The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I read a review of it on Debby Kaye's blog, HERE

Blurb from Amazon

Adrift in a raft after a terrible shipwreck, ten strangers try to survive while they wait for rescue.

After three days, short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves.

They pull him on board - and the survivor claims he can save them.

But should they put their trust in him?

Will any of them see home again?

And why did the ship really sink?

Here's me adding to the 30K reviews for this book!  I read it over a period of 2days, unputdownable as it is.  Thanks, Debby, for bringing it to my attention!

The book alternates between three scenarios: 'Sea', which is what happens on the boat, 'Land', which involves the hows and the whys of the devastating explosion of billionaire Jason Lambert yacht, on which many similarly wealthy and influential people were partying, and Inspector Jarty LeFleur's investigation, while 'News' covers what the people are told in the media.

The stranger calls himself the Lord, but says he will save them only when all present on the boat believe in him.  Scenarios take place that make the non-believers more sceptical than they were at first, though if you have Christian belief they may make you nod sagely!  Benji, the survivor who narrates the chapters that take place on the lifeboat, is disbelieving at first, though his thoughts change.

The spiritual aspect aside, the story of what the survivors went through on the boat is most interesting to read about.

The ending is left open, which I found a tiny bit disappointing, but that's just a personal opinion.  I wonder if it will be enjoyed more by those who believe in God; I think if I was an atheist I might not have liked it so much.

It's a strange book.  Strange good, that is.

Dark Presence by John Turiano

 3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Mind control, stalking and murder

Kimbra has not had an easy life, and in her job as a psychometrist administering neuropsychological and psychological tests on volunteers for a company called Quantum Thunder, it only gets more confusing.

We're provided with a fair bit of backstory on Kimbra, which is good, as one needs to know why and how she got to the point in her life when the book begins, with the murder of her former best friend is murdered.  Suspects abound; I changed my mind several times!

A new Quantum Thunder drug is being tested, to determine and influence the minds of those perceived as having psychic or telepathic abilities.  Kimbra decides to take it, which is when her life becomes even more frightening and confusing.

It's a good story and the writing jogs along nicely, making it a pleasantly 'easy read'.  I never really 'felt' Kimbra, though; the details are all there, but, as I often find with male writers, the male characters seemed more real than the female ones.  But that was okay.  She worked, for the plot.

I do have one negative comment, I'm afraid; the book needs a better edit/proofread as there are many, many run-on sentences (comma splices), and the punctuation is a bit off in places.  Aside from that, though, I enjoyed this story.

MARGUERITE: Hell Hath No Fury! by @juditharnopp

5 GOLD stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: a favourite author

In a Nutshell: The story of Marguerite of Anjou

Loved, loved, loved this excellent book. I was so engrossed all the way through and I need a bit of breathing space before starting something else, because I keep thinking about it.  Yes, that good.

This was particularly fascinating for me because although I know the ins and outs of the later years of the Wars of the Roses, I had huge gaps in my knowledge about how it started and how Marguerite got to where she was.  Also, it was most interesting to read about the younger years of the three sons of York, about Elizabeth Woodville and her mother Jacquetta, about Margaret Beaufort and others.

Painted as she is all too often in history, I too thought of Marguerite as a ruthless vixen, but Judith Arnopp portrays her in such a way that one can totally see her point of view, and what drove her on, and on and on.  Of course history is written by the victors; I wonder if Ms Arnopp's versions of Richard of York and Edward of March (never mind Warwick) are also more accurate than those seen in other books, not least of all those made into BBC TV dramas.

I was thinking, afterwards, about how so many lives could have been saved, including almost everyone Marguerite cared about, had she succumbed to the inevitable and allowed Edward to take the crown the York army believed was rightfully his, but there is no definite answer to who should have worn it; the lines of succession were so ... messy.  I wondered if she would have fought so hard if just for her husband, poor Henry VI, if there was no son.  Would the honour of the country she was fated to rule be enough?  Motherhood made her a fierce lioness, but so many died for her cause; was she right to let this happen? 

If only she could have married Edward of Somerset instead!

Anyway, this is a terrific book in which I became so emotionally involved.  I was impressed by the way Marguerite's life fitted so perfectly into one novel without ever coming across as written at too fast a pace; the detail is all there where you need it.  This is a writer who knows when a year needs one paragraph and moment needs two pages.  An absolute winner, and a 'must read' for anyone who loves this period of history.  Well done, Judith Arnopp - every book is better than the last!