Year: 2022

FEARLESS BY JESSIE KEANE

80651A3B-E0EF-4495-973F-6BFCB3A02F4C_4_5005_c

Synopsis: PLAY DIRTY. PLAY TO WIN.
 
From the top ten bestselling author Jessie Keane comes a gripping thriller featuring two women who will do anything to win the man they love.
 
Josh Flynn is the king of the bare-knuckle gypsy fighters. His reputation is un-blemished; his fist a deadly weapon.
 
Claire Milo has always loved Josh, they were destined to be together from the day they met. Two gypsy lovers with their whole lives ahead of them. If only Josh would find a different way of earning a living instead of knocking the living daylights out of another man in the boxing ring. One day, she knew something really bad was going to happen. She could feel it . . .
 
Shauna Everett always wanted what she couldn’t have, and nobody, especially Claire Milo was going to stand in her way. She’s had her eye on Josh Flynn for years and she knew just how to get him. If it meant playing dirty, then so be it. What had she got to lose?
 
In a world ruled by violence, crime and backstreet brawls, only one woman will win in Jessie Keane’s Fearless, but how low is she prepared to go to achieve that goal?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: WOW! It’s been too long since I read a Jessie Keane book and luckily for me this one was sitting in my unread. I hadn’t read the synopsis before starting so had no clue what to expect. What I didn’t expect was an absolute belter of a book that had me reading into the early hours. Claire Milo and Josh Flynn are young teenagers who are part of the travelling community. They are head over heels in love and plan on marrying. However Josh is being touted as the King of the bare knuckle boxers and Claire loathes this part of his life. Shauna Everett is the same age as Claire and has her eyes set firmly on the prize of Josh Flynn all for herself.
 
This story stretched from the 1970s until present day and boy did it pack a punch. I don’t want to say too much about the storyline as you just need to read the stories of these three people and their extended family. I had NO idea where the story was gong I just knew I wanted to go along for the ride. Shauna is a character you just love to loathe and as for Josh I wasn’t sure how I felt about his as the story progressed. What I do know is that Jessie Keane TELLS a story, you don’t just read a book, you almost become ingrained into their lives and this is (IMO) what makes her such an amazing author. I never tire of her writing, characters and storylines. This book I must say is one I absolutely loved and would have no problem in recommending. I can’t wait to see if I have anything else left by this author to read, and if not then roll on a new book!

DINNER PARTY BY TRACY BLOOM

826561C8-DAD1-4588-9AA2-3E6F107E9B25_4_5005_c

Synopsis: Never has an unexpected guest caused such chaos!
 
Three couples take it in turns to host a monthly dinner party.
Beth, Sarah and Marie have been friends forever. Now they are grown up, with busy lives, busy husbands, busy kids… but they still find time to meet up over dinner once a month. A cosy, comfortable gathering of happy couples – or so they thought.
 
Until one night, someone brings along a last-minute guest whose wife has just left him.
Simon is standing on the doorstep in floods of tears. While the women do their best to console him, their husbands feel the need to mark their territory.
 
And as Simon becomes more involved with the group, his presence changes everything these three couples thought they knew about each other, leading to a final dinner party that no-one will ever forget.
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: I tried reading this book a couple of times and couldn’t get into it and have finally got back around to trying again. The story is based around three couples who have a dinner club going. Beth and Chris, Sarah and Tony and finally Duncan and Marie. The three couple take it in turns to host a dinner party but when Chris decides to invite a friend Simon who is newly separated to one of their dinner parties things start to get interesting.
 
The overall story and writing was easy to read and flowed well. Each chapter and character revealing more and more about them all as individuals as well as couples. There were some funny moments but generally this was just a book that was okay in my opinion. Some of the characters just really irritated me and I couldn’t get my head around not liking them which made it hard to have an opinion about what happened to them. Not a terrible book but not amazing either!

FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD BY BARBARA COPPERWAITE

942170B2-46EB-4CD1-8A42-F7785EA90EB6_4_5005_c

Synopsis: He sees her. The one. The sunglasses don’t fool anyone, she is clearly upset, her nose and lips swollen from crying. They are two lost souls and he knows his love can help her. After all, she is not the first girl he has followed home…
 
Adam is the perfect boyfriend. He pays attention, he buys flowers. He knows everything about Laura and looks after her every need. He cooks, he cleans – he even does the dishes without being asked.
 
But Laura has never met Adam. Still grieving after a devastating car crash that killed her family, she’s forgetful and struggling to pull her life together. She’d be horrified to know the depth of this unsettling fantasy in which she is the star. But there’s no denying the chill she feels every time she finds another elaborate bouquet on her doorstep, or wakes in the night sensing she is not alone.
 
Adam has been watching her every move, and now it’s time to act. Except, there’s one little detail he’s missed: Laura has been watching him too.
 
After everything she’s been through, Laura’s ready to fight back and stop being the victim in her own life story. But in Adam’s world, there are no happy endings…
 
Kat’s Rating: 4/5
 
Kat’s Review: I have had this book on my Kindle for way too long and decided it was time to read it. I have seen many rave review on this author and can understand why now. The story focusses on Laura, a young girl suffering in the aftermath of the crash that killed her family. In addition we meet Adam who is the most creepy character you could possibly read about! IN addition we read about Mike a copper on the periphery of the investigation when a body is found. In all honesty I don’t want to dissect the plot because it was way more enjoyable going in blind.
 
This story picked up pace fast and I was engaged with all the characters, even more so with Adam which in itself is a little creepy. There is a dark element of linking death to flowers which gave me the ‘heeby-jeebies’ but then to be fair a lot of this book did. The chapters gave real depth into the characters and what they are all going through yet didn’t feel stretched out at all. It all felt like a necessary draw to pull you in. Overall this book had everything needed in a thriller and then some. It was dark and gritty and incredibly creepy in a disturbing way. Hell, don’t listen to me trying to explain it, just pick it up and read it I don’t think you will be disappointed,

DEATH IS NOT ENOUGH BY KAREN ROSE (BALTIMORE #6)

F608A3E1-48C2-4336-9863-7CB88555E7B3_4_5005_c

Synopsis: When you’re after revenge… death is not enough.
Gwyn Weaver is as resilient as anyone could be. Having survived an attempted murder, she has rebuilt her life and reclaimed her dignity and strength. She’s always known about her feelings for defence attorney Thomas Thorne, but as her friend and a colleague there could be no chance of anything more… or could there?
 
Thorne has known violence and pain all his life. He’s overcome the hardships thanks to his own steel, and the love of his loyal friends. Now he’s thinking it might finally be time to let his guard down, and allow himself to let in the woman he’s always admired from afar.
 
Then Thorne’s whole world is torn apart – he is found unconscious in his own bed, the lifeless body of a stranger lying next to him, her blood on his hands. Knowing Thorne could never have committed such a terrible crime, Gwyn and his friends rally round to clear his name.
 
But this is just the beginning – the beginning of a brutal campaign to destroy Thorne, and everything he holds dear…
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I absolutely LOVED this book and was so sad to end it as I know this is the sixth and final book in this series. Having said that, the course has naturally run it’s course and was SO enjoyable and it leaves me time to move onto other Karen Rose books. This last book mostly features Thomas Thorne who takes the lead as his worst nightmare comes back to haunt him. He wakes in his bed with a woman lifeless next to him and blood everywhere. Gwyn Weaver, Thorn’s business partner. was the one to find him and even though she herself has survived a horrendous ordeal she is determined to help Thorne find out what happened.
 
This book can be read as a standalone but it is SO much better when read as part of the series. I actually wish I had read all 6 books back to back as every one has been a fabulous book to read and this last installment is no exception. We see the return of all the characters in this series and as per the standard when one person is in danger that naturally means that they are all in the firing line. There was so much action packed into this as well as romance, family, friends, laughter and tears. At over 620 pages this is not a short read but I feel like this was a well balanced book and it didn’t feel that long at all. Another brilliant read by Karen Rose and a series I would highly recommend!
 
