The Sleepover - Keri Beevis

 

The Sleepover

When you’re a kid, you imagine monsters to have horns and fangs. That they hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. And you believe they can only come after you when it’s dark.

You don’t expect them to look like everyday people or that they may be someone you already know…

The summer in question started out with hot, fun-filled days and new friendships.

We had just turned thirteen and had our whole lives ahead of us.

But that was before her…

Before we became known as the Hixton Six and our lives become defined by one night.

It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since she was locked away.

But now she’s free and strange things have started to happen.

When I close my eyes, the creeping anxiety and fear is overwhelming and all too real.

Because the monster is back, and I know she has a score to settle with us.

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3o2ugfb

My Review:

Having read books by this author before, I thought I would be prepared for The Sleepover… but wow. A gripping and chilling thriller, with dark drama and a spooky tone, it kept my heart thudding throughout.

I always like to think I know what’s going to happen or who is responsible but this one kept me on my toes with some great twists and turns along the way. The writing style is one that keeps a reader in suspense, it’s easy enough to read whilst being really clever in leading us into false sense of security.

I was genuinely shocked by by the ending, I think I may have gasped or something out loud a few times too. 

Another fantastic read by Keri, definitely an author on my ‘must read’ list every time.

Highly recommended for thriller lovers! 

Author Bio:

Keri Beevis is the internationally bestselling author of Dying To Tell, Deep Dark Secrets, Trust No One, Every Little Breath and The People Next Door. Dying To Tell reached no. 1 in the Amazon chart in Australia and was a top 25 hit in the UK. Keri wrote her first novel at age twenty, but it was a further twenty years before she was published, after winning a contract in a competition run by a small press. She lives in Norfolk, along with her two naughty kitties, Ellie and Lola, and a plentiful supply of red wine (her writing fuel).

Social Media Links:

Facebook: Keri Beevis - Author | Facebook

Twitter: Keri Beevis (@keribeevis) / Twitter

Instagram: Keri Beevis (@keri.beevis) • Instagram photos and videos

Bookbub profile: Keri Beevis Books - BookBub

Scars - Dan Scottow

 

The wounds you can't see take the longest to heal...

In an isolated cottage on the banks of a Scottish loch, a reclusive couple take on a new live-in carer.

As Lucy gets to know her employers, she realises the house and the people in it aren’t what they seem. Is the house haunted or is something far more sinister living within the walls?

As secrets and lies begin to unravel, Lucy starts to question what is real. But one thing seems certain, if scars cannot heal, people will never forgive…

Purchase HERE

My Review:

WOW!

What an incredible, dramatic read; I was hooked from start to finish. From a dramatic and horrific opening, this thriller will have you eager to read every twist and turn. You will not want to put this down!

This is such a clever story, with details scattered throughout; some red herrings that will throw you off. I’m usually good at spotting things and having these books all figured out, but Dan Scottow stumped me until late on and even then, I was surprised.

I liked the characters; although ‘liked’ may be the wrong word. I liked that in terms of characters I didn’t know who to trust, who to believe, who to pity and who would come out on top by the end.

The location and how well its described adds to the tension; the idea of being so remote and away from things gives me the shivers just imagining.

This is Dan’s third book and the second I have read… his writing is fantastically descriptive and detailed; at one point I didn’t know if I dared switch out the light! The book is intense, with twists and turns galore, suspense and a thrilling finale.

If you are a fan of dark, dramatic, thrillers, I cannot recommend this highly enough. 

Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanScottow

Every Little Breath - Keri Beevis

 

How much could one phone call change your life?

‘Only you can save her. If she dies, it is your fault.’

When radio presenter, Casey Fallon, answers a call she assumes it is a prank. But then a woman’s body is discovered, and she finds herself up against a cruel and calculating killer who wants her to find his victims before they take their last breath.

Fifteen years ago, Casey was a key witness in the trial of serial killer, Steve Noakes, and her evidence helped put him behind bars for the murders of five women.

Someone remembers what happened that summer. Someone who is desperate for revenge. Someone who won’t stop until Casey has been punished.

‘You saved a life once. Can you do it again?’

The game is just beginning…

Number one bestselling author Keri Beevis is back with a breathtaking new psychological thriller which is simply too good to miss. It's the perfect read for fans of authors like Clare Mackintosh, Cara Hunter, Paula Hawkins.

