Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery

She Did It by Mel Sherratt

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Synopsis: Work colleague. Friend. Killer.

A successful businesswoman, Tamara enjoys her champagne lifestyle to the full. At least, that is the front she displays to the world. As well as being lonely, she’s running out of money. A promising new member of staff brings the injection of fresh blood needed to win the contract that will turn things around.

Working for Tamara is a perfect ruse for Esther. But, along with fake references and qualifications, she also has a plan for revenge. Sensing Tamara’s vulnerability, Esther uses their acquaintance as a way of getting close to someone who hurt her in the past.

Tamara is keeping things secret. Esther has a dark side she is trying to hide. For both of them, lying is a habit. But when mistakes begin to catch up with Esther, and people start dying, Tamara realises she’s chosen the wrong person to trust as a friend.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I am a big Mel Sherratt fan, especially her Allie Shenton series. When I received a copy of her newest release She Did It, I was looking forward to reading a standalone. Tamara and Esther are two very different characters, however they both have secrets they are hiding. When Esther turns up with fake references to work for Tamara, Tamara is grateful that she has finally found someone she can rely on. Esther in turn plays her part and on the surface looks to be supporting Tamara at a time when her business really needs the boost.

Esther was a more engaging character for me and although it was clear she was extremely devious and had an evil streak she was incredibly engaging. Tamara less so and at tims I found her a little bland in comparison and at times naive. However after the halfway point my attitude changed somewhat and I realised I didn’t really know what either woman was capable of or why.

As the story progressed the plot thickened but elements of the past started to make an appearance and pretty soon everything just started unravelling. It was an easy book to get pulled in to and I certainly feel like this is a slight move away from her normal books and this falls more into the Psychological Thriller genre for me. It was certainly a good read and one that I think her fans will enjoy. I still remain a stout Shenton fan and am really looking forward to the next book in tthe series.

BLOG TOUR: LOST IN THE LAKE BY A J WAINES

893x321Synopsis: She came at first for answers…now she’s back for you

Amateur viola player Rosie Chandler is the sole survivor of a crash which sends members of a string quartet plunging into a lake. Convinced the ‘accident’ was deliberate, but unable to recall what happened, she is determined to recover her lost memories and seeks out clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby.

But Rosie is hiding something…

Sam is immediately drawn to the tragic Rosie and as she helps her piece the fragments together, the police find disturbing new evidence which raises further questions. Why is Rosie so desperate to recover her worthless viola? And what happened to the violin lost in the crash, worth over £2m?

When Rosie insists they return to the lake to relive the fatal incident, the truth about Rosie finally creeps up on Sam – but by now, she’s seriously out of her depth…

A stand alone novel (and the second book in the Dr Samantha Willerby series), Lost in the Lake is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat Psychological Thriller that will leave you glancing over your shoulder.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5 Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: LOST IN THE LAKE BY A J WAINES”

Fox Hunter by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #12)

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Synopsis: ‘The dead man had not gone quietly … There was a time when I would have given everything I owned to be the one responsible for that.’

Charlie Fox will never forget the men who put a brutal end to her military career, but she vowed a long time ago she would not go looking for them.

Now she doesn’t have a choice.

Her boss and former lover, Sean Meyer, is missing in Iraq where one of those men was working as a private security contractor. When the man’s butchered body is discovered, Charlie fears that Sean may be pursuing a twisted vendetta on her behalf.

Sean’s partner in their exclusive New York close-protection agency needs this dealt with—fast and quiet—before everything they’ve worked for is in ruins. He sends Charlie to the Middle East with very specific instructions:

Find Sean Meyer and stop him. By whatever means necessary.

At one time Charlie thought she knew Sean better than she knew herself, but it seems he’s turned into a violent stranger. As the trail grows more bloody, Charlie realises that unless she can get to Sean first, the hunter may soon become the hunted.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: So after a particularly lengthy wait for most between the last Charlie Fox book and this one we finally see book 12. Having been on a recent Fox binge I was fully up to date with the series and ready to go with the latest, and thankfully it was as good as I had hoped. However, yeah, I know it’s just a fancy but, I am unsure how I feel having finished the book. I read it in two sittings and just one day and it was certainly the typical pacey and adrenaline packed type of book you would expect. The ending has left me somewhat curious, is this the end for Charlie? Or is this the opener for a totally new path for her? I still don’t know whether I can answer that but I would love to see the latter as I am a huge fan of this series.

This latest bout sees Charlie running after Sean in Iraq to try and get to the bottom of his alleged vendetta. The Iraq setting makes for a much more high-octane setting than usual and as such it feels like a much edgier book. There is also an element of the characters feeling altogether more sinister and I include Charlie in that. Charlie’s life has never been easy but this latest trip seems to be pushing her almost over the edge. I liked the addition of Luisa Dawson and thought her and Charlie made a good pairing. There was also the long-awaited back story featuring Charlie and her past assault. I won’t go in to too much detail for fear of spoilers but hence to say it was in my mind a very satisfying conclusion to this element of the story.

This has been a fantastic series and although I’m not sure whether this is the end, if we do see the return of Charlie (which I sincerely hope we will) then there are all kinds of possibilities that lie ahead. I felt like this was so much better than some of her previous books just because it had that danger element with the characters and it makes you feel as the reader you never quite know if the good guys will remain that way. An absolute corker of a read and one that was well worth waiting for.

Absence of Light by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox Novella 11)

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Synopsis: The way things are coming apart at home with Sean Meyer, she welcomes the chance to get away.

Tasked as security advisor to the specialist team at the centre of relief efforts, Charlie knows it won’t be easy. The team members are willing to put themselves in constant danger as a matter of course. But what kind of other risks are they prepared to take?

As Charlie soon discovers, it’s not just the ground beneath her feet that cannot be relied on. Her predecessor died conveniently while investigating rumours that the team were on the take, Charlie’s been instructed to quietly uncover whether his death was as accidental as the official verdict suggests. If it was an accident, why are they so obviously lying to her?

Charlie must move with care through a shifting landscape to find the answers before there are more than just earthquake victims buried in the rubble. And when disaster strikes she will learn not only whom she can trust, but whether she can she survive the darkness that comes with a total absence of light.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I’m not actually that keen on short stories or novellas, however at 218 pages I didn’t feel short changed. Book 10 in the series Die Easy was published in 2012 and this novella in 2013. Hence the reason I waited so long to read them as book 12 has just been released 4 years later (cue ridiculous excitement levels). Charlie has been sent out as part of a specialist team that are part of the relief efforts following a devastating earthquake in South America. Only it’s not as straightforward as that as she delves within the team to find out what really happened to her predecessor on this job. Was his death an accident or more involved? That’s where Charlie comes in and as usual she does it in her usual tactless but fearsome way.

There are many questions remaining from Die Easy regarding Charlie and her partner Sean. Although what has happened in the interim is addressed it just leaves the readers (or maybe just me) literally salivating at what will happen in the next book. The other element of the story regarding the death of her predecessor and the team working on the ground was really gripping. For what seems like the first time, we see Charlie at the mercy of something she can’t control…Mother Nature.

This book albeit shorter than her normal ones was no less satisfying and it has just left me desperate to see what happens with Sean in book 12. Although this could be read as a standalone there is absolutely no way or reason why anybody wouldn’t want to start at the beginning. A fantastic series which I am thrilled to see the return of!

Die Easy by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox 10)

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Synopsis: ‘Sean didn’t remember finding out that I wasn’t to blame for ruining both our careers – that I’d nearly died for him. He certainly didn’t know that I’d killed for him.’

In the sweating heat of Louisiana, former Special Forces soldier turned bodyguard, Charlie Fox, faces her toughest challenge yet.

Professionally, she’s at the top of her game, but her personal life is in ruins. Her lover, bodyguard Sean Meyer, has woken from a gunshot-induced coma with his memory in tatters. It seems that piecing back together the relationship they shared is proving harder for him than relearning the intricacies of the close-protection business.

Working with Sean again was never going to be easy for Charlie, either, but a celebrity fundraising event in aid of still-ravaged areas of New Orleans should have been the ideal opportunity for them both to take things nice and slow.

Until, that is, they find themselves thrust into the middle of a war zone.

When an ambitious robbery explodes into a deadly hostage situation, the motive may be far more complex than simple greed. Somebody has a major score to settle and Sean is part of the reason. Only trouble is, he doesn’t remember why.

And when Charlie finds herself facing a nightmare from her own past, she realises she can’t rely on Sean to watch her back. This time, she’s got to fight it out on her own.

One thing’s for sure—no matter how overwhelming the odds stacked against her, Charlie Fox is never going to die easy …

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

***I have to assume that you have no plans to read the series in order from the beginning as this will inevitably contain spoilers*** 

Kat’s Review: So having finished book 9, I dove straight into this one and knew things would not have been easy for Charlie in the interim. Sean (her colleague and partner) has now returned to work with Charlie as a Close Protection Agent (aka Bodyguard) and Charlie just isn’t sure he is ready. Not only is he still recovering from a serious head injury that put him in a coma, but he still has a loss of memory for a few years in his past and that has a severe impact on Charlie. Their latest job is supposedly an easy one, however as with most things involving Charlie Fox nothing is ‘easy’.

Blake Dyer is their client and Charlie and Sean are employed to ensure his safety during a benefit in New Orleans to raise funds for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The first quarter of the book does nothing but highlight the problems that Charlie is up against as Sean seems to have reverted back to his time in the Military and all of his finesse and business savvy seems to have gone out the window along with his memory. Once the real action gets underway it almost has an action movie feel to it as many people are taken hostage in the worst possible place!

This book was a lot more fast paced than the last one and I found myself feeling like it was a much pacier and more exciting read than the last one. The reader gets to see Charlie at her absolute best and all I can say is that I wouldn’t want to annoy this woman as she is a force to be reckoned with. There’s also an ongoing story thread that gets continued in this book relating to an assault on Charlie many years before. It seemed like the action, trouble and death defying things continued chapter by chapter right up to the very end. This book was one that you didn’t want to put down and as the story continued I felt myself disliking Sean more and more as time went on. By the end of the book, the epilogue just seemed to put the icing on the cake with lots of possibilities for the next book. The follow on to this is the Novella Absence of Light. Keep your eyes peeled as this I am already reading with a view to picking up book 12 VERY soon!!!!

Fifth Victim by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #9)

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**PLEASE NOTE: Do NOT continue to read the review if you plan on reading the series in order as it will inevitably contain spoilers**

Synopsis: The only thing more terrifying than fighting for your life is fighting for someone else’s… Bodyguard and ex-Special Forces soldier Charlie Fox would do anything to take her mind off her partner; shot, left for dead and now lying in a coma. So concentrating on a new assignment seemed like the perfect way to escape the pain, and her own empty apartment. The job looked simple: to protect the naive daughter of an investment banker from a ruthless gang of kidnappers. But when her instincts lead Charlie to suspect an inside job, she finds out that not everyone who mingles with the jet-set is what they seem – and the idle rich can be as ruthless as any criminal… An electrifying tale of cross and double-cross, Fifth Victim will keep you firmly on the edge of your seat.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: At the end of the last book, I think most readers and fans were in shock (me included) as Charlie’s partner was shot and left for dead and who knew what would happen. What actually happened is worse than I expected as Sean now lays critically ill in a coma, unresponsive and looking like no change will happen anytime soon. With Sean critically ill Charlie finds solace in her work as she takes her latest assignment to protect Dina the daughter of a wealth investment banker named Caroline Willner.

Charlie immerses herself in the job as she struggles to accept the fact that Sean’s condition is out of her hands. Although Charlie can adept to many situations she hadn’t banked on being drawn into a world where twenty something Dina runs with the wealth party crowd. Thankfully Dina has a softer side and we see Charlie work her magic and start to understand Dina a little more whilst making her safety her number on priority. It becomes clear early on that the kidnapping threat is a real one to the wealthy crowd and before long Charlie starts to uncover that some other of Dina’s friends had recently been kidnapped and lived to tell the tale. As she gets to know more of Dina’s friends it becomes apparent that all is not as it seems on the surface.

The storyline was a good one but seeing Charlie interact with her boss Parker and her personal struggle with her emotions over Sean was the real hook for me in this book. Parker is a great character and frankly I wondered whether the outcome of this book may be slightly different with regards to him (damn you Zoe Sharp)!  Zoe Sharp doing what she does best meant the ending of this book leaves an “OH NO… what now” kind of moment. Of course, that equates in the real world to me just moving straight on to book 10 in the series (there are SOME benefits to being slightly behind with a series after all) and not having to wait for the next release.

I literally turned the last page and am now nearly done with book 10 and about to go on to book 11 which is a Novella. I can’t quite explain why I love this series so much but I truly do. I think this along with the Ryan Lock Series by Sean Black are my two favorite long standing series. Zoe Sharp also doesn’t like to do what readers expect which I love. Forget assumption with this author, she won’t necessarily go for the happy ending that’s for sure. What I can tell you is that this series is gripping, with characters I love and I would hugely recommend it to anyone.

Blood Daughter by Dreda Say Mitchell (Flesh & Blood #3)

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Synopsis: They say blood is thicker than water. 
That’s not going to stop it being spilled.

Life hasn’t been easy for the Miller family. Finally, mum Babs has had one bit of luck. She plans to share the profits with her daughters. She thought they’d be pleased…

But money always causes trouble, especially when it’s desperately needed. Jen wants to make a better life for her kids. Tiff owes a lot of bad men a lot of money. And Dee is worried that her husband is getting back into the criminal life.

