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.

BLOG TOUR: Cordial Killing: A Backyard Farming Mystery - Vikki Walton

Synopsis:

Anne is excited for the opening of the Brandywine Inn. Kandi and Hope are her partners in the bed-and-breakfast n Carolan Springs, Colorado, where they also provide homesteading and herbal workshops for guests.

As soon as the guests arrive, its plain that the five old college chums have bad blood between them. When Anne finds a threatening note, its clear that someone is out for revenge. Then they find a guest dead. At first, the death appears to be natural, but suspicions begin to grow.

When a blizzard threatens the Inn, will it trap them all with a killer and no way out?

Cordial Killing is a classic who-dun-it with a twist. Set in the fictional small town of Carolan Springs, you will enjoy an armchair getaway into beautiful Colorado.


Review:

With this being the first book of Vikki Walton's that I have read, I feen honoured to be allowed to have recieved a copy to read and review for the Blog Tour. It is for sure acosy mystery and like most of the mystery themed books i read, this book is added to the list where I didnt get who the culprit was right away and im thankful this book kept me guessing on who and why and when the crime was comitted.

The beauty of this book also comes from the setting, the Inn is and old victorian home and when you put those two words together your mind automatically creates such a beautiful setting as those homes are so beautiful and unique as well as so much more. I think its such a perfect setting for a Mystery book.

Like most books I read, once i hooked there was no way i wasnt able to not think about it, I read the majority of the book whilst on my way to the little lodge we had an holiday booked for in Wales but even when i wasnt reading the book, which was pretty much when we got to the lodge as so much begun to happen, where we were out visiting places and having fun, I was still finding myself thinking about the book and that is a sure sign that it is a brilliant read.

What also shines through in this book is how much time and effort that Vikki put into research and planning because there is so much knowledge intertwined within each word of the book, it's lovely to see that so much time was well spent creating the intricate details.

There isnt anything that I can think of that was an ounce of a negative of this book, with this said I am a little sad I didnt read the first book of A Backyard Farming Mystery series. I can't award this book anything less than a 5 out of 5. Vikki did a great job I can't even begin to explain in words that make sense. To anyone that lkes cosy mysteries, this is a sure thing you'd enjoy reading. This was a super way to get to know a new author and I am super grateful to hav had to opportunity. I hope that anyone who goes on to read any if both of the A Backyard Farming Mystery books enjoys them as much as I enjoyed Cordial Killing.

About The Author

 Vikki’s first words were “I get it!” This attitude became her life-long mantra to always go after what she wants. It also helped her realize her desire to help others get what they really want out of life.

After spending years as a registered interior designer, Vikki began to write. While writing for periodicals, Vikki found herself on assignment interviewing publishers in Colorado Springs. It wasn’t long before the natural beauty of Colorado captured her heart.

After moving to Colorado, Vikki  worked with nonprofits. However, she soon realized she needed more autonomy in her work.Vikki started her own business as a nonprofit consultant and grant writer. She has helped nonprofits across the U.S. to receive millions of dollars for  their work. Yet, she realized doing one thing wouldn’t satisfy her for long.

Vikki became a Work Quilter™ combining her many passions to create multiple income streams. She started speaking and teaching adults on myriad and diverse topics around her knowledge, skills and passions.   She's taught and spoken on Creative Writing, Design for Heart and Home, Fundraising Fundamentals , Suburban Homesteading, Permaculture, How to Get What You Really Want, and of course, Work Quilting. Two words that continually appear on instructor and speaker feedback forms are "engaging" and "knowledgeable."
You'll most often find Vikki out hiking with her dog, outside gardening, traveling abroad, house or pet sitting, or writing her next book.

Born in Chicago, Vikki lived outside of Paris for a few years as a small child. That may account for her love of travel. She moved to Wichita with her parents before going on to live most of her life around the San Antonio, Texas area. She is the founder of #girlswantago and you can connect through Facebook or www.girlswantago.com. Vikki is also an experienced, professional global house and pet sitter.

Vikki's favorite genre is mystery so it wasn't long before she had begun her first cozy mystery series.  Incorporating her love of suburban homesteading, or as some call it, backyard farming, Vikki's first book is Chicken Culprit. 

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. 

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.

The Dry - Jane Harper

Synopsis:
A small town hides big secrets in The Dry, an atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.

After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.

Review: (I'm going to try to not give away too much)

You're thrown into the deep end when you begin this book, Aaron Falk returns to his hometown after decades away to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend Luke. The majority of the town believes Luke had shot his eldest son and wife dead in their family home before killing himself in a clearing not far from his house. The town accept it and grieve the loss of the family as well as trying to get by in a drought.

Aaron Falk doesn't want to stay in the town longer than a day, but after the funeral Luke’s father approaches him asking him for help and he just can't refuse. He agrees to stay a little longer but after that he's definitely gone.

Each and every day Falk has is interesting, When certain things happen we get to see a little into the past of the Aaron all the way back to when it was him and his best friend Luke as they hung out with 2 other friends.

The characters were so well written,so interesting and engaging. I loved how much of a great main character Aaron was. It was just so exciting to see him pull all of the pieces of the puzzle together. Thankfully there was no super sloppy romance like some of the other novels of this genre that I have read. It was quite nice to spend the large majority of the story on the main plot line instead of swerving off to a out of place romance.

I enjoyed how quickly the tide would turn, you'd be lead in one direction and you'd believe you had it all figured out and then all of a sudden you're ripped away and in the other direction taking you back to square one. It kept me gripped and I found it hard to put down.

The ending took me completely by surprise and other did have to sit in silence for half an hour after finishing it, clutching it to my chest trying to fully absorb everything I had felt I had experienced.

Jane did an amazing job right from the start, she created scenes so well written I swear I could feel the hot unforgiving sun bearing down on me. It is an incredible thrilling debut from Jane and I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeves for us in the future.

It's a 5/5 from me, it'd be an 11/10 if I went that high. It's a definite must read for some of you out there that just can't wait to sink into a mystery. Give it a shot and let's see if you can figure it out before the end what happened to the Hadler family.

Both Of Me - Jonathan Friesen

Synopsis:

From award winning author, Jonathan Friesen, a contemporary story dealing with mental illness and an unexpected friendship.

Elias Phinn copes with his painful reality by slipping into the imaginary realm of Warilia, a world that colors his every waking moment and feels more real than the actual one around him. When his carry-on luggage is switched with that of the beautiful and mysterious Clara, Elias becomes convinced that she is a Warilian diplomat’s daughter. But as the two become friends and their carefully constructed worlds begin to crack, Elias must save them both before everything falls apart.

Poignant, heartrending, and powerfully real, Both of Me is the latest young adult novel from award-winning author Jonathon Friesen. As it explores themes of friendship, mental illness, and self-discovery, this gripping novel will catch—and keep—the attention of teen readers.



Review:

I have to admit that when I asked for a copy to review and BookLog Bloggers said yes and provided me with a copy, I wasn't completely sure on what to expect from it, but at least the synopsis was promising. I went in with an open mind and I can say that it satisfied some of me but it never reached higher than that.

It was supposed to be just a simple plane journey, yet another escape to a foreign place where she could forget about her past and her attachments. Well that is until Clara finds herself seated next to a mysterious boy named Elias Phinn, a boy who seems to know some of her secrets that she has barely managed to admit to herself.

When her hand luggage is accidently switched with Elias' identical one, Clara uses the luggage tag to track down her things, but once at the address on the luggage tag she discovers there isn't just one Elias, but two: the odd, paranoid, artistic and often angry Elias that she met on the plane who lives in an imaginary world of his own called Salem; and the kind, sweet and soon irresistible Elias who greets her at the door that day, and who has no recollection of ever meeting Clara on the plane.

After she learns of his Dissociative Identity Disorder, and finds herself entangled in both of Elias's lives, Clara makes a single decision that could change all of them forever. She is going to find out what the Salem Elias knows about her and her past and even if it means having to play along with his otherworldly quest. Along the way she decides that she is going to find a way to keep the gentle Salem free Elias whom she is beginning to love, from ever disappearing and leaving her again.

I have to admit I never saw anything coming, every page turn held a mystery for me and I have to admit I was hooked by the first page. I laughed, wondered and cried. It gets a 4 out of 5 from me, it hit all the right spots but there was just something that didn't give me a reason to give it a 5/5. It was still a great read and I would truly recommend it to anyone who wants to read an entirely different kind of mystery and come to understand a little about
DID.