The Choice

 The Choice

Lockwood Gate Thrillers #3

Melinda Di Lorenzo

Reviewed by Helen

This is a great twisty psychological thriller that had my head spinning from one side to the other, yes I did get confused sometimes trying to work out what was happening, but I was turning the pages to get to the end and discover everything and it is a busy book lots going on but I was cheering Sadie one.

Sadie Haller-Bent has just got divorced from her detective husband Milo and lost her beloved father at the same time and also has something that she is deciding what to do about, when she is woken one night with a man at her door trying to break in a strange woman on her balcony offering help, what does she do? She takes a chance on the woman and escapes into a nightmare of running this woman tells her not to involve the police, especially her ex-husband, because they want Sadie dead, why would someone want to kill her? The plot thickens and then said woman gets killed Sadie finds herself alone until a young woman steps in to help, can she trust her, will they find the answers to what is happening and why?

This story is one of the most twisty I have read for a while and the author did well I had no idea until the very end the twist in this story, fabulous characters and a well told story that ended with me getting the answers. This is one that I would highly recommend, especially to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

4 stars

September 9, 2024 by Tule Publishing

My Sister's Boyfriend

 My Sister's Boyfriend

Nicola Marsh

Reviewed by Helen

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty psychological thriller I met most of the characters in My Sister’s Husband so was familiar with them but there is a newcomer who becomes Brooke’s boyfriend he is very good looking and does everything right and this is Brooke’s first adult relationship with everything she has been through in the past, but her sister Lizzie who is a psychologist gets really bad vibes form Noel Harwood when she meets him in one of her art therapy classes for released prisoners and she does not yet know that he is Brooke’s boyfriend seeing as they have had a falling out, how will all of this turn out?

Lizzie is very protect of her sister and niece after all that they have been through in the past, they are now estranged their Aunt Alice and Brooke is still not giving her a chance on explaining what happened to make Brooke not want to talk to her, but she will never give up on loving her and protecting her, will Brooke give her a chance to put forward her worries before it is too late.

Brooke is managing well with her daughter a new job she employs a nanny housekeeper, Hazel and when Hazel asks her out for drink to meet her housemate Brooke goes along and meeting Noel Harwood soon changes her life, she is falling for this handsome fabulous man but soon Lizzie is pushing for her to re-think her relationship, Brooke is not happy, trust is not easy for Brooke, she thinks Noel is wonderful until she discovers maybe he isn’t.

This one will have you turning the pages as danger lurks, this one is filled with secrets from the past that have sprung up now to cause hurt and pain, will Brooke, Lizzie and Hope come through alive and well and then the twist at then had me shaking my head. This one is filled with fabulous characters good and bad and I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good twisty psychological thriller.

My thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

September 9, 2024 by Bookouture

The Perfect Family

 The Perfect Family

Jacquie Underdown

Reviewed by Helen

This family comes across as perfect widowed, Claire mother of three now grown boys, now with partners of their own Matt and Nikky, their two boys Flynn and Ryan, Anthony and Belinda and Vaughn and Paige a new relationship, but are they perfect?

Matt and Nikky work hard and it seems have it all but when Nikky starts to fall apart and question herself, she needs to get to the bottom of why and what she realises shocks her.

Anthony and Belinda have a beautiful house two businesses but what they want more is a baby, but pressure and debt is playing on their relationship.

Vaughn and Paige have just moved in together with Evie’s three year old daughter and are so much in love and very much looking towards a happy future together, but.

Claire widowed when her boys were young but is she who she makes herself out to be, is she pushing her children in ways that she should not, is she evil and narcissistic?

I have had this one on my massive TBR pile for way too long and I am so glad I finally picked it up, what a brilliant story, could one person really be this bad, you need to read this one, I could barely put it down. I do highly recommend it and I loved the ending so much.

5 stars

August 30, 2019 by Jacquie Underdown

The New Couple in 5B

 The New Couple in 5B

Lisa Unger

Reviewed by Helen

WOW this one is a page turner and while reading it, it was bringing back memories of watching Rosemary’s Baby all those years ago, who can you trust in this apartment building called Windermere, Chad and Rosie are just about to find out when they move into their new apartment 5B.

Rosie and Chad are left an apartment from Chad’s uncle Ivan in the historical building Windermere in Mays Hill, New York, with its own doorman and old lift, some say it is haunted some say it is cursed, and soon Rosie and Chad are caught up in a world of strange happenings, a feeling of being watched and heard.

Rosie is an author of true crime stories and is set to write about the Windermere and its past but when things start appearing before her and Chad’s cousin Dana is found dead, and it appears that Chad is keeping secrets from her the accusations are flying in all directions, the feeling of being watched gets stronger and things are tensing up big time especially when another apartment owner dies.

This one had my mind going in all directions and had me on the edge of my seat, the author has created and bought to life the characters on the pages, my heart went out to Rosie with everything that was happening but the question why was it all happening how far would tenants go to get what they wanted and uncovering things that had happened in the past very eerie, would the truth ever be uncovered.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller that will make you think.

5 stars

March 5, 2024 by Park Row

The Echo

 The Echo

The Lockwood Gate Thriller Series #2

Melinda Di Lorenzo

Reviewed by Helen

Book two in this series and it is another twisty mind turning story, when Rose McGovern’s sister, Daisy is found dead at the bottom of a bridge it is declared a terrible accident but Rose knows better and will never give up until the truth is found no matter what danger she puts herself in.

Rose makes herself so well known to the local police station with her thoughts on what really happened that she is soon banned from going there and also taken off to the local psych ward for three days but give up, never.

When Rose in her research discovers another woman’s death eerily the same as Daisy’s Rose is even more convinced that there is something sinister going on, her research leads her to Orin whose sister in law died in a tragic accident as well and between them they continue to do their research and discover a pattern but they both know that the police will not help so it is up to them to find the answers, but will they be able to, who are they up against, who can she trust and how many deaths have there been?

This one again had my mind jumping from one thought to another, fabulous characters Rose and then Orin and Jared added so much to the story and suspense, the more they uncovered the more questions there were, this one is compelling reading, the ending was surprising.

I do highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a good thriller that will have you thinking.

My thanks to the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

4 stars

May 7, 2024 by Tule Publishing

The Replacement

 The Replacement

The Lockwood Gate Thriller Series #1

Melinda Di Lorenzo

Reviewed by Helen

WOW this is a twisty thriller, what would you do to save your child and who do you trust? This is the first book I have read from this author but it won’t be the last.

Ari Strange has been through a lot, in the early stages of her pregnancy she loses her husband in a fiery car crash, two years on and her and her daughter, Lucy-Kate are doing well living in an apartment and she has a job, yes things are good, until they aren’t.

Ari is woken in the middle of the night by a strange sound and the cry of her daughter, when she gets up to go to her there is a strange woman covered in blood holding her daughter and she takes her precious Lucy-Kate, Ari is beside herself and runs out in the freezing cold after the woman, but when the police arrive they are accusing Ari of firstly not being Ari Strange but another woman and they are accusing her of kidnapping her own baby and no one will listen.

Ari’s grumpy neighbour, Denny is there and strangely he seems to be trying to help Ari and soon they are on the run together after nearly being shot, will Ari find her daughter before it is too late but can she trust Denny, is he somehow linked to Lucy-Kat’s kidnapping?

This is a fast paced and fabulous story, lots of twists and turns as Ari uncovers so many clues, it kept me on the edge of my seat and it was a one sitting read. I do highly recommend this one, I loved it and look forward to more in the series.

My thanks to the publisher Tule for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

February 15, 2024 by Tule Publishing

The Eleventh Floor

 The Eleventh Floor

Kylie Orr

Reviewed by Helen

I loved Kylie Orr’s debut book and have been eagerly awaiting her next one and wow I was pulled into this dark, gripping and compelling story, a story that I think should be told, it takes in the life of a young mother in a very happy marriage, but having a baby and sleepless nights and no time for herself takes its toll, when her husband Joe suggests she has a night to herself in a luxury hotel, Gracie says yes, but maybe she shouldn’t have.

Gracie Michaels arrives at the luxury hotel ready to rest, but maybe a bit of shopping and a drink at the bar first, it has been a while but when she is pulled into a conversation with a guy and one drink turns to two and the next thing she is waking up practically naked with a man in another hotel room, while trying to get way she sees something out of the window, something she wishes she had never seen.

Gracie leaves early and takes her time getting home to her husband and son, with many thoughts going through her mind, what will she do, if she says anything it will probably destroy her marriage, but what about what she saw is that person safe? So many questions, keeping everything to herself is best, but when the police are asking questions about a missing woman and Gracie is called in things heat up and then her son becomes ill and the truth must come out, will there ever be justice for what has happened?

I loved this twisty psychological drama, it is fast paced, and so edge of your seat suspense my heart was in my stomach with what Gracie was going through, and the decisions she made it is filled with intrigue and sadly things that happen too often, MS Orr has written this one with empathy and lots of research I would say, the characters are fabulous and come to life on the pages. I f you love a good twisty tale filled with lots of emotions then this is one to read, I do highly recommend it.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

February 1, 2024 by HQ Fiction