Category: Book Review

Little Girl Lost by Carol Wyer (Detective Robyn Carter #1)

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Synopsis: A perfect family hiding disturbing secrets. A killer who wants the truth to be told. A little girl in terrible danger.

A teacher goes missing under suspicious circumstances and a man is murdered at a local reservoir. For Detective Robyn Carter, there’s no obvious link between the cases. But as she starts to delve into them, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. What was Abigail’s connection to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number? 

But as Robyn starts to inch closer to finding the killer, Izzy is abducted. Unless Robyn gets to the twisted individual in time, a little girl will die …

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Well, well, well…..there is certainly more to Carol Wyer than the last release she has which was a romantic comedy. I LOVE this cover which is always a plus and the synopsis was pretty intriguing too. I started the book and found that the story was quite meaty and it didn’t take long to get involved in the plot and various threads trailing. However the beginning of the book also reveals a dark scenario which took place clearly a few years ago and it adds to the disturbing feel of this book.

Robyn Carter is the main character in this (hopefully) series of books and she is due to go back to policing having taken a stint away from work due to a bereavement. She has spent her time away working for her Cousin Ross Private Detective agency. I really liked her Cousin and the relationship between them works well. I wondered how that would work when she eventually makes it back to the police force but it was done in a away where Ross still featured in the story which I liked. As for Robyn, I liked her but felt that this first book just skims the surface and I am hoping we get to see a bit more in book 2.

When a teacher goes missing it lands on Robyn as her first job back in the force. In addition  a man is found murdered and Robyn begins to wonder what the link between the two is. This leads to another main character Abigail. On the surface she has it all, a wonderful husband Jackson and a daughter Izzy. However, when the story progresses it becomes clear its not as cut and dried as it first seemed. There were some moments in the book where I questioned whether I was reading the story correctly as it seemed impossible to imagine the reason for the things that were happening.

I certainly enjoyed this and although a massive departure for Carol Wyer, a smart one! This was an engaging read and has a certain edge to it which I liked. For a first book in this genre it was excellent and if the books get any better I can see them being the type of books you just HAVE to read in one go. Can’t wait to see what is next for Robyn Carter!

Blood Lines by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #5)

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Synopsis: How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace?

 A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring mother and social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Continue reading “Blood Lines by Angie Marsons (Kim Stone #5)”

Death Note by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #1)

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Synopsis: Twenty years ago you were forced to give your daughter up. Now she’s back. Or is she?

Women who’ve had to give up children for adoption are being killed. A knock at their front door begins a nightmare from which they will never wake up.

Detective Ruby Preston and her team must hunt down a disturbed individual before someone else is taken. But just when they think they’ve made a breakthrough, Ruby receives a sinister email, and the case takes a terrifying personal twist.

When bodies start turning up, staged in perfect, domestic scenes, Ruby realises they’re chasing the most frightening serial killer she has ever faced.

Can Ruby catch the killer before they strike again? Or will her troubled past catch up with her first?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

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The Christmas Cake Cafe by Sue Watson

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Synopsis: As the Prosecco chills and Bing Crosby croons, Jen Barker just knows that her long-term boyfriend is about to propose. But instead of a diamond ring nestled in her champagne flute, Jen finds cold flat rejection. Her once perfect life and dreams of a husband and family seem even further from reach.

A working holiday to the Swiss Alps with her younger sister Jody might not be the Christmas Jen had it mind, but it offers her the chance to recharge her batteries and recover from heartbreak.

When Jen meets handsome ski instructor Jon Zutter her hopes for a happy-ever-after seem within her grasp again. Jon is kind and gorgeous and as they bond over Sachetorte at the picturesque Cake Café, Jen thinks he might just be her perfect man. But a relationship with him comes with a catch – and there are some things even cake can’t fix.

As the snow falls and Christmas approaches, could this be the place that restores Jen Barker’s faith in love?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Thank goodness…another Sue Watson in her usual humorous style, it feels like forever since I have read one like this! I admit I am a bit of a Sue Watson fan, and always know that her books will cheer me up and make me laugh like a drain. Thankfully this book was no exception and once again it cheered me up immensely! However (yes there is a however) I did find the main character a bit annoying in the beginning (hence the 4 stars and not 5)!

So Jen Barker is the main character in this Christmas book and as she is planning her wedding in her mind, she had no idea she is about to be unceremoniously dumped. So a year after  her disastrous break up she finds herself facing another Christmas alone with just her cat (named Mrs Christmas) for company. Her half sister Jody decides enough is enough and manages to convince Jen to take a working holiday with her and her friends over Christmas at a Swiss Alps ski resort. 

In the beginning I didn’t instantly like Jen, in fact I would go as far as to say she was a bit of an annoying woman that thought her whole life was over and she was only 41!!! Thankfully as Jen embarks on a new chapter, her sister and new friends make sure she starts to change her ways. Thankfully the whingeing became less and finally she becomes a woman that starts to take some risks.  There are some extremely funny moments in the book which normally revolved around Jen’s choice of clothes, or comments from her new friends. 

Jen’s life seems to roll from one hilarious disaster to another when she is in Switzerland and with the addition of a rather handsome Ski Instructor named Jon things get so much better and I found myself laughing and hoping for the best for her. The last quarter of the book was fabulous, pure magic and a great end to the book. It certainly has all the right elements for a Christmas stocking filler and is a great feel-good read. For me I mark every book of Sue’s against her book ‘Love, Lies and Lemon Cakes’ which to this day is still one of the funniest books I have ever read. Thankfully Sue always delivers a feel good book with the humour thrown in so this was still a great read (but Sue, can we PLEASE have a less whingey woman next time)!

BLOG TOUR – The Taken by Casey Kelleher

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Synopsis: Saskia Frost’s world is blown apart when her dad dies. Without any family, she’s on her own now and up to her eyeballs in her father’s debts. He owed a lot of money to some very dangerous men – Joshua and Vincent Harper. Before long, aspiring ballerina Saskia finds herself lap-dancing in a London club to survive. A club run by the infamous Harper brothers. Saskia is now their property and they’re going to make her pay every penny back. 

Teenager Lena Cona has fled a cruel and controlling marriage. She arrives in England with her newborn daughter, desperately relying on strangers for help. But she soon learns that not everyone can be trusted as she finds herself caught in the clutches of Colin Jefferies, a twisted individual obsessed by his own sinister secrets. As the sickening truth is revealed, Lena is forced to fight for her life – and her baby’s. 

When their worlds collide, Lena and Saskia form an unlikely friendship. But with the terrifying Harper brothers on their tail, as well as Lena’s vengeful and violent husband, can they escape with their lives? 

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

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Take A Chance on Me by Carol Wyer

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Synopsis: When Charlie’s husband leaves after ten years of marriage, her spirits hit an all-time low. She just isn’t sure how to pick herself up again. So, best friend Mercedes makes it her mission to put a spring back in Charlie’s step with the perfect bucket list.

As Charlie takes a chance and bungee jumps and belly dances her way through an array of adventures, her love life also begins to look up and she’s soon enjoying a few dates as a newly single woman. She begins to realise that finding romance, might not be so hard, especially when you’ve got someone like journalist Jake who has an adorable little boy and is very easy on the eye. 

But is Jake too good to be true? As Charlie’s challenges on the bucket list get bigger, so do her questions about Jake. Should she continue to hold out for the fairy-tale? Or should she take a chance on Jake and hope for a happy ending? 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: This was a lovely read even though it started a little on the slow side. Charlie’s past has unfortunately shaped her future and she is struggling to lift herself out of her funk. Luckily for her she has a friend named Mercedes who is larger than life. Mercedes convinces Charlie one drunken night out to complete each others Bucket List. It took me a while to really warm to Charlie but as she takes on Mercedes list you can’t help but feel like spurring her on.

Mercedes and Charlie make a great twosome as friends and this makes for easy reading. The reasons spurring Charlie on at first seem obvious but as she takes steps to complete each challenge something new comes along and changes her outlook. Even when she feels like giving up you just know that somehow she will manage to pull it off. One of the nicest things about this book is the colourful array of brilliant characters that join Charlie on her journey. From Peggy the next door neighbour with her pet parrot Bert, to the class of Belly Dancing friends she meets. There are also her colleagues at the City Hospital where she presents a radio show.

In addition to Charlie completing the list she has to deal with a slightly strange ex-boyfriend as well as a pesky journalist who seems to pop up at every corner. Life is certainly interesting and fun ans you can’t help but to be swept along with the excitement of it all while reading. The latter part of the book gets a little more exciting and by the time I had reached the end I was disappointed to have finished it. This is a real feel-good and heartwarming book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to Carol’s next book!

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

51qMqw4BKtL._SY346_ Synopsis: My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family’s holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.  Then identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.  But what really happened to Coco?  Over two intense weekends – the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father – the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed…

Kat’s Review: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I was a little torn over this book, but eventually decided it was too good a read to mark as a ‘middle of the road’ 3/5. I am sure people will be wondering why, well essentially this is a dark book, and sometimes too much dark makes me so uncomfortable the reading isn’t as enjoyable. I think overall it’s balancing on that line but stayed just the right side for me. I have read Alex previous books and enjoyed them and the synopsis of this one certainly intrigued me. 

