Those who thought they knew Oliver Ryan were shocked to learn that he had assaulted his wife Alice so badly that Liz Nugent is now an Auto-buy Author!
Those who thought they knew Oliver Ryan were shocked to learn that he had assaulted his wife Alice so badly that she resides in a coma, unlikely to recover. The couple had been married for nearly thirty years and Oliver has never displayed any violent tendencies, has he? But can their memories of the man be trusted? Because hurting Alice is far from the worst thing Oliver has done.
Last year, I finally got around to reading Liz Nugent, and Unravelling Oliver is now the third novel I have read by her, and all have been five star reads. Right from the first page Oliver was a cold, manipulative, controlling, bully, but how he came to be that way definitely wrecked me, not that it excuses his actions as an adult. The various POV’s of those who encountered Oliver in life-altering ways were all interesting, exciting and tense. The majority of the book read like a contemporary drama saga but with chilling undertones, and once the entire story was revealed, I was left shocked and stunned.
The audiobook was one of the best I’ve ever read. A different narrator voiced each character and every aspect of their various personalities shone through – loved the various Irish and French accents, and the chapter narrated by Alice’s disabled brother, Eugene, was incredible – I listened to it twice.
I’m so happy to have discovered Liz Nugent, I have another library audiobook of hers coming up which I can’t wait to dive into. Unravelling Oliver is a not-to-be-missed must read. As was Strange Sally Diamond and Skin Deep....more
First came A Kind Worth Killing, then A Kind Worth Saving, and now we have A Talent for Murder, and all three hA Talent for Murder was gripping stuff!
First came A Kind Worth Killing, then A Kind Worth Saving, and now we have A Talent for Murder, and all three have totally and utterly bowled me over with their shocking and unpredictable twists, and fast-paced, edge-of-my-seat plots. Just like the first two books in the series this suspenseful domestic noir thriller can be enjoyed as a standalone, but you'd be missing out on some screwed up, mind boggling character histories if you intend to skip them.
I recommend going into this one blind, so I've decided to skip a synopsis in order not to give a thing away. All I'll say is that one page in and I was already engrossed in Josie's story. In this series pretty much all of the characters are unlikable, and untrustworthy, but their predicaments suck you in, and some of them you just can't help caring if they live or die. There was quite a bit of ‘tell’ rather than ‘show' backstories included, but they were exciting, tense, and interesting enough for it not to bother me.
I have no hesitation in recommending A Talent for Murder. Just don't get too attached to anyone, as you never know what direction the story is going to take.
I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Faber & Faber, and Peter Swanson for the e-ARC.
It’s the two-year anniversary since Ali Morris lost her mother to cancer, and exactly one year later herSummer Romance was deliciously delightful!
4.5.
It’s the two-year anniversary since Ali Morris lost her mother to cancer, and exactly one year later her husband Pete announced he was leaving her. (Yes, you heard that right, he asked for a divorce on the anniversary of her mum’s death. Pete’s a tool!)
Understandably, Ali’s been struggling to cope, she’s still grieving both losses, and at thirty-eight years old is now a single mum to three kids and a dog. But what starts as a ‘meet ugly’ in the dog park turns out to be a surprise ‘meet cute’ – new-guy-in-town-for the-summer Ethan not only appears to find her attractive but also seems genuinely interested in her. Maybe a summer fling is just what Ali needs? And there’s something familiar about Ethan?
My favourite contemporary romances are those that are light, fun, sweet, and amusing with a side of serious real-world issues and Summer Romance delivered on all counts. I appreciated that Ali and Ethan didn't exist in a vacuum and faced many internal and external obstacles - were constantly interrupted by children, animals, neighbours, family, friends, ex’s and professional and personal obligations. One of my favourite romantic tropes is the toxic ex or ex’s as I like knowing that the characters are going to get their happily ever after this time around and get to experience how they deserve to be treated and loved. Another romantic trope I enjoy is a first person single POV, as I like not knowing what the romantic interest is feeling, and in this case, whether Ethan would stay or leave at the end of the summer. This small New York town sounded amazing - what with the beach, and the family-owned inn and diner - love a small-town, close-knit, ‘everyone-up-in-each-others-business’ romance.
Kristen DiMercurio narrated the novel in a lively, vibrant way, and used a wide range of emotions for Ali’s voice. She nailed every note - my kind of audio listen.
