Sunday, May 11, 2025

My Review for How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie, read by Charly Clive and Paul Panting

May 11, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


Grace hates a lot of her family - so why not kill them?!

Our #BookstaBritsBookClub had mixed reviews for How to Kill Your Family when we discussed it, but I personally loved it. I listened, rather than read this, and perhaps that helped. The dry wit of our female protagonist shone through and Grace Bernard is a complete badass who has done some truly disturbing stuff, but right now she is in jail for a murder that surprisingly she didn't commit. 

I enjoyed the back and forth chapters, flipping between when she is in jail and before, and as she kills a million and one members of her family (well maybe not quite that many but enough anyway)!

I'm sure I shouldn't like Grace, but I do. There are usually valid reasons why she wants people dead, and let's be honest, we've all felt like that at one time or another. It's just that the majority of us don't go through with it!

If you aren't sure about this one, and you like an audiobook, then I would definitely recommend giving it a try. It's witty, sarcastic and actually a lot of fun to listen to.

About the Book

I have killed several people (some brutally, others calmly) and yet I currently languish in jail for a murder I did not commit.

When I think about what I actually did, I feel somewhat sad that nobody will ever know about the complex operation that I undertook. Getting away with it is highly preferable, of course, but perhaps when I’m long gone, someone will open an old safe and find this confession. The public would reel. After all, almost nobody else in the world can possibly understand how someone, by the tender age of 28, can have calmly killed six members of her family. And then happily got on with the rest of her life, never to regret a thing.

When Grace Bernard discovers her absentee millionaire father has rejected her dying mother’s pleas for help, she vows revenge and sets about to kill every member of his family. Readers have a front-row seat as Grace picks off the family one by one – and the result is as gruesome as it is entertaining in this wickedly dark romp about class, family, love… and murder.

But then Grace is imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit.


About Bella - by Bella

I am a former journalist who previously worked for The Guardian and Vice News. I write a twice monthly Vogue Column. My first book, Jog On, was a memoir about mental health and running. It was a number two best seller (just underneath Michelle Obama, which is a hallowed spot). Since then I’ve written an accompanying journal to encourage others to try exercise more for their minds than their bodies. 

My first foray into fiction was with my book “How To Kill Your Family,” which came out in July 2021 and also ended up in the number two bestseller spot. I’m currently writing a new novel which will hopefully be out in 2023. 

I live in London and spend a lot of time wrangling my large stupid dog. If the book isn’t out in 2023 then he will be why.






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Friday, May 9, 2025

My Review for New Hope For The Clarks Factory Girls by May Ellis

May 09, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments

Friendships and family, new life and new beginnings.

I love being back in Street, in Somerset, as Kate, Louisa, and Jeannie are hoping against hope that Britain will win the dreadful war and their loved ones can come home. Once again the book is full of friendships and family, new life and new beginnings, but it also isn't without its heartache as the atrocities of war are still in action. Prisoner of war camps are real, and the Germans are using that dreadful mustard gas!

Despite everything, this book is full of hope and positivity, and I admire how strong people were (and had to be) during these difficult times. 

I'm pretty sure that this is the last book in the series, and I'm gutted, I'd love to see how the Clarks Factory Girls live their lives as WWI ends and there is fresh hope on the horizon again. Perhaps May will write about them as they have to devastatingly navigate WWII. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review New Hope For The Clarks Factory Girls by May Ellis.




About the Book

1917: As the war reaches its final moments, the families of the Somerset village of Street take comfort in new arrivals among them, but can they allow themselves to hope, or are more dark times around the corner? 

Following her recent marriage to Lucas, Louisa is delighted to discover she is expecting. But after everything she’s lost since the war began, dare she believe that this is a sign of brighter days ahead? 

Meanwhile, Louisa’s friends Kate and Jeannie struggle to balance factory work alongside their responsibilities at home, with shortages, illness and bad news from the front putting them under ever more pressure. Then unexpected news means that Jeannie can finally get her heart's desire but can she accept her happiness at someone else's expense? And when Kate’s tyrannical father dies, Kate pledges never to let another man have power over her, and to forge a career for herself, whatever it takes. But when the armistice brings a surprise reunion, will she risk her independence for a chance at love? 

One thing is certain, things are changing in the quiet village of Street. Can the Clarks factory girls navigate a changing world and stick together?


About May

May Ellis has been a legal executive, registered childminder, professional fund – raiser and a teacher. She has travelled the world, including trekking in mountains, deserts and the Great Wall of China, as well as helping build a house in Thailand. She went to university in her forties and gained a first class degree and an MA while still working full – time. Her first book, a contemporary romance, was published in 2014. Since then she has had five more novels published, including another romance and a YA time travel adventure. The last three are gritty dramas set in the 1960s/70s published by Darkstroke Books. She lives in Somerset, within sight of Glastonbury Tor, volunteering at her local library and for the Alfred Gillett Trust (custodians of the Clark’s archives). Her current series, based on the factory workers at Clark’s Shoes was inspired by her move to the area and her love of social history.




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Wednesday, May 7, 2025

My Review for Will There Be Love by Whitney Cubbison

May 07, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments


'...exploring where love begins, where it falters, and the courage it takes to hold on—or to let go'.

I adored Whitney's latest book, Will There Be Love, and it is absolutely as good as her debut novel, Will There Be Wine, if not better. I love a story that is told from different points of view and this one comes from the eyes of Ophelia and her husband Gianluca as well as Austen and her boyfriend Matt. Gianluca is a prize ass, but of course we are supposed to think that, however the other three are cute, and their lives soon become intertwined. 

We are transported from Paris, to Rome, to Ibiza. At each location, I was feeling that I was really there, particularly on the beaches on the Balearic island of Ibiza and the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean with the warm sun beating down on my skin. 

If you love a book full of the importance of friendships, romance and second chances, then I urge you to pick up a copy of Will There Be Love. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but why not buy both!

Thank you to Whitney Cubbison for the opportunity to read and review a copy of her second novel, Will There Be Love.

About the Book

A propulsive exploration of romantic and platonic love, commitment, shared history, betrayal and personal reckoning.

To celebrate her fortieth birthday, Ophelia and her husband Gianluca gather an unlikely group of eight friends and lovers – some old, some new, some false, some true – for a long weekend in Ibiza. However, the idyllic villa setting may be the only thing holding together a complicated tangle of friendship, love, and betrayal.

Among the guests is Ophelia’s old university flame, Matt, and his new girlfriend, Austen. While Matt finds himself falling in love, Austen is holding back, carefully protecting her heart.

Ophelia knows she loves her husband, but “love” is a word she never learned to say, a silence rooted in a childhood tragedy. What she doesn’t know is that Gianluca has been whispering it to someone else. And when his mistress crashes the party along with her own boyfriend, she brings a revelation that could unravel everything.

Across Rome, Paris and Ibiza, the party guests navigate the tangled paths that bring people together and push them apart, exploring where love begins, where it falters, and the courage it takes to hold on—or to let go.


About Whitney

Whitney Cubbison is a dual American & French citizen living in Paris since 2009. She grew up in Texas and California and graduated from UCLA with a degree in French. She started her career in Communications working for high-tech PR agencies in San Francisco and eventually joined Microsoft where she worked for sixteen years, thirteen of which from the Paris office. During that time, she held various international roles that encompassed public relations, employee communications, executive speechwriting, and social media. 

She earned her French citizenship in early 2022 and left Microsoft in the summer of that year to focus on completing her first novel, Will There Be Wine? The story, while fiction, was deeply inspired by Whitney’s own experiences as an ex-pat divorcée living in Paris and trying to navigate the cultural minefield of dating in a foreign country. It was released on January 16, 2023.

