amothersmusings1's reviews
1939 reviews

This book got in my blood and ebbed and flowed like the Australian river Sabine Kelly lived on. It ran through her veins and I too felt a part of that life. The story was gripping beyond words. Once I started reading it, I was hooked and didn’t expect such a powerful, heartfelt and emotional tale. 

 

The beautiful and stunning scenery, the nature of river life and the feelings of the characters involved, were depicted perfectly and each scene played out vividly in my mind. 

 

Sabine’s story was truly a sad one and my heart bled for her at how she had to live a life on the run after such an abusive childhood. She met her match in Rachel, a freelance journalist but together, using their own reasons for the investigation, they set out to solve the crime Sabine is accused of thirteen years ago. Highlighting corrupt police, criminal injustice, cover ups and the betrayal by the upper echelons of society who you believe are there to protect you, makes this story an intriguing read. 

 

Not forgetting the real heroes of the day, Blue - Sabine’s dog and ‘Pop’ -Sabine’s grandad with his own back history and health issues, these two combined to make the story a brilliant family affair looking out for Sabine and it’s genuinely taken me a few days to stop thinking of them all and create a review to hopefully do “To the River” justice. 

 

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The saying goes ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ and nothing is more apt then this appropriately named book, showing the feelings from both a man and a woman and clarifies just how grateful we should be of what we have. This book was a gripping read, focusing on grief in its varying stages but with some humorous moments and with family dynamics that many mothers, daughters and sisters will no doubt relate to. 

The pacing is slow and steady but still addictive enough to keep me turning the pages with gusto. I liked Roz, even though at times she felt like an unreliable narrator but I respected her relationship with her young daughter Chloe, ensuring she came first and as a single parent she really excelled. There’s a tense denouement and a HUGE secret reveal that you don’t see coming despite the sinister hints. 

I can happily recommend “The Thief of Joy” to readers who enjoy suspense novels with a psychological edge and I look forward to reading more by Stacey Murray. 

“It All Started With a Lie” by Denise Brown is a psychological young-adult drama that I found page turning, realistic and entertaining to read. 

 

Sixteen year old Pearl discovers a newspaper article hidden in her father’s study, that clearly shows a story involving her dad she knew nothing about. With the involvement of her friends, they discreetly investigate the news story, ending up deeper and deeper into memories best left in the past. Using a dual timeline of the present and purely text messages between two sisters from when things started, it’s clear to see how the rumour and events snowballed. 

 

This is a well written young-adult novel that portrayed typical teenage curiosity and the desire to know your family history. I liked Pearl, she was down to earth, a good friend and a nice person. It was interesting to see the family dynamics of the characters involved and the strength of teenage friendships. I wasn’t expecting the conclusion to the past events and after some twists and turns, the denouement was satisfying and made complete sense. 

 

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I’ve being reading Lisa Gardner books for many years now especially her D.D. Warren series and I consider her to be one of the best crime authors around, up there with the likes of Karin Slaughter, Patricia Cornwell and Tess Gerritsen. 

 

“Still See You Everywhere” is book three in the missing persons ‘investigator’ series “Frankie Elkin”. I haven’t read the previous two books yet (I will) but this reads easily as a stand-alone, as other than a few mentions of previous cases there’s no obvious follow on. 

 

I love all things Hawaii, so I particularly enjoyed the remote location setting of an atoll in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii. This tense thriller was superbly set and I thought the theme of the habitat was something that truly added to the atmospheric tension. The author used the ecological restoration of rehabilitating coral reefs and the protection of the wildlife (though maybe one too many wolf spiders and coconut crabs for my liking!) as the perfect ‘locked in’ location. With the lack of communication and general access to the mainland, food supplies and basic domesticities, life was hard and suited introvert loners but is everyone who they say they are? 

 

The ‘Beautiful Butcher’ conjured up all sorts of imaginative thoughts and the idea of her past crimes was truly chilling. I certainly don’t fancy eating pork anytime soon! 

 

A well thought out plot, outstandingly executed and with perfect narration, this book was addictive, gripping, tense and engaging and if you haven’t read any of Lisa Gardner’s books before, now’s your chance! 

 

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“Risk of Harm” is the second book in Lucie Whitehouse’s ‘DCI Robin Lyon’s’ crime thriller series and follows on from “Critical Incidents”.  There’s a decent recap to remind the reader of events in book one which also makes this an equally good read as a stand-alone too. 

 

There’s no preamble at the start, straight into a grisly murder, exactly how I like my crime thrillers and I was pleased to see Robin as SIO on the case, allowing her to give it the dedication the victim deserves. Set in Birmingham, the increase in nationwide knife crime is also highlighted, particularly the difference in racial prejudice in how the crime is investigated. The main plot was a little convoluted but very clever in its creation and interesting to see it through to the denouement. 

 

Robin is a flawed character and she feels like she’s a neglectful mother, especially following a recent incident with her daughter Lennie being in danger. However, this new case proves her right, when the case starts to take over her life, mixed with some serious family incidents.  Her tolerance of her racist and self destructive brother is commendable, especially considering how hostile he has been and is still, towards her. 

 

I really enjoyed this book, the characters work really well together and with Robin’s ex boyfriend now thrown into her working relationship it will be interesting to see how that pans out.  I’m looking forward to reading book three - “Last Witness” and if you enjoy British crime    thrillers with guts, then this series is for you! 

 

Ahead of International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day, comes this brilliant, tongue in cheek woman’s look at old age. 

 

It was comforting to know that I’m not alone in feeling those fast approaching aches and pains, bouts of confusion and hormonal imbalances. You don’t think about ‘getting old’ until you suddenly are and as the author says, it’s like your head and body are no longer connected. This relatable book was honestly written, superbly portrayed and illustrated with cartoons to match the topic being discussed. With subjects on the brain, grandchildren and the more serious themes of dementia, cancer and dying, these were spoken about candidly but truthfully and can be easily skipped if preferred. 

 

Written by a well placed woman born in 1951, Sylvie Boulay has created a wonderful book to dip in to or read in one go, revealing her personal viewpoints on old age. Although we may not all get to experience the ‘joys’ of getting old, it is a privilege and if nothing else this “Beyond Beige” confirms, that what you’re going to, or are feeling, is normal and can be approached as a simple fact of life, rather than a complaint. 

 

#BeyondBeige - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

 

If you’re feeling a bit lost and need a pick me up in life, then the “30 Steps to Finding Yourself” is the perfect self help workbook. Offering guidance to find the real you with interactive exercises to help you achieve what you ideally want from yourself and life, this book will alleviate worries, doubts and anxiousness, in overcoming any limiting self beliefs.  

 

I was personally interested in the section ‘What if’ - advising that regrets are fruitless but learning from your experiences isn’t. There’s not a person around who hasn’t thought ‘what if’ and this often keeps you awake at night but with the right attitude you can use the past to shape the future. 

 

This book is the perfect Christmas gift for any New Year resolution makers wanting to find ‘who you are’ or as a book for yourself to pick up as you please and work through the various informative sections. The author Sally Hope has used her own personal experience of trauma recovery and her professional knowledge as a women’s recovery coach to create this beautifully designed and thoughtfully devised, interactive journey to self discovery. 

 

#30StepsToFindingYourself - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

We had some great fun with this quiz book at recent family get togethers, all professing to know their true crime but it’s not until you start reading/playing the quizzes you realise how much you don’t know and therefore learned, with an interest in some of the questions being researched further.  With such a variety of themes included, there’s plenty to keep everyone interested. Really in depth questions, detailed and displayed in an easy to use format, sometimes multiple choice options, with the answers straight after each section. 

 

Although the topic of the book is true crime, it isn’t glorified in any way, shape or form and when it’s described as entertaining and fun, it’s by virtue of the interactive circumstances it’s used, eg the competitiveness of the players - exactly the same as any pub quiz night. Of course it’s equally good fun seeing what you know yourself, if reading on your own and it soon becomes addictive, wanting to know if you know the answer to the next question.  Some of the facts are quite extraordinary and the ‘celebrity trivia’ was eye opening to say the least. 

 

With themes that include ‘Jack the Ripper’, ‘Women in Crime’, ‘Cults’, What’s your Poison’, ‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ and so many more, Chris Alan’s book is a guaranteed must read for true crime aficionados and makes the perfect gift too for the discerning trivia fan. 

 

#TheTrueCrimeQuizBook - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

“The Colossus” is book one in Simon Wright’s “Red Scarf” series and is a cracking start to a story, set in dual timelines of Constantinople 1630 and England 2012. The prologue to the crux of the story set in Hungary 1566, reeled me in instantly, with Suleiman the Magnificent proclaiming on his deathbed, the importance of his heart becoming a holy relic so his reign can continue forever.  

 

Twists, turns, red herrings, plot against plot, jingoism and page after page of tense thrilling action, this book was a pleasure to read and knowing that a lot of the story is based loosely on true events (though fictionally created) the adventure seems all the more exciting. 

 

This book would be extremely adaptable for the big screen, I can already see traits of ‘The Mummy’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ in scenes, with the chase of so many factions seeking the relic. I can’t wait for the next book in the series “The Twin Rings”, I hope I don’t have to wait too long, as I’m already missing the adorable Emir and I would personally recommend this book to any aged, historical action fans. 

 

#TheColossus - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Holy Moly! “Unholy Murder” is wholly original and chillingly written! It’s book seven in the ‘Tennison’ series, the prelude stories to “Prime Suspect” and is another cracking case for Jane and the murder squad to solve. 

 

The discovery of a nun in a coffin during excavation work, raises concerns when it’s realised she didn’t die of natural causes and had been dead for several years. Could the Catholic Church be hiding some heinous crime?  

 

I’ve really enjoyed seeing Jane maturing both personally and professionally throughout these series of books. Her lateral thinking and positive determination makes her an exceptional police detective, role model and a joy to read. Her professionalism and dedication to justice, sees her cracking the most unusual of cases and nothing is more unique, than the sinister cold case in this book. 

 

I was pleased to see Jane wasn’t subjected to the excessive misogyny that she’s endured in the previous books, although any that does come her way, she deals with in a respectable but forthright manner. 

 

Set in the 1980’s it was also interesting to see how forensics have developed since the earlier books in the series, which were set in the 70’s and yet still a far cry from what’s available now to prove crimes. 

 

Another five star read for me and I look forward to what Lynda La Plante has in store for Jane in “Dark Rooms”. 

 

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