The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson

The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

Behind every successful man is a woman.
Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

Sophie Mayhew looks like she has the perfect life. Wife of rising political star John F Mayhew, a man who is one step away from the top job in the government, her glamour matches his looks, power, breeding and money. But John has made some stupid mistakes along the way, some of which are threatening to emerge. Still, all this can still be swept under the carpet as long as Sophie 'the trophy' plays her part in front of the cameras.

But the words that come out of Sophie’s mouth one morning on the doorstep of their country house are not the words the spin doctors put in there. Bursting out of the restrictive mould she has been in since birth, Sophie flees to a place that was special to her as a child, a small village on the coast where she intends to be alone.

But once there, she finds she becomes part of a community that warms her soul and makes her feel as if she is breathing properly for the first time. Sophie knows she won't be left in peace for long. Now she must decide: where does her real future lie?




My Review

Sophie Mayhew is the wife of up anfd coming politician, golden boy and earmarked to be the biggest thing in politics. Sophie is pretty much a trophy wife, smile on command, look perfect and keeps John up to date with what he needs to know, she is the good woman behind the "powerful" man. When scandal breaks and John pushes Sophie one step too far she needs time away, from the limelight, public scrutiny and above all, her husband. Sophie runs off and takes time in a quiet wee village to put herself together and discover what matters to Sophie and where is she going to go from here!

Oh we all know how dodgy folk in politics can be, scandals and speculation from the public, John is everything we suspect and hate. Self obsessed, he will stop at nothing to stay in the top, exploitation, he is always above everyone and everything. God I haven't disliked a character more in so long, the guy is scum.

Sophie is pretty naive and I felt so sorry for her, Pom on the other hand, LOVED Pom and almost all the folk we meet in the village. It is a story that looks at the corruption of humanity, the bad sides and the good.

I do love sinking into a Johnson book, whether you love or hate the characters (and you usually get a mix of both) you can't help but be drawn in, root for those you like and wish the plague on those you hate. 4.5/5 for me this time, I have read most of her books and need to check the ones I haven't yet.

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Stop At Nothing by Tammy Cohen

Stop at Nothing by Tammy Cohen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Transworld

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A mother's job is to keep her children safe.

Tess has always tried to be a good mother. Of course, there are things she wishes she'd done differently, but doesn't everyone feel that way?

Then Emma, her youngest, is attacked on her way home from a party, plunging them into a living nightmare which only gets worse when the man responsible is set free

But what if she fails?

So when Tess sees the attacker in the street near their home, she is forced to take matters into her own hands. But blinded by her need to protect her daughter at any cost, might she end up putting her family in even greater danger?

There's nothing she wouldn't do to make it right . . .



My Review

As a parent you are always worried about your children, when your daughter is attacked you see danger on every corner. But what is the attacker is nearby, you are already a "failure" as a mother, have a divorce, your own problems, you cannot let anything happen to her again. And when your new friend agrees well sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands!

Oooh this book grips you pretty quickly because the attack happens pretty much at the beginning and everything that happens thereafter is because of it. Tess is struggling with her failed marriage, her other daughter isn't speaking to her and Tess just wants her family safe.

What follows is some really questionable behaviour, when you are scared for your kid, rational thinking goes out the window. One event kicks off so much you are reading parts of this with baited breath. Stalking, family, relationships, friendship are just some of the themes covered in this book. If you haven't read Cohen before you really should, this is a great book, standalone, gripping and keeps you going page after page to see where it all ends up. 4.5/5 for me this time, I think I maybe have a few of this author I haven't read yet I need to get them!

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Seal Skin by Su Bristow

Sealskin by Su Bristow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 276

Publisher - Orenda Books

Source - Gifted by another reader

Blurb from Goodreads

Donald is a young fisherman, eking out a lonely living on the west coast of Scotland. One night he witnesses something miraculous, and makes a terrible mistake. His action changes lives—not only his own, but those of his family and the entire tightly knit community in which they live. Can he ever atone for the wrong he has done, and can love grow when its foundation is violence? Based on the legend of the selkies—seals who can transform into people—evokes the harsh beauty of the landscape, the resilience of its people, both human and animal, and the triumph of hope over fear and prejudice. With exquisite grace, Su Bristow transports us to a different world, subtly and beautifully exploring what it means to be an outsider, and our innate capacity for forgiveness and acceptance. Rich with myth and magic, Sealskin is, nonetheless, a very human story, as relevant to our world as to the timeless place in which it is set.



