July through the eyes of a bookworm

In Her Mothers' Shoes by Felicity Price

Three women caught in the adoption triangle - the birth mother, the adoptive mother and the daughter - are about to discover the emotional turmoil of confronting their past, when Kate Stewart traces her birth mother and finds she has a brother and sister who never knew she existed.  Based on three true stories, "In Her Mothers' Shoes" tells of the heartache of having to give up your baby for adoption without even being able to hold her; of the insecurity of adopting; and how, for an adopted child, there will always be a lifelong yearning to belong, to fit in.

My Verdict - I loved this. Having first hand experience of this situation, it had a real resonance for me. The book is broken into three parts, so you read from the birth mothers perspective, the adoptive mother and finally the adoptee. Some points were real tearjerkers. Although it is fiction, it is based on true stories so you find yourself imagining the real people behind the story. If you have ever wanted to read about the true experiences of the adoption process then give this a whirl. 8/10  

Another Man's Treasure by S.W. Hubbard

On a snowy Christmas Eve, a beautiful young mother goes out to buy a few last minute gifts and never returns.......thirty years later, her daughter picks up her trail. As the owner of an estate sale business, Audrey Nealon knows a lot about art, antiques, and the unlikely places old people hide their treasures. But the shabby home of an elderly widow holds alarming surprises: street drugs in the silverware drawer, a trunkful of jewels in the attic, and the distinctive ring Audrey's mother was wearing the night she disappeared. Believing the truth will bring her peace, Audrey relentlessly pursues clues to her family's troubled history. But each fact Audrey uncovers drags her further away from the love she craves, and puts her on a collision course with people more determined, more ambitious, and more dangerous than she can fantom. Ultimately, some truths are too awful to bear, and too terrible to share.

My Verdict - This book had me guessing left right and centre and I was never right! I'm usually pretty good at working out 'who dunnit' before the conclusion, but I didn't get it with this. If you like a bit of action and grit, with the odd dollop of romance, then this shouldn't disappoint. 8/10

Prophecy by Peter James

Non Omnis Moriar - I shall not altogether die. A young boy watches his mother die. Drunk students play with a Ouija board in a damp cellar. A sadistic man dies in agony. Can bricks and mortar retain imprints of the emotions experienced within them? Frannie is delighted when a chance meeting leads to a romance. The fact that the relationship is marred by gruesome tragedies, she dismisses as an unsettling coincidence. But eventually she can no longer ignore the fact that she is the only thing linking these horrible events. Is it a murderous practical joke? or worse...?

My Verdict - I picked this little gem up in Asda for a quid so I was pleasantly surprised. I love books which have some darkness and a bit of the occult about them, something which makes you think. Had a few twists and turns which I didn't see coming and had me on the edge of my seat a few times. Definitely worth the £1 I paid for it! 7/10

So this months reads sure made up for the disappointments of June! Have you been loving any reads this month?