Tag: RATED 4/5

CHRISTMAS AT CARRINGTON’S BY ALEX BROWN

51t1kydeh1l._sy346_Synopsis: Georgie Hart loves Christmas time at Carrington’s Department store. Running the luxury handbag department, Georgie adores helping customers in the hunt for the perfect gift for the perfect someone. And this year is no exception – now she has the hunky Tom, Mr Carrington himself, to spend the special day with.

But when Tom springs a surprise, Georgie’s plans are thrown into chaos. Carrington’s is getting a fresh lease of life in a hot new reality TV show, featuring formidable retail guru, Kelly Cooper. As the first show airs, Georgie is shown in a far from flattering light. Worse is to come when Kelly’s vile daughter appears to get her claws into Tom. Georgie fears this will be the worst Christmas ever, but Santa still has a little surprise for her stocking this year – she’ll just have to wait until Christmas to find out…

My Rating: 4/5

My Review:  I read the first book in this series back in December and decided it was high time to catch up with the second in the series. If you intend on reading the first book, maybe don’t read my review as it will inevitably give away spoilers for the first book. I really like Georgie Hart and when I had finished book 1 I knew that I would want to see what happened next for her. Luckily we are now back at the department store Carrington’s and Georgie is now loved up with her new man (who also happens to be her boss) Tom Carrington.

What starts off this latest story is when Georgie turns on her TV to see that her own booty shaking antics in store are being aired to the nation. It seems that Carrington’s is home to a new Reality TV show and this was the first Georgie was hearing about it. Along with Georgie we see Sam, her best friend who is now married to hubby Nathan, and her GBF Eddie. All three of these characters are brilliant and I really enjoyed getting to see what was happening to them too.

The whole reality show has literally taken over the store and its entire staff. Very quickly I realised that I had already devoured nearly half the book in one sitting. I was surprised as I figured I had just got started?!?  As usual Georgie manages to get herself in hot bother by adding 2 and 2 and coming up with 25. Maybe this is one of the reasons I like her so much. She is a typical woman her age, and she is far from perfect. Yet somehow she’s also not a patronising character.

The added bonus for me was that we get to see all the Carrington’s staff in small snippets and you always feel like you are right in the middle of the action. There are some very funny moments in this book, as well as some slightly sadder one. As usual Brown has down both with ease and managed to make it light-hearted but sensitive too. The one big plus for me too was the extra part of learning and getting to know Georgie’s Dad. This was an excellent addition to an already great story. Another book that I devoured loved and didn’t want to put down. This was the perfect accompaniment to a long flight, or a rainy evening. I can’t wait to start the next one.

Continue reading “CHRISTMAS AT CARRINGTON’S BY ALEX BROWN”

Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Atlanta, 1974. As a brutal killing and a furious manhunt rock the city, Kate Murphy wonders if her first day on the police force will also be her last. For life is anything but easy in the male-dominated world of the Atlanta Police Department, where even the other female cops have little mercy for the new girl.

Kate isn’t the only woman on the force who is finding things tough. Maggie Lawson followed her uncle and brother into the ranks to prove her worth in their cynical eyes. When Maggie and Kate become partners, and are side-lined in the search for the city’s cop killer, their fury, pain, and pride finally reach boiling point.

With the killer poised to strike again, will Kate and Maggie have the courage to pursue their own line of investigation? And are they prepared to risk everything as they venture into the city’s darkest heart? 

My Review: I was surprised to realise that this was a stand-alone novel by Karin Slaughter. I was also quite excited at the synopsis as she has gone for the same geographical setting but in the 1970’s. It features Maggie Lawson and Kate Murphy as our two main characters. It took me a little longer than her usual books to settle in, but I wasn’t surprised as this wasn’t part of a series that I had become familiar with over time. As police officers in the Atlanta are in the seventies things are certainly not easy on them. Karin Slaughter has made the book authentic and believable from the outset. I certainly realised very quickly that working in this line of work back then, was tantamount to being a wanted criminal.

Out of the two characters Kate is introduced as the new girl to the police force. With Maggie having experience as well as having her brother and Uncle on the force, she is naturally the one Kate looks to for advice. Maggie seemed initially like the force to be reckoned with but Kate developed as a character and by the end of the book I found myself hoping that Karin may well continue this theme on featuring both these women.

The main storyline features the Atlanta police force launching a massive manhunt for a killer known simply as The Shooter. There are some absolutely awful characters featuring in this story but I guess for that era they were pretty much the norm! What this latest Slaughter novel does is highlight the serious issues that were around back then such as racism, sexism and homophobia. That aside the story is weaved with intellect and keeps the reader guessing until the later part of the book.

Although I wouldn’t say this was my favourite KS book, it kept me intrigued with its setting, characters, story and pace. As ever she has shown how versatile an author she is and has given her readers another set of characters that they will no doubt want to see more of (I can always hope). A great read which I think many fans will be pleasantly surprised by.

Avenged by Jacqui Rose

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: You make a deal with the devil; you pay your dues…

Franny Doyle has always known that her father Patrick has been up to no good. After all you don’t become one of London’s number one gangsters without ruffling a few feathers along the way. Still, she adores her dad and she knows that he would lay down his life for her – she is his number one girl and he has taught her everything she knows.

But when something terrible happens to Patrick, Franny realises that he has some very dangerous enemies. Delving into Patrick’s past, Franny becomes involved in a high-stakes game. She’s not afraid. Patrick has taught her to be a fighter and she’s determined to make him proud, even if it means paying the ultimate price – her own life.

My Review: I think Jacqui Rose has taken a slight step in a new direction by setting the opener of her latest book in Ireland in the late 1970’s. When I started reading I was taken straight back to that time as we met Patrick Doyle as a young boy. I was initially thrown as the synopsis and prologue were set in present day. However a few chapters in and I wasn’t going anywhere. She has done a stellar job of taking the reader back to that time when religion played a huge part in the community and people’s lives were guided by their priests. I don’t want to delve too much into this element of the story (for fear of spoilers) but this was by far my favourite part of the book. Patrick’s childhood and how he came to meet his friend Cabhan Morton take up at least 35% of the book. This section of the book like I said is set in the late seventies in Ireland and in addition to Patrick and Cab, we also meet Father Ryan and Donal O’Sheyenne both whom play an important part in this book.

Just under halfway in and we are fast forwarded to just over 30 years later. 30 years on we get to know Franny Doyle as an adult. Her relationship with her father Patrick and Uncle Cab is the first thing that the reader identifies. Now at this point in the book I felt a crashing disappointment. I really felt like Jacqui Rose had found a new setting in Ireland in the seventies and I really didn’t want to leave that era. I felt like the jump from past to present was too quick and there was something that just didn’t sit right with me.

That aside we then see Franny Doyle start to make dangerous enemies. As we are now in present time the book falls slightly back into the standard ‘gangster’ genre. Don’t get me wrong there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (I myself am a fan of that type of book). However, the second half of the book although enjoyable, just didn’t compare to the first half. I think Jacqui Rose just proved how skilled a writer she is, because I literally didn’t put the book down. The realism of the characters and what they would have had to endure was just first class. Obviously she has a knack of taking you back without missing a beat.

Overall by the time I had finished I was (as usual) a little upset I had finished so quickly. This latest book of hers was a cracking read, but to be honest I so wish she would have maybe jumped between the late 70’s and maybe the 90’s rather than present day (everyone does present day). To have the skill as a writer to make the reader be able to imagine themselves alongside these characters is something special, and Jacqui Rose has that skill! I will await the next no doubt brilliant book from her, and would highly recommend this to people.

Unlucky 13 by James Patterson (Womens Murder Club #13)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: When two dead bodies are found inside a wrecked car on the Golden Gate Bridge, Detective Lindsay Boxer doubts that it will be anything as simple as a traffic accident.

The scene is more gruesome than anything she has seen before. It definitely wasn’t the crash that killed these people.

While Lindsay starts to piece this case together, she gets a call she wasn’t expecting. Sightings of her ex-colleague-turned-ruthless-killer Mackie Morales have been reported.

Wanted for three murders, Mackie has been in hiding since she escaped from custody. But now she’s ready to return to San Francisco and pay a visit to some old friends.

My Review: My last few books in this series have been something of a let down. However, this latest instalment has somewhat restored some of my previous faith in these Patterson books. It seems that Lindsay Boxer has returned somewhat to her previous personality. What at first appears to be a routine accident on the Golden Gate Bridge, actually turns out to be the start of a disturbing case. The victims look like they have ingested bombs. Lindsey and Richie need to work out who and why.

In addition to this, we see Yuki (2nd of the 4 WMC) get married to Brady (who also happens to be Lindsay’s boss). As they go off on their honeymoon, it appears that another thread to the story emerges with an attack on their Cruise ship. If that wasn’t enough then the return of Mackie Morales is the thread to complete the lot. Mackie was an ex-colleague of Lindsay’s who turned out to be a ruthless killer. She is now back and looking for her revenge. It seems that while Mackie is back, Cindy (the 3rd in the 4 of the WMC) is chasing her right back to give her, hopefully, the biggest story of her career in journalism. It appears that Clare (the 4th of the WMC) didn’t want to make much of an appearance.

The writing style is the usual short and sharp affair, which always maintains my interest. Although there are three threads to the story the downside was that it at times appeared a little disjointed. That aside, I thought it was pretty pacey and the reintroduction of Mackie Morales made for a pretty exciting story too. I think the series is a far cry from being where it was in the early days, however this latest book I think is a big improvement on some of the others.

Now You See Me by Sharon Bolton (Lacey Flint #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: Despite her life-long fascination with the infamous Jack the Ripper, young London policewoman Lacey Flint has never worked a murder case or seen a corpse up close. Until now…

As she arrives at her car one evening, Lacey is horrified to find a woman slumped over the door. She has been brutally stabbed, and dies in Lacey’s arms.

Thrown headlong into her first murder hunt, Lacey will stop at nothing to find this savage killer.

But when Lacey receives a familiar letter, written in blood, pre-fixed Dear Boss, and hand-delivered, it is clear that a Ripper copycat is at large. And one who is fixated on Lacey herself. Can this inexperienced detective outwit a killer whose role model has never been found?

My Review: Once again I have embarked on a new series this time by Sharon Bolton. Our lead character is a trainee with the Met Police and her background is more chequered than you can imagine. Lacey Flint (great name for a character me thinks) is young and inexperienced. When she arrives at her car one evening to find a woman slumped on the ground and bleeding she realises that she cannot save her, and the woman subsequently dies in her arms. As she inadvertently becomes drawn into the case surrounding the woman, things take a murky turn.

The first quarter of the book was a little hard going for me. Certainly not in terms of the writing style, I just wasn’t too sure what to make of Lacey. The additional characters that appear such as Mark Joesbury and Dana Tulloch were absolute peaches and I loved them both from the start. The plot of the book and subsequent murders revolves around some sort of copycat from the Jack the Ripper cases. The book was clearly researched well from this perspective but to be honest the writing style and plot twists were enough to keep me hooked alone. As the book progresses the story gets much more intricate and the layers begin to peel back to show just what Lacey is hiding. As each layer was peeled back I found myself liking her more and more.

In addition to this the crime scenes aren’t short on descriptive gore which make it all the more realistic. The book is packed full of twists and is certainly not short on action. The last half of the book just flew by and just when I thought I had all the answers it turned out I was wrong. The ending gives the reader that real urge to just carry on reading (which I love) and I immediately downloaded book 2. I think this has the potential to turn out to be an extremely engaging and addictive series…I’m looking forward to it.

The Innocent by Sean Black (Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson #5)

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My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Soon Released on Amazon click here- Sean Black Amazon Books

Synopsis: When college basketball coach Malik Shaw goes missing after a family tragedy it looks like just another retired athlete gone off the rails. But Malik’s childhood friend, private security specialist Ty Johnson, quickly begins to suspect that there is more to it. Chasing the truth, Ty and his business partner, Ryan Lock, begin to uncover a sinister conspiracy of silence in a sleep Minnesota college town.

It’s not the crime that kills you, it’s the cover up.

My Review: I have been eagerly awaiting the next book in the Lock/Ty series and I was fortunate enough to get a review copy. It took me a day to plough through the latest in the series and I am now back to counting the days until the next one. If you haven’t read any books in the series, fear not…there is enough here to read it as a stand alone novel. Although I must say I think this series is fantastic and deserves to be read from the beginning. Sean Black’s writing style over the past few years has proved his talent to create stories that pull you in and keep you well and truly engaged. This latest book is no different. However, with Ryan Lock being the star attraction closely followed by his partner and ex-Marine Ty it seems the roles have been reversed for this latest book.

Malik Shaw is an old school friend of Ty’s and when he goes missing following a tragedy in his life Ty knows that he has to get to him and fast. We don’t see much of Ty or Lock in the first quarter of the book and I have to say it made absolutely no difference to the story at all. Learning about Malik and the opening few chapters have enough drama to keep you turning the pages. The story itself has only one thread, but there are more suspects than you can shake a stick at which kept the plot moving at a decent pace.

Once Ty realises that the situation with Malik is turning sour he ups the ante and heads straight over to the college town in Minnesota. There are, as usual quite a lot of action packed moments, but certainly less tension that some of the previous books. This is by no means a negative, but this story is written slightly differently to previous ones in the series. I actually liked the fact that we see more or Ty in this book as previously he has always taken second place. It makes me feel I know him better, although this may only be because I have followed the series from book 1. Ryan Lock does make his appearance eventually and he is a great character to read about. He and Ty work so well together and this book cemented that with Lock working to help a friend of Ty’s.

Without adding spoilers, it was also nice to see references to how Ryan Lock is getting on with his personal life without too much detail. In a previous book there is a life changing event for him and it’s certainly mentioned here which makes for great continuity. Although I really enjoyed this book it didn’t quite have the same impact on me as say Gridlock or The Devil’s Bounty, but still a solid read and I for one will be eagerly awaiting book 6 in the series (no pressure Sean).

Betrayed by Jacqui Rose

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: She trusted the man she loved. It was the most dangerous things she had ever done …

No one can touch Del Williams – the hardest gangster in Soho. He’s got the monopoly on the drugs, the clubs and the girls – it’d be a mistake to underestimate him. The one person he’d take a bullet for is tough, beautiful Bunny Barker, mother of their daughter Star.

Bunny is determined to shield Star from ‘life’ but Del has a lot of enemies. When a familiar face appears from their past, their family is put into terrible danger. Can Bunny protect Star from the demons of her own past, and her very worst nightmare? 

My Review: I have read all of Jacqui Rose books and as a relative newcomer to the crime genre she seems to be climbing in both the charts and popularity very quickly. This latest book proves why she has managed to do that in a short space of time. This latest offering gives us a prostitute Bunny Barker living her life along with her daughter Star by her own rules. She is a pretty likeable character but there is a dark and twisted underlying problem within Bunny’s past which is evident pretty quickly.

Star’s father happens to be a gangster who pretty much runs Soho and although he is besotted with Bunny and Star, his lifestyle is not one Bunny is prepared to take on full time. Del was a great character and I liked him from the off. In addition to this Bunny and Del’s daughter Star was fabulous. Although she is only a young girl she plays a pivotal part in the story and is written so that you can just imagine this bright and bubbly girl being at the centre of everybody’s world.

Sadly, past figures emerge and between that and Del’s current business dealings with the Russians everybody seems to suddenly be in danger. I started this yesterday morning and absolutely refused to put it down until I had finished. There were a couple of things that didn’t quite flow as well as they could have, but it was still a brilliant book and one that will be loved by fans of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller. I for one will be eagerly waiting for her next book which is due out in August 2014…yay!

https://amzn.to/2TJ1NOV

Want You Dead by Peter James (Roy Grace #10)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: IF HE CAN’T HAVE HER, THEN NOBODY CAN…Virtual romance becomes a terrifying obsession in Want You Dead…Single girl, 29, smouldering redhead, love life that’s crashed and burned. Seeks new flame to rekindle her fire. Fun, friendship and – who knows – maybe more? When Red Westwood meets handsome, charming and rich Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, there is an instant attraction. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past, and his dark side, begins to emerge. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror. Within a year, and under police protection, she evicts him from her flat and her life. But Red’s nightmare is only just beginning. For Bryce is obsessed with her, and he intends to destroy everything and everyone she has ever known and loved – and then her too…

My Review: What is going on with this series? I need to clarify that I have read every one of the Roy Grace series and have loved them all (Dead Simple book 1 being my all time favourite). However a few things have been going on that have narked me, one of them being the ongoing saga of Roy Grace’s missing/presumed dead wife Sandy. More of that later, but in the meantime I was brimming with excitement at having this latest release nearly 2 months early. I immediately got stuck in and as usual the story took me away to that dark and murky corner of my mind which enjoys reading about other people’s misery. For those of you that maybe haven’t read any of these books I suggest you stop reading my review as it will inevitably contain spoilers if you are not up to date with the series. We are up to book 10 in the series and Roy Grace is on the verge of getting married to Cleo and they have a young baby son. In addition to Roy we see the other characters that us readers have grown to love such as Glenn Branson and Norman Potting return.

We meet the lead in this current story Red Westwood (GREAT character name dontcha’ think) as she is recovering from her past disastrous relationship.  Bryce Laurent is the man responsible for ruining her life a year earlier and she had no idea that in the short space of time she knew him he would turn out to be so toxic. In the present time Red is living under police protection and trying to move on without him in her life. I liked Red instantly, but on the down side by a quarter of the way through I was beginning to wonder whether I was actually reading a Peter James book. We don’t even see Roy Grace appear until that point and it was only then that I felt myself feeling much more settled. When a body turns up that is linked to Red Westwood the police aren’t altogether convinced that its anything more than coincidence. However, before too long things continue to get more and more nasty for Red and Roy soon realises that Bryce is a major issue.

Alongside the main storyline (which isn’t necessarily PJs strongest I must say) we see Roy try and prepare for his wedding to Cleo. One of the major pulls with the series in the ongoing drama with his long missing wife (now presumed dead). I was under the impression that this element of the story would be completed by now and was hoping that this book would bring closure to that element as I am tiring of wondering. However, once again we only see the briefest glimpses of what happens, and I was absolutely gutted at how this has once again been left open ended, and maybe open to interpretation by the reader. Although it may seem like it’s all negatives I’m spouting off it really isn’t like that at all. I guess with Peter James you expect perfection every time (so no pressure there Peter), and I tend to be a lot more critical with longer established writers.

Even though there were certain things I didn’t like about this story, there were also some major OMG moments too, and all I can say is “Peter James, how could you have done that”. Major story shocker for one character involved and I thought it was so sad I could have cried (I didn’t though I assure you). Overall the writing style is pure Peter James and flows smoothly, with enough pace to keep you hooked. There were some magical jaw dropping moments proving that Peter James is the King of the Castle when it comes to this genre. I managed to read it in two sittings and although not one of my favourites still a great read.

The Reaper by Steven Dunne (Damon Brook #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: A damaged detective and a brutal serial killer collide in this nail-biting thriller debut. Detective Inspector Damen Brook thinks he’s left his past behind him in London. But it seems a serial killer has followed him north…

Brook’s seeking sanctuary. Years in the MET have left their mark – so much so that he’s fled to Derby leaving behind his marriage, his teenage daughter and very nearly his sanity to wind down a once promising career in the peace of the Peak District.