My Review

Donald is a bit of a loner, an outcast among his own people, never really fitting in. One night he sees something of legend, something most folk wouldn't believe. There is a horrific encounter that changes everything for Donald. Can good ever come from a horrific event, will Donald ever be accepted? A story that looks at Scottish legends and the age old actions and consequences.

I remember the stories of selkies as a kid and loved them. This is just like those old stories but we have a family aspect, healing, love, secrets, lies and of course the horrific sexual attack, it is brief and not in depth of details but just a headsup.

We see a lot of character development in this story, Donald is such a loner and not very accepted within his community. It is really just him and his mother, his mother is a healer of sorts and trusted within the community. When Mairhi comes along she changes Donald's live in so many ways and has such a huge impact on their small town.

There are so many stories from the legend of selkies and whilst is has been a long long time since I read them this took me back to when I was a kid. I really liked this retelling and it makes me want to go back and read more of the older stories, 4/5 for me.

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C L Taylor and Craig Robertson Book Event

This was our first time going to this Waterstones, Byres road in Glasgow, the West end. Also our first time seeing C L Taylor, I have seen Craig Robertson at Edinburgh book festival or another book event.



Taylor was talking about her new book Sleep but also got into her earlier work, I didn't know she was originally a rom com writer, did you?




Sleep has been optioned so we may well see it on tv someday, fingers crossed, I would love to see quite a few books made into movies or tv.




Robertson talked about his book, he has another coming out next year I think (sorry I did't catch the name) and they both discussed names and how difficult it can be when you are trying to come up with one. He accidentally ended up with a name of a neighbour a few doors down!




Three of Taylor's books have stalkers in them and she talked about her own personal experience of stalking, pretty horrific but also so good she managed to take a negative and use her writing to take a positive from it. Her story of taking a photo of her wee one on a train and not looking at it until later was enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!




The two just flowed and it wasn't until the last few minutes Robertson brought out the list of questions he had prepared earlier to ask, he hadn't needed them. If you get a chance to go to a book event please do, you support your authors, book stores and sometimes you get a few wee insider scoops. Like an author I really like who writes rom com is turning their hand to a crime novel oooooooh, gossip! It was lovely to actually meet Taylor, she is very nice, interesting and if the chance comes up, go and see these guys!




Afterwards both happily signed books, gabbed away and there was some wine provided for attendees (I don't drink wine nor alcohol if working the next day) I was happy to take the piccys and just gab.




A fab night, I seen some of my favs and had my wee Harry Potter shoes out for an outing, please support your book shops and authors guys, it is always a great night out!




SLEEP is only 99p on ebook and £3.99 paperback from Amazon, get your copy now CLICK HERE

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 374

Publisher - Harper Collins

Source - Friend gave to me

Blurb from Goodreads

Why is everyone talking about the ending of Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes?

Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.

When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.

And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?

As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.



My Review

Ok so I am late to the party on this one, we all remember the #wtfthatending (at least I think that was what it was). The book splits between Louise, Adele and goes back to Then. Louise is a single mother, works hard at her part time job and her focus is on her wee boy. She meets a guy at a bar, snogs him and finds he is her new boss, awkward! Up next is Adele, stunning, loves her husband, lonely and he cannot stand being around her, she just wants things back to how they were. When Adele and Louise become friends it appears they may have more in common, each is hiding something from the other and things can get dark reeeeeeeeeal quick!

So it is hard to go into this without giving spoilers and I don't do spoilers but some of the info is in the blurb so I can tell. So Louise's new pal Adele with the husband she loves but he doesn't want to be with her? Yup that's Louise's boss, the guy she kissed at the bar! So quickly we have a really tangled web and each doesn't want the other to know about that one. Oh shocking! We flip back to then, we know Adele has some issues but this goes back to when she met Rob and you areb't too sure what relevance it has to now. Also Louise has problems sleeping but with Adele's history she can help Louise, she wants to help Louise and works on getting her to be happy. It is a very weird friendship but totally compelling because you want to see where it goes.

