Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery

Voice of Reason by Kerry Barnes (Rage #1)

Synopsis: When Dionne married a nightclub owner, Luke Mason, a whisper in her ear told her she would have it all – the money, the house, and the luxury lifestyle. But she never expected her life to turn upside down the day they became parents to twins.

After a Mason family member is murdered, a psychiatrist is asked to assist with the investigation.

Dr Renee, a research psychiatrist, has spent her life’s work studying the existence of the ‘Gemini Gene’ – a gene believed to exist in a few high-functioning psychopaths.

Little does she know that she is not alone in her quest. In the shadows lurks someone who also has a special interest in the gene. However, the trial that they are conducting is so much more sinister.

Will Dr Renee discover if the Gemini Gene really does exist, or will it be the voice of reason who has the answers?

MY RATING: 4/5

My Review: Okay, so it’s been a while since I have read a KB book that I figured I’d give this one on my to read list a go and boy am I glad I did. This latest book by this author I felt wa sa bit of a departure from other books of hers I have read but still a thoroughly enjoyable read as always. This story was centred around Dionne who got her ultimate wish which was to marry the nightclub owner Luke Mason

She expected the life full of money, the house, and a luxury lifestyle to follow. What she wasn’t prepared for was giving birth to a pair of borderline pyschotic twins! When one of the Mason family member is murdered, a psychiatrist brought in to help the investigation. Dr Renee, joins the story and the reader can see that she has spent her life’s work studying the existence of the ‘Gemini Gene’ – a gene believed to exist in a few high-functioning psychopaths.

What everybody doesn’t realise is that Dr Renee is not the only person interested in the Gemini Gene. The whole storyline is very interesting and the characters engaging. I read this book in just under two days and absolutely loved it. A definite must read…

The Brothers by Kimberley Chambers

Synopsis: MEET THE BOND BROTHERS.

You don’t want to be on the wrong side of this family…

Beau Bond hates fiercely and loves hard. He’ll do anything to protect his twin Brett, and his girlfriend Jolene. Brett is a survivor. He’s always followed his brother’s lead, even if it means he’s lived to regret it.

As Beau and Jolene get hitched, their feuding families must put their differences aside. But the brothers have a dark secret that could cause a war between both sides … and what better place to reveal all than at a wedding…

When their past sins resurface to threaten those closest to them, will the brothers still have each other’s backs?

STAR RATING: 4/5

MY REVIEW: The Family Man I have only just read however this actually was the last book KC released I believe three years ago. For me moving on to this book was a great thing but for others I imagine its been a long time coming. The Family Man I enjoyed but in some respects I didn’t care too much for the characters so I was interested to see how this latest book fared.

Brett and Beau Bond the twins in the family are the main focus this time around and we get to see more of Beau and his new wife Jolene. Once again the writing and storyline for me is still just as good and shows why KC can tella good yarn, however my feelings about the characters remained. In all honesty I enjoyed this second book slightly more than the last but still though the whole Bond Family are characters I just don’t care too much for.

The small niggle aside this book has all you could want and expect from a KC book and I think her fans will absolutely love it. A solid read by a great author, here’s hoping I like the next lot of characters more.

The Family Man by Kimberley Chambers

Synopsis: Meet the Bonds

Kenny Bond is finally out of prison after doing a long stretch for killing a copper, and is determined to get back to life on the straight and narrow.

A family like no other

Kenny’s son Donny might lack his father’s edge but his twin grandsons, Beau and Brett – well, they are Bonds through and through. Like him, they won’t let anyone stand in their way.

But they’re about to meet their match

Family comes before everything else for Kenny, but there’s a feud brewing that could cause murder, and a new family on Dark Lane might bring the Bonds to their knees. Kenny’s determined that nothing, and no one, will threaten his family. But can the Bonds stick together when someone’s out to take them down?

The Bond family’s story is just beginning…

RATED: 3/5

My Review: I began reading Kimberley Chamber’s back in 2010 and was blown away. She became a firm favourite of mine and I consistently read and fell in love with all her books. However, it’s been a few years and I decided to make a start with The Family Man. First off her writing skill is still just as good and her chapters and storylines are full of all the wronguns you could possibly think of. However, for some reason I just didn’t like Kenny Boyd our lead character at all. He has NO redeeming features and frankly the more of the Bond Family I read about the less I liked them. Kenny the main man, his wife Sharon, his kids Donny and Sherry….literally all of them. I just didn’t like them at all and this kind of put a bit of a dampner on this book.

