Year: 2011

Dead Like You by Peter James (Roy Grace #6)

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My Rating: 4/5

I first picked up a Peter James book a while back entitled `Dead Simple’. It was (luckily for me) the first in the Roy Grace Series and was based around a harmless stag night prank that went wrong. From that book I was hooked and each of the 4 books that followed was fantastic. Thankfully this latest instalment is no different. This latest Roy Grace offering is pretty hefty with a massive 500 pages. This didn’t put me off, in actual fact quite the opposite.

This story all starts following the brutal rape of a woman on New Years Eve. Only a week later another woman is attacked. What concerns Roy is that both of the women that were attacked had their shoes taken. It begins to ring alarm bells with him as these current attacks seem to mirror those that haunted Brighton back in 1997. The attacker back in 1997 had been named `The Shoe man’ and was believed to have raped 5 women before moving on to kill another 2. The attacker was never caught and Roy finds himself wondering whether the killer is back or whether they have a copycat on their hands.

Roy Grace has come back in this book a little more relaxed than before. He is living with his girlfriend Cleo who is due to give birth to their first baby any day. Cleo and Roy’s relationship has taken time to grow on me but as you see more and more of Cleo’s supportive side you get to like her that little bit more. In addition to Roy we see the return of Glen Branson who works with Roy. He recently split from his wife and is going through a hard time. I must admit we didn’t see as much of Glen this time as in previous books and I missed his presence at times.

The story itself is written over two time periods. The further in to the investigation Roy goes, the more of the past you get to see. We see him working both crime scenes both in the present and the past. It’s written cleverly and isn’t made too complicated. The reader gets to see the parallels and the differences between the two cases which ended up making me feel like I had solved the case halfway through. I was wrong, so I think my police career is a non-starter!

There are still enough plot twists to keep you interested and several suspects which makes for interesting reading. I also thought that Peter James had dealt with the rape storyline very well with it not being too over the top, but trying to be sensitive at the same time. I whizzed through this in a matter of days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes I was disappointed that we didn’t see anything of the `Sandy’ storyline come up but there is always hope for the next instalment.

If you have never read Peter James and like Crime/Thriller’s, I would highly recommend you give this a try.

Stolen by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 4/5

Lucy Winters’ parents have always been there for her. Loving, gentle and kind they have given her everything she could have wished for. Now, estranged from her husband, she has moved to the country to take over their thriving auction business. The moment she begins to prepare for her first sale she knows she’s made the right decision. And she dares to hope that at last she is living the life she has always dreamed of.

But then, quite suddenly, her world is thrown into turmoil. She discovers a shocking truth, one that forces her to question everything she has ever known. And it becomes frighteningly possible that the very people who should have protected her are the ones who have betrayed her in the most devastating of ways. Can she ever forgive them? Can they ever forgive themselves…?

I always enjoy Susan Lewis’ books. There is a certain quality of realism to them and real feeling which makes a pleasant change. This book was no different and as you read the prologue, you get an idea of the harrowing scenario one set of parents face as their child disappears. The first few chapters are spent introducing us to Lucy Winters and her family. Lucy is an easy character to like as she struggles to convince her daughter that their relocation is a good idea. Lucy has been given the task of runnign her parents auction business. Lucy’s husband and daughter make you realise that her life is not straightforward and her husband I took an instant dislike to.

Once Lucy has made her fresh start and tries to run her parents business she soon realises that there are more problems than she realises. We soon meet the other characters that make up this wonderful book. There is Sarah who is suffering her own losses as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her father and son as well as trying to get through day to day life.

John and Pippa are newcomers to the town and I immediately fell in love with the brother and sister and wanted only good things for them. The book took me no time at all to get in to and I was soon beginning to see that there were many threads to the story as well as many unanswered questions.

The main plots become inter weaved and as the book nears the end all the answers become a lot clearer. What I loved about this book is that there were so many outcomes that could have been, but the ones that actually took place made the book lovely to read. It was as usual for one of her books a pleasure to read and very heartfelt. It frightens me to think that things like this probably do happen many times in real life but the book is written with real sensitivity and I thought it was very enjoyable. I look forward to the next book from her.

Gridlock by Sean Black (Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson #3)

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Adult movie actress Raven Lane is one of the most lusted after women in America, with millions of fans to prove it. But when a headless corpse turns up in the trunk of her car, she realizes that fame carries a terrible price.
Fearing for her life, and with the LAPD seemingly unable to protect her, Raven turns to former military bodyguard Ryan Lock for help. As events spiral out of control, Lock is drawn into a dangerous world where money rules, sex is a commodity to be bought and sold, and no one can be trusted, least of all his beautiful new client…
My Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I read Sean Blacks first and second books and absolutely loved them. Ryan Lock is an ex-military bodyguard who has worked private security and has now set up his own company that can be called upon for any type of job. He has a partner Ty Johnson who is an ex-marine who Ryan met whilst in Iraq. Together they make a formidable team and seem unafraid to take on any type of work.

