#TheIsland – Adrian McKinty (@AdrianMcKinty) @OrionBooks @Orion_Crime #review #suspense #TheChain

The brand new unmissable thriller from the award-winning author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Chain.

IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.

When they discover a remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare. 

When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.

Now it’s up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don’t trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.

Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

*Many thanks to Orion for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All of my thoughts are written unbiasedly.

TWG’s Thoughts.

Having read and devoured ‘The Chain’ in what felt like seconds, I had extremely high hopes for ‘The Island’ (not that I was putting pressure on the book, or the author, to deliver….much). In my head I was wishing and praying to the book fairies that this book would be just as good, if not better, than its predecessor. Thankfully the fairies must have thought I was a good little bookworm, (either that or Adrian McKinty wasn’t just a one hit wonder), because ‘The Island’ DID deliver in all its glory – I bloomin’ loved it! I feel so bad saying that I enjoyed reading a book that has death at the forefront of its storyline, as though I was revelling in the fact that these characters were no longer breathing; please say that I am not the only one?

Anyway, my morals aside, Adrian McKinty certainly is NOT a one hit wonder! He most definitely knows how to hook his readers, leave them gasping for air, and putting such fear up them that, when they’re so invested in a nitty gritty part of the storyline and their dog suddenly decides to bark, that they ever so nearly (but not quite) defecate ones underwear and jump as though they’re on a trampoline. Speaking from experience with this one! I was HOOKED on what was happening with Heather and the children, hoping their truths would set them free, that I was ignoring the fact that a leaf blew across the other side of the carpark and my dog spotted it from their slumber on the sofa, so much so that they barked and nearly made me cack myself. Hell, I would go as far as saying that that is a compliment to the author. (Just for clarification, I mean their ability to hook their readers, not the fact that I was a wimp and jumped at a ‘little’ noise).

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Heather at first. She seemed quite up herself in all honesty, and it came across as though she was afraid to be true to herself in case it didn’t match up to what Tom and his children wanted. I suppose walking into a ‘ready made’ family, so to speak, must be hard, especially dealing with three different levels of grief. Perhaps that may have been why Heather could have come across a bit guarded.

I took an instant dislike to Tom, I’m not going to lie. He was such a jumped up, arrogant, -insert bad word here-. It was as though he thought that he was better than everyone else, that his word was law. Erm, no, how about looking further than your nose and seeing that, oh I don’t know, other peoples opinions matter too? What a novel idea…..no pun intended.

What started off as such an uncertain tale, ended up becoming such an eye-opening, well rounded, cleverly written novel. It’s not often that I read a book where I feel as though all the loose ends were tidied up, but in this instance that was exactly the case. I would be lying if I said that the storyline wasn’t dark, because it really is, but I thought it added even more character to an already shady novel. I cannot wait to see what Adrian McKinty has up his sleeve for his next novel – one to watch indeed!!

Buy now from Amazon.

#TheLittlestLibrary #PoppyAlexander @SarahWaights @orionbooks #blogtour #review

Many thanks to Ellen and Orion for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for ‘The Littlest Library’ by Poppy Alexander, and for sending me an ARC of the book to review. Day 5 of the blog tour starts here, enjoy!

It’s only the beginning of her story…

Jess Metcalf is perfectly happy with her quiet, predictable life – it’s just the way she likes it. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, her life is turned upside-down.

Packing up her grandmother’s books, she moves to a tiny cottage in a charming country village. To her surprise, Jess finds herself the owner of an old red telephone box, too – and she soon turns it into the littlest library around!

It’s not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their magic – somehow, they seem to be bringing the villagers together once more…

Maybe it’s finally time for Jess to follow her heart and find a place to call home?



What does TWG think?

You know when a story is going to be right up your alley when you realise that it’s about a library….and books. I mean, HELLOOOOOOOOO book god, whoever you are! Saying that, the excitement surrounding the library was short lived as, when Jess’ grandmother passed away, Jess not only loses a much loved family member, she also lost a job she adored. Losing one of those would be enough to knock someone for six, but losing both at the same time? It wasn’t really surprising that Jess began to find things tough and a bit unsure about what the future held for her. After deciding to relocate to a little village called Middlemass, Jess has the option to rebuild her life and start a new, and what a bundle of surprises where waiting for her!

