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Book Review: Death and Croissants by Ian Moore

July 12, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I’m very happy to be part of the book tour for Death and Croissants by Ian Moore today. Thank you to Anne Cater and Random T Tours for sending me a copy of this book to read and review for this tour.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Death and Croissants Plot:

I was highly anticipating this book because I thought the premise sounded very much to my taste in murder mysteries, a hotel setting, a missing guest, a bloody handprint and some humour? I was pretty excited about it. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I still enjoyed it as a whole but there were some parts that didn’t work for me. The tension was brilliant, it built as the story went along and I was very intrigued to find out who it was that had done it. I thought the setting and the worldbuilding was also good, I felt like I was in France while reading this book. Where I think it was let down was the humour side, there were some funny moments but to me it felt forced. It felt like the book was trying too hard to be funny so for me most of it wasn’t.

Death and Croissants Characters:

I liked the characters in this book. Most of them grew on me as the book went on. I didn’t like the character of Valerie at the beginning, it was quite the rollercoaster with her character – I liked her, then I didn’t, then I did… she was very well written and I could picture her exactly. The owner of the hotel, Richard, I mostly enjoyed following throughout the book. Things just seemed to keep happening to him and I liked this feature of the book, what I didn’t like about him was his reaction to the bloody handprint and I won’t say any more because I don’t want to spoil anything.

Death and Croissants Writing and dialogue:

As I said above, some parts of the novel felt forced to me and this had an affect on how easy it was for me to read it. Most of the writing was smooth and clear but some parts I got slightly stuck on. That is my personal opinion on the writing in this book.

Death and Croissants Overall:

Overall I gave this book three stars because I enjoyed the book but not as much as I thought that I would.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that’s the way he likes it.

One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the exotic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens … and you don’t mess with a fellow’s hens!

Unputdownable mystery set in rural France, by TV/radio regular and bestselling author Ian Moore – perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, Julia Chapman, or M.C. Beaton.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar

July 10, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Saturday Bookish people! Today is my stop on the book tour for Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar, the second book in the Ship of Shadows series. Thank you to Puffin Books and Random T Tours for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Secrets of the Stars Plot:

This book was an interesting and engaging adventure to faraway ports and across treacherous seas. The first chapter hooked me immediately, and not just because they were dressed in masquerade costumes although I did love imagining that scene. The worldbuilding was beautifully detailed and sensory so it was easy for me to become caught up in the adventures with the crew. I found the beginning was a little slow in pacing for my personal taste but once the action got started I raced through the book to find out how it was going to end.

Secrets of the Stars Characters:

One of the parts of this book that I really enjoyed was that the crew of the Ship of Shadows is an all girl crew, it presented a lovely dynamic to the story. The characters really brought out the themes of friendship and loyalty that are being developed throughout this story. The protagonist is someone you feel the need to root for as different events happen to her and this increased my enjoyment of the book Also, the shadows (I’m counting them as characters) on the Ship of Shadows are pretty cool.

Secrets of the Stars Writing and dialogue:

As I said above, the beginning was a little slow for me but once the pacing picked up I couldn’t really fault any of the writing in this book.

Secrets of the Stars Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a well written and engaging novel that had me rooting for the characters from beginning to end, and it may have even persuaded me to pick up the next in the series when it comes out.

Blurb/Synopsis:

THE SECOND THRILLING ADVENTURE FOR ALEJA AND THE CREW OF THE LEGENDARY SHIP OF SHADOWS

Excitement and wonder are in store for the pirates as they continue to their epic quest across the world. But time is running out, and as their quarry grows closer, so the perils of the sea grow ever greater . . .

Praise for The Ship of Shadows:

“A feast for the imagination . . . an enthralling adventure.” – Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song

“This swashbuckling tale has it all – storms in jars, magic kraken bells, lost cities and a truly unique pirate ship. I loved it.” – Alex Bell, author of The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club

“Thrilling, exciting and intriguing and I can’t wait for the next instalment!” Rhiannon, Waterstones bookseller

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Deepwater King by Claire McKenna

July 7, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Wednesday bookish people! Today is my stop on the book tour for Deepwater King by Claire McKenna, the sequel to Monstrous Heart and the second in the Deepwater trilogy. Thank you to Jennifer Harlow for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

As with all my reviews in this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Deepwater King Plot:

