📖 Book Review ~ The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Mirror Books
21 January 3021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

A true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small town's dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before. Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name--and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she's used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation - but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won't stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered - and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases - and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

📖 My thoughts..

Rachel Krall's true crime podcast, 'Guilty or Not Guilty, attracts much public attention especially when the case she covers is as controversial as the rape trial which is taking place in the small North Carolina town of Neapolis. Tensions are running high in this introverted place where old secrets run deep and generations of hurt lie dormant. Rachel rarely lets her public persona interfere with her personally but when she is targeted with a series of cryptic messages urging her to look into a twenty five year old mystery she becomes drawn into another Neapolis story which will have far reaching consequences.

The Night Swim is really two stories in one. In one thread we have the controversial courtroom drama in which the local golden boy is accused of raping a teenage girl who also happens to be the granddaughter of the chief of police. Media attention is high and Rachel's podcast is as popular as ever. And then, in the other thread, we have a twenty five year old mystery surrounding the death of another local teenager, one who was alleged drowned in a mysterious circumstances.

The two stories are drawn together very cleverly and the author has succeeded in making both threads equally compelling. Each story covers emotionally deep subjects which the author handles sensitively, but which highlights, especially in the courtroom sections, just how emotive and difficult a rape trial is  for victims who are subjected to even more violation by defence lawyers who seek to destroy them.

The Night Swim is a compelling crime drama by a talented author.

About the Author

Megan Goldin worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. 

Website

Twitter @megangoldin #TheNightSwim

@TheMirrorBooks

Blog Tour ~ The Weight of Small Things by Julie Lancaster

Delighted to host today's stop on this Blog Tour

Mirror Books

Kindle 28 May 2020
Paperback 6 August 2020


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

Nine-year-old Frankie Appleton likes to count gates.

One day she hopes to design the perfect gate - a gate to keep the bad things out.

Little does she know that the bad things have already got in.

Now her mother is dead, and the only other person with a house key has disappeared.

Frankie thinks she knows who it is. But first she has to prove it.

A delicately brutal exploration of what lies behind closed doors, and of the secrets and lies that form the fabric of every family, The Weight of Small Things is as charming as it is chilling.

What did I think about it..

I've never thought too much about gates other than a means to an end. You open the gate, walk through, then close the gate behind you, but for nine-year-old Frankie Appleton gates are very important indeed. They keep the bad things out and believe me there are more than enough bad things to be locking out of Frankie's life. Frankie is being roughly brought up by an indifferent mother who has more than enough mental health issues without, as Peggy sees it, the added burden of bringing up a child who, quite frankly, irritates the life out of her, and it is this challenging upbringing which makes Frankie's story all the more poignant.

Told in Frankie's remarkably mature voice, an emerging story of neglect, indifference and the trauma of loss comes through loud and clear. And yet, this is not just Frankie's story, it's also about Frankie's mother, Peggy and her troubled relationships with men, and Stella who has a connection to both Peggy and Frankie which is revealed as the story progresses. All three are strong and forceful  characters, and yet, throughout it all, it is Frankie who gives the story its heart and soul.

The Weight of Small Things puts under the literary microscope three lives which have been changed irrevocably by the tragedy of circumstance. Making the wrong decisions with the wrong men and simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time all have an impact on the way both Peggy and Stella deal with the hand that fate has given them. Frankie has her own share of angst but her remarkable ability to see the quirky aspects of life, make her such a fascinating little character, and someone who stays with you long after the story is finished.

Whilst the book is more or less a sort of whodunit, there are lots of other aspects to the story which make it more than just your average murder/mystery. I particularly enjoyed how the story flipped around in time, sometimes back in 1979 with Peggy's back-ground story and then jumping forward to be with Frankie  and occasionally, with Stella, in 1988/1989.

At times tragic, with desperation never very far away, The Weight of Small Things tugs away at your heart strings, and even though parts of it are really quite bleak in places, the absolute strength of the novel comes in the author's ability to make us smile throughout some of the more troubling parts.  It's a great debut by a talented author and I look forward to seeing what she gives us next time.

The Weight of Small Things EBook - which is released on 28th May - is currently running at 99p for the next couple of weeks to celebrate the blog tour!

Grab a copy while you can !!

Twitter #WeightofSmallThings


@TheMirrorBooks

Amazon UK

Blog Tour ~ Code Name : Lise by Larry Loftis

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's Blog Tour stop

Mirror Books
20 February 2020

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

The year is 1942, and World War II is in full swing. Odette Sansom decides to follow in her war hero father’s footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and one plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission. It is here that she meets her commanding officer Captain Peter Churchill. 

As they successfully complete mission after mission, Peter and Odette fall in love. All the while, they are being hunted by the cunning German secret police sergeant, Hugo Bleicher, who finally succeeds in capturing them. 

They are sent to Paris’s Fresnes prison, and from there to concentration camps in Germany where they are starved,beaten, and tortured. But in the face of despair, they never give up hope, their love for each other, or the whereabouts of their colleagues. 

This is a portrait of true courage, patriotism and love amidst unimaginable horrors and degradation.

What did I think about it..

In 1942 Odette Sansom is a thirty year old mother of three young girls when she decides that she has a moral obligation to do whatever she can to help save her native France. This decision, not easily made, sees Odette’s transformation from an ordinary housewife in rural Somerset, into, Code name : Lise, a fully operational SOE agent working undercover in the most dangerous areas of occupied France. Her connection with her commanding officer, Captain Peter Churchill, will be momentous for both of them.

I’m ashamed to say that prior to reading this excellent biography I knew nothing of Odette Sansom and so it was with an air of incredulity that I read of her remarkable exploits and of her absolute commitment to her role as special agent. She was a remarkable woman, brave, intrepid, fearless beyond measure, and doing her utmost to survive in a tormented world, however, it is her personal relationship with Peter Churchill which reveals both her passion and absolute strength of character.

The author fully immerses the reader in all of Odette’s ordeals, capturing the essence of her strong personality in some graphic and brutal situations which were, at times, extremely difficult to Read. However, reading of such horrors, particularly of her incarceration in Ravensbruck concentration camp, only serves to reiterate just how much Odette’s bravery, courage and tenacity contributed to her ultimate survival.

Beautifully written, and as fast paced as any WW2 fiction, this fascinating biography is a remarkable tribute to this very brave and inspirational young woman who became WW2’s most highly decorated spy.

About the Author

Larry Loftis is the international bestselling author of the nonfiction spy thrillers CODE NAME: LISE – The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy and Into the Lion’s Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov – World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real Life Inspiration for James Bond.

Website

Twitter @LarryLoftis #CodeNameLise

@TheMirrorBooks

Book Review ~ Poisoned at the Priory by Antony M Brown

Mirror Books
23 January 2020

Cold Case Jury #4

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Balham, 1876. When the newly-wed barrister Charles Bravo ingests a rare poison, all evidence suggests suicide. But in one of the most infamous inquests of all time, a coroner finds it to be an unlawful murder. So what really happened that day? 

With dramatic reconstructions of four main theories on how Bravo may have died, this fourth book in the popular 'Cold Case Jury' series picks apart the notorious case that gripped Victorian Britain - and continues to spark debate to this day.

Why did Bravo refuse any help, even when going through agonising pain? Was his wife, with her scandalous past, to blame? Or perhaps it was her ex-lover, jealous of her newfound happiness… or another sinister hand, moving silently?

What did I think about it..

I think what's so intriguing about this cold case crime is that since the unsolved death of newly wed barrister Charles Bravo in 1876 so many people have tried to figure out just whether a murder had indeed been committed, or whether the victim was,an alleged suicide.

In Poisoned at the Priory there's a comprehensive breakdown of the alleged crime, along with transcripts from witnesses and descriptions of exhibits used in the subsequent inquests, all of which add up to a meticulous examination of the clues and facts as they were presented to the Victorian jury. Also at the time of the inquest into Charles Bravo's death there was an unprecedented interest with all the popular newspapers carrying items of scurrilous gossip and dubious facts. The author puts forward a very comprehensive case, explaining the situation in intricate detail so that the lives of Charles Bravo, and his new wife, Florence, are opened up to scrutiny, and the scattered clues which ooze piece by piece help to bring their individual stories to life. So many times I thought I had the perpetrator, if there was one, into the frame, only for another theory to be put forward so that by the end of the story, there are still at least four possible solutions. However, I have come to my decision...and when you come to your decision head over to Cold Case Jury and leave your verdict!

Poisoned at the Priory is the fourth book in this Cold Case Jury series and whilst I haven't read the previous three books, something I plan to rectify as soon as possible, each of the books are complete standalone and describe, in great detail, a different unsolved crime in each book. 

Recommended : Yes, if you enjoy reading True Crime and following clues to make up your own mind ✔

Cold Case Jury Collection:

The Green Bicycle Mystery: The curious death of Bella Wright

Death of an Actress: A true story of sex, lies and murder on the high seas

Move to Murder

About the Author

Antony M. Brown's books are perfect for the armchair detective. He takes a cold case crime from British history, paints an intricate picture of the main characters while weaving in social history, and presents the reader with different scenarios leading up to the murder. He displays the evidence - both original and anything that has since come to light - and ends with his personal opinion of the likely outcome. The reader is then invited to give their own verdict via his website and become a member of the Cold Case Jury.

Antony's previous titles Move To Murder, Death of an Actress and The Green Bicycle Mystery are all standalone cases of unsolved British murders.

Website

Twitter @TheMirrorBooks

MirrorBooks

Blog Tour ~ A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on A Death in Chelsea Blog Tour

Mirror Books
14 March 2018

My thanks to Melanie at Mirror Books for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

Set against the backdrop of WW1, Mayfair 100 is the telephone number for a small, specially-formed crime fighting team based in a house in Mayfair. 

A call comes through to Mayfair 100, where the intrepid team of investigators eagerly await their next case. 

A society gossip queen has been found hanged in her room in mysterious circumstances. Her enemies are numerous – and her family are convinced she was murdered. Can the group uncover the truth in a case that twists and turns to delight and terrify its readers.

My thoughts..

Cleverly combining social history, and particularly the effects on the country during WW1, A Death in Chelsea is a continuation of the cosy crime series which began with A Murder in Belgravia. This story continues the association between the colourful characters who make up the investigative team known, quite simply as Mayfair 100. Before the story begins there's a great introduction to the Mayfair 100 series, and particularly to the characters,  which is really helpful if you haven't read the first book.

The story opens with a woman's death in the affluent area of Chelsea, first reports suggest that this society gossip has taken her own life, but as the investigation gets underway, it becomes obvious that this is not a clear cut conclusion. What then follows is an intricate, and lively, investigation which takes the team into some dark places and uncovers secrets, and lies, which have a real bearing on the outcome of the story.

Mayfair 100 is a really interesting idea for a crime series as there's such an authentic historical feel to the story which reflects what was happening in the country during 1915. It was a time of great social change with the old values of the aristocracy being challenged as more and more of the working classes were either joining the army or, in the case, of women leaving domestic service to work in the more lucrative industries which were actively recruiting women.

I enjoyed the hidden complexities of A Death in Belgravia, and the many twists and turns in the plot were handled well and kept me guessing. I enjoyed watching how the team played to their individual strengths, using their unique skill mix to great effect as they each try to unravel the complicated clues which surround this mysterious death in Chelsea. 

This is the second book in the Mayfair 100 Mystery series and I'm sure we're going to see a lot more of this investigative team in future crime stories.

About the Author

Lynn Brittney has been a writer for almost 30 years. Murder in Belgravia is her first crime novel. Her second novel was included in the UK Government’s Recommended Reading List for Boys and described by the Daily Telegraph: “furious swordplay, tremendous chases, atmospheric journeys and wince-inducing reminders that this was an age before anaesthetics.

Website

Twitter @LynneBrittney2 #ADeathInChelsea

@TheMirrorBooks

Amazon UK

🎄 Fabulously Festive with Jane Lovering 🎄

In the run up to Christmas, I have wonderful author interviews to help get you into the festive spirit

Here's the fabulous, Jane Lovering

Photo Credit : Vienna Johnson

A warm festive welcome, Jane and thank you so much for being our guest today

 🎅What’s your earliest Christmas Memory?

I’d probably have to say that it would be my mum and dad decorating the living room with paper chains and balloons and getting our (tiny) Christmas tree out of its box to put in its pride of place on the coffee table in the corner. Although this happened every year so I couldn’t pinpoint how old I would have been when it first happened! But I do remember those paperchains were always inadequately attached, so every morning they’d be down and draped over the furniture in new and interesting ways.

🎅Do you have any special Christmas Traditions?

We like to spread out the present opening throughout the day. So there’s small presents on getting up, then another round of opening mid morning, more at lunch time and then the final presents are usually opened in the evening. I started this ritual when the children were small, to make sure that Christmas wasn’t one frantic round of ripped paper and squealing and then an anti-climax for the rest of the day!

🎅What’s your favourite festive carol or song?

This is a dead-heat between ‘Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel’ and ‘The Holly and the Ivy’. Of course, when you sing as badly as I do, my carols have to be listened to alone, in the kitchen. With the door shut. And the house empty.

🎅Do you have a favourite festive film?

Oh, there’s another dead-heat! The Muppets’ Christmas Carol and The Amazing Mr Blunden. Both brilliant for getting in the Christmas spirit, if you’re feeling a bit lacklustre about the whole thing.

🎅What’s your favourite festive read?

Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising. I first read it when I was about ten, and it’s part of a fantasy novel series, but it focusses around the Christmas period. There’s lots of snow, a huge family, and a vague hint of menace in the background. Just like my family Christmases, really.

🎅Are you organised or do you leave everything until the last minute?

I brought my five children up as a single parent, on very little money. This meant that the expense of Christmas had to be spread as far as possible and I learned to buy bits and pieces throughout the year. Nowadays I’m a bit less keen on making lists and ticking things off, but I get twitchy if I haven’t got at least a vague idea about presents by mid November. I never make my mind up what we’re having for Christmas dinner until the last minute though!

🎅Christmas tree – real or artificial?

Real, all the way! But then I’m lucky and my house is quite large, so there’s room for a proper, spreading, needle-shedding six foot tree.

🎅Tinsel or Glitter?

Ooh, neither. I don’t really go much for sparkle, I’m more of your hygge, pinecones and hessian type of person. Besides, see my above comment about being mum to five – I’ve done my time with ‘everything with glitter on’…

🎅Christmas cracker or party popper?

Crackers, with dinner. The daft jokes, silly hats and rubbish gifts are part of Christmas, aren’t they?

🎅Mince Pie or Yule Log?

Yule log. I don’t like pastry. Although I do make a very nice mince pie, using my mum’s orange pastry recipe (although I say it’s my mum’s recipe she probably lifted it from St Delia), I don’t eat them. I know they’re nice because people tell me. Actually, if they didn’t say they were nice, I’d probably hit them with a yule log.

🎅Christmas Dinner – Traditional Turkey, Nut Roast Veggie or something a bit different?

We have a chicken, a beef joint and a gammon. Yes, all at once. Some don’t like chicken, others only eat beef, and some are just greedy buggers. Plus, plenty of left-overs so I don’t have to cook for ages after Christmas!

🎅Christmas Tipple – Bucks Fizz/Mulled Wine or something stronger?

I’m usually working on Boxing Day, so I try not to indulge in more than the occasional glass of Prosecco during the day. If I’m not working though, I am all over the Rhubarb and Ginger gin!

🎅A fun game of after dinner charades or more chocolates and the television?

Dog owner. So walks. Lots of walks.

🎅What can you tell us a little about Christmas Secrets by the Sea without giving too much away?

Well, there’s two dogs, a grumpy Irish TV star, a camper van and a café in trouble. Add in a heroine who’s lost her business and a lot of really terrible weather, and I think you can see that it’s not a traditional Christmas story!

Farrago Books
13 December

 

Sometimes you don’t get the Christmas presents you imagined… Tansy Merriweather is down on her luck. She’s lost her business and her relationship, and instead of a glamorous London apartment, her home is now a campervan on a Dorset beach. And as if things couldn’t get any worse, a scruffy dog called Brian with a taste for sardines has adopted her as his owner. When Tansy’s new-found friends at the cafe in the bay help her find a job as a location scout for a new TV show, things start looking up. However, she soon discovers that the show’s glamorous star, Davin O’Riordan, is as grouchy as he is handsome – and just as Brian starts forging a touching romance with Davin’s elegant whippet Seelie, Tansy begins to wonder exactly what Davin’s fans see in him. As Christmas approaches, Tansy and Davin discover each other’s secrets, and a new bond begins to grow between them. But how will they cope with the storms headed their way – and can they save the cafe from closing?

My thoughts about it..

Christmas Secrets by the Sea has all the right ingredients for a fabulously festive read, a kind hearted heroine, down on her luck, an aloof TV star with a hidden heart of gold, two daft dogs, a rusty old camper van and a dilapidated, but cosy, seaside cottage, which, when all are stirred together, help to add a beautiful warmth to the story. However, the hidden secrets which plague both lead characters, most certainly tug away at your heartstrings.

Tansy Merriweather and her delightfully daft dog, Brian, really stole the show. Brian's antics and his predilection for sardines and seaweed and his amorous chasing of the beautifully named whippet, Seelie, made me laugh out loud. And yet, I also warmed to the rather delicious, TV star, Davin O'Riodan, who had his own long buried problems to work through.

This isn't your usual festive read, true, it has references to Christmas, but it really is one of those beautifully written stories which can be read at any time of year. The author has created two really memorable characters in both Tansy and Davin, and throughout the whole of the story you just can't help wanting the best for both of them. The other characters who flit into and out of the story, especially Karen, from the cafe and her son, Rory, help to balance out the story and give some wonderful moments of light and shade.

Christmas Secrets by the Sea is a really lovely story and perfect to read in the lull between Christmas and New Year. I'm sure you'll love all the characters, especially Brian, as much as I did.

About the Author

Jane Lovering is a British writer of Romance Novels. She won the RoNA Rose (Love Story of the Year) Award 2017 and is shortlisted for the RoNA Romantic Comedy Award 2018.

Website

Twitter @janelovering #ChristmasSecrets

@farragobooks 

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🎄 Happy Christmas 😊

🎄 Review ~ Love in the Dales Series~ Mary Jayne Baker

 

Mirror Books

A Bicycle Made for Two ( Love in the Dales #1 -  5 April, 2018)

In a lost corner of the Yorkshire Dales, Lana Donati runs a medieval theme restaurant, Here Be Flagons, with her brother. When she hatches a plan to boost business by getting the Grand Départ route to pass through their village, the small community must work together to convince the decision-makers they’re Tour material. Not easy when the cast of characters involved includes Lana’s shy, unlucky-in-love brother Tom, man-eating WI chair Yolanda, bickering spouses Gerry and Sue, arrogant TV star Harper Brady, and Lana’s arch-nemesis, former pro-cyclist turned bike shop owner Stewart McLean, whose offbeat ideas might just cost them everything.

My thoughts about it..

This was just the most delightful story and a great introduction to the Love in the Dales series. From the deliciously quirky medieval themed restaurant run by brother and sister duo, Tom and Lana Donati, so aptly named 'Here be Flagons', to the  uncertainty surrounding the proposed route of the Grand Départ, there is such a sense of warmth and good humour that I found myself smiling and laughing at some of the village antics. To have the prestigious cycle race pass through this small Yorkshire village would give the area such an enormous economic boost and in the quest to be chosen, the villagers must do all they can to raise their profile and it is the shenanigans along the way which make for a lively and entertaining read.

The characters are delightful, they're such an eclectic mixture of the quirky, bizarre and heart warmingly gorgeous that you can't help but bond with them all. I loved Bicycle Made for Two, it made me cry a little but laugh a whole lot more.

Perfect Fit ( Love in the Dales #2 - 21 September, 2018)

After years living in London, costume shop owner Becky Finn is trying to build a new life for herself and fiancé Cole in her old home of Egglethwaite, a sleepy village in the Yorkshire Dales.

Keen to raise funds for the struggling village hall she loved as a child, Becky soon finds herself at the head of a colourful group intent on resurrecting Egglethwaites Christmas pantomime. But, as she quickly discovers, there's more to panto than innuendo and slapped thighs.

