+ abuse, child abuse, childhood, family, fiction, grief, lies, loss, love, marriage, motherhood, nineties, review, secrets, sisters
The Short Straw by Holly Seddon
Three sisters find themselves lost in a storm at night, and seek safety at Moirthwaite Manor, where their mother once worked.
#TheShortStraw @hollyseddon @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
They are shocked to find the isolated mansion that loomed so large through their troubled childhoods has long been abandoned. Drawing straws to decide who should get help, one sister heads back into the darkness. With the siblings separated, the deadly secrets hidden in the house finally make themselves known and we learn the unspeakable secret that binds the family together.
My Review
This was nothing like I expected. Abandoned mansion house in the middle of nowhere, violent storm, car breaks down, three sisters alone, ghosts, unhinged serial killer on the loose, Gothic horror? Forget it. This is very different, although the atmosphere is permanently thick with menace, it’s also a very emotional read.
It’s told in two timelines (a third thrown in just briefly for good measure), one revolving around the girls mother Rosemary in 1993, the other in the here and now. Nina is the eldest child, working as a midwife, her relationship with girlfriend Tessa seemingly on the rocks. Then there is Lizzie, frumpy, prefers animals to people and works at a dog rescue centre. Finally there is Aisa, who moves around, house-sits, has no fixed abode and is currently pet sitting a cat called Poisson in Paris. She has to get back.
In 1993, the girls lived with their mum in a two-bed cottage near Morthwaite Manor, the aforementioned mansion, where she was the housekeeper. Their dad is Bob, who was one of the boys who lived at the manor – it was a home for the unwanted and unloved, where boys could start a new life (theoretically) under the protection of the Brigadier and his wife Mrs Proctor. Alan also lived there and is now a gamekeeper of sorts, who appears to shoot at anything that’s not nailed down, mainly rabbits and birds. He prefers to live in a tent in the grounds.
They had a son, William, who went off to university, but came back to look after the house after his parents died. He is married to Selina and they had a daughter Jane, the same age as Lizzie.
Thirty years later, the three sisters are visiting their dad, but on the way home, they run out of petrol and have to abandon the car and find somewhere to shelter. Morthwaite Manor is close by, so that’s where they head. But when they get there, the place has been left to go to wrack and ruin. The front door is unlocked though, so they go in.
They draw straws to decide who will go for help and so it begins. No ghosts, no serial killers, no monsters under the bed, just the unlocking of the terrible secrets of the past – secrets long forgotten, but ones that will bind them all forever. I loved it.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour and to NetGalley for an ARC.
About the Author
Holly Seddon is the international bestselling author of TRY NOT TO BREATHE, DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES, LOVE WILL TEAR US APART, THE HIT LIST and WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE. After growing up in the English countryside obsessed with music and books, Holly worked in London as a journalist and editor. She now lives in Kent with her family and writes full time. Alongside fellow author Gillian McAllister, Holly co-hosts the popular Honest Authors Podcast. You can find her on Twitter @hollyseddon, Instagram and Facebook @hollyseddonauthor.
As the world falls apart, a deadly conspiracy comes together . . .
London, 2007. It’s summer in the the economy is booming, profits are up and the stock market sits near record highs. But journalist Gil Peck is a lone voice worrying it can’t last. Deep in the plumbing of the financial system, he has noticed strange things happening which could threaten the whole economy. But nobody wants to hear not the politicians taking credit for an end to boom and bust, not the bankers pocketing vast bonuses, not even Gil’s bosses at the BBC, who think it’s irrelevant.
When Gil gets a tip-off that a small northern bank has run out of money, everything changes. His report sparks the first run on a UK bank in 140 years. The next day, Marilyn Krol, a director of the Bank of England dies in an apparent suicide.
#TheCrash @Peston @ZaffreBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
For Gil, it’s personal. Marilyn was his was his scoop connected to her suicide? Or is there something more sinister in her death? Gil is determined to find out.
The more he investigates, the more he is drawn into the rotten heart of the financial system, where old school ties and secret Oxbridge societies lubricate vast and illegal conflicts of interest. The whole economy has been built on a house of cards, and Gil is threatening to bring it down.
When simply reporting the facts can make or break fortunes, Gil has to ask is he crossing the line between journalist and participant? Are his own conflicts of interest making him reckless? And in a world ruled by greed where nothing and no-one is too big to fail, what price will he pay for uncovering the truth?
