Tag: RATED 4/5

Integration by Stephen Edger (Mark Baines #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:  THE OFFER- Mark Baines is a Team Leader in a call centre. He dislikes his job and dreams of the day he can afford to give up his job and buy the house of his dreams. Following a terrifying burglary at his home, he is contacted by a group prepared to pay him one million pounds in return for a favour. 

THE CATCH – The offer seems too good to be true, and he begins to worry about what they might expect in return. The group calls again and tells him to integrate their laundered monies through the bank he works for, but he refuses. When Mark’s girlfriend Gabrielle goes missing and his brother is attacked, Mark begins to realise just how far the group will go to get what they want. 

EVERYONE HAS THEIR PRICE – As the game begins and the pressure mounts, Mark finds himself risking everything he has to find Gabrielle and save his own life before the group and the police catch up with him. 

INTEGRATION – Blackmail, murder, suspense, conspiracy and money laundering: Integration is a British crime thriller set in the murky depths of the finance industry.  

My Review: The synopsis on this sounded good and I was looking forward to getting started. It was a very easy read and instantly you can’t help but like Mark Baines, just because he is an ordinary bloke. He’s got a normal job, house and friends and could easily be somebody you know. When he is burgled he thinks it’s just bad luck and tries to get over it and carry on with his normal routine. However, when he receives a strange offer from somebody claiming to wipe his debt and pay him £1,000,000 he figures it’s all a joke. From that point on things take a rather bizarre and worrying turn.

What seems like a simple choice ends up starting a ridiculous chain reaction that will literally change his life forever. The writing was great and picks up pace as the story progresses. I certainly liked Mark as a character and I was pretty enthralled from the beginning. Having read previous reviews of this book some people say that the premise is over the top and ridiculous. I understand why some people would think that, but this is fiction. I read books such as Simon Kernick’s which sometimes border on the unrealistic, but I love them. For that reason I think this book falls into the same category. Yes it may seem implausible, but if I wanted to read something ‘true to life’ I’d be reading a Biography (yawn).

The story literally had me grabbed and I just couldn’t believe how much of a mess Mark ends up in. The other addition to the story was a character DC Ali Jacobs. She was a great addition and made it all the more interesting. Was this a little farfetched? Yes. Did I care? No. Did I really enjoy it? Yes without a doubt. I think this was a cracking story; no, it’s not the best I have read in this genre but a worthy addition to your Kindle. The other bonus about this was that the first book finished on somewhat of a cliff-hanger meaning I HAD to read the next one. I would definitely recommend this, especially as it’s less than £1 currently on Kindle.

You Are Dead by Peter James (Roy Grace #11)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: THEY WERE MARKED FOR DEATH. The last words Jamie Ball hears from his fiancée, Logan Somerville, are in a terrified mobile phone call. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of flats where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and mobile phone. That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for 30 years.

At first, to Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing – and yet another body from the past surfaces. Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know information about Logan. And Roy Grace has the chilling realization that this information holds the key to both the past and present crimes . . . Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?

My Review: <HUGE sigh>, I’m not sure where to start. Peter James is a bit of a Legend in my eyes. He is one of those authors that everybody knows; the man is most certainly one of my favourites. The one small problem I have, and have continued to have with the last few books is the ongoing storyline involving his missing wife Sandy. Now for people wanting to start the series from the beginning and haven’t yet got around to it, please don’t carry on reading my review because it will no doubt contain spoilers (this also applies to people who haven’t read the latest book as things mentioned in my review refer to those events, and I HATE a spoiler.

Roy is back and is dealing with a number of big changes such as a new son, moving house and dealing with the loss of a colleague. To pick up a new Roy Grace feels like meeting up with old friends and this one is no different. Both Roy and Glen (his colleague) make these books along with a few favourites such as Norman Potting, and the ones I can’t stand such as Roy’s new boss Cassian. This new book actually opens with a pretty hair raising and dramatic abduction of Logan Somerville and the pace is pretty frantic in the beginning. In the same afternoon the discovery of remains underneath a path which look to be thirty years old mean that Grace and his team have a lot of work on.

The storyline was certainly woven with enough mystery and intrigue to keep me turning the pages and once again we see flashes of potential closure regarding Roy’s missing/presumed dead wife Sandy. As these parts of the story (albeit small parts) were revealed I was once again hoping that this element of the storyline would be concluded. Sadly, I was mistaken! Back to the main events in the book and it seems that Roy’s work life is overtaking his ability to control his personal life. I love the fact that we see both in this series. The other thing that I think is absolutely brilliant is that you get a real feel for the actual police work that Roy and his team have to go through. There is no magical ‘tah dah’ moment where Roy cracks the case as if by magic. It’s done and the story told with all of the team working and pulling their weight. This gives a real authenticity to the story as well as previous books which I love.

Sadly, I figured out part of the story towards the end but actually liked the way the story was wrapped up. However, the reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is this whole Sandy thing. I’m not entirely sure whether this is a conclusion to it, but am pretty sure it can’t be…can it? It was one of those moments that seem a little bit like a cliff-hanger. Or was this PJ’s way of closing the chapter on it all. Because I’m really not sure I don’t quite know how I feel. If this is PJ’s was of closing it, then I feel cheated. If it isn’t then I am so bored of waiting for it all to go belly up. Either way I am still a little bit confused. That aside, another really solid read once again from the main man!

Only The Brave by Mel Sherratt (Allie Shenton #3)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: When one of the notorious Johnson brothers is murdered and a bag of money goes missing, a deadly game of cat and mouse is set in motion. DS Allie Shenton and her team are called in to catch the killer, but the suspects are double-crossing each other and Allie has little time to untangle the web of lies. As she delves deeper into the case, things take a personal turn when Allie realises she is being stalked by the very same person who attacked her sister seventeen years ago and left her for dead.

*Please note that due to this book being part of a series, if you haven’t read the previous books and plan on doing so then don’t continue to read the review as it will inevitably contain spoilers*

Kat’s Review: I was so excited to get an early copy of the new Mel Sherratt, and especially pleased that it was another ‘Allie Shenton’ book. Taunting The Dead and Follow My Leader are books 1 and 2 respectively and I would strongly recommend you read the books in order. Allie is back and facing the worst possible scenario in her personal life. Her sister was attached 17 years prior and life has never been the same for her since. It seems that now, the person who attacked her sister is now targeting Allie. In addition to this the body of Jordan Johnson is found and typically it seems he has links to Terry Ryder (featured in previous book).

The big difference in this latest book is Allie herself. She seemed somehow more vulnerable than usual and maybe not as strong as in previous books (which isn’t always a bad thing). On the other side of the fence we meet all the neighbours living in the flats where Jordan’s body was found. It seems before long that there are numerous candidates and it seems there is more double-crossing going on than you can shake a stick at. The endless list of people who could be potential suspects are brilliant and I could picture each and every one of them. The other difference with this book is that it’s set over 24 hours so the chapters are started with the relevant time frame. I’m not that much of a fan of short time span books but this one worked well and had loads of pace and momentum.

Overall this was pretty much packed with all sorts of goings on and kept my interest right the way through. There are two storylines running throughout and for once this book finishes on something of a complete note. Hopefully this means that Allie will return fighting fit for another book and another new case. There is only one small thing that I consider a negative in this and previous books and that is Allie’s husband Mark. He doesn’t seem that prominent and to be honest would prefer that she got rid of him. I haven’t really felt like I connected with him as a character and he seems far too boring for her. The danger element of a man (such as in the last book) worked like a charm in my eyes. This is just a personal opinion but one that bugs me. Aside from the extremely boring husband another cracker for Mel Sherratt!

THE MOURNER BY SUSAN WILKINS (KAZ PHELPS #2)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: If she can’t get justice, will she settle for vengeance? Kaz Phelps has escaped her brother and her criminal past to become an anonymous art student in Glasgow. But can life under the witness protection scheme ever give her the freedom she craves? Banged up and brooding, Joey Phelps faces thirty years behind bars. Still, with cash and connections on the outside, can an overstretched prison system really contain him? Helen Warner, once Kaz’s lawyer and lover, is a rising star in Parliament. But has she made the kind of enemies who have no regard for the democratic process, or even the law? Ousted from the police and paralysed by tragic personal loss, Nicci Armstrong is in danger of going under. Can a job she doesn’t want with a private security firm help her to put her life back on track? A murder dressed up as suicide and corruption that goes to the heart of government unite ex-cop and ex-con in a deadly quest to learn the truth. What they discover proves what both have always known – villainy is rife on both sides of the law.

My Review: I was really pleased that I had the second book by Susan Wilkins as I have only recently finished the first. I wanted to know what happened with Kaz and Nicci. Kaz Phelps is currently living in Glasgow under a different name. She was the one that helped put her brother Joey behind bars. However, when she hears news that Helen Warner, her one time lover and her lawyer had been found dead the first thing she did was return to London. We also catch up with Nicci Armstrong, the one-time copper who has suffered extreme personal tragedy. She is now working with one of her old colleagues in private security.

