The New Wife by JP Delaney

                                             

Hardback:  343 pages                                                                                 

Genre:  Mystery, Thriller, Psychological Fiction

Publisher:  Quercus, July 2023

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

Review Quote: Like Daphne du Maurier he sustains the ambiguity deftly and deliciously - whenever a resolution looks imminent, a new development preserves the enigma ― Sunday Times

Favourite Quote: Did any of us speak a word that day that was true, I now wonder? Perhaps those few words that weren't in English might have been the cold unvarnished truth - a brief instruction to the older woman on how she should respond.

First Sentences:  In rural parts of Mallora, you still come across clusters of carob trees surrounded by high nets, open to the sky. These are es trampes, the songbird traps.

Setting: Mallorca

My Opinion:  First discovered this author thanks to his earlier novel  Playing Nice  being selected as a Richard and Judy Bookclub choice. Since then he has been on the list of authors I select when in the mood for a psychological thriller.

Finn and Jess have just learnt that their father has died in Mallorca.  He has lived there for many years and the farmhouse he lives in with his third wife, is his children's inheritance. Between them they decide that Finn should travel to Mallorca to take control of the situation. It does not work out as simply as the siblings had hoped though. Who is telling lies and who is telling the truth about the situation?

Unpredictable as just when you feel you have worked out what is happening, along comes another twist! If you enjoy being kept guessing then this is definitely one for you. 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

When Finn Hensen gets a call from his sister Jess to say their father has died, neither is heartbroken. Their parents divorced many years ago, after which their father, Jimmy, continued to live a bohemian lifestyle in sun-soaked Mallorca, while his family returned to the UK.

Ownership of his home, a beautiful but dilapidated farmhouse in the mountains, now passes to Finn and his sister. The only problem is that Jimmy recently remarried for the third time, and his new wife, Ruensa, is still living there.

The pair agree that Finn should go to Mallorca and tactfully take possession of their inheritance. When he arrives, however, Finn is surprised to find that Finca Siquia has been completely transformed into a chic Mediterranean bolthole by Ruensa - along with her twenty-seven-year-old daughter, Roze. The Spanish police, meanwhile, are asking awkward questions about Jimmy's death . . . Are Ruensa and Roze the helpless victims of circumstance? Or will they stop at nothing to get Finca Siquia for themselves?

Previous Reviews: Playing Nice   My Darling Daughter

Author Profile : 

                                               

                                                      Courtesy of Author Website

JP Delaney is a British writer of psychological suspense. His novel THE GIRL BEFORE was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller which sold over a million copies in 40 countries. It was adapted by him for the BBC and HBO Max in 2021. His second thriller, BELIEVE ME, was also an international and Sunday Times bestseller, as were his subsequent books THE PERFECT WIFE and PLAYING NICE. His fifth psychological thriller, MY DARLING DAUGHTER, was published in 2022.

JP Delaney has previously written bestselling fiction under other names. The Carnivia Trilogy, a series of three standalone but interlinked thrillers set in present-day Venice and written under the name Jonathan Holt, was published in more than 20 countries. 

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

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It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce

                                                 

Hardback: 328 pages                                                                                       

Genre: Psychological Fiction

Publisher: Wildfire, Headline 2022

Source: Tywyn Public Library

Review Quote: Full of twists and turns. An unpredictable, unforgettable read. ― Woman's Weekly

First Sentences: The fox hates fireworks. While they're going off, she'd rather keep herself hidden, curled up in a bush somewhere quiet.

My Opinion:  I have read and enjoyed both of Harriet Tyce's previous novels, so was keen to read 'It Ends At Midnight'. The level of suspense was such that I could not put it down and finished within a day!

The main protagonist is Sylvie an ambitious young Barrister with her sights set on becoming a judge. The mystery revolves around a secret that Sylvie shares with her close friend Tess. Circumstances cause the secret and lies they have told for years to start to unravel. At times it does get rather dark and complex, but this is surely, in this case, what keeps the reader turning the pages.

Recommended to anyone that appreciates a well written psychological thriller.

Previous Review:  Blood Orange   The Lies You told

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

It's New Year's Eve and the stage is set for a lavish party in one of Edinburgh's best postcodes. It's a moment for old friends to set the past to rights - and move on. 

The night sky is alive with fireworks and the champagne is flowing. But the celebration fails to materialise.

Because someone at this party is going to die tonight.

Midnight approaches and the countdown begins - but it seems one of the guests doesn't want a resolution.

They want revenge.

