Category: crime thriller

5*, book review, crime thriller, psychological thriller

#bookreview Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons. #KimStone #DetectiveKimStone #Book18 #DeadlyFate @bookouture @WriteAngie

if only I could read faster

Ok, so yes this blog has been sleeping for a very long time, but I am coming out of retirement to tell you how amazing the latest Detective Kim Stone book is. Hard to believe that there are eighteen books and that each one is brilliant.

Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons.

My Review:

Woah!! How Angela Marsons does it I just don’t know, but we are at book 18 of the fabulous Detective Kim Stone books and the series just keeps getting better and better. This book really made me think, I love how the story weaves around and takes us on a journey, as always we have the main story but also a few smaller side stories that normally add to the main storyline. And Angela Marsons has to be the Queen of sucking readers in and tossing us about and then finishing to book and in this case, OMG, I NEED to know what is going to happen. Marsons has broken readers’ hearts before in this series, and I don’t trust her not to do it again, so book 19 better not be too far away! If you haven’t read any of the Kim Stone series then you need to change that right now, and if you are thinking that you can’t possibly commit to a series with 18 (and counting) books, then fear not, they will fly by if you do start at book one (which you should), but if you want to start with this book or any other then you can do that too, but you will be missing out. The Kim Stone books are my favourite series ever and I cannot wait to find out what happens next.

Blurb:

The woman’s bright blonde hair floats in the breeze. She almost looks like she could be resting on the soft green grass. But her brown eyes stare unblinking up at the sky, and the final cut across her mouth is dark with blood. Her words silenced forever…

Late one evening, as the final church bell rings out, Sandra Deakin’s cold and lifeless body is found in the overgrown graveyard with multiple stab wounds. When Detective Kim Stone rushes to the scene, the violence of the attack convinces her that this murder was deeply personal. What could have caused such hate?

As the team dig into Sandra’s life, they discover she believed she could communicate with the dead. Was that why she was targeted? The last people to see her alive were a group of women who had a session with her the night before she was killed, and as Kim and her team pay them a visit, they soon learn each of the women is lying about why they wanted Sandra’s help…

Kim realises she must dig deep and open her mind to every avenue if she’s going to stand a chance at solving this case. And when she learns that Sandra was banned from the church grounds and had been receiving death threats too, she’s ever more certain that Sandra’s gifts are at the heart of everything.

But just when she thinks she’s found a lead, the broken body of a nineteen-year-old boy is found outside a call centre – a single slash across his mouth just like Sandra’s. Kim knows they are now racing against time to understand what triggered these attacks, and to stop a twisted killer.

But they might be too late. Just as Kim sits down at a local psychic show she discovers something that makes her blood run cold. Both Sandra and the call centre were named in an article about frauds. And this show stars the next name on the list. She looks around the audience with a feeling of utter dread, certain the killer is among them…

Totally addictive with a final twist that will leave you shouting out loud, you’ll want to inhale Deadly Fate in one sitting. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Val McDermid and Robert Dugoni will love the new crime thriller from the number one multi-million-copy bestselling author Angela Marsons.

Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons is out on 25th May 2023 and is available from Amazon UK and all good bookshops.

5*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons. @WriteAngie @bookouture #booksontour #StolenOnes #KimStone

if only I could read faster

Ok, so it feels a bit like this blog has turned into the Angela Marsons blog, which it kinda has. But, I can’t think of a better author for my blog to focus on. I just love her writing and even since I have lost my reading mojo, I have still read and enjoyed Marsons’ books. But this book, Stolen Ones, has changed something in me. I loved it so much that I remembered what it was like to read and love a book and I then read another book straight after and so, I’m hoping that maybe this book has helped me to find that missing mojo. Which just shows how good it is.

So I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons and I am really grateful for Kim Nash at Bookouture for sticking with me. I was given a copy of Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons to read, but I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I absolutely love the DI Kim Stone books by Angela Marsons, and it is hard to believe that this is the fifteenth book in the series. What makes that remarkable, is that every one of those fifteen books has been as good as the others and Marsons has managed to keep the series going and feeling fresh and engaging which is pretty amazing.

