I’ve really been facing a slump when it comes to reading. I read a book on November 1st and then read NOTHING until today (Monday 11th). It’s not like I don’t have plenty to read, I just couldn’t find the right book to fit my mood. I get irritated when I don’t read books. (I have actually read a book today, so I shouldn’t be too grumpy!)
I am still on a book ban in regards to paperbacks. This close to Christmas, and with my many book lists, I don’t buy anything in case it’s being wrapped as a present. I limit myself to Kindle purchases of hidden gems I stumble across that I 100% know aren’t on any of my – very long – book lists.
It did occur to me once I’d finished my book earlier, that perhaps I should branch out and get some books that weren’t crime or thriller related, but as a recent trip to Notcutts (garden center) proved, it is the time of year where all those ridiculous Christmas Romantic books come out. I cannot stand them. They’re overly sweet and boringly predictable. So, I decided to stick with my crime/thriller books. At home, I’m working my way through all my children’s and young adult books, so at least I have a little variety.
Anyway, I’ve rambled enough. I’ll get on with what I got now. If you’ve read any of these or know anything about them let me know. If you have a recommendation, which should I read first?
1933, Mother Superior Agnes offers sanctuary to a desperate young woman fleeing for her life. Only to wake in the morning to discover a terrible fate has befallen one of the Sisters – in a room locked from the inside. Agnes can’t help but fear that she has allowed a great evil to enter the convent, but she has no idea how far reaching the consequences of that one fateful night will be…
Over 80 years later, Kate Parker, divorced, alcoholic, and broke, moves into the dilapidated old convent she dreams of turning into a bed and breakfast, whilst changing her life. Although the locals refuse to go near the place at night, Kate is determined to stay while the renovations take place. But when she starts to hear strange noises at night, and the crucifixes she had removed reappear on the walls, Kate starts to suspect she is not entirely alone in her new home.
Kindle | 297 pages | Published by: HQ Digital 21/10/2016
I first discovered Helen Phifer when I first got my Kindle back in 2013. I read her Annie Graham series and was hooked from the first chapter. I haven’t been back to see what else she had written till this popped up on my Kindle recommendation page. I’ll admit it took me a while to remember why the name was so familiar, but once I’d worked it out and read the blurb, I knew I needed to read this. I know that Philfer’s work can been addictive, creepy, and chilling and I’m looking forward to reading this.
Fifteen years ago, Sam Becker’s sister was killed, a tragedy that haunts him to this day–particularly as his best friend, Marcus, was jailed for her murder.
Driving home from the bittersweet celebration of what would have been her thirtieth birthday, Sam is confronted with a terrifying scene, and has just moments to try to save four lives. In the aftermath of this chilling drama, he is hailed as a hero by the press–but to the investigating police, things do not add up. Sam finds himself drawn into a conspiracy of lies and organised crime that puts his own life in danger.
And to make matters worse, Marcus is out of prison, hoping for reconciliation and determined to clear his name. Sam is forced to confront his own dark past, but as the layers of deceit are peeled back, can he really trust anyone around him?
Kindle | 402 pages | Published by: Thomas & Mercer 3/11/2015
Out of the six I got, this was the wild card and the one that won me over in the face of several others that had caught my eye. I love psychological thrillers when done well, there is a thin line between making one great and making one predictable – in my eyes at least. The blurb sounds interesting enough but it was the positive reviews that really sold this for me. I’ve been reading so many detective crime/thrillers recently that I’ve rather neglected psychological thrillers, it will be interesting to read this story.
She lies so still. A tatty yellow dress, chipped green nail varnish, long eyelashes on pale skin. She should be at a sleepover, not lying in the dirt, her last breath already taken…
When the body of teenager, Chantal Price, is found hidden inside a grave, crushed under the weight of a coffin in a small-town cemetery in The Lake District, an urgent call is made to Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams. In hiding since an attempt on her own life, all Beth’s instincts tell her that it’s a trap, that she should run for safety. But one look at the beautiful girl’s broken body confirms she’s the only one with the expertise to crack this disturbing case.
