book review

Book Review: One Lucky Summer by Jenny Oliver

Posted on by Libby Price

I’ve long been a Jenny Oliver fan – and not just because one of her back catalogue features my name as the main character (charity auction bid from my husband) Her summery books are always great fun – but somehow I’d been sent this on NetGalley and it had passed me by – but what a perfect book to read on my summer holiday, and if you like the sound of it, then it’s out already.

Here’s the blurb:

“The best kept secrets are waiting to be found.         
With an air of faded splendour, Willoughby Hall was an idyllic childhood home to Ruben de Lacy. Gazing at it now, decades later, the memories are flooding back, and not all of them are welcome….
In a tumbledown cottage in Willoughby’s grounds, Dolly and Olive King lived with their eccentric explorer father. One of the last things he did was to lay a treasure hunt before he died, but when events took an unexpected turn, Dolly and Olive left Willoughby for good, never to complete it.
But when Ruben uncovers a secret message, hidden for decades, he knows he needs Olive and Dolly’s help. Can the three of them solve the treasure hunt, and will piecing together the clues help them understand what happened to their families that summer, all those years ago?”

This was a lovely, quick, fun read – I devoured it in a day!

It’s quite an ensemble piece and you’re invested in everyone’s lives. Whilst there is the standard summer romance you’d expect – it’s much more than that – looking at loads of different relationships. Siblings, parental, extended family, unexpected child, colleagues, childhood sweethearts etc etc – and all sat with the beautiful backdrop of Willoughby Hall.

The treasure hunt aspect was also fun – although I wouldn’t say as central as the blurb suggests – but still intriguing.

My only complaint is I want to find out what happens to the gang next!!

It’s only 99p on Kindle – and totally worth less than a cup of coffee.

Book Review: The Chateau by Catherine Cooper

Posted on by Libby Price

I very much enjoyed Catherine Cooper’s first novel – The Chalet – which became a Sunday Times Bestseller – and so when the publisher emailed to see if I fancied reading her second novel, I jumped at the chance and downloaded an ARC from NetGalley. Here’s the blurb:

“They thought it was perfect. They were wrong…
A glamorous chateau
Aura and Nick don’t talk about what happened in England. They’ve bought a chateau in France to make a fresh start, and their kids need them to stay together – whatever it costs.
A couple on the brink
The expat community is welcoming, but when a neighbour is murdered at a lavish party, Aura and Nick don’t know who to trust.
A secret that is bound to come out…
Someone knows exactly why they really came to the chateau. And someone is going to give them what they deserve.”

I romped through this second book from Catherine Cooper enjoying it just as much as The Chalet. I was expecting twists and turns and unexpected things happening – and I was not disappointed!

The book follows 2 timelines – Aura and Nick and their kids having moved to France – and back in England where you know ‘something’ has happened. Flicking back and forth between the timelines really kept up the momentum of the book.

Aura is a typical wannabe Instagram influencer – sharing her life and her kids on public social media channels, and inviting a film crew to document their move to France so she can have her 15 minutes of fame. I have to say, I didn’t really like Aura at all. But then equally I didn’t really like Nick either! Sometimes not liking / empathising with the main characters takes away from the enjoyment of the book – but in this case it didn’t – possibly because bad things kept happening to them!!

It takes pretty much the entire book for both timelines to unravel and to see how they are entwined. As I said, I was expecting a big twist – just like in The Chalet – and there were a couple! And again, I’m not sure I would have spotted them even if I’d known from the start what they would be.

All in all this is not a ‘difficult second album’ of a book – it’s fabulous!

Book Review: ‘Mum, What’s Wrong With You?’ 101 Things Only Mothers of Teenage Girls Will Know by Lorraine Candy

Posted on by Libby Price

I’ve followed Lorraine Candy’s writing and social media for years – and more recently become a listener to her ‘Postcards from Midlife’ podcast that she presents with fellow glossy magazine editor alumni Trish Halpin. Lorraine and I both have 4 kids, 3 daughters and a son (although in a different birth order – I’m sounding like I’m in serious stalker territory I appreciate!) and a similar age range (9 – 18 in this family, I think it’s one year to the right in the Candy household). Consequently I’ve always been interested in Lorraine’s take on a busy family life. The podcast has been massively informative on many issues – particularly the perimenopause – but it’s also been interesting to hear Lorraine and Trish’s take on parenting teens. When I knew Lorraine had written a book, I immediately pre ordered it. Here’s the blurb for non podcast listeners:

