en-US Fri, 09 May 2025 10:44:05 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 229786362
Aaron is dealing with a new marriage that’s currently trapped in immigration limbo, and his teenage daughter Cady is clearly going through a personal crisis of her own. After decades away, Clare has flown home from New York for Joe’s funeral, leaving her high-powered job and her not-quite-fiancé behind for what she thinks will be a short trip.

Neither Aaron or Clare are prepared for a fight for their inheritance against the mother who abandoned them as children. As they dig through years of secrets and lies in their tiny community to uncover the truth about Eden and Joe, will they notice the more immediate danger that threatens their family?

Caroline Overington is a bestselling Australian author and an award-winning journalist. She has written several bestselling audiobooks, including the The Cuckoo's Cry, Ghost Child and I Came to Say Goodbye. She has profiled many of the world's most famous women, including Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton, and has twice won the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism. She has also won the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for Journalistic Excellence and the Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature. Caroline is currently Associate Editor at The Australian and is based in Sydney.]]> Caroline Overington Chrissie 3
The set up is that Clare has flown back to Australia from New York following the death of her father. It is assumed that the family farm will be left to Clare and her brother, however, due to an error, the actual legal Will leaves everything to their mother (the eponymous Eden) who left their father when the children were small. The problem is, nobody knows where Eden is.

I was really enjoying this, and learning more about the various characters, but towards the end the story took a sudden turn, and the ending seemed very rushed.

The three stars are for the length of my enjoyment of most of the book and the excellent narration.

]]> 3.00
author: Caroline Overington
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves:
review:
I have really enjoyed all of Caroline Overington's novels, but this one fell short of my high expectations unfortunately.

The set up is that Clare has flown back to Australia from New York following the death of her father. It is assumed that the family farm will be left to Clare and her brother, however, due to an error, the actual legal Will leaves everything to their mother (the eponymous Eden) who left their father when the children were small. The problem is, nobody knows where Eden is.

I was really enjoying this, and learning more about the various characters, but towards the end the story took a sudden turn, and the ending seemed very rushed.

The three stars are for the length of my enjoyment of most of the book and the excellent narration.


]]> 57942699 The highly anticipated portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, by the prize-winning, bestselling author of Say Nothing.

The Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions: Harvard, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oxford, the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations to the arts and sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing OxyContin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis.

Empire of Pain is a masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, exhaustively documented and ferociously compelling.]]> Patrick Radden Keefe 1529063094 Chrissie 0 currently-reading 4.47 2021
author: Patrick Radden Keefe
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 134245143 432 Matthew Blake 0063314169 Chrissie 0 currently-reading 3.65 2024
author: Matthew Blake
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 26071688 331 Joe Holliday Chrissie 4
Joe Holliday was born with several issues, one of which was being devoid of external genitalia and a hole in his abdomen. The medical staff were unable to tell his parents whether they had a girl or a boy - it is difficult to imagine how confusing and terrifying that would have been; for the parents of course, but also the medics.

Joe was originally named Joel, which was the name recorded on his birth certificate, and had a stoma fitted to solve the issue of waste excretion.

Later Joe had a consultation with a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for children in London - an internationally renowned children's hospital to which children from around the world go for the exceptional treatment available. The family were told that Joe should be brought up as female. Joel was then renamed Joella and brought up accordingly, he never thought to question it.

Joe's mother fought for years to have his birth certificate amended to reflect the change of sex.

Joe went through many surgeries through to adulthood, but I believe that the social difficulties he experienced hurt him much more than the medical interventions. We all know that children can be cruel, so you can probably understand why Joe had a terrible time at school, leading to change of schools, etc.

You may have guessed from my use of the pronouns "he/him" that Joe is now classified as male. Unfortunately, in the past physicians advised that children in similar circumstances be brought up as female, despite male markers being present (It is easier to create a vagina than a penis, it is as simple as that!). I even heard of twin baby boys being circumcised by cauterisation, and one of the boys had his penis burned so badly, his parents were advised to bring that twin up as a girl! Obviously, that went terribly wrong - a person cannot take on another sex just because you tell them it is so. Thankfully, we are much better informed on gender in recent years, so I would hope what happened to Joe would not happen now.

I am pleased to finish by praising Joe's amazing family, who have always done everything they thought best for Joe, and encircled him with their love always. In that, he is the luckiest man in the world.
]]> 4.06 2015
author: Joe Holliday
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/07
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves:
review:
Although the events in this book are heartbreaking, it is one which should be read widely, as it informs on so many levels.

Joe Holliday was born with several issues, one of which was being devoid of external genitalia and a hole in his abdomen. The medical staff were unable to tell his parents whether they had a girl or a boy - it is difficult to imagine how confusing and terrifying that would have been; for the parents of course, but also the medics.

Joe was originally named Joel, which was the name recorded on his birth certificate, and had a stoma fitted to solve the issue of waste excretion.

Later Joe had a consultation with a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for children in London - an internationally renowned children's hospital to which children from around the world go for the exceptional treatment available. The family were told that Joe should be brought up as female. Joel was then renamed Joella and brought up accordingly, he never thought to question it.

Joe's mother fought for years to have his birth certificate amended to reflect the change of sex.

Joe went through many surgeries through to adulthood, but I believe that the social difficulties he experienced hurt him much more than the medical interventions. We all know that children can be cruel, so you can probably understand why Joe had a terrible time at school, leading to change of schools, etc.

You may have guessed from my use of the pronouns "he/him" that Joe is now classified as male. Unfortunately, in the past physicians advised that children in similar circumstances be brought up as female, despite male markers being present (It is easier to create a vagina than a penis, it is as simple as that!). I even heard of twin baby boys being circumcised by cauterisation, and one of the boys had his penis burned so badly, his parents were advised to bring that twin up as a girl! Obviously, that went terribly wrong - a person cannot take on another sex just because you tell them it is so. Thankfully, we are much better informed on gender in recent years, so I would hope what happened to Joe would not happen now.

I am pleased to finish by praising Joe's amazing family, who have always done everything they thought best for Joe, and encircled him with their love always. In that, he is the luckiest man in the world.

]]> 123851931
A novel about the magical lure of books and summoning the courage to rewrite our stories by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Keeper of Happy Endings and The Last of the Moon Girls.

Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books�� previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance.

With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers�� tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.]]> 13 Barbara Davis Chrissie 2
DNF. I couldn't connect at all unfortunately, but I gave it a good shot.]]> 3.82 2023
author: Barbara Davis
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/07
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves:
review:
A book about books? Count me in!

DNF. I couldn't connect at all unfortunately, but I gave it a good shot.
]]> 231868133
Luke Whitney is stabbed to death. His wife Anna confesses after she is found next to his lifeless body. But if she did it, why can't she confirm any of the details of the crime?

As police dig into the circumstances, they learn that the victim was a liar, a cheat and a narcissist. More than one person had a reason to want him dead; his scorned ex, his neglected mistress and Anna �� who knows what happens to Mrs Whitneys when Luke gets bored of them.

Luke Whitney had it coming. But who made sure he got what he deserved?

The latest twisty, propulsive psychological thriller from international bestseller Jenny Blackhurst. Perfect for fans of Adele Parks, Claire Douglas and Shari Lapena.]]> Jenny Blackhurst Chrissie 4
The story starts with Anna confessing to killing her husband, but something isn't right. Anna cannot give the police any details about what actually happened.

What follows is a perfectly plotted tale that slowly unravels, with twists that just keep coming.

Satisfying thrillers are very rare, but this one definitely hits the spot.]]> 3.40
author: Jenny Blackhurst
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/05
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves:
review:
I absolutely loved this book, and it was even included in my Audible membership! I love it when that happens.

The story starts with Anna confessing to killing her husband, but something isn't right. Anna cannot give the police any details about what actually happened.

What follows is a perfectly plotted tale that slowly unravels, with twists that just keep coming.

Satisfying thrillers are very rare, but this one definitely hits the spot.
]]> 201498922 From one of our most accomplished storytellers, an extraordinary and arresting novel about a women’s asylum in the nineteenth century, and a terrifying doctor who wants to change the world.

In this harrowing story based on authentic historical documents, we follow the career of Dr. Silas Weir, “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry,�� as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns. There, he is allowed to continue his practice, unchecked for decades, making a name for himself by focusing on women who have been neglected by the state—women he subjects to the most grotesque modes of experimentation. As he begins to establish himself as a pioneer of nineteenth-century surgery, Weir’s ambition is fueled by his obsessive fascination with a young Irish indentured servant named Brigit, who becomes not only Weir’s primary experimental subject, but also the agent of his destruction.

Narrated by Silas Weir’s eldest son, who has repudiated his father’s brutal legacy, Butcher is a unique blend of fiction and fact, a nightmare voyage through the darkest regions of the American psyche conjoined, in its startling conclusion, with unexpected romance. Once again, Joyce Carol Oates has written a spellbinding novel confirming her position as one of our celebrated American visionaries of the imagination.

‘Simply the most consistently inventive, brilliant, curious and creative writer going, as far as I’m concerned�� Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

'A master storyteller' The Times]]> 353 Joyce Carol Oates 0008694893 Chrissie 4
Silus Weir, the least successful in his family, chooses a path which he expects to see him revered in the medical community, but which leads to him performing barbaric surgery solely on woman, most frequently on the inmates of the female Asylum of which he is director.

I had to take a break at times, as the descriptions of surgeries were absolutely brutal.

If you have not been put off by the above, you will no doubt enjoy this book - it is well written and inventive, and, terrifyingly, there is some basis in fact.
]]> 4.00 2024
author: Joyce Carol Oates
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/05
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves:
review:
This is the first book I have read by this author, and what a baptism of fire!

Silus Weir, the least successful in his family, chooses a path which he expects to see him revered in the medical community, but which leads to him performing barbaric surgery solely on woman, most frequently on the inmates of the female Asylum of which he is director.

I had to take a break at times, as the descriptions of surgeries were absolutely brutal.

If you have not been put off by the above, you will no doubt enjoy this book - it is well written and inventive, and, terrifyingly, there is some basis in fact.

]]> 228987330 Wolf 359 and with original music by Jeremy Warmsley comes a modern story about friendship, love, and chosen family starring Evangeline Young (Emergence), Nicholas Podany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Simone Policano (Blue Bloods), Julia Rehwald (Fear Street), Briggon Snow (Masters of Sex) and a full cast. A captivating listen perfect for fans of New Girl and High Fidelity.

When struggling DJ Faith Adler comes to couch surf with her best friend Tori in NYC, she finds herself drawn into the world of Tori's eclectic friend group. Right from her chaotic first night, Faith's new friends take her under their wing and help her navigate the ups and downs of trying to make it as an artist in the big city. There's Tori, the bubbly one; Ginah, the high-strung but loyal one; Matt, the flirtatious one; and David, the cynical one. Tori and Ginah's apartment becomes a sanctuary where lasting bonds are forged over late nights, drink-filled conversations, impromptu dance parties, and the occasional Sense and Sensibility marathon.

Falling in love definitely isn’t part of Faith's plan, but that all changes when she meets David, a former law student (and current bartender) who has recently come to the conclusion that romance is for suckers and sworn it off altogether. From the moment they meet at a New Year's in the Summer party, their will-they-or-won't-they chemistry is electric. As Faith and David grow closer over whiskey-soaked nights and heart-to-heart talks on the fire escape, their flirtation deepens into something more meaningful. Are they friends? Lovers? Romantic partners? Casual sex acquaintances? The answer is, simultaneously, all and none of the above. Let the overthinking commence!

With rich character development and an ensemble cast that feels like friends you've known forever, Hit Singles deftly balances comedy, romance, and poignant drama. It's a beautifully rendered celebration of the family we choose, the cities that choose us back, and the life-altering power of human connection.]]> Octavia Bray Chrissie 2 3.27
author: Octavia Bray
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.27
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves:
review:
There is nothing wrong with this audiobook, it just is not for me.
]]> 230824619
Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed?

Freida McFadden’s Death Row is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.]]> 74 Freida McFadden 1662532261 Chrissie 5
A brilliant short story from the superb Freida McFadden.]]> 3.83 2025
author: Freida McFadden
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/03
date added: 2025/05/03
shelves:
review:
A woman is on death row for killing her husband. But did she really do it?

A brilliant short story from the superb Freida McFadden.
]]> 232425375
Disclaimer

This series contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners, including references to grooming, child sexual abuse, sexual assault including rape, and murder. Listener discretion is advised. For support, please seek professional help and please head below for a list of recommended organisations that can provide support.

The Football Coach

Barry Bennell was a respected football coach and scout with a long career spanning decades at prominent clubs in England. He worked closely with aspiring young athletes which allowed him to manipulate and groom both children and their families under the guise of mentorship, leveraging the culture of silence and hero-worship in youth football.

The Surgeon

Ian Paterson, a once-revered breast surgeon working in both the NHS and private hospitals in the Midlands in the UK, used his position of trust and authority to prey on vulnerable patients, exploiting their fear of cancer for personal gain. Over a 14-year period from 1997 to 2011, Paterson misled hundreds of patients into undergoing unnecessary surgeries, causing physical and emotional harm to at least 1,000 individuals.

The Intelligence Analyst

Natalie Mottram, a 24-year-old intelligence analyst at the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit in the UK with no prior misconduct, exploited her trusted position to leak sensitive information and potentially putting a highly complex cybersecurity operation at risk.

The News Anchor

Huw Edwards was a celebrated figure, in the esteemed world of British broadcasting revered for his professionalism and integrity as the face of BBC News. Yet, behind this polished veneer lay a disturbing reality. Edwards became embroiled in a scandal that would shatter his reputation. Convicted for possessing indecent images of children, he exploited the very platforms that once elevated him, engaging in harmful online interactions that betrayed his public persona.

The School Teacher

Carla Hughes was an accomplished, well-respected teacher and single mother in the US and was seen as a nurturing mentor by her students and colleagues. Her exceptional talent and dedication to her work created an image that made it nearly unimaginable for those around her to believe she could kill her lover's pregnant wife in cold blood.

The Police Officer

Wayne Couzens, a seemingly dedicated police officer with an established career and the trust of his colleagues, effectively concealed his heinous criminal actions behind the façade of his official position. The murder of Sarah Everard in London dominated our screens for months and ultimately brought into question the public's trust of the people who are meant to protect us.

The Carer

Ben Field was a 28-year-old church warden who was jailed for life for murdering a university lecturer in a sleepy English village - following a sustained campaign of physical and mental abuse. He was convicted of killing Peter Farquhar, a 60-year-old retired teacher he both cared for and had a romantic relationship with - in order to inherit his house and money.

Support

Alcoholics Anonymous

ChildLine

Mankind

National Association for People Abused in Childhood

National Male Survivors Helpline 0808 800 5005

NSPCC

Professional Footballers Association



Stop It Now

Victim Support

Galop

Hourglass

Available in Dolby Atmos]]> ITN Productions Chrissie 5
In this offering she breaks down several high profile cases with representatives from the fields of law, law enforcement and psychology.

