Category: Crime, Thriller, Mystery

The Driver by Mandasue Heller

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My Rating: 3/5

The Grange Estate is known locally as a `rough estate’ and Joe Weeks has just moved in. Joe is laid back but is quite eager to make friends with his neighbours. He meets Carl and Cheryl and before long he is one of them. With their regular parties and weed smoking, Joe fits in a treat.

 Eddie Quinn also lives on the estate and is known as the hardest man around town. He is also living from his reputation which is one that you don’t wish to cross. When Joe is asked if he wants to work as Eddie’s driver he jumps at the opportunity. Joe soon runs into Katya who is a very frightened prostitute who is trapped as a practical slave and wants nothing more than to escape from Eddie. Joe soon gets drawn into a dangerous life surrounded by death, drugs and prostitutes.

Well first off I have to say I was shocked at the small offering that arrived when the book turned up. I am used to receiving a Mandasue Heller book that is a hefty offering as opposed to this slimmed down version. I picked up the book hoping that this one was better than her last book as I wasn’t that impressed with it. Initially the first few chapters seemed to be going well. We get introduced to Joe and get to know the goings on of all the people who live on the estate. Joe as a character isn’t the strongest Mandasue Heller has ever written but he was a likeable guy.

We also see the bad guy Eddie who again I didn’t think was that strong a character. Yes he seemingly had the right ingredients, the build, the attitude and the hard man look about him. Unfortunately that was all he had! Around the halfway mark I was beginning to wonder when the gritty storyline would jump in but sadly it didn’t materialise. The book wasn’t an awful read by any means it just wasn’t particularly strong or memorable.

The last portion of the book saw a rise in tempo slightly but it had an air of `unfinished business’ about it. In actual fact this was how I felt about 90% of the book. You felt like you got to know the people involved but beyond that, nothing. I have read all of Martina Cole’s books and felt bitterly disappointed that her more recent stuff was nowhere near as good as her original works. Sadly, it seems that Mandasue Heller is suffering the same fate. The storyline felt very lacklustre and had no real oomph in it. In addition to this, nothing that drastic or meaningful happened. I can tell from the writing style that Mandasue Heller still has a great writing style, but sadly the plot and characters are seriously lacking her usual standards.

I was bitterly disappointed with this and was hoping that we would see a return to her previously wonderful writing. Although the writing is there, it seems that nothing else is there with it. If I am being honest I wouldn’t recommend this particular book of hers and would say try her earlier works which were brilliant. I can still live in hope that she will return with a vengeance with her next book.

Jail Bird by Jessie Keane

My Rating: 5/5

Jessie Keane is an author that had her debut novel `Dirty Game’ published in 2008. It was the first in the Annie Bailey series of books and was followed by `Black Widow’ and `Scarlet Women’ in 2009.

I read her first book and was hooked. Annie Bailey was such a great character and I was fearful that Jessie Keane would follow the all too predictable path that others do of relying too much on a good thing.

After reading all three in the Annie Bailey Series I was even more worried. How on earth could she top her last three books? Not only did I love her style of writing but I fell in love with the characters. How would I feel with a new lead character? Would it be any good or would she fail at the first hurdle? To my absolute relief Jessie Keane is made of sterner stuff. Through my letterbox came her latest offering entitled Jail Bird and I excitedly ripped it from its box and settled myself in for the duration.

Lily King has just been released from prison. She has spent the last 12 years of her life behind bars for the brutal shooting of her husband Leo King. When she is released she is determined to set the record straight. Not only does Lily have to prove she didn’t kill her husband, she has to find out who did. She is battling not only Leo’s family who want her dead, but her own daughters who can’t stand the sight of her.

This book was an absolute corker and I read the book cover to cover in 2 days. It is everything Jessie Keane does but better. We meet a great leading character in Lily, she has guts and determination and is absolutely focused on finding the truth. She has her battles along the way and the characters that make up the King family are right on the money. The storytelling is, as usual, brilliant and she manages to create very believable scenarios without it bordering on the unrealistic.

