Review: The Six by Luca Veste

Title: The Six
Author: Luca Veste
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 26th December 2019
Pages: 432
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Six friends trapped by one dark secret.

It was supposed to be our last weekend away as friends, before marriage and respectability beckoned. But what happened that Saturday changed everything.

In the middle of the night, someone died. The six of us promised each other we would not tell anyone about the body we buried. But now the pact has been broken. And the killing has started again …

Who knows what we did? And what price will we pay?

Review: The One We Fell in Love With by Paige Toon

Title: The One We Fell in Love With
Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 19th May 2016
Pages: 416
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Phoebe is caught between a rock and a hard place. Settle down and get married, or return to the French Alps to pursue her passion?

Eliza is in love with someone who is no longer hers. In fact, he probably never was… And her dream of becoming a successful musician seems to be vanishing before her eyes.

Rose is out of a job and out of a boyfriend. To make matters worse, she’s been forced to move back in with her mother…

But these very different girls have one thing in common. Angus. The one they fell in love with…

Hall of Fame Review: Then She Was Gone by Luca Veste

Title: Then She Was Gone
Author: Luca Veste
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 28th July 2016
Pages: 448
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Tim Johnson took his baby daughter out for a walk and she never made it home. Johnson claims he was assaulted and the girl was snatched. The police see a different crime, with Johnson their only suspect.

A year later, Sam Bryne is on course to be elected as one of the youngest MPs in Westminster. He's tipped for the very top ... until he vanishes.

Detectives Murphy and Rossi are tasked with discovering what has happened to the popular politician - and in doing so, they unearth a trail that stretches into the past, and crimes that someone is hell-bent on avenging.

Review: In Place of Death by Craig Robertson

Title: In Place of Death
Author: Craig Robertson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 10th September 2015
Pages: 400
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

A young man enters the culverted remains of an ancient Glasgow stream, looking for thrills. Deep below the city, it is decaying and claustrophobic and gets more so with every step. As the ceiling lowers to no more than a couple of feet above the ground, the man finds his path blocked by another person. Someone with his throat cut.

As DS Rachel Narey leads the official investigation, photographer Tony Winter follows a lead of his own, through the shadowy world of urbexers, people who pursue a dangerous and illegal hobby, a world that Winter knows more about than he lets on. And it soon becomes clear that the murderer has killed before, and has no qualms about doing so again.

Review: Bloodstream by Luca Veste

Title: Bloodstream
Author: Luca Veste
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 22nd October 2015
Pages: 480
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Social media stars Chloe Morrison and Joe Hooper seem to have it all - until their bodies are found following an anonymous phone call to their high-profile agent. Tied and bound to chairs facing each other, their violent deaths cause a media scrum to descend on Liverpool, with DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi assigned to the case.

Murphy is dismissive, but the media pressure intensifies when another couple is found in the same manner as the first. Only this time the killer has left a message. A link to a private video on the internet, and the words 'Nothing stays secret'. It quickly becomes clear that more people will die; that the killer believes secrets and lies within relationships should have deadly consequences...

Bloodstream Blog Tour with Luca Veste

Anyone who reads my blog might know that I am a huge Luca Veste fan and so I am incredibly excited to be kicking off the blog tour for his latest Murphy and Rossi novel, and first with his new publishers Simon & Schuster, Bloodstream. Bloodstream is available to buy right now and you can see my review on the blog later this week! Today Luca is talking all about his first day of writing a new book...

Review: Tennison by Lynda La Plante

Title: Tennison
Author: Lynda La Plante
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 24th September 2015
Pages: 400
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

From the creator of the award-winning ITV series Prime Suspect, starring Helen Mirren, comes the fascinating back story of the iconic DCI Jane Tennison. 

In 1973 Jane Tennison, aged 22, leaves the Metropolitan Police Training Academy to be placed on probationary exercise in Hackney where criminality thrives. We witness her struggle to cope in a male-dominated, chauvinistic environment, learning fast to deal with shocking situations with no help or sympathy from her superiors. Then comes her involvement in her first murder case.

Review: The Cherry Tree Cafe by Heidi Swain

Title: The Cherry Tree Cafe
Author: Heidi Swain
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 16th July 2015
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3/5
Purchase: Amazon

Cupcakes, crafting and love at The Cherry Tree Cafe...

Lizzie Dixon's life feels as though it's fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there's only one option: to go back home to the village she grew up in and to try to start again.

Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home. She has just bought a little cafe and needs help in getting it ready for the grand opening. And Lizzie's sewing skills are just what she needs.

With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago...?

