The Dream Home by @TMLoganAuthor @ZaffreBooks @JoyKluver

Happy publication day to TM Logan for The Dream Home. This is Logan’s eight book and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down which is great news for readers! Thank you Zaffre for an early read of The Dream Home.

The Blurb

Adam and Jess move into a new house with their three young children: a rambling Victorian villa in a nice neighbourhood right at the very top of their price range. Before long Adam discovers a door hidden behind a fitted wardrobe, concealing a secret room . . .

Inside Adam discovers a collection of forgotten items: a wallet, an expensive watch and an old mobile phone. Jess thinks they should simply throw them away. But Adam resists. He is fascinated by these items and how they came to be inside the hidden room.

But like the house, Adam has his secrets too. And soon he will find himself setting in motion a series of events that will place his family in terrible danger . . .

My Review

I’ve had the pleasure of reading most of TM Logan’s books and The Mother is still my favourite. However, The Dream Home sent shivers down my spine. I think it’s the creepiest novel that Logan has written, not least because it seems like it could actually happen.

Unless you move into a brand new home, there’s often something the previous owners have left behind. We found newspapers in our loft dating back to the 1930s. Adam, though, finds another small room in his attic space – one that isn’t on the house plans. From that moment on, things spiral out of control as Adam seeks to solve the riddle of the hidden room and the secrets contained within.

It took me a while to settle into the book (I’m like that with most books at the moment) but once I was in, I was heavily invested. TM Logan has paced this book just right, with the reveals at the right time and casting doubt on everyone. I didn’t guess who was responsible (so frustrating!) but in some ways, I do love that. I think this is another book that could be heading for a TV adaption.

You can buy The Dream Home here.

The Author

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than two million copies in the UK and are translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

Tim’s latest novel, THE MOTHER, is a twisty, fast-paced thriller about a woman betrayed and her search for redemption against all the odds. She has to discover who framed her for murder – or she will never see her sons again.

THE DREAM HOME (coming Feb 2024) follows Adam, Jess and their three children, who find the family home they’ve always dreamed of and move in full of plans for the future. But it’s not long before they start to discover their perfect new place is full of secrets, and stirring up the past can be a dangerous game . . .

THE HOLIDAY was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny.

THE CATCH has also been made into a TV drama for Channel 5, starring Jason Watkins, Poppy Gilbert, Aneurin Barnard and Cathy Belton – currently available on Netflix UK. His other books are THE CURFEW, TRUST ME, LIES and 29 SECONDS.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his family and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club at TM Logan dot com. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, find him on Facebook at /TMLoganAuthor, on Instagram @TMLoganAuthor

Book review – #WhatWeDidInTheStorm by @TinaBakerBooks @ViperBooks @JoyKluver

Happy publication day to Tina Baker for What We Did In The Storm! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will share a few thoughts below. Thank you to Miranda Jewess and Drew Jerrison for the advance copy.

The Blurb

Everyone brings their secrets to the island…

On the beautiful and windswept island of Tresco, two worlds live side by side. The wealthy visitors come by helicopter to stay at their lavish time-share properties. The estate staff travel by boat, and work all hours to keep them happy, to keep the money flowing in.

But while the blue skies and savage waves make the island seem a wild paradise, under the surface the inhabitants are concealing more than they dare reveal. The truths about their marriages, their love affairs, and what they do in the darkness while their neighbours are sleeping.

As black clouds come rolling in and a storm hits the island, truths and rumours begin to tumble out, wreaking terrible damage. In the midst of the tempest, two women are attacked and one goes missing. The secrets of this fragile community can no longer be hidden if it hopes to survive. The islanders must finally reveal what they did in the storm, no matter the cost.

My Review

The one thing you can say about Tina Baker is that she knows her soap operas. For a long time on TV, she was the fount of all knowledge about the cobbles of Coronation Street and the tribulations of Albert Square. When I first starting reading What We Did In The Storm, I could see the opening credits of a new series, maybe called Islanders, where the wealthy come to stay on Tresco and the true islanders have to serve them. It starts off glamourous, with an extravagant wedding. Slowly but surely though, the façade begins to drop. Superficial layers of the characters’ lives are stripped away as we discover their darkest secrets. Razor-sharp observations are mixed with quick-witted humour, creating a compelling read. We turn from soap opera to dark thriller. Brilliant!

You can buy What We Did In The Storm here.

About the Author

Tina Baker was brought up in a caravan after her mother, a fairground traveller, fell pregnant by a window cleaner. After leaving the bright lights of Coalville, she came to London and worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years. She’s probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV. What We Did In The Storm is her fourth novel.