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Thanks Perse.

I should be going to the library this Saturday. Will be collecting one of this months books to review. Still waiting for. Throwaway Children and the other one for this month.

Will look out for Paula Daly books too.

Tess, Paula Hawkins got awards for that book.. it is her first and I can't wait to read her next one.

The other author who is excellent - a little different is Paula Daly.. I read her book "The Secrets we Keep" a few twists in it.. and held me all the way through.. so much so I have read her second book which has the same woman police detective the second book is "Keep your friends Close" and I am being very patient waiting for her third as I also want to find out what happens with the detective.

Still on the waiting list at the library for Throwaway Children..

The Girl on the Train. by. Paula Hawkins.

The story is told by Rachel, (the girl on the train), Megan, and Anna.
I was gripped by the story from the first chapter onwards. A thrilling tale of modern life and its difficulties, with a look back at the causes of the mindset of the women concerned.

I found that I liked Rachel, flaws and all. But don't think that that was necessary to the "enjoyment" of the book.

Rachel is an observer, watching people she sees from the train windows and weaving her own stories around the.

Megan and Anna are real people, with there own real stories to tell. The three women are connected in both Rachel's fantasy world. and the real world, where their lives collide.

I don't want to give away any of the plot, as part of the thrill of the story is its unpredictable nature.

I'm not sure if this has already been made into a film, but if not, it really should be.

I can,'t recommend this book highly enough. Paula Hawkins writes with a sure pen, her three women are all believable, perhaps because they are not always "nice" women.

I did guess some of the plot, but not the twist at the end!!

Read it and see what you think, I would love to know if others share my opinion.

I am off to read the other reviews of these two books. and to fiind out more about Paula Hawkins.

I eventually got round to listening to Meet Me at the Pier Head.

It was my first Audi book experience, involving sitting. or standing in the vicinity of my computer for over sixteen hours. Thank goodness for the pause button! The book was on fifteen c.d's. So there were "natural breaks" too.

I found it to be a book of two flavours (or courses). The gritty story of poverty, abuse, inequality and murder. Coupled with a romantic story of people meeting, falling in love and living happily ever after.
Linked together by the authors obvious love of Liverpool and dcouse humour.


I loved the realistic, social history part of the story. But felt that it was let down by the Mills & Boon esque romance, which at times took over the main story line. Also felt that the Liverpool was given a major character, and would have been better as a minor one.

Perhaps my (individual) opinion was affected by the fact that I had to listen yo every word. If I had read it to myself I could have hurried through the bits that I found boring. I would have them enjoyed the story a lot more, being able to concentrate on the serious issues in the book. The serious story was excellent!
P.S. Don't let my review put you off, I am sure that a lot of people would enjoy the book.

Review Precious time by Erica

Love her characterisations. Set in a small village in Derbyshire, Gabriel Liberty an old grumpy, lonely widower who lives in a very large house called Mermaid House. Clara Costello, gives up her job to spend a year driving round UK in a motor home with her four year old son Ned before he starts school, works for a week cleaning for G Liberty. There are three Liberty offspring, Jonah, the youngest, born when Gabriel's first wife died and twins Caspar and Damson. Other villagers are woven into the story, and relationships between the siblings are explored and explained.

I always enjoy her story telling and this was no exception. A very good tale which I enjoyed.

Hope to finish. (audio book). Meet me at the Pier head tomorrow (Friday).

Will be collecting Girl on the Train, from the Library on Saturday.

Will be back with reviews asap.

Throwaway Children

The story is based around Rosie and Rita who are separated from their mother by her new partner and end up being sent to an orphanage in Australia. The girls are faced by an unfamiliar situation, with Rita trying to look after her younger sister Rosie until they are split up, but both sisters meet problems and sadness, some really harrowing, and made more so by our knowledge that these things happened to children in reality. It reminded me of a couple of the books we have read about illegitimate children being taken from their mothers, and the fate of some of those children. A lot of sadness caused by people who thought they were doing their duty!
As Ann said, well written and an interesting read.

No problem Mersey, thank you.

I am 3/4 way reading through The Girl on The Train - Paula Hawkins
so will post my review hopefully tomorrow sometime if that is ok.......

