Book Review - I Made a Mistake by Jane Corry

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Amazon UK

Title: I Made A Mistake

Author: Jane Corry

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 22nd May 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

IT STARTED WITH A KISS

AND ENDED IN MURDER...

The darkly addictive new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of I Looked Away, Blood Sisters and My Husband's Wife.
In Poppy Page's mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands, and those who are not. Until now, Poppy has never questioned which she was.

But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake - and that mistake will be far more dangerous than she could imagine.

Someone is going to pay for it with their life . . .

Woah, I don't know Jane Corry keeps coming up with these fantabulous books, but I hope it never stops.  This one was brilliant, and it only took me a few chapters to become hooked. 

I think if this book was to have a message it's that all actions have consequences, far more reaching than you may first think. 

I mean Poppy knows pretty much instantly and cheating on her husband, with her first love when he reappears was in fact a mistake - but what isn't so apparent is just how huge an error of judgment that is, and the far reaching effects it can have on everyone she knows and loves. 

This is a very hard book to describe, as I would hate to give away any spoilers, but suffice to say it is a gripping story, told from three viewpoints - Poppy, her mother in law Betty and also snippets from a trial. 

Betty's story was without a doubt a highlight for me, from her time as a young girl, throughout her marriage and right up to the present day, what she had to go through, and put up with for the sake of family, is heart wrenching, but at the same time as she herself says, it was just the way things were in those days. 

Equally though I did really enjoy Poppy's story, I felt for her at times, at others wanted to know why she was making such bad decisions, while understanding her too. There is a whole lot of depth to this book and it was a pleasure to read each and every word, and to see just how things unfolded. 

You know from the prologue and blurb that someone dies, but just who, and why - well it's compulsive reading to find out. 

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - I Looked Away by Jane Corry - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Amazon UK

Title: I Looked Away

Author: Jane Corry

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 21st June 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

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...

I was already incredibly hooked on this story and then the moment came where I actually gasped out loud, and couldn't work out how I hadn't seen it coming. 

Jane Corry writes such compelling characters that you just have read all about them.  

We are told in alternating chapters about Ellie and Jo's lives and there are assorted flashback sections, where we see key moments of Ellie's past, and also another characters past too... which I couldn't quite work out how it connected initially. 

I couldn't help but feel very sorry for Ellie, she really has had a hard life. 

But equally Jo is homeless and living a tough time now, although she does seem to have an impact on the people she comes across. 

This was a simply fascinating book, one which wouldn't let me know. There are sections that make for tough reading, but they are written in a compassionate way, and you can tell the author has done a lot of research to be able to make everything so real.

Another absolutely amazing story from the always brilliant Jane Corry.

Thank you to Penguin on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - American Royals by Katharine McGee - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Amazon UK

Title: American Royals

Author: Katharine McGee

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 1st September 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Crazy Rich Asians meets The Crown in this completely addictive modern-day royal romance.

The Washingtons have ruled America for almost 250 years.

They're gorgeous, fiercely famous and the beating heart of the most glorious royal court in the world.

But behind the glittering ballrooms, elegant gowns and seemingly perfect public personas lie forbidden romances and scandalous secrets. Together four young women will navigate gossip, drama, and the eyes of the world upon them.

There's everything to play for - but there can only be one queen.

This is the story of the most famous family in the world.

This is the story of the American royals.

Is it autumn 2020 yet, when the sequel will be released, as I really really want to read it?

There is so much left unsaid in this book that I need to the next book already, and just hope I can remember key things a year later!

I loved getting to know this American royal family. We get chapters focusing on four main females,,,

,,,Princess Beatrice who is first in line to the throne and will be America's first queen. She needs to commit to the crown over personal wishes, which can cause a romantic dilemma

... Princess Samantha who is Beatrice's younger sister, and just feels like she only exists as a spare, and I couldn't help but feel for her at times. 

.... Deidre who was Prince Jeff's girlfriend, until they split up and she is determined at all costs to get him back, no matter how dirty she plays

... commoner Nina, who is Samantha's best friend, and may just be interested in her brother Jeff, although she has major reservations 

These are four determined young women who know their mind, and are determined to get the men, and position they each want. 

I enjoyed getting to know all of them, even if I couldn't help but feel sorry for three out of four of them, their lives may look wonderful to the outside, but in the palace walls thing are not always as they seem. 

A really entertaining book, that I just wish could have gone on for longer, as I need to know what happens next. 

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Dead Ex by Jane Corry - #HolidayReading Book 11

Book 11 of 28 read on my holiday to Cyprus in June 2018.

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Amazon UK

Title: The Dead Ex

Author: Jane Corry

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 21st June 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

 HE CHEATED. HE LIED. HE DIED.

Vicki's husband David once promised to love her in sickness and in health. But after a brutal attack left her suffering with epilepsy, he ran away with his mistress.

So when Vicki gets a call one day to say that he's missing, her first thought is 'good riddance'. But then the police find evidence suggesting that David is dead. And they think Vicki had something to do with it.

What really happened on the night of David's disappearance?
And how can Vicki prove her innocence, when she's not even sure of it herself?

Had me hooked incredibly quickly and it was a real page turner for me. 

Initially the book alternates between Vicki who may or may not have something to do with her ex-husbands disappearance and Scarlett a scared 8 year old who we are learning all about her childhood and relationship with her mother. 

As the story progresses there are many shocks along the way, all that kept me gripped at the edge of my seat.

This story was completely unpredictable and I loved delving into the backgrounds of the various characters and trying to guess the truth of the situation. 

With every reveal you get more settled and then bam something else comes along to get you thinking slightly differently, or your sympathies were changing. 

What a wonderful book, Jane Corry keep on delivering immensely satisfying stories that are well written and keep you on your toes.

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

Book Review - One Thousand Stars and You by Isabelle Broom

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Amazon UK

Title: One Thousand Stars and You

Author: Isabelle Broom

Format reviewed:Ebook 

Source: Netgalley

Publisher:  Penguin

Publication Date: 23rd August 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

One spark will light up both their lives

Alice is settling down. It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined, but more than anything she wants to make everyone happy - her steady boyfriend, her over-protective mother - even if it means a little part of her will always feel stifled.

Max is shaking things up. After a devastating injury, he is determined to prove himself. To find the man beyond the disability, to escape his smothering family and go on an adventure.

A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah - her chance to throw herself into the heat, chaos and colour of a place thousands of miles from home.

It's also the moment she meets Max.

Alice doesn't know it yet, but her whole life is about to change.

Max doesn't know it yet, but he's the one who's going to change it.

Words are failing me, this was amazing, it was beautifully written, and it is without a doubt Isabelle Broom's best book. 

From the first pages I found myself enchanted by the story being told and just wanted to read it in one sitting but alas real life intervened.   

Alice and Max are both on holiday in Sri Lanka when their paths cross. There is an instant connection between them but Alice is in a long term relationship, and Max isn't looking for women.  In fact they are both trying to discover more about themselves after events in the past have re-defined their characters. 

It is a story of self discovery in one respect but also if like me you are a fan of travel, it is a glorious trip through Sri Lanka taking in many different aspects of the country. It is clear the author must have enjoyed her research for the country and everything is described so vividly. 

There is wildlife to be admired, sites to be explored, friendly owners of homestays to meet, there are the tuktuk journeys and other trips on public transport. There is the incredible descriptions of a sunrise from a stunning location and a whole lot more besides.   For a country I've never really thought about there is more than enough detail to really feel as though you were there - especially when as I did reading this during a heatwave - I could even feel the heat and humidity. 

I loved all the different characters in this, with the focus shifting occasionally from Alice to Max and getting to know him more intimately was great.   I don't want to say too much about either of them but will say they are well rounded, full of depth and both are incredibly easy to love.  

This is an absolutely stunning book that I can't do justice to, so will stop here and leave you with this. If you want a fabulous story to read, and possibly one of the best books of the year, then give this a try, and if you have read the author before stop thinking, and just purchase it and start reading. You will love this! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #89

Amazon UK

Title: The Brightest Star In The Sky

Author: Marian Keyes

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 3rd February 2011

Rating: 4 Stars

'June the first, a bright summer's evening, a Monday . . .'

And into the busy, bustling homes at 66 Star Street slips, unseen, a mysterious visitor. As the couples, flatmates and repentant singletons of No. 66 fall in and out of love, clutch at and drop secrets, laugh, cry and simply try to live, no one suspects the visitor patiently waiting in the wings. For soon, as the light slowly fades to dark, everything is going to change . . .

It has been a while since I last read a book by Marian Keyes, so I really wasn't sure what to expect from this one. Since I was reading on my kindle I initially didn't quite realise just how long it was.  For at 640 pages it is certainly one of the longest books I have read in a long while. 

Despite the length my attention was caught pretty much from the beginning where the book started on Day 61 and counted down to Day 0 - so the whole story took place over the course of two months and it featured the lives of everyone living at No. 66 Star Street. 

It is a large mix of people and their circumstances were all really different, it is always fascinating to see what goes on behind closed doors in numerous residences at the same time.  Also curious to see just how their lives all intersected.  

But what captured my interest the most, and what kept me reading and reading to find out more, was just what the omniscient voice was - was it a ghost, a spirit, a figment of someone's imagination, a fly on the wall or all of that and more? 

This is a rather clever book that at times will make you laugh, and at others make you want to cry. However  of the books I have read by this talented author, it is still the books in the Walsh Family series that are my favourites. 

There was just too much to this one, some of the characters took me absolutely ages to warm to, and with the viewpoints changing rapidly I'm just impressed I didn't tend to get them confused as they all had distinct personalities and voices. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for this two weeks ago, I'm glad that I read the book just wish it hadn't taken me over 3 days to do so, when I have a massive review stack waiting for me anyway.  Ah well, hopefully you will pick me something as enjoyable but more manageable in length this week. 

Book Review - Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister

Amazon UK

Title: Anything You Do Say

Author: Gillian McAllister

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 25th January 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

'I could run, or I could stay and call him an ambulance. Now it is decision time . . .'

It's the end of the night. You're walking home on your own.

Then you hear the sound every woman dreads. Footsteps. Behind you. Getting faster.

You're sure it's him - the man from the bar who wouldn't leave you alone.

You make a snap decision. You turn. You push. Your pursuer tumbles down the steps. He lies motionless, face-down on the floor.

Now what?

Call 999

Wait for the police to arrive. For judgement, for justice, whatever that may be. You just hope your husband, family and friends, everyone you love, will stand by you.

OR:

Run

Stay silent. You didn't mean to do it. You were scared, you panicked. And no one saw. No one will ever know. If you leave now. If you keep quiet. For ever.

Which is it to be?

What would you do if you had been harassed in a bar for part of an evening, were nervy and jumpy and then expected to walk back to the station late at night by yourself? Especially if you as you are a walking hear footsteps behind you, and believe you are being followed?  

Well Joanne makes the decision to push him, and then has to make the toughest decision of her life as he lays their unmoving - to call 999 or not?

I honestly don't know what I would do in her shoes, other than potentially have called a cab and not walked back to the station.  But that is the basic premise of the book - told in alternating chapters you have two distinct time lines, two variations on what could have happened, on whether Joanne conceals or reveals the truth. 

As the chapters were titled and clearly alternated without fail it was easy enough to keep the two scenarios separate in my mind, so as not to cause confusion. I was with Joanne with every step of her life over a two year period, with the consequences of her actions. 

I found this to be a surprisingly easy book to get into, and I loved the concept of the story. I was interested in both scenarios, and found I kept returning to the book, to get more and more of it read.  I'm not really sure what I felt other than intrigue as I was reading it, but I did need to know what happened. 

It was interesting to see how the characters developed and changed in both halves of the story, and the stark realities of the impact of Joannes decisions. It is definitely a story that will make you think and one that I could fully appreciate the story and writing style of. 

Thank you to Penguin for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.  

Book Review - Blood Sisters by Jane Corry - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Blood Sisters

Author: Jane Corry

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Penguin 

Publication Date: 29th June 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Two women. Two versions of the truth.

Kitty lives in a care home. She can't speak properly, and she has no memory of the accident that put her here. At least that's the story she's sticking to.

Art teacher Alison looks fine on the surface. But the surface is a lie. When a job in a prison comes up she decides to take it - this is her chance to finally make things right.

But someone is watching Kitty and Alison.
Someone who wants revenge for what happened that sunny morning in May. 
And only another life will do...

If only I could give this book more than 5 stars, its amazing! I am in shock and reeling at how the story panned out, and I didn't guess any of it. Was completely bamboozled with the twist and turns and I couldn't be happier about being fooled. 

Even from the first few pages I was hooked, I was finding both Kitty and Alison's stories incredibly interesting in the present day, before you even take into account their pasts and just what exactly happened that caused their current situations. 

It is clear a huge amount of research must have gone into the writing of this book. Kitty lives in a care home, and although her mind seems quite sharp and she has normal thoughts. However due to a brain injury everything comes out as a babble and she struggles to make herself understood. She also has no knowledge of why she is in the home in the first place. 

