Book Review: The Sister by Louise Jensen

Source: Bought

The Sister is my very first book from Louise Jensen. I was hearing a lot about this book and decided to give it a try.

The story centres around Grace and her friendship with Charlie. There is Grace in the past when she arrived to live with her grandparents and meets Charlie for the very first time. Also, there is Grace in the present, who suffers from the loss of her best friend and tries to fix things right. Grace in the past has a skeleton in the closet and feels guilty about it. And Charlie is always there to make things easier for her. They even bury a little box to open up when they grow up. But year after year, Charlie becomes strange and distant. She also tries to find her biological father. But her sudden death stops her. Years later, Grace feels guilty for Charlie's death and decides to do something in her memory. Grace decides to find Charlie's father. Instead of her father, she finds her sister. A young woman who claims to be the daughter of the man who is Charlie's father. Grace welcomes her into her home and tries to find in her the sister she lost when Charlie died.

Blood Lines (D.I. Kim Stone #5) by Angela Marsons - Book Review

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here we are! Book number five and still not enough! How does she do it?

Blood Lines is the fifth book in the DI Kim Stone series. And Angela Marsons did it again! I still can't get enough of her books. With every book next in the row, the author makes me more and more addictive to her writing. I absolutely love her books.

This time, Kim Stone's arch enemy is back. Alex Thorne is in prison, but she still feels like the puppet master and has a plan: to destroy Kim Stone. She plays with human minds, she knows which buttons to push. Anything to get what she needs.

Kim and Bryant have a tough case to solve. A woman has been killed, probably a robbery went wrong. But everything is there, every piece of jewellery, every single pound in the wallet. Who wanted the murder to look like a robbery?

But when a young girl, a local drug addict, is killed the same way, Kim knows that these two cases are connected. Nothing connects the two victims, except the way they were killed. Are these killings work of a serial killer?

In the very same time, Kim's private life turns upside down. Her mother has been in a mental hospital for years since she killed Kim's little brother. Now, Kim receives a note that her mother is going to be released. Her behaviour has been very much improved since Kim started to send her letters full of forgiveness. But Kim hasn't sent a single piece of paper. What the hell is going on?

Wow! If I have to explain this book with one word, it would be WOW! If I have to explain this book with three words, they would be OH MY GOD! I can't stop reading till finishing it! It is fifth in the series and I still can't get enough of it. I have no idea where the author finds the inspiration and the energy for so many books for such a short time, but she is amazing. Angela Marsons definitely knows her job and knows how to keep your hair stand on the neck till the very last page.

What to say more?

READ THE BOOK! I TOTALLY RECOMMEND IT!

My opinion: 5 / 5.

See How They Run by Tom Bale-Book Review

How far would you go to save your family? In the dead of night, new parents Alice and Harry French are plunged into their worst nightmare when they wake to find masked men in their bedroom. Men ruthless enough to threaten their baby daughter, Evie. This is no burglary gone wrong. The intruders know who they’re looking for – a man called Edward Renshaw. And they are prepared to kill to get to him. When the men leave empty handed, little do Alice and Harry realise that their nightmare is just beginning. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Who is Renshaw? And what is he hiding? One thing is clear – they already know too much.

Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Your home is a sacred place. It is your sanctuary where you feel safe and loved. It is your harbor. And what to do when someone destroys that?

Harry and Alice have a perfect home. Lovely house in a quiet neighborhood., perfect for raising their little baby girl. But then, one night, an intruder is in the house. Intruders.

The invaders in their home do unimaginable and horrible things to them. And for what? They are looking for some man Renshaw who supposedly lives there or hides. But Harry and Alice don't know such a person. Not even among their neighbors.

Book review: The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

Eighteen years ago your baby daughter was snatched. Today, she came back. A sinister and darkly compelling psychological thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of The Girl With No Past. Eighteen years ago, Simone Porter’s six-month-old daughter, Helena, was abducted. Simone and husband, Matt, have slowly rebuilt their shattered lives, but the pain at losing their child has never left them. Then a young woman, Grace, appears out of the blue and tells Simone she has information about her stolen baby. But just who is Grace – and can Simone trust her? When Grace herself disappears, Simone becomes embroiled in a desperate search for her daughter and the woman who has vital clues about her whereabouts. Simone is inching closer to the truth but it’ll take her into the dangerous and disturbing territory. Simone lost her baby. Will she lose her life trying to find her?

* Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Just finished reading this book and must say: WOW! Comparing with her previous book, another WOW! This author is getting better and better!

This time, the story starts eighteen years ago when a baby girl is missing. Little Helena is kidnapped from the park while her grandmother is watching her. Litle girl's parents never stopped looking for her, never got over the fact that she might be alive somewhere.

Eighteen years later, a young woman, Grace, appears in front of the mother. She claims that she might be the missing girl. She even has the toy the little girl had when she disappeared. But this young woman might be a criminal, might be a liar and she might have just committed a murder.

Book Review: Last Prophecy of Rome by Iain King

An ancient empire. A terrifying threat to the World’s Superpower. Only one man can stop it. ROME: Maverick military historian Myles Munro is on holiday with girlfriend and journalist Helen Bridle. He’s convinced a bomb is about to be detonated at the American Embassy. NEW YORK: A delivery van hurtling through Wall Street, blows up, showering the sky with a chilling message: America is about to be brought down just like the Roman Empire. Juma, an African warlord, set free by the Arab Spring, plans to make it happen. When a US Senator is taken a hostage, a chilling chain of events begins, and Myles finds himself caught in a race against time to stop Juma. But, he’s not prepared for the shocking truth that the woman he once loved, Juma’s wife, Placidia, has now become a terrorist.

* Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
Machiavelli

Facing with the modern day terrorism and so many refugees waiting at the border of my country, it was easy for me to connect with this book and the story in it. The plot is heartbreaking and I feel sorry for all those people who lost their homes and are seeking for better future. I feel mad and angry at all those smugglers who want to earn money out of people's misery and all those who put them in that misery at the first place. I hate all those people like Juma, who under the wing of „helping“ uses other people for his own satisfaction, and the others who use people like Juma to cause fear and death just for financial benefit.

For Myles and Helen, it all starts as a romantic vacation in Rome. Soon it turns out into a nightmare.

Book Review: The Girl In The Ice by Robert Bryndza

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one. When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have a perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in the water around London. What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding? As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was familiar with the Robert Bryndza's chick lit books while being a part of This Chick Reads team. When I heard that he wrote a crime book, I assumed it was chick lit cozy mystery story. I never expected The Girl In The Ice! And after finishing the book, all I can say is WOW!

The story starts with the death of a young and very beautiful woman. Her body is found under the ice of the frozen lake in the park, tied, vandalized. The case is not treated like the rest. Andrea is the daughter of very rich and influent businessman. The whole murder case is covered by the press and the phone calls from influential people. Andrea is known as a girl who liked parties and liked to have fun, all the time, like most of the rich girls her age. But what was she doing in that part of the city? Who wanted her dead?

Book Review: Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Two girls go missing. Only one will return. The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die. When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping. And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stoneand the squad. Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour... Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Angela Marsons is quite new on the crime scene, but with three books in a row for less then a year, she definitely is a name to be remembered. I still haven't seen an author who can write that fast and that good. She became my favorite author with her first book, Silent Scream, and I love her writing more and more with every next book. Every time she leaves me with my jaw dropped and I am not surprised that easily. The third book, Lost Girls, is definitely cherry on the top of the cake, but knowing Angela Marsons, The Kim Stone Series are far from over.

Two little girls, two best friends, have been kidnapped together. Soon after the abduction, the families receive text messages. The family that pays more, gets the daughter back. The other one dies. The families that have been friends like forever, become worse enemies. There is no friendship when your child is in danger. A year ago, another two girls have been kidnapped. One girl came home, the other one didn't. But the game is far from over.

DI Kim Stone has a lot on her back. One of the mothers is her foster sister, and she counts on her. Kidnappings are not Kim's domain, murders are. When a case of a murder of a protected witness leads the team to the case of the kidnapped girls, Kim takes them both. Tough from outside, Kim is a real softie from inside, especially when is comes to protecting the ones who can not protect themselves. So she does her best. Her final goal, to bring BOTH girls back home, safe!

Apart from the case, this time we can see the softest side of Kim. In the last book, she adopted a dog. She really cares about her new best friend, her only friend, except Bryant. She slowly starts to break the walls around her and let people inside. She starts to care.

