Heads You Win - Jeffrey Archer

 

Description

Heads You Win is the incredible and thrilling novel by the master storyteller and bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, Jeffrey Archer.

Leningrad, Russia, 1968. Alexander Karpenko is no ordinary child, and from an early age, it is clear he is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, he and his mother will have to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they are confronted with an irreversible choice: should they board a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain? Alexander leaves that choice to the toss of a coin . . .

In a single moment, a double twist decides Alexander’s future.

During an epic tale of fate and fortune, spanning two continents and thirty years, we follow his triumphs and defeats as he struggles as an immigrant to conquer his new world. As this unique story unfolds, Alexander comes to realize where his destiny lies, and accepts that he must face the past he left behind in Russia.

With a final twist that will shock even his most ardent fans, this is international number one bestseller Jeffrey Archer’s most ambitious and creative work since Kane and Abel.

Review

It's many years since I read Kane and Able and really enjoyed it,  I thought this might be just as good. Unfortunately although for most of the book I saw a glimpse of the great writing, at times it was rambling, especially the parts involving politics. This is a long book at 600+ pages and some of those could have been cut out.

I got very confused about who Sasha was - it seems he is a sliding doors version of Alexander who ends up in the USA, whilst Alex ends up in London. I guess it would have been too confusing for them to have the same name, but at times I found it hard to recall who had which storyline. 

I enjoyed the book at times, especially the rags to riches stories of the characters. However, towards the end some strange things happen which just took the book into another dimension and I had to re read them to ensure I understood what had happened. To say more would just be a plot spoiler.  I was then just super confused by the ending - maybe me, but it just became even more fantastical, which didn't fit with the overall book.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Space Hopper - Helen Fisher

So happy to be on the blog tour for this brilliant book today.

Description

They say those we love never truly leave us, and I’ve found that to be true. But not in the way you might expect. In fact, none of this is what you’d expect. 

I’ve been visiting my mother who died when I was eight. And I’m talking about flesh and blood, tea-and-biscuits-on-the-table visiting here. 

Right now, you probably think I’m going mad. Let me explain… 

Although Faye is happy with her life, the loss of her mother as a child weighs on her mind even more now that she is a mother herself. So she is amazed when, in an extraordinary turn of events, she finds herself back in her childhood home in the 1970s. Faced with the chance to finally seek answers to her questions – but away from her own family – how much is she willing to give up for another moment with her mother? 

For fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife comes an original and heartwarming story about bittersweet memories, how the past shapes the future, and a love so strong it makes you do things that are slightly bonkers.

Review

I love time travel books - I've read so many, and this is up there amongst the greatest plots of them all.

Faye finds a Space Hopper box from her childhood - it turns out it's a "time machine" and she can travel back to the 1970s - not only that but, she can see her Mum who died when she was young and who she never really got to know. 

Faye works at the RNIB and Louis who also works there is blind. Of course this is part of the plot device as you will discover, but it was also so well written and sensitive to the life of someone who cannot see. I loved how colours were described to him in terms of feelings. 

One of the things about this book is that it's written as if  Faye is actually talking to you, the reader. You get addressed directly by her and the style of the writing is just that of a chatty friend.  I really liked the feeling that we were in this together. Hence #JumpWithMe. It's not just light hearted though, there is some real world life advice within these pages and such tender writing.

I had mixed feelings about Faye travelling in time, what about the "butterfly effect"? and her life and family in the present day? Around half way the book took an almost mystery style plot and I finished the rest of the book in one sitting, totally absorbed in what was happening. 

The ending was so beautiful! I keep thinking about it now - it's just genius. One of those books that until you reach the end and reflect back, you just don't realise how good it was.

I'm giving a very solid 5 stars to this book. My thanks to Random Things tours for a copy of the book to review.

Author

Helen Fisher spent her early life in America, but grew up mainly in Suffolk where she now lives with her two children. She studied Psychology at Westminster University and Ergonomics at UCL and worked as a senior evaluator in research at RNIB. Space Hopper is her first novel.

Four Minutes to Save a Life - Anna Stuart

Description

When supermarket delivery driver Charlie is assigned the Hope Row street, he realises there are a lot of lonely people out there - and for some, he's their only interaction.

The supermarket boss tells Charlie he's a driver, not a social worker - but Charlie's tough exterior begins to soften, and he can't help show a little kindness to the Hope Row residents, helping them find their place in the world once more.

But will his helping hand make everything worse?

Review

Charlie is a new supermarket delivery driver and he's allowed 4 minutes per customer for a delivery. As his boss tells him, he won't need longer, he's not a social worker.

This was a truly delightful tale of Charlie and his interaction with the different residents of Hope Street his delivery run. As Charlie begins to deliver to the residents of Hope Street we get to know a few of them a little better and what happens before and after Charlie does his delivery to them.

