Showing posts with label Louise Jensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louise Jensen. Show all posts

Thursday 31 December 2020

My Top 10 of 2020

This year has been... well. Do I even need to say? From discovering Schitt's Creek to signing with David Higham Associates, from doing a reading at Virtual Noir at the Bar to growing vegetables (badly), 2020 was definitely a mixed bag. I'll skip over the heartbreak and focus on the positive. BOOKS.

I read so many amazing books! I'm sure I missed some absolute gems, but these are the 10 that I just can't forget.

The Cutting Place by Jane Casey

When human remains wash up on the shore of the Thames, DS Maeve Kerrigan traces it to a journalist who has been digging around for information on a gentlemen's club that's drenched in dark secrets and cover-ups. Maeve becomes knee-deep in the world of rich, male privilege, and as one crime exposes another, the case builds and builds to its climactic, unpredictable end. This intense thriller has an unbelievably believable plot, splashes of unexpected emotion and characters that'll stay with you long after you begrudgingly turn over that last page. 

How to Disappear by Gillian McAllister (audiobook)


This gripping psychological-suspense thriller is told from the viewpoints of four characters, a family torn apart by the ripple effect of an awful crime, separated by the witness protection programme. The plot is unpredictable, twisting and turning all over the place. I found myself listening to this at every opportunity. I was completely and utterly addicted. This is not only the best book Gillian has ever written, but it's one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. It's tense, chilling and beautifully-written - all the ingredients required for a compelling, keep-you-up-at-night thriller.

Far from the Tree by Rob Parker (audiobook)


Nine hours of pure edge-of-your-seat, keep-you-up-at-night drama. A pacey, twisty police procedural with an immense hook from the very first chapter: 27 bodies discovered in a mass grave. When the case gets a little to close to home, Brendan Foley throws himself full-pelt at it, doing everything he can to get to the bottom of it at all costs. Full of different threads that are woven together with masterful plotting. Prepare to be taken to some very dark places indeed, and brace yourself for shocking reveals you could never imagine. 

Firewatching by Russ Thomas


A dark and twisty police procedural introducing DS Adam Tyler, a cold case reviewer with a troubled past. When the skeleton of a corrupt businessman is discovered bricked-up in the cellar of the Old Vicarage, Adam lands himself this high-profile murder investigation, only to find himself in hot water. As fires spring up all over Castledene, it's clear that a pyromaniac is on the loose, dead set on watching the world burn. Scorches with a tangle of threads that I challenge even the most seasoned of thriller readers to tie together before the incredible, unpredictable ending. 

Without a Trace by Mari Hannah


DCI Kate Daniels hurtles towards London after the news that a transatlantic flight has dropped out of the sky... and the love of her life, Jo Soulsby, was on that flight. Kate blags her way onto the investigation and embarks upon a mission to disprove that Jo was on that flight... because she couldn't have been... could she? An unimaginable rollercoaster of twists and turns that I couldn't have predicted transformed me into a page-turning maniac. It's tense. It's dramatic. It's emotional. A perfectly-executed and riveting piece of crime fiction.

Whispers in the Dark by Chris McDonald


Drug dealer, Marcus Stone and DCI Clive Burston had never met until one night in August. By the end of that night, both had been shot dead in a small bedroom in the heart of gang territory. DI Erika Piper is called to the scene but is at a loss to explain what’s happened. How did these two even meet, let alone end up dead in what appears to be a strange murder-suicide? A powerful and thrilling novel that packs a punch from page one, from the sinister prologue to the shocking ending. A tense, twisted and superbly-plotted thriller that is as terrifying as it is heartbreaking. 

All That is Buried by Robert Scragg


When 7-year-old Libby Hallforth goes missing at a funfair without even a sniff of evidence or a single witness, DI Jake Porter and DS Nick Styles are left with more questions than they have answers. The case goes cold, and all hope of finding Libby is lost, until human remains are discovered several months later. And like with all good crime novels, it's just the start of a race against time to stop a killer in their tracks. This is a fast-paced, thrilling read that is packed not only with action, but the emotion that is often left out of this kind of book. I absolutely loved it.

