Monday 27 March 2023

BOOK REVIEW: THE MAID BY NITA PROSE



 


BLURB

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.


Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.




My Thoughts

Original. Unique.

These are the words I would use to describe this book. The Maid follows a hotel maid named Molly, who because of her straightforward and direct manner is regarded as different, weird and a bit obsessive by most.

Molly finds herself lonely upon the death of her grandmother who was all the family she had known. While Molly buries herself in her work, her world is turned upside down when she discovers Mr. Black dead in a suite at the Regency Hotel where she works. This sets in motion a chain of events that places Molly in the spotlight.

I think this book was a work of art. I say this because it is very difficult for a writer to craft a character like Molly. Reading Molly places the reader into a world where people are socially awkward. Molly's character in the book shed some light to how to effectively deal with people who are different.

There were many twists and shocking revelations at the end which added an extra flavour to the story. In all the book lived up to the hype.

Thursday 16 March 2023

BOOK REVIEW: THE IT GIRL BY RUTH WARE


 

BLURB


April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.



My THOUGHTS 

This was "Between the Pages Book Club pick for March" (GOODREADS BOOK CLUB) and let me tell you this was a great pick indeed.

John Neville is dead in prison. He died still trying to convince his accusers that he was innocent of the murder of Oxford University's It GIRL April Coutts- Cliveden ten years earlier. Hannah is convinced that John was the killer, after all fit the profile and he was seen coming out of April's room right before Hannah found her dead. A call from Geraint a reporter, that is convinced that everyone got it wrong. casts doubt in Hannah's mind.

But who did it? Was it Will? Hannah's husband past boyfriend of April, Hugh (Will's best friend) or was it someone else in the circle of friends Emily? or perhaps Ryan? This book will send you on a mysterious adventure.

it Girl was gripping from beginning to end. I have always been a fan of dark academia and mystery novels and I think that this novel meshed both very well. What I loved about this book is that at times you thought you knew who did it and then it would throw you off and then you will be asking yourself, who was the killer. I really enjoyed this one. I hope my book club members felt the same.

Saturday 4 March 2023

BLOG TOUR: WHERE THE WATER FLOWS @rararesources



Where the Water Flows

It had been a long, hot summer followed by a very wet autumn. The River Hawk, lying to the north of a former little mill town, was in full flood but nobody imagined the catastrophe that lay ahead.
Not the elderly couple who created a beautiful memorial garden that would become a lake.
Not the opera singer who found a friend who would risk all to save her life.
Not the owner of Wax Polish who would battle to rescue her first love.
Not the new parents who would be overwhelmed and torn apart.
And certainly not two drama students whose lives would change forever.


My Thoughts

Today is my stop on the blog tour for 'Where the Water Flows"by Romola Farr. 

The synopsis gripped me and I was not wrong. The story was gripping, exciting and can I say POETIC.

Absolutely loved the writing style of this author. I'm telling you she is going places. Of course if you have been following my blog you will know that I go for unique stories and this book did not disappoint at all. 

What I loved most apart from the quality of writing was the cast of characters and the story line. Let me tell you get your hands on this book. Really enjoyable indeed. Well done.


Purchase Links

 AMAZON UK

AMAZON US


Author Bio –

Romola Farr first trod the boards on the West End stage aged sixteen and continued to work for the next eighteen years in theatre, TV and film - and as a photographic model. A trip to Hollywood led to the sale of her first screenplay and a successful change of direction as a screenwriter and playwright. Bridge To Eternity was her debut novel, and Breaking through the Shadows and Where the Water Flows are standalone sequels. All three novels are set in the fictional town of Hawksmead.

Romola Farr is a nom de plume.

https://twitter.com/RomolaFarr

https://twitter.com/merlinwardcom