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The Prodigal - Nicky Black

27/7/2015

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Picture
5/5

Book Description
Exiled from his beloved Newcastle sixteen years ago, Detective Sergeant Lee Jamieson is returning home in search of the teenage daughter he’s never met. With a good promotion under his belt and his parents gone, he’s ready to return to his roots and the warm Geordie spirit he has missed so much.

Much to his surprise, his first assignment is in Valley Park, a forgotten sink estate and home to some of the worst social deprivation in the country – the estate where he grew up, and where Nicola Kelly, the wife of a renowned local villain, calls home.

As Lee and Nicola’s lives become entwined through a series of dramatic events, they fall in love and embark on a dangerous affair that will change both of their lives forever. Nicola’s husband, Micky, has few scruples, and, as he feels her slipping away, tightens his grip on her affections.

In order for Lee and Nicola to be together, Micky Kelly has to go.



My review
Love amidst loss.

Originally written for the screen, 'The Prodigal Son' is a cleverly woven, fast-paced, gripping story​.

Lee Jamieson has returned to Newcastle after a very long absence. He's back in the role of Detective Sergeant, to assist in the regenaration of a very rundown estate - Valley Park, the very place where he grew up. The area is poor, neglected and blighted by crime, robberies and drugs. The residents live in constant fear and the authorities are resolute to take action.

But Lee is also back for personal reasons. He wants to find his daughter, a girl he'd never met. Will he find her? How will Debbie, her mother, react to his return? Will the girl accept this stranger as her dad?

In Newcastle Lee meets Nicola, the beautiful wife of a local hardened criminal - Micky Kelly and from then on his problems start. Nicola lives in fear of her brutal husband, and Lee finds himself attracted to her and willing to help her in her personal tragedies. However, in doing so, the two fall in love with each other. But no one messes with Micky, his family or business...

This story had me hooked from the start. It is very well-written and fast-paced, making you want to keep on reading to see how things will evolve. It is very sad knowing that such hopeless, rundown areas where crime and corruption are rife exist in real life. Thanks to the author's vivid descriptions, I could clearly visualise all characters and sites.

All characters, both good and bad, are very interesting, well-portrayed and realistic. Like Lee, I felt attracted to Nicola - she's a very strong, determined, but also sensitive and sensuous woman struggling to survive. I also loved Margy, her closest ally and friend. She's a very warm, likeable character everyone wishes to have as friend.

I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book to read and review. I really enjoyed it and was surprised at how good and engrossing it turned out to be. Obviously I would highly recommend it and would definitely be looking out for more books written by this author. 



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About the Author
Nicky Black is a collaboration between two friends, Nicky and Julie. Julie originally wrote The Prodigal as a commissioned two-part TV series for Granada back in 2001. It never made it to the screen, but Julie kindly allowed Nicky, ten years later, to attempt to turn the story into a novel. This is the result, and much of the dialogue in the book is taken from the original script. Julie has written for TV in the past, notably Hollyoaks and Casualty, and this is Nicky’s first novel. Both met when they worked in the urban regeneration industry nearly twenty years ago. Nicky was brought up in Northumberland and worked in Newcastle upon Tyne for twelve years before moving to London in 2002. Julie is a born and bred Geordie, and still lives in the Toon. We hope you enjoy reading this story as much as we’ve enjoyed telling it.

 


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The Bones of You - Debbie Howells

22/7/2015

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Picture
4/5

Book Description
I have a gardener's inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft-petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer.Children who don't die before their parents.

A community in shock
When eighteen-year-old Rosie Anderson disappears, the idyllic village where she lived will never be the same again. Local gardener Kate is struck with guilt. She'd come to know Rosie well, and thought she understood her - perhaps better even than Rosie's own mother.

A family torn apart
Rosie was beautiful, kind and gentle. She came from a loving family and she had her whole life ahead of her. Who could possibly want to harm her? And why?

A keeper of secrets
Kate is convinced the police are missing something. She's certain that someone in the village knows more than they're letting on. As the investigation deepens, so does Kate's obsession with solving the mystery of what happened to Rosie.


