American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins @TinderPress @jeaninecummins @Louiseswannell #AmericanDirt

 

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Published by Tinder Press

Publication Date: 21st January 2020

Genre: Political Thriller

Book Description:

Lydia Perez owns a bookshop in Acapulco, Mexico, and is married to a fearless journalist. Luca, their eight-year-old son, completes the picture. But it only takes a bullet to rip them apart.

In a city in the grip of a drug cartel, friends become enemies overnight, and Lydia has no choice but to flee with Luca at her side. North for the border... whatever it takes to stay alive. The journey is dangerous - not only for them, but for those they encounter along the way. Who can be trusted? And what sacrifices is Lydia prepared to make.

My Thoughts:

This book is way off the type of story I usually read, but saw it amongst the books in Richard & Judy's book club reads and heard loads of people saying how gripped they were by the book that I figured it might be worth a punt.  I don't usually get swayed by the hype titles but the diversity of people shouting about this book intrigued me.  I am so pleased that I gave it a chance - it is so different and really starts your mind ticking about the whole immigration subject. I like books which open my mind and question my opinions on issues which are ongoing in the world all the time. This one certainly did that.

The opening pages are shocking; a family gathering ripped apart by gunfire and the tension which is created therein as Lydia and Luca hide from the gunmen is only the start of things. The emotions described by both mother and son as they realise they have to leave everything they treasure behind in order to stay alive really hit you. Anyone who is not affected by the excellent writing of this author cannot have a heart.

The book then follows as the pair attempt to make their way to el norte, the United States, across the border several thousand miles away. Their methods of transport are limited as the cartels have people everywhere, who to trust in this new world of  being on the wrong side of the wrong people? Even the lawful  means of movement across the country are not safe or viable and Lydia has to draw on an inner strength she never knew she had.  If it weren't for Luca she doesn't think she would be able to make these decisions.

She soon finds that she is far from alone in her quest to reach the north. Among the many migrants they encounter two beautiful young girls, Rebeca and Soledad are making the journey too, their looks only causing them more issues amongst the young men who make the rules in this parallel world they inhabit. The four gravitate towards one another, kindred spirits finding one another. The strength they build by joining forces gets them through the horrible experiences which they are confronted with on a daily basis.

Not everyone making the journey is a migrant in search of a better, safer life though. It soon becomes clear that despite the fact they have put many miles between themselves and the dangerous character who murdered their family, he has eyes everywhere and has been closer than they have suspected for days. My heart was pounding and my nerves on edge at many points in this book, even though it is not particularly action packed as such. 

My views on illegal immigration have certainly been questioned as I imagined how it would feel to be in this position - we are extremely privileged in the UK with the lives we lead but that's not to say it would be impossible to get on the wrong side of some of the gangs which exist in some areas.  This is nothing compared to the corruption which is described within these pages, based in truth and fact. I know that some have questioned the author's ability to write about a subject which she cannot experience herself due to her ethnicity but personally I think she has done so admirably. 

If you want a book to take you out of your comfort zone I definitely recommend this one, whether I would say I enjoyed it is another matter as my emotions were in tatters by the end! It will stay with me for a long time.

About the Author:

Jeanine Cummins s the author of THE OUTSIDE BOY, THE CROOKED BRANCH, the true crime work A RIP IN HEAVEN, and AMERICAN DIRT, all of which are published by Tinder Press. She lives in New York with her husband and two children. You can follow Jeanine on Twitter @jeaninecummins.

The Skylight by Louise Candlish #QuickReads #TheReadingAgency @louise_candlish @simonschuster @SimonBooks

 

The Skylight  by Louise Candlish

Publication Date 27th May 2021

Published by Simon & Schuster

Short Story

Book Description:

They can’t see her, but she can see them…

Simone has a secret. She likes to stand at her bathroom window and spy on the couple downstairs through their kitchen skylight. She knows what they eat for breakfast and who they’ve got over for dinner. She knows what mood they’re in before they even step out the door. There’s nothing wrong with looking, is there?