I enjoyed the plot of this book overall. I liked the premise and the fantasy elements of the story. One of the main parts I enjoyed was the complex magic system, I did find myself getting confused sometimes about this but this always passed quickly. It was nice to see, in this novel, a different type of special ability that I rarely see in books, in this book it is a type of blood magic called Sanguinem – or bloodworker. From the very first chapter there is a dangerous energy to this novel and the story has threads of danger, religion and sacrifice as an undercurrent which was very intriguing. This book felt slightly too dark for me but this is because I usually read fantasies that aren’t so complex however, I still enjoyed the worldbuilding and plot of this book. I’m also very drawn to books that feature water (and this book has it in the title) so it was a good one for me to pick up.

Deepwater King Characters:

The two main characters in this book are Arden and Jonah and both of them were very well developed in this book. I didn’t feel much of a connection to either of the characters within this novel, and that is something that makes me really enjoy a book, so I wasn’t completely engaged with everything that happened in this novel. It didn’t take away from the story completely and I did still enjoy the characters and how they interacted with each, the background characters as well as the main characters.

Deepwater King Writing and Dialogue:

I struggled with some of the writing style to begin with, because the language has a slight historical feel to it in my opinion, and so this meant I wasn’t fully immersed in the story the whole time. The author has created beautiful imagery within this book though that helped to create some atmosphere that I wanted to keep reading and be involved with.

Deepwater King Overall:

Overall I gave this book three stars because although I enjoyed this book I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would and I am undecided if I will read the third book in the trilogy.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Since losing her great love to the Queen of the Sainted Isles, Arden must fulfil an impossible promise before she can return home – she must complete the dangerous Rite that will return Jonah’s spirit to the abyssal Court of the Deepwater King.

This sets her off on a journey far out at sea to find believers of the old religion on the oil-slick and mysterious islands beyond the horizon. But such a responsibility will not come without sacrifice, for the Deepwater folk who worship the King require the most desperate payments the soul, and with one man Arden may have to pay the greatest price of all…

Astonishingly original, with world-building to rival the depths of the ocean, McKenna has drawn a rich tale of longing and courage – penning the perfect oceanic steampunk fantasy.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

July 5, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I told you I was bringing you two book reviews today, this is the second one. I finally got around to reading Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin, it’s only taken me about two years since I bought it… anyway, I got the chance to read this on a trip to Hampshire in June which was nice, I immersed myself in the world of witches and Chaussers and completely ignored anyone trying to talk to me.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Serpent and Dove Plot:

Oh my goodness I loved this plot. Every moment of the story felt important in some way for the progression of the story. I am pretty much interested in anything that has witches in it so this book appealed to me immediately. The conflict between the witches and the chaussers/religion was an interesting part to this book – actually I would have enjoyed a bit more of this but that’s just because I love a good enemies to lovers style story. So, the romance in this book… I went into this book knowing that was one of the main features of this novel and I’ll admit I didn’t hate it but I did enjoy the fantasy elements and the moments of magic more than anything else.

Serpent and Dove Characters:

Lou is a fantastic female lead for this book, she’s strong and has a bit of sass (which I like because it gives good dialogue) and she has very particular morals/ideals which gives conflict to the plot but also makes me love her character, one of her main character conflicts is loyalty which gave her character depth. I sometimes thought that some of the things she did didn’t quite fit with her character. It didn’t take away from the book much though.

Coco is amazing, I am looking forward to seeing a lot more of her and some of the other background characters a bit more in the rest of the series.

REID. He’s in my top ten of male book characters now. He grew on me throughout the book. There are some things about his character that I think are going to be a bit too obvious, like it’s been written in for a plot reason rather than a character reason and I would have liked a bit more internal conflict from him.

Serpent and Dove Writing and Dialogue:

Five stars. Definitely. Shelby Mahurin’s writing worked well for me, it is one of my favourite writing styles within young adult fiction that I’ve read. I liked that she split the chapters into different characters’ points of view.