The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen


A psychological thriller that tells the heartbreaking tale of four sisters who were kidnapped twenty years ago. The mystery is not about how they manage to escape, because what happens after is so much worse. As the twentieth anniversary of the kidnapping looms closer, a catastrophic chain of events sends the reader rocketing towards a series of twists and turns that are as unpredictable as they are clever. Louise is the master of foreshadowing, leaving you hanging on by a fingertip as she ends each chapter. She sends you hurtling down one road, only to whip the carpet from beneath your feet.

Too Close to Breathe by Olivia Kiernan


When Eleanor Costello is found hanging in her Dublin home, all signs point to suicide. Enter DCS Frankie Sheehan, a detective with a sharp eye, a potty mouth and an innate ability to climb inside the heads of the victims. Suffering from PTSD driven by a vicious attack during a previous investigation, Frankie soon learns that the lines between killer and victim are becoming increasingly blurred. An atmospheric, immersive and skillfully-plotted police procedural that will blow you away. So compelling and incredibly absorbing.

The Storm by Amanda Jennings


A twisty psychological thriller set in a Cornish fishing port, following the story of Hannah and Nathan Cardew, and their picture-perfect marriage... or so it seems. As the past threatens to catch up with her, the dark secrets of Hannah's past soon begin to unravel. There's more than one storm brewing in this compelling story... just you wait until the thunder cracks. Amanda's gripping style of writing draws you in like a fishing reel, only to fling you back into the storm with a big reveal that'll leave your mind whirling.

What were your top 10 2020 reads? Share in the comments!

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

Friday 2 October 2020

Book Review and Q&A: The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen

Three little girls missing.

One family torn apart.

The press called them the Stolen Sisters.
Twenty years on from their abduction, a dark truth threatens once more.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Louise Jensen's The Stolen Sisters! A huge thank you to HQ for inviting me to be part of the tour, and for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. 

When I read The Family by the lovely Louise Jensen last year, I was blown away. It made my top 10 books of 2019 list, and I honestly wondered how she was going to top it. But she's done it again.

The Stolen Sisters is a gripping and wonderfully-written psychological thriller that tells the heartbreaking tale of the Sinclair sisters, Carly, Marie and Leah, who were kidnapped twenty years ago and locked up in a terrifying, filthy room in a derelict RAF site. The mystery is not about how they manage to escape, because what happens after is so much worse.

We meet them as adults. Physically, they're doing fine. Mentally? That's a whole other story. The Stolen Sisters delves deeply into how people cope with trauma. And with Carly's extreme trust issues, Leah's battle with contamination OCD and Marie's struggles with addiction, they are definitely not coping with the trauma. As the twentieth anniversary of the kidnapping looms ever closer, a catastrophic chain of events unfolds and sends the reader rocketing towards a series of twists and turns that are as unpredictable as they are clever

Told from multiple perspectives and two different timelines, you'll climb right inside the head of each sister and you'll be thinking about them long after you turn the last page. I absolutely adore Louise's style of writing, how she writes about such harrowing, terrifying things with prose that is drenched in beauty, and constructed with such strong imagery

Be warned: you'll fall victim to the 'just-one-more-chapter' trap. Louise is the master of foreshadowing, leaving you hanging on by a fingertip as she ends each chapter. She sends you hurtling down one road, only to whip the carpet from beneath your feet and leave your head spinning. This was an unbelievably tense read, and oh-so dark and twisty

Ready to meet the woman behind the masterpiece? Louise Jensen, author of 5 bestselling psychological thrillers, joins me on the blog today to discuss The Stolen Sisters.

Welcome to the blog, Louise! It's no secret that I loved The Stolen Sisters, so I'm thrilled to be part of your blog tour. This is such a terrifying story from start to finish... can you tell me what sparked the idea for it?