I was shocked with the opening of the story even though the synopsis makes it clear that Helenr Warner is the victim. I liked Helen and was sad to see her leave the story. However when Kaz decides to approach Helen’s long term partner Julia things get very interesting. As for Nicci, well she is just a fantastic character to read about. Sadly in the beginning we se her struggle as she is trying to remain working to stop herself from travelling down a grieving path which probably involves a lot of drinking. It makes you really root for her as she is fundamentally a good person who is struggling to come to terms with what has happened to her.

In the meantime, Kaz seems to be getting herself more and more involved and before long she crosses paths with people that work for Joey. The Joey element of the story was done really well and I was totally engrossed from start to finish. It felt like even as just the reader, you were taking part on the journey to get to the truth and you second guess every single person! There was so much going on that you didn’t know where each thread was taking you, but there are no un-necessary complications, just plenty of action and drama. Susan Wilkins certainly has that flair for writing, which I guess is why she is such a successful script writer! However, its more than that, she has slotted into this part of the genre, that gritty and realistic type book that grabs you at page one and refuses to put you down until the end.

I was surprised by the ending, but the end result was that if book 3 was ready and waiting I would have moved straight on to it, so I guess the desired result was met. If you haven’t read Susan Wilkins, take a look at her first book and I will guarantee you want to read the second. Can’t wait to see what she produces next!

THE INFORMANT BY SUSAN WILKINS (KAZ PHELPS #1)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audio, Kobo, Nook

Synopsis: As a drug-fuelled teenage tearaway, Kaz Phelps took the rap for her little brother Joey over a bungled armed robbery and went to jail.

Six years later she’s released on licence. Clean and sober, and driven by a secret passion for her lawyer, Helen, Kaz wants to escape the violence and abuse of her Essex gangster family. Joey is a charming, calculating and cold psychopath. He worships the ground Kaz walks on and he’s desperate to get her back in the family firm. All Kaz wants is a fresh start and to put the past behind her. When Joey murders an undercover cop, DS Nicci Armstrong is determined to put him behind bars. What she doesn’t realize is that her efforts are being sabotaged by one of their own and the Met is being challenged at the highest level. The final test for Kaz comes when her cousin, Sean, gets out of jail. He is a vicious, old-school thug and wants to show Kaz who is boss. Kaz may be tough enough to face down any man, but is she strong enough to turn her back on her family and go straight?

My Review: I was looking forward to this and had seen some pretty good reviews for it. The synopsis sounded very readable and I was pleased that I finally got around to it. First off it’s very readable, now I know that sounds like a silly thing to say but you know what I mean. The writing flows well and the book can be picked up and read with no effort. Realising that Susan Wilkins has moved from the world of script writing is no surprise. Kaz is the main character followed by her brother Joey. It seems Joey has been running the business while Kaz has spent a good few years in prison, for a crime her brother committed.

Kaz and Joey are complete opposites and it was easy to like Kaz as you see her struggle to get to grips with life on the outside. What makes it worse is that she wants to go straight, and Joey seems set on becoming more dangerous than he already is. I liked the copper Nicci Armstrong and thought her and Mal Bradley worked well together. There were a few threads going on within the story but each one held my interest. There was quite a lot of action and the story flowed well, held my interest and kept me reading, which I think I did in just a few sittings, and in a day and a half.

It has been left in such a way that the follow up is something you want to read but I still felt it had been wrapped up well enough and there was no major cliff-hanger. I was very pleased to realise that the second book by Susan Wilkins is out in May 2015 entitled The Mourner. It’s one that I think will be making it to my Kindle sooner rather than later. Certainly a cracking debut and an author I will be looking out for in the future

The Treatment by Mo Hayder (Jack Caffrey #2)

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Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Available: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio, Kobo

Synopsis: A quiet residential street in south London. A husband and wife are discovered, imprisoned in their own home. Badly dehydrated, they’ve been bound and beaten. He is close to death. But worse is to come: their young son is missing. When Detective Inspector Jack Caffery is called in to investigate, the similarities with events in his own past make it impossible for him to view this new crime dispassionately. And as he digs deeper – as he attempts to hold his own life together in the face of ever more disturbing revelations about both his past and his present – the real nightmare begins

My Review: I have literally <insert shocked expression here, I know> started reading Mo Hayder. Why? Hell, I have no idea! As soon as I had finished book 1 I just knew I had to go on to book 2. There is however, something I feel I should point out about this book. It is DARK, and I mean dark. It covers subjects (such as child abuse and paedophilia) so if you haven’t the stomach for that sort of story please don’t read it, as it will no doubt disappoint and upset. Although the subject matter is awful, Hayder has a certain flair for making you, frankly scared witless! She has a rather dark manner about her books but they also show huge flair and skill which makes for a shockingly gripping book.

