Best Crime Books and More

The Guest List by Melissa Hill

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My Rating: 5/5

Cara is so happy when her boyfriend Shane proposes. She seems to have it all going on, a great job, a new fiancé and a great circle of friends and family. Their excitement quickly disappears whe…n they tell their respective parents and their ideas for their bog day aren’t quite what Shane and Cara had in mind. Cara was an easy character to like and as soon as I started reading about her and Shane, I couldn’t help thinking this was a lovely couple that seemed to have everything in place for them. When Cara and Shane make a stand and decide on a beach wedding on a Caribbean island, there is uproar from both families.

There were quite a lot of characters in this book but they are all introduced into the story with a little background about each of them. One thing Melissa Hill has done is create a very `real’ family. I would be surprised if there are people out there that don’t have at least one family member that behaves a certain way?!? Cara’s sister-in-law Kim was my favourite character and she brought a real calm to the storm kind of feeling right throughout the book. I loathed Shane’s parents from the outset but as the story progressed my feelings started to change.

I think was surprised me was the fact that I got so engrossed in a book that is essentially not that original. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way, just that weddings and engagements have been written about time and time again. Hill manages to get the reader that little bit more attached to all the characters, whether it to love them or loathe them. She has taken a traditional story and made it into a bit of a drama, with all the characters playing their part in it all.

The thing that also surprised me with this book was the ending. Well, what can I say I did NOT see that coming! Normally I pick up on things like that, and although I had suspicions about what the past held, I was way off the mark. I absolutely love it when a story does that and genuinely takes you by surprise. I can honestly say that I loved this book and as a person that has actually done the whole “wedding abroad” thing, I could actually relate to some of the stuff going on in Cara and Shane’s lives. I really would recommend this to people; it was a fantastic read and one that I finished in a matter of hours rather than days

The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

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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)

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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 LOVELIEST CHOCOLATE SHOP IN PARIS BY JENNY COLGAN

My Rating: 3/5

After finishing the Cupcake Café books by Jenny Colgan I was looking forward to this one. In this book we meet Anna Trent who works at a Chocolate Factory. Anna doesn’t appeal that much as a character in the beginning. She has had an accident at work and is recovering in hospital. She meets her old French teacher Claire who is also being treated in the hospital. However, Anna is at an all-time low and seems quite depressed with everything. As Anna is on the mend her relationship with Claire grows and she learns a little more about Claire’s life growing up.

It took me a little while to warm to Anna, but slowly I began to see the girl she was before. When Claire offers her a once in a lifetime opportunity to work in Paris it takes Anna some time to come around to the idea. Anna soon learns that Claire’s former sweetheart is a well-known chocolate maker and he makes his chocolate entirely by hand. Once Anna makes the decision to try it and arrives at the strange and quirky shop, the story takes off a little bit more.

Anna meets the famous Thierry as well as the two guys in the shop. In addition she meets Thierry’s son and there is of course the outlandish character she is living with Sami. As usual Jenny Colgan has done a stellar job with describing Paris and catching the magic, but the characters just didn’t grab me like they usually would. I certainly warmed to Anna, but actually preferred Claire, whose story we see in sections throughout the book where we flash back to Anna’s past in Paris.

The second half of the book was slightly better than the first half and although I enjoyed it I just felt it was lacking something. I have read a lot of Jenny’s books and especially loved the Cupcake books. Maybe I am making too much of a comparison but this one just wasn’t one of my favourites. I will as usual be eagerly reading all her other books I haven’t read and will look forward to any new releases. I just think I couldn’t get along with the characters in this one as well as others.

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.

Hard Knocks by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #3)

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My Rating: 4/5

I recently finished book 2 of the Charlie Fox series by Zoe Sharp and couldn’t help myself by going straight on to book 3. For those that aren’t familiar with Zoe Sharp she is a female author that has now written 10 books in a series featuring Charlie Fox. Charlie is ex-special forces who moved onto self-defense training and then on to working at a gym. For those of you that want to read the series in order maybe don’t read my review as inevitably the series has moved on and it may spoil the plots for the first and second books.

At the end of book 2 Charlie had run into her ex-comrade and lover Sean Meyer. In this book Sean returns and asks Charlie if she will help him find out what happened to Kirk Salter following an accident at an elite bodyguard training school in Germany. Charlie feels obliged to help even though she didn’t care for Salter, but feels she owes it to Sean to find out how Salter got killed. With that in mind Charlie sets off to pose as a Student at the training school and from the outset the reader soon realises things are not going to be easy for Charlie.

I really like Charlie as a character and in this book I feel like I am more attached to her as the author has drip fed readers small details about her past as the books continue. As Charlie arrives at the Bodyguard Training centre I felt almost out of breath as I read about the challenges presented to the students. Zoe Sharp has a way with words, literally! You feel like you are along for the ride with Charlie and can’t help but wince as she takes some risky chances in her quest to find out about Salter.

I don’t want to include spoilers, but I can’t fail to mention the Sean Meyer side to this story. Of course with he and Charlie having history there is some what of an underlying romance feel to this book which I like because we get to see the other side to Charlie. Having said that before all you blokes (and some women) turn your nose up; trust me when I say it’s done brilliantly. There is still plenty of action, torture, mystery and intrigue to keep the pages turning without the `romantic’ element over-riding it. As usual I found myself racing through the last quarter just having to find out what was going on. I also found myself hastily ordering books 4, 5 and 6 in preparation for the next Charlie Fox leg of my reading.

I am trying desperately not to launch straight into book 4 as I have a stupidly long to read list. However, I find myself thinking I don’t really care, I just want to see what happens next. Who knows, maybe the next review will be along sooner than I think. A brilliant series that seems to get better with each book and I can’t wait for the next one. A book and series that I would highly recommended.

Before I Met You by LIsa Jewell

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My Rating: 4/5

I tend to get around to Lisa Jewell’s books a lot later than they are published and I make the same mistake every single time (doh!). I pick up the book, devour it and fall in love with her latest novel. I then tell myself I’m an idiot for not reading it sooner and then by the time the next one comes around I do it all over again. With this book released in 2012, here I am again making the same mistake. With Jewell’s latest book it feels almost like she has taken a departure from her usual topics and delved into something a little bit different. In the beginning of this book we meet Betty Dean as a young girl who has moved to Guernsey to live with her Grandmother. When her grandmother dies and leaves something in her will to a mysterious woman named Clara Pickle, Betty is determined to find the woman.

On a mission to find Clara Pickle Betty arrives in grungy, 1990s Soho, ready for anything. This is the first element of the book and the second element involves Betty’s Grandmother Arlette growing up in 1920’s London. I really liked Betty’s character and adored the fact that she was seeing London through a young girls eye’s in the nineties (my age is showing somewhat there). Although I really liked Betty I was surprised to learn that I actually liked Arlette’s story just as much. I had stupidly made the assumption that London in the 1920’s would be a little boring and predictable, how wrong was I?

I was quickly drawn into both women’s lives and the nice thing about this book is that the layers are revealed gradually. The more we learn about Arlette, the more we see Betty discover about the mysterious Clara Pickle. I didn’t particularly like the fact that a rock star happened to live opposite Betty when she moves to London, but the story was driven the right way in my opinion.

Any other outcome for that particular storyline may well have ruined the book for me. Arlette and her friends from that era were extraordinary and I really could picture their hedonistic and glitzy lifestyle in the twenties. Although this was a slight move from Jewell’s usual stuff I loved it and thought the story was heartfelt and very interesting. I was certainly hooked and found that the slight element of mystery surrounding Arlette made it that little bit more intriguing.

I managed to read the last quarter in a couple of hours and found myself once again berating myself for leaving it so long to read this book. I wouldn’t say it was my favourite Lisa Jewell book but it made a refreshing change to read something a little different and I would certainly recommend it.

Review of No Way Back by Andrew Gross

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My Rating: 5/5

I first discovered Andrew Gross as he co-writes with James Patterson. Following on from those books I picked up his novels …written by him alone and featuring Ty Hauk (major character crush going on there!). I have since read all of his books that he has written alone and with the exception of one have enjoyed all of them. His last release ’15 Seconds’ was a “hang on to your seat” kind of book and I was hoping his new one would be just as good. Thankfully Mr Gross has come up trumps once again with this newest release of No Way Back.

One thing I would point out (although minor I know) is that some people may mistake this book for his last as the covers are similar at a glance. I know this is minor but can’t help but feel it may make some people skim past it online, thinking they have already read it, which I certainly wouldn’t recommend! Wendy Gould and Laurita Velez are the two main characters in this new book and their worlds will become terrifyingly dangerous as the book starts as a pretty fast paced read from the get go!

Wendy Gould was an average mother, however now she’s the sole witness to the murder she’s being framed for. The first few chapters see Wendy in a hotel bar, and the shocking thing is that it could be any woman out there. Her situation is one that many people could have been in that day, only Wendy (thankfully fictional) was the one that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It takes mere three or four chapters for me to realise that this latest Gross book is no less thrilling than the last.

Lauritzia Velez is a suburban nanny with a tragic past and a terrifying future. After another attempt on her life, she once again leaves everything she loves behind to go on the run. Both women know too much and have no idea just how much their worlds will clash. Both characters drew my attention from the early days and as both women find their worlds becoming more and more dangerous, I found myself reading quicker. Having started this book yesterday morning, I finished it by the time I had to go to sleep. It was a book that was full of threads that have you questioning who is involved and why.

I found myself having to pay close attention in the latter part of the book as there are so many potential characters involved and different threads that are all intertwined. The book held my attention from start to finish and there were plenty of twists turns and surprises that I thoroughly enjoyed each and every page. I almost feel like the more Andrew Gross writes, the better he gets. This is certainly a thriller that has all the right ingredients, and one that will keep you up into the small hours reading. I still await the return of my character crush, with a new book featuring Ty Hauck, but until then am keeping myself occupied with his fantastic stand alone novels. Highly recommended!

Riot Act by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #2)

My Rating: 4/5

Okay, so in July 2012 I gave in to the nagging feeling that I was missing out. Every time I looked on Facebook I kept seeing people take about Zoe Sharp and the character Charlie Fox. Not one to miss out I immediately read the first book in the series and LOVED it. I have finally got around to book 2 and finished it in less time than the first.

Charlie Fox is ex-special forces, however that may sound like a `bog standard’ character template for a female lead, but she is far from standard. Charlie Fox is an ordinary woman with a very interesting past. Yep, she was in the special-forces but eventually kicked out due to a harrowing event that has gone on to make her a little bit cynical. Currently working at a gym and house-sitting for her friend she has no idea that things are about to go a little crazy in her life. I really like Charlie Fox as a character and although she certainly has some skills, she isn’t what you would call the most settled of people.

The thing about a good series is that you begin to learn about the characters as each book is released. Sharp does a cracking job of feeding enough to keep the reader interested, but too little for you to feel you really have the whole picture. It’s what makes people continue to read series like these. With Charlie’s house stay coinciding with a rush of violence on the estate, she finds herself trapped between toeing the line with the law, and getting involved to help get to the truth of what’s going on. In typical Charlie style, the trouble comes looking for her.

With the London riots reasonably recent, it made the events in this book that little bit more real for me. What I didn’t account for was a character from Charlie’s past, Sean Meyer’ turning up and rocking the boat. There are a number of threads to this story and as you keep reading it’s like peeling back the layers of an onion! I changed my mind a number of times as to who was behind the violence and riots, but as the story went on I realised I should give up trying to work it out and just enjoy. Enjoy it was what I did in the bucket load! I love Charlie, her close friends and work colleagues and now Sean. However, the number one spot has to go to Friday, the dog of her friend for whom she was house-sitting. He absolutely made his mark and I thought he and Charlie made a great match (ridiculous I know, but true).

Having promised other people I would read other books next, I decided to completely ignore my promises and have already started book 3. I can see this series taking all preference for a while yet! I would absolutely recommend this book and the series. Start at book 1 and you have at least 9 to catch up on…I can’t wait!

The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

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My Rating: 4/5

I only read my first Diane Chamberlain book a few months ago (shocking I know) however loved the book and decided to go back to a couple of her older books I had on my Kindle. The Lost Daughter synopsis sounded intriguing. In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared but twenty years later, her body is found and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. The unborn child is not found with Genevieve’s body.

Ceeee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die to protect a lifetime of lies.

I have to be honest and say that it took me a few chapters to get into the story but once there I was hooked. We meet CeeCee when she is young and naïve and working in a local diner. I immediately took a dislike to a young Tim Gleason but could see where the story was taking me. We get to see CeeCee as a young girl who makes a lot of bad decisions. The story is pretty compelling and even at the start of the book I wanted to slap some sense into this young girl who had no idea she was being taken advantage of.

The story is told over the course of many years and we see CeeCee raise Genevieve’s daughter as her own (don’t worry that’s in the synopsis so is not a spoiler). What the book manages to achieve is the questions that the reader begins to ask themselves. The story touches on many subjects without the author leaning either way based on her own personal opinion. I found myself questioning what I would have done in CeeCee’s position. All I can tell you is that my answer had changed some what at the end of the book, to what it was at the start.

The characters are very believable and I found myself really empathising with them. BY the time I reached the end I was surprised at how quickly I had become engrossed and how short a time it had taken me to read. I actually gave up on DC books a year ago as I found I couldn’t get into them. I’m glad I persevered months later as I have enjoyed the books I have read so far and really look forward to reading another one. This particular book, though enjoyable, wasn’t as good as her most recent release The Good Father but I would still recommend it.