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The Cutting Room by Jilliane Hoffman

The Cutting Room

My Rating: 4/5

I have read all of Jilliane Hoffman’s books and have never been less than impressed. She has produced two books featuring prosecutor C.J Townsend and two stand alone books. This fifth release is a mixture of the two. We see Assistant State Attorney Daria Bianchi and Detective Manny Alvarez work a case that involves a snuff club. We also see the return of C.J Townsend just before the halfway mark in this book.

Daria and Manny make for fantastic reading as they both have such unique personalities. Manny Alvarez is a veteran cop whose nickname is The Bear and Daria is a hot-headed Italian woman trying to make her mark in the world. They make a great team and at the start of the book we see them clash heads as they uncover what looks to be a dangerous game of men watching women be raped and then murdered in the so called snuff-club.

The re-introduction of C.J and the serial killer on death row Bill Bantling aka `Cupid’ had me reading a lot quicker that I thought. As it has been a while since I read the CJ books I worried I would lose the thread but the plot is re-covered for the benefit of those having not read previous books. As I read on I remembered why Jilliane’s books always had me hooked. They are extremely dark reading and I always find myself feeling the fear as much as the characters as we see the chase for the suspects who are cursed with these sick and perverted minds.

The story has a lot going on and there are numerous threads that are woven in to the story including past crimes committed and the involvement of Bill Bantling, the serial killer on Death Row. At around the ¾ mark the pace picks up considerably and I continued reading until I was done. I was both shocked and pleased by the time I had finished. Shocked at the outcome of one particular thread in the story and pleased that JH was just as good as I remembered. It was good to have some conclusions in the last part of the CJ trilogy and although this took me longer than usual to get in to, it was no less thrilling than her other books.

I have to say overall that her last stand alone book slightly holds the edge for me but this book was clever and thoughtful making for a gripping read that had me checking my windows at night.

About A Girl by Lindsey Kelk

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My Rating: 5/5

So I recently discovered that I was extremely behind with my reading and promptly picked up the last book Lindsey released in the I Heart Series and absolutely LOVED it! With Angela Clarke, the heroine of the series, fresh in my mind I wondered how I would feel about reading a Kelk book that didn’t feature Angela. I needn’t have worried.

Tess Brookes is a girl that likes to plan everything. From the very beginning I absolutely loved Tess. She is different from Angela Clarke, but a character I can see running for a long time! When her planned life starts to fall apart, Tess finds herself in an unusual position. She is without a job, hates her flatmate, and has had a fall out with her friend Charlie.

All in all life is not going to plan so when her demon flatmate Vanessa’s phone rings Tess answers it. In that split second she takes the ‘bull by the horns’, and decides to become somebody else. She pretends to be Vanessa, and finds herself on a plane, on the way top Hawaii, to do Vanessa’s job which just happens to be a photographer. Yes I know it all sounds crazy, but when you read the first few chapters it really isn’t that crazy at all. I was willing her to just go for it and I’d only known Tess for all of a few chapters!

As usual (with any Lindsey Kelk book), I was giggling like a schoolchild. I found the dialogue between some of the characters hilarious. The characters that featured also made the book so great. Nick was the journalist who turned up in Hawaii to help with the shoot and inevitably that causes Tess a whole host of problems. Then there is her new best friend Paige who is the creative Director. However, Kelk still made room for Tess’s slightly mental but absolutely brilliant best friend Amy. I normally don’t quote from books, but the last two Kelk has produced leaves me no other option! “The Andrex puppy had morphed into a Rottweiler and Cupid had traded his bow and arrow for an AK-47”. See what I mean, flipping brilliant!

This is what makes Lindsey Kelk’s books just that little bit moiré fabulous than others. She creates crazy characters that you end up wanting as your own best friend! From start to finish this book was absolutely brilliant. Yep, it certainly has an element of ‘un-realism’ (if that’s even a word) in them, but that’s why I read books like this.

