Tag: RATED 4/5

Stop Dead by Leigh Russell (Geraldine Steel #5)

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My Rating: 4/5

I couldn’t believe it was yet again time for another Geraldine Steel instalment and I was even more excited than usual thanks to getting an early review copy of it. I must say the first thing I loved about this book was the cover; they are brilliant and most certainly eye catching. Geraldine Steel is a Detective Inspector who has recently relocated to London. In the last book (Death Bed) she was thrown straight into a murder investigation and this book picks up a few weeks later. Geraldine is only just getting over the paperwork involved in her last case when she is thrown straight into a new one.

It all starts with the discovery of a successful businessman being found dead in his car. His death is particularly brutal and Geraldine has a lot of work on her hands. The businessman’s wife was involved in an affair so instantly becomes a suspect, as does her lover. As soon as Geraldine gets stick into the new case, the original murder victim’s business partner winds up dead although the two cases don’t seem to be related. They discover DNA which leads them only to a woman serving life in prison, and another woman who is dead.

In the last book, I felt like I was getting to know a whole new host of characters what with Geraldine’s relocation. This made this current book a little easier, as we see the return of Geraldine’s colleague Sam. Although Sam is featured quite heavily, I still miss Ian Peterson who was a colleague of Geraldine’s before she moved. The last book for me focused more on Geraldine as a person and this one was the polar opposite. At the halfway mark I had decided who was the murderer, and then subsequently changed my mind at least three times! This latest Russell novel was what I would call a real murder mystery. It was all the things a mystery should be, intriguing, enthralling, tense and utterly absorbing!

Although I loved this book it still wasn’t quite as good as book 3 (Dead End). There is one major sticking point for me which is the storyline regarding Geraldine’s birth mother. I’m not one for plot spoilers but I am getting impatient to find out more!!! Other than the fact that I miss Ian Peterson and her old colleagues, this latest Steel instalment was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am now eagerly awaiting the next one.

A Winter Flame by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 4/5

I have read a few of Milly’s books now and can honestly say I haven’t felt disappointed with any of them in any way. My favourite to date has been `Here Come The Girls’ but I’ve yet to read her earlier stuff. With the release of A Winter Flame I was actually pretty excited. Although I may favour one book over another all of her books have that wonderful feel good vibe about them.

A Winter Flame took me less than two chapters to get into and it becomes very apparent that Eve Beresford the main character is stuck in a rut. After losing her soldier fiancé on Christmas Day, she now avoids Christmas at all costs. She has managed to become successful with her events company and has a great career, but with nobody to share it with, and her inability to let go it seems she will never move on and be happy. When she is left a plot of land by her aunt, she fears that her aunt may have lost her marbles. There are plans in place for Eve to jointly run and own a Christmas theme park. It seems that her aunt has left the remaining half to a complete stranger, a man named Jacques Glace.

Never fear, the above paragraph will not ruin the story as this is all in the synopsis! I immediately loved Jacques and though he was a big bundle of joy. Eve however took me longer to warm to. With her mind being so suspicious and her issues surrounding trust, I felt like I had to work at getting to like her. However, as her aunts madcap scheme seems to start working I began to understand a little of why Eve was so shut off from everybody. The story gets right into the thick of Eve and Jacques as they try to construct the park as Eve’s aunt would have wanted. But between the stress of pulling it off, and Eve’s suspicions the plan is far from smooth.

The story was a little predictable, (although Milly Johnson had me going towards the end) but was exactly what I would have wanted anyway. One of the things I loved about this book is that we see the re-appearance of the characters that appeared in her last book White Wedding. Violet is the main character that we see, and Mac and Bel only briefly, but it was nice to get reacquainted. This book has come at the perfect time in the run up to Christmas and brings back a little of the Christmas magic. It still doesn’t top Here Comes The Girls for me, but was, as ever, a brilliant read for me. This was one that I could curl up and get lost in and truly enjoy. I can’t wait to read her others now.

The Out Of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty

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My Rating: 4/5

Okay, let me clear something up. I am NOT a romantic person by nature (as my husband could probably confirm). However, when it comes to book the complete opposite applies. Although I read many genre’s (including Crime & Thrillers) I love romance and comedy books. Sometimes for me the purpose of reading is to escape real life and to just believe that the ridiculous and sublime may just happen (even though the realist in me knows it wouldn’t). Therefore, the synopsis of The Out Of Office Girl sounded perfect to me. Alice Roberts is having an awful summer and when her boss is taken ill and she is given the chance to go to Italy to interview Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson she jumps at the chance.

As soon as I picked this book up and started reading I just adored Alice. She was a normal girl with a normal job who is thrown into the deep end and given the opportunity of a lifetime. I was hooked within a matter of pages! Alice flies over to Sicily and her job is to edit the autobiography of Luther along with his agent Sam and the publishing company’s Ghost Writer. As soon as she lands we are given a glimpse into Luther’s life and his bad boy antics seem just the start. Luther is an enjoyable read as well as some of the other characters such as Sam and Annabel.

Doherty does a great job of setting the scene in Italy and she made it sound extremely idyllic. The story itself takes a few funny turns as we see Alice get herself stuck in certain situations which she isn’t quite sure how to get out of. The storyline towards the end is a little predictable but if I’m being honest I quite enjoyed the fact that things worked how they should have done. This book is certainly not intellectually challenging, but to be honest its not a factor for me when reading. I read this and felt much the same as I do when I watch Dirty Dancing. Yes its’ something that would never happen but when you are in the moment and enjoying it, it’s good enough. I will certainly be looking out for future publications from Doherty and think that she has written in a similar way to Lindsey Kelk. If that’s the case and she keeps the great storylines up then she is well on her way to drawing e lot of fans in.

The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond

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Star Rating: 4/5

I have been book reviewing for a few years now and only recently picked up my first Lucy Diamond book. However, I had no idea how much reading one of her books would change things for me. The second book I picked up was her most recent release Summer With My Sister. The book was a brilliant read and as I was reading it, something strange happened. It started the cogs in my brain turning and an idea for a new business has come out of it (but more on that later!). Having enjoyed the first two books of hers, and being so inspired by one I was keen to pick up a third to see how that fared against the other two. This book, the Beach Café sounded like a good read and I was hoping it would help me get out of my feeling of `being in a rut’.

Evie Flynn has always considered herself the `black sheep’ of the family. Her two older sisters always seem to get it right, while she seems to be permanently stuck in a rut. Whilst Evie is stuck in a very depressing temp job, and her `sensible’ boyfriend plans their future, her beloved Auntie Jo dies leaving the family shocked. Jo was always the life and soul of the party and Evie was incredibly close to her. When Evie realises that her Aunt has left her the little Beach Café she owned in Cornwall she has no idea what she is going to do. Evie was a character I liked immediately and the first few chapters really give you an idea of the sort of character she is. She is a little bit of a flapper and spends many an hour with her head in the clouds and you can’t help but wish for better things for her.

Her boyfriend Matthew I just wanted to throttle. He was so sensible and boring and seemed to be doing nothing but holding Evie back. After a lot of dithering Evie decides that she will go to Cornwall and spend the summer deciding what to do with the café. It’s the start of a journey that is funny, disastrous and interesting all at the same time! The only criticism I could really find with this book was that it seemed to take a long time for Evie to make the decision and actually get down to Cornwall and work at the Beach Café. Other than that, as soon as the transition happened the book was brilliant. We meet lots of characters that feature heavily including Rachel the waitress, Ed the chef and Phoebe, a young girl who makes an impact on Evie.

Apologies if people think this review is long but I feel like I need to explain something about reading Lucy Diamond books. Although this wasn’t my favourite I have read of hers, by the end of the book I had that `feel good’ mood back and my positivity had gone through the roof. I don’t know what it is about the way she writes, but it has the profound effect of making you feel like if you keep on chipping away things will work out and you just need to keep at it. The reason I highlight this, is that reading a LD book started me off on a new (albeit small) business venture that I am hoping to launch by later on this year. However, I was having a bit of a wobble moment and wondering if I had gone bonkers. Having read another of her books, I now feel a lot more confident and think if you don’t give it a go, you will never find out!

Overall, not my favourite but a great feel good easy to read book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Criminal by Karin Slaughter (Will Trent #6)

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My Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Okay I’m really not sure where to start with this review as I feel completely at odds with how I normally feel after finishing a Karin Slaughter book. A quick re-cap for those maybe not in the know might help. Karin Slaughter created a series of books called Grant County and then another series featuring Will Trent and Faith Mitchell. In a surprising (but genius) move Karin Slaughter managed to turn the two series into one and they became known as The Georgia series. It was an incredibly risky move as some fans had become attached to various characters. Even for me I found it hard to believe that she had done such a thing; however her last release entitled Fallen showed just how clever Karin Slaughter really is. Without adding too many spoilers for those wanting to read the series from the beginning, I will just say the series currently features Will Trent, Faith Mitchell and Sara Linton. For her fans that have followed from book 1 there were many questions that have come up over time and this book is the one to address some of them.

The book is split into two parts almost, one featuring Will, Sara and Faith in the present day and the other featuring Amanda Wagner (Will’s boss) and Evelyn Mitchell (Faith’s mother) set in the seventies. In the beginning I was more drawn to the present day element and at the halfway point was wondering what was going on. Why was I not getting into the book as much as I normally did? I realised at just past the halfway mark that it’s because I am an impatient woman! The story featuring Evelyn and Amanda makes so much sense especially towards the end. The crimes are as ever gruesome and I found the authenticity of women in the police force back then kind of shocking.

The story itself was as usual great, but for me I felt like I was more interested in the answers to my questions and thankfully by the end so many things clicked into place. I wouldn’t say that this story was as good as Fallen (I forgot to turn my bath off whilst reading that one!) but as ever is fantastic writing and for fans who have followed the series, is a crucial part of the series. Will, Sara and Faith do not feature as heavily but it makes perfect sense as we see the reasons for where some of them are today. I think that although this isn’t my favourite Karin Slaughter book it just shows how talented a lady she is. Another winner from the leading lady in this field!

Killer Instinct by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #1)

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My Rating: 4/5

Being somebody that buys more than I read, I have that nagging feeling that I am missing out when people get excited over authors I have never read. Yes I know, I have issues; don’t get me started! When I saw on my lovely Facebook page that people were excitedly chattering about Zoe Sharp I immediately Googled her and realised that she has been writing for the best part of ten years. How dare I not know about this crime author, especially being a British female author? I immediately ordered her first release in the series featuring Charlie Fox and eventually got around to it.

Charlie Fox is an ordinary sort of woman and within the first few chapters I decided that I liked her very much. Charlie teaches women self-defence, prefers to dress in jeans and had a passion for riding motorbikes. Charlie was kicked out of the army for reasons unknown to the reader early on and although she is certainly not without issues I loved her no-nonsense attitude. When Charlie is offered a job working for the security at the New Adelphi club she has no idea that a few hours after her tussle with Susie Hollins in the club, that she would be found dead a few hours later.

This is the catalyst for a string of events that put Charlie’s life on the line. There are many authors and books out there in this genre and although this wasn’t necessarily one that stood out by a mile, it certainly whets my appetite for Charlie and her life. The characters are easy to read and the plot twisted enough to hold your interest well into the early hours. I realised at around the halfway mark that were many more layers to the story than I originally thought.

I realised pretty early on that this would be a series I would stick with. After a slower paced beginning, the second half flew by and I found myself racing to find out who is involved and to what degree. By the end of the book I made sure I went online and got part 2. It may well take me a while to get to but I will certainly be looking forward to it. Now I know why people were talking about Zoe Sharp and I will be among them next time, although as ever I like to read a series in order and it may take me a while to catch up. Overall, I am dead chuffed that I can now add another female British crime writer to my list of must reads. Fantastic start to a series (and what planet have I been on having only just started reading ZS???!). Recommended!

Better Together by Sheila O’Flanagan

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My Rating: 4/5

I have been reading Sheila O’Flanagan since she published her first book and am rarely disappointed with the books she writes. Her last book though wasn’t her usual type of story and although I enjoyed it I could see why not everybody would. Her last book seemed to have a more serious theme running through it than maybe her previous books have. I was still looking forward to reading her new book, especially as I had an early proof copy.

This latest books synopsis sounded very interesting and is based around two women. Sheridan Gray is a journalist who manages to lose her job, her home and her boyfriend in a matter of days. The other main character is Nina, who is dealing with the fallout from her separation from her actor husband Sean; following the national press revealing he was having an affair with a co-star. Nina runs a Guesthouse in Ardbawn and this is co-incidentally where Sheridan ends up.

Sheridan was an easy woman to like and to read about. Nina was a little harder going as we see her struggle to keep things going. When the two women meet things get a little more interesting. The thing I noticed about this latest book is that straight away I was drawn into Ardbawn, and I really liked the characters that make up his pretty village. When Nina stays at the Guesthouse, she uncovers what she thinks could be an explosive story guaranteed to get her back at one of the national papers. Unfortunately it surrounds Nina and Sheridan has to make some tough decisions.

The story was certainly interesting and had a mystery element to it which I enjoyed. I warmed to Nina a lot more as the story went on, almost as much as I gained loathing for the husband Sean. As I was nearing the end of the book I realised that we still weren’t at the conclusion. To my surprise the last 3 or so chapters managed to wrap up everything and left me feeling a little disappointed. I really enjoyed the story but thought that the ending seemed so quick and almost rushed. It certainly didn’t ruin the book for me but made me knock off a star. Overall another great summer read from Sheila O’Flanagan, it seems she never fails to disappoint!

Not Dead Yet by Peter James (Roy Grace #8)

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My Rating: 4/5

I have read each and every one of the Roy Grace series and I would imagine like many others was looking forward to the latest book. Like many other popular series of books the characters and their history are what add another dimension for the readers. In this latest Roy Grace book we again see the return of my favourite and much loved characters I have got to know. Of course we have Roy himself and his other half Cleo who is now pregnant and expecting their first child. In addition we see many favourites like Glenn Branson (who I adore), Norman Potting and Bella Moy.

The Brighton police force has its work cut out for them. The international superstar Gaia is filming in Brighton for the LA Producer Larry Brooker. Before Gaia leaves Bel Air an attempt is made on her life. By the time she arrives in Brighton Roy is set the challenge of ensuring her safety as well as running a murder investigation. Initially the story hits the ground running and when we see Gaia arrive in Brighton there are already two plots running through the book. On the one side we have the security and attempted murder of Gaia and on the other we have a torso found which the Murder team are trying to identify.

My attention was grabbed a lot more with the storyline in this current book than the last one so I almost felt like the books were back on the up again. The story certainly kept its pace up and I have to be honest as the story continued I got the feeling that this was a real `who dunnit’ kind of story. There are lots of plot threads, lots of action and a real head scratcher of a case. Now on the down side I have to say I am getting slightly irritated by the `Sandy’ thread of the story. I think a conclusion to this element of the story would make me a lot happier because I find myself just shaking my head in disappointment every time I read a bit more.

As I neared the end, I was genuinely taken aback by the plot conclusion and thought it was a good wrap up of the story. Then I was thrown with the last three chapters. I think one part of me admires Peter James for doing this as he has almost certainly drawn a large percentage of readers into the next book (and I admit I am one of them!). I fear that the series may get tedious but there certainly doesn’t seem to be any sign of that (apart from the Sandy part). The only one minor niggle I had was that I never got to find out the conclusion of the story regarding Norman and Bella. Yet again I think that this has been done with good reason and yet again there are things pulling me back and preparing myself for the pre-order again this time next year.

Peter James has certainly continued to show his brilliance as a Crime Writer and as usual I look forward to the next Roy Grace book.

Sweet Temptation by Lucy Diamond

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My Rating: 4/5

I vaguely recall reading a Lucy Diamond (by the way that’s not her real name, its Sue Mongredien) that’s her book a while back, but couldn’t remember. I therefore decided to buy her fourth book that was published Sweet Temptation and try another one. I was extremely pleased that I did and now I know why her name rang bells! This book is based around three women, Maddie, Lauren and Jess. All three of them meet once they commit to both losing weight and getting fit. What they don’t realise is that the three of them will become such good friends that their lives will change because of it.

Maddie seemed to be the most central character, well at least for me she was. She was certainly the most memorable! Maddie has a husband, two kids and a job working for Brum FM. Although her job may sound glamorous, her boss is awful and with both her boss and her Mum pressuring her to lose weight she finally gives in. In addition to Maddie there is Jess who works in a beauty salon and is engaged to Charlie. All Jess wants is to lose a little weight for her big day. The last character is Lauren who is a bitter divorcee who runs her own dating agency.

The book drew me straight in and I adored Maddie and Jess. I liked Lauren but after around a quarter of the book she just seemed to pale in comparison to the other two. What I think made this book so readable is the basis for the story. Weight loss is something the majority of women have experience with. Lucy Diamond has told their stories in such a way that you can laugh, cry and most certainly empathise with all three women. It took me just over a day to read this book as I was so engrossed. The author has made the characters easy to like, easy to read and most of all an enjoyable experience.

I absolutely loved this book and found it an absolute joy to read. We had nice characters, awful characters (I swear I knew a woman like Jess’ boss!) and great storytelling. What more could we ask for?

Taken by Jacqui Rose

My Rating: 4/5

After seeing various recommendations from people about Jacqui Rose debut novel Taken I bit the bullet and downloaded it onto my Kindle. I promptly forgot about it and it got swallowed up into my stupidly extensive list of books I have yet to read. However, her name kept popping up and with her exceptional rating on Amazon (4 out of 5 over 100 reviews) I picked it up. I must say that I am very glad I did now. What was I thinking leaving it that long?

One thing that must be hard as a new author is standing out from the crowd. The crime genre is generally littered with the longer standing authors and it must be hard work for the debut novelists out there. Thankfully with the word spreading amongst readers I am glad to see Jacqui Rose come up frequently. She has chosen to write her debut novel based in London and featuring some heavy `hard-men’. With a London Gangster feel to it I wondered if she would be well remembered with authors that are practically legends such as Martina Cole, Mandasue Heller and Kimberley Chambers out there.

I started reading and met the main character of the book Casey Edwards. Casey had turned up in Soho following a hard life which involved giving away her child at 15 and then turning to alcohol, men and drugs to get through her life. She is hoping for a fresh start and the ability to find her child and put things right. After arriving in London she meets Mob boss Alfie Jennings, the cruel and vindictive partner of his Oscar and before long is caught up in their world. She also meets Vaughn who is an ex-gangster and an absolutely brilliant character.

The first half of the book takes us into the murky world of Alfie and Oscar and I would be lying if I said that some parts of the book are not pleasant reading. However, it makes it all the more authentic (and a hell of a lot more exciting to read). The topics covered involve money, drugs, trafficking and sex and that’s just to name a few. If this sort of thing doesn’t rock your boat in terms of fiction then this may not be the book for you. One thing I want to point out is that there IS swearing and violence in this book. It grates on me occasionally when I read reviews with people complaining about this. Would you expect a London Gangster to point to the door and politely ask his arch rival to vacate the building because he can’t bear to speak to him? Err I think not…point made!

The second half of the book was a lot more exciting as Casey finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous situation. Oscar Harding was a vile character and I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the worst for him from start to finish. Towards the end things became even faster paced and the ending was wrapped up with the right amount of excitement and drama. It would be nice to see a couple of the characters again in future books but we will have to wait and see what Jacqui Rose has in store for us next time. As I said before, with the British crime writers out there already it must be hard work to join the dizzy heights of the `Crime Queens’ we have out there, however with this debut novel Jacqui Rose is well on her way! I look forward top her new release in March 2013