Then there is Alison who is an art teacher, and she can't resist taking a job in a mens open prison as an artist in residence. She is terrified but needs the money.

I was fascinated by the prison that Alison was working in, as well as just how Kitty was cared for and everything to do with Kitty's storyline.  In fact I was enjoying the early part of the book so much I was annoyed that I needed to watch a theatre show....which leads me to give you one piece of advice, read this book when you have a window of time uninterrupted. It will draw you in and just won't let you go.  

The book is so well written, there isn't a boring moment, everything has its reasons for being part of the story, and I loved seeing how things advanced. I can't express just how much I loved this book and just how skilled I think this author is.  Nothing I can say will do Blood Sisters justice, I would just recommend that if you like addictive, gripping stories that you take a close look at Blood Sisters. 

Thank you so much to Annie Lyons at Penguin for this copy of Blood Sisters, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Don't forget to follow along with the rest of this blog tour for Blood Sisters

Book Review - Christmas at Battersea by Battersea Dogs & Cat Home - #CuteChristmas

Amazon UK

Title: Christmas at Battersea: True Stories of Miracles and Hope

Author: Battersea Dogs & Cat Home

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 20th November 2014

Rating: 5 Stars

Christmas at Battersea: True Stories of Miracles and Hope is full of heart-warming festive tales about the bond between man and animal, from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

'Battersea Dogs & Cats Home never closes its doors, not even on Christmas Day' - Paul O'Grady

On Christmas Day this year, an army of dedicated volunteers will be making the day as special as possible for the four-legged residents of Battersea, with knitted jumpers for poorly puppies and turkey dinners for hungry kittens.

Christmas at Battersea features tales of rescue from Battersea's staff, and of inspirational owners who find a place in their hearts and homes for abandoned pets.

You'll meet:
- Scrappie the mongrel puppy, left in a bin on the coldest day of the year
- Shadow the Pug, whose loyalty helps a widow through her first Christmas alone
- The litter of puppies named after Santa's reindeer, in urgent need of a home on Christmas Eve
- Rosie the Staffie, rescued from a freezing lake

Featuring tear-jerking but uplifting real life stories about the animals that have passed through Battersea's doors at Yule time, Christmas at Battersea is the perfect present for animal lovers.

This is an incredibly heart warming book, full of 14 chapters, talking about specific dogs and cats that have been rehomed from Battersea. 

The introduction, explains just how the day works at Battersea Dogs & Cat Home, in all three of its sites, and it focuses on Christmas day, and just how amazing everyone that works there is, and just how well treated the animals they look after are.  Right from the introduction this gave me far more knowledge of how the charity works, than I realistically knew before. 

Then each chapter is a separate story, from a different pet owner's perspective, explaining their life before and after adopting a Battersea animal. Obviously the cases of cruelty in the rescue cats and dogs are touched on but not gratuitously, nor is it the focal point for the book. 

The main focal point is just showing how wonderful and fulfilling adopting a rescue cat or dog can be,  and just how much you can change their lives, and your own, with just some love and a good home. 

I loved reading each individual story, and was a bit surprised that there were more dogs than cats featured, but there are some recurring themes. There are the stories of three puppies from the same litter, which are named after some of Santa's reindeer, interwoven in amongst the other chapters. Each one of them had very different personalities but all sounded great. 

My favourite chapter was the one about working dogs, both police and rescue, and includes a mention of how Battersea keep an eye out for potential working dogs, and start doing initial training with them, to test their suitability. I found it fascinating and eye opening, and I am so glad I now have that insight. 

There were quite a few moments during the book where I was on the verge of tears, both happy and sad, and depending on your personality type, it may be wise to have a box of tissues handy when you read this.  I was originally going to read this slowly over a couple of days, but I found I couldn't help just racing through the chapters, as I wanted to meet all the owners and animals and hear what they had to say. 

There are many moments that made me giggle, with the antics of the animals, but at the same time I was impressed with just how intelligent some of the dogs really were. The other thing I learnt is that if you have a slightly older dog, getting in a new younger one, can give it a new lease of life, and make it feel young and full of life again. 