I was truly sad to finish this book but have to say Kelk has managed to create another book that leaves you exasperated that you can’t reach out for the next one in the series. A perfect summer beach read that will have you giggling like a teenager into your Margarita!

The Killing Game by J A Kerley (Carson Ryder #9)

My Rating: 3/5

So it’s been two years since the last JA Kerley release of a Carson Ryder Book. For those that don’t know, or have never read a JA Kerley book before, the books feature Police Detectives Carson Ryder and his partner Harry Nautilus. I haven’t read the early books from the series but picked it up from book 3 I think. In one sense, each book can be read as a standalone but I much prefer to have the history of characters from as early on as possible.

After a humiliating encounter with a cop, Romanian immigrant Gregory Nieves launches a vendetta against the Mobile Police Department, Alabama. Nieves can’t fight a department, so he selects one man who symbolizes all men in blue: Carson Ryder, the MPD’s specialist in bizarre and twisted crimes. From early on the reader knows who the killer is, but in a bizarre shift in books, it seems that it takes the majority of the book for Carson and Harry to figure it out. I would almost go as far as saying they seemed rather secondary to the main character; the killer!

I am really a fan of Kerley and this series, but couldn’t help feeling that we see less of Carson and Harry and too much insight into a sociopath! Don’t get me wrong, I am as interested as the next reader into how these people have no conscience and why, but this time around I felt like it was overdone. Also, there was only fleeting mentions of both Jeremy, Carson’s wacko but shockingly intelligent brother; and Harry’s niece Rein. Both of these characters’, I feel have earned places in the books and I kind of missed them both in equal measures.

Overall, the story was a decent enough one, but I missed the camaraderie between Harry and Carson, I missed other characters and felt like this time around the book was lacking its normal ‘oomph’. The ending gave way to a nice little opener for the tenth book in the series due in December 2013. I will as always really look forward to the next instalment. I just wish this latest book would have given me a little more than it did.

The Husband Diet by Nancy Barone

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My Rating: 3/5

The Husband Diet is Nancy Barone’s debut novel and after reading it I have to say a pretty good one at that! This debut features Erica Cantelli is a mother whose husband Ira tells her constantly that she needs to lose weight. It didn’t take me long to like the main character Erica and you can tell by the way her life is that her sole focus is her children and husband. It also didn’t take me too long to loathe the selfish and pig-headed husband. Erica’s mother is also a hideous woman who does nothing but criticise Erica about anything and everything. Erica decides it time to turn her life around and makes positive changes.

Some of the highlights in the book for me were moment’s where Erica fantasises about killing her husband, and trying to buy healthy food in the shops to discover its half the size and tastes of nothing! There were quite a lot of funny moments in the book and it just made me root for Erica even more. She even starts dreaming of her children’s Principal Julian Foxham and along with her quest to improve herself, she starts to see some real changes in her life. The question is whether or not she can ever achieve her ideal dream of living in Tuscany.

This book didn’t stand out as particularly different from many other books in this genre I read. Having said that, I enjoyed the characters and the humour running through the book was brilliant from start to finish. I wouldn’t say this was the best book I have read but it is certainly a great debut novel and I would definitely look out for her next book as I think this may be an author that will improve with every book she writes.

Deep Blue Sea by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret…

Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana’s life, to the outside world, is perfect. But nothing is as it seems…

When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again – her sister, Rachel.

A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she’s in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street’s phone-hacking scandal.

For Rachel, Diana’s request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth – wherever it may lead…

My Review: Tasmina Perry has been on my must read list for some time now. With her latest release Deep Blue Sea (being her 8^th release) out; I was looking forward to delving into another rich and glamorous story. The premise sounds great, with a wealthy couple Diana and Julian Denver seemingly having it all. However, when Julian commits suicide Diana realises she needs to reach out to her estranged sister for help.

