Review: The Preacher by Sander Jakobsen (4/5)

Monday 30 June 2014 0 comments
An astonishingly clever, gripping thriller with a killer hook - from the hottest new name in Scandinavian crime writing.

'You will never find me.'

Thorkild Christensen stares down at his murdered wife, Karen, and realises he knows almost nothing about her. How did she fill her days? Where did she disappear to every Thursday? Lead investigator Detective Thea Krogh is determined to find out.

And then a second woman is shot dead.

There is seemingly nothing to link the two victims, and the police move on, desperate for a lead. But someone out there has a deadly secret. And as events begin to play out - masterminded by a strange and bewitching figure - all of their worlds are about to come crashing down . . .

An ingenious thriller from an exciting new Danish talent. Will you guess the secret to unlock the killer twist?


Review: Season of Fear by Brian Freeman (4/5)

Lake Wales, Central Florida. Ten years ago, a political fundraiser became a bloodbath when a hooded assassin carried out a savage public execution. Three men were massacred, casting a dark shadow over the Sunshine State.

A decade on, history is threatening to repeat itself. The widow of one victim, herself now running for governor, has received an anonymous threat – a newspaper clipping from that fateful day, along with the chilling words ‘I’m back.’

Florida detective Cab Bolton agrees to investigate the threat against this candidate, Diane Fairmont: an attractive politician who has a complicated history with Cab’s mother, Hollywood actress Tarla Bolton – and with Cab himself.

But by doing so, Cab is entering dangerous waters. Fairmont’s political party is itself swamped in secrecy – a fact that, unknown to Cab, has led one of its junior staff to start asking very sensitive questions about the death of a party employee.

Both Cab and this young researcher, Peach Piper, are digging up the kind of dirt that ten years can’t wash away. And as the powerful crosswinds of state politics swirl around Cab and Peach, and the threat of a tropical storm hangs over Florida, this whirlwind of pressure and chaos will ultimately unearth a poisonous conspiracy, and reawaken a killer who has lain dormant for a decade.

Review: A Gift To Remember by Melissa Hill (4/5)

Friday 27 June 2014 0 comments
Darcy Archer works in a small bookstore in Manhattan. A daydream believer, she refuses to settle for anything less than being swept off her feet by the perfect man… literally.

One day, when cycling to work, Darcy accidentally crashes into a sharply dressed gentleman walking his dog. He is knocked out cold, rushed to hospital and the poor pup gets left behind.

Wracked with guilt, Darcy takes the dog and makes plans to reunite him with owner, Aidan. As she discovers the mysterious stranger's world of books, travel, adventure and all the wonderful things she's ever dreamt about, Darcy builds a picture of this man and wonders if he could be THE ONE…

But does fantasy match reality? What happens when Prince Charming wakes up? Will Aidan be the happy ever after she's always imagined?

Review: The House of Dolls by David Hewson (4/5)

Thursday 26 June 2014 0 comments
Where dark secrets lurk behind every door . . .

Anneliese Vos, sixteen-year-old daughter of Amsterdam detective, Pieter Vos, disappeared three years ago in mysterious circumstances. Her distraught father's desperate search reveals nothing and results in his departure from the police force.

Pieter now lives in a broken down houseboat in the colourful Amsterdam neighbourhood of the Jordaan. One day, while Vos is wasting time at the Rijksmuseum staring at a doll's house that seems to be connected in some way to the case, Laura Bakker, a misfit trainee detective from the provinces, visits him. She's come to tell him that Katja Prins, daughter of an important local politician, has gone missing in circumstances similar to Anneliese.

In the company of the intriguing and awkward Bakker Vos finds himself drawn back into the life of a detective. A life which he thought he had left behind. Hoping against hope that somewhere will lay a clue to the fate of Anneliese, the daughter he blames himself for losing . . .

Review: His Father's Son by Tony Black (5/5)

Wednesday 25 June 2014 0 comments
Australia is the Lucky Country, and Joey Driscol knows it. It's a far cry from his native Ireland, but he believes this is the place he and his wife Shauna can make a new life and forget the troubles of the past. For a time, they do just that, and soon welcome their son Marti into the family. 

But as the years pass, this new life thousands of miles from the Old Country comes under threat. Joey's wife has been struggling with demons of her own, their marriage is on the rocks and suddenly, Shauna disappears and takes Marti with her. Joey is beside himself, with no clues about where they are, with both his childhood sweetheart and his son – his pride and joy – now missing. 

Then, when Joey gets word that his wife and son have returned to Ireland, he knows that he'll now have to do the same if he ever wants to see them again. And he also knows that he'll finally have to confront the ghosts of his past that he's been running from for years. 

His Father's Son is a touching and beautiful story of a family struggling to come to terms with their past, their present and an uncertain future.

