BLOG TOUR - Lilies on Main

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Lilies on Main by J. Lynn Bailey. It is the 4th book in the Granite Harbor series. Links for this book are below, as are links for the first three books in the series.

DESCRIPTION:

For bookstore owner Lydia Townsend, another geographical move doesn’t faze her. She doesn’t even bat an eyelash at one more curveball thrown into her life plan. Five years running from a man who broke her heart, and her spirit, has taught her to keep her walls up.

Scared to trust again, Lydia swears to keep all men off limits. Even Aaron Casey, who seems too perfect to be true. With a daughter to protect and a life to build, she simply can’t afford to let her guard down.

But when William Davis, a seventy-something recovering alcoholic, steps into Lydia’s bookstore for the first time, holding the secret to saving both of their lives, she might have to learn that trusting a man with her life is just as dangerous as trusting one with her heart.

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QUOTE: More than anything, I want to ask her who Lilly’s father is. I want to know who is responsible for creating this fear in my girls.

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Lilies on Main

Author:  J. Lynn Bailey
Series:  Granite Harbor #4

Genre:   Romance

Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:   255

Date of Publication:  July 30, 2019
My Rating:  5 Stars

In this touching story by J. Lynn Bailey, two things stood out. For one, Lydia Townsend is one of the strongest female protagonists that I have had the pleasure of reading, and Aaron Casey is one of the most sensitive. The two together, along with the darling little Lilly, made for one fantastic romance.

Lydia is a book store owner who has made a move with hopes of putting her painful past behind her. She has two serious issues with her past, although one issue is facing her regularly. For starters, she was a battered wife and her ex-husband is currently in prison. Secondly, she is suffering with serious health issues that just keep coming her way. But Lydia has everything in the world to live for, and that comes in one small but dynamic package, her six-year-old daughter Lilly.

Aaron Casey is a game warden in Maine. Not only does Aaron deal with various wildlife and related situations, he also cares for the safety of townsfolk and tourists when they engage in outdoor activities, like time on the lake. As much as he takes his job very seriously, and this includes working along with his brothers, Aaron has recently fallen in love. The woman who captured his heart is Lydia. Now, if he can just get her to take him seriously.

There are other wonderful characters in this book. One man in particular, William Davis, is a seventy-something man who frequents Lydia's bookstore. Lydia is truly affected by William, and is drawn to him in a way she cannot explain. What Lydia doesn't know is that William holds a key to her past.

This is a beautiful story, yet it is tinged with sadness.  This is especially so when it comes to certain aspects of Aaron‘s job as a warden. What he has to deal with on a daily basis in an environment so beautiful that you can just taste it almost broke my heart at times. Another sad aspect is Lydia's health issues.

There is a wonderful balance, however. I found Lilly to be a well-rounded character in this story. She definitely had a huge role, and it was clear to see why Lydia had so much to live for. Aaron is far more significant. It is not often when I read a male character who is so vocal about his feelings. If I have a favorite in this book, it is most certainly him, and that is why I chose the quote above.

Lilies on Main is the fourth book in the Granite Harbor series. I hadn't had the opportunity to read the previous titles, and this did quite well as a standalone. However, I definitely want to read the previous titles. 

Many thanks to J. Lynn Bailey and to Inkslinger PR for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

PURCHASE THE PREVIOUS TITLES IN THE SERIES

Peony Red

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Violet Ugly

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Magnolia Road

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Lynn is a bestselling author who hates to talk about herself. Loathes it. More importantly, she's the mother of two beautiful children and a wife to her high school sweetheart. She's also a mother of two extremely needy cats, Leo and Vinni, and an Australian Shepherd named Grizz. She lives with her family in a small town tucked away in the redwood forest, located on California's northern coast.  

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BLOG TOUR - The Marriage Trap

Today it is my stop on the Blog Tour for The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne.