I am so glad that I spotted this book while I was scouring Amazon, and think it is a must read for all animal lovers. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - Why Greece IS the word by Isabelle Broom - Greek Week

I’ve travelled to many places around the world in my time. I’ve bathed elephants in Sri Lanka, clung fearfully to the wall at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, eaten bagels for breakfast in New York, made wishes on The Charles Bridge in Prague and skipped along the Hollywood Walk of Fame – but none of these places has captured my heart or imagination in the same way that the small Ionian island of Zakynthos did. 

Nestled in a patch of blue sea in the shadow of its far bigger neighbour Kefalonia, for me Zakynthos has always been the crowning jewel of Greece. I visited for the first time in the year 2000, falling immediately and irrevocably in love almost as soon as I felt the warm stone through the soles of my sandals and breathed in the scent of lemon and pine trees in the air. Island life is relaxed and laid-back, the Greeks hospitable and hilarious fun, and it only takes about ten minutes after I arrive each time for all my woes, worries and stresses to ease away.

When I set about writing My Map Of You, it was important to me that the island itself was as much of a character as Holly and Aidan were. I’d always thought of the place as a huge guardian figure in my own life, a place that would welcome me with open arms and comfort me in times of sadness. I’ve lived in London now for almost half my life, but it’s never felt like a home – not in the way this little foreign island does. But what is a home? To me, the idea of home is the place where you are most alive – a place where it’s okay to be yourself, and not only that, but the very best version of yourself. Holly realises this is also true for her when she returns to London, but unlike me she had the freedom to go back permanently.

While Zakynthos has always been the most magical place in the world for me, I also believe that every little island in the world has it’s own inherent magic. Every city has hidden corners, the scent of secrets are always on the air, no matter where you end up – and it’s my job as a writer to capture them. I find that idea of belonging to a place so fascinating, and it’s the way I’ve always felt about Greece. A part of my heart will always be there, and even when I’m not actually in Zakynthos, I carry it with me. 

I never used to understand what people meant when they’d say, “Home is where the heart is,” but now, thanks to a very special Greek island thousands of miles away, I do.

About Isabelle Broom

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts at the University of West London before starting a career first in local newspapers and then as a junior sub editor at heat magazine. She travelled through Europe during her gap year and went to live on the Greek island of Zakynthos for an unforgettable and life-shaping six months after completing her degree. Since then, she has travelled to Canada, Sri Lanka, Sicily, New York, LA, the Canary Islands, Spain and lots more of Greece, but her wanderlust was reined in when she met Max, a fluffy little Bolognese puppy desperate for a home. When she’s not writing novels set in far-flung locations, Isabelle spends her time being the Book Reviews Editor at heatmag and walking her beloved dog round the parks of north London. Oh, and she does a lot of laughing. Just, you know, because…

If you like pictures of dogs, chatter about books and very bad jokes, you can follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom or find her on Facebook under Isabelle Broom Author.


My Map Of You is available from Amazon and other book retailers, as well as Audiobook. Her second novel, A Year And A Day, will arrive in November.


Giveaway - Win a signed copy of My Map of You (Europe Only)

Isabelle Broom has donated a lovely signed copy of My Map of You for one lucky winner. Since it is Greek Week seems fitting that I allow the whole of Europe to enter. 

Giveaway open to Europe only, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 4/6/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a signed copy of My Map of You (Europe Only)

Q&A with Louise Candlish for Greek Week

Louise Candlish explains why she chose the Cyclades island of Santorini for the setting of her bestseller Since I Don’t Have You

What led you to Santorini?

I had developed an obsession with the island from seeing photographs of it, often in the context of romantic getaways. But actually I responded more to the summertime sadness feel of the place: the high cliffs, the lonely white paths, the blue sea and sky all around, it’s so cut off and otherly. So when I was thinking about places where the grieving Rachel might flee, I knew it would be perfect. I went there on my own for a week or two and lived as I thought she might, in one of the secret houses cut into the rock, emerging every so often into the dazzling light, hardly speaking to anyone.

What is it that makes the Greek islands so special?

For me, it’s the light, especially in the evening. I have not seen that light anywhere else. It’s almost heart-breakingly soft and pure.

What impact did Since I Don’t Have You have on your career?

The book was a big hit and so put my writing on the map. It did well in other territories too, though was never published in Greece, which seems a shame. It began a run of novels set on islands, including The Disappearance of Emily Marr, set on the Ile de Ré in France. In each case, I’ve put a despairing individual among carefree holidaymakers; but the carefree are never truly so (that’s my cheerful message…).

Have you returned to Greece?