Review: Body Count by Barbara Nadel (3.5/5)

Any bloody death will lead Inspectors Çetin Ikmen and Mehmet Süleyman out onto the dark streets of Istanbul. 

On 21 January, a half-decapitated corpse in the poor multicultural district of Tarlabasi poses a particularly frustrating and gruesome mystery. But as the months pass and the violence increases, it turns into a hunt for that rare phenomenon in the golden city on the Bosphorus: a serial killer.

Desperate to uncover the killer's twisted logic as the body count rises, Ikmen and Süleyman find only more questions. How are the victims connected? What is the significance of the number 21? And how many Istanbullus must die before they find the answers?


Review: Seven For A Secret by Lyndsay Faye (5/5)

Tuesday 24 June 2014 0 comments
1846: KIDNAP, MURDER, LOVE AND BETRAYAL ON THE LAWLESS STREETS OF NEW YORK.

Timothy Wilde, copper star in the newly formed NYPD, thinks himself hardened to the darker practices of the city he's grown up in. That is, until he encounters the 'blackbirders', slave-catchers with a right to seize runaways from the Southern states.

When a woman reports her family has been stolen, Timothy and his wayward brother Valentine find themselves plunged into an underworld of violence and deceit, where police are complicit and politics savage. If he's to protect all those he cares about, Timothy must unravel the corruption at the heart of the authority he was hired to defend...


Review: Suburb by Steven Kedie (3.5/5)



 Tom Fray leaves university with a simple plan; get a job, save some money and go travelling.

To put his plan into action he moves home to the suburbs of Manchester where he finds the people he left behind all stuck in the same routines as when he went away.

Feeling trapped between his old and new lives, Tom is desperate to escape. Then he meets Kate, a married neighbour and his simple plan becomes a lot more complicated.





Review: The Kill by Jane Casey (4/5)

Monday 23 June 2014 0 comments
Maeve Kerrigan is used to investigating murders. But this time a killer has struck far too close to home...

When a police officer is found shot dead in his car, DC Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent take on the investigation. But nothing about the case prepares them for what happens next: a second policeman dies . . . and then another . . .

The Metropolitan Police struggle to carry out their usual duties, but no one knows where or how this cop killer will strike again. While London disintegrates into lawlessness Maeve's world starts to fall apart too. For if the police can't keep themselves safe, how can they protect anyone else?



Review Round Up (June 16th-20th)

Friday 20 June 2014 0 comments
This post is the show you what I've reviewed this week along with links to read the reviews. Italicised quotes are taken from my review. Hope you enjoy!

Monday

The Teashop On the Corner - Milly Johnson (Chick Lit Book of the Week)


"the perfect book for escaping into this Summer!"

"some of the stories felt so real that they just broke my heart."

"Milly hasn't just written a book, she has written a truly remarkable, heartwarming (and heartbreaking!) and life affirming story"

"one of those special books that only come along a few times a year"

Read My Hall of Fame Review



Tuesday

The Ways of the Dead - Neely Tucker

"Stunningly written with such brilliant and believable characters"

"one of the most enjoyable crime fiction novels I've read in a long time"

"This book will suck you in, grip you and not let go until you reach the dramatic end"

"Tucker has written such an authentic and realistic story"

Read My Review





 Two Weddings and a Baby - Scarlett Bailey


"a hugely enjoyable book that I think people will just love"

"a fantastic setting and brilliant characters alongside a wonderful story"

"Throughout the book it was the relationship between Tamsyn and Ruan (her brother) that I loved the most"

"A very talented author I am happy to have discovered"

Read My Review





Wednesday

The Killer Next Door - Alex Marwood (Crime Book of the Week)


 "The cast of characters are so varied and different"

"It's gripping, suspenseful and in parts a little bit scary!"

"The book was incredibly addictive"

"It takes a lot to turn my stomach but reading some parts of this book managed it!"

Read My Review








I Am the Secret WAG - The Secret WAG

"a fun read and told exactly what it's like to be a WAG, both the good and the bad sides of it"

"the Secret WAG talks a lot about how hard it was to give up her career and basically live off her husband's earnings, perhaps I'm just bitter but I didn't feel a massive amount of sympathy here"

"I loved reading about the bitchiness in the Players' Lounge and about the various different types of WAGs"

"it was a fun read and I would add it to your suitcase for reading this Summer"

Read My Review



The Corpse Bridge - Stephen Booth

"Booth really captures his settings and is extremely knowledgable about what he's talking about"

"I feel like I'm a little bit more cleverer after finishing a Booth novel"

"Fry and Cooper together on the page is always brilliant"

"It wasn't particularly over the top or sensationalist, just a brilliant story you could imagine happening in real life alongside some fantastic characters"

Read My Review




Thursday

Wanted - Emlyn Rees

 

"a rip-roaring, fast paced, heart stopping read and I loved every single minute of it"

"the wait for the follow up to this book will be torture"

"Rees writes the sorts of books you would just love to see on the big screen"

"a book not to miss this Summer"

Read My Review



Carnal Acts - Sam Alexander



"Whoever this author is I'm desperate to find out"

"Moving at an extremely fast pace the book had my heart beating and jaw dropping numerous times"

"The characters are well crafted, unique and believable"

"It's not often you read a book dealing with so many different themes and doing it so well"

Read My Review





Friday

Love Like the Movies - Victoria Van Tiem



"overall it's a very heartwarming and touching read with some absolutely wonderful characters"

"This book is written like and could be a film"

"A must read this Summer!"

"one of the funniest and most enjoyable stories I have read in a chick lit book"


Read My Review

Review: Love Like the Movies by Victoria Van Tiem (4/5)

Kenzi Shaw knows the plot of her life down to the last line - the career she's building as an up-and-coming marketing exec, the gorgeous fiancé (Bradley) she'll marry in a fairytale wedding, the children they'll raise in her dream home. But when heart-breaking ex Shane comes back into her life, life starts going off the script...

Shane tries to win Kenzi over by re-enacting all the rom-com movies they used to watch together - Sleepless in Seattle, Bridget Jones's Diary, Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing to name a few. He's just a guy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to trust him again. But has he really changed? Not only is her head in a spin over Shane, but now her job is on the line. And with her perfect sister-in-law showing up every tiny thing Kenzi does wrong, she feels like she's permanently in the corner.

Should she risk her sensible life for the chance of a Happy Ever After? One thing's certain, when Shane meets Kenzi (again), she's suddenly not so sure who her leading man is . . .

Perfect for fans of From Notting Hill with Love . . . Actually and You Had Me at Hello. Grab some popcorn, hit the sofa and enjoy this feel-good and very funny novel.


Review: Carnal Acts by Sam Alexander (4/5)

Thursday 19 June 2014 0 comments

A stunning crime fiction novel featuring a pair of detectives in the northern English borderlands.

DI Joni Pax, a London homicide detective wounded in a disastrous raid, has been transferred to the newly formed Police Force of North East England. Her boss, DCI Hector Heck Rutherford, is recently back at work after cancer treatment. Between them they are responsible for major crime in rural Northumberland and County Durham. Joni, the daughter of a black American and a white hippy, is a loner struggling to regain her self confidence. Heck is happily married, but his illness has left him fearful.

Based in Corham, a town with Roman, medieval and industrial heritage, Paz and Rutherford investigate a murder at a brothel run by the Albanian mafia. In a series of breathtaking plot twists, the author demonstrates the corruption that underpins the beautiful northern English countryside as well as hinting at a mysterious world beyond the horizon.

Carnal Acts explores abuse of many kinds sexual, psychological, economic taking the police procedural to places it has never been before.

Review: Wanted by Emlyn Rees (5/5)

Danny Shanklin is the world’s most wanted man.

Hunted by nine international intelligence agencies for a terrorist atrocity he did not commit, he’s now trapped in a deadly race against the clock to protect his life, his family, and the world from the people responsible—people intent on true destruction. For though they framed him, these terrorists are really after a much bigger target: six lethal smallpox formulations, any one of which could trigger a global pandemic, leaving only one in three people alive.

With the help of a Ukrainian mercenary and a ruthless female assassin, Danny soon finds himself forced into the roles of both predator and prey—as he tries desperately to win the fight of his life.


Review: The Corpse Bridge by Stephen Booth (4/5)

Wednesday 18 June 2014 0 comments
The old Corpse Bridge is the route taken for centuries by mourners from villages on the western fringes of Derbyshire to a burial ground across the River Dove, now absorbed into the landscaped parkland of a stately home. When Earl Manby, the landowner, announces plans to deconsecrate the burial ground to turn it into a car park for his holiday cottages, bodies begin to appear once again on the road to the Corpse Bridge. Is there a connection with the Earl's plans? Or worse, is there a terrifying serial killer at work?

Back in his job after the traumatic events of previous months, Detective Sergeant Ben Cooper knows that he must unravel the mystery of the Corpse Bridge if he's going to be able to move on with his life. As the pressure builds, Ben doesn't know who he can trust and, when the case reaches breaking point, he has to make a call that could put everything - and everyone - at risk..


Review: I Am The Secret WAG by The Secret Wag (4/5)

Money, cars, homes, holidays, parties and all the shoes you've ever dreamed of. The life of a footballer's wife or girlfriend must be as glamorous and exciting as her other half, right? But behind the closed doors of the WAG's world, there are all the pressures as well as pleasures of success. So what is it really like?

The Secret WAG lays bare the reality of existence under the celebrity spotlight. It is about fashion and fame, sex and scandal, but, like the bestselling Secret Footballer books, is also an honest appraisal of life on and off the field of play which will change your preconceptions about footballers and their partners. It is sassy, outspoken, funny and above all, written from the heart. 

Meet The Secret WAG.

Review: The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood (5/5)

The electrifying new thriller from the author of the Edgar-Award winning sensation The Wicked Girls, Alex Marwood.

No. 23 has a secret. In this bedsit-riddled south London wreck, lorded over by a lecherous landlord, something waits to be discovered. Yet all six residents have something to hide.

Collette and Cher are on the run; Thomas is a reluctant loner; while a gorgeous Iranian asylum seeker and a 'quiet man' nobody sees try to stay hidden. And watching over them all is Vesta - or so she thinks.

In the dead of night, a terrible accident pushes the neighbours into an uneasy alliance. But one of them is a killer, expertly hiding their pastime, all the while closing in on their next victim...

As a cloying heatwave suffocates the city, events build to an electrifying climax in this dark, original and irresistibly compelling thriller.



Review: Two Weddings and A Baby by Scarlett Bailey (4/5)

Tuesday 17 June 2014 0 comments
Tamsyn Thorne has not been back to her home town of Poldore for five long years.

But now her brother, Ruan, is about to get married and she has no excuses left.

Her plans to arrive in Cornwall looking chic and successful are dashed when a huge storm turns her from fashion goddess to a drowned rat. Worse, she ends up insulting the local hunky vicar – and then finds a tiny baby abandoned in his churchyard…




Review: The Ways of the Dead by Neely Tucker (5/5)

‘The Ways of the Dead is a great read. If this is Tucker’s first novel, I can't wait for what's coming next.’ Michael Connelly

TRUE DETECTIVE meets HOUSE OF CARDS in the electrifying first novel of a new crime series from a veteran Washington, D.C., reporter

The body of the teenage daughter of a powerful Federal judge is discovered in a dumpster in a bad neighbourhood of Washington, DC. It is murder, and the local police immediately arrest the three nearest black kids, bad boys from a notorious gang.

Sully Carter, a veteran war correspondent with emotional scars far worse than the ones on his body, suspects that there's more to the case than the police would have the public know.

With the nation clamouring for a conviction, and the bereaved judge due for a court nomination, Sully pursues his own line of enquiry, in spite of some very dangerous people telling him to shut it down.


Hall of Fame Review: The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson (5/5)

Monday 16 June 2014 1 comments
At her beloved husband's funeral, Carla Pride discovers that Martin never divorced his first wife and has been living a double life with her. And his other wife, Julie Pride, is determined to take everything from Carla - her home, her money, and her memories.

When Will Linton's business goes bust he at least thinks that with the support of his trophy wife Nicole he will rise to the top again. But Nicole isn't going to stick around with 'a loser' and Will finds himself at rock bottom.Molly Jones is being bullied into going into a retirement home by her 'concerned' daughter-in-law Sherry and son Gram. Then the love of Molly's life walks in through her door - a man who broke Molly's heart into little pieces many years ago. But he says he is dying and wants to spend the time he has left with her.

All people in need of a little love and compassion which they find by chance in the stationery and teashop on the corner run by the ever-cheerful Leni, a woman that site developer Shaun McCarthy finds annoying beyond annoying for her ability to remain unrealistically upbeat about everything. 

But is the world of Leni Merryman as full of rainbows and sparkles as everyone thinks? Or is her smile papering over many cracks in her heart that will soon be shattered unwittingly by her new friends?

Review: Assassin by Shaun Hutson (4/5)

Friday 13 June 2014 0 comments
This is the book that introduced me to Caffeine Nights publishers and I am so thankful. I have discovered a fantastic publishing house with a brilliant back catalogue, a unique and determined vision and a fantastic ethos. I'm saddened to have reached the end of my very first publisher week but happy to share with you my review for this book. I hope you've enjoyed the reviews you have read and will perhaps consider picking one or two of the books up.

Review: Seven Daze by Charlie Wade (4/5)

Released from prison, and hacked off with a life of petty crime, Jim takes a new job: contract killing. But, what happens when your first hit fails? When the target has a heart attack before you can pull the trigger Charlotte, a keen city worker, jumps to the victim's aid in South London's busy streets. Should Jim carry out the contract and also kill Charlotte? What he shouldn't do is help her save his life. The man saved, Jim has a problem; not only does his boss want his advance back, he also expects compensation. Immediately. With seven days to make ten grand, Jim starts a one-man crime spree in the heart of London. But will his budding relationship with Charlotte prove to be a help or a hindrance as he struggles to stay alive?



Review: The Fix by Keith Nixon (4/5)

Thursday 12 June 2014 0 comments

It’s pre-crash 2007 and financial investment banker Josh Dedman’s life is unravelling fast. He’s fired after £20 million goes missing from the bank. His long-time girlfriend cheats on him, then dumps him. His only friends are a Russian tramp who claims to be ex-KGB and a really irritating bloke he’s just met on the train. His waking hours are a nightmare and his dreams are haunted by a mystery blonde. And to cap it all, he lives in Margate.

Just when Josh thinks things can’t get any worse his sociopathic boss — Hershey Valentine — winds up murdered and he finds himself the number one suspect.

As the net closes in Josh discovers that no one is quite what they seem, including him, and that sometimes help comes from the most unlikely sources...

Part fiction, part lies (well, it is about banking) and excruciatingly funny, THE FIX pulls no punches when revealing the naked truth of a man living a life he loathes. This is a crime fiction novel with a difference...

Review: Vendetta by Nick Oldham (5/5)

Wednesday 11 June 2014 0 comments
George never meant to kill the thief – he was just defending his shop from the jacked up kids trying to rob him. Break the kid’s jaw maybe, but not kill him. Later the doorbell rings and in revenge the gang swarm into George’s house, beat him senseless, rape his wife, tie them up and set fire to them. 

It isn’t long before Jimmy Vickers, George’s son, is on the trail of the gang who murdered his parents, exacting his own kind of chillingly brutal justice. Jimmy is an interrogation specialist for the military in Afghanistan who knows more than he should. With the police closing in and his own regiment also determined to stop him, the body count mounts up.


Jimmy creates a media frenzy - London’s first vigilante of the 21st Century - but will his devastating course of action spell the end for the woman he loves?

Review: The Films of Danny Dyer by Jonathan Sothcott and James Mullinger (5/5)

Danny Dyer is Britain’s most popular young film star. Idolised by Harold Pinter and with his films having taken nearly $50 million at the UK box office, Dyer is the most bankable star in British independent films with one in ten of the country’s population owning one of his films on DVD. 

With iconic performances in such cult classics as The Business, The Football Factory, Dead Man Running, Outlaw and now Vendetta, Dyer is one of the most recognisable Englishmen in the world. 

For the first time, and with its’ subject’s full co-operation, this book chronicles his film career in depth, combining production background with critical analysis to paint a fascinating picture of the contemporary British film industry and its brightest star. Packed with anecdotes from co-stars and colleagues, as well as contributions from the man himself, The Films of Danny Dyer is the ultimate companion to the work of Britain’s grittiest star.

Review: Wings of a Sparrow by Dougie Brimson (4/5)

Tuesday 10 June 2014 0 comments
Rob Cooper, self-confessed football fanatic and editor of the United FC fanzine, Wings Of A Sparrow, returns from watching his team succumb to yet another defeat to discover that not only has he inherited an estate worth in excess of six million pounds, but that it has been left to him by an uncle he never knew he had.

However, even as Rob is struggling to come to terms with these two bombshells, he is hit with another. For the estate contains ownership of an almost bankrupt professional football club. And the terms of the will are such that Rob will only receive his inheritance if he takes over the running of the club and manages to keep them going for the coming season. The problem is, the club concerned are the local and very bitter rivals of the club Rob and his family have passionately supported all their lives.

But after wrestling with his conscience, and driven by his wife's desire for instant wealth, he accepts the challenge with a promise to the United faithful that he will do whatever he can to ensure that whilst his new club might survive, its supporters are about to experience the most depressing season in their history!

And so, in the full glare of the media spotlight, he sets out to do what most football fans could only ever dream about; humiliate their local rivals.
The trouble is, it just doesn't work out like that!

Review: The Crew by Dougie Brimson (5/5)

Monday 9 June 2014 0 comments

The UK’s most downloaded sports title of 2012! The prequel to the Movie Top Dog starring Leo Gregory and Directed by Martin Kemp APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEPTIVE - as Paul Jarvis of the National Soccer Intelligence Unit is only too well aware. He knows that Billy Evans is no ordinary Cockney lad made good. He's also a thug, a villain and a cop killer. Jarvis just hasn't been able to prove it... Yet.So when Jarvis discovers that Evans is putting together a hooligan 'Super Crew' to follow the England national soccer team to Italy, he feels sure he can finally put Evans behind bars - if only someone can infiltrate the group and get him the proof he needs.

But nothing is ever that simple. The Crew believe Evans is just out for a full-on riot. Jarvis thinks he's trafficking drugs. But Billy Evans is always one step ahead. He has another plan. And it will be catastrophic for everyone concerned.

EXCEPT HIM.

Review: The Death Collector by Neil White (5/5)

Joe Parker is Manchester's top criminal defence lawyer and Sam Parker - his brother - is a brilliant detective with the Greater Manchester Police force. Together they must solve a puzzling case that is chilling Manchester to the bone...

Danger sometimes comes in the most unexpected guises. The Death Collector is charming, sophisticated and intelligent, but he likes to dominate women, to make them give themselves to him completely; to surrender their dignity and their lives. He's a collector of beautiful things, so once he traps them he'll never let them go.

Joe is drawn into the Death Collector's world when he becomes involved in a supposed miscarriage of justice, and when the case becomes dangerous, Sam is the first person he turns to. In this gripping thriller, danger lurks for not only the Parker brothers, but also those closest to them.

Caffeine Nights Review Week

Sunday 8 June 2014 0 comments


So my Caffeine Nights Review Week kicks off tomorrow so before that I wanted to tell you a bit more about the publishers for those unaware of them, and to show you the books you can expect reviews for over the coming days. I had the brilliant idea for this feature week at 1.30am one morning last week, the following day I realised how hard it'd be to read and review the books!

Pleased to say however I have read and reviewed 6 books and you can read them all over the coming days. Keep on reading to find out what books you can expect reviews for!

Review: The Nemesis Program by Scott Mariani (5/5)

Friday 6 June 2014 0 comments

A BRUTAL MURDER

While secretly researching the bizarre discoveries of Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla many years earlier, physicist Claudine Pommier becomes the victim of a remorseless and cruel murderer who breaks into her Parisian apartment. Is he just a serial killer, or is there more to her death than the Paris cops believe?

A SCIENTIST ON THE RUN

Maverick American biologist Dr Roberta Ryder receives a mysterious letter from her friend Claudine and travels to Paris to see her, only to learn of her shocking death. Before she knows it, Roberta becomes the target of ruthless men with a deadly agenda that only the letter can unmask. She’s alone and vulnerable. But she knows someone – the only someone – who can help her.

A PLOT TO KILL MILLIONS

Ben Hope, ex-SAS soldier and Roberta’s old flame, now trying to retire to a life of peace with his fiancée Brooke, suddenly finds his life turned upside down by Roberta’s sudden arrival in England. She needs his help; he can’t turn her down. In a frantic race to Paris and halfway around the world, Ben and Roberta battle to uncover the mystery of Claudine’s research, with the killers just half a step behind. In the process they uncover a global conspiracy that will claim the lives of millions of people . . . unless Ben can stop it.

WWW Wednesdays (June 4th)

Wednesday 4 June 2014 0 comments
I am trying to find content to add to my blog other than reviews and found this meme on another book blog, Should Be Reading, so thought I'd take part.


If you would like to take part it's very simple: just answer the following questions.

  1. What are you currently reading? 
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you'll read next?

1. What are you currently reading?

So for June 5th I received ten books in advance, they are finished and reviewed. But I also received four a bit too close to release to review by release date apart from Scott Mariani's new book, The Nemesis Project so I am currently battling my way through and trying to get it finished and reviewed by tomorrow!

Despite the Dan Brown comparison, I was excited to get started with this book. It's #9 in a series but I was assured it can be read as a standalone. I really want to get into these mystery/thriller/historical reads. I think reading Dan Brown's books tainted the genre for me as I didn't really enjoy them, but so far this is shaping up to be a brilliant read!





2. What did you recently finish reading?



My most recently finished book is The Films of Danny Dyer by James Mullinger and Jonathan Sothcott. I am a massive Danny Dyer fan so was very excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. Incredibly well researched, very insightful and with some fantastic contributions from Dyer himself it was a brilliantly entertaining read. Danny is definitely a marmite character but I think he's amazing. I will be reviewing this book next week on my blog as part of a feature week for the publishers, Caffeine Nights.





3. What do you think you'll read next?

Well as a blogger I am absolutely spoilt for choice. I feel honoured and privileged that people let me review books early. However next week I am running my first feature week for Caffeine Nights publishing. They kindly sent me eight books for review which was incredibly overwhelming for me so I am devoting a whole week to them on the blog where I will be trying to review all eight books.

I'm torn between three books for my next read and they are the book of Vendetta, The Fix by Keith Nixon and Seven Daze by Charlie Wade. The Fix and Seven Daze especially sound brilliant and I can't wait to get started with them. I'm thinking however that my next read may be Vendetta, if just for the reason it gives me another excuse to watch the film.

Review: The Bone Seeker by M.J. McGrath (4/5)

The intrepid Edie Kiglatuk discovers one of her female students dead in a toxic lake in her third arctic mystery

In the third novel in this highly praised mystery series that will appeal to fans of The Killing, Top of the Lake, and The Bridge, Edie Kiglatuk works as a summer school teacher in the Canadian arctic. When one of her female students is found dead in nearby Lake Turngaluk, Edie enlists the help of Sergeant Derek Palliser to pursue the case, promising the girl’s Inuit family that they will uncover the truth. 
Meanwhile, lawyer Sonia Gutierrez investigates the toxicity of the lake and suspects that there might be a larger conspiracy involved. As the three clamber over rocky terrain under twenty-four-hour daylight they start to unearth secrets long frozen over—risking their own lives in the process. 
With stunning prose, M. J. McGrath delivers another thrill ride through a hauntingly beautiful landscape.

Review: One Night In Italy by Lucy Diamond (4/5)

If journalist Anna had to write up the story of her own life, it wouldn’t make for a great headline: Dull Journo Has Dull Boyfriend! The only mystery in Anna’s life is that she’s never known who her dad is but with her mum refusing to tell her more she’s at a dead end. When she accidentally comes across a clue that her father is Italian, it opens up a burning curiosity in Anna. Soon she’s cooking Italian food, signing up for an Italian class and even considering dusting off her passport to go and find her dad in person… 

Sophie is serving gelato to tourists in Italy when she gets the call that her father has had a serious heart attack. In a rush, she grabs her well-worn backpack and heads back to the one place she’s been avoiding for so long – home. Living with her mum again while her dad recuperates, and taking a job teaching Italian to make ends meet, Sophie has to face up to the secrets she’s kept buried in the past. 

Catherine has no idea what the future holds. Her children have left for university, her husband has left her for another woman and her bank account is left empty after dedicating her life to raising her family. She needs a job and an identity all of a sudden. At an Italian evening class she makes a start in finding new friends Anna and Sophie. And she’s going to need good friends when she discovers her husband’s lies run even deeper than his infidelity… 

As Anna embarks on the trip to Italy that could answer all of her questions, will the truth live up to her dreams?

Review: A House of Knives by William Shaw (5/5)

Today I am very excited to share my review for A House of Knives. And also share with you a piece written by William which tells you 'Six things you shouldn't do if you're going to write a book' which you can read at the end of this review.

I recently reviewed book one in this series, and if you are planning on reading A House of Knives then the place to start is book one, A Song From Dead Lips and you can read my review for that book here.

These two books for me have probably been two of the most exciting crime fiction books I have read in recent years. Original, authentic and very gripping with some of the best characterisation in the genre today I have loved reading them and can't reccommend them enough. 

The decade is drawing its last breath. In Marylebone CID, suspects are beaten in the cells and the only woman has resigned. Detective Sergeant Breen has a death threat in his in tray and two burned bodies on his hands. One is an unidentified, unmourned vagrant; the other the wayward son of a rising politician. One case suffers the apathy of a depleted police force; the other obstructed by a PR-conscious father with the ear of the Home Office.

But they can’t stop him talking to Robert ‘Groovy Bob’ Fraser – whose glamourous Pop Art parties mask a spreading heroin addiction among London’s young and beautiful – nor to a hippy squat that risks exposing it. Then the potential perpetrator of his death threats is murdered and Breen becomes a suspect. Out in the cold, banished from a corrupt and mercilessly changing system, Breen is finally forced to fight fire with fire.

William Shaw paints the real portrait of London’s swinging sixties. Authentic, powerful and poignant, it reveals the shadow beyond the spotlight and the crimes committed in the name of liberation.

Review: Red Light by Graham Masterton (4/5)

Tuesday 3 June 2014 0 comments

In a grimy flat in the city of Cork, a burly man lies dead on a bloodstained mattress. His face is unrecognisable: seven gunshots have shattered cartilage and bone. Yet DS Katie Maguire, of the Irish Garda, knows exactly who he is. Amir Xaaji Maxamed, a Somali pimp she has unsuccessfully been trying to convict for years.

Katie knows it's her job to catch the killer. But Maxamed was an evil man who trafficked young girls into Ireland to be sold for sex, and now that he's dead, the city is a safer place. When a second pimp is killed, Katie must decide. Are these vigilante murders justified? And how can she stop them spiraling out of control?


Review: Written in the Stars by Ali Harris (5/5)

Have you ever wondered 'What if…?' What if you'd taken that other job, gone on a date with that other guy, moved to a different city. Would an alternative life path have led to a happier ending?

Now imagine if you could have taken both paths…

When Bea Bishop slips while walking down the aisle on her wedding day, she is momentarily knocked unconscious. Her world splits and her parallel lives take her on two very different journeys. In one existence, Bea flees back down the aisle and out of the church. In the other she glides blissfully towards Adam, her intended.

But which story will lead to her happy ever after? And will she end up in the same place?

One decision + two different paths = how many happy endings?


Review: The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 by J.B. Morrison (4/5)





About the Author

Born in London ages ago to his two parents, Frank and Jenny, J.B. Morrison is a musician and already the author of two novels - Storage Stories and Driving Jarvis Ham. Goodnight Jim Bob is an autobiographical account of his ten years as singer with punk-pop band Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.

With Carter USM J. B. Morrison had 14 top 40 singles and a number one album. He played all over the world, headlined Glastonbury and was sued by The Rolling Stones. He's also made a ton of solo albums and written the screenplay for a film. Plus he was in a musical, in 2010 at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Is there no end to his talents? Yes. Everything not mentioned here. Don't ask him to put up a shelf or cook you dinner. The shelf will fall off the wall and you won't like the food.


  



About the Book


Frank Derrick is eighty-one. And he’s just been run over by a milk float. It was tough enough to fill the hours of the day when he was active. But now he’s broken his arm and fractured his foot, it looks set to be a very long few weeks ahead. Frank lives with his cat Bill (which made more sense before Ben died) in the typically British town of Fullwind-on-Sea. The Villages in Bloom competition is the topic of conversation amongst his neighbours but Frank has no interest in that. He watches DVDs, spends his money frivolously at the local charity shop and desperately tries to avoid the cold callers continuously knocking on his door. 

Emailing his daughter in America on the library computer and visiting his friend Smelly John used to be the highlights of his week. Now he can’t even do that. Then a breath of fresh air comes into his life in the form of Kelly Christmas, home help. With her little blue car and appalling parking, her cheerful resilience and ability to laugh at his jokes, Kelly changes Frank’s life. She reminds him that there is a big wide-world beyond the four walls of his flat and that adventures, however small, come to people of all ages. 

Frank and Kelly’s story is sad and funny, moving, familiar, uplifting. It is a small and perfect look at a life neither remarkable nor disastrous, but completely extraordinary nonetheless. 

For fans of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry this is a quirky, life affirming story that has enormous appeal. And it’s guaranteed to make you laugh.
 
Review

Frank Derrick is eighty-one. And he's just been run over by a milk float. Okay I don't know about you but that's one of the best openings to a book blurb I think I've ever read. I had no idea what to expect from this book and really, it's like nothing I've ever read before. I read mostly crime fiction, chick lit, thrillers, true crime and autobiographies. So this book was very different from my normal read but I absolutely loved it.

Frank is a wonderful and hilarious character. I warmed to him straight away and he had me laughing many times throughout the book. He lives somewhat of a lonely life as his wife has passed away and his daughter lives abroad. When he is hit by a milk float his daughter arranges some home help which at first Frank does not want. When he meets Kelly Christmas however he is left having second thoughts, and wishing that he had made a better impression. No sooner is she out the door after her first visit and he's counting down the days till she returns. Soon they form a lovely friendship and Frank has to resort to finding ways to keep her coming round and also to pay her which makes for some funny scenes. 

The book is incredibly funny, and I could fill a review with some of the one liners but I think this is a book which should be read and discovered by the reader and they to can fall in love with the story. It's quite a life affirming read and left me actually questioning my own life. At 24 I already have some regrets about what I have and haven't done and that really shouldn't be the case. With older people in particular I think people sometimes forget they were young people themselves too, with hopes and dreams. Frank wakes up each morning counting the aeroplanes flying overhead and thinking if he stays in bed he will feel young, rather than getting up and looking in the mirror or feeling his aches and pains. 

The author says in a Q&A in the book that this isn't a book about an old man but a book about a man who just happens to be old. Why because someone is old can't they still enjoy the things they enjoyed when they were younger? I think this will be particularly interesting in this day and age, with so much reliance on technology and the Internet etc when we ourselves are in our 70s and 80s will we abandon all of that? I don't think we will. I used to visit my Nan and Grandad every day when I was younger, I try and visit often now but perhaps don't go as often as I should. This book reminds me that I should. Despite the sad parts, alongside the humour this really is an uplifting and wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Buy this book from Amazon

Review: Ice Creams at Carrington's by Alexandra Brown (5/5)

Monday 2 June 2014 0 comments
The third book in the delightful series set in Carrington’s Department Store.

Georgie Hart and Carrington’s Department Store have got the world at their feet. Since a reality TV series put them both on the map, life has been amazing! Carrington’s profits are in the pink, Georgie has carved herself a place in the nation’s heart and her romance with Tom, the store’s boss, has finally blossomed.

Now summertime has come to Mulberry-on -Sea and Georgie is in great demand. The town is holding a big summer festival and she and her mates from Carrington’s are planning on making sure that Mulberry puts on the show of its life!

But Georgie is about to get the offer of a lifetime – one that is just too good to turn down and something that will test her loyalties to their limits… Will Georgie be able to pull off it off once again, or has her luck finally run out?

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