REVIEW: Memorial Park by Louisa Scarr

Memorial Park (PC Lucy Halliday #2) by Louisa Scarr

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural

Read: 11th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 6th February 2025

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Every family’s worst nightmare…

Three-year-old Rosie Logan is missing. Her mother, Maria, turned away for just one moment and now her life is changed forever. It falls to PC Lucy Halliday and her police dogs, Moss and Iggy, to find the girl, under the direction of Lucy's boss and friend, DCI Jack Ellis.

The case brings up old trauma for Jack. His childhood best friend, Theo, went missing when he was eleven and was never found. This is Jack’s chance to make things right. He won’t fail Rosie like he failed Theo.

But the investigation doesn’t go smoothly. The Logan family have been keeping secrets. And every time Lucy and Jack think they’re making progress, they’re hampered by yet another one. Can they find the truth, and Rosie, before it’s too late?

The next thrilling instalment in the new British crime fiction series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday. Perfect for fans of Jane Casey, Robert Bryndza and Cara Hunter.

MY THOUGHTS:

I didn't know this was part of a series when I requested this book but it didn't matter anyway as it can easily be read as a standalone. There's several references to past cases and the like but whether they took place in the first book or are just the backstory for this one I don't know. Either way, it makes an enjoyable foray into crime fiction...even when I'd shelved the idea of any more police procedurals. This one was different. It has dogs.

PC Lucy Halliday is called to Memorial Park on the morning of Valentine's Day. Three year old Rosie Logan has gone missing and her mother Maria is frantic with worry having taken her eyes off her little girl for just a few minutes when a phone call dragged her attention away. A passerby noticed Maria's distress and calls 999 whilst Maria frantically searches and calls out for Rosie. 

The police soon arrive, Lucy and her dogs Iggy and Moss in attendance, to help search the surrounding area for the little girl. But very few clues are found. The investigation leads them to the family - mother Maria, father Tony and brother Eddie - but the deeper they dig, more questions are thrown up. And it appears the family are hiding more secrets than they are telling.

DCI Jack Ellis takes over investigations when it's clear that the on site SIO hasn't got a clue. But then the waters muddy when a cold case rears its head involving Jack and questions are soon raised. What happened to 11 year old Theo in the summer of 1994? And what has Rosie's disappearance got to do with Theo's?

This book maybe 390 pages long but it certainly didn't feel like it. The chapters are short and snappy, keeping the pace moving along nicely. I love the central characters - Lucy, Jack, Pete, Amrit, Fran - but don't much care for the family of the missing girl. The style is easy and the pace is steady throughout without bogging us down with too much procedural. I think I am going to like Louisa Scarr. I shall definitely have to try the first book "Gallows Wood" which I note is recommended.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read with crime and dogs! As a dog lover, I'm all for a procedural series featuring police dogs - why there aren't more, I don't know! And I can't wait to read more.

I would like to thank #LouisaScarr, #Netgalley and #CaneloCrime for an ARC of #MemorialPark in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Louisa Scarr studied psychology at the University of Southampton and has lived in and around the city ever since. She is a full time writer, and when she's not at her desk, she can be found pounding the streets in running shoes or swimming in muddy lakes.

She is the author of the Butler and West crime series, published by Canelo Crime, beginning with Last Place You Look and ending with Out of the Ashes. A new series, about a police dog handler, launched in July 2024 with Gallows Wood. The second, Memorial Park, is out now and will be followed by Broken House in October.

She also writes as Sam Holland and is the author of the award-winning Major Crimes series, following detectives as they investigate murders committed by brutal serial killers in the south of England. The latest, The Countdown Killer, is out now.

Her DS Kate Munro series, Ask Me No Questions and Nowhere to be Found, have been republished by Canelo Crime. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Close Your Eyes by Teresa Driscoll

Close Your Eyes by Teresa Driscoll

Genre: Psychological thriller, Crime thriller

Read: 26th June 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 1st January 2025

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Finding missing children is Matthew’s job—but this time it’s his own daughter who’s disappeared.

When private investigator Matthew Hill picks up the call from his wife, Sally, his world comes crashing down. Their eight-year-old daughter, Amelie, is missing. One second, she was there, the next, she was gone.

It’s the very nightmare they’ve been dreading. Long ago, Matthew left the force after a woman blamed him for her son’s death, promising that he too would one day feel her pain. It’s a threat that’s hung over his family ever since, and now it’s Amelie’s picture on the news.

Matthew knows how these things go—the longer their daughter is missing, the less hope there is of finding her alive.

As the clock ticks and a canal is searched, he and Sally must reckon with their greatest fear…

MY THOUGHTS:

Finding missing people is Matthew’s job...but this time it’s his own daughter who’s disappeared...

