Source: Mobius Books US

#BookReview A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson @Mobius_Books #AVeryLivelyMurder #DahliaLively #KatyWatson #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson @Mobius_Books #AVeryLivelyMurder #DahliaLively #KatyWatson #MobiusBooksUS Title: A Very Lively Murder

Author: Katy Watson

Series: Dahlia Lively #2

Published by: Mobius on Sep. 12, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8.5/10

One murder mystery movie. Three Dahlias. And a whole cast of suspects…

Ex-child star Posy Starling is finally filming her dream role – Dahlia Lively in The Lady Detective movie. But things take a nightmare turn when a prop weapon is replaced with the real thing – with almost fatal consequences for her fellow Dahlia, Rosalind King. There’s something very wrong on the set of The Lady Detective – which means it’s time to call in Caro Hooper, so the three Dahlias can investigate.

In between filming scenes, signing autographs for locals, photoshoots in London, talk show appearances and jetting off to France for an impromptu party, the three Dahlias do what they do best – surrupticiously sleuth. And very soon the evidence starts to point towards one particular co-star…

But before they can prove it, another murder rocks the production. And this time, with a storm raging, the river flooded and the bridge washed out, there are no police to rely on so it’s up to the three Dahlias to stop a murderer in their tracks… before another victim is claimed.


Review:

Cosy, suspenseful, and well-paced!

In this latest addition to the Dahlia Lively series, A Very Lively Murder, the three Dahlias, Caro, Rosalind, and Posy, are reunited once again and back sleuthing on the set of The Lady Detective when it quickly becomes apparent that there’s a murderer amongst the cast when threats, victims, accidents, and dead bodies all start piling up.

The writing is playful and fluid. The characters are unique, persistent, and clever. And the plot is a light, quirky tale full of misdirection, deduction, clues, mishaps, drama, friendship, amateur sleuthing, red herrings, and murder.

Overall, A Very Lively Murder is another mysterious, amusing, enjoyable treat by Watson that had just the right amount of suspicious personalities, zany antics, and abundance of drama to keep me engaged and entertained from start to finish.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katy Watson

Growing up in a family of murder mystery addicts, KATY WATSON learned early to look for means, motive and opportunity.

After studying English Literature - with a sideline in crime fiction - at Lancaster University, she set about teaching herself to write her own stories, while also experiencing enough of the world to have things to write about.

Two careers, a lot of air miles, one husband, two children, three houses and forty five published books for children and adults later, lockdown finally gave her the means, motive and opportunity to create her own murder mystery - with the aid of her scientist husband's knowledge of potions. Three Dahlias is the result.

#BlogTour #BookReview The Woman on the Bridge by Sheila O’Flanagan @sheilaoflanagan @Mobius_Books #TheWomanontheBridge #SheilaOFlanagan #MobiusBooksUS

#BlogTour #BookReview The Woman on the Bridge by Sheila O’Flanagan @sheilaoflanagan @Mobius_Books #TheWomanontheBridge #SheilaOFlanagan #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Woman on the Bridge

Author: Sheila O'Flanagan

Published by: Headline Books on Jun. 6, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Dublin. The 1920s. As war tears Ireland apart, two young people are caught up in events that will bring love, tragedy – and the hardest of choices.

In a country fighting for freedom, it’s hard to live a normal life. Winnie O’Leary supports the cause, but she doesn’t go looking for trouble. Then rebel Joseph Burke steps into her workplace. Winnie is furious with him about a broken window. She’s not interested in romance. But love comes when you least expect it.

Joseph’s family shelter fugitives and transport weapons. Joseph would never ask Winnie to join the fight; but his mother and sisters demand commitment. Will Winnie choose Joseph, and put her own loved ones in deadly danger? Or wait for a time of peace that may never come?

Ireland’s tumultuous independence struggle is the backdrop for an unforgettable story of courage and heartbreak, in which heroes are made of ordinary people. Inspired by the story of Sheila O’Flanagan’s grandmother, The Woman on the Bridge is the unmissable, compulsive new novel from a bestselling author.


Review:

Tender, nostalgic, and immersive!

The Woman on the Bridge is an intriguing tale that sweeps you away to Dublin during the 1920s when Ireland is full of unrest and upheaval and the sweet, dependable Winnie O’Leary and her rebel husband-to-be, Joseph Burke, have to navigate a world full of simmering anger, violence, imprisonments, and tragic losses of life before finally making it to the altar.

The prose is polished and rich. The characters are passionate, driven, and endearing. And the well-paced, compelling plot is a wonderful mix of familial dynamics, drama, emotion, self-discovery, secrets, revelations, love, loss, heartbreak, courage, duty, grief, passion, and conflict.

Overall, The Woman on the Bridge is an atmospheric, absorbing, heartfelt debut in the historical fiction genre for O’Flanagan that does a beautiful job of highlighting her exceptional ability to portray complex, memorable characters, which in this case are based on real-life family members, and historically troubling times in such a way that is not only insightful but also impactful.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sheila O'Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of nearly 30 bestselling novels including Three Weddings and a Proposal, The Women Who Ran Away, Her Husband’s Mistake, The Hideaway and The Missing Wife. She lives in Dublin with her husband.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

 

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books #TheLostSongofParis #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books #TheLostSongofParis #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Lost Song of Paris

Author: Sarah Steele

Published by: Mobius on Mar. 21, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 10/10

‘For a moment she closed her eyes and imagined she was perched on the diving board at the Piscine Molitor, the sun beating down on her bare shoulders and the sound of Parisians at play beneath her. All she had to do was jump.’

1941. Darkness descends over London as the sirens begin to howl and the bombs rain down. Devastation seeps from every crack of the city. In the midst of all the chaos is a woman gripping a window ledge on the first floor of a Baker Street hotel. She is perched, ready to jump. And as flames rise around her, she is forced to take her chances.

1997. Amy Novak has lost the two great loves in her life: her husband, Michael, and her first love, music. With the first anniversary of Michael’s death approaching, Amy buries herself in her job as an archivist. And when a newly declassified file lands on her desk, she is astonished to uncover proof that Agent ‘Colette’ existed – a name spoken only in whispers; an identity so secret that it has never been verified.

Her discovery leads her to MI6 ‘godmother’ Verity Cooper – a woman with secrets of her own – and on to the streets of Paris where she will uncover a story of unimaginable choices, extraordinary courage and a love that will defy even the darkest days of World War Two . . .


Review:

Immersive, memorable, and moving!

The Lost Song of Paris is predominantly set in London and Paris during 1941, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives; Amy, a young widow and archivist who, after receiving a declassified file regarding a top female agent based in Paris during WWII, embarks on a mission to discover her ultimate fate and true identity, and Sophie, a young woman who is determined to do whatever it takes, even at the detriment of her own reputation and safety, to fight the Nazis and their occupation of the city she loves to call home.

The prose is eloquent and rich. The characters are tenacious, resilient, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, love, tragedy, friendship, the horrors of war, and the power of music.

Overall, The Lost Song of Paris is an absorbing, poignant, beautifully written novel by Steele that does a wonderful job of showcasing the hard work, bravery, and danger involved in being an SIS officer in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. It’s now the second novel I’ve read and absolutely loved by Steele, and I can guarantee that whatever she decides to write next will always hold a top spot on my TBR list.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah Steele

Sarah Steele is the author of USA Today bestseller THE MISSING PIECES OF NANCY MOON, THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL and THE LOST SONG OF PARIS.

After training in London as a classical pianist and violinist, Sarah joined the world of publishing as an editorial assistant at Hodder and Stoughton. She was for many years a freelance editor, and now lives in the vibrant Gloucestershire town of Stroud.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

 

#BlogTour #BookReview In Little Stars by Linda Green @LindaGreenisms @Mobius_Books #InLittleStars #LindaGreen #MobiusBooksUS

#BlogTour #BookReview In Little Stars by Linda Green @LindaGreenisms @Mobius_Books #InLittleStars #LindaGreen #MobiusBooksUS Title: In Little Stars

Author: Linda Green

Published by: Mobius on Feb. 7, 2023

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 10/10

In a divided northern England, love and hate are about to collide . . .

