Where The Crawdads Sing - Delia Owen

Synopsis:

A novel about an young woman determined to make her way in the wilds of North Carolina, and the two men that will break her isolation open.

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark.

But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world--until the unthinkable happens.

Review:

First of all HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY to Delia Owen and The Crawdads Sing which is published today. Grace Vincent contacted me a while back and asked if I would like to read and review this book for its week or the day of its publication. I read the synopsis and instantly knew I had to read it, it pulled me in I simply couldn't wait to get my hands on it. 

I first picked the book up and was drawn into the story right away, I felt an emotional connections with Kya who is a abandoned child with very little. We watch the story unfold, the times switching from us watching Kya grow up to the current day investigating the death of Chase Andrews up until the two lines somehow meet. 

From a young age you can see Kya trying to grow up quicker than shes capable of just so she can survive. Kya’s siblings are older, and they flee, leaving her alone with her father. She learns to care for herself at a young age because she has to. Kya is uneducated by choice and circumstance, though the town attempted to get her to attend at first. Even without schooling, she is caring and smart, as she learns the ways of life through the marsh and all it has to teach her. I fell for her immediately, I just wanted to be there with her and protect and help her. Her character is so easily loveable and realistic in how she is portrayed in her situations. Tate is a heart warming character, he has known her all of her life but now that she is older she sees him in a different light and for the first time, she begins to feel real love. He takes the time and teaches her how to read which opens up the world to her. its such a beautifully portrayed relationship I often found myself in awe of them.

She loves the marsh and all that inhabit it. She collects many things and categorizes them. From the books Tate brings her she learns biology, math, how things grow and change and she is fascinated by the marsh.

After being disappointed in her relationship she had with Tate she finally decides that perhaps she could be more trusting and goes on to share things with Chase, a boy from town who tells her he loves her and talks about a future. But everyone always leaves Kya in the end. Kya has seen Chase around throughout her life and in my eyes he's a horrible kid from the start not only in his behaviour but then towards Kya. Time passes after betrayal happens and then Chase is found dead in the Marsh and all fingers of the locals except for Jumpin' and his wife, are pointed towards Kya the 'Marsh Girl'.

This book is heart breaking and yet has plenty of heart warming moments. There's betrayal and trust and so many opposites that make this book so great. Owen has written a truly amazing story that I'm sure will continue to be one of the best for a long time to come. I cant give the book anything less than a 5/5 for the creativity, emotions, imagery, every aspect of this book pulled me in and I didn't see the ending coming. Ill be sure to look out for Owen's future work and I hope some of you grab a copy for yourself to see what all of the fuss is about.

Force Of Nature - Jane Harper BLOG TOUR

Synopsis:

Five women go on a hike. Only four return. Jane Harper, the New York Times bestselling author of The Dry, asks: How well do you really know the people you work with?

When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path.

But one of the women doesn’t come out of the woods. Five women go on a hike. Only four return. Jane Harper, the New York Times bestselling author of The Dry, asks: How well do you really know the people you work with?

When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path.

But one of the women doesn’t come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story about what happened.

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker. In an investigation that takes him deep into isolated forest, Falk discovers secrets lurking in the mountains, and a tangled web of personal and professional friendship, suspicion, and betrayal among the hikers. But did that lead to murder?

Review:

Following The Dry, Jane has picked yet another superb setting for The Force Of Nature, Giralang Ranges, and it comes with it's own history, that of Martin Kovac, a serial killer that still haunts the area, continuing to haunt everyone's memories and nightmares.

Five women are on a corporate team building hike run by Executive Adventures, only four make it to the end. Federal Agent Aaron Falk of the Melbourne Financial Investigations Unit returns, this time with colleague, Carmen Cooper. They have been looking into financial corruption and money laundering at Bailey Tennants, the company of which the 5 women work for, and no one knows that Alice Russell is in the process of accessing and handing over crucial documents over to Falk and Cooper. 

When Aaron receives a voicemail from Alice from which he makes out the words 'hurt her' and as Alice is the one team member to not make it to the end of the trail with her team, Aaron feels guilty, suspecting the worst thinking that they endangered her life. The couple come across so human and real because Falk and Cooper are constantly concerned about what happened to Alice but their bosses are only persistent in demanding to get a hold of the documents she was going to hand over no matter what.

It's safe to say I've missed Aaron Falk since our first trip in Australia during the draught of his home town, so it was a lovely reunion even if not exactly on the best of terms. Its lovely to see Aaron as part of a pairing once again. Carmen seems like just the perfect match for him in a professional matter when it comes to with ways of thinking etc..Carmen also proves to be instrumental in Aaron coming to terms with the guilt he holds when it comes to the death of his father, a man well acquainted with the Girlang Ranges.

The story follows the search for Alice and the parallel narrative that tells us what happened amongst the group of lost women as they struggle in the dense bush land, cold, wet, hungry, thirsty and desperate to survive.

Jill Bailey is the head of her team during the hike due to her executive position in the company, this is as hard as always because throughout Alice is constantly hacks away at her authority in her efforts to return to Melbourne to be with her daughter, Margot. It's clear quite quickly that Alice is not nice, holding tightly to her mean and nasty streak that just gives rise to a host of suspects with a motive to do away with her on the hike. 

Alice has a dark history with Lauren Shaw that goes back to their schooldays. Lauren is a vulnerable woman, unable to cope at work as her daughter, Rebecca, whom we find out had descended into the deep depths of misery with mental health issues after an incident at school. Beth is on probation after leaving prison having battled drug addiction and in the process of trying to mend her battered relationship with her twin, Breanna. As the women's situation deteriorates, the rifts, rivalries, conflicts, resentments and jealousies surface, destined to lead to violence. Aaron slowly begins to piece together the mystery of the missing Alice.

Jane Harper once again gives us a strong image of the location in the Girlang Ranges with her beautiful and detailed descriptions of the landscape and the dangers within it, with the howling winds and driving rain. Jane' psychological insights make her complex characters and their development authentic to the reader. Her writing is so vibrant that I felt I was right there with the lost women as they stumbled their way through the bush, hunger and fear contributing to their downward spiral as they turn on each other and Alice. The strongest recurring theme is the issue of just how far parents are prepared to go for their children. It's a beautiful underlining theme if I must say so.

Jane yet again blew me away with Force Of Nature, The Dry swept me off my feet and I'm pretty sure FON just made sure I didn't get back up on my feet. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read, gripping you with each page turn. I cant recommend this book any more than The Dry, just if you ever pick up a copy be prepared for the twists and turns the books take, allow all of the factors throughout the story to take a hold of you and try your best to figure it all out before you get to the end because as always I did horrific at trying to piece together what had happened until I read it out. I can not leave out the fact once I finished the book and closed the pages I held it to my chest and just sat there stammering like an idiot it had taken that much of an effect on me. It's an easy 5/5 for me and I can't wait to read more of Janes writing as she clearly has such a way with words.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Harper is the author of The Dry, winner of various awards including the 2015 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, the 2017 Indie Award Book of the Year and the 2017 Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year Award. Rights have been sold in 27 territories worldwide, and film rights optioned to Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK and lives in Melbourne. Force of Nature is Jane’s second novel.
Janeharper.com.au

For further information please contact Grace Vincent, Senior Publicity Manager Grace.Vincent@littlebrown.co.uk / 020 3122 6590

I Am Missing (David Raker #8) - Tim Weaver

Synopsis:

'Tim Weaver is the rising star of British crime and I Am Missing will haunt your dreams'
Tony Parsons, Sunday Times Number One bestselling author of the DC Max Wolfe series

When a young man wakes up bruised, beaten and with no memory of who he is or where he came from, the press immediately dub him 'The Lost Man'.

Ten months later, Richard Kite - if that is even his real name - remains as desperate as ever. Despite appeals and the efforts of the police, no one knows this man.

Kite's last hope may be private investigator David Raker - a seasoned locator of missing people. But Raker has more questions than answers.

Who is Richard Kite?

Why does no one know him?

And what links him to the body of a woman found beside a London railway line two years ago?

I Am Missing is the outstanding new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Tim Weaver.

'Tim Weaver writes books so meticulously researched that the reader is educated as well as entertained, enthralled and intrigued. David Raker is a most complex and engaging investigator, each case leaving its mark on his soul, and ours' Liz Nugent, Sunday Times bestselling author of Lying in Wait 

Review:

I liked what this book was promising, I was really looking forward to reading it and diving in deep with this one, it was so promising I was really praying it paid off and I'd come away satisfied with whatever it was that lay on the pages. However that was clearly not meant to be for me in this case, out of 47 books I've read this year I Am Missing is the only one I didn't finish. 

Let me explain something really quickly so its clear, I was excited as I had heard so much about this book. So many good things that boosted my expectations and I went it ready for it all however the book just seemed to drag on for a long time without really giving me anything to hook me.  I do hope I will return to this book soon and start all over with neutral expectations and a clean slate from this experience, I have nothing against Tim and his writing as what I read of the book was great enough to give it a 4.5/5 I just wished I would have been able to get hooked and drawn in quickly.

Please do not let my opinion or review here dent your decision on whether you pick up a copy of this book and read it or not as this is just my opinion and you must find yours for yourself. If you love thrillers, mystery or crime this book is for you and I hope you'll enjoy it if you ever come to pick up a copy and read it. 

Death In The Stars - Frances Brody Blog Tour Review

Synopsis:

Yorkshire, 1927. Eclipse fever grips the nation, and when beloved theatre star Selina Fellini approaches trusted sleuth Kate Shackleton to accompany her to a viewing party at Giggleswick School Chapel, Kate suspects an ulterior motive.
During the eclipse, Selina's friend and co-star Billy Moffatt disappears and is later found dead in the chapel grounds. Kate can't help but dig deeper and soon learns that two other members of the theatre troupe died in similarly mysterious circumstances in the past year. With the help of Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden, Kate sets about investigating the deaths - and whether there is a murderer in the company.
When Selina's elusive husband Jarrod, injured in the war and subject to violent mood swings, comes back on the scene, Kate begins to imagine something far deadlier at play, and wonders just who will be next to pay the ultimate price for fame . . .

Review:

So you all know I absolutely loved Death at The Seaside by Frances Brody when I read it what feels like such a long time ago now, so when I was approached to take part in the Death In The Stars Blog Tour providing a review I simply could not pass the opportunity up.

It feels great to be seeing the familiar faces once again, like a reunion party of sorts. I still love Kate, she remains as intelligent, blunt and beautiful as she was when I last saw her. We also meet some great characters, Selina for starters is an amazing singer, elegant and beautiful and yet i was suspicious about her from square one. Billy is a comedian/performer and hes bubbly and lovely and i warmed to him and felt quite attached to him unaware of his fate. I felt a punch to my gut and heart when I read it. Quite emotional for a character I had only known of for a short time. There are more to talk of but I don't wish to make this paragraph too long. Each character intrigued me and found a part in my heart no matter the outcome of te book which sounds odd but its the way it is.

Upon opening the book i was instantly sucked in, its was incredibly hard to put it down and rest or anything of the sort. Frances has once again created a gripping book, one of which takes ahold of you and refuses to relieve its grip until the very end. My mind was constantly going into overdrive, trying to put the puzzle together before I was told of anything, i admit i was only slightly capable of that. Frances is a great writer, her plots and characters are beautiful, unique and immersive. What is also lovely about this book is how well Frances was able to portray the stage/theatre life back in the 1920's it's beautiful and she did a great job at bringing it back to life for us as readers.