My review
I would like to thank Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for approving my request to read and review this book.

The perfect family...

Everything is perfect in Joanna Anderson's life: her surgically enhanced body, her elegant dresses, the imposing house, the well-groomed lawns and garden, her amazing husband ... her two perfect daughters.

"It's a lovely night for walking in the woods." 

Everything is perfect... until one day eighteen-year-old Rosie, Joanna's eldest daughter goes missing, and is later found brutally murdered in the woods. Shockwaves ripple through the quiet village and everyone is dumbfounded.

Kate, a local gardener and horse trainer is in shock. The girl went to school with her daughter Grace and came frequently to their house to help her with the horses. Rosie was quiet, reserved and gentle. Who would harm such a lovely girl? And why? Kate is determined to find out.

Though this debut thriller involves murder, it is not a police procedural. It is mostly written from the point of view of Kate but also from that of Rosie... or more properly Rosie's spirit, after she's murdered. Rosie tries to tell us what has happened through snippets from her and her parents' past. But I want to clarify that though this book is very atmospheric, it is not a ghost story.

"The nicest people can have the darkest secrets." 

So, Joanna's perfect world wasn't that perfect after all. As the saying goes 'not all that glitters is gold'. You can never know what dark secrets and maddening obsessions are hidden behind a person's smile.

I have to say that this book lacks any significant OMG moments or mind-blowing twists and turns. However, it's quite engaging and held my interest till the end. The story develops gradually, as the author unfurls the mystery page by page.

In my opinion, the fact that there is a murder involved with little or no police intervention somewhat reduces the story's credibility. Also, there were few possible perpetrators making it quite easy for me to suspect and then guess their identity early on in the book. This however, didn't reduce the impact the very disturbing and shocking ending had on me.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a good thriller with toxic family dynamics at its centre.


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About the Author
Debbie self-published the women's commercial fiction novel Wildflowers before writing The Bones of You, her first psychological thriller.
She now writes full time from her home in a small West Sussex village where she lives with her family.
You can visit her blog at www.debbiehowells.blogspot.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @debbie__howells.


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Alchemy - Chris James

15/7/2015

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Picture
4/5

Book Description
In Victorian London, England, close to the end of the 19th century, a young artist unravels what he believes to be the formula for immortality and raising the dead, prescribed in an ancient tome: Alchemy

Just when he cracks the secret code for the final components of his elixir, his mistress and inspiration, dies. His life is devastated, his mind fragile, destroyed by drugs. He knows he has the power to revive her. But obtaining the last ingredients means resorting to murder, taking innocent lives.
He just has to decide whose.



My review
​I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

Historical fiction and legal thrillers are two genres I like to read, so when I realised that this book is a combination of both, I couldn't wait to read it.

Guilty or Innocent? Set in Victorian London, Alchemy is actually a courtroom drama. Young Jacob Silver, a genius apotechary and artist is in the dock standing trial for murder. The first chapter is the beginning of the trial, where some horrific evidence is unveiled. From then on, through the various witnesses in court, we go back in time and relive the events that have led Jacob to court.

All commences with an ancient tome: Alchemy, donated to young Jacob for his birthday. Within this tome, a five-hundred-year-old riddle is waiting to be solved and someone is convinced that the young genius is capable of finally breaking the code that has eluded scholars for centuries - finding the missing ingredients for the elixir of Immortality. Will he succeed? How did his quest end up in murder?

The first chapter was gripping enough to engage the reader, but then it took me quite a while to feel really drawn into the story, and I found myself fighting an urge to skim through the text - something I've never done. Looking back, I think this happened because the actual murders start taking place about halfway through the book and it's at this point that the story gains momentum. Up to that point I didn't find myself adequately engrossed, however I persevered and now I'm just glad I did as I enjoyed the second half of the book much more.

I really liked the 19th century London setting of this book. I'm sure it must have required extensive research. I particularly enjoyed the courtroom scenes. I think they're brilliant. The prosecution and defence questions were very realistic and I felt as if I was actually there in the gallery with the rest of the audience viewing the proceedings and anxiously waiting for the final verdict. Will Jacob be found guilty or innocent of the accusations made against him? Will his incredible account of events stand and save him from the gallows?