My Review
All the time I was reading, I couldn’t help wondering how much of Gil Peck is based on Robert Peston himself. Or is Gil a mish-mash of the people Robert has met during his illustrious career? I hoped (prayed) it was the latter. When I got to the end, the author informs us that ‘every character is both a figment of my imagination and an amalgam of people I’ve encountered and know.’ Phew! I would hate to think of Robert selling drugs at Balliol and …. well I can’t tell you any more.
I did struggle a bit to keep up with the financial jargon eg subprime mortgages, bonds, and hedge funds. Imagine if ‘you were telling your grandmother what’s going on, how would you put it?’ Peck recommends at one point, unless of course she’s been a hedge fund manager, which she wasn’t. And neither am I. In fact what I know about the world of high finance could be written on the back of a Bitcoin. But I still recognise corruption in finance and politics and often question how some of the people involved, supposedly Oxbridge clever, can be so stupid. Greed I suppose trumps (no pun intended) common sense.
This was a fascinating read, not high-brow or dry as one might expect (or fear), but fast, entertaining and sprinkled with sex, romance, intrigue and unexplained deaths. The characters are larger than life, and often based on actual politicians of the day, though I hope they didn’t behave the way this lot do. The Malmsey Club at Oxford, for example, reminds me of The Bullingdon Club (minus the pig’s head) and I can see subtle references to various politicians, Russian oligarchs, and members of the press and BBC. Most of them fictitious, but mixed with actual personalities of the time.
Oh and it’s a follow-up to The Whistleblower, which I haven’t read and didn’t realise until much later. The Crash, however, can be read as a standalone. It’s great stuff, well written (it would be) and I certainly didn’t expect the outcome. I’d go as far as saying I was shocked. But in the world of power, politics and finance, I guess anything is possible.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour and to NetGalley for an ARC.
About the Author
Robert James Kenneth Peston is an English journalist, presenter, and author. He is the political editor of ITV News and host of the weekly political discussion show Peston. From 2006 until 2014, he was the business editor of BBC News and its economics editor from 2014 to 2015.
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+ child abduction, childhood, crime fiction, family, fiction, grief, kidnapping, lies, loss, love, marriage, mental health, motherhood, murder, obsession, revenge, review, secrets, thriller
Missing by KL Slater
I’ve known him all my life. I know he has taken my daughter. His mother says she can help me. But she’s the last person I can trust…
Samuel lived next door when we were children. We were inseparable. But he didn’t like sharing me with my adored little brother. And one terrible night, he got rid of my brother forever…
Now, years later, he’s free. And my daughter is missing.
I turn on my baby girl’s unicorn nightlight and bury my face in her pillow, my heart breaking. I know Samuel has her – he blames me for ruining his life, and even after all this time, he still doesn’t like to share.
As darkness falls, there’s a knock at my door and I open it to see Samuel’s mother. She says she can help me.
I know I can’t trust her, but I don’t have a choice. With each step I take, my fear grows stronger. Can she help me find my daughter? Or does she know something about what really happened all those years ago? Something that could stop me from saving my baby girl…
My Review
I listened to this on Audible so it was very drawn out. I’m a fast reader and I can usually read a book like this in four or five hours, so I have to admit I got a bit frustrated. But it was worth it in the end.
About halfway through, there was a twist so unexpected that my interest suddenly skyrocketed. But again it took such a long time, that I started to slip again. I wished I could just grab the book and finish it. It’s not the author’s fault, I’m just not good at the whole audiobooks thing, but it’s handy when I’m out walking.
That wasn’t the only twist though. Just when you thought it was all cut and dried another one came along which shifted everything. And if that wasn’t enough, the final twist exploded the whole thing, though I did have an inkling about that one.
I really like the way the story unfolds from the point of view of the main characters. We hear from Josie in the first person, starting with the murder of her little brother Jimmy in 1993, her relationship with her mother when she was a child, her separation from husband Terry who has a gambling addiction up to today when seven-year-old daughter Ivy is abducted.
Chapters are devoted to Samuel Barber, Josie’s ex-neighbour who is obsessed with her, and is serving time for Jimmy’s murder. Then we have his mother Maggie, Terry, DI Helena Price who is leading the investigation into Ivy’s disappearance, plus childminder Fiona, and Sheena who works for Josie at the cafe.
A really enjoyable thriller, though I’d have enjoyed it more if I could have flown through it on my Kindle.
About the Author
Kim is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village.
