Blindsided Review

Firstly, thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A decade after Cadence Lawrence accused the perpetrator in the brutal murder of her high school friend, she’s finally put the nightmare to rest. But the ghosts of her past won’t rest, and an unexpected encounter with the killer reawakens demons she thought were long dead. Gripped by paranoia, Cadence fears she’s being stalked, and suspects that the murderer has invaded the sanctity of her home. Could her chance encounter have rekindled the savage rage that claimed the life of her friend and now threatens Cadence herself?

Highlights

With the exception of the cabin scene, every scene is full of action and moves the story right along, there is no flicking through a few pages to get past unnecessary dialogue as there just are not any wasted words.

The plot was well thought out and the reactions to events that occur are realistic and plausible

I think this book is set up very well for some follow-on stories from either the Killer or Mick’s friend Rob

Lowlights

You know who the killer is from the start which I find really adds to the tension in the book, but I would personally have liked a little bit extra on the back story of him and some more insight as to the why.

The first few chapters are all set in a cabin during a snowstorm, I would’ve liked the story to move a bit quicker as I felt the cabin section was a little too drawn out

Conclusion

This was the first Kate Watterson book I have read, and I’ll definitely be reading more. I would highly recommend this book; the 2 lowlights should definitely not deter you. It’s an excellent read and the characters practically jump off the page at you.

A moment in time


My babe you should now be asleep 

The clock has struck five after four

You should be dreaming, dreaming deep

Thoughts of slumber are only lore


The clock has struck five after four

Your playful laugh filled with pleasure

Thoughts of slumber are just lore

But these nights are mine to treasure


Your playful laugh filled with pleasure

Tired eyes gazing up at me

Still these nights are mine to treasure

You settle down, to sleep maybe


Tired eyes gazing up at me

You should be dreaming, dreaming deep

You settle down, to sleep maybe

My babe you should now be asleep

How far down is that?!

My feet leave the floor

body’s through the door

Fear my only friend

My nerves are on end

Through the clouds I break

Gasps of breath I take

The ground is so near

My heart beats with fear

The Chute won’t open

No time, it’s broken

Branches whip my face

As they slow the pace

The sky above me

Finally I’m free

The chute is a wreck

I survived, thank feck!

The Liar’s Girl Review

Her first love confessed to five murders. But the truth was so much worse.

Dublin’s notorious Canal Killer, Will Hurley, is ten years into his life sentence when the body of a young woman is fished out of the Grand Canal. Though detectives suspect they are dealing with a copycat, they turn to Will for help. He claims he has the information the police need but will only give it to one person – the girl he was dating when he committed his horrific crimes.

Alison Smith has spent the last decade abroad, putting her shattered life in Ireland far behind her. But when she gets a request from Dublin imploring her to help prevent another senseless murder, she is pulled back to face the past – and the man – she’s worked so hard to forget.

Highlights

I loved the Alison / Malone emerging story – maybe there’s a basis for a series here which I would read

The book uses flashbacks between Alison now and Alison then during her College days which was great as it gave insight to the previous murders

Some great twists near the end which I won’t spoil for you! I didn’t see it coming!

Lowlights

Will was not very relatable as a character, maybe because there wasn’t enough about him, he needed more of a back story, very 2 dimensional

Alison going from self-exiled hermit to super sleuth and solving a case that the guardi couldn’t do in 10 years is a bit farfetched. She pretty much identifies the new serial killer with a Google search

When you find out who the killer is, it leaves you feeling a little let down as he had no real presence in the book, so you miss the ‘oh my god’ moment which is a pity

Conclusion

I’d recommend it as a good read with the caveat of not getting your hopes up too high and just let it take you to the end instead of waiting for a dramatic finish

Distress Signals Review

The day Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads ‘I’m sorry – S’ sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate – and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground…

Highlights

Prologue: It begins with a scene from the end of the book which I actually liked as it gave me the hook to find out what lead up to that stage.

The idea of a disappearance at sea was very intriguing and it kept me turning the page to find out if Sarah was actually alive or dead

the middle third of the book is definitely the best part of it with some fast-moving action and events

Lowlights

The first 3rd of the book is slow to start with way too much ‘mansplaining’ going on which did not add anything to the story.

There was a secondary subplot about a French family running alongside the main story which was confusing as I could see absolutely no need for it. it very loosely ties in at the end of the book to the main story but was completely unnecessary

Everything comes together too conveniently so the conclusion of the book feels too rushed which makes the end lack lustre and unbelievable

We find out why the killer picked his victims, but it just doesn’t wash as there wasn’t enough of a back story to give it any credence

Conclusion

It’s not a bad read but more of an ok read and I was left feeling a little bewildered by it when finished.