Tag: mystery

Girl A by Abigail Dean [BOOK REVIEW] Girl A by Abigail Dean [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

Girl A by Abigail Dean [BOOK REVIEW]

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Girl A by Abigail Dean [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Girl A by Abigail Dean [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 336

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

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Lex Gracie doesn’t want to think about her family. She doesn’t want to think about growing up in her parents’ House of Horrors. And she doesn’t want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped, the eldest sister who freed her older brother and four younger siblings.

It’s been easy enough to avoid her parents–her father never made it out of the House of Horrors he created, and her mother spent the rest of her life behind bars. But when her mother dies in prison and leaves Lex and her siblings the family home, she can’t run from her past any longer.

Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the House of Horrors into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her siblings – and with the childhood they shared.

My Thoughts:

I have always been fascinated by psychological thrillers, and not sure why it took me so long to pick “Girl A”. We follow the story of Lex, who managed to escape from her parents when she was fifteen.

I struggled with the beginning of the story, due to the timeline and the way it was written. Lex is our main character and she just finds out that her mother passed away in prison and she is handed the task to sort out the inheritance and will. But that same mother, alongside her father, are the reason Lex and her siblings were held captive. Now Lex has to reunite with the remaining siblings and re-open the wounds from the past.

The more I found out about what happened to the kids, the more intrigued and curious I became. I admired Lex’s bravery and the adversity she went through. I cheered for her and was glad to see her succeed. But as is the case with all thrillers, not everything is always as it seems. The trauma Lex endured appears to come with a cost, and it was very heartbreaking to see this. That moment, that revelation really surprised me. 

“Girl A” is such a gripping read, but also utterly saddening.

To see how a person’s beliefs and wrong people’s influence can create monsters. Or is it an excuse for the failures they endured in life? It’s also heartbreaking to see how reading from Lex’s point of view, she was made to believe it is all normal and that is how things are supposed to be. On the other hand, we have a community. The teachers, the neighbours, the wider family – could it all have been prevented had they paid more attention, or cared a bit more.

There were signs – in the clothes the kids were wearing, in the things they said and how they behaved, and later on, in their absence and abrupt responses from the parents. Would it have made a difference if someone noticed? And finally – accountability, or shall I say, the lack of. How some people continued with their lives unpunished, despite everything. Or how people have partial courage, and once brave, decide to then stay quiet the next time.

The truth is, the book asks a lot of questions and doesn’t give enough answers to satiate my curiosity. I wanted to know what happened next. I wanted clarity on the last scene, and don’t like to speculate about what happened. Esentially, I wanted to know if Lex gets better and finds the happiness she deserves. I can’t help but hope she does, but we’ll never really know for sure. The part that scares me the most is that situations like these are probably happening all around the world, and we don’t know about them, because truth be told, we don’t really pay much attention to our surroundings, and if we did, we wouldn’t really do anything that changes the status quo. 

About the Author:

Girl A by Abigail Dean [BOOK REVIEW]

Abigail Dean is an author from Manchester, UK. She lives in London with her husband, children, and a very cantankerous cat. Her latest novel is THE DEATH OF US, a love story interrupted by a single, terrible act of violence. Film rights have been acquired at auction.

Website

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A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW] A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

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A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 688

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal

Publisher: Headline

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew – the forbidden love at the heart of it.

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

Thoughts:

It’s a shame, but “A Discovery of Witches” was a bit too slow for my taste. It started very promising and instantly captured my interest. We have Diana, who knows she’s a witch, but has chosen to not use any of her powers. Until she does it without realising. And this occurrence captures the interest of other witches, but also vampires and demons. This is how Diana ends up meeting Matthew, who is a vampire. And as soon as the two meet, they instantly bond.

I will be brutally honest and admit that I stopped reading the book a few chapters later. And it took me a good few weeks to get myself to continue reading it again. The book was boring and monotone and nothing really noteworthy happened, apart from Diana getting to know Matthew and discovering his red flags, one red flag at a time.

“A Discovery of Witches” starts to get interesting again once Diana starts to learn more about her powers. A lot of secrets then come flooding to the surface and the stakes get higher. The ending was quite enjoyable. It kept me intrigued and it kept me guessing. The book ending made me curious about what’s next, and that is the only reason I’ll be continuing with the series. Okay, maybe the other reason is that I already own the next two books in the series, so it would be a shame to leave them untouched. I loved all the stories about  alchemy, magic and evolution and I wish we had more of that. When it comes to the romance part, unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan. Maybe book two will introduce us to a demon, and give me “Jacob from Twilight” vibes? You never know, a girl can only hope…

Matthew left out his breath and sat back in his chair, staring at the chessboard. His queen stood encircled by his own pieces – pawns, a knight, and a rook. Across the board his king was checked by a lowly black pawn. The game was over, and he had lost.
“There’s more to the game than protecting your queen.” Hamish said. “Why do you find it so difficult to remember that it’s the king who’s not expendable?”
“The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I’d rather lose the game than forfeit her freedom.”

About the Author:

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

Deborah Harkness is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who draws on her expertise as an historian of science, medicine, and the history of the book to create rich narratives steeped in magical realism, historical curiosity, and deeply human questions about what it is that makes us who we are.

The first book in Harkness’s beloved All Souls series, A Discovery of Witches, was an instant New York Times bestseller and the series has since expanded with the addition of subsequent NYT bestsellers, Shadow of Night (2012), The Book of Life (2014), and Time’s Convert (2018), as well as the companion reader, The World of All Souls. The All Souls series has been translated in thirty-eight languages.

Website

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The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey [BOOK REVIEW] The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey [BOOK REVIEW]

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The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 397

Genre: Fiction, Dystopia, Speculative Fiction

Publisher: John Murray

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Proof / Netgalley

Rating: ★★★★


“The Book of Guilt” was the first book I read from Catherine Chidgey. I know for certain it will not be my last by any means. The story is about the triplets William, Vincent and Lawrence, always dressed in yellow, red and green. They live in the Captain Scott Home for Boys and Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night look after them.

There used to be more children in the home, but now they are the only ones left.

They are often poorly and the mothers give them medications and injections. The doctor also comes often to check on their health. Every morning, when they wake up, their dreams are recorded in the Book of Dreams. They take lessons from the mothers from the Book of Knowledge. And if they are naughty, it’s all reported in the Book of Guilt. 

One day, they overhear the locals talk about them in the village, and learn something that turns their lives upside down. All of a sudden, they start questioning everything they’ve known. 

The more I was reading, the deeper the rabbit hole was starting to get. We find things out through the boys, and the book highlights on some intriguing psychological and sociological topics – on the border of what is deemed morally and ethically wrong if done for the right reasons.

“But sometimes we love those who are not kind to us.”

 It’s certainly a book that opens the floor up for discussions.

Somehow, I know it will be a hit with book clubs. I also personally enjoyed the relationship between the triplets and how their personalities came together and at times clashed. I quite enjoyed this book and will be looking for the next one that Catherine writes!

About the Author:

The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey [BOOK REVIEW]

Catherine Chidgey is a novelist and short story writer whose work has been published to international acclaim. In a Fishbone Church won Best First Book at the New Zealand Book Awards and at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in her region. In the UK it won the Betty Trask Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize. Golden Deeds was Time Out’s book of the year, a Notable Book of the Year in The New York Times and a Best Book in the LA Times.

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The Private Jet by Sarah Goodwin [BOOK REVIEW] The Private Jet by Sarah Goodwin [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

The Private Jet by Sarah Goodwin [BOOK REVIEW]

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About The Book:

Pages: 347

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Avon Books

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Proof

Rating: ★★★★


Glitz, glamour, and a deadly game at 30,000 feet…THE HIGHER YOU FLY…

In the dazzling lights of Thailand, socialite Lila Wilde is ready for the best night of her life. When her fame-hungry DJ boyfriend proposes in an exclusive nightclub, Lila impulsively invites a mix of celebrities and strangers to continue the celebrations back at her luxurious villa — only a short flight away over the lush Thai jungle.

THE HARDER YOU FALL.

The mood on Lila’s private jet is electric, pulsing with music, champagne, and the promise of an unforgettable afterparty. But as the plane cuts through the night sky, excitement turns to tension. And when the lights suddenly go out, a sinister new game begins. Trapped at 30,000 feet, secrets unravel, trust shatters, and the party turns truly deadly.

Fasten your seatbelt — this is a ride you won’t forget.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed “The Private Jet” way more than I anticipated. What I thought was going to be a plane crash mystery, turned out to be a full season of “Survivor” with a dark twist. Incredibly thrilling and excitingly fast-paced.

The story starts when rich Lila Wilde and her boyfriend Bryce go on a holiday. On this holiday, during a wild party, Lila invites everyone to her private jet to continue the party. What no one expects to happen is for the plane to crash in the middle of the jungle.

The character building and development is incredible. Especially with Lila, whilst she discovers people’s true nature and herself having to do some gruesome things to survive. It was amazing to see how the team dynamic changes and what people are willing to do to survive. It reminded me of the Hunger Games a little bit. Everyone that survives a plane crash very soon shifts into a survival mode, and very soon they realise that the jungle is a dangerous place to be stuck in, but not the only enemy. Suddenly, it no longer matters who has the most wealth, but who is the strongest in the group. 

