A Sliver of Darkness – C.J.Tudor ★★★★

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 bookclubbetweenthepagesLeave a comment

Blurb; The debut short story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, featuring ten bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

Timeslips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor’s novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In Final Course, the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In Runaway Blues, thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In Gloria, a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a cold-hearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in I’m Not Ted, a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen, fatal consequences.

Riveting and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited.

My Review; I picked this up from my library. I must admit this is the first book I have read by this author, and it contains 12 short stories, which I love, and I prefer a short story now and again. Perfect for busy lives or lack of reading mojo. All the stories vary differently, but all are brilliant. A great range of stories here. It’s an easy read. Some stories stand out from others, and others I can remember more. But I really enjoyed the whole short story collection. A well-deserved four stars from me.

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Detective · mystery · suspense · thriller

The Ninth Month – James Patterson & Richard DiLallo ★★★★

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 bookclubbetweenthepagesLeave a comment

Blurb; In this action-packed thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Midwife Murders, a mother-to-be sees the women in her social circle start to disappear—and she could be next . . . Emily Atkinson leads a complicated life in New York City. She’s a successful marketing executive who lives in a luxury apartment and enjoys a glamorous existence until she lands in the hospital with a double diagnosis: she parties too much—and she’s pregnant. Her nurse and new best friend, Betsey, helps Emily rediscover how much she loves morning runs in the park and quiet nights at home. But as a series of women in her wealthy social circles go missing, Emily’s pregnancy becomes decidedly high-risk.

My Review; As we all should know by now, I’m a huge James Patterson fan. Again, this did not disappoint me. A thrilling, fast-paced, suspense filled story. A who is it story? Why are women going missing? Who is it? Who is stalking our main character who also happens to be pregnant? I can tell you now it is a judge every character story it doesn’t matter who you are, everyone was a suspect in my eyes and yet I still didn’t guess that outcome. An explosive ending I did not see coming. Kept me hooked. Short chapters. The story follows two friends who are both pregnant over their nine months of pregnancy. Highly recommend. A well-deserved four stars from me.

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Killers · suspense · thriller

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It – Katy Brent ★★★★

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 bookclubbetweenthepagesLeave a comment

Blurb; Meet Kitty Collins.

FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started…

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

A deliciously dark, hilariously twisted story about friendship, love, and murder. Fans of My Sister the Serial Killer, How to Kill Your Family and Killing Eve will love this wickedly clever novel!

My Review; Okay, come on. I purely picked this one up off the title alone. Now, this is NOT a guide on how to kill men and get away with it, unfortunately, but a very clever story of a lady who cleans up vermin (those creepy men) and gets away with it. UNTIL she messes up. She messes up badly, killing an innocent person. Descriptive. Dark. But surely she’s just a hero cleaning up the streets and keeping all women safe, right? A fast-paced, short chapter read that had me hooked until the end. I really enjoyed reading this. Highly recommend. A well-deserved four stars from me.

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