Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery

SIN’S OF THE FATHER BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #2)

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Synopsis: What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?
 
Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.
 
But the past is the past or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.
 
When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Having never read Sherly Browne this is my second book by her following straight on from Book 1 featuring Matthew Adams. After the drama of book 1, I wondered how thrilling this second book would be, I was NOT prepared for it to be just as good as the first. With Patrick Sullivan gone from Matthews life he is trying to move on but there is somebody intent on making sure that doesn’t happen. IN all honesty you don’t need to know the minutiae of the storyline because I didn’t and it made it all the more thrilling.
 
What I will say is that I read this book even quicker than the last one and the storyline was absolutely fabulous. The beginning of the story kicks off a nightmare scenario for Matthew and Sheryl Browne then keeps her foot firmly on the metal and the story never let up pace for a second. We see the return of Rebecca, Ashley and Steve all brilliant characters and although I don’t want to give away spoiler’s in terms of storylines I don’t think you would be disappointed. I am thrilled I made myself read my older books as I am absolutely loving these ones and as soon as this book is done I am moving straight onto book 3! An absolute corker of a book and this and the last one I would highly recommend reading in order!

AFTER SHE’S GONE BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #1)

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Synopsis: He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
 
There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable.
 
When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.
But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: WOW! I am SO annoyed at myself. These books have been sitting on my Kindle for 5 long years but in my extreme effort to not be swayed by new releases I am slowly making my way through my older books and now I am SO pleased that I made that choice. Sherly Browne is an author I have seen around for a while and keep meaning to read her stuff so decided to go back and start with this series of books featuring Matthew Adams. Well, I was NOT prepared to get stuck into not one but all three of these books! Matthew Adams is copper that cares about people, however he has his own personal misery going on. Patrick Sullivan is the bad guy here and as a drug dealer and pimp that is bad enough but when you realise he was responsible for the death of Matthew’s daughter it changes the game.
 
Matthew is a very likeable character but it’s clear that he (like any parent I imagine) is struggling after the death of his daughter. Patrick Sullivan is a man that is firmly on his police radar but even more so on his personal radar. Matthew’s colleague Steve was also a brilliant character that I hope I get to see in the follow on books. In addition to Matthew his wife Rebecca is a mainstay in the story. Matthew and Rebecca decide to take on his niece Ashley as Matthew’s sister is struggling with addiction. The story becomes very ramped up very quickly as Matthew comes up against Patrick in a very dangerous situation.
 
Overall I read this book in two straight sittings and absolutely loved it. It was fast paced and edgy with great characters and a strong storyline. It was so good I wasted no time and dove straight into book 2. A brilliant book by Sheryl Browne and I really hope the next one is just as good. Highly recommended.

CUT TO THE BONE BY ALEX CAAN (RILEY & HARRIS 1)

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Synopsis: One Missing Girl. Two Million Suspects.
Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls.
And she’s missing . . .
But she’s an adult – nothing to worry about, surely?
Until the video’s uploaded . . .
Ruby, in the dirt, pleading for her life.
Enter Detective Inspector Kate Riley; the Met’s rising star and the head of a new team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Among them, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, the poster boy for multiracial policing. But can Kate wholly trust him – and more importantly, can she trust herself around him?
As hysteria builds amongst the press and Ruby’s millions of fans, Kate and her team are under pressure to get results, and fast, but as they soon discover, the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much darker than anyone could have imagined.
And the videos keep coming . . .
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: Continuing my theme of reading older books on my Kindle I figured I would try an author new to me. Alex Caan released this in 2016 and it features DCI Kate Riley and Zain Harris. The opening of the book is pretty straightforward with Harrix being sent to the home of a missing woman Ruby who also happens to be a You Tube Vlogger. Both Kate and Zain are revealed and sections of their own personal lives show they both have their own issues. I have to be honest and say that I didn’t particularly warm to Kate as a character. She just rubbed me up the wrong way from the get go and it didn’t improve as the story progressed.
 
The chapters are nice and short and sharp and nothing wrong with this author’s style of writing however due to my dislike of Kate it made the book harder to enjoy. The storyline explores the world of social media and like I said before elements of characters are revealed as the story progressed. For me although the writing was decent I felt a little bit like I was struggling to finish. Sometimes it can feel like this with a new series so I think I will at some point try book 2 in the hope I can gel a little more with the characters.

