KINDIG

THE CHALET CATHERINE COOPER ***** When a body is found on the ski slopes of the French Alps it will change the lives of the guests forever – what secrets are about to be revealed? From its blurb and cover I was expecting ‘The Chalet’ to be a quick and predictable standard murder mystery story. I feel bad for making this assumption as it was actually a well-constructed thriller that kept me hooked throughout. We get chapters which alternate both character perspectives and time

IMAGINARY FRIEND STEPHEN CHBOSKY ** I must admit a book blogger’s worst nightmare with Imaginary Friend, I requested the ARC back before the hardback version came out and it’s been sat on my shelf until just before it will be published in paperback! So sorry to the publishers, I guess I was a little apprehensive at starting this 700 page tome but I’d heard some good things and wanted to get the review done before my second deadline at least! We’ll start with the positives; Im

THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER STUART TURTON ***** Having read and raved to anyone who would listen about The Seven (and a half) Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle which was Stuart Turton’s debut book I had very high expectations of The Devil and The Dark Water. Firstly, the books are in no way related to each other, besides the author’s skill at creating a complex and thrilling plot. The Devil and the Dark Water is set in the 1600s as a ship sets sail with a curse aboard. We meet a t

THIRTEEN STOREYS JONATHAN SIMS ***** I was really excited to start reading the ARC for ‘Thirteen Storeys’ as I’d been hearing a lot of chatter and excitement about it and boy, it did not disappoint! Jonathan Sims really hooks you in at the beginning with an obituary to Tobias Fell, a billionaire who built and lives in ‘Banyan Court’ where the story is set. Banyan Court is an interesting setting, part fancy, expensive block of flats and part slum. I would have loved a picture

THE THIEF ON THE WINGED HORSE KATE MASCARENHAS ***** When the most expensive and famous magic doll is stolen right from under the Kendrick’s noses, it’s obvious there is family betrayal afoot – who can they trust? I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Thief on The Winged Horse but I’m so glad I requested it and I have already begun recommending it to friends! Kate Mascarenhas has really built a well-developed and realistic world of supernatural doll-making in Oxfo

THE CURATOR M W CRAVEN ***** Disembodied fingers are appearing in seemingly random locations, all left next to the phrase #BSC6. Can Poe and Bradshaw discover the link before it’s too late? This was my first delve into a crime thriller by M W Craven and I was a little apprehensive having not read the previous 2 books in the Washington Poe series. However, I soon felt at home with the characters and their backstory without feeling left out or like I was given an overload of

THE SECRETS OF STRANGERS CHARITY NORMAN ***** When a shooter opens fire inside a busy café, people scramble for safety but not everyone is able to escape. What secrets will these strangers share and how will it help them to leave with no-one getting hurt? This was my first book by Charity Norman and I will certainly keep an eye out for more of her books in future. The Secrets of Strangers seems like quite a simple premise centring around a hostage situation in a café but it’s

THE PERFECT WIFE JP DELANEY ***** When Abbie wakes up with no idea who she is or what has happened to her, her husband Tim is more than happy to fill in the gaps. But what secrets are hiding within her past? The blurb of The Perfect Wife is a little misleading; I had the impression that Abbie would have no idea what she was – a woman woken up from a traumatic accident and told bits about her life only to find something more sinister lurking beneath the surface. However, 3 pag

A BIT OF A STRETCH CHRIS ATKINS **** I find day-in-the-life insight type books to be quite fascinating, particularly from perspectives that you might not get a chance to learn about any other way. As a female reader who has always been as much as a ‘model’ citizen as possible, the male prison system definitely fits the bill! It’s a very interesting topic with the scope to allow for some humorous and scary situations but also for more serious discussions of politics and govern

THE MEMORY WOOD SAM LLOYD ***** When Elissa is kidnapped she finds solace in a boy called Elijah who visits her – but will he be willing to help his new friend escape? The Memory Wood is a dark crime thriller that is not afraid to pull punches in its plot development. The chapters shift between a boy who knows his Memory Wood contains a dark secret, a girl who’s been abducted and a police detective with problems of her own – there is a lot to unpack here but it certainly lea

DRACUL DACRE STOKER & J.D. BARKER ***** Bram Stoker was always a very sickly child, but when he’s miraculously cured by his nanny with a mysterious past he finds himself linked to her and her dark world in a way he could never have imagined. I must admit I was a little wary of Dracul by Dacre Stoker - Bram’s great grand-nephew. I initially thought it would be a chance for the author to cash in on his famous name and nothing more. How wrong I was! Firstly, I really enjoyed the

THE BLACK HAWKS DAVID WRAGG *** When Chel is tasked with escorting a Prince to safety, he meets the rag tag band of mercenaries – The Black Hawks. But who can he really trust? The Black Hawks is a fun fantasy with a streak of sarcasm and humour woven into its writing style (although there are no real laugh at loud moments that I was expecting from the hype). This makes for a fun read which flows well and keeps you engaged. However, as far as the fantasy genre goes it isn’t ex

LOCK EVERY DOOR RILEY SAGER *** When Jules is offered a dream job house sitting a beautiful large apartment she jumps at the opportunity – but what is the catch? I really enjoyed The Last Time I Lied, Riley Sager’s last book (see my review here - https://www.kindig.co.uk/post/review-the-last-time-i-lied) so I was excited to receive the ARC for Lock Every Door. Skimming over the fact that the title actually has very little to do with the plot, I was a little disappointed with

DON'T TELL TEACHER SUZY K QUINN ***** Lizzie and son Tom have moved away and are desperate to start a new life but what is lurking under the surface of the perfect new school that Tom has been enrolled in? I must admit that I read a lot of psychological thrillers during the year and I’m getting to the point now where I can guess the twist and occasionally even guess the entire plot a few chapters in! Every now and again however, there comes a book that completely knocks me ba

THEN SHE VANISHES CLAIRE DOUGLAS ***** When Jess goes to investigate a double homicide she finds her childhood friend at the centre of the allegations – but what actually happened and why? I was excited to get to read Then She Vanishes as I have read and enjoyed one of Claire Douglas’ other books – Do Not Disturb (read my 5* review on my blog here: https://www.kindig.co.uk/post/review-do-not-disturb). I’m happy to say that even with high expectations going in I wasn’t at all

WALKING TO ALDEBARAN ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY ***** ‘I think I used to talk to you because it kept me sane, but we’ve rather moved past that stage in the relationship, don’t you think?’ Walking to Aldebaran was a novella I simply could not put down – I devoured it in one sitting! I think part of what makes this such a compelling read is the narrative voice of our main character Gary Rendell. As he roams the desolate and scary passageways of the mysterious crypt you are utterly draw

THE NEVER GAME JEFFERY DEAVER * Although I have never read a book by Jeffery Deaver before I was so excited to get the ARC to read The Never Game. I read the blurb out to my friends who all agreed that this book sounded perfect for me. I have been an avid gamer all of my life, I love going to escape rooms and crime thrillers are one of my preferred genre of books so on paper this book sounded absolutely ideal. This may also be why I’ve held it to very high standards and ultim

MY LOVELY WIFE SAMANTHA DOWNING ***** Millicent and her husband are a team in everything they do – whether that’s buying all organic food at the supermarket, going to gala nights with their upmarket housing community or luring and killing women together… My Lovely Wife is an absolute rollercoaster of a read and one I really enjoyed from beginning to end. I enjoyed the way that Samantha Downing keeps the book completely in the narrative of the husband, and it is only now in wr

PERFECT CRIME HELEN FIELDS ***** When Steve Berry turns up dead after a failed suicide the week before, the question is asked. Did he jump this time or was he pushed? Perfect Crime is the 5th book in the DI Callanach series and I think it does have some important plot points to the overall series arc, rather than being a standalone piece. You’d be better off at least reading the last book to get some context than jumping straight into this one. As someone who has read some of

THE DARK GAME JONATHAN JANZ * I was really excited by the premise of ‘The Dark Game’ – horror mixed with my favourite subject – books! Ironically however, I found the writing to be a let down! My first problem was how predictable it all was – the reader and the characters can easily guess what is going on by chapter 3 and there is no big twist or reveal which deviates from that in any way throughout the book. I feel like the whole thing needed more setup – we needed the illus