Wrexham Library Book Reviews

Debbie Salisbury from Wrexham Library has kindly provided Wrexham.com with reviews of some of the popular books currently available from the county’s libraries. For more details visit www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries

Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson

Christine wakes every morning in a strange bed next to a strange man, with no recollection of how she got there. The bed, however is her own and the man is her husband, and when she looks in the mirror she is somehow twenty years older than she had expected.

Thanks to an accident when she was 29, Christine goes to sleep every night and has her memory erased. Her loving husband patiently explains her situation to her every day, and her doctor tries to unlock whatever is keeping her memories hostage in her brain by encouraging her to keep a journal, which he has to remind her about – every day.

Our memories are an integral part of who we are, and the way we connect one day with the next. Without them, life is bleak, disconnected and confused. From the first page you are immediately drawn into Christine’s situation, experiencing her confusion, imagining yourself in the same nightmare whilst anticipating the next day.

This is a psychological thriller at its best.

Pantheon by Sam Bourne

Oxford 1940. James Zennor, a brilliant young don, is rowing alone on a bright July morning- cursing himself for the wounds that brand him unfit for duty in the war against Hitler. He returns home to find his wife Florence and young son have vanished – no doubt in despair at his dark moods and shattered body; and yet she’s left a note saying that she still loves him…

A frantic search through wartime England eventually leads James across the Atlantic to an America not yet at war. His destination is Yale, one of the USA’s greatest universities.

James’s desperate search for his wife and child leads him on a twisting path through Yale’s elite clubs and secret societies, into the heart of the American establishment. There he stumbles upon a terrifying plot: one that could swing the balance of power in the war. Now, a man deemed too damaged to fight in the war must save not only his family, but his country too.

Yet another brilliant tale of the Second World War with some shocking revelations uncovered by meticulous research, which sweeps you along with its own momentum.

Hidden treasure by Fern Britton

Helen Merrifield decides to put her old London life – and her philandering ex-husband behind her and start afresh in the picturesque Cornish village of Pendruggan. She soon makes a new set of friends, including Dorrie and Don from the pub, and Queenie the eccentric postmistress.

Throwing herself into village life, Helen is surprised to find herself the love interest of the vicar, Simon. But she is also drawn to the dark and brooding local historian Piran, who is helping her discover the secret behind a mysterious old Edwardian chest.

Meanwhile, Helen’s best friend, Penny, decides that Pendruggan is the perfect setting for her new TV series. When the cast and crew descend the village is thrown into a tizzy, but Helen has her hands full fending off her ex, who is determined to charm his way back into her life.

Should Helen hold on to the past, or will she find something to treasure in the golden Cornish sand. If you are going on holiday this summer then this would be a good book to take with you.