beckys_book_blog's reviews
860 reviews

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

'Morning, afternoon, night.
The mothers are always watching.'

This was such a brilliant book, and it had the most original storyline I have read this year. I went into this story blind which I think is the best way. I was immediately immersed in the story and couldn't put it down.

The story is set in 1979 and follows three triplets who are living in a dilapidated government run  house being cared for by three mothers (mother night, mother morning and mother afternoon)  The boys life is extremely regulated and formullaic under the 'care' of their mothers.
They are taught each day from a huge 'book of knowledge ' and anything they did wrong was written up in the 'book of guilt' Their nightmares were written up in the 'book of dreams '
The boys hope that one day they will be the chosen lucky ones who get to move to Margate and experience unlimited fairground rides by the sea. Margate is the place of their dreams.
The story is narrated in three parts. Vincent, one of three thirteen year old triplets is one of the main narrators. It is also narrated by a government minister who is in charge of this government 'sycamore scheme' and the boys' future. The third part is written by a girl called Nancy, who is also living a reclusive life with her two parents.
I had so many questions reading this!
Why were the children all living in this run-down house? What had happened to the previous children (as there used to be a lot more of them)
Why were the three boys always getting ill? Why weren't they ever allowed into the local village or allowed to mix with other people?
I was completely immersed in this story and desperate to find out what lay ahead for the three boys. There is an impending sense of dread as the boys slowly make discoveries about their life.

I really don't want to say more than this, but this was a creepy, atmospheric, and thought- provoking story that I would highly recommend! It will definitely be one of my top books of the year.

The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

This is such a dark thriller. It is very cleverly written. I liked the way parts of the book were chapters from 'The Midnight King' which was written as a final unpublished novel by the serial killer himself (as a fictionalised account of his own life)
I read this book in just over a day as the short chapters jointly narrated by Nathan (the serial killer's son) and Isaac (a private detective) kept me turning the pages. There were some clever twists, and the book really helped the reader to see inside the mind of a serial killer. It also demonstrated how young lives could be affected when growing up amidst such misery, neglect and horror as the child of a serial killer.
This was not an easy read and certainly not for the faint hearted. There were some gruesome and horrific scenes. The characters and story strands all came together with a very satisfying conclusion. 

Viper in the Nest by Georgina Clarke

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

The Dazzle of the Light by Georgina Clarke was one of my favourite reads in 2022, so I was excited to read the latest in her 18th-century crime mystery series. This is the third in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. Since reading it i have bought the first two to go back and read.

Lizzie Hardwicke is forced to work in the brothels of London for an income. She also works as an (unpaid).undercover sleuth for the magistrate. When a young man commits suicide Lizzie joins forces with Will Davenport, local law enforcer and magistrate's assistant, to try and find out what led him to such a drastic action. Soon, there are more unexplained murders too.

I absolutely love Georgina Clarke's writing. She brings to life all aspects of 18th century life in such a realistic way that you feel as though you're there too.  
I loved joining Lizzie inside the smoke-filled rooms of the fashionable gambling houses and then out onto the precarious London streets.
There are a brilliant cast of memorable characters too who are also vividly brought to life. There are some really vile characters and some quite shocking scenes, too. Lizzie really has a lot of horrifying experiences in this book.
Towards the end, she even faces being sent to the gallows!
The secrets slowly reveal themselves as we find out some of the character's true intentions. I couldn't put this book down and raced through it! I have recently planned my April Hopefuls but I'm very tempted to read the first and second book in the series next as I loved this one so much! 
Highly recommended!

All eyes on you by Sam Frances

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

I loved the premise of this story and was keen to start this book. 

DS Alice Washington is investigating who might be stalking the bestselling crime writer Camilla Harton-Gray, who has recently moved back to live in the small village of Fortbridge.  The episodes seem to be replicating details from Camilla's novels. Could the story be coming true? Can Alice with her colleague Roy solve the mystery and find the stalker before it gets more serious and people get hurt?

I found it a little slow to get into and immerse myself in the story.
It is narrated by both Alice and Roy, who are well developed characters. I loved the chapters written by a mysterious third narrator, detailing his unhappy childhood. I enjoyed trying to work out who the narrator was and how this would fit into the main story. I preferred the second half of the story the most as the tension builds and the strands come together. 
Overall, I thought this was an interesting crime procedural that I quite enjoyed and a good debut.

AD-PR PRODUCT Thank you to the tagged publisher for sending this copy to review. 

The Woman In The Wallpaper by Lora Jones

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this gothic story that centres around the French Revolution. Although it is quite a long book (around 500 pages), the short pacy chapters meant I read it fairly quickly. I also listened to some of it on Audible.
The three narratives work brilliantly, and I was fully invested in the lives of Sofi and Lara. Whilst I loved following the two sisters' Iives as they settled into their new roles in the wallpaper factory, I also loved the mysterious elements to the story.
I was also intrigued by Hortense and how she would settle into married life with the factory owners' son Josef, forced to marry against her will.
What happened to Josef's mother?  Why is Lara seeing her own image within the wallpaper, and how is it changing? The book definitely has a touch of the supernatural!
Overall this was a great historical fiction novel with well written characters,  a gothic atmosphere and a gripping plot full of mystery and intrigue (as well as some shocking occurrences in the later part of the story) I can't wait to read more by this debut author.

Madame Matisse by Sophie Haydock

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

found this such an immersive read and I was fascinated to learn more about Henri Matisse through the three pivotal women in his life. I enjoyed reading the three separate stories. The first was written by Amelie, his wife of forty years. The second by Lydia who emigrated from Russia at the start of the first World War and eventually came to live in Paris. She became an assistant and then later a companion to Marisse. The final part was written by Magueritte, Matisse's daughter, who eventually joined the resistance in the second world war.
All three women really believed in Matisse and were selfless in helping him to pursue his artistic dream. 
I found this a compelling read. I loved travelling through 20th century France, and it was interesting to see how the historical events and world wars impacted the characters' lives. 
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this famous artist  and I'm looking forward to reading The Flames by Sophie Haydock which is also on my tbr. 

Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

I loved this debut psychological thriller. 
When Claire visits her fiancé Noah's at his office to surprise him with lunch, she discovers he left his job nine months ago. Noah stops taking Claire's calls, and she's left trying to work out why. Where is he,and why is he suddenly ignoring her?
I loved this story and really didn't know which unreliable narrator to believe. Claire was a brilliant character. It was easy to emphasise with her, particularly when reading the entries from her difficult childhood due to the relationship she had with her negligent mother. It was also interesting reading Claire's diary entries detailing Claire and Noah's relationship. 
This was a great page turner, and whilst I did predict the ending, I enjoyed watching the story resolve. I went into this book blind and I think it made it even more enjoyable. 
This was a brilliant twisty thriller  and a fantastic debut. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Water by John Boyne

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Someone is Lying by Heidi Perks

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Heidi Perks is fast becoming an autobuy author for me. I loved her last two books! This story also hooked me after just a few pages and I raced through it.
Jess' seventeen year old daughter Issie decides to go travelling with her boyfriend Dylan. Jess reluctantly drives Issie to the airport as she mistrusts Dylan and thinks he's controlling her daughter. A month later, on the day of Issie's eighteenth birthday Jess can't get hold of Issie. She doesn't return her calls or messages. Jess is terrified. Dylan won't talk to her and the police won't help. 
Can she find her daughter before it's too late?
I found this such a terrifying scenario. It is every mother's nightmare to lose their child. I loved the suspense and the brilliant twists along the way. I also enjoyed the True Crime podcast entries through the book that were following the case. 
The dual narrative by Jess (Issie's mother) and Kay (Dylan's mother) worked brilliantly too. I loved delving into the relationships of the central characters and their families.
This book also explores an interesting question about how far a mother would go to protect their child.
If you like original, twisty thrillers I would highly recommend this!