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Redemption by Stephen Edger (Mark Baines #2)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: A year ago, Mark Baines was blackmailed into laundering two hundred and fifty million pounds through the bank he worked for. The same people framed him for murder. Now serving two life sentences in a maximum security prison, the future looks bleak. On Christmas Day the prison is breached and Mark is abducted by an unknown group. They are after a mysterious package that is locked in a secret vault deep within the foundations of a tower in Canary Wharf and they believe Mark is the key to finding it. Ali Jacobs is still undercover, trying to infiltrate the Russian mafia. Now based in London, she is shocked when her path brings her into contact with Mark again. The next seven days will define their lives. Kidnap, car chases, a botched M.I.6 operation and an uneasy union with underworld figures mean Mark is in a race against time to prove his innocence and find redemption.

My Review: This second book in the trilogy follows the book Integration which I just finished reading. In my previous review I stated that the book is somewhat bordering on the ‘over the top’ line, but somehow I think it works and doesn’t cross the line. IT puts me more in mind of fast paced Kernick book. Mark Baines got himself in all sorts of bother in the last book and at the start of this one we see him serving a rather lengthy sentence courtesy of Her Majesty. I wasn’t sure where this book would take us, especially as Mark is currently detained. It seems that makes no difference to the sort of people Mark Baines is involved with (albeit involuntarily).

The beginning also re-introduces us to copper Ali Jacobs who is working undercover trying to get deeper within the ranks of the Russian Mafia. Meanwhile Mark has not even had a chance to settle in prison he is forcibly removed and isn’t quite sure what is going on. It’s pretty clear early on that here are loads of unanswered questions which now arise from the first book, and as more and more things get uncovered it becomes clear that Mark is well and truly knackered.

The people that forcibly remove him from prison are convinced that he is the key top finding something they need which just happens to be buried deep within a bank vault in Canary Wharf. It seems the common theme for these books is huge amounts of drama and adrenaline, neither of which is short in this book. The middle section was slightly slower than the end, but overall I once again loved this tale of Mark Baines. I was slightly shocked by one particular element of the story towards the end but to say anymore would be a spoiler. I have managed to restrain myself from going straight to book 3, but it’s inevitable that I will end up finishing the trilogy in the not too distant future. These books are pure entertainment and if you’re a fan of the high octane kind of books such as the Kernick’s of this world, this may well be right up your street.

Little Boy Blue by M J Arlidge (Helen Grace #5)

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Synopsis: Detective Inspector Helen Grace is no stranger to tragedy. But when a body is found in a Southampton nightclub, the death cuts too close to the bone.

Hiding her personal connection to the victim – and a double-life which must remain secret at all costs – Helen becomes a woman possessed, working her team around the clock to chase down every lead.

As the killer strikes again, the investigation takes its toll not only on Helen but also her senior officers. Tempers flare, friendships fray and Helen faces an impossible choice.

Confess her sins and lose control of the case? Or keep living a lie, protecting her darkest secrets, and risk getting trapped in this tangled web?

But whatever she does, this killer will not stop until the truth is revealed: there are some fates worse than death . . .

KAT’S RATING: 5/5

KAT’S REVIEW: I have been reading the Helen Grace Series from the beginning and was so looking forward to the next installment. As soon as I started I was straight back into Helen’s world and was absorbed within a matter of a few chapters. One thing I will point out is that although you may well be able to read this as a standalone book, it is made so much better by the fact that I have been following the series. You have a real sense of the characters and their history and how each path has been crossed with other people. Helen is an outstanding character and as many readers will know she has her own secrets which will put her firmly in the firing line in this latest book.

A body is found to start us off, only this time it’s found at a Southampton nightclub which was hosting a fetish ball and as soon as Helen arrives she realises that she has her own personal connection to the murder. This alone makes for an outstanding read, but add in all the other factors such as the return of favourite characters and I knew this would be a full5 star read and I wasn’t even halfway.

