Lissa has a terrible home life, neglected by her parents. But she accepts and copes with this until her school life is ruined by the arrival of a bully. She decides to free herself from her misery by killing the bully but can she get away with it and what lessons will it teach her for the future?
The Nurse is a mix of psychological thriller, domestic drama, and crime thriller.
The book is written from the first person perspective of Lissa so we are instantly aligned with her despite her murderous intentions. Aged just 10, she has endured terrible neglect from her parents. This abuse has made her self reliant and so when confronted by a bully she knows she has to take action herself rather than relying on an adult’s help.
Moving forward through the years, Lissa is forced to rely on her wits and made difficult decisions to protect herself. Although Lissa commits terrible things, I couldn’t help but like her for her inner strength. Her chosen career as a nurse puts her in contact with the public and that instantly put me on edge as I worried who would offend or frustrate her next.
The writing style is easy to read and the plot twists just keep coming! I thought the pace was a good speed and suited the book’s content and the character development of Lissa.
The Nurse is a tense and enthralling book about a deeply traumatised child who becomes a dangerously flawed adult.
The Nurse
Do No Harm…
Bullied, overlooked and under-appreciated, Lissa McColl learns at an early age to do very bad things.
As a nurse, she is respected and valued for the first time in her life. But Lissa hates her job and the selfish, rude and inconsiderate people she has to deal with.
But being underestimated in this job had its advantages. Lissa can get close to people, find out their secrets… sometimes with deadly results…
Author bio-
Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now livesin Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood will be published in August 2022.
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Beth’s husband announces he wants them to separate on the night after they drop off their daughter at university. He heads off to Paris leaving Beth to cope alone. She sees an advert for an apartment in Rome where she will be challenged to rediscover herself and prepare to face whatever the future holds…
The Rome Apartment is a book about re-evaluating your life and trying new things. It is set in the UK and Italy in the present day.
Seventy something Ronnie and her friend Marina have been inspired by their life in Rome and are eager to show the joys of the city to other women struggling with life. Beth has an empty nest and finds her husband is fed up with their marriage. She needs to find herself again rather than being just a mum and wife so accepts the opportunity to visit Rome and face Ronnie’s challenges designed to inspire her.
I was absolutely incandescent with rage at the selfishness of Beth’s husband and daughter. Neither showed any gratitude for the sacrifices that Beth has made even though she willingly gave up everything for them. Even when she tries to find herself, they are still trying to hold her back and made demands of her. I felt totally invested in Beth’s journey and was keen for her to find happiness within herself.
The geographical setting is absolutely vividly described. Rome is high on my bucket list but I almost felt transported there as Beth explores the city. Ronnie and Marina are interesting secondary characters, pushing Beth out of her comfort zone for her own good but not without their own histories. The ending felt a little abrupt and I wanted to know what happens to Beth next.
The Rome Apartment is a richly descriptive book as well as a massive emotional journey. The second book in the series, Secrets at the Rome Apartment is also available now (blurb below)
As I stood on the terrace and gazed out over the most glorious view, he studied my face and said to me ‘Why do you look sad? No-one should be sad in Rome. We only have this one life, you know. Don’t waste it.’
Beth stands in the sunshine outside the magnificent wrought-iron gates of Villa Alba holding her suitcase. Only a few short months ago, she dropped her beloved only daughter off at college, holding back tears at the thought of an empty nest… clinging to the thought of the new chapter that she and her husband Joel could now begin together. But that same day, Joel dropped a bombshell. He thinks their marriage is stale, and wants a break; he says that Beth is no longer the same woman he fell in love with…
Searching for an escape, Beth spots an ad in a magazine for an apartment in Rome that is available for three months rental only to ‘an English woman of a certain age’. She reads on… Veronica, the 75-year-old owner, challenges her guests to rediscover themselves, find joy, and live life to the full – and there is no better place to do these things than in Rome, the most beautiful city in the world.
Ronnie sets Beth a list of tasks, forcing her to slow down and find beauty in every corner of the city: the sun on a stained glass window, a fragrant bunch of the freshest basil, a painting in a hidden courtyard. But her final task is the most challenging of all: to go out on a date with an unsuitable man.
But handsome and adventurous musician Rico, unsuitable in almost every way, may turn out to be just the right man to bring Beth back to life. With her break from Joel coming to an end, can Beth risk embracing the new life of exciting possibilities that Rome has opened up to her, even if it means losing everything?
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
Secrets at the Rome Apartment (The Italian Escape Series Book 2) – https://geni.us/B0C37N5YZQsocial
Everyone has something to hide. Back then, I was a young woman, without the imagination to know how it would all end, and how the terrible consequences of the choices I made would echo down the years…
75-year-old Ronnie has made it her mission to help women of a certain age rediscover themselves. The owner of a palazzo in Rome, she has left her troubled past behind and reinvented herself in the most beautiful city in the world. And now she helps other women to do the same. Renting out her spare apartment for three months at a time, Ronnie invites her guests to take on a series of challenges that will help them to embrace beauty and joy, to rediscover themselves and to live their lives to the full.
