Category Archives: Mystery

False Lights ( The Gold Detectives Book 2) by Gillian Hamer #Crime #Mystery @GillyHamer #FridayReads

Posted in Angelsey, Book Review, Books, Crime, Modern Detective, Murder, Mystery, Police Procedural, Reading, Suspense by
  • Author: Gillian Hamer
  • Published: November 2015 by GE Hamer
  • Category: Murder, Mystery, Suspense, Police Procedural, Book Review, Books, Reading

“No one deserves to die like this. No one.” 

An elderly woman is burnt to death in the remote hamlet of Silver Bay. A young woman dies of an overdose on a notorious Holyhead estate. A drugs war is about to explode. Somebody knows but no one is talking. 

The second book in the Gold Detectives series finds DI Amanda Gold and her team; DS Dara Brennan, DS Kelly Morgan and DS Gethin Jones, dealing with a ruthless killer whose weapon of choice is fire. Continue reading →

Point of No Return (DCI Hatherall) by @DianaJFebry #Crime #Suspense #Book Review #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime, Murder, Mystery, Police Procedural, Reading, Suspense by
  • Author: Diana J Febry
  • Published: August 2015 by Wings ePress
  • Category: Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Book Review, Books, Reading

“Nothing to be sorry about. Your mother can’t wait to have you home. We’ll soon have you back on your feet again.”

Digby shuddered. Gratitude at their blind faith clashed violently with anger. The fear of facing another person, who still believed in him when he no longer believed in himself, sliced through him. The knife glowed red hot, the butter creamy and soft. He reached for the door handle. If he hurled himself from the car, the pain would stop.

Digby Pearce, wrongly accused of causing the death of his best friend by dangerous driving, was acquitted at the trial. Maintaining all along that James Palmer had lied about his involvement, the resulting anger and grief crushed and overwhelmed Digby completely, to the point where he made a terrible and drastic decision, hoping to point the finger of blame squarely at Palmer. Digby’s inner struggle and emotions were depicted extremely well, conveying the strength of feeling that ultimately ended in tragedy. Continue reading →

Come Sundown by Nora Roberts #BookReview #BlogTour @LittleBrownUK #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Psychological, Reading, Romance, Suspense by
  • Author: Nora Roberts
  • Published: May 2017 by Piatkus
  • Category: Contemporary, Romance, Psychological, Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Book Review, Books, Reading.

Love. Lies. Murder. A lot can happen… COME SUNDOWN.

Bodine Longbow loves to rise with the dawn. As the manager of her family’s resort in Western Montana, there just aren’t enough hours in the day – for life, for work, for loved ones. She certainly doesn’t have time for love, not even in the gorgeous shape of her childhood crush Callen Skinner, all grown up and returned to the ranch. Then again, maybe Callen can change her mind, given time…

But when a young woman’s body is discovered on resort land, everything changes. Callen falls under the suspicion of a deputy sheriff with a grudge. And for Bodine’s family, the murder is a shocking reminder of an old loss. Twenty-five years ago, Bodine’s Aunt Alice vanished, never to be heard of again. Could this new tragedy be connected to Alice’s mysterious disappearance?

As events take a dramatic and deadly turn, Bodine and Callen must race to uncover the truth – before the sun sets on their future together.

The story opens with a flashback to 1991. At twenty-one years old Alice Bodine was on her way back home after up and leaving suddenly three years earlier. She had not contacted her family apart from a few postcards when she first left. With not much farther to go before she reaches the ranch, a split second decision altered the course of her life and thrust her into a living nightmare.  Continue reading →

Girl in the Castle: Henriette’s Highland Hideaway by Lizzie Lamb @lizzie_lamb #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Reading, Romance by
  • Author: Lizzie Lamb
  • Published: April 2017 by New Romantics Press
  • Category: Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Book Review, Books, Reading.

Her academic career in tatters, Dr Henriette Bruar needs somewhere to lay low, plan her comeback and restore her tarnished reputation. Fate takes her to a remote Scottish castle to auction the contents of an ancient library to pay the laird’s mounting debts. 

After a show of justified outrage with unfortunate consequences, Doctor Henriette Bruar with the help of Professor Maddie Hallam, has secured a job cataloguing the library at Castle Tèarmannair. She is hopeful of finding some valuable books; to secure funds for restoration of the castle and, hopefully, in the process also help her career. Her position as an academic and possibly furthering that position at St Guthlac’s is now in jeopardy and time away, giving Henri chance to try and repair the damage, is just what she needs. Continue reading →

The Last Meridian by Joe Hefferon #Hardboiled #Noir reviewed for #RBRT

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Hardboiled/Noir Fiction, Mystery by
  • Author: Joe Hefferon
  • Released: 20th May 2017 by Evolved Publishing LLC
  • Category: Hardboiled, Noir, Crime, Mystery, Book Review

A telegram sets off a chain of events that destroys five lives, throwing Hollywood insider Nina Ferrer’s life into turmoil. The infant boy she gave up for adoption in Chicago sixteen years earlier has been arrested for murder. A plea from the boy’s adoptive mother pushes her to act, but Nina has a big problem—she never told her husband about the boy.

Lynn Killian left Chicago in 1948. She wanted a new life in a new place with a new name. With no particular plan in mind she headed west. Who she left behind would never really leave her. She would always wonder. Continue reading →

Broken Dolls (Jefferson Winter #1) by James Carol @JamesCarolBooks #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Murder, Mystery, Police Procedural, Reading, Suspense, Thriller by
  • Author: James Carol
  • Published: January 2014 by Faber & Faber
  • Category: Crime, Thriller, Book Review, Books, Reading, Procedural

Jefferson Winter is no ordinary investigator.

The son of one of America’s most renowned serial killers, Winter has spent his life trying to distance himself from his father’s legacy.

After a successful career with the FBI, the last few years as a high achieving profiler, Jefferson Winter’s unconventional approach prompted him to leave the constraints of an organisation and go freelance. He now consults on serial killer cases worldwide.

His father was a convicted serial killer and the three words he mouthed as he lay on the prison gurney waiting to be executed, haunt Winter. It’s one of the incentives that drive him, motivating him to do what he does and also to dissociate himself from his father. Continue reading →

Someone Else’s Skin (DI Marnie Rome #1) by Sarah Hilary @sarah_hilary

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Police Procedural, Reading, Suspense, Thriller by
  • Author: Sarah Hilary
  • Published: February 2014 by Headline
  • Category: Crime, Thriller, Suspense, Police Procedural, Fiction, Book Review

Introducing D.I. Marnie Rome, this powerful novel that will enthral fans of Val McDermid and Mo Hayder.

Called to a women’s refuge to take a routine witness statement, D.I. Marnie Rome instead walks in on an attempted murder.

Detective Inspector Marnie Rome focuses on her job, leaving little room for anything else. She knows first hand what it’s like to deal with a terrible and violent loss. Five years ago her parents were horrifically murdered by her foster brother. The resulting emotions are what drive her. Her colleagues know of her past and how hard she fought back, but few know the real Marnie. Continue reading →

As The Crow Flies by Damien Boyd (DI Nick Dixon #1) #Crime @DamienBoydBooks #Mystery #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Murder, Mystery by
  • Author: Damien Boyd
  • Published: January 2015 by Thomas & Mercer
  • Category: Crime, Suspense, Police Procedural

Rock climbing is now a blood sport.

Detective Inspector Nick Dixon’s former climbing partner, Jake Fayter, is dead. Killed in a fall whilst practising a new route on High Rock, Cheddar Gorge. Convinced that Jake would not have made such a simple mistake, Nick Dixon starts digging and uncovers a web of intrigue and criminal activity that will rock the sleepy seaside town of Burnham-on-Sea to its core.

DI Nick Dixon recently left the Metropolitan Police and returned to his home county, joining the Avon and Somerset force and, although few people could understand his reasoning, Nick knew he’d made the right decision. He wasn’t particularly interested in advancement, it was all about solving crimes, even if it had left him in an unfurnished rented cottage. That didn’t matter so much when he was on the beach with his eight month old rescued Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Monty. He is enjoying being on his home turf. Continue reading →

Irex by Carl Rackman ~ based on fact #BookReview for #RBRT @CarlRackman #Histfic #FridayReads

Posted in Book Review, Books, Historical Fiction, Murder, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller by
  • 51gv4vgjy-lAuthor: Carl Rackman
  • Published: September 2016 by Rackman Books
  • Category: Historical, Fiction, Drama
  • five-stars

In the harsh winter of December 1889, the sailing vessel Irex leaves Scotland bound for Rio de Janeiro. She carries three thousand tons of pig iron and just three passengers for what should be a routine voyage. But Captain Will Hutton discovers that one of his passengers hides a horrifying secret.

First of all, I have to say it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. It’s so good and the quality of the writing is excellent throughout. The story is based in history, the ship, a couple of the main crew members, reason for the wreck and the attempts at rescue, are all fact. Carl Rackman has woven an incredibly imaginative and compelling tale around that tragic event. Continue reading →

The Skeletons of Birkbury by @DianaJFebry #Murder #Mystery in the Cotswolds #FridayReads

Posted in Cozy Mystery, Murder, Mystery by
  • 61etjg0qvilAuthor: Diana J Febry
  • Published: May 2012 by Wings ePress, Inc.
  • Category: Murder, Mystery
  • four-half-stars

Twenty years ago no connection was made between the disappearance of a girl from Cheltenham and a fatal car accident in the small village of Birkbury. But that changes when the body is found buried in Birkbury and there are two further car accidents and a local girl goes missing.

On the strength of reading and enjoying Who Killed Vivien Morse? a little while ago, I added The Skeletons of Birkbury, the first in the series and Diana J Febry’s debut novel, to my reading list. And I wasn’t disappointed. The setting, in a rural village location, was realistically described with the horse and farming community. A great mix of diverse and representational characters add to the appeal, from the ‘gentry’ to the older more civil, sometimes nosey, salt of the earth villagers, although they can appear quite uncooperative at times. Continue reading →