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The Affacombe Affair (Pollard and Toyne #2)
8.0
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Description Cosy crime writing at its best! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, M C Beaton, Sophie...
Cosy Mystery
Dyed in the Wool
8.5
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For fans of Ian Rankin, Ed McBain and Stuart MacBride, Dyed in the Wool sees the return of Detective...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Midnight Man in Books
Oct 10, 2021
Deliciously creepy and full of tension.
I haven't read anything by Caroline Mitchell before but I was initially drawn by the cover and then intrigued by the blurb which sounded like something I would enjoy and, overall, I wasn't disappointed.
There are some great characters and a fabulous plot which combines urban legend, creepy house, serial killer, murder mystery, police procedural and the paranormal. The pace is pretty good and the twists and turns provided suspense from the start.
This is a good spooky read and certainly made a nice change to the usual crime thrillers and I have to give a thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
I haven't read anything by Caroline Mitchell before but I was initially drawn by the cover and then intrigued by the blurb which sounded like something I would enjoy and, overall, I wasn't disappointed.
There are some great characters and a fabulous plot which combines urban legend, creepy house, serial killer, murder mystery, police procedural and the paranormal. The pace is pretty good and the twists and turns provided suspense from the start.
This is a good spooky read and certainly made a nice change to the usual crime thrillers and I have to give a thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
The Dead of Sled Run: A Piper Blackwell Mystery
Book
It is almost Christmas and yards glow with twinkling lights. But more than chestnuts are roasting. ...
Mystery Serial Killers Police Procedural
Awix (3310 KP) rated Sakho & Mangane in TV
Feb 17, 2021
Completely bonkers Senegalese cop show. Stern, serious veteran Sakho is forced to team up with young Mangane, who is a bit of a rogue. 'I work alone!' they cry in outraged unison: but the captain decrees otherwise. So for a few episodes they tackle cases in traditional police-procedural style, albeit with an African twist (sample dialogue: 'must have been a ritual killing, his balls have been cut off').
Then, halfway through the season and with virtually no warning, a villain with magic powers turns up, one of the characters likewise reveals he has occult abilities, and from this point on the show is stuffed with demons, zombies, evil magicians, strange cults, and so on: the police captain is told that rather than an elite crime task force, she's now running a secret paranormal investigation squad (not that she bothers to tell anyone on the team).
To say it's wrong-footing is a serious understatement, and I would love to know what was going on behind the scenes on this show (it's like Starsky and Hutch turns into The X Files mid-run), but it's colourful and pacy with interesting characters (I particularly enjoyed the perpetually-wasted police pathologist). The quality control, script-wise, is a bit iffy in places, but it obviously scores very highly on the 'what the hell am I watching...?' front.
Then, halfway through the season and with virtually no warning, a villain with magic powers turns up, one of the characters likewise reveals he has occult abilities, and from this point on the show is stuffed with demons, zombies, evil magicians, strange cults, and so on: the police captain is told that rather than an elite crime task force, she's now running a secret paranormal investigation squad (not that she bothers to tell anyone on the team).
To say it's wrong-footing is a serious understatement, and I would love to know what was going on behind the scenes on this show (it's like Starsky and Hutch turns into The X Files mid-run), but it's colourful and pacy with interesting characters (I particularly enjoyed the perpetually-wasted police pathologist). The quality control, script-wise, is a bit iffy in places, but it obviously scores very highly on the 'what the hell am I watching...?' front.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Sweet Little Lies in Books
Aug 26, 2018
Sweet Little Lies was billed as a thriller in Book of the Month's description, but it's more of a police procedural. I hadn't read one before, though I watch plenty of them on Netflix - they're a bit of a guilty pleasure! It was interesting having one in book form. It's not my typical fare, but I did enjoy it, far more than I probably would have enjoyed a true thriller. It's got all your typical parts of a police procedural - older family man cop, ball-busting female chief who isn't as bitchy as she first appears, troubled main character who snapped on a case, police psychiatrist, puzzling case, lying witnesses. All we're really missing is a partner who isn't actually a cop but somehow worms his way into cases anyway.
I'm conflicted about Cat herself. I like her - but I disagree with some of her decisions. I think she should have come clean about her connection to the case immediately. She doesn't because she's trying to protect her dad, but why? She spends most of the book talking about how much she dislikes him! Her entire family dynamic is pretty weird. They have issues.
I really enjoyed the writing of this book. The pacing was excellent - slow enough to absorb each new reveal properly, but fast-paced enough that the action rolls along. Goodreads says the book is "Cat Kinsella #1" implying it's the start of a series. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. For a debut novel, I am impressed at the level of writing, pacing, plot, and characterization. There's a lot of threads in this book that get gathered together at the end and tied up nicely, with only one escaping. That worried me until I discovered it's the beginning of a series; the one loose thread makes sense in that context.
While I didn't like this one quite as much as Goodbye, Paris, it's still another great pick from Book of the Month.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
I'm conflicted about Cat herself. I like her - but I disagree with some of her decisions. I think she should have come clean about her connection to the case immediately. She doesn't because she's trying to protect her dad, but why? She spends most of the book talking about how much she dislikes him! Her entire family dynamic is pretty weird. They have issues.
I really enjoyed the writing of this book. The pacing was excellent - slow enough to absorb each new reveal properly, but fast-paced enough that the action rolls along. Goodreads says the book is "Cat Kinsella #1" implying it's the start of a series. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. For a debut novel, I am impressed at the level of writing, pacing, plot, and characterization. There's a lot of threads in this book that get gathered together at the end and tied up nicely, with only one escaping. That worried me until I discovered it's the beginning of a series; the one loose thread makes sense in that context.
While I didn't like this one quite as much as Goodbye, Paris, it's still another great pick from Book of the Month.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated From the Shadows in Books
May 22, 2019
A stunning, atmospheric police procedural set against the grit of Inverness and the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands, this is the first book in the DI Monica Kennedy series.
Sixteen-year-old Robert arrives home late. Without a word to his dad, he goes up to his bedroom. Robert is never seen alive again.
A body is soon found on the coast of the Scottish Highlands. Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy stands by the victim in this starkly beautiful and remote landscape. Instinct tells her the case wont begin and end with this one death.
Meanwhile, Inverness-based social worker Michael Bach is worried about one of his clients whose last correspondence was a single ambiguous text message; Nichol Morgan has been missing for seven days.
As Monica is faced with catching a murderer who has been meticulously watching and waiting, Michael keeps searching for Nichol, desperate to find him before the killer claims another victim.
From the Shadows is the first book in the Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy series by G R Halliday and it is a promising start to what will hopefully be one a successful and long running police procedural series.
The story is set in the Scottish Highlands and uses its' setting well to add atmosphere to the book.
I really enjoyed the story and the twists and turns of the plot.
It's quite a dark story but I liked that and wasn't sure who the killer was until close to the end.
I was thoroughly engrossed whilst reading the book and could not put it down.
Definitely recommended.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Vintage for a copy of this book.
Sixteen-year-old Robert arrives home late. Without a word to his dad, he goes up to his bedroom. Robert is never seen alive again.
A body is soon found on the coast of the Scottish Highlands. Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy stands by the victim in this starkly beautiful and remote landscape. Instinct tells her the case wont begin and end with this one death.
Meanwhile, Inverness-based social worker Michael Bach is worried about one of his clients whose last correspondence was a single ambiguous text message; Nichol Morgan has been missing for seven days.
As Monica is faced with catching a murderer who has been meticulously watching and waiting, Michael keeps searching for Nichol, desperate to find him before the killer claims another victim.
From the Shadows is the first book in the Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy series by G R Halliday and it is a promising start to what will hopefully be one a successful and long running police procedural series.
The story is set in the Scottish Highlands and uses its' setting well to add atmosphere to the book.
I really enjoyed the story and the twists and turns of the plot.
It's quite a dark story but I liked that and wasn't sure who the killer was until close to the end.
I was thoroughly engrossed whilst reading the book and could not put it down.
Definitely recommended.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Vintage for a copy of this book.
The Silence of the Lambs
Book
The 1991 film "The Silence of the Lambs," based on Thomas Harris's bestseller, was a game-changer in...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Colours of Death in Books
Jun 20, 2021
This is not your usual crime fiction story but a mix of police procedural and science fiction.
I don't read a lot of supernatural books so this almost passed me by but I'm so glad I took a chance to read something a bit different because it's thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable.
With great characters that you quickly become invested in, well paced, a great setting and an intriguing and unique plot, this is a great book which I found entertaining and gripping.
This is, I believe, the start of a series and I for one am looking forward to seeing where it goes in the future.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for inviting me to read and review The Colours of Death; this is no way affected or influenced my review in anyway.
I don't read a lot of supernatural books so this almost passed me by but I'm so glad I took a chance to read something a bit different because it's thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable.
With great characters that you quickly become invested in, well paced, a great setting and an intriguing and unique plot, this is a great book which I found entertaining and gripping.
This is, I believe, the start of a series and I for one am looking forward to seeing where it goes in the future.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for inviting me to read and review The Colours of Death; this is no way affected or influenced my review in anyway.
Twentymile
8.0
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When wildlife biologist Alex Lowe is found dead inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it looks...
Police Procedural Thriller