The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reviewing this book as part of the Transworld reading challenge 2011.

The Blurb:

A chance encounter: When Sarah meets dark, brooding Alex,she grasps his offer of a new life miles away from her own. They’ve both recently escaped broken relationships, and need to start again. Why not do it together?


A perfect life: But when Sarah gets to the tiny village of Burrington Stoke, something doesn’t add up. Alex’s beautiful wife Genevieve was charming, talented, and adored by all who knew her. And apparently, she and Alex had a successful marriage complete with a gorgeous son, Jamie. Why would Genevieve walk out on her perfect life? And why has no one heard from her since she did so?


A web of lies: Genevieve’s family and all her friends think that Alex knows more about her disappearance than he’s letting on. But Sarah’s fallen in love with him and just knows he couldn’t have anything to hide. Or could he?The story is about Alex and Sarah who meet in Sicily, Sarah has just been through a traumatic time; she has had a stillborn baby boy and her boyfriend Laurie cheated on her with one of her friends. Alex’s wife Genevieve has walked out on him and their young son Jamie. Alex is not coping with looking after Jamie / working / keeping the home clean and offers Sarah a job, which she accepts. She moves from Manchester to a small village called Burrington Stoke to be Jamie’s nanny and Alex’s house-keeper, with the promise of more.


When Sarah arrives in Burrington Stoke she faces a lot of hostility from everyone in the village, Genevieve came from a wealthy family and was extremely liked. Sarah finds herself torn from wanting to care for Jamie and to be Alex’s lover but she wants to find out the truth of what has happened to Genevieve and if she can truely trust Alex.


This was the first book I had read from Louise Douglas so I had no expectation of what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, there are comparisons to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. I kind of guessed quite early on how the story was going to end, but it didn’t spoil it. Great read, would highly recommend it 4/5.


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Currently reading:

Put Your Dreams to the Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It by John C. Maxwell








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The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm reviewing this book as part of the Transworld reading challenge 2011.

“Death steals everything but our stories”

This is a dual narrative story, both set in turbulent times in India’s history; 1857 – Sepoy Rebellion and the partition in 1947. The story starts in 1947 with Martin and Evie travelling to their new home in India, with their son Billy, where Martin has won a fellowship to document the end of the British rule in India. Evie discovers some letters in the walls of the house they are staying in. The writers of the letters are Felicity and Adela, two English ladies. Felicity was born in India, but is sent to live with Adela’s family in Yorkshire to attend school when she was eight years old, she later moves back to India where scandal follows.


I enjoyed the story set in 1857 more, just found the other storyline slow and hard to get into, but the descriptive narrative from Elle Newmark was brilliant. You can tell she has experienced this herself, you felt you were there in the middle of the vibrant smells and colours.


Would recommend this, is was interesting read but couldn’t give it a higher than 3.5/5, just felt something was missing for me and I couldn’t put my finger on it.


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18th September 2011 E-Book Downloads

1. One Day by David Nicholls - See review below (No Change)
2. Pets in a Pickle by Malcolm Welshman (New Entry)
3. The Basement by Stephen Leather (Up)
4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre (New Entry)
5. A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin (New Entry)
6. Life and Fate by Robert Chandler (New Entry)
7. The Alchemist's Secret by Scott Mariani (New Entry)
8. White Lies and Custard Creams by Susan Alison (New Entry)
9. Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by CJ Box (New Entry)
10. Suicide Run by Michael Connelly (New Entry)

Source: Amazon

18th September 2011 Top Tens for Non Fiction

Paperwork:

1. Dukan Diet by Pierre Dukan (No Change)
2. At Home by Bill Bryson (No Change)
3. An Idiot Abroad by Karl Pilkington (Up)
4. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran (Up)
5. The Secret Life of Bletchley Park by S McKay (New Entry)
6. The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal (Up)
7. The Grand Design by Hawking & Mlodinow (Up)
8. In the Midst of Life by Jennifer Worth (Down) 
9. The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry (New Entry)
10. Memoirs of a Fruitcake by Chris Evans (No Change)

Hardback:

1. Great British Bake Off by Linda Collister (No Change)
2. Back from the Brink by Alistair Darling (New Entry)
3. Red: My Autobiography by Gary Neville (Down) 
4. Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother by S Johnston (Up)
5. River Cottage Veg Everyday by H Fearnley-Whittingstall (Down)
6. Jamie's 30 Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver (Down)
7. Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls (Up)
8. A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins (New Entry)
9. Rick Stein's Spain by Rick Stein (Down)
10. The Good Cook by Simon Hopkinson (Down)

Source: Nielsen Bookscan TCM

18th September 2011 Top Tens Fiction

Paperback:

1. One Day by David Nicholls - See my review below (No Change)
2. Heartstone by C J Sansom (Up)
3. Postcard Killers by James Patterson (Down)
4. Zero Hour by Andy McNab (New Entry)
5. Worth Dying For by Lee Child (Down)
6. A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French (Down)
7. Stolen by Susan Lewis (New Entry)
8. The Blackhouse by Peter May (New Entry)
9. Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden (Down)
10. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (New Entry)

Hardback:



1. The Accident by Linwood Barclay (Up)
2. Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs (Down)
3. Killing for the Company by Chris Ryan (Up)
4. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (New Entry)
5. Gamble by Felix Francis (Up)
6. The Burning Soul by John Connolly (Down)
7. The Retribution by Val McDermid (Up)
8. A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin (New Entry)
9. Good as Dead by Mark Billingham (Down)
10. Now You See Her by James Patterson (New Entry)

Source: Nielson Bookscan TCM

11th September E-Book Downloads

Top Ten E-Book Downloads:

1. One Day by David Nicholls - See review below (No Change)
2. Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by CJ Box (Up)
3. Always the Baker, Never the Bride by SD Bricker (New Entry)
4. That Summer in Ischia by Penny Feeny (Down)
5. The Cruelest Cut by Rick Reed (New Entry)
6. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes (Down)
7. Cold Kill by Neil White (Up)
8. Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise by J Magnin (New Entry)
9. Witness by Cath Staincliffe (Down)
10. The Basement by Stephen Leather (New Entry)

Source: Amazon