Serpent and Dove Overall:

Again, five stars was easy for me to give to this book. If I could have I would have picked up Blood and Honey straightaway.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

July 5, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Today I’m bringing you two book reviews, of which this is the first, and I ended up reading both of these books in June.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

The Lost Apothecary Plot:

One of my favourite things about this book was the worldbuilding, for both the past and the present tense. I felt like I was walking the streets with the characters. This book is told through the interwoven stories of two, technically three but I won’t spoil anything there, women – one from the past and one in the present discovering what happened in the past while dealing with all the things happening in her life. The way the stories are interwoven is incredible, it was smooth and clear where we were and when and I loved being able to see both sides of the apothecary. This plot was very different to anything I’ve read before, it’s a combination between mystery and historical fiction. It’s actually the book that made me realise I really love historical mystery books (then I bought up a few of them…).

The Lost Apothecary Characters:

Both of the women that you follow within this book have many layers that are constantly being explored and challenged throughout the novel. One of the things I liked the most about them was that they had flaws, and these flaws are part of the catalysts that set events in motion. The way the women led this story was a great thing to see, they are strong in different ways and it shows them taking control of their own lives. I won’t spoil anything about the ending but the characters never stray from their personalities and this is what leads eventually to the ending – which by the way ended perfectly for me.

The Lost Apothecary Writing and Dialogue:

It did take me a few chapters to get comfortable with the writing style in this book however once I got past that I began to enjoy how it was written and how the writing style fit with both time periods and the characters within them.

The Lost Apothecary Overall:

I gave this book five stars overall because I just couldn’t give it anything less. The world building, the mystery, the strong female leads – everything about this book was amazing and I couldn’t put it down.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Quotes

Favourite Book Quotes 50 – 41

July 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I’m back with my next installment of my favourite book quotes top 100. We are getting so close to finishing this list. I’m probably more excited than anyone reading this and I know what the top ones are because I chose them. We are past the halfway point and getting into some of my absolute favourite quotes, but some of them are coming from books I haven’t read yet.

Lets get into the quotes!

Up first is a quote from a book I’m very excited to get around to reading..

And I Darken by Kiersten White

50. “her spine was steel, her heart was armour, her eyes were fire” – this is such a lovely quote, it just feels very powerful, which is how I’m imagining the whole book will feel.

Up next is a quote from a book that I gave three stars…

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

49. “I want revenge and then I want my crown” – this quote is actually said by one of my favourite characters in this book.

At 48 is a quote from a little mermaid retelling…

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

48. “In my heart I’m as wild as the ocean that raised me”

At 47 is a quote from a book I’ve already mentioned in this list…

And I Darken by Kiersten White

47. “she wanted a garden of evergreens, a garden of stones, a garden of swords” – this quote is just beautiful, the calmness of the garden and evergreen language compared to the stones and swords.

Up next is a quote from a book about witches…

Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

46. “I am fearful and something to be feared” – I can’t wait to get to read this book.

At 45 is a quote from a book that is on my July TBR..

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

45. “you will burn for you are an ember in the ashes” – fun fact I have a cushion cover with this quote on, it does not currently have a cushion in it but soon!

The next quote is from a book that has one of the most beautiful covers on my shelf…

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

44. “until the fire in the sun grows cold and the light of the moon is no more, until time blots out the stars” – MAIA AND EDAN!! that’s all I’m going to say about this.

At 43 is a quote from a very unique book…

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

43. “with pockets women could conquer the world” – yes, yes we could.

Up next is from another book on my TBR for this month…

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

42. “death incarnate, night triumphant”

And the final one for today’s list is from a very popular series…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

41. “she had often wished for adventure, for old spells and wicked kings” – me too.

That’s it for this week’s list and I’ll be back next Friday with the next ten, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Monthly TBRs

July TBR!

July 1, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Thursday bookish people! It’s the first of July! There’s so much happening this month: book tours, seeing family members, an outdoor murder mystery event! And because it is the first of the month it is time to show you what I’m planning on reading this month.

June went very well, I ended up reading twelve books, if you’re interested in seeing what I read I posted my June wrap up yesterday.

So once again for July I have given myself a large TBR, and that is before the books I need to read for book tours.