Publishers: Bookouture, Sphere, Grand Central, Audible
Agent: Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson
Author website: www.KLSlaterAuthor.com
Twitter: @KimLSlater
Facebook: KL Slater Author
Instagram: KLSlaterAuthor
+ crime fiction, family, fiction, friendship, grief, hostage, kidnapping, love, murder, obsession, psychopath, review, serial killer, stalker, thriller
Death Isn’t Enough by Mariëtte Whitcomb Death Trilogy #1
Noa Morgan worked hard to put the past and Emily behind her. Not that she remembers much about the forty days she spent in captivity.
When Noa realises she is being stalked, she knows it’s him. Despite everything she’s done, he’s found her. And now he’s killing innocent women, leaving an item at each crime scene still vivid in her memory.
With the body count rising, Noa can no longer hide the truth from her new friends. Not if she wants to keep them alive.
The worst part is … that Emily died for nothing.
#DeathIsntEnough #MarietteWhitcomb #PsychologicalThriller FB @mariettewhitcombauthor IG @mariettewhitcomb TikTok @mariettewhitcomb
My Review
Another entertaining thriller from this author – I think I’ve read all her books so far. You know it will be ‘no holds barred’ and that’s exactly what you get.
Noa was held captive for 40 days, not that she can remember much about it. What she does remember though was certain ‘items’ used to torture her and when similar ‘items’ turn up at the crime scenes of a number of murdered women, she knows it’s him. And now he’s stalking her, but how does he know where to find her?
It’s two and a half years since her shocking ordeal and she’s been unable to have a normal relationship since. Until she meets Luke. He also has a past, though not quite as gruesome as hers. And we get to meet his family, all of whom are lovely, especially younger sister Madison.
I cannot believe I didn’t guess the killer, but I really didn’t. Once you know, you think ‘how did I miss that?’ But I obviously did, which says a lot about how clever the author has been, feeding you the odd tidbit here and there, but never linking it to anything relevant.
I love the different points of view, especially when one of them is the serial killer. He constantly tells Emily (who is Emily?) through a series of emails, how much he loves her and that she will always be his. He refers to Luke as the ‘muscle monkey’ because he’s always in the gym.
It’s quite graphic in parts and certainly gruesome, and there are a lot of sexual references, so if you are easily shocked, probably best to stick to Midsummer Murders.
Many thanks to the author and https://www.enticingjourneybookpromotions.com/ for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Mariëtte Whitcomb studied Criminology and Psychology at the University of Pretoria. An avid reader of psychological thrillers and true crime books, writing allows her to pursue her childhood dream to hunt criminals, albeit fictional and born in the darkest corners of her imagination. When Mariëtte isn’t writing, she reads or spends time with her family, friends, and her two miniature schnauzers.
Social Media Links
Website/Newsletter: https://mariettewhitcomb.com
Email: mariette@mariettewhitcomb.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariettewhitcombauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariettewhitcomb/
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@mariettewhitcomb
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/mariettewhitcomb
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodsreadscommariettewhitcomb
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mariette-whitcomb
Buy Links:
Universal: https://books2read.com/deathisntenough
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QxC8VA
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3QvdBjK
B&N: https://bit.ly/3qhX4Fk
Kobo: https://bit.ly/444JTVX
In the Series – PreOrder – Releasing November 15, 2023
Silent Death (Death Trilogy, Book 2)
Universal: https://books2read.com/silentdeath
Amazon: https://bit.ly/47MsKn1
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/480Qzrs
B&N: https://bit.ly/464jBETKobo: https://bit.ly/44mXKqV
+ crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, murder, police corruption, police drama, police procedural, review
The Quiet Dead (A DI Sebastian Locke Mystery Book 1) by NJ Mackay
Fifteen years ago, he confessed to the murder of his wife and children.
As a teenager, Hayley DaSilva walked into a nightmare; discovering the bodies of her mother, twin brother, and friend all brutally slaughtered in her home… and her nine-year-old brother missing. Her father, Leonard DaSilva, confessed to the murders, but Ethan was never seen again.
He lied. But why?
Twitter #TheQuietDead @NikiMackayBooks @HeraBooks @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #TheQuietDeadTour #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter Instagram @nikimackaywriter
Now, Hayley has fled her dreadful past in Thamespark – until the call from Detective Sebastian Locke. Little bones uncovered in a shallow grave belong to Ethan… and the investigation reveals holes in the case that prove Leonard’s confession was false. He didn’t kill his family. So why did he say he did?
As DI Locke and the squad realise that a killer has been hiding in plain sight in the sleepy commuter town of Thamespark, the previously cold case becomes an urgent investigation. But as the squad gets closer to the truth of who really murdered the DaSilvas, it becomes clear that the culprit won’t hesitate to spill blood to keep their shocking secrets hidden…
An absolutely unputdownable police procedural with a shocking twist, introducing Detective Sebastian Locke. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Cara Hunter and Sharon Bolton will love this.
