RATED 4/5 – Page 24 – Best Crime Books and More

Somewhere To Hide by Mel Sherratt (Estate #1)

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Rated: 4/5

Synopsis: Liz, with her young daughter, runs from her husband. Sixteen-year-old Becky stabs her uncle and makes a run for it. Back in prison after selling her body for drugs, Cheryl will be out soon with no one to turn to. All three are looking for somewhere to stay.

Following the tragic death of her husband, Cathy Mason opens her home to young women who need a roof over their head and a sympathetic ear. But strange things start to happen – malicious notes are posted through her door, her belongings trashed and a homeless teenager is found murdered. Cathy reckons it’s just part of daily life on the estate but when those she cares about most fall prey to violence, she begins to suspect a past mistake is about to catch up with her – and she’s unsure that she’ll ever be ready for it…

Kat’s Review: I recently started hearing more and more about the author Mel Sherratt. Followers to my blog were suggesting I read her and I’m extremely glad I listened to them. Mel self-published her first book in 2011 and went on to become a Kindle bestseller and a best selling book of 2012. It took me no time at all to fall into the pattern and speed of the book and it seems like Cathy Mason has for once bitten off more than she can chew.

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A Night On The Orient Express by Veronica Henry

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: For one group of passengers settling in to their seats and taking their first sips of champagne, the journey from London to Venice is more than the trip of a lifetime. A mysterious errand; a promise made to a dying friend; an unexpected proposal; a secret reaching back a lifetime…As the train sweeps on, revelations, confessions and assignations unfold against the most romantic and infamous setting in the world.

My Review: I am a pretty big VH fan and was looking forward to her latest release. Especially when learning that this would be set on one of the most romantic places, the Orient Express! When I think of the Orient it automatically conjures up images of beautiful and romantic splendour! I would say the main characters of the book are Adele and her granddaughter Imogen. She sends Imogen on the Orient to collect a painting from a man named Jack. This in itself leads to another thread to the story whioch involves Adele’s past with Jack.

In addition to Imogen and Adele, we meet a couple that are in a relatively new relationship; Stephanie and Simon along with Simon’s kids. Archie and Emma both win a competition to have the ultimate blind date on the Orient Express, and finally Riley and Sylvie who are an older couple who have been friends for years and are taking their regular ‘birthday’ trip on the Orient. Initially, I was surprised to see so many characters, but this wasn’t a negative as such in my eyes. I liked all of the characters and was keen to see what happened to each of them.

Veronica Henry has managed to bring the trip and experience on the Orient to life for me. I could almost imagine myself taking the trip alongside these characters, and experiencing all the old fashioned glamour. There were two things that I wasn’t sure about with this book though. The first was the length of it, I have no idea if this was shorter than her usual books; or whether I just read it really quickly but it seemed to be far too short for my liking. The second thing was that although I enjoyed it, I almost felt like it was 4 short stories combined into one book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I would love to see books on all the individual characters.

Overall, another great read by Veronica Henry and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I would love to think there could be a possibility of books following these characters onward (especially Archie and Emma!). Who knows….

Party Games by Jo Carnegie

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: I’m Vanessa Powell. People think they know me because I’m famous. They think I’ve got the world at my feet and the husband every woman wants to marry. But fame can be a lonely place and the perfect marriage can be even lonelier. Now someone’s come into my life who makes me feel alive. For the first time ever, I’m thinking about what I really want; no matter what the consequences.

My Review: As usual Jo Carnegie has delivered a book that brings to life the characters from yet another quirky village. The town of Beeversham is a small place but also lays claim to being home to some of the rich and famous. Vanessa Powell and her husband Conrad are one such couple. There are also additional characters such as Beau Rainford the local playboy, Beau’s brother Felix and his wife Ginny, Fleur and her Dad who live on a local farm, and Catherine, the once Editor of Soiree magazine and her husband and John. Now that may sound like a lot of characters (and that’s not all of them) but they all play a part in this story.

It was easy enough to get to know them all and what exactly went on behind closed doors. As the story gets past the initial ‘introduction’ stage Jo Carnegie starts launching all sorts of trouble onto the characters living in Beeversham. I really liked all the characters and found myself willing each of them to sort their lives out! There are plenty of threads to the story providing just enough drama, and plenty of moments that will have you laughing. Although the synopsis leads you to think that Vanessa Powell is the main character, each storyline and villager draws you in. Catherine’s story and character were actually my favourite although Vanessa drew a close second.

Jo has also introduced two men in the book, both whom I love! You have the naughty Beau who is adorable (even though he is a naughty Playboy), and then we have Dylan who is the Conrad’s gardener. Although these two played a big part in the story, I couldn’t help loving John who is Catherine’s husband. As always in a Carnegie book, the men play just as big a part as the women of the village; and frankly a wonderful distraction from all the drama in Beeversham!

