Time sure does fly when you’re having fun, or should I say reading! I have got through so many books (for me) lately and I am here to share with you my thoughts on seven of my reads from 2020 in the next instalment of my Bookshelf series, bookshelf #6. If you don’t follow me on Instagram, then please do, as whilst I will continue to share book reviews on here, I am more frequently sharing my immediate thoughts and current reads on there along with other bookish content.
So, back to it, the books! In 2020 I managed to read 21 books. That’s quite good for me considering it was the first year that I got right back into it so to speak and set myself a real goal to achieve. This year I have read 9 so far so I will probably, (I hope) reach my goal of 25 by the end of the year. I adore reading, I just can’t dedicate all of my time to it as my job takes up a lot of time but that’s ok, it is just a hobby, a bit like the beauty side of things. I hope that you all enjoy this content as much as any other I produce and if you want to say hi and follow me on Goodreads, then you can find me on there also. So, after a second plus to follow me, let’s get right down to it!
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – ★★★★★
I picked this up on the Kindle not long after joining BethsBookClub and I loved it! I’ll be honest, I am not a super chic-lit fan, however, this was such a light-hearted, fun read that I just could not put it down. I flew through it. The story is based around the central two characters of Tiffy and Leon, both London based, they ultimately end up sharing a bed (working different hours) in a tiny flat. It sounds strange, right? It sure, is, although knowing London and how it is, maybe it isn’t a stretch too far from the truth! The story, of course, runs us through their lives and how ultimately they entwine, it was bound to happen, of course, it’s a chic-lit after all and doesn’t forget, they are literally sharing a bed! I enjoyed how the author did tackle important topics such as emotional abuse, but still managed to keep the book light and fun. It is a thoroughly great read and I cannot wait to read the next book by Beth O’Leary.
Close to Home by Cara Hunter – ★★★★
I first discovered Cara Hunter in April last year during the first lockdown. I read all four of her books one after the other and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. Close to Home is the first in the DI Fawley series and it had me hooked from the start. It tells the story of a missing 8-year old called Daisy Mason, who vanishes during a party at home. Nobody sees anything and naturally, the suspicion falls on her closest family members. Said family appears on the surface to be ‘normal’ whatever that is, however it soon becomes apparent that they are anything but and that they are rather dysfunctional. I enjoyed the element of social media and how it was brought into the story, the use of Twitter timelines was used to demonstrate the opinion of members of the public following the disappearance of Daisy. To me, it was a true reflection and indeed an example of what it would be like in true life and what people do, speculation, arguments between each other online over what they think happened and who did it. My only real issue with this book was the character of Daisy herself, she is supposed to be 8 but comes across as a cocky 16-year-old. Aside from that, I loved the characters in this book and I felt that they were believable, particularly the police investigators who we continue to follow throughout the following books in the series. The story itself has its own plot, but as you read further into it there is a second story that follows DI Fawley personally throughout the series which I think is a great additional feature. I do recommend that you read these books in order due to this subplot as it were. I highly recommend this book and indeed the series.
In the Dark by Cara Hunter – ★★★★
Again, much like the first, I loved the second book in the DI Fawley series. This story is based around the discovery of a woman and a child in a cellar which is quickly linked to that of another case involving a missing woman in the area. I loved the insight once more that the book gave in regards to the police procedure in investigating such a crime, it is fascinating! The author really makes you feel involved in the process. I have to say, I preferred this book to the first(even though I enjoyed that) as I found the story much more believable and generally more gripping. Again, the author makes use of the feature of social media/emails etc which in this day and age, is an everyday life occurrence and somehow it just adds to the realistic feel of the story. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but what I will say is that I didn’t anticipate the ending at all, it wasn’t what I expected which I think is a great achievement as so often with thrillers, they can be a bit predictable; this wasn’t. I highly recommend it!
No Way Out by Cara Hunter – ★★★★
The third book in the series was again a hit with me. I really did read them one after another in a very short space of time. This story follows that of a house fire which takes place in Oxford, a child unfortunately dies and another is left critically ill. The Mother is missing, nowhere to be found and the father is working away from home. Of course, it all looks a tad suspicious which once again brings in DI Fawley and his team The story obviously leads us through the investigation and indeed the days building up to the fire taking place. I feel like in this book we are let into more of the personal story regarding DI Fawley and that surrounding his son and wife, we also have a stronger focus on the other detectives in the team and their personal lives which are all equally interesting. Once again, it is another fantastic follow up to what is becoming one of my favourite crime series.
All The Rage by Cara Hunter – ★★★★
This is currently the most recent book in the series, although there is one on the way this year I understand. I’ll be ordering that on the Kindle straight away! This story follows DI Fawley and his team in regards to the investigation of a girl who is found wandering the streets having been abducted and assaulted. It’s a mystery, not least because she does not report the crime and when they finally become aware of it, she refuses to help the police with their enquiries. It is another great story that keeps you on your toes and guessing the whole way through. I also found this book to be the one that ties in the characters the most in terms of the subplot with DI Fawley and his wife along with the specific events taking place in this particular story. The book finishes on a cliffhanger, it is the only one out of all four that does so. I cannot wait to read the next in the series to see what happens.
His Wife’s Sister by A.J Wills – ★★*
This was my first read courtesy of NetGalley so firstly, a big thank you for the opportunity. Overall I think this book had great potential however it was a bit of a letdown. I found that the story jumped one from one thing to another, it was quite inconsistent and at one point I know I went back a few pages just to see if I had somehow missed a chapter. It didn’t flow. The remaining pages felt rushed, and I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the whole thing. It was a little messy which is a shame as I felt like it could have been quite a good physiological thriller.
The book is simply about two sisters, one of whom is kidnapped (Mara) at the age of 11 and then 19 years later she suddenly re-appears. Queue, what we are made out to believe is a jealous sister who finds the fact her sister Lucia has moved on with her life, got married and had children all whilst she was left behind. We are made to think that she hates her sister’s husband, Damien and that she will do anything to cause issues within their relationship. Damiens character is hard to work out, he craves the attention from the media when Mara turns up, much to the point of feeling disgust that he would want his wife, Lucia to go through all of that once more. The book is written predominately in his point of view and then towards the end, it changes and turns to Mara, it is a bit unexpected and it doesn’t feel quite right.
Ultimately the book left you with a lot of unanswered questions, more so than when you first start.
So there we have it, a further round-up of six more reads! Let me know if you have read any of these and also let me know if you recommend any book YouTube/Instagram accounts as I am looking for more people to follow within the book community.
If you want to read more of my reviews then you can do so here. I do need to update a few and tidy up some old posts but that will have to be a job for another day!
*His Wife’s Sister – A big thank you to NetGalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
