Tag Archive | Harper Collins

Steel Girls On The Home Front by Michelle Rawlins

Aug18

Friendship And Hope

Steel Girls On The Home Front by Michelle Rawlins is a fabulous historical novel and the third book in The Steel Girls series. It can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading the previous two books first.

Once more we rejoin the Sheffield steel girls in 1940. It is lovely to catch up with familiar faces. The women continue to do their bit for the war effort – whether it’s operating machinery, serving tea or knitting for the troops, the women always give one hundred per cent of themselves.

There is a wonderful community atmosphere as the characters support each other. There are tears and fears, joy and laughter, love and support. Through all the seasons, none of the women battle alone as those around them offer love and care – whether it’s a listening ear, a drink in the pub, or that old favourite, a cup of tea.

Michelle Rawlins has captured the fears perfectly – there is the fear in the air raids, and also a fear that their menfolk will be killed. Some still remember the after effects of World War I and the devastated lives. The reader’s heart breaks for the young girl who misses her daddy.

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The Couple At Causeway Cottage by Diane Jeffrey

Aug18

Wow!

The Couple At Causeway Cottage by Diane Jeffrey is a marvellous contemporary psychological thriller that had me gripped from the start.

Diane Jeffrey really is a master of her craft as she takes the ordinary and spins it into a sinister tale.

The setting could be idyllic or isolated – you choose. The darkness holds secrets, covering the land and raising the tension. It is a wild, untamed landscape where the weather often mirrors the action, building suspense.

All the characters are well drawn and realistic. The story is told in the first person, enabling the reader to ‘see’ and ‘feel’ what the character does as we become immersed in the book.

Everyone seems to have secrets. Diane Jeffrey hints at events in the past that characters want to stay buried. A small community seems a blissful place to be but the secrets it holds are straining to escape.

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The Change by Kirsten Miller

Aug16

Wow! Unique And Engrossing

The Change by Kirsten Miller is a marvellous contemporary crime suspense that held my attention from the start.

The novel is about women – women who share the same goal, to protect the innocent from all those who mean harm. Women who band together, a sisterhood, each with a unique gift that is needed to defeat the evil that walks alongside.

We witness cold cases mounting up as the land and sea give up their secrets.

Kirsten Miller has written a unique novel that was a departure from my usual reads but one that totally consumed me. As the novel approached its conclusion, I read on with baited breath and a big gasp!

Over the years women have had to battle to achieve equality with men – and they have had to battle through bodily changes. This novel celebrates the strength of women. Together we are stronger.

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Such A Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar

Aug4

Wow! Gripping!

Such A Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar is a gripping psychological suspense that I just could not put down. I was totally consumed.

The novel is divided into several sections. Each section begins with a different voice to the main body. It is up to the reader to see if we know who is talking. We are left questioning – something has happened but to whom? When? And why? With these questions in my head, I read greedily on.

All the characters are well drawn but not all are likable (they are not meant to be). There is an air of menace as a character exerts control over all. A spider’s web is spun, entrapping all who come near.

We are all a product of our upbringing. Our childhood, especially any trauma, shapes the adults we become.

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