Category: Emma Clapperton

THE SUICIDE PLAN BY EMMA CLAPPERTON (PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN #3)

Synopsis: Standing up and welcoming everyone to the spiritualist church is something Patrick McLaughlin does most evenings. Most of the faces in the audience are familiar to him, except one. David Hopkirk walks into the West End Spiritualist church in Glasgow and slits his own throat in the middle of a demonstration. His reasoning? Patrick is only of use to him in death. In this novella, Patrick is once more catapulted into a world which sees the death of a ten year old boy, a failed court case and a family torn apart. He has most of the puzzle pieces in his possession, he just needs to fit them together. 

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 

Kat’s Review: This novella by Emma Clapperton forms part of the series featuring Patrick McLaughlin. Now firstly this series is a paranormal series which I know isn’t for everybody, and normally I would include myself in that list. However, there are exceptions to my rule and certain authors manage to hook me with this genre and Emma Clapperton is one of them. Patrick and Jodie McLaughlin are both mediums and Patrick uses his gift to try and pass along messages to people who have lost loved ones. One evening in the spiritualist church where Patrick and Jodie work a man named David Hopkirk arrives and slits his own throat in front of everybody, asking Patrick to help him before he commits this terrible suicide!

Yep, sounds crazy I know but in a weird way although it’s a grisly and violent opening it has the wow factor and you  can’t help but wonder what it is that this man needs help with. Patrick then goes on to delve into the world of David and find out what was driving him so hard to commit suicide and help him. Although this is only 78 pages and a novella/short story (which I normally don’t enjoy) this one hit the spot nicely.

It re-introduces you to Patrick and Jodie and where they are with their lives, whilst delivering a fast paced and enthralling story. All in all this was a cracking book and only made me want to read the next full length book in the series….yesterday! A great book for this genre and a series I will continue to follow.

HENDERSON MANOR BY EMMA CLAPPERTON (PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN #2)

Synopsis: Do you believe a house can remember things that have happened in the past? 

As D.S Preston and D.C Lang investigate the death of a young girl in an old manor house in Glasgow they ask themselves, who would want to kill an innocent girl in her own home and why? They believe their questions are answered and the case is closed.

Sam Leonard could not be happier, he has an amazing acting career, a loyal best friend and a fantastic girlfriend and after a previous turbulent relationship, what could go wrong? 

Patrick McLaughlin’s life is going well. His marriage is stable and with a baby on the way, things can only get better. But a house that Patrick buys is not all it seems. With a family burial plot in the gardens, visions and messages from the deceased and a fairly recent death in the house, will Patrick and Jodie regret their purchase? 

Henderson Manor will bring together the lives of several unsuspecting people…but can a house let go of its past?

My Review: I’m not a fan of the ‘psychic type’ books but Emma Clapperton’s first book made me re-think that statement. Having read about and got to know Patrick McLaughlin I was quite looking forward to this next book. The intro of the book is interesting and immediately caught my attention. We meet Sam Leonard who is a successful actor and he meets his soon to be girlfriend, Deborah. His life seems extremely good with a new girlfriend in tow and his best friend Jenny around, until a previous relationship comes back to haunt him.

In addition to Sam, Jenny and Deborah we also meet up with DS Preston and DC Lang again. They’re called in to investigate the suspected death of a young girl found living alone in her house. Whilst Preston and Lang are busy doing their jobs, we also meet up with Patrick and his wife Jodie. Life is looking up for Patrick and with a baby on the way their move to a new house looks to be a fresh start.

I really liked the characters of Sam, Jenny and Deborah and they added what almost felt like a separate element to the story. However, as the story progresses all the characters involved become intertwined and things start to spiral rapidly. In her first book I really liked Patrick and Jodie, and although it takes at least a third of the book before we see them it feels like I was greeting old friends again. Like I said I’m not a terribly huge fan of the paranormal but Emma Clapperton has managed to tell this story without the psychic side going too far so it becomes ridiculous. It’s believable and in particular this book seemed quite a bit more exciting than the last.

The nicest thing about this book was the ending. Although I fear this may be the end for Patrick and Jodie, the plot twist thrown in at the end was a corker and it leaves you wanting to read more about the couple. This certainly grabbed my attention and I got through it in pretty quick time. It was well paced and didn’t let up right until the last page. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what EC produces next. 

BEYOND EVIDENCE BY EMMA CLAPPERTON (PATRICK MCLAUGHLIN #1)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: In an alley way of the back streets of Glasgow there lies a decomposing corpse of a slain female baking in the midday heat. No one has found her yet, but medium Patrick McLaughlin knows she is there. It is not the first time he has dreamt of death… and he soon finds out that it is not to be the last.

Meanwhile, the local police start to request DNA samples from twenty something men in the bustling city of Glasgow where several bizarre murders have taken place.

Through a hunch and in the belief that the terrifying dreams hold the key to the identity of the murderer, Patrick works alongside the police to track down the predator before they can strike again. 

The nightmares do not ease up and begin to tear at Patricks sanity and in the midst of the investigation, at what cost would Patrick have to pay to stop the killer striking again?

His friends? His family? His life?

My Review: I have to be honest and say that when I read the synopsis I had some serious doubts. I am not somebody who reads a lot of fiction that features ghosts or anything remotely like that, so when I say the words “Medium, Patrick McLaughlin” I have to say I was a little concerned. However, I was quite surprised that the first few pages were extremely graphic and gritty as we see a crime scene played out in front of us.  The following pages are used to introduce us to Patrick who (surprisingly) did not work for the police, but was an ordinary Joe! The difference between him and other people is that he has the ability to see and hear spirits.

I have to say I am a bit of a sceptic with things like that, but was even more surprised that the story and character of Patrick was done really well and was totally believable. Patrick was a pretty likeable character and I think because he has had so many issues growing up because of his ability, it made him more likeable. His partner Jodie also has the same ability which brings them closer together as a couple, and the added bonus was that they played off each other in the story and it helped make the story so much more legitimate.

In addition to Patrick, we meet two coppers Lang and Preston who are currently working on the cases of the murdered women. The nice aspect of this is that Patrick has to really work to prove to both of them that he isn’t a phoney. I liked both the coppers but to be honest, would like to find out a bit more about both of them as I didn’t really feel like wither of them stood out. Overall, this book really surprised me. Seeing as I am not a fan of the paranormal, I thought I might struggle but on fact it was the opposite. Emma Clapperton has created a book with likeable characters, and has potentially created a brilliant platform for a whole series of books featuring Patrick McLaughlin. I really enjoyed this and am really looking forward to another book in this series. If like me, you aren’t a fan of the paranormal, don’t let this put you off; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.