The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

The Blurb On The Back:

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

But what if death came back to try again?

CHICAGO, 1931. Harper is a man out of time – yet with all the time in the world to stalk and kill his ‘shining girls’. The objects he lays by their violated bodies are more than just clues: they are the glittering threads of his obsession, a web of sick satisfaction glowing through the years.

But these things have to be right. And if a girl lived to tell the tale, well, that would have to be fixed.

CHICAGO, 1992. Kirby knows there’s something strange about the man who nearly killed her – apart from being a violent psychopath. Rejected by those who should help her, she searches for the others, the girls who didn’t make it.

What Kirby finds is … impossible. Murders scattered across the decades, accompanies by totally contradictory evidence. But for a girl who should be dead, impossible doesn’t mean it didn’t happen …


( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Lauren Beukes time-travelling crime thriller has created a lot of buzz with good reason. Combining horrific violence, an original hook and interesting characters, Beukes kept me turning the pages. However, it does end rather abruptly and leaves some questions unanswered, which left me unfulfilled. It’s an entertaining read and perfect for the beach, but not a perfect one.

THE SHINING GIRLS was released in the United Kingdom on 9th May 2013. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

The Blurb On The Back:

The true story of the wives behind the American Space Race, the challenges they faced in the ‘50s and ‘60s and the 40-year friendship that bound them together.

As America’s Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.

Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; JFK made it clear that platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was his favourite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived with a secret that needed to stay hidden from NASA. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, providing one another with support and friendship, coffee and cocktails. Many bought houses next door to one another, helping to raise each other’s children by day, while going to glam parties at night as the country raced to land a man on the moon.

As their celebrity rose – and as divorce and tragedy began to touch their lives – the wives continued to rally together, forming bonds that would withstand the test of time, and they have stayed friends for over half a century. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Lily Koppel’s book examines the lives of the wives of the Mercury astronauts, whose ranks expanded with the subsequent Gemini and Apollo missions. Unfortunately those hoping for some insight into these women and their lives will be disappointed with this glib and superficial book that never really gets to grips with its subject matter and at times reads like a cheap gossip magazine.

THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB was released in the United Kingdom on 6th June 2013. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.