A serial killer in loose in New York, killing pregnant women and stealing their babies. The Giver wants to create clones and excels at medical research, no matter the cost in human lives.
Doctor Chris Ravello is mourning the murder of his mother and is determined to join the police to protect other families from the same pain. His personal life is in tatters as his family adjust to the lower financial situation and the change to working conditions. Can he catch the killer an justify his career change to himself and his family?
I haven’t read a medical thriller in a long time and had forgotten how much I LOVE THEM! My teenage years were spent with Michael Crichton and Robin Cook and this book brought me into the modern day with cloning and stem cell research. I liked the way that author William Rubin has cleverly merged the medical thriller and police procedural genres in Forbidden Birth.
The Giver is a sinister genius and sees himself as the nemesis of Chris Ravello. The ethical issues of cloning are portrayed in an interesting way and the advancement of human knowledge is a scary but relevant topic.
The book is written in short chapters to maintain the momentum of the grisly plot. There is graphic detail of the murders and medical procedures as well as autopsies but they are handled objectively and clinically rather than gratuitously.
The ending was dramatic but had a different focus which I enjoyed but I found it lacked credibility so didn’t quite meet the high standard of the rest of the book in my opinion. I definitely intend to check out the first book and have just found out that there are 14 books in this series!
Forbidden Birth book blurb
Unspeakable medical procedures. A crazed serial killer. Who will protect the innocent and at what cost?
Doctor Christopher Ravello is driven by an unquenchable desire to avenge his mother’s senseless murder. He forsakes a lucrative career in medicine, and plunges headlong into the brutal, unforgiving world of a New York City homicide detective. Head of the new Division of Medical Crimes, Ravello’s first case pits him against a brilliant, sadistic serial killer. Known only as The Giver, he is hell bent on subjecting young women and their unborn babies to his illicit experiments.
As the body count rises, New York City is engulfed in fear. Fighting an illness which threatens his job, immersed in turmoil at home due to his radical career change, Ravello struggles to understand who The Giver is and where he will strike next. Just as he discovers the killer’s identity the unspeakable happens, and Ravello is confronted with an agonizing choice: will he play it safe or make the ultimate sacrifice to save his loved ones and the city he is sworn to protect and serve?
I love Faith Martin’s murder mystery novels so jumped at the chance to read a new series with a strong romance element (and still a cracking mystery to solve!) The books all work as standalone novels but are set in the same location.
Oriana leaves prison after serving a sentence for a murder she did not commit. She is determined to clear her name and hires a bodyguard as she fears her life is in danger from the real killer. She returns to her home village and reconnects with her best friend Mercedes and true love Lowell, siblings to the man she was convicted of killing.
I absolutely loved The Lying Game. Oriana is a determined and passionate woman, focussed on getting justice for herself and the victim’s family by discovering the truth.
There was a healthy dash of romance between Oriana and Lowell, and also Mercedes and Connor. Sex scenes were included but they were not overly graphic and fitted into the story naturally.
It is easy to identify the murderer and by the second half we are left in no doubt at all with sections showing us the actions they take to protect themself. However, the motive is not revealed until the very end.
The style of writing is easy to read and the danger that various characters faced felt realistic. The inclusion of the romance brings an extra dimension that made the book even more enjoyable that the usual high standard I expect from this author.
The Lying Game was quite a quick read but then I couldn’t put it down so that might be the reason!
I have previously reviewed several books by Faith Martin but the most recent are Hillary’s Back! and The Lavender Lady.
The Lying Game book blurb
Oriana Foster is released from prison thirteen years after being jailed for a murder she didn’t commit. She returns to her home village in Oxfordshire determined to discover the real killer of her boyfriend Rollo Seton. With a secret fortune from an unknown benefactor, and protection by rough and ready bodyguard, Connor O’Dell, Oriana sets out to uncover the truth about the night that Rollo died.
Things get more complicated when Oriana comes face to face with Rollo’s brother, who was the real love of her life, and Connor falls for her former best friend, Mercedes Seton. Meanwhile, could Rollo’s murderer be plotting to claim another victim?
About the author
Maxine Barry is the romance novel pen name used by Faith Martin who is the two-million-selling author of the DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE and JENNY STARLING mysteries, which have topped the global best-seller charts. She was born in Oxford, and has spent all her life within twenty miles of the university city, even working at Somerville College for five years before turning to writing full-time.
The author of the popular DI Hillary Greene novels, she also writes more classic-style ‘whodunits’ under the pen name Joyce Cato, but began her writing career as Maxine Barry, winning an award for penning romance novels! A popular writer for over 25 years, she has had nearly 50 novels published so far. Her hobbies include walking her now ageing dog, wildlife-watching, reading and (reluctantly) gardening.
Kate O’Rourke moves from Dublin to Sandy Cove to take over the role of doctor. The small country practice is a world away from her busy city experience to date. But she is keen to enjoy the local area as her recently deceased father’s family originated from the area and it makes her feel close to him.
Love is in the air when Kate meets local healer Cormac O’Shea but they antagonise each other as she relies on science while he is more holistic. Will hearts win out over heads?
This is my third visit to Sandy Cove and Wild Rose Bay, and the 5th book in Susanne O’Leary’s beautiful series set in Ireland. Once again I was pulled in to the setting and could easily imagine the power of the landscape and the lilting Irish tones. We do see occasional glimpses of characters form the preceding books but this would work perfectly as a stand alone novel.
Kate is a strong lead character and needs to navigate the tricky path of a small rural community adapting to a young female doctor. She is grief stricken following the death of her father, the doctor who inspired her. She is unhappy with the clinical sterility of being a city doctor and wants to have the time and opportunity to provide a more personal medical service to her patients.
Yet, her scientific side comes to the fore in her dealings with Cormac who is the seventh son of a seventh son and is believed to have magical healing powers. There is a spark between the couple but their polar opposite opinions get in the way (opposites attract?)
Memories of Willow House is a light hearted feel good novel but also a strangely powerful story of staying true to yourself and accepting the differences in others.
Publication Day Media Kit
Title: Memories of Wild Rose Bay
Author: Susanne O’Leary
Publication Day: August 6th 2020
Buy Links:
Description:
A feel-good love story about taking chances and finding yourself, set under the endless, twinkling stars of the Wild Atlantic Way.
When Kate O’Rourke takes up a temporary position as a doctor in Sandy Cove, she hopes spending time in the place where her father was from will help her find herself again. Ever since his passing she has felt lost, but she imagines the calming sound of the sea on the Irish coast will allow her to heal.
Kate immediately feels at home in the old surgery, and as she takes walks beside the camellia bushes along Wild Rose Bay and meets every resident in the tiny village, she feels like this is where she’s meant to be. And when she’s told about local healer Cormac O’Shea, she’s excited to learn even more about the history of the area, and meet the man who every woman in town says is so charming.
But Kate quickly realises that she and Cormac have different ideas about how their patients should be treated. Kate is efficient and well-organised, whilst Cormac is wild and spontaneous, passionate about his ancestors’ reliance on Irish healing. And their differences cause more sparks than Kate is prepared to admit.
Just as Kate and Cormac begin to understand one another, Kate’s old life threatens to call her away from Sandy Cove forever. And she is finally forced to decide what life she wants to lead, and what kind of person she wants to be…
A beautiful story about finding love in Ireland, Memories of Wild Rose Bay is a gorgeously uplifting read. Fans of Debbie Macomber, Sheila O’Flanagan and Mary Alice Monroe won’t stop turning the pages.
Author Bio:
Susanne O’Leary is the bestselling author of more than twenty novels, mainly in the romantic fiction genre. She has also written three crime novels and two in the historical fiction genre. She has been the wife of a diplomat (still is), a fitness teacher and a translator. Susanne now writes full-time from either of two locations, a ramshackle house in County Tipperary, Ireland or a little cottage overlooking the Atlantic in Dingle, County Kerry. When she is not scaling the mountains of said counties, or keeping fit in the local gym, she keeps writing, producing a book every six months.
Minty Taylor’s best friends have vanished along with other local children including the head teacher’s son. She finds a mysterious object that looks like a coin and her magical adventure begins when dancing wizard Mug the Wumph arrives to claim it. Can Minty save her friends from the clutches of evil wizard Grimacant…?
Mug the Wumph the Dancing Wizard is a wonderful character. Born a human, he developed magical powers which led to his estrangement from his family. The act of dancing to create magic is a lovely touch and I enjoyed his magical animals the Concur Bird and Cupro Blue (a cat).
Minty is strong willed and resourceful. She is brave and loyal too. I think that having a balance of the sexes in the two main characters will mean that boys and girls would enjoy this book equally (yes, I know it shouldn’t matter but it usually does 🙁 )
At the beginning of the book are some illustrations to help with the visualisation of the characters which is really helpful for younger readers as there are no other illustrations in the book. If you want a sneak peek, then take a look here: https://www.mugthewumph.com/characters
Mug the Wumph the Dancing Wizard is aimed at children aged 7 to 12. Matthew is 10 and would be able to read this quite easily and quickly. Anya is 7 and a more reluctant reader so she and Zach (who is only 4) enjoyed listening to me read this aloud to them. The chapters and overall length are not too daunting for developing readers, and the language used is appropriate and will hopefully encourage vocabulary progression.
There were some leaps of intuition that Minty made which I felt could have been explored in more detail and perhaps more clues given to bring the reader along too. I did have a few questions such as what does Wumph mean? Is it a magical term? I wanted to meet more of the magical community and find out more about their way of life but I suspect this will feature in later books.
The plot of Mug the Wumph the Dancing Wizard is engaging and fun for adults and children. I really enjoyed the scenes with the rainbow bus which were particularly easy to imagine and my kids liked this too.
There is plenty of potential for at least one sequel and I look forward to reading more of Minty and Mug the Wumph’s adventures in the future.
Mug the Wumph the Dancing Wizard book blurb
12-year-old Minty Taylor is a daydreamer.
