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Lessons In Laughing Out Loud by Rowan Coleman

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My Rating: 4/5

Don’t ask me how but I had not got round to reading a book by Rowan Coleman. Yeah, yeah, I can hear people out there exclaiming “WHAT?”. I know, sometimes I ask my self that very same question. I decided enough was enough, and scrolled through the ridiculous amount of books I have on my Kindle to start reading Rowan Coleman’s book Lessons in Laughing Out Loud. It didn’t take me long to like the main character Willow. Her and her twin Holly are polar opposites and Willow works for a demon of a woman, has a failed marriage behind her and finds it hard to say no to people. From very early on it’s clear that Willow has something from her past that is holding her back and in the early part of the book she came across as a little weak, although also pretty endearing!

When Willow’s step-daughter turns up at her doorstep with a problem, Willow does no more than take her in along with a celebrity she happens to be babysitting on her bosses orders. Pretty soon Willow’s life gets very complicated. I was quite taken by the story and the relationships that we see crossing over. I was beginning to get itchy feet just over the halfway mark wanting to know more about Willow’s secret. However, as I read on I realised that Rowan Coleman had done a magic job of writing about a sensitive subject and revealing it at the perfect time in the book.

Although this was my first Rowan Coleman book, I don’t think it will be my last. There was only one element I thought spoiled it and that was the `magic’ shoes. Yes I know the theory behind it was all about how Willow felt herself, but it just grated on me a little bit. That aside I thought the writing, characters and story were really enjoyable and certainly hooked me in to wanting to read more of her stuff. It was a slightly different kind of writing to other favourite authors of mine, but by no means just as good. I’m looking forward to reading more of her stuff in the future.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner (Tessa Leoni #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

I am a pretty big Lisa Gardner fan, especially of her DD Warren series. Her newest release Touch and Go is due for release in February 2012 but I was fortunate to receive an early reader copy. Her latest book features Tessa Leoni (who also appeared in Love You More) who is called in after the Denbe family are abducted. Upon arrival at Justin and Libby Denbe’s home, there are no signs of a break in, and there is no ransom demand. It seems like the couple and their teenage daughter have vanished into thin air. The more Tessa digs, the more it seems a little too perfect. To the outside world they are the perfect couple, with Justin running a very wealthy and successful company and a beautiful home.

As usual the pace is pretty frenetic from the very beginning. Justin and Libby are on date night when then enter their home and are taken by surprise. As the reader we see both sides of the story, both from the family’s perspective and the Detectives as well. As the story progresses we also meet Sergeant Wyatt Foster who participates in the case with Tessa. Having read the book Love You More I was familiar with Tessa’s history, however if you haven’t read it there is certainly enough background for readers to understand her past. I really loved Tessa and Wyatt working together and thought they made a good team

From the very early stages, although we see what is happening to the family (can’t say too much for fear of spoilers) we also see the police trying to solve the puzzle. With no clear cut motive it means examining every person who is close to the family. I found myself constantly changing my mind on who I thought was culpable, and thankfully it only became clear towards the very end (which is always a bonus in my eyes). The family were easy to read about and part of that attraction was seeing them crumble under the immense strain they are put under in their kidnapping situation. Layers are peeled away to reveal a family far from perfect and this makes the story even more interesting than the bog standard murder novel.

When I got to the end I was not entirely shocked at the outcome but thought that the book was another great read by Lisa Gardner. Admittedly I still favour DD Warren, but I think Tessa Leoni could be the star of another series. If she is I can only hope that Wyatt Foster goes along for the ride. Not my favourite Lisa Gardner book, but an awesome read that will keep you guessing until the end.

Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Jill Mansell

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My Rating: 5/5

Meet Molly Hayes who lives in the dreamy village of Briarwood in the Cotswolds. She works drawing a cartoon strip for a paper and helps out at her friend’s café in the Village. Her love life is something of a shambles and she always making the wrong decisions. Meanwhile Dexter Yates is a handsome bachelor who is living the party lifestyle in London. Surrounded by women who fall at his feet and partying with his friends his life is just as it should be. Overnight, Dexter’s life changes when his sister dies tragically in an accident. When he discovers that his sister has left him as the sole guardian of her 8 month old daughter Delphi he has no idea where to start.

It took me a mere three chapters to fall in love with the calm but bad decision maker Molly. Easy to like, she is the sort of girl that you instantly warm to. I also loved the village she lived in and the characters that made it up. Dexter was also an easy to love character which makes a book so much more enjoyable. One of the more interesting themes to the book was the childcare aspect of it. A young, free and single man attempting to look after a young child, is both sad and at time hilarious. Jill Mansell has a way with words which is why she is still writing such successful books 20 years on. The writing flows easily and you are drawn into the story and see both characters progress. There are certainly some serious moments in the book, but along side that is balanced nicely with some characters that are so colourful they made me chuckle to see what they get up to. In addition to Molly and Dexter, the reader meets lots of other villagers that are drawn into the story in one way or another. Each person added another layer to the book and although my focus was firmly on Molly and Dexter, I loved the sideline stories going on in the background.

I have been reading Jill Mansell books since my teenage years and don’t get me wrong I haven’t thought every book was 5 stars, but I have never felt let down with one of her books. This newest release was a wonderful read that had me absorbed from start to finish. Many will say that the storyline is predictable, but to be honest if the story didn’t have the predictability and threw me a horrible curveball, maybe I wouldn’t like it as much 🙂 This was an absolutely wonderful read and I think that Jill Mansell’s fans will as usual be thrilled with it. As usual, I will be waiting patiently for her next book and would highly recommend this one!

To Tell The Truth by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #2)

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MY RATING 4/5

I only read Anna’s first book in October but as I knew her new one was due out at the end of January I figured I’d better catch up with Rosie and how she was doing. In Anna’s second book To Tell the Truth we start off by seeing Rosie on holiday. She’s taking a well earned break, but as usual nothing stays quiet when Rosie is about. In a scene that is hauntingly similar to a news story a few years back, a young girl is snatched from a beach in the Costa del Sol. When Rosie realises the huge news impact she speaks to her boss and she decides to cover it herself.

Rosie’s boss McGuire sends out Matt to help her cover and between them they start the task of trying to get to the bottom of what’s happened. The same as her last book, Anna doesn’t mess about, and throws the reader straight in at the deep end. I really love Rosie and after reading this current one I love her even more. As usual, she likes to get involved irrelevant of the danger and this case is no different. Rosie knows from the off that the mother of the missing girl is covering up for what really happened that day, and in addition she is approached by an illegal sex worker with information about the abduction.

The pace is full speed pretty much from start to finish and with this book and the last there is a certain frenetic energy about the books which I love. The only other author who I can think of that has that same kind of pace is Simon Kernick. What I also loved about this book is that although we see Rosie completely absorbed in the case we still see glimpses of her personal life and her real vulnerability. A friend of Rosie’s named Adrian made a brilliant addition to this story and I would love to see him appear again at some point. Towards the ending I dismissed dinner, TV and phone calls just to make sure I finished it.

Cannot believe I didn’t read her books sooner, but having said that I am pleased that I can get straight onto book three entitled Screams in The Dark. Anna also added a wee bit of a question mark right at the end of this book with regards to Rosie’s personal life. All this made me do was groan “For GODS SAKE!” but in a good way. I would say in all honesty that her first book held a slight edge for me, probably just in terms of story. Other than that I loved this book. Absolutely itching to get started on book three and cannot recommend her highly enough. If you haven’t read an Anna Smith before, you may want to start now!

Broke by Mandasue Heller

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My Rating: 4/5

I have mentioned in previous reviews that although I consider myself a fan, I don’t LOVE every MH book I read. Having said that her last book Lost Angel was absolutely brilliant. With that in my mind I was really looking forward to reading the new release Broke. The story centres on Amy who at a young age and with a baby on the way marries Mark. Within the first two chapters I had the urge to slap Amy around the face and ask her what she was playing at. The character Mark is an absolute idiot and one that I loathed from the very beginning. A few years later and with another child in tow Amy and Mark find themselves stuck in the doldrums. When Mark loses his job and his gambling gets out of hand he makes the major mistake of borrowing money from the local loan shark Lenny Yates.

From that point on the story takes a rather sinister and dark turn. Lenny Yates decides that Amy can pay off Mark’s debts his way. For fear of giving plot spoilers I don’t want to divulge any more of the story, but hence to say things are not particularly nice for Amy and her children. As Amy’s world takes a turn for the worse, her situation spirals and becomes almost unbelievable. The one thing I would say is that Mandasue touches on many subjects that are hard to deal with. Although Amy’s situation made me feel sympathetic towards her, I also felt irritated by her as a character. The fact that her life is all about Mark and nobody else grated on me, and at times it seemed like her children came second although at the end this seemed to have done a 360 degree turn? That was my only real bugbear about the book.

Other than that, the story drew me in and I went through quite a few emotions from pure rage at reading what characters were doing to sheer irritation at how stupid they can be! I managed to read this in just under 4 hours which is a record even by my standards. It’s certainly written in a way that makes you want to keep reading. Although I really liked this book her previous book Lost Angel was outstanding. That and the fact that Amy irritated me so much means it’s only a 4/5 read from me, but still a great read. Can’t wait for the next one.

The Executioner by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #2)

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My Rating: 4/5

I read the Chris Carter’s debut novel The Crucifix Killer before starting this one. I was so taken with it and the characters (Det. Robert Hunter and his partner Garcia) that I immediately started on book 2. With Carter’s history of studying psychology and criminal behaviour there is a real authenticity to his books along with characters that are extremely likeable. Robert Hunter and his partner Garcia start this book with attending a crime scene inside a Los Angeles church. Very early on it became clear that this book was going to be a lot more gruesome than the first. As you read Hunter and Garcia’s take on the murder scene my stomach started turning as each part of the scene was explained with frightening clarity!

Initially it looks to be a ritualistic killing but of course within another few chapters the appearance of another body puts paid to that theory. Once again Hunter and Garcia are chasing a serial killer. Although I really like Hunter and Garcia, it seems like we are too early in the series to get a real sense of their personal lives. I like to get to know characters to make sure they can stand the test of time, so on that front this was a bit lacking in this current book, but I expect that to improve with books 3 and 4!

The characters aside, the story is what really grips you by short and curlys. As more and more bodies pile up it appears that this serial killer is making people suffer. All of his victims die from the one thing that they are scared to death of. As each body is found the gore and violence ratchets up a notch. It’s not to say it was too bad to read, but this certainly isn’t for the weak stomached. I found myself feeling a little bit like I was being watched when I was reading late and night, and to be frank it gave me the ‘heebie jeebies’. I took this as a good sign and continued reading to the conclusion in the early hours of the morning.

Overall, this was slightly more graphic than the first book, but as stories go was just as good. I like the two lead characters but definitely want to see a bit more of their persona lives to see if they can stand up to the competition, and to the test of time. Certainly an author I’m looking forward to reading more of!

The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in the middle of Los Angeles National Forest, Homicide Detective Robert Hunter finds himself entering a horrific and recurring nightmare. Naked, strung from two wooden posts, the victim was sadistically tortured before meeting an excruciatingly painful death. All the skin has been ripped from her face – while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer.

But that’s impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him?

Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining.

My Review: My sister has been raving on about Chris Carter for some time now and I have seen him appear more and more on Amazon. I had two of his books sitting on my Kindle for months and decided it was time to give one of them a go. Chris Carter has released a total of 4 books and they all feature the main character Detective Hunter and his partner Garcia. I picked up the crucifix Killer this morning. It may give you an indication how much I enjoyed it that I am writing the review today!

As many people who read my reviews know I’m a sucker for a series and knowing that Carter has produced 4 in this series gives me plenty of time to catch up. When I first started reading I decided early on that I liked Hunter and his ridiculous IQ. Here was a character that new the most random of things, and managed to get his PhD in his early twenties and has now ended up a Detective…what’s not to love? His new partner Garcia is a little green but before long the pair of them are thrown into a case Hunter thought he would never have to deal with again. Two years ago the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed, yet to Hunters horror, it seems the wrong man was put to death.

By around the halfway mark I was baffled, enthralled and occasionally slightly queasy. Chris Carter certainly has a way with words and some of the crime scenes were very descriptive (probably not the best choice of book with my lunch!). I had no clue who was behind it all but found myself totally caught up with the storyline. The writing was absolutely spot on and I felt like I was reading a book written by an author that’s been writing a while, certainly not a debut novel that’s for sure.

When I had finished the book I went back and read Chris Carter’s bio and discovered why some parts of the book seemed so authentic. Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour and went on to be a part of the Michigan State District Attorney’s Criminal Psychology Team. In English, this means he spent a lot of time interviewing and studying a lot of criminals, some of whom were serial killers. I finished this book in just over a day, and I realised how much I liked it when I went straight onto book 2 in the series (not something I do often!). I am now halfway through book 2 and this is just as good if not better that this one. I should have paid more attention to my sister and started reading these a lot earlier.

For those of you who like authors such as Karin Slaughter and want to try somebody new, Chris Carter fits the bill perfectly. Give this first book a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed; although you may want to skip eating while you’re reading:- ).

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

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My Rating: 3/5

This debut novel was one I was really looking forward to as Amazon reviewers all seemed to be raving about it! With 244 Reviews and an overall score of 4.5/5 I was pretty sure that I would feel the same as the majority and love this book. Rachel and Ben are the main characters and are friends that share history. They both attended University together and formed a bond that seemed back then unbreakable. Fast forward ten years and things are very different. Rachel and Rhys have been together for years but as they near their agreed wedding, Rachel and Rhys split up. Add to the mix the re-appearance of Ben in Manchester and the story starts to warm up.

If I’m being 100% honest I struggled with the first few chapters and wondered whether I could get to grips with this character. Thankfully a few more chapters in I had started to warm to Rachel. The author manages to weave the past story into the current one seamlessly and it made it easy for the story to build layers which I liked. The one thing that is crystal clear is that Mhairi McFarlane has a brilliant sense of humour. Some of the lines that were in this book were very funny, but maybe because I wasn’t overly keen on Rachel, they lost their shine a little.

The story got a lot more interesting as the reader sees what has happened in the past and I certainly found it harder to put down, especially towards the end of the book. The ending was a little predictable but to be honest I can see why so many really enjoyed this book. I am putting my middle of the road attitude down to my difficulties with the characters. On the flip side of the coin, is Mhairi continues to write with this much humour and style it wont take her long to gain a following, and that will no doubt include me. Although I only gave it 3/5 I am actually really looking forward to the next novel and look forward to seeing what she can do the second time around!

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: One single mum

With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it’s hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn’t. Because you have to . . .

One chaotic family

Jess’s gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she’ll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess’s teenage stepson, can’t fight the bullies alone.

Sometimes Jess feels like they’re sinking . . .

One handsome stranger

Into their lives comes Ed Nicholls, a man whose life is in chaos, and who is running from a deeply uncertain future. But he has time on his hands. He knows what it’s like to be lonely. And he wants to help . . .

One unexpected love story

The One Plus One is a captivating and unconventional romance from Jojo Moyes about two lost souls meeting in the most unlikely circumstances

My Review: I have to say that I started reading this one lunchtime and by the end of my hour, had managed to plough through the first quarter of the book. I also finished it that very night and was left feeling like Jojo Moyes seems to be an author I really should be reading more of! Jess was a character that I instantly liked, and as a single Mum struggling to make ends meets it was a familiar story. Her two kids Tanzie and her Stepson Nicky were also instantly likeable. We read a few chapters from each persons perspective which really helped you understand what they were going through.

Tanzie was such a sweetheart and as a maths genius, when Jess gets the opportunity to give her a head start she decides to take a chance. At this point Jess life seems to unravel pretty quickly and before she knows it she is in deep water. On the other side of the coin we meet Ed Nicholls whose own life seems to be falling apart and as he battles to sort his own issues out, he and Jess have a chance meeting.

What follows this chance meeting is a brilliant story about this unusual foursome and the journey they take (to say any more would spoil it). We see various plot lines covered such as bullying and I really liked the way it was dealt with in the story (genius), unemployment, romance, chaos, and most of all what real life is all about! We see the highs and lows for both Jess and Ed and we see two kids with their own issues deal with them in their own way. What I will tell you is that I loved all the characters, loved the storyline, loved the writing and was so gutted when I finished the book. It had everything a book should have and kept me reading to the very last page. An absolute joy to read and a book I would highly recommend!

Lock and Load by Sean Black (Ryan Lock Short Story)

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Fresh from a stint undercover in Pelican Bay Supermax prison in Northern California, close protection operative Ryan Lock and his business partner, Ty Johnson, are in Los Angeles, tasked with protecting a young Hollywood actress from an abusive movie star boyfriend who refuses to accept that their relationship is over. But as Lock knows only too well, and Ty is about to learn, keeping someone safe from harm can be harder than it looks, and damage can come in unexpected forms.

My Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: People who have read my previous reviews will know that I have a bit of a character crush with Ryan Lock the man featured in the series of books written by Sean Black. I discovered his books from the first release and have not been let down once since then. His series of books featuring Ryan Lock and his partner Ty are absolutely brilliant. Sean Black has managed to integrate himself with the other major Crime players out there such as Coben, Lee Child etc. When I realised that he had released a short story in the Lock series I immediately downloaded it onto my Kindle.

Yesterday lunchtime I settled with my lunch and began to read. It took me less than a chapter to be thrown back with Lock and Ty. This short story features them protecting a young Hollywood actress from her rather violent and abusive Movie star boyfriend. As usual Lock and Ty fall into their usual banter and it was like seeing old friends again. This book does however (I am almost positive) go back in time a little bit to just before Gridlock. People who have been reading the series will probably have noticed this too. Don’t get me wrong it didn’t make the story any less enjoyable, it just threw me slightly!

The only problem I had with this, and it’s a major problem for me, is that it was finished by the time my lunch break came to an end! For this reason alone I was not a happy bunny. I do believe Sean that you are a bit of a tease! How dare you flaunt my favourite lead male character and then whip him away again!?!? All I can do is console myself with the fact that a new book in the series should be due next year. For all those Lock fans this is a little teaser, and people that haven’t read the series, a cheaper way to try before you buy if you like. I don’t think you will be disappointed! <sighs heavily> I guess I will wait with baited breath until the next release before I get too excited again.