1. You Belong to Me (2011)
2. No One Left to Tell (2012)
3. Did You Miss Me? (2012)
3.5. Broken Silence (2013)
4. Watch Your Back (2013)
5. Monster In The Closet (2017)
6. Death Is Not Enough (2018)

MONSTER IN THE CLOSET BY KAREN ROSE (BALTIMORE 5)

DD3E9675-0A1A-4581-A912-A50D716688B2_4_5005_c

Synopsis: A mother is dead, and now her killer hunts the child that witnessed the brutal crime…
Private Investigator Clay Maynard locates missing children for clients, but has nearly given up hope of finding his own daughter, cruelly stolen from him by his ex-wife twenty-three years ago.
 
Equine therapist Taylor Dawson has chosen to intern at Daphne Montgomery-Carter’s stables so that she can observe the program’s security director – her father, Clay Maynard. Trying to reconcile the wonderful man she’s getting to know with the monster her mother always described, Taylor never expects to become the target of a real monster, the man who murdered the mother of the little girls she works with at the stable. Neither does she expect to fall for Ford Elkhart, Daphne’s handsome son, who is dealing with his own demons. As family and friends gather for a wedding, Taylor starts to imagine a permanent life in Baltimore.
 
But not if the real monster gets to her first…
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I have read so many of Karen Rose books that I sometimes lose track of what series I have and haven’t read so was thrilled when I came across this and realised I had read up to book 4 so got stuck in and boy am I glad I did. This series of book sis about a group of people who are friends and they all seen to get a book in the series so it’s easy to pick them up as standalones. However, once I was a few chapters in all the familiar people were re-introduced to me and I felt like I hadn’t been away. The opener of this book is shocking but gripping all at the same time. A young girl Jazzie comes home from school and finds her Mother dead on the floor. What is worse is that the killer is still there so Jazzie hides. When the police investigate Jazzie clams up and refuses to speak while they hunt for her Mother killer.
 
Jazzie and her sister are put into a therapy programme where they are riding horses and that centre is run by one of the clan of people that are featured in this series. A new young woman named Taylor is working at the therapy centre as an intern but what everybody doesn’t realise is that she is there to find out about her Father and that will have huge repercussions for everybody! This book had me gripped from the first to the last page and I absolutely loved it. I was so pleased that I went straight out and brought book 6 in the series as I needed to know where everybody was now. And absolutely brilliant book and an even better series!

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE BY PAIGE TOON

295A8626-005A-4EE7-8C2A-4CC03D8ECAF7_4_5005_c

Synopsis: HOW DO YOU FIND WHERE YOU’RE GOING, IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE FROM?
 
Angie has always wanted to travel. But at twenty-seven, she has barely stepped outside the small mining town where she was born. Instead, she discovers the world through stories told to her by passing travellers, dreaming that one day she’ll see it all for herself.
 
When her grandmother passes away, leaving Angie with no remaining family, she is ready to start her own adventures. Then she finds a letter revealing the address of the father she never knew, and realises instantly where her journey must begin: Italy.
 
As Angie sets out to find the truth – about her family, her past and who she really is – will mysterious and reckless Italian Alessandro help guide the way?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: It’s been way too long since I read a PT book so I am playing catch up and the synopsis of this caught my eye. Angie lives in Australia and has big dreams of travelling the world. Sadly she is actually pretty sheltered and spends her time caring for her Grandmother. When her Grandmother passes away Angie is given a huge opportunity and she is determined to take the chance with both hands. Angie is unravelling elements to her life and additional family she knew nothing about so her first port of call is Italy.
 
