Publication Day - Book Review ~ A Home in the Sun ~ Sue Moorcroft

 

TITLE - A Home in The Sun (previously known as Uphill All The Way)

AUTHOR - Sue Moorcroft

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SYNOPSIS -

A gorgeous summer read about new beginnings from the Sunday Times bestseller.

Home is where the heart is...but what if your heart is broken?

When Judith loses her partner, she loses her life in Malta too - including the beautiful view from her sun-warmed balcony of the sparkling blue waters of Sliema Creek.

Back in England, Judith finds a spare room in her sister's house where she grew up - but with it comes a whole host of family dramas. Nursing a broken heart, Judith knows she must find happiness again - and rebuild her life on her own terms.

Could an island in the sun be the answer she is looking for?

Another book set on the wonderful Island of Malta. This time the main character is Judith. For those of you that have read Sue's books before you may recognise this one. It was originally called Uphill all the way. I enjoyed reading it again and can say that Sue's writing has gone from strength to strength since then, hence why I only gave this one four stars, instead of my usual 5.

Judith has a life in Malta, but it has come to a sudden end, and she no longer feels welcome in Malta. She returns to her former life in England, but several changes have to be made. She has an ex-husband in England and there is a tense relationship there, but a good relationship with her stepson. I loved to see how this relationship developed.

Unfortunately Judith encounters several issues whilst back in England, from her life in the UK and also problems associated with her life in Malta. This made it a sad almost depressing read sometimes. It was still a pleasant read, with plenty of content, and beautiful descriptions of Malta. 

I prefer Sue's more up to date novels, but maybe that is because this is an older book and her style and writing experience have progressed a great deal. Still a recommended read from me.

Publication Day - Book Review ~ Missing by Erin Kinsley

TITLE - Missing

AUTHOR - Erin Kinsley

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SYNOPSIS -
A MOTHER WALKS INTO THE SEA . . . AND NEVER COMES BACK. WHY?

One perfect summer day, mother of two Alice walks into the sea . . . and never comes back.

Her daughters - loyal but fragile Lily, and headstrong, long-absent Marietta - are forcibly reunited by her disappearance.

Meanwhile, with retirement looming, DI Fox investigates cold cases long since forgotten. And there's one obsession he won't let go: a tragic death twenty years before.

Can Lily and Marietta uncover what happened to their mother? Will Fox solve a mystery that has haunted him for decades? As their stories unexpectedly collide, long-buried secrets will change their lives in unimaginable ways.

I found this a slow read, but it was still enjoyable. To start with I did not really warm to Marietta, the Sister from Overseas, who loved to travel rather than stay put in one place. She had wanderlust.

Then there was Lily, who seemed to be left to deal with everyone to deal with their Mother who had gone missing. It was then discovered that Alice (their Mother) had drowned. It appeared to be a suicide but no-one knew why she would have done this to herself.

The story then merges with a cold case that is being investigated by DI Fox. The story of an infant found murdered many years ago. It was good how the author merged the two stories together. 

None of it was predictable, and it was good how the two cases were blended by the author. This is a book full of secrets, lies, family drama and family relationships. Well thought out and complex, making it a good read.

Book Review ~ Blood Brothers ~ Colleen Nelson #YoungTeens #DundurnGroup

 TITLE - Blood Brothers

AUTHOR - Colleen Nelson

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SYNOPSIS - 

A Winnipeg Free Press Bestseller! * In the Margins Book Award, Top Ten Selection * CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2017) Selection
Close as brothers, Jakub's and Lincoln's lives diverge when Jakub gets a private school scholarship and Lincoln is lured into a gang.

Fifteen-year-old Jakub Kaminsky is the son of Polish immigrants, a good Catholic boy, and a graffiti artist. While his father sleeps, Jakub and his best friend, Lincoln, sneak out with spray paint to make their mark as Morf and Skar.

When Jakub gets a scholarship to an elite private school, he knows it's his chance for a better life. But it means leaving Lincoln and the neighbourhood he calls home.

While Jakub's future is looking bright, Lincoln's gets shady as he is lured into his brother's gang. Jakub watches helplessly as Lincoln gets pulled deeper into the violent world of the Red Bloodz. The Red Bloodz find out Jakub knows more than he should about a murder and want him silenced - for good. Lincoln has to either save his friend, or embrace life as one of the Red Bloodz.

Publisher: Dundurn Group Ltd
ISBN: 9781459737464
Number of pages: 240

This is a book, I believe, that is aimed at young teens. Having read it, it's a good read as an adult too and to me, very current in the subject matter. The two main characters are Jakub (Koob) and Lincoln (Linc). They are best Friends and it's a well written relationship. 

It shows how two youngsters, both on the right path, can all of a sudden be separated by one taking the wrong path. 

It is something we read about in the papers weekly; gang life and lives being taken. It's very well written and I'd like to think that if a teenager read this it would give them some incite into what happens if you take the wrong path and how lives, yours included, can change. There were some strong characters in this book, and some vulnerable and easily influenced. It's heartbreaking in places.

I found the story very believable, and would like people to share this book with their teens.