Year: 2017

BLOG TOUR: Dead Souls by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #6)

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Synopsis: When a collection of human bones is unearthed during a routine archaeological dig, a Black Country field suddenly becomes a complex crime scene for Detective Kim Stone.

As the bones are sorted, it becomes clear that the grave contains more than one victim. The bodies hint at unimaginable horror, bearing the markings of bullet holes and animal traps.

Forced to work alongside Detective Travis, with whom she shares a troubled past, Kim begins to uncover a dark secretive relationship between the families who own the land in which the bodies were found. 

But while Kim is immersed in one of the most complicated investigations she’s ever led, her team are caught up in a spate of sickening hate crimes. Kim is close to revealing the truth behind the murders, yet soon finds one of her own is in jeopardy – and the clock is ticking. Can she solve the case and save them from grave danger – before it’s too late?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: Dead Souls by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #6)”

A Baby At The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond

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A Baby at the Beach Cafe is an engaging short story follow-up to Lucy Diamond’s bestselling novel The Beach Cafe.

Evie loves running her beach cafe in Cornwall but with a baby on the way, she’s been told to put her feet up. Let someone else take over? Not likely.

Helen’s come to Cornwall to escape the stress of city living. She hopes a seaside life will be the answer to all her dreams. When she sees a job advertised at the cafe it sounds perfect.

But the two women clash and sparks fly. . . and then events take a dramatic turn. Can the pair of them put aside their differences in a crisis?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review:  I adore Lucy Diamond’s books and was shocked when I realised I had missed this little nugget. I thoroughly enjoyed the Beach Cafe books and was excited to read a little more about Evie and her husband Ed. At only 145 pages it’s certainly a short story and I read it in one sitting but it was so nice to be back with the characters. Evie is now heavily pregnant and her husband Ed decides they have to employ a new Cafe Manager for when Evie goes on Maternity leave.

With the Beach Cafe being Evie’s baby she is reluctant to allow anyone else to run her perfect little business. When Helen escapes city life by moving down to Cornwall she hadn’t planned on working but the opportunity presented itself and both her and Evie are not keen on each other for various reasons. Although Helen could be abrasive as a reader you knew why and actually it was such a lovely story I almost thought it was a shame when it ended as I would have loved to have known more about Helen.

If you haven’t read any of Lucy Diamonds books you are missing out. The books of hers I have read to date have been nothing but delightful and the Beach Cafe books are amazing. Definitely a recommended author.

BLOG TOUR: Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #2)

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Synopsis: A killer stalks the streets of East London. All over the area, murdered young women are discovered, their bodies posed into disturbing recreations of fairy tale princesses.

Detective Ruby Preston is determined to hunt down the murderer who is using the women to realise his dark fantasies. But when body parts are found at the home of her lover, Nathan Crosby, Ruby is torn between her job and her heart. 

Convinced that he is being framed, Ruby must catch the killer before Nathan becomes the number one suspect. But as more victims are found, it becomes harder to prove his innocence.

As Ruby starts to close in on the twisted individual, can she stop him before he strikes again? And how well does she really know the man she loves?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #2)”

PREY BY JAMES CAROL (JEFFERSON WINTER #3)

Synopsis: Six years ago a young married couple were found brutally stabbed to death in their home in Upstate New York. Local police arrested a suspect who later committed suicide. But what if the police got it wrong?

Ex-FBI profiler Jefferson Winter is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a mysterious female psychopath as she sets him a challenge: find out what really happened six years ago.

The clock is ticking and, as Winter is about to find out, the endgame is everything.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I was blown away by the first book in this series Broken Dolls and moved straight onto book 2. Book 2 (entitled Watch Me) was also a great read however didn’t have quite the same pull the first book did. After finishing book 3 I felt the same. It was a great read, but it didn’t blow me away. Knowing that book 4 is soon to be released was as good as any a reason to get caught up right in time for it. Jefferson Winter is a brilliant character, he smokes too much, he has a shock of white hair, an IQ that is crazy and to top it all off he works for himself. He used to be an FBI profiler however now he works freelance and it means he doesn’t have quite the same rules to follow as others. What makes this character even more special is that his Father was a Serial Killer. Yep, you read that right! It always gives Jefferson an edge and it feels like he is fighting his own battle to prove he is not like his Father.