“Mums: are you feeling lonely, confused or worried? Are you panicking that maybe you’re getting everything wrong? Does it, in the words of Lorraine Candy’s own teenage daughter, ‘suck to be you’ (Mum) right now?
Welcome to the most challenging part of your parenting journey: the teenage years.
It was all going so well and then, out of the blue, the little girl you love to the moon and back turned into an irrational, fire-breathing dragon. She lives in a messy pit of wet towels and sticky mugs, hoarding other people’s phone chargers and eyebrow tweezers, while rudely rejecting maternal intervention or affection.
Do not worry. You’re not alone. Parenting columnist Lorraine Candy, a mum of four (including three teens), is here to help. Her warm and witty family memoir will lead you to a more harmonious parenting place. Alongside a wealth of hilarious personal anecdotes, Candy offers you useful, easy-to-follow, well-researched guidance from experts.
This is a survivor’s guide for mums. This book will help you connect with your daughter and feel good about your mothering as you raise the bright and brilliant young women of tomorrow.”

I have to say that due to the title of the book and the cover, I was expecting a list of 101 things then padded out – but that was not the case at all! In fact I’m not sure there were 101 things – but there was an awful lot of content. Early on Lorraine acknowledges her middle class white privilege – and I’m in a similar position and thus her experiences were fairly relevant to mine – but I do think people of different ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic positions might find this is not necessarily the book for them. Having said that – there are many recommendations for extended reading that do cover other issues of race etc.

I think I’m also lucky that I have lots of friends with teenage girls a similar age to mine – and so some of the ‘OMG it’s not just my daughter’ have already been discussed and dissected with them – but that was a really important element of the book, realising that the weird teenage behaviour is totally normal and the same for others the globe over. Teenage girls in Birmingham, UK and Chicago, USA just don’t see the mess in their bedrooms, for example!!!

Lots of big topics are discussed – but it’s filled with light hearted anecdotes as well as heavy hitting professional advice.

I actually recounted one part to a friend recently – about being a pot plant parent – sitting quietly in the room without making yourself known, but you’re always there if needed.

Having ‘big conversations’ whilst side by side is a tactic I’ve long employed – car drives being the optimum – but is something Lorraine recommends too.

It provides a lot of food for thought – and confirms you are not alone (yep, I did break into song as I typed that…………). I’d definitely recommend it for people with teenage – or pre teen – daughters, and in some areas for sons too. It was interesting reading it with a recently adult daughter (legally at least) and two other pre teens – not that I’m saying the first one was a practice run or anything!!

Book Review: Magpie by Elizabeth Day

Posted on by Libby Price

I have historically enjoyed Elizabeth Day’s books – both fiction and non fiction. And have listened avidly to the last series of her podcast ‘How To Fail with Elizabeth Day’ – where she has a fabulously eclectic mix of guests talking about their ‘failures’. When I saw she had a new novel out – I dived on NetGalley to request a copy and was very kindly granted one. Here’s the blurb:

“Sometimes Marisa gets the fanciful notion that Kate has visited the house before. She makes herself at home without any self-consciousness. She puts her toothbrush right there in the master bathroom, on the shelf next to theirs.
In Jake, Marisa has found everything she’s ever wanted. Then their new lodger Kate arrives.
Something about Kate isn’t right. Is it the way she looks at Marisa’s boyfriend? Sits too close on the sofa? Constantly asks about the baby they are trying for? Or is it all just in Marisa’s head?
After all, that’s what her Jake keeps telling her. And she trusts him – doesn’t she?
But Marisa knows something is wrong. That the woman sleeping in their house will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Marisa just doesn’t know why.
How far will she go to find the answer – and how much is she willing to lose?“

Ooh – this is GOOD! It’s not often I dole out a 5* review on NetGalley – but this is definitely a book that deserves one. It is incredibly well written, it feels like a grown up, ‘proper’ book – if that doesn’t sound too wanky?! It feels like care and attention has been made to the words and sentence structure and how it is all presented – as if it has been properly crafted and not just rushing to get the story down.