As I said previously, Lost Girls was even above my expectations, and I had high ones for Angela Marsons. I had only one issue, but that's just me and my opinion, I've found one scene particularly very grossy and disturbing, and my opinion is that the effect of the story could be achieved even without that scene. But even with that scene as a part of the plot, I couldn't leave my kindle until I finished my reading. She wrote a gripping story that literally brought tears to my eyes at the ending. This time we coped not only with murders, but with every parents' worst nightmare, their child's safety, and every child's nightmare, being locked alone in the dark. Angela Marsons really nailed it this time!

Would I recommend this book? Million times!

My opinion: 5 / 5.

You can buy the book HERE and HERE.

About the author

About the publisher

Book Review: 24 Hours by Claire Seeber

„My best friend, Emily, is dead – killed last night in a hotel fire. But it was meant to be me. Now I have 24 hours to find my daughter. Before he finds out I’m still alive.“

*Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Imagine the tv show 24 with a female main character. Imagine the same show but not with a spy who runs around the world but with a mother trying to protect her child. Imagine all that and you'll get the gripping story of Claire Seeber, 24 Hours.

Laurie runs for her life. Not just for hers, but also her daughter's. Someone is after her and she is in danger. She hides in a hotel, but her best friend dies instead of her. Her little girl is missing and she has no idea where and why. She has no idea who is after her but she knows one thing: her little girl has to be safe!

Twenty-four hours ago everything seemed fine. Twenty-four hours ago her daughter was safe and sound. Twenty-four hours ago, she was planning a future. Now, she suspects everyone, from her ex-husband to her new boyfriend, someone wants her dead. She is going to die if she needs to, but she'll find out who and why, and the most important thing, who has her daughter.

Wow, I've never read so fast-paced story! From one page to another, the story moves from one edge to totally another, from one turn-over you suddenly end-up into another. There is no single page that doesn't keep you on the edge, not a single scene that doesn't make your jaw drop. Adrenaline-paced, gripping, rushed, describes every mother's worst nightmare: her child's safety! But there were moments when I was wondering about the realty around the main character. She seemed so real, but in same time so paranoid, so frightened. I was asking myself was her fear real or everything was just an overactive imagination. But as the story continued, Laurie's accusations became like a ping-pong game: it's him, not him, no, it's him! It became really exhausting and at the end, I didn't care. The pace at the ending of the story turned in the wrong direction (according to me) and ruined the whole impression (for me). But overall, I enjoyed the adrenaline rush and tension and will be in search of other Ms.Seeber's books in future.

My opinion: 3,5 / 5.

You can buy the book HERE!

About the author

About the publisher

Book review: The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft

A gripping psychological thriller for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. Leah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life. Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created. But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets? Everyone has secrets. But some are deadly.

Before requesting this book on NetGalley, I read the comparisons with Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. I liked the both books, so decided to give it a try. The story captivated me and I couldn't leave it until finishing it. But Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train weren't on my mind.

The main character, Leah, is living a life of a fugitive. Always hiding, always running, always leaving the place. Fourteen years ago something happened and she has been running since then. She has a boring (but safe) job at a library, she surrounds herself at home with lots of books. It doesn't sound boring for a bookworm like me, but Leah is hiding. She avoids contact with people, doesn't go to parties, doesn't invite people at her home, doesn't have friends at all. She stiffs at every sound, runs from every shadow. She is scared.

One evening, Leah meets Julian on a dating website. He seems normal and understanding person, not a freak like some who hang on dating websites. He seems different, like someone who might understand her, someone who might love her. But then, shadows from the past arise. Mysterious emails, mysterious phone calls, strangers bumping into her on streets. The past is back!

But there is also Ben, a guy who often comes to the library. A guy who has a girlfriend, but unselfishly offers nothing more than friendship. And Leah decides to trust him, to let one friend in her life after so many years. But the past is lurking from the shadows, not letting Leah to live again.

Who is after her?

Who is she running from?

Is she a victim?

Is she the one who is hunted or is she the hunter?

Can she escape her past?

Page after page, Leah's story is revealed. But it was hard for me to decipher her fear. Two things had happened fourteen years ago. Now, she is running from what she has done or from what she hasn't done? What is she feeling guilty for? She has spent last fourteen years in solitude to hide from someone or to punish herself? As the story continues, Leah reminds me more and more of Dostoyevsky's character Raskolnikov from „Crime and Punishment“. If I have to describe this book in simply one sentence, it would be „a modern version of „Crime and Punishment“. Because, Leah is just like Raskolnikov, surrounds herself and her guilt with loneliness and fear.

