Book Review: The Shining Girls By Lauren Beukes

The Girl Who Wouldn't Die. Kirby is lucky she survived the attack. She is sure there are other victims less fortunate, but the evidence she finds is...impossible. Hunting a serial killer who shouldn't exist.
Harper stalks his shining girls through the years- and cuts the spark out of them. But what if the one that got away came back for him?

I completely loved this book even though it terrified me! Kirby survives a horrific attack as a teenager; she is lucky to be alive but she cannot settle until she has found the man who intended to end her life in a viscous and carefully planned manner.
Harper is a serial killer, he's not particularly smart but his sole focus is to kill the shining girls as he calls them. He takes something from each victim and leaves it with another of his prey.
Kirby begins to investigate but the evidence is baffling. It appears that Harper has been killing women for more than 60 years, but how would be do
that? How would an older man be inflicting such physical violence acts on people much younger than him?
The Shining Girls kept me away at night; Harper is one of the scariest characters that I have ever come across. He is just relentless, there are no discerning features to him, he is pure evil.
This book has split opinion and I think that it mainly due to some of its fantastical elements. These made the book for me. Lauren Beukes delivers a completely original type of psychological thriller of which I am sure there will be many poor imitations.
The Shining Girls is gripping, terrifying and thought-provoking. It is definitely not one to read late at night but it is also not be to missed.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 416

Book Review: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart New York is the first in the I Heart series by Lindsey Kelk and it is fabulous! I accidentally read the latest book in the series first which I loved so the lovely Charlotte from Harper kindly sent me the first two books so that I could start from the beginning.

Angela Clarke flees to New York after she finds her boyfriend Mark with his pants round his ankles cheating on her with his new tennis partner. She shuts herself away in a glamorous hotel and starts abusing the mini-bar. Jenny, the hotel's concierge comes to the rescue, she picks Angela up and shows her the glorious city of New York. Soon Angela has a new wardrobe, new hair, a new writing job plus dates with two very eligible men. She has to decide whether New York is going to be her new life or whether she must stop running away and return to face the music at home.
Angela Clarke is the best part of the book for me, as a character I find her entirely believable. She is a Libran like me so completely indecisive and always trying to create some kind of balance in her life. The relationship that she forges with Jenny is also a really important part of the book. Jenny is exactly the kind of friend that every girl needs, always there with a bottle of wine and a shoulder to cry on but also not afraid to point out when you are wrong about something.
I cannot recommend these books by Lindsey Kelk enough, they're so good and I can't wait to find out what happens in I Heart Hollywood.

Book Review: Juliet by Anne Fortier

When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety deposit box in Siena, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a precarious journey into the history of her ancestor Guiletta whose love for a young man named Romeo inspired Shakespeare's unforgettable story.
As Julie crosses paths with the families who turned medieval Siena upside down, she begins to realise that the notorious curse- 'a plague on both your houses'- is still at work.

I was really excited to receive this book from Harper as I love Shakespeare and have always been fascinated with the story of Romeo and Juliet. Anne Fortier has created such an intriguing story as she explores the way in which fact and fiction often cross paths throughout history.
This book reminded me a little of Kate Mosses's books such as Labyrinth or Sepulchre but I think that Juliet had a much faster pace which I enjoyed. It is quite a long book but you are right in the thick of it from the very beginning, I couldn't stop turning the pages.
The book jumps between the present day and Siena back in 1340, the chapters in the past explain a part of the puzzle that Juliet is trying to solve in the present. I found myself looking forward to these chapters as I knew that I would be getting some more answers to the mystery that Julie finds herself in. There are quotes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet throughout the book, each chapter also begins with one and they help to tie the story together.
Anne Fortier offers many surprises plus the odd red herring. There is a lot to take in with this book as it spans across so much time but it is definitely worth it. If you are a fan of Shakespeare then you would greatly enjoy this book. If you are not a fan of the Bard, you would still be reading a great book full of mystery, history and romance.

Many thanks to Harper for sending me a copy to review, Juliet is published today.

Book Review: Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe

Grace Brookstein is young, beautiful and the wife of billionaire Lenny Brookstein when the US stock market goes into a terrifying free fall. Oblivious and seemingly unscathed, Grace continues her charmed life, until the death of her husband in a tragic sailing "accident" forces her to face reality. Was it possible that Lenny had conned thousands of people out of millions of dollars to live like a king, and how much did Grace know?
Untangling a spiralling web is vicious lies and well planned deceit, Grace soon puts her own life in danger in an attempt to prove her innocence.

Tilly Bagshawe writing as Sidney Sheldon is excellent, this book is full of glamour, sex, intrigue and mystery. I have never actually read a Sidney Sheldon book but I shall be catching up with his other books, what a great way to continue his legacy by introducing new readers to his writing in this way.
After the Darkness is set in the recent crash of the US stock market so obviously it is extremely relevant to readers who have watched the real life events unfold across the world. Lenny Brookstein runs a Hedge fund which in itself is shrouded in mystery. Tilly Bagshawe explores how many people benefited from extraordinary wealth without ever questioning where it came from.
Grace Brookstein embodies this unquestioning nature, married to Lenny and surrounded by glamour, wealth and opulence, she never once stopped to wonder where all the money came from as she was too busy spending it. All of this changes though with Lenny's death and I loved seeing the transformation in Grace. She is stripped of everything with no-one to turn to for support and the interesting part of the story is that she doesn't necessarily mourn the loss of wealth but instead begins to look at the simplicity of life without it. Grace's first instinct is to gain the truth, this sends her on a terrifying journey where she is constantly putting her own life at risk.
I read After the Darkness in one day as I didn't want to put it down. Each twist and turn just left me wanting more, I would highly recommend this excellent book.