Helen’s superior Gardam made for such a good thread to the story I had no idea where the story would go with it until it smacked me around the face (I didn’t see that coming). We also see Helen’s juniors Sanderson and Brooks fighting for their position as Helen’s right hand woman. The murders continue to increase and every plot thread added to the tension and ratcheted up the nerve endings. By the time the last quarter of the book was upon me, all thoughts of dinner, washing and anything else remotely house related went straight out the window. The real kicker was the ending. It was a real OMG moment and I was FURIOUS that Arlidge has left us hanging. It was so good it was bad (if you know what I mean). All I can say is I am literally on tenterhooks waiting for the next book which is due for release on 8 September 2016. An absolutely brilliant book which I think is Arlidge’s best yet and I cannot recommend this series highly enough.

My Mother’s Secret by Sheila O’Flanagan

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Synopsis: When Steffie helps her two siblings organize a surprise wedding anniversary party for their parents her only worry is whether they’ll be pleased. What she doesn’t know is this is the day that her whole world will be turned upside down.

Jenny wants to be able to celebrate her ruby anniversary with the man she loves, but for forty years she has kept a secret. A secret that she can’t bear to hide any longer. But is it ever the right time to hurt the people closest to you?

As the entire family gather to toast the happy couple, they’re expecting a day to remember. The trouble is, it’s not going to be for the reasons they imagined…

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I am a big Sheila O’Flanagan fan and am rarely disappointed with one of her books. This latest one, although it wasn’t a disappointment as such, I just felt it was a little bit ‘middle of the road’ for my liking. It’s a typical family drama and the writing style is no different, there was just something that seemed a wee bit off kilter.

Roisin is the older sister to sister Steffi and brother Davey. When she throws an anniversary surprise party for their parents Jenny and Pascal, Steffi knows full well that this isn’t the sort of thing her parents want as they prefer the quieter life, so when her Mother drops a bombshell at the party it gets the book off to a great start. The characters are well fleshed out and you get that real Irish family feel to the story. There are a lot of different personalities and threads which keep you engaged as a reader.

However, unusually for an Sheila O’Flanagan book, it didn’t seem to go much further than that for me. It’s a solid read but seems to be missing it’s usual magic, and the worst part is I can’t even tell you why. Yes it was a little predictable, but normally I overlook that as the enjoyment parts are so good. This time around, although I didn’t dislike any of the characters, I didn’t really care for them either way. Maybe it’s a one off, but for me this book felt a little bit too old fashioned and that just isn’t the case with this author normally. Here’s hoping her next released brings back that little bit of sparkle I felt was missing in this one.

Those Summer Nights by Mandy Baggott

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Synopsis: Imogen Charlton is sorted. Dead-beat husband? History. Dream job? Application sent. But then her impulsive brother, Harry, spends every last penny on a Greek restaurant in Corfu, and is determined to run it himself. It’s up to Imogen to bring him to his senses.

When sexy millionaire Panos Dimitriou offers to buy back his family taverna, Imogen wonders if all her prayers have been answered (and all her fantasies about to come true). But Harry won’t budge, and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Bright pink bougainvillea tumbling over whitewashed walls, endless blue skies, the sparkling Mediterranean; it’s hard not to fall for Corfu. And that’s not all Imogen is falling for…

As the sparks of passion fly between Imogen and Panos, is Imogen having second thoughts on selling the restaurant? And will she have to choose between love and a new dream?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Mandy Baggott is a relatively new author to me. I know she has been writing and publishing since 2012 but I read my first book be her not that long ago and LOVED it. I was sincerely hoping it wasn’t a fluke and YAY it wasn’t. I have finished this and decided that Corfu is definitely somewhere I need to go back to.

Imogen (Immy) and her brother Harry are close, except that Harry doesn’t have a great history and when he announces he has brought a restaurant in Corfu Immy thinks he has finally lost his marbles. She decides that the only way to make Harry realise what a mistake he has made is to go to Corfu with him and see what she can do to get him to change his mind.

Harry and Immy are such adorable characters and it’s obvious from the outset how close they are. Harry is so loveable and although it seems like his choices are impulsive it soon becomes clear that his family are the reasons behind it. Mandy Baggott has such a wonderfully descriptive narrative that I almost felt like I was settled in one of the sun loungers right next to Harry’s restaurant.

I absolutely adored Elpida who is the lady who previously owned the restaurant. When her grandson Pano turns up things are shaken from the ground up. Pano is quite frankly everything you want on a Greek God and frankly I wanted to marry him myself within a few pages of meeting him. Pano is a developer and doesn’t take kindly to Harry and Immy trying to revive his Grandmothers restaurant.

With this book comes a whole host of loveable characters and a place that frankly should take centre stage in a luxury travel brochure. The story is another wonderful read, and one that transported me to a beach that frankly I wanted to spend weeks on. I loved the fact that although we see Greece, you also get a real flavour of the traditional Greece as opposed to the tourist traps. Once again I devoured this book and am annoyed I didn’t have the patience to wait and take it on holiday with me. My next question would be…”how long do I have to wait for the next book?”.

BLOG TOUR: Play Dead by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #4)

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Synopsis: The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess.

Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime.

Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next?

As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …? Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: Play Dead by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #4)”

The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

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Synopsis: Everyone remembers their first kiss. But what about the last?

1961. Journalist Rosamund Bailey is ready to change the world. When she meets explorer and man about town Dominic Blake, she realises she has found the love of her life. Just as happiness is in their grasp, the worst happens, and their future is snatched away.

2014. Deep in the vaults of a museum, archivist Abby Gordon stumbles upon a breathtaking find. A faded photograph of a man saying goodbye to the woman he loves. Looking for a way to escape her own heartache, Abby becomes obsessed with the story, little realising that behind the image frozen in time lies a secret altogether more extraordinary.

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I have to hold my hands up here and say I actually put off reading this book. I am a huge Tasmina Perry fan but when I saw her slight departure from style with both the cover and synopsis of this book I was slightly wary. This latest book is set over two time frames, both the 1960s and 2014. We have two stories set 50 years apart featuring Dom and Ros from the Fifties and Abby set in the current time frame.

Abby is archivist and after a separation from her husband she is finding her feet. She comes across a photograph that she longs to know more about. The photograph turns out to be that of Rosamund Bailey and Dominic Blake who was a famous explorer. This is where the story begins to separate and we see Dom and Ros feature. I have to be honest and say that the story was okay, but that’s where it ended for me. I didn’t care too much for either Dom or Ros and felt like Abby was rather flat.

The story itself trundles along but the characters which are just a fancy word for the glue that holds it all together just didn’t interest me enough. The writing style is still glaringly apparent but I suppose I have become accustomed to reading the Bonkbuster style books that Tasmina previously wrote. I am finding it difficult to articulate but in a nutshell I didn’t like or care enough about any of the characters for me to rate it anything outside of average. I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed, but can only hope her next book is as engaging as all her previous works.

BEHIND DEAD EYES BY HOWARD LINSKEY (DI Bradshaw 2)

Synopsis: A MYSTERY VICTIM

A corpse is found: its identity extinguished in the most shocking manner imaginable. Detective Ian Bradshaw can’t catch the killer if no one can ID the victim. Out there, somewhere, a missing young woman may hold the answers.

A SECRET WEB

Journalist Helen Norton is about to uncover a massive criminal conspiracy. She just needs the final piece of the puzzle. Soon, she will learn the price of the truth.

AN ‘INNOCENT’ KILLER

True-crime writer Tom Carney receives letters from a convicted murderer who insists he is innocent. His argument is persuasive – but psychopaths are often said to be charming…

WHAT IS THE DARK THREAD RUNNING THROUGH THESE CRIMES?

KAT’S RATING: 4/5 Continue reading “BEHIND DEAD EYES BY HOWARD LINSKEY (DI Bradshaw 2)”

Murder Ring by Leigh Russell (Geraldine Steel #8)

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Synopsis: ‘Hearing footsteps pounding along the street behind him he glanced back, fleetingly worried, then laughed because the street was deserted. All the same, he felt uneasy. Everything looked different in the dark.

Then he heard more footsteps approaching, and a hoarse voice called out. Turning his head, he made out a figure hovering in the shadows and as it raised one arm, the barrel of a gun glinted in the moonlight…’

The dead body of unassuming David Lester is discovered in a dark side-street, and DI Geraldine Steel is plunged into another murder investigation. The clues mount up along with the suspects, but with the death of another man in inexplicable circumstances, the case becomes increasingly complex. As Geraldine investigates the seemingly unrelated crimes, she makes a shocking discovery about her birth mother.