I'm making a trigger warning here for suicide and also the death of a child. Which may be a little spoiler but I feel the need to point it out. On the whole the book is so uplifting and charming. Just a really pleasant read. 

I really liked Charlie as a character and was intrigued as to how he ended up being a delivery driver. Maybe I should have seen it coming, but the outcome of the book was a complete surprise to me. I think the great story telling just had me so engrossed I never thought to try and work it out.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. 

The Kindness Journal - Jaime Thurston @jaimethurston / @52lives @omarabooks @lovebooksgroup #lovebookstours

I'm pleased to be on the blog tour for this book today with Love Books Tours.

Description 

Kindness is something we all have to give and we all need, regardless of status or background. The current global effort to protect our communities' most vulnerable shows how kindness spreads and that when we are kind to others it lifts our spirits. In The Kindness Journal, Jaime Thurston, founder of the charity 52 Lives, motivates and inspires readers to practice kindness as much for their own wellbeing as for the wellbeing of others.

The book will help readers cultivate kindness habits, with simple exercises that make a positive impact on others and themselves, and provide a place for readers to acknowledge and remind themselves how being kind to others made them feel. Through prompts suggesting simple actions, inspirational quotes and scientifically supported facts, readers will understand the positive effect kindness has on our physical and mental health.

52 Lives is a registered charity that has been changing a life every week since 2013, with the support of almost 100,000 strangers who work collectively to help a person in need of some kindness. Through the charity, Jaime sees first-hand the impact kindness has, not only on those we are kind to but on us when we are kind.

Review 

The first thing to say is how beautifully made this book is, it's a joy just to hold. I love the rounded corners of the pages and the quality of the paper.

Usually the word "Journal" has me running from a book, but whilst this one does have room for writing, it is not the sole purpose. The illustrations throughout are so pretty and it's a book to be dipped in and out of, something new will always catch your eye.

The message is all about kindness, but not just to others. The biggest take way from this book for me is "kindness to yourself". The book asks "are you kind to yourself, or a bit of a bully?" This struck a chord with me, as I would never behave to someone else the way I do to myself! I'd never thought of it before, but I certainly do have negative internal words with myself that I need to stop.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Love Books Tours for my copy of the book to review.

Author bio

Jaime is the founder of 52 Lives - a charity and global movement that aims to change a life every week and spread kindness.

What started as a simple Facebook page encouraging her friends and family to help people changed overnight after Jaime was featured on ITV's Surprise Surprise. Soon after, 52 Lives became a registered charity and now has almost 100,000 supporters around the world.

Jaime is originally from Australia. She began her career as a journalist, before moving to the UK, where she worked for a Member of the European Parliament, a wildlife charity and an organisation that supported families of prisoners.

She was a Member of the Independent Monitoring Board for a local prison, and a Trustee of a Richmond-based charity that helped isolated groups of people. She now runs 52 Lives and recently launched a School Kindness Project, aiming to empower children to make a difference in the world through kindness.

Jaime was named Clarins Most Dynamisante Woman of the Year in 2016. She also received a Points of Light Award from former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and a Richmond Community Award for her work.

Jaime lives in Berkshire with her partner Greig and her three children, Abbey, Max and Joseph.

Buy Link 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindness-Journal-Little-Activities-Difference/dp/1912785382

Another Life - Owen W Knight

I'm pleased to be on the Book Tour today with Love Books Tours.

Description

Imagine if we could combine dreams and reality in a world where we live forever.
Oliver believes his life to be one of disappointment and failure. Haunted by the memory of a mysterious woman he encountered thirty years ago, and obsessed with finding her, he embarks on a strange journey of grief, hope, myths and legends where dreams and truth merge.

This diligently written novel has been described as 'It's a Wonderful Life for the 21st Century'. Oliver is drawn into diverse worlds, from ancient rural beliefs and traditions to emerging medical science, as he and the reader are led to question the boundaries between dreams, reality and imagination.
"Another Life is a beautiful and thought-provoking meditation on the meaning and purpose of life, seen through the lens of a mystery story steeped in English folklore...The book’s narrative voice and its depiction of details from the natural world are outstanding." British Fantasy Society.

Review

Trigger warnings - Death of a child, suicide.

A writing style and voice which I find to be unique in this day and age and put me in mind of Mark Twain and his book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Both for the tone of the writing and the merging of reality with the another world.

I do like a mystery and this book certainly contained one. Oliver visited a village 30 years ago, although he never found it on a map and I doesn't know how to get back there to hopefully meet the woman he fleetingly saw all those years ago. He does know she had an unusual tattoo on her wrist. 

Oliver narrates the story and takes us to and fro through his past and his dreams. We find out that he has suffered losses in his life and he feels his life is meaningless. At times I wasn't sure what was real and what was a dream. My advice is to stick with it, there is a reason behind all of it and your perseverance will be rewarded.  

