Blog Tour and Book Review ~ The Girl in the Striped Dress ~ Ellie Midwood #Bookouture

 

TITLE - The Girl in the Striped Dress

AUTHOR - Ellie Midwood

BUY LINK - click here

AUDIBLE LINK - UK - Click here / US - Click here

SOUNDCLOUD AUDIO - Click here

SYNOPSIS -

Auschwitz, 1942: This unforgettable novel, based on a true story, brings to life history’s most powerful tale of forbidden love. Set within the barbed wire of Auschwitz, a man and a woman fall in love against unimaginable odds. What happens next will restore your faith in humanity, and make you believe in hope even where hope should not exist. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered, pressing a note into her hand. Her entire body trembled when she read it: I am in love with you.

Helena steps off the cattle train onto the frozen grounds of Auschwitz. She has twenty-four hours to live. Scheduled to be killed tomorrow, she is not even tattooed with a prison number. As the snow falls around her, she shivers, knowing that she has been sentenced to death for a crime she didn’t commit.

When a gray-clad officer marches towards Helena and pulls her away, she fears the worst. Instead, he tells her that it’s one of the guard’s birthdays and orders her to serenade him.

Inside the SS barracks the air is warm, thick with cigarette smoke and boisterous conversation. After she sings to the guard, Franz, he presses a piece of cake into her hands––the first thing she has eaten in days. On the spot, he orders her life to be saved, forever changing the course of her fate.

What follows is a love story that was forbidden, that should have been impossible, and yet saved both of their lives––and hundreds of others––in more ways than one.

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will be utterly entranced by this unputdownable page-turner. This completely heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful novel shows that love can survive anything and grow anywhere.

*Previously titled: Auschwitz Syndrome

I have read many Auschwitz related books including The Violinist of Auschwitz, also by Ellie Midwood. You start to think you've read everything about what "inmates" did, to survive this most horrendous time in history, then another book comes along like this one, and throws more tales of sadness, heroism and love into the mix. 

This is an outstanding read of the horrors of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Some of the events in this book caused a lot of conversation between myself and my Husband. We discussed both the horrors and some of the good things (if the word "good" is the corret one to use). We talked about how not all the Nazi's were sadistic and how some had been recruited into the role. 

This book is well researched and certainly generated many thoughts and conversations. Although I found it quite slow to start with, thinking it was just going to go over things covered in other books of the same genre, it moved on and came into it's own. The "characters" are well described and delicately portrayed. It is a very thought provoking read. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline

when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, The Girl from Berlin.' Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

Social Media

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/EllieMidwood/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliemidwood/

Website: http://elliemidwood.com/

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Book Review ~ Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell ~ Psychological Thriller #Bookouture

 TITLE - Sleep Tight

AUTHOR - Caroline Mitchell

PUBLISHER - Bookouture

Buy link - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 
A killer stalks the streets of East London. All over the area, murdered young women are discovered, their bodies posed into disturbing recreations of fairytale princesses.

Detective Ruby Preston is determined to hunt down the murderer who is using the women to realise his dark fantasies. But when body parts are found at the home of her lover, Nathan Crosby, Ruby is torn between her job and her heart.
Convinced that he is being framed, Ruby must catch the killer before Nathan becomes the number one suspect. But as more victims are found, it becomes harder to prove his innocence.

As Ruby starts to close in on the twisted individual, can she stop him before he strikes again? And how well does she really know the man she loves?

A terrifying, addictive, serial killer thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, for readers of Angela Marsons, Peter James and Rachel Abbott.

I had never read anything by Caroline Mitchell but was recommended to her due to my love of psychological thrillers. I was not disappointed. 

DS Ruby Preston is the main protagonist. I liked her character from the start. She is a good cop who doesn't always follow the rules, but does the best in order to capture the serial killer, who is murdering women and dressing them up as fairytale characters. Ruby has to find out who is doing this and why. 

