The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley #NetGalley #TheParisApartment @lucyfoleytweets @HarperCollinsUK #bookreview

 

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Published by HarperCollins UK

Publication Date: 3rd March 2022

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

My thanks to the publisher for an early review copy of this book via NetGalley however I have indulged in a beautiful hardback copy so I can re-read this excellent novel multiple times and gaze at it on the shelf when I'm not reading it!

Book Description:

Welcome to No.12 Rue des Amants

A beautiful old apartment block, far from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and the bustling banks of the Seine.

Where nothing goes unseen.
And everyone has a story to unlock.

The watchful concierge
The scorned lover
The prying journalist
The naïve student
The unwanted guest

Something terrible happened here last night.
A mystery lies behind the door of apartment three.

Only you – and the killer – hold the key . . .

My Thoughts:

Never have I read a book where the place felt as much of a character as the individual people. Every time I picked up the book, I was immediately swept into the Parisian way of life and instantly fell under its spell. The author has such a talent for making you part of this world with its glamorous people, famous landmarks, delectable food and drink - but also drags you in to the seedier side streets where life has a decidedly different atmosphere.
Ben Daniels is a journalist who has been staying at his mate Nick's apartment in Paris. Ben's sister Jess has found herself in a bit of a tricky situation in her most recent job and has called her brother to ask if she can crash on his sofa for a while until she can sort something out. While he's not overly keen on the idea, he agrees, gives her the address, and tells her he'll be there to meet her. Only when she arrives there's no sign of Ben, he's not picking up his phone and Jess gets an unsettling feeling that something is very wrong. She's had to sneak her way into the apartment block after one of the other tenants refuses to let her into the building and the concierge who seems to live in an outbuilding in the courtyard is decidedly unfriendly towards her. Nobody wants to assist her in her quest to find her missing brother - the language barrier and the fact that she knows nobody in the area are not helping either.
The story takes sinister twists and turns, you suspect everyone of having some kind of involvement in Ben's disappearance, yet you can't put your finger on why. There are secrets and untruths paving the way throughout the whole book which will be guaranteed to have you reading just one more of the short punchy chapters far longer than you planned to. Your jaw will drop, your eyebrows will switch from a heavy frown to shocking heights as the facts are gradually revealed and everything you've read suddenly falls into place. 
Who gets the happy ever after ending and who is left to rebuild their lives is something I'm not going to spoil for you as the author has spent so much effort constructing such a brilliant, intricately woven plot. I will be surprised if there are any readers who don't enjoy this book.

About the Author:

Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham and UCL universities. She then worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry – during which time she also wrote her debut, The Book of Lost and Found. Lucy now writes full-time, and is busy travelling (for research, naturally!) and working on her next novel.

Visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LucyFoleyAuthor and follow her on Twitter @lucyfoleytweets

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan #book #review #NetGalley #LittleDisasters @SVaughanAuthor @simonschusterUK

 

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan

Publication Date 1st May 2020

Published by Simon & Schuster

Genre: Medical/Legal Thriller

My thanks to publisher Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this title. Sarah Vaughan's recent release Reputation and previous book Anatomy of A Scandal (soon to be a TV adaptation) are both high on my list of recommended reads.

Book Description:

You think you have the perfect family.

But everything can be broken.

Liz and Jess have been friends for ten years, ever since they both started a family. But how well do they really know each other?

When Jess arrives at hospital with a story that doesn’t add up, Liz is the doctor on call. 

Jess has devoted her life to family and home. But she is holding so many secrets. 

As the truth begins to emerge, Liz is forced to question everything she thought she knew: about Jess, and about herself. 

When something feels so personal, how do you stay professional? 

My Thoughts:

This book unfortunately became lost in a batch of titles on my 'to read' pile - possibly due to its content making it a book you really need to be in the right frame of mind for. Post-natal depression is a strong issue throughout the course of this book which can be a trigger for some readers. My advice: proceed with caution.

The story is based around a group of friends who came to know one another through an ante-natal group, their eldest children all due within a matter of weeks of one another in the later weeks of 2007. Jess is the only one lucky enough not to have to return to work, the one with the calm, instinctive approach to parenting; she's also the only one among the mums to go on to have a third child. But all is not well behind closed doors for Jess and her family, and it's about to get a whole lot worse.

Fast forward to early 2018 and one of the mums, Liz, is at work as a doctor in her local hospital in west London.  She is called to the emergency department to assess the condition of a little girl, 10 months old who has been brought in by mum. It's not until she reads the patient's name that she gets concerned: Betsey Curtis, daughter of her friend Jess. Once she has examined Betsey she realises what a difficult position she is in, and reluctantly calls her senior consultant for advice. An arrogant, old-school kind of consultant Liz's boss is quick to get social services involved due to the nature of Betsey's condition, a decision which inevitably causes bad feeling between Liz and Jess's wider group of friends. 

As the chapters switch between timeframes and characters we slowly but surely get the background to events leading up to Jess needing to take Betsey to the hospital. The difference in how society supports mental health issues in recent years compared to the stigma which surrounded it not all that long ago is explored and put into context, at some points making for an emotional read.

I don't want to go into too much detail as this would ruin the whole storyline. I did get an inkling of what had happened but there were still sufficient twists in the tale to lead the reader along a couple of diversions before the end.  I felt that the author presented realistic reactions from the various authorities and friends within the group and had clearly researched processes within health and social care settings so that the story remained credible. The pressures put on the parents of young families these days are demonstrated well too - the way we all feel that we need to put on a public face that everything is fine when really, we should say that we're having difficult day or need some extra support occasionally. 

It seems inappropriate to say I liked this book, more so that I respect the author for tackling some extremely sensitive content in a way which makes it a far less taboo subject and felt satisfied with the outcome.

About the Author:

Sarah Vaughan read English at Oxford and went on to be a journalist. After training with the Press Association, she worked for The Guardian for 11 years as a news reporter, health correspondent and political correspondent before leaving to freelance and write fiction. Her 3rd novel, Anatomy of a Scandal, was an instant international bestseller, a Sunday Times top five bestseller, a kindle number 1 bestseller, a Richard & Judy pick, and was longlisted for the Theakson's Old Peculier Crime Novel and shortlisted for awards in France, Sweden and the UK. It has been translated into 22 languages and is being adapted for TV.

Facebook: Sarah Vaughan Author

Twitter: @SVaughanAuthor

Website: www.sarahvaughanauthor.com

New Netgalley badge! #NetGalley #Badge

I finally reached my next Netgalley milestone badge this week!

It's been a tough year but by steadily chipping away I've reached my target at last. I am excited to keep reading and reviewing for Netgalley  - there are some excellent authors and books on the horizon which I hope to keep bringing you my thoughts of so you can look out for them as they are published. There are so many that sometimes they miss our radar, so hopefully I can point some out for you.

Thank you for your ongoing support for my little blog page, I really do appreciate you being here with me!

The Match by Harlan Coben #NetGalley #TheMatch @HarlanCoben @centurybooksuk #book #review #publicationday

 

The Match by Harlan Coben

Published by Penguin Random House, Century

Publication Date: 17th March 2022

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Book Description:

He is known as Wilde, the boy from the woods.

Discovered living a feral existence in the Ramapo mountains of New Jersey, he has grown up knowing nothing of his parents, and even less about his own identity.

Until now.

When a match on a DNA database puts him on the trail of a close relative - the only family member he has ever known - Wilde thinks he might be about to solve the mystery of who he really is.

Only this relation disappears as quickly as he's resurfaced. Undaunted, Wilde continues his research, becoming caught up in a secret community committed to exposing anonymous online trolls.

Then one by one, people start to die, and it soon becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting this secret community.

And that the next victim could be Wilde himself ...

My Thoughts:

My initial feeling as I started this book was that I may have made a huge error by not having read the first book to feature Wilde, The Boy From the Woods. My reservations soon passed though as there is sufficient background drip fed into the story for the reader to get the general gist. 

Basically, Wilde was discovered abandoned in the woods living feral and supporting himself by any means possible. Nobody ever came forward to claim him so he has no idea who he is or where he came from. After many years and much deliberation, he decides to put his DNA sample into a database in an attempt to track down his parents and any siblings he may have.  

His journey takes him via reality TV "stars", FBI agents and some very unsavoury characters. There are, in true Coben style, plenty of, twists, turns and red herrings thrown into the mix.  As you can imagine with someone with Wilde's background, he's not your traditional family guy. He's someone who struggles with trust issues and being able to settle in one place for long. periods of time. Maybe those ingrained survival instincts and gut feelings would be vital in keeping him safe as he sought to solve the mystery of his genetics? 

I would recommend reading the Boy From The Woods prior to this book to get the most out of it, particularly in understanding the relationships he has with the people closest to him as he began integrating back into society. The book is pretty fast-paced and will have you on the edge of your seat as you read - I doubt very much you will guess where it ends! 

A great book to lose yourself in, snuggled on the sofa on a rainy afternoon.

About the Author:

With more than seventy million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the worldwide number 1 bestselling author of numerous thrillers, including Don't Let Go, Home, and Fool Me Once, as well as the multi-award-winning Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in forty-three languages around the globe and are bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. Coben is also the creator and executive producer of many television shows, including the Netflix Original dramas Stay Close and Harlan Coben's The Stranger starring Richard Armitage, Stephen Rea and Jennifer Saunders and the critically acclaimed Netflix Original drama Harlan Coben's Safe starring Michael C. Hall. Coben is currently developing 14 projects, including Run Away, with Netflix in the US and internationally. He lives in New Jersey.

You Never Said Goodbye by Luca Veste @HodderBooks @LucaVeste #book #review #YouNeverSaidGoodbye #NetGalley

 

You Never Said Goodbye by Luca Veste

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 17th February 2022

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Book Description:

A DEVOTED MOTHER

Sam Cooper has a happy life: a good job, a blossoming relationship. Yet, there's something he can never forget - the image seared into his mind of his mother, Laurie, dying when he was a child. His father allowed his grief to tear them apart and Sam hasn't seen him in years.

A LOVING WIFE

Until an unexpected call from Firwood hospital, asking Sam to come home, puts in motion a chain of devastating events. On his deathbed, Sam's father makes a shocking confession.

A LIAR?

Who was Laurie Cooper? It's clear that everything Sam thought he knew about his mother was wrong. And now he's determined to find out exactly what she did and why - whatever the cost.

What happens if you discover you've been lied to by your own family for twenty-five years?

Sam Cooper is about to find out.

My Thoughts:

I first discovered Luca's work through his first DI Murphy & Rossi book, Dead Gone back in 2015. I have watched how his writing has evolved from that first detective novel then branched out into more chilling work with The Bone Collector and The Six. I've loved them all! You Never Said Goodbye is different again. A young man's journey through his adolescence in the belief that his mother and little brother had been killed in a road accident, having to deal with his feelings of guilt and needing to cope with not only his own grief but that of his father. Their relationship so full of cracks that the only way Sam Cooper can cope is to move away and build a new life on his own.

Then, years later, he gets a call from the hospital advising him to get there quickly, his father is critically ill. This is where his life suddenly gets complicated: his father tells him that his mum is still alive. But then his father passes away without giving him any further information. Why would his father lie to him? Why have they lived the way they have for 20 plus years? Did his mother hate them so much that she chose another life without them? Sam doesn't believe this. From everything he can remember of his old life his mum was always there for him and his brother. But if she's still alive, what about his brother? Sam is completely shaken by what his father has told him and quickly takes off for the US to seek answers. 

From the moment Sam leaves the hospital he's aware that he's not alone. Someone else wants answers too and it's soon very obvious that they're not going to leave him alone until he's told them what he knows. Sam finds himself in grave danger on multiple occasions, but who can he trust? Why are these people so desperate to chase down Sam and his family? Who are they? Even the one person he was pretty sure he could trust quite literally with his life is now on a growing list of people that Sam feels threatened by.

