Year: 2015

Behind Closed Doors by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: When fourteen-year-old Sophie Monroe suddenly vanishes one night it looks at first as though she’s run away from home. Her computer and mobile phone have gone, and she’s taken a bag full of clothes. As the police investigation unfolds a wealth of secrets from the surrounding community start coming to light. And it seems everyone has something to hide. For Detective Sergeant Andrea Lawrence, the case is a painful reminder of the tragedy that tore her family apart over twenty years ago. She is convinced there is more to Sophie’s disappearance than teenage rebellion. But is the past clouding her judgment, preventing her from seeing a truth that neither she, nor Sophie’s family, would ever want to face?

Kat’s Review: I am a fan if Susan Lewis and am rarely disappointed. This latest book didn’t disappoint me, but it felt like there was something missing. The one thing I really loved was the Detective Sergeant Andrea Lawrence. She had her own experience with missing persons and it makes her such an interesting character as her past inevitably affects her future. The story becomes quite involved quite quickly as the 14 year old Sophie Monroe goes missing. The parents are distraught and the police move quickly to try and establish if she has run away of her own choice.

The storyline was certainly engaging and like I say the lead character was great, but the whole time I was reading it I felt like there was something I just couldn’t connect with. Having said that, it was still an incredibly good read, I guess I just have high expectations from this long time and reassuringly good author. There were parts where I felt like things were dragging and I wasn’t as engaged as I normally would be. 

Overall, an interesting and enjoyable read but not one of Susan Lewis best. I think when you buy an SL book you know you are in for a great story, but this one just wasn’t my cup of tea. 

Follow The Leader by Mel Sherratt (Allie Shenton #2)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Paperback, Audio, Kindle, Nook and Kobo (Released 10.02.15)

Synopsis: A man’s body is found on a canal towpath. In his pocket, a magnetic letter in the shape of an E. Days later, a second victim is found, this time with the letter V tucked into her clothing. As the body count rises, the eerie, childlike clues point to a pattern that sends DS Allie Shenton and her colleagues into full alert. The race is on. Allie and the team must work quickly to determine where the killer will strike next. The rules are simple but deadly—to catch the killer, they must follow the leader.

Kat’s Review: Allie Shenton is back in the follow up from ‘Taunting the Dead’. I have to say I was rather pleased that I could get stuck in as the last book ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger. A man’s body is found on a canal path and in his pocket is a magnetic letter. Allie Shenton and her colleagues start the investigation and before long the body count rises. The killer is front and centre and immediately gave me the creeps.

Allie and her team quickly spot a pattern and it seems to be a bit of a race against time to get to the victims before the killer does. Allie seems a little bit more in control of her life in this second outing, and for that I was glad. It was also nice to see the references to Terry Ryder (from book 1) pop up again, albeit in a subtle way.

Because we get to see the killer in action we also get to see his reasoning behind the murders. This makes it more intriguing because you wonder how long it will take for the police to catch up. In addition we see flashbacks in time which features both the killers and victims and the layers begin to unpeel.

I once again thoroughly enjoyed this book and think that it has a slight edge over the Estate Books (although that maybe isn’t fair as I have only read one!). I like Allie, and am dying to see what happens to her, and her family in the next book. I think my only disappointment was that once again, a certain element of the story was carried over. In one sense it’s great because the reader then wants to go on and read the next book, but for me…well I’m just an impatient one! I certainly should have started catching up with Mel Sherratt’s books sooner as they are a pleasure to read.

SUMMER AT THE LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY BY JENNY COLGAN

My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Summer has arrived in the Cornish town of Mount Polbearne and Polly Waterford couldn’t be happier. Because Polly is in love: she’s in love with the beautiful seaside town she calls home, she’s in love with running the bakery on Beach Street, and she’s in love with her boyfriend, Huckle.

And yet there’s something unsettling about the gentle summer breeze that’s floating through town. Selina, recently widowed, hopes that moving to mount Polbearne will ease her grief, but Polly has a secret that could destroy her friend’s fragile recovery. Responsibilities that Huckle thought he’d left behind are back and Polly finds it hard to cope with his increasingly long periods of absence.

Polly sifts flour, kneads dough and bakes bread, but nothing can calm the storm she knows is coming: is Polly about to lose everything she loves?

*Please note, If you plan on reading the first book, then do not continue to read this review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

My Review: OMG! I recently read The Little Beach Street Bakery and was overwhelmed. I just adored Polly Waterford as she makes a new life in Mount Polbearne. This time around we are back to re-visit them and it felt like I had never been away. Polly is now shacked up with her other half Huckle, and with her job at the bakery and weird choice of pet (a Puffin named Neil) life couldn’t be better.

However, things are about to change for Polly as her boss’ nephew turns up and starts creating havoc. In addition to the work issues Polly has, the recently widowed Selina turns up to live on the island. All of my favourite characters make a re-appearance too and I felt like I had never been away. Of course there is drama with a capital D, because wherever Polly goes, something just has to happen.

I was absolutely entranced from the first to the last page. I just adore Polly, Huckle, Neil and all the gang at Mount Polbearne and it felt like taking a holiday with friends. The story had funny moments, sad moments as well as the laugh out loud moments (especially where Neil is concerned). Jenny Colgan has a certain magic about her writing and it is always a joy to pick up one of her books and just escape from reality for a few hours. I am yet to not enjoy one of her books but Polly and the ‘Polbearne Posse’ are without a doubt my absolute favourites. This was a wonderful book that I didn’t want to end. Hugely recommended by me, that’s for sure!

Silent Scream by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood …

Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country. But when human remains are discovered at a former children’s home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she’s on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades. As the body count rises,

Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it’s too late?

My Review: Another new author bringing us another copper, and yep this one is a woman. Angela Marsons brings us her debut novel featuring DI Kim Stone. Kim is A Typical for a female lead, she has a chequered past and a somewhat limited ear to authority. However, although there is nothing new to the mix I liked her from the off. Her colleague Bryant is also a great character and to be honest having finished the book, it’s like chalk and cheese…they just work together. In addition to Kim and Bryant their team is finished off with the additions of Stace and Dawson, all who played their part.

They have a tough case to crack and in one respect they are working against the clock as they try to distinguish the suspects from the potential victims. The case surrounds the discovery of human remains at the site of an old children’s home. Kim is forceful in her manner to the point of being rude, but it made me like her even more and we see her bulldoze her way through the case to catch the people responsible.

There were plenty of things going on and people to accuse in your own mind and the story kept me interested right through to the end. I was debating the rating of this as there were a couple of things that grated on me, such as the way the author uses literal words to show an accent, but that’s just a personal opinion and figured that shouldn’t make a difference. Because of that decision this is a solid 4 star read and for a debut is a great read. It could certainly be a cracking series with the author whetting your appetite and I am genuinely looking forward to the next one (hopefully with a lack of literal ‘accent’ wordings).

Taunting The Dead by Mel Sherratt (Allie Shenton #1)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: How far would you go to protect the ones you love? And how much further would you go to betray them?

Nine out of ten murders are committed by someone the victim knows. So when Steph Ryder has her head bashed in within earshot of her family and friends, DS Allie Shenton begins her investigation close to home.

Soon the lies, backtracking, and secrets multiply as each of the suspects tries to cover up their actions on that fateful night. Before long, Allie homes in on Steph’s ambitious and powerful husband, Terry. Convinced he’s hiding something, she interviews him again and again—only to find that she is falling, despite herself, for his smooth charms.

As the trail grows hotter, along with Allie’s feelings, the web of deceit pulls tighter and more bodies begin to pile up. Allie must race against time to uncover the shocking truth before she becomes the killer’s next victim.

Kat’s Review: I have read one of Mel’s Estate Series books as well as Watching Over You. With her imminent release of book 2 featuring DS Allie Shenton I figured I should read book 1 to familiarise myself. I am pretty glad that I did now as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also find it’s an added bonus that I have the next book as the ending was brilliant, albeit a cliff-hanger! Allie Shenton is a good character and easily likeable. She’s a copper who is working in Stoke, the place she was born and bred. The story itself was a bit of a slow burner, but by the second third I was well and truly gripped and read it right through to the end.

Steph Ryder and her dodgy husband Terry are the main focus of this book. Steph was frankly a rather despicable character. A virtual alcoholic we get to know exactly what are whop are relevant in her life. Terry Ryder, although an obvious gangster with a legit front, had a rather endearing character! We also meet additional characters that are all added to the mix such as Phil Kennedy who works for Terry, Steph’s friend Carole and her husband Shaun as well as Terry and Steph’s daughter.

The layers of the story are put there, and at times I thought they were maybe too much but I realised by the end that there is a method to Mel’s madness, namely the next book. As well as all the colourful characters, we get to know a bit about Allie, we meet her husband, her boss and her sister. All of this becomes a lot more relevant as the story continues. When Steph is murdered, nobody (including me) could work out what on earth was going on. It certainly added another layer of intrigue as each time I thought both they and I had figured it out, I was wrong!

