Tropical Girl Reads

What if the chance of a perfect life… put your daughter in grave danger?

Being a single mother is tough, but I’d do anything for my little girl Scarlet. I’d given up on my career as a voice actor when the call came, but suddenly I was the new narrator for a secret book from bestselling author Philippa Roberts, who has been missing for eight months. It was a lifeline for me and my daughter.

I hated that it meant leaving Scarlet with my ex in his perfect new home with his perfect new girlfriend. But I knew it was the right thing to do.

But as I start reading Philippa’s new novel, I start to wonder if it’s no coincidence that I’ve been chosen to narrate it. There’s something hidden in the pages of this book, I’m sure of it. Some clue to Philippa’s disappearance. And I don’t feel safe. I think I’m being watched. My room has been searched.

And then my ex’s girlfriend calls in tears and everything starts to click together. If I don’t find answers fast, I’ll lose more than my second chance. I’ll lose my daughter

The Narrator is about a best selling author named Phillipa Roberts who was being kidnapped at the beginning of the book. Eve who is the audio narrator of her books finds out that Phillipa’s wife, Fleur had discovered an unfinished manuscript. Eve was chosen to narrate the book and finds the book gives a clue about her disappearance. Eve was also not happy to leave her daughter Scarlet behind with her ex Hugo and his perfect girlfriend, Saskia.

Unlike her previous books, I didn’t find this book as intriguing as her previous book. Also I didn’t find this book fast paced as her previous book but maybe it was just me. Nevertheless, this book had some twists and turns, the ending was what was a completely unexpected ending. Slater however manage to keep the reader hooked into the book, which I think was a good job. I do like that we got a sneak peak at what the publishing world is really like out there and overall, in my opinion, it was a good thriller book. Worth four stars.

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

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

His & Hers is a twisty, smart, psychological thriller. A gripping tale of suspense, told by expertly-drawn narrators that will keep readers guessing until the very end

I had always wanted to read this book for so long that I am so thrilled when I got my hands on this book. His and Hers is a psychological thriller about a woman and a man with a history.

Anna Andrews is a BBC Broadcaster and when Cat Jones returns back from maternity leave to take back her position as a news correspondent, Anna was devastated. She was then asked to cover about a murder of a woman in a small quaint village. Anna has a history with the village and she happened to know the woman. Meanwhile, DCI Jack Harper, who also happened to be Anna’s ex husband is asked to investigate the murder. The only problem is he happened to know the woman as he had sex with her in his car few hours before she was murdered Now Jack has become a main suspect in the case.

The story is told from both Anna’s and Jack’s perspectives and both of them are truly unreliable narrators which makes the story more interesting. I was at the edge of my seat as I was hooked into the story and there were so many twists and turns that were too unexpected. I like the past that was described in Anna’s POV which gives an insight of Anna’s relationship with the murdered woman. I like how the author manage to make the reader hook into the story and I literally couldn’t put the book down. This book is quiet unputdownable. I have read Rock, Paper Scissors written by the same author and I have to say, His and Hers is by far one of the best books I have read.

Overall, I rate this book as 4.5 stars!

Her dream job just became her worst nightmare…

My name is Rose, and I work for one of the country’s biggest newspapers. I was the Day Editor. Will Frost was the Night Editor.

When I got to the office, Will had already left. When I left, Will arrived. We were two sides of the same coin.

Last week, Will disappeared from floor 34 without a trace. Now I am the Night Editor.

And I have a feeling I’m next.

Rose was a day editor at a leading newspaper and Will Froz was a night editor. Will Frost works on the 34th floor of the building. Then one night, Will Frost disappears without a trace and Rose, who had been dreaming of getting the night shift, agrees to take the Will’s position…only that her dream job eventually turns into a nightmare.

This book deals with some sensitive issues such as sexual assault and being drugged.

I will start with the ones I like with this book
–unreliable narrator (can you really trust the protagonist) which would make a psychological thriller good
–plot of the story
–realistic parts on how dealing with rape trauma and panic attacks.
–knowledge about career

Now the ones I didn’t like
–the book itself is a slow burn which is for me not a good thing.
–don’t really understand the ending at all–maybe it’s just me but I am confused at the ending.
–too many mindless and useless conversations which spoilt the book

Overall, this is a dark twisty thriller and worth 3.5 stars.

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

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

Five years ago, a schoolgirl named Andie Bell was murdered, though her body was never found. The main suspect was her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who committed suicide admitting that he killed Andie. The case was closed and the police and the whole town of Little Kilton believed that Sal was responsible for the murder of Andie Bell. The present day, Pippa Fitz Amobi used the case of Andie Bell for her final year project. But as she investigates and researches on the case, she finds that Sal Singh might be innocent and that the real killer might be out there…

I actually enjoyed reading this book and simply couldn’t put the book down. I do like the style of the book, how the book was presented and it was really intriguing and interesting. I mean, truly as a reader, I actually had a fun time reading the book. I do like how realistic the book is and I immensely rooted for Pippa and Ravi’s chesmitry and connection with each other. The murder itself was a mystery and I have to say, the author did a good job, drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are part of the story. I found that I couldn’t put this book down as I found myself, turning pages, to see what is going to happen next.

I do like the snippets of Pippa’s log book, the SMS text messages, the email images…I feel more like I was reading a true crime book. Overall, I liked the style of the book and cannot wait to read the second book!

Worth five stars!

The trip of a lifetime ends in murder

Maisie leaves her precarious home life in the UK to hike the West Coast Trail in Canada. She meets brother and sister Sera and Ric, and what begins as a fun-filled experience in a beautiful secluded setting quickly turns sour.

Twenty-five years later, a woman named Laura is panicked to learn that a body was found near the trail and the police suspect they’re the bones of Sera. The secret she’s been hiding for a quarter of a century is about to come out – and someone is determined to make sure she tells the truth, and pays the price, as she should have done back then. But what lengths will Laura go to in order to protect her carefully constructed family life?

In 1999, Maisie Goodwin goes out on a hiking adventure by flying all the way from UK to Vancouver. While on the West Coast hiking trail, she meets a British girl named Seraphina Cunningham and her brother Ric. The trio becomes friends and soon go on the hiking trail together. However, soon, the hiking adventure soon turns to a nightmare when one of them ended up getting murdered.

Present Day, a woman named Laura reads the news that the human remains are found in the forest in Canada and the person who was found guilty will be released from prison. And Laura feels that her past is about to be haunted again.

This was actually a surprisingly good psychological thriller. The story divides between the past, told mianly from Maisie’s POV and present, told mainly in Laura’s POV. The story is fast paced and the reader feels like they are at the edge of the seat when reading this book. The ending was a complete unexpected twist that I did not realize that type of ending! However, it was a bit too dramatic and unrealisitc, but nonetheless, I actually enjoyed the ending. The writing was really great, the thriller itself is unputdownable with twists and turns. So overall, if you are looking for a thriller with some twists and turns based on hiking trail, then this book is one for you–worth five stars!

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

The next in a delicious new culinary cozy series featuring a grilled cheese eatery owner who must solve murders in her small town before someone is cheddar off dead

Winter in Balsam Dell is a snowy affair, and to add in some cheer after the holidays Carly’s former classmate Klarissa Taddeo is hosting her extravagant bridal shower at the historic Balsam Dell inn. That is, until a double-booking throws some mold in the cheese and leaves Klarissa scrambling. With the venue moved to the maid of honor’s family mansion and Carly rinding to create a new delicious treat it seems the group is going to pull off the shower without a hitch.

That is, until a rowdy band of groomsmen crashes the event. Klarissa is furious with her groom-to-be and when a loud argument ensues, everyone is shocked by what they hear. When the groom is later found dead at the bottom of the stairs, his drink spiked with a hefty dose of poison, Carly must put her nose to the rind and save Klarissa from being suspect #1.

Because you know what they say: it’s always the (almost) wife.

So this is the third book of the Grilled Cheese mysteries, set in the small town of Vermont and Carly going on her way to solve a mystery.

The story starts with Klarissa Taddeo, who is getting married and has arranged her bridal shower at an exquisite inn. But the two bookings at the inn prevented Klarissa to have her shower that in the end, the shower was held at Dawn’s house with Carly catering the shower. However, it soon turned a crime scene when Klarissa’s fiance, Tony was found dead, poisoned. There are so many suspects lined up for Tony’s death–Tony’s stepmother who people believed married Tony’s father for money and many more. Carly must find the real culprit.

I actually enjoyed reading this book and always loved the series. I do like the strained relationships between the supporting characters, which makes it wonder if one of those characters may have been responsible for what happened to Tony. I also enjoyed reading the recipes at the back of the book. Carly has become one of my favorite characters in the book and I cannot wait to read the next book of the Grilled cheese mysteries!

Overall,, this book worth five stars.

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

They are picture perfect. A young, happy family sat around the kitchen table. But no one moves as wisps of smoke filter into the room and the house becomes a burning grave around them…

When reports come in of a family trapped in a burning house, Detective Morgan Brookes rushes to the scene. But as soon as she enters the ruined home, she is devastated by what she finds. Tied to the kitchen table, Sally and David Lawson, and their young son, had no chance of escaping the flames and the smoke…

Neighbours all agree the Lawsons were the perfect family, and CCTV shows nothing suspicious. Morgan’s only clue is the silver crucifix necklace around Sally’s neck. Because according to friends, she wasn’t religious. Was someone passing divine judgement on this mother and her family?

Focusing on Sally’s last steps, Morgan gets the breakthrough she needs – just days ago Sally had confided in a friend that she felt someone was watching her. And when Morgan finds photos of Sally on her neighbour Luke’s phone, all the pieces slot together.

Only then another local woman reports feeling watched. Nothing seems to link her to Luke, but Morgan can’t ignore it. Could the killer still be out there? Going deeper into Sally’s past and uncovering the killer’s motivations is her only chance to save more innocent lives, but can she solve the twisted puzzle in time?

A perfect family was found brutally murdered inside a house which was set on fire. Sally, David and Tim seemed to be a perfect family but their murders shocked nearly everyone in the neighborhood. When Detective Morgan is asked to investigate the case, she finds that the members are bounded and each of their hands are missing (bizarre disturbing) and now Morgan must find the killer before he or she will attack another family. I have grown a liking towards Helen Phifer’s books and I do like her writing style. Her writing captures the audience into the story and make the readers feel like they are part of the story. And despite the dark side of the story, I do like how she would add some funny parts in the book as well. This was a fast paced thriller and quite unputdownable as well with some twists and turns. There are so many suspects and you have no idea which person might be responsible for the murder, which is a good thing in thriller books as you are clueless as what is going to happen next. Overall, I immensely enjoyed reading the book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Worth five whopping stars! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.