Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery

Painted Skins by Matt Hilton (Grey and Po #2)

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Synopsis: PI Tess Grey and her partner Nicolas Po Villere have been hired by Margaret Norris to find her granddaughter, Jasmine Reed, who has been missing for sixteen days. But if Tess is to have any chance of finding Jazz, she needs to know the truth about the young woman s troubled past. What is it that Margaret Norris isn’t telling her?

Tess and Po aren’t the only ones looking for Jazz. With shady local businessman Daryl Bruin and his henchman John Trojak also on her trail, as well as a mysterious and violent stranger, Tess prays, for Jasmine s sake, that she and Po find her first. But it s only when Tess uncovers a link to several other missing girls that she begins to make headway in the investigation and finds herself in a desperate race against time to track down Jazz before it’s too late

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I’m thrilled that I bumped this book up my to read list as it was much better than I expected. I LOVE it when a book surprises me like this. I read the first in this new series and although I enjoyed it, I thought it was a little slow and I struggled to connect with the lead character Tess Grey. Following on with this book, clearly I was walking through sludge with the last book as with this book I fell in love with Tess and her ex-con Partner Po.

In book one (Blood Tracks) I can now see that this was meant as an extremely good base for getting to know these characters. With this book there is no need for that as the readers have already seen Tess reasons for making her way as a Private Investigator instead of a cop. Although book one is an excellent base, I guess this book can be read as a standalone, but I always feel like its best to start a series at the beginning. In this latest instalment, Tess and Po have been hired to find the granddaughter of Margaret Norris. Jazz has been missing just over 2 weeks so Tess and Po get started on trying to trace her.

It becomes apparent pretty quickly that Jazz is also being searched for by Daryl Bruin and his henchman John Trojak, Tess and Po want to know why and the story really starts to pick up pace. It becomes clear pretty quickly that there is a lot more to Jazz being missing than a simple runaway scenario. The book has a great hold over the reader and with each chapter it seems to gain momentum, tension and pace. When their old friend Pinky appeared I rejoiced as he was such a brilliant character in the first book I was hoping he would make an appearance in the second.

This book was everything a great thriller should be and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. I can imagine this would make a GREAT film, although quite who would play these characters who knows. What I will say is that although the Joe Hunter series of books by Matt Hilton is hugely popular, this new series seems to have fallen short and I cannot work out why. This is an absolutely amazing book and a series that I will continue to read. Hugely enjoyable and massively under rated, if you haven’t tried Matt Hilton before then these books are a great place to start!

BLOG TOUR: Matching The Evidence by Graham Smith

Synopsis: Carlisle United are playing Millwall and the Major Crimes Team are assigned to crowd control as punishment for their renegade ways. Typically, DI Harry Evans has other ideas and tries to thwart the local firm’s plans to teach Millwall’s notorious Bushwhackers an unforgettable lesson. Meanwhile an undercover cop is travelling north with some of the Millwall contingent. His mission is to identify the ringleaders and gather evidence against them. Three illegal immigrants have been transported to Carlisle and are about to meet their new employers. Nothing is as it seems for Evans and his Major Crimes Team as they battle to avoid a bloodbath while also uncovering a far more heinous crime. 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: This novella picks up where Snatched From Home ended as we catch up with DI Harry Evans. I’m not that much of a fan of shorter books but this one delivered enough to whet my appetite and make me want to read the next one.  DI Harry Evans and his team are made to cover crowd control at a football match between Carlisle United and Millwall as punishment for not obeying the rules in their last case. At first glance it seems a simple request and one that shouldn’t cause too much drama. However, Evans soon realises that a simple football fight may well be cover for something else going on.

The first chapter in and the pace is fast and frenzied and stays that way for the duration. In the middle of Evans and his team chasing down football thugs an undercover copper is travelling with some of the Millwall boys to try and gather evidence against them. While all this is going on it soon becomes apparent that Harry’s prediction is right and there are much bigger crime figures at play. This book was a short read but a great one, and is certainly a good read for somebody wanting to get a feel for the sort of books Graham Smith writes. This was a great read and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Blog Tour: All Fall Down by Tom Bale

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Synopsis: It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME. 

Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine. 

The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires. 

But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home? 

Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…? 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Bales last book and was looking forward to this one after reading the synopsis. It took me a few chapters to get into the story but thankfully the pace notched from 0 to 100 in a matter of pages and pretty much stayed there the whole time. A normal family having a BBQ, and all it took was for a man to stumble through their back gate, beaten and dying and that was the beginning of the end for the Turner family.

Rob and Wendy along with their three children  become the targets in a bizarre and terrifying twist of fate, or is it? There’s something intricately clever with Bale’s writing and he managed to pack in plenty of heart in mouth moments. The story races along and gains even more momentum as the family starts to crumble under the pressure of their situation. The family know they are being watched, and little by little their own secrets are revealed.

Just when I wondered why the story was slowing, I realised it was just a reprieve before the author plunges you into new depths of horror for this relatively normal family. The second half of the book is pretty heart pounding and the terror jumps up another notch for the Turner family. I think I managed to read the second half of the book in one sitting and my heart was definitely pounding.

I think Tom Bale has a definite strength with turning the ordinary into somebody’s worst nightmare. This latest instalment had everything the last book had and certainly kept me turning the pages. Why the 4 stars and not the 5 then? Well in all honesty the only thing that didn’t sit right with me was the ending. Somehow, it didn’t fit as well as what I had expected it to and I felt like I didn’t get the closure you normally get with the end of these sorts of books. Maybe that was his intention, but it put a bit of a dampener on it for me. Aside from that I can see Tom Bale rising in popularity and gaining a whole new army of fans with this latest release, He is certainly a ‘go-to’ author for me now and I can’t wait to see what he produces next.

Hide and Seek by M J Arlidge (Helen Grace #6)

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Synopsis: AFTER Little Boy Blue FIND OUT WHAT AWAITS DI HELEN GRACE IN THE SIXTH THRILLER BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR M. J. ARLIDGE

Kat’s Rating: 6/5…oh no I can’t do that so 5/5 will have to suffice!


**NOTE – Do NOT read this review if you are planning on reading the series in order (which you really should) or are not up to date as this will inevitably contain spoilers!!!***

Kat’s Review: Oh my goodness, I literally do NOT know where to start. I think the first thing I need to point out is that although some people will say this can be read as a stand alone I COMPLETELY DISAGREE! You really do need the previous book and in my opinion the whole series to really feel the impact of this latest release.  We rejoin Helen Grace, except this time she is behind bars and awaiting her trial in Holloway Prison for murders that she didn’t commit. That’s the first thing that set my teeth on edge, it almost gave me a bad taste in my mouth…but in a good way if you know what I mean.

I was just gobsmacked, here she is the leading character and formidable DI Helen Grace and she is living alongside some of those she has put behind bars herself. The whole setting is enough to make you squirm with the feeling of hopelessness at Helen’s situation. However nothing is as easy or straightforward as that where Helen is concerned and being in prison only highlights that. Helen’s stay is far from easy and we see her battle to just stay alive as there are plenty of people who would like to finish her once and for all.

Thankfully there is one person left batting for Helen and that’s her colleague Charlie Brooks. While Helen is trying to stay alive Charlie is desperately trying to find the proof that Helen is innocent. Meanwhile a grisly murder happens within Holloway and it’s definitely on the inside. With so much going on there is no time for the reader to do anything (such as work or other important things) other than turn the pages. This was so well written I could almost feel myself getting claustrophobic from the time inside those prison walls. The ante is upped as more and more story threads are pulled at and there is no let up in this until the very last page.

Relentless in pace and a real nail biter, M J Arlidge has outdone himself with this terrifying and gripping book. I certainly didn’t want to put it down and think fans will be delighted with this latest instalment. My only question now is…”what next for Helen Grace?”. Whatever comes next whether it be more of Helen or a new character I will be itching to read it as M J Arlidge has just shot to the top of my ‘Must Read’ authors. An outstanding book, and an amazing series that I really think if you haven’t already you should read!

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid

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Synopsis: ‘There were a lot of things that ran in families, but murder wasn’t one of them . . .’

When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it’s as twisted as the DNA helix itself.

Meanwhile, Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kind of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for . . .

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 

*If you plan to read this series from book 1, please do not read the review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

Kat’s Review: I realised late that this was part of the Karen Pirie series which I have only read one book of (book 3) but for people starting off at this point it makes no difference as there is enough background history with Karen that you don’t miss anything major. The first thing that struck me is how immediately I connected with Karen Pirie, certainly more than I did in book 3. She is working as part of the Historical Crimes Unit alongside her colleague Jason. When a joyriding teenager crashes his car, a routine DNA test shows something linked to a twenty year old case, so Karen and Jason immediately get digging.

In addition to Karen’s current enquiry her sleepless nights are seeing her up and wandering the streets in a bid to make herself tired. She is still struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband and partner Phil. Her late night walks to battle her insomnia leads us to another thread of the story which is just as absorbing as the first. Some of Karen’s friends are involved in the story line and they all added to the depth of this story. Karen also decides to do her own investigation on another case which is nothing to do with her. This has a two-fold effect of allowing her to sink her teeth into a mysterious case involving the death of 4 people in a suspected air plane bombing, as well as annoying her colleague who she doesn’t get along with Assistant Chief Constable Simon Lees . All of these threads combined seem like too much when read aloud, but in reality they have made for an outstanding book which had me thoroughly surrendered to my every  day tasks such as dinner!

Both Karen and Jason plough their all into both cases, which results on Karen putting herself into some precarious positions and although the threads run alongside each other they are easy to distinguish. What is strange about this book is that it’s not terribly fast paced, but it fits the book perfectly. The various threads of the story make for a compelling read, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Towards the end when I thought I had it all figured out, turned out I was wrong and when the pieces did fit into place I felt terribly stupid! An outstandingly good read which I would highly recommend.

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

Continue reading “Kill Me Twice by Anna Smith (Rosie Gilmour #7)”

The Hanging Club by Tony Parsons (Max Wolfe #3

51rKq3naAZL._SY346_ Synopsis: A band of vigilante executioners roam London’s hot summer nights, abducting evil men and hanging them by the neck until dead.

As the bodies pile up and riots explode across the sweltering city, DC Max Wolfe hunts a gang of killers who many believe to be heroes.

And discovers that the lust for revenge starts very close to home …

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: So, it seems Tony Parsons has just made me do a full about turn on opinion. The first two books in this series I admit I struggled with. Sometimes with a new series I struggle to feel connected to the characters and small things seem to niggle. This series featuring DC Max Wolfe was no different and the first two books left me feeling a little indifferent. However, I recently read one of the short novellas and it was brilliant. I was actually looking forward to reading the next book, and I was right to look forward to it!

DC Max Wolfe just seemed to fit more this time around. Maybe enjoying the previous novella got me ready for the next instalment, who knows? Seeing the return of Max, his daughter Scout and their little dog Stan was wonderful. This time around a gang of people are hanging known criminals, and although they have the backing of some of the public, Max knows that they need to be caught. The hangings themselves are described in all their graphic glory and the feeling of disgust was very apparent to me when reading. I always take this as a good sign and ploughed on. I absolutely LOVED the addition of a friend Jackson from Max past and can only hope he makes a reappearance in future books.

The story keeps up a massively heart pounding pace and I found myself thrown into the case at the deep end along with Max colleagues and Boss Whitestone. There was an additional thread involving Whitestone which made me warm to the characters a whole lot more and by the end I felt like the MIT team was one big family. This book truly did have everything and kept me reading into the early hours. I read it in one sitting and felt that familiar disappointment that I didn’t have another to read. For me the surprise was that I loved this book SO much in comparison to feeling so mediocre about the other 2. This series just shot way up my increasingly long list of Must Reads. I literally cannot wait to see what comes next for Max and will be counting the days off until the next release!

Blood Sister by Dreda Say Mitchell (Flesh & Blood #1)

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Synopsis: There are two ways out of Essex Lane Estate, better known as The Devil. You make good, or you turn bad.

Jen Miller is determined not to make the same mistakes her mother did. She’s waiting to find herself a good job and a decent man.

Her younger sister Tiff is running errands for a gangster and looking for any opportunity for fun and profit. But she might just be in over her head…

The choices you make and the plans you have don’t always turn out like you expect. Especially if you live on The Devil’s Estate. When their paths cross with the unstoppable Dee – a woman with her own agenda – Jen and Tiff will learn that lesson the hard way.

At least they can rely on each other.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Blood Sister by Dreda Say Mitchell (Flesh & Blood #1)”