Blog tour for The Dare by Carol Wyer

The Dare by Carol Wyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carol Wyer books are compulsive reading material. From the first time a book of hers came my way until this up to date book right here.

Her style has become more evident, her purpose more powerful. Her characters more rounded and plots more breathtaking.

This twisted tale had me hooked in its net from the first page until the last.

Don’t be mistaken, this isn’t about kids going missing, lordie we’ve had enough of those last year. This has guts to it and don’t forget if you’ve read the other two books in the series it has.... DI Natalie Ward. I’ve seen how this DI has developed and her own personal life and difficulties splayed out for us readers to see.

What a dam good DI she is. Her work does take precedence over her family most times and I’d say things were not as good as they should be.
I don’t know for sure but I’m hoping the next book is a make or break for this family.

The dedication and time she puts into a case is second to none. One of my best female DI’s well, after all, she has my surname right?!

The conclusion of this was indeed a surprise to me.
A great reveal that I didn’t actually see rearing it’s head.

I’m loving each of her books. In my humble opinion as a reader she’s an author in the “upper class” of this genre.

If you enjoy an edge of your seat read where time is of the essence, you’ve found it.

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Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

Published soon!

I’ve been anticipating this book for so long.
If you are a book blogger you will understand why I said that.

This is a debut novel, first in a series and boy oh boy what an example of a high standard of work here. It would easily shoot up in the ranks of Best Selling Authors who are already established. 

The storyline is fierce, prompt, has pitch, power and pace, just the way I like it to keep my reader juices salivating to read more.

Lucy who is a probation officer for domestic violence is also experiencing this herself in her home life. 
We see how this affects her and her job.

Maggie and her team are investigating several men going missing then things turn to more towards Lucy because the 4th man to go missing is Lucy’s husband.

It’s an intense fast paced read that will keep you turning pages.

There are a lot of characters that are introduced in quite a short time, but I was able to follow.

The only thing I had to get my head around were the familiar names in the book. Too many whom I knew on the net that for me knocked off one star.

Using one or two familiar people would be OK it’s been done plenty of times before, I’ve even been in a book once or twice, I just felt it was overloaded with familiar “known” people around the net.

That said.....
Once I got used to seeing them “in character” within the book itself it didn’t tend to matter so much.

An excellent read. And I can’t wait to see more from her in book 2

*these opinions are mine and may not reflect others*

Gracie’s secret by Jill Child’s

I’ve been listening to this in between reading physical books and ebooks on my kindle. So if I’m bathing, getting dressed, doing chores or driving audio books come out.

I’m late getting to this that’s why I downloaded the audio version. Playing catch up.
All avid readers know how that is, right?

At the beginning of this book until halfway I would think, family drama, but, was I oh so very wrong, It was so much more! 

This had mystery, thriller and heartbreaking poignant moments inside this book.

It’s kept my readers nose into this at every chance I could get. I love it so much I now own the paperback to display on my bookcase.

The narrator I didn’t feel was the best as she always sounded so softly spoken even when it merited a harsher voice.
My other moan was that Gracie was written as a 3 year old but she seemed more like 5 or older really, her voice, vocabulary fitted someone older.
Hence the drop in one star.

But this was so cleverly written it.
The epilogue was so very sad.

.......
But at the same time......joyous for the future.

Thank you Bookoutour 

Stolen sister by Linda Huber

Having read plenty of Linda Huber’s books I am aware of her style of writing.

This story was about grief, family bonds and relationships.

It starts under dramatic circumstances where a mom and father with their young baby are thrown into an explosion, the mom just has time to throw her baby daughter to safety in Sylvie’s arms, her best friend.

Throwing a baby out the window was the only alternative.
Both mom and dad perished in the explosion.

They leave behind not only Erin the baby but also Vicky and Jamie who are staying with they’re Aunt Maisie.

When Maisie dies things come to light.

The latter part of this book shows what a strong bond there is between the two sisters, but we also have the bond between Vicky and her brother Jamie who has cerebral palsy. He has profound special needs.

I loved the way that the author told this story with warmth and emotion. It bleeds out from each page.

There were times when I questioned a few things, but, it didn’t distract me for longer than a minute.

Great family drama. 

The Swap by Fiona Mitchell

How I anticipated this book since her debut novel The Maids Room. When it arrived in the post I loved the cover and just wanted to jump in. I was aware that putting my review up before release is not so well planned, preorder is good, but what if you want it now!

I can’t imagine what it would be like to take a wrong child home.
But this is a whole new ball game.

Going through IVF and the most horrendous mix up that is unimaginable however, it has happened in real life.

Going through this story I stopped to think several times. As a Mom how would I feel.? You know what? I really don’t know!

You give birth to the wrong baby that’s not genetically yours and raise for three years? Then you find out that your genetical baby was implanted inside another woman who had also given birth and raised your child?
OMG nightmare.
Emotions
Fears
Anxiety
Anger
Frustration
And how could this be possible?

It’s a very powerfully written story.

It’s so well written. So clear. So compulsive.
I was well invested in this storyline that at times I thought it real. But hang on, there have been cases such as this but how is this fiction going to end?

I just had one irritant.
It sometimes read like a play in places with all the descriptive narration. It was like someone’s actions were written down to perform before speaking.

Let me quote

“The spanner slips out of Carl’s hands and clanks onto the floor.
(Then he speaks)
He picks up the spanner, lays it on the table and looks at his own empty hands.(then he speaks)”

Quote

Gill unravels a mint and pops it into her expectant mouth “would you like one .” She crinkles the packet.

Unquote


I won’t do more, but for my personal taste I felt there were far more words of description than necessary and it read more like a play for “action” before speaking they’re part.

It’s just a minor personal irritant, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment though and I still credit it 4* it’s a book I enjoyed.

Live like a Stoic

This book came in the post to me yesterday, unsolicited by the Publishers Penguin Random House.
In all honestly I wasn’t going to read it, but pass it on to someone who has an interest in this maybe.

My daughter flicked through it and began to read passages from it.
Then showing me the “exercise” that can manually be input into the pages whilst challenging yourself whilst reading this.

I read up on the authors where one of them leant towards Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Which in some ways, although this is based on Philosophy, is not entirely dissimilar in its achievement.

There were many things in here I related to.

Later I was talking to my husband about this. He always has a mind that veers to negativity when left thinking too long, then worrying and fretting on the future.

I read a few passages out of this book to him.

It was very easy to understand and take in, we found ourselves nodding and agreeing to many thoughts from this.

If I hadn’t had got this unsolicited book mail today I’d have missed out on an informative book.
In the usual run of things I wouldn’t have picked this up.

It’s a very good positive book to read. 

sleep by C. L. Taylor

Sleep by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

400 pages read.....just like that! Yep 400 pages whizzed past me without me even recognising how many pages were in this latest book of CL Taylor’s.

I opened the book after studying the cover (like you do) and wondered what relevance and connection, if any, would be within these pages.

Well, you soon find out.

The beginning of the story makes me feel for Anna. She was the driver of the car that killed two people, one injured. I couldn’t help but think and feel for her. To blame yourself is the first human instinct, she was at the wheel. She had her passengers lives and other road users in the palm of her hands. We all do. As soon as we take that wheel and start to drive......

But someone feels that justice has not been mete out.
Anna is plagued by terrible insomnia, she doesn’t sleep well and if she does she wakes up terrified.

Anna needs to get a grip so she finds a job on a remote island in Scotland.

There are all types of characters that come to stay and we learn that each one is not who they seem to be.

It’s edgy, it’s thrilling and it’s full of suspense. The reader really gets pulled into the story at an alarming rate, and with such penship as this author writes you can help but feel everything, be right where the characters are staying, imagine yourself as part of this plot.

She really has such a way of twirling and entwining the reader, luring you into each sentence, each narration.
It’s hard to explain, but her descriptive writing just plonks you into the middle of it all. If the person is terrified, then I am. If the person is hiding and it’s creepy, then so am I, holding my breath so I can’t be heard. That’s the only way I can discribe this authors writing.

Many times I was holding my breath. One time was when Anna was searching rooms I was right there as a watch out for her. If she heard a creep on the stairs I’m biting my nails saying “quick....hurry....hide....don’t get caught” I kid you not. I was so invested in this plot I forgot all time and heard my sons alarm clock ring to get him out of bed and go to work.

The only book I’ve not read yet is Treatment.
I plan to read this over Christmas.

Thank you publishers for sending me an early copy.
This does not influence my review or thought. I anticipate every book this author writes.

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The perfect betrayal by Lauren North

The Perfect Betrayal: The addictive thriller you won’t want to miss in 2019 by Lauren North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have had so much on in real life as I started this book that I’ve been eager to get back to it. I hadn’t been able to read the second part of the book for 2 weeks. Unheard of by me, but there you go.

Tess has a son Jamie, both are grieving the loss of her husband, Jamie’s dad.

This starts off with Tess waking in ICU, she has stab wounds. Of course the Police are there asking questions but......Jamie isn’t there, where is he?

There’s a lot going on and Tess mother things she needs counselling , grief counselling.
We are introduced to Shelley. Shelley seems very helpful, too helpful.

Ian is her late husbands brother who comes to tell Tess he wants his money back that her husband borrowed. She knows nothing about this and is astounded at the amount. And how is she going to pay this?

Shelley becomes her kind of go between and Tess comes across Shelley whispering to Ian many a time.
So Tess starts to write things down.
Is she going slightly mad with grief?

There’s a person who keeps ringing her, following her.
Should she feel afraid?


This was bloody amazing.
The ending was jaw droppingly amazing, I didn’t know where this was going.
I reeled from this stunning climax.






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