From the author of When I Was You comes a spine-tingling new thriller about a mother’s worst nightmare come true, when her teenage daughter goes to a sleepover and doesn’t come back.
Whitney had some misgivings when she dropped her increasingly moody teenage daughter, Amelia, off at Lauren’s house. She’d never met the parents, and usually she’d go in, but Amelia clearly wasn’t going to let something so humiliating happen, so instead Whitney waved to her daughter before pulling away from the little house with the roses in front.
But when she goes back the next day, an elderly couple answers the door—Amelia and Lauren aren’t there, and this couple swears they never were, that she’s at the wrong house. As Whitney searches for Amelia, she uncovers a trail of lies her daughter has told her—from the Finsta account to rumors of a secret relationship. Does she really even know this girl she’s raised? And Amelia’s not the only one with secrets. Could Whitney’s own demons have something to do with her daughter’s disappearance, and can Whitney find her before it’s too late?
MY THOUGHTS:
Germany, 1941: “We live together, or we die together.” A novel that will stay with you forever, The Girl Who Survived tells the inspiring true story of Ilse Stein, a German Jew who was imprisoned in a ghetto––and who fell in love with the man she was supposed to loathe.
For eighteen-year-old Ilse life is unrecognizable. A year ago, she wasn’t forced to wear a star on her clothes. A year ago, her parents were alive, not yet killed by their own countrymen. A year ago, she had her freedom.
Now, at the break of dawn, she steps off the cattle train into a Minsk ghetto. This is Ilse’s new home: trapped by barbed wire, surrounded by SS guards she is forbidden to look in the eye, with no choice but to trade the last of her belongings for scraps of food. Sentenced for the crime of simply existing, she doesn’t expect to live past the summer.
Yet the prisoners in the ghetto refuse to give up––the underground resistance is plotting their escape. Ilse’s first act of defiance is smuggling from the munitions factory, slipping bullets into the lining of her pockets.
But this is just the beginning… When Ilse meets Wilhem, a local SS administrative officer, she never dreams that her greatest rebellion will be falling for him. Wilhem promises that she will survive, even if the cost is his life. But in a world of such danger, daring to love is the most dangerous risk of all…
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and Orphan Train will be completely gripped by this heartbreaking tale. Based on a true story, this powerful novel shows that love is stronger than terror, and that when life takes everything from you, death is not to be feared…
This book was previously published as No Woman’s Land.
MY THOUGHTS:
IF SHADOWS COULD TELL:an Aurora Stellar mystery novel by Granthana Sinha
SYNOPSIS:
When Janet Clay's body is found in a local gym pool, every authority dismisses it as just another case of drug-overdose.
Ridden by the guilt of not being able to save the young journalist while she still had a chance ― Aurora Steller visits the memorial service ― only to end up suspecting that things aren't as simple as they appear. Her determination to find out the truth, only draws her further into an intricate web of greed and deceit ― where some will stop at nothing to protect their well-crafted masks. With several events unfolding around her, it becomes terrifyingly clear that more lives might have been lost already. Suddenly, her beautiful, sleepy little town seems to be harvesting some sinister secrets; every fact seems tainted with lies; everyone she loves is in mortal danger.
With no evidence, no witness and very few allies, Aurora must risk everything, including her own life, to uncover the truth and bring justice to the numerous shattered lives, before it's too late...
An exclusive glimpse into the intriguing Prologue of the book:
Prologue
With a pounding heart, she walked out of the elevator, weighed down by an impending feeling of loss.
The gold-rimmed ivory door that stood at the far end of the hallway, was left slightly ajar and she could hear the weak, muted whimpers of agony.
Her heart churned as tears clouded her vision, but her eyes didn't fail to notice the crimson splotches that marked the pristine white rug that spread across the marble flooring.
She dragged her feet forward, one step at a time, her eyes trailing the blood that marked his failed attempt at escaping and screamed of the torture he must've suffered.
Just a few hours ago, standing before a particular grave, she hadn't thought she had it in her to endure any more pain. But the moment she had received the call ― fear had invaded each and every nerve of her body. It had rushed up her veins, frozen her blood and choked her breath.
Yet she had managed to drive herself to the building, rush past the main entrance and up the elevator ― to reach where she had been asked to. Yet now ― just a few feet away from the one she hoped to save ― each step felt more strenuous than the last.
A final agonizing cry filled the hallway ― piercing both the cold dead night and her thudding, terrified heart. A chill ran down her spine, dipping her soul into an icy world of darkness.
The door swung open at the slightest push of her trembling hand, and a sickly stream of blood flowed across the floor and kissed her frozen feet.
It took her an immense amount of effort to take her eyes off the crimson and shift her focus on the one who bled.
His body lay on the cold marble, his face partially drenched in the blood that oozed out of several gaping wounds. Even with no life left in him anymore, his beautiful unfathomable eyes still seemed to watch her pale, broken self.
Her legs refused to hold her balance any longer. She collapsed to the floor and his blood soaked onto her dress. But with every bit of her focus on him, she barely noticed the sticky wetness on her clothes.