My Review
Great stuff! I flew through this, loving the main characters and the story. I’ve read this author before – more than once – I particularly loved The Girls Inside. Anything to do with a religious cult, the more bizarre the better, is right up my street for some reason.
This is very different though. Why would Leonard DeSilva confess to killing his wife, his son and his son’s friend fifteen years ago if he didn’t do it? And where is nine-year-old Ethan, who was never found after that terrible night?
Daughter Hayley wasn’t there at the time – she was out partying in the woods with her friends, drunk, drugged maybe, and totally wasted. Her boyfriend Danny was with her, as were some of her friends.
Then small bones are discovered in a shallow grave – the body of Ethan after all these years. A cold case is now an active investigation and Hayley, married and living in New York, decides to come home to bury her little brother. It’s all on record in the police files, though for DI Sebastian Locke the paperwork is somewhat lacking. Not up to his exacting standards. He doesn’t trust the ‘evidence’. There are too many unanswered questions for his liking.
His first port of call as well as Hayley and her friends, is the police team involved in the original investigation. Superintendent ‘Mac’ has died since, but the other two are very much alive, though neither are still with the force.
Sebastian’s private life is interesting too. His wife Charlie is no longer living with him – she has a major drug problem – but their daughter Tilly and Charlie’s mum make up their little family.
I found this new police procedural featuring DI Locke and his sidekick Lucy so engaging and I can’t wait to read the next instalment. I can imagine this on TV as a series – I just need to cast DI Locke – let me think…
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheQuietDeadTour
About the Author
NJ Mackay is a writer and a bookworm. She studied Performing Arts at the BRIT School. “It turned out I wasn’t very good at acting”, she says, “but quite liked writing scripts”. She went on to take a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Drama and later won a full scholarship for an MA in Journalism.
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+ adventure, China, dark humour, female friendship, fiction, friendship, humour fiction, India, review, Russia, sisterhood, thriller, trafficking
Sinister Sisterhood by Jane Badrock
Elle’s dreams of married bliss are shattered by David’s dalliances. She needs a new life-plan and it’s thrust upon her by her tiger-loving aunt in India.
Converted to the cause, she’s now committed to combating cruel animal exploitation whether it’s trading in endangered animal parts or trophy hunting.
But she can’t do it on her own. What she needs is money and a terrific team beneath her. What she gets is an assortment of amazing women with their own agendas. But the battle is getting bigger. There’s a mysterious mastermind building an execrable empire on the back of craved creatures’ carcasses.
The Sisterhood are devious, deadly and dedicated – but not necessarily to Elle’s cause. Can they succeed in getting what they want? Can Elle find her nemesis? Be they in England, America, Russia or China – they’re all going to have a damned good try.
My Review
I’m not sure what I’ve just read! At times it’s so bonkers that I started to question my own sanity. But it’s certainly entertaining and that’s what I look for in a good story.
If I wanted reality, I’d read non-fiction, which I don’t, because I usually read to escape the drudgery of real life. Sinister Sisterhood is a combination of that escapism and the reality of animal exploitation, trophy hunting and trafficking.
All the characters are larger than life. Elle Scarlett, formerly known as Angel to her devoted boyfriend David, Bessie, owner of a chain of hotels worldwide, Chloe, cleaner extraordinaire, who can remove everything from bodies to bloodstains, ex-police officer Penelope, and Delilah, whose animal skin thongs are creating a stir, to name but a few. Then there is Iqbal, an entrepreneur of sorts, but rarely if ever, on the right side of the law.
But when David finds romance elsewhere and a successful career as a TV presenter, Elle must re-evaluate her life plan. It’s only when she travels to India to stay with her Auntie Pat at her tiger reserve, that she becomes committed to saving endangered species. But she needs money and a team of dedicated women to help her track down the worst trophy hunters in the world.
Add to this a plot by an unknown mastermind to bring illegal animal products onto the black market and we have the makings of an exciting, if crazy, ride from Russia and Azerbaijan, to India and China on the other side of the world. Jane Badrock is one of my favourite authors and Sinister Sisterhood did not disappoint.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Jane writes novels, short stories and poems, usually with a good dose of humour in them. She’s probably owes it all to her late grandmother who, she’s just found out, also wrote short stories and poems. She tends to get an idea and then run with it whether it be a 100 word short story or an 80 thousand word novel. It all depends on the voices in her head at the time…
Follow her on:
Twitter/X: @janebadrock
Facebook: Jane Badrock Author
Write to me: janebadrockwriter@gmail.com
In a world where the gods have long deserted mortals, a powerful sorcerer emerges from a 100-year-old prison.
