The other woman by Sandie Jones

Emily wasn't looking for love, but that's what she found in a crowded bar after an HR conference.  On the surface Adam was attractive and fit, even if he showed an impressive lack of empathy.  A top consultant at her firm, Emily is doing well and doesn't need a man in her life to make her complete, but that doesn't stop her from falling under the spell of Adam's charm and attention.  During a whirlwind romance Adam becomes part of Emily's life, a part of herself that grows until she can't do without him.  It seems perfect, they're living together and planning a wedding, but that all changes when Emily meets her future mother-in-law Pammie.  

During their first meeting Pammie appears to be welcoming, but Emily feels like there is a strange distance between them - that Pammie is not that keen on Emily joining her family.  Pammie is a widow who mostly raised her two boys on her own and she is very close to both her boys - Adam and his younger brother James.  At times it feels like there is no space for Emily in the relationship, and at times it seems like Pammie is deliberately trying to split them up.  As the wedding approaches Emily becomes convinced that Pammie wants to keep Adam to herself, and she becomes even more determined to marry Adam.  When Pammie crosses a line that horrifies Emily it is full out war as far as Emily is concerned and she is willing to fight for herself, for Adam, and for their unborn child.  Why is Pammie so determined to keep Emily out of Adam's life, and how far will she go to get what she wants?

When you read a lot it can be a challenge to find a book that is a fresh voice, or that surprises you - and The other woman managed to cover both bases.  There are quite a few books out there that cover similar relationships, or that pit mother-in-law against future daughter-in-law, but few unravel the story as well as Sandie Jones has.  I liked Emily from the start (even if I didn't really like the fact that she was so smitten with Adam so quickly and gave up on her life so quickly - but that's not Jones's fault).  Having the story told from Emily's perspective left a lot of room for the story to develop, and avoiding spoilers gets tricky if you want to do a good review.  

The highest compliment I can pay The other woman is that it was a thoroughly satisfying read, with little twists and clues that keep you wondering what is really happening (and what Emily might be imagining).  The characters felt real, and this would easily translate to a television movie or a feature film without needing to be made more realistic.  I have requested more Sandie Jones books to see if I like her other books because I really, really liked The other woman.  Best enjoyed in a single sitting if you can.  Enjoy!

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• Hidden lies by Rachel Ryan
• When I was ten by Fiona Cummins
• Before she was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
• The perfect mother by Caroline Mitchell
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• Behind closed doors by B.A. Paris
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• Either side of midnight by Benjamin Stevenson
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

Reviewed by Brilla

Kill a stranger by Simon Kernick

Matt Walters and his fiancée Kate are in London after discovering that Kate is pregnant, and they both know that the maternity care is better in England than in their adopted home of Sri Lanka.  They have settled into their rented cottage and life seems to be going well as they connect with old friends, but then Matt comes home one night to find Kate missing.  Her place in their bed is not empty though, a dead woman holding a cellphone has taken her place, and when the phone rings Matt discovers that his nightmare is just getting started.  Matt's fiancée Kate has been kidnapped and if he wants to see her again he must follow the instructions of the man on the other end of the phone - a man who wants him to kill a man and take something from him.  Matt was an actor once and even played a police officer, but he's not prepared to kill anyone - but when your loved ones are in danger you never know what you are truly capable of.

When Kate wakes to find herself in the trunk of a car she is confused and then concerned for the life of her unborn child.  When she is pulled from the car by two men she knows she is in trouble, she has no hope of escaping from two captors - especially when they seem to be professionals.  When her life is threatened it seems like she is in real danger, and when you have lived the life Kate has you learn to stand up for yourself and fight.  Her captors have no idea who they have kidnapped, and Kate is not going to just sit by and wait to be rescued - she is going to make plans and fight for her life.  Who has taken her and what do they want?  

Everyone has secrets - but those secrets don't always get you killed.  As Matt does everything he can to save his fiancées life he has no idea what secrets he will uncover.  He has tried for a year to get Kate to open up and share her life with him, but she has always been so guarded and controlled.  How much does he actually know about her and her past?  Determined to save her, Matt does things he never thought he could, and it might all be in vain.  Who has taken Kate and what do they really want?

