Book Review: Long Island (Eilis Lacey #2) by Colm Tóibín

Set to be published on 23rd May 2024, Long Island by Colm Tóibín is a follow-up to Brooklyn, set twenty years later. Eilis Lacey is now married to Tony Fiorello, a plumber and one of four Italian American brothers, all of whom live in neighbouring houses on a cul-de-sac in Lindenhurst, Long Island, with their wives and children and Tony’s parents, a huge extended family that lives and works, eats and plays together. It is the spring of 1976 and Eilis, now in her forties with two teenage children, has no one to rely on in this still-new country. Though her ties to Ireland remain stronger than those that hold her to her new land and home, she has not returned in decades.

One day, when Tony is at his job and Eilis is in her home office doing her accounting, an Irishman comes to the door asking for her by name. He tells her that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s child and that when the baby is born, he will not raise it but instead deposit it on Eilis’s doorstep. It is what Eilis does—and what she refuses to do—that follows.

Book Review: The Dancing Girls (Detective Jo Fournier #1) by M.M. Chouinard

Published in 2019 and the first book in M.M. Chouinard‘s Detective Jo Fournier series, The Dancing Girls follows newly-promoted Detective Jo Fournier who is thrown into a disturbing case when Jeanine Hammond is found dead in a hotel in the picture-perfect town of Oakhust. Who would murder this shy, loving wife and leave her body posed like a ballerina? Jo wants to know why Jeanine’s husband is so controlling about money, and where Jeanine’s wedding ring is, but before she and her team can get close to the truth, another woman is found strangled in a hotel, arms placed gracefully above her head like a dancer.

While digging through old case files, Jo makes a terrifying link to a series of cold cases: each victim bears the same strangulation marks. But the FBI won’t take Jo seriously, and if she disobeys direct orders by investigating the killings outside of her jurisdiction, it will mean the end of the career she’s already sacrificed so much for, even her relationship.

Just as Jo is beginning to lose hope, she finds messages on the victims’ computers that make her question whether these small-town women were hiding big lies. Jo thinks this is the missing link between the victims, but she knows the killer is moments away from selecting his next victim. Will it lead her to the most twisted killer of her career in time, or will another innocent life be lost?

Book Review: The Pull Of The Stars by Emma Donoghue

“Blame the stars… That’s what influenza means.”

Published in 2020, The Pull Of The Stars by Emma Donoghue is set in Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia’s regimented world step two Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney. In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other’s lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work.

Book Review: Weyward by Emilia Hart

“Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…”

Published in 2023, Weyward by Emilia Hart follows three women over three different periods.

KATE, 2019, flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

VIOLET, 1942, is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

ALTHA, 1619, is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated.

Book Review: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

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Published in 2007, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult is set in the ordinary town of Sterling in New Hampshire where nothing ever happens – until the day its complacency is shattered by a school shooting. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state’s best witness, but she can’t remember what happened before her very own eyes–or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show–destroying the closest of friendships and families.

Book Review: The Kill List (Inspector Anjelica Henley #3) by Nadine Matheson

“He will come for them, one by one…”

The third book in Nadine Matheson‘s Inspector Anjelica Henley series, The Kill List follows DI Henley as she is faced with a crime from her past, when Andrew Streeter was arrested for the brutal murders of five young people, including Henley’s best friend. Streeter’s ‘kill list’ of victims was found in his home, and he was convicted of all five crimes. Now, Streeter’s convictions are being overturned, as new evidence implies the original investigation was corrupt. No one is more shocked that DI Henley. But when the killings start up again, Henley must face the truth: they got it all wrong twenty-five years ago. Because the real killer is still out there, and he’s working his way through a new kill list…

BLOG TOUR: The Puppet Master (Major Crimes #3) by Sam Holland

“You think you’re in control of your own life? Think again. “

The third book in Sam Holland’s Major Crimes series, The Puppet Master follows the crimes of a madman across the country who’s carefully choosing his victims. He’s known as The Puppet Master, and he’s coming for you. Now, he won’t stop until you’re dead. And once he has you in his sights, he won’t let go. He watches your every move, and he will make you pay.

