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Safe And Sound by Philippa East

Feb18

Truth Or Lies?

Safe And Sound by Philippa East is an absolutely gripping contemporary psychological novel that had me captivated from the start.

The narrative is split into two different time periods – present day in the first person through the lead characters voice and ‘then’ in the third person narrative. The reader is guessing who is the voice in the past? I failed to guess correctly – again.

Within the tale there are truth and lies, reality and imagination, those who can be trusted and those who cannot. It is up to the reader to work out where the truth and reality lie.

How much do we really know people? We imagine that others have better lives than we do – but do they?

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The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson

Feb15

Totally Gripping

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson is a marvellous, exciting contemporary crime murder suspense. It was totally gripping and consumed me from the start.

The novel concerns a copycat killer who grabs both the readers and the police’s attention. Nadine Matheson has very cleverly constructed and executed her plotline. It was intricate and well thought out. I completely lost myself within the novel – getting up in the morning believing I needed to check the progress on the Jigsaw Man! I had convinced myself the case was real!

I found the characters within the law enforcement to be realistic and likable. The leading lady was thorough in her job and tenacious as she kept going in spite of suffering from PTSD. The scene where she dissolved into tears made her easy to relate to.

There was an eclectic mix of shady characters as the London underworld came to life.

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The Forgotten Orphan by Glynis Peters

Feb11

Courage And Tenacity

The Forgotten Orphan by Glynis Peters is a heart wrenching historical tale that consumed me from the start. It is set during World War II in an orphanage near Southampton. It is a tale of remarkable courage and strength.

The novel follows Maisie, a young girl who has been at the orphanage since she was four years old. We witness her tenacity to endure all things with a smile and a gentle heart. She is a delightful and realistic main character.

The reader sees the cruelty and damage that words spoken over us do to our spirit. We believe what others tell us. “Maisie was a waste of precious funds… had resigned herself to the ranks of the unwanted.” It is heart breaking to see a broken spirit.

World War II was a dreadful time. The bombs rained down on Southampton. As a sea port it received the maimed and the dying. As buildings are repurposed, Maisie finds her raison d’etre. “I want to help the poor broken men who have been brought to us to learn to live again.”

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The Man I Didn’t Marry by Anna Bell

Feb4

Big And Little Memories

The Man I Didn’t Marry by Anna Bell is a delightful contemporary novel about making memories to last a lifetime.

The storyline is well thought out and executed. Anna Bell has a wonderful light-hearted style set around more serious themes. The exchanges of dialogue and situations were highly amusing, certainly making me chuckle on numerous occasions. All the characters were realistic, kind and loyal.

The main premise surrounds a character who has short term amnesia – the last five years are erased from his memory, including his marriage and daughter. The family recreate memories to stimulate his mind but they do not always go to plan. Certain events are kept from him which makes for some delightfully amusing scenes in which the wrong end of the stick is definitely grabbed. Who can forget the early morning mix up at his parents which literally had me laughing out loud.

The novel is about life-long friendships and also new ones. We all need friends to help us journey through life.

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