Tag: Thriller

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This book has been on my shelf since I heard Kaliane talk about her book last year. I realise I start a lot of my blog posts about with how long the book has been on my shelf, but that is one of the many curses of being a bookworm. Although I really wanted to read this book, there was something a little intimidating about it for me. I do not know if it was all the hype it was getting, or the fact that it appeared to be a sci-fi book, which is definitely not my go-to genre. Yet I was still really fascinated by this book, so when it became the pick for a monthly buddy read, it gave me the boost I needed to pick it up.

This is such a unique idea for a book; the idea that time travel could bring characters from the past to the present for us to learn from and for the Ministry to see how well they adapt to life in the modern world – and all the moral conflict that comes with that, as ultimately they are human beings displaced for a social experiment. This does seem to reflect the modern world we are living in and creates quite a thought-provoking read as you consider all the moral questions that it raises as you read.

It is a fascinating concept and you do learn a little about the history of the characters, especially that of Commander Graham Gore, who was the original inspiration for the book. It did pique my interest in those early explorations to new worlds, as they would have been for the Victorians, but it also emphasises all the wrongs of that age of exploration. Something that has really been at the fore of current affairs.

If someone aske me to classify this book, I am not sure what you can fully classify it, as I think it could be found in many sections of a bookshop. It is a contemporary piece of fiction from a new voice, it has a very clear (but light) element of sci-fi to it, but it is also a love story. It may not be your traditional love story, but centrally it looks at love in different forms.

I enjoyed this book, although it did take some concentration, with some rather long chapters at points, which means, to me, it is a book that you have to be able to dedicate some time to, to ensure that you are taking it all in. So, I will certainly be recommending this book to people, especially as something that maybe they traditionally would not pick up to read, because of that fear of it being something very sci-fi – I admit that if I had not heard Kaliane Bradley speak about it, then I may have never picked this book up, so it proves you should never judge a book by its cover – or its genre.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This book has been everywhere over the last few weeks, and I fell for the hype. Especially as it was shared by some of my lovely bookish friends who do not give their praise lightly to books – especially not books that are getting all the hype. So, when I was in the lovely Warwick Books at the start of the month and I spotted that they had a copy of ‘Broken Country’, I had to pick it up because the FOMO was real. And, well, let’s be honest, I would, one hundred per cent, have missed out if I had not picked this book up that day.

‘Broken Country’ kept me up past my bedtime on more than one occasion because I could not leave this world. This a beautifully written book, full of emotion from the first page, that will have you hooked from the moment you start reading. This is a story about love, in all the ways we may experience it, and how it can change our lives. It is hard not to reveal spoilers in this post, because I want to say so much about this book, but I also want people to experience this story with little knowledge of the plot – because you have to become immersed in it.

It is a skillful author who can tell a story from three different periods in a main character’s life and still make it all fit together seamlessly (and not make us reach for a piece of paper to make notes). Beth and her loving husband Frank have been living peacefully on their farm, until the return of Gabriel, Beth’s first love. The foundations of their relationship begin to be shaken and events that follow lead to devastating consequences for all involved. And, although I am not usually a fan of a story that has an affair at its centre, this book seems to be different, and I think that is down to the stunning storytelling and the wonderful characters that are brought to life for the reader. The tale also maintains its thrilling nature as we never have the full information until the very end – so we are drawing our own conclusions and trying to make our own predictions about what may have happened, or what may be going to happen.

The only final thing I am going to say about this story is that I was in tears at the end, and almost wanted to go back to the beginning and experience the story all over again. Because this is a book that you will wish you could read for the first time once you have read that final line.

Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I love it when I spot a bargain for the Kindle, and I spotted an absolute bargain when I saw that ‘Then She Vanishes’ was on offer for a steal. I was (like so many of my go-to authors) introduced to the books of Claire Douglas by The Book Taster and it is another introduction I am glad was made.

‘Then She Vanishes’ is from Claire’s backlist, first published in 2019 (another thing I love about being introduced to new authors, you often have a backlist to look up to), and I am glad that it is a book that made it onto my tbr list as it was an absolute treat to read. I picked this after a rather delayed flight situation and knew I needed something that would grab my attention, and that is something that I can rely on the books of Claire Douglas to do. This is an author who always offers a guranteed page-turner and this one was no different – in fact, that may have been my favourite so far and that is quite a statement as I have enjoyed each and every one of the books that I have read.

I think the reason why I may have liked this one just a little bit more is that there were a number of mysteries that needed unravelling – there were just so many secrets amongst its pages, that you really were not sure who you should trust or what was really the truth.

There appears to be no reason for Heather to have taken a gun and shot a mother and son who are new in town, and then turn the gun on herself. When her old friend Jess hears about this chain of events, she takes a professional interest as a local journalist, but is soon drawn further into these events than she intends. But, along the way, the dark secrets of the past are brought to the fore – and there has always been the mystery of the disappearance of Heather’s sister Flora; could that have triggered what has recently taken place?

Spoiler-free means all I can say is that you will have to read it to find out how all this comes together in a conclusion; I just cannot possibly say if that conclusion is tidy or not. But, I can say that this is a very well-constructed story told with the odd first-person chapter, and events from both the past and present that keep you even more invested in the story.

So, all in all, this is a great thriller and means I am just going to have find more of Claire Douglas’ backlist to read; in fact, I think there may be one on my tbr pile as we speak…

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

‘Notes on an Execution’ seems to have been a book that I have seen around for a while and I always thought that it was a book I should try. So, when I was looking for something to start on my Kindle, I picked this, especially as a bookish buddy had been shouting about it on her socials for quite some time.

I am not sure I really know how to categorise this. It is a well-written piece of contemporary fiction, with a study of human nature, and nurture versus nature. But there are also some elements of a crime and thriller story along the way too. Essentially, this is a cross-genre book which is really quite thought-provoking and will stay with you even after you have long finished the final page.

We meet Ansel Packer as he is awaiting his execution. And, as the hours count down to the time of his execution, we find out what has led to that moment and who Ansel Packer really is, from the moment of his birth to the present. However, only the day of the execution is told from the point of view of Ansel, his actions that day and the emotions he has as the clock ticks by. The past is told by the women he had known, including his mother and the sister of his ex-wife. As this story unfolds, there are quite some twists along the way, and you wonder if the truth had been revealed sooner, in more than one sense, then the present may be very different.

I really enjoyed this slow burn of a novel; I enjoyed its study of character and how we found more and more about Ansel Packer, and what may have got him into the situation he is now in. I really enjoy a book that makes you think, as well as being a real page-turner. But I think what is best about this book is that you really find yourself considering human nature, and what really leads someone to become a serial killer.

I will certainly be recommending this book, especially to people who are fans of the books of Chris Whitaker, because there is a similar style to this book as there is to ‘We Begin at the End’ and ‘All the Colours of the Dark’. (Although I am not sure there are quite so many characters who you will feel some affection for – there is a slightly darker tone to this story.)

So, if you have let this book pass you by, or it is lurking on a shelf somewhere, then please pick it up and see what you think, because I certainly think it will start some conversations.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It is John Marrs month for The Book Taster Book Club (and in my case for Book and Pudding Club too), and I am here for it. I have only ever read one John Marrs book before and I was a fan, so it is nice to have a chance to read an author’s backlist, especially when so many of my bookish buddies are also fans.

So, a wonderful bookish buddy and I embarked on a buddy read of ‘What Lies Between Us’ on Saturday and, by the end of Monday, we had both finished the book. In fact, I think it is safe to say that we had raced through it. We were both finding it incredibly difficult to put down what we were reading – in fact, I snuck off for a bath after work on Monday, just so I had an excuse to read the book because I just had to know what was going to happen. And my fellow bookworm and I were constantly messaging each other with theories and ideas about where the book was going, and at the odd OMG moment. All of this together is the sign of a good book, if you ask me – and this is definitely a great book.

As this is a no-spoiler post, as always, I really can not say too much about this book as I am so worried that I might give something away. However, I will say that I have rarely read a book with so many moments of misdirection that manage to send you off down a possible wrong path as you attempt to play ‘armchair detective’ to the plot. It is so cleverly plotted that you find yourself being thrown from one idea to another at various points in the story, and by the end there are still things that you do not expect – well, I did not expect them all, anyway.

This is a story about Maggie and Nina, mother and daughter living together in a rather unconventional way, it is soon revealed. We are told what has led to the present through events from different parts of the past. But is what we are reading always the truth, or are some memories misremembered, distorting the narrative of the characters’ past? And, sometimes, do we judge too quickly, especially when it involves someone we love? What really triggers any human to carry out the most extreme actions any human can?

That is all I can really say about the plot of the novel, as I absolutely can not give anything away, but this is a book that I really recommend if you are a fan of a pacy read, with an element of mystery and thriller along the way. This is a book that would make a brilliant book club read, because it was an excellent buddy read – so if you are looking for either of these things, maybe add this book to the list.

So, that has been a success of two out of two for my reading experience of John Marrs books, so I am off to find another to read, in the hope that the third choice will be just as brilliant as choices one and two.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This is a book that I was so excited to read, it had been on my list of the most anticipated reads of the year and it was no kind of disappoint. This was a brilliant book, and just the page-turner you need in these winter months.

As Cam wonders why her husband is not answering his messages and realises his phone appears to be off – he is in a hostage situation. Not as a captive, but as the perpetrator… This spins Cam’s life out of control and the life that she embarks on with her young daughter is not the life she thought she would be living. Now, none of this a spoiler, as you are told this in the blurb, but that is going to be where my discussion of the plot will end, as this is a spoiler-free zone. Other than, as previously mentioned, I really enjoyed this book – I am just disappointed that work gets in the way of reading.

I really enjoyed that we were at the moment of the hostage situation and we are then thrown seven years on to find out how Cam is now living her life – and if she has been able to rebuild and ever really forget what her husband Luke has done. But, alongside this, we also follow Niall, the hostage negotiator who has always had a feeling that maybe the events seven years before were not quite as they seemed. And so the story is told from the point of view of these two characters.

Gillian McAllister always creates fantastic plots with brilliant characters – the two marry together perfectly to create a thrilling reading experience, something that becomes a real page-turner. I worked out one little plot twist, although I am not sure it was one that was fully hidden from the reader, if you were reading carefully. However, it was a brilliant idea and it did not remove from the enjoyment of the book because, to be honest, when you feel like you can be an armchair detective, you know you are exercising (in the words of everyone’s favourite – Hercule Poirot) those ‘little grey cells’. I really hope that we are going to have another book from Gillian very soon, as I am certainly in my thriller era and I am always looking for the next thrilling fix.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am ahead of the game, already having finished the January pick for the Book and Pudding Club I attend. I guess that is the joy of only having your Kindle with you when you need to pick a new book, and ‘The Hike’ is sitting there ready for you to read. This was also the perfect book for the ‘Twixmas Days’ as it is a page-turning thriller, that has you just wanting to know what will happen next.

Four female friends set of on a hike, their annual trip to spend time together, although this year it is different as they do not usually go for something so adventurous, usually opting for some time on the beach. However, each of these women is carrying more baggage than their backpacks and as they spend more time on this hike, secrets are revealed and friendships are tested. All alongside them encountering the trip of their nightmares, rather than a lifetime. And, why do they feel haunted by Karin, a woman who went missing on the same hike a year before?

What I liked about this book is the way that the chapters were constructed. Each chapter is a different perspective, which is not unusual, but there are chapters from a character who works as a mountain rescue volunteer and these are cleverly placed throughout the book. These chapters are a clever way to feed information to the reader that may impact their reading experience. I found these chapters fascinating the more the story went on – and as I finished the book I did reflect on how these chapters had impacted my understanding or perspective of the story.

I have to be honest, I am not sure I was a complete fan of all of the friends. I am not sure I believed in them all as real people but I did understand their situations and some of their experiences which maybe explained some of their behaviour. Although, by the end there was a change in each of the characters.

This was a fast-paced read and a clear page-turner. You just had to know what was going to happen next – this was my second book by this author and I much preferred it to the first one I read on audiobook. I think I would have found this hard as an audiobook as you need to keep the thread and different perspectives need to be clear. So, I would read more of Lucy Clarke’s books but I think I would stick to physical copies rather than audiobooks.

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I clearly decided I wanted to end my 2024 reading year with a bang, even if I did not realise it, and picked ‘I See You’ by Clare Mackintosh. What a wild ride of a read, and one that I could not put down.

This is a true chilling thriller and that was what kept me hooked and picking it up at every moment that I could. It left me a little unerved, because it was one of those thrillers that you can actually imagine (potentially) happening, and that always makes it that little more chilling as you read.

Zoe spots a familiar photo in the classified ads of the London Gazette; in fact, it is a little too close to home, and she has no idea how it got there. However, she starts to notice that there is a connection between photos of women appearing in the classified ads and crimes that are being committed against women in the London area. I can not give away any more than that because this is a spoiler-free review – but what I can say is that this is an incredibly well-constructed thriller. You are left trusting nobody and you feel the fear that Zoe feels as the story progresses. There are twists and red herrings and a thrilling conclusion as we reach the end of the story – or is it really the end of the story?

I did not work out the full conclusion to this tale, which is something that makes a good thriller. On the final page, some of my suspicions were confirmed, but I had many before the final twist was revealed and they certainly had not all been correct.

I think that this could be my favourite of Clare Mackintosh’s books; I think I like it even more than ‘I Let You Go‘ and I know that is a particular favourite of many thriller fans. Clare writes excellent female characters and really draws you into the world of the central characters, which makes you feel like you are living the experiences with them. I really liked that, in this book, there was an insight into our perpetrator at points, and these left you pondering who exactly that may be. It is so skillfully done that you consider it to be so many characters. In fact, these sections were some of the most chilling to read, as you can imagine, and I think that the villain was one of the most unnerving that I have read in a recent thriller.

So, this is a book that any thriller fan should pick up if they are looking for a new read. It certainly made the end of my 2024 reading year a fantastic one, and I will be recommending this to everyone who asks for a thriller recommendation, as it was an absolutely brilliant read from the moment it started.

A Bird in Winter by Louise Doughty

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Thank you Tandem Collective for having me along on the readalong of ‘A Bird in Winter’ by Louise Doughty. What a treat to be gifted a copy of this book to snuggle up with in these winter months and read along with a lovely group of bookworms.

This is a slow burn of a book, following Bird as she is on the run from someone she believes to be dangerous. Someone who had manipulated her in her place of work. Only, as the story unfolds, you realise that maybe Bird is not in the usual line of work and her being on the run may be far more serious than we would first imagine.

I can’t give too much away about this book as there are some secrets along the way that you uncover as the reader. But it is quite an adventure going on the run with Bird – and we find out about her past as she goes.

This is also one of those books with a very clever title. The kind of title that can have a number of meanings as the story is told, and you can interpret it as you wish by the end of the book. And, it is great to think that many different readers will see it in many different ways.

I enjoyed reading this book and I was keen to find out what was going to happen, and there is certainly the opportunity to discuss ideas with other readers. However, there was a little something missing. It felt as though there was something else we could be told as a reader – and not just because the end was left to allow the reader to reach their own conclusion about the tale, but because it suggested at points that there would be a little more given to us, and it did not quite materalise.

Yet, this book has a fantastically strong female lead in Bird and, my word, she is a brilliant character. She demonstrates so much strength and independence and certainly knows how to look after herself. And, as a general rule, she is no nobody’s fool and for that I loved her.

If you like your thrillers to have a slow burn, then you will enjoy this book. I will certainly pick up other books by this author, because I loved the style of the storytelling and did enjoy the read – I just thought there was a small part of the puzzle missing, although I think that is a me problem, rather than a problem with the book or plot itself.

Kala by Colin Walsh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

The final in my accidental Irish trilogy of reading is the pick for the ‘Book and Pudding Club’, ‘Kala’ by Colin Walsh.

This is a book that proves you should not judge a book by its cover. I had seen this cover around a lot (attached to the book, of course) and it said to me: slowburn, coming-of-age story, hot summers and probably America. And, how wrong I was – other than having a link to the school days of the main characters, it has nothing to do with the ideas conjured up by the cover, and I have to admit that I am very glad that I was proved wrong about that.

‘Kala’ is set in small-town Ireland; Kala disappeared one evening in the teenage years of our main characters and they have never quite come to terms with it, and they have never had closure. But they are all carrying around their own baggage from those events; it may be physical scars, they may have tried to run away, or they may have turned to other ways to try and escape. Events seem to repeat themselves, just as people are moving on, when two girls disappear – but, a little like in the past, nobody seems to immediately react, as they see it as just attention seeking from ‘difficult’ teenage girls. As the severity of the situation dawns on the town, secrets and lies start to unravel – but will the truth finally be revealed to the whole town?

Now, at the heart of this book there is a mystery, and that is all I can say about the plot. However, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story (which always sounds a little strange when the book has a dark theme), and I loved that many of the chapters were first-person, but one of the chapters was told in the third-person – even though each chapter was based around one of our main characters. I could talk about why I think the author has done this, but I feel that this could give away some of the plot. What I will say, is that I think it worked, and I think it was actually a very clever plot device. (Although, this is more of a comment on me, rather than the book – I did not immediately notice this and then it suddenly hit me – a bit like a twist in a story does.)

If I have not yet convinced you to read this book – and absolutely not judge it by its cover – then hopefully the statement that this book kept me up well past my bedtime, as I just had to finish it, may do. This is a great study of human nature and character, and the darker side of small-town communities – how easy is it to hide your real self? I would really like to read more by this author, as I think Colin Walsh has many more stories to tell.