Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The morning it all started, newspaper reporter David Harwood had plenty to worry about. A single parent with no job, forced to return with his young son to the small town of Promise Falls to live with his parents, the future wasn't looking too rosy. So when his mother asked him to look in on his cousin Marla, who was still not quite right after losing her baby, it was almost a relief to put the disaster his own life had become to one side.

The relief wouldn't last long.

When he gets to Marla's house he's disturbed to find a smear of blood on the front door. He's even more disturbed to find Marla nursing a baby, a baby she claims was delivered to her 'by an angel.' And when, soon after, a woman's body is discovered across town, stabbed to death, with her own baby missing, it looks as if Marla has done something truly terrible.

But while the evidence seems overwhelming, David just can't believe that his cousin is a murderer. In which case, who did kill Rosemary Gaynor? And why did they then take her baby and give it to Marla? With the police convinced they have an open and shut case, it's up to David to find out what really happened, but he soon discovers that the truth could be even more disturbing...

I am a fan of Linwood Barclay and was very pleased to read and review this latest novel - I did not realise it was to form part of a series but once I realised this it made sense that not all of the plots were solved at the end.

Like all of his previous novels he manages to hook the reader from the start - various little mysteries happening as sub plots in the book and the main story interwoven with these makes for a clever novel that keeps the interest going to the end.

Good main characters help this novel move along - the main character David Harwood a journalist (single parent to Ethan aged 9) is forced to move back to his home town with his son and move in with his parents when finds himself out of work. Moving back in with your parents is no easy thing to do and David resolves that this will be just a temporary move until he can find work locally.

When he visits his cousin Marla to deliver some food his mother has asked him to take to her he begins the start of a mystery he just has to solve. Blood on Marla's door and a baby she is caring for that is not her own who she claims was given to her by an angel is just one of the mysteries that he uncovers. Sub plots include a woman found stabbed, 23 dead squirrels and a college campus where several women have been attacked. I liked Detective Duckworth who made a good contrast to David and great sounding board for some of the theories.

Marla, having lost her own baby is in a fragile state and when she is suspected of the murder of Rosemary Gaynor and stealing her baby David becomes involved in trying to find out the truth.

There is a lot going on in this book and I felt I had to go back and re-read some of the novel in places as it was becoming a little confusing but it was still a good read. Plenty of twists and turns as you would expect with this author and given that it is to form a series the fact that some issues were not fully resolved is acceptable. Lots happening to keep the reader interested with good identifiable characters. Another success for Linwood Barclay - gets a well deserved 4 stars from me.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Organic Matcha Green Tea - Kiss Me Organics.

Organic Matcha Green Tea - Kiss Me Organics. 

ALL DAY ENERGY & FOCUS: Lift your vitality and concentration with the slow release natural energy from Organic Matcha

CALORIE BURNING BOOSTER: Support your weight loss goals with an all-natural way to increase metabolism of your body

LATTES | SMOOTHIES | BAKING: Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder arrives in an easy-to-use airtight health grade packaging allowing for as much or as little use as you need for any occasion. Enjoy a relaxing latte in the morning, bake a dozen cupcakes or simply add a small boost to your morning smoothie

137x ANTIOXIDANTS OF BREWED GREEN TEA: USDA Organic Matcha Green Tea can only be used in a powdered form because, unlike brewed green tea, it contains the entire tea leaf which dramatically increases the nutritional content.

LIFETIME GUARANTEE 110% MoneyBack - If for some reason, you are not satisfied with our Organic Matcha we provide a no-hassle no-questions-asked refund. Yes, we are that devoted to your happiness!

I have tried Macha Green Tea's before and a lot of them leave a rather bitter taste in my mouth. This one I found after the initial taste got better the more I drank. You only need a very little amount to get the taste of this product. It is clear that this will last a very long time.

I decided to mix this with milk to make a latte as a lot of sediment normally falls to the bottom of the cup, even after whisking it. This then tastes disgusting. I thought if I made a latte maybe this wouldn't happen, but towards the end of the mug I tasted the sediment again. I am not sure if I am doing someone wrong as no one else seems to report this but I did follow the instructions.

When purchasing this, you also receive a free recipe book for you to try your Macha in lots of different ways. Matcha tea offers huge amount of benefits and after trying this for a while I am hoping to see the results. I will be using this in food though as that way hopefully the sediment will not be present.

I really like the fact that the tea comes in a resealable pack, it fits nicely in the cupboard and will last for a long time.

The reason I have given it 4* and not 5 is due to the smell of the product, I really did not like it. Once I added the powder to other drinks such as coffee and hot chocolate the bitter initial taste vanished. This is my preferred method of having the tea. I am now waiting to see the benefits of drinking the tea, which I hope will be a lot. If it is I would be happy to purchase this product on finishing this.

This was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Travelers - Meradeth Houston - Guest Post

Travelers Blurb:

Sienna Crenshaw knows the rules: 1) no time traveling beyond your natural lifetime, 2) no screwing with death, and 3) no changing the past. Ever. Sienna doesn’t love being stuck in the present, but she’s not the type to break the rules. That is, she wasn’t the type until her best friend broke every one of those rules to keep Henry, her twin brother and Sienna’s ex-boyfriend, alive.

Suddenly, Sienna is caught in an unfamiliar reality. The upside? Henry is still alive. The downside? Sienna’s old life, including the people in it, has been erased. Now, Sienna and Henry must untangle the giant knot in time, or her parents and all the rest of the Travelers, will be lost forever. One problem: the only way to be successful is for Henry to die.

Release Date: August 4th, 2015



Goodreads Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25815070-travelers?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr



Guest Post - Visiting the Distant Past


Hi! It’s a pleasure to be here today, and thanks a million for hosting me! I thought I’d talk a little bit about some of the more random ways my day job intersects with my writing today, because it definitely came in handy while writing a time-travel book J. My day job is studying dead people’s DNA, which means that I work closely with archaeologists to analyze the remains they unearth from all over the world. I started off in straight archaeology, and have been on quite a few digs both as a student and as a professional archaeologist (then I realized that I’d spend my whole life in a dirt hole if I kept that up and decided I liked showering too much, so I opted for the lab—true story!).

Anyhow, archaeologists are probably the first people who would jump at the chance to travel in time (anyone ever read Timeline?). The study of past human populations tends to attract people who are fascinated by the past, and I’m no exception. And when I ended up with characters who could travel into the past, well it only seemed logical that they end up a little farther back than they gambled for. Which let me have a little fun with what I know, and have been on digs to investigate, about the past populations in Northern Utah. I set Sienna and Henry for a brief sojourn with the Fremont population, which I won’t get into a ton of detail about here, but if you want to know more, ask in the comments!

Having a little knowledge of the past, and what happens to things over time, also helped out with the setting in a few other ways. It definitely helped me research what Boston would have looked like in the 1870’s, and how dilapidated a house could get in three years. Sometimes it is funny little things like that that peek out from my day job and help in my writing. Other times, well, it’s nice to get to make a few things up, which is obviously frowned upon by work J.

Have you ever been on a dig? Ever wanted to? Or does your day job creep into your writing too?


Author Bio:

I’ve never been a big fan of talking about myself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about me:

• I'm a California girl. This generally means I talk too fast and use "like" a lot. Since I now live in Montana, sometimes this is a problem.

• I have my doctorate in molecular anthropology. Translation: I sequence dead people's DNA and spend a whole lot of time in a lab, which I love.

• I've been writing since I was 11 years old. It's my hobby, my passion, and I'm so happy to get to share my work!

• My other passion is teaching. There's nothing more fun than getting a classroom of college kids fired up about anthropology! This is probably a good thing, since my day job requires me to teach at the local university.

• If I could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because I'm terrified of heights.

Find Meradeth Houston online at:

www.MeradethHouston.com

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Amazon, Goodreads, and of course her blog!

Blog: meradethhouston.blogspot.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MeradethHouston

Goodreads Authorpage: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321667.Meradeth_Houston

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeradethHouston 

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115267905673348540313/posts

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Meradeth-Houston/e/B0083U5AH2/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/meradethhouston

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/merbear95695/

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/meradethhouston

Instagram: http://instagram.com/merhouston 

Website: www.MeradethHouston.com

Weekly Wrap Up 6/9/15

I cannot believe that the summer holidays are now over and I am back to school. I have been disappointed with my reading this summer and the last week. I am going to be making a constant effort to make sure I continue to read a lot while I am back at school. I have begun listing to an audio book on the way to school as my journey is a little longer now so hopefully I will finish that soon. 

Books I have recieved this week:

Letting you go - Anouska Knight
The Ice Twins - S. K Tremayne
A night in with Audrey Hepburn - Lucy Holliday
Counting Stars - Keris Stainton
Little girl gone - Alexandra Burt
A bundle of summer reads from Harper Impulse 

Books I have read this week:

I need a Hero - Emma Bennet

Thanks for stopping by at The Book Corner, I loved hearing what you have got this week so please leave a comment to let me know

Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly Macmillan with guest post

Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly Macmillan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rachel Jenner turned her back for a moment. Now her eight-year-old son Ben is missing.

But what really happened that fateful afternoon?

Caught between her personal tragedy and a public who have turned against her, there is nobody left who Rachel can trust. But can the nation trust Rachel?

The clock is ticking to find Ben alive.

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?


This story is set in Bristol and is themed around the abduction of an 8 year old boy - Ben Finch, we read the story from a year ago. Throughout the story it is told from two perspectives, which change each chapter Ben's mother and D.I James Clemo. Through these perspectives we learn a lot about both characters their feelings on the abduction, how it is effecting them but also we see other characters thoughts through it.

Rachel, Ben's mother is struggling emotionally from the divorce of her husband surgeon, Paul Finch. Every Sunday Ben and his mother walk their dog Skittle through the woods, Ben is desperate for some more freedom, even if it is just to walk ahead of her with Skittle. Rachel is wary, always has been and thinks she should let go a bit and this Sunday in particular she grants him the freedom he wants so much. Ben skips ahead with Skittle and says he will meet her in the park. When Rachel gets to the park she can see the swing swinging, she thinks Ben maybe playing with her but she later discovers he isn't anywhere to be seen.

Throughout the book you go through lots of emotions, you don't know what has happened to Ben and everyone becomes a suspect to you, there are small seeds that are planted in your head and you decide to follow the route, only to discover you were wrong and your attention changes to someone else. With the impact of the internet and social media, you see what an impact this can have on a case and how easily you can get drawn into it and allow others to influence you. It is easy to see what damage it can cause and how it can change the public perspection on something.

Sometimes I felt things were being exposed about the family that may not have been necessary and have any relevance on the case, however it became clear why these were important and how it helped develop the whole picture of the case and the characters.

I enjoyed the mixing up in the way the story is told, we read emails, transcripts from DI Clemo's psychologist, internet blog posts and online newspaper extracts. This made the story more real for me I think and emphasised the importance of the media in a case like this. I also enjoyed the introduction to each chapter (A different day) this began with a quote, an extract from an article or a website post on missing children.

I thought this was a brilliant 'who dun it', which had me guessing right up until the end. It really pulled me in as a reader and although it is 465 pages long, it is a quick read. Most of the time stories that are this long I can loose interest in or feel intimidated by the size of them. This I managed to read in a couple of days, it is quite possible to read in one or two sittings though. This is very face paced, the characters are developed brilliantly and they are believable.

This is an outstanding debut novel for Macmillan and I look forward to reading more from her. If you haven't read this book and are wanting a psychological thriller, this is a must to pick up. It is thought provoking and you will want to talk about it with everyone.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.


Guest Post - Being a Debut Author by Gilly Macmillan 


Being a debut author in no way resembles what I thought it would be! As so many writers have no doubt said before, the launch from being a solitary person tapping away at your computer to being an actual proper author is a dramatic and unexpected one.



I think that’s partly because however much you might dream about it and read about it before it happens to you, nobody else has your exact experience so they can’t describe what it will be like for you. Every new author will follow their own route to publication, and along the way will gain their own team of agent, publisher, editor and other folks who work on all the different aspects of the book, from cover design to copyediting, to marketing and publicity.



Meeting and working with that group of people has been a huge thrill for me. Once my book deal was clinched, they arrived in my life all of a sudden and with boundless enthusiasm, when I was still reeling from the amazing fact of having found a publisher who wanted my book at all (it took me months to get over that shock). After years in the wilderness there’s nothing like that feeling of being supported by a team of professional people, all of whom want your book to succeed. It’s a very exciting and also sometimes a very daunting prospect!



It brings challenges too. Almost overnight, you have to interact professionally with many new people, learn how to operate as self-employed, rise to all the demands and expectations of your publisher and agent in the UK, and in the case of Burnt Paper Sky there were foreign publishers to meet and work with too. You have many new experiences. I’d never used social media before, or done an author event and while I loved both, it was also a hugely steep learning curve. And while all of that is going on, you must write your second book to a deadline. You have to be prepared to work very hard to keep everything going.



But having said that, I wouldn’t swap any of it for the world. I’ve met incredible and inspiring people, I’ve learned so much and I’ve had brilliant new experiences. Finding a fabulous book community online – bloggers, writers and readers – has been one of those, and getting a copy of your book in your hands for the very first time is not something I’ll ever forget.



I’ve found the whole experience in turns amazing, exhilarating and terrifying and I wouldn’t swap it for the world. I love it. But my favourite bit? That’s still just me at my desk, putting words down on the page.

I would like to thank Gilly for stopping by at The Book Corner today. To buy a copy of this stunning debut, which you will not stop hearing about click  here

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O'Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident.

One night, there's a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma.

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there.

She doesn't know why she's in pain.

But everyone else does. Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night.

But sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes . . .


This book is very tricky for me to review; I read it in two sittings and finished it a few days ago, but it has taken me that long to try and process what I have read and even now I'm still finding it difficult. This is not an easy read for anyone I would say and although a YA I would suggest it is aimed at older YA.

Emma O'Donovan is 18, she is your average fun loving teenager, likes to party and socialise. One night she goes to a party at one of her friends houses and something dreadful happens to her. The following morning Emma is found outside her front door at her house, totally out of it and not remembering a thing from the night before. She continues her life as normally as possible, until she goes to school and people begin to call her names and a series of explicit photographs pop up on facebook. Suddenly her friends are no longer her friends, they feel she has betrayed them with their boyfriends. Thing is Emma still can't remember a thing about that night.

This story questions everything, is it right to dress in a certain way? Is it because of this these things happen? How one girl can go from confident and outgoing to depressed and withdrawn after one night? Was it Emma's fault?

Emma to begin with is not a nice character, I found it hard to warm to her and there are times when you wonder was she asking for it as the title of the book suggests. As you read further and further into the book, you begin to see people turning against her, her aunt who is just too busy to come and visit, (but sends her presents in the post to cheer her up!) neighbours and other people with authority.

My favourite character was Emma's brother, I really felt for him and at times I felt he was the only one looking out for Emma, he has a sweet nature and one that should not go un-noted. I also felt that his reactions to things were real and there were times where I could not believe what I was hearing from Emma's parents towards the end. Where he continued to have faith in her.

This is a book that stays with the reader for a long time after it has ended. It will make you feel uncomfortable, you will question your thoughts and emotions will run high through it. For me I hated the ending - I really wanted some sort justice either way and I felt like I didn't get that.

This is a book to look out for in September, whether you want to read it or not, it is a very strong novel and will certainly question your views on things. I have found this review very hard to write as I am still unsure of how the book has made me feel completely. You will understand if you decide to give it a go yourself. This is a very quick read, which you will be able to devour in a few hours.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mom,

I went to the store. See inside the fridge. I watered the plants. I cleaned out Peter's cage. I tidied the sitting room. And the kitchen. And I did the washing up.

I'm going to bed.

Your live-in servant,

Claire

Life on the Refrigerator Door is told exclusively through notes exchanged by Claire and her mother, Elizabeth, during the course of a life-altering year. Their story builds to an emotional crescendo when Elizabeth is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Stunningly sad but ultimately uplifting, this is a clever, moving, and original portrait of the relationship between a daughter and mother. It is about how we live our lives constantly rushing, and never making time for those we love. It is also an elegy to how much can be said in so few words, if only we made the time to say them.

A new edition of this simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-warming novel by Alice Kuipers.




Life on the refrigerator door was sent to me to review. I knew nothing about it before it arrived. I choose not to read the blurb and just go on the title and the cover.

This is about a mother and daughter, both have incredibly busy lives - Claire a fifteen year old girl and her mum as a baby delivery nurse. The only communication they seem to have is through notes left on the fridge. These are the notes that form this debut novel. These notes are meaningless most of the time, ranging from being late home to grabbing some shopping. Except one day, one particular note turns both of their lives upside down forever.

The book is very short, it is just over 200 pages long, but each page is only a note, these range in lengths but made the book incredibly easy to read. I finished it in a couple of hours.

There are a few issues I had with this book and that's the reason I am only giving the book 3*, first of all, I know that Claire is only fifteen years old, however the way she behaved at times in this book drove me mad. She screams spoilt brat right out of the page, she is self centred and thinks about no one except herself. I found it very hard to connect to her and acutally disliked her for the majority of the novel. The other thing I have a problem with is the mother - she is meant to be in the medical industry but then seems to know little about medical problems. I also think that she came across very irresponsible, she does not have a mobile phone and then moans at her daughter when she doesn't pick up hers. She also communicates largely by notes to her daughter all the time? This novel if nothing else illustrates the importance of talk in families.

I do think that there are very strong messages that come through in this novel, however they are not as moving as I would have thought and they seem to just catch up with the reader towards the end.

I do enjoy reading books written in different formats and for me I enjoyed reading the series of notes, whether this was the best format to choose for a subject so emotional I am still unsure about. Personally I didn't find the novel heartbreaking or bringing a tear to my eye and I think this was because there was lack of description in the novel. This is something that would not be necessary in note form.

The author did leave a lot for the reader to fill in, not all notes followed on from one another and you were filing the blanks yourself. I also quite enjoyed this aspect of the novel, however I think that the novel may have benefited at times from some narration.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.