Tropical Girl Reads

Title:- Memories of the Cottage by theSea

Author:- Rebecca Alexander

Date published:- January 16th 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 341 pages

Genre:- Historical/Women’s Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

As she inhales the salty sea air, Charlotte glimpses the island on the horizon. Seeing it after all these years still sends a shiver down her spine. Should she be returning to this place?

When teacher Charlotte Kingston is sent to close a school on an isolated Scilly Isle, it is her first time on the island since summer holidays spent there with her grandparents. But with a newly broken heart, she’s desperate to travel as far from her life on the mainland as possible.

Not long after she arrives, two visiting children find themselves in need of a place to stay when their grandmother falls ill. When Charlotte agrees to take care of the boys, she suddenly has a reason to keep the school open a little longer. With a renewed sense of purpose, Charlotte begins to connect with the local islanders who tell her more about her family.

Intrigued, Charlotte decides to decode her grandmother’s old letters from the Second World War. They reveal a story of a forbidden love that defied the darkness of war, and of a beautiful, brave young man who would risk everything for his country, even if meant losing the woman he loved…

Just as Charlotte realises the secret will change her life forever, the children’s handsome, enigmatic stepfather, Ash, arrives to take care of them. But Charlotte doesn’t trust him – he left the boys once before, why wouldn’t he do it again? But as the tension grows between them, Charlotte feels an attraction developing, too. And although she can’t stop thinking about Ash, and his soft, full lips, she’s afraid to open her heart again.

But rereading her grandmother’s story, Charlotte realises there is courage and redemption among the pages. Is this a sign that everyone deserves a second chance, maybe even Ash? And, if she is brave enough to let him in, will she be able to put her fractured heart back together once and for all?

Thank you Bookouture for involving me in the book blog!

The story begins with Charlotte Kingston who is heartbroken and moved to this fictional island where she used to spend with her grandparents. The school is on the verge of closing and Charlotte takes in two boys under her wing. While in the island, she learns more about her grandmother about her life during the WWII

This is the first book I have read of this author and is the second book of the series though this is the first time I have read from this author. The book was beautifully written, dividing the timeline between the present and the past set during the WWII. Though I am not really a fan of romance novels, I actually enjoyed reading this book–there were some emotional parts but overall, this was an unputdownable book. The characters are all strong women particularly Charlotte’s grandmother. The writing was really good and the author did a great job of drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are also a part of the story.

If you are looking for a heartwarming, emotional book which is unputdownable, I hightly recommend you to try this book out–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture.

aving had a career in psychology, Rebecca Alexander decided to take time out to raise and home educate six children – and home educate herself with an MA in Creative Writing. The Secrets of Life and Death (2013) was a runner up in the 2011 novel writing competition with Mslexia and an agent and book deal for three books ensued. The Secrets of Blood and Bone (2014) and The Secrets of Time and Fate (2016) were published by Del Rey UK. With a historical strand exploring 16th century sorcery and a contemporary story about revenants, the books enjoyed a fantasy readership.

Since then, A Baby’s Bones will be published by Titan Books (May 1 2018) and is decidedly crime. A sequel comes out next April, and the books follow the work of an archaeologist trying to solve crimes in the past. And staying safe in the present, with the help of Felix Guichard from the Secrets series. Things are still going bump in the night.

Title:- Find Her Alive (Detective Hart series Book 7)

Author:- D.S. Butler

Date published:- will be published on 7th February 2023

Publisher:- Amazon

No. of pages:- 326 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Detective Karen Hart is finally getting her life back on track—enjoying her new relationship and dealing with the grief in her past. Then someone from her counselling group asks for help locating a missing friend, Phoebe Woodrow, who went out partying and never came home.

Karen wonders if Phoebe’s disappearance might be related to a recent spate of women having their drinks spiked. As she digs deeper, she finds out that Phoebe’s work in medical research involved a shifty alliance with Quentin Chapman, a menacing local gangster—but it was also about to make her a fortune. Did Phoebe know too much? Or was it professional jealousy that put her life at risk?

Chapman makes it very clear that he doesn’t appreciate the police looking over his shoulder. As his threats start to hit close to home, Karen will need to face her worst fears—but can she really do that when her job has already cost her so much?

