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I Never Gave My Consent
8.0
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In 2013, a series of high-profile court cases sent shockwaves through the West Midlands town of...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Lost Graves (Boyle & Keneally #2) [Audiobook] in Books
Feb 6, 2022
![Lost Graves (Boyle & Keneally #2) [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/317/9e668096-6135-4694-b257-30976a5be317.jpg?m=1644157499)
I am always a bit wary of joining a new series without having read at least the first book however, I needn't have worried because this really works as a standalone and I am now hooked and eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
What we have here is a great story that mixes crime, mystery, serial killer, police procedural with Irish folklore, the supernatural, the travelling community and shady military operations. Now, you might think that's a lot and whilst it is, S.A. Dunphy brings it all together seamlessly and effortlessly.
A mass grave is found in Derrada Woods and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations Team are sent in to investigate; made up of Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn, they are definitely a team not to be messed with and they quickly recognise the local police have the wrong man.
The ensuing investigation is full of twists and turns with plenty of action and suspense all written at a great pace. With short chapters, this is one of those books that have you thinking you can mange 'just one more chapter before bed' but before you know it, another hour has gone by ... you just get drawn in and it's hard to tear yourself away.
I listened to the audiobook and was completely absorbed by the narration done by Shelley Atkinson; her soft Irish tone really brought the characters to life and the subtle changes she made in order to make the different characters distinguishable was perfect.
Overall, a great 'listen' and I will definitely be looking out for the next in this enthralling series and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
What we have here is a great story that mixes crime, mystery, serial killer, police procedural with Irish folklore, the supernatural, the travelling community and shady military operations. Now, you might think that's a lot and whilst it is, S.A. Dunphy brings it all together seamlessly and effortlessly.
A mass grave is found in Derrada Woods and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations Team are sent in to investigate; made up of Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn, they are definitely a team not to be messed with and they quickly recognise the local police have the wrong man.
The ensuing investigation is full of twists and turns with plenty of action and suspense all written at a great pace. With short chapters, this is one of those books that have you thinking you can mange 'just one more chapter before bed' but before you know it, another hour has gone by ... you just get drawn in and it's hard to tear yourself away.
I listened to the audiobook and was completely absorbed by the narration done by Shelley Atkinson; her soft Irish tone really brought the characters to life and the subtle changes she made in order to make the different characters distinguishable was perfect.
Overall, a great 'listen' and I will definitely be looking out for the next in this enthralling series and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Murder on the Home Front
10.0
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Disrespect, disdain - and dead bodies! It's all in a day's work for WPC Billie Harkness, a...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 24, 2023
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Cozy Up to Blood in Books
Oct 29, 2021
Hiding Out on an Island with…Vampires?
Murray Lee has wandered onto the island of Belfry off the coast of Oregon just as the rains wash away the bridge connecting it to the mainland. He’s just in time for the annual festival dedicated to the movies in the Evenfall series, a popular vampire themed series of books and movies which were filmed on the island. This means there are plenty of outsiders posing as vampires around town. Someone is taking advantage of the crowds by attacking some of the locals, stealing from them, and biting their necks. The local police think that Murray is a good suspect since he is new to town but obviously not part of the Evenfall crowd. But Murray doesn’t want the police looking into him or his past. He has a secret. And it might have something to do with the motorcycle gang sitting on the other side of the bridge waiting for the water to recede. Can he clear his name without revealing his past? Will he even get off the island alive?
There is a part of me that enjoyed the book despite the flaws. I do enjoy Murray’s character, and I want to see him succeed and be happy. The Evenfall books and movies, clearly a spoof on Twilight, were always funny when they were the focus of the story. And yet, the mystery of the book was weak, almost more a sub-plot in the middle of everything else. I’ve always struggled a bit with the overall premise of the series, but this time, it was extremely unbelievable. I am still hoping we get another book, especially since the ending set up another adventure. If you are interested in the series, I suggest you wait until you can get them cheaply.
There is a part of me that enjoyed the book despite the flaws. I do enjoy Murray’s character, and I want to see him succeed and be happy. The Evenfall books and movies, clearly a spoof on Twilight, were always funny when they were the focus of the story. And yet, the mystery of the book was weak, almost more a sub-plot in the middle of everything else. I’ve always struggled a bit with the overall premise of the series, but this time, it was extremely unbelievable. I am still hoping we get another book, especially since the ending set up another adventure. If you are interested in the series, I suggest you wait until you can get them cheaply.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated The Self-Working Trick (and Other Stories) in Books
Feb 2, 2022
Eli Faces Crime in This Short Story Collection
For the eighth book in the Eli Marks series, author John Gaspard decided to present a short story collection. While two have been previously released, the rest of the twelve stories here are new. Over the course of this collection, Eli must help his ex-wife and her new husband figure out what happened in a bizarre murder/suicide case. Eli finds himself being questioned by the police when someone who gave him a one-star review is found dead. Eli finds himself being sent in by the police to perform magic for a man who refuses to come out of his house. And Eli and his uncle Harry figure out what happened to a man shot in front of a crowd on Halloween night.
