THE QUAKER by Liam McIlvanney is an atmospheric Thriller that grips the imagination in the harshness of a 1969 Glasgow. The attention to detail is breathtaking. I could smell the cigarette smoke, the damp, and the sweat. I felt totally immersed in the story. The lead character, DI McCormack searches for the truth in a case that sees women dying in terrible circumstances. The writing is refreshing and gritty. Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollins for the opportunity to review this book. #THEQUAKER ★★★★★ 5 STARS His name fills the streets with fear… In the chilling new crime novel from award-winning author Liam McIlvanney, a serial killer stalks the streets of Glasgow and DI McCormack follows a trail of devastating secrets to uncover the truth… A city torn apart. Glasgow, 1969. In the grip of the worst winter for years, the city is brought to its knees by a killer whose name fills the streets with fear: the Quaker. He takes his next victim – the third woman from the same nightclub – and dumps her in the street like rubbish. A detective with everything to prove. The police are left chasing a ghost, with no new leads and no hope…

LAST LETTER FROM ISTANBUL a Romantic Suspense by Lucey Foley was a little on the slow side for me. I persevered because the writing was so good. I am glad I did. The evocative story, which was written using flashbacks came full circle and really hit me hard. I even shed a few tears because I had come to love all the characters. I would love to know their complete stories . . . what happened and when . . . If . . . ? Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book #LastLetterform Istanbul ★★★★ 4 STARS Constantinople, 1921 Each day Nur gazes across the waters of the Bosphorus to her childhood home, a grand white house, nestled on the opposite bank. Memories float on the breeze – the fragrance of the fig trees, the saffron sunsets of languid summer evenings. But now those days are dead. The house has been transformed into an army hospital, it is a prize of war in the hands of the British. And as Nur weaves through the streets carrying the embroideries that have become her livelihood, Constantinople swarms with Allied soldiers – a reminder of how far she and…

THE SAPPHIRE WIDOW, a  Mystery Suspense by Dinah Jefferies left me enthralled. It was the most beautiful breathtaking book I have read for a while. The sumptuous descriptions, raw emotions and intense mystery fill the pages and my thoughts. It was a though I were there in Ceylon, in the days of British rule with the sun beating ferociously down before the Monsoons broke and the mystery deepened. The suspense is woven throughout the book and while you may guess the initial betrayal before the lead character, Louisa Reeve you will love the twists and turns and powerful emotions on her journey to happiness. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book #TheSapphireWidow ★★★★★ 5 STARS A sweeping, breath-taking story of love and betrayal from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter’s Wife Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child. While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden…

SKIN DEEP, an Adult Mystery Thriller by Liz Nugent left me in a quandary. Perhaps that was the reason: to shock and make the reader think. I, on the other hand, could not get to grips with the main character, Cordelia Russell. Within the first few pages, we learn Cordelia has the body of a dead man decomposing in her flat. But who? Over the rest of the book, we are introduced to many would-be suspects as the story begins again when Cordelia is just nine years old. Liz Nugent is a fantastic writer who takes us on one hell of a ride. My only concern, I did not feel anything for Cordelia, not one shred of sympathy. Her character traits proved too difficult to like. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to review #SkinDeep I’m sorry, but I could only give this story 3.5 STARS. ‘I could probably have been an actress. It is not difficult to pretend to be somebody else. Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for most of my life?’ Cordelia Russell has been living on the French Riviera for twenty-five years, passing herself off as an English socialite. But her luck, and the kindness of strangers, have run…