I don’t know whether this is because she has done something similar in style before with The Butlers, but I just didn’t gel with any of them. The story itself still pulled me in right enough but there were times I just got irritated. Another thing I noticed which was strange was that on a few chapters KC would end it by stating the obvious and it grated on me, Finishing a chapter by saying something like
What had he got himself into? or little did he know…

It may seem like I am being harsh with this review but in all honesty my standards are pretty high with KC as she has been producing cracking books for a lot of years now. This latest one to me just felt a bit off. I admit, even aside from the things I disliked I still read it in 2 days and went straight onto the next book to find out what happens next. Still a fabulous author and one I will continue to read, but for me this book just hit the mark.

A Gift for Dying by M J Arlidge

Synopsis: Nothing surprises Adam Brandt anymore. As a forensic psychologist, he’s seen and heard everything.
That is, until he meets Kassie.
Because she claims to have a terrible gift – with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die.
Adam doesn’t believe her.
But then a serial killer starts wreaking havoc across the city, and only Kassie seems to know where he’ll strike next.
Against all his intuition, Adam starts to think Kassie might be telling the truth.
He just doesn’t realise how dangerous this trust might be .

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: Mmmm this is a very strange one for me. I am definitely a fan of this author especially the Helen Grace series, however this stand alone has left me wondering where I sit with this standalone book. Our main character Adam Brandt is a forensic psychologist and he sees all sorts of patients and feels like nothing much surprises him anymore. That is until he meets Kassie the other lead character in this book. According to Kassie all she has to do is look into somebody’s eyes and she can see how and when they die. That in itself makes me a little bit detached from the storyline as it’s not really my cup of tea. However, you can’t knock it until you try it so I continued.

When a serial killer starts attacking and killing people it seems only Kassie knows where they will strike next. The actual writing and storyline was as good as other books MJA has written but there was something I just couldn’t get along with in this book. I don’t even think it’s the storyline itself, more so the characters. I just didn’t care than much about them and to be honest I didn’t really like any of them? This certainly isn’t a bad book and its written in such a way you need to find out what happens next…but…for me it just didn’t hit the spot so I am giving it a middle of the road rating.

The Girl in The Dark by Zoe Sharp (Blake & Byron)

Synopsis: The woman falls. Her body begins to shake. Her brown eyes turn upwards, showing a mix of panic and desperate hope. She takes a deep breath and says one ‘Blake.’ Then her eyes close, her face pales, and she goes still forever…

The victim: Shannon, a woman who went out of her way to help the lost and hopeless, left abandoned to die by the side of the road. Where was she in those last few days before her death, and why was she so frightened?

The avenger: Blake Claremont, who knows only too well how it feels to be alone on the streets of a big city. Blake survived, thanks to Shannon. She’s determined to find out who killed her friend, and why.

Before she died, Shannon was searching for answers. She knew that people were going missing… never to be seen again. Now, with the help of Detective John Byron, Blake must take up Shannon’s investigation. She knows these streets and the predators who walk in the darkness. She will follow in Shannon’s footsteps until she finds her target: the ruthless men and women who steal people’s lives and will do anything to protect their secrets.

And then, they will pay.

MY RATING: 4/5

MY REVIEW: I recently read the first new book in this series and thoroughly enjoyed it so was pleased to be able to pick up where we left off and see what happened next! The two characters couldn’t be more different and that’s what makes them very enjoyable to read about. Blake Claremont is a young woman who in book one reappeared at her family home following a long period of being away. She is a feisty character that really does have her own mind and trust literally about two people! This latest book sees her living on the streets, which at first I didn’t understand but it soon all became clear.

Blake is determined to find out what happened to Shannon who was one of the few people that made sure Blake was okay. Now Shannon is dead and Blake feels an intense sense of loyalty to find out what is going on and why. On the other end of the spectrum Detective John Byron is now working in a specific role looking into potential police corruption.

This latest book delves into a world where the homeless are being victimised in a terrible way but with Blake not giving an inch, god help them all! Both Blake and John are brilliant characters and I especially love Blakes friend Lex Vaganov! Between Lex and John’s old boss Shamshi Daud they make an awesome team. This whole book and storyline I thoroughly enjoyed and I cannot wait to see where the series goes.