As threatening gifts start arriving at her home, Beth is faced with the reality that Chantal’s killer knows about her past and wants her attention. She has no choice but to throw herself into her work, trawling through the evidence until she finds tiny traces of material beneath the victim’s fingernails then set the team on the right path. But this critical lead comes at a dangerous price, exposing Beth’s whereabouts and dragging her back into the line of fire once again.
With Beth’s own life on the line, the investigation is already cracking under the pressure. But this time Beth won’t run – she owes it to Chantal.
Then another local girl goes missing…
Kindle | 268 pages | Published by: Bookouture 16/07/2019
This is the second of the three Helen Phifer books I decided to buy, it’ll be interesting to read from a different pov than a Detective Inspector. The reviews for this were positive, and Amazon rates it as ‘a gripping serial killer thriller’ that readers of ‘MJ Arlidge, Angela Marsons and Rachel Abbott’ will like. I have just started reading Angela Marson’s series and am thoroughly enjoying it. I have no doubt that I’ll enjoy this also.
A shadowy figure in the dark was dragging something heavy behind them. Lizzy pulled the covers over her head, then realised what was being dragged…
For years, the Moore Asylum housed the forgotten children of Brooklyn Bay. But now, a man is found murdered in the derelict building, strapped to a steel trolley, launching a heart-racing investigation for Detective Lucy Harwin.
Lucy quickly discovers the victim was once a Moore Asylum doctor, and when a woman also linked to the home is killed on her doorstep, Lucy knows she must dig into its history. What dark secrets lie within the asylum’s walls – what was the scandal leading to its closure thirty years ago?
With her own demons to fight, Lucy starts to uncover the heartbreaking tale of the Moore Asylum children, and begins to wonder: who will be the next victim?
Kindle | 312 pages | Published by: Bookouture 24/03/2017
I couldn’t decided between this series and the Beth Adams series, so I just decided to get the first books in both series. Hopefully, they’ll live up to my expectation!!
The Missing…
In a hidden basement, eighteen-year-old Toni is held captive and no one can hear her screams. She’s been abducted after investigating unspeakable things in the darkest corners of the internet.
The Vigilante…
Fearing the worst, Toni’s mother turns to ex-SAS operative Mitchell to help find her missing daughter. And when Mitchell discovers Toni’s fate rests in the hands of pure evil, he races against the clock to find Toni and bring her out alive. But even that might not be enough to save her.
The Detective…
DS Warren Carter is looking forward to a new job and a simpler life. But when he’s called in to investigate the brutal murder of a seemingly normal couple, he become entangled in lives that are anything but simple. And as he digs deeper, he uncovers a crime more twisted than he could ever have imagined.
Kindle | 296 pages | Published by: Thomas & Mercer 03/07/2018
This sounds like it is going to be an adrenaline filled, gripping, thrilling and twisted story. I haven’t heard of Sibel Hodge before – perhaps I should have – but this popped up in my recommendations and I rather liked the sound of it. It sounds like a deep and thought out story that will take me further than expected.
It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared without trace. Then a letter from her father arrives – ‘I need to talk to you. That girl. I saw that girl.’ Has her father’s dementia worsened, or has he really seen Corinne? Returning home, Nicolette must finally face what happened on that terrible night all those years ago.
Then, another young woman goes missing, almost to the day of the anniversary of when Corinne vanished. And like ten years ago, the whole town is a suspect.
Told backwards – Day 15 to Day 1 – Nicolette works to unravel the truth, revealing shocking secrets about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne.
Kindle | 384 pages | Published by: Corvus 03/08/2017
I have been wanting to read this since I finished ‘The Last House Guest’, but I haven’t been able to find a UK Hardback edition anywhere. I thought I had struck gold on The Book Depository when they alerted me that the Hardback was back in stock but at £23 I thought that was a little too expensive to justify. So, I brought it on Kindle instead, and hope to find it – more reasonably priced – in Hardback soon. I cannot wait to read this!
I mean, should I have brought these 6 Kindle books? Probably not. Do I regret it in anyway? Absolutely not! Will I get to read these in 2019? We’ll see. There is always time to read, so I don’t doubt that I’ll read these. Regardless of how many books I have to read currently, it’s good to some times get more and ‘refresh the palette’ if you will – at least, that’s what I’m telling myself!
At the End of the World is a Book 