I think that a lot of readers would be able to relate to Jess’ personality in one form or another because she comes across as such a genuine, free spirited person who wasn’t afraid of life when the going got tough. Of course Jess found things difficult, but she moved forward in her own way and her own time, and tried her best to do what was right for her, whatever that may’ve been.

Due to social media, I have seen multiple pictures of little libraries that people have made in specialist boxes, or utilised an old container to fill with books, and I love seeing those because it’s such a lovely idea to be able to bring communities closer together due to a shared love of books. I would love to do something like that near my house, but unfortunately the crime rate is quite high. Never say never though!

In terms of bringing communities together, Jess utilised a red telephone box, turning it into the new ‘go to’ place in the community – a little library. If you’re not an avid reader then the thought of coming together with a group of strangers over a storyline surrounding murder, or the latest comedy read etc, may sound like an extremely bonkers idea, however that person you find yourself speaking to about the book you’re just read may live on their own, have mental health issues etc, and by you chatting to them it may be the lifeline they never knew they needed. You just never know.

So yeah, I loved the premise behind this story and I simply adored the way that Poppy Alexander brought her little library to life, showcasing the power that books can have. Jess was such an addictive character to get to know, and is probably one of my most favourite characters I have read about so far this year. She just oozed courage, spirit and really was such a joy to read about.

Poppy Alexander is such a charismatic author who, when she tells a story, she TELLS that story as though it’s royalty. With every new book I read of hers, I feel like I’m being treated to the best of the best every single time. Honestly, she never disappoints and ‘The Littlest Library’ is proof of that tenfold. This is such a heartwarming, tender read which will make you giggle, smile, and leave your heart as though its just been wrapped up in a cosy little blanket. Divine.



‘The Littlest Library’ can be purchased now from Amazon.

The Writing Garnet turns 5! Happy birthday TWG! #blogger #blogbirthday #TWGTurns5 #Awardwinningblogger

The Writing Garnet is officially 5 years old TODAY! When I started my blog back in 2016, I never envisioned it turning out the way that it has. It never even crossed my mind that my blog could turn into a multi award winning blog (yes, multi), nor did it cross my mind that my review quotes would make their way into physical copies of books or even on the cover of some. Without blowing my own trumpet, I am unbelievably proud of all of that. At the very beginning, my blog was created as my way of saying thank you to authors for writing their books which has allowed me to escape via their words, when things in my personal life have been difficult. It wasn’t created as a popularity tool (because clearly I wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes had that have been the case), nor was it created merely to get free things because, in all honesty, I had no idea that that was even a thing when I first started.

Over the last 5 years I have met a wide variety of authors, met fellow bloggers, other like minded bookish folk, and found myself involved in a world that went beyond just loving books. I had never really had that before. I had never been able to sit and discuss books with people who had read the same book as I, nor would I have ever found the confidence to cart myself off to events such as Edinburgh Book Festival, Aye Write in Glasgow, or even more intimate events such as meeting the Orenda gang in Edinburgh (to name a few), if it wasn’t for a select few of people who, after ‘meeting’ through the online book world, have gone on to becoming real life friends (Jen, Mandie, Kelly, Joanne, Lainy, DC to name a few). Not only that, despite not having met them in real life yet, I have come to know even more people who I consider to be friends now, who one day I would love to be able to give them a hug (COVID permitting, obvs – special shout out to Liz B for being as true as they come). If I named each and every one of the people who I called friends and who I would do anything for, I would be here a while and would no doubt miss someone off so, to put it simply, if we talk, I adore you. Simple as, and I thank you for your kindness and support over the last 5 years.

For me, the highlight so far has got to be meeting Sue Perkins and Tom Fletcher as those were the times where I unintentionally embarrassed my little girl with my high pitched squealing and trampoline bounces. I think I was fair excited……. Would I have been able to meet them had it not been for my blog? Honestly? Probably not as I never knew events like that existed until I became a blogger. I have so many other authors, bloggers, publicists etc, that I would love to meet and I have everything crossed that that will become a reality.

I know blogging isn’t all about stats, but for the first time in ages I had a quick nose at the stats of TWG. In the last 5 years TWG has had:

160,424 views.
84,689 visitors.
1837 blog posts have been posted.

Also, I even worked out roughly how many books I have read over that time…..1270!!! Ermmmmmmmm, say what?

