Review | Her Last Breath ~ Tracy Buchanan

Her Last Breath

Tracy Buchanan

Avon

June 2017

Rating 4/5

Kindle | Paperback

           

A girl has gone missing. You’ve never met her, but you’re to blame.

FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MY SISTER’S SECRET AND NO TURNING BACK

Food writer Estelle Forster has the perfect life. And with her first book on the way, it’s about to get even better.

When Estelle hears about Poppy O’Farrell’s disappearance, she assumes the girl has simply run away. But Estelle’s world crumbles when she’s sent a photo of Poppy, along with a terrifying note: I’m watching you. I know everything about you.

Estelle has no idea who’s threatening her, or how she’s connected to the missing teen, but she thinks the answers lie in the coastal town she once called home, and the past she hoped was long behind her.

Estelle knows she must do everything to find Poppy. But how far will she go to hide the truth – that her

perfect life was the perfect lie?

           

Her Last Breath is a great novel that will keep you gripped throughout.

As Tracy does so well, we are treated to the main thread of the story but at odd chapters there are extracts from the culprits point of view.

Estelle Forster is an up and coming chef who focuses of clean, pure ingredients and eating and the book starts with her hosting a dinner party where conversation is focused on two key events. The first being Estelle's debut book launching and the second is the mention of a local 15 year old girl going missing.

Not much is said about the girl other than they hope its just a stroppy teenager who has run away, but the following day when Estelle recieves her weekly bucthers delivery, there is a polaroid photo enclosed addressed to 'Stel' - a name associated with Estelle's past that she would rather forget.

What follows is as very detailed back story for Estelle, who was passed from foster home to foster home as her birth parents were more interested in drink and drugs than looking after their own daughter.

Estelle eventually settled in the little coastal village of Lillysands, with foster parents Autumn and Max Garland, their son Aiden and Alice, another girl being fostered.

As Estelle recieves more and more of the polariod photos and threatening notes, it becomes clear that the young young gone missing - Poppy - is the baby Estelle gave up for adoption, the same day that Alice took her own life, fifteen years ago.

As Estelle returns to Lillysands to inform the biological father he has a child, strange things start to happen and alongside Estelle searching for Poppy, we learn more about her time at the Garlands and the events surrounding Alice's death.

Her Last Breath was well written and kept me guessing throughout - just when I thought I had worked the plot out or figured why Alice had jumped, something else would happen to doubt me and change my mind.

Although Her Last Breath was an enjoyable read and held my interest, I have to honest though and say that the outcome wasn't quite what I expected and did leave me a little flat.

However if you are looking for an intriguing book that has plenty of twists and turns, then Her Last Breath is definitely one for you!

   

Blog Tour ~ Extract | Her Last Breath ~ Tracy Buchannan

Today I'm delighted to be able to offer you an extract from Her Last Breath, the new novel from Tracy Buchanan.

I've started reading this today and totally intrigued despite only being a few chapters in - be sure to check back on the blog at the end of the week for my review.

I've read two of Tracy's previous novels - My Sisters Secret and No Turning back - and love the detail Tracy gives within her stories along with the unexpected twists. Please click on the titles to read my reviews of these and check out Tracy's Amazon page for all her work, Here.

So without further ado, read on for all the details about the book and a little snippet for you to enjoy!

Her Last Breath

Tracy Buchanan

Avon

June 2017

Kindle | Paperback

Extract

[Extract 7 from Chapter 2 pp.21-22]

She pulled away the white paper from a large slab of beef ready to put it in the fridge.

Then she frowned. There was something on top of the meat, square and white.

She looked over at Louis who was busy tapping away at his laptop at the other end of the

large island, then she grabbed a fork and lifted the item off the meat. It was an envelope,

a name scrawled on the front.

Stel.

She peered at the windowsill, where the poppies she’d received the evening before had

been placed in a vase. The note that had come with them had been addressed to Stel too.

She quickly opened the envelope and pulled out a Polaroid photo. It was a close-up photo

of a teenage girl. Sad brown eyes. Freckled button nose. Dyed red hair . . . red hair that

made her think of another girl, another time.

Alice.

But it wasn’t Alice. In fact, Estelle had no idea who the girl in the photo was. But as she

looked into her eyes, she still felt a flare of recognition.

She looked at the bottom of the photo, where a message had been scrawled, droplets of

blood from the beef blossoming around the words.

They say you’re as pure as the driven snow. But I know you’re not.

I’m watching you. I know everything about you.

Estelle dropped the photo with trembling fingers, watching as it floated to the floor, the

blood from the beef congealing in her nails.

Who the hell had sent this to her?

For more exclusive extracts of 

Her Last Breath

please check out the other wonderful bloggers that are taking part

in the image above.

Review | No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan

Title: No Turning Back

Author: Tracy Buchanan

Publisher: Avon

Published: July 2016

Kindle | Paperback

You’d kill to protect your child – wouldn’t you?

When radio presenter Anna Graves and her baby are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her daughter.

But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister.

A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the ‘Ophelia Killer’, responsible for a series of murders twenty years ago.

Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgiveable, if committed to save your child’s life…?

Back last year I dived into My Sisters Secret by Tracy Buchanan - It made my top books of 2015 and was the one I recommended to everyone! It was so descriptive and captivating that when I saw Tracy had a new release out this year, it immediately made it's way onto my wish list. You can catch up with my review of My Sisters Secret here.

Although crime books aren't usually my thing, when No Turning Back landed through my letterbox, I just knew I had to pick it up.

I'll be honest, there was a patch around the 25% where I thought that this really wasn't for me, but once again, Tracy's writing style completely pulled me in and I was once again lost in her fictional world.

What we know about the book from the synopsis is that Anna, a well loved local radio presenter, protects herself and young daughter Joni, in an encounter on the beach with a school boy. Unfortunately the young lad dies and Anna is released with the case being thought of as one of a simple self defence act.

Soon after, things aren't as they seem and Anna is hunted by the police and the press - what I can't tell you for fear of spoilers is the out come, but let me tell you now - I didn't predict that one!

No Turning Back has plenty of twists and turns as we embark on Anna's journey to uncover the truth of what not only happened 20 years ago, but of what is happening now. At points she doesn't know who to trust and everything she loves is threatened to come to an end.

No Turning Back reminded me a little of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty in the sense that we almost had the conclusion at the start of the book and throughout we go on a journey, being given snippets of the past but all along not knowing the full truth or who done exactly what not being revealed until the very end. 

Although I've seen this classed as a crime book, it had a great mysterious depth too it and every time I thought I had worked something out, I was thrown a curveball which made me doubt myself - I even doubted everything I knew about the main character, Anna, at one point!

Once again Tracy Buchanan has delivered another fabulous and gripping novel that had me wondering and page turning until the very end!

Rating 5/5

Huge thanks to Helena at Avon for supplying a copy of

No Turning Back.

Cover Reveal | No Turning Back ~ Tracy Buchanan

Today I'm delighted to be bringing you the first of four gorgeous covers being revealed over the bank holiday weekend and this first one... I can't tell you just how excited I am to read this book.

It's the new novel by Tracy Buchanan, her debut, My Sisters Secret, was released last year and I loved it that much it worked itself into my top reads of last year. It was utterly captivating and I urge you to read it or bump it up your TBR. In case you missed my review of it, you can have a nosy here.

So anyway, Tracy's new book... Here's all you need to know along with its gorgeous cover!

Publishes: 28^th July 2016, EB and PB

You’d kill to protect your child – wouldn’t you?

When radio presenter Anna Graves and her baby are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her daughter.

But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister.

A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the ‘Ophelia Killer’, responsible for a series of murders twenty years ago.

Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgiveable, if committed to save your child’s life…?

A Message From Me To You... | 2015 Wrap Up....

Wow - where has the year gone again? I can't believe I've been blogging for nearly a year either, and its taken off in a way that I completely wasn't expecting!

I decided to start my blog as I was fed up with reading the same books over as I'd forgotten I'd previously read them, and this seemed a great way to keep track of them as I could write a 'mini review' to look back on.

Well, the mini reviews didn't stay very mini for long and I quickly got into full scale book reviewing. Over 100 posts and almost 15,000 page views later, I never ever thought for one second that my blog would get 100 page views, so I am totally amazed and totally grateful for everyone who has clicked through.

I had planned to do a Christmas book review per day during December but time has completely run away with me - I'm so very sorry to those Authors and Publishers whom have sent me Christmas books - I'm just not going to get around to them all now.

This week alone I have done over 47 hours with work, and I shall be working right over the Christmas festivities too with only a few hours off both Christmas and Boxing Days - for those of you unaware, I am a home carer, primarily working with Dementia and Alzheimer's clients, as so as opposed to an office job where if someone is off the work can just pile up and wait. In my job it can't - people still need to get up, washed and dressed whatever day of the year it is. We are incredibly short staffed too at the moment and so I have been filling in left, right and centre.

I am also due to become an Aunty again within a matter of weeks, with my nephew due early January. I can't wait to meet him, I adore my four beautiful nieces even though I only see two (that's a story I may write into a book one day!) but I'm excited to buy all things blue!

So with everything going on right now, I have decided to take a 'Blogiday' and have some time off.

This shall be my last post for near on a month, apart from a small cover reveal here or there. I shall be  back fully blogging and reviewing on February 1st 2016.

I shall still me contactable on email and twitter, although social interaction will be limited.

I've seen many bloggers post their top ten books of 2015 and thought it sounded like a great thing to do, only I have been totally unable to narrow it down so here is a wrap up of various categories....

As it is the season to be jolly, let's start with my favourite festive reads! (Please click on book titles to read my reviews)

Christmas At Lilac Cottage and Snowflakes On Silver Cove both by Holly Martin, were the first books of the season I read and even now, almost 2 months on, I can recall their stories and characters like it was yesterday, I cant wait for book 3 in the White Cliff Bay series!

Wish Upon A Christmas Cake by Darcie Boleyn and Winters Fairytale by Maxine Morrey were both debut authors and reading these two books just gave that warm fuzzy festive feeling - I'm looking forward to what they publish next!

