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Lost Souls by Neil White (McGanity and Garrett #2)

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My Rating: 3/5

Availability: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: A woman is found brutally murdered on a quiet housing estate, her tongue and eyes ritualistically gouged out.

Children are being abducted and then returned to their family’s days later without a scratch and with no knowledge or where they have been – or with whom. If DC Laura McGanity thought moving from London to sleepy Lancashire was taking the easy option then she can think again. Already worried about uprooting young son Bobby to follow her reporter boyfriend Jack Garrett back to his hometown, she must quickly get a handle on these mystifying cases terrifying the people of Blackley – without putting the local officers’ noses out of joint.

Meanwhile, restless Jack is itching to get back to his writing and the cases provide the perfect opportunity to do so. But as he delves deeper into them, he finds murky connections between the two crimes and skeletons buried in the most unlikely of closets.

Most astonishing of all, he meets a man who ‘paints’ the future – terrible events come to him in vivid dreams which he then puts onto canvas. This ‘precognition’ is not so much a gift as a curse and to Jack it becomes terrifyingly that many people, including his own family, are in danger…

My Review: I enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to getting stuck in to book 2. This time around Laura and Jack have relocated from London back up to Lancashire and are starting afresh. I liked both Jack and Laura in the first book and nothing has changed since then. They are easy to read characters and the writing has a nice easy flow about it. The opener of this latest book sets the scene for what Laura will have to deal with working alongside new colleagues in her job as a police officer.

Laura’s colleague on the job Pete was a really good character and one that I hope I get to see again. However, nobody else within the book made that much of an impression on me. The storyline was certainly okay, but in my opinion it didn’t feel strong enough. That may sound slightly ‘wishy-washy’ but it’s the only description I can think of. There is quite a lot of action and when the characters are introduced they all seem to interlink somewhere along which certainly kept me interested. I just couldn’t help but feel like something was missing and whatever that something was, it just didn’t make the story that memorable for me.

Jack and Laura obviously clash heads within their personal lives due to the nature of their respective careers. However, with that in mind I couldn’t help but feel like that rule only applied when the story suited. Overall, I am finding this review hard to write, or even explain in any great details. What I will say is that it’s certainly not a bad book, just one that could do with being better. Seeing as Neil White has such a great following and has gone on to write another 3 in this series I will certainly be continuing in the hope that the next book doesn’t leave me feeling the same way.

Betrayed by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #4)

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: You don’t mess with Rosie Gilmour and get away with it.

Crime reporter Rosie Gilmour is back at The Post, bruised and battered from her last investigation but determined to find missing barmaid Wendy Graham.

Convinced that Wendy is the key to an explosive new story, Rosie’s search leads her deep into the dangerous world of Glasgow’s Ulster Volunteer Force. This time Rosie will find herself at the mercy of the most vicious gangsters she’s ever encountered. Has she met her match?

My Review: I have really enjoyed this series so far and was really looking forward to this instalment. Thankfully I was in for a real treat and it took me no time to catch up with the wonderful Rosie Gilmour. This is Anna Smith’s fourth book in the series and it appears she is now at full throttle. We catch up with Rosie after her last investigation (Book 3) and she is now back at work and ready to go. When barmaid Wendy Graham goes missing, Rosie starts to delve into it and as usual finds herself in a situation where she may have to take a few risks. I immediately loved the fact that we get to see Rosie back in her normal day to day job, and her colleagues and friends make appearances once again making you feel you know her that bit better with each book you read.

The subject matter in this latest book delves into matters concerning Glasgow’s UVF and it’s not a pretty picture. I think its times like this, where Anna’s history as a journalist shine through. When Rosie begins to dig deeper into the UVF, she comes across more people involved in both the UVF, and Wendy’s life. Eddie, Jimmy and Mitch are the three main characters within the UVF which catch her attention, and as ever her search for the story takes her into dangerous waters.

