Susan Lewis (1)Critiques

This is a cold case murder investigation set in Exmore. Based around a wealthy family with a shooting business, where everyone is attractive, a police officer is investigating the murder of a 17 year old girl from 20 years ago. The story kept me gripped as it twisted and turned between different suspects and as people decided to reveal the 'truth'.½

Two and a half stars - pretty soapy and not very credible plot. Never heard of this author before but her style is nothing like Jodi Picoult.½

In 'No One Saw It Coming,' the exploration of familial secrets takes center stage as Hanna's world undergoes a seismic shift. The narrative plunges readers into the heart of an unimaginable crime, leaving Hanna's loved ones under a cloud of suspicion. As her world crumbles, Hanna races against time to decipher the threat looming over her family. The story weaves a compelling tapestry of suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. With a tagline that states 'No one could have seen this coming,' the book lives up to its promise, delivering unexpected twists that make it a thrilling and emotionally charged read. Dive into this tale of mystery and deception, where the tangled web of secrets reveals itself in ways that will keep you guessing.

When publisher Marina Forster receives and reads the first chapter of a manuscript written by an anonymous author, she realises she’s in for something more than she bargained for. She really doesn’t need for this book to be published and as the chapters keep being delivered, she finds herself on a race against time.

I found this story intriguing and entertaining. I liked the book within a book aspect. It kept me turning the pages. There are a fair few characters within both storylines and sometimes it was a little difficult keeping them within their separate boxes. However, I enjoyed the cat and mouse chase, galloping along to quite an ambiguous ending. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app over ten days and I looked forward every day to each stave. An all round fun and engaging read.

Could not get into it DNF

Not a bad book but the subject matter did leave a nasty taste on several occasions whilst reading it.

I received the digital copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange with review.

The story begins with a narrator who seems to be the “victim” of what Archie did to him. He writes his “story” in a sequence of letters at the encouragement of Dan Collier who we eventually discover is an attorney who works for a Restorative Justice Project. The program serves as a mediation for joining victims with offenders in an effort to provide a resolution for both parties. The story alternates between these letters and the story which eventually ties into the letters.

The story explains Archie who is a 19 year old who grew up with a “weirdo” mother. He didn’t know his father who was never around but misses his grandfather, Brookie, who mostly raised him. He learned to read and write, played football and learned to take care of himself. Unfortunately, his life changed when his grandfather died, he was left living with an unfit mother and was forced to worked for BJ who would beat his mother.

Marcus Huxley-Browne was an influential man who was very cruel to his wife who is aware of his illegal business practices but threatened into silence. Eventually, he was arrested prompting her to escape with her daughter and mother to a secret location. Although, how safe can anyone feel when hiding from such dangerous people?

They change their names and attempt to resume a “normal” life. Rebecca changes her name to Claudia Winters who is a 36 year old widower whose husband Joel died. She is taking her daughter Cara who now becomes Jasmine and an experienced violin player. They live with Marcy Llewelyn who becomes the mother of “Claudia”.

Even though several months have passed since they left their old lives behind them, they are aware that people are still looking for them. The police were digging up the yard at the Kensington house and who knows what they will discover. They lived in fear given the criminal activity of Marcus and his sister Eugena who managed to elude conviction. Through some complicated connections their safety is eventually exploited.

Where does the Restorative Justice Project Fit into this equation? Do people have the ability to change if given a second chance? Are people products of their environment, resorting to crime for survival? Is forgiveness possible after someone experiences the unspeakable of offenses? Does it take courage to do the right thing or is it more complicated?

Successful publisher Jeannie Symonds lives in Kesterly-on-Sea with her eminent surgeon husband, Guy. One day she disappears without trace and trainee investigator, Cara Jakes, teams up with ex-detective Andee Lawrence to resolve the mystery.

As an avid Susan Lewis fan, I’d been looking forward to reading this book. It didn’t disappoint. It drew me in from the beginning and didn’t let go until the very last page. Well paced and plotted, it’s told from the viewpoints of a variety of different characters. Some of them weren’t very likeable but I would say they were realistically depicted. Fliss was my favourite, she seemed to have travelled the furthest by the conclusion. Who’s Lying Now is more than just a mystery, it’s a story of family dynamics and life within a close knit community whilst living through the Coronavirus pandemic. I thought it was cleverly written and insightful.

A gripping and engaging read which I can highly recommend.

Fabulous book, I was gripped from the first chapter, I just couldn’t put it down. Beautifully written, all the characters were very likeable. It moved at a good pace. An easy read.

I really liked the first 3/4 of this book - it was a good mystery and I liked Jay - she was a strong, smart female. I absolutely hated her husband, Tom - he was so self absorbed and just an all around awful person. But the last 1/4 of the book ruined it for me - it became more like a mushy romance novel that I would never read. Jay turned into a teenager constantly gushing over her new love. And I did not like the ending at all. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.½

I Have Something to Tell You by Susan Lewis is a recommended legal procedural mixed with a domestic drama.

Jessica (Jay) Wells is a successful lawyer whose new case is defending Edward Blake, a man accused of killing his wife. She is sure he is innocent, in spite of the evidence to the contrary, and immediately sets out to uncover more information and secrets surrounding Blake's life as well as possible suspects and motives for the murder. During this same time Jay's long time marriage to Tom is threatened by his infidelity. She is already struggling with forgiving him when he informs her that he has something to tell her. The new information that surfaces strains both their marriage and her trust.

The novel starts out strong. The legal procedural and drama surrounding the case is both interesting and intriguing. Jay has a good professional working relationship with lead detective Ken Bright and the new information uncovered and the continuing search for facts surrounding the case is compelling. The novel would have been much stronger focusing on the case and the new discoveries. The story line about her marriage difficulties is less intriguing and then muddles the plot when the two story lines intermingle. This also takes away respect for the characters. Jay and Edward are interesting characters at first, when their interactions are professional, and then it changes. Tom is always self-centered and egocentric.

When I Have Something to Tell You started out, it looked like it would deserve five stars as a legal procedural. As the novel progressed, the direction it took lowered my enjoyment and rating. Again, it was as if something switched off in the writing and the novel morphed into a completely different story. There was a place in the novel where, if Lewis had changed her planned direction for the plot and had instead came to a conclusion, it would have deserved five stars. At 512 pages this would have been possible. Instead, she headed off in an unbelievable direction. This has happened before in another novel by Lewis. It is recommended, with the warning that the plot and ending will work for some readers and not for others.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/10/i-have-something-to-tell-you.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4299621292

Jessica ‘Jay’ Wells is engaged as a lawyer to represent Edward Blake, who has been taken into custody after being suspected of murdering his wife. Jay is happily married to Tom and has two children. That is, until one day Tom comes home with some disturbing news which sets the cat among the pigeons!

I found this murder mystery come family drama quite the page turner. The romance is a tad unrealistic, but, hey ho, it’s fiction! Anything can happen as I always say! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. It’s entertaining, gripping and even thought provoking. I’ve been a big fan of Susan Lewis’ work for many years and although this isn’t my favourite book of hers, it’s still an exciting and intriguing read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This reminded me of a tawdry soap opera: there was a lot of overwrought emotion and the plot read as if the author had been asked to stretch it out for a couple of episodes. Jay, the solicitor-protagonist, was immature and unlikeable: noting how much various characters weighed as an indication of their personality, and behaving entirely irrationally and then later both unprofessionally and foolishly.

Disappointing, although I see I am in a minority.½

This is a moving and often gripping family drama. Charlotte and her partner run a vineyard in New Zealand and live in a beautiful house they have designed. They have three children, the eldest is adopted. They seem to have everything and yet there are problems. The wine isn't selling as well af it should and their eldest daughter is misbehaving at school and home. The story takes you to the UK and the past and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen. Sensitively written and reflecting current child protection procedures in the UK and, I guess, New Zealand, this novel has many ups and downs.

I received this book from NetGalley.com

I finished this book against the will of my brain who told me that it really wasn't going to get any better and I should just quit. I think the author tried to do too many things at one time. It's as if she had plot/character dice and got the pedophilia/schizophrenia/revenge killer/kidnapping words to pop up. There were several plots in this book and on their own they may have made for a good story but mixed together was a recipe for disaster. If you like being confused, yelling at characters to grow a pair and cut the nonsense and stop whining then this book is for you. Otherwise, steer clear.

This book took me on a journey. And by that I mean it started off strong, lost its way for awhile, but thankfully got back on track and turned into a thought-provoking read. Not a perfect reading experience but nonetheless it was still worthwhile.

I've been debating about whether to provide a decent synopsis or a vague one and I've decided less is more. A women flees from an abusive marriage and skips town with her mother and teenage daughter. She's afraid her husband will track them down so the three of them will be living under new identities. However, the threat of being discovered still weighs heavily on their minds. Restorative justice is a topic that is explored in this novel but don't read too much into my brief synopsis and assume you understand how it factors into the story.

The opening chapters were tension filled because you want to make sure the women can escape the horrible man. Once they get settled in their new town that's when I thought there were some problems with the writing. The transitions to the other characters in the town were a bit weak and confusing at first. The letter portions of the book were done in a slightly better way. For awhile I felt like I was being told about these close connections between characters rather than being shown. It felt like the story wasn't focused for an extended period of time to which I contemplated giving up on the book.

Once the restorative justice part of the story is firmly established that's what helped in bringing back my interest in the characters. It made me start thinking about what I would do in each character's shoes. Another aspect of the story I found fascinating was seeing the justice system play out in a UK setting rather than the United States which is where I live. Being able to compare and contrast the two systems was an extra reason I found this book to be an interesting read.

Thank you to William Morrow for sending me an advance copy of this book as part of the #WMTastemakers program. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.½

Forgive Me by Susan Lewis is a highly recommended domestic drama that ultimately examines the power of forgiveness.

Claudia Winters along with her daughter Jasmine are escaping her abusive husband Marcus after he is on trial and begins serving a prison sentence. Her mother Marcy joins the two as all three move to a small coastal town in Northern England and live under their new names. Claudia lives under a constant fear that her husband will send someone to find her and harm her and her family. As the three begin to settle into their new town and make a good group of friends, Claudia still feels apprehensive that she is being watched. And then someone horrible does happen...

Archie Colbrook is in prison awaiting trial and spends his time writing letters to the victim of his crime for his Restorative Justice Counselor. He knows he is guilty and doesn't deserve forgiveness, but he also knows he didn't intentionally set out to cause a person harm. Even when the victim chooses to read his letters, he doesn't expect any forgiveness or a meeting.

These two different story lines unfold in alternate chapters and ultimately the two plots come together and showcase the power of forgiveness, even when it doesn't seem possible. The message is a good one, but the plot is a little less than believable. Setting that aside, it is an enjoyable novel and does provide insight into the Restorative Justice program. It also has an undercurrent of the support and love that can be found within a family and among a close group of friends. It starts out feeling like a thriller, but that is deceptive as it is decidedly a family/domestic drama, however a novel with a theme of forgiveness is always a positive thing.

Some characters are more realistic, believable, and likeable than others. That will quickly be determined and sorted out by the reader. The recovery of one of the characters is definitely heart-wrenching and you will pursue this plot thread closely and wish for a good outcome. The ending is predictable, but ultimately this is a feel-good novel with drama thrown in to keep you engrossed in the story and the outcome.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/01/forgive-me.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3769316033

I had high expectations for this book, but the story did not live up to my own hype. I found it distracting to jump from a chapter concerning Joely's situation to reading a chapter of the teenager dealing with her infatuation of her teacher "Sir". I gave it a run and believe I would have enjoyed it more had it followed a different pattern.

I've read some Susan Lewis before and enjoyed her books. But this one was just mediocre - I wanted to know what happened. The first third was pretty slow. I liked the middle third - the action picked up, the mystery was revealed and there a lot more going on. But the final third was so hard to believe and seemed to resolve everything a little too neatly. Although I did like how the last line alluded to more mystery or even a possible continuation of Joely's story.

My Lies, Your Lies by Susan Lewis is a recommended novel of intrigue that morphs into a family drama.

Joely is a ghost writer who assists other people in telling their story, so it is a surprise to her when she is hired by a well-known writer, Freda Donahue, to be a ghost writer for her. Freda apparently has a story she wants to tell to set the record straight and she hand-picked Joely to do the job. It is clear from the start that Freda is an odd, eccentric woman who has an arrogant, condescending attitude. The story she wants to have Joely write is set in 1968 and is about a fifteen-year-old girl who had an affair with her twenty-five-year old teacher. Joely wants to escape her home life right now anyway because it is in turmoil.