It’s a pacy book with plenty of plot twists and enough action to keep you both interested and guessing. I particularly liked the fact that there are lots of different characters all being brought together by one event. There are just enough to keep you intrigued but not too many that it get’s confusing.

After reading a short Bio on Jessie I realise how she manages to exude an air of masculinity into her writing being the youngest of 8 children, all boys! I have been a fan of Martina Cole for years but to be honest, find myself not looking forward to new books she releases as they are all the same sort of thing. Don’t get me wrong I still read them but don’t have the level of interest that I used to. If like me, you were a Cole fan in the early days, get yourself down the shops for a copy of Jessie Keane’s book. She reminds me very much of Cole’s early work and she is certainly giving the likes of Mandasue Heller and Karin Slaughter a run for their money. If I were Martina Cole I would be looking over my shoulder for a certain Ms Keane! Now all I have to do is wait another 7 months for her new book!

Scream For Me by Karen Rose (Atlanta #1)

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My Rating: 3/5

 Karen Rose is a RITA award winning novelist who has been writing since her debut book `Don’t Tell’ in 2003. Karen Rose then produced a series of books starting with Die For Me which was released in 2007. The series feature Special Agent Daniel Vartanian. This book is the second in the Series and is entitled `Scream For Me’.

I have only read one other Karen Rose book which was her debut novel and I was thoroughly captured by her writing style and thoroughly enjoyed every page of that book. When I picked up this one I was totally unaware that it was the second in the series but this had absolutely no effect on the enjoyment as previous events are explained in detail. If you wish to read from the beginning of this series I would suggest you don’t read onwards from this point as there may be spoilers relating to the first book.

In this second instalment we again meet Daniel who has recently buried his parents following their brutal killings at the hands of his own brother. Not only does he have that to deal with, but the fact that his brother Simon died at his own hands too. When a new case lands on his desk he is determined to absorb himself in this new case and catch the killer that seems to be replicating murders from 13 years ago. The problem with that is that the murders seem to be linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother.

Alex Fallon is an ER nurse and is getting over the breakup of her relationship with a fellow Doctor. Alex has a murky past with her twin sister having been murdered thirteen years ago. When she finds out that her stepsister Bailey has gone missing she fears the worst. However Bailey has a history of drug abuse but would her own stepsister abandon a small child alone in her house just for her next fix. Alex doesn’t want to take any chances so takes Baileys daughter Hope into her own care and begins her own search for her stepsister.

Alex and Daniel inevitably cross paths when Daniel realises there may be a link between the murders from 13 years ago, the murders that are happening now and the disappearance of Bailey Crighton. Between them they try to make sense of what is happening and why.

The proper description for this type of book genre is romantic suspense. When I reviewed Karen Rose’s previous book I totally disagreed with that label but I have to say it is more fitting to this book. The story itself is far from a bed of roses and is largely based around multiple murders of young women. However all of her books do have a romantic element running through them. I have to say though, that in this case it just became part of the story as opposed to taking over from the central focus of the book. It runs along nicely and is integrated well without becoming too over the top.

You do have to pay attention as there are many characters introduced throughout which all have a part to play somewhere along the line. This author has a knack of switching seamlessly between a horrific murder scene and a scene in which two people are falling for each other despite the circumstances. I loved the element of the story which was written from Bailey Crighton’s point of view as the story is then staggered and the reader is drawn further into the reasoning for a lot of things the further in to the book they get.

Overall I think I preferred her debut novel to this but this was still a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. She has also introduced Daniel Vartanian’s sister Susannah along with Daniel’s friend Luke Papadopoulos who are to take a much more central role in the follow up to this book. I think Karen Rose is a great author and I look forward to reading the next installment.

Don’t Tell by Karen Rose (Chicago #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

I had never read any Karen Rose novels but a friend of mine mentioned I might like her books.

When it comes to genre I am a little bewildered. The front of the book as well as the jacket information gives the impression that her books are thrillers. Yet her website seems to suggest that she writes `Romantic Suspense’ books. After finishing her book I am not sure I would quite call her genre this but can see that she does have a romantic element running through the story.

Having said that this book is far from Chick Lit and the happy and bubbly lives the characters seem to lead. This book is real in all its glory. It’s almost real to the point that some people could empathise with the character. This story is based largely on a woman’s survival following years of domestic abuse.

Caroline Stewart has created a new life for her and her son and is trying to do the best she can to move on. 9 years after leaving her husband after faking her own death, a new man enters her life and she has all the challenges that a woman in her position is not used to dealing with. The aspect of the book that deals with the nicer side to Caroline’s life is refreshing. The reason I say this is that we also see the fear and absolute terror she is subjected to. Karen Rose has hit the nail on the head in terms of balance.

In my opinion, any author that can create a character like Caroline’s husband has done a first class job. It has been a long time since I have read a book that raises such hatred in me towards a certain character. Make no mistake, after reading this around a third of the way through, I was already hoping that the husband would wind up dead and in a long and painful manner.

The book takes us through Caroline and her son Tom’s life after their awful experiences with Rob, Caroline’s husband. Not only that, with the introduction of Max, Caroline’s new boss, we see how her son Tom reacts to the presence of a new man around the place. When Caroline’s car is found in a lake her husband realises that the chances of Caroline being alive have been upped. He is furious that he `stole’ their son away and is determined to find them.

The author picks up the pace considerably with Rob trying to trace Caroline and there are various scenes where he is seen for what he really is, a psychopath with a taste for murder. This book isn’t all roses but is a gritty and real thriller that I literally couldn’t put down. The author manages to create a fast paced book with the element of `real life’ added to the mix. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have already got my next Karen Rose novel ready to read.

Random by Craig Robertson

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My Rating: 4/5

 The cover of his book is pretty eye catching with its red cover and a picture of a figure in the shadows. The jacket information was even more interesting with a description of a Serial Killer operating in Glasgow. He has been nicknamed The Cutter by the media and the police are baffled by the killings. DS Rachel Narey is on the case and she cannot seem to find any connection between the victims. There seems to be no real motive or reason for the murders and there seems to be absolutely no links between the people.

When I opened the book the first thing that was strange was the fact that the book is written in the first person, and said first person is the killer himself.

There was something slightly unsettling about that in the beginning for me. As the book progresses the story is stretched and we learn more not only about his mindset but the reasons behind the killings. I don’t particularly like spoilers but this book is very hard to describe without some risk of spoiling the plot. I will say however, that the more you read the more you will question “what would I do if that was me?” I found that over halfway in not only had the unsettling feeling I started with gone, I found myself seeing things through the eyes of somebody in his position.

Ultimately as the title and jacket information describe, the serial killings are made entirely at random. This is not only a disturbing thought, but one that is written with incredible skill. I was amazed at how I felt whilst reading it and felt myself becoming more and more absorbed by it. The story is set in Glasgow and the writing and speech of the Glaswegians is done superbly.

The pace of the book is also pretty good, I wouldn’t say particularly fast but reasonably paced with more intent on seeing things from the `bad’ side of the fence. This gave the story good momentum and more intent on the sheer genius of being inside a killers mind. I cannot say anything bad about this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it and eagerly await the next novel by Mr Robertson.

9TH JUDGEMENT BY JAMES PATTERSON (WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB #9)

My Rating: 3/5

The women who have all been part of the `Women’s Murder Club’ do all appear in the story but to varying degrees.

You have Lindsay Boxer the lead character who is meant to be a feisty detective and she works alongside Rich Conklin. Cindy is a reporter and not only does she cover the case of Hello Kitty she is also in a relatively new relationship with Rich Conklin. Yuki is a lawyer and isn’t directly linked to the cases but appears in the story albeit briefly. Claire is a Medical Examiner and has a family of her own. She features more prominently in this story as she attends all the murder scenes.

