Today on my blog I’m sharing some mini reviews of books that I’ve read and enjoyed recently. I’m struggling with blogging at the moment as my dictation software is no longer compatible with my macbook and I’m currently unable to use my right hand for much of anything. Typing one handed with my non-dominant hand isn’t the easiest so I apologise for the shortness of these reviews and hope I can be back to full speed before too long!

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

I loved this book! It follows Steven as he becomes quite obsessed with a mystery stemming back to his childhood when his teacher disappeared on a school trip and it’s all linked to a book she was reading to them. The novel is told in transcribed audio files that Steven has recorded as he sets out to find out where Miss Isles is and what happened to her. This book grabbed me from the very beginning and it didn’t let go of me – I even had a dream about it during the period of time I was reading it! I loved how the mystery is slowly uncovered – there are clues left for the reader but I only pieced it together right before all was revealed and I adored how it kept me on my toes. I very much enjoyed The Appeal by this author but I think The Twyford Code was even better and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Other Parents by Sarah Stovell

I love Sarah Stovell’s writing and this book was so good! It follows a group of parents and all the politics that go along with PTA meetings and different viewpoints. Jo is the headmistress and tries to keep the peace; her good friend Rachel has left her husband and is now in a relationship with Erin; and Laura is very against same sex relationships and doesn’t want her child being taught about homosexuality at school. Everyone in this book has secrets and slowly the pressure builds leading to increasing tensions and an inevitable fall out. I love reading about groups of people in small villages and tight-knit environments so this book was perfect for me and I really enjoyed it. I recommend it!

The Maid by Nita Prose

I have heard so much hype about this book that I knew I had to read it and see what all the fuss was about – I’m really happy to say that I loved it and it definitely lived up to my high expectations. Molly is a maid at a posh hotel and she really cares about doing her job properly and well. One day she finds one of the guests dead in bed and somehow the finger of suspicion starts to be pointed at her. Molly isn’t great at reading people so the reader definitely sees more of what is going on around Molly than she is aware of which led to me being anxious about how much trouble she might unwittingly end up in. She’s a great character though and I was rooting for her the whole way through the novel. I still think about her and wonder how she’s doing now! I recommend this one!

The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley

I picked this book up on a whim and I’m glad I did. It follows journalist Suzy in the aftermath of a nightmare – a wellness blogger that she did a big expose of has been found dead of apparent suicide and now Suzy has to deal with the fallout. Suzy is a single mum and her life seems to consist of her constantly trying to get her life on track but never quite managing it. She can’t commit to a relationship but wants to, and she’s striving for something more but doesn’t exactly know what that might look like. I found this book less of a thriller than I was expecting but it was a really absorbing read and I’m so pleased that I picked it up.