But of course, some books will, for whatever reason, stand out and Stolen Ones is definitely one of those for me. From the very first page I was hooked, I remember reading the first five or so pages and having to put it down to collect my children from school and I really didn’t want to stop reading. Marsons’ had hooked me from the very start and that feeling kept me going through the entire book.

I guess that missing children is always going to strike a chord with me, but wow, this book took me on a rollercoaster ride. And as ever, the research that the author puts into her books is obvious and Stolen Ones focuses on body language and I found it fascinating.

If you enjoy thrilling reads that hook you right in then Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons is definitely a book for you. And sure, it is book fifteen in a series but you could read this book without reading the previous books, but if you did do that you would definitely be missing out as this is such a good series.

Blurb:
25 years ago he took a girl. Today he takes another.

One August afternoon, eight-year-old Grace Lennard skips into the garden of the childcare centre she attends and vanishes into thin air. Rushing to the scene of Grace’s disappearance, Detective Kim Stone finds a chilling piece of evidence: the engraved heart bracelet belonging to Melody Jones – the little girl who was taken from a playground exactly twenty-five years ago.

Hours before, Steven Harte had walked into Halesowen police station and confessed to having information that would lead Kim to Melody. And he told Kim she’d have a more urgent problem to deal with first. Now Kim must play Steven’s twisted game if she’s to find Grace alive.

With only twenty-four hours to make every second of Steven’s interrogation count, and scan his behaviour for hidden clues, Kim and her team soon link Steven to the abduction of several vulnerable girls – two were kept for a year and then released, unharmed – but where are Melody and the others?

Then small bones are discovered in the grounds of a local park, and Kim fears the worst.

Kim may think she’s close to convicting a killer, but the case is about to get even more complex. Steven is hiding one final explosive truth and he’s not the only one. Dr Alex Thorne – the evil woman Kim did her best to keep behind bars is about to reveal a shocking secret to Kim that will hit her where it hurts the most. Kim knows she must put aside her own demons to save Grace and find the other missing girls in time. But can Kim untangle Steven’s web before any more innocent lives are lost?

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave your heart in your mouth. You will be totally hooked on the utterly addictive, number one, multi-million-copy bestselling Detective Kim Stone series.

About The Author:

Angela Marsons.

Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 4 million in 5 years.

She lives in Worcestershire with her partner and their 2 cheeky Golden Retrievers.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.

After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 28 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages.

Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone and the translation of Dead Souls, La Verita Sepolte, recently won the prestigious Primo Bancarella award.

Stolen Ones by Angela Marsons is out now and is available from:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B09BVJCBY5cover

Apple: http://ow.ly/KQAn50FKOui

Kobo: http://ow.ly/xjnb50FKOsf

Google: http://ow.ly/uyke50FKOo8

5*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller, series

#BlogTour #BookReview Twisted Lies by Angela Marsons. @bookouture @Write_Angie #TwistedLies #CrimeThriller

if only I could read faster

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for Twisted Lies by Angela Marsons, another cracking read in the Kim Stone series. Thank you to Bookouture for having me on the tour and for a copy of Twisted Lies, I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

How does she do it? That’s what I ask myself every time I read a book in the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons. There are not many series that I keep reading for fifteen books and still love as much as I did at the start, or possibly even more. Most series have lost their way by now, the author struggling to find new and interesting storylines and the characters become stagnant and predictable. Not here though.

I love the characters and watching them grow and it has been great to follow them over the years, there is absolutely nothing stagnant about these books and I love how the passion of the author comes out in her writing. It is clear that she researches thoroughly and writes about subjects that interests her as the passion comes out in the story.

Those of you that have read previous books in the Kim Stone series will know how good this book is going to be. If you haven’t then start with the first book, Silent Scream. You won’t regret it!!

Once again the reader is taken on a twisted journey and I loved every page. I can’t wait for the next book!!

Blurb:

Her stomach lurches as she sits in the windowless room. He throws her phone to the ground, grinds it against the floor with the heel of his shoe and brings his face closer to hers. There was no turning back now, her life as she knew it was gone.

