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The Surrogate (Brennan & Esposito #1)
The Surrogate (Brennan & Esposito #1)
Tania Carver | 2009 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
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The Surrogate ( Brennan & Esposito book1)
By Tania Carver

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

A shocking double-murder scene greets Detective Inspector Philip Brennan when he is called to a flat in Colchester. Two women are viciously cut open and laying spreadeagled, one tied to the bed, one on the floor. The woman on the bed has had her stomach cut into and her unborn child is missing. But this is the third time Phil and his team have seen such an atrocity. Two other pregnant women have been killed in this way and their babies taken from them. No-one can imagine what sort of person would want to commit such evil acts. When psychologist Marina Esposito is brought in, Phil has to put aside his feelings about their shared past and get on with the job. But can they find the killer before another woman is targeted?



This is definitely a strange one for me! How I got through it I will never know I had to keep putting it down and regather my thoughts. Several times I asked myself do I want to keep going! This is not me taking anything away from the authors as the book was very well written, fast paced with short but well packed chapters. This was difficult for so many reasons dealing with delicate issues. Murder of both women and babies, mutilation , sexual and physical abuse, mental illness on so many levels as well as a few more I missed. The book had this draw to it you didn’t want to go on but you needed to go on! For the first book I. A series it kicks you in the gut straight away! A few times I thought I would physically throw up. So many emotions packed into 438 pages! I needed that last chapter I needed to see him get his woman I think after everything you go through you need that ending!!

Would I recommend this book? Without a doubt but it needs a trigger warning and it’s definitely NOT for the faint hearted!!
  
Survivor's Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8)
Survivor's Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8)
Michael Wood | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having just finished Time is Running Out, the 7th in this series, and being absolutely blown away by it, I couldn't wait to get my grubby little mitts on this, the 8th in the brilliant Matilda Darke series and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. What I will say is that I think it would be preferable to have read the 7th book before reading this one as this one picks the story up 9 months later and will provide an explanation as to why Matilda and other characters are acting as they are.

This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.

Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!

There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?

The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!

Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!

I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Shades of Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #3)
Shades of Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #3)
Lauren Carr | 2012 | Mystery, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Are you a murder mystery fan? Do you enjoy mystery altogether? You may fall in love with Lauren Carr. Her books will get you hooked. You and start any of her series by reading any one of her books. But you can read her books from the beginning. You can read any of her books as stand-alone as well.

I got hooked on her book by reading a mystery book of hers. Now I have read quite a few of them. The book I just finished is “Shades of Murder” in the form of an audiobook, book three of her Mac Faraday series. I have read almost all of her books in all of her series. They do get interlocked. Some readers may introduce you to new characters and a new series of books.

We started with the prologue of the story and murder in the preamble. We stand introduced to David and his parents, who are on vacation when we open this book. David stands called out to a crime scene. We want to know who killed Ilysa Ramsey.

We get introduced to Mac and his german shepherd in chapter one. When he receives a mysterious package sent to him, Archy wants to know. It seems like it was a painting that had stood stolen. We are wondering whether she painted her death.

Then we are introduced to Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates. They seem to be working on a murder mystery of their own that when cold. Who is this Jane Doe?; Who kills her? Who happens to be Neil Hackaway’s wife?

What will happen when Cameron Gates and Joshua Thornton find out that there is another Ilysa Ramsey murder in Deep Creek Lake? Who out to kill who. Why does the FBI get involved? There seem to be more murders cases and lots of questions.

These cases seem to collide, and what will ever happen. Will the group work together and figure out the killer? Is there more than one killer? There may be a plan for each of the suspects years later. You will have to read or listen to find out how it all fits together.
  
Cruising Right into Love
Cruising Right into Love
JP Sayle | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved this, cannot fault it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Sometimes, Ms Sayle writes incredibly dark tales, sometimes they are just plain weird (fingerlings, come to mind) and then there are these kinda books: just a beautifully told tale of two men doing something about the attraction between them, and letting it all happen, while on a cruise.

I loved this book, I cannot fault it!

Victor comes to Sweet Haven to recover and heal after breaking up with his abusive partner. That last scene with them two together is the start of this book. It was not easy reading, what he did to Vic, but I think it was needed to get the full horro of what he had suffered. Very well written, but hard reading. Getting a job with Leeson and Garrett (from the book Sweet Haven, I had to look!) gives him time to heal. It helps that Denton is easy on the eye, but taken. Then Denton isn't and then they are sharing a room on the cruise, and all bets are off!

What I loved about this most, was that, apart from that first chapter, and some reference to Vic's history, there is very little about that history. Sometimes, reliving past trauma takes up a lot of book, but it's been 2 years and Vic is far more confident now about a lot of things. And it shows when dealing with Mr Polished who takes a shine to Denton on the crusie and Vic is "he's MINE"!

I loved that while Denton was spoken for, nothing happened between them. I loved that Denton's ex is Vic friend, but they were able to get past the breakup and still be friends. I loved how fast things moved for these two. But it's been two years that they have lusted over each other, so things were not going to go at a snail's pace!

It's steamy and smexy. It's emotional and it's fun. It's beauitfully written and delivered. I cannot fault it!

I loved it, so bloody much, so it can only get:

5 full and shiny stars!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
    Amharic Bible with Audio

    Amharic Bible with Audio

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