2021 – Page 4 – Best Crime Books and More

Silent Voices by Patricia Gibney (Lottie Parker 9)

511rsdW8EiL._SY346_ Synopsis: When Rachel Mullen is found dead by her only sister Beth, her body twisted in an arc of pain, Detective Lottie Parker knows that she has been murdered the minute she enters the bedroom. Lottie’s heart aches for Beth, all alone in the world, whose last memory of her sister will forever be the brutal way she was taken. And when Lottie finds a shard of glass placed in the young girl’s throat, she fears that Rachel may be just the first victim. The night before, Rachel had attended a party at a luxurious new restaurant in Ragmullin, and Lottie wastes no time in tracking down the other guests. But there are several things troubling her: Rachel’s handbag and keys are nowhere to be found, and no one at the party seems to have seen her leave.

Just as Lottie thinks she’s onto something, her worst fears are confirmed: another woman is found murdered… with glass in her throat. The brilliant, young doctor wasn’t a guest at the party and Lottie is forced to question everything. Desperate to find proof of what really happened that night, Lottie gets close to the hostess of the party, whose two daughters were friends with Rachel. But Lottie’s hunt for the truth must be getting under the killer’s skin, because then her beloved fiancé, Boyd, goes missing. Can Lottie get in the mind of this twisted killer before it’s too late? Or will the man she loves be silenced forever?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

My Review: I am thoroughly enjoying this series and this book was another good addition, however it wasn’t quite as good as previous books in the series for some reason. The main storyline features the death of a young woman Rachel Mullen. Although we have the usual suspects back in this book such as Boyd, and Lotties other colleagues they featured very little in comparison to other books. In addition it feels like Lottie has an air of irritation throughout this book and I couldn’t quote understand why.

The storyline was okay but I felt like it fell short of other stories in the series. It gathers a little momentum towards the last quarter of the book however I felt like it didn’t have the same connections that were in previous books whether that be to family or colleagues. I definitely recommend this series andlook fotrward to the next book, but in all honesty this wasn’t my favourite.

Hard Vengeance by J B Turner (Jon Reznick 9)

Synopsis: When the people he loves most are in danger, Jon Reznick will get revenge…or die trying.

When black-ops specialist Jon Reznick receives a voice mail from FBI assistant director Martha Meyerstein, hoping to explore their relationship outside of the federal government, Jon starts to imagine a new future, one where he can leave his past behind. But an unhinged killer with a grudge has other plans. He’s setting a trap for Reznick, one he knows the operative won’t be able to resist.

In a picturesque fishing village on the Mediterranean coast, a luxury yacht has gone up in flames. Was it a terrible accident or something much more sinister? Jon Reznick must travel overseas, to find out what’s happened to Martha and seek revenge on the psychopath who has put Reznick’s entire future in jeopardy.

Jon will need all the help he can get to bring him to justice. Fresh out of Quantico, Reznick’s daughter, Lauren, joins him against his wishes, along with hacker Trevelle Williams. But government operatives from across the globe have descended on this quiet vacation destination and will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: All I can say is that my heart can’t take all this drama going on in this series. I was gobsmacked by the start of this story and when Irealised that for Jon this was now super personal I felt sorry for whatever character would be on the receiving end of his fury! As Jon travels to Spain he has no clue what has happened and why. It soon becomes clear this is personal and as we get the killers side of the story it makes for a very intense read. Now that Jon cannot call on Martha for help he turns to Trevelle, his hacker friend. I love Trevelle and wish we saw more of him, but at leasthe makes an appearance as does Jon’s daughter Lauren.

This latest installment had everything you could want in this type of book and more! Packed to the rafters with intense action, a fabulous lead character, an interesting storyline and a book that had me mesmerised. I thoroughly loved this latest book, only now I have to wait for feels like an eternity for the next one! A series I would highly reccomend.

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan Synopsis: Lissa loves her job as a nurse, but recently she’s been doing a better job of looking after other people than looking after herself. After a traumatic incident at work leaves her feeling overwhelmed, she agrees to swap lives with someone in a quiet village in Scotland.

Cormac is restless. Just out of the army, he’s desperately in need of distraction, and there’s precious little of it in Kirrinfief. Maybe three months in London is just what he needs.

As Lissa and Cormac warm to their new lives, emailing back and forth about anything and everything, finally things seem to be falling into place. But each of them feel there’s still a piece missing. What – or who – could it be?

My Rating:3/5

My Review: I am weirdly shocked by how indifferent I felt about this book. I am a HUGE fan of Jenny Colgan books and normally devour them but for some reason this one just didn’t hit the mark. There are a few books I think featuring this part of Scotland and from memory I enjoyed them but again they weren’t maybe favourites of hers that I recall. Lissa is the main character and she is a nurse who is involved in a traumatic incident at work. This is the catalyst for her being asked by her work to do a placement swap meaning she would swap homes and jobs with somebody up in Scotland.