Rachel is Diana’s sister and is currently living in Thailand following the death of her career surrounding a phone hacking scandal. When Diana reaches out for help, Rachel decides it’s high time to try and make amends with her family. And so begins a journey across many countries to find the answers behind Julian’s death. As usual Tasmina Perry certainly weaves a great tale; however I had real issues with Diana. Rachel I really liked, especially as she was the underdog, but Diana was just too frail and pathetic for my liking.

With that one small flaw out the way, I can honestly say the story itself certainly didn’t disappoint. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue and the more questions Rachel asks, the more questions it raises too. There were a few additional characters I really liked such as Rachel’s business partner Liam and her old colleague Ross. There were lost of dark and murky elements to the storyline including affairs, drugs and contested will. Overall it was again what I would rate a success from Perry, however it lacked that certain something to make it a 5 star read from me. Still a solid 4/5 book and one that I think her fans will love.

The Keeper by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #2)

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My Rating: 5/5

Luke Delaney published his debut novel Cold Killing back in March 2013. I finally got around to reading it in May of the same year and literally couldn’t put it down. When I received an early copy of the second in this series featuring DI Sean Corrigan I couldn’t resist putting all my other books on hold. Sean Corrigan is a brilliant lead character. It’s hard to describe his ‘gift’ that he has for being able to walk in the killer’s shoes. His imagination lets him think just like the people he is chasing. In this current book, women start disappearing from their homes in broad daylight. Sean and his team need to work around the clock, and possibly against a crazy man’s timetable before women start turning up dead.

The first few chapters re-acquaint the reader with Sean and his team. DS Sally Jones is dealing with her own demons following the last case they worked on, and DS Dave Donnelly is as usual Sean’s right hand man. Both of these characters feature heavily in the book and they have both demanded my attention from book one. This follow up is no different, and each of the characters plays their part extraordinarily well. I’m surprised that this is only Delaney’s second novel. To those that maybe didn’t know you might assume he has been writing years. I think the authors previous years in the force has enabled him to put more experience than research into the book; and it shows!

From the very beginning we know who the killer is, there is no hiding from it. What the reader is treated to is the rather warped and sick world of Thomas Keller. What I really like about this book, is that although there are no surprises as such (like I said we know who the killer is), you instead feel like you are actually in the depth of a huge Murder Investigation. The added bonus about this book is Sean Corrigan himself. His character has a very dark side. Throughout this whole book you have that horrible feeling that he is teetering between good and evil. Is his ability to ‘recreate’ the killer’s thoughts and feelings pushing him closer to their world? From the beginning to the end it’s the pure chase that kept me hooked. It didn’t matter that I knew who was doing what, it still had me reading until late in the night.

I think Luke Delaney is set to be a big name in the crime genre. If he keeps this up, he will be on Peter James tail quicker than you can say Roy Grace. This latest instalment had me thoroughly gripped from start to finish. Yep, it scared the living daylights out of me (especially as the area it’s set in I live near to), but I truly am hooked and am eagerly anticipating the next one.

Tell No Lies by Gregg Hurwitz

My Rating 3/5

I was really quite excited when I received an early review copy of the new Gregg Hurwitz. The synopsis had all the key ingredients to make a perfect Hurwitz belter. Daniel Brasher is a counsellor who lives a reasonably ordinary life. His job dealing with affected individuals who are usually on parole keeps his day to day work interesting. His longer term plan is to jack in the public stuff and start his own private practice. With that in mind, he aims to enjoy his last few weeks with his current group. As he leaves work one evening he finds a letter in his pigeonhole, only it’s not for him. It’s too late as Daniel has already read the note which declared that the recipient has until midnight on November 15^th to admit what they have done or they will bleed for it.

The first part of the book was typical Hurwitz with descriptions of each of his group, and the discovery of the note. It’s all pretty high tension stuff and you realise that Daniel is in a pretty awkward position. However, when he informs the police what is going on and they intervene, it seems like they just miss the killer each and every time. It seems that with each note Daniel receives, he has to figure out the puzzle. Who is the victim and what have they done. I admit that the first few chapters flew by and I was totally engrossed, and then something weird happened. The book sort of took on a weird, disjointed kind of air to it. I felt like the middle of the book hit a bit of a stumbling block and I struggled to get through the pages.

