#BookReview The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton @AuthorSJBolton @MinotaurBooks @Joni2345zb #mystery #GNWR #Thriller

Book Details
Title: The Craftsman
Author: Sharon Bolton
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
Pages: 418
ISBN: 978-1-250-30003-4 Hardcover

 My Rating: 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠 

My Review

The Craftsman is Sharon Bolton’s latest terrifying standalone suspense novel. The protagonist, Florence Lovelady starts out in 1969 in Lancashire, UK working in police department where the force is dominated by men. Some teenagers disappear and they end up being found buried alive in coffins. Florence Lovelady begins to help with the investigation but being a woman she is not always treated the same. But she couldn’t be ignored because she was able to look at things differently proving she was a very good investigator.

Florence Lovelady is such a strong female character. She is tough and persistent in order to make it but she couldn’t come off too strong. I admired her for hanging in there with a tough profession especially during that time period when she the only woman around. The story shifts ahead 30 years to 1999 and someone else disappears under similar circumstances. Had Florence Lovelady caught the right man all those years ago or is it a copycat?

I love the short chapters and the pacing of the novel was perfect. The build-up to the ending was amazing and the truth is carefully masked right up to the conclusion. My interest was held throughout and I couldn’t wait to see where the story led next. With hints in the story of witches and Freemasons, the supernatural aspect brings in another level of interest for readers.

I loved this book so much. Definitely 5 stars for me…can’t wait for the next Sharon Bolton novel. Thanks to the author and Minotaur Books for providing me a copy to review. Highly recommended for those who love dark terrifying thrillers. 

About the Author:

Sharon Bolton (having previously written as S.J. Bolton) is a two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award winner and an ITW Thriller Award, CWA Gold Dagger, and Barry Award nominee. She grew up in Lancashire, England, and now lives near Oxford with her family. Her highly acclaimed thrillers include Sacrifice, Awakening, Blood Harvest, Little Black Lies, Daisy in Chains, and Dead Woman Walking in addition to her Lacey Flint books Now You See Me, Dead Scared, Lost, and A Dark and Twisted Tide.

 

#BookReview for The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel @aengelwrites @CrownPublishing #NetGalley #Suspense #Thriller

Book Details
Title: The Roanoke Girls
Author: Amy Engel
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Pages: 279 

About the Book

A gripping, provocative thriller about the twisted secrets families keep, perfect for fans of The Girls.
Beautiful.
Rich.
Mysterious.
Everyone wants to be a Roanoke girl.
But you won't when you know the truth.
Lane Roanoke is fifteen when she comes to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin at the Roanoke family's rural estate following the suicide of her mother. Over one long, hot summer, Lane experiences the benefits of being one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls.
But what she doesn't know is being a Roanoke girl carries a terrible legacy: either the girls run, or they die. For there is darkness at the heart of Roanoke, and when Lane discovers its insidious pull, she must make her choice...


My Rating
🔍🔍🔍🔍 out of Five


My Review  
The Roanoke Girls,a standalone dark suspenseful thriller, is my first Amy Engel book. Fifteen year old Lane comes to live with her grandparents, the Roanoke’s, after the suicide of her mother. She had never met her grandparents or her cousin Allegra who was six months younger. All Lane knew about her mother’s family was her mother had ran away and wanted nothing to do with them. Because Lane’s mother had difficulty showing love to their relationship was not good.

The story takes place in Osage Flats, Kansas mainly over one summer. Once Lane arrives there the book goes back and forth in time (then and now). The book was mostly told in first person point of view of Lane but some chapters explained the back stories of other Roanoke Girls. The writing style flowed easily and kept me interested throughout. I don’t want to share too much other than the subject matter is disturbing. What a sick messed up family!! It’s pretty unreal how everyone involved just acts like everything is normal. Reading it made me sick and angry but I couldn’t stop.

I loved the relationship and dialog between cousins Lane and Allegra. When some of the secrets are revealed to Lane, Allegra tries to explain and rationalize what is going on. She obviously had been brain-washed since she had lived there all her life. Reading a book like this gave me kind of a weird feeling…like I was reading a secret diary that I shouldn’t be. All the characters were flawed but I felt especially sad for Lane who had never known love from her mother and when she shows up at her grandparent’s home she has a small hope that things will change. This is definitely not a happy pick-me-up kind of book but rather dark and disturbing.
 
🔍🔍🔍🔍 out of 5 ! I recommend to those who love to read about dark and disturbing family secrets. Thank you to Amy Engel, Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to review.