Releasing an army of beasts, he enters a path of destruction while searching for an ancient relic.
Tasked with challenging the darkness, a pure and naive-hearted boy named Luke embraces his destiny to defeat the wizard – for the promise of a better tomorrow.
#BlueLunarAndTheApexGrail #RickyBaxter @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #extract
Equipped with a divine armour, fashioned by the most powerful goddess, Luke will journey across the land in pursuit of the dark sorcerer, making unforgettable allies and bonds along the way. However, as a long-buried tragedy slowly comes to light, the boy will question everything he believes in… including his destiny.
Here is a short extract from the book:
‘Looking to the distance at the bulb of light that is Aurora, the pair find her standing in the central square – opposite the Sitis Monstrum: the very thing responsible for corrupting the minds of the townsfolk. Being the only structure still standing, its waters continue to flow as though unashamed of its doing. With her left eye pulsating with anger, the winged warrior stands quietly – glaring at the cursed fountain for many moments. Taking a small step forward she addresses the mysterious creation.
‘“Well, are you not going to say anything at all? This is all your fault… all of it. Tell me, who created you and what was their motive? Answer me!”
‘Voice echoing throughout the tarnished town, carried by the wind, her cry reaches the ears of the young comrades who stand afar in suspense. To their shock and surprise, a gruesome and otherworldly voice is heard from the evil fountain.
‘“Hawww… my creator? My master is the one who shall obtain the Apex Grail, and there is nothing you can do to stop him!”
‘“The Apex Grail? So you must be referring to Phantom the wizard king. Why does your master want the Apex Grail so badly? Is all this suffering and bloodshed truly worth it?”
‘“The suffering you mortals experience today is but a speck of dust compared to the horrors of the great Divine War. I was merely placed here to apprehend you, nothing more, nothing less. Now, do you realise? You will always be one step behind my master. Worry, not foolish warrior, for everything my master does is for love… love… love…”
‘The fountain repeats its words – its voice growing louder and louder. The notion of love con- fuses and angers Aurora, who shouts “what does that even mean? How could this possibly be for love? Explain yourself!”
‘“Love… love… love…”
“Shut up!” Screams the warrior – taking flight into the sky and clouds above, watched by her two comrades who stand transfixed as she prepares to finish off the cursed structure. Wings beautifully stretched wide for the rest of nature to adorn, she gazes down at the wicked creation like an angel of judgement.’
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Ricky Baxter is a London born, fantasy author of novels and short novellas. He is an avid blogger, giving advice and thoughts to fellow creators from all walks of life. Starting out as a composer after graduating with a Ba(Hons) in music and multimedia, Ricky worked for many independent short film directors, gaining notable IMDB credits. Since then, he has embraced his earlier passion for writing fictional stories.
Ricky’s Links
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/authorricky/
Tik Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@author.ricky6
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61864105-blue-lunar-the-
apex-grail
Buy Link – https://mybook.to/bluelunar-zbt
+ bullying, child abuse, childhood, crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, friendship, murder, police drama, police procedural, review, serial killer, thriller
The Silent Man (DI Grace Archer & DS Harry Quinn) #3 by David Fennell
A father is murdered in the dead of night in his London home, his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. But the victim’s only child is left alive and unharmed at the scene.
Met Police detectives Grace Archer and Harry Quinn have more immediate concerns. Notorious gangster Frankie White has placed a target on Archer’s back, and there’s no one he won’t harm to get to her.
@DavyFennell @ZaffreBooks #TheSilentMan @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
Then a second family is murdered, leaving young Uma Whitmore as the only survivor. Once again the victim’s face is found wrapped and inked.
With a serial killer at large, DI Archer and DS Quinn must stay alive long enough to find the connection between these seemingly random victims. Can they do it before another child is made an orphan?
My Review
This is the third book in the trilogy involving Met police officers Grace Archer and her sharp-as-a-tack, sarcastic partner Harry Quinn. Grace was brought up by her Granddad and he features highly in the book. Grace and Harry’s relationship is purely professional (if they have history then it’s not alluded to in The Silent Man).
There are three main threads here. A sadistic killer is on the loose having murdered a father who is discovered with his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. His young son is left alive though. His wife was out at the time.