The story itself is a vast improvement on the last one in the series. I have said before, and will say again, I wonder at the speed in which James Patterson produces books. They come out frequently and some books tend to have that slightly `unfinished’ feel to them. This one had some great twists in it and like I said before the actual storyline was pretty captivating. It made a change to have two stories running parallel through the book that eventually intertwine at the end. The chapters were written in the classic Patterson style; short and sharp. I have personally found that this makes the book very edgy and easy to get pulled along with.

The characters themselves are another matter altogether. As I have read every single one of the series you find yourself knowing the characters that bit more than a stand-alone novel. All I can say is WHAT HAPPENED? Our leading lady Lindsay Boxer has had a personality transplant, and not one that I like all that much. She has always been a very strong woman that has had to fight her way through the usual politics within law enforcement. Although she is involved in a long term relationship with Joe, she has always been fiercely independent. Suddenly she has become this wimpy woman with no backbone?!?

The other women characters are all pretty strong too but with the author and co-author suddenly `finding’ Yuki a man it seemed … well… just wrong. It didn’t fit, as the relationship between Cindy and Rich just doesn’t fit. I felt like the characters have changed too much and I can’t see many fans of this particular series liking it all that much.

Overall I am glad that the story and writing itself was a vast improvement but the characters lost so much that it made the book that little bit less enjoyable for me. I would still recommend.

Review of Reckless by Andrew Gross

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My Rating: 3/5

This is Andrew Gross fourth novel as a solo author. He has co-written a number of books with James Patterson. I was excited when he started writing his own stuff and really enjoyed his first and second book. His third novel Don’t Look Twice however, was a book that I was really disappointed with. I was looking forward to his new release `Reckless’ as I thought we may see the return of his brilliant writing and the character Ty Hauck.

 

This story does indeed bring back Ty Hauck and we find he has now moved on from his career in law enforcement and now works for a private security firm. He soon realises that working in this sector doesn’t stop him thinking and behaving like he was still a cop. When a Wall Street Trader is murdered in his home along with his family everyone assumes that it’s a burglary gone wrong. But when another trader dies in what looks like a suspicious suicide, things start to go very wrong. Ty finds himself pulled into the case along with Naomi Blum, a US Treasury agent. Naomi is investigating a financial paper trail that go back to the two dead traders. Between them they start to uncover a murky trail that could lead higher than either of them could ever imagine.

Initially the story trundled along as I got to grips with the characters that were introduced and the detailed storyline. I can honestly say that although I enjoyed the book, there seemed to be a major key to the story missing, I just can’t tell you what it is. The characters were as good as before and Ty in particular is a well written and really likeable character. Naomi is also written incredibly well. I just found myself checking who people were a second time which is unusual for me. The story becomes quite in-depth in some parts and I would say that this is not the sort of book you can ‘go back to’. You have to concentrate on the story and people so that you don’t lose pace with it. Overall I would give the book 3.5 out of 5 and say that it wasn’t a bad read. I do on the other hand think that Andrew Gross can produce much better material than this.

Jail Bait by June Hampson (Daisy Lane #5)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I have mixed feelings about this book but to explain why you need to understand a little of the background to the story. The Daisy Lane books are written in sequence so to have any sort of knowledge of the characters you should try to read them in order. Having read all of her books I have built up a good knowledge of these characters and what role they play in each others lives.

In her previous book Fatal Cut we met Daisy when she was with her lover Vinnie Endersby who is a police officer. She ends up having her son Jamie by him, but he ends up reuniting with his wife Claire. Daisy then falls into the arms of Roy Kemp, who although plays the role of a top Gangster in his area, has always loved Daisy. In this book we barely see Vinnie and the only references to her son Jamie are to highlight that he has clearly been born half human-half devil! I find it strange that there was no warning to this part of the story it has just appeared as if from nowhere.

