Five Years From Now by Paige Toon

Five Years From Now Synopsis: Nell and Van meet as children when their parents fall in love, but soon they are forced worlds apart.

Five years later, they find each other.  Their bond is rekindled and new feelings take hold, but once again they must separate.

For the next two decades, fate brings Nell and Van together every five years, as life and circumstance continue to divide them. Will they ever find true happiness? And will it be together?

‘One day, maybe five years from now, you’ll look back and understand why this happened…’

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I have always enjoyed Paige Toon books and decided to start going through my long list of unread books and selected this one. I didn’t read the synopsis so was going in with no idea of the story line but I was very pleased I selected this book. Nell and Van are the stars of the show and the book slowly unfolds in increments of five years starting from when they met as children. Nell’s Dad was in a relationship with Van’s Mum and as such they met as young children and their friendship blossomed.

As the story progresses so do Nell and Vans life and it was an absolute joy to go along for the ride. It was glorious tale of friendship, love and loss and frankly although it is very different from her other books it was a brilliant read. I was surprised at the ending but though it was fitting and not too contrived. Although a departure from her normal type of book it was very enjoyable and one I would recommend.

The Stolen Girls by Patricia Gibney (Lottie Parker 2)

The Stolen Girls Synopsis: One Monday morning, the body of a young pregnant woman is found. The same day, a mother and her son visit the house of Detective Lottie Parker, begging for help to find a lost friend.

Could this be the same girl?

When a second victim is discovered by the same man, with the murder bearing all the same hallmarks as the first, Lottie needs to work fast to discover how else the two were linked. Then two more girls go missing.

Detective Lottie Parker is a woman on the edge, haunted by her tragic past and struggling to keep her family together through difficult times. Can she fight her own demons and catch the killer before he claims another victim?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I really enjoyed the first book in this series so decided to go straight into book 2. The story kicks off with the discovery of the body of a young pregnant woman, followed by another body only this time it is found by the same man that found the first body. The storyline itself was certainly interesting, yet for some reason I found myself more drawn to the development of the characters.

Lottie as the main character isn’t actually that likeable but that just makes her so much more readable in this case. It sounds weird I know but having a character with SO many flaws actually makes this more of a hook for me. Seeing how badly she manages her personal life make me more and more intrigued. I also love her colleague Boyd.

You can probably read this as a standalone but I love seeing the characters lives unfold like this series seems to be doing. Lottie seems to be a car crash of a character, but it’s obvious she has her demons she is battling and it also seems to make her more determined to get each case right. I found this book flowed a lot easier than the first and it took me very little time to plough through it.

Although when finished I had to read a different genre, I am already well over halfway with book 3. I think this is a series I will quickly become very involved with and cannot wait to see what happens with Lottie and her friends and family.

Avenue of Thieves by Sean Black (Ryan Lock & Ty Johnson #11)

51swroAX64L._SY346_ Synopsis: When one of the world’s wealthiest men is suddenly hunted by deadly forces, guns-for-hire Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson are enlisted to protect the financier’s family in New York City. The two former military men must act quickly and decisively to stop the shadowy forces in deadly pursuit…

A tense, action-packed novel that shuttles between Russia in the late 1980s, and modern-day New York, where a Russian oligarch is plunged into a living nightmare.

What would you do for a million dollars? Now what would you do for a billion? Continue reading “Avenue of Thieves by Sean Black (Ryan Lock & Ty Johnson #11)”

The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney (Lottie Parker #1)

The Missing Ones Synopsis: The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.

The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. ‘I wonder which one of us will be next?’

When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?

The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.
Continue reading “The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney (Lottie Parker #1)”

Hard Target by J B Turner (Jon Reznick #8)

41go4J3e0YL Synopsis: When hacker Trevelle Williams discovers documents that threaten national security and put his life in jeopardy, there’s only one person he can turn to—Jon Reznick. Williams has learned that Rosalind Dyer, a key congressional witness, is about to be killed in order to stop her testimony. She has stumbled into the middle of a cover-up that goes deep into the United States government. Dyer knows her days are numbered, but that won’t stop her from doing what she has to do.

Trevelle Williams has helped Jon out of many a scrape in the past. Now, Jon is the only person he can turn to for help saving Rosalind’s life, as well as his own, and protecting national security in the process. Continue reading “Hard Target by J B Turner (Jon Reznick #8)”

The Garden on Sparrow Street by Tilly Tennant

51i+CbkuNYL Synopsis: As Christmas cheer fills Sparrow Street with excitement, grieving widow Nina is having a hard time. December is always a difficult month to face without her beloved husband Gray, the days feel long and bleak, and to cap it all, she’s just lost her job.

So when Nina hears that Sparrow Street’s Community Garden, one of Gray’s favourite places, is to be put up for sale she knows she must do something. Filled with purpose, she gathers the residents of Sparrow Street around her to turn the neglected patch of land into a Garden of Memories.
Continue reading “The Garden on Sparrow Street by Tilly Tennant”

BLOG TOUR: Dead Wrong by Noelle Holten (Maggie Jamieson #2)

51MkWUaT2fL Synopsis: The serial killer is behind bars. But the murders are just beginning…

DC Maggie Jamieson’s past comes back to haunt her in this dark and gripping serial killer thriller.

Three missing women running out of time…

They were abducted years ago. Notorious serial killer Bill Raven admitted to killing them and was sentenced to life.

The case was closed – at least DC Maggie Jamieson thought it was… but now one of them has been found, dismembered and dumped in a bin bag in town. Forensics reveal that she died just two days ago, when Raven was behind bars, so Maggie has a second killer to find. Because even if the other missing women are still alive, one thing’s for certain: they don’t have long left to live…

Kats Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I was SO looking forward to reading this second instalment by Noelle and I wasn’t disappointed. We are back with Maggie Jamison and this time she is dealing with Bill Raven who she put behind bars. With bodies showing up relating to that case Raven is now claiming innocence and it’s Maggie’s job to either prove she was right the first time, or find the real killer.

There is plenty of suspense in this book and although it was slightly slower to start than the first book in the series that flips on its head in the second half. I like the character of Maggie and particularly how her relationship with Raven is so warped yet VERY engaging. There is certainly a chilling air running through this book.

I read the second half of the book in one sitting and cannot wait to see where the series goes next. I would certainly recommend reading the first and then the second book because as a reader you have continuity with characters which helps build more of a connection. I absolutely loved this book even though it was a slower burner than the first, but the second half totally made up for that. Definitely recommended!

Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #3)

515sUm2L3aL Synopsis: To catch a killer, you must first think like one…

A serial killer is playing a twisted game of life or death with married women. After he captures them, a countdown begins. He marks the time by sending three disturbing images to their husbands: alive, tortured, dead.

When Detective Ruby Preston receives a new photograph of a terrified victim, she must try and work out where she is, before it’s too late. Continue reading “Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #3)”

When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson

41D1gSSc0EL Synopsis: Sometimes life can be bittersweet . . .

Between tending to the whims of her seven-year-old and the demands of her boss, Viv barely gets a moment to herself. It’s not quite the life she wanted, but she hasn’t run screaming for the hills yet.

But then Viv’s husband Andy makes his mid-life crisis her problem. He’s having an affair with his (infuriatingly age-appropriate) colleague, a woman who – unlike Viv – doesn’t put on weight when she so much as glances at a cream cake. Continue reading “When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson”

A Christmas Crime by Tara Lyons (Short Story)

51k5aMy6zxL._SY346_ SYNOPSIS: With snow falling in a quaint Surrey Village, it’s the perfect setting for Holly and Christopher’s dream Christmas wedding. But instead of enjoying mince pies and mistletoe, their happiness is threatened by old secrets and someone harbouring a grudge. When the truth is finally revealed, can the couple enjoy the festivities with their family, or is their marriage doomed from the start?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

My Review: This is a perfect short story to read even for me as I am not a huge fan of short stories. I am LOVING Tara’s series featuring DI Hamilton and also enjoyed her last standalone. This is like a little glimmer of a treat and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can only hope we get another fix of Hamilton soon or another standalone…can’t wait!