My son went missing from primary school, many years ago and I’ve never forgotten the utter terror of that day. The sense of helplessness and hopelessness as the police searched for him. The immense relief when he was found hours later. I’d always said, as an author, I couldn’t bear to write about missing children but the Sinclair sisters lodged themselves in my head and wouldn’t leave. The only way I could approach the story was if readers found out straight away that the girls had survived their ordeal without any abuse.

The setting for the kidnap is so scary and felt so real! Is it based on an actual place? If so, where?

It is! RAF Norwood is based on RAF Upwood in Cambridgeshire. As in the story, Upwood is being demolished to build houses on but the landowners generously invited me to have a look around. I bought the items the girls have in the book and took some very creepy photos. Here’s one:

There’s a medical condition in the book I’d never heard of, and it's fascinating. In fact, I can't believe it's a real thing! What made you want to include this in The Stolen Sisters?

My youngest son, Finley, is so curious about the world, and is always discovering new things. He found a short film on YouTube about this condition (which I can’t name because of spoilers!) and I was both intrigued and saddened. I researched it and knew I had to include it in a story.

What was your favourite scene in The Stolen Sisters to write? On the flip side, what was the most difficult to write?

The epilogue was both my favourite scene and also the most difficult. Each time I had to go back and edit it I cried! Partly, I think, because it’s such an emotional scene, but also because I had to say goodbye to Leah, Marie and Carly and I’d grown to love them all so much.

Have you ever written anything so terrifying you've scared even yourself?

This book! Because it brought back a lot of feelings for me it was an emotional roller-coaster to write.

Do you find inspiration in real-life events or news stories?

I rarely read or watch the news because it terrifies me but I’m certainly interested in real-life medical conditions. The Gift features cellular memory, the concept that a donor heart can store memories which can be passed along to the recipient.

The Date is centred around Prosopagnosia (face blindness). Surrogacy really interested me and inspired The Surrogate, and brainwashing in The Family. You spend such a long time writing a book you need to be interested in the subject.

You've recently launched The Life We Almost Had, under the pen name Amelia Henley, which is definitely not a thriller... how are you finding juggling two genres that are so different?

It’s been a busy few months! I’ve taken everything I’ve learned as a thriller writer, taking an unusual concept and applying suspense, cliff-hangers at the end of chapters and a few huge twists so although The Life We Almost Had is, at its core, a love story, writing it used the same principles. Having two names on social media gets a little hectic though!

2020 has been interesting, to say the least. Has lockdown changed your approach to writing? Has it made it more difficult, or easier?

Definitely harder. I’ve been launching and promoting two books, editing two books for next year while homeschooling. I haven’t written anything since March and I hugely miss it. I’ve put ‘WRITE' in my calendar for every day in November.

Can you give us any hints about your next thriller?

It’s the story of a family who are all keeping secrets. It’s by far the darkest book I’ve written so far. There’s one scene in it that actually turned my stomach!

So exciting! I can't wait to get my hands on it. Thanks so much for joining me today, Louise! 

This dark and twisty masterpiece is out now in paperback, audiobook and ebook. Grab a copy from your favourite bookshop today. 

It's unmissable

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

About the author

Louise Jensen has sold over a million English language copies of her international no. 1 psychological thrillers The Sister, The Gift, The Surrogate, The Date and The Family. Her novels have also been translated into twenty-five languages, as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller’s list. Louise's sixth thriller, The Stolen Sisters was published on 1st October by Harper Collins.

The Sister was nominated for the Goodreads Debut of 2016 Award. The Date was nominated for The Guardian's 'Not The Booker' Prize 2018. The Surrogate was nominated for the best Polish thriller of 2018. The Gift has been optioned for a TV film. The Family was a Fern Britton Book Club pick. Louise was also listed for two CWA Dagger Awards.

When Louise isn’t writing thrillers, she turns her hand to penning love stories under the name Amelia Henley. Her no. 1 bestselling debut as Amelia Henley, The Life We Almost Had, is out now.

