Rachel Reads Randomly Vote #12

Thank you everyone for your input last time. The results of the last vote were:

2 Votes - Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him The Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison

2 Votes - Holy Island (A DCI Ryan Mystery) by LJ Ross

3 Votes - Somebody to Love by Sheryl Browne

6 Votes - Sworn Secret by Amanda Jennings
12 Votes - Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary

I believe last week was the most popular among you yet. I wasn't sure what would be selected but having read and reviewed  Someone Else's Skin, I am so glad that was the winning selection. What a brilliant book, and just goes to show its always good to get other people's opinions on your book choices, as you may get to read books you have forgotten you wanted to. 

For this week's choices, you are getting a random selection from authors with first names beginning with A & B. Want to slowly try to give all parts of my TBR list a chance to pop up in these selections, and there are a few books in this section that I have been meaning to read for ages...and then become distracted by others. I just wonder if they will pop up on the randomiser!

Below is initially my theory for this feature, and then a bit further, what you are all waiting for... This weeks's vote! Enjoy!

I am also awful at deciding what book to read next, as I often have about 10 titles or authors jumping into my brain at any time, shouting at me to read them, and I tend to worry I have made the wrong decision while reading a perfectly good book. I am hoping this will save me having to make at least 1 choice a week, while possibly providing a review to the site of a book you all either love or are curious about yourselves. 

So what I am proposing, is my lovely loyal readers of Rachel's Random Reads, select one book for me to read a week, and I will post the review the following week. 

This weeks random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my gut feeling responses are:

16 - We Could Be Heroes by Alison Bond - I believe this is a rom-com, and have a vague feeling there is a sporting element to it, but really don't recall. 

31 - French Coast a Novel by Anita Hughes - I won this last year, and have almost picked it up to read a few times, but other books then caught my eyes more. 

36 - The Truth Will Out by Anna McPartlin - I read a book by this author the other year and really enjoyed it, so bought more!

48 - Disengaged by Beth Orsoff - Bought this as part of a kindle sale, and then its been sitting on my kindle awaiting attention

55 - Cream Teas, Traffic Jams and Sunburn: The Great British Holiday by Brian Viner - Who will vote for this purely to see me having to tweet a book with such a long title? Suspect this could be a good book to read to make you long for a summer holiday!

Well one of the books on my spreadsheet that I would quite like to read, is on this selection, but its down to you. Looking forward to seeing what you all think of these, and if in fact you have read any of them. 

Pick your favourite or the one you most want me to review, or just the one you are curious about, and leave me a comment below, before midnight on Wednesday. 

I look forward to seeing what I will be reading over the weekend, courtesy of you all.

The explanation if you haven't seen the feature before. 

How is this going to work?

Every Monday, I am going to have a post like this, which is going to have some choices on it. I am planning on using random.org to select 7 random numbers, to coincide with my spreadsheet of unread books.  

I will from that produce a list of hopefully 5 books, I reserve the right to veto any books, and will give reasons for them, if it occurs.

I will take screenshots and post them, of the chosen books, and also give you my instinctive reactions to the choices (without checking blurbs or any other info about them, which could be interesting as there are probably many forgotten about books on my spreadsheet!). 

Your task is to post a comment on this post, with the book you would like me to read this week. At midnight on Wednesday I will take a tally of the votes and the book with the most, I will read and review for the following Monday, where you will also get a new choice post. 

In the event of a tie, I will chose which one appeals most, for the Monday review, and possibly try and read and review the other to appear when I can. 

I am hoping this will provide some variety to the books appearing, and will let me potentially read or discover some great authors that I have wanted to read but not got around to yet. 

Book Review - Out of Tune by Beth Reekles - Winning Reads #3

Winning Reads #3
Welcome back to my new feature, Winning Reads. This is the third book I have picked to read for this feature, and I'm delighted that I am enjoyed the books I have chosen so far, as it must mean I am winning some really good books!

  As I enter a large amount of competitions for books, and have a reasonable degree of luck, over the past year or two, my paperback mountain has grown out of control mainly due to being a bit lucky, and then not remembering to pick the books up and read them. 

Now I have a blog, I find it harder to not just stick the the brand new shiny releases the whole time, but I do want to read all these other books, so while I have a stash of them, here is Winning Reads, my new weekly feature for Sundays.

Amazon UK

Title: Out of Tune

Author: Beth Reekles

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Corgi Childrens

Publication Date: 3rd July 2014

Rating: 4 Stars

Ashley Bennett is a straight-A student in her junior year of high school, and life is looking good: she's got a boyfriend whom she loves, a group of friends who love to party... But really, Ashley loves to curl up at home with a good book, and she can't wait to go to college. When junior year starts, the life Ashley's settled into is turned upside down - the empty house next door has finally been sold, and moving in is Todd O'Connor...

When Ashley first meets Todd, he seems aloof and cocky, and she's reluctant to share a ride to school with him as her mom tells her to. As the two get to know each other, though, Ashley comes to realise that the mysterious, brooding Todd O'Connor, who all the girls are swooning over, is actually bookish and shy, and a little bit lonely. His parents split up and he has moved away from his mother to live with his father, and since then Todd has mostly kept to himself, his books, and his guitar.

And as Todd gets to know Ashley, he forces her to realise that her relationship with her boyfriend, Josh, isn't really making her happy - Josh is selfish, arrogant, and domineering. Will Ashley find the courage to forge her own path?

For as long as I have had this book, it has been taunting me to read it. I suspect its the gorgeous shade of blue on the spine, that had it whispering, read me, over and over. And I have finally given and what what a lovely story it is. 

The only reason that to me this wasn't a five star book, is purely because although the author deals with the teenage angst of first love very well, its been so long since I was in a position to experience it, it didn't quite affect me in the way this same story would have, possibly even ten years ago. However despite that I loved every second of the book. 

It is an incredibly sweet story, about Ashley, her boyfriend Josh, and her new next door neighbour Todd. As Ashley gets to know Todd better, she starts questioning her own relationship with Josh. I loved Ashley's various thought processes, and as a reasonably shy and geeky teenager I could empathise with her character very well. Especially with the who to sit with at lunch dilemmas (which even to this day I still haven't mastered!). 

I found Out of Tune to be very easy and quick to read, and I read it completely on my commute. Beth Reekles is clearly in tune with teenage psyche's and ever since I was a child I had a weakness for books set in schools, so this was a great way to get in touch with my younger reading self. 

Book Review - Another Love by Amanda Prowse

Amazon UK

Title:  Another Love

Author: Amanda Prowse

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 16th January 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

In the early years, she was happy.

Romilly had worked hard for her stunning, modern house in one of Bristol's most fashionable suburbs. She adored her gorgeous, gap-toothed daughter and her kind and handsome husband. Sure, life was sometimes exhausting - but nothing that a large glass of wine at the end of the day couldn't fix.

But then, as deep-buried insecurities surfaced, everything started to unravel. A glass of wine became a bottle; one bottle became two. Once, Romilly's family were everything to her. Now, after years of hiding the drinking, she must finally admit that she has found another love...

When I was offered the opportunity to read an advance copy of Another Love, having looked at its description, I knew I would be a fool to turn it down. In the past year that I have discovered Amanda Prowse's brilliance, I have been continually impressed by her writing, her empathy while dealing with serious subjects, and the treatment that Romilly and Celeste's story has been given in Another Love is no different. 

Another Love is told in alternating chapters, from Celeste's point of view and Romilly. With Romilly we are treated to her life from when she meets husband, all the way through her love affair with alcohol. And from Celeste, its her looking back on how it was to grow up with Romilly as a mother, and just what it can be like living with someone who has an additional love. 

We see snapshots of Romilly's childhood, and how she felt at key points growing up, that formed the base of her adult psyche, and could explain some of her reasons for liking to drink perhaps a bit more than necessary at times. 

The whole story is told in a very compassionate way, and I really did feel sorry for Celeste, and also found myself caring deeply for Romilly and wishing that she had the inner strength to react to situations differently. 

This book does not glamourise alcoholism, and I have to assume took a lot of research to write about so clearly, as with some scenes, it feels as though there is a great level of insight being exhibited by Amanda Prowse, and this comes through clearly. 

Another Love is one woman's struggle with her love of a tipple, or two, or three, and how it affects everyone around her, from her immediate family, friends, and anyone who tries to help her. Some of the book would have been quite funny, if it wasn't for the deep rooted problems that Romilly has. 

I hesitate to  say that I enjoyed reading this, as I don't normally take pleasure from others suffering, however I did find this was a gripping story that I kept going back to as I didn't want to leave it alone for very long at all. 

It is a magnificent piece of writing from Amanda Prowse, and amazingly this is only her first release of  what I believe to be is a very busy year for the author. If this is the start, I can't wait to see what else is released. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Head of Zeus and Simeon Prowse for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - After You Die by Eva Dolan

Title: After You Die (DI Zigic & DS Ferreira Book 3)

Author: Eva Dolan

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Review copy from author

Publisher: Harvill Secker

Publication Date: 21st January 2016

Rating: 3 Stars

Dawn Prentice was already known to the Peterborough Hate Crimes Unit. 

The previous summer she had logged a number of calls detailing the harassment she and her severely disabled teenage daughter were undergoing. Now she is dead – stabbed to death whilst Holly Prentice has been left to starve upstairs. DS Ferreira, only recently back serving on the force after being severely injured in the line of duty, had met with Dawn that summer. Was she negligent in not taking Dawn’s accusations more seriously? Did the murderer even know that Holly was helpless upstairs while her mother bled to death? 

Whilst Ferreira battles her demons, determined to prove she’s up to the frontline, DI Zigic is drawn into conflict with an official seemingly resolved to hide the truth about one of his main suspects. Can either officer unpick the truth about mother and daughter, and bring their killer to justice?

I found After You Die to be a slow and not particularly engaging police procedural. I was struggling to keep interested in it. I had heard fantastic things about the previous two books in this series and was under the impression that this would work as a standalone. 

After You Die does work as a standalone novel, however I can't help but feel if I had read the other two, I would have felt more connected to DI Zigic and DS Ferreira, especially with the references to what I have to assume was the previous book. 

There is nothing at all wrong with the writing, it was simple enough to follow, and I understood what was going on, but I felt like I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and the only possible person of interest in the case that I enjoyed the story of was Nathan. Nathan being a youngish child, who was on the run, and the scenes focusing on him were what kept me going, but few and far between. 

There were points that I found myself wanting to know what was going on, but even with the solving of the case, I was left feeling flat. 

Unfortunately I suspect with After You Die, it just wasn't quite what I was after in a book, and I'm fairly neutral in my opinion of it. To me there are many better books in this genre out there, but there are also many that a lot worse. 

Thank you to Eva Dolan for the opportunity to read this book. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love by Linn B. Halton - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love

Author: Linn B Halton

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 15th January 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Life isn’t all love and cupcakes … 
Katie has had her fair share of bad luck, but when she finally realises her dream of opening a bakery it seems things can only get better. 
But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she can’t help but feel that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job? 
Then, one winter’s day, a man walks into her shop – and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie’s life is changed. 
But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there … 

Previously released as Sweet Occasions by the author. Revised and edited by Choc Lit December 2015 

Having read a few of Linn B Halton's books in the last year, I feel very confident in saying that A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is her best yet. It is such a sweet, touching and loving romantic story, told from various perspectives. At times I was getting very frustrated with Katie, but I was living in hope that he situation would change.

Having just read a bucket load of Christmas books, I was marginally worried about the mention of two Christmases in the blurb, but I needn't have been. The book is not a festive story, more a book of very distinct passing of time, using special cake orders for Christmas and birthdays as a very useful mechanism. 

The cakes in question are truly magnificent, and all the cakes in the Sweet Occasions bakery sound scrumptious. 

I believe this is probably what is known as a slow burner romance, you get the feeling that two characters are destined for each other, but a lot of story gets in between that happening, and in this case the story is enjoyable to read. 

I loved the various chapter headings which told you which character's point of view that chapter was going to be from, as well a overall theme for the chapter. If you are reading this over a period of time, I think this would really help you out. All the characters have distinct voices, and I was finding myself loving Adam and Lily a whole lot more than Katie and Steve.

I did like Katie, but since the reader was able to see their relationship , from the outsiders point of view, I couldn't help but wonder why on earth she was still with Steve. He goes from one minute wanting Katie to stop working at Sweet Occasions (her dream bakery), to practically becoming a partner in the business. I just couldn't help but feel a sense of doom at some of their decisions. 