When the lifeless body of a man is found on an industrial estate, Detective Kim Stone arrives on the scene and discovers he’s been tortured in the worst way imaginable.

But as she breaks the devastating news to the victim’s wife, Diane Phipps, Kim can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right about the woman’s reaction.

Twenty-four hours later, the victim’s family disappears into thin air.

Then a second body is found staked to the ground in a local nature reserve.

Desperate to crack the case open quickly, Kim and her team unravel a vital clue – a fiercely guarded secret that links both victims and could cost even more lives.

A secret that some police officers are also protecting.

Faced with deceit from those she should be able to trust, family members who won’t talk, and local reporter, Tracy Frost, opening a can of worms on the case of a woman murdered by her husband a year ago – Kim is in deep water like never before.

Kim must find the motive if she is to find the killer who is systematically targeting and torturing his victims. But can she unlock the shocking truth and stop him before he strikes again?

An absolutely jaw-dropping crime thriller from the number one, multi-million-copy bestselling author of the incredibly addictive Detective Kim Stone series.

About The Author:

Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 4 million in 5 years.

She lives in Worcestershire with her partner and their 2 cheeky Golden Retrievers.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.

After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 28 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages.

Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone and the translation of Dead Souls, La Verita Sepolte, recently won the prestigious Primo Bancarella award.

Twisted Lies by Angela Marsons is out now and is available from Amazon UK and all good bookshops.

5*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller, psychological thriller

#BookReview #BlogTour Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons. #DeadlyCry #DIKimStone @bookouture @WriteAngie

if only I could read faster

I cannot believe that Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons is the thirteenth book in this fabulous series. I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for this fabulous book and thank you to Bookouture for a copy of Deadly Cry so that I could review it for the blog tour.

My Review:

Over the years there have been many series that I have enjoyed reading, Patricia Cornwell and Karen Rose spring to mind, they were books that I looked forward to and I loved reading as the characters grew and I could follow them on their journey. But over time the books became less exciting and a bit repetitive and I found myself not rushing to read the new books on release day and eventually not reading the books at all.

It is hard for an author to keep things fresh over a prolonged series, readers get bored and characters stop being interesting. But Angela Marsons’ has bucked that trend, I have loved every book in the Detective Kim Stone series and if anything they get better as the series goes on. Each book can be read as a standalone but if you do that you really will be missing out, not only on the characters back story, but also on some really rather great reads.

I loved Deadly Cry, the storyline is original and kept me guessing all the way through and even when I thought that I had worked out who the baddie was I still hadn’t worked most of it out. This is a thrilling read with a decent death count.

The characters are still brilliant, I love reading about Kim Stone and her team and I am looking forward to the next thirteen books in the series because Angela Marsons has managed to do something really rather amazing, she has created characters that readers love and want to read more of, and she comes up with some cracking storylines.

Blurb:

You have to stop me from hurting anyone else. I don’t want to do these horrible things. Help me before I’m forced to do it again. And I will do it again because I have no choice. I’ve never had a choice.

In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina’s body is discovered in an abandoned building. For Detective Kim Stone, it looks like a quick, functional kill. But Kim’s instincts tell her there’s more to this senseless murder than meets the eye. What was the motive for killing a young mother out shopping with her child?

Days later, a second victim is found in a local park, her neck broken just like Katrina’s and her six-year-old son missing.

With her colleague, Detective Stacey Wood, working on another unsolved crime and a member of the team grieving the loss of a close relative, Kim is struggling to make inroads on what is fast becoming a complex case. And when a handwritten letter from the killer lands on Kim’s desk addressed to her, and pleading for help, she knows time is running out to bring the little boy home alive.

With the support of a handwriting analyst and profiler, Kim and the team begin to get inside the mind of the killer and make a shocking discovery.

Some of the victims have scratch marks on their wrists.

But these are no random scratches. The killer is using them to communicate with someone. The question is… with whom?

And if Kim doesn’t find them soon, another innocent soul will die.

The multi-million-copy bestselling Detective Kim Stone series is every bit as addictive, original and exciting as readers say and you’ll be hooked from the very first page. Nobody does it better than the Queen of Crime, Angela Marsons.

About The Author:

Angela Marsons

Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 3 million in 3 years.

She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their cheeky Golden Retriever and a swearing parrot.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.

After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 16 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages.

Many of her books, including Blood Lines, Dead Souls, Broken Bones, Fatal Promise and Dead Memories reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone. 
http://angelamarsons-books.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AngelaMarsonsAuthor/  https://twitter.com/WriteAngie

Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons is out today and is available from

Amazon: https://buff.ly/3itLYDy

Apple: https://buff.ly/2XQtdlU

Kobo: https://buff.ly/3it5LTq

Google: https://buff.ly/3gRoEPC


Audible: UK: zpr.io/Hr5M8
Audible US: zpr.io/Hr5MD

To listen to a sample: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/deadly-cry-by-angela-marsons-narrated-by-jan-cramer

Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons.

5*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller, series

#BookReview #BlogTour Her Shallow Grave D.K. Hood. @bookouture @DKHood_Author #HerShallowGrave

if only I could read faster

Yay, another book by the fabulous DK Hood who takes us back to Black Rock Falls, a place that I will never tire of virtually visiting although I’m not sure that I want to visit in real life given the crime there. But I do love these books and so I was delighted to be able to read this one and be part of the blog tour, thank you to Noelle and Bookouture for having me on the tour.

My Review:

I love this series, it is still going strong with addictive storylines and great characters. I love how the characters have grown over the series and I can’t wait to see where they are going to go next.

There aren’t many book series that I keep reading, many kind of lose their steam a little and can feel as though the author is writing them for the wrong reasons. This is not one of those series.

How DK Hood keeps coming up with the storylines I don’t know, the twisted way that people are murdered are so original and I love reading how the characters deal with, and solve, the latest crime spree.

Her Shallow Grave is another great read in the series, I love catching up with the characters and it all feels really real, I can see the settings and the people in my mind which is the sign of a great book.

If you haven’t read any of this series before then you are really missing out. They can be read out as standalone books but it is always better to start at the beginning and let the characters develop as you read.

Roll on the next book, I can’t wait to see how the next crime wave in Black Rock Falls turns out.

Blurb:

She runs her trembling fingers over the dark, damp walls surrounding her. Above her head, she hears heavy footsteps. She knows she has nowhere to hide and as the door to the cellar is flung open, she finally sees his face.

It’s winter in Black Rock Falls and, as tourists flock to the small town to take in the snowy mountain peaks, one visitor makes a sickening discovery. The frozen body of a young woman hangs from a tree on the outskirts of town. Detective Jenna Alton is called in to investigate.

Jenna’s stomach turns as she surveys the ice-cold remains, and she’s soon alerted to similar burial sites nearby. With no missing persons reported, Jenna and her deputy, David Kane, fear Black Rock Falls is being used as a dumping ground for bodies.

As the body count mounts up, Jenna is more determined than ever to find the person responsible. But as she tries to catch the killer out, he outsmarts her once again and Jenna begins to wonder if he knows her next move. Could he be closer to her than she thinks?

When the investigation takes Jenna to a homeless shelter right in the heart of the community, she fears for the life of a woman who hasn’t been seen for a few days. It’s clear the killer is beginning to escalate, so Jenna ramps up the investigation and puts herself in unthinkable danger. Can she catch the murderer off guard, or does he already know she’s on her way? Has Jenna finally met a killer she can’t catch?

If you like Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, you will love this thrilling new book from bestselling crime author D.K. Hood.

**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**

About The Author:

I’ve always had a wicked sense of humour and was the kid who told the ghost stories around the campfire. I am lucky to have family all over the world and have spent many vacations in places from Paris France to Montana USA and Australia. I use the wonderful memories from these visits to enhance my stories.
My interest in the development of forensic science to solve crime goes back many years. I enjoy writing crime, mystery and thrillers. With many stories, waiting for me to write I’ll look forward to sharing many spine-tingling stories with you.

D.K. Hood is an active member of International Thriller Writers.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: www.dkhood.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dkhoodauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DKHood_Author

Her Shallow Grave by DK Hood is out now and is available from Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo and Google.