When I got near the end of the book and the message of cause and effect became evident I did get a little emotional. This is where the comparison with the film "It's a Wonderful Life" became clear to me. Certainly an interesting and different book which was well researched as showed in the writing.

My thanks to Love Books Tours for a copy of the book to review.

Author Bio

Owen W Knight is a writer of contemporary and speculative fiction. His works include Another Life, described as ‘It’s a Wonderful Life for the 21st Century’ and The Invisible College Trilogy, an apocalyptic dystopian conspiracy tale for young adults, described as ‘1984 Meets the Book of Revelation’.
Owen was born in Southend-on-Sea at a time when children spent their days outdoors, creating imaginary worlds that formed the basis of their adventures and social interaction.
He has used this experience to create a world based on documented myths, with elements of dystopia, mystery and science fiction, highlighting the use and abuse of power and the conflicts associated with maintaining ethical values.
Owen lives in Essex, close to the countryside that inspired his trilogy.

Buy‌ ‌Link‌ ‌ ‌

https://amzn.to/3ozRgQI

My Best Friend's Murder - Polly Phillips

 

I'm thrilled to be part of the Blog tour for this book today.

Description

There are so many ways to kill a friendship . . .

You’re lying, sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, legs bent, arms wide.
And while this could be a tragic accident, if anyone’s got a motive to hurt you, it’s me.

Bec and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. They have been through a lot together – from the death of Bec’s mother to the birth of Izzy’s daughter. But there’s a darker side to their friendship, and once it has been exposed, there is no turning back.
 
So when Izzy’s body is found, Bec knows that if the police decide to look for a killer, she will be the prime suspect. Because those closest to you are the ones who can hurt you the most . . .
 
The Rumour meets The Holiday in this compulsive thriller with a toxic friendship at its heart that keeps you in the dark until the final breathless pages.

Review

The book begins with Bec finding her best friend at the bottom of the stairs and judging by the title of the book although she's still breathing it doesn't look good. Bec says it looks like an accident, but she has a motive to hurt her... you have just got to read on following that!

The story begins on 1 December a couple of months before the opening sequence of Bec finding Izzy her best friend. Having been friends since school it seems Bec just trails along in awe of Izzy. I really began to question why Bec would stay loyal to someone who undermined her and her confidence at every turn. I was literally shouting B*TCH at the antics of Izzy. There is such toxicity from Izzy towards Bec that I began to wonder if they really were best friends in Izzy's eyes, was it case of "Single White Female"?  

A timeline runs through the book of the date and time of each event. I have to say that I didn't pay too much attention to that, as I was just concentrating too much on what was unfolding. On the surface two couples, Izzy and Rich with their daughter Tilly, and Bec and Ed with their respective families go about their day to day lives. But underneath dark undercurrents begin to surface and allegations and back biting abounds between them all. This starts you beginning to suspect anyone of them could be responsible for Izzy eventually lying at the foot of the stairs.

I was surprised by the ending. I think that is because the author diverted my attention in so many directions with clever misdirection that I couldn't decide what to think anymore. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of  5 stars. My thanks to Random Things Tours for the blog tour invite and an ARC to review.

The Long Call - Ann Cleeves

 

Description

The Long Call is the captivating first novel in the Two Rivers series from Sunday Times best seller and creator of Vera and Shetland, Ann Cleeves.

In North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father's funeral takes place. The day Matthew turned his back on the strict evangelical community in which he grew up, he lost his family too.

Now he's back, not just to mourn his father at a distance, but to take charge of his first major case in the Two Rivers region; a complex place not quite as idyllic as tourists suppose.

A body has been found on the beach near to Matthew's new home: a man with the tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

Finding the killer is Venn’s only focus and his team’s investigation will take him straight back into the community he left behind and the deadly secrets that lurk there.

Review

This is the first Ann Cleeves book I have read/listened to. I know! - where have I been. This was chosen by my book group to read, and I thought I would give it a go. I'm so glad I did. I've read reviews from long time Ann Cleeves fans and they don't seem too happy with it though!

I listened to the audio and for me it was so well narrated with the different voices and dialects (all by one person) that it felt like I was listening to a play. It took me a while to get the characters straight in my head, but once I did I listened to it in two sittings, I just had to know what on earth was going on.

A body is found on the beach and the search is on to find out who he is and why did someone kill him? It turns out that he used to talk to a woman who has Down's syndrome on the bus, and she's realised he's the man who is dead - but is there a connection between them and The Woodyard - the day centre she and others attend? I really liked the three women's voices the author gave to the women with Downs Syndrome, it was really sensitively done too.

There are well written characters in this book and so many sub plots concerning Detective Venn, the village he was brought up in, the Brethen he abandoned and the fact that his partner manages The Woodyard. There is a strong female in Jen a fellow detective who Venn has views about, which we then see are far from the mark when we get to hear her voice.  

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Borrowbox and my local library for the audio to listen to.