Grace, Adam's grandma was enchanting, and although spirits, ghosts and me, don't normally get along, I had no problem at all with Grace's beliefs that she was able to see dead family members and able to have conversations with them, It all came across so naturally, and I have to believe that it was a real comfort to Grace. 

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love was a fabulous way to spend a winters evening, and I found myself hooked on what was happening between the pages. 

Thanks so much to Linn B Halton for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

About Linn B Halton

“I’m a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, and writing. Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache…”


An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Linn’s novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award. Linn writes chick lit, women’s contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.

Website/blog: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/

Twitter: @LinnBHalton FB: Linn B Halton Author

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/LittleSugarLotOfLove

Contest Open Internationally – No Purchase necessary

1^st Prize - £25 Amazon Voucher

2^nd Prize – Cupcake themed Swag Bag

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Book Review - The Runaway Bridesmaid by Daisy James

Amazon UK

Title: The Runaway Bridesmaid

Author: Daisy James

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 28th September 2015

Rating: 3.5 Stars

What a girl wants…

Squeezing herself into a frothy, flouncy, bubble-gum pink dress, Rosie Hamilton thinks that being a bridesmaid for her spoilt little sister Freya can’t get any worse.

But discovering her boyfriend in a cupboard with the bride, ten minutes before Freya is due to say ‘I do’, is the icing on the sequinned wedding cake – and Rosie’s cue to pack her bags.

Swapping her Louboutins for Wellingtons, Rosie throws her bridesmaid bouquet in the air and flies from bustling New York to sleepy Devon. Her late Aunt Bernice’s cosy countryside cottage is the only place that’s ever felt like home.

Now, for the first time in her life, and with the help of her beloved Aunt’s diaries, Rosie must put herself first for a change – and decide what she really wants…

I found myself enjoying The Runaway Bridesmaid, more and more as the story progressed. To start with it felt a bit slow, and I really didn't like the interaction between sisters Freya and Rosie. Freya is far to self centered, and what she did on her wedding day, would cause anyone to runaway. 

It wasn't so much that I didn't enjoy the start, more that I didn't like Rosie's way of life in New York, although things did change very fast. I will admit that I loved the first sentence of the book that had me laughing. 

However everything changed once Rosie has fled to Devon. She is there for her beloved Aunt's funeral, but after finding her diaries decides she will stay for a short while. Its the discovery of the Bake Yourself Better cookbook that really caught my interest, and I loved Rosie's attempts to bake things from the book. The descriptions of the illustrations had my imagination in overdrive, as I tried to picture gorgeous garden pictures, to accompany the recipes and Rosie's aunt's notes. 

The Runaway Bridesmaid was reasonably easy to read, and not too long. There are some really nice sections, and I loved Rosie's day out with Charlie. 

To me, The Runaway Bridesmaid started off slow, and improved as the book progressed, to a possibly predictable, but definitely enjoyable ending. This is a good debut from Daisy James, and she is an author I would read more from. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Carina for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Destination Thailand by Katy Colins - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Destination Thailand (The Lonely Hearts Travel Club, Book 1)

Author: Katy Colins

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 21st January 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

What if you had a second chance… to find yourself?
Instead of slipping on her something borrowed and tripping up the aisle to wedded bliss, Georgia spends her big day crying into a warm Sex-on-the-Beach, wondering where it all went wrong.

Forced to make a bucket list of her new life goals by best friend Marie, it’s not long before travel-virgin Georgia’s packing her bags for a long-haul adventure to Thailand.

Yet, Georgia’s big adventure doesn’t seem to be going to plan. From strange sights, smells and falling for every rookie traveller scam in the book Georgia has never felt more alone.

But the good thing about falling apart is that you can put yourself back together any way you please. And new Georgia might just be someone she can finally be proud of…

It takes a very rare book for me to be enjoying so much by half way through that I was already wondering just what the next ones in the series would be, and how the destinations would be dealt with. And that is exactly what happened to me during Destination Thailand. I was so hooked on the writing of Georgia's adventure that I need to read books two and three and really don't want to wait. 

Anyone that knows me knows that I love travel and also reading about foreign locations in books, so in that respect Destination Thailand could have been made for me. 

We join Georgia while she is on a last minute trip to Turkey, that takes place the week when Georgia was due to be married. Instead she is sipping cocktails and sobbing on the beach and generally unhappy until Marie, her best friend, challenges her to write a bucket list, to try and focus Georgia's life. 