I have, and in fact got involved in a medical drama that could easily be a plotline in one of my books. I’d gone with my husband and young daughter to Skopelos (known as the Mamma Mia island) for a two-week break, when, on day three, I lost my sight in one eye. We had to make an emergency dash to the mainland and then Athens and then, finally, Moorfields Hospital in London, for me to have surgery. It turned out to be a detached retina. Far scarier than the blindness or the surgery was the taxi journey into Athens. The driver was the most reckless motorist I’ve ever encountered – I genuinely thought we were going to die. At Athens Hospital, the surgeon told me I’d have to wait, because their policy was to prioritize victims of car accidents. I thought, well, I’ll never get to the top of that list, so we caught the next plane to London.

Will you set another book in Greece?

I have no plans to, though I do enjoy reading other novels set there. I have Isabelle Broom’s My Map of You on my TBR pile right now and just looking at the cover is stirring my Greece-loving blood. One of my all-time favourite novels is The Magus by John Fowles, set on a remote Greek island, and I’m due a re-read of that.

Where next?

My two most recent books have been set in the London suburbs, hotbeds of adultery and unease. I’ve sort of settled there for now.

Since I Don’t Have You is published by Little, Brown

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Since-I-Dont-Have-You/dp/0751538094?ie=UTF8&qid=1462286917&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=1-1

Louise’s new release The Swimming Pool is published by Penguin
http://hyperurl.co/TheSwimmingPool  

Bio

© Heather McCarry

Louise Candlish was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and grew up in the Midlands town of Northampton. She studied English at University College London and now lives in Herne Hill in South London with her husband and daughter. She is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Swimming Pool, and of the short story The Intruder at Number 40.

Find out more at www.louisecandlish.com or follow Louise on Twitter @louise_candlish

Thank you so much Louise for appearing on Rachel's Random Reads, I read Since I Don't Have you years ago when it came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. Good luck with your new book The Swimming Pool which is also fabulous! 

Guest Post - What Made Me Write A Thriller For The First Time? by Jane Corry - Blog Tour

Back in my early twenties, when I decided I wanted to write for a living, I never saw myself as an author of thrillers. In fact I thought I was too young to even attempt a novel. So I became a magazine journalist instead. I interviewed several celebrities including Julie Walters . And I also specialised in what we called 'Triumphs  over Tragedies'. These were stories about men, women and children who had beaten the odds by defeating illness or other problems.

I didn't know it then but looking back, I wonder if this laid the foundations for the dark streak which was building up inside. By the time my youngest child was three, I decided it was a 'now or never' time to write that novel. So I began by writing a romantic comedy called 'Amersham Wives' which was about a journalist who swapped places with a frantic mother! I got an agent but she couldn't find a publisher. However she kindly encouraged me to continue. Eventually I did get published but found that the dark streak I mentioned earlier, kept creeping in - even when I didn't want it to!

Then my marriage broke up and I found myself applying for the job of writer in residence at a high security male prison. It was there that I really found out what the dark side of life could be all about. I was dealing with men who had committed all kinds of high-profile crimes. Yet at the same time, many of them seemed perfectly pleasant. It was, to put it mildly, a real eye-opener.

It is almost impossible for a writer to be in a situation like that, and not tap into it. However another thing also happened during my time there. I got married to my second husband! This wonderful man also changed my writing because he took me into another world. That's when I began to realise that I wanted to write a thriller which centred around a young couple. One of them is a lawyer who works in prison. My intention was to test their relationship to the brink. What if one of them wasn't telling the truth about something? What if none of them were? Who can we really believe?

I've always loved watching dramas with twists. Now I get a thrill out of writing novels that send readers down one path but then take them down another. It's a much more complicated approach than any of my previous books. And it requires a great deal of planning and head scratching. But that's what I love doing.

I hope you will enjoy reading 'My Husband's Wife' as well as next year's book 'Blood Sisters'. Thank you for being part of my blog tour!

About Jane Corry

Jane Corry is a writer and journalist, and teaches creative writing all over the world. Recently she spent three years working as the writer-in-residence at a high-security prison for men. 


In her own words: 'I had always thought prisons were terrifying places for people who had done terrible things. But after my first marriage ended, I found myself working in one, and discovered a world I could not have imagined without actually being there. A world in which no one was quite who they seemed. A world that I found strangely addictive - so much so that it wormed its way into this book.'

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Thank you so much Jane for that interesting look at your dark side. My Husband's Wife is a brilliant book, and you can see my review here