Happy bank holiday Friday, friends! Today’s Shelf Control post comes to you after a much-enjoyed day off work. That’s always a bonus, yes?
I may not have been at work today, but I’m not off the hook from providing you with the next instalment in my Shelf Control series. And it’s a good one today, fellas, so get strapped in.
Today’s feature is a courtroom thriller with the added twist of multiculturalism. I will provide a word of warning here that the story and courtroom case centre around an alleged sexual assault. If reading about this makes you uncomfortable, this is full disclosure here to stop reading— and also to not read this book.
Here’s a recap of what Shelf Control is all about… and then we’ll get stuck in, shall we?
Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
The victim: A sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, neglected by an alcoholic mother. Who accuses the boys of something unthinkable.
The defendants: Four handsome teenage boys from hardworking immigrant families. All with corroborating stories.
WHOSE SIDE WOULD YOU TAKE?
My Thoughts
It’s been a little while since I picked up a thriller that takes place in the courtroom. However, it’s a genre I like and I have several books on my reading list that fit into this sub-genre. The latest I added was The Sentence back in January 2024 – I need to add more to my reading list clearly!
I have no idea how the implied cultural aspect and classism is going to shape the narrative. Will it make it different from our more Westernised view of how proceedings would take place? I guess that depends entirely on where the book is set.
Honestly, I don’t know very much going into this book other than the synopsis. That was enough to capture my attention and get this book on my reading list pronto. I really like the sound of the book and I’m intrigued to see what this narrative and author has to tell us.
Thanks for reading today’s Shelf Control. Have you read it back or any other book similar to it? Would you recommend this?
In today’s book review, I feature a book which brings together the science fiction and thriller genres. I was intrigued by the combination and the synopsis. I also enjoyed talking to my dad about this book, which doesn’t happen very often and made a fun change.
Shall we take a look at the details of the book, and then get stuck in?
Most people believe their souls outlive their bodies. Most people would find an organization that tracks their souls into the future and passes on their banked money and memories compelling. Scott Waverly isn’t like most people. He spends his days finding and fixing computer security holes. And Scott is skeptical of his new client’s claim that they have been calculating and tracking soul identities for almost twenty-six hundred years. Are they running a freaky cult? Or a sophisticated con job? Scott needs to save Soul Identity from an insider attack. Along the way, he discovers the importance of the bridges connecting people’s lives.
My Thoughts
Plot
From starting the book at the very beginning, I found the concept of the plot compelling. Regardless of your beliefs, the idea of soul reincarnation is an interesting idea. Being able to follow those ‘soul lines’ and pass on memories and fortunes to your future self, well, doesn’t that sound great?
Naturally, however, if someone were to find out about Soul Identity and the assets they held, you can be sure somebody would attempt to steal it. And that’s where the action kicks in!
Scott is hardly your regular superhero. Working in the tech industry, Scott’s job is to safeguard Soul Identity’s network and protect them from hacking and other digital crimes. When he took the job, I doubt he thought he’d find himself in the position he ends up in!
Setting
Soul Identity is set in a very realistic, everyday world like ours. Retina scanning technology as the latest key to unlocking Soul Lines is already in our hands. It makes the premise even more believable.
Even the security, although desirous of being tight, is easy for us readers to understand. Although this book is based around technology, it’s easy enough to follow. I’m far from advanced in terms of IT knowledge (I can turn it off and back on again, and do some basic troubleshooting). Still, I could follow the narrative very well. The familiarity of technology and concepts lends itself to making the story approachable to all readers. It perhaps helps to read in the science-fiction genre, but not overwhelmingly…
Characters
Scott is a pretty relatable main character. He’s funny, clearly quite clever, and like us, comes to the entity of Soul Identity without knowing who they really are. Through his eyes, we come to learn about the organisation and the events that unfold thereafter.
Regardless of your beliefs in reincarnation or such, Scott is a good middleground character. Whilst he acknowledges that the idea is a nice one, he doesn’t necessarily subscribe in either direction. It makes him a good neutral standing point and avoids alienating readers who may have a specific belief or not.
If you enjoy a little romance in your books, Soul Identity has you covered. Whilst it isn’t something I actively look for in my stories, I didn’t find this to be a distraction from the main story going on. I’m sure for some people, this adds to the narrative, but for me, the relationship between Scott and Val was a bit of unnecessary filler.