This latest release of Jo Carnegie’s was a brilliant read, but if I’m being totally honest the Churchminster series is still my favourite! I would love to see whether she will continue this village with a new series as some of the characters were brilliant, but you maybe didn’t see enough of them! Although the Churchminster series pips this book to the post, if this were to continue I could see a brilliant series coming out of it. Although this isn’t maybe my favourite JC book so far, it was certainly a brilliant and entertaining read as usual. This will keep you entertained from start to finish!

The Cutting Room by Jilliane Hoffman

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My Rating: 4/5

I have read all of Jilliane Hoffman’s books and have never been less than impressed. She has produced two books featuring prosecutor C.J Townsend and two stand alone books. This fifth release is a mixture of the two. We see Assistant State Attorney Daria Bianchi and Detective Manny Alvarez work a case that involves a snuff club. We also see the return of C.J Townsend just before the halfway mark in this book.

Daria and Manny make for fantastic reading as they both have such unique personalities. Manny Alvarez is a veteran cop whose nickname is The Bear and Daria is a hot-headed Italian woman trying to make her mark in the world. They make a great team and at the start of the book we see them clash heads as they uncover what looks to be a dangerous game of men watching women be raped and then murdered in the so called snuff-club.

The re-introduction of C.J and the serial killer on death row Bill Bantling aka `Cupid’ had me reading a lot quicker that I thought. As it has been a while since I read the CJ books I worried I would lose the thread but the plot is re-covered for the benefit of those having not read previous books. As I read on I remembered why Jilliane’s books always had me hooked. They are extremely dark reading and I always find myself feeling the fear as much as the characters as we see the chase for the suspects who are cursed with these sick and perverted minds.

The story has a lot going on and there are numerous threads that are woven in to the story including past crimes committed and the involvement of Bill Bantling, the serial killer on Death Row. At around the ¾ mark the pace picks up considerably and I continued reading until I was done. I was both shocked and pleased by the time I had finished. Shocked at the outcome of one particular thread in the story and pleased that JH was just as good as I remembered. It was good to have some conclusions in the last part of the CJ trilogy and although this took me longer than usual to get in to, it was no less thrilling than her other books.

I have to say overall that her last stand alone book slightly holds the edge for me but this book was clever and thoughtful making for a gripping read that had me checking my windows at night.

Deep Blue Sea by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret…

Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana’s life, to the outside world, is perfect. But nothing is as it seems…

When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again – her sister, Rachel.

A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she’s in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street’s phone-hacking scandal.

For Rachel, Diana’s request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth – wherever it may lead…

My Review: Tasmina Perry has been on my must read list for some time now. With her latest release Deep Blue Sea (being her 8^th release) out; I was looking forward to delving into another rich and glamorous story. The premise sounds great, with a wealthy couple Diana and Julian Denver seemingly having it all. However, when Julian commits suicide Diana realises she needs to reach out to her estranged sister for help.

Rachel is Diana’s sister and is currently living in Thailand following the death of her career surrounding a phone hacking scandal. When Diana reaches out for help, Rachel decides it’s high time to try and make amends with her family. And so begins a journey across many countries to find the answers behind Julian’s death. As usual Tasmina Perry certainly weaves a great tale; however I had real issues with Diana. Rachel I really liked, especially as she was the underdog, but Diana was just too frail and pathetic for my liking.

With that one small flaw out the way, I can honestly say the story itself certainly didn’t disappoint. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue and the more questions Rachel asks, the more questions it raises too. There were a few additional characters I really liked such as Rachel’s business partner Liam and her old colleague Ross. There were lost of dark and murky elements to the storyline including affairs, drugs and contested will. Overall it was again what I would rate a success from Perry, however it lacked that certain something to make it a 5 star read from me. Still a solid 4/5 book and one that I think her fans will love.

Dead Man’s Time by Peter James (Roy Grace #9)

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My Rating: 4/5

<Big sigh>, Peter James and Roy Grace, where do I begin? I have read all of the books in this series and am normally gripped by each and every book I read. When I read the synopsis for this one I really wasn’t sure. I was (as usual) to be proved wrong. This latest Roy Grace novel starts out with a vicious robbery at a Brighton Mansion and millions of pounds worth of antiques taken. It also leaves an elderly woman, Aileen McWhirter, fighting for her life. Roy Grace and his team lead the enquiry when the woman dies from her injuries and her brother Gavin Daly gets involved. There is one item that is absolutely invaluable to Gavin, and although he is now well into his nineties he is still a force to be reckoned with. The invaluable item is a specific watch and the story, believe it or not, all revolves around the watch. I’m not one for major spoilers so will go no further with the story line or plot.

What I will say is that Peter James is an awesome writer, however, there is one thing that is driving me insane. If, like me, you follow the series there has been an element to each book regarding Roy’s first wife Sandy who has been missing for over 10 years. This is the thing that is the cause of my angst. I really think the story line concerning her needs to be dealt with and then finished, or dropped altogether. I feel like it has gone on for far too long and to the point where it’s lessening my enjoyment of the book. This particular book tells the story of Roy Grace and his team now, and the past concerning Gavin Daly and his family which forms part of New York’s gangs in the 1920’s. This alone, was done with skill and the story had me gripped from start to finish. However, every time Sandy get’s mentioned I feel like hurling my book into a wall.

Okay, I know some of you may think that’s extreme but when you have read a certain story line for years (8 years in the case of the Roy Grace novels) certain elements are key. Sandy is now NOT key in my opinion, and the more I hear about it the more it grates on me. Do I want answers, yes! Do I want snippets each year, No! Deal with it and let’s move on?!? Anyway, that aside this is actually a brilliant story and as usual Peter James shows off his skill with style. I think the majority of fans will love this book and newcomers should definitely read from the beginning of the series (although not an absolute necessity). Once again, we wait another year to see what is next on the agenda for Roy and his family and friends.

Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly

My Rating: 4/5

I received a copy of this book from the publishers some time ago. I actually took it on holiday as I thought it sounded a little bit different. The synopsis is probably most parents’ nightmares come true. Imagine leaving your child in a friends care, and then your child disappears? Who would you blame? Well this is exactly what happens to Lisa Kallisto the lead character in this book. As a debut novel from Paula Daly, I went in with an open mind, and by the time I had finished I was certain that I will read her future work!

Lisa Kallisto is an easy character to empathise with. She is a normal working mother with kids that have constant demands, a job that needs her attention and a husband to try and keep happy. When her daughter’s best friend Lucinda wants to stay the night she see’s no problems. The next morning when she goes off to work leaving the girls to their own devices, she has no idea that in a few short hours Lucinda will have vanished.

I really liked Lisa and her husband and from the very beginning could see that she was just an overworked Mum like thousands of other parents across the world. This book was set in Cumbria, which makes it all the more disturbing to read, as history has shown us what child abductors will do in the UK. We also meet the Detective on the case Joanna Aspinall who is a key character in the story. I think my main opinion of this story is that it is unsettling from start to finish. The thought drifts through your mind frequently that this could happen to you, or somebody you know.

The story is revealed in layers and we see Lisa start to unfold as the panic for Lucinda intensifies. I was really caught up in the story and loved the way it played out gradually. By the time I had got to the last quarter of the book I finished it in one sitting. This was an incredible book for a debut and I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for her next book.

One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon

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My Rating: 4/5

I only discovered Paige Toon a few months ago and read Johnny Be Good and Baby be mine within a matter of weeks. Following on from that I made sure I had a few more of her back catalogue to read in the future. Her new release One Perfect Summer was released on the 10th May 2012 and I was looking forward to reading it.

Alice is 18 and takes a summer trip with her parents down to Dorset. She happens to meet a young man Joe who steals her heart. However, after reading the first few chapters it becomes clear that Joe’s life is not that idyllic and Alice realises that although she has fallen for him, things will not be easy. Joe is an absolute sweetheart of a character and I adored him and him and Alice’s relationship. However, before long things go wrong and Alice ends up leaving Dorset to make her way to Cambridge to start University. The one thing that is different is the fact that she leaves broken hearted and without Joe.

We see her life move on to the next phase and although I was disappointed that we do not see Joe Alice grows on me and we see her settle into University life with her friends. Some of the other characters we meet are fun and very readable such as Jessie. Before long Alice meets Lukas a German student who is studying at a nearby university. Lukas is a rich boy who sweeps Alice off her feet to a certain degree.

The second half of the book is spent watching Alice move on with her life and what happens to her next. Lukas is not a nice character and I spent half of the time asking myself what Alice was playing at. But as the story continues you can see the predicament she has got herself into and things start to become if not clearer certainly a lot more understandable. As usual with a Paige Toon book she draws you in with her easy writing style and knack of telling a story that is sometimes bittersweet.

The best part of the book for me was without a doubt the ending. Paige Toon has done once again what she managed to do with the book Johnny Be Good, which is leave the reader on a slight cliff-hanger with a big question mark. I can only hope that there is a follow up to this, otherwise it’s an unnecessarily cruel ending for us fans. This book will certainly keep you reading, and at the end you will certainly be left wanting more.

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.