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Cold Granite (Logan McRae #1)
Cold Granite (Logan McRae #1)
Stuart MacBride | 2005 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.2 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gritty Police procedural.
If you are not going to manage with descriptions of horrendous crimes committed against young children though I would step away from this one.

Listening to the audio of this book narrated by Steve Worsley felt a lot like curling up in front of the TV to watch a post-watershed BBC police procedural series set in Scotland. If you like a good dark down to earth police procedural then this may well be up your alley.

Logan McRae is just returning to work following sustaining horrific injuries in the line of duty and is thrown straight back into the thick of it when the mutilated body of a young boy is discovered. Numerous threads, involving various cases and a smattering of personal life then intertwine to give a very solid down to earth police procedural. OK, I could of done with Logan being a bit less obsessed with every bit of leg he saw but for the time and place set probably fairly accurate…

First in a long-running series and as there's not much on the TV at the minute I'm on board for more of these
  
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JT (287 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books

Mar 11, 2020  
My Lovely Wife
My Lovely Wife
Samantha Downing | 2019 | Thriller
9
8.2 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gripping unique thriller (0 more)
Early Twist Will Leave You Wanting More
I told myself this year that I would read more. I'm trying to write my own thriller so thought it would be good to get some tips from a few unknown authors to get a bit of inspiration - so far I haven't been disappointed.

My Lovely Wife does something that I haven't come across yet - it drops the twist within the first chapter. It's a bold move but certainly, a clever one as it leaves the reader wondering what the rest of the story is going to entail. In this one a married couple is a pair of serial killers working together, while at the same time trying to live a normal family life, raising their two kids and going to work.

Things go a bit pear-shaped when they try to resurrect someone from the past that the town they are living in know all too well. Throw in a few more late twists and you have a cracking thriller which I guarantee you won't put down. I would love to see a film made of this.
  
A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire #3)
A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire #3)
Bella Forrest | 2014 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
128 of 250
Kindle
Castle of Sand ( A Shade of Vampire book 3)
By Bella Forrest

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

What Sofia has with Derek feels like a sandcastle; temporary and something that the waves of life and time will soon ruin...

Since the return of Gregor Novak, the island has turned several shades darker. His hatred toward Sofia and thirst for fresh blood lead to a brutal war igniting between father and son.

Meanwhile, the hunters are gaining formidable strength and resources by the day; they know that the safety of The Shade hangs entirely on its ability to remain hidden from them.

And a sinister secret lies in wait for Sofia within the bowels of an Egyptian desert ... a secret that threatens to crush her sandcastle much sooner than she could have expected.


A good read! Nothing has really jumped out of this series so far to go hey that’s a brilliant series but saying that it’s definitely a decent read! Shame we have to have a death but at least she’s not scared of letting loved characters go!
  
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ClareR (5950 KP) rated The Road Trip in Books

Aug 4, 2021  
The Road Trip
The Road Trip
Beth O'Leary | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this book. The Road Trip has a different feel to it compared to Beth O’Leary’s previous two novels, and whatever direction she’ll take next, I’m going along for the ride (see what I did there!🤭)

I just love the way that O’Leary writes characters: in this book they’re funny, flawed and feel like genuine, real people. There are those with mental health problems, dysfunctional families and strong sibling relationships.

We see the contrast of the carefree student on holiday, and the way that real life has a habit of sticking its oar in - and not always in a good way.

The road trip element was hilarious though. Deliciously awkward, thanks to Addie, Dylan and Dylan’s friend Marcus, with the devil-may-care attitude of Addie’s sister, Debs. And than there’s Rodney (I’l leave him right here - I don’t want to spoil THIS character for you!).

This book is a little darker in places in comparison to her other books, but I absolutely loved every page. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Beth O’Leary. Oh, and you should definitely read this book!!

Many thanks to Quercus for my copy via NetGalley.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Sep 22, 2020  
Sneak a peek at the Christian historical fiction novel SOMETHING WORTH DOING: A Novel of an Early Suffragist by Jane Kirkpatrick on my blog. There's also a GIVEAWAY to win a $25 or $10 Barnes & Noble gift card, a copy of the book, and/or an Oregon map bag - THREE WINNERS!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/09/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-something.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Some things are worth doing—even when the cost is great.

In 1853, Abigail Scott was a nineteen-year-old schoolteacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family, what she sees as a working woman appalls her—and prompts her to devote her life to fighting for the rights of women, including the right to vote.

Based on a true story, Something Worth Doing will resonate with modern women who still grapple with the pull between career and family, finding their place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices when competing in male-dominated spaces.
     
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
John Jennings, Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy | 2017 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kindred is the story of a black woman who is repeatedly transported from her 1970s apartment to Antebellum Maryland - and it’s not a place where any black person would really want to be.

I haven’t read the original novel, so I can’t compare them - but this is really good in its own right. It’s rich in both dialogue and artistry - the pictures are at times graphic (when Dana, the lead character, is whipped and her ensuing injuries), and there is talk of the white plantation owner raping ‘his’ slaves. Dana learns that her purpose is to keep the plantation owners son, Rufus, alive - which isn’t easy when he seems set on doing things that put his life in danger. Dana learns that Rufus is in fact her great great (great?) grandfather, and he has yet to sire the child that will ensure Dana’s existence.

This isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, and I’m so glad I’ve read it - all thanks go to my local library, who have started providing graphic novel ebooks. A graphic novel habit is an expensive one, so it’s great that they’re able to do this!
  
My Unexpected Boyfriend (Lyrics of Love #10)
My Unexpected Boyfriend (Lyrics of Love #10)
Melody Sweet | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
8
4.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
My Unexpected Boyfriend is from the Lyrics of Love series and these characters are also in the Songbird series by Melissa Pearl. For me, personally, it was great to catch up with known characters again whilst at the same time, learning more about what was going on between Fliss and Flick.

Fliss has been hurt badly and Flick appears to be the epitome of everything Fliss finds wrong in the male sex. Flick is intrigued by Fliss but thinks she just needs to loosen up a bit. There is plenty of banter between the two but I really enjoyed it once Flick found out just what had gone on. His protectiveness over Fliss just made me smile.

This was a great read that I did in one sitting. I really just didn't want to let life get in the way until I knew how they worked out. For a sweet read, I can absolutely recommend this book!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!