Sweet After Death by Valentina Giambanco blog tour

Today I'm thrilled to be taking part in the Sweet After Death blog tour, the fourth book in the Alice Madison series.

ABOUT THE BOOK 

In the dead of winter Homicide Detective Alice Madison is sent to the remote town of Ludlow, Washington, to investigate an unspeakable crime.

Together with her partner Detective Sergeant Kevin Brown and crime scene investigator Amy Sorensen, Madison must first understand the killer's motives...but the dark mountains that surround Ludlow know how to keep their secrets and that the human heart is wilder than any beasts.

As the killer strikes again Madison and her team are under siege. And as they become targets Madison realises that in the freezing woods around the pretty town a cunning evil has been waiting for her.


MY THOUGHTS

Sweet After Death is the fourth book in the Alice Madison series by Valentina Giambanco. It is a heart stopping crime novel that will have you hooked from the first page. A thoroughly enjoyable read which I highly recommend, I will definitely be going back to read the previous books in the series.

In the latest installment in the series, Madison and her colleagues, Detective Sergeant Kevin Brown and crime scene investigator Amy Sorensen are called to help out in an investigation into a crime which took place in the small town of Ludlow near the Canadian border. Ludlow is a seemingly peaceful town with little more than a few hundred residents. It is a close knit community where everyone knows everyone and everyone knows everything about what people get up to. When the local doctor is found dead in his car, the shocking discovery leaves the town reeling. How could such a thing happen here? Madison would like to think that this is just a one off, isolated incident but soon the town realises that the events which started with the doctor’s death is just the beginning.

I loved the setting of the small town in this book. Valentina creates a mysterious, creepy atmosphere and I could picture the mountains and the forests surrounding the town very clearly. I really engaged with Madison’s character in this book. We learn a lot about Madison in Sweet After Death, particularly about her childhood. I found all of the characters in this book really engaging, one character in particular, Samuel, Valentina made me care about him and I wanted to know what would become of him and his family.

I was intrigued to see how the team dynamics would play out once Madison and her team arrived in Ludlow. I’ve heard it said before that police forces typically like working on their own in an investigation and do not like having to go to outsiders to help. It made me wonder if there would be any animosity between Madison’s team and the police department at Ludlow.

Valentina has created an intriguing mystery in her latest book. The close knit town of Ludlow has to come to terms with what has happened in their supposedly safe neighbourhood. The one fact that is on everyone’s mind is that the killer could be one of them. Who do you know who to trust?

A terrific book, thank you to Alainna Georgiou at Quercus for providing me with a copy to read and for organising the blog tour. 

Publisher: Quercus 

Publication date: 15th June 2017

Print length: 496 pages

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Did You See Melody by Sophie Hannah Book Review

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Pushed to breaking point, Cara Burrows abandons her home and family and escapes to a five-star spa resort she can't afford. Late at night, exhausted and desperate, she lets herself into her hotel room and is shocked to find it already occupied - by a man and a teenage girl.

A simply mistake on the part of the hotel receptionist - but Cara's fear intensifies when she works out that the girl she saw alive and well in the hotel room is someone she can't possibly have seen: the most famous murder victim in the country, Melody Chapa, whose parents are serving life sentences for her murder.

Cara doesn't know what to trust: everything she's read and heard about the case, or the evidence of her own eyes. Did she really see Melody? And is she prepared to ask herself that question and answer it honestly if it means risking her own life?

MY THOUGHTS

I loved Did You See Melody. I’m ashamed to say that this is the first novel by Sophie Hannah that I have read but I will definitely be reading her other novels and I can now say that I am a big fan of her writing. Did You See Melody is a fast paced one sitting read, once you start you won’t be able to stop. 

Cara Burrows arrives in the middle of the night at a five star resort in Arizona. She has left her family behind in England and has come to America to help herself make an important decision about her marriage. But when she is sent to the wrong room upon her arrival at the hotel she has no idea how this will impact on her stay at the resort. As she settles into her new surroundings she comes across a seven year old mystery that still haunts America. A young girl went missing in 2010, her parents were charged for her murder but the young girl, Melody Chapa was never found. And now there have been three sightings of her at the resort where Cara is staying and Cara is convinced that she has seen her. Is it possible that she could still be alive?

I started reading this book on a Saturday morning and by the end of the day I had read 210 pages. I nearly missed my stop on the train because I didn’t want to stop reading. Sophie Hannah grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let you go until you have turned the final page. I had to know what happened to the missing girl Melody Chapa and why, seven years after her disappearance, people were seeing her around the resort spa where Cara was staying.

I really engaged with the characters in this book. I understood Cara’s need to come to America, even if her decision making did seem a little rash, sometimes we all just need space to ourselves to breathe. There were some quirky characters too which added lightness to the book; this was particularly the case when Cara was getting to know the resort and as she became familiar with the other guests who were staying there.

There is suspense on every page of this book, from the moment that Cara arrives in America to the final, dramatic conclusion. It is psychological thriller writing at its very best.  

An excellent read, one I’m sure will be a big hit this summer, perfect for sitting around the pool with on holiday. Thank you to Louise Swannell for sending me an arc to review. 

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Publication date: 24th August 2017

Print length: 336 pages 

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The Stolen Girls by Patricia Gibney Book Review

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One Monday morning, the body of a young pregnant woman is found. The same day, a mother and her son visit the house of Detective Lottie Parker, begging for help to find a lost friend.

Could this be the same girl?

When a second victim is discovered by the same man, with the murder bearing all the same hallmarks as the first, Lottie needs to work fast to discover how else the two were linked. Then two more girls go missing.

Detective Lottie Parker is a woman on the edge, haunted by her tragic past and struggling to keep her family together through difficult times. Can she fight her own demons and catch the killer before he claims another victim?

The Stolen Girls is a gripping and page-turning thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni. 


MY THOUGHTS

The Stolen Girls is the second book in the hugely popular, Lottie Parker series. I loved Patricia Gibney’s first book, The Missing Ones and I couldn’t wait to get started on the second and it didn’t disappoint. The Lottie Parker series is becoming a top favourite of mine.

In The Stolen Girls, Lottie deals with some dark themes: human trafficking, organ farming, rape and self-harm. It is darker than her previous book and when the body count begins to rise, Lottie realises that they have a series problem to deal with in her home town.

The novel opens with a shocking scene that sets the tone of the book straight away. A young boy witnesses a terrifying crime against his family and is forced into the world on his own. Meanwhile in the present day, Lottie is door stepped by a young woman and her small child and pleads for her help. The woman understands very little English and hopes that a note she leaves Lottie about her situation will help her. After already being made late on her first day back by the woman, Lottie is handed a murder case straight away. A young woman’s body has been found beneath a road. Lottie believes that she may be a refugee or an asylum seeker and as the investigation progresses Lottie learns some dark truths about what has been going on in her home town. Her family life is also crumbling in around her, they are still recovering from the traumatic events of the first book in the series and Lottie’s daughter, Katie is growing more distant from her. Can Lottie focus every ounce of her energy on the investigation when she has so many things at home to be worried about?

I really like Patricia’s writing style and she draws you into the story quickly. The dialogue throughout the book is excellent and it was interesting to see how Boyd and Lottie's friendship developed in this novel. There’s always a hint that their relationship could develop further and I liked how Patricia used this in places throughout the story to add tension.

Patricia creates a gripping mystery and some more unsavoury characters for Lottie to get herself wrapped up in. The story had me hooked from the first page and I hated having to put it down. A thoroughly enjoyable read, I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read. 

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 6th July 2017

Print length: 461 pages

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Warlock Holmes The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles Book Review

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The game's afoot once more as Holmes and Watson face off against Moriarty's gang, the Pinkertons, flesh-eating horses, a parliament of imps, boredom, Surrey, a disappointing butler demon, a succubus, a wicked lord, an overly-Canadian lord, a tricycle-fight to the death and the dreaded Pumpcrow. Oh, and a hell-hound, one assumes.

MY THOUGHTS

I was intrigued by the premise of Warlock Holmes the Hell-hound of the Baskervilles, the second book in the series by G. S Denning, it isn’t the sort of book I would usually read but surprisingly I really enjoyed it. Some of the magic and fantasy realms did get a little bit confusing, especially towards the end but the plot and the story were gripping and I really engaged with the characters.

Warlock Holmes, the great fictional detective is rotting away and has become a diseased corpse. His faithful companion, Watson, has no idea what to do and contemplates the horrendous idea of chopping up his body and throwing the pieces into the Thames to be done with it. And Watson is also having to deal with their landlord, Mrs Hudson who is demanding their rent payment, how can he possibly explain Warlock’s situation to her? He can’t continue to make the excuse that he’s in France. Watson really is at his wits end.

I really liked how the author captured Watson and Warlock’s character. The Sherlock Holmes books are among my favourite, particularly The Hound of the Baskervilles, I thought that G.S. Denning did a great job with Watson and Warlock’s voice.

After a period of ill health, Warlock makes a miraculous recovery and soon finds himself entangled in mysteries that are waiting to be solved. There are several short mysteries for the pair to solve before Watson arrives at Baskerville Hall to protect Sir Henry Baskerville, the heir to the estate from an old family curse. There were a lot of humorous moments in the book which had me laughing out loud, particularly when Warlock infuriates Watson.

I did find some of the magic a little heavy at times and this may put some people off reading but the overall story telling was very good. This was an imaginative retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s popular stores and I would definitely recommend it to fans of Sherlock Holmes, young and old. Thank you to Philippa Ward at Titan Books for sending me a copy to review. 

Publisher: Titan Books

Publication date: 16th May 2017

Print length: 352 pages

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Broken Branches by M. Jonathan Lee Book Review

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For fans of Grief is a Thing with Feathers and Road Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected comes a story about a family haunted by an ancient curse. 

Following the tragic death of Stuart Perkins, his younger brother Ian moves into the family home with his wife and young son.

Grief and loss hang heavy over the house and Stuart's death has prompted Ian to delve into the rumours of a mysterious family curse which has allegedly been the cause of several tragedies in the Perkins family history. Ian becomes consumed with his research and is determined to uncover the truth before it's too late.

M Jonathan Lee deals sensitively with issues of grief and depression in this intriguing, intelligently written novel which ends with a heart-stopping twist!

MY THOUGHTS

Broken Branches by M. Jonathan Lee is the first book to be published by new, independent publishers Hideaway Fall. Broken Branches is an emotional and heart wrenching tale that will leave you reeling. It is the first book by M. Jonathan Lee which I have read and I am looking forward to reading more from him in the future.

In the novel we meet Ian Perkins who lives with his wife Rachel and their son Harry. Their home has been in Ian’s family for centuries but Ian believes it comes with a curse that has struck generation after generation. In the grounds of the house stands a large sycamore tree which is believed to be the cause of every tragic event that has struck his family. To prove that the curse is real, Ian is investigating his family history and he uncovers heart wrenching stories as he pursues his quest. And in the present day, Ian can hear strange noises in the house and a young child keeps appearing to him in the night.  Could the curse really be real? Can Ian find out the truth?

The novel is told across two timelines, when Ian is a younger boy living with his brother, mother and father on the family farm and when he is an adult. I really felt as though I engaged with Ian, particularly during the flash back scenes to his youth. As I got to know Ian’s character, I wanted to understand what the curse was about and why Ian is obsessed with understanding it in the future. The farm was a great setting to use and I could clearly picture it inside my mind, I could see the infamous tree very vividly.

The final revelations in the book were heart breaking, even though, towards the end, I could see where the book was going. Finishing the book has made me want to find out more about Ian and his family; although I thought that the novel was brought to a good conclusion which tied everything up, I wanted to know what happens next to Ian and his family and how they will carry on with the rest of their lives. For me that is always the sign of a good book, when I am sad to say goodbye to the characters. I don’t want to talk too much about the plot as I don’t want to spoil it for readers but there were times when I really wanted to shake Ian’s parents during the flash back scenes. I always felt as though Ian was side lined as a young man and I felt sorry for him a lot of the time. For me I was slightly confused with the timelines in the novel towards the end but that didn’t spoil the overall story, it did become clearer as the novel drew towards its conclusion.

Overall I enjoyed reading Broken Branches; M. Jonathan Lee is a writer to watch. The suspense in the novel kept me turning the pages. Thank you to Hideaway Fall for sending me a copy to review. 

Publisher: Hideaway Fall

Publication date: 27th July 2017

Print length: 304 pages

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Fierce Kingdom Blog Tour

Today on my blog I am delighted to be taking part in the Fierce Kingdom blog tour with a guest post by Gin Phillips.


Small Moments 

There are big dramatic moments in my new novel, Fierce Kingdom—there are gunmen and chase scenes and life-or-death situations. But there are small moments, too, and those moments can have as much impact as any weapon.

More than one character in my novel remembers some small gesture by a long-ago teacher that continues to ripple through their adult lives. That’s no coincidence. As for me, my first grade teacher gave me a copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  She didn’t give anyone else a book. I still remember the pale sherbet green of the cabinets next to us, and I remember how she pointed to the inscription she’d written on the first page, and I remember the perfect white of her hair.

I was well-aware that she had chosen me and only me. But more than the sense of specialness—which was its own pleasure, an almost physical warmth—I also felt some sort of obligation. I wouldn’t have had words for that then, but it was as if she expected something of me. She saw some sort of possibility.

I had many teachers after that who spent time and energy encouraging me and who became something close to family. But I think back to that first grade moment often—that passing of the book from her hand to my hand.

There are small moments that loom large. They ripple through the years, growing stronger instead of dimmer. They are not always obvious at the time. I think teachers are in a particular position to bring about those moments, although they aren’t the only ones.

When I was still in grade school, I went to a business conference with my father. At dinner one night, we sat at a round table with strangers, and I chatted with the grandfatherly man next to me. I don’t remember what we talked about. I remember him laughing. And as everyone else began pushing back their chairs, he leaned toward me and held out his hand. He held a brown nut, polished to a glossy shine.

            “It’s a buckeye,” he told me.

            He explained that buckeyes were good luck. This one in particular, he said, must be very good luck, because his mother had given it to him before he left for World War II, and he’d carried it in his pocket for all the years he was in Europe. He’d thought he’d pass it on to his own child, but he never had any children. So he’d been unsure, as he got older, what he would do with it. He’d decided that he wanted to give it to me. He put it in my hand and closed my fingers around it. I didn’t even know his name.

            As my father said soon after, either that man liked me, or he carried a bunch of nuts in his pockets and went around lying to a bunch of little kids.

            I never saw the man again, although I think of him often. I think of the ways we can tell someone with one quick gesture—just a few seconds—that they are worth something. That they are expected to do something. What a difference it makes, I think, to have someone who is not obligated by blood or attachment see something in you that sets you apart.

In my novel, the relationship between a mother and son is at the core of the story. I thought about motherhood plenty while writing, but I also thought plenty about how we are shaped—however briefly—by plenty of people who are not are parents. Neighbors. Teachers. Strangers.

           

            There are small moments. They can grow to be immense.

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Lincoln is a good boy. At the age of four, he is curious, clever and well behaved. He does as his mum says and knows what the rules are.

'The rules are different today. The rules are that we hide and do not let the man with the gun find us.' 

When an ordinary day at the zoo turns into a nightmare, Joan finds herself trapped with her beloved son. She must summon all her strength, find unexpected courage and protect Lincoln at all costs - even if it means crossing the line between right and wrong; between humanity and animal instinct. 

It's a line none of us would ever normally dream of crossing.

But sometimes the rules are different. 

This is a terrific novel from Gin Phillips and you can see my original review here 

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication date: 15th June 2017

Print length: 288 pages

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The Last Cut by Danielle Ramsay blog tour

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Obsessions can kill.
First, he selects them. Strips them of their identity.
Then he kills them. All for her...

DS Harri Jacobs transferred to Newcastle from the Met in the hope of leaving her past behind: the moment where her stalker turned violent. He left her alive, saying that one day he would be back. And she ran.

But a year later, she realises he has followed her from home. He'll prove his devotion. With blood...


MY THOUGHTS 

The Last Cut is the first novel in the DS Harri Jacobs series by Danielle Ramsay. It is the first book by Danielle Ramsay that I have read and I really enjoyed reading it, it is a novel that demands your attention, and I can’t wait to read more from her. This is going to be an exciting new series with a new detective that will thrill crime fans.

DS Harri Jacobs has recently transferred to Newcastle from the Metropolitan Police in London. A year ago she suffered from a horrific attack where she was raped in her own home. Her attacker promised to return and finish the job, this time, by killing her, and now Harri fears that that day may be edging closer. It is a constant shadow hanging over her life, one that she’ll never be free from until her attacker is brought to justice or until he finishes what he started.

I really liked Danielle’s new character in this book. She is a strong female lead; although she is struggling to come to terms with what happened to her a year ago, Harri is determined to try and move on and bring the person responsible to justice, and she has some theories as to who her attacker may be. But things have started to heat up. Harri is receiving strange, chilling text messages, and when the body of a young female is found, it marks the start of a fresh investigation into a seriously twisted killer. There are strong similarities to what happened to this victim and to what happened to her, and perhaps what is even more disturbing, is that the victim has been transformed to resemble her. Coincidence? Harri doesn’t think so. Is the person behind her attack the same man behind these heinous crimes?

Although I really enjoyed this book, I did find some scenes were a little repetitive. This was particularly the case when Harri was trying to work out how to stay on the investigation team when it appeared that her case, and the crimes that were taking place in the present, may be linked, and her suspicions about a former colleague of hers in London. For me, it did slow down the pace a little. Some of the scenes in this book are quite gruesome, which makes this book perfect for fans of gritty crime thrillers. The person behind this attack is twisted, probably one of the scariest and vile criminals I’ve come across recently. It was great getting to know Harri in this book, I thought this more so when she was away from the investigation and the police station. This gave us the reader a real insight into her mind, and you can see just how much damage the attack that took place a year ago has affected her.

Overall I found The Last Cut an exciting read; I was desperate to learn the truth about who was behind the attacks. The opening chapters draw you into the story and opens up questions which you have to have answered, and Danielle keeps you guessing right up till the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and I can’t wait to see where she will take Harri next. Thank you to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Mullholland Books for providing me with a copy to read. 

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Publication date: 1st June 2017

Print length: 384 pages

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