My Review (4 stars out of 5) Businessman Lewis Stone has a few issues with his business partner, but the firm’s Christmas party isn’t the place to thrash them out. Desperate to escape and try to enjoy the festive break, he jumps into his car and sets off for home. Having turned down the offer…
Category: Psychological
‘The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess’ by Andy Marino
My Review (5 stars out of 5) After years of struggling with addiction, Sydney finds herself and her young son in a nice house, with a decent job and a loving partner. But when she unexpectedly encounters a burglar, the sequence of events before her escape to a neighbour’s house, become blurred. While she’s recovering…
‘Carrie’ by Stephen King
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Unpopular teenager Carrie White is no ordinary girl and when a traumatic event unnerves her, she begins to harness the power inside her mind – telekinesis. When one of the girls who tormented her feels guilty, she persuades her boyfriend to ask Carrie out to the high school…
‘The Babysitter’ by Gemma Rogers
My Review (4 stars out of 5) When babysitter Brooke is attacked and the child she’s caring for abducted, the police are quick to respond. But as Brooke recovers from her injuries it seems she knows more about the abduction than she’s letting on. As questions are asked and interviews carried out, Brooke’s deceit spirals…
‘She’ll Never Tell’ by Maggie James
My Review (5 stars out of 5) When her mother dies suddenly, Olivia Gilchrist’s world crumbles. But following the post-mortem, Olivia hears news that challenges everything she has known about herself and her mother. At first disbelieving, Olivia decides she must discover the truth and sets out to trace anyone who might be able to…
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ by Ira Levin
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Rosemary and actor-husband, Guy, are desperate to move out of their one-room bachelor pad when they hear about an apartment in the Bramford. The old New York City building might have a worrying reputation and a tenant list that seems only to include ‘mature’ residents, but the couple…
Amateur Sleuth, Animals, Audiobook, Book Reviews, Children's Books, Classic, Crime, detective, Indie Authors, murder, mystery, Psychological
Best Reads of 2019
Over the course of the last twelve months, I’ve read 97 books. This includes paperbacks, eBooks, hardbacks and a few audiobooks, but doesn’t include those where I gave up after the first couple of chapters. What follows is a list of some of the more memorable reads, though isn’t intended to be definitive or in…
‘Silent Winter’ by Maggie James
Silent Winter When Drew Blackmore is beaten up and abducted, he finds himself in a desperate situation – chained up and left with scarcely enough food to survive, he struggles to work out what he must have done to deserve such treatment. Meanwhile, his wife Holly runs to Drew’s brother for help, but as the…
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ by Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House Unhappy with the way her life is going, Eleanor jumps at the chance of helping out when Dr Montague invites her and two others to stay at the mysterious Hill House. Along with Theodora and Luke, she soon discovers the initial cheerful atmosphere in the house becoming oppressive. Famously inspirational…
‘Blacklands’ by Belinda Bauer
Blacklands Twelve-year-old Steven spends all his free time digging holes on Exmoor, hoping to find a body. Having disappeared at the age of eleven, the boy’s Uncle Billy is assumed to be yet another victim of serial killer Arnold Avery – but without a body, Steven’s nan refuses to believe her son is dead, and…
Colin Garrow 