Hall of Fame Review: I Am Death by Chris Carter

Title: I Am Death
Author: Chris Carter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 30th July 2015
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781471132230
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

AN EVIL MIND was Chris Carters's most acclaimed novel to date, described by the Daily mail as: 'A chilling, compulsive portrait of a psychopath, and proves that Carter is now in the Jeffrey Deaver class.' It spent three weeks in the Sunday Times top ten and received brilliant reviews and sales.

This terrifying new standalone thriller reunites Hunter and Garcia in their most explosive case to date.

Review: I Knew You Were Trouble by Paige Toon

Title: I Knew You Were Trouble, (Jessie Jefferson #2)
Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Publication Date: 30th July 2015
Pages: 336
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Life as the undercover daughter of a rock god isn't going to be easy. How will Jessie adjust to her old boring life again after spending her summer living it up with her dad in LA? With tough decisions ahead (and not just choosing between two hot boys), can she cope juggling her two very different lives?

Summer may be over, but Jessie's story is just beginning...

Sunshine, rock gods and Hollywood hearthrobs! Jessie Jefferson is back in the next instalment from bestselling author Paige Toon. Perfect for fans of Geek Girl, Jessica Cole and Girl Online.

Review: The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon

Title: The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson
Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Publication Date: 30th January 2014
Pages: 308
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Jessie has always wanted to find her real dad. But when her mum dies in a tragic accident, she thinks any hope of discovering the truth is gone too.

It isn't until Jessie goes off the rails, that her stepdad makes a shocking announcement: her father is legendary rock star and former hell-raiser, Johnny Jefferson. Suddenly finding herself the daughter of a global superstar, Jessie is soon sucked into the LA lifestyle - paparazzi, parties and hot guitar-wielding boys included!

But despite the excitement, Jessie's still reeling from her mother's death and the revelation about Johnny. Can he live up to her expectations and help her move on? One thing's for sure, Jessie's tiny little world has just got a whole lot bigger...

Hall of Fame Review: The Santangelos by Jackie Collins

Title: The Santangelos
Author: Jackie Collins
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 16th June 2015 (US) / 10th September 2015 (UK)
Pages: 544
ISBN: 9781471112492
Source: Review Copy / Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon UK / US

A vicious hit, a vengeful enemy, a drug addled Colombian club owner and a sex crazed Italian family... the ever powerful Lucky Santangelo has to deal with them all.

Meanwhile Max - her teenage daughter - is becoming the 'it' girl in Europe's modeling world. And her Kennedyesque son, Bobby, is being set up for a murder he didn't commit. But Lucky can deal. Always strong and unpredictable, with her husband Lennie by her side, she lives up to the family motto - Never f**k with a Santangelo.

Lucky rules ...the Santangelos always come out on top. The Santangelos is an epic family saga filled with love, lust, revenge and passion.

Review: The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements

Title: The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop
Author: Abby Clements
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2nd July 2015
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781471137037
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Full of mouth-watering flavours, sunshine and escapist adventure, The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop will delight readers with a taste for sweet treats and romance. 

Anna and her husband Matteo are ready to embark a delicious Italian adventure. After a year and a half running their ice cream shop on Brighton beach and raising their baby Isabella, Matteo is starting to miss Italy. A shared passion for ices means it's easy to settle on a new business idea - they'll open a shop in the town's cobbled square, a short walk from the sparkling blue sea. For a while, life is sweet; but then Matteo's overbearing family get involved...

Anna's younger sister Imogen feels like things are finally coming together - she's living with boyfriend Finn in a beach house in Brighton, and her photography is taking off. Then her career stalls, and the lure of Capri - and a man from her past - prove difficult to resist.

Author Interview: Milly Johnson

Today I am far too excited to be sharing a Q&A with the amazing Milly Johnson! Her latest book Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café is released tomorrow (June 18th) and you can read my review here. I am a huge fan of Milly and I hope you enjoy reading the Q&A.

Milly, did you have as much fun writing Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café as I did reading it? It is a LOT of fun, with some incredibly hilarious moments. 

I had a lot of fun – I always do. If I can’t have fun with it all, I think that would shine through.  I love writing stories and taking my readers on an emotional journey. Writing books is my dream job and I put my heart and soul into every one. I always feel quite bereft when I have to leave the world I have created.

You do also write some really heartfelt scenes though, and create characters that your readers can really believe in. What - if anything - would you like people to take from this book? 

I would like people to think that it is never too late to change things in your life. You should be the happiest you can be and there is no use settling for second best when you could make some effort and have more.

Review: Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café by Milly Johnson

Title: Afternoon at the Sunflower Café
Author: Milly Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 18th June 2015
Pages: 512
ISBN: 9781471140464
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Connie Diamond has always been her husband Jimmy's 'best girl' - or so she thought. But then she discovers that he's been playing away for the past twenty-four years, and that the chocolates she believed he bought her as a sign of his love were just a cover-up, and she is determined to get revenge.

