Here's what I've been reading in July:
One Bad Turn (DS Coupland #3) by Emma Salisbury* - Emma very kindly gave me an ARC. This is the third book in the series (although it could be read as a stand-alone). I think the series is just getting better and better and I highly recommend.
DS Keving Coupland has just returned from a relaxing family holiday. A woman's body has been found who had suffered a fatal blow the the head. With his partner Alex on maternity leave he's been paired up with DC Ashcroft. Two days later another woman's body is found.
Meanwhile his beloved daughter Amy introduces him to her new boyfriend, an ex-con who he put away for GBH two years before which in turn causes huge tensions at home. A third body is found and the team discover links to a murder in 1992. A brilliant fast paced read which I couldn't put down. Can't wait for book #4 to find out what happens next!
Dead to Me by Lesley Pearse** - I'm a huge fan of Lesley's books so was delighted when I was approved for an ARC.
Two very different girls meet on Hampstead Heath and become friends. Verity is well mannered and smartly dressed and Ruby is a grubby urchin but they just seem to click.
Things drastically change for Verity while Ruby seems to land on her feet and find romance. War beckons and things change yet again for Verity. Ruby needs her help and later she thinks Verity has betrayed her. They lose touch but Ruby is there for Verity when she really needs her and their friendship becomes what it was once again. Another brilliant read from the great storyteller Lesley Pearse. Highly recommend.
Beyond the Sea by Melissa Bailey - I simply loved this book. It's one of my favourites this year.
Freya's husband and son vanish at sea while she is away from them for work. A year on she returns to the lighthouse keepers cottage on a remote Hebridean Island where she knew much joy.
Her dreams are dark. In them those close to her warn her of dangers lurking nearby. She finds her son's diary and retraces his steps to feel closer to him and to try and find closure.
A stranger with secrets comes into her life and she feels unable to trust him. An absolute stunning book with lots of suspense and unease. I loved the characters and storylines too.
Baby by Marie Campbell* - I couldn't put this fast-paced debut novel down! I also loved that it is set in Edinburgh and features a lot of places I know very well.
Michael Stanton goes to work as normal one day and doesn't come back. His pregnant girlfriend Jill isn't overly worried to begin with as he has often gone out for drinks and not come home until the next day.
When he doesn't return she contacts the police who aren't at all helpful. As time goes on Michael's friends, her friends and sister believes she should move on. Going by her gut feeling Jill doesn't really believe he's a missing person as she knows deep inside he wouldn't have left her and their unborn child.
While looking for clues Jill discovers a secret Michael has been keeping from her. Meanwhile Michael's ex Anna is determined to get her way no matter what...
An absolute roller-coaster of a read which I loved. Thanks to Marie for the ARC.
A drop in the Ocean by Jenni Ogden** - Boston Neuroscientist, Anna Fergusson finds herself at a crossroads when she loses her funding for her Huntington's Disease Research Project. Spurred on by her friend Fran she rents a cabin on Turtle Island, a remote island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Here she finds love, makes friends with people from all walks of life, comes into her own when she helps fellow islanders and truly finds out who she really is. A beautiful story which I absolutely loved.
What have you been reading this month?
*copy from the authors
**copy from Netgalley
