Year: 2012

The Dead Won’t Sleep by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #1)

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My Rating: 5/5

I keep getting told by FB followers that I MUST read Anna Smith and that her books are brilliant. Sadly, my to read list is stupidly long which means authors whose books I have on my Kindle, can sometimes sit there `undiscovered’ for months! Anna Smith is one such author. What an idiot I felt once I’d finished this book, her debut novel. As soon as I was finished, I immediately downloaded her second book, and have her third release firmly in the calendar (31st Jan 2013 for anybody interested!).

The synopsis sounded great before I had even started the book, but once I got going I was in for a treat. It’s Glasgow in the 1990s and when the body of a young girl washes up on a beach, people don’t pay much attention. It’s just another dead junkie, except the media gets hold of the fact that the victim Tracey Eadie was just 14 years old and was meant to be in the safety of a children’s home. The first few chapters had me hooked and from then on, things got put on the back burner (such as dinner!).

The main character in this book is the journalist Rosie Gilmour. Rosie is certainly not whiter than white, but comes across as a little bit vulnerable too. One of the things that struck me about this book is the language, and I don’t mean swearing. My husband family are from Glasgow so I am very well adjusted to the way they talk and their accent. Anna Smith manages to get across the accent and the way in which the Glaswegians talk, which translates on paper (if that makes sense?!?). In my opinion it gives the writing a real edge and you get a real feel for the way they speak which I really loved.

The plot was what really kept me gripped, and the shocking part about it, is that it is 100% believable. It was gritty and particularly dark in places, covering subjects that won’t be everybody’s cup of tea but done with sheer brilliance. I am now obsessed with finding out what Rosie does in the future (yippee for book 2) and thought that she was such a solid character. All in this entire book had me totally and utterly enthralled from start to finish. It’s already been recommended to all my friends and family, and now I’m recommending it to you lot too.


Don’t put it off a moment longer and grab yourself as copy, you’ll love it!

Did You Miss Me by Karen Rose (Baltimore #3)

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My Rating 5/5

I have read nearly all of Karen’s books and rarely read one that I don’t love. When her newest book landed on my doorstep a few days ahead of publication (thanks to the Publishers) I was excited as I ripped open the package. However, my excitement was replaced with shock as even by Karen Rose standards this book was a humdinger at 544 pages. With the synopsis read in seconds I poured myself a brew and immediately got stuck in.

For this that maybe haven’t read any Karen Rose books this book, along with any other can be picked up and read in any order as a stand alone book. For those that have previously read Karen’s books, you will see familiar faces from previous books. IN Karen’s last book PI Paige Holden is the main character along with State Attorney Grayson Smith. Both Paige and Grayson return in this book but as the background characters to both State Attorney Daphne Montgomery and FBI Agent Joseph Carter.

What I loved about starting this book was not only being introduced to Daphne and Joseph, but seeing what other characters were up to in their lives. Daphne’s son Ford Elkhart is actually the main focus of this book and he is kidnapped and only recalls what happened when he wakes up on a cold dark floor and realises he is tied up and being held. The book takes an immediate dive into the kidnapping and we see many chapters start to form threads. I was totally and utterly engrossed and found myself being drawn back to the book every time I attempted to put it down.

There are numerous threads and people to keep track of and at the halfway mark I had to take a breather as I realised I needed to get it all straight in my head?!? I had block read at least 250 pages and felt like I had overdosed on crime! Luckily a good nights’ sleep sorted that out and the next day I resumed reading the rollercoaster ride of a book! The characters Daphne and Joseph each have their own demons and skeletons and as the story progresses we see the layers of their pasts slowly peeled back. I liked the suspense you are kept in, even though I am the most impatient person. As usual the actual crime scenes are written vividly leaving a somewhat sour taste in my mouth at times, but by no means put me off!

Joseph and Daphne are both characters I really liked but the two that really pulled at me were Clay and Stevie. They were only in the book for small periods of time but I SO want to find out what happens there (I just know I’m going to have to wait on that front!). The plot itself had plenty of twists and turns and kept me guessing until the very end of the book. The one thing that stood out this time round was the sex! Yep, that’s right people I did say sex! Karen Rose is a great crime writer, but her genre (if people care to check) is romantic suspense. It irritates me when people grumble about this in her books because it’s what she does, and believe me when I say it’s what she does best. Karen Rose surprised me this time round and at times I wondered if I had inadvertently picked up a Jackie Collins (not a bad thing in my book!).

All in all, this book, although long even by her standards, was an absolute cracker. Karen Rose is first class at these sorts of books and this one didn’t disappoint. As usual, you are in for a bumpy ride which will have you reading from morning until night. Highly recommended.

Kill You Twice by Chelsea Cain (Sheridan & Lowell #5)

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 My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I started Chelsea Cain’s Archie Sheridan books at book 3 (entitled Evil at Heart) and have slowly caught up. I was really looking forward to this latest release which is now the fifth in the series. Archie Sheridan is a character that I am now all too familiar with. He is a Detective who worked on the Beauty Killer Task Force which meant tracking down and catching Gretchen Lowell. For those of you that haven’t read the series, you may need to start at the beginning to get a real idea of how the relationship between Gretchen and Archie has developed. Having said that you could probably gain enough insight to pick up and read the book anyway.

In this latest book Archie is called to a murder scene where a corpse is found in Mount Tabor Park. Before long, he receives a call from the mental hospital where Gretchen Lowell is held, informing him that she has information on the current murder. Archie has to find out whether Gretchen really does have the information, or whether she just wants to get close to him. As usual with a Cain book it takes next to no time to get absorbed by the storyline. One thing that she certainly manages to do is turn your stomach a little bit!

As with the other books in the series, we get to see other characters, only this time in more detail. We see a lot more of Henry (Archie’s partner) as well as Susan (a freelance reporter who has an unusual relationship with Henry), and Susan’s mother Bliss. I actually loved the fact that they were all more involved in this book and found that there were a lot more threads to the story that you need to follow.

The actual crime element of the story was done in true Cain style, with more stomach churning moments than I care to remember, however they certainly make it a lot more authentic that’s for sure! There were a few plot twists which I enjoyed, however I have that nagging sensation going on in my head. As much as I loved this book, how much more of Gretchen Lowell can I take? If I’m being 100% honest I’m really not that sure. I’m sincerely hoping that book 6 in this series is just as gripping as this one, but that it also features the demise of Gretchen as I think I might otherwise get tired of her. The one thing I am sure about is that if this series is overdone it would be awful because Chelsea Cain is an absolutely awesome writer. Fingers crossed that in the next book we see the demise of Gretchen, and the opener for another sick and twisted serial killer! (never thought I’d put that in a sentence!)

The Life by Martina Cole

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My Review 3/5

Martina Cole, a legend in her own right. However, the question of whether she still 2has what it takes” is something that’s bandied around a lot recently. As much as I am loathed to admit it, I can see why the negative comments come around. The problem with us readers is that we are a finikity bunch, who expects authors to continually churn out a 5 star read every year without fail. When you actually stop to think about it Martina Cole has been writing since 1992 which is an astonishing 20 years. Martina’s last two releases were middle of the road for me. If you compare her current books to her earlier work such as books like The Jump, her newer material is nowhere near as good.

I think that as such a talented author, she is going to once again create an absolute corker of a book and somehow I always end up being a little disappointed. Whether that’s because I feel like the bar is set a bit higher for her, or just because the competition is just too good now, I really don’t know. This latest release The Life certainly has a good synopsis that’s for sure. The Bailey brothers are gangsters determined to make their mark on the world (sounding familiar), yet the two brothers are complete opposites. When their sons join the business, it seems like nothing can stop them. When Lena Bailey gives birth to a girl, she is determined to shield her from The Life. When a tragedy occurs, it changes everybody and their life as they know it.

I started reading this book with high hopes (as usual) and to be honest one thing you cannot fault is Martina’s writing style. The lady has some clear cut talent and it’s an unmistakable style that draws you in to the characters and their lives. This book was easy reading for me and pretty soon I felt drawn into the Bailey world and was reading chapter after chapter. On the down side, at around the halfway mark it just seemed like too much hard work. The story was okay, but sadly it was just the same old, same old. I knew where Martina was taking the story and characters and felt like this fell into the same category of been there and read it!

The book took me three days to read and to be brutally honest it was probably at least 100 pages too long. I feel a little sad to say but I wonder whether Martina should carry on with this type of book. The competition out there, especially with newer writers emerging all the time, is making Martina’s work look poor in comparison. I think at this stage what I would love to see is something completely different from Martina Cole. She truly is an author with a gift for writing, but she just needs to get out of the `tried and tested’ formula she keeps using. Maybe steer away from the East End Gangster type of book and try a new direction. I truly believe that with her huge following and legions of fans, that they would welcome something fresh and new from one of the ultimate British female crime writers.

Friends and Rivals by Tilly Bagshawe

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My Rating: 5/5

I am a huge Tilly Bagshawe fan and loved her last two books so was looking forward to the newest release. Friends and Rival does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a totally self-indulgent, glamorous and escapist read (which is right up my street). I’m not looking for anything high on the morality scale right now so this suited me down to the ground. I was also lucky enough to receive an early edition which has a beautiful cover, which made me want to get started even more. I settled down on my commute home and before I knew it was 4 or 5 chapters in and irritated that I had made it home in record time!

Catriona (Kat) has been married to Ivan for more than twenty years. On the surface with their two kids and Ivan’s successful career in the music industry things look great, however Ivan is a pathological liar and cheat. When he leaves her for a younger woman her life feels like it has come to a complete halt. On the other side of the fence there is Kendall who is a superstar singer that is used to getting what she wants. Ivan’s partner who heads up the US business Jack is the person who looks after Kendall and he certainly has his hands full. From the minute I got involved with this book there was no stopping me.

It took me straight into the worlds of the main characters which appeared to be Ivan and Kat and Kendall and Jack. All four of them had intriguing personalities. I despised Ivan from the word go and to be honest I love it when characters get my back up, it makes the book that little bit more enjoyable. This sort of book is exactly why I love reading. The music business was brought to me with characters that wouldn’t seem out of place on Dynasty! There was a lot of threads to the story and other characters introduced which although not as central as the others, were just as readable. I literally couldn’t put this down and was disappointed once I had finished. This book is escapism at its best and one that I would highly recommend!

The Out Of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty

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My Rating: 4/5

Okay, let me clear something up. I am NOT a romantic person by nature (as my husband could probably confirm). However, when it comes to book the complete opposite applies. Although I read many genre’s (including Crime & Thrillers) I love romance and comedy books. Sometimes for me the purpose of reading is to escape real life and to just believe that the ridiculous and sublime may just happen (even though the realist in me knows it wouldn’t). Therefore, the synopsis of The Out Of Office Girl sounded perfect to me. Alice Roberts is having an awful summer and when her boss is taken ill and she is given the chance to go to Italy to interview Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson she jumps at the chance.

As soon as I picked this book up and started reading I just adored Alice. She was a normal girl with a normal job who is thrown into the deep end and given the opportunity of a lifetime. I was hooked within a matter of pages! Alice flies over to Sicily and her job is to edit the autobiography of Luther along with his agent Sam and the publishing company’s Ghost Writer. As soon as she lands we are given a glimpse into Luther’s life and his bad boy antics seem just the start. Luther is an enjoyable read as well as some of the other characters such as Sam and Annabel.

Doherty does a great job of setting the scene in Italy and she made it sound extremely idyllic. The story itself takes a few funny turns as we see Alice get herself stuck in certain situations which she isn’t quite sure how to get out of. The storyline towards the end is a little predictable but if I’m being honest I quite enjoyed the fact that things worked how they should have done. This book is certainly not intellectually challenging, but to be honest its not a factor for me when reading. I read this and felt much the same as I do when I watch Dirty Dancing. Yes its’ something that would never happen but when you are in the moment and enjoying it, it’s good enough. I will certainly be looking out for future publications from Doherty and think that she has written in a similar way to Lindsey Kelk. If that’s the case and she keeps the great storylines up then she is well on her way to drawing e lot of fans in.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

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My Rating: 3/5

My first Jojo Moyes book was her last release Me Before You which I both devoured and loved. I was looking forward to reading another by her but if I’m being honest the synopsis didn’t grab me quite as much. The synopsis explains that in France in 1916 Sophie Lefevre is trying to keep her family safe while her husband Edouard fights at the front. The Germans descend on her hotel every evening and when the new Kommandant sees Sophie’s portrait it starts a terrible journey for Sophie. Almost a century later, the portrait is owned by Liv Halston who is also taking her own terrible journey as she is grieving the loss of her husband.

I don’t tend to read stuff set in the war times as it tends not to hold my attention as much. I decided that as I loved JJM’s last book so much I would give this a go even though not my first choice. What surprised me the most was how quickly I was drawn into Sophie’s world? Jojo Moyes did a wonderful job of ensuring the reader really understands how tough times were for the French when the Germans were invading. I found myself drawn to Sophie and keen to find out more about her life and how she ended up in the position she was. Before I knew it I was a large chunk of the way through and I actually felt quite disappointed when the story jumped forward to Liv Halston and her current situation. From there on in, the reader is taken between Liv’s current dilemma regarding the painting and the life of the woman who is in it.

Although the writing was good and I was enjoying the story I found myself yearning to read more about Sophie and less about Liv. Although Liv’s story was okay, I just found the character a little on the irritating side. I much preferred the history of Sophie’s story and was pleased when towards the end we start realising just what happened to Sophie Lefevre. I don’t know why Liv irritated me so much, but Sophie was somebody I wanted to read more about, whereas Liv’s story grated on my nerves a little and I couldn’t help feeling like she was just feeling sorry for herself. Maybe the stark contrast between time and what both women endure had something to do with it? After reading and enjoying her last book, I must say this wasn’t as good in my opinion. Maybe if the story focused on Sophie more it would have been just as good as her last book.

As it was, the book was a solid read, and one I’m sure her fans will enjoy. For me it was an okay read but not my favourite book of Moyes. I will however still look forward to the next one she releases.

The Vanishing Point by Val McDermid

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My Review: 5/5

I was very excited when I received an early copy of Val McDermid’s new book from the Publisher, especially since the cover looks so inviting! When you read the synopsis I was even more drawn to the story and hearing that Stephanie Harker travels through security in the USA only to watch her boy get snatched from under her nose had me itching to start.

The first couple of chapters are usually slow burners with a majority of books as the authors go about explaining the characters or settings. None of that happens with this book and it takes a mere few pages for us to meet Stephanie and the five year old Jimmy as they go through security at the airport. With Stephanie watching Jimmy go through the metal detector she follows him and promptly gets stopped. She has no idea that as she gets stopped her life will change forever and she watches in disbelief as somebody in uniform comes along and leads young Jimmy straight out of the door. Within the first couple of chapters I was already at the edge of my seat and reading in disbelief as things go wrong very quickly for Steph.

As Stephanie gets led away be airport security to be questioned the story starts its real journey. It becomes clear pretty quickly that Stephanie is innocent and she is trying to explain to airport authorities that Jimmy has been snatched and they need to act immediately. As the FBI get involved and start to question her Stephanie sits back and tells the story of `how it all began’. We are taken back to the beginning by Stephanie herself as in small bursts we see her history and how she meets Jimmy’s mum who is a famous TV reality star.

As Steph tells the story of how she came to meet Scarlett Higgins things start to make a little more sense. Scarlett is only famous for being famous and with a very strange upbringing she is determined to make a successful career out of her short reality TV stint. She then contracts cancer and begins her battle to keep her public image up, raise her son and generally gets the most out of life. As we fast forward to Steph trying to help the FBI to track down who may have taken Jimmy Higgins, and then back to the time before she had him you begin to question what everybody in Steph’s life is up to, and whether they have an ulterior motive.

The layout and way the story is told certainly rings a few bells and had some ring of truth to it, especially in regards to a famous reality TV star who fought cancer in this country! But that aside, the way the story was told and the fact that each time we revisit Steph during her interview with the FBI you feel the tension rise. I literally couldn’t put this book down. Towards the end I thought I had it all figured out and was irritated to see there was still quite a bit left, what more could there be? Turns out I was completely wrong and the ending threw me sideways, I certainly didn’t see that one coming! All in all a book I couldn’t put down and thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended!

NAMELESS BY KESSIE KEANE (RUBY DARKE #1)

My Review: 5/5

 *Sighs and scuffs feet* Why? Every time I buy a Jessie Keane I promise myself I will take my time. But no, who am I kidding? I do what I always do, get thoroughly engrossed and then race through the book only to feel disappointed that I have again finished a JK book and now have the long wait until the next one! When I realised that Jessie Keane was introducing a new character I was pretty excited. Having said that, I wasn’t sure whether they would live up to the fantastic characters that feature in the Annie Carter series

In this book we meet Ruby Darke who is a mixed race girl being brought up in War torn London by her abusive father and two elder brothers. While her two elder brothers get involved in the criminal underworld, Daisy works in the family shop and tries her best to keep everybody happy. When she is encouraged to lead a secret life she goes along not knowing that she will be swept off her feet by the dashing aristocrat Cornelius Bray. When she finds herself pregnant and gives birth to twins she is forced into giving them away. What happens next is that the book tells us Ruby’s life story. We see her become a success in business but forgo love because of her desperate desire to never be hurt again.

I was truly engrossed from the very first few pages. Ruby Darke is a young girl with real spirit and you really get a feel for how she is treated in the 40’s for being mixed race. Her family are nothing short of awful but it made me feel like I had to keep willing her on in my mind because she was such a likeable girl. Every few chapters there would be a slight time change and the years start to progress and we see how each passing year changes things for her.

We see some absolutely blinding characters emerge and they all form part of the story in different ways. Michael Ward is a pretty central character and I really liked him from the get go, along with many other characters that just add to the authenticity of the story. Jessie Keane has an uncanny knack of taking you back to that time and really making me feel like I could grasp a little more what the street s of London were like around the war. As the years progress I got more and more caught up in the story and as more shock twists were thrown in I wondered what on earth else could happen. One particular part of the ending shocked me (not impressed) but the other part had me shrieking towards the ending as I wanted to see what happens next.

All I can say is that Jessie Keane is a force to be reckoned with in the crime genre now. Not only has she produced a great series (Annie Carter) she has also written some absolutely blinding stand alones. With this latest addition, Jessie Keane is quickly proving herself to be un-stoppable. Nameless has only made me want to read more (I sincerely hope this is going to have a follow up!) and as usual Jessie Keane does not disappoint. BLINDING!!!

What Happened in Venice by Molly Hopkins

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Welcome to Venice, the city of love. He cheated, but only once! Evie Dexter has promised to forgive her fiancé Rob – and her efforts to absolve his sins are paying off: in the past ten days she’s only called him a two-timing love rat eleven times.

Thank goodness her flourishing career as a tour guide takes her to fashionable Dublin, in-vogue Marrakech and cool Amsterdam. And when Evie’s offered a luxury visit to the sensual city of Venice she jumps at the chance. With its delicious wine and sultry Italian men, four days in the city of light and love is just what she needs.

My Review: Molly Hopkins released her debut novel last year (2011) and to be honest I only picked it up because there were so many favourable reviews on Amazon. Boy was I glad that I did! I read her book in a day or so and was genuinely shocked as it had been such a long time since I had read such a funny debut novel.

I realised that her second novel was released in August 2012 and when I received an early copy to review I was foaming with excitement. Evie Dexter is once again back with her crazy motley crew of friends and family. The one thing that made me love the first book was Evie herself and in this one she is back on top form. Evie is a brilliant character that I have fallen in love with. She cannot keep her mouth shut when required, constantly gets drunk and is always unpredictable, especially when it comes to shopping. She is engaged to her fiancé Rob even though he cheated on her. However, as a tour guide for Insignia Tours she gets the opportunity to leave the country for a few days at a time and her trips are always eventful.

This latest book had me snorting with laughter into my tea within the first few chapters. As a result when I arrived home from work, the book accompanied me whilst cooking, taking a bath and into the early hours of the morning. It’s a book that is so warm and funny that you just can’t put it down. In addition to Evie, her friends and family cause just as much mayhem and make the book what it is. I love her crazy flatmate Lulu, her sister Lexy and everybody that works with her at her friend Nikki’s café.

It’s hard to really review the book without giving spoilers, but I will say this. If you are a fan of the Angela Clarke series of books by Lindsey Kelk then make sure you pick up Molly Hopkins. She is without a doubt a rising star and if you haven’t read her yet, you need to start now, you won’t be disappointed. Without a doubt Molly Hopkins has created a series that can run and run and leave the reader wanting that little bit more. I loved the way the story went, loved the characters and was disappointed that I had finished it so quickly. It happened in Venice is a truly fantastic book that I would highly recommend. I guess the only saving grace is that I now know I can truly look forward to the next It Happened in book in the series due for release next year. Roll on for the next one Molly I am truly looking forward to it! A MUST READ!