In previous books we have met many characters who all have their place within Daisy’s life yet they all seem to have had a personality transplant since last year. The main character Daisy was always a really strong woman who rolled her sleeves up and got things done. She appears a lot more crass and to be honest not quite herself in the latest outing. I don’t know quite what has happened to her but she appears to have been written in a completely different light. Daisy’s friend Vera was always a favourite character of mine but again in this book she has been written in a different way and seems to have lost her sparkle.

Having said that, don’t let this put you off the book. Her first three books were amazing. Her fourth book I didn’t think was as strong as the others but enjoyed it all the same. This fifth book is even less enjoyable for the character Daisy but what we do have is a five star read for the more prominent characters. I am hoping that when she publishes her next book, we start to see the life of Eddie, Daisy’s eldest son. I almost feel that this was the author’s intention in writing this book.

I wondered halfway through if the characters and story had just run out of steam. In saying that there were glimpses of June Hampson’s brilliant writing and storytelling, I just think its time Daisy took a back seat and the author got her teeth into a new set of characters that focus on her son.

The story itself as a whole wasn’t bad but wasn’t great, if I were to rate it I would be giving it 3.5 out of 5. Based on the fact that the author is laying a great starting block for Eddie I would rate it 4 out of 5. I have previously compared June Hampson to authors such as Martina Cole and I stand by that. Her writing is brilliant and I love her books (even though this wasn’t her best). If you haven’t read her before but like people such as Martina Cole, Mandasue Heller and the like then maybe this will be your cup of tea too.

The Last Ten Seconds by Simon Kernick

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My Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: There are three people involved and none of them can predict just how dangerous things are going to turn out. DI Tina Boyd has a past that is littered with trouble and she just seems to attract it wherever she goes. She has been part of the team that has tracked down and now arrested the serial killer known as `The Night Creeper’. The only problem is he has now been kidnapped and it’s Tina’s job to hunt him down.

Sean Egan is an undercover cop who has managed to become embedded in a dangerous criminal gang posing as another gang member looking for work. He is roped in on a job that means kidnapping the serial killer known as `The Night Creeper’. What he doesn’t realise is that he will be forced to make decisions that could not only end his career but his life too.

The Night Creeper is in custody arrested by DI Boyd. Not only is he a dangerous and sadistic killer but he is acting and looking like an innocent man. The reputation he has built was based on his brutality that all the police witnessed at each of the 5 murders that he committed. The only problem is, once in custody, he is claiming that he has a watertight alibi meaning that if he didn’t commit one, then did he commit any.

OH MY GOD! There are so many words that I just can’t find to explain this book. Corker, cracking, brilliant, exceptional, breathtaking, fast, edgy, the list goes on. What I will say is that this is a five star book that confirms that Simon Kernick deserves his place in the world of crime writing.

I have been an avid Crime and Thriller reader for the best part of 16 years and am shocked at the fact that I only discovered Kernick by reading Relentless a mere 8 months ago. Relentless was itself an absolute gem of a book (for which I rated it 5 out of 5) and I was pleased that I had read one of his books and planned on reading a lot more. Unfortunately for me my `to read’ list was getting longer and Simon Kernick went to the back of my mind. That was until Tuesday of this week, when I wandered into a book shop, only to see his new release sitting there on the shelf. I grabbed it with earnest and placed it at the top of my list as it had been 8 months since I had read Relentless and wanted to see if this was as good as the last one. I needn’t have worried as this book was, if possible, even better than Relentless. Hence the reason for the review a mere 2 days later!

With this authors genius style of writing it took me no more than one chapter to become engrossed. The story hits you in the gut from page one and doesn’t give up until the very last page. It had all the ingredients of a crime book that any reader wants. Great meaty characters, all flawed in their own strange ways. A story that is paced so quickly you feel like you’re in the passenger seat of a Formula One car, and to top it all off a story that takes you on more twists and turns than a roller-coaster ride.

The characters Sean and Tina are written extremely well in the first person and I loved the fact that the switch between the two was easy. Tina has her own demons, as does Sean which always helps towards the realism of a character in my opinion. They weren’t picture perfect and both have the same streak for doing things their way, no matter what the cost, or what rules they have to break. The chapters weren’t too long and were punchy and to the point.

The crime scenes themselves are written extremely graphically, which not to everybody’s taste I understand, was completely relevant to the story and the type of violence that Sean and Tina were surrounded by. I could find no flaws with this book and am already adding him to my pre-order list. I suggest that if you haven’t read a book by Mr Kernick that you add him to your list now, you won’t be disappointed.

WORST CASE BY JAMES PATTERSON AND MICHAEL LLEDWIDGE (MICHAEL BENNETT #3)

My Rating: 4/5

Detective Michael Bennett works in the busy city of New York. His wife died two years ago leaving behind their amazing ten adopted children. Michael Bennett’s life is solely his work and his children. Thankfully he has the help of his Grandfather Seamus and Nanny Mary Catherine. Apart from his children the most important thing in his life is his work. He had previously come up against killers and cases that he has solved and this year is no different. A young man who has one of the wealthiest set of parents in New York is snatched and held hostage.

The only problem is that this killer doesn’t want money. The killer insists on questioning the young man and it dawns on the hostage that money can’t help him, only the correct answers can. Michael Bennett is called to the family home of the boy and then starts the race to find the boy before the killer makes it a murder case. Drafted in to help is Emily Parker an FBI Agent who is an Abduction Specialist. Between them they try to figure out the killer’s next move. What they aren’t prepared for is a killer that takes his beliefs to the extreme. Michael is not prepared for this case as well as managing his family brood without incidence. What he is even more shocked at is when his love life suddenly becomes part of the mix.

I have read all of James Patterson’s books and to be frank they can be hit and miss. Sometimes he can produce fantastic stories but in recent years it seems like he churns out so many books that sometimes the story doesn’t have the author’s whole focus. The Michael Bennett series is co-written with Michael Lewidge. This particular book I really enjoyed. I have also read the two previous Michael Bennett novels so I already had some background on the characters which always helps.

The second book in the Michael Bennett series (Run for your life) I rated at 4 out of 5 and to be honest this book was no different. The character himself is pretty good, he is clearly a family man but one who lobes his family and that comes across well with the writing. The added bonus of this book is the angle of the love life interest. The only thing was with this angle is that it felt very rushed, almost like JP/ML felt they had to introduce somebody. We don’t hear as much about Michael’s family which is a shame because his Grandfather Seamus was featured a little more heavily ion the previous book and he is a great character.

As for the killer himself, we see the story written from his perspective and to be honest this was the weakest are of the book. It almost felt a little rushed and there was no real depth to him. However as usual, James Patterson manages to balance out these flaws with his style of writing. His chapters are short and sharp and always paced quickly meaning they keep you a little hooked. I always find that no matter what my opinion of the story or characters I am always compelled to keep reading. Maybe this is why his books are such a success? Up until the release of `I Alex Cross’ which was quite recent, I actually preferred the Michael Bennett series. After that recent release I again became latched with the Alex Cross character. I must say though that after reading this Michael Bennett book, he may not be my favourite of the JP characters but I definitely want to see more of him.

All in all James Patterson hasn’t failed to deliver a good book. My only concern is that I never feel like it’s a five star read lately like I have with other authors such as Dennis Lehane. I think that he produces so many books in such a short space of time that the reader never quite feels like he has immersed himself fully with one character and concentrated on that one book. Overall he is still a great author and I would recommend his books to anybody as they are an enjoyable read. JP had better watch out though, recently some great authors have been producing 5 star books which may threaten his status as the number one Crime Writer.