I couldn’t help but wonder what I might do if I were in Lila’s situation. It’s quite scary to think it’s a possibility, especially in this day and age where we are used to the comfort of the modern world. After the first half of the book, I couldn’t put it down. It gripped me and kept pleasantly surprising me. The ending was satisfying, and I love the idea of the book asking the reader a question. This book would make a perfect choice for a book club, I am already anxious to speak to someone about it. The most satisfying part is that one character that receives their karma back. Chef’s kiss. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! It’s too good a thriller not to. Definitely worth your time.

About the Author:

Sarah Goodwin is a novelist who grew up in rural Hertfordshire and now lives in Cornwall, where she continues to be inspired by the perils of both nature and mankind alike.

Sarah graduated in 2014 with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. After writing several historical novels, she decided to return to her roots and write instead about the wild, the darkness and survival, inspiring the ‘Stranded’ which would become her first professionally published novel.

Since 2021 she has gone on to write many more thrillers for Avon, most recently her fifth novel ‘The Yacht’ with a sixth coming in Summer 2024.

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The Train From Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel [BOOK REVIEW] The Train From Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

The Train From Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel [BOOK REVIEW]

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The Train From Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

The Train From Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 384

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Avon Books

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Proof

Rating: ★★★


You’re trapped underground. There’s no way out. And there’s a killer on the loose…When former Detective Inspector Jess boards the London Underground, it should be just a few short stops home. But as the tube barrels towards Baker Street, it’s brought to an abrupt stop, and they’re plunged into the darkness.

And then she hears the screeching.

Jess pushes through into the driver’s cabin. There, she finds his lifeless body, and stab wounds in his neck, still bleeding. But if nobody could get into the cabin from the outside, and nobody else could get into Jess’s carriage, the realization strikes there’s a murderer among the passengers.

With no escape from the train, and in the pitch black, Jess is thrust into a deadly game. Every commuter becomes a potential threat, and time is ticking on relentlessly. In a race against the unknown murderer, Jess must unravel the sinister truth before the killer strikes again…

My Thoughts:

My favourite part about “The Train From Platform 2” was the beginning. Even though I knew the synopsis and knew the characters will be stuck on a train, it still intrigued me. Jess is our main character and as a former Detective Inspector, the one most capable of taking control of the situation. But aside from Jess, we meet the other characters from the carriage as well, all interesting and mysterious in their own way. Knowing that the murderer is among them, everyone is suspicious of each other, and everyone is hiding secrets. I could feel the tension in that carriage oozing through the pages.

Unfortunately, this is where the tension and thriller elements left the chat.

What followed was plenty of conversations between everyone that didn’t reveal anything new, and this theme followed to the very end. It’s quite disappointing in books like these, where you quickly realise that the people stuck at the murder scene don’t know each other, and the motive for murder is a hidden one. And you cannot get any hints because every single character is lying. It was hard for me as the reader, to try and predict anything. 

At the end, I thought maybe we will get more action when people split into groups and one group chose to leave the train and walk to the next platform, but I was wrong. Sure, something did happen, in a very unsurprising way, and the next thing we know is we have a culprit. And we find out that the reason “why” wasn’t even mentioned in the book (please let me know in case there is a hint I have missed). It’s a secret the character kept. On top of that, the circumstances of the murder were completely left to chance and almost all stars aligned that day for the murderer to get such an opportunity. I am sure the chances of this happening is less likely than winning the lottery. With chances that slim, this book was way too unbelievable for my taste. 

Apart from the murder issues, I have to admit that I really liked the characters.

Each with a unique story that makes you suspicious of them, and each with their own beliefs, experiences, and secrets – purposely made so that opinions clash in that carriage. They are all hiding something and looking out for themselves. The book touched on a lot of important topics and how people have unconscious biases. I just wish there was a bit more to the plot, as the book started off so well.

Overall, I’d still recommend it if you like locked-room mysteries and good characters. But it sounds very believable when you’re reading it. I enjoyed that we were finding out clues at the same time that Amanda was. Some of the reveals were a bit predictable. With the ending, I wasn’t surprised by how it ended, and it was slightly deflating. But the aftermath made up for it, so it was quite satisfying after all. I would definitely recommend this book to any murder mystery fan. 

About the Author:

The Train From Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel [BOOK REVIEW]

Stephanie Steele lives in Manchester, where she was born and raised. After spending her twenties down in London and some time in Sydney, Australia, she moved back home, where she’s been settled ever since with her partner and dog, Butter. When not writing she works for a food consultancy, putting her years as a chef to good use, and in her spare time can usually be found reading, hassling the dog, and watching Law & Order and reality TV.

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