thriller

Powerful and brimming with righteous anger: A review of “When We Were Silent” by Fiona McPhillips

/ Victoria Brown / Leave a comment

Cover image of 'When We Were Silent' by Fiona McPhillips.

“I’m not here for prestige. I’m here for revenge.”

When We Were Silent is an immersive, powerful and moving debut from Fiona McPhillips.

Lou Manson is a working-class girl given a swimming scholarship to the prestigious Highfield school. Despite her precarious position as an outsider, Lou – both as girl and woman – is challenged to expose the school’s systemic grooming and abuse of the teenage girls in its care.

The book draws attention to the prevalence of abuse in Irish swimming during the 1980s, and sheds light on the failure of authorities to protect vulnerable children from sexual predators.

This was a difficult read at times – the book aches with agonising injustices, with the joy and energy and potential snuffed out. With the frustration of being young and powerless.

The righteous anger leaps from the page – and you can’t help but be infected with it – but whilst it is harrowing at times, the writing is always authentic and sensitive, never prurient or exploitative.

The empowerment of older women to defend their younger selves – and their peers – particularly resonated with me. Me too, me too, me too…

This is the kind of book you’ll want to press into the hands of everyone you know.

Book review: The Short Straw

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Leaving isn’t safe…
But staying would be deadly.

“The Short Straw” by Holly Seddon has all the quintessential elements of a spooky mystery — an old manor house full of secrets and things that go bump in the night… And three sisters stranded there.

When their car breaks down in the midst of a storm, sisters Nina, Lizzie and Aisa seek refuge at Moirthwaite Manor — their mother’s former place of work, and one full of childhood memories. Now the imposing old house is now abandoned and desolate.

There’s only one way to decide who should venture out into the darkness for help… They draw straws, just like they did when they were kids.

One sister disappears into the night, leaving the others separated within the eerie manor house. As the story unfolds, the deadly secrets concealed within the house finally emerge, revealing the unspeakable bond that ties the family together.

“The Short Straw” is a masterclass in characterisation. From the practical Nina to the timid Lizzie to wild Aisa, each of the sisters is shaped by their place in the family, and their complex relationships feel truly authentic.

The book is sinister and intense, well-paced and chock full of heart-pounding moments to keep you turning the pages. (I heartily recommend you don’t listen to this on audiobook in the dark, like I did, although the narration is wonderful too!)

Dark, unsettling and atmospheric, “The Short Straw” is a fantastic blend of family drama, suspense, mystery and tragedy, woven together with superb storytelling — a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and spooky mysteries.

Book review: A Killer in the Family

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What if you uploaded your DNA online, but instead of finding your estranged father, you open the door to police? And they tell you that either your father or one of your sons is a murderer?

“A Killer in the Family” is the fifth book in Gytha Lodge‘s Jonah Sheens series – a gripping and thought-provoking read that centres around the subject of DNA ancestry testing and the unsettling secrets it can unearth.

The infamous ‘Bonfire Killer’ is on a spree, causing widespread panic. Constant vigilance is advised and women are not to travel alone at night. When Aisling Cooley discovers that her DNA has been discovered at a recent crime scene, the implication is clear. Either her estranged father or one of her two beloved sons, Ethan and Finn, must be the serial killer.

Gytha brings her trademark blend of original concept, meticulous research and compelling characterisation to this latest book in the series, which delves into the complexities of relationships, the bounds of family loyalty and the moral questions surrounding the use of DNA in the context of criminal investigations.

From detective to victim – and everything in between – each character leaps off the page: real, rounded and relatable. The writing is smart and beautifully crafted, as always, and the twists and turns are deftly done to keep you guessing until the final pages.

Gytha continues to develop captivating storylines for Jonah and his team, with their often-messy personal lives becoming intertwined with their police work. Quite honestly, I’d read the series for this team alone!

So… if you’re looking for a fantastic group of flawed but lovable detectives, and a compelling read that makes you think, look no further!

Thank you to Gytha and Michael Joseph for a gorgeous ARC of this book.

Book review: Wrong Place Wrong Time

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Cover of Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Every now and again, a book comes along that changes the game for the whole genre.

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister is one such book. 

One night, Jen Brotherhood witnesses something dreadful: her beloved teenage son killing a stranger outside their house. She doesn’t know why or who the man is, all she knows is that’ Todd’s future is over.

But when Jen wakes up the next morning, it’s the day before and the murder hasn’t yet happened. Every morning, Jen travels back in time. Is she being given a chance to play detective and stop the murder in its tracks?

This book is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and Reese’s book club pick, and it’s easy to see why.

It’s a masterclass in plotting – although we’re going backwards, information is revealed and clues seeded meticulously. Every time you think you’re one step ahead, everything you thought you knew is thrown up in the air all over again. The physics was obviously carefully researched and manages to be mind-blowing without being too heavy-going.

And if that weren’t enough, it’s a beautiful, heartrending portrait of motherhood, guilt, regret and righting past wrongs. The writing is like melted butter.

This book absolutely deserves every accolade.

This was my first Gillian McAllister… and it certainly won’t be my last!

If you like clever thrillers with plenty of heart, and you pride yourself in figuring out the ending, look no further!

Page Turner Awards — two books, two shortlists!

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I’m delighted to have two thrillers on shortlists for the Page Turner Awards.

Darling Girl, which also won the ‘I Am In Print’ Thriller competition this year, is shortlisted for the Page Turner Writing Award.

My work-in-progress, While She Lay Sleeping, is shortlisted for the Page Turner Mentorship Award.

You can find out a bit more about each of these stories below.

Whatever the outcome, entering the Page Turner Awards has been a really positive experience.

Here’s a little more about the stories…

Darling Girl — Elisabeth was the love of Leni’s life. But Elisabeth was pure fiction. A manipulator. A troubled soul. And the day after she left Leni with a Dear John letter and a broken heart, Elisabeth’s husband turned up on Leni’s doorstep, looking for her.
 
Eight months on, something feels very, very wrong. A traumatised Leni receives a parcel that can only be from her former lover. Believing Elisabeth to be in danger, Leni will stop at nothing to follow the clues within and find her. But Elisabeth left to protect Leni from a dark secret – and from someone who would kill to keep them apart.

While She Lay Sleeping — Kate keeps dreaming that her baby is kidnapped. One morning, she wakes to find that her nightmare is reality, and her partner, Anna, is behaving suspiciously.

Each woman knows more than she’s letting on, but can they trust one another? If they want their daughter back, they’ll have to find a way through the secrets and lies that threaten to break them.

Book review: So Happy For You

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When I started this book, I thought we were in romance territory and that I knew exactly where it was heading. Wrong on both counts!

The exciting thing about So Happy For You is that it’s lesfic that gets to be something else – part thriller, part dystopia, perhaps. I’ve seen some apt comparisons to Black Mirror.

The book is set in a misogynistic near future in the US, where the government incentivises marriage and severely limits abortion. (So far, so real.) Women are ‘leftovers’ in their late 20s and ‘rotten’ by their 30s. Then there are the ‘wedding charms’, the weird hazing-esque rituals that brides undertake to ensure the success of their wedding, and future fertility.

Robin, the main character, doesn’t buy into any of this – in fact, she roundly rejects the institution of marriage and is happy with her partner, Aimee. But Ellie, Robin’s best friend since childhood, is getting married, and she wants Robin to be her maid of honour. Robin is torn between her principles and her loyalty to Ellie.

As the wedding approaches, Ellie’s behaviour becomes bizarre, to say the least. The book gets dark quickly, and the second half is a weird, wild rollercoaster that kept me hooked. I honestly didn’t know what was coming next.

I really liked Robin, though she’s probably a ‘Marmite’ character. She’s witty, with a dry sense of humour, and a vulnerability which manifests as cynicism. Her ‘coming out’ story is addressed in the novel, but it’s not central to the plot. I really warmed to her and found myself rooting for her throughout.

This was a rip-roaring book that manages to do humour, satire, gut-wrench and edge-of-the-seat thriller… sometimes all in the space of a few pages. It’s refreshing to see lesbian fiction that’s permitted to be outside-the-box and genre-bending. I’m definitely off in search of more Celia Laskey.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Book review: Watching from the Dark

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index

Readers of the Richard & Judy book club pick, ‘She Lies in Wait’, have come to expect a fast pace, intricate, meticulous plotting and nuanced, compelling characters from Gytha Lodge. The second in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, ‘Watching from the Dark’ certainly does not disappoint.

Aidan Poole logs on to Skype to chat to his girlfriend, Zoe Swardadine. But he doesn’t expect to see a stranger enter her flat. To hear a desperate struggle and then a dreadful silence. Aidan is desperate to find out what has become of Zoe, so why is he hesitant to contact the police?

The book switches deftly between the present-day investigation and the run-up to Zoe’s murder, as well as furthering the stories of Jonah’s likeable team – not least the magnetic Lightman and the vulnerable but smart Hanson.

It’s ideal for the hardened thriller reader, with twists and tangles aplenty to keep you guessing and a complex cast of characters, each with their own secrets to hide.

With thanks to Gytha Lodge and publishers, Michael Joseph, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book review: All in Her Head

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All in her head

At first glance, Alison has a simple life. She works in a library and returns to her tranquil flat. But something is very wrong. Alison believes that her husband, Jack, is stalking her, leaving messages in her flat and tracking her down at the library. What did he do and why did he leave? And who is the woman who keeps talking to Alison in the cafeteria? Where does Alison remember her from, and how is she involved with Jack?

I have followed Nikki’s journey to publication with interest, and have heard a lot about this book, but happily not enough to have anticipated the ending.

It’s everything you want from a psychological thriller: it’s cleverly plotted, engaging and creates tension and an atmosphere of foreboding right from the outset. What’s more, it has an incredible twist that pulls the rug from under your feet and sends the story hurtling in a new direction, towards a satisfying and heart-warming conclusion. Like all the best twists, the clues are there on reflection, but the answer is well-hidden until the big reveal. I’m willing to bet not many readers will see it coming.

Nikki demonstrates her mastery of both characterisation and plotting in her debut. She weaves the story together from Jack’s perspective as well as Alison’s, and both characters are well-rounded and sympathetic but also compelling and complex.

It’s difficult to maintain so much mystery whilst giving the reader enough to keep track of what’s going on, but Nikki’s handling of the narrative makes it look easy and keeps the pages turning.

Don’t miss this incredible book – and keep an eye out for Nikki Smith in future!

With thanks to Nikki Smith, publishers Orion and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.