I’ll definitely be hunting down Annabel Monaghan’s backlist....more
The outlier soars in on a black tailed Cooper’s hawk!
First Half –A solid 4 stars. Last Half – Had dropped to 3 by 60%, and 2.5 closer to 2 following thThe outlier soars in on a black tailed Cooper’s hawk!
First Half –A solid 4 stars. Last Half – Had dropped to 3 by 60%, and 2.5 closer to 2 following the conclusion of the mystery.
The summer of 1995 is a tragic one for the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada.
24th June – A local man is the victim of a hit-and-run on a lonely stretch of road.
4th July – The Margolis Family – father, mother, and baby – vanish without a trace, last seen at the Split the Creek Gala.
13th July – The Cedar Creek Sheriff drowns when his car crashes into Cedar Lake.
Fast forward to Raleigh, North Carolina, 2024. Sloan Hastings’s life is turned upside down when she submits a DNA test to a genealogy site. Sloan has always known she was given up for adoption as an infant – but her test results reveal something shocking – Sloan is the baby who disappeared from Cedar Creek all those years ago.
Well, this was certainly a book of two halves for me. The prologue was disturbing and emotional, and my heart was in my mouth the entire time. I enjoyed the premise and beginning and thought the lead-up and way Sloan discovered her true identity was unique. At first, I really warmed to Sloan as a character, until she started making stupid decisions that is. I liked the setting of Cedar Creek and could completely picture it in my head. The flashbacks were utilised well (again only for the first 50%), and I liked how we were given POV’s from bit characters – the truck driver, executive assistant, etc.
But the last half… honestly, I’m still shaking my head in disbelief over how everything could’ve crumpled so fast. There’s no way I can say it nicely – the plot was ludicrous. Mild spoilers for my rant just to be on the safe side. (view spoiler)[The mystery was extremely predictable and underwhelming. I had most of it worked out by 60%, as there just weren’t that many suspects to go around. And where was the emotion – characters didn’t seem to give a toss once everything came out. There was one storyline which led nowhere, so I’m not sure why it was included. I don’t understand why two characters didn’t come forward with what they knew in 1995. A weak reason was given for one, but they willingly opened up in 2024, even though nothing had changed, the killer was still out there, and they were in just as much danger as they were back in 1995. And I guess even the author forgot about the second character as they weren’t even part of the 2024 timeline. Further to this, why did the killer do away with some key witnesses, and not others? Why were some characters oblivious to the obvious danger they were in? Why did characters antagonise, confront, and reveal all to the killer, when the killer didn’t know they knew they had murdered? And don’t get me started on the final 1995 scenes – they were the worse! And the final standoff in 2024 – not much better… (hide spoiler)]
I can’t possibly recommend Long Time Gone, but given the many positive reviews, I say go for it, and hopefully your experience will be better than mine. Glad mine was a library book....more
A heroic act brings unwanted attention for a high school teacher!
3.5.
When a former student, Mark LeDrew, enters Lodge High where Richard Boyle works, A heroic act brings unwanted attention for a high school teacher!
3.5.
When a former student, Mark LeDrew, enters Lodge High where Richard Boyle works, wearing explosives, Richard manages to talk him down. But while retreating Mark accidentally removes his finger from the trigger, detonating the bomb, killing only himself in the blast. Richard is unwittingly a hero – praised by his family, school and community for his actions and bravery.
But his moment in the spotlight brings enemies out of the woodwork, all of whom hold grievances against Richard. To protect his reputation, Richard attempts to resolve the matters himself. It's his first of many mistakes, because Richard has much more to lose than just his reputation.
I Will Ruin You (love the title) was an exhilarating, fast-moving, exciting, quick read. Honestly, Linwood Barclay has always reminded me of Harlan Coben, and vice versa – not enough for me to mix up the two authors – but their writing styles and types of plots share commonalities. There were some rollercoaster chapters cliffhangers, but unfortunately the final reveal was kind of obvious. Also, there were several sub-plots that were either resolved too easily or fizzled out which made me wonder if they were only included to distract from the perpetrator and add more suspects. Which didn’t work on me. Even though drug-dealing isn’t my preferred plot in a domestic thriller there were some great twists in that storyline.
All in all, an above average read which kept me entertained and glued to its pages....more
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