Nicki's book blog

  The Mistress by Valerie Keogh psychological thriller Hannah was married to Ivan, who changed once they were wed from the man of her dreams to one of nightmares. Susan is married to Mark and they have a son, who is off to university, something Susan isn't happy about as she has doted on Drew all his life, very much a helicopter parent. Hannah used to date Mark who said he would always love her. Now she has walked out on her husband, she seeks out Mark to see if he is true to his word, with a few tricks up her sleeve. Susan becomes suspicious of Mark's activities but what follows isn't quite what she expected. This is a clever and  dramatic read, I raced through it, it most certainly had me hooked. There’s a tension perceived through the drama of what might be happening without anything being said if that makes sense, almost an unease slowly creeping through the pages before things really begin happening. I felt for Susan and the betrayal of her husband and the following i

  Day One by Abigail Dean- Crime thriller A book written in a very different way but one that kept me between the pages. Day one is a performance at a primary school so that when the youngest children begin term they don’t feel quite so new as it's now their second day. At the performance a man appears with a gun and there are several victims before he turns the gun on himself. Most of the narrative is from Martha’s (Marty) point of view as she was in the room at the time although each section is headed by different main characters. A short time after the incident there are rumours and gossip that it didn't happen quite as first thought and there's the start of a witch hunt to find out if the whole thing was a hoax or that there is more to it and the survivors know more than they are letting on. I found this rather a staccato read which to me it comes across as rather choppy and disjointed which takes a little more than normal concentration. Although the descriptions are w

  Dying To Bake by Helen Golden - cozy crime We are back with Lady Beatrice and Perry who have found themselves at the doorstep of another murder. There’s a TV programme being filmed in the grounds of Francis court and the place is buzzing. When Bea’s brother's love interest Summer becomes a suspect in a murder of one of the presenters, Bea and Perry decide they have to intervene, not least of all because their usual friendly DCI is still on sick leave and has been ordered not to interfere, but also because his replacement is hap-hazard to say the least. Can they find the real perpetrator whilst saving Summer and not getting on the wrong side of the new DCI? I love Helens books and have to mention her intro which makes me smile each and every time. This is one of a series and will stand alone however the relationships will make more sense if at least some of the series has been read prior. It's a great cast of characters I can't help but love, making for a looked forward to

  How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin- crime Annie lives with her artist mother Laura in the heart of London. The house belongs to an aunt of Laura’s who lives on a country estate. The aunt, Frances, has always been convinced that she will be murdered, ever since the 1960’s when she had her fortune told and couldn't let it go. She lived her life trying to solve the clues that were in the reading and doing her best to find out who it would be. When Annie is called to a will reading as things have been changed, there is rather a shock when Frances is found dead, seemingly her prediction has come true albeit sixty years later. Chapters alternate telling the story of around the fortune reading and then in present day when Annie goes to the will reading. The will has been left so that the estate and fortune go to who can solve the crime within the time limit. Can Annie find things out before it’s too late and save the estate from being flattened. This is a wonderful premise

  DIG TWO GRAVES (Detective Hedley Sharpe #1) by Helen H Durrant-Crime A body is found having been shot, however the person has been dead a good long while. What makes it interesting is that he is found to be a known felon and those around him are just as dangerous. Hedley wants to find who did this as this could lead to a whole lot more. Chloe hates her controlling husband however maybe she knows more than she lets on? When her baby disappears her new neighbour calls it in and Hedley begins to join up the dots. Chloe’s husband is one of the known associates of the dead man. Could he have killed him, what was going on and why? I love Helen’s books. There’s just something magical about them. A great cast of characters and Hedley is already growing on me, I'm just hoping with his health issues he can last the course. He’s a down to earth character who calls a spade a shovel and gets on with things, rank be damned! A gripping story with lots of twists and one I thoroughly enjoyed. A c

  The Last Resort by T. J. Emerson- Psychological Thriller This begins telling of a commune type group who were on the brink of financial collapse in Cyprus a few years ago. The members are awaiting the arrival of a young woman Sofia, now extremely wealthy, who left but was brought up within the community. Sofia has a gift for the group, however it comes with a condition, one of justice for her mothers death. Eva, her mother, committed suicide however Sofia believes one of the group was responsible for her demise and wants the balance restored. It turns out each of the group have secrets one way or another, some from their past , others from time on the island. When Sofia places her ultimatum things are brought to light. This is a very descriptive read which puts the reader in the heart of the drama and of the scenery of beautiful Cyprus. It's chilling at times and shows the varying facets of human nature and how things can turn rather quickly. A brilliant premise and one executed

  The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey-women’s fiction A group of expats get together to form a book club in a small village outside Bordeaux. None of them know each other and each have their own stories. Leah, her husband Nathan and their daughter Scarlett dreamed of the good life and being self-sufficient only its proving harder work than they anticipated. Nathan keeps taking out “ me time” and Leah suspects something else is going on. Monica has been left holding the baby, literally as her husband, a pilot, is away for weeks at a time and she can't get why the life she dreamed of isn't quite what she expected. Grace is divorced and thinks she has things sorted, only she hasn't really. The two men are keeping their cards rather close to their chests but each have their own issues. This tells of how the group helps each other to see the things in life they are all missing in different ways not least of all through the books they read which they discover perhaps have l

  Time waits For No-One by MW Arnold- Historical mystery/Saga   We are back with the ladies of the Air Transport Auxiliary service who deliver planes all over the UK before they go into service in the second world war. They have a knack of solving mysteries and of being in such a position that they overhear or see things without being conspicuous. They get in all manner of scrapes and adventures both in delivering the planes and in their daily lives. There is everything from drama, to a little romance and a war based  mystery. Life is not easy during the war and the women tackle pretty most everything head on, sometimes at their peril. I really enjoy this series, they are a wonderful, relaxing easy read. There’s always a great plot and the characters are heart-warming, with several threads of what is going on around their lives and of course solving whatever mystery springs itself upon them. This is a series, they do stand alone, but why miss out on other terrific reads? I've enjo

  Nowhere to Run by N.J Moss-psychological thriller Omg! A dark and twisty read not for the nervous. Katy gets into a taxi after her martial arts class. It's a firm she regularly uses and finds a different driver. After going to where Markus has another captive and giving her an ultimatum, she is then taken to the house of the parents of someone from her past- someone who is now incarcerated. Markus appears to know everything about her and even what her thought processes are. Can she escape before he kills her and others? Oh heck! This is darker than dark and incredibly sinister. It’s raw and gutsy and more than your average nightmare. That said, it's captivating, wanting to know how and if Katy escapes from the evil clutches of Markus. It's a plot with lots of twists and a read I didn't want to put down, but might not be one to read alone on a taxi journey. It’s menacing and ominous, clever and disquieting. A speedy read that kept me enthralled. For more reviews please

  The Other Wife by Danielle Ramsay- Psychological Thriller A woman wakes up and finds herself in a strange room in what looks like a castle. She sees a man with two dogs on the beach below who seems faintly recognisable. She knows she is his second wife, his other wife died and there are things around she knows belonged to the other wife. The housekeeper, who refers to her as Mrs Langdon, tells her she suffers from migraines and that for her not to remember things is quite normal and that she had a mental breakdown a while back. There are no mirrors and she feels as if she doesn't recognise herself- her hair is much shorter as she feels it and she is wary of taking the pills the housekeeper wants her to have.  This book begins as waking into a nightmare and is dark and twisty. It's a very descriptive read as much is about Mrs Langdon’s feelings and thoughts and that which is around her. I found myself racing through this, it's one of those reads that is quite unsettling in

  The Good Wife by Gemma Rogers-psychological thriller Chloe is married to Tom. Tom however is controlling about everything, absolutely everything. He has distanced Chloe from family and friends, puts the clothes out she has to wear each day and even dictates how many mouthfuls of food she is allowed to eat and watches her every move. At a company dinner Tom wins the raffle and from a chance interaction Chloe knows what is happening and sees her chance to be free. Savannah is a high class hooker and could give Chloe what she desires most- freedom. Oh wow! What a belter of a read. I read 50% in one sitting and would have been more if real life hadn't got in the way. This really is one of those read-right-the-way-through-in-one-sitting type of reads. It's cleverly written to captivate the reader and all sympathy goes to Chloe and anyone in real life who has perhaps been at the control of others. It's sometimes hard to explain the stress of coercive control but this goes a lo