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Release date: April 28, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 
The truth was dead and buried…until now. 

When a collection of human bones is unearthed during a routine archaeological dig, a Black Country field suddenly becomes a complex crime scene for Detective Kim Stone. 

As the bones are sorted, it becomes clear that the grave contains more than one victim. The bodies hint at unimaginable horror, bearing the markings of bullet holes and animal traps. 

Forced to work alongside Detective Travis, with whom she shares a troubled past, Kim begins to uncover a dark secretive relationship between the families who own the land in which the bodies were found. 

But while Kim is immersed in one of the most complicated investigations she’s ever led, her team are caught up in a spate of sickening hate crimes. Kim is close to revealing the truth behind the murders, yet soon finds one of her own is in jeopardy – and the clock is ticking. Can she solve the case and save them from grave danger – before it’s too late? 

I am absolutely THRILLED to be one of the stops on the blog tour for Dead Souls today! Angela Marsons is one of my favorite authors and her Kim Stone series is flawless. 

Review: 

I know that I’m a huge book pusher, but if you ever take one of my many recommendations seriously, please choose this one. Marsons Kim Stone series is amazing and it’s one where you really need to read all of the books in order to fully appreciate the talent of the author. This is book six, but fear not! These are such gripping reads that you will power through them in record time, go ahead, have a binge. I don’t think you will regret it for one second.

I think these books need to come with a prescription for Xanax, I swear every time I finish one my anxiety levels are through the roof! I do mean that as a compliment, any book that can get my heart racing is a winner in my book. This time around Kim is facing her biggest challenge yet, she’s separated from her team and is forced to work with her rival, Tom Travis. This is a struggle not only for her, but also for her team. Bryant and Dawson are now partnered up and Stacey is alone as usual, but something about not having Kim at the helm makes them all uneasy and shaken up. 

There are three different cases here, Kim is looking into bones that were unearthed during an archeological dig, Bryant and Dawson are looking into a string of hate crimes, and Stacey is going rogue looking into the suicide of a young man. With so much going on, one would think things would be confusing or disjointed, but that’s not the case here. Instead, the way the  narratives change almost every chapter really kept me on my toes and had the pages flying by.

I don’t want to delve too deep into the plot, but Marsons handled an extremely sensitive issue with grace and humility. Hate crimes are terribly prevalent at the moment and tackling such a timely issue was smart. It was certainly thought provoking for me, and while parts were difficult to read, it’s important that things like this aren’t ignored any longer. 

This is a first rate, brilliant series and no one does tension quite like Marsons. There are plenty of nail biting, heart stopping moments, but there are also so many deep, emotional moments as well. With every book you find out more about Kim, but you also find out more about the rest of the team, making the connection to them so deep and strong. Each book has a fresh, unique viewpoint and things never falter or feel stale. Bravo, Angela Marsons, bravo! 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Angela lives in the heart of the Black Country with her partner, bouncy puppy and potty mouthed parrot.
It has taken many novels to find that one character who just refused to go away. And so D.I. Kim Stone was born. The D.I. Kim Stone series has now sold over 2 million copies.

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Release date: April 28, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

A retired detective and a young woman are about to face their worst fears. 

Vicki Reiner is emotionally isolated and craves the fleeting happiness she experienced in the years prior to her college graduation. In an attempt to recapture this, she invites her former friend and room-mate, Laurie, for a break at her deserted beachside home. However, despite booking an online bus ticket, her friend never shows up and seems to have vanished. 

Unable to accept the bizarre circumstances of the disappearance, Vicki approaches the police who dismiss her concerns before enlisting the reluctant help of Leighton Jones – a newly retired detective who is haunted by the death of his teenage daughter. Despite trying to remain detached from the case, Leighton is drawn to Vicki and her search for justice. 

The unlikely pair face numerous obstacles but using a combination of methods he and Vicki track the killers who are working across the dusty freeways of North America. 

