Mike and Susan are a couple in their 50s. The spark has gone out of their marriage but the love remains. Zack and Chloe are two strangers who both receive heart transplants but have strange sensations that they think are memories from their new hearts…
The Crash is a real emotional rollercoaster!
Zack has an horrific accident with a chainsaw while Chloe has lived with a congenital heart conditon since birth. Both are lucky enough to receive donor hearts which enable them to live full lives again. Yet they both feel a strangely emotional pull out of their comfort zone.
Can organs retain memory? Can love transcend death? Fascinating questions dealt with in a really engaging way. Organ donation is such an important yet sensitive topic and I loved the use of it as a basis for a novel. I hope this encourages discussion about the incredible life changing effect it can have.
The plot is delivered in a non linear, dual timeline way. We see the multiple perspectives of Mike, Susan, Zack and Chloe which gives us a wonderful emotional link to all four characters. I really felt that I knew the characters and wanted them to have a happy ending even though I knew what had happened to the older pair.
The Crash is a wonderfully written book about the enduring power of love, and the plot about organ donation gripped my heart (pun intended)
I have previously reviewed The Girl Who Wouldn’t Leave by Catherine Miller.
MEDIA PACK
The Crash: An absolutely unputdownable and heartbreaking page-turner by Catherine Miller
A split-second decision can change everything…
At the edge of a forest, a husband and wife are driving through the winding lanes. When a song comes on the radio, the song that brought the high-school sweethearts together on a dancefloor forty years ago, they turn to each other. That split second – a stolen glance as memories wash over them – is one of their last. Moments later, their car crashes.
Yet from tragedy, comes hope…
Two strangers lie in hospital, their lives hanging in the balance. After a near-fatal accident, it’s a miracle that Zach survived. And with a life-long heart condition, Chloe didn’t think she would make it past her twenties.
But that day, Chloe and Zach’s lives are saved when they each receive a heart. Gifted a rare second chance, it’s up to them not to waste it – to make the most of every moment.
They don’t know it, but they are inextricably linked. And until Chloe and Zach find one another – two hearts searching for their missing part – their new lives can never begin… Will they be able to find each other before it’s too late?
An absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking tale that will make you reach for the tissues but ultimately leave you with a smile. Fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain will fall head over heels for this emotional and unforgettable story about making every second count.
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About the author
When Catherine Miller became a mum to twins, she decided her hands weren’t full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment she managed to find. By the time the twins were two, Catherine had a two-book deal with Carina UK. Her debut novel, Waiting For You, came out in March 2016.
Catherine was a NHS physiotherapist, but for health reasons she retired early from this career. As she loved her physiotherapy job, she decided if she couldn’t do that she would pursue her writing dream. It took a few years and a couple of babies, but in 2015 she won the Katie Fforde bursary, was a finalist in the London Book Fair Write Stuff Competition and highly commended in Woman magazine’s writing competition. Since then she’s had four novels published.
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A serial killer is on the loose, attacking people at a lakeside retreat. DCI Alice Rossi is called in to investigate when it becomes clear that the perpetrator is the Mad Hatter killer who has been her nemesis for a number of murders. Now the Mad Hatter openly declares that Alice will be among the next victims…
The Ash Lake Murders is the first book in a new series featuring DCI Alice Rossi. There seems to be an established history with the Mad Hatter killer but we are caught up on enough detail to make this completely gripping.
The book begins with Callum being held by a mystery woman. She kills hims and disposes of his body with a mind to revealing a previous murder. I was instantly engaged with the plot and interested by the female serial killer. We then meet Alice who seems like a nice person so I wanted to know why the Mad Hatter has a vendetta agains her.
The plot kept me guessing and the pace is quite fast. Tension is maintained and our dread that something might happen to Alice is cleverly created and sustained. The author shows us the emotion of the murder victims’ families as they wait for news but also Alice as she struggles to cope with reminders of her abusive ex.
The Ash Lake Murders was a gripping detective murder mystery and a great start to a new series. I can’t wait for the next book!
The Ash Lake Murders
MEET DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES.
A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish.
A female serial killer with a deadly agenda. The detective who must stop her. Luxury holiday lodges in the stunning Peak District. The game begins . . .
Callum is lured to an isolated boathouse by an attractive older woman. When she gets him alone, she knocks him out with a single blow. As he wakes up, her voice comes out of the darkness, “You’re a sprat to catch a mackerel.”
Surrounded by hills and lakes, Still Waters is home to a close-knit community of wealthy retirees. It’s an unlikely setting for violence. The police don’t take Callum’s disappearance seriously: he’s 24-years-old, after all. But Callum’s mother, a Still Waters resident, knows that something is very wrong.
Then a body is discovered floating in the lake. Head bashed in. But it’s not Callum.
And someone tweets: Come out to play one last time, Alice. Still Waters run deep. #MadHatter.
That’s when DCI Alice Rossi is called in. She’s back.
IT’S A CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME BETWEEN AN OBSESSED KILLER AND A DETERMINED DETECTIVE IN THIS GRIPPING MYSTERY FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS.
Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths, J.M. Dalgliesh, Steph Broadribb or Patricia Gibney.
READERS LOVE HELEN H. DURRANT:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Another first-class read from Helen H. Durrant.” Iain
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A satisfying and enjoyable read.” Carol S.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow . . . this will keep you on the edge of your seat. Brilliant story from this author.” Booklover Bev
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Loved it. Read it in one sitting.” Aileen G.
THE DETECTIVE
DCI Alice Rossi of Greater Manchester’s Serious Crime Squad has served with the police for the past twenty-nine years. Since the death of her husband, Paul, six years ago, she has lived alone in a large, three-storey Edwardian terrace on the outskirts of Manchester. Her grown-up son lives in Edinburgh with his family. Alice is about to retire — but she’s not looking forward to it. Since her husband died, work has been her mainstay, not because she misses Paul — he was a bad man — but because it keeps her dark thoughts at bay.
ALSO BY HELEN H. DURRANT
DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI
Book 1: THE ASH LAKE MURDERS
DETECTIVE RACHEL KING
Book 1: NEXT VICTIM
Book 2: TWO VICTIMS
Book 3: WRONG VICTIM
Book 4: FORGOTTEN VICTIM
Book 5: LAST VICTIM
THE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: DEAD WRONG
Book 2: DEAD SILENT
Book 3: DEAD LIST
Book 4: DEAD LOST
Book 5: DEAD & BURIED
Book 6: DEAD NASTY
Book 7: DEAD JEALOUS
Book 8: DEAD BAD
Book 9: DEAD GUILTY
Book 10: DEAD WICKED
Book 11: DEAD SORRY
THE DCI GRECO BOOKS
Book 1: DARK MURDER
Book 2: DARK HOUSES
Book 3: DARK TRADE
Book 4: DARK ANGEL
MATT BRINDLE
Book 1: HIS THIRD VICTIM
Book 2: THE OTHER VICTIM
DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE
Book 1: THE GUILTY MAN
Book 2: THE FACELESS MAN
5 year old Christine is rescued from a river and has no memory how she ended up there. Over two decades later, Christine struggles with panic attacks and is unsettled by the arrival of Jessica in her advertising agency. She starts to see a hypnotherapist and begins to remember the day by the river, but what is the connection to Jessica…?
After The Wedding is a psychological thriller set in Ireland.
Christine has misgivings about new employee Jessica and especially doesn’t trust her around her husband Richard. Their business takes a down turn and their circumstances change, bringing Richard and Jessica together and pushing Christine away. Christine begins to suffer panic attacks and is sure that Jessica has some link to the repressed memories of the river incident.
I felt quite emotional for Christine as she comes to terms with the past and tries to cling on to her marriage. She is easy to like and I was frustrated with Richard for not supporting her as she relives her trauma. I liked the mystery of the link between Christine and Jessica. The author cleverly puts us on Christine’s side as she doubts her husband and distrusts Jessica. Combined with this, we see how Christine is affected by the past and the memories that are finally coming back.
