Review: Tastes Like Fear by Sarah Hilary

Title: Tastes Like Fear
Author: Sarah Hilary
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 7th April 2016
Pages: 416
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

You'll never be out of Harm's way

The young girl who causes the fatal car crash disappears from the scene.

A runaway who doesn't want to be found, she only wants to go home.

To the one man who understands her.

Gives her shelter.

Just as he gives shelter to the other lost girls who live in his house.

He's the head of her new family.

He's Harm.

D.I. Marnie Rome has faced many dangerous criminals but she has never come up against a man like Harm. She thinks that she knows families, their secrets and their fault lines. But as she begins investigating the girl's disappearance nothing can prepare her for what she's about to face.

Because when Harm's family is threatened, everything tastes like fear...

Review: Death Do Us Part by Steven Dunne

Title: Death Do Us Part
Author: Steven Dunne
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 5th May 2016
Pages: 496
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Even death cannot part these couples . . .

DI Damen Brook is on a rare period of leave and determined to make the most of it by re-connecting with his daughter Terri. But with her heavy drinking proving a challenge, Brook takes the opportunity to visit a local murder scene when his help is requested.

An elderly couple have each been executed with a single shot to the heart and the method echoes that of a middle-aged gay couple killed the previous month.

With the same killer suspected and the officer currently in charge nearing retirement, Brook knows that he has little choice but to cut short his leave when forced by his superiors to take the lead on the case.

Brook believes that he can catch this ruthless killer, but already distracted by Terri's problems, is he about to make a fatal mistake and lead the killer right to his own door?

Tenacity Naval Toasts Blog Tour: Friday's Toast is to A Willing Foe and Sea-Room

Today I am excited to be kicking off the blog tour to celebrate the upcoming paperback release of J.S. Law's TENACITY which just so happens to have a quote inside from yours truly! It really is a thrilling read and the start to what I hope will be a fantastic series of books featuring Lieutenant Danielle Lewis. If you haven't read the book already then please check it out and you can read my review here. I hope you enjoy reading the post and make sure to follow the rest of the tour!

Suicide must be investigated.

Especially when a Royal Navy sailor kills himself on a nuclear submarine, only days after his wife's brutal murder.

Now Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator, must interrogate the tight-knit, male crew of HMS Tenacity to determine if there's a link.

Isolated, and standing alone in the face of extreme hostility, Dan soon realises that she may have to choose between the truth and her own survival.

Justice must be served, but with a possible killer on board the pressure is rising and her time is running out...

Review: The Good Life by Martina Cole

Title: The Good Life
Author: Martina Cole
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 9th October 2014
Pages: 450
Source: Purchased
Rating: 1/5
Purchase: Amazon

Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain's hard-man reputation - she just wants to be with him.

But Cain is not a free man. And he's about to find out that when his wife Caroline said 'til death us do part, she meant it.

When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again.

But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They're about to learn the hardest lesson of all:

LIVE THE GOOD LIFE. PAY THE PRICE.

Review: The Wrong Man by Jason Dean

Title: The Wrong Man (James Bishop, #1)
Author: Jason Dean
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 10th May 2012
Pages: 350
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Thinking. Planning. Waiting for the perfect moment. Former Marine James Bishop will only have one opportunity to make his prison break. And one chance to prove that he isn't responsible for the murders that put him inside.

Three years ago Bishop was the leader of an elite close protection team hired to protect a millionaire and his daughter. After being attacked, Bishop regained consciousness to find seven bodies strewn throughout the millionaire's Long Island mansion - including those of his two charges - and a mountain of evidence guaranteed to send him down for murder.

But to find out who set him up and why, Bishop needs to be free. And now the time has come to make his move. Prepare yourself for the most exciting debut thriller of the year...

Review: Tenacity by J.S. Law

Title: Tenacity
Author: J.S. Law
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 30th July 2015
Pages: 341
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Suicide must be investigated.

Especially when a Royal Navy sailor kills himself on a nuclear submarine, only days after his wife's brutal murder.

Now Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator, must interrogate the tight-knit, male crew of HMS Tenacity to determine if there's a link.

Isolated, and standing alone in the face of extreme hostility, Dan soon realises that she may have to choose between the truth and her own survival.

Justice must be served, but with a possible killer on board the pressure is rising and her time is running out...

Review: Me Me Me by Charlotte Crosby

Title: Me Me Me
Author: Charlotte Crosby
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 16th July 2015
Pages: 304
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Charlotte Crosby has been one of the UK's best-loved TV stars since she burst onto the celeb scene in 2011 with Geordie Shore. Laugh-out-loud hilarious, genuine, and a proper Geordie, Charlotte's popularity has even seen her crowned winner of 2013's Celebrity Big Brother.

With her trademark humour and warmth, in ME ME ME Charlotte takes us on a very unique journey through her eventful teenage years (where literally nothing is off limits!), her attempts at holding down jobs (and booze), the life-changing experience of Geordie Shore, the truth about Gaz and his parsnip, and her inspiring weight-loss triumph. Full of drawings, doodles, and Charlotte's personal photos, this will be unlike any other celebrity autobiography on the market. Extremely personal, insanely honest and pant-wettingly funny.

Guest Post: Behind the Scenes of The Dish by Stella Newman

Today I have a guest post to share from Stella Newman for the blog tour for her latest (and very enjoyable) book, The Dish. You can read my review of the book here. If you enjoy the post then make sure you check out this amazing Christmas food-related post Stella wrote for the blog last year. The Dish is out now. 

Behind the Scenes of The Dish

by Stella Newman

My new book, The Dish, is about a restaurant critic who falls in love with the head chef at London’s worst restaurant.  I always try to research my books as thoroughly as possible, so in the course of writing the novel I ate out quite a bit.  I shan’t tell you what I think London’s worst restaurant is – there’s more than enough mean-ness on the internet already.  However I’m more than happy to share five of the fantastic places I ate which do feature in the book, though sometimes tweaked in the name of artistic licence.

Review: Wartime Girls by Anne Baker

Title: Wartime Girls
Author: Anne Baker
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 9th April 2015
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9781472212269
Source: bookbridgr
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

It is the day of the Grand National, 1933, when Susie Ingram's fiance, Danny, is killed in a tragic accident. In a cruel twist of Fate, Susie discovers she is carrying Danny's child and, shunned by his parents, she turns to her mother for support. Louise Ingram, widowed during the First World War, knows how hard it is to bring up a family alone, but with the help of her eldest daughter, Martha, who lives next door, they manage to survive. When little Rosie is born there is no doubt that she is Danny's daughter, but it is destined to take many more years of heartache before the two families are united again...

Guest Post: The Fatal Flame: A Portrait of Love by Lyndsay Faye

Today I am bringing you a brilliant guest post from Lyndsay Faye, author of one of the most exciting and original trilogies I have read in the past few years. The Fatal Flame is the third and final book in the Timothy Wilde series and my review can be read here. The book itself is available to buy now.

Review: The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye

Title: The Fatal Flame (Timothy Wilde, #3)
Author: Lyndsay Faye
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 12th May 2015
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9781472217387
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

A scarred barman turned copper star, the birth of the NYPD, gangs, murder, brothels and bedlam in the dark underworld of nineteenth-century New York.

Timothy Wilde - copper star, tough with a warm heart, learning his craft as a detective.

Valentine Wilde - Timothy's gregarious, glamorous, depraved rogue of a brother.

Mercy Underhill - The intelligent, creative but unstable love of Timothy's life.

Silky Marsh - The beautiful brothel owner whose scheming knows no bounds.

Against the gritty backdrop of the notorious Five Points in 1848, Timothy Wilde is drawn yet again into a disturbing mystery, leading him to the heart of the Bowery girls, the original 'factory girls' in downtown Manhattan.

Someone is starting fires on the streets of New York and Timothy has to unravel a knot of revenge, murder and blackmail if he's to find out who is behind it all and stop them before the whole city goes up in flames...

Author Interview: Steven Dunne

Today I am really excited to be sharing a Q&A with Steven Dunne. Steven's latest book A Killing Moon is released May 7th and my review can be read here.

I hope you enjoy reading the Q&A, as a relatively new 'feature' on the blog it's difficult trying to think of interesting questions. Lots more planned over the coming weeks though so keep an eye out for them.

Review: A Killing Moon by Steven Dunne

Title: A Killing Moon
Author: Steven Dunne
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 7th May 2015
Pages: 480
ISBN: 9781472214928
Source: bookbridgr
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

For the young woman kidnapped on her way home from the pub, the nightmare is about to begin....

Weeks after Caitlin Kinnear goes missing, the police are unable to break her case. Worse they are not even certain harm has come to her. But determined to pursue all leads, DI Damen Brook and his team begin to trawl through the murky world of cheap migrant labour. Convinced that the answers lie hidden within its depths, Brook soon begins to realise Caitlin is in terrible danger.

When the body of another young girl turns up it becomes clear that Caitlin's abduction might not be an isolated incident and the race is on to save her. But with time running out, can Brook put the pieces together and find Caitlin before it's too late?

Review: The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski

Title: The Hunters
Author: Chris Kuzneski
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 3rd January 2013
Pages: 528
ISBN: 9780755386499
Source: Library
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

The Hunters: Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team - an ex-soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief - is tasked with finding the world's most legendary treasures.

The mission: Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to guarantee the safety of the country's treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state - paintings, jewellery, and ancient artefacts - were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the treasure was scattered - and lost. Almost a century later, the haul is valued at over 3.5 billion dollars. Despite hundreds of attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery... Until now.

Can the Hunters find the treasure and succeed where all others have failed?

Review: Girls on Tour by Nicola Doherty

Title: Girls on Tour
Author: Nicola Doherty
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781472218803
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Poppy is bound for Paris, the City of Love. Could this be her chance to end her epic dry spell?

Lily is en route to her cousin's wedding in LA, where she's willing to break a few rules to land her dream role.

Maggie can't wait for her romantic ski holiday in Meribel - until it goes seriously off-piste.

Rachel packs for a glamorous Roman holiday, but a blast from the past is about to sabotage la dolce vita.

The girls get together and fly to Manhattan. But someone's been hiding a big secret in the Big Apple...

Hilarious, romantic and unputdownable, Girls on Tour is an irresistible series of interlinked stories about four ordinary girls who have extraordinary fun in faraway places. Follow them in an unforgettable year that includes breaking up, making up, new jobs and some big surprises ...

Review: No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary

Title: No Other Darkness (DI Marnie Rome, #2)
Author: Sarah Hilary
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9781472207722
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Two young boys.
Trapped underground in a bunker.
Unable to understand why they are there.
Desperate for someone to find them.
Slowly realising that no-one will...

Five years later, the boys' bodies are found and the most difficult case of DI Marnie Rome's career begins.

Her only focus is the boys. She has to find out who they are and what happened to them.

For Marnie, there is no other darkness than this...

Review: From Liverpool With Love by Lyn Andrews

Title: From Liverpool With Love
Author: Lyn Andrews
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 4th December 2014
Pages: 400
Source: bookbridgr
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

A heartwarming Liverpool saga from the bestselling author of THE HOUSE ON LONELY STREET and LIVERPOOL ANGELS for readers of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn

In 1920s Liverpool, Jane, her little brother Alfie and their mother Ellen have faced the horrors of the workhouse together. But when Ellen dies, two very different paths open up for the siblings.

Jane is sent to work in the Empire Laundry and builds a new life for herself with the neighbours who take her in. She finds solace there and the promise of a happy future when she falls for Joe, their eldest son.

But Alfie absconds from the workhouse and embarks on a life of crime. When their paths cross once more, Alfie turns on his sister. His plans will jeopardise every happiness she hoped for...

Review: How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

Title: How I Lost You
Author: Jenny Blackhurst
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781472218964
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 2/5
Purchase: Amazon

They told her she killed her son. She served her time. But what if they lied?

I have no memory of what happened but I was told I killed my son. And you believe what your loved ones, your doctor and the police tell you, don't you? My name is Emma Cartwright. Three years ago I was Susan Webster, and I murdered my twelve-week-old son Dylan. I was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for my crime, and four weeks ago I was released early on parole with a new identity, address and a chance to rebuild my tattered life.

This morning, I received an envelope addressed to Susan Webster. Inside it was a photograph of a toddler called Dylan. Now I am questioning everything I believe because if I have no memory of the event, how can I truly believe he's dead? If there was the smallest chance your son was alive, what would you do to get him back?

Review: The Dish by Stella Newman

Title: The Dish
Author: Stella Newman
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 12th February 2015
Pages: 460
ISBN: 9781472220073
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

When Laura Parker first crosses forks with Adam Bayley, she's only after one thing: his custard doughnut. But when she takes a closer look she sees a talented, handsome man who outshines the string of jokers she's been dating.

There's just one problem. Adam's job means Laura has to keep her job as restaurant critic for The Dish, a secret. Tricky for someone who prides herself on honesty.

Can the truth be put on ice long enough for love to flourish?

And how can you expect your boyfriend to be honest if you're not quite telling the truth yourself?

Review: Hangman by Stephan Talty

Title: Hangman
Author: Stephan Talty
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 4th December 2014
Pages: 384
Source: bookbridgr
ISBN: 9781472200204
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

EVERYONE FEARS HANGMAN...

When serial killer Marcus Flynn last haunted North Buffalo's streets, horror rippled in his wake. Though imprisoned, his legacy - and the mysterious fate of his last victim - lives on.

Now the monster who condemned innocents to death has escaped and is poised to strike again. In a city gripped by fear, homicide cop Absalom Kearney is the only one who can stop Hangman's second reign of terror.

Abbie must lead the desperate manhunt to track a relentless predator because with each passing hour the deaths are mounting up and Hangman's noose is getting tighter...