Overall, I liked the story. Has many turn-overs and is not predictable at all. There aren't many characters, just a few and all of them are surrounded with mystery. The story keeps you wondering till the last page and will leave you wondering even after that. You won't be able to put it down until you find out why Leah is a girl with no past!

My opinion; 3,5 / 5.

You can buy the book HERE! 

About the publisher

About the author

Meet Angela Marsons!

Angela Marsons is the brand new name in the Thriller section. She recently published her first book "SILENT SCREAM", under the wing of Bookouture, and it is currently N.1 Best Seller in Police Procedurals on Amazon.co.uk. You can read the review for SILENT SCREAM here. 

Today, I have the pleasure to welcome Angela on the blog.

1. Silent Scream is your first novel and it is amazing! What triggered you to start writing? And why thrillers? Do you have a special addiction for mystery and crime?

Thank you so much. I started writing very young but like most writers my ramblings were placed in a dark drawer. When I was in my early teens my English teacher told me she thought I had a gift. The very notion stunned me. Girls in my street didn’t have gifts, we learned to type and got a nice office job. Which I did. But I carried on writing anyway. I started writing relationship based novels but my reading passion is crime and psychological books. I had been scared of trying because I didn’t think I could do it but I just had to give it a try.

2. Writing about murders and police procedures takes a lot of effort and knowledge. Where did you learn about police procedures?

Reading, reading and a bit more reading. I love research because I love to learn. The only problem is not putting everything I’ve learned into the books!

3. The main character, Kim, is so intriguing as a character. She is so tough, but also very soft from inside. But she also has a wild side. Is she little bit you?

I think there are elements of me in there but I do know how to say please and thank you. I worked as a Security Manager for a number of years and when you’re working with a diverse group of people you have to develop certain skills. I did ride a moped for 18 years but I decided to give Kim a ‘real’ bike.

4. If Silent Scream goes on screen, who do you want to see in the main role as Kim?

My dream actress for Kim would be Kate Beckinsale. Also, just to mention, I would choose Bradley Walsh for Bryant.

5. Lucy's disease brings a very emotional touch to the whole story. Did you do a lot of research about her condition?

Yes I spent a great deal of time researching Muscular Dystrophy as I wanted to treat the subject with respect and sensitivity. I find it frustrating when people with challenges are dismissed and so purposely had Kim do that so she would learn from it. Also, I wanted to highlight Lucy’s spirit, that she is a fighter not a victim.

6. Silent Scream is the book that everyone is talking about lately. Is there going to be a sequel or book two in the series?

Oh yes. Evil Games is being released at the end of May and follows Kim as she plays cat and mouse with a female Sociopath.

7. Murder scenes are very vividly described in your book. Where do you find the inspiration?

I just close my eyes and try to imagine what I would like to read in this situation. I like to add a personal touch if I can. I like the reader to know just a little something about the victim before they die. To actually write them I ask myself what is now a common question “What would Kim do?”

8. What are the best (and the worst) comments about your book?

I’ve had so many wonderful comments and messages but there is one that will stay with me for a long time. I received a message from a man in his sixties who grew up in the care system. It was a beautiful heartfelt message stating that he’d been inspired by the character I’d created and the way she’d been portrayed. There were goosebumps and tears, I can tell you. The worst, for me, is a review on Amazon because the person can’t exit the screen.

9. Who is your favourite author? Do you compare yourself with your idol?

My favourite author is Karin Slaughter. No, I don’t compare myself with my idol but I do aspire to grip readers the way her books grip me. But ultimately I just want to write books that people enjoy.

10. Beside writing, recently, what do you do for living? Do you have a daily job? Is there one Angie who goes to work every day and another Angie who writes when coming home?

Yes, I currently have a day job, or in my case it’s a night job. I work 12 hour night shifts as a control room supervisor so I can normally be found checking Twitter and Facebook in my 2am lunch break.

11. What do you do when not writing? Tell us something about Angie herself.

You know I’m going to say reading! Other than that I love nothing more than to gather up my long-suffering partner and just drive. We love to discover new landscapes and breath-taking scenery which isn’t as plentiful in the Black Country as I would like. It’s like hitting the refresh button on my inner keyboard.

12. What can we expect from you next?

Oh, definitely lots more Kim Stone. If people want to read about her then I’ll keep offering her my pencil as a voice. And, my goodness, does she have a lot to say.

Thank you so much for inviting me to answer these questions. I’ve really enjoyed doing it.