Although I was aware of the chosen cases, I still learned more about them, and I appreciated the discussions and clarification of some of the facts.

Highly recommended for, well, everyone!]]> 3.80
author: ITN Productions
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves:
review:
I love Yinka Bokinni, the presenter, and watched one of her documentaries only the other day.

In this offering she breaks down several high profile cases with representatives from the fields of law, law enforcement and psychology.

Although I was aware of the chosen cases, I still learned more about them, and I appreciated the discussions and clarification of some of the facts.

Highly recommended for, well, everyone!
]]> 128297560
Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.

Ever since then, Carol has haunted the imaginations of survivors and investigators because of a rumor that had begun to swirl: If her information had only been listened to, she could have prevented the worst domestic terrorist attack in US history.

The question mystified Ronson. In The Debutante, he embarks on an investigative journey to seek the truth about the woman who grew up in a world of privilege and opportunity and whose teenage rebellion spiraled out of control, leading her to extreme radicalization.

The Debutante takes a closer look at Carol’s world, where truth is shrouded and seldom guaranteed. Rare court tapes, diary entries, undercover ATF surveillance audio, and interviews with those who crossed paths with Carol depict a complex woman whose motivations have been hypothesized about for decades. With curiosity and insight at the forefront of his work, Ronson delivers a new perspective on the extraordinary story of Carol Howe.]]> 4 Jon Ronson Chrissie 2
The subject of this audiobook allegedly spied on the white supremacist group to which she originally belonged willingly. The connection to the bombing is a theme throughout, and there is even talk of the bombing being avoided if the authorities had taken the warnings seriously.

By the end, I was as confused about what was actually true as the interviewer - and also the "debutante"!!]]> 3.41
author: Jon Ronson
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.41
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/01
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves:
review:
Spookily, I watched a documentary about the Oklahoma bombing this week. I particularly will never forget the image of a baby boy who was murdered that day.

The subject of this audiobook allegedly spied on the white supremacist group to which she originally belonged willingly. The connection to the bombing is a theme throughout, and there is even talk of the bombing being avoided if the authorities had taken the warnings seriously.

By the end, I was as confused about what was actually true as the interviewer - and also the "debutante"!!
]]> 217800689
1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artefacts �� coins, fragments of glass, human bones �� which the old parson used to collect. Did his obsession with the past lead to his death?

As Fairfax is drawn more deeply into the isolated community, everything he believes �� about himself, his faith and the history of his world �� is tested to destruction.]]> 330 Robert Harris Chrissie 2
I cannot believe I am going to day this, but I hated this book. I have loved everything I have read by this author so far, the way he weaves a story around real historical events so cleverly, but what was he thinking with this one??I

I skimmed the last few chapters in despair, and wished I had just given up after that curveball.

So disappointed, two stars is generous.]]> 3.72 2019
author: Robert Harris
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves:
review:
The start of this book (and the title) led me to believe that this was a historical novel - after all, that is what Robert Harris does best. Then comes the HUGE curveball, which turned everything on its head - BAM!

I cannot believe I am going to day this, but I hated this book. I have loved everything I have read by this author so far, the way he weaves a story around real historical events so cleverly, but what was he thinking with this one??I

I skimmed the last few chapters in despair, and wished I had just given up after that curveball.

So disappointed, two stars is generous.
]]> 231891330 New York Times best-selling author Brian Greene comes the remarkable human quest to grasp how the universe came to be.

A Russian dissident, a Jesuit priest, and an American mule skinner are but a few of the bold visionaries who crafted the scientific story of cosmic origins. The collective insights of these and numerous creative thinkers advanced human understanding from mythology to mathematics, yielding falsifiable alternatives to ancient folklore and campfire tales.

Listening to the Big Bang tells the dramatic human story—filled with colorful characters, unsung catalysts, and glorified heroes—which made the Big Bang the leading cosmological theory.

But deep questions remain. Was the big bang a one-time event or might there be series of bangs? What sparked the big bang? Why is there anything at all? Decades of astronomical evidence notwithstanding, only by listening for the sounds of creation will scientists be equipped to extol, or extend, or expel our most refined story for how the universe began.

With deep insight, a light touch, and an artful sense of narrative, Brian Greene takes us all to the very edge of understanding.]]> Brian Greene Chrissie 4
This audiobook is excellent, and covers everything, including the scientists.]]> 4.43
author: Brian Greene
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves:
review:
I have learned more science in the last few years than I did at school.

This audiobook is excellent, and covers everything, including the scientists.
]]> 217053679 Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground. She knows if she doesn’t act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But she is still alive—for now.

Before
Jess hadn’t seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade. But after a car crash killed her mother and left her injured, she was forced to move to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess was beginning to get to know him, a secret from his past paid them a visit, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded.

After
With only her father’s dog for company, Jess must forage and hunt for food, build shelter, and keep herself warm. Some days it feels like the wild is out to destroy her, but she’s stronger than she ever imagined.

Jess will survive. She has to. She knows who killed her father�� and she wants revenge.]]> Kate Alice Marshall 1977309542 Chrissie 3
The story is basically one of survival in the wild in extreme circumstances. I can honestly say that I would die very quickly if I am ever unlucky enough to be in that situation, probably through starvation - I could never kill a living thing, no matter how hungry I got!!

Not my mind of book unfortunately, but that is not the book's fault.]]> 3.57 2018
author: Kate Alice Marshall
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves:
review:
I did not realise this book was for young adults until I finished it, but that did not change how I feel about it.

The story is basically one of survival in the wild in extreme circumstances. I can honestly say that I would die very quickly if I am ever unlucky enough to be in that situation, probably through starvation - I could never kill a living thing, no matter how hungry I got!!

Not my mind of book unfortunately, but that is not the book's fault.
]]> 199659640 Elizabeth O’Connor’s beautiful, devastating debut Whale Fall tells a story of longing and betrayal set against the backdrop of a world on the edge of great tumult.]]> 225 Elizabeth O'Connor 1035024748 Chrissie 5 wrong-edition
It is a masterful example of how to write a story sparingly, whilst still conveying every ounce of plot, but gently, with great impact.

The setting is a small Welsh island, with a tiny population, on which a whale has beached.

Enter two people from the mainland wanting to write a book about the island and its inhabitants. Our main character, Manon, being an intelligent 18 year old who speaks English (unlike the rest of the islanders) is the ideal candidate to assist the pair, who require a translator.

There is no huge explosion when the two worlds collide, and no whimper either. The author conveys the obvious message quietly, whilst delivering an impactful last page.

Five well deserved stars - it may not be loud, but I could not keep away.]]> 3.98 2024
author: Elizabeth O'Connor
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: wrong-edition
review:
This book featured in my favourite book show, which never lets me down.

It is a masterful example of how to write a story sparingly, whilst still conveying every ounce of plot, but gently, with great impact.

The setting is a small Welsh island, with a tiny population, on which a whale has beached.

Enter two people from the mainland wanting to write a book about the island and its inhabitants. Our main character, Manon, being an intelligent 18 year old who speaks English (unlike the rest of the islanders) is the ideal candidate to assist the pair, who require a translator.

There is no huge explosion when the two worlds collide, and no whimper either. The author conveys the obvious message quietly, whilst delivering an impactful last page.

Five well deserved stars - it may not be loud, but I could not keep away.
]]> 228527539 Mission Impossible), Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four, The Shield), Aldis Hodge (Justice League), Greta Lee (Russian Doll, Past Lives), Jimmi Simpson (Dark Matter, Westworld), and a full cast. A riveting listen perfect for fans of World War Z and Sleeping Giants.

Compiled by intrepid journalist Neve Pride, this archive of recordings spans the months after dragons emerged on earth, chronicling the communities that sprang up amid the destruction, the scientists, military leaders, and experts searching for a defense, and those steadfastly seeking the missing. Neve and her young daughter Bex travel among the wreckage speaking to those left behind and surviving, against all odds. Neve records everything for history, and in the hopes of locating a clue as to where the dragons came from and how one might stop them. When the defense strategy hits on a breakthrough at the same time Neve receives a lead regarding her missing son, she finds herself torn between what is personal to her and what is necessary for mankind’s hope.

Full cast of narrators Richard Tatum, Chioke I’Anson, Gail Shalan, Rez Kempton, Judy Gold, Piper Goodeve, Gregory Connors.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.]]> Bob Proehl Chrissie 2
So, you now know I love dragons.

Therefore, you might reasonably think that I would love this audiobook, right?

I did not. The dragons are mean. My dragons would not be mean.]]> 3.72
author: Bob Proehl
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.72
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves:
review:
I have wanted to be Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, since reading / watching Game of Thrones!

So, you now know I love dragons.

Therefore, you might reasonably think that I would love this audiobook, right?

I did not. The dragons are mean. My dragons would not be mean.
]]> 229961057
A seemingly ordinary book group holds deadly secrets in this collection of connected stories from Karin Slaughter, Lee Child, B. A. Paris, and more of the world’s leading thriller writers.

Dr. Margaret Richter has it all. She’s rich, thanks to her best-selling self-help books. She has a beautiful home in Cape Cod overlooking the beach. And she has a monthly book club that everyone is dying to get invited to.

Literally.

Because behind the crystal wine glasses, the fine linens and the catered hors d'oeuvres lies a tangled web of secrets, of deceit, of murder. No member of the book club is innocent—and many are guilty.

And the person with the most to hide is Margaret Richter herself.

With an introduction by best-selling author Jennifer Weiner, The Twisted Women’s Book Club was created in partnership with International Thriller Writers. Special thanks to Joseph Finder, Gregg Hurwitz and Kimberley Howe.

Full cast of narration.]]> Karin Slaughter Chrissie 4
Audible - I want more!!]]> 3.61
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.61
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves:
review:
An audiobook full of connected twisted tales by several top authors - what a brilliant idea!

Audible - I want more!!
]]> 45359486 Discover the haunting, heart-breaking post-apocalyptic tale of female friendship and intimacy set in a deserted world. Deep underground, thirty-nine women are kept in isolation in a cage. Above ground, a world awaits. Has it been abandoned? Devastated by a virus? Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only vague recollection of their lives before. But, as the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl - the fortieth prisoner - sits alone an outcast in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground. The woman who will never know men. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY SOPHIE MACKINTOSH, BOOKER PRIZE-LONGLISTED AUTHOR OF THE WATER CURE]]> 198 Jacqueline Harpman Chrissie 4
Firstly, we receive no explanation as to why a group of women are being held in a cage which is overseen by guards in shifts. The women have no idea either.

One day, a siren sounds and the guards leave suddenly - but they accidentally leave their keys. The women leave their cage and go outside.

The rest of the book follows their efforts in survival in a barren, deserted world. It is depressing, but totally absorbing, especially due to its main character.

Brutally wonderful.
]]> 4.17 1995
author: Jacqueline Harpman
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves:
review:
A truly dark dystopian novel, and unlike any I have read before.

Firstly, we receive no explanation as to why a group of women are being held in a cage which is overseen by guards in shifts. The women have no idea either.

One day, a siren sounds and the guards leave suddenly - but they accidentally leave their keys. The women leave their cage and go outside.

The rest of the book follows their efforts in survival in a barren, deserted world. It is depressing, but totally absorbing, especially due to its main character.

Brutally wonderful.

]]> 222282908
Two astronomers have detected a strange, pulsing signal from deep space. Within hours, the US government goes into lockdown, restricting airspace and scrubbing scientific data. Was the signal an intercepted communication revealing alarming plans for an enemy’s military strike? Or has humanity at long last found proof of extraterrestrial life?

Caught between two mind-blowing possibilities, Dr. Veronica Chapel leaves her job as a high school science teacher to search for answers with her old friend Malcolm Feldman, a determined journalist, and Ada Park, a brilliant astronomer. Oh, and it also happens to be Dr. Chapel's one chance to redeem her destroyed scientific reputation, no pressure...

As the group digs deeper, they uncover layers of mystery that challenge their grasp of the universe and their place in it. With time running out and the world hanging in the balance, they must navigate a tangled web of corporate secrets, government interference, and ethical dilemmas on a high-stakes journey to uncover a truth that will upend our understanding of the cosmos—and ourselves.]]> Eric Buchman Chrissie 3 3.18
author: Eric Buchman
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.18
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 12672412 0 Rebecca Nichols Alonzo 1610451007 Chrissie 1 3.12 2010
author: Rebecca Nichols Alonzo
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.12
book published: 2010
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves:
review:
After several chapters, I read several reviews of this book, and realised that I was right to do so. DNF
]]> 230080236
But when her estranged sister arrives with news of their mother, Yasmin's hard-won stability is shaken to its core. Forced to reckon with her ambitions, her family’s needs, and her place in an industry that both elevates and exploits her identity, Yasmin’s world tilts in unexpected ways.

From laugh-out-loud sitcom banter to powerful personal reckonings, Mrs. Bibi by Waleed Akhtar is a surprising, bold, and poignant audio drama that reveals the complexities of navigating personal success while balancing family and identity.

Directed by Tessa Walker with sound design by Tim Kim and Holly Khan and original music by Niraj Chan.

Playwright Waleed Akhtar was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop Mrs. Bibi .

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.]]> Waleed Akhtar Chrissie 4
It is, however, more about relationships between mother and daughter.

Funny, touching, and beautifully done.]]> 3.15
author: Waleed Akhtar
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.15
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves:
review:
Mrs Bibi is a character in a TV show - I would watch it, she's hilarious!

It is, however, more about relationships between mother and daughter.

Funny, touching, and beautifully done.
]]> 9820937 The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.

"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels. 

Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen �� who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.
But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.

Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives.  Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems.  As one character remarks, “Believe no one.  Trust no one.  Assume all of our stories are suspect.”��


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 12 Chris Bohjalian 0307705048 Chrissie 4
A couple is discovered dead in an apparent murder suicide.

The story unfolds via several characters, including their Pastor and their daughter, until we learn what transpired.

I am fairly new to this author, but I will definitely be reading more of his work.]]> 3.29 2010
author: Chris Bohjalian
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves:
review:
This book deals with domestic violence, so please note this if this topic is triggering for you.

A couple is discovered dead in an apparent murder suicide.

The story unfolds via several characters, including their Pastor and their daughter, until we learn what transpired.

I am fairly new to this author, but I will definitely be reading more of his work.
]]> 230441018
Timothy and Jonah, wealthy entrepreneurs with a spoiled son, hide sins from their past—one involving a death on a cruise, the other a crime in Bali.

Nathan and Samantha, the hot ex-nanny turned trophy wife, grapple with infertility and a shocking paternity secret.

Bartosz and Angelika (he’s a chef, she’s a former sex worker) carry debts to the other couples they don’t even realize they owe.

Over fourteen days, the couples bond—but their pasts are too deeply intertwined to stay hidden. The sly concierge, Putu, knows more than he lets on. And as bodies are discovered on days 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, paradise turns into a nightmare.

Will anyone make it off the island unscathed—or alive? Welcome to Honeymoon Island, where secrets come to die.

