Blog Tour: The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher@bookouture

Susie did something that she knows she will always regret: giving her baby son up for adoption, to keep her infidelity secret from her family.

Louise, Susie’s daughter, feels the effects of that decision echoing down through the years – her mother has always been difficult, too strict with her but not strict enough with her sister Grace, who is wild and out-of-control. And Danny, Susie’s husband, adores her, but has always sensed something wrong at the heart of their marriage.

When tragedy strikes the family, and a chance discovery threatens to bring the truth to light, the sisters’ relationship is put to the test as they are faced with an impossible choice…

Review

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher.My gratitude goes to Bookouture for the opportunity and the ARC, which I received via Netgalley.

The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher tells the story of Susie and her family. It begins in the 60s. We are introduced to Susie who is struggling with having to give up her son for adoption although it feels like she has no other choice given the circumstances that she is in. What makes her situation unique is the fact that she is a married woman with another child at home and her husband has been away with the Navy for over a year. Naturally, I was curious about the adoption. Through the chapters, readers find out the truth about what happened to lead Susie to this difficult decision.

The story is mainly narrated through Susie’s POV until the last few chapters when the POV shifts. I thought that the characters in this book were very well crafted. I loved Susie and sympathized with her even when she wasn’t a very ‘nice’ mom. Her husband Danny is so wonderful and so are her kids. My connection with this family made me really invested in the story and so this turned out to be quite an emotional read for me.

This book tackles the theme of adoption. It looks at it from two angles. The first is the parents who have to give up their kids. I liked knowing the characters and the reason behind the decision. I also liked how the author portrayed life after adoption especially for the birth mother. I felt that this portrayal was quite realistic. I could understand and sympathize with what the characters were going through. In addition, the themes covered in this book are so important. Personally, I wish I had read The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher years ago. It’s a book that made me think about certain issues in a totally different way.

As I have already mentioned, this was quite an emotional read. The story covers a long time period of almost 45 years but the author does a great job in flawlessly portraying the changes. I enjoyed seeing how the characters changed with time.

Kerry Fisher’s writing is beautiful. Through her writing, I was able to take an emotional journey with the family in the story. I celebrated and cried with them. I experienced their emotions because the author made me part of the story. It felt like I was right there with the characters. I have no doubt that this book will stay with me for a long time. The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher is a moving, well-written, addictive tale about family.  

The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher is now available for purchase.

About the Author

Kerry has spent half her life talking about writing a novel, then several years at Candis magazine reviewing other people’s but it wasn’t until she took some online courses with the UCLA (University of California) that the dream started to morph into reality, culminating in the publishing of The Class Ceiling. The Avon imprint of HarperCollins picked it up and retitled it The School Gate Survival Guide, published summer 2014. Her second book, The Island Escape, came out in May 2015. It won first prize at the York Festival of Writing for the opening line: ‘I was wearing the wrong bra for sitting in a police cell’. Her book, After The Lie, the story of how small lies become more toxic as they pass down the generations was published on 29 April 2016.

Best advice ever received: ‘This is fiction, we can skip the boring bits.’ Lynn Hightower, UCLA Writers’ Program. 

 

 

Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell

A killer is playing a twisted game of life or death with his victims. After he captures them, a countdown begins. He marks the time by sending clues to the whereabouts of the women he has taken in three disturbing images: alive, tortured, dead.

In a race against the clock, East London Detective Ruby Preston must play the killer’s terrifying murder game and decipher the clues before more women die.

But this isn’t the first time the police have seen such a sickening crime. The notorious Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gatley, was put behind bars ten years ago for murdering six women in exactly the same chilling way. Desperate for more information, Ruby asks her gangster boyfriend, Nathan Crosby, to set up a dangerous meeting to allow her to see into the twisted mind of a murderer.

But the closer Ruby grows to the dark and charming Mason Gatley, the more worried her team becomes. Is he really helping her catch the killer? Or is he lining her up to be his next victim?

Review

Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell is the third book in the Detective Ruby Preston series. In this book, there is a serial killer targeting  a very specific group of people. This killer is cold, sadistic and always seems a step ahead of the police. Not only is the killer torturing the victims but their loved ones too are not spared. Sounds like a psychopath, right? If that’s not twisted enough, these murders are not totally new. There is killer in jail who had the same MO. Now detectives have to figure out whether they are dealing with a copycat.

I have always liked Detective Ruby Preston. She is tough but at the same time, she takes care of those around her. I also like her odd relationship with Nathan. It is not every day that we encounter detectives who date gangsters. Although Nathan’s presence is not dominant in this story, it is still felt though Ruby’s narration.

The story is told through Ruby’s POV mainly but there are a few chapters narrated by the villain. This was a tense read and I couldn’t guess the identity of the killer. I didn’t even have a clue at all so I had to rely on the detectives to find the answers. Each chapter was suspense filled as the killer found new victims. Needless to say, this made it an addictive read.

Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell is fast-paced, twisty and quite unpredictable. The suspense begins from the prologue to the final chapter. This series is perfect for fans of police procedural.

Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield

The Taliban have disappeared from Kabul’s streets, but the long shadows of their brutal regime remain. In his short life eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of family to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.
Then Mariya finds a position as housekeeper for a charismatic western woman, Georgie, and Fawad dares to hope for an end to their struggle. He soon discovers that his beloved Georgie is caught up in a dangerous love affair with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, a legendary name on the streets of Kabul. At first resentful of Haji Khan’s presence, Fawad learns that love can move a man to act in surprising ways, and an overwhelming act of generosity persuades him of the warlord’s good intentions.
But even a man as influential as Haji Khan can’t protect Fawad from the next tragedy to blight his young life, a tragedy so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing Fawad thought he could never lose: his love for his country.

Review

This book was a gift from a friend. She compared it to books by Khaled Hosseini so I knew that I absolutely had to read it. Although set in Afghanistan and sharing a number of themes with Khaled’s books, Born under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield is unique in its own way. It’s a brilliant, wonderful read and with this book, Andrea Busfield is now on my list of favorite authors.

The book is set in Afghanistan after the Taliban rule. Although a bit of normalcy has been restored in the country, life for Afghans is far from normal. The effects of the Taliban rule are still being experienced in the country. Most people have lost loved ones. Stories of death and missing people fill the air of Afghanistan.

In the midst of this, is our narrator, Fawad. He is ten- eleven years old in the story. I immediately fell in love with this character and his voice. I love how the author portrayed him. She made me experience the turmoil in Afghan through the young boy’s eyes and his experienced made me smile, feel sad and then smile again. Fawad is definitely a memorable character and narrator. There are other outstanding characters in this book. The author took the time to properly craft each one of them so well that I felt like they were people that I actually knew. I liked the group of foreigners who took in Fawad and his mother. Georgie, May and James were so different but they had such a wonderful friendship and I like how well they related with the MCs. As I already mentioned, the character development is done so well for all the MCs and even the supporting characters.

The writing is flawless. The author brings Afghanistan to life through vivid descriptions and imagery. Reading this book made me feel like I was actually there, seeing the sights, experiencing the culture and meeting the people. Needless, to say, this ended up being quite an emotional read full of highs and lows. It’s a book that I couldn’t put down. I found myself in a dilemma because I didn’t want my reading experience to end but at the same time, I couldn’t stay away from the book. In the end, I ended up reading it in just one seating.

The ending of this book was an experience in itself. It’s the kind that gets you all mixed up. I remember feeling sad then smiling, getting surprised. My emotions were all over the place. I had to reread the chapter. It was an amazing ending.

I loved this book and I hope that you will too. If you like books by Khaled Hosseini then you will definitely enjoy this one. However, if you haven’t read Khaled and are interested in discovering a moving story set in Afghanistan, you should definitely read this one. Fawad and his story will stay with me for a long time.

Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl by Tracy Quan

Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl is a wonderfully intelligent, sexually frank, rollicking novel that introduces us to Nancy Chan, a turn-of-the-millennium call girl who lives and works on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Nancy is full of contradictory desires; she frequently has to choose between making love and making money. On good days, she gets to do both. Surrounded by devoted, wealthy, and powerful johns, some of whom want more than just sex, and caught between two all-consuming call girl friends who complicate her life, Nancy navigates the tricky currents of the world’s oldest profession. With one foot in the bedrooms of her rich and demanding clients and one in the straight world of her unwitting fiancé, who has started to apartment-hunt and arrange a wedding, Nancy keeps her two worlds from colliding in her inimitable style.

Review

Mh, now where to begin? Okay, so I decided to read this book because I wanted something totally different. To be honest, I needed a book that didn’t have anything to do with death. So I figured that a story about a call girl, with that cover will definitely help me meet my objectives. In addition, the title of this book reminded me of a TV show that I used to like, Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Like the TV show, this book is written in a diary format. Nancy Chan is the MC. She is a working girl whose family doesn’t know what she does for a living. In addition, Nancy is engaged and yeah, her boyfriend doesn’t know about her secret life. From the first page, it was obvious that a scandal was bound to happen.