While a couple of the stories don’t feature a crime, they still give us a great chance to see Eli in action and let us get some insight into his character. The rest of the stories feature a crime, often with a perfect puzzle that only makes sense when Eli uses his knowledge of the principles of magic to solve it. If you want to be fooled by magic, you’ll be happy to know that these principles are discussed in such a way that the solution to the mystery makes sense, but the specifics of how a trick works aren’t ruined. I love that. Fans will love getting these small glimpses of what else Eli has been up to between the big cases we’ve already read about. If you are new to the character, you’ll find the information you need to follow these cases with nothing from the regular novels spoiled. Most importantly, these stories are fun, with a few laughs along the way as well. This is a completely enjoyable short story collection.
While a couple of the stories don’t feature a crime, they still give us a great chance to see Eli in action and let us get some insight into his character. The rest of the stories feature a crime, often with a perfect puzzle that only makes sense when Eli uses his knowledge of the principles of magic to solve it. If you want to be fooled by magic, you’ll be happy to know that these principles are discussed in such a way that the solution to the mystery makes sense, but the specifics of how a trick works aren’t ruined. I love that. Fans will love getting these small glimpses of what else Eli has been up to between the big cases we’ve already read about. If you are new to the character, you’ll find the information you need to follow these cases with nothing from the regular novels spoiled. Most importantly, these stories are fun, with a few laughs along the way as well. This is a completely enjoyable short story collection.
Murder by the Seashore
8.0
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Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Scarlett Gardner’s dream was to open a...
ClareR (5950 KP) rated Hard By A Great Forest in Books
Mar 10, 2024
I turned the last page of Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili, and felt like my heart had been well and truly put through the wringer. This is going to be one of those books - you know the ones: this book has broken my heart and destroyed me - here! You MUST read it!
Saba, his brother and father escaped the conflict in post-Communist Georgia when he was a child, leaving behind their mother because they couldn’t afford the bribes. Saba’s father never recovers from having to leave her behind, and when things in Georgia start to settle down more, he returns there. However he goes missing, Saba’s brother goes to look for him and he goes missing too. So Saba goes to look for them both.
Saba’s head is full of the voices of his past, people who are no longer living and stories that his mother used to tell him. His brother leaves Saba a paper trail of clues, including the play that their father wrote, and parts of fairy stories and Shakespeare quotations from their childhood.
This is an emotional novel. There’s the constant feeling of being watched, danger is around every corner. The police are corrupt, and you don’t know if friends are really friends or working for the police.
Saba’s journey is both cathartic and dangerous. It takes him and his friend into the danger zone through a military blockade. It was so tense. Throughout, Saba has to deal with the trauma of his childhood and it’s impact on his adult life. He may have survived the war, but will he survive the trauma and the quest to find his father?
I loved this. I was rooting for Saba throughout, and I feel that I learnt a lot about what has happened in Georgia (considering I knew nothing beforehand). It’s wonderful book.
Saba, his brother and father escaped the conflict in post-Communist Georgia when he was a child, leaving behind their mother because they couldn’t afford the bribes. Saba’s father never recovers from having to leave her behind, and when things in Georgia start to settle down more, he returns there. However he goes missing, Saba’s brother goes to look for him and he goes missing too. So Saba goes to look for them both.
Saba’s head is full of the voices of his past, people who are no longer living and stories that his mother used to tell him. His brother leaves Saba a paper trail of clues, including the play that their father wrote, and parts of fairy stories and Shakespeare quotations from their childhood.
This is an emotional novel. There’s the constant feeling of being watched, danger is around every corner. The police are corrupt, and you don’t know if friends are really friends or working for the police.
Saba’s journey is both cathartic and dangerous. It takes him and his friend into the danger zone through a military blockade. It was so tense. Throughout, Saba has to deal with the trauma of his childhood and it’s impact on his adult life. He may have survived the war, but will he survive the trauma and the quest to find his father?
I loved this. I was rooting for Saba throughout, and I feel that I learnt a lot about what has happened in Georgia (considering I knew nothing beforehand). It’s wonderful book.
Jessica Del Fino (15 KP) rated OverDrive: eBooks & audiobooks in Apps
Jan 3, 2018
Puts your local library at your fingertips, literally. Use your phone to borrow books. (2 more)
You have a choice of formats for most books: Kindle, Ebooks, even Audio
No trekking through the snow, rain, heat to return overdue library books
I absolutely love this app, and use it almost daily! My favorite thing about it is that you can use it to read on your phone if you choose, i.e. if a book isn't available in Kindle format. I'm no longer afraid of the Library Police either, because the books are returned on their own on the date they are due! With my library and Overdrive, you can choose your lending period, 7, 14 or 21 days. You can put books on hold, create a wishlist, and view your reading history. Overdrive is a must for readers like me!
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Kill Me Again in Books
Jul 28, 2017
Hated the protagonist, but relatively good plot
Right up to the last five minutes I hated the main female character to the point of wanting to stop listening as it seemed she was weak enough to become an accomplice to hideous crimes. However, it was salvaged to a certain degree with the ultimate act.
The character of Frank was completely predictable, and I had assumed he was such relatively early in the story. The other killer/s seemed slightly waffley in the story - but it makes sense why they had little importance or explanation until the end. I found the idea that the police never checked anyone's computers for information not believable at all. Overall, while I thought the plot was dramatic, I spent too much time feeling irritated by idiotic nature of the female character.
The character of Frank was completely predictable, and I had assumed he was such relatively early in the story. The other killer/s seemed slightly waffley in the story - but it makes sense why they had little importance or explanation until the end. I found the idea that the police never checked anyone's computers for information not believable at all. Overall, while I thought the plot was dramatic, I spent too much time feeling irritated by idiotic nature of the female character.