📖 Book Tour ~ Before She Fell by Natalie Sammons

 

Bloodhound Books
10 June 2024

Thanks to the publishers and Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

An ostentatious party descends into violence—and a disgraced cop sets out to redeem herself by solving the case . . .

Susan Grey’s fiftieth birthday party promised to be a talked-about event—an over-the-top extravagant gathering of a hundred guests at her sprawling Georgian home. But it would be talked about for all the wrong reasons . . .

From an escalated argument to the disappearance of an expensive piece of jewelry, the party was quickly spiraling out of control. But the worst was yet to come, when Susan suffered a horrific fall down the grand staircase. Was it an accident or was she pushed?

For DI Grace Roth, relegated to desk duty due to an internal investigation, this could be a high-profile case and a chance to redeem herself. But every lead seems to send her in circles. As the badly injured Susan lies in her hospital bed, DI Roth must try to gather the scattered pieces of the puzzle and make them fit—before anyone else gets hurt.

📖 My Review..

Susan Grey wants her fiftieth birthday party to be something really special and has pulled out all the stops to make the evening memorable. However, it becomes unforgettable for a rather different reason as Susan suffers a devastating accident. With no-one around to see Susan fall it is assumed it is a tragic accident but DI Grace Roth, newly returned to the investigative team, thinks that there is more to this accident and sets out to discover just what happened on the night of Susan's party.

Filled with twists, turns, and red herrings we are given the story from Susan's perspective, as it starts months before the actual party, whilst at the same time we witness the way in which DI Roth goes about piecing together all the clues. Fastidious and meticulous the young detective has much to prove and so she is determined to discover just went on that night and why Susan Grey went spiralling down her grand staircase. Accident, or attempted murder, all is revealed in this cleverly put together 'whodunnit'. 

I enjoyed the pace of the story as it evolves with just the right amount of mystery, the characters are well drawn, some I liked more than others but that's what makes the book appealing. There was a satisfying conclusion to the mystery and, I think, that there's definitely a door left open for DI Roth to return in the future.

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📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Man Who Didn't Burn by Ian Moore

 

Duckworth
12 October 2023

Juge Lomard Mystery #1

My thanks to the publisher and Laura Sherlock PR for my copy of this book

A KILLER. A SAINT. A TOWN FULL OF WHISPERS

When an English expat is brutally murdered, his charred corpse left on a Loire Valley hillside, the police turn to juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard to find the perpetrator.

Instead, Lombard discovers a wealth of secrets, grudges and feuds in the idyllic town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. He begins to suspect that the remaining members of the Comité des Fêtes know more about the death than they are letting on.

But rather than towards an arrest, each clue he uncovers seems to point in one, unexpected Joan of Arc. Is the answer to the murder hiding in the barroom gossip of the Lion d’Or? Or in another century altogether?

The thrilling new crime series from The Times -bestselling author of Death and Croissants.

📖 My Review..

Having a crime story set abroad has been interesting as the criminal investigation system is quite different to the UK so although it took me a little while to understand the investigative hierarchy it did give me the opportunity to witness how things are done in France. The story starts with a distressing opening first chapter which sets the scene for an investigation which is about to test those involved to their absolute limits.

Juge Matthieu Lombard is on compassionate leave when he is asked to return to work in order to take the lead in a perplexing murder investigation which sees him back working with Commissaire Guy Aubrey who, as head of the Brigade Anti-Criminalité (BAC), is the first officer at the scene of this brutal murder. That these two men have a shared, and rather complicated, history is obvious which adds an extra layer to the story dynamic. Lombard is an interesting protagonist, definitely a flawed character, with secrets and shadows in his past, he is looked upon with some suspicion by his superiors and known as someone who does things his own way. However, Lombard, with his French/English nationality, is the best choice to investigate why an English ex-pat has been so brutally murdered in the sleepy French town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire.

I have enjoyed the slower pace of this investigation and the way the author brings everything to life in a detailed way without ever over-complicating the police procedural parts of the story. The sleepy quiet of the little French town, and the way everyone seems to know each other’s business, is done really well and there’s a distinct French feel to the story, which I enjoyed observing. The intricacies of the investigation seem to be centred around the Joan of Arc legend and this brings an interesting twist to what is, after all, a complex murder mystery.

The Man Who Didn’t Burn is the first in a proposed new crime series and this first book certainly sets the standard high and gets the series off to a good start. I look forward to meeting with Juge Matthieu Lombard again soon.

About the Author

Ian Moore is a leading stand-up comedian and writer, He lives in rural France and commutes back tot he UK every week. In his spare time he makes mean chutneys and jams. He is the author of the best selling Follet Valley series of mysteries,  as well as two memoirs on life in France contrasting with life on the road in the UK, À la Mod:My so called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France and C'est Modifique: Adventures of an English Grump in Rural France.

Twitter @IanMooreAuthor

@DuckBooks

@LauraSherlock21

📖 Publication Day Book review ~ The Lies She Told by Lynda Renham

Bloodhound Books
5 July 2023

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

A brutal attack in a quiet English village sets one police detective against another, in this thriller by the bestselling author of Remember Me.

In the quiet Cotswold village where DS Beth Harper has lived for most of her life, the crime rate is extremely low, and that’s how everyone likes it. Then, soon after her new boss, DI Tom Miller, arrives from London, a local schoolteacher is brutally attacked and left for dead in her home. The victim—a friend of Beth’s—remembers nothing.

Beth finds herself clashing with Tom and worrying that a recent tragedy will affect his judgement as a police officer. But there may be an even bigger question: Is it a burglary gone wrong that’s turned the village upside down—or could the violence be connected to something far more deadly?

📖 My Review.

It seems that nothing much happens in the sleepy Oxfordshire village of Stonesend until DI Tom Miller is transferred there and then, suddenly, things seem to go sharply wrong when Kate Marshal, a local school teacher is brutally attacked in her home. DS Beth Harper is at first resentful of the arrival of Tom Miller because as her senior officer he encroaches on what Beth considers to be her patch, especially as the Stonesend villagers are well known to her and the woman now fighting for her life is Beth's best friend.

Intelligently woven within the police investigation into Kate Marshall's attack is the story of Mae and Blanche Lethbridge, a mother and daughter who also live in Stonesend and who seem to have more than their share of troubles. Their individual stories become more and more fascinating as the mystery continues. 

Beautifully written, with fascinating characters who all seem to have something to hide, I raced through the story in quick time, eager to put together all the jigsaw puzzle pieces of this clever crime thriller. By the end of the story, I could quite easily see this developed into a crime series as I am sure there is more to explore in the relationship between DI Tom Miller and DS Beth Harper.

The cleverness of the plot, and the tense, and at times, quite shocking revelations certainly make The Lies She Told into an intriguing and tightly plotted mystery.

About the Author

Lynda Renham is author to many popular romantic comedy and gripping psychological thriller novels. She lives in Oxford, UK. She has appeared on BBC radio discussion programs and is a prolific blogger, Twitter and when not writing can usually be found wasting her time on Facebook.

Twitter @Lyndarenham #TheLiesSheTold

Blog

Amazon UK

@Bloodhoundbooks

 

📖 Publication Day Review ~ Hope to Die by Cara Hunter

Penguin
Paperback 18 August 2022

DI Adam Fawley #6

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this novel

When a body is found in a farmhouse in a gruesome state, DI Adam Fawley is one of the first on the scene. The murder leads Fawley to a convoluted investigation from the past, and a family torn apart by a devastating crime involving the disappearance of a child.

Can Fawley piece together the facts of history with the clues in the present? Sometimes the truth is the hardest answer to face up to...

📖 My Review..

From the start of this series we have observed DI Adam Fawley's life in various stages, sometimes sad, sometimes crazily mixed up, occasionally misdirected, but always absorbing, so it's a real pleasure in Hope to Die to see him enter a more settled period in his life. However, that doesn't mean that his professional life is any less exciting, far from it as Hope to Die hits the ground running with a gruesome discovery in an isolated farmhouse. The elderly couple who live at Gantry Manor are naturally bewildered by what appears to be a burglary gone wrong at their rural hideaway but there's something about Mr and Mrs Swann which just doesn't quite add up. As always, Fawley and his team are soon on the case and are determined to leave no stone unturned and no clue uninvestigated but even these hardened detectives are unprepared for what they are about to discover about the couple at Gantry Manor.

I raced through Hope to Die at top speed, not because it's light on content, far from it, it's just that once started it's very easy to become so immersed that you don't notice time passing. I love the speed of the story, the way it enfolds you, quickens your imagination and all credit to this talented writer for keeping everything so realistic, from police interviews, emails, news and Netflix documentary transcripts it reads like a true crime broadcast. There are twists and turns aplenty, lots of emotional content, and a family drama which reveals its secrets ever so slowly but when all is revealed it makes you gasp out loud.

Clever , sophisticated, and brilliant, long may DI Adam Fawley and his team reign supreme. I'm already looking forward to the seventh in the series, and beyond, as this creative author has the unique ability to keep the stories fresh and true, and cunningly addictive.

🍫Best read with.. a snickers bar and a cup of tea, heavy on the sugar 😋

About the Author

Cara Hunter is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling crime novels Close to Home, In the Dark and No Way Out, all featuring DI Adam Fawley and his Oxford-based police team. Close to Home was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, was shortlisted for Crime Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2019 and No Way Out was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 best crime novels since 1945. Cara's novels have sold more than three quarters of a million copies worldwide. Cara Hunter lives in Oxford, on a street not unlike those featured in her books.

You can sign up for Cara's newsletter by clicking here

Hope to Die was published in eBook on the 22 July and is out in paperback today.

Twitter @CaraHunterBooks #HopetoDie

@PenguinUKBooks

📖 Book Review ~ Catch as Catch Can by Malcolm Hollingdrake

 

Hobeck Books
April 2021

The Merseyside Crime Series #1

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

A mutilated body apparently washed up on a windswept beach…

A violent criminal gang preys on moped riders across the area…

A teenage girl is desperate to escape sexual exploitation…

It’s a tough introduction to Merseyside for Detective Inspector April Decent, who’s just arrived from her native Yorkshire. Together with new colleague Skeeter Warlock, Decent quickly discovers there’s a sinister link between them all, one that will bring them face-to-face with some uncomfortable home truths.

Catch as Catch Can is the first in the Merseyside Crime Series from Malcolm Hollingdrake – bestselling author of the Harrogate Crime Series.

📖 My Thoughts..

Detective Inspector April Decent has her work cut out when she arrives in Merseyside to take over an investigative team of detectives who are already a tight knit group. However, the discovery of a mutilated body on the beach at Crosby only lends a sense of urgency to the department especially when links are discovered to a criminal gang who seem to be terrorizing the streets of Liverpool.

It's been great fun getting to know this interesting bunch of detectives who are not only embroiled in a complicated investigative case but who must also get to know how their new boss operates. Prominent in the team is the imaginatively named DS Skeeter Warlock, who along with DI April Decent doesn't suffer fools, and who, with the rest of the team, is equally determined to rid the Liverpool streets of the worst kind of villain, namely those who prey on the weak and vulnerable. 

The story moves strongly and swiftly, sometimes getting the perspective of the crime gangs as they go about their criminal activity, and also that of the investigative team as they do their best to bring the perpetrators to justice.

It has been exciting to spend time in Merseyside with this new crimes series with its setting in a city I know well and the beach in Crosby I have visited many times. Thankfully, I have never made a gruesome discovery but I enjoyed how the author brought Antony Gormley's Another Place to life with its shifting sands and ever changing atmosphere. The city of Liverpool, such an important character in the novel, comes vibrantly alive, the scouse sense of deprecating humour, the mean and moody streets and the intricate twists and turns, all add a sense of realism to the sinister activity which is affecting city life.

Well written, with a fine eye for detail and great local knowledge of this part of the North West, Catch as Catch Can gets this series off to a great start. I look forward to meeting DI Decent and DS Warlock again in Syn, the next book in the Merseyside Crime Series.

About the Author

You could say that the writing was clearly on the wall for anyone born in a library that they might aspire to be an author but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route.

Malcolm worked in education for many years, even teaching for a period in Cairo before he started writing, a challenge he had longed to tackle for more years than he cares to remember. He is the author of the popular Harrogate series featuring DCI Cyril Bennett along with this new Merseyside crime series.

Website

Facebook

Twitter @MHollingdrake

Amazon UK

@HobeckBooks

Book Review ~ The Trawlerman by William Shaw

 

Quercus/Riverrun
13 May 2021

DS Alexandra Cupidi #4

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

A DOUBLE MURDER The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress. 

AN ELABORATE SCAM The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter's disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis's were not the only losers. 

AN UNLIKELY KILLER Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.

My Thoughts..

DS Alex Cupidi is finding it difficult to be on sick leave especially when two serious crimes occurs almost on her doorstep. Bored, and with nothing better to do than see a counsellor to talk about her PTSD, Alex soon discovers that once a crime detective, always a crime detective, and she just can't stop herself from getting involved in a rather gruesome, crime scene.

Both crimes, one which happened in the past, and one very much placed in the future, are well plotted and explained and all the details are nicely woven together to form a complicated crime drama. The story flows really well and once I started to get involved with the story, and the characters, I found that I couldn't put the book down and that's unusual for me with a new series where I haven't read any of the previous books. The author gives enough of the back story to understand what makes Alexandra Cupidi tick, and there are interesting snippets of her somewhat fractious life with her seventeen year old daughter, Zӧe.

The Trawlerman is a well put together crime drama, which I could easily see translate well to a television series. I enjoyed how the author brought to life both the wildness of Dungeness and the closeness of a small community who suddenly find themselves under police scrutiny.

As with all series it is better to start at the beginning but The Trawlerman, as I found out, also works well as a standalone police drama.

About the Author

WILLIAM SHAW was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, grew up in Nigeria and lived for sixteen years in Hackney. He has been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger, longlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year and nominated for a Barry Award. A regular at festivals, he organises panel talks and CWA events across the country. He is the author of the Breen & Tozer crime series set in sixties London: A Song from Dead Lips, A House of Knives and A Book of Scars; and the standalone The Birdwatcher. Salt Lane and Deadland are spin-offs to The Birdwatcher. For over twenty years he has written on popular culture and sub-culture for various publications including the Observer and the New York Times. He lives in Brighton with his family.

Twitter @william1shaw #TheTrawlerman

Website

@riverrunbooks @QuercusBooks

Blog Tour ~ Hermit by S R White

 

Thrilled to host today's final blog tour stop

Headline
17 September

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

HE DISAPPEARED FOR 15 YEARS...SHE HAS 12 HOURS TO FIND OUT WHY.

After a puzzling death in the wild bushlands of Australia, detective Dana Russo has just hours to interrogate the prime suspect - a silent, inscrutable man found at the scene of the crime, who disappeared without trace 15 years earlier.

But where has he been? Why won't he talk? And exactly how dangerous is he? Without conclusive evidence to prove his guilt, Dana faces a desperate race against time to persuade him to speak. But as each interview spirals with fevered intensity, Dana must reckon with her own traumatic past to reveal the shocking truth...

What did I think about it...

Rural Australia is the setting for this slow and considered crime novel which focuses on the murder investigation of a local shopkeeper. The prime suspect is man who was found at the scene and who is considered to be something of a loner, a condition which seems to be replicated in the lead detective, Dana Russo, who is, herself, something of an enigma, especially after observing her behaviour in the opening scenes of the book.

At first the murder of shop owner, Lou Cassavette, seems like a burglary gone wrong but as we discover throughout the course of the novel, this case is far from simple.  Taking place over the day of the investigation Hermit is more of a slow burner of a novel, rather than an all guns blazing type, but I think that this is a deliberate skill employed by the author to enable the story to evolve entirely at its own pace.

The interaction between suspect and Russo is done in a thoughtful way with neither investigator nor perpetrator giving away too much of themselves. However, as soon as the suspect is brought into the interview room the clock is ticking and the race is on for Detective Russo to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion. Reaching that satisfactory conclusion is where the real power of the story lies and I think the author has done a really good job of keeping everything tight and focused.

However, crime investigation is never that simple and in this case there are complexities, intrigue and horrors ahead. I don’t want to spoil anything by giving anything away as this complex character driven novel is best read with no preconceived notions of how the story will eventually play out. Hermit is an interesting police procedural novel with an unusual lead detective, it’s obvious that there is more to discover about Dana Russo and I hope we get to find out more in future crime novels.

About the Author

S.R. White worked for a UK police force for twelve years, before returning to academic life and taking an MA in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University. He now lives in Queensland, Australia.

Twitter @headlinepg #Hermit

Blog Tour ~ The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler

Delighted to host today's stop on this blog tour

One More Chapter
17 April 2020

My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel's random Resources for my ecopy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

The perfect couple…or the perfect lie?

A year and a half ago, Gemma met the love of her life, Danny. Since then, their relationship has been like something out of a dream. But one Friday evening, Gemma returns home to find Danny is nowhere to be seen.

After two days with no word from her husband, Gemma turns to the police. She is horrified with what she discovers – a serial killer is on the loose in Bristol. When she sees the photos of the victims she is even more stunned…the victims all look just like Danny.

But, the detectives aren’t convinced by Gemma’s story. Why has no one apart from Gemma seen or heard from Danny in weeks? Why is there barely a trace of him in their flat? Is she telling them the truth, or are there more secrets and lies in this marriage than meets the eye.

What did I think about it..

Gemma and Danny seem to be the perfect couple, recently married and moved to a new area in Bristol everything should be working out well for them, that is until Gemma returns home from a journalistic assignment to find that Danny has disappeared. With no clues as to Danny's whereabouts Gemma has no choice but to report her husband as a missing person, and that's when the story takes off in a whole new direction.

I must admit that this story had me hooked from the beginning and there are so many twists and turns that it's been great fun trying to keep up with where the story is heading to next. There are some interesting characters, who whilst not always very likeable, certainly make their presence felt throughout the story. Gemma was a bit of an enigma to me and I enjoyed trying to get into her mindset which the author controlled cleverly so that you never really knew whether to believe her version of events. Part psychological thriller and part police procedural the strands of the story reveal not only the complicated story of Danny's mysterious disappearance but also the police find that a recent spate of violent murders in the city all bear a striking resemblance to Danny, which makes the investigation all the more fascinating.

The Perfect Couple is a cleverly plotted psychological thriller which has more than enough pacy action to keep you guessing from beginning to end.

About the Author

Jackie Kabler is a television presenter, reporter and crime writer.

Website

Twitter @jackiekabler

@HarperCollinsUk @OneMoreChapter

Review ~ Death by Dark Waters by Jo Allen

Aria
9 May 2019

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read her book

The first in the gripping, Lake District set, DCI Jude Satterthwaite series.

When a grass fire flares on a lakeside fell during a hot, dry summer, what looks like an accident turns out to be arson — and, when the body of a child is discovered in a burned out building, Jude and his team are faced with a murder inquiry. The child’s father is a businessman with many enemies and a deep-rooted mistrust of the police — but is the death of his son enough, or are must more innocents die to satisfy a killer’s thirst for revenge? And will Jude’s analytical mind and Ashleigh’s intuition combine to catch the killer before it’s too late?

What did I think about it..

The story starts with one of those menacing grass fires which can so easily get out of control except this one culminates in a suspected murder. The detectives, led by DCI Jude Satterthwaite, have few clues to go on in their quest to find out more about the tragically young victim, and that’s where the strength of the story lies as we get to watch the investigative team put together the pieces of the puzzle.

As this is the first book in a proposed series, the author uses the novel to flesh out the main characters, especially Satterthwaite, and as we start to get to know something of his rather troubled past, so we begin to understand a little more about this enigmatic, and rather, taciturn detective. The other characters who play their own individual roles, especially DS Ashleigh O’Halloran, a new recruit to the investigative team, add their own brand of light and shade.

I think that Death by Dark Waters is a good start to this new series, especially as the potential for further police procedural investigations is high.. The author writes well and keeps the momentum of the story alive, with good attention to detail, interesting characterisation, and a complex mystery to keep you guessing.

With its setting against the dramatic backdrop of the English Lake District Death by Dark Waters certainly gets the series off to a good start and I look forward to seeing where this series takes us to next.

About the author

Jo Allen is the author of six contemporary romance/romantic suspense novels published by a small independent publisher (Tirgearr) and a further three self-published romantic suspense novels. She is a member of the Crime Writers Association. I’m also a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, for whom I am a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme.

Death by Dark Waters is out now in e-book or paperback and is published by Aria Fiction.

Website

Twitter @JoAllenAuthor

@Aria_Fiction

Blog Tour ~ From the Shadows by G R Halliday

 ✨✨ Happy Publication Day ✨✨

 From The Shadows 

Harvill Secker
18 April 2019

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book and the invitation to be part of the Blog Tour

A stunning, atmospheric police procedural set against the grit of Inverness and the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands, this is the first book in the DI Monica Kennedy series. 

Sixteen-year-old Robert arrives home late. Without a word to his dad, he goes up to his bedroom. Robert is never seen alive again.

A body is soon found on the coast of the Scottish Highlands. Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy stands by the victim in this starkly beautiful and remote landscape. Instinct tells her the case won’t begin and end with this one death. 

Meanwhile, Inverness-based social worker Michael Bach is worried about one of his clients whose last correspondence was a single ambiguous text message; Nichol Morgan has been missing for seven days.

As Monica is faced with catching a murderer who has been meticulously watching and waiting, Michael keeps searching for Nichol, desperate to find him before the killer claims another victim.

My thoughts..

DI Monica Kennedy is the lead detective in the hunt for a killer who seems to be targeting young boys but with very few clues to go on she and her team have to work really quickly in order to piece together the few clues they have. However, the deeper they get into the enquiry and the more questions the investigation throws up, especially when social worker, Michael Bach, gets involved and secrets from the past start to be revealed.

This new police procedural series gets off to a tense and dramatic start and right from the beginning of the investigation the shadow of an ever present danger pulls you into the centre of the action. Of course with any new series there’s a certain amount of getting to know the characters and this team all have of the individual quirks which makes a team interesting, but even as they work well together there are certain tensions which threaten to engulf them. Our initial introduction to DI Monica Kennedy shows that whilst she’s no push-over she’s also quite vulnerable and this flaw in her personality is interesting to observe as it allows her to sometimes make some questionable decisions.

The story moves along at a rapid pace but it’s not all plain sailing for the investigative team as things get more and more complicated. The author writes well using the remoteness of the Scottish landscape to give the story its dark edginess, and there are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing right until the end. 

From The Shadows is an commendable debut by a talented new crime voice and it is an interesting start to what, I am sure, will become a compelling police procedural series.

About the Author

G.R.HALLIDAY was born in Edinburgh and grew up near Stirling in Scotland. He spent his childhood obsessing over the unexplained mysteries his father investigated, which has proved excellent inspiration for From the Shadows. He now lives in the rural Highlands outside of Inverness, where he is able to pursue his favourite pastimes of mountain climbing and swimming in the sea, before returning home to his band of semi-feral cats.

Twitter @gr_halliday #FromTheShadows

@HarvillSecker

Blog Tour ~ Keep Her Close by M J Ford

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's final stop on the Keep Her Close Blog Tour

Avon
7 March 2019

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

When a young girl goes missing from Jesus College Oxford, DS Josie Masters is plunged into a world of panic as fear grips the city. Along with Thames Valley Police’s newest recruit, the handsome DS Pryce, Josie must act fast – and when two more girls disappear from Oriel and Somerville colleges, she realises the killer is sending her a deadly message in a cruel game of cat and mouse. This time, the case is personal – but who is the perpetrator?

In a desperate race against the clock, Josie hunts for the kidnapper, and soon discovers he could be a lot closer to home than she’d ever thought…

My thoughts..

This is the second police procedural thriller to feature DS Josie Masters and we meet up with her just a few months after the traumatic events which happened in Hold My Hand, which is the first book. The opening chapter gives a brief insight into how Josie is now coping with the fall out from that first disturbing case before lunching us into a new and deadly investigation.

When a student goes missing from Oriel College, Oxford, Josie and her colleague DS Jack Pryce have to do all that they can to investigate a complicated crime which seems to be littered with inconsistencies and red herrings. It's really interesting to watch this police duo in action especially as the story progresses and their connection to each other gets more involved. The added complication of the disappearance of even more students leads to an investigation which, for Josie, gets more and more complicated and decidedly more personal.

I've really enjoyed reading Keep Her Close and, even though I hadn't read the first book, the author gives enough information about Josie Master's back story so that right from the start I felt in tune with the way she works. She's a bit of an individualist, deeply flawed by the events of her past and often quite vulnerable, and yet, she has a strong work ethic and all of the necessary commitment to duty which we expect from a high level detective.

The action moves along at a cracking pace which makes the story really easy to read in one sitting and I think it's one of those stories which benefits from reading quickly. There's so much scope for this series to run and run and I'm really looking forward to meeting up again with this enigmatic detective sergeant in future crime stories.

About the Author

M.J. Ford is back with a gripping new thriller, perfect for fans of Cara Hunter and T.M. Logan

Twitter @MJFordBooks #KeepHerClose

@AvonBooksUK

Amazon UK

Blog Tour ~ In Safe Hands by J P Carter

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on the In Safe Hands Blog Tour

Avon
24 January 2019

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

The first book in a gripping new crime series featuring DCI Anna Tate.

When nine children are snatched from a nursery school in South London, their distressed parents have no idea if they will ever see them again. The community in the surrounding area in shock. How could this happen right under their noses? No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything – or at least that's what they're saying.

But DCI Anna Tate knows that nothing is impossible, and she also knows that time is quickly running out. It’s unclear if the kidnappers are desperate for money or set on revenge, but the ransom is going up by £1million daily. And they know that one little boy in particular is fighting for his life.

It’s one of the most disturbing cases DCI Anna Tate has ever worked on – not only because nine children are being held hostage, but because she’s pretty sure that someone close to them is lying…

My Thoughts about it..

The day started out like any other at the Peabody Nursery School in Rotherhithe in South London but before the day is out nine children will have been abducted and the lives of the parents and nursery teachers will never be the same again. DCI Anna Tate is the SIO in charge of this fast moving police procedural drama and from the very start the action moves at a lively pace, secrets start to unfold, people's lives start to be uncovered and the way forward is often hampered by people who are quite simply not telling the truth.

I was hooked on this story from its opening prologue and I didn't look up except to make restorative cups of tea until I had finished the story in one sitting. It's compelling reading for all sorts of reasons, not just the very human drama which is unfolding, which is every parents worst nightmare, but also the mystery which is at the centre of DI Tate's personal life which is just as beguiling and which also starts to unravel as the story progresses.

In Safe Hands tugs away at your heartstrings, how could it not with nine three and four year olds abducted and in danger, but you also get a real sense of the parents' anguish and of the desperate police search for the perpetrators, which all feels authentic and quite believable.

The author writes well and certainly knows how to crank up the tension, keeping the momentum from start to finish. This is the first book in a proposed set of stories which feature DCI Anna Tate, the second book, At Your Door,  is due out in August 2019. Can't wait for that one 😉

About the Author

J P Carter is the pseudonym of a bestselling author who has also written sixteen books under the names Jaime and James Raven. Before becoming a full time writer he spent a career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and television producer. He was for a number of years director of a major UK news division and until recently co-owned a TV production company. For a while he was also a part-time professional magician. He’s married and divides his time now between homes in Hampshire and Spain.

Twitter @JPCarter #InSafeHands

@AvonBooks

Amazon UK

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

Review ~ Handcuffs,Truncheon and a Polyester Thong by Gina Kirkham

Urbane Publictaions
May 2017

What's it all about...

Meet Mavis Upton. 

As mummy to 7-year old Ella, surrogate to far too many pets and with a failed marriage under her belt, Mavis knows she needs to make some life-changing decisions. It's time to strike out into the world, to stand on her own two feet … to pursue a lifelong ambition to become a Police Officer. I mean, what could go wrong? 

Supported by her quirky, malapropism-suffering mum, Mavis throws herself headlong into a world of uncertainty, self-discovery, fearless escapades, laughter and extra-large knickers. And using her newly discovered investigative skills, she reluctantly embarks on a search to find her errant dad who was last seen years before, making off with her mum's much needed coupon for a fabulous foam cup bra all the way from America.

Follow Mavis as she tackles everything life can throw at her, and revel in Gina Kirkham's humorous, poignant and moving story of an everyday girl who one day followed a dream.

What did I think about it...

Well first off, I want to say that from the very start of the novel I laughed out loud so many times that I was only glad that I was reading the book comfortably at home and not on public transport, otherwise I think I would have been turfed off the bus. 

Meeting Mavis Upton is an absolute joy, she is feisty and funny, and filled with a tangible love for her job as a beat bobby based across the water from Liverpool. Coming late to the police service, Mavis is already a single mum to her seven year old daughter when she has an the idea to join the force. But life as a police constable is never going to be without its challenges, and although Mavis is ably assisted with child care by her mother, who, incidentally, made me smile every time she appeared on the page, juggling shift work is never going to be easy for a single mum.

Mavis seems to sail through her police training, not with incident, I may add, but it is once she is assigned to her police section that she really comes into her own. Compassionate, quirky and not always very politically correct, Mavis is one of those police officers who you would always wish to turn up whenever there was trouble.

To say more would be to spoil the effect of meeting Mavis for yourself , so I won't give anything more away, other than to heap praise on this debut author who has given us such a wonderful character, and who has brought Mavis' story to life with such gusto that I was truly sad when the book ended. I loved everything about the story, the banter and the camaraderie of a police section feels entirely realistic, which can only stem for the author's own experiences as a serving police officer. 

They say that you should always write about what you know and if the author's alter ego was anything like Mavis Upton then I'm, sure she was an absolute joy to work alongside.

Best Read With...Toasted crumpets with lashings of Lurpak...

About the Author

You can also read my earlier interview with Gina by clicking here

Find Gina on her website 

Follow on Twitter @GinaGeeJay #HandcuffsTruncheonandaPolyesterThong
#whereismavisuptonsthong

My thanks to the Author and also to Matthew at Urbane Publications for sharing a review copy of Handcuffs,Truncheon and a Polyester Thong with me.

~***~