THE FEAR BY C L TAYLOR

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Synopsis: Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…
When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.
Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.
But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…
 
Kat’s Rating: 4/5
 
Kat’s Review: It’s been a long while since I have read a CL Taylor so I was looking forward to getting stuck into something new. This subject matter may be a little too much for people as it involves child grooming (just a warning) but it was written extremely well. Lou Wandsworth is our main character and we meet her in the midst of a ‘surprise’ from her new boyfriend. Sadly that surprise triggers her emotions and she snaps! It appears that Lou’s old school teacher Mike had groomed her and she had been suffering with the consequences of that ever since. When she has to return to her old town and realises he lives there it sends her mind into overdrive. In addition when she considers confronting him she soon becomes aware that a he hasn’t changed and another girl is in danger.
 
Chloe Meadows is Mike’s intended next target and Lou makes it her mission to help her. There were many elements to this story and it made for incredibly engaging reading. There were times I felt I wasn’t reading quickly enough and I needed to know what happened. Plenty of tense and dramatic events which kept me page turning into the early hours. This book was definitely an emotional and at times dark book to read but utterly enthralling. Another great book by this author I thoroughly enjoy!

THE LOST ONES BY BEN CHEETHAM

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Synopsis: Some secrets are better left undiscovered.
When a nine-year-old girl goes missing in Harwood Forest, the search for her brings back memories of an unsolved double murder some forty years earlier. Could the key to Erin Jackson’s disappearance lie in the bloody fate of Elijah and Joanna Ingham, bludgeoned to death while their young daughters slept? Were the Inghams really the victims of opportunistic burglars—or a more sinister fate?
The woods are combed for signs of the child, but Erin’s brother, Jake, mounts his own investigation, uncovering evidence that puts the Inghams’ daughters—vanished Rachel and ‘crazy’ Mary—in the frame. Meanwhile, Erin’s father suspects that the ragtag army of eco-warriors besieging his quarry development may have something to hide.
As devastating secrets and betrayals are revealed, the Jackson family is brought to a breaking point. But time is running out. Erin is still missing and Jake’s unorthodox enquiries have left him dangerously exposed. They must find Erin and lay the past to rest—before they become its latest victims.
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: I have read one other Ben Cheetham and rather enjoyed it so had high hopes for this one. Sadly although it wasn’t a terrible book it wasn’t as good as his other I had read. I normally enjoy the missing persons kind of cases and this one features missing child Erin Jackson. Whilst out walking with her mother Amanda she literally vanishes into thin air. Amanda’s husband Tom is informed and he is beside himself with worry. There are elements of the story that will make the reader question a variety of characters as they all have hidden secrets and skeletons in the closet.
 
The story feels a little stilted in places but I think that is more because the culprit was pretty obvious to me, but then maybe that is just me. The pace seemed okay and the writing is certainly as decent as the last book I just didn’t gel as well with this story. Overall not a bad book, just not a favourite for me!

SOMETHING HIDDEN BY KERRY WILKINSON (ANDREW HUNTER #2)

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Synopsis: Everyone hates Fiona Methodist.
 
Her war veteran father shot a young couple in broad daylight before killing himself. The engaged pair had witnessed a robbery and were due to give evidence but, with all three now dead, no one knows the true motive.
 
For Fiona, it’s destroyed her life. It’s not just those who whisper behind her back or the friends who pretend she doesn’t exist; it’s the landlords who spot her name and say no, the job agencies who can’t find her work.
 
But Fiona knows her dad didn’t do it. He couldn’t have – he’s her father and he wouldn’t do that . . . would he?
 
Private investigator Andrew Hunter takes pity on the girl and, even with stolen bengal cats to find, plus an ex-wife who’s not quite so ‘ex’, he can’t escape the creeping feeling that Fiona might be right after all.
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: I haven’t read the first book in this series but figured Book 2 was as good a place as any to start. The story features Andrew Hunter who is a Private Investigator who takes on a case working for Fiona Methodist. A young couple are shot and killed by a war veteran and then it’s discovered they were witnesses due to give evidence on a robbery they witnessed. That war veteran is Fiona’s father Luke and Andrew takes the case pro-bono. Alongside Andrew is his assistant Jenny and while Andrew is working one case she takes on another. Jenny is a great character and I really liked the fact that she and Andrew were polar opposites.
 
We also get to see Andrew dealing with family including his ex-wife and his Aunt. I liked Andrew but I think it may have helped me to read the first book to get a real idea of the main characters that are appearing again. The story kept me reading and the writing was decent but for some reason I couldn’t really engage with this book on some level. It is definitely not a bad book but I think I should have either read book 1 first or maybe tried this authors series featuring Jessica Daniel. I think I may well give it a couple of months and try book 1 of that series.

FEARLESS BY JESSIE KEANE

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Synopsis: PLAY DIRTY. PLAY TO WIN.
 
From the top ten bestselling author Jessie Keane comes a gripping thriller featuring two women who will do anything to win the man they love.
 
Josh Flynn is the king of the bare-knuckle gypsy fighters. His reputation is un-blemished; his fist a deadly weapon.
 
Claire Milo has always loved Josh, they were destined to be together from the day they met. Two gypsy lovers with their whole lives ahead of them. If only Josh would find a different way of earning a living instead of knocking the living daylights out of another man in the boxing ring. One day, she knew something really bad was going to happen. She could feel it . . .
 
Shauna Everett always wanted what she couldn’t have, and nobody, especially Claire Milo was going to stand in her way. She’s had her eye on Josh Flynn for years and she knew just how to get him. If it meant playing dirty, then so be it. What had she got to lose?
 
In a world ruled by violence, crime and backstreet brawls, only one woman will win in Jessie Keane’s Fearless, but how low is she prepared to go to achieve that goal?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: WOW! It’s been too long since I read a Jessie Keane book and luckily for me this one was sitting in my unread. I hadn’t read the synopsis before starting so had no clue what to expect. What I didn’t expect was an absolute belter of a book that had me reading into the early hours. Claire Milo and Josh Flynn are young teenagers who are part of the travelling community. They are head over heels in love and plan on marrying. However Josh is being touted as the King of the bare knuckle boxers and Claire loathes this part of his life. Shauna Everett is the same age as Claire and has her eyes set firmly on the prize of Josh Flynn all for herself.
 
This story stretched from the 1970s until present day and boy did it pack a punch. I don’t want to say too much about the storyline as you just need to read the stories of these three people and their extended family. I had NO idea where the story was gong I just knew I wanted to go along for the ride. Shauna is a character you just love to loathe and as for Josh I wasn’t sure how I felt about his as the story progressed. What I do know is that Jessie Keane TELLS a story, you don’t just read a book, you almost become ingrained into their lives and this is (IMO) what makes her such an amazing author. I never tire of her writing, characters and storylines. This book I must say is one I absolutely loved and would have no problem in recommending. I can’t wait to see if I have anything else left by this author to read, and if not then roll on a new book!

FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD BY BARBARA COPPERWAITE

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Synopsis: He sees her. The one. The sunglasses don’t fool anyone, she is clearly upset, her nose and lips swollen from crying. They are two lost souls and he knows his love can help her. After all, she is not the first girl he has followed home…
 
Adam is the perfect boyfriend. He pays attention, he buys flowers. He knows everything about Laura and looks after her every need. He cooks, he cleans – he even does the dishes without being asked.
 
But Laura has never met Adam. Still grieving after a devastating car crash that killed her family, she’s forgetful and struggling to pull her life together. She’d be horrified to know the depth of this unsettling fantasy in which she is the star. But there’s no denying the chill she feels every time she finds another elaborate bouquet on her doorstep, or wakes in the night sensing she is not alone.
 
Adam has been watching her every move, and now it’s time to act. Except, there’s one little detail he’s missed: Laura has been watching him too.
 
After everything she’s been through, Laura’s ready to fight back and stop being the victim in her own life story. But in Adam’s world, there are no happy endings…
 
Kat’s Rating: 4/5
 
Kat’s Review: I have had this book on my Kindle for way too long and decided it was time to read it. I have seen many rave review on this author and can understand why now. The story focusses on Laura, a young girl suffering in the aftermath of the crash that killed her family. In addition we meet Adam who is the most creepy character you could possibly read about! IN addition we read about Mike a copper on the periphery of the investigation when a body is found. In all honesty I don’t want to dissect the plot because it was way more enjoyable going in blind.
 