As I may have mentioned previously, 2020 for TWG wasn’t the greatest as, putting it quite bluntly, I was treated like dirt via the bookish community (not all of you, just to clarify), and it hurt me so much that I ended up retreating because I didn’t know what else to do because, as I have also said many times, I’m not the most popular of people and I don’t fit into the tight knit groups. I suppose my face doesn’t fit, so I knew that regardless of what I said and what I did, I wouldn’t have been believed which is unfair and incredibly hurtful. Because of that, my posts within the last year have been few and far between, however I still have been ‘here’ from afar and still able to keep my feet in the door so to speak. Again, I want to thank those who have stood by me, supported me, and been true friends during that time and continue to do so. I see you.

I am super shocked that my little, multi award winning blog turns 5 today. Yes there have been some ups and downs and confidence knocks along the way, and yes, at times I bit off more than I can chew and left myself over stretched. However the joys of anything in life is that you can learn from your mistakes and realise where you went wrong or what needs to change. There is only me running this blog and, even though I like to think that I can do everything, I physically can’t….I just wish it hadn’t taken me 5 years to realise that! Well, in all fairness it’s probably taken me over 20 years to realise that as I recently turned 31 but y’know, semantics.

Creating The Writing Garnet was probably one of the best, on the spur decisions I have ever made and I just want to thank every single author, publisher and publicist who have sent me countless books over the years and trusted me to review your books. I want to thank the organisers of book events of their hard work and dedication in bringing likeminded bookish folk together. I also want to thank each and every person I have come to know and admire for being true to themselves and becoming good friends of mine. I have your backs – you are all awesome. Major shout out to my fellow bloggers, and anyone who is thinking about starting a blog – you’ve got this! Just remember it’s okay to say no….

On that note, happy birthday to TWG! Heres to another year full of weird and wonderful books, intriguing debuts, and a truck load of reviews.

TWG x

#ForWhenImGone by Rebecca Ley @RebeccaHelenLey @orionbooks

Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy, and to Tracy for the tour invite.

Because there’s never enough time to say goodbye…

Sylvia knows that she’s running out of time. Very soon, she will exist only in the memories of those who loved her most and the pieces of her life she’s left behind.

So she begins to write her husband a handbook for when she’s gone, somewhere to capture the small moments of ordinary, precious happiness in their married lives. From raising their wild, loving son, to what to give their gentle daughter on her eighteenth birthday – it’s everything she should have told him before it was too late.

But Sylvia also has a secret, one that she’s saved until the very last pages. And it’s a moment in her past that could change everything…

What does TWG think?

So you’ve been told some devastating news. Dealt a hand of heartbreak that’s on countdown. What do you do? Wait, what WOULD you do? Spend as much time as you can with your loved ones before you’re taken? Create everlasting memories for those you have held in your heart for goodness knows how many years? Or do you write a book of what to do when you’re gone?

Sylvia did the latter. She created a book for her husband detailing present ideas, little anecdotes to help support him and their children as they grow up without her. I mean, looking to the future lives of your children, knowing that you’re not going to be around to see it? That’s got to hurt.

If, like me, you’re the sort of person who has ice around their heart, be prepared for that to melt and probably flood for the duration of this book. It well and truly broke me and hung me out to dry……yet it was done in the most sensational, poignant, detailed, beautiful manner that made me catch my breath.

The underlying tone of ‘For When I’m Gone’ is very serious as it discusses topics such as still birth and cancer, two very powerful and triggering topics. However on the other side of the coin, theyre two topics which still need their time in the spotlight so that other people can try to understand the devastating effects they can have on a person and everyone around them.

I feel bad saying that I loved this novel due to the emotional content, however i truly was bowled over by the delivery and the way in which the author took the time to create a story that not only taught people about cancer and grief, it also showcased the beauty of memories not being afraid of your own emotions.

Rebecca Ley has polished this novel so well, it is going to shine bright like a diamond for very long time to come. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this managed to get onto the big screen. Honestly? It would wholeheartedly deserve it.

Buy now.

#UnderAStarrySky @laurajanekemp @OrionBooks #Review #empowering

Many thanks to the Orion team for inviting me to take part in Laura Kemp’s blog tour for ‘Under A Starry Sky’, and for the review copy. I’m so excited to be reviewing it today!

Wanda Williams has always dreamed of leaving her wellies behind her and travelling the world! Yet every time she comes close to following her heart, life always seems to get in the way.

So, when her mother ends up in hospital and her sister finds out she’s pregnant with twins, Wanda knows that only she can save the crumbling campsite at the family farm.

Together with her friends in the village, she sets about sprucing up the site, mowing the fields, replanting the allotment and baking homemade goodies for the campers.

But when a long-lost face from her past turns up, Wanda’s world is turned upside-down. And under a starry sky, anything can happen…

What does TWG think?

Beautiful cover, beautiful title, and a story that matches. However it didn’t quite match in the way I was expecting, and I’ll tell you why;

As beautiful as the storyline may be, each chapter seemed to remove a layer like a piece of wrapping paper, ready to showcase what truly lay beneath all of the layers, meaning that there was so much more to the book that meets the eye. Wanda has been dreaming of travelling for many years, yet something seemed to always hinder her plans. That said, I think she can be forgiven for a little grief holding her back…oh and the fact that her sister had some rock and roll in her future.

This storyline made me chuckle and made me gasp in equal measures. I wasn’t expecting the novel to have such a deep, dark undertone to it and, to be perfectly honest, I felt a little uncomfortable at times reading Annie’s situation. Now, don’t take that as a negative, because its not. I mean it in the way that nobody should feel comfortable by the thought of abuse in any form, and I felt that Annie’s story was so realistically portrayed that it didn’t feel like fiction. It felt real. It felt like it was happening right there and then, in front of my very eyes.

Wanda was a little bit of complicated personality. She didn’t seem entirely convinced by her choices in life, and I felt like she wasn’t confident in doing what was best for herself, which was a shame yet on the other hand, a lot of readers will be able to relate to the type of person she is.

I loved the sense of empowerment that was laced through the book, as well as the feeling of hope when things go wrong. All of the characters had been through so much in their own individual lives, yet they all still believed in hope and the ability to search for the stars in the sky to help them on their way.

Empowering, inspirational, moving and incredibly relatable; I know that whenever I look up at the sky, like Wanda, Annie and Lew, the sparkling stars in the sky will be there to give me hope.

Laura Kemp, please hold me!

Buy now!

#EverythingIsFine by Gillian Harvey @GillPlusFive @OrionBooks #review

Happy publication day, Gillian! Thank you for having me on the blog tour, Orion!

Jessica Bradley has it all: the perfect boyfriend; influential healthy-eating blog; successful PR company and wonderful daughter, Anna. Or at least that is what her thousands of followers believe.

The truth is, her boyfriend just broke up with her in four words on a post-it; her zest for healthy-eating has all but disappeared; her PR success is all reliant on her now not-so-honest online-life and she just got caught eating her daughter’s Coco-Pops.

So as they say: fake it ’til you make it. A few little white lies and phoney smiling selfies and Jess can keep up appearances. But when her real-life starts to spiral out of control how can Jess tell the truth from the lies? And will she be able to seize real happiness when it is right in front of her?

What does TWG think?

If you’re anything like Ross Gellar from Friends, then you’ll be well versed on the phrase ‘I’m fine!!!!’. Or, if you’re a female who gets asked by her partner who has recently annoyed her something rotten, then ‘I’m fine’ will also be your go to response. Speaking from experience, naturally!

Who on EARTH dumps their partner by a post it?! I’ve broken the cardinal rule of dumping someone by text (sorry not sorry)….but a post it? That’s a new one on me!

I’m not gonna lie, I could not believe how on the money this storyline is! Social media seems to be a place where people feel as though they need to be someone else to get more likes, or more interaction. People seem to be weary of being themselves incase some random stranger unfollows them or disses their outfit. Whilst it’s a disheartening thing to see or admit, its shamefully something that is incredibly evident. And it shouldn’t be.

The fact that Jess finds herself in amongst the turmoil of fact versus fiction, and self belief versus compliments from strangers, is what made this storyline such a warming read. So many times I found myself nodding in agreement, or being able to relate to something that Jess was feeling – it takes a good writer to be able to connect their readers with their characters via their emotions, and I truly believe that Gillian Harvey nailed it.

Jess’ story was such a breath of fresh air. I really enjoyed the relatabilty factor and the humour alongside the deep routed emotional situations. A lot of people, myself included, use humour to get through difficult situations so the fact that humour played a big part in the overall vibe of the book, was such a genius pairing.

I cannot fault this book at all! If anything its shown me just how important it is to be myself, because if you cant be yourself for you, who can you be it for?

Buy now.

Meet cute or meet c-UGH? #WouldLikeToMeet @FrostyCheeks @TrapezeBooks

Hugest of thanks to Alex for the blog tour invite and ARC, I am delighted to be kicking off the blog tour for ‘Would Like To Meet’ by Rachel Winters, today! Enjoy!

