Behind Closed Doors Blog Tour

OMG WOW this book was just FANTASTIC. I read it in just 3 hours.  I was hooked from the first page. It was  brilliantly intense throughout the whole book. I loved the way Jack and Grace painted themselves as the perfect couple to all their friends but as soon as that door closed it was a whole different story, which was very chilling and so well written by the author. I could not put it down until I had got to the end to know what happens and how the story

I understand this is a debut novel and what an accomplished start. I predict this will one of the best psychological thrillers of 2016.

I am really looking forward for more from this author.

5 OF 5 STARS

Author info:

B A Paris is from a Franco/Irish background. She was brought up in England and moved to France where she spent some years working as a trader in an international bank before re-training as a teacher and setting up a language school with her husband. They still live in France and have five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.

Amazon buy link:
http://amzn.to/1YuqFpv

Review: Breathe: Stories from Cuba by Leila Segal

 

Blurb

Breathe is a collection that explores the heart of Fidel Castro-era Cuba; an outsider’s look that is balanced by a weight of empathy to illuminate truths that lie couched between the island’s propaganda and the Western media’s portrayal. Characters from Europe and the USA in Swimming, Taxi and Sabbatical seem to want to hold on to the indulgences that their countries offer them, while praising Cubans for the more abstemious lives they lead and seeking to sample what the locals experience; in Siempre Luchando, I Never See Them Cry and The Party, romantic liaisons strengthen or buckle under the strain of the minute exploitations that result from the assumptions one makes about the other; the seedy sexual aggression of Luca’s Trip to Havana is undercut by the subtle yet intense lust of Breathe; while Leaving Cuba, with its closing image of Havana’s night sky, is as eloquently balanced a tale of the lives of everyday Cubans as you will read in a long while – whichever path one takes, something is lost. As Aida Bahr, winner of Cuba’s Premio de la Critica Literaria says, “relying more on subtleties than on drama, [Segal] portrays the tensions and struggles, but also the joy and warmth, that fill Cubans’ lives.

As it says in the blurb Breathe is a collection of short stories set in Cuba between 2000 and 2004 by Leila Segal.

Breathe is a book perfect to read in one sitting or split up in several sittings depending on your mood. One short story is a perfect companion for your coffee break

I have not read many short stories collections over the past couple of years. To be honest like a few other bloggers and reviewers I prefer to get stuck into a full length book where I get to know all the characters their back grounds, locations and what makes them tick. But having said that I really enjoyed this collection they were detailed and thought provoking and did not leave me wanting more apart from Leila Segal’s next book.

I also loved reading about Cuba and in fact I have now passed my book to a work colleague who is visiting Cuba for 3 weeks next week  I am sure she will love and also leave a glowing review

5 of 5 Stars

 

Review The Stylist by Rosie Nixon

BLURB

When fashion boutique worker Amber Green is mistakenly offered a job as assistant to infamous, jet-setting ‘stylist to the stars’ Mona Armstrong, she hits the ground running, helping to style some of Hollywood’s hottest (and craziest) starlets. As awards season spins into action Mona is in hot demand and Amber’s life turned upside down. Suddenly she catching the attention of two very different suitors, TV producer Rob and Hollywood bad boy rising star Liam. How will Amber keep her head? And what the hell will everyone wear? The Stylist is a fast-paced, fun-packed rummage through the ultimate dressing up box

 

This book was so much fun, it was  entertaining, fascinating and ridiculous but in a good way

AI l knew when I first started this book that it would be predictable but with this book its no bad thing because sometimes after a long hard day at work all you need is something  warm and fun to read and this is your book – Its just like a girlie chickflick but in book form.

Although slow in parts this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and bridged the gap perfectly for me between 2 very chunky thriller books

So if you are looking for a similar book to shopaholic or the Devil wears Prada this is certainly your book

So get on your PJ’s  and fluffy slippers on, pour yourself a glass of gin and tonic with lime and get reading.

4 of 5 stars

Thank you MIRA for this review book. This is my honest review

Review: The Widow by Fiona Barton

 

The Blurb

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen…

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

Its February and I can already see how massive this book is  so my review is not really needed but I am going to add it to the mix anyway.  I can tell you the Hype surrounding this book is very well deserved

So I was a bit dubious going in to this book  as this book has been marketed on goodreads ”for fans of gone girl and the girl on the train” both books in my opinion very good books.

But I didn’t need to worry as this book was gripping, exciting, fast paced  and so dam good. I loved the fact the narrative followed the wife  (Jean Taylor) of the accused man (Glen Taylor) so her thoughts and feelings and the way everyone seems to underestimate her is makes for a very thrilling read.

Now here is the strange thing as much as as I loved the journey Jean taylor took me on I just did not like her. This is strange as I don’t often give a 5 star review if I did not like one of the characters of a book.

This Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

5 of 5 stars

Review:The Girl In The Ice (DCI Erika Foster #1) by Robert Bryndza

 

Blurb 

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.

When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

The last investigation Erika led went badly wrong… resulting in the death of her husband. With her career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she’s faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?

.

Since starting my blog in 2014 I have really got into Detective type thriller books so when I saw this to review I was really happy – so thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for a chance to review and of course this is my honest review which are my own opinions.

Its only February (well January when I read this book) but all ready I think I have found one of my top books of the year.

The book really did really does live up to the thriller tag it has been given.  I was so impressed by the plot and narrative and felt this all moved along at a really good speed. At certain point I could not read this fast enough to know what was going to happen next in the story.  I found to start with I did not like Erika but as the book unfolded and the character was built more I found that I really liked her  and respected her.

The Girl in the Ice was a fabulous introduction to DCI Erika Foster. I am already desperate to get my little reviewer hands on ”THE NIGHT STALKER” which I hear is coming very soon. I also look forward to getting to know Erika more.

5 of 5 stars