Book Club 26/52 - Then she ran

Another thriller week for me and a new to me author Charlie Gallagher, Again this was free on Kindly Unlimited where it is described as "an absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist". The author is a serving UK police officer so you get plenty of crime detail. 
Two crime incidents but how are they linked. 

I think this wasn't exactly gripping for me, and the massive twist not quite so massive, I mean I didn;t gasp in surprise or anything but nor did I see it coming either. An ok read.but not as exciting as I had hoped.

Charity Headshave

Yes this crazy girl has decided to shave her hair for charity!!

Imperial Health Charity helps our hospitals do more through grants, arts, volunteering and fundraising. We raise funds to support the five hospitals of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea, St Mary and Western Eye hospitals.

The Dresden Hardship Fund in particular supports families suffering financial hardship as a direct result of being in hospital. This can include assisting with travel and accommodation costs, funeral expenses, baby-care essentials and clothing/other critical need items.

Losing my signature red head and having my hair shaved off might seem crazy, but it will grow back (albeit grey!) and your donations in support of this madness will make a real difference to families already facing challenging times due to ill health. 

You can donate HERE and with a month to go before the big day my fundraising target minimum level of £500 is well on the way to being achieved.

June ATDML Gallery projects

Mixing bold stripes and some floral fussy cutting for a very different look from me this month, but I rather like these pages which started out quite graphic but then evolved somewhat.

I am thinking of recreating the black/white stripey background using inks and paints - what do you think? Do you sometimes see a paper and love it so much you want to either buy multiple or try and recreate it? I'll let you know how I get on!

Book Club 25/52 - Bones don't lie

Back to reading thrillers for me after my true story read last week which failed to hit the spot for me. A return to Melinda Leigh and book 3 in the enjoyable Morgan Dane series.

Amazon Synopsis:

Shocking evidence hits close to home for attorney Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger as Melinda Leigh’s acclaimed series continues.

Private investigator Lance Kruger was just a boy when his father vanished twenty-three years ago. Since then he’s lived under the weight of that disappearance—until his father’s car is finally dredged up from the bottom of Grey Lake. It should be a time for closure, except for the skeleton found in the trunk. A missing person case gone cold has become one of murder, and Lance and attorney Morgan Dane must face the deadly past that’s risen to the surface.

For Lance, the investigation yields troubling questions about a man he thought he knew. But memories can play dirty tricks. For Morgan, uncovering each new lie comes with a disquieting fear that someone is out there watching, because someone is killing every witness tied to this decades-old crime. Morgan and Lance follow in the shadows of a relentless killer and walk right into the cross fire.

As for books 1 and 2 I loved this book and the characters and it's almost like reading a film for me if that makes sense? I can totally allocate actors and actresses to the roles and see it play out for me. Can't wait for book 4 to be released in September. In the meantime there are a tonne of books on Amazon by this author - check them out here.

June ATDML Moodboard challenge

You can't fail to be cheery with this month's ATDML mood board, time to get our happy scrappy on! Yes it is the night before the June virtual crop and the ATDML team are asking you to be inspired by our June Mood board.

Those of you with Silhouette's or other die-cutting machines could have a field day with this one and the font image! Or do you have birthday photos to scrap of cake or balloons? Maybe you have photos from summer ice-creams or a large floral paper you have been waiting to use... I even really like the washi tape feel to the bottom of the board, did you see that before I mentioned it?

We look forward to seeing your creations shared on our ATDML gallery.

Book Club 24/52 - The Note

A more lighthearted read this time and I have had this one sitting in my to-read pile for a while following hearing about it on the radio.  As a commuter now I was intrigued by the story which is a true one about passing a note to a stranger on a train to say "hey, you're kind of cute!" and then running away embarrassed, This story takes a while to unfold if I am honest and isn't the most exciting of reads - maybe I am judging that on the thrillers I have been reading lately so perhaps too much of a contrast and I could be being unfair - but I'd still recommend it as a good holiday read.

Bargain also it being free on Kindle Unlimited when I downloaded.

Book Club 23/52 - The Retreat - also by Mark Edwards

Well I said I enjoyed the last Mark Edwards book I read so rather than reading one of the many I have lined up in both my kindle app and on my bedside cabinet I downloaded another book from his collection.

Amazon says:

A missing child. A desperate mother. And a house full of secrets.
Two years ago, Julia lost her family in a tragic accident. Her husband drowned trying to save their daughter, Lily, in the river near their rural home. But the little girl’s body was never found—and Julia believes Lily is somehow still alive.

Alone and broke, Julia opens her house as a writers’ retreat. One of the first guests is Lucas, a horror novelist, who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Lily. But within days of his arrival, the peace of the retreat is shattered by a series of eerie events. When Lucas’s investigation leads him and Julia into the woods, they discover a dark secret—a secret that someone will do anything to protect…

This was again so well written, I actually had chills and really felt I was in the woods at certain times in the book. Another great standalone thriller with good characters and a string storyline. Worth a read for sure.

Book Club 22/52 - The Lucky Ones

The Lucky Ones is the terrifying new thriller from the #1 Kindle bestselling author Mark Edwards

Synopsis from Amazon:
When a woman’s body is found in the grounds of a ruined priory, Detective Imogen Evans realises she is dealing with a serial killer—a killer whose victims appear to die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces.

A few miles away, single dad Ben Hofland believes his fortunes are changing at last. Forced to move back to the sleepy village where he grew up following the breakdown of his marriage, Ben finally finds work. What’s more, the bullies who have been terrorising his son, Ollie, disappear. For the first time in months, Ben feels lucky.  But he is unaware that someone is watching him and Ollie. Someone who wants nothing but happiness for Ben.

Happiness…and death.

This was an unexpected book and I did not see the plot unfolding as it did. Very well written and I definitely want to read more from this author - gripping indeed - I missed my stop on the train and had to detour on the way to work!!