Soon Vicki and Leighton find themselves nervously waiting at a remote bus stop expecting the arrival of the bus. 

Will they ever discover what happened to Laurie? 

And can they both escape with their lives? 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Girl on the Bus. I’m hosting with Sean’s Book Reviews so make sure you check in there to see his thoughts as well. 

Review: 

I have to admit, the title of this one put me off initially. I know many of us are sick of titles with the ubiquitous Girl in it, but when I read the blurb I was intrigued enough to set my feelings of hesitation aside. I’m really glad I didn’t let something as silly as a title put me off as this was a fast paced, scary and intense read. 

There are several viewpoints in this book and quite a few characters, but not too many that the story gets convoluted. The two main characters are Vicki and Leighton, she’s a young woman who is concerned when her friend that’s due to visit never arrives and he is a recently retired detective with a painful past. I liked both of them and enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve over the course of the book. 

This was an absorbing read, I was really wrapped up in the whole thing, I kept thinking about what I would do if a loved one stepped on a bus and vanished into thin air. I think I would have the dogged persistence just like Vicki and I would search until I found answers. When she and Leighton did uncover the truth I was horrified, shocked and completely creeped out. I don’t want to say too much more about exactly why I felt those emotions, you need to read it for yourself and then we can chat! I only wish there would’ve been a bit more detail about the killer and they way they operated but overall it was a unique read that had me hooked. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Norman M. Brown is an author living and working in Scotland. He attended secondary school in Stirling where he spent more time in the library or in the nearby park with a paperback, than he did in classes… Ironically, having graduated from Stirling University with a degree in English, he soon ended up back on the classroom again – where he has shared his love of fiction for two decades. 

Having experimented with poetry, scripts and short stories over the years, he finally decided to write sit down and write the type of fiction he would like to read. The result was his crime thriller -The Girl on the Bus. As result, Norman was delighted to be signed to Bloodhound Books at the start of this year. The Girl in the Bus, is his first published novel. He is currently writing a second novel based on its protagonist – detective Leighton Jones.    

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Release date: April 19, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

We’re going to tell our story and then it will all stop and Mummy will be safe. You want Mummy to be safe, don’t you? 

Three minutes. That’s all it takes for Meredith’s entire world to fall apart when she watches the videotape of her four-year-old self with Becca, the mother she’s never known. 

Meredith can’t believe what her eyes have seen. Yet what if her memory has locked away the painful reality of her childhood? Can there be any truth in the strange and dangerous story her mother forced her to tell on camera? 

The search for answers leads Meredith to Darkwater Pool, the scene of the murder of a young woman, Cara, over 30 years ago. What could possibly be the link between her mother and the victim? 

To find the truth Meredith must search through a past that is not her own. The problem is, she’s not the only one looking… 

I’m so pleased to be one of the stops on the blog tour for Lie to Me today! 

Review: 

This is the type of book that I would call a slow burner, one where there’s a sense of underlying tension that’s waiting to rise to the surface. When it begins, Meri has come across an old VHS tape with her mothers handwriting on the label. This is significant to her as her mom, Becca left when she was a toddler and she hasn’t heard from her since. When she asks her father about the tape she is stunned by his strong, angry reaction and knows that whatever is on the tape means something for her, but she’s unaware that this discovery will set off a chain of events with shocking outcomes. 

This is told in two timelines, the first is Meri in the present day, and then it jumps back to 1984 and is told from Cara’s perspective. There are also some chapters told from a man named Jay’s point of view in the present day as well. At first I was a bit confused about how a cold murder case (Cara) would link to Meri but it all became clear when it’s revealed that Becca is the one who found Cara’s body and Jay was in a relationship with Cara. That may seem like a slight spoiler, but if you pick this one up I don’t want you to get discouraged as Ryder links all the plot threads together in a very interesting way. 

This had a steady pace throughout that gradually intensified as it neared the conclusion and towards the last quarter of the book, there was a twist that knocked me off balance. It was a bit different than what I had anticipated as it didn’t focus so much on the murder case or any particular crimes but rather the characters and how they all had secrets hiding in the shadows and how these lies affected them personally. It still had a tricky plot and kept me gripped the whole time and the epilogue was really strong as was Ryder’s writing style. I’m looking forward to reading what she comes up with next! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Jess Ryder is the pseudonym of Jan Page, author, screenwriter, playwright and award-winning television producer. After many years working in children’s media, she has recently embarked on a life of crime. Writing, that is. So she’s very excited about the publication of her debut thriller Lie to Me. Her other big love is making pots.

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Release date: April 14, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb: 

Sun, spaghetti and sparkling prosecco. When it comes to looking for love, there’s no place like Rome – but once Kate’s found her man, can she keep him? 

Kate is living the dream with her gorgeous boyfriend Alessandro in his native city, but the reality is sometimes a little less romantic than she’d hoped. Every day in her new home is a fight against leaking pipes, her cantankerous landlord and her less-than-perfect grasp of the Italian lingo. 

All around her there is talk of weddings, but when a secret from her past is thrust out into the open, Kate must fight to prove to Alessandro’s Mamma – and the rest of his formidable family – that she truly is Italian marriage material. 

With the women in Alessandro’s life on a mission to break them apart, the cracks begin to show and Kate starts to question if Alessandro really is the man of her dreams. Can love and the city of romance conquer all, or is that just a fairy-tale? 

Let Rome steal your heart this summer in this gorgeously romantic escapist read. Perfect for fans of Jo Thomas and Abby Clements. 

I’m so pleased to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for A Wedding in Italy today! 

Review: 

This is the second in a series, I read Rome Is Where The Heart Is last month and thought it was adorable and such a perfect read for this time of year. A Wedding in Italy is the same, it’s a fun holiday read that makes you feel as if you’ve just returned from a Roman vacation by the time you finish.

What I’ve come to love about Tennant’s writing is that while she conjures up delightful images and swoon worthy romances she still manages to keep things believably realistic. In the first book I was impressed by how Kate and Alessandro were hesitant about their new relationship even though they cared very deeply for one another. This time around she stuck with a basis in reality as Kate struggles after her move to Rome. She misses her family terribly, she’s having trouble finding a job, the language barrier is frustrating and often embarrassing, and though she loves Alessandro more than ever, his meddling family is putting a huge strain on their brand new relationship. It was a nice change to read a romance where things don’t just end with a perfect, happily ever after. This was like seeing behind the curtain when the HEA moment ends and real life begins, it was so refreshing! 

I really bonded with the characters the first time around and this time I was able to deepen my connection to them even more. Alessandro’s family all play a large part in the plot and I felt similar to Kate as one part of me loved them and the other part wished they would mind their own business. Their Italian dramatics, love of food and family, and loyalty ultimately won me over in the end. Kate and Alessandro are just as sweet as ever and their passion and chemistry was hot and spicy. 

This is a lovely addition to the series, I would recommend packing them in your bag for your own vacation, they are perfect beach reads. Tennant writes gorgeous, descriptions that make you feel as if you’re strolling along in the streets of Rome and she made me hungry again with the scrumptious food explanations and details. I just hope there will be a third book coming soon?! 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage. Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.

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Release date: April 12, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 
He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim.

When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case. 

While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds – a fatal incision to their femoral artery. 

Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn’t seem to exist? 

Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual.

Gripping, tense and impossible to put down, Last Breath will have you on the edge of your seat, racing to the final dramatic page. 

I’m thrilled to be helping to close down the blog tour for Last Breath today!! Even better, I’m sharing the day with one of my blogging besties, Chelsea from The Suspense is Thrilling Me so make sure you check out her review as well. 

