Beth

I really wanted to like this book much more than I ended up actually enjoying it. The author has so much potential and I loved the main characters especially Mike, Benson and Mike's Mother. But the plot lacked focus and felt too flimsy. I know this author is more well known for his poetry and maybe this book was just the authors' way of working out the kinks in his writing style while he was adapting from poetry to narrative form.

I will certainly read anything else this author writes as his character development was fantastic. But the slow nature of the relationship between Benson and Mike was too frustrating for me and they spent most of the novel apart in separate countries which meant we spent more time with filler narratives than their own on/off romance.

Thanks to Atlantic Books, Bryan Washington the author and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A 3.5 read. I didn't enjoy the overarching plot as much as the first three full novels but the twist at the end ripped my heart out. Both this novel and Die Last focused on human trafficking and terrorist storylines that I didn't find as gripping as the first three books which centred on serial and spree killers.

I was incredibly impressed with this psychological thriller. It was suspenseful, propulsive, enthralling and addictive. I couldn't stop turning the page. I just had to know how this story would end. I was also very pleased with how the author constructed the ending. I found the final few chapters had me on tender hooks. J.E. Rowney really knows how to write a tense finale.

This novel follows 18 year old Rebecca Braithwaite who is starting her first semester at Wessex University. This will be her first time away from her parents and is the next step on the natural road to be becoming an adult. But since losing her brother Jordan to a car accident fatality a few years ago, Becky has had trouble sleeping ever since. She has suffered extreme insomnia which she has previously had psychiatric help for.

Unperturbed, Becky looks forward to university as an opportunity to escape her tragic past but things only seem to get worse for her when she settles into her new university life. Over the next few weeks, her lack of sleep gets worse and worse to the point where she starts to feel like she's being stalked. But is she really being stalked or are her suspicions a result of her sleep deprived paranoia?

For fans of psychological thrillers, you will devour this book. I think more thriller fans should get their mitts on this book as it's so well written and fast paced and a really absorbing read. I can guarantee you will enjoy the reading experience. But in summary, this author has certainly piqued my interest and I am certainly eager to check out their other books very soon!

Thanks to the author J. E . Rowney and Voracious Readers Only for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was short but impactful. This book is clearly designed for young adults and children and is a tool to start a discussion on some wider and deeper topics. I prefer reads that are more text based and go into more detail and plot but I can appreciate what the purpose of this book is.The illustrations were brilliant and the narrative heartfelt.

This book was not at all what I expected. Having never read any Tana French but knowing how renown she was in the bookish world for her creepy and atmospheric thrillers, I was expecting a much more fast paced read. Maybe because most thrillers and mysteries I have read in recent years have propulsive storylines and hairpin twists, I was expecting this book to deliver a similar format. I was initially intrigued that it didn't as it made for a refreshing change in pace. But overall this book was too slow for me. I expected this book to build up tension for a big reveal. I was constantly looking for a turn in the plot that never came. That isn't a fault of the writer or the book but I find the slower pace of this novel wasn't as engaging to read. The Irish setting also gave the novel a melancholic energy that wasn't to my reading preference. However I can appreciate that many other readers would have enjoyed that choice.

This book follows Cal, a retired Chicago police detective who moves to the Irish countryside to enjoy his retirement in peace. However his solitude and serenity doesn't last long when one day a local youth Trey, turns up at his door asking for help in finding their missing sibling Brendan. When Cal begrudgingly agrees to help, Cal finds out the hard way that the idyllic Irish countryside isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I enjoyed the writing style and the premise of this book was interesting. I just think I didn't get from this book what I was expecting going in, which left me a little disappointed. But I can see why Tara French is so highly regarded and I am very excited to go back and read her back catalogue and see if I can find another book of hers to connect with better. A 3.5 star read.


Thanks to the author Tana French, Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is full of juxtapositions. One minute it is steamy. The next it is disturbing. Soul destroying and then epically poignant. The characters constantly straddle a line between shame and acceptance, desire and disgust, expression and repression.

Vivek Oji is a a gay man who likes to wear drag and lives in contemporary Nigeria where just being gay is a death wish. Against all odds he manages to hide his secret and his sexuality from his parents but comes out to his friends and his cousin who agree to keep his secret. But his blissful bubble bursts and somewhat inevitably we start the novel with his death.

