What I read in April 2021

If you’ve been around here for a while then you’ll know I love reading. In fact a few years ago I used to write regular book reviews on here. I fell out of love with them though so I stopped. Last year I posted a few bookish posts though and I really enjoyed writing them. So I’ve decided to give monthly book round-ups a go instead. So here’s the second one with mini reviews of all the books I read in April 2021.

I will say I’m not the worlds fastest reader so unlike a lot of book bloggers who can fly through a few books a week (like, how?!) I usually average a couple of books a month. That’s fine though, it’s not a race and I’m not a book blogger I just really enjoy reading and I love talking about books!

Also you won’t find any books rated below 3 stars on here, a few years ago I decided if I just wasn’t feeling a book then I wouldn’t force myself to carry on reading it. There’s too many good books to read to waste time carrying on with bad ones!

The Broken Girls

Author: Simone St. James | Genre: Mystery | Length: 336 pages

I read a Simone St. James book last year, The Sun down Motel and loved it so much that it made it onto my list of the top 10 books of 2020. After a bit of a rubbish previous read I thought I’d give another St. James book a go in the hopes that it was as good as the first one. It certainly didn’t disappoint and Simone St. James is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

Vermont, 2014. Journalist Fiona Sheridan relives her sisters death almost daily. Twenty years have passed but Fiona can’t help but visit the fields near the derelict Idlewild Hall where her sisters body was found. Her sisters boyfriend was convicted of the murder but Fiona has always thought that the case doesn’t quite add up. Then she discovers the hall is being restored by a rich developer and sees her opportunity to write a story about the mysterious benefactor, the restoration and hopefully get some answers. Not long after the project begins though a shocking discovery is made that shrouds Idlewild Hall in even more mystery.

Vermont 1950. Idlewild Hall is a boarding school for girls that no one wants. The illegitimate daughters, the outspoken and opinionated, the troublemakers. There’s rumours that Idlewild is haunted and four girls bond over the shared fear of the secrets the hall holds. But then one of them goes missing and the lives of the three remaining girls change forever.

I absolutely couldn’t put this book down. I loved the seemingly separate mysterious taking place in 2014 and 1950 that then seamlessly intertwined with each other. I’m finding that Simone St. James has a wonderful talent for creating the most amazing settings. Even just a description of a a quiet back road in Vermont is done so well that you’re instantly transported there. Just like The Sun Down Motel, The Broken Girls was a perfect mix of mystery and supernatural to create a wonderfully gripping and atmospheric novel.

★★★★★

The Sanatorium

Author: Sarah Pearse | Genre: Thriller | Length: 390 pages

The Sanatorium is the debut novel by author Sarah Pearse. My mum read this and was absolutely raving about it and kept telling me how good it was. Given that it sounded exactly like my sort of book anyway, I decided to give it a go.

When Elin Warner receives an invite to her estranged brothers engagement party it’s the last thing she wants to do. But Elin is currently on leave from her detective job due to an incident so she doesn’t really have an excuse. Besides, a break away in a five star hotel with her boyfriend could be just what she needs. It’s not any ordinary hotel though, Le Sommet is nestled up in Swiss Alps, hidden by forest and peaks it’s an isolated spot with a troubling past. The hotel was once a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients and the hotel isn’t shy about the history of the place.

As a storm sets in threatening to trap guests at the hotel Elin is faced with a problem, her brothers fiancée has gone missing and an avalanche is preventing the police from reaching them. Elin must try her best to get to the bottom of hat is happening at Le Sommet.

Wow was this a good book! I love books like this anyway but it was such a good thriller. I loved the setting which really added to the dark atmosphere and it had a nice little way of making you wonder if there was a supernatural element to it or whether it was just a crime novel. I was definitely left wanting more at the end of the book though but Sarah Pearse is releasing a second book next year so hopefully I get some answers!

★★★★★

So I did only manage two books this month, I did start a third book in April but it’s taking me quite a while to get through it as I seem to be in a bit of a reading slump at the moment. I highly recommend both books that I read in April as they were both fantastic.

Have you read any of these books? What did you read in April? Let me know in the comments!