Category Archives: debut novels

“A Perfect Sentence” by Patrick Starnes – Book Review

Posted on September 14, 2019 by

Desperately dissatisfied with his comfortable, middle-class life, and meandering through his days, Keir Buchan feels like he is just going through the motions of living. A writer of detective novels, he has just been made redundant from the University where … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Men's fiction, Thistle Publishing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“The Red Address Book” by Sofia Lundberg – Book Review

Posted on August 16, 2019 by

Originally written in Swedish and translated to English by Alice Menzies The elderly Doris is nearing the end of her life in her native Stockholm, Sweden. Her only close relative is her great-niece, Jenny who is a busy young mother … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Literary fiction, NetGalley, Scandinavian | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

“Girl Last Seen” by Nina Laurin – Book Review

Posted on July 12, 2019 by

“Everyone has scars. Even if they’re not on the outside.” Our protagonist is Ella Santos – though now she goes by the name of Laine Moreno. When she was just ten years old she was abducted and held hostage for … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Canadian fiction, debut novels, NetGalley, Page turners, Psychological thrillers | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

“The Light Keeper” by Cole Moreton – Book Review

Posted on July 9, 2019 by

“The stories we tell define us. So do the stories we don’t tell and the ones we never finish.” Sarah and Jack Bramer are a young couple who are desperate to have a child. Or at least Sarah is… After … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Literary fiction, NetGalley | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

“Sweet Little Lies” by Caz Frear – Book Review

Posted on May 16, 2019 by

“Problem is, while the lie may be sweet as it falls from your lips, the feeling in your gut is always putridly sour. And almost always bang-on.” “I’ve spent most of my life, not exactly sure in the belief, but … Continue reading →

Posted in 1st in series, Book Reviews, debut novels, Edelweiss, Mystery fiction | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

“Distress Signals” by Catherine Ryan Howard – Book Review

Posted on April 21, 2019 by

Adam Dunne and Sarah O’Connell have been living together for almost a decade now. He is a screenwriter waiting for his ‘big break‘. She works in PR and supports them both. Adam has just received some good news and finally … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, NetGalley | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Throwback Thursday Feb. 7, 2019 (an old favorite recommended)

Posted on February 7, 2019 by

Renee at It’s Book Talk began this meme as a way to share old favorites. This week I’m showcasing a debut novel that I read over four years ago. “In a Vertigo of Silence” was a title that I got from NetGalley … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Literary fiction, Throwback Thursday | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens – Book Review

Posted on January 29, 2019 by

“abandoned, hungry and cold” North Carolina 1952 – We meet little six-year-old Kya Clark on the day her mother walks out of their marsh ‘shack’ for the last time. Covered in bruises, Kya’s mother has left her drunken, abusive husband … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Edelweiss, Favorite books, Literary fiction | Tagged , , , , | 28 Comments

“The Dark Lake” by Sarah Bailey – Book Review

Posted on January 22, 2019 by

BLURB: The lead homicide investigator in a rural town, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake. And not just any classmate, but Rosalind Ryan, whose beauty … Continue reading →

Posted in 1st in series, Book Reviews, debut novels, Edelweiss, Mystery fiction | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

“Seven Days of Us” by Francesca Hornak

Posted on December 27, 2018 by

Christmas is a family time. We all put a lot of pressure on ourselves in trying to live up to the traditional Christmas ideal. Most of us fall short.  Although we all love our families, we don’t always like them. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Christmas, debut novels, Favorite books | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

“For the Missing” by Lina Bengtsdotter #PublicationDay @orionbooks

Posted on December 13, 2018 by

“The award-winning, global bestselling Swedish crime debut about a missing girl, and the detective who must return home and confront her darkest secrets in order to find her.” Charlie (Charline) Lager is a police detective working in Stockholm for the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1st in series, Book Reviews, debut novels, Mystery fiction, NetGalley, Scandinavian | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

“The Rúin” by Dervla McTiernan – Book Review

Posted on October 28, 2018 by

A complex, character-driven police procedural mystery set in Galway, Ireland. “In Irish, Rúin means something hidden, a mystery, or a secret, but the word also has a long history as a term of endearment.” From the publisher’s blurb: “This unsettling … Continue reading →

Posted in 1st in series, Book Reviews, debut novels, Edelweiss, Favorite books, Mystery fiction | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

“The Visitors” by Catherine Burns

Posted on October 12, 2018 by

“…she wrapped her arms around Mother’s angular hips for comfort. Physical affection wasn’t encouraged, however, in the Zetland family, and she soon felt herself peeled off with extreme delicacy.” In this compelling debut thriller we first meet Marion Zetland.  Born … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Favorite books, NetGalley, Psychological thrillers | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

“The Salt House” by Lisa Duffy @TouchstoneBooks @lisaduffywriter

Posted on August 30, 2018 by

“…Gorgeously written, heartbreaking, yet hopeful debut set during a Maine summer traces the lives of a young family in the aftermath of tragedy.” “the isolation of sorrow” In a small Maine coastal town lives the Kelly family. Father Jack is … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Family sagas, Literary fiction, NetGalley | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

“The last wave” by Gillian Best

Posted on August 9, 2018 by

A novel that shows how ordinary people can be extraordinary. This novel is about the Roberts family who live in Dover, England. In particular, it is about Martha Roberts – wife, mother, and long distance swimmer. We first meet Martha … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Family sagas, Literary fiction, NetGalley | Tagged , , | 3 Comments