Author: bookafterbook

Publication: 3rd September 2020 – Viking

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE GRIPPING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES BY TV PRESENTER RICHARD OSMAN

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Delighted to welcome you on my stop for The Thursday Murder Club, the amazing new novel by Richard Osman.

You don’t need me to tell you how great and gripping this novel is. Many people have done it before me and there is a reason if it is at the top of the booksellers charts. I will tell you this. I didn’t know what to expect and I was surprised to be completely glued to the pages (I’ve read it in one day), to laugh, to be surprised by the twists, and to love the characters so much.

Cooper’s Chase is “Britain’s First Luxury Retirement Village”. It is also the headquarter of The Thursday Murder Club. Who are the member of the Thursday Murder Club and what they do? Joyce is the newest member and a former nurse; Ron is a former Labour Unionist while Ibrahim is a retired psychologist; Elizabeth is one of the founders of the club with a mysterious – and slightly dubious – past. Every Thursday they meet to study and solve a cold case, but, this time, it’s not an unsolved murder that they have to investigate, but the death of a local entrepreneur.

The cast of characters is incredible and very likable. A group of retired people reunite to solve crimes and they do a better job than the police (even because it seems that one of them as resources worth of a CIA agent). Together, they form an unlikely friendship. Elizabeth is the force of the group, leading the others and ordering them about. She is quite smart and resourceful and I am intrigued by her secret past. Ron and Ibrahim are quite opposite to each other. The former is ready to argue a case just for the sake – and fun – of it, while Ibrahim is more reserved and quiet, but they form a close friendship. Joyce seems very introvert, but she is quite a surprise. One of the points of views in the story is told from Joyce in form of diary and I loved how she narrates the story as though she is talking to someone, with her reflections and musings. Two other characters worth of mention are PC Donna De Frietas and DCI Chris Hudson. They are the real detectives investigating the murder, but they find themselves unwillingly asking for help to the Thursday Murder Club.

The Thursday Murder Club is a MUST-READ!!! It is an unpredictable, unique, addictive, brilliantly-written page-turner that it will be impossible to put down.

A huge thank you to Ellie and Vikings for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this gripping novel.

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Follow the rest of the blog tour:

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.

Publication: 1st October 2020 – Hodder & Stoughton

Liberty has never been a risk-taker. She loves the routine of her quiet life in the charming village of Willowbrook, with her Labrador, Charlie. But the arrival of a mysterious gift prompts Liberty to make some changes: starting with a daily challenge to say yes to everything for the month of December…

Fearless and independent, Alex could hardly be a less obvious fit for peaceful village life. But after an accident cuts short his promising motorcycling career, he finds himself in Willowbrook in search of new direction.

When the pair become unlikely housemates, sparks fly at Damselfly Cottage. Will living together prove impossible – especially when the first snow falls? Or, cut off from the outside world, can they help each other find what it takes to be brave this Christmas?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Delighted to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of A Winter’s Dream, the enjoyable new novel by Sophie Claire.

A Winter’s Dream is my first Christmas novel of the year and it cheered me up and put me in such a festive mood with its beautiful description and the joyous atmosphere that I may have already started looking at this year’s Christmas shopping.

The story is set in Willowbrook, the same setting as in the author’s previous novels, so, if you’ve read them, you will recognize old characters and see how their story developed. The protagonists of this new novel are Liberty and Alex. Liberty has a routine that she follows strictly and she’d rather stay home quilting and watching TV than go out on a date, but this year she feels particularly lonely so, on her thirtieth birthday, she sets herself the challenge to say yes to anything that it is presented to her. I really admired the character of Liberty for sticking to her challenge, even when she really didn’t want to or she had to do the things that scared her most. Liberty is likable and relatable and I found her very brave. I don’t think I would done the same in her place.

Then there is Alex. Broody, dark, handsome, motor bike world champion Alex. He is in Willowbrook for a personal family business and to take a break from decisions he has to take regarding his future. I enjoyed his clashing with Liberty and their witty exchanges and I liked how this character developed and grew throughout the story.