My one gripe with the narrative is that female characters aren’t treated equally. Rather, their primary ‘selling point’ is how they look; any brains or unique personality quirks come later. It’s a shallow perspective that could be interpreted as a failing on either Scott or the author – I’m not sure which yet. It was obvious enough for me to pick up on it pretty quickly. It is only a small friction point in the grand scheme, but it did bring my review down to four stars.
Narrative Style
Soul Identity is fairly easy to read. Well, put it this way – I read the book in a matter of days. I also read it at a time when I was bordering on a reading slump. Other books I’d read the same week had not gone down well. Soul Identity was the pick-up I needed.
From what I recall, the book had short, digestible chapters. I think this suited the style of the book better than long and detailed ones would achieve.
The book nicely blends the science fiction and thriller genres. Regardless of your preferred genre, Soul Identity is approachable to fans of either genre in any quantity. If you love both, well, you’re in for a treat!
Summary
I’m looking forward to continuing with the sequel, called Soul Intent.
The end of another week is upon us, so that can only mean one thing! I hope you’re ready to dive into this Sunday Summary update and catch up on the books I’ve been reading this week.
Before that though, as I always do, let’s take a recap of the blog posts I shared earlier this week. Technically, last week’s Sunday Summary post went live on Monday morning to accommodate a blog tour post on Sunday.
Next, I shared my list of five authors I will always buy books by. If you are a regular reader, the authors featured on this list shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. If you are new here though, you can get a feel for some of my favourite authors by checking out this post!
In Friday’s First Lines Friday, I featured a recent release that’s part of a series I adored as a teenager and I want to re-read. If you’re curious to see what that book is and sample the opening lines, take a look at that post here.
Books Read
Normal Women
With no carryovers from last week, I returned this week to Normal Women by Philippa Gregory.
I put down this book a few weeks ago in order to prioritise blog tours and other books of a more time-sensitive nature. Now that I’ve got those commitments out of the way, I’ve picked up this non-fiction again. The focus of this book is on women in society as a whole, as opposed to specific individuals.
I haven’t read a whole lot of this book this week given I only picked it up again for the first time on Saturday. However, I have made 40 pages progress and I’m looking forward to reading more over the next week.
The Perfect Wife
Today, I started listening to the audiobook of our book club pick that will be discussing in early May. In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared that the contenders for this month’s read were All the Light We Cannot See, The Anxious Generation, and The Perfect Wife. In order to avoid a conflict, I didn’t vote in this month’s selection; it would have resulted in a draw. Instead, our other members chose The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney.
I have to say, although this wasn’t my first choice, I am enjoying the book. So much so, I have listened to just under half of this audiobook today. I like audiobooks because they are convenient to listen to whilst running errands. It certainly makes a trip to Tesco more bearable anyway…
That’s now I’m reading this book and it’s a good listen so far!
Books Discovered
I confess that I added one book to my reading list earlier today. However, my wallet can be satisfied because I didn’t purchase it.
In the world of finance and in light of the turmoil we’ve seen in markets this week, a book called Vulture Capitalism caught my attention. Whilst I’m not particularly informed on the content of the book to make an assessment on whether it’s true or not, journalist and author Grace Blakeley certainly seems to be. Would I be surprised at corruption within our capitalist society? Absolutely not.
It’s a completely different subject to what I would normally read, but that’s precisely why it’s caught my attention.
Coming Up…
My first post of the week will be a book review. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder.
On Friday I’ll be back with another instalment in my Shelf Control feature. In this series, I take a look at upcoming books on my TBR and share why I’m excited to read it!
Finally, this time next week I’m back with another Sunday Summary update. I hope you can join me to see all my latest reading updates and goings-on.
Happy Sunday readers – welcome to this week’s instalment of my regular Sunday Summary feature! Have you picked up any good books lately? I sure have, but before I get ahead of myself, let’s take a minute to go through what else I’ve shared on my blog this week!
My first post of the week was a book review of the illustrated novel, Rise of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin. If you’re interested in the backdrop to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire (A Game of Thrones), this is the approachable edition. Should you like more hardcore lore, go for Fire and Blood instead. If you’re watching House of the Dragon, this is a fantastic book to explain events.
Next, in this week’s Shelf Control post, I feature a graphic novel retelling – The One Hundred Nights of Hero. It’s unlike a lot of books on my TBR, and it’s for that reason I want to give it a go!
Books Read
The Housemaid
Earlier this week, I finished the final couple of hours of audio of The Housemaid. It took a turn I wasn’t really expecting – and the ending was worth the wait!
I really enjoyed this thriller, and if this is a genre that appeals to you, please read this one. My favourite aspect was the characters and dynamics of the story so much. I wasn’t originally planning on picking up the subsequent series… but I am now!
Normal Women
Picking up where I left off last Sunday, I’ve read another 100 pages of Normal Women this week.
I like how the book recaps how the rights and living conditions of women change across time. The chapters are broken down into recognised periods of history and cover a broad range of topics affecting women. Fromlegal rights to how they had relationships with each other, Normal Women covers a wide spectrum.
This isn’t the type of book I can binge, so I’ve ended up reading this in multiple short bursts. However, I’m engaged to keep coming back, so I’ll be chipping away at this one in the next few weeks.
Calamity
Finally, I started my next audiobook. I recently listened to Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. Whilst events are fresh in my mind, I wanted to listen to Calamity and finish the trilogy.
So far I’m a little under 3 hours, or just shy of 25%, into the audio. I’m listening to the audiobook at x1.2 speed, so I’ve got just under 8 hours left to listen to.
I don’t think I’ll listen to a lot early next week as I’m off work. However, once I’m back into normal routine later in the week there will be opportunities to keep going and see if Calamity can live up to the rest of the series to date.
Books Discovered
The only book I’ve added this week is The Housemaid’s Secret, the sequel to The Housemaid. I’ve decided to stick with the audiobook format for the series and thankfully I had a credit I could use towards it.
Coming Up…
Next week, I’m leaning into enjoying my time off before another busy stretch at work. I’ve decided that next week’s posting schedule is going to be quite light.
I’ll be back this time next week for another Sunday Summary post, but that’s all. I’m going to enjoy the last few days of my annual leave without obligation to post here and pick up my reads and hobbies as much as I can. That way, I’m fully recharged to pick up again and catch you up on my latest reads in next week’s Sunday Summary.
Good evening friends and welcome to another Sunday Summary! It’s been a fun week and I’ve picked up some good books.
Before we get into that though, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared this week. First, I shared a blog tour review of Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook. It feels weird talking about this in this post because I drafted that post this time last week. However, it went live on Monday… so it counts.
Later in the week, I shared my First Lines Friday post. This week’s feature is one of my current reads. I decided to feature this book having started it this week and really enjoyed the book. The intro really caught my attention, even if I wasn’t reading this for book club, it would have made it onto my reading list anyway.
Books Read
A Promised Land
I’m pleased that I can finally report the completion of A Promised Land by Barack Obama this week!
It’s been an interesting read and opened my eyes to perspectives I didn’t imagine. If there was any book on my February TBR that I expected to not finish, it was this one. However, I’d say it was probably one that I enjoyed the most.
The Housemaid
After finishing listening to A Promised Land, I moved on to The Housemaid by Freida McFadden.
This is our book club read for March, and I decided to pick it up in audio format as I’m getting through audiobooks a bit quicker than regular ones at the moment.
It’s been a good choice! Although I am spending a good deal of the narrative questioning the actions and reactions of some of the characters, it’s an interesting story. As of this Sunday Summary post, I have listened to the vast majority of The Housemaid and I only have a couple of hours also left.
Normal Women
I’ve picked up Normal Women a couple of times over the course of this week. I haven’t made a lot of progress with the book, but I have moved on from the 20-odd-pages I’d read last week to just over 100.
I like the idea of this book, and I’m looking forward to reading further into more familiar modern history. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, it looks at how women in society shaped Britain’s modern history, even when they were talked about in the history books. It’s not about the famous individuals, but rather women as a whole.
Books Discovered
I haven’t added anything new to the reading list this week, so nothing to update you on here!
Coming Up…
The first book post I share next week will be another book review. I confess that as of the point of drafting this post, I haven’t decided which book it is that I will feature all. However, it’s 25 to midnight locally; I’m not going to spend the time looking through my reading list to see what’s coming up next. It’ll be as much a surprise for you as it is for me! 😂
Friday, I’m back with my regular Friday feature, Shelf Control. In this series, I take a look at upcoming books on my reading list, and I’m excited to read them.
Finally, next week, I’m back with another Sunday Summary post. I’m excited to share some more bookish completions with you, so stay tuned!
A fairly quick update from me this week in the interest of time and getting this out on time.
I’m back with a First Lines Friday post to round off the week! If you’re looking for an intriguing read to pick up this weekend, I have a great one for you!
I know that as it’s my current read! I’m just under 3 hours into the audiobook version of this book as of writing this post. The intro really got my attention. Shall we take a look?
