Tag: Thriller

Your Neighbour’s Wife by Tony Parsons

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been lucky enough to be gifted a copy of ‘Your Neighbour’s Wife’ as part of a Tandem Collective UK readalong. What a gift it has been to read this novel at the start of a second very strange year.

One of my absolutely favourite novels is ‘Man and Boy’ by Tony Parsons, but I had never read any of his thrillers. And it is fair to say that I have been missing out, as Parsons can pen an excellent thriller.

As I always mention, writing about thriller novels can be difficult because I never want to risk letting any spoilers slip out. So, what I am going to say is that this is a real page-turner. I genuinely struggled to put this down, as it builds so many fascinating mysteries as the story unfolds. Secrets, lies and mysteries relating to every single character (other than the lovely and innocent Marlon and Buddy the dog) have you drawing all sorts of conclusions, rightly or wrongly. And you really are surprised as some of these are revealed to you.

Also, as Tony Parsons does so well, there is an interesting study of relationships throughout this book. Romantic relationships, family relationships and friendships all come under the microscopeas we follow the thrilling tale from start to finish.

So, in conclusion of you are looking for a new, tense thriller for 2021, then this is the book for you.

Crooked by Bronwen John

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It is my stop for this thrilling read on its blog tour, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts (so I hope you keep reading).

I was gifted a copy of ‘Crooked’ and I know you should not judge a book by its cover, but I was immediately intrigued by this YA thriller. And this continued as soon as I started reading.

You are immediately thrown into the action; in central London, you meet Ash and her friends as they are involved in a bit of a con. It seems to be quite a money maker for the gang, until they select the wrong mark. And, a turn for the worse, as Ash is dragged into conflict with a dangerous London gangster – or two.

Now, this is another brilliant read that I do not want to spoil for you all. However, I can say that something that I thought was excellent about this book is that there are strong, independent female leads. And they are not scared to take on the men.

There are so many twists and turns in this book that you are not sure who you trust – and who the characters trust. I just had to keep reading, keen to know what revelation would come next and who was really conning who.

So, if you love a thrilling read (and an adventure), whatever your age, then this is the book for you. So, why not pick up a copy and give it go?

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

October is my favourite time of year for thrilling reads. And ‘The Guest List’ is certainly that – in fact, I am even willing to go as far as to say it is better than ‘The Hunting Party‘.

This, as with all books with an element of suspense, is a hard book to offer a blog post on, as I do not wish to inadvertently issue any spoilers. However, I can tell you that this book had all the brilliant ingredients of a thrilling read. An isolated island, a whole host of characters carrying secrets, and twists and turns. Part of the reason I loved this book was that I managed to pick up some of the clues that were scattered throughout the story but I did not spot them all, so some of the reveals were a surprise.

I was not particularly a fan of the number of characters. Although, as the story is told, you do begin to change your view of many – sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

I think, overall, this tale seemed more slick than ‘The Hunting Party’. And, although it was still a tale of secrets and lies, this just seemed maybe a little more complex. Yet, I still enjoyed both and think Lucy Foley is a great modern thriller writer. I would definitely be willing to read more stories from her imagination.

The Heatwave by Kate Riordan

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This month’s ‘Tasting Notes Book Club‘ pick was ‘The Heatwave’. This was not what I was expecting, and was a prime example of not judging a book by its cover.

By looking at this book, I thought it was going to be a ‘summer read’. Something easy and gentle to enjoy as the summer draws to an end. However, this book is so much more. This is a sophisticated and stylish thriller – you will be hooked as soon as you start, because the mysterious atmosphere is generated almost immediately.

Set during a heatwave in France, Sylvie returns to a family house in the south. She is keen to sell the house and, with it, hopefully leave painful memories in the past. The question is – what exactly did happen to Elodie? What is the past that Sylvie is trying to forget?

Told between the past and the story’s present, there is an excellent slow pace to the tale that builds suspense and mystery. In fact, you feel as though you are in the south of France enjoying the slower pace of life in the summer. Although, it feels there is always an element of threat hanging over the tale in its present and its past.

I think this is a book that I could have easily overlooked if I had not been part of the ‘Tasting Notes Book Club’ – so, that is another reason why book clubs are such a fantastic idea. If you are looking for an atmospheric thriller as summer fades, this is the book for you!

Lost You by Haylen Beck

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

A new thriller to me this summer is ‘Lost You’ but Haylen Beck. To begin with, well from the title, I thought it may be the usual tale of relationships within a family. However, I was a little wrong. This was a clever and slick tale which did not at all follow the path I was entirely expecting. In fact, it raises quite some moral questions.

I do not wish to spoil the plots and twists of this book – always an issue when you come to review/share thoughts on a thriller. However, this is certainly not your usual missing child thriller – it is far more complex that that. All the moral questions are raised around the ideas of surrogacy – and potential power games and manipulation of vulnerable people (for many different reasons).

As the tale develops, I am not sure that the twists are a surprise, however it is still a well constructed narrative and a page-turner. Quite a study of people’s psychology and the impact events can have.

A book for fans of modern thrillers, especially with a very modern theme.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

A creepy house in the highlands of Scotland, slightly strange children and a poison garden – what a recipe for a novel.

‘The Turn of the Key’ is an excellent thriller, clearly inspired by the chilling 19th-century ghost stories – a well-crafted, serious page-turner. Ruth Ware has managed to bring thrilling, chilling stories bang up to date.

A dream job very quickly becomes a nightmare. Rowan answers an advert for an idyllic-sounding nannying job in Scotland. However, the family’s state-of-the-art house does not make the job easy. There are many unexplained goings-on and the children are not accepting Rowan the way she hoped. However, there is far worse to come…

This book, told as a reflective letter, is a compelling read. I found myself keen to know what was going to happen. In fact, I did not see any of the twists coming. On reflection, there were hints of one or two, but the biggest twist was the excellent reveal.

This is a great book for anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries. A really enjoyable and well-written read. I am glad, again, to have discovered a new author. My only regret is that i did not read it during Autumn, as it would be perfect foe those darker, stormier nights.

Perfect Crime by Helen Fields

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This book was sent to me as part of a Secret Santa bookswap at the end of last year. I am, always, willing to give a good crime novel a go and discover new authors, so was intrigued to see what was in store for me.

The setting for this novel is Edinburgh – such an atmospheric city and one that does seem to inspire some wonderful crime novels. Our detectives, DI Callanach and DCI Ava Turner, are called in to investigate the death of a man who only a week before had been talked out of committing suicide – so maybe this is not suspicious, this time he actually went through with it? Until there are a number of other deaths – clearly murders – of people who have been known to consider taking their own lives.

Alongside this, the handsome-but-troubled Callanach is dealing with his own demons – and could even find himself a suspect in a murder investigation.

I really enjoyed this novel as a good piece of crime fiction. I did work out the culprit for one of the mysteries (possibly due to my love of crime novels), but was completely in the dark for the other.

This has all the ingredients of a good modern thriller: secrets, well-crafted characters, pace and complex romance.

I have read this as a standalone novel, although it is a series and this is not the first book, but I am keen to read the others. Another set of titles for the ever-growing to-be-read pile.

The Man Who Didn’t Call by Rosie Walsh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This was a book that I found a little bit frustrating. It was almost a Black Sheep read for me; I was clost to giving up at about 20% of the way through, but I powered on. I am glad that I did , as by the end it was gripping page-turner. Just a bit of a shame it took a while to get there.

I am not going to share any spoilers. The idea of the novel is excellent – if a man does not call in this day and age, could it lead you to become obsessed with other ways of contacting them? Could that lead to you feeling as though you see them everywhere?

However, the really clever thing about this book is how Rosie Walsh leads the reader on some great false paths. As the tale unfolds, she reveals some real surprises and so many things are not quite as they seem. This is what made me appreciate that I had not given up on the book.

For me, there were just a few chapters which were not essentila to the take and caused my attention to wobble a little. Especially as this was my read on the commute, which means I really need my attention held at all times.

Have you read ‘The Man Who Didn’t Call’? What were your thoughts?

Random Attachment by Gertrude T Kitty

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was lucky enough to win a copy of ‘Random Attachment’ by Gertrude T Kitty. And, what can I say, I am so glad I did. My copy arrived in a parcel of lovely goodies, but the loveliest touch was the inscription at the front of the book.

This is a YA crime thriller (although definitely for the older YA audience) and a real page-turner. Dark. gripping and chilling, it takes you on quite a rollercoaster ride.

Mia, a council estate girl, has a troubled background she is keen to escape. Fynn, a posh boy, has been born into a wealthy background, although not without its own troubles. They are drawn together, but in the shadows is The Wolf, stalking and kidnapping local girls – if not worse. Mia and Flynn find themselves in this dark world as Mia is keen to find the truth – or is she the target?

I am so glad that, through the great Bookstagram community, I have managed to find Gertrude T Kitty’s work. She has a real passion for sharing her stories with the world, and I hope that this little blog post will help other keen readers discover her work. Especially as her second novel, ‘The Rebirth of Henry Whittle’, has just hit Amazon.

If you are a fan the gritty crime thriller then ‘Random Attachment’ is a book you will enjoy and want to dive into. So, why not support an author who has a real passion for her work and a love of bringing her to readers?

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Bookstagram made me do it – this was the novel that closed 2019 for me and I am so pleased that it did.

‘The Hunting Party’ was a book that I could not put down. In fact, it was the perfect travel companion as it made a recent train journey absolutely fly.

A New Year’s Eve tradition of a getaway for a group of old friends does not quite go according to plan when one of the party ends up dead. Which, as a reader, comes as no surprise as the destination of the getaway is the remote Scottish Highlands.

As the tale unfolds, there are colourful characters, dark secrets, and twists and turns. For once, I did not hold a lot of sympathy for the victim – but maybe their character was as insecure as those around them.

I enjoyed that the narrative is told from different viewpoints – each revealing different hints, clues and secrets as the tale unfolds. It was also quite a treat that the conclusion hinted at a happy ending for two characters who may have been running from their past. (And become caught up with quite a complex group of ‘friends’).

This is a book that may lead you to question if we ever really know anyone. A great read!