4*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood. @bookouture @DKHood_Author #HerBrokenWings #BooksOnTour #CrimeFiction

if only I could read faster

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood. It is hard to believe that this is the eighth book in the series, the books have flown by and I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of them, you can read my reviews for them here. D.K. Hood is definitely one author that has a mind that I sometimes worry about, how on earth she comes up with all the serial killers and twisted ways to kill people is beyond me, but they sure make for a good read.

I received a copy of Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood from the publisher, Bookouture, via Netgalley. I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

This is the eighth book in the Detective Alton series by D.K. Hood. They are written so that they can be read as a standalone book but I would strongly recommend reading them all as the characters grow and develop as the books go on and, if you didn’t read them, you would be missing out on some great reads.

I love the two main characters, Detectives Alton and Kane who make a great team, together they manage to find themselves desperately hunting a crazy killer who is once again terrorising Black Rock Falls.

The setting that these books take place in is very much a character of its own and I can picture the main settings clearly in my mind. I love reading these books because I know that I will enjoy it, I know that the author will have found some more warped ways of killing people and Her Broken Wings does not disappoint.

These books are fun to read, I love catching up with the characters as they grow and it was nice that Her Broken Wings featured two new characters who teamed up with Alton and Kane to hunt the killer.

I’m not going to give the story away, but if you have read any of the previous books in this series then I’m sure that you will be reading this one, and if you haven’t then you will enjoy the rollercoaster ride. Hold on tight!

Blurb:

The sound that wakes her from sleep is unmistakable—someone is in their house. She listens as heavy footsteps start up the stairs, and as the bedroom door is flung open, she doesn’t even have time to scream…

Following a frantic emergency call in the middle of the night, Detective Jenna Alton arrives at a secluded family home to find the body of Lucas Robinson lying in a pool of his own blood in his bed. His wife Carol, shivering in shock, has just watched an intruder shoot her husband in cold blood.

As Jenna investigates the murder, she soon discovers that Lucas was having an affair. And when his mistress is also found strangled to death in the centre of the small town, Jenna is convinced that the murderer is living amongst them.

When the killer escalates with a mass murder at a remote ranch on the outskirts of Black Rock Falls, Jenna knows for sure that she’s dealing with a murderer more twisted than any other she’s faced before.

As the town begins to fill with revellers for the annual Halloween festival, Jenna has to work fast to stop any more lives being taken. But as the killer always seems to be one step ahead of the investigation, has she finally met a murderer who can outsmart her?

Fans of Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter and Rachel Abbott will love this compelling and nail-biting crime thriller from bestselling author, D.K. Hood.

**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**

About The Author:

I’ve always had a wicked sense of humour and was the kid who told the ghost stories around the campfire. I am lucky to have family all over the world and have spent many vacations in places from Paris France to Montana USA and Australia. I use the wonderful memories from these visits to enhance my stories.
My interest in the development of forensic science to solve crime goes back many years. I enjoy writing crime, mystery and thrillers. With many stories, waiting for me to write I’ll look forward to sharing many spine-tingling stories with you.

D.K. Hood is an active member of International Thriller Writers.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: www.dkhood.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dkhoodauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DKHood_Author

Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood is out now and is available from:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B082CYKG74Social

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2RALy4b

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2YmYjQZ

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/34W2d5W

book anniversary, book love, crime thriller, series

#bookanniversary #KimStone Silent Scream by Angela Marsons anniversary celebration. @WriteAngie @bookouture

if only I could read faster
Silent Scream by Angela Marsons.

It is hard to believe that today marks five years since Silent Scream by Angela Marsons was released. Now, you might be wondering why I am writing a blog post about it because it isn’t like I normally mark a publication anniversary. But Silent Scream is not a normal book.

Silent Scream was the start of a journey, one of ups and downs, laughter and tears and the start of making new friends. Ok, ok, those friends are fictional but that doesn’t make any difference. Twelve books later, and one fabulous prequel, the series is going strong and has sold millions of copies all over the world.

