Great Reads Brought to you by Nicole and the team at Great Escape Books
The Burning Girls by C J Tudor
C.J Tudor is the queen of thrillers and her latest book, The Burning Girls did not disappoint. Jack Brooks is not your usual vicar, she is rough around the edges and doesn’t quite fit the bill. Dedicated nonetheless, Jack and her teenage daughter Flo have taken up a new parish in the English countryside of Chapel Croft. Chapel Croft has a dark and disturbing past, when 500 years ago eight protestant martyrs were burnt at the stake. This was followed by the heartbreakingly mysterious disappearance of two teenage girls, just 30 years ago. Jack has no idea what awaits her as the community’s holy spokesperson. In this town everyone has their secrets and the ghosts of the past threaten to ruin it all. As Jack and Flo begin to settle in, they wonder who is hiding the darkest secret of all, and do they really want to poke the devil and risk their lives. Mesmerising, thrilling and utterly terrifying, this book is fast paced and a real treasure. You’ll love every page. Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books
A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion
One hot summer's evening. Rage. Blinding anger so complete, your brain has a complete mind-snap. Libby's mother, in a hot car crammed with squabbling children, pulls up on the verge of an interstate motorway and tosses her middle child out of the car. Aghast, the older and younger siblings settle into tearful silence as she pulls away, leaving little Ellen alone to walk the last five miles home in darkness. This one rash act leads to an unforgettable summer. Narrated by 15-year-old Libby - a contemplative character you will come to love, A Crooked Tree is the beautifully written story of the intense complexities of family - the unconditional love between the children, the failings of the mother, the wonder of small kindnesses and the power of community. A totally superb read, A Crooked Tree by debut Irish writer Una Mannion, is one of my favourite reads for the year so far. Review by Nicole @ Great Escape Books
The Four Winds
The Second Son
by Kristin Hannah
by Lorraine Peck
Kirstin Hannah is an outstanding author, and such a versatile writer. Delving back in time to the Great Depression era, in The Four Winds Elsa Martinell is the least glamorous daughter, doomed at 25 to be her parents’ keeper … never to marry or have children. A pivotal moment leads to a great turning point in her life, as she breaks free of the cloying confines of her judgemental family. She carves out a wonderful new life for herself and her daughters, but her farm and the land turns on them and everything dies. The Four Winds is a fascinating insight into how tough life was for women, as Elsa moves overland from Texas to California. She is a survivor, picking cotton, fruit, anything to feed her family. Heartbreaking and inspiring, this is a great novel of a woman rising and changing the world in her own small way. I loved it. Review by Sue @ Great Escape Books
Heading into the snap lockdown, I needed a book in which I could immerse myself as a welcome distraction, and The Second Son was exactly that. Set in Sydney's west, Ivan Novak is shot dead, putting his bins out, in a brutal and callous drive-by shooting. Except Ivan wasn't some innocent citizen, he was a member of an illustrious crime family and now they want revenge. Milan, the family patriarch is furious at the injustice and looks to his youngest son Johnny to make everything right. But Johnny is torn between his sweet little family and his criminal gang family. Thrilling, complex and a terrifying depiction of family loyalty, gang violence and blood-soaked rifts, this is truly an action-packed crime debut. I couldn't put it down, and now all I can think is ... please tell me there will be a sequel! Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books
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