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 Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent - An Engrossing Page-Turner

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I managed to get my hands on a copy of The Things We Do To Our Friends at my first book event, the Penguin General Spring 2023 Showcase, and I was so excited I had to push it to the top of my to be read list. Thank god I did as I absolutely loved every page. 

Clare arrives at the University of Edinburgh with a secret. This is her chance for a blank slate: to find the right people and reinvent herself. And then she meets Tabitha. Tabitha is charismatic, beautiful and intimidatingly wealthy. Soon Clare is sucked into her enigmatic circle of friends and their dizzying world of champagne on rooftops and summers in France. Her new life has began. Then Tabitha reveals the little project they're working on, a project they need Clare’s help with. Its reckless, possibly perilous and might finally allow Clare to become who she was meant to be… But how much is an extraordinary life worth if others have to pay?

When it comes to writing Darwent is beyond talented. The writing style drip feeds you information, just enough to keep you captivated and hooked without giving too much away too early. And I think this is most apparent in the epilogue - it instantly grabs your attention, gets you wondering what the f*ck is going on and sets the tone for the remainder of the novel. From there on out you are taken on a rollercoaster of drama and emotions.

Darwents writing skills also shine through her characters and place descriptions. I really disliked each and every character, but in the best way possible. They’re dislikable but it plays perfectly to who they are and how the overall story plays out. And the descriptions of Edinburgh and Edinburgh life were perfect, as someone who lives in the city I could picture every inch and fully emerse myself in the story. Also, I have met enough Edinburgh Uni students to know there are far too many exactly like the characters in this book - to certain extents. 

The Things We Do To Our Friends is a character-driven, engrossing page-turner that everyone needs to read! And thankfully you don’t need to wait long as it will be published in January 2023. More information and to pre-order from an independent book seller click here: bookshop.org
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.

Comments

  1. Graham CrosbyNovember 23, 2022 at 1:00 AM

    This sounds like a must read from a writer I'm yet to try out. Great review!
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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