Jack Caffrey as the lead is a great character, but I tend to swing between loving him, and wanting to smack the shit out of him! Following on from book 1, I wanted to know more about his dark past and his gripping addiction with finding out what happened to his brother many years before. Thankfully this part of the storyline is dealt with and makes for a huge chunk in working out just how screwed up Jack has become. That aside, the book starts us off with a shocking and disturbing scene in South London. It’s always a bonus when a book is set in an area you know as you find yourself naturally gravitating there in your imagination. Jack and his colleague Danni (who I really liked) investigate a missing child. His parents are found bound and beaten in their own home with no sign of their young son.

What follows is a disturbing but weaving and layered plot that will keep you guessing about who is involved and why. This was another Mo Hayder book that I really didn’t want to put down. She has a very descriptive way about scenes which can have you coming out in goose bumps, to the point where I wondered how far over the line this had to go to become a horror! I found myself turning the pages with rapid speed and as dinner went unchecked, and the bath left on I continued right to the end. When I had finished I realised although I loved it, the first book slightly edges over the second, but all the same I HAD to have book 3 ready. Luckliy I have the rest of the series ready to catch up on, which I fully intend to do ASAP!

Disobey by Jacqui Rose

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Bad things are going down in Soho. Someone’s going to have to pay the price…Alfie Jenkins breaks a lot of rules. When he sets up an illegal casino in Soho there’s bad will all round and soon Alfie and those closest to him become embroiled in an all-out war with a dangerous gang. Unfortunately this gang is a deadly enemy to have. When Alfie’s teenage niece Chloe is kidnapped and there are rumours she’s been enslaved in a sex gang it becomes a terrifying race against time to save her. Will Alfie be able to right wrongs, build bridges and protect his family, whatever the cost?

My Review: I have continually enjoyed Jacqui Rose books and have not yet been disappointed. My favourite however was Dishonour which was her best to date in my opinion. With this latest release featuring characters from previous books I was really looking forward to it. Alfie Jennings is a character that I didn’t like all that much at the beginning but eventually he grew on me. What I was chuffed about was the return of some fantastic characters from previous books such as Franny Doyle, Vaughn Sadler and Del Williams.

The book starts off really well and you are thrown straight into the dire situation it seems Soho is now in. With some of the well-known faces having all returned to London they have no idea that the Triads who they are up against are ready for an all-out war. Alfie seems to be at the middle of everything and when his niece Chloe-Jane rocks up it seems that things rapidly go from bad to worse.

There is plenty to keep the reader entertained pretty much from the get-go and there wasn’t a moment where there wasn’t something going on. As the book gets towards the halfway point it seems to ratchet up in terms of fear factor and when Chloe-Jane gets involved without realising it, you just know that the outcome cannot be good.

I found myself turning the pages quickly and totally immersing myself in this latest tale. I had a couple of minor niggles, but nothing much to write home about and thoroughly enjoyed this latest book. I must say though that I think this book should be where it ends for certain characters that are reaching a point where they don’t need to return. Although this wasn’t a 5 star read for me (that was most definitely Dishonour!) this was another cracking read and I will as always look forward to the next one.

The Jackdaw by Luke Delaney (Sean Corrigan #4)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: 12 March 2015 – Hardcover, Kindle, Nook, Kobo,

24 Sept 2015 – Paperback

Synopsis: Guilty or not guilty? A lone vigilante is abducting wealthy Londoners and putting their fate in the hands of the public. Within hours of disappearing, the victims appear on the internet, bound to a chair in a white room. Revenge or mercy? Their crimes of greed and incompetence are broadcast to the watching thousands who make up the jury. Once the verdict is cast, the man who calls himself ‘The Jackdaw’ will be judge and executioner.

Live or die? DI Sean Corrigan and his Special Investigations Unit are under pressure to solve this case fast. But as The Jackdaw’s popularity grows, Corrigan realizes he’s hunting a dangerously clever and elusive adversary – one who won’t stop until his mission is complete.

My Review: Luke Delaney is something of a new kid around town. His debut novel Cold Killing was released in 2013. It took me some time to get around to reading and once I had I didn’t want to stop. The first two books in the series were amazing and I really do think Delaney is a very quick rising star who will soon become as well read as the likes of Patterson and Lee Child. The one thing that for me is a winner is the lead character Sean Corrigan. He walks the tightrope to a point where you wonder whether he will fall into the worlds of the psychologically damaged and become just like the killers he hunts.

The fourth book from Luke Delaney brings Corrigan back into the fold with the latest case along with his colleagues Donnelly and Sally. It seems that there is a lone vigilante kidnapping Londoners and then putting them in front of a live audience via the web and asking them to vote so that the killer can become both judge and executioner. I only had one problem with this initial story and that was that I very recently read a book with a similarly themed plot. With that small issue aside, the story launches straight back in and I felt like I hadn’t been away from Sean and his work colleagues.

This latest book not only brings a fast paced plot to it, it also highlights Sean’s somewhat dangerous state of mind. I wasn’t a fan of the psychologist Anna appearing again and it felt like this added to Sean’s misery somewhat and it made me dislike her. The plot was well paced and there was so much going on that at times I could sympathise with the varying degrees of stress the characters were under. It also felt like we are uncovering more and more of Sean and his personal life with each case that he works. It certainly makes me question (and want to know) what will happen next. The Jackdaw made for a great killer and it was done cleverly with me thinking I had it worked out and realising I didn’t.

As ever this is a solid read and one that I think his fans will love. If you haven’t read this series I would highly recommend you do, but from book one. The first two books still remain my favourites but Luke Delaney is fast becoming one of my must read authors.

The Doll’s House by M J Arlidge (Helen Grace #3)

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Synopsis: A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare. Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing – her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave. For Detective Inspector Helen Grace it’s chilling evidence that she’s searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful – a predator who’s killed before. And as Helen struggles to understand the hiller’s motivation, she begins to realize that she’s in a desperate race against time . . .

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

My Review:  I’ve only recently discovered M J Arlidge and Helen Grace and must say I am certainly a fan now that’s for sure. Helen Grace is a fabulous character and one that you root for because you know she doesn’t care about superiors or the rules, she works on gut instinct. However, I had some reservations with this latest release as I knew that following the last book it appeared her colleague Charlie was no longer working with her. Thankfully though, Charlie appears and I am hoping it’s not the last we see of her. We also see her new boss Ceri Harwood who I instantly disliked and just knew she was there to cause trouble.

The case for Helen involves missing girls, and it seems another girl has now become a victim. The victim gets to tell her story too and we see her go though some harrowing times as she faces her killer on a regular basis. In a weird way, I liked the killer and how he was portrayed. It seemed much more realistic for some reason and I really believed that the guy was a complete nut job. It seems like Helen has her hands full and we see the full extent of the problems she faces with both work and her personal life,

The writing flows well and as with the other MJA books I read they are so easy to get absorbed into that before you know it you are nearly done. There was plenty to keep me entertained in this book and I am so pleased that Charlie appears alongside Helen at times, maybe we get to see her in future books? Who knows? I couldn’t get along with some of the newer characters that now work with Helen but I’m hoping that won’t matter by book 4!

This was certainly another cracking read and it makes me look forward to reading book 4 in the series which is due out in a matter of months (September 2015).

Follow The Leader by Mel Sherratt (Allie Shenton #2)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Paperback, Audio, Kindle, Nook and Kobo (Released 10.02.15)

Synopsis: A man’s body is found on a canal towpath. In his pocket, a magnetic letter in the shape of an E. Days later, a second victim is found, this time with the letter V tucked into her clothing. As the body count rises, the eerie, childlike clues point to a pattern that sends DS Allie Shenton and her colleagues into full alert. The race is on. Allie and the team must work quickly to determine where the killer will strike next. The rules are simple but deadly—to catch the killer, they must follow the leader.

Kat’s Review: Allie Shenton is back in the follow up from ‘Taunting the Dead’. I have to say I was rather pleased that I could get stuck in as the last book ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger. A man’s body is found on a canal path and in his pocket is a magnetic letter. Allie Shenton and her colleagues start the investigation and before long the body count rises. The killer is front and centre and immediately gave me the creeps.

Allie and her team quickly spot a pattern and it seems to be a bit of a race against time to get to the victims before the killer does. Allie seems a little bit more in control of her life in this second outing, and for that I was glad. It was also nice to see the references to Terry Ryder (from book 1) pop up again, albeit in a subtle way.

Because we get to see the killer in action we also get to see his reasoning behind the murders. This makes it more intriguing because you wonder how long it will take for the police to catch up. In addition we see flashbacks in time which features both the killers and victims and the layers begin to unpeel.

I once again thoroughly enjoyed this book and think that it has a slight edge over the Estate Books (although that maybe isn’t fair as I have only read one!). I like Allie, and am dying to see what happens to her, and her family in the next book. I think my only disappointment was that once again, a certain element of the story was carried over. In one sense it’s great because the reader then wants to go on and read the next book, but for me…well I’m just an impatient one! I certainly should have started catching up with Mel Sherratt’s books sooner as they are a pleasure to read.