Louise lives with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat in Northamptonshire. She loves to hear from readers and writers.

www.louisejensen.co.uk 

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Wednesday 1 January 2020

My top 10 of 2019

2019 has been a great year. I got married to my best friend, I wrote and edited my first novel, Burn Again, and I read some truly outstanding books. I hope one day my book will grace a 'best of' blog post, but for now, here are the best books I read during 2019.

1. Cruel Acts - Jane Casey

Cruel Acts is the 8th book in Jane Casey's DS Maeve Kerrigan series, which keeps getting better, proven by its Sunday Times bestseller status. The story follows Maeve as she rips apart an investigation when it comes to light certain rules weren't followed during the initial trial. Delightfully sharp, deliciously entertaining, and utterly devourable, this will see just 'one more chapter' turning into twenty. My book of 2019!


2. I Let You Go - Clare Mackintosh

This book is absolutely stunning, with one hell of a plot twist. I Let You Go follows the story of Jenna, who has walked away from her former life, which has descended into a nightmare after a devastating event. It's difficult to put into words how compelling this novel is, but it's one I'll be keeping on my shelf and sharing with friends forever.


3. The Family by Louise Jensen

The Family is a thrilling page-turner, drenched in a dark sense of unease that builds and builds until it's all you can think about. The story follows two women who find themselves hopelessly trapped within a cult, ending with a twist I doubt you'll see coming. A stunningly-written piece of thriller fiction, dark and disturbing yet with shimmering beauty in every sentence.


4. Anything You Do Say - Gillian McAllister

This is the book that kept me out of the swimming pool on holiday because it was so bloody good I couldn't put it down. I was initially drawn to it for its narrative style, with each chapter alternating between what would happen if the protagonist revealed what happened, or concealed it. So cleverly written, and so unputdownable.


5. Cross Her Heart - Sarah Pinborough

I picked this up after the whirlwind that is Behind Her Eyes, and was not disappointed. Sarah really knows how to pull the rug out from beneath your feet! This story follows Lisa and her teenage daughter Ava, a seemingly normal family, until Lisa unwillingly reveals a huge secret that changes their lives forever. Another brilliant read from this fantastic author.


6. The Turn Of The Key - Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key was so far up the scary scale it made my heart race long after putting it down. The Turn of the Key tells the tale of Rowan, who secures the 'dream' job, nannying in a gorgeous house... in the middle of nowhere. Rowan is an excellently flawed character, an unreliable narrator who delivers the story, its clues and an oh-my-fucking-god plot twist like a pro.


7. Sleep - C L Taylor

Sleep tells the chilling tale of Anna, who makes a new life for herself after a terrible accident, but is haunted by messages telling her to sleep. This made me feel delightfully uncomfortable. It's one of those books that make you triple check your locks each night. No wonder it's a Sunday Times bestseller!


8. A Window Breaks - C M Ewan

A thriller that made my heart race so fast I was worried for my health. After a 2am break in, Tom, Rachel and their daughter Holly begin a terrifying game of cat and mouse with a group of murderous men, and no one knows why. You'll want to stop reading because you're terrified but at the same time you just... can't... put... it... down.


9. The House On The Lake - Nuala Ellwood

Lisa's on the run, and ends up staying in a creepy old house by a lake. Grace grew up in that very same house several years before. When the link was between these two women was finally revealed, I did not see it coming. At all. This will give you a creeping sense of unease and if you love a thriller, you will not be disappointed.


10. Behind Closed Doors - B A Paris

A pacey thriller, telling the story of Jack and Grace. Their 'perfect' relationship is presented to the rest of the world, but the reality is more terrifying than you could ever imagine. Dark and disturbing in many ways. The perfect psychological thriller.


What were your top ten 2019 reads? Share in the comments!

Roxie Key

@RoxieAdelleKey

Sunday 17 November 2019

Book Review: The Family by Louise Jensen

Once you're in, they'll never let you leave.

