Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton #booktwt #bookreview #HappyBloodyChristmas

 

Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton 

Published by Avon Books

Publication Date: 26th September 2024

Book Description:

Anna's Christmas Eve To Do List:

1. Wrap the kids' presents​

2. Peel the potatoes ​

3. Get rid of the dead body?!

Hungover and exhausted after her family's annual party, all Anna Johnson wants for Christmas is to finish her to-do list and finally sit down with the world’s biggest glass of wine.

But when she stumbles across a dead body in her larder, her plans are well and truly buggered.

A mysterious death in her home really is the last thing she needs, but with her judgemental in-laws arriving in less than twenty-four hours, turning her house into a crime scene is not an option. If she’s going to save Christmas, it’s up to Anna to find out what the hell’s gone on. Oh – and figure out what to do with the body before one of the kids finds it.

My Thoughts:

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a huge fan of Christmas. Too much commercialism combined with not being a particularly religious person means that it doesn't have the same significance for me as it does for many - especially now that I am not responsible for creating a magical event for my children now they are adults. So, when I spotted Jo Middleton's book Happy Bloody Christmas I felt that it could be my nod to the festivities but without all the saccharine sweetness that so many festive novels contain.

Anna and her husband always host a Christmas party for their friends, and this year is no exception. Unfortunately her boss overhears her discussing it and invites himself along to join the celebrations. The last thing Anna wants is her boss cramping her style - and sadly for him it turns out to be one of the last things he does. The morning after the night before finds Anna clearing away glasses and leftover food, her mind distracted by thoughts of everything she has on her 'to do' list before the in-laws arrive expecting 5-star treatment and delivering snarky comments alongside the children's gifts. Imagine her shock then as she opens her sizeable walk-in larder, the one all her friends are envious of, to find a dead Santa sprawled among the baking supplies and breakfast cereal packets with a knife sticking out of his midriff. The story that ensues is a comedy of dubious decisions and phone calls to her best friend - because of course you'd phone her for advice before calling the police, right? 

I really had high hopes for this book, but was left feeling like I needed more laugh out loud moments. Yes, there were a host of comedy moments however I found the lack of competency from the attending police personnel laughable, but not in a good way - maybe I read too many crime thriller books and my brain was expecting a certain level of procedure-following to happen. Note to Self: this book is not meant to have that level of seriousness. Picture the Keystone Cops in the 21st century, who have one eye on the time while attending a murder scene because the office Christmas party is about to start. That bit didn't work quite as well as it could have for me. I did, however, love Anna's best friend who was intent on making herself a murder board out of any available crafting materials her kids had left behind before setting off for Christmas at their dad's. She uses "the case" and a few glasses of alcohol to distract her from the loneliness of her first child-free Christmas and the reader is privy to some rather amusing phone calls between her and Anna as they try to work out Whodunit. Each of the party guests is analysed in ever-more comedic scenarios as the two friends attempt to work things out before the police. I felt sorry for Anna's husband who very much took a back seat and was just enlisted to babysit the kids and do menial tasks while she played detective. How many men would realistically take this role with the enthusiasm he did?? But there again, I suppose it is a Christmas novel so we need to suspend reality and enjoy the easy to read storyline. 

Will the case be cracked and the murder solved before the turkey is carved? Will Anna's neighbour turn out to be Miss Marple herself or just the nosey busybody in charge of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme? If you want to know who killed Santa in the larder with the carving knife and have some chuckles along the way, then Jo Middleton will certainly have you entertained. Me? I think I am destined to not really be a Christmas spirit kind of girl, no matter how much I try.

About the Author:

Jo Middleton is a writer, mum of two grown-up children and servant to three cats and a golden retriever. Jo began writing 20 years ago, and in 2009 created her award-winning blog Slummy Single Mummy. Jo published her first novel, Playgroups and Prosecco, in 2019 and has since gone on to work with her good friend Gill Sims, hosting her 2022 theatre tour and co-hosting a podcast, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere. You can follow Jo on Instagram @jomiddletonauthor.

The House Swap by Miranda Rijks #NetGalley #TheHouseSwap @MirandaRijks

The House Swap by Miranda Rijks

Published by Inkubator Books

Publication Date: 4th December 2024

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me early access to this book via Netgalley. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

Book Description:

Two perfect families. Two beautiful homes. A one-way trip to hell.

When two families organise a house swap, it seems like the perfect holiday arrangement.

The Browns will exchange their London townhouse for a stunning chateau in the south of France, the perfect place to relax and rekindle their flagging marriage.

And the Lesters are looking forward to showing their son, Rafael, around their old haunts in the British capital.

Sounds wonderful. Except for one thing - both families are hiding dark secrets, and secrets have a way of coming out...

In France, there’s a mysterious break-in at the chateau. Then the Browns discover that a woman who lived there disappeared and was never seen again. Instead of feeling rested and relaxed, they now feel isolated and vulnerable.

Then, in London, 17-year-old Rafael vanishes without a trace.

As the tension mounts to an unbearable pitch, both couples are forced to face their darkest demons. Someone won’t be coming home…

My Thoughts:

What a delightful prospect - a house swap between glamorous Knightsbridge and beautiful Provence. But as with all things, a bit of research goes a long way and the two families involved in this house swap would both have done well to looked into things just a tad deeper before they agreed to the exchange.

The Lesters have very cleverly marketed their chateau in Provence, the surrounding vineyards and deliciously inviting turquoise pool presenting the ideal holiday in the sunshine. The Browns stunning Knightsbridge home is to die for with its contemporary kitchen, stunning bathing facilities and close to all the amenities location giving visitors everything they could possibly need during their stay in the capital. But neither of the owners have been entirely transparent about why they are so keen to exchange. There are secrets galore in both families, but there are also two adorable dogs who are probably the most likeable characters in the whole book.

The first surprise comes early on, when the Browns arrive at the chateau to find that the Lesters haven't actually set off for the airport yet - all becomes clear soon after they do depart though, when they discover that the chateau isn't all it's cracked up to be in the photos. Tensions quickly escalate the following morning when builders arrive to continue renovation works which Susan overlooked telling their guests about. And why do the locals turn frosty when they find out where the visitors are staying?

The author peels back the layers of each family's deceptions and plants questions in the reader's mind as to the full extent of what is going on as the chapters flow steadily along. The characters are very well constructed - if not particularly likeable - and the whole plot is extremely credible. I could imagine being in Elodie's shoes as she realised the situation she found herself in compared to her beautiful London home. Susan had the much nicer end of the deal, but certainly didn't deserve the high life as much as she felt she did. Her husband and son certainly deserved better, I felt. The descriptions of the two very different locations were perfectly described - I really felt as though I were walking the streets of the local town in Provence as Elodie visited the market stalls, and felt the bustle of London's busy streets as Susan made her way to yet another of her mystery meetings with old friends.

The book builds to a steady climax and the pace picks up considerably as the twists are revealed. There's a satisfying conclusion and I felt that all the loose ends tied up nicely but didn't feel at all forced. A strong 4 star read with plenty to keep the reader occupied.

About the Author:

Miranda is the author of twenty psychological thrillers published by Inkubator Books, many of which have been Amazon bestsellers. Prior to becoming a fiction writer, she helped newbie entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses. She is also the author of a self-help book  published by Bloomsbury and a biography published by The History Press.

In 2015 she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and this completely changed things. Although she’d been writing all her life, and has a first class Masters in writing (as well as a degree in Law, coaching and psychometric testing qualifications), she decided to ditch the business plans and focus on fiction.

Miranda lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and two black Labradors. When she’s not writing twisty, fast-paced thrillers, she’s obsessively knitting, painting on her iPad and spending time in the Swiss Alps.

Miranda was a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust for 10 years and has worked closely with various other charities in business volunteer roles. She is currently a trustee of a small charitable trust and is a lay grant reviewer for Sarcoma UK.

January 2025 - ones I'm hoping to read & review

 

I'm always on the look-out for exciting new reads to recommend for  you. Netgalley is my go-to site to find these books and January is looking particularly good. Here are some of the books I've got lined up to review, so you can make your book shopping list ready to spend those Christmas gift vouchers which I've asked Santa to get you!

A couple of well-known names to start us off:

Simon Mayo has been a household name on the radio for years now (my favourite on my journey home from work every day). Perhaps lesser known, but only slightly, for his written accomplishments with several books available in both the adult fiction and younger reader sections. I am delighted that the team at Bantam have allowed me an early copy of his new book Black Tag which is due to be released at the end of January. 

The description tells of a fire at a West End gallery which houses some important works of art. The fire service holds a list of items which get priority treatment in emergencies such as this, known as a "grab list", but it soon becomes clear that this list has been tampered with and  not everything that should be grabbed has made it onto the altered list. Priorities quickly change though when a body is found in the ashes of the gallery. Who is the deceased person? And why were they on the premises at the time of the fire?

One of my go-to authors Luca Veste publishes his next novel on 16th January. The thriller writer, who co-hosts a podcast entitled "Two crime writers and a microphone" alongside Steve Cavanagh, brings us a story which is every teen parent's nightmare: Alison's son Ben has been killed in what appears to be a random attack in a dark street. Ben's girlfriend Mia is (in Alison's eyes) the main suspect - 3 people close to her have now died, and Alison's gut is telling her that Mia has something to hide. How far will Mia go to stop Alison calling her a killer?

Also out on 16th January is Mary Watson's The Cleaner. From the description, it's giving me similar vibes to Steve Cavanagh's Witness 8. Esmie is employed as a cleaner by the owners of properties in a gated community. But it's not the salary she's wanting. It's revenge. One of the residents has upset Esmie in the worst possible way and she's going to make them pay far more than minimum wage for what they've done.

***

And now for something a bit different: A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage. It's a tale of a couple who used to be serial killers - as a couple. But once Hazel fell pregnant they decided to do the decent thing and give up their life of crime and live a respectable life in the suburbs. After all, getting rid of a body gets a bit more complicated with a baby in tow! But then, Hazel gets the irrepressible urge to do it just one more time but this time going solo, ending up with the police knocking at their door. I've yet to read this one but I've heard that the ending is an absolute triumph! I can't wait to dive in ready for publication day on 14th January. I do love a bit of dark humour!

Now I realise that the offerings I've given so far are all a bit dark and murdery, so if you're looking for something much lighter but still guaranteed to be a good read then you can't go wrong with Jill Mansell's writing. If ever I get myself into a bit of a slump then I know Jill will rescue me. A host of 5-star ratings ahead of publication mean I can't be too far wrong in the assumption that An Almost Perfect Summer will be as reliable as all its predecessors. 

Nella has sworn off people - particularly men - for some time now. So when she encounters Nick and finds him to be the kind of guy she could actually fall for she starts considering whether she would consider a relationship. Then she loses her job, and the only attractive employment opportunity means that he would be her boss, so the possibility of romance disappears in an instant. But this is Jill Mansell-land, so there's gotta be a chance somehow hasn't there? Jill's novels are filled with warmth, happiness, and always leave you feeling like you've been wrapped in a big hug, so maybe all is not lost after all. 

Lucy Diamond is another author guaranteed to take you away to better places - this time it's Kefalonia.

Jet off to the Greek island and mix with celebrity chef Frank Neale and his wife, disgraced TV star Miranda Vallance and 82-year old Evelyn Chambers, who have all chosen the destination for very different reasons. The chance to enjoy a nice bit of winter sun, away from the British hibernation season.

Reverting to type, my last two offerings are released at the end of January and I'm as keen as you guys to get my hands on a copy of both of these as sadly I've not had the chance to get early copies, which I am gutted about.

If you've been reading my blog this year, you'll have heard me mention Gillian McAllister's book Wrong Place Wrong Time which is my absolute favourite book in ages. Her new one Famous Last Words looks absolutely amazing and is about a lady who returns to work after maternity leave, her daughter's first day in nursery. She tries to contact her husband Luke - to no avail - then hears about a hostage situation in London. But it turns out that Luke is not a hostage. He's the gunman!!

Then there's Alice Feeney's next book, a thriller entitled Beautiful Ugly, also released on 30th January. I am so excited to read this. It sounds so intriguing.

Grady Green is an author, on the phone to his wife to share some very welcome good news. As he talks, he hears his wife slam on the brakes of the car, get out then... silence. The car is found, door open, headlights on, at a cliff edge. No sign of his wife anywhere. Then year later, on a remote Scottish island Grady sees the impossible. A woman who looks just like his missing wife...

These last two books share top spot on my most-wanted list for 2025 so far. Do you have any titles you're keen to get your hands on in January that have missed my radar? If so, please leave me a note in the comments and share the book love.

Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild @TrapezeBooks #booktwt #bookreview #BloodSugar

 

Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

Published by Trapeze

Publication Date: 19th April 2022

Book Description:

When Ruby was a child growing up in Miami, she saw a boy from her school struggling against the ocean waves while his parents were preoccupied. Instead of helping him, Ruby dove under the water and held his ankle down until he drowned. She waited to feel guilty for it, but she never did.

And, as Ruby will argue in her senior thesis while studying psychology at Yale, guilt is sort of like eating ice cream while on a diet - if you're already feeling bad, why not eat the whole carton? And so, the bodies start to stack up.

Twenty-five years later, Ruby's in an interrogation room under suspicion of murder, being shown four photographs. Each is a person she once knew, now deceased. The line-up includes her husband Jason. She is responsible for three of the four deaths... but it might be the crime that she didn't commit that will finally ensnare her.

My Thoughts:

The opening scenes of this book set the general tone of Ruby Simon's life: if you want to put a situation right, you have to take every opportunity, even if it means taking a life. As long as Ruby can justify why she's done it, then in her mind she's done the world a favour. And if you get away with it, then that's a bonus!

One person who questions Ruby's reasoning is Miami Beach Detective Keith Jackson. Twenty-five years on from Ruby's first venture into murdering people, she finds herself sitting in an interview room opposite the detective being shown photographs which are unnervingly significant to Ruby: the three people whose lives she has taken. But as far as Ruby is aware, she's the only one who knows the truth. So how come the detective has these jigsaw pieces which, if he can put them together to form a convincing picture, could put Ruby in jail for a very long time?

This book is not fast-paced; it's a simmering potion of a story which has the potential to explode at any point. The story flicks between Ruby's early years and the current predicament she finds herself in. If the detective was in possession of the facts that Ruby relays to the reader then she would be in serious trouble. That said, you can't help but find yourself liking Ruby despite the fact that she's a serial unaliver. The sense of injustice when the detective turns over a fourth photograph had me wanting to shout out in Ruby's defence. No way would Ruby have been responsible for her husband's death - so who could possibly have made such an accusation? Or is she a totally unreliable narrator who had me fooled for the entire book?

I enjoyed this book overall, and would have loved to have been able to immerse myself in it in one sitting, but sadly the day job put paid to that. I found my mind wandering back to the book in quieter moments of my day, making contrasts between what Ruby was telling us and the "facts" as Detective Jackson presented them. Which version was the truth? The message I took from this book is that there will always be that one person who wants to bring you down in life, but if you choose your allies wisely in life and look out for them, then maybe, just maybe, they will be prepared to do the same for you.

A strong 4 star rating from me.

About the Author:

Sascha Rothchild grew up in Miami Beach. She majored in playwriting at Boston College. She moved to Los Angeles to become a writer. After many odd jobs and first drafts, she broke into the tv and film business when her humorous personal essays published in LA Weekly got the attention of studios. She then wrote her comedic yet heartfelt memoir, How To Get Divorced By 30, published by Penguin/Plume. Sascha is now an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, who has written and produced numerous lauded shows such as Netflix’s GLOW. Sascha loves her two rescued boxer dogs and wearing lots of sunscreen. Blood Sugar is her debut novel.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak @BookSphere #TheLastOneAtThe Wedding #booktwt #bookreview #libraryloan

 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

Published by Sphere

Publication Date: 8th October 2024

Book Description:

The guests are arriving, and the celebrations are starting. But there's something strange about this wedding...

Frank Szatowski hasn't seen his daughter Maggie in years, and it breaks his heart every day. So when she calls him out of the blue, to tell him that she's getting married and he's invited, Frank is overjoyed.

Maggie is marrying into one of the richest families in the country, and Frank finds himself overwhelmed by the social circle she now moves in. He'll do anything to reconnect, though, and arrives at their New Hampshire estate ready to bond however he can with Maggie's in-laws.

But as the wedding weekend gets underway, it becomes clear to Frank that although they have spared no expense, there's something strange about Maggie's fiancé. And maybe Frank shouldn't be celebrating just yet...

My Thoughts:

I've heard fabulous things about this author's creepy book Hidden Pictures, but have yet to find it available on my library shelves - which speaks volumes in itself. So when the opportunity to read The Last One at the Wedding came up instead, I thought I'd give his writing a try. After all, I'm not a big fan of Halloween and all things creepy, so this one would probably be a better fit for me anyway.

We are introduced to UPS delivery driver Frank, who has 26 years accident-free years of service under his belt. It's a job he mostly enjoys, delivering to many regular customers on his route and it has kept a roof over his head since his wife died and his daughter was in her formative years. His hard-working sister Tammy helped him immensely in bringing Maggie up, taking her to medical appointments and steering her over the bumps in life. But Frank's relationship with Maggie turned sour somehow, and she's now in her twenties, living independently and refusing to make contact with Frank. Until one day, he gets the phone call he's been holding out for: Maggie calls him to say she's getting married and would love him to walk her down the aisle.

From the moment Frank meets the groom-to-be Aidan he knows something is off. Aidan is distant, almost to the point of being rude, and together the young couple don't seem to "click" like Frank would have expected to see. The red flags only multiply when Frank and his sister, together with Tammy's latest foster ward Abigail, arrive at the wedding venue. It's a huge resort with its own security staff - and just about every facility you could wish for. Tammy is immediately sucked in to the millionaire lifestyle and Abigail can't believe her eyes - it's a world away from the life she shared with her alcoholic mom. Plus she gets to be flower girl, despite a nasty case of headlice!

I was as drawn in to the storyline and characters as Tammy was to the possibility of becoming family to the owners of the Osprey Cove resort. There's a group of security staff who definitely don't make you feel safe, a possible whodunnit, a seemingly mismatched bride and groom, and the strangest set of in-laws you'll ever come across. I really wanted things to work out between Frank and Maggie but as the book ticked along this possibility seemed to drift further away than Frank and Abbie's canoe from the shore on the boating lake.

My favourite character (as you can probably tell) was Abigail - I loved how Frank's bond with her grew as the chapters moved along. Would there be a happy ending? Well, that depends how you look at the situation. Maybe not the one Frank imagined at the start, but probably one of the best options that could possibly come out of such a totally crazy set of circumstances.

An engaging read, I will definitely be seeking this author's work out on the shelves in future.

About the Author:

Jason Rekulak is the author of HIDDEN PICTURES, THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS, and (coming in October 2024!) THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING. His work has been translated into 30+ languages. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and children.

Funny Story by Emily Henry #libraryloan #buddyread @AuthorEmilyHenr #FunnyStory #bookreview @VikingBooksUK

 

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Published by Viking

Publication Date: 25th April 2024

Book Description:

Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story.

That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra.

Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra's ex, Miles.

As expected, it’s not a match made in heaven – that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan.