DESCRIPTION:

My husband has been keeping secrets for a long time. He thinks I don’t know what he does outside of this house. But I know everything… 

Karla watches silently as Jason hurriedly packs his belongings into a suitcase. She knows that her stillness is unnerving him as she watches his every move from the doorway of their bedroom. 

Clothes are screwed up and packed into the case, along with a watch she bought him for his last birthday and his precious laptop. He takes everything from his bedside table. Everything except the framed wedding photo, which now stands alone. Karla strains to see the smiling faces in the photo. If only she knew then what she knows now. 

‘I’ve fallen in love with someone else,’ he’d said to her, just moments earlier. The brutality of those words hit Karla hard and she struggled to breathe as she took in each word in turn. 

You may think you know what Karla will do next. But you’ll be wrong. Because Karla isn't who you think she is. Only she knows what's about to happen. And you will never see it coming. 

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller for readers who loved The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Other Woman. With twists you’ll never see coming, you will not be able to put this one down! 

BUY LINKS:
AMZ: https://geni.us/B07SQ43947Social
Applebooks: https://tinyurl.com/y3nzzms9
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y2qggpr9
Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/yxdot4c7


MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Marriage Trap

Author:  Sheryl Browne

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Publisher:   Bookouture

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  323

Date of Publication:  July 30, 2019

My Rating:  4 Stars

The way that this intriguing book starts, readers see a dialogue where Jason tells Karla that there is someone else and that he is leaving her. As their past is relayed, we learn that Karla and Jason have been married for twelve years and have two young children. Currently Jason's business is failing and they are facing financial ruin. Their money problems could be over if Jason would only accept a business loan from Karla's father, Robert.

To add to this stress, Karla is hiding a painful secret from her past and she suffers a lot of sleepless nights as a result. Meanwhile, Jason must consider Robert’s proposal. The biggest problem in doing this appears to be Jason's pride and the history he has with Robert. From the very beginning of their relationship, he gave Jason problems. Despite Robert’s constant pressure, Karla loved Jason to distraction and they worked hard on their marriage. However, Jason begins to pull away from Karla, and even tells her that he is leaving.

Both Karla and Jason begin to act completely out of character, thus ruining any chance for a reconciliation.  Bottom line is that Jason has very good reason for his actions. These reasons are a huge secret between him and his father-in-law.

This well-hidden and very painful secret is just one of the many twists and turns in this busy book by Sheryl Browne. The characters are multi-layered as they struggle to deal with the various situations. Admittedly, I struggle to write any more in this review because saying much more would deliver spoilers, and that would be unfair.

From beginning to end, this was a captivating story. It was a bit frustrating to witness the apparent lack of communication, therefore, resulting actions were a bit shocking. I would like to state that this is not what I know a psychological thriller to be. Yes, a family drama, but certainly not a thriller. The conclusion, however, tied everything together and I simply could not turn the pages fast enough. I love this author and will definitely be back for more.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, brings you powerful psychological thriller and contemporary fiction.  A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and previously writing for award winning Choc Lit, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing.

So why does Sheryl write in two genres? Quoting E. L. Doctorow, Sheryl says: “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights…” This she thinks sums up a writer’s journey, you never quite know where you are going until you get there. You might start with an outline, but a strong character will always divert from the plot. If Sheryl’s not sure where a character is going, she simply has to trust him to show her the way. Plus, according to one reviewer, she also has a scary insight into the mind of a psychopath. 

To find out more about Sheryl’s novels, go to www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author/ or follow @SherylBrowne on Twitter. 

To find out more about Sheryl, go to www.sherylbrowne.com.

Review - A Twist in the Tail

Title:   A Twist in the Tail
Author:  Leighann Dobbs
Series:  The Oyster Cove Guesthouse #1

Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Publisher:  Bookouture

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:   224

Date of Publication:  May 13, 2019
My Rating:  3.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE USA TODAY BESTSELLING MYSTIC NOTCH SERIES… 

‘Talk about inconvenient. Not only did I have a dilapidated mansion and no money to repair it with, two cats I had no idea how to care for and a room full of cranky guests waiting for their breakfast, I also had a dead body on my hands.’

