Steve Cavanagh is fastly becoming one of my new favourites in crime thrillers and this is only the second book I have read of his. You may remember I reviewed Thirteen last year. I actually voted Thirteen as my favourite book of 2018! So when Twisted came out, I grabbed as fast as I could. Thank you very much to Netgalleyand publishers Orionbooks for my copy of Twisted. I did a little dance of glee when I received it.
Description:
BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK I WANT YOU TO KNOW THREE THINGS:
1. The police are looking to charge me with murder. 2. No one knows who I am. Or how I did it. 3. If you think you’ve found me. I’m coming for you next. After you’ve read this book, you’ll know: the truth is far more twisted…
My Thoughts:
The description of this book does not give too much away. The title gives you an idea… but not of the plot. So I prefer to keep this review vague on the plotline and only tell you my thoughts.
It is Amazing! A gripping, page turning, very clever and very twisty read.
I went in blind only with the expectations of it being so good after reading Steve Cavanagh’s last book. This was a good thing to do. Just when I thought I knew what was going on….bam… something else.
Twisted is a standalone book by the author who wrote the Eddie Flynn series. I haven’t read the Eddie Flynn books, but you can bet I’m going to read them now.
There are gory murder parts, characters to root for and to hate. And twists that will make you dizzy and addicted to this authors stories.
This book is different in a way I haven’t read a book before. If you are on Twitter you may have seen the Authors Wife tweeting about ‘who is JT LeBeau?‘. I think I read somewhere that Mrs C helped Mr Cavanagh with his inspiration for this book. So thanks also to the Authors Wife.
Twisted is written by an amazing imaginative Author, with a mind for very dark plots and evil twisted characters.
I want to use the word Twisted so much whole writing this. The title of this book is perfect. This is a book of twisted characters, a twisted plot and a twisted book of thrills. As the Twitter hashtag says #ThisBookisTwisted.
Thank you to the wonderful site that is Netgalley, the publishers Bookouture and the very talented Author Sarah Mitchell for my copy of this book.
The strapline of this book captured my interest straight away, “A psychologicalthriller with a breath taking twist” is just my kind of read. And when they say “whatever you think you know, you’re wrong”, it just adds to the intrigue.
Whatever you think you know… you’re wrong.
Following a whirlwind four-month romance, lawyer Claire and hotel entrepreneur Angus are engaged to be married. Happy and successful, and ready to start their new life together, Claire and Angus find what they believe to be the perfect home.
But when Claire meets Mark, the man selling them the house, he looks eerily familiar. He looks exactly like the man she loved five years ago, the man she couldn’t bear to lose.
As Claire finds herself irresistibly drawn to Mark and crosses lines she never thought she’d cross, Angus’ behaviour becomes increasingly suspicious. Soon Claire doesn’t know whether she can trust Mark, Angus… or even herself.
The Couple is a psychological thriller with a stunning twist, perfect for fans of The Girl Before, The Wife Between Us, and The Woman in the Window.
Published: February 5th 2019 by Bookouture
My Thoughts:
After reading a couple of not so thrilling thrillers, I was looking forward to getting stuck into The Couple.
The Couple is a thrilling book with a twist at the end. Claire and Angus have a whirlwind romance and have just got engaged and bought a gorgeous new house. Straight away we are suspicious around the seemingly lack of “that special something”, you know what you would expect with a newly engaged couple buying a house. But there was an obvious (to me) lack of passion about this couple. It’s not too long until we hear about Claire’s ex, ( the One that got away), Daniel. Enter the next character, Mark who was the previous owner of the house. Mark reminds Claire so much of Daniel, now we can know trouble is brewing.
The characters within this book were not really likeable. In my opinion if an author can give you any feelings about their characters then they are well written. Sometimes, it even makes it a better read if you dislike them. But it’s unusual to find a book with no likeable characters though. There was nobody that I was rooting for. Each character had their own flaws, issues and suspicions.
The author gives us a good insight into Claire’s job as an immigration officer. I do like a book where there is something different in the characters life to learn about. Legal immigration is something I knew little about, so it was good to learn.