Gangster Frankie White (who I guess is a major player in the first two books) is responsible for the death of Grace’s father and has designs on her too. She knows that neither she nor Granddad will ever be safe while he and his mobsters are at large.
Finally we have a totally unrelated story. Fourteen-year-old Brynn is bullied at school and abused by his drunken father at home. His mother left years ago to run off with another man and he hasn’t seen her since. His only friend is Iris, who has come to stay next door. She is also bullied because she wears a helmet to protect her head when she has an epileptic fit and falls over. The bullies call her Epi-Iris.
I will warn you that parts of the story are really quite graphic and gruesome, but also emotionally heart-wrenching and often seem personal. Brynn’s treatment by his father is harder to read at times than the murders.
It’s a brilliant book, far better than the average crime thriller – The Silent Man is about as creepy and chilling as they come. I know it is the final chapter in the series but there are hints that there may be more to come.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour and to NetGalley for an ARC.
About the Author
David Fennell was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for London at the age of eighteen with £50 in one pocket and a dog-eared copy of Stephen King’s The Stand in the other. He jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career in writing for the software industry. He’s been working in Cyber Security for fifteen years and is a fierce advocate for information privacy.
+ crime fiction, cult, Detective novel, devil worship, fiction, murder, police corruption, police drama, police procedural, retreat, review, satanism, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, superstition
The Devil Stone by Caro Ramsey DCI Christine Caplan #1
A macabre massacre of a wealthy family brings DCI Christine Caplan to the Highlands in her first thriller in a new series from master of Tartan Noir, Caro Ramsay.
In the village of Cronchie, a wealthy family are found brutally murdered. The Devil Stone, an heirloom rumoured to bring death if removed from their home, is the only thing stolen. The key suspects are known satanists. But when the investigating officer disappears, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to investigate.
#TheDevilStone @CaroRamsayBooks @canongatebooks #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #BlogTour
Caplan knows she is being punished for a minor misdemeanour when she is seconded to the Highlands, but she’s confident she can quickly solve the murders and return home to her fractious family. But as she closes in on the truth, it is suddenly her life, not her career, that is in danger.
My Review
This was so exciting! It’s my first Caro Ramsay but it won’t be my last. It’s all a bit Line of Duty with bent coppers always being a silent presence in the background. Plus murder, drugs and satanism and you have the perfect combination for a brand new police procedural.
DCI Christine Caplan isn’t always likeable, but then she’s not perfect. An ex-ballet dancer (I know that’s bizarre), slender as a reed, immaculately turned out, hair pulled back into a neat chignon, her home life is complicated. Her husband Aklen has sunk into a deep depression and hasn’t been out for seven years. He sits wrapped in a duvet, watching daytime TV or sleeping. Nineteen-year-old son Kenny is a nightmare, dropping out of university and maxing out his mother’s credit cards. Daughter Emma however, is doing her thesis, is self-sufficient and a bit of an eco-warrior.
Following the brutal death of five members of the same family, Caplan is sent to the village of Cronchie in the remote Highlands to join the team of investigators. She’s not exactly welcomed by the team, who seem to know everything about her. She’s been demoted to DI after losing vital evidence from an investigation, and she is now being accused of hurting a mugger, who died on the scene from what appeared to be the results of taking a new drug called ‘snapdragon’.
The murdered family were three generations of the McGregors, and they just happened to be the richest family in the area. They owned acres of land, a development site and half of the nearby island of Scone, the other half belonging to a retreat – or is it a cult? It also happens to be the place where the youngest son and only survivor Adam McGregor is living.
As far as the local constabulary is concerned, it’s very simple. A couple of local teenage criminals, fuelled by drugs and satanic worship, committed the murders in order to steal the cursed ‘Devil Stone’. But it’s all a bit too neat and Caplan isn’t convinced. With the combined IQ of Vicky Pollard and Mr Bean, and the strength of a small hamster, there is no way they could have masterminded such a slick operation, let alone overpowered the two McGregor men. And now the previous DCI in charge has apparently disappeared off the face of the earth, along with Adam.
Caplan is certain something weird is going on and she’s afraid that someone on the team is trying to stop her from getting at the truth. And that means that it’s not just her reputation on the line any more, her life is also in danger. Brilliant stuff!
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Caro Ramsay is the Glaswegian author of the critically acclaimed Anderson and Costello series, the first of which, Absolution, was shortlisted for the CWA’s New Blood Dagger for best debut of the year. The ninth book in the series, The Suffering of Strangers, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2018.
+ depression, fiction, grief, lies, loss, love, marriage, mental health, mental illness, mystery, relationships, review, supernatural
101 by Tracy Martin-Summers
Alice glanced at the property brochure resting on her lap and let out a sigh.
She was on her way to Cedar Grove which, according to the brochure set out before her, was the answer to her prayers. The estate agent had promised that this was the one.
The most perfect house, with everything she had asked for.
She smiled as she took in the sight of the pretty, quirky semi at the end of the road with its royal blue shutters and coordinating front door. There was something about this house that moved her.
Something was drawing her to it.
#101 @TracyMartinSum1 @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour
So why was it that their world started to crumble around them bit by bit, as though they had been hit by a demolition project, destroying everything they held dear, especially one another?
Who was doing this to them and why had her neighbour, Sally, disappeared along with the rest of the neighbourhood? There was no one left.
The vision, as described on the day of the viewing had vanished, fallen off the face of the earth and she was deemed psychotic. Was she losing her mind? She didn’t think so…
My Review
This was a very quick read, which I devoured well into the night. I was tired by the end, so I read the last part again in the daytime. And I needed to.
Alice has viewed 100 properties, but none came up to scratch. Then the brochure for 101 Cedar Grove comes into her possession and she decides to view it alone. Neither her husband Will, nor the estate agent, are willing to go with her, as both are fed up with the number of houses she has rejected. But this one is different. 101? Is it an omen and what is drawing her to it?
When she arrives, the house is picture-perfect, the flowers in the front garden, the water feature, the blue front door and matching shutters. This is the one, she knows it. Inside is just us lovely, if very old-fashioned, and the neighbours Sally and her three-year-old daughter Daisy are going to become her best friends.
Six months later, she and Will are moving in – he never actually viewed it himself – but the place seems to have deteriorated as if it had been empty for years. And none of the neighbours remember Sally and Daisy, or Sally’s husband Bill, a door-to-door salesman. That for me was the first trigger as I don’t think door-to-door salesmen exist nowadays, other than Nottingham knockers.
Will is worried about Alice, who had a period of depression in the past, following her best friend’s death, and ended up spending six months in a rehabilitation unit called Chapters. She hated it and dreads being sent back. Yet she knows what she saw, only no-one believes her. But how is any of it possible? Is she hallucinating or having a lucid dream? Will finds her a therapist, against her wishes, but she agrees to see her.
So who is lying? Is Alice psychotic or psychic? Or is she the only sane one? I had no idea and I’m not sure I do now. A very clever and intriguing story with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Tracy was born in Harrow Weald, Middlesex, growing up in a loving family home. She married her first husband in 1990, has two grown up children and two granddaughters. She studied a variety of topics via moduled learning, embarking on City and Guilds and NVQ courses, ranging from a brief spell in hairdressing to administration and now works for a utility company in North West London. Tracy has numerous hobbies ranging from landscape painting to landscape gardening and always likes to paint the scene, even if it’s changing the colour scheme,yet again, within her home.
Tracy has always enjoyed writing and used to write short stories for her own children’s amusement but it has only been in the last few years that she has taken this more seriously and has gone on to write her first police procedural psychological thriller series, comprising Gordon Square, Arlington Terrace and Keeper’s Lodge. On the 1st August she released her latest psychological thriller 101 and is now already plotting her next book.
Tracy married her second husband in 2014 and now lives in Bedfordshire in a sleepy hamlet where she writes whenever she gets a spare moment.
Tracy’s Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracy_martinsummers/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/TracyMartinSum1
Website : http://www.tracymartinsummers.co.uk
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181442107-101
Buy Links – https://mybook.to/101-zbt
+ alcoholism, childhood, fiction, Ireland, lies, motherhood, review, secrets, seventies, sisters
Be Careful What You Wish For by Lorraine Murphy
A mother determined to hide the truth. A sister about to expose it.
When Tara Ryan gets the results of a DNA test one rainy afternoon, all her dreams come true. She discovers she’s not an only child, she has a long-lost sister, Cassie. What she doesn’t know is that Cassie is homeless, strung out, and praying for a break.
#BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor #LorraineMurphy @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour @inkubatorbooks
As socially awkward Tara lets street-wise Cassie into her life, shocking secrets come to the surface – a dark web of illegal adoptions, betrayal and death. All rooted in a horrifying children’s home scandal which occurred many years before.
Has Tara’s mother been deceiving her for her entire life, or is Tara looking to the wrong person for the truth?
Someone is lying – and they must pay the ultimate price.
My Review
Three main characters – Tara, socially awkward, most probably autistic, has no friends and takes care of her mother, Mary. Cassie, her long-lost, drunken, homeless sister, who she discovers through a DNA test. Except Tara is an only child, so how can that be possible?
And of course, 82-year-old Mary, selfish, manipulative, religious fanatic, never allows Tara to live her own life. Mourns the premature loss of her late husband, Tara’s Daddy RIP.
So how do these women connect and how will the relationships play out? What does Cassie know that Tara does not? And is she telling the truth?
Fascinating and heart-breaking, we all feel the utmost sympathy for Tara. But what about Cassie? Is she the result of a tragic childhood spent mostly in a children’s home, which is being investigated, or is she just a wicked, horrible person, taking advantage of both Tara and Mary? Born in the seventies, this was when babies in Ireland were still torn from an unmarried mother’s breast and ‘sold’ to a good Catholic family (different times says Mary).
And what about Mary? Old, fragile, disabled following the accident that killed her husband, and now dying. Or is much of it a ploy to keep Tara with her?
So who is the real villain here? Is it Cassie, always looking for someone to take advantage of and someone to blame? Or is it Mary, who has been keeping secrets from Tara her whole life? And what are those secrets and just who is telling the truth? Maybe Tara wants to believe what she wants – that she has a sister who will become her best friend, and that her mother was another innocent victim.
Someone is lying, but who? A short book with so many surprising twists, I’m still not sure who to believe.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Lorraine Murphy takes everyday situations and twists them into terrifying tales. She is the author of Into the Woods and numerous published, and winning, flash fiction stories. A software engineer by profession, she’s had many careers including slimming club leader, adult educator, charity co- founder, chairperson, activist and entrepreneur. Asa teenager, she adored Stephen King and later found herself on the jury of an infamous murder trial.
When she’s not writing, Lorraine is always into something, whether it be competing in/for her local Toastmasters club or jumping out of a fully functional airplane. She lives in Westmeath, Ireland with her husband Brendan and three taller children. This is her second psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.
Lorraine’s Links
Twitter : https://twitter.com/MurphyLorr
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lorraine.a.murphy/
Website : http://www.lorraineamurphy.com/
Book Links
Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194949863-be-careful-what-
you-wish-for
Buy Links : https://mybook.to/becareful-zbt
+ crime fiction, fiction, grief, kidnapping, loss, murder, obsession, psychopath, review, serial killer, sisters, thriller
The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard
It’s the nightmare scenario that every girl is warned about, and she knows the dangers all too well – but what other choice does she have?
As they drive, she alternates between fear and relief – one moment thinking he is just a good man doing a good thing, the next convinced he’s a monster. But when he delivers her safely to her destination, she realises her fears were unfounded.
#TheTrap @cathryanhoward #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #BlogTour
And her heart sinks. Because a monster is what she’s looking for, to discover what happened to her missing sister. She will try again tomorrow night. But will the man who took her sister take the bait?
My Review
Very very clever. There are so many crime novels out there, but this is in a class of its own. It’s so intricately plotted that when I had finished it, I had to go back and re-read some of it. Did it really happen like that? It’s going to be very hard to write about because every passage, every clue, is a spoiler. So this will be a short review.
We open with a young woman walking along a lane in the dark. She’s putting herself in extreme danger – she knows that – but how else can she trap the man who took her sister. How else can she find out what really happened? By using herself as ‘bait’ and hoping he’ll take it.
Women have gone missing and the police are getting nowhere. Operation Tide has been set up to find the women and catch a serial killer. But they are no further forward.
Lucy’s sister Nicki was one of those women. Where is she? No-one seems to care, not to the extent that 17-year-old Jennifer Gold attracted the media’s attention. But then Jennifer was a pretty, perfect, innocent teenager – the poster-girl for a missing persons investigation – while Nicki was drunk and had walked off into the night without even saying goodbye to her friends. She had it coming therefore, didn’t she.
FLO Denise Pope doesn’t agree. Together with Angela from the MPU, they are looking into other disappearances.
There are so many twists and surprises in this book. When you finish reading you’ll think ‘how did I not see that coming?’ because I guarantee you won’t. Smart, perfectly constructed, a masterpiece for our times. And the chapters written from the point of view of the killer are chilling and at times rather graphic.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling author from Cork, Ireland. Her work has been shortlisted for the CWA’s John Creasey New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger awards, and in 2019 her novel The Liar’s Girl was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. The Nothing Man was a no. 1 bestseller in her native Ireland. She currently lives in Dublin, where she divides her time between the desk and the sofa.
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