Meet Me At the PierHead - Ruth Hamilton

I loved this book from beginning to end, infact read it very
quickly, such an easy read.
I could relate to some of the places/Areas mentioned which
was mentioned throughout. Characters such as Theodore,
Maggie and Rosie hold the book together
A Strong bond is formed and they learn to protect themselves
with the help of each other. Secrets from their past arise
and throughout their friendship and help them throughout...
I found me wanting to swipe the pages quickly to get to the end.
I mentioned this book to Mum and she downloaded it too....she
is the same opionion of me, and has also got her going through
the other Authors books she has not read :-D :-D

Since reading those I thought I would read some of Jeffrey Archer's books , saw there were several on the shelf in Huntly that I had not read. I found one book and it was the third in a series, and in the front of his book whilst the previous two are mentioned, it did not say they were Clifton Chronicles.

What great reads and I was reading a book over 2days.. I thought there were four but when I took book 2 back saw there was a number five as well.. so read the five and I am still on a cliff hanger. 2016 is when his sixth book comes out and that's the penultimate one. He had written one every year from 2011 on. I will be glad when it is all over in 2017 but I know I will have to go for broke now. That man sure can write.

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan

Each chapter is told from each character's perspective and how they feel. After losing her husband Leo and Garrett coming to stay, Audrey gradually falls for Garrett (the lifelong bachelor) and Audrey and Leo's children are also more than happy to have Garrett around. Will Garrett honour his agreement with Leo that he would marry Audrey. Audrey and Garrett both have their chapters but so do the children. Their behaviour also changes especially the eldest as he fancies a mother of a friend, then he can't tolerate Garrett and his mother being together. They had been discreet but got found out and then the trouble starts. There is also the butting in from fellow firemen that worked with Leo. All in all it is fairly predictable that they will end up together but there are just a few glitches with Audrey shutting Garrett out of her life, but one has to expect the unexpected and makes for an easy and light hearted read. The three sons all get their own chapters throughout the book so you are right up there with their attitudes and problems etc and they are not just glossed over.

I looked for Jam and Roses and saw the Custard Tarts book.. maybe one day as I think I would probably read them.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I was lucky in that it was staring at me in the library in Huntly.. In Auckland if you want a new book that is going to be popular it costs $6.00 to read within 14 days. Little did I know that it would be announced as no 1 by Amazon books early Dec.

Rachel is a bit of a loser. Prior to the events on the train she was married, could not conceive and resorted to alcohol to solve her problems. Her marriage ends in divorce and she goes and shares a house with a friend. Rachel does not tell her friend she has lost her job and instead commutes to the city every day by train. Every day the train stops at a siding. She can see into people's backyards and she even gives the people that live in one of the houses names. She can also see the house where she used to live and her ex now lives in with his wife and child. She sees that something is wrong, but each day she buys alcohol and consumes it on her return journey and so her thoughts become muddled as to just what she did see. Then one of the people that she has given a pseudonym to is missing and the police are searching for her. The journey takes you through her visits to the police station, visits to her ex's home and a random attachment with a chap on the train plus others including the missing person's husband.
Her housemate wants her gone when Rachel turns up home drunk as, and is sick in the entry way and leaves her wet knickers on the floor there. Things go from bad to worse for Rachel and you as the reader are taken all around the houses until the body of the woman is discovered and Rachel very nearly finds out too late who did it and puts her own life in danger. It is a good page turner - and to me it's no comparison to Gone Girl which I couldn't get into at all.

The Throwaway Children by Diney Costeloe

What an interesting read, I know not all of these children ended up as Rita did, but a lot did and yes there would be a few Rosies that did not fare better and had disastrous lives, some of them here in NZ. When I was at primary school my first couple of years there were children from an orphanage at my school and then the orphanage was pulled down and I have no idea where these little girls went. I was quite taken by this book and did not think it would interest me. A welcome surprise.

I was just floating around and thought oh GlossieAnn maybe early and now I find I am later than her early..

Meet me at the Pier Head by Ruth Hamilton

Basically a good story but to me there was just too much banter between the two main characters and I am not sure a headmaster would have tolerated Colin in his earlier stages at school. Also there was the dragging on of what happened to Theo in his younger life in the States. I was glad though that when they were thinking it was in italics to separate it from the mainstream of the story. I like scouse humour but put it on the stage or a comical drama, and don’t overload a book with it, it detracts from what is going on.

Have just started listening to. Meet me St the Peir Head. (audio book from the library) this evening. I wasted over an hour while my C.D. player on my I'll and moody co outer played the tracks of the first c.d in random order!!!

Had to phone my brother to diagnose the problem. Have now listened to the first c.d. properly, only fourteen to go!

Still waiting for the other books from the library, will be calling in on Saturday.

Will probably take a few days to listen yo the rest of the book. Will review as soon as I can. Will review the other books when I get them

Now I'm off to look for other books that I can suggest for review.

Ok Mersey :-D

Mine are on the way :-D

thank you Stella.