Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman

 

Discovering that her father has left her a Caribbean villa in his will Nina Hepworth is intrigued as she knew nothing about it. Hoping to uncover why her father kept the property a secret from her, Nina travels to the villa, the start of a nightmare journey.

Catherine Steadman has created a psychological thriller in Look In The Mirror that will make you think twice about holiday accommodation. The author has tapped into that part of the human psyche that is obstinate enough to do something despite being told not to.

Nina Hepworth is a thirty-four-year-old academic, living in London. She's always had a close bond with her father who raised her alone after her mother died when she was a baby. Nina's father was a polymath, an acknowledged genius in mathematics, physics and civil engineering. With her father being her only close relative, Nina has struggled to come to terms with his death. Having such a close bond, it is therefore a huge surprise to discover her father had a Caribbean villa she knew nothing about. Perplexed, Nina decides to visit the villa in the hopes that she'll find some clues there about the secret her father has kept from her.

It is easy to put yourself in Nina's position, particularly if you have a close relationship with a relative. The raft of emotions she must be feeling are understandable; the feeling of betrayal, confusion and intrigue. It is also easy to understand her trepidation, is she likely to uncover a dark secret about the father she's always placed on a pedestal? Nina is aware that the only way she will get the answers she needs is to visit the villa.

Interwoven with Nina's story is that of Maria, a nanny, hired by wealthy families on short-term contracts. Arriving at their luxury villa before the rest of the family, Maria is told to relax, and make herself at home, but stay out of the basement. Her curiosity is piqued and eventually, she does the thing she's been expressly told not to, she enters the basement and a nightmare begins.

Over time it becomes obvious to the reader that the same villa features in both Nina and Maria's stories but the timings of when things are happening add confusion. This confusion is compounded when we are introduced to a few more characters who feature in both storylines. As the stories of the two main characters converge the timings begin to make sense and we discover how wealth and unchecked power can lead to horrific circumstances. However, we also witness the power of human endurance and the will to survive.

Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman will be published on 30th July 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Catherine Steadman is a New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter & actress based in London. Her first novel, Something in the Water, was a New York Times bestseller, a Reese’s Book Club pick and a Richard & Judy Book Club pick with rights sold in more than thirty territories. She is also the author of Mr Nobody, The Disappearing Act and The Family Game.

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary (Audiobook)

 

Addie and her sister, Deb, are on their way to a friend's wedding in Scotland when they are involved in a minor car accident. Unfortunately, the other car is being driven by Addie's ex, Dylan, also on the way to the same wedding. As a result of the accident, everyone is forced to travel to the wedding in the same car.

I've lost the habit of listening to audiobooks over the last couple of months. This is mainly down to a change in my routine but I've also had some fantastic books to read so I've tended to read rather than listen. Having enjoyed the previous two Beth O'Leary audiobooks I've listened to I thought The Road Trip would be a great choice to get me back in the habit of listening.

The story begins with pure coincidence, Addie and her sister are on their way from Chichester to Scotland for a friend's wedding. They're also giving a lift to Rodney, a complete stranger on the way to the same wedding. Another car drives into the back of Deb's mini. The other car just happens to contain Dylan, Addie's ex, and his best friend Marcus. The pair are also on their way to the wedding but as a result of the accident their car is undriveable. Simple logistics means that all five end up squeezing into the mini for the long journey to Scotland.

From the outset, it is obvious that the break-up between Addie and Dylan was not entirely amicable and this is the first time in almost two years that they've seen each other. The enforced closeness is uncomfortable for everyone but compels Dylan and Addie to reconsider what went wrong with their relationship, particularly as they both still have feelings for the other person.

It's at this point that the story jumps back in time and we learn about how Addie and Dylan met. A whirlwind holiday romance, which, against all odds, survived longer than the summer. As the story jumps backwards and forwards between now and the past we slowly learn about how the relationship developed. I found that I was more interested in how the couple met, the now element of the story was more comedic, focusing on everything going wrong on the trip and I found this distracting and not particularly funny. 

The narrators, Josh Dylan and Eleanor Tomlinson, are excellent at giving voice to Dylan and Addie, along with a host of other characters. There are a few eccentric characters that do add a lighter tone to the story and make you cringe at times.

The inevitable happens by the conclusion but along the way we discover that the break-up of the relationship was down to a lack of communication, jealousy and meddling. This was probably my least favourite of the three Beth O'Leary audiobooks I've listened to (The Flatshare set a very high bar) but it hasn't put me off listening to more.

Author Details

Beth O’Leary is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, The Flatshare, sold over a million copies and is now a major TV series. Her subsequent novels, The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show and The Wake-Up Call, were all instant bestsellers. Beth writes her books in the Hampshire countryside with a very badly behaved Golden Retriever for company. If she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

Funny Story by Emily Henry

 

After uprooting her life to move nearer to her fiance Peter's family Daphne is devastated when Peter calls off the wedding. With no family or friends nearby Daphne is forced to flatshare with Miles, the ex-boyfriend of the woman Peter has dumped her for. All she needs to do is get through until the completion of a project at work and then she can leave Waning Bay forever.

After reading so many thrillers recently I felt the need to sink myself into a different genre. Romantic fiction isn't my usual choice, I think I sickened myself with all the Shopaholic and Bridget Jones-style books. As usual, I've noticed lots of praise online for certain books and Funny Story by Emily Henry was one of them.

The first few chapters of Funny Story really didn't grab me, if anything they cemented my opinion of the romantic fiction genre. I'm not one to give up a book after only a few chapters though so decided to keep going and I'm so glad I did as I fell in love with the characters, particularly Miles. 

Daphne, the lead character, is an introvert, she finds it difficult to interact with people and is happiest around books and children. The story is really a cautionary tale since Daphne uprooted herself, leaving behind friends and a job, to move closer to her fiance's family. When her dream falls apart her immediate reaction is to run to the only haven of safety she has, her mother, however, she delays doing this because she's made a commitment to hold an event in the children's library. The read-a-thon is just over three months away, a date burned into her calendar and her thoughts. Once the read-a-thon is done Daphne will be gone. All of this shows Daphne is committed, once she says she'll do something she doesn't shy away, she's also organised, realistic (sometimes too realistic) and practical.

Intent on staying in Waning Bay for three months it makes sense for Daphne to flatshare with Miles. They've both been through the same emotional upheaval and so have a common bond. From what she knows of Miles, Daphne is expecting a lazy, good-for-nothing who was living off his girlfriend. What Daphne finds is quite the opposite, Miles is a broken man, hiding an extremely tender side that he struggles to show because of issues in his past.

As the pair manoeuvre around each in the tiny apartment they begin to realise they share more than just a broken heart. When Miles discovers that Daphne has seen little of Waning Bay beyond the social circle she had with her fiance he decides to introduce her to some of the lesser known parts of the town. The friendship between the pair blossoms, and romance is a possibility, but fate has other ideas. Both parties find it difficult to trust, not just because of recent experiences. Events beyond their control keep getting in the way too.

The conclusion wasn't a surprise but I did enjoy the journey, particularly as Daphne and Miles were supported by some engaging characters. The town itself, Waning Bay, is picturesque and quaint, the type of place we all imagine small-town America to be. 

Author Deatails

Emily Henry is the author of the butterfly-inducing romantic comedies Beach Read, You & Me on Vacation, Book Lovers and Happy Place, all of which were New York Times bestsellers, with Book Lovers and Happy Place being Sunday Times bestsellers. She studied creative writing at Hope College and now lives and writes in the American Midwest. Funny Story is her fifth novel.

One Wrong Turn by C. M. Ewan

 

Late one foggy night a young couple stop to help a couple and their baby whose car has broken down, little realising the nightmare they are about to unleash.

Having read two of C. M. Ewan’s previous novels, The Interview and The House Hunt, I had a very good idea of what I was letting myself in for with One Wrong Turn, a nightmare situation full of twists and turns that are impossible to predict. I’m pleased to say that the author delivered in spades.

Abi and Ben are in their late twenties. Their weekend away has been interrupted when Ben has to return home for work. The urgency sees them setting off late at night, travelling along deserted country roads in thick fog. This sudden change of plans hasn’t gone down well with Abi and you get a real sense of the friction between the pair.

Not long after setting off, they see a man in the middle of the road, signalling for them to stop. Ben wants to stop but Abi, who’s driving, ignores him. A short while later, they come across a broken-down car and a woman holding a baby seat. Pulling over Abi and Ben have a heated discussion about offering help, with Ben eventually winning. It turns out the couple are Samantha and Paul, along with their baby daughter, Lila. With no other options available Ben and Abi reluctantly offer the couple a lift to the nearest hospital, a twenty-minute drive away, so that Samantha can get treatment for a cut on her hand.

Once the journey resumes the level of tension within the car becomes palpable. Not only do we have the ongoing disagreement between Abi and Ben, which has now been intensified, but it is obvious that there is something disquieting happening between Samantha and Paul. Slowly, the reader begins to learn of Samantha and Paul’s backstory, the nightmare situation they have found themselves in and their desperation to get to their destination.

As the journey continues, we are given alternate views. We feel the anxiety, building to terror, that Abi and Ben are suffering on their nightmare journey. Alongside this, we discover that Samantha and Paul are prepared to do anything to help them overcome the anguish they are suffering.

There are twists galore and a race against time, leading to a conclusion that has you completely gripped and fearful.

One Wrong Turn by C. M. Ewan will be published on 18^th July 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Chris Ewan is the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of many mystery and thriller novels. Chris’s first standalone thriller, Safe House, was a number one bestseller in the UK and was shortlisted for The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. He is also the author of the thrillers A Window Breaks, Dead Lineand Dark Tides and the Kindle Single short story, Scarlett Point. He is the author of The Good Thief’s Guide to . . . series of mystery novels. The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam won the Long Barn Books First Novel Award and is published in thirteen countries.
Born in Taunton in 1976, Chris graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in American Studies with a minor in Canadian Literature, and later trained as a lawyer. After eleven years living on the Isle of Man, he recently returned home to Somerset with his wife, their daughter and the family labrador, where he writes full time.

Real Tigers by Mick Herron

 

When one of the members of Slough House is kidnapped, the remaining slow horses have to help the kidnappers break into a secure MI5 store and steal classified documents.

Real Tigers by Mick Herron is the third book in the Slough House series. The story takes place shortly after the events of the second book, Dead Lions, with some of the repercussions still being felt. We have the same members of Slough House working their painstaking way through mindless paperwork as punishment for past failings. It’s the kidnapping of Catherine Standish that triggers events this time around.

Although Standish works for MI5, she was never a field agent, she was more of a PA, but it’s her chequered past that makes her a target. Standish doesn’t seem particularly upset about being held hostage, not only does she trust her kidnappers, she’s got faith in Jackson Lamb to save her.

Lamb is his usual obnoxious, lazy, prejudiced and obstinate self. Fans of the series will know this persona hides a sharp mind and the ability to appear from nowhere. As I was reading there were times when it felt like some of Lamb’s traits were beginning to rub off on River Cartwright. All of the slow horses get to display their skills, giving the reader a chance to learn more about their characters.

It is impossible to know who to trust, machinations are at play, with individuals prepared to stab each other in the back in order to further their own position. The only people who seem to show any kind of loyalty are the members of Slough House. Even once all the dust has settled power-plays are still in evidence as favours are owed and secrets are kept.

The writing is superb, Mick Herron shifts from the lyrical descriptions of Slough House to the odious outpourings of Lamb with ease, and there are times when the two collide, “the occasional bloom was a defiant gesture, a doily the pink and white of a conjunctivitis-riddled eye”.

I’m now in synch with the TV series which means that from the next book, Spook Street, everything will be a surprise. I just have to make sure I read it before December, but I can’t see that being a problem.

Author Details

Mick Herron is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Slough House thrillers, which have won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award, two CWA Daggers, been published in twenty-five languages, and are the basis of a major TV series starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb. He is also the author of the Zoë Boehm series, and the standalone novels Nobody Walks and The Secret Hours. Mick was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and now lives in Oxford.

Storm Child by Michael Robotham

 

Cyrus Haven and his housemate, Evie Cormac, are enjoying a day at the beach when they witness a distressing sight. The bodies of migrants are washed ashore, and the sole survivor tells of their boat being deliberately rammed by another. Evie is deeply affected by the sight and becomes catatonic due to reminders of her own past. As Cyrus helps the police investigation, the pair uncover more about Evie’s life.

Storm Child from Michael Robotham is the fourth book in the gripping Cyrus Haven series. The series focuses on the relationship between Cyrus, a forensic psychologist, and Evie Cormac, a young woman he has worked with to help her overcome the trauma of abuse. In the previous books, we discovered that as a child Evie was trafficked to the UK, a journey on which her mother and older sister died. Once in the UK Evie was tortured and sexually abused. When she was eventually rescued Evie couldn’t settle in foster care, her rebellious nature resulted in her being placed in a secure facility where she met Cyrus. As a psychologist, Cyrus was asked to try and help Evie. A strong bond was formed between the pair, with Cyrus becoming Evie’s guardian, giving her the opportunity to leave the secure facility and begin to heal. Cyrus has his own traumatic past and it is this past that has driven him to help others overcome their trauma.

Evie is still living with her past trauma, there are parts of her experience she is still not prepared to talk about, even to Cyrus. The sight of the bodies on the beach has a devastating effect on her, bringing on a catatonic state. As she slowly recovers, she forms a bond with the only survivor of the migrant crossing, Arben, a teenage boy, who is desperate to know if his sister survived. With help from Evie and Cyrus the police discover that the boat the migrants were in was deliberately rammed by a trawler after it refused to turn back towards France. Was this a far-right group taking matters into their own hands, or something far more sinister? They learn of the legend of The Ferryman, the person who controls all Channel crossings. For years it has been assumed he was just a bogeyman, used to frighten off people considering the crossing, but now it looks as if he may be real.

As the investigation digs deeper, Evie’s memories begin to resurface, memories she has kept buried because they are so painful. The threat of these memories being disclosed means that both Cyrus and Evie’s lives are in jeopardy.

A bittersweet conclusion offers Evie, and the reader, some answers to her past. Those answers are another step along the way to giving Evie the normal life she so desperately craves but feels she doesn’t deserve.

Storm Child by Michael Robotham will be published on 26^th June 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Michael Robotham is a former feature writer and investigative reporter, who has worked in Britain, Australia and America. His debut thriller, The Suspect, introduced clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin and sold more than a million copies around the world, launching a nine-book series. It has been adapted into an ITV series starring Aidan Turner. Michael’s standalone thriller The Secrets She Keeps has also been the basis of two BBC TV series. He has twice won the prestigious UK Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award for best crime novel, as well as the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for When She Was Good, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Michael lives in Sydney. 

The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace

 

Beth has struggled to come to terms with the accidental death of her close friend Charlotte. A casual remark made by another mother at the school gates makes Beth wonder if the death was an accident.

The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace is hilarious from beginning to end. The opening chapter, in which lead protagonist Beth goes to the primary school to collect her children, reminded me so much of the TV series “Motherland” and the “Why Mummy……” books. The young children have no filter, their chatter is incessant and they say the wrong thing at the worst possible time. The other mothers seem to fit the “yummy mummy” mould and their perfection is something Beth constantly measures herself against – and always comes up lacking.

The leader of the mummy mafia is Emily, she is condescending and judgemental, one of those people who make parenting a competition, and their child always has to be the best. Thankfully, Beth discovers that one of the new mothers has a similar sense of humour to her and forms a new friendship.

Friendship is what Beth needs having recently lost her two closest friends, Jade and Charlotte. Beth’s husband has left her and moved in with Jade, while Charlotte was knocked down by a car and killed outside her home. Depression and low self-esteem have left Beth hiding from the world, unable to fill the void left by her friends.

It’s a casual comment made by one of the mothers at the school gate that sets Beth’s mind racing. She begins to question if Charlotte’s death was truly an accident or was someone else involved. With her young children spending the night with their father, Beth begins her investigation. The problem is all her best thinking is done when she has a bottle of wine (or two, or three). Waking the following morning Beth feels very hungover, hasn’t a clue what happened the night before, and can’t make sense of her own notes, but as each day passes, she’s more and more convinced of her assumption.

Beth’s obsession has her lurching from one disaster to the next, leading to some comical situations. One scene in particular, featuring Wilfred the labrador, had me both cringing and laughing at the same time. I was making assumptions, just like Beth, as I read, thanks to lots of red herrings from Joanna Wallace.

As we near the truth, Beth has to deal with some personal demons. Help also comes from a surprising source, reminding her that appearances can be deceptive and situations manipulated.

The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace will be published on 11^th July 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for a review copy.

 

Author Details

Joanna Wallace studied Law at Birmingham University before working as a commercial litigation solicitor in London. She now runs a family business and lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, four children and dog. She was partly inspired to write You'd Look Better as a Ghost, her debut, following her father's diagnosis of early onset dementia. Joanna's second novel, The Dead Friend Project, will be published in 2024.