The book takes us from Scotland to Spain and once more we get to see the people that help Rosie try to get her story. Matt her work colleague as always goes with her and we also see the return of Adrian. Adrian has appeared in her previous book and I am SO glad that we saw his return in this current one. I just hope that we get to see more of him again? The storyline dragged me in from the beginning and it kept me hooked from start to finish. Rosie is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine and I just cant wait to see what happens to her next. We see a smaller proportion of Rosie’s personal life, but in a strange way….you get to see how she feels about things pretty much all the way through the book.

I can honestly say that this book was a first class read. It has everything I want from a Crime book and more. Great characters, bundles of drama and characters you love to hate. The writing is top notch and I think this is by far her best book to date. I absolutely loved this latest Gilmour book and would suggest if you haven’t read any of them you get started with book one in the series….I sincerely doubt you will regret it!

Review of Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross

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My Rating: 3/5

Availability: Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, Audio, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: WHEN YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO LOSE, YOU STOP PLAYING BY THE RULES

Hilary Cantor’s life is falling apart. She has lost her job, is about to lose her house, and is running out of money to care for her young son with Asperger’s syndrome.

But when Hilary is first on the scene of a fatal car accident, she finds a satchel full of cash on the backseat – enough to solve all of her problems. Her split-second decision has devastating consequences…

Because the money she takes is at the heart of a conspiracy involving murder, blackmail and a powerful figure who’ll do anything to keep the past buried. They don’t just want their money back: they want Hilary’s life – and that of her son…

My Review: I really struggled over the rating of this book. I am a huge Andrew Gross fan and was dithering between 3/5 and 4/5. Sadly after thinking about it, this latest release just didn’t cut it for me. Although, having said that, this is entirely a personal choice and is also based upon his previous work. Hilary Cantor is the lead character in this book and her life seems to be literally falling apart at the seams. Her son has Aspergers Syndrome and she has been left to deal with that and her mounting debts by her ex.

She is involved in a car accident and as a subsequence ends up making a very costly mistake with somebody else’s money. The fact that Hillary finds and decides to keep the half a million dollars is the start of a pretty obvious story, being that the original recipients want it back. What follows is Hillary’s fight to keep both her and her son alive. The first thing I think I struggled with was the character of Hilary as I just didn’t particularly like her. There are other elements to this story following the major Storm, which involves people losing their homes, and a subsequent plot weave involving gangsters and shady politicians.

The writing is as sharp as ever but for me the key elements were missing. The fact that I didn’t like the lead character is always a negative for me. Add on to that the fact that the story was too far fetched (even by my standards) dropped my opinion even more. I am actually a huge Andrew Gross fan and normally love his books, but this one just wasn’t up to par.

It’s pretty obvious that the book is most certainly readable (I read it in just under a day and a half) and for some they will really love this. For me, I still miss the Ty Hauck books (Andrew Gross series of books), and this just wasn’t as good as some of his other stand alone books. I can only hope that this was just not a good fit for me and his next book is as awesome as some of his others.

The Accident by C L Taylor

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Paperback, Kindle, Kobo and Nook (entitled Before I Wake)

Synopsis: Sue Jackson has the perfect family but when her teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma she is forced to face a very dark reality.

Retracing her daughter’s steps she finds a horrifying entry in Charlotte’s diary and is forced to head deep into Charlotte’s private world. In her hunt for evidence, Sue begins to mistrust everyone close to her daughter and she’s forced to look further, into the depths of her own past.

Sue will do anything to protect her daughter. But what if she is the reason that Charlotte is in danger?

My Review: Cally Taylor is certainly not new to the writing scene and has written two romantic comedy books under that name; however The Accident is her first in the suspense/thriller genre. The synopsis sounded pretty good and I was looking forward to getting stuck in. The story opens up with Sue Jackson visiting her daughter as she lies helplessly in a coma. Sue and her husband Brian have no idea why their teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately stepped in front of a bus resulting in her current state.

The writing was great from the very beginning and I found myself very drawn into the story. Sue is convinced that her daughter would not have deliberately stepped in front of a bus and is determined to get to the bottom of it. What follows is a woman’s determination to get to the truth no matter what the cost. The tension was pretty high especially as the book progresses. In addition to this storyline we get to read chapters of Sue’s past which goes a long was to explaining her current state of mind. Cally Taylor has gone all out to put you in the shoes of a Mother who is distraught and has to find the truth, and I think she has done that magnificently.

The past stories involving Sue and her ex James made you question the current situation even more. At times I even questioned Sue’s mental state wondering if her imagination was going into overdrive or if the things she had seen and heard were real. In just under a day and a half I had got to the last part of the book, but must admit the final few chapters left me feeling a little disappointed. I think the ending smacked of convenience too much for my liking and I was a little annoyed by that. With that to one side there is no way I could have rated it less than 4 as the writing and suspense was certainly up where it should have been. I for one will be looking out for future works by Cally in this genre and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

The Innocent by Sean Black (Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson #5)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Soon Released on Amazon click here- Sean Black Amazon Books

Synopsis: When college basketball coach Malik Shaw goes missing after a family tragedy it looks like just another retired athlete gone off the rails. But Malik’s childhood friend, private security specialist Ty Johnson, quickly begins to suspect that there is more to it. Chasing the truth, Ty and his business partner, Ryan Lock, begin to uncover a sinister conspiracy of silence in a sleep Minnesota college town.

It’s not the crime that kills you, it’s the cover up.

My Review: I have been eagerly awaiting the next book in the Lock/Ty series and I was fortunate enough to get a review copy. It took me a day to plough through the latest in the series and I am now back to counting the days until the next one. If you haven’t read any books in the series, fear not…there is enough here to read it as a stand alone novel. Although I must say I think this series is fantastic and deserves to be read from the beginning. Sean Black’s writing style over the past few years has proved his talent to create stories that pull you in and keep you well and truly engaged. This latest book is no different. However, with Ryan Lock being the star attraction closely followed by his partner and ex-Marine Ty it seems the roles have been reversed for this latest book.

Malik Shaw is an old school friend of Ty’s and when he goes missing following a tragedy in his life Ty knows that he has to get to him and fast. We don’t see much of Ty or Lock in the first quarter of the book and I have to say it made absolutely no difference to the story at all. Learning about Malik and the opening few chapters have enough drama to keep you turning the pages. The story itself has only one thread, but there are more suspects than you can shake a stick at which kept the plot moving at a decent pace.

Once Ty realises that the situation with Malik is turning sour he ups the ante and heads straight over to the college town in Minnesota. There are, as usual quite a lot of action packed moments, but certainly less tension that some of the previous books. This is by no means a negative, but this story is written slightly differently to previous ones in the series. I actually liked the fact that we see more or Ty in this book as previously he has always taken second place. It makes me feel I know him better, although this may only be because I have followed the series from book 1. Ryan Lock does make his appearance eventually and he is a great character to read about. He and Ty work so well together and this book cemented that with Lock working to help a friend of Ty’s.

Without adding spoilers, it was also nice to see references to how Ryan Lock is getting on with his personal life without too much detail. In a previous book there is a life changing event for him and it’s certainly mentioned here which makes for great continuity. Although I really enjoyed this book it didn’t quite have the same impact on me as say Gridlock or The Devil’s Bounty, but still a solid read and I for one will be eagerly awaiting book 6 in the series (no pressure Sean).

Betrayed by Jacqui Rose

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: She trusted the man she loved. It was the most dangerous things she had ever done …

No one can touch Del Williams – the hardest gangster in Soho. He’s got the monopoly on the drugs, the clubs and the girls – it’d be a mistake to underestimate him. The one person he’d take a bullet for is tough, beautiful Bunny Barker, mother of their daughter Star.