As opening night grows closer, Becky starts to wonder if her embattled panto will ever make it to the stage and, with handsome co-star Marcus on the scene, if she's picked the right man for her after all.

My thoughts about it..

If you've read Bicycle Made for Two then The Perfect Fit will be a welcome return to some of the characters, however, it's not essential to have read the first book in the Love in the Dales series as this story works equally well as a stand alone.

Becky Finn has returned to her home village of  Egglethwaite to try and make a new life with her fiancé, Cole. Becky fits into village life much easier than Cole, and when Becky volunteers to help to organise the village pantomime, Cole, always an outsider, really struggles to find his comfort zone and Becky's cheeky little relationship with the handsome, Marcus, doesn't help !

The Perfect Fit continues the village theme which started in book one of the series and it is a delightful mix of showcasing the best of village life with all of its petty squabbles and warm companionship, and yet, it also highlights just how difficult it can be to settle somewhere different in a place where everyone knows each other. There's a lovely seasonal aspect to this story, and the run up to the Pantomime, with all of its many problems, makes it all such a perfect fit for this time of year.

This series has such potential to run and run and I really look forward to seeing where the characters in these delightful stories will take us to next.

About the Author

Mary Jayne Baker grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country . . . and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back, with her own romantic hero in tow, to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.

Website 

Twitter @MaryJayneBaker #LoveintheDales

@TheMirrorBooks

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Blog Tour ~ Motherland by G D Abson

Jaffareadstoo is excited to feature on Day 8 of the Motherland Blog Tour

Mirror Books
26 April 2018

My thanks to Mirror Books for my copy of this book and for the invitation to be part of the blog tour

Whats it all about..

The first in a gripping series of crime novels set in the dark heart of St Petersburg, featuring sharp, yet compromised policewoman, Captain Natalya Ivanova. 

Student Zena Dahl, the daughter of a Swedish millionaire, has gone missing in St Petersburg (or Piter as the city is colloquially known) after a night out with a friend. 

Captain Natalya Ivanova is assigned the case, making a change for Natalya from her usual fare of domestic violence work, but, because of the family’s wealth, there’s pressure for a quick result. As she investigates she discovers that the case is not as straightforward as it may seem. 

Dark, violent and insightful, MOTHERLAND twists and turns to a satisfyingly dramatic conclusion.

My thoughts about it..

From Motherland’s extremely dramatic prologue, set in 1999, the action then moves forward to 2017, to the Russia of Vladimir Putin, and to the corrupt police department in St Petersburg, or Piter as it is known colloquially by its inhabitants. Captain Natalya Ivanova, a police detective working in the serious crime unit of the Criminal Investigations Directorate, is given the task of searching for a missing teenager, whose wealthy Swedish father seems rather uncommunicative, preferring to liaise with the police via his assistant, rather than step foot on Russian soil.

The mystery at the heart of the story works well and there are lots of twists and turns and several red herrings before the final dramatic dénouement is revealed. Time and place come alive and there is a distinct feeling of secrecy and corruption taking place, not just at the highest level, but also amongst the rank and file of the police department. I don’t often read police procedural novels set in such a rich and vibrant culture but I was genuinely pleased, once I got used to the Russian names, at just how quickly the characters started to come alive in my imagination. I really liked Natalya Ivanova, she’s a gutsy and determined protagonist, frequently frustrated by her male counterparts and constantly restricted by the prejudice of a law enforcement system which has little regard for its female employees. Even Natalya’s husband, Mikhail, who I’m afraid I didn’t like very much, has more than his share of secrets. Interestingly, Natalya’s domestic arrangements form a fascinating part of the story, which sets the scene really nicely for further exploration of her home life in future novels. 

Motherland is the first book in a new crime series starring Natalya Ivanova and this first thrilling adventure certainly gets the series off to an exciting start.

I can’t wait to see what happens next for Captain Natalya Ivanova.

About the Author

G. D. ABSON works as a freelance business analyst and lives in the South West of England. He has cultivated contacts in the St Petersburg police force in order to write this novel, and has more Natalya Ivanova crime novels planned.

Twitter @garry_abson #Motherland

@TheMirrorBooks

Amazon UK