Book Review “The Secret Couple” by Jane Lark

BOOK REVIEW NO: 124

Psychological Thriller

Standalone

437

Publisher, One More Chapter, Harper Collins UK

The Secret Couple

Someone knows what they did…

A laugh.
A touch.
A lingering look.

A dead body.
An affair.
A crime years in the making.

Alison knows she’s in too deep. But behind closed doors, no one is who they seem…

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Couple-absolutely-psychological-jaw-dropping-ebook/dp/B09TNBZ8ZB/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Couple-absolutely-psychological-jaw-dropping-ebook/dp/B09TNBZ8ZB/

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 4 STARS

The Secret Couple is an intense and at times dark read. I was drawn in completely and really did find it quite hard to stop reading. It is a slow burner but I love this in a book. You get to really know the characters well and the plot just gets stronger and stronger. I know many people don’t like to be told “the twist is totally unexpected” but trust me that has to be said and the twist is epic.

There are many secrets and untold lies running throughout and Alison, beginning a new relationship soon begins to wonder, is she really in to deep? Is Luke trouble or the answer to her prayers? The best thing in this book is that the characters have flaws, like us all. They are not likeable all the time, there is violence and temptation abounds and I enjoyed every single page. A proper thriller that has you gasping out loud and feeling somewhat drained by the events. If an author can evoke these strong feelings that you invest in the characters, then its a damn fine book. The suspense will keep you glued to The Secret Couple. Perfectly brilliant and unforgettable tension builder.

Author Bio –

Jane is a coffee, chocolate and red wine lover, and a late-night writer of compelling, passionate, and emotionally charged fiction. 

Jane’s books may contain love, hate, violence, death, passion, a little swearing, and an ending you are never going to forget.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/JS-Lark-2288653328057315

http://www.janelark.co.uk/

With Thanks for the advance copy in return for my honest review to …..

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/home

Jane Lark http://www.janelark.co.uk/

Harper Collins UK , One More Chapter https://www.onemorechapter.com/

Book Review “Jingle Bells in June” by Rosie Green

BOOK REVIEW NO: 123

Holiday Romance , comedy

Book 21 of 23 Little Duck Pond Café

202 Pages

SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

Jingle Bells in June, Little Duck Pond Café

Mackenzie Morris, newest recruit at the Little Duck Pond Café, is the perfect addition to the team. But beneath her smiles, Kenzie is hiding a dark secret. It’s the reason she fled to Sunnybrook, desperate for a fresh start that would help to lay the ghosts that haunt her.
The challenge of turning her hobby into a business is a welcome distraction, and to her relief, she finds that her range of quirky pottery mugs and vases appear to be in demand. Alone and scared when she arrived, she’s slowly making friends and starting to feel as if she belongs. Meeting a lovely guy called Aidan seems to confirm this and it looks as if love might be on the horizon.
But then Kenzie makes a devastating discovery that threatens to crush her new-found happiness. Aidan is the one person she yearns to confide in. He’s also the one person who can never know the truth . . .

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3jDyibP

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 4 STARS

As this is my first journey in this series I found it did actually work as a standalone too, although the whole series does look great and if you’re looking for a cosy series with plenty of books then go for this whole series. It won’t let you down. having said it’s a cosy read don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all hearts and flowers and great love stories, oh no it covers difficult and tricky subjects that tip over into darker situations. Mackenzie’s back story is revealed in full and for me I just felt I had to keep reading until the end. As a relatively short book it’s certainly readable (is that a word?) in one sitting of roughly 2 hours. Making it a great holiday read, in fact take a few right from the beginning and you’re holiday reads are sorted.

One thing to know is that this is not in any way a Christmas book, despite the title. All becomes clear as you start reading and it becomes apparent that the title is very apt. I really enjoyed the style that the author writes with. Difficult and emotional topics are dealt with in a very caring, empathic way which just brings the wonderful characters and their stories to life. Get your tissues at the ready, pull up a chair and indulge yourself for a couple of hours.

Author Bio –

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. Look out for ‘Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake’, a sunshine-filled drama full of fun and mystery, out in June 2022 and including the return of character favourites, Ruby and Hudson.

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

With Thanks for the Advance copy in return for my honest review to …….

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/home

Rosie Green https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

Book Review “The Twist of a Knife” by Anthony Horowitz

BOOK REVIEW NO: 122

Locked Room Mystery

Book 4 of 4, Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery

400 Pages

Publisher, random House UK Cornerstone

Publish Date, 18 August 2022

SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

‘Our deal is over.’ That’s what reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne in an awkward meeting. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

His new play, Mindgame, is about to open in London’s Vaudeville theatre. Not surprisingly Hawthorne declines a ticket.

On opening night, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing.

The next morning she is found dead, stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which, it turns out, belongs to Anthony and which has his finger prints all over it.

Anthony is arrested, charged with Throsby’s murder, thrown into prison and interrogated. Alone and increasingly desperate, he realises only one man can help him.

But will Hawthorne take his call?

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 5 STARS

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I write this review with a certain level of trepidation, looking over my shoulder and hoping I don’t go the way of Harriet Throsby after she wrote a particularly scathing review. Death is not the outcome I desire. Fear not however this review holds nothing but praise, I am safe.

