Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza Blog Blitz @RobertBryndza @bookouture

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To commit the perfect murder, you need the perfect cover.
On an icy morning, a mother wakes to find her daughter’s blood-soaked body frozen to the road. Who would carry out such a killing on the victim’s doorstep?

Straight off her last harrowing case, Detective Erika Foster is feeling fragile but determined to lead the investigation. As she sets to work, she finds reports of assaults in the same quiet South London suburb where the woman was killed. One chilling detail links them to the murder victim – they were all attacked by a figure in black wearing a gas mask.

Erika is on the hunt for a killer with a terrifying calling card. The case gets more complicated when she uncovers a tangled web of secrets surrounding the death of the beautiful young woman.

Yet just as Erika begins to piece the clues together, she is forced to confront painful memories of her past. Erika must dig deep, stay focused and find the killer. Only this time, one of her own is in terrible danger…

From the global million-copy bestselling author comes a totally heart-racing, hold-your-breath read that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

MY THOUGHTS

Whenever there is a new DCI Erika Foster novel out, it always shoots straight to the top of my reading pile. If you’ve been following my blog recently, you’ll know I am a huge, huge fan of this series. Erika is a fantastic protagonist, and I hope that Robert still has plenty of ideas for her up his sleeve.

A young woman, who has been brutally murdered, is discovered on her front doorstep by her mother on Christmas Day. DCI Erika Foster attends the scene, and a sordid picture of the young woman’s life begins to emerge as she investigates. But what is disturbing to Erika and her team is the eerily similar circumstances to recent attacks on men and women in London. These attacks have been carried out by a suspect wearing a military gas mask who is a terrifying individual. The suspect has never been apprehended by the police. And it is soon clear that he isn’t finished.

Deadly Secrets makes for another one-sitting read in the Erika Foster series. As Erika begins to untangle the life of the victim, unsavoury details about the victim’s character are uncovered, and there are a pool of suspects to investigate.

There are plenty of intriguing aspects to this investigation, I wanted to find out if the suspect in the previous attacks was responsible and why they were committing these acts. How could someone commit such heinous crimes? Robert also brings several of his background characters to the front, and there is some great character development, particularly in Moss who takes charge of the case when Erika is called away after her father-in-law is injured at his home in Manchester. It always makes me smile whenever a joke is made about her name. She has a very different personality to Erika, and I really like her humour. We also explore Erika’s character further, and we begin to learn a lot more about her past before she transferred to London. Although we know what happened to her husband Mark, it is only in this book that we are starting to find out more about their relationship.

This is another excellent addition to the Erika Foster series, if you haven’t yet read any of these novels, I highly recommend that you read them all.

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 13th April 2018

Print length: 328 pages

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Lying To You by Amanda Reynolds Book Review @amandareynoldsj @wildfirebks

Source: Review Copy

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Following on from her eBook bestseller Close To Me, Amanda Reynolds is back with Lying To You, another gripping psychological drama. Perfect for fans of The Husband’s Secret and I Let You Go.

You think you know the truth about that night, but what if your husband is LYING TO YOU?

When Jess Tidy was Mark Winter’s student, she made a shocking accusation. Mark maintained his innocence, but the damage was done.

Karen Winter stood by her husband through everything, determined to protect her family.

Now, ten years later, Jess is back. And the truth about that night is finally going to come out . . .

MY THOUGHTS

Lying To You is the second novel by Amanda Reynolds, I really enjoyed her debut Close To Me, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review her second. It is a dark, character-driven psychological drama that kept me gripped.

What I really liked about this book, is that I felt I couldn’t trust either of her main protagonists, Jess and Mark. Amanda’s plot and the character’s kept me asking questions as I tried to work out what had really happened between the pair. Ten years ago, Mark Winter was tutoring Jess Tidy who was a vulnerable schoolgirl and known for coming from a troublesome family. Jess had little hope for her future, and it became Mark’s mission to help her succeed. Jess accuses Mark of rape and his world, and his family’s lives come crashing down. It is at this point that the plot becomes darker, and the reader becomes entangled in a web of lies and deceit.

What initially drew me into the story was the opening chapter when Jess, in the present day, receives a call from her brother Will, informing her of her mother’s death. I was immediately intrigued by Jess’s coldness towards her mother’s passing and her lack of willingness to help her brother. Already I was asking questions about her which I wanted to know the answer to, what had happened in the past to drive her away from her family?

The story is told through the narratives of Jess and Karen, Mark’s wife. We hear two conflicting stories about the events that have taken place in the past. I really enjoyed both the narratives in this book, they both offered a deep and psychological insight into the issue that Amanda chose to write about, and we can see how it has destroyed the lives of both the families involved. In the chapters told from Karen’s point of view we also hear from Mark’s as she reads chapters from a book he is writing about what happened between him and Jess.

This is a well-developed and a captivating second novel from Amanda Reynolds. She is fast becoming one of my favourite writers.

Thank you to Phoebe Swinburn at Headline for sending me a copy of the book to review.

Publisher: Wildfire

Publication date: 1st April 2018 (Kindle) 26th July 2018 (paperback)

Print length: 368 pages

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Good Friday by Lynda La Plante Book Review @LaPlanteLynda @BonnierZaffre

Source: Review Copy

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BEFORE PRIME SUSPECT THERE WAS TENNISON.

Every legend has a beginning . . . 

During 1974 and 1975 the IRA subjected London to a terrifying bombing campaign. In one day alone, they planted seven bombs at locations across central London. Some were defused – some were not.

Jane Tennison is now a fully-fledged detective. On the way to court one morning, Jane passes through Covent Garden Underground station and is caught up in a bomb blast that leaves several people dead, and many horribly injured. Jane is a key witness, but is adamant that she can’t identify the bomber. When a photograph appears in the newspapers, showing Jane assisting the injured at the scene, it puts her and her family at risk from IRA retaliation.

‘Good Friday’ is the eagerly awaited date of the annual formal CID dinner, due to take place at St Ermin’s Hotel. Hundreds of detectives and their wives will be there. It’s the perfect target. As Jane arrives for the evening, she realises that she recognises the parking attendant as the bomber from Covent Garden. Can she convince her senior officers in time, or will another bomb destroy London’s entire detective force?

MY THOUGHTS 

Good Friday is the first book by Lynda La Plante which I have read. Although this is book number three in the early Jane Tennison series, I didn’t have any trouble getting into the storyline. If you are new to Lynda La Plante as well, I would definitely recommend giving this series a go.

Jane Tennison is just starting out in her career in the metropolitan police and she is keen to make her mark. Set in the mid-seventies, London is on high alert, fearing a new attack by the IRA every day. Jane transfers to the dip squad with the hope of being promoted to the bomb squad in just a few short months. But a few days after her transfer, Jane is caught up in an IRA attack at Covent Garden Tube station. She becomes a vital witness as she and another victim are the only two people to have set eyes on the bomber. But as the police try to track down the attacker, it becomes clear that something much bigger is being planned; can Jane stop this new threat and save more lives from being lost in time?

Lynda captured the tension and the fear that the police and the public must’ve felt during the IRA attacks on London. I didn’t grow up during this time period, so I didn’t experience the terror that was felt on the streets of the capital, but I have heard horrific stories from that time.

It must be really interesting for a writer to go back and explore their character’s former years. Lynda sets her novel at a time when a career in the police force was very difficult for a woman to achieve, and we do see examples in this book of the prejudice that women in the force faced. Jane however soldiers on and we see a brilliant and determined character emerge in her. I am yet to read Lynda’s previous books set later in Jane’s career, so I am interested to see where Jane will go from here. Perhaps it is a good thing that I have started with these books, set earlier in Jane’s career, as this will give me more of an insight into her background for when I come round to reading Prime Suspect, which is where it all began.

Good Friday was thoroughly enjoyable. An addictive, suspense filled read.

Publisher:  Zaffre

Publication date: 22nd March 2018

Print length: 416 pages

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#HangmanBook by Daniel Cole Book Review @Daniel_P_Cole @TrapezeBooks

Source: Review Copy

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The new thriller from the bestselling author of Ragdoll

A detective with no one to trust
A killer with nothing to lose

18 months after the ‘Ragdoll’ murders, a body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge, the word ‘BAIT’ carved into the chest.

In London a copycat killer strikes, branded with the word ‘PUPPET’, forcing DCI Emily Baxter into an uneasy partnership with the detectives on the case, Special Agents Rouche and Curtis.

Each time they trace a suspect, the killer is one step ahead. With the body count rising on both sides of the Atlantic, can they learn to trust each other and identify who is holding the strings before it is too late?

MY THOUGHTS

I was a huge fan of Daniel Cole’s debut novel, Ragdoll which I read last year. Now, a year later, he has returned with Hangman. Daniel Cole’s second novel is a highly entertaining read which I flew through. I would warn, however, especially if you haven’t previously read Ragdoll, that Daniel Cole’s books are not for the faint hearted.

Eighteen months on from the Ragdoll murders which shocked the world, the police have had to deal with a string of copycat murders trying to imitate the deranged killer’s style. One case catches the eye of the metropolitan police when a body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge in New York. DCI Emily Baxter heads to the States to assist the FBI. Emily is still reeling from the events which took place in the final chapters of Ragdoll, she tries to put this behind her and focus on the investigation.

Daniel introduces us to a new team of detectives as both the metropolitan police and the FBI work together, albeit with some tensions simmering beneath the surface. But the murders in the States soon begin to escalate, and on the other side of the Atlantic, killings in London begin to occur, appearing to mirror the attacks happening in the US.

What I loved about Hangman is that DCI Emily Baxter takes centre stage; I really liked her character in the previous book, so I was excited to learn more about her. If you are hoping to see more of Wolf, you will have to wait a little while longer. Again there are good doses of humour throughout; one scene in a hotel room had me in stitches, you’ll know which one I mean when you read it. If you thought that Daniel had some original ideas for bumping off his characters in his first book, just wait until you read some of the scenes in Hangman.

You do have to suspend the belief system a little bit with these books, but Daniel manages to pull it off with a hugely entertaining plot which has a very cinematic feel to it. Just like it’s predecessor, Hangman has now left me desperate to get my hands on the third book in the series. Thank you to Lauren Woosey at Orion Books for sending me a copy of the book to review.

Publisher: Trapeze

Publication date: 22nd March 2018

Print length: 384 pages

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This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan Book Review @eva_dolan @BloomsburyRaven

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‘Elegantly crafted, humane and thought-provoking. She’s top drawer’ Ian Rankin

This is how it begins.

With a near-empty building, the inhabitants forced out of their homes by property developers.

With two women: idealistic, impassioned blogger Ella and seasoned campaigner, Molly.

With a body hidden in a lift shaft.

But how will it end?

MY THOUGHTS

This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan is a book I was really looking forward to reading as I have previously enjoyed her Zigic and Ferreira series.

It began with the body. Ella Riordan is in her early twenties and is a high profile blogger and campaigner. She is currently squatting in a building marked for demolition and is fierce in standing up for the residents who are being forced out of their homes. Her world comes crumbling down however, when, at a party, she accidentally kills a man. Her friend, Molly, who is also a campaigner – who has devoted her life to this cause – takes charge and tries to convince Ella that everything is going to be fine. Molly knows that the police have a mark against Ella’s name and fears they won’t let her off lightly, if they find out what really happened. But the guilt gnaws away at Ella and very soon the truth about what she has done will spill out with disastrous consequences for them both.

The story is told through the voices of Ella and Molly. Whilst the chapters told from Molly’s perspective are set in the present, Ella’s narrative goes back in time and we see what has happened to her over the course of the last year. This part of the narrative I found did require some small level of concentration but once I settled into the story I found it really enjoyable. We delve deep into the psyche of the two characters and this is what made me really care about them. We get to see how Ella’s friendship with Molly developed over time and how Ella became involved with the campaigners.

This Is How It Ends is a passionate, tightly plotted crime novel that will leave plenty of room for thought. I loved it.

Publisher: Raven Books

Publication date: 25th January 2018

Print length: 336 pages

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#TooClosetoBreathe by Olivia Kiernan blog tour @LivKiernan @riverrunbooks

Today I am delighted to join the blog tour for Too Close To Breathe, which is an absolutely nail biting serial killer thriller from debut writer, Olivia Kiernan.

Source: Review Copy

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FIND THE KILLER WHO LIKES TO PLAY DEAD
A bold, brilliant new crime thriller – perfect for fans of Tana French, Jane Casey and Gillian Flynn

TOO SOON TO SEE

Polished. Professional. Perfect. Dead. Respected scientist Dr Eleanor Costello is found hanged in her immaculate home: the scene the very picture of a suicide.

TOO LATE TO HIDE

DCS Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play. Sheehan, a trained profiler, is seeking a murderer with a talent for death.

TOO CLOSE TO BREATHE

As Frankie strives to paint a picture of the killer, and their victim, she starts to sense they are part of a larger, darker canvas, on which the lines between the two blur.

MY THOUGHTS

There is a clever hook to this novel which I found really intriguing and it made me want to read it straight away. Find the killer who likes to play dead. I always enjoy a good police procedural novel and the author, Olivia Kiernan has put her own spin on it with a captivating, compelling plot and a fascinating lead Detective. The moment I read the pitch line I was fascinated to see how the plot would develop.

The body of a respected scientist, Dr Eleanor Costello is found hanged at her home in Dublin. To the police officers who arrive on the scene it appears as though she has committed suicide, it should be fairly simply to wrap up, but DCS Frankie Sheehan begins to suspect that foul play has been committed and when they discover that Eleanor’s husband is missing the investigation really begins to heat up. As investigations progress they discover that Eleanor carried dark secrets with her and when another body is found the race is on to stop a killer before they kill again. What murky world was Eleanor involved in?

DCS Frankie Sheehan is a tenacious police detective who I liked straight away. Although she has to carry the burden of having recently been involved in a high profile case, which has left her suffering from PTSD, she tries not to allow this to undermine her current work, even though it is always playing in the background of her mind. We don’t know everything about Frankie’s character to begin with and this is one aspect of the plot I really engaged with as Olivia slowly peeled back the layers of her recent past. I really enjoyed getting to know her in Too Close To Breathe and I can’t wait to meet up with her again and find out more about her.

Olivia writes about some dark themes in her novel which include the Dark Web and BDSM. Her ideas were pulled together in a very intelligent way and I became utterly absorbed by the plot. This is one of those stories which had me sitting with my thinking cap on as I tried to work out how everything was going to come together. You can see the meticulous level of research that has gone into her plotting and I felt confident that Olivia was a writer who knew what she was talking about.

If you are a fan of crime fiction featuring serial killers, you need to add this one to your TBR pile. Too Close to Breathe is both engaging and original. Thank you to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and to riverun for sending me an advance review copy.

Publisher: riverun

Publication date: 5th April 2018

Print length: 336 pages

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We Were the Salt of the Sea by Roxanne Bouchard blog tour @RBouchard72 @OrendaBooks

Today I am delighted to be joining the blog tour for We Were the Salt of the Sea by Roxanne Bouchard which is translated into English by David Warriner.

Source: Review Copy

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As Montrealer Catherine Day sets foot in a remote fishing village and starts asking around about her birth mother, the body of a woman dredges up in a fisherman’s nets. Not just any woman, though: Marie Garant, an elusive, nomadic sailor and unbridled beauty who once tied many a man’s heart in knots. Detective Sergeant Joaquin Morales, newly drafted to the area from the suburbs of Montreal, barely has time to unpack his suitcase before he’s thrown into the deep end of the investigation. On Quebec’s outlying Gaspe Peninsula, the truth can be slippery, especially down on the fishermen’s wharves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ten years or so ago, Roxanne Bouchard decided it was time she found her sea legs. So she learned to sail, first on the St Lawrence River, before taking to the open waters off the Gaspé Peninsula. The local fishermen soon invited her aboard to reel in their lobster nets, and Roxanne saw for herself that the sunrise over Bonaventure never lies. We Were the Salt of the Sea is her fifth novel, and her first to be translated into English. She lives in Quebec.

MY THOUGHTS

We Were the Salt of the Sea is Roxanne Bouchard’s first novel to be translated into English and it is the first book in a new crime series. I would definitely recommend this novel if you are a fan of literary crime fiction.

Roxanne Bouchard paints a vivid portrayal of life on the Montreal coastline in a small fishing town in Quebec, Canada. We follow Catherine Day as she searches for her birth mother and as she tries to unlock the mysteries of her childhood. But her quest to find her mother takes an unexpected turn when the body of a woman, identified as the elusive Marie Garant, is discovered entangled in fishing nets, pulled from the sea on the second day of her arrival in the town. And in the eye of the police, Catherine fast becomes a suspect in the woman’s death.

I really liked how Roxanne Bouchard developed each and every one of her characters. Everyone in the town appears to have a connection to Marie Garant, whether they loved or hated her, and she is certainly revered by many people. It is through the characters in the town, rather than in the investigation by the police, that we see a complex and mysterious character in Marie Garant evolve. It soon becomes clear that the town holds many secrets about the woman who was found dead, and I really wanted to find out what they might be, and why they might be worth holding onto.

We also meet Detective Sergeant Morales who has only recently arrived in the area. Morales is facing his own private dilemmas, which sometimes distracts him from his current investigation into Marie Garant’s death. Although we do learn about his past in this book, the author does leave some aspects about the detective’s private life in the dark. I’ll be interested to see how his personal life will pan out in future books.

The enticing, atmospheric writing and characters pulls you into the story as though you are being swept out by a siren to sea. It is really enjoyable and I hope that there are many more books in this series to come. Thank you to Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for sending me a copy of the book to review and to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 30th March 2018

Print length: 300 pages

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