The Last Time She Dies by Zoe Sharp (Blake & Byron)

Synopsis: She came back on the day of her father’s funeral, ten years after she vanished. But she can’t be who she says she is… When Blake disappeared as a teenager, on a cold dark night, her father never reported her missing. She is presumed dead.

Now, ten years later, a young woman with white-blonde hair sits comfortably in the family living room and smiles at the shocked faces around her.

“Don’t you recognise me?” she says. “I’m Blake.”

Detective John Byron isn’t sure whether she’s telling the truth. But as he investigates, he soon realises no one is happy to see her. And the people who should be welcoming her back with open arms know she can’t be Blake. Because they killed her the night she vanished…

Didn’t they?

MY RATING: 4/5

My Review: Finally! I am a big fan of the Charlie Fox series by Zoe Sharp and its been way too long so when I realised I now had two books in a new series by her to read I eagerly started with this one the first featuring ‘Blake & Byron’ as the title suggests. So the Byron in this duo refers to John Byron a copper with the Met who is currently on leave from work. The reader has no clue why he is on leave or what happened but it’s pretty clear from the outset he is up in Derbyshire for his boss looking into something through unofficial channels. The first thing that struck me was how ‘old school’ this book felt and that isn’t mean in a derogatory way at all! It had a real mystery air to it and that ‘who dunnit’ feel going on which I loved.

On the opposing side of the duo is Blake, a young woman who returns to her old home following the death of her Father. Gideon Fitzroy was a British MP and had a good standing in the community. When his long since missing daughter re-appears after the funeral a lot of eyes are raised including those of her step mother and half brother and sister. I admit that the first few chapters it took me a little while to get into the writing and story itself, but as the book progressed I could totally understand the reasons behind the slow burn of the unfolding storyline.

I don’t want to rehash the synopsis as that seems a pointless exercise, but what I will say is that following completion of book 1 I can totally appreciate the groundwork that went into building these two characters and leaving the reader wondering what next. I read this book over a couple of days and frankly slowly fell in love with both Byron and Blake, two very original characters with some wonderful character traits, best shown off over the span of the book! It’s very hard to describe what I mean (after all I am a reader and not a writer) but I guess overall this was a hugely enjoyable book featuring characters I definitely want to read more of, and that being the case would 100% recommend this as I think this could be an absolutely fantastic series.

Hard Power by J B Turner (Jon Reznick #12)

Synopsis: Hard Power ―the follow-up to the electric Hard Exit ―is a riveting new thriller from bestselling author J. B. Turner. When Amy Chang, partner of NSA hacker Trevelle Williams―a friend of Jon Reznick―is found dead on a Manhattan subway, everyone says it was a suicide. But Trevelle knows that someone had been watching Amy’s every move, and he isn’t about to let them slip away. Trevelle calls on Jon Reznick to help him uncover what happened to Amy and protect Amy’s brother, Kevin Chang, a Hong Kong student-activist living in New York. Before long, two government organizations are hunting them, forcing the trio to go on the run. Will Reznick be able to pull himself out of another mess, or have things finally gone too far? As his pursuers close in, Reznick reaches out to Martha Meyerstein, FBI assistant director, for help―but with so many political forces at play, people are not always who they seem to be. With friends’ lives on the line, Reznick will have to summon all his black-ops skills, tradecraft, and killer instincts to keep both Trevelle and Kevin alive…but he might have to sacrifice his own life to do it.

MY RATING: 5/5

My Review: I absolutely love this series and this latest release is no exception. Jon Reznick’s friend and hacker Trevelle is the one who calls Jon for help this time, a far cry from the norm. However, the situation Trevelle finds himself in is far from the ordinary. Trevelle’s girlfriend Amy Chang is found dead and he is convinced, along with Amy’s brother Kevin, that it was no accident. Although Jon has no jurisdiction he as per the norm sticks his nose in to try and get to the bottom of what has gone on. It becomes clear pretty quickly that the situation Jon, Trevelle and Kevin find themselves in proves the theory that all is not right!

There is plenty of action pretty much from the off with this latest book and as usual Jon is determined for the truth even if it means falling out with the FBI assistant Martha (which he does plenty of)! I was a little on the fence with how the Jon and Martha relationship has played out but a part of me also understands the need for it. That aside I loved the pacing of the story and there was plenty of corruption and action top keep you entertained. Although there is a slight swerve into the arena featuring Chinese politics, I can forgive it as it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I just hope we don’t see the author going politics heavy in future books.