Until one day Simone sees something through the skylight she is not expecting. Something that upsets her so much she begins to plot a terrible crime…

My Thoughts:

This is the second of The Reading Agency's QuickReads books for this year which I have read - and recommend. They are quick, punchy reads which are just the thing for a lunch break or shorter journey.

The problem I have with short stories is that it's hard to write a review without giving too much away.

17 Lyle Road is split into two residential units: Simone and Jake live in the pretty ordinary upstairs flat whilst professional couple Gus and Alina own the glamorous downstairs flat with the modern extension complete with glass skylight which allows as much light in as possible. Their property is straight out of the glossy interior design magazines. Simone refers to them as the perfect couple. Jake gets along with them quite happily which only increases the resentment Simone feels against them. 

Life changes in an instant one evening when Jake calls Simone to say he can't make it home in time for the special meal she's been planning for them, leaving her home alone. It's at this point as Simone stands gazing out of her bathroom window that she sees something which lights the blue touch paper good and proper. Nobody else realises what a vantage point she has from this window. Not even Jake.

As you would expect in a short story, events escalate quickly from here on in. Maybe even too quickly for the any of the characters to really be able to think things through properly. Simone thinks she has the upper hand as nobody else knows what she has observed from her prime position but it's not long before she has to start rethinking her plan as reality takes a sharp diversion from the route she had worked out for the residents of the building. The small cast of characters only helps intensify the pressure Simone feels as the story draws to a close.

Louise Candlish is a top writer of suspense novels and I feel chose her subject wisely for this short shocker of a tale. I don't think it would have worked as well as a full length book - the shock factor would maybe have been diluted and lost its impact. 

About the Author:

Sunday Times bestselling author ​Louise Candlish was born in Northumberland and grew up in the Midlands town of Northampton. She studied English at University College London and has lived in the capital ever since. She is the author of 14 novels, including the thriller Our House, winner of the British Book Awards 2019 Crime & Thriller Book of the Year and shortlisted for several other awards. A #1 bestseller in paperback, ebook and audiobook, it is soon to be a four-part ITV drama, produced by Red Planet Pictures. Her new release The Other Passenger, a Hitchcockian tale of adultery and double crossing set among the Thames river commuters, is also in development for the screen. Louise's first Richard & Judy Book Club pick, it has been longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2021.  

Louise lives in Herne Hill in South London with her husband, teenage daughter and fox-red Labrador, Bertie. Visit her at LouiseCandlish.com or connect with her on Twitter @Louise_Candlish. 

Castaways by Lucy Clarke #NetGalley @lucyclarkebooks #Castaways @HarperCollinsUK

 

The Castaways by Lucy Clarke

Paperback Publication Date 8th July 2021

Published by HarperCollins

Psychological Thriller

Book Description:

A SECRET BEACH.
A HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME.
WISH YOU WERE HERE?

THINK AGAIN…

You wake on a beautiful, remote island.

Sparkling blue seas, golden sunsets, barely a footprint in the sand.

Yet this is no ordinary escape.
 
Next to the wreck of a plane, a stranger paces. Another sharpens a knife, scoring a list of the dead onto a palm tree. Others watch from the shadows of a campfire – all with untold stories, and closely-guarded secrets…

This is no ordinary holiday.
This is no ordinary island.
This is no ordinary beach read.

Gripping, twisty and full of sun-soaked atmosphere, THE CASTAWAYS will whisk you far away to the island – and never let you go.

My Thoughts:

As the title suggests, this book is about the survivors of a plane crash which happens on an extremely remote Fijian island. What should have been the holiday of a lifetime for sisters Erin and Lori turns into their worst nightmare. Having lost both their parents, leaving them with just each other and promising that they will always be there for each other they end up having a big argument on the first stage of their holiday. Erin misses the connecting flight to their resort, having chosen to spend the previous evening downing drinks with a stranger in a bar. More reliable Lori gets the flight - but ends up wishing she hadn't. 