My Lies, Your Lies started off strong and once it got going it grabbed my attention. The tension was palpable and I was glued to the pages. Then something switched off in the writing and the novel morphed into a completely different story, one that was neither gripping nor compelling. There was a place in the novel where, if Lewis had changed her direction and came to a conclusion, I would have rated it five stars. Instead, she headed off in an insipid, unbelievable direction and lost my interest in the last 20% of the novel. The impact the novel could have had was lost in a fluffy ending. The writing was mostly good and the characters well-developed so I'm recommending it, with the warning that the ending will work for some readers and not for others.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/08/my-lies-your-lies.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3499221303

Ghostwriter Joely Foster, recently separated from her husband, has taken up an assignment to pen a memoir for the enigmatic and strange Freda Donohoe who lives in a secluded house in Devon. Basically the memoir is about an affair between a pupil and a teacher and the repercussions.

I very much enjoyed this story about secrets which can come back to haunt a person and the chaos they leave in their path. I loved the setting , it’s very appropriate to the premise of the tale. It’s beautifully written, as all Susan Lewis’ books are, with some great characters. I was delighted when My Lies, Your Lies became available on the Pigeonhole app and looked forward to each stave every day. I found it gripping and entertaining, and I was eager to find out how it was all going to pan out. It does go off at a tangent at one point but one has to remember it’s fiction where anything can happen! It’s quite the page turner nevertheless.

Perhaps not my favourite book by this author, but definitely well worth the read. I always know I’m in for a treat when I pick up a Susan Lewis novel - she knows how to tell a story!

4.5 ⭐️½

Every main character lives happily ever after in this almost entirely predictable romantic perspective on breast cancer. Not realistic, in my experience.

I am both ashamed and delighted that this is my first Susan Lewis book; ashamed that this prolific author has written so many books that I have missed and delighted to have found her, better late than never. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of One Minute Later that came with instructions to make the origami heart on the front cover and I absolutely loved this thoughtful touch from the publisher, HarperCollins.

Vivienne has the world at her feet until her world stops spinning and her heart stops beating on her 27th Birthday. Faced with an unimaginable prognosis, Vivienne feels completely helpless and exhausted but fate still has some of Vivienne's story to write. I couldn't help but be totally in awe of Vivienne as she struggled with her condition but tried to keep a smile on her face. Of course, there's nothing like a new man to put a smile on a woman's face and oh, wow love interest Josh fitted the bill perfectly. With time running out for Vivienne, the pair made the most of every single second and I found their happiness completely infectious. It reminded me that each day is precious and we should seize each day with both hands and live it to the best of our abilities.

Vivienne's story is very captivating and emotional, especially for those whose lives have been touched by the dreaded transplant list. My family has experienced both sides of this story and I fought to hold back my tears as hopes were dashed at the last minute. I suppose it is the thoughtlessness and laziness of youth (not that I can claim to be youthful anymore) that has caused me not to sign up to the donor register, as well as thinking I may have nothing to offer. My eyes may be lasered, my heart made of stone and my liver pickled, but it is not for me to decide which of my organs are still viable and could save lives. So after I finished reading Vivienne's story, I immediately told my family that I wished to donate my organs in the event of my premature death; mission accomplished, Susan Lewis!

I was fascinated by the Save9Lives campaign mentioned in the book, which is supported by Susan Lewis and founded by Jim Lynskey, who is also a character in the book but is very much a real and very inspirational person. You can find out more about Save9Lives by clicking here and I strongly urge you to do so.

One Minute Later is heartfelt and incredibly emotional with a very powerful and inspirational message at its heart (if you excuse the pun). It's amazing to think that lives could actually be saved by readers of One Minute Later being inspired to sign up to the donor register and Susan Lewis deserves huge recognition for this. One Minute Later won't necessarily change your life, but it could definitely change nine other lives.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Her life is not one she would have picked for herself—a dead husband, a missing son, an imminent eviction—but Angie Watts cannot give up. She desperately wants to make ends meet and settle into a new normal, whatever that may be, but obstacle after obstacle stands in her way.

Home Truths conveys this challenging experience with ease. Though there are points in the book where nothing seems to be happening, I still could not stop reading. I just wanted something to go right for Angie and her family. They deal with problem after problem after problem, and it seems like there is little hope—but there is always love.

If you love stories of family and hard times, Home Truths by Susan Lewis is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.½