Blog Tour ~ Burned and Broken by Mark Hardie

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of the Burned and Broken Blog Tour

Peter James meets James Oswald in this gripping, gritty British crime debut

Now available in eBook

Sphere

The charred body of an enigmatic policeman – currently the subject of an internal investigation – is found in the burnt-out shell of his car on the Southend sea front.

Meanwhile, a vulnerable young woman, fresh out of the care system, is trying to discover the truth behind the sudden death of her best friend.

As DS Frank Pearson and DC Catherine Russell from the Essex Police Major Investigation Team are brought in to solve the mystery of their colleague's death, dark, dangerous secrets begin to surface. Can they solve both cases,  before it's too late?

My thoughts about the book...



The story starts with a rather brutal prologue which sets the scene for this dark and gritty crime novel which investigates the murder of a serving police officer and the unexplained the death of a vulnerable young woman who has recently left the care system. On the surface these two deaths should be unrelated but as the Essex Police Major Investigation Team find out, nothing is ever as it should be when dealing with the complexities of major crime incidents. Set in the seaside town of Southend-on -Sea, there is a definite air of faded gentility to a town that is going downhill fast, and for police investigators DS Frank Pearson and DC Catherine Russell the more they delve into the events leading up to both these deaths, the more deadly secrets they start to unravel.

As with any new police procedural crime series there is a certain amount of getting to know the major characters and both Frank Pearson and Catherine Russell are written with more than enough going on in their private lives to be able to make an emotional connection to them. However, I thought that some of the other characters lagged behind in the personality stakes a little, but that's no bad thing, as sometimes, inevitably, you will like one character above another, that's the way life goes. The police procedural element to the story is well written with more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader guessing until the end, and I must say that I enjoyed trying to second guess the investigation.


Burned and Broken is this author's debut novel and I am sure that as the series progresses we will see the writing go from strength to strength. 

Best Read With...  A few prawns, some crusty bread and a large glass of Chardonnay

About the Author

Mark Hardie was born in 1960 in Bow, East London. He began writing fulltime after completely losing his eyesight in 2002. He has completed a creative writing course and an advanced creative writing course at the Open University, both with distinction.

Mark lives with his wife Debbie in Southend-on-Sea.

Follow on Twitter @Markhardiecrime

#BurnedandBroken @TheCrimeVault

My thanks to Clara at Little, Brown for the invitation to be part of this exciting blog tour.

Burned and Broken will be out in paperback in May 2017

~***~

Review ~ Cleopatra's Shadows by Emily Holleman

Sphere
June 2016

There's just something about a well-placed Egyptian eye that conjures Cleopatra's Egypt like nothing else and yet, this book, in a refreshing twist, focuses on Cleopatra's sisters, namely Arsinoe and Berenice, who find themselves out of Cleopatra's shadow when in 58 BC Berenice usurps the throne to become the first queen of Egypt in a thousand years.  Arsinoe, then just eight years old, is in constant fear for her life as Berenice is not as supportive a sister as Cleopatra, and to Arsinoe's dismay, Cleopatra is now in exile and can no longer be of help to her.

What then follows is an atmospheric tale of two sisters who find themselves at the centre of Egyptian politics, in a court which is rife with intrigue, alive with danger and ridden with superstitions. Cleverly divided into alternate chapters, the story brings together both the elder and the younger sister thus giving vibrant life to Arsinoe and Berenice, and at the same time allowing a unique perspective into the intimate details of their lives.

As very little is known about either Berenice or Arsinoe I think that the author has done a credible job in bringing them to life so that they feel authentic, without being too contrived. Time and place is cleverly described and the opulence of living within the confines of the Egyptian court is cleverly juxtaposed against the collusion and conspiracies which lured the unsuspecting to their violent deaths.

Time and place comes alive in the imagination. The constant hint of danger, the uncertainty of life which was so easily destroyed, at whim, shows very cleverly the destructive nature of a family constantly at odds with itself. Of course, it must not be forgotten that this is historical fiction, but by blending together known facts, a fascinating story of the Ptolemaic dynasty emerges, and as I became immersed in the plots and machinations of Upper Egypt, Cleopatra’s Shadow was never very far away.

A good debut novel from a talented new author of Historical fiction.

Best Read with ..goblets of spiced Egyptian wine and platters of minted veal and honeyed duck

About the author

Emily Holleman became fascinated with Cleopatra's younger sister Arsinoe on a in 2011 trip to Egypt and has been researching and writing about the Ptolemies ever since. A graduate of Yale university, Holleman spent several years as an editor for salon.com - a job she left to follow Arsinoe and her quest for the throne of Alexandria. She lives and works in Brooklyn and is, unsurprisingly, a younger sister.

