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 2 of my Kindig Gems!
THE END OF MEN
CHRISTINA SWEENEY-BAIRD
Glasgow, 2025. Dr Amanda Maclean is called to treat a patient with flu-like symptoms. Within three hours he is dead. This is how it begins.
The unknown virus sweeps through the hospital with deadly speed.
The victims are all men.
Dr Maclean raises the alarm. But by the time the authorities listen to her, the virus has spread to every corner of the world. Threatening families. Governments. Countries.
Can they find a cure before it’s too late?
Kindig says: 'A heart-breaking story which has been told at a perfect time in history for us to fully appreciate it. The book is highly recommended! Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction & The Borough Press for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW and then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
WHEN THE SPARROW FALLS
NEIL SHARPSON
In the future, AI are everywhere - over half the human race lives online. But in the Caspian Republic, the last true human beings have made their stand; and now the repressive, one-party state is locked in perpetual cold war with the outside world.
Security Agent Nikolai South is given a seemingly mundane task; escorting a dead journalist’s widow while she visits the Caspian Republic to identify her husband’s remains. But Paulo Xirau was AI; and as Nikolai and Lily delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding Paulo’s death, South must choose between his loyalty to his country and his conscience.
Kindig says: 'A fantastic and grim read which is perfect for fans of 1984 – go out and buy this book! Thank you to Rebellion – Solaris for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW and then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
NEXT OF KIN
KIA ABDULLAH
ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY…
Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. His son’s nursery has called to ask where little Max is.
YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE…
Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.
Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done.
IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE…
What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye…
Kindig says: 'The ending itself was nothing short of brilliant, I did not see the twist coming and the final few chapters are heart-wrenching. It really is a book which delivers on all elements. Thank you to HQ Stories for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
MRS MARCH
VIRGINIA FEITO
George March’s latest novel is a smash hit. None could be prouder than Mrs. March, his dutiful wife, who revels in his accolades and relishes the lifestyle and status his success brings.
A creature of routine and decorum, Mrs. March lives an exquisitely controlled existence on the Upper East Side. Every morning begins the same way, with a visit to her favourite patisserie to buy a loaf of olive bread, but her latest trip proves to be her last when she suffers an indignity from which she may never recover: an assumption by the shopkeeper that the protagonist in George March’s new book – a pathetic sex worker, more a figure of derision than desire – is based on Mrs. March.
One casual remark robs Mrs. March not only of her beloved olive bread but of the belief that she knew everything about her husband – and herself – sending her on an increasingly paranoid journey, one that starts within the pages of a book but may very well uncover both a killer and the long-buried secrets of Mrs. March’s past.
Kindig says: 'A gripping and disturbing read that kept me hooked from the first page. Thank you to 4th Estate & William Collins for the ARC.'
READ MY FULL REVIEW then buy from Amazon UK or Waterstones
So there you have it - my Kindig Gems for 2021! Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers and the authors for allowing me to read their ARCs. Have a fantastic 2022 and keep checking kindig.co.uk for all the news on latest releases and upcoming bestsellers!