The Lost by Simon Beckett | Blog Tour Book Review

[AD/Gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

The Lost by Simon Beckett - 4/5

Blurb:

A MISSING CHILD

Ten years ago, the disappearance of firearms police officer Jonah Colley's young son almost destroyed him.

A GRUESOME DISCOVERY

A plea for help from an old friend leads Jonah to Slaughter Quay, and the discovery of four bodies. Brutally attacked and left for dead, he is the only survivor.

A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

Under suspicion himself, he uncovers a network of secrets and lies about the people he thought he knew - forcing him to question what really happened all those years ago...

Review:

I can't believe I've never read any of Simon Beckett's books before. This is just brilliant!

Firearms officer Jonah Colley receives a call from old friend and colleague Gavin McKinney, who says that he is in trouble and needs his help. Gavin and Jonah haven't spoken in ten years but Jonah decides to go because he realises it must be serious if Gavin chose him to call.

He goes to the, aptly named, Slaughter Quay to find Gavin dead alongside other people who have been suffocated in plastic bags. Jonah manages to overpower the assailant and escape.

After waking up in hospital injured, DI Fletcher and DS Bennet question Jonah and it becomes apparent that they believe that Jonah has something to hide.

We learn that ten years earlier, Jonah's four-year-old son Theo goes missing from a park. Jonah suspects a "down and out", who he later learns is named Owen Stokes, has taken him. 

Whilst trying to clear his own name, Jonah looks into why Gavin called him that night and is surprised to discover that Owen Stokes may be something to do with it. At the same time, Fletcher and Bennet are investigating Jonah and he seems to just make things worse for himself.  

I was completely engrossed in this story from the beginning and I could not guess where it was going. You can feel Jonah's frustration when everything he is finding out is being turned against him by the investigating officers.

I love a fast-paced thriller and I cannot wait to read more from Simon Beckett.

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A massive thank you to Compulsive Readers for having me on the blog tour and to Orion Books for providing me with a copy of the book. You can find information on where to find reviews by the other bloggers taking part in the graphic below.

The 12 Days Of Christmas by Poppy Alexander | Blog Tour Book Review

[AD/Gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

This review was featured on Twinkl as part of their Christmas campaign.

The 12 Days of Christmas by Poppy Alexander - 4/5

Blurb:

"For the first time in ten years, Freya is back in the little village of Middlemass for Christmas. The streets might be twinkling with fairy lights, but after the recent loss of her mother, she's never felt less festive.

Forced to sleep under the same roof as her handsome neighbour Finn, Freya realises she's going to need a distraction - fast! So she sets herself a challenge: to cook the '12 Days of Christmas'. Her delicious food soon brings the villagers together, and as each day passes, old friendships are renewed, memories stirred and there's even the flickering of romance...

She was only meant to stay for the holidays, but could Middlemass - and Finn - steal her heart forever?"

Review:

If there is one thing that I am a sucker for, it's a Christmas romance novel. This one is made even better by the running theme of food and honestly had me salivating throughout - props to the author for the recipes at the end too!

The 12 Days Of Christmas follows Freya who goes back to her hometown of Middlemass following her mother's death from breast cancer. She was working in a high-profile restaurant in Paris and lost her job due to having to leave suddenly to be with her dying mother.

She bumps into an old friend from her childhood, Finn, and upon discovering that her Freya's mother's house is inhabitable as she's been in a hospice, he invites Freya to stay with him for a while. The novel is set over Christmas and in order to keep herself busy she decides to cook every day for 12 days, recipes themed on the 12 Days Of Christmas.

Although you go into this type of book knowing a romance is bound to blossom, there are deeper aspects too such as Freya's possibility of also having the BRCA2 gene, just like her mother and grandmother. It is a wonderfully, easy read with a beautiful setting. Perfect if you are a fan of festive romances.

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A massive thank you to Orion Books for having me on the blog tour and for sending me a copy of this book. You can find information on the other bloggers that are taking part in the graphic below.

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout | Blog Tour Book Review

[AD/Gifted - I received a proof copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout - 4/5

Blurb:

"Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband - and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. Recalling their college years, the birth of their daughters, the painful dissolution of their marriage, and the lives they built with other people, Strout weaves a portrait, stunning in its subtlety, of a tender, complex, decades-long partnership."

Review:

Shamefully, Oh William! is the first Elizabeth Strout novel that I have read and although this is the third book in a series, it is perfectly easy to follow without having read the first too. I loved this so much that I definitely will go back and read I Am Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible.

Lucy Barton is 63 and is newly widowed after her husband David dies. Lucy is still connected with her ex-husband, 70 year old William, with whom she has two adult daughters.

Oh William! is written from the point of view of Lucy and the writing style is like nothing I have read before. It is beautifully descriptive and an easy book to fly through.

Lucy and William are obviously tethered together due to their children but we learn that although they are not together as a couple any more, they have a deep relationship. Oh William! explores that relationship, Lucy's feelings towards him (in a platonic way) and it is just stunning. We also delve into Lucy's own childhood and development of herself. 

It is just a beautiful book to read and although at the start I wasn't sure where it was going, I am glad I read this one.

Thank you so much to Viking/Penguin for having me on the blog tour. Check out the graphics below for information on the other bloggers and bookstagrammers who are taking part. Be sure to check out their reviews too!