Fredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts…

At the dark heart of the Holocaust, there was a wooden hut whose walls were painted with cartoons; a place where children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry. Safely inside, but still in the shadow of the chimneys, they were given better food, kept free of vermin, and were even taught meditation to imagine full stomachs and a day without fear. The man who became their guiding light was a young Jewish prisoner named Fredy Hirsch.

But being a teacher in such a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Whether it was begging the SS for better provisions, or hiding his homosexuality from his persecutors, he risked his life every day for one thing: to protect the children from the mortal danger they all faced.

Time is running out for Fredy and the hundreds of children in his care. Can he find a way to teach them the one lesson they really need to know: how to survive?

My Thoughts:

This was a hard hitting and powerful read about one of the Teachers that taught the children that were in some of the concentration camps. What Fredy must of seen I could never imagine and something that would stay with him forever. Let alone what the children have to go through day to day, Fredy is there to try to help the children to survive each day as it comes. When I read books set around the Holocaust, I always feel pain in my heart that these people went through and it makes me so angry and sad, I loved Fredy’s bravery to help the children as best as he could but I also felt for him in the conditions he had to endure. It is a poignant and truth telling story that helped me learn more about the holocaust. It is a book that will stay with me forever and I would highly recommend.

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day to remember those that we lost.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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She thinks it was murder. 
But if she can’t trust herself, can anyone else?  

Nancy North and her boyfriend Felix are making the move across London to Harlesden. A new flat, a new area, a new start. Because while Nancy is fine now, she wasn’t fine before. But settling into the new flat and meeting the new neighbours isn’t helped by Felix’s hovering concern. She is all right. She is sticking to her breathing exercises and doctor-prescribed help.  

So, when their new neighbour Kira Mullan is found dead by suicide, Felix is understandably worried about Nancy’s frame of mind. But Nancy saw Kira the day before she died and she didn’t strike her as someone who was suicidal – she was upset and angry, yes, but was she upset and angry enough to take her own life?  

Nancy is the only one convinced that there’s more to Kira’s death than has been discovered. But all the police and the neighbours see is a vulnerable woman who isn’t sure of what she saw, and might even be imagining things . . .  

Is Nancy imagining things, or are there more questions that should be asked about the last days of Kira Mullan?  

My Thoughts:

I was so glad to see Nicci had written another book as I have previously enjoyed her books. This one is about Nancy who is about to embark on the biggest time of her life. Moving home and starting a fresh new start in her life with her boyfriend Nancy hopes this is the break that she needs to get away from the past or is it? When something really bad happens right next door to her, Nancy does not know how to recover and her boyfriend is worried history is repeating itself again but can he do something before it is too late? I liked how the story page by page was like peeling an onion, we get to find out more about Nancy throughout the book and hit key parts just as they are about to break. Well thought out storyline as always and well rounded characters. Nicci’s books just get better and better.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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SOMEONE’S ABOUT TO TURN THEIR LAST PAGE…

‘George Cross is becoming one of my favourite detectives.’ ELLY GRIFFITHS

THE SETTING
When the body of a bookseller is discovered, collapsed in a pool of blood in his Bristolian bookshop, it is immediately clear that he has been murdered. What is unclear is how someone could have met such a violent end in this quiet, peaceful place.

THE CONFLICT
DS Cross is adept at dismissing red-herrings but a worrying development in his personal life has left him hopelessly distracted, leaving his usual means of deciphering evidence challenged.

THE MURDER PLOT
The world of bookselling is a quiet one, but it is full of passionate and ambitious characters. They know a rare book equals a big payoff – and their extensive reading means they also know the best ways to get away with murder…

My Thoughts:

This is book 7 of 7 in the DS Cross Thriller Series but each book can be read as a standalone. This time DS Cross is called in to find out what happened to a bookseller, after his body has been found. But this is not just a simple case and there are few a plenty of red herrings that DS Cross has to work around, but being the good detective he is will he be able to solve the case? there is lots of different avenues to pursue but who would really want to murder a bookseller? This is my first read by Tim and I wish I had discovered him sooner. I have read the last book in the series first but that does not matter as each case is a different one, so I get to go back and read his previous books which I am excited to start reading. I like how each book is completely different to the next book. I found myself drawn to DS Croft and I look forward to discovering more about him. I liked how the case was set out and how DS Croft’s mind works to solving the case. This would be a great drama to watch on tv. I felt very invested in this book and cannot wait to read more.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Can first love last a lifetime?

It’s been twenty years since Nia, Jade and Michal became the best of friends. Three years since Michal died … and three years since Nia and Jade had the worst fight they’ve ever had. They’ve barely spoken since.

Michal’s last wish was for Nia and Jade to go on the road trip they’d all planned to do together before they turned 30. Now Nia and Jade must face up to the mistakes they made in their friendship – complicated by the distracting presence of Jonah, Michal’s ex-boyfriend.

As the three of them drive across the southern states of America, confronting a complex history at every stop, hidden feelings rise to the surface – because Nia has been in love with Jade for twenty years, and this could be her last chance to let her best friend know the truth.

But can they face their fears and decide that love is a risk worth taking?

My Thoughts:

This was a very raw and honest read that takes you on the journey of three best friends. This is friendship, love, loss and grief woven into the words and at times it made me feel sad but there are also warming parts too. The story is easy to follow and one I felt as though I have learnt something from. A book that will stay with me for a long time and one I want to revisit again sometime. The cover is fun and vibrant and eye catching.

I received an ARC copy for an honest review.

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Welcome to Hollow’s Edge – a picture-perfect neighbourhood where everyone has each other’s backs. At least, that’s how it used to be, until the night Brandon and Fiona Truett were found dead…

Two years ago, branded a grifter, thief and sociopath by her friends and neighbours, Ruby Fletcher was convicted of murdering the Truetts. Now, freed by mistrial, Ruby has returned to Hollow’s Edge. But why would she come back? No one wants her there, least of all her old housemate, Harper Nash.

As Ruby’s return sends shockwaves through the community, terrified residents turn on each other, and it soon becomes clear that not everyone was honest about the night the Truetts died. When Harper begins to receive threatening, anonymous notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else gets hurt… Someone like her.

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Megan, but I liked the sound of the plot and the cover looked good. The story is set in a seemingly normal neighbourhood, the neighbours are all friendly to each other and life is good living here until two of the residents are found dead. Now we flit to the present where the outcome of the murders has bought the killer out of prison and returning back to the scene of the crime. But as she returns more secrets are unveiled and the community wonder if the right person was convicted. It was a good all round story, parts were less interesting than others, I found the characters were relatable and believable. I thought it would be a clear cut case but it is anything but. It was an ok read.

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Nick is the most intriguing man Nella has met in a while. He’s a 9 in the looks department (no one gets a 10), he makes her laugh, and he keeps her company when she ends up in A&E. But they live hundreds of miles apart.

Then Nella loses her job. There’s a perfect role on offer at a Cotswolds holiday retreat. The catch is that her boss would be Nick. And that makes Nick the one man she can’t risk falling in love with.

While Nella struggles with her feelings, a Hollywood star has found a haven at the retreat. Lizzie’s sworn off people – especially men – until her friendly new neighbours entice her out of her shell. Maybe she needs a flirtation – with gorgeous Nick, perhaps? Not with taciturn local Matthew, though, who definitely isn’t a member of her fan club. Then an astonishing secret revealed changes everything . . .

My Thoughts:

Whenever I see a Jill Mansell book out, it always brings a smile to my face, she is one of my go to authors and I know I am always going to love her stories. There is no perfect feeling when reading a Jill Mansell book. When Nella ends up in A&E she has no idea she would meet her ideal man, when she loses her job he offers her a job in the Cotswolds, Nella cannot wait to leave but the only problem is he would be her boss. Nella’s feeling for him grow but can she resist. Also there are other women who have their eyes set on him. It was a great story, with a bunch of characters that really made the story. It was everything I could of imagined. I laughed quite a few times too. A perfect read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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It’s not dust she’s looking for.
It’s dirt.

Esmie is supposed to be invisible. Just a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite has time to place. Her uniform of leggings and a duster allows her to explore the homes of the wealthy, unseen; an outsider creeping around the edges of privilege.

But as she sweeps through the exclusive Woodlands gated neighbourhood, cleaning is the last thing on her mind. Treading silently over the polished wooden floorboards and cloud-soft carpets, Esmie gathers up the mess of broken marriages, quiet deceptions and careless failures. She tucks away their fragments, keeping them safe. For now.

Because one of the residents took from her the person she loves most. She’s not here to clean; she’s here for revenge – and she’ll get it using the weapons her employers unwittingly handed her along with the keys to their homes: their own secrets…

My Thoughts:

Esmie is a cleaner, she remains invisible and goes about her job without her clients even knowing she is actually there but when she starts working for a family little does she know what she will find out whilst cleaning there, But is she really just there to clean, Esmie is here for something else and she is about to get what she wants or is she? I liked how the story flowed and the story intrigued me. It was not a bad story and it did keep me entertained.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton, where he lives alongside his widowed mother – opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey – and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.
When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.
And then Anthony Bowness – cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton – is found dead at the back of the church. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his community together… and catch a killer.

My Thoughts:

I had heard a lot of things about this whodunit read and only decided to pick this one up now. People that are in the public eye you always wonder if they can produce a good read, and for me this time it fell flat. Daniel is the rector of Champton where he lives with his mother and two dachshunds. When Daniel decides that he wants to change things up a bit, the community is up in arms about it. As secrets are buried beneath the walls of the church and people do not want their secrets to be uncovered. When a body is found, Daniel has to work together with his community to find out whodunit. It was an ok read, I found it slow and a bit repetitive, thee are lots of characters which confused me at times and also some ramblings that confused me too. Not really my kind of read unfortunately.

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A house full of secrets…
The McBride house lies on a remote Scottish island, isolated and abandoned. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there. Last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace.

A woman alone at night…
For Zoe Adams, the house offers an escape from her failing marriage. But when night falls, her peaceful retreat is disrupted—scratches at the door, strange voices—and Zoe is convinced she is being watched.

A threat that lurks in the shadows…
The locals tell Zoe the incidents are merely echoes of the house’s dark past. Zoe is sure the danger is all too real—but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?

My Thoughts:

When a house on a remote Scottish Island becomes available, Zoe jumps at the chance of moving away. She has been through a lot and needs to find peace and quiet and to just get away from it all. But this house is not all as it seems and Zoe does not know what happened here in the past. Why can she hear all these strange noises, and the feeling she is being watched. A creepy and tense read wondering what the reader will discover on every page. It was quite a slow read to start with but then it gets better throughout. Trying to work out where this story was going was hard and was taken back when I discovered it.

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