Tag: 4*

4*, blog tours, book review, psychological thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview The Captive by Deborah O’Connor. @deboc77 #TheCaptive

if only I could read faster

Today I am sharing my review of The Captive by Deborah O’Conner, author of My Husband’s Son and A Dangerous Kind. Thank you to Tracy from Compulsive Readers for having me on this tour. I received a copy of The Captive from the publisher but I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I am a fan of Deborah O’Connor so I was excited to read her third book and did so without reading the blurb.

The storyline is original and gripping, I finished the first chapter and knew that I had to find out what was going to happen and how it would all pan out. Knowing O’Connor’s writing I knew that I was starting what would be an emotional journey with ups and downs and, of course, plenty of twists.

While I didn’t particularly take to the main character, Hannah, that didn’t matter but I did enjoy reading the relationship with Jem and how it developed through the story.

I really don’t want to give too much away about what happens as I think that would ruin the reader’s experience, but if you enjoy psychological thrillers that keep you hooked and desperately wanting more then this is a book for you. I can’t wait for the authors forth book now!

Blurb:

The cage is installed in Hannah’s kitchen. Small, the size of a shopping centre parking space. A bed, a basin, a table and chair. A hatch and metal drawer through which to exchange food and other items.

Then there’s him. Always there on the edges of her vision, no matter how hard she tries to block him out. 

Every day, the same thoughts run through Hannah’s mind:

What if he speaks to me?

What if he hurts me?

What if he gets out?

In a near-future justice system Jem, the murderer of Hannah’s husband, arrives at her home to serve out his twenty-year sentence in a cell. There it’s hoped he will learn the true cost of his terrible crime. 

But Jem tells Hannah he’s innocent, and not only that, her husband had been lying to her. Soon Hannah begins to question everything she thought she knew. Was Jem wrongly convicted? Or is he simply a desperate man, willing to say and do anything that might grant his freedom? 

Only he can unlock the truth. Only she can set him free.

About The Author;

Deborah O’Connor

Deborah O’Connor is a writer and TV producer responsible for well-loved programmes such as ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’ and ‘A League of Their Own’.  She lives in North Yorkshire with her husband and daughter. Deborah’s first novel was the bestseller My Husband’s Son, followed by The Dangerous Kind. The Captive is her third novel. You can follow her on Twitter @deboc77 

The Captive by Deborah O’Connor is out now and is available from Amazon UK

4*, blog tours, book review, psychological thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview Strangers by C.L. Taylor. @callytaylor @AvonBooksUK #DontTalkToStrangers

if only I could read faster

Today it is my stop on the mammoth blog tour for Strangers by C.L. Taylor. This blog tour really is huge and that should tell you a lot, it means that bloggers love the authors books and want to be involved in shouting about this book. Thank you to Avon Books for having me on the tour. I received a copy of the book via Netgalley, I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I really wasn’t sure what this book was going to be about as I often read a book because of the author, I don’t read the blurb as I like going into it without expectations of what the story might be.

This normally works well and it certainly did with this book as I thoroughly enjoyed it from the start and loved seeing how the different characters came together. The story was full of twists and surprises and it was great trying to work out what was really going on and who was not who they said they were.

As always the author gives us varied characters who feel real, they have troubles and flaws and generally they act in very believable ways. I really don’t want to give the story away to you as I genuinely think that it would be better for the reader to know as little as possible about the story.

You can be sure that you will get a thrilling read that will keep you guessing when you read a book by C.L. Taylor and this book did not disappoint.

Blurb:

The Sunday Times bestseller and Richard & Judy Book Club author of Sleep returns with her most gripping book yet.

‘Fast-paced and satisfying’ DAILY MAIL
‘I was glued from start to finish!’ SHARI LAPENA

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.
 
Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.
 
The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.



Strangers by C.L. Taylor is out now and is available from Amazon UK.

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

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.

4*, blog tours, book review

#BlogTour #BookReview The Girls In The Lake by Helen Phifer. @bookouture @helenphifer1 #BooksOnTour #The Girls In The Lake

if only I could read faster

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for The Girls In The Lake by Helen Phifer and published by Bookouture. This is the second book in a series but it can be read as a standalone, and I don’t say that often!

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 really enjoyed the first book in the Beth Adams series that follows the forensic pathologist on the shores of Lake Windermere. The Girl In The Grave introduced us to Beth at a time when she was vulnerable and a low point in her life so it is nice to see her, a few months down the line, moving on from that, although of course, the path isn’t going to be smooth.

I don’t like reading books in a series when I haven’t read the previous ones, I’ve done it but not very often, but I do think that The Girls In The Lake could be read as a standalone book. Although saying that reading books in order does make the story flow and gives the characters more depth.

When dead girls start showing up in the beautiful Lake Windermere, Beth Adams job is to confirm that the deaths were the accidents they look like so the police can close the file. But something doesn’t feel right to Beth and so she starts to dig deeper and soon finds herself facing the dark side of the beautiful lake.

I love the setting for these books, it’s somewhere so idyllic and an unlikely setting for the story that unfolds. I loved that the story was not what I was expecting, but I did feel that it didn’t grab me in the way the author’s books normally do. This is the fifth book of hers that I have read and they are all easy to read books that suck you in. This one didn’t quite do that.

It’s still a great read and is the second book in a promising series that I look forward to reading more of!

Blurb:

Peering over the side of the boat, the glare of early morning sun catches on something pale in the inky water. The boy’s curious fingertips break the surface, pulling up a tangle of long blonde hair from the reeds below…

The discovery of a young student floating face down in Lake Windermere, her naked skin almost translucent in the freezing water, looks like yet another tragic teen suicide. But the victim’s lack of clothes make Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams want to investigate further. Anything to distract her from the arrival of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s body on the mortuary table that morning.

With witnesses keeping tight-lipped and any clues washed away by the tides, it’s up to Beth to find the evidence her team needs. But then another girl is found in the lake, this time still clinging to life. She tells them she was at a party on a boat, and that she was pushed…

As more bodies surface, Beth finds tiny traces of boat paint present on each victim. It’s a critical lead that links these attacks back to a tragic accident involving a group of school children years ago.

Faced with a killer hungry for revenge, and with her own life spiralling out of control, it’s going to take every ounce of skill and determination for Beth to catch this monster before he takes another innocent life. But will Beth realise he’s been right beside her all along?

An absolutely unputdownable serial killer thriller that will have you sleeping with the lights on. Fans of Patricia Gibney, LJ Ross and Angela Marsons will have to hold on tight for this nail-biting rollercoaster ride!

About The Author:

Helen Phifer lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children.
Helen has always loved writing and reading. Her love of horror films and novels is legendary. Helen adores reading books which make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Unable to find enough scary stories to read she decided to write her own. 

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Helenphifer1

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/helenphifer

Twitter:      https://twitter.com/helenphifer1

Website:     https://www.helenphifer.com

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07YNQ4N5VSocial

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2K7Z4aU

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2oMUcQl

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2pBkLIU

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.

4*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview Break The Silence by D.K. Hood. @bookouture @DKHood_Author #BreakTheSilence

if only I could read faster

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for Break The Silence by D.K. Hood. I’ve been a fan of this series from the start and although they can be read as standalone books I would really recommend reading them from the start as that way you can fully appreciate the stories and characters.

I received a copy of Break The Silence by D.K. Hood from the publisher, Bookouture. I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I do enjoy a good story that hooks me in and keeps me reading and wanting to know what happens and who is committing the crimes that some of my favourite detectives are trying to solve.

Jenna Alton and her sidekick Kane are once again looking at another murder spree that has hit the remote American town that they live in, but this time it isn’t so simple because they aren’t completely sure whether the spate of students dying are the work of a serial killer or tragic freak accidents.

Given that this is a crime book I’m sure I don’t need to tell you which one it is, but has the Sherrif and Detective met their match?

Once again D.K. Hood finds twisted and unusual ways of killing her characters and teases the readers with her character’s relationships with each other. I always enjoy reading the authors books and Break The Silence is no different. The books are easy to read and I always get to the end all too soon. Roll on book eight!

Blurb:

Her head throbbed as she stumbled up the stairs. Music vibrating and the sound of partygoers fill her head as she walks into one of the dark, empty rooms. As she sits on the bed, she hears the unmistakable sound of the door locking behind her. She is not alone.

The body of college student Chrissie Lowe lies curled into a ball – long red cuts along her arms suggesting how she had met her death. Detective Jenna Alton is called in to investigate.

Purplish bruising on Chrissie’s upper arms and thighs make Jenna believe there is more to Chrissie’s death than others suspected, and she soon finds herself following the trail of the student’s last few moments, leading her to the scene of a party that had ended just hours before Chrissie’s body was found.

When Jenna hears reports that Chrissie was seen going into the bedroom of a college football star, she knows that finding out what went on behind that closed door could be the key to finding out how Chrissie ended up dead. But then another partygoer dies in an apparent accident at the campus gym just hours later, and Jenna is convinced the deaths are connected.

Facing a wall of silence from the student population, Jenna has to act fast to find the killer, but soon another student is found dead on the campus. As Jenna sends in one of her deputies undercover, she prays that she hasn’t just sealed his fate. Can she find the killer before any more lives are taken?

Fans of Lisa Regan, Karin Slaughter and Rachel Abbott will love this totally gripping page-turner from bestselling crime author D.K. Hood. You won’t be able to put it down!

