Hall of Fame Review: First Blood by Angela Marsons

Title: First Blood
Author: Angela Marsons
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 14th November 2019
Pages: 448
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded woodland area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene.

Searching the victim's home, Kim finds a little girl's bedroom and a hidden laptop, but where is the child? And why does the man's own sister seem relieved that he's dead?

As Kim begins to unearth the shocking truth about the victim, a disturbing resemblance is spotted with the recent murder of a man found beneath the staircase of Redland Hall with multiple stab wounds.

Both these men had dark secrets and Kim discovers a link to a women's shelter. As a child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. Could the shelter be the key to cracking this case?

With the killer about to strike again, Kim is in deep water with a rookie squad. Inexperienced Stacey is showing signs of brilliance but struggling to hold her nerve and, while D.S. Bryant is reliable and calm, D.S. Dawson is a liability. With his home life in pieces, his volatile behaviour is already fracturing her fragile new team.

Can Kim bring Dawson in line and pull her crew together in time to catch the killer before another life is taken? This time, one of her own could be in terrible danger . . .

Review: The Surrogate by Tania Carver

Title: The Surrogate
Author: Tania Carver
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 17th September 2009
Pages: 448
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

A shocking double-murder scene greets Detective Inspector Philip Brennan when he is called to a flat in Colchester. Two women are viciously cut open and laying spreadeagled, one tied to the bed, one on the floor. The woman on the bed has had her stomach cut into and her unborn child is missing.

But this is the third time Phil and his team have seen such an atrocity. Two other pregnant women have been killed in this way and their babies taken from them. No-one can imagine what sort of person would want to commit such evil acts.

When psychologist Marina Esposito is brought in, Phil has to put aside his feelings about their shared past and get on with the job. But can they find the killer before another woman is targeted?

Review: A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart

Title: A Boy Made of Blocks
Author: Keith Stuart
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 1st September 2016
Pages: 400
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Alex loves his family, and yet he struggles to connect with his eight-year-old autistic son, Sam. The strain has pushed his marriage to the breaking point. So Alex moves in with his merrily irresponsible best friend on the world’s most uncomfortable blow-up bed.

As Alex navigates single life, long-buried family secrets, and part-time fatherhood, his son begins playing Minecraft. Sam’s imagination blossoms and the game opens up a whole new world for father and son to share. Together, they discover that sometimes life must fall apart before you can build a better one.

Inspired by the author’s own relationship with his autistic son, A Boy Made of Blocks is a tear-jerking, funny, and, most, of all true-to-life novel about the power of difference and one very special little boy.

Review: The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan

Title: The Little Shop of Happy Ever After
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 11th February 2016
Pages: 384
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Given a back-room computer job when the beloved Birmingham library she works in turns into a downsized retail complex, Nina misses her old role terribly - dealing with people, greeting her regulars, making sure everyone gets the right books for their needs. Then a new business nobody else wants catches her eye: owning a tiny little bookshop bus up in the Scottish highlands. No computers. Shortages. Out all hours in the freezing cold; driving with a tiny stock of books... not to mention how the little community is going to take to her, particularly when she stalls the bus on a level crossing...

Review: A Christmas Kiss by Vicky Pattison

Title: A Christmas Kiss
Author: Vicky Pattison
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 22nd October 2015
Pages: 352
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Amber Raey is working all the hours God sends as assistant to one of the country's top fashion designers, and her boss is a complete nightmare. Amber's dream is to launch her own fashion line one day so, for the time being, she just has to grin and bear it. And then opportunity comes knocking and Amber's suddenly on the fast track to the top.

The parties, the glamour, a whirlwind romance - Amber loves every second of her new life. But there's more to this world than its glossy exterior suggests, and when a face from Amber's past reappears, she finds herself in real trouble. With Christmas fast approaching, Amber is drifting further and further away from her family and friends. Can she get her life back on track before it's too late for a merry Christmas?

Review: The Domino Killer by Neil White

Title: The Domino Killer
Author: Neil White
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 30th July 2015
Pages: 448
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

When a man is found beaten to death in a local Manchester park, Detective Constable Sam Parker is one of the investigating officers. Sam swiftly identifies the victim, but what at first looks like an open and shut case quickly starts to unravel when he realises that the victim's fingerprints were found on a knife at another crime scene, a month earlier.

Meanwhile, Sam's brother, Joe - a criminal defence lawyer in the city - comes face to face with a man whose very presence sends shockwaves through his life. Joe must confront the demons of his past as he struggles to come to terms with the darkness that this man represents.

Before long, Joe and Sam are in way over their heads, both sucked into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse that threatens to change their lives for ever...

Author Interview: Ali McNamara

Regular visitors to my blog may know that Ali McNamara is one of my favourite authors and so I was very excited to be given the chance to ask her some questions ahead of the release of her latest book, The Little Flower Shop by the Sea which I have reviewed here. I hope you enjoy reading the Q&A and hope that my review will inspire you to pick up the book as it is one of her best yet!

Can you introduce your new book The Little Flower Shop by the Sea?

When Poppy Carmichael, the black sheep of her flower loving family, inherits her grandmother’s beloved flower shop on the beautiful north Cornish coast, it’s with much trepidation she returns to the pretty harbour town of St Felix where she spent much of her childhood.

But St Felix has a few surprises in store for Poppy - a tight knit community that only wants to help, an eccentric American florist, a shy policeman, and Jake, a local flower grower with a past just as troubled as Poppy’s.

As Poppy begins to discover just why the little flower shop is so beloved, it’s not only Poppy that finds herself beginning to heal, but the whole of St Felix too.

Review: The Little Flower Shop by the Sea by Ali McNamara

Title: The Little Flower Shop by the Sea
Author: Ali McNamara
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 30th July 2015
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780751558616
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

The blossom is out in the little Cornish harbour town of St Felix

But Poppy Carmichael's spirits aren't lifted by the pretty West Country spring. Inheriting her grandmother's flower shop has forced her to return to Cornwall, a place that holds too many memories.

Poppy is determined to do her best for the sake of her adored grandmother, but she struggles with the responsibility of the more-shabby-than-chic shop. And with the added complication of Jake, the gruff but gorgeous local flower grower, Poppy is very tempted to run away...

The pretty little town has a few surprises in store for Poppy. With new friends to help her and romance blooming, it's time for Poppy to open her heart to St Felix and to the special magic of a little flower shop by the sea!

Review Repost: Life or Death by Michael Robotham

Title: Life or Death
Author: Michael Robotham
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 16th July 2015
Pages: 528
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Why would a man escape from prison the day before he's due to be released?

Audie Palmer has spent a decade in prison for an armed robbery in which four people died, including two of the gang. Seven million dollars has never been recovered and everybody believes that Audie knows where the money is.

For ten years he has been beaten, stabbed, throttled and threatened almost daily by prison guards, inmates and criminal gangs, who all want to answer this same question, but suddenly Audie vanishes, the day before he's due to be released.

Everybody wants to find Audie, but he's not running. Instead he's trying to save a life . . . and not just his own.

Review: All That Glitters by Vicky Pattison

Title: All That Glitters
Author: Vicky Pattison
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 2nd July 2015
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780751561333
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Three years ago Issy Jones walked away from her dream because her family needed her. Today, she spends her days working in her mum's salon and her nights going out with her best friend, Molly. Life is good yet Issy can't help wishing for something more.

When Issy's dad puts her forward for a sensational new reality TV show, no one expects her to actually be selected. With her family urging her to grab the opportunity with both hands, Issy suddenly finds herself surrounded by glamour, fame and celebrities. Full of excitement, Issy embraces it all - it's what she needs to do to achieve her goals. But when the reality of what she's signed up for doesn't match the dream Issy is chasing, things begin to fall apart. Issy is so close to getting everything she ever wanted - but just how much of herself will she have to sacrifice to get it?

Bold, thrilling and romantic, Vicky Pattison's first ever novel is a rollercoaster ride full of glitz, warmth and drama. It's a must-read for fans everywhere!

Review: I Do Not Sleep by Judy Finnigan

Title: I Do Not Sleep
Author: Judy Finnigan
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 18th June 2015
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780751548655
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

There is nothing more powerful than a mother's love.

Five years ago, Molly Gabriel lost her twenty-year-old son, Joey, to a terrible sailing accident. His empty boat was washed ashore on the rocks - but his body was never found.

Now, Molly has returned to the sands of Cornwall haunted by his disappearance, unable to accept he is gone. Joey was an experienced sailor and died on a calm sea - things just don't add up and Molly cannot let it go. Desperate for answers, she turns to Joey's best friend, Ben, to go back to what really happened that day...

Review: World Gone By by Dennis Lehane

Title: World Gone By (Joe Coughlin, #3)
Author: Dennis Lehane
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: 7th May 2015
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781408706695
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

The brilliantly dark new masterpiece from the acclaimed author of Shutter Island and The Given Day

Joe Coughlin is untouchable. Once one of America's most feared and prominent gangsters, he now moves effortlessly between the social elite, politicians, police and the mob. He has everything he could possibly want; money, power, a beautiful mistress, and anonymity.

But in a town that runs on corruption, vengeance and greed, success can't protect Joe from the dark truth of his past -- and ultimately, the wages of a lifetime of sin will finally be paid in full...

Chilling, heart-breaking and gripping, this is the most complex and powerful novel to date from Dennis Lehane.

Review: Time of Death by Mark Billingham

Title: Time of Death (Tom Thorne, #13)
Author: Mark Billingham
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9781408704813
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon

The Missing: Two schoolgirls are abducted in the small, dying Warwickshire town of Polesford, driving a knife into the heart of the community where police officer Helen Weeks grew up and from which she long ago escaped. But this is a place full of secrets, where dangerous truths lie buried.

The Accused: When it's splashed all over the press that family man Stephen Bates has been arrested, Helen and her partner Tom Thorne head to the flooded town to support Bates' wife - an old school friend of Helen's - who is living under siege with two teenage children and convinced of her husband's innocence.

The Dead: As residents and media bay for Bates' blood, a decomposing body is found. The police believe they have their murderer in custody, but one man believes otherwise. With a girl still missing, Thorne sets himself on a collision course with local police, townsfolk - and a merciless killer.

Review: The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews

Title: The Cake Shop in the Garden
Author: Carole Matthews
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780751552157
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones, while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. Looking after the cake shop, the garden and her cantankerous mother means Fay is always busy but she accepts her responsibilities because if she doesn't do all this, who will?

Then Danny Wilde walks into her life and makes Fay question every decision she's ever made.

When a sudden tragedy strikes, Fay's entire world is thrown off balance even further and she doesn't know which way to turn. Can Fay find the strength to make a life-changing decision - even if it means giving up the thing she loves the most? Life, love and family are about to collide in The Cake Shop in the Garden.

Review: Next to Die by Neil White

Title: Next to Die
Author: Neil White
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 26th September 2013
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9780751549447
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Joe Parker is Manchester's most ingenious criminal defence lawyer.

Sam Parker is Manchester's most tenacious homicide detective.

Both bear the burden of the unsolved murder of their sister fifteen years earlier. And both have a stake in a new series of murders that has shaken their city to its core.

Ronnie Bagley is locked up and facing trial for the murder of his girlfriend and baby and there's only one lawyer he wants to defend him: Joe Parker. As Joe takes to the courtroom to represent Ronnie, little does he know that Bagley is smarter than anyone has given him credit for, and soon Joe will find himself pitched against his own brother, Sam, in a race to outwit the most terrifying serial killer the city has ever seen.

It isn't long before Joe and Sam's shared past comes crashing into the present in a pulse-pounding race to find out who is NEXT TO DIE...

Review: The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Longest Ride
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 12th March 2015
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9780751554496
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Ninety-one-year-old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, an image of his adored - and long-dead - wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together - how they met, the dark days of WWII and its unrelenting effect on their families.

A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko's life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke is keeping a secret that could destroy it all.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected - and shocking - of ways.

Review: The Midas Code by Boyd Morrison

Title: The Midas Code (Tyler Locke, #2)
Author: Boyd Morrison
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 4th August 2011
Pages: 512
ISBN: 9780751544305
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Can an ancient manuscript reveal the whereabouts of King Midas' famous treasure?

Top army engineer Tyler Locke is given a mysterious ancient manuscript. Written in Greek, it initially seems indecipherable.

But with the help of classics scholar Stacy Benedict, Locke comes to understand that this manuscript could provide the clues to the greatest riches known to mankind - the legendary treasure of King Midas.

However, there are others who are also hot on the trail - and it rapidly becomes a race against time to crack a code that is both fiendishly difficult and potentially deadly....

Review: Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Title: Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 26th February 2015
Source: Review Copy
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9780751558852
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Summer has arrived in the Cornish town of Mount Polbearne and Polly Waterford couldn't be happier. Because Polly is in love: she's in love with the beautiful seaside town she calls home, she's in love with running the bakery on Beach Street, and she's in love with her boyfriend, Huckle.

And yet there's something unsettling about the gentle summer breeze that's floating through town. Selina, recently widowed, hopes that moving to Mount Polbearne will ease her grief, but Polly has a secret that could destroy her friend's fragile recovery. Responsibilities that Huckle thought he'd left behind are back and Polly finds it hard to cope with his increasingly long periods of absence.

Polly sifts flour, kneads dough and bakes bread, but nothing can calm the storm she knows is coming: is Polly about to lose everything she loves?

Review: The Noah's Ark Quest by Boyd Morrison

Title: The Noah's Ark Quest (Tyler Locke, #1)
Author: Boyd Morrison
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 19th August 2010
Pages: 576
ISBN: 9780751544152
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Do the remains of Noah's Ark really exist?

Before he dies, the father of ambitious young architect Dilara Kenner leaves her tantalising clues about the location of the legendary historical artefact - Noah's Ark.

The most fabled relic of all time, the search for Noah's Ark has obsessed many over the years. And when Dilara starts her quest - aided by former army engineer Tyler Locke - she rapidly becomes transfixed by the thought of discovering it.

But there are sinister forces gathering who have deadly reasons for wanting to be the first ones to get to the relic.

From a helicopter crash in the Atlantic, to a sinister sect in Arizona's Mojave desert, to the remote slopes of Mount Ararat, this thrilling page-turner blends nonstop action with fascinating historical fact.

Review: Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Title: Little Beach Street Bakery
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 13th March 2014
Pages: 464
Source: Purchased (Kindle)
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their flat, she has to move miles away from everyone, to a sleepy little seaside resort in Cornwall, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop.

And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes . . . And people start to hear about it.

Sometimes, bread really is life . . . And Polly is about to reclaim hers.