I found it difficult to understand a lot of the decisions that Claire made. Perhaps some readers would see this as a negative, but I chose to see it as Claire’s flaws and many of the reasons why I disliked her.
The chapters range from present to 5 years previous where we learn about the ex Daniel. This way of writing made me more intrigued to know what happened in the past.
I would describe The Couple as a domestic thriller where you suspect the 2 men in Claire’s life of something…. and you will be surprised and satisfied with the twist at the end.
The Couple is out on February 5th, see the links below to grab yourself a copy.
I have read quite a few of D J Swykert’s books, and I have enjoyed all of them. This Author writes with knowledge he has gained from working as a 911 officer. What I liked about Swykert’s books is that he includes really interesting facts along with his plot and characters. Because I enjoyed all his other books, I decided to give this one a go.
Description:
In space, the expansion of the universe exceeds the speed of light. In a jail cell the speed of light slows, time ages and deteriorates slowly to a crawl.
Jack Joseph understands physics. He understands the nature of quarks, leptons, dark matter and the desire to find the God particle. What Jack doesn’t understand is Jack.
He has a Masters degree in particle physics, an ex-wife, a sugar mama, a passion for cooking and chronic dependencies he needs to feed. He cleans pools to maintain this chaotic lifestyle.
Spinning about in a Large Hadron Collider of his own making, the particle known as Jack is about to collide with a particle known as Sarah
Published July 20th 2013 by Rebel ePublishers
My Thoughts:
I went into this book, not really knowing what it would be about. I only knew that I liked the Author’s other books, so I was expecting to like this one too. The cover doesn’t give much away, I could see obviously the pool on the cover and the “physics equation”. Each chapter also starts in a similar way, which is good and different. ( E = {1} ) and so forth for each chapter.
The main character Jack Joseph is a physicist (by degree) and a pool cleaner by job. He also comes across as quite a philosopher to me. This part of the character shone out to me, as written by D J Swykert. His characters are always seemingly intelligient with their words, but not so by their actions. The majority of characters I have known by Swykert have been addicts of some kind. Jack Joseph is no different, an addict but with an interesting outlook on life. Within the first few pages, he is showing us his philosophies.
“I am not a being of my own choosing, but I am free to make choices for myself.”
Although Jack is an alcholic and a cheat, he is likable. I could kind of understand his actions. He has gotten himself in a difficult place and has to survive the best way he can. Some choices he makes are debateable and some make total sense.
What I also loved about Jack was that he was a passionate foodie. He loved to cook and eat good food. We see him buy some ingredients and make delicious sounding dishes. Not something that I would typically pair with an addict. But Jack isn’t your typical addict and that is what makes him so likeable and readable.
The book is more character driven that plot ( in my opinion). We follow Jack through his days, with the side line characters and the things Jack has to do to get by, the plot is good and I wasn’t sure which way Jack’s life would go.
After Jack has a chance meeting with Delilah (as he called her), his life may be about about to change. But he also has a Wife, a sugar mama and a dependancy with which he needs to satisfy. It was Jack’s state of mind and philosphies that made me enjoy this book so much.
Will Jack go to prison? Who will he end up with, or will he end up alone? You will need to read to find out.
There are so many great quotes I could give from Jack’s thoughts, but I will finish with this one.
“I’ve always thought the best attributes you can have as a person are empathy and compassion, if you feel these, and you feel them passionately enough that they direct your life, then you’re a pretty good person.”
But to see the other side of Jack:
“I like the world better when I’m high”.
Sometimes, I think a few carefully chosen quotes from a book says quite a lot about the characters.
I recieved a copy of the first edition by kindle. There is now a second edition available with this cover and was published in October 24th 2018 by Magic Masterminds
I was asked to read and review this book by the Author, and while I am being quite particular about the books I accept at the moment, the blurb of this sounded intriguing. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the first one, although there were a few references that I would have understood more if I had read the first book.
Sharon Davis, fearless NYPD homicide detective, is back in another sophisticated mystery where two cleverly crafted murder cases intertwine in the least expected way. A gripping thriller that will leave you speechless
Beautiful and tenacious NYPD homicide detective, Sharon Davis, investigates the unexplained death of a notorious escort girl who catered primarily to New York’s elite.
Many high-ranking officials want her to close the case and quit snooping around, but Sharon knows there’s more to this than meets the eye. In the middle of the high-profile case, she meets sixteen-year-old Becky who desperately needs her help. Becky’s entire world crumbles overnight when she discovers she is the sole survivor of the horrendous assassination of her family. She turns to the help of her Uncle Jake but learns he isn’t who he has claimed to be…
Becky must leave her peaceful hometown and search for clues about her about her mysterious past in New York City, where she crosses paths with the famous detective.
Supposedly, two different mysteries with two different solutions. Is that so?
The questions keep piling up: Who stands behind the ruthless vendetta against Becky’s family? How will Sharon’s chase after a sadistic killer turn out? And what will happen between her and the rugged marshal who has found himself in the middle of her investigation?
Published November 11th 2018 by Dana V. Moison
My Thoughts:
The False Mirror started off with a bang, the first chapter takes us right into a criminal act, a family in trouble and a murder for a reason we don’t yet know. I was gripped from the first chaper, but unfortunatly as the story went on, it lost its thrill for me. I did enjoy the plot and the characters, especially Becky who has lost her family and who she thought she was, all in one fell swoop.
The detective in this series Sharon Davis is clever, smart but doesn’t seem to be particularly loyal. I wasn’t as drawn to her as I have been to other detectives in series that I have read.
I was intrigued how the two cases were to be brought together, assuming that they would be! The plot of this book was followed through well and it talked about one thing that I hadn’t heard so much about in other books, and was done really well. That was the witness protection scheme. This was my favourite part of the plot.
The ending did involve a twist, which piqued my interest back up. It also made me look back and examine the cover of the book. I think it is very clever when an Author makes you go back to the cover at the end of the book, because it shows that the cover was done cleverly and with great thought.
I am a hard critic when it comes to crime thrillers. This is my favourite genre and I have read a lot of different and excellent books. So, although I did enjoy this book, I am rating it 3 stars, because of my very high expectations on this genre at the moment. I have a feeling that I might have enjoyed the first book more than this one, where I would learn a bit more of Sharon Davis and her detective skills. I think this will be an Author has great potential, and I will look at what Sharon Davis’ next case load is…….
Today on ChocolatePages, I’m bringing you a book review from one of my very favourite Authors, and a wonderful lady, Nicola May. This is an older book that the Author got published in 2015. The great thing about finding an Author that you love, after they have already released a few books is that you can go back and read all their other books. This is how I came to read Starfish, I wanted to go back and read all of Nicola’s books.
Description
Amy Anderson has a plan: to find her ‘soul mate’ by dating her way through the twelve signs of the zodiac.
Tired of looking for love, the dreamy Piscean decides than an astrological dating agency is the only way to meet the man of her dreams. Who will finally win Amy’s love? Will it be Ted the Arian photographer with a passion for ice skating, or Laurence, the Libran IT whizz kid who likes to get behind the wheel of a fast car?
Or how about Capricorn Chris, the owner of Starr & Son, the dating agency?
Published May 5th 2015 by Accent Press
My Thoughts:
‘Star Fish’ is a complete chick lit, easy reading, comedic read. You can tell from the blurb that it will be a fun and ‘escapism’ type read. The type of book that takes you out of the stresses and regularities of your days, and excerts some excitement where you can go dating with Amy. You can follow the fun dates, the hot dates and the incredibly cringy dates. Dating her way through the star signs and getting peeks of the guys and Amy’s horoscope was a mixed up bag of laughs and fun.
Along with Amy and the blind date guys that she met, we also see a lot from Amy’s friends. Of course being fun chick lit, there is a gay best friend which boosts plenty of fun, sympathy and great friendship with.