I like how the author portrayed the relationships between Ruby and her colleagues, and also Ruby and naughty boy Nathan, part of the local crime family. 

The Plot is gripping and keeps you on the edge of the seat. The authors research around traumatic incidents has been well written too. 

With all these factors, I found the book hard to put down and will definitely add this authors books to my list of must reads. 

Book Review ~ Hush Little Girl ~ Lisa Regan #bookouture

 

TITLE - Hush Little Girl

AUTHOR - Lisa Regan

SERIES - Detective Josie Quinn Book 11 (ok as a standalone)

Buy Link - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 
Dressed in pyjamas covered with stars, the little girl’s body is perfectly still, her arms folded neatly over her chest. The wildflowers decorating her hair scatter across the grass in the sharp breeze. Her lips are parted slightly, as if to whisper goodnight for the very last time…

When twelve-year-old Holly Mitchell’s fragile little body is found on the steps of a mountainside church in the small town of Denton, a doll made from pine cones clasped tightly to her chest, Detective Josie Quinn rushes to attend the scene. She knows this little girl’s angelic face, her mother had offered Josie help when she’d needed it most.

Searching the girl’s house, Josie is devastated to find that Holly’s mother is dead too, and her little sister is missing. But why has this family home been stripped of all sharp objects? Re-tracing her steps, Josie finally finds a secret hiding place with Holly’s sister inside, terrified, but alive. Moments later, another doll made of twigs turns up.

Certain the killer is close by, Josie holds the little girl tight and tries to coax answers from her, but it’s clear the pile of burnt photographs and letters found in the greenhouse is her only lead. No one is safe until Josie can figure out the dangerous secret that has escaped this remote family home.

Just when Josie is finally closing in on the killer, the unthinkable happens, a tragedy that shakes her to her very core. And on the windshield of her car: a third wooden doll. Could stopping this twisted monster from taking more innocent lives come at the ultimate price for Josie?

Detective Lisa Quinn was due to get married. In the gardens of the church, the body of a young girl was discovered. So Quinn leaves her wedding before it had even started, to head off to the crime scene. When I read this it made me think that this book is not really going to be very believable. What Cop would do that? 

Firstly I found this very bizarre and couldn't believe that any copy would abandon their own wedding to deal with a murder. They would leave it to their colleagues. 

The character of Lisa Quinn irritated me a lot. Though the storyline was interesting and well thought out, it didn't grip me like I hoped it would. I think the reason for this was that there were several chapters which related to a family and their in house secrets and fighting, which, although pertinent to the story, it just seemed to lose the excitement of the case. 

Having said that, all the elements together made it a fairly good read, but I was just hoping for more.

Cover Reveal ~ The Frozen Girl by Roberta Gately

 

THE FROZEN GIRL - Publishing May 18th 2021

The young woman’s mouth is slightly parted, as if waiting to speak. Her body is frozen in ice and her blue eyes stare at the sky, perhaps wanting to look at the stars one last time

When the body of a woman is found in a frozen river, Jessie Novak and her partner Detective Sam Dallas rush to the scene. Jessie is shocked to find the girl in the ice is Sheila Logan, who she worked closely with for years. Jessie desperately wants to find out how this young and talented woman ended up an innocent victim.

But who would want to kill her? As she digs into Sheila’s past, Jessie realises she was having an affair with a colleague and may even have been pregnant. Was someone looking for revenge? Jessie knows how it feels to be betrayed by those you love—her mother walked out on her when she was just a baby and never looked back.

When another body turns up, this time Sheila’s elderly neighbor, Jessie sees a lethal pattern forming. Next, someone breaks into her car and she knows she’s being warned off the case. But with the killer in her sights, will she take the deadliest risk of her life? Can Jessie catch him, before he catches up to her?

This utterly addictive novel will keep you up all night! Fans of Lisa Regan, Angela Marsons and Tess Gerritsen will be totally hooked until the last heart-thumping page.

