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Cold As The Grave
Cold As The Grave
James Oswald | 2019 | Crime, Paranormal, Thriller
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A treat for crime fiction lovers
This is a treat for crime fiction lovers with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. Mr Oswald knows how to write a great story and he has done it once again with "Cold as the Grave".

DCI Tony McLean finds himself, quite unexpectedly, in the midst of a strange and disturbing investigation following his discovery of the mummified remains of a young girl. Being a DCI, Tony is not supposed to get into the day to day investigation of crime however, Tony being Tony just can't help himself and he quickly becomes in the thick of it.

This is a dark and sinister case to investigate and includes themes on refugees, asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, trafficking, modern slavery, the murder of children and violence towards women as well as introducing a less than "normal" slant on the perpetrator of the crime and the method used for committing murder.

With fantastic characters throughout and written in a sympathetic rather than sensationalist way with the back drop of a winter in Edinburgh, this is a great read.

I admit to not having read all the previous books in this series and although I have probably missed out massively on back story, character development, etc., it did not detract from my enjoyment of this book.

On to the next .... when it comes out!

My thanks must go to the Publisher and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
  
Pray for the Girl
Pray for the Girl
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lucy Abbott never pictured herself coming back to Fawn Grove, Maine. Yet after serving time in Afghanistan, then years spent as a sous chef in New York, she's realized her only hope of moving on from the past involves facing it again. But Fawn Grove, like Lucy herself, has changed.
Lucy's sister, Wendy, is eager to help her adapt, almost stifling her with concern. At the local diner, Lucy is an exotic curiosity--much like the refugees who've arrived in recent years. When a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered along the banks of the river, difficult memories of Lucy's time overseas come flooding back and she feels an automatic connection. At first glance, the tragedy looks like an honor killing. But the more Lucy learns about her old hometown, the less certain that seems.
There is menace and hostility here, clothed in neighborly smiles and a veneer of comfort. And when another teen is found dead in a cornfield, his throat slit, Lucy--who knows something about hiding secrets--must confront a truth more brutal than she could have imagined, in the last place she expected it . . .

Lucy is trying to heal from her past, so coming home is supposed to help with that.
I love the authors' description of the characters and town.
Very well developed plot with many layers to this novel.
The twist in part 2 was just a big WOW!
The ending I did not see coming at all.
Really enjoyed reading and have no trouble saying highly recommend!!

Thank you Net Galley, Kensington Books, and Joseph Souza for sending above book for review.
  
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest (not necessarily positive) review.

I'll start by saying it seems a little odd to say I "liked" this book, considering the content contained within. However, it's very well written, and I felt not only educated on PTSD and other war-related issues but also on the different warring areas themselves. I can honestly admit that I didn't know a lot of the background for many of the locations described in these pages, and I felt the author did a wonderful job at giving information to those like me who might not be fully aware of what was happening, while also keeping it geared more toward the work he and his partners were doing for the victims/refugees/etc.

I have a Psychology degree, but this is written in such a way that anyone from any walk of life could pick it up and read from cover to cover without being confused or having to do any additional research to figure out certain thing. It's a powerful piece about places and situations that we, as Americans, may not be entirely knowledgeable about, and I commend the author for writing about his experiences over these past 20 years. It could not have been easy to experience these things, as it's difficult to even read some of them, and I can only imagine what it was like to speak with these people firsthand and hear their stories day in and day out.

5 stars, and a very educational read for those both in and out of the Psychology/Social Work professions.