This is a fast-paced book with a very different feel from Veste's previous work - maybe the hint of American thriller writing has cast its vibes into this one? The characters are strong - Anthony Sullivan is particularly unlikeable in every sense, and his "security staff" are easy to visualise - the plot-line had my pulse racing with action-packed scenes. Yet underneath all the gun-toting and threats of physical violence, there's the sensitive scenario of a young boy who, having believed he'd lost his sibling and his mother, could be reunited with them after so many years. The confusion and emotion of the many questions raised by Sam's father's deathbed confession are tangible and you really feel for this young man whose personality has been moulded by a foundation of lies. 

Can Sam find out the truth before danger catches up with him once and for all? One thing's for certain: it's going to get messy!

About the Author:

Luca Veste is a writer of Italian and Liverpudlian heritage, married with two young daughters, and one of nine children. He studied psychology and criminology at university in Liverpool. He is the author of the Murphy and Rossi series, which includes DEAD GONE, THE DYING PLACE, BLOODSTREAM, and THEN SHE WAS GONE. Part psychological thriller, part police procedural, his books follow the detective pairing of DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi. The novels are set in Liverpool, bringing the city to life in a dark and terrifying manner...with just a splash of Scouse humour. 

He is also the editor of the Spinetingler Award nominated charity anthology 'Off The Record', and co-editor of 'True Brit Grit', also an anthology of short stories for charity. He is a former civil servant, actor, singer and guitarist, and now a full-time writer. 

He can be found at www.lucaveste.com and on twitter @LucaVeste

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan #book #review #NetGalley #Reputation @SVaughanAuthor @simonschusterUK

 

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan

Publication Date: 2nd March 2022

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

My thanks to publisher Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

Emma Webster is a respectable MP.
 
Emma Webster is a devoted mother.
 
Emma Webster is innocent of the murder of a tabloid journalist.
 
Emma Webster is a liar.
 
#Reputation: The story you tell about yourself. And the lies others choose to believe…

My Thoughts:

Having read Sarah Vaughan's previous book Anatomy of a Scandal I was excited to be able to read her new novel, Reputation, ahead of publication. The main character Emma Webster is an MP whose political career took off rather more quickly than expected when she was elected first time as a candidate. The pressures this put on her family caused her marriage to crumble, leaving her as a part-time parent to daughter Flora while her husband sought the company offered in the arms of his daughter's music teacher.  Emma is left with huge trust issues which, together with the long-term effects of the abuse she receives on a daily basis in the course of her work, have the worst possible consequences.

This book gives us a taste of what it must be like to be a prominent figure in the public eye. MPs, celebrities from TV and film, the music industry, big business and royalty are all in the spotlight in our media - but does their job/position mean that it's okay for them to be subject of scrutiny 24-7? Are they not allowed a modicum of privacy in their lives? It's not a position I would ever wish to find myself in.

The pacing of the storytelling is spot on, with timely switches between events as they happen, references to historical events and also the ensuing court case as it happens. The emotions of the various characters are presented to us, the ripple effect of how one person's actions knock-on to family, friends and even those without any particularly strong connections to us. The author manages to keep sufficient information up her sleeve in order to give us a great conclusion to the book - one which caught me completely off guard; I was kicking myself though, because the clues are there however only with the benefit of hindsight.

An excellent read which had me completely invested from the first page to the very last paragraph.

About the Author:

Sarah Vaughan read English at Oxford and went on to become a journalist. After training at the Press Association, she spent eleven years at the Guardian as a news reporter and political correspondent before leaving to freelance and write fiction. Her first two novels, The Art of Baking Blind and The Farm at the Edge of the World, were followed by her first psychological thriller, Anatomy of a Scandal: a Sunday Times bestseller, and Richard & Judy pick of the decade, developed as a Netflix series starring Rupert Friend, Michelle Dockery and Sienna Miller. Her fourth novel, Little Disasters, a Waterstone’s thriller of the month, was published in 2020. Reputation is her fifth novel.