Josie Waters has to admit she may have acted a bit hastily when she agreed to purchase the Oyster Cove Guesthouse – a charmingly gabled Victorian mansion on the breathtaking Maine coast – from elderly family friend Millie Sullivan. But Josie was desperate to flee Ohio and in particular her ex-husband, a chef who loved his job so much he left her for it. And anyway, how hard can running a guesthouse be?

The truth is, Oyster Cove Guesthouse is a mouldering money pit with falling-in roof and a cohort of regular guests who are as mischievous as a litter of kittens. And Millie keeps dropping by to dispense unasked-for advice. And Josie might have made a mistake in promising to adopt Oyster Cove’s two resident cats Nero and Marlowe, and treat them in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed. Josie has never had a cat before… let alone two feisty felines who think they own the place.

Ok, it’s not going well. At least it can’t get any worse, Josie thinks. Until her first guest ends up dead.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

When Josie Waters purchased a mansion in Maine, the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, she didn't know that murder - and two nosy and bossy cats - would be part of the deal. Add in an odd assortment of guests and Josie certainly has her hands full. 

Josie thought she made a very wise, if not impulsive, decision to buy the guesthouse. Having dealt with a divorce and with her daughter having moved away for work, the distraction should definitely be in her favor. Josie thought the worst of her problems would be is that she is hardly any sort of cook, and coming up with good meals for house guests being the biggest problem she might have to cope with.

Things were nothing like she imagined. For starters, the mansion is falling apart and she begins bleeding money almost immediately. Then she is dealing with more than the two cats that were part of the deal, she must also contend with a litter of kittens. Josie bought the house from her mother's friend, Millie, and Millie has 1,001 reasons for always dropping in.

Imagine Josie's shock when her first house guest ends up dead?! Despite the police investigation into the matter - Josie, her mother - and Millie - oh, and Nero and Marlowe, the resident cats - all decide to solve the murder.

What a fun story! The cats talk to one another, find and plant clues, and do whatever they can to point Josie in the right direction. All I could think of when reading this book was the movie Homeward Bound, where the animals talked. With that image in mind, I was truly able to enjoy this story.

A Twist in the Tail is the first book in the Oyster Cove Guesthouse series. This delightful story was a quick read and lovers of cozy mysteries will be glad if they add this to their queue. The next book is A Whisker in the Dark, to be followed by A Purrfect Alibi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

USA Today bestselling author, Leighann Dobbs, discovered her passion for writing after a twenty year career as a software engineer. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. When she's not reading, gardening, making jewelry or selling antiques, she likes to write cozy mystery and historical romance books.

Her book "Dead Wrong" won the "Best Mystery Romance" award at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention.

Her book "Ghostly Paws" was the 2015 Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem First Place category winner in the Animal Mystery category.

Don't miss out on the early buyers discount on Leighann's next cozy mystery - get a TEXT alert straight on your cellphone. Just text COZYMYSTERY to 88202.

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Review - Labyrinth

Title:   Labyrinth

Author:  Catherine Coulter
Series:  FBI Thriller #23

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   Gallery Books

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  512

Date of Publication:  July 30, 2019

My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series returns with another tour de force in which Agent Sherlock risks losing her career—and her sanity—over a case that is more complicated and twisted than any she’s ever encountered. 

On a dark night, Agent Sherlock is driving along circuitous mountain roads in West Virginia when her car is suddenly T-boned at an intersection. As her car spins out of control, a man’s body slams against her windshield and then—blackness. When she finally comes to, Sherlock has no memory of the accident, nor of the moments that led right up to it. But what she does know is that the man she hit is a local CIA analyst…and now he’s missing.

Meanwhile, in the small town of Gaffer’s Ridge, Virginia, Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith has just rescued a kidnapped woman who claims her captor admitted to the murder of three teenage girls. However, the man she accuses is related to the local sheriff and a member of a very powerful family. Special Agent Hammersmith reaches out to Sherlock for help, and they soon realize that the disappearance of the CIA analyst is actually connected to the string of murders. But how?

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

When you peek at an ARC and see: “The #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series returns with another tour de force in which agents Savich and Sherlock stumble into a bizarre case that’s more complicated and twisted than any they’ve ever encountered.” Well, you throw your TBR out the window!

If you love FBI Agent Lacey Sherlock as much as I have come to, no doubt you will feel emotional when you read of Sherlock’s car accident and the bevy of emotions that her husband, fellow agent and boss, Dillon Savich, experienced. What a way to open a book!

While Dillon helps Sherlock to recover, as she has suffered a memory loss, Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith has just rescued a woman who says she escaped a brutal kidnapper who admitted to killing several other women. When Griffin appeals to Dillon for help, he and Sherlock head to Virginia. Dillon feels this is the only way for Sherlock to heal, and that is to be with him. This proves invaluable, because Sherlock's instincts are spot on and Dillon feels that working might help her to heal.

The case involves a missing CIA analyst. What is more is that what draws Griffin to the situation is that he hears screams for help. He cannot explain it, but he is lead to the home of a female reporter and he manages to save her life. This story, like one or two of the others in the series, lends to Dillan and Griffin experiencing a bit of psychic talent. While this is a part of the story that I did not expect, as it is not a tenet of the series, it did not take away from solving the mysterious case.

All the while, readers got to see the team working together flawlessly, as well as witnessing the growing love between Dillon and Sherlock. While reading of her losing most of her memory was painful, it was inspiring to watch her begin to heal. This fast-moving story had me riveted from the arresting introduction to the shocking conclusion.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Catherine Coulter is the author of over 83 novels, including 78 New York Times bestsellers, occasionally, after exhaustive prayers, hitting #1. She earned her reputation writing historical romances to pass the time while aboard the ark. She added suspense thrillers to her repertoire - with great success. The Cove, the first book in her bestselling "FBI Suspense Thriller Series" spent nine weeks on the New York Times list and has to date sold well over 3 million copies. Since then she's written 22 more bestselling thrillers in the series, including The Maze, The Target, The Edge, Riptide, Hemlock Bay, Eleventh Hour, Blindside, Blowout, Point Blank, Double Take, Tailspin, Knockout, Whiplash, Split Second, Backfire, Bombshell, Power Play, Nemesis, Insidious, Enigma. Her 22nd FBI thriller PARADOX is available now in all formats now. Coulter is also writing a new suspense thriller series - A Brit in the FBI - co-writing with bestselling author JT Ellison. The 6th book in this action-packed series, The Last Second, will be out in March 2019.

For Coulter's first novel, The Autumn Countess, she chose a Regency setting for her debut because, says Coulter, "as any published author will tell you, it's best to limit the unknowns in a first book, and not only had I grown up reading Georgette Heyer, whom I worship, but I earned my M.A. degree in early 19th century European History and could fight in Napoleon's army, or join the Allies and beat his butt with Wellington."

Following The Autumn Countess, Coulter wrote six more Regency romances. She then turned to long historicals and eventually interspersed them with contemporary suspense novels, beginning with False Pretenses in 1988, her very first hardcover.

Coulter grew up on a horse ranch in Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas, receiving her graduate degree from Boston College. She became a speechwriter on Wall Street, then, to her joy, she was able to quit her day job and become a full-time writer.

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BLOG TOUR - Sisters of WIllow House

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Sisters of Willow House by Susanne O'Leary.

DESCRIPTION:

A heart-warming novel about the bond between sisters, set along Ireland’s windswept shores, where romance beckons and secrets unfold… 

Roisin McKenna and her husband Cian are taking time apart. Unsure of what she wants, Roisin’s prayers are answered when she receives a call from her sister Maeve who is desperate for her help. 

Roisin heads to Sandy Cove to help Maeve restore their aunt’s gorgeous tumbledown mansion Willow House and soon all she has time to focus on are its crumbling walls. Despite a shocking announcement from Maeve and hidden secrets in the house’s rafters, Roisin begins to feel a sense of self she’s been missing for years. 

The ties that bind Roisin to her husband seem to be unfurling in the Irish wind, when she unexpectedly stumbles into a mysterious man on the beach. Suddenly, she’s swept up in the idea of another life she could lead… 

The restoration may have brought the sisters back together, but as a storm rolls over the coast Roisin feels sure she must make a choice. Will her time at Willow House teach her the precious lessons she needs to return home or has the cove called to her in ways she’d never imagined it could? 

Fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Monroe will be swept away by Sandy Cove. 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07R5PW856Social
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2V68drY
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Vz4Itj
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/sLIR30oAhM0

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Sisters of Willow House

Author:  Susanne O'Leary
Series:  Sandy Cove Book #2

Genre:   Women's Fiction; Literary Fiction

Publisher:  Bookouture

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:   245

Date of Publication:  July 26, 2019
My Rating:  4.5 Stars

Roisin McKenna and husband Cian married young and have three robust teenage boys who are currently in boarding school. Cian has hopes of traveling about in an his new campervan for months to give the couple a chance to reignite their love for one another. Roisin wants nothing of the sort and has told this to Cian many times. When her sister Maeve requests her help in a restoration project, Roisin jumps at the chance.

Maeve has been restoring their aunt's mansion, Willow House, but she is now pregnant and has been told to take it easy. There is a lot of work to be done and with their aunt on a book tour, Maeve needs a lot of help. Roisin gladly agrees to help and she and Cian look at this as an opportunity to spend time apart. Maybe Cian can have his traveling dream, while Roisin can use this time to help Maeve. 

Roisin hopes that their sons can make Willow House their home base during school breaks, and is certain that she and Cian will see one another soon. When Roisin arrives in Sandy Cove, she quickly learns that the house is in really bad shape and she must contend with the unreliable builder. At the same time, there is a man that she meets who is also working with the same builder, and he and Roisin become very good friends.

Sisters of Willow House is the second book in the Sandy Cove series and it has a bit of everything. For starters, Roisin develops a strong bond with Declan O'Mahoney, the man she met with whom she has the contractor in common. In Roisin's mind, she was just on a break with Cian, so, despite how close she got to Declan, she strove to remain honorable. Meanwhile, Roisin and Maeve get to spend a lot of time together, and this goes a long way to strengthen their sisterly bond. As expected, Maeve shows proper concern for Roisin when it comes to Declan and this does add some tension between them.

There are misunderstandings along the way, especially when gossip enters into matters. I loved the journey that was set before readers of this delightful book and especially enjoyed how everything was resolved. Factor in the beauty of the setting in Sandy Cove and the people of Kerry and it all came together to make this a wonderful book. This is my third read by Susanne O'Leary and I absolutely loved it just as I have the previous titles that I read by her. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susanne O'Leary is the bestselling author of fifteen novels, mainly in the romantic fiction genre. She has also written three crime novels and two in the historical fiction genre. She has been the wife of a diplomat (still is), a fitness teacher and a translator. She now writes full-time from either of two locations, a ramshackle house in County Tipperary, Ireland or a little cottage overlooking the Atlantic in Dingle, County Kerry. When she is not scaling the mountains of said counties (including MacGillycuddy's Reeks, featured in Full Irish), or keeping fit in the local gym, she keeps writing, producing a book every six months.

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Review - Someone We Know

Title:  Someone We Know
Author:  Shari Lapena
Genre:  Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:  Bantam Press
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of pages: 320
Published:  July 25, 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Maybe you don't know your neighbours 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 neighbourhood, 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. 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Teenager Raleigh Sharpe admitted to his parents that he broke into a few homes, but didn't actually steal anything, and that he was only committing harmless pranks. His mother Olivia feels that it is only right to pen notes admitting what he did and leaving it at those residences. However, he was lying to his parents. His father, Paul, go a step further and insists they take him to an attorney. They want to really teach him a lesson. After the consultation, the lawyer says writing letters was a mistake.