The final twist of the story was totally unexpected. The ending left me wanting more and I was happy to note that a sequel will be out soon. I'm really looking forward to know what happens next.


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About the Author
A former murder squad detective in England, Chris was often the lead-detective in murder trials. No stranger to murder and the macabre, he was a regular contributor to British True Crime television series. He has maintained an interest in criminology his entire adult life.

In 2006 he moved from England to Mallorca, a beautiful Spanish island in the Mediterranean, where he is a keen yachtsman.


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A Sister's Promise - Renita D'Silva

7/7/2015

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Picture
5/5

Book Description
Two sisters. Bound by blood. Torn apart by love.
My sister – the glue that held our family together and the gatekeeper to the memories of our shared childhood.
The girl I made a pact with – to protect each other for life.
The woman who destroyed my family, my future.
And the only one who can save my daughter.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of India, A Sister’s Promise is a powerful, emotional tale of family secrets, love and the ties that bind sisters together.




My review
I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for approving my request to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

​What's worrying me with this review is that I can never put into words the wonderful feelings I experienced while reading this work of art.​

Beautiful. Colourful. Sensuous. Rich.

In my opinion, t​hese words best describe Renita D'Silva's 'A Sister’s Promise'. This book was a much-needed ​breath of fresh air for me as it was ​so different from the crime thrillers I usually read.

​Set in India, this emotional story revolves around the lives of two sisters, Sharda and Puja and their teenage children​ Kushi and Raj.​

A promise made...
One day, while young Sharda and Puja are playing in the fields, they promise to '...always look out for each other and love each other best.'​

A promise broken...
However growing up, something happens in their lives, something that drifts them apart from each other, breaking the bond between them and the promise they'd made in the process.

A phone call...
Unexpectedly after twenty years the silence is broken. Puja hears her sister's voice over the phone.

Why did Sharda call Puja after all this time? What does she want? How does Puja react to her sister's call? Most importantly, what happened all those years back that divided the lives of these inseparable sisters? Why haven't they spoken to each other for so long? Can they mend what's broken and start all over again?

One of my childhood dreams was and still is to visit the mysterious and beautiful India. Now thanks to Renita's superb descriptions, I feel as though I was actually there.

What's astonishing in this book is the way in which it is written. Renita's prose is so sensuous and rich it's almost poetic. It evokes all the reader's senses and emotions. The intricate detail the author puts in each and every sentence brings the story and its characters to life, together with a myriad of sights, sounds and even smells.

What impressed me the most is the author's frequent use of colour. It’s as though she paints a new picture on every page. For example, I have never come across an author using colours to describe voices:

'The doctor's voice tries for assurance. It brings to mind the deep indigo of a summer's night settling over golden fields.'

'Ma's voice is the colour of tamarind gleaming in the morning sunshine.'

'Worry paints Ma's voice the wet brown of muddy meadows.'


Renita D'Silva took me on an unforgettable, mesmerising journey spanning decades and continents. I found myself completely immersed in this story feeling all sorts of emotions such as happiness, sadness and anger. Not mentioning what I felt when I reached a mind-blowing twist.

I really enjoyed myself reading this book and will most definitely read other books by this highly talented author. Well done Renita! Highly recommended!


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About the Author
Renita D'Silva loves stories, both reading and creating them. Her short stories have been published in 'The View from Here', 'Bartleby Snopes', 'this zine', 'Platinum Page', 'Paragraph Planet' among others and have been nominated for the 'Pushcart' prize and the 'Best of the Net' anthology. She is the author of 'Monsoon Memories','The Forgotten Daughter', 'The Stolen Girl' and 'A Sister's Promise'.

Sign up to be the first to hear about Renita's new releases here: http://bit.ly/RdSilvabooks
(Just cut and paste the link into your browser. Renita promises not to share your e-mail and she'll only contact you when a new book is out!)

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RenitaDSilvaBooks

Twitter: @RenitaDSilva

Website: http://renitadsilva.com/

Email: Renitadsilvabooks@gmail.com



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