Many thanks to Harper for sending me a copy of this book to review, it is published today.

Book Review: Time of Death by Alex Barclay

FBI agent Ren Bryce's hunt for some of the country's most dangerous killers is about to turn into a nightmare. There is unfinished business between those she is pursuing, and soon she is forced to confront both personal and professional traumas.
Then someone close to Ren is murdered and secrets from her past look set to be revealed, throwing her into a world of fear, paranoia and danger.
Dark forces are at work and someone is determined to destroy Ren's life. But time is running out and Ren must catch a killer before he catches her...

I hadn't ready anything by Alex Barclay before but I very much enjoyed Time of Death. I've thought about this review for a while and I have decided not to talk too much about the plot as it would be far too easy to spoil it for others. The book is very fast paced though, we visit several locations but I think this just adds to the reader's understanding of how desperate Ren Bryce is to catch the killer.
FBI agent Ren Bryce made the book for me, she is an excellent character. Ren suffers from Bipolar as does one of my closest friends and Alex Barclay describes the condition perfectly whilst exploring how it would effect somebody with Bipolar to work is such a high risk and stressful job. Ren is chasing a killer whilst trying to protect her family which seems to be falling apart and also trying to keep the explosive secrets from her past well and truly hidden. I loved how Alex Barclay shows Ren's thoughts alongside the dialogue, it's like being let in on the secret of what she is actually thinking.
There is a lot going on in Time of Death and quite a few characters to keep up with. I sometimes find that a bit annoying but instead I was very impressed with the way that Alex Barclay brought everything together.
This is a proper page turner that I am sure will appeal to many readers. I really liked Alex Barclay's writing style and shall be on the lookout for her future books.

Many thanks to Harper for sending me this book to review, it is published today!

Book Review: I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Paris is the third book in the I Heart series by Lindsey Kelk, I haven't read the other two but I shall be catching up with them as I really enjoyed this one.

Angela Clarke is on her adventures again, her boyfriend Alex who is in a rock band asks her to go on a week long trip to Paris where he has a gig, at the same time, the ultra trendy Belle magazine ask Angela to do a travel piece so it's not long before she is packing her bags and heading for the airport. Things however do not go smoothly, Angela falls in love with Paris but everything is against her. Someone is trying to sabotage her article and then Alex's gorgeous Parisian ex-girlfriend shows up. Angela is very tempted to run away back to her old life in London; she has to decide if what she wants is worth fighting for.
Lindsey Kelk has written a brilliant book, I really loved the character of Angela Clarke, she feels very real but incredibly entertaining at the same time. She is placed into so many difficult situations throughout the book and I loved wondering how she was going to get out of the latest one.
This book very much made me want to go to Paris again; I wanted to wander around with Angela, visiting the beautiful shops and bustling cafes. If you are looking for a good, entertaining read then I would highly recommend this one. As I said, don't need to have read the other two in the series to understand I Heart Paris. I am going to read the previous ones though as I would love to know about the adventures that Angela has already got up to!

Many thanks to the lovely people at Harper for sending me a copy to review, this book is published today.

Book Review: Scandalous by Tilly Bagshawe

Sasha Miller goes to Cambridge University with a dream, and leaves a broken woman. After losing her heart to sexy professor Theo Dexter, she departs in a scandal.
Meanwhile, as Theo becomes a television heartthrob, his long suffering wife Theresa realises that trust and fidelity are two words her husband doesn't understand. His betrayal is deeper than any cut.
Years later the two women will unite in a daring scheme to bring down the man who almost destroyed them both. It took them years to realise how one man could cause so much pain, but now they are determined he will regret the day he entered both of their lives...

This book was so good! It is a proper romp of a read, I didn't want to put it down once I had started it. I read some Jackie Collins books when I was a teenager and this reminded me of them, only it is much more up to date and scandalous. Tilly Bagshawe weaves a gripping story of glamour, lust, sex, betrayal, scandal and absolute greed.
Sasha Miller was my favourite character, we see her develop from a shy and naive undergraduate into a hugely successful businesswoman, hell bent on getting her revenge. Her target is Theo Dexter, the man she views as having ruined her life. He is a brilliant villain; handsome, charming and out for everything he can get, he doesn't care who he steps on along the way.
Scandalous takes place in the beautiful university city of Cambridge, the glamour of Hollywood and the high-powered business centre that is New York. As we travel from location to location we learn more and more about the characters and the shocking lengths they will go to in order to get what they want.
Scandalous is such an entertaining read, it would be perfect as a holiday book as you need to be prepared that once you have started you will probably want to finish it in one go. I am now definitely a Tilly Bagshawe fan, I shall be catching up with her other books.

Many thanks to the lovely people at Harper for sending me a copy to review, Scandalous is published today!