I must delcare this but in my review of Death by the Seaside i said the following:

I didn't feel very connected to any character in the book at all, although Kate is really vivid in my head, I just didn't forge any connection with her, she was just an important role in the book. To find out Kate has a series really makes me wonder if I read more about her will I make connections. It's a really big issues with me, if I can't forge a connection then I really find it hard to read these characters for a long time. Kate is clearly intelligent and resilient and those qualities are great to have I just wished I loved her as a character as much as other have said they do.

Every inch of me takes that back, I fell for Kate and Its undeniable. I'm lookig forward to seeing her again in any books to come.

Frances Brody is a great addition to the Crime writing business, bringing unique and complicated plots to the table. Its a 5/5 from me, a reccomendation to all who love twisty turny plots and crime novels and maybe crime novels with twisty turny plots.

 About The Author

Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries, as well as many stories and plays for BBC Radio, scripts for television and four sagas, one of which won the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award. Her stage plays have been toured by several theatre companies and produced at Manchester Library Theatre, the Gate and Nottingham Playhouse, and Jehad was nominated for a Time Out Award.

Want to see the other posts this blog tour? check them all out by using the banner below.

Ask No Questions (Detective Caelan Small #1) - Lisa Hartley Blog Tour

About the Book

Title: Ask No Questions

Author: Lisa Hartley

Release Date: 10th July 2017

Genre: Thriller

Format: Ebook

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35486880-ask-no-questions

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B072X2MY21

Summary:

Some secrets were meant to stay hidden… Trust no-one

After an operation goes badly wrong, undercover specialist Detective Caelan Small leaves the Metropolitan Police for good. Or so she thinks. Then the criminal responsible is seen back in the UK.

Soon Caelan is drawn back into a dangerous investigation. But when the main lead is suddenly murdered, all bets are off. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone is a suspect - even close colleagues.

Someone in the Met is involved and Caelan is being told to Ask No Questions.

This isn’t an option: Caelan needs answers… whatever the cost.

The nerve-shredding new crime thriller from bestseller Lisa Hartley starts a must-read new series. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza, it will keep you guessing until the very end.

Review:

So I got this book request whilst I was in the middle of only wanting to read thrillers/crime novels so I was beyond willing to want to read it, the synopsis pleased me and I just couldn't wait to read it. I'm not quite sure how long it took me to read, maybe 2 days? but all the way I was hooked just turning page after page after page needing to get answers and see this through until the end.

In this book we follow Detective Caelan Small, after an operation goes wrong, the backlash causes her to hand in her resignation before going on a holiday beginning her retirement. That is until she finds out the criminal from the operation that went wrong is back in England she cant seem to say no to joining the investigation once again. From the outset I loved Caelan, she;s a very straight forward and pretty much a character who I can relate to personally when it comes to her emotions and personality.

Richard Adamson, a fellow colleague of Small's is approached by Elizabeth Beckett who is an assistant commissioner for the specialist crime and operations and also part of the Mets senior management team. To him she is god and he cant even refuse to do as he's told even if it means convincing his former colleague to come out of retirement and join the Met once again. He's seen as the only one that knows her enough to be able to talk her around.

Deputy Assistant Commisioner Michael Nasenby, Commander Ian Penrith and Inspector Tim Achebe. When these 3 characters meet Small one for the first time it is clear that there are a vary of emotions towards her. Ian isn't her biggest fan and actually does as far as to rip chunks out of her verbally making no move to hide his feelings about her. Nasenby is sort of like a father figure to her, her previous boss and someone who trusts Small to do a good job. Tim meets her for the first time and is amazed by her skills of working under cover and her techniques of changing from one person to another and I'll admit I was just as amazed as he was. These 3 characters pop up consistently throughout the book and I found it quire easy to follow their encounters by the way they spoke to Caelan,

Every character needs a side kick and for our main character she chooses her own, determined not to work with Richard Adamson again or anyone else but Ewan Davies, ex army now working for the Met. Ewan and Caelan get on well for the most part, they are a great pair that I actually want more of.
One more character to remember is Chief Superintendent Adele Brady, with all of these characters to keep an eye on and think about its quite fun, hard to tell who's friend or foe if any of them are either at all. Each character plays their part, I found it incredibly hard to figure out how the plot was going to go, everything was well felt like it was all hush hush.

The whole book is gripping and full of twists you cant see coming, there are shocks and surprises in store for any reader who will turn the pages of this book. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from Lisa Hartley and seeing Caelan Small again in the near future. Hartley created a world and situations which feel completely real, action packed and breath taking. I had to pause a few time at each twist and just take a breath or two just to let myself process what I was reading. It's a truly amazing thriller and I hope that anyone who loves crime and thrillers will get a chance to read this book because its definitely worth it. I may even go as far as to pick up copies of Lisa's previous work just to experience greatness like this. I cant give this book any less than a 5/5 and I will be processing the ending for maybe months to come. A truly amazing piece of work.

Author Information:

Lisa Hartley lives with her partner, son, two dogs and several cats. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in English Studies, then had a variety of jobs but kept writing in her spare time. In addition to this new series with Canelo she is also working on the next DS Catherine Bishop novel.

Website: http://www.lisahartley.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rainedonparade

The Fourth Monkey Killer - J.D Barker

Synopsis:

The most anticipated thriller of the year - Optioned for both film and television

Se7en meets The Silence of the Lambs in this dark and twisting novel from the author Jeffery Deaver called, “A talented writer with a delightfully devious mind.”

For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.

As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.

With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave in this masterfully written fast-paced thriller.

Synopsis:

This book made its way to me after a very lovely email that was in my inbox, it intrigued me from the very start of the email and I really couldn't say no, it was well, right up my street. Once it got here though, I planned to read it closer to the date of when I planned to review it. It actually took a trip with me to Southampton on the 1st of June and I read maybe 10 pages on the coach on my way back home on the 2nd of June, I was hooked but because of the coach I wasn't comfortable enough to want to carry on so I simply read the 400 pages in 1 sitting the following day with zero shame.

Gripped from the get go I probably spent the majority of my time open mouthed because things caught me of guard. I'm going to try and not give away too much so that may mean that this review is short compared to the others but I'm going to push it as far as I can.

Unusually the beginning of the book well, tells of the death of The Fourth Monkey Killer, he happened to me on his way to post a clue to his final victim which the police know all about but this discovery quickly puts the team in action to find the victim before it's too late. The book takes on 3 points of view, one is that of Detective Sam Porter, the second point of view is a Diary of The Fourth Monkey Killer which Sam reads and the the final point of view of the final victim of the Killer.

The Fourth Monkey Killer is a killer that has terrorised Chicago over the last 5 years. When we think of it we are all familiar with the three monkeys; hear no evil (monkey covering ears), see no evil (monkey covering eyes), speak no evil (monkey covering mouth). For a small amount of time to my knowledge it we have no idea why he is called The Fourth Monkey and what it represents but son enough we do and it represents 'do no evil' which when you think about it, coming from a person who has killed numerous people, it's a contradiction of sorts.

Throughout the book we follow each point of view, each more thrilling and gripping and just making you need to carry on reading, It's gruesome, to some it's probably distressing and at points unbearable. An utterly gripping storyline, exceptionally graphic, and definitely not for the squeamish or weak stomached if I should say. It played with my emotions for sure and was really impossible to put down.

I don't think I can shout my praise any louder for this book, so many twists and unexpected points, I probably swore in surprise several times throughout, there's no way this book cant get lower than a 5/5 from me, I can definitely see it being a big crime/thriller of this year, I really hope some fans of those genres pick it up and read it because you definitely wont regret it.

Playlist For A Paper Angel - Jacqueline Ward

Synopsis:

One child found, one child missing – what's the connection?

DS Jan Pearce is still searching for her missing son. When she finds a little girl, Elise, alone in a pram in a busy town centre, she must unravel a mystery that takes her to the edge of her emotions. Then another child, Dara Price, goes missing.

Lisa Connelly, Elise's mother, has been forced into a life of prostitution and has been leaving her little girl alone. Her gangland boss is holding her prisoner but she wants her little girl back.

Jan finds herself balancing her search for her son with finding Dara. Her right hand man, Mike Waring, is on another case so she and her temporary partner, profiler Damien Booth, must solve the puzzle and find Lisa before time runs out for Dara.

Playlist for a Paper Angel is the second in the DS Jan Pearce series of novels and is the sequel to Random Acts of Unkindness.

Review:

So this book is the second in the series and from where the first book ended I was really excited to see the characters once again. You are thrown into the action nearly straight away and the pace picks up throughout my heart was racing as DS Jan and her team raced against the clock to find the missing little girl, completely weary of what would come to be.

The story is told from two perspectives, one who is Elise's mum whom we meet very early on and or lovely DS Jan Pearce. Both perspectives show the balance between what is true and what is going on and how the police are conducting their investigation and how they see the situation. It is written beautifully. There is also a new character introduced and I think I automatically fell in love with him. His name is Dr Damien Booth and he is a profiler who was bought in to help Jan out, he ends up becoming her new partner in the investigation whilst her best friend and partner Mike is put into another case. The differences of all 3 characters to one another makes the story great, they're opposites of each other, each having their own issues or troubles with their past and its perfect.

The use of the paper angels blew my mind I was actually pretty mind blown abut how it was used and the rest of the issues within the book blew my mind it was all so unexpected and yet great as part of the story. One of the things I love about Jacqueline Ward is that she doesn't sugar coat things, the crimes that are in this book are horrific and she has no issue with telling it like it is. Although the crimes within the book are horrendous and I wouldn't wish anyone in that position, they were well written, the characters reacted with emotions you would expect and it made it so real.

Lets not forget Jan's son is still missing after the end of the first book and she's still being secretly pulled and tempted to take action on her knowledge. The more I read about her the more I just convince myself she is someone living right next door to me who I'm involved with, she just seems so real. All of the plot twists that come were completely unseen by me, I had to put my phone down and take several deep breaths just so I could process it all.  I loved the pace of the book but the build up to the end was completely and utterly worth it and you can really feel the excitement and mystery kick up a notch and you just feel yourself pushed to keep on reading.

Much like the first book its a 5/5 read and definitely worth reading if you're into any level of mystery/crime/thriller books.

Thank you to Faye Rogers who provided me with the copy in exchange for an honest review

Random Acts Of Unkindness - Jacqueline Ward

Synopsis:

How far would you go to find your child?
DS Jan Pearce has a big problem. Her fifteen year old son, Aiden, is missing. Jan draws together the threads of missing person cases spanning fifty years and finds tragic connections and unsolved questions.

Bessy Swain, an elderly woman that Jan finds dead on her search for Aiden, and whose own son, Thomas, was also missing, may have the answers.
Jan uses Bessy's information and her own skills and instinct to track down the missing boys. But is it too late for Aiden?

Set in the North West of England, with the notorious Saddleworth Moor as a backdrop, Random Acts of Unkindness is a story about motherhood, love and loss and how families of missing people suffer the consequences of major crimes involving their loved ones.
Random Acts of Unkindness is the first in the DS Jan Pearce series of novels.

Review:

So I received this book quite a while ago to review honestly, but because I had such a long list of books to read by a certain date that were so soon, I had to put this book on the bottom of the list and plan to read it later on. I cant really explain what I was thinking or expecting going into this book. It turned out to be something I couldn't even think of happening even if I could expect something.

The book comes from 2 perspectives, that of our main character DJ Jan Pearce who's son has been listed as missing. Whilst on her hunt for her son Aiden she comes across a dead body, the body of our second perspective,  Bessy Swain who's son Thomas went missing in 1060's as the horrific crimes of the moors murders were going on.. We are introduced to Jan in a very gruesome way as she enters a house to find Bessy' dead body after reports of a certain smell, she automatically rules the death to be in suspicious circumstances. It then comes to light that Jan actually has an ulterior motive for being in the house, she's following up a lead she has between her missing son and the house owner, criminal mastermind Mr Connelly.

Against police rules Jan goes around the house looking for more clues but she only finds a notebook written in by Bessy which is a journal and inside it contains all the vital information of her life from the moment her son went missing which also provides so many links to Jan's current situation. but ir provides her with more determination and comfort that makes her even more desperate to find out what happened to both boys. As a police officer there are rules that must be followed but Jan defies advice from her superior officer, her best friend and fellow co worker and also her ex husband. Jan just knows that she can solve the mysteries of the missing boys that has plagued the  county for decades. she risks her job, her credibility, her friendships and indeed her life just to uncover the truth at any cost.

I went it completely unaware of all of the twists and turns that were going to come in the story. I loved the pace of the book but the build up was completely and utterly worth it and you can really feel the excitement and mystery kick up a notch when everything gets going and this just pushes you even more to keep on reading. I love how we were able to hear both voices who have struggled with their sons going missing, it was lovely to see them actually sort of bonding and connecting over it.

As this book is the first of a series by the name of DC Jan Pearce series, I will definitely be looking out for what is to come after this 5/5 read. Definitely worth reading if you're into any level of mystery/crime/thriller books.

Thank you to Faye Rogers who provided me with the copy in exchange for an honest review

Crimson Lake - Candice Fox

Synopsis:

12.46: Thirteen-year-old Claire Bingley stands alone at a bus stop
12.47: Ted Conkaffey parks his car beside her
12.52: The girl is missing . . .

Six minutes – that’s all it took to ruin Detective Ted Conkaffey’s life. Accused but not convicted of Claire’s abduction, he escapes north, to the steamy, croc-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake.

Amanda Pharrell knows what it’s like to be public enemy number one. Maybe it’s her murderous past that makes her so good as a private investigator, tracking lost souls in the wilderness. Her latest target, missing author Jake Scully, has a life more shrouded in secrets than her own – so she enlists help from the one person in town more hated than she is: Ted.

But the residents of Crimson Lake are watching the pair’s every move. And for Ted, a man already at breaking point, this town is offering no place to hide

Review:

So Ted Conkaffey is accused of abduction and rape of a young girl but isn't convicted due to the lack of evidence. After 8 months behind bars on remand he runs away to Crimson Lake near Cairns to try and rebuild his life from the foundations all the way to the very top. Neither his workmates, who are were fellow detectives on the drug squad in Sydney, nor his wife believe Ted was simply there at the wrong place at the wrong time. So labelled a paedophile he lost his job and access to his baby daughter and now he is living in fear of the case being reopened, he can barely function.

In Cairns he teams up with a private investigator his lawyer pointed him towards, her name is Amanda Pharrell, another damned soul who has served a prison term for murder. Together they combat the task of finding Jake Scully, a missing local author.

You do become fully immersed in the book,  with all of the vivid detail all the way from Amanda's colourful tattoos and outfits all the way down to the banks of crocodile infested waters. As the couple dive into Jakes background, his relationships and his fans, they both become interested in finding out more about the 'other' cases which neither wants to talk about. As a reader you too want to know all of the details but with the characters real not letting anything slip that adds to your knowledge so far, you really are just craving for one of them to just open up.

The case itself which they are working on is very interesting I have to admit, this author has seemingly gotten up and walked out of the house and left in one of the cars and vanished, there is no sign of him what so ever until a crocodile close by reveals a clue, but is everything really as simple and clean cut as it seems? Its full of twists and turns you don't really see coming and the conclusion really blew me away and I think part of me is still digesting it. It was just so good watching it unravel and the pieces falling into their places.

Candice had built up 2 great characters here, Ted the tough cop who's life has been turned upside down and has to deal with the local cops picking on him at every chance they get. Amanda is mysterious, unbalanced and fragile at times but she is also fearless and tough as old boots. I fell in love with both characters, they are very much portrayed in a way for you to do that but I feel like even if they weren't written for you to do that, I would anyway because they're both struggling in their own ways and I just feel connected to that part. They are both very similar in ways they don't see but its glorious to watch them develop over the span of the book.

I would 100% want to see more adventures with these pair to see how their relationship blossoms because I really felt like they were a great match of character because after what is really a short time they went from not really wanting to be around each other and hating the quirks of the other, to not really minding being in each others company and even picking up some of the quirk they once disliked.

I'd love to pick up more of Candice' work because this book just simply blew me away so I bet the other pieces of work would too. It's an easy 5/5 from me and I hope anyone who like a thriller/crime will give this book a shot.

City of Drowned Souls (Elisenda Domènech Investigations #3) - Chris Lloyd

Synopsis:

When a child disappears, the clock starts ticking
Detective Elisenda Domènech has had a tough few years. The loss of her daughter and a team member; the constant battles against colleagues and judges; the harrowing murder investigations… But it’s about to get much worse.

When the son of a controversial local politician goes missing at election time, Elisenda is put on the case. They simply must solve it. Only the team also have to deal with a spate of horrifically violent break-ins. People are being brutalised in their own homes and the public demands answers.

Could there be a connection? Why is nobody giving a straight answer? And where is Elisenda’s key informant, apparently vanished off the face of the earth? With the body count threatening to increase and her place in the force on the line, the waters are rising…

Be careful not to drown.

The stunning new instalment of the gripping Elisenda Domènech crime thrillers for readers of Ian Rankin, Henning Mankell and Andrea Camilleri.

Review:

It felt so good to be back with Elisenda and the team again, since the last book its been a few months and people have clicked on that Elisender is still struggling with the lost of her daughter years before. The book begins with a small few pages that you need to keep in your head because they are so relevant when you get near the end of the book. When we do get to Elisenda, she has been put on leave and forced into bereavement counselling every morning, However, just days into being on leave the disappearance of a controversial politicians son leads her back into the filed at the same time she and her team are trying to solve and stop to violent burglaries of houses.

The team is split in 2, one set are working the missing child case whilst the other works the violent burglaries case. Elisender is also looking for her informant who gave her bad intel before disappearing off of the face of the earth. There are a lot of strands in this book, your pretty much have to follow each lead with the strands as far as you can before it snaps. There are avenues of investigation that have to be covered or are covered just to make sure and it really is a book that you actually don't get lost in because it all makes perfect sense.

As for the characters there are a few new characters here, we see the controversial politician Susanna Miravent and her husband Marc Comas, also her campaign leader  Francesc Bofarull. Jauame is the missing child and what makes this case even more important and yet confusing is their eldest son Albert had gone missing 5 years previous. With so many threads to pull at I'm surprised to have seen the team stay sane.

We have the regular POV's of the team members and also a mystery POV that you pretty much assume is a certain someone once you read it.

What's great about this book is the path of it because you automatically believe what you have been lead to believe, you don't question it at all, you just go with it. In the end I must warn you not everything is as it seems. The paths of 2 cases could be linked or the people involved with either case might be linked to the other you just don't know until you read the whole book. Its beyond gripping and I fell in love. Even though I struggled with the first book City Of Good Deaths I'm far beyond in love with the series now since I've read the following two books.

After all the mystery and tension I definitely didn't see the end coming and I know I say that about a lot of book but this one really was that good. I didn't at all expect it to unfold the way it did. Its an easy 5/5 for this book and I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants an immersive thrilling mysterious read and has the time to read it. As this is, for now the end of my journey with Elisender and the team I feel it has been a great journey so far, I'm thankful for it and I cant wait to see them again in the near future hopefully.

Remnants (Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 6) - Carolyn Arnold

Synopsis:

All that remains are whispers of the past…When multiple body parts are recovered from the Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia, local law enforcement calls in FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team to investigate. But with the remains pointing to three separate victims, this isn’t proving to be an open-and-shut case.

With no quick means of identifying the deceased, building a profile of this serial killer is more challenging than usual. How are these targets being selected? Why are their limbs being severed and their bodies mutilated? And what is it about them that is triggering this person to murder?

The questions compound as the body count continues to rise, and when a torso painted blue and missing its heart is found, the case takes an even darker turn. But this is only the beginning, and these new leads draw the FBI into a creepy psychological nightmare. One thing is clear, though: The killing isn’t going to stop until they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…



Review:

What's really great about this book is that it is part of a series, in fact it is the 6th book of the said series but like a little glorious present, stands alone and its such a great way to be so that the reader doesn't feel like they've missed out on anything if they haven't read any of the series up until this point.

Carolyn created a nightmare that could turn and empty the stomachs of anyone. The Little Ogeechee River is washing up body parts and FBI profiler Brandon Fisher and his team are called in to investigate. It gets even worse, these parts belong to more than one victim. Brandon definitely has his hands full profiling this killer. The bodies are unidentified, there are no clues and by the hour, the body count continues to rise and the mutilation becomes even more disturbing.

The story switches between Points Of View, this only deepens the hold on you as a reader, you burn just to know who's world you're seeing this all from, you just cant put the book down until you know for sure. I didn't feel 100% connected to any of the characters, I was just enough to want them to be safe and on guard and that was satisfying for me,. The POV changes from Paige who is a member of the team, Brendon himself and a 3rd person who you soon find out to be part of the crimes. I felt that in this book/ series it was a good thing to not get 100% attached to characters just because its much easier that way so the changes in POV don't annoy you and keeps me as a reader intrigued and maintains the mystery.

What I did like about our MC Brandon Fisher is that he is not the typical hero you're used to, he doubts himself and often wonders about his personal life and  comes to questions his decisions as well as worrying about his partners and his boss. Unlike most heroes you see in his position, he has a weak stomach and gets queasy at the scene of violent crimes. He has times at which he can can be reckless but he has a sense of humour and is great at convincing people and has a great ability to read people and gain their trust. Its just great to see because although he's a main character, a man who had a whole series to his name, he isn't strong 100% of the time, he has flaws and makes mistakes. I just wish I had read the previous books in the series just to get more background on the characters etc. just because if I had, I might have connected to them more.

I found that Carolyn's writing was not only engaging, but easily painted a picture for the reader. There was never a time that I felt as though she was talking about things that were over my head, the use of the proper terminology when it came to forensics etc. just made it that more real and believable.
I loved how the plot unravelled and how the relationships between the team were shown, it's actually quite nice and to have seen the dynamics of the small group for a change instead of seeing nothing at all. I thought at several points that I had it all worked out, that I truly knew who the murderer was but in the end I was off by miles because I definitely didn't see the twists and turns coming. You're constantly on edge wondering what's next Its full of grit and gore and the end will satisfy you.

An easy 5/5 from me and I look forward to picking up and seeing more of Carolyn's work and I'll definitely be watching out for her name on the top list of the Crime/Thriller/Mystery list in the near future.

Thank you to George who is a book Publicist at Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc who provided me with a copy which I was to write an honest review.

City of Buried Ghosts (Elisenda Domènech Investigations #2) - Chris Lloyd

Synopsis:

Be careful what you dig up… Still recovering from the tragedy that hit her team, Elisenda takes on a new case. Except it’s not new. On an archaeological dig by the coast a body is uncovered, seemingly executed with a spike thrust through the base of the skull – an ancient tribal ritual. It soon becomes clear that this body is neither ancient nor modern, but a mysterious corpse from the 1980s.

Assigned to the case along with her team, Elisenda soon uncovers a complex world of star archaeologists, jealousy and missing persons. They find a dark trade in illicit antiquities, riddled with vicious professional rivalries. And even though she’s staying close to the crime scene, Elisenda is also never far from enemies of her own within the police force.

Just as the case seems to become clear it is blown wide-open by another horrific murder. Elisenda must fight her personal demons and office politics, whilst continuing to uncover plots and hatreds that were long buried. How far will she go to solve the crime? Is her place in the force secure? And can she rebuild her life?

Review:

So this book takes places many months after the first instalment and its clear straight away that Elisenda is still struggling with her demons and that the rest of her team are still trying to cope with the betrayal and loss of one of their team members. As stated in the synopsis, the team end up with a cold case and then a fresh case both just as gory and very disturbing. This story is about the archaeological world and its unseen dark side. It explores the issue of stolen archaeological artefacts which somehow ties into two murders committed over thirty years apart.

The plot really is great, I love how much detail Chris uses as it keep you engaged and leaves you wanting to actually go an visit the setting itself. The more I read the further I fall in love with the series, I fell further in love with the members of the team after I got to know them a little bit more. Part of me really does just want to wrap them up in cotton wool and keep them safe. Elisenda is still strong and independent and smart and she still has not issue with standing up for what she believes in no matter what which I really love, I hope that soon she can fight off her demons and have all the happiness she deserves. Alex is still haunted by his experience from the last book and I really feel for him as you can really se how deeply it has effected him, its changed his character and it actually made me sad. All Elisenda wants is for the old Alex she knows to return but he doubts that he ever will. I feel like Josep and Montse are the ruts of the litter, like they are giving the long and draining parts of the investigations, doing a lot of research and fiddly things, they do their job well and with their characters doing it, it really helps paint a picture of them and how hard working they are.

I don't really want to give too much detail on the story because this story is one of those that can lose its touch if one thing is spoilt. What I can say is though you need to settle down and hold on tight because there are twists you can not see coming. You can try and figure it out like I tried to, I have faith you might do better than I did because I wasn't even close. I feel like you should try your best to remember every character you see in the span of this book just so you can get a clearer picture of everything and trust me it will help you understand.

You easily get absorbed in the story and can really believe you're involved. I cant even think of a bad thing about this book, not this time. I didn't really know what to expect going into the book but I really loved what I got when I was there. its a 5 out of 5 from me and I really cant wait to see what Chris has in store for Elisenda and her team in City of Drowned Souls which I will be moving on to read in the near future.

I have to recommend this to any crime/thriller reader, I don't feel like youd have to read the first instalment but if you want to get to really know the characters, reading it would be best.

Summary Justice by John Fairfax

Synopsis:

The last time Tess de Vere saw William Benson she was a law student on work experience. He was a twenty-one
year old, led from the dock of the Old Bailey to begin a life sentence for murder. He’d said he was innocent. She’d believed him.
Sixteen years later Tess overhears a couple of hacks mocking a newcomer to the London Bar, a no-hoper with a murder conviction, running his own show from an old fishmonger’s in Spitalfields. That night she walks back into Benson’s life. The price of his rehabilitation – and access to the Bar – is an admission of guilt to the killing of Paul Harbeton, whose family have vowed revenge.
He’s an outcast. The government wants to shut him down and no solicitor will instruct him. But he’s subsidised by a mystery benefactor and a desperate woman has turned to him for help: Sarah Collingstone, mother of a child with special needs, accused of slaying her wealthy lover.
It’s a hopeless case and the murder trial, Benson’s first, starts in four days. The evidence is overwhelming but like Benson long ago, she swears she’s innocent. Tess joins the defence team, determined to help Benson survive. But as Benson follows the twists and turns in the courtroom, Tess embarks upon a secret investigation of her own, determined to uncover the truth behind the death of Paul Harbeton on a lonely night in Soho.
True to life, fast-paced and absolutely compelling, Summary Justice introduces a new series of courtroom dramas featuring two maverick lawyers driven to fight injustice at any cost.


Review:

I really love Law and wished I had gone to study it at A Level and taken it further. I love to explore crimes and pick up every detail I can and then try to figure out what truly happened. So it was great to read about Law being practiced where lives and families depend on the outcome. 11 years of prison Benson is released on probation after being sentenced to life after being convicted of murder, but all the way he's claimed innocence and challenged the law by practicing it, going on to set up his own chambers as no one wants a convicted murderer enforcing law under their name.

Back when William Benson was being sentenced he has Tess De Vere by his side, she believed him when he claimed his innocence so when she finally hears he stuck to his promise they made in the holding cell before he received his sentence, Tess can not help herself and ends up drawn back into Williams life once again, joining his defence team on his first major case. The evidence alone already convicts Will's client but with so many angles to examine and play can he and his team figure anything out that can turn it in the other direction?

It was brilliant how easily I was able to fall into the world of John Fairfax's creation. I would easily be reading massive amounts of the pages before realising what time its been and having to call it a night because I've ben absorbed so well. The narration throughout the book is simple but powerful which was one point that really helped me return to the book. I've recently been reading quite a few crime/thrillers and this of for sure is different, very unique but yet just as great.

The characters helped make the more even more addictive besides the plot. Each character John created was fascinating, each of them has a full background which brings just that little bit more to the world. William Benson is one of those characters, he is clearly driven, passionate and strong but he is also the flipside, weak and secretive. All the things that keep you reading as you try to find out more about him and what has actually happened to him. Then there's Tess who is a vibrant character and also very strong-willed, every part of me just wants to know the ins and outs of their pasts.

The main reason that Benson and Tess have re-familiarized themselves with each other is the case, it's a difficult one, not so clean cut and there are some many angles in play. John really keeps all of his characters and his readers guessing as it all unfolds. It's hard to try and figure it out alone, you end up wondering that with so many angle to play if it will all be resolved in this book or not. And for that answer alone, you'll have to read to find out.