Find the author on Facebook and Twitter @emilyjholleman

Amazon UK

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book.

~***~

Review ~ The Murder Road by Stephen Booth

Sphere
5 May 2016

Cooper and Fry #15

I'm always reluctant to jump into an established series of detective novels so far down the line, because all too often the finer nuances of the characters who inhabit the story can be missed, however, putting that observation on one side, what did work, for me,  was a cleverly put together crime story which begins some eight years earlier with a catastrophic road accident. 

Jumping forward in time, another road traffic accident occurs in the tiny Peak District of Shawhead, and DI Cooper and his investigative team are faced with a complicated inquiry which seems to reveal far more questions than it does answers. A delivery lorry is found stuck under a small railway bridge and the driver seems to have disappeared, but with only an amount of blood stains to go off, the investigative enquiry seems to be ill-fated from the start. As the investigation deepens, Cooper and his team become increasingly frustrated by the lack of  co-operation from the people who live close by the accident scene.

Thanks to the author's detailed knowledge of the area, the landscape forms part of the backdrop to the story and is explained in great detail, so much so, I felt like I crossed the countryside around  the Peak District searching for clues alongside E-Division. The tiny villages and the small town mentality of its people comes across very well, and even as DI Cooper seems to meet with stony silences and insular opposition, you can’t help but be aware that a sinister mystery sits at the very heart of the story.

I found the story quite gripping and I especially liked exploring the connection between the characters and enjoyed piecing together the overall jigsaw puzzle. My only niggle was the level of geographical references, which I am sure are fascinating if you know the Peak District well, I just felt, at times,  like I was being given a written description of an ordnance survey map.

I am intrigued by the relationship between Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, so I suppose the best way to learn more about them is to start at the beginning of this excellent series.

Best Read with …a bacon and egg butty, heavy on the red sauce and a mug of tea, rich in tannin…

About the Author

Stephen Booth is the international bestselling CWA Dagger winning author of fifteen acclaimed thrillers set in the Peak District featuring Ben Cooper and Diane Fry. His sixteenth is Secrets of Death which will be published  by Sphere in June 2016. The series is currently being developed as a TV programme.

Twitter @stephenbooth

  My thanks to Sophie at edpr and Sphere for my review copy of this book.

~***~

Review ~ Devil's Bridge by Linda Fairstein...

Little Brown Books
2015

Before I start my review, it's only fair to say that even though this is book #17 in the Alexandra Cooper series, this is my first foray into the world of this New York Assistant District Attorney, so my overall opinion of the story may very well differ from a fan who has followed the series from its conception in 1996.

In this novel Alexandra Cooper has gone missing after a night out with her colleagues and it is left to NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to do their best to find her before it is too late. Obviously, the hunt for Cooper, who has over the years made a myriad of enemies, leads the investigators into dark and dangerous territory which is made all the more complicated by the fact that Chapman and Cooper are lovers.

Initially, I found the story difficult to feel comfortable with, which is largely my own fault, due to coming so late to the series, and because the unfamiliarity of the established characters made it difficult to understand why they reacted as they did. However, once I got used to their modus operandi and settled more into the story, I felt that it worked reasonably well. It is obvious that the author uses her considerable knowledge of the US justice system and writes with conviction. The tension throughout the novel is developed well and the dramatic nature of the story line has enough content to keep you guessing. I liked the New York setting and thought that this area and its criminal underworld really comes alive. 

So overall, Devil's Bridge is a good read with some sharp bursts of criminal observation which I enjoyed, but perhaps, the finer nuances of the series as a whole, without reading from the beginning, are going to be a little bit lost on me.

I'm sure that fans of the series will find much to enjoy in Devil's Bridge, which is told largely from Mark Chapman's point of view, which I think is different from previous stories.



Best read with... Coop's favourite orrechiette con broccoli rabe and a cool glass of Pinot Grigio...


About the Author

Linda Fairstein was the Assistant DA of Manhattan's sex crimes unit before taking early retirement in 2002 to concentrate on her writing. She divides her time between New York and Martha's Vineyard.

Amazon UK

My thanks to Sophie at Edpr public relations and the publishers, Sphere,  for the chance to read and review this novel.

~***~

Book Extract from Dangerous Promises by Roberta Kray

I am delighted to feature an extract from the exciting new novel by Roberta Kray

Dangerous Promises

Published by Sphere
11th February 2016

Sadie Wise has finally tracked down her husband Eddie, who left her five years ago, taking all her savings with him. Now in a new relationship, all she cares about is getting him to agree to sign the divorce papers so that she can move on. On the train to London to confront him, Sadie finds herself confiding the whole story to a stranger, Mona Farrell. In her mind, it’s a throwaway moment. In Mona’s mind, it’s a promise: she will rid her new friend of her husband, and in exchange, Sadie will kill Mona’s domineering father.

After securing the divorce, Sadie wants to put the whole experience behind her – but then she learns that just after she left, Eddie was stabbed to death. Mona took their chance encounter very seriously, and she won’t leave Sadie alone until she’s fulfilled her end of their ‘deal.’ Meanwhile, Eddie’s death has attracted the unwanted attention of the Gissings, a family Sadie doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of. They hold Sadie firmly responsible, and they want revenge.

Read this exciting snippet from Dangerous Promises.....

‘I hate men,’ Mona said, worrying on her lower lip. ‘They’re all bastards, the whole damn lot of them.’

‘Not all of them,’ Sadie said, thinking of Joel. He was a gem, sweet and smart and understanding. She still couldn’t believe her luck. After all the miserable years with Eddie, she’d wondered if she would ever be happy again. But she was happy now, except for one small fly in the ointment.

She really needed this divorce. Once she’d legally disentangled herself, she could have a fresh start in a marriage that was based on something deeper than a mutual appreciation of real ale and The Clash.

‘Have you met someone else?’

Sadie nodded. ‘Yes. He’s a nice guy, really nice. I just want to get the papers signed and move on with my life.’

Mona pulled a face as if to imply there was no such thing as a nice guy, before returning to her earlier subject. ‘My dad’s a control freak, wants to know what I’m doing every minute of the day. It’s weird. He’s weird. Actually he’s worse than that. He’s fat and vile and disgusting.’ She put her elbows on the table and stared at Sadie. ‘I wish he was dead.’

Sadie looked back at her, startled. ‘You don’t mean that.’

‘I’d kill him myself if I could get away with it. I’d creep up on him in the middle of the night and slit his throat from ear to ear.’ She made a cutting motion with the side of her hand. ‘Straight through the arteries. It wouldn’t take long. He’d be dead in minutes.’

Sadie gave an involuntary shiver. Was she serious? There was a smile tugging at the corners of the girl’s mouth, but there was also a malevolent glint in her eyes. ‘You’d spend a long time inside for that.’

‘Only if I got caught. That’s the trick you see, not to get caught.’ Mona paused, her forehead creasing into a frown.  ‘People do get away with murder. Have you ever seen that film, Strangers on a Train?’

‘I’ve read the book,’ Sadie said cautiously.

‘Oh, is there a book? I don’t read much. I don’t like reading. But it was the perfect plan, don’t you think? You get a total stranger to kill the person you hate and because they’ve got no motive, there’s no reason for the cops to ever suspect them. It’s a done deal. You could kill my father and I could

kill Eddie.’

Sadie shifted in her seat. The conversation was starting to unnerve her. ‘Except I don’t want Eddie dead. All I want is a divorce.’

‘But what if he won’t sign the papers? You might have to wait years to get it sorted. By then your new guy could have lost interest. And anyway this Eddie sounds like a real piece of work. I mean, what sort of bloke behaves like that? It’s sick.’

Sadie pulled the file back across the table, snapped it shut and stored it in her holdall. ‘It didn’t work, though, did it?’ she said in what she hoped was a suitably dismissive tone. ‘In the book, I mean. The two of them didn’t get away with it. And one of them didn’t even want his wife dead.’

‘Sometimes people don’t know what they want. And the plan only went wrong because Bruno was a drunk and didn’t stick to the rules. If there’s no communication, there’s no connection. The cops wouldn’t have anything to go on.’

Sadie had the feeling that this wasn’t the first time Mona had thought about such an arrangement. The girl, she decided, was a fantasist. Did that make her dangerous? Probably not, but it still didn’t make for comfortable listening. Thankfully the train had picked up speed again and would soon be arriving in Kellston. She tried to steer the conversation back on to neutral territory. ‘So where do you live, then?’

‘Hampstead, 12 Constance Avenue. You can’t miss it. It’s a bloody great mansion, got turrets on the roof and everything. Tennis courts, swimming pool, eight bedrooms – and there’s only the three of us living there. How ridiculous is that? And there are marble floors everywhere. I hate it. The

place is like a goddamn mausoleum.’

Sadie’s eyebrows shifted up again. ‘I dare say there are worse places. I’ve lived in some real dives in my time.’

But Mona, even if she’d heard, didn’t take any notice. ‘You know how he gets his money, don’t you? He makes guns and rockets and stuff, shit for people to kill each other with.’ Her face took on a hard, angry expression. ‘People like him shouldn’t be allowed to live. All he brings is pain and misery. I’d be doing the world a favour by getting rid. Of course the house is alarmed – he’s bloody terrified of anyone breaking in – but I know the code. I could easily turn it off.’

Sadie began to gather her things together, willing the train to get into the station. Mona was freaking her out. The sooner she was away from her the happier she’d be. Feeling the train beginning to slow, she breathed out a sigh of relief. Quickly she rose to her feet and grabbed her holdall.

‘Well, nice to meet you. Take care.’

‘I hope you find him.’

‘Thanks.’ Sadie made her way through the compartment, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder. She had a sudden fear that the girl might decide to follow her, like one of those stray dogs that attach themselves and refuse to go away. It was only when the doors opened and she was about to step out on to the platform that she risked a quick look back. The seat was empty. Mona was gone. And suddenly the whole strange encounter felt like a figment of her imagination.

©Dangerous Promises by Roberta Kray 

Published 11th February by Sphere, price £7.99 in paperback. 

Amazon UK

About the Author

Through her marriage to Reggie Kray, Roberta Kray has a unique insight into London's East End. Born in Southport, Roberta met Reggie in early 1996 and they married the following year; they were together until Reggie's death in 2000. Roberta Kray is author of the bestselling Nothing But Trouble, Strong Women, The Villain’s Daughter, Broken Home and Bad Girl. She lives in Norfolk.

Roberta Kray Author is on Facebook

Praise for Roberta Kray

‘Well into Martina Cole territory’ Independent

‘A cracking good read’ Jessie Keane

‘There can be few people better placed to write about East End gangsters than Reggie Kray’s widow Roberta, and her unique insight into the murky world of organised crime shines through in this gritty fiction thriller… Kray’s storytelling is intelligent, gripping and sure to entertain.’

News of the World

My thanks to Sophie at ED Public relations 

and to Sphere for my review copy of

Dangerous Promises 

~***~

Review ~ I Let You Go by Clare Mackinstosh

Sphere
2014

Twisty, turny, full of surprises, I Let You Go grabs you by the hand and takes you on such an adventure that you are left gasping in more than one place.

When the book was first published, I remember reading the hype about it and people's reactions to it were, in the main, very favourable, and of course, everyone mentioned that 'gasp out loud' moment....which I did my best to avoid reading about as I didn't want to see any spoilers.  Now, call me an old cynic but I thought no ..I've seen it all before , nothing truly surprises me ....well...I have to say ..hands up, I was wrong,  this one did surprise me, and wow, did it work...

For no good reason , I had initially put this book on one side, I've  had my copy for ages. You know how it is, there always seemed to be something before it which looked more interesting! And then, on a cold and rather rain swept afternoon I started I Let You Go and believe me , I didn't let it go, until I had read the entire book in the space of a few hours.

So, rather beguilingly, I'm not going to say anything more about the plot, subplot, malice ,mayhem and all the deceit that takes place in this novel, as you really need to read it, without any plot spoilers from me...

I'll just say one thing, it's really very, very good...

Best read with creamy smooth, soya lattes and spicy teacakes....

About the Author

Find the author on her website

Follow her on Twitter @claremackinst0sh

Find her on Facebook

Amazon UK

~***~

Review ~ The Traitor's Mark by D K Wilson

Sphere
March 2015

Based on the true, and rather bizarre, story which surrounds the supposed death of the Tudor court painter, Hans Holbein, who purportedly died from the effects of plague in the autumn of 1543, and yet, there is no evidence to support this theory. This second book in the Thomas Treviot series of Tudor mysteries takes Holbein's mysterious disappearance as its starting point and develops a well thought out historical whodunit set around a series of clues which take the reader on an historical adventure through Tudor London.

Thomas Treviot is a young London goldsmith, who inadvertently, whilst awaiting an important jewellery commission from Holbein, gets drawn into a world of intrigues, danger and deceit.. Holbein's disappearance on the eve of Treviot's commission unleashes a whole series of catastrophic events, which lead Treviot inexorably into the dark and dangerous world of the Spanish spy master, those deadly figures who control the puppet strings of some of the greatest names at the Tudor court of Henry VIII.

I thought that, overall, this was good historical mystery, the sights sounds and smells of Tudor England come alive in the imagination and the reader embarks on a journey into the past, a place where political intrigue at the highest level, had repercussions on those who were trying to live an ordinary life.

I enjoyed getting to know Thomas Treviot and his companions, and even though this is book two in the series, it doesn't detract from the story by reading the series out of order, as this book sits comfortably on its own.

Well worth a read if you enjoy the Shardlake mysteries by C J Sansom as this author bears favourable comparison and The Traitor's Mark sits comfortably within the historical mystery genre.

More about the author 

My thanks to Sphere Publishing and The Crime Vault for my copy of this book

Thomas Treviot #1

2014