Review: 'Blood Sisters' by Jane Corry (2017)

Three little girls set off to school one sunny May morning.  Within an hour, one of them is dead.
Fifteen years later, Alison and Kitty are living separate lives. Kitty lives in a care home. She can't speak, and she has no memory of the accident that put her here, or her life before it.
Art teacher Alison looks fine on the surface. But the surface is a lie. When a job in a prison comes up she decides to take it - this is her chance to finally make things right.
But someone is watching Kitty and Alison. Someone who wants revenge for what happened that day.  And only another life will do...
As some of you might know by now (or might have guessed by the name of my blog): I do like my happy endings. It’s not that I run away from books with definite unhappy endings, but books without a lot of sadness and despair quite simply make me a happier person than books where one character after the other is killed or the main character can’t stop sharing his/her thoughts about what a horrible place the world is. That being said, I do try to keep an open mind when it comes to the books I review, so when I was invited to read and review Jane Corry’s thriller ‘Blood Sisters’ I decided it was once again time for me to move out of my comfort zone. I have to admit the story sounded quite intriguing, so I was curious to give it a go (while secretly still hoping for some kind of at least semi-happy ending…)!
After a horrible event in their past, in 1991 when they were just little girls, Alison and Kitty now lead completely separate lives, roughly sixteen years later. Alison works as an art teacher; when she gets the opportunity to teach art lessons in a prison, she decides to take the job, hoping it will somehow ease her mind about everything that has happened. Kitty, however, lives in a care home; she can no longer speak and has no memory of what happened all those years ago. But even though Alison might like to leave the past for what it is, circumstances won’t let her. Recent events bring Alison and Kitty back together, and it soon turns out there is an extra person in the picture, someone who is looking for revenge for what happened all those years ago…
‘Blood Sisters’ was my first Jane Corry read and one of the very few psychological thrillers I decided to pick up this year so far. Luckily I can say I’m glad I did, because the book definitely made an impression on me and I enjoyed it much more than I initially expected. The story is told from alternating perspectives of female characters Alison and Kitty; two completely different people. The main difference is that Kitty is mentally disabled, and looks at the world, and therefore also everything that happened to her and Alison in the past, in a completely different way. I think the author did a great job incorporating this in the story and it provided me, as reader, with the opportunity to learn more about this and also made me see things in a different light.
As with most psychological thrillers, the tension is clearly present in the novel, but it is well built-up throughout the story (perhaps a bit too slow-paced at times). It kept me guessing until the end, which is one thing I do like; not knowing what is going to happen and being surprised by the author. The story is filled with lies and good dialogue that had me captivated; and I personally also really liked the fact that the book consisted of relatively short and quick chapters. Jane Corry is a name I’m adding to my list of authors to read, especially because I’m curious to check another one of her works, hopefully soon. All in all, ‘Blood Sisters’ is a gripping, original and enthralling story focusing on the relationship between two sisters and how one single event can impact many lives for years to come… A big thank you to the publisher who provided me with a copy, since I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have checked out this book otherwise!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'My Sister's Bones' by Nuala Ellwood (2017)

ARE YOU BRAVE ENOUGH TO GO BACK?
Kate Rafter is a successful war reporter. She's the strong one. The one who escaped Herne Bay and the memories it holds. Her sister Sally didn't. Instead, she drinks.
But when their mother dies, Kate is forced to return to the old family home. And on her first night she is woken by a terrifying scream.
What secret has Kate stumbled upon? And is she strong enough to uncover the truth . . . and make it out alive?
Not too long ago I unexpectedly received a review copy of Nuala Elwood’s novel ‘My Sister’s Bones’ which was released by publisher Penguin on February 9th. I have to admit I sometimes can’t help myself and judge a book by its cover, but if I had done that in this case I am pretty sure I would never have picked up this novel. The cover does nothing for me, and the book description also doesn’t really entice me to be curious about the story inside. However, the good thing about receiving copies like this thriller for review is that I didn’t make the decision in the book shop to not pick it up, I was lucky enough to get a copy and simply for that reason it is worth sitting down with it and giving it a shot…!
Kate Rafter has always enjoyed her job as a war reporter, travelling to dangerous areas to report local news to the rest of the world.  When the passing of her mother brings Kate back to the UK, she is forced to not only deal with her own issues, such as the effect all the horrible things she has encountered has had on her, but also with her remaining family, namely her younger sister Sally and Sally’s husband Paul. Sally is an alcoholic, and has been for years, and even though Paul tries to bring the two sisters together, their relationship seems to be ruined. As Kate starts to hear and see things no one believes are real, she finds herself in a difficult situation. But Kate is determined to discover the truth, whatever that may be.
If you love a good thriller, then I think I can safely say that you will not be disappointed  by picking up Nuala Ellwood’s ‘My Sister’s Bones.’ The novel is compelling, has some dark and intense elements at its core and a captivating storyline with an interesting set of characters. That being said, though, I have to be honest and say at the start of this review that this is just not my genre. I miss a bit of warmth and humour, and secretly still find myself keeping my fingers crossed for a happy ending for all. However, I do think, also based on other reviews that I’ve seen, that this is a good read, especially since it did manage to keep my interest and kept me guessing and wanting to know what would eventually happen to main character Kate and some of the other secondary characters in the novel. Kate is a fascinating main character; I won’t say I really ended up loving her, but I did understand some of the decisions she made and why she is the way she is. Both her and Sally’s story intrigued me, and I enjoyed learning more about the both of them and their history.
I don’t want to give too much away about the plotline, because that can ruin the reading experience, especially for a read like this one, where it is better if you know hardly anything about the story before you dive in. There is a realistic set of characters at the core of the story and there are a few twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. The author’s writing style is quite engaging, a balanced mix between dialogue and description/scene setting, and the chapters are of a good length. While I personally wasn’t 100% engrossed in the read, I do honestly think fans of this particular genre will be able to really enjoy this in the way it should be enjoyed, because even though I am definitely not an expert when it comes to this genre, ‘My Sister’s Bones’ is a compelling and tense read that had me on the edge of my seat, and it is undoubtedly worth a chance.

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

BookShots: my first experience and review!

Can a little black dress change everything in her life?
Magazine editor Jane Avery spends her nights alone with Netflix and Oreos – until the Dress turns her loose. Suddenly she's surrendering to dark desires, and New York City has become her erotic playground. But what began as a fantasy will go too far... and her next conquest could be her last.
I've got something quite great to share with all of you today, if I may say so myself! Recently I was contacted by a publisher and introduced to 'BookShots', a new way of reading developed by world-famous author James Patterson. I hadn't heard of BookShots before, but they're basically small and light books you can finish in one sitting that will keep you on the edge of your seat; short, fast-paced, high-impact entertainment (click here to read some more about it). I received 'Little Black Dress', which was first released in July, as an example to try out and I have to say I straight away warmed to the idea of BookShots!
'Little Black Dress' is a quick read by authors James Patterson and Emily Raymond that focuses on magazine editor Jane Avery. Jane is the type who enjoys staying at home, watching Netflix with a good choice of snacks, instead of going out to look for some excitement. However, after she buys a beautiful black dress, something inside of her wants to try something different for a change. One thing leads to another and before Jane knows it she's living out her darkest desires. The question is, will she be able to continue like this or will things simply get too dark...?
This was my first James Patterson read, so I don't really feel as if I am in a position where I can really say something specific about his writing, especially considering this is a quick read and one written together with another author, namely Emily Raymond. I can say I was immediately grabbed by the story and really understood what the idea is behind these BookShots; I finished the book in one sitting and was amazed by how much happened in only a limited number of pages and how I was really absorbed by the story, even though this is not usually the type of read I would pick up.
As an avid reader who travels a lot I really love the concept of BookShots; it's so easy to take one with you and to finish it in one or two sittings. I'm really curious to read some more of these, and also to try different genres and see whether that will also work in this format. 'Little Black Dress' is a dark and thrilling read without a boring moment that I surprisingly quite enjoyed, but I am most excited about this new book format and can definitely recommend it to other readers!

Rating:8/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'The Lost Child' by Ann Troup (2015)

Mandy Miller disappeared from Hallow’s End when she was just 3 years old. She was never found. Thirty years on, Elaine Ellis is carrying her mother’s ashes back to Hallow’s End to scatter them in the place that she once called home. Elaine has never been there, but it’s the only place Jean talked about while she was growing up – so it seems as good a place as any.
As Elaine settles into her holiday cottage in the peaceful Devonshire village, she gets to know the locals; family she never knew she had, eccentric and old-fashioned gentry, and new friends where she would least expect them. But she is intrigued by the tale of the missing girl that the village still carries at its heart, and which somehow continues to overshadow them all. Little does she know how much more involved in the mystery she will become…
While I love reading chick lit novels, it's great to switch things up a bit every now and again by picking up books within a different genre, such as YA, historical fiction, or a detective/mystery/thriller. Author Ann Troup's newest book 'The Lost Child', which was released by Carina UK on the 19th of May, belongs to that last category. When I was contacted about the novel, the blurb straight away intrigued me and I was curious to find out more about the story. Thanks again to Ann herself for being willing to provide me with a review copy, so I could read and review the book for my blog! 
Elaine Ellis has travelled to the small Devon village of Hallow's End, where her mother used to live, to spread her mother's ashes. Since her own house is being renovated, Elaine decides to rent a holiday cottage and spend a few days in the village, discovering why her mother loved it there so much. Yet, what Elaine doesn't know is that this trip will change her life forever. Years ago, Hallow's End was the scene of a tragedy when a little girl named Mandy Miller disappeared. The body was never found, just Mandy's bloody sweater. Now, after all those years, new proof suddenly appears and Elaine can't help but become involved with the whole case.
This book is quite a page-turner! 'The Lost Child' managed to exceed my expectations and had me on the edge of my seat throughout most parts of the story. While the basic plotline of Ann Troup's novel might not be the most original one (a child that goes missing and a whole village that has never forgotten, then the case is opened again years later), the author definitely gave it her own twist and turned it into a captivating tale with a strong focus on the relationships between the different characters. I liked the protagonist Elaine from the start and various other characters (such as grumpy teenager Brodie, builder Dan, and all the various people living in the village of Hallow's End) were fascinating and really added their own touch to the story. 
The book is quite well-paced and continually surprised me with new details and events that made sure I didn't want to stop reading but instead find out what would come next. It is quite a dark novel, with various serious topics that are dealt with, but this fits the storyline and the genre. I think I would describe the book as a dark women's fiction read with a good dose of mystery/thriller. Overall, 'The Lost Child' is an intriguing and captivating read which had me on the edge of my seat until the last few chapters; an entertaining book by a new author that has definitely sparked my interest!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.