This addictive psychological thriller full of twists is perfect for fans of The White Lotus , Lucy Foley, Liane Moriarty, Lucy Clarke, Sarah Goodwin and T.M. Logan.]]> Jane E. James Chrissie 4
Three totally different newly married couples are each on their honeymoons in Bali. As the story unfolds, we (and they!) discover that they are all connected in various ways. No-one is particularly delighted about these revelations.

Then the bodies start liking up...

Let's face it, if everything was perfect, this book would be a snoozefest, right?

Loved it.]]> 3.33 2025
author: Jane E. James
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/14
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves:
review:
Okay, this book will not win a Booker Prize, but it was a totally fun read!

Three totally different newly married couples are each on their honeymoons in Bali. As the story unfolds, we (and they!) discover that they are all connected in various ways. No-one is particularly delighted about these revelations.

Then the bodies start liking up...

Let's face it, if everything was perfect, this book would be a snoozefest, right?

Loved it.
]]> 228380773 New York Times bestseller John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to When the Moon Hits Your Eye

The moon has turned into cheese.

Now humanity has to deal with it.

For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible.

Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives -- over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.

It’s a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket.]]> John Scalzi Chrissie 4
Our moon is replaced by cheese. We do not know what type of cheese, although many try to guess. A large piece of this cheese breaks off, and is hurtling to earth, and an extinction level event is inevitable in two years' time.

Bonkers, right?

I think bonkers might be just what we all need in these uncertain times, and I can heartily recommend this totally bonkers tale. It has emotional moments, and I laughed often.

By the end, I found myself feeling that Mr Scalzi has actually caught the mood of the people in this scenario perfectly.

Would YOU eat a piece of the cheese moon? I cannot definitely say I would not...I do love cheese.
]]> 3.82 2025
author: John Scalzi
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:
As soon as I read the premise, I was in!

Our moon is replaced by cheese. We do not know what type of cheese, although many try to guess. A large piece of this cheese breaks off, and is hurtling to earth, and an extinction level event is inevitable in two years' time.

Bonkers, right?

I think bonkers might be just what we all need in these uncertain times, and I can heartily recommend this totally bonkers tale. It has emotional moments, and I laughed often.

By the end, I found myself feeling that Mr Scalzi has actually caught the mood of the people in this scenario perfectly.

Would YOU eat a piece of the cheese moon? I cannot definitely say I would not...I do love cheese.

]]> 230932934
Sometimes the darkest mysteries are homegrown. When Zephyr Nelson returns home to look after her ailing mother, she discovers that her younger brother, Cotter, has become obsessed with a malevolent influencer on a mysterious voice app. Just as a series of puzzling deaths begin plaguing their small town of Sugarland. With the help of her college best friend and occasional lover, Teddy, Zephyr unravels truths about Sugarland that are impossible for her to accept...Forcing her to make an unconscionable choice that will change the lives of her friends and family, forever.

©2023 The Levinson/Fontana Company and Clamor Audio, LLC (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.]]> Tom Fantana Chrissie 2 2.89 2025
author: Tom Fantana
name: Chrissie
average rating: 2.89
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves:
review:
This started well, but ultimately not for me.
]]> 230778048
A deliciously dark novel about the unravelling of a friendship, for fans of Liane Moriarty, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Donna Tartt. Narrated by Nicola Coughlan ( Derry Girls , Bridgerton ).

Life’s not going well for forty-year-old Abby. When her beautiful and charismatic best friend dies suddenly, she’s left reeling. Hetty’s always been such a dominant force in her life; now Abby must figure out who she is �� and who she wants to be �� without Hetty by her side. Abby has always been the odd one out in Hetty’s wealthy, privileged friendship group.

Despite their differences, Abby has managed to carve out a place for herself. But Hetty isn’t an easy friend to have. She blows hot and cold, alternating between fierce loyalty and unwarranted cruelty. Abby accepts both versions of Hetty, just grateful for the attention �� until she’s not. From divorces and weddings, via awkward dinner parties and dead-end relationships, to soul-sucking first jobs and dubious flatshares, Abby recounts the story of her great friendship with Hetty in reverse.

Finally, we meet Abby and Hetty when they first meet each as fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds with their whole lives ahead of them…and no idea of the tragedy that lies ahead.]]> Sarah Forbes Stewart Chrissie 4
The main character is Irish, as is the lovely narrator (Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton fame), but the variety of other accents are all expertly performed - even their diverse personalities come through.

Thank you Nicola, you added to my enjoyment immensely! This is also why it gets four stars, but specifically for the audio version.]]> 3.45
author: Sarah Forbes Stewart
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.45
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:
This is an easy to follow story, essentially dealing with a group of longstanding friends, the funeral of one of the friends, and a great twist.

The main character is Irish, as is the lovely narrator (Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton fame), but the variety of other accents are all expertly performed - even their diverse personalities come through.

Thank you Nicola, you added to my enjoyment immensely! This is also why it gets four stars, but specifically for the audio version.
]]> 229249062 Not a Very Good Murderer is a fascinating exploration of what it takes to uncover the truth and what it means to keep it buried. Learn more and listen on March 20, 2025.

Listening length: 4 hrs and 17 mins]]> 190 Ronan Farrow Chrissie 4
I also now realise that I still do not know if any murders were actually planned!]]> 3.36
author: Ronan Farrow
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.36
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
I found this wonderfully bonkers at the start, but by the end I just had huge compassion for this woman's children.

I also now realise that I still do not know if any murders were actually planned!
]]> 210230679
A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve...

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job...

Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?]]> Richard Osman Chrissie 5
This one is very different from the Thursday Murder Club series, but no less brilliant - and wonderfully witty of course.

Nicola Walker is a fabulous narrator, so I do hope she narrates the subsequent offerings too.]]> 3.98 2024
author: Richard Osman
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves:
review:
A new series from one of my favourite authors!

This one is very different from the Thursday Murder Club series, but no less brilliant - and wonderfully witty of course.

Nicola Walker is a fabulous narrator, so I do hope she narrates the subsequent offerings too.
]]> 228464453
Into the Madness is a deep dive into the events leading up to the mass shooting and the story of a woman who became a confidant to Crimo and the final player in his game. Drawing from dozens of interviews and more than 48 hours of recorded calls with Bobby, investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson tells a story that will challenge everything you think you know about mass shootings, conspiracy theories, and the fragile boundary between reality and illusion.

The series explores the rise of nihilistic violence, the role of technology in fostering extremism, and America’s collective descent into conspiracy thinking. Into the Madness will leave you questioning where the truth ends—and the madness begins.

Into the Madness is an Audible Original, produced by Trevor Aaronson and Western Sound.

This program contains graphic descriptions of violence and death, as well as recordings of a man accused of committing mass murder. Listener discretion is advised.]]> 5 Trevor Aaronson Chrissie 3
It's not surprising to me that some people believe these things. The current US President complained about "fake news", but subscribes to some of them himself - who can forget the claim of Haitian immigrants eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio!!

Conspiracies are usually more interesting than facts after all...]]> 3.31
author: Trevor Aaronson
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.31
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:
So, this audiobook is about a mass shooting, but actually concentrates more on the exponential rise in conspiracy theories.

It's not surprising to me that some people believe these things. The current US President complained about "fake news", but subscribes to some of them himself - who can forget the claim of Haitian immigrants eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio!!

Conspiracies are usually more interesting than facts after all...
]]> 209563735 The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered.

1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.

Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died �� a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders�� for their charm and talent �� only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?

As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby's killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?

Some secrets are better left buried��

From the bestselling, acclaimed author of The Magpie Lord and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes a chilling historical mystery with a sting in the tail. You won’t be able to put this gripping story down!]]> 273 K.J. Charles 1805082280 Chrissie 4
It is 1905, and ten years since one of an Oxford University group of friends was murdered, but the killer was never unmasked.

Jem, one of the friends, is dismissed from his position due to an anonymous letter sent to his place of employment which accuses him of the murder, and Jem decides that now is the time to solve the mystery once and for all.

This necessitates Jem returning to the University, and contacting the rest of the group. Not all are happy to see him...

A very decent historical murder mystery!
]]> 4.33 2024
author: K.J. Charles
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves:
review:
I came across this book through a ŷ������ review, and it sounded like one for me.

It is 1905, and ten years since one of an Oxford University group of friends was murdered, but the killer was never unmasked.

Jem, one of the friends, is dismissed from his position due to an anonymous letter sent to his place of employment which accuses him of the murder, and Jem decides that now is the time to solve the mystery once and for all.

This necessitates Jem returning to the University, and contacting the rest of the group. Not all are happy to see him...

A very decent historical murder mystery!

]]> 155060210
A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.]]> 32 Abraham Verghese Chrissie 0
The audiobook is narrated by the author admirably and with feeling for all thirty plus hours. One of the characters is Scottish, and the author's Scottish accent definitely needs work, but this is somehow easy to overlook due to the quality of the story...

This is a wonderful family saga spanning three generations with surprises along the way and a tidy ending, and it kept me engaged and entertained throughout. No mean feat for such a mammoth tome.]]> 4.29 2023
author: Abraham Verghese
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves:
review:
This book has been on my list for some time and I finally decided to listen to the audiobook.

The audiobook is narrated by the author admirably and with feeling for all thirty plus hours. One of the characters is Scottish, and the author's Scottish accent definitely needs work, but this is somehow easy to overlook due to the quality of the story...

This is a wonderful family saga spanning three generations with surprises along the way and a tidy ending, and it kept me engaged and entertained throughout. No mean feat for such a mammoth tome.
]]> 212700035 'Once more, Kate Summerscale shatters our preconceptions of a classic crime' Val McDermid

From Britain's top-selling true crime writer and author of Sunday Times #1 bestseller THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER...

London, 1953. Police discover the bodies of three young women hidden in a wall at 10 Rillington Place, a dingy terrace house in Notting Hill. On searching the building, they find another body beneath the floorboards, then an array of human bones in the garden. But they have already investigated a double murder at 10 Rillington Place, three years ago, and the killer was hanged. Did they get the wrong man?

A nationwide manhunt is launched for the tenant of the ground-floor flat, a softly spoken former policeman named Reg Christie. Star reporter Harry Procter chases after the scoop. Celebrated crime writer Fryn Tennyson Jesse begs to be assigned to the case. The story becomes an instant sensation, and with the relentless rise of the tabloid press the public watches on like never before. Who is Christie? Why did he choose to kill women, and to keep their bodies near him? As Harry and Fryn start to learn the full horror of what went on at Rillington Place, they realise that Christie might also have engineered a terrible miscarriage of justice in plain sight.

In this riveting true story, Kate Summerscale mines the archives to uncover the lives of Christie's victims, the tabloid frenzy that their deaths inspired, and the truth about what happened inside the house.

'A forensic reappraisal of a grimy episode in postwar British history ... Shocking, impeccably researched, lucidly written and always utterly compelling' Graeme Macrae Burnet]]> 317 Kate Summerscale 1526660490 Chrissie 4
Even though I read a book about Christie as a teenager, this is a truly comprehensive account which includes many of the people on the periphery, with particular attention given to the crime reporter who had exclusive access to Christie throughout (which becomes another sad tale in itself).

The ripple effects of these events spread far and wide, and continue even to this day.]]> 3.86 2024
author: Kate Summerscale
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
Kate Summerscale does it again! Another meticulously researched subject, this time Reginald Christie, a serial murderer from 1950's England.

Even though I read a book about Christie as a teenager, this is a truly comprehensive account which includes many of the people on the periphery, with particular attention given to the crime reporter who had exclusive access to Christie throughout (which becomes another sad tale in itself).

The ripple effects of these events spread far and wide, and continue even to this day.
]]> 229091477 From New York Times and Audible best-selling author Ben H. Winters comes a twisty tale of time travel and two women who must save each other–no matter the cost.

Annie has always had high hopes for her future. But the reality of her life just isn’t measuring up. She loves her fiancé, Greg–doesn’t she? She’s going to get her degree and open her own business–won’t she?

Then, a strange old woman shows up outside her house, and she seems to know a lot about Annie. An awful lot.

Annie could tell the old woman to get lost. Yet there’s something about her Annie just can’t shake. And what she learns could change her life forever–but is it the life she envisioned?]]> 3 Ben H. Winters Chrissie 4 3.48
author: Ben H. Winters
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 228800606
Through powerful storytelling, personal insights and new research, Nova delves into the lives of pioneers, journalists and rule-breakers who made vital contributions to civil rights, yet have been mythologised, are unknown or erased from history.

Such as, legendary warrior Queen Nanny of the Maroons, Cubah Cornwallis - who healed a future king of England, ground-breaking journalist Barbara Blake-Hannah, the revolutionary Olive Morris and Gertrude Paul - a pioneering Yorkshire based headteacher who fought for racial equality in education.

From London to Leeds to Jamaica, Nova transports us through time where we immerse ourselves into the worlds of extraordinary women. Linking their historical impact to present-day legacies, she explores the complex relationship between Britain and the Caribbean, with a particular focus on Jamaica.

Bringing humanity and contemporary thinking to challenging histories, Nova offers an opportunity to reflect on empire and identity, while learning from these remarkable women, their enduring spirits and the powerful roles they play in both our healing and our liberation.

A love-note from Nova��
It’s not all doom and gloom, but this series does cover some themes of suicide, slavery, sexual abuse, racism, and colonial violence. If you choose to proceed, please do so with care. After listening, if you feel like you need further support, please see a list of organisations below who may be able to help you.

Ep 1: Queen Nanny - A Spiritual Warrior

Nova visits the Blue Mountains to retell the life of Queen Nanny, the legendary leader of the Maroons' resistance in Jamaica against British colonial forces. Her story is one of courage, hope and spiritual resilience.

Ep 2: Olive Morris - A Revolutionary Campaigner

Olive was a fearless campaigner for civil rights, women’s liberation and social justice in Britain. This episode delves into the importance of safe spaces and her journey from her involvement in the British Black Panther Movement to co-founding the Brixton Black Women's Group and the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent. Nova recalls her life through the people who knew her personally.

Ep 3: Cubah Cornwallis - A Powerful Healer

Cubah, an exceptional herbalist and healer, played a pivotal role in Jamaica during the 18th century. This episode explores her life and the remarkable story of how she healed a future king of England. Nova brings to light her contributions to plant medicine, its influence in Rastafari culture and the often-overlooked well-being of Black women.

Ep 4: Barbara Blake-Hannah - A Trailblazing Journalist

Barbara Blake-Hannah broke barriers as the first Black female reporter on British television. Nova explores Blake-Hannah's ground-breaking career, her challenges in the industry, the politics of representation and how she paved the way for future generations, including broadcaster Charlene White.

Ep 5: Gertrude Paul - A Pioneering Educator

Gertrude Paul was a pioneering headteacher from St Kitts who made significant strides in tackling racism in the British education system. Nova visits Leeds to learn more about Paul’s life and explores the toll of activism
and her tireless commitment to combat racial discrimination.