I’m not sure if the Author researched what is typically the characteristics of each star sign, but I’m not sure I believe all that really anyway. It did take my interest though, how each star sign was characterised, particularly my own…… just out of general interest you know!
“Scorpions are passionate and intense beings, filled with desire. They are secretive and complex. Don’t try to get too much out of them or they’ll become suspicious and leave. They are particularly resourceful characters”.
Well, whether these are true or not, the descriptions fitted with each guy of that particular birth date, and that is part of what made the book fun.
Another fab book by Nicola May, British humour and chick lit fun all the way. I loved it.
p.s Nicola May has lots of books published, all available from Amazon and other bookstores.
Thank you very much to Author Jennifer L Cahill for offering me the opportunity to read and review her first novel, which is set to have a sequel very soon. After reading the blurb, I was pretty sure I would enjoy ‘One?’. It wasn’t until after I had read the blurb that I saw how lovely and clever the cover design is for the book. We can see faces with London in the middle. Very fitting for this story.
The thought process for a review starts here!
Description:
One?
It’s London in the mid-noughties before Facebook, iPhones and ubiquitous wifi.
Zara has just moved to London for her first real job and struggles to find her feet in a big city with no instruction manual. Penelope works night and day in an investment bank with little or no time for love. At twenty-eight she is positively ancient as far as her mother is concerned and the pressure is on for her to settle down as the big 3-0 is looming. Charlie spends night and day with his band who are constantly teetering on the verge of greatness. Richard has relocated to London from his castle in Scotland in search of the one, and Alyx is barely in one place long enough to hold down a relationship let alone think about the future. One? follows the highs and lows of a group of twenty-somethings living in leafy SW4
Published June 21st 2018
My Thoughts:
Firstly, just look at that cover, its so clever and lovely! Secondly, if you have read the blurb, (and depending on your age), you will be brought back to an era where there were no iphones, no social media and no good reliable wi fi! If you are not old enough, then yes believe it or not, there was a time not too long ago, when you had to look up in a book if you wanted to find something out.
‘One?’ goes back in time, where Zara looks for a video shop to pass her time,rather than Netflix. Although some things never change, like dipping chocolate digestivesin tea! (great idea Zara).
I really enjoyed this book and am already looking forward to ‘Two‘. We follow main characters Zara and Penelope who house share in London while they navigate their way through the highs and lows of living and working in London.
Reading this book took me back to a time when I was in London, the highs and lows and finding your way through the social life, the travel system and work! This was a part of the reason why I enjoyed the book so much, I could relate to the characters and the area. Penelope and Charlie are used to London, while Zara is new and needs advice and guidance from Penelope. We see friendships develop naturally, and also discussions of relationships and ‘TheOne’. I loved the part where a female character has to explain women’s thoughts on this to a male character. She does a great job, even adding in what happens during divorce!
The story is not all about finding love, so don’t be fooled by the title into thinking this is all about finding ‘The One’, its more about the trials and tribulations of a few young people getting by in London in the early naughties. ‘One?’ is about friendships, getting by, fun and a few chance meetings here and there. London city is the perfect setting for this book. We also get a great tip from Penelope, though I haven’t yet tried it, but would be interested to know if it works….? The best hangover cure according to Penelope, (or is it Author Jennifer Cahill?), “Red Hula Hoops and Coke”. Let me know if you try this!
Congratulations on publication day (April 24th 2018) to the lovely, funny and talented Meredith Schorr. I am so happy to post my review of this book today. As a fan of Meredith’s writing, I was very grateful to be given the chance to read this book before publication day. Thank you Meredith.
Here is my review for Bridal Girl by Meredith Schorr.
Description:
Warning: exposure to the contents of this book while eating or drinking could cause laughter-induced choking. Read at your own risk.
Sassy book blogger-turned-author, Kim Long, thought her life couldn’t get any pinker when she received a two-book publishing deal and a marriage proposal in the same night. The wedding plans are coming together seamlessly, from the catering to the flowers to her much-coveted appointment at the exclusive and world famous Kleinfeld Bridal. Her debut novel is flying off the shelves to celebrated reviews, and her second book is practically writing itself.
