Lily returns to her childhood home following the death of her aunt. They had been estranged for years so she is surprised to have been named as her aunt’s sole heir to the family cranberry farm estate.
Lily’s Secret Inheritance is a warm novel about family, love, loss and forgiveness. It is set in America. The majority of the book is set in the present day but some parts are set in the past to show Lily’s history and the background to the estrangement from her aunt.
Lily has had her fair share of heartache. She is widowed and bringing up their 9 year old son on her own, struggling to make ends meet. Now she is forced to confront the past and her emotions bubble to the surface. The inheritance of the farm offers her a chance for financial freedom but her lawyer refuses to let her sell the place until she has considered her options.
Her aunt’s manager Jake provides an added dimension to the plot. Lily feels a romantic tension with him but also a professional dynamic due to his work on the farm. Both characters are stilted around each other but soften around the children (her son and his nephew). I didn’t really buy into their sudden relationship which pops up at the end.
I liked the awkwardness that Lily faces as she reconnects with faces from the past but I thought the small town gossip angle was overplayed. Her character felt really authentic with the OTT worries over her son (this reminded me of myself for always imagining the worst!) It felt cathartic as she challenges her perceptions of the past so she can move on from her grief.
Lily’s Secret Inheritance is an emotional book about love and loss but also hope and positive change.
I have previously reviewed Summer at Hope Haven by Kristin Harper.
Book Description:
Turning off the winding coastal road and seeing the old farmhouse surrounded by cranberry vines ahead, Lily’s breath catches in her throat. It’s just how she remembers it. But pushing open the wooden front door for the first time in decades, it’s clear everything has changed…
When her estranged aunt Dahlia dies, single mother Lily Lindgren is surprised to inherit the family home and cranberry farm. Returning to Dune Island for the first time since Dahlia admitted to a terrible betrayal that shattered Lily’s trust in her family, she’s ready to sell up and finally create a stable future for her little boy. But her high-school crush and farm manager Jake Benson is determined to stop Lily’s plan…
After helping Dahlia turn part of the house into a local produce store, Jake shared her dream of making the cranberry farm a community hub for the island. His stories about Dahlia, and how much she had missed Lily all these years, make Lily question if she was wrong to never forgive her aunt. And when Jake joins her long walks over the sand dunes, there’s an undeniable spark… could a move to Dune Island be the key to her and her son’s happiness?
But then, clearing out Dahlia’s bedroom, Lily finds an old picture of Dahlia that stops her in her tracks. Just when she was making peace with Dahlia’s memory and learning to trust again, Lily’s heart is shattered to find she was keeping another secret. Can Lily trust Jake to tell her the painful truth—or will she run from Dune Island again for good?
An utterly beautiful beach read about family secrets, finding yourself, and learning the true meaning of home. Perfect for fans of Carolyn Brown, Barbara O’Neal and Mary Alice Monroe.
Author Bio:
Ever since she was a young girl, there were few things Kristin liked more than creative writing and spending time on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with her family. Eventually (after a succession of jobs that bored her to tears), she found a way to combine those two passions by becoming a women’s fiction author whose stories occur in oceanside settings. While Kristin doesn’t live on the Cape year-round, she escapes to the beach whenever she can.
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Dave Kane loses his memory. He can’t remember anything about the last 4 years or his relationship with Jenna. But his instincts remain as good as ever as another serial killer stalks Black Rock Falls…
Her Bleeding Heart is the 16th Kane and Alton book but could be read as a standalone (you’ll want to read them all though!)
The past has huge relevance and is explained fully yet concisely at the beginning of the book as Kane deals with amnesia and has forgotten the last 4 years. Jenna is heartbroken that he doesn’t remember her but needs to put the new murder case first. Poppy’s character continues to cause trouble for the main pair, adding another dimension to the personal side of the plot.
We see the killer from the very beginning, and then sporadically through the book as he meets wealthy women and lures them to their deaths. This is sinister and the impending danger is gripping to read. I wanted to shout at the women to stay safe!
The pace is as fast as ever as Kane and Alton overcome obstacles and peril to catch a devious killer. Once again the landscape and weather play a key role in the plot and are vividly described. In recent books, the author has started to leave loose ends which make fans eager for the next book!
Her Bleeding Heart is another gripping instalment to the series.
