Publisher: Harper Paperbacks

#BookReview The Second Husband By Kate White @katemwhite @HarperPerennial #TheSecondHusband #HarperPerennial #KateWhite #OliveInfluencer

#BookReview The Second Husband By Kate White @katemwhite @HarperPerennial #TheSecondHusband #HarperPerennial #KateWhite #OliveInfluencer Title: The Second Husband

Author: Kate White

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Jun. 28, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Harper Perennial

Book Rating: 8/10

Recovering from the unsolved murder of her first husband, Derrick, thirtysomething Emma Hawke has built a new life with Tom, a handsome, successful, and loving widower who finally makes her feel safe again.

Then one day a police detective shows up at their house on the Connecticut shore, asking questions about Derrick’s death. Emma was sure she’d been cleared in the days after the tragedy. So why is law enforcement taking another look now–and questioning the timing of her relationship with Tom? She hadn’t even met him until after Derrick’s death.

Then Emma is shocked to discover that, in fact, she and her second husband attended the same business dinner two months before Derrick’s murder. Did Tom, unbeknownst to Emma, spot her there? Could he have set his sights on her and orchestrated a plan to make her his wife, whatever the cost.

With twists and turns all the way to the last page, this fast-paced, expertly plotted novel will have you asking that age-old question: how well do you really know the ones you love?


Review:

Sinister, tense, and engaging!

The Second Husband is a tortuous, simmering tale that introduces us to Emma Hawke, a successful entrepreneur who, after the investigation into the murder of her first husband Derrick is reopened, begins to wonder if anyone is who they really claim to be and whether the introduction to her second husband Tom was as honest and accidental and it originally appeared.

The writing is fluid and tight. The characters are troubled, secretive, and consumed. And the plot is an intricate tale of deception, manipulation, suspicions, revelations, fraud, drama, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, The Second Husband is an ominous, suspenseful, twisty whodunit by White that does a wonderful job of reminding us that things are never quite as they seem.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate White

Kate White is the New York Times bestselling author of eight standalone psychological thrillers, including Have You Seen Me? (2020) and the upcoming The Fiancée (June 2021), as well as eight Bailey Weggins mysteries, including Such a Perfect Wife, which was nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. Kate, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, is also the author of several popular career books for women, including I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve and Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead, as well the editor of the Anthony and Agatha Award-nominated The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. 

#BookReview The Forgotten Daughter by Joanna Goodman @joannagoodman @HarperPerennial #TheForgottenDaughter #JoannaGoodman #HarperPerennial #OliveInfluencer

#BookReview The Forgotten Daughter by Joanna Goodman @joannagoodman @HarperPerennial #TheForgottenDaughter #JoannaGoodman #HarperPerennial #OliveInfluencer Title: The Forgotten Daughter

Author: Joanna Goodman

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Oct. 27, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Harper Perennial

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the author of the bestselling novel The Home for Unwanted Girls, comes another compulsively readable story of love and suspense, following the lives of two women reckoning with their pasts and the choices that will define their futures.

1992: French-Canadian factions renew Quebec’s fight to gain independence, and wild, beautiful Véronique Fortin, daughter of a radical separatist convicted of kidnapping and murdering a prominent politician in 1970, has embraced her father’s cause. So it is a surprise when she falls for James Phénix, a journalist of French-Canadian heritage who opposes Quebec separatism. Their love affair is as passionate as it is turbulent, as they negotiate a constant struggle between love and morals.

At the same time, James’s older sister, Elodie Phénix, one of the Duplessis Orphans, becomes involved with a coalition demanding justice and reparations for their suffering in the 1950s when Quebec’s orphanages were converted to mental hospitals, a heinous political act of Premier Maurice Duplessis which affected 5,000 children.

Véronique is the only person Elodie can rely on as she fights for retribution, reliving her trauma, while Elodie becomes a sisterly presence for Véronique, who continues to struggle with her family’s legacy.

The Forgotten Daughter is a moving portrait of true love, familial bonds, and persistence in the face of injustice. As each character is pushed to their moral brink, they will discover exactly which lines they’ll cross—and just how far they’ll go for what they believe in.


Review:

Emotive, absorbing, and informative!

The Forgotten Daughter is a charged, fascinating tale that takes us to Quebec, Canada during the 1990s when the October Crisis of 1970 involving the FLQ separatists has not been forgotten, the desire for independence and sovereignty is still a passionate and inflammatory cause, and one of the most horrendous political and religious scandals in Canadian history, the institutionalization of orphans as mentally ill in order to receive increased subsidization still requires some form of justice and restitution to be imposed.

