Tag: Now Available

I have mixed feelings about this book. By the end, I found myself asking what I had just read. It seemed (to me) that the author couldn’t decide whether to write a police procedural or a psych thriller. The result is a mash-up of the two.

That’s not to say that it was a bad book; I did enjoy it. It is quite apparent from the very beginning that there are secrets galore, although some of the secrets are more apparent than others. The author does an admirable job of unveiling them. Whether it was through the course of the investigation or other character confessions, it all seemed natural.

I think part of the issue that I had was that the chapters jumped back and forth between characters and time. I usually do not have problems when books do that; I’m good at following the thread, regardless. For some reason, however, I found myself getting confused with this plot. It could be that I was distracted (I didn’t feel like I was, but maybe). It just seemed as if some events didn’t fit into the story as well as others.

I also had a difficult time getting behind any of the characters. I didn’t get depth from any of them. Even the investigative squad, which I can usually relate to due to personal reasons, seemed shallow; I didn’t feel a cohesiveness.

In reading over this review, I realize that it seems as if I didn’t like the book – that’s not the case. As I mentioned, I did like it. It kept me engaged and turning pages. It just seemed to be disjointed in the actual telling of the story itself. I would still recommend it, but with the warning to pay close attention to the chapter headings, so you know when and who is telling the story.

Author Bio

Anna-Lou began her career as a dancer but a moped accident in Ibiza put paid to those aspirations and so she went back to her first and one true love – writing! She re-trained as a journalist, specialising mainly in women’s interest and celebrity, becoming the Editor of J-17 and Smash Hits as well as writing for a host of women’s magazines.

Anna-Lou has written three Adult Fiction titles – Vengeful Wives and Wicked Wives, both published by Avon in the UK and Bookouture in the US and Canada and Pleasure Island published by Bookouture.

To find out more about Anna’s novels, go to https://www.facebook.com/annalouweatherleyauthor/ or follow https://twitter.com/annaloulondon on Twitter.

The idyllic setting of Lake Windemere in the Lake District is disturbed when a young lady is found floating face down near a boat. From that opening sequence, this is a gripping crime thriller that had me turning pages to find out “whodunit.” The author does a fantastic job of building the suspense while following the forensic clues that lead to the killer.

I liked that the heroine of this book (Beth) was a Forensic Pathologist, rather than a detective. The author went into great detail several times (I learned more about autopsies than I ever thought I would). Having the lead character not be a detective allowed for a unique perspective on the investigation.

I liked the characters, although I felt some of them could have been more developed. I would have liked to have learned a little more about the squad of detectives, but I suppose that would have taken the focus away from Beth. However, considering that one of them had a family member that figured heavily in the plot, I think we could have had a little bit more.

I did enjoy the plot. I thought it was unique, and the author did a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing. Some clues pointed to multiple people, just like in a real-life investigation, and only someone who reads a lot of crime novels will put the pieces together faster than Beth.

Not having read the first book in the series, I missed the importance of Beth’s past and that figured heavily in the first part of the book. It didn’t wreck the narrative, but I think I would have appreciated it more had I read the first one. I intend to do so in my downtime – whenever that might be. But in spite of that, this book can be read as a stand-alone.

I recommend this book and look forward to further investigations with Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams.

Author Bio

Helen Phifer lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children. Helen has always loved writing and reading. Her love of horror films and novels is legendary. Helen adores reading books which make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Unable to find enough scary stories to read she decided to write her own. 

Breathtaking, heartbreaking, and unlike anything I have read in recent memory, this book has left an indelible mark on me. Do not hesitate, go get this one now. In the season of thankfulness, there is no better choice than a novel that celebrates love.

From the beginning, I could tell that it was going to be a unique story. I will admit that I found it a challenge at first because the writing style was written as a reflection, both conversational and almost confessional, two things that I usually do not enjoy while I read. But I was curious enough to continue reading, and I am so very glad that I did.

I don’t want to give anything away, because the path the author takes is carefully laid out and should be discovered by each reader at their own pace. I will say that each stage of love over a person’s lifetime is thoughtfully addressed in such a way that I found myself thinking about my past romances and trying to figure out which one would fit in with each of Aphrodite’s.

The in-depth exploration of love and all of its beauty and pain is thought-provoking. Every experience is written with emotion, and I found myself tearing up more than once. I particularly enjoyed the mythology of Aphrodite’s story and how there was a mystic quality about each of her experiences.

To be perfectly honest, though, it is difficult to put into words just how impactful this book is; it is a must-read and definitely shoots to the top of my best books of 2019. Seriously, go get this one NOW.  

Author Bio:

Rose James’ debut novel, The Beginning and End of Us was shortlisted in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition in 2014, and after a lot of rewriting and personal ups and downs, she’s delighted that it’s being published through Bookouture.

Rose has been addicted to reading and writing for almost as long as she can remember, and she’s currently working towards a Creative Writing MA (distance learning) with Lancaster University.

Among her other favourite things to do are travelling, making connections with fascinating people, and playing and writing music, all of which she thinks translate into her writing. Living in gorgeous Shropshire, she’s endlessly inspired by the beautiful landscape and historical architecture, which makes it very easy to daydream – perhaps too easy!