BLOG TOUR STOP: Profile K by Helen Fields

“He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Released last month, Profile K by Helen Fields follows Midnight Jones, an analyst trained to understand the human mind. But everything changes when, in the course of her work, she discovers Profile K’s file – because K stands for killer, and she knows that someone more dangerous than she could have ever imagined walks among them.

Midnight knows what Profile K is capable of before he even commits his first crime. But as the news rolls with the brutal murder of a local woman, no one believes what she tells them: that he is capable of so much worse.

Profile K will kill again – and, terrifyingly, Midnight realises that the moment she found his file was the moment she became his next target. Because Profile K is coming for Midnight – and the only way to escape with her life is to find him before he finds her…

Book Review: Lies We Bury by Elle Marr

“I was born in captivity…”

Published in 2021, Lies We Bury by Elle Marr follows Marissa Mo who, two decades ago, escaped a basement prison—the only home she’d ever known. At twenty-seven, Marissa’s moved beyond the trauma and is working under a new name as a freelance photographer. But when she accepts a job covering a string of macabre murders in Portland, it’s impossible for Marissa not to remember.

Everything is eerily familiar. The same underground lairs. Sad trinkets and toys left behind, identical to those Marissa had as a child. And then there is the note meant just for her that freezes Marissa’s blood: See you soon, Missy. To determine the killer’s next move, Marissa must retrieve her long-forgotten memories and return to a past she’s hidden away. But she won’t be facing her fears alone. Someone is waiting for her in the dark.

April 2024 Wrap Up

I don’t know if April felt like the longest month or the quickest…

I feel like it has ended too quickly, but I also had a month of sickness bugs, chicken pox, car troubles, and other stresses, so it feels like it has been hectic 😂

I also didn’t read nearly as much as I hoped to, but with five 5-star reads this month, I can’t really complain!!

In April, I read 18 books.

Here are my monthly stats:

Book Review: Belladonna (Belladonna #1) by Adalyn Grace

Published in 2022, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace follows 19-year-old Signa, orphaned as a baby, has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at the glittering and gloomy estate of Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove’s patriarch, Elijah, mourns his late wife, Lillian, through wild parties and drink, while eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and daughter Blythe suffers from the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. And when Lillian’s spirit confronts Signa and claims she was poisoned, Signa realizes that Blythe could be next to die.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the culprit and solving Lillian’s murder is an alliance with Death himself—the very man she hates most. And Death, that fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side, shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagine.

Book Review: Misery by Stephen King

“Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now he’s writing to stay alive.”

Published in 1987, Misery by Stephen King follows bestselling novelist Paul Sheldon who has finally met his biggest fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader – she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

Book Review: Wild by Kristin Hannah

Published in 2006, Wild by Kristin Hannah is set in the rugged Pacific Northwest lies the Olympic National Forest—nearly a million acres of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. From deep within this old growth forest, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone, she offers no clue as to her identity, no hint of her past.

Having retreated to her western Washington hometown after a scandal left her career in ruins, child psychiatrist Dr. Julia Cates is determined to free the extraordinary little girl she calls Alice from a prison of unimaginable fear and isolation. To reach her, Julia must discover the truth about Alice’s past—although doing so requires help from Julia’s estranged sister, a local police officer. The shocking facts of Alice’s life test the limits of Julia’s faith and strength, even as she struggles to make a home for Alice—and for herself.

Book Review: The Trial by Jo Spain

Published on 25th April, The Trial by Jo Spain begins in 2014 at St Edmunds, Dublin, an elite college on the outskirts of the city, twenty-year-old medical student Theo gets up one morning, leaving behind his sleeping girlfriend, Dani, and his studies – never to be seen again. With too many unanswered questions, Dani simply can’t accept Theo’s disappearance and reports him missing, even though no one else seems concerned, including Theo’s father.