Her eyes simply remained fixated on his, even though she knew he couldn't see her anymore. Unbearable waves of pain knotted through her, rocking her body like she was convulsing from a shock.
The monster landed another quick blow on his motionless face and she felt her world give a nauseating spin. Her head smacked against the cold floor while her silent tears rolled down and mingled with the fresh pool of blood.
She knew it was her fault, and her fault alone. And his blood was truly on her own hands.
The vile creature asked something of her ― perhaps to wait in the car ― but she was lost beyond all this ― way beyond to realize what all he said.
"Kill me," she begged of the creature, her eyes still on the battered face of the one she had loved and failed.
The monster took a few slow steps toward her and gently prodded her in her ribs with his boots.
"I think I told you to get up and wait for me in the car," he repeated in a soft, pleasant voice.
"Please," she croaked, barely being able to whisper. "Kill me. Please. I can't live."
A sick hysterical laughter filled the air as he pulled up her limp body and held her from behind, like he was cradling her in his arms.
"You don't get to die, darling," he crooned into her ear and softly kissed her neck. "Not today. Not till I let you."
Author's Bio:
A little bit about Granthana on the writing front ―
With her debut psychological mystery thriller novel, 'If Shadows Could Tell' & her sci-fi mystery short, ‘Addressed To Her'― Granthana has perhaps taken the very first step toward merging her passion with her profession. Both her novel & the short story are currently available across the globe on all major online bookstores including Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Pothi, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Books, Smashwords.
You can also check out some of her gripping mysteries ‘Where Did He Go?’ and ‘White Sherwani, Blue Lehenga’, which were ‘Editor’s Picks' & published on the homepage of Juggernaut Books. Her psychological thriller 'The Unrelated Murders' was a winner of the Juggernaut SELECTS program, 2019 (feel free to give it a quick read on the Juggernaut app/website :) ). Some of her soulful poems have also been published as part of ‘Sea – an anthology of poems', which is currently available worldwide on all major platforms.
Other tiny pieces of info ―
The author also happens to be a book reviewer, vlogger, as well as a certified Graphic-Web designer and Digital painter.
She lives with her family in Kolkata, and in her spare time, enjoys painting, traveling and solving cryptography puzzles.
Praise for 'If Shadows Could Tell' :
"A mystery thriller which will keep you hooked until the very end." –Alexandra Antipa (author of 'M is for Mother' & several other much-loved books)
"Wow. Just wow.
This was a stunning murder mystery novel with a psychological twist." –Julie Eman (book blogger & reviewer at Goodreads, Amazon & Julie's Bookshelf Adventures blog)
"I would recommend this book
and will definitely look for
more work by the
same author." –Louise Hallett (book reviewer & blogger at Goodreads, Life In The Book Lane blog)
"Intrigue, plots twists and totally brilliant unexpected ending!
If you enjoy a good psychological thriller I would highly recommend this book." –Brenda (avid reader and amazon reviewer)
"This book honestly blew me away. It's one of the best mystery thrillers I've read to date. Brilliant book!" –Jimi Renee (Goodreads reviewer)
"An amazing debut novel. Loved it." –Aileen Grist (Goodreads reviewer)
"A complex plot, suspenseful mystery, and multi-layered characters make this a must-read. it's a fast-paced action-filled page turner." –Linda Strong (Book blogger & Goodreads reviewer)
"This book had every thing I love about thrillers." –Elizabeth (Book blogger & critic)
"A well written page turner with several plots that had me hooked from page one." – Lin Perrett (Book Critic & Amazon reviewer)
"This was a riveting read and an excellent first debut novel. I will definitely be reading more this author." –Khurshid Ali (Goodreads reviewer)
"It is an extremely complex plot and a well done one." –Joyce (Book lover & reviewer)
Links:
Link to connect with me and read my books:
https://linktr.ee/granthanasinha
Following her acclaimed debut Little Darlings, Melanie Golding's newest folkloric suspense is a spine-tingling twist on Celtic mythology.
One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, authorities release the pair, believing it to be an innocent case of a toddler running off.
Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and left for dead in his apartment, but the discovery of children's toys raises more questions than answers.
Every night, Ruby gazes into Gregor’s apartment, leading to the discovery of his secret family: his unusually silent daughter and his mentally unstable wife, Constance, who insists that she is descended from the mythological Selkies. She begs Ruby to aid in finding the sealskin that Gregor has hidden from her, making it impossible to return to her people.
DS Joanna Harper's investigation into Gregor’s assault leads her to CCTV footage of the mother-daughter pair from town. Harper realizes she knows the woman almost as well as she knows herself: it's her estranged daughter, Ruby. No matter the depth of Ruby’s involvement, she knows she will choose her daughter over her career.
Steeped in local legend and exploring the depths of what it means to be a mother, Melanie Golding's newest novel is "a lyrical and atmospheric folktale for the modern age." (Bustle, on Little Darlings)
MY THOUGHTS:
My thoughts The narrators did a great job with this book. They each kept their part perfect. While I did enjoy the narrators the actual st...