This story picked up pace fast and I was engaged with all the characters, even more so with Adam which in itself is a little creepy. There is a dark element of linking death to flowers which gave me the ‘heeby-jeebies’ but then to be fair a lot of this book did. The chapters gave real depth into the characters and what they are all going through yet didn’t feel stretched out at all. It all felt like a necessary draw to pull you in. Overall this book had everything needed in a thriller and then some. It was dark and gritty and incredibly creepy in a disturbing way. Hell, don’t listen to me trying to explain it, just pick it up and read it I don’t think you will be disappointed,

DEATH IS NOT ENOUGH BY KAREN ROSE (BALTIMORE #6)

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Synopsis: When you’re after revenge… death is not enough.
Gwyn Weaver is as resilient as anyone could be. Having survived an attempted murder, she has rebuilt her life and reclaimed her dignity and strength. She’s always known about her feelings for defence attorney Thomas Thorne, but as her friend and a colleague there could be no chance of anything more… or could there?
 
Thorne has known violence and pain all his life. He’s overcome the hardships thanks to his own steel, and the love of his loyal friends. Now he’s thinking it might finally be time to let his guard down, and allow himself to let in the woman he’s always admired from afar.
 
Then Thorne’s whole world is torn apart – he is found unconscious in his own bed, the lifeless body of a stranger lying next to him, her blood on his hands. Knowing Thorne could never have committed such a terrible crime, Gwyn and his friends rally round to clear his name.
 
But this is just the beginning – the beginning of a brutal campaign to destroy Thorne, and everything he holds dear…
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I absolutely LOVED this book and was so sad to end it as I know this is the sixth and final book in this series. Having said that, the course has naturally run it’s course and was SO enjoyable and it leaves me time to move onto other Karen Rose books. This last book mostly features Thomas Thorne who takes the lead as his worst nightmare comes back to haunt him. He wakes in his bed with a woman lifeless next to him and blood everywhere. Gwyn Weaver, Thorn’s business partner. was the one to find him and even though she herself has survived a horrendous ordeal she is determined to help Thorne find out what happened.
 
This book can be read as a standalone but it is SO much better when read as part of the series. I actually wish I had read all 6 books back to back as every one has been a fabulous book to read and this last installment is no exception. We see the return of all the characters in this series and as per the standard when one person is in danger that naturally means that they are all in the firing line. There was so much action packed into this as well as romance, family, friends, laughter and tears. At over 620 pages this is not a short read but I feel like this was a well balanced book and it didn’t feel that long at all. Another brilliant read by Karen Rose and a series I would highly recommend!
 
1. You Belong to Me (2011)
2. No One Left to Tell (2012)
3. Did You Miss Me? (2012)
3.5. Broken Silence (2013)
4. Watch Your Back (2013)
5. Monster In The Closet (2017)
6. Death Is Not Enough (2018)

MONSTER IN THE CLOSET BY KAREN ROSE (BALTIMORE 5)

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Synopsis: A mother is dead, and now her killer hunts the child that witnessed the brutal crime…
Private Investigator Clay Maynard locates missing children for clients, but has nearly given up hope of finding his own daughter, cruelly stolen from him by his ex-wife twenty-three years ago.
 
Equine therapist Taylor Dawson has chosen to intern at Daphne Montgomery-Carter’s stables so that she can observe the program’s security director – her father, Clay Maynard. Trying to reconcile the wonderful man she’s getting to know with the monster her mother always described, Taylor never expects to become the target of a real monster, the man who murdered the mother of the little girls she works with at the stable. Neither does she expect to fall for Ford Elkhart, Daphne’s handsome son, who is dealing with his own demons. As family and friends gather for a wedding, Taylor starts to imagine a permanent life in Baltimore.
 
But not if the real monster gets to her first…
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I have read so many of Karen Rose books that I sometimes lose track of what series I have and haven’t read so was thrilled when I came across this and realised I had read up to book 4 so got stuck in and boy am I glad I did. This series of book sis about a group of people who are friends and they all seen to get a book in the series so it’s easy to pick them up as standalones. However, once I was a few chapters in all the familiar people were re-introduced to me and I felt like I hadn’t been away. The opener of this book is shocking but gripping all at the same time. A young girl Jazzie comes home from school and finds her Mother dead on the floor. What is worse is that the killer is still there so Jazzie hides. When the police investigate Jazzie clams up and refuses to speak while they hunt for her Mother killer.
 
Jazzie and her sister are put into a therapy programme where they are riding horses and that centre is run by one of the clan of people that are featured in this series. A new young woman named Taylor is working at the therapy centre as an intern but what everybody doesn’t realise is that she is there to find out about her Father and that will have huge repercussions for everybody! This book had me gripped from the first to the last page and I absolutely loved it. I was so pleased that I went straight out and brought book 6 in the series as I needed to know where everybody was now. And absolutely brilliant book and an even better series!