Tag: RATED 5/5

DEADLY CRY BY ANGELA MARSONS (KIM STONE #13)

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Synopsis: You have to stop me from hurting anyone else. I don’t want to do these horrible things. Help me before I’m forced to do it again. And I will do it again because I have no choice. I’ve never had a choice.
 
In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina’s body is discovered in an abandoned building. For Detective Kim Stone, it looks like a quick, functional murder. But Kim’s instincts tell her there’s more to this senseless murder than meets the eye. What was the motive for killing a young mother out shopping with her child?
 
Days later, a second victim is found in a local park, her neck broken just like Katrina’s and her six-year-old son missing.
 
But with her colleague, Detective Stacey Wood, working on another unsolved crime and a member of the team grieving the loss of a close relative, Kim is struggling to make inroads on what is fast becoming a complex case. And when a handwritten letter from the killer lands on Kim’s desk addressed to her, and pleading for help, she knows time is running out to bring the little boy home alive.
 
With the support of a handwriting analyst and profiler, Kim and the team begin to get inside the mind of the killer and make a shocking discovery.
 
Some of the victims have scratch marks on their wrists.
 
But these are no random scratches. The killer is using them to communicate with someone. The question is… with whom?
 
And if Kim doesn’t find them soon, another innocent soul will die.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I am well and truly back into this series and frankly cannot see me taking a break until I am up to date! Book 13 was just as thrilling as book 12 and if anything slightly better in my humble opinion. I am not going to pretend I am not a fan of this series, but I can still be honest if I don’t enjoy a book as much (fan or no fan) but I am secretly thrilled that so far both books 12 and 13 have been absolute bangers! I know some people just pick up books and read them irrelevant of series order, but in my eyes that’s a shocking way to read these books featuring Kim Stone.
 
Kim herself and her absolute lack of social skills is what makes her SUCH a likeable character, her team that we see supporting her with Bryant, Stacey, Penn (my new favourite) along with her boss Woody. The latest murder case they are working on is nothing short of odd, it seems to be a murder without motive. There is something decidedly creepy with this book and to be fair even though I thought I had it figured out, turns out I didn’t have it all worked out!
 
I don’t want to rehash the actual plotline as that could be seen as a spoiler for some but what I will say is that this is a brilliant example of a police procedural with cracking characters that will draw you in to want to read more. I am thrilled I am back reading about Stone and the team and am now off to start book 14! Do yourself a favour and go back to the beginning of this series as this gives you a real insight into the characters and team along the way!

KILLING MIND BY ANGELA MARSONS (KIM STONE #12)

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Synopsis: It had seemed so simple. Get in, get the information, get out. But now they were getting inside her mind and she didn’t know how to stop them…
 
When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide.
 
But a visit to Samantha’s parents rings alarm bells for Kim – there’s something they’re not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.
 
Then a young man’s body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.
 
Beneath the retreat’s cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.
 
Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it’s Kim’s only hope if she is to catch a killer – someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted.
 
With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim’s neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: DAMN!!! I forgot how much I loved Angela Marson’s series featuring Kim Stone. I can tell you now I see a long binge read to catch myself up in this series (you can see where the next 4 or 5 reviews will be headed!). Catching up with DI Kim Stone and her colleagues was like dropping back into your local. It took me no time at to reacquaint myself with all her colleagues such as Bryant, Stacey and Penn and within a few chapters it felt like I hadn’t been away! It starts with a bang as Kim is called to the death of Samantha Brown which is ruled as a suicide. However, it soon becomes apparent that it’s not a suicide and there is a lot more going on.
 
When another body turns up and then they link a supposed cult to the people it becomes a whole lot more interesting. With a place called Unity Farm supposedly being a wellness retread and not a cult, Kim and the team are determined to get answers so they send in their colleague Stacey. Oh god, this book was a great one to get back into the series as there was so much going on! Not only the story itself but an additional thread of a story featuring Bryant and an old case he worked on. All of the team members are interweaved into the story with us getting a glimpse into all of their personal lives. I read this is a record one day and absolutely loved it. Straight onto book 13 for me, and a series I would highly recommend with this book being a brilliant example!

