Tag: RATED 5/5

Rory’s Proposal by Lynda Renham

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My Rating: 5/5

Availability: Paperback, Kindle, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: When 29-year-old Flora Robson reversed her car into Tom’s Audi she had no idea who he was. Only after she has started to fall in love with him does she discover the gorgeous blue-eyed Tom is the man who is trying to close down her hairdressing business. It seems that Tom will stop at nothing to get what he wants, but Flora is not giving in to anyone. Can she win the battle against her multimillionaire enemy or will her feelings for him get in the way? Follow Flora’s hilarious journey of love, hot chocolate and marshmallows, and the man who changes everything.

My Review: Having not read any of Lynda Renham’s previous books I went into her new one with an open mind. I must say that within a few chapters I had fallen in love with the lead character Flora Robson. Flora’s boyfriend Luke is frankly a bit of an idiot. As we get to know Flora you soon realise that any woman that has to stash her chocolate in a Tampax box, so the boyfriend doesn’t find out, seriously needs to look at her relationship. Flora has her own hair salon and she finds herself fighting against the big Supermarket who want to buy her shop and put her out of business.

With all of that going on she has no idea that what seems like an innocent prang in her car with the delectable Tom will make her life go from bad to worse. The wonderful thing about this book is without a doubt the characters. Not only is Flora (or Flo as she is more commonly called) a brilliant lead, she is surrounded by hilarious characters that just add to the story. Her work colleagues Sandy and Ryan add their flavour as well as Flo’s mum (who IMO was the funniest character out of all of them), and they make the story so much more engaging. 

Now don’t get me wrong, there will no doubt people out there that will be looking for a moral to the story (there’s always one!), and I hate to say it…this doesn’t have one. Hurray! This is a good ol’ fashioned fun and light hearted wonderfully amusing book that will keep you entertained from start to finish. It has everything I want in this sort of book, funny characters, a good storyline, romance, tears and laughter. I mean what more can you ask for? I read this in one day and there are certain parts of the book that had me really laughing out loud (all I will say is that when you hear the Bio-freeze mentioned, you’ll know what I mean). This is the perfect book to take on holiday, read on your commute, or generally just put a smile on your face. Class act Lynda Renham, and I can’t wait to read the rest of your books now!

Dead Scared by Sharon Bolton (Lacey Flint #2)

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My Rating: 5/5

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

Synopsis:  Now face your darkest fears . . .

A spate of suicides.  Each one a female university student. Each one more shocking than the last. The police know it cannot be coincidence. But they can’t prove it. The only way to investigate is to send someone undercover.  A young policewoman, as vulnerable as the others.  As unprepared for the nightmare that will greet her. Don’t close your eyes, Lacey Flint . . . 

My Review: Sharon Bolton only just released the 4th book in this series so luckily I am not that far behind. Having read the first in the series last month I was raring to go with book 2, and what a ride it turned out to be. Lacey Flint is a somewhat damaged character, but not a weepy pathetic one, nor a demonically strong and independent one either. She is bang in the middle and probably the closest to what reality would be I would imagine. She has strengths and weaknesses but I really like her. She has a little bit of attitude and is bright without being portrayed as Miracle Woman!

In this newest case her senior officer Mark Joesbury calls Lacey in on an undercover job. As a somewhat junior copper (albeit experienced, after book 1!) she is pulled in to the job with the minimum amount of information. All she knows is that she is to pose as University student, due to the sudden high levels of suicides happening in and around the college. 

Lacey immerses herself in student life and has to portray herself as vulnerable which it soon appears is not that easy for Lacey. However, from the early stages you get the sense that things aren’t ‘quite right’ at the University . There is an undercurrent to the writing which is very dark and gives you that ominous feeling. I also loved the fact that we are seeing the progression of the relationship between Lacey and her senior Joesbury.

