ex husband Tony seems to hold a lot of power over Kat, she seems disproportionately worried that he will come back from Europe and take Amy away.

Eventually Kat persuades her loved ones that Amy really is missing and she goes to the police to ask for their help. Zoe and her daughter Jodie- one of Amy's closest friends since primary school - are there on hand to support Kat, Jodie even sets up a Facebook page to spread the word of Amy's disappearance. Then as the police start asking questions, the list of people who could potentially be involved in the disappearance. Who was the mysterious older man seen leaving Amy's room at uni? Was she involved with one of her tutors? Or does someone much closer to home hold the key?

The book tells the story of the search for Amy from Kat's point of view. She clearly knows all that has gone before but she has little knowledge of Amy's new life since she has moved away to Aberystwyth. Who are all these new people? Why hasn't Amy told her about them? The emotions obviously keep Kat awake at night, she can't settle to anything constructive and spends all her time moping at home with either Zoe or Jodie for company. Everyone comes under suspicion of being involved yet she has no proof of anything.

The tension builds and builds as the days go by and the reader is no more informed about what happened to Amy than Kat is. The possibilities were buzzing around my mind even when I wasn't reading the book and I was keen to keep on reading at every opportunity.

The outcome certainly surprised me, I didn't see it coming at all. Looking back at the story there aren't many clues along the way but there are some hints if you are looking for them. Overall I found this an engaging read - although Kat did frustrate me greatly at times.  Ex husband Tony remained a bit of an enigma and best friend Zoe seemed too keen to be on hand for Kat whether she wanted her there or not which I found really annoying. With plenty of red herrings to keep the reader's mind occupied, this is a book to get your grey matter working whilst Kat battled her demons.

About the Author:

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked. 

USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written fifteen novels - many involving cake - which have been translated into several languages and involved tough 'cake research.' Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR and THE EMPTY NEST. Writing in this new genre doesn't involve the deep research of baked goods and Sue's hoping the change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent procrastinating, eating and watching 'My 600lb Life,' on the sofa.  

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @suewatsonwriter
Website: www.suewatsonbooks.com
https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks/  
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