A Winter’s Dream is an entertaining, heartwarming, beautiful story of love, friendship, and a bit of family drama with an adorable dog and a short trip to beautiful Provence that will make you forget everything else, at least for a few hours.

A huge thank you to Myrto & Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy of the novel and for inviting me to join the blog tour.

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Publication: 10th September 2020 – Orbit

The Sukai Dynasty has ruled the Phoenix Empire for over a century, their mastery of bone shard magic powering the monstrous constructs that maintain law and order. But now the emperor’s rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.

Lin is the Emperor’s daughter, but a mysterious illness has stolen her childhood memories and her status as heir to the empire. Trapped in a palace of locked doors and old secrets, Lin vows to reclaim her birthright by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

But the mysteries behind such power are dark and deep, and wielding her family’s magic carries a great cost. When the revolution reaches the gates of the palace itself, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her throne – and save her people.

The Bone Shard Daughter is an unmissable fantasy debut for 2020 – a captivating tale of magic, revolution and mystery, where a young woman’s sense of identity will make or break an empire.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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I am delighted to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of The Bone Shard Daughter, the fantastic debut novel by Andrea Stewart.

The Bone Shard Daughter is set in a world where the emperor controls his people through the use of constructs, creatures created from the parts of animals and the bone shards extracted from the bodies of children who sacrifice themselves for the good of the empire. The emperor’s daughter and adoptive son are learning to use the bone shard magic and they are in competition for the throne. One day, only one of them will take his place. In the meantime, there are people who wants to put an end to the empire, overthrow the emperor, and put an end to the sacrifice of children.

The Bone Shard Daughter is told from different points of views which was very well executed. It starts with Lin, the emperor’s daughter. Lin has lost her memories and she is constantly trying to prove to her father that she could be a worthy successor. I really liked this character because she has a very gripping storyline, with her secrets, her deception, and her spying, and I think that she has the greatest twist in the story. My other favourite character is Jovis. He is a smuggler with a conscience. His endless search for his wife, who mysteriously disappeared seven years earlier, is often interrupted by his involuntary rescue of children. I loved his sarcasm and the way he always manages to get out of dangerous situations, but, above all, I enjoyed his relationship with Mephi, the magical creature that he rescued during one of his escapes from trouble.

The other points of views are Phalue and Ranami. They are in love, but their different upbringing and ideals often puts a strain in their relationship. Phalue is the governor’s daughter convinced that everything will be fine once she takes her father’s place. Ranami is the orphan who grew up poor and alone and who wants to change the world. Lastly but not least, there is Sand. Sand is on a island picking up mangoes all day long. Like the other people on the island, she has no memory of her past, until, one day, she starts questioning her life: why can’t she remember her past life? How did she get on the island?

The Bone Shard is really a superb debut. The characters are easy to love and very well-crafted. The world building is incredible and gorgeous and the plot is intricate and carefully-planned. This is a novel that fantasy readers and non will fall in love with and I can’t wait to read the sequel. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Tracy and Orbit for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

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Follow the rest of the blog tour:

Andrea Stewart is the Chinese American daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn’t pan out, she instead turned to writing books. She now lives in sunny California.

Publication: 6th August 2020 – Simon and Schuster UK

When Hannah meets Sonny, she’s irresistibly drawn to him: he’s sexy and confident, but only in town on holiday. That’s fine with Hannah – she doesn’t do long-term relationships. And luckily for her, neither does Sonny. But before they can even so much as kiss, Sonny receives some shocking news and commits to making serious life changes – ones that can’t and won’t include romance.

With even a short fling now off the cards, Hannah and Sonny settle for being friends. But as summer hots up and their chemistry shows no signs of cooling, they start to question their reasons for shutting each other out.

Are they both too broken to find love? And if they tear down the walls between them, will they still like what’s on the other side?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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WOW!!! Another ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC and INCREDIBLE novel by Paige Toon has arrived and, once again, I found myself hooked from the very beginning.

It’s been a very long wait for the new novel by Paige Toon (or, at least, it seemed very long), but it was well worth it. The Minute I Saw You is a splendid and unforgettable novel that gripped me and didn’t let me go. It’s been a few days since I finished reading it and I am still thinking about it, about its protagonist, Hannah and Sonny, and their beautiful and emotional story.

I quickly fell in love with the characters of Hannah and Sonny. They are authentic and engaging. Hannah and Sonny also are damaged, they have demons and secrets from their past that they still need to face, so they decide that the best thing for both is to be just friend. Of course, that it is easier said than done and the more time they spend together the harder it is for them to stay away from each other. The chemistry between Hannah and Sonny was electrical, you could feel it through the pages, and I loved how their relationship evolved. Their stories are moving and my heart broke and it warmed for them at the same time.

Paige Toon is one of my favourite authors. Her novels always capture my heart and I enjoy rereading them over and over again. The Minute I Saw You quickly became one of my favourite novels, it is romantic, immersive, and poignant with beautiful and evocative descriptions of Cambridge that made me wish I was there. If you are looking for something special, then The Minute I Saw You is the right read!

Publication: 15th September 2020 – Sauce Materials Books

DON’T WORRY, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE AMAZING…

Chris Pringle: simpleton, casualty or local hero?

Propped up by biscuits, benefits and a baffling faith in his plan, he lives in a world where every day is obsessively the same: wedged in his recliner, watching murder mysteries, taking notes. Until the day a serious and peculiar crime stumps the local police – and Chris announces he can solve it.

Accompanied by a loyal crew of chancers, committed to making amends, and pursued by a depressed Detective Inspector, trying to join the dots, Chris heads back to the raves of his past, where a heartbreaking personal tragedy lies abandoned. But what exactly is Chris Pringle looking for? Has he really worked out the way to find it? And what will happen if he does?

A quirky, nostalgic, heart-warming mystery for fans of Gail Honeyman, Agatha Christie, Jennifer Egan, Ian Rankin, Matt Haig, Irvine Welsh, Ben Aaronovitch, Dave Eggers, Jon Niven, John Kennedy Toole, Belinda Bauer and Harland Miller.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

BOOKBUB

GOODREADS

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour of Don’t Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing, the brilliant new novel by Billy Moran.

I really enjoyed Don’t Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing. The plot is bizarre and intriguing and the characters are unique, funny, and likable, especially the protagonist, Chris Pringle. A suspicious death leads DI Graham Kaye to reopen a 1990s case and to question Chris Pringle, a man that many consider a simpleton and never take seriously, and to involve him in the case. Chris Pringle watches many crime TV shows and fancies himself a detective. Will his chaotic and simple mind solve the case?

Don’t Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing is told from different points of views and on different timelines, but it is easy to follow. Well-written and highly entertaining, Don’t Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing is a story of family and friendship, loss and mental health, with a murder mystery full of surprises and revelations. It was not at all what I expected, in a very good way. It made me laugh, it moved me, and I enjoyed every single page of it.

A huge thank you to Sauce Materials Books for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

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ABOUT BILLY MORAN

Billy Moran is an award-winning television writer for shows including Horrible Histories. He grew up in the West Country, where his teenage years were rudely interrupted by the Second Summer of Love. Since then he has been embracing mysteries, craving solutions and writing lots of lists. He lives in London and has two children, two cats, one football team and several favourite detectives. Don’t Worry, Everything Is Going To Be Amazing is his debut novel.

PRAISE

‘Edgy, buzzing and pulsing with life – if this doesn’t take you back, nothing will.’

PIERS TORDAY (AUTHOR, THE LAST WILD)

‘Fills in, most entertainingly, the missing link between Poirot’s little grey cells and the battered brain chemistry of an ex-raver.’

LUDOVIC HUNTER TILNEY (PRESS CLUB ARTS REVIEWER OF THE YEAR)

‘An absolute blast – a riveting mystery that will satisfy any crime buff.’

JAMES NALLY (AUTHOR, THE PC DONAL LYNCH THRILLERS)

Publication: 3rd September 2020 – Orion

You can trust me.