MEDIA PACK
Book: HER BLEEDING HEART
Author: D.K. Hood
Pub Day: SEPT 12TH 2022
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About the book:
Rain soaks her clothes as she runs from the large, isolated family home and hides behind the beaten-up pickup truck parked out front. Miles from safety, her heart thuds as footsteps draw closer. He’s found her…
The rain has been falling for weeks when Black Rock Falls Sheriff, Jenna Alton, receives a panicked phone call from a local forest ranger. The lifeless body of a woman has washed up on the banks of a swollen river.
Rushing to the scene, Jenna and her deputy, David Kane, find the young girl laying face up in the dirt, her long brown hair spilling out around her, her perfect pale skin showing no signs of struggle. Leaning in for a closer look, she finds a jack of hearts playing card tucked into the girl’s underwear. This was no accident—someone killed this innocent soul, and left a twisted calling card…
Days later, another young woman is found slumped in the back of car at a local truck stop on the outskirts of town, angry red marks around her neck. Jenna’s head spins when she finds a second playing card in her clothing. Is this killer escalating? And does he have a next victim already in his sights?
As a landslide shuts the town off from the outside world, Jenna and her team battle raging storms in their search for answers. Jenna is convinced the playing cards link these victims to a twisted serial killer the FBI have been hunting for over a decade. If she’s right, she’s chasing America’s most dangerous and elusive killer. Can she catch him before Black Rock Falls loses another innocent young life?
If you’re a fan of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot you will be hooked by this gripping and addictive crime thriller from USA Today bestselling author D.K. Hood.
**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**
Author Bio
D.K. Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and AMAZON bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.
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Lucy is a dedicated carer in a nursing home. But she spends her spare time walking her beloved dog Morsel and keeping notes about her fellow villagers…
The Ultimate Village Game is quite atmospheric with elements of mystery.
The title refers to an annual treasure hunt in the village but also implies that someone is playing games or is not who they seem. Lucy has an agenda which she hints at frequently. This raises our interest as she seems like such a nice person but obviously has some hidden secret.
We get to know Lucy’s character so well through the use of first person narrative, yet we are kept in the dark about her true motives until later in the book. The other characters are well written which really brought the village to life.
There is a wonderful mix of gentle humour and underlying sadness in the tone of the writing. The setting of the care home creates the opportunity for lovely interactions, meanwhile Lucy befriends a girl who is desperate for attention she doesn’t get from her mother.
The mystery element is needed as the pace is quite slow, firmly establishing the characters and giving us Lucy’s opinion of them via her notes. I was intrigued as to Lucy’s motives behind her behaviour as well as how the other characters’ actions fit into the mystery as it unfolds.
The Ultimate Village Game is an entertaining mystery with an engaging lead character.
The Ultimate Village Game
Riddled with guilt and tormented by desire, Lucy Short keeps notes about newcomers to the village, but why? The misfit with the rescue dog has a mysterious past. She’s been biding her time, plotting and scheming, and now she’s determined to get what she deserves. It won’t be straight forward. Someone is sure to be watching her every move, and there seems to be something more sinister going on.
Mr. Lester Senior is dead. The family is in turmoil. The future of the famous village treasure hunt is in doubt, but for Lucy a new world beckons. She must stick to her task. The rewards could be huge, but will there also be a price to pay?
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Author Bio –
Beth Merwood is a writer from the south of England. Her debut novel, The Five Things, was published in 2021.
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Rachel heads to her childhood home to care for her mother in her last days. They have a strained relationship and Rachel blames herself for the death of her father. But a shocking discovery in the basement threatens to destroy the remnants of the family…
A Secret in the Family is a domestic drama, psychological thriller and murder mystery all wrapped into one, set in the UK.
Rachel has been deeply unhappy for a long time. She feels responsible for her dad’s death and this has caused a distance to develop between her and her mother and sister. This felt really raw and well described, vividly brought to life by the narrative. Now with a terminal diagnosis for her mum, she feels that this is her last chance to rekindle a loving family relationship. These plans are threatened by revelations from the past which Rachel needs to confront.
The book is written from two timelines, one in the present day and one in 1986. The connection was fairly obvious but I enjoyed seeing how the two plotlines played out. There is plenty of emotion as Rachel’s family deal with a terminal diagnosis but also the mysterious death. Added to this is the guilt that Rachel has felt for year and the heartache at her estrangement from her sister and mother. Meanwhile Sam in the past is dealing with loneliness and single parenthood.
A Secret in the Family is an emotive book which maintained my interest in the characters and plot.