At around the halfway mark I realised that never before has a title been so aptly named. I was Dead Scared! Not on the whole gory, violet and descriptive front. The worse kind…you know when the hairs stand up on the back of your neck type of fear. I raced through this and fluctuated between thinking I knew who was to blame and why and how, to knowing absolutely nothing. It was absolutely fantastic rollercoaster of a read that had me scared, thrilled and desperate to read more. I mean what more could a reader want? By the end I was chomping at the bit to get started on book 3, but resisted and am hoping to get to book 3 VERY soon. A great series that I would highly recommend.

Love, Lies and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Faye Dobson has lost her sparkle. Living on film star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can’t help feeling that life is passing her by. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband’s passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she’ll get to Rome is a take-away pizza.

So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli she can’t help but wonder what it would be like to see the world. He is blonde, tanned, ten years younger and bakes the most amazing lemon cake. Unlike her husband Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles… Oh. My. God.

But is Faye being silly? What would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him?

My Review: I read Sue’s last book Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes and made an instant decision when finished. Not only was I going to recommend it, I was absolutely convinced that if Sue Watson met me she would become my BFF! As it turned out we have since struck up an online friendship and she is one of the funniest women I have met recently. Her personality and humour shone through in a major way with her writing and had me laughing out loud. When I realised she had a new book out, I decided it would be a good time to get started.

With a rather lug cuppa and a few Jaffa Cakes I started to read. I need to point out that my week wasn’t going so well and at this particular point I felt like I could cry. Nothing was going right and murdering my husband had crossed my mind more than once! I figured that reading could let me escape for a few hours. What I hadn’t planned on was this book literally turning my rubbish mood into a great one. Faye Dobson, the lead character, opens the book describing a rather saucy scene involving a sun lounger in the sun washed hills of LA and a rather suave looking Ryan Gosling attending to her every need, before being rudely interrupted by her husband Craig. I knew without a doubt that this book was the perfect tonic. Faye was a brilliant character, and instantly I loved her. Her life has become somewhat mundane what with her eldest daughter Emma now living away from home and her life that remains involves looking after her husband and working.

Some of the scenes and one liner’s that emerged from just the first few chapters had me belly laughing. Sue has a wonderful knack of telling it just how it is. Faye’s dreams have along the way got lost with her day to day chores and responsibilities. Luckily for Faye a new Deli has opened up just down the road from the hairdressers and it has the most delicious man serving behind the counter. Dan the deli man as a character is just the sort of man that most women would love to have as a distraction first thing on a Monday morning commute (shame I’m not a hairdresser). In addition to Dan we meet Faye’s boss Sue who is just desperate to find a new man after her husband ran off with somebody younger, and the absolutely hilarious young girl Mandy who has all manner of ideas for Faye to try (including a legendary Vajazzle incident!).

This book is the modern day Shirley Valentine with a much funnier main character. Although it may not be everybody’s cup of tea it was certainly mine. Sue’s latest release is a wonderful journey packed full of just what the title says, Love, Lies and Lemon Cake. One of the funniest book I have had the pleasure of reading, this is a real must buy and one that I think the majority will love. The only criticism I have is that seeing as Sue is meant to be my new best friend, where was my ‘rushed early copy’? Sue…I may need to re-think your status as my new best friend!

BROKEN DOLLS BY JAMES CAROL (JEFFERSON WINTER #1)

My Rating: 5/5

Availability: Kindle, Paperback, Audio, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: Ex-FBI star profiler Jefferson Winter is no ordinary investigator. An eccentric genius and self-described geek with a passion for Mozart, he is haunted by the legacy of his notorious serial killer father . . . and not likely to admit this may be why he has such a phenomenal insight into the psychology that drives the criminals he hunts.

 The former G-man is now a sought after freelance consultant, jetting around the globe helping local law enforcement agencies with their toughest cases. When Detective Inspector Mark Hatcher calls from Scotland Yard about a particularly disturbing case, Winter leaves his native California for the chilly streets of London to help track down a sadistic serial kidnapper.

 Four victims, all young women, all tortured and then lobotomised. None of them able to tell the police the name of their attacker. None of them able to live normal lives again. Just broken dolls, played with then discarded.

When another young woman goes missing, Winter has to race against the clock to identify the attacker and find the latest victim before it’s too late.

Continue reading “BROKEN DOLLS BY JAMES CAROL (JEFFERSON WINTER #1)”

Flare by Paul Grzegorzek

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My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Malcolm King is a journalist living in trendy Hove on the south coast of England. His days are taken up with video meetings and research on the internet while he writes articles for magazines around the world. 

When a solar flare of unprecedented magnitude hits the Earth, effectively hurling us back to the stone age in a matter of hours, Malc is thrust into a terrifying new world as he travels the length of the country to find his young daughter. 

Society, a fragile construct at best, shatters as the survivors fight each other for food and water, neighbour killing neighbour as fires rage through the cities, destroying much of what’s left. 

Faced with difficult choices at every turn, Malc draws his strength from those around him; Emily, a tough, no-nonsense soldier with a soft spot for lost causes and Jerry, a disgraced astrophysicist who may be the only person left who understands what’s happening with the sun. 

With their help, he must struggle to answer the ultimate question. 

What won’t he do to get his daughter back? 

My Review: Okay I have to start by being completely honest. When I read the synopsis I made a very hasty judgement. I decided that seeing as I didn’t really read this sort of thing, I wouldn’t enjoy it. I mean, yes, I have managed to sit through a couple of what I like to call Disaster Movies; and yes they were okay. That’s just it though, they were okay. So the thought of reading the equivalent didn’t fill me with joy. However, after reading the first few chapters I realised that the book was not only bloody good, I realised there wasn’t a hope in hell of me actually putting the damn thing down?

Malcolm King (known as Malc) is a journalist who in the first few chapters receives a phone call from his friend Jerry. Jerry is an astrophysicist and he is convinced that something bad is going to happen involving a solar flare. Malc refuses to believe it at first and within a matter of hours, he realises that he should have listened. Before he knows it, Malc is living ion a world where everything he knows is gone. The one problem he has is that he is currently living in the South of England and his young daughter is living in Manchester. He decided then and there that no matter what it takes, he will reach her.

Well in a nutshell as soon as Malc starts his travels the book ratchets up a gear and the reader gets to see just what might happen in the event of a catastrophic event? I know it sounds melodramatic, but at some point you must have wondered what would happen if everything electronic just stopped working; I know I have! The great thing about this book is that although the subject matter may seem extreme, there is always an element of what-ifs in it. The other characters that come into this book also made it that little bit more exciting.

 Mac meets Emily and her family, and soon realises that if anyone can help him Emily is it. She is a tough nut soldier and her attitude is what makes their journey even more exciting. At literally every turn there is another threat that has to be dealt with differently. If I’m honest there is a part of this book that kind of gave me the creeps, because I can imagine this country and the people living here becoming everything this book describes (the recent riots proved that!). I raced through the book in one day and by the time I got to the end I was desperate to know what happened next. I was so shocked that I loved it so much, not because of the author (his previous Crime novels are great), but the synopsis just didn’t sound like my cup of tea. Thankfully, I didn’t think about it and ended up reading an absolutely brilliant book. I can only hope that Paul gets his arse in gear and hurries up with the sequel! Even if you don’t think you like the sound of it, give it a go; I think you’ll enjoy it (and for £2 on Kindle it’s a bargain too!!

Fourth Day by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #8)

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My Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: The cult calling itself Fourth Day is well-funded and fiercely guards its privacy. Five years ago Thomas Witney went in to try and get evidence that the cult’s charismatic leader, Randall Bane, was responsible for the death of Witney’s son. Witney never came out.

Now, ex-Special Forces soldier turned bodyguard, Charlie Fox, agrees to go undercover into Fourth Day’s California stronghold. This is a fast covert op, no real danger for someone with her mindset and training. But Charlie is not prepared for the lure of Randall Bane, or how easily he will pinpoint her weaknesses…

My Review: Please note, this is the 8th in a series of books featuring Charlie Fox. For those wishing to read the series in order, maybe don’t read this review. It’s incredibly difficult to review this without inevitable plot spoilers due to the length of time the series has been going.