Cormac is the person Lissa ends up swapping with and as Lissa moves to the small village up in Scotland, Cormac makes his way to London. Don’t get me wrong the story was okay and I didn’t dislike this book but it just didn’t feel like JC other books. It didn’t flow as well and frankly I didn’t really care what happened to the characters. I am struggling to find many positives within this as it just felt the opposite of everything I normally feel when I read one of her books. I can only hope this was just one of those books I didn’t gel with and the next one returns to her usual kind of book that I love

Liar, Liar by Mel Sherratt (Grace Allendale #3)

Synopsis: The truth can be a dangerous thing…

When a young boy falls from a balcony in a block of flats, DS Grace Allendale witnesses the shocking aftermath of the tragic event. But strangely, no one will admit to seeing anything – and the parents will only tell the police that it was an accident.

Determined to sort the truth from the lies, Grace is thrown into a case that takes her to the darkest corners of the criminal world – and strikes closer to home than she could have ever imagined…

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I am absolutely LOVING this series and this book was no exception. Grace Allendale is back and this book felt much more focused on the story as opposed to anything personal about Grace. The first two books give you a real insight into her as a character which is great but this one was a pure page turner in terms of what why and who. It starts with a young boy Tyler Douglas ‘falling’ from a block of flats but conveniently nobody saw or heard anything.

At first we just see the storyline develop in terms of them questioning suspects and you will see a couple of characters brought into the fray. In addition a secondary thread switches between times and looks at Ruby back from when she was younger up to now. I can honestly say that I was really taken with the story and didn’t really want to put the book down.

This was such an enjoyable read and a brilliant addition to this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Luckily book 4 is already out so will be on my to read list in the not too distant future.

One Night on Ice by Mandy Baggot

Synopsis: When routine-driven box office assistant, Samantha Smith, meets the stars of Skating on Broadway her life is turned upside down.

Immediately attracted to lead skater, Jimmy Lloyd, Samantha does her best to deny her feelings. But when all you can do is burst out laughing and hyperventilate every time you’re under pressure, keeping things under wraps is a hard task.

When the future of her beloved Civic Hall is threatened, Samantha must rise to the challenge to ensure its survival. Constantly scrutinised and criticised by her zany sister Cleo and her brogue-wearing boyfriend Jeremy, can Samantha save her job, save the Civic Hall and stop her panic attacks just long enough to give away her heart?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I really enjoy Mandy Baggot books and realised it had been way too long so I picked up this one as it was from back in 2019. I have read a fair few crime and thrillers so I needed something a little more light hearted. Samantha Smith is a pretty neurotic, socially challenged and complex character but for some reason one I liked a lot almost from the get go. She works as a box-office assistant for the Civic Hall and takes her job very seriously (like she does with most of her life).

The Civic Centre is hosting a show with the celebrity lead skater Jimmy Lloyd. Of course Samantha’s interests only seem to stretch as far as her beloved job so when their is the threat of the Centre closing she goes to pieces. The other character in this story other than Sam and Jimmy is Sam’s sister Cleo. Cleo is everything that Sam isn’t and is actually a decent balancing character for the book.

This isn’t one of my absolute favoruites by this author but was certainly a really good book that I thoroughloy enjoyed. It’s light-hearted and funny and such an easy read. I have yet to be dissapointed by any of Mandy Baggot’s and this is no exception.

Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt (Grace Allendale #2)

51n90jFlNdL._SY346_ Synopsis: TICK… In the city of Stoke, a teenage girl is murdered in the middle of the day, her lifeless body abandoned in a field behind her school.

TOCK… Two days later, a young mother is abducted. She’s discovered strangled and dumped in a local park.

TIME’S UP… DS Grace Allendale and her team are brought in to investigate, but with a bold killer, no leads and nothing to connect the victims, the case seems hopeless. It’s only when a third woman is targeted that a sinister pattern emerges. A dangerous mind is behind these attacks, and Grace realises that the clock is ticking…

Can they catch the killer before another young woman dies?

My Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt (Grace Allendale #2)”

Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt (Grace Allendale #1)

Synopsis: A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.

All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.

To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I am a huge fan of Mel Sherratt and especially the Allie Shenton books so was excited I finally got around to reading about this new character! I must say I read this book in record time. Historically as a book blogger, I could read a book in a day or two, however since my working life has got super busy I no longer have as much time. However, this book…I admit I made time (let’s hope my boss doesn’t read this:-)). The lead character Grace comes across as super aloof and a little on edge from the get go, however learning that she lost her husband recently and has now moved back to where she grew up you can get an idea of why. However, I had no clue that her family secrets were a lot more tricky than that!

The Steele’s are a notorious family however, when you learn as a reader they are Grace’s family it just made it SO engaging. When murders seem to be surroundign the Steele’s and their businesses Grace has to walk a fine line. In addition she is working with a new team all of whom have their own opinion. I was so pleased the author made it clear where Grace stood from the outset, it made me admire her all the more. However the beauty of a story like this is how it will pan out in future books too. I read this book in a day and moved straight onto book 2. Looks like I’m headed for a Mel Sherratt binge to get myself up to date. Massively reccomended….and frankly the perfect choice for my first read of 2021.