Tag Archives: Mystery

The Secrets of Villa Rosso by @LinnBHalton #Competition #TuesdayBookBlog @BrookCottageBks

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Review, Books, Cozy Mystery, Extract, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance by

Genre: Cosy mystery/romance

Release Date:21 July 2017

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Some places stay with you forever…

When Ellie Maddison is sent on a business trip to Southern Italy, she’s reminded why she loves her job – set amongst rolling vineyards and rich olive groves, the beautiful Villa Rosso is the perfect escape from her life back home. But what Ellie isn’t prepared for is the instant connection she feels to the estate’s director Max Johnson, or the secrets they share that are as intertwined as the rambling vines that cover Villa Rosso.

It’s not long before Ellie finds herself entangled in the history of the place, trying to understand the undeniable effect Max is having on her. As their relationship grows, what will Ellie discover about this idyllic villa and those who have walked through its doors?

What started as a simple work trip will change Ellie’s life forever.

Book links ~ Kobo | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review

The story begins in the present as Ellie and Josh celebrate their nineteenth wedding anniversary. Her best friend and boss, Livvie, is hosting a party in their honour. When Ellie picks up Livvie’s ornamental crystal ball she sees a surreal image which gives her chills as she wonders what it signifies. Although it’s reputed to have belonged to a famous medium, no-one else has seen anything in the crystal and Livvie is sure it doesn’t work.  Continue reading →

Guest Post from #author Merryn Allingham #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @MerrynWrites @HQstories

Posted in Blog Tour, Books, Guest Post, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Reading by

For my stop on the blog tour I’m delighted to welcome Merryn Allingham with her guest post ~ The English Country House

The English country house was at its most popular in the 19th and early 20thcenturies. It was where wealthy and aristocratic families retired once the London season came to an end. The First World War is often seen as the moment when the English country house began its sharp decline but with the outbreak of the Second World War in September, 1939, the last remaining vestiges of country house living disappeared. 

When war broke out, houses all over the country were commandeered by the Government, some for training, others for offices or research centres. The least popular option for owners was to house soldiers – and with good reason. A number of country houses were destroyed by military occupation, their interiors hacked about to make different accommodation and several burned to the ground because of carelessness. There were stories of panelling chopped up for use as kindling and jeeps being raced along wide corridors. In The Secret of Summerhayes, Alice Summer, now an old lady, is confined to a small attic apartment while the mansion she once called home is battered and scarred by military occupation. Continue reading →

Made Safe by Francis Sparks #Crime #Thriller reviewed for #RBRT #TuesdayBookBlog @writingsparks

Posted in Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Murder/Mystery, Noir, Reading, Suspense, Thriller by
  • Author: Francis Sparks
  • Published: January 2017 by Pandamoon Publishing
  • Category: Crime, Thriller, Book Review, Books, Reading

For Private Investigator, Moses Winter, the job just got more complicated. His adultery case has taken a violent turn landing the subject of his investigation, Fred Dunsmore, in the hospital and Moses in jail. Moses is held for questioning along with his erratic client, Sharon Dunsmore, and Fred’s mistress, a Bosnian refugee who just happens to be related to the DCI agent investigating the case, Raif Rakić.

When Private Investigator Moses Winter was hired by Sharon Dunsmore to find out if her husband was having an affair, he got way more than he bargained for. What had seemed like a straightforward infidelity case turns into something much darker when Sharon and Moses confront Fred Dunsmore and his girlfriend, Šejla, a Bosnian refugee. Sharon has a gun, which happened to belong to Moses, Šejla has a knife and Fred ends up in hospital fighting for his life, while Moses winds up in jail. When Fred goes missing the case takes on a whole new slant. Continue reading →

Dead Hope by Nicky Wells #RomanticSuspense #BookReview @WellsNicky

Posted in Book Review, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Suspense by
  • Author: Nicky Wells
  • Published: February 2017 by CreateSpace independent Publishing Platform
  • Category: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Book Review, Books, Reading.

Cat Hope doesn’t want to go to prison. She needs a job, and she needs it fast: judge’s orders.

Kay Mahon, office worker by day and hacker by night, is on the run from a past life that he’d rather not remember.

At thirty-one Cat Hope is the archetypal spoilt little rich girl, living off the legacy of her deceased rock superstar parents. Until one day she finds herself in front of Judge Peterson on a drugs charge. Given the choice between the judge’s idea of rehab or prison, Cat opts for rehab. 

It’s rehab, Cat, but not as you know it.

The conditions of her sentence require her changing her home and name, getting a job in order to support herself and committing to community service.  Cat can’t believe it. She’s been in and out of rehab so often but never like this. And why does she need to change her name? Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton @AuthorSJBolton #FridayReads #BookReview Psychological #Thriller

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Murder, Psychological, Reading, Suspense, Thriller by
  • Author: Sharon Bolton
  • Published: June 2016 by Transworld Digital
  • Category: Book Review, Crime, Murder, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological, Reading

Famous killers have fan clubs.

Hamish Wolfe is no different. Locked up for the rest of his life for the abduction and murder of three young women, he gets countless adoring letters every day. He’s handsome, charismatic and very persuasive. His admirers are convinced he’s innocent, and that he’s the man of their dreams.

Hamish Wolfe, handsome and charming, swears he is not guilty of the crimes for which he’s been imprisoned. His mother and posse of devotees also believe he has been wrongly convicted and, although the evidence against him seems beyond doubt, Wolfe steadfastly maintains his innocence. He and his supporters want to engage the services of Maggie Rose.  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 →