When you pick up an Anthony Horowitz Mystery you know it’s going to be well rounded and entertaining. Always strong characters that are not overly described until you just don’t want to read anymore. Horowitz really is the master of his craft and putting himself at the heart of this book is brilliant. I lapped up every page. At times I felt like I was walking behind him and Hawthorne with my little note book, jotting down clues and theories, of course I was wrong. Not totally, I think I was almost on the same page as Hawthorne but my reasons weren’t quite sharp enough. Even I began to think Horowitz had killed Throsby. I thoroughly enjoyed reading as though I were inside the mind of Horowitz, his thought process and his fear that he might actually be framed. An utterly brilliant book that is full of humour, intrigue and immensely entertaining.

The ending is genius, gathering everyone together in an “I put it to you” scenario. Each suspect is told how they may have done the deed with the “How dare you” responses we are used to reading in a Poirot Mystery. As Hawthorne interviews each person through out the book I half expected him to turn round just as he was leaving in a Columboesque style with the ever present line “Oh just one more thing”

A brilliant book that I would highly recommend to Mystery lovers but if you review it just remember what happened to the savage critic Harriet Thorsby, you have been warned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO

Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; two James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis and Forever and a Day; three Detective Hawthorne novels, The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death and the forthcoming A Line To Kill, and the acclaimed bestselling mystery novels Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders.

He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, and responsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most loved and successful TV series, including Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature.

Book Review “The Chase” by Evie Hunter

BOOK REVIEW NO: 121

Revenge Thriller

Stand Alone

289 Pages

Publisher BOLDWOOD

SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

The Chase

When stable girl, Farah Ash, is sacked from her job, her only concern is the beloved horses she cares for. Farah suspects foul play and is determined to expose the secrets and lies she’s uncovered – no matter what.

Self-made millionaire, Isaac Fernandez witnesses Farah’s shocking dismissal and senses immediately that she has uncovered something dangerous – perhaps even deadly. And his fears are confirmed when Farah is almost killed.

And as more threats come Farah’s was, it’s clear someone is out to silence her for good. Unless Farah and Isaac can uncover the truth and put a stop to the deadly chase – before it’s too late.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3LoN4ia

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 5 STARS

The Chase is a superbly written revenge thriller. Farah, gets fired from her beloved job working with race horses and is determined to prove that her suspicions of dodgy dealing are true. She joins forces with one of the race horse owners., The ever dashing Isaac. Of course he is super rich and can have anything he wants as oppose to Farah who struggles for every penny, an unlikely couple? Well you’ll have to buy this wonderful book to find out.

Evie Hunter has a powerful writing style that does not mess about. No beginning chapters that don’t seem to matter to much, more of a few filler chapters. Not so for Evie Hunter, she is straight in there with action. Certainly my kind of book. I enjoyed this fascinating world of the rich and richer with their horses and fast cars. The story is packed with intrigue and has it’s fair share of romance thrown in. It is entertaining and suspenseful throughout. A definite good all round summer read.

Author Bio –

Evie Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and is now redirecting her talents to produce dark gritty thrillers for Boldwood. For the past twenty years she has lived the life of a nomad, roaming the world on interesting forms of transport, but has now settled back in the UK.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wendy.soliman.author

Twitter https://twitter.com/Wendyswriter

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/EvieHunter

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evie-hunter

With Thanks For The Advance Copy in Return for an Honest Review, to …

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/home

Evie Hunter https://bit.ly/EvieHunter

Boldwood Books https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/

Book Review “The Viking she would have Married” by Lucy Morris

BOOK REVIEW NO: 120

Historical Romance

Shieldmaiden Sisters Book 1

261 pages

Publisher Mills and Boon

SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

The Viking She Would Have Married

In close quarters… With the Viking she’d loved and lost

A Shieldmaiden Sisters story—with her family fallen on hard times, Valda’s forced to join the crew on Halfdan Ulfsson’s merchant ship as he sets sail on the treacherous silk route. But this handsome jarl’s son is the man she’d planned to wed, until his bitter betrayal. Knowing she can never trust him, she must focus on saving her sisters…and not the intense connection that still burns between them!

Passion erupts when these bold, spirited Vikings are reunited!

Purchase Links – https://books2read.com/u/mvWv2z

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-viking-she-would-have-married-mills-boon-historical-shieldmaiden-sisters-book-1-lucy-morris?variant=39570861129806

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 4 STARS

The Viking she Would have Married is my first book by Lucy Morris. I was drawn to it as I love Viking history and strong female characters. The main character is Valda and she is the epitome of strong. Yet she also has a vulnerability to her that makes her a more believable and likeable character. I quickly learnt that Lucy Morris has a knack for combining the History of the time into the story superbly well. It certainly held my interest throughout. Thank fully this is not the mushy romance of old oh no this is a well rounded story that keeps the characters realistic and at the heart of the plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am actually quite excited about the next book in the series.

Author Bio –

Lucy Morris has always been obsessed with myths and legends. Her books blend sweeping romance with vivid worldbuilding to whisk you away to another time and place filled with adventure. Expect passion, drama and vibrant characters.

Lucy lives in Essex, UK, with her husband, two children, and two cats. She has a massively sweet tooth and loves Terry’s Chocolate Oranges and Irn-Bru. In her spare time she likes to explore castles

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/LucyMorrisAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/lucymorris.author/

With Thanks for the Advance Copy in return for an Honest Review to …..

Rachel Gilby

Lucy Morris

Mills and Boon