Its easily a 5/5 from me, the book just exceeded my expectations of brilliance, I cant wait to see more of Benson and De Vere, they were a great working partnership. Anyone who loves crime books and law defiantly need to read this, its 100% different to anything you've read so far.

Kiss Of Death - Robert Skuce

Synopsis:

Homicide detective, Bruno Norcross, is called to investigate the brutal murder of a college call girl. This isn't just any other crime scene. Bruno has seen this scene before, only the last time, the killer got away leaving Bruno feeling as though his career is incomplete. Nobody escapes Bruno's grasp twice and when his nemesis arises again, it’s time to bring him in. A serial killer, only known as the Kiss of Death, is back, only this time he made a mistake. A witness, like no other, was left behind and this witness knows the victim better than anyone.

Rosie's stalker, Ashley Truelove knows everything about her, from what she wears to who she sees. The question isn't can Ashley help Bruno catch the killer, but will he? With meager and confusing clues, two known victims and time running out, Bruno realizes that the cost of bringing the murderer to justice will be paid in blood. With the police Sergeant on his back to catch this killer and provide justice for the death of his daughter, Bruno is racing against time. Kiss of Death only hunts occasionally and time is running out before he vanishes again. Can Bruno find the evidence to stop him or will he escape his clutches once again?

Review:

This book had me hooked by the first page, you're instantly dropped into the situation with now messing around which I love. The book is told through 3 points of view, Bruno, Ashely/Lee and the mysterious Brown. I did think I would get confused with this way of writing and I wasn't too far off, sometimes I was losing track of who's POV I was reading from, which brings me to my next point. The internal voices of the characters do sound alike which felt slightly off, and did confuse me for a few moments but it did make for a great read. Information is slowly fed to you, leaving you unsure of the overall picture. When you are reading from one of the character’s POV's you start to believe in one thing but when you change POV's you end up questioning what you’ve only just come to believe.

I didn't really connect to the characters as much as I would in another genre maybe dystopian or young adult, but I connected enough to care for them to a point where I was rooting for them to be safe but not enough to connect on an emotional or mental wavelength if that makes any sense at all?

The majority of the story was actually great, I was into the story very much craving to know who the murderer of Rosie was, I was frustrated at how I couldn't find a single clue or make a single, solid, strong assumption. I felt as though the whole book had been at a great pace up until the ending it all seemed to speed up way too fast and not that it was an atrocious ending I just felt like it had more potential that what it actually did even though it wasn't anything near what I expected or could have guessed at. There were points that I thought details could have been added to just to give a little more realism but what was there was good.

I liked it for the most part, loved how by the book Bruno was and how matter of fact Lee was, but I wasn't so much of a fan of the repeated beatings a character had by another character who didn't get any sort of karma for it. It got less interesting and very much a point of me sighing and saying 'here we go again.'

Its hard to really give a great review of this book without giving spoilers that would ruin the story in parts or altogether. I have to praise Robert from gripping me for around 94% of the time, it was a great read but I just felt like it hadn't reached its full potential, it was a unique ending and I actually liked it there just left like there was even more potential. Its an 3.8/5 from me. Great read for the most part as I've previously stated. A great read for anyone who liked fast paced reads and twists and loves the unknown.

I was contacted and given a free copy for an honest review.

City of Good Death (Elisenda Domènech series) - Chris Lloyd

Synopsis:

An intense and brilliantly realised crime thriller set in the myth-soaked streets of Girona

A killer is targeting hate figures in the Catalan city of Girona – a loan shark, a corrupt priest, four thugs who have blighted the streets of the old quarter – leaving clues about his next victim through mysterious effigies left hung on a statue. Each corpse is posed in a way whose meaning no one can fathom. Which is precisely the point the murderer is trying to make.

Elisenda Domènech, the solitary and haunted head of the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit, is determined to do all she can to stop the attacks. She believes the attacker is drawing on the city’s legends to choose his targets, but her colleagues aren’t convinced and her investigation is blocked at every turn.

Battling against the increasing sympathy towards the killer displayed by the press, the public and even some of the police, she finds herself forced to question her own values. But when the attacks start to include less deserving victims, the pressure is suddenly on Elisenda to stop him. The question is: how?

Review:

City of Good Death( Elisenda Domènech series) is the first in the series. We are introduced to Elisenda Domènech herself and those who work by her side at the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit composed of Alex and Elisenda' small team. We get introduced to many more characters who we do see a few more times in the book and we're all set for the whole book once all of the characters have been introduced and there's no one else hiding anywhere.

We get to see Elisenda in action and we also get to know her sad personal experiences just as the time is right. Elisenda herself is a very strong woman, she stands up for her team and always sticks to what she knows is right and pushes what she believes is right, right to the edge to see if it really is right.

Girona is a beautiful place,located in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region. In this book though, Girona becomes plagued with acts of violence and murder and it is up to Elisenda and her crime unit to catch whoever is plaguing the city.

I don't really want to give too much detail on the story because this story is one of those that can lose its touch if one thing is spoilt. This novel is so heavy. I mean heavy in the sense of when you're absorbed into this world, where acts of murders and violence are suddenlv spiking and morals are being turned on their heads you seem to feel the weight of it all on your shoulders because although immersed in the book, your real life morals are fighting head to head with the morals of the city characters and it becomes difficult to not end up on the same wavelength of Elisenda.

It is a great read from start to end, it took me a while to get into it properly just because I was finding it hard to stay immersed when it came to the short language changes that come up. That was really the only downside to me and even then it really is just a small one. There's enough detail to make you believe you're there and the characters seem to feel like you live next door to them. Deffinetly a 4.8 out of 5. I can't wait to see what's next in City of Buried Ghosts and City of Drowned Souls