The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan #NetGalley #TheLongWeekend @GillyMacmillan @penguinrandom #blogtour

 

The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan

Published by Penguin RandomHouse, Cornerstone, Century

Publication Date: 3rd February 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Crime

Book Description:

By the time you read this, I'll have killed one of your husbands.

In an isolated retreat, deep in the Northumbria moors, three women arrive for a weekend getaway.

Their husbands will be joining them in the morning. Or so they think.

But when they get to Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note that claims one of their husbands has been murdered. Their phones are out of range. There's no internet. They're stranded. And a storm's coming in.

Friendships fracture and the situation spins out of control as each wife tries to find out what's going on, who is responsible and which husband has been targeted.

This was a tight-knit group. They've survived a lot. But they won't weather this. Because someone has decided that enough is enough.

That it's time for a reckoning.

My Thoughts:

Right from the start of this book you get the feeling that the women involved in the planned weekend away are not close friends; the husbands have been friends since their schooldays, together with Edie - who all of a sudden can't join them - however the wives have become acquainted purely via their partners over the years.
The message that Edie won't be joining them this weekend comes via a mysterious motorcycle courier along with a bottle of bubbly. Edie is known for playing dubious pranks on her friends and the women can't decide whether it is genuine or some kind of sick prank which they all agree would be a step too far.
The weekend is off-kilter before they even start as it's the first weekend away they've arranged since the loss of Edie's husband who sadly drowned in tragic circumstances.  The usual fun vibe just isn't there from the start then each of the women's partners reports that they will be delayed and won't be able to join them until the following day. The barn they are staying at is in a very remote spot and with a nasty storm threatening to isolate them even further the weekend isn't  looking too promising at all. It all seems very sinister that they should receive such a threatening note when none of the men are there and certainly has the desired effect of causing concern amongst an already unsettled group.
The style of writing in this book is quite challenging. The story is told from each of the women's perspectives along the way and also from the anonymous writer of the note's point of view. Unfortunately you're never quite sure whose voice you are reading in so the action can be quite difficult to follow at times.  Whether this is intentional to give you an even more unsettled feel to the atmosphere I'm not sure but it worked. All of women at Dark Fell Barn have issues of one kind or another which makes none of them a reliable narrator either. 
My favourite characters were the owners of the barn, Maggie and John Elliot and their son William, a local police officer. There are some moments which will tug on your heart strings as John is suffering with the onset of dementia which both he and his wife are struggling to cope with. Their fears for the future of their home and business are portrayed well, along with the thoughts of John as he tries to make sense of an ever more confusing world around him.
Gilly Macmillan has once again triumphed with keeping her plot tightly wrapped until late on in the book and ekes out the essential details as to who is responsible for the mysterious note and the reasons behind it.  I hate to admit that this isn't my favourite of her written works, but it will take a lot to topple Burnt Paper Sky from the top of that particular podium. 
My thanks to Isabelle Ralphs at Penguin Random House UK for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication as part of the blog tour. All opinions are my own and an honest appraisal of the book.

About the Author:

Gilly Macmillan is the Sunday Times & New York Times bestselling author of THE NANNY (out 2019). Also WHAT SHE KNEW (previously published as BURNT PAPER SKY in some territories), THE PERFECT GIRL, ODD CHILD OUT & I KNOW YOU KNOW.

Gilly is Edgar Award nominated and an ITW award finalist. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages.

She grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time. 

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill by CS Robertson #NetGalley #book #review @CraigRobertson_ @HodderBooks #TheUndiscoveredDeathsofGraceMcGill

 

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill by CS Robertson

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 20th January 2022

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Book Description:

DEATH IS NOT THE END. FOR GRACE McGILL IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

When people die alone and undiscovered, it's her job to clean up what's left behind - whether it's clutter, bodily remains or dark secrets.

When an old man lies undetected in his flat for months, it seems an unremarkable life and an unnoticed death. But Grace knows that everyone has a story and that all deaths mean something more.

A STAND-OUT NOVEL WITH A UNIQUE NARRATIVE VOICE AND AN UNGUESSABLE MYSTERY, YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO REMEMBER GRACE McGILL.

My Thoughts:

The idea of undiscovered deaths and the people who tidy up after such unfortunate scenes are largely shied away from but author Craig Robertson has embraced the unpleasant reality and used it as the really quirky basis of his latest mystery novel. Grace McGill is the voice of this twisty tale; a seemingly straightforward introvert with few friends and whose job is enough to make most folks recoil in distaste. But Grace has hidden depths. She sees her job as a way of ensuring that the people who were forgotten in life are looked after in death. To ensure the people live on after their demise Grace makes dioramas, 3 dimensional models of the places they took their last breath, and it is when a local journalist features Grace in the newspaper that her world starts to unravel.

The less you know about this book going in the better. The layers that make up Grace's character are slowly peeled away to reveal a completely different - at times shocking - person who you struggle to match to the quiet individual who lives alone with her cat at the start of the book. It definitely wasn't the story I was expecting, and the first hint of where the story was heading took me completely by surprise.

This is certainly a very different book to anything I've read before and it had me considering Grace's life and actions as the author led us through to the closing pages. Not the ending I wanted for Grace and I am very conflicted in my feelings about whether or not it was a fitting conclusion. I am a determined fence sitter on this one; I could argue the case either way. I can't wait to discuss it with other readers and to hear their views!

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me the privilege of reading this book ahead of publication via NetGalley.

About the Author:

A former journalist, Craig Robertson had a 20-year career with a Scottish Sunday newspaper before becoming a full-time author. He interviewed three Prime Ministers, reported on major stories including 9/11, Dunblane, the Omagh bombing and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. He was pilloried on breakfast television, beat Oprah Winfrey to a major scoop, spent time on Death Row in the USA and dispensed polio drops in the backstreets of India.

His gritty crime novels are set on the mean streets of contemporary Glasgow. His first novel, Random, was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA New Blood Dagger, longlisted for the 2011 Crime Novel of the Year and was a Sunday Times bestseller. Murderabilia was longlisted for the 2017 Crime Novel of the Year and shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. The Photographer was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize.

He now shares his time between Scotland and California and can usually be found on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic.

The Legacy by Caroline Bond #libraryreads #TheLegacy #book #review @Bond2Caroline @CorvusBooks

 

The Legacy by Caroline Bond

Published by Corvus

Publication Date: 1st April 2021

Genre: Womens Fiction

Book Description:

A death in the family rarely brings out the best in people - even the deceased.

Jonathan Coulter planned for his death meticulously, leaving nothing to chance. His will states that his three adult children must decide between them how to dispose of his estate. If they cannot come together over their inheritance, then they risk losing it.

But Liv, Noah and Chloe never agree on anything. And now, with only one weekend to overcome their rivalry, tensions begin to rise.

Why has Jonathan left the decision to them? And why has he made no mention of his new partner, Megan, or the children's mother, Eloise? If he wanted to teach them a lesson from beyond the grave, what is it? And can the siblings put their differences aside for long enough to learn it?

A powerful novel about love and loss, and what we truly pass on to our children.

My Thoughts:

The way people write their will and the way families react always intrigues me. I see it as the last thing in our life we can control - who gets what and the reasons why. The Legacy intrigued me right from the start as the deceased, Jonathan, has been dealt the cruel hand of suffering from Motor Neurone Disease not too long after having had an affair with Megan and divorced his wife. How do you make things fair for everyone when life hasn't been fair on you?

The story begins in the waiting area of the solicitor's office as the 3 sibings Liv, Noah and Chloe together with Jonathan's partner Megan convene to hear what Jonathan decided should happen to his estate.  We get a general vibe of the relationship between them and the personalities of each sibling together with their attitude towards Megan as they sit and wait.

I was surprised that Jonathan's character dealt with things the way he did - we know his decision from the description of the book, however he came across throughout the novel as being quite a control freak so him leaving it for the children to decide seemed rather out of character.  

Through discussions, arguments and revelations we come to understand more about each character. Each of them has their own 'baggage' to deal with in life, some of it based in the affair and subsequent divorce, some carried through from their childhoods, the remainder set in the present day of what life has thrown at them. The fact that the house holds so many memories for the family over such a long period doesn't seem to help - it's still Chloe's home after all. The arrival of Jonathan's ex-wife and Megan's nemesis Eloise is another situation for them to factor in. What are her thoughts and expectations in all this?

The author has balanced the sadness and grief of the siblings and other characters so well against the anger and shock that a loved one's passing brings, especially when it happens so suddenly. I found it to be a very honest and believable story and was pleased at how a potentially explosive scenario with Megan and the children's mother Eloise was handled.  

I found The Legacy to be quite thought provoking and despite the story's subject material there is sufficient depth to the characters and activity going on that it never becomes overwhelmingly gloomy at any point. The setting near the beach in Scarborough sounds lovely too - an area I have never visited but am now curious to explore, perhaps a visit to the cafe that Megan and Eloise find themselves in. The cakes sound fabulous!

About the Author:

Caroline Bond was born at the seaside and still feels happiest when walking into a headwind with the prospect of fish and chips on the near horizon. She had a fulfilling career in research before becoming a writer.

Her debut, The Second Child, was inspired, in part, by her experiences working with, and raising, a disabled child. Her second, The Forgotten Sister, reflects her belief that our life chances are hugely impacted by our upbringings. Her third, One Split Second, explores guilt and forgiveness.

She is a slow, but tenacious runner and not a bad cook.

She prefers red to white wine.

The House Fire by Rosie Walker @HarperCollinsUK @OneMoreChapter_ @ciderwithrosie #NetGalley #TheHouseFire #book #review

 

The House Fire by Rosie Walker

Published by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Publication Date: 6th January 2022

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Book Description:

Play with fire and you’ll get burned . . .

Who can you trust in this brand new edge-of-your-seat thriller?

A tired old seaside town hiding a series of unsolved arson attacks.

A derelict mansion in the woods with a long-buried secret.

A bundle of old love letters that mask a dark story. 

When Jamie's documentary investigation gets too close to uncovering the truth behind a series of deadly arson attacks that tormented Abbeywick in the 1980s, her family might be the ones who pay the price. 

But for her younger sister Cleo, the secrets Jamie uncovers have the potential to get exactly what Cleo wants: to remove her mum's toxic new husband from their lives, forever. 

All it takes is one spark to send everything up in smoke . . .

My Thoughts:

I chose to read this book as it is a title which caught my eye due to the unusual subject material - you don't tend to come across many novels which feature house fires as their main content.  Intrigued, I dived in.
Sisters Jamie and Cleo are adjusting to life with a new stepdad. Cleo has taken an intense dislike to him however being a few years older Jamie is doing her best to accept him into the family - especially as he works in TV presenting and could be a useful contact for Jamie as she strives to become a documentary maker.
Jamie and her boyfriend Spider have plans to make a film about a series of cold case arsons which happened decades before but when the fires start up again things start to take a sinister turn. 
Evidence begins to come in which implies the arsonist could be much closer to home than any of them could have known but Jamie gets cold feet when anonymous threats are delivered to her home address warning her to back off. Stepdad Ant is pressuring Jamie's mum to send Cleo away to boarding school to try and calm her down and Spider is wanting to take the documentary in a completely different direction to the original plan. Who wants to take the focus away from the fires as the girls start to dig deeper into the unsolved cases? And why?
I really wanted to be gripped by this story but something was missing somewhere. What it is I still cannot put my finger on. There are red flags galore along the way, a stroppy teenager who will do anything to try and remove her stepdad from her family's lives, hints of domestic abuse and narcissistic behaviour but despite all this sense of mystery and threat I still didn't get hooked in completely.
The writing, characters and plot line are all very good and overall I didn't dislike the book but it just lacked the "X factor" for me. 
I wouldn't deter anyone from reading this novel though, I think it must just have been the wrong book at the wrong time for me personally.

About the Author:

Rosie Walker is a novelist who lives in Edinburgh with her husband Kevin and their dog Bella. 'Secrets of a Serial Killer' is her debut novel, "an edge-of-your-seat serial killer thriller that you won't be able to put down".

Rosie has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Lancaster University.

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond #arc #book #review #Netgalley #AnythingCouldHappen @LDiamondAuthor @QuercusBooks

 

Anything Could Happen By Lucy Diamond

Published by Quercus Books

Publication Date 6th January 2022

Genre: Womens Fiction, Romance

Book Description:

Your big secret is out. What next?

For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.

Eliza needs answers - and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store...

Anything Could Happen is a warm, wise, funny and uplifting novel about love, second chances and the unexpected and extraordinary paths life can take us down.

My Thoughts:

Lucy Diamond is a born writer; every time I start one of her books I step straight into the world she has penned. No stuttering starts or feeling that each character needs an introduction, you feel like you already know these people and the story just flows right from the first page. This latest book 'Anything Could Happen' is no exception.