Ep 6: The Quasheba - An Ode to The Unknown Women

Nova looks into the hidden histories of disobedient women. The unsung resistance of the nameless enslaved women who stood up for themselves through small but mighty acts of protest on plantations, is exemplified by two Black women in different countries, centuries later - Louise "Miss Lou" Bennett-Coverley, a well-loved Jamaican poet, and Dame Jocelyn Barrow, a Trinidad and Tobago born force in British politics. Nova explores their achievements and reflects on the Black women from across the series and the ongoing need for disobedient women to effect change.

Support
samaritans.org
antislavery.org
thesurvivorstrust.org
insideoutwellbeing.org
victimsupport.org.uk
sistahspace.org
galop.org.uk
rapecrisis.org.uk
blackmindsmatteruk.com
BAATN.org.uk
protectblackwomen.com

Mind.org.uk
blackbeetlehealth.co.uk

Hosted and Executive Produced by Nova Reid.
Original Artwork Malaika Francique.
With special thanks to our contributors and our Jamaica fixers - Sharon, Shadae, Ché and Ricky.]]> Nova Reid Chrissie 0
There are of course some surprises that were less welcome, and I gasped out loud on occasion.

I loved Nova's presenting style, and, although I already knew of some of the women, I was happy to hear more about them.

I learned a lot, and Nova put a different perspective on a couple of what may be some common misconceptions.

Nova is a Londoner like me, which was also nice!

A great addition to my black history library.
]]> 4.37
author: Nova Reid
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves:
review:
Nova Reid travels to Jamaica to investigate some incredible black women from history. Of Jamaican descent herself, Nova presents evidence that occasionally surprises even her!

There are of course some surprises that were less welcome, and I gasped out loud on occasion.

I loved Nova's presenting style, and, although I already knew of some of the women, I was happy to hear more about them.

I learned a lot, and Nova put a different perspective on a couple of what may be some common misconceptions.

Nova is a Londoner like me, which was also nice!

A great addition to my black history library.

]]> 123174415
Wuraola, the daughter of the tailoring shop's most valued customer, is an exhausted young doctor who can barely catch any sleep as she works long hours in a public hospital. After her boyfriend proposes, their relationship accelerates towards marriage even as his darker side is exposed, risking her family's spell of good things.

Meanwhile, Eniola becomes caught in a tangle of decisions that will bring him into collision with political forces in the city, and harm his family and Wuraola's in the process. Following the lives of Eniola, Wuraola and their relatives, the novel traces the entwined fates of two families in a Nigerian city, one with all the fortune in the world and one that cannot catch a break.]]> Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ Chrissie 4
I benefited from a second listen - I gave more concentration, kept up with the characters, and enjoyed it more.]]> 3.46 2023
author: Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves:
review:
I decided to try again!

I benefited from a second listen - I gave more concentration, kept up with the characters, and enjoyed it more.
]]> 181211787
Fifteen years since I landed on Amity, an island full of rich folks adrift between the Hamptons and Montauk.

Got a business and a boat, got me a truck with my name and a pretty shark scratched on the door. Carved it myself. Bad job.

I got ghosts around me, lot of ghosts. Gotta put ‘em somewhere. Can’t drink ‘em all. Ain’t here for company, and I only got two stories for telling company anyways.

Thinking if I get them stories down, on paper mind, then that’s just between me and the ink.

You already know the end of his now find out where it all began. So much more than a fisherman, Quint is a survivor, a fighter, a man who has left three wives in his wake.

From his time as a young sailor facing the horrors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, to a deadly night-long showdown with a frenzy of sharks years later, before he finally settles on the island of this extraordinary act of literary ventriloquism is a vivid and utterly compelling reimagining of the life of a truly iconic character �� from the acclaimed author of THE DRAUGHTSMAN and THE ROAD TO RECKONING.]]> 285 Robert Lautner 0008647488 Chrissie 3
Obviously, Quint is the abrasive character in Jaws, magnificently portrayed by Robert Shaw.

The book was recommended by one of my favourite authors, and the reason I read it. It was okay, and prompted me to buy Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent - I believe that many copies have been sold in the back of the movie!]]> 4.10 2024
author: Robert Lautner
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves:
review:
I struggled with this book at the beginning, and nearly DNF, but I persevered and the second half was much better.

Obviously, Quint is the abrasive character in Jaws, magnificently portrayed by Robert Shaw.

The book was recommended by one of my favourite authors, and the reason I read it. It was okay, and prompted me to buy Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent - I believe that many copies have been sold in the back of the movie!
]]> 13548340 The Wizard of Oz told from Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch's point of view. More than just a fairy tale for adults, Wicked is a meditation on the nature of good and evil.

Elphaba is born with green skin, a precocious mind, and a talent for magic. An outcast throughout her childhood in Munchkinland, she finally begins to feel as though she fits in when she enters the University in the Emerald City. While she hones her skills, she discovers that Oz isn't the Utopia it seems. She sets out to protect its unwanted creatures, becoming known as the Wicked Witch along the way.

Narrator John McDonough draws you in to Maguire's magical world of witches and talking animals, making it possible to believe in a land somewhere over the rainbow.]]> Gregory Maguire Chrissie 0
Having seen cute clips from the film, I suspect that the two versions are poles apart!

This book was definitely written with adult readers in mind at the time.

I really enjoyed the first half, and loved all the different characters, but it is far too long. By the end, the narration speed was increased to x2, just to actually finish it!

I really look forward to watching the film.]]> 3.11 1995
author: Gregory Maguire
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.11
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:
I have not seen the film yet, but when this audiobook popped up, I had to see what the fuss was about.

Having seen cute clips from the film, I suspect that the two versions are poles apart!

This book was definitely written with adult readers in mind at the time.

I really enjoyed the first half, and loved all the different characters, but it is far too long. By the end, the narration speed was increased to x2, just to actually finish it!

I really look forward to watching the film.
]]> 228400919 When a woman overhears a murder plot on her morning commute, she races to stop it—only to be pulled in deeper than she ever could have imagined.

Amy Nichols (Lizzy Caplan) was an FBI agent with a dogged need to protect everyone—until that instinct caused her to mishandle a crisis, lose innocent lives, and lose her job. Now a civilian working in private security, that mistake still haunts her.

One morning on the commuter train, she overhears a young couple plotting a murder. Ignoring warnings from her family and friends, Amy’s instinct to protect and serve compels her to investigate. But the further she goes, the more she finds her own life in danger.

Filled with mystery, suspense, and more twists and turns than a rail line, The Commuter is a gripping thriller by James Patterson, the world’s best-selling author.

Please This audio drama is for mature audiences only. It contains strong language, violence, and sexual content. Discretion is advised.]]> 86 James Patterson Chrissie 4 3.47
author: James Patterson
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.47
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:
An entertaining full cast production.
]]> 227884358
Just because he sounds real, doesn’t mean he is��

When Sarah’s husband, Nick, is killed in a car accident, her world shatters. Facing a future without him seems impossible.

But maybe she doesn't have to.

When Sarah discovers EternaTech, the AI program Nick and his business partner have been working on in secret, she is given the chance to speak to Nick from beyond the grave.

It sounds like him. It feels like him��

As Sarah becomes consumed by her connection to this digital Nick, she begins uncovering secrets about his final days. But as she digs deeper, the lines between what's real and what isn't blur, and Sarah must confront a chilling, terrible truth.

Some things may be best left buried.]]> 10 J.D. Kirk Chrissie 3
Having finished it, I confess that I am torn.

Personally, I am nervous about technology which allows a bereaved person to interact with their deceased loved one, and I thought this book was going to deal with the pitfalls. However, I was disappointed by the direction the story took in the second half unfortunately.


]]> 3.79
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:
Everyone loves David Tennant right? When I spotted that he was one of the narrators of this book, I'm in!! I loved the premise too...

Having finished it, I confess that I am torn.

Personally, I am nervous about technology which allows a bereaved person to interact with their deceased loved one, and I thought this book was going to deal with the pitfalls. However, I was disappointed by the direction the story took in the second half unfortunately.



]]> 227729159
It's been twelve weeks since Dresden Commissioner Paula Beyer was sent to the small town of Freidorf to investigate the disappearance of several teenagers. Now she is sitting opposite a psychologist who is tasked with figuring out whether Paula's statements about the case are true, or whether she needs to be suspended until further notice.

While Paula believes that the young people were kidnapped by someone mimicking the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, her colleagues believe that Paula is indulging in a fantasy and endangering the investigation. If Paula wants to stop the perpetrator, she has to convince the psychologist of her version of the story. But the longer the conversation goes on, the more Paula doubts herself��

Starring Ayesha Antoine, Nicholas Asbury, Rachel Atkins, Lydia Brownell, Henry Calcutt, Patrick Campbell, Gunnar Cauthery, Harry Chalmers-Morris, Saffron Coomber, Clare Corbett, Phoebe Douglas, James Dryden, Tia Dutt, Raj Ghatak, Pete Gold, Corey Graham, Derek Griffiths, Malachi Hall, Leah Marks, Rachael Louise Miller, Niamh Marie Smith, , Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Kyle McReynolds, Shogo Miyakita, Eva O’Hara, Dan Parr, Esme Patey-Ford, Travis Phillips, Nigel Pilkington, Penelope Rawlins, Enzo Squillino Jr, Annie Taylor, Cathy Tyson, Keith Wickham, Danny Horn, Emma Mills, Jon Nicholls, Evelyn Sykes, Bethany Weimers, Matthew Woodyatt and Rufus Wright.


Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.]]> 182 Anthony Khaseria Chrissie 4
Despite the allusion to a fairy tale, this is not a story for the faint hearted.]]> 3.67
author: Anthony Khaseria
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this well acted full cast production, and it was easy to be immersed in the story.

Despite the allusion to a fairy tale, this is not a story for the faint hearted.
]]> 218042885
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring�� (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.

This audiobook contains a bonus PDF with Shakespearean references, Sources and Resources, and an image from the book.]]> 18 Jodi Picoult Chrissie 4
I am a very open minded person, and Ms Picoult's case is compelling.

We will probably never know for sure, but I shall continue to enjoy the works, whoever wrote them!

3.5 stars (rounded up)

]]> 4.03 2024
author: Jodi Picoult
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
Whether someone other than William Shakespeare write the works ascribed to him has been debated for some time, but Jodi Picoult presents a case for Emilia Bassano, an unknown contemporary of Mr S.

I am a very open minded person, and Ms Picoult's case is compelling.

We will probably never know for sure, but I shall continue to enjoy the works, whoever wrote them!

3.5 stars (rounded up)


]]> 37422823 She’s a friendly voice on the phone. But can you trust her?

The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die.

Laura hasn’t had it easy: she’s survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it.

But now someone’s on to her—Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together?

The sinister truth is within Ryan’s grasp, but he has no idea of the desperate lengths Laura will go to��

Because the best thing about being a Good Samaritan is that you can get away with murder.]]> 399 John Marrs 1503958345 Chrissie 4
Do not read if you are depressed and/or pregnant.]]> 4.10 2017
author: John Marrs
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
A twisty, very dark tale that keeps the reader guessing.

Do not read if you are depressed and/or pregnant.
]]> 141360643 I was hooked right through to the shocking end' BERNARDINE EVARISTO

'Obsessed' KERRY WASHINGTON

'A shimmering success' DIANA EVANS

Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos and a glamorous group of friends. She left London and a troubled family past behind to become part of a community of expat wives.

But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her so-called perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria to take matters into her own hands. As she digs into her niece's life, she uncovers a hidden truth. But the more she finds out about Nicole, the more Claudine's own buried history threatens to come to light.]]> 296 Vanessa Walters 1804942871 Chrissie 4
Claudine, Jamaican by birth, brought her motherless young niece, Nicole, to the UK, and effectively became her mother. They have, however, been estranged for some time now.

Nicole married Nigerian Tonye, and they had relocated to Lagos with their two young sons, where they enjoy a luxurious life - Tonye's family is very wealthy.

The story begins with Claudine travelling to Lagos after discovering that Nicole is missing. She is horrified by Tonye's blasé attitude to Nicole's disappearance, and is determined to find out what has happened to her.

Four stars for keeping my interest throughout!
]]> 3.94 2023
author: Vanessa Walters
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:
This book took me a long time to read, but only because I have had distractions over the last week or so, but each time I went back to it, I fell into it seamlessly.

Claudine, Jamaican by birth, brought her motherless young niece, Nicole, to the UK, and effectively became her mother. They have, however, been estranged for some time now.

Nicole married Nigerian Tonye, and they had relocated to Lagos with their two young sons, where they enjoy a luxurious life - Tonye's family is very wealthy.

The story begins with Claudine travelling to Lagos after discovering that Nicole is missing. She is horrified by Tonye's blasé attitude to Nicole's disappearance, and is determined to find out what has happened to her.

Four stars for keeping my interest throughout!

]]> 19350987
In August of 1914, the British ship Endurance set sail for the South Atlantic. In October 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world.

Lansing describes how the men survived a 1,000-mile voyage in an open boat across the stormiest ocean on the globe and an overland trek through forbidding glaciers and mountains. The book recounts a harrowing adventure, but ultimately it is the nobility of these men and their indefatigable will that shines through.

©1959 Alfred Lansing; (P)2007 Blackstone Audo, Inc.]]> 11 Alfred Lansing Chrissie 5
The book deals with one of Shackleton's expeditions to Antarctica, which, though unsuccessful, is one of the most incredible tales of human spirit and endurance ever told. Ironically, the fated ship was called "Endurance"!

The expedition left for the Antarctic in 1914, just before the onset of World War I, but unfortunately the ship made slow progress and was eventually completely encased in ice and unable to move. The Arctic winter was setting in, and the men soon realised that they would be stranded for some time...

If you do not already know the facts, this book is so readable, and you are immersed in the lives of these men throughout. If you do know the facts and this still interests you, you will know everything about it if you read this book.

Highly recommended.]]> 4.35 1959
author: Alfred Lansing
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1959
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves:
review:
I watched a documentary about Ernest Shackleton a while ago, and when this audiobook came to my attention, I dived right in!

The book deals with one of Shackleton's expeditions to Antarctica, which, though unsuccessful, is one of the most incredible tales of human spirit and endurance ever told. Ironically, the fated ship was called "Endurance"!

The expedition left for the Antarctic in 1914, just before the onset of World War I, but unfortunately the ship made slow progress and was eventually completely encased in ice and unable to move. The Arctic winter was setting in, and the men soon realised that they would be stranded for some time...

If you do not already know the facts, this book is so readable, and you are immersed in the lives of these men throughout. If you do know the facts and this still interests you, you will know everything about it if you read this book.

Highly recommended.
]]> 60105891
At first, the residents of Kauai Beach Resort took little notice of their new neighbors. The glamorous blonde and her tall husband fit the image of the ritzy gated community. The couple seemed to keep to themselves—until the police knocked on their door with a search warrant. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had fled to Hawaii in the midst of being investigated for the disappearance of Lori’s children back in Idaho—Tylee and JJ—who hadn’t been seen alive in five months.