In this book, Ryan and Ty are asked to work for famous adult movie actress Raven Lane. Raven is lusted after by many people across the world and has an army of fans, however, when a headless corpse turns up in the boot of her car she feels compelled to get Ryan and Ty in for her private security. Before long what seems like a simple stalking case gone wrong, turns into a horrific crime spree by what looks like a cold blooded killer.

Sean Black is now on his third book and you can tell that he is pushing himself and the book came across even better than his first two. The book is very fast paced, and this is a lot easier to read as things start off relatively simple but before long the pace picks up and you are thrown along with the characters as things progressively get worse.

The one major difference between this book and his previous is that the murders and crime scenes are a lot more graphic and descriptive. In my opinion this made the book a lot better because you then start questioning who is on the right side of the law and who isn’t. There are quite a lot of twists and turns too and I must say that I was shocked and saddened by the ending. Although shocked, it is an absolutely first class platform for the next book which I cannot wait to get my hands on. Sean Black is certainly coming into his own in this genre and I think this is his best yet, I can only hope that they continue to be this good.

Dead End by Leigh Russell (Geraldine Steel #3)

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My Rating: 5/5

In Leigh Russell’s third installment of ‘DI Geraldine Steel’ Series we once again see Geralding thrown into a messy and disturbing case. In this particular book, headmistress Abigail Kirby is found dead in a park, but in this instance it seems that her tongue has been cut out. DI Geraldine Steel, along with her colleague Ian Peterson are put on the case, and when a potential witness is blinded and murdered, the case seems to get out of control.

I admit that I am a sucker when it comes to ‘series’ featuring the same people. In particular I liked Leifh Russell as I have read each of her books from her debut novel ‘Road Closed’. This time around the writing is so much better as the story flows so easily. LeighRussell is a writer that is going from strength to strength with every book she writes.

I found that in the first book we didn’t learn enough about Geraldine herself, or the people she worked with. In this book Geraldine’s personal life seems to run alongside her career and we get to see the more emotional side to her which I loved. We also see a lot more of Ian Peterson and this is a true testemant to how much better this book is than her first.

The characters have developed so much more and as reader you feel like you are taking their life journey with them. Geraldine is far from perfect but is a complete workaholic who has some serious personal issues that can sometimes affect her judgement. It is things like this that add the touch of realism to this book.

The crimes in the book are as ususal gruesome and bloody, and extremely well detailed, without being too over the top. We see the workings of real police who make some huge errors along the way (which is always nice).

I only have one criticism about the book and that is that I had a sneaking suspicion of the killer around halfway through. Having said that, I do that with many of the books I read. Apart from being suspicious (and then being correct in my assumption) this book is absolutely, 100% the best book Leigh Russell has written so far. I am now eagerly awaiting the next installment and there were major parts of Geraldine’s life that are unanswered and I realloy need to know more about.

Thoroughly reccommended and I truly think that Leigh Russell has now created a series that can rival other major crime writers out there. I would suggest starting at book one and working your way through as by the time you get to this one you will be itching to read book 4. Can’t wait for the next one!

L’Auberge by Julia Stagg

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My Rating: 4/5

The nice thing about debut novels is that your expectation is set pretty low as you have nothing previously to base your opinion on. When I got this book I was quite surprised as it was a lot smaller than what I thought I would get for a debut novel at a mere 280 pages. However, undeterred I made a start on this book and soon found myself in the thick of things in Fogas.

I found it a little slow to start with but a few chapters in and I was beginning to get a feel for the characters living in this small French village. We meet all sorts of different people from Josette, the owner of a small shop and makeshift bar, to Serge Papon the Mayor, to the postmistress Veronique. In addition to these after a few chapters we meet the English couple, Lorna and Paul, who are unwittingly the talk of the village. The characters were all easy enough to get a grasp of but if ound it difficult to get a feel for a few of them and Josette the shop owner as well as Christian, the deputy mayor, was another. I persevered and let the story tell itself, hoping that the non-connection with a few characters wouldn’t matter.

Luckily overall it didn’t have that much of an impact but left me feeling a little bit like something was missing. From the point of view of the story itself, it is something I can imagine has happened many times in many different small villages across the world. There is nothing like new people trying something new to get villagers worried. In the case of L’Auberge it is no different. We see the Mayor and his plotting revenge on the English couple and the struggle they have against all the local anger and foreign red tape.

I enjoyed the setting and think Julia Stagg did a grand job of describing what sounded like a very quaint village in France. The ending was wrapped up nicely and there was a romantic element for a couple of characters thrown in too.

I certainly enjoyed this book but my main gripe was that I didn’t connect with a couple of the characters and ended up feeling like the story was just that tad too short. Having said that, I really liked the style of writing and it was certainly an enjoyable read. The great thing about debut novels is that if you enjoyed it you have a solid start. After all her books can only get better and for that reason I am really looking forward to reading the next one.

The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell

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My Rating: 5/5

Wow, what can I say? This was an absolutely brilliant book and not what I expected at all. This is a totally original story, with wonderful characters and as usual first class writing. Lisa Jewell is showing the world what she is made of that’s for sure!

When I received the book I was looking forward to reading it and the cover with it’s bright turquoise colours looked as usual very appealing. Lydia, Robyn and Dean are the glue that holds this story together along with their anonymous sperm donor father Daniel.

We are introduced to each of the characters in turn and learn their current situation as well as a little of each of their pasts. The story was unhurried but not slow, it gives the reader time to get a real feel for each of these people and how their lives have been affected by being the result of a sperm donor as a father.

The character Lydia was the first we meet and as we see her wealth and personal success we also see the downside to her life and the way in which she deals with the problems she faces. Lydia seems to be the catalyst for the others joining in the story and slowly we meet young Robyn who seems to have it all but knows there is something missing. Lastly we meet Dean whose life seems to be one big train wreck, and although he isn’t making smart choices I loved his character.

By the time you are over halfway through the book you are rooting for all of them involved as you feel like you are taking the journey that links their pasts with them. I read this book in a day and a half and though it was absolutely brilliant.

It isn’t your typical `chick lit’ story but Lisa Jewell’s brilliant writing style shines through as ever and she has an edge of humour even amongst the sadness. This certainly wasn’t what I expected but I have to say it equated to so much more in my eyes. Lisa Jewell has produced a very touching story with loveable characters and has introduced an original storyline to boot.

Even though this may not seem like her sort of book, trust me it’s even better and well worth picking up to read, highly recommended!!!

Fame by Tilly Bagshawe

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My Rating: 5/5

The first Tilly Bagshawe book I read was her last release entitled Scandalous. As a lover of all chick lit type books it was right up my street. I have to be honest and say that I was really looking forward to this latest release and was excited to receive it a few days ago.

At 560 pages it looked an average size book and the cover had a rather slender and glamorous woman posing on a sun lounger, it looked like just my kind of book. Thankfully as soon as you start reading you are drawn into the fabulous world of the stars in the book. Sabrina Leon is the first character we meet and she is sassy, strong and has a very big mouth. Of course I instantly liked her!

We also meet the rather handsome but slightly brooding Viorel who is also an actor looking for his next big part. Dorian Razmirez is the glue that bonds them all together. With his rival Director Harry Greene snapping at his ankles, Dorian is determined to get his new film off the ground with the stars he thinks will make or break his movie.

Tish Crewe is a woman that runs her own orphanage in Romania and is called back home to England to try and salvage the family home that her brother now owns. With her brother off gallivanting Tish decides to take her son Abel and stay the summer back at Loxley Hall and try to repair and salvage what is left of the beautiful stately home that has been in her family for many years.

As the movie Dorian is making coincides with Tish’s life, the fireworks really begin. I literally couldn’t put this book down. You could almost feel the tension, tantrums and inevitable upheaval between the characters coming. The characters were all written so well that I liked each of them for various reasons and although none of them were perfect they all had redeeming qualities.

The story itself flits back between the LA, the countryside of beautiful Derbyshire in England and Romania. That in itself always gave the reader a different setting to be absorbing yourself in. There is certainly no lack of drama in this book and although, as in most chick lit books, it can seem obvious who ends up with whom, there was an element of doubt until the final few chapters which made it much more enjoyable.

As usual you get the awful characters thrown in which readers will no doubt love to loathe such as Harry Greene and Dorian’s wife Chrissie. The story was well put together and flowed so easily, it truly was a very enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this to anybody that likes this genre and I am really looking forward to her next release.

The Murder Exchange by Simon Kernick

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My Rating: 4/5

I am slowly working my way through Simon Kernick’s books and this is the second book he released. Simon Kernick has a very certain type of writing style. His books are usually very fast paced and normally it takes only a matter of a chapter or two before you are thrown in at the deep end of a story.

