Book Review | One Beats The Bush by Riall Nolan - The First in the Max Donovan Adventure Series

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One Beats The Bush is a well-paced action thriller that ticks multiple boxes; page-turning twists, fight scenes, a lot of crime and, more importantly, a main character you cannot help but love. Vietnam veteran Max Donovan is in Bangkok, and very hungover, when his friend “Fat” Freddie Fields is arrested in San Francisco for the murder of an Australian diplomat. He knows his old buddy would never hurt a fly, so he rushes back to the Bay Area to help. Suspecting Freddie is being framed, Donovan tries to rustle up some cash to bail him out, but only succeeds in getting into trouble with the local mob.  He’ll have to solve the case on his own. Unfortunately, the only clue he has suggest the answer lies in the jungle-covered mountains of Papua New Guinea. As he comes face-to-face with smugglers, hostile tribesmen, insurgents, and a web of corruption and deception, can Donovan achieve what is seemingly impossible? Nolan has managed to achieve a page-turning action thriller that doesn’t feel
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Book Review | The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase - A Gripping Dual Narrative Novel

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So, if you follow me on Twitter you will know I am completely in love with Eve Chase and, no surprise, I am in love with this book. The Glass House was one of the first books I read when I really got into reading last year so it’s always had a special space in my heart, therefore I went into this book with such high expectations and I’m so glad to say they were met. I was hooked from the first page!

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde follows the story of four sisters who are forced to spend the summer at their aunt and uncles manor, however they haven’t been there since their cousin went missing five years previously. As the summer plays out, the girls are caught up in a whirlwind of romance, secrets and betrayal. But will they ever find out what happened to their cousin? And will it result in a girl being hurt decades later…

I love Chases writing style, it just agrees with my brain and keeps me so sucked in to the story. The book is written from two perspectives, one from Margot (one of the sisters) in 1959 and one from Jessie (the new recent owner of the manor) in present time. Both narratives are focused around the same house, Applecote Manor. Although to begin with the two stories seem unrelated over time each narrative slowly reveals secrets and twists for the other. Each chapter switches between the narratives, which just adds to the suspense of the book as you are forced to wait longer to find out what is happening. I have to admit, I done the unthinkable and skipped ahead a chapter to see what happened next in Jessie’s narrative because I just couldn’t wait, thats how great its written! 

I loved Pam, one of the sisters. I could very much see myself in her and it just made me feel so connected to her. But each sister is so different that I do strongly believe everyone would feel connected to at least one of them. Their dynamic as a group of four was just wonderful, they bickered about the silliest of things but you could tell there was just so much love there between them.

I believe the plot of the book was really well thought out and executed. I was immediately hooked, my interest levels just continued to spike throughout and I was shocked by the twists. There is nothing worse than being able to figure out the twists before they happen, and I have never managed that with Chase. 

And finally the ending, what a beautiful ending. It sums up the book perfectly and left me feeling so overly content and warm inside. 

If you are looking for a beautifully written, perfectly suspense book that will be stuck in your head well after finishing then please pick up The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde, or any Eve Chase book really!

A safe space for me to ramble on about the books I’ve read. Don’t expect high quality, news worthy reviews; I’m just a simple woman who needs somewhere to vent! This blog contains affiliated links.

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