PT has a wonderful knack of being so beautifully descriptive with places that you are transported for the ride too as a reader. Angie is a lovely character and as she discovers parts of herself and her life she knew nothing about you can see her growing as a person before your very eyes. Having read a fair few heavy crime thrillers lately this was a fabulous read that really took me out of the depressing dark places of those kind of books and took me on holiday! I managed to knock this book out in two sittings as it was so enjoyable. Going back to tried and tested authors that you know and love is a lovely feeling when you need a certain kind of book for your mood. A real pick me up book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

COLD HEART BY STEPHEN EDGER (KATE MATTHEWS#3)

AAD327EE-6690-4444-9BEC-B308EAFFAEA2_4_5005_c

Synopsis: It has been a week since anyone last saw fifteen-year-old Daisy, after she left her best friend’s house and started her short walk home. Detective Kate Matthews and her team have been looking for her ever since.
 
When a tip-off leads Kate to a disused gymnasium at Daisy’s school, she is shocked to find evidence linking to the murder of a different girl.
 
Working the two cases side by side, Kate’s blood runs cold when a gift-wrapped box containing a human heart is delivered to her at the station. The heart belongs to yet another unknown victim, but the message is clear: there will be more, and Daisy could be one of them.
 
When activity on Daisy’s Facebook account indicates she is still alive, the race is on for Kate and her team. Will Daisy be the killer’s next victim? Is Kate prepared to risk everything to stop another innocent life from being taken?
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: This is the third book in this series that I have read and I enjoyed this one slightly more than the last, however it was still missing something! A young fifteen year old girl Daisy is missing and Kate and the team are trying to find out where she has gone. We see the return of her colleagues Patel, Olly and Laura and they receive a tip off leading them to a school gymnasium. The discovery sets them off on a whole new path and from the very early stages there are plenty of suspicious characters.
 
The story unravels slowly throwing crumbs of evidence or clues along the way. The writing was very good and I do actually really like these characters yet I cannot help but feel there is something missing. As somebody who reads a lot of this type of book I have come to the conclusion that these books are just not memorable enough. So as soon as you finish one they don’t linger like some others, or the characters just don’t make enough of an impression. It’s certainly a decent enough read and the writing is good, I just think I need to read a different series of books by this author as I think maybe these characters just aren’t grabbing my attention enough.
 

COMING HOME TO GLENDALE HALL BY VICTORIA WALTERS (GLENDALE #1)

4963026F-BE71-4F47-9E3C-72FB4EB9FD92_4_5005_c

Synopsis: Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. After falling pregnant at sixteen, she ran away from her family and the imposing Scottish estate where she grew up, working hard to build a life for herself and daughter Isabelle – but now she’s returning to Glendale Hall.
As Beth tries to mend her broken family ties, and fights to bring the community of Glendale back together, she realises that the story she has told herself for a decade might well be a very different one from the truth. Even though she ran from Glendale it has never left her heart. And, she soon realises, neither has Drew – Beth’s first love.
Will Beth be able to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? What will Drew say when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping from him for so long? Can a festive trail bring the village back together?
Will returning to Glendale bring back the old magic that she’s been missing – or will Beth be forced to run away from it all over again?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Beth is our lead character for this book by Victoria Walters (my first book by this author) and we see her making her way back home to Glendale Hall in Scotland. She is with her daughter Isabelle and is only making the trip at the insistence of her Father as her Grandmother is terminally ill. With the weather in the UK currently turning more and more gloomy this sort of setting was perfect to get me in the (dare I say it) Christmas mood. It is clear from the outset that Beth’s family are very fractured however it takes some time to unwind all of the dark secrets that people were holding on to.
 
Glendale Hall and the village it is set in sound both beautiful and magical. The characters that are introduced all played their part on making this book feel very homely. Beth manages to catch up with her school friend Heather along with Sally who works at the Hall and has done all through Beth’s childhood. I don’t want to elaborate too much more on the storyline as that would spoil it for other people. What I did love was the sense of community, friendship and love that this book portrayed and I absolutely loved it. No sooner had I finished the last page I had downloaded the second book set in the same place! Hooray! A fabulous book especially for the dreary winter months and I absolutely loved it! I am so pleased to add another fabulous author to my list of must reads!