Ten years later, Dani returns to the college as a history professor. With her mother suffering from severe dementia, and her past at St Edmunds still haunting her, she’s trying for a new start. But not all is as it seems behind the cloistered college walls – meanwhile, Dani is hiding secrets of her own.

BLOG TOUR: Death In A Lonely Place (Jake Jackson #2) by Stig Abell

Published on 11th April, and the second book in the Jake Jackson series, Death In A Lonely Place by Stig Abell follows former London detective Jake Jackson who has found a new life in a quiet idyllic country village, where he enjoys tending to his chickens, swimming in his lake, and spending long, lazy evenings with his new love, Livia. It’s the perfect setting for their relationship to blossom.

Then a case from the past re-emerges, shattering the calm and plunging Jake into the shadowy world of No Taboo — a clandestine group which serves the extravagant whims of Britain’s elite. And when Livia accepts a position working for a powerful publishing magnate, suspicions arise about her new employer’s connection to the mysterious group. As unseen forces manipulate those around him, Jake races to expose the deception that threatens his peaceful world. Amid the desolate beauty and seemingly friendly faces of this small, cosy community, Jake must decide who he can really trust . . . or learn just how far No Taboo will go to protect their secrets.

Book Review: The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton

“Solve the murder to save what’s left of the world.”

Published in 2024, The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton is set on an idyllic island, where one hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists live in peaceful harmony. Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists. Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn’t solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone’s memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don’t even know it. And the clock is ticking.

Book Review: The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins

Set to be released on 9th May, The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins is set in 1820 when Sophia Ashmore-Percy reluctantly accompanies her husband James to a remote Greek island, where he searches for rare biological specimens. Once there, however, she sets on her own voyage of discovery—stumbling across the very creature he is looking for, making an unexpected connection with a local woman, and ultimately reconsidering her marriage, life, and own desires.

Decades later, audiologist Henry Latimer is sent to the home of industrialist Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy and tasked with curing the man’s young daughter, Philomel, of her deafness. But Henry, eager to escape a troubled past, quickly becomes obsessed with the fascinating nature of Sir Edward’s business: spinning silk with a rare and magical breed of spiders. The extraordinary silk shields sound, offering respite from bustling streets and noisy neighbors. The result is instant tranquility, as wearers experience a soothing calmness. Yet, those within earshot of the outward-facing silk are subjected to eerie murmurs that amplify with proximity. Bystanders suffer the consequences of this unnerving phenomenon, manifesting in physical and mental afflictions ranging from headaches and drowsiness to severe cases of madness.

As Henry becomes entangled in the allure of the silk and Sir Edward’s charm, he glimpses a more sinister family history. The closer he ventures into the inner circle of Carthmute House, the more he unravels the horrifying underbelly of the silk business.

Book Review: Daughter Of Mine by Megan Miranda

“Daughters are different…”

Published earlier this month, Daughter Of Mine by Megan Miranda follows Hazel Sharp, daughter of Mirror Lake’s long-time local detective, who unexpectedly inherits her childhood home, she’s warily drawn back to the town—and people—she left behind almost a decade earlier. But Hazel’s not the only relic of the past to return: a drought has descended on the region, and as the water level in the lake drops, long-hidden secrets begin to emerge…including evidence that may help finally explain the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

Book Review: Watching From The Dark by Gytha Lodge (DCI Jonah Sheens #2)

“You never saw him. But he saw it all…”

Published in 2020 and the second book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, Watching From The Dark by Gytha Lodge follows Aidan Poole who logs onto his laptop late at night to Skype his girlfriend, Zoe. But to his horror, he realises she is not alone. Completely helpless, all he can do is listen to the sounds of a violent struggle. And then a chilling silence. He’s desperate to find out if she is okay. But then why is he so hesitant to call the police?

Book Review: The House Guest by Mark Edwards

“A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.”

Published in 2020, The House Guest by Mark Edwards follows British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam who are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York. They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home — but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her. As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake…