Category Archives: Joffe Books

Book Launch, Jane E. James, Joffe Books, Novels, Psychological Thriller

The Grandmother by Jane E. James

September 7, 2024 Melanie Leave a comment

I’m pleased to welcome Jane E. James back to Celtic Connexions with another of her psychological thrillers, The Grandmother!

grandmother

Blurb

I might be a grandmother. But I’m not some sweet, harmless old lady who people can push around.

Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother.

They’ve come to live with me because their mother — my daughter — was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by.

I think their father, Vince, killed my daughter. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I warned her he’d cheat on her — but she wouldn’t listen.

But then, most people have a dark side — and I’m no different.

Now he wants his daughters back.

Over my dead body.

I finally have a family of my own. And nobody is going to take it away from me.

the grandmother

My Review

This book started on a slow burn for me. The loving Grandmother, Yvonne Castle

It really took off on my Kindle at about the 62% mark. It was a ‘what? I didn’t see that coming!’ moment.

I’m a fan of psychological thrillers, and this one ranks right up there.

The author created well-rounded characters, and the writing was strong. The Grandmother isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author, and it certainly won’t be the last.

You can find The Grandmother here

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216727227-the-grandmother

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/grandmother-zbt

About the Author

The Grandmother

Jane E. James is a bestselling author who likes to create chilling reads that appeal to fans of psychological suspense thrillers, mysteries, and dark fiction. Her novels are packed with plot twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. All of them are standalone novels.

Jane is an animal lover and lives with her cat, Hero, in a small country village near Stamford, Lincolnshire in the UK, which is known for its quirky tea shops and cobbled streets. Rebecca, Carrie, The Woman in Black and Wuthering Heights are among some of Jane’s favourite reads.

Jane’s Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeejamesauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jane_e_james

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janeejamesauthor

Website: http://www.janeejames.com

Joffe Books’ Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joffebooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joffebooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joffebooks

Website: https://joffebooks.com/

#review, Crime/Mystery, Joffe Books, Lisa Hall, Novels, Psychological Thriller

The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall

October 16, 2023 Melanie 4 Comments

I’m thrilled to share The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall with you today.

Lisa Hall

Blurb

A remote island. A missing girl. A woman with a troubled past.

Becky is back on the tiny island where she was born, the island she swore she’d never return to.

Apart from her former best friend Megan, everyone makes it clear she isn’t wanted. The islanders have long memories. They haven’t forgotten the scandal. What Becky did.

Becky decides to leave as soon as she can. But first she must discover what happened to Violet.

Violet disappeared exactly a year ago, the day of the summer festival. Everyone assumes she ran off to the mainland with her boyfriend. Only her sister believes something more sinister happened to her.

Becky starts to ask questions — and becomes convinced that Violet never left the island. Someone in this remote, suspicious community knows exactly what happened to her. Someone who’s determined to keep the truth hidden — whatever it takes.

As Becky pieces the clues together, she is forced to confront the dark secrets of her own past. But has she got it tragically wrong . . . yet again?

And then another teenage girl goes missing . . .

My Review

I loved the premise of this book, so I jumped at the chance to read it. It started at a slow burn but built as the book progressed. The main character, Rebecca (Becky) Gannon, is a former resident of Kirton Island who left after a major scandal when she was eighteen, swearing never to return. Things change when she receives a message from her friend Megan telling her that her mother is dying.Becky returns to her former home to clear up the estate and to put her investigative powers to the test as she searches for a girl who went missing from the island. She hopes to find the girl and use her story as a chapter in her next true crime novel.There were some things that niggled at me. Why did Becky not want the police involved when her house was vandalized? If it were my home, I’d want the police involved. I had the perpetrator 99% figured out at about the halfway mark. Not that it ruined the story. I thought there was a lot of ‘fluff’ in the book’s second half that could have been left out without detriment to the storyline.Still, it was an enjoyable read and I’ll be watching for more books written by this talented author.

Book Links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196927395-the-day-she-disappeared

Buy Links – https://mybook.to/disappeared-zbt

About Lisa Hall

Lisa Hall

Lisa Hall is the bestselling author of six psychological thrillers and the Hotel Hollywood time-slip murder mystery series. Her debut novel Between You and Me was a Kindle UK number one bestseller, sitting in the top spot for over four weeks. Lisa has a First Class Honours degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. She lives in Kent with her husband and their three children.