But one winter’s night, Brook is confronted by a serial killer he hunted many years before – The Reaper – a man who slaughters families in their homes then disappears without a trace. To find this killer Brook must discover what the Reaper is doing in Derby, why he’s started killing again and what, if anything, connects the butchered families.

As Brook becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse, he is forced to face his own demons by revisiting the previous investigation and confronting a past that destroyed his family and nearly cost him his life…

My Review: I was pretty impressed with this debut by Steven Dunne. I started reading it and found myself pretty immersed with the first few chapters which seemed to pull me in. I only had one issue and it’s not really even a valid one as I can’t explain my reasoning. The lead character is a Detective name Damen Brook. For some reason his name just didn’t sit right with me, don’t ask me why as I have no clue. I just know that it didn’t feel right (I’m hoping that by the time I get to read the others in the series I may change my mind on that).

The story itself is a good one and I particularly liked the fact that there were threads involving not only the new murders, but also following Damen’s life before he moved to Derby. Considering this was a debut novel, I thought it was bloody awesome. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying it was perfect, but it was an amazing first book and I found myself thoroughly engrossed. There are plenty of plot layers and threads to keep the story moving along. The murder scenes were described with certain ‘flair’, giving you a feel for the killer. It may have been a wee bit creepy, but it certainly made it feel all the more realistic.

There were parts in the book which I felt were a little bit too descriptive, leaning towards a little bit of padding. However, it certainly wasn’t too much, and this will no doubt improve with each book that Dunne writes. There are threads to the story which take you back in the past, and unless you are paying careful attention, you may not always see the switch. I think this is a lot harder to follow on Kindle, as opposed to a paperback book. I really liked the end and it certainly left me wanting to read more about Damen (damn why is that name such an issue for me?!?!?!?), and I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to reading the follow up to this The Disciple.

Lazy Bones by Mark Billingham (Tom Thorne #3)

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Someone – a woman or somebody pretending to be a woman, is writing to convicted rapists in prison, befriending them and then brutally killing them when they are released. DI Tom Thorne must discover the link between these killings and a murder/suicide that took place twenty-five years before; a tragedy to which the only witnesses were two small children, now adults and nowhere to be found…How can you escape a past that will do a lot more than just catch up with you? And how can Thorne catch a killer, when he doesn’t really care about the victims?

My Review: Having read the first two in this series in succession, I was looking forward to the third. I really liked the first book, was kind of indifferent with the second and by the time I finished this latest book found myself wanting to get onto book 4! For those that maybe haven’t read the series, the lead character is DI Tom Thorne; a man with a cat called Elvis who supports Spurs and who is obsessed with his very outdated CD collection. I think the majority of fans love Tom Thorne and I have to say that after this 3d book I can see why. He’s a character that you don’t instantly love, but his grim and dark humour, along with a doggedly determined character makes him ‘oh-so’ likeable.

In addition to Thorne I really like his colleague Dave Holland and his friend the pathologist Phil Hendricks. We see Holland battling with his home life and I kind of like the fact we also get background on some of the other characters in a series of books. Both Thorne and Holland are working on a rather bizarre case which some of the public don’t feel warrant that much attention. In this case, the murder of a convicted rapist starts the story off and it doesn’t get much better before too long.

The nice part about this third book is the fact that we see Thorne’s personal life a little more (I like it when the author mixes it up). In addition to the horrendous case he is working on, Thorne tries to lead a somewhat average life outside of these parameters. Of course one murder is not where the story stops and in Billingham style the reader watches as the case becomes more and more complex, and frankly more bloody frightening! I found myself immersed in this book and as I thought I had it worked out. Turns out I was wrong, and it took me 85% of the book before the penny dropped (and only a chapter shy of it being revealed!).

I only have another 8 books in the series before I’m up to date and ready for the 12th in the series due for release in May 2014! In all honesty this series was a slow burner and is right about now making its was up to a rather large blazing fire….roll on book 4!