Tag Archive | Harper Collins

The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts

Aug15

Returning To Life

The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts is a most delightful contemporary novel that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep!

The action is mainly set in present day, with a few flash backs over a character’s life.

Having been left a French hotel by her late aunt, thirty something Maggie flies to the south of France in order to wrap up things and sell the place. Though a shadow of its former glory, there is a charm still lurking within the walls. Memories loom large for Maggie.

Memories loom large for others too, as former guests return to celebrate special anniversaries and events. The hotel is so much more than bricks and mortar. It is a place that is alive with past memories.

Maggie awakens the hotel, whilst simultaneously awakening her life. For too long, life has been a series of doctors, IVF and miscarriages. Maggie awakens her passion for cooking as she creates recipes that awaken the taste buds.

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The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay

Jun7

Exciting & Compelling

The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay is a gripping contemporary crime suspense that I became totally engrossed in.

Linwood Barclay knows how to weave an excellent tale. His plotline is complex and well executed. I hung on for dear life as the tale twisted this way and that.

We see that people and life are not always black and white. More often than not, people come in varying shade of grey.

Family is important. Sometimes in order to protect the family, tough choices have to be made. Sacrifices are the order of the day. In contrast, a warped sense of loyalty sees a character determined to get revenge, and will stop at nothing in order to achieve it.

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The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry

May24

Who Can Stop The Killings?

The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry is a marvellous contemporary novel that drew me in from the start. It is the first book in Solanki and McQueen series which promises to be gripping.

Solanki and McQueen are an unlikely pairing – a young police officer with a troubled past, and a more experienced officer whose daughter was murdered. Both their pasts haunt their days but they are determined to bring a killer to justice. Their personalities complement each other as they also build their relationship.

The reader is drawn in from the start as the book opens with a crime scene fifteen years earlier. We skip to present day and another crime scene – could they be linked? As the body count rises, it suddenly becomes personal. Can Solanki and McQueen catch the killer before more murders are committed?

The landscape and weather are dark and brooding, which mirrors the action.

All of the novel is set in villages in Scotland, around the Inverness area. It is a wild and rugged landscape which helps to heighten the tension.

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The Runner by Lloyd Devereux Richards

May23

Twisting, Turning, Engaging

The Runner by Lloyd Devereux Richards is a contemporary suspense thriller that captured my attention from the start.

Lloyd Devereux Richards has created a complex and well executed plotline. The Runner is a thinking mans novel that keeps the reader on their toes throughout.

There are all the elements to make this an exciting tale – heroes and villains, cross country chases, assassins, FBI, innocent victims and much more. The reader buckles up for a roller coaster ride as we cling on, with pulses rising.

We see how upbringings shape the person we become – a character’s father did not believe he would amount to anything. How true was this prophecy? You will have to read the novel in order to find out.

A sister has a bond with her brother, caring enough to make a difficult phone call. Would he do the same?

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