Author Profile:

                                                   

Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated from Oxford in 1994 with a degree in English Literature before gaining legal qualifications. She worked as a criminal barrister for ten years, leaving after having children. She completed an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction at UEA where she wrote Blood Orange, the Sunday Times bestselling novel. It was followed by The Lies You Told, another Sunday Times bestseller. It Ends At Midnight has just been published to critical acclaim. She lives in north London with her family and two dogs.



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The Lost Girls by Kate Hamer

                                                   

Paperback:  361 pages      

Genre: Fiction, Thriller,                                           

Publisher:  Faber and Faber 2023

Source: Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: No one ever knew what happened to Mercy Roberts

Review Quote: At once deeply unsettling and profoundly hopeful, Kate Hamer's follow-up to The Girl in the Red Coat is a novel about loss, healing and redemption. ― Women's Weekly

Setting: U.S.A. and England

My Opinion:  

I was introduced to this authors writing back in 2017 when she came to Tywyn to speak at a Literary Dinner. Since then I have continued to take an interest in her work.  Having read the prequel ‘The Girl in the Red Coat’ to this latest novel it was imperative I read ‘The Lost Girls.’ Although it is a stand alone story, I personally appreciated the fact that I had read the previous novel.

Three traumatised protagonists, Carmel Mercy and Beth relate their stories to the reader.  Carmel was abducted as a young child then eight years later she is reunited with her mother Beth. A guilt ridden mother and a troubled daughter who have trouble not surprisingly relating to each other.  Carmel also frequently dreams of another lost child and carries out a heart breaking search for answers.

What a haunting tale!  I do find Kate Hamer’s style of writing rather disturbing, but her novels including this one are always captivating. I do not hesitate in recommending this author.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Beth is desperate to return to normality. After a years-long ordeal, her daughter is finally home and safe. But Carmel has questions she can't ignore about the cult that kidnapped her, and about the preacher who gave her another girl's name.

Found, she must survive a miracle.

Digging into her past, Carmel uncovers secrets which suggest that she wasn't the only lost girl - and which puts her in danger all over again. While her mother struggles to salvage the safety they've only just found, Carmel tries to come to terms with who she has become. One question, a mystery at the heart of her disappearance as a child, haunts her:

What happened to the other lost girls?

Previous Reviews: The Girl in the Red Coat.    Crushed.

Author Profile:                

                                                               

                                                      Courtesy of Goodreads

Kate Hamer is also the author of CRUSHED (2019) and  THE DOLL FUNERAL (2017) which was a Bookseller book of the month and an editor's pick for Radio 4's Open Book. Her first novel THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT (Faber & Faber, 2015) was shortlisted for The Costa First Novel Prize, the British Book Industry Awards Debut Fiction Book of the Year, the John Creasy (New Blood) Dagger and the Wales Book of the Year. It was a Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into 18 different languages. Kate grew up in the West country and rural Pembrokeshire and now lives with her husband in Cardiff.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page  Twitter - Kate Hamer  Kate Hamer - Official Author Website 

 Goodreads -Author Profile  Kate Hamer - Instagram

Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney

I read 'Playing Nice' as it was a Richard and Judy Book Club choice. I am glad I did as J.P Delaney is an author I have not read previously and it was an enjoyable though disturbing psychological thriller.

Two families reeling from the shocking discovery that their respective sons were swapped somehow at birth. They have been raiding each others child for the last two years! A terrible dilemma that you cannot begin to imagine. The Rileys and the Lamberts, start off by trying to resolve the situation themselves. However a plan to sue the hospital, finds them embroiled in an official investigation, which in turn triggered all sorts of unpleasantness. The conclusion which I was not expecting, will make you wonder just how an earth you would respond if faced with such an extreme situation.

Worth reading if you are a fan of psychological thrillers.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

                                              

I read 'The Therapist' in just two days as it was so gripping. I had to keep reading as I just wanted to know what was go

Betrayal, conflicting emotions and a twist that I completely missed. What a shock!

Alice, the protagonist, like me, suspected just about everyone around her when she discovered that her new home had been the scene of an unpleasant event.

An entertaining read which provides perfect escapism.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

                                          

Hardback: 324 pages                                                                                       
Genre: Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Wildfire, Headline 2019
Source: Amazon
First Sentence: First, you light a cigarette, the smoke curling in on itself and up towards the ceiling.
Favourite Quote: The affair for me was solace and escape, a relief because I was wanted and not pushed to side.
Review Quote: Blood Orange is glittering and fierce and resolutely unsentimental, a glorious bonfire of a marriage thriller. The Irish Times.
Main Characters: Alison, her husband Carl and her lover Patrick.Setting: London
My Opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel but it was not the strong psychological thriller I was expecting from the pre-publication hype it was given.
For me it read as a dark domestic life drama centred around the main protagonist Alison. A successful barrister who has just been given her first murder case. Her personal life is a mess as she tries unsuccessfully to balance home life, marriage, a racy affair and the pressures of her career.
There are some great twists and turns with an ending that momentarily left me quite shaken, though in retrospect should not have done so!
Recommended to anyone that likes a page turner, however you must be prepared for lots of domestic violence and sexual abuse which can be rather disturbing.


 Precis Courtesy of Amazon:

Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise - she's just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems...

Just one more night. Then I'll end it.

Alison drinks too much. She's neglecting her family. And she's having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.

Alison's client doesn't deny that she stabbed her husband - she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I'm watching you. I know what you're doing.

But someone knows Alison's secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she's done, and who won't stop until she's lost everything....

Author Profile:

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    Photo courtesy of Amazon


Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated from the University of Oxford in 1994 with a degree in English Literature before gaining legal qualifications. She worked as a criminal barrister for ten years, leaving after the birth of her first child. She completed an MA in Creative Writing - Crime Fiction at UEA where she wrote Blood Orange, which is her first novel.


Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page     Goodreads - Author Profile  Harriet Tyce - Author Offical Website

Twitter Account - Harriet Tyce

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

                                    


Hardback: 339 pages                                                                                            
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Orion 2019
Source: Bookshop
First Sentence: I don't know why I'm writing this.
Favourite Quote: “Remember, love that doesn't include honesty doesn't deserve to be called love.”
Review Quote: An excellent, slow-burning psychological thriller; sharp, clever and with a whammy that genuinely took me by surprise.
Main Characters: Alicia Berenson and Theo Faber

Setting: London, England

Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller and Nominee for Debut Novel (2019)

My Opinion: 

Although this is a debut novel from Alex  Michaelides, he has already written successful screenplays. This shows in the quality of his writing, with the storyline flowing perfectly from start to finish.

Alicia Berenson fatally shot her husband six years ago. She has not spoken since that tragic event, but her latest psychotherapist Theo Faber is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery somehow.

Well he does and the results were somewhat surprising, I was nowhere near guessing!  A very quick and easy read as one just keeps turning the pages wanting to know if Theo is going to be successful or not.

Recommended to anyone that wants to read a good story and enjoys a mystery.

 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....


Author Profile:

                                           

Alex Michaelides was born in Cyprus to a Greek-Cypriot father and an English mother. He studied English Literature at Cambridge University and later got an MA in Screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. 

He wrote the film The Devil You Know (2013) starring Rosamund Pike and co-wrote The Con is On (2018), starring Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Parker Posey and Sofia Vergara. The Silent Patient  is his first novel and is a Sunday Times, New York Times, Australian and Irish bestseller.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Goodreads - Author Profile     Amazon Author Page    Twitter - Alex Michaelides

The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine

                                          

Paperback: 393 pages                                                                                                 

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Publisher: Harper Collins 2018

Source: Tywyn Public Library

First Sentence: Amber Patterson was tired of being invisible.

Review Quote: ‘An extraordinary debut and gripping psychological thriller that is full of unexpected twists. Readers will become obsessed with these chilling characters who pull you in and refuse to let go’ Sara Blaedel, Denmark’s award-winning internationally bestselling “Queen of Crime”

Main Characters: Amber Patterson, Daphne Parrish, Jackson Parrish.

Setting: Connecticut and New York USA

My Opinion: This debut thriller by sisters Lynne and Valerie was an addictive read. Very cleverly written the story was recited to us by both the female protagonists. First we heard from Amber who was fed up with the dull life she was leading. She felt she deserved a better life and knew just how she was going to obtain it!  Not a character I liked at all, so when I read the second part from Daphne's point of view, I was pleased to think that Amber was heading for everything she deserved, envy is a dangerous emotion! A suspenseful psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages, recommended to all that enjoy this genre, a great summer read.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces. 

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

Author Profile:

Liv Constantine is the pen name of USA Today and WSJ bestselling authors and sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Separated by three states, they spend hours plotting via skype and burning up each other’s emails. They attribute their ability to concoct dark story lines to the hours they spent listening to tales handed down by their Greek grandmother. THE LAST MRS. PARRISH, a national bestseller, is their debut thriller. Visit www.livconstantine.com to read more about the sisters.

Rights for THE LAST MRS. PARRISH have been sold in 22 other territories, including Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Korea, the UK, China, Russia, Greece, Croatia, and Slovakia.


Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

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