REVIEWS OF 'EXAMINING KITCHEN CUPBOARDS':
5 Star Review by Anita Dawes and Jaye Marie 10/12/19
Starting a new job is always fraught with tension, you worry whether you will be liked, and more importantly, are you able to convince them of your competence?
Jill Hayes is met with total disdain from her new superior, so when she questions something that doesn’t seem right, she is met with hostility on many levels.
If you discover something is wrong, could you be a whistle-blower, or would you hope that someone else would do it instead?
This story has it all, corruption and greed, and an interesting cast of fascinating and true to life characters. Although Examining Kitchen Cupboards is a work of fiction at its finest, you could be forgiven for thinking it seems far too real to be comfortable, and I’m sure some of it must be based on fact, which of course, makes it all the more chilling…
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5 Star Review by D.G Kaye - 16/11/19
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3051038454?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Stevie Turner never disappoints. From her fictional family sagas to her nonfiction, and mystery/thrillers, she knows how to keep a reader engaged. In this telling book, Turner takes us into a story, which begins with Jill Hayes - a college examinations admin whose curiosity leads to her discovery that something is awry with the exams given to high school students for their college entrance exams - the questions are much too junior for the high school age level students, making it a cinch for them to get accepted to college. As Jill delves deeper into the basis for such juvenile questions, her life becomes threatened and we're taken into a whole other world of corporate greed at the expense of students' education and government funding.
Jill's personal investigations lead right to the higher ups involved in the ring, and through the unveiling of her findings, we are led into the private lives of these criminals and colorful characters, spreading beyond the discoveries into international crime, lies, affairs and ultimately, murder.
Based on a factual occurrence of the exam findings, this book had me engrossed on the topic itself, but Turner takes the situation to a whole new level with the plot and intrigue created in this story. A fun, short and engrossing read for a cozy thriller reading escape.
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5 star Review by Lucinda Clarke 9/12/19
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3078316982?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
UNEXPECTED
I was intrigued by the idea of whistle blowing, but I was not prepared for the extent to which the powers that be fought to keep their powerful secrets. A good story, short but succinct it moved quickly through the action. I shall look for more by this author. The title is clever.
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5 star Review by Jacqui Murray 4/1/20
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3119676698?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
In Stevie Turner's latest novel, Examining Kitchen Cupboards (2019), Jill Hayes takes on a new job In a college exam administration office. She had hoped it would lead to a career but quickly discovered it was much too technical for her skillset. As she struggles to learn the complicated tasks that would allow her to succeed, she stumbles upon illicit activities that she feels honor-bound to report. No one will listen--not the newspapers, the college, or even the agency responsible for the exams--until finally someone does. Things don't work out as Jill had hoped.
This is a well-told story of a whistle blower's efforts to fix a serious problem. It is told from various perspectives which adds to the depth of understanding about how complicated it can be to report actions when lots of people don't want to admit there's even a problem. It was at times difficult to read but the importance is significant--which is why it earned the 5/5.
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4 stars by Sally Cronin 7/3/20
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3221274290?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
A mystery that is thought provoking and a good read..
There is a huge amount of pressure on both schools and teachers to maintain very high standards with regard to their pupils performances in examinations. There are meant to be layers of oversight to ensure that students are taught the curriculum effectively, that examinations are fair and evaluate the student’s knowledge based on their detailed responses to the questions, and that inspections are carried out to ensure that at all stages this is carried out to the highest standard.
But what if there is collusion at every level to ensure that schools and colleges come out at the top of the leagues by dumbing down the questions to achieve high pass marks?
This is the question that temporary administrator Jill Hayes asks herself when she reads an examination paper that asks the simple question about the contents of a kitchen cupboard. A question more suitable for a six year old than a sixteen year old.
Unfortunately, delving into this worrying discovery has dire consequences, and eventually leads to a police detective on sick leave going undercover in an organisation that will stop at nothing to maintain their hold on the education system they have infiltrated and manipulated at every stage of a child’s education.
The characters are believable and the investigation gathers pace and draws you in to the search for answers. At times it becomes dangerous, as those with everything to lose become ruthless in their efforts to remove the threat to their million pound enterprise
For those reading the book, especially if you are a parent with teenagers just about to sit their final exams, it might prompt a close look at the examination process at their school and perhaps a look at last year’s papers!
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4 stars by Pete Springer 3/3/22
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4587105044?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
When Jill Hayes takes a job at Daxton College as a college exam administrator, she uncovers a scandal related to the college and their superior testing results. The students' high marks aren't associated with receiving an outstanding education but with elementary questions that children could answer. One of the questions on the exam is related to the book's title, "What would you keep in a kitchen cupboard?"
Jill realizes the test itself and the lack of oversight by any testing board are flaws in the system. She decides to turn the college and testing company in as a whistleblower. She is protected under the law not to lose her job, but Jill's primary motivation is to stop what amounts to cheating. She attempts to share her findings anonymously with the local newspaper and even a national tabloid, but they aren't willing to print her claims without a real name to the story.
What length will the parties involved go to cover up this secret? Jill continues to press and look for a way to reveal the truth, yet others will do just about anything to stop her. Several despicable characters are operating behind the scenes. Even though the story pushes the envelope of plausibility at times, I found the story compelling.
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