My next book review is one I'm super-excited to share, because it's official: I've found another favourite author. Should we have a ceremony? I met the lovely Louise Jensen at a Waterstones event in Milton Keynes (you may have seen me banging on about it) and when I heard her speak about her work, I knew I had to buy the book (we don't speak of the book-buying ban). I walked away with a shiny new signed book, knowing it was going to shoot to the top of my teetering TBR pile. And shoot to the top it did.


The Family is a thrilling page-turner, drenched in a dark sense of unease that builds and builds until it's all you can think about. The story follows three characters. Laura, a young mother who has just lost everything, including her husband, her home and her business. Tilly, her teenage daughter who is struggling to cope with the loss of her dad. And Alex, the owner of the retreat (cult!) that Laura and Tilly find themselves hopelessly trapped in.

The Family explores the intricacies of the mother-daughter relationship under extreme stress through short chapters that flit between each character, showing you both sides of the relationship, their different reactions and how they interpret things differently. How they perceive each other. Sometimes we see things through Alex's perspective, which adds mystery to the drama as it unfolds, layer by layer. Each chapter ends with its own little cliffhanger, which leaves you hungry for one more chapter.

When the story ends, when all those loose threads have woven themselves together to present to you a twist I doubt you'll see coming, you'll close that book and find you can think of little else for hours afterwards. Days.

The Family is a stunningly-written piece of thriller fiction, dark and disturbing yet with shimmering beauty in every sentence. You'll savour every word and enjoy the language as much as you enjoy the story. It's the kind of prose you want to roll around your mouth and taste every element of it.


I called Louise a sleep-thief on Twitter. 

I meant it.

Get this on your Christmas list, and if any of my friends or family are reading this blog post, I'd like Louise's entire book collection please...

Let me know your thoughts in the comments or tweet me!

#WelcomeToTheFamily

Roxie Key

@RoxieAdelleKey

Sunday 27 October 2019

An Evening with Sarah Pinborough and Louise Jensen

I've loved bookshops since forever. I was that 15-year-old who, when given the opportunity at school to go on work experience, chose Waterstones. I spent two weeks working in my favourite shop and I loved every moment. And anyone who knows me at all would tell you Sarah Pinborough is one of the authors I admire the most, so when I saw Waterstones advertising an evening with Sarah Pinborough and Louise Jensen (who I can just tell will be one of my new favourite authors), no one could have stopped me buying that ticket if they'd tried. No one.

Ask me if I want to spend a couple of hours in a bookshop with two best-selling thriller authors and a glass of wine, and take home a signed book. Go on, ask me. Um, YES. Naturally I was sat in the middle of the front row (how else do you soak up all that awesomeness?). And it. Was. So. Good. And I got another author selfie to add to my collection...


Sarah and Louise covered so much ground, including the difference between a plot twist and a great reveal, how they plan and draft their novels, their differing writing processes, trying not to get caught up in the daily word count battle and the joy of writing in PJs.

They also discussed their best author moments so far. Louise's best moment was when her son said he wanted to be an author just like her (cue us all getting emotional) and Sarah's was when Stephen King (yes, STEPHEN KING!) wrote a rave review of one of her books. I hope I'll get my moment one day when one of these wonderful authors tweets how much they love my book (the dream).

If you want to know a little more about these bloody brilliant authors, Louise has sold over a million books and her thrillers have been published in 25 languages. I've just bought a signed copy of The Family which has fast-tracked its way to the top of my TBR pile, and I will share my thoughts here on the blog soon. Sarah, with over 20 books published in 27 languages, is also a screenwriter with her previous novel Behind Her Eyes (one of my all-time favourite books) is coming out on Netflix next year and I am beyond excited. That's what you call author goals.

Thanks for the inspo, ladies!

I'll be heading over to Waterstones in Oxford to hear from the amazing C. L. Taylor in a couple of weeks. Watch this space!

Roxie Key

@RoxieAdelleKey