Onto my TBR for July!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I am very much looking forward to reading this one. I read A Court of Thorns and Roses earlier this year and really enjoyed it.
A Curious Beginning by Jeanna Raybourn – I’ve found in the past year that I enjoy murder mysteries set in the victorian period so I’m hoping I’ll love this one too.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – it’s about time I get around to reading this series. I’ve had it on my shelves for over a year.
Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin – I have just read Serpent and Dove and loved it so I can’t wait to pick up the sequel.
European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman – I read the first in this series and I’m hoping to enjoy this one too now that I know the characters well.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwaab – I think I’m going to cry at this one.
The Killing at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah – I used to love all the Poirot books and the TV show so I’m hopeful about this one.
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – I love the Grishaverse so much I can’t wait to be back in it.
Legendborn by Tracey Deonn – I’m excited for this one as I’ve heard good things about it.
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch – This is a contemporary so I’m not sure how it’s going to go but I don’t usually love contemporaries.
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth – I picked this one up by chance but I do enjoy a mystery.
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy – this one looks so good!
Save the Date by Morgan Matson – I have read some of her other books and enjoyed them so this one should be good too.
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden – I loved the Bear and the Nightingale so I’m hoping to enjoy this one too.
The Plague Letters by V L Valentine – I’m so excited for this murder mystery.
Threadneedle by Cari Thomas – This book is absolutely beautiful!
Turtles all the way Down by John Green – I’m not sure if I will enjoy this book or not, I’ve never read any of his other books.

That’s it for my July TBR, I hope you all enjoyed it! What books are you reading in July?

Monthly Wrap Ups

June Wrap Up!

June 30, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Wednesday bookish people! So we’re here, it is finally the end of June. This month has been completely up and down for me in terms of my general life but in terms of reading I think it might have been my best month of the year… I did not complete my TBR but I was part of a bunch of book tours for this month so I was prioritizing them.

Also this month I was taking part in the Whatever-You-Want-A-Thon which was created by Maddie at Book Browsing Blog on YouTube. This was so much fun to be part of, I was part of team dreams and drama queens and I think it was one of my biggest motivations to read this month.

Onto the wrap up!

My June TBR and Thoughts:

Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell – I read the first chapter.. I’m not going to count this as reading because the first chapter is only about ten pages.
Deadly Curious by Cindy Astley – I did read this one! You can find my book review of it here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/14/book-review-deadly-curious-by-cindy-astley/
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – I did not read this book.
Fable by Adrienne Young – I did not get around to this book.
The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I did read this book! My review of it is here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/07/book-review-the-hatmakers-by-tamzin-merchant/
I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan – I started this book while travelling to Bristol and back during this month but I wasn’t in the right mood for how dark this book is so I stopped reading at the halfway point.
Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova – I did not read this.
Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett – I did not read this either.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I didn’t read this.
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake – I didn’t read.
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – I did not read.
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – I read this! and LOVED it, I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to reading this.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri maniscalco – This was a reread but yes I did reread this! You can find my review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/04/26/book-review-stalking-jack-the-ripper-by-kerri-maniscalco/
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner – I read this one also!
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M McManus – I did not read.

So from my TBR I read 5 books and I started another two… that’s not bad. On top of this I read some book for book tours which were: Happy Ever After: Financial Freedom (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/03/book-review-happy-ever-after-financial-freedom-isnt-a-fairy-tale-by-the-seven-dollar-millionaire/ ), The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (Review here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/17/book-review-the-maidens-by-alex-michaelides/), Embers by Josephine Greenland (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/18/book-review-embers-by-josephine-greenland/ ), Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/21/book-review-instructions-for-dancing-by-nicola-yoon/ ), Murder at Rosings by Annette Purdey Pugh (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/25/book-review-a-murder-at-rosings-by-annette-purdey-pugh/ ), Fake News by C J Dunford (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/25/book-review-fake-news-by-c-j-dunford/ ) and Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/27/book-review-mirrorland-by-carole-johnstone/ ).

I read 12 books and started another two so June was a pretty good reading month, hopefully July will be just as successful. That’s it for my June wrap up, I hope you enjoyed it!

Where'd I Leave It Wednesday

Where’d I Leave It Wednesday:

June 30, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Wednesday bookish people! So… it’s Wednesday and that means it is time for another Where’d I Leave It Wednesday story. In case you are confused about the title this time being ‘Dobwalls’ it is a place in Cornwall, England and that is where my partner’s Father lives and so I’ve been down there a few times and I thought why not share a couple of things that have happened while I’ve been there on my blog. Well, actually there’s plenty of reasons why not but I’m going to continue anyway before I overthink it.

So as I said, there is a lot of things that I could talk about in relation to visiting Dobwalls but I will start at the beginning. It’s not too long a drive from where I am to Dobwalls, It’s usually about half an hour – not even long enough to start reading a book which is what I do most times that I am in a car – but I was very nervous the first time I went there. My Dad was driving me, because of course being classed as blind I really can’t drive myself, and when we arrived he came in with me as well. I remember sitting at their kitchen table with a cup of tea and not saying anything. Note: this not saying anything is a recurring feature. And as soon as I could I went on a little tour of the house with my partner, and yes I was nosy and I was looking at all the photos on the walls as we went around. They also have two dogs, a Jack Russell called Sparky and a Staffordshire Terrier called Tia. I never expected the bark of a Jack Russell to make me jump so badly, but it did (and still does…). That’s not even the worst thing that makes me jump when I’m there, my Partner’s Father – his sneezes. My partner thinks it is hilarious that everytime he sneezes I almost fall out of my seat. I’d quite like to stay in my seat, it takes me long enough to find the seat to begin with. It looks like I’m trying to kick their chairs but I’m not it is just how I would find the seats down there.

I’m pretty sure that my Partner’s father thinks I’m terrified of him, which I am but I was hoping he wouldn’t discover this, and if he didn’t think I was before he almost certainly did after I ran out of a room he entered. Yes, I did say run. He was downstairs talking to my partner and my partner’s brother so myself and my partner’s stepmum had gone upstairs and I was talking to her in her bedroom. That was nice, she’s a lovely person and I felt quite comfortable having a conversation with her. Then I heard someone of the stairs. When I realised it was my partner’s father I all but jumped off the bed and ran from the room to the safety of the room I was staying in and shut the door. That was… embarrassing to say the least. He then came to the door and said that I didn’t need to leave the room just because he entered it..I’m so glad there was a door between us when he said that.

So that’s two things that have happened while I’ve been in Dobwalls and I’m going to leave this story here. I hope you all enjoyed it and if you did maybe I will write a couple more of the things that have happened or will happen in the future because I’m sure I will continue embarrassing myself.

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

June 27, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Sunday everyone! Today is my stop on the book tour for Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone. Thank you to The Write Reads and Scribner Books for giving me a NetGalley copy of this book to read and review.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Mirrorland Plot:

This book is a dark psychological thriller. I’ll admit that personally this book was a bit too dark for me, but I still very much enjoyed the novel. It was fast paced and filled with tension, enough tension that I could feel my hands tightening on my ipad more than once. This book brilliantly shows what is happening both in the present with the disappearance of El and what has happened in the past between the sisters and some of the other characters. I liked the contrast of this, it gave the mystery another, in my opinion creepier, level that made the book even more interesting.

This book had the wonderful quality of the setting becoming that of not only a dark house in an isolated place perfect for mysteries, but also a child’s make believe world. This resonated with me as I’ve always been, and still am, someone who has imaginary worlds and stories in their head all the time. And then there was the ending. The ending was masterful. A complete twist that I never would have expected.

Mirrorland Characters:

The characters in this book are very cleverly plotted and written. I did not know who could be trusted and who couldn’t throughout the whole of the book, that includes the main character Cat. Each character felt like they had their own background and their own secrets, I’m a very curious person and what I wanted most was to find out everything, to find out who was lying and what really happened. This is a testament to the author’s writing that I wanted to know these things so badly.

Mirrorland Writing and Dialogue:

As I said above, Carole Johnstone’s writing in this book is brilliant. It completely immersed me in the world and in the story.

Mirrorland Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well written and cleverly plotted. Its one of my top books so far this year.

Blurb/synopsis:

Publisher: Penguin

Length: 320 Pages

Age/Genre: Adult Thriller

Publishing: 20th April 2021

ISBN: 9781982136352

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZXHFR2/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304146

Blurb

Twelve years ago my life began again.

But it was a lie.

With the startling twists of Gone Girl and the haunting emotional power of Room, Mirrorland is the story of twin sisters, the man they both love, and the dark childhood they can’t leave behind.

Cat lives in Los Angeles, about as far away as she can get from her estranged twin sister El and No. 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where they grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross.

But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to the grand old house, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. No. 36 Westeryk Road is still full of shadowy, hidden corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues all over the house: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting…

A sharply crafted mystery about love and betrayal, redemption and revenge, Mirrorland is a propulsive, page-turning debut about the power of imagination and the price of freedom. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware, and Daphne du Maurier.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!