DCS Simon Serrailler has long regarded drugs ops in the Lafferton area as a waste of time. Small-time dealers are picked up outside the local secondary school, they’re given a fine or a suspended and away they go. And rinse and repeat. But when the body of a young drug addict is found in neighbouring Starly, the case pulls Simon into a whole new way of running drugs. The foot soldiers? Vulnerable local kids like Brookie and Olivia, who will give Simon a bitter taste of this new landscape.

It is a harsh winter at home as well as work. Simon’s GP sister Cat and her husband Kieron are struggling with medical dramas big and small. A trip to Bevham General on her rounds sets off alarm bells for Dr Cat, and a visit from her son Sam as he tries to work out if his midwifery course is right for him coincides with a threat to their beloved family dog. Simon is working hard, but he’s restless, wondering what next. There’s nothing new going on for him in Lafferton, but sometimes the familiar holds surprises, too . . .

My Thoughts:

This is my second book by Susan Hill and I absolutely loved it. In this Simon Serrailler Case, when DCS Simon Serrailler is called into find out what happened to a young drug addict who has died but there is more than meets the eye in this story. He has to use all his powers and knowledge to research and find out about the local drug addicts and he finds it goes way deeper than just that. More to the point also about keeping himself safe. A gripping read that I felt as though once I had started reading I didn’t want to stop, it pulls you in and the pace is quick with interesting characters. It is not straight forward as you may think. I enjoyed this read and will definitely read the other books in this series.

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

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Everything is a clue.
Bonnie arrives on a remote sea fort off the coast of England to take part in a mysterious reality TV show. Competing against seven strangers, she must solve a series of puzzles to win the prize money, but this is no game – and the consequences of failure are deadly.

No one leaves.
Under scrutiny from the watching public, the contestants quickly turn on one another. Who will sacrifice the most for wealth and fame? And why can’t Bonnie shake the creeping sense that they are not alone?

The only way out is to win.
When the first contestant is found dead, Bonnie begins to understand the dark truth at the heart of this twisted competition: there’s a killer inside the fort, and anyone could be next. If Bonnie wants to escape, she needs to win…

Are you ready to play?

My Thoughts:

When Bonnie and a bunch of strangers meet on a remote sea fort in England, they have no idea what to expect as they are taking part in a reality TV show. Bonnie is competing against seven other people to win prize money but can she solve all the puzzles? When deadly things start to happen Bonnie realises there many be no way out, can she work out the bigger picture in all of this before she ends up dead. I liked the concept of this book, it is unique and interesting to see how it will pan out. I felt as though I was playing alongside Bonnie, it is definitely a book for those who love solving puzzles, which I do. I found it quite dark especially when people were turning on each other but I suppose that is what you have to do to win in this game. A really good read.

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

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Missing persons specialist Frankie Elkin is on an isolated island off the coast of Hawaii.

Her mission: to find Lani, the missing sister of a Death Row serial killer known as the Beautiful Butcher who is awaiting execution in just three weeks’ time.

According to the Beautiful Butcher’s sources, Lani is being held captive by her millionaire ex-boyfriend on the island. The only way to gain access is for Frankie to go undercover.

But can Frankie really trust the word of a serial killer?

Plus, this island is no paradise with deadly creatures and suspicious co-workers at every turn, and an incoming tropical storm about to cut her off from the outside world.

Could this be Frankie Elkin’s most dangerous case yet?

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Lisa and I thought the blurb sounded really good. It centres around Frankie who is a missing person specialist but when her next client is someone who is in prison she doesn’t know if she is making the right decision, is it the right idea to help this woman find her missing sister or is it just not worth the hassle. But Frankie cannot leave it and decides to go ahead and find the missing sister but is there more than meets the eye on this case. Will Frankie get the answers she wants. It was a great paced story right from the start, you can feel the tension build up through out. I didn’t know how I would feel in Frankie’s situation so it was though provoking. There is a lot going on and I flew through this book till an incredible ending rounded everything up. I was not sure what I was expecting but it was so much better than I could ever imagined.

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

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They’re locked up for your safety.

Now, you’re locked in with them.

How do you find a murderer in a prison full of killers?

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital, a scream shatters the night.

A nurse has been murdered and her daughter has been taken.

And with only five days to find the girl, the clock is ticking for Dr Connie Woolwine to find a killer hiding in plain sight…

My Thoughts:

Helen Fields has a way with her words that pulls you in from the very first page, I didn’t want to stop reading this quick paced thriller packed full of creepy inmates and a Dr who is on a mission to find out what really happened when a nurse had been murdered. Is it plain and simple? no of course it is not. Can Dr Connie find out what went on before it happened or will she end up dead herself. The description of the prison gave me the chills straight away and some of the inmates I found very creepy and dark. It is not a place I would ever want to go to. The descriptions in this book really put me on edge and a few times I was given a fright. It was a really good chilling read and I cannot believe the ending.

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Making dinner from scratch can feel like a chore – often half the battle is trying to find something that’s quick, nutritious and, most importantly, delicious. But delicious doesn’t have to mean demanding.

After their debut book, Sunday Times bestseller It’s All About Dinner, Kitchen Sanctuary is back – this time focusing on quick and easy meals, all made in 30 minutes or less!

With chapters such as Champion Chicken; Moreish Meat; Fantastic Fish; Vitally Veggie; Perfect Pasta; Rice, Noodles, Grains and Bread; Snack Suppers; Super Sauces – as well as a section dedicated to Smart Shortcuts containing Nicky’s top tips for speeding up dinner – you’ll be able to whip up a range of fabulous meals for the whole family, every day of the week, no matter how little time you have.

My Thoughts:

I could not wait to receive this book, this is my first Kitchen Sanctuary cookbook and I cannot wait to get stuck in. It is divided into sections including chicken dishes, meat and fish but there is also different sauces and snacky suppers. What I really liked too is how simple the dishes are and also Nicky’s tips to help you achieve great success. All the recipes look easy to make but also how quick they are too. I cannot wait to make a variety from this book and this will be my kitchen staple from now on.

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

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In The Wild Remedy, Emma Mitchell’s deeply personal account of her interactions with nature and its healing properties, she recorded, month by month, a year of her nature finds and wildlife discoveries and the science behind how nature affects our neurochemistry to provide relief from anxiety and depression. Now, in this stunning journal, she invites you to accompany her on that road, to experience nature for yourself, record your own interactions and find healing in the natural world.

Full of Emma’s exquisite artworks and photographs, this journal contains many of her own observations and reflections, along with prompts and ideas that will help to unlock your own experience of nature. It shows how reconnecting with the natural world around us can be a powerful tool – as medicinal as any talking therapy or pharmaceutical.

This unique nature journal includes activities, drawing prompts, contemplative quotes and lots of space for you to write about your inner thoughts, feelings and experiences.

My Thoughts:

I really found this book helpful with my moods in the different months of the year. It is a book designed to help people with how to cope each month and I have found it has improved my mood immensely. There is something so comforting about the front cover and all the pictures inside the book really do help to lift the mood. I love getting out in nature anyway and this book makes it even more possible with the activities that you can do through out this book and different tasks you can do each day. A truly wonderful book that I will cherish forever.

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

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Leeds, 1977. A chill lies over the city: sex workers are being murdered by a serial killer they are calling the ‘Ripper’, the streets creeping with fear.

Tough, sharp, but tender, Maureen runs Rio’s, a clean, discreet brothel in the city. She’s a good boss who takes great care of her workers – especially her best girls, Bev and Anette. The Ripper may be terrifying girls who work the street, but at Rio’s the girls seem safer.

