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 | Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - A Dark Psychological Thriller

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I was lucky enough to get my hands on a proof of Strange Sally Diamond at the Penguin Spring Fiction Showcase and I could not wait to get sunk into it! The moment I read the short blurb on the back I knew this was the book for me as my dad has always joked about me putting him out with the bins once he dies. 

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.
Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

Strange Sally Diamond completely consumed my mind whilst I was reading, for me it was the perfect dark psychological thriller. There are twists, there are shocks, there are many wtf moments - what more could anyone want?

From the very start, this book seamlessly drops you into the life of Sally. I could instantly imagine the characters and the surroundings, and feel every emotion the characters felt. Nugent portrays Sallys personality and character perfectly. At the start there were times I just wanted to shout ‘why are you doing this Sally’ at my book but as I continued reading and Sallys character developed I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. 

If I’m being completely honestly, I believe Sally deserved a better ending than this. Don’t get me wrong, the ending does not dampen my love for this book but I just think in comparison to the book as a whole it was a tad underwhelming.

If you are looking for a book that is truly unputdownable, managing to keep you hooked from the very first sentence, Strange Sally Diamond is the perfect book for you! 


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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