Year: 2015

No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary (Marnie Rome #2)

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Synopsis: Two young boys. Trapped underground in a bunker. Unable to understand why they are there.  Desperate for someone to find them. Slowly realising that no-one will…

Five years later, the boys’ bodies are found and the most difficult case of DI Marnie Rome’s career begins. Her only focus is the boys. She has to find out who they are and what happened to them. For Marnie, there is no other darkness than this…

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

My Review: I loved Sarah Hilary’s debut novel, so much so that I moved straight onto Book 2 which was released in April.  DI Marnie Rome and her colleague DS Noah Jake are back together and investigating the discovery of two young children found in a hidden bunker. The opening chapters describing the murder scene are creep enough but you get that cold dark feeling seeping into your bones, when you realise this will not be a straightforward case.

In this second instalment, aside from the main storyline, I love the fact that we are getting snippets of information about the two main characters Marnie and Noah. I feel like you are getting to know them that little bit more with each book they appear in. The main storyline features some rather harrowing issues but they are dealt with brilliantly and you don’t feel like things are forced down your throat. What starts as a missing children’s case opens up a can of worms and before you know it there is so much more going on.

Another thing I really liked was the way your thought process follows you down one path and then Hilary pulls the twists out of the bag like only a Magician can do. I was left wondering a couple of times how I didn’t figure things out. Loads of plot threads keeping you entertained from start to finish and the writing and characters keep you wanting more. This is certainly going to be on my list of ‘must-read’ series. This is another fabulous new author to add to my ever growing list, and one that I would highly recommend.

Someone Else’s Skin by Sarah Hilary (Marnie Rome #1)

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Synopsis: Called to a woman’s refuge to take a routine witness statement, DI Marnie Rome instead walks in on an attempted murder.

Trying to uncover the truth from layers of secrets, Marnie finds herself confronting her own demons.

Because she, of all people, knows that it can be those closest to us we should fear the most . .

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review:  Well, well…now I know what all the fuss is about. I’ve been reading some great reviews for Sarah Hillary’s debit novel and was excited to see if it lived up to the hype. Thankfully it certainly ticked all the boxes, so much so that I am already reading book 2. DI Marnie Rome (FABULOUS lead characters name I think) is working alongside DS Noah Jake and their new case involves a woman who is seeking solace at a refuge after being brutally attacked by her own family. When they arrive at the refuge they come across an unfolding scene which involves another woman stabbing her husband in the chest. What seemed like a simple plot line had suddenly become a lot more complicated.

Marnie Rome has an interesting background and as such has certain issues that make her the way she is. There is no hiding her past within the book and it gives you a great feel for her as a character. The pairing with DS Noah Jake was a great one and he too is another interesting character. Nowhere near as brash and prickly as Marnie, but he too comes with his own past and back story. From the first few chapters I felt drawn in to the storey and was completely involved. The subject matter makes for some depressingly realistic reading but the story is very engaging and I couldn’t find fault with anything.

Seeing as this was Sarah Hillary’s debut novel, it was fantastic and certainly I hope the start of another fantastic series. Wonderful characters and great storyline mean that I am not waiting and will move straight on to book 2 ‘No Other Darkness’ which was released in April 2015. I would definitely recommend this to people looking for new Crime authors, and can only hope that book 2 is just as good, if not better than the first.

Too Many Cooks by Dana Bate

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Synopsis: Kelly Madigan seems to have it all: a fabulous boyfriend, a supportive – if eccentric – family, and a flourishing career as a cookbook ghost-writer. But after finding a letter from her recently-deceased mother, criticising her stable but unexciting life, Kelly knows she needs to make a change. When a mysterious new writing opportunity in London presents itself, she jumps at the chance to get away from it all.

Enter Natasha Spencer – Oscar-winning actress and health nut, not to mention a total nightmare. She’s working on a new cookbook and has asked for Kelly’s help. What Kelly didn’t factor in was meeting Natasha’s dishy MP husband, Hugh Ballantine. Away from her family, friends, and the life she knows – will this fish out of water ever get back in the swim? 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Kelly Madigan is an easy character to like from the get go. With her eccentric family, her steady and likeable boyfriend seems to make her life perfect. However, when her Mum passes away she leaves Kelly a letter which tells her to get out there and cause some waves in her life and not to settle for the easy option. This sets Kelly off on a chain of events which see her take some drastic decisions including upping and moving to London to work as a ghost-writer for a celebrity writing her own cookbook.

Enter Natasha Spencer, the sort of celebrity fictional character I love to hate. She appears to have it all, looks, fame and money but seriously lacks in personality. Kelly is instantly dwarfed and overwhelmed by her new employee. In addition to Natasha she also has to put up with her ridiculous assistant Poppy who just adds to the hilarity of Natasha’s over inflated sense of self. Natasha, although everything people probably imagine some celebrities to be like, make the book so much more readable and there is nothing like a bit of backstabbing and bitchiness to liven up a book. I also loved some of the one liners that Kelly’s friend Meg came out with, it injected a real laugh out loud element to certain parts of the story.

When Kelly meets Natasha’s husband MP Hugh Ballantine things get even more crazy and before you know it Kelly feels a million miles away from home and incredibly lonely. The characters, the cooking and the general air of drama and humour around this book seems the perfect combination to me. I enjoyed Dana’s first book, but not as much as this one. Once I was into the story I didn’t want to put it down. A fantastic read which I thoroughly enjoyed and cannot wait to see what’s next for Dana Bate. 

Integration by Stephen Edger (Mark Baines #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:  THE OFFER- Mark Baines is a Team Leader in a call centre. He dislikes his job and dreams of the day he can afford to give up his job and buy the house of his dreams. Following a terrifying burglary at his home, he is contacted by a group prepared to pay him one million pounds in return for a favour. 

THE CATCH – The offer seems too good to be true, and he begins to worry about what they might expect in return. The group calls again and tells him to integrate their laundered monies through the bank he works for, but he refuses. When Mark’s girlfriend Gabrielle goes missing and his brother is attacked, Mark begins to realise just how far the group will go to get what they want. 

EVERYONE HAS THEIR PRICE – As the game begins and the pressure mounts, Mark finds himself risking everything he has to find Gabrielle and save his own life before the group and the police catch up with him. 

INTEGRATION – Blackmail, murder, suspense, conspiracy and money laundering: Integration is a British crime thriller set in the murky depths of the finance industry.  

My Review: The synopsis on this sounded good and I was looking forward to getting started. It was a very easy read and instantly you can’t help but like Mark Baines, just because he is an ordinary bloke. He’s got a normal job, house and friends and could easily be somebody you know. When he is burgled he thinks it’s just bad luck and tries to get over it and carry on with his normal routine. However, when he receives a strange offer from somebody claiming to wipe his debt and pay him £1,000,000 he figures it’s all a joke. From that point on things take a rather bizarre and worrying turn.

What seems like a simple choice ends up starting a ridiculous chain reaction that will literally change his life forever. The writing was great and picks up pace as the story progresses. I certainly liked Mark as a character and I was pretty enthralled from the beginning. Having read previous reviews of this book some people say that the premise is over the top and ridiculous. I understand why some people would think that, but this is fiction. I read books such as Simon Kernick’s which sometimes border on the unrealistic, but I love them. For that reason I think this book falls into the same category. Yes it may seem implausible, but if I wanted to read something ‘true to life’ I’d be reading a Biography (yawn).

The story literally had me grabbed and I just couldn’t believe how much of a mess Mark ends up in. The other addition to the story was a character DC Ali Jacobs. She was a great addition and made it all the more interesting. Was this a little farfetched? Yes. Did I care? No. Did I really enjoy it? Yes without a doubt. I think this was a cracking story; no, it’s not the best I have read in this genre but a worthy addition to your Kindle. The other bonus about this was that the first book finished on somewhat of a cliff-hanger meaning I HAD to read the next one. I would definitely recommend this, especially as it’s less than £1 currently on Kindle.

Evil Games by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #2)

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Synopsis: When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work. With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment. Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time – it’s personal.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Evil Games by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #2)”

THE TIME OF OUR LIVES BY JANE COSTELLO

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Imogen and her friends Meredith and Nicola have had their fill of budget holidays, cattle-class flights and 6 a.m. offensives for a space by the pool. So when Meredith wins a VIP holiday at Barcelona’s hippest new hotel, they plan to sip champagne with the jet set, party with the glitterati and switch off in unapologetic luxury. But when the worst crisis of her working life erupts back home, Imogen has to juggle her BlackBerry with a Manhattan, while soothing a hysterical boss and hunting down an AWOL assistant. Between a robbery, a run-in with hotel security staff and an encounter on a nudist beach that they’d all rather forget, the friends stumble from one disaster to the next. At least Imogen has a distraction in the form of the gorgeous guy who’s always in the right place at the very worst time. Until, that is, his motives start to arouse a few suspicions.

Kat’s Review: For some reason this Jane Costello book slipped through the net, so realising that I made a prompt start on this book. Imogen, Meredith and Nicola are three friends that have won themselves a VIP trip to Barcelona. In their minds they are well on their way to sipping champagne and cocktails amongst the jet setters. Sadly, from the very moment they get to the airport things are destined to go wrong. Now I am quite a Costello fan but found myself struggling to get into the first few chapters. I persevered but for some unknown reason the book felt like it was hard work.

I quite liked the characters but sometimes they grated on me, normally with a JC book I love the characters that she creates but just found I couldn’t gel with these three. Harry was a prominent male character and he was instantly likeable and easy to read about. I think overall Imogen irritated me the most and unfortunately for me if I don’t like the character there is less chance I will enjoy the book. Maybe this was just my mood, who know, but I just wanted to slap her round the head and destroy her phone! Meredith and Nicola were slightly easier to read, but with constant interruptions from Meredith it just lost its appeal.

It sounds like I am being un-necessarily harsh and I really am not. Jane Costello has a great writing style and her books are always so enjoyable. For some reason this one and I just didn’t quite gel. There were elements about it I loved, but as the characters were so annoying it lowered my enjoyment. This certainly isn’t a bad book, just one that wasn’t for me.

Hunted by Paul FInch (Mark Heckenburg #5)

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My Rating: 5/5

Availability: Paperback, Kindle, Nook, Kobo

Synopsis: Heck needs to watch his back. Because someone’s watching him. Across the south of England, a series of bizarre but fatal accidents are taking place. So when a local businessman survives a near-drowning but is found burnt alive in his car just weeks later, DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is brought in to investigate. Soon it appears that other recent deaths might be linked: two thieves that were bitten to death by poisonous spiders, and a driver impaled through the chest with scaffolding. Accidents do happen but as the body count rises it’s clear that something far more sinister is at play, and it’s coming for Heck too.

My Review: One VERY important thing you need to remember to do when reading this book is BREATHE!!! I found myself holding my breath in far too many parts of this book but all in a very good way. I only recently discovered Paul Finch and his first release featuring DS Mark Heckenburg (or Heck as he is better known) was a knockout. The 3 following books in the series were all great but didn’t quite have the same pull for me as the debut to the series Stalkers. Until now…

Heck is contacted by his boss and ex-lover Gemma Piper to go and take a look at a strange case which involves a supposed accidental death. It involves going down to leafy Surrey and having to meet a new group of coppers namely one Gail Honeyford. It appears that they already have their suspicions and Gail is already on the case. However, Heck not only has the challenge of a difficult temporary colleague, but of more than one strange and bizarre cases. It seems like no type of crime from the bizarre to the downright shocking is exempt from the cases that keep cropping up.

From the outset the pace ratchets up and rarely gives you time to breathe. A few times I realised I was holding my breath for longer than necessary and as usual Heck manages to get himself into some awful positions. I for one will never look at an image of a spider in a glass jar without thinking about a particular scene in this book. Although Gemma Piper has featured in previous books she is not really a main actor in this latest instalment and if I’m honest I think that’s a good thing. It leaves open so many more possibilities, yet leaves her in the series (so to speak, sorry not very well articulated there…but you know what I mean).

Overall, this book was a first class one from Mr Finch, and certainly an instalment that will keep me going back for more. Thank goodness there is another book due for release later this year! Highly recommended book AND series.

P.S I think I am developing another fictional character crush

You Are Dead by Peter James (Roy Grace #11)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: THEY WERE MARKED FOR DEATH. The last words Jamie Ball hears from his fiancée, Logan Somerville, are in a terrified mobile phone call. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of flats where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and mobile phone. That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for 30 years.

At first, to Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing – and yet another body from the past surfaces. Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know information about Logan. And Roy Grace has the chilling realization that this information holds the key to both the past and present crimes . . . Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?

My Review: <HUGE sigh>, I’m not sure where to start. Peter James is a bit of a Legend in my eyes. He is one of those authors that everybody knows; the man is most certainly one of my favourites. The one small problem I have, and have continued to have with the last few books is the ongoing storyline involving his missing wife Sandy. Now for people wanting to start the series from the beginning and haven’t yet got around to it, please don’t carry on reading my review because it will no doubt contain spoilers (this also applies to people who haven’t read the latest book as things mentioned in my review refer to those events, and I HATE a spoiler.

Roy is back and is dealing with a number of big changes such as a new son, moving house and dealing with the loss of a colleague. To pick up a new Roy Grace feels like meeting up with old friends and this one is no different. Both Roy and Glen (his colleague) make these books along with a few favourites such as Norman Potting, and the ones I can’t stand such as Roy’s new boss Cassian. This new book actually opens with a pretty hair raising and dramatic abduction of Logan Somerville and the pace is pretty frantic in the beginning. In the same afternoon the discovery of remains underneath a path which look to be thirty years old mean that Grace and his team have a lot of work on.

The storyline was certainly woven with enough mystery and intrigue to keep me turning the pages and once again we see flashes of potential closure regarding Roy’s missing/presumed dead wife Sandy. As these parts of the story (albeit small parts) were revealed I was once again hoping that this element of the storyline would be concluded. Sadly, I was mistaken! Back to the main events in the book and it seems that Roy’s work life is overtaking his ability to control his personal life. I love the fact that we see both in this series. The other thing that I think is absolutely brilliant is that you get a real feel for the actual police work that Roy and his team have to go through. There is no magical ‘tah dah’ moment where Roy cracks the case as if by magic. It’s done and the story told with all of the team working and pulling their weight. This gives a real authenticity to the story as well as previous books which I love.

Sadly, I figured out part of the story towards the end but actually liked the way the story was wrapped up. However, the reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is this whole Sandy thing. I’m not entirely sure whether this is a conclusion to it, but am pretty sure it can’t be…can it? It was one of those moments that seem a little bit like a cliff-hanger. Or was this PJ’s way of closing the chapter on it all. Because I’m really not sure I don’t quite know how I feel. If this is PJ’s was of closing it, then I feel cheated. If it isn’t then I am so bored of waiting for it all to go belly up. Either way I am still a little bit confused. That aside, another really solid read once again from the main man!

REVIEW OF ONE MILE UNDER BY ANDREW GROSS

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5 (just!)

Synopsis: Leading a tour down the rapids outside Aspen, Colorado, whitewater guide Dani Haller comes across the body of a close friend. Refusing to believe it was an accident, Dani uncovers evidence that backs up her suspicions and takes her case to Wade Dunn, local police chief and her ex-stepfather. Wade insists the case is closed but Rooster, a hot-air balloon operator, claims he saw something that Dani needs to know. Before she can find out, however, Rooster plunges to his death in a fiery crash. Dani threatens to go public with her evidence, and finds herself thrown in jail. When ex-detective Ty Hauck receives word that his god-daughter is in trouble, he immediately jumps to her aid. Together he and Dani step foot into a sinister scheme running deep beneath the surface of a quiet, Colorado town that has made a deal with devil to survive.

Kat’s Review: I am a fan of both Andrew Gross and the character Ty Hauck. However, this is the first Ty Hauck book in 5 years and I admit I was a little nervous. After reading around 20% of the book I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Ty, but to be honest I wasn’t missing him. The main character Dani Haller is a feisty girl who works as a white-water guide. She comes across the body of a friend and is then like a dog with a bone, convinced that it was no accident. Dani is a great character and is gutsy and smart which always pulls me in. When Ty Hauck finally got a mention a fifty of the way I, I was quite surprised. It turns out that Dani is his God Daughter and he is the one that gets the phone call to go and help her out of the trouble she has landed herself in.

First off I had to try and reach the corners of my brain to work out what happened to Ty in the last instalment. Yu do get a brief overview but it wasn’t ringing any bells so I finally relented and went back and read my review to jog my memory. When Ty first appears it almost seems like he has had a bit of a personality transplant, either that or his extreme absence just hasn’t made my heart grow fonder! Anyhow, when he picks up Dani and gets collared with looking into the death of her friend it then starts to get interesting. There are certainly a lot of bad guys in this book and an awful lot of dodgy dealings and underhand tactics with a large corporation.

The last quarter of the book was much more ‘old-school’ Ty Hauck and it was much pacier and full of quite a few tensions and hair raising moments. Having said all of that, I struggled to rate this. Initially I wanted to give it 3, middle of the road but felt that the last part of the book more than made up for it so finally decided on a 4. I think my reluctance to be more positive is that I have come to the conclusion 5 years is too long to not read about a character (just in my opinion). It has been too long between books and I felt like it was meeting a new character all over again. There are numerous parts of this book that show just how awesome an author Andrew Gross is, but please Mr G….don’t leave Ty out for too long next time

It’s Not Me, It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong. When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault. When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault. And when he wanted her back like nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she was not to blame. From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back.

My Review: I’ve read one other Mhairi McFarklane book and enjoyed it so was looking forward to reading this latest release. Delia Moss in the beginning seems a nice enough girl and living with her boyfriend Paul life seems to be reasonably good for her. However, when she proposes to her boyfriend she has no idea that it will lead to the discovery of his infidelity. From that very moment I was rooting for Delia to change her ways and tell him where to go. Thankfully we see Delia’s escape route and take the journey with her.

Her friend Emma lives in London and this is where Delia escapes to. What starts out as her taking some time out, becomes a whole lot more with some very funny moments along the way. In addition to Emma, Delia meets people such as Naan, Stephanie and Adam along with her new boss Kurt. All of the characters play their part and make for brilliantly compulsive reading.

Mhairi manages to capture the lovely ‘Geordie’ accent without overkill with some of Delia’s sayings, as well as making you feel like you are walking the streets of London with her. There were some moments where I wondered where the storyline was going, but when it all came together it was a fantastic read. I can honestly say having only read one of her previous books, that she may well be a somewhat under rated author. I know for a fact that I will be putting her straight on to my ‘definite to buy/read/follow’ list. A fantastic read, one which will make for a perfect summer holiday!