Kill a stranger is a tense psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish as you try and untangle what you know from what you think you know.  Told from the point of view of the different characters the story moves at a breath taking pace and feeds you portions of the story as you race to figure out what is happening before the end.  They say everyone has secrets, but those secrets don't usually get you kidnapped or extorted.  This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long while, and it really challenged me to figure out who was telling the truth (or at least how much of the truth they were telling) before the end.  Highly recommended and hopefully there are more books by Simon Kernick of the same caliber for me to try next!

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• The runner by Stephen Leather
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The tattoo thief by Alison Belsham
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver

Reviewed by Brilla

Hidden lies by Rachel Ryan

Like a lot of women these days Georgina and is busy, not only is she mother to young Cody and wife to Bren, she is also working and studying.  It's no surprise she is under a certain amount of stress, especially with her husbands recent cheating coming to light.  Their relationship is under strain, but they are trying to work through it - although Georgina can't help but feel betrayed and pressured to get over what Bren swears was just a kiss.  When Cody and his friends disappear briefly at the local park Georgina isn't too worried, but then Cody reappears with a a lolly that he didn't have before - a lolly he says comes from a woman who says she is his granny.  With the death of her mother still a raw wound, Georgina takes Cody's announcement of this new granny hard, but Bren thinks it is a just a phase Cody is going through - that Georgina is over reacting and needs to let it be.  

It seems harmless to Bren, Cody's way of grieving for the loss of his grandmother, but Georgina is not convinced.  She thinks there is more to the story, especially when she finds lolly wrappers for a brand they don't buy, and when Cody appears to be having conversations on the phone.  The whole situation has Georgina on edge, and when Bren brings up the past she tips closer to the edge.  When Cody suddenly changes his story and says that his new granny is imaginary it should ease Georgina's worries, but they ramp up instead.  Something is very wrong - but is it only in Georgina's mind, or is Cody really talking to someone?

Hidden lies is a well paced and well written story that is scary because it could so easily be real.  This is one of those books that pushes the boundaries of what you believe, and as you learn more about Georgina and Bren what you believe is challenged at each turn.  Is Georgina loses her mind?  Does Cody really have an imaginary friend, or is something more serious going on?  As Georgina's stress levels rise you start to see the world through her eyes, and with each passing day of Cody refusing to cooperate and tell her what is going on her stress levels continue to rise and she starts seeing secrets and conspiracies everywhere.  This story keeps you guessing right to the end and was one of the best books of its type I have read.  Highly recommended psychological thriller.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• When I was ten by Fiona Cummins
• Before she was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
• The perfect mother by Caroline Mitchell
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• Behind closed doors by B.A. Paris
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• Either side of midnight by Benjamin Stevenson
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

Reviewed by Brilla

Dark blue rising by Teri Terry

As long as she can remember it has just been Tabby and Cate - the two of them living a nomadic life and staying off the grid.  It has never bothered Tabby that they don't have roots, as long as it is the two of them everything is balanced and correct - especially when they are living near the sea.  That changes when Tabby meets a boy named Jago, a boy who wants to be friends, something she has never experienced before.  When she is badly injured in an accident and taken to hospital it seems as though everything Cate warned her about is coming true - the intrusive questions, the tests, and then as they quietly escape from the hospital the presence of the Police.  Sore and confused, Tabby trusts that Cate will take care of them both as she always have - but then suddenly Cate is gone and Tabby is left with the shocking truth that everything she thought she knew was a lie.