I am having a somewhat marathon session with this series and am now onto the 8th book in the Charlie Fox series with this latest one. When I started reading I was a little bit confused. The ending of the last book left me with so many questions, however I soon realised that the new operation was a good way for Charlie not to think about what happened at the end of the last book! The story was pretty intense early on and we soon see that Charlie and Sean are trying to extract their ‘principal’ from a so called cult. As usual with any Fox and Meyer story, things are never cut and dried, and they end up with a bigger problem once the first part of their operation is done.

What results is an opportunity for Charlie to get up close and personal with Randall Bane, the guy running the cult named Fourth Day. Not much time had passed since I had started reading and I was surprised to realise I was once again over halfway through the book. With lots of opportunity to delve, we see Charlie take major risks (as per usual) only this time we see her vulnerabilities in a huge way. I would go as far as to say that although Charlie Fox is one of my favourite female lead characters, she is also one of the craziest. Maybe that’s why I like her so much? Not only does she take huge chances, she is also ridiculously screwed up. Her personality leads you to think she actually verges on the edge of becoming as lethal and dangerous as the people she is normally chasing.

Fourth Day held my interest from very early on with all the weird goings-on at the so called cult. However, when you add in the fact that this appears to be the closest we get to layering back Charlie’s personality it made for a pretty explosive read. It had everything I wanted and some! What I wasn’t prepared for was the ending. I almost shouted out loud because I just couldn’t believe it. Zoe Sharp has certainly whetted the fans appetite to want to plough straight onto the next one. I think after reading so many ZS books I will take a break at just the right time. I will anticipate the next book even more, waiting to find out the outcome of the latest Sharp/Meyer disaster.

Third Strike by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #7)

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My Review: 5/5

Synopsis: Bodyguard and ex-Special Forces soldier Charlie Fox is slowly recovering from gunshot wounds but is desperate to prove herself to her new boss. Little does she know there’s a personal matter on the horizon that’s going to take up all of her attention – her father is in trouble and needs her help. It seems he has upset the wrong crowd and they’re using increasingly violent methods to systematically destroy the man’s immaculate reputation. It’s up to Charlie to find out why and stop the situation from getting seriously out of hand…

My Review: WOW! My heart really can’t take much more when it comes to Charlie Fox. For those of you that haven’t read a Zoe Sharp book you may want to not continue to read this review as it will inevitably contain spoilers (especially if you are reading the series from the beginning). With that to one side, I am now on to my third Fox book in succession and I’m about to start the next one!

In this book, Charlie is still recovering from her injuries from her last job. Whilst progress is slow, she is now ready to be back in the field. With her and Sean now working in the US, Charlie has no idea that her next assignment will be a lot closer to home. Throughout the series we have seen Charlie struggle with her parents and their relationship has always been difficult. Charlie is ex-Special Forces and she has more battle wounds, both physical and emotional, than most. Charlie’s parents have a very bizarre relationship with Charlie and it was actually wonderful to realise that it was finally time that her father had to accept help from Charlie.

The whole situation is completely out of character for Charlie’s Dad Richard, and Charlie along with Sean are determined to find out the truth about why Richard’s reputation is being sullied. From the very beginning of this book I was absolutely gripped. The story had taken a personal turn of events which drew me in even more. In addition to the precarious situations presented to them, we get to see the more personal relationships flounder. This, like the last book, was read in under a day and to be honest by the time I got to the end, I just sat there gaping for a few minutes.

Not only did this book have everything a Sharp book normally has (action, danger, and loads of shooting), it also had the best ending. Zoe Sharp, you naughty lady, you knew full well that the majority of people who finish this book will HAVE to get the next one…great move. This is by far the BEST in the series so far and I have decided I may as well make this a marathon and go for the fourth book in as many days. I can honestly say that if you haven’t read Zoe Sharp’s Charlie Fox series you are seriously missing out!!! AN absolute AMAZING read which I highly recommend!

Post by Sean Black (Byron Tibor #1)

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I recently interviewed Sean Black and asked him about his new book Post. I finished his new book Post yesterday and was blown away!

MY RATING: 5/5

Available: Online now on Kindle

Synopsis: THE WAR IS COMING HOME

Exhausted by years of combat, and haunted by the ghosts of his past, nothing is going to stop special forces operative Byron Tibor returning home to the woman he loves. But is Byron who he appears to be, and why is American government determined to stop him?

From the blood-soaked mountains of the Hindu Kush to the glittering lights of Manhattan, via the dark underbelly of the Las Vegas Strip, POST is the story of one man’s struggle to retain his humanity – before it’s too late.

Kat;s Review: I am a huge fan of the Ryan Lock series by Sean Black and was looking forward to testing the waters with his new stand alone thriller Post. I have to be honest and say that when I read the synopsis I was a little worried. You see I’m not particularly a fan of the kind of war books that this one seemed to be on the surface; especially not the ones that involved Government type conspiracies. <BIG sigh> how wrong could I have been?

Byron Tibor has spent years in Combat and serving his country. The first few chapters of this book kind of took my breath away. We fall straight into a combat situation where Byron is working as a lone operator. The sheer energy and exhilaration I went through when reading this reminded me of that feeling you get when you watch a really intense film! I was amazed (and I don’t mean that to sound disrespectful), a woman that doesn’t read this type of book and I just HAD to carry on reading.

When I did carry on reading I began to get a little confused. Had Sean Black made a major error in the storyline? Why didn’t it make any sense? Well, I now realise that’s the whole point in the beginning; you need to question it as you go along. This whole book centres on the US Government and their new programme which involves inserting an implant into their best soldiers to create a ‘guilt free and enhanced’ soldier. I know that some people will be shaking their heads at this description. Believe me, I am normally one of them so I totally get that. However, this story is one of those that will get your brain ticking. I’m certainly not somebody who believes in far fetched ideas; however there is a real ‘Big Brother’ syndrome with this book.

Aside from that aspect of the book we get to see Byron Tibor, who is by the way an awesome lead character, fight his way through his battle to get to the truth about himself. I went through varying emotions when reading this, but the overlying emotion was one that meant I didn’t want to stop reading. I was actually pretty sad to get to the end and couldn’t believe how amazing I thought this book was. Yep, many people will think ‘well the author gave her a copy so she would say that’. I need you to understand something though. I review because I love books, I don’t get paid one single penny to do it, and I’m certainly not shy in coming forward (which I’m sure some authors will happily confirm). I can be very critical when needs be, but in this case Sean Black put me firmly in my place.

Finally, I just wanted to touch on the genre of this book. It’s pegged as a thriller and it certainly falls into that category. But some people may say it should fall into Science Fiction. If that’s the case I need to change my standard “I don’t read Science Fiction” line, to “I don’t read Science Fiction, but I do read Sean Black”.

Sean Black has proved that you need nothing and nobody to produce an amazing book, just the talent. For the price of this book (less that £2 on Kindle) you really should give it a try. This was an amazing book that took my breath away and left me with more questions than answers. I sincerely hope that this is the start of what looks to be an amazing series.

The Death Box by J A Kerley (Carson Ryder #10)

My rating: 5/5

 Synopsis: Carson Ryder thought he’d seen everything …

A specialist in twisted crimes, Detective Carson Ryder thought he’d seen the lowest depths of human depravity. But he’s barely started his new job in Miami when called to a horrific scene: a concrete pillar built of human remains, their agony forever frozen in stone.

Finding the secret of the pillar drags him into the sordid world of human trafficking, where one terrified girl holds the key to unravelling a web of pain, prostitution and murder. 

There’s just one problem: Ryder’s not the only one chasing the girl. And the others will kill to keep the secret safe.

My Review:  I’ve been reading about Carson Ryder since around the halfway mark with book 5 (this is book 10 in the series). Carson Ryder books are incredibly readable (if you know what I mean). They may not be books that have a major impact at the time, but there is something about this series which keeps me (and plenty of others) coming back for more.  This book however is by far my favourite and was an absolutely fantastic read. Carson is a pretty cool character and his old partner Harry was also a favourite of mine. However, Carson has moved on and is now in a new town down in the Florida Keys. It almost has a ‘fresh start’ feel to it, which certainly makes the book seem fresh even though this is now the tenth book in the series.

With Harry no longer by his side, I wondered whether anybody else would make an appearance. Sure enough when Carson gets drafted into a new Specialist team he is paired up with the least likely of people. Ziggy Gershwin appears to be a nerdy college type of kid that initially seems fresh out of nappies. Thankfully the pairing worked brilliantly and I found myself hoping this is the start of a new pairing. Carson and Ziggy end up getting drafter into a case that takes them into the very dark world of human trafficking. The bad guys were suitably bad, the storyline twisted enough to keep you turning the pages, and the characters are now so real to me I feel like I need to meet them!!!

Something seems to have shifted with this latest book and it’s all good. If you haven’t read any of the previous books, although not necessary I think it helps give you the background of Carson and his brother Jeremy. I can’t say too much (for fear of spoilers), but for those who have kept up with the series, we only see Jeremy for the briefest time. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that Jack Kerley has special things planned for book 11! I find it hard to believe that many people haven’t heard of J A Kerley, and if you are one of those people, yu may want to take notice. Kerley is a very talented author who has created a fantastic series that keeps you interested. The storylines are all great and there is no ‘padding things out’ just for the sake of word count. I am so pleased that I am up to date with the series and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. A brilliant read that I didn’t want to put down.

Shiver by Karen Robards

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My Rating: 5/5

Released: January 2013 available in paperback and Kindle

Synopis: When she swore off love, he was the last man she imagined would steal her heart.

If driving a tow truck through the seediest part of town with a gun beside her means putting a roof over her son’s head; then single mother Samantha is going to be the best repossession woman on the books. But when she hooks her truck up to a flashy BMW, the last thing she expects is to find a beaten, bloody man in the trunk – or to be catapulted into a terrifying fight to survive.

Daniel knows the drug runners who kidnapped him from protective custody will stop at nothing to see him dead. With his life on the line, his only option is to take his pretty saviour hostage and force her to help him. 

Sam and her four-year-old son are in too deep. With ruthless killers on their trail, she must reluctantly trust this handsome, menacing stranger. And as Sam relinquishes control, she feels an unmistakable desire. But what is the price of falling for a man who operates on the edge of danger – her heart, her life . . . or both?

My Review: I admit it, I had never heard of Karen Robards (shameful I know) and the only thing that caught my eye was the cover. I as once again ploughing through hundreds of books trying to work out how long things had been there and the cover just caught my eye and that was all it took! I read the synopsis and thought I’d give it a go. I can safely say that I’m VERY glad that I bothered to put it to one side.

The book is based around Sam and her four year old son Tyler. Sam is struggling to make ends meet and is subsequently working as a Repo driver. Although that involves driving in the seediest parts of town when her son is in bed, she doesn’t care as it pays for the roof over their head. Her first job of the night should have been a straightforward one. As with any great story, that small detail is the start of a rather bizarre nightmare Sam gets dragged into. What she finds is a man beaten and shot, in the trunk of the flashy BMW.

I guess at this point I was only a few chapters in and I was already hooked. The writing style and type of book this is, reminded me of Karen Rose (who I am a fan of). From that point in the book, Sam goes from being on the outside, to being taken hostage by Daniel in a fight to protect not only him but her and her son. It’s harder than this to detail too much of the storyline as it would become a spoiler, but suffice to say there is more to Daniel than meets the eye.

One thing I need to point out is that this is classed as a ROMANTIC SUSPENSE! FYI there WILL be romance in it! It drives me crazy when I see people complain that books like these aren’t on the right genre blah, blah, Blah! This book is ultimately a suspense/thriller. It does however (much like Karen Rose books) have a rather large portion of romance and steamy scenes going on! (no complaints from me, I love a bit of romance). With the romance aside, this is a very fast paced and action packed thriller that had me reading quickly. I was astonished to find myself at the last chapter on the same day I started it.

Overall I was incredibly happy to have read this and will now find the other 2 books of hers I have and bump them up my ‘to read’ pile. For fans of Karen Rose, if you haven’t read Karen Robards I think you should try her.