Book Review: The Silent Twin

Title: The Silent Twin
Author: Caroline Mitchell
To Be Published: 14th April 2016
Publisher: Bookouture

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Synopsis:

I’m alone in the dark, please can you find me …

Nine-year-old twins Abigail and Olivia vow never to be parted. But when Abigail goes missing from Blackwater Farm, DC Jennifer Knight must find her before it’s too late.

Twin sister Olivia has been mute since Abigail’s disappearance. But when she whispers in Jennifer’s ear, Jennifer realises it is Abigail’s voice pleading to be found.

A damp and decaying house set in acres of desolate scrubland, the farm is a place of secrets, old and new – and Jennifer must unravel them all in order to find the lost girl. But could Olivia’s bond with her twin hold the key to finding Abigail? And can Jennifer break through her silence in time to save her sister’s life?

I was absolutely hooked right from the very start.  An interesting plot and I really enjoyed the supernatural twist. You seamlessly get pulled in to each character so you feel like you know them really well… but be prepared that nothing is ever as it first appears to be!

Complex, dark and utterly compelling. It takes a skilled writer to capture emotion so perfectly, with action that effortlessly flew me from start to finish I can’t remember the last time I read a book so quickly! DC Jennifer Knight is a fantastic character, so likeable as I understood her caring nature and happily traveled alongside her as she tried to fit misshapen jigsaw pieces together to find Abigail. This book contains some seriously edge-of-your-seat stuff… be prepared for the ride!

The only reason I have given 4 instead of 5 stars is that I was DESPERATE for there to have been more depth to the paranormal angle as it was soooo intriguing!

Let me know what you thought of the book! Did you love the paranormal slant?

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Book Review: The Girl You Lost

Title: The Girl You Lost
Author: Kathryn Croft
To Be Published: 5th February 2016
Publisher: Bookouture

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kathryn Croft and Bookouture for the ARC in return for an honest review. 

Eighteen years ago Simone Porter’s gorgeous baby girl, Helena, was abducted when she was just six month’s old. Simone and Matt supported one another through the following years of grief and torment, staying together and praying that one day they would find out what happened to their daughter.

And then a young woman named Grace tracks Simone down and tells her that she has information about Helena. Can Grace be trusted? Before she can decide, Grace disappears without a trace. Simone embarks on a journey to try and find the woman who might be the key to finding Helena but the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her journey becomes…

This book is nothing short of mind-blowing because there is no doubt you will be kept guessing right until the very end. The dark theme of child abduction had me gripped from the first few pages, and at no point does the story disappoint. Love a good twist? Then this is the ULTIMATE thriller for you and you need to buy this when it comes out shortly on the 5th of February!

Your perceptions will change throughout the book, it’s a whirlwind of betrayal, deception and hope. A fantastic plot which makes you question your sense of right and wrong and leaves you wondering what you would do if faced with the same situation.

Simone is such a great character, there is real depth to her and I understood her motives and the way she approached her journey from start to finish. In fact, there’s also amazing depth to every character you are introduced to. They are completely individual, time has been spent on making sure you’re able to visualise them all and get a sense of either liking them, mistrusting them or even just being suspicious of their behaviour at different points – all part of keeping you guessing until the VERY last second.

When I read those last few jaw-dropping (trust me) pages and it all came together, I made such a commotion my partner ran in to the room to ask if I was ok – any book that can give such a reaction cannot be any less than a 5 star!

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Book Review: Missing Pieces

Title: Missing Pieces
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
To Be Published: February 2016
Publisher: Harlequin (US & Canada)

Many thanks to Harlequin (US & Canada) and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story starts with Sarah Quinlan following her husband, Jack, back to Penny Gate, Iowa, after he learns that his Aunt Julia has been in a serious accident. It’s the first time Jack has returned to Penny Gate following the death of his mother over 20 years ago. Sarah feels uneasy learning things about Jack that she hasn’t seen evidence of throughout the whole of their marriage – what happens when you start to believe that everything you know about your husband seems to a lie? A story that shows you the consequences of keeping secrets from loved ones.

If you’re a fan of a classic ‘whodunit’ this book will be perfect for you and your mind will be working overtime to figure out who the villain is – there are so many to point the finger at!
However, I felt that this book had a slightly slow start. I wasn’t immediately drawn to the narrator Sarah; her relationship with Jack seemed strange as there was a distinct lack of communication for a married couple of 20 years. Perhaps Jack needed to be distant to highlight the past he was hiding?

‘It seemed wrong, almost unholy, to be intruding on this very private moment in Jack’s life. But there was no turning back now. She had to hear the rest.’

The suspense as family secrets were revealed was excellent, I was pulled into the mystery and genuinely had no idea who was responsible for the savage killings so the ending gave me that great ‘gasp’ moment – brilliant shock power. Sarah and some other characters were slightly lacking (although I can’t go into detail because of possible spoilers), however I was leaning towards a 5* review.

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