This started of as a slow burn but by chapter three, I was engrossed. Following a mystery set up of who killed Vivek and why? We traverse time periods, from Vivek's childhood, to his death and then from the perspectives of his loved ones, particularly his cousin following his death. These time periods are not chronological so we only get all the pieces of the puzzle at the end of the novel which I found satisfying and compelling.

This book will haunt me for a while. The sadness imbued as a reader by knowing and accepting Vivek's identity but knowing the Nigerian community never would, is painful. The pseudo sexual incestual relationship between the two cousins also made for extremely uncomfortable reading. I loved both characters and wanted them to be happy in their own skin but found their familial and sexual feelings for one another disturbing.

This story is complex and the relationships between characters are gnarly and deeply hidden. Emezi is an extremely talented storyteller and this novel is well layered and multifaceted. Vivek will stay with me. An incandescent character. I am very impressed with this novel and will be going back and reading this authors other works. A sweeping and bittersweet story of love and loss.

Thanks to Faber and Faber, the author and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read all of the Booker shortlisted books but from the nominated books I have read, Shuggie Bain is in a different league. Set in Glasgow in the 1980s through to the 1990s, this novel is a Bildungsroman that follows protagonist Shuggie Bain's journey from childhood into young adulthood. While Shuggie, raised in poverty and squalor battles with his homosexual identity in a homophobic era. He also has to contend with his mums spiralling alcoholism from a very young age.

This novel is confrontational and hard hitting. It doesn't shy away from the brutal and destructive nature of alcoholism and it's detrimental affect on close family members. This was one of the most heartbreaking and soul wrenching books I have read in years. Shuggie is a beautiful and loyal character who loves his mother Agnes and desperately and ultimately fruitlessly tries to keep his mother from the devil drink. Poignant and raw and littered with the authentic Glaswegian working class vernacular, this book is searing with the heartbreak of addiction, poverty and the complicated relationship each character battles between survival and love.

I would be over the moon for this to be the 2020 Booker winner as it is so honest and heartfelt as well as extremely haunting and painful to read. For a debut this book is incredibly impressive and I cannot wait to see what this author will write next.

Thanks to the author, the publishers Grove Press and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely fantastic! Graham Norton's books just keep getting stronger. After reading A Keeper by this author a few years back, I highly anticipated this new release. He did not disappoint!

Set in a small Irish town just outside of Cork, this story follows the aftermath of a tragic car accident in the town in the 1980s . This results in the death of three of the local teenagers and leaves one completely paralysed and wheelchair bound for the rest of her life. When Connor takes the blame for the car accident, he is outcast from his community and runs away. The rest of the novel follows the fall out of Connor's exile on the community in Ireland, the relatives he leaves behind, Connor himself and the next generation to follow.

Norton has perfected beautifully his stitching together of remote Irish sub culture with its emphasis on community ties and the importance of social status. He also wonderfully illustrates in this novel through Connor and his nephew Finbarr's experiences, the fraught history of homosexuality in Ireland. Norton as a proud gay Irish man, welcomes us warmly as the reader into the struggles of his own adolescent sexual identity in Ireland through the character of Connor and his confusion and fear of rejection from his family.

The characters in this novel were wonderfully nuanced and vivid, seeming to walk right off the page. I have also come to admire deeply Norton's unique composition of his plots. He effortlessly weaves together family saga, historical drama and contemporary romance all into one compulsive and propelling read. Bravo Norton. I can say with pleasure, I am a firm fan. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to the author, Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5. A short but sweet read. Fast paced, thrilling and as compelling as the previous Wolfe works. But due to the short novella style it didn't get the full 4 stars as I didn't have as much to sink my teeth into.

Another 3.5. Again an immersive and quick read. I am really enjoying the DC Max Wolfe books. These novellas provide light relief and further fun instalments to the already strong series.

This is a detailed and comprehensive look at one of Britain's most notorious serial killers. I found that Master's really had a fine handle on his subject matter and researched tirelessly both academically and by interviewing Nilsen himself to provide such a detailed account of Nilsen's criminal timeline and motivations. Considering this book was written originally in the 1980s, Masters is sharp with his analysis of psychology, criminology and academic case law to bolster his findings on Nilsen. Many of which are still relevant and sound in those fields of academic study today. This book is ultimately, morbidly fascinating as an academic reference for those who wish to study or are interested in the study of the criminal mind.

