My Review for The Secret Path by Karen Swan

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Secret Path by Karen Swan.

Wow! Just wow! I adore Karen Swan’s novels and I couldn’t wait to read The Secret Path, her latest release, and I wasn’t disappointed. It had everything I expected from her, several plot, twists and turns and a bit of romance thrown in too. What more could you want?

Tara Tremain was living the life she’d always wanted, studying as a Medical Student in London and besotted by her boyfriend, Alex. However, when Alex suddenly betrays her, she is forced to move on without him. Skip 10 years and she is now a Consultant Surgeon and seemingly happy with Rory. The story takes a sudden twist when Tara and her friends and family take a trip to Costa Rica and in the space of a few days, her life is upended.

Swan immerses you in the story she is telling, transporting you onto the Costa Rican beaches and deep into the Costa Rican jungle as we journey along with Tara on her adventures. Bringing together family and friends, loyalty and love, the author is adept at keeping us entertained throughout. There are many jaw-dropping moments and I often skipped to the end of the page to make sure things were ok, before coming back up and reading it properly!

Karen Swan obviously researches all her books thoroughly, and The Secret Path is no exception. Costa Rica is described so remarkably well, from the density of the rainforest to the humidity of the atmosphere, the jungle creatures that call this their home and the tribes who live within the jungle itself. 

If you have never read a Karen Swan book before then make this your first one, and then go back and read all her others. You won’t regret it!

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My Review for The Therapist by Helene Flood

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Therapist by Helene Flood.

Sara is a Psychologist and Sigurd is an architect, and they are living in a house that has been gifted to them by Sigurd’s mother when her father (Sigurd’s grandfather died). Needing a great deal of renovation, the house is in a bit of a state, to say the least, but work has halted due to lack of funds and because Sigurd is so busy at work. One morning Sigurd kisses Sara goodbye and heads off for a weekend away with his friends...never to return! 

The novel follows the police investigation, which arises after Sigurd’s disappearance and we become involved with Sara’s life as she becomes paranoid that someone is breaking into her house and following her as she tries to continue with her life. Throughout the story, we are introduced to Sara’s sister Annika, who is there for her every step of the way, and their father, who appears to be somewhat of a mysterious academic!

Helene Flood included many tiny sub-sections to the story which hardly seemed relevant at the time of reading but all came together as the novel progressed as we begin to understand the whys, where’s and what-ifs.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Therapist, the author kept me guessing right until the end, and there were so many plot twists I wasn’t sure what would come next. 

As a thriller, The Therapist isn’t the fastest paced book I’ve read, but it was far from boring, keeping me entertained from beginning to end.

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My Review for False Witness by Karin Slaughter

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of False Witness by Karin Slaughter.

I haven’t read many thrillers before now and this is the first Karin Slaughter novel I have read, however, it won’t be the last. I was hooked from beginning to end!

Leigh Collier works as a defence attorney in Atlanta, Georgia and is called on by her boss to defend Andrew Tenant in court. Accused of violent rape, Andrew isn’t a stranger to Leigh and very quickly she is thrown into the past as she remembers what happened while she was growing up. Leigh has a younger sister, Callie, and the story is told throughout from both their viewpoints. Leigh has made a success of her life, married with a teenage daughter and has a rewarding career. However, Callie takes drugs, is living in sleazy motels, and takes what she can from wherever she can.

I don’t want to give too much away in my description of the book, as for me, that spoils it and a lot of reviews just go into too much detail. Having never read a Karin Slaughter book before, I don’t think I was prepared for the descriptions she provides, from the rape to the drug-taking, to the violence throughout. However, I was blown away by the entire story and because of the minute detail and such vivid descriptive writing, I could visualise every detail of what was happening.

This is the first book I have read that incorporates COVID and although far from the principal topic, it shows how people manage the unusual situation that we find ourselves in and how it affected our daily lives as we learn to live a new normal. The author is adept at showing how strong a family bond can be as Leigh and Callie work together to make some sense of their adult lives.

Because of the topics covered, and how in-depth some subjects are, I would suggest caution to those choosing to read this book. However, if you enjoy a gritty, violent thriller then you won’t be disappointed.

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My Review for The Guilty Wife by Alison James

⭐⭐⭐⭐  Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Guilty Wife by Alison James.

Pippa calls off her wedding to Alistair just hours before they were due at the Registry Office, and not wanting to face the music, she goes on their honeymoon to Mauritius, on her own, just to escape. She realises that there is another person on their own and she makes the acquaintance of Jim Cardle. Meanwhile, Tansy and Dan and Nikki and Arne are also on their honeymoon at the same resort, and over the next few days, their lives become mysteriously intertwined.

Alison James takes the reader all around the world, travelling from London to Australia, Mauritius and Thailand, describing all these locations in such great detail that I almost believed I was there. The story briefly covers the Tsunami in Thailand on Boxing Day 2004 and, knowing someone that was caught up in the disaster (but thankfully survived), it was quite harrowing to read those parts.