Along with Della Frostick, Jimmy's right-hand woman at his cleaning firm, Diamond Shine, (who Jimmy is about to replace with his young mistress) Connie decides to destroy Jimmy's life from the inside. Together they will set up a rival business, Lady Muck, and they'll make him wish he had never so much as looked at another woman.

Chocolate had been Connie's guilty pleasure but now it is a cruel reminder of Jimmy's deceit. But then she meets the charming Brandon Locke, a master chocolatier, whose kind chocolate-brown eyes start to melt her soul. Can Brandon cure Connie's affliction and help heal her broken heart…?

Review: The Sun in Her Eyes by Paige Toon

Title: The Sun in Her Eyes
Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 21st May 2015
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781471138416
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Amber was three when a car crash stole her mother's life. She doesn't remember the accident, but a stranger at the scene has been unable to forget. Now, almost thirty years later, she's trying to track Amber down.

Amber, meanwhile, is married to Ned and living on the other side of the world in London. When her father has a stroke, she flies straight home to Australia to be with him. Away from her husband, Amber finds comfort in her oldest friends, but her feelings for Ethan, the gorgeous, green-eyed man she once fell for, have never been platonic.

As Ethan and Amber grow closer, married life in London feels far away. Then Amber receives a letter that changes everything.

'Before your mother died, she asked me to tell you something…'

Review: The Love Shack by Jane Costello

Title: The Love Shack
Author: Jane Costello
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 496
ISBN: 9781471129278
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Life's great when you're 29 years old with a gorgeous girlfriend and fulfilling job. Until you have to move back in with your mum . . .

Dan and Gemma have found their dream first home, but the asking price is the stuff of nightmares. The only way they'll ever save enough for the deposit is by moving in, rent-free, with Dan's mum.

It's a desperate solution, but it's only for six months. And Gemma's determined to make it work, no matter how bad things get.

But between Dan's mum's kitchen karaoke, her constant innuendos, irrepressible argumentative streak and - worst of all - her ham and pineapple curries, life back at home would test the patience of two saints. Which Dan and Gemma most definitely are not.

Then, as they're trying to convince themselves it will all be worth it, Gemma's past comes back to haunt her. And suddenly the foundations of their entire relationship are shaken to their core…

Review: The Two of Us by Andy Jones

Title: The Two of Us
Author: Andy Jones
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 12th February 2015
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9781471142444
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Falling in love is the easy part. What matters most is what happens next...

Fisher and Ivy have been an item for a whole nineteen days. And they just know they are meant to be together. The fact that they know little else about each other is a minor detail. Over the course of twelve months, in which their lives will change forever, Fisher and Ivy discover that falling in love is one thing, but staying there is an entirely different story.

The Two of Us is a charming, honest and heart-breaking novel about life, love, and the importance of taking neither one for granted.

Review: Taboo by Casey Hill

Title: Taboo (Reilly Steel, #1)
Author: Casey Hill
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: 7th July 2011
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9781849833721
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3/5
Purchase: Amazon

Forensic investigator Riley Steel, Quantico-trained and California-born and bred, imagined Dublin to be a far cry from bustling San Francisco, a sleepy backwater where she can lay past ghosts to rest and start anew.

She's arrived in Ireland to drag the Garda forensics team into the 21st-century plus keep tabs on her Irish-born father who's increasingly seeking solace in the bottle after a past tragedy involving Riley's younger sister, Jess.

But a brutal serial killer soon puts paid to that. A young man and woman are found dead in a hotel room, the gunshot wounds on their naked bodies suggesting a suicide pact. But as Riley and the team dig deeper, and more bodies are discovered, they soon realise that a twisted murderer is at work, one who seeks to upset society's norms in the most sickening way imaginable…

Review: Together for Christmas by Carol Rivers (5/5)

August 1914, London. Britain has just declared war on Germany, and the whole country seems to be in uproar. Flora, Hilda and Will, who grew up together in St Boniface orphanage sit in the sunshine in Hyde Park on a rare day off, discussing the impending war and the changes it will bring to their lives. Will means to go off to fight, Hilda hopes to better her current lot in life as a maid at the charitable institute, Hailing House, but Flora is content with her job as assistant to the Isle of Dogs' kindly Doctor Tapper. Taking a vow, they pledge to always be there for each other, come what may.

It soon becomes clear that the war will not be over by Christmas, as so many thought, and the first zeppelin raids bring casualties flooding into the surgery where Flora works. Tragedy strikes in the trenches, too, and Will returns home with physical and mental wounds too deep for Flora to be able to nurse back to health.

In the meantime, Hilda has taken herself away from London to work as a maid at the sumptuous house of Adelphi. But it is not long before she finds herself out of her depth. And the consequences of her choices will lead to a shocking discovery that will change the course of the three orphans lives forever.