This Is How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

When an agent of the Commandant finds a letter amongst the ashes of a recent battle that says “burn before reading” it sets in motion a series of events that threatens to turn everything on its head. Correspondence between agents on opposing sides of the eternal time war is unheard of and what starts off as taunting from one side to another starts to deepen into something more serious, something more romantic. Can they keep their secret hidden and what will the consequences be if they don’t?

I Am I Am I Am – Maggie O’Farrell

A life story told in a series of near death experiences, “I Am I Am I Am” includes a childhood illness that O’Farrell wasn’t expected to recover from, a sinister encounter on a remote path and a dangerously mismanaged labour amongst others. Whilst not always an easy read, it is an interesting one.

Strange Weather – Joe Hill

“Strange Weather” is a collection of four stories covering a range of topics but all linked by unusual weather events, from rain filled with razor sharp crystal needles to a cloud that’s a little more solid than it should be, this collection has something for everyone.

Is This Ok? – Harriet Gibsone

Music journalist, Harriet Gibsone, has spent much of her adult life obsessively searching the internet for details of the people she interacts with. She lives in fear of her search history being uncovered, indulges in bizarre one-sided relationships with various celebrities and constantly compares herself and her life to what she is seeing online. When she’s diagnosed with early onset menopause and looking at IVF and HRT her online life starts to take on a darker turn.

“Is This Ok?” is due to be published by Pan MacMillan, Picador on 25 May 2023 and I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time – Gillian McAllister

Jen has waited up for her teenaged son, Todd, getting home from a night out. She can’t believe her eyes when just in front of their house she sees him struggle with a man she has never seen before, and then stab him. When the Police arrive he admits what he’s done but says he had no choice. Forced to leave him at the Police Station overnight, Jen and her husband, Kelly, go home and eventually manage to fall asleep but when Jen wakes up it’s not the next morning, it’s the day before the stabbing instead. Can Jen figure out how to stop her son becoming a killer and is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Just Friends For Now – Lucy Keeling

In the final instalment of the “Friends” series we have Paige’s story. Paige’s mojo is thrown seriously out of whack by the arrival of new local business owner, Melanie. Melanie runs the new brunch spot, Lulu, and when her and Paige are thrown together to work on a new community project the attraction simply cannot be denied. Can they keep their relationship professional and remain, just friends?

Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng

In the quiet suburban town of Shaker Heights everything is meticulously planned and the majority of residents lead very successful lives. The Richardson family are the perfect embodiment of life in Shaker Heights. Until the arrival of Mia Warren and her daughter, Pearl. Mia is an Artist and her and Pearl have led a fairly nomadic life. Soon Mia and Pearl are entwined in the lives of the Richardson family but when a complicated custody case divides the community of Shaker Heights Mia and Elena Richardson, the Matriarch of the Richardson family, find themselves on opposite sides of the issue with devastating consequences.

April Round Up

I don’t know how I’ve done this, I think it’s because I’ve read mainly thrillers this month so have been extremely gripped but I read 8 books this month, coming in at a total of 3,168 pages! This is quite high for me for a month when I’ve not been on holiday or anything like that. They’ve generally been excellent quality too! Here’s how they broke down:-

Fade Away – Harlan Coben

Greg Downing is a successful, if quirky, basketball player who was a one time rival of Myron Bolitar, back in the day. When he goes missing the team’s owner hires Myron to find him but asks him to keep the investigation quiet and signs him for the team as a cover story. When he searches Downing’s house he finds blood in his basement and before long he’s drawn into a complex plot of blackmail and deceit.

Fractured – Karin Slaughter

The second book in the Will Trent Series finds Will being forced to work with Faith Mitchell, an Atlanta PD Detective, when wealthy housewife Abigail Campano returns home one day to find an intruder standing over what she believes to be the body of her teenaged daughter. A struggle ensues, with Abigail fighting for her life but as this struggle ends, the real fight is only just beginning.