Trigger warnings for those that have a sensitive nature. Nilsen's commentary on his murders and the ways in which he disposed of his victims bodies,as well as Nilsen's own sketches of some of the dead bodies at the back of the book make for harrowing and disturbing reading. If you are easily upset or repulsed I would not recommend you read this book.

However I found this book incredibly well written and done in a respectful and sensitive way. Master's had a clear intention with this book which he executed brilliantly(pardon the pun!). Master's structured the chapters clearly and elaborated very articulately on the points he wanted to address. While Master's points of conclusion aren't concretely accurate or without some faults, this book started the conversation on a wider area of study still being mined today. A very impressive book to add to the criminology and criminal profiling cannon.

Thank you to the author, Random House UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's such a shame I didn't enjoy this book as much as I really wanted to. This book is beautifully written. Also it is definitely a strong standalone novel. While it is the third in a series, you didn't need to know anything about the plot or characters before reading it. However this book has a very floaty quality so much so that the plot seems non existent. The main protagonist Tambudzai flits between relatives homes and unsuccessful job roles trying to figure her life out. While this novel touches on some really interesting themes such as mental health, war trauma and Zimbabwean identity. I really struggled to stay immersed in the story. I absolutely loved the authors writing style. It was exquisite and lyrical and the authors wider social commentary was poignant. Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this novel very much.

Thank you to the publisher Faber and Faber, the author Tsitsi Dangarembga and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5.I felt similarly to the overarching plot as I did about Girl On Fire.

I really enjoyed the unique spin of this thriller which focuses on the three different brothers perspectives and which zooms in on intimate moments and memories the brothers shared from each of their different perspectives.

This novel follows three brothers: Will, Brian and Luke and the secrets that they share and also hide from one another and how it leads to all of their downfalls. Will the eldest is a professional producer of movies. Brian the middle child is a English teacher that spends some time in Paris working before becoming the family manager. And finally there is Luke the youngest who becomes an Irish pop sensation before eventually winding up washed up.

I previously read Skin Deep by Liz Nugent and loved it and was expecting that dark and brooding vibe that I found so propulsive in her precious thrillers. But this book is much more of a slow read and if I am being honest it was drawn out for a little bit too long. The last third reinforced each brothers deplorable behaviour and resulted in the reader remaining indifferent to the final plot twist which was unfortunate. If that was the purpose from the author I think it was a shame as I have found in previous thrillers dark characters very multifaceted and layered. Which has allowed me to both hate their behaviour but be shocked or sad about their sufferings. In this book I did not feel any connection to the main characters and so found the last third became more of a drag than pleasurable.

This book has some very strong elements to it. I loved the family dramas and the microscopic look this book takes into events and memories. I also enjoyed how this book tied well into its cultural landscape with the references to the #MeToo movement and current affairs. I liked the character development of the brothers and the intensity of our relationship as a reader to their most vulnerable moments.

But I unfortunately think this isn't the book I was expecting from the blurb and from the author. A good read but not as enjoyable as Skin Deep. However I love this author and will continue to read this authors other books.

Thanks to the author Liz Nugent, Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A 3.5 star read. This book isn't for the faint of heart. From the outset this book dives into the criminal underbelly of London urban crime in the 21st century. As a reader,we are immersed from the first chapter into a world swarming with gang shootouts, drug dealers, postcode warfare and armed robbery. A world the author lived and breathed growing up. From this unique autobiographical perspective Gabriel Krauze helps the reader traverse a side of London far removed from the tourist hotspots the city is renown for. A brutal and harsh look at the cold reality of knife and gun crime in the English capital. This debut novel sears with an authentic vernacular style and a poignant reflective undertone.

I would have rated this novel higher as the own voices narrative of the criminal underworld of London is both powerful and breathtaking. However it just missed out on a 4 star rating as the length of the novel was too long for me and the development of the plot too slow.

Thanks to 4th Estate/William Collins, NetGalley and Gabriel Krauze for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a promising premise for an interesting autobiography/memoir by Kathy Varner about her life and experiences of familial The loss and developing depression. However I really struggled with quite a few elements of this book. First and foremost the structure and development of key plot points was very problematic. The first third of the book seemed to flit between random snippets of Kathys early life that didn't link up with one another or make much cohesive sense back to back. Then when she starts to progress the chronology of her story, she bombards the story with too many topics. This book would have benefited better from streamlining the main intentions of the book and allowing the mental health element or familial loss to take precedence over the story. As oppose to those two topics on top of her career developments, marriages and a brief random discussion on how a healthy diet can improve mental health at the end of the book. The ending was very abrupt and the formatting of the copy I received I found very frustrating as it has the title italicised in the middle of the text on every page.