If only the above wasn’t a big fat lie.
If only Kim could drown out the conflicting opinions of her overzealous bridal party, most notably, her sister and future sister-in-law, who haven’t stopped bickering since day one.
If only everyone would adore her first book—or she’d take Nicholas’s advice and stop reading reviews—she might not second guess every new word she writes.
If only Nicholas’s past would remain there rather than threaten their future. The pressure is on, the clock is ticking, and in walks Hannah Marshak.
Will the former “mean girl” lend a helping hand or make things worse? Will Kim ever write “The End” on her sophomore novel? And, will she and Nicholas make it down the aisle to say those two precious words: I do?
We’ll never tell. So, put on your reading glasses, fill your champagne flute/cup of tea and prepare to laugh with (and sometimes at) Kim as she rewrites her happy ending until it’s worthy of five pink champagne flutes.
April 24th 2018 by Henery Press
My Thoughts:
I have read the previous two books by Meredith Schorr in this Blogger Girl series. Blogger Girl and Novelista Girl were brilliant,and Bridal Girl follows in the samesteps. All books can be read as standalone, but as always the previous ones are great to read too. Personally I loved Novelista Girl best.
Bridal Girl follows Kim and Nicolas’ Wedding preparations, which take place at the same time that Kim is writing her second novel. Both are time sensitive and as is typically Meredith Schorr style, the laughter, mix ups and debacles that follow Kim are perfect for this Blogger Girl 3rd book.
If you have read the previous books in this series, you will be familiar with Hannah Marshak, former Mean Girl. Hannah had to make an appearance in this book, and she did so brilliantly.
My favourite part of this book was where Kim talks about her writing and we learn about her publishing experience. There are funny and heart warming moments, and I wonder if many of these experiences are relatable in the Author’s personal experiences. Meredith writes smoothly and believably, drawing the reader right into Kim’s life and emotions.
I don’t want to give spoilers, but there was something that niggled both Kim and I through part of the book, and when the turn of events became apparent, it left Kim and I in a state of giggles! If you have read this book, I’m sure you will know which part I’m talking about.
The characters of Kim and her best friends Bridget and Caroline are brilliant. They have a wonderfully special relationship together. And as the tale continues, the Author and reader side of Kim and her friends are so obvious. This is the part ofKim that made me love her right from the first book.
“She nodded and removed her e reader from her purse. Her habit of reading anytime and anywhere she had a free moment was almost as bad as mine.”
I would like to finish my review with this super photo! When I saw this on my kindle, I did quite a woop of joy! A mention of thanks to me, from the lovely andtalented Author Meredith Schorr. Thank you for mentioning me, it means a lot.
Have you read any of the Blogger Girl series? Can you relate to Kim and her bookish ways? Which of the 3 books did you like best?
Thank you to Author Meredith Schorr for my copy of The Boyfriend Swap. I fell in love with Meredith’s writing from when I first read Blogger Girl. I had high expectations for this book, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I want ALL of Meredith’s books!
Description:
Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? New Yorkers Robyn Lane and Sidney Bellows aren’t so sure.
Robyn has always dated struggling creative types. For once, her parents would love her to bring someone with health insurance and a 401(k) to their Chrismukkah celebration. Her actor boyfriend doesn’t qualify. While across town, Sidney’s professional life already belongs to her parents. She’s an attorney at her father’s law firm and she works tirelessly to keep her love life private. If she brings her lawyer boyfriend to their annual Christmas extravaganza, her parents will have the wedding planned by New Year’s Eve.
A mutual friend playfully suggests they trade boyfriends for the holidays. The women share a laugh, but after copious amounts of wine, decide The Boyfriend Swap could be the perfect solution. This way, Robyn can show off her stable attorney boyfriend and Sidney’s high-society family will take no interest in her flakey actor beau.
It’s a brilliant plan—in theory. In practice—not so much. When Will turns out to be the boy-next-door Robyn crushed on hard throughout her teenage years, and Sidney’s family fawns all over Perry like he’s an Oscar-winner rather than a D-list wannabe, one thing is certain: The Boyfriend Swap might just change their lives forever.
