Best Crime Books and More

DARK HOUSE BY HELEN PHIFER (DI LUCY HARWIN #1)

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Synopsis: A shadowy figure in the dark was dragging something heavy behind them. Lizzy pulled the covers over her head, then realised what was being dragged…

For years, the Moore Asylum housed the forgotten children of Brooklyn Bay. But now, a man is found murdered in the derelict building, strapped to a steel trolley, launching a heart-racing investigation for Detective Lucy Harwin.

Lucy quickly discovers the victim was once a Moore Asylum doctor, and when a woman also linked to the home is killed on her doorstep, Lucy knows she must dig into its history. What dark secrets lie within the asylum’s walls – what was the scandal leading to its closure thirty years ago?

With her own demons to fight, Lucy starts to uncover the heartbreaking tale of the Moore Asylum children, and begins to wonder: who will be the next victim?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: This author and book have been in my to read list for nearly 5 years I am ashamed to say. What I am glad about is that I finally picked this up and am well on my way with catching up with this series and author. Lucy Harwin is a Detective who is pretty fiery and is instantly likeable who works alongside her friend and colleague Mattie. This first installment starts with the murder of somebody within the old Moore Asylum which now stands as a derelict building. It doesn’t take them long to work out the identity of the victim as a Doctor who worked at the asylum many years before.

The story is split between now and the past but there is no interruption in the writing flow as you switch between the times. Plenty of suspects and lots of history unravels the further you travel into the book. It flowed well and certainly kept me interested and reading and I really enjoyed learning about Lucy as a character. We are introduced to elements of her personal life including her ex-husband and daughter. I particularly liked the past chapters which were told from the killers perspective and I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in this series. Like anything, I prefer to binge read and catch up on series I enjoy so was pleased that I could move swiftly onto book 2. A great first book in a series and another author to be added to my fast growing to read list.

ONLY CHILD BY CASEY KELLEHER

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Synopsis: The police are here. The feeling of pure dread swirls in my stomach as a million scenarios start playing out in my head. My whole life I’ve expected something bad to happen to my daughter. It is as if part of me has been expecting it. As if I deserve it.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla is the apple of her parents’ eyes, their beautiful only daughter. They tried for so long to have her that she was even more precious when she arrived. But deep down, her mother Sherrie has always been terrified that their worst fear would come true: that Kayla would be taken from them.

Then one day – just as Sherrie had dreaded – Kayla fails to return home after a sleepover. In desperation, Sherrie and her husband Richard call Kayla’s friends. They scour the streets, their search becoming more and more frantic. Until the police arrive and deliver the shocking news, when their worst nightmare comes true: someone has their daughter.

As Sherrie and Richard grill friends, family, and even each other, Sherrie starts to wonder, has the secret they’ve been hiding all these years finally caught up with them?

Because Sherrie and Richard are living a lie. A lie so huge, so shocking, that it could destroy the one thing they hold most dear – their daughter.

And if the truth comes out, their family will never be the same. But if it doesn’t, they will never see their precious girl again…

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Having finished this book I felt a little undecided about my rating for it. Ultimately it was a great read so I can still give it a 4/5…but…yes there is a but. If I had read this book not knowing the author I would have thought it was a very decent read. However, this book strangely felt very different from previous Kelleher books and I think that is what has thrown me. The main characters are a fifteen year old Kayla and her mother and father Sherrie and Richard on one side. On the other side we have Tessa a woman that seems like her world is ready to collapse at any moment and as the reader you aren’t quite sure why.

I liked the pace of this book and it kept me reasonably intrigued but I could see where it was going very early on and it turned out I was right (which I am sometimes but not often). Not only that, I guess I had a set idea of this kind of books I am using to seeing from this author and I devour each and every one. I think because this was huge departure in terms of style and characters I felt a little bit dis-jointed with it. That may seem like an incredibly negative thing to say but truly it isn’t. It was still a great read and one that I have no doubt her fans and readers will thoroughly enjoy. For me, as much as this was a great read it felt like it was by an entirely different author and for some reason I just felt a little set apart from it.

CHASING THE ITALIAN DREAM BY JO THOMAS

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Synopsis: A summer escape she’ll never forget . . .

Lucia has worked hard as a lawyer in Wales, aiming for a big promotion she hopes will shortly come her way. Finally taking a well-earned break at her grandparents’ house in southern Italy, the sunshine, lemon trees and her nonna’s mouth-watering cooking make her instantly feel at home.

But she’s shocked to learn that her grandfather is retiring from the beloved family pizzeria and will need to sell. Lucia can’t bear the thought of the place changing hands – especially when she discovers her not-quite-ex-husband Giacomo wants to take it over!

Then bad news from home forces Lucia to re-evaluate what she wants from life. Is this her chance to carry on the family tradition and finally follow her dreams?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Jo Thomas is certainly becoming one my favourite easy to read and pure escapism type of author. This latest book I have read of hers is no different. With the weather turning to Autumn here in the UK at the moment it was the perfect time to pull out a book with a cover as inviting as this one.

Lucia our main character is an Italian and Welsh girl who gave it all up in Italy and stayed in Wales to pursue her own career in law. When she leaves her job for her annual visit back to Italy to see family she is excited to catch up with her Grandparents. What she hadn’t planned on was arriving to find that the family business was being sold as her Grandfather plans his retirement.

As with other Jo Thomas novels she actually takes you to the place. Her beautiful descriptions literally transport me to the destination of choice and I feel like I am sitting front row watching all the characters. Lucia is a likeable character (but not one of my favorite’s JT has created) along with plenty of others including Lucia’s estranged husband Giacomo.

The plot wasn’t particularly surprising but that made it no less enjoyable and I look forward to reading any other books of hers I have yet to read. A definite recommendation from me!

THE BONE FIELD BY SIMON KERNICK

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Synopsis: SOME CRIMES CAN TAKE A LIFETIME TO AVENGE…

1990

A young woman goes missing while backpacking in Thailand. She is never seen again.

2016

Her bones are discovered 6000 miles away in an English field and, within hours, the boyfriend who reported her disappearance all those years ago is dead.

So begins a hunt to solve her murder that will take DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd into a dark and terrifying world of corruption and deadly secrets, where murder is commonplace, and nothing and nobody is safe…

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I have a bit of a strange feeling about Simon Kernick books, I seem to love them or just think they are pretty middle of the road. Sadly for me this book was just middle of the road and left me feeling unbothered about reading another in this series. It features both DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd (both featured in other books) and although I like Tina Boyd, I felt she took more of a backseat in this book than Ray did.

The synopsis explains the main storyline which is based around the murder of a young woman in Thailand in the 90s and the discovery of bones in England in 2016. The boyfriend of the victim who originally reported her missing then turns up dead. So it seems that Ray and Tina are the ones digging into the case.

Synopsis: felt a little forced and the writing didn’t flow as well as it does in some other books by the same author. I actually started this book once and then went back to it as I felt it was too slow. I persevered with it the second time around but in all honesty there was nothing too much that jept me hooked or interested enough to look at book 3.

CORNISH CLOUDS AND SILVER LINING SKIES BY ALI MCNAMARA

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Synopsis: Sky monitors her life like she does the weather, carefully and with a scientific eye. So, when she misses out on her dream job abroad and finds herself with no choice but to take a position on a tidal island off the Cornish harbour town of St Felix instead, she feels completely at sea. Worse still, she has to work alongside TV weatherman Sonny Samuels, who barely knows his storms from his tsunamis.

It doesn’t take long for Sky to become enchanted by the strange weather patterns over St Felix. Sonny is convinced they link to local folklore, but Sky knows her science too well to fall for that. Until she meets Walter, a local weather watcher with no qualifications beyond a lifetime of experience and Sky is forced to question everything she thought she knew about the weather, herself… and Sonny.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I absolutely love Ali McNamara books and was thrilled that I loved this one as much as I have loved most of her other books. Sky is a meteorologist who has been send to work in St Felix on Aurora Island. She gets there and expects to be working with just Talia a trainee but soon realises that the famous TV weatherman Sonny Samuels is also there for the duration. I read this book in literally two sittings and absolutely loved every bit of it. We get to see Sky slowly reveal her reasons for her mysterious symptoms surrounding her health. As Sky takes the journey we also get to see her develop a friendship with Sonny which started out as the complete opposite. I loved being back in St Felix with new characters as well as some older ones making appearances. There is a wonderfully magic way that Ali McNamara incorporates sensitive topics into beautiful storylines and this book is a wonderful read that I would have no hesitation in recommending.

DYING DAY BY STEPHEN EDGER (KATE MATTHEWS 2)

Synopsis: When the body of a young woman is found in the boot of an abandoned car near the Southampton Docks, Detective Kate Matthews is ordered to stay well away from the scene.

Exactly a year ago, Amy, a junior detective on Kate’s team, was murdered when she was sent undercover to catch a serial killer targeting young girls. Kate never forgave herself for letting the killer slip through her fingers and her team are worried this coincidence might push her over the edge.

When another girl’s body is uncovered days later with similar bruising around the neck, Kate launches an investigation of her own, determined to connect new evidence to the old to catch this monster before more innocent lives are taken…

Mysterious sympathy cards left with the families of the victims finally lead Kate to the twisted individual from her past. But if she’s found the killer, why does the body count keep rising?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I am back for book 2 in this series to see how she has fared and I must say I enjoyed this but I felt this was a predictable move in terms of storyline and I felt it was a little bit too much of an easy fix to an element of Kate’s story in book 1. Detective Kate Matthews is desperate to get involved with the case that sees a young woman murdered in a very similar fashion to one of Kates undercover officers who was killed whilst under Kate’s command. The one thing that was a huge draw for me in this book was the switch between chapters where we go from seeing Kate and her current investigation, before switching to see a chapter from Amy’s storyline from the year before.

The plot was great and it was very readable in terms of the pace and characters. However, it just would have been a great move to do something outside of the most obvious choice from book 1. Kate is certainly unpredictable and that’s always pretty enjoyable as a reader, but to be honest she also seems very edgy with a dark side and weirdly that makes me like her even more! I will certainly move on to book 3 and think that Kate has made an excellent base for this series along with her colleague Laura.

THE RESORT BY SUE WATSON

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When a dream trip becomes your worst nightmare…

You’ve been excited about this getaway for months – at last, a chance to reconnect with your husband at a secluded island resort. But when he unexpectedly calls you from the beach, you hear the urgency in his voice. Something is very wrong.

The beautiful waitress from the restaurant last night has been found lying dead in the sand. And the police want to question your husband about it.

Sure, you saw him glance at her over dinner a few times, but you know he didn’t have anything to do with the poor girl’s death. So why is he asking you to lie to the police that he was with you all night? And where did he go in those missing hours?

When he returns to your beautiful sea-view suite, things get heated and he accuses you of being jealous, just like he always does. Yes, the waitress was overly flirtatious with your husband, but you didn’t actually wish her any harm. Not really.

Can you trust the man you married… or are you the one who can’t be trusted?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: This latest book by Sue Watson is a weird one for me. There were elements of it I just didn’t like but it still kept me reading enough that I had to see what happened. The basis for this latest book is three couples that are on holiday on a remote island and somehow get embroiled in a murder investigation. Daisy and Tom are one of those couples and they have seen their share of tragedy having lost a child. This holiday is an attempt to get back to a better place for both of them. Becky and Josh are another couple who have spent many years together and have children. At first their reason for this holiday come across as sinister but within the book the reasoning behind it become clear. Lastly there are Sam and David and these characters were the ones I just loathed. They had dated for a very short while and they are there on their honeymoon.

When a waitress from the resort is found dead the three couples become heavily involved in all trying to work out who the killer is, after all they could still be on the island. David is a character that I loathed from the very beginning and in truth Sam wasn’t much better. The middle part of the book was probably the slowest but it was still interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. A reasonably solid read from an author that I absolutely love!

RETREAT TO THE SPANISH SUN BY JO THOMAS

Synopsis: Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property… but now they’re all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter’s pug. Combined with the online course she’s trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn’t the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.

So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying ‘house-sitters wanted’, Eliza can’t resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner’s Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies… and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: Eliza is a mum with three grown up children, however Eliza has had enough and needs a break from real life. She decides on a whim to sign up to be a house-sitter and as luck would have it somebody is in need of a house-sitter for a farmhouse in Spain. Eliza packs up her things and leaves her adult children to it, determined to make the most of the few weeks of peace enabling her to finish an online course she is currently working on.

When she arrives to the house, the owner is somewhat abrupt but Eliza sees him off and is left in charge of the beautiful house and two dogs. Eliza is a nice enough character to read about, and I have certainly enjoyed all the Jo Thomas books I have read before this one. However, for some reason there was an element of disbelief to this story. Don’t get me wrong it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable it just didn’t quite live up to her other books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.

There are a few funny moments as Eliza manages to get herself into quite a predicament whilst doing something as simple as house sitting. Stolen prized hams, ex-pat Spanish language classes and tapas bars make for some amusing scenes and likeable additional characters. This was still a reasonably enjoyable book that is perfect getaway material, maybe just not quite as enjoyable as some of her other books.

THE DEATH FILE BY J A KERLEY (CARSON RYDER 13)

Synopsis: Two psychologists are murdered 2000 miles apart – one in Phoenix, Arizona, one in Miami, Florida.

Amazingly, both have noted down the name of Carson Ryder – a detective with the Florida Center for Law Enforcement who specializes in catching psychopathic killers.

Carson joins forces with troubled Phoenix Detective Tasha Novarro to trace a ruthless killer whose advantages include an uncanny talent for persuasion, an utter lack of remorse, and the horrifying ability to predict their every move. A killer even Carson might not be capable of stopping…

Kat’s Rating: 2/5

Kat’s Review: I have sporadically read the Carson Ryder series on and off for some time and finally got around to catching up with this book 13 in the series. Sadly, I was left feeling a little deflated by the time I completed it. Carson is called to a murder where a card with his name on it has been left at the scene. He doesn’t know the woman so his partner Harry takes the lead so there is no effect on evidence or conflict on interest. At the same time another murder is linked in Phoenix so Carson decides to use his vacation time and fly out there. Whilst there he works alongside Detective Tasha Novarro to work on the case.

The story itself seemed average by comparison to some of his other books. I cannot even put my finger on exactly why, it just didn’t have the same feel as his other earlier books. I struggled through the book but didn’t feel the same excitement when reading a Ryder book and for some reason it felt like a chore. I am certainly a fan of Kerley’s previous books but but sadly this one just didn’t hit the mark for me so it’s a pass I’m afraid.

DEAD TO ME BY STEPHEN EDGER (KATE MATTHEWS BOOK 1)

Synopsis: How do you catch a killer who knows your every move?

The woman lay flat on the table, her face to one side, her wrists bound with thick tape. Deep scratches marked the wood beneath her fingers, now resting cold and still…

When a woman’s body is found in an abandoned bar near the Southampton docks, Detective Kate Matthews is called in to lead the investigation. She must solve this case to prove she is coping with the death of a close colleague.

Kate knows a pile of ripped up newspaper cuttings discovered at the victim’s house must be a piece of the puzzle, but her team keep hitting dead-ends… Until she finds a disturbing clue that convinces her of three things: The murder is linked to the body of a man found hanging in a warehouse, she is on the hunt for a calculated serial killer, and the killer is watching her every move.

Kate realises there will be another victim soon, and that her own life is in grave danger, but no one else believes her theory. Can she find and stop the most twisted killer of her career, before another life is lost?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: This is the first in this series featuring Kate Matthews and now I’ve completed it I can say with certainty it was a great read and a good start to a series which is new to me. Kate Matthews has moved from the Met Police following and incident (more is revealed on that later in the book) and is currently working in Southampton on a new Murder Case. Kate is a character people will no doubt love or hate in equal measure, myself included. She clearly has insecurities but takes her work incredibly serious, maybe too much sometimes. As she works a murder case alongside new colleagues it is clear she will have struggles working with some of those around her. I liked her connection with her colleague Laura though and this seemed to balance out her mis-trust of everybody else.

The storyline was strong and well paced with plenty going on. In some respects Kate’s borderline personality although being revealed slowly makes for a really interesting read. Clearly her history has hampered her personal life and as you see interactions with her daughter it will begin to make sense. I was happy with how the story unfolded and although I had some doubts over Kate, this introduction to the series has made me curious so I am already on to book 2. A solid book and a great start for a series I hope I continue to enjoy.