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Evil (The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #1)
5.5
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Faced with an increasing number of lunatics with superpowers eager to face off with his own...
The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion
9.0
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Faced with an increasing number of lunatics with superpowers eager to face off with his own...
The Night Window: A Jane Hawk Novel
9.0
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Since her sensational debut in The Silent Corner, readers have been riveted by Jane Hawk's resolute...
Jane Hawk Book series Suspense Thriller
Killing Jericho
7.0
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Scott Jericho thought he'd worked his last case. Fresh out of jail, the disgraced former detective...
LGBT
Louise (64 KP) rated Burned and Broken in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher, my opinions are honest and my own.
Mark Hardie’s debut novel is set in Essex following our main protagonists DS Frank Pearson, DC Catherine Russell and young girl called Donna. DI Sean Carragher has been found burned to death in his car and Donna’s best friend Alicia was found dead in an underpass. Could these two deaths be connected? That’s the job for Pearson Russell to find out!
Starting off the book was very slow-paced, difficult to follow and the writing was very descriptive…maybe too much. The timeline of the book felt very jumpy and the POV’s would switch without so much as a warning. The first part of the book was setting the scene and some of the characters I felt unnecessary and were there just to fill a few more pages. The second half of the book was a lot better and Hardie get’s in to the flow of things. The ending was ok, but there wasn’t enough suspense in the book. I wasn’t excited to find out ‘whodunnit’.
This isn’t a bad book, especially for a debut but there is a lot of Police/Crime books out on the market and this doesn’t really stand out.
I believe there is going to be more books that continue following Pearson and Russell on more investigations. I might read them to see how Mark Hardie’s writing develops.
If you are a fan of Crime/Mystery novels..still check this out as though it wasn’t for me.. you may love it.
Mark Hardie’s debut novel is set in Essex following our main protagonists DS Frank Pearson, DC Catherine Russell and young girl called Donna. DI Sean Carragher has been found burned to death in his car and Donna’s best friend Alicia was found dead in an underpass. Could these two deaths be connected? That’s the job for Pearson Russell to find out!
Starting off the book was very slow-paced, difficult to follow and the writing was very descriptive…maybe too much. The timeline of the book felt very jumpy and the POV’s would switch without so much as a warning. The first part of the book was setting the scene and some of the characters I felt unnecessary and were there just to fill a few more pages. The second half of the book was a lot better and Hardie get’s in to the flow of things. The ending was ok, but there wasn’t enough suspense in the book. I wasn’t excited to find out ‘whodunnit’.
This isn’t a bad book, especially for a debut but there is a lot of Police/Crime books out on the market and this doesn’t really stand out.
I believe there is going to be more books that continue following Pearson and Russell on more investigations. I might read them to see how Mark Hardie’s writing develops.
If you are a fan of Crime/Mystery novels..still check this out as though it wasn’t for me.. you may love it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2117 KP) rated Murder’s No Votive Confidence in Books
Oct 23, 2019
This Debut Has My Vote of Confidence
This Memorial Day Weekend is going to be busy for Stella Wright. Not only is it the start of tourist season for her native Nantucket Island, but, thanks to her best friend, she has landed a job providing candles for a wedding taking place over the weekend. This job includes a large and elaborate unity candle, but before the couple can walk down the aisle, Stella finds the candle broken next to the body of the bride’s estranged uncle. When the police are quick to arrest a local bartender, Stella is certain they have the wrong suspect. Can she use the fact that she’s helping with the wedding to find the killer?
I didn’t get as much reading time as I am used to when I picked up this book, but I felt like the book started off a little slowly. That might just be me, however. Things definitely picked up in the second third of the book, and I was impressed with some of the twists we got as we neared the super fun climax. The characters really grew on me, especially Stella. There are hints we might be in for a love triangle, but I think it is clear who Stella’s love interest should be, and I really liked him, too. The suspects are good characters and strong as suspects. I felt the island could have come to life a bit more, but again, that might have been my lack of reading time to fully immerse myself into the story. Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I’m definitely planning to visit Stella again.
I didn’t get as much reading time as I am used to when I picked up this book, but I felt like the book started off a little slowly. That might just be me, however. Things definitely picked up in the second third of the book, and I was impressed with some of the twists we got as we neared the super fun climax. The characters really grew on me, especially Stella. There are hints we might be in for a love triangle, but I think it is clear who Stella’s love interest should be, and I really liked him, too. The suspects are good characters and strong as suspects. I felt the island could have come to life a bit more, but again, that might have been my lack of reading time to fully immerse myself into the story. Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I’m definitely planning to visit Stella again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2117 KP) rated Microphones and Murder in Books
Feb 12, 2020
Don’t Miss This Debut
Liv Olsen has spent a few years working on a popular true crime podcast, but now she’s decided to risk everything to start her own, Missing or Murdered. Working with her stepsister, Camry Lewis, she’s identified her first case. Just over ten years ago, Amelia Clark disappeared from Santa Maria, a town on central California’s coast, a week after an embarrassing video of her was posted on YouTube. The trail has long gone cold, but the retired detective who worked the case reached out to Liv, hoping that publicity would bring forward a new clue. As Liv begins to interview people who knew Amelia, she gets more questions than answers. What happen to Amelia all those years ago?
It’s always fun when a mystery opens with something other than a murder, and that’s what we get here. The missing person case was compelling, and it seemed the further I read, the more confusing the case became. However, everything came together for a satisfying solution before it was all over. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them immediately. I appreciated the character growth we saw here, and I can’t wait to see how these relationships grow in future books. The suspects are just as real and do a great job of confusing us. I did find out character who speaks with a stutter annoying, and there were a couple of scenes I could have done without, but these are both minor issues. On the other hand, I appreciated the book’s humor and found myself laughing several times. This is a delightful debut, and I will definitely be back when the sequel drops.
It’s always fun when a mystery opens with something other than a murder, and that’s what we get here. The missing person case was compelling, and it seemed the further I read, the more confusing the case became. However, everything came together for a satisfying solution before it was all over. The characters are charming, and I fell in love with them immediately. I appreciated the character growth we saw here, and I can’t wait to see how these relationships grow in future books. The suspects are just as real and do a great job of confusing us. I did find out character who speaks with a stutter annoying, and there were a couple of scenes I could have done without, but these are both minor issues. On the other hand, I appreciated the book’s humor and found myself laughing several times. This is a delightful debut, and I will definitely be back when the sequel drops.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Silent House in Books
Mar 14, 2020
A pretty good debut
This is a pretty good debut thriller from this author and one which is fairly unique given that it focuses on the deaf community. I say pretty good and not excellent because I found it a little tedious in parts.
The story starts well with the gruesome discovery of the body of little Lexi ... she has been brutally murdered in her own bed but in a house inhabited by a family of deaf people, no one heard a thing. Paige is called as an interpreter for the Police but on finding out she has a connection to the family, rather than distance herself, she becomes embroiled in the investigation leading to her receiving threats herself. Sounds good right? Well yes, overall it is but it just takes a while to get there.
The characters are ok but a little one-dimensional. The pace was good in part but there were quite large sections of dialogue where nothing much happened when I found myself skim-reading, which is never a good sign. The real winner here is the glimpse into the life of the deaf community which, not being deaf myself, was a real eye opener and clearly the author knows what she's talking about.
Not the best book I've ever read but certainly not the worst either and I would recommend it to others if only to get a little insight into the challenges faced by the deaf on a daily basis.
My thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
The story starts well with the gruesome discovery of the body of little Lexi ... she has been brutally murdered in her own bed but in a house inhabited by a family of deaf people, no one heard a thing. Paige is called as an interpreter for the Police but on finding out she has a connection to the family, rather than distance herself, she becomes embroiled in the investigation leading to her receiving threats herself. Sounds good right? Well yes, overall it is but it just takes a while to get there.
The characters are ok but a little one-dimensional. The pace was good in part but there were quite large sections of dialogue where nothing much happened when I found myself skim-reading, which is never a good sign. The real winner here is the glimpse into the life of the deaf community which, not being deaf myself, was a real eye opener and clearly the author knows what she's talking about.
Not the best book I've ever read but certainly not the worst either and I would recommend it to others if only to get a little insight into the challenges faced by the deaf on a daily basis.
My thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2117 KP) rated Past Crimes in Books
Feb 13, 2020
Captivating Debut
Army ranger Van Shaw hasn’t been home in ten years, and he has no plans to return until he gets a letter from his estranged grandfather, the man who raised him, asking him to return. Van arrives to find his grandfather on the floor bleeding from a very recent gunshot wound. Van knows he is the best person to find out what happened to his grandfather. The man made his living as a thief, something he was training Van in until Van turned his back on that life and joined the army. But Van still knows the old man’s friends, and they might tell him things they wouldn’t tell the police. Can he use his contacts to find out what happened?
This book is definitely darker than my typical cozies, but I knew that when I picked it up. While I didn’t find the violence or sex excessive, I did feel the foul language could have been toned down some. The plot was a little slow to hook me, and some flashbacks to Van’s childhood didn’t really help that feeling. However, I did get hooked and was along for the twists, turns, and action sequences we got. I was on the edge of my seat by the time I reached the end. The characters are all solid, which helps. I don’t normally like rooting for criminals, but since Van is reformed, it is easy to root for him. The rest are very real and I enjoyed getting to know them. I’m glad I gave this debut a chance, and I definitely plan to move on to the next in the series.
This book is definitely darker than my typical cozies, but I knew that when I picked it up. While I didn’t find the violence or sex excessive, I did feel the foul language could have been toned down some. The plot was a little slow to hook me, and some flashbacks to Van’s childhood didn’t really help that feeling. However, I did get hooked and was along for the twists, turns, and action sequences we got. I was on the edge of my seat by the time I reached the end. The characters are all solid, which helps. I don’t normally like rooting for criminals, but since Van is reformed, it is easy to root for him. The rest are very real and I enjoyed getting to know them. I’m glad I gave this debut a chance, and I definitely plan to move on to the next in the series.
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The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)
8.3
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The haunting follow up to the Edgar Award-winning debut In the Woods Tana French astonished...