Review - The Holdout by Graham Moore

The Holdout by Graham Moore

Publisher: Orion Publishing Group

Release date: 20 February 2020

Back cover blurb: One juror changed the verdict. What if she was wrong? 'Ten years ago we made a decision together...' Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar fortune, vanishes on her way home from school. Her teacher, Bobby Nock, is the prime suspect. It's an open and shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed. Until Maya Seale, a young woman on the jury, persuades the rest of the jurors to vote not guilty: a controversial decision that will change all of their lives forever. Ten years later, one of the jurors is found dead, and Maya is the prime suspect. The real killer could be any of the other ten jurors. Is Maya being forced to pay the price for her decision all those years ago?

Maya Seale is reluctant to re-visit an infamous murder trial on which she was a juror. That was ten years ago and she has had to live with her decision ever since. For she was the one who convinced her fellow jurors that Bobby Nock was innocent.

Convicted and on trial for the kidnap and murder of schoolgirl Jessica Silver, Bobby Nock's defence had failed to sway the majority of the jury. who were firmly on the side of the prosecution and it's largely circumstantial evidence.

Maya's closest ally during that time was fellow juror, Rick, and although he apparently turned on her after the trial in favour of 'seeking justice' for Jessica Silver and published a book condemning himself and other jurors for making the decision they did, Maya still trusts him inherently.

He is the reason that she says 'Yes' to a reunion of the jurors for a television documentary ten years on from the original verdict and he is the reason that she herself is the subject of a murder investigation. After an argument in her hotel room, Maya storms out leaving Rick alone, and comes back to find him dead, assumed murdered with herself as the prime suspect.

As she fights to clear her own name, she discovers things about her fellow jurors and the original trial, that could have changed everything back then. 

But is that knowledge enough to save either her or Bobby now?

The Holdout is available now from 20 February.
You can pre-order it now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

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

Review - The 24-Hour Café by Libby Page

The 24-Hour Café by Libby Page
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group
Release date: 23 January 2020

Back cover blurb: Welcome to the café that never sleeps. Day and night, Stella's Café opens its doors to the lonely and the lost, the morning people and the night owls. It's a place where everyone is always welcome, where life can wait at the door. Meet Hannah and Mona: best friends, waitresses, dreamers. They love working at Stella's - the different people they meet, the small kindnesses exchanged. But is it time to step outside and make their own way in life? Come inside and spend twenty-four hours at Stella's Café, where one day might just be enough to change your life . . .

The 24-Hour Café, or as it's officially known, Stella's Café literally never sleeps. It's home to waitress friends and flat mates, Hannah and Mona who both harbour dreams of being on stage in the West End.

Hannah as a singer, Mona as a dancer.

Now I am a huge fan of people watching at the best of times, I could literally sit in my local coffee shop all day doing it, but if I lived anywhere near Stella's I would probably be in there for days.

Maybe weeks, maybe permanently as it never closes (and the choice of food and drinks sound divine!).

We meet Hannah and Mona in the middle of the night as Mona finishes her shift, and Hannah is about to begin hers. Hannah has had some bad news, which she is reluctant to share with her friend, as she doesn't want to bring either of them down.

These are tough times for the pair, as their friends are getting married, having children, successful careers, and Hannah and Mona are still waitressing, dreaming of a better life - is it time to move on?

Then Mona receives some news that will test their friendship to it's limits, as there are things that she has been hiding from Hannah in order to protect her.

The 24-Hour Café will always be there through the most challenging of times, but will Hannah and Mona's friendship survive the same?

The 24-Hour Café is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

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

Review - Little Bandaged Days by Kyra Wilder

Little Bandaged Days by Kyra Wilder

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Release date: 23 January 2020

Back cover blurb: A mother moves to Geneva with her husband and their two young children. In their beautiful new rented apartment, surrounded by their rented furniture, and several Swiss instructions to maintain quiet, she finds herself totally isolated. Her husband’s job means he is almost never present, and her entire world is caring for her children – making sure they are happy, and fed and comfortable, and that they can be seen as the happy, well-fed, comfortable family they should be. Everything is perfect. But, of course, it’s not. The isolation, the sleeplessness, the demands of two people under two, are getting to Erika. She has never been so alone, and once the children are asleep, there are just too many hours to fill until morning . . . Kyra Wilder’s Little Bandaged Days is a beautifully written, painfully claustrophobic story about a woman’s descent into madness. Unpredictable, frighteningly compelling and brutally honest, it grapples with the harsh conditions of motherhood and this mother’s own identity, and as the novel continues, we begin to wonder just what exactly Erika might be driven to do.

