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Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3)
Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3)
Robert Bryndza | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really didn't think that Mr Bryndza could better the first and second instalments in this excellent series but he has and yet again, I was totally engrossed from the first to the last word. You don't have to have read either of the first two books but I would highly recommend you do.

The characters are strong and I am really getting attached to Kate and Tristan; they are a brilliant duo and work really well together. The pace was spot on, the plot gripping and the tension spine-tinglingly good. The chapters which are written from the point of view of the killer are goosebump-inducing; he is so cold it really gave me the creeps - it was perfect! There is a great twist and the ending was so good I read way too late into the night and then was really disappointed that I had finished ... I didn't want it to end!
This series just keeps getting better and better and I can't wait for the next one. In the "Author's Letter" at the end, Mr Bryndza says that "Kate and Tristan will return shortly for another gripping murder investigation!" and I for one am waiting with bated breath!

Highly recommended for readers who love dark, exciting, suspense-filled stories that despite making you feel ill at ease at times, you read on into the night.

Many, many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
The Life She Wants
The Life She Wants
Mel Sherratt | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am a fan of Mel Sherratt's work and always look forward to reading her books but, I have to say, never have I been so confused as I was with this one.

Now, whilst at first this might seem to be a negative, let me reassure you that if you stick with it, everything falls into place very nicely and the confusion was well worth it in the end.

Told from different perspectives over different timelines, this is a complex storyline which deals with various unsavoury but important and contemporary themes; coercive control, domestic abuse and loss. These are hard-hitting subjects but Mel deals with them with respect.

There are a number of characters and all have a part to play but I found I didn't really focus on them that much as I was more interested in the story and how it was going to play out. That's not to say they weren't great characters, far from it, it's just that the story was so engrossing that they felt secondary to me somehow.

Full of secrets, lies and manipulation, this is a book that makes you angry and sympathetic all at the same time. It's definitely one that kept me totally engrossed and I couldn't read fast enough.

With atmosphere, suspense and tension aplenty, this is a book that I would definitely recommend to lovers of psychological thrillers and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
The Lost (Jonah Colley #1)
The Lost (Jonah Colley #1)
Simon Beckett | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh my goodness!! This is one of my reads of 2021; it grabbed me round the neck from page 1 and didn't let go right to the very end.

This is one very, very clever and exceptionally good story that had me absolutely hooked from the beginning and devouring every page with a voracious appetite for more.

The characters are excellent, all of them have a part to play and all play it well. Of particular note are the main character of Jonah, who I quickly became attached to, and the investigating officer, DI Fletcher, who I quickly disliked (there's got to be a story there for a future book ?!?); I didn't feel there was one character that was surplus to requirements.

It's full of atmosphere, tension, suspense, anticipation and is totally gripping from the very start. I was desperate to find out if there was any connection to Jonah's missing son and the carnage Jonah discovers at the bleak Slaughter Quay and was extremely satisfied with the outcome and how it was reached.

I can't wait for the next instalment in this new series and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this to lovers of crime thrillers but be warned, it is a difficult read in parts and there is violence and numerous scenes of peril so if you are of a nervous disposition, then this might not be the one for you but if not, go and buy it ... now!

Many, many thanks to Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
HB
Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
162 of 235
Kindle
Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.

A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.

On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.

As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.

Loved this kinda had to take a breath after Keiza finds those poor babies I even put it down for a few to just breathe. It was full of tension and I really liked that it was the two kick ass females taking the lead. I did want to shake Sam and say well that was a bit obvious mate!!! Really good ending! This is such a sad place to be knowing this was the last book Rachel Caine sent to be published and I can’t thank her enough for getting me through some hard times. Thank you..
  
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ClareR (5906 KP) rated Atomic Love in Books

Mar 10, 2022  
Atomic Love
Atomic Love
Jennie Fields | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Atomic Love as much as I did. This book does tick a lot of my boxes though: historical fiction, a bit of espionage, a real sense and feeling of the time and place, and a little bit of romance.

I haven’t read much historical fiction set in America in the 1950’s, so it was interesting to see that the women who had worked in important roles during the war, had been moved out to be replaced by the men returning from war - just the same as pretty much everywhere else.

Rosalind’s reasons for not working in Atomic Research are a little different. Her ex-lover, Weaver, had her removed after he wrote a report damning her ability and suitability. So, Rosalind finds herself working on a jewellery counter, doubting her abilities as a scientist. She’s lonely, struggling to make ends meet when two men suddenly turn up in her life: Thomas Weaver (her ex), and an FBI agent called Charlie Szydlo.

Charlie, an ex-Japanese prisoner of war, believes Weaver is spying for the Russians and feeding them important information in their own Atomic research. Charlie asks Rosalind to help him find out for sure if that’s what he’s doing. So against her better judgement, she does.

There’s a lot of tension running through this, both the dangerous and romantic kinds. It’s a great book that would have slipped under my radar if not for The Pigeonhole!
  
The Serial Killer's Sister
The Serial Killer's Sister
Alice Hunter | 2023 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This might be the third in the series but can definitely be read as a standalone; they are not linked and you can read them in any order.

Once again, Alice Hunter has created an intriguing story. Anna hasn't had the best start in life but she has managed to shake that off and build a good life with her husband and all is looking good until the police turn up on her doorstep to tell her that her brother is a serial killer and she may hold the key to catching him or could she be the next victim?

Written over two timelines and mostly from Anna's perspective, the short chapters make this feel fast paced and despite there not being a lot of the usual gruesome descriptions that are the norm with serial killer books, Alice Hunter uses the growing sense of tension to put you on tenterhooks and racing to find out what's going to happen. This is a great story with unexpected twists and just when you think you've got it, another one happens that turns the story on it's head.

I don't think I actually liked any of the main characters but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book and I would recommend to those who enjoy a good serial killer book without a plethora of violence and gore and my thanks must go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Serial Killer's Sister.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Happily Ever After in Books

Jun 29, 2023 (Updated Jun 29, 2023)  
Happily Ever After
Happily Ever After
James Riley | 2023 | Children
5
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Rushed Ending Keeps Me from Being Perfectly Happy with This Book
Lena and Shefin are living in the Blessed City. Everyone is happy and eagerly waiting for the fairy queen ball to take place that day. Something in the back on Lena’s mind is saying that things aren’t right, but she does her best to ignore them since to go against the fairy queens means punishment. But on her way to school that morning, she discovers a book lying on the road that seems to be for her. What could it possibly mean? And where in Jin? Could he be the key to uncovering what is really going on?

I was anxious to see how this book would end since I’ve enjoyed the previous books so much. It started strongly, with great actions and twists, plus dual points of view to help build tension. It was fun to spend time with the characters again, and the meta comments on writing and books were making me laugh, although they weren’t a prevalent as in the earlier books. Then we reached the ending. It was way too rushed, with some twists that left me completely unsatisfied. We do get a final chapter, but it wasn’t enough to make me feel better with the ending, especially since it changes what I thought I remember about a character. (Maybe I need to reread book two.) Fans will still want to read it, but it’s not as good as it could have been.