Review: The Holiday - T.M. Logan

Title: The Holiday
Author: T.M.Logan
Published: July 2019
Source: Library Checkout
Star Rating: 4

Seven days. Three families. One killer. 

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday - a group of families enjoying a week together in the sun. Four women who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France. 

But Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. And a week away might just be the perfect opportunity to get the proof she needs - to catch him in the act once and for all. Because she suspects the other woman is one of her two best friends. 

One of them is working against her, willing to sacrifice years of friendship to destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .

Because someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

Well this was a thoroughly entertaining read! The Holiday follows 4 women, best friends since university, who go on holiday to a French villa along with their families. Our main character Kate finds something on the first day that makes her suspect her husband is having an affair with one of her friends and she’s determined to find out who. Yet someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secrets hidden…

The tag line is ‘Seven Days, Three Families, One Killer’ and I felt for sure I had it all figured out, but I was so wrong! I will say this started out a bit slow for me and it took me a while to get into it, but I can see the author was building up the pressure until everything explodes at the end. For me, once the suspense started to mount up properly, I was completely hooked.

There was a very claustrophobic feel to the book that created such a tense atmosphere – as it neared the end I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to see how everything was going to play out. When all the different pieces of the puzzle came together you could see how hints and red herrings had been used throughout the story which allowed for a clever, twisty ending which I really enjoyed.

I definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for a slow-burn thriller that will leave you guessing throughout.

Review: The Doctor - Lisa Stone

Title: The Doctor
Author: Lisa Stone
Published: June 2019
Source: Library Checkout
Star Rating: 3

How much do you know about the couple next door? 

When Emily and Ben move in next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita, they are keen to get to know their new neighbours. Outgoing and sociable, Emily tries to befriend the doctor’s wife, but Anita is strangely subdued, barely leaving the house, and terrified of answering the phone. 

When Emily goes missing a few weeks later, Ben is plunged into a panic. His wife has left him a note, but can she really have abandoned him for another man? Or has Emily’s curiosity about the couple next door led her straight into danger? [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

This whole story revolves around how much do you know your neighbours – definitely a tried and tested subject for thriller, but one that can be done really well. Emily and Ben move in next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita, who like to keeps themselves very much to themselves. Emily tries her best to befriend Anita but she is strangely resistant. Then Emily goes missing and Ben finds a note saying she’s left him for another man but something about it seems suspicious…

I was so intrigued by this synopsis, and I will admit this whole book was one crazy ride, going in directions I never would have guessed from that blurb. However, sadly for me, it was all a bit too much. I found I could never get over my disbelief of the whole situation (quite tricky to write about when I’m trying not to spoil you!). It was a shame because overall it was a solid, well-written thriller with a very original take on the next-door-neighbour trope. In fact, I actually think a lot of you will enjoy this one and the storyline will work really well for you. It has a good average rating on Goodreads and a lot of people definitely seem to have really enjoyed it, so I’m in the minority on this one for not fully getting into it.

I will say it did have a very addictive quality to it and I really wanted to keep reading to see how it all unfolded, but for me it was just too unrealistic for me to properly enjoy it and the twists at the end ended up falling flat for me. 

Review: Platform Seven - Louise Doughty

Title: Platform Seven
Author: Louise Doughty
Published: August 2019
Source: NetGalley
Star Rating: 5

Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he's alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic - he's as far away from the night staff as he can get.

What the man doesn't realise is that he has company. Lisa Evans knows what he has decided. She knows what he is about to do as she tries and fails to stop him walking to the platform edge. 

Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months - surely they're connected? 

No one is more desperate to understand what connects them than Lisa Evans herself. After all, she was the first of the two to die.[Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

I adored Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty so I was highly anticipating this new release. This was such a fascinating set-up for a story as Doughty perfectly blends a ghost story with a mystery thriller.

