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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Close (Maeve Kerrigan #10) in Books
Mar 18, 2023
Yet another cracker from Jane Casey in her excellent Maeve Kerrigan series that never gets stale and whilst this may be book 10 in the series, I think you could just about get away with it as a standalone but I really would recommend you read the rest of the books if only because they are all excellent!
The Close is yet another gripping read with the right mix of intrigue and action, red herrings and plot twists. Being a fan of Maeve and Josh, I loved that they were working undercover together acting as a couple and it really brought a different dimension and added tension to the story and kept my grubby little eyes reading as fast as they possibly could.
Highly recommended series and I can't wait for the next and many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Close.
The Close is yet another gripping read with the right mix of intrigue and action, red herrings and plot twists. Being a fan of Maeve and Josh, I loved that they were working undercover together acting as a couple and it really brought a different dimension and added tension to the story and kept my grubby little eyes reading as fast as they possibly could.
Highly recommended series and I can't wait for the next and many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Close.

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Girl's Last Cry (Detective Lexi Bennett #2) in Books
Jul 16, 2023
I listened to the audiobook of the first in this series and thoroughly enjoyed it so was eager to get my grubby little fingers on this, the second and I definitely wasn't disappointed. You don't have to have read the first book as I think this works really well as a standalone but I would recommend it as it's a cracker!
Once again, Alison Belsham has constructed a story that is absolutely gripping with bundles of tension, characters that are believable and written at a pace that is perfect.
Please be warned that this book deals with teenage suicide so if that is a trigger for you, I would move on although I think Alison deals with it sensitively and without any sensationalism.
My thanks go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this latest Lexi Bennett investigation and I look forward to the next.
Once again, Alison Belsham has constructed a story that is absolutely gripping with bundles of tension, characters that are believable and written at a pace that is perfect.
Please be warned that this book deals with teenage suicide so if that is a trigger for you, I would move on although I think Alison deals with it sensitively and without any sensationalism.
My thanks go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this latest Lexi Bennett investigation and I look forward to the next.

The Misadventures of Margaret Finch
Book
Blackpool, 1938. Miss Margaret Finch - a rather demure young woman - has just begun work in a...
Historical fiction Blackpool The Mass Observation Project

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Seventh Victim in Books
Jun 4, 2023
I really love Michael Wood's DCI Matilda Darke series but this is a standalone thriller from him which is equally as good and no-less riveting but please be warned, it does deal with child murder and abuse so if this is a trigger, I would suggest you look elsewhere.
Mr Wood treats us to a cast of excellent characters that leap out of the page and grab hold of you from the beginning to the very end and whilst not all of them are particularly 'nice', they are all well developed and all have their place in the story and what a story it is.
Dark, disturbing, powerful, emotional, riveting and full of tension with a twist I didn't see coming, this is a must read for all thriller fans and my thanks go to One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Seventh Victim.
Mr Wood treats us to a cast of excellent characters that leap out of the page and grab hold of you from the beginning to the very end and whilst not all of them are particularly 'nice', they are all well developed and all have their place in the story and what a story it is.
Dark, disturbing, powerful, emotional, riveting and full of tension with a twist I didn't see coming, this is a must read for all thriller fans and my thanks go to One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Seventh Victim.

ClareR (5906 KP) rated The Shadow Key in Books
Oct 9, 2024
The Shadow Key is an enjoyable, unnerving read, set in a quiet, secluded Welsh village in the late 1700’s.
Henry has been disgraced in his London medical practice, and takes a job as a doctor in a small Welsh mining village. A lucky break, perhaps? Except, no. The inhabitants of the village don’t like him at all, because he’s English, his employer, the local Lord, is decidedly odd and menacing, and Lord Julian’s sister is clearly suffering from some sort of mental illness.
Henry does start to like the village, and the villagers learn that he will help them with no conditions.
There’s an underlying menace throughout the book, and if I were Henry I wouldn’t have stayed to tough it out!
The descriptions of the village and the family seat, swing between beauty (particularly the landscape) and dread. I felt as a reader I was constantly being wrong-footed, played with. It really is a good read - the tension!!
Most definitely recommended!
Henry has been disgraced in his London medical practice, and takes a job as a doctor in a small Welsh mining village. A lucky break, perhaps? Except, no. The inhabitants of the village don’t like him at all, because he’s English, his employer, the local Lord, is decidedly odd and menacing, and Lord Julian’s sister is clearly suffering from some sort of mental illness.
Henry does start to like the village, and the villagers learn that he will help them with no conditions.
There’s an underlying menace throughout the book, and if I were Henry I wouldn’t have stayed to tough it out!
The descriptions of the village and the family seat, swing between beauty (particularly the landscape) and dread. I felt as a reader I was constantly being wrong-footed, played with. It really is a good read - the tension!!
Most definitely recommended!

The Chained Prince (The Eldergreen Series, #1)
Book
The chained prince haunting her dreams isn’t a nightmare. He’s real—and fate won’t let...
Dark Fantasy Romance

Novice Threads (Silver Sampler #1)
Book
A thirst for education. Shattered dreams. Fragile relations. 1840s Scotland Being sent to...
Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Victorian Saga

The Hunter
Book
It’s a blazing summer when two men arrive in the village. They’re coming for gold. What they...
Suspense Ireland

Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Lovemurder in Books
May 3, 2018
Tension and head games galore!
This can be read as a stand alone if you come across this book although it’s highly encouraged to read the first one only because it’s just as good!
This time around, Valerie doesn’t get pummelled all over the place and you don’t cringe as much when she gets hit by something (whether it’s a bullet or a hit to the head). The plot held up to the same standards as the first; fast paced, filled with scenes of gratuitous violence and some sexual content here and there. This may not be for some readers as it does get graphic but I think without it, it would be hard to describe how heinous the crimes are.
Throughout the novel, Valerie has these tete a tetes with Katherine and they’re well written. You feel the tension between them and the mind games Katherine plays are subtle and sometimes even frustrating because she’s maddingly brilliant and manipulative. You’re running along with Valerie trying to catch this killer and you follow through the chase filled with puzzles and cryptic notes and gifts (none very nice gifts either…). The killer is brilliant and when you think he’s this one person, he ends up being someone you didn’t realize and it’s mind blowing considering who this killer ends up kidnapping.
And just when you think everything’s done there’s more extra twists happening. This is what makes this novel so quick and fast to read. You’re deeply engrossed in the plot and in the chase to find this killer but you forget he most likely has a plan B and you’re blindsided again. This is what makes this book so good!!!!!! I loved every minute of it!!!
The only concern I have is, how much more can happen in this series before this starts getting repetitive. I love the way it’s going and I hope the series can stay fresh and exciting like it’s been so far. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next, given there’s a bit of a teaser at the very last page of the book.
This time around, Valerie doesn’t get pummelled all over the place and you don’t cringe as much when she gets hit by something (whether it’s a bullet or a hit to the head). The plot held up to the same standards as the first; fast paced, filled with scenes of gratuitous violence and some sexual content here and there. This may not be for some readers as it does get graphic but I think without it, it would be hard to describe how heinous the crimes are.
Throughout the novel, Valerie has these tete a tetes with Katherine and they’re well written. You feel the tension between them and the mind games Katherine plays are subtle and sometimes even frustrating because she’s maddingly brilliant and manipulative. You’re running along with Valerie trying to catch this killer and you follow through the chase filled with puzzles and cryptic notes and gifts (none very nice gifts either…). The killer is brilliant and when you think he’s this one person, he ends up being someone you didn’t realize and it’s mind blowing considering who this killer ends up kidnapping.
And just when you think everything’s done there’s more extra twists happening. This is what makes this novel so quick and fast to read. You’re deeply engrossed in the plot and in the chase to find this killer but you forget he most likely has a plan B and you’re blindsided again. This is what makes this book so good!!!!!! I loved every minute of it!!!
The only concern I have is, how much more can happen in this series before this starts getting repetitive. I love the way it’s going and I hope the series can stay fresh and exciting like it’s been so far. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next, given there’s a bit of a teaser at the very last page of the book.

Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Triple Frontier (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Triple threat
#tripplefrontier is a slick #film that at its depest focuses on the casualties & sacrafises that five mens obbsessions, greed & selfishness have on all the people they encounter. Bar #apostle & #cargo ive not really enjoyed any of the #netflix movies but seeing the impressive cast & equaly impressive director attached to tripple frontier i really couldnt pass this one up & ive got to say i was very impressed. Acting is great all round with #benafflek & #oscarisaac taking the front seat here. I was also #excited to see #garretthedlund in this but sadly his character isnt given much screentime at all or explored enough. Affleck has the most intresting character a father that at first seems like an all round good guy until we start to see the cracks in his personality housing traits such as neglect, coldness, #obbsession, greed, #addiction & agressive streaks. Watching him change from the weak man to this #heartless, job adict, selfish yet highly trained person is engrosing & helps ramp up tension with a certain unpredictability. Group dinamic is also a joy to watch & the #relationships they have with each other are belivable & help the viewer form a nice connection with them all. Some solid metaphors of how much a life costs & how #america takes whatever they want from people regardless of the effects or casualties it has are subley weaved in here at points. Themes of how #combat effects individuals mentaly, how a job in the #specialforces fails on the risk vs reward scale forcing many to seek higher paid mercinary work instead & also alot about trust/reliability in #hostile situations not just with unknowns but in #friendships too. Shot impressibly there are some #beautiful establishing shots & some #gorgeous camera work too (especially during the firefights & car chases). Sets are all visually pleasing to the eye & locations feel varied & full of life/hostility. Cgi is belivable & the soundtrack is memorable also. Tension is great giving you the #feeling that somethings about to go wrong at every turn & the action is exilirating. While nothing particually new its a very well made film thats certainly sets the bar for Netflix films to follow. #ciniphile #filmbuff