I found the story fairly slow, to begin with, although not off-putting, as James introduces the characters and explains their back-stories. Most of them were easy to connect with and only one was actually a pain in the proverbial and I just wanted to throw her off a cliff!

There were lots of twists and turns in the plot. Whilst at one point I was convinced I knew what was coming, the story moved in a completely different direction and kept me guessing until the end. The story includes murder, bereavement, grief, greed and just a little bit of love and made for a great read. I would recommend The Guilty Wife to anyone who enjoys a mysterious thriller with no gory bits!

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My Review for The English Girl by Sarah Mitchell

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The English Girl by Sarah Mitchell.

The English Girl begins at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 1989, as the wall is coming down.  Tiffany travels from West to East with a letter in her hand and only an address to begin her search for someone important.

Most of the book takes place in 1946/47 in Norfolk, at the end of the Second World War.  German soldiers in a Prisoner of War camp are being used to clear mines and make the beaches safe and the book centres around the camp and the people who are helping to run it.  Fran begins work in the office in the camp and quickly meets and falls for Thomas, one of the German prisoners.  

Fraternising with a German is strictly against the law, and so Fran and Thomas have to hide their love for each other from everyone else but continue to see each other at any snatched opportunity they can.  Only time will tell whether there is any future for their forbidden relationship and Sarah Mitchell keeps the reader guessing throughout the book.

Inspired by a true story, The English Girl was a beautiful read and opened up my eyes to the fact that people who fought in the war weren’t just allowed to pack up their bags and go home as soon as it was over.  For many, it continued for years without them knowing what had happened to their families back home.   The story also told of how wartime events affected not only the soldiers who fought but those who were left behind, both men and women, and how society treated them.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a difference, then I would recommend The English Girl, you never know, you might learn of events that you didn’t realise had happened.  I definitely need to read more by Sarah Mitchell!

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My Review for The Bird in the Bamboo Cage by Hazel Gaynor

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐When the weather is sunny and I’m pottering around the garden, and if the story is addictive I can get through an 11-hour Audiobook in a couple of days and The Bird in the Bamboo Cage by Hazel Gaynor (read by Imogen Church and Rosie Jones) was one of these.  

Set in China during the Second World War,  just as the Japanese declared war on the Allies, The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is primarily told from the points of view of two characters, ten-year-old Nancy Plummer and her teacher, Elspeth Kent.  The story begins at Chefoo school, an international missionary school, where the children are happy and well cared for, but as war is declared they are first invaded by Japanese soldiers who watch their every move, and they are then uprooted from what they know and feel safe with and moved to an internment camp, where punishment is high, and the Japanese soldiers enjoy making people suffer.

The story follows the teachers and children of Chefoo school as they embark on a torturous and heart-breaking few years, never knowing what is happening at home, whether their families are safe or how long the torment will continue.  Hazel Gaynor brings the horrors of an internment camp alive as she describes the living conditions and the events that the children and teachers suffer as they try to survive day to day.  The book is also very much about friendship and loyalty, how everyone will work together to get through another day.  

To keep things as normal as possible, the girls continue with their Kingfisher Girl Guide troop, working for badges and helping others in the camp, as much as they can.  

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is based on true events and Hazel Gaynor has researched her book well. Once again I have read something based during wartime that I had no knowledge of and knowing that children suffered in internment camps and the sufferings they endured is heartbreaking.

Right at the end of the book, the girls sing Taps, which is how every meeting of the Brownies or Guides ends (I’m not sure if it still does) but this was a real memory blast for me and I even remembered the words....

Day is done,

Gone the sun,

From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky,

All is well,

Safely rest,

God is nigh.

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My Review for Secrets of Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Secrets of Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr.

Lila leaves London and her ex-boyfriend behind to begin a new life and a new career in Cornwall. Whilst undertaking a college course to become a patissier, Lila works part-time in Serafina’s cafe in Magpie Cove and is enjoying getting to know the locals and spending time with Oliver - her new friend at college. However, after Serafina sadly passes away, her son Nathan inherits the cafe and some decisions that he is making just don’t sit well with Lila.

I loved Secrets of Magpie Cove and although I haven’t read the first book in the series, this really didn’t matter. I will definitely put it on my TBR list though. Kennedy Kerr reminds me of Liz Fenwick in her writings and transports you into the lives of the characters from the outset. With her descriptions of the pastries that Lila is learning to cook, she made my mouth water many times!

Serafina helped so many people during her life, and some of this only comes to light after her death. Lila wants to help the local community in the same way that Serafina did and enlists the help of those around her to aid her in her mission. Secrets of Magpie Cove is lighthearted and an easy read with a genuine sense of community spirit. If you fancy something lovely to read in the sunshine, grab yourself a copy of Kennedy Kerr’s new novel.

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