Moving - Jenny Eclair

Moving is the fourth novel by English comedian, author and actor Jenny Eclair. It's a novel about the intricacies of family life told from three different perspectives.

Edwina Spinner has lived at 137 Kennington road for over fifty years but she's now coming to realise that it's far too big for a woman of her age to be rattling around in and she's decided it's time to sell up and move on. As Edwina is showing the estate agent around her home her story is revealed a little more with each room that they enter. She's been married twice and has a step-son as well as her own twins, but where are they now and how has she ended up alone?

The rest of Edwina's story is ingeniously told through the eyes of Fern Woolbright an eighteen year old student and Edwina's step-son Lucas. It's a story of heartbreak, jealousy, lies and secrets. Who is hiding what from who and why?

I really enjoyed reading this book. Edwina's character was beautifully written revealing a complex but warm character who I felt genuine empathy for. At first I wondered who Fern was but I soon understood her relevance to Edwina and the story continued along well. The story through the eyes of her step-son was the final part which pulled the whole novel together well. Initially Lucas was quite a churlish character and it took me a while to warm to him but at the end you realise that his intentions are good and that just because he can't right his previous wrongs there is still one last thing he can do to make amends.

I haven't read any of Jenny Eclair's previous novels but after reading this one I'd be more than happy to curl up with one of her other three.

With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Little, Brown Book Group for the review copy.

Life or Death - Michael Robotham

Life or Death is one hell of a read!

Audie Palmer has been in prison for 10 years for his involvement in an armed robbery that left four people dead, but for reasons known only to himself he escapes the day before he's due to be released. Is it because the rumours are true and he does know where the missing millions are, is he planning to meet his brother who was allegedly part of the gang and living the high life with his share of the money or is he looking for revenge? Whichever one it is, all we know initially is that Audie has made a promise to someone and he intends to keep his word. What follows is a cat and mouse like manhunt where we soon discover that not everything is as it seems.

The plot for me was breathtaking as I found myself caught up in a carefully crafted web of interwoven stories full of twists and turns, some of which caught me completely off guard. I found myself rooting for Audie, after all the beatings and attempts on his life while he was in prison, it must be time for his luck to change mustn't it?

This is the type of book that you find yourself racing through because you can't wait to find out what happens but at the same time you don't want to reach the end because then the story will be over. The writing was great and there was a real depth to each of the characters we meet along Audie's journey.

I haven't had the pleasure of reading any of Michael Robotham's other novels but after reading this one I'm definitely off to get some and I think I'm in for a real treat.

With kind thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK for the review copy.

Your Blood Is A Lovely Colour - Hannah Lily Arbuthnott

Your Blood Is A Lovely Colour is a step in a new direction for me as a reader as this isn't my usual type of read, but I was so intrigued by the blurb I just had to read it.

Sasha is a monster who is incarcerated in a secure unit after having murdered and partially eaten eleven people in broad daylight. But there's more to Sasha than meets the eye. When journalist Mr Smith visits the unit to interview her he gets more than he bargained for when she morphs from human to monster right in front of his eyes and he flees  for his life.

Missy Chase was a witness to Sasha's heinous crime and has been made to sign a confidentially document agreeing not to speak to anyone about what she's witnessed, but when her eighteen year old brother Nate hears the news and sees Sasha's picture on the television he is instantly drawn to her vivid blue eyes  and after to chatting to some friends about the incident on the bus to college he decides he's going to try to get to see her for himself.

Sasha just wants to be free to feed and live her life so after Nate's visit she manages to escape from the unit and heads to him for help. But will he be willing to come to her rescue?

The author has crafted a wonderful and unique novel that is rich in both description and narrative with a prodigious central character in Sasha and her alter-ego Asta, whose story is skilfully told in the form of flashbacks to Ancient Rome, woven throughout the book.

I've thought long and hard to try to decide which genre this beautifully written novel sits comfortably in but to no avail. It could fit  in many including fantasy, paranormal, historical, horror and possibly even romance. If you're looking for something a little different with an intriguing story and a little escapism, then I recommend you get your hands on a copy of this book. I'm glad I did and I'm looking forward to reading more.

With kind thanks to author Hannah Lily Arbuthnott for the review copy.

Glass Cutter: A Sgt Major Crane Thriller - Wendy Cartmell

Glass Cutter is a gem of a book that I luckily stumbled across one day as I was looking through various book related websites that book bloggers look at. Despite being number seven in a series it can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Louise is married to Peter, a Colonel in the army, and they have just relocated to Aldershot. It's not a happy marriage as Peter has lost interest in his wife and only really pays her any attention when they are at army social gatherings.

The story starts when Louise finds a journal wrapped in a silk headscarf hidden in a chest in the basement of their new house. The journal is embossed with the name Matilda Underwood and Louise is instantly intrigued and starts to read it. She discovers that Matilda's life is an unhappy one just like her own and Louise soon feels an affinity with her and begins to look upon Matilda as her only friend.

The more Louise reads, the more admiration she feels for Matilda who has taken a stand against the people who have previously wronged her and influenced by the journal Louise's own life begins to spiral out of control.

I enjoyed reading this book. It's written in a very easy to read style which flows nicely and the plot is well thought out. The author's knowledge of the military comes across well and as it's set in my home town that really appealed to me and I quite often found myself smiling when place names were mentioned. I'm pleased to have found this new author and thrilled to know that Wendy has written more which I will definitely be adding to my TBR at some point very soon.

You can find out more information on Wendy Cartmell and her books here.

With kind thanks to Wendy Cartmell for the review copy.

Follow You Home - Mark Edwards

I couldn't wait to read Follow You Home, the latest offering from author Mark Edwards and once again I wasn't disappointed.

Laura and Daniel are travelling on a night train in Romania when they meet a couple who will turn their lives upside down. It starts with them having their money and passports stolen and then being kicked off the train in the middle of nowhere. When they venture into a forest something literally unspeakable happens.

The next thing you know is that they have somehow managed to get home to London but things between the couple have turned sour and they are no longer together. It all links back to their time in Romania but neither of them are willing to talk to anyone about their experience. When strange things start to happen to them both they are forced to confront their demons with terrifying consequences.

I can't really say too much about the plot as I don't want to give anything away and spoil anyone's enjoyment of this great book. What I will say is that the writing is once again superb and the character's are, as always, believable. Just when you think you know what's coming next there's another plot twist which is exactly what happens right at the end of the book. You only have a few pages left to read, the story has reached it's conclusion, the remaining pages must surely just be the epilogue, but oh no, you're suddenly hit with another fantastic plot twist that I for one certainly didn't see coming. Mark Edwards I applaud you, each book you write is better than the last and your  writing is like a spider web, slowly and intricately weaved and once you get your reader hooked you don't let you go.

If you haven't read any of  this author's books and you like your psychological thrillers dark then I suggest you get your hands on a copy of this or any of his back catalogue.

The Lives Between Us - Theresa Rizzo

I have a special guest reviewer on my blog today and I'd like you all to welcome my good friend Sarah Mackins, who has very kindly written a review for me. I "met" Sarah through a Facebook group that I joined about a year or so ago and like myself she's a voracious reader. I'd like to say a big thank you to Sarah for sharing her review and without further ado I'll let Sarah take over with her review of The Lives Between Us.

I was pleased to be offered a copy of this free in exchange for an honest review on the basis that I had enjoyed a similar style book.
There are sections I find hard to review without spoilers so I apologise if anything sounds vague.
This book takes on several elements in part in is a romantic story but with an underlying family tragedy and a political battle that bears several viewpoints and medical understanding of the difference between stem cell therapies.
This story is based around Skylar Kendall a journalist who begins this story with a sick niece in need of embryonic stem cell therapy a treatment unavailable due to political opposition by Senator Edward Hastings and because of his opposition Skylar is out to pursue the man and try to make him suffer for his decisions.
Skylar if a formidable journalist who loves her family and will do anything for them but through this love becomes somewhat blinkered to the bigger picture, meanwhile, her sister Faith and brother in law deal with their daughters illness in their own way each bringing about added depth to an already difficult storyline subject.
Regardless of where your own political views stand on the therapies covered by this story it's nice to see the author cover several angles and explain some differences along the way without becoming too wrapped up in medical terminology.
I'm not sure I felt the relationship of Mark and Skylar which is partly why this lost stars in my rating I was much more drawn to the family dynamics of the Hastings family which was much more interesting and better portrayed and the heartache of her sister Faith and her husband. I felt the Skylar / Mark romance storyline lacking somewhat in comparison.
There were twists I saw coming and others that veered off into bigger twists I wasn't expecting though I expected Edward Hastings politics to be tested I hadn't imagined it to unfold quite the way it did and I really enjoyed the medical/political storyline of this story. I loved Noelle's character (Edwards wife) and even though Jeff (their son) was at a rebellious teenage stage of life I really enjoyed seeing his character unfold and the emotional battles of the family as a whole.
The friendship between Edward and Mark left me a little baffled as Mark works in Stem Cell Research and so this surprised me that Edward would be so against the idea, eventually my inner queries were uncovered from background story and it was interesting to find added depth to the politics.
Though I have marked this down I would recommend to readers who like the medical politics of this sort of story but less likely if you are after a romance I think romance readers would find this a bit heavy. Though of course that is just my opinion.
Overall this was well written covering a very difficult subject matter (3.5 stars)

What Milo Saw - Virginia Macgregor

What Milo Saw is the story of nine year old Milo Moon who suffers from a slow degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa which means that he has pinpoint tunnel vision but despite this fact he is a keen observer.

Milo lives with his mum Sandy, his gran Lou and his pet teacup pig, Hamlet that is until, much to his dismay his beloved gran is sent to live at Forget Me Not's nursing home. Milo promises to visit Lou everyday but he soon realises that it's not quite the caring place that was advertised in the brochure. The head nurse, Nurse Thornhill, isn't always the happy, smiling person she makes herself out to be and when Milo realises this he sets out to get his gran home. With the help if Tripi, an illegal immigrant who works at the care home, he forms a plan to expose all the wrong doings going on at Forget Me Not's.

The story flows gently with chapters written from each different character's perspective. Touching on very topical issues such as care for the elderly, divorce, disability and foreign immigrants, this is a book for both young and old. I was disappointed that Milo's condition took a back seat for the majority of the novel and felt that the author could have made more of this. That said, this debut novel is a heart warming tale that will definitely tug at your heart strings and have you rooting for this charming and selfless little boy. It's a poignant read and one that I would recommend.

With kind thanks to NetGalley and publishers Little, Brown Book Group UK for the review copy.