The opening chapters of the book throw you quite literally in to the deep end as a killer manages to murder a cook in front of Jefferson, all before he ate his breakfast! What gave this book an interesting edge was that the killer was female. As openings go, it certainly started with a bang. Knowing that he has to find this woman Jefferson enlists the help of Mendoza, an NYPD Homicide Detective. Mendoza is a closed book but I like the fact that she is inclined to disbelieve Jefferson first, it certainly makes for an interesting dynamic.

Their search takes them to a cold case with the murder of a young married couple in Upstate New York. The story picks up pace and as clues are uncovered the story unravels little by little. Jefferson and Mendoza fight until they unravel all of the threads that hold this story together and layer by layer is revealed, usually with a graphic scene or two thrown in! I am a huge fan of James Carol and really love Jefferson Winter, I am just waiting for that wow factor again. Even without that extra wow, his books are enjoyable and I will definitely continue to follow this series.

Mystery at Maplemead Castle by Kitty French (Chapelwick #2)

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Synopsis: Maplemead Castle is crawling with ghosts, and the new owners need them gone. When Melody Bittersweet and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency arrive on scene, they quickly identify the troublemakers swinging from the chandeliers… literally.

A century ago, stunning trapeze artist Britannia Lovell plunged to her death, and has done every night since. But did she really just fall, or was there something more to her demise?

Forced to work with Leo Dark, her scoundrel ex, and infuriating, irresistible reporter Fletcher Gunn, Melody’s investigative powers are under strain (i.e. lost in a pink mist of lust and confusion). She needs her team on top form, but best friend Marina’s cake pipeline goes AWOL, assistant Artie’s distracted by a giant sausage roll, and the pug is scared witless by a lion.

Somewhere, hidden in the castle, is a heart-breaking secret, but what will it take to find it? And is there a chance it could set Britannia free, or is she doomed to repeat her last fateful act forever?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I am absolutely besotted with this trio and would happily read on and on! I read the first instalment and absolutely loved it so was thrilled to be able to move straight onto book 2. Melody sees dead people (literally) and has decided to move away from the family business (both her mother and Gran see dead people too) and has set up her very own ghost busting agency. Now don’t get me wrong I know that this sounds ridiculous and I for one would (previous to the first book) be rolling my eyes. I couldn’t have been more wrong and instead have fallen hook line and sinker for these wonderful characters.

Melody’s agency consist of Marina, the fiery Sicilian, the shy but wonderfully direct Artie as well as Lestat the one eared pug! They find themselves called to Maplemead Castle as it appears to be crawling with ghosts. The new owners call them in and within the first ten minutes at the castle all sorts has happened including the appearance of trapeze artist Britannia Lovell who has been dead for a century and a very funny incident with a dead ringmaster and his lion. It sounds barmy, and it IS barmy but it also an enticingly funny read that will leave the majority laughing out loud.

The addition of Melody’s ex-boyfriend Leo as well as reported Fletcher Gunn (also Melody’s enemy as well as secret desire) makes the story a whole lot more interesting and get Melody and the team into a whole heap of ridiculous and unsavoury situations. I wish we had seen more of Melodys Mum and Gran who are both a rule unto themselves and are exceptional characters who I love.

The one liners, the crazy situations and the skills from this author have created another stonkingly good book. I am totally girl fanning over Kitty French and am absolutely delighted to have read this series, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping the next one is just as good. If you wan’t something different that will cheer you up no end, make you laugh, and keep you utterly entertained from the very first to the very last page, then look no further! 

BLOG TOUR: Her Last Breath by Robert Bryndza (Erika Foster #4)

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Synopsis: When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case. 

While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds – a fatal incision to their femoral artery. 

Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn’t seem to exist? 

Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: Her Last Breath by Robert Bryndza (Erika Foster #4)”

Blog Tour: A Wedding In Italy by Tilly Tennant

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Synopsis: Kate is living the dream with her gorgeous boyfriend Alessandro in his native city, but the reality is sometimes a little less romantic than she’d hoped. Every day in her new home is a fight against leaking pipes, her cantankerous landlord and her less-than-perfect grasp of the Italian lingo. 

All around her there is talk of weddings, but when a secret from her past is thrust out into the open, Kate must fight to prove to Alessandro’s Mamma – and the rest of his formidable family – that she truly is Italian marriage material. 

With the women in Alessandro’s life on a mission to break them apart, the cracks begin to show and Kate starts to question if Alessandro really is the man of her dreams. Can love and the city of romance conquer all, or is that just a fairy-tale?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I was SO thrilled there was another Tilly Tennant book out but almost passed out in excitement when I realised this was a follow up to ‘Rome Is Where The Heart Is’. I dived right in and instantly fell in love all over again with the characters. Kate is now living the dream in Rome and her boyfriend Alessandro is there to support her all the way. However, it’s pretty clear that things haven’t quite gone as swimmingly as she had hoped and it isn’t long before you start to see Kate’s normally positive outlook start to diminish.

Kate was hoping that her dressmaking business would have taken off, however somehow she mas managed to get lumbered making dresses for her Landlords wife for less than she is meant to. On top of that she still hasn’t grasped the Italian language enough, she has a hard time trying to please all of the family and to top it all off she now has worries about some of the non family female members that seem to spend a lot of time with Alessandro.

Although things aren’t quite what she thought you cannot help but fall in love with Kate, she is so sunny and upbeat and there is an inate kindness about her. What adds to the story are Alessandro’s family who all have their own ways but undoubtedly make the story line so much richer. Lucetta (Alessandro’s sister) get’s married which means not only does Kate get to experience an Italian family wedding first hand, but she gets to meet Alessandro’s extended family too. We also in this latest story get to meet up with Jamie who was instrumental in book 1 and I was so pleased to see him back, albeit not for long!

This story was SO enjoyable because in true style Tilly takes you into the heart of the Conti family and you almost feel part of the furniture. Kate and Alessandro along with the family make for such a warm and inviting book that I hope we get to see them again as they are SO much fun.

Ashes to Ashes by Paul Finch (Mark Heckenburg #6)

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Synopsis: John Sagan is a forgettable man. You could pass him in the street and not realise he’s there. But then, that’s why he’s so dangerous.

A torturer for hire, Sagan has terrorised – and mutilated – countless victims. And now he’s on the move. DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg must chase the trail, even when it leads him to his hometown of Bradburn – a place he never thought he’d set foot in again.

But Sagan isn’t the only problem. Bradburn is being terrorised by a lone killer who burns his victims to death. And with the victims chosen at random, no-one knows who will be next. Least of all Heck…

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: At last Heck is back, or if you want to be specific Detective Mark Heckenburg is back. I am up to date with this series and was looking forward to this, the sixth in the series. Heck is back in London and it seems he is on the trail of a torturer for hire who goes by the name John Sagan. However, before long Heck has to chase the tail which leads him up North to his home town of Bradburn. The interesting thread here was Heck’s family, or lack of it, should I say! It certainly added another dimension to the story which made me all the more intrigued.

As usual Heck is as insubordinate as he can get away with and constantly goes with his own rules and subsequently irritates all his superiors. Thankfully it’s one of his traits that make him all the more likeable. Once set up in Bradburn, we are introduced to his uncle as well as a former school friend. Slowly the elements of his personal life are revealed giving the reader an insight into how he ended up as a copper in London. With regards to the psychotic Sagan they are chasing, it seems he has become a ghost, however what he does throw into their path are some high ranking members of a couple of Northern Gangs. This in turn leads to the other thread to the story which is where it all began, with a killer whose choice of weapons is a flamethrower who has been nicknamed ‘The Incinerator’.

Be prepared for plenty of graphic, gory and violent scenes all which made me cringe, which in turn made the book that shade darker than usual. This certainly isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, but that sort of stuff never fazes me too much it just puts a slightly different spin on the story for me.  The story line itself wasn’t my favourite of this series but the personal elements certainly made it more interesting. As usual Paul Finch skills as an author leave you wanting more and sure enough by the time I had finished I was already wondering when the next book would be out. Another cracking read but not my favourite in the series!

Raw Wounds by Matt Hilton (Grey and Po #3)

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Synopsis: Tess Grey and Nicolas Po Villere return to Louisiana to confront Po’s tormented past. Ex-con Nicolas Po Villere has no love for the mother who abandoned him as a child. Yet when she asks to see him on her deathbed, he returns home to Louisiana with his partner Tess Grey to try to reconcile their troubled past.

But Po is not prepared for the news his mother gives him: that he is not the last of the Villere family line. He has a younger sister, Emilia, whom he’s never met. But Emilia is missing, and Tess and Po must track her down before it s too late.  Tess and Po aren’t the only ones looking for Emilia. As they are to discover, Emilia has disappeared for a very good reason and if Po has any chance of finding her alive, he must join forces with his most hated enemy in order to prevent his little sister becoming the next victim of a deranged, cannibalistic killer.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I absolutely love the characters in these books and although the two lead characters are Tess Grey and Nicholas ‘Po’ Villere I have to say that Po is the start of the show. In addition their friend Pinky is an absolute corker of a character and he has to feature in this series on as permanent a basis as the main two characters. I think part of my attraction to these characters is that they are original and reading about them and the way they talk and their background is so refreshing. Po is an ex-con and Tess is an ex-cop and somehow they just make a perfect team. Not only are they a team they are also partners. Thankfully not in that ‘romance gets in the way of a good story’ kinda’ way!

Po receives a phone call from his estranged mother who is on her deathbed but is reluctant to disclose what she needs to see him about. With a bounty on Po’s head if he returns to the area, he of course…returns to the area. Alongside him is Tess and Pinky. What he didn’t account for was the revelation that he has a sister Emilia he has never met before. Unfortunately she also happens to be missing. What ensures is an absolutely brilliant and captivating story line which sees Po Tess and Pinky all fighting against more than one group for the safe retrieval of Emilia.

I was totally and utterly absorbed in the story and it caught me from the very first chapter. Full of villains you love to loathe as well as plenty of action. I have grown to love this series and think this is the best one so far. It reveals a lot more on Po’s history and cements both his and Tess relationship as well as the strong bond he and his friend Pinky have. I think having read this 3rd book I need a friend like Pinky in my life!

There are a number of ‘bad guys’ featuring but the way that Cleary was written literally had me shivering. The last quarter of the book is packed full of action and I read the last part of the book in one sitting. I had read for so long I didn’t realise my room was in complete darkness as I hadn’t moved. An outstanding read and a series that is original and fresh feeling, I absolutely loved it and cannot WAIT for the next book in the series.

THE LITTLE TEASHOP OF LOST AND FOUND BY TRISHA ASHLEY

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Synopsis: Alice Rose is a foundling, discovered on the Yorkshire moors above Haworth as a baby. Adopted but then later rejected again by a horrid step-mother, Alice struggles to find a place where she belongs. Only baking – the scent of cinnamon and citrus and the feel of butter and flour between her fingers – brings a comforting sense of home. 

So it seems natural that when she finally decides to return to Haworth, Alice turns to baking again, taking over a run-down little teashop and working to set up an afternoon tea emporium. 

Luckily she soon makes friends – including a Grecian god-like neighbour – who help her both set up home and try to solve the mystery of who she is. There are one or two last twists in the dark fairytale of Alice’s life to come . . . but can she find her happily ever after?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5 

Kat’s Review: So this was my first Trisha Ashley book and I was really looking forward to getting stuck in, especially with the extremely enticing cover. The book starts and we are introduced to Alice Ross who is a redhead who seemingly flits from one end of the country to another. Just 6 chapters in and we had already covered a nearly 20 year time span. I have to be honest and admit that I was struggling with it a bit and found myself feeling little connection with the character. However, thankfully it seems the author did this to give the reader a really condensed version of Alice’s life in preparation for what comes next. From this point on the story flowed beautifully and by the halfway mark I knew I would complete the rest in just one sitting!

So once we skip past the beginning of Alice’s life we catch up with her as she is grieving for many things in her life. She decides to make an impulse move and buys a run down cafe near Haworth. With just her Beetle and a few items she makes the journey down there with the view to starting afresh and possibly getting some answers about the place in which she was born. Initially I have to be honest and say that I thought this book would be solely focused on Alice and her Teashop (hence the title). However, although the Teashop plays a huge part in the story it’s not actually the main focus and this gave it a much more original feel. Sadly these types of stories are being replicated by many authors and sometimes there is such a thing as too much.

What makes this story so enjoyable was the discovery and subsequent quest to find out about where Alice was born and what the area would tell about where her life started. For me the absolute stars of this story were the very unconventional characters of Tilda and Nell. Two Yorshire ladies who are actually well known for how rude they are. They brought a brilliant sparkle to the story and made it so much more refreshing to read about some characters that brought something new to the table. In addition Alice meets the Gidding’s family who are such a joy to read about as well as other locals who make more fleeting appearances such as Jack the Handyman as well as Alice’s long term friend Lola.

I think that had I given up after those first 6 chapters I would never have discovered such a great author so I am pleased I persevered. The story was a joy to read and although some would peg it firmly in the ‘romance’ category I think there is a lot more to this that just hearts and flowers. Another great author to add to my never ending list of people I need to continue to read.