Daniel Hurst

This is the fourth in the continuing “soap opera” series introduced by The Doctor’s Wife; I have read all four.

There is a lot of history between Fern and Alice who lived in a small English village. Alice had an affair with Fern’s husband, the doctor. Fern arranged for Alice’s husband, Rory, to kill the doctor and set Alice up to be blamed and imprisoned for it. Fern killed Rory, escaped to build a new life, met a new man, Greg. When she found out that Greg was the doctor’s best friend out to catch Fern, she killed him as well. BUT, Alice was carrying the doctor’s child and Fern was impregnated by Greg. Skip ahead almost two decades and Alice’s daughter, Evelyn, wants revenge. Fern is now living happily in France with a new husband and her daughter, Cecilia. When paths cross, revenge and retribution are on the menu. Got it? Whew!

As with the prior three stories, this was an engrossing, fast read that I couldn’t put down. I liked the continued author’s style of alternating chapter POVs from the various main characters, learning their inner thoughts. You may dislike some (or all!) of the characters and think some things a bit over the top, but you will enjoy this psychological thriller. It is an entertaining, escapist read.

While this could work as a stand alone, for those interested, it might be better to go back and read the prior three novels for the history. They are quick, “popcorn thrillers”. If you read this (perhaps) final in the series, what did you think of the ending?

Thanks to #NetGalley and @bookouture for the DRC.… (mehr)

Jess and Lucy are obsessively competitive in everything so when they end up working together things get out of hand. The rivalry between the two women was insane - they behaved more like spoilt toddlers than women in their 30s. While I could tolerate Lucy, I found Jess and absolute witch.

While "The Rivals" was a quick read, I found the ending disappointing and I wasn't surprised by the twist at the end. However, it was still a fairly entertaining read for those who want to escape reality for a few hours.… (mehr)

This is my first time reading a Daniel Hurst novel and I found it similar to reading a Freida McFadden thriller. The plot is enough to keep you interested but parts of the story (especially the ending) were unrealistic and predictable. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, I found the parent's behavior to be rather erratic and the wife was constantly jumping over the fact that her husband had a bit of an alcohol issue. The entire conflict in the first half of the book was repetitive but the second half saved the book. While the ending was unrealistic, the lead-up to the final twist was well-written and kept my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: 3.5/5… (mehr)

Carrie and her husband Andy generally spend New Year's Eve at home, but this year, they're treating themselves to enjoy celebrating the evening at the high-priced ticketed event at the Highbridge Hotel in Lancashire, England. Three couples share a table for dinner, and one of the husbands suggests sharing their New Year's resolutions. What do you imagine the answers might be?

I was intrigued by the marketing description of "A Holiday Thriller Short Story." In looking up the author's name, as I had not read any of his books, I discovered that he writes psychological thrillers and was curious how that would be possible in a short story. Although I won't share any specifics, it is wise to keep that in mind. It is a fast-paced story told from 4 POVs, and once the suspense begins, the twists do not stop until the last sentence.… (mehr)