A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse – ARC Book Review

Title:- A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse

Author:- Tilly Tennant

Date published:- will be published on 24th May 2024

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 418 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Among the emerald hills of the Lake District sits the village of Thimblebury and Wordsworth Cottage, its garden bursting with wildflowers. It is the perfect place for village nurse Ottilie to make her brave new start…

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.

Yet maybe keeping busy is just what Ottilie needs, even if she’s barely had a minute to unpack her suitcase. Heartbroken after the death of her husband Josh, as she offers advice and hot soup from her kitchen to the villagers who clearly need a helping hand, she starts to feel part of a community again.

But disaster strikes when a terrible storm causes the river to burst its banks and flood Ottilie’s ramshackle cottage. She has sunk every penny she has into what she’d hoped would be her forever home, and now she’s faced with the prospect of losing it.

But the villagers have other ideas. They can’t bear to lose Ottilie and they make a plan to save her house. Leading the effort is handsome Heath, and as he rolls up his sleeves to get involved in the repairs, he and Ottilie start to open up to each other. Ottilie tells him about her loss, and he shares the pain of a marriage that ended in heartbreak for him.

Ottilie hasn’t talked to anyone like this since Josh’s death and while it scares her, a tiny grain of hope begins to grow. Could Heath be the man to make her feel life is worth living again – not just for her patients, but for herself?

A completely beautiful and romantic read about healing after heartbreak and learning that the darkest clouds have a silver lining. Fans of Shari Low, Jessica Redland and Jo Bartlett will lose their hearts to A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse.

Ottilie moves to a ramshackle cottage in a small village named Thimblebury to start new life after her husband’s death and after leaving behind the city. She is a nurse and soon she gets surrounded by the villagers themselves, inviting her to many things and Ottilie even does favors to others. But one day a storm comes in a flood her small cottage. Ottilie contemplates on leaving behind the village and move back to the city but the villagers wouldn’t even hear of it and soon, she meets a handsome man named Heath through one of the patients, Flo.

Good points- I actually like the setting of the story. The warm scenic places away from the bustling city, the community overall trying to help you with the life in the village, I really like that setting. Also, I think I also liked the plot of the story as well.

Bad points – I felt the story as a whole was too long–this could have been a shorter novel. The flooding started somewhere towards the middle of the book and I actually got bored at some parts of the story. There were too much repetitions as a result which made the whole story sounded slightly boring in my opinion.

Overall verdict– if this was a shorter novel, then I would have enjoyed the book as a whole. But the story was slightly too long, which made me bored reading and which lowered the rating of this book. However, I like the setting of the book, the cozy atmosphere, the community helping and above all, the book cover is very appealing. I may not read the series but then I mgiht give it a try. Worth 3 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing, graduating in 2009 with first class honours. She wrote her first novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Tilly is represented by the wonderful, gorgeous Peta Nightingale at LAW. 

The Family Trip – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Family Trip

Author:- Daniel Hurst

Date published:- will be published on 31st May 2024

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 291 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

I planned the perfect vacation. But now my son is missing… Everyone believes my husband Donovan and I have it all – a loving marriage, two adorable children and the dream house. But beneath the surface of our enviable American lifestyle lies a secret that binds us tighter than our vows.I thought we could keep the truth buried forever, but I was wrong. To protect the secrets of my past, we have to go to Ireland to find the woman who has the power to shatter my perfect family. And I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to stop her…Except my plan for revenge has gone horribly wrong. And now my eight-year-old son Barnaby is missing. My body trembles as I scan the sunny spot where I last saw him. But there’s no sign of Barnaby’s blue t-shirt and sandy blonde hair. Who has taken my son? I thought I was in control but now I fear this whole vacation was a trap… Can I save my family, or will our lives be destroyed forever?

From the number one bestselling author of The Doctor’s Wife, this completely addictive psychological thriller will have you glued to the pages until the very last twist! Perfect for fans of T.M. Logan, Freida McFadden and John Marrs.

Synopsis – Shannon is an Irish tour guide and she gets an unexpected email from an American woman named Rosalind Conway who asked Shannon to arrange a private tour around Ireland. Shannon agrees to be the tour guide as the amount she was getting paid was too goof ot be true. Rosalind Conway meanwhile had specifically chosen Shannon as a tour guide for one main reason–to seek revenge.

Good points- from start to finish, the story was intense and gripping. The whole story in general was very well written and this was actually fast paced too, filled with unexpected twists and turns you didn’t expect. The whole story is told by Shannon’s and Rosalind’s POV and as a reader, we get to know Rosalind’s sinister motive in hiring Shannon. And as a reader, we wonder if Shannon might be able to get away from whatever ploy Rosalind and her husband was planning on her. The ending of the story was completely unexpected and twisted. This was actually a quiet page turner thriller and once you start reading this book, you wouldn’t be able to put the book down.

Bad points – I didn’t see much of bad points in this book. This book was that literally good.

Overall verdict – if you are fans of Freida McFadden, then this book would be a perfect choice. This is the second book I have read from this author and I already loved his novels. I cannot wait to read more from this author. This is a page turning fast paced thriller that will keep you up all night, filled with twists and turns–worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion.

Books to Movies – Part 1

Here are a list of books that have already turned into movies or TV shows or will be one soon. These books are the ones I have read

Tattooist of Auschwitz

The Tattooist of Auschwitz was already released on May 2nd as a TV series.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz depicts the real-life story of Lali and Gita Sokolov who meet in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust. Lali is tasked as a tattooist with branding identification numbers on his fellow prisoners’ arms. Among the horror, he meets Gita, and the love they foster becomes the force that keeps them alive

We Were the Lucky Ones

The TV series is already released on Hulu.

Set in war-torn Europe in 1939, three generations of the Jewish Kurc family are desperately clinging to their ordinary lives while the horrors of the war creep closer to their doorstep. Spanning stories of refugees, prisoners, and fighters, this is a desperate fight for freedom. Based on a true story, We Were the Lucky Ones pays homage to finding the light in even the darkest times.

It Ends With Us

It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and Jenny Slate will be released this year August 9th

Fresh graduate Lily, who moves to a new city and falls in love, but her newfound romance faces unforeseen challenges when her first love arrives on her doorstep. Memories of her abusive home resurface and Lily faces patterns of violence that mirror her youth as her world is turned upside down.

Verity

This is actually my favorite Colleen Hoover’s book and so glad that this is going to be a movie soon! Amazon has already acquired rights for the movie.

The Woman in Cabin 10

Keira Knightley will stare in the Netflix adaptation of this book.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow

This book will soon be turned into movie via Paramount

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

My favorite series is soon going to be TV series and will be released on Netflix

Beach Reads

This will soon be turned into a movie

We Were Liars

Amazon will release this book in TV series soon

First Lie Wins

TV series is on the works soon

Have you read any of these books and what are your thoughts?

The Vacancy in Room 10 – Book Review

Title:- The Vacancy in Room 10

Author:- Seraphina Nova Glass

Date published:- April 9th 2024

No. of pages:- 298 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

The Most Anticipated 2024 Book Releases by Nerd Daily

Most Anticipated Crime Fiction Novels of 2024 by Novel Suspects, Novel Suspects

When Anna Hartley’s husband, Henry, calls her with a terrible, guilty confession, she can’t believe what she hears. It has to be a bad joke—the mild, predictable artist she married would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. But her confusion turns to horror when police find his body washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande.

Desperate for answers to the millions of questions his untimely death has raised, Anna checks in to The Sycamores, the run-down motel turned apartment Henry rented as an art studio. As she absorbs every bit of gossip the eclectic mix of residents are willing to share about her husband and each other, she begins to piece together a picture of a very different man than the one she married, and the life he led behind her back. The more she learns, and the less sense things seem to make, she finds herself wondering: Did she ever really know Henry at all?

But Henry’s secrets aren’t the only ones; as Anna’s search for clues expands, Cass, the mysterious, jaded motel manager, seems more and more determined to keep Anna in the dark. And when threatening letters start appearing at her door, Anna has to decide what’s more important—the truth, or her own safety.

I still haven’t read On the Quiet Street by this author and I am yet to read the book. Vacancy in Room 10 is her latest novel that talks about a struggling artist who calls his wife and tells him that he had killed someone before taking his own life. Anna, who is the wife goes to the motel where she would stay for the next couple of months, to know what Henry was really up to while staying at the motel. But someone clearly doesn’t want her there and poke around the investigation.

Good points :- I actually like the setting of the story. The run down motel named Sycamores, the booze, the parties and all that, it seemed so realistic and as a reader you feel like you are also in that motel as well. The story is told in Cass, who is the manager of the motel and Anna who is the wife of Henry, the man who committed suicide. The story is written in moderate pacing and I do like how Cass is thrown into a situation that she was unable to get out of.

Bad points — the story seemed a little far fetched but then despite that, I liked the story.

Overall verdict – this was a good thriller and I do like the setting of the story. Worth 4 stars.

Seraphina Nova Glass is an Assistant Professor of Instruction and Playwright-In-Residence at the University of Texas, Arlington where she teaches Film Studies and Playwriting. 

Her novel On A Quiet Street was nominated for an Edgar Award, was a New York Times
Summer Read, an Amazon Bestseller and Editor’s Pick, and also featured in the Boston Globe and Bustle.

Publisher’s Weekly has named her “a writer to watch.” She’s also an award-winning playwright and holds an MFA degree in
Dramatic Writing from Smith College, and a second MFA in Directing from the University of Idaho.

She is a proud dog mom and loves to travel the world with her husband. She resides in Dallas,
TX.

The Hospital – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Hospital

Author:- Leslie Wolfe

Date published:- will be published on 24th May 2024

No. of pages:- 351 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

When I wake up, I know three things. My name is Emma. Someone tried to kill me. And I can’t remember who. When I blink, my eyelashes brush against scratchy cloth. My fingers twitch, numb and distant. In the distance, sirens wail. I’m in the hospital.I should be safe here, but I know I’m not. The last thing I remember is running, seeing an arm raised to strike… Why would anyone want to kill me? 

Desperately, I piece together my scattered memories. I’m standing with my husband on sugar-white sand, our rings glinting in the sunlight. I’ll get better, and I’ll go home to him, and he will protect me. But when he visits, his new girlfriend is on his arm. He tells me we got divorced three years ago, and my world falls apart. 

What else have I forgotten? The only way I can keep myself safe is to uncover the answers buried deep in my mind. But as I talk to my visitors—listening to the gentle tones of the doctors and nurses, grateful for the care of my friends and family—I start to see the lies that contradict what I remember of my life. They say it’s just my broken memory. But I know the shocking I can’t trust a word anyone says…

Synopsis – Emma finds herself waking up in a hospital although she cannot see properly and doesn’t really remember how she ended up in the hospital. The last thing Emma remembered was she was running away from someone. As Emma lies in the hospital with no recollection of her memories, she couldn’t help but think how she ended up in the hospital and whether she should trust people or not…

Good points – I actually liked the plot of the story. The retrograde amnesia part coupled with the temporary blindness and not remembering your own name or how you ended up in the hospital is actually a great premise for a psychological thriller. The one that I also liked most in this book is the greatest twist revealed at the end, which was completely unexpected.

Bad points – I have read Leslie Wolfe’s books before but unfortunately, I didn’t get to enjoy this book as much as I thought I should. For example, the author has written in complete Emma’s POV yet while reading, you can’t differentiate which is present day and which is past before the “accident” because it was all written in one chapter. As such, I didn’t like the writing much because of this because as a reader it confused me and it took me sometime to realize that I was reading the past and not the present or vice versa. While what grabbed my attention was the second part of the book, the first part of the book was slow paced and I nearly got bored with the first part as it wasn’t fast paced like I expected it to be.

Overall verdict – This was for sure is not her best book. I have read Leslie Wolfe’s books where I have read in one go. It took a lot of time for me to get into the story and the timelines in this book was very confusing. However, despite the negative points, the premise and plot of the story itself was unique but I wished the author had executed it well which would have indeed made this book more compelling to read. Overall this book is worth 3.5 starts.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Did I kill My Husband? – ARC Book Review

Title:- Did I Kill My Husband?

Author:- AJ Campbell

Date published:- will be published on May 29th 2024

No. of pages:- 354 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

The police officer’s voice is steady as he tells me the news. ‘Your husband is in hospital.’ My heart pounds. I think about my children, safely tucked up in bed. What will happen to us if he loses his life? And more importantly… do the police know where I really was tonight?

Everybody thinks Michael and I are the perfect couple. But everybody is wrong. Because my dear, lovely husband was at the heart of a scandal at the school where he teaches. He was cleared of any wrongdoing. At first I believed him. Now, I’m sure he’s been hiding something terrible. But I can’t tell the police a thing. Because my husband isn’t the only one with secrets. So, as I stand here knowing I have to tell my children that Michael is fighting for his life, I ask what would be worse? For my husband, the much-loved local teacher, to die? Or for him to live, and for all his lies to come home again? In the end, the choice is easy. 

I know what I have to do…I’ll tell the police that I would never, ever hurt my husband. But will they believe me?

This is a heart-racing thriller that you won’t be able to put down! Perfect for fans of The Housemaid, Jeneva Rose and Shari Lapena

Did I Kill My Husband? is an intense psychological thriller book that will keep you up all night!