Well, Mr. Bryndza has outdone himself again, this is now my favorite book in this series, hands down. I know I say this every single time a new book in the Erika Foster series is released, but it’s the truth! They just keep getting better and going from strong suit to stronger and every time I finish one of these books I struggle  to catch my breath. 

Erika is out of sorts in the beginning of the book, she’s not working with the MIT and she’s restless and agitated. But fear not, she manages to bulldoze her way into a murder investigation anyway when she links the killing of a young woman found in a dumpster to a case from four months previously. The only thing the team can uncover is that the killer is using social media to stalk his victims. He knows every little thing about them from what they post online and then he uses this information to create fake dating profiles to lure them in. This is some next level stuff, it’s no Catfish, no Nev and Max there to bring things to a tidy resolution. This chilled me to the bone and had me gripped well and truly in its grasp from the first page to the very last.

Erika is my favorite female detective, hands down. Hell, she’s up there with my favorite detectives period. You get to see a softer side to her personality this time around, a vulnerability behind that tough exterior. The character development is flawless, you get to learn enough about her and the team to leave you satisfied, yet there is enough left hanging in the air to leave you wanting more. I’m most eager about seeing what happens to her personal life next, she’s at a bit of a crossroads and it could go in several exciting directions. 

The who behind the killings is revealed to the reader early on, but not to the police until the end. This was great as you see a deadly game of cat and mouse being played right in front of your eyes with the characters that you’ve grown to know and love. I love social media and use it constantly, both personally and for this blog, but it absolutely freaks me out when I think of my kids getting to an age where they’re on it. My eight year old already asks for a Facebook page! Umm, no try again when you’re 29 my love. It was such a clever plot line and so timely as the majority of us use social media daily and anyone could be watching us. Shivers. 

If you are a fan of crime fiction and you haven’t read this series, please do. It’s outstanding and you’re really missing out. Bryndza is a genius, his plot threads always come together in an impeccable manner, you won’t be able to put his books down and they’re such well written, exciting reads. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

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Release date: April 11, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

Game Point: an explosive new crime thriller from a critically acclaimed and best-selling author

DCI Bennett faces the most harrowing case of his career. A psychopath, who escaped capture, is hell bent on revenge and executes a series of events that will not only impact on Bennett physically, but will have emotional and professional consequences.         

A body is found with its fingers amputated, then an investigative journalist, embroiled in the pornography and drugs scene, is murdered.

Bennett’s team is faced with some baffling evidence. Hatpins and bicycle spokes become pivotal to the inquiry but the police struggle to connect the evidence.

It is only when a Detective Sergeant from the team is kidnapped that Bennett realises that he is the true target.

Can Bennett solve the case before it’s too late? How many people will he lose in the process?

Discover your new favourite crime series today. Also available:

Only The Dead

Hell’s Gate

Flesh Evidence

I’m so pleased to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for Game Point today. 

Review: 

I’ve participated in two blog tours for this series in the past, but unfortunately I didn’t have time in my schedule to review them, I was only able to post extracts, but from the minute I read those teasers, I knew I was missing out and man was I right! I used to be against jumping into a series in the middle but as my TBR has grown sky high, I’ve learned to get over it and just do it. I’m so glad I did as I’ve read some fantastic books that I may have otherwise overlooked based solely on the fact that they were tenth in a series. All of that to say, you can read this as a standalone, I wasn’t bothered by starting with book four, BUT I do feel like I missed out on forming a deeper connection with the characters and I’m kicking myself for not making the time for the first three books. My point is that you should read this, but you should also start at the beginning so you’re not kicking yourself like I am. 

Cyril was a complex character, one that comes off as rather reserved but on the inside there’s a lot going on. He has some quirks, but those type of things always make me like a person more and it made him stand out in a sea of other detectives from crime novels. What really drew me into this book, and to him as a character especially was the emotional turmoil he was experiencing. The case he’s working is brutal and when a member of the team is kidnapped, all hell breaks loose. Things are obviously deeply personal for Cyril and the added pressure made me feel all the more profoundly for him and his team. 

While the characterization was complex the plot was equally intricate and had me struggling to fit all the puzzle pieces together myself. Hollingdrake’s writing was descriptive and very gritty, this is a grim, gruesome case and things are extremely graphically detailed, so beware if you’re faint hearted. I really liked this one and I’m excited to see where the author takes this series and Cyril next, the possibilities are endless and exciting. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

You could say that the writing was clearly written on the wall for anyone born in a library that they might aspire to be an author but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route.

Malcolm worked in education for many years, even teaching for a period in Cairo before he started writing, a challenge he had longed to tackle for more years than he cares to remember. 

Malcolm has written a number of successful short stories and has four books now available. Presently he is concentrating on a series of crime novels set in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. 

Born in Bradford and spending three years in Ripon, Malcolm has never lost his love for his home county, a passion that is reflected in the settings for all three novels.

Malcolm has enjoyed many hobbies including collecting works by Northern artists; the art auctions offer a degree of excitement when both buying and certainly when selling. It’s a hobby he has bestowed on DCI Cyril Bennett, the main character in his latest novel.

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Release date: April 13, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Blurb: 

A vicious burglary goes horribly wrong when an elderly victim is killed and one of the burglars is injured.

In the detached house next door, Julia is preparing to leave her husband. He has let her down for the last time and her bags are packed. Taking their eight-year-old daughter, Lucy, from her bed they set off in the fog.

But on this cold, dark night, fate steps in and these strangers collide.

When Vincent and Nash abduct the mother and daughter, and take them to a derelict house, the situation takes a grave turn.

Meanwhile, Julia’s husband, Ian, is distraught that his wife and daughter have left, and when the murder and burglary are discovered, suspicion falls on him.

For Ian, Julia and Lucy, life is about to become a nightmare.

Can Julia and Lucy escape from the twisted criminals?

What will Julia decide when the choice is – kill or die?

It’s my stop on the blog tour for Kill or Die today and I’m so excited to share my thoughts on this heart pounding thriller!

Review: 

This one wastes no time and jumps straight into the action. When it opens, two men are preparing to break into the home of an elderly man who is an antiques collector. At the same time, Julia is preparing to leave her husband, Ian. In a horrible twist of fate, the paths of these strangers cross and things take a sharp turn towards the scary and dangerous. The masked men take Julia and her daughter Lucy hostage and what follows is the stuff nightmares are made of. 

I felt so awful for Julia, she’s already in a bad place the night that she decides she has had enough of her husband’s scheming ways and the situation she finds herself in was completely terrifying. It reminded me a bit of An Impossible Dilemma in that it found a mother in an awful situation where she’s forced to do terrible things to keep her child safe. 

I read this is one single “holding my breath the entire time sitting.” It was relentlessly paced with tons of action and suspense. I was praying that Julia and Lucy would escape unscathed and was shocked by the way things turned out in the end. This is the authors first adult novel as she has previously written children’s books and it was a fantastic debut into the mystery/thriller genre. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

I’ve always loved writing. What started as a hobby has now become a way of life. My children’s and YA books have been published by Scholastic Children’s Books, Usborne Publishing, Penguin Australia, Hometown World, Badger Learning and Astraea Press (Clean Reads). Plus there are a number of adults books published under my pen name of Ann Carroll – and more in the pipeline. The Beast published by Usborne won the raring2read category in the Coventry Literary Book Festival 2013. 2017 sees three new books being published, another YA reluctant reader book for Badger Learning entitled Keeper. An historical romance called A Place to Belong, and a crime thriller – working title Kill or Die with Bloodhound Books. 

When I’m not writing I do school visits, run workshops and give talks.

My non-fiction career spans the last 30 years which includes 13 years at the Coventry Telegraph as a staff feature writer plus a great many freelance articles on a wide range of topics.

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