If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs. I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they’ve discovered what’s upstairs, there’s no turning back.
They are about five seconds away from reading me my rights. I’m not sure why they haven’t done it yet. Maybe they’re hoping to trick me into telling them something I shouldn’t.
“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own . . .
Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.
I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.
But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.
They don’t know what I’m capable of . . .
My Thoughts…
If you enjoy thrillers that have you second guessing what you’re reading, The Housemaid will suit you as it does me. I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t know who I trust. What I can tell you though is that I’m motivated to find out!
I’m listening to The Housemaid going shopping, driving in the car and every opportunity I get. The story so far has set out enough information for me to get a grasp of the story, but at the same time there’s plenty yet to find out. Millie has a past, but we don’t know what. Not all is as it seems in the Winchester family, but who do we believe? Even if I wanted to tell you these things (which I won’t because I’m no spoilsport), I have no idea!
The opening lines caught my attention straightaway. Even if I wasn’t reading this book for book club, that introduction would have the book added to my TBR faster than I could click ‘add to cart’.
Has today’s First Lines Friday introduced you to a future read? Have you already read The Housemaid?
Good evening readers and welcome to this Shelf Control post – hope you are well? It’s been a wild one here! Today I’ve been relegated to working from home as the office was shut due to storm Éowyn. All things considered, I’ve not suffered badly. Losing half a roof tile is nothing compared to other people. Someone had half their roof ripped off!
Anyway, less of topical commentary and more of what to expect from this Shelf Control. Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
In today’s post, I feature the first police procedural in a good while. I enjoy the genre but don’t read a lot of it. No doubt I’ll be changing that soon!
If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…
Fifteen years ago, a serial killer known only as ‘The Whisper Man’ wreaked havoc on the sleepy village of Featherbank.
But with the killer behind bars, the village is now a safe haven for Tom and his young son Jake to make a fresh start.
Until another boy goes missing. It feels like history is repeating itself.
Could the killer still be out there – and can Tom protect his son from becoming the next victim?
My Thoughts
I already have a copy of The Whisper Man, so I anticipate I’ll be picking up this police procedural soon. I enjoy picking up books like this, even if I don’t very often. The suspense is already palpable from the synopsis. Once we get into the story, it can only grow from there!
I added this book to my TBR in June 2019 and purchased a copy on Kindle on 2020. Taking advantage of a book being discounted to 99p is always a good idea when you read as much as I do!
Alex North is a new author to me. At the time I added this to my TBR, he had nothing else published under that name. Now in 2025 he has several books out, and another due out in May. What I hadn’t realised is that he’s also published multiple books under the pseudonym Steve Mosby. If I go on to enjoy this book as much as I think I will, then I have plenty more of his to read in future.
Do you like the sound of The Whisper Man? Have you read it and is it worth the positive press it’s received?
Stay safe and I’ll see you in my Sunday Summary in a couple of days!
Today’s first monthly TBR of 2025 comes to you with the whiff of a fresh start still in the air. My reading goals are still new and shiny…
Okay, enough of the pretentious rubbish!
Welcome to my first monthly TBR of the year. I’m excited to share my planned reads for January. I’m hoping to kick-start the year with some solid 5* reads and some ticks in the ol’ reading goal boxes. Start as we mean to go on, right?
The first two books on this list are carryovers from 2024. I picked these up in the hopes they’d see me right into 2025 and get me hyped for more great books. From there, I plan to pick up book club’s choice for January and some highly anticipated reads.
Shall we take a look?
Fixed Reads
The Priory of the Orange Tree
My first carryover from December is my audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
It’s been a good while since I listened to fantasy in audiobook format. Despite my reservations about retaining detail given the format of the book, I’m doing pretty well. I suspect it helped that I picked up this audio at a time when I could really dedicate some time to getting introduced to the world and the narrative. Usually, I’m piecemeal with picking up audiobooks. However, I had some time off around Christmas last year and I made the most of it!
As of this monthly TBR post, I have just 7 hours of audio left. This book is nearly 26 hours long, so I’m really getting to the conclusion anyway. I think that’ll help motivate my towards this very close finish!
Fool’s Errand
My second carryover is Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. This book was my only physical read at the end of the year. It was also a mood read I picked up in the final days of December. Knowing I wanted a pretty much guaranteed 5 star read to start 2025 with, Fool’s Errand made logical sense.
Fool’s Errand is living up to its predecessors in the wider series. I’m really enjoying being back in the world of Fitz. He’s one of my favourite characters so far. Although things have moved on a little since the first trilogy, I’m also loving the familiar surroundings.
As of this monthly TBR post, I’m 400 pages into the book. With less than 200 pages left to completion, I’m again hoping this spurs me into action and another finish.
Shuggie Bain
Next, my plan is to pick up our book club pick, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. We meet on the 29th January, but I don’t want this to be a last minute read.
To my mind, Shuggie Bain falls into my goal of reading out of my comfort zone. I don’t think it’s a book I’d have discovered and read of my own volition. However, that’s exactly why being part of a book club is valuable. It exposes me to new books and ideas.
To my knowledge, this book addresses a number of social issues. I’m looking forward to seeing what those are and being able to discuss those with our group. When I first put feelers out for members, I thought I might have to be a bit more involved in leading discussions. That’s proven not to be the case at all, which is a bonus. It also means we can dig into topics like this quite easily.
Mood Reads
A Darkness at Sethanon
Whilst finishing series is hot on my resolutions radar, my first intended mood read on this monthly TBR is the final instalment to The Riftwar Saga. I started with Magician back in 2017. It’s been a series I’ve picked up sporadically, so I’m going to have to remind myself on events of the prior books before I jump into this last one.
It’ll be good to give myself a check mark on the completion of series goal nice and early. This one can’t be taken off me later, as the series is published in full.
Firefight
Another series progression pick, although not yet a completion, is Brandon Sanderson’s The Reckoners series.
I first read Steelheart in 2020, but unlike The Riftwar Saga I have a decent recollection of what’s happened so far. No refreshers needed here!
Firefight is the second part of a trilogy. Reading Firefight will then enable me to pick up the last instalment in the near future, and that will be another completion.
I always look forward to picking up more Brandon Sanderson books. It made sense to add one to my first monthly TBR of the year to hype myself up. He’s such a diverse fantasy author; how he’s managed to write so many books in the genre (and overlapping others), all with their own magic systems and rules, amazes me. It’s what I look forward to when reading his books.
What else can he come up with?
Rose Under Fire
In my Top Ten Tuesday – Winter TBR post, I shared that I wanted to read Rose Under Fire. Again, this is another book that’s part of a series. However, I don’t believe these books tie together in the same way that a traditional series does. Each has their own main characters, but there are overlaps.
I loved Code Name Verity, another book in this series. It was the perfect introduction to Elizabeth Wein’s writing. Verity was a character I could get behind even before we got to see all aspects of her. Now, I’m intrigued to read other historical stories! Whilst I’m not so fussed on the sound of The Pearl Thief (book 3), I may be inclined to read book 4 (The Enigma) if I enjoy Rose Under Fire as much!
We’ll have to see…
The Bone Collector
The last book to feature in this monthly TBR is technically part of a series. However, it’s not one I’ve already started and I intend to read the book as a standalone.
The Bone Collector has been on my TBR for a long time! Of the 211 books on my TBR right now, there are only 12 books that have been on it longer. Even then, some of those only stand as they haven’t been published yet…
I enjoyed watching a TV series featuring the events of this first book a few years ago. It’ll be exciting to see if the book is even better. I hope so!
Summary
This monthly TBR is AMBITIOUS. But, it’s a new year and I’m excited to get reading. Plus, it’s cold and miserable in January. What else have I got to be doing?
Thanks for reading today’s monthly TBR. Are you planning to pick up any particular reads in January?
Good evening and happy Friday friends! Welcome to today’s Shelf Control feature post!
I’m glad to be back sharing my regular Friday features. Although they are quite easy content for me to do, I do enjoy the benefits of looking ahead and around my TBR to get a feel for what books I have on the list. It helps me get excited for when I finally get to them.
Today’s feature is a pretty big name author. I have yet to try any of his books, which is a reason of itself for why I’m looking forward to giving this a go.
Before I share the deets though, here’s a recap on what my Shelf Control posts look like: –
Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
When Amos Decker returned home eighteen months ago to find the bodies of his wife and only daughter, he didn’t think he could carry on living. Overwhelmed with grief, he saw his life spiral out of control, losing his job as a detective, his house and his self-respect.
But when his former partner in the police, Mary Lancaster, visits to tell him that someone has confessed to the murder of his family, he knows he owes it to his wife and child to seek justice for them.
As Decker comes to terms with the news, tragedy strikes at the local school. Thirteen teenagers are gunned down, and the killer is at large. Following the serious brain injury Amos suffered as a professional footballer, he gained a remarkable gift – and the police believe that this unusual skill will assist in the hunt for the killer.