The book starts with Marisa and Jake and their new relationship. Jake is quite repressed with his emotions – but Marisa is madly in love and desperate to start a family with him. Her friend Jas is wary of it all going a bit quickly – but accepts the situation. Jake is the main breadwinner – but when a deal goes tits up he can no longer fund everything and so they get a lodger – Kate. Marisa is somewhat suspicious of Kate and her motives and feels she’s trying to get her claws into Jake as time progresses.

Then THERE IS A MASSIVE TWIST! It is brilliant. I’m not going to even hint at what it is – but it is amazing and really well written. I hate reviews that give stuff away – and so I’m not going to!

Whilst the story focusses on the 3 main characters of Marisa, Jake and Kate – the interweaving of additional characters, and back stories, is done really well. Are Jake’s parents misunderstood? Supportive? Spiteful? Downright evil?

There is also an element of infertility that is discussed in a really perceptive way. Ms Day has been very open about her own fertility journey and so this part of the storyline feels really well written and personal and consequently emotive.

I loved this book and devoured it very quickly. It’s out at the beginning of September – and I would highly recommend pre ordering it immediately.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Book Review: The Couple at No 9 by Claire Douglas

Posted on by Libby Price

I’ve been lucky enough to have read the last two books by Claire Douglas, and so when I was offered the chance to read her next one in advance of its publication – I said yes please!

Here’s the blurb:

“When pregnant Saffron Cutler and her boyfriend Tom move into 9 Skelton Place, they didn’t expect to find this.
Two bodies, buried under the patio over thirty years ago.
When the police launch a murder investigation, they ask to speak to the cottage’s former owner – Saffy’s grandmother, Rose, whose Alzheimer’s clouds her memory.
But it is clear she remembers something . . .
What happened thirty years ago?
What part did her grandmother play?
And is Saffy now in danger? . . .“

The book kicks you off right into the deep end with a body found in the garden of Saffy and Tom’s house as they’re having an extension built. Quickly followed by a second corpse. They’ve only recently moved in having been gifted the house by Saffy’s grandmother who has moved into a home suffering with dementia – although Saffy never knew her Grandmother owned the house in the quaint village Beggars Nook before that.

There is then, obviously, an investigation into who these two bodies are.

Saffy’s Mum Lorna flies over from Spain – where she’s living with her current younger man – and they visit their Grandmother / Mother Rose discussing with her – through the clouds of Alzheimers – who the victims may be.

Some of the chapters are told from the point of view of Saffy, some by Lorna, some by Rose – and some by Theo – a seemingly unconnected chef from Yorkshire with a horrible father. You suspect that he must be connected (otherwise it would be a very strange book!) but you don’t know why.

There are LOADS of twists and turns. Some of these I guessed and some I didn’t. I actually quite liked that as I could feel smug when I pre guessed a twist – but still be shocked with some of them!

It continued at pace – and consequently I was desperate to keep reading as it was so good and really kept my interest.

Whilst being a murder mystery at heart – the book also looks at parent / child relationships in great depth – and all in quite unique ways.

Overall this was a great read and I would highly recommend it. It was originally planned to be published today – but has been pushed back until the end of September 2021 – so plenty of time to pre order!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an independent review.

Book Review: Underbelly by Anna Whitehouse

Posted on by Libby Price

I have followed Anna Whitehouse (@mother_pukka) on social media for a while, and then recently she’s been a maternity cover for the afternoon show on our local West Midlands Heart radio station – which I have long listened to and blogged about and so I feel like I’ve got to know her better (I’m not a weird stalker, honest!) I knew that Anna had written non fiction books with her husband Matt Farquharson, and then heard her talking about their first foray into fiction on the Scummy Mummies podcast. Yes – I did write ‘their’, and no it does just say Anna Whitehouse on the cover. This is apparently because fiction books can only have one named author – who knew!?! This also makes sense when other writing duos have chosen a pen name – such as Ellery Lloyd with ‘People Like Her’ – I hadn’t realised the significance of having a single name. (There endeth the random lesson in fiction publishing.)

Anyway – Anna’s description of ‘Underbelly’ really appealed, so I immediately requested – and was kindly granted – a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review – so here we go. For anyone who hasn’t heard Anna’s synopsis (but the Scummy Mummies podcast is always good for LOLs, so maybe use Anna’s episode as a taster?) here’s the blurb:

“UNDERBELLY
[n.] singular
The soft underside or abdomen of a mammal.
An area vulnerable to attack.
A dark, hidden part of society.

Lo and Dylan are living parallel lives, worlds apart.
Lo is the ultimate middle-class mother, all perfectly polished Instagram posts and armchair activism.
Dylan is just about surviving on a zero-hours telemarketing job from her flat, trying to keep food on the table.
But when they meet at the school gates, they are catapulted into each other’s homes and lives – with devastating consequences . . .
Explosive, sharply humorous and unflinchingly honest, Underbelly slices through the filtered surface of modern women’s lives to expose the dark truth beneath.“

The book is told from the point of view of two Mums – Lois and Dylan, as described above – living incredibly different lives. Their paths cross – well actually paths physically bump into each other – before their kids start at the same primary school in reception, but when the kids become friends, Lo and Dylan become better acquainted.

Now – very early on in the book there is an incredibly graphic miscarriage scene. I’m very fortunate that I’ve had 4 straightforward pregnancies, and never lost a baby, but I can imagine this could be quite difficult for some people to read. In fact that book doesn’t shy away from heavy topics at all – with self harm, loneliness, suicide and emotional and physical abuse all woven through the storyline – but not in an off putting way, it’s just not a light and fluffy read – despite the pink cover.

Lo was incredibly self absorbed and self obsessed – desperate to get likes / hit the algorithms / keep her management and sponsors happy / respond to all of her followers comments and messages. This definitely made me think that there is more to this Instamum lark than just posting photos of your neutral kids in your neutral home with your neutral husband. Lo is also worried about a site called Influenza – where people can anonymously slag off Instamums or other celebrities without fear of reprisal. I saw in other reviews that this was based on a site called Tattle – which I’d never heard of. I made the mistake of going on there and it is VICIOUS. It’s also pretty sad that some people have so little going on it their lives that they spend their time forensically dissecting posts on Instagram to then go and slag posters off on Tattle to like minded individuals. Just plain horrible.

Meanwhile Dylan was having a really tough time of it as single Mum, on the run from an abusive ex (and her son Noah’s father) and trying to earn a living cold calling selling water coolers (again, it made me decide to be slightly less rude to cold callers to my office in the future).

The friendship between Lois’s daughter Scout and Dylan’s son Noah starts on the first day of Reception – and it really showed that kids don’t care who is who in the playground – they like who they like.

In the middle of the book I did feel like the storyline didn’t really go anywhere for a while – but I guess that cleverly reflects the relentlessness and monotony of both motherhood and Instamums??

Lo tries to help Dylan – by giving Noah free clothes, paying her to use Noah’s image in some posts, sharing Dylan’s blog to all of her followers – and this helps Dylan in her aspirations as a writer – but it does all very much feel like Lady Bountiful Lo helping poor little Dylan.

Then various turns of events cause everything to go tits up for both women – and this is written brilliantly with the momentum of everything spiralling out of control totally consuming. It really makes you think how one error of judgment can cause someone to be completely cancelled. Frightening really.

And I was left wanting to know what happened to the women and their children next – which is always the sign of a good book.

Overall it was a really interesting and thought provoking read. It’s definitely made me stop and think. I wasn’t going to subscribe to Tattle or anything – but when I recently described an Instamum’s feed as ‘vacuous shite’ to a friend, it made me realise I can just click the ‘unfollow’ button, it doesn’t affect me one iota, and she can post whatever she wants – meanwhile I’ll go and find someone with content I find more inspiring. Knowing that the book has been written from a place of personal experience by Anna Whitehouse also makes it all the more relevant and meaningful.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Orion Books for my advance review copy – and it’s out later this week if you are interested in delving behind the social media curtain yourself!

Book Review: You And Me On Vacation by Emily Henry

Posted on by Libby Price

I loved Emily Henry’s last book – Beach Read – and so when I was offered an ARC of her new book, I jumped at the chance!

Here’s the blurb:

“*From the bestselling author of Beach Read comes a new sparkling novel sure to leave you with that post-holiday glow, also known as People We Meet On Vacation*
TWO FRIENDS
TEN SUMMER TRIPS
THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE
12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again.
11 SUMMERS AGO: They’re forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.
10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way.
7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.
2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong.
THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.
You and Me on Vacation is a New York Times bestselling love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally and One Day. Get ready to travel the world, snort with laughter and – most of all – lose your heart to Poppy and Alex.””

The book follows the present day – when Poppy and Alex have been estranged for a couple of years, but end up going on a trip together – and then flips back in time to the first summer they meant and their subsequent annual trips.

The present day trip is to Palm Springs (which I only know is where John Barrowman and his husband live #randomfact) – whilst the historic trips are all over the place – so there are plenty of different settings for the book. You know that something ‘bad’ happened 2 years ago – but it’s quite late on in the book before you discover what that was (and I have to say I was a little underwhelmed with that part of the storyline).

Poppy is quite outgoing and up for anything – whereas Alex is a lot more restrained – and the story uses these traits, and when they act out from their ‘normal’ behaviour really well.

I liked the descriptions of Poppy’s childhood home and her parents – who clearly loved her very much, even if she was slightly embarrassed about them (but isn’t that the role of parents of teenagers to be embarrassing?!)

It is a fairly predictable ‘will friends become lovers?’ story – but with enough twists and turns to keep you interested and intrigued. Perfect as a simple holiday read with a cocktail in hand at the same time.

Overall I didn’t love it quite as much as ‘Beach Read’ but it was still a very enjoyable book. Thank you to the publisher for my ARC – but I’m a few weeks behind the times, so if you fancy the sound of it, it’s already available to buy.

Book Review: The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club Book 2) by Richard Osman

Posted on by Libby Price

I, like literally millions of others, loved the first ‘The Thursday Murder Club‘ book by Richard Osman – so when the publisher asked if I’d like an advance review copy of the second book in the series through NetGalley I danced a jig around my office! I downloaded it immediately and it took precedence over the ever increasing TBR pile. I devoured it in days.

Here’s the blurb:

“It’s the following Thursday.
Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?
But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?”

It was so brilliant to be reunited with the Thursday Murder Club Gang! It felt like meeting up with old friends again. I guess the book would stand up on its own – and you don’t HAVE to have read the first book – but let’s face it, you probably have anyway! And it would make much more sense with all of the back story in place too.

You are not only reunited with the main 4 characters of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron who live in the Coopers Chase retirement village and are members of the Thursday Murder Club – but also the supporting cast of Chris and Donna from the local police (and Donna’s Mum who is now seeing Chris!) and the septuagenarian’s ‘fixer’ Bogdan.

Whilst the missing diamonds and the relationship to Elizabeth’s past is the main storyline – it is interweaved with other stories too – the local mafia, local drug dealer, violent street crime, Chris and Donna’s love lives and classic entries in Joyce’s diary (her foray onto Instagram is amazing – and I do feel she is channelling my late Nan!!)

It romps through – again with Richard Osman’s voice loud throughout the writing – but I have to say I loved it.

I liked the fact you already knew the characters, and it felt like you were moving forward with the story and their relationships. Again – this would make an excellent film / TV series (and given the rights for the first book were snapped up by Mr Spielberg – I suspect this book will be too!) There was no ‘difficult second album’ about this sequel at all – it was as good, if not better, than the first in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC – I’m looking forward to book three already!

Book Review: How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

Posted on by Libby Price

I am lucky enough to be sent loads of advance review copies of books to read – often unsolicited from publishers. But when I heard that Bella Mackie had written her first fiction book, I actively sought out a copy on NetGalley! I love Bella’s writing style (and podcasting and Instagram styles) and so was keen to see what her foray into non non-fiction would be like.

Here’s the blurb:

“I have killed several people (some brutally, others calmly) and yet I currently languish in jail for a murder I did not commit.
When I think about what I actually did, I feel somewhat sad that nobody will ever know about the complex operation that I undertook. Getting away with it is highly preferable, of course, but perhaps when I’m long gone, someone will open an old safe and find this confession. The public would reel. After all, almost nobody else in the world can possibly understand how someone, by the tender age of 28, can have calmly killed six members of her family. And then happily got on with the rest of her life, never to regret a thing.
A wickedly dark romp about class, family, love… and murder.
Outrageously funny, compulsive and subversive, perfect for fans of Killing Eve and My Sister, the Serial Killer.“

I really enjoyed this book from the start. It’s dark and funny and brilliantly observed – just as I expected it to be based on Bella’s previous output.

It’s written from the point of view of Grace Bernard who is in prison for a murder she didn’t commit. However, there have been plenty of murders she did commit that she escaped justice for – and she decides to use the time in prison to write her memoir. The book flits between the present day in prison back to Grace’s childhood and then through the various murders. Grace is clearly a really dark character – capable of multiple murders – but despite that, you still really like her and are rooting for her! It did remind me of the TV series ‘Killing Eve’ and the film ‘Promising Young Woman’ in that way.

