Author: Patricegotting

Today I am on the tour for Living Life With Death by Sarah Jones, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 82

Synopsis: Monday mornings for most folks involve meetings and paperwork, but for Sarah Jones it involved the worst day of someone else’s life. From stillborn babies to one-hundred-year-old grandmas, a peaceful passing to a horrific homicide and a lot in between. What is it like to be alive while constantly dealing with death? Jones’ collection of essays and poems reveal the lessons she learned about being alive from those who are not and how working in the death industry shaped her everyday life. Written with deep introspection and a surprising amount of humor, Living Life with Death offers a unique perspective and a lesson for all readers.

My Thoughts: now this is going to be a really hard one to review, I’ll be honest I didn’t finish it. I lasted 12% before I was crying so much that I just knew that I wasn’t emotionally able to handle the book. I knew it would be a rough read, but I thought 3 and a half years after losing my dad would be enough time to handle it, apparently not 😂

But what a skill Sarah has to be able to elicit those kind of emotions from me in so few pages, the bits I read were good, so raw and real, you could tell that she was speaking from experience and that she genuinely cared about the people she dealt with that had passed and the families too.

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for Six Victims by Mark Simmons, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pages: 279

Synopsis: In this gripping second instalment of the DI Bambridge series, Detective Inspector Bambridge and Detective Constable Lawrence face a chilling new case: six innocent lives snuffed out in a brutal cold-blooded murdering spree. Who were these victims? Why were they targeted? And who is the elusive killer behind it all?
Haunted by a past case, Bambridge is driven by a need for redemption, determined to capture the one criminal who slipped through his fingers. Meanwhile, Lawrence battles her own demons, returning from desk duty with the scars of trauma threatening to unravel her. As personal struggles collide with professional duty, the duo must navigate their own flaws and a relentless killer to uncover the truth.
Dark, addictive, and brimming with psychological depth, Six Victims pulls readers into a twisted web of crime, motive, and justice. Will Bambridge and Lawrence rise above their pasts to bring a murderer to justice—or become the next victims of their own failures?

My Thoughts: I have been looking forward to the second instalment for this series since reading the first one and let me tell you it did not disappoint.

We’re following DI Bambridge and and DC Lawrence again, this time they’re called to a crime scene with 6 dead bodies and no obvious signs of breaking and entering, all that they know for certain is that they have been shot, now it’s up to them to work out who by and the reasoning behind it.

Not an easy feat when they are both still dealing with unresolved trauma from the previous case although neither of them are really honest with the other about their struggles which wound me up to a point because how are they supposed to work together effectively when they’re keeping secrets?!

This second book has just as much gore as the first just dine in a slightly different way.. clues are being left behind and things are pointing in more than one direction, it’s like a cleverly even tale that you have to unpick slowly.

Marks writing honestly reads like a film, the writing is so vivid that I can see it all unfolding before my eyes, an incredible skill to have as an author, I am still undecided as to wether it’s a good thing for me as the reader 😂

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for Lethal Storm by Pauline Rowson, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 286

Synopsis: A missing comrade. A cryptic note. A conspiracy that will test Art Marvik to the limit.

Meet Art Marvik. A battle-hardened commando with the scars to prove it. He’s used to high-stakes operations. But nothing has prepared him for what awaits in the coastal town of Ballycotton, Ireland . . .

Marvik receives a disturbing call from the Garda. His friend and former comrade, Shaun Strathen, is missing. His yacht’s been found drifting in Ballyandreen Bay. But there’s no sign of Strathen.

A cryptic note is discovered onboard: Art, sorry it’s come to this. Look after things for me. Per Mare, Per Terram.

Marvik wastes no time. He heads straight for Ireland, determined to find his friend. His search leads him to a cottage by the sea. A decomposing body is discovered inside.

It’s not Strathen.

If the body isn’t his comrade’s, then who is it? And where the hell is Strathen?

As Marvik digs deeper, the truth begins to unravel, but so do the dangers.

Can Marvik survive this lethal storm long enough to expose a network of criminal masterminds, and save his friend?