Bunny is determined to shield Star from ‘life’ but Del has a lot of enemies. When a familiar face appears from their past, their family is put into terrible danger. Can Bunny protect Star from the demons of her own past, and her very worst nightmare?

My Review: I have read all of Jacqui Rose books and as a relative newcomer to the crime genre she seems to be climbing in both the charts and popularity very quickly. This latest book proves why she has managed to do that in a short space of time. This latest offering gives us a prostitute Bunny Barker living her life along with her daughter Star by her own rules. She is a pretty likeable character but there is a dark and twisted underlying problem within Bunny’s past which is evident pretty quickly.

Star’s father happens to be a gangster who pretty much runs Soho and although he is besotted with Bunny and Star, his lifestyle is not one Bunny is prepared to take on full time. Del was a great character and I liked him from the off. In addition to this Bunny and Del’s daughter Star was fabulous. Although she is only a young girl she plays a pivotal part in the story and is written so that you can just imagine this bright and bubbly girl being at the centre of everybody’s world.

Sadly, past figures emerge and between that and Del’s current business dealings with the Russians everybody seems to suddenly be in danger. I started this yesterday morning and absolutely refused to put it down until I had finished. There were a couple of things that didn’t quite flow as well as they could have, but it was still a brilliant book and one that will be loved by fans of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller. I for one will be eagerly waiting for her next book which is due out in August 2014…yay!

https://amzn.to/2TJ1NOV

Want You Dead by Peter James (Roy Grace #10)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: IF HE CAN’T HAVE HER, THEN NOBODY CAN…Virtual romance becomes a terrifying obsession in Want You Dead…Single girl, 29, smouldering redhead, love life that’s crashed and burned. Seeks new flame to rekindle her fire. Fun, friendship and – who knows – maybe more? When Red Westwood meets handsome, charming and rich Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, there is an instant attraction. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past, and his dark side, begins to emerge. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror. Within a year, and under police protection, she evicts him from her flat and her life. But Red’s nightmare is only just beginning. For Bryce is obsessed with her, and he intends to destroy everything and everyone she has ever known and loved – and then her too…

My Review: What is going on with this series? I need to clarify that I have read every one of the Roy Grace series and have loved them all (Dead Simple book 1 being my all time favourite). However a few things have been going on that have narked me, one of them being the ongoing saga of Roy Grace’s missing/presumed dead wife Sandy. More of that later, but in the meantime I was brimming with excitement at having this latest release nearly 2 months early. I immediately got stuck in and as usual the story took me away to that dark and murky corner of my mind which enjoys reading about other people’s misery. For those of you that maybe haven’t read any of these books I suggest you stop reading my review as it will inevitably contain spoilers if you are not up to date with the series. We are up to book 10 in the series and Roy Grace is on the verge of getting married to Cleo and they have a young baby son. In addition to Roy we see the other characters that us readers have grown to love such as Glenn Branson and Norman Potting return.

We meet the lead in this current story Red Westwood (GREAT character name dontcha’ think) as she is recovering from her past disastrous relationship. Bryce Laurent is the man responsible for ruining her life a year earlier and she had no idea that in the short space of time she knew him he would turn out to be so toxic. In the present time Red is living under police protection and trying to move on without him in her life. I liked Red instantly, but on the down side by a quarter of the way through I was beginning to wonder whether I was actually reading a Peter James book. We don’t even see Roy Grace appear until that point and it was only then that I felt myself feeling much more settled. When a body turns up that is linked to Red Westwood the police aren’t altogether convinced that its anything more than coincidence. However, before too long things continue to get more and more nasty for Red and Roy soon realises that Bryce is a major issue.

Alongside the main storyline (which isn’t necessarily PJs strongest I must say) we see Roy try and prepare for his wedding to Cleo. One of the major pulls with the series in the ongoing drama with his long missing wife (now presumed dead). I was under the impression that this element of the story would be completed by now and was hoping that this book would bring closure to that element as I am tiring of wondering. However, once again we only see the briefest glimpses of what happens, and I was absolutely gutted at how this has once again been left open ended, and maybe open to interpretation by the reader. Although it may seem like it’s all negatives I’m spouting off it really isn’t like that at all. I guess with Peter James you expect perfection every time (so no pressure there Peter), and I tend to be a lot more critical with longer established writers.