This is the seventh book of Karen Hart series and although I havent read the previous books but overall, I read as a standalone.

On Friday night, Phoebe was drugged and was not seen again. Karen was contacted about her disappearance and when she was, she finds there are many suspects in this case.

This was a fast-paced thriller. This was unputdownable and there were some twists and turns. I was at the edge of the seat and I couldn’t simply put the book out. Overall, I enjoyed reading this thriller series and I am looking forward to read more books from this author. Worth five stars!

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

Author of the Karen Hart series. Ex-biochemist turned crime-writer. Huge Queen fan. Loves to read crime fiction.

Title:- All The Dangerous Things

Author:- Stacy Willingham

Date published:- will be published on 2nd February 2023

Publisher:- Harpercollins

No. of pages:- 326 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating- 5/5

One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust… including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

So I read A Flicker in the Dark written by the same author and after I enjoyed reading her debut book, I decided to read all Stacy Willingham’s books. And the good news was, I got approved an ARC of her latest second novel, All the Dangerous Things and I am so super excited!

The story starts with Isabelle Drake, whose toddler son Mason disappeared mysteriously one night, nearly a year ago. Ever since then, Isabelle is having trouble falling asleep and is suffering from insomnia. Isabelle’s main aim is to find what happened to Mason and was willing to not give up on her search. Soon, she was interviewed by a crime podcaster who seemed to be interested in doing a piece about Mason’s disappearance. And as she was questioned, Isabelle’s start to doubt what really happened the night Mason disappeared and wondered to whom she should trust at all..

I have to say, this book is so much better than her first book–it was mind-blowing and unputdownable and so much of twists and turns that you wouldn’t expect. Not only that, as a reader, you feel Isabelle is an unreliable narrator as she too had some secrets back from her past life when her sister Margaret died. As a reader, I wanted to know what really happened to little Mason. Did Isabelle really kill her own child? Or did someone else kill her child? And the husband, Ben part was also interesting. I was nearly put on the edge of the seat as I read and simply couldn’t put the book down. The ending was a dramatic one and I actually liked the ending. The writing was good and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story.

Overall, this is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you up all night! Worth five stars!

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

Stacy’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, was published on January 11, 2022 and went on to become an Instant New York Times bestseller. Her second, All the Dangerous Things, will be published on January 10, 2023.Prior to writing fiction full time, Stacy worked as a copywriter and brand strategist. She earned her BA in Magazine Journalism from the University of Georgia and MFA in Writing from the Savannah College of Art & Design.She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Britt, and her Labradoodle, Mako. 

Title:- Serpent and Dove

Author;- Shelby Mahurin

Date published;- September 3rd 2019

No. of pages:- 513 pages

Genre:- YA/ Fantasy

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

I am NOT a fantasy genre fan but one of the new year resolution this year was to read at least fantasy novel. The only fantasy novel I liked was Harry Potter and I didnt really understand what the fuss was about reading fantasy novels. Now I got this book and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

Enter Lou and Reid. Lou is a witch and Reid is a witch hunter. An unfortunate circumstance between the two forced Lou to marry Reid even though Reid has no idea that Lou is a witch. And then follows the story where witches are vowed to destroy the world with the Chausseurs committed to kill the witches and a forbidden love story between Lou and Reid `

I must say, I couldn’t literally put the book down! It was really good! The story is told with Lou’s and Reid’s POV and there were some funny parts, the banter between Lou and Reid and eventual romance between the two. I also like the other characters like Coco (really liked her character) and Ansel and the ending felt like I was watching an interesting action movie! And, having read this book, I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

If you are looking for a good fantasy novel to read, I strongly recommend starting this series–overall worth five stars!

Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn’t fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and obsesses over her Twitter feed. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband, semi-feral toddlers, two dogs, and one cat.
​
Shelby’s favorite books include A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and, of course, Harry Potter.
​
Her debut novel, SERPENT & DOVE, will release from Harper Teen in Fall 2019, with a sequel to come the following year. She is represented by Sarah Landis of Sterling Lord Literistic.

Title:- Jackal

Author:- Erin E Adams

Date published:- October 4th 2022

No. of pages:- 322 pages

Genre:- Thriller/Horror

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she’s not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .

It’s watching.

Liz Rocher is coming home . . . reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward and passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the day of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the bride’s daughter, Caroline, goes missing—and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood.

It’s taking.

As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: a summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart missing. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can’t be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls.

It’s your turn.

With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness

The pitch of the story sounded really great that I instantly wanted to try this book out! Liz Rocher returns back to small town Johnstown, Pennsylvania very reluctantly and she was one of the Black girls. She came back to the town to attend her friend’s wedding. But when her friend Mel’s child, Caroline goes missing on that day, and as Caroline is a biracial child, then things get worse. The police tried to blame and pin point evidence against Liz but black girls have been brutally murdered in that small town since 1985…

I have to say, the story started out really great. It was intriguing, mind gripping and engaging and I was literally on the edge of the seat. Is there a serial killer that no one knows about? A serial killer since 1985 that targeted on black girls? I was literally engrossed into the story, wanting to find out what is going to happen next. There were snippets on the girls that were murdered, so as a reader you can get an insight of what their life was like hours before they were murdered. I do like the small poems and myth that is written in the book.

And…but when it came to the end…I was disappointed. I know it was a horror book, but did not really expect that kind of ending. I really thought…ending was lame which hugely disappointed me and lowered a rating on the book.

Nonetheless, this is the author’s debut book and cannot wait tor read more books from this author!

Erin E. Adams is a first-generation Haitian American writer and theatre artist. She received her BA with honors in literary arts from Brown University, her MFA in acting from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, and her MFA in dramatic writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. An award-winning playwright and actor, Adams has called New York City home for the last decade. Jackal is her first novel.

Title:- The Suspect

Author:- Kathryn Croft

Date published:- will be published on 8th February 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 359 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating;- 5/5

My family said he killed my mother. They lied…

I was just a little girl, fast asleep in my stroller, the day my mother was killed. I don’t remember anything about the sunny day that turned so dark.

But now, twenty years later, when the man walks towards me in the shadows of an empty street, his eyes on me for just a fraction too long, a shiver goes down my spine. I recognise his face from the picture in the papers. He killed my mother.

I try to run but he wants me to listen. He says that he is innocent, that the police got it wrong, and that my family have been lying to me for years.

My father and sister tell me to stay away from him. They remind me that because of him my mother never got to tuck me in at night or ease me through my first heartbreak. My boyfriend begs me to ignore him and says he could be dangerous. But when he is found dead, I am shaken to my core. Who needed to keep him quiet?

I won’t feel safe until I find out what he wanted to tell me. And when I go to his flat and find a photo that proves he was telling the truth, I suspect that the person who killed my mother is far closer to home than I could have imagined. What dark secrets are the people I love hiding? And if I search for the truth, am I placing my own life in danger?

Twenty years ago, Jess was in her buggy when her mother was murdered in the park. She had no recollection of who killed her mother at that time. Now in the present day, a man approaches towards Jess. Jess immediately recognized him as the man who was accused of her mother’s murder but when the man tells her that he was innocent, Jess was confused. Her family seemed to have lied to her and Jess is determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to her mother and who actually did murder her mother.

The story divides between past and the present, the present mainly told in Jess’s POV and the past mainly told from Lori’s Jess’s mother’s POV and is set in 1993. This was very intriguing to read and I was hooked into the story from the start of the chapter till the end. Lori’s part was interesting as she finds that she had been in a relationship with a married man and she was going to start a new life by enrolling into a university thus taking her daughter with her. There were moments in the story where you were put on the edge, there were some twists and turns and the ending was an unexpected twist! Overall, there is whole bunch of family drama in this book, which made this book more compelling to read.

So if you are looking for an unputdownable thriller with a bit of family drama in it, then try reading out this book. Worth five stars!

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

Title:- Little Lost Souls

Author:- Stacy Green

Date published:- will be published on 30th January 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 335 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

To save the lost children of the city, she must put herself into terrible danger…

On the streets of Philadelphia, as the snow falls and black ice settles in dark back alleys, lost and vulnerable teenagers are being snatched off the streets. When one of them is found alive, Private Investigator Lucy Kendall knows she will never forget the sight of the boy’s brown eyes, forever dulled. She vows to find the monster behind the suffering.

