The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

 

THREE GIRLS MISSING

Twenty years ago: One rainy night, Olivia Rutherford is driving three friends home when a figure in the road causes her to swerve and crash. Regaining consciousness, she finds herself alone in the car - her friends have vanished.

THEY ARE NEVER SEEN AGAIN

Now: Journalist Jenna Halliday visits the close-knit community of Stafferbury to persuade Olivia to talk and solve the mystery of the girls' disappearance. But Olivia won't speak.

What happened?

Is Olivia hiding something?

Why are the people of Stafferbury so frightened?

How many secrets can one small town hide?

I received a copy of this on Netgalley from the publisher Michel Joseph, Penguin Randomhouse, in return for an honest review. 

This was our Tsundoku Squad September read, and I jumped straight in. I was glued, if I hadn’t been so tired lately, I would have read more than a few percent each night, taking me 10 days to read it. But that was tiredness, nothing to do with the story, which by the I thought was brilliant.

I loved Olivia, and Jenna, and was shocked with the different twists tat happen in the book. I did not expect the answers to be the answers, if you know what I mean. I don’t even know what else to say without breaking into some kind of spoiler!

 

I would recommend this to everyone who likes. Good mystery/thriller, and I’m really looking forward to reading another of Claire’s books (I have The Couple at No 9 to read).

Thanks again to Michael Joseph for my ebook arc :)

Book Tour. The Blackbird by Tim Weaver

David Raker is back with another heart-pounding and tense missing persons case. Ten seconds before the crash, Cate and Aiden Gascoigne are recorded on CCTV. The couple are laughing - happy, untroubled. Then their car plunges into a ninety-foot ravine.

The impact should kill them. And if that doesn't, the fire will. Within seconds, the vehicle is an inferno - with the Gascoignes trapped inside. But when fire crews arrive at the scene, they find something impossible. The vehicle is empty. Cate and Aiden have vanished.

Now only missing persons investigator David Raker can solve the mystery…

I was asked by Jennifer from Michael Joseph if I’d like to be on the tour for The Blackbird. I had already received a gorgeous #gifted proof of this book from Mubarak Elmubarak, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House. I have him to thank massively, I don’t think I’d have picked this up without him asking me if I’d like to read it. I’d never read a Weaver book before.

So I’ve been really tired lately, and have been falling asleep every time I try to read, so I haven’t been getting far with The Blackbird. That is until recently when I absolutely drank in the last ⅓ of the book in one sitting. 

Wow is Tim Weaver a good writer or what?! I thought I had maybe a small idea of where the story was going, then you hit a certain point where he just smacks you in the face with all the twists! And he pulls no punches, the twists keep coming right until the book ends, and it ends on a cliffhanger that makes me desperate to find out what’s coming next! The main character of Raker was great, I loved reading about him visiting all the places in my hometown, wandering down Dean Street, seeing the bridges, the Metrocentre, and plenty more. 

I’m definitely up for going back to the start and reading all of the Raker novels.

Thanks again to Jennifer for asking me to be on the tour, to Murabak for talking me into reading it, and Mr Weaver for writing a bloody great story!

My name is on the book sleeve!!!!!!!!

Blog tour: Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

 

Tony has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when he is called to a hospital bed where Nick is lying buttered and bruised after a violent sexual assault, his protective instincts flare and a white-hot rage begins to build.

As a small-town New England lawyer, Tony’s wife, Julia, has cases involving kids all the time. When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one, Julia feels Nick is in good hands. Especially because she senses that Rice, too, understands how things can quickly get complicated. Very complicated.

 

After all, one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next, he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him but his entire family apart. And now his attacker, out on bail, is disputing Nick’s version of what happened.

As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law, she sees Tony’s desire for revenge—to fix things for Nick—getting out of control. Tony is starting to scare her. And before long, she finds herself asking: Does she really know what her husband is capable of?  Or of what she herself is?

I was so happy to be asked to be on the blog tour for Caitlin’s book. I read this book a little while back on Netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for my e-arc and my gorgeous physical proof! Make sure o check out the last few blogs on the tour!! 

