Tag: family
Secrets of Lostmor by Ann Smythe
In 1971, the Sanders family suffer a loss so great that they abandon their Gothic mansion house forever. Twenty-four years later, Lily Sanders reluctantly returns to her hometown for the reading of a mysterious will. Lily must face the secrets that lie within the crumbling estate in the wilds of Cornwall… and uncover the mystery hidden within. My Review Another great holiday read, and … Read More Secrets of Lostmor by Ann Smythe
+ brothers, crime fiction, fairy tale, family, fiction, gothic, review, siblings
Dead as Gold by Bonnie Burke-Patel
Adam Conlan has made a new life for himself in Morrow-on-Sea. After a wild youth, the goldsmith had settled down, determined to be around for his young son. But now Ophelia Richards appears at his studio door, asking if he will buy her gold. The writer entices and unsettles him; he sees she is adrift in the same cold pain and loneliness as he … Read More Dead as Gold by Bonnie Burke-Patel
The Mistake by MJ Arlidge and Lisa Hall
In this family, everyone is telling lies. Pete never wanted another child. Before baby Erin was born, they were happy. If Natalie hadn’t got pregnant, he would never have done what he did. Natalie knows things have been difficult since the surprise arrival of Erin. Life with Pete and their two other children – Emily and Zadie – has been balancing on a knife-edge. … Read More The Mistake by MJ Arlidge and Lisa Hall
+ 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
Blood Axe by Menno Meyjes guest post
Bafta and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Menno Meyjes’ first novel is the exhilarating and highly original Blood Axe.Meet Alistair…Alistair is a Norse-mythology obsessed, neurotic, well-read and deeply unpopular teenage boy. He lives in Staines with his bulimic older sister Belle and their depressive single mother, an Amazon worker and weekend protester of the third runway at Heathrow. Alistair is in therapy. And he does not … Read More Blood Axe by Menno Meyjes guest post
The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker
In 1924, four-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother reluctantly drops her off at an orphanage in Chicago, promising to be back once she’s made enough money to support both Cecily and herself. But she never returns, and shortly after high-spirited Cecily turns seven, she is sold to a traveling circus to perform as the “little sister” to glamorous bareback rider Isabelle DuMonde. With Isabelle and the … Read More The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker
+ 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
Even Lions Get Scared by Dr Marcelle Moore
Written for every child who needs a helping hand to develop agency when they face ordinary wobbly moments in early life and beyond. Dr Marcelle Moore, a Clinical Psychologist with more than two decades of experience working with children aims to help caregivers and parents support children in their transformative journey… from fear to bravery. When mischievous little lion Scout finds himself fearful of … Read More Even Lions Get Scared by Dr Marcelle Moore
+ 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
+ family, feel-good, fiction, grief, loss, love, review, short stories, short story, sisters
The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories #3
The Gibson sisters weren’t expecting to speak to each other ever again after Isabel ran off to New York and left Sophie alone. But here they are, years later, running the family bookstore together on Brinkley’s Island, Maine. Isabel also thought she’d left Johnny Lenox behind, but whether or not she knew it, Johnny was always going to be there for her. Five years … Read More The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories #3
+ crime fiction, Detective novel, family, fiction, friendship, grief, loss, murder, police procedural, revenge, review, secrets
The Only Child by S Englefield
How well do you really know the people you love? After her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Amelia Simpson retreats from her old life and moves to the sleepy Isle of Wight to be near her grandmother, her last remaining family. #TheOnlyChild X(Twitter) #SEnglefield @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #BookX #booktwitterInstagram @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram #blogtour But as the people closest to her start to die and secrets from her parent’s past are uncovered, Amelia … Read More The Only Child by S Englefield
+ 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
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