This book is based around the events of a tragic weekend in 2004 when 3 year old Coco goes missing, and then twelve years later at the funeral of Coco’s father Sean Jackson. The lead characters in this book are hideous and immensely unlikable. There are numerous characters, and they all seem to have their own selfish agendas and frankly I couldn’t warm to any of them. This is what I mean when I say the book is a little too dark, but a good kind of dark (if you know what I mean).

Continue reading “The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood”

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

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Synopsis: My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family’s holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.

Then identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.

But what really happened to Coco?

Over two intense weekends – the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father – the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed…

Kat’s Review: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I was a little torn over this book, but eventually decided it was too good a read to mark as a ‘middle of the road’ 3/5. I am sure people will be wondering why, well essentially this is a dark book, and sometimes too much dark makes me so uncomfortable the reading isn’t as enjoyable. I think overall it’s balancing on that line but stayed just the right side for me. I have read Alex previous books and enjoyed them and the synopsis of this one certainly intrigued me. 

This book is based around the events of a tragic weekend in 2004 when 3 year old Coco goes missing, and then twelve years later at the funeral of Coco’s father Sean Jackson. The lead characters in this book are hideous and immensely unlikable. There are numerous characters, and they all seem to have their own selfish agendas and frankly I couldn’t warm to any of them. This is what I mean when I say the book is a little too dark, but a good kind of dark (if you know what I mean).

The plot itself is cleverly constructed and the plot revealed in layers. We learn what happened to Coco in stages over the whole book and by the time most of the pieces are revealed things start to make sense. However, towards the end I had than sneaking suspicion that there would be no tidy and wrapped up neatly ending and I was right. On the one hand this really frustrated me and on the other I thought it was a brilliant way to end it. Overall a book that certainly won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but was hugely enjoyable (if not a little difficult to read in places). I think Alex Marwood writes slightly out of the box and it’s quite refreshing to read something that isn’t the same as everything else. I have always had mixed feelings with all of her books but ultimately enjoy them and will look forward to her next release.

Kill Me Twice by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #7)

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Synopsis: A beautiful model’s death uncovers an ugly conspiracy stretching all the way to Westminster in Rosie Gilmour’s darkest case to date. When rags-to-riches Scots supermodel Bella Mason plunges to her death from the roof of a glitzy Madrid hotel, everyone assumes it was suicide. Except that one person saw exactly what happened to Bella that night, and she definitely didn’t jump. But Millie Chambers has no one she can tell – alcoholic, depressed herself and now sectioned by her bullying politician husband, who would believe her? And that’s not all Millie knows. Being close to the heart of Westminster power can lead to discovering some awful secrets…

Back in Glasgow, Rosie’s research into Bella’s life leads to her brother, separated from her in care years before. Dan is now a homeless heroin addict and rent boy, but what he reveals about Bella’s early life is electrifying: organised sexual abuse in care homes across Glasgow. Bella had tracked him down so that they could tell the world their story. And now she’s dead.

As Rosie’s drive to expose the truth leads her closer to Millie and the shameful secrets she has kept for so many years, it becomes clear that what she’s about to discover could prove fatal: a web of sexual abuse linking powerful figures across the nation, and the rot at the very heart of the British Establishment…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

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Strictly My Husband by Tracy Bloom

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Synopsis: Laura loves it when Tom takes her for a late night tango around the kitchen after their friends have gone home and they’re avoiding the washing up. She can’t dance but who cares when no one is watching?

All that changes when Tom arrives on the doorstep with Carly, a professional dancer, and announces he’s offered her the spare room to rent while she performs in a show that Tom is directing.

An outraged Laura doesn’t feel like dancing with Tom anymore but Carly does. It only takes two to tango, and given Tom’s history who knows where it could end? Will Laura be the one left watching from the sidelines whilst Carly waltzes off with her husband’s heart?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I like Tracy Bloom books and although I have only rated this 3/5 it was still a good read. The problem I had with this book was Laura, the main character! Laura is married to the handsome Tom and her life is ticking along like normal. However, when Tom brings home a professional dancer Carly to rent their room things start to go rapidly downhill for Laura.

Laura and Tom are very readable and along with them we meet their married friends Jerry and Hannah as well as Tom’s brother Will. Jerry was without a doubt the star of the show for me and was hilarious, full of life and completely over the top. However, Laura just grated on me from start to finish. The woman never stopped moaning and to be honest I just didn’t like her. That’s my main reason for the 3 star rating. Laura, Tom, Carly, and the other characters were great. They were all easily read, humorous and swept the story along. However, every time Laura got on the phone to Hannah to moan I could almost feel the switch in my brain starting to turn off. 

Pushing that to one side, Tracy Bloom has a great balance between humour and storytelling and there is an easy flow to her books which makes them very readable. I feel like Jerry should make a return in future books as I would have loved to have read more about his adventures following the end of this book. Overall certainly not a bad read, but marred by my dislike for the main character.