But Ronnie’s confident exterior hides heartbreak and closely-held secrets. Why did she leave England all those years ago and what was she running away from? How did a woman who helps others to fix their shattered lives become estranged from her very own daughter, Nadia, who has left Rome and moved to England to escape her?
As Ronnie welcomes her latest guest to the Rome apartment, Nadia appears unannounced on her doorstep – pregnant and alone. Ronnie is desperate for a chance to put things right and to be part of her precious grandchild’s life, but in order to fix her family, she will have to dig up secrets from her past that could risk destroying everything…
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
Author Bio
Kerry Fisher is an internationally bestselling author of women’s contemporary fiction, including The Woman I Was Before, The Silent Wife (USA Today bestseller) and Other People’s Marriages, as well as a non-fiction memoir, Take My Hand. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent many years living in Spain, Italy and France. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She now lives in Surrey with her husband, with an intermittent empty nest as her two young adult children come and go.
1942, land girl Nancy arrives on the island to help with the war effort. She meets injured airman Oliver but she has her own emotional scars to contend with. Present day, Libby returns to the island she grew up on. She is engulfed by memories, happy and sad, but also has to deal with the reality of meeting up again with her former love Jory…
Coming Home to the Cottage by the Sea is the fourth book in a series but the first that I have read. We meet other islanders who I presume appeared in earlier books so there may be spoilers about the outcomes of their stories.
The book has a dual timeline, set in the present day as well as during WW2. The perspective alternates with each chapter so I felt equally absorbed into the lives of both Nancy and Libby. It was easy to follow the different plotlines and developments and I really enjoyed the style of writing.
There is a huge amount of emotion in both timelines as for both main characters. However, it was Nancy and Ollie’s story that really pulled at my heartstrings. Both have been through so much physical and emotional pain in the past but are bravely fighting for what they believe in. Libby in the present is trying to forget Jory and focus on her career but forms a new friendship with an actor that could turn into more. This added a more lighthearted dimension to the book and I was keen for her to find happiness.
Coming Home to the Cottage by the Sea is an enjoyable and emotional book.
Coming Home to the Cottage by the Sea: An unputdownable and unforgettable emotional page-turner (The Island Cottage Book 4)
As Olivia watches the island grow larger on the horizon, she wonders if returning to this place was the right decision…
When Olivia Elliott decides to spend the summer on the remote Morwen Island where she grew up, she can’t help but wonder if returning home is a good idea. After all, she still remembers the heartbreak she left behind on those shores many years ago.
Back on the island, Olivia soon adjusts to life as an islander and rents a cottage for the summer. But, before long, she runs into her first love, Jory Trethewey, a handsome local boatbuilder who never left the remote community. And despite the fact she can still recall their painful breakup, Olivia finds she now can’t stop thinking about him…
When Jory offers to help Olivia fix up the cottage, the two begin to spend more time together. And as they renovate, they realise the house has its own secrets and they decide to put the past behind them and investigate its history.
Soon they uncover a story dating back to the Second World War, of a wounded airman who came to this island to hide from the world, and of the woman who fell in love with him, and risked everything to be with him…
As Olivia tries to find out what happened to the young woman and her airman, she finds herself frustrated by the lack of answers. What became of their story? Did risking everything for love work out for them? And, if it did, should she follow in the lovers’ footsteps, and finally trust her heart?
A totally heartbreaking and unputdownable read, perfect for fans of gripping family dramas, and for those who enjoy the novels of Debbie Macomber, Fiona Valpy and Nancy Thayer.
About the author
Rebecca Alexander was born in Malta and grew up on the south coast of England, becoming a psychologist. She escaped parenting six children to study writing in 2011, and the Secrets series of novels was published in 2013. A Baby’s Bones and sequel followed. Rebecca lives in a haunted 300-year-old cottage in Devon where she grows fruit, paints, and bakes. She reads and writes all sorts of genres, from women’s fiction to fantasy to crime. She is married with four chickens, two grandchildren and a cat.
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Female detectives Maud and Daisy have a new case as members of a choir start to turn up dead. All the deaths seem to be natural causes but, when the ladies receive an anonymous letter, they are convinced that there is a murderer on the loose…
Mystery in the Highlands is the third book to feature Maud and Daisy as they solve crimes in Scotland in the 1910s. I have previously read and reviewed the first two books in the series (The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency and Murder in the Scottish Hills). There are spoilers so I would advise reading the books in order.
Two deaths of reasonably young and healthy people but neither has been identified as suspicious by the authorities. Clara asks her cousin Daisy to investigate as she is sure that there is a link to the choir and its upcoming competition. Maud and Daisy arrive in the village but are unable to prevent the next death despite getting a letter from the killer. Another letter arrives and the duo urgently need to solve the clues and save a life.
There is plenty of mystery and urgency as the detective pair try to prevent any more deaths and identify the suspects and motives. Although there are multiple deaths, there is no graphic or forensic detail about the bodies. I also enjoyed the touches of humour that keep the tone light, such as ladies riding bikes and disguising themselves. Maud’s tense relationship with Lord Urquhart is once again tested when he appears at the scene of the third death.
