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: 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: 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. 

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!