Next up was a classic “stranded on a remote island” style
thriller, Truth Truth Lie. Author Claire McGowan’s spin on the
style was that all the individuals were responsible for the death of another
person, and someone was going to make them pay. Panic mode ensued as everyone
thought about their own survival.
I was really excited to get an early copy of Think Twice
by Harlan Coben, the twelfth book in the Myron Bolitar series. Myron has
returned to representing clients and the FBI approaches him wanting to know the
whereabouts of one of those clients, Greg Downing, as he has links to a recent
murder. Myron knows the FBI is wrong as Greg has been dead for three years, or
has he? Fans will be aware that Myron and Greg have a long, and chequered,
history. The ending had me holding my breath and not wanting to read on.
The Collapsing Wave by Doug Johnstone is the
second book in The Enceladons trilogy. You really do need to read book 1, The
Space Between Us, first to fully understand the dynamics in this book. A
species of peaceful aliens has arrived on Earth and the military is determined
to wipe them out. A small group of individuals are determined to help the
Enceladons. Please don’t think of this as science fiction, it’s more of a
modern fairy tale and extremely thought-provoking.
Our Holiday by Louise Candlish was a little
bit too much of a slow burner for my liking. There are quite a few
thought-provoking moments as the story focuses on the conflict between
second-home owners from London who descend on a small coastal community for one
month a year. Little do the Londoners realise that they are pricing the locals
out of existence. The story does pick up in the last quarter as secrets are
uncovered and alibis examined.
Having loved the TV series Slow Horses I decided to read the
books. Dead Lions by Mick Herron is the second book in the
series. As part of the team investigates a long-buried network of Russian spies
in the English countryside the rest of the team are seconded to look after a
meeting between MI5 and a Russian oligarch. The characters are so well drawn
that you worry about each of them as each story reaches its explosive
conclusion.
Prepare for a wild ride as you begin Redemption by Jack
Jordan. The author writes twisty tales where the lead character faces a
moral dilemma. In this novel, it takes it up a notch when a grieving mother
plans revenge on the man responsible for the death of her young son. Her
husband goes out of his way to try and stop her. There’s an apocalyptic feel as the
pair race through the Nevada desert. The body count is high and the descriptions
will have you wincing.
Light relief appeared in the guise of The Day Shelley
Woodhouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson. The novel is an uplifting story
that touches on the serious issue of domestic violence. Shelley wakes from a
coma suffering from memory loss. The only thing she is sure of is that her
husband is responsible. Those around her are reluctant to engage when she asks
questions. As her memories slowly return, we see how Shelley’s life led to
where she is today.
Welcome To Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal
didn’t quite live up to expectation for me. The thought of a love triangle on a
remote tropical island, peopled with eccentric characters, promised much.
Unfortunately, I didn’t engage with the main characters and the pacing didn’t
work.
Shot In The Dark by Anna Britton regularly features
on my Twitter feed. I’m so glad I decided to see what all the fuss was about. A
pair of female detectives investigate the murder of a young woman. There are
five suspects. As the detectives dig deeper, they uncover lie after lie from each suspect. None
of the suspects are remotely likeable, they are only interested in
self-preservation. The detectives are both flawed characters, with backgrounds
that are hinted at. The ending is one of those that will have you gasping, demanding
to know more right now!
Claustrophobia, tension and paranoia feature heavily in The
Chamber by Will Dean, an extreme take on a locked room mystery. A
group of saturation divers face a month together in a confined space, under
extreme pressure. When one of them is found dead, everyone wonders if it was
natural causes or murder. The return to normal pressure leads to four days of
introspection, distrust and anxiety.
Audiobooks
I managed three audiobooks in April. Firstly, Plot Twist
by Breea Keenan played on many of the tropes seen in romantic fiction
when Becca decided to run away from her job and go to stay with a friend she’s
met online as part of a writing group. Little did Becca realise that her friend
Riley was a man, a very handsome man. As the friendship develops there are
misunderstandings, jealousy and the return on Riley’s wife to contend with.
My second audiobook was also romantic fiction, The Switch
by Beth O’Leary. Leena and Eileen, granddaughter and grandmother, swap
homes for a couple of months. The change of scene gives them both a chance to
re-evaluate their lives and also offers a fresh perspective on some of the problems
around them that need solving. I really enjoyed the way in which
inter-generational characters worked together and showed that age is not a
barrier.
Finally, I listened to She’s Not Sorry by Mary
Kubica, an author who is new to me. I initially thought that the author had
tried to incorporate too many different plots into the story. About halfway
through everything started to piece together and I ended up enjoying the story
far more than I expected to.
Publication dates to watch out for are:
They Thought I Was Dead by Peter James will be
published on 9/5/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Truth Truth Lie by Claire McGowan will be
published on 21/5/24 in paperback, ebook and audio format.
Think Twice by Harlan Coben will be published
on 23/5/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
The Chamber by Will Dean will be published on
6/6/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Welcome To Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal
will be published on 6/6/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Redemption by Jack Jordan will be published on
20/6/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Our Holiday by Louise Candlish will be
published on 4/7/24 in paperback, ebook and audio format.
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