KINDIG GEMS FOR 2021
2021 has been a fantastic year for publishing and I've also been so lucky to have had the time to read so many amazing books! Here are my highlights for the year - Part 1 of my Kindig Gems!
THE LAST THING TO BURN WILL DEAN
On an isolated farm in the United Kingdom, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her seven years ago. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. But when another woman is brought into the fold on the farm, her plans go awry. Can she save herself, her child, and this innocent woman at the same time? Or is she doomed to spend the remainder of her life captive on this farm?
Kindig says: 'A powerful & disturbing story that stays with you long after you put it down. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
THE SHADOW MAN
HELEN FIELDS
He collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.
Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.
Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth.
Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.
And he’s watching.
Kindig says: 'A terrifying read which hooked me from the outset and stayed with me long after I put the book down – another triumph for Helen Fields! Thank you to Avon Books UK for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL
AIMEE MOLLOY
Newlyweds, Sam Statler and Annie Potter are ready to begin their lives together in a small town in upstate New York. Whilst Annie spends most of her time alone, Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his home office, tending to the egos of his mostly female clientele.
Little does Sam know that through a vent in the ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. The pharmacist's wife, contemplating a divorce. The well-known painter whose boyfriend doesn't satisfy her in bed. Who could resist eavesdropping?
Everything is fine until the French girl in the green Mini Cooper shows up, and Sam disappears into thin air, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie's happily ever after.
Kindig says: 'A well-constructed thriller with some brilliant twists. The fact that I physically could not put it down has meant that it has more than earned a Kindig Gem for 2021! Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton – Hodder Paperbacks for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
THE PRISON HEALER
LYNETTE NONI
At Zalindov, the only person you can trust is yourself.
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan is a survivor. For ten years, she has worked as the healer in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, making herself indispensable. Kept afloat by messages of hope from her family, Kiva has one goal and one goal only: stay alive.
Then one day the infamous Rebel Queen arrives at the prison on death's door and Kiva receives a new message: Don't let her die. We are coming.
The queen is sentenced to the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals. Aware the sickly queen has little chance of making it through the Trials alive, Kiva volunteers to take her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.
But no one has ever survived.
Kindig says: 'One of my standout fantasy books for 2021 and I cannot wait to read the next instalment. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW and buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers and the authors for allowing me to read their ARCs. Tune in tomorrow for 4 more of my Kindig gems for 2021 & keep checking kindig.co.uk for all the news on latest releases and upcoming bestsellers!