Happy Weekend Readers! This week I’m writing to you from a gorgeous Shepherd’s hut, near the Yorkshire Dales, overlooking a castle. There are sheep. We don’t have a TV to switch on, it’s peaceful, and I’m eating Pain au Chocolat’s for breakfast. Bliss.

I don’t know about you, but when it starts getting dark earlier and a little cooler, there’s nothing more that I love reading genre wise than a really decent dark and twisting thriller. This week’s read comes courtesy of the lovely people at Avon Books. This one was an advanced proof e-read so unfortunately I have no cover to share with you, but it looks like it’s going to be super eye-catching!

THE VOW, BY DEBBIE HOWELLS

Everything was perfect. And then her fiance disappeared…

The story begins 2 weeks before the wedding. We are introduced to Amy, fiancée and soon to be wife of Matt. She owns her own business, her own house in the country, has a daughter and generally appears to have her life together – her wedding soon to be the topper on that cake.

However, Amy is stopped in the street and given a strange warning about Matt, telling her that her life is in danger, which understandably unnerves her. Matt is then strange with her on the phone later in the day, telling her he’ll be out at dinner with a client from oversees. He never returns. Amy is understandably hurt, worried, confused. Where is the love of her life? Is he safe? She is paranoid and unsettled, smelling strange smells in her home and wondering more about the stranger in the street. She calls the police, waiting eagerly for her partner to return. That is until she discovers that there was no dinner with a client, that he wasnt where he was saying her was, and that another woman just reported him missing. A woman who claims that Matt is in fact HER Partner. Matt has been living a double life.

Well this book honestly had me captured. It’s fast paced, so many stories entwined, twists, turns, shocking moments. It’s very much on the same wave as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Where is Matt? What has happened to him? Is he hurt, is he missing, or has he got cold feet? Who is this other woman?

I enjoyed that the book is written from different character perspectives of women and we get to understand more about them from each other’s perceptions of the other. Amy who felt her life was perfect for example, is seen to be naive and under coercive control from her daughter’s eyes. All is not as Amy wishes to see. Matt is a gaslighting dick who she should want to be clear of regardless. Amy believes that everything must be her fault.

Theres bouquets of flowers wrapped in human blood, dead neighbours, dirty secrets, life long held grudges and deadly potions. Theres so much action, and so many options for who could have done it…not that we even truly understand what ‘it’ is until the final hour.

The negatives in my opinion (as someone who puts on true crime stories to fall asleep to and who spent most of their teenage years watching law and order SVU..) are that the police interviews and their conversations held with Amy and others are completely unbelievable. There is no way that British Police officers would behave in that way, speak the way that they did or give as much away to a potential suspect as they did. There is also a piece of evidence used much later to convict someone of something, and I also don’t believe that that particular ‘exhibit A’ would have even ended up in court. The CPS rarely choose to pursue convictions even with paramount evidence. It unfortunately just felt a lot like artistic license and took away a little bit from the fun of the book for me. I also felt that there was some holes in the story that we never found out, the story lulled in the middle and I wanted a little bit more character development from the other woman, but it’s forgiven due to the ending.

I’ve read enough thrillers to have guessed it, but it was still a well formed story line, a great thriller and the characters were well developed and so made a really entertaining read.

CAN’T PUT IT DOWN RATING: 3.5/5

I honestly think this is a very well written thriller. It’s pacey, exciting and full of shock, horror, twists and secrets. The only reason it has scored 3.5 for me is because of the unrealistic police scenes and interviews and a couple of plot holes. Otherwise this is a thriller with real promise, and one which is sure to excite and entertain thousands of readers when it is released on 15th October 2020!

To get your hands on this page turner:

Amazon: £7.03

Waterstones: £7.99

WASHED DOWN WITH:

I have to share this tea with you! If you’re local or you’re popping to Hull anytime soon, Ophelia flowers and tea is now open, yay! I popped down to their soft opening last Sunday ahead of their opening this week. They are a loose leaf and dried flower shop and it’s the cutest place on Humber Street… look at this cosy reading spot!!

We (okay, I) sampled some beaut poppy seed and lemon cake, and a pot of this delicious cranberry and cinnamon tea called ‘Winter Romance.’ It makes a lovely dark red brew, with notes of cinnamon, cranberry and orange and was sooo warming and perfect for the time of year. A few different teas caught my eye, so I’ll be dropping by there again asap to sample more from their list!

Winter Romance, Ophelia flowers and Tea, £3 a large pot.

What are you reading at the moment? Do you have a favourite genre for the autumn season?

Next on the blog is continuing with the thriller theme… this time we’re talking FEMALE KICK ASS SPIES! Looking forward to sharing that one with you!!

But until the next chapter..

Emma

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