Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery

A Mother’s Journey by June Hampson

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My Rating: 5/5

I have read all of the books written by June Hampson and for those that maybe haven’t read her they are all part of a series featuring Daisy Lane. The first book in the series (and June’s debut novel) is set in the 1960’s and her last book in the series entitled Fighting Dirty has moved on to the 1980’s. Her most recent release had aroused my curiosity due to the fact that this book is almost a prequel. The books feature Daisy Lane but also her friends and family. Vera has been a central character from the word go and has been a brilliant presence in Daisy’s life. This book takes you back to the 1940’s when Vera was a young girl.

If I am being 100% honest I was a little worried but only because I love Vera so much and wondered whether this book would be as good as the Daisy Lane books I have read to date. If anything this book far exceeded what I expected and was a brilliant read. June Hampson takes us back to when Vera was a 14 year old girl living with her family in the middle of the war. Straight away I was drawn into Vera’s world and it took me less than a few pages to remember why I loved the June Hampson books so much.

If people haven’t read any of the Daisy Lane books, you can still read this as a stand-alone but to be honest for me it was so much nicer having the history of all the characters. It explained so much about Vera and how she has arrived at the place she is now. Vera’s life was certainly not easy and along the way she has her fair share of heartbreak and I realised why I loved her as a character so much. This book only made me want to read more and has whetted my appetite for the next Daisy Lane book.

I am not normally a fan of books set in the 40’s but June Hampson has done a fantastic time of taking you back to that time and being able to picture a place torn apart by the War. I was absolutely gripped from the very first page to the very last. I am annoyed that I left this so long to read (it was released in March 2012) but am so glad that I got around to it. I think that June Hampson fans will absolutely love this latest instalment.

I think some fans are concerned that after the last book Fighting Dirty, the series may have come to a natural conclusion, but I beg to differ. I think that the next book that June Hampson produces may well feature Daisy’s children as the previous book gave loads of scope for that part of the story to be developed. I will as always wait impatiently for her next instalment. For people that haven’t tried June Hampson I would highly recommend her but would suggest starting at the beginning.

Taken by Jacqui Rose

My Rating: 4/5

After seeing various recommendations from people about Jacqui Rose debut novel Taken I bit the bullet and downloaded it onto my Kindle. I promptly forgot about it and it got swallowed up into my stupidly extensive list of books I have yet to read. However, her name kept popping up and with her exceptional rating on Amazon (4 out of 5 over 100 reviews) I picked it up. I must say that I am very glad I did now. What was I thinking leaving it that long?

One thing that must be hard as a new author is standing out from the crowd. The crime genre is generally littered with the longer standing authors and it must be hard work for the debut novelists out there. Thankfully with the word spreading amongst readers I am glad to see Jacqui Rose come up frequently. She has chosen to write her debut novel based in London and featuring some heavy `hard-men’. With a London Gangster feel to it I wondered if she would be well remembered with authors that are practically legends such as Martina Cole, Mandasue Heller and Kimberley Chambers out there.

I started reading and met the main character of the book Casey Edwards. Casey had turned up in Soho following a hard life which involved giving away her child at 15 and then turning to alcohol, men and drugs to get through her life. She is hoping for a fresh start and the ability to find her child and put things right. After arriving in London she meets Mob boss Alfie Jennings, the cruel and vindictive partner of his Oscar and before long is caught up in their world. She also meets Vaughn who is an ex-gangster and an absolutely brilliant character.

The first half of the book takes us into the murky world of Alfie and Oscar and I would be lying if I said that some parts of the book are not pleasant reading. However, it makes it all the more authentic (and a hell of a lot more exciting to read). The topics covered involve money, drugs, trafficking and sex and that’s just to name a few. If this sort of thing doesn’t rock your boat in terms of fiction then this may not be the book for you. One thing I want to point out is that there IS swearing and violence in this book. It grates on me occasionally when I read reviews with people complaining about this. Would you expect a London Gangster to point to the door and politely ask his arch rival to vacate the building because he can’t bear to speak to him? Err I think not…point made!

The second half of the book was a lot more exciting as Casey finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous situation. Oscar Harding was a vile character and I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the worst for him from start to finish. Towards the end things became even faster paced and the ending was wrapped up with the right amount of excitement and drama. It would be nice to see a couple of the characters again in future books but we will have to wait and see what Jacqui Rose has in store for us next time. As I said before, with the British crime writers out there already it must be hard work to join the dizzy heights of the `Crime Queens’ we have out there, however with this debut novel Jacqui Rose is well on her way! I look forward top her new release in March 2013

Review of 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross

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My Rating: 5/5

Andrew Gross is pretty famous for co-writing books with the infamous Mr Patterson. However, I became a fan of the fantastic series of books he has written featuring Ty Hauck (I admit, a bit of a crush on that character!). His last release Killing Hour (US Version named Eyes Wide Open) I enjoyed, but it wasn’t a clear favourite. I found myself pining for TY Hauck and wondering if writing the stand alone books would ever be popular with me personally. Mr Gross proved me wrong so many times over with his latest book 15 Seconds.

The synopsis sounding pretty gripping with Dr Henry Steadman getting caught up in an incident which leads him to become a number one suspect in the shooting and murder of a local cop. Henry soon realises he is part of a major set up and is on the run, with his only hope being that he proves his innocence. I am a fan of the type of books that Simon Kernick writes that (although sometimes bordering on the unrealistic side) has the reader so caught up in the story that you get swept along. Andrew Gross has written a book that could rival any of Kernick’s!


I started reading this on a Thursday morning commute and finished it the next morning. The story starts off with a very likeable character Dr Henry Steadman on a normal routine trip down in Florida. En-route to meet his friend Mike for a round of golf he gets pulled over for a minor traffic violation. Within the next chapter or so Henry’s life changes in a situation that is all too believable!

After reading the first few chapters I raced to the halfway point almost sick with the excitement of it all. Henry seems to be getting dragged further and further into the line of fire and with each chapter comes a new danger. There was a small part just after the halfway mark which felt a little sluggish, but I think that was more to do with there being too much excitement in the first half to be honest. Before long, I was back in the fray and the pace just kept picking up until the very end where I was practically squirming in my seat hoping for a miracle for Henry.

It’s hard to review a book like this without giving too much away. What I will say is that Ty Hauck was a distant memory whilst reading this latest Gross book. Don’t get me wrong, I eagerly await the next Hauck book (along with my no doubt returning crush); but Mr Gross has well and truly created an outstanding book filled with excitement. This book had me reading until my eyes could take no more. An outstanding book that I loved and one which I would highly recommend!!!!!!!

The Survivor by Gregg Hurwirtz

My Rating: 4/5

I have only read one of Gregg Hurwitz’ books and really enjoyed it, so when I saw his new release out I promptly downloaded it onto my Kindle. Luckily for me I had a few days off work and decided this was a perfect time to settle down and make a start. However, I probably should have known better and realised very quickly that this book certainly wasn’t one that would make me settle!

From the very beginning the action is full on, Gregg Hurwitz put the pedal to the metal and the reader has no choice but to go along for the ride. The opener of the book (and this is not a spoiler as it is on the main synopsis on the back of the book); starts with Nate Overbay looking down eleven floors whilst contemplating his own suicide. Within seconds he hears gunshots and realises that he is witnessing a major bank heist and that people’s lives are at risk other than his own.

From this very first chapter the book is very high octane (LOVE those words together) and Nate decides to put other people’s feelings before his own. Nate was a former military guy and his training kicks in and he makes a decision to tray and save these people. What Nate fails to realise is that the one man that got away is also the same person that will make his life hell.

From this point on we see Nate try to keep his estranged family safe. The book takes some amazing turns and at times I felt worn out by Nate’s attempts to keep his family safe. This book may be a slight stretch on the truth but it certainly keeps you hooked. The one element of this book that I liked was the fact that Nate was ill with a disease that I didn’t know all that much about. It seemed to me by the end of it that Gregg Hurwitz did an amazing job of making this part of the story without overdoing it.

I must say that by the end I not only felt worn out, but was disappointed to have finished a great book. Thankfully I have lots of his other books in my large and ever extending to read list. A definite must for fans of the action packed kinda book!

The Schemer by Kimberley Chambers

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My Rating: 5/5 (can I give it 6?)

Well, well, well. When I realised that I was getting my hands on an early edition of Kimberley Chambers new book, to say I was excited is a bit of an understatement. For the benefit of those that haven’t maybe read her books before you may want to know a bit more. Kim wrote and published her first book Billie Jo back in 2008. She then went on to write another two books before releasing the first in a series of books (The Feud being the first) featuring the O’Hara and Mitchell family. The release of The Victim (the third in that series) in 2011 was an absolutely brilliant book and I couldn’t have imagined she could ever top the characters she had created, but somehow she has. Kimberley Chambers has made a niche for herself and is now in my opinion as good as (if not better) that the more infamous British crime writers such as Martina Cole.


Sadly, many people have never heard of her and this is where people like me come in. My one true love is reading, and when you find a writer like Kim that writes books as good as hers you feel the need to share it with people. No, I am not paid by Kim or her publicists; I am just a true crime book lover. If you want a typically English bit of grit with a few gangsters thrown in then these are the books you should be reading.

The Schemer starts off by introducing us to Stephanie Crouch in the eighties. The first few pages had me laughing and reminiscing at the same time as Kim’s descriptions of being a teenager at that time was absolutely spot on. It had the kind of feel that the new release of the film The Firm had. We get to see her older sister Angela and her mum living in their grotty council house with the rather colourful characters that live in their road! Pretty soon we meet East-End boy Barry who as a teenager falls head over heels in love with Steph. Sadly, their love is to be tested as Barry is taken to live in Spain with his Mum and new boyfriend. Steph then turns to Barry’s friend Wayne and they soon move from friends to lovers and all thoughts of Barry leave Steph’s head.

The book then moves to ten years later and we see the downside to Steph’s decisions that she made as a teenager. This book had me absolutely gripped from the very first page to the very last page. All of the characters in this are absolute crackers and they each have their redeeming qualities. One thing I really need to point out is that if you are not a lover of a lot of swearing, then maybe this book won’t be fore you. As a South London girl that swears like a sailor, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. One thing that really struck me was that although the characters are brilliant and the plot and storyline fantastic, the book certainly isn’t without its humour.

There is one particular character by the name of Marlene that had me cringing and laughing in equal measures. The other thing that I really noticed about this book is that Kimberley Chambers has created characters that you can start off loving and end up hating. In the case of this book I am still not sure how I feel about either of the men featured and I really want to keep reading about both of them to see how it pans out. Thankfully, the ending of this book is so open-ended it’s unreal. This is the best opener for the next book and to be honest I’m a little bit irritated I have to wait so long to find out!

Either way, I truly think that Kimberley Chambers is a good reason to highlight female British crime writers. Kim Chambers has not only earned her place as one of the Queens of British Crime, she is keeping it with this latest book as proof that she deserves to stay up there. All I can say is that if you haven’t read her books before, I suggest you start now. If you have and you are keenly awaiting the next one, you will NOT be disappointed. Roll on the next one!

Lost Angel by Mandasue Heller

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My Rating: 5/5

I have read all of Mandasue Heller’s books and would definitely consider myself a fan. Having said that I haven’t loved every book, it almost seems like I either love it or just don’t like it at all. Her last book The Driver I seemed to struggle with

but the previous book Two-Faced I loved. With all that in mind I was excited to read her new book but apprehensive to see whether I would like it. Many people over the last few years have compared her to the likes of Martina Cole and this book just proves that she is in my opinion better than Martina Cole.

Johnny Conroy is a young lad who is typically enjoying life and when he meets Ruth Hynes he takes his chances. What he doesn’t account for is that the infamous hard man Frankie Hynes daughter will fall pregnant. Before he knows it he is part of the Hynes lives and is married with a baby on the way.

The first portion of the book is like Mandasue’s early books and was absolutely brilliant. We meet Ruth and her parents Frankie and Rita. Johnny, for all his faults, is a great character and before long you can’t help feeling sorry for his sudden immersion into Frankie Hyne’s business and his gloomy marriage to Ruth.

The book moves on over the years and in total we see Johnny’s life over twenty years. There was something easy to read about the way it was written and we see enough of what goes on in blocks of time, to make you feel like you are moving in time along with the family.

Johnny’s daughter Angel comes along and becomes the light of Johnny’s life and all the time he is constantly progressing and improving the family business. Along the way we see Johnny’s friend Dave and Ruth’s cousin Lisa integrate themselves into the story making for some extra added story threads. Before long the book moves us into Angel’s younger years before finally arriving at her teenage years where she becomes involved with one of Johnny’s workers Ryan.

That in itself causes major problems and before long it seems like they have all come full circle. The book had me reading well into the night and when I finally got to the climax of the story well into the early hours I was blown away.

The book itself was what I would describe as old school Mandasue and was so easy and enjoyable to read. What I didn’t account for was the shocking twist at the end that had me reading on in disbelief. I can honestly say that this is one of her best and is an absolute corker of a read. All those Mandasue Heller fans will certainly not be disappointed as we see her make a return to her brilliant skills as an absolutely exceptional writer. This one is certainly a book you will want to get your hands on as soon as it’s released and I for one recommend it highly.

The Damage by Howard Linskey (David Blake #2)

My Rating: 5/5

 After reading Howard Linskey’s debut novel The Drop I was really looking forward to the second book featuring David Blake. Even if you haven’t read the first book you could easily pick up the second and know what is going on. I admit I was worried that maybe the second wouldn’t be as good but I needn’t have worried as it was actually better!

We once again meet David Blake but the difference now is that he is now the ‘top dog’ Gangster boss running Newcastle. He is actually living in Thailand with his girlfriend Sarah and only needs to fly back to the UK to sort out any issues his two right hand men Palmer and Kinnane can’t handle. Sure enough very early on, problems start cropping up involving his firm in which he decides he needs to get back to Newcastle to resolve.

We meet characters that reatured in the first book such as David’s brother Danny, Palmer and Kinane, the Gladwell’s who run Glasgow and some new faces amongst all those too. David Blake is the main reason I loved the first book as he isn’t your typical Gangster. He comes across as a really nice bloke who only uses violence when absolutely necessary. In addition to him we see quite a bit more of Palmer and Kinane which I liked as it gives you a real idea of other people involved in David’s life.

The story itself kept me gripped from very early on. It seems that there are numerous threads and problems that soon spiral into something much worse and end up with David fearing for his own life. He has to deal with a new supplier named ‘The Turk’, corrupt politicians and coppers as well as dealers, pimps and celebrity coke addicts. There is quite a lot going on at any one time and it means as the reader you are constantly left wondering what is going to happen next.

As in the first book there is a darker side of humour running through some of these characters and it makes them that bit more readable. I also found that although a lot of conclusions were made at the end, there are lots of more threads I can see opening up for follow up books. Overall I am delighted to have found such a great author at the very beginning of a series. I can only cross my fingers and hope that Howard Linskey carries on writing so well. This man is certainly one to watch!!!

Review of 11th Hour by James Patterson (Women’s Murder Club #11)

My Rating: 4/5
First off I need to say that if you haven’t read previous books in this series and you intend to read them in order please don’t continue reading the review as some of the storyline will inevitably contain spoilers.

In my ongoing love/hate relationship with James Patterson; I once again pre-ordered this book (even after convincing myself I shouldn’t) and set about catching up with the ladies from the Women’s Murder Club. I have read each book in this series and probably like many others feel like you have a history with these women. Lindsay Boxer, a detective, Claire who is a medical examiner, Cindy the reporter and Yuki a District Attorney have been friends for a long time and their tight knit circle will never change. In the 9th book in the series I thought I would give up as some of the characters seemed to have lost their edge; however the tenth book gained some ground as the ladies seemed back to their present form. This current book also showed the ladies back to form and it was a pleasure to see them in their usual roles.

The major difference now is that Lindsay Boxer is pregnant but she certainly doesn’t allow this to stop her working at her usual pace. When she and her partner Rich Conklin get called to the first murder scene they find millionaire Chaz Smith gunned down in a school. As usual, this case turns out to be one that has many elements, especially as the murder weapon was stolen from the department’s evidence locker.

Shortly after both Lindsay and Rich are called to another murder scene where two heads are discovered. Being pregnant and trying to run two murder cases see Lindsay at her most vulnerable, and for a change it really suited her. The story is the typical Patterson style with short and sharp chapters keeping your interest as the story picks up pace as the two investigations take on their own leads.

This book features Lindsay as the main lady and we see a little more of her personal life creeping into her work life as she tries to manage pending motherhood, along with maintaining her marriage to ex-FBI agent Joe. We also see a lot of Cindy as she does her usual trick of trying to get the lead on a story, whilst also battling her own issues surrounding her relationship with Lindsay’s partner Rich. We see less of Yuki and Claire although they still feature in the story as the ladies try to close both cases. We see Warren Jacobi, Lindsay’s boss feature in the story which for me was a welcome return.

The book was written well as usual and the story itself held my interest but after finishing it, I felt like there was no real progress with the ladies. I think maybe I was expecting something major to happen with one of them to keep this series from going stale. Having said that; I still think that Patterson will keep his fans happy with this latest release.

I enjoyed the book and would certainly say it’s a good one for the series. I am actually really looking forward to the next one, as I think with Lindsay having a baby and Yuki dating Lindsay’s boss things may heat up for the next book. It would also be nice to see the return of Jacobi more frequently as I always thought he spiced things up. Like I say, a winning formula but would like to see something to shock in the next one.

Blood Guilty by Ben Cheetham

download Synopsis: After the death of his son in a freak accident, DI Harlan Miller’s life is spiralling out of control. He’s drinking too much. His marriage and career are on the rocks. But things are about to get even worse. A booze-soaked night out and a single wild punch leave a man dead and Harlan facing a manslaughter charge.

Fast-forward four years. Harlan’s prison term is up, but life on the outside holds little promise. Divorced, alone, consumed with guilt, he thinks of nothing beyond atoning for the death he caused. But how do you make up for depriving a wife of her husband and two young boys of their father? Then something happens, something terrible, yet something that holds out a twisted kind of hope for Harlan – the dead man’s youngest son is abducted.

From that moment Harlan’s life has only one purpose – finding the boy. So begins a frantic race against time that leads him to a place darker than anything he experienced as a policeman and a stark moral choice that compels him to question the law he once enforced. Continue reading “Blood Guilty by Ben Cheetham”

Catch Me by Lisa Gardner (DD Warren #6)

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My Rating: 4/5

 Lisa Gardner has been on my must read list for some time now and I have particularly loved the Quincy/Rainie series. However, in more recent books the DD Warren series has been predominant which I have taken my time to grow to like as much as the Quincy books. Having said that; after Lisa’s last book in this DD Warren series I can honestly say I was hooked. DD Warren is a typical no-nonsense Detective, and she has her work cut out for her in this latest book.

Charlie Grant is the main focus of the story and from the very beginning we are shown her sheer terror. Charlie is convinced that on 21st January she will be murdered. Whilst dealing with another crime scene, Charlie confronts DD and asks her to make sure she investigates her imminent death properly.

The nicest thing about this book is we see the slight change in DD’s character and she comes across as a much softer woman following the birth of her son. DD and her team are also working on the killing of people involved in sex crimes. This storyline interlinks with the main one regarding Charlie nicely. From the very beginning the plot is very fast paced and there is a sense of frenzy as we read about Charlie trying to out-run the person coming to kill her.

The story picks up considerable pace around the halfway mark and the two stories run alongside each other nicely. The best part about this book for me was seeing much more of DD’s personal life and the ways in which she has changed. The story kept me turning the pages quickly and the story kept me guessing until the very end. We do see glimpses of characters from previous books such as retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, as well as fleeting glances of J.T Dillon and Sergeant Roan. Although I have grown to love DD Warren, I would still love to see another book released featuring Quincy!

Overall, this was one of the best in the DD Warren series and although part of a series could certainly be read as a stand alone book. I think Lisa Gardner fans will be thrilled with the new, softer DD Warren and new readers will be pleased to read such an engaging book. A definite page turner and I would definitely recommend it.