All The Little Pieces by Jilliane Hoffman

All The Little Pieces
By Jilliane Hoffman
Published by Harper Collins (4 June 2015)
ISBN: 978-0007311705

Publisher's description
She could have stopped an awful crime. She could have saved a life. She tried to forget about it. But now, the truth is out.

Faith Saunders is the perfect wife, mother and sister - loved and admired by all who know her.

One night will change everything.

As she drives home in the pouring rain, a dishevelled young woman appears out of nowhere, pleading for help. The isolated stretch of road is dark, and with her four-year-old daughter Maggie asleep in the backseat, Faith refuses to let the stranger in.

What she sees next will haunt her forever.

When the missing-person posters go up, Faith's guilt consumes her. Then the girl's body turns up and her perfect life begins to unravel. Because it turns out Maggie wasn't asleep that night and - unlike her mother - she's not afraid to speak up. Maggie's testimony leads to an arrest, but Faith is the only one who can identify a second man who was at the scene of the crime. She has one chance to convince a jury of what happened. If she fails, two murderers will go free - two men who have killed before and who will undoubtedly kill again. And they know exactly where to find Faith and her family.

My verdict
All the Little Pieces is a roller coaster read. It's an enjoyable mixture of courtroom drama, psychological thriller and crime novel.

Faith seems to have the perfect life, until you delve beneath the surface. Driving home from her sister's house late at night, in the middle of nowhere, a girl's battered face appears at her car window, asking Faith for help. Faith panics and drives off into the darkness, determined to protect her young daughter who is sleeping in the car.

When her daughter identifies the murdered girl on a news bulletin, Faith's nightmare begins. Her daughter wasn't asleep after all. Faith realises that she may have prevented a violent murder if she had just opened her car door and let the stranger in. The guilt over what she has done leads her state of mind to spiral out of control and puts her and her family's lives in danger.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. Its fast-paced writing kept my heart pumping throughout the book. However, I was slightly let down by the ending, which left me hanging and didn't feel complete.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through the Lovereading Reviewer Panel in exchange for an honest review.

Only We Know by Karen Perry

Only We Know
By Karen Perry
Published by Michael Joseph (4 June 2015)
ISBN: 978-0718179601

Publisher's description
In 1982, an idyllic summer is shattered when three children play a game that ends in tragedy.

Now, thirty years later, Nick, Luke and Katie remain bound together by the truth of what happened that day.

But some secrets won't stay buried.

And when Luke vanishes and the threatening messages begin, it becomes clear someone else knows the truth - and is intent on justice, no matter what the cost...

My verdict
Only We Know grabbed my attention straight away with its first chapter, which describes a tragedy involving three children - brothers Luke and Nick and their friend Katie - playing by a river in Kenya.

For 30 years, these three people are the only ones who know the truth about what happened that fateful day. And as the story progresses, this secret is gradually revealed, with devastating consequences.

The book is an easy read and moves at a fast pace. It kept me absorbed all the way through, as the author teases the reader along with little snippets of information. The book is narrated mainly by Katie and Nick, giving their thoughts of events in the present and memories of the past.

Just when I thought I had the big secret sussed, there was yet another twist (although I did guess one of these). I enjoyed the descriptions of Africa and found most of the characters very likeable and believable.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley and through the Lovereading Reviewer Panel in exchange for an honest review.

The Spider in the Corner of the Room by Nikki Owen

The Spider in the Corner of the Room
by Nikki Owen
Published by Harlequin (4 June 2015)
ISBN: 978-1848453739

Publisher's description
Plastic surgeon Dr Maria Martinez has Asperger's.

She is alone and in a London prison, convicted of murdering a priest.

As she is drawn into a web of international intrigue, she must fight not only to clear her name but simply to remain alive.

My verdict
The Spider in the Corner of the Room was an addictive read. I thought this was going to be another thriller or crime novel, trying to establish why, how or even whether Dr Maria Martinez killed the priest. While this is a major focus of the plot, the story is far more intriguing and thought-provoking. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, so you will have to read the book to find out more about the plot. But I will say - expect the unexpected.

The highly intelligent narrator, Maria, has Asperger's and is gifted in deciphering complex patterns and codes. She is written with sensitivity and without exaggeration, making her feel very real. Maria can't 'read' people's emotions, concentrating only on the facts as she sees them, so she has difficulty knowing who to trust. This makes Maria easily manipulated and an unreliable witness. She can't remember committing the murder and is struggling to prove her innocence.

This character-driven thriller starts off slowly, but soon picks up speed as it gets under way. The well-written narrative drifts between the past (in the prison) and present (in therapy sessions). There are no clear divisions between the two time frames, but I found this easy to follow once I became used to the plot. During the book, Maria meets an interesting array of characters and, like her, I wasn't sure who she should be trusting until the final few pages.

This is the first book in a trilogy. While the mystery of the murder is resolved by the end, I felt that there is still far more to learn about Maria and her past. I look forward to the next book.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I Do Not Sleep by Judy Finnigan

I Do Not Sleep
By Judy Finnigan
Published by Little Brown (12 February 2015)
ISBN: 978-1847445537

Publisher's description
Five years ago, Molly Gabriel lost her 20-year-old son, Joey, to a terrible sailing accident. His empty boat was found washed ashore on the rocks - but his body was never found. Now Molly has returned to the sands of Cornwall haunted by his disappearance, unable to accept he is gone. Joey was an experienced sailor and died on a calm sea - things just don't add up and Molly can't let it go. Desperate for answers, she turns to Joey's best friend, Ben, to go back to what really happened that day...

My verdict
I Do Not Sleep is the story of a mother coming to terms with her son's tragic demise. Joey is believed to have been killed in a terrible sailing accident in Cornwall five years earlier. Since no body has ever been found, although the boat was recovered, Molly doesn't know what happened to 20-year-old Joey and has found it very difficult to move on with her life. She returns to Cornwall, with the rest of her family, determined to discover what happened to her son.

I Do Not Sleep contains some lovely descriptions of Cornwall and a whole host of interesting characters. The story focuses on Molly's emotions. I think she is supposed to come across as obsessive and self-destructive, but I found her selfish when it came to the needs of the rest of her family, particularly her husband, and this meant I found it hard to relate to her. The story builds up gradually, but most of the action takes place in the last couple of chapters. The ending is very cliched and quite unbelievable, but it does tie up all the loose ends.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Mountain Can Wait by Sarah Leipciger

The Mountain Can Wait
by Sarah Leipciger
Published by Tinder Press (7 May 2015)
ISBN: 978-1472223890

Publisher's description
Tom Berry has always been a loner, a man content to live out his days in the wilderness with just enough ammunition and kerosene to last out the winter. A single father, he has raised his children with the same quiet and absolute dedication he brings to his forestry business, but now he's discovering that might not have been enough.

When his son Curtis, on the brink of adulthood, disappears after a tragic accident, it falls to Tom, the hunger, to track him down. Whether he can truly reach Curtis is another matter.

My verdict
The Mountain Can Wait's vivid descriptions take the reader right into the heart of Wild Canada. I visited Canada last year, specifically Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Rockies, and this book brought back memories of Canada's natural beauty, particularly the lakes, forests, mountains and wildlife.

The Mountain Can Wait is the story of one particular family. Tom Berry is a loner and a natural hunter, spending most of his time planting trees in the Canadian mountains. He loves the quiet life in the mountains but has responsibilities back at home. He married too young and too quickly. When his wife abandoned the family home, Tom was forced to bring up his two young children practically single handed.

Several years on, his son Curtis has already left home, and his daughter Erin will soon be at University. Tom usually tries to fix other people's messes but steers clear of his own. But when Curtis is involved in a hit-and-run incident, Tom realises that there are some things that can't be fixed. Then Curtis goes missing, and Tom is forced to take a look at his relationship with both of his children. Ultimately, Tom has to learn the hard way that the mountain can wait, as his children need him first.

The story is a slow burner and not to be read if you want something uplifting. Nothing specific happens between the initial hit-and-run event and the final few chapters. Yet the book pulled at my emotions and the beautiful writing left me soaking up the atmosphere, bringing the Canadian wilderness to life.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through BookBridgr and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

AUTHOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Clare Mackintosh

I am delighted that CLARE MACKINTOSH is joining me on my blog today. Clare's debut novel - I Let You Go - was published in paperback on 7 May 2015 by Little Brown.  

So Clare, what inspired you to write a book in the first place?
I always wanted to write a book, but it took some time before I knew what type of book I wanted to write. Initially I wrote a romantic comedy, but I think I always knew I needed to write something grittier; more issues-based. The catalyst for I Let You Go was a real-life hit-and-run that killed a child in Oxford, many years ago. I Let You Go isn't that family's stories, but it tackles some of the issues an unsolved case throws up - both for the police and for the individuals involved.

Where do your ideas come from?
I'm never short of ideas! I like to write about 'what if?' questions: what if someone killed a child and just drove off? What if you realised your daughter had been switched at birth? What if someone was watching you every day? I kick them around for a bit to see if there's enough to explore to make a whole book, or if the idea is more suited for a short story. Newspaper and magazine articles are fantastic for sparking ideas - truth is definitely stranger than fiction.

Have your personal experiences influenced your writing? And if so, how?
Very much so. My son died when he was five weeks old, and my grief for him defines everything I do. My writing is very emotional, and when I write about loss - as I do in I Let You Go - I hope that my first-hand experiences make these authentic passages. Aside from that, the 12 years I spent in the police service brought me into contact with so many types of people and situations: it was phenomenal grounding for a writer.

Describe your writing style in 10 words or less?
Emotional, tense and hard-hitting with a few unexpected twists!

Do you have any strange writing habits?
A few, although they seem quite normal to me! I often write with my eyes shut, if I'm working on certain scenes. They might be particularly emotional ones, or anything very visual, like two characters physically fighting. I shut my eyes and watch the scene play out in my head, like a film, and just let my fingers type what I’m seeing inside. Actually, that does sound strange… but it’s incredibly natural, and those scenes are always very easy to write.

Do you plot out the whole book before you start or just start writing and see where it leads you?
I’m a plotter. If I don’t plan then it’s incredibly hard work and takes a very long time. That’s not to say that the plan doesn’t change, but I do like to know where all the twists and turns and reveals are going to come.

What do you consider to be the hardest part of your writing?
The first draft. I know lots of authors like that bit, but I find it hard going. Right now I'm about 55,000 words into my next book and I can already see so much wrong with it. I'm desperate to finish this draft so I can start fixing it. Editing is hard work but I find it really satisfying; like carving something out of stone and slowly watching it take shape.

Do you read? If so, who are your favourite authors?
I read widely and across all genres. I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Haynes and Sophie Hannah, both of whom plot so brilliantly, but recently I've read some amazing non-crime books, including Touch by Claire North and The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman. I don't have a favourite author, although looking at my bookshelves I have an awful lot of Jilly Cooper books! I think that's as much about nostalgia as anything - I'm not very good at getting rid of books.

How has your life changed since becoming a published author?
Beyond all measure. Writing books is my day job, although I still do some journalism, and even when it's hard I absolutely love it. Since my book came out, it's been incredibly exciting and rather hard to focus on my next book, which I must do!

Congratulations on being chosen as a Richard and Judy Book Club summer read. I Let You Go has the best OMG moment I have read. Were you expecting it to have so much impact on the readers when you wrote the book (and in particular that twist)? 
Thank you! It's a tremendous honour to be chosen as a R&J read, and I’m still pinching myself. Both Richard and Judy have said some really lovely things about I Let You Go, particularly about ‘The Twist’, which I confess I’m really proud of. It was structurally quite a complicated thing to pull off, but I knew that – if it worked – it would make for a fantastic story. I was lucky to have a great editor and together we made sure it was as tight as possible. I LOVE hearing the reaction from readers when they reach the twist – it’s honestly the best thing ever.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would be the title?
Clare Mackintosh: from crime-fighter to crime-writer

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Keep going. Dull, I know, but so important. It doesn't happen overnight. I'm also a firm believer in networking, which is so often looked upon as a dirty word. Every opportunity I've ever had has come about as a result of personal connection, not a job application, cold call or straightforward submission. Call it socialising instead, if that's more palatable, but DO IT! Get out and meet people; chat to agents on Twitter; go to book launches. Never do anything with an agenda, but you'll find opportunities simply arise - it's the way people work.