But can I trust you? 

Olivia is the domestic goddess who has won millions of followers by sharing her picture-perfect life online. And now she’s releasing her tell-all autobiography.

For professional ghostwriter Nicky it’s the biggest job of her career. But as she delves deeper into Olivia’s life, cracks begin to appear in the glamorous façade. From the strained relationship with her handsome husband, to murky details of a tragic family death in her childhood, the truth belies Olivia’s perfect public image.

But why is Olivia so desperate to leave an old tragedy well alone? And how far will she go to keep Nicky from the truth?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Good morning everyone and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for You Can Trust Me, the thrilling new novel by Emma Rowley. A huge thank you to Alex and Orion for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

Unreliable characters are my favorite kind of characters in psychological thrillers. You can’t trust them, you can’t believe what they say, and they keep you wondering and on edge the entire time. The protagonists of the new novel by Emma Rowley are unreliable. Nicky Wilson is a ghost-writer, she writes books for famous people who then passes it as their own. She enters their lives, she asks questions about their past, their present, their hopes, and their dreams. They tell her what they want the public to know, keeping hidden their dirty secrets, but Nicky doesn’t care. She is paid to do a job and she does it. Until she stumbles upon Olivia Hayes. She is an influencer with millions of followers and sponsors who pay her to promote their products. She lives in the beautiful Annersley House, in Cheshire, with her handsome husband and their adorable three-year-old daughter. Online, Olivia’s life is perfect and that’s how she wants to appear on the book. However, Nicky knows that she is hiding something and, while Olivia wants the past to stay in the past, Nicky is looking for the truth and she becomes obsessed with Olivia’s house and its secrets.

The story is told by two different points of views. The first half of the story is told from Nicky’s perspective and it is slow-paced and it builds the suspense until you arrive in the middle of the book and a shocking twist takes you completely by surprise. The story changes to Olivia’s point of view and, from there, the twists just keep coming and the suspense keeps rising as the truth slowly unravels.

I really did enjoy You Can Trust Me. The author’s writing style is clear and vivid, the characters are very well-drawn and I like how, even though the story is told in first person, they manage to keep things from the reader. Annersley House is a character itself, a mansion at the center of a past tragedy, secrets, and mystery. The plot is dark and compelling and I enjoyed how the story developed and ended. You Can Trust Me is the thrilling novel by Emma Rowley, an author I will definitely keep reading.

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Emma Rowley is a writer, ghostwriter and editor with a background in newspaper journalism. She is currently a Contributing Editor at Grazia and formerly of the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. A graduate in Classics and English at Oxford University, she trained as a journalist on the prestigious City University course. Emma has spent considerable time in the courts and covering major crime stories. She lives in London

Publication: 20th August 2020 – Viking

16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing. One of the UK’s biggest missing persons searches is taking place. But Sadie’s friends don’t think the police are looking in the right place. Telling no one, they set out into the woods to find her. The trouble is, each of the five friends has a secret.  Each of them is a suspect.  And not everyone will make it home alive.

In his spine-chilling new thriller, Simon Lelic introduces Detective Inspector Fleet, back in the run-down town that he never planned to return to, where time is running out on what could be the biggest case of his career.

The Hunting Party meets The Chalk Man in Simon Lelic’s spine-chilling, twisty new thriller

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Delighted to welcome you all on my stop for the blog tour of The Search Party, the new novel by Simon Lelic.

I LOVED this novel. I really did love it. I was so engrossed in the story, its characters, and the claustrophobic atmosphere that I stayed up late at night to finish reading, I simply couldn’t go to sleep without knowing how it ended. It’s a story of secrets, resentment, and betrayal that slowly all come to light.

At the center of the story is Sadie Saunders, a 16-year-old who went missing. The author describes the character of Sadie through the testimonies of her friends, so we have a mixed picture of this character: some friends loved her, some friends not so much. Despite their mixed feelings toward her, her friends want to find her and they organize their own search party. But something goes wrong and one of them ends up dead.

In the meantime, DI Robin Fleet, at the head of the massive search organized by the police, is back to the place he left when he was 17 years old. As public pressure and political plays pressure him in solving Sadie’s disappearance, he has to face a past that still haunts him.

The story is told from different perspectives. One of them is DI Fleet, whose personal life mixes with the professional one. He is smart, intuitive and very good at his job. He knows there is more to the story than the teenagers are saying and he’s not afraid to stand up to his boss to prove it. I also enjoyed his easy relationship with DC Nicky Collins and their friendly banter. The other points of views are the transcripts and the interviews from Sadie’s friends. Each of them is hiding something and they blame each other for what happened in the woods. I loved how the author perfectly captures their feelings, fears, and DI Fleet doubts. Who, among them, is telling the truth? And what really happened to Sadie?

If I had to describe The Search Party with three adjectives, I would use: UNPUTDOWNABLE, TWISTY, and ADDICTIVE. I would also add riveting, compelling, and haunting. Full of twists and shocking surprises, The Search Party is one of the best crime books that I read this year and I am really looking forward to read more of this series.

A huge thank you to Ellie and Viking for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a beautiful copy of this amazing novel.

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Simon Lelic is the author of five previous novels: Rupture (winner of a Betty Trask Award and shortlisted for the John Creasy Debut Dagger), The Facility, The Child Who (longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2012), The House and The Liar’s Room. He lives in Brighton, UK.

Publication: 3rd September 2020 – Quercus

When Claire Fontaine learns that her ex-husband Simon is marrying again, to a woman with a teenage daughter, her blood runs cold. She is sure that years ago Simon molested her own daughter and was responsible for her mysterious death. She can’t let him get away with it a second time. Vandalism, harassment; whatever it takes, Claire will expose him.

Simon doesn’t know where Claire got this delusion from; her daughter’s death was ruled a suicide, but she has always blamed herself – is she just lashing out? Wanting to protect his new fiancee, he hires Sloane Wilson, an ex-cop turned ‘sin-eater’, whose job it is to handle delicate cases without getting the police involved, to get Claire off his back.

Sloane must navigate the wreckage of Claire and Simon’s marriage to discover the truth. Two people with conflicting stories and a whole lot of reasons to want to hurt each other. Is she crazy or is he manipulative? And can Sloane stay clear-headed enough to figure it out?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Delighted to take part in the media blast for An Inconvenient Woman, the superb new novel by Stéphanie Buelens.

The story is told from two perspectives. The first point of view is from Claire Fontaine a woman in her forties who lives in Los Angeles. She lives alone, she works as a French teacher, and, in her spare time, she mentor a young woman who used to live on the street and now is trying to get her life back on track. Claire Fontaine is obsessed and her obsession is her ex-husband Simon, a superstar lawyer, who is about to marry again. Claire can’t let that happen because the future wife has a ten-year-old daughter who looks like Melody, her own daughter, and Claire is sure that Melody’s death was caused by Simon, even though it was ruled as an accident.

The second point of view is from Sloan Wilson. Sloan is an ex LAPD detective who left the force when the job became too much and she turned into a sin eater, the person high-profile people hire to clean up their mess. And now Simon needs Sloan to free him of Claire once and for all.

What can I tell you about An Inconvenient Woman? It is gripping, intense, and engrossing. I read it in one day and not because the story is just a little more than 300 pages, but because I needed to see how the story evolved and how it would end. Is Claire telling the truth? Did Simon really molest Melody? Or is he as innocent as he claims to be? Claire is clearly paranoid, but is she also delusional? I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading.

I loved how the multi-layered characters evolved in the story. Claire and Sloan are similar characters. They are strong and clever and they both have past family drama and a complicated father-daughter relationship that has its own plot in the novel.

An Inconvenient Woman is very well-written and cleverly plotted. The ending is fantastic and explosive and it wraps up the story perfectly. This is a terrific thriller that I highly recommend.

A huge thank you to Ella and Quercus for inviting me to join the media blast and providing me with a copy of the novel.