This book followed the same format and we dive straight into Max Iversson’s bad decision and when it all goes wrong. However, although you are thrown in at the deep end very quickly, the suspense level is not as high as I am used to with a Kernick book. I think this is a sure sign of the amount of time he has been writing. The fact that I read his newer stuff first and have gone back to his older work has the disadvantage of showing his weaker points at the beginning of his career.


Although slightly weaker than usual the story itself was a good one. Max Iversson was a great character, and although he usually stays within the law, he finds himself inadvertently being drawn over to the other side in his fight for the truth. John Gallan was also a pretty good character and although the typical `copper’ we see in books, there was no glossing over his very mundane personal life which actually brought more realism to the book in my eyes. We flit between characters by chapter and as the story progresses you see more and more of each one and they eventually overlap.

Other characters making a brief appearance is Tina Boyd (who appears in later Kernick books) as well as the Holtz family who are a central part of the plot. As ever there is no holding back on the levels of violence and gore, although it’s all done in keeping with the story. As usual towards the end we pick up even more pace before getting to the climax and pretty good ending. Overall I really dud enjoy the book, but for some reason there seemed to be something lacking. I have thought about it and really do think this is a case of reading his newer books first. This is certainly not a bad book by any means, but think that it certainly isn’t a good example of the first class work that he has gone on to produce. Another solid read, but slightly lacking that magic something!

Review of Killing Hour by Andrew Gross

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My Rating: 3/5

I had high expectations for this as I have loved his other books. I have to be honest and say I wasn’t as thrilled as I thought I would be. The story itself was okay, but just that, okay.

We meet Dr Jay Handler who is living happily with his wife and children when he receives a desperate phone call from his brother Charlie. Charlie’s son Evan has committed suicide. Ay decides to fly to visit them and help Charlie and his wife through this difficult time whilst grieving for Evan. What he doesn’t bank on is the fact that Evan’s death looks suspicious. Before long Jay is dragged into finding out what really happened to his nephew.

I liked the character of Jay and the story was well paced, but there were things I wasn’t keen on. Jay’s brother Charlie was lacking depth and there seemed to be a lot of the story elements that repeated too often.

I was saddened to read that the character Evan was based around Andrew Gross nephew who also committed suicide. The writing was good and the story not bad, I just don’t think this was his best.

Buried Alive by J A Kerley (Carson Ryder #7)

My Rating: 4/5

Jack Kerley has now written 7 of these books in the series featuring Detective Carson Ryder. I have not read the earlier books in the series but did read the last book entitled `Little Girls Lost’.

After Ryder witnesses the escape of the violent psychopath Bobby Crayline from prison, he decides a holiday is in order. He takes a rare break in the mountains with his faithful dog named Mix-Up (GREAT name for a dog by the way!). As usual, Carson’s break is interrupted, as any good fictional Detective should expect! He gets called to a grisly murder scene by an anonymous phone call.

His unexpected presence at the crime scene doesn’t go down well with local Detective Donna Cherry, but before long there are too many bodies to be fighting between themselves. Unwittingly Carson gets dragged into the murders and tries to help Cherry get to the bottom of it.

With the arrival of the FBI, things certainly don’t go smoothly and before long Carson realises there is a lot more at stake that a serial killer, as things and people from his past begin to emerge.

I enjoyed the last Kerley book I read and was looking forward to the next instalment. This didn’t disappoint in terms of Carson and the storyline. When I saw other reviews of the book, a couple of people complained there was a major plot spoiler quite early on that looked like an editorial mistake. Thankfully, I am not that bright and was so engrossed in the book I must have missed it!

Ryder is a great character and again is written well with all his baggage too. It’s nice to see him in an area that is not his local stomping ground and the character Donna Cherry made for a good match up as she is certainly not a pushover. The story itself starts with the escape of convict Bobby Crayline, and before long I forgot all about him while the other murders were taking place. This meant that there were two major plots running through the story which made it quite interesting.

The murder scenes were as usual very grisly and descriptive, but I must point out that Jack Kerley actually made me wince whilst reading one particular section of the book. I actually had to stop reading one scene involving a dead corpse laid out for viewing as it had my stomach turning! Either I have a very active imagination, or he is a great writer. I think it may be a combination of the two, but it makes for great reading.

The introduction of Carson’s brother was very interesting and although I don’t want to introduce a plot spoiler, I am glad the story panned out the way it did giving the story more room to grow in future books. The book was paced very well and towards the end we see it reach its climax and wrap things up nicely. All in all, once again a thoroughly enjoyable read, although not one for the weak stomached!