Media Pack
Author: LEAH MERCER
Book: A SECRET IN THE FAMILY
Publication Day: SEPTEMBER 9TH 2022
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Description:
Rachel sat at the kitchen table, trying to take everything in. She still couldn’t believe what her father had done. Clutching a faded photograph and a necklace in her hands, all she knew was that in her mother’s final days, she would do anything to protect her.
The call came on a seemingly ordinary day. But as soon as Rachel heard the pain in her sister’s voice, she had to face the fact that life as she knew it was about to be shattered: “It’s mum. She’s not well. She doesn’t have much time.”
Though her heart breaks to leave her husband and children behind, Rachel knows the right thing is to return home to care for her mother Janet. Their relationship has been strained for years. This may be the last chance for them both to heal.
Walking up to the front gate of her childhood home, Rachel is overwhelmed with memories: of hazy summers playing with her sister, of laughter ringing through the house, of the accident which cost their father his life. After that day, Rachel’s relationship with her mother changed forever.
Rachel has never forgiven herself for what happened and it is clear Janet hasn’t either. Determined to make amends, Rachel begins to get her mother’s house in order. But hidden in the cellar, Rachel unearths a devastating secret. A faded photograph and a tarnished necklace are the only clues to unravelling a secret that should have remained hidden.
Can Rachel unravel the mystery when it has the power to destroy her family? And when she finally discovers the truth, will it destroy everything she has ever known?
A completely addictive and heartwrenching story about deception and the secrets that lie behind a seemingly ordinary family. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Barbara O’Neal and The Silent Daughter
Author Bio:
Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a master’s in journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing… fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.
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A killer is targeting women with young children. The children are left unharmed but the mothers die violently in front of them. Detective Madison Harper has a new partner to contend with but remains as dedicated as ever to the pursuit of justice.
Catch Her Death is the 5th book to feature Madison Harper. She has been on a pretty big life journey. So has Nate with whom I was eager for their friendship to blossom into romance.
Mothers are being killed in front of their children. The hook into the plot is instant and emotive as we think of the innocent children witnessing something so brutal and tragic. Mixed into this are the searing emotional responses of the families discovering the death of a loved one and anticipating the trauma of the children.
Madison has a new professional relationship to negotiate. Adams rubs her up the wrong way and their partnership gets off to a very rocky start. Meanwhile her son and Nate have new career prospects as a PI/lawyer but this also has a tension created by an overtone of danger.
The plot is quite fast moving and carefully mixes the personal and professional realms of Madison and the other male characters. Madison’s father moves to centre stage as it becomes clear that an old case may have a direct link to the present day.
Catch Her Death is an enjoyable crime and detective thriller.
I have previously reviewed Cry For Help and Little Girl Taken (books 2 and 3 in the series).
Catch Her Death: A jaw-dropping and absolutely gripping crime thriller (Detective Madison Harper Book 5)
“Mommy, wake-up,” he cries, pulling at her beautiful blonde hair. She’s silent, and her skin is deathly white. Tears roll down his cheeks as he realizes something is very wrong…
As snow falls on the small town of Lost Creek, Colorado, a three-year-old boy is found playing quietly in his car seat, his mother, cold as ice, slumped against the steering wheel in front. Tearing herself away from reconnecting with her special agent father who abandoned her for his career, Detective Madison Harper is haunted by the fear in the boy’s sky-blue eyes, and vows to find justice for this innocent child, left motherless just days before Christmas.
Madison works around the clock on her only clue: a perfect circle of clean glass found on the car’s rear window. But she’s stopped in her tracks the moment another mother is found dead outside a church during Midnight Mass, her young boy left sucking his thumb on the frozen ground beside her. It can’t be a coincidence.
The need to spare the children might hint to the suspect being a woman, but the deeper Madison digs, the closer she gets to a serial killer her own father spent a lifetime chasing. Has the killer followed her father here? Could Madison, single mother to a son herself, be next?
As a blizzard closes in, wreaking havoc on the investigation, Madison hits the same dead ends her father did all those years ago. But when her closest friend goes missing, Madison must dive into the mind of this twisted soul and risk it all to stop another heart-shattering tragedy. But will she make it in time?
An absolutely gripping read that will get your pulse pounding! Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.
About Wendy Dranfield
Wendy is the bestselling author of the Detective Madison Harper crime series.
She is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer who writes a mixture of standalone thrillers, crime series and short stories. Some of her books have been shortlisted for various writing competitions and awards, including the Mslexia novel writing competition and the International Thriller Writer Awards.
You can find more information on her website: wendydranfield.co.uk
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Instagram: @wendy_dranfield