My Thoughts: what can I say? in typical me fashion this is the first book by Pauline that I have picked up, of course it’s the middle of a series, but this just makes me eager to go back to book 1 and start again..

In this one we get all the action and twists without any of the back story that can sometimes take away from that in a first book in the series.

Art is a determined man, he’s like a dog with a bone, once he gets an inkling that something isn’t quite as it seems he refuses to let it drop until he gets to the bottom of it, so when he gets a phonecall to tell him one of his friends is missing he knows there’s more to it.

I really enjoyed this, the writing was brilliant, fast paced but the attention to detail was incredible, the descriptions of things from sights to sounds and even smells were so accurate that I found myself recoiling from my kindle at times..

The clues were left open ended until the mystery was solved to allow us as the reader to come up with our own conclusions and then have them blown out of the water… obviously.

Highly recommend if you enjoy having a book that really makes you think.

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for Not Her Daughter by Robin Mahle, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 301

Synopsis: Another woman stole my husband. So I took her baby.

Everyone thinks I’m just a single mom, trying to rebuild my life. They don’t know the truth I buried, along with my past.

My name is Evelyn Moore. I used to be a respected lawyer, a devoted wife, mother-of-one. Then came my husband’s affair. The scandal. The panic.

Now I’m a mother of two. At least that’s what I tell everyone.

We’ve come to the small Pennsylvania town of Asheboro for a fresh start. Five-year-old Ben, baby Nicky, and me.

Then I get home to find a folded piece of paper on the kitchen table. Did you really think you could keep her?

My Thoughts: as always with Robins books this is fast paced, utterly chilling & impossible to put down!

We find out very early on that Evelyn isn’t Nicky’s biological mum, we know there’s more to it & that Ben is telling everyone that Nicky isn’t his sister but we don’t yet know how much truth is in that & if it is true then who is the mum and what happened?!

People are turning up dead and others are working their way into Evelyn’s life under false pretences.

She thought she had everything but as her world slowly falls apart can she survive with both of her children?

This book had me holding my breath in parts & my heart beating so fast in others..

Very excited to see what she comes up with next, because her books always keep me guessing until the very last page!

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for Her Name is Blue by Iris Justice, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 283

Synopsis: Florencia-Blue is an introverted dreamer, a believer in the power of love yet skeptically guarded against its reality. She’s crafted a life comfortably hidden beneath the veil of her beloved books and manuscripts, convinced that true happiness dwells only within their pages. Enter James Murray: sweet, albeit grumpily so, with a heart encased in metaphorical stone, having long forsaken the notion of love. Until, that is, a shy New Yorker with a captivating dimpled chin gently unravels his defenses, weaving the concept of love into a tangible tapestry they both begin to cherish. Their bond forms from the roots of friendship, slowly unfurling into something profound, stirring emotions neither was prepared to confront. Yet, as time marches on, they find themselves inevitably drawn into the embrace of something they once dared not acknowledge. She is Jamie’s Sassenach, and he, Florencia’s long-anticipated Ginger lad, a testament to the unexpected paths love carves, leading them towards a shared destiny they never anticipated but ultimately cannot deny.

My Thoughts: oh my heart this book, on the surface we look like we’re getting 2 completely opposite main characters, Blue is shy, she keeps herself to herself & has never been without her parents and her past issues around food and her anorexia mean that she’s not always adventurous when it comes to what she eats.

James is out going, always out with his friends and is a big foodie, always looking at the different combinations he can put together with his meals and his snacks, he is close with his family but also good to travel and do things on his own…

They meet at Oxford university, Blue travelling all the way from New York to continue her studies and James from Edinburgh.

They fall in love slowly which makes it feel authentic and really pulls you in with it, I guess this book is the perfect example of opposites attract.

I got real Eleanor Oliphant is Completely fine vibes which is one of my favourite books ever.

I wish the book had been a bit longer, I was so caught up in their story that I didn’t realise we were at the end and I wasn’t ready for it.

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 278

Synopsis: They were best friends forever. Then Kate made one little mistake…

Kate thought the spreadsheet was harmless—a private ranking of her four best friends detailing their various strengths and weaknesses. But when it leaks online and goes viral, her carefully curated life implodes.

Social invitations vanish, her business crumbles, even her marriage starts to fall apart. It’s as if the silken thread that has been holding everything together has been pulled and now it’s all unravelling.

And it gets worse. Someone on the list seems to be out for revenge, determined to destroy whatever is left of Kate’s perfect life. As anonymous threats multiply and her son falls mysteriously ill, Kate doesn’t know where to turn or who to trust.

Then, as the fallout from the list turns deadly, she finally understands that her one little mistake could cost her everything – including her life.

My Thoughts: this book cemented to me why I really enjoy Miranda’s writing, she takes every day people and situations and turns them completely on their head.

We’ve all had opinions about our friendship groups.. maybe even compared them, but Kate goes one step further and puts it all in a spreadsheet nothing like being thorough, but why on earth she wanted evidence I’ll never know, but I guess as someone who likes to look back on things part of me gets it at the same time?

You could really feel the tension between the friends in the first few chapters & then as the book goes on t go ins really ramp up, you get the feeling of being watched and judged & the doubts start to creep in… I’m not really sure how she’s done it but Miranda really leaves you feeling that you are the bad guy in this book!

The writing was incredible, the story was tense all the way through, the atmosphere was heavy and left you feeling like there was no getting away from it.

Highly recommend, this is definitely my favourite Miranda book so far!

🐧🩷

Today I am on the Blogathon fir Before Her Eyes by Jack Jordan, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Blogtours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 352

Synopsis: Naomi Hannah has been blind since birth, living her life in darkness. Trapped in her claustrophobic hometown, she’s finally reached her breaking point.

But everything changes when she stumbles across the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. Not only that, but Naomi senses she isn’t alone at the scene… Someone is there with her. The killer is watching.

Naomi may not be able to see their face, but she is the only person who can identify them.

As the police begin their hunt and more victims are discovered, Naomi is forced to answer the question on which her fate hangs: why did the killer let her live?

And in a town this small, the murderer may still be close. Perhaps even before her very eyes…

My Thoughts: Naomi has had enough of her life, she’s got a good job & her guide dog but that’s just not enough for her so she’s planning to end her life…

Whilst out walking she finds a body, knowing she’s not alone she tries to act nonchalant but she knows that she can’t go forward with her plans until she helps the victim get justice.. the only problem is that the killer had an advantage he’d seen her he could easily identify her.

I can’t even tell you how many knots this book had me in, I was constantly changing my mind about who I thought the ‘bad guy’ was and I still didn’t get it right.

The parts where Naomi felt like she was being watched made me feel SO uneasy and had me constantly looking behind me & calling my dogs to sit with me so I had some form of protection.. almost like I thought the killer was going to climb out of my kindle and get me 😂

I adore that Jacks writing can elicit such real emotions from me.. this one was a one sitting read for me because it was just impossible to put down.

The skills that this man has to write a psychological thriller that really grips you and messes with your head is unmatched!

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for The Lines by Matt Brolly, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 344

Synopsis: Once you cross the wrong lines, there’s no turning back.

For DS Liam Kilshaw, a former marine who almost died on a mission gone wrong, returning to the sea was meant to help combat his PTSD. But when he’s called out with the lifeboat crew off the rugged Cornish coast at night, the dark danger of the waves comes crashing back. The body of a young man is floating in the water, and the zip-tie marks on his wrists show this is no tragic drowning—it’s murder.

It’s not the first suspicious death to shock the tight-knit community: the identical discovery of a young woman with connections to a county lines drugs gang leads Kilshaw to suspect the killings must be linked. But as the brooding Cornish coast and whispered local rumours fold darkly around him, he starts to feel he can’t trust the water or anyone in town.

As the bodies keep coming, he must confront a sinister gangland underworld as well as his own demons—before tragedy strikes even closer to home.

My Thoughts: this is the first time I’ve picked up a book by Matt, although I’ll be honest I’ve been eyeing up his books for a while but with there being so many and no idea where to start it all became a little overwhelming! I absolutely jumped at the chance of being on this tour when I realised it was the first book in a new series!

I was hooked pretty early on, the setting although beautiful was made quite eerie and chilling by the things that were happening in the book!

