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Stolen Children by Michael Wood (Matilda Darke 6)

Stolen Children Synopsis: Some cases won’t die.
A young boy walks into a police station in France. He claims to be Carl Meagan – a missing child from Sheffield whose name is still whispered as a warning to kids who stay out after dark.

Some children won’t be found.
On her way home from the supermarket, nine-year-old Keeley Armitage vanishes without trace. Her family is overcome with shock and DCI Matilda Darke can’t help but focus on memories of the Carl Meagan case that almost ruined her career.

Some killers won’t be stopped.
As Matilda investigates, she peels back the layers of grief and sadness that surround Keeley’s family. Until she is left with an unimaginable choice: betray those closest to her or let a violent killer walk free…

My Rating:4/5

My Review: I am currently binge reading this series and playing catch up and thoroughly enjoying the series. This latest book is certainly dark and wont be everybody’s cup of tea due to the subject matter (abuse etc features heavily in this). However, that small mention aside this was another great addition. For readers familiar with the series they will know about the one case Matilda Darke feels she failed on which features the kidnap and dissapearance of a young boy named Carl Meaghan. When a young family receive a ransom demand for their missing young daughter Keeley Matilda’s fears another repeat of what happened previously.

Matilda and her trusted team all star working on the case surrounding the Meaghan family. Like any Michael Wood storyline nothing is straightforward. Keeley is the middle child with an older sister Jodie and a younger disabled brother Riley. Her Mother Linda falls apart as does the husband and father Craig. The family are not well off so it poses the question whether this kidnap request is real. Matilda meanwhile is also dealing with the shocking news that a young boy has walked into a police station in France claiming he is the missing boy Carl Meaghan.

Although I am sure you could read this as a standalone it makes way more sense ot read as part of the series. That way you have background on everything related to Matilda and her struggles with the Meaghan case. You also get to know and come to love the other characters that she works alongside such as Sian, Rory, Scott and Christian to name a few. This story definitely hi hard although I admit I had worked out the killer around the halfway mark. That certainly didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book and as ever I am totally ready to move on to the next book in the series.

The Murder House by Michael Wood (Matilda Darke 5)

The Murder House Synopsis:

They were the perfect family. It was the perfect crime.

The new gripping DCI Matilda Darke crime thriller about the dark secrets that lie within a perfect family. For fans of Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons.

It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen…

The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought…

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: Matilda and the team are back for an extremely disturbing case. The morning after a wedding reception a family are massacred sparing only a young girl. When Matilda arrives at the scene she knows how bad it is before even stepping foot inside the house. Everyone on the team herself, Sian, Rory, Scott and anybody else unfortunate to work this one isn’t going to forget it in a hurry. Even reading the scenes was horrific and frankly I had a feeling this storyline would be cleverly crafted and I was correct.

The Mercer family are mostly dead aside from Leah who was on her honeymoon. It seems from initial forensics that this should be a straightforward case however like anything it’s not always as it seems. Alongside this awful murder case we also see more of Sally Meaghan the mother of Carl Meaghan who went missing a few years before. The Carl Meaghan case is the one that haunts Matilda the most and seeing as she cannot run the murder case and still help and support Sally she asks retired DI Pat Campbell to help.

This story although gruesome was extremely fast paced and engaging with a lot of question marks hanging over many lines of enquiry. I also loved the fact that we are getting to know more about Scott in this particular book and once again we also see our favourite recurring characters such as Adele, Matilda’s best friend and the local pathologist. This book was another fabulous installment in this series that I love! I cannot wait for the next one!

The Hangman’s Hold by Michael Wood (Matilda Darke 4)

The Hangmans Hold Synopsis:

Your life is in his hands.

In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields.

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.

He knows your darkest secrets.
He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

And he is closer than you think.
DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I have begun to realise there are so many great series of books that I am hugely behind on and as you mauy have noticed I tend to binge read to catch up on them. One such series is this one featuring Matilda Darke and I was shocked to realise its been nearly 6 years since I read book 3 and decided to start my binge and catch up right now. I was worried I wouldn’t recall characters or the like but I needn’t have worried, just a few chapters in and it was like I had never been away.

I forgot how much I liked Matilda, as the DCI with a great team of colleagues she is very likeable. This storyline felt particularly nansty with a killer deciding on hanging their vicitm. I recalled pretty early on how much I loved the team that work with Matilda, especially Sian, Rory and Scott. In addition you have the pathologist Adele whio is also Matilda’s best friend. What nobody had banked on was Adele being dragged into the case in a way nobody saw coming.

This book was such a good read and by the end of it I realised that once more I had a series where not only was I invested in the lead character but also the additional people that feauture in and around Matilda. This book was certainly graphic with lots of hooks and some very shocking scenes played out, but thoroughly enjoyable and I am even more keen to get going on book 5!

Hard Exit by J B Turner (Jon Reznick 11)

Hard Exit Synopsis:

When a Swiss intelligence agent goes missing—taking with him thousands of classified documents that have the potential to expose covert agents and information around the world—he also threatens to expose the one secret that will change Jon Reznick’s life forever.

Hans Muller has found someone on Swiss CCTV footage—someone who is supposed to be dead, someone from long ago in Reznick’s past. If her true identity is as Muller suspects, and if he divulges her secret, it could be dangerous for her and her loved ones, not to mention disastrous for national security.

In a shocking twist of fate, the mysterious woman looks exactly like Jon Reznick’s late wife, who was thought to have died in the 9/11 attacks. Reznick has to know: Is this just a case of mistaken identity, or has Elisabeth been alive all this time?

Reznick jumps into an international fray with Swiss Intelligence agents and the CIA to find the missing classified documents and his own answers. Anyone who knows Jon Reznick knows he won’t rest until he finds the truth…even if it upends his life as he knows it.

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: Well wow. I did NOT see this coming. I am a fan of this series and have always loved all the books. However, book 10 I struggled with a little and felt like it didn’t fit with the others. Picking this book up it also didn’t necessarily fit with what you have read about Reznick in the past because this book goes a lot deeper than the norm and it’s hugely personal for Jon.

Hans Muller is the start of this story and it’s when he finds someone on CCTV footage that cannot be identitfied he realises just what he has stumbled upon! The identity of that person is someoe who is meant to be dead, and sadly for Hans Muller the person whose life it affects the most is Reznick. Reznick doesn’t know whether to believe that this missing person is his wife but he is determined to find out. The story is an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish and I read this in just a handful of sittings over a day and a half.

I think you really do have to have read the series to undstad the gravity of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was so pleased with the way the story was wrapped up. I was so worried it would be cliched but I needn’t have worried. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what is nect for Jon.

Finding Family at The Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

Finding Family Cornish Cove Synopsis: Family is everything…

For years, Gemma has been running her late mother’s café with devotion, and when an opportunity comes to buy out her next-door neighbour and expand, she jumps at the chance.

She knows she will do her mother proud – keep her legacy going strong – but deep down she knows there’s still something missing.

But sometimes family are those you choose, or those who choose you! With a growing community of supporters cheering Gemma on, will she really spend the rest of her life alone? And with some new faces at her blossoming bistro, perhaps romance may also be on the cards?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: Urghhh I wish I could just continuously read about this village and never stop it just lifts my spirits every time I read a book by Kim Nash! Her last book introduced us to Meredith who impulsively brought a lighthouse in Driftwood Bay in Cornwall. That first book not only introduced us to Meredith and Clem (the guy that renovated the lighthouse for her), but to other villagers and one of those was Gemma.

Gemma is the main focus of this book but even from the beginning I loved the fact we got updates on all the other characters living in Driftwood Bay. Gemma owns a cafe which was once owned by her Mother and she has the opportunity to expand. It’s a big leap but one she is willing to take. She didn’t quite bank on the issues she would run into when trying to get her dream to reality. There uis a newbie in town, Jude Adams and his daughter Occy ends up working for Gemma. Occy was a brilliant character and one that I warmed to instantly.

We get to learn a lot more about Gemma’s own life and her close relationship with her sister Lucy, who runs the local B&B with her husband. This book truly was an absolute gem. I read it in one day and around two sittings and rarely stopped for breath. An utterly enchanting read and I am absolutely gutted that I have to wait to read the next one. If you need a big fat hug and a feel good read this is the one for you!

Hard Fire by J B Turner (Jon Reznick 10)

Hard Fire Synopsis:

Jon Reznick is not a man to cross. A brutally effective black-ops veteran, Reznick has a history of taking the law into his own hands. So when a group of masked men murders his closest friend, he swears to exact vengeance. The now-deceased Bill Eastland had been Reznick’s last living tie to his father, leaving him devastated…and furious. Whether or not the FBI approves, he swears to hunt down whoever issued the hit on his friend.

With the help of hacker Trevelle Williams, Reznick tracks the masked murderers from Maine to Texas to New York, quickly becoming embroiled in the shadowy world of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mafia. As Reznick’s own body count begins to climb, clues lead him to one of the most dangerous crime families in New York, headed by the infamous Paul Moretti. But FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein has just learned a crucial secret that could derail Reznick’s quest for revenge—Moretti is a high-level FBI informant.