​She had such fun writing that one that she decided to write a sequel, which becameWill There Be Love? Her own search for love is ongoing, so she's hoping this title will manifest someone great for her. A girl can dream...! Will There Be Love? was released on April 29, 2025.

When she’s not writing, Whitney can be found sitting in Parisian cafés and restaurants with her friends, drinking wine.




​

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Thursday, April 24, 2025

My Review for Burying Jericho by William Hussey (Scott Jericho #3)

April 24, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


'An innocent soul, walled up and forgotten'.

Burying Jericho is the third book in the Scott Jericho series, and it's by far and away the best! I loved everything about it. With each book I read, I'm learning more and more about the fairgrounds, the people who live and work there and the mysticism that often surrounds them.

The stories in this instalment just build and build, both with the disappearance of the young lad that Scott is searching for, and the mystery that Harry is looking into. I can't say too much about anything, you'll not hear any spoilers from me. Suffice to say that I was hooked, and along with the million and one curveballs that the author threw us and guessing (incorrectly) who the culprit(s) were, my mind was in turmoil. As I turned the last page, I felt like I had questioned every witness and fought every psychological battle that Scott did. I am excited to see what is next for 'the Great Showman Detective'.

Thank you to Zaffre books for the gifted copy of Burying Jericho by William Hussey.

About the Book

While Scott Jericho is tasked with investigating the most baffling case of his career, his partner Harry is set upon his own fateful path.

In a rundown seaside town, a young man has vanished without a trace. Jericho's investigation of this disappearance will unravel a diabolical plot and expose a secret long buried. A secret hinted at by the paper men hanging from the trees in a nearby wood, by the ravings of the local 'wise woman', and by the eerie waxworks of a defunct fairground attraction.

As fates collide and an impossible murder is executed, a twisted killer from the past is closing in on Harry and Jericho. But is it already too late for Jericho to save himself and the man he loves?


About William

William Hussey is the award-winning author of over a dozen novels, including the Crime Fest award-nominated Hideous Beauty and The Outrage. Born the son of a travelling showman, he has spent a lifetime absorbing the history, folklore and culture of fairground people, knowledge he has now put to work in his Scott Jericho thrillers.

William lives in the seaside town of Skegness with his faithful dog Bucky and a vivid imagination.




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Monday, April 21, 2025

My Review for Jericho's Dead by William Hussey (Scott Jericho #2)

April 21, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


Scott Jericho is back!

I'm loving this series, as I write this review for the second book, I am well on my way to finishing the third. Scott Jericho just can't sit back and forget his past, all he wants is to be in the thick of an investigation and this time, he really is, slap, bang in the middle. Can he discover who the killer or killers are before too many more people get murdered?

The book isn't all brutal murders and searching for the bad guys, there is an emotional side to it too. In the first book, Scott hooks up with his old flame, Harry, and in Jericho's Dead, they are still together - sort of. Scott doesn't seem the most stable of men in his relationships, so will they stay together, you'll have to read this to find out. Miscommunication is a huge issue between these two and many a time, I found myself muttering in despair - just talk to each other for heaven's sake!

If you love a good murder mystery, with some pretty squeamish bits, then please check out this series. It's fast becoming my new favourite. Oh, and once again, I didn't work it out until right at the very end!

Thank you to Zaffre books for the gifted copy of Jericho's Dead by William Hussey.


About the Book


Former CID detective Scott Jericho is done with murder. Done with puzzles. Done with the dark rage that seems to haunt him.

That is until a vicious serial killer targets someone close to him.

Now Jericho is back, his thirst for justice remorseless.

But time is running out. Fortune tellers and psychics are being slaughtered and everything points to a link with a live TV event due to be broadcast on Halloween night. But what is the significance of the macabre wax effigies found at every crime scene? Why is celebrity psychic Darrel Everwood convinced he will die in four days time? And is Jericho's lover Harry really involved in the murders?

As a startling truth is revealed and an old enemy re-emerges, a murder beyond imagining is about to be come the media event of the century...


About William

William Hussey is the award-winning author of over a dozen novels, including the Crime Fest award-nominated Hideous Beauty and The Outrage. Born the son of a travelling showman, he has spent a lifetime absorbing the history, folklore and culture of fairground people, knowledge he has now put to work in his Scott Jericho thrillers.

William lives in the seaside town of Skegness with his faithful dog Bucky and a vivid imagination.




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My Review for Killing Jericho by William Hussey (Scott Jericho #1)

April 21, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


A fantastic start to a new series.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I began to read Killing Jericho, those of you who read my reviews regularly will know that I rarely read the synopsis, where would be the fun in that? 😂

Scott Jericho is a former police officer who is having trouble letting go of his detective roots, so when horrendous murders begin to occur, then who better to investigate them. I really enjoyed the weird way in which these victims had been murdered - that sounds wrong, doesn't it? Let's just say the story kept me entertained, 🙈 and I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was until the reveal - well played there to the author. I loved the side story of the fair, where Scott lived much of his childhood. It was fun and interesting to read about what happens behind the scenes in a fairground and the hard work that so obviously goes into moving sites and setting up regularly. I was briefly taken back to Mr Galliano's Circus by Enid Blyton, which I read as a kid, and listened to more recently. Jodie and Sal are awesome, and I was so glad that Scott had someone looking out for him, especially in his darker days. 

I've already read the next book in the series, Jericho's Dead, and my review for that one will be coming soon. 

Thank you to Zaffre Books for the gifted copy of Killing Jericho by William Hussey.

About the Book

Murder this twisted demands a new kind of detective

Fresh out of prison, former Detective Constable Scott Jericho is a desperate man.

Disgraced and penniless after his assault on a violent suspect, he is forced to seek refuge with the fairground family he once rejected. Now, troubled by his failure, Jericho’s brilliant mind stagnates.

That is until a series of bizarre murders reawaken his interest. Men and women with no obvious link to each other are being ritualistically slaughtered.

Slaughtered in ways that recall an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair.

Now, in a race against time, he must unpick the threads of a baffling mystery. But as his investigation unfolds and the corpses pile up, a shocking truth awaits him. A revelation that will test not only Jericho’s intellect but challenge the very core of his morality...

About William

William Hussey is the award-winning author of over a dozen novels, including the Crime Fest award-nominated Hideous Beauty and The Outrage. Born the son of a travelling showman, he has spent a lifetime absorbing the history, folklore and culture of fairground people, knowledge he has now put to work in his Scott Jericho thrillers.

William lives in the seaside town of Skegness with his faithful dog Bucky and a vivid imagination.




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Sunday, April 20, 2025

My Review for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

April 20, 2025  , ,  No comments


"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

I was pretty sure that I'd read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was younger, but when I started to read it for April's choice of the month for #classiclitbookclub. I'm not actually sure that I have. 

For me, it was very much a coming-of-age story, told through the eyes of Scout, an eight-year-old girl who lives alone with her father and older brother. Along with Scout and her brother Jem's perception of life in a small town in the 1930s, I enjoyed reading and learning more about the prejudice and discrimination that existed between black and white people, as well as richer and poorer.  Their Dad, Atticus, has incredibly high morals, treating everyone equally and attempting to teach his children to be the same. 

The story jumped from situation to situation and from person to person. It was an interesting read as one minute we are wondering just who Boo Radley is, and another moment we are in court with Atticus as he's defending a black man against a white woman. I particularly enjoyed the lighthearted moments as Scout, Jem and their friend Dill, were just kids, doing what kids do and having fun. 

I still have no idea whether I've read this before, but I will be reading - or maybe listening next time - again. 

About the Book

"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.


About Harper

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She attended Huntingdon College and studied law at the University of Alabama. She is the author of the acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous other literary awards and honours. She died on 19 February 2016.





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