This book certainly had me well and truly gripped, especially the last quarter of the book, and frankly the last chapter had me screaming in frustration. Luckily, the new book is already on my Kindle (due for release 10th Feb 2015) so I could get stuck straight back in. I think Mel Sherratt is definitely an underated author and I for one am starting straight on book 2. I think if you haven’t read Mel Sherratt before this book (or one of the Estate Books) is a fantastic place to start. Now if you don’t mind…I have another Allie Shenton book to read!

Never Say Goodbye by Susan Lewis

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: How would you cope with the threat of losing someone you love? Josie Clark is a loving wife and mother. She and her husband Jeff don’t have much and it’s often difficult to make ends meet. But Josie will do anything to protect her family and keep them safe. Bel Monkton is a successful property developer, living in a beautiful house by the sea. She seems to have everything going for her, but she’s lonely. And she’s let the shadows from her past cloud her future. Josie’s life couldn’t be more different to Bel’s. But three years ago, tragedy tore Bel’s life in two. Now it’s happening to Josie. And faced with uncertainty and heartbreak, they come to treasure their growing friendship.

Kat’s Review: I have been reading Susan Lewis for many years and the majority of the time I love her books. Many of them are moving and downright sad but they still make for an excellent (albeit a little more serious) read. This latest book’s synopsis if I’m being honest is a little vague and rather than add any plot spoilers I will say very little in the way of plot too. However, I think it needs to be said that this book features heavily on cancer suffering, which is something that maybe a few people would rather not stomach. With that said, I cannot think of a better author to tell this story as she has done it with sympathy and clearly a huge amount of research.

Josie Clark and her husband are struggling to make ends meet but they just about manage. Her and her husband Jeff don’t always agree on family decisions that may or may not involve their two grown up children but they clearly love each other and want to make the best out of everything. Josie was a likeable character and in a strange way so was the stubborn and gruff husband Jeff. Her two children are at very different stages in their lives and it added another layer to the story.

We also meet Bel Monkton whose life couldn’t be more different to Josie and Jeff’s. Her house is beautiful but she is extremely lonely. Thankfully her niece and nephew fill her time but they also distract her from the real issues she has. I also really liked Bel and thought she was a really interesting character to read about.

The two women will eventually meet and forge a lifelong friendship. The journey there is a tough one and also pretty emotion filled (so keep the tissues handy if you are a weeper!). The main focus of this story revolves around family and friendship and if I’m honest could be any number of people out there. I loved this latest book although it is also extremely sad. An absolutely absorbing read and as always I will look forward to another Susan Lewis. 

Burn by James Patterson (Michael Bennett #7)

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Detective Michael Bennett finally returns to New York City – and to the most unsettling, horrific case of his career. At last, Detective Michael Bennett and his family are coming home to New York City. Thanks to Bennett, the ruthless crime lord whose vengeful mission forced the Bennett family into hiding has been brought down for good. Back in the city that never sleeps, Bennett takes over a chaotic Outreach Squad in Harlem, where he receives an unusual call: a man claims to have seen a group of well-dressed men holding a bizarre party in a condemned building. With no clear crime or evidence, Bennett dismisses the report. But when a charred body is found in that very same building, he is forced to take the caller seriously – and is drawn into an underground criminal world of terrifying depravity.

Kat’s Review: Mmmmm, I’m feeling a bit weird about this one. On the one hand the return of Michael Bennett and his clan was brilliant and fast-paced and all the usual descriptions. However, on the other hand there is a part of me that is a little bit disappointed in this latest release. Michael Bennett is fast becoming my favoured Patterson lead, and when he and his 10 kids and the nanny return to New York it seems like life is finally returning to normal. However as is always the case (especially in a Patterson book), normal is when you are managing a murder case or multiple killers!!! What threw me initially was Bennett’s re-assignment to a chaotic ‘outreach squad’ in Harlem. 

The outreach squad consists of coppers that aren’t wanted anywhere else. What happened though was the story and the characters were heating up nicely and I really started getting into the book. The initial storyline consisted of a bizarre complaint they had received from a man claiming to have seen a very bizarre party involving some well-dressed men. What at first seems like a complete waste of time, turns into the closest thing to a nightmare you could imagine. Now so far, so good right? Er, yes…but that is where it ends.

To my surprise, Patterson and Ledwidge then decide to throw in another case back on the Major Organised Crime desk involving some robberies that are rapidly getting bigger by the day. Add in some lovely romance between Bennett and Mary Catherine and finally a sick grandfather, and Bob’s your Uncle…your book is too crowded! Well, at least that how it seemed which is why I only rated it middle of the road. Lose the robberies, and the sick and ageing grandparent and the book would have been another belter? Instead it seemed like they had to cram in as much as humanly possible and then wrap it all up neatly with a bow on top.

 Unfortunately this latest Bennett just didn’t hit the spot. This is too busy, but with essentially a fantastic main storyline (Such a shame). I will as always look forward to the next one and just hope it’s not as disjointed as this one.

An Evil Mind by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #6)

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Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: A freak accident in rural Wyoming leads the Sheriff’s Department to arrest a man for a possible double homicide, but further investigations suggest a much more horrifying discovery – a serial killer who has been kidnapping, torturing and mutilating victims all over the United States for at least twenty-five years. The suspect claims he is a pawn in a huge labyrinth of lies and deception – can he be believed? The case is immediately handed over to the FBI, but this time they’re forced to ask for outside help. Ex-criminal behaviour psychologist and lead Detective with the Ultra-Violent Crime Unit of the LAPD, Robert Hunter, is asked to run a series of interviews with the apprehended man. These interviews begin to reveal terrifying secrets that no one could’ve foreseen, including the real identity of a killer so elusive that no one, not even the FBI, had any idea he existed …until now

Kat’s Review: Robert Hunter is back, only this time his partner Carlos Garcia is missing and Robert is on his way to Hawaii for a much needed break. The series featuring Hunter and Garcia is now onto it 6th book and the previous 5 have seen Robert and Garcia go through the mill, so although I realised from the synopsis Garcia wouldn’t be around I wondered how much of an impact it would have on the current book. Thankfully it seems like it had little impact on the actual book or sheer writing skills, but as a reader I confess I missed him.

As usual Carter pulls no punches when throwing the reader into the dark and frankly disturbing world of killers. A rather vile accidental discovery means that Hunter is pulled from his trip and into a rather surreal situation. It seems that Hunter is the only man for the job and we see quite early on a link to his past which is always nice as it adds to what you already know about the character.

I had no clue how the story would play out, and had rather conflicting feelings on it all for a while. However with sheer finesse the reader realises that the game has begun. Although there are many thousands of talented writers in this genre out there, sometimes certain authors will stick in your mind. Chris Carter is one of those authors for me. Firstly there is nothing to dislike about the characters and his talent for transporting you so you are literally breathing down the necks of this guys is pretty amazing. Many of his books have a very creepy feel to them, and I’m almost certain that this is credited to Chris real life previous career experience (a criminal psychologist).

There was certainly tension galore as the stakes for the dreaded game are upped with each step that arises. I had no clue how things would pan out and thoroughly loved every single page of this book. I would strongly recommend that if you haven’t already read Chris Carter that you give him a try. I can only hope that we see the return of Garcia as Hunter doesn’t feel quite the same without him.

The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alex Brown (Tindledale #1)

51wy1tj5uflSynopsis: Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale. 

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas jumpers are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Continue reading “The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alex Brown (Tindledale #1)”

As Good As It Gets by Fiona Gibson

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: “Midlife crisis? WHAT midlife crisis?!”

Charlotte Bristow is worried about her husband Will. Their fourteen years of marriage have been rather lovely so far, but things have been a bit odd lately. With their stunning 16-year-old daughter Rosie newly signed to a top modelling agency and Will recently out of a job, Charlotte can’t help but notice that things are changing in their household. As Will dusts down his old leather trousers and starts partying with their new, fun neighbours, Charlotte begins to wonder what on earth is going on. So when Fraser, Charlotte’s ex – and father of Rosie – suddenly arrives back on the scene, Charlotte starts to wonder what might have been…

Kat’s Review: Charlotte is a typical Mum to her kids Rosie and Ollie. She and her husband Will have been married for fourteen years and with Will unemployed life at home has become somewhat different. I liked Charlotte and instantly warmed to her. Life just ticks along and she constantly has to think about everybody else apart from herself.

When new neighbours move in across the road her husband’s behaviour changes and at that point Charlotte isn’t really sure what is going on. In addition to that Rosie, who is a typical 16 year old gets signed to a modelling agency and suddenly its all about the latest colour palette that’s in style. 

This book had its funny moments and also some moments where I was sure the ending would be very predictable. Thankfully the ending was just right and the story certainly kept me entertained. I liked the characters and Fiona Gibson has managed to make it light-hearted enough that the characters are very real. Having said all of that there was something that was maybe missing from this latest book that has been there for previous ones. I’m not sure what it was exactly but certainly lacking its usual oomph. Even though that may sound like a negative it was still a book I thoroughly enjoyed.