There really is something special about the series that is set in the Black Country and focuses on Detective Inspector Kim Stone and her team. Kim Stone is one amazing character, she has an amazing back story and she is so believable and I would love to meet her and have a good chat. She has led her team through some pretty awful things and some very disturbing crimes and all of the team have grown and evolved over the years.

I think that I can comfortably say that the Kim Stone series is my favourite series that I have read. It is impressive that the series is still going strong after so many books and that is down the Angela Marsons, the fabulous author of the series. It is hard to believe that many publishers turned her books down until Bookouture saw the potential and signed her up. I bet that is a decision that they are delighted with.

I’m not sure what else I can say, hopefully if you haven’t read any of the DI Kim Stone series then I may have convinced you to give them a try. I’m pretty confident that if you have read some or all of the books that you agree with all that I have said.

I have reviewed most, but not all, of the books on my blog because some I read before I started reviewing on here but it is hard to believe that for every one of them, I have given them five stars. That is crazy and just shows how brilliant they are. If you want to read the reviews that I have written on this blog then you can find them here.

Book twelve in the series is looming and I cannot wait to read it! And when I do I will be sitting there sipping from my fabulous Silent Scream anniversary mug.

You can find all of Angela Marsons books on her Amazon page. There are also some special events on the Bookouture Facebook page on 20th March 2020 to celebrate the anniversary.

4*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview Criminal Actions by Mel Comley. #CriminalActions @Melcom1 @BOTBSPublicity

if only I could read faster

I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for Criminal Actions by Mel Comley, she’s a lovely author who is very active on social media and she has a wicked sense of humour. The links to follow her are at the bottom of this post. She also manages to write a crazy number of books, something that I am only slightly jealous of, and she has sold many, many books. I have to admit that I haven’t read as many of her books as I would like, I did read The Caller which she co-wrote with Tara Lyons, and I loved it. I remain disappointed that they have not written more books in the series. Anyway, when the opportunity came up to be on the blog tour for Criminal Actions I decided to take part, I don’t normally read books in a series when I haven’t read the previous books but I decided to make an exception and I’m pleased that I did.

Thank you to Sarah Hardy for asking me to be part of the blog tour. I received a copy of the book but I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I haven’t read any of the previous books in the Hero Nelson series so I was slightly wary of reading this one out of sync but I really want to read more books by M.A. Comley so I decided to risk reading Criminal Actions. I didn’t feel at any point in the book that I was missing out because I hadn’t read the previous books, there didn’t appear to be any complex back story that I couldn’t understand.

The storyline is brilliant, it is definitely one of the best storylines that I have read recently and given the number of books the author has written I am impressed that she is able to come up with such a great storyline.

Jacinda is a nanny with a seemingly nice family, but all is not as it seems behind closed doors. When Hero Nelson is called to the family’s home he is not expecting what he finds. The family has disappeared, but where are they and why did they leave in such a hurry?

Hero sets about finding out all he can about the family and where they ran to, everything points to things not being as they should and he can’t help but think that he needs to find them urgently.

The book is written in a way that makes it easy to read and I loved the premise. I wasn’t so sure about Hero and him seemingly perfect home life, but it makes a change from the alcoholic detective with a broken marriage that so many books seem to feature. I also never felt that the person that Hero was rushing to save was really going to come to any harm which made it a lot less thrilling than the book may have been.

But that said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Criminal Actions and I will definitely be reading more from the author.

Blurb:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Justice series, M A Comley who has sold over two and a half million copies worldwide to date.

In a position of trust…
What happens when that trust is broken?

Jacinda Meredith follows her boyfriend south from Scotland. After a few weeks she finds a dream job working as a nanny for Sadie and Leonard Knox. However, all is not as it seems.

DI Nelson and his partner are called to a murder scene which turns out to be both horrifying and perplexing.

Other cases soon come to light.

Does this mean Nelson has yet another serial Killer on his patch?

Other books in this series are:
Torn Apart
End Result
In Plain Sight
Double Jeopardy
Criminal Actions

About The Author:

M A Comley is a KINDLE UNLIMITED ALL-STAR author as well as being a New York Times, USA Today, Amazon Top 20 bestselling author, she has topped the book charts on iBooks as a top 5 bestselling and reached #2 bestselling author on Barnes and Noble. Over two and a half million copies sold world wide. She’s a British author who moved to France in 2002, and that’s when she turned her hobby into a career. 

When she’s not writing crime novels as well as caring for her elderly mother, she’s either reading or going on long walks with her rescue pup Labrador, Dex.

Here is a list of her books, Cruel Justice, Impeding Justice, Final Justice, Foul Justice, Guaranteed Justice, Ultimate Justice, Virtual Justice, Hostile Justice, Tortured Justice, Rough Justice, Dubious Justice, Calculated Justice, Twisted Justice, Prime Justice, Heroic Justice, Shameful Justice, Immoral Justice and Overdue Justice. There are several novellas and short stories in the series too.

No Right To Kill, Killer Blow, The Dead Can’t Speak, Deluded and The Murder Pact in the DI Sara Ramsey series. 

Her other successful series are: The DI Sally Parker thriller series, which includes WRONG PLACE, NO HIDING PLACE, COLD CASE, Deadly encounter and Lost Innocence

The DI Kayli Bright Trilogy – The Missing Children, Killer on the Run, Hidden Agenda, Murderous Betrayal and Dying Breath. 

The Hero series, TORN APART, END RESULT, IN PLAIN SIGHT, DOUBLE JEOPARDY and CRIMINAL ACTIONS.

There are three books in the Intention series, Sole Intention, Grave Intention and Devious Intention.

Plus a couple of standalone novels – EVIL IN DISGUISE and FOREVER WATCHING YOU.
I’ve also penned a cozy mystery Private Investigator series – Murder at the Wedding, Murder at the Hotel and Murder by the Sea.

As well as co-authoring the Deception Series co-authored by fellow NY Times bestselling author, Linda S Prather Clever Deception, Tragic Deception and Sinful Deception.

You can follow M A Comley via:-

Twitter @Melcom1

Blog: http://melcomley.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/sps7jh

Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/8jtcvv

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-comley

Criminal Actions by M. A. Comley is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

5*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BookReview #BlogTour The Sound of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell. #TheSoundOfHerVoice @orionbooks @Nathan_B_Author @Tr4cyF3nt0n #NZCrimeFiction

if only I could read faster

If a book is set in New Zealand then you can be pretty sure that I will want to read it so I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour for The Sound Of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell. Thank you to Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for asking me to be part of the tour. I received a copy of The Sound Of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell but I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

When most people think of New Zealand they think of sheep, greenery and stunning views. They would be right, all those things exist in New Zealand but there is a far darker side to the country than most people know. Gang culture is big and that leads to crime and violence that you wouldn’t think would be part of life in a county that is often hailed as one of the best places to live.

The Sound of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell is a gritty crime book, following Detective Matt Buchanan as he tries to solve some truly heinous crimes. The death toll in the book is high and many of them involve people that Buchanan is close to, it drives him to do everything to solve the crimes and ensure that those responsible are held to account, and that often leads him to act far outside the law.

I often wondered how much of the book was based on fact rather than fiction, it felt so very real at times. The author, Nathan Blackwell although that is not his real name, does a frankly remarkable job of portraying the mental impact of the job on the Detective. It is hard for me to put into words how real it all felt and how at times it was painful to read Matt Buchanan’s breakdown.

This book is not for the faint hearted or the easily offended. There are many, many swear words in the book including the ‘c’ word, it is strong and that might bother readers. I don’t mind swearing if it is appropriate, and most of the time it was but the one thing I would change about the book is the number of swear words including the ‘c’ word.

But if you can stomach that and the gruesome murders and the descent into madness then read this book, it is disturbing and thought provoking and may just make you look at policing a little bit differently. I was blown away by The Sound Of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell and it will stay with me for a long time to come. Hopefully, the author will write more books as I will be keen to read them!

Blurb:

Some murder cases you can’t forget.
No matter how hard you try.

The body of a woman has been found on a pristine New Zealand beach – over a decade after she was murdered.

