Here are the last three books I read

The first one is Killing Me Softly by Nicci French.

This was my first Nicci French novel, and I enjoyed it despite certain events being beyond believable and ridiculous. I’ve always liked novels about obsession (not sure what that says about me?!!) and this was about Alice’s obsession with the taciturn Adam, who she meets in a ‘their eyes met across a crowded street,’ kind of way which was admittedly a huge cliche.

Once I got over the ridiculousness of her going straight back to his flat and having mind-blowing sex, I decided to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the novel as light entertainment.

It’s written in a clear unambiguous style and I found the characterization and the suspense enough to keep me reading. There is a serious message within its pages and the suspense is unravelled slowly and subtly which I enjoyed. It’s a page-turner with flaws.

For pure entertainment alone I would give it a 7/10.

The next book I read was Green Dot by Madeleine Gray.

This novel centers around Hera, a young woman living in Sydney who is stuck in a rut and going nowhere fast. She takes a job at a call centre out of sheer need for money. There she ‘eventually’ meets Arthur an older journalist with whom she begins a relationship.

The writing in this book is what made it stand out for me – it’s funny, poignant, and brilliantly written.

It took me a while to get into it, but once I was in, I found myself longing to get back to it. Always a great sign with a book.

I wanted to shake Hera at times and yet I understood her fragility. A great read about the complexities of life when you are still young enough to be idealistic and angsty.

I’d recommend this one. 8/10.

The third book I read was The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue.

I have just finished this one and it was my favourite of the three novels. Set in Cork, the story revolves around Rachel and her best friend James, who she meets when they are both working in a book store.

They quickly become inseparable but life becomes complicated when Rachel’s professor Dr Byrne comes into their lives. Yes, a love triangle with a twist is on the cards.

The writing is fresh, funny and keeps you hooked all the way through.

If you are feeling at all nostalgic for college days and young love, this will take you right back there.

The characters of Rachel and James are so beautifully written I felt like they were real people I knew by the end of the book. I became so invested in what happened to them both.

A great read. 8.5/10 and that’s high for me!