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Slaughter and Forgetting (Josef Slonsky Investigations #2)
10.0
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A detective series like no other! Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Jo Nesbo and Peter Robinson. ...
Czech Republic Humour
Death Rang the Bell (Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries #3)
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21st-century journalist Olivia Watson thinks travelling back in time to 1934 to attend a Halloween...
Traditional Mystery Time Travel Police Procedural
Mercy Creek (Jo Wyatt Mystery #2)
8.0
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In an idyllic Colorado town, a young girl goes missing--and the trail leads into the heart and mind...
Mystery Crime Police Procedural
Face of Greed (Detective Emily Hunter #1)
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Greed, corruption, and betrayal—no murder is as simple as it seems When a prominent Sacramento...
Thriller Police Procedural
Deadly Tides (Misty Pines Mystery #2)
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A missing surf legend. Waterlogged clues. Can he trust his gut instincts to end the wave of murder? ...
Police Procedural Psychological Suspense Mystery
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Gallowstree Lane (Collins and Griffiths #3) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Fans of The Wire or Broadchurch will love this.
I didn't realise until after I'd finished this, that it was actually the third in the series - not that it made any difference whatsoever to my enjoyment!
It's a really well told, gritty police procedural, heavy on the character building. In fact I became very attached to these characters: the struggling single parent WPC; the teenaged boys who had become involved in drug dealing; the officer involved with a big operation; the DC investigating a murder. I didn't like the big drug dealer though (which I think was the whole point. He was a man devoid of conscience).
The mothers in this really resonated with me: women trying to do their best , one working long hours and sacrificing time with her baby to be able to provide for him in a job she loves; the other, a woman who risks losing her son to drug dealing and violence. Both women backed into impossible-to-get-out-of corners.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I'll be buying the first two in the series to read and catch up!!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to the author, Kate London, for reading along with us!
It's a really well told, gritty police procedural, heavy on the character building. In fact I became very attached to these characters: the struggling single parent WPC; the teenaged boys who had become involved in drug dealing; the officer involved with a big operation; the DC investigating a murder. I didn't like the big drug dealer though (which I think was the whole point. He was a man devoid of conscience).
The mothers in this really resonated with me: women trying to do their best , one working long hours and sacrificing time with her baby to be able to provide for him in a job she loves; the other, a woman who risks losing her son to drug dealing and violence. Both women backed into impossible-to-get-out-of corners.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I'll be buying the first two in the series to read and catch up!!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to the author, Kate London, for reading along with us!
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Death On The Coast in Books
Jun 5, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this “West Country Crime Mystery” Death on the Coast by Bernie Steadman, even though it was book 3 and I’d not read the previous two books in this series.
Set in Devon, DCI Dan Hellier and DS Sally Ellis’ crew make a gruesome discovery; someone is burning body parts in a very ritualistic way. Could a cult be responsible for this? What are their motivations? Can his team work out what is happening before another death hits their shores?
I whizzed through this well written story and although the title suggests cosy mystery to me, this is a much darker and more realistic police procedural. It’s got everything I love in a good murder mystery; a great cast of people with their own issues to contend with, interesting plot twists (despite knowing who is responsible all the way through the book) and enough intriguing goings on to keep me reading long well into the night until I finished it. Bernie Steadman is on fire with this book! I must keep up with this series from now on!
Thank you to Bloodhound Books, and #NetGalley for my ARC copy. This is my own opinion and not biased in any way.
Set in Devon, DCI Dan Hellier and DS Sally Ellis’ crew make a gruesome discovery; someone is burning body parts in a very ritualistic way. Could a cult be responsible for this? What are their motivations? Can his team work out what is happening before another death hits their shores?
I whizzed through this well written story and although the title suggests cosy mystery to me, this is a much darker and more realistic police procedural. It’s got everything I love in a good murder mystery; a great cast of people with their own issues to contend with, interesting plot twists (despite knowing who is responsible all the way through the book) and enough intriguing goings on to keep me reading long well into the night until I finished it. Bernie Steadman is on fire with this book! I must keep up with this series from now on!
Thank you to Bloodhound Books, and #NetGalley for my ARC copy. This is my own opinion and not biased in any way.
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Lying and Dying (Josef Slonsky Investigations #1) in Books
Oct 10, 2018
Prague police procedural
Josef Slonsky is a detective in the Prague police force. He is called to the body of a woman who is discovered at the train station, murdered. His partner, Navratil, is a probationary officer, and seems a little bewildered by Slonsky's methods. To be fair, he has every right to be. Slonsky is irreverent, seems to be incredibly lazy, and therefore does as little as possible. But I think this is all very misleading. Underneath all this is a man who knows exactly what he is doing. He has served on the police force whilst Prague was the capital city in a communist country, and knows all about the systemic corruption.
He's an amusing character though, and seems to have a (usually sarcastic) answer to everything. It's not until the near the end that we see another side to Slonsky. I still can't make up my mind as to whether the ending was rushed, or whether Slonsky really had just had enough. I hope it's the latter - it gives him a bit of an edge.
I enjoyed this book, and I will be reading the next one.
Many thanks to Sapere books for my copy to read and honestly review.
He's an amusing character though, and seems to have a (usually sarcastic) answer to everything. It's not until the near the end that we see another side to Slonsky. I still can't make up my mind as to whether the ending was rushed, or whether Slonsky really had just had enough. I hope it's the latter - it gives him a bit of an edge.
I enjoyed this book, and I will be reading the next one.
Many thanks to Sapere books for my copy to read and honestly review.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Long Bright River in Books
Dec 15, 2019
A Tale of Two Sisters
An engaging story of two sisters whose lives take very different paths. I loved the writing in this book and felt I was drawn into seeing the run-down Philadelphia neighborhood this book is set in.
Less a thriller and more a very character-driven tale of Michaela (Mickey,) a cop and her complicated relationship to her drug-addicted sister. When women start turning up dead on Mickey’s patch her concern for her sister intensifies. The book switches between the present day with Mickey’s search for a killer and her sister in a neighborhood suspicious of police and the tale of their growing-up in less than ideal circumstances.
Part police procedural/mystery/thriller I wouldn’t pick this book up if that’s what you are really craving as this isn’t done in a particularly satisfying way with what felt like a slightly rushed resolution after a slow-burn start to this aspect. I would, however, recommend picking it up if you fancy a gritty emotional look into the world of a neighborhood ravaged by drugs and the strong family ties that persevere.
Many thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Less a thriller and more a very character-driven tale of Michaela (Mickey,) a cop and her complicated relationship to her drug-addicted sister. When women start turning up dead on Mickey’s patch her concern for her sister intensifies. The book switches between the present day with Mickey’s search for a killer and her sister in a neighborhood suspicious of police and the tale of their growing-up in less than ideal circumstances.
Part police procedural/mystery/thriller I wouldn’t pick this book up if that’s what you are really craving as this isn’t done in a particularly satisfying way with what felt like a slightly rushed resolution after a slow-burn start to this aspect. I would, however, recommend picking it up if you fancy a gritty emotional look into the world of a neighborhood ravaged by drugs and the strong family ties that persevere.
Many thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Close to Home in Books
Jan 7, 2020
I didn’t want to put this down!
Eighteen months ago, I wouldn’t have picked up this book. I thought I didn’t like police procedural, crime or thriller novels. However, The Pigeonhole has opened up a whole new genre to me, and I’m so glad - I wouldn’t have read this book for a start!
I think Adam Fawley is going to be a detective that I will enjoy reading about. This isn’t a pleasant subject: an eight year old child, Daisy Mason, goes missing, and rather than doing everything they can to help find her, her parents are positively obstructive. Her younger brother is withdrawn - in fact it really doesn’t look good for the parents.
The police team are all great characters to read about, and DI Fawley is very human. We learn about his tragic background, and the reason why he works so hard to find Daisy.
I just really liked everything about this - the storyline isn’t needlessly gruesome, the characters are really well described and the ending was so good (oh, it had me rubbing my hands together!). To be honest, I’ve already bought the next two books in the series!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Cara Hunter for reading along.
I think Adam Fawley is going to be a detective that I will enjoy reading about. This isn’t a pleasant subject: an eight year old child, Daisy Mason, goes missing, and rather than doing everything they can to help find her, her parents are positively obstructive. Her younger brother is withdrawn - in fact it really doesn’t look good for the parents.
The police team are all great characters to read about, and DI Fawley is very human. We learn about his tragic background, and the reason why he works so hard to find Daisy.
I just really liked everything about this - the storyline isn’t needlessly gruesome, the characters are really well described and the ending was so good (oh, it had me rubbing my hands together!). To be honest, I’ve already bought the next two books in the series!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Cara Hunter for reading along.