Amos must endure the memories he would rather forget, and when new evidence links the murders, he is left with only one option.
My Thoughts
I’m always willing to try new authors. The great thing about giving them a go is that if you enjoy their books, you’ve got plenty more of their work to try.
That’s especially the case with big names like David Baldacci. Memory Man itself is the first of 7 primary works as of drafting this post. On top of that, he’s published books in 11 other series and a number of standalones! I doubt his fans are bored…
I added Memory Man to the TBR for a few reasons. Firstly, the synopsis caught my eye. Murder and memories best forgotten? Sign me up! Secondly, it’s a reasonably recent book in terms of David’s career as an author. Rather than going back to a book when he first started out, I want to see what his established style is. Then, if I’m happy I like it I can work my way back through his works if I’m interested.
Personally, I’m surprised I’ve gotten so far into my blog and reading hobby and still not picked up books by household names such as David. But then, I guess it’s also personal preference. Eventually I’ll get there, and I’ll always try everyone at least once. That’s only fair, right?
Have you read books by David Baldacci? Do you have any recommendations you would like to share?
If you’re looking for a seasonal spooky read to pick up soon, I have a good recommendation featured in today’s book review. I read Dear Child in November 2022. With the nights drawing in, it’s the perfect time to settle into reads most sinister in nature…
Dear Child is German author Romy Hausmann’s debut, and it is a great book. I really enjoyed reading this one and I’m looking forward to selling it to you in the best way I can!
A windowless shack in the woods. Lena’s life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them.
One day Lena manages to flee – but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called ‘Lena’, who disappeared without a trace over thirteen years ago. The police and Lena’s family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle that doesn’t quite seem to fit.
My Thoughts
Plot
With plenty of storyline to cover in just 340 short pages, there is a lot going on in this book. It’s full of revelations about the mystery behind the storyline. At the same time, there is no info dumping. We’re engaged in the story from the first page, and all throughout.
I enjoyed the pacing of it too – the unveilings come throughout the novel rather than leaving it all to the end. It certainly kept me reading on, and I’m sure it will for you too! If you enjoy books that keep you guessing… well you guessed it – pick it up!
It’s hard to talk about the plot without giving anything away. I deliberately don’t want to do that here and spoil it for you… so I’m not!
Characters
From the beginning I was intrigued by the characters, dynamic and mystery behind their real identity. Are they who we think they are? That’s uncovered in the story and not something I’m going to spoil here though. What I will say is that it was an interesting conundrum as part of the narrative. I’ll leave you to fill in the blanks.
When I read psychological thrillers I often find myself ‘testing’ the narrative point of view to decide if I trust it or not. I had a field day doing this when reading Dear Child, so if that’s something you enjoy then this will appeal to you.
The book is split into three very different perspectives. I much prefer multi-perspective books myself so it appealed to me. One of the perspectives is also told by a child, Hannah. It’s not a common perspective we get a naturally, it gave me plenty of scope for testing her viewpoint. Does her naivety impact her perspective?
Setting
Events in a number of chapters take place in the cabin in the woods – an isolated and controlled environment where Lena and her family are held captive. No windows. No contact with the outside world beyond their captor. Their daily routines are controlled by him rigorously. It’s not hard to imagine the abuse that has taken place there.
The trauma both Lena and her children display are the consequences of their predicament. Whilst it’s not too graphic, there is clearly a lot that has taken place behind the scenes already so it’s still for a more mature reader.
The contrast between the real world and that setting are in stark contrast with one another, yet realistic in both cases!
Narrative Style
Dear Child is written in such a way that ‘just one more chapter’ will become a common thought. You won’t want to put it down! Combine that with the plot elements I mentioned earlier and you can see why I read this book in less than a week.
The intensity of the storyline and the way in which the story draws us readers in is incredible. Sometimes this can get literally lost in translation. However, in the case of Dear Child I wouldn’t say that is true at all!
Dear Child is an approachable narrative in terms of style and length. Whilst I wouldn’t recommend it to younger readers based on the content, in terms of style it’s suitable for anyone. It’s easy to read and digestible… and not a long book either.
Summary
Dear Child is a gripping thriller that I really enjoyed! With a twisty plot encapsulated in an approachable page count, it’s an ideal read for everyone to try this spooky season!
Genre: Courtroom Thriller
Genre: Science fiction 
If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs. I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they’ve discovered what’s upstairs, there’s no turning back. 
Genre: Thriller / Police Procedural
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Top 1% in Epic