Blog Tour ~ Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt

Jaffareadstoo is excited to be part of the blog tour for Tick Tock 

Avon
2 May 2019
DSAllendale #2

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

TICK…

In the city of Stoke, a teenage girl is murdered in the middle of the day, her lifeless body abandoned in a field behind her school.

TOCK…

Two days later, a young mother is abducted. She’s discovered strangled and dumped in a local park.

TIME’S UP…

DS Grace Allendale and her team are brought in to investigate, but with a bold killer, no leads and nothing to connect the victims, the case seems hopeless. It’s only when a third woman is targeted that a sinister pattern emerges. A dangerous mind is behind these attacks, and Grace realises that the clock is ticking…

Can they catch the killer before another young woman dies?

The #1 bestseller returns with a breath-taking thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers.

My thoughts..

DS Grace Allendale's return to work in her home town of Stoke-on-Trent got off to a cracking start in Hush Hush which was the first book in this new crime series. In Tick Tock, DS Allendale once  again finds that she and her team of detectives have to keep one step ahead of a serial killer who is intent on targeting people who, seemingly, have no connection with each other.

The story gets off to a dramatic start and because of the emotional nature of the first case, which involves a teenage girl, Grace and her team are under huge pressure to close the investigation as quickly as possible. However, the creepy edginess and the realisation that the clock is ticking, and the many twists and turns in the plot, make this an incredibly difficult case to solve.

This is turning out to be such a great series, and with Grace Allendale's local connections adding interesting complications, there is never a moment when the tension isn't cranked up to a high level. The police procedural part of the story always feels totally authentic and I really enjoy watching how the investigative team set about cracking the, almost, impossible clues. The character detail is, as always, excellent, and there are some interesting observations into the mindset of the perpetrator which I won't spoil by giving anything away.

This crime series has such potential to run and run and I can't wait to see how Grace's character develops in future stories. If you haven't read the first book in the series then I would urge you to do so, but both books also work as standalone stories.

 

About the Author

Mel Sherratt is the author of eleven novels, all of which have become bestsellers. In 2018 she was named as one of her home town of Stoke on Trent's top influential people, she lives in Stoke on Trent with her husband and terrier, Dexter.

Twitter @writermels #TickTock

@AvonBooksUK

Blog Tour ~ Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt

Avon Books
18 October 2018
DS Grace Allendale #1

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

What's it all about..

A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.

All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.

To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?

My thoughts about it..

DS Grace Allendale knows that joining a new police investigative team is never going to be easy but what she doesn't envisage is getting drawn straight into a complicated murder mystery which involves her estranged family. The Steeles are a canny bunch, they keep their friends close and their enemies closer, and despite Grace's connection to them, she is determined to discover just how deeply her family are involved in what's going on.

The multiple strands of the investigation are woven together with a fine eye for detail and setting the story around Stoke on Trent, which is the author's home turf, certainly gives the story a really authentic feel. The steady investigation with all its many twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat and I enjoyed trying to second guess where the story was heading.

It's always exciting to be in right at the beginning of a new gritty crime series and this one certainly gets off to a flying start. There is a delicious edginess to the story which intertwines with a dark story from the past, all of which adds up to a really dark and well controlled murder mystery. There are secrets aplenty to uncover, not just about Grace and her connection to the notorious Steele family, but also amongst her detective team, who, wary of this ambitious new addition to their group, keep their own particular secrets close.

I am sure that this is just the start of many such dark investigations for DS Allendale and her team I can't wait to see where the series takes them next.

© J Barton

About the Author

Mel Sherratt is the author of eleven novels, all of which have become bestsellers. In 2018 she was named as one of her home town of Stoke on Trent's top influential people, she lives in Stoke on Trent with her husband and terrier, Dexter.

Twitter @writermels #HushHush

@AvonBooksUK