Detective Matt Buchanan of the Auckland Police is certain it carries all the hallmarks of an unsolved crime he investigated 12 years ago: when Samantha Coates walked out one day and never came home.

Re-opening the case, Buchanan begins to piece the terrible crimes together, setting into motion a chain of events that will force him to the darkest corners of society – and back into his deepest obsession…

Sound of her Voice is an authentic, gritty, character-led police procedural by an elite former detective – for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart Macbride, and Joseph Knox

About The Author:

Nathan Blackwell was raised on Auckland’s North Shore and attended Westlake Boys’ High School before commencing a ten-year career in the New Zealand Police. Seven of those years were spent as a Detective in the Criminal Investigation Branch, where he was exposed to human nature at its strongest and bravest, but also at its most depraved and horrific. He investigated a wide range of cases including drug manufacture, child abuse, corruption, serious violence, rape and murder. Because some of his work was conducted covertly, Nathan chooses to hide his true identity.

The Sound of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

4*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BlogTour #BookTour 17 Church Row James Carol. @JamesCarolBooks @ZaffreBooks #17churchrow

if only I could read faster

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for James Carol’s 17 Church Row. I was keen to be on this blog tour because I’ve read a few of the authors books and have enjoyed them, especially The Killing Game and the blurb sounded interesting. I received a copy of the book via Netgalley, I was under no obligation to read the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

Many people are scared about artificial intelligence and where it is taking us, is Alexa really listening in to what we talk about? Does Facebook read our messages and send us adverts for things based on what we’ve talked about with our friends?

It is scary when you think about it, I use Google Maps on my phone so it knows where I go and how long I stay there, let alone all the Google searches I do. Amazon knows and awful lot, I have Alexa and she is regularly used in my house, but what would happen if Alexa had more control over me than I realised?

When Nikki Rhodes decides that moving home might help her heal from the death of one of her twin daughters they start to house hunt and her husband, Ethan, is excited when he finds a new house that has the most up to date security you can get, an inbuilt system that senses what you want before you realise you might even want it, something designed to simplify your life in ways you never imagined. Nikki isn’t so sure but she agrees to the move after meeting the architect who convinces her that the system will be good for them all.

Of course, things don’t go quite to plan. In fact it all goes spectacularly horribly wrong. I read in horror at what was happening and what Nikki had to go through as she questioned her sanity and fought against something that she didn’t know was trying to tear her life apart.

I thought the idea for this book was brilliant, and while I didn’t like Nikki very much I was drawn into the story and wanted to know what was going to happen. I enjoyed reading it and the whole AI angle made me think. I hope that nothing like this could ever happen though!

Blurb:

For fans of J. P. Delaney’s The Girl Before comes a thriller that makes us question our relationship with technology and the lengths we would go to, to keep our family safe.

Three years ago, Nikki and Ethan Rhodes suffered a devastating loss when their four-year-old daughter Grace was tragically killed in a road accident. Ethan, a radio personality, escapes into work, leaving Nikki to care for their remaining child, Bella, who hasn’t spoken since that day.

Seeking a fresh start, the family moves into a revolutionary new house designed by renowned architect, Catriona Fisher. The house features a state-of-the-art security system, along with every amenity you could dream of.

For the Rhodes’ this is a chance to finally pick up the pieces and get on with their lives in a place where they feel totally safe.

But what if 17 Church Row isn’t the safe haven that they think it is?

About The Author:

James Carol was born in Scotland, where he spent his early years. He moved to England in the eighties and has lived there ever since. At various times he has worked as a guitarist, sound engineer, guitar tutor, journalist, and a horse riding instructor.

Broken Dolls, the first Jefferson Winter thriller, was published in 2014 and has sold a third of a million copies and been translated into twelve languages. This was followed by three other Jefferson Winter thrillers and a trilogy of novellas set during Winter’s FBI days.

James has also written three standalone thrillers. The first of these, The Killing Game was shortlisted for a CWA Ian Fleming Dagger award.

When he’s not writing, James can usually be found in his recording studio where he is currently writing and recording the first Dream Nation album.

James lives in Hertfordshire with his wife, two children, a dog and a horse.

17 Church Row by James Carol is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.