The Little Library Project

  Whilst you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, I definitely picked this one up purely because of its gorgeous dust-jacket. I knew nothing about it other than the fact it looks dark.   Was I prepared for a dark-academia mystery/thriller? Definitely not. Do I regret it? Not one bit.   Ann is working at The Cloisters, part of The Met in New York and is assigned to work with an esteemed curator who is looking to publish evidence that Tarot has always been, and can be used for fortune telling.   Given the authors background, its no surprise that there were quite a few references that went over my head, but with a love of Tarot, I enjoyed it all the same.   The drive of the characters for not just finding the answers, but being recognised for them was extremely well thought out and I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity of the final few chapters.     If you have an interest in Tarot or divination, I’d highly recommend this book. It’ll ins...

It was so refreshing to read a thriller that didn't follow the standard Whodunnit format! Whilst Black Thorn has the staple elements that every murder mystery needs, the premise of the book - a shiny new housing estate that's evacuated created plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as to who the true culprit was. It was an easy to read book with a diverse range of characters that allowed the author to touch on a few societal issues and it was all handled extremely tactfully. A brilliant read that I'm sure will be a success.

I think I've found my new favourite Tessa Bailey.  I really enjoyed It Happened One Summer and Hook Like and Sinker so when this one was on offer - I ust had to add it to my basket. But I definitely didn't expect to love it!  Taylor is taking her brother on vacation - they've gone all out on a beach house in Cape Cod but when they turn up, they made a gruesome discovery. A Bounty Hunter-come-Private Detective rocks up on his motorbike and the fun starts.  I won't lie - I think Myles is the reason I enjoyed this one so much. Long hair, tattoos and 2 wheels? Sign me up. Fox and Brendan were hot, but they didn't quite push the right buttons for me. And what I enjoyed most is that the murder mystery element of the story was just as good as the rest of it. I was definitely a little hesitant because, it takes a different type of skill, but Bailey aced it. 

  After the masterpiece that was Fairy Tale, I knew The Colorado Kid wasn't going to match up. But it pains me to say that I think I went from one end of the spectrum to the other within days.  I will be clear - I am very aware that the reason I didn't enjoy The Colorado Kid is the exact premise of the book - no one likes an unfinished story. Which is exactly what this is and is intended to me.  Two old-school local reporters are sat discussing unsolved mysteries of their local town with their new colleague and the case of The Colorado Kid is recounted - creating more questions than there are answers.  I've read King's other two Hard Case Crime books (Joyland and Later) and I thoroughly enjoyed them so I was gutted this didn't hit the mark. I'd love to see this developed into a full-length thriller at some point because I think the story would be absolutely crazy but for now, I'll have to sit with this as my lowest rated Stephen King book to date. 

  There's something about an alternative Second World War or a "What If?" that intrigues me. After my somewhat disappointing experience with The Man In The High Castle a few weeks ago - I was hesitant that this would also miss the mark slightly but thankfully - it hit all the right spots.  A few months after the end of the War, Tom Wilde is back from his OSS placement and is settling back into academia at Cambridge. But a visit to a sick friend lands him in the midst of a biological attack on British Soil and he's called up on by his previous colleague to investigate.  I really enjoyed this story. I didn't realise that it was part of a series of novels based on the central character, Tom Wilde but that didn't stop my grasp of what was going on. The departments and fractions of military were easy to pick up though there are a likely a few backstories that would have been useful to piece things together quicker.  My only criticism is that Clements' writing s...

I finished this book 10 minutes before writing this... and I've been left with a feeling of - what on earth did I just read? So excuse the haphazard nature of my thoughts! Firstly, the cover and the description of this book do NOT give a true idea as to what this book is about in my opinion.  I quite fancied a 20's murder mystery set in a hotel. The blurb literally says: But when a terrible snow storm isolates the hotel – and its guests – from the outside world, the lines between nightmare and reality begin to blur and Nora will find herself face to face with a past she thought she had long left behind... But what we get instead is an almost horror story.  Trigger warnings: this book has dismemberment and cannibalism. I am not exactly feint-hearted but I know what I like and I do not like either of these things. Had they been included, I would have been able to make a judgement call early on.  I was also quite surprised that when I tried to find out what a Hyring was - I ...

  I had such high hopes for this book. The idea of a dystopian / science fiction novel that is looking at What Could Have Happened was something I was super invested in but instead.. it just seemed like a guessing game.  I am completely honest with myself here and fully accept that I may just not be intellectual enough for this book. I don't doubt that it is a great piece of work and has some really good messages and themes but it's one of the few books that I personally think would be better on screen.  And I have no shame in admitting it - I read the plot summary on Wikipedia once I'd finished and suddenly the book made sense.  Set in a world where Germany and Japan won the war, the US has been split into 4 territories, Africa has been destroyed and the Mediterranean Sea has been drained to become farming land. There are multiple stories running throughout the book with a little overlap, but the common theme is always something to do with a book - The Grasshopper L...

  TW: Suicide As a teen, I was really taken with the film, The Virgin Suicides with Kirsten Dunst. I remember watching it so much (an honour held by very few films) but everytime - it completely devastated me. I don't think I was quite mature enough to understand beyond; these beautiful young people couldn't take it anymore so they ended their lives.  Fast forward and I bought the book last year. I had to wait until I was emotionally ready to read it knowing that there was a very strong chance I'd be left a mess.  A few confessions: Knowing the story as I do, I am confident in saying that I probably rushed through this book I didn't allow myself to emotionally connect to it But I don't regret it.  I think I will re-read this one another time; I don't think I was as ready as I thought otherwise I would have digested the story slower and with more care.  What I didn't anticipate was how stunning the writing is. Written from the perspective of one of the witnes...

Fresh in the midst of Valentines, I started reading Don't Swipe Right on Valentines day. Not only was it topical but the book is set on the lead up to Gwen's best friends wedding on February 14th. Following a fairly recent break up, Gwen is dipping her toe in the dating pool using online apps to meet new people. She is quickly realising that it's slim pickings. But the biggest shock comes when one of her dates, Rob is found dead in the local park.  After finding messages on the dating app from Gwen, the police want to speak her as she may have been one of the last people to speak to him alive. But then Freddie - her date from the following night is found dead too.. In my opinion this book is extremely plot driven - I enjoyed the characters but they were relatively flat with only the barest of back story.  As a thriller, this definitely meets he whodunnit criteria - I was kept guessing all the way through!

Hot off the back of some intense historical fiction and fantasy reads, I thought I'd delve into a thriller courtesy of Paula Hawkins! I loved The Girl On The Train and it completely grabbed me from the start.  A Slow Fire Burning is based once again in London, and focusses on the death of Daniel and those who are implicated in his murder. A complex web of family history is revealed, with young Laura finding herself caught up in it all.  There were plenty of twists in this one and I had no idea who was going to come out as the murderer until the very end.  A Slow Fire Burning has a brilliant plot - did it grip me as much as The Girl on the Train? No. But it's still a must-read for easy thriller fans. 

  After an intense few weeks of romance and fantasy, I wanted to break things up with a something a little darker. The Sanatorium has been sat on my bookshelf and TBR for a little while now so I figured now would be as good a time as any to jump right in.  Elin is on leave from the police force following a case that left her emotionally, physically and mentally scarred. Invited to her brothers engagement celebrations at a new hotel in the Swiss Alps, she and her boyfriend Will take the trip to the middle of nowhere in the midst of one of the worst storms the area has seen in decades.  As well as the complex family history that Elin has to overcome, the threat of evacuation due to the weather is made that much more urgent when her soon-to-be sister in law goes missing.  What I loved most about this story wasn't the "thriller" aspect surprisingly, though it was done very well. It was the history of the building itself. The way the medical practises were described and t...

  It’s been a while since I’ve dived into a thriller - I wanted something in theme thought and this little gem was sat on my TBR and my bookshelf.  it’s New Year and a group of friends have hired out a lodge in remote Scotland to see in the New Year. They’ve been friends for years, and they don’t see each other as they’d like, but this is they’re chance to catch up and re establish they’re friendships. But as everyone knows, there are always goings on behind closed doors and when the Gamekeeper, Doug, finds a body in the early hours of New Years Day, it’s seems that each of the friends have their own challenges going on. Just like The Guest List, we know early that someone has been murdered, but it’s not until the end that we find out who. What Foley does exceptionally well is through in plenty of red herrings, not just for the victim, but of course, for the murderer too. This was the perfect addition to my seasonal December run and it was lovely to take a temporary break from...

  Billy Summers has been sat on my bookshelf since last Christmas and whilst I knew I was going to love it - I'd been putting it off as I didn't think it was going to fall into my preferred King genre.  Let me explain. I've read a few King novels (only about 10 or so of the his back catalogue) and have noticed that whilst his incredible writing is of course prevalent throughout - the main plot styles vary. You've got your Supernatural (Pet Semetary, Carrie), your End of Civilisation style (Sleeping Beauties, The Stand), your Suspense Thrillers (Misery, 11.22.63) and your horror (IT - though I've never read this one). Billy Summers is about a hit man - but he only takes jobs that go after the Bad men. Forgive me Feminists for I will sin with this next statement - the description screamed Bloke Book to me.  That being said - I am committed to working my way through all of his books so, as I've hit my reading goal I can afford to risk a couple of DNF's so decid...

​Started: Saturday 25th June 2022 Finished: Saturday 25th June 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Years ago, as a minor Anna Kendrick fan, I made it my mission to catch A Simple Favour on film as soon as I could. I remember being intrigued by the plot and I was keen to see Kendrick in a more serious role. I remember that it hit all the notes I hoped and when I found out it was also a book, naturally it went on my TBR pile… and there it stayed. For years. And then this weekend, after a heavy sit down with All The Light We Cannot See , I needed a bit of a palette cleanser. So on Saturday, baking done and housework completed, I settled down with the cat and devoured it in one sitting. Now, I watched the film YEARS ago. I remembered there were twists but I couldn’t remember exactly what they were. In fact, I might rewatch it for comparables. But I cannot remember being so INFURIATED by Stephanie. I’ve always had a deep rooted issue with Pinterest Mums (or Captain Moms as Emily and Sean call them) and ...