Single mum Lara and daughter Eliza have always been close - it's just been the two of them for almost as long as Eliza can remember. Almost - but at one point there was also her dad Steve who left them when Eliza was very young. Lara has noticed that since Eliza approached her 18th birthday she has become quite an angry individual - but all teenagers do at one stage or another don't they? A phase they go through?  This thought prompts Lara to consider her own life story, back to the time when she travelled to New York for work with all the hopes and promises that held. And then the reality which followed.

The characters in this story are very real and believable throughout, maybe the storyline could be seen as perhaps a little predictable by some but it sat well with me.  The situation the characters find themselves in is presented from each person's perspective and their feelings are expressed to the reader in an honest manner. The subject matter could have led the author to make a couple of the characters quite bitter and nasty but I was pleased to see that, although this was an option which was lightly suggested at some points, the characters were better, more self-respecting than that. I don't feel the book would have worked as well had their reactions been different.

I would have loved to be able to sit and read this book in one sitting but sadly this wasn't an option in the run up to Christmas. It is a book which leaves you with that feel-good glow that a good family brings, even if your family set up is not quite the traditional one.

My thanks to the publisher Quercus who allowed me the privilege of reading this book ahead of publication via NetGalley.

About the Author:

Lucy Diamond is an English author of female lead fiction, whose real name is Sue Mongredien.

She grew up in Nottingham, and studied English Literature at Leeds University.

Mongredien now lives in Bath. 

Her first book, Any Way You Want Me, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2007. 

In 2011, her novel Sweet Temptations was shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance.

In 2021, after 14 years with Pan MacMillan, Mongredien moved to Quercus.

Mongredien has also authored several children's books, including books in The Sleepover Club series, the Rainbow Magic series, the Oliver Moon series, and the Captain Cat series.

The Secret by Debbie Howells @AvonBooksUK @debbie_howells #NetGalley #book #bookreview #TheSecret

 

The Secret by Debbie Howells

Published by Avon Books UK

Publication Date: 6th January 2022

Genre: Fiction, mystery, crime

Book Description:

Best friends Hollie and Niamh tell each other everything. Behind the village of Abingworth’s closed doors, every family has its secrets – and their doors might hide the worst ones of all.

One day Hollie tells Niamh about a devastating discovery, swears her to secrecy, then vanishes. The villagers claim to know nothing. But when Hollie’s body is found, the police know one of their number isn’t just a liar, but a killer…

What did Hollie tell Niamh before she died? And who would kill to keep it hidden?

After all, two can keep a secret – if one of them is dead…

A completely unputdownable suspense novel that will leave you reeling at the final twist…

My Thoughts:

Wow! What an absolute corker of a book! More twists than your local theme park rollercoaster and some absolutely horrid characters who make for a great read. Families, close-knit villagers who close ranks when push comes to shove, dubious financial transactions and secrets between friends, not to mention an occasional lie to distract from what goes on behind closed doors. All of this and so very much more kept me turning the pages in Debbie Howells' latest gripping tale so fast that I had whipped through it in under 24 hours. And that is a rarity for me!
Niamh and Hollie are the only 2 teenagers in the village of Abingworth and as such stand out among the residents. They live in each other's pockets, telling each other everything. Yet when Hollie goes missing, Niamh seems to be in the dark as much as anyone as to what could have happened to Hollie. 
The ensuing police investigation uncovers far more than just what happened in Hollie's last hours and involves more of the village's residents than anyone would have expected when that first missing person report came in.
This is definitely a book which you need to put aside a few hours for; get some snacks in, turn off your phone and keep the coffee pot brewed because you won't want to put it down once you get started.
I'm not saying any more than that because the reveals need to happen entirely as the author intended so no hints let alone spoilers in my review. The only thing I will say is BUY IT!! You will NOT regret it. 
Huge thanks for the opportunity to read a prepublication copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:

Having previously worked as cabin crew, a flying instructor and a wedding florist, Debbie turned to writing during her busiest summer of weddings. After self-publishing three women's commercial fiction novels, she wrote The Bones of You, her first psychological thriller. It was a Sunday Times bestseller and picked for the Richard and Judy book club. Three more have been published by Pan Macmillan: The Beauty of The End, The Death of Her and Her Sister's Lie.

Her fifth, The Vow, was published by Avon in 2020 and was a #1 ebook bestseller.