Long-suffering assistant Evie Summers will lose her job unless she can convince her film agency’s biggest and most difficult client, Ezra Chester, to finish the script for a Hollywood romcom. The catch? He hasn’t started writing it.

Suffering from ‘writer’s block,’ he will only put pen to paper if singleton Evie can prove to him that you can fall in love like they do in the movies. Forget internet dating, Evie can only meet a man the way that Sally met Harry, or Hugh Grant meets anyone. Cue her entering into one ridiculous romcom scenario after another. But can life ever be like the movies?

Of course, real life is never that straightforward . . .

What does TWG think?

Watch out Meg Ryan, theres a new leading lady in town! Never mind ‘You’ve Got Mail’ or ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, or even ‘Cinderella’ (not that Meg Ryan was in that but whatevs!) – ‘Would Like To Meet’ is an amalgamation of everything romcom…..and then some.

Talking of Disney princesses, Evie reminded me of several sought after romantic leads. For example, Evie at times showed that she wasn’t exactly the brightest button in the box. In fact, she often acted like the thing in her skull was a useless object….a bit like when Ariel brushed her hair with a fork.

My favourite personality trait of Evie’s was the way she cared about her loved ones. She tried so hard not to involve them in anything that would cause them harm, even if that mean dealing with situations in her life on her own, that she would have loved her friends by her side for. Remind you of anyone? Snow White of course! The only difference being that that princess had seven little helpers by her side! At least her and Evie had Dopey in common, aka Jeremy…bless him.

Even though Evie loved her friends, she ended up getting herself into situations which ended up hurting her friends in the process. Unintentionally I may add, but it would have helped if she wasn’t channeling her inner princess Jasmine by having her head in the clouds half the time! A magic carpet ride wasn’t going to fix her Nob conundrum, that’s for sure!

Of course it wouldnt be a romantic comedy without a prince charming, however which one would suit? The prince who wanted Evie to be something she wasn’t? Or the prince who was too afraid to beat his demons, therefore ending up being a little bit of a beast? Cinderella or Belle?

The nickname for one of the characters (Nob fyi) was so on point I nearly choked on my drink. He is a grade A chump nugget who totally deserved a poke in the penis with a sharp pencil. I mean, I could say more but I think my opinion was succinct enough!

Whilst I will hold my hands up and say I wasn’t at all taken with the storyline to begin with (wait…!!!!!), after trying it on for size I came to realise that this was a pretty bloody good book with humour hilarious enough to bring out the silent seal (yes, I laugh like a seal….think of the actions of the fins but no noise)! This modern day romantic comedy revitalised the whole ‘meet cute’ dynamic and the fact that a single woman must apparently meet a single man who looks good on paper. Stuff that!

Just like Rachel Winter proves, you’ve got to spill your drink over a few heifers before you find the right person to show you the importance of living.

Hilarious, on point, and an author to watch!

Pre-order the paperback here!

Just this second finished #TheGinLoversGuideToDating by @NinaKayeAuthor @OrionBooks – LOVE!!!! @RaRaResources #blogtour

I have literally just finished reading this book, so I am hoping you’ll forgive me for my few minutes delay in posting this review for my tour stop!

(Huge thanks to Rachel and Orion for the tour invite and review copy)

When Liv’s high-flying career goes off the rails, she finds herself working at a glitzy new gin bar to pay the bills. She’s never let romance distract her, but with one very hot colleague, a mysterious online follower who might just be her soulmate, and a lot of cocktails, her dating life is about to be shaken up…

But is Liv looking for a sparkling flirtation, or something a little stronger?

Sometimes you have to face up to your past, seize your future, and mix your own recipe for happy ever after…

What does TWG think?

One hundred….no, one THOUSAND percent YES!!!! Omg this book!!!!

Okay, ignore Liv’s snobbish attitude (we all have one) at times, and try to put her emotional indecisiveness down to previous turmoil, and you should agree with me that Nina Kaye has written an absolute stonker of a book!

This is a modern day dating manual with a twist – the twist being that it isnt actually a manual, more of a story where you get told what NOT to do in a relationship. Its also a story that ends up teaching you a few important things, like how to rebuild your confidence, how to find your worth, how to make new gin recipes to help you forget your past endeavours. You know, the vital thing every woman should know.

Dylan is such a good friend to Liv, it annoyed me how much she took that for granted! I found Reyes’ spin on the English language absolutely brilliant. Who on earth came up with our lingo anyway! Such good fun!

I finished reading this novel with a massive smile on my face and a fizzy tummy (no, I didnt drink all the gin). I had had a feeling as to who GrahamLeeton was, but I kept doubting myself due to how obvious it was! My stomach fizzed in anticipation because I felt the energy, I felt the connection between them. Gosh, it was so real!

I was in my absolute element reading Nina Kaye’s novel. This author speaks my language with her dry sense of humour, and her characterization is second to none – I was so impressed by how put together the entire storyline was. For me, ‘The Gin Lover’s Guide to Dating’ is the ideal antidote for the current climate as it has definitely put the smile back on my face for the time being. I honestly feel like this is a priceless gem waiting to be discovered – I loved it.

Buy now.

#Spotlight #Mine @ClareEmpson2 @OrionBooks @tr4cyf3nt0n #bookblogger

I hope you’re all keeping well just now. Life is very, very different to the one we were all a part of this time last week! Many of us are finding it difficult to concentrate on our usual hobbies, reading including, so I want to thank Tracy Fenton for being incredibly accommodating in the recent climate, so therefore my stop today is a spotlight post with the promise of reviewing soon.

‘Who am I? Why am I here? Why did my mother give me away?’

On the surface, Luke and his girlfriend Hannah seem to have a perfect life. He’s an A&R man, she’s an arts correspondent and they are devoted to their new-born son Samuel.

But beneath the gloss Luke has always felt like an outsider. So when he finds his birth mother Alice, the instant connection with her is a little like falling in love.

When Hannah goes back to work, Luke asks Alice to look after their son. But Alice – fuelled with grief from when her baby was taken from her 27 years ago – starts to fall in love with Samuel. And Luke won’t settle for his mother pushing him aside once again…

Why readers love this emotionally gripping story by the author of HIM:

‘Read it, read it, read it. One of my books of the year, without a doubt.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Beautiful, haunting, emotional, and totally addictive.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A realistic, character driven, highly-emotional and addictive read.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Be warned: this novel will take over your life while you are reading it.’ Goodreads reviewer

Click here to purchase Clare Empson’s previous novel ‘Him’

Click here to purchase ‘Mine’

Loved either of Clare’s books? Leave a review and tell the world!

If you’re holding out for a legal thriller, ‘TheHoldout’ might just be the one! @MrGrahamMoore @OrionBooks @tr4cyf3nt0n #blogtour

Thank you to Tracy Fenton and Oriom for the blog tour invite for ‘The Holdout’ by Graham Moore, and for the ARC. Here is my review:

One juror changed the verdict. What if she was wrong?

‘Ten years ago we made a decision together…’

Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar fortune, vanishes on her way home from school. Her teacher, Bobby Nock, is the prime suspect. It’s an open and shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed.

Until Maya Seale, a young woman on the jury, persuades the rest of the jurors to vote not guilty: a controversial decision that will change all of their lives forever.

Ten years later, one of the jurors is found dead, and Maya is the prime suspect.

The real killer could be any of the other ten jurors. Is Maya being forced to pay the price for her decision all those years ago?

What does TWG think?

Never mind ‘holding out for a hero’, I’m holding out for ‘The Holdout’! I’ve always wondered what it must be like to be a member of the jury and, weirdly enough, my obsession with ‘Ally Mcbeal’ has never really piqued my curiosity as much as I would have liked it to. Basically, I’m too nosy for my own good. So, when I saw Graham Moore’s novel appear on social media, I knew straight away that I needed to get my mitts on a copy. Did it disappoint? Why no, no it did not!

I’m not going to lie though, the storyline was, at times, a little beyond farfetched, something which I’m not exactly used to. However, I had to keep an open mind so that my own walls weren’t stopping me from enjoying the storyline in its entirety.

The concept of everything not being as it seemed is usually so predictable, yet this book completely threw that assumption out of the park! Every new page gave me something I wasn’t expecting, whether it be a new piece of evidence, an unlikely friendship, a different route for the story to take. I was honestly surprised by what I was reading and the way that the author delivered every new thing in such a punchy, memorable way.

I really was hooked by this suspenseful, punchy and eye opening novel. I have a feeling that this is the start of very good things for Graham Moore and his novels!

Buy now.