I was drawn into this story from very first page. Having followed each of Teresa Driscoll's thrillers in which Matthew Hill features, I was keen to see where this one would take us. Usually he is on the periphery of each story as an investigator but this time he takes centre stage as his daughter suddenly goes missing.

The book opens up right away with Matthew's wife Sally in town shopping with their eight year old daughter Amelie before a birthday party that afternoon. Amelie sees a dress she wants to try but Sally, knowing how pressed for time they are, refuses promising they'll try it next time. Then as she is steering Amelie out of the dress shop, Sally's phone rings with bad news; she's done herself an injury and can't run the girls to the party - can Sally do it instead? After grabbing the details quickly, sure she's just been a few minutes, hangs up and turns to hurry Amelie along when she sees the space she had been just moments before empty.

Sally is frantic and begins running around calling for Amelie. Passersby notice her distress and begin searching along with her. Maybe Amelie went back to try on the dress but when she goes back to look for her in the dressing rooms, Amelie is not there. She is nowhere to be seen. She is frantic. Where is she? Has she just wandered off, impatient with waiting? Or has someone taken her baby girl?

The police are duly called by one of those helping Sally search as Sally phones Matthew who is currently seeing a new client. When he gets Sally's frantic message, he ends the meeting abruptly and races off to his wife's aid. He calls in a favour with his former colleague and friend DI Mel Sanders, now in Cornwall, and upon hearing the news, drops everything to head to Devon and head up the investigation into Amelie's disappearance.

Despite thorough searches and background checks into past threats made against Matthew, no trace of Amelie could be found. The CCTV behind the shop in which Sally and her daughter were was covered with a plastic bag. A prank or for nefarious purposes? Whatever CCTV there, Amelie could not be located on any of them. The police are stumped with no leads. And so the divers are brought in to search the nearby canal - just to rule it out. And instead find a body in its murky depths. But is it Amelie?

There is a lot going on in this tale as the search continues for the missing girl and police follow up the few leads they have...or search for clues for other potential leads. They look into Matthew's past cases as police officer and a private investigator to see if anyone bore him a grudge, besides the obvious they were quick to follow up. Usually Driscoll's books are thrillers as such with no real police investigation, except maybe Mel passing something on to Matthew for one of his PI cases. So in that way this was different as we did have a lot more police procedural.

I was fully invested until we got to Part Two. Then things started to go off piste a tad and I wondered how and why it all factored in. There was more to this side of the story that had me rolling my eyes - not so much in disbelief but sheer frustration in why must people lump religion with crazies? It happens, I know, but really it seems that it just makes a good scapegoat sometimes.

I had high hopes for this book given the different course it was taking Matthew on but the one it took us on was in some ways a little long-winded and I didn't care for the scapegoat material. I didn't even believe the reason behind the abduction - that was a little too far fetched. The finale was a little anti-climatic and the ending satisfactory enough. I'm a huge fan of her previous thrillers but a little disappointed in this one, in the end.

But in all, it was still a good read, just not one of Driscoll's best. I will, however, be looking out for more from her as it seems like it's been a while since I've read her.

I would like to thank #TeresaDriscoll, #Netgalley and #AmazonPublishing for an ARC of #CloseYourEyes in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Teresa Driscoll is a former BBC TV news presenter whose psychological thrillers have sold over two million copies in more than 20 languages. Her first thriller  was kindle #1 in the UK, USA and Australia and has sold more than a million copies in English alone.

Teresa writes women’s fiction as well as thrillers and her work has been optioned for film.

During her long career as a journalist, Teresa worked for newspapers, magazines and television, including 15 years presenting the BBC TV news programme Spotlight. Covering crime for so long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on the relatives, the friends and the witnesses and it is those ripples she explores now in her darker fiction.

Teresa lives in glorious Devon with her family and blogs regularly about her “writing life” at her website

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Dead at First Sight by Peter James

Dead at First Sight (Roy Grace #15) by Peter James

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural

Read: 10th November 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th May 2019

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

You don’t know me, but I thought I knew you . . .

A man waits at a London airport for Ingrid Ostermann, the love of his life, to arrive. Across the Atlantic, a retired NYPD cop waits in a bar in Florida’s Key West for his first date with the lady who is, without question, his soulmate. The two men are about to discover they’ve been scammed out of almost every penny they have in the world – and that neither women exist.

Meanwhile, a wealthy divorcée plunges, in suspicious circumstances, from an apartment block in Munich. In the same week, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to investigate the suicide of a woman in Brighton, that is clearly not what it seems. As his investigations continue, a handsome Brighton motivational speaker comes forward. He’s discovered his identity is being used to scam eleven different women, online. The first he knew of it was a phone call from one of them, out of the blue, saying, ‘You don’t know me, but I thought I knew you’.

That woman is now dead.

Roy Grace realizes he is looking at the tip of an iceberg. A global empire built on clever, cruel internet scams and the murder of anyone who threatens to expose them.

MY THOUGHTS:

You don't know me...but I thought I knew you...

This is my first foray into reading Roy Grace, though my first was actually Sandy's Story "They Thought I Was Dead". I fell in love with the TV series and while I have way too many books on my TBR list I just went and added Roy Grace because he is just so lovely. Nothing at all like detectives that we normally come across. So maybe this wasn't the best book to begin with but as I have seen all four series so far and I read that this is one of those they are adapting in Season 5, it intrigued me so I thought I would begin with it. Some of the characters revisit with us, such as Tooth, the contract killer that has eluded Grace on a number of occasions...no thanks to his superior ACC Cassian Pewe, who is just as detestable here as on TV.

There are soooo many characters in this one that does make it hard to keep up with them. But I love James' short snappy chapters which helps keep the pace moving and at over 500 pages, that is some feat! I can't compare it to previous Grace mysteries as I have yet to read them. But what intrigued me was the romance fraud storyline scamming lonely vulnerable people online.

We meet Johnny Fordwater, retired Major with the British army who was widowed four years previously, who waits in the arrival lounge at Gatwick Airport, awaiting the love of his life Ingrid Ostermann who is due to arrive from Munich at any moment. In his arms is a ridiculously oversized bouquet of pink roses as she had said they were her favourite. 

Across the Atlantic, retired NYPD cop Matt Sorokin sits in a dive of a bar awaiting his true love Evelyne with whom he'd arranged to meet after arriving from Sao Paolo. He had booked the honeymoon suite in a nearby hotel with petals scattered over the bed spelling out her name. He can't wait to meet her.

In Brighton, Toby Seward is cooking up a storm for his husband when he receives a phone call from a Suzy Driver who claims that she, along with ten other women, are in love with him - or rather the man they thought he was though with different names.

Also what does a murdered woman in Munich have to do with a suspected suicide in Brighton?

This book is jam-packed with lots going on while Grace juggles caseloads from previous investigations as well as what is looking suspiciously like an internet dating scam where innocent people's identities and photos are used to scam lonely vulnerable people out of their life savings. We see the return of contract killer Tooth but will Grace be able to outsmart him once and for all?

Despite its length and complex web of happenings, I still managed to read it in a day...but only just. It is a compelling police procedural that is gritty opening our eyes to the disturbing underworld of cybercrime.

I think going forward I should begin at the beginning with "Dead Simple". Only reason I didn't is because I'd seen all those stories in the TV series. But I think it might be easier to follow from the beginning plus from what other reviewers have said, some say that this isn't as good as previous ones.

Still, a compelling enough read that is intriguing, fast paced and gritty throughout. 

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Peter James (born 22 August 1948) is a British writer of crime. He was born in Brighton, the son of Cornelia James, the former glovemaker to Queen Elizabeth II.

Peter James is an international best-selling crime thriller novelist who has had his books published in 36 languages. His series featuring Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has sold 17 million copies worldwide and has given him eight consecutive UK Sunday Times number ones.

Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger.

During his childhood Peter attended Charterhouse School and then, in later years went on to study at Ravensbourne Film School. As a result of his training there, he travelled to North America, and spent several years as a screenwriter and film producer. It was in 1994 however, that Peter’s name became known worldwide due to the controversial publication by Penguin of his novel, Host, officially “the world’s first electronic novel” on two floppy discs (a far cry from a Kindle!). Peter has since become a media spokesperson for electronic publishing. When he’s not writing his international bestselling stories of Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, Peter has many hobbies, one of which means that Peter holds an international racing licence and often competes in the Britcar Racing Series! 

Peter currently divides his time between his Sussex home, a Victorian Rectory, and his apartment in Notting Hill.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads

REVIEW: Five by Five by Claire Wilson

Five by Five by Claire Wilson

Genre: Crime thrillers, Mystery

Read: 29th September 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 29th August 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

'Tense, chilling and distinctive, this is a one-sitting read' Guardian

'A bloody good read' Val McDermid

----

What if the killer she's hunting turns out to be the woman she's falling for?

Just because the most dangerous criminals in society are caught and locked up, doesn’t mean they stop committing crime.

That’s where Kennedy Allardyce comes in – working in one of Scotland’s toughest prisons, monitoring not just the prisoners, but also the staff.

And she’s just stumbled across her most dangerous foe yet – rumours of a corrupt guard, nicknamed Scout, with lethal influence. And what’s worst, it seems they’ve already realised Kennedy is on their tail.

Despite her growing fear, there is one thing going right for Kennedy. The enigmatic new prison officer Molly is beautiful and ready to sweep her off her feet.

But Kennedy can’t afford to let her guard down. Because with Scout hiding very close by, her next mistake might just be her last . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

Just because the most dangerous criminals in society are caught and locked up, doesn’t mean they stop committing crime...

OK, I admit. I was one of those who thought the book title was in reference to the size of the prison cell but in actual fact it is the nickname for the intelligence reports submitted by officers to the intelligence unit. Something Claire knows a lot about in her job as an intelligence analyst within the Scottish prison service. Now this is not normally my type of book but I opted to read it as I'm friends with her mum and admittedly, after reading an article about the new release, I was intrigued. So I grabbed myself a copy and I read it in a day. I stayed up in the wee hours of the night just to finish it...and then it ended where it did!

Kennedy Allardyce's job as an intelligence analyst at HMP Forth Valley was meant to be rewarding. Instead it almost gets her killed. She has picked up some intel regarding not just prisoners but the possibility of a corrupt officer on the wing and she will stop at nothing to uncover their identity. But does that also mean at the cost of her life? Is it really worth it? Kennedy thinks so, much to the annoyance of her ex-girlfriend/best friend Ellie with whom she still shares a flat.

And then Kennedy meets Molly, an officer on one of the wings. But Kennedy doesn't mix business with pleasure (though she states it a little less eloquently a few times) and yet that still doesn't stop her from getting involved with Molly. But almost from the outset Kennedy is suspicious. Why is Molly suddenly paying her so much attention? And what role does Molly play on the wing that houses some of the most violent offenders? Worst of all, Kennedy thinks she's falling for this woman who could well be her downfall?

Suited and booted with lashings of violence, corruption and with a taste of "Line of Duty", this debut which is the first in the series (of which there are to be eight, I believe) packs a hell of a punch and is not for the fainthearted. Not a fan of the excessive language, though I know that's all in a day's work at a prison, and the cliffhanger ending left me feeling a little off kilter. I'm not a fan of cliffhanger endings as I prefer everything resolved (even in series) and also usually when the next book comes out I've forgotten where the previous one ended. But then, I remember the makers of Line of Duty left fans hanging as to the identity of The Caddy for three seasons which spread over about four years! I hope we don't have to wait that long to find out who Scout is. I have my suspicions so we'll see.

Overall, a cracker of a debut with snappy chapters and a fast pace that kept me turning the pages into the night until I finished it. 

MEET THE AUTHOR:

​

Claire Wilson is a crime writer from central Scotland. Her crime books are based on her day job as an Intelligence Analyst in a Scottish Prison. She loves gritty crime and grew up reading Martina Cole and Stephen King. Her debut novel, Five by Five was previously a finalist in the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing New Voices Award in 2021 and Adventures in Fiction New Voices in 2022. 

 

Claire was picked to pitch her novel at the Pitch Perfect event at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2022.

 

In 2023, Claire won the Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers Prize. Five by Five was published by Penguin Michael Joseph in August 2024.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Instagram

REVIEW: They Thought I Was Dead by Peter James

They Thought I Was Dead: Sandy's Story by Peter James

Genre: Crime thrillers, Mystery

Read: 28th September 2024

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Amazon

Published: 14th May 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Some will know how it begins . . .

Her name is Sandy. You might know her as the loving wife of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

But there's more to her than meets the eye. A woman with a dubious past, a complicated present and

an uncertain future. Then she was gone.

Some will think they know how it ends . . .

Her disappearance caused a nationwide search. Even the best detective on the force couldn't find her.

They thought she was dead.

But nobody knows this . . .

Where did she go? Why did she run? What would cause a woman to leave her whole life behind and

simply vanish?

For the first time, the number one, multi-million copy bestselling author Peter James reveals the

truth behind Sandy Grace's dramatic disappearance. They thought I Was Dead will thrill fans

and new readers alike with its gripping story of a woman on the run. This is Sandy's story.

MY THOUGHTS:

Her name is Sandy...you will know her as the wife of DSP Roy Grace...but there is more to her than meets the eye...

I've known of the Roy Grace series for some time but as I already had loads of books TBR and other series on the go, I never added them to my ever growing list. And then I watched the TV series. And I fell in love with the totally lovely Roy Grace. Apart from the powers that be, the series didn't have the same angst amongst the ranks that others do. And so I went out and got my hands on the entire series which I intend to read (sometime) but I began with Sandy's story. I was interested to see how close it was to the TV adaption and while it correllated with the screen, there were some differences. But I won't spoil it by saying what they were for those who haven't read the book or are up to date with the TV series.

This book is soley Sandy's story and we see very little of Roy so the first question I asked my friend (who has read the series) was "Is Roy as lovely in the books as he is on TV?" and she said that he was. Because the Roy Sandy was describing was just how I knew him from TV. 

As I watched the series, I had so many questions as to what happened to Sandy. Because like the books, viewers got snippets of her, and it made us wanting to know more about her and what happened to her. Did she die? Did she leave him? And if so, why? Roy is so lovely why would she? And thus THEY THOUGHT I WAS DEAD was born. 

Given that this was Sandy's story thought it would be more of a novella, inserted in between books in the rest of the series, but no. It is a full length book of around 400 pages and 113 short(ish) snappy chapters. My favourite kind. The pace was steady in places, fast in others. And as with the rest of the series where we got snippets of Sandy from Roy's perspective, we get Roy from Sandy's.

Having never read a Peter James novel before I wasn't sure what to expect. But I really enjoyed it. I could have slapped Sandy so many times. I think she would have been better off to have stayed as Roy would have remained loyal and stood by her. But on the other side, I think Roy is better off WITHOUT her as she was such a flibbety-jibbet, unsatisfied with her lot in life and thinking the grass was greener elsewhere...only to discover it had always been green where she was. She was fickle and her decision-making left a lot to be desired. Simply put, I wanted to slap her at every opportunity for being so stupid. 

I never liked Sandy...after all, she left Roy! How could she? Because she couldn't hack it as a policeman's wife? Well, she knew what he was when she met and married him. It was hardly going to change. And Roy was devoted to her and balanced his work and home life as best he could. But she wanted more. And although this book throws a little more light on what made her tick, I liked her even less. I actually liked her more in the TV series. This book just made me dislike her even more. Still...the hole she dug herself, which only got bigger as time went on, her fear, her sadness and the questions she kept asking herself kept me turning the pages and hooked throughout.

I'm glad Sandy has had her ending and Roy has finally had closure. My only complaint is that I would have liked to see her actually stand up and stop that wedding. I have never seen someone do that and actually stop a wedding. But as she was legally declared dead already, where did she and Roy stand in that case? Would it have been bigamy as she's still alive? I would have liked to see the questions it would have raised. But...at any rate, we got our ending. As did Sandy. And Roy got closure to that chapter of his life.

Overall, an ominous and entertaining tale that finally gives us insight and answers to what became of Sandy Grace. I can't compare it to other Grace books as I have yet to read them but others have said it is different but still a must read if you are a Grace fan. I can't wait to delve into Roy's story and follow his cases (despite having watched them on TV already).

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Peter James (born 22 August 1948) is a British writer of crime. He was born in Brighton, the son of Cornelia James, the former glovemaker to Queen Elizabeth II.

Peter James is an international best-selling crime thriller novelist who has had his books published in 36 languages. His series featuring Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has sold 17 million copies worldwide and has given him eight consecutive UK Sunday Times number ones.

Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger.

During his childhood Peter attended Charterhouse School and then, in later years went on to study at Ravensbourne Film School. As a result of his training there, he travelled to North America, and spent several years as a screenwriter and film producer. It was in 1994 however, that Peter’s name became known worldwide due to the controversial publication by Penguin of his novel, Host, officially “the world’s first electronic novel” on two floppy discs (a far cry from a Kindle!). Peter has since become a media spokesperson for electronic publishing. When he’s not writing his international bestselling stories of Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, Peter has many hobbies, one of which means that Peter holds an international racing licence and often competes in the Britcar Racing Series! 

Peter currently divides his time between his Sussex home, a Victorian Rectory, and his apartment in Notting Hill.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads

REVIEW: Her Last Goodbye by Carla Kovach

Her Last Goodbye (DI Gina Harte #15) by Carla Kovach

Genre: Crime thriller, Crime fiction

Read: 17th May 2024

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Published: 17th May 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Her small hands tremble and tears run down her cheeks. Shivering in the dark, damp storeroom, the little girl clutches her favourite toy dog. She cries out for help, but nobody answers. Her mother went missing last night and, as dawn breaks, there is still no sign of her.

Four-year-old Cleo shakes with fear as she tells the police that her mother, Darcie, was taken by a man on their way home last night. Darcie told Cleo to run and hide, and the last thing she saw was Darcie being pushed into the back of a car.

When police look into Darcie’s life, they discover a drunken argument with her best friend hours before she went missing, a dark figure seen loitering near where Cleo was found, and a recent assault allegation against a customer at Darcie’s work.

It seems like everyone around the young mother was keeping secrets, but Darcie had a dark secret of her own – one she hasn’t dared tell a soul.

Did Darcie’s deadly past finally catch up with her? And will she find the strength to fight for her life and keep her promise to return for her beloved daughter?

If you enjoy reading Angela Marsons, J M Dalgliesh and Mark Edwards then you’ll absolutely love this addictive page-turner.

MY THOUGHTS:

She thought she was safe...she was wrong...

Gina's back. This time with missing mother Darcie kidnapped in front of her four year old daughter Cleo. The little girl is able to describe in fairly good detail what happened but is scared the "bogeyman" will return for her. Then when a finger is found, Gina is resigned to the fact that this means there is another missing woman out there too.

Within a few days, soon after questioning her, Darcie's friend Shannon is abducted from outside her place of work with yet another finger to be found. And then an emaciated woman nearing death is found...and Gina is left wondering is this the other missing woman?

Nothing about this case makes sense to Gina and her team though they work tirelessly investigating the past and the present surrounding each of their victims and wondering how they are all linked. Can Gina find the person behind these abductions before they take another...or before someone dies?

Another great crime thriller from Carla Kovach in the Gina Harte series. I can't believe this is book 15! Where did that time go?

A multilayered story with great characters and a riveting plot. I had no idea who the villain was or how the prologue fitted into the present day crime. But this was another pageturner, to be sure.

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerLastGoodbye in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. She started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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REVIEW: The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards

The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 13th April 2024

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Amazon

Published: 16th April 2024

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In this chilling thriller from the bestselling author of Keep Her Secret, if you don’t take your dark secrets to the grave, maybe they’ll take you there first…

Calvin finally owns the bakery of his dreams, in an idyllic village in the Lake District. After reluctantly following his wife Vicky’s advice to promote it on social media, he’s thrilled when a viral clip makes him a legend overnight. But then the creepy DMs start flooding in—all from a stranger who claims she’s his biggest fan.

Meanwhile, a local recluse is found on a nearby beach, buried to his neck and left to drown, and the community goes into shock. Why would anyone want him dead? And who exactly was he? Detective Imogen Evans, new to the Lake District, is under pressure to find out before the killer strikes again.

As the murder hunt gathers pace, Calvin’s obsessive admirer turns up right on cue after his assistant is injured in an accident, and to Vicky’s horror she’s here to stay. As events begin spiralling into darkness, is there anyone in this quiet backwater Calvin can trust—or have his mistakes already put him, and everyone he loves, in terrible danger?

MY THOUGHTS:

If you don’t take your dark secrets to the grave, maybe they’ll take you there first...

I've been a Mark Edwards fan since reading "Follow You Home" and "The Magpies" many moons ago and, while not all his books are my faves, this one is most definitely one of his more compelling and gripping psychological thrillers. I love how he has combined a bit police procedural with the thriller aspect making it a perfect blend of psychological crime fiction.

The prologue opens with a most gruesome discovery on Drigg beach. And if you have ever read a Mark Edwards thriller, you'll know he loves to shock, and this was no different. A somewhat different death to contend with as Detective Imogen Evans, from a couple of previous thrillers, returns to head up the investigation.

Meanwhile in Elderbridge, Calvin Matheson has dreams of owning a successful bakery/cafe. Preferably one to outdo the chain bakery Peggy's to which everyone flocks, leaving Calvin's empty. It was his wife Vicky's idea to go online with a few videos to help drum up business. Overnight, "Chef Calvin" goes viral and becomes a social media sensation, his cafe/bakery now centrestage to showcase all his delicious delights. Business becomes so busy he needs to take on an assistant after his current one breaks her wrist in a burglary. 

Enter Mel. Or should that be BlondieMel? She has been messaging Calvin for the past few days till Vicky put a stop to his naivete of "internet shoppers" and possible catfishing. But then Mel answers the ad that Calvin posts for an assistant and he is so desperate for help he doesn't stop to check references, asking her start immediately. But Vicky is not best pleased. Why has this Mel suddenly turned up when help was most needed?

But it's not long before the internet interest switches sides and suddenly Calvin finds himself the centre of a murder investigation, the disappearance of his wife and a sordid interest in young women! His business soon drops off and Calvin finds he must fight to clear his name.

All the while, the murder of the mysterious man who lived a hermit lifestyle surrounded by gloomy paintings of death and hell begins to grow colder by the day. The police are having difficulty identifying him and while his paintings are all signed Leo James, the man himself is a mystery. Is Leo James his real name? Is he hiding from something? Or someone? Locals have him down as someone in witness protection with his past having caught up with him. But who is he? And why was he murdered in such a slow and purposeful way?

This is a dark and gripping read that I devoured in a day. I love Mark Edwards' dry wit and dark humour which is peppered throughout. The story unfolds mainly around Calvin, set in two timelines both the present day and 1995. Throw in a stalker and a body on the beach and you have a gripping twisty thriller from one of the most devious minds and talented of writers. While there was a deluge of characters that all seemed to be thrown together, making the story seem a little far fetched, it strangely worked because what is fiction if not far fetched in some form or another? Especially if penned so cleverly as Edwards does.

Another gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I would like to thank #MarkEdwards #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #TheDarkestWater in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers about ordinary people who encounter terrifying events. He has been described as ‘a can’t-miss king of psychological suspense’ by thriller author Brad Parks and ‘a natural born storyteller with the darkest of imaginations’ by crime writer Fiona Cummins.

He has sold more than three million copies of his books and topped the bestseller lists numerous times since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013. 

His other novels are What You Wish For, Because She Loves Me, Follow You Home, The Devil’s Work, The Lucky Ones, The Retreat, In Her Shadow, Here To Stay and The House Guest. He has also published two short sequels to The Magpies, A Murder of Magpies and Last of The Magpies, and six books co-authored with Louise Voss.

Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Estonian, Thai, Lithuanian, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish and Russian.

In 2019 Mark won The Cat and Mouse Award for Most Elusive Villain at the Dead Good Reader Awards for Last of the Magpies.

Mark loves hearing from his readers and encourages them to contact him. He regularly interacts with readers on his Facebook page, where he hosts book release launch parties and lots of giveaways.

You can follow Mark on Twitter, like his Facebook page or take a peek at his pics on Instagram.

Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, three cats and a golden retriever.

 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Save Her Twice by Helen Phifer

Save Her Twice (Detective Morgan Brookes #11) by Helen Phifer

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Mystery, Police procedural

Read: 11th February 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 7th February 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Morgan shivers in the darkness as she walks through the park towards the abandoned building. She sees the body and the blood dripping onto the cold, frosty grass. A beautiful teenage girl is dead. Morgan feels rage build inside of her as she realises who it is…

Arriving at a quiet family home on the outskirts of the Lake District, Detective Morgan Brookes must deliver devastating news to a heartbroken mother. Seeing Lexie’s pink boots against the side of the house, she remembers the girl’s happy face and can’t help but think of her carefree childhood. Three years ago, Morgan saved Lexie from a serial killer, who is now behind bars. But this time, she’s failed to protect her.

Certain a new and more terrifying killer is at large, Morgan finds a neighbour who claims a man in a silver car was watching Lexie’s house. Then she discovers that Lexie was meeting other survivors of serial killers at a local victim support group. Another girl, Milly, thinks she has been followed by the same silver car.

But just as Morgan rushes to warn the other women, the case takes an even more sinister turn. One of them is found dead, posed in a chair with her hands tied in prayer. Flames engulf the church where the victims usually meet, with several of the others trapped inside.

Morgan manages to save the women just in time, but she knows this killer will never give up. To find him, she must relive every terrifying case she’s ever worked on. Somewhere in her history lies the key to saving more lives, but Morgan has no idea that this dangerous individual wants her as his final victim…

A dark, gripping and twisty new thriller in the Morgan Brookes series that will have you racing until the final page. For fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Rachel McLean.

MY THOUGHTS:

Sometimes I think Morgan thinks she's a one-woman band. Although in this book she does tame it down a little, she still faces off with the killer at the end. At least this time she didn't go out looking for him...yet.

This is the eleventh book in the Detective Morgan Brooks series complete with her entourage of colourful characters from Susie to Declan to Theo to Cain. Not to forget Ben either who I'm sure is on his way to a heart attack with constantly looking out for Morgan.

This time round Morgan is called out to the discovery of blood at one woman's front door, frantic that she's unable to raise her daughter Lexie. Some years previously, Morgan saved Lexie and her mother from near death, both of them barely escaping with their lives. As it turns out, Lexie is one many young women in a survivors support group who call themselves "the final girls", having all survived the grip of a killer. 

When Lexie's body is discovered soon after, another young woman from the group Milly confides that she believes she is being followed and describes the car she has seen on a number of occasions. Is the killer stalking these survivors to finish what their would-be killers never could?

But as Morgan delves deeper, she begins to realise that she too is in the killer's crosshairs.

As with the rest of this series, I enjoyed this mystery despite how predictable Morgan is becoming. The chapters are short and snappy keeping the pace moving along steadily. Actually this one was a quick read I managed to finish in just a few hours.

Overall, another exciting installment for Morgan and her team.

I would like to thank #HelenPhifer, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SaveHerTwice in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helen Phifer is the #1 Bestselling crime and horror novelist of the Annie Graham, Lucy Harwin and Beth Adams series. 

Helen lives in a small town in Cumbria. Surrounded by miles of coastline and only a short drive from the beautiful Lake District. 

She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. She loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. She is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. 

Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.

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REVIEW: A Soul for a Soul by Carol Wyer

A Soul for a Soul (Detective Kate Young #5) by Carol Wyer

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural, Mystery

Read: 24th January 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 30th January 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The syndicate have taken everything from her. It’s time to take them down—or die trying.

DCI Kate Young never meant to shoot Superintendent John Dickson at the reservoir that night—even if, as a scheming corrupt cop and head of the shady syndicate, he probably had it coming. But now Kate has photographic evidence that someone else knows her terrible secret…

Tormented by guilt and the voices of the dead, Kate is desperate to unmask the rest of the corrupt officers before her own sins catch up with her. When DI Harriet Khatri, awaiting trial for the murder of Kate’s mentor, claims she was framed by Dickson’s syndicate, Kate reluctantly agrees to help in the hope of finding answers.

Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson finds herself on the hunt for a double murderer—a man who incapacitates his victims with a powerful narcotic called Devil’s Breath. Desperate to measure up to her role-model boss, Emma finds herself hurled into the deep end in more ways than one…

While Kate’s grip on reality wavers and the syndicate closes in, and with the mystery killer taking a special interest in Emma, could this be the case that defeats both detectives?

MY THOUGHTS:

Where to even begin?

I have followed this series from the start so I'm familiar with Kate's flaws and foibles. Does she get on my nerves? A little. Especially with the constant monologuing with the dead William and Dickson. Chris' dialogue was enough but now we have her mentor and her nemesis to battle it out in her head!

OK, so if you haven't read any of the previous books, don't start this one until you have done so as the culmination of events and everything that went beforehand will make absolutely no sense. Some series you can pick up here and there and read without missing out on anything else. But this series is not one of them. In fact, the entire series hinges on Kate's relentless investigating into a corrupt syndicate involved in sex trafficking, drugs and murder - and that of the murder of her husband Chris. A syndicate compromised of corrupt police officers, some of whom were at senior level. It's like a series of "Line of Duty"...lol

Since the previous book, Kate has been promoted to DCI and taking the place of her mentor and friend William Chase who was brutally murdered by one of the syndicate, DI Harriet Khatri. Harriet, however, is protesting her innocence loudly though no one is listening. Least of all Kate who was not her biggest fan in the first place. But Harriet calls on Kate with a special request...but how will Kate react?

Since Kate's promotion, it has left room for her previous position as DI open as well as Harriet's also, since she now sits under house arrest with strict bail conditions awaiting trial for William's murder. And so Kate handpicks her two DS's, Emma and Morgan, to step into the Acting DI role until they can take their Inspector's exams.

Emma's first big case comes along investigating a killer who maims his victims with a psychoactive drug, leaving no trace in their systems. Or so he thought. It seems he is cockier than he is clever. But will he outsmart Emma before she can uncover the truth?

Meanwhile, Morgan has been tasked to Operation Moonbeam who are investigating the people trafficking and with a mole in their midst, Morgan is feeling frustrated with the slow progress, despite months of work. And it's affecting his home life with Emma.

On top of it all, Kate must maintain a professional integrity in overseeing her teams but she misses being in the thick of the investigation. But under the mantle of DCI she is also able to continue looking further into the syndicate and its remaining members, and attempt to bring it all down once and for all.

Then just when you think that's the end of it...Wyer delivers those final lines. Is this the end? Or is it not?

I admit to having further suspicions but in hindsight, I'd like this to be the end for Kate. To sit back and relax and just let it all go. To remain and continue digging would just be tempting fate. 

The twists are delivered with fervour in this story but alas, I could not be hoodwinked. I correctly figured two out of three. That last one had me surprised. But the identity of the killer nor the first of the remaining syndicate members revealed were not. Sorry (not sorry!).

This series is so different from Carol Wyer's others and I could see how it could be so all-encompassing, when she locks herself away in her office for hours on end leaving Mr Grumpy to fend for himself. I think I'd be exhausted with navigating all this!

Overall, an entertaining taut crime thriller that will have you turning the pages until the very end, and then leaving you scratching your head.

I would like to thank #CarolWyer, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #ASoulForASoul in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move from humour to the 'dark side' in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol, had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 800,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

The much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young, was published on 1st February 2021 with the first novel, An Eye For An Eye,  a second, A Cut for a Cut, published on 24th June 2021 and a third A Life for a Life to be published 15th March 2022. An Eye for an Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ''Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly', featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy... who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads