Hosted by Should be Reading
FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).
Well first up this week is a BIG thank you for all of you who voted in last weeks poll to choose a book for my empty(ish) December schedule
and the winner is….
The Missing One by Lucy Atkins
I was particularly pleased to be offered The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney by Amazon Vine after having seen it mentioned on ‘What Got You Hooked on Crime, Anahita Mody’ on Marina Sofia’s wonderful blog, Finding Time To Write
Blurb
Rachel Teller and her husband David appear happy, prosperous and fulfilled. The big house, the successful business . . .
They have everything. However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack. Destroying all evidence of the accident, David insists they continue as normal. Rachel though is racked with guilt and as her behavior becomes increasingly self-destructive she not only inflames David’s darker side, but also uncovers her own long-suppressed memories of shame. Can Rachel confront her past and atone for her terrible crime? Not if her husband has anything to do with it . . .
A startling, dark and audacious novel set in and around the Brighton streets, The Liar’s Chair will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page has been turned. A stunning psychological portrait of a woman in a toxic marriage, Rebecca Whitney’s debut will show that sometimes the darkest shadow holds the truth you have been hiding from . . . Amazon
Exercising control the next couple of books are on my Wishlist but so far I have resisted the urge to buy them… not sure how long that will last though.
My first choice was prompted by Marina Sofia about Research by Philip Kerr whose comment ‘a light-hearted holiday thriller with lots of sly digs at the publishing industry and writers’ egos’ had me rushing off to find out more.
Blurb
BESTSELLING NOVELIST JOHN HOUSTON’S WIFE FOUND MURDERED AT THEIR LUXURY APARTMENT IN MONACO.
Houston is the richest writer in the world, a book factory publishing many bestsellers a year – so many that he can’t possibly write them himself. He has a team that feeds off his talent; ghost writers, agents, publishers. So when he decides to take a year out to write something of quality, a novel that will win prizes and critical acclaim, a lot of people stand to lose their livelihoods.
Now Houston, the prime suspect in his wife’s murder, has disappeared. He owns a boat and has a pilot’s license – he could be anywhere and there are many who’d like to find him.
First there’s the police. If he’s innocent, why did he flee? Then again, maybe he was set up by one of his enemies. The scenario reads like the plot of one of Houston’s million-copy-selling thrillers… Goodreads
And the final book to make it onto the wishlist is courtesy of another fellow book blogger Crimeworm whose review of The Amber Fury by Natalie Haynes who pitches this as for anyone who enjoys a slightly unusual crime novel, with more of a psychological aspect, would love this highly accomplished debut
Blurb
When you open up, who will you let in?
Alex Morris has lost everything :her relationship, her career and her faith in the future. Moving to Edinburgh to escape her demons, Alex takes a job teaching at a Pupil Referral Unit. It’s a place for kids whose behavior is so extreme that they cannot be taught in a normal classroom. Alex is fragile with grief and way out of her depth.
Her fourth-year students are troubled and violent. In desperation to reach them, Alex turns to the stories she knows best. Greek tragedy isn’t the most obvious way to win over such damaged children, yet these tales of fate, family and vengeance speak directly to them.
Enthralled by the bloodthirsty justice of the ancient world, the teenagers begin to weave the threads of their own tragedy – one that Alex watches, helpless to prevent. Amazon
Read Crimworm’s review to find out more.
What have you found to read this week – please share!