Overall this is a fast paced and action packed story with a character you can’t help but love. A great series which I am thoroughly enjoying and would happily recommend.

Sleep by C L Taylor

Synopsis: Seven guests. Seven secrets. One killer. Do you dare to SLEEP? All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret, but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna. Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

My Rating: 2/5

My Review: Recently I have been selecting books that are the oldest on my to read list and this was one of them. I have read a few CL Taylor books and largely enjoyed then however this one for me was a bit of a miss. Anna is the lead character and we see her starting a new job in a remote area of Scotland, an Island named Rum. She is helping run a guest house in the hope that following a horrific accident she can get away and start again.

First up Anna was just annoying as a character, yes she had experienced trauma but she just grated on me and I don’t even know why (I seem to have a problem connecting with characters lately). The general premise is that there are 7 guest and they get trapped there because of bad weather an all sorts of things start happening. I got the impression this was maybe meant to be a little creepy but I just got irritated by the characters. I finished the book but in all honesty I didn’t care much because it all became a little bit unbelievable.

We Can See You by Simon Kernick

.Synopsis: You have it all. Success, a beautiful home, a happy family. Until, in a heartbeat, it’s gone. We’ve kidnapped your daughter, and we know everything about you. Including the dark secrets from your past you thought were forgotten. We tell you not to contact the police – and that we’ll know if you do. Because we can see you. And now you know this is no ordinary abduction. It’s worse. Within hours you’re on the run, with only one thought in your head:That you will stop at nothing to get your daughter back

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: I have to start by saying that I am a big fan of Kernick especially books such as Relentless and The Last Ten Seconds however this….not so much. The synopsis felt like a departure from my expectations of a Kernick novel so I was excited to try something a little different. Brook Conner is on her way home and is excited to see her daughter Paige. When she arrives she just knows something is off as her housekeeper Rosa is not there with Paige but her car is. Confused she calls Rosa to no reply followed shortly thereafter to her husband. It becomes all too clear that her daughter has been kidnapped.

Now right out the gate I admit I did not warm to any of the characters in this book. Brook, her husband, her lawyer, literally everybody! The storyline also bordered on the ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against stretching the realms of reality for a story, but it has to be a good story for me to be on board with it! I managed to trudge my way through this but it felt like a chore. Every now and then you can read a book by an author you love and just not gel with the book and this is one of those times.

Brutal by Mandasue Heller

Brutal Synopsis: A bereaved husband is faced with a devastating choice in Brutal, an engrossing, gritty thriller from the top ten bestselling author Mandasue Heller.

When Frank Peter’s wife Maureen dies, he feels that his once-idyllic life on the Yorkshire Moors is over. And with a daughter emigrating to Australia and a son who has his own marital problems, Frank feels resigned to a life of loneliness. Then one night he finds a frightened young woman hiding at the back of his farmhouse. She explains that her name is Irena and was brought to this country by a man who promised her the world and then forced her into prostitution.

Frank offers her a bed for the night but it’s the middle of winter, and when heavy snowfall prevents her from leaving the next day, he’s forced to extend the invitation. But the longer Irena stays, the easier it gets for the men she’s trying to escape from to find her.

People-trafficking could just be the tip of the iceberg, and Frank has no idea what these people are really capable of . . .

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: It’s been a very long time since I read a Mandasue Heller and chose this one from my very long to be read pile. We meet Frank Peters an ordinary man who lives on a farm in the Yorkshire moors. Following the death of his wife, he is managing okay but with his daughter now moving to Australia and his son who has his own problems he does feel the loneliness start to creep in. One night in the middle of winter he comes across a scared woman in the snow hiding behind his farm. With the snow making it hard to get about he offers her a bed for the night and hopefully some relative safety.

What transpires is a rather unusual plot where Frank become unwittingly caught in the middle of an elaborate scheme involving sex trafficking. To be honest the book was definitely readable but for me the plot was kind of ‘out there’ and it instantly put me off. I loathed Franks son and daughter from the off and the fact that Frank was so naïve just felt a little too contrived for me.

I certainly finished this and it wasn’t a bad book but for me I preferred MH older books with slightly different settings and storylines. For me this was just middle of the road