The Very Pink Notebook: Domestic Noir

Showing posts with label Domestic Noir. Show all posts

Monday, 24 April 2017

Review : Everything But The Truth by Gillian McAllister

Published by : Penguin Random House

09 March 2017

Copy : Paperback - Reviewer Purchase

The Blurb

It all started with the email.

Rachel didn't even mean to look. She loves Jack and she's pregnant with their child. She trusts him.

But now she's seen it, she can't undo that moment. Or the chain of events it has set in motion.

Why has Jack been lying about his past? Just what exactly is he hiding? And doesn't Rachel have a right to know the truth at any cost?

The Very Pink Notebook Review

My purchase of this book followed lots of hype and rave reviews on Twitter and I do love a debut novel, especially in the domestic noir / psychological thriller genre.

Everything but the Truth isn't a read with one eye story, but it is an intriguing insight into how quickly people can jump into a life with someone they barely know and the subsequent consequences. Protagonist Rachel finds this out after falling pregnant by relatively new boyfriend Jack and as it comes to light that Jack may not be quite who he seems, Rachel has to question - is anyone perfect? And along comes the debate about how much of someone's past should and can be brushed over.

Rachel wrestles with many issues over the course of this book, but essentially they all boil down to 'relationships'. The relationship between herself and her mother. The relationship she has as a doctor with patients. Her own romantic relationships. They are cleverly woven in and out of the main plot of discovering Jack's past. Told from only the viewpoint of Rachel we learn about her own chequered history, which certainly muddies the waters about her reliability about what she is perceiving and although this isn't a book that goes at staggering speed or has big epic scenes, it is a real page turner. The issues it deals with are very possible and does make you question - what if? It is confidently written and the characters are well rounded and developed, all of them with their own flaws, they could easily be people you could know in your own life.

Everything but the Truth is a well plotted and enjoyable debut novel.

The Very Pink Notebook therefore gives this book :

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

Review : One Little Mistake by Emma Curtis

Published by : Penguin Random House

23 February 2017

Copy : Paperback - Received from publisher

The Blurb

Vicky Seagrave is blessed: three beautiful children, a successful, doting husband, great friends and a job she loves. She should be perfectly happy.

When she risks everything she holds dear on a whim, there's only person she trusts enough to turn to.

But Vicky is about to learn that one mistake is all it takes; that if you're careless with those you love, you don't deserve to keep them . . .

The Very Pink Notebook Review

The blurb for this book is quite vague so I wasn't at all sure what to expect plot wise from this novel, but boy, it is packed full of story, twists and punchy characters.

Focussing on two women, Vicky and Amber, we follow their journey of consequences following a gargantuan error of judgement on the part of the former. Vicky then finds herself getting entangled in a thick web of lies and deceit, eventually being left not knowing who she can actually trust.

The writing is very good and the plot is well woven and time-framed, moving along at a steady pace. We are told the story in both first and third person, dependent on whose viewpoint we are looking at and in between that we are also taken back to the early 1990's, and told the very sad and traumatic history of one of the characters. Eventually all of these things tie up together at the end for an explosive finale.

The author has done a great job with the characters, they are well developed and, particularly one, complex. For me an excellent balance of both like and dislike for them has been created and I flip-flopped my sympathy around all over the place.

This is a really good psychological suspense novel from Emma Curtis and I look forward to future reads from her.

One Little Mistake receives a Very Pink Notebook rating of :

One Little Mistake is out in ebook : 23 February 2017 / Paperback 29 June 2017 from all good retailers.

About the Author

Emma Curtis was born in Brighton and brought up in London. Her fascination with the darker side of domestic life inspired her to write One Little Mistake, her first psychological suspense. She has two children and lives in Richmond with her husband.

Find her on Twitter : @emmacurtisbooks #OneLittleMistake

Saturday, 14 January 2017

Blog Tour and Review : Gilding the Lily by Justine John

The Very Pink Notebook is thrilled to be part of Justine John's, Gilding The Lily, blog tour this week. With much thanks to Justine John and Authoright for involving me in the tour and for a copy of the book.

cover-mock-up-justine

Image : www.justinejohn.co.uk

Published by : I_AM Self-Publishing

25 November 2016

Copy : Paperback received from author

The Blurb

An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York, sees London-based Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics.

Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, feels guilty about never liking her father’s women, so does her utmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her…

When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wits’ end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them answers, but the ruthless truth is something no one expected…

The Very Pink Notebook Review

I loved the synopsis for this book and thought it sounded full of promising twists and turns. I wasn't to be disappointed. Although in a way the plot is a slow burn, it is still written with a pacey and intriguing edge. Justine John has written a high society, suspense novel with characters who are well placed. Set in both England and New York I enjoyed racing between the two with protagonist Amelia and husband Jack. A couple, who are content and happy with their lot in life they also love Amelia's father who resides in New York, despite his taste in women being somewhat questionable.

After making a surprise visit for her fathers 75th birthday, events start to leave a sour taste in the mouth of Amelia and Jack and we are taken on a journey of discovery, for all the characters, as a race against time to discover the truth about his father's partner begins. Written in both first person (for Amelia) and third for others we are kept in both current and past times, which weaves a tangled web.

John has developed a good set of characters, none are all good or bad, there is a perfect balance of personality traits to make you like them and then be left wondering if perhaps that 'comment' or 'thought' was maybe a little sinister?

For me, the star of the show is the ending however, and it is quite rare that I find that. I thought I had it worked out and although in part I did I just did not see the final twist coming and was left nodding my head in appreciation to the author.

Gilding the Lily receives a Very Pink Notebook :