However I did find some beautifully written passages in this book and found some real promise in her writing style. I would be interested to see how she would write fiction as there are certainly rays of brilliance in this book. I just think it required a bit more proof reading and editing.


Thanks to the author Kathy Varner and Voracious Readers Only for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this a compelling historical fiction set in Florida in the 1950s. Following the life of Bobby Lincoln, a black man trying to earn a living in America in the backdrop of civil unrest and unrelenting racism. Bobby desperate for money to support him and his partner,ends up embroiled in a kidnapping gone wrong and the consequences lead Bobby to question his faith and explore further his relationship with God. I really enjoyed the murder mystery elements of the book and the development of the court case. However this book was very slow in the beginning and I wasn't really sure what the point of the book was. It was trying to suggest some wider point on religion and faith but I felt the delivery of the message was a little flat and cliched.I really liked so many elements of this book but I think it felt a little unfinished. A promising author and overall a good book. I would read more from this author and I found the writing very strong and the character development very sound.

Thanks to the author John Isaac Jones and Voracious Readers Only for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A 3.5 star read. This is the third book in the Doc Brady murder mystery series. I cannot comment on the first two books in the series as I haven't read them but I did throughly enjoy this third instalment. Following Doc Brady an orthopaedic surgeon who develops a side hobby as an amateur detective, this book opens with the murder of Paul Thompson a wealthy and well renown business man in the local Texas area. When the local plastic surgeon is the prime suspect of the crime, Doc Brady finds himself embroiled in trying to find out who is responsible for the recent murder. I love the inflection of John Bishops medical knowledge and experience that are apparent in Doc Brady's character development and the thriller component was competently constructed. If you are looking for a new crime thriller series of books I would highly recommend. I will certainly be going back to read the first two books.

Thank you to Mantid Press, the author John Bishop MD and Netgalley for sending me a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first encounter with the author Joe Clifford and I am mightily impressed. Set in a small New England town, this gripping story takes you on a journey through the gritty underbelly of a seemingly perfect slice of suburbia. Murder, adultery, secrets and cover ups, this book has it all! So well written you just have to keep turning the page. A flawlessly woven plot line that had the perfect mix of suspense and development. A pure pleasure to read. Would highly recommend to thriller fans!

Thank you to Joe Clifford,Polis books and NetGalley for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fresh contemporary romance. This book has some juicy mystery elements as well as a strong and well developed romantic plot line. For fans of romance, this book has some steamy scenes in it which I am sure you will appreciate! A well written first book in the series. While I am not a big fan of romance novels I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes.

Thanks to the author M.J Andrews and Voracious Readers Only for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in one Sunday afternoon sitting. I found the plot compelling and realistic. Candace is the embodiment of the modern workaholic woman who seems to have it all : A bestselling book, a gorgeous husband and a thriving business. That is until some unforeseen circumstances occur, which tear down the foundations of her life. From there she has to work hard to walk the road to recovery and begin piecing her life back together. A very well written and enjoyable read. A great contemporary book that has a strong plot and focuses on the empowerment of strong female friendships and relationships.

Thanks to the author Leana Delle and Voracious Readers Only for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

4/4.5. A powerful biography of Sandra Pankhurst's life. What an incredible woman and what an incredible story. Thank you to Sarah for sharing this poignant and moving story with the world.

This is a text that should be covered in schools. It provides a rich and detailed look at race relations in the south of America during the 50s as well as the ways in which one persons actions can affect a whole town. A modern classic well worth reading.

4/4.5. A brilliantly funny and poignant read on the state of our NHS. A must read for everyone who supports our NHS. We need to acknowledge the positions we are putting our NHS staff into. We need to invest in better mental health for NHS staff. The NHS is for the staff who work there. Not just the patients. Invest in the future of the NHS. If we don't want more people to leave their careers in the NHS like Adam Kay, we need to put their needs first. Such a powerful memoir on Kay's experience working as a junior doctor.

This book lacked focus and an overarching purpose. Excessive repetition and rambling tangents galore. Coupled with spelling and grammar errors, this makes for very tedious reading. A click baity book. It titillates with graphic violence and horror and provides no academic argument or is informative in any constructive way.