Now I get why some folk where WTF that ending, I think if you are familiar with a theme in the book, if you have read of it before or seen any movies then you will enjoy it more. Total vaguebooking here but mind no spoilers. I had a feeling about half way through oooh i wonder if so it made sense to me however Pinborough still managed to pull some punches and keep it switched up. Whilst it seems a bit marmite I really liked it, it is one of those things you will think is brilliant and really crafty or be raging as you just don't get it or the why.

I quite like books that are a bit different, shock you, you don't see the path a book is going to take or better you think you know and the author just chuckles as they pull the rug out from your "knowing" ways. 4/5 for me this time, I think this was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last.

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Q&A with author Paul Burston

Q&A with author Paul Burston



Photo by Krystyna FitzGerald-Morris


• The book I hear is based on something you experienced yourself, is that true and if so what happened?

Yes, it’s true. Several years ago, I had a cyberstalker who made my life hell. It started with emails and trolling on Twitter, then spilled over onto various websites where I was employed as a journalist or featured as an author. It was mostly homophobic abuse. At its worst, I was receiving dozens of malicious communications every day. The stalker also contacted people who employed or supported me in some way, trying to persuade them to drop me. Then they started buying tickets for my events, posting the booking info on Twitter and making veiled threats to come and sort me out. Eventually I went to the police, who were very understanding. The scene in the book where Tom reports Evie to the police is pretty much as I remember it. I then helped the detective to build a case by taking screenshots of everything and making numerous police statements. Basically, you have to relive the abuse over and over again. Eventually the woman responsible was arrested and tried, found guilty and given a suspended sentence and a restraining order. I never heard from them again but the after effects of the harassment lasted for months.

• How did you get over something like that?

With time and support - from my partner, my GP, friends and victim support. I had counselling and was also prescribed anti depressants. I wasn’t in a good way! I was very angry, not just with the woman responsible but also with myself for letting it get to me. Of course I realise now that I was wrong to feel that way. Harassment or stalking is seriously disruptive and unsettling. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I wanted to communicate some of that in the book. The impact of what happened to me still lingers, but in a more positive way. I changed my online behaviour. I’m far more discerning about what I share on social media now.

• How did you find writing the book when it is something so close to something you experienced?

It was very therapeutic. I often mine my own life experiences for my fiction, so I knew I’d write about it at some point. The idea for the book really seeded itself when I moved into crime fiction a few years ago. I knew it would make a good story. It was a story I had a specific insight into.

• The characters, well the main male and female, are not the nicest by any means how did you come up with them?

They’re partly based on various people or character types I’ve encountered over the years. I also put a bit of myself into each character I write - in this case, my less admirable qualities! I’m not really interested in nice characters. They’re not as much fun to write. I’m far more interested in characters who are compelling or damaged in some way. They’re more of a challenge.

• The female character, her voice was so authentic was that hard to create?

I found writing her the most enjoyable. I wanted the story to be more ambiguous than it was in real life, and for her character to be more sympathetic than the person who inspired her. Once I had her voice, writing her came quite easily. I’d hear her whispering in my head, sit down and write.

• Who was more fun, Evie or Tom?

Evie, for lots of reasons. She’s clearly damaged, obsessive and relentless but also very witty and well read. Her pop cultural references were great fun to write, too - Morrissey, obviously, but also Blondie, Bowie and Madonna. I’ve interviewed Debbie Harry and I met David Bowie. I’ve gone off Morrissey but I’m still a big Madonna fan. She’s a great pop star. So Evie and I have a few things in common.

• What is next for Paul Burston?

I’m working on my next book. It’s another psychological thriller, also set in Hastings, and revolves around a man seeking revenge for things that happened to him in the past. It’s more of a family drama than the current book. I’m also touring with my literary salon Polari and preparing for our Polari Book Prize event with Tracey Thorn in October and our twelfth birthday event with Russell T Davies in November, both at the Southbank Centre.

• Where can fans find you? (dare I ask that after reading “The Closer I Get”

My website has information about upcoming author events and Polari events. www.paulburston.com

I’m also on Twitter @PaulBurston, Insta @paulburston1 and Facebook @paulburstonauthor

• Anything else you would like to add/answer that I haven’t asked?

I’d like to encourage your readers to please support local bookshops and libraries! They do so much for authors.

About the book, My Review, Blurb from Goodreads




Tom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone. Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has. When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing. But things aren’t really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he’s letting on. A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…


And if I haven't spoiled you enough with the interview I have a wee giveaway of the book. x1 ebook, UK ONLY, sorry guys but Amazon doesn't allow me to gift outside my own country. To be in with a chance just fill in the Rafflecopter below, good luck.

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The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor

The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 5 days

Pages - 469

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - Waterstones buy

Blurb from Goodreads

1786, Jerusalem College, Cambridge. The ghost of murdered Sylvia Whichcote has been sighted prowling the grounds by Frank Oldershaw, a disturbed fellow commoner. When his anxious mother employs John Holdsworth, author of The Anatomy of Ghosts- a stinging account of why ghosts are mere delusion - to investigate the sighting, the uneasy status quo at Jerusalem is rapidly torn apart. Holdsworth grows to realise that the sinister Holy Ghost Club governs the privileged life at Jerusalem with a rigour far more effective than anything the Master, Dr. Carbury, could muster. And when Holdsworth finds himself haunted - not only by the ghost of his dead wife, Maria, but also Elinor, the very-much-alive Master's wife - his fate is sealed. He must unravel the circumstances surrounding Sylvia's death ... or the hauntings will continue.



My Review

The opening chapter is a bit weird, it is Jesus, his apostles and an offering of a pure young lady awaiting a chosen apostle. The time in the 1786s so I had no idea what was going on, however as the book goes on you start to understand what the chat is.

John Holdsworth is hired by a very wealthy woman to investigate what is happening to her son. He is as college and has become unhinged after seeing a ghost. John is hired after he wrote a book "The Anatomy of Ghosts" penned after he lost his son and his wife spent their money on a medium desperate to connect with her lost child. John doesn't believe in ghosts and that is what the good lady needs, John is in financial straits and over a barrel so reluctantly he goes.

What follows is a view into some very entitled folk, secrets within the college and a young man whose mental health is suffering and is volatile. I took a bit to settle into the book it goes at a sedate pace, the writing isn't the issue but I took a while to get what was happening and why it was relevant. A lot of the characters are pretty pompous and I felt for John who has already lost so much and now has to go ghost chasing. I think he was the only character I had any kind of feeling toward and mostly that was sympathy for what he had endured. 3/5 for me this time, this was my first time reading this author, if I came across his works I would give me another go.

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Hiya from America

We travelled down to Manchester and overnight stayed in the Radisson Blu hotel, right next to the airport and a lot less faffing about. Technically away 13 nights I think it works out, think I have enough books?





Guys the internet here has been pretty shocking, I can get on Insta/Twitter but uploading takes ages and this post has been in progress since we arrived here 12 days ago now! It may even be we are home in Scotland by the time this thing goes live!



We are in one of my fav places, Las Vegas, this is our 7th trip here I think. I love the shows, people are so happy, the tacky tourists shops and a wee Mike's Hard Lemonade, not to mention the buildings and props..



The weather was pretty harsh when we arrived, 42 degrees, my Scottish skin was melting, timeline took ages to settle and we went chasing the sunrise at 5am on our second day here I think it was.



I love this place, the city that never sleeps not matter what time you get up or go to bed there are always folk still around, drinking, gambling, gabbing.



We always go to shows when we come here, we went to see Cher, omg she is a legend, 73 and could out dance a lot of artists. I have uploaded tons of piccys from our time on our instagram, it is an open account. We normally go to one show a day but this time we have been exhausted so just played it by ear. Went to a few comedy shows, we seen Def Leppard live, David Copperfield (fantastic, emotional and I totally recommend going seeing him, we saw him 7 ago and he has just gotten better!), we seen Penn & Tellar and for my birthday o/h took me to a drag queen brunch show. It even rained one night, second time we have been here we brought the Scottish weather.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 352

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

HER PERFECT LIFE IS A PERFECT LIE.

As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ani has a secret.

There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.

With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?


My Review

Ani is living the high life, engaged to a dreamboat who gives her money to cover every wish she could have. Working on a big magazine, she has the status and labels she dreamed of as a kid. Ani has a past though and she cannot quite outrun it. The past always has a way of coming to the present and Ani will need to deal with her past and the consequences it brings.

The book goes back and forth, past and present, to when Ani was TifAni and all she wanted was status and respect in her peer group. A lot happens when Ani was a teenager, horrific things that are hinted at or referred to in passing in the present. We know it was something bad and now they want her side of the story. In actual fact there is quite a few horrific and unsettling things, Ani being in positions that have shocking consequences. Peer pressure, wanting to fit into the "it crowd", vulnerability, abuse, sexual content, manipulation, relationships, friendships are only scratching the surface.

For me Ani was not a likeable character, she is shallow, very focused on materialistic things however once we get into her past you can understand her a bit better. The majority of characters I found very unlikable but sometimes these characters make for absolutely compelling reading, we have all came across some of these horrors.

It is a busy wee book with a lot of heavy, emotive, enraging topics covered and I would have liked to have seen more depth explored for them. As the book jumps past to present to only get small coverage on certain things covered however it kept my attention as I wanted to know how it all played out. The book does well to keep you on your toes and I can honestly say I never seen a lot of what came to pass. This was 3.5/5 for me, I have another by this author on my tbrm and look forward to it. Also, a lot of quotes said this book is like Gone Girl, if you go into this with no comparisons to that I think you will enjoy it much more, they are very different books!

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Flesh and Blood by John Harvey

Flesh & Blood by John Harvey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 320

Publisher - Carroll & Graf Publisher

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

After his wife's betrayal and his own retirement from the force, Detective Inspector Elder has fled as far as possible to go in England without running out of land. But he is haunted by the past and in particular by the unsolved disappearance of sixteen-year-old Susan Blacklock back in 1988. Shane Donald and Alan McKeirnan, convicted just one year later for the brutal rape and murder of a young girl, remain the prime suspects in Elder's mind, and when he hears of Shane's early release from prison, he feels compelled to leave his safe haven and to revisit the scene of the crime. When Shane breaks parole and disappears and yet another young girl is horribly murdered, Elder's involvement becomes crucial. McKiernan seems to still wield a frightening power over his ex-partner even from his prison cell, and the new murder bears all the hallmarks of their earlier crime. Taunted by postcards from the killer, an increasingly desperate Elder battles his own demons as he and his family are inexorably drawn into the very heart of the crime in this breakthrough novel from John Harvey, winner of the first-ever Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British author.


My Review

This is book one in the series of Detective Inspector Elder. After a whole host of betrayal he left his job, family and went off to England. There was a case that he could never forgot and one of the killers or a similar case is now being freed. Soon another girl is found dead and Elder is being taunted, will he find the killer, will he ever get answers to his old case that never left him?

The opening chapter has a horrible scene with some cat so maybe if you are a bit like me and it gives you the boak, be cautious when reading. Elder's daughter has tracked him down so he has a lot on his plate and trying to sort through.

One thing I would note is we hear from the newly released convicted killer, his back story and follow him as he tries to get back on his feet after release. It was thought, by some, he wasn't the main culprit and was actually vulnerable. It is interesting to see that side.

Elder gets involved in the investigation and we follow it through with insight into the old case. It is a good opening to a series, I liked it but didn't love it. Sex, emotions, murder, abuse, cold cases, investigation, this is a series loved by so many, I thought it was good but I didn't love it. I will check out the others in the series 3.5/5 for me.

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The Pact We Made by Layla AlAmmar

The Pact We Made by Layla AlAmmar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - The Borough Press

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

THE PACT WE MADE tells the story of Dahlia who is staring down the barrel of her thirtieth birthday, the age when a Kuwaiti woman from a good family is past
her prime marrying years. Dahlia straddles two worlds: one in which she’s a modern woman living in a modern city, and another where she can’t have male friends, or leave the country without her father’s consent.

With shades of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and woven through with reflections on Ariel’s story from The Tempest, THE PACT WE MADE explores ideas of freedom and the duality of being a woman in Kuwait.


My Review

Dahlia is our main character a Kuwaiti woman rapidly approaching her thirtieth birthday, from a good family with strong values and tradiitons the pressure is on Dahlia to marry. Her mother arranges constant "dates" and meetings with suitable males and their families to try and finally find a match for her daughter. As the years pass the less suitable and appealing they seem to Dahlia. She just wants to be free, do her own thing and has zero interest in getting married.

This is a bit of a genteel paced book, we flip between present day and hints of Dahlia's past or actually going back to the past. Something happened that changed Dahlia forever and whilst she has strong values and a sense to do right by her family she also just wants to be happy.

I think we take so much for granted these days, where I come from you are free in pretty much all of your life choices. We know in some countries arranged marriages are still very much a thing and these girls/women have very controlled lives. Dahlia is a bit different, she has friends, a job, she wears make up, she has nights out and had dabbled with some drugs. She has a bit more freedom than some ladies that comes from families that have expectations of planned/arranged marriages.

It makes for a really interesting read as many of us do take our freedom of choice as a given. Very well written, I was drawn into Dahlia's life and the struggles she faced, the judgements both her own and those thrown her way. Friendship, family, overcoming past trauma, there are also passages dealing with self harm and abuse although not covered in huge detail there is enough to give you a more intimate insight into Dahlia as a person. Not normally a book I would pick up but I am so glad I was sent a copy of this. I will be looking out for what this author does next, 4/5 for me this time.

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Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 292

Publisher - Bantam Press

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Maybe you don't know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .

"This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out."

In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.

Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?

In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .

You never really know what people are capable of.



My Review

As you may well know I am a huge Lapena fan, loved her previous books and this one is no exception. Someone's kid has broken into local houses, didn't take anything but now their parent knows they have written letters to the affected people. One of whom's wife has gone missing, how do you feel/react when you know someone has been in your house snooping? What have they seen and how far would you go to hide a secret?

We hear from a few of the characters, Olivia is just a mum trying to come to terms with what has happened, why and one of their neighbours has gone missing. The missing woman's husband, even from the minute he reports her missing, for me I wasn't a fan. Something about him just doesn't seem right but as the book develops we get more insight into each of the characters and proves you just never really know your neighbour(s) as well as you think you do.

A twisted web of deception, mystery and not really knowing who you can trust. Suspense pretty much from the beginning and a page turner, just wanting to know who done it, who has something to hide and what is coming next. 4.5/5 for me - looking forward to Lapena's next offering, characters you like or hate you just want to know what is going to happen next!

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Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers

Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 300

Publisher - Cranachan Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

FOURTH YEAR. TWO PALS. ONE MURDER. WELCOME TO BATTLEFIELD HIGH…

‘Whoever said yer school days are the best days ae yer life was at the absolute wind up. I hink maist adults dinnae mind whit it was really like. Wait til yeese hear whit Sonny and me got detention for…’

Daughter and Sonny are two best friends just trying to get through fourth year at high school. But when their favourite teacher leaves unexpectedly, and no one will say why, the boys decide to start their own investigation.

As they dig deeper into the staff at Battlefield High, they discover a dark secret which one person will kill to protect… Will they uncover the truth without being expelled? Can their friendship survive when personal secrets are revealed? And will they manage to skive off double English?


My Review

Daughter and Sonny are two Scottish teens trying to make it through fourth year and life in general. They have all the struggles teen face, family issues, fancying folk, school, local yobs and then one of their favourite teachers abruptly leaves. No one wants to answer their questions and the boys know something is right but digging will get them into trouble and some people will do anything to protect their secrets.

Aw guys I loved the amount of memories this wee book conjured up for me. The dialect is thick Scottish so if you aren't familiar with our slang, terms and local terminology you may struggle a wee bit. Sonny and Daughter have a tight friendship and that is pretty apparent from the get go, Sonny is a bit of a wee soul which brings out the protective side in Daughter. Daughters relationship with his family and sister mirror quite a few of our own but instead of being rivals they have a nice relationship.

There is a lot of humour laced into the book and I found myself laughing out loud a few times, this will always get you some looks when in public! The way Sayers writes absolutely transports you back to your own school days, the teacher you liked, the daft antics you found yourself getting caught up in.

There are some serious tones in the book but nothing to make it dark or unsettling, just makes it a good all rounder. Young adult isn't a genre I normally go to but I am so glad I read this, funny, sentimental, some good strong bonds of loyalty and family with a healthy dose of hilarious. This isn't my first book by this author and it won't be my last. Actively watching out for what Sayers will bring to the table next, 4.5/5 for me!

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