LYING BESIDE YOU BY MICHAEL ROBOTHAM (CYRUS HAVEN #3)

E908F4AD-EE9B-4640-824D-F24D71C18EBA_4_5005_c

Synopsis:Twenty years ago, Cyrus Haven’s family was murdered and only he and his brother survived. Cyrus because he hid. Elias because he was the killer.
 
Now Elias is being released from a secure psychiatric hospital and Cyrus, a forensic psychologist, must decide if he can forgive the man who destroyed his childhood.
 
As he prepares for the homecoming, Cyrus is called to a crime scene in Nottingham. A man is dead and his daughter, Maya, is missing. Then a second woman is abducted. The only witness is Evie Cormac, a troubled teenager with a gift for knowing when people are lying.
 
Both missing women have dark secrets that Cyrus must unravel to find them – and he and Evie know how the past can come back to haunt you . . .
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I absolutely love this series and was looking forward to catching up with Cyrus and Evie. What I would say is that if you haven’t read the first two books I would advise you do. It certainly gives you the background on these two characters and explains a lot about their current situation. The story focuses on Cyrus brother Elias potentially being released from the secure hospital he is currently residing at. The other element of the story surrounds a dead man being found and the search for his missing daughter.
 
Evie is such a complex character but alongside Cyrus their strange and unorthodox relationship makes for compulsive reading. Evie is living with Cyrus as a lodger and decides to dip her toe into the world of work getting herself a job collecting glasses at a bar. What she doesn’t count on is being dragged into the case by being the last witness to see the missing woman alive.
 
I don’t want to expand on the storyline for fear of spoilers but the storyline as always is completely engaging from the first to the last page. I feel like we are getting to see Evie grow up and learn how to live like a normal person her age does. Alongside her Cyrus remains steadfastly single and dedicated to his job and looking after both his brother and Evie. I read this in two straight sittings and as soon as I was finished I wanted to read another. Disappointingly I have to probably wait the best part of a year for the next book. A brilliant book which I loved and would highly recommend.

LAST LIGHT BY HELEN PHIFER (DI LUCY HARWIN #3)

6F7D8A8B-ACE9-4EAA-8D3B-8B2BB1BC7812_4_5005_c

Synopsis: Lucy watches the pathologist leave, then turns to the nameless victim on the table. ‘I promise I will catch whoever did this to you,’ she whispers.
 
In charge of a new team, Detective Lucy Harwin is called out to attend the discovery of a woman’s body in an abandoned, crumbling church, and is quickly plunged into a case that will test her leadership skills to the limit.
 
With no leads except the crudely-fashioned crucifix the victim was displayed on, Lucy is at a complete loss. That is, until another body turns up: an elderly woman who devoted her life to the church.
 
Faced with a killer stalking the streets of her small coastal town, while also throwing herself into work to forget the love of her life, Lucy’s first case is turning into a nightmare.
 
Linking the killer to the church where her own teenage daughter volunteers, it seems the threat is quickly drawing closer to Lucy and those she loves. Can she catch this monster and prevent a tragedy that will tear her world apart?
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: I recently read books one and two in this series so already had some background. When I started reading this I realised it was a prequel which is fine I just had to check I wasn’t going mad and had read them in order! It was nice to see Lucy in this earlier book and the reasoning behind her leave from work in book 1! Lucy is enjoyable to read as a character and I also like her coilleagues Browning and Mattie. In all honesty I felt like the first few chapters I was a little thrown as this was a prequel but it makes for easier reading for people who pick this up as a stand alone.
 
In terms of the plot I felt that it was pretty decent but for some reason it just didn’t have the same pace or flow as the other two books. In addition as much as the plot was decent I saw it coming a mile off and I think that combined with my close reading of the other two books this was leaning towards a more middle of the road book for me. Although this book maybe wasn’t as enjoyable as the other two I would be very keen on reading another book back in present day with Lucy as I would love to see what is next for her and the team. I feel like books one and two gave such good groundwork that I was expecting more from book 3 but in the present day. This is definitely a series I would like to continue!