 Tabby is not Tabitha like she thought, she is really Holly and she has parents who looked for her after she was kidnapped by her nanny as a small child.  A shocking discovery on its own, but then she learns that Cate, the woman who raised her was the very nanny who stole her away.  Everything is suddenly strange and confusing - she loves Cate, and wants nothing to do with her birth parents, but her mother obviously loves her and missed her and it is hard to resist.  Everything is slightly surreal, and when she learns that she was an IVF baby, she learns about the Penrose Clinic.  The Penrose Clinic helped couples like her parents conceive a baby when other IVF treatments failed, and the Clinic keeps careful track of its success stories in a longitudinal study that Tabby is suddenly part of again.  It is strange and unnerving, and the Penrose Clinic seems unconcerned about the strange test results the other hospitals had found.  

As Tabby slowly develops a better understanding of her mother and her past, she is approached to attend an advanced swim school for the summer.  Tabby has always enjoyed swimming, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to spend more time in the water - but she has no idea what she is letting herself in for.  There is something strange about the swim school, some of the teens attending have been in training before, but others were approached just before the school started.  It seems as though the staff are a little too interested in the students, and some of the exercises they are getting the students ot do seem to have no relevance to swimming.  Can Tabby unravel the mystery of what is happening before it is too late?

Dark blue rising is the first book in a new trilogy by Teri Terry - the author of several well received science fiction series for teenagers.  What starts as a slow and steady introduction to Tabby and her world quickly escalates into a tense thriller where you never know quite where the story is going until the next surprise is sprung.  Tabby is an interesting character, and you can't help but like her as she never gives up and keeps going despite the many different obstacles she encounters.  It is easy to be sympathetic with her and her circumstances, and the people around her can just as easily be friend or foe depending on what happens (no spoilers I promise).  Terry has taken the theme of climate change and created a unique character and set of circumstances that I have yet to come across in science fiction or speculative fiction around climate change so it was a nice fresh read without too many cliché moments (a nice change from some of the series that are out there).  I can't wait to read the next book, Red sky burning, which is due in July 2021.

If you like this book then try:

• Slated by Teri Terrry
• Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
• The Jewel by Amy Ewing
• The Ones by Daniel Sweren-Becker
• Wither by Lauren DeStefano
• Honor among thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre
• Red queen by Victoria Aveyard
• The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson
• The scorpion rules by Erin Bow
• The glass arrow by Kristen Simmons
• The 100 by Kass Morgan
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Proxy by Alex London
• ACID by Emma Pass
• Reboot by Amy Tintera
• XVI by Julia Karr
• In the after by Demitria Lunetta

Reviewed by Brilla

Jolene by Mercedes Lackey

Jolene is the fifteenth book in the Elemental Masters series, which means this would normally need a spoiler alert, but as it is set in America and not Europe there is no need.  You can read this book independently of the rest of the series and still follow along.  The Fire Rose is also set in America, but is not officially part of the series as it was published by Baen and not DAW.

Anna May Jones has always been a sickly child, plagued with a lack of energy and a constant lack of appetite.  It may be just as well, as Anna and her mother sacrifice their fair share of the food to make sure her father is well fed for his work in the mines.  In other places Anna and her mother may have been able to supplement their meals with food grown in a garden, but the town of Soddy is choking on the coal dust that comes from the mine.  One day Anna learns that her parents have plans to send her to her Aunt Jinny, the woman Anna has never met, but who has sent her potions to Anna and her father to try and keep them well.  Anna is anxious, but surely her own kin won't harm her - especially not kin who has sent potions to her mother to sell to help support the family?

Leaving Soddy is a shock in more ways than one- for the first time in her life it feels like Anna can breath, and when she meets her Aunt at the end of her journey she finds that she is not what she expected at all.  Aunt Jinny dresses like a man and takes no nonsense, but she is also generous with what she has and offers to train Anna up so she can set herself up as a Root Woman.  It is more than Anna could ever have hoped for, as a Root Woman she will have a respectable profession and will be able to provide for herself.  Living with her aunt is a breath of fresh air, she soon learns that she has a talent for seeing and using the Glory, which will make it much easier for her to become a Root Woman.  

That power brings her to the attention of a mysterious woman called Jolene, who has taken an interest in Anna and offers to help her learn how to control her abilities.  Anna doesn't need her aunts caution to treat Jolene with respect, and soon learns that she will be more powerful than her aunt when she has finished learning.  To protect herself Anna must learn all she can and come into her full power - because there are people who would use her power for themselves, not matter what the cost is to Anna herself.

I have been looking forward to Jolene for months, mostly because of all the havoc Covid-19 has wreaked - and it seemed like an early Christmas present!  I have to say it was a relief to read a story that is not tangled up with the stories of Sherlock Holmes, a fresh story to discover.  I had never heard the legend/story that Jolene was based on, and it was a real pleasure to have a fresh story and mythology to enjoy.  I loved the way everything was so connected too, Anna and her Glory were not limited to the traditional magic laws of her own people, she was included in the Earth magic that was native to the area too.  I also liked the flow and rhythm of the story - it wasn't rushed and it didn't drag on.  

It was also a treat to have a story set in America again - for some readers the Fire Rose is not part of the story because it was set in America and had a different publisher, but it was the first book that had the same 'world' and rules as the rest of the series.  Hopefully there are more books set in America as it broadens the series and makes it more interesting, fresh and new - a chance to explore stories from other places and cultures.  

If you like this book then try:

• The Fire rose by Mercedes Lackey (not officially part of the series)
• The serpent's shadow by Mercedes Lackey
• The gates of sleep by Mercedes Lackey
• Phoenix and ashes by Mercedes Lackey
• The wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey
• Reserved for the cat by Mercedes Lackey
• Unnatural issue by Mercedes Lackey
• Home from the sea by Mercedes Lackey
• Steadfast by Mercedes Lackey
• Blood red by Mercedes Lackey
• From a high tower by Mercedes Lackey
• A study in sable by Mercedes Lackey
• A scandal in Battersea by Mercedes Lackey
• The bartered brides by Mercedes Lackey
• The case of the spellbound child by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Brilla

Ararat by Christopher Golden

For local guide Feyiz and his extended family, leading groups of climbers up Mount Ararat in Turkey is their business - from the gentler summer months of tramps, through to the more dangerous winter months they know the mountain and her secrets.  When an earthquake storms across the mountain it causes an avalanche that smashes into Feyiz's village, and uncovers a secret that was buried under the snow and ice.  In the aftermath of the earthquake it is a race against time for climbers and scholars to reach the earthquake site first, because the first people to arrive will be able to lay claim to the greatest archaeological find in modern history - a wooden vessel buried on Mount Ararat, a vessel that many believe may be Noah's Ark.  

Everyone who rushed to the mountain has their own motives for being there - and not all of them are as pure as the white snow that coats the mountain.  Ben Walker has been sent to Mount Ararat along with a scholar priest and a UN observer, and none of them are particularly welcome.  The mountain is a hive of activity with people from all fields of science eager to see the wooden structure and any treasures it may hold - but Walker and his team arrive not long after the remains in the coffin are found.  The leaders of the team are keen to keep the remains under wraps, including from most of the team, and once Walker sees the remains he can understand why - they don't look human.

As the weather closes in the group finds themselves trapped on the mountain.  It's not so bad at first, despite the freezing conditions they can carry on with their work - but then the first people disappear.  The first can be explained away as people wanting to leave and taking their chance despite the storm, but then others disappear.  As tensions rise and people start acting with desperation the team starts running out of choices, and clutches at any hope of escape from the increasingly creepy and dangerous mountain.  Can Walker and the rest of the team make it off the mountain safely, or will they be picked off one-by-one until there is no one left?  

2020 has been a pretty solid year of reading crime and rereading favourites for me, so I thought I would branch out a little and read an author I used to read - and after years of reading his Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels, Christopher Golden seemed like a good choice.  When I borrowed it from the local library I almost didn't read it after all because it had a horror label on it - but I am very glad I persevered.  This was one of the few novels I have read this year where I did not want to put it down, wanting to read it in one sitting as it was so addictive.  

This is one of those books where reviewing too much ruins the little twists and surprises that make it such a good book.  The mythology is well thought out and described, and the characters are well developed and well rounded - easy to see as people rather than just characters on a page.  A great read, and I am looking forward to reading more like it from Christopher Golden.

 If you like this book then try:

• Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong
• Eight million gods by Wen Spencer
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Moon called by Patricia Briggs
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Prowlers by Christopher Golden
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Children of the night by Mercedes Lackey
• Cast in shadow by Michelle Sagara

Reviewed by Brilla

1000 tattoos by Chris Coppola

Tattoos are not to everyone's taste, but there are some truly gifted tattooists out there who can bring skin to life with lines, dots, and coloured inks.  Like millions of people around the world I myself have tattoos, and I frequently find myself admiring the ink other people wear (though sometimes I do wonder what other people were thinking when they got theirs!)  Thanks to programmes like Tattoo Fixers I have found myself admiring designs that I never thought I would, especially some of the hyper realistic tattoos one of the Fixers excels at, alongside the beautiful and feminine point work and flowers of another Fixer, and then of course there are the other designs that are simply stunning in their own unique way.  On top of that I have just recently finished reading The tattoo thief by Alison Belsham, which is all about a tattoo artist which has also reignited my interest in tattoos.

The resulting search of the local public library catalogue lead me to 1000 tattoos which is what it sounds like - a book that collects together images of different tattoos.  I was half expecting a random selection of tattoos with a thematic approach, but instead this is a curated collection of art by artist - art that happens to be on skin rather than canvas.  There is something for every taste in this book, from traditional designs incorporated into modern designs through to amazing and vibrant colourwork.  For some parents this book may be their worst nightmare, but it is a great place to start if you are contemplating a tattoo as you can get an overview of different artistic styles, and options in terms of colourwork and black and white.  Even if you are not contemplating getting ink, there is some outstanding artistry between the covers.

1000 tattoos was a fantastic find to stumble across, and I was impressed to find a local tattooist from Auckland included in the international line up.  A real feast for the eyes (and skin) to enjoy.

Reviewed by Brilla

The tattoo thief by Alison Belsham

Marni Mullins is minding her own business, taking a break from tattooing people at a convention in her home town of Brighton when she stumbles across a dead body - the last thing she needs to see, or try and deal with.  Not keen to get tangled up with the Police, Marni makes an anonymous call to alert them to the body and then disappears back into her work.  She should have known that wouldn't keep her off the radar - especially with a newly promoted Detective Inspector leasing the case.  When DI Francis Sullivan tracks Marni down he is almost hostile, demanding her help and threatening her if she doesn't.  Already in a fragile state from finding the body, his demands for help almost push her over the edge - until they come to an uneasy truce when he asks her for help.

Helping the Police after what has happened in the past is not easy for Marni, but she is a connection to world of tattoos and tattooing for the very fresh faced and straight laced DI Sullivan.  When another body is found with the skin cut off it starts to feel like a serial murder case, and DI Sullivan and his team are put under pressure to solve the case.  Being the new kid on the block is always hard, especially when you've stepped over one of the longer serving members of your team, and Sullivan has to push his ideas onto a boss that doesn't want to hear them.  As the case heats up, Sullivan and Marni reach the conclusion that there is a connection to the tattooing world, that the person dubbed the Tattoo Thief by the media is working on a deadly collection.  Can they solve the case before someone Marni knows falls under the killers deadly blade?

As someone who has tattoos this book was both a fascinating and horrifying idea - though my discreet tattoos would not attract the attention of the killer, I do know people who have tattoos that would certainly make a collection happy.  I entered the story with some trepidation, but was soon thoroughly absorbed by the story which is well written and seems to accurately reflect Police practice and procedure (as much as you can pick up from watching TV series and reading books).  Marni is an interesting character complete with flaws and weaknesses that make her seem 100% genuine, and it is hard not to recognise the somewhat cliché character of the earnest young Police officer trying to prove himself in the young DI Sullivan.  The story was well teased out and well paced - there were little bread crumbs to follow, and it was nice to have my suspicions tested along the way.

