All Fall Down: The Gripping D.I. Helen Grace Thriller (Di Helen Grace)

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Allison Weiss got her happy ending: a handsome husband, an adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician's office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder: Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class, or if your husband ignores you? She tells herself that the pills help her make it through her days; but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that's becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all? Both parents idolize Berry-berry and focus so much displaced affection and attention on him to the detriment of younger son, Clinton. He is left without much direction and the illusions about his older brother. The man is a complete stranger to the Turners, the reason for his choosing their home apparently nothing more than coincidence as they were the only one of their neighbours home that afternoon. But it is soon clear that someone in the family is hiding something, a secret which may be the reason the man was found at their door. A warning. But the words sound cheap, and inadequate. All over England, people like Beatrice and I are standing by grave-mouths, saying the same things to those they have lost. Claire is a hostage negotiator who is sent it to deal with the situation. There is more to the story than meets the eye and soon Rafe and Claire are on the run to save the lives of a family member and possibly the entire country.

and people will die. horribly. from three different plagues; the bubonic, the septicemic, and pneumatic. all of which are horrifying, and two of which are gruesome. As the novel makes clear, the plague’s aftermath has a strange upside. Because so many people have died, women now have an opportunity to fill positions formerly only taken by men. Because many lords have been wiped out, their villeins are free from feudal servitude and can go elsewhere to seek a better life for themselves and their families. Rob Turner, his wife Wendy and their three children are like any normal family, their son Josh is at university and the other children still live at home. Down” is definitely intense, full of action and drama, but it is also violent and terrifying (for its realism). The disturbing nature of humans comes full-force in this novel, which makes it all the more haunting. Bale writes masterfully, and leaves no stone unturned or question unanswered. The members of the Turner family are real and dysfunctional (making them relatable) and the reader immediately bonds with all of them- especially the youngest, Georgia. Even when all their secrets are revealed, a reader wants them to succeed. In the second half of the book, they take a family vacation to an isolated old house, far away from other humans, where no one can hear them scream. Guess what happens there.

Clinton’s illusions are slowly being dispelled when he goes to rescue Berry-berry from his most recent legal problems and try to invest in a most likely non-existent shrimping business. I don't think there's one negative thing I could say about All Fall Down. I simply could not put it down. If I had to choose one thing to dislike, it would have to be how snarky, or above it all, Allison could be at times. But then again, denial is a beautiful thing, not just the river. My first thought as I reviewed this book is that there was no time to breath. The storyline starts with a huge action scene, and then goes to the next big scene.Then something more exciting happens. Once again Julie has written characters that you like and care about right from the beginning. This doesn't mean that her characters are without flaws, but she gives many reasons to care about them. Rafe and Claire have real chemistry from the start. With everything that is happening in the story, kidnappings, terrorist activity etc. there is no time for courtship found in a typical romance, but they still manage to start caring about each other deeply. This story is told from the point of view of 14 year old Isabel. She has a father, step mother, sister and many brothers. She even has a boyfriend ( par for the course for a YA novel). Isabel’s family lives in a feudal system, that is, they are not free people. They are owned and must work for their master plowing the fields. When the plague hits, half the population dies. There are few people left to work the fields and even their master dies. All of a sudden, life changes radically for Isabel. She is a free person, has very little friends and family left, and must bury her dead. However, after all of this happens, she is free! Read about what happens to Isabel! This is a wonderful story that I really enjoyed, even though the topic is very morbid. I really enjoyed this fictional addiction story, Allison has high expectations of herself and finds herself in the rabbit hole of using a substance to fill the void. From the outside looking in, she has it relatively easy, a nice house, a nice enough husband and a job she likes.

As they try to put the events behind them, strange things start to happen, is it their imagination or are there sinister reasons, but what? Wow! And then some more Wow! It has actually taken me a whole 24 hours since finishing this book to be able to form some sort of thought process about it! And I haven’t even been able to start another book which is rather unheard of for me! Yes, I have had a MAJOR book hangover! Be warned though, no details are spared. I probably don’t need to tell you that this book is extremely grim and incredibly moving.That said, I don't know if Weiner can write a main character who isn't snarky about others, unhappy that she is/was overweight, and/or has a free floating anger about not being recognized as someone who is as talented as she is. It's just gotten old. and uninteresting. I was so nervous when reading All Fall Down --I oftentimes had to take breaks from reading because I would get to a point where my heart was beating out of my chest in fear of what might happen. The Turner family is falling apart due to secrets and lies. Rob and Wendy are on the brink of separating. Rob’s HVAC business is finally recovering after the embezzlement of his former partner, but he had to go into a secret partnership with a shady new partner. The twins, Evan and Josh and their adopted daughter, Georgia are all having problems of their own. Well to be honest I'm finding it hard to put in words after feeling so traumatized...... I found myself shaking from the impact this book has had on me!!! Most of you know what a big fan I am of Tom Bale after reading See How they Run and I couldn't wait wait to get my hands on a copy of this. I honestly didn't think Tom could smash it again but he truly has…. The characterisations are, as always, spot on. Rob and his wife Wendy are going through their own troubles, ones which are not helped by the arrival of the stranger at their door. The distant nature of their relationship is subtle and yet effective. Their children are equally dysfunctional. Twins Evan and Josh are chalk and cheese. Josh is absent, reluctant to speak to his family or commit to their holiday - a clear division existing between him and his parents - whereas Evan is almost the perfect son, supportive of his family and keen to act as peacemaker. Their daughter, Georgia, has demons from her own past, the exact nature of which is slowly built up throughout the story. And as for the manic idealism with which the gang view their deranged leader and the indecision they show without his guidance, it is wholly believable.

All Fall Down was no different. I finished the book in a day, and I genuinely interested in Allison's story of addiction. I did find it hard to be empathetic for her. I do empathize with people who have addictions; it is a disease. But the decisions that led Allison to a place of addiction seemed unbelievably naive for a smart, savvy woman. And, at times, the story didn't ring true for me. A doctor, these days, would prescribe oxycontin over the phone? What? I was barely prescribed Vicodin after a week-long bout of debilitating pelvic pain. I have not read any of Jennifer Weiner's other books however I had certainly heard of her and I have been curious for some time. I was overjoyed when the opportunity arose to read her latest work. I have to say it was truly worth the wait.The Williams family is odd. Apparently set in the 1950s, the house they live in is described as the “special” house that exists in every neighborhood where the inhabitants are also “special,” or at least different. This one is on Seminary Street in Cleveland, Ohio. This odd family is the subject of this odd book, “All Fall Down” written by James Leo Herlihy, as his first novel. Rob has had business dealings with some very shady characters, and the thought enters his head that maybe this man was dumped here deliberately as a warning, but, whether that is true or not, Rob and his family will live to regret trying to help this dying man. If reading a book about the plague is off-putting, and it is a bit grim in places, I would still wholeheartedly recommend reading this one. The characters, their relationships, the setting, the era would really take your mind off things if you’re feeling a bit squeamish.

After deciding to escape to their holiday home by the coast and salt marshlands, they hope they can put the few days behind them.The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires. All Fall Down is a twisted psychological thriller that kept me on my toes! It was unpredictable and filled with twists and turns.