One thing that kept me turning pages is the secret. I knew that Nancy’s secrets would come to light soon but I didn’t know when and how and I couldn’t wait to find out. I like a good scandal and this one seemed perfect. In addition, I was curious about the girl’s back stories. I wanted to know how they got into prostitution and why.

In the end, I have mixed feeling about this book. I can’t even pinpoint exactly why. The writing was okay, it wasn’t graphic but there was something missing. In addition, I totally disliked the ending. It felt like sudden rain on a sunny day. I wanted more but unfortunately, this one just didn’t meet my expectations. It was a fun, light read though and nobody died in the story so at least that worked out well for me.

Throwback Thursday: The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

 

This weekly feature is hosted by Renee, (Its Book Talk). Throwback Thursday offers a way to share some of our old favorites as well  as sharing books that we are finally getting around to reading that were published over a year ago.

The Kite Runner

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir’s choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

 

The Kite Runner is about friendship, kinship, love and the effects of war. It tells the story of a friendship between two boys. Hassan and Amir have an odd master-servant relationship yet they were still friends. However, events occur that put this friendship to the test.

The Kite Runner will have you laughing and crying. The book is so well written and captivating. I also liked the fact that it is set in Afghanistan. It helped me learn more about the country.  Through Hosseini’s narrative, I saw Kabul with its rich culture, beautiful architecture and family bonds. I also learned about Kite running.

 

A thousand Splendid Suns

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them – in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul – they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman’s love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

 

I thought The Kite runner was moving but A Thousand Splendid Suns exceeded my expectations. It is a beautiful and emotional story.  This book is about Mariam and Laila, two women from different worlds who were brought together by the war in Afghanistan. One woman’s life is filled with so much tragedy; it will bring tears to your eyes. The other woman knows tragedy too but there is a happy ending for her. Depending on how you choose to look at it, you may actually conclude that both women had a happy ending.

The story mainly tackles the issue of gender imbalance and mistreatment of women in Afghanistan especially during the Taliban rule. Even before the Taliban rule, young girls were forcefully married off; women were punished for conceiving out of wedlock, men even dictated what women wore. There are other themes in the story. One that really stood out for me was love. I read this book a few years ago but it has definitely stayed with me.

 

And the Mountains Echoed
In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most.

Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

 

And the Mountains Echoed is a wonderful read also set in Afghanistan but I didn’t like it as much as the other two books by Khaled. I can’t even remember much about it. However, Khaled’s writing and storytelling is so amazing that I still recommend all his three books.

Have you read any book by Khaled Hosseini? Let me know which one.

Mother by S.E. Lynes@bookouture

Christopher would never hurt anyone. Not intentionally. Even after everything that’s happened I still believe that…

Christopher Harris is a lonely boy. A boy who has never fitted in to his family. Who has always felt something was missing from his life.

Until one day, when he discovers a suitcase in his family’s attic. And a secret about his mother that changes everything.

What price would you pay for the perfect family?

Christopher finally has a chance at happiness. A happiness that he will do anything to protect…

Review

This is one of the most twisted books that I have ever read.

At first, I was confused by the narrative style. The story is about Christopher, who doesn’t like being called Chris by the way. However, Christopher is not the narrator. So the mystery begins from there. It was evident that the narrator knew intimate details about Christopher’s life. In addition, it sounded like the person was a patient at a psych facility. Needless to say, I needed to know the person’s identity and the connection with Christopher.

It is hard to say a lot about this book without spoiling it so I will try and stay away from the story-line and let you discover it when you read it. This book is structured in such a way that makes it hard for you to figure out what is really going on. Christopher’s story is the main one but through the chapters, there is a second story-line by Benjamin. The pieces click into place towards the end of the story when all connections become clear.

The book is set in Leeds at a time when the Yorkshire ripper was stalking and killing women. The time period adds to the tension in the book especially because the killings have an impact on the characters’ lives. The women’s fear and all men seeming like suspects interspersed brilliantly with the ongoing story hence heightening the tension.

This is a story about secrets and family, in particular, an attempt at finding the perfect family. It is also about obsession and this definitely added a creepy feel to the narrative. The author does a brilliant job of slowly pulling readers into the story. Reading this book  felt like boarding a bus, relaxing and enjoying the trip thinking that you are heading to a particular town but then getting to your destination and realizing that nothing looks familiar because you got into the wrong bus. I don’t know if that makes sense but that is how this book made me feel. It was a crazy ride.

Okay, so being vague is hard. Let me just end this review by telling you that you need to read this book. It will mess with your mind and emotions (in a good way). It is creepy and unpredictable, you definitely have to experience it for yourself.

