Crime, Thriller, Mystery – Page 49 – Best Crime Books and More

The Killing Game by J A Kerley (Carson Ryder #9)

My Rating: 3/5

So it’s been two years since the last JA Kerley release of a Carson Ryder Book. For those that don’t know, or have never read a JA Kerley book before, the books feature Police Detectives Carson Ryder and his partner Harry Nautilus. I haven’t read the early books from the series but picked it up from book 3 I think. In one sense, each book can be read as a standalone but I much prefer to have the history of characters from as early on as possible.

After a humiliating encounter with a cop, Romanian immigrant Gregory Nieves launches a vendetta against the Mobile Police Department, Alabama. Nieves can’t fight a department, so he selects one man who symbolizes all men in blue: Carson Ryder, the MPD’s specialist in bizarre and twisted crimes. From early on the reader knows who the killer is, but in a bizarre shift in books, it seems that it takes the majority of the book for Carson and Harry to figure it out. I would almost go as far as saying they seemed rather secondary to the main character; the killer!

I am really a fan of Kerley and this series, but couldn’t help feeling that we see less of Carson and Harry and too much insight into a sociopath! Don’t get me wrong, I am as interested as the next reader into how these people have no conscience and why, but this time around I felt like it was overdone. Also, there was only fleeting mentions of both Jeremy, Carson’s wacko but shockingly intelligent brother; and Harry’s niece Rein. Both of these characters’, I feel have earned places in the books and I kind of missed them both in equal measures.

Overall, the story was a decent enough one, but I missed the camaraderie between Harry and Carson, I missed other characters and felt like this time around the book was lacking its normal ‘oomph’. The ending gave way to a nice little opener for the tenth book in the series due in December 2013. I will as always really look forward to the next instalment. I just wish this latest book would have given me a little more than it did.

The Keeper by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #2)

download (1)

My Rating: 5/5

Luke Delaney published his debut novel Cold Killing back in March 2013. I finally got around to reading it in May of the same year and literally couldn’t put it down. When I received an early copy of the second in this series featuring DI Sean Corrigan I couldn’t resist putting all my other books on hold. Sean Corrigan is a brilliant lead character. It’s hard to describe his ‘gift’ that he has for being able to walk in the killer’s shoes. His imagination lets him think just like the people he is chasing. In this current book, women start disappearing from their homes in broad daylight. Sean and his team need to work around the clock, and possibly against a crazy man’s timetable before women start turning up dead.

The first few chapters re-acquaint the reader with Sean and his team. DS Sally Jones is dealing with her own demons following the last case they worked on, and DS Dave Donnelly is as usual Sean’s right hand man. Both of these characters feature heavily in the book and they have both demanded my attention from book one. This follow up is no different, and each of the characters plays their part extraordinarily well. I’m surprised that this is only Delaney’s second novel. To those that maybe didn’t know you might assume he has been writing years. I think the authors previous years in the force has enabled him to put more experience than research into the book; and it shows!

From the very beginning we know who the killer is, there is no hiding from it. What the reader is treated to is the rather warped and sick world of Thomas Keller. What I really like about this book, is that although there are no surprises as such (like I said we know who the killer is), you instead feel like you are actually in the depth of a huge Murder Investigation. The added bonus about this book is Sean Corrigan himself. His character has a very dark side. Throughout this whole book you have that horrible feeling that he is teetering between good and evil. Is his ability to ‘recreate’ the killer’s thoughts and feelings pushing him closer to their world? From the beginning to the end it’s the pure chase that kept me hooked. It didn’t matter that I knew who was doing what, it still had me reading until late in the night.

I think Luke Delaney is set to be a big name in the crime genre. If he keeps this up, he will be on Peter James tail quicker than you can say Roy Grace. This latest instalment had me thoroughly gripped from start to finish. Yep, it scared the living daylights out of me (especially as the area it’s set in I live near to), but I truly am hooked and am eagerly anticipating the next one.

Tell No Lies by Gregg Hurwitz

My Rating 3/5

I was really quite excited when I received an early review copy of the new Gregg Hurwitz. The synopsis had all the key ingredients to make a perfect Hurwitz belter. Daniel Brasher is a counsellor who lives a reasonably ordinary life. His job dealing with affected individuals who are usually on parole keeps his day to day work interesting. His longer term plan is to jack in the public stuff and start his own private practice. With that in mind, he aims to enjoy his last few weeks with his current group. As he leaves work one evening he finds a letter in his pigeonhole, only it’s not for him. It’s too late as Daniel has already read the note which declared that the recipient has until midnight on November 15^th to admit what they have done or they will bleed for it.

The first part of the book was typical Hurwitz with descriptions of each of his group, and the discovery of the note. It’s all pretty high tension stuff and you realise that Daniel is in a pretty awkward position. However, when he informs the police what is going on and they intervene, it seems like they just miss the killer each and every time. It seems that with each note Daniel receives, he has to figure out the puzzle. Who is the victim and what have they done. I admit that the first few chapters flew by and I was totally engrossed, and then something weird happened. The book sort of took on a weird, disjointed kind of air to it. I felt like the middle of the book hit a bit of a stumbling block and I struggled to get through the pages.

However, having read and loved many of his books I carried on. Towards the last third of the book, the pace picked up again and once again I was taken down the smooth road of taut and tense scenes created by Mr H. Towards the end of the book I was still none the wiser about who the murdered was, but when all was revealed I kind of felt like there was a major piece of the puzzle still missing from the book. This review may sound slightly strange, but in all honesty that’s kind of what the book was like. If I read it not knowing the author I might have guessed it was a new author who had it 60% right?!?

Overall it was an average read, but for Gregg Hurwitz it definitely wasn’t up to his usual standard. I have no idea if this was due to maybe the mood I was whilst in reading it, or whether other people will agree? I just feel like there was something missing that his books never normally miss. I will always look forward to reading a Hurwitz book and can only assume that this story just wasn’t for me, of maybe it just isn’t as good as his others? Either way, I still eagerly await the next book.

Dead Man’s Time by Peter James (Roy Grace #9)

14 Dead Mans Time

My Rating: 4/5

<Big sigh>, Peter James and Roy Grace, where do I begin? I have read all of the books in this series and am normally gripped by each and every book I read. When I read the synopsis for this one I really wasn’t sure. I was (as usual) to be proved wrong. This latest Roy Grace novel starts out with a vicious robbery at a Brighton Mansion and millions of pounds worth of antiques taken. It also leaves an elderly woman, Aileen McWhirter, fighting for her life. Roy Grace and his team lead the enquiry when the woman dies from her injuries and her brother Gavin Daly gets involved. There is one item that is absolutely invaluable to Gavin, and although he is now well into his nineties he is still a force to be reckoned with. The invaluable item is a specific watch and the story, believe it or not, all revolves around the watch. I’m not one for major spoilers so will go no further with the story line or plot.

What I will say is that Peter James is an awesome writer, however, there is one thing that is driving me insane. If, like me, you follow the series there has been an element to each book regarding Roy’s first wife Sandy who has been missing for over 10 years. This is the thing that is the cause of my angst. I really think the story line concerning her needs to be dealt with and then finished, or dropped altogether. I feel like it has gone on for far too long and to the point where it’s lessening my enjoyment of the book. This particular book tells the story of Roy Grace and his team now, and the past concerning Gavin Daly and his family which forms part of New York’s gangs in the 1920’s. This alone, was done with skill and the story had me gripped from start to finish. However, every time Sandy get’s mentioned I feel like hurling my book into a wall.

Okay, I know some of you may think that’s extreme but when you have read a certain story line for years (8 years in the case of the Roy Grace novels) certain elements are key. Sandy is now NOT key in my opinion, and the more I hear about it the more it grates on me. Do I want answers, yes! Do I want snippets each year, No! Deal with it and let’s move on?!? Anyway, that aside this is actually a brilliant story and as usual Peter James shows off his skill with style. I think the majority of fans will love this book and newcomers should definitely read from the beginning of the series (although not an absolute necessity). Once again, we wait another year to see what is next on the agenda for Roy and his family and friends.

Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly

My Rating: 4/5

I received a copy of this book from the publishers some time ago. I actually took it on holiday as I thought it sounded a little bit different. The synopsis is probably most parents’ nightmares come true. Imagine leaving your child in a friends care, and then your child disappears? Who would you blame? Well this is exactly what happens to Lisa Kallisto the lead character in this book. As a debut novel from Paula Daly, I went in with an open mind, and by the time I had finished I was certain that I will read her future work!

Lisa Kallisto is an easy character to empathise with. She is a normal working mother with kids that have constant demands, a job that needs her attention and a husband to try and keep happy. When her daughter’s best friend Lucinda wants to stay the night she see’s no problems. The next morning when she goes off to work leaving the girls to their own devices, she has no idea that in a few short hours Lucinda will have vanished.

I really liked Lisa and her husband and from the very beginning could see that she was just an overworked Mum like thousands of other parents across the world. This book was set in Cumbria, which makes it all the more disturbing to read, as history has shown us what child abductors will do in the UK. We also meet the Detective on the case Joanna Aspinall who is a key character in the story. I think my main opinion of this story is that it is unsettling from start to finish. The thought drifts through your mind frequently that this could happen to you, or somebody you know.

The story is revealed in layers and we see Lisa start to unfold as the panic for Lucinda intensifies. I was really caught up in the story and loved the way it played out gradually. By the time I had got to the last quarter of the book I finished it in one sitting. This was an incredible book for a debut and I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for her next book.

Unseen by Karin Slaughter (Will Trent #7)

226x346 (1)

My Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: Okay first off I need to point out that I am a HUGE Karin Slaughter fan and have been since the beginning. That’s not to say that every book has left me thinking it was a 5 star read, but the vast majority have been. Her last book Criminal was an absolute corker of a book so I was eager to get going with this latest offering. Not only do we see both Will and Sara, but also the return of Lena Adams. For those that haven’t followed the series in order, it may be worth going back to the beginning and not reading this review (as inevitably there will be spoilers if you haven’t read the others!)

Will Trent is back and is working undercover and is trying to break down a drug trafficking operation. Although this was the main focus of the story, it was weaved in with events involving Lena Adams. Sara and Lena have a continuous feud going on following the death of Sara’s husband, which she blames Lena for. At the beginning of the book I felt the tension ramp up and prepared myself for another corker of a book. Sadly, every time we see Lena’s story unfolding from a few days previously you kind of lost the momentum.

We certainly see a different side to Lena in this story though as her, and her husband Jared, try to work through some difficulties. That said, I still felt that every time we revisited the few days previously it felt like a chore. I almost felt like the main story which involved Will, was very much playing second fiddle to Sara and Lena’s history with each other. As soon as I got the chance to delve back into the main story, I did with relish. Sadly this time around, I just felt like this book wasn’t the typical Slaughter book I would normally read.

Towards the end when both stories seemed to merge, it improved greatly but by the time I had come to the end I couldn’t help feeling a little bit disappointed. Although this wasn’t one of Karin Slaughters best, it is still a good read. In my eyes it just wasn’t as good as her books usually are. I will as always eagerly await the next instalment and hope that the next one is just as brilliant as Criminal was.

Fallen Idols by Neil White

311x500

My Rating: 3/5

My sister has been working through the Jack Garrett series of books; and with each one exclaims that I am missing out. After her last time of telling me I caved and pushed Neil White up to the top of the pile. Jack Garrett is a journalist who although originally from Lancashire is now living in the heart of London. The book starts out with a bang when a Premiership footballer gets shot dead in the street. DC Laura McGanty is put on the case and immediately knows that the murder is more than it first appears.

It was easy to fall into both characters lives and I immediately liked both Jack and Laura. Laura is a single mum and we see her try to juggle both her career and home life. Jack is also an easy guy to read and like as he is pretty laid back apart from when it comes to a story. It’s clear from the outset that both Jack and Laura have feelings for each other but this is put on the back burner in favour of a very fast paced read.

Before I knew it I was over halfway with the book and there was all sorts of mayhem going on. Jack is convinced that the murder is nothing to do with the fact that the victim is a celebrity. While Laura investigates, Jack decides to go back to his hometown of Turners Fold which is where the victim grew up. We get to meet Jack’s dad who I immediately liked. As Jack delves into the goings-on in Turners Fold, he gets dragged right into the middle of it. I found myself reading larger and larger chunks each time I picked it up, and in the end resigned myself to finishing it in one sitting.

I wouldn’t say this was the best book I have read recently but is certainly one that hooks you on to the series. I found myself getting nearer and nearer to the end and wondering if I should just go straight onto book 2. Sadly my to read list is huge, so book 2 will have to wait. It was a solid debut novel and am really looking forward to getting stuck into the next book.

The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

5131XQ8GCUL._SY346_

MY RATING: 3/5

Alex Marwood is a pseudonym for a journalist who has worked in the British press for many years. Wicked Girls was her debut novel and I was looking forward to reading it. If I am totally honest the synopsis seemed pretty dark but I still eagerly started it on my way into work. Two young girls at the age of 11 were imprisoned for the murder of a four year old girl. They weren’t even friends, having met that very day. Once inside prison they both have separate experiences and eventually get released and move on with their lives.

In the present time we meet Kirsty Lindsay, a journalist who is reporting on a number of attacks on young women in the seaside town of Whitmouth. We also meet Amber Gordon who is a cleaner at a funfair and is introduced to us when she is unfortunate enough to come across a dead body. Sadly when the two women meet they realise that this is just the beginning of their living nightmare

The story was really well constructed and I liked the way the story jumped between the present day and the past. The story of the two women as young girls and how the events unfold that terrible day are done slowly. The layers are peeled back as at the same time the reader sees what is happening in their lives currently. It seems like these two women have no chance to redeem themselves as once again their lives clash in the worst possible way. The thing that I did enjoy was the writing style, it was easy to get into and the story was well paced. I did however have that uncomfortable feeling while reading this book, which was more to do with the subject matter than the author’s talent!

This particular book certainly has lots going on, and it certainly doesn’t shy away from dealing with the difficult subject of child killers. I think although the book kept me interested and I certainly didn’t take long to finish it, I just didn’t feel all that comfortable reading it. I failed to empathise with the characters even though I think this is just another viewpoint about the ifs, buts and maybes in cases like these. I will certainly look forward to reading what Marwood produces next but just felt that this book wasn’t for me. Having said that it certainly shows the authors talent and I think many people have and will love this type of book. Overall a good read but just not for me.

Cold Killing by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #1)

Cold Killing

My Rating: 5/5

Well, the only thing I can say is if you havem’t read this debut novel by Luke Delaney, you should certainly give it a go, absolutely brilliant. Here’s my review…

I read the synopsis about this book and thought it sounded great. I mean w…ho better to write a book about the murky worlds of killers that an ex-copper turned CID with experience of extreme violence. When I looked at the bio of Luke Delaney I wasn’t surprised to see that this was a pseudonym, as I can’t imagine many coppers would want their real name and picture plastered about on books! This is the first in a series of books featuring DI Sean Corrigan. The difference between DI Corrigan and others is that Sean has an ability to take his thoughts to the dark side of a killer. His upbringing has left him with deep scars and emotions that haunt him; thankfully they also make him a great copper.

When I started reading this book I didn’t realise that within the first couple of chapters I would be so completely absorbed. DI Sean Corrigan is an absolutely fantastic character. He is a normal guy with a wife and kids, working a job that has unsociable hours. However when the first crime scene turns up in the book you see the other side to him. I really can’t explain just how dark this side of his character is, but just reading him processing his thoughts like a killer made me shiver. What also pulled me in with this book were the chapters that were written from the killer’s point of view. It shows just how much experience Delaney must have as it’s realistic to the point of it being terrifying.

Sean is on the trail of a killer who is frighteningly smart. He knows about forensics and every scene he shows up at is free of any DNA evidence. What struck me when reading this book was the fact that you get to see coppers work a case the real way, not like an episode of CSI. It had me horrified and intrigued in equal measures. The pace was pretty good but this was certainly secondary for me as the storyline and characters were brilliant. This was a book I didn’t want to put down and is best described as a meaty police thriller. Literally as soon as the last page was turned I was straight onto Amazon to find out when the next one is due. I was extremely pleased to see that the second book in the series `The Keeper’ is due out in September 2013.

All I can say is that Delany has clearly found his calling following a career in the police. Being an author is now clearly what he is meant to do and I for one will be keeping a close eye on all future Delaney related news. Highly recommended; especially for fans of Peter James and Mark Billingham.

The Dead by Howard Linskey (David Blake #3)

My Rating: 5/5

I was VERY excited to get the new Howard Linskey and thankfully I was not disappointed. This latest instalment did however leave me with a new sensation…fearful! I shall explain later. For those that haven’t read the first two in the series stop right now, read no further and read the first two books. Inevitably this review will otherwise contain spoilers that I cannot help because you need the history with the characters. Linskey’s third book brings back David Blake, a fantastic lead character which I have grown to love. David Blake is not your typical Gangster. He is a smart bloke with a girlfriend and child in his life. He is the head honcho in Newcastle and seems to have his legal and illegal businesses wrapped up nicely. Sadly his accountant manages to turn that idea on its head when he is arrested for drink driving, and then charged with murder. With his accountant knowing so much about the business, and the fact he has sewn up £5 million of Blake’s money he has to make a decision. Does he help him and retrieve his money? Or leave him to rot and risk his whole organisation crumbling.

It took me only a few chapters to re-acquaint myself with members of Blake’s firm such as Palmer and Kinnane. There is a lot going on and before long things unravel and very quickly that snowballs. It seemed like one disaster was cropping up after another and I wondered whether Blake would make it out of this current situation. At the end of book two there were certain elements of the story that left the reader with question, and this book certainly addresses all of them. The nice thing though, was that the story gave you the answers slowly and unravelled all of the history surrounding Blake and his family. In addition to the problems with his accountant, Blake has additional threats to his business from Serbian Gangsters, and then to top it all off some crazy Russian joins the party making for a pretty explosive read.

Towards the end of the book I actually had to stop walking and take a pew on a bench to finish the last few chapters. This was where the fear set in, I was shocked. I totally didn’t see the end coming and when I finished the book I realised I didn’t know how I felt. Was the ending a good thing or a bad thing? I still don’t know, and without dropping major spoilers I just HAVE to read the next book to see where Mr Linskey goes. I can only assume that it will be upwards as he has shown with the last three books he is an absolutely brilliant author. I think people will love this book, and it certainly leaves a question mark as to what next. For that reason, and that reason alone I gave it 4 out of 5 (and his previous two were 5 star reads, no doubt). I for one will be waiting with baited breath for his next book and would highly recommend that you read this series from book 1. Thanks Howard for a fantastic read.