The action started pretty quickly with dead bodies and callous villains who had no remorse for what they were doing!

Sometimes the first book in a series can feel a bit slow going because we’re getting to know the characters, but this one didn’t feel that way, in a way it felt like we already knew them? I can’t explain it but what I can tell you is that I appreciated it, it meant that we were thrown into the case and that stayed the main focal point all the way through!

I loved Liam, he wasn’t perfect by any means, he had his flaws and wasn’t afraid to show his vulnerabilities.

The descriptions in this story were so vivid at times that I could almost feel the cold of the water and the bite of the winds.

Thoroughly enjoyed it & cannot wait to continue with the series in the future.

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for The Thread Ruby by V K Leon, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 499

Synopsis: When nineteen-year-old Ellie Ioannides crosses paths with her enigmatic tutor, Alex Rodocanachi, she feels an attraction she cannot explain. Magnetic and terrifying. Alex is rational, disciplined, and the heir to a powerful Greek shipping dynasty. He is not the person she would expect to fall for. Yet, every glance they share feels deeply like fate. Every touch sparks something deep within her.

Alex feels it too, but he’s convinced their worlds can never truly meet. Ellie tries to dismiss the recurring dreams that feel far too real. Yet a part of him lingers with her — waiting at the edges of her life like a promise left unsaid until fate brings them together on her university graduation..

At the start of a deeply passionate and electrifying love affair, Ellie begins to uncover the truth. Some desires are not new but remembered. Some bonds are not chosen but returned. Alex holds secrets that go beyond one lifetime. Those secrets could take her heart, her destiny, and everything she thought she knew about herself.

From modern London to 19th-century Thessaly in Greece, beneath the shadows of Mount Olympus, The Thread Trilogy is a story of obsession, fate, and unapologetic passion where love is never truly lost; it is only waiting to be found again.

Lyrical, romantic, and unforgettable, this story will obsess you and remain with you long after you turn the last page.

My Thoughts: this book was beautiful, to start with we have Ellie & Alex, Alex is her tutor but for some reason she feels a pull towards him, one that she doesn’t understand but can’t seem to ignore, quite early on we get the feeling that there’s more to it & that it’s something that Alex is aware of but stays quiet to begin with..

Then we’re transported to the 19th century where we meet Orpheus & Sophia, the change confused me at first I won’t lie but I fell even more in love with their relationship than I thought I would, I kind of got swept away with it all, Orpheus loved Sophia so hard and so strongly, it felt a little like obsession but softer like he had her back no matter what, against everyone including her parents he trusted her judgement no questions asked.

It’s romance, but feels like more than that, I can’t explain why but it felt so real, so genuine.

Such a delicately woven story that seems to span a large amount of time & I can’t wait to read the second instalment, I need to know what happens next.

🐧🩷

Today I am on the tour for The Debt by Geoff Major, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 250

Synopsis: Mike McCleary is offered a fantastic new job. With his beautiful new girlfriend by his side, he
can move back to England and be closer to his loving and supportive parents.
Newly-promoted Detective Inspector Steve Denton is basking in the spotlight after stopping a
serial killer’s nationwide campaign, and feels he’s finally getting some deserved recognition.
The Broker continues to evade the long arm of the law and is about to invest in a new criminal
venture, with the opportunity to earn billions.
But not all dreams come true, and some can turn into nightmares.

My Thoughts: this book read like an actual living nightmare, in the world now social media is life & has become a massive crux for so many people & this book showed just how easy it has become for people to lose everything, just by clicking on the wrong ad or replying to the wrong message.

As always with Geoff’s writing I was drawn in instantly, he writes victims that are just so relatable that you want to find any way to protect them and keep them safe even though you know the story is written and no amount of hoping will change the outcome. My heart went out to Arlo 🥺

But he also writes the villains bad enough to almost make you respect them for honing their craft so well.

This one made me angry & sad at how many people this actually happens to in real life and more than you think probably have the same outcomes and consequences, but because of that the book really makes you think, or it did for me about the people I have in my phone, the people I follow on social media and how many of them I actually know.

I can tell we haven’t had the full story yet & I can’t want for the next one!

🐧🩷