April @1stMondayCrime Left For Dead by Joy Kluver #bookreview @JoyKluver

On my blog today, I’m sharing the details for next month’s First Monday Crime which is taking place live on their Facebook Page at 19:30 p.m. on Monday, 4th April. Today I’m re sharing my review of the latest novel by Joy Kluver, Left for Dead. Joy is one of the authors who’ll be appearing on the panel, and I’ll have another review to share with you tomorrow for a book by another author who’ll be on the panel as well.

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The detective stared at the young woman lying on the bed. She almost looked peaceful, her face like porcelain. Despite everything she had been through, she was still beautiful.

When DI Bernie Noel hurries to Keira Howard’s hospital bedside, she knows that Keira has been lucky. Barely conscious and badly injured, at least she is alive. Convinced that Keira’s attack is the latest in a string of increasingly violent assaults on young women in the area, the next victim might not be so fortunate. So she vows to find the man who did this, and to stop him before anyone else gets hurt.

Spurring her team into action, she quickly hones in on a prime suspect. But then he suddenly dies while on police watch, and Bernie’s investigation goes into freefall. When Bernie’s superiors won’t let her take the case any further, her gut instinct tells her there’s much more to his death than meets the eye. If it was murder, who would want him dead, and why? So she determines to set out on her own to find out what happened.

But the closer Bernie comes to discovering the truth, the more she is putting her own life in danger. And with Keira finally strong enough to talk her about her attack, Bernie worries she may be at risk yet again. There’s someone out there who has killed to stay safe in the shadows; can Bernie stop another senseless death, and save Keira, before it’s too late?

MY THOUGHTS

I am really enjoying this series. Left for Dead is the latest book in the DI Bernadette Noel series by Joy Kluver and I really enjoyed getting back together with Bernie and her team. This time around, as well as having a complex case to investigate, Bernie is also pregnant. This has left her with a lot of complex issues in her relationship with her boyfriend, Dougie. Left for Dead makes for a really intriguing addition to the series.

Bernie and her team face another complex investigation when a young woman has been found after being brutally attacked. It sparks fear that there is a serial predator at work here following a spate of similar attacks on women. It becomes a race against time to track down the woman’s attacker.

What I really liked about this book was how Joy Kluver explored Bernie’s relationship with her boyfriend, Dougie. I thought this development in her character was done really well and I was wondering throughout the book how things were going to pan out for them. This made for an intriguing sub plot and now that I’ve read it’s left me wondering what’s to come in the future.

Another character who Joy Kluver introduces us to is Leigh, who is a new member of the team. Leigh has autism and I thought that Joy Kluver explored this well and sensitively in her writing. I think Leigh makes an excellent addition to the books and I’m looking forward to seeing how her character develops further.

I didn’t expect the twist which came at the end and it really drove the tension up a notch as Bernie and her team raced to bring the case to a conclusion. I thought Joy Kluver wrapped the plot up very well.

I’m really hoping that there are more books to come in this series. It really is becoming one of my favourites.

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 10th January 2022

Print length: 395 pages

Left for Dead is available to buy:

Amazon UK

Appearing alongside Joy at First Monday Crime, we have Graham Bartlett, author of Bad for Good, (I’ll be sharing a review of his book tomorrow), Tony Kent author of No Way To Die, Imran Mahmood author of I Know What I Saw and Neil Lancaster author of The Blood Tide. If you would like to watch the panel which will be lived streamed on Facebook at 19:30 p.m. on Monday, 4th April, you can do so by clicking the link below which will take you through to the First Monday Crime Facebook page.

First Monday Crime

Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping crime novel by Robert Gold, Twelve Secrets.

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A SMALL TOWN. A SHOCKING CRIME.
YOU’LL SUSPECT EVERY CHARACTER. BUT YOU’LL NEVER GUESS THE ENDING.

Ben Harper’s life changed for ever the day his older brother Nick was murdered by two classmates. It was a crime that shocked the nation and catapulted Ben’s family and their idyllic hometown, Haddley, into the spotlight.

Twenty years on, Ben is one of the best investigative journalists in the country and settled back in Haddley, thanks to the support of its close-knit community. But then a fresh murder case shines new light on his brother’s death and throws suspicion on those closest to him.

Ben is about to discover that in Haddley no one is as they seem. Everyone has something to hide.

And someone will do anything to keep the truth buried . . .