Synopsis – Christina goes driving down in a dark road when she knocks on someone–or what she initially thought an animal. When she returned back home, Christina believed that her husband Michael is asleep. Then suddenly, the police knock on their house and tells Christina that Michael has had an accident and somebody has knocked him over without stopping. Immediately, Christina realized that it wasn’t an animal she had knocked on but her own husband Michael? Did she actually kill her husband? And what was her husband doing in the dead night walking on the road?

Good points – There is suspense in the whole story. Christina is overwhelmed with guilt that she nearly ran over Michael. And at the same time, someone knows that Christina was the driver and thus start sending threatening messages. The suspense as to who might be responsible for threatening letters was interesting and intriguing. The writing was really great and I was put on the edge of the seat while reading this book. Not only that, the whole story was fast paced, and is a page turning novel that I couldn’t simply put the book down!

Bad points – I am not exactly sure if I did like the ending or not or whether I actually liked the twist at the end but that was the only issue I had.

Overall verdict – this was actually a great thriller–this is the first book I have read from this author and I cannot wait to read more books from her. Worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

AJ CAMPBELL is an Amazon bestselling author of six psychological suspense novels and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment. Her fourth book The Phone Call was released in July 2022, and it topped the Amazon charts for several months. It was shortlisted for the Adult Prize for Fiction at the Selfie Book Awards 2023. She released her fifth novel The Wrong Key in January 2023, and her sixth one Her Missing Husband in May 2023.

AJ draws inspiration for her stories from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. She is a dog lover, Netflix junkie, and a wine and Asian food enthusiast. And, either reading, watching TV, or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty story!

Murder Road – Book Review

Title:- Murder Road

Author:- Simone St James

Date published:- March 5th 2024

No. of pages:- 341 pages

Genre:- Horror/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

Simone St James is my favorite author or rather one of my favorite horror authors so I was supe excited when I got my hands on her latest novel Murder Road.

Synopsis – Eddie and April Carter are newly married and are on their way to the honeymoon. Eddie takes a wrong turn and soon they come across a lonely hitchhiker who is walking through the dark lane. When she gets into their car, they notice that she was covered with blood. And as they drive through the lane, they noticed a truck speeding behind them, with the girl saying “I am sorry he is coming

The girl dies and Eddie and April becomes the prime suspects for the murder. In order to clear their names, Eddie and April must drive through that haunted lane again to find answers…

Good points- the author managed to create a creepy sense of atmosphere in this book so while reading this book, I felt like I was watching a horror movie and I felt like I was at the edge of my seat when I was reading the book. Though there aren’t any twists or turns, to me, I simply couldn’t put this book down as I was eager to find out what is going to happen next. Is it the work of a serial killer or serial killer ghost? What is the story behind the lane? The more I read the book, the more I got invested into the story. Plus, I like the setting of the story–the story was set in 1995 the time where mobile phones are not developed and hitchhikers seem to be common and so I actually liked the setting

Bad points- I have to say, despite good points, I felt this wasn’t really her best. Her best to this will always be Sundown Motel and The Broken Girls, which gave a more creepy vibe than this one. This book is more like a thriller than a horror book in my opinion.

Overall verdict – I liked this book though not as much as I did with her previous book. I do like the sense of horror in this book. Overall this book worth four stars.

Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases, The Sun Down Motel, The Broken Girls and The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives outside Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price – Book Review

Title:- The Reappearance of Rachel Price

Author:- Holly Jackson

Date published:- April 2nd 2024

No. of pages:- 448 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.

Lights. Camera. Lies.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.

I get super excited whenever I get my hands on Holly Jackson’s latest book. In this case, The Reappearance of Rachel Price, which was published nearly a month ago. Even though the book was a good, to my surprise, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did with her previous books.

Synopsis – Annabel “Bel” Price is being interviewed by Ramsey and his crew about the disappearance of Rachel Price, her mother when Bel was only two years old. Rachel was last seen leaving the mall with Bel and her car was found abandoned by the side with Bel still inside the car. Bel spent most of her childhood time believing that her mother is dead…until one day, Rachel Price herself turns up at the doorstep sixteen years after she had disappeared.

Good points – I actually liked the premise of the story. The first half of the book was really great and engrossing and I was hooked into the story. Holly Jackson’s writing was really great, and she knows how to get the reader into the story. The twist at the end was completely unexpected and shocking that I did like the ending. Ash is one and only favorite character in the book.

Bad points – I may have a little bit more bad points than good points. I didn’t really like the main character, Bel much–I see her a bit irrational, uninteresting and so this actually made me didn’t really like much because of Bel’s character. Also the rest of the story itself felt very unrealistic to me in my opinion and it was slightly confusing. This actually made me less enjoyable to read this book.

