Apartment 6 by Stuart James

I'm delighted that today is my stop on the blog tour for the new one from Stuart James which I was really excited to read. I was in for an intense ride! Big thanks to Sarah at Book on the Bright Side Publicity and Promo for inviting me, and to Stuart for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Be careful what you wish for…

When Meagan was five years old her mother was viciously attacked and murdered.

Now an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship. Meagan is desperate to escape but doesn’t have the courage to leave.

So, when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection. But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path.

Just how far would you go to protect someone?

Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits…

Apartment 6 was published yesterday by Bloodhound Books and is available from Amazon UK and US.


My Review:

Meagan is being abused by her husband. Oliver is nursing a broken heart after his girlfriend walked out. He notices Meagan at the station on his daily commute and is struck by her beauty and fragility. The two strike up a tentative friendship. Oliver is totally smitten, so Meagan feels she can ask him a huge favour. My first OMG moment.

The story is told in a dual timeline - we follow Meagan and Oliver in the present day, and we flash back to Meagan's younger days around the time of her mother's death. And there are shocks, big shocks, in both.

It is hard not to feel for Meagan. A young girl who saw things she should never have seen, that meant she had to grow up quickly. There was another OMG moment here, a heartrending one which brought tears to my eyes. And in the present day, we read of the awful abuse she receives from Rob. It's graphic, and made me wince more than once. Some people might struggle to read these passages.

Oliver seems sweet and naive. He's eager to please, and help where he can. He falls totally head over heels for Meagan, perhaps too quickly, and as a result he's soon contemplating some very dark deeds. And that's when things start getting really complicated!

I found this an intense and claustrophobic read. Claustrophobic because it is so focused on Meagan, Oliver and Rob - everyone else is a bit player, at least at the beginning. The story is tense, full of action and twists and is cleverly planned. There are plenty of shocks along the way, and I didn't anticipate the ending at all. I sped through it and look forward to reading more from Stuart.

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers on the tour.


The Author:

I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep. There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breath away.

I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns. My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right. This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.

I started writing two years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane. I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement. To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness. That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.

My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way. I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death. A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party. A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them.
A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.

I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.

My new thriller, Apartment Six, is released on 29th January.

I’m 45, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing. I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.


Author Social Media Links:

Website: stuartjamesthrillers.com
Twitter: @StuartJames73
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartjamesauthor/