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Release date: June 23, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

They told us he had been missing for nearly two days, that he probably drowned. They told us a lie.
Megan was ten years old when her older brother, Zac, went missing among the cliffs, caves and beaches that surround the small seaside town of Whitecliff. 
A decade later and a car crash has claimed the lives of her parents.
Megan and her younger sister Chloe return to Whitecliff one summer for the first time since their brother’s disappearance. Megan says it’s to get her parents’ affairs in order. There are boxes to pack, junk to clear, a rundown cottage to sell. But that’s not the real reason. 
Megan has come to confront her family’s past after receiving a postcard on the day of her parents’ funeral. It had a photograph of Whitecliff on the front and a single letter on the back.
‘Z’ is all it read.
Z for Zac.
A totally gripping psychological thriller that will have fans of Louise Jensen, Sue Fortin and The Silent Child absolutely hooked.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Two Sisters! 

Review: 

I’m a fan of Wilkinson’s Jessica Daniel series, so when I found out that he was publishing a standalone psychological thriller, I was super intrigued. His series is more straightforward crime fiction/police procedurals so I wondered how this genre would work for him. I’m so pleased to say that I enjoyed this one just as much as his other books! 

It starts right after Megan and Chloe’s parents are killed in a car accident and ten years after their older brother Zac goes missing. When Megan receives a postcard signed Zac, they decide to head to their parents cottage to find out more about their past. They don’t remember much about Whitecliff or Zac, they were very young but Megan especially is eager to investigate her families past. The story is told from her point of view and she was quite the character, she has a pretty awful attitude and she’s very prickly and closed off. It took me a bit to warm up to her, but once some of her personal battles were revealed, I developed a soft spot for her. 

My favorite aspect of this book was the creepy, eerie atmosphere Wilkinson created in the village of Whitecliff. It sounds like an idyllic beach town, but there is a very apparent undercurrent of dread and malice lurking. There was a constant sense of someone watching Megan and I began to feed off of her paranoia myself. On top of that, there’s a rivalry between the locals and tourists that added some tension and you just knew things would boil over at some point. 

This had a slower pace, the suspense builds gradually although there were a few key scenes that made my heart race. The secrets hiding in this odd town were multilayered and kept me guessing, many of which I never could have seen coming. This could also grab the interest of fans of YA novels since Megan and Chloe are both so young, so there’s definitely some crossover appeal.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

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Release date: June 21, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Thriller

Blurb: 

Those closest to you don’t stab you in the back. Do they? 

Jimmy Byrne is one of the biggest faces on the Soho scene. Equally feared and respected, he’s clawed his way to the top. Money is his game, and he’ll make it by any means necessary. 

When Jimmy sets his sights on shy young Colleen Walsh, she is quickly seduced by his sweet words and the life of luxury he offers her. But behind the diamonds and fur coats lies the reality of gangland violence – and by the time she realises the truth, she’s already in too deep. 

Like her father, Jimmy Byrne, Nancy Byrne is strong, opinionated – and ruthless. But when Jimmy is murdered. Nancy vows to find the killer and make them pay for their actions. 

Only the perpetrator is someone close to home. Someone she trusted. Someone who betrayed them all. 

Blood is thicker than water – but Nancy is not afraid to spill some to get the truth. 

I’m so thrilled to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for The Betrayed. 

Review: 

In the past year or so I’ve become a huge fan of Kelleher’s books, I loved both The Taken and The Promise and have become addicted to her style. What does her style entail? Well to me it’s raw and gritty plot lines that explore the dark depths of humanity coupled with well drawn, realistic characters that you love to hate and the added bonus of twists and turns that never fail to shock me. What more could you want when you pick up a thriller?!

One of Kelleher’s signature moves is to grab  the reader with a gripping first chapter and hold tight until the bitter end and The Betrayed didn’t stray from her usual. It begins in the early eighties right before Jimmy and Colleen meet and begin dating and really sets the stage for their entire relationship. At about the halfway point, it jumps to 2003 when they’ve been married for years and have two children together. I was equally hooked by both timelines as they were both chock full of dark, dangerous scenarios and some high octane action. 

Kelleher is a bold author who isn’t afraid to get down and dirty, both in the issues she writes about and the characters she creates. She crafts some truly deplorable individuals that mix in the seedy underbelly of society and the things they get up to are shocking and violent. This definitely isn’t a read for a sensitive person, the language is harsh and brash and the descriptions of violence are graphic. BUT if that doesn’t faze you, give this awesome book a try! 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, Casey Kelleher grew up as an avid reader and a huge fan of author Martina Cole. 

Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up her three children together with her husband, Casey penned her debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that she could give up her day job and concentrate on writing full time. 

She has since published Rise and Fall, Heartless, Bad Blood, The Taken, The Promise and her latest release, The Betrayed is due for publication on the 21st June 2017. 

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Release date: June 1, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Crime Fiction

Blurb: 

Reeling from the death of his great love, Karin, Varg Veum’s life has descended into a self-destructive spiral of alcohol, lust, grief and blackouts. When traces of child pornography are found on his computer, he’s accused of being part of a pedophile ring and thrown into a prison cell. There, he struggles to sift through his past to work out who is responsible for planting the material . . . and who is seeking the ultimate revenge. When a chance to escape presents itself, Varg finds himself on the run in his hometown of Bergen. With the clock ticking and the police on his tail, Varg takes on his hardest—and most personal—case yet. Chilling, shocking and exceptionally gripping, Wolves in the Dark reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers. 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Wolves in the Dark!

Review: 

I have to admit that I was pretty intimidated when I realized this book is the twenty first in a series, I mean there is just no way that I could possibly catch up at this point! But I had heard such great things about the author that I took a chance and just jumped in and man am I glad I did. I was needlessly worried as I had no problem reading this as a standalone and my fear would’ve made me miss out on a really gripping read. 

I love being thrust right into action the moment I start a book and that’s just what happened here. Veum is arrested on suspicion of having child pornography on his computer and immediately you can feel his desperation and panic. He’s clearly kind of a mess, he’s spent the previous few years reeling from the death of his partner and had many drunken nights that ended in a blackout. I have a soft spot for tragic heroes and he quickly managed to get under my skin as I hoped he would be able to swiftly extract himself from this nightmare. 

Following along as Veum pieced together fragments of his past was quite tricky, but really interesting to see how things eventually slotted together. This had a really tangled plot with a lot of separate threads, and as much as I struggled to figure out exactly what had happened, Staalesen masterfully joined things together in the end. His writing style was tight and sharp and so well intended, every word served a purpose and I was hanging off of each and every one of them.

I devoured this is one sitting despite the sometimes difficult subject matter at it’s heart. Child pornography is not something that’s easy to read about, but there was nothing overly gratuitous or overly descriptive in regards to that part of the storyline. 

This is classic Nordic Noir with a subtle pace, but it did have several heart pounding moments. There were also some jaw dropping surprises that threw me for a loop. The ending was satisfying but still left things wide open for the next book and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Fans of this series will be pleased and new readers will be fans as well by the end. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author: 

Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway in 1947. He made his debut at the age of 22 with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over 20 titles, which have been published in 24 countries and sold over four million copies.

Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Epsen Seim. Staalesen, who has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour), lives in Bergen with his wife. When Prince Charles visited Bergen, Staalesen was appointed his official tour guide. There is a life-sized statue of Varg Veum in the centre of Bergen, and a host of Varg Veum memorabilia for sale. We Shall Inherit the Wind and Where Roses Never Die were both international bestsellers.

Don Bartlett is the foremost translator of Norwegian, responsible for the multaward- winning, bestselling books by Jo Nesbo, Karl Ove Knausgaard and Per Pettersen. It is rare to have a translator who is as well-known and highly regarded as the author.

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Release date: June 22, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: 

It begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child. 

On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing. 

A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect. 

Six years later … 

Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare. 

An utterly compelling psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the very last page. Perfect for fans of Louise Jensen, Claire Douglas and Sarah Denzil’s Silent Child. 

I’m so pleased to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Guilty today! I also want to wish the author the happiest of publication days. 

Review: 

Guilty was a bit different than I had anticipated, it was divided into five separate parts and the first one was very frantic as it focused on the disappearance of a teenaged girl. Her case is resolved during this section, then part two details the aftermath. It mainly follows Karl, Constance’s uncle who was the prime suspect when she went missing and the media storm created by a local reporter named Amanda. Then parts three through five fast forward to years later and follow both families and explore how the case effected so many lives. 

Even though the beginning had the most rapid pacing I still found the book as a whole to be quite a page turner. I’m always intrigued by how the media’s influence can shift a criminal investigation and this played a heavy role here. Karl winds up losing everything dear to him and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. The rest of the characters were a pretty unlikable bunch, but  I was still so curious to see what would happen to them. I know that’s vague, but it’s for your own good! 

This was a book with a very complex plot and tons of unexpected moments and surprises. The power of revenge and righting perceived wrongs was another thing that grabbed my attention and held on tight and I really did love how things came together in the end. Elliot is a talented writer and she definitely had me under her spell, just be aware that this is not a nonstop, action packed thriller, rather it’s more moderately paced, but still extremely entertaining. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thank to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist and lives in the coastal town of Malahide, Co. Dublin. She loves travelling. The beautiful South Island of New Zealand was the inspiration for her setting in The Prodigal Sister. The Burren in County Clare became the mysterious setting for Stolen Child and the Broadmeadow Estuary behind her home provides the background for The Betrayal. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor. 

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Release date: June 27, 2017

Publisher: Harlequin 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb: 

Computer-tech millionaire Bowie Callahan is about the last person that schoolteacher Katrina Bailey wants to work for. As far as she can see, he’s arrogant, entitled and not up to the task of caring for his young half brother, Milo. But Kat is, especially if it brings her closer to her goal of adopting an orphaned little girl. And as her kindness and patience work wonders with Milo, she realizes there’s more to sexy, wary Bo than she’d ever realized.

Bo never imagined he’d be tasked with caring for a sibling he didn’t know existed. Then again, he never pictured himself impulsively kissing vibrant, compassionate Katrina in the moonlight. Now he’s ready to make her dream of family come true…and hoping there’s room in it for him, too… 

Review: 

Serenity Harbor is the sixth book in Thayne’s Haven Point series and this was my first experience with the author. I had no issues jumping in at this point as it looks like each book focuses on different residents of the same town, so while this one was about Katrina and Bowie, characters from the previous books made an appearance. I really like when authors build a series this way and I wish I had the time to go back and read from the beginning! Instead, I’ll just be happy that I found these books now and will continue to follow from here on out. 

This book had everything I’m in the mood for when I pick up a romance novel. It was super sweet without being over the top and cheesy, it had a great setting with a picturesque little town and characters that stole my heart. I like Kat and Bo well enough but the star of the show for me was Bo’s little brother, Milo. He’s a six year old little guy with autism who had a rough start to his short life. Anytime I watch a show or read a book with a character on the spectrum, I’m instantly interested. My son has autism so I’m obviously always on the lookout for characters with it as well and I’m always nervous about how they’re portrayed. I shouldn’t have worried as Thayne did a beautiful job and her portrayal was real, honest and highly accurate. She either has personal experience with autism or she did some fabulous research, either way bravo! 

Another thing that I really liked was that this was a clean romance, meaning no graphic love scenes. I’m not a prude, but oftentimes I find myself skimming over sex scenes, so the lack of them worked for me here. That doesn’t mean that there was a lack of chemistry between the two leads, there definitely was, it just focused more on them building a relationship based on more than physical intimacy. I love that, it’s a book I would be comfortable recommending to a teenager. I think this would appeal to fans of Nora Roberts or Kristan Higgins as the writing style was similar, or to anyone looking for a feel good read with heart. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Claire at Little Bird Publicity for my review copy. 

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Release date: June 16, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

How far would you go to protect your family? 

Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children alone, with the help of his devoted mother Judi. Life isn’t easy, but Judi’s family means everything to her and together, they manage. 

Then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t sure … there’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up. 

Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children. 

The further Judi delves into Amber’s personal life, the closer she gets to shocking secrets that could change everything. And Judi must make a decision that could lead to the most disastrous consequences. 

I am SO excited to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Liar today!!

Review: 

Back when I read Slater’s second book, Blink I said that her novels should come with a warning label and I still think this is true! Liar was every bit as addictive, engrossing and twisted as her previous books and Slater is quickly becoming one of my favorite psychological thriller writers and her books are total must reads for me. 

The beginning of the book is sharply clever as it starts with The End, as in the first page is labeled as such. It’s a shocking opening chapter filled with violence and terror, and then it flips back to The Beginning when Amber and Ben first meet. It’s mainly told by Amber and Judi, though there are a few important chapters from other key players, but the twisty battle between the two women had me absolutely hooked. 

This was such a compulsive read, I kept flipping the pages faster and faster as the tension mounted and the web of lies was untangled. The pacing is breathless as the chapters are very short so it’s quite easy to talk yourself into just one more. (Or ten more. Oh fine, the whole book.) 

Slater really has a knack for developing wholly unlikable characters that are utterly fascinating in the way they behave, but also in the way they justify their abhorrent behavior. She also does a terrific job at bringing a heavy sense of unease and dread the entire time as she takes the reader down dark paths full of surprises. 

I like to think that I’m a pretty sophisticated reader of this genre so I always try and figure things out along the way, but the author always manages to pull one over on me a time or two by the end, and the ending here was pretty unpredictable.  I really should know better by now, but I absolutely love the fact that her books always keep me on my toes. If you haven’t read any of Slater’s books I highly recommend them, they are hugely entertaining and shrewdly plotted. 

Overall rating: 5/5

About the Author:

Kim is the bestselling author of psychological crime thrillers ‘Safe With Me,’ ‘Blink’ and, the soon to be released, ‘Liar.’

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected a stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents and a book deal which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

She also writes award-winning YA fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books, writing as Kim Slater.

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Release date: June 14, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

Charmer, liar, father… Killer. 

Suzanne’s life changes forever the day she receives a visit from Rose Anderson, the woman who has been living with her estranged father, Don. 

Don is dead, but Rose wants Suzanne to have his possessions – including a series of intimate diaries and a mysterious collection of photographs of women. 

To Suzanne’s shock, one of the photos is of her friend Sophie, who died ten years ago in an unexplained and devastating fire. 

But Don only met Sophie once, on an unsettling visit he paid Suzanne just days before Sophie’s death… So why did he have a picture of her? 

Unable to let Sophie’s memory alone, Suzanne begins to dig into her father’s life. What horrors is she about to unearth in his journals? And who is it that’s out there, watching her every move? 

It is with a heavy heart that I welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for The Serial Killer’s Daughter today as the author sadly passed away last April. Bookouture are publishing this book on behalf of her family and my heart goes out to them. 

Review: 

The title alone made this a must read for me, if you’ve been following me for more than a week it’s no secret that I have a sick fascination with serial killer novels. Then the blurb drew me in even deeper as I was intrigued by the idea of dead serial killer leaving a journal full of horrors behind. This book is definitely not as straightforward as I was expecting it to be and the author had some wicked twists up her sleeve that shook me up. 

Welsh did such a fantastic job crafting such a horrendous character in Don, he is the personification of evil incarnate and a master manipulator. He’s vulgar, crass and disgusting yet he can turn on the charm when it suits him and that is what makes my blood run cold. Alternatively, Suzanne was someone I could sympathize with and I can’t imagine walking a day in her shoes. 

This had a steady pacing with moments where you read about the backstory surrounding Don’s life, but also the women he came into contact with as well as Suzanne, and then faster paced, intense scenes that got my heart racing. The characterization was great and I’m always extremely interested in a killers motivations and life before they turned into a sadistic monster. Some of the past is revealed through excerpts from Don’s journal and they made my skin crawl they were so chilling. Since the plot wasn’t entirely what I had expected I’ll stop here and just say that it’s a great read for fans of this genre and had an explosive climax that was ultimately satisfying and terrifying. 

Overall rating: 4/5

About the Author: 

Lesley Welsh sadly passed away in April this year. Lesley was born in Strawberry Field children’s home and raised on a notorious council estate in Liverpool. Later she moved to London where she studied English and Drama and worked as a freelance writer specialising in alternative lifestyles. Her articles appeared in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Red, Bite, Time Out and many others before she established Moondance Media, a magazine publishing company. Her dark and compelling short story Mrs Webster’s Obsession was turned into a film. Lesley moved to Spain and sadly passed away in April.