However, having read and loved many of his books I carried on. Towards the last third of the book, the pace picked up again and once again I was taken down the smooth road of taut and tense scenes created by Mr H. Towards the end of the book I was still none the wiser about who the murdered was, but when all was revealed I kind of felt like there was a major piece of the puzzle still missing from the book. This review may sound slightly strange, but in all honesty that’s kind of what the book was like. If I read it not knowing the author I might have guessed it was a new author who had it 60% right?!?

Overall it was an average read, but for Gregg Hurwitz it definitely wasn’t up to his usual standard. I have no idea if this was due to maybe the mood I was whilst in reading it, or whether other people will agree? I just feel like there was something missing that his books never normally miss. I will always look forward to reading a Hurwitz book and can only assume that this story just wasn’t for me, of maybe it just isn’t as good as his others? Either way, I still eagerly await the next book.

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #5)

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Angela’s back on home turf – and in her biggest romantic scrape yet…Angela Clark has fallen in love with America – and it’s starting to love her back. Throw one expired visa into the mix, and things quickly take a turn for the worse. She might love her life as a Brit in New York, but now she has no choice but to return to London. Not only does she leave behind her gorgeous boyfriend Alex – she must also face unfinished business back on home turf. There’s the ex-boyfriend – who she moved to New York to get away from. Then there’s her best friend, with her perfect new baby. And there’s her mum. Now, there’s another wedding in the offing – and everyone remembers how well the last one went . . .

*Please note, if you are planning on reading this series from the beginning then do not read this review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

My Review: I have grown to love this series more and more, however this latest release is the cream of the crop in my eyes. With Angela visiting London and being on home turf is bound to bring more trouble and chaos, as it normally does with Angela. With loads going on when Angela gets home such as meeting her ex-fiancée, seeing her best friend Louisa and the new baby, as well as he own wedding. In true Angela Clark style things go from bad to worse from the outset. Having left her boyfriend Alex at home, it leaves even more room for drama too.

We also see the return of her other friend Jenny Lopez who I absolutely love. She is the complete opposite of Louisa and is brash, rude but downright entertaining. On my morning commute (which was atrocious as usual) I found that it was a lot more enjoyable than normal, and I need to thank Lindsey Kelk for that. I don’t often quote bits of books, but this had me laughing so hard I didn’t care about being squashed for the last three stops of my tube journey. Angela’s friend is explaining that the only way her baby stops crying is by watching certain TV programmes.

‘Top Gear and The Only Way is Essex’ she sighed. ‘Three months old and she’s already a fake-tanned boy racer with a vajazzle’.

It was lines like that that had me chuckling throughout the book. From start to finish I was, as usual, engrossed. I absolutely love all of the characters and especially Angela’s parents. I love the fact that we are seeing her grow up and make her numerous mistakes, although they are normally slightly bigger than mistakes! All in all, an absolute corker of a book in this series by Kelk (her best yet!) and I am looking forward to the next one!

Me and Mr Jones by Lucy Diamond

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Meet the women in love with three very different brothers . . .

Izzy’s determined to escape her troubled past with a new start by the sea – but flirtatious Charlie Jones is causing complications.

Alicia’s been happily married to loyal Hugh for years but secretly craves excitement. Maybe it’s time to spice things up?

Emma’s relationship with David was once fun and romantic but trying for a baby has taken its toll. Then temptation comes along . . .

As the future of the family’s B&B becomes uncertain, Izzy, Alicia and Emma are thrown together unexpectedly. It seems that keeping up with the Joneses is harder than anyone thought . . .

My Review: I started reading Lucy Diamond I think two years ago now. I have been trying to get through her back catalogue but when I got a review copy was dead chuffed and took it with me as my holiday read. Sadly, the book only got me as far as the airport and a 4 hour flight! Having said that, you may well realise I really liked it having finished it in such a short space of time.

