Alba in bookland

Today I'm reviewing C.L. Taylor's latest psychological thriller, The Escape. After loving her previous novels, I was really looking forward to discovering a new story by her. Here are my thoughts on it:

Title: The Escape

Author: C. L. Taylor

Published: March 23rd 2017 by Avon

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The new psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Accident, The Lie and The Missing.

"Look after your daughter's things. And your daughter…"

When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn't.

The stranger knows Jo's name, she knows her husband Max and she's got a glove belonging to Jo's two year old daughter Elise.

What begins with a subtle threat swiftly turns into a nightmare as the police, social services and even Jo's own husband turn against her.

No one believes that Elise is in danger. But Jo knows there's only one way to keep her child safe – RUN.

Review: C. L. Taylor is back with a new clever and absorbing psychological thriller. For me, she is one of the best authors in this genre and she did not disappoint at all with The Escape.

When we start reading this story, we have no clue of what is going on, but neither does Jo Blackmore, the main character. We all know though that something or someone dangerous is looming in the darkness, Jo and her daughter are not safe. This first part of the story is really tense and I couldn't stop reading to try to find out more about what was going on, collecting clues, trying to decide who was trying to help and who was trying to harm them.

Little but little, we start figuring out what is going on and soon realise that Jo's worse fears are no longer fears but her new reality. A new reality where she is no longer sure about anything or anyone. Not only her present is hunting her but also her past. This fact adds a new storyline to the novel that intertwines with the main one perfectly, surprising us readers with quite a few unexpected twists and revelations.

As I said, I raced through the first part of this story. I couldn't wait to know more. But as I started realising what was happening I started reading way more slowly, fearing what would happen next. But also taking in all the details the author adds to the story, like the eerie atmosphere of the Irish village where the story takes us or all the complexities and different versions of each characters.

If you want to be surprised, if you want to feel fear, if you want to read a cleverly written story... then don't look any farther. The Escape is the book you are looking for. Another hit by C.L. Taylor.

Rating: 5 stars

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

When this proof landed in my hands, the first I noticed was the Graffiti Me in the back cover (see pic at the end), I knew then this was going to be a special book:

Title: Out of Heart

Author: Irfan Master

Publised: April 20th 2017 by Hot Key Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Donating your heart is the most precious gift of all.

Adam is a teenage boy who lives with his mum and younger sister. His dad has left them although lives close by. His sister no longer speaks. His mum works two jobs. Adam feels the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

Then his grandfather dies and in doing so he donates a very precious gift - his heart.

William is the recipient of Adam's grandfather's heart. He has no family and feels rootless and alone. In fact, he feels no particular reason to live. And then he meets Adam's family.

William has received much, but it appears that he has much to offer Adam and his family too.

A powerful tale of love and strength in adversity.

Review: As soon as I got this book, I knew it was going to be something special, and I was not wrong at all. What a beautifully written story. This is not a very long book, it can definitely be read in a couple of evenings, and the plot is quite simple but somehow, it really got to me. It revolves around Adam and his family. They have just lost their grandparent and learned that he donated his heart, so imagine their surprise when the person who is now living with that same heart, William, turns up at their door.

As a friendship blossoms between William and this family, we learn more about their grief, how they are handling it and what other problems they are facing. These are not few. The story handles a lot more issues like poverty, domestic violence or racism, but it also talks about friendship, love and art. It combines positive and negative story lines perfectly to end up creating an inspiring and touching story.

One of my favourite aspects about this book is the insight we get in Adam's notebook. He likes writing about what is going on around him in a very special way, playing with words and feelings. I found his creations fascinating and I would have loved to be able to see his drawings too. He was definitely the most important and developed character in the story and it was difficult not to care for him. In contrast, we didn't really got to know the other characters. I have to say though, that even if I would have loved knowing more about some of them, like his sister, I didn't feel like we were missing anything important about them, we learned enough about them to make the story work. And not knowing more probably made them more interesting.

All in all, I loved this coming of age story. The writing was beautiful. In fact, I'd say it was beautifully simple, almost poetic. I'd recommend this story to anyone looking for a quick but compelling read with a few surprises in store.

Rating: 5 stars

I´d like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today I'm reviewing Sophie Kinsella's latest stand-alone novel, My Not So Perfect Life. Sophie Kinsella is one of my all time favourite authors so every time she releases a new book, the excitement is too much. Here's what I thought of this one:

Title: My Not So Perfect Life

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Published: February 9th 2017 by Batham Press

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Caz Brenner is living the dream – she has a flat in London, a job in creative branding, and her Instagram feed is full of all the amazing things London has to offer: delicious food and beautiful sights and lots of fun. Ok, so the crappy truth is that she rents a tiny room in Catford with no space for a wardrobe, spends most of her days engaged in tedious admin on the other side of the city, and posts photos of food she could never ever afford to eat. But it’s all just about worth it.

Until her bright and shiny life comes crashing down: her demanding boss Demeter gives her sack, and with no means to live in London any more, Caz has to move home to Somerset. Now she’s plain old Katie Brenner again, helping out her dad and her stepmum as they attempt to launch a glamping business on their farm. (They think she’s on sabbatical from her job, and she can’t quite bear to tell them the truth…)

With Katie’s creative branding experience, the glamping is soon a big success. So much so that Demeter and her family book in on holiday - and Katie sees her chance to get revenge on the woman who ruined her dream. So long as Demeter doesn’t see beyond her disguise and give the game away to her parents, of course.

It’s time to see who’s the boss…

Review: I love Sophie Kinsella. She is probably the reason why I read so much these days. I discovered her books about ten years ago and since then, I have read everything she has ever written. Plus, the first book I ever reviewed was one of hers, so as you can imagine, every time she releases a new book, my expectations are always high. Especially when she releases a brand new story with new characters. Is it gonna be as good as the others? The answer is yes.

My Not So Perfect Life is such a fun, warm and entertaining read with everything I love in a story, relatable and lovable characters, a bit of love and lots of laughs. Our main character, Caz, pretends to have the perfect life in London, a life she has always dreamed about and she makes sure to let everyone know how much fun she is having. The truth couldn't be more different though, her life is falling apart so when she gets fired, she ends up living back home with her dad and stepmum.

It's then when we get to know the real Caz and really fall in love with her. I loved following her new adventure, a glamping site at her dad's place, and discovering what she really was capable of and what a brave and smart girl she really was. But Caz is not the only surprise in the story, her boss is not that different from her. Demeter's own life is on the brick of falling apart too. I found the relationship between these two women really interesting, and when Caz was determined to get her revenge on her, it was just hilarious.

Let's not forget about the love story, it doesn't take centre stage in the book but it complements it perfectly, adding the perfect sweet touches and letting us see yet another side of Caz.

My Not So Perfect Life has the same fresh and fun touch that Sophie Kinsella has us accustomed to but it also a heart-lifting and inspiring story about believing in yourself and fighting for what you deserve. A joy to read, nothing I didn't love about it!

Rating: 5 stars

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for the historical murder mystery, The Body in the Ice. This Story is out on Thursday and to celebrate it, author A. J. MacKenzie stops by to talk about amateur sleuths:

Amateur sleuths who do a better job than the professionals

by A. J. MacKenzie

Crime-fighting in eighteenth-century Britain was a pretty amateur affair, especially in the countryside. London had the Bow Street Runners, and by the end of the century a strong force of constables. The cities and larger towns had their own magistrates and police forces. Out in the country, though, law enforcement was down to local volunteers.

The backbone of the system were the local magistrates, the justices of the peace. They served as investigating officers, looking into alleged criminal offences; they were the detectives of the day. They also acted as judges at the lowest level, holding courts of petty session and quarter session.

In the cities and towns, magistrates were paid. Many were also trained solicitors. In the countryside, the job fell to whichever local worthy failed to dodge the bullet. At the start of The Body in the Ice, we learn that Reverend Hardcastle has been reluctantly co-opted into the role of J.P. because there is no one else available. It was not uncommon for clergymen to serve as J.Ps; they were well-educated, literate and a few might even have some rudimentary legal training. There were of course some unscrupulous J.P.s who used their position to line their pockets with payoffs and bribes, but there were also many honest officials.

The JPs right-hand man was the parish constable. Each parish was required by law to have a constable, and again, this was a job many people tried to evade. First, unless the J.P. was willing to dip into his own pocket, the job was unpaid. Second, other locals tended to regard constables as snitches. The job was not popular. Although there were some constables who took the opportunity to run a local protection racket, again there were many who tried to do the job in an honest and even-handed manner.

In The Body in the Ice, Hardcastle has hit upon the idea of asking Joshua Stemp, a leader of the local smuggling gang, to be his parish constable. In a community where virtually everyone is involved in some way with smuggling, Stemp is already well respected and can work with the rest of the parish. So long as his duties don’t conflict with his smuggling activities, Stemp is happy (and to see what happens when they do, you’ll have to wait for the next book in the series).

About the only true professionals were the county coroners and their assistants, who were qualified doctors. Coroners could inquire into the cause of death, but could not determine responsibility, or investigate matters of guilt or innocence. But at least the hard-pressed magistrate could be reasonably certain that the medical advice he received was accurate.

Why have such a ramshackle, amateurish system? The answer lies in the English allergy to authority. The upheavals of the seventeenth century had resulted in a deep hatred of pretty much every form of authority – and of the taxation that would be required to pay for it. A standing police force was considered anathema, for it could easily be transformed into an instrument of repression. People would rather put up with higher levels of crime, than pay for or follow the orders of an established police force.

How well did these amateurs do? As Frank McGlynn points out in Crime and Punishment in Eighteenth-Century England, there was a lot of crime around. But the criminals were pretty amateurish too. Somehow, the hard-pressed, unpaid, overworked magistrates and constables managed to stop the country from collapsing into anarchy. Just.

About the book:

Title: The Body in the Ice

Author: A. J. MacKenzie

Published: April 20th 2017 by Zaffre

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: A twisting tale of murder, mystery and eighteenth-century England by a dramatic and gripping new voice in the genre.

On the frozen fields of Romney Marsh stands New Hall; silent, lifeless, deserted. In its grounds lies an unexpected Christmas offering: a corpse, frozen into the ice of a horse pond.

It falls to the Reverend Hardcastle, justice of the peace in St Mary in the Marsh, to investigate. But with the victim's identity unknown, no murder weapon and no known motive, it seems like an impossible task. Working along with his trusted friend, Amelia Chaytor, and new arrival Captain Edward Austen, Hardcastle soon discovers there is more to the mystery than there first appeared.

With the arrival of an American family torn apart by war and desperate to reclaim their ancestral home, a French spy returning to the scene of his crimes, ancient loyalties and new vengeance combine to make Hardcastle and Mrs Chaytor's attempts to discover the secret of New Hall all the more dangerous.

The Body in the Ice, with its unique cast of characters, captivating amateur sleuths and a bitter family feud at its heart, is a twisting tale that vividly brings to life eighteenth-century Kent and draws readers into its pages.

Follow the Blog Tour for more interesting content about The Body in the Ice: