Tag Archives: LJ Ross

#ThrowbackThursday ~ Holy Island by LJ Ross #Crime #Thriller

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime, Suspense, Thriller, Throwback Thursday by

Renee at It’s Book Talk began this meme as a way to share old favourites, as well as books that were published over a year ago. Not to mention those that are languishing on the to be read pile for whatever reason.

Holy Island is a debut novel and since this was published four more books in the series have followed, which I’ve also read. The beautiful cover attracted me immediately and I chose it for my second of Rosie Amber’s Friday Five Challenges – which you can find here – where we had five minutes to choose a book which appealed based initially on the cover and the blurb. Apart from the appeal of the cover, crime/mystery is a favourite genre. Because I chose to buy I mentioned the fact I hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be more romance than mystery. It didn’t! Far from it.  Continue reading →

Favourite Opening Lines 2017 #Books #AmReading #SundayBlogShare

Posted in Books, Favourite Opening Lines, Reading by

In no particular order, these are some of the opening lines from books I’ve read over the last twelve months that drew me in.

That Bright Land ~ Terry Roberts

In the summer of 1886 I went down South to find and kill a man. It’s not what I would have chosen, and when I first arrived in the territory, I didn’t want to admit that’s what I was about. Nevertheless, I was well suited to the task – by my past and the shadows it cast in my soul.

My review is here. Book links ~ Amazon UK | US

High Force ~ LJ Ross

As soon as she awakened, MacKenzie knew he meant to kill her. There was no confused, fumbling recollection of what had happened. On the contrary, she remembered everything with horrifying clarity.

My review is here. Book links ~ Amazon UK | US Continue reading →

High Force by LJ Ross (The DCI Ryan Mysteries Bk 5) @LJRoss_author #Thriller #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Suspense, Thriller by
  • 33533363Author: LJ Ross
  • Published: January 2017
  • Category: Thriller, Mystery
  • five-stars

Hell has unleashed a demon – and he’s coming for you… 

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan’s worst nightmare has just become a reality. Notorious serial killer The Hacker has escaped prison and kidnapped one of his best detectives from her own home. His brutality is the stuff of legend – Ryan lost his sister and nearly his own life bringing the man to justice first time around. Can Ryan do it again to save his friend?

Picking up immediately after the cliffhanger ending in Angel, Denise MacKenzie finds herself in a desperate situation. Cold blooded killer Keir Edwards, aka The Hacker, has escaped from prison in an elaborate and high profile way, his single-minded goal drawing out DCI Ryan and causing as much suffering as possible.  Continue reading →

Top Reads of 2016 #Books #AmReading #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Books, Reading, Top Reads by

It’s that time again! This year has gone so quickly and it’s been filled with really great reads. Narrowing down favourites is a difficult task but here they are. As always, they’ll be either 4.5* or 5* and clicking on the cover will take you to Amazon UK. 

28111823Dead Is Dead ~ Thriller

Private investigator Jack Bertolino, previously an inspector with the NYPD, is employed as technical advisor, consulting on a movie being made of his last case. His job includes protection for the female star, who is being targeted by a disturbed, out of control stalker. Susan Blake is beautiful, haunted by a past that she can’t lay to rest.

During filming there’s an actual shooting several blocks away, which results in the accidental and tragic death of little Maria Sanchez and also that of known drug dealer, Tomas Vegas. Cruz Feinberg, the technical wizard in Jack’s company, knows the Sanchez family and asks Jack to make some enquiries. As Jack’s investigation progresses the Dirk brothers’ names pop up too often for Jack’s liking and his ingrained cop’s instinct is on high alert.  Continue reading →

Angel by LJ Ross (The DCI Ryan Mysteries Book 4) #TuesdayBookBlog #Crime #Thriller @LJRoss_author

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Suspense, Thriller by
  • 31131524Author: LJ Ross
  • Kindle Edition
  • Category: Crime, Thriller, Suspense
  • five-stars

He’ll make you his angel, but first you have to die…

After a turbulent time, DCI Ryan’s life is finally beginning to return to normal and he’s looking forward to spending an uneventful Easter bank holiday weekend with his fiancée. 

A prologue set in 1990 opens the story. A girl is making a bid for freedom and a better future, through a bathroom window sealed with paint which she had been working to loosen for weeks. She needed to cross the roof to the guttering and climb down a drain pipe, but falls to her death before she can reach the ground. Who is she and what connection could she have with events so many years later? Continue reading →

Heavenfield ~ DCI Ryan #3 by @LJRoss_author #TuesdayBookBlog #Crime in beautiful #Northumberland

Posted in Book Review, Crime/Thriller/Suspense by
  • 29447825Author: LJ Ross
  • Kindle Edition
  • Category: Crime, Thriller, Suspense
  • five-stars

When a man is found dead at the remote church of Heavenfield, DCI Ryan is the only other person for miles around. The police have no weapon, no motive and no other suspects.

The fabulous story arc, which began in Holy Island and was carried through into Sycamore Gap, now concludes with Heavenfield. DCI Ryan is suspended from duty on the orders of DCS Gregson and when he finds a body, the victim known to him and very close to his girlfriend Anna, in a remote location, he falls under suspicion. DI Denise Mackenzie is given the job of lead investigator, working with DS Frank Phillips and DC Jack Lowerson. All three are fully aware Ryan had nothing to do with the murder, but have to follow procedure in order to clear him, nonetheless. Continue reading →

#FridayBookShare ~ Heavenfield by @LJRoss_author #Murder #Mystery @ShelleyWilson72

Posted in Books, FridayBookShare, Reading by

#FridayBookShare ~ an excellent idea created by Shelley Wilson. 

With the weekend approaching it’s the perfect time to seek out new books to read, so Shelley created a Friday Book Share game to help search for that ideal read.

FridayBookShare

Anyone can join in. Just answer the following F.R.I.D.A.Y. questions based on the book you’re either currently reading (or listening to, in my case) or have just finished reading. Use the hashtag #FridayBookShare and remember to tag Shelley (@ShelleyWilson72)  Continue reading →

2015 ~ My 20 Top Reads ~ #reading #books

Posted in Top Reads by

A tough choice, I’ve read lots a great books this year and, in no particular order (as they say) here are my top 20 reads. They are all rated either 4.5 or 5 stars. Clicking on the cover links to Amazon UK.

ravenschoiceRaven’s Choice ~ The Replacement Chronicles #1 ~ Prehistoric fiction, based on fact

As Mark finds out, many people including himself, carry Neanderthal genes although he’ll never know for sure the exact circumstances that brought about this occurrence. But it signifies that Early Modern Man didn’t take the place of extinct Neanderthals but rather the races mixed and interbred, which is proved by the presence of Neanderthal DNA in present day man. It’s such an interesting approach to how life might have been all those years ago, and even more so because it’s a very credible scenario. 

A wonderfully researched, dramatic and detailed narrative sets the scene for forthcoming instalments of The Replacement Chronicles, which I look forward to following.

Full review      Amazon US

 

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00014]The Dead Lands ~ post apocalyptic, sci-fi, horror

This is a very well crafted story with perfect pacing, the drama unfolds with consistency to keep the narrative flowing effortlessly. The characters are well-developed and real, Lane especially, but all the personalities are drawn brilliantly, whether you love or loathe them. I think this story covers every eventuality with action, of which there is plenty, greed, deception, horror and sadness. Balancing out the negatives are loyalty, a touch of romance and truthfulness. And the promise of satisfactory karma for the villain of the piece. It’s graphic, gruesome, gritty….and great! 

Full review    Amazon US Continue reading →

Holy Island ~ A DCI Ryan Mystery #1

Posted in Crime/Thriller/Suspense by
  • HolyIslandAuthor: LJ Ross
  • Kindle Edition
  • Category: Crime, Mystery, Suspense
  • four-half-stars

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan retreats to Holy Island seeking sanctuary when he is forced to take sabbatical leave from his duties as a homicide detective. A few days before Christmas, his peace is shattered and he is thrust back into the murky world of murder when a young woman is found dead amongst the ancient ruins of the nearby Priory.

When former local girl Dr Anna Taylor arrives back on the island as a police consultant, old memories swim to the surface making her confront her difficult past. She and Ryan struggle to work together to hunt a killer who hides in plain sight, while pagan ritual and small-town politics muddy the waters of their investigation.

This book was chosen for my second of Rosie Amber’s Friday Five Challenges – which you can find here – where we have five minutes to choose a book which appeals based initially on the cover and the blurb. This cover appealed to me immediately and crime/mystery is a favourite genre. Because I chose to buy I mentioned the fact I hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be more romance than mystery. It didn’t! Far from it.  Continue reading →

Rosie Amber’s Friday Five Challenge ~ Holy Island by LJ Ross

Posted in Friday Five Challenge by

Rosie’s Friday Five Challenge, involves taking only five minutes to choose a book cover which appeals instantly. So take a few minutes, pour yourself a coffee…..and have a browse

39959-20150508

In today’s online shopping age, readers often base their buying decisions from small postage stamp size book covers (Thumb-nails), a quick glance at the book description and the review. How much time do they really spend making that buying decision?

AUTHORS – You often only have seconds to get a reader to buy your book, is your book cover and book bio up to it?

My Friday Five Challenge is this….. IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….

1) Go to any online book supplier,

2) Randomly choose a category,

3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which has instantly appealed to your eye,

4) Read the book Bio/ Description for this book, and any other details.

5) If there are reviews, check out a couple,

6) Make an instant decision, would you BUY or PASS?

I chose to look at Romance this time. It’s not a category I normally head for and this was one of the first ones on the list. The cover caught my attention straight away. Intriguing and atmospheric.

Holy Island

The book description: Detective Chief Inspector Ryan retreats to Holy Island seeking sanctuary when he is forced to take sabbatical leave from his duties as a homicide detective. A few days before Christmas, his peace is shattered and he is thrust back into the murky world of murder when a young woman is found dead amongst the ancient ruins of the nearby Priory. 

When former local girl Dr Anna Taylor arrives back on the island as a police consultant, old memories swim to the surface making her confront her difficult past. She and Ryan struggle to work together to hunt a killer who hides in plain sight, while pagan ritual and small-town politics muddy the waters of their investigation.

Murder and mystery are peppered with a sprinkling of romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set on the spectacular Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne, cut off from the English mainland by a tidal causeway. 

The description is a good enough hook and the premise sounds interesting. I like the fact it states there’s ‘a sprinkling of romance’ and hope this is accurate.

Number of pages – 423

£2.56 is a reasonable price for a Kindle edition

64 five star reviews, 21 four star and 22 lesser reviews on Amazon UK. It doesn’t get such good ratings on Amazon US with 5 five star reviews and 10 spread across the other ratings.

Buy or Pass? I’d BUY

I like that the book description doesn’t read like a straight romance. I’m quite happy with a non soppy romance which has another layer, whether it’s crime, thriller and/or paranormal. And, judging by the reviews I skimmed, this has the thriller and intrigue additions to give it that bit extra. The blurb sets up the storyline well and intrigued me, especially with the setting of Lindisfarne, an island that has an appeal. I hope it doesn’t turn out to be more romance than mystery. Some of the reviews on Amazon US are less than complimentary. It’s the author’s debut novel and the first of a series. I do love a series and have actually bought this one so we’ll see. Watch this space 🙂

If you’d like to enter next week check out Rosie’s blog to read about the Friday Five Challenge.