For years, Lori Vallow had lived a life of devotion to her children and her Mormon faith. But when her path crossed with Chad Daybell, a religious zealot who taught his followers how to prepare for the end-times, the tumultuous relationship transformed her into someone unrecognizable. As authorities searched for Lori’s children, they uncovered more suspicious deaths with links to both Lori and Chad, including the death of Lori’s third and fourth husbands, her brother, and Chad’s wife. In June 2020, the gruesome remains of JJ and Tylee were discovered on Chad’s property. In a shocking development, horrifying statements revealed that the couple’s fanatical beliefs had convinced them the children had become zombies.

Bestselling author and journalist John Glatt takes readers deeper into the devastating crimes of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell in an attempt to unravel the lethal relationship of this doomsday couple.]]> John Glatt 1666186023 Chrissie 3
I vaguely remember seeing a photo of Lori Vallow on the news regarding the whereabouts of her children, but not much else.

I cannot begin to comprehend the motives behind what happened, for which I shall be eternally thankful.]]> 3.37 2022
author: John Glatt
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
This true story is much more horrific and disturbing than any fiction I have read.

I vaguely remember seeing a photo of Lori Vallow on the news regarding the whereabouts of her children, but not much else.

I cannot begin to comprehend the motives behind what happened, for which I shall be eternally thankful.
]]> 211864049 From the age of solitude and doublethink.
From the age of Big Brother.
From me, Winston Smith.
Greetings.

It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.

Starring Andrew Garfield as Winston, Cynthia Erivo as Julia, Andrew Scott as the alluring, mysterious O’Brien, and featuring Tom Hardy as Big Brother, Audible presents a new dramatization of George Orwell’s classic tale. An immersive listening experience like none you’ve heard before, at a time when it has all never felt more chillingly relevant.

Featuring a haunting original score composed by Muse’s lead singer and songwriter Matthew Bellamy and Ilan Eshkeri, recorded by the London Metropolitan Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, the production is directed by BAFTA Award winner Destiny Ekaragha, produced in Dolby Atmos by Granny Eats Wolf, and dramatised by Olivier Award nominated writer Joe White.

Also starring Chukwudi Iwuji, Romesh Ranganathan, Natasia Demetriou, Francesca Mills, Alex Lawther and Katie Leung.

Featuring Ian Abeysekera, Rachel Atkins, Grace Baker, Joanna Brookes, Clare Corbett, Doug Devaney, Imogen Front, Sam Garioch, Raj Ghatak, Frances Jeater, Mason Moore, Yasmin Mwanza, Harry Myers, Kaelum Nelson, John Sackville, Sienna Sangha, Sam Stafford, Jo Troy, Jenny White, Sarah Whitehouse & Alix Wilton Regan

This adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 is an immersive listening experience, containing scenes that some may find uncomfortable. Listener discretion is advised.

Available in Dolby Atmos.]]> 336 Joe White Chrissie 4 4.28 2024
author: Joe White
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/21
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:
A great full cast dramatisation of a great book.
]]> 59451384
After a mysterious global event known only as "The Change," six strangers wake up in an underground research facility where they learn that they're part of the Extinction Trials—a scientific experiment to restart the human race.

But the Extinction Trials hides a very big secret.

And so does the world outside.]]> A.G. Riddle Chrissie 3 3.09 2021
author: A.G. Riddle
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.09
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves:
review:
I am trying to read sci-fi books occasionally, and this was reasonable, if a little predictable.
]]> 19549151 Christopher Brookmyre Chrissie 3 3.84 2011
author: Christopher Brookmyre
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:

]]> 217578534
Ripley needs the perfect solution to keep his role in the fraud a secret and his reputation clean, but not everyone's nerves are as steady as his. Especially when it comes to murder.

Ripley Under Ground is an ingenious novel of masks and identity, illusion and reality, and is followed by Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water.

'The No.1 Greatest Crime Writer' The Times]]> 288 Patricia Highsmith Chrissie 4
Tom Ripley is once again sucked into a convoluted world of duplicity and murder, all the while confounding both the French and English Police, but this time with the help of his French wife, Heloise.

His life is truly exhausting!]]> 3.62 1970
author: Patricia Highsmith
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1970
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/12
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:
I recently read The Talented Mr Ripley, and was intrigued to read more about this fascinating character.

Tom Ripley is once again sucked into a convoluted world of duplicity and murder, all the while confounding both the French and English Police, but this time with the help of his French wife, Heloise.

His life is truly exhausting!
]]> 54780835 We forgive murderers, not pedophiles.

Not since Lionel Shriver brought us We Need to Talk About Kevin has a writer delved into the complexities of a disturbed mother/son relationship. Until now.

Meet Noah—an A-honor roll student, award-winning swimmer, and small-town star destined for greatness. There weren’t any signs that something was wrong until the day he confesses to molesting little girls during swim team practice. He’s sentenced to eighteen months in a juvenile sexual rehabilitation center.

His mother, Adrianne, refuses to turn her back on him despite his horrific crimes, but her husband won’t allow Noah back into their home. In a series of shocking and shattering revelations, Adrianne is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Just how far will she go to protect her son?

Saving Noah challenges everything you think you know about teenage sexual offenders. It will keep you up at night long after you've read the last page, questioning beliefs you once thought were true.]]> Lucinda Berry 1662011202 Chrissie 0
The story centres around a family torn apart by the teenage son's admission that he had molested young girls, and the aftermath.

There is nothing positive in this book, and I just feel numb.]]> 3.58 2017
author: Lucinda Berry
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
I only listened to this audiobook because of the good reviews which implied that it would make me think differently in some way about a truly dark subject, paedophilia.

The story centres around a family torn apart by the teenage son's admission that he had molested young girls, and the aftermath.

There is nothing positive in this book, and I just feel numb.
]]> 53260944
She’s chasing a killer. He’s watching her every move.

He hides in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. Each kill is calculated, planned and executed like clockwork.

Struggling to balance her personal and professional life, young DS Becca Vincent has landed the biggest case of her career—and she knows that it will make or break her. But she can’t catch the culprit alone. Together with facial recognition expert Joe Russell, she strives to get a lead on the elusive murderer, who is always one step ahead of them.

Time is not on their side. The body count is rising, and the attacks are striking closer and closer to home. Can Becca and Joe uncover the connection between the murders before the killer strikes the last name from his list?]]> 10 John Marrs Chrissie 2 3.66 2018
author: John Marrs
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:
This is my very least favourite of books by John Marrs. It is very different from his other books, so that may be why. I have really enjoyed the others, and will read more, in the hope this is just a blip!
]]> 168145609
1917. On a battlefield near the River Escaut, John lies in the aftermath of a blast, unable to move or feel his legs. Struggling to focus his thoughts, he is lost to memory �� a chance encounter in a pub by a railway, a hot bath with his lover on a winter night, his childhood on a faraway coast �� as the snow falls.

1920. John has returned from war to North Yorkshire, near another river �� alive, but not still whole. Reunited with Helena, an artist, he reopens his photography business and endeavours to keep on living. But the past erupts insistently into the present, as ghosts begin to surface in his pictures: ghosts whose messages he cannot understand .

So begins a narrative that spans four generations, moments of connection and consequence igniting and re-igniting as the century unfolds. In luminous moments of desire, comprehension, longing, transcendence, the sparks fly upward, working their transformations decades later.

Held is a novel like no other, by a writer at the height of her affecting and intensely beautiful, full of mystery, wisdom and compassion.]]> 227 Anne Michaels 1526659115 Chrissie 2
I will either have to read this book again, or it will languish in my library for eternity.

]]> 3.58 2023
author: Anne Michaels
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:
For such a short book, my interest waned rather quickly. Yes, the writing is poetic, but the constant switches in time and place left me dizzy.

I will either have to read this book again, or it will languish in my library for eternity.


]]> 223948843 Scaachi Koul Chrissie 0
After listening to this, I have to say that I am grateful that I do not need to!

There is no quick fix.

On a more positive note, there are signs that there could be a chance that these medications may lead to an incredible breakthrough in the treatment of serious addiction. If it works out, this will be huge.

My beautiful late mother always believed that you should never take anything not prescribed by a qualified doctor, and only then if really necessary. A rule that I live by.
]]> 3.92
author: Scaachi Koul
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
Full of first hand interviews and helpful information, but no lectures, this is a good way for anyone thinking of taking weight loss drugs.

After listening to this, I have to say that I am grateful that I do not need to!

There is no quick fix.

On a more positive note, there are signs that there could be a chance that these medications may lead to an incredible breakthrough in the treatment of serious addiction. If it works out, this will be huge.

My beautiful late mother always believed that you should never take anything not prescribed by a qualified doctor, and only then if really necessary. A rule that I live by.

]]> 18377510 ASIN B00CTWW7BM moved to this edition.
Ebola, SARS, Hendra, AIDS, and countless other deadly viruses all have one thing in common: the bugs that transmit these diseases all originate in wild animals and pass to humans by a process called spillover. In this gripping account, David Quammen takes the reader along on this astonishing quest to learn how, where from, and why these diseases emerge and asks the terrifying question: What might the next big one be?]]> 21 David Quammen Chrissie 3
This may be my last. It is very thorough, and, although other books also deal with similar examples, the chapters about the HIV virus was very informative.

]]> 4.22 2012
author: David Quammen
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
Another book to add to my pile that deals with disease and pandemics!

This may be my last. It is very thorough, and, although other books also deal with similar examples, the chapters about the HIV virus was very informative.


]]> 218443016
The Talented Mr Ripley serves as an unforgettable introduction to this smooth confident man, whose talent for murder and self-invention is chronicled in four subsequent Ripley novels.]]> 274 Patricia Highsmith Chrissie 4
I'm looking forward to more of him...]]> 4.02 1955
author: Patricia Highsmith
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1955
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
Thomas Ripley is one of the most compelling characters I have encountered!

I'm looking forward to more of him...
]]> 33233550
Twenty years ago seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter’s Field. Now they have started dying in the most violent way imaginable.

Detective Max Wolfe has recently arrived in the Homicide division of London’s West End Central, 27 Savile Row.

Soon he is following the bloody trail from the backstreets and bright lights of the city, to the darkest corners of the internet and all the way to the corridors of power.

As the bodies pile up, Max finds the killer’s reach getting closer to everything - and everyone - he loves.

Soon he is fighting not only for justice, but for his own life...]]> Tony Parsons 1490637141 Chrissie 0
I had to stop, as I was just not ready for it...]]> 3.62 2014
author: Tony Parsons
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves:
review:
I have read a few of Tony Parson's books in the past, but this series could not be more different!

I had to stop, as I was just not ready for it...
]]> 221767340
THE BUSINESS TRIP is the gripping, binge-worthy debut from author Jessie Garcia.

Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.

And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women—or what did they do to him?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, The Business Trip takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?]]> 10 Jessie Garcia Chrissie 5
What a fantastic plot, which really keeps the reader guessing right to the end, and I kept finding reasons to listen, as I was hooked.

This is already one of my top (audio)books of 2025!]]> 4.03 2025
author: Jessie Garcia
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:
Wow. I am so glad I listened to the audiobook - the narrators were absolutely perfect, and the different POVs work brilliantly.

What a fantastic plot, which really keeps the reader guessing right to the end, and I kept finding reasons to listen, as I was hooked.

This is already one of my top (audio)books of 2025!
]]> 61265927
Schoolteacher Rachel will do anything to protect her younger sister, Laura. So when their long-lost father shows up out of the blue and makes a shocking accusation against Laura’s husband, Rachel is thrown into turmoil.

As undeniable evidence surfaces, Rachel discovers everything she thought she knew was wrong.
Has her sister’s entire life been a lie? And how did her young niece get the bruises she is hiding? And who keeps calling her in the middle of the night?

As their father works his way into their lives, Rachel finds her ordered world slipping away. Already reeling from the breakup of her own marriage, she doesn’t know who to trust �� her father or her sister.

One of them is lying, hiding a terrible secret.

Can Rachel discover the truth before it is too late?

Dear Sister is a gripping psychological thriller with a mind-blowing twist that will leave readers turning pages long into the night. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, K.L Slater and Ruth Heald.


What readers are saying about Dear Sister :

“What a book! This is a brilliant fast paced psychological thriller, with perfectly crafted complex characters, that has you burning off nervous energy as you read it.�� -ŷ������ Reviewer

“This book threw me for a loop a few times! It had quite a few twists and turns ! I thought I had them figured out then bam! Something happens and I'm like hum?! Didn't see that coming .�� -Netgalley Reviewer

“I was captivated from the beginning , this book is well written, the alternated chapters are easy to read and addictive. I highly recommend it.�� -Booksprout Reviewer

“Creepy, thrilling and a proper page turner that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended 5 stars from me.�� -Netgalley Reviewer

“Wow! This book had me gripped from the start, I couldn't put it down . I love a twist that makes me question what I've read and this book certainly had that. After a recent reading slump this was just what I needed .�� -Netgalley Reviewer

“While many thrillers contain predictable tropes- I honestly had no idea of what was truly going to happen until the end. Every time I thought I had some inkling- I'd find out I was wrong. I definitely recommend this book to others!�� -Netgalley Reviewer]]> Ruth Harrow 1004075308 Chrissie 2 3.38 2021
author: Ruth Harrow
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:
Included in my Audible membership, thankfully.
]]> 56435030
Inspector Proby is assigned to the case. As a seasoned detective, it’s not difficult for him to figure out who did it, but proving it is another matter altogether. It will take all of his wit and courage to catch this killer before he strikes again. But his quest takes a dramatic turn when he finds out his own wife is sleeping with the killer. Was she involved with the slaughter?

The chilling killer watches Proby…taunts him…thinking he’s got away with his crimes��

With the superintendent away on holiday, and the Chief Constable threatening suspension, Proby is not sure he can rely on his own police department. Everyone doubts Proby’s ability to solve this case, but his instincts point him in the direction of one vital clue…The inspector must use the only person he can rely on as bait but is Proby willing to pay the ultimate price?

This exciting first book in the Inspector Proby series decks the halls �� with malice and murder.]]> 193 John Gano Chrissie 3
Several women have been murdered...sound familiar?

I have read more police procedurals and thrillers than I care to remember, and this was okay, but I cannot see me rushing to read the next in this series, unfortunately.]]> 3.98 1994
author: John Gano
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:
The first in a series, and it did not immediately grab my attention.

Several women have been murdered...sound familiar?

I have read more police procedurals and thrillers than I care to remember, and this was okay, but I cannot see me rushing to read the next in this series, unfortunately.
]]> 188607129
IT WAS AN INVITE TO DIE FOR��

When the anonymous invite arrived, we knew exactly who it was from.

Elle Romero, the beautiful, charismatic Texan who burst into our lives when we were teenagers.

We’d gone our separate ways and lost touch. Until now.

Elle, the legendary prankster, is back.

She’s invited us all - me, Claire, Lizzie and Megan - to a swanky country house for a reunion.

We arrive excited for a weekend of reminiscing and reconnecting. A chance to step out of our uneventful lives for a while.

But when Elle fails to show up at her own party, we begin to wonder if she’s up to her old tricks.