Mother by S.E. Lynes is truly a dark, twisted, addictive psychological thriller.

The Betrayals by Fiona Neill

When Rosie Rankin’s best friend has an affair with her husband, the consequences reverberate down through the lives of two families.

Relationships are torn apart. Friendships shattered. And childish innocence destroyed.

Her daughter Daisy’s fragile hold on reality begins to unravel when a letter arrives that opens up all the old wounds. Rosie’s teenage son Max blames himself for everything which happened that long hot summer. And her brittle ex-husband Nick has his own version of events.

As long-repressed memories bubble to the surface, the past has never seemed more present and the truth more murky.

Sometimes there are four sides to every story.

Who do you believe?

Review

The Betrayals by Fiona Neill tells the story of a broken family. Rosie and Nick had a quite, normal life with their two kids, Max and Daisy. However, their normal, little life was shattered when Nick left Rosie for her best friend, Lisa. Through alternating POVs by the four family members, the story unravels about life before and after the marriage ended.

This book is character driven. It is entirely focused on the four MCs. I was immediately drawn to Daisy who was struggling with different issues including OCD. I have never read a book that covered OCD in such detail. Her obsession with numbers, repeating certain phrases and constant worry broke my heart but also taught me more about the  condition. For instance, I knew about the repetitive actions like people who lock the door a certain number of times but I didn’t know why. I also liked Max who was very close with his sister. It was clear to see how affected he was by everything going on especially his sister’s illness. My feelings for the grownups in this story kept changing. I’ll not say much about them so as not to reveal too many details about the book. However, let me just mention that the character development in this book was done quite well.

This is a story about family. It tackled different familial relationships and the effect of a break in the ties. It is also a story about friendship. The story highlights on Lisa and Rosie’s friendship before the betrayal. It also gives insight into the friendship afterwards. That’s not the only friendship at the heart of the story though. I really enjoyed reading about these two themes and this book made me think how I would have acted in similar situations. As I have already mentioned, mental health was also a key theme in the narrative. A recurrent theme intertwined throughout the story is betrayal.

Given that this was a character-led story, it was a bit slow. However, this doesn’t mean that it was boring. The pace was perfect for the narrative. This was also a quiet story. It wasn’t about action and shocking twists but it still did have some mystery and I was especially curious about what happened in the characters’ past. I found myself completely immersed into the story and the lives of the characters. I used to look forward to spending some time with Daisy, Max and perhaps Rosie.

If you enjoy character-led, family drama, multiple-layered stories then The Betrayals by Fiona Neill is definitely for you.

The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson

Husband, friend, colleague . . . killer?

Charlie and Emily Swift are the Instagram-perfect couple: gorgeous, successful and in love. But then Charlie is named as the prime suspect in a gruesome murder and Emily’s world falls apart.

Desperate for answers, she turns to Charlie’s troubled best friend, London Herald journalist, Sophie Kent. Sophie knows police have the wrong man – she trusts Charlie with her life.

Then Charlie flees.

Sophie puts her reputation on the line to clear his name. But as she’s drawn deeper into Charlie and Emily’s unravelling marriage, she realizes that there is nothing perfect about the Swifts.

As she begins to question Charlie’s innocence, something happens that blows the investigation – and their friendship – apart.

Now Sophie isn’t just fighting for justice, she’s fighting for her life.
Review

The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson is the second book in the Sophie Kent series. I didn’t know that it was part of a series until after I read the book. I did enjoy it though so I guess starting with book two wasn’t an issue for me.

The book begins on a fast pace with the discovery of a body. Sophie Kent, a journalist, is at the scene trying to get the story. However, what first seems like a random crime gets more complicated when Sophie’s friend, a fellow journalist, is implicated in the murder. Things get more tangled when Sophie finds herself fighting to stay alive as she also tried to figure out what was happening.

I have always been interested in investigative journalism though I haven’t read a lot of books that have journalists as the main characters. This is one of the first things that I liked about the book. Interestingly, it is also the one thing that niggled at my mind a bit as I read this book. Of course, journalistic investigations are different from regular cop procedural. They do take some getting used to though.

The book is filled with twists. The murder case attracted a lot of media attention so there was a press circus going on. In the midst of the circus, there is Sophie trying to solve the mystery and also Charlie’s wife who is trying to clear his name. There were some sections of the book that were pretty unexpected. They were uncomfortable for me to read and just a bit weird to make sense of but this is totally a personal issue. I also like the fact that the book had a cultic angle to it.

The final twist and ending was unpredictable. I thought the plot-line was obvious. I knew the identity of the villain and the motives, or so I thought. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The reveal was shocking. I mean, it just never crossed my mind. I definitely think that it was perfect for this book.

I recommend The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson for anyone looking for a different kind of crime thriller with journalists taking the lead and working with investigators to get the story and as the cops catch the killer.

Throwback Thursday: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

This weekly feature is hosted by Renee (Its Book Talk). Throwback Thursday offers a way to share some of our old favorites as well  as sharing books that we are finally getting around to reading that were published over a year ago.

 

About the Book…

The murderer is with us – on the train now…”

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again…

Review

Murder on the Orient Express is the first book that I have read by Agatha Christie. It is not a book that I would have picked on my own. Luckily, my book club continues to challenge me to try out books outside my comfort zone.

The entire story is set on a train on a three-day ride. On the second night of the trip, one of the passengers is murdered. Ratchett is found stabbed multiple times in his bed. Detective Hercule Poirot is one of the passengers on the train. On request from the train’s officials, he agrees to take the case immediately. With the help of a doctor on board, the investigation begins with twelve likely suspects.

I enjoyed Agatha’s writing. The story had an easy flow to it and her use of language was definitely unique. Most of the narrative is actually presented through dialogue between characters. This helped move the story along at a well-balanced pace. Through the chapters, the author takes readers through the interviewing of suspects and evidence analysis. There were a number of revelations and twists along the way to keep things interesting. I really liked how complex the case was and the fact that I just couldn’t have predicted the ending or guessed the identity of the murder.

The ending of this story is brilliant and unexpected. Murder on the Orient Express  ended up being anything but a straight forward murder mystery. It’s the kind of book that leaves you wondering how you would have reacted in a similar situation. Is wrong always wrong? Are there instances when wrong is actually right? I enjoyed this classic mystery.

A movie based on this book was released early this month.

Blog Tour: The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland @bookouture@ShaliniBoland

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland. My gratitude goes to Kim Nash and Bookouture for the opportunity and the ARC, which I received via Netgalley.

‘Are you my mummy?’

Tessa Markham comes home to find a little boy in her kitchen. He thinks she’s his mother. But Tessa doesn’t have any children. 

Not anymore.

She doesn’t know who the child is or how he got there.

After contacting the police, Tessa comes under suspicion for snatching the boy. She must fight to prove her innocence. But how can she convince everyone she’s not guilty when even those closest to her are questioning the truth? And when Tessa doesn’t even trust herself…

 

Review

The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland begins with Tess finding a little boy in her kitchen. She doesn’t know the boy or how he even got into her house or why he is calling her mommy.Needless to say, I was hooked  from this first scene. I was curious about the boy and had so many questions.

Shalini writes this story in a way that you can’t help but also become an amateur detective. I was glued to the narrative. I felt the same nervousness that Tessa did and shared in her desperation to find answers. A lot wasn’t adding up and I admit, I liked Tessa but didn’t always trust her. However, I was totally addicted to her narrative. Finding out things when she did, heightened the tension. I couldn’t predict the ending but I had my suspicions about what was going on. Of course, this happened as Tessa also started solving the mystery. We were a team of detectives, Tessa and I, and this made me totally hooked to the book.

The author did such a wonderful job with the character development. As I have already explained, I really liked Tessa and sympathized with her. She had had a tough life before the little boy showed up to her house. What happened afterwards was a nightmare that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I have a few other favorite characters who I won’t mention and there was also a particular couple that I totally disliked. Nevertheless, all the characters were very well-crafted and realistic.

This is the second book that I have read by this author and again, I was totally addicted to her writing style and the story itself. I ended up reading up to to 3am in the morning hence getting through the entire book in just one sitting. As I have already mentioned, Tessa and I needed to find answers.

I enjoyed the twists in the book and loved the fact that I couldn’t have predicted them and at some point, everyone was a suspect. This book is brilliant, fast-paced and addictive. I definitely recommend it to all fans of psychological thrillers.

 

The Secret Mother is available for purchase now!

 

About the author: 

Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing psychological thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

Shalini’s debut psychological thriller THE GIRL FROM THE SEA reached No 1 in the US Audible charts and No 7 in the UK Kindle charts. Her second thriller THE BEST FRIEND reached no 2 in the US Audible charts and No 10 in the Amazon UK Kindle charts. It also achieved number 1 in all its categories and was a Kindle All Star title for several months in a row. Shalini’s recent release THE MILLIONAIRE’S WIFE reached No 9 in the Kindle UK charts.

Be the first to hear about her new releases here. Shalini is also the author of two bestselling Young Adult series as well as an atmospheric WWII novel with a time-travel twist.