 

My Review:

This is the first book I’ve read from Keri Beevis but I’m definite tat it will not be my last. Wow, what an incredible read.

Gripped from the start, this book took me on a thrilling, twisted journey to the very last page. There were moments I was holding my breath with anticipation or fear. The plot is complex and quite dark in its descriptions in places, I think there was a good balance between the descriptive, harrowing scenes where it was grim to imagine to the rest of the book.

I liked the pace of the storyline, nothing seemed to drag on at all and I was kept on my toes. I found it so engaging I read it completely in one fantastic afternoon. Very well written, I felt a vast range of emotions from disgusted to mortified, sympathetic to scared and intrigued.

A cast of characters so different and unique; there are nice, likeable characters, worrying and troublesome characters, honest characters who support Casey throughout, and those out to cause trouble. There are some real shocks in the latter part of the book, I didn’t see them coming, well except perhaps that final twist at the end.

I won’t go into depth regarding the plot as I think the beauty in this is not knowing and the synopsis sums it up perfectly.

I hope this is the start of a series as the ending left me wanting more, please say there will be more.

Dramatic, twisted and captivating. A must read!

Purchase Links

PAPERBACK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Little-Breath-Keri-Beevis/dp/1913942295
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1913942295

KINDLE
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Little-Breath-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B092DMJPQC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092DMJPQC

AUDIO
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Little-Breath/dp/B091BHWGND
https://www.amazon.com/Every-Little-Breath/dp/B091BHTWK5

GOODREADS
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56822669-every-little-breath

 

Author Bio:

Keri Beevis is the internationally bestselling author of Dying To Tell and Deep Dark Secrets. Her new psychological thriller, Trust No One, was released November 2020.

Keri lives in Norfolk, England, with her two naughty kitties, Ellie and Lola, and a plentiful supply of red wine (her writing fuel). She loves Hitchcock movies, exploring creepy places, and gets extremely competitive in local pub quizzes. She is also a self-confessed klutz.

 

Social Media Links – www.facebook.com/allaboutbeev

www.twitter.com/keribeevis

www.instagram.com/keribeevis/

Just My Luck - Adele Parks

It's the stuff dreams are made of - a lottery win so big, it changes everything.

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they've discussed the important stuff - the kids, marriages, jobs and houses - and they've laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner.

But then, one Saturday night, the unthinkable happens. There's a rift in the group. Someone doesn't tell the truth. And soon after, six numbers come up which change everything forever.

Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth £18 million. And their friends are determined to claim a share of it.

Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks returns with a riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping take on friendship, money and betrayal, and good luck gone bad...

My Review:

They say, ‘be careful what you wish for’ and this book encapsulates that perfectly. This twisted tale of greed and betrayal will have you on the edge of your seat, highlighting the appalling lows that some people would stoop to because of greed.

You would thinking hitting the jackpot would bring you endless happiness and you wouldn’t have to worry about a thing ever again – how wrong this can be,

Full of backstabbing, this group of characters are willing to pay each other off, lie, cheat and steal to get their hands on what they believe is rightly theirs; years of friendship and loyalty goes out the window and leaves some wondering who they can actually trust anymore. I enjoyed how it made you think, asking yourself those moral questions that if you were in this position how you would cope.

I liked Lexi; she is calm, not wanting to be extravagant and mindful of others. She wants to use the money to help others, selfless and not at all greedy unlike those around her who get carried away very quickly. Jake seems to change for the worse instantly, flashing the cash and showing off.

There is so much to this story, I had some ideas of what could happen as I read through, but I wasn’t expecting the darker twists along the way, with some dramatic, emotional scenes.

As with all of Adele Parks’ books the writing keeps you engaged, it’s full of emotion with characters you feel strongly about. I think at times you get swept away with the lavish lifestyle that the money can create, so the inclusion of Toma and his story balances perfectly. He is suffering, handling loss and grief, desperate to find justice for his wife and child.

A surprisingly dark tale spun from what many may dream to be the best moment of their lives. I recommend this one completely. An Adele Parks fan, I never fail to enjoy her writing, this is her 20^th book in 20 years – an amazing achievement and testament to her storytelling skills. I look forward to what will come next.

