Intention by C.S. Barnes - Crime

Gillian was not like other children. She knew she was different. She knew how to

do things that would make the other children squirm. For years she has heard her father

beating her mother, and her mother covering up her bruises with makeup and making

excuses about being clumsy. When her father is no longer around things change between

them. She meets Daniel by chance and they get on well. He looks after his elderly Aunt

who has terminal cancer. Gillian begins to see things differently and suddenly realises

that she is in a relationship and has feeling for someone- something she hasn’t

experienced beforehand ever.  she also meets Paul and his dog and somehow take to

him but she can’t figure out why. I quite liked Gillian (although perhaps wouldn’t want

her as a friend) as she stood up for herself in difficult situations. Maybe I felt for her

rather than liked her. Her upbringing hadn’t been easy and being in the big wide

world to her was rather like being in a different land where she didn’t know the

language. A crime book of sorts but more about someone’s feelings and thoughts

and how life changes us through experience. A book I would find difficult to put

in a genre. Contemporary fiction perhaps? That matters not, what does is that

this is an excellent story, very well told. I really enjoyed it hence the 5 stars and it

held me to the end and left me with a smile. A different read and one to

remember in a very good way.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer.

Book Blurb:

When twenty-two year old Gillian Thompson returns from university for the summer, it is apparent there is tension at home. An irritant to her father and a concern to her mother, Gillian’s home life is less than ideal.

Geraldine, Gillian’s mother, has suffered abuse from Joe for years. However, it is not until Joe dies that the family dynamic shifts and Gillian starts out on her own dark journey…

When Gillian meets Paul and Daniel she starts to become the person she always knew she was. And as people around her start dying Gillian faces scrutiny from her mother.

But are the deaths accidents or is something more sinister at work?

About the Author:

C.S. Barnes (Charley to her long-time pals) is a Worcestershire-based writer and poet who has recently achieved her Doctorate degree in Creative Writing, and now spends a lot of her time wondering what to do with it. She is a lecturer, content writer, tea-drinker and book-reader with a passion for psychological thrillers that shines through her own work.

Barnes is the Managing Director of Sabotage Reviews and she also runs her own monthly open mic/spoken word event in Worcester City Centre, titled Dear Listener.

She published her debut short story collection in May 2017, titled The Women You Were Warned About (Black Pear Press), and her debut poetry pamphlet, A Z-hearted Guide to Heartache, was published be in July 2018 (V. Press). Intention is Barnes' debut novel.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/charleyblogs @charleyblogs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleyblogs/ @charleyblogs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharleyBarnesWriter/

Blog: http://charleyistyping.blogspot.com/

 

Cull- Tanvir Bush-Political Satire

Think the future. Think a state where you pretty much have to work whatever your situation.

If not you have to apply for 50 jobs a week otherwise no benefits. Where vulnerable and

elderly are taken away so that their carers can work and add to the efficiency of the

country. Alex is visually impaired and has her guide dog Chris. She stumbles across

something that leads her on an interesting path , one that could put her in danger

and where no one would care. There is truth (albeit it controversial- which is

probably why it is there) amongst the pages “ A patient still staggering, still smoking

still obese, moaning about the medication making them queasy when they were

eating a ghastly diet and drinking litres of cheap vodka”. Think dystopian, think

extremes. A woman journalist wanting to know what is going on in a world where

everything is extreme. I enjoyed this although in parts I felt for the "crips” and

what was being done to them. Not a genre I would usually go for but something

piqued my interest and I am very glad it did. There is the serious side but there

is also a type of humour, one you have to work out for yourself. Perhaps perfectly

timed for the current issues surrounding Britain. If you fancy a different read

then this could well be the one.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer

K E Y N O T E A dystopian satire for our times about the deadly dark side of privatisation P R A I S E 'Where is the satirist we need now, with the welfare state in chaos and politics a TV reality show? With a dauntless but sympathetic heroine, one of the best dog characters in literature and a disabled escort service called the Ladies’ Defective Agency, this witty and all too believable novel is an inheritor of the satirical genius of Lindsay Anderson’s Britannia Hospital and Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange ' Maggie Gee 'Laugh and weep! With wit, flair and imagination, Tanvir Bush unfolds the secret life of a nation on benefits. Our nation…' Fay Weldon D E S C R I P T I O N In a near-future Britain, the furore over the welfare state has reached fever pitch. A combination of state propaganda and aggressive austerity has divided the nation along poisonous lines: on one side, so-called freeloaders, crips and fakes; on the other, The Hard Working British Taxpayer. The government has introduced the Care and Protect Bill, ostensibly to to relieve the economic burden of the disabled, elderly and vulnerable on society by opening residential care homes where they will be looked after by medical professionals. But Alex – visually impaired and categorised as one of the dole-scrounging underclass – has stumbled across a troubling link between the disappearance of several homeless people and the extension of Grassybanks, her local care home… Helped by her guide dog, Chris, this discovery sets her on a path that leads all the way to the corrupt heart of government. The novel’s dystopia is striking because it seems frighteningly possible, just a few steps removed from the bureaucracy depicted in Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake . It is playful and gripping, comic and biting all at once: Black Mirror meets Leni Zumas’ Red Clocks . The author herself suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is severely sight impaired: she has first-hand experience of the system’s shortcomings.

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Forgotten Children -Isabella Muir- family life/historical

Emily is having a miscarriage. She hasn’t told her live in boyfriend that she is even

pregnant. This stirs memories for her. When he does his best to cheer her up taking

her out to dinner and proposing, she knows she has to leave. Twenty years ago aged

just sixteen she gave birth to a child she never held and now wonders what his life

has been like. She drives to Anglesey, far away from where she was in Hastings.

This is set in the late 1980’s  and Emily frequently uses a phone box. This rather adds

to its charm and the simplicity of the life she is leading when she leaves Mark. She

spends some time in Anglesey, almost a holiday from life before setting out on her

quest to find out about her son and tackling her estranged mother which in itself

is another mountain to climb. I felt for Emily. Her mother like many others is cold

hearted and callous, thinking only of what others think. I won’t spoil the story line

but this one track develops into something Emily could never have imagined and

kept me turning the pages time and again. This is a very well written book and I

could easily see this as a TV drama. This is based on real events, ones I was

unaware of. How children were sent to Australia, New Zealand and Canada rather

than be kept in children’s homes here, however not all of them were looked after

and many were abused and put to work as the story tells its history.

An interesting read and one to learn that little bit more of history that we may

not know.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer.

Out of The silence- Owen Mullen

Afra and Jamal have been in each others lives as long as they can remember. When

Afra is taken away promised to a stranger as a bride, Jamal is downhearted but tell

her that he realises that he is not good enough for her and that she should go to the

family of a rich man. Once she has left he travels to Lahore to find his Uncle and

never having been out of his village before finds this both daunting and exciting in

equal measure. Wise words” If we allow the opinion of other to matter we’re in

their power. What they think of us becomes what we think of ourselves. The only

opinion of you that matters is your own”. Jamal works hard and rises through the

ranks in his uncle’s business. Afra meanwhile is not so fortunate. Years later when

there are some murders, the bangles that they gave each other are at the side of

the victims. What is going on? I really enjoyed this and liked and felt for both

Jamal and Afra. Women in Pakistan having to endure inequality for so long and

laws being very much against them. I learnt something from this book. For

example if a woman is raped- she has to get the word of four male witnesses

other wise she , the victim, is charged with adultery. What? OMG. (ref: Her

Honor: An Islamic Critique of the Rape Laws of Pakistan from a Woman-

Sensitive Perspective). Times have fortunately changed- the above paper

was written only in 1997, in real terms very recently.

A brave subject dealt with very well.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer.

You , Me and Mr Blue Sky- Craig Lancaster & Elisa Lorello-

Jo-Jo has split from her fiancee shortly before their wedding when she finds via a friend

his very active Tinder account. Linus is at a new year party at his friends house and at

midnight Jo-Jo walks by and randomly kisses him. She is trying to open a gym but has

been let down by contractors and so Linus contacts her to try and help as this is what

he does. She then thinks he is being weird and can’t away from him fast enough.

Mr Blue Sky- remember the song?- is a higher greater being who is watching over

them and having his occasional say in the process. This is one of those wonderful

easy reads that gives you a warm feeling inside ((without being at all slushy).

There is life with its ups and downs, pasts and hopes for the future, all done with

a brilliant turn of phrase and word that lulls you into turning again and again and

again. I have read several of Craig’s books but not come across Elisa’s. I will shortly be

looking into this. They clearly have not only a wonderful relationship but an ease of

co-writing to bring together this book. There is romance, there is so very much more.

A book of life, of feeling, of that certain Je ne sais quoi. If you read just one book

this year this might be the one. Loved this just doesn’t cover it.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer.

Next Victim- Helen Durrant-Crime

A man is found murdered. His throat has been cut and he is also very badly burned.

The only clue to his identity is a small tattoo on his foot. A few years before hand, a

young girl is asking her father not only where her mother went but also her brother.

Now that little bit older she has traced his birth certificate but can’t find out anything

about him. Rachel King is a DCI and has her own issues at home as well as at work.

She has split from her daughters father and he has now moved in next door, which

helps with child care but not her own private life. In the past she had a relationship

that she would rather forget however her heart won’t quite let her. When the case

brings a name to light she begins to wonder if her position in tenable. I love Helen’s

books. It is rather like curling up in front of a roaring fire and know that you are

going to be gripped whilst feeling warm and comfortable at the same time.

Her characters are so well written that they instantly come to life and you can’t

help but take to them (well, the good ones!). I very much look forward to the

next instalment.

The Woman Inside- EG Scott - 26th Jan

Rebecca arrives at work to be told she should leave or be fired. She has been more than keen

taking samples in recent times and there has been a tip off to HR. She works for a

Pharmaceutical company and hence “samples” are drugs which keep her on balance- in her

own mind. (This is the USA- very different to UK Pharma) Going to take some money out she

notices that the account balance of her and her husband isn't its usual healthy self. Instead of

nearing a million dollars there is a measly $5000. She investigates and finds that Paul, her

husband has been making withdrawals in the last few weeks without her knowledge.

We discover that they have both had affairs, Paul more so and that his last fling isn’t going

to let him go so easily. A mistress who wants her revenge on him Oh boy! This is one of those

reads that lures you in for the first few chapters, then you get a sense of unease without

really knowing why. There is a tension despite not really knowing where it is leading to.

All the signs of a very well written and thought out book. There are twists and turns, as you

would expect, but some you really wouldn’t! A book to keep you on your toes.

One with suspense, drama and eerie going on.

EG Scott is a pseudonym of two writers, one in publishing the other I believe in

screenwriting. A name and a book to remember.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer.

My Mother the Psychopath- Olivia Rayne-Biography /Crime/ abuse

A brave book, an interesting read. One many people should read to know about others.

When you hear “the truth is stranger than fiction”  read on…..Where do I begin...

This is a difficult one to write. Not because of the book but because there are many

people who perhaps don’t quite realise to what extent that not all mothers are

caring and loving and may not want to know about how others have suffered, not

that they are naive, these things just don’t come to light until something really bad

happens. We hear of “psychopathic” killers, do we ever consider that they are

also perhaps parents? They don’t have to be a murderer to be this way and inflict

torture on others and make their lives a misery, a living nightmare. Oh heck, misery

doesn’t even begin to cover it. Olivia gives her life story. Each chapter is fronted

by a little more about the traits of psychopaths and how her mother demonstrated

this particular trait as Olivia grows up.  Josephine does occasionally show kindness

and shower gifts on Olivia- other psychopaths can be even more narcissistic and

not show kindness at all- other than to the rest of the world who thinks they are

wonderful and entertaining. They only think about how the world sees them and

how others think of them. “They are excellent conversationalists, able to tell the

most plausible stories in a powerful and authentic way” . Olivia realises early on

that there is something not right about Josephine and begins to spot the signs

when she is about “to turn”. Her Father appears powerless and does his best

but is ruled and overruled by a much stronger character. A story of a child who

early on realises something is amiss. For many this may not happen until well

into adulthood with all of the consequences that may entail.

I salute you Olivia not only for writing this, but for being able to let go.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Amazon Top 1000 reviewer.

We own the Sky- Luke Allnutt 5*

A story that will grip your heart and not let go. This may be an emotional read for some.

Love, loss, hope and the small things that count. Jack is a much longed for child.

Rob and Anna can’t believe their luck when this little bundle finally arrives in their

arms after having previous miscarriages.  When he starts having balance issues his

parents take him for further tests. This is the story of their journey from before he

was born to the aftermath of tragedy. Rob has his own issues about what happened

and struggles to fight the demons he feels inside about how he dealt with things

and if things could have/should have been done differently and how this affected

both him and Anna. We all deal with things in our own way and this tells of his

struggle and emergence to the real world. A book to make you think about life

and your own mortality and that the little things really do mean a lot.

This is beautifully written with feeling and poignancy. A book to remember.

A wonderful title (which does get explained) and a wonderful read.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1