Sylvie and Donna travel on the same train to work each day but have never spoken. Their families are on different sides of the bitter Brexit divide, although the tensions and arguments at home give them much in common.

What they don’t know is that their eldest children, Rachid and Jodie, are about to meet for the first time and fall in love. Aware that neither family will approve, the teenagers vow to keep their romance a secret.

But as Sylvie’s family feel increasingly unwelcome in England, a desire for a better life threatens Rachid and Jodie’s relationship. Can their love unite their families – or will it end in tragedy?


Review:

Tragic, beautiful, and incredibly heart-wrenching!

In Little Stars is a poignant, pensive, emotionally-charged novel that takes you into the lives of a handful of people, including the families of eighteen-year-old Jodi and seventeen-year-old Rachid, as their worlds become irrevocably changed and shattered one fall day when a violent, fatal attack driven by ignorance leaves some devastated by loss, some overwhelmingly consumed with guilt, and some haunted and struggling to understand how to prevent these horrifying seeds of hatred from being able to blossom.

The prose is sobering and expressive. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are complex, consumed, and authentic. And the plot is an exceptionally absorbing tale of life, loss, family, friendship, grief, guilt, denial, secrets, heartache, parenthood, prejudice, violence, and interracial teenage love.

Overall, In Little Stars made me think, made me cry, and resonated with me long after I turned the final page. It’s an enthralling, impactful, hopeful story by Green that interwove exceptional character development with a bittersweet, immersive, heartbreaking love story, all steeped in an abundance of pain and tragedy.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Linda Green

Linda Green is the bestselling author of ten novels, which have sold more than a million copies between them. Her latest novel, One Moment, was a Radio 2 Book Club selection, and her previous novel, The Last Thing She Told Me, was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a Top 20 Sunday Times bestseller. She lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and son.

 

#BlogTour #BookReview The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly @mserinkelly @Mobius_Books #TheSkeletonKey #ErinKelly #MobiusBooksUS

#BlogTour #BookReview The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly @mserinkelly @Mobius_Books #TheSkeletonKey #ErinKelly #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Skeleton Key

Author: Erin Kelly

Published by: Mobius on Jan. 24, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 512

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8.5/10

THIS REUNION WILL TEAR A FAMILY APART…

Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family’s insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried – gold and precious stones, each a different part of a skeleton. One by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore’s pelvis remained hidden.

The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous degree. People sold their homes to travel to England and search for Elinore. Marriages broke down as the quest consumed people. A man died. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse.

But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose.

From the bestselling author of He Said/She Said and Watch Her Fall, this is a taut, mesmerising novel about a daughter haunted by her father’s legacy…


Review:

Intricate, twisty, and tragic!

The Skeleton Key is a dark, compelling tale that takes you into the lives of two families, Churcher and Lally, who have been tied together over the last fifty years by the successful publication of the treasure quest book, The Golden Bones. A book, whose success is now being honoured with a documentary film and a special edition release which has prompted the resurgence of all the crazed obsessive fans, also known as the “bone hunters” who are determined to discover all of the bones scattered across England, led to all the family members being reunited under one roof in a very long time, and caused all the secrets and skeletons that have been buried under lies and deception for many years to finally be unearthed and uncovered.

The prose is rich and tight. The characters are selfish, deceptive, and troubled. And the plot using flashbacks and a back-and-forth style, unfolds briskly into a murky tale full of twists, turns, surprises, familial drama, secrets, greed, resentments, deception, scandal, wickedness, tragedy, and murder.