The Prized Girl - Amy K. Green

From debut author Amy K. Green comes a devastating tale of psychological suspense: a teen pageant queen is found murdered in a small New England town, and her sister’s search for answers unearths more than she bargained for.

Days after a young teenager named Jenny is found murdered, her small town grieves the loss alongside her picture-perfect parents. At first glance, Jenny’s tragic death appears clear-cut for investigators. In the murder of a former pageant queen from a safe and loving family, the most obvious suspect is a fan who got too close for comfort. But Jenny’s sarcastic, older half-sister Virginia isn’t so sure of his guilt and takes matters into her own hands to find the killer.

But for Jenny’s case and and Virginia’s investigation, there’s more to the story. Virginia, still living in town and haunted by her own troubled teenage years, suspects that a similar darkness lay beneath the sparkling veneer of Jenny’s life. Alternating between Jenny’s final days and Virginia’s determined search for the truth, the sisters’ dual narratives follow a harrowing trail of suspects, with surprising turns that race toward a shocking finale.From debut author Amy K. Green comes a devastating tale of psychological suspense: a teen pageant queen is found murdered in a small New England town, and her sister’s search for answers unearths more than she bargained for.

Days after a young teenager named Jenny is found murdered, her small town grieves the loss alongside her picture-perfect parents. At first glance, Jenny’s tragic death appears clear-cut for investigators. In the murder of a former pageant queen from a safe and loving family, the most obvious suspect is a fan who got too close for comfort. But Jenny’s sarcastic, older half-sister Virginia isn’t so sure of his guilt and takes matters into her own hands to find the killer.

But for Jenny’s case and and Virginia’s investigation, there’s more to the story. Virginia, still living in town and haunted by her own troubled teenage years, suspects that a similar darkness lay beneath the sparkling veneer of Jenny’s life. Alternating between Jenny’s final days and Virginia’s determined search for the truth, the sisters’ dual narratives follow a harrowing trail of suspects, with surprising turns that race toward a shocking finale.
From debut author Amy K. Green comes a devastating tale of psychological suspense: a teen pageant queen is found murdered in a small New England town, and her sister’s search for answers unearths more than she bargained for.

Days after a young teenager named Jenny is found murdered, her small town grieves the loss alongside her picture-perfect parents. At first glance, Jenny’s tragic death appears clear-cut for investigators. In the murder of a former pageant queen from a safe and loving family, the most obvious suspect is a fan who got too close for comfort. But Jenny’s sarcastic, older half-sister Virginia isn’t so sure of his guilt and takes matters into her own hands to find the killer.

But for Jenny’s case and Virginia’s investigation, there’s more to the story. Virginia, still living in town and haunted by her own troubled teenage years, suspects that a similar darkness lay beneath the sparkling veneer of Jenny’s life. Alternating between Jenny’s final days and Virginia’s determined search for the truth, the sisters’ dual narratives follow a harrowing trail of suspects, with surprising turns that race toward a shocking finale.

My Review:


A fantastic debut from Amy K. Green, I thoroughly enjoyed this tense, thrilling drama. I will look forward to what comes next from Green.


With the whole town morning local beauty queen, 16-year-old Jenny, we read on as her sister, haunted by her own childhood issues, seeks the truth about what happened.


 The story is told from both Jenny’s point of view and that of her much older sister, Virginia. We see that Jenny isn’t the happy, sweet and innocent girl people think she is whilst Virginia isn’t the selfish, loner we may have initially thought. The different perspectives help the story unfold in a brilliant way, and as we got further into the book, I realised there would be more twists and turns more than I thought would. 


The characters are not the most ‘likeable’ but I didn’t mind that at all with this book, in fact in was interesting to see the flaws or issues with each one. I did sympathise for some of them and it was clear to see they were only the way they were because of the actions and treatment from others. 


It is a real, interwoven, dark story that kept me gripped. It was very well written and paced nicely, not much given away too soon but just enough to keep me interested throughout.

The ending – oh the ending! Not at all what I expected, and if I’m honest still not entirely sure what I think but it was different. Also left me wondering if we would be seeing some more from this set of characters.


A book I will happily recommend to others. 


Thank you to HQ for a copy of this book to read and review honestly.  

The Little Book Cafe: Tash's story - Georgia Hill

This is the first Georgia Hill book I have read (I'm sure it won't be the last). I read it in one sitting in about an hour and a half so a fairly easy book to pick up when you want something to delve into but maybe not commit a massive amount of time.