Mystery in the Highlands is an enjoyable historical cosy murder mystery.
Book Description:
When members of a choir start dropping dead in the Highlands, Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid Daisy go undercover to discover the inharmonious culprit. But will they uncover the killer before another murder takes place?
Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud and Daisy receive a letter from Daisy’s cousin, Clara, sharing her fears that two sudden deaths in her local choir weren’t accidental, at first Daisy thinks her cousin is overreacting. But Maud’s detective senses tell her something is afoot, and so they make haste to the Highlands to investigate.
As soon as they arrive, Maud and Daisy go undercover in the choir to find potential suspects. But with one murder deemed a heart attack, and the other declared an unfortunate drowning, Maud and Daisy have their work cut out when it comes to persuading the local police that perhaps the choir isn’t as perfectly in tune as everyone thinks…
But finally they receive a clue in the form of an anonymous letter. Enclosed is a rhyme which they’re certain holds the key to the next murder…
With the clock ticking down to another death, they know they can’t miss a beat – but will Maud and Daisy solve the mysterious rhyming verse before another singer is silenced, or will this case lead to their own untimely swan song?
A gripping and unputdownable historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.
Author Bio:
Lydia Travers was born in London. She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.
Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird’s Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers’ Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.
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1940, Nurse Annie Russell finds a baby on her doorstep one night. She is keen to reunite the infant with its mother but who could it be? Her family resolve to care for the child until the mother can be found but there isn’t much time before social services will take the baby for adoption…
The Ration Book Baby is an historical novel set in the Englsih countryside during WW2.
Annie Russell and her parents are at the heart of their community so a desperate mother knows she can leave her baby safely with them. Annie is keen to find the mother to check on her welfare and support her. She has a few clues to work on but isn’t sure if it could be a local woman or someone from the Polish refugee network.
Annie’s search is supported by her parents and other locals but it is her friendship with Wing Commander Chambers from the local air base that ads another dimension to the plot. I had my fingers crossed that the pair would fall in love but when he mentions he is engaged I thought my hopes were dashed!
There is a lot of emotion in this book from the baby plot thread as we hope for a happy reunion between mother and child. The village celebrates the successes of the airmen whilst also mourning the terrible injuries and deaths. Not everyone is accepting of the Polish refugees and I liked that the author didn’t shy away from including unpleasant aspects.
I felt that the historical elements of the book gave an authentic basis for the plot and was fully immersed in the past and plot. The language and dialogue also supported the historical setting and the social conventions of the era.
The Ration Book Baby is an enjoyable, emotional, and warmly toned historical novel.
The Ration Book Baby: An utterly heart-wrenching and uplifting World War 2 saga (A Village at War) by Ellie Curzon
England, 1940. Opening the box with trembling hands, she couldn’t believe it – a tiny baby lay inside. She gently lifted the newborn as it started to cry. Cradling the little one to her chest, she searched the darkness for any sign of whoever left it here. And as she rocked the child, something fluttered to the ground… a ration book.
Nurse Annie Russell anxiously listens to the terrifying sounds of planes and gunfire overhead, worried about what the morning will bring for the patients in her care. The boys from the local airfield fly up in the skies each night, risking their lives to protect the people of Bramble Heath village, but they can’t stop every bombshell. Until a knock at the door makes her jump.
Awaiting Annie on the doorstep is a hatbox. Peeking under the lid, she gasps – inside is a whimpering newborn, round cheeks glistening with tears. The poor little thing may be all alone, but someone must truly love the baby… Tucked into a hand-knitted blanket, there’s a precious ration book, vital for food supplies in these darkest of days.
Her heart breaking, Anniedoes everything she can to care for her tiny charge. But, without a ration book, she knows that the frightened young mother could also be in dire need of help too. Then social services bring devastating news. If Annie can’t find the helpless child’s family soon, the authorities will have to take the little one away.
As the Nazi threat grows, more and more of the brave pilots at the local airbase don’t come home. Is one of the fallen the child’s father? And with her only clue leading nowhere, can Annie find the answers she needs, and reunite the innocent baby with its parents before it is too late?
A totally unputdownable and emotional historical novel that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Martha Hall Kelly and Before We Were Yours.
About the author:
Ellie Curzon is the pen name of Catherine Curzon and Helen Barrell. Catherine and Helen began writing together in the spring of 2017 and swiftly discovered a shared love of the past and a uniquely British sort of story. They drink gallons of tea, spend hours discussing the importance of good tailoring and are never at a loss for a bit of derring-do.
Catherine Curzon is an author and historian of old Hollywood and even older royalty. In addition to a series of eighteenth century biographies and a sell-out play, she has written extensively for a number of international publications, and has spoken at venues and events across the United Kingdom. Catherine lives in a haze of Dean Martin atop a steep Yorkshire hill, with a rakish gentleman and a very woolly dog.
Helen Barrell has written two books on Victorian crime, and has appeared on BBC1 and Radio 4. She loves researching family history and rummaging in libraries and archives. Originally from the south-east of England, Helen now lives somewhere in the Midlands with a large ginger cat, who resembles a Viking, and a well-stocked 1960’s cocktail bar.
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