Tag Archive | Hera Books

All Change At The Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Jul20

Stepping Up

All Change At The Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi is a comprehensive account of life at the beach hotel during World War I.

War removes so many men from their places of work. The women have to step into their shoes. They are all very competent and prove their worth.

We see the plight of an unmarried mother who believes she is alone in her shame. However, the women rally around her and see the baby as a gift and a blessing, as they offer their love and support.

The reader hears a little about life at the Front. My heart sank as the offensive at the Somme was mentioned as there was only one way that was going to end.

A character has broken free of the hold of her family over her. Jealousy and lies pull her back into the fold until the truth is laid bare.

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The Silent Child by M.J. White

Nov8

Horrifying, Heartbreaking & Powerful

The Silent Child by M.J White is a powerful and horrifying contemporary crime suspense that had me gripped from the start. It is the second book in the Cora Lael series but can be read as a stand-alone.

M.J. White has created an eclectic mix of characters from police to perpetrators to victims. As the novel progresses, we ‘hear’ the different voices as we ‘see’ events through alternating eyes.

The plotline is extremely well crafted and executed. We witness the damage that those who should protect, inflict on others. Actions have far-reaching consequences, both mental and physical.

There are characters who are physically weak but mentally strong.

A character is carrying a huge burden and wants to release it but there is the question of who to trust? Having been manipulated, events were not actually as the character believed. The line between truth and lies has been blurred.

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