I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about The Death Bed by Chris Bridges. Thank you to Avon Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
She’s not there to save her friend.
She’s there to silence her.
When nurse Laura arrives at her old best friend’s death bed, it’s not out of compassion – it’s out of fear. Her enigmatic friend Sadie is dying, and with her last breath, she might destroy everything.
Sixteen years ago, tragedy tore their group of nursing students apart. And Laura has spent every moment since then ensuring the truth never sees the light of day.
But as Sadie fades, the past refuses to stay buried. And Laura is about to learn: The dying don’t always go quietly.
And some confessions are worth killing for.
Publication Date: 26th February
CW: death, murder, violence, addiction, abusive relationship
My Thoughts:
The Death Bed cements Chris Bridges as a must-read author for me. It is sharp and slithers under your skin, making for an uncomfortably compelling read of obsession, secrets and death.
Bridges is a fiendish writer. His debut Sick to Death was such a compulsively readable story with a great premise and layered disability representation that unfortunately you don’t often see. The voice and characterisation were arresting and The Death Bed proves that these are all hallmarks of his writing. He is a superstar on the rise and you do not want to miss out. Here, he presents a twisted and terrible story that guards its secrets well and keeps you guessing throughout. You won’t be able to tear yourself away from this tense game of cat and mouse as we move between timelines in order to discover the long-buried secrets underpinning this toxic dynamic.
At the centre of it all are Sadie and Laura. Their dynamic underscores everything and the various shifts and twists involved are dynamite. It is that blurry space of an all-consuming friendship that hints at more and draws on their complicated backstories. Laura is our protagonist, a nurse dedicated to her job that is drawn back to the shadows of her past in order to protect what is buried there. She is spiky and guarded, but you can sense that she does genuinely care. Bridges slowly unveils what happened all those years ago with a masterful use of dual timelines. It keeps you glued to the pages and ensures that the pacing is relentless. I also enjoyed the commentary on the state of healthcare, which is unfortunately made more timely and impactful with each passing day. The tight thriller plotting is married well with incisive social commentary and I relish these types of books.
The Death Bed captures lightning in a bottle for the second time, ensuring Chris Bridges is a writer you should be watching.
Next up, I’d like to talk about The Weekend by T.M. Logan. Thank you to Zaffre Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When a group of friends rent a converted farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales, they have little idea that this one weekend may change the course of their lives forever.
While out on a walk, a storm descends and the friends take shelter in the mouth of an old lead mine. Inside, they discover a backpack filled with more money than they’ve ever seen.
Of course, they agree, they will hand the money to the police at the first opportunity. But as the storm continues and time passes, some of the party begin to think again. Because there are secrets festering at the heart of this group. Debt. Obsession. A career on the brink. Problems that could be solved instantly with an unexpected windfall. And perhaps they don’t know each other as well as thought they did.
Before long, six good friends find themselves sliding headlong into a world of deceit, treachery, betrayal and murder . . .
Publication Date: 26th February
CW: death, murder, violence, shooting, blood, injury, addiction, kidnapping, cheating
My Thoughts:
The Weekend is a terrific thriller that makes the most of its incredible premise and leaves you thinking about the story long after the final page.
I have the immense privilege of being part of the #TM10 campaign at the moment and going from Logan’s debut Lies in January to his latest release The Weekend in February was such an interesting comparison. You can see that stardust he has always possessed, particularly in the slick, sharp writing and enthralling stories, but you can also see how he has honed his craft. This is an evolution and a testament to the seemingly endless ideas he has stored away, each of them as intriguing as the last. The Weekend continues this trend with a premise that just grabs you and will not let you go. Money can have a particular way of changing people and this scenario would definitely cause ripples in anyone’s life. Combine that with a friendship group that is fracturing more than they would like to admit and you have a recipe for disaster.
Logan has such a wonderful knack for taking these ordinary people and throwing them into something extraordinary. It is all in the way he builds the story, from a thought-provoking and attention-grabbing premise to something that slowly escalates until they have all moved into increasingly murky moral territory. That slight switch from the mundane changes everything but it stays believable because of how well-crafted the characters are. You root for them, you believe them and you can understand why they make the choices they do. Around them, the stakes creep higher and higher and the consequences of their choices are starting to catch up with them. Here is no exception with a fantastic delivery of this. I loved the way the layers on these characters are slowly peeled back to reveal the dark secrets they are holding. That simmering tension just keeps building until everything explodes in a brilliant conclusion and excellent sting in the tale with the final chapter.
The Weekend marks another surefire smash hit from Logan with another stop on a triumphant career that shows no signs of slowing down. It epitomises his evolution as a writer and contains his greatest hits, levelled up yet again.
Finally, I’d like to delve into When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson. Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Roslyn Volk isn’t herself anymore. It’s been almost a year since her older sister, Adeline, died under suspicious circumstances, and she’s still shackled by grief. When six mysterious girls appear in town one morning, Roslyn finds herself inexplicably drawn to them, soon learning that Adeline spent her last summer with the group.
Desperate to find out what really happened to her sister, Roslyn agrees to accompany the girls on their road trip. But this strange sisterhood share an inconceivable secret. All of them have been spared from Death’s clutches and now must pay for the privilege. Gifted with Death’s touch, the girls travel the country reaping other people’s souls in return for preserving their own lives.
As Roslyn becomes more entangled with the girls, in particular the group’s leader Shiloh who she gravitates towards, it becomes clear there is only one way to discover the truth about her sister. She must strike her own deal with Death…
Publication Date: 12th March
CW: death, murder, violence, grief
My Thoughts:
When I Was Death is a poignant examination of death and grief with some astounding twists and turns along the way.
The premise of this is the type that you cannot get out of your head. It’s as though those in the Final Destination franchise actually got to bargain with Death rather than being hunted down. None of us know when our time will come and this flips that in fascinating ways. It’s such an imaginative way to explore death and grief in a speculative framing but retains that emotional honesty and vulnerability throughout. This is balanced perfectly with the mystery elements, which are well thought out and compelling. There is plenty to uncover and some shocking surprises along the way, but they are so impactful because they are grounded in these fantastic characters and their decisions. One scene in particular springs to mind because it spoke to realities I have faced in my own life and seeing them rendered with such nuance and integrity took my breath away.
Alexis Henderson’s characterisation always shines for me and her stories have such a deep-rooted sense of atmosphere that permeates every page. This continues that trend with a foreboding sense of inevitability from the start. There is an invisible clock ticking down, as there is for us all, but the way Henderson explores this is inspired. With the characterisation, she delivers once more. You cannot help but fall in love with Roslyn as she battles to discover the truth behind her sister’s death. She is determined and guarded, but with a heart of gold and a willingness to do anything for those she loves. The relationships she forms within the group are wonderful, joyous and tragic in equal measure. It helps that they are all three-dimensional characters that Henderson gives layers and nuance too. Their backstories are heartbreaking in their own ways and there are a few scenes that feel as though they are ingrained into my heart. There is just such a vulnerability to the book that feels as though it may crack your heart open.
When I Was Death is a strangely life-affirming story of death, grief and trying to live as though every day counts. It is heartfelt, moving and delivers twists that will stay in your mind.
A Short Book Lover 