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ClareR (6256 KP) rated To The Dogs in Books

Mar 26, 2024  
To The Dogs
To The Dogs
Louise Welsh | 2024 | Contemporary, Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
To The Dogs by Louise Welsh is a gritty Glaswegian thriller that had me hooked from the first page.
Jim (James) Brennan is a criminologist professor, a vice chancellor of the local university. We meet him as he gets off a flight from Beijing in order to go to his local police station where his son is being held. Jim has tried hard to make his life as different as possible from the one he grew up in: his father was a local legend and hard man. Everyone was scared of his violence. It looks as though Jim’s son is determined to take up from where his grandfather left off.

Things go from bad to worse, when someone is determined to undermine everything Jim has tried to do for himself and his family.

I really enjoyed this. There’s never a dull moment (much to Jim’s detriment!), and Jim finds himself in a terribly awkward situation. He has to decide between his family and his reputation - or is there a way that he can protect both?

This is exciting stuff, and had me guessing up to the last page.
  
This Is Why We Lied
This Is Why We Lied
Karin Slaughter | 2024 | Contemporary, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m so glad that I got a copy of this to read from NetGalley (yes, I’m late!), as I’ve become a huge fan of Will Trent and Sarah Linton. Will and Sarah have married and at the start of the book they’re hiking in to a remote, yet exclusive, wilderness holiday destination in Georgia. They’re incognito - neither of them wants to be a police officer or a doctor for a few days. But of course, things never run smoothly for this couple, and a murder is soon needing their attention.

This is like the outdoor version of a closed room mystery - all of the suspects are on site. Yet still I was left completely flummoxed. The backstory of some of the characters adds to the confusion and explains a lot!

TIWWL is pretty gruesome, and covers subjects of sexual assault of far too many of the main characters, drug addiction and domestic violence. Karin Slaughter never shies away from these topics. This isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Nevertheless, I loved it. But when will Will and Sarah manage to have a stress free honeymoon?! 🤷🏼‍♀️
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2633 KP) rated Big F@!king Deal in Books

Apr 13, 2026 (Updated Apr 13, 2026)  
Big F@!king Deal
Big F@!king Deal
Lawrence Allan | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Kidnapping is Always a Big Deal
This book picks up exactly where the previous one ended. Jimmy has just made headlines for the right reason - successfully solving a case. The headlines bring someone from his past back into his life - his father, who just vanished over a decade ago. But Jimmy has no time to worry about what his father wants since one of the wealthiest families in LA has hired him to find their college age son who has been kidnapped. The kidnappers have given them until Friday to put the ransom together. Can Jimmy find the young man before time runs out?

I loved the first book in the series, and I enjoyed this one, too. The plot wasn’t quite as strong, but it kept me turning the pages the entire way through. The cast is good, but Jimmy really shines. I loved the humor, especially Jimmy’s observations in the first-person narration. As the title implies, this isn’t a cozy, but the language and violence are used well and aren’t excessive. I’m hoping to get to the third soon.