Category: Book Review

SNOWFLAKES OVER MUDDLEFORD COVE BY KIM NASH

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Synopsis: Love is in the air and the festive season is just around the corner at the seaside town of Muddleford.
 
Nellie is happily settled in her gorgeous clifftop home. Her favourite evenings are those spent at her beach hut, cozying up under a blanket with her fiancé.
There’s nothing quite like spending time together under the twinkly stars – complete with a delicious hot chocolate and her dog Norman sprawled on their feet.
But she can’t help feeling that there’s still something missing.
 
When Nellie meets Esme, a mysterious visitor to Muddleford, the pair of them come up with a plan to raise money for the local animal shelter, leading to the grand finale – a Christmas Ball.
 
But Esme’s keeping a secret about Nellie’s past that promises to throw her whole world upside down.
Will this be Nellie’s perfect Christmas for the first time in forever? Or will it turn into her worst nightmare – one that she’ll never forget?
 
Sometimes you have to go back to go forward.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I read Moonlight over Muddleford Cove and absolutely fell in love with the lead character Nellie along with other characters that lived in this beautiful place. When I saw that this was a follow on I made it a priority read and I am SO glad that I did. What I would say is that if you haven’t read the first book and want to then maybe don’t read the reviews for this book as they will unwillingly give away what has previously happened!
 
Nellie is now happily settled in Muddleford with her fiancé Jack and her dog Norman, so life is good. She is hoping that her and Jack can start a family but things don’t seem to be happening and this causes her a lot of stress. Luckily for Nellie she gets a visit from good friend Shivani and this certainly livens things up! Shivani is a character I absolutely love and think she needs her own bit of spotlight (maybe in the next book Kim???). The ladies at the WI also get a look in, along with the new young and sexy vicar Kenny so characters are again plentiful and I loved them all.
 
In addition a new girl Esme starts work at the dog animal shelter where Nellie works but it’s clear from the get go that Esme is hiding something. This book was even better than the first and I was once again a little heartbroken that it had finished. This book ticks all the boxes for me and I am desperately hoping this isn’t the last we see of Muddleford. I would highly recommend the first book as well as this one, you wont be disappointed!

TWISTED LIES BY ANGELA MARSONS (KIM STONE #14)

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Synopsis: Her stomach lurches as she sits in the windowless room. He throws her phone to the ground, grinds it against the floor with the heel of his shoe and brings his face closer to hers. There was no turning back now, her life as she knew it was gone.
 
When Detective Kim Stone is called to a local business, what she sees leaves her speechless. The photo on the driving licence bears little resemblance to the man laid out before her, and she knows she’s up against the most twisted killer she has ever encountered.
 
But as she breaks the devastating news to the victim’s wife, Diane Phipps, Kim can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right about the woman’s reaction.
 
Twenty-four hours later, Diane and the rest of the victim’s family disappears into thin air.
 
Then a second body is found staked to the ground in a local nature reserve.
 
Desperate to crack the case open quickly, Kim and her team unravel a vital clue – a fiercely guarded secret that links both victims and could cost even more lives.
 
A secret that some police officers are also protecting.
 
Faced with deceit from those she should be able to trust, family members who won’t talk, and local reporter, Tracy Frost, opening a can of worms on the case of a woman murdered by her husband a year ago – Kim is in deep water like never before.
 
Kim must find the motive if she is to find the killer who is systematically targeting his victims. But can she unlock the shocking truth and stop him before he strikes again?
 
And if Kim doesn’t find them soon, another innocent soul will die.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: So after reading the last two books back to back I was worried I may get tired of Kim and the team and this may affect my judgement. I have no idea what I was thinking because that was just a ridiculous notion. This book was absolutely brilliant. Very dark and twisted (especially some of the horrific scene descriptions in this book) but a book that was just as good as the last. The team are working a murder case which then becomes more than one victim and the way these victims die is nothing short of horrific. If you are squeamish then maybe do a hard pass on this book but personally I think the authenticity is absolutely spot on.
 
Yes we see the return of the usual crew but thankfully we also see Tracy Frost, a local reporter, return and I am so glad she did. This woman deserves a place in the series as much as Bryant, Stacy and Penn. The storyline woven with Frost also sees a turn in the relationship between Kim and Tracy which made for interesting reading. Somehow, Angela Marson’s has that knack that other author such as Peter James has to still make a series seem fresh even though we are now well into book 14 of this series. I seriously cannot recommend this series enough. If I had my way I could just read these books back to back in one hit from the beginning. Another absolute belter from Marson’s, but now I will give my brain a break and maybe read a more light hearted book next and then straight back to Kim and the team for book 15!

DEADLY CRY BY ANGELA MARSONS (KIM STONE #13)

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Synopsis: You have to stop me from hurting anyone else. I don’t want to do these horrible things. Help me before I’m forced to do it again. And I will do it again because I have no choice. I’ve never had a choice.
 
In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina’s body is discovered in an abandoned building. For Detective Kim Stone, it looks like a quick, functional murder. But Kim’s instincts tell her there’s more to this senseless murder than meets the eye. What was the motive for killing a young mother out shopping with her child?
 
Days later, a second victim is found in a local park, her neck broken just like Katrina’s and her six-year-old son missing.
 
But with her colleague, Detective Stacey Wood, working on another unsolved crime and a member of the team grieving the loss of a close relative, Kim is struggling to make inroads on what is fast becoming a complex case. And when a handwritten letter from the killer lands on Kim’s desk addressed to her, and pleading for help, she knows time is running out to bring the little boy home alive.
 
With the support of a handwriting analyst and profiler, Kim and the team begin to get inside the mind of the killer and make a shocking discovery.
 
Some of the victims have scratch marks on their wrists.
 
But these are no random scratches. The killer is using them to communicate with someone. The question is… with whom?
 
And if Kim doesn’t find them soon, another innocent soul will die.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I am well and truly back into this series and frankly cannot see me taking a break until I am up to date! Book 13 was just as thrilling as book 12 and if anything slightly better in my humble opinion. I am not going to pretend I am not a fan of this series, but I can still be honest if I don’t enjoy a book as much (fan or no fan) but I am secretly thrilled that so far both books 12 and 13 have been absolute bangers! I know some people just pick up books and read them irrelevant of series order, but in my eyes that’s a shocking way to read these books featuring Kim Stone.
 
Kim herself and her absolute lack of social skills is what makes her SUCH a likeable character, her team that we see supporting her with Bryant, Stacey, Penn (my new favourite) along with her boss Woody. The latest murder case they are working on is nothing short of odd, it seems to be a murder without motive. There is something decidedly creepy with this book and to be fair even though I thought I had it figured out, turns out I didn’t have it all worked out!
 
I don’t want to rehash the actual plotline as that could be seen as a spoiler for some but what I will say is that this is a brilliant example of a police procedural with cracking characters that will draw you in to want to read more. I am thrilled I am back reading about Stone and the team and am now off to start book 14! Do yourself a favour and go back to the beginning of this series as this gives you a real insight into the characters and team along the way!

KILLING MIND BY ANGELA MARSONS (KIM STONE #12)

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Synopsis: It had seemed so simple. Get in, get the information, get out. But now they were getting inside her mind and she didn’t know how to stop them…
 
When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide.
 
But a visit to Samantha’s parents rings alarm bells for Kim – there’s something they’re not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.
 
Then a young man’s body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.
 
Beneath the retreat’s cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.
 
Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it’s Kim’s only hope if she is to catch a killer – someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted.
 
With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim’s neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: DAMN!!! I forgot how much I loved Angela Marson’s series featuring Kim Stone. I can tell you now I see a long binge read to catch myself up in this series (you can see where the next 4 or 5 reviews will be headed!). Catching up with DI Kim Stone and her colleagues was like dropping back into your local. It took me no time at to reacquaint myself with all her colleagues such as Bryant, Stacey and Penn and within a few chapters it felt like I hadn’t been away! It starts with a bang as Kim is called to the death of Samantha Brown which is ruled as a suicide. However, it soon becomes apparent that it’s not a suicide and there is a lot more going on.
 
When another body turns up and then they link a supposed cult to the people it becomes a whole lot more interesting. With a place called Unity Farm supposedly being a wellness retread and not a cult, Kim and the team are determined to get answers so they send in their colleague Stacey. Oh god, this book was a great one to get back into the series as there was so much going on! Not only the story itself but an additional thread of a story featuring Bryant and an old case he worked on. All of the team members are interweaved into the story with us getting a glimpse into all of their personal lives. I read this is a record one day and absolutely loved it. Straight onto book 13 for me, and a series I would highly recommend with this book being a brilliant example!

DEADLY INTENT BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #3)

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Synopsis: Tormented to the edge of sanity …
Just when DI Matthew Adams thinks he’s left the past behind him, it comes back to haunt him once again; this time in the form of the Conner family.
 
Like Matthew, the Conner’s have lost a child in tragic circumstances – and they’ve also found themselves in the hands of one of the most depraved criminals to walk the streets: ‘Dead-eyed’ Charlie Roberts, a drug addicted low-life with a penchant for extreme violence.
 
Matthew’s greatest affinity lies with Daniel Conner, the brooding father who still blames himself for his youngest child’s death. But when Daniel’s wife and daughter are tortured and tormented by Roberts, can Matthew prevent him from completely ruining his own life for an act of revenge particularly when, once upon a time, that’s exactly what Matthew would have done too?
 
Kat’s Rating: 4/5
 
Kat’s Review: This third book in the series features more of the victim with Matthew Adams featuring more in the background, however it totally worked and I loved this book as much as the other two! Daniel and Joanne Connor are the focus of this book as they struggle to maintain their lives following the death of their daughter. Their eldest daughter Kayla is struggling with her parents and living in the shadow of their grief so starts acting out and that includes mixing with some unsavory characters.
 
Charlie Roberts comes onto the scene and he is well known as a drug dealer and Matthew has his eye on him. When Kayla then goes missing Daniel and Jo are brought together in a very dangerous situation but they are both determined to fight for survival. Although Matthew featured less in this book the main characters were interesting and the book kept me glued to it for hours. Although this wasn’t maybe as exciting as the last book it was still an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. An author I will certainly be reading more of in the future.

SIN’S OF THE FATHER BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #2)

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Synopsis: What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?
 
Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.
 
But the past is the past or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.
 
When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Having never read Sherly Browne this is my second book by her following straight on from Book 1 featuring Matthew Adams. After the drama of book 1, I wondered how thrilling this second book would be, I was NOT prepared for it to be just as good as the first. With Patrick Sullivan gone from Matthews life he is trying to move on but there is somebody intent on making sure that doesn’t happen. IN all honesty you don’t need to know the minutiae of the storyline because I didn’t and it made it all the more thrilling.
 
What I will say is that I read this book even quicker than the last one and the storyline was absolutely fabulous. The beginning of the story kicks off a nightmare scenario for Matthew and Sheryl Browne then keeps her foot firmly on the metal and the story never let up pace for a second. We see the return of Rebecca, Ashley and Steve all brilliant characters and although I don’t want to give away spoiler’s in terms of storylines I don’t think you would be disappointed. I am thrilled I made myself read my older books as I am absolutely loving these ones and as soon as this book is done I am moving straight onto book 3! An absolute corker of a book and this and the last one I would highly recommend reading in order!

AFTER SHE’S GONE BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #1)

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Synopsis: He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
 
There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable.
 
When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.
But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: WOW! I am SO annoyed at myself. These books have been sitting on my Kindle for 5 long years but in my extreme effort to not be swayed by new releases I am slowly making my way through my older books and now I am SO pleased that I made that choice. Sherly Browne is an author I have seen around for a while and keep meaning to read her stuff so decided to go back and start with this series of books featuring Matthew Adams. Well, I was NOT prepared to get stuck into not one but all three of these books! Matthew Adams is copper that cares about people, however he has his own personal misery going on. Patrick Sullivan is the bad guy here and as a drug dealer and pimp that is bad enough but when you realise he was responsible for the death of Matthew’s daughter it changes the game.
 
Matthew is a very likeable character but it’s clear that he (like any parent I imagine) is struggling after the death of his daughter. Patrick Sullivan is a man that is firmly on his police radar but even more so on his personal radar. Matthew’s colleague Steve was also a brilliant character that I hope I get to see in the follow on books. In addition to Matthew his wife Rebecca is a mainstay in the story. Matthew and Rebecca decide to take on his niece Ashley as Matthew’s sister is struggling with addiction. The story becomes very ramped up very quickly as Matthew comes up against Patrick in a very dangerous situation.
 
Overall I read this book in two straight sittings and absolutely loved it. It was fast paced and edgy with great characters and a strong storyline. It was so good I wasted no time and dove straight into book 2. A brilliant book by Sheryl Browne and I really hope the next one is just as good. Highly recommended.

THE CHRISTMAS WISH BY LINDSEY KELK

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Synopsis: Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas – countryside, a mountain of food and festive films – will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer.
Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with turkey. And family arguments. On repeat.
As she figures out how to escape her own particular Christmas hell, Dev is the one bright spot. He might be all grown-up but underneath he’s just as kind and funny as she remembers.
Maybe, just maybe, her heart can be mended after all.
But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next?
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: Over the years I have really enjoyed Lindsey Kelk books and was looking forward to this Christmas themed one. Gwen Baker is on her way to her Mum and Dad’s house along with her cousin Manny. Her life has gone a little bit pear shaped and she hopes that the Chritsmas break will get her mind into the right place and help her figure things out. At first the chapters ease you in and introduce to her very funny family and I was certainly enjoying it. However when Christmas Day goes terribly wrong it left you wondering what Boxing Day would bring. However when Gwen wakes up she is stuck on a Groundhog day situation and has to relive Christmas Day over and over again.
 
At first this seemed endearing and quirky, however this soon wore off for me and I found myself getting a little annoyed with it all. The story and writing was as ever brilliant but for me this whole Groundhog day situation just wore a little thin and I found myself wishing I had finished the book. It certainly isn’t a bad book, it’s just not my cup of tea and I will look forward to the next Lindsey Kelk book I read back in her usual style.

CUT TO THE BONE BY ALEX CAAN (RILEY & HARRIS 1)

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Synopsis: One Missing Girl. Two Million Suspects.
Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls.
And she’s missing . . .
But she’s an adult – nothing to worry about, surely?
Until the video’s uploaded . . .
Ruby, in the dirt, pleading for her life.
Enter Detective Inspector Kate Riley; the Met’s rising star and the head of a new team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Among them, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, the poster boy for multiracial policing. But can Kate wholly trust him – and more importantly, can she trust herself around him?
As hysteria builds amongst the press and Ruby’s millions of fans, Kate and her team are under pressure to get results, and fast, but as they soon discover, the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much darker than anyone could have imagined.
And the videos keep coming . . .
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: Continuing my theme of reading older books on my Kindle I figured I would try an author new to me. Alex Caan released this in 2016 and it features DCI Kate Riley and Zain Harris. The opening of the book is pretty straightforward with Harrix being sent to the home of a missing woman Ruby who also happens to be a You Tube Vlogger. Both Kate and Zain are revealed and sections of their own personal lives show they both have their own issues. I have to be honest and say that I didn’t particularly warm to Kate as a character. She just rubbed me up the wrong way from the get go and it didn’t improve as the story progressed.
 
The chapters are nice and short and sharp and nothing wrong with this author’s style of writing however due to my dislike of Kate it made the book harder to enjoy. The storyline explores the world of social media and like I said before elements of characters are revealed as the story progressed. For me although the writing was decent I felt a little bit like I was struggling to finish. Sometimes it can feel like this with a new series so I think I will at some point try book 2 in the hope I can gel a little more with the characters.

THEN SHE WAS GONE BY LISA JEWELL

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Synopsis: She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl.
She had her whole life ahead of her.
And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.
 
Ten years on, Laurel has never given up hope of finding Ellie. And then she meets a charming and charismatic stranger who sweeps her off her feet.
 
But what really takes her breath away is when she meets his nine-year-old daughter.
 
Because his daughter is the image of Ellie.
 
Now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.
 
What really happened to Ellie? And who still has secrets to hide?
 
Kat’s Rating: 4/5
 
Kat’s Review: My aim this year was to read some of the books that have been on my Kindle for ages and this one stood out. Released in 2017 it was time I gave it a try and with such good reviews I had high hopes. The story starts by introducing us to Laurel who is after ten years of her daughter going missing desperately stuck in her own grief. Laurel’s daughter Ellie had gone missing ten years prior just before her exams and Laurel still had no answers. Her remaining daughter and Son struggle to maintain a good relationship with Laurel along with her ex-husband Paul. However, she finally begins the journey of moving on once she thinks she has some answers. That is when she meets Floyd who sweeps her off her feet.
 
The first thing I will say and the reason that I didn’t rate this a 5 star read was that both Floyd and his daughter Poppy gave me serious ick vibes! To the point it left a sour taste in my mouth reading about them. Don’t get me wrong it’s a serious show of just how talented Lisa Jewell is as an author, but it still left me with a bad feeling. The story unfolds as we find out more about Ellie and the lead up to her disappearance. We also get to see Laurel’s relationship with Floyd progress and with it relevant parts of the story are revealed. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it reminded me of how much I enjoy this author’s books. I can see why it was a bestseller and am pleased I made the time to read it.