Book Review - The Hive by Jane Holland

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Amazon UK

Title: The Hive

Author: Jane Holland

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author Supplied Copy

Publisher: Thimblerig Books

Publication Date: 1st July 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Scarred by fire from infancy, with a persistent stammer, Charlotte has always been in the shadow of her glamorous theatrical parents. So it's a shock when her mother commits suicide.

Left to care for her sick father in the dark maze of her childhood home, Charlotte begins to unravel. First, there's the mysterious arrival of a box of dead bees. Then buzzing noises in the attic. People are watching her. Listening to her.

Everyone thinks she's losing her mind. But an old photo suggests another, more sinister possibility ...

Utterly twisted, completely horrifying but oh so addictive. 

From around 50% onwards it would have been tough to prise this book out of my hands, I was completely hooked and could barely believe what I was reading.  I almost dread to think what lurks in the dark mind of Jane Holland while she writes these books! 

The first half was a fabulous set up, just enough creepy, but also plenty about the characters, especially Charlie to make you really feel for her.   There is a brilliant set of circumstances and it just all comes together in a completely unexpected way. 

I literally didn't see anything coming, I had one suspicion about one element of what was happening to Charlie, but the rest took me by surprise. 

What I spent large amounts of mental energy on, was trying to work out just how the chapters in between the chapters fitted into the story and what their real meaning would bee.  As it is obvious the author must have done a lot of research into bee-keeping, and hives  as these intersecting chapters were we to with apiary. 

Between the creepy, but incredibly apt cover, the buzzing sounds, the large mentions of bees and the  overall conclusions and twist - this is one compelling book that I'm sure will give me nightmares this evening.   It was fabulous, another brilliant book by Jane Holland. I just can't wait to see what she comes up with next. 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Forget Her Name by Jane Holland

Amazon UK

Title: Forget Her Name

Author: Jane Holland

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 25th January 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Rachel’s dead and she’s never coming back. Or is she?

As she prepares for her wedding to Dominic, Catherine has never been happier or more excited about her future. But when she receives an anonymous package—a familiar snow globe with a very grisly addition—that happiness is abruptly threatened by secrets from her past.

Her older sister, Rachel, died on a skiing holiday as a child. But Rachel was no angel: she was vicious and highly disturbed, and she made Catherine’s life a misery. Catherine has spent years trying to forget her dead sister’s cruel tricks. Now someone has sent her Rachel’s snow globe—the first in a series of ominous messages…

While Catherine struggles to focus on her new life with Dominic, someone out there seems intent on tormenting her. But who? And why now? She doesn't have the answers - and in one final question lies her greatest fear.

Is Rachel still alive?

I have no idea how on earth I am supposed to describe this book, but I will say I was gripped from the start and read it in 3 hours flat, without pausing except to tell mum to stop talking at me as there was only 10% left..and that yes I had started it at dinner time!!  

The first of my "OMG WTF" moments came at the end of the first chapter, and it was one of many.  For over half the book I wax utterly convinced I had cracked what was happening, but evidently I was wrong and thankfully don't have the dark depths to my being to even contemplate just how many layers are in this book that have been crafted so carefully that you are literally guessing and unsure as to the potential ending the entire time. 

I would love to tell you about the book but given what I now know, there is very little I can say that won't give potential hints as to the plot and what may be crucial, or a double bluff or something else at any given time. 

Regardless it was an immensely cleverly crafted story with some truly memorable characters. Forget Her Name is a book that got under my skin, I didn't particularly find it creepy, although in places it was slightly disturbing. 

I had a lot of empathy for the main character, especially when seeing how others were reacting to her various claims. It was like there was a mystery wrapped up in a psychological drama, that just works on so many levels. 

I truly believe this could be Jane Holland's best book so far and I've read quite a few of them.  It has everything you want in this sort of book, and a premise that I haven't seen  before, at least not in this way.  

Absolutely amazing, ultimately I dare you to Forget Her Name after you see what she has been through in this book, I bet you won't be able to! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Lock The Door by Jane Holland

Amazon UK

Title: Lock The Door

Author: Jane Holland

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 10th January 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Meghan Smith has always been a protective mother. Her baby son, Harry, has a life-threatening condition and is never far from her sight. But on the evening of her wedding anniversary, as she and her husband celebrate in the garden with friends, Harry disappears from his cot without a trace.

In an instant, the perfect life she always longed for is in tatters, her family exposed to interrogation and accusation in the glare of media attention. But none of it gets Meghan answers—or brings back her son.

As her life unravels and suspicion takes hold of her sanity, Meghan begins to question everything she once took for granted. Can she trust her husband? Can she trust her friends? Can she even trust herself?

Exhilarating..heart pounding are I think the best emotions I can express for how I feel having just finished the superb Lock The Door. Within about 2 or 3 pages, I was already very interested in the story, as the prologue implies a not fabulous diagnosis for baby Harry, but it doesn't give any details, so instantly I wanted to know more about this little boy. 

The next few chapters give a great insight into Meghan's mental state, and just how protective she is with Harry, and what a normal day would involve. We see her first interactions with husband Jon, before they have a party in their garden with friends for their anniversary. It is during this party that Harry disappears, and the urgency and pacing increases from there. 

Thanks to the initial back ground information, I was already starting to feel a real interest in Meghan, and I was absolutely devastated for her, when her child goes missing. It is once the police become involved that we learn the true nature of Harry's illness, and it is this illness that gives the whole book its momentum, more so than with other missing children books that I have read. 

The entire focus of the book is on Meghan, her interactions with her friends and neighbours, and how she is coping with not knowing what is happening with Harry. Her husband is not the most pleasant of chaps, and I really didn't like the way he was trying to make out Meghan was going mad. I would have perhaps liked to have seen the way the police were looking into the case, but that would have destroyed the pacing, so although I'd be curious to see it, I'm glad the book was all about Meghan. 

It is a book that contains many twists and turns, and plenty of red herrings just to keep you on your toes. I devoured this book, reading it in about 3 hours in one sitting. It is a very quick book to read, especially if it hooks you, like it did to me. I really felt drawn into the story, and desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next the whole time. 

Did I love the big reveal that is usually how books of this genre finish? Well it was certainly unexpected and I would never have seen it coming, but I would have perhaps ideally loved the scenes to last slightly longer, for me to fully try and understand motivations. However I love being completely surprised, and Lock The Door surprised me quite a few times, which is always good! 

If you are looking for a book with plenty of intrigue that is utterly gripping, then Lock The Door is definitely all of that and more. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this copy of Lock The Door which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.