And when a body turns up in the cellar, it seems this time the joke might just be on us��

The Invite is the twisty, addictive new thriller by A J McDine, the author of No One I Knew.]]> 9 A.J. McDine Chrissie 1 3.83 2022
author: A.J. McDine
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 62712046
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack.

New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a 19th-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.

Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.

Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred, Lexington, who became America’s greatest stud sire, Horse is a gripping, multi-layered reckoning with the legacy of enslavement and racism in America.]]> 14 Geraldine Brooks Chrissie 5
I adore horses (in case you had not guessed), and, as such, I am against horse racing. I know some small things have improved, but it is not enough, and many horses still die due to this pursuit.

Putting that aside...

I loved learning about Lexington, but particularly wonderful to me was the relationship between the this stunning horse and his black handler. The love and respect that they have for each other is just beautiful.

The book is told in alternate periods in time, which I found really effective; as the story of Lexington's life unfolds, so does the more recent story of a painting of him which is discovered, and thankfully properly recognised.

Brooks has written a clever, poignant historical fiction around interesting characters, and I loved it (except when it made me cry).

]]> 4.07 2022
author: Geraldine Brooks
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:
When I came across a book named "Horse" about a horse, I immediately bought the audiobook!

I adore horses (in case you had not guessed), and, as such, I am against horse racing. I know some small things have improved, but it is not enough, and many horses still die due to this pursuit.

Putting that aside...

I loved learning about Lexington, but particularly wonderful to me was the relationship between the this stunning horse and his black handler. The love and respect that they have for each other is just beautiful.

The book is told in alternate periods in time, which I found really effective; as the story of Lexington's life unfolds, so does the more recent story of a painting of him which is discovered, and thankfully properly recognised.

Brooks has written a clever, poignant historical fiction around interesting characters, and I loved it (except when it made me cry).


]]> 210693908
We came into being the day Becca Valentine was born. We’ve been by her side ever since. What she doesn’t know yet, is that one day she might become our mother.

Then two men come into her life. Both seeking her heart. And then we realise: everything rests on Becca’s love story. Because one of the men is Lucy and Thomas’s father. And the other is mine and Samuel’s. And there’s simply no way we can all be born.

We all want her to make the right choice. We all want to be born. To hold her hand one day. To feel her stroke our hair. To call her our mother.

Then we discover there is something we can do. We can change Fate. But we only have a single chance each. How would you make sure you were born? And what if doing that isn’t what’s best for the person you already love the most in the world �� your mother?]]> 290 Laura Pearson 1836034482 Chrissie 3
Becca finds herself pregnant whilst still at school. Will she find her happy family with Ryan, or will her original crush win out? How many children will Becca have, and with whom?

This book deals with various themes, but with a supernatural twist.

A truly original idea from Laura Pearson.]]> 4.19 2024
author: Laura Pearson
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:
Suppose there are babies who may or not be conceived just waiting to find out their fates, and who watch and wait together? This is the imagined scenario in this story.

Becca finds herself pregnant whilst still at school. Will she find her happy family with Ryan, or will her original crush win out? How many children will Becca have, and with whom?

This book deals with various themes, but with a supernatural twist.

A truly original idea from Laura Pearson.
]]> 61410646
Ten years ago Rose made a promise to help her goddaughter Eloise if she was ever in trouble.

A promise she may live to regret.

But she meant every word�� until the night Eloise turns up on her doorstep covered in blood and asking for the unthinkable.

Rose has buried secrets before. Only this time they’re about to come back and haunt her.]]> A.J. McDine Chrissie 3
Eloise has never contacted Rose since the funeral, but, boy, will Rose have to make up for it when she hears what Eloise needs her to do!

A twisty thriller, which I enjoyed more than I expected.

]]> 3.34 2021
author: A.J. McDine
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
review:
Rose is visited by Eloise, who says she is Rose's Goddaughter. Eloise reminds Rose of her promise to Eloise after her mother died when Eloise was just a child - if Eloise ever needs her, Rose will be there for her.

Eloise has never contacted Rose since the funeral, but, boy, will Rose have to make up for it when she hears what Eloise needs her to do!

A twisty thriller, which I enjoyed more than I expected.


]]> 21340699
Considered one of the great dystopian thrillers - alongside A Clockwork Orange and Brave New World - Ira Levin's terrifying glimpse into the future continues to fascinate readers even forty years after publication.

Set in a seemingly perfect global society, where uniformity is the defining feature, one man leads the resistance against UniComp - a central computer that has been programmed to keep every single human on the surface of the earth in check. All ethnic groups have been eugenically merged into a single race called 'The Family', and citizens are continually drugged so that they can never realise their potential as human beings, but will remain pliant and cooperative...

With a vision as frightening as any in the history of the science fiction genre, This Perfect Day is one of Levin's most haunting novels.]]> 318 Ira Levin 1472111583 Chrissie 2 4.12 1970
author: Ira Levin
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1970
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:
This is the first time I have not loved something by Ira Levin.
]]> 58230550 A deadly prosecutor

They call him the King of Death Row. Randal Korn has sent more men to their deaths than any district attorney in the history of the United States.

A twisted ritualistic killing

When a young woman, Skylar Edwards, is found murdered in Buckstown, Alabama, a corrupt sheriff arrests the last person to see her alive, Andy Dubois. It doesn't seem to matter to anyone that Andy is innocent.

A small town boiling with rage

Everyone in Buckstown believes Andy is guilty. He has no hope of a fair trial. And the local defense attorney assigned to represent him has disappeared.

A former con-artist

Hot shot New York lawyer Eddie Flynn travels south to fight fire with fire. He plans to destroy the prosecutors case, find the real killer and save Andy from the electric chair.

But the murders are just beginning.

Is Eddie Flynn next?]]> Steve Cavanagh Chrissie 4
The trouble is, there are some of the most truly vile characters I have encountered thus far. As well as the tension, I was actually really angry!

This is a great story, and the most vivid of the series - but...proceed with caution...]]> 4.20 2021
author: Steve Cavanagh
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:
I finally got back to Eddie Flynn! I have loved all the books so far, and this is brilliantly plotted, and filled with tension throughout.

The trouble is, there are some of the most truly vile characters I have encountered thus far. As well as the tension, I was actually really angry!

This is a great story, and the most vivid of the series - but...proceed with caution...
]]> 26261597
In October 1990 Kenyon College hired David Breithaupt as its library’s part-time evening supervisor. In April 2000 he was fired after a Georgia librarian discovered him selling a letter by Flannery O’Connor on eBay, but that was only the tip of the iceberg: for the past ten years, Breithaupt had been browsing the collection, taking from it whatever rare books, manuscripts, and documents caught his eye—Flannery O'Connor letters, W.H. Auden annotated typescripts, a Thomas Pynchon manuscript, and much, much more. It was a large-scale, long-term pillaging of Kenyon College’s most precious works.

After he was caught, the American justice system looked like it was about to disappoint the college the way it had countless rare book crime victims before—but Kenyon refused to let this happen.]]> 123 Travis McDade Chrissie 3
Merged review:

Well, what a tale...what a hapless thief, and, as a book lover myself, what a horrible crime.]]> 3.72 2015
author: Travis McDade
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/29
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:
Well, what a tale...what a hapless thief, and, as a book lover myself, what a horrible crime.

Merged review:

Well, what a tale...what a hapless thief, and, as a book lover myself, what a horrible crime.
]]> 23153621 NOW AN AWARD-WINNING FILMAmidst the horrors of Auschwitz, German officer, Angelus Thomsen, has found love. But unfortunately for Thomsen, the object of his affection is already married to his camp commandant, Paul Doll.As Thomsen and Doll’s wife pursue their passion �� the gears of Nazi Germany’s Final Solution grinding around them �� Doll is riven by suspicion. With his dignity in disrepute and his reputation on the line, Doll must take matters into his own hands and bring order back to the chaos that reigns around him.‘It is exceptionally brave��. Shakespearean��. It’s exciting; it’s alive; it’s more than slightly mad. As the title suggests, it is dreadfully interesting.�� Sunday Times]]> 322 Martin Amis Chrissie 2
It is not that the book is vastly different in nature, I just found it to be in very poor taste.]]> 4.05 2014
author: Martin Amis
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:
I watched the film last year, and found it outstanding.

It is not that the book is vastly different in nature, I just found it to be in very poor taste.
]]> 215204286 Lies, secrets, deadly decisions��

When Natasha meets Daniel, she knows her life is made. Rich, handsome and charming, Daniel will make the perfect husband. Even if she won’t make the perfect wife��

She is thrilled when Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michelle, and their husbands. What better way to show everyone that Natasha has finally made it?

But as the ship sets sail, she learns that far from being the perfect husband, Daniel has terrible secrets that are about to be revealed. And each of the wives has their own reasons for wanting him dead.

This trip might cost more than any of them ever imagined��

A gripping new story from the psych thriller queen that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden, J.A. Baker and Sue Watson.]]> 298 Valerie Keogh 1805494449 Chrissie 1 3.78 2024
author: Valerie Keogh
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
This book is not well written, is totally predictable, and, quite frankly, rather nonsensical!
]]> 181103253
Now fate has left them living together in a North London home, with Ruth caring for Muriel in her deteriorating health, playing Scrabble, arguing and making up, passing the days in monotony, ignoring the scars of their relationship. Then one afternoon, Muriel makes a shocking and sinister announcement, sending Ruth’s world into chaos. Only one thing is certain. Life, as she knows it, will never be the same again. . .

The Final Hours of Muriel Hinchcliffe M.B.E is the deliciously dark debut novel from Claire Parkin. An intensely gripping story of toxic friendship, jealousy and revenge, it is perfect for fans of A Tidy Ending and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.]]> 316 Claire Parkin 1035028484 Chrissie 5
Muriel and Ruth are in their seventies, and have been best friends since early childhood.

Or have they..?

I love a good tale of revenge, and this is wonderfully written and portrayed.

If you enjoy "What Happened to Baby Jane?" you will probably love this too.

I may enjoy a revenge story, but they also show how revenge often spells misery for all involved, and usually mostly for the person who has been wronged in the first place.

5 stars (I loved it!)

]]> 3.70 2024
author: Claire Parkin
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves:
review:
The title of this book first sparked my interest, and my instincts were on fire this time!

Muriel and Ruth are in their seventies, and have been best friends since early childhood.

Or have they..?

I love a good tale of revenge, and this is wonderfully written and portrayed.

If you enjoy "What Happened to Baby Jane?" you will probably love this too.

I may enjoy a revenge story, but they also show how revenge often spells misery for all involved, and usually mostly for the person who has been wronged in the first place.

5 stars (I loved it!)


]]> 68760686
Throughout his criminal career Hatcher was able to fool dozens of psychiatrists, who repeatedly failed to identify him as a multiple murderer. Hatcher's astonishing skill was not just in his ability to murder and escape imprisonment. He became an expert at manipulating the criminal justice system; overall, he outwitted police, prosecutors, psychiatrists, and judges in twelve cities and eight states.

Terry Ganey first covered this story as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Later, he spent four years researching the material for this book, interviewing over seventy-five people and reviewing thousands of documents, court transcripts, prison files, police reports, and mental health records.

What emerges is a fascinating and horrifying portrait of a mass murderer at large in America—a murderer who could have stalked his victims in any of our towns and cities, whether urban or rural, large or small.

Contains mature themes.]]> 1 Terry Ganey Chrissie 2 wrong-edition
Even more shocking, the innocent man might not have been released, even when the real killer himself confessed!

Justice?

This is not the best written book, but I wanted to make sure that this monster would not be free to kill again.
]]> 2.50 1990
author: Terry Ganey
name: Chrissie
average rating: 2.50
book published: 1990
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: wrong-edition
review:
There are too many of these stories where police simply do not do their job. In this case, they fixated on, and ground down, an entirely innocent man until he broke and confessed to a truly horrific crime; worse, it left the actual murderer free to strike again.

Even more shocking, the innocent man might not have been released, even when the real killer himself confessed!

Justice?

This is not the best written book, but I wanted to make sure that this monster would not be free to kill again.

]]> 201871450 A “razor-sharp, perfectly plotted�� (The Sunday Times) tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past.

A house is a precious thing...

It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be—led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season.

Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house—a spoon, a knife, a bowl—Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation, leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva—nor the house in which they live—are what they seem.

Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is “a brave and thrilling debut about facing up to the truth of history, and to one’s own desires�� (The Guardian).]]> 0 Yael van der Wouden 1797175246 Chrissie 5 wrong-edition
The story touches on many issues, including gender roles in society at the time, class, sexuality, and World War II and its legacy.

All is not as it seems in this clever, twisty tale, and it takes its time masterfully.

I listened to the audiobook, and at first I was not sure about the narrator, but I soon settled into her rhythm.

4.5 stars rounded up.]]> 3.95 2024
author: Yael van der Wouden
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: wrong-edition
review:
This is a beautifully written historical fiction debut set in rural Holland in 1961.

The story touches on many issues, including gender roles in society at the time, class, sexuality, and World War II and its legacy.

All is not as it seems in this clever, twisty tale, and it takes its time masterfully.

I listened to the audiobook, and at first I was not sure about the narrator, but I soon settled into her rhythm.

4.5 stars rounded up.
]]> 195743819
Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking.

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.]]> 325 Stuart Turton 1526634937 Chrissie 4
I am pleased to say that he is back with this offering.

I was not convinced at first, after reading the first few chapters, and contemplated giving up entirely. I'm so glad that I picked it up again the next day, however, as I was swiftly hooked until I finished it.

The story is set in a dystopian future, when the majority of life in earth has been wiped out by a sinister fog, on an island where a group has survived keeping the fog at bay.

The plot is convoluted and well plotted, as expected from this author, which keeps you on your toes, but your concentration will be rewarded with wonderful characters, a murder mystery, and tension throughout.
]]> 3.92 2024
author: Stuart Turton
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed Stuart Turton's first novel, but his second not so much.

I am pleased to say that he is back with this offering.

I was not convinced at first, after reading the first few chapters, and contemplated giving up entirely. I'm so glad that I picked it up again the next day, however, as I was swiftly hooked until I finished it.

The story is set in a dystopian future, when the majority of life in earth has been wiped out by a sinister fog, on an island where a group has survived keeping the fog at bay.

The plot is convoluted and well plotted, as expected from this author, which keeps you on your toes, but your concentration will be rewarded with wonderful characters, a murder mystery, and tension throughout.

]]> 222911816
I might be a grandmother. But I’m not some sweet, harmless old lady who people can push around.

Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince.

They’ve come to live with me because their mother �� my daughter �� was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by.

I think Vince killed her. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I said he’d cheat on her �� but she wouldn’t listen.

Now he wants his daughters back.

Over my dead body.

I finally have a family of my own. And nobody is going to take it away from me. ]]> 9 Jane E. James Chrissie 4
Ok, so the plot starts with a death having occurred, but then the real action commences.

When Scarlet is murdered, her daughters, Daisy (9 years old) and Alice (7 years old), are sent to stay with their Grandmother. The only problem is, they have never met before, as Scarlet and her mother have been estranged from before the girls were born.