Overall, The Skeleton Key is another sophisticated, vivid, creepy tale by Kelly that does a fantastic job of delving into all the complex, dysfunctional dynamics that can occur between family members and reminds us just how toxic and evil, and yet somehow still loyal some of these relationships can truly be.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Erin Kelly

Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind, He Said/She Said, Stone Mothers and Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. In 2013, The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2011. He Said/She Said spent six weeks in the top ten in both hardback and paperback, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier crime novel of the year award and selected for both the Simon Mayo Radio 2 and Richard & Judy Book Clubs. She has worked as a freelance journalist since 1998 and written for the Guardian, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Red, Elle, Cosmopolitan and The Pool. Born in London in 1976, she lives in north London with her husband and daughters.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

 

#BookReview London, With Love by Sarra Manning @sarramanning @Mobius_Books @HodderBooks #LondonWithLove #SarraManning #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview London, With Love by Sarra Manning @sarramanning @Mobius_Books @HodderBooks #LondonWithLove #SarraManning #MobiusBooksUS Title: London, With Love

Author: Sarra Manning

Published by: Mobius on Nov. 15, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8.5/10

London. Nine million people. Two hundred and seventy tube stations. Every day, thousands of chance encounters, first dates, goodbyes and happy ever afters.

And for twenty years it’s been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.

Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they’re just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to each other.

But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line?


Review:

Romantic, thought-provoking, and heart-achingly beautiful!

London, With Love is a vivid, moving tale that takes us into the life of Jennifer, from her awkward teen years to her highly successful career in publishing as a mature woman, including the highs and lows of finding work, solid relationships that appear perfect but always seem to come to an end, a front row seat to some devastating tragedies, and her ongoing unrequited love for a boy, Nick Levene who somehow seems to continuously fall in and out of her life.

The writing is warm and sweet. The characters are multilayered, authentic, and flawed. And the plot is a charming rollercoaster ride of hope, heart, heartache, and humour.

Overall, London, With Love is a compelling, heartbreaking, pensive novel by Manning that is not only a love letter to the City of London but a delightfully absorbing tale that reminds us that life is complicated and messy, timing is everything, and sometimes, perhaps, things are just truly destined to happen.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarra Manning

Sarra Manning has been a voracious reader for over forty years and a prolific author and journalist for twenty-five. Her seven novels, which have been translated into fifteen different languages include Unsticky, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, The House of Secrets and her latest, Rescue Me, published in 2021. Sarra has also written over fifteen YA novels, and light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym. She started her writing career on Melody Maker and Just Seventeen, has been editor of ElleGirl and What to Wear and has also contributed to the Guardian, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, Fabulous, Stella, You Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar. She is currently the Literary Editor of Red. Sarra has also been a Costa Book Awards judge and has been nominated for various writing awards herself. She lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.

#BookReview The Night Gate by Peter May @Mobius_Books @QuercusBooks #TheNightGate #TheEnzoFiles #PeterMay #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview The Night Gate by Peter May @Mobius_Books @QuercusBooks #TheNightGate #TheEnzoFiles #PeterMay #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Night Gate

Author: Peter May

Series: The Enzo Files #7

Published by: Mobius on May 31, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 496

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 8/10

The body of a man shot through the head is disinterred by the roots of a fallen tree.

A famous art critic is viciously murdered in a nearby house.

Both deaths have occurred more than 70 years apart.

Asked by a forensic archaeologist in Paris to take a look at the site of the former, Enzo Macleod quickly finds himself embroiled in the investigation of the latter, and two narratives are set in train – one historical, unfolding against a backdrop of real events in Occupied France in the 1940s; the other contemporary, set in a France going back into Covid lockdown in the autumn of 2020.

At the heart of both is da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

Tasked by de Gaulle to keep the world’s most famous painting out of Nazi hands after the fall of France in 1940, 28-year-old Georgette Pignal finds herself swept along by the tide of history. Following in the wake of the Mona Lisa as it is moved from chateau to chateau by the Louvre, she finds herself both wooed and pursued by two Germans sent to steal it for rival patrons – Hitler and Göring.

What none of them know is that the Louvre has secretly engaged the services of the 20th century’s greatest forger to produce a duplicate of the great lady, one that even those who know her well find hard to tell apart. The discovery of its existence is the thread that links both narratives. And both murders.


Review:

Complex, sophisticated, and intriguing!

In this impressive seventh instalment in The Enzo Files series, The Night Gate, May has written a fast-paced, tortuous mystery that finds forensic expert Enzo Macleod temporarily out of retirement and immersed in two investigations, one involving skeletal remains found entangled in the roots of a tree, and the other concerning a newly deceased middle-aged male found murdered in a home he recently visited to discuss the movement of the Mona Lisa during WWII.

The prose is sharp and tight. The characters are meticulous, intuitive, and intelligent. And the plot, using a back-and-forth style, unravels and intertwines quickly into an ominous tale full of secrets, lies, deception, greed, manipulation, misdirection, mayhem, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Night Gate is another engrossing, pacey, action-packed thriller by May that was an extra special treat allowing us to go back and visit with these characters one last time in a storyline that was not only suspenseful but steeped in fascinating history.

 

This book is available now.

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

              

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Peter May

Author, screenwriter and creator of television drama. Peter May was born in Glasgow, but now lives in France, where his books have won several awards and he has a large following of fans. He was recently introduced at the Lyon Festival of Crime writing as "The most French of all Scotsmen"; however, after acquiring French nationality in 2016, he became known in the French media as "The most Scottish of all Frenchmen".

Photo by Vincent Loisin.

#BookReview A Delicate Game by Hana Walker-Brown @HWalker_Brown @Mobius_Books #ADelicateGame #HanaWalkerBrown #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview A Delicate Game by Hana Walker-Brown @HWalker_Brown @Mobius_Books #ADelicateGame #HanaWalkerBrown #MobiusBooksUS Title: A Delicate Game

Author: Hana Walker-Brown

Published by: Hodder And Stoughton Ltd. on Jul. 5, 2022

Genres: Nonfiction

Pages: 288

Format: Hardcover

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

A footballer dies of dementia, younger than he should
A 14-year old-rugby player is told to play on through multiple blows. He never wakes up from the last one
A scientist reveals endemic brain disease in NFL players and is discredited
A survivor of domestic abuse can’t remember details when standing up in court

This is the story of the degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This is a story of power, of science and sport, and of the bodies that society deems worth sacrificing.


Review:

Comprehensive, eye-opening, and impactful!

A Delicate Game is the insightful, informative, candid examination into the preventable disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, that has tragically caused the premature deaths of both famous, beloved athletes and up-and-coming stars.

The writing is frank and descriptive. And the novel is an extremely well-researched tale of the apprehension and irresponsible resistance of professional sports to acknowledge the real and growing evidence that head trauma, whether one big catastrophic hit or multiple smaller hits over time, suffered by players during games or practices throughout their careers can lead to severe neurodegenerative disorders or CTE.

Overall, A Delicate Game is, ultimately, a clear, concise, exhaustive analysis and investigation into the dangerous, long-lasting, often fatal consequences of those gruesomely entertaining, enthralling hits, tackles, and headers we’ve come to know and expect in contact sports to the most important, fragile organ we often take for granted, the human brain.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Hana Walker-Brown

Hana Walker-Brown is a multi-award-winning audio documentary maker, writer and the Creative Director for Broccoli Productions, a London based podcast production company founded in direct response to the lack of opportunities for minority talent both in front of and behind the mic. In 2019, Hana Walker-Brown created the Audible original, The Beautiful Brain, a multi-award-winning podcast docuseries about West Bromwich Albion hero Jeff Astle and CTE. Hana is a fearless and passionate advocate of multi-media storytelling and has covered an exceptional range of stories, taking the big world stuff and making it human. She is a guest lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London and has given talks and masterclasses around the world about her work and creative processes. Hana has created work for Audible, the BBC, the Guardian, National Geographic, Spotify and Warner Brothers among many others.

Photo courtesy of Hachette UK Website.

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson @wordkindling @Mobius_Books #TheLighthouseSisters #GillThompson #MobiusBooksUS

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson @wordkindling @Mobius_Books #TheLighthouseSisters #GillThompson #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Lighthouse Sisters

Author: Gill Thompson

Published by: Headline Books on Oct. 11, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

1996: The war may have ended decades earlier, but for the elegant woman sitting alone now, the images live on in her memory: her sister’s carefree laughter, the inky black of a German soldier’s boots, the little boats that never came back. And the one constant through it all: the lighthouse that always guided them back to the island.

1940: For sisters Alice and Jenny life is just beginning when the Nazis seize control of the island of Jersey, driving the girls down separate paths. While Alice is forced by the enemy to work in the German hospital, Jenny is attracted to the circle of islanders rising up to resist the occupiers. And as the war tightens its grip, it will cause each of the sisters to make an extraordinary choice, experience unimaginable heartbreak and emerge forever changed…


Review:

Absorbing, moving, and impactful!

The Lighthouse Sisters is a poignant, immersive tale predominantly set in Jersey that takes you into the lives of the Robinson family, especially two sisters, Alice, a young nurse working in the local hospital, and Jenny, a bright scholar destined for Cambridge, whose lives are unimaginably changed forever when their homeland is occupied by the Germans during WWII.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tenacious, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, forbidden love, tragedy, friendship, and the horrors of war.

Overall, The Lighthouse Sisters is a captivating, emotional, beautifully written tale by Thompson inspired by real-life events that reminds us that there’s always a light that guides us home, and survival of any kind often involves heartbreaking choices, moral dilemmas, action, spirit, and beyond all else, sacrifice and courage.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Gill Thompson

Gill Thompson is an English lecturer who completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University. Her novels THE OCEANS BETWEEN US and THE CHILD ON PLATFORM ONE were both digital bestsellers and have been highly acclaimed. She lives with her family in West Sussex and teaches English to college students.

 

#BookReview The School Teacher of Saint-Michel @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheSchoolTeacherofSaintMichel #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview The School Teacher of Saint-Michel @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #TheSchoolTeacherofSaintMichel #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS Title: The School Teacher of Saint-Michel

Author: Sarah Steele

Published by: Headline Books on Jun. 14, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 405

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 10/10

My darling girl, I need you to find someone for me . . .’

France, 1942. At the end of the day, the schoolteacher releases her pupils. She checks they have their identity passes, and warns them not to stop until the German guards have let them through the barrier that separates occupied France from Free France. As the little ones fly across the border and into their mothers’ arms, she breathes a sigh of relief. No one is safe now. Not even the children.

Berkshire, present day. A letter left to her by her beloved late grandmother Gigi takes Hannah Stone on a journey deep into the heart of the Dordogne landscape. As she begins to unravel a forgotten history of wartime bravery and sacrifice, she discovers the heartrending secret that binds her grandmother to a village schoolteacher, the remarkable Lucie Laval…


Review:

Beautiful, captivating, and heart-tugging!

The School Teacher of Saint-Michel is predominantly set in France during 1942, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives; Hannah, a young woman who journeys to France after her grandmother’s death to unravel the secrets of her past, and Lucie, a school teacher who even at the detriment to her own safety does whatever she needs to in order to smuggle as many Jewish children as possible over the demarcation line and out of Nazi-occupied territory and into free France.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are multi-layered, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot is a moving tale about life, love, heartbreak, loss, guilt, grief, desperation, courage, hope, war, survival, suffering, romance, familial relationships, and regret.

Overall, The School Teacher of Saint-Michel is the perfect blend of historical facts, evocative fiction, and palpable emotion. It’s a bittersweet, affecting, tender tale that will make you smile, make you cry, and resonate with you long after you finish the final page.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah Steele

Sarah Steele is the author of USA Today bestseller THE MISSING PIECES OF NANCY MOON, THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL and THE LOST SONG OF PARIS.

After training in London as a classical pianist and violinist, Sarah joined the world of publishing as an editorial assistant at Hodder and Stoughton. She was for many years a freelance editor, and now lives in the vibrant Gloucestershire town of Stroud.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.