She loves to lose herself in her own imagination and artwork of fantasy characters.
She is struggling with loneliness at school, after two of her closest friends are among twelve pupils, who mysteriously disappear during an Orienteering lesson overseen by bumbling supply teacher Mr Crumpler.
Then one day, Minty discovers a unique ten-sided copper coin, inscribed with the words “Quaerite et Invenietis.” Taken by its beauty, though others think it is just “tat”, she picks it up and holds onto it for safe keeping.
Later that night, while she is struggling to sleep because of the summer heat, she remembers the coin, and tosses it into the air.
Without realising it, she has summoned Mug the Wumph the Dancing Wizard, Cupro Blue his faithful cat and the magical Concur Bird, who arrive in Minty’s road on a small blue floating carpet.
What unfolds is an epic magical adventure.
Mug the Wumph is convinced that Grimacant, an evil wizard who lives on the other side of Wild Boar Wood is up to no good.
Is the disappearance of Minty’s best friends and her other classmates just a co-incidence or is Grimacant stripping them of their memories and using them to his own end?
And how does Mr Crumpler fit into everything?
Mug the Wumph is a magical tale of dancing wizardry, beautiful music and the imagination and bravery of a 12-year-old girl put to good use to help save the children from Primrose Valley Comprehensive.
About the author:
Nicola J Rowley is an Author, Photographer and Communications expert.
She has written two Children’s Picture Books, James and the Amazing Gift and the award-winning James and the Birthday Balloon, (Red Ribbon Award – The Wishing Shelf Awards 2017, Children’s Book of the Year 2017 Online Book Club).
Nicola was born in Basildon in Essex and credits having some great teachers at primary and secondary school who both inspired and helped nurture her love of the written word.
From the age of seven, when her aunt asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she answered, “A writer or a poet”.
Nicola studied Journalism and Sociology at City University in London so that she could become a journalist and write. She fell in love with broadcasting and instead became a radio newsreader, TV producer and reporter, before moving into Communications.
In between it all, she also launched her own successful photography business, which she still runs today, specialising in weddings and commercial imagery.
When her son was born in 2014, within weeks she started reading to him. It was from seeing his enjoyment from turning the pages, learning new words and going on special adventures, which inspired her to write her first book; James and the Amazing Gift.
Nicola lives in Hersham, Surrey with her husband and son.
Alys finds herself with an adult daughter and a selfish husband who makes her redundant from her job. She feels like life has passed her by. Her daughter in on the brink of a new career as a chef and Esme’s dreams make Alys regretful that she achieved none of her own.
But then Alys meets the restaurant owner’s husband Sam and it is her first husband who almost died in a car crash over 20 years ago. He didn’t want Alys to live with an invalid so left her in the hope that she would chase her dreams. Can she follow her heart now…?
The Wife’s Choice was completely compelling. I was so caught up in Alys’ story and was anxious for her to have a happy ending. I always say it is the sign of a good book when it makes you feel strongly towards a character. I was incredibly angry with Hugh’s behaviour, the continual put downs, destroying her confidence, and later, the outright lies.
The characters are all realistic and Alys’ vulnerability is endearing although I also wanted to shout at her to stand up for herself! I could understand the choices that the characters made, whether through love, jealousy or fear
The Wife’s Choice is filled with sadness and regret yet it is also uplifting as Alys rediscovers her passions and dreams. I think the message of this book is loud and clear: don’t sacrifice your happiness out of fear or loyalty, and always be true to yourself. I will definitely try!
Emma Davies Media Kit:
Title: The Wife’s Choice
Publication Day: August 4th 2020
Author: Emma Davies
Buy Links:
Description:
Tell your most devastating secret, or risk losing your only daughter…
Then: Twenty years ago, Alys’ husband, Sam, was in a terrible car accident that left him fighting for his life. His recovery was slow and painful and, just at the point when Alys began to hope, he sent her away, refusing to see her ever again for reasons she could never understand.
Now: Married again and living in a new town with a new family, Alys feels like she’s sleepwalking through life. She’s just lost her job, her grown-up daughter is flying the nest, and her new husband doesn’t see – or even seem to care about – the downward spiral she is in.
But a chance encounter changes everything. As the life she could have had crashes into the one she settled for, Alys must decide whether or not to reveal the lie she’s been telling everyone all these years. Will it tear apart the ones she loves, or could it set them free?
The Wife’s Choice is an emotional, page-turning family drama about the difficult choices and sacrifices we make to protect the ones we love. Perfect for fans of Amanda Prowse, Kerry Fisher and Jodi Picoult.
Author Bio:
After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: ‘I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’ Well the job in the design studio didn’t work out but she’s now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.
After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It’s a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea.
Author Social Media Links:
Pop over to her website www.emmadaviesauthor.com where, amongst other things, you can read about her passion for Pringles and singing loudly in the car. You can also wave to her on twitter @EmDaviesAuthor / https://twitter.com/EmDaviesAuthor or find her on Facebook (a little too often than is good for her): https://www.facebook.com/emmadaviesauthor/
