February Books

I'm not going to read any more books this month so here are my reads a little bit early.

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Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi - since 2002 Mohamedou Ould Slahi has been in prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The US have never charged him with a crime but still he remains incarcerated.  Three years into captivity he began keeping a diary. He tells us of his life before disappearing into US custody and his life as a detainee.  This is a book everyone should read even although it's not easy reading. It is often terrifying and chilling. There are touches of humour and human kindness too along with torture, interrogation and abuse. Passages of the book have been redacted by the US Government.

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Paris for One by Jojo Moyes - this is a 2015 quick reads book which I read in a couple of hours. It follows the story of 26 year old Nell who has never been to Paris. She decides on the spur of the moment to book tickets for her and her boyfriend. He doesn't turn up so she goes to Paris on her own and meets a handsome Frenchman and has the weekend of her life! A nice easy read.

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Red for Revenge by Fanny Blake - another quick read which I found enjoyable. Maggie is married with two grown up kids.  Carla is widowed and meets Maggie in the local Beauty Salon. They get chatting and realise they are sharing the same man!  They decide to teach Phil a lesson and become good friends.

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Hades (Archer & Bennett Thriller) by Candice Fox - I was given this copy by Net Galley to review*.  This is an absolutely fantastic first novel. It is fast paced and a brilliant read. 

Twenty years ago two children were kidnapped and left for dead. Raised by local fixer, Hades Archer an underworld figure at the scrapyard where he lives and works.  The children grow up and become cops. Eden is beautiful but cold and Eric cruel and calculating.

Frank becomes Eden's new partner after her previous one was killed. The search is on to find a murderer when toolboxes containing bodies missing vital organs are found at the bottom of the sea...

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Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim - the story follows Mattie a slave who becomes wet nurse to newly born Lisbeth. Mattie becomes like family to Lisbeth - their relationship is strong and enduring. It gives a picture of what life was like on a plantation and Mattie's journey to freedom and dignity.

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Out of the Dark by Adele Geras - another quick read which was okay. Rob Stone comes back from WWI with a damaged face and a broken heart. His Captain died on the battlefield and he is haunted by his ghost. He manages to trace the Captain's widow to give her back a photograph and a bible and finds he may have another chance of happiness.

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The Doll's House (DI Helen Grace 3) by M J Arlidge - this is a super read. A young woman wakes up in a cold and dark cellar with no idea how she got there.  A body is discovered by a family at a nearby beach with a bluebird tattoo on her shoulder. The girl has distinctive dark hair and blue eyes. Her family didn't report her missing as she still sent them text messages and tweets. The man who takes the girls starves them to death before disposing of their bodies. We find out more about the DI and her new team and Charlie features briefly. A fast paced read with the search on to find the killer before Ruby becomes a victim too. Loved it! Can't wait for Liar Liar out on 10 September.

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Sail upon the Land by Josa Young* - this is a complimentary copy from Net Galley. The story spans four generations of mothers and their daughter's lives over 80 years. The book is totally un-put-downable and a great read. It opens with Damson backpacking in India where she suffers a humiliating ordeal.  We learn about her granny, Sarah who was a VAD nurse in WWII and how she met her husband.  Melissa, Damson's mother is fragile and Mellita is the one who offers the greatest gift of all. Packed with drama, pain, love, heartache, loss, suffering, happiness, death, duty and hope. Loved it!

What have you been reading this month?

*complimentary copies from Net Galley