Year: 2018

Red Tiger by Sean Black (Ryan Lock #9)

The winner of the 2018 International Thriller Writers Award returns with his latest explosive thriller featuring ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock and his business partner, retired US Marine, Ty Johnson.

When the daughter of a Chinese billionaire is kidnapped from her mansion in Arcadia, California, Ryan and Ty find themselves caught in the middle of a vicious standoff.

Emily Yan is a Chinese ‘parachute kid’, one of thousands of children sent to study in America by their ultra-wealthy parents. Living in a multi-million dollar mansion in Arcadia, California with her hard-partying cousin Charlie, it’s not long before their ostentatious displays of wealth attract the wrong sort of attention in the form of some MS-13 gang members.

But someone else has been looking for Emily, a shadowy figure from back home known only as The Red Tiger. Two very different worlds collide in this explosive new thriller from Sean Black as Ryan Lock and his business partner, wise-cracking US Marine Ty Johnson, set out to save Emily from a violent tug of war between two deadly forces; the brutal members of America’s most dangerous gang, and an equally determined Chinese enforcer called the Red Tiger.

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: It’s been WAY too long since I have delved back into my superhero of fictional characters Ryan Lock’s life. This is the ninth book in the series and we are back with Ryan and his colleague Ty. These two are absolutely meant to work together and as much as I enjoyed the last short story featuring Ty on his own, they are so much more engaging when they are working side by side.

Emily the daughter of a Chinese Billionaire and her cousin have been kidnapped so Ryan and Ty are called in to help find them. The only problem is they seem to have been taken by the brutally and well known violent gang MS-13. On the opposite side of the story it seems there is another person also interested in finding Emily and at first there is no clear cut reason why.

This story was fabulous and kept me turning the pages until late into the night. One element which has slightly changed is the fact that Ryan now has a lady in his life and it’s amusing to see how that changes the dynamic of Ryan and Ty’s friendship. I also liked the addition of Carl Galante who featured in a previous book and thought he was a great addition to both Ryan and Ty.

There is plenty of pace in this book and it build up as the story continues. The story of the other man chasing Emily is slowly revealed making it even more tense for all those involved. In short this was another 5 star read and in truth Sean Black can do no wrong in my eyes. This is one of my favourite series and have enjoyed each and every book that has been released. It’s clear Sean Black knows his stuff and I can only hope this series continues for years to come. Hugely recommended and although it could be read as a stand alone, this series is too good to start here. So if you are interested do yourself a favour and go back to the first book and work your way through…I promise you wont be dissapointed

The Not So Perfect Mum by Kerry Fisher

Previously published as ‘The School Gate Survival Guide’.

Maia is a cleaner for ladies who lunch. With mops and buckets in tow, she spends her days dashing from house to house cleaning up after them, as they rush from one exhausting Pilates class to the next.

But an unusual inheritance catapults her and her children into the very exclusive world of Stirling Hall School – a place where no child can survive without organic apricots and no woman goes a week without a manicure.

As Maia and her children, Bronte and Harley, try to settle into their new life, Maia is inadvertently drawn to the one man who can help her family fit in. But is his interest in her purely professional? And will it win her any favours at the school gate?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5 Continue reading “The Not So Perfect Mum by Kerry Fisher”

The Birthday by Carol Wyer (Natalie Ward #1)

Synopsis: One hot summer’s afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home… 

Two years later, Ava’s body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party …

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone, and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that still keeps her awake at night…

Natalie soon discovers that Ava’s mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi and as she digs deeper, she’s sure Ava’s father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden centre Elsa see that day? Something that she’s not telling Natalie …

Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn’t come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5 Continue reading “The Birthday by Carol Wyer (Natalie Ward #1)”

Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell

Synopsis: Mimi isn’t looking for love when she spends a weekend in Goosebrook, the Cotswolds village her dad has moved to. And her first encounter with Cal, who lives there too, is nothing like a scene in a romantic movie – although she can’t help noticing how charismatic he is. But Cal’s in no position to be any more than a friend, and Mimi heads back to her busy London life.

When they meet again four years later, it’s still not to be. Cal is focusing on his family, and Mimi on her career. Then Cal dives into a potentially perfect new romance whilst Mimi’s busy fixing other people’s relationships.

It seems as if something, or someone else, always gets in their way. Will it ever be the right time for both of them?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell”

A Summer Scandal by Kat French

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Synopsis: Summer has never been so scandalous…

When Violet moves to Swallow Beach, she inherits a small Victorian pier in with an empty arcade perched on the end of it, and falls in love immediately. She wants nothing more than to rejuvenate it and make it grand again – but how?

When she meets hunky Calvin, inspiration strikes. What if she turned the arcade into an adult-themed arcade full of artisan shops?

Not everyone in the town is happy with the idea, but Violet loves her arcade and business begins to boom. But as tensions worsen and the heat between her and Calvin begins to grow, life at Swallow Beach becomes tricky. Is it worth staying to ride out the storm? And can Violet find her own happy ending before the swallows fly south for the winter?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5 Continue reading “A Summer Scandal by Kat French”

Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons (Kim Stone #9)

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Synopsis: Eeeny meeny, miney, moe. Who lives, who dies only I know.

When the body of a doctor is discovered brutally murdered in local woodland, Detective Kim Stone is shocked to discover the victim is Gordon Cordell – a man linked to a previous case she worked on involving the death of a young school girl. Gordon has a chequered past, but who would want him dead?

As the investigation gets underway, Gordon’s son is involved in a horrific car crash which leaves him fighting for his life. Kim’s sure this was no accident. 

Then the body of a woman is found dead in suspicious circumstances and Kim makes a disturbing link between the victims and Russells Hall Hospital. The same hospital where Gordon worked. 

With Kim and her team still grieving the loss of one of their own, they’re at their weakest and facing one of the most dangerous serial killers they’ve ever encountered. Everything is on the line. Can Kim keep her squad together and find the killer before he claims his next victim? Continue reading “Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons (Kim Stone #9)”

Dying Truth by Angela Marsons (Kim Stone #8)

328x500 Synopsis: When teenager Sadie Winter jumps from the roof of her school, her death is ruled as suicide – a final devastating act from a troubled girl. But then the broken body of a young boy is discovered at the same school and it’s clear to Detective Kim Stone that these deaths are not tragic accidents.

As Kim and her team begin to unravel a dark web of secrets, one of the teachers could hold the key to the truth. Yet just as she is about to break her silence, she is found dead. 

With more children’s lives at risk, Kim has to consider the unthinkable – whether a fellow pupil could be responsible for the murders. Investigating the psychology of children that kill brings the detective into contact with her former adversary, Dr Alex Thorne – the sociopath who has made it her life’s work to destroy Kim. 

Desperate to catch the killer, Kim finds a link between the recent murders and an initiation prank that happened at the school decades earlier. But saving these innocent lives comes at a cost – and one of Kim’s own might pay the ultimate price.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5 Continue reading “Dying Truth by Angela Marsons (Kim Stone #8)”

Our Little Lies by Sue Watson

226x346Synopsis: Marianne has a life others dream of. A beautiful townhouse on the best street in the neighbourhood. Three bright children who are her pride and joy.

Sometimes her past still hurts: losing her mother early, growing up in foster care. But her husband, Simon, is always there. A successful surgeon, he’s the envy of every woman they’ve ever met. Flowers, gifts, trips to France: nothing is too good for his family.

Then Simon says another woman’s name. The way he lingers on it, Caroline, gives Marianne a shudder of suspicion, but she knows it’s nothing – she can’t entertain this flash of paranoia.

In the old days, she’d have distracted herself by excelling at work, but Marianne left her glamorous career when she married. She’d speak to a friend, but she’s too busy with her children and besides, Simon doesn’t approve of the few she has left.

It’s almost by accident that Marianne starts to learn more about Caroline. But once started, she can’t stop, because what she finds makes her wonder: is the question she should be asking not ‘should she be jealous’, but… ‘should she be scared?’

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Our Little Lies by Sue Watson”

Coming Home To Maple Cottage by Holly Martin (Sandcastle Bay #3)

51bSpaiJyxL._SY346_Synopsis: Isla Rosewood is creating a new life for herself and her sweet nephew Elliot in their cosy, yellow-brick family cottage, brimming with special memories. Living in Sandcastle Bay was never part of Isla’s plan but, after her brother Matthew’s tragic accident, her whole world changed as she unexpectedly became a mother to the little boy she adores so much.

Leo Jackson was always known as Matthew’s fun-loving and wild best friend. But now Matthew is gone, it’s time to put his colourful past behind him. His role as Elliot’s godfather is the most important thing to him. And even though Leo and Isla are two very different people, they both want to give Elliot the childhood he deserves.

As the three of them enjoy time together watching fireworks, baking cakes and collecting conkers, Isla begins to see a softer side to charming Leo, with his twinkling eyes and mischievous sense of humour. And, despite herself, she begins to fall for him.

But does Leo feel the same way? Isla knows their situation is complicated but is it too complicated for true love… or will the year end with a happy new beginning for them all?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Coming Home To Maple Cottage by Holly Martin (Sandcastle Bay #3)”

The Forgotten by Casey Kelleher (Byrne #3)

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Synopsis: Nancy Byrne might be the head of the notorious Byrne crime family, but she’s determined to give her little daughter, Scarlett, the best start possible.

After the death of her beloved father, the notorious gangster Jimmy Byrne, nothing’s stopping Nancy from making money on her own terms – even if she has to combine motherhood with providing for her entire family. But with enemies at their door, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones.

But then comes the day when Scarlett goes missing, snatched by a stranger during a trip to the local park, and Nancy’s world is torn apart. Amidst the terror of losing her precious daughter, Nancy is sure of only two things. Someone has taken her daughter … and when she finds them, there’s going to be hell to pay.

Can she find Scarlett – before it’s too late? Or will Nancy’s life of crime come back to haunt her in the worst way possible?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “The Forgotten by Casey Kelleher (Byrne #3)”