And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

My Thoughts:

Not my usual go-to genre, but sometimes we all need a bit of a palette cleanser to mix things up a bit. When I spotted a copy of this book sitting on the shelf at my local library within 24 hours of my daughter telling me she had picked up a copy at hers then it felt like Fate - and a buddy read was born.

This was my first proper experience of Emily Henry's writing - I'd dipped a toe in to a copy of Book Lovers, but I realised I had a deadline coming up to review another book so I put it aside without getting further than the first chapter or two. I'd heard lots of good things about her work on social media, but a lot of Book Tok recommendations don't appeal to me (maybe it's my age or something?). So in we went to form our own opinions.  First of all, we both found we quite liked Daphne's character although we did feel she needed to expand her horizons and find out who she was outside of being Peter's fiancee. We cautiously warmed to Miles, too - he was clearly hurting very badly, possibly even moreso than Daphne early on and it soon became clear that Peter had done a personal character assassination of Miles purely out of spite and jealousy.

Overall the plot of the book was quite predictable, but this didn't spoil the enjoyment of Daphne & Miles developing relationship - obviously helped along its way by the likes of Daphne's work colleague Ashleigh who proved to be a bit of a dark horse herself, having held back the majority of her personal life facts from Daphne. Both the girls needed to learn to trust other people a lot more, and it was nice seeing this friendship blossom as well as the Daphne and Miles situation.

The respective exes of both main characters proved to be as unlikeable as they were first portrayed - I think my daughter hit the nail on the head while describing her thoughts about Peter, that he could "get in the bin" at one particular part of the book, which made me chuckle. Thank goodness they were both as despicable as they were suggested to be, otherwise a lovely relationship would never have developed - it came across that both Daphne and Peter realised that what they previously thought was love actually fell very short of what they really wanted out of a relationship: those little thoughtful details that make the day-to-day more bearable - things that raise a smile and a warm feeling within you when they happen, even if they don't seem significant to anyone else. Then there are the bigger actions that people make for you, going literally the extra (few hundred) miles and way out of their comfort zones to try and make life better for you. Yeah, all of that gets covered in this thoroughly enjoyable rom com.

There are some moments which are heart-breaking, many which are heart-warming, and some great comedy scenes too - not to mention a bit of good old double-entendre along the way. The chapter headings change along the course of the book to give a bit of a barometer to where the story's at, which was interesting that both my daughter and I had noticed independently of each other.

So yes, a predictable, easy to read romantic comedy which ticked all the necessary boxes and left us both satisfied that the author had indeed fulfilled what was asked of her at the outset. 4 out of 5 from both participants of the buddy read this time.

About the Author:

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @emilyhenrywrites.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh #libraryloan @SteveCavanagh_ @HeadlineFiction @headlinepg #Witness8 #bookreview

 

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

Published by Headline

Publication Date: 1st August 2024

Book Description:

Ruby Johnson is a nanny and maid to wealthy families in Manhattan's West 74th Street.
She knows their routines. Their secrets.
One night, on her way home, Ruby witnesses a neighbour's murder.

She knows the victim. She knows the killer.
She makes an anonymous call to the police and names the murderer.
But Ruby didn't tell the truth...
Because there's something wrong with Ruby Johnson.

Eddie Flynn, conman turned trial lawyer, must defend an innocent man accused of this terrible crime.
As Ruby's deadly game begins, one thing is certain.
It won't be the last murder this witness is involved in...

My Thoughts:

The Eddie Flynn series is one of my favourites. I have dipped in and out over the last few years, I don't think I have read any of them in order but I have never felt this to be a disadvantage - you probably would get more of the detail by reading in order but they have all worked just as well for me as individual reads.

This book is just as twisty and involved as its predecessors, Eddie is still not squeaky clean and tackles his cases in some less than textbook ways. He has a growing number of people willing to take him out, but fortunately for him the people who are on his side are willing to use equally as unorthodox methods to keep him safe. A cracking legal thriller with some excellent court room scenes (which my regular blog readers will know are my thing), Steve Cavanagh has penned some interesting characters this time. Our main witness Ruby has lots of layers which influence her actions on the night which changes the lives of both herself and several of her neighbours. She has no qualms about setting up powerful people for a spectacular fall from grace, or removing them from the equation altogether if they happen to have crept too close to the truth. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but her reasons for keeping her ailing mum out of supported living and in her own home came as a shocker for me - maybe I was concentrating too much on the defence of the brain surgeon to consider this side of the story? There were sections where I had even less hope for our defendant than he did himself, despite being certain of his innocence. 

If you are putting off reading any of the Eddie Flynn books purely because they're a series, please can I encourage you to put this out of your mind and just grab whichever one floats your boat the most - you won't regret it. They're all great and work so well as standalones, you'll be missing out if you keep putting them on the back burner!

About the Author:

Steve Cavanagh is a critically acclaimed, Sunday Times best-selling author of the Eddie Flynn series which has sold a million copies in the UK. His third novel, The Liar, won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the year 2018. Thirteen won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime novel of the year 2019. FIFTY FIFTY was a Richard and Judy Book club choice, and the BBC Between The Covers book club choice. All of his novels have been nominated for major awards. His last four novels have all been Sunday Times Bestsellers.

The Commuter by Emma Curtis #NetGalley #TheCommuter @emmacurtisbooks @AtlanticBooks #bookreview

 

The Commuter by Emma Curtis

Published by Atlantic Books

Publication Date: 10th October 2024

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this digital proof ahead of publication.

Book Description:

I used to dread rush hour. Now I live for it...

Rachel wakes from a coma to discover her controlling husband has been killed, and the police suspect her of involvement.

But all Rachel can recall from the last few weeks are tantalising flashes of a fellow commuter. A man whose name she doesn't know.

A man who has disappeared without a trace.

Now Rachel is a wealthy widow and the vultures are circling, wanting her in prison for murder, or failing that ... dead.

 Can Rachel discover the truth in time to save herself?

My Thoughts:

This is a book of two only slightly different timelines: Rachel is the main character and is married to Anthony who is much older than she is, with an adult daughter, Caroline who he dotes upon. She basically coasts through life doing whatever she wants, with daddy's backing and protection. Everything is fine until Rachel starts to put her foot down and suggests that Caroline starts taking responsibility for her actions. The other side of the story finds Rachel in hospital following an incident which Rachel can't recall. Her memory of events during the days running up to waking up in her hospital bed very slowly return to her over a course of many months, the most shocking being the fact that Anthony died suddenly and that Rachel feels that she is somehow implicated.

In the earlier timeline we also have a mysterious gentleman who Rachel meets during a power failure on the underground during her commute. Who is this man? And why does it feel as if he can answer some of the many questions Rachel has about what happened during her lost days?

I did find the timelines a little confusing in this book, and really needed to concentrate on what was happening when. There was lots going on, and plenty to keep your attention focused on the different characters. I found Caroline to be rather obnoxious and spoiled, and really wanted Anthony to take his rose-tinted specs off and realise just how much damage he was doing with his responses to her actions. Where she was concerned I was totally on Rachel's side - but the background to the relationship between the two women is also understandable to a point, however Caroline is a bit old to be playing the wronged daughter card in my opinion. 

If you want a fast paced, entertaining thriller this will tick all the boxes for you. The author has a very engaging writing style that will have you turning the pages and possibly missing your stop on your own commute as you get well and truly drawn in to the crazy world that Rachel finds herself in after what should have just been an ordinary tube journey.

About the Author:

Emma Curtis was born in Brighton and now lives in London with her husband. After raising two children and working various jobs, her fascination with the darker side of domestic life inspired her to write her acclaimed psychological suspense thrillers One Little Mistake, When I Find You, The Night You Left, Keep Her Quiet and Invite Me In. Find her on Twitter: @emmacurtisbooks