I have no prior knowledge of any of previous books so wasn't aware or familiar with the characters but I believe that if you have read previous titles you would be. I don't think it changes your enjoyment of this book, as a standalone it works well too. I didn't feel I'd missed out. This is the first in a set of three new stories and focuses on Tash.

Tash is in a relationship with Adrian and immediately, I realised this was not a woman in a happy relationship. She was off with friends, in a bad mood and really not a happy lady. You come to see how, although she loves the comfortable and lavish lifestyle Adrian can give her, she doesn't love him and in fact she comes to realise he isn't treating her that well at all. Possessive, controlling and demeaning - Adrian is not the type of man Tash wants to be with let alone marry.

Tash meets someone at the new book club in town, becomes friends and with their help, and a series of incidents Tash realises she needs to move on with her life in her own way.
After events take a really dark turn, Tash manages to escape and turns to the one person she knows will treat her well. 

Some aspects of the story annoyed me - the thinly veiled 'fat shaming' vibe of Tash towards Amy, "She could eat the whole picnic" - I felt were just mean and made me dislike her a bit. Not that I think she should go through all she does but it seemed she has turned into the bully she didn't like at school. Maybe projecting her own insecurities on others but I didn't really feel it necessary to be mean towards others.

Overall I liked it and would read all others by the author. There is a darker storyline than the pretty front cover may portray. It is an easy read with some decent characters.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I invited her in - Adele Parks

Available here on Amazon 

Mel hears from a long-lost friend out of the blue; they are in need of help and so lovely Mel  doesn’t hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends at Uni, sharing the highs and lows of student life until Mel’s unplanned pregnancy made her drop out .
Seventeen years later, Mel and Abi’s lives couldn’t be more different. Mel is happily married and has a chaotic but happy family home, with three children. Abi married and moved to LA for a glamourous life of celebrity. Everything was perfect, until she discovered her partner had been cheating. Abi needs a true friend to lean on, to share her grief over a glass of wine, and to have some time to heal. Thinking of her dear old friend Mel, she realises there would be no better place to heal than in a family home. 'I invited her in' is a dark tale of the reunion of long-lost friends and is a gripping exploration of wanting what you can’t have, jealousy and revenge. 

This story is predominantly told from Mel’s point of view with occasional chapters focusing on other characters. I enjoyed seeing certain parts from another characters perspective, I think it definitely adds something extra to the story - you get a more well rounded view of events - for good or bad. 

The story line for this book is a good idea, its definitely full of little twists and turns - some may be a little predictable but you are still caught off guard at times - some events in this book are not at all what I imagined.  It isn't always a fault of the writer that we can predict some of the story, all book lovers read enough to be able to do it - the twists that you don't necessarily coming in 'I invited her in' are gripping and well placed. 

It took a few chapters for it to really get going but once it did I was committed in seeing what exactly what happening.I was well and truly invested in finding out exactly what Abi was planning to do and how Mel fit into her scheming.

I thought the characters were good, if frustrating. Mel did come across as a bit of a damp squib in many ways, a bit pathetic - she is very easily led by Abi - for a 'friend' she hadn't seen for a very long time she was soon siding with Abi over Ben and forsaking their relationship for the one she is rebuilding with her friend. You want to like Mel, and I did pity all she went through, but I felt she could have been stronger, she should have listened to her husband Ben. Ben on the whole is a nice man, hard working and can see that Abi is not someone to have around for long but I felt he could've tried harder to pull Mel away from Abi and trusted his gut instinct.  I didn't trust Abi from the beginning, her whole appearance and demeanour put me on edge, early on you realise all is not what it seems with her and soon you see how she enjoys her hold over Mel.

This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster - experiencing the turmoil of the characters involved. Adele Parks provides a dramatic tale - a story full of revenge and betrayal that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. It gives us a look at how we are so eager to trust, especially if it comes from a place of regret and that you never really know what anyone is willing to do to get exactly what they want. 

I am not 100% sure I would agree with this as just a 'thriller' - perhaps a darker chick-lit with added extras but I enjoyed it anyway. Once I'd got into it I was very eager to see how things progressed and couldn't put it down. I would recommend for a good, well written book by a very popular and respected author.

Comfy Rating: 👍👍👍👍