Towards the middle of the book, the book skips ahead 15 months and we see Jessica in a different situation which changes direction of the book completely as we wonder what developments have happened in the meantime. I thought this was a great twist to change the momentum of the plot and offer an alternative perspective on events.
After The Wedding is an enjoyable psychological thriller and I liked the mystery about the past.
MEDIA PACK Info Sheet
Author: Laura Elliot
Book: After the Wedding
Publication Day: 24/03/2022
Description:
Everyone said she was the prettiest flower girl. But now her dress lies on the floor. It’s wet and torn, her shoes are lost. ‘Tell us what happened to you?’ her daddy sobs. Christine shakes her head. All she can remember are the red rose petals scattering like drops of blood spilling to the ground.
When Christine Lewis was a little girl, she witnessed something terrible at a wedding and buried it so deep in her memory, she managed to forget it ever happened.
Years later, Jessica Newman walks into the successful advertising agency Christine runs with her husband. Jessica is beautiful and excellent at her job but her presence triggers disturbing memories for Christine. Fragments of the wedding are starting to flicker in her mind and an unexplainable ball of dread begins to form in Christine’s stomach. Jessica is slowly beginning to destroy Christine’s marriage and her business. Why can’t anyone else see it?
Christine and Jessica’s lives were connected long before they set eyes on one another. But in unlocking the mystery of what happened at the wedding all those years ago, is Christine prepared for the truth she’s about to find?
An absolutely gripping and emotional page-turner packed with suspense that will have you completely hooked. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding.
Author Bio:
Laura Elliot lives in Malahide, a picturesque, coastal village in Dublin, Ireland. She enjoys writing psychological thrillers — in the UK she is published by Bookouture, Sphere and Avon — and by Grand Central Publishing in the US. Her novels have also been widely translated.
AKA June Considine, she has written twelve books for children and young adults. In her earlier career, she worked as a journalist and magazine editor.
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(@Elliot_Laura)
Harry Bowers is convinced his wife is having an affair. After a confrontation with the man in question, Harry disappears. DS Sunita Roy and DCI Gavin Roscoe begin to investigate but is Harry missing or murdered?
Murder on Oxford Lane is the first in a new series and introduces us to two new lead detectives.
I found myself instantly drawn into the plot. We begin with the incident where Harry confronts his wife’s lover and I felt that the writing style made the characters and location come to life. The detectives are then introduced when they are informed that Harry has gone missing. A note seems to suggest he went voluntarily and his business dealings offer an alternative to a personal motive for leaving. I liked the mix of twists in the case alongside getting to know the detectives and their personal circumstances.
Sunita has personal issues as well as an ex boyfriend stalks her. She doesn’t want to alert her boss as she feels her position within the team is precarious due to her race and gender. She is obviously reluctant to appear weak within the team and is anxious not to let her personal life interfere with her commitment to the case. Gavin is also really easy to like. He has a settled home life which is a bit unusual for a detective!
Murder on Oxford Lane is a very enjoyable murder mystery and a great start to a new series.
Murder On Oxford Lane
The peace of a Midlands village is upset when local businessman Harry Bowers doesn’t return from choir practice. More concerned than the man’s own wife, it would seem, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Sunita Roy becomes convinced he has met a sinister end.
There is no trace of the man – just a litany of evidence of an ailing marriage and a nose-diving business venture.
In charge of her first serious case, DS Roy will struggle to win the respect of her colleagues – in particular, her Brummie boss, DCI Gavin Roscoe. All that whilst fighting off the attentions of an increasingly desperate suitor.
Who had it in for the chorister? And is Roy tough enough to break down the defences and prejudices of Middle England? MURDER ON OXFORD LANE is the first book in a series of crime fiction titles by Tony Bassett.