From that Georgia decides that travelling is what she has always been putting off, and despite some cautions from parents, sets off on a six week tour of Thailand. Only things don't initially go to plan, and Georgia falls for a lot of the cons that any inexperienced traveller could be taken in by quite easily. 

I was hooked from the opening but it ramped up a gear once Georgia got onto the plane to Thailand. The descriptions of the country and her tour group are so believable, I almost felt I was on the tour alongside her. Some of the others on her tour may be slightly stereotypical characters, but that is because they are the sorts of people you would definitely meet on your travels.

There are the loud and lairy Essex boys, just up for a good time, the couple who are very cautious and use hand sanitizer everywhere and turn their noses up at trying anything local and authentic, then there are the girls, best friends, that think every man will fall in love with them. Add in a gorgeous guy who appears to only have eyes for Georgia and the tour guide Kit, who isn't exactly on the level, and you have a mixed group for the beginning of Georgia's adventure. 

I'm not sure I can describe just how great my enjoyment of this story was. The writing is excellent and you can tell that the author is drawing on personal experiences, which gives the book a greater depth and richness. 

I am so looking forward to discovering India next with Georgia, The Lonely Hearts Travel Club and Katy Colins. 

Destination Thailand is the perfect escape to warmer climates this winter, and you don't even have t leave the comfort of your armchair to enjoy the journey. 

Thanks so much to Carina and Netgalley for this review copy. This is my honest opinion. 

Guest Post - Terry Tyler: taking history forward 500 years

First of all, a big thank you to Rachel for inviting me onto her Random Reads.

Rachel suggested that some of her readers might be interested in the way I've linked three of my contemporary family dramas to historical periods.  That probably sounds a bit weird - I'll explain! 

Amazon UK
Only 99p until Jan 23

Two and a half years ago, when watching the TV series The Tudors, it occurred to me what a fabulous story the tale of Henry VIII and his six wives actually is, and I considered how the wives, in particular, might translate into the present.  As I mulled it over, I saw the enigmatic Anne Boleyn as a gorgeous, raven haired PR girl, desired by many, the flighty young Catherine Howard as a pretty teenager who'd fallen into the seedy world of lap dancing, and so on.  About eight months later I published Kings and Queens, about property developer Harry Lanchester and the six women in his life.  

Although the story mirrors that of Henry and his wives, it's essentially a modern day drama that can be read without knowledge of or interest in history.  Happily, it was well received by Tudor buffs and contemporary romantic suspense lovers, alike; a relief!  In February last year I published the sequel, Last Child, about Harry's children.  This corresponds to the story of Henry VIII's offspring: Edward, Mary and Queen Elizabeth 1st.  

Amazon UK

Back in the 16th century, Mary married King Philip of Spain for political reasons.  She fell in hopeless unrequited love with him, suffered two phantom pregnancies, and then he broke her heart—I couldn't wait to get my key-tapping fingers on that storyline!  Enter philandering fortune-seeker Phil Castillo, who Isabella (Mary) meets in a Spanish bar. 

Last Child got a couple of lovely accolades at the end of 2015: Best Family Saga on one book blog, and runner up in Best Contemporary Fiction on another.

Amazon UK

After this, I became interested in the Wars of the Roses.  I began to plot out The House of York ... and soon discovered I'd bitten off far more than I could chew.  The Wars of the Roses is a massive subject (it's hard to remember who is on what side when!), with far too many main characters for one novel, so this book is inspired by historical events and characters, rather than closely following them.  It begins with widowed, working class single mum Lisa Grey meeting rich, successful Elias York—and his brother Richard, my modern day version of the infamous Richard III.

With all three novels I found myself thinking, again and again, about how human nature and emotion doesn't change.  All that differs is the circumstances. It was fun considering how each historical character would fare today; a very popular character has been Erin Lanchester, my Queen Elizabeth 1st—an independent, intelligent young lady who vows never to rely on a man for ANYTHING!

Thank you for stopping by to read this, and another big thank you to Rachel :)

About Terry Tyler

Terry Tyler has 11 books on Amazon, in the vague genre of contemporary women's fiction, which includes family saga, romantic suspense, with a bit of mystery and light romance here and there.  Her next publication will be 'Bestseller' (working title), a novella about three writers.


Terry is a regular reviewer for Rosie Amber's Book Review Blog, is an active Twitter user and wishes she had 36 hours in every day to read and write all the books she wants to.  She loves history, the countryside, winter and Netflix, and lives in the north east of England with her husband.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerryTyler4
Blog: http://www.terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/

You are very welcome Terry. It has been a pleasure to have you on Rachel's Random Reads, The way you link the historical stories to the modern day sounds very clever. 

Book Review - Point of Control by LJ Sellers

Amazon UK

Title: Point of Control

Author: LJ Sellers

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 19th January 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

In her personal life, FBI agent Andra Bailey works hard to control her sociopathic tendencies. But on the job, her cold logic comes in handy.

Now two world-renowned scientists have disappeared, and the bureau assigns Bailey to find them and hunt down the kidnapper. The agent soon suspects that a rare-metal shortage may be the link between the disappearances and that the motive is far more dangerous than she imagined. With the market in turmoil and prices sky-high, electronics companies and their power-hungry CEOs are ready to do anything—even kill—to keep production lines going.

When a third scientist disappears, Bailey throws caution aside to track the crimes to their source. But by immersing herself so deeply in the case, she risks letting down the defenses she’s built to contain the sociopath inside her.

Point of Control is a new standalone thriller from LJ Sellers, the author of the Detective Jackson series that I have been reading for years, and love, so I was eager to start reading this. I think that if you are new to the author then the Detective Jackson series is probably a better introduction as I think its better than Point of Control, but this new book is still a very compulsive thriller. 

What I found fascinating about Point of Control was FBI agent Andra Bailey, as she is a sociopath, that works for the FBI and has just enough self awareness to generally keep a handle on her condition. Despite her general lack of empathy, I really  liked her, and she is a highly intelligent agent, and very capable. 

There is a lot of details with regards the mobile phone manufacturing industry and extraction of rare metals, and encryption that  didn't always follow at times, but helped set the scene and was relevant to the story. 

I found the story was fast paced and at points I didn't want to put it down. You see the plot unfold from a variety of viewpoints, and just for once I didn't feel complete disgust at the criminals. 

I wish this was the start of a series as I would love to know more about Andra Bailey and her future career as she is an intriguing character. 

Overall I really enjoyed Point of Control and found it to be a very good thriller that is worth reading. 

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #11

Amazon UK

Title: Someone Else's Skin (DI Marnie Rome Book 1)

Author: Sarah Hilary

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 27th February 2014

Rating: 5 Stars

 Introducing DI Marnie Rome, this powerful novel that will enthral fans of Val McDermid and Mo Hayder.

Called to a woman's refuge to take a routine witness statement, DI Marnie Rome instead walks in on an attempted murder.

Trying to uncover the truth from layers of secrets, Marnie finds herself confronting her own demons. 
Because she, of all people, knows that it can be those closest to us we should fear the most . . .

I've recently heard a lot of very good things about Sarah Hilary and the DI Marnie Rome series, and as a result when I started this book I was slightly apprehensive due to the hype I had been hearing. What if I didn't think the book was any good? However I definite;y need not have worried as it is as amazing as everyone else has said. 

I found Part 1 to be a bit slow at times, as I was trying to work out who was who, but then some information came to light and I could barely put part 2 down at all. It became this incredibly gripping and fascinating thriller, and a race against time, to make sure no one else got hurt. 

I would have perhaps liked to know more about DI Marnie Rome, but I'm sure as the series progresses, that will happen, but the bits of her background, lead me to feel she is quite troubled herself, and she is definitely battling her own demons. 

The outcome of the crime, was not the most expected, and at times, we had short chapters from someone who added a lot to the early tension in the book, and I spent ages trying to guess just who's voice we were hearing from at that point. 

The scene of the initial crime, may be a bit tough for some readers to deal with, and the overall outcome was surprising, after the tension had been ramped all the way up to the top.

I found Someone Else's Skin an addictive book to read, and I am very much looking forward to reading No Other Darkness very soon. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for this book, this week. You made an informed and excellent choice, and I'm so glad that I have no read this, and that it won't end up sitting in my piles for many more months. 

New Rachel Reads Randomly next week, as my work life is far too hectic this week to fit in a book that will need to be reviewed.