The girls' father, Vince, had left their mother for a much younger woman, with whom he has a baby daughter.

Vince is initially a suspect in Scarlet's murder, but has an alibi, and is therefore released without charge.

Vince's girlfriend never wanted his girls around, but Vince desperately wants a relationship with his daughters. He and the Grandmother will have to work together in this - but this Grandmother is not at all who she first appears...

Let the games begin!
]]> 3.21 2024
author: Jane E. James
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.21
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:
This was a fun listen!

Ok, so the plot starts with a death having occurred, but then the real action commences.

When Scarlet is murdered, her daughters, Daisy (9 years old) and Alice (7 years old), are sent to stay with their Grandmother. The only problem is, they have never met before, as Scarlet and her mother have been estranged from before the girls were born.

The girls' father, Vince, had left their mother for a much younger woman, with whom he has a baby daughter.

Vince is initially a suspect in Scarlet's murder, but has an alibi, and is therefore released without charge.

Vince's girlfriend never wanted his girls around, but Vince desperately wants a relationship with his daughters. He and the Grandmother will have to work together in this - but this Grandmother is not at all who she first appears...

Let the games begin!

]]> 186509880
Instead of Ji-won's parents reuniting, however, her mother starts dating George, a Caucasian man with an obvious Asian fetish. Tormented by her dreams, Ji-won becomes obsessed with his beautiful blue eyes and begins noticing blue eyes all around her. No longer able to control her urges, she finds opportunities to feed her hunger, growing more and more reckless each day. And, as her obsession grows, so does her the things that once seemed important to her no longer do, and Ji-won, who has always been hopelessly devoted to her family, decides that she must do the one thing that will end her cravings once and for all.

A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unravelling from feeling for too long - because of race, because of misogyny - completely unseen, THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART is also a story of an immigrant family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other.]]> 289 Monika Kim Chrissie 4
As I started reading, the characters were discussing fish eyes, and I thought my worries were unfounded.

They were not...

Yet, still I enjoyed this book. The writing is good, with some sympathetic characters - and one particularly foul one.

Who would win out?

You will just have to read it to find out!
]]> 3.85 2024
author: Monika Kim
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
review:
I surprised myself by choosing this book, given the title - I am rather squeamish about eyes!

As I started reading, the characters were discussing fish eyes, and I thought my worries were unfounded.

They were not...

Yet, still I enjoyed this book. The writing is good, with some sympathetic characters - and one particularly foul one.

Who would win out?

You will just have to read it to find out!

]]> 216234854 Jonny Sweet 1038641691 Chrissie 5
Firstly, you do not have to have read P G Wodehouse before reading this book.

Edward attended public school on a scholarship, and then went to Cambridge University. His only two friends, Robert and Stanza, also went to public school then Cambridge, but both come from extremely wealthy upper class families.

Therein the major imbalance in the friendships.

Edward lives with Stanza in her apartment, but there is no romance involved - although, Edward would love nothing more. Then one day he spies Robert and Stanza kissing...

Edward is subservient to his friends, wanting to please them so they keep him around, and, accordingly, his friends completely take him for granted. When Robert asks Edward to help him because is being blackmailed, of course Edward readily agrees.

That is when events take a sinister turn, and Edward finds himself in trouble.

This is wonderful writing, the story original and gripping, and the theme of class is brilliantly portrayed, as is Edward's mind as his thoughts spiral out of control and the tension builds..

The narrator, Jack Davenport, perfectly portrayed Edward, which is one of the reasons why I highly recommend this audiobook.

]]> 3.42 2024
author: Jonny Sweet
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
review:
I came across this recently, and decided that I would listen to the audiobook.

Firstly, you do not have to have read P G Wodehouse before reading this book.

Edward attended public school on a scholarship, and then went to Cambridge University. His only two friends, Robert and Stanza, also went to public school then Cambridge, but both come from extremely wealthy upper class families.

Therein the major imbalance in the friendships.

Edward lives with Stanza in her apartment, but there is no romance involved - although, Edward would love nothing more. Then one day he spies Robert and Stanza kissing...

Edward is subservient to his friends, wanting to please them so they keep him around, and, accordingly, his friends completely take him for granted. When Robert asks Edward to help him because is being blackmailed, of course Edward readily agrees.

That is when events take a sinister turn, and Edward finds himself in trouble.

This is wonderful writing, the story original and gripping, and the theme of class is brilliantly portrayed, as is Edward's mind as his thoughts spiral out of control and the tension builds..

The narrator, Jack Davenport, perfectly portrayed Edward, which is one of the reasons why I highly recommend this audiobook.


]]> 212641534 The past has never left Billy. It's just been waiting for him to come and find it...

It's been over thirty years since Billy last called Northern Ireland home. Back then, his secret love for schoolfriend Conor was the only shining light that kept him going during troubled times. That is, until their romance was tragically cut short when Conor disappeared without a trace.

Now a phone call draws Billy back home when his mother falls into a coma. While sorting through old belongings, he stumbles upon an envelope bearing his name. Inside, he finds a mysterious note and a mixtape left by Conor - dated the very day he disappeared in 1989.

But who sent it? Why did his mother keep it hidden? And what really happened to Conor?

As Billy sets off to find the answers to a mystery that's followed him for years, he soon realises that uncovering the truth about his lost past may come at a high cost. But laying the ghosts of that past to rest might be the only way to finally set himself free...

From the author of The Vanishing of Margaret Small comes a compelling and deeply nostalgic coming-of-age tale that promises to touch your heart and stay with you long after the last page. Packed with humour and tenderness, it's perfect for fans of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, The Keeper of Stories and A Tidy Ending.]]> 286 Neil Alexander 1471414302 Chrissie 3 4.19
author: Neil Alexander
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves:
review:
I loved The Vanishing of Margaret Small, but unfortunately this did not have the same effect on me. It is not a bad story, by any means, I think I perhaps compared the two books, to the detriment of this one.
]]> 99607583 Rarely out of print, and a favourite TV short ghost story at Christmas time, this edition produces the text in a dyslexic - friendly format to increase accessibility for all readers]]> 27 M.R. James Chrissie 3 wrong-edition 4.05
author: M.R. James
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: wrong-edition
review:

]]> 210666937
Lampo and Gelon are local potters, young men with no work and barely two obols to rub together. With not much to fill their time, they take to visiting the nearby quarry, where they discover prisoners who will, in desperation, recite lines from the plays of Euripides in return for scraps of bread and a scattering of olives.

And so an idea is born: the men will put on Medea in the quarry. A proper performance to be sung of down the ages. Because after all, you can hate the Athenians for invading your territory, but still love their poetry.

But as the performance draws near and the audacity of their enterprise dawns on them, it becomes difficult to distinguish between enemies and friends. And Lampo, whose ambitions have never stretched beyond having enough coin for the next jug of wine, finds his aspirations elevated, his heart entangled and his courage tested in ways he could never have imagined.

Glorious Exploits is an exhilarating and fiercely original story of brotherhood, war and art; and - in the face of the Gods' apparent indifference - of daring to dream of something bigger than ourselves.]]> Ferdia Lennon Chrissie 5
Set in 412 BC Sicily, two unemployed potters find themselves spending time with a group of defeated Athenians kept prisoner in a quarry awaiting their fate. They find themselves planning to put on a play, with the Athenians playing the parts. The Athenians jump at the chance, as they will be "free" for a while, and get extra food and drink. However, then it comes the audience. They have to convince people who absolutely despise Athenians to come and watch the play...

Yes, complete madness, and I loved it!

The main character, Lampo, is wonderfully portrayed, and I cheered him on throughout. He is an ordinary man trying to do an extraordinary thing, all the time with humanity and empathy, and against pretty poor odds.

The author narrates, and his Dublin accent really worked for me.

This is an incredible debut, totally original, and includes humour, love, friendship and pure loyalty - oh, and a small amount of history.
]]> 4.12 2024
author: Ferdia Lennon
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:
I saw the author speaking about this, his debut novel, and just had to read it!

Set in 412 BC Sicily, two unemployed potters find themselves spending time with a group of defeated Athenians kept prisoner in a quarry awaiting their fate. They find themselves planning to put on a play, with the Athenians playing the parts. The Athenians jump at the chance, as they will be "free" for a while, and get extra food and drink. However, then it comes the audience. They have to convince people who absolutely despise Athenians to come and watch the play...

Yes, complete madness, and I loved it!

The main character, Lampo, is wonderfully portrayed, and I cheered him on throughout. He is an ordinary man trying to do an extraordinary thing, all the time with humanity and empathy, and against pretty poor odds.

The author narrates, and his Dublin accent really worked for me.

This is an incredible debut, totally original, and includes humour, love, friendship and pure loyalty - oh, and a small amount of history.

]]> 63132065 A powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the celebrated author of The Vegetarian

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.

Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages.

Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish - the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to one another. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity - their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to expression.

Greek Lessons is a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection, a novel to awaken the senses, vividly conjuring the essence of what it means to be alive.]]> 149 Han Kang 0241997070 Chrissie 2
I really tried to love this...

But...]]> 3.55 2011
author: Han Kang
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:
I loved The Vegetarian.

I really tried to love this...

But...
]]> 58875485 John Glatt Chrissie 2
I am very glad this monster is behind bars for his whole life.]]> 3.17 2002
author: John Glatt
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2002
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:
I have read many true crime books over the years, but this has been the hardest - I even passed over some passages, as they were just so graphic.

I am very glad this monster is behind bars for his whole life.
]]> 201882152 Sarah Pekkanen 1398718564 Chrissie 4
The story builds to its crescendo at a good pace, and the characters are all well drawn. For me, it is one of the well written books in this genre which make reading a pleasure too.

I changed my mind several times as the writer skilfully both steers the reader to various characters and deflects attention from them at the same time.I

One of the better thrillers I have read.]]> 3.97 2024
author: Sarah Pekkanen
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
This is a psychological thriller which delivers.

The story builds to its crescendo at a good pace, and the characters are all well drawn. For me, it is one of the well written books in this genre which make reading a pleasure too.

I changed my mind several times as the writer skilfully both steers the reader to various characters and deflects attention from them at the same time.I

One of the better thrillers I have read.
]]> 200167750
From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that “hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel�� (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl).

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.]]> Chris Whitaker Chrissie 5
This is a rare find - a book that lives up to the hype. The book was featured on my favourite book programme, which had sealed the deal.

Despite its longer length, I enjoyed every line, and there was time to really get to know the characters; more importantly, to understand and empathise with them.

I was kept guessing all the way through, but was actually happy with the ending (also quite rare!).

I don't think I have read a book which is totally comprised of such short chapters, but which works in every way.

A great experience for a new year.

]]> 4.15 2024
author: Chris Whitaker
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves:
review:
I was gifted several audiobooks at Christmas, and this is one of them (I already had the hardback on my list to purchase after Christmas!), and couldn't wait to start it. Not the best time, as lots going on!

This is a rare find - a book that lives up to the hype. The book was featured on my favourite book programme, which had sealed the deal.

Despite its longer length, I enjoyed every line, and there was time to really get to know the characters; more importantly, to understand and empathise with them.

I was kept guessing all the way through, but was actually happy with the ending (also quite rare!).

I don't think I have read a book which is totally comprised of such short chapters, but which works in every way.

A great experience for a new year.


]]> 54966697 An all-new collection of winter-themed stories from the Queen of Mystery, just in time for the holidays—including the original version of Christmas Adventure, never before released in the United States!

There's a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter . . . It's the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fire with these wintry whodunits from the legendary Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This chilling compendium of short stories—some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple—is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect holiday gift for mystery lovers.

INCLUDES THE STORIES:
- Three Blind Mice
- The Chocolate Box
- A Christmas Tragedy
- The Coming of Mr Quin
- The Clergyman's Daughter/Red House
- The Plymouth Express
- Problem at Pollensa Bay
- Sanctuary
- The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
- The World's End
- The Manhood of Edward Robinson
- Christmas Adventure]]> 320 Agatha Christie 0008405468 Chrissie 4
I love Agatha Christie's books, and this is a collection of short stories in her inimitable style, with innocent humour - literally going going back in time.

Wonderful!]]> 3.97 2020
author: Agatha Christie
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves:
review:
I actually bought this to read over Christmas, but my best laid reading plans always go awry!

I love Agatha Christie's books, and this is a collection of short stories in her inimitable style, with innocent humour - literally going going back in time.

Wonderful!
]]> 120952669
'Masterful, captivating, page-turning, this is solid gold history at its best.' - Nicola Tallis

'(A) thought-provoking, impeccably researched, and moving account uncovering how Anne's family, intellect, and tragedy shaped Elizabeth I's extraordinary career.' - Gareth Russell

'Her extensive research... reveals them as the most dazzling female double act in history.' - Sarah Gristwood

'Incredibly well-researched, elegantly written, and overall genuinely ground-breaking,' - Estelle Paranque

One of the most extraordinary mother and daughter stories of all time - Anne Boleyn, the most famous of Henry VIII's wives and her daughter Elizabeth, the 'Virgin Queen'.

Anne Boleyn is a subject of enduring fascination. By far the most famous of Henry VIII's six wives, she has inspired books, documentaries and films, and is the subject of intense debate even today, almost 500 years after her violent death. For the most part, she is considered in the context of her relationship with Tudor England's much-married monarch. Dramatic though this story is, of even greater interest - and significance - is the relationship between Anne and her daughter, the future Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth was less than three years old when her mother was executed. Given that she could have held precious few memories of Anne, it is often assumed that her mother exerted little influence over her.
But this is both inaccurate and misleading. Elizabeth knew that she had to be discreet about Anne, but there is compelling evidence that her mother exerted a profound influence on her character, beliefs and reign. Even during Henry's lifetime, Elizabeth dared to express her sympathy for her late mother by secretly wearing Anne's famous 'A' pendant when she sat for a painting with her father and siblings.

Piecing together evidence from original documents and artefacts, this book tells the story of Anne Boleyn's relationship with, and influence over her daughter Elizabeth. In so doing, it sheds new light on two of the most famous and influential women in history.]]> 336 Tracy Borman 1399705091 Chrissie 4
This book will not teach you any more about Anne, and little more about Queen Elizabeth I, her daughter. What it does do, however, is concentrate on the relationship between the two. If you already know that Elizabeth was not yet three years of age when her mother was executed, you may wonder what could fill a book? The brilliance of the author is to show how Elizabeth was shaped by her mother / her mother's death by referencing the many ways Elizabeth honours her mother, despite not having much first hand memory of her.

I found this approach rather touching, especially as I lost my own mother far too early. The consequences of the manner of Anne's death, however, would have been catastrophic to Elizabeth in so many ways, and certainly would have altered the normal course of her life, and the author gives credible examples of this throughout the book.

If you enjoy Tudor history, this is a different approach, and one which is a welcome addition to prior knowledge of the period - and highly readable for all.
]]> 4.39 2023
author: Tracy Borman
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
Let's face it, the Tudors are by far the most interesting characters in the history of Britain, mainly Henry VIII, and particularly his doomed second wife Anne Boleyn.

This book will not teach you any more about Anne, and little more about Queen Elizabeth I, her daughter. What it does do, however, is concentrate on the relationship between the two. If you already know that Elizabeth was not yet three years of age when her mother was executed, you may wonder what could fill a book? The brilliance of the author is to show how Elizabeth was shaped by her mother / her mother's death by referencing the many ways Elizabeth honours her mother, despite not having much first hand memory of her.

I found this approach rather touching, especially as I lost my own mother far too early. The consequences of the manner of Anne's death, however, would have been catastrophic to Elizabeth in so many ways, and certainly would have altered the normal course of her life, and the author gives credible examples of this throughout the book.

If you enjoy Tudor history, this is a different approach, and one which is a welcome addition to prior knowledge of the period - and highly readable for all.

]]> 207294155 The untold story behind the hit true crime podcast The Clearing, this unforgettable memoir traces one daughter’s moving quest to understand her larger-than-life childhood as she searches for the truth about her father, the serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards. One evening in 2009, April Balascio was searching online, as she had been every night, for unsolved murders in the towns her family had lived growing up, when she stumbled across the latest investigations into the “Sweetheart Murders�� cold case. All at once, the buried memories of her father’s dark history were awakened, and she knew she had to take action. She picked up the phone to call a detective and the rest is infamous true crime history. In her unflinching memoir, Balascio bravely reveals an astonishing tale of a lifetime of manipulation, unexplained upheavals, and silent fear. Some part of her had always known what her father was capable of, but the full truth of how she came to these revelations is as riveting as it is quietly terrifying. Through searing storytelling, dedicated research, and intimate insight, Raised by a Serial Killer is a gripping, courageous memoir unlike any other.]]> 352 April Balascio 1982177039 Chrissie 0 to-read 3.82 2024
author: April Balascio
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62710545
Prosecutors who seek the death penalty put their lives on the line if the guilty are later found innocent.

A lawyer convinced beyond reasonable doubt.

Justine Boucher is presented with overwhelming evidence in a brutal murder case. Her request for execution is granted.

But what if she’s wrong?]]> 336 Christina Dalcher 000855949X Chrissie 5
In this tale, the Prosecutor who proposed the death penalty is then to be executed. Sounds harsh, but this is seen as an effective way to prevent executions being sought - more importantly, to prevent innocent people being executed. I would hope that everyone would want that, and I know that there have been many occasions when this has been the case.

In the UK, we have not had capital punishment for decades, and I can instantly call up several examples of high profile cases where innocent people were hanged (our only method of execution), which is what led to its own demise.

This is a cleverly plotted, well written, and engrossing story around a very tough subject, and I read into the small hours this morning, only putting it down to fall into a well needed sleep!

4.5 stars rounded up.
]]> 3.71 2023
author: Christina Dalcher
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
review:
What if a convicted murderer is found to be innocent after they have been executed? They cannot be brought back to life!

In this tale, the Prosecutor who proposed the death penalty is then to be executed. Sounds harsh, but this is seen as an effective way to prevent executions being sought - more importantly, to prevent innocent people being executed. I would hope that everyone would want that, and I know that there have been many occasions when this has been the case.

In the UK, we have not had capital punishment for decades, and I can instantly call up several examples of high profile cases where innocent people were hanged (our only method of execution), which is what led to its own demise.

This is a cleverly plotted, well written, and engrossing story around a very tough subject, and I read into the small hours this morning, only putting it down to fall into a well needed sleep!

4.5 stars rounded up.

]]> 64438117 1 John Glatt Chrissie 2 wrong-edition
Wearing women's clothing was the least problematic of Richard Sharpe's emotional "problems", and probably even reduced their severity at times.]]> 2.71 2003
author: John Glatt
name: Chrissie
average rating: 2.71
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: wrong-edition
review:
I got rather bored early on, but it was background when Christmas cooking (a lot!)

Wearing women's clothing was the least problematic of Richard Sharpe's emotional "problems", and probably even reduced their severity at times.
]]> 222434242 Listening time: 5 hours and 47 minutes

Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer.

A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.

Maureen loves her sister, but when Audrey's criminal past catches up to them both, she will have to make some difficult decisions about the limits of family loyalty - and just how far sisters are willing to go to protect each other...]]> 6 Caroline Overington Chrissie 4
Go in blind like I did. You will thank me.]]> 3.59 2024
author: Caroline Overington
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:
I have really enjoyed this author's other books, but this one takes the prize! Wow.

Go in blind like I did. You will thank me.
]]> 58649313 Philip E. Ginsburg Chrissie 3
She poisoned, murdered, deceived - and nearly got away with it!

Then there was more...

At nearly twenty hours, it is a long listen, and could have been shorter - and the narrator reads slowly!

]]> 3.09 1989
author: Philip E. Ginsburg
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.09
book published: 1989
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves:
review:
Wow, this woman was a real piece of work!

She poisoned, murdered, deceived - and nearly got away with it!

Then there was more...

At nearly twenty hours, it is a long listen, and could have been shorter - and the narrator reads slowly!


]]> 219876684 In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.

Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?

Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.

Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.]]> 68 Fredrik Backman 1662526520 Chrissie 4
This is a really fun read, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.]]> 3.94 2024
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:
Mr Backman imagines wonderful curmudgeonly characters, and Lucas is definitely one of these! In fact, all of the characters in this short story are wonderful.

This is a really fun read, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
]]> 58570584 Welcome to No.12 rue des Amants

A beautiful old apartment block, far from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and the bustling banks of the Seine.

Where nothing goes unseen, and everyone has a story to unlock.

The watchful concierge
The scorned lover
The prying journalist
The naïve student
The unwanted guest

There was a murder here last night.
A mystery lies behind the door of apartment three.

Who holds the key?]]> 416 Lucy Foley 0008385041 Chrissie 4
One day I spotted it for 99p, and thought why not?

I thought it would be nice to be in Paris, but there are dark forces at work from the start.

The story is told via different points of view, and in short chapters. Thankfully, I was able to keep up with who is who, which is rather important.

Facts unfold at a good pace, and there are some surprises along the way.

3.5 �� rounded up

]]> 3.92 2022
author: Lucy Foley
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves:
review:
It took some time for me to finally read this book, as I happened to see a few less than complimentary reviews (I am not usually that shallow, I like to make up my own mind as a rule).

One day I spotted it for 99p, and thought why not?

I thought it would be nice to be in Paris, but there are dark forces at work from the start.

The story is told via different points of view, and in short chapters. Thankfully, I was able to keep up with who is who, which is rather important.

Facts unfold at a good pace, and there are some surprises along the way.

3.5 �� rounded up


]]> 29454461
But in the sweltering summer of 1943 something happens that will have tragic consequences. A small lie escalates. Over 70 years on Alice is determined to atone for her behaviour - but has she left it too late?

2014, and Maggie's granddaughter Lucy flees to the childhood home she couldn't wait to leave thirteen years earlier, marriage over; career apparently ended thanks to one terrible mistake. Can she rebuild herself and the family farm? And can she help her grandmother, plagued by a secret, to find some lasting peace?

This is a novel about identity and belonging; guilt, regret and atonement; the unrealistic expectations placed on children and the pain of coming of age. It's about small lies and dark secrets. But above all it's about a beautiful, desolate, complex place.]]> 0 Sarah Vaughan 1444792288 Chrissie 0
I read the first half in one sitting, but was not desperate to get back to it, which told me that I was not really intrigued, and should probably not go any further...

Such a shame.]]> 3.63 2016
author: Sarah Vaughan
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
review:
I loved the first two books I read by this author, and was really looking forward to this one.

I read the first half in one sitting, but was not desperate to get back to it, which told me that I was not really intrigued, and should probably not go any further...

Such a shame.
]]> 210164254
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin��), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a “literary icon�� (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.]]> 8 Percival Everett 0593821262 Chrissie 4
I will not recount the story, as there are no doubt many brilliant reviews around by now.

Suffice to say, I loved it, I loved James, and the narrator is superb.]]> 4.43 2024
author: Percival Everett
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves:
review:
This is his best yet!

I will not recount the story, as there are no doubt many brilliant reviews around by now.

Suffice to say, I loved it, I loved James, and the narrator is superb.
]]> 16053987 338 Richard Yates 0099528991 Chrissie 4 wrong-edition
This is not a love story, however; Frank and April are very flawed individuals.

Frank has a job that he professes to despise, he and April argue constantly, and they have two beautiful children, who seem to be annoyances to them. They disparage their close friends as if they are beneath them, but continue to socialise with them.

Then, one day, they hatch a plan to escape from the life about which they are so disillusioned - they will relocate to Paris! Their lacklustre life becomes full of elaborate plans during which their relationship seems to thrive. They tell friends and Frank's employer about the imminent move, who are all nonplussed.

Here comes the "but"...

Something comes between them and their plans which spirals into a terrible conclusion.

It may not be a cheerful book, but it is certainly masterful.

]]> 4.21 1961
author: Richard Yates
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1961
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: wrong-edition
review:
A beautifully written tale set in post-World War II America.

This is not a love story, however; Frank and April are very flawed individuals.

Frank has a job that he professes to despise, he and April argue constantly, and they have two beautiful children, who seem to be annoyances to them. They disparage their close friends as if they are beneath them, but continue to socialise with them.

Then, one day, they hatch a plan to escape from the life about which they are so disillusioned - they will relocate to Paris! Their lacklustre life becomes full of elaborate plans during which their relationship seems to thrive. They tell friends and Frank's employer about the imminent move, who are all nonplussed.

Here comes the "but"...

Something comes between them and their plans which spirals into a terrible conclusion.

It may not be a cheerful book, but it is certainly masterful.


]]> 60762601
A teenage girl is found dead in the woods. The kill bears a chilling resemblance to those of the Angel Maker, a serial killer caught two decades ago.

But with the old case files missing and doubts swirling about the original investigation, London Met detective Jamie Johansson is drawn back to the icy streets of her home city to help. Her father, one of Stockholm's most notorious detectives, closed the case when Jamie was just a girl. And her memories may hold the only key to unlocking the past, and the truth of whether he put the right man behind bars all those years ago.

Jamie will have to confront her own dark childhood, as well as the evil stalking the city if she hopes to crack this case. But with so many secrets buried beneath the frozen earth, will she be able to find the killer before he claims his next victim?

The Angel Maker is back, and a plan twenty years in the making is already in motion.

***

Angel Maker is the stunning first outing for DI Jamie Johansson and will have readers on the edge of their seats. With a ruthless killer, a host of likely suspects, tight plotting, gritty characters, and a twist that will feel like a punch to the gut, this is the crime thriller you've been waiting for.

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Jo Nesbø, Rachel Lynch, and JD Kirk, Angel Maker is sure to cement Greene as one of your new favourite authors.

Book 1 in the DI Jamie Johansson Series.]]> Morgan Greene Chrissie 3 3.48 2021
author: Morgan Greene
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 219528226 If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.��

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel.]]> 487 Liane Moriarty 0241396107 Chrissie 5
It doesn't.

It's even better!

During a domestic flight, a lady walks along the aisle of the plane pointing to each passenger in turn and predicts the cause and age of their death.

Who is she? And what does it mean for the passengers? How would YOU react?

This is Liane at her finest so far. I got to know the characters so well, their wants, their lives - and their fears.

As for the "psychic" lady, we get to know her much more via her backstory throughout the book (and what a life she has had), and then to a brilliant conclusion.

I am so sad to have finished it.]]> 4.00 2024
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Chrissie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
After "Apples Never Fall", I hoped this book would compare.

It doesn't.

It's even better!

During a domestic flight, a lady walks along the aisle of the plane pointing to each passenger in turn and predicts the cause and age of their death.

Who is she? And what does it mean for the passengers? How would YOU react?

This is Liane at her finest so far. I got to know the characters so well, their wants, their lives - and their fears.

As for the "psychic" lady, we get to know her much more via her backstory throughout the book (and what a life she has had), and then to a brilliant conclusion.

I am so sad to have finished it.
]]> 220372694 19 Thibault Busschots Chrissie 4 3.94
author: Thibault Busschots
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves:
review:
This is a delicious short story involving a young couple who are spending the evening together, and the boyfriend is cooking. Or is he?
]]> 222059584
It’s been two years since Anna Cartwright’s life fell apart. During her first school trip as a young teacher, a student went missing and was never found. Not only was her career ruined, she was also accused of having an affair with fellow teacher and prime suspect Graham. Facing questions from journalists, police and family, Anna said she didn’t know what happened. She was lying.

Now, Anna has returned to Australia. Her only hope is Land’s End Area School, an isolated concrete wasteland perched on the cliffs. The failing institution is so understaffed that it is the one place her history might remain hidden. But while the eccentric Headmistress seems welcoming, deputy-head Miss Baxter seems determined to expose her secrets.

With new lies spinning out of control, how long can Anna keep her secret hidden? And is she being haunted by her guilt or by something far more sinister?]]> Brid Cummings Chrissie 0 to-read 2.72
author: Brid Cummings
name: Chrissie
average rating: 2.72
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55294930
If you knew you were going to die in two years, would you still have gone with the Volvo? So begins the first question of this interview between the recently deceased Linda and her Volvo’s Market Research representative. Over the course of the rest of the interview, listen in and roll down your window into not only a woman’s marriage but a psyche. This brilliantly woven tale shines a light on our collective idiosyncrasies, neuroses, and desires. In the tradition of Sally Rooney and Maria Semple, Alison Espach threads the needle between humor and devastation and emerges a master of observational satire and millennial voice.]]> Alison Espach Chrissie 4 3.51
author: Alison Espach
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.51
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves:
review:
A surprisingly humorous tale, given the title!
]]> 222207979 In the wake of King Ezana’s death, his brash widow Queen Yodit (Deadwyler) must decide which of her twin sons will ascend to the throne. Clashing beliefs about religion, duty, and the rights of a ruler collide in this unforgettable story about a royal house at a crossroads in history.

Set in the ancient Aksumite Kingdom of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, this fresh take on historical drama is enhanced by an original Ethio-Jazz score and powerful performances from a full cast of award-winning actors. Experience the vibrant and influential African kingdom like never before in this immersive and electrifying Audible Original.

Directed by Shariffa Ali with sound design by Alex Trajano. Original music by DA Mekonnen and Andrew Orkin, featuring Kibrom Birhane.

Playwright Banna Desta was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop The Abyssinians

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2024 Banna Desta (P)2024 AO Media LLC]]> 3 Banna Desta Chrissie 5
The King is dead, and his shrewd widow must choose which of their twin boys will succeed him.

I think you might see where issues may arise, but you may still be surprised...

]]> 3.77 2024
author: Banna Desta
name: Chrissie
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves:
review:
This is wonderful production, with a stellar cast, and I was fully immersed in it.

The King is dead, and his shrewd widow must choose which of their twin boys will succeed him.

I think you might see where issues may arise, but you may still be surprised...


]]>