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Author Bio –
Tony Bassett, a former Fleet Street journalist, has written a gripping series of crime novels set in the Midlands. The second book in this Midlands crime series, The Crossbow Stalker, will be released shortly. Tony decided to set this string of novels in Warwickshire and Worcestershire after spending many happy years working as a newspaper reporter in Worcester.
He first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he and a friend produced a magazine called the Globe at their junior school in Sevenoaks, Kent.
At Hull University, Tony was named student journalist of the year in 1971 in a competition run by Time-Life magazine and went onto become a national newspaper journalist, mainly working for the Sunday People in both its newsroom and investigations department.
His very first book to be published, the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway, was released in December 2018. It concerns a Kent couple who harbour a stowaway and then battle to clear his name when he is charged with murder.
Then, in March 2020, the spy novel The Lazarus Charter, was released. It involves foreign agents operating in the UK. The book has kindly been endorsed by Marina Litvinenko, widow of the murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, and by Stan and Caroline Sturgess, parents of the innocent mother-of-three poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in 2018.
Tony, who has written at least four other novels which are as yet unpublished, has five grown-up children. He is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin.
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Erica urgently travels to St Lucia to see her mother who has dementia. She is shocked by the deterioration in Ione’s condition and wants her to move back to England so she can care for her. But in her moments of lucidity, Ione is adamant that she will stay on St Lucia.
My Mother’s Gift is an emotional novel about mother-daughter relationships and the difficult conversations and decisons as we grow older.
Erica is a deputy head with plenty of responsibility. She is also a mum to Millie. But when she gets the call for help, she dashes to her mother’s side. Her mother’s dementia is significantly worse and there are violent episodes. Erica dwells on events from the past: her mother’s tumultuous relationship with Mr Frank and her own failed romance.
Erica’s guilt, pain and sense of duty felt terribly authentic. I think most of us have some knowledge of dementia and the physical limitations that develop with age, or else we can imagine the pain and responsibility we would feel if our parents needed extra care.
The geography, culture and language of St Lucia are beautifully brought to life through the descriptions and dialogue. I felt immersed in the plot and a real emotional connection to Erica as she strives to deal with a fraught situation with love and compassion.
My Mother’s Gift is a wonderfully written book that is often hard to read due to the depth of emotion that it evokes.
I have previously reviewed This Other Island by Steffanie Edward.
Can your heart belong somewhere that you’ve never called home?
When Erica gets a phone call to say her mother, Ione, is ill in St Lucia, she knows she must go to her. Though the island – the place of her mother’s birth – is somewhere that Erica has never seen as her homeland.
Even when the plane touches down in the tropical paradise, with its palm trees swaying in the island breeze, the sound of accents so like her mother’s own calling loud in the air, Erica doesn’t find herself wanting to stay a moment longer than she has to.
But stepping into her mother’s house, she is shocked by what she finds. Her mother’s memory is fading, her once-immaculate house is now dirty and messy, and she’s refusing help from anyone but family. And Erica knows she must stay with her, even though it means leaving everything else behind.
What she doesn’t know is that – even as her mother’s memories get worse – Ione still has a final gift for her daughter. Because the unspoken secrets of their past are about to emerge, changing everything Erica thought she knew about her mother, her home, and who she really is…
A captivating tale of grief, love, and what it means to find home, perfect for fans of Andrea Levy, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.
Author Bio:
Steffanie Edward was born in St Lucia, brought up in London and now straddles between the two.
Anancy, Crick-crick and other Caribbean folk stories have been a part of her life since childhood. In her late teens she enjoyed reading Susan Howatch and books on slavery. Steffanie’s absolute favourite reads have been Wild Seed by Octavia E Butler, and Woman At Point Zero by Naawal El Saadawi.
Her writing career started with short stories, five of which have been published. Her first attempt at writing a novel was over twenty years ago, whilst living and working in Abu Dhabi. That novel, Yvette, didn’t make it into print, but the main protagonist, Yvette, has muscled her way into Steffanie’s debut novel, This Other Island.
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