The Bird in the Bamboo Cage by @HazelGaynor ~ Courage and Friendship in China During WWII #HistoricalFiction #NetGalley #FridayReads

Posted in Book Review, Historical Fiction, WWII by Cathy

Author: Hazel Gaynor

Due for release on 20th August, published by HarperCollins

Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

China, 1941. Elspeth Kent has fled an unhappy life in England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China. But when Japan declares war on the Allies and occupies the school, security and home comforts are replaced by privation, uncertainty and fear.

For ten-year-old Nancy Plummer and her school friends, now separated from their parents indefinitely, Miss Kent’s new Girl Guide patrol provides a precious reminder of home in a land where they are now the enemy.

Hazel Gaynor has taken a unique slant on Second World War fiction with her latest novel, The Bird in the Bamboo Cage. It was inspired by true events which took place following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As with all her books, the factual subject matter gives the story depth, authenticity and realism.

Continue reading →

11Mar2020

Clover Cottage by @ChristieJBarlow ~ Contemporary #RomanticFiction @OneMoreChapter_ #NetGalley

Posted in Book Review, Contemporary Fiction, Romance by Cathy

Author: Christie Barlow

Expected Publication: March 20th by One More Chapter

Category: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

When Vet Rory Scott inherits ramshackle Clover Cottage in the quaint village of Heartcross, Allie MacDonald just knows this is their happy ever after. A place to call home with the man she loves – it’s her dream come true!

Until Rory drops a bombshell. He loves Allie but he has dreams of his own to follow – to live and work in Africa. Clover Cottage will have to wait just a little longer…

Clover Cottage is the third book in the Love Heart Lane series. It could be read as a stand alone, but much of the backstories and dynamics of the regular characters would be missed.

Continue reading →

31Dec2019

Naked In Death (In Death #1) by JD Robb ~ Futuristic #Murder #Mystery @LittleBrownUK #NetGalley #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Futuristic, Murder, Mystery, Police Procedural, Romance by Cathy

Author: JD Robb

Originally Published: July 1995

Category: Mystery, Murder, Romance, Police Procedural, Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing: passion.

I listened to Naked In Death back in 2009 and was hooked. I have since listened to every book up to date, some I’ve enjoyed more than others but most of them have pushed each character’s story forward. It was fun to revisit the start of the series—where it all began. The character development over the numerous books has been huge, and the number of key characters has increased significantly.

Continue reading →

25Oct2019

An Equal Justice (David Adams #1) by Chad Zunker ~ If it looks too good to be true… #NetGalley @chadzunker #AnEqualJustice #FridayReads

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Legal, Murder, Mystery, Thriller by Cathy

Author: Chad Zunker

Published: November 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

Category: Crime, Legal, Thriller, Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An ambitious Stanford graduate, David Adams has begun a fast-track career at Austin’s most prestigious law firm. It’s a personal victory for the rising superstar—a satisfying reversal from his impoverished and despairing childhood. Now he has the life he’s always wanted: an extravagant salary, a high-rise condo, a luxury SUV, and no limit to how far he can go in the eyes of the top partners.

This is a case of if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Continue reading →

17Sep2019

The Wayward Girls by Amanda Mason ~ When You Call, They Will Answer #Paranormal #NetGalley #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Drama, Dual Time Line, Ghost Story, Paranormal by Cathy

Author: Amanda Mason

Published: September 2019 by Zaffre

Category: Dual Timeline, Paranormal, Drama, Book Review

THEN

1976. Loo and her sister Bee live in a run-down cottage in the middle of nowhere, with their artistic parents and wild siblings. Their mother, Cathy, had hoped to escape to a simpler life; instead the family find themselves isolated and shunned by their neighbours. At the height of the stifling summer, unexplained noises and occurrences in the house begin to disturb the family, until they intrude on every waking moment . . .

NOW

Loo, now Lucy, is called back to her childhood home. A group of strangers are looking to discover the truth about the house and the people who lived there. But is Lucy ready to confront what really happened all those years ago?

Continue reading →

4Sep2019

Rewrite The Stars by Emma Heatherington ~ Contemporary Fiction #Romance @emmalou13 #NetGalley @HarperFiction

Posted in Book Review, Contemporary Fiction, Romance by Cathy

Author: Emma Heatherington

Publishing 6th September by Harper Collins

Category: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From the moment they meet one December day there’s something between Charlotte Taylor and her brother’s best friend, Tom Farley. But Tom’s already taken and Charlie has to let him go…

It’s another five years before their paths cross again only a secret from the past forces Charlie to make a choice. She promises herself she’ll never look back…

Charlotte Taylor was twenty two when she met and fell in love with Irish American Tom Farley, her brother Matthew’s best friend and member of their up-and-coming band.

Continue reading →

3Sep2019

Black Nowhere (Lisa Tanchik #1) by @ReeceHirsch ~ A frightening look at Cybercrime #NetGalley #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Cybercrime, FBI Procedural, Murder by Cathy

Author: Reece Hirsch

Published: September 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

Category: Cybercrime, Murder, FBI Procedural, Book Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Special Agent Lisa Tanchik is the best at taking down cybercriminals. So when the FBI discovers a multibillion-dollar black market online, she’s tasked with finding the creator and bringing him to justice. Donning one of her many digital disguises, Tanchik goes undercover into the network.

Nate Fallon is an idealist who believes everyone is entitled to buy drugs without government interference.

Continue reading →

6Aug2019

Forgotten Bones (Dead Remaining) by Vivian Barz #CrimeFiction #NetGalley #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Crime/Thriller/Suspense, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal by Cathy

Author: Vivian Barz

Published: August 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

Category: Crime, Mystery, Murder, Paranormal, Book Review

An unlikely pair teams up to investigate a brutal murder in a haunting thriller that walks the line between reality and impossibility.

When small-town police officers discover the grave of a young boy, they’re quick to pin the crime on a convicted felon who lives nearby. But when it comes to murder, Officer Susan Marlan never trusts a simple explanation, so she’s just getting started.

Skipping over the prologue, which I thought was too long and actually unnecessary since the characters don’t feature again, Police Officer Susan Marlan responds to a road traffic accident where the decades old remains of a child’s body is discovered buried next to a telephone pole that had been knocked down.

Continue reading →

19Mar2019

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield ~ Historical Fiction #TuesdayBookBlog @DianeSetterfie1 #NetGalley #OnceUponARiver

Posted in Book Review, Folklore, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense by Cathy

Author: Diane Setterfield

Published: December 2018 by Transworld Digital

Category: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Folklore, Suspense, Romance, Book Review

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames, the regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open and in steps an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a child.

Hours later, the dead girl stirs, takes and breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

And who does the little girl belong to?

The River Thames is at the heart of this story, along with those who live and work on or around it. The Swan, an ancient inn, sitting on the banks of the river is the focal point of the local community, where the tradition of storytelling thrives.

Continue reading →

20Feb2019

Blood Echo (Burning Girl #2) by Christopher Rice ~ Mystery/Thriller #New Release @chrisricewriter #NetGalley #BloodEcho

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Sci-fi, Suspense, Thriller by Cathy

Author: Christopher Rice

Published: February 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

Category: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Book Review

Kidnapped and raised by serial killers, Charlotte Rowe suffered an ordeal that made her infamous. Everyone in the world knew who she was. But no one in the world has any idea what she’s become…