SIN’S OF THE FATHER BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #2)

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Synopsis: What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?
 
Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.
 
But the past is the past or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.
 
When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Having never read Sherly Browne this is my second book by her following straight on from Book 1 featuring Matthew Adams. After the drama of book 1, I wondered how thrilling this second book would be, I was NOT prepared for it to be just as good as the first. With Patrick Sullivan gone from Matthews life he is trying to move on but there is somebody intent on making sure that doesn’t happen. IN all honesty you don’t need to know the minutiae of the storyline because I didn’t and it made it all the more thrilling.
 
What I will say is that I read this book even quicker than the last one and the storyline was absolutely fabulous. The beginning of the story kicks off a nightmare scenario for Matthew and Sheryl Browne then keeps her foot firmly on the metal and the story never let up pace for a second. We see the return of Rebecca, Ashley and Steve all brilliant characters and although I don’t want to give away spoiler’s in terms of storylines I don’t think you would be disappointed. I am thrilled I made myself read my older books as I am absolutely loving these ones and as soon as this book is done I am moving straight onto book 3! An absolute corker of a book and this and the last one I would highly recommend reading in order!

AFTER SHE’S GONE BY SHERYL BROWNE (MATTHEW ADAMS #1)

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Synopsis: He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
 
There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable.
 
When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.
But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: WOW! I am SO annoyed at myself. These books have been sitting on my Kindle for 5 long years but in my extreme effort to not be swayed by new releases I am slowly making my way through my older books and now I am SO pleased that I made that choice. Sherly Browne is an author I have seen around for a while and keep meaning to read her stuff so decided to go back and start with this series of books featuring Matthew Adams. Well, I was NOT prepared to get stuck into not one but all three of these books! Matthew Adams is copper that cares about people, however he has his own personal misery going on. Patrick Sullivan is the bad guy here and as a drug dealer and pimp that is bad enough but when you realise he was responsible for the death of Matthew’s daughter it changes the game.
 
Matthew is a very likeable character but it’s clear that he (like any parent I imagine) is struggling after the death of his daughter. Patrick Sullivan is a man that is firmly on his police radar but even more so on his personal radar. Matthew’s colleague Steve was also a brilliant character that I hope I get to see in the follow on books. In addition to Matthew his wife Rebecca is a mainstay in the story. Matthew and Rebecca decide to take on his niece Ashley as Matthew’s sister is struggling with addiction. The story becomes very ramped up very quickly as Matthew comes up against Patrick in a very dangerous situation.
 
Overall I read this book in two straight sittings and absolutely loved it. It was fast paced and edgy with great characters and a strong storyline. It was so good I wasted no time and dove straight into book 2. A brilliant book by Sheryl Browne and I really hope the next one is just as good. Highly recommended.

FEARLESS BY JESSIE KEANE

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Synopsis: PLAY DIRTY. PLAY TO WIN.
 
From the top ten bestselling author Jessie Keane comes a gripping thriller featuring two women who will do anything to win the man they love.
 
Josh Flynn is the king of the bare-knuckle gypsy fighters. His reputation is un-blemished; his fist a deadly weapon.
 
Claire Milo has always loved Josh, they were destined to be together from the day they met. Two gypsy lovers with their whole lives ahead of them. If only Josh would find a different way of earning a living instead of knocking the living daylights out of another man in the boxing ring. One day, she knew something really bad was going to happen. She could feel it . . .
 
Shauna Everett always wanted what she couldn’t have, and nobody, especially Claire Milo was going to stand in her way. She’s had her eye on Josh Flynn for years and she knew just how to get him. If it meant playing dirty, then so be it. What had she got to lose?
 
