Book Review: Tabula Rasa by J.S. Morton

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Tabula Rasa

Subtitle:

Author: J.S. Morton

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series? N/A

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61785868-tabula-rasa

 

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

He has everything he could want, a job with a good income, a new home, a wife, good friends and a baby on the way. And then everything changes. There are lost periods in his memory. What happened? Could alcohol and drugs be to blame?

What I liked about the book:

It kept you on your toes.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I enjoyed the book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

When the main character finally finds out the truth.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author.

What books could this be compared to and why?

It’s difficult to compare it with any other thrillers.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	No
Adult	Yes

 

If you like reading psychological thrillers, this book may be the book for you.

 

Book Description by Author:

Enigmatic Zeke Olsen has everything he ever wanted. A well-paid job, a beautiful wife, close friends, and a baby on the way. Fumbling his way through a traumatic childhood, he’d carved out the existence of his dreams. His life is perfect until a business trip to New York brings about a catastrophic turn of events.

Zeke returns home and finds his life spiralling out of control, battling his memory, addiction, and pain. He struggles to grasp what happened, who he is, and what he is capable of. His dream slowly fades into a nightmare and unravels chaotically around him.

A boundary-crossing dark, psychological thriller that will keep you guessing as you ask yourself, how well do you know really know anyone?

About the Author:

J.S. Morton is an award-winning fiction writer with a deep love for dark comedy. Most of his stories revolve around real-life issues and human psychology.

As a reader, he loves a gritty dystopia as much as dark, humorous read and cites 'The Handmaid's Tale' '1984' and 'You' among some of his favourites.

Outside of writing, John is a passionate fan of live music (predominantly punk rock), motorsports, reading, cinema, and snow.

He is also a staunch believer in kindness and that it is never too late in life to start again.

Book Review: Suicide Bridge by Daniel Kowalski

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Suicide Bridge

Subtitle: A Suspenseful Mystery Thriller Fiction Crime Novel

Author: Daniel Kowalski

Genre: Mystery

Part of a series?

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197881205-suicide-bridge

Overall score:

I scored this book 3.5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

We meet Michelle as she tries to piece her life back together again. She lost her boyfriend and son because of her drug use and is working hard to regain the trust and custody of her son. But will she succeed with the help of her friends, or will they just hinder her?

What I liked about the book:

The story is great and shows real promise.

What I didn’t like about the book:

The writing style requires some improvement, but it shows great promise.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a mystery.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes

 

If you like mysteries, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

"A solid mystery/thriller with a smooth pace and compelling characters. A real page turner!" -Timothy J. Cox Actor/Producer/Screenwriter

 

After hearing that a coworker has committed suicide by jumping off a bridge, a recovering drug addict begins investigating the case on her own and she starts to suspect that her boyfriend might be a murderer.

 

Michelle Rhodes is taking life one day at a time. She’s a recovering heroin addict that ODed when she was driving with her toddler son in the car. Her now ex-boyfriend, Frank, now has full custody of the child while Michelle went to rehab, started a new job as a fast food manager, found a new boyfriend named Cory, and she got her own apartment. She’s been clean for more than four months now. Her life isn’t great but she’s working on that.

 

Everything changes for her when her co-worker and friend, Sarah, disappears. Sarah’s car was found abandoned on a bridge and it looks like she jumped but no one can say for sure that’s what happened because her body hasn’t been recovered. If she did then she wouldn't be the first person as dozens of poor souls have jumped off it before over the decades, earning it the nickname of Suicide Bridge. However, in their small town, people are gossiping and the general consensus is that she probably killed herself because it was well known that she and her very wealthy father had a very rocky relationship.

 

Michelle tries not to have an opinion until all the facts are known. But after she finds a necklace that belonged to Sarah hidden in her boyfriend’s things, she starts to suspect that he might be involved in a possible murder.

 

Michelle will follow her suspicions about Cory because she desires to help her lost friend. It won’t be easy for her. The lead detective on Sarah’s case is Frank and there are a lot of hard feelings between the former couple. Michelle will do her best to put those aside because she is determined to discover the truth, even if she is just an amateur sleuth. But what she doesn’t realize in this exciting mystery/thriller is that the truth will be far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.

 

If you enjoyed books that have the psychological twist and turns of 'Gone Girl' along with the action along with the fast pace and action in 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' then this book is for you.

 

This is a fictional story that adheres to the genre of the mystery suspense thriller. Other similar titles to it 'Before I go to Sleep', 'Fates and Furies', 'The Girl on the Train', 'Big Little Lies', 'The Silent Patient', 'Lullaby', 'Sharp Objects', and 'The Wife Between us'..

About the Author:

 

I'm a new author and I would really appreciate that, if you read my book, then please leave a review. Good reviews are the best way to get others to take a chance with their time to check out my book.

 

In the meantime I am working on a follow up novel that I will release later this year.

Book Review: The Return by Sarah Jacobson

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Return

Subtitle: Liberty Falls Book One

Author: Sarah Jacobson

Genre: Fiction

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 1

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61167311-the-return

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

When her uncle James dies, vultures descend on the farm and wider settlement of Liberty Falls. A familiar foe is behind it all. Will Perrie succeed in bringing Liberty Falls together and saving her uncle’s farm?

What I liked about the book:

The book is full of old trauma, past betrayal and new beginnings.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a work of fiction.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes

 

If you like fiction, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Trouble is brewing in Liberty Falls

 

The Jameson family owns a fifth-generation ranch and after the death of its Patriarch, John Jameson, things begin to take an ugly turn.

Perrie Jameson returns home from New York to help her family fend off greedy land grabbers, headed by a familiar foe.

 

Follow Perrie on her journey to not only save her family and their ranch but also find herself as she reconnects with an old flame from her past.

About the Author:

Book Review: Counting the Cost by Jemima Brigges

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Counting the Cost

Subtitle: Linmore - The Early Years (Linmore Series Book 2)

Author: Jemima Brigges

Genre: Literature and Fiction

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 2

Best read after earlier books in series? Yes

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50351036-counting-the-cost

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

A young gentlewoman who loses all and becomes a maid for the gentry. A rape resulting in pregnancy. A child taken from her and left as foundling. What will become of them all? What adversities do both have to overcome and will they?

What I liked about the book:

The book is full of heart-wrenching moments, egging on the underdogs, with at the centre a strong woman.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a period drama.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes

 

If you like period drama, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

It is generally assumed that a woman’s reputation once lost can never be restored...Counting the Cost – (Linmore - The Early Years) – begins the story of a young gentlewoman, who, having overcome adversity, sets out to help others less fortunate. Set in Pre-Regency rural Shropshire (1794-1808) at a time when the common man had few rights and women had none – other than those their menfolk deigned to bestow on them.(Reissued as the Prelude to Living in the Shadows).Necessity drives a hard bargain and Maria knows, from bitter experience, that a woman alone must do what she can to survive. Ten years ago, her life was in ruins, and she would have died but for the help of a gypsy herbalist. Afterwards, she determined to restore her good name and reputation, even if it took subterfuge.Since then Maria has, by sacrificing her youthful looks, become Miss Dinchope, housekeeper, the epitome of primness and virtue. Her past is forgotten but she has learned that respectability has many faces; some of which hide dark secrets that are every bit as threatening as her own experience.Appalled by the degree of ignorance and sloth, Maria adopts a regimented approach to raise standards in the household, and by degrees succeeds in her endeavour – but no one knows what the effort of being constantly on her guard against discovery, costs her.Sometimes in the lonely hours of the night, she vows to move on to better things but anger, an emotion she contrives to hide, drives her to protect the vulnerable servants for which she has responsibility. One little pauper child, a new housemaid, touches an inexplicable chord of memory, but where she has met the girl before – and when, escapes her.Nell Walcote is an anomaly, unlike any other servant in the household. Despite the girl’s poor upbringing, she seems strangely refined and eager to learn. She can read and write her letters, and Miss Dinchope determines to teach her the right way to behave. The prospect so appeals to the housekeeper’s sense of Christian charity, she feels it is her duty to train the girl for a better place in service, even if she must defer her own plans to gain advancement.To avoid the pitfalls, she encountered as a girl, Maria insists that Nell avoids men. Will the guidance of a maiden lady of indeterminate age be enough to keep her safe – and for how long will it be effective? A heart-warming story, which gives a rare insight into the lives of women to whom kindness, honesty and friendship mean more than money and social class – an introduction to an interlinking series that is filled with love, loss, life and laughs.First published as a standalone, Counting the Cost now sets the scene for The Foundling’s Path Trilogy. The story is the same; only the edition and the cover have changed.

About the Author:

Book Review: Brothers in Arms by Jemima Brigges

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Brothers at Arms

Subtitle: Linmore - The Early Years (Linmore Series Book 1)

Author: Jemima Brigges

Genre: Literature and Fiction

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 1

Best read after earlier books in series? N/A

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27420097-brothers-at-arms

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

A father with a big heart, 2 orphaned children, a forced marriage and a secret love. When one of the children is somewhat troublesome, what trouble will it cost and what sacrifices will follow? Will both boys join the army as they wish?

What I liked about the book:

The book is full of heart-wrenching moments, egging on the underdogs, with at the centre a man with a big heart.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a horror story with a paranormal touch.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes

 

If you like period drama, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

The story of a friendship, which began in Shropshire during the Pre-Regency era (1794 – 1802)

Tom Norbery’s decision, to bring two orphaned children to live at Linmore Hall, changes the life of his son, Joshua, for the better.

 

It does not make his older brother less aggressive, or his mother kinder, but for the first time in his life Joshua has a friend. Someone to talk with, share his adventures and best of all his ambition to be a soldier. All he has to do is accept Charlie Cobarne’s little sister, which at the time does not seem too much to ask.

 

But Sophie, unlike other girls in the Linmore household, disdains female refinements in favour of masculine hunting pursuits at which she excels. She challenges her brother and Joshua to prove her mettle, until Charlie agrees that she can follow the drum when they join the army. In so doing, she binds their friendship together, but her continuing presence causes the once strong bond between the young men to become a recipe for misunderstandings.

 

Changing family circumstances force Sophie to conceive a plan of which she is sure Charlie will approve – knowing that Joshua always agrees with her brother. Single minded in her determination to keep them together, Sophie little considers the far-reaching consequences for them, and Linmore, if her plans should go awry. Or who, if she pushes them to the limit, has most to lose?

 

The first part of an interlinking series involving the landed gentry and the working classes at a time when the Napoleonic Wars rumble on in the background, and life, with its family feuds and intrigues, continues in a rural England coping with the changes of the Agricultural Revolution. A coming of age story.

About the Author:

Book Review: Whispers of the Dead by Anthony Hulse

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Whispers of the Dead

Subtitle:

Author: Anthony Hulse

Genre: Horror

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23003028-whispers-of-the-dead

Overall score:

I scored this book 4/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

When your gift isn’t a gift but a curse. Oliver Sangster loses his family and career when a sceptic pulls out the stops to prove he’s a fake. But when a murder case falls into his lap and he receives messages from beyond, what will he do and what will it cost him?

What I liked about the book:

The book is action-packed, and full of suspense.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a horror story with a paranormal touch.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Maybe
Adult	Yes

 

If you like horror, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Oliver Sangster is no ordinary man. As a renowned psychic, he deems his ability as a curse, rather than a gift. This incredible man foresaw catastrophic incidents such as 9/11, Chernobyl, Hurricane Katrina, the Tokyo gas attack, and many others. His notoriety in contacting the dead prompts police forces to utilise his skills, but the latest investigation into a murdered girl has tragic consequences. Professor Ferris-Browne is a sceptic and member of CSI, an organisation for debunking psychics. His obsession with denouncing Sangster as a fake leads to the psychic losing his wife and family, and his income from his shows. This book explores instances of spooky séances, hauntings, and the possibility that spirits do exist. A frightening, yet compulsive read!

About the Author:

Book Review: Do Unto Others by James Harper

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Do Unto Others

Subtitle: An Evan Buckley Crime Thriller (Evan Buckley Thrillers Book 20)

Author: James Harper

Genre: Crime, Mystery

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 20

Best read after earlier books in series? Can be read as stand-alone

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196224435-do-unto-others

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

It’s time to pay back a debt. Stan Fraser calls in to collect and asks Evan to find his son. Arlo disappeared many years before, but Stan believes his son is now in danger. Will Evan find him in time? Is Arlo still alive? And, does he want to come home?

What I liked about the book:

The book is action-packed, and full of suspense.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I loved the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is one of many books I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a mystery full of suspense.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Possibly
Adult	Yes

 

If you like suspense, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Five years ago, a light aircraft owned by Mexican drug baron and people trafficker Esteban Aguilar went down in the middle of the Louisiana swamps. The pilot and another man were found dead inside, both shot to death. The prisoner who’d been handcuffed in the back was nowhere to be found. Nor was a couple of million in dirty cash or something else a lot more valuable in the wrong hands.

 

Suddenly it’s payback time for PI Evan Buckley. He owes crime boss Stan Fraser a favor – and Stan doesn't like to be told, no. Find his son Arlo who just went missing trying to get to the bottom of the unsolved cold case down in Louisiana - or face the consequences.

 

From a corrupt politician whose career is on the line to the psychopathic brother of the prisoner who escaped to a retired cop nursing his dreams of bloody revenge, everybody’s got an agenda. There's only one thing they can all agree on - Evan has to be stopped before he uncovers the truth.

 

With his every move dogged by the enigmatic minder Stan's saddled him with, Evan knows that if he can't find Arlo and bring him home in one piece, he might as well not come home at all.

About the Author:

Book Review: See No Evil by James Harper

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: See No Evil

Subtitle: An Evan Buckley Crime Thriller (Evan Buckley Thrillers Book 19)

Author: James Harper

Genre: Crime, Mystery

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 19

Best read after earlier books in series? Can be read as stand-alone

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/131118206-see-no-evil

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Evan is hired by Ava to find the killer of her boyfriend. But things aren’t as they seem. He appears to have been shot because of something he had seen, but things don't fully add up when Ava denies having seen anything. Will Evan get to the bottom of things? Especially when the scene of a crime brings back memories for him and Kate Guillory?

What I liked about the book:

The book is action-packed, and full of suspense.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I loved the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is one of many books I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a mystery full of suspense.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Possibly
Adult	Yes

 

If you like suspense, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

When Ava Hart's boyfriend, Daryl Pierce, is shot to death in his home on the same night he witnessed a man being abducted, the police are quick to write it off as a case of wrong place, wrong time. Ava disagrees. She's convinced they killed him. And she's hired PI Evan Buckley to unearth the truth. Trouble is, as Evan discovers all too soon, Ava wouldn't recognize the truth if it jumped up and bit her on the ass. Things immediately get off to a disastrous start for Evan and his partner, Detective Kate Guillory, when a cruel twist of fate throws them back into the darkest days of their shared past, the guilt and demons they hoped they'd put behind them rudely awakened. The deeper Evan digs, the higher the lies pile up and the faster he goes nowhere. From Ava herself to Daryl's bitter widow to a dirty cop to a vicious gang of outlaw bikers, the list of suspects just keeps on growing. Only one thing's for sure. If he's to have any chance of solving it, he needs to get to the bottom of the most insidious lie of all - what is Ava hiding, and why?

About the Author:

Book Review: Dorcas by C.A. Deegan

 Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Dorcas

Subtitle: (The Cracklock Saga stand-alone)

Author: C.A. Deegan

Genre: Literature and Fiction/Young Adult

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: stand-alone

Best read after earlier books in series? Yes, but definitely stands on its own

Available:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193767512-dorcas

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Another great book by this author’s hand. I fully hooked on the Cracklock Saga.

In this book, we meet our favourite Brownie, Dorcas. We knew she was kind of a badass, but what made her the person she was?

What I liked about the book:

The book is well-written and action-filled.

What I didn’t like about the book:

Like the other books in the series, it was difficult to put the book down, and I was at risk of not getting enough sleep (just kidding, the book was just that good).

My favourite bits in the book:

The entire book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire book.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is a stand-alone within the series, and fits well at any time you wish within this series.

What books could this be compared to and why?

Like stories about faeries and goblins? This is a story like no other.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book to the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

 

If you like fiction with a bit of fairy dust, but lots of action and evil goblins, too, this book may be the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Bad things happen to good Folk; such is the nature of the world... Friend and Nanny to the Cracklock's for generations, Dorcas the Brownie is a firm fixture in the family. But it wasn't always that way. Our Dorcas has a dark and terrible past—one where innocent mischief leads to a nefarious plot to expose Faery to our world. True friendships will be shattered, and the evil nature of lifers exposed for all to see. Join Dorcas in her early years. What happened at the lake with Jenny Greenteeth? Why did Dorcas become such a scrapper? And how did she come to join the family she loves so much? This is a tale not for the faint of heart….

About the Author: