Tag: childhood
One For Sorrow by Sarah A Denzil Isabel Fielding #1
A chilling psychological thriller by the million-copy bestselling author of Silent Child. Who really killed Maisie Earnshaw? Within the walls of the high-security psychiatric facility, Crowmont Hospital, reside many violent offenders. To nurse Leah Smith, no matter what, all offenders are patients first and foremost. When Leah is appointed as nurse to Isabel Fielding, she is determined to remain professional despite the shocking crime … Read More One For Sorrow by Sarah A Denzil Isabel Fielding #1
+ audio book, audio drama, childhood, family, family drama, fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, literature, review, secrets, siblings, sisters, Yorkshire
Mrs England by Stacey Halls
West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious … Read More Mrs England by Stacey Halls
+ childhood, dementia, family, feel-good, fiction, friendship, grief, loss, love, marriage, neurodivergence, review
The Everyday and Far Away by Jacqueline Jones
For fans of Sally Page and Ruth Hogan, comes this heartwarming tale about love, loss and connection. Ernie has had three grand passions in his long life: his dear wife Phyllis, a vintage Norton Dominator motorcycle, and his mini-me son, Stephen. Now, as dementia overwhelms Ernie and takes away everything he can remember about the everyday, memories of those far away times remain crystalline … Read More The Everyday and Far Away by Jacqueline Jones
+ adoption, childhood, family, fiction, forgiveness, grief, loss, love, mystery, relationships, review, secrets
Her Empty Chair by Sunna Coleman
She left without a trace… not even a crumb. For student and waitress, Sylvia Morelle, it’s just another day at the French café in Covent Garden – that is, until her beloved elderly regular, Mrs Ida Laine, mysteriously disappears. As weeks go by with no sign of the glamorous Parisian, the young journalist in training begins her own investigation, only to unearth far more … Read More Her Empty Chair by Sunna Coleman
+ childhood, Detective novel, fairy tale, female friendship, fiction, grief, kidnapping, literature, loss, love, murder, murder mystery, mystery, obsession, police drama, review, serial killer, thriller, writer
Little Red Death by A K Benedict
ONCE UPON A TIME LIKE YOU’VE NEVER READ IT BEFORE . . . DI Lyla Rondell is on the case of a lifetime. Tasked with investigating a series of perplexing deaths, the only lead she has is that each appears to be based on a different classic fairy tale. Far from the stuff of bedtime stories, the press is having a field day with what … Read More Little Red Death by A K Benedict
+ audio book, childhood, dark humour, family, fiction, ghosts, grief, Ireland, loss, Magical realism, mystery, psychic, review, supernatural, superstition
Himself by Jess Kidd
Blending strange kindnesses, casual violence and buried secrets: an unforgettable debut from a dark new voice in Irish fiction. When Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a speck of a place on Ireland’s west coast, he brings only a photograph of his long-lost mother and a determination to do battle with the village’s lies. His arrival causes cheeks to flush and arms to fold in disapproval. … Read More Himself by Jess Kidd
+ childhood, children's books, childrens fiction, fantasy, fiction, magic, review, secrets, siblings, sisters, time travel, whimsical
Haworth’s Enchanted Chronicles by Charlotte Waters
In the heart of Haworth lies a secret—one that spans centuries and bridges worlds. When a group of time-travelling children stumble upon an ancient, shimmering key, they are thrust into an enchanting adventure that takes them far beyond the moors and into magical lands filled with wonder, danger, and creatures beyond imagination. #Haworth’sEnchantedChronicles X(Twitter) @BlossomSpring3 @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #booktwitterInstagram @charlottewatersauthor @blossom.spring.publishing @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram Guided by mysterious forces and shadowy guardians, the children … Read More Haworth’s Enchanted Chronicles by Charlotte Waters
+ audio book, childhood, dark humour, family, fiction, grief, Ireland, loss, Magical realism, mystery, psychic, review, supernatural
The Hoarder by Jess Kidd
Maud Drennan – underpaid carer and unintentional psychic – is the latest in a long line of dogsbodies for the ancient, belligerent Cathal Flood. Yet despite her best efforts, Maud is drawn into the mysteries concealed in his filthy, once-grand home. She realises that something is changing: Cathal, and the junk-filled rooms, are opening up to her. With only her agoraphobic landlady and a … Read More The Hoarder by Jess Kidd
+ 1940s, childhood, fairies, fiction, Historical fiction, Ireland, Italy, List, Magical realism, nazi germany, review, USA, whimsical, WW2
My Top 6 Books of 2024
As we slip quietly into 2025 it’s time to reflect on my absolute favourite books of 2024. It’s six this time, four of which are audio books. It’s always hard. There were instant standouts again. I have tried to include a mix of genres but failed yet again. I read a lot of crime fiction, which occasionally make my quarterly selections, but my Top books of … Read More My Top 6 Books of 2024
+ audio book, childhood, fiction, gothic, Historical fiction, kidnapping, review, supernatural, superstition, Victorian Britain
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
Bridie Devine, female detective extraordinaire, is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery. Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds … Read More Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
+ child abuse, childhood, family, fiction, friendship, lies, love, motherhood, review, secrets, thriller
A Safe Place by Stephanie Carty
What happens when your home becomes your prison? Twelve-year-old Cate has never left her village. She’s never had a friend. She’s never even hugged her mother. Imogen, Cate’s mum, spent her youth travelling the country with her father. He believed she had a gift and used her for his own gain. With her innocence snatched away, Imogen vowed to build an idyllic and safe … Read More A Safe Place by Stephanie Carty
+ brothers, bullying, child abuse, childhood, dark humour, depression, fiction, journal, loss, love, mental illness, obsession, psychiatric hospital, psychiatrist, review, therapy
The Funeral Portrait by Vincent Viñas
Guy doesn’t smile easily. He could be described as fundamentally glum. Tallulah doesn’t die easily. She could be described as annoyingly immortal. What if you wanted to die but were unable to? Such is the case with Guy Edwards and Tallulah Leigh, who want to end their miserable lives for different reasons. The only problem is, she’s been stricken with an unexplained (and unwelcome) … Read More The Funeral Portrait by Vincent Viñas
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