Blog Tour: The Missing by C.L.Taylor

"When fifteen-year-old Billy Wilkinson goes missing in the middle of the night, his mother, Claire, blames herself. She's not the only one. There isn't a single member of Billy's family that doesn't feel guilty. But the Wilkinsons are so used to keeping secrets from one another that it isn't until six months later, after an appeal for information goes horribly wrong, that the truth begins to surface.

Claire is sure of two things – that Billy is still alive and that her friends and family had nothing to do with his disappearance.

A mother's instinct is never wrong. Or is it?

Sometimes those closest to us are the ones with the most to hide…"

My Review 

So if you read my review of The Lie, you'll know I'm a big fan of C.L Taylor. She's the queen of gritty, suspense-filled thrillers, and The Missing is no different. 

The story centres around Claire, who are dealing with the aftermath of her son, Billy going missing. This is an intriguing and gripping topic for the story to focus on... you immediately want to know what happened, why Billy went missing and if he is dead or alive. 

The suspense is heightened at the start of each chapter, which focuses on a online chat between two anonymous people. It's not clear who they are (although I had my suspicions for one of the people from early on) but the way they talk has you hooked... it's obviously linked to Billy's disappearance and so it's another mechanism to try and get you to fit the pieces together. 

As you'd expect from the topic of this story, it's an emotional roller-coaster filled with ups and downs. You really feel for Claire, who is struggling to deal with the unanswered questions Billy's disappearance creates. She tries her best to keep her family together as one unit, but as everyone deals with the situation in different ways, she struggles to do so. C.L. Taylor has wonderfully crafted their emotions so you really feel their pain and will for them to get answers, even if it's not the answer they hoped for. I found this such an interesting plot and think that C.L Taylor executes it brilliantly - it's clear she did a lot of research to get it right. The emotions, the police procedures - its all expertly crafted and is so realistic it's easy to get lost in the story and so absorbed that you begin to forget it's fiction. 

I'll admit, I really wasn't sure how the story would end, but they way it does is so good. I obviously don't want to say too much and spoil anything, but you won't be disappointed. I don't think it's an obvious ending, I was surprised by it, but once you know what happened and who's involved you sit back and think 'ohhh, of course!'. 

As expected, The Missing is a brilliantly written, clever story filled with complex and intriguing characters that will hook you in from the very first page. An absolute must-read, but make sure you have plenty of time on your hands as you won't want to put it down!

*A big thank you to Avon, the publishers of The Missing for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Blog tour: The Silent Girls by Ann Troup - book review

"Returning to Number 17, Coronation Square, Edie is shocked to find the place she remembers from childhood reeks of mould and decay. After her aunt Dolly’s death Edie must clear out the home on a street known for five vicious murders many years ago, but under the dirt and grime of years of neglect lurk dangerous truths.

For in this dark house there is misery, sin and dark secrets that can no longer stay hidden. The truth must come out.

Finding herself dragged back into the horrific murders of the past, Edie must find out what really happened all those years ago. But as Edie uncovers the history of the family she had all but forgotten, she begins to wonder if sometimes it isn’t best to leave them buried."

After reading The Lost Child, Ann Troup is well and truly on my radar. She has a great, descriptive writing style, able to build up tension and intrigue in a fast paced, well-thought through story. The Silent Girls does exactly that, it's a gripping story full of mystery. 

The story begins with a man being hung for the murder of five young girls. Fast-forward to present day and we are introduced to Edie, who is in the same town clearing out her deceased auntie's property. It's clear that the family has been fractured and distant of late and that she hasn't seen her auntie for some time. As she begins to clear the house, she finds things that begin to uncover  deep, dark secrets that cast a rather unforgiving light on Edie's family. 

I'll admit, I thought the story started off fairly slow, but after a few chapters the tension really ramps up, as does the intrigue. I was eager to find out what would happen next and this is a rollercoaster journey, full of twists and turns. There are many questions about the murders all those years ago, and if the right man was executed for the crimes. Just when you think you have an answer something else crops up to cast further questions on the events. Although towards the end I did actually guess the ending of the story, I still wasn't completely comfortable with my guess being correct right up until the very end- there's so many other twists throughout the story that I wasn't convinced I'd know exactly what was going on right until the last sentence. 

What stands out for me about Ann Troup's writing is her ability to create tension you could cut with a knife and mysterious situations that have you gripped from the offset. The description throughout The Silent Girls is meticulous and really builds up a picture in your mind of the characters, setting and events that make this such a thrilling, dark story. 

The Silent Girls is a fantastic, dark thriller jam-packed with tension and mystery. It's a great story to get lost in, and you'll want to race through it to find out what happens. Ann Troup is a master storyteller and someone who's books I enjoy immensely. I can't wait for more! 

Links: 

Buy the book 

Author website

Twitter 

Facebook

Neverland blog tours 

Carina 

*A big thank you to Jenny from Neverland blog tours for organising the blog tour, and Carina UK for providing a copy of The Silent Girls in exchange for an honest review

2015 book awards: best thriller/mystery novels

Today I'm sharing the books from 2015 that I felt had the best mystery or thriller storyline. There were some amazing contenders, but these three were my firm favourites and I find myself still thinking about them now! 

 The Lie by C.L. Taylor 

This was the first book I'd read by C.L. Taylor and it's stuck with me for a long while. The story centres around Jane and flicks between present day, where she is clearly a changes person and dealing with her past, which focuses on the 'holiday of a lifetime' she was on with her close friends. Tension soon builds and you know the holiday isn't quite what they thought and I was eager to see what would unfold. I flew through this gripping story and found myself immersed in the mystery. A must read. 

Read my review here. 

The Broken by Tamar Cohen

I'll admit I was surprised by how much I loved this story. I'd picked it up in Waterstones without really knowing much about Tamar Cohen or the story, yet when I came to read it, it blew me away. It follows two couples who deal with the aftermath of one couple splitting and what really struck me is how this is a situation that could happen to anyone. The realistic yet tense outcome of their split hit home for me and was what really intrigued me. The Broken is a thrilling take on friendship and relationships and is full of twists and turns that leave you wondering right up until the last page exactly what is going on. I absolutely loved this story. 

Read my review here. 

Follow Me by Angela Clarke 

I only recently read Follow Me, but it is a firm favourite. Immaculately plotted, well written and gripping, this novel had me hooked. I loved the social media element of the story - the story revolves around the 'hashtag murderer', who uses social media to plot and conduct murders. It is a creepy and really unique way to portray murders and create suspense. 

Read my review here. 

Book review: Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

"Two girls go missing. Only one will return.

The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die. 

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping. 

And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad. 

Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour… 

Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?"

Lost Girls is the third novel in the DC Kim Stone series. I find it pretty mind-blowing that this is the third book Angela Marsons has released this year - what a massive achievement! I absolutely loved the first book in the series, Silent Scream, and thought the sequel, Evil Games was even better, so I had high expectations for Lost Girls. I honestly think that it's the best of the trilogy... Angela's writing is even more descriptive and flowing, the plot tense and gripping and it's a brilliant, tense and fast-paced thriller.

The story follows DC Kim Stone as she investigates the abduction of two young girls, doing all she can to bring them home safe. The case is on a press and police force blackout, meaning no-one except the officers assigned to the case can no about it. This is for the girl's safety, but does create some major barriers for the investigation. The stress and strains of the investigation are heightened as the force look back to a similar abduction case the previous year that didn't end well... one of the girls didn't make it home. This thought is constantly playing on Kim's mind and she is determined for it not to happen again. Things are made even worse when the kidnappers send on a ransom demand to the to families - the highest bidder wins and will get their daughter back. The lowest won't. This horrible situation creates even more twists and turns for the families and plays on their already heightened emotions. It's a terrible situation but, as a reader, an amazing idea from Angela Marsons. It makes what would be a difficult abduction case even more tense and uncomfortable and you can see the close relationship between the families unravel - secrets are revealed and sturdy relationships fractured, which makes for great reading. 

As usual, Kim Stone goes above and beyond to find the girls. She is a fantastic, realistic character. I've loved her since the start of this series, but I enjoy seeing her character develop and learning more about her. She just seems so real - it's hard to remember that you're actually reading a book. She's still just as stand-offish and cold, not wanting to make anything too personal, but I still really, really like her. She throws herself into her work and wants to do all she can to solve the case, and not just for her own personal satisfaction, but to genuinely help the victims and their families. She goes to great lengths to protect people and isn't afraid to bend the rules to succeed, usually to her boss's dismay, but for the right result. Towards the end of the story we see a big development in her personal life that's rather unusual for Kim. I must admit, I did see it coming, but I was still really pleased and I'm eager to see what happens next with that.

As usual with Angela Marson's stories we also get an insight into the mind of the abducter. This didn't make for easy reading, especially as one of the kidnappers is extremely violent. However, these chapters add another gripping layer to the story and really ramp up the tension. It makes you want to scream at Kim Stone 'I know who they are!!' and will her on to find them. Despite it not being the most comfortable topic to cover, Angela Marson's writing talents shine through - she creates a gripping, mind-whirring read that has you hooked from the very start. 

If you've read and enjoyed the rest of this series, then you will love Lost Girls. It really is brilliant.  If, somehow, you've missed out on the wonder that it Angela Marsons then I'd suggest you rectify that immediately! Purchase the others as well as Lost Girls and catch up on these gripping thrillers. If you love crime and mystery novels then these are the books for you. Saying that though, I started Silent Scream when I didn't read many crime books, and I loved it. So if you're looking for something a bit different or want to delve into a new genre, give this series a whirl! I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. 

So what are you waiting for?! Go and download all three books in the series and devour them as eagerly as I did - I have no qualms in recommending this series to anyone that will listen, it really is that brilliant. I can't wait to see what's next from Angela Marsons, but I have no doubts that it will be fantastic. 

*A big thank you to the publishers of Lost Girls, Bookouture, for an advance copy of the story in exchange for an honest review. 

Links: 

Buy Lost Girls

Buy Silent Scream (book 1)

Buy Evil Games (book 2)

Bookouture website

Angela Marsons website

Twitter 

Facebook

Favourite TV Moments

 So, as much as I am a book-lover, I also love watching TV, in paticular box-sets. I'm definetly a binge-watcher, finding a series I love and immersing myself in it until I've finished. I have joined in the Hype for some popular series really late on (I only finished Breaking Bad earlier this year and am currently working my way through Game of Thrones). Last night, I watched a paticularly shocking and amazing episode of GoT that still has me reeling now, so I felt inspired to share with you some of my favourite moments in television.

WARNING: Spoilers included.

If you haven't yet watched (and are planning to) - Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Friends (really?!) or One Tree Hill then don't read any further!!! You have been warned! 
So... here we go (bare in mind this is in no particular order)

The O.C.
Seth Cohen is one of my favourite fictional characters ever... nerdy, funny, sarcastic and handsome I swooned over him week after week when The OC donned our screens. I loved his relationship with Summer, and the scene where he goes out in the torrential rain ("Oh my god it's like The Day After Tomorrow Out There!") with a spiderman mask to protect his hair - obviously - only to slip and end up dangling form the roof, upside down with a cable holding his foot. Summer sees him like this and they reenact the famous kissing scene from Spiderman. SO much better with these two! ahhhh...




One Tree Hill
I absolutely LOVED One Tree Hill, my sister and I would spend weekends cuddled up on the sofa watching episode after episode. At uni, my housemates all loved it as much as I did so we'd also have One Tree Hill marathons (I know, we were WILD!). The episode that always sticks with me is 'For All You've Done'- the one where Dan ends up shooting Keith and killing him. I remember when the episode aired for the first time, my sister and I watched it together, neither of us expecting such a dramatic and sad outcome. We both ended up bawling our eyes out at it, especially at Lucas and Karen's reactions and I think it was the first time I've ever been truly shocked by a TV show.



The Good Wife 

This is one of my favourite TV programmes ever. I'm currently watching the latest series and I think it just keeps getting better. It's brilliantly written - smart, funny and at times, emotional. I absolutely love it. One of the most shocking episodes for me was when Will Gardener, one of the main characters, was shot and killed in the courtroom. I hadn't seen it coming at all, especially as his and Alicia's relationship was just starting to unfold. With this episode it wasn't just his death that got to me, it was the reaction of all the other characters hearing about it. When Alicia receives the phone call to say he's died just moments before she goes onto stage in front on hundreds of people, I bawled my eyes out. When Kalinder, usually hard and savvy, breaks down, I cried even more. When Dianne goes back to their office and stares across at his empty desk, you guessed it, I cried again. It was a brilliantly acted, emotional episode that had me shocked and weeping.



                                                       House of Cards
After binge-watching the first series when it was released on Netflix I so excited for Series 2. Thankfully, it lived up to expectation and episode 1 certainly shocked me. The programme revolves around Frank Underwood's need for power and his corrupt and immoral ways to get it. Murder isn't exactly a shocking act for him, but I was very, very surprised with the events of Series 2, episode 1. The series begins with Zoe Barnes threatening to expose his corrupt ways. He asks to meet her at the subway station. Before you even know what's happening BAM! he pushes her onto the tracks and in front of a train. It happened so quickly I was amazed - we even re-wound that part to check it had really happened! What really shocked me was that Kate Mara, the actress who plays Zoe, had played a massive part in the promotion for the new series, appearing on radio and TV and in magazines promoting series 2, so I really hadn't expected her to be killed off in episode 1!




Breaking Bad


I was pretty late to the Breaking Bad hype party, only watching it earlier this year. Although I found the first few episodes really slow, it soon picked up the pace and quickly became one of the best TV shows I've ever watched. The episode when Walter rigs an explosion device to kill Gus Fring is genuinely one of the best bits of TV I've ever seen. There is a HUGE explosion in a room, so you immediately think that everyone, including Gus, will be dead. But, Gus walks out the room, doing up his tie and looking seemingly normal - sure, a bit messed up, but no injury's at all to see. It's only when the camera slowly pans around do you realise that the other half of him is absolutely destroyed. He then collapses and dies. An amazing, teasing scene that I still think about now.




Game of Thrones 

Like I said above, I'm still working my way through this but watching last nights episode inspired me to write this post. The famous Red Wedding scene is absolutely brilliant and shocking, I woke up this morning still thinking about it! So you have Rob Stark, (king of the north and all-round major character), his mother, Catelyn, pregnant wife, Talisa, not to mention all his soldiers.  attending a wedding. Rob had betrayed his vow to marry one of the Frey girls, instead falling in love with and marrying Talisa instead. However, all appeared to be forgiven, Walder Frey said he understood why Rob had made that choice, and Edmure would marry one of the Frey girls instead. All seemed to be well and the wedding goes off without a hitch, followed by a happy ceremony-  the drinks are flowing, music playing and everyone having a pretty good time. I naively thought that was that, oooh what a lovely calm episode. Wrong! after the bride and groom leave to consummate their vows, the music changes and the doors are bolted shut. Tension sparks and you just know something bad is going to happen. Before you know whats happening, the Frey men attack, stabbing Talisa brutely in the stomach, shooting Rob and Catelyn with arrows and attacking the rest of Rob's men. Whaaaat?! Rob and Catelyn don't die straight away, so again naively I thought maybe it would pull through. But no. After a stand off, Roose Bolton puts a sword through Robs stomach ("The Lannister's send their regards") and Catelyn's throat is split, but not before a blood-curdling wail of grief fills the room. I was SO shocked, as soon as the music played I was sat on the edge of my seat, gasping in shock and yelling 'NO you can't kill the starks!'. I spend at least half an hour after words ranting to the other half  about it. Although I'm not happy it happened, it is absolutely bloody brilliant television. What a shock!



Friends 

I thought it might be best to end on a happier, less bloody-death note. Friends is for me, one of the most quotable TV shows of all time and is just an absolute classic. There isn't any situation or time that Friends can't be watched. There are some brilliant episodes and catch phrases that stand out for me - 'pivot, pivot, pivotttt!', smellycat and 'we were on a break!' to name a few, but the very last final episode is one that will stick with me for a very long time. First of all when Rachel 'gets off the plane'. Really, we all knew that Ross and Rachel would be together, and I'd have been really shocked if she did end up leaving Ross behind and going to France. But the scene where Ross is listening back to the answerphone message she leaves him, deliberating as to whether to go or not, gets me everytime. "Did she get off the plane?!"... "I got off the plane!" one of the best TV moments there's been. Then the rest of the episode is bittersweet, as an audience you know it's coming to an end and you know that when the characters are crying, it's actually because the actors themselves are crying. A fitting end to one of the best sitcoms ever.




So, there you have it, some of my favourite moments in TV ever. I'd love to know what yours are and if you agree! Let me know in the comments below :)