The tattoo thief is a well written and perfectly paced thriller, different enough to have a unique voice in the crime/thriller market, but familiar enough to be an easy to follow read.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• Sweet little lies by Caz Frear
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• Killing trail by Margaret Mizushima
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• Gathering dark by Candice Fox
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver

Reviewed by Brilla

All of us by A.F. Carter

To the outside world Carolyn Grand is the survivor of an horrific childhood of physical and sexual abuse - but on the inside she is a family of personalities who drift in and out of control of their shared body.  The official diagnosis is dissociative identity disorder (DID), but for Martha, Victoria, Serena, Kirk, Eleni and Tina it is just who they are.  Each member of their unique family has a role to play in keeping the train wreck of their life from going off the rails completely.  Martha is the home-maker, the grown up of the group who takes care of the bills, the shopping, the cleaning, and making every cent stretch as far as it can.  Victoria is the confident face of their collective, the strong voice that speaks up for all of them.  Serena is the hippy, the one who sees light, and beauty, and colour around them.  Kirk is a man trapped in a woman's body with a whole bunch of women, but he has a knack for making friends in all the right (and wrong places).  Eleni is the risk taker, the one who seeks out casual sexual liaisons to ease the sexual tension.  All of them come into play as needed, though Martha and Victoria tend to dominate - and the most reclusive of all is the remnant personality of the child who survived the abuse and remembers for all of them - little Tina.

They have walked a knives edge for years, trying to keep it together enough to avoid being shipped off to the nearest secure mental health unit.  Overall it seems to be working out well, until Eleni decides to chat up the wrong man and brings all of them to the attention of the NYPD - and another stint in a secure mental health unit.  One of the conditions of their release is that they attend therapy, a game they have played many times before - but this time the therapist isn't playing the game and their freedom is in serious jeopardy.  To make matters worse, the collection known as Carolyn Grand has discovered that their father, Hank Grand, is due to be released from prison.  All the safety they thought they had disappears through the manipulations of  their therapist, and the deliberate and calculated stalking of their father.  Just when it seems like things can't get any worse for them, Hank is found murdered and they are suspect.  No one in the collection admits they killed Hank - but does that mean that none of them did it, or that none of them want to confess?  With their freedom under threat from multiple sides, the collective is going to have to make some difficult choices - and difficult decisions.

I picked up All of us after seeing it on the new books list for my local public library and wasn't sure what to expect as it was about multiple personalities and that can go very very wrong - but what I found was very very good.  A.F. Carter has written a novel about a woman who on the outside is a survivor of childhood abuse - but on the inside she is the fractured remains of the personalities that rose up at the time of the abuse and in the aftermath.  The she's, and one he, that are in the body of Carolyn Grand are unique individuals with their own voices.  By moving from personality to personality Carter creates a sense of the chaos that inhabits Carolyn's body, while also showing how the personalities interact and work to control themselves and each other.  The other characters introduced through their eyes add interest and depth to the story and help expose secrets as well as cover them up - no one necessarily knowing one from the other.  This is a fascinating and thoroughly absorbing novel to read, and I had to read it in one session as I didn't want to put it down.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• I've got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• The edge of normal by Carla Norton
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
  
• City of fear by Alafair Burke
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen

Reviewed by Brilla

Rattle by Fiona Cummins

The first child to go missing is little Clara Foyle.  She was supposed to stay with Mrs. Smith and the other children, but instead she wandered off because the parents and the other children were ignoring her.  She didn't really mind, but if she had known what was coming maybe she wouldn't have been so quick to leave the safety of the others.  On her way home Clara disappears without a trace, starting a frantic search that will bring Detective Sergeant Etta Fitzroy onto the case.  DS Etta Fitzroy is a capable officer, but after a disastrous mistake she is also skating on thin ice in terms of her career.  From the start the case is a difficult one, Clara's parents are disconnected from each other, and the family lacks closeness.  It seems as though they are both going through the motions, and it quickly becomes clear that not everything in the house is as it seems.  

DS Fitzroy is determined to solve the case and bring Clara home, and knowing that Clara has a disability makes her kidnapping seem even more deplorable and cruel.  With all the energy the team is expending on Clara's case the last thing they need is another missing child, but that is exactly what they get when Jakey Frith goes missing.  Jakey is special like Clara, he has a rare condition called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva or Stone Man Syndrome, that slowly traps him in a prison of his own bone.  With each accident and flare up Jakey gains more extra bone and loses more mobility.  His family support him, trying to protect him from accidents, but he still spends way too much time in hospital.  When Jakey disappears DS Fitzroy has the unenviable task of trying to balance two cases with a high risk of losing one or both of the children.  As DS Fitzroy digs into the case she comes to the horrifying conclusion that it is not two separate cases at all - that the same person has taken Clara and Jakey, and that they are not his only victims.  Can DS Fitzroy and Jakey's dad Erdman solve the mystery and find Jakey before it's too late?

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up Rattle, I had already read When I was ten by Fiona Cummins and wanted to try her earlier works, but I was not disappointed.  The story unfolds slowly, but not too slowly, moving between the point of view of the kidnapper, the children, the Police, and the families.  Some authors fumble with the switching views, but Cummins uses it to excellent effect, giving you glimpses that provide information and clues without giving away too much.  The different characters are well developed and have genuine emotions and motivations, making them feel more like people than cliches or cardboard cutouts of characters.  Cummins manages to balance sequences of action and drama with world building and background setting, keeping the story moving while providing the background you need to understand whose who and what is happening.  A fantastic start to a great series.

If you like this book then try:

• When I was ten by Fiona Cummins
  
• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
  
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
  

Reviewed by Brilla

Unravel the dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Unravel the dusk is the sequel to Spin the dawn and there are ***SPOILERS*** in this review if you have not read the first book in the duology.  Before you read anymore of this review I highly recommend reading Spin the dawn first.

Maia has survived her quest and returned to the Imperial Court - but she is not the same Maia who left.  On the surface she appears successful, the dresses of Amana are a wonder to behold, and their arrival means that the marriage of Emperor Khanujin and Lady Sarnai can proceed.  It is a delicate time politically, through their marriage Khanujin and Sarnai will bring an end to the war that has ravaged the land of A'ladi for the past five years.  The dresses of Amana should help bring peace, but Maia soon discovers that only their creator can wear them - a discovery that comes too late to prevent disaster striking at the most inopportune time.

As if the threatened peace is not bad enough, Maia is separated from Edan - and she is slowly transforming into a demon.  Her eyes glowing red is only the first step towards becoming a demon, but it is a visible and startling sign to those around her.  As she slowly changes, Maia must fight against the voice of the demon growing inside her, a fight that gets harder day by day.  As she struggles to resist her demon, Maia has to untangle what the change will mean for her and the dresses of Amana.  Maia has fought all her life to be successful, to be accepted, and to find her place in A'ladi - and now she faces a future where she will be lost to darkness forever.  As the final battle grows nearer Maia must find the strength to fight for all the things she loves - her family, her country, and her love.

As with Spin the dawn, Unravel the dusk is a challenging book to review because the best review would spoil the best twists and turns of the stories.  I loved Spin the dawn and was looking forward to finishing Maia's story in Unravel the dusk and I was not disappointed.  Elizabeth Lim has woven (no pun intended) a story that has all the best elements of a classic legend - an ordinary person who rises above what everyone expects of them, who makes huge personal sacrifices, and who ultimately finds their place in a world that was not prepared for them to find that place.  There are villains, and their are heroes, and there are people who could be either - sometimes both.  This is an epic story built on a well thought out mythology, and deserves to be read one after the other.

Hopefully this is not the last we have seen of Elizabeth Lim and her storytelling because it was a real pleasure to join Maia on her journey - experiencing the highs and lows, facing challenges and betrayals, and watching her find her place.  Highly recommended series for teens and adults alike.

If you like this book then try:

• A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
• The treachery of beautiful things by Ruth Frances Long
• Sea witch by Sarah Henning
• Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
• Crown duel by Sherwood Smith

Reviewed by Brilla