In a world ruled by violence, crime and backstreet brawls, only one woman will win in Jessie Keane’s Fearless, but how low is she prepared to go to achieve that goal?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: WOW! It’s been too long since I read a Jessie Keane book and luckily for me this one was sitting in my unread. I hadn’t read the synopsis before starting so had no clue what to expect. What I didn’t expect was an absolute belter of a book that had me reading into the early hours. Claire Milo and Josh Flynn are young teenagers who are part of the travelling community. They are head over heels in love and plan on marrying. However Josh is being touted as the King of the bare knuckle boxers and Claire loathes this part of his life. Shauna Everett is the same age as Claire and has her eyes set firmly on the prize of Josh Flynn all for herself.
 
This story stretched from the 1970s until present day and boy did it pack a punch. I don’t want to say too much about the storyline as you just need to read the stories of these three people and their extended family. I had NO idea where the story was gong I just knew I wanted to go along for the ride. Shauna is a character you just love to loathe and as for Josh I wasn’t sure how I felt about his as the story progressed. What I do know is that Jessie Keane TELLS a story, you don’t just read a book, you almost become ingrained into their lives and this is (IMO) what makes her such an amazing author. I never tire of her writing, characters and storylines. This book I must say is one I absolutely loved and would have no problem in recommending. I can’t wait to see if I have anything else left by this author to read, and if not then roll on a new book!

DEATH IS NOT ENOUGH BY KAREN ROSE (BALTIMORE #6)

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Synopsis: When you’re after revenge… death is not enough.
Gwyn Weaver is as resilient as anyone could be. Having survived an attempted murder, she has rebuilt her life and reclaimed her dignity and strength. She’s always known about her feelings for defence attorney Thomas Thorne, but as her friend and a colleague there could be no chance of anything more… or could there?
 
Thorne has known violence and pain all his life. He’s overcome the hardships thanks to his own steel, and the love of his loyal friends. Now he’s thinking it might finally be time to let his guard down, and allow himself to let in the woman he’s always admired from afar.
 
Then Thorne’s whole world is torn apart – he is found unconscious in his own bed, the lifeless body of a stranger lying next to him, her blood on his hands. Knowing Thorne could never have committed such a terrible crime, Gwyn and his friends rally round to clear his name.
 
But this is just the beginning – the beginning of a brutal campaign to destroy Thorne, and everything he holds dear…
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I absolutely LOVED this book and was so sad to end it as I know this is the sixth and final book in this series. Having said that, the course has naturally run it’s course and was SO enjoyable and it leaves me time to move onto other Karen Rose books. This last book mostly features Thomas Thorne who takes the lead as his worst nightmare comes back to haunt him. He wakes in his bed with a woman lifeless next to him and blood everywhere. Gwyn Weaver, Thorn’s business partner. was the one to find him and even though she herself has survived a horrendous ordeal she is determined to help Thorne find out what happened.
 
This book can be read as a standalone but it is SO much better when read as part of the series. I actually wish I had read all 6 books back to back as every one has been a fabulous book to read and this last installment is no exception. We see the return of all the characters in this series and as per the standard when one person is in danger that naturally means that they are all in the firing line. There was so much action packed into this as well as romance, family, friends, laughter and tears. At over 620 pages this is not a short read but I feel like this was a well balanced book and it didn’t feel that long at all. Another brilliant read by Karen Rose and a series I would highly recommend!
 
1. You Belong to Me (2011)
2. No One Left to Tell (2012)
3. Did You Miss Me? (2012)
3.5. Broken Silence (2013)
4. Watch Your Back (2013)
5. Monster In The Closet (2017)
6. Death Is Not Enough (2018)

MONSTER IN THE CLOSET BY KAREN ROSE (BALTIMORE 5)

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Synopsis: A mother is dead, and now her killer hunts the child that witnessed the brutal crime…
Private Investigator Clay Maynard locates missing children for clients, but has nearly given up hope of finding his own daughter, cruelly stolen from him by his ex-wife twenty-three years ago.
 
Equine therapist Taylor Dawson has chosen to intern at Daphne Montgomery-Carter’s stables so that she can observe the program’s security director – her father, Clay Maynard. Trying to reconcile the wonderful man she’s getting to know with the monster her mother always described, Taylor never expects to become the target of a real monster, the man who murdered the mother of the little girls she works with at the stable. Neither does she expect to fall for Ford Elkhart, Daphne’s handsome son, who is dealing with his own demons. As family and friends gather for a wedding, Taylor starts to imagine a permanent life in Baltimore.
 
But not if the real monster gets to her first…
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I have read so many of Karen Rose books that I sometimes lose track of what series I have and haven’t read so was thrilled when I came across this and realised I had read up to book 4 so got stuck in and boy am I glad I did. This series of book sis about a group of people who are friends and they all seen to get a book in the series so it’s easy to pick them up as standalones. However, once I was a few chapters in all the familiar people were re-introduced to me and I felt like I hadn’t been away. The opener of this book is shocking but gripping all at the same time. A young girl Jazzie comes home from school and finds her Mother dead on the floor. What is worse is that the killer is still there so Jazzie hides. When the police investigate Jazzie clams up and refuses to speak while they hunt for her Mother killer.
 
Jazzie and her sister are put into a therapy programme where they are riding horses and that centre is run by one of the clan of people that are featured in this series. A new young woman named Taylor is working at the therapy centre as an intern but what everybody doesn’t realise is that she is there to find out about her Father and that will have huge repercussions for everybody! This book had me gripped from the first to the last page and I absolutely loved it. I was so pleased that I went straight out and brought book 6 in the series as I needed to know where everybody was now. And absolutely brilliant book and an even better series!

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE BY PAIGE TOON

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Synopsis: HOW DO YOU FIND WHERE YOU’RE GOING, IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE FROM?
 
Angie has always wanted to travel. But at twenty-seven, she has barely stepped outside the small mining town where she was born. Instead, she discovers the world through stories told to her by passing travellers, dreaming that one day she’ll see it all for herself.
 
When her grandmother passes away, leaving Angie with no remaining family, she is ready to start her own adventures. Then she finds a letter revealing the address of the father she never knew, and realises instantly where her journey must begin: Italy.
 
As Angie sets out to find the truth – about her family, her past and who she really is – will mysterious and reckless Italian Alessandro help guide the way?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: It’s been way too long since I read a PT book so I am playing catch up and the synopsis of this caught my eye. Angie lives in Australia and has big dreams of travelling the world. Sadly she is actually pretty sheltered and spends her time caring for her Grandmother. When her Grandmother passes away Angie is given a huge opportunity and she is determined to take the chance with both hands. Angie is unravelling elements to her life and additional family she knew nothing about so her first port of call is Italy.
 
PT has a wonderful knack of being so beautifully descriptive with places that you are transported for the ride too as a reader. Angie is a lovely character and as she discovers parts of herself and her life she knew nothing about you can see her growing as a person before your very eyes. Having read a fair few heavy crime thrillers lately this was a fabulous read that really took me out of the depressing dark places of those kind of books and took me on holiday! I managed to knock this book out in two sittings as it was so enjoyable. Going back to tried and tested authors that you know and love is a lovely feeling when you need a certain kind of book for your mood. A real pick me up book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

LYING BESIDE YOU BY MICHAEL ROBOTHAM (CYRUS HAVEN #3)

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Synopsis:Twenty years ago, Cyrus Haven’s family was murdered and only he and his brother survived. Cyrus because he hid. Elias because he was the killer.
 
Now Elias is being released from a secure psychiatric hospital and Cyrus, a forensic psychologist, must decide if he can forgive the man who destroyed his childhood.
 
As he prepares for the homecoming, Cyrus is called to a crime scene in Nottingham. A man is dead and his daughter, Maya, is missing. Then a second woman is abducted. The only witness is Evie Cormac, a troubled teenager with a gift for knowing when people are lying.
 
Both missing women have dark secrets that Cyrus must unravel to find them – and he and Evie know how the past can come back to haunt you . . .
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I absolutely love this series and was looking forward to catching up with Cyrus and Evie. What I would say is that if you haven’t read the first two books I would advise you do. It certainly gives you the background on these two characters and explains a lot about their current situation. The story focuses on Cyrus brother Elias potentially being released from the secure hospital he is currently residing at. The other element of the story surrounds a dead man being found and the search for his missing daughter.
 
Evie is such a complex character but alongside Cyrus their strange and unorthodox relationship makes for compulsive reading. Evie is living with Cyrus as a lodger and decides to dip her toe into the world of work getting herself a job collecting glasses at a bar. What she doesn’t count on is being dragged into the case by being the last witness to see the missing woman alive.
 
I don’t want to expand on the storyline for fear of spoilers but the storyline as always is completely engaging from the first to the last page. I feel like we are getting to see Evie grow up and learn how to live like a normal person her age does. Alongside her Cyrus remains steadfastly single and dedicated to his job and looking after both his brother and Evie. I read this in two straight sittings and as soon as I was finished I wanted to read another. Disappointingly I have to probably wait the best part of a year for the next book. A brilliant book which I loved and would highly recommend.

MOONLIGHT OVER MUDDLEFORD COVE BY KIM NASH

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Synopsis: When thirty-four-year-old Nellie Wagstaff loses her job and discovers her fiancé is a cheating scumbag, she feels like her world has come crashing down. And that’s before the solicitor’s letter, informing her of her Aunty Lil‘s death.
 
Heartbroken, Nellie escapes to the beautiful seaside town of Muddleford in Dorset, where she discovers she’s inherited her aunt’s beach house, along with a gorgeous beach hut just for starters and finally meets the mysterious Norman who stole her Aunty Lil’s heart. Childhood memories of Muddleford come flooding back: long hot summers, the sea glistening beyond the sandy cove… and a stolen kiss with a boy called Jack.
 
Jack, now a devilishly handsome vet, has the local pet owners swooning over him, and as Nellie and he become close once more, and she gets used to gossiping with the locals and sipping wine at her beach hut with sand between her toes, she’s sure she can feel sparks flying once more. But just as she thinks she might be able to open her heart again, her newest frenemy, the glamorous Natalia, tells her a secret about Jack that changes everything.
 
Nellie will never know why her mother and aunt parted ways. She’ll sell the house, forget about Jack, and get back to real life. Because there’s nothing for her in Muddleford… is there?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Seeing as I read a lot of crime, thriller and mystery books I love to break it up with a good romantic or funny book, and when I realised I had the new Kim Nash book on my Kindle I was thrilled. A little bit of escapism was just what I needed. However I didn’t realise how much I would love this book. Nellie Wagstaff in the first chapter seems a little bit of a pushover if I’m being honest. However after the first few chapters I just fell in love with her. Nellie starts the day by having a job, a boyfriend, a wedding to plan and a house she shares with that boyfriend Callum. By the end of the day she has lost her job and her boyfriend and has no idea what to do. Her best friend Shivani (who I absolutely adored) is the one person who has her back while she wallows in her extremely bad fortune and figures out what she needs to do next.
 
When she receives a letter from a solicitor informing her of the death of her Auntie Lil she is in shock, however decides to go down to Dorest to speak with the solicitors. When she realises that her Auntie Lil has left her estate solely to Nellie she is in shock. She has to decide where her life goes from here and whether she decides to stay in a place she loved as a child and maybe get back in touch with her oldest friend from childhood.
 
This story is like a hot cup of tea and cake on a miserable and rainy day. I absolutely loved everything about it. The characters, the setting (Muddleford Cove sounds amazing), the story and everything in-between. Kim Nash is fast becoming the author in this genre I turn to, on the miserable days I need cheering up. Thoroughly recommend this book and this author if you love this genre.