Year: 2014

Fear Nothing by Lisa Gardner (DD Warren #7)

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Synopsis: My name is Dr Adeline Glen. Due to a genetic condition I can’t feel pain.

All Boston Detective D.D. Warren remembers is walking the crime scene. Next, a creaking floorboard, a voice in her ear… Now D.D. is seriously injured and unable to return to work.

My sister is Shana Day, a notorious child murderer. She has killed more people in prison than as a free woman.

Then a second victim is found with the same calling cards left at the scene: champagne and a single red rose. Only D.D. may have seen the killer, but she recalls nothing from the night that may have cost her everything.

Our father was Harry Day, an infamous serial killer dead for over forty years. The Rose Killer knows things about my father he shouldn’t. All I know is my family still has the power to hurt me.

Now D.D. is back on the hunt. Because the Rose Killer isn’t just targeting lone women, he is targeting D.D. And D.D. knows there is only one way to take him down:

Fear nothing.

RATED: 5/5

My Review: Detective DD Warren is back in a new addition to this series and I was looking forward to catching up with her. The first few chapters actually gave me the chills and before you knew it instead of DD being at the forefront, she is recovering from a serious physical injury which leaves her in no state to work. This was the first thing that was odd, was that the DD of old was no longer physically present so it made for a different type of read. We see DD on the back foot as she desperately tried to piece together her last memories before entering her last crime scene. The crimes in question are themselves chilling when reading about them, and as usual Lisa Gardner has the ability to make you squirm when reading what the latest sick and twisted murdered has done. In this case bodies are turning up along with champagne and a single rose.

The story has a few layers to it and we meet Dr Adeline Glen, who is a somewhat oddity to the norm as she has a condition meaning she feels no pain. The secret she holds is that her sister is a notorious child killer and is serving the rest of her natural life in prison. In addition to that their father was an infamous serial killer, and although dead for many years still has a rather sick cult like following. There seemed to be no room to breathe when I was reading this, as no sooner had one thing happened, the story took you to a different element and drew you straight back in.

I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish and although I had a sneaking suspicion (which proved correct) about who was doing what, the suspense and writing itself kept me hooked from beginning to end. Lisa Gardner has consistently produced great crime thrillers and this latest one is no exception. There is plenty of action, plot twists and suspense to keep you up until the early hours. She has once again left me swallowing the bitter pill that I now have to wait a whole year for the next instalment. Other than my ridiculous impatience, a first class book which shows just how talented Lisa Gardner is. This one is highly recommended.

The Truth About You by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Lainey Hollingsworth has spent her whole life on the outside of a secret. Her mother would never discuss the reasons she abandoned Italy when Lainey was a new born, nor has she ever stayed in touch with the family she left behind.

Now Lainey’s mother is dead, taking the secret with her, and leaving Lainey free to find out about her roots. Her husband, Tom, appears supportive, until he hits her with a bombshell that shatters the very foundations of their marriage. Another secret Lainey never knew anything about.

Shaken, but more determined than ever to find out who she really is, Lainey takes her children to Umbria in search of answers. What she finds in the sleepy, sunbaked village of her birth turns her world inside out.

My Review: Susan Lewis has always been an author who I enjoy and I can normally guarantee a brilliant read. With this latest book there was no exception and I demolished the book in one day. The only downside for me was that I read a book only a couple of months back with a similar storyline. That aside, it was again another fantastic book by SL.

The characters in this book are easy to relate to as on the surface it seems like thousands of other families you may know. Lainey is married to Tom, and they have like that for around16 years. They have two kids, one a teenager. Tome has a third grown up son who lives with them too, and in addition they have Lainey’s father Peter who is sadly suffering from Dementia.

Lainey’s life is taken up in the most part with caring for her children and father, as well as managing her husband Tom’s diary. Her friend Susan also adds another dimension to Lainey’s life and this makes for lots of interesting characters. In the beginning we get to know everybody involved and I couldn’t help but like everybody. The situation concerning her father was very sad, but dealt with in a lovely way. Lainey’s one wish is to find out about her roots and who her biological father was. Although Peter had raised her as his own, she has a yearning to find out more about what really happened with her Mother, and the secrets she held back from Lainey right up until the day she died.

We see Lainey arrange the trip to Italy to find out more, when her life starts to unravel. The good thing about this story was that there were so many elements to it constantly keeping you from wondering. There were threads to this story which involved more than one of her kids, then she gets a bombshell from her husband and before she knows it her life doesn’t resemble anything it should do. The book all in all was pretty emotional and manages to touch on a lot of sore subjects, but Susan Lewis has managed to craft them into a sensitive tale rather than anything that made me uncomfortable.

I was so taken with the story that I didn’t really want to put it down. The only thing which I thought was maybe a little far fetched was the element concerning her daughter Tierney and a ‘secret man’. Other than this I was once again thoroughly immersed into another great book by Susan Lewis.

Gone by James Patterson (Michael Bennett #6)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Forced into hiding from a mass murderer seeking vengeance, Detective Michael Bennett must decide whether to stay and protect his family, or hunt down the man who is hunting them.

When Bennett arrested Manuel Perrine, he thought he had brought an end to the drug cartel boss’s reign of terror and would get justice for the murder of his best friend. But then, during the trial, Perrine escaped.

In a bloody shoot-out, Bennett killed Perrine’s wife. Now he wants nothing more than to make Bennett suffer, to make him pay.

The whole family are moved to a safe-house in California. But as Perrine’s attacks on US soil become more vicious and more daring, it’s clear there is a war coming.

No one, anywhere, is safe.

My Review: Well, at last it seems that James Patterson is returning to form, or is it Michael Lledwidge that’s responsible for that? Who knows, but I for one am extremely glad. The Cross series, the Women’s Murder Club and some of the stand alones have been woeful of late (although the latest Cross was much better). Thankfully the Michael Bennett series also seems to be staying strong. Michael Bennett, his nanny Mary Catherine, Seamus and his ten kids make for an unusual family set up. However, if you have followed the series from the beginning it will be perfectly normal!

This story picks up from where the last one left off, meaning the Bennett’s are actually living in Protective Custody. For the 13-strong clan this means living in the back end of beyond which is quite a struggle to get to grips with. It is nice however, to see more of the Bennett kids, each with their own difficulty in the adjustment to life in the countryside. The reason for their situation is that the big drug cartel boss Manuel Perrine has escaped, and Bennett is his number one target.

The story has pretty reasonable pace from the very beginning as we see the brutal crew who work for Perrine start to make attacks. I was caught up in the story and knew it wouldn’t be long before Bennett had to come back into play. As predicted Bennett is landed once again back in the thick of it and between Bennett trying to help the case, and his kids trying to lead normal lives things heat up in no time. Although this is still a far cry from JP’s early books, this series is fast becoming my preference over Alex Cross. I like the characters and the story always seems to follow along at a good level. Overall I enjoyed this latest Bennett book and will actually look forward to the next one. I can only hope that this series doesn’t suffer the same fate as the Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club has!

The Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: When Josh Strachan, newly returned to his home in north Cornwall from sunny California, first meets Sophie Wells, he’s immediately smitten. Sophie’s pretty, she’s funny, she has lots of friends and she clearly loves her job as a photographer, despite the sometimes tricky clients. There’s just one problem: Sophie has very firmly turned her back on love. It’s nothing personal, she tells Josh, but she just doesn’t do dates. And no one – even Sophie’s scatty best friend Tula – will tell him why. Josh is sure Sophie likes him, though, and he’s just got to find out what’s put her off romance. And then put things right…

My Review: When I received this latest offering by Jill Mansell I was a little surprised. The book itself looked like it was a little smaller than previous offerings. After a little scout on Amazon I saw that it was actually only marginally shorter than her two latest books. Not deterred I started the book and within the first few pages was once again transported into the wonderful fictional word Jill created. Sophie at first glance appears to be the main character but in this book, by the end I felt like there were maybe 5 or 6 ‘main’ characters. Initially Sophie wasn’t a character that I immediately liked. She seems like a friendly girl who lives in Cornwall and is trying to build up her photography business. The thing was she was such a closed book it was really difficult to warm to her that much. Shortly after we meet Sophie’s friend Tula who is somebody who is an open book and a character you like almost from the off. In addition to them, we see Dot who is running her hotel in Cornwall jointly with her Grandson Josh. Josh has recently moved back to the UK and in addition to seeing him work around the hotel we meet his friend Riley. Now do you see what I mean about the characters?

Jill Mansell has a magical ability to transport you into the worlds she creates and by the end of the book I found myself wanting to go and visit the hotel in Cornwall and meet the characters she has lovingly created. Each character has its own flaws and the most major one, seems to be Sophie. As the story unfolds we see everybody’s issues start to jump to the forefront and as time went on and I realised what Sophie’s issues were it made me like her even more. There were plenty of plot threads going on too, but I can assure you this wasn’t overdone and the characters all made their own mark on me.

I was so engrossed in this book that by the time I finally got around to starting it (two weeks later than planned)! I finished it the same day. Jill’s last two books were 5 star reads and this one is no different. I found myself totally absorbed, and this book gives you everything you could want from a book in this genre. It has fantastic characters and an interesting storyline that takes you straight into their world without pausing for breath. In my eyes, Jill Mansell is a legend! I kid you not people; the lady has been writing books for over two decades and the only way I can describe her (in the nicest possible way) is like a fine wine. She just gets better with age! Do yourself a favour and pre-order this one, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Cross My Heart by James Patterson (Alex Cross #21)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Alex Cross’s whole world is crashing down around him.

He has been hunted, stalked like prey, his predator priming himself for the kill.

Cross has devoted his life to protecting others. Now he’s unable to protect even those closest to him.

As a police detective, he has made many enemies, but never like this.

Everything he loves is being taken from him.

Soon he will have nothing and no one left.

My Review: I am guessing that if you are reading this review you know about James Patterson and his infamous Alex Cross series of books (who doesn’t?). I will be honest and say that I am extremely critical when it comes to JP, and for good reason. In one respect he is the King of this genre and has been in this game for many years, however it seems like in recent years, myself along with a growing number of fans are getting tired of the book churning going on. According to Forbes his earnings were $91 million as of 2013, so it seems his success is certainly paying off. However, to earn that sort of money and be so successful over so many years he HAS to have the talent, surely? Well, if this book is anything to go by we see glimpses of why he has got to where he has. However, I think MANY fans feel like they have been ripped off as the book itself ends on a major cliff-hanger meaning you HAVE to buy the follow on to find out what becomes of one of the most well known fictional characters in recent times.

The flip side of that is that although it ends on a major cliff-hanger, the story itself was a LOT better than many recent additions to the Cross series. It almost felt like Patterson was trying to give the series a boost by switching the table on Cross and instead of him being the hunter, he has become the hunted. As usual the short sharp chapters were in abundance and there seems to be two main plot threads running through this book. I found myself enjoying the story and actually liking the fact that for the first time in a while we are reading something new with Cross being on the receiving end. We also see the usual suspects alongside Cross such as his partner John, wife Bee and the rest of his family.

The last part of the book was better than the first half but when I realised where Patterson was heading with the ending I had mixed feelings. When I say he ended it on a cliff-hanger I mean it! There is no glimpse into whether Alex has any light at the end of the tunnel. However, from past experience, and feeling cheated with some of his ‘co-written’ books I made a decision a while ago to not rush out and buy these books pre-publication. Now I sit back and wait until the price comes down or the mood takes me. I think many people (myself included) would actually prefer James Patterson to announce that he is planning on only publishing one or two books a year. People would be pre-ordering until the cows came home. Myself, I would rather wait a whole year for one amazing book, than buy and read 4 or 5 that are mediocre. Thankfully this latest Cross was a vast improvement, but get the impression a lot of people are unhappy at the ending. I thought the series felt a little bit refreshed and the writing was certainly leaning more towards his original style. However, there is still a long way to go before we see the return of the old style writing Patterson used to do. I’m going to cross my fingers and hope that the next book shows me just that!

The Toy Taker by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #3)

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My Rating: 4/5

 Synopsis: Your child has been taken…

Snatched in the dead of night from the safety of the family home. There’s no sign of forced entry, no one heard or saw a thing.

DI Sean Corrigan investigates.

He needs to find four-year-old George Bridgeman before abduction becomes murder. But his ability to see into dark minds, to think like those he hunts, has deserted him – just when he needs it most.

Another child vanishes.

What kind of monster is Corrigan hunting? And will he work it out in time to save the children?

My Review: Ever since the Publishers sent me the first book (which I didn’t even get around to reading for at least 10 months) I was blown away by Luke Delaney. As soon as I had finished his debut novel featuring DI Sean Corrigan (entitled Cold Killing), I had to read the second one almost immediately. With the third release due out February 2014. I was absolutely itching to get my hands on it. Luckily for me the Publishers sent me an early review copy (YAY).

The book starts out as the previous two have by throwing you headfirst into DI Corrigans world. He, along with his colleagues Dave Donnelly and Sally Jones are being relocated to Scotland Yard to become part of the newly formed Special Investigations Unit. As such they get landed with the worst crimes, which involve the disappearance of children. The thing I love about these books is not only the characters but the writing style too. I would say under normal circumstances that this author has clearly done his research. However, Luke Delaney (not his real name) was in the Met Police, followed by the CID. It is clear that Mr D clearly gets the experience and realism from his old day job!

Sean Corrigan is a character who is so interesting. He has a dark side which enables him to have remarkable insight. No, not in the sense of being psychic, just an inner strength to see things from the perspective of the killers he chases. In this latest instalment Sean’s life is topsy-turvy and the pressures of every day life are making him lose this ability. This gives the edge back to the book as the one thing that makes him better than the rest is ‘his edge’. Once again Delaney has crafted a magnificent book, which had my toes curling in fear as I almost felt like I was in the killers mind. We also get to see Sean’s personal life a little more in this book. His world is rocked with the pressures of his working and home life and we see him make some hasty decisions!

I think the first two books slightly held the edge over this one, but just in terms of story. The first two I seemed to hold my breath a lot more! 🙂 I still stand by what I previously said; Luke Delaney is one to watch. I have a feeling this guy will in a few years be up there with the long time best sellers like Lee Child, Harlan Coben and Peter James! I absolutely love this series and cannot wait for the next one. The fact that LD uses a Pseudonym makes me even more curious than usual about the author, but I guess with his past job its just something he cant do (Damn it!). Trust me on this, if you haven’t read one of his books I think you should make sure you add this to your must read list.