Reznick faces a stark choice: take on the FBI and risk severing ties with Martha, or inflict his own form of rigorous justice no matter the possible fallout. How far will he go—and how many government agencies will he undermine—to get retribution for his best friend’s death? He might just have to create his own set of rules.

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: I have read this series from the beginning and have absolutely loved them all. Somehow this latest book I didn’t feel fit with what I knew about this character so far and by the time I finished the book I wondered what had happened. I won’t re-hash the synopis as that is pointless and to be fair the storyline never seems to be an issue which shows the skill JBT has as an author.

What I found hard to stomach was the character I have grown to know and love reading about. Jon is returning from a trip and intercepts some bad guys, when he realises they killed his old pal Bill Eastland it rams up his revenge factor. For some reason this story didn’t sit right with me at all. It didn’t feel anything like the character I had read about for the last ten books because this version of Jon was a little too crazy. He didn’t care for Martha (definitely didn’t sit right with me) and he cared little for anybody else’s feelings.

An average read which for some reason didn’t resonate with me, I can only hope that the Jon I know and love returns for book 11

Hopeful Hearts at Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

Hopeful Hearts Synopsis:

A perfect new start in Cornwall…

Meredith’s life is at a standstill. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it.

With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I am primarly a crime and thriller reader but I adore this genre as its more escapist and light hearted and although I don’t read this genre often I certainly have my favourites and go-to authors. For more than 25 years I have relied upon authors such as Carol Matthews, Jill Mansell and more recently authors such as Paige Toon and Jo Thomas. However, Kim Nash is now pretty much the top of that list now. Her books are guaranteed feel good reads and somehow I ending up falling in love with the places she writes about and the people living there. Hopeful Hearts is absolutely no different.

Meredith is your average and ordinary woman but as she approaches fifty she makes one rather rash and impulsive decision which sort of changes everything for her. She brought a lighthouse without even seeing it and it means a move down to Cornwall. First off I really loved Meredith, I think as a fourty something woman I am sick of reading about women in their twenties! It is so refreshing to see women my own sort of age as the lead in a book. Meredith is very likeable but as soon as she moves down to Cornwall you just know she has made a mistake.

Once she arrives a whole manner of things of happen from having a disagreement with a local as soon as she gets there to realising she has to work on this lighthouse from top to bottom. The characters that make appearances throughout this book from Clem who ends up renovating the lighthouse with Meredith, to Lucy and Gemma, to Violet….all the locals make an appearance and they all form part of this amazing story set in Driftwood Bay.

I was completely engrossed with the story and characters and soon realised that I had read the book in a day and a half and felt bereft. Thankfully I had book two ready to go also set in Driftwood Bay and featuring characters we have already met (thank goodness). I really can’t explain why but these books are a sheer joy to read and just have that magic touch which enable you as the reader to completely lose yourself. I absolutely LOVED this book and would highly reccomend it to anybody.

THE NURSERY BY SUE WATSON

Synopsis: Then: Morning light shines into the nursery, casting shadows across the pale pink walls and wooden cot in the middle of the room. She opens the door expecting to hear the soft coo of her daughter Sofia stretching herself awake. But the room is silent. The cot is empty. Her little girl has vanished…

Now: Twelve years have passed, but Emily will never forget the night her life changed forever and she’s happy to have her daughter back beside her. A teenager now, Sofia – who was once a star student – is getting into trouble at school and she’s started asking questions about when she was a baby, but Emily can’t tell her what really happened the night she went missing. Nobody would understand why Emily did what she did, and if anyone ever found out, she could lose her daughter forever.

But when Emily catches Sofia messaging a stranger online, her heart pounds in her chest as she reads the last message received.

Your mother isn’t who you think she is.

Days later, Emily returns home to find the house silent. She checks every room but Sofia has vanished, again. She shudders as she remembers that night in the nursery. Has her past finally caught up with her? And is she already too late to save her precious daughter?

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: I have to start by saying that I would definitely say I am a fan of some of Sue Watsons books, however this one infuriated me beyond belief. Emily and her daughter Sofia are the stars of this latest story and at first it was pretty readable and it was very clear that Emily had run from something. The story flowed well and I got into it pretty quickly but there were a few niggles that continued to irritate and just seemingly got worse.

Emily as a Mother was ridiculously over the top, but I could forgive that to a point. However, considering she trusted nobody, she then decides to trust a dude she literally met five minutes before? That annoyed me, as did her friend Nancy. She needed a good slap and to be told to disappear off the face of the planet. The final and worst thing for me was the addition of stating the obvious at the end of what felt like every chapter!

These few niggles really put a dampner on this book for me and lessened the enjoyment hugely. It was still an okay read but nowhere near what I have come to expect from this author and this definitely wouldn’t be on my list of books from her I love.

BAD BLOOD BY ANGELA MARSONS (KIM STONE 19)

Synopsis: The victim is lying under the trees, arms lifted above his head, unnaturally still. His muscles are slack. His eyes are empty. There are no signs of life. But he is not quite dead…

When Detective Kim Stone races to the crime scene, there is no body waiting for her: the paramedics are desperately trying to save the victim’s life. But there is something very strange about the way the man was found, his arms raised above his head, his legs spread apart. When he dies on the way to the hospital, Kim is certain she’s on the hunt for a killer… but all evidence at the scene has been destroyed.

The dead man, Eric Gould, seems ordinary, until the team dig into his past. As a teenager, he was locked away for attacking his girlfriend, and Kim suspects he was hurting his fiancé now. Was someone trying to stop history repeating?

Then another man is found on the verge of death, his bones broken to force him into an unnatural shape. The team realise the killer is sending a message – the victims’ bodies are spelling out their sins. As boys, they were both part of a group of six who bragged about their terrible crimes. But they were children then, and when she sees the grief on the faces of their loved ones now, Kim swears to find answers.

Is someone finally getting revenge… or do they think these men are still dangerous? The killer is threatening to strike again, and the only way Kim can crack the case is by tracking down the rest of the six first.

But then a revelation about what one of her team is suffering makes Kim understand why people take the law into their own hands. Do these victims deserve what’s coming to them? Or is there even more to fear from their brutal killer?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I am not quite sure how Angela Marsons has managed and continues to produce such engaging stories with Kim and the team at the 19 books in stage! Many series tend to run their course and people tire of the characters or feel there is nowhere else to go. I feel like there is still plenty of life in this series and I am continuing to love every book as much as the last with this latest book being no excpetion.

This latest storyline and its crime scenes were bordering on the disturbed with vicitms being left not ‘quite’ dead. Yes you read that correctly. Although the first victim does end up dying it opens pandoras box into why a killer would leave somebody ‘not quite dead’ and in addition to this they seem to be laid out in a certain way. Kim and the team have their work cut out for them. In addition to the latest scene they are working I was keen to see how the storyline featuring Stacey panned out in this latest book.

I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to spoil it for other people but Kim really does love her team members that is all I will say. I read this in record time and then once again berated myself for reading it too early. This now means I have a longer wait until the next one….an absolutely cracking series that shows no sign of slowing down.

SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER BY CAROL WYER (NATALIE WARD 7)

Somebody's Daughter Synopsis: One by one the girls disappeared…

When the frail body of a teenage girl is discovered strangled in a parking lot, shards of ice form in Detective Natalie Ward’s veins. As Natalie looks at the freckles scattered on her cheeks and the pale pink lips tinged with blue, she remembers that this innocent girl is somebody’s daughter…

The girl is identified as missing teenager Amelia Saunders, who has run away from home and her controlling father. Natalie’s heart sinks further when it becomes clear that Amelia has been working on the streets, manipulated by her violent new boyfriend Tommy.

A day later, another vulnerable girl is found strangled on a park bench. Like Amelia, Katie Bray was a runaway with connections to Tommy, and Natalie is determined to find him and track down the monster attacking these scared and lonely girls.

But when a wealthy young woman is found murdered the next morning, the word ‘guilty’ scrawled on her forehead, Natalie realises that the case is more complex than she first thought. Determined to establish a connection between her three victims, Natalie wastes no time in chasing down the evidence, tracing everyone who crossed their paths. Then, a key suspect’s body turns up in the canal, a mole in Natalie’s department leaks vital information and everything seems to be against her. Can Natalie stop this clever and manipulative killer before they strike again?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: Things have changed greatly over the course of the last 6 books and as a new case is brought to the team everybody has different roles. Natalie is now DCI and as such this means Lucy Carmichael steps up to run and oversee the investigation. It was strange to see them in new roles and it was clear from the characters that this certainly isn’t an easy adjustment for any of them.

The absolute worst case possible is also the first for Natalie to oversee and Lucy to run with the death of a teenage girl. As usual the team all get stuck in, and although I feared Natalie wouldn’t be as involved it soon became apparent that she most certainly would be. For me one of the strengths about this series is the fantastic balance between the crimes being committed and the personal lives of all the characters.

We get to see Natalie adjusting to now living with Mike following the breakdown of her marriage. We also get glimpses of the team working the case and this is what makes for such an interesting and easy to read book by Wyer. This storyline in terms of the murder team wasn’t necssarily my favourite but as usual there is plenty of action going on and as areader you feel totally engaged. Another highly enjoyable book in this series.