Book review (ARC) - Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 This is Beautiful...and Ugly for all the right reasons!

I have long been a fan of Alice Feeney, first reading her novel Sometimes I Lie whilst I was studying for my Creative Writing MA. Since, I have read other novels of hers, but I have only reviewed Daisy Darker as I wasn’t blogging about reading back when I read the others. I think they deserved belated reviews because, since reading an ARC of Beautiful Ugly, I have confirmed my view that she is an outstanding author.

 

I was lucky to be provided with an ARC of Beautiful Ugly, I would particularly like to thank Chloe (from Pan Macmillan) and NetGalley.

 

Here is my review – it does not contain specific spoilers.

 

READ ME…the stunning front cover says, and I did not need any persuading! 

Marooned on my own reading island for the hours that I spent reading this novel, I could not have been any happier. Feeney always delivers and there’s something so comfortable about her style that envelops me the moment I start a novel of hers. Her descriptions are second to none and I marvelled at the way that she described so many things as the book played out its opening scenes.

I was intrigued from the get-go and (although the synopsis hints at what the book is about) I remained open minded. This open view continued until I had nearly finished reading…only around the 80% mark did I try to join up any dots. And, at this point, despite me wondering a few things, I just couldn’t work out what was really going on and any theories I did have were entirely wrong: GREAT!

Why? I when an author can fool me, providing me with twist upon twist (upon twist in this case) that I truly didn’t expect…especially when I am still marvelling over how clever Feeney was with Daisy Darker! I think it’s accurate to say that she has gone one better with this and I, for one, didn’t think that would be possible!

The main character that you read is Grady, the struggling author who moves to the island of Amberly with his dog, Columbo. Following Feeney on Twitter, I pictured her dog (Boots) every time I read Columbo and thought he was a great addition to the novel. Without spoiling anything, there was a particular section where I even read faster BECAUSE of Columbo and another where I was quite concerned. How powerful when a book evokes such a reaction from a reader...

The island itself is shown on a detailed map at the start of the book and it’s a great addition to help you place everything. Then, without repeating myself, there are the descriptions that Feeney provides: wow! I honestly thought I was there…all my senses were awakened and interacting with what I was reading.

Usually, I have a love/hate relationship with such places – they scare me with their isolation yet fascinate me for the same reason! The Isle of Amberly actually had me wanting to visit it…well for most of the book until the scare/fascinate ratio tipped from 50/50 to 99/1! But, again, I said no spoilers!

There is another, main, perspective that you read (and one more included nearer the end) as well as another one that puzzled me and I want it to puzzle you, so I won’t explain! I like how the inclusion of this other, main, perspective filled gaps of the story whilst still leaving me thinking it hadn’t filled in anything at all – clever! It’s very well done, and it adds to the mystery of what happened whilst helping the two timelines to meet, like sea meets shore, but only at the appropriate point of the book.

As I said, I couldn’t have been more wrong about what had happened…if there were clues, I missed them. I was fooled. So much so, this is the second book of Feeney’s that’s been added to my ‘need to read again’ pile! There’s also something I want to look at to see if Feeney has done something in this that appears in the book (that’s hard to explain but once you read, you will know).

On another note, I really liked Grady (I felt sorry for him) and enjoyed reading the majority of the book following his time on Amberly with Columbo. I also like how distinctive all the other characters in the book are too – another example of how marvellously Feeney describes things. This book really came alive in my head.

It’s fair to say that I am not a fan of creepy, usually, but I was brave with this, and the darker moments pulled me in further, like I needed to read to get to safety. How wonderful when a novel encapsulates you in such a way...

I didn’t want the book to end, but what an ending it was. I am still thinking about it, but I can’t explain why - no spoilers here!

After, I read Feeney’s inspiration behind the book and was fascinated and would love to know more. You can see how some of it came from her own experiences and what a great way to channel these.

p.s There’s also something REALLY clever in this novel about the Isle of Amberly that I didn’t even notice and I guarantee you won’t too…so YOU will just have to READ THIS BOOK to see what I mean 😊

p.p.s I haven’t ever put a p.s or a p.p.s in a review before but this one NEEDS these to ensure the p.s addition sticks in your mind.

 

Book review - I Died On A Tuesday - Jane Corry

 I was really rooting for her...

My review contains slight spoilers using the synopsis from Amazon:

THERE’S THE STORY EVERYONE BELIEVES . . .

The victim: Eighteen-year-old Janie leaving home for a new life.
The criminal: World-famous rockstar, Robbie, who harbours a shocking secret.
The protector: Witness support officer, Vanessa, desperate to right the wrongs of her past.

They tried to bury that fateful day. Now it’s back to haunt them.

. . . AND THEN THERE’S THE TRUTH.

I Died on a Tuesday: The gripping new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author eBook : Corry, Jane: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

I want to start by saying that I enjoyed this book, I read most of it in a morning and was REALLY rooting for one of the characters. But, I wasn't rooting for The Victim! I was more touched by the life of The Protector... And, it also wasn't what I expected as the three stories of the one version of the truth wasn't quite what you get... However, I shall too explain why you should read it further down...

Firstly, I will go into details about the tag: One day. Three Stories. Who do you believe?

There IS a day in question, but rather than a day, it's a fleeting moment of time that changes two lives, forever. Not a day. Then there are the two different perspectives that provide information about this day...neither are reliable (something I like) but actually they agree, they don't disagree until one is challenged. So, it wasn't about who I believed...besides, the third person - also connected - wasn't there at the event to provide information about it first hand.

I think this tag needs changing. It WAS what made the book catch my eye and therefore didn't deliver what I had it expected it to. In my case, I still enjoyed it but some readers may feel cheated by this and I strive to be honest in my reviews.

Also, I feel that me rooting more for Vanessa than Janie seems odd...perhaps this was because the Janie sections were so short whereas I was invested in Vanessa's past, present and future. Her part of the book alone has me hoping that this is turned into a TV show - perhaps even for what could happen beyond the book!

I did, however, like the fact that Janie 'speaks' to the reader and this reminded me of a character in The Red House (Roz Watkins - see my previous review) and I think the use of italics helped her sections to stand out from the other characters.

I have to say that I love a murder mystery and this isn't that, but I am glad I read it as there are mysteries aplenty along with twists and 'things' that all tie up by the end. I'll just say 'things' to not over-spoil!

My least favourite character was The Criminal. I didn't care if Robbie went down or not and I suppose, in this sense, I was partly rooting for Janie and believing her version of events. However, as Robbie's story continued I also was invested in his outcome after more information is known. It could come down to morals and how you would react in such a situation and if fear (and something that I won't say - spoiler avoidance) are involved...

I didn't like the prison sections - I have to say that they were well-written and informative, I just was so into the Vanessa sections that I wanted to get back to those!

I also wasn't too sure about the addition of The Judge sections, but I can see why they were needed.

Overall, it was thought-provoking story with several issues raised in the book that really makes you think. I hadn't read this author before, but I will again.

I think Corry has created characters with layers, created her scenes and locations with appropriate detail and created a tale that, as I said before, would transfer very well to screen.

If you like books where the life and story of a character interests you, then this book is for YOU!

ARC Book review - You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

                        Another book that will transfer well to screen...

 

My review, on this occasion, contains slight spoilers…

Having written my own piece about a ‘Murder Mystery’ weekend event that goes wrong, I was drawn to this for that reason alongside the concept of a ‘And Then There Were None’ style tale set on an island (just like Agatha Christie did). Only here, the characters attend as part of a writer’s retreat. As a big fan of locked room style novels, the concept of the island was a big plus for me. I am also an escape room fan and there were some great scenes along these lines too.

The mysteriousness of the visit in Christie’s novel is similar to the mystery of who has really invited the authors to the island. It is, J.R. Alastor. Despite being a well-published author, nobody knows his real name, yet…

In this novel, Mila (an events organiser) gets a message from the mystery man asking her to help host a murder mystery event on his island. He wants to invite peers - six other authors who have all been successful within the crime/mystery/thriller genre.

Mila accepts the job for a specific reason, but things quickly descend into chaos.

I really enjoyed the Cluedo concept and can appreciate how much thought must have gone into laying all the false trails and breadcrumbs that readers will, undoubtedly, follow. The use of foreboding/foreshadowing gives you a hint of what’s coming, however, I fell for the numerous red herrings and did not solve the case successfully. A stunning debut by Pliego and something I would enjoy watching on television.

There are multiple perspectives shown and (something I really appreciated) the serial killer has a voice too – clever!

My only issue with this was the disruptions to the Kindle version as there were some pieces of text that were not where they should be/font sizes different to others and – as this book has some interesting features – it was sometimes hard to tell what was there in error/what was meant to be there.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read this.

Book review (ARC) - Every Last Suspect by Nicola Moriarty

 Not quite what I expected...right until the end!

My review does not contain spoilers...

This book has a unique concept of the murder victim speaking to the reader both at the start and throughout. This, for me, was one of its strengths. I also liked how there were the three suspects and how each one had their own section. However, I wasn't as keen on the amount of other characters that were shown and I did get a bit confused.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but felt it more 'chick lit' and relationship based than I prefer - although I can see that in the book needs this to tell its story. If this is your thing - murder mystery mixed with chic lit etc then it's for you!

The ending wasn't what I expected and I did feel slightly let down. I would read this author again, I just don't think this was quite what I had hoped for. 

With thanks to Net Galley/Penguin for the chance to read it though.

Book review (ARC) - The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert

 Brrr...

My review does not contain spoilers...

Despite this being the sixth book in the Shona Merchant (and my first book by Tessa Wegert), when I read the synopsis, I just had to give it a go! I picked up the character of Shona – here she’s pregnant - just fine and want to read more in the earlier series now too.

Five things appealed to me initially about this novel:

1.      I love a book where it’s a ‘locked room’ approach and a remote island has the cut off/locked feel I enjoy.

2.      There’s something fascinating about remote islands (I have read a few murder mysteries set on them previously and watched documentaries about families who live in such places in Scotland etc).

3.      It said it was ‘perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’ – that’s me.

4.      I knew that I would appreciate cooling off by reading it!

5.      The cover! I am regularly drawn in by an appealing cover.

Overall, I found Wigert’s writing style strong and thoroughly enjoyed how she ended chapters as it left me wanting more…and often reading another chapter (or more) when I had intended to stop.

There’s a good balance between dialogue, action and description. The latter was very well used, and I could really picture everything happening. Dialogue seemed appropriate with distinct characters and the action was exciting!

Shana is a great detective, and I will be interested in seeing how her character evolves beyond this story in the series. My detective skills, however, were lacking and I did not solve the case. Did I mind? No…it added to my enjoyment as the reveals were worth the suspense (and not guessing correctly).

With thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the chance to read eARC.