Even though there were certain things I didn’t like about this story, there were also some major OMG moments too, and all I can say is “Peter James, how could you have done that”. Major story shocker for one character involved and I thought it was so sad I could have cried (I didn’t though I assure you). Overall the writing style is pure Peter James and flows smoothly, with enough pace to keep you hooked. There were some magical jaw dropping moments proving that Peter James is the King of the Castle when it comes to this genre. I managed to read it in two sittings and although not one of my favourites still a great read.

Behind The Closed Door by Charles Prandy (Jacob Hayden #2)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: In his sophomore novel, Detective Jacob Hayden is back. When Jack Smith doesn’t come home from a business trip, his wife, Erin Smith becomes concerned. Before she has a chance to call police, Detective Jacob Hayden and his new partner, Patricia Jennings, show up at the house and Erin immediately knows that something terrible has happened. Days later a body is found in the woods without its head or fingers and it’s determined that the body is that of Jack Smith. Erin Smith becomes the primary suspect. After her arraignment Erin posts bail and without anyone knowing, flees the city.

A man named Max leads a group through a string of bank robberies. Each bank robbery leaves the branch manager and their families murdered. FBI Agent Jadyn Davis and Detective Hayden have to find out who’s committing these robberies before more families are murdered. But what they don’t realize is that the bank robberies are only a small part of a larger plot that Max has planned.

My Review: I have to say I really enjoyed the first of Charles Prandy’s books in this series featuring DI Jacob Hayden. I was really looking forward to getting stuck into book 2 to see how he was faring after the trauma in the first book. I mentioned in the first book that there are certain similarities between this series and a certain other Washington DC cop, although I must say that this is a really good contender! Hayden is back and this time he is involved in a complex missing persons/murder case.

The story itself was so easy to fall into, and even if you haven’t read the first book there is enough background and history you don’t feel lost. Jack Smith is the person who goes missing and when Hayden meets the wife Erin Smith, she seems like a typical grieving wife concerned about her husband not returning home. Hayden has a new partner Pat Jennings and they make a good match, although I’m keen to see more of her in the next book. Together they have to revisit Erin Smith upon the discovery of a body and at that point everything changes.

In addition to this storyline we meet a man named Max who is committing bank robberies with particular brutality. Jacob feels like his return to work has now thrown him in at the deep end and I was completely absorbed by the numerous storylines going on. Towards the halfway mark, things ratchet up a notch and we see numerous plot threads begin to interweave making it much more exciting.

Overall I really liked this book, much the same as the first. Numerous people on Amazon have made complaints about the editing, but as I understand it this has now been rectified and I try not to let that affect my opinion on a book too much. I think that people who start reading this series will soon become attached to it and automatically want to read more; I know I do. It may be nothing new in terms of originality but in my opinion a solid book, with likeable characters and a series that I think will definitely improve with time. I’m now really looking forward to the next one.

The Avenged by Charles Prandy (Jacob Hayden #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Paperback and Kindle

Synopsis: Jacob Hayden is a homicide detective with the D.C. Police Department. His life is as great as it’s ever been. He’s married to a beautiful woman and works in a career that he loves. All of that changes when he’s assigned to the murder of Melvin Johnson, a seventeen year-old who was shot in the streets of D.C. Upon arrival, the murder scene looks like the typical drug deal gone wrong, however the clues tell a different story.

A calculating sniper sits on top of a building in D.C. His rifle is aimed towards Dupont Circle’s park. Through his scope he sees people walk by. His finger rests on the trigger, just waiting for the right moment. When he’s ready, he takes in a deep breath, steadies his aim, and squeezes the trigger.

Frank Peters is a nearly retired Superior Court judge with a hot temper. From the outside looking in, Frank Peters appears to be as clean cut as they come. However, when a business associate is murdered, everything about Frank Peters will come into question, which only brings out his rage. The last thing you want to do is be on Judge Peter’s bad side.

Follow Jacob Hayden’s investigations and see how the Sniper and the Judge are linked to an underground operation that ultimately changes Jacob Hayden’s life forever.

My Review: I liked the synopsis and was looking forward to reading Charles Prandy’s debut novel featuring Detective Jacob Hayden. I must say that the story starts off pretty fast paced and it didn’t take me long to like Hayden. He’s a solid cop with a great career and home life. However, as most fictional Detectives know, that status doesn’t normally last long and the same must be said for Jacob.

The chapters are short and sharp and I couldn’t help drawing comparisons with James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. I can only assume that Prandy has been heavily influenced by these sorts of books. That said, he has also delivered an incredibly good book. It only took me a day to finish and I instantly went on to purchase the second book in the series (both of which were under £1 on Kindle). Hayden is likeable, the story and plot involving what starts out as a simple murder, turns into something much more complex and had various elements which adds to the suspense.

Characters that heavily feature in the story such as Judge Frank Peter’s were sometimes verging on the clichéd, but it certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. There were certain elements which were a little too close to the ‘far fetched’ side of the line, but again it’s Prandy’s debut and I can only see his books improving over time. Although the story and characters are nothing new, there is a certain likeability factor here and the writing also kept me focused and attentive. I think a solid 4 out of 5 is deserved for this book and think the majority of people will really like it. All in all, I really enjoyed this and think it won’t take long for Prandy to gain quite a big following. I can only hope that he continues with a good series and doesn’t become too predictable. This book is certainly for fans of the Patterson type of book and for the price it’s a bargain as well.

Stalkers by Paul Finch (Mark Heckenburg #1)

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Detective Sergeant Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is investigating the disappearance of 38 different women. Each one was happy and successful until they vanished without a trace.

Desperate to find her missing sister, Lauren Wraxford seeks out Heck’s help. Together they enter a seedy underworld of gangsters and organised crime.

But when they hear rumours about the so-called ‘Nice Guys Club’ they hit a brick wall. They’re the gang that no one will talk about. Because the Nice Guys can arrange anything you want. Provided you pay the price…

Kat’s Review: I’ve never read a Paul Finch book before but when I Googled him I realised he is by no means a ‘newbie’ to the book scene. Paul has been writing all sorts and to date has had nearly 300 stories published. He’s done scriptwriting, journalism and (surprise, surprise) was once a copper. He is however, relatively new to the Crime genre. His debut novel in this genre is the book I have just read Stalkers featuring Detective Sergeant Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenberg

Heck is investigating the disappearance of more than 30 different women. The difference with this case is that these women were happy and successful and had absolutely no reason to disappear. Heck gets himself into a situation where if he really wants to find out what happened, he has to operate outside of the law. Heck is an easy character to read and has the ‘likeability’ factor, but in the beginning nothing more than that.

In addition to Heck, Lauren Wrexford is trying to find out about one of the missing girls, her sister, and tries to enlist Heck’s help. More by design they end up paired together and within the first half of the book find themselves not just operating outside of the law, but bending the rules until they are nearly at breaking point. I absolutely loved the feisty character of Lauren and think she added a great element to the story.

Interweaved with the actual investigation Heck is on, we actually get to follow the story of one particular missing woman. I must say that Paul Finch’s history in writing is glaringly obvious as his writing is outstanding. As for being new to the crime Genre, I wouldn’t have had a clue and had I not known, would have made the assumption he was a seasoned Crime writer. The story has that mixed element of making me want to hide behind my husband with fear, and sit up straighter because I feel like something bad is literally just around the corner.

I have to be honest and say that I couldn’t put this one down and at the halfway stage had already ordered the second book featuring Heck.