Little Bandaged Days is a beautifully written novel, but it might take some readers a little out their usual relaxation zone.

Written from our main protagonist's perspective, Little Bandaged Days takes us on a journey with her from arrival in Geneva, Switzerland through to her descent into madness.

The family's move from the US to Switzerland is a move facilitated by her husband's high flying career. He is the main breadwinner of the family, now that they have two children to care for.

After their initial arrival in Geneva, he is quickly sucked into the work environment where he spends almost of all his time. Leaving his wife, alone at home with their two young children.

She doesn't speak the local language, so even things like going to the local shops are difficult for her to manage. Her once mild anxiety worsens, as she spends her days alone with the children and her paranoia increases with every moment.

Little Bandaged Days is a very clever literary novel that won't be for everyone, but will be a delight for those daring enough to venture out of their comfort zone.

Little Bandaged Days is available now via Amazon online

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

Review - Hitler's Secret by Rory Clements

Hitler's Secret by Rory Clements

Publisher: Zaffre

Release date: 23 January 2020

Back cover blurb: In the Autumn of 1941, the war is going badly for Britain and its allies. If the tide is going to be turned against Hitler, a new weapon is desperately needed. In Cambridge, brilliant history professor Tom Wilde is asked by an American intelligence officer to help smuggle a mysterious package out of Nazi Germany - something so secret, even Hitler himself doesn't know of its existence. Posing as a German-American industrialist, Wilde soon discovers the shocking truth about the 'package', and why the Nazis will stop at nothing to prevent it leaving Germany. With ruthless killers loyal to Martin Bormann hunting him down, Wilde makes a desperate gamble on an unlikely escape route. But even if he reaches England alive, that will not be the end of his ordeal. Wilde is now convinced that the truth he has discovered must remain hidden, even if it means betraying the country he loves . . . The stunning new 'what if?' thriller from Sunday Times bestseller, Rory Clements.

Oddly for a such a prolific reader, I haven't had the pleasure of reading a Rory Clements novel until now, but I wish I had!

Hitler's Secret is a thoroughly engaging and exciting read.

Autumn 1941 and Professor Tom Wilde is called upon to help smuggle a mysterious package out of Nazi Germany. Tom has no idea of the significance or importance of the package until he discovers that Hitler's most loyal allie, Martin Bormann is hot on his heels, also wanting the package.

When he discovers that the package could end the War for Nazi Germany, he is even more determined to be successful in his mission.

But Martin Bormann is just as determined and needs to get his hands on the package if Nazi Germ nay are to move forward in the War.

If Hitler's secret is exposed, it could bring down the whole of the Third rich.

This book is the fourth in a series, but I wouldn't have known that had I not read it online. This can absolutely be read as a standalone novel.

I can't say too much more as I don't want to give anything away, but this novel is a must for historical/WW2 fiction fans.

Hitler's Secret is available via Amazon online and all good book shops.

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

Review - Mix Tape by Jane Sanderson

Mix Tape by Jane Sanderson

Publisher: Bantam Press

Release date: 23 January 2020

Back cover blurb: Daniel was the first boy to make Alison a mix tape. But that was years ago and Ali hasn’t thought about him in a very long time. Even if she had, she might not have called him ‘the one that got away’; she’d been the one to run away, after all. Then Dan’s name pops up on her phone, with a link to a song from their shared past. For two blissful minutes, Alison is no longer an adult in Adelaide with temperamental daughters; she is sixteen in Sheffield, dancing in her too-tight jeans. She cannot help but respond in kind. And so begins a new mix tape. Ali and Dan exchange songs – some new, some old – across oceans and time zones, across a lifetime of different experiences, until one of them breaks the rules and sends a message that will change everything… Because what if ‘what could have been’ is still to come?

Novels featuring music as a theme or focus, always feature fairly highly on my 'to be read' pile. Music is a huge part of my life, equally if not more than books and reading, so this novel really appealed to me.

Mix Tape is a beautifully written account of teenage love, heartbreak and the challenges of adult life. 

Alison Cooper is a famous novelist, settled with her family in Adelaide, Australia, miles away from her teenage life and love Daniel Lawrence. The pair parted in their teens when Alison was convinced to leave her broken family, but couldn't tell Daniel the reasons why.

Daniel Lawrence is a successful music journalist living with his partner and Son in Scotland who learns of Alison Cooper's success when his Mother gifts his partner her best selling novel. Daniel hasn't thought about Alison in years, but suddenly seeing her name and author's photograph takes him on a journey back to 1970's Sheffield where the two were largely inseparable.

He has never quite gotten over her leaving and spontaneously contacts her with a link to a song via Twitter. She responds with a shared favourite of theirs and the two message back and forth until Daniel sends Alison a message that will change both of their lives forever.

Without giving too much away, and you can call me an old romantic if you must ... but I do believe that some things are meant to be, and Alison and Daniel's story isn't as unbelievable as some critics have said. I thoroughly enjoyed Mix Tape, and it kind of makes me want to go back to being a teenager and hoping that someone I fancy will make me a tape!

As a bit of a footnote, there is an official Mix Tape spotify playlist for anyone not familiar with the songs. Definitely recommended as a accompaniment!

Mix Tape is available via Amazon online and all good book shops.

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

Review - Hold Your Tongue by Deborah Masson

Hold Your Tongue by Deborah Masson

Publisher: Random House UK

Release date: 26 December 2019

Back cover blurb: A brutal murder. A young woman’s body is discovered with horrifying injuries, a recent newspaper cutting pinned to her clothing. A detective with everything to prove. This is her only chance to redeem herself. A serial killer with nothing to lose. He’s waited years, and his reign of terror has only just begun . . . Introducing DI Eve Hunter, HOLD YOUR TONGUE is your new obsession.













Hold Your Tongue, introduces one of my new favourite fictional detectives; DI Eve Hunter. 

Eve has only just returned to her role after a serious injury has prohibited her from working. Her colleague Sanders is now confined to a wheelchair and unable to walk, whilst DI Hunter's leg is still giving her trouble.

Her first case back is a big one, and she has a lot to prove to people who think that she shouldn't be back yet, it's too soon, or that she shouldn't be allowed back at all.

But there is a murderer on the loose, and DI Hunter has the skills and expertise to bring them to justice. It just needs to be quickly, as they appear to be a serial killer with an insatiable appetite.

The first victim, a young woman has had her tongue cut out by the murderer (hence the novel's title) and is one of the most gruesome crime scenes DI Hunter has ever encountered (welcome back!!), she knows that she must act quickly to bring together a resolution as the press are scrutinising her return to the force with every move she makes.

Hold Your Tongue is a fast paced debut, and I look forward to reading the author's next.

Hold Your Tongue is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

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

Review - All the Rage by Cara Hunter

All The Rage by Cara Hunter

Publisher: Penguin Books UK

Release date: 23 January 2020

Back cover blurb: A teenage girl is found wandering the outskirts of Oxford, dazed and distressed. The story she tells is terrifying. Grabbed off the street, a plastic bag pulled over her face, then driven to an isolated location where she was subjected to what sounds like an assault. Yet she refuses to press charges. DI Fawley investigates, but there's little he can do without the girl's co-operation. Is she hiding something, and if so, what? And why does Fawley keep getting the feeling he's seen a case like this before? And then another girl disappears, and Adam no longer has a choice: he has to face up to his past. Because unless he does, this victim may not be coming back . . .

Cara Hunter's DI Fawley novels are amongst my favourite and all the rage is no exception. 

When a teenage girl is found wandering the streets of Oxford, dazed and distressed, the Police are keen to find the perpetrator and press charges. 

The crime itself has worrying similarities to a previous case of Fawley's but he knows that the perpetrator of those particularly crimes is safely locked away - although approaching parole.

The current scenario screams all elements of hate crime, but despite his instincts pointing him in this direction, Fawley isn't convinced.

Told from multiple view points (the victim, the suspect, the police man), all the rage could be confusing. But it works, bringing a different perspective to each element of the story, and leaving which one of them isn't telling the whole truth.

All the rage is a fast paced, riveting read, and as always I cannot wait for Cara Hunter's next.

All The Rage is available via Amazon online and all good book shops.

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