The descriptions of the murders are like mini films in their own right (perfect episodes of a TV series should any TV execs be reading this?!) and each setting is really well written and evokes the relevant atmosphere, be that the Costa del Sol / marshlands / Monaco / seedy sex clubs – it’s nothing if not varied. (I should point out I have no actual experience of seedy sex clubs when making this comment!)

Whilst I am no way claiming that Bella herself could be a serial killer – there are definitely elements of Grace that remind me of Bella, such as helping her mental health with running (although no mention of pausing her runs for window and door photos?) and a love of beautiful accessories.

The observations of different ‘types’ of people are spot on – be they the do gooder virtual signalling posh woman, to the business tycoon and his ‘new money’ family, to the petty criminal cell mate, to the braces wearing barrister – you will DEFINITELY recognise people you know (or have read about in celebrity magazines). It’s so clever and slick and sharp and bitchy – but in a fabulous way.

Now you know this book isn’t going to have a saccharine sweet fairy tale ending, with everyone living happily ever after – but I did not expect the massive twists of the last few chapters – it was brilliant and perfect for the book. I was actually really sad to finish the book – which is always the sign of a good read I guess.

‘How To Kill Your Family’ is out in July 2021 and I would highly recommend you pre order it now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Murder of Graham Catton by Katie Lowe

Posted on by Libby Price

I was lucky enough to be given an advance review copy of ‘The Murder of Graham Catton’ by the publisher – and I am so glad I was, as it’s BRILLIANT (and out now #drowninginbooks). Here’s the blurb:

“Ten years ago, Hannah Catton’s husband was brutally murdered in their home.
The murderer was convicted. The case was closed.
But now a podcast called Conviction is investigating this horrific crime – and they have Hannah in their sights.
Someone knows more than they’re letting on, and listeners are about to become judge, jury and executioner as they undercover the truth about the murder of Graham Catton.”

The book follows two timelines – back in 2008 when Hannah’s husband Graham is murdered – and then in 2018 when a true crime podcast decides to investigate the crime, as the lad convicted for it has always protested his innocence. The book is very clever at showing the way now, in the age of social media, that something like a podcast can bring a ‘pile on’ to the people / victims / potential murderers that is a curse of our age. It’s frightening to see how that develops. It’s also disturbing (and I suspect true in real life) how many people are prepared to sell out a friend or family member for the sake of their 15 minutes of fame in a podcast.

During the book Hannah appears to be something of an unreliable narrator. She claims no memory of what happened a decade ago and is clearly ‘haunted’ by her dead husband. Hannah also works at a psychiatric facility for teenage girls with eating disorders – and her knowledge as a psychiatrist is evident in her own musings but also in her relationship with her family and friends – as she’s hyper aware of what they may be thinking of her and themselves. I do think that sometimes stops Hannah from opening up to people and admitting how she’s feeling as she doesn’t want to be judged. If she’d just talked to people it could have changed various outcomes.

The relationship between Hannah and her daughter Evie in both timelines is written really well. From the small innocent child when her father was murdered, to the slightly stroppy teenager when everything is brought up again 10 years later. I found this a really believable element of the book (being the mother of a teenage daughter – and with a pre teen called Evie!). I also loved the relationship between Hannah’s new partner Dan, and Evie – he was a great step Dad and clearly provided stability for Evie when her Mum was being a bit flaky.

Hawkwood House looms large – literally and figuratively – in the book. It’s an old psychiatric facility where Hannah’s Grandmother was incarcerated for murdering her husband and child. It has a magnetic hold over Hannah – and when she randomly bumps into an ex colleague who is hoping to refurbish it and start her own facility for women only, it really piques Hannah’s interest. The descriptions of the house and it’s decaying condition before the refurbishment starts is brilliantly described – and quite scary.

Throughout the book there are twists and turns, and you’re not sure who you should be suspicious of! I’d suspected loads of different people in both timelines and still didn’t get either right – which I think shows what a great book this is.

It is quite dark – and there are some pretty gruesome descriptions at times – but that just added to the content. It’s really well written and the characters really well constructed.

It’s pretty rare for me to give 5 stars on Net Galley – I have to be blown away to click on that 5th star – but this is a full house of stars from me. A really excellent crime / mystery / thriller read.