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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Dare in Books

Feb 20, 2021  
The Dare
The Dare
Lesley Kara | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having read and enjoyed Lesley's previous two books, The Rumour and Who Did You Tell?, I jumped at the chance to read this, her latest outing and, once again, I wasn't disappointed.

The Dare is an enthralling read where you can literally feel the tension building as the story unfolds. I was absolutely immersed from start to finish in the story of Lizzie and her best friend, Alice from both the "then" and "now" perspectives - this may sound confusing but, believe me, it's not.

After the accident that killed her best friend 12 years ago, Lizzie is trying to rebuild her life; she is engaged to be married to a GP, her epilepsy is under control and she is thinking of going to university however, things start to happen that quickly threaten that happiness.

The Dare is a slow-burner, that builds in tension, intrigue and suspense. I found it riveting and hard to stop reading and I would certainly recommend to people who enjoy an excellent psychological thriller with an enthralling plot and great twists.

Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Jigsaw Man in Books

Feb 21, 2021  
The Jigsaw Man
The Jigsaw Man
Nadine Matheson | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a gruesome and dark thriller and it's great!!

I must say though that if you're a bit squeamish and don't like graphic descriptions of murder, then don't read this. If you do or don't mind a bit of gore, then crack on.

The characters are great, the plot is absorbing and complex and the ability of the author to capture the feelings of the various protagonists is excellent.

I absolutely love a good "baddie" and Nadine Matheson has created one such character in Peter Olivier; he is deliciously evil, extremely charming, highly intelligent, an excellent manipulator and everything you would want in a (fictitious) serial killer ... think Ted Bundy crossed with Jeffrey Dahmer and you have a pretty good picture.

This is a gripping read which although starts a little slow, it builds in tension and action as you turn the pages culminating in an exciting finale which definitely leaves the door open for a sequel and the intriguing backstory lends itself to a prequel ... well I would certainly read either or both!

Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Ultraviolet in TV

Jan 3, 2021  
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
1998 | Horror, Thriller
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
British horror-thriller resists the temptation of going camp and is all the better for it. London cop Mike Colefield discovers the existence of a secretive government agency hunting blood-drinking, mirror-averse immortals and is eventually recruited by them. But can they uncover the enemy's plans before internal tensions tear the team apart?

One of the many post-X Files genre shows to appear in the UK in the late 90s, but much better than most of them, largely because it resists the temptation to go overboard with the flashy fantasy elements: vampires rarely appear in the early episodes and this more closely resembles a police procedural show. But definitely a horror series, and an effective one for the most part, written and played with great skill. Starts off as an episodic show before the serial elements gradually take over - the standalone episodes are best - and comes up with some clever new spins on vampire lore. One wishes they could have made more than just the six episodes (plus a US pilot with a mostly different cast and rather different approach), but as it this this definitely counts as small but perfectly formed.
  
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ClareR (6247 KP) rated The House in Books

Nov 21, 2020  
The House
The House
Tom Watson, Imogen Robertson | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The House is a taut political thriller, packed full of intrigue, secrets, corruption and betrayal. The setting is Westminster - somewhere that Tom Watson has an intimate knowledge of. And you can tell. There are nooks, crannies and offices described in here that I’ve never even heard of - and sneaky back doors too!

The story itself seemed multi-layered and quite complex to begin with, and I have to admit to struggling with the amount of names I needed to remember (this is typical of me though, to be honest!), but once I had them all straight in my head after a couple of staves, I was able to enjoy it much more.

The story tied together really nicely towards the end - the seemingly different stories coming together and resolving - but it was left on a bit of a cliffhanger. And do you know? I think I would probably read another book set in this world of the UK Parliament. I liked the characters, and particularly the unlikeable characters intrigued me (I’m nothing if not predictable!). It’ll be interesting to see where another book takes us!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, I really enjoyed it.