Overall verdict – If you haven’t read any Holly Jackson’s books yet, I suggest not read this one but instead read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which is still her best. Even though I liked the plot overall, the certain characters as well as how unrealistic it became later on, made me lower this book from a rating of 5 star to a four star.

My Perfect Husband – ARC Book Review

Title:- My Perfect Husband

Author:- Georgina Cross

Date published:- will be published on 16th May 2024

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 315 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

My sister is dead. Did I marry her killer?

The moment I first gazed into Alex’s soulful gray eyes, I knew I’d met the man I wanted to spend my life with.

When my beloved sister vanished, Alex put up posters and wiped away my tears after bad dreams. He put me back together, and I’m so glad I married such a good man.

But when police find my darling sister dead and pull a crumpled photo from her pocket, my world falls apart. In the faded image, I see my husband’s familiar face smiling back at me, his arm around my sweet sister.

Alex told me they’d never met. The picture was taken in the café where she was last seen. So why was he with her the day she died? And now I’ve uncovered the truth, I wonder if I’m next…

If The Housemaid, The Wife Between Us or The Woman in the Window had you totally gripped until late at night, then you’ll love this utterly unputdownable psychological thriller from Amazon charts bestseller Georgina Cross.

Synopsis – Lauren’s sister Ellie disappeared when Ellie was working in New Orleans. Lauren’s husband, Alex’s brother Clive also disappeared along with Ellie as well. Both Lauren and Alex seemed to have a hard time moving on. Then one day, Lauren received a phone call from a detective in New Orleans. Ellie’s body was found in an abandoned house. And it was believed to be a possible murder. Through Ellie’s remains, the detectives recover some pictures that were there and the detective forward those pictures to Lauren to see if she recognized anyone. And as Lauren carefully studied the pictures, she was shocked to see her husband, Alex posing in a picture next to her sister. Is her husband after all responsible for her sister’s murder?

Good points – The writing was really great and I like the setting–changing sceneries between Lake Michigan and Louisiana. The pacing was fast and also I like how the author left with a small cliff hanger at the end.

Bad point – I actually have read books from this author before but usually she has couple of other main characters POVs. However in this one, we only have Lauren’s POV which in my opinion doesn’t really work well with this book. I think if we have Alex’s POV in this book would have made the book a little better.

Overall verdict. – This was a quick read and also good for ones who like to read pop corn readers. If you are a fan of Freida McFadden, Mary Kubica, then this book will be perfect for you. Worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Bad Apple – ARC Book Review

Title:- Bad Apple

Author:- Alice Hunter

Date published:- will be published on 9th May 2024

No. of pages:- 384 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

How can you live with yourself when you find out the man you love is rotten to the core? Prepare to be hooked by Alice Hunter’s addictive new novel – so shocking it should come with a warning! Available to pre-order now. Trusted officer. Family man. Monster. Becky’s life has been shattered. When she discovered her husband, John – a policeman she once trusted – was a monster, she reported him. But it didn’t lead to any charges. Now, John lives freely with a new girlfriend and her daughter – while Becky battles guilt for missing the obvious signs. Determined for justice, Becky confronts John. But he targets her. He wants her silenced – and at any cost. And now, survival is the only option because he’s not the only bad apple lurking in the shadows…

Synopsis – Becky is trying to prove that her ex-husband John was a corrupted police officer with a record. As she tries to enlist the help of her former colleagues to finally bring justice and bring down John, Becky tries to maintain acquaintance with John’s new girlfriend Nina. As the story progresses with Becky’s life in potential danger, will Becky finally succeed in bringing justice and arresting John?

Good points – I actually like the premise of the story. Here you get a corrupted police officer and Becky was determined to bring justice. The story overall was well written. I was actually engrossed into the story as a result, wondering if Becky is finally able to bring justice and bring John down.

Bad points – The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the end–and it was also slightly repetitive which made reading the whole book slightly boring as a result. Otherwise, this book would have been a good thriller.

Overall verdict – This book has a premise–the story is over all well written although the repetitive words in certain areas made the book slightly boring to read The plot was great and overall, this was a great thriller book. Worth 4 stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the book. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

After completing a psychology degree, Alice Hunter became an interventions facilitator in a prison. There, she was part of a team offering rehabilitation programmes to men serving sentences for a wide range of offences, often working with prisoners who’d committed serious violent crimes. Previously, Alice had been a nurse, working in the NHS. She now puts her experiences to good use in fiction. The Serial Killer’s Wife, The Serial Killer’s Daughter and The Serial Killer’s Sister all draw heavily on her knowledge of psychology and the criminal mind