But when Bev’s sweet-natured son is found beaten to death, a figure from Maureen’s past, DS Mick Hunniford, shows up at her door. Does his arrival herald danger or salvation? And who can Maureen really trust?

My Thoughts:

The story is set in 1977 when there was a serial killer on the loose murdering sex workers, no women was safe to go out on the streets especially at night. Maureen owns Rio’s which is a brothel in the heart of the city. She looks after her girls and would do anything for them but when one of them goes missing and someone from her past shows up is everything as plain sailing as it once was. It was a interesting story that is written by Katy who was inspired to write about her own experiences in this great crime story. I felt it was a great read and there are some interesting parts to this story. I had the chills reading parts of this book.

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

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Three months after Kyo Maclear’s father dies in December 2018, she gets the results of a DNA test showing that she and the father who raised her are not biologically related. Suddenly Maclear becomes a detective in her own life, unraveling a family mystery piece by piece, and assembling the story of her biological father. Along the way, larger questions arise: What exactly is kinship? What does it mean to be a family? And how do we belong to larger ecosystems?

My Thoughts:

This is Kyo Maclear’s story about her life and how it all changed when she had some results of a DNA test done. Kyo finds out something that she never would of expected. And this is the story about how she overcame these obstacles. It is a thought provoking read and I really felt for Kyo at times. It was a very moving and powerful read that I would recommend reading. It was great.

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

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Grief is universal, but it’s also as unique to each of us as the person we’ve lost. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, unreasonable, there when we least expect it and seemingly never-ending. Wherever you are with your grief and whoever you’re grieving for, I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is here to support you. To tell you, until you believe it, that things will get easier.

When bestselling writer Clare Mackintosh lost her five-week-old son, she searched for help in books. All of them wanted to tell her what she should be feeling and when she should be feeling it, but the truth – as she soon found out – is that there are no neat, labelled stages for grief, or crash grief-diets to relieve us of our pain. What we need when we’re grieving is time and understanding. With 18 short assurances that are full of compassion – drawn from Clare’s experiences of losing her son and her father – I Promise it Won’t Always Hurt Like This is the book she needed then.

My Thoughts:

This is different to Clare’s other books but I am so glad she has written it. Everyone deals with grief in different ways and I have seen it first hand. But when the author writing this book has been through grief then you know what you are reading is straight from the heart, Clare’s way of helping others with how to deal with grief. There are 18 different assurances in this book to console and help the reader, and even though I have never read anything like this before I am glad I have because I have lost people in the past and I feel as though I never had any help with the grieving process. I am so glad Clare has written this book, and I really hope it helps lots of people in the world. I am glad she has written it but I am very sorry for her loss, her words have really touched me.

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

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Born during the Second World War, Lesley’s innocence came to an abrupt end when a neighbour found her, aged 3, coatless in the snow. The mother she’d been unable to wake had been dead for days. Sent to an orphanage, Lesley soon learned adults couldn’t always be trusted.

As a teenager in the swinging sixties, she took herself to London. Here, the second great tragedy of her life occurred. Falling pregnant, she was sent to a mother and baby home, and watched helplessly as her newborn was taken from her.

But like so many of her generation, Lesley had to carry on. She was, after all, a true survivor. Marriage and children followed – and all the while she nurtured a dream: to be a writer. Yet it wasn’t until at the age of 48 that her stories – of women struggling in a difficult world – found a publisher, and the bestseller lists beckoned.

As heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, Lesley’s story really is A Long and Winding Road with surprises and uplifting hope around every corner . . 

My Thoughts:

I have read a few of Lesley’s books now and always enjoyed them so when I saw she had an memoir I knew I needed to read it. It is a wonderful insight into the life of Lesley Pearse, it explores all aspects of her life and I couldn’t believe some of the things she had to go through in her life. I went through many emotions reading this book and I really felt for Lesley at times but she does show that you can get through anything. What a wonderful memoir and I have great inspiration from reading this book. I loved reading this book.

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

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