Published November 7th 2017 by Henery Press
My Thoughts:
The Boyfriend Swap is a really entertaining escapism fun read. The two main female characters Robin and Sydney are taking their boyfriends home for Christmas and both are dreading it because of what their parents will think of their chosen partners. So a crazy idea to boyfriend swap is activated! Yes it does sound like a totally crazy idea. Pretend that another girl’s man is your man and take them to Christmas dinner with your parents!! Sounds like a perfect recipe for Meredith Schorr fictional fun!
The two girls are quite different. I liked Robin more, but both were great characters. The two boyfriends also are quite different. I think Will makes a pretty good bookish boyfriend, and this was added to by the fact that he was most against the crazy swap idea. Ah, I love these fictional tales that you can live through in the (approx) 330 pages and get delved into their worlds of messes, decisions, embarrassments and fun times, then lift your head up and realise that you are back in your bed and can choose to live on another chapter with Robin and Will, or Sydney and Perry whenever you like. I stayed in fictional world for quite a few nights!
There is romance and Christmas in this book, but the festive talk is low grade, and not too traditional. the romance is there but its more a fun novel with small parts of romance.
One of my favourite lines in this book, and I quoted this to the Author on twitter was:
“Wow. This is just wow. More exciting than when Nathan fell for Hailey in One Tree Hill”.
This doesn’t give anything away, as I won’t say what is so exciting, but I loved One Tree Hill, and I loved what this “excitement” was for.
I have seen other bloggers reviews for this book, and many have mentioned how The Boyfriend Swap would make a great movie, and I have to say I totally agree. If Meredith’s books could be made into films, I would watch them all, and ask my friends to watch them all. But for now at least they are books, so I will ask all my friends and readers to read Meredith’s books. She has a talent for writing brilliant books. I’m looking forward to the next one already.
Thank you to Rachel atRachelsRandomResources.comfor organising this blog tour, and thank you to Anne John-Ligali for my copy of this book. I did a cover reveal for this book at the beginning of the month, and mentioned at that time how excited I was to read it. I was right to be excited, it is a brilliant book.
Description:
You are cordially invited to the party of the season where you’ll meet Constance and friends in action.
Constance Jeffries is excited when she gets the chance to meet up with virtual friends at a get-together in a London hotel. She’s been tweeting and messaging her lovely friends for years and feels they must be just as excited to finally meet her in person too. Or so she hopes.
The Big Event is first part in a short story series about the importance of ‘real’ friendships and how it’s the little things that matter the most.
My Thoughts:
This is a lovely easy reading short story. I think the cover does a great job of representing the inside story, the characters and the sparkles. Constance will be an interesting and friendly character to follow and I am already looking forward to seeing what she does next.
The story feels like it is setting a base for more stories to follow, yet still being a very enjoyable read on its own. I think if you use social media yourself, you will be able to identify with the characters that Anne John-Ligali has created. I wonder how many readers will have particular social media users in mind when they read this story?
I have a feeling this Author will be very popular, and her books will be quite addictive reading. I can’t wait for the next instalment.
I am already looking forward to the next part of this online friendship story, which is due out next year.
GIVEAWAY TIME. 😊🍰🍵
And now for an amazing giveaway that suits this book so well. Sorry international’s but its UK only due to the prize location. You can win a Sparkly afternoon tea for 2at London’s Vertigo42 in Central London, and an e book copy of the wonderful book The Big Event.
All you have to do is follow the link below where you see all the terms and conditions. Fill in the form and say why you would like to win the prize.
The competition closes on December 15th, and the winner will be announced on Anne’s social media pages and blog. So why wait, press the link and fill it in now, you could use the prize for yourself or give it as a special Christmas gift.
Here is the link again, press it now and tell Anne why you want to win.
And now to really tempt you into the lovely world of The Big Event is Anne’s trailer for the book.
Author Bio.
Anne John-Ligali is a writer and the founder of Books and Authors UK, a popular website featuring author interviews and book reviews. She loves all things books: reading, writing, going to book events, and meeting other book lovers. She has written a series of short stories and is currently writing her first novel.
When Anne is not writing, she is likely to be at soft play with her kids, taking long evening walks in Hyde Park, making green smoothies, window shopping, or having a pampering session at her local beauty salon (whenever she gets the chance). She can also be found watching box sets (albeit with a bit of shame at still having to catch up on Scandal, Grey’s, and Downton).
Originally from Peterborough, Anne now lives in London. After moving to London, she studied graphic design at the University of Arts and has held a number IT administration jobs in the city. Anne continues writing and aspires to write more women’s ficton books, a non-fiction book and several children’s books.
Thank you to Author Glen Ebisch for my copy of The Accident. When reading the blurb of this book, it sounded like the kind of murder mystery plot that I would enjoy. Also, the cover is beautiful and eery all at the same time….. Here are my thoughts.
Description:
Karen Walker is an ex-homicide detective slowly recovering from the trauma of an automobile accident in which she was injured and her husband was killed when a drunk driver struck the car she was operating. After a year of surgeries and attempts to come to terms with her feelings of guilt, she finds herself living the narrow life of a semi-recluse. Her seclusion comes to an end when an old friend from college, Clarissa Hammett, asks Karen to help in the search for her missing sister, Justine. Karen agrees, and she goes to live alone in the family’s summer home on the coast of southern Maine, which Justine was occupying at the time of her disappearance. Karen even goes one step further and takes on Justine’s job as hostess in a local restaurant, hoping to learn more about the missing woman’s life from her co-workers. Conversations with the sister’s estranged husband, her present boyfriend, and a mentally disturbed young girl on the beach, lead Karen to believe that Justine’s disappearance was not voluntary and that, if still alive, she may desperately need help.
Published July 3rd 2017 by Williams & Whiting
My Thoughts:
It was the blurb and the cover that led my interest in this book. When I read the book, I went back to examine the cover, (as I often do with good books), and I could see why the cover fitted the setting of the book so perfectly. The beach looks sparkly and beautiful in one light, but daunting and a little scary if you’re out there on your own at other times.
The story sets off with us meeting Karen Walker, an ex detective. She is mourning for the loss of her Husband, and has become a little recluse-like. So when an old friend of hers asks her to help find out what has happened to her missing sister, Karen agrees. I suppose due to her circumstances, grieving and an ex detective, she has the skills but also I can imagine she felt she had nothing to lose! Karen actually moves into the missing girls house, in attempt to find out as much as she can.
I found Karen a brave and independent woman. I guess she didn’t have much choice in the matter. I’m going to add in quite a long quote (for ChocolatePages) and you will see why I liked Karen so much.
“Every time we turn away from correcting an evil we encourage the existence of a worse world. I didn’t know whether that was a solid argument, but I didn’t approach the problem rationally. I was guided more by anger – a fury actually – at what had been taken from me.”
I really felt for the character and the Author when I read that, as I felt it was really spoken from the heart. The grief is a big part of the main character, and I liked how we saw her deal with this as the book went on, and as the pressures of the missing girl, the clues, the suspects and all the other goings on impacted Karen. But she still helped her friend to find out what had happened to her sister.
There were a few suspect characters that we met along the way, each with their own special attributes as to what they may or may not have done. I like a book that makes you think about the characters, their motives and their pasts. (and present of course). I didn’t guess what had happened until it was revealed, so the Author did a great job of adding in enough suspicious characters so that I could guess, but guess wrong. But when the reveal is made, it all makes sense and you can think back and say ‘ah, yes I see’ a lot of times!
I hadn’t heard of Glen Ebisch before, but I would totally recommend as an Author to watch out for now. The Accident is a mystery book that keeps you guessing untilthe end, has an amazing setting, a fierce main character, and a missing girl who we don’t know if she has been murdered, kidnapped or just left of her own accord. It is a book that will keep you hooked until the end.
ChocolatePages 