**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

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07W4RDMKl Apple Books: https://apple.co/2GRyalV
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2KAZRk2 Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2KpqERk
4*, blog tours, book review

#BlogTour #BookReview Ghoster by Jason Arnopp. @JasonArnopp @OrbitBooks @SpecHorizons @gambit589 #Ghoster

if only I could read faster

Today I’m on the blog tour for Ghoster by Jason Arnopp, I have to admit that this was a strange book that kept me guessing and more often than not, confused, about what was going on. Thank you to Tracy Fenton for asking me to be part of the tour. I received a copy of Ghoster via Netgalley, I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I’m not really sure where to start with this review. Ghoster is a book unlike any that I have read before, in many ways it seemed like a pretty standard book about a girl who fell in love with a boy who was a jerk and who left her high and dry with nowhere to live. Social media and phone use are a prominent part of the story and I felt confident that this book would be a story about how phones are bad and that the moral of the story is that you should use your phone and social media less.

Of course I was totally wrong, although I do think that message is there, but this book is about so much more. The spooky element was not something I had expected, and if I’m honest it was a part of the story that I was really not sure about.

What was great about the book were some of the characters. I really like Kate Collins, the main character who was frankly rather naive and totally obsessive (hence her trying to cut down on her social media use) but also kinda brilliant. Even better than Kate was her best friend, Izzy, someone who was living with the consequences of Kate’s phone obsession yet remained a brilliant friend. I really enjoyed reading the parts with Izzy in it.

This book, despite being very confusing at times, is also very clever, thought provoking and downright crazy. The ending is one that I will be thinking about and trying to work out what on earth had happened for some time to come.

Blurb:

Jason Arnopp – author of acclaimed cult hit The Last Days of Jack Sparks – returns with a razor-sharp thriller for a social-media obsessed world. Prepare to never look at your phone the same way again . . .

Kate Collins has been ghosted.

She was supposed to be moving in with her new boyfriend Scott, but all she finds after relocating to Brighton is an empty apartment. Scott has vanished. His possessions have all disappeared.

Except for his mobile phone.

Kate knows she shouldn’t hack into Scott’s phone. She shouldn’t look at his Tinder, his calls, his social media. But she can’t quite help herself.

That’s when the trouble starts. Strange, whispering phone calls from numbers she doesn’t recognise. Scratch marks on the walls that she can’t explain. And the growing feeling that she’s being watched.

Kate refuses to leave the apartment – she’s not going anywhere until she’s discovered what happened to Scott. But the deeper she dives into Scott’s digital history the more Kate realises just how little she really knows about the man she loves. 

About The Author:

Jason Arnopp is the author of the upcoming chiller-thriller novel Ghoster, The Last Days Of Jack Sparks (Orbit Books) and the co-author of Inside Black Mirror with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones.

Arnopp wrote the Lionsgate horror feature film Stormhouse, the New Line Cinema novel Friday The 13th: Hate-Kill-Repeat, various official Doctor Who works of fiction (including the BBC audiobook Doctor Who: The Gemini Contagion) and script-edited the 2012 Peter Mullan film The Man Inside.

Arnopp has also written 2012’s Beast In The Basement, a horror novella available at Amazon, and experimental ghost story A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home.

He is the author of non-fiction ebook How To Interview Doctor Who, Ozzy Osbourne And Everyone Else.

He is on Twitter here, and is represented by literary agent Oli Munson at The AM Heath Agency. He is also represented for film and TV by Lawrence Mattis at Circle Of Confusion.

Check out the author’s YouTube channel here.

Ghoster

Ghoster by Jason Arnopp is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

4*, blog tours, book review, crime thriller

#BlogTour #BookReview Her Last Breath by Alison Belsham. @BOTBSPublicity @MORECAMBEVICE @AlisonBelsham #HerLastBreath #MorecambeandVice

if only I could read faster

Today I am so excited to be part of the blog tour for Morecambe & Vice Crime Writing Festival. Thank you to Sarah Hardy from Books on the Bright Side Publicity & Promo for asking me to be part of this exciting tour featuring some fabulous crime writers.

I’m reviewing Her Last Breath by Alison Belsham, the second crime book by the author after The Tattoo Thief. The author provided me with a copy of the book, I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belsham, and despite it being one of the most graphic and unsettling books that I have read, I was more than happy to read the authors second crime book, Her Last Breath.

It took me a little while to get back into the characters, mainly police detective Francis and Marni, a civilian who seems to be remarkably good at getting herself stuck in the middle of crimes that occur in her local Brighton.

The fact that the murders in this book didn’t quite match the depravity of the first book says a lot, as the crimes being committed here are deeply unpleasant. I won’t give too much away but if you don’t like graphic and unpleasant killing methods then perhaps this isn’t the book for you.

But if you are more like me then delve right into this story that will have you wondering and reading and holding your breath. The big finale is spectacularly unpleasant, mainly because of where it is set. I am sure that I could visualise and even smell the scene.

Belsham is confident in her writing and we see the characters develop through the book, becoming more real to the readers which makes me emotionally invested in the story. All of which makes a great read, one that is fun to read, but also turns your stomach now and then.

Blurb:

He leaves his victims fighting for life,
And with the mark of death…

After old remains resurface in a heatwave, a young woman is attacked and left fighting for her life in hospital. 24 hours later she dies and a deadly tattoo is discovered on her body.

When another young woman disappears, Detective Francis Sullivan and his team fear a serial killer walks the streets of Brighton.

His team identify a suspect, Alex Mullins, son of his lover, Marni. Can Francis forget their shared past and save the next victim before it is too late?

About The Author:

Alison Belsham initially started writing with the ambition of becoming a screenwriter-and in 2000 was commended for her visual storytelling in the Orange Prize for Screenwriting. In 2001 she was shortlisted in a BBC Drama Writer competition. Life and children intervened but, switching to fiction, in 2009 her novel Dominowas selected for the prestigious Adventures in Fiction mentoring scheme. In 2016 she pitched her first crime novel, The Tattoo Thief, at the Pitch Perfect event at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival and was judged the winner. After signing with agent Jenny Brown, The Tattoo Thief was bought by Trapeze books and published in May, 2018.

Read my review for The Tattoo Thief here.

For more information and how to get tickets for the Morecambe & Vice Crime Writing Festival go to: https://www.morecambecrimefest.co.uk/

Her Last Breath by Alison Belsham is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

4*, blog tours, book review, debut author

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lost Thumb by Orla Owen. @orlaowenwriting #TheLostThumb #RandomThingsTours @annecater

if only I could read faster

Today on If Only I Could Read Faster it appears to be twin day, because this is my second review today and both books have featured twins. Thank you to Anne Cater for asking me to be part of the blog tour for The Lost Thumb by Orla Owen.

My Review:

The Lost Thumb by Orla Owen is a quirky book, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started it but it definitely wasn’t any of the options that I had thought about.

This is the author’s debut novel and it is a really impressive first novel in many ways. The story is set in Australia, although that is totally irrelevant because the setting has no part in the story. I only realised that the book was set in Australia when I was about half way through and I realised then that it is really unusual to read a book that is so insular that the outside of the story doesn’t matter.

The other unusual thing with this book is that I have absolutely no idea what year the book was set in. There were no mentions of mobile phones which could be an indication but other than that I really have no idea. I think it would be from the 1960s on, perhaps in the 80s but who knows.

Lara and Luella are twins who live with their mother who controls everything about their lives, the twins have no say in how they live, where they go, what they wear and what they eat. They have no friends and live a colourless life, both literally and figuratively, and this is why the outside world doesn’t seem to matter, because for Lara and Luella it is totally irrelevant.

At times the book was hard to read, the abuse from the mother is shocking and upsetting, the description of the characters emotions was also quite raw. I also felt as though some of what happened was somewhat predictable and that was disappointing, given how different the story and characters were I had hoped that the author wouldn’t follow some predictable storylines.

But that didn’t stop this book from being a very clever debut, one that I enjoyed reading even though at times it made me feel very sad. Orla Owen is an author to watch.

Blurb:

In a small town in New South Wales, Lara and Luella Jeffreys lead isolated lives until the night they are left alone for the first time, and Luella decides to have some fun. 

That evening goes horribly wrong. 

After Luella wakes up in hospital, she’s kept prisoner at home with her mother acting as her warden. Lara is sent to school to keep up the pretence that she is fine, her sister is fine, and the world is fine. Except they aren’t. The local storekeeper, sensing that something’s wrong, pushes her son to befriend Lara but the results of her meddling are deadly…

About The Author:

Orla Owen is a writer, online editor, and author of the novel The Lost Thumb. She’s been writing since she was a child, and in 2016 was picked to be mentored by Sarah Savitt at Virago.

Her writing focuses on the dark and macabre side of family life, the parts that go on behind closed doors.

Before she became a writer, she was an actress and drama practitioner, studying Theatre at Bretton Hall College of the Arts. She has performed at the Royal Court and Edinburgh fringe, as well as working on The Women’s Theatre Workshop mentoring scheme.

Supporting women in writing is important to her, and she was lucky enough to work on a writers’ mentoring scheme, as an assistant to the author Kerry Hudson, at the WoMentoring Project. 

She is currently working on her second novel, PAH, which will be released in early 2020.

The Lost Thumb by Orla Owen is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.