Nicki's book blog

  The Ex-Husband by Samantha Hayes- Psychological thriller Leah has moved house, finally away from her conniving, abusive husband to start again with the children. A house that requires work and has a wonderful secret walled garden- perfect. Perfect until the new neighbours move in and Rexxy turns out to be Craig- her ex-husband. What the hell is he doing there and why is he next door? Very soon he is up to his old tricks making life hell for Leah. I very quickly found myself enveloped between the pages and turning ever faster with this. To me the sign of a good author that can build the tension nicely and give that air of uncertainty so that the reader wonders what is about to happen next. The book starts with an incident after the house moves and then goes back to the beginning so to speak so we know part of an outcome. Twists and turns along the way built the tension even more and keep the reader guessing. A wonderfully entertaining gripping read. For more reviews please follow me o

  Open your Eyes- Heather J Fitt-  psychological thriller Oh wow! A debut novel that instantly comes across as a seasoned author. Sit down and hold on tight! Frankie is a reporter on an Edinburgh newspaper and has been doing feature articles but wants to cut her teeth on something rather more gitty- crime if at all possible. There have been several rapes in the area however the victims all describe what appears to be different men and its only been made known once prostitutes were not the only targets. Have things really moved on since the Yorkshire ripper days? When she gets the break she has dreamt of things don’t quite go to plan and online comments, as we all know, have come to bite her in a way she was not expecting. She innocently writes a piece on the history of valentine's day and then one on international women's day which attracts the wrong sort of attention. She is then the subject of revenge attacks and a whole lot more OMG! I genuinely couldn't put this down- i

  DEVIL'S CHIMNEY BY ADAM LYNDON- Crime Barnes has just become a detective and is both nervous and thrilled at the prospect. His last collar was that of a house burglar whom he and his colleague, affectionately known as HRH due to her initials, caught whilst out on foot patrol. They found the thief inches from Harriet's door and her place had not only been turned over but there was a threatening message on the wall. When she is found dead a few days later it turns out she had secrets- those of a not so nice kind. Barnes is determined that he will crack his first case and do right by his former partner however it looks like the thief knows more than he is letting on and had the best alibi for when Harriet was killed- he was in custody.  This is set in the early 2000’s which as the author explains is when mobile phones were just that- nothing smart about them. I quite liked this fact as sometimes it makes life that little bit more simplistic and on the flip side more “ real” dete

  The Resort- Sue Watson- psychological thriller Three couples are at a luxury resort on an island off the Devon coast when two of the women out walking find a body. It's that of one of the staff who had various jobs from waitress to yoga instructor. The couple each have their own issues from being childless to not quite trusting the other half and one pair are newlyweds having only known each other a matter of months. Did your husband flirt with the now dead waitress and can you trust the man who you have just married? A nicely built tension which puts the reader guessing at the perpetrator as there are so many leads and red herrings. My thoughts went from person to person, to me the sign of a well thought out and cleverly planned book. The pages turned quickly and I soon got immersed in this, ever guessing who and what and why which is just as I like it. A mystery to the very end and one I thoroughly enjoyed. For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog -----------

  The Silent Brother- Simon Van der Velde- Crime Tommy lives with his mother and her erstwhile -sometimes there partner Daryl in a less than salubrious part of town. Tommy talks to his brother Benji whom Daryl insists isn't there and never was. Tommy has a huge guilt that Benji not being there is his fault but he can't quite work out why. Every 1st August Tommy and his mother go on a train ride to post a card to Benji, care of a social worker, whom the card is addressed to. The book takes us through Tommys life from being a child to an adult. When fetching  (yet more) cider for his mother one day, he rescues Annie who is shoplifting and a friendship begins. Later in life Tommy finds the easiest road to survive as does Annie. A story of hardship told with grit and one that pulls no punches. This is a cleverly written book and one that despite the deprivation had me in tears at the end- so tenderly is this written. It's one from the heart from both angles and as Simon says at

  Flight of the Shearwater by Alan Jones- Historical fiction-(Staumtaucher trilogy part 2) The war has started and the Nausbaums are becoming limited in what they can do. Fortunately food and shelter aren't a problem as they work for General Erich Kästner . More and more limitations are being put upon the Jewish community and many have fled- not always sucessfully. The General ’s boys are both in the army and whilst they have seen some action things are getting a little more difficult as nations begin to resist rather than surrender as they have so far. The General has been able to help the Nausbaums and got them out of a couple of sticky situations but this is only temporary. The Nazis are getting tougher and anti semistism is becoming rife which also put the Generals family in a difficult position. The family needs to get away quickly. Maybe there is a way for the children but this could put everyone at risk. Book one I found fascinating with the lead up to the war and how poli

  The Angel of Vienna-  by Kate Hewitt WW 2 fiction It's wartime in Germany and Hannah is working at a maternity home. Many are having children “ for the fuhrer '' and there are even medals to be won for four or more children. Sadly any births with even slight defects will be shipped off to the orphanage, only the perfect children will be adopted by the SS. Hannah has a half brother and is surprised to receive a telegram from him asking her to come to him asap as they have only fairly recently met. It turns out he has arranged a position for her at a children's hospital in Vienna and she is to take his disabled son with her for him to receive treatment for his cerebral palsy. On arrival it appears that it is far more than just a children's hospital.  Oh my. Through modern eyes this is an eye opening read. We all know of some of the horrors of the second world war and this is part of them that I feel many won't necessarily know about. I quickly took to Hannah and

  TRICK OF THE NIGHT by Joy Ellis- Crime Matt and Liz are about to get a few days away, until a new case lands at their door in a double way, rather unexpectedly. Two students are dead apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning however a parent and a former CHIS think otherwise. Liz’s nephew David lands at their door after failing his physical to get into the police, something he has wanted his whole life. Liz thinks they can show him that there are more strings to the bow of law enforcement than he may first realise and he can also help them with the current case. Although book five in the series, this happily stands alone. As ever with Joy’s books time slipped away from me, so easily do the pages turn when you are engrossed. Joy has a special talent for quickly enveloping the reader and taking them away from reality into the heart of the book. Some of her characters almost feel like friends that you rediscover by opening the book and finding that wonderful warmth and depth that each c