As the title suggests, we meet Mr Jones; well actually we meet all the Mr Jones! Three brothers and their family are the heart of this latest story. Charlie Jones is the flighty brother who has trouble keeping his attention for longer than an advert. He is certainly the charmer of the group and when he meets Izzy, it seems he may well cause her trouble. Hugh Jones has been married to Alicia for years and although their relations ship has longevity, it seems that something is afoot as Alicia starts to secretly crave some excitement in her life. David Jones is married to Emma, but with the recent redundancy he suffered and Emma’s need for a child, things aren’t looking too rosy for them. Finally we meet the parents Eddie and Lillian. Eddie and Lillian run Mulberry House which is a guest house and the boys home they grew up in. When they decide it may be time to retire they look to the boys to see which one of them may be interested in taking it over.

Right from the outset I got drawn into this story. The three brothers are so different to each other and we get to see not only them but each wife in turn and what is going on with them. Within the first quarter of the book you are drawn into the family to the extent that you almost feel part of it! In addition to the family, we meet Izzy and her two girls. Izzy was quite simply a wonderful character even though her situation seemed so perilous all the time. For each family member I liked them the more I read about them. This was especially the case with the mother Lillian. By the end of the book I simply loved her and felt for her situation.

There are lots of issues dealt with in this book and as usual Lucy Diamond has dealt with all of them wonderfully. For some reason, every time I read a Lucy Diamond book, it makes me feel kind of inspired. I can’t quite put my finger on why or what it is exactly, but I always feel better about most things I think are un-manageable prior to reading one of her books. This wasn’t better than her last, but then I think Summer With My Sister will always be my number one LD book. Having said that I cannot see how anybody would be disappointed with this book and would highly recommend it!

Dead Man’s Time by Peter James (Roy Grace #9)

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My Rating: 4/5

<Big sigh>, Peter James and Roy Grace, where do I begin? I have read all of the books in this series and am normally gripped by each and every book I read. When I read the synopsis for this one I really wasn’t sure. I was (as usual) to be proved wrong. This latest Roy Grace novel starts out with a vicious robbery at a Brighton Mansion and millions of pounds worth of antiques taken. It also leaves an elderly woman, Aileen McWhirter, fighting for her life. Roy Grace and his team lead the enquiry when the woman dies from her injuries and her brother Gavin Daly gets involved. There is one item that is absolutely invaluable to Gavin, and although he is now well into his nineties he is still a force to be reckoned with. The invaluable item is a specific watch and the story, believe it or not, all revolves around the watch. I’m not one for major spoilers so will go no further with the story line or plot.

What I will say is that Peter James is an awesome writer, however, there is one thing that is driving me insane. If, like me, you follow the series there has been an element to each book regarding Roy’s first wife Sandy who has been missing for over 10 years. This is the thing that is the cause of my angst. I really think the story line concerning her needs to be dealt with and then finished, or dropped altogether. I feel like it has gone on for far too long and to the point where it’s lessening my enjoyment of the book. This particular book tells the story of Roy Grace and his team now, and the past concerning Gavin Daly and his family which forms part of New York’s gangs in the 1920’s. This alone, was done with skill and the story had me gripped from start to finish. However, every time Sandy get’s mentioned I feel like hurling my book into a wall.

Okay, I know some of you may think that’s extreme but when you have read a certain story line for years (8 years in the case of the Roy Grace novels) certain elements are key. Sandy is now NOT key in my opinion, and the more I hear about it the more it grates on me. Do I want answers, yes! Do I want snippets each year, No! Deal with it and let’s move on?!? Anyway, that aside this is actually a brilliant story and as usual Peter James shows off his skill with style. I think the majority of fans will love this book and newcomers should definitely read from the beginning of the series (although not an absolute necessity). Once again, we wait another year to see what is next on the agenda for Roy and his family and friends.