Forgive Me - Susan Lewis

Description

I can’t forgive myself. Not after what I did.  Could you?

 
This is Claudia Winters’s last chance for a fresh start. Changing her name and leaving her old life behind, she has fled to the small town of Kesterly with her mother and daughter. Here, she hopes they can be safe for the first time in years.

But the past can’t stay hidden forever. And even as Claudia makes new friends and builds a new life, she can’t help feeling it’s all about to catch up with her… Until one disastrous night changes everything forever.

Tense, emotional and gripping, Susan Lewis’s latest novel is a spellbinding story of love, family, and the price of forgiveness.

Review

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but it certainly wasn't the very emotional story that unfolded before me.  I think the book has a unique storyline that gives food for thought. This is the third Susan Lewis book I have read and her plots are far from formulaic. 

On her second marriage Claudia thought her new husband was a caring man and a step father for her daughter, unfortunately instead it turned out to be a living nightmare. She has a chance for escape and takes it, changing her name and taking both her daughter and her Mother with her to begin a new life.

I really enjoyed reading about Claudia and her new life, but I was on a bit of a knife edge the whole time, expecting her past to catch up with her. I became suspicious of every new person she met and feared she was walking into a trap.

Letters began to be interspersed into the chapters from an unknown author and to an unknown person. It was intriguing - how do they fit into the story? Meanwhile Claudia and her Mother attract new romantic partners - but are they ready to trust anyone again?

Once the author of the letters and the recipient became clear I couldn't put the book down. The letters had a unique voice and felt different to the other voices in the book. How was this all going to end, and what would I do in this situation? As I finished the book the subject stayed with me and the questions I asked myself are still hanging there...

I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to Random Things Tours, netgalley and HarperCollins publishers for the ARC to review. 

 

Susan Lewis is the internationally bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime, including One Minute Later and Home Truths and My Lies, Your Lies. Susan’s novels have sold nearly three million copies in the UK alone. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s.  

Susan has previously worked as a secretary in news and current affairs before training as a production assistant working on light entertainment and drama. She’s lived in Hollywood and the South of France, but now resides in Gloucestershire with husband James, two stepsons and dogs.  

The Strange Book of Jacob Boyce by Tom Gillespie @tom_gillespie @VineLeavesPress @lovebooksgroup

I'm republishing my review from July today, as part of the Book Blitz.

Description

A spiralling obsession. A missing wife. A terrifying secret. Will he find her before it’s too late?

When Dr Jacob Boyce’s wife goes missing, the police put it down to a simple marital dispute. Jacob, however, fears something darker. Following her trail to Spain, he becomes convinced that Ella’s disappearance is tied to a mysterious painting whose hidden geometric and numerical riddles he’s been obsessively trying to solve for months. Obscure, hallucinogenic clues, and bizarre, larger-than-life characters, guide an increasingly unhinged Jacob through a nightmarish Spanish landscape to an art forger’s studio in Madrid, where he comes face-to-face with a centuries-old horror, and the terrifying, mind-bending, truth about his wife.

Review

I doubt you have read a book quite like this before. The title says it all really it is a "strange book" and it's all about Jacob Boyce. I admit to having to re read the first few pages of the book as I thought I had misread them. As the book went on I began to realise that this could be a regular occurrence if I wasn't careful and just decided to go with the "strangeness".

Jacob is obsessed with a painting and it's hidden meaning, and for me this had echoes of the Di Vinci code. It's well known that paintings possess hidden meanings through the objects placed in them and I do love it when someone explains a painting for you. So, I fell hook line and sinker for this aspect of the plot including the mathematics. There is a mention of Napiers Bones which I remember from school - there my maths knowledge ended but it didn't spoil the enjoyment of the book. 

The book has three parts, two of which are set in Glasgow which I've visited and I certainly felt a sense of place, especially the underground and the art gallery (although it's not named). The middle part of the book is set in Spain and whilst I haven't been to either of the places Jacob goes to I still got that sense of knowing the places. 

The last part of the book sees Jacob engage in what I would politely say is earthy language, so if you are easily offended this may not be the book for you. Brilliantly written this is a tale which won't be for everyone, but if you like intrigue, mystery and disappearing down the rabbit hole then this will be for you.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Kelly at Love Books Tours for sending me the ARC to review. 

About the Author

Tom Gillespie grew up in a small town just outside Glasgow. After completing a Masters in English at Glasgow University, he spent the next ten years pursuing a musical career as a singer/songwriter, playing, recording and touring the UK and Europe with his band. He now lives in Bath with his wife, daughter and hyper-neurotic cat, where he works at the university as an English lecturer. Tom writes long and short stories. His stories have appeared in many magazines, journals and e-zines. He is co-author of Glass Work Humans-an anthology of stories and poems, published by Valley Press. Visit Tom at tom-gillespie.com

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2zspp0N

The Mersey Estuary - Kevin Sene

 

Description

Stretching for around thirty miles to the coast, the Mersey Estuary is perhaps best known for Liverpool s spectacular waterfront and the Mersey Ferry. But there are many other hidden gems along its shores, including waterside parks, sandy beaches and poignant reminders of the days of steamships and sail.

The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide provides suggestions for places to visit along the estuary, from its upper reaches in Warrington to where it meets the sea at New Brighton and the Sefton Coast. Along the way, the book calls in at Widnes, Runcorn, Ellesmere Port, Port Sunlight, Birkenhead, Liverpool and Formby Point, and includes an interesting mix of walks and cycling routes, ranging from a couple of hours to a full day out. Readers will also discover some less well-known sights, including lighthouses, a castle, medieval buildings, and a transporter bridge, one of only eight left in the world.

For those interested in the history, environment and wildlife of the estuary, there is also an introduction to its nature reserves, geology, canals and bird life. Other topics include the development of the Port of Liverpool, including its famous Liver Birds, and how the estuary has been cleaned up in recent decades so that even salmon have returned. There are also tips on birdwatching and photography and on where to see seals and the Mersey s little-known tidal bore.

With stunning colour photographs, The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide is a must-read for travellers to the area and local residents alike.

Review

I love Liverpool and have visited several times for work and pleasure, often going to and from Birkenhead. When walking around Liverpool I always use the Radio City Tower as my identifier of where I am, as you can see it from most places. But I would love to go further afield, but where and how?

This is where this book comes in as an invaluable guide to not only Liverpool but the surrounding area too. The book contains walking and cycling routes with a guide to what events are on each year and the time to visit. 

Over the years I have been told by colleagues that the Wirral has the most wonderful scenery and wildlife, but again, if you are not a local how do you find it? Well this guide has it all covered. With what wildlife you can see and photos to help you identify them too. 

The book is so full of the most beautiful photography from scenes, buildings, wildlife and even murmurations. It's a joy just to browse through and look at the photographs, some bringing back memories for me. Especially so at the moment, with not being able to go far, I feel like I've had a day out with this book. 

There's also information on the maritime history of the area and of course the legendary Liver Birds. Together with further reading outlined either in the form of another book or online resources. If you love the Mersey area or want to know more about it,  then this is the book for you. I can definitely see some trips being planned to see in person the wonderful places in this guide. 

I'm giving this book a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars. I just can't tell you enough how much I've enjoyed it. My thanks to Random Things Tours and Matador Books for a copy of the book to review.

KEVIN SENE is a scientist and writer with an extensive knowledge of the maritime history, wildlife and environment of the estuary, and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Now based in Edinburgh, he is a regular visitor to the area having lived in Warrington for many years, and also posts articles on the Mersey Estuary, Cumbria and beyond at https://www.meteowriter.com.