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale was the first book of hers, and was perfectly romantic -I do have the others which I cant wait to read.

Dream A Little Christmas Dream is a short novella sequal by Giovanna Fletcher and I loved seeing how the characters moved on.

Julia Williams' Make A Christmas Wish was completely different to what I expected with the main character being a ghost but had a great story line to it,

Carmel Harrington's Every Time A Bell Rings made it to my Special Books page of the blog as it just had that something extra magical for me - if you haven't read any of above I would certainly make this one as priority!

Also making it to my extra special books page this year was See Me by Nicholas Sparks. See Me was the first book by this popular US author and I absolutely loved it!

Being a blogger and reviewing books has enabled me to discover some amazing new authors this year.

My Sisters Secret by Tracy Buchanan was utterly captivating whilst The Tea Planters Wife by Dinah Jefferies was beautifully written.

Nigel May also had me gripped with his bonk-buster Scandalous Lies.

2016 is sure to be a fab year of new books and I've been lucky enough to read two already.

Our Song by Dani Atkins moved me to tears but was a brilliantly written story.

You and Me, Always is quite simply classic Jill Mansell - Jill is a absolute favourite author of mine and I'm looking forward to attending her book launch in January!

During my Blogiday, I shall be reading and hopfully making a dent within my TBR pile, below is just a few that I'm looking forward to, of which reviews will be up and posted on my return.

To finish this post and completely wrap up 2015 I need to say a few Thank You's!

Firstly to me fabulous guest reviewers - Katrina, Nicole, Samantha and Ellisa. Your reviews have been amazing and I look forward seeing what your reading next year!

Zsa, Tracey, Karen, Gillian, Joan, Alison and Lulu for your fab support on the Facebook page - the input you guys give keeps the page ticking over!

To all the amazing publishers and authors who have so kindly sent me ARC's and filled my email inbox with FUN and EXCITING info - I look forward to working with you again in 2016!

To my fellow bloggers - Aggie, Hayley, Rea, Sharon, Becca, Sophie and Rachel for your endless support and answering my blogging questions - you are all stars!

And, finally, to everyone and anyone I've forgotten to mention or who has clicked through the blog, left comments and RT'd me on twitter - Thank You!

All that is left for me to say, is that I wish you all a lovely Christmas full of mince pies and mulled wine, fun and laughter. I'll see you all in the new year!

Lots of Love 

& Reading,

                         

 Laura

        XX

My Sisters Secret by Tracy Buchanan

Everything you’ve built your life on is a lie.

Willow’s memories of her parents are sun-drenched and full of smiles, love and laughter. But a mysterious invitation to a photographic exhibition exposes a secret that’s been buried since a tragic accident years ago.

Willow is forced to question everything she knew about Charity, her late mother, and Hope, the aunt she’s lived with since she was a child.

How was the enigmatic photographer connected to Willow’s parents? Why will Hope not break her silence?

Willow cannot move forward in her life without answers. But who can she really trust? Because no one has been telling the truth for a very long time.

My Sisters Secret was no doubt an absolute joy of a read! 

Right from the prologue I was gripped and fascinated with the story, and although the book only took my two days of reading it felt much longer due to finding myself googling images of Submerged Forests every time a new one was referred to within the story.... 

Just look at this one of Green Lake in Austria, captivating right?

                                                                         Photograph curtesy of Google Images.

Submerged Forests play a huge part in the storyline of My Sister Secret and I adored the amount of detail Tracy Buchanan went in to to describe each of the ones mentioned on Faith's Map, it made me feel as though I was there, putting on my own wetsuit, snorkel and flippers and diving right between the trees. That in its own right is the sign of a great author.

So the book then. 

Well, I can't say a great deal, not because I don't want to - trust me I could go on for a while about the different elements, but because I want to "Keep The Secret" and I think if I give too much away then the secret will slip out. 

That said, it's obvious we know there is a secret from the clear title, but there were lots of twists and turns within the book that kept my mind guessing, and I'm pleased to say I didn't think *THAT* would be revealed!!

The story is based around three sisters, Faith, Hope and Charity, and Charity's daughter Willow and is told from the view of both Charity and Willow.

The chapters told from Willow are in the present day, we know her mother passed away in a cruise ship accident and she was brought up by her aunt, but when clearing out her parents' old house, Willow discovers an invite from Niall Lane, a well known photographer specialising in submerged forests. Willows Aunt gives her a frosty reception about this, forcing Willow to ask more and more questions adding doubt to the life she thought she knew.

Whilst the chapters told from Charity's POV are from the past giving us insight to what happened and when, who Niall Lane is and of course revealing the a secret or two!

My Sisters Secret was a very well plotted story, it allowed us to follow Willow's journey on finding out about her mothers past life, throwing questions and giving answers along the way.

I particularly liked how the past and present was linked by the common submerged forest interest and how it tied most of the characters together. 

Without question I would recomend this book to anyone that enjoys women's fiction that has an element of mystery to it.

I would like to thank Tracy and the teams at HarperCollins / Avon for the copy of My Sister Secret via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.