The story is told from the points of view of each sister, in the time frames of the immediate aftermath of the crash and two years later as Erin continues her search for the truth. In some ways the story is quite predictable in that each of the survivors react in certain ways to the predicament they find themselves in, yet there are still some shocking twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

The feeling of suspense as to whether Erin will get to the bottom of what happened on that flight keeps you wanting just one more chapter before you put the book down to get some sleep. Will anyone escape the clutches of the remote island? What really caused the plane to veer off course and crash? And is it just a sense of duty to her sister that makes Erin keep up the search or is there a sense of guilt that keeps her going?

I very much enjoyed this book and would have loved to have had the opportunity to immerse myself in the plot in one sitting but life just keeps getting in the way. Another hit from Lucy Clarke for me, whose previous book 'The Blue' had me seeking out her entire backlist to read. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

About the Author:

Lucy Clarke is the bestselling author of six psychological thrillers - THE SEA SISTERS, A SINGLE BREATH, THE BLUE/NO ESCAPE, LAST SEEN, YOU LET ME IN and THE CASTAWAYS. Her debut novel was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and her books have been sold in over 20 territories.

Lucy is a passionate traveller and fresh air enthusiast. She's married to a professional windsurfer and, together with their two young children, they spend their winters travelling and their summers at home on the south coast of England. Lucy writes from a beach hut.

Say hello:
www.lucy-clarke.com
Instagram @lucyclarke_author
www.facebook.com/lucyclarkeauthor

The Evidence by KL Slater #NetGalley #TheEvidence @bookouture

 

The Evidence by KL Slater

Publication Date: 1st July 2021

Published by Bookouture

Book Description:

I can see her through the glass door. She’s smaller in real life than I expected. She looks the exact opposite of the type of woman that might murder her husband.

Everyone’s heard of Simone Fischer. The young mother accused of killing her husband in cold blood, one sunny afternoon, while their son played in the room next door.

So when journalist Esme secures an exclusive interview with her it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. Simone has remained silent since her husband’s death but after a decade in prison, she is willing to talk to Esme. And Esme, recently freed from her own toxic marriage, is confident she can get Simone to open up.

At their first meeting, when Esme sees Simone sitting across the table from her in jeans and a lemon tunic top, she is stuck by her ordinariness. Then Simone begins to tell her story of an abusive relationship where she was a prisoner in her own home, and Esme decides that the truth needs to come out.

But not everyone is pleased that Esme is telling Simone’s story. And when Esme’s beloved sister is left for dead in a nearby wood, Esme’s life begins to unravel. Forced to question what Simone has told her, she can’t help but wonder if murder was the only way out of Simone’s marriage. Why has it taken Simone so long to tell the world the truth? And will the consequences be devastating for Esme?

My Thoughts:

This is the first of this author's books I have read despite having seen them on the shelves in the shops and libraries regularly. While I looked forward to picking this book up to read each time I wouldn't say that it gripped me or had me thinking about the story while I was away from it. 

The book starts with promise, Esme Fox is a journalist who has set up her own business recently and has hatched the concept of presenting a podcast exposing the truth behind the imprisonment of husband killer Simone Fischer. The convicted murderess has never broken her silence regarding the events which have seen her imprisoned for the last 10 years but has agreed to meet with Esme and disclose facts which could see her case reviewed by the courts. This potential blockbuster has obviously drawn the attention of the bigger media companies and one in particular is interested in joining forces with Esme's company which she runs her sister Michelle and a couple of close associates.

I had high hopes for this book but sadly it fell short on several counts. Without giving away huge plot points I felt the story could have delved much deeper into most of the characters. The one which I really enjoyed the most though was Esme's mother in law who was such a devious madam she made me want to grab her off the pages and throw her out of the house myself. She was fabulous in her horridness and if only all the characters were as well developed as her this book would have been amazing.

Overall a good read but I was massively disappointed that it could have been so much more.

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book via Netgalley.

About the Author:

Kim is the number one bestselling author of fifteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children's Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in Nottingham, England.