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: I Looked Away - Jane Corry

Title: I Looked Away
Author: Jane Corry
Published: June 2019
Source: Library checkout
Star Rating: 5

Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anyone else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swears it's over now, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got. 

Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And just for a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. What happens next will change her life forever. 

Because Ellie is hiding something in her past. 

And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder...[Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

I've seen this book featuring more and more online in the last few weeks, and I knew there was a lot of people loving it. Normally, book hype worries me and often leaves me disappointed. It always makes me want to read a book, but my expectations are often set too high, so I was very intrigued to see what I thought of this one. I was expecting a typical domestic thriller, but this was so much more.

It truly blew me away, everything about it - the writing, the topics covered, the twists, the characters – everything was so well executed. It felt like I was walking alongside the characters, living each moment with them, worrying with them and very eager to learn more. I don’t want to give anything away by delving into the topics this book covers, but everything was so well researched and sensitively written. I think this book is best experienced when you know as little about it as possible – it's such a fantastic read when you get to watch everything unfold, and have little parts of the story reveal themselves as you go along. At one point, I was reading on my lunchbreak at work and literally gasped out loud (I never do this!) and had to sit for a few moments whilst I took everything in.

It's had such an impact on me since finishing, I can't stop thinking about it! I want to keep talking about it to people who've read it and encouraging everyone else to pick it up as well. I honestly think so many people would enjoy this book, even if thrillers aren't your preferred genre. This has a lot more going on beneath the surface and does a fantastic job at tackling current issues in the UK.

5 solid stars from me, and a big shout for you all to go and read it! 

Review: Take It Back - Kia Abdullah

Title: Take It Back
Author: Kia Abdullah
Published: 8th August 2019
Source: Pigeonhole
Star Rating: 5

The Victim: A sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, neglected by an alcoholic mother. Who accuses four boys of something unthinkable. 

The Defendants: Four handsome teenage boys from hardworking immigrant families. All with corroborating stories. 

Someone is lying. 

Former barrister Zara Kaleel, one of London's brightest young legal minds, takes up Jodie Wolfe's case; she believes her, even if those closest to Jodie do not. 

Jodie and Zara become the centre of the most explosive criminal trial of the year, in which ugly divisions within British society are exposed. As everything around Zara begins to unravel she becomes even more determined to get Jodie the justice she's looking for. But at what price? [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

This completely captivated me and drew me in right from page one. I think one of the best ways to experience this book is not knowing too much - you need to navigate your own way through this story and see how you naturally react as each chapter unfolds. 

It's so cleverly written because even though you're given a heart-breaking, harrowing account of rape right at the beginning, the story isn't that simple. As I got to know Jodie and Zara, as well as the four accused boys my mind was changed over and over again as to whose story to believe. Then as the novel moved to the courtroom and the media attention erupted, it was both fascinating and scary to see how splintered society became, and how Zara became swept up in this divide. 

This was far more than your typical courtroom drama. It was such an emotional and uncomfortable read, and so powerfully relevant. I feel like I need everyone around me to read this so we can discuss it! It's definitely one of my top books for the whole year, an outstanding 5 stars. 

Review: No Further Questions - Gillian McAllister

Title: No Further Questions
Author: Gillian McAllister
Published: October 2018
Source: Library Checkout
Star Rating: 5

The police say she's guilty. She insists she's innocent.

She's your sister. You loved her. You trusted her. But they say she killed your child.

Who do you believe?[Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

I do love a courtroom drama - when done well they truly captivate me. I'm so fascinated by how everything can hang in the balance, one piece of evidence can be twisted and perceived so many different ways and seemingly solid witness statements can be torn to shreds.

One of the big reasons why I loved this one so much was due to Gillian McAllister's brilliant writing. No Further Questions was so cleverly done and was such a fresh take on this kind of thriller. We get to see each witness in turn, going through their perception of events and then their time in the courtroom. I kept thinking I had it all figured out, yet I'd then be shown things in a different light and all my theories would be thrown out the window. 

I also truly felt for all the characters - they were so complex and full of flaws, but I feel like I really understood them all at some point. I felt like I was sitting in the courtroom with them all, needing to know what happened to baby Layla, yet hoping things weren't as they seemed. This novel broke my heart in so many different ways.

I highly, highly recommend this one - in fact, I think it's my favourite Gillian McAllister book overall! 

Review: Never Have I Ever - Joshilyn Jackson

Title: Never Have I Ever
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
Published: 8th August 2019
Source: Netgalley
Star Rating: 5

It starts as a game at a book group one night. Never Have I Ever...done something I shouldn't.

But Amy Whey has done something she shouldn't. And Roux, the glamorous newcomer to Amy's suburban neighbourhood, knows exactly what that is. Roux promises she will go away. She will take herself and her son, who is already growing dangerously close to Amy's teenage stepdaughter, and she will go. If Amy plays by her rules.

But Amy isn't prepared to lose everything she's built. She's going to fight back, and in this escalating game of cat and mouse, there can be only one winner. [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

This was one of those books that just kept surprising me, again and again. I couldn't guess anything that was happening, I felt physically nervous through most scenes and I feel like I've been on one hell of an entertaining ride the whole way through. This was SO GOOD. 

Joshilyn's writing is so clever and witty and her characters are so well-rounded. They truly do make this story. They're flawed and complicated and completely keep you on your toes. It was one of those books that I really didn't want to end, but couldn't read fast enough to see how it all wrapped up. 

This is Joshilyn's first thriller, but she has many other books under her belt. I cannot wait to see what else she comes out with next. Truly, this author has got me hooked! And even though thrillers are normally my favourite, I think I need to know what else this author has in store for me - I feel like I will truly miss her writing now that I've finished. 

A solid 5 stars from me! 

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

Reivew: A Version of the Truth - B.P. Walter

Title: A Version of the Truth
Author: B.P. Walter
Published: Feb 2019
Source: Library checkout
Star Rating: 5

We all see what we want to see… 

2019: Julianne is preparing a family dinner when her son comes to her and says he’s found something on his iPad. Something so terrible, it will turn Julianne’s world into a nightmare and make her question everything about her marriage and what type of man her husband is or is pretending to be. 

1990: Holly is a fresher student at Oxford University. Out of her depth and nervous about her surroundings, she falls into an uneasy friendship with a group of older students from the upper echelons of society and begins to develop feelings for one in particular. He’s confident, quiet, attractive and seems to like her too. But as the year progresses, her friends’ behaviour grows steadily more disconcerting and Holly begins to realise she might just be a disposable pawn in a very sinister game. 

A devastating secret has simmered beneath the surface for over twenty-five years. Now it’s time to discover the truth. But what if you’re afraid of what you might find? [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

Fair warning - this is a dark book! Much darker than I was anticipating, but this is always a good thing for me. I feel like this not only pushed a lot of boundaries, but also acted as a modern social commentary that I just was not expecting. 

The book is told in two timelines, through the two different characters Julianne and Holly. Their voices were so distinctive, it was fascinating to have access to their innermost thoughts and worries, and to see the harrowing story unfold through their perspectives. The secret that is hinted at in the blurb is then unfolded so well by setting up the background preceding its reveal, and the devastation it causes in present day. I thought it was so well written, every little twist and turn to the story was executed perfectly, I just had to keep reading. I finished this in under 24 hours, which with two young children speaks volumes as to how addictive it was! 

This is the author's debut novel, which amazes me. I cannot wait to see what else he will come out with in the future! If you like disturbing and uncomfortable thrillers then I would highly recommend this one.