KAT’S RATING: 4/5

KAT’S REVIEW: First off, although this is book 8 in a series featuring Geraldine Steel, this book could certainly be read as a stand alone. I love this series and Leigh Russell has written a believable and likeable character with Geraldine. However, I have some niggles with the last and current book in that I feel like I am waiting for something to happen on her personal life front. A lot has happened with Geraldine over the last few books and currently it feels like she is in a little bit of a rut. Hopefully the next book will see a change in that. One of the reasons is that Geraldine has been searching for her Birth Mother for some time. This issue is addressed in this latest installment, however by the end of the book there are also additional threads opening up so hopefully this will show us a whole new element to Geraldine in the next installment.

That aside, Geraldine is thrown into a new murder case following the discovery of David Lester’s body. When he is found in a side alley it initially seems that it was a mugging gone wrong, however soon becomes apparent that it was no simple robbery. Geraldine’s colleague Sam returns as does a new DCI who is looking to solve this case quickly to prove he is the right man for the job. The plot is well paced and as the story progresses we see multiple suspects emerge from the woodwork.

The book is certainly an easy read and the series is still one I thoroughly enjoy. I hope that in future books we get to see a balance between work and personal life as at the moment this is the only element of this book that doesn’t feel right. I would also love to see additional characters help add to the team that Geraldine works with. I would definitely recommend this series as I think Gerladine is an interesting and very readable character. I always look forward to what comes next in the series and the same applies now.

Summer At Rose Island by Holly Martin (White Cliff Bay #3)

Synopsis: Fall in love with the gorgeous seaside town of White Cliff Bay this summer and enjoy long sunny days, beautiful beaches and… a little romance.

Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals.

When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing…

Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day.

Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides.

She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for?

KAT’S RATING: 4/5 Continue reading “Summer At Rose Island by Holly Martin (White Cliff Bay #3)”

See How They Run by Tom Bale

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Synopsis: In the dead of night, new parents Alice and Harry French are plunged into their worst nightmare when they wake to find masked men in their bedroom. Men ruthless enough to threaten their baby daughter, Evie.

This is no burglary gone wrong.

The intruders know who they’re looking for – a man called Edward Renshaw. And they are prepared to kill to get to him.

When the men leave empty handed, little do Alice and Harry realise that their nightmare is just beginning. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Who is Renshaw? And what is he hiding?

One thing is clear – they already know too much. As Alice and Harry are separated in the run for their lives, there is no time for breathe in their fight to be reunited. And with their attackers closing in, there is only a choice:

STAY ALIVE. OR DON’T.

KAT’S RATING: 4/5

KAT’S REVIEW: Alice and Harry French are an immensely likeable and ordinary couple who are in for the shock of their lives. One sleepless night, whilst still trying to adjust to a new routing with their young infant Evie they awake to find masked men in their house. Yes its the stuff of nightmares and it soon becomes apparent that this innocent couple have unwittingly been caught up in something they know nothing about.

What happens following that is the stuff of nightmares. The man these men are looking for named Renshaw becomes the focus of the story and both Alice and Harry are very quick to descend into make or break decision making. Looking at this story from the outside I think it’s completely believable as being put in a situation such as they were, it’s easy to see how rash decisions can be made. The story soon picks up in a frantic way as more characters become introduced and the reader and characters are left wondering whose side each character is on.

Once Alice and Harry become seperated they each have to then make further decisions to try and save their family. This only adds to the tension and you can almost feel the desperation of these characters pouring off the pages. I have said as much as I can about the storyline, but suffice to say Tom Bale has done an amazing job packing in everything.

There were one or two moments I wondered whether the scenes had become too well staged, but aside from that this really was a fantastic read. Bookouture seem to have no problem finding authors that create amazing stories and Tom Bale is no exception. This was certainly a gripping book and one that is difficult to put down. High energy, packed to the rafters with terrifying and heart stopping moments and a pleasure to read. I’m really looking forward to whatever comes next for Tom Bale and will now be looking to read his back catalogue.