Tag: Helen Grace

4.5*, book review

#BookReview Down To The Woods by M.J. Arlidge. #DownToTheWoods @mjarlidge @MichaelJBooks #HelenGrace #NewForest #crimefiction

if only I could read faster
downtothewoods
Down To The Woods by M.J. Arlidge.

I don’t know about you but when I heard that there was a new Helen Grace book coming I got very excited and it was immediately bumped up to the top of my tbr pile!

My Review:

Finally!! A new Helen Grace book is out. It feels a long time since May 2017 when the seventh book in the series was released so I was really excited to read Down To The Woods. Instead of concentrating on his Grace series, author MJ Arlidge has been busy doing other things, writing a book that doesn’t feature Grace that’s set in America for one. But thankfully he hadn’t forgotten Helen Grace and book eight has finally arrived.

I have to admit that at first I wasn’t sure about Down To The Woods, Grace is a character that I love and thoroughly enjoy catching up with when a new book is released, but I guess with the longer break it took me a little bit longer than normal to get back into the book and the character, and especially the smaller characters who aren’t quite as memorable.

But it didn’t take long before I was sucked into the story which was shockingly gruesome. Although I remain unconvinced that Arlidge can top the shock factor of the deaths in Eeeny Meeny (the first book in the Helen Grace series), he gives it a damn good try in Down To The Woods.

Grace herself seemed a little bit different in this book and I came to the conclusion that after the recent traumatic events that she’d been through Helen had grown up. She finally seemed to stop running and it even seemed that she may finally start to let people into her world and her life. Hurrah! I’m very pleased for her.

By the end of the book I didn’t want it to end, Arlidge has once again given us a twisted tale that terrifies and puts Grace and her team through their paces. For those of you who are new to Helen Grace then I strongly suggest that you start at the beginning. I’m sure that you could read Down To The Woods as a standalone, but it would be a lot better if you have read the previous books, and if you didn’t read them then you’d be missing out on some brilliant stories.

Many series lose their way around about now, but there’s no sign of that with Down To The Woods. I just hope that Arlidge doesn’t find too much else to occupy himself with so that there isn’t too long a way for book nine!

Thank you to the publishers, Michael Joseph at Penguin UK for a copy of Down To The Woods by M.J. Arlidge. I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

Blurb:

THE EIGHTH DI HELEN GRACE THRILLER BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR M. J. ARLIDGE

There is a sickness in the forest. First, it was the wild horses. Now it’s innocent men and women, hunted down and murdered by a faceless figure. Lost in the darkness, they try to flee, they try to hide. In desperation, they call out for help. But there is no-one to hear their cries here…

DI Helen Grace must face down a new nightmare. The arrow-ridden victims hang from the New Forest’s ancient oaks, like pieces of strange fruit. Why are helpless holidaymakers being targeted in peak camping season? And what do their murders signify? Is a psychopath stalking the forest? Is there an occult element to the killings? Could the murders even be an offering to the Forest itself? Helen must walk into the darkness to discover the truth behind her most challenging, most macabre case yet.

About The Author:

MJarlidge

M. J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last fifteen years, specializing in high-end drama production, including the prime-time crime serials Torn, The Little House and Silent Witness. Arlidge also pilots original crime series for both UK and US networks. In 2015 his audio exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a Number One bestseller. His first thriller, Eeny Meeny, was the UK’s bestselling crime debut of 2014. It was followed by the bestselling Pop Goes the Weasel, The Doll’s House, Liar Liar, Little Boy Blue, Hide and Seek, and Love Me Not.

Down To The Woods by M.J. Arlidge is out now and available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

You can read a Q&A that I did with M. J. Arlidge here where you will also find links to my reviews of some of the previous Helen Grace books.

5*, book review

Review: Love Me Not by M.J. Arlidge.

if only I could read faster

 

lovemenot
Love Me Not by M.J. Arlidge

 

My review:

I am a huge fan of DI Helen Grace and have read all of the series, if you haven’t read any then I’d really recommend that you start at the beginning with Eeeny Meeny and go from there as I am sure that you would enjoy the books more in order.

Following the shocking storyline in Hide and Seek I was looking forward to reading what MJ Arlidge would do next with Helen Grace. Love Me Not is a little bit different in that it takes place over 24 hours and is told in real time, this makes for a really fast pace with short chapters increasing the tension and keeping the reader hanging. I read it in two days which is really quick for me, it was one of those books where you ignore the pile of dirty washing and the million and one other things that you have to do, just so that you can keep reading.

I don’t want to give too much away but of course, the 24 hours during which the book is set are a very crazy, with lots happening and DI Helen Grace and her team struggling to keep up with it all. It’s a fast-paced and fun read and I look forward to the next book!

Thank you to the publishers, Michael Joseph, for the opportunity to read Love Me Not. I was under no obligation to review and all thoughts are my own.

Blurb:

She Loves Me
A woman’s body lies in the road. At first it looks like a tragic accident. But when Helen Grace arrives on the scene it’s clear she’s looking at a coldblooded killing. But why would anyone target a much loved wife and mother?

She Loves Me Not
Across town, a shopkeeper is killed while his customers are left unharmed. But what lies behind the killer’s choices?

She Loves Me
Who lives? Who dies? Who’s next? The clock is ticking.

She Loves Me Not
If Helen can’t solve this deadly puzzle then more blood will be shed. But any mistake and it might be her own …

About the author:

MJarlidge

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last 15 years, specialising in high end drama production. Arlidge has produced a number of prime-time crime serials for ITV In the last five years, and is currently working on a major adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans for the BBC.

 

Love Me Not by M.J. Arlidge is released on 18th May 2017 and is available to pre-order from Amazon UK. It will be released on audiobook in America and can be pre-ordered now from Amazon US.

You can read my reviews for other DI Helen Grace books; The Doll’s House, Liar Liar, Little Boy Blue, No Way Back and Hide and Seek on this blog. I read the previous books in the series before starting the blog

5*, book review

Review: Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge

if only I could read faster
hide and seek
Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge

My huge big fat 5* review:

I am a big Helen Grace fan, from the first few pages of Eeny Meeny I was gripped by M.J Arlidge’s books and have read every one in the series. While some have been better than others I would definitely recommend reading them in order as you will no doubt get a lot more out of the books and the characters. I think that this is especially true of Hide and Seek.

The end of the previous book in the series, Little Boy Blue, ended with a shock. Readers were stunned and desperate to know what happened next. So I was very much looking forward to reading Hide and Seek. In my mind I had an idea of where I thought the author would take us, but happily I was wrong. I was blown away by this book and the storyline and devoured the book as I just had to know what was going to happen.

Once again Arlidge provides us with a solid and well written book, with great characters and twists, turns, shocks and surprises. I think that Hide and Seek is definitely a strong contender for my book of the year, I loved it and it isn’t often that I feel bereft when a book ends. My only question is, how long do I have to wait for the next book?

I received an ARC of Hide and Seek by the publishers via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Hide and Seek is out now in hardback, audible and ebook from Amazon UK and on audible from Amazon US.

Blurb:

Helen awaits trial in a crumbling women’s prison in Southampton. She has a fight on to prove her innocence from inside her prison cell, but this soon turns out to be the least of her worries.

A serial killer is picking off fellow inmates, thriving in an environment where there is truly nowhere to run. Is it a criminal giving in to their dark urges or a member of the prison staff preying on the captive population? Helen must work fast to reveal this devious killer, all the time wondering if she will be next on her list….

 

5*, book review, novella

Review: No Way Back by M.J. Arlidge

if only I could read faster
no way back
No Way Back by M.J. Arlidge

My 5* Review:

I am a big fan of M.J. Arlidge’s Helen Grace series so I was looking forward to reading this Novella and finding more about Grace’s past.

Thankfully No Way Back didn’t disappoint and I enjoyed finding out how Grace came to be like she is and what drives her.

I think that this will appeal to anyone who has read any of the Helen Grace series, or those about to start. It is very short, it took me no time at all to read it, but as usual for Arlidge the writing is solid.

No Way Back is a great novella, if you like Helen Grace then you will like this.

No Way Back is available now from Amazon UK and on audible from Amazon US.

Blurb:

A treat for fans of DI Helen Grace: an ebook short story from Top Ten Sunday Timesbestselling author M. J. Arlidge.

Jodie’s arriving at her third children’s home. She’s only fifteen.
Maybe this time will be different. She’ll be safe. Looked after.

But the truth is Jodie has no one left to protect her.
She must defend herself. She must change.

book review

Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge

if only I could read faster
LBB
Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge

Well I’m so pleased that I made the effort to read The Dolls House and Liar Liar before reading Little Boy Blue as it all made a lot more sense because of it. Helen Grace is a great detective and this is one of my favourite detective series (coming a close second to the Kim Stone books by Angela Marsons).

‘Little Boy Blue is Arlidge’s fifth book in his Helen Grace series. The first book, Eeny Meeny, was brilliant and a hard act to follow. The series has wavered a bit but Little Boy Blue sees a return to form. Although not as gripping as Eeny Meeny the storyline in Little Boy Blue keeps you going, wanting to read more.

I do think that to get the most out of this book you should have read most if not all of the previous books in the series. Little Boy Blue focuses on murders in the local BDSM community, something that Grace knows more about than she wants her team to know. Far more than the previous books, this one spends a lot of time on office politics, which I found frustrating and at times fairly dull, but the reason for it becomes clear in the end.

And talking of the end. Wow. I wasn’t expecting that!!! Little Boy Blue will be a hard act to follow, but one that I hope won’t be too long in the waiting, as I need to know what happens!!

Thank you to the publishers for giving me an ARC of Little Boy Blue via Netgalley in return for an honest review.’

Little Boy Blue is out on 10th March 2016 and is available from Amazon UK

book review

The Doll’s House by M.J. Arlidge

if only I could read faster
the dolls house
The Dolls House by M.J. Arlidge

 

‘The Doll’s House is M.J. Arlidge’s third book about Detective Helen Grace. The series started with a bang with Eeny Meeny, a brilliant book. Next came Pop Goes the Weasel which was very good but not quite as good as the first. Then came the Doll’s House, and Liar Liar and finally Little Boy Blue is due out soon.

I had read the first two but I’d heard that The Doll’s House was nowhere near as good so I’d never quite got round to reading it. But I recently got a copy of the soon to be released Little Boy Blue and knew that I really needed to read books three and four first. So The Dolls House was pushed to the top of my tbr pile.

If anyone else had written this book I’d probably of given it four stars, but having been blown away by Eeny Meeny I know that Arlidge can do better. This just felt slightly predictable, although it was very well written and left you guessing over who the baddie was. From what I hear The Doll’s House is a little blip for Arlidge, with books four and five heading back to form. But The Doll’s House is an important part of the puzzle, that needs to be read to keep the reader up with the police characters that feature in all the Helen Grace books. But this all sounds pretty negative and yet The Doll’s House is a perfectly decent book, just not as good as Arlidge is capable of.’

The Doll’s House is available from Amazon UK now.