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Stéphanie Buelens was born in Belgium and educated in France. She has traveled to more than thirty countries. For the last twenty years, she has lived between Paris and Los Angeles. She has worked as an actress, interpreter, translator, business consultant, French media coach, and language instructor. She currently lives in Belgium. AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN is her first novel.

Publication: 3rd September 2020 – Orion

Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other.
Who do YOU believe?

‘911 what’s your emergency?’

‘My dad’s dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.’

‘My dad’s dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.’

One of them is a liar and a killer.

But which one?

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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Oh, I have been waiting for this book for so long… or so it seemed. I am a huge fan of the Eddie Flynn series and I was so excited for this fifth novel that I read it in one day.

I really like the character of Eddie Flynn. An ex con turned into a lawyer who would do anything to defend his client, he is smart, resourceful, and really good at his job. He defends only people he is certain they are innocent, and he usually can figure this out in the first minutes of meeting them. His new client is Sofia Avellino. Her father, Frank Avellino, ex mayor of New York, was stabbed 53 times in his home, and his two daughters, Sofia and Alexandra, accuse each other of the murder. While Eddie Flynn represents Sofia, Kate Brooks, a young lawyer who has to prove herself constantly to her male colleagues and her creepy boss, defends Alexandra. One of them is telling the truth, the other is lying, but which one?

Fifty-Fifty is fast-paced, twisty, and highly suspenseful. The story is told from three different point of views. Eddie Flynn, sure of Sofia’s innocence, needs to figure out the truth about the two sisters. Kate Brooks, on the other hand, is sure that Alexandra is the sister telling the truth and needs to prove it. And then there is “She”. “She” is the killer. We don’t know which of the sisters she is, the author never gives it away, but we follow her as, in cold blood, she gets rid of any proof that could lead to her.

Easily read as a stand-alone – although I highly recommend the first four books in the series – Fifty-Fifty is another powerful, gripping, and compelling page-turner by the master of twists-that-you-won’t-see-coming Steve Cavanagh. I am a huge fan of all his novels, but the Eddie Flynn series is my favourite and Fifty-Fifty is his best so far.

A huge thank you to Orion and NetGallley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 3rd September 2020 – Penguin Books UK

An utterly addictive and twisty thriller, full of dark family secrets and deadly stakes. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

She came from nothing.

Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future.

Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why.

They had everything.

Now she must move into the mansion she’s inherited.

It’s filled with secrets and codes, and the old man’s surviving relatives – a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got ‘their’ money.

Now there’s only one rule: winner takes all.

Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing.
But just how far will they go to keep their fortune.

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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What would you do if you were told that one of richest man in America has left all his money to you?

Avery Grambs is a teenager living in her car. Her mother died two years earlier, her father is AWOL, and her stepsister lives with her abusive boyfriend. All Avery wants is getting a scholarship to a college and study something that will allow her to travel around the world. One day, she is informed that she’s been included in the will of billionaire Tobias Hawthorne. He is the ninth richest man in America, but Avery has no idea who he is or why he would mention her in his will. At the reading, she is is shocked to find out that Tobias Hawthorne has left most of his enormous fortune to her and, to benefit from it, she must live at least one year to Hawthorne Castle along with his family – two daughters and four handsome and mysterious grandsons – who, of course, is none too happy to have been left out of the inheritance. Why did Tobias leave everything to Avery? And can she trust the four Hawthorne brothers?

I really enjoyed The Inheritance Games. Avery Grambs is an excellent protagonist. A teenager who had to grow up too fast too soon, she is highly intelligent, strong and bold. She spends most of her time in the company of the Hawthorne brothers who are intriguing and engaging, each has a different personality and each is hiding something.

The story is addictive and fast-paced and I read it in two days. There are riddle and puzzles to solve, secrets to unveil, and love triangles to untangle. Initially, I was confused by the ending because it left me with many unresolved questions, but then I found out that The Inheritance Games is the first book in a series and I was thrilled. I can’t wait to see what happens next and I am really looking forward to book number 2!

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s for providing me with a copy of the novel.