Desperate to save the lost children of the city, Lucy goes into the dark places where the police cannot. But when a key witness is found dead, and a strand of Lucy’s long red hair is located near her body, Lucy suddenly finds herself under suspicion and on the run.

The chief of police knows all about Lucy’s own dark past and is convinced she’s guilty. Hiding in the shadows, unable to trust anyone, Lucy continues her search for the real killer. At last, in a dangerous suburb of the city, she befriends vulnerable fifteen-year-old Riley, who claims to know who the murderer is.

But when Riley disappears, Lucy must race to find the twisted soul responsible for snuffing out the lives of these little lost souls before another innocent girl is taken. Lucy is determined to get justice even if it costs her freedom… or her life

A gripping, page-turning thriller full of mystery and suspense. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Reganand Robert Dugoni.

Previously published as See Them Run

This is the second book of the Lucy Kendal series.

Teenagers are being snatched from the streets and when Lucy saved one teenager, she vowed to bring the ring down. But when one of the main witnesses was murdered and Lucy is the main suspect she must try to save herself by finding the person who actually killed the witness.

This was a fast paced unputdownable thriller and I felt like I was watching an interesting thriller movie while reading this. The author manage to grip the reader to the story making the reader feel like they are also part of the story.overall I enjoyed it and worth four stars.

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

Title:- The Blue Bar

Author:- Damayanti Biswas

Date published:- 1st January 2023

Publisher:- Thomas and Mercer

Genre:- Thriller

No. of pages:- 396 pages

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

On the dark streets of Mumbai, the paths of a missing dancer, a serial killer, and an inspector with a haunted past converge in an evocative thriller about lost love and murderous obsession.

After years of dancing in Mumbai’s bars, Tara Mondal was desperate for a new start. So when a client offered her a life-changing payout to indulge a harmless, if odd, fantasy, she accepted. The setup was simple: wear a blue-sequined saree, enter a crowded railway station, and escape from view in less than three minutes. It was the last time anyone saw Tara.

Thirteen years later, Tara’s lover, Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput, is still grappling with her disappearance as he faces a horrifying new crisis: on the city’s outskirts, women’s dismembered bodies are being unearthed from shallow graves. Very little links the murders, except a scattering of blue sequins and a decade’s worth of missing persons reports that correspond with major festivals.

Past and present blur as Arnav realizes he’s on the trail of a serial killer and that someone wants his investigation buried at any cost. Could the key to finding Tara and solving these murders be hidden in one of his cold cases? Or will the next body they recover be hers?

This was an enjoyable and thrilling ride and the first thriller book I have read set in Mumbai with a touch of Bollywood in it.

In 2000 Tara wearing a blue sequined sari goes into the station and leaves the station within three minutes as she was asked to. That was the last time anyone had seen Tara. Now present day, Arnav Tara’s lover who is a police inspector was asked to visit a site belonging to a rich estate mogul, where they had found skeletal remains. Thinking that Tara might be one of the victims as many wore blue sari and were dancers at the blue bar, Arnav must catch the killer who has been roaming in the streets of Mumbai for years.

This was fast paced thriller and quiet unputdownable and literally I was hooked into the story. The author must have done tremendous research on the book as some of the things mentioned in the book was realistic-‘ corruption among police forces and politicians, prostitution, bribes and the glamour of Bollywood. The story is mainly told in Arnav and Tara POV and do like thd vivid description of the city of Mumbai with Marathi or Hindi added into the story. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and if this book is a series I cannot wait to read the next one- worth five stars!

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

Damyanti Biswas is an author, blogger, animal-lover, spiritualist.

Her work has been published in Smokelong Quarterly, Ambit, Pembroke Review, Griffith review among many others in the US, UK, and Australia. She also serves as one of the editors of the The Forge literary magazine.

Her Indian debut literary crime novel You Beneath Your Skin was an Amazon bestseller, and optioned for the screens by Endemol Shine. Her next novel, The Blue Bar, was published in Jan 2023 via Thomas & Mercer. It was a number one new release on Amazon.

Be sure to follow Damyanti on Bookbub for the latest on sales and giveaways. Say hello on Twitter or Instagram : where she loves chatting about books, cake, and existential angst.