Review: The Secret Place by Tana French

The Secret Place by Tana French

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Release date: 28 August 2014

Rating: *****

Back cover blurb: ‘I know who killed him.’

Could these few words, posted on a notice board in an exclusive girls’ boarding school, be Detective Stephen Moran’s passport to the Murder Squad? Moran is about to be plunged into the single most intense and nerve-shredding day of his life, investigating the story of a boy whose murder has been unsolved for a year, and a group of girls on the verge of womanhood, who all seem to have something to hide.

Well, I finally know who killed him!

Let's just say it definitely wasn't who I was expecting, but you will have to read for yourself to find out.

The Secret Place at first glance, might seem like a bit of an epic read at 500 odd pages, but it is worth the effort because every single one of those pages is beautifully written.

Holly Mackey, the infamous Detective Mackey's daughter is already known to Detective Stephen Moran, when she turns up at his office with a crucial piece of evidence for a case that remains an unsolved mystery.

The murder of local school 'boy' Chris Harper.

Chris was a popular boy, didn't do drugs, didn't drink (well no more than the usual amount that teenagers do anyway) so who killed him and why?!

It's a question that Detective Antionette Conway has been asking for the past year. She has interviewed Chris Harpers' friends, family and ex-girlfriend(s) but has gotten no where. She is certain that Private girl's school St Kilda's holds the answers and Holly Mackey herself is a border there.

When Detective Moran turns up in Conway's team with the evidence she is determined to re-open the case, with or without Moran. Moran convinces her that they should work together, and their Detective partnership is born, and my is it a good one!

The way they bounce off each other (good and bad) is ingenious. I digress slightly...

Moran and Coran are on their way to St Kilda's before you can blink, convinced that The Secret Place holds... well, the secret I suppose!

The Secret Place is the key to the investigation, but it could refer to so much more; a hiding place for a mobile phone, a hang-out for teenage girls etc...

I'm not going to give any more away because I really want everyone to read this book for themselves and find out exactly who killed him.

The Secret Place is available to buy from TODAY online and from all good book shops.

    Many thanks to Commuter reads who sent me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Liebster Award Nomination

  1. Say 'Thank You' and link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Write 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions you have been asked from the blogger who nominated you.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers with under 200 followers and send them 11 questions to answer.   So... I was nominated very kindly by Paulette Lien of readeatlive.com for the Liebster Award.   Thank you for nominating me :)  

11 random facts about me:
1. I have an obsession with music
2. I love Welsh Rugby
3. Most people know I suffer with Ulcerative Colitis, but I also have Isthmic Spondylolisthesis
4. I have a weird liking for anything featuring planes/plane crashes i.e; Aircrash Investigation/Seconds to Disaster etc.
5. I love to write
6. I rarely drink unless it's a really special occasion
7. I am about to encounter Student life phase 2.. this time as a mature student, studying a part time masters degree.
8. I once (or maybe more;)) auditioned for the X Factor and got quite far....
9. I have only been book blogging for a year
10. I am in an ABBA tribute band.
11. When I was younger I was a competitive swimmer (after reading This Is The Water I'm kind of glad I'm not anymore!)

The 11 questions I was asked;
1. WHAT IS THE FIRST BOOK YOU TRULY LOVED?
Argh, what a question.... The first book I can truly remember 'reading' is probably something like Charlotte's Web.

2. WHAT IS YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK?
Another tough one... I adore Playing Away by Adele Parks, as its the novel that got me hooked on to her as an author. 

3. WHAT MEAL TRANSPORTS YOU TO ANOTHER PLACE?
Teriyaki chicken transports me straight back to Japan.

4. WHAT MUSIC, IF ANY HELPS YOU WRITE?
If LOVE music, but if I'm writing seriously I prefer silence.

5. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL NEXT?
I'd love to go back to Japan.

6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FORM OF PRINT?
Books of course :)

7. WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING WHAT KIND OF STORE DO YOU VISIT FIRST?
It depends what kind of shopping. But I'd usually start somewhere like John Lewis or House of Fraser.

8. FAVOURITE MOVIE OF THE LAST YEAR?
I think Frozen is the only film I've actually seen from last year.

9. DO YOU WATCH TV?
I do.

10. IF YOU DO WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE?
I like Crime/Thrillers, Historical/Period dramas (Downton Abbey...) and of course those plane crash shows!

11. WHAT JOB WOULD BE THE BEST FIT FOR YOU?
Right now I am in the perfect job for me, but if I could have any job I wanted, then I would be an author. No question about it. 

The bloggers I am nominating;

hellojanuaryuk.blogspot.com
http://rare-opal.blogspot.co.uk/
http://ablondelibrarian.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com/

I know I don't have 11 yet, but I have delayed posting this, so I will keep adding as I find people to nominate!

And the questions I'm asking :)

1. What are your obsessions apart from books?

2. List your top 5 authors.

3. A book that didn't live up to the hype.

4. A book that exceeded the hype.

5. A book you would love to see as a film.

6. Something about you that no one else knows.

7. Favourite holiday read.

8. Bookbridgr, Netgalley or Edelweiss?

9. Would you write a book? If so what would it be about?

10. Favourite book cover/jacket?

11. Favourite translated novel?

Review: The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier

The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier
Publisher: St Martins Press
Release date: 12 August 2014
Rating: ****

Back cover blurb: The first victim is a horse: its headless, flayed body hangs suspended from the edge of a frozen cliff. On the same day as the gruesome discovery takes place, Diane Berg, a young psychiatrist starts her first job at a high security asylum for the criminally insane, just a few miles away. She is baffled by the slightly unorthodox methods the asylums's director uses, and then greatly alarmed when she realizes that drugs are disappearing from within the fortified institution while someone seems to be slipping out at night. Commandant Martin Servaz, a charismatic, Toulouse city cop fond of quoting Latin, can’t believe he has been called out over the death of an animal. But there is something disturbing about this crime that he cannot ignore. Then DNA from one of the most notorious inmates of the asylum.... contd. 

The Frozen Dead is Bernard Minier's first crime novel apparently. If I hadn't read that statement on a reputable website, I would never had believed it. The Frozen Dead is one of the best pure crime novels that I've read in a while.

The Frozen Dead is a brilliantly atmospheric novel with an original setting, characters and plot line.

Starting your novel with a brutally murdered horse is a risky move for any crime writer, but Minier writes well enough to keep you intrigued even though you are thinking in the back of your mind, why the hell is a crime novel starting with the cops investigating a horse's murder?

But the horse is just the beginning.

For the murdered animal belongs to one of the wealthiest and most powerful residents in the local community. A man who is not without enemies.

Could his beloved horses murder be an act of revenge?

If so, what exactly is he guilty of?

Or is the death of the animal just the first part of a long and dangerous game being played with the Police?

Obviously you will have to read to find out, but you will be gripped and left wanting more.

The Frozen Dead is available to buy from Amazon online and all good book shops. 

    Thanks to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Confessions by Kinae Minato

Confessions by Kanae Minato (translated by Stephen Snyder)
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Release date: 14 August 2014
Rating: *****

Back cover blurb: When Yuko Moriguchi's four-year-old daughter died at the Middle School wehre she teaches, everyone thought it was a tragic accident. Now it's the last day of term, and Yuko's last day at work. She tells her students she's resigned because of what happened-but not for the reasons they think. Her daughter didn't die in an accident. Her daughter was killed by two pupils in the class. And before she leaves, she has a lesson to teach... But revenge has a way of spinning out of control, and Yuko's last lecture is only the start of the story. In this best-selling Japanese thriller of love, despair and murder, everyone has a confession to make, and no one will escape unharmed.

I must have a really warped and twisted mind, because I seem to have a penchant for dark Japanese novels. Confessions is no exception, and had me hooked from start to finish. 

Yuko Moriguchi is a home room teacher at S Middle School in Japan intent on teaching her pupils a lesson.

For two of her home room students played a major role in the untimely death of her four year old daughter, Manami, who's death was thought to be accidental.

Yuko's last home room lesson of the year has been carefully thought out by the single parent teacher.

Each chapter that follows is told from a different characters perspective; Mizuki, the class president, Shuya and Naoki, and relatives such as Naoki's sister.

Each of them thinks that they are justified in behaving the way that they do in the aftermath of Yuko's revelations, and set out to gain the readers empathy.

Mostly, the behaviour is shocking with nobody willing to blame for their own actions, but more than ready and willing to blame others.

Just when you think you know what is going to happen (from Shuya's viewpoint) the author reintroduces Yuko.

Giving the final chapter back to Yuko to behave as she does, in my opinion is a work of genius. I urge you to read Confessions as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed.

Confessions is available to buy from TODAY from Amazon online and all good book shops.

   

Huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Bookbridgr who approved my request in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Escape by Dominique Maniotti

Escape by Dominique Maniotti
Publisher: Arcadia Books
Release date: 15 July 2014
Rating: *** and a half

Back cover blurb: 1987. Two Italian prisoners escape prison in a rubbish lorry. Parting company, Carlo heads for Milan, while Filippo treks north over the mountains. When Carlo is killed in a shoot-out during a bank robbery – and under deeply suspicious circumstances – a massive manhunt is launched. Frightened for his own safety, Filippo flees to Paris, where he’s assisted by Italian political exiles and finds work as a security guard. Long, lonely hours lead him to recall a story told to him by Carlo in prison – the explosive account of a former leader of the Red Brigades – and Filippo begins to devote his evenings to writing it down. His landlady, Cristina, finds him a publisher and the book becomes an instant bestseller. Carefully coached by his publishers, Filippo steadfastly refuses to admit that the book is anything other than fiction, but the public don’t believe him. Nor do the police. Contd...

Escape is a novel that I would not necessarily have picked up myself, despite it being within the crime genre I love, purely because it has been translated from the French version. Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with translated novels (I have read a few crackers!) but for some reason I don't always get on that well with the French ones. Maybe it's delayed guilt at being so awful at A Level French?!

However, I was very kindly sent Escape by Arcadia Books a while back, and finally got around to reading it, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's not my favourite crime novel ever, but for such a small book (160 pages) it packs an awful lot in.

Escape opens with the (somewhat predictable) escape of the title. Two Italian prisoners escape their prison in a refuse lorry. Although Carlo's escape is planned, Fillipo is more spur of the moment as he realises that he could be left behind to fend for himself.

Fillipo doesn't want to be left behind and makes a snap decision to follow in Carlo's footsteps.The escape is not as simple as Fillipo imagined and he is left to fend for himself after all when Carlo says that they must part company. Scared and alone, Fillipo has no choice but to follow Carlo's instructions and heads north over the mountains.

Meanwhile Carlo is on his way to Milan, his parting words to Fillipo are to head to Paris if he should get into trouble and look up an old friend of Carlo's who will be able to help. Fillipo barely takes notice of his friends advice as he convinced he will not need it. But when Carlo is shot in a bank robbery, Fillipo without an alibi realises he needs all the friends he can get.

He flees to Paris where he expects to be greeted like an old friend at the mention of Carlo's name, but is sorely disappointed. Finding himself alone again with no friends to speak of, Fillipo begins to write, he insists the novel he produces is fiction, but those around him are not so sure.

As Fillipo's plot develops he finds himself under increasing scrutiny. Will anyone believe a word he has to say, or has he got himself in to deep? Well, you will have to read to find out, as I refuse to give any more away :) 

Escape is available to buy now from Amazon online and all good book shops.

 

Thanks to Arcadia who sent me a proof copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Review: One of Us by Tawni O'Dell

One of Us by Tawni O'Dell

Publisher: Gallery

Release date: 11 September 2014

Rating: ****

Back cover blurb: Dr. Sheridan Doyle-a fastidiously groomed and TV-friendly forensic psychologist-is the go-to shrink for the Philadelphia District Attorney's office whenever a twisted killer's mind eludes other experts. But beneath his Armani pinstripes, he's still Danny Doyle, the awkward, terrified, bullied boy from a blue-collar mining family, plagued by panic attacks and haunted by the tragic death of his little sister and mental unravelling of his mother years ago. Returning to a hometown grappling with its own ghosts, Danny finds a dead body at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners was once executed. Strangely, the body is connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miners' deaths. Contd... 

One Of Us is a novel that I was invited to read via the publishers on Netgalley. I knew it sounded right up my street once I'd read the synopsis so it's been on my 'to be read' list for a while.  

The author is not one I had heard of before, but I will be sure to look up some of their previous works after finishing this.

One Of Us centres around Dr. Sheridan (Danny) Doyle and his home town which is tainted (and some say haunted) by past events. Danny returns to his home town to check in on his elderly grandfather and gets more than he bargained for when he stumbles across a dead body (almost literally) whilst out running.

The body itself is found at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners lost their lives by execution. 

The victim? 

A person well connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miner's deaths. Danny enlists the help of his personal friend and local veteran Detective, Rafe, and the two of them work together to find the killer responsible.

What neither of them anticipates is that they have a potential serial killer on their hands. 

Meanwhile local rich girl Scarlet also returns to her home town intent on stirring up the past. Her own family seem hostile towards her, but that's one of the downsides of being rich, surely?

Or is there something more, something more terrible than any of them dared to imagine?

You will have to have a read to find out, I promise you won't be disappointed! 

 One of us is available to pre-order now from Amazon online.

   

Thank you to the publishers who invited me to read this novel via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: the Good Girl by Mary Kubica

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Publisher: MIRA (Harlequin)
Release date: 01 August 2014

Rating: ****

Back cover blurb: "I've been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don't know the colour of her eyes or what they look like when they're scared. But I will." Mia Dennett can't resist a one-night stand with the enigmatic stranger she meets in a bar. But going home with him might turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life... An addictively suspensful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a compulsive debut that reveals how, even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems...

The Good Girl is an impressive debut novel. In fact you wouldn't guess it was this particular authors debut. I look forward to reading more from her and sincerely hope this isn't a one off!

I loved the Good Girl, right up until its final pages, which were a little bit of a slap in the face. It reminded me a little of the shocking twist in Gone Girl (those who have read it will know exactly what I mean). 

I'm still trying to work out if I've misinterpreted the ending or not. I might have to have another read just to check!

The Good Girl is the perfect novel for those of us who love the crime/thriller/mystery genres. It's a gripping read, told from four sides, that of missing Mia Dennett, that of her Mother Eve Dennett, that of Gabe, the Detective assigned to Mia's case, and that of kidnapper Colin Thatcher.

The Good Girl is kind of unique in that we learn about Mia's kidnapping fairly on in the novel, and we know who did it but it still manages to be gripping. What we don't know is exactly why Colin Thatcher did what he did. We know he is being instructed by someone else, but we don't really learn much about this, or if even they are being instructed by someone else.

Mia's family aside from her mother, don't seem particularly bothered that Mia has is missing, do they have something to do with her disappearance?

It is all very mysterious and gripping literally until the last few chapters when the author drops her bombshell.

It's a bombshell I'm still not sure about, but at least it has me thinking about it and talking about the book to others, which I suppose is a win in the eyes of the author!

The Good Girl is available to buy now from Amazon online and all good book shops.

 

Thank you to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.