BUY LINKS

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08XMTCBN2Cover

Apple: http://ow.ly/ObXK50DLC5R

Kobo: http://ow.ly/gfNV50DLC5

Google: http://ow.ly/98Yp50DLZK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
                                                                                                                                                      Roberta Gately, lives in Boston where she works as a nurse at the Boston Medical Center. It was in the ER where she developed an interest in the investigations behind the crimes and the victims she encountered. Working in a busy ER is much like being a detective—the search for answers is a methodical process, not unlike the work required to solve a murder!

Her crime series with Bookouture stars the brave and brilliant ER nurse Jessie Novak who teams up with her detective friend to solve tricky Boston murder cases. Expect addictive mysteries, breathtaking suspense and a gutsy heroine you’ll never forget. When she’s not writing or working at the hospital, Roberta enjoys reading, working out and spending time with friends and family.

She has also worked in humanitarian aid, providing medical care in some of the world’s bleakest spots ranging from Africa to Afghanistan. Her two previous novels, Lipstick in Afghanistan and The Bracelet were based upon her experiences of nursing abroad. Her memoir—Footprints in the Dust tells the true stories of some of the extraordinary people she met.

Author Social Media Links

Roberta loves hearing from readers and you can get in touch with her using the links below.

Author website: robertagately.com

Twitter: twitter.com/RobertaGately

Facebook page: facebook.com/RobertaGatelyAuthor

Instagram instagram.com/roberta_gately

Publication Day ~ The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski

 

PUBLICATION DAY!

TITLE - The Watchmaker of Dachau

AUTHOR - Carly Schabowski

GENRE - World War 2 historical novel

BUY LINK - Click here

BOOK BLURB - 

An unforgettable novel of human kindness, inspired by an incredible true story.
Snow falls and a woman prepares for a funeral she has long expected, yet hoped would never come. As she pats her hair and straightens her skirt, she tells herself this isn’t the first time she’s lost someone. Lifting a delicate, battered wristwatch from a little box on her dresser, she presses it to her cheek. Suddenly, she’s lost in memory…

January 1945, Dachau, Germany. As the train rattles through the bright, snowy Bavarian countryside, the still beauty outside the window hides the terrible scenes inside the train, where men and women are packed together, cold and terrified. Jewish watchmaker Isaac Schüller can’t understand how he came to be here, and is certain he won’t be leaving alive.

When the prisoners arrive at Dachau concentration camp, Isaac is unexpectedly pulled from the crowd and installed in the nearby household of Senior Officer Becher and his young, pretty, spoiled wife. With his talent for watchmaking, Isaac can be of use to Becher, but he knows his life is only worth something here as long as Becher needs his skills.

Anna Reznick waits table and washes linens for the Bechers, who dine and socialise and carry on as if they don’t constantly have death all around them. When she meets Isaac she knows she’s found a true friend, and maybe more. But Dachau is a dangerous place where you can never take love for granted, and when Isaac discovers a heartbreaking secret hidden in the depths of Becher’s workshop, it will put Anna and Issac in terrible danger…

I have always "enjoyed" (although not sure if that is the correct word to use) books based in concentration camps and have found myself fully immersed in the lives of people who lived through those horrific years. This book was no different, but the main location this time, being Dachau and not Auschwitz. 

Like others, this is a heartbreaking story. It's full of suffering, death, but also full of warm friendships that have formed through these times of adversity. 

Isaac is the "Watchmaker" and is sent to work at the house of Sturmbannfuhrer Becher. This wasn't just to fix watches but to do all sorts of tasks that was demanded of him. Also introduce into the mix, warm characters like Greta, the cook from the local village; Anna, also from the camp, who works in the house alongside Greta and Friedrich, the son of the Sturmbannfuhrer. 

The author has built some great relationships amongst the characters of both the camp and the household. I have to admit to tears in parts. I liked how the author had split chapters into the different characters, allowing you to get to know the character better. 

The only part that I didn't always feel connected to, was the characters written about J.A.L. You find out more about who this relates to at the end of the book. Because I didn't see how it fitted in, I got a bit bored with it. 

All in all I thought this was a well written book, full of great people; full of historical intrigue and an insight into the lives of those that made it, or didn't make it, through those horrific times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me the chance to read and review this book. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Carly lives in a tiny cottage in Oxfordshire, with barely enough room to swing a cat. Yet, she has managed to dwell in such a hobbit-type abode for some years with her two dogs, who keep her company as she reads, writes, eats crisps, and drinks the occasional gin.An occasional runner, gym goer, and walker, Carly is also an habitual binge-watcher of box sets and reader of anything she can get her hands on, including the back of cereal boxes.

Her interest in WWII history spans from a familial connection, and inspired her to complete a PhD regarding the author's responsibility to historical fiction. Whilst an achievement, she gained 20 lbs, and became a hermit.

Book Review - The Surrogate by Louise Jensen - Psychological Thriller ~ #Bookouture

TITLE - The Surrogate

AUTHOR - Louise Jensen

GENRE - Psychological Thriller

PUBLISHER - Bookouture 

PUBLICATION DATE - 27th September 2017

SYNOPSIS -

‘You know that feeling? When you want something so badly, you almost feel you’d kill for it?’
Be careful what you wish for…

Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents. All they want is a child to love but they are beginning to lose hope. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives them one last chance.

Kat and Lisa were once as close as sisters. The secrets they share mean their trust is for life... Or is it?

Just when the couple’s dream seems within reach, Kat begins to suspect she’s being watched and Nick is telling her lies.

Are the cracks appearing in Kat’s perfect picture of the future all in her head, or should she be scared for the lives of herself and her family?

How far would you go, to protect everything you love?

From the no. 1 bestselling author of The Sister and The Gift, this is an unputdownable psychological thriller which asks how far we will go to create our perfect family. Fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will be utterly hooked.

This is a book that I think will stay with me for some time. It introduces us to Kat and her Husband Nick. Despite trying desperately for a child and having suffered two failed adoptions, they don't know where to turn. Then along comes Kat's Childhood friend Lisa, whom she hasn't seen for some time, and offers them the answer to their prayers. She will be their surrogate. Why though? After all this time of not being in contact with Kat due to something that happened in their past, why would she make this very generous offer? 

All the characters in this book seemed to have secrets. No-one talked to anyone and whatever it was they were hiding, they all kept it close to their chest. This included Kat and Nick, along with Lisa. It got so I didn't really trust any of them. What had gone on in their past that they didn't want to share?Nick was hiding things from Kat and she was hiding things from him. What had gone on in their Childhood and early adulthood they didn't want each other to know? The Author had a way of filling your head with so many questions that you just needed to keep reading.

I really liked Lisa and felt sorry for her, but then introduce Richard, Nicks best friend into the mix, who appears to have a real dislike for Lisa, and I wonder if I am missing something. Is she as nice as she appears to be? I started to be very mistrusting of her, but couldn't work out why.

The Author has created some fabulous characters in this book, all with their own story to tell. I was totally immersed in the book and just couldn't put it down. I thought I had worked it all out in my head what was going on with each of them, then BANG, along comes the epilogue and twists everything on it's head that I thought I had worked out. What a powerful ending to a book. 

This was a well plotted and most intriguing read, and I highly recommend it. I am now going to read another of the Author's books as if she writes them all as well as this one, I know I will not be able to put it down. 

Louise is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat. 

Louise's first two novels, The Sister and The Gift, were both International No.1 Bestsellers, and have been sold for translation to sixteen countries.

The Sister was nominated for The Goodreads Awards Debut of 2016. Louise's third psychological thriller, The Surrogate, is out now.

Louise loves to hear from readers and writers and can be found at www.louisejensen.co.uk, where she regularly blogs flash fiction.

Catch up with Louise on Twitter Facebook Goodreads Amazon