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go and it took a few turns before it got to the end, this was a good thing as it kept me guessing for a while! 

The story is told from a few different points of view. There is Nick, Tony, Julia and Detective Rice. I really felt for Nick the whole way through the story. The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the male sexual assault storyline, it’s not something I think I remember reading in a book before. So this piqued my interest. Poor Nick, the trauma he endured and was going through afterwards was awful and my heart really went out to him.

Julia I liked, she is a strong woman and knows what she wants. She is Tony’s wife, and Nicks sister in law. Tony was a strange one. I liked his character and the caring nature behind him, but he was easy to snap. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t feel the same though, so I understand his anger and frustration. Detective Rice was one to figure out too, he seems sneaky and underhanded. 

The story has so much hurt in it, sadness and love. It digs deep into relationships with marriage and family. I’d definitely read more from his author.

Thank again to Penguin Michael Joseph, and Caitlin Wahrer for my early copy of the book!

Don’t Let Him In by Howard Linskey

Eriston is a small town.

It's the kind of place where everyone knows your name - and your secrets.

Rebecca hasn't been back in years, but she grew up in the shadow of the dark local legend. There have always been deaths in Eriston - more than can easily be explained. People dying in their houses, behind locked doors.

Her father Sean had always warned her of the dangers. Don't let him in.

When Rebecca returns, she discovers that her father wasn't willing to let the legend lie. He was on the verge of uncovering the town's darkest truth.

He thought he was on the trail of a killer.

Sean knew too much. Now he's dead.

Rebecca could accept her father's death.

Or she could risk her life by carrying on his work . . .

I received a copy of this book from the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph in return for an honest review.

I got right into this book. I loved the fact that it’s set up North near my home town of Newcastle, and it mentions loads of places I know. It’s actually set in the fictional (I think) town of Ericsson, just outside of Newcastle on the coast. 

Rebecca’s dad dies, and she returns home to sort out his funeral etc. But gets more than she bargained for when she finds what he’s been up to. 

I really enjoyed this. It grabs your attention and makes you wonder who the killer is. There are a few choices and I didn’t guess correctly. I liked the way the book moves between the story and letters from the killer to Rebecca, that put an interesting spin on it. The book also stays in the present with no chapters moving to the past. I did like the little nods back to when Rebecca was younger though.

I would definitely recommend this book, and I would read more of the authors work. A good thriller, fast paced and gripping.

Thanks again to Penguin Michael Joseph for my e-arc.

The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

Tony has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when he is called to a hospital bed where Nick is lying battered and bruised after a violent sexual assault, his protective instincts flare and a white-hot rage begins to build.

 

As a small-town New England lawyer, Tony’s wife, Julia, has cases involving kids all the time. When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one, Julia feels Nick is in good hands. Especially because she senses that Rice, too, understands how things can quickly get complicated. Very complicated.

 

After all, one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next, he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him but his entire family apart. And now his attacker, out on bail, is disputing Nick’s version of what happened.

As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law, she sees Tony’s desire for revenge—to fix things for Nick—getting out of control. Tony is starting to scare her. And before long, she finds herself asking: Does she really know what her husband is capable of?  Or of what she herself is?

I received a copy of this from the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph, and Netgalley in return for an honest review. 

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go and it took a few turns before it got to the end, this was a good thing as it kept me guessing for a while! 

The story is told from a few different points of view. There is Nick, Tony, Julia and Detective Rice. I really felt for Nick the whole way through the story. The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the male sexual assault storyline, it’s not something I think I remember reading in a book before. So this piqued my interest. Poor Nick, the trauma he endured and was going through afterwards was awful and my heart really went out to him.

Julia I liked, she is a strong woman and knows what she wants. She is Tony’s wife, and Nicks sister in law. Tony was a strange one. I liked his character and the caring nature behind him, but he was easy to snap. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t feel the same though, so I understand his anger and frustration. Detective Rice was one to figure out too, he seems sneaky and underhanded. 

The story has so much hurt in it, sadness and love. It digs deep into relationships with marriage and family. I’d definitely read more from his author.

Thank again to Penguin Michael Joseph, and Caitlin Wahrer for my early copy of the book!