Samantha Hayes

Predictable domestic drama.

Liz and her new fiancé, Owen, are visiting her mother to announce the news of their engagement. Intending to keep their pregnancy secret, they tread lightly around Liz's erratic and unstable mother. Poor Liz can't bring herself to share stories about her mother with Owen as her childhood was difficult. Liz is uncomfortable being back in the house where she grew up, but is happy to see her sister, Shelley, and dad again. All have been treading lightly and carefully around the mom for years. Now she wants to play mother of the bride in earnest and is determined that she will organize Liz and Owen's wedding at the beautiful local church. What can go wrong? None want the reminder of what happened when Shelley tried to get married last year.

Again, a very predictable plot with all the tells being easy to see from the start. The characters were stereotypes and mostly their thoughts and behavior were very irritating. It always seems that they deliberately close their eyes to the most obvious of signs that there are things amiss. The climax was exactly as anticipated and the outcome as I expected. It's a fast read, though, so it will likely keep some entertained for a couple of hours.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC e-book and audiobook as I both read and listened.… (plus d'informations)

Received a free copy from Library Of Birmingham as part of their Big City Read, in exchange for a review. The Author's website is here

This story is told in multiple, female voices - two first person (Claudia and Zoe), one third person (Lorraine, the police detective). There's plenty to keep the reader guessing, as the pregnant Claudia hires Zoe to help be a nanny to her twin step-sons as Claudia's Navy husband returns to sea, and her due date comes nearer. It seems Zoe is not all she seems, and everyone is hiding secrets.

Meanwhile Lorraine and her police detective husband are working the murder of one pregnant woman and the near fatal attack of another near-term woman, as it seems that there is nothing some people will do for a baby of their own.

Since saying much more will be entering this post into the Spoiler zone, I'll try to say no more on the subject. There is an exploration of motherhood - those who cant have children but want one, those who can but dont deserve them, those who have them but whose children never end up as planned, looking after someone else's children.

The choice of the multiple voices was good, not only from preventing the reader from getting bored, but allowing the dénouement to be clouded, but fast until the climax. Because of the subject matter, and some of the scenes covered in the book, this is not for everyone, but worth it for those who are able to get through it.… (plus d'informations)

Date Night is a psychological thriller featuring married couple Libby and Sean Randell. Libby thinks that she has a solid marriage to Sean. Then one morning there's a note on her windscreen telling her that her husband is having an affair. She confronts him and of course, he denies it. She doesn't believe him but they go on a date night for dinner to try and ease the tension. The date does not go to well, so they return home. When they get there babysitter Sasha is missing. A few days later Libby is arrested under the suspicion of murder.

The story alternates from the recent past to the present. This confused me in the first couple of chapters until I noticed the pattern. The writing, however, made the book a breeze to read and I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it. There are numerous twists in the story that all lead up to the reveal of the murderer. With all of the characters having secrets, and the need to lie about them, I couldn't figure out the whodunnit. It was a total surprise when the killer was finally revealed. The whydunnit was not revealed until the last page and it was a shocker. Date Night is the perfect psychological thriller that reads like an Alfred Hitchcock story.… (plus d'informations)

Connie's husband, Ray, died a few months ago and exposed their secret in his will. Before the three girls find out, she wants to tell them herself so she invites all the girls, significant others and children to the lodge. But everyone else also has secrets.

This is unlike any other thriller I've read. It doesn't centre on figuring out a recent murder, instead, its focus is on the secrets and how they affect the family as they come out. A different sort of domestic thriller. I just loved this. The first part lets us in on a couple of secrets as the family gathers then the last half has the secrets spilling out and crimes are being brought to light or are actually happening. The writing was superb. The pacing brought tension as it slowly built up then released with quick ups and downs at the end. I was amazed with the reveals and thought the ending was brilliant and creepy. I now want to read more of the author's work.… (plus d'informations)