Two suicides have taken place at Platform Seven at Peterborough Station in the last 2 years and as the book begins it looks like a third is about to take place. Narrating the story is the ghost of Lisa, the victim of the second death at the station. This was so well done – I’m not normally a fan of the interweaving of paranormal aspects with thriller fiction but this was fantastic.

I loved that this was set in a train station. It grasped the exact underlying feeling of menace and danger that exists around standing near to railway lines as a high speed train goes past. This thoroughly creeped me out and added to the haunting air of the whole book.

As the story unfolds we learn of Lisa’s life when she was still alive and her toxic relationship. These parts of the book were disturbing and so well-written. One of the things I loved most about Apple Tree Yard was Doughty’s ability to write such realistic characters, and it’s exactly the same for this book. As the reader learns more about Lisa’s life the suspense builds up and I was completely hooked on finding out exactly what had happened to her. All this culminates in an emotional and unnerving read that not only looks at vitally important issues within our society but also proves to be a compulsive page-turner.

I highly recommend this one, the whole novel was very atmospheric and unsettling and would make a perfect Autumn read. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Who Killed Ruby? - Camilla Way

Title: Who Killed Ruby?
Author: Camilla Way
Published: June 2019
Source: Library checkout
Star Rating: 4

You never know what’s going on behind closed doors… 

If you passed it on the street, you’d see an ordinary London townhouse. You might wonder about the people who live there, assume they’re just like you. 

But inside a family is trapped in a nightmare. In the kitchen, a man lies dead on the blood-soaked floor. Soon the police will come, and they’ll want answers. 

Perhaps they'll believe the family’s version of events – that this man is a murderer who deserved to die. 

But would that be the truth? [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

This was my first book by Camilla Way, and I really enjoyed this story of a family and their secrets. This was such a fast-paced thriller! You’re immediately thrown into the scene described in the blurb and then taken back in time to see the events that unfold up to that moment, and what led the characters there.

It was a very addictive read, full of suspense with a good mystery at the centre of it. The writing and pace kept me wanting to know what happened, although I did find myself thinking some of the twists were a bit much at times. Sometimes it got a bit too far-fetched for my liking, but equally I didn’t guess what was going to happen. It wrapped up well, and I was hooked on the rest of the story so that made up for it.

I definitely want to try Way’s other books which I’ve heard fantastic things about. I think this would really suit you if you’re looking for a tense, entertaining page-turner. 

Review: Lock Every Door - Riley Sager

Title: Lock Every Door
Author: Riley Sager
Published: July 2019
Source: Library checkout
Star Rating: 4

You've been offered a luxury apartment, rent free. The catch: you may not live long enough to enjoy it… 

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents. These are the only rules for Jules Larson's new job as apartment sitter for an elusive resident of the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile private buildings and home to the super rich and famous. 

Recently heartbroken and practically homeless, Jules accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind. 

Out of place among the extremely wealthy, Jules finds herself pulled toward other apartment sitter Ingrid. But Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her. Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story - but the next day, her new friend has vanished. And then Jules discovers that Ingrid is not the first temporary resident to go missing… 

Welcome to the Bartholomew…You may never leave.
[Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

This was my first Riley Sager, and I definitely had high expectations for this one. I know he’s a very well-loved author and this one was obviously getting a lot of buzz, so I was very eager to check it out for myself.

I really enjoyed the feeling and tone of this novel. It was disturbing and claustrophobic with an ever-growing feeling of suspense pushing it along. It quickly had me hooked and I was desperate to know what was happening. 

This was an entertaining thriller and I didn’t guess any of the twists which is always a win with me. I was expecting it to be creepier than it was after some of the reviews I’d read, but it was well-written and the pacing was done really well. The ending was definitely shocking, but it didn’t necessarily work for me. I can see why it is so well-loved, but it didn’t fully satisfy me especially after really enjoying the rest of the book so much. But I know that I’m definitely in the minority with that opinion!

Overall I would definitely like to read his other books – I really liked the writing style, the mystery kept me guessing and it was a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for my honest review.