What Rachael Reads

It's #wanderlustwednesday here at blog HQ! I love to travel and nothing pleases me more than reading a great book that is set in a town or country I have never visited. I'm sure the place would look nothing like it does in real life as it does in my head! Therein lies the magic of books! For our first ever #wanderlustwednesday I have chosen a book that I have read in the last few months. A Year and a Day by Isabelle Broom gave me serious wanderlust! Set in the beautiful city of Prague, (a place I have actually visited!) it is a story of love and life. Funny, romantic and tear-jerking, a thoroughly enjoyable read. About the book... Welcome to a city where wishes are everywhere For Megan, a winter escape to Prague with her friend Ollie is a chance to find some inspiration for her upcoming photography exhibition. But she's determined to keep their friendship from becoming anything more. Because if Megan lets Ollie find out about her past, she risks losing everything ...

The Child by Fiona Barton When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore. For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her. For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered. And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth. The Child’s story will be told. The Child by Fiona Barton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic. 5 star read. If you liked Fiona's previous novel, The Widow you will love this. The Child brings the return of heroine reporter Kate Waters, investigating the discovery of a newborn skeleton found on a building site. We are told the story of the baby through various narratives, but mainly focusing on Kate and two other characters, Angela and Emma. Who does the baby belong to, and how did it end up being buried decades ago? A gri...

Summer is upon us at last, so grab your beach towels and sun creams and dive into some of my favourite upcoming thrillers for 2017! The Child by Fiona Barton Release Date: 27/7/2017 Available now! When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore. For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her. For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered. And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth. The Child’s story will be told. Bestselling author of ' The Widow' Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell Release Date: 27/7/2017 Available now! THEN She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.  NOW  It’s been ten years ...

This book was one of the first ever books I was approved for on NetGalley. It has sat on my 'to-read' shelf for nearly 7 months. Having read it today, all I can say is, why did I wait so long? I am a huge fan of the relatively recent 'psychological thriller' genre and despite Out of Reach originally being published in 1997, it is as fresh and as current as its modern counterparts. The truth is always just out of reach… Kate McCaulay thinks she has rebuilt her life. She has a job as a local newspaper reporter, a flat above an antiques shop in a village by the sea, and a close group of friends. But one day her carefully erected existence collapses when tragedy explodes back into her life. Ten years ago Kate’s eight-week-old baby, Jamie, was stolen. The loss destroyed her marriage and still haunts her dreams with guilt and longing. And now letters have started arriving on her doormat, anonymous letters that read, ‘I know where he is…’ Tragedy strikes again when her colle...

Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner My rating: 5 of 5 stars 'Manon Bradshaw is back. As dusk falls a young man staggers through a park, far from home, bleeding from a stab wound. He dies where he falls; cradled by a stranger, a woman’s name on his lips in his last seconds of life. DI Manon Bradshaw can’t help taking an interest – these days she only handles cold cases, but the man died just yards from the police station where she works. She’s horrified to discover that both victim and prime suspect are more closely linked to her than she could have imagined. And as the Cambridgeshire police force closes ranks against her, she is forced to contemplate the unthinkable. How well does she know her loved ones, and are they capable of murder?' It has been a while since I read the first in the DS Manon series. I remembered Missing Presumed as a great read, but had forgotten Manon to a large extent. It didn't take many chapters for her witty character to come flooding ba...