The prose is fluid and evocative. The characters are raw, troubled, scarred, and genuine. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into a tumultuous, gritty tale of life, love, loss, fervour, family, secrets, deception, introspection, corruption, turmoil, violence, and political upheaval.

Overall, The Forgotten Daughter is an atmospheric, gritty, intricate novel by Goodman that does a remarkable job of highlighting her incredible passion and knowledge into this one province’s ongoing struggle for cultural identity over national unity.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

               

 

 

Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Joanna Goodman

Joanna Goodman’s #1 Bestselling Historical Fiction novel, The Home for Unwanted Girls was released April 17, 2018 to wide critical acclaim.

Joanna is the author of four previous novels, including The Finishing School, You Made Me Love You and Harmony. Her stories have appeared in The Fiddlehead, The Ottawa Citizen, B & A Fiction, Event, The New Quarterly, and White Wall Review.

Originally from Montreal, Joanna now lives in Toronto with her husband and two children, and is at work on her sixth novel. She is also the owner of a well-known Toronto linen store, Au Lit Fine Linens.

#BookReview The River Home by Hannah Richell @hannahrichell @HarperPerennial #The RiverHome #HarperPerennial #HannahRichell #OliveInfluencer

#BookReview The River Home by Hannah Richell @hannahrichell @HarperPerennial #The RiverHome #HarperPerennial #HannahRichell #OliveInfluencer Title: The River Home

Author: Hannah Richell

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Harper Perennial

Book Rating: 9/10

From beloved international bestselling author Hannah Richell comes a spellbinding novel about the secrets brought to the surface when a large family gathers for a wedding.

Can the damage of the past ever be healed?

In their ramshackle Somerset home, with its lush gardens running down to the river, the Sorrells have gathered for a last-minute wedding—an occasion that is met with trepidation by each member of the family.

Lucy, the bride, has begged her loved ones to attend—not telling them that she has some important news to share once they’ve gathered. Her prodigal baby sister, Margot, who left home after a devastating argument with their mother, reluctantly agrees, though their family home is the site of so much pain for her. Meanwhile, their eldest sister, Eve, has thrown herself into a tailspin planning the details of the wedding—anything to distract herself from how her own life is unraveling—and their long-separated artist parents are forced to play the roles of cheerful hosts through gritted teeth.

As the Sorrells come together for a week of celebration and confrontation, their painful memories are revisited and their relationships stretched to the breaking point.

Moving, poignant, and unforgettable, The River Home showcases once again Hannah Richell’s talent for creating characters readers can relate to—and telling stories that linger in the mind long after the final page.


Review:

Moving, mysterious, and absorbing!

The River Home is a pensive, compelling tale that sweeps you away to the Somerset fields and immerses you into the lives of the Sorrell family, especially three strong, young women, as they gather to celebrate, support, confront, communicate, repair relationships, and finally reveal secrets that could potentially change their lives forever.

The prose is smooth and expressive. The characters are genuine, troubled, and sympathetic. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel effortlessly into a heartfelt tale of life, love, loss, resilience, determination, acceptance, self-reflection, and all the intricate dynamics that exist between family members.

Overall, The River Home is an honest, sentimental, hopeful tale by Richell that does a beautiful job of reminding us that life is complicated and messy and even the smallest choices we make can often have far-reaching consequences.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Hannah Richell

Before I became a writer, I worked in the publishing and film industries marketing books and movies. I began to write in 2007 while pregnant with my first child. The result was Secrets of the Tides, which was picked for the 2012 Richard & Judy Book Club, the Waterstones Book Club and was shortlisted for the Australian Independent Bookseller Best Debut Fiction Award, ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year (2013) and ABIA Newcomer of the Year (2013).

Since then I have written The Shadow Year (2013), The Peacock Summer (2018) and my latest novel, The River Home, which will be published in 2020. My work is available in twenty-two territories and has been translated into seventeen languages.

I have also written for a number of media outlets including Harper’s Bazaar, The Independent, Fairfax Media and Australian Women’s Weekly.

I am a dual citizen of the UK and Australia, though I currently live in the South West of England with my family.

Photograph by Claire Newman-Williams.

#BookReview The Secrets You Keep by Kate White @katemwhite @HarperCollins

#BookReview The Secrets You Keep by Kate White @katemwhite @HarperCollins Title: The Secrets You Keep

Author: Kate White

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Mar. 21, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Harper Paperbacks, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 7.5/10

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wrong Man and Eyes on You comes a harrowing new psychological thriller about a successful self-help author who suddenly finds her life spiraling dangerously out of control.

What would you do if you realized that your new husband, a man you adore, is keeping secrets from you—secrets with terrifying consequences?

Bryn Harper, an accomplished self-help author, already has plenty to deal with. She’s still recovering from a devastating car accident that has left her haunted by recurring, smoke-filled nightmares. Worse still, she can’t shake the ominous feeling her dreams contain a warning. 

In the beginning, Bryn’s husband Guy couldn’t have been more supportive. But after moving into a new house together, disturbing incidents occur and Guy grows evasive, secretive. What the hell is going on, she wonders? Then, a woman hired to cater their dinner party is brutally murdered.

As Bryn’s world unravels—and yet another woman in town is slain —she must summon her old strength to find answers and protect her own life. Her nightmares may in fact hold the key to unlocking the truth and unmasking the murderer.


Review:

Engrossing, suspenseful and entertaining!

This is a psychological thriller that emphasizes how many deep and dark secrets people can truly have and questions is there anyone you can really trust.

The main character, Bryn, is confused, scared, and determined; and the supporting characters are suspicious, complex, and secretive.

The story is told in first-person narration and uses a stream of consciousness style to give context and insight into the main character’s thoughts, feelings and motivations.

The writing is well done and the plot is rife with intrigue, red herrings and tension.

Overall, this story is not extremely fast-paced, but is definitely a captivating, mysterious, enjoyable read that will certainly keep you guessing until the very end.

 

This book is due to be published on March 21, 2017.

Pick up a copy of this story from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Amazon UKAmazon USAmazon CanadaIndigoKoboB&N

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially Harper Paperbacks, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate White

Kate White is the New York Times bestselling author of eight standalone psychological thrillers, including Have You Seen Me? (2020) and the upcoming The Fiancée (June 2021), as well as eight Bailey Weggins mysteries, including Such a Perfect Wife, which was nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. Kate, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, is also the author of several popular career books for women, including I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve and Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead, as well the editor of the Anthony and Agatha Award-nominated The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. 

#BookReview Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando @James_Grippando

#BookReview Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando @James_Grippando Title: Most Dangerous Place

Author: James Grippando

Series: Jack Swyteck #13

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Feb. 21, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 480

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Harper Paperbacks, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 7/10

Defending a woman accused of murdering the man who sexually assaulted her, Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck must uncover where the truth lies between innocence, vengeance, and justice in this spellbinding tale of suspense—based on shocking true-life events—from the New York Times bestselling author of Gone Again.

According to the FBI, the most dangerous place for a woman between the ages of twenty and thirty is in a relationship with a man. Those statistics become all too personal when Jack Swyteck takes on a new client tied to his past.

It begins at the airport, where Jack is waiting to meet his old high school buddy, Keith Ingraham, a high-powered banker based in Hong Kong, coming to Miami for his young daughter’s surgery. But their long-awaited reunion is abruptly derailed when the police arrest Keith’s wife, Isabelle, in the terminal, accusing her of conspiring to kill the man who raped her in college. Jack quickly agrees to represent Isa, but soon discovers that to see justice done, he must separate truth from lies—an undertaking that proves more complicated than the seasoned attorney expects.

Inspired by an actual case involving a victim of sexual assault sent to prison for the death of her attacker, James Grippando’s twisty thriller brilliantly explores the fine line between victim and perpetrator, innocence and guilt, and cold-blooded revenge and rightful retribution.


Review:

Suspenseful, entertaining and complex!

In this latest novel by Grippando, Jack is back and this time he finds himself in a case rife with lies and deception where lives hang in the balance and relationships are tested to the max.

The writing is crisp. The characters are intelligent, resolute and willful. And the plot is an action-packed legal thriller about family dynamics, dark secrets, abuse and revenge.

Overall, I would have to say that this is definitely an intriguing, easy read that lovers of courtroom drama will certainly enjoy.

 

This book is due to be published on February 21, 2017.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Amazon UKAmazon USAmazon CanadaIndigoKoboBook Depository

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially HarperCollins, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About James Grippando

The first thing you should know about bestselling author James Grippando is that he is no longer clueless—so says his wife, Tiffany, after “A James Grippando Novel” was a clue for #38 Across in the New York Times crossword puzzle. James is the 2017 winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction and a New York Times bestselling author of 26 novels of suspense, including the popular series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck. His latest, “A Death in Live Oak," is the fifteenth in the Swyteck series. His novels are enjoyed worldwide in 28 languages. He is now Counsel at one of the nation’s leading law firms, where he specializes in entertainment and intellectual property law, representing clients who have won more than 30 Tony Awards. He lives in south Florida with his wife, three children, two cats and a golden retriever named Max who has no idea he’s a dog.

#BookReview Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes @Elizjhaynes

#BookReview Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes @Elizjhaynes Title: Dark Tide

Author: Elizabeth Haynes

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Mar. 12, 2013

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 388

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Book Rating: 7.5/10

Elizabeth Haynes, author of the bestselling debut Into the Darkest Corner, returns with a tense, gripping thriller about a woman caught in an underworld of corruption and murder…

Genevieve has finally achieved her dream: to leave the stress of London behind and start a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. She’s found the perfect vessel: Revenge of the Tide. She already feels less lonely; as if the boat is looking after her.

But the night of her boat-warming party, a body washes up, and to Genevieve’s horror, she recognizes the victim. She isn’t about to tell the police, though; hardly anyone knows about her past as a dancer at a private members’ club, The Barclay. The death can’t have anything to do with her. Or so she thinks…

Soon, the lull of the waves against Revenge feels anything but soothing, as Genevieve begins to receive strange calls and can’t reach the one person who links the present danger with her history at the club. Fearing for her safety, Genevieve recalls the moment when it all started to go wrong: the night she saw her daytime boss in the crowd at The Barclay…


Review:

Dark, engrossing, and chillingly deviant!

This is a character-driven psychological thriller that emphasizes the dangers and risks involved with mixing and mingling with the criminal underworld.

The main character, Genevieve, is lost, lonely, and naive. And the supporting characters are seedy, complex, and ruthless.

The story is told in first-person narration and uses a past/present style to give insight and context into the precarious situations developing and unfolding.

The writing is well done. And although the plot in the first half of the novel is a little slow, the second half is definitely more compelling, intriguing, and full of tension.

Overall, this story is not action-packed or extremely fast-paced, but it is still a captivating read.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy of this book from your favourite retailer or from the following links.

Amazon UKAmazon USAmazon CanadaChapters/IndigoBook Depository

 

 

About Elizabeth Haynes

Elizabeth Haynes grew up in Seaford, Sussex and studied English, German and Art History at Leicester University.

She previously worked as a police intelligence analyst and lives in Norfolk with her husband and son.

#BookReview The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski

#BookReview The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski Title: The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

Author: Rita Leganski

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Feb. 26, 2013

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Conceived in love and possibility, Bonaventure Arrow didn’t make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. No one knows Bonaventure’s silence is filled with resonance – a miraculous gift of rarified hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. Growing up in the big house on Christopher Street in Bayou Cymbaline, Bonaventure can hear flowers grow, a thousand shades of blue, and the miniature tempests that rage inside raindrops. He can also hear the gentle voice of his father, William Arrow, shot dead before Bonaventure was born by a mysterious stranger known only as the Wanderer.

Bonaventure’s remarkable gift of listening promises salvation to the souls who love him: his beautiful young mother, Dancy, haunted by the death of her husband; his Grand-mere Letice, plagued by grief and long-buried guilt she locks away in a chapel; and his father, William, whose roaming spirit must fix the wreckage of the past. With the help of Trinidad Prefontaine, a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed.


Review:

This is a bittersweet, sophisticated novel that reminds us of the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

It is a lovely story that touches on familial relationships, love, loss, guilt, grief, and ultimately forgiveness.

It is exquisitely written. The prose is beautiful. The setting is vividly described. And the characters are well-developed and complex, especially the protagonist, Bonaventure Arrow, who is strong, brave and empathetic. 

This truly is a subtle story that flows effortlessly, makes an impact, and leaves an impression.

 

#BookReview The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

#BookReview The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson Title: The Bookseller

Author: Cynthia Swanson

Published by: Harper Paperbacks on Mar. 22, 2016

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Book Rating: 9/10

The Bookseller follows a woman in the 1960s who must reconcile her reality with the tantalizing alternate world of her dreams

Nothing is as permanent as it appears . . . 

Denver, 1962: Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She loves the bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda, and enjoys complete control over her day-to-day existence. She can come and go as she pleases, answering to no one. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didn’t quite work out the way Kitty had hoped.

Then the dreams begin.

Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends. It’s everything Kitty Miller once believed she wanted—but it only exists when she sleeps.

Convinced that these dreams are simply due to her overactive imagination, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. But with each visit, the more irresistibly real Katharyn’s life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants? If so, what is the cost of staying Kitty, or becoming Katharyn?

As the lines between her worlds begin to blur, Kitty must figure out what is real and what is imagined. And how do we know where that boundary lies in our own lives?


Review:

I loved this book.

This book was intriguing, insightful and intelligent. It gripped me from the beginning and it kept me enthralled till the very end.

It is a story that makes us think about the choices we make, the power of imagination, and our brain’s remarkable ability to cope.

This was well written and very unique. It is definitely a great choice for book clubs and it will certainly be on my “Must Read List” for 2016.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following Amazon links.

Amazon UKAmazon USAmazon Canada

 

For more information on Cynthia Swanson, visit her website at: integritymodern.com

or follow her on Twitter at: @cynswanauthor