Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – Reviews #Psychological Thriller Lucinda E. Clarke, #Thriller Alex Craigie,

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves.

And the first book today with a review is A Year in the Life of Deidre Flynn – by Lucinda E. Clarke

About the book

Deidre is determined to protect her adopted niece Leah, but despite fleeing the country, the menacing threats continue.

They believe their enemies can’t reach them now, so who is behind the life-threatening attacks? The incidents escalate, each more horrifying than the last.

How can they fight back when they don’t know who the enemy is and they have no idea what they want.

A fast-moving, page-turning, psychological thriller that will leave you breathless, as once again, Leah is the victim of a cruel conspiracy that lurks in the shadows.

A gripping thriller for fans of Louise Jensen, Avery Bishop and Claire McGowan.

One of the recent reviews for the book

Gerald There is always more than one point of view

Deidre was my favourite (and somewhat underused) character in the first book, so I was delighted to see her become the focus of this latest instalment. This time we get to hear the story from the point of view of the three principle protagonists and it is fascinating to see how they differ in their attitudes towards the events of the day.

I enjoyed the French setting and it has inspired me to revisit my youthful visits to that country when we are able to travel again.

Great read, great characters and like any great series, it inspires me to go back and read Book 1 so I can revisit how the characters developed.

Head over to buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US

A selection of books by Lucinda E. Clarke

Read the reviews and buy the books : Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Blog:WordPress Lucinda E. Clarke — Follow Lucinda:Goodreads – Twitter: @LucindaEClarke

The next author is Alex Craigie with a review for Someone Close to Home

About the book

Talented pianist Megan Youngblood has it all – fame, fortune and Gideon.

But Gideon isn’t good enough for Megan’s ambitious, manipulative mother, whose meddling has devastating repercussions for Megan and for those close to her.

Now, trapped inside her own body, she is unable to communicate her needs or fears as she faces institutional neglect in an inadequate care home.

And she faces Annie. Sadistic Annie who has reason to hate her. Damaged Annie who shouldn’t work with vulnerable people.

Just how far will Annie go?

One of the recent reviews on Goodreads

Nov 27, 2020 Balroop Singh rated it Five Stars it was amazing

Someone Close to Home by Alex Craigie is a poignant tale of a talented and successful pianist who is too weak to rise to her own defense and thinks of others before her own self. A brilliantly written first person account of Megan, who is now languishing in The Yews, a cheap nursing home, and is at the mercy of insensitive caretakers who consider the inmates irrelevant. They have to face rough handling, insensitive comments; even verbal and physical assaults like slaps. They long for a genuine, friendly human contact but are treated as “their tasks.”

Mrs. Kenton’s non-serious attitude in managing the nursing home smacks of negligence, she doesn’t investigate any irregularities and fires the wrong persons. Annie’s atrocities go undetected for a long time but all that bothers Mrs. Kenton is, the reputation of the institution. Megan is the worst sufferer, as she has lost control over her body and her speech due to a stroke. She is “trapped in a web spun by adults,” (to put it mildly, in her own words.)

Craigie enters into the mind of Megan to bring out the abuse, the suffering and the resilience that shines through this book. The indifference of her son, whose love didn’t let her escape domestic violence, is heart breaking. Even Camilla, her daughter is callous and cold. Some of the characters are devilish, difficult to tolerate – Jordan, the tormentor who only knows bullying, Megan’s mother – devious, selfish and cunning and Annie – the pervert beyond anybody’s imagination. They fit into the story with perfect ease.

This book is emotionally draining and is predictable but is significant from two angles. One, it exposes the condition of nursing homes, which need to focus on hiring professionally trained staff and providing better care than just earning money. Two, it points at clear red flags in understanding relationships that Megan ignores.

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US

Also by Alex Craigie