Right around the time this happened, a submerged car is discovered and the body of a beaten woman, Amanda Pierce, is discovered in the trunk. One of the people that got the letters was the husband, Robert, of the woman found in the trunk. Another person who got a letter is someone named Carmine. It will soon be revealed to the police investigating the murder that Carmine and Robert are neighbors of the Sharpes and they know one another. There is yet another person apparently connected and her name is Becky.

Lots of people, lots of names. The connection? Everyone is sleeping with someone, except their own marriage mates, or so it seems. The letters Raleigh's parents wrote brought everything out in the open. Quite naturally, everyone lies in the beginning. It was sort of like a game of hot potato with everyone sleeping with at least one other person. As the police begin to investigate, a lot of the pieces begin to tie together, but still, the killer of Amanda Pierce is hard to flush out. 

There is one neighbor, Becky, who has quite a bit to say to Detective Webb, who is handling the case. Do these neighbors have more to hide besides the affairs? Quite naturally, I wonder who killed Amanda, was it the wives? Then, we get back to Raleigh, who is keeping things from his mother, just as his father is. They both have secrets. Olivia is apparently the only one in the house who has nothing to hide.

While this may seem like a lot, it actually isn't. I only elaborated to show the dynamics involved with this story. It is very easy to follow, and thus, was a very quick read. This was an intense book with plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most curious reader intrigued. I loved this book and look forward to reading much more by Shari Lapena.

Many thanks to Bantam Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SHARI LAPENA  is the internationally bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House. She was a lawyer and an English teacher before turning her hand to fiction.

She lives in Toronto.

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Review - The Silent Ones

Title:   The Silent Ones

Author:  K.L Slater

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Publisher:  Bookouture

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   324 

Date of Publication:  July 24, 2019
My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

This morning, I was packing up lunches, ironing, putting on the laundry I should have done last night. Now my precious daughter is accused of murder.

When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing?   

As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart.  And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?

Juliet is crushed. Nothing will ever be the same for her darling girl.  But she knows that to find out what really happened that day, she and her sister must unlock the secrets of their own terrible past, a past they swore never to speak about again …

The most unputdownable psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Silent Ones.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are rather bored and have managed to sneak away to visit an elderly woman named Bessie. This was something the girls often did. They were watched by their grandmother, who obviously wasn't paying close enough attention. The girls were up to no good and have just been arrested for harming Bessie. When Bessie succumbs to her injuries, the charge is raised to murder.

However, neither girl will talk, not to the police, not even to their parents. Their mothers, Juliet and Chloe, feel their daughters could never have committed this act. Juliet and Chloe had a bit of a strained relationship as it was, but with their girls not saying a word, things begin to deteriorate between them.

Time drags on while they are trying to get the girls to talk, Juliet is especially haunted by the family's past. This very past has affected Juliet more than any member of the family, and this ultimately has changed her relationship with husband Tom. The combined strain of the murder accusation, their daughter's silence and her childhood past is about to unravel Juliet.

I was on tenterhooks while reading The Silent Ones. It was so tragic with the girls being so quiet, but as the recollections of the past were revealed, my sadness increased. The story was a fast-moving one and had some powerful revelations and long-hidden secrets revealed as well as a shocker a conclusion, one that left me applauding and a bit emotional.

This was another excellent book by K.L. Slater, and I literally lost sleep as I read it from cover-to-cover. I look forward to reading more by her soon.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim is the million-copy bestselling author of eight psychological crime thrillers.

Her titles are published in eBook by Bookouture and in paperback by Sphere (UK) and Grand Central (USA).

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, 'it was a fairytale ... at the end of a very long road!'

Kim is a full-time writer. She has one daughter, two stepsons and lives with her husband in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

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