As the sisters fall out, a gold bullion heist brings more opportunities – and many more dangers. None of them are giving up without a fight…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Blood Daughter by Dreda Say Mitchell (Flesh & Blood #3)”

REVIEW OF INSIDE THE WHISPERS BY A J WAINES (DR SAMANTHA WILLERBY #1)

324x500Synopsis: Where the most dangerous place – is inside your own head…

Following a London Tube disaster, three traumatised survivors turn to clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby, for help – but she’s mystified when their stories don’t add up. Her confusion turns to horror when one by one, instead of recovering, they start committing suicide. 

When her partner, Conrad, begins to suffer the same terrifying flashbacks, Sam is desperate to find out what is causing them and a mysterious and chilling crime begins to unravel. 

Then the flashbacks begin for Sam…

The first book in the Dr Samantha Willerby Series, INSIDE THE WHISPERS is a tense, haunting Psychological Thriller that will leave your nerves in shreds.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5 Continue reading “REVIEW OF INSIDE THE WHISPERS BY A J WAINES (DR SAMANTHA WILLERBY #1)”

WATCHING THE BODIES BY GRAHAM SMITH (JAKE BOULDER #1)

Synopsis: When Jake Boulder is asked by his PI friend to help investigate the vicious murder of Kira Niemeyer, he soon finds himself tracking a serial killer who selects his next victim in a most unusual manner.

As the body count rises, Boulder has to work with the police to identify the heinous killer before more lives are taken. What ensues is a twisted game of cat and mouse, that only Boulder or the Watcher can survive. But who will it be?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I was really looking forward to reading a new series featuring a new character by Graham Smith. Jake Boulder is the polar opposite of Smith’s previous character Harry Evans. Jake is not a police office, nor is he ex special forces, he is actually a normal bloke that works on the door of a local bar, but he most definitely comes across as the dark and moody type that’s for sure.

His long-term friend Alfonse is an Investigator who has been hired by the family of a murder victim Kira Niemeyer. Jake works alongside him using his own methods and they inadvertently manage to annoy the local police. With this small town in Utah, it’s no wonder that happened and it soon becomes apparent that the local police also have a reputation as lazy, so with a new Chief in town he happily takes help on the investigation meaning Jake and Alphonse get to see a lot more than they bargained for.

The Watcher is the person behind the spate of killings and as we see chapters interweaved among those featuring Jake, you get to see him plan and execute all the while just waiting to be discovered. I think writing a series set in the US is very risky for a Brit, but think Graham has done a stellar job and created not only a great series but exceedingly good characters that go with it. I loved the method the killer had to choose his next kill and found myself thoroughly entertained with this book from start to finish. I think there is more to come with this series but an absolutely blinding start!

Blog Tour: Deadly Friendship by Tara Lyons (Hamilton #3)

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Synopsis: Who can you really trust?

Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is dragged into a gruesome murder investigation, while on annual leave at Lake Windermere. A handwritten note, with a woman’s name, is found inside the corpse.

When a direct link to London is identified, Hamilton must race against the clock to make the connection before the body count rises.

Meanwhile, four friends with strained relationships, are reunited. What past event do they want to keep buried and is there something linking them to the murders? 

Then, when a person from Hamilton’s past returns, he must ask himself: how well do we really know our friends?

Kat’s Rating:4.5/5

Kat’s Review: I really enjoyed book 2 featuring Denis Hamilton and was thrilled to get my hands on an early review copy of book 3. DI Hamilton is on holiday with his wife Elizabeth when lo and behold he stumbles across a murder scene. Denis being the type of man he is, decides to give the local police a helping hand. As his holiday quickly turns to a distant memory it becomes clear than Denis wants this case for himself and his team. Lucklily his boss pulls some strings and before you know it their wish is granted.

The dead man was a relatively well known celebrity Warren Speed. The discovery of his body uncovers the dissapearance of a close friend of his in the same spot some a couple of years prior to his body being found. That gives the team two angles to work with. It was lovely to see the return of Hamilton’s team all of whom are quickly becoming integrated in my mind as one unit. Rocky, Fraser and Clarke return along with the newest member Dixon. The interaction between the team was what made this book for me, and the storyline a close second. Now I know that sounds strange but for me it’s crucial that your  become involved with all the characters and this third book in the series encompasses all that I want from a book like this.

Although the main storyline focuses on the what starts with the death of Warren Speed, I also liked the sub plots that appear and it keeps the book fresh and interesting. Hamilton is a character I am quickly becoming quite attached to and I love how close the team are and they all have their place firmly in this series in my mind.