GIVEAWAY!! Getting Away With It by Julie Cohen

I read the hardback copy of Getting Away With it by Julie Cohen last year and it is published in paperback by Headline today. If you click here then it will take you to my review but here's a little bit about the book:

'Wherever there's trouble, there's Liza Haven...' That's what the villagers of Stoneguard used to say. But when your identical twin sister's the local golden girl, sometimes it's more fun to be the bad twin. 

Now working in LA as a stuntwoman, Liza can be as wild as she wants. But when she loses her job, and almost her life, she's forced to return home. 

Only, things have changed in Stonegaurd and her sister Lee has gone, deserting their difficult mother, a flagging family business and a dangerously attractive boyfriend. What's more the whole village thinks that Liza is Lee.

Can Liza get away with pretending to be the good twin? Or is it finally time to discover who she really is?

I have a paperback copy of Getting Away With It it to give away within the UK. All you have to do is leave your email address in the comment section and tell me what your dream flavour of ice-cream would be (it will make sense once you've read the book!). This competition will close at midnight on Thursday 24th March and I shall pick a winner! Good luck!

Book Review: When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

This is a book about a brother and a sister. It's a book about childhood and growing up, friendships and families, triumphs and tragedy and everything in between. More than anything, it's a book about love in all its forms.

This book felt very different from anything I have ever read, in a good way, it felt completely original.

When God Was a Rabbit revolves around Elly as she grows up at the end of the 1970s. She has a brother Joe and they have a very normal like with their parents. There is nothing extraordinary about the family but we follow them as world events occasionally come knocking at their door. We all have those conversations, telling each other where we were when we heard that Princess Diana had died and when the first plane hit the twin towers on 9/11. Sarah Winman describes how these events and many others affected Elly and her family.

The book explores relationships, those within a family and those special people that we take in and make part of the family, even though they weren't there from the beginning. The relationship between Elly and her brother Joe is just lovely. I think that Sarah Winman shows that what other people know about us and the memories they have are often just as important as our own. You sometimes need someone to have shared something otherwise it doesn't always feel real.

There is a plot to this book in that there are several pivotal moments but the characters are the key. I didn't need exciting things to be happening around them to enjoy the characters; I think this is what makes the book so special.

I know that When God Was a Rabbit will stay with me for a long time and I think it will appeal to many different readers so I highly recommend giving it a go.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Birdman by Mo Hayder

Greenwich, south-east London. DI Jack Caffery- young, driven, unshockable- is called to one of the most gruesome crime scenes he has ever seen.
Five young women have bee ritualistically murdered and dumped on wasteland near the Dome. Subsequent post-mortems reveal a singular, horrific signature linking the victims.
Soon Caffery realises that he is on the trail of that most dangerous offender: a serial killer. Beset by animosity within the police force, haunted by the memory of a very personal death, long ago, Caffery employs every weapon forensic science can offer to hunt him down.
Because he knows that it is only a matter of time before this sadistic killer strikes again...

This book is the second that I have read for The Great Transworld Crime Caper. I have not read any of Mo Hayder's previous books but after reading Birdman, I am definitely a fan.
The book centres around DI Jack Caffery, he like many fictional detectives has some skeletons in his closet but he really is a good guy, I really warmed to him throughout the book and he is a character I would like to read more of in the future.
Jack's team uncover the bodies of five women who have been buried for different periods of time. they have all be ritualistically killed and it appears that a small, live bird was sewn into their chests. With a body count of five to begin with, Jack knows that they are looking for a sadistic serial killer and time is not on their side.
Mo Hayder scatters clues throughout the book and then ties all the strings together at the end. I was on the edge of my seat several times but I don't think I was ever able to guess what would happen next. There are some very gruesome descriptions in the book, highlighting the depravity of the killer.
The only negative thing I can say is that there is a lot of medical vocabulary used in the book. Luckily I am married to a doctor so I could ask a few questions; it does add to the feeling of authenticity but it may send a few readers searching on Google.
Birdman is a brilliant thriller which I would highly recommend. I really enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to trying others by the same author.

Many thanks to Transworld for sending me a copy of the book.

Book Review: Secret of the Sands by Sara Sheridan

Will their fate be decided on the sands?

The year is 1833 and the British Navy are engaged in surveying the coastline of the Arabian Peninsula. Young and ambitious, Lieutenant James Wellstead is determined to use his time in His Majesty's Service as a path to glory. His plans are thrown into disarray when two of his shipmates go missing while gathering intelligence and Wellstead must mount a daring rescue.
Slavery is still rife throughout Arabia. Zena, a headstrong Abyssinian beauty who was torn from her village, is now being offered for sale in the market of Muscat. However, her fortunes change when she finds herself the property of the Lieutenant. She must accompany him on his hazardous mission, little knowing the fate that awaits them.
Each will be forced to make a choice- one that will change their lives forever.

In the historical note at the back of the book, Sara Sheridan explains that Secret of the Sands belongs to the 'faction' genre. The author read the real life accounts of naval officer, especially those of Lieutenant Wellstead and then has created the story around them. In some ways I wish I had known this at the beginning as I think it would have made the book even more interesting knowing that the characters actually existed.
However, Secret of the Sands is excellent, it is quite different from what I normally read but I really enjoyed it. Sara Sheridan has written a believable and entertaining story and packed it with rich details. I loved the descriptions of the people, the food, the landscapes, the dialogue, the religion, even the smells. There is a lot to take in during the book but I felt as though I had been given a breathtaking tour of the Arabian Peninsula.
I don't want to tell you too much more about the story, the blurb says it all and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. What I will say though is that the characters in the book are extremely well created, there are a lot of characters both British and Arabic and the differences and similarities that Sara Sheridan highlights are fascinating.
Zena was probably my favourite character. She is stolen from her village by slavers but shows tremendous resolve and bravery at the fate that has befallen her. When she comes under the care of Lieutenant Wellstead she can see that he is a kind man but she had no idea of the kind of feelings he would stir in her. Zena realises that she will do anything for Wellstead and this loyalty is greatly tested on several occasions.
Secret of the Sands is a romantic adventure, the story jumps from Britain, to Muscat to the wilds of the Arabian desert. I have found myself thinking of this book long after I finished the last page so I would highly recommend that you check it out.

Many thanks to Avon for sending me a copy of the book to review.

Book Review: You Are Next by Katia Lief

Detective Karin Schaeffer was a happily married mother until she got too close to catching a serial killer.
The press nickname him The Domino Killer because he systematically murders whole families leaving a trail of bloody dominoes as the only clues to his next victim. Having brutally slain Karin's husband and child, he had left her a chilling message written in her daughter's blood: You Are Next.
And now The Domino Killer has escaped prison and the police believe he's on his way to find her but Karin is waiting...

It has only taken me just over a day to read this book, it's not overly long but Katia Lief has the reader gripped.
Karin Schaeffer is almost an empty shell when we meet her; she has lost her husband and daughter, her family home and also the career that led to it all. The nightmare began when Karin uncovered the whereabouts of Martin Price when working as a detective Martin Price is The Domino Killer or JPP as the police describe him: Just Plain Psycho. He is a serial killer who wipes out whole families, leaving dominoes as the only clue to the fate of his next victim. He took his revenge on Karin by viciously murdering her husband and young daughter, vowing to come for her next. So when Karin learns that JPP has escaped from prison, she is waiting, does she want to finish him for good or is she hoping he will finish her so that she can be with her family again. JPP is always seemingly one step ahead, he is not just interested in Karin but her remaining family members. The game has changed and Karin knows that this time she cannot let him win.
I thought that Katia Lief created a great story. Martin Price is an extremely chilling character and I found the idea of the dominoes as calling cards to be very interesting and original. The book is gruesome in parts but we are dealing with a psychiatric serial killer so it is to be expected.
Katia Lief is very good at lulling the reader into a false sense of security. There were several points where I felt relied but then she ramped it up and the nightmare continued.
You Are Next is a great and highly recommended read, I will never look at a set of dominoes in the same way again.

Many thanks to Ebury Press for sending me a copy of the book to review.

Until It's Over by Nicci French

London cycle courier Astrid Bell is bad luck- for other people. First, Astrid's neighbour Peggy Farrell accidentally knocks her off her bike- and not long after is found bludgeoned to death in an alley. Then, a few days later, Astrid is asked to pick up a package- only to find the client slashed to pieces in the hallway. 

For the police, it's more than a mere coincidence. For Astrid and her six housemates, it's the beginning of a nightmare: suspicious glances, bitter accusations, fallings out and a growing fear that the worst is yet to come. 

I have read a few Nicci French books in the past and enjoyed them but I found Until It's Over really disappointing. I liked the idea of the book  which is obviously why I picked it up. You are left wondering for a long time whether Astrid is just unlucky or whether she had a part to play in the murders. The book is in two parts, the first follows Astrid as the events unfold and the second is the retelling of the same story from the murderer's perspective.
I felt as though the characters and the dialogue really let this book down as neither were believable. Even when Astrid and her housemates were talking to the police, I failed to find it realistic in any way.
I wouldn't let this review put you off Nicci French's other books, I have read Catch Me When I Fall, The Red Room and Secret Smile, all of which were excellent but Until It's Over just didn't do it for me.

COMPETITION WINNERS: Marrying Out of Money by Nicky Schmidt and A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Well names have been drawn and I can let you know that Sue Hyams has won the chance to meet the lovely Deborah Harkness and Susan K. Mann (who entered on here) and Cherry will get a signed copy of A Discovery of Witches, enjoy ladies!!

I have five winners for the Kindle copies of Marrying out of Money by Nicky Schmidt, they are:

1. Nikki
2. Nadia
3. Jo's Book Journey
4. R. Murthwaite
5. ACF- I don't have an email from you so could you get in touch as I will need it for the publishers. If I haven't received it by 6.00pm on Friday 4th March then I shall have to pass it on to someone else.

I will be passing your emails on to Nicky's publishers who shall organise the Kindle copies for you, hope you enjoy reading them and thanks for entering!