Center of Gravity - Laura McNeill

Center of Gravity is one of those novels that has you literally holding your breath as you read.

Ava Carson is married to Mitchell, they have a son Sam together and Ava has just adopted Mitchell's son Jack. She should be happy that she has everything that she's ever wanted but her perfect life is about to start crumbling all around her.

Her perfect husband isn't as perfect as he seems and despite Ava's initial thoughts that Mitchell is just under a lot of stress at work and things will improve, it soon becomes obvious that this isn't the case. Mitchell has issues and they're big ones!

This is a debut novel and Laura McNeill has left a big impression on me with this book. I can honestly say I have never despised a fictional character as much as I did Mitchell. The more I read, the more I couldn't wait for his twisted mind games to backfire on him. I really felt for Ava, she's a strong women who only wants what's best for her family, especially her two young boys but the odds are really stacked against her.

Each chapter is written from a different character's perspective and this includes eight year old Jack. Seeing the story unfold through his eyes was heartbreaking. All he wants is for everyone he loves to be happy but of course that's not how thing are in a dysfunctional family.

I was genuinely impressed by this dark and disturbing debut novel. It's a compelling and sometimes difficult read and you can almost feel the tension leaping off the page towards you as you read. Add to that the short, sharp chapters, which to me just heightened the urgency within the story and you've got yourself an enthralling read.

Three-and-a-Half-Heartbeats - Amanda Prowse

Three-and-a-Half-Heartbeats is yet another fantastic read from the very talented Amanda Prowse. Not only is it a great story but it's helping to raise awareness of the disease sepsis with ALL proceeds going to the UK Sepsis Trust.

Grace and Tom Penderford are a happy couple, living in Hertfordshire with their three-year-old daughter Chloe and a close family but when Chloe goes into hospital for a routine operation their world is torn apart.

Having lost their daughter under such tragic circumstances their marriage is pushed to the limits. Tom was a stay at home dad while Grace went out to work everyday and following them through their grieving process and the roller coaster of emotions  is heart-wrenching. We also see the effects on other family members including Graces' sister who is desperate for a child of her own.

Amanda Prowse is one hell of a story teller and this is a book that will touch even the hardest of hearts. Never one to shy away from dealing with raw emotions and tackling subjects that a lot of people would shy away from, this is a beautifully written, poignant read which will have you smiling one minute and then reaching for the tissues the next. Each chapter has a small piece of information about sepsis at the top, giving the reader an insight into signs to look out for and statistics on this terrible disease, for example, chapter 7, "Sepsis claims 37,000 lives every year in the UK. 37,000. . ." that's a frightening statistic, but a clever and unobtrusive way of making the reader aware whilst still being absorbed in the story.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time and is currently only £1.20 (correct at the time of posting) so please consider buying a copy knowing that ALL proceeds are going to a good cause.

Out of the Darkness: A tale of love, loss and life after death - Katy Hogan

Out of the darkness is the story of three seemingly unconnected women, Jessica, Hannah and Alex but after a chance meeting they become close friends and discover they have much more in common than they realise.

Jessica has lost her mother and is finding day to day life a struggle and the last thing she wants after her shift at the hospital one New Year's Eve, is to be dragged into a party by an old school friend. After meeting Finn and Mark she manages to escape but Finn follows her and things start to look brighter for Jessica.

One evening, after leaving a grief counselling session Jessica faints and is helped by Hannah and Alex and their friendships are formed. All three of these women have their own secrets and troubles but none of them are ready to share.

Stories about life after death aren't for everyone but this is such a beautiful and thought provoking novel you shouldn't be put off as it's such an uplifting story of friendship, redemption and love as well. Each character is written in such a way that you feel like you are a part of their group and you know them all personally. Katy Hogan has written a stunning debut novel which, after I'd finished reading it, made me think of the Chinese (Red) String Theory based on the following proverb:

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break.

I absolutely loved this book and I will be telling everyone and anyone who will listen to me about it for a good few weeks to come but at the same time I'm sad I've read it as I'd love to read it again without knowing what was to come. I believe that there is a second novel in progress and I can't wait.

With kind thanks to author Katy Hogan for the review copy.

Holy Island: A DCI Ryan Mystery - LJ Ross

Holy Island is the debut novel from LJ Ross and the first outing for DCI Ryan.

The novel starts with the discovery of the body of Lucy Mathieson and the re-instatement of DCI Ryan who has been living on Lindisfarne following a leave of absence. Being that the island is cut off from the mainland due the the tides at the time of the murder this should be an easy case to solve but then two more bodies are discovered.

Due to the potential pagan links of Lucy's murder Dr Anna Taylor, a university professor specialising in pagan rituals, is called in to help Ryan solve the crime. Anna is a former resident of the island but after a falling out with her sister eight years previously this is her first time back.

Ryan is dubious about the doctors arrival as he's expecting a middle-aged man so he's pleasantly surprised when he meets the young and attractive Anna and it's not long before the sparks are flying between them.

There are some brilliant twists in this book and I found myself questioning the motives of several of the characters, only to read on and find out that it couldn't possibly be them.

Ross has written an impressive debut novel packed full of intriguing and believable characters. Along with this the descriptions and history of the area were so wonderfully written I want to visit it for myself. Without giving too much away the ending is a good one which sets it up nicely for the next novel in the series, Sycamore Gap which is available now and I for one, can't wait to catch up with DCI Ryan again.

With kind thanks to author LJ Ross for the review copy.

The Girl With No Past - Kathryn Croft

The Girl With No Past is one of those books that draws you in from the start and you just have to keep reading.

Leah lives her life almost like a recluse, she works at her local library, lives in a stark flat, has no real friends and her main possessions are her books. She has chosen this way of life because of something that happened fourteen years ago, something that she carries guilt for every day but just as she decides that maybe it's time to get herself out into the real world it seems that someone knows her secret.

What follows is an articulate story that slowly reveals Leah's secret, told in such a way that every character falls under suspicion at some point and I felt as paranoid as Leah at times.

I really enjoyed Kathryn Croft's writing style. I'm a big fan of books that are told in a dual time-frame and the fact that you don't find out Leah's secret until almost the end of the novel just added to the suspense in my opinion. I was compelled to read on, not only to find out what Leah had done but who could possibly be tormenting her after all this time. The tension and suspense is built up well and unlike some psychological thrillers the ending certainly wasn't disappointing. I would highly recommend The Girl With No Past to anyone who is a fan of this genre.

With kind thanks to publishers Bookouture for the review copy.

A quick update from me

I just wanted to let you all know that there won't be any reviews posted for a couple of weeks as I'm off for a well deserved holiday.

Happy reading!

Sleep Peacefully - NC Marshall

Sleep Peacefully is the debut novel from NC Marshall and an astounding one at that.

This isn't your usual fast paced psychological thriller as the story is subtly revealed in tiny pieces which cleverly pulls you into the story.

Nat's sister Jess died,  in what everyone believed to be a tragic accident but five years later Nat is experiencing powerful dreams about the night of Jess' death. As the dreams start to become more frequent Nat begins to think that maybe there was more to Jess' death than anyone knows so she starts to look more closely at her sisters life.

The story is told in two parallel narratives, one being Nat and the other in the form of flashbacks of Jess' life when she was alive. As secrets are revealed it looks like Nat didn't know her sister anywhere near as well as she thought she did.

The two narratives work seamlessly together and the story flows well. The revelations come at a steady speed and despite the fact that I'm a big fan of fast paced thrillers, the story kept my interest and I was compelled to keep reading. The characters were very believable and there was enough background on them all to give them credibility and the eventual perpetrator was exceptionally hidden in my opinion.

I devoured this book over the course of two nights and I'm eagerly awaiting the next offering from this wonderful debut author.