And lastly, why should people read I Let You Go?
I’d love people to read my book because it’s my debut, and because I’m hugely proud of it. If you enjoy psychological thrillers and you can handle some emotional punch, I think you’ll enjoy I Let You Go. As for the twist… well, let me know what you think!

About Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh is an author, feature writer and columnist. She has written for the Guardian, Sainsbury's Magazine, the Daily Mail and many other national publications, and is columnist for Cotswold Life and Writing Magazine.

Clare spent 12 years in the police force, working on CID, in custody and as a public order commander, and has drawn on her experiences for her debut psychological thriller I Let You Go. She is currently writing her second novel.

Find Clare Mackintosh on her official Facebook page and follow Clare on Twitter - @claremackint0sh


I Let You Go
Published by Little Brown in paperback (7 May 2015)

Synopsis:
A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn't have prevented it. Could she?
In a split second, Jenna Gray's world is shattered. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape her past, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of the cruel November night that changed her life forever.
DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice for a mother who is living every parent's worst nightmare. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, it begins to consume him as he puts both his professional and personal life on the line.
As Ray and his team seek to uncover the truth, Jenna, slowly, begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating...

My verdict
'Wow - what a roller coaster read. If you haven't already read I let You Go, what are you waiting for… BUY IT NOW!'

Read my full review of I Let You Go here

We Shall Inherit the Wind by Gunnar Staalesen - BLOG TOUR

I am delighted to kick off the BLOG TOUR for Gunnar Staalesen's We Shall Inherit the Wind, which is being published in paperback edition on 15 June 2015 by Orenda Books.

We Shall Inherit the Wind
By Gunnar Staalesen
Published by Orenda Books (15 June 2015)
ISBN: 978-1-910633-07-6

Publisher's description
1998. Varg Veum sits by the hospital bedside of his long-term girlfriend Karin, whose life-threatening injuries provide a deeply painful reminder of the mistakes he's made. Investigating the seemingly innocent disappearance of a wind-farm inspector, Varg Veum is thrust into one of the most challenging cases of his career, riddled with conflicts, environmental terrorism, religious fanaticism, unsolved mysteries and dubious business ethics. Then, in the one of the most heart-stopping scenes in crime fiction, the first body appears...

My verdict
We Shall Inherit the Wind is a detective story with an environmental focus. It's a mixture of a timeless whodunnit and the topical issues of wind farms and eco-warriers.

Mons Mæland has been reported missing by his second wife. He owns a plot of land on an isolated island on which a wind farm is planned, and there are several people who may have wanted him out of the way. When Mons Mæland's body is discovered, it appears that he was the victim of a brutal murderer, and Varg Veum is drawn into a difficult and emotional case. A parallel plot involves the disappearance of Mons Mæland's first wife several years earlier - she's believed to have drowned, but no body has ever been found.

We Shall Inherit the Wind is thought-provoking and gripping, and hooked me from the first chapter. The book has been translated so well that it's easy to forget that it wasn't originally written in English. Thanks to Gunnar Staalesen's vivid descriptions, I could picture the people and places in my mind as I read.

Norwegian private investigator Varg Veum dwells on past mistakes as he tries to solve the case. As the plot unfolds, many layers are gradually peeled back, revealing family secrets against a backdrop of wind farm politics. Twists arrive like a bolt from the blue, throwing the reader (and Varg Veum) off course. The plot is chilling, addictive and tragic, with suspense that lasts from beginning to end.

Gunnar Staalesen is known as one of the fathers of Nordic Noir - and I can see why. Yet to date only a handful of his books have been translated into English. The good news is that more Gunnar Staalesen books will be published by Orenda Books in 2016 and 2017.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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