BOOKSIMO

Description Tom, single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On the same day each year, he and its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for his little girl, a moment of magic to make her childhood unforgettable. But there is another reason behind these annual shows: the very first production followed Hannah's diagnosis with a heart condition that both of them know will end her life early. And now, with Hannah a funny, tough girl of fifteen on the brink of adulthood, that time is coming. With the theatre under threat of closure, Hannah and Tom have more than one fight on their hands to stop the stories ending. But maybe, just maybe, one final day of magic might just save them both. A tale about growing up, the beauty of a special bond between father and daughter, and finding magic in everyday life,  Days of Wonder  is the most moving novel you'll read all year. Review  I wanted to read this book as I

Description Maria wants to be friends.  But Maria is dead . . . isn't she? When Louise Williams receives a message from someone left long in the past, her heart nearly stops. Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook. Maria Weston has been missing for over twenty-five years. She was last seen the night of a school leavers' party, and the world believes her to be dead. Particularly Louise, who has lived her adult life with a terrible secret. As Maria's messages start to escalate, Louise forces herself to reconnect with the old friends she once tried so hard to impress. Trying to piece together exactly what happened that night, she soon discovers there's much she didn't know. The only certainty is that Maria Weston disappeared that night, never to be heard from again - until now. . . Review This is a book with a very now feel as it features strongly social media, particularly Facebook and the title of the novel is of course a Friend Request on Fa

Description SHE WAS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND NOW SHE'S MISSING. Unputdownable psychological suspense from an exciting new talent, perfect for fans of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR and Claire Mackintosh's I LET YOU GO. ******** NOW YOU SEE HER She’s playing at the school fete with your children. You pull out your phone, scroll through Facebook, and look up again. NOW YOU DON'T Charlotte is looking after her best friend’s daughter the day she disappears. She thought the little girl was playing with her own children. She swears she only took her eyes off them for a second. Now, Charlotte must do the unthinkable, tell her best friend Harriet that her only child is missing. The child she was meant to be watching. Devastated, Harriet can no longer bear to see Charlotte. No one could expect her to trust her friend again. Only now she needs to. Because two weeks later Harriet and Charlotte are both being questioned separately by the police. And secrets are about to surf

Description Marnie Salt  has made so many mistakes in her life that she fears she will never get on the right track. But when she ‘meets’ an old lady on a baking chatroom and begins confiding in her, little does she know how her life will change. Arranging to see each other for lunch, Marnie finds discovers that  Lilian  is every bit as mad and delightful as she’d hoped – and that she owns a whole village in the Yorkshire Dales, which has been passed down through generations. And when Marnie needs a refuge after a crisis, she ups sticks and heads for Wychwell – a temporary measure, so she thinks. But soon Marnie finds that Wychwell has claimed her as its own and she is duty bound not to leave. Even if what she has to do makes her as unpopular as a force 12 gale in a confetti factory! But everyone has imperfections, as Marnie comes to realise, and that is not such a bad thing – after all, your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you. The Perfectly Imperfect Woman  

Description How do you stop a murder that’s already happened? The Hardcastle family is hosting a masquerade at their home, and their daughter Evelyn Hardcastle will die. She will die everyday until Aiden Bishop is able identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up each day in a different  body as one of the guests.  Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend. But nothing and no one are quite what they seem.  Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The  7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle  is a highly original debut that's an Agatha Christie mystery in a Groundhog Day Loop, with a bit of Quantum Leap to it.  Perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson and Claire North.  Review I was drawn to this book because I love Agatha Christie books, I love time travel books, and this seemed as if the two were going to be combined in a groundhog day kind of wa

Description Hildegard lives in a real-life dollhouse, surrounded by prop houses and actors who play friends, teachers and foster parents. Only one man ever seemed real, and after his disappearance, she’s had enough playing along. As Hildegard makes her final preparations to run away from home, a swarm of black clad soldiers appear, controlling the police and swarming across her home town. She can evade them for now, but after learning their mission, she decides to play along one last time, following them to Truman, a lonely military academy on a freezing aleutian island. Hildegard knows it for what it is: just another prop, but not everyone feels the same way. Through the hell of endless drills and marching, Hildegard befriends the stealthy Grace and bloodthirsty David, and enlists them in an effort to unravel the plan of the man called G and his monstrous menagerie of inhuman soldiers. Review This book is pitched as a YA novel, however don't let that fool you into thinking

Description Revenge, rejection, resilience and revival: they’re all represented in this collection of fourteen short stories from author Pauline Wiles. Ranging in length from just 99 words to long-enough-for-a-second-cup-of-tea, these stories feature locations from Switzerland to Seattle and the popular fictional English village of Saffron Sweeting in between. Some are light, several are quirky and one or two a little on the darker side. They explore the meaning of family, the search for true love, and the overwhelming importance of home. Review What a fabulous selection of short stories this is. I love Pauline's writing as she is able to capture the most mundane and everyday occurrences that has you thinking - yes! that's exactly what happens. Such as when Becky has the thin plastic handles cut into her fingers from the groceries she's carrying.  Some stories are very short - just a page. Unlike some short stories where you turn that last page and are left wo