MY THOUGHTS

Twelve Secrets is definitely the type of book I like to read. It’s dark, pacy and so absorbing. Robert Gold has weaved together a complex mystery that he expertly unravels as the book progresses. There is an intriguing hook to this story. We meet investigative journalist, Ben Harper, whose family has a very dark past, and it is one he’d rather keep buried. But following the death of a woman previously known to Ben and his family, he is drawn back to that dark time in his life.

It is revealed that Ben’s brother, and his brother’s friend, were murdered by two of their school friends. This really hooked me into the story; I had to know what really went on in that time, especially for two children to want to commit murder. It really made me want to find out more about them, and Robert Gold kept me invested in the story, as he gradually begins to reveal more about the crime and the people involved. There is a real sense of menace which deepened and darkened with each new chapter.

I thought this was an utterly compelling read. I could really see the pain Ben was still going through, even though it had been years since the tragic event took place. I could also clearly see his reluctance to revisit that time, and I could really understand this. If felt that if I was in his position, I would want to forget about the past as well, and do my best to move forward with my life. But as Ben begins to look back at what happened all those years ago, he finds new motivation to answer the questions he’s always had. And there are new questions for him too.

Robert Gold also tells the story from another set of characters who I thought he also developed really well. It’s hard to see at first how their stories and Ben’s are connected, but Robert Gold does pull everything together in a brilliant and surprising way. There were some genuinely shocking twists as Ben finally begins to unravel the truth behind what happened to his family. I was rooting for him to get to the answers he needed.  

I’m really pleased to see that this if the first book in a new series featuring Ben, and I hope there are many more books to come. I loved it, and I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 3rd March 2022

Print length: 374 pages

Twelve Secrets is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

Nothing to Lose by Victoria Selman #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping novel by Victoria Selman, Nothing to Lose, the second book in her Ziba MacKenzie series.

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He’s looking for his next victim. She looks just like his last.

Primrose Hill, London. Offender Profiler Ziba MacKenzie arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder with a disturbing sense of déjà vu. Nine days earlier, another woman’s body was found: same location, same MO, same physical appearance. For the police, it’s clear a new serial killer is on the loose. But for Ziba, it’s even more sinister—because the victims look just like her.

Ziba has been the focus of a killer’s interest before, and knows that if she gets too close again this case could be her last. Still, she’s not one to play by the rules—especially when her secret investigation into her husband’s murder begins to attract unwanted attention.

With someone watching her every step, can Ziba uncover what connects the two victims before she becomes one herself?

MY THOUGHTS

I recently read and enjoyed the first book in Victoria Selman’s Ziba Mackenzie series, and I bought the second book, Nothing to Lose straight away on the back of reading the first. I absolutely love Victoria’s writing. It’s pacy and so well written and I fly through her books at break-neck speed.

This time around, Ziba Mackenzie is on the hunt for a sadistic serial killer who is targeting pregnant women in a cruel and terrifying way. The clock is really ticking as Ziba and the team try to track the killer down. You get a real sense that the team are racing against time and that they will need to do a lot of things right, for things to go their way. I could also clearly see the real challenges Ziba is facing in her personal life, particularly in dealing with the death of her husband, which Victoria draws on well to make her come to life.

There is also another voice which we hear from, from someone who is close to the killer. These scenes really added to the tension. It made me think that something terrible was going to happen to this person, and I was desperate for them to go to the police with what they knew. I thought Victoria Selman did a fantastic job of capturing the desperation in this character’s voice. There is a real sense of mystery surrounding this person and I liked how Victoria Selman kept me intrigued. I had to know who this person was.

Victoria Selman always writes short and snappy chapters, which is what keeps me flying through the novel. Her writing is taut and the suspense keeps ticking up a notch with every page. I thought Victoria did a brilliant job in wrapping the plot of the novel up, and I liked the way how she did it. I was surprised in the direction she took the book, as I definitely thought it was heading another way.

Nothing to Lose is a brilliant addition to this series and I will definitely be reading the third book as soon as I can. If you enjoy gritty and dark crime thrillers that are impossible to put down then you need to try this series if you haven’t done so already. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication date: 26th March 2019

Print length: 385 pages

Nothing to Lose is available to buy:

Amazon UK

WWW Wednesday – 23/03/2022

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What have you finished reading?
What will you read next?

What am I currently reading?

A SMALL TOWN. A SHOCKING CRIME.
YOU’LL SUSPECT EVERY CHARACTER. BUT YOU’LL NEVER GUESS THE ENDING.

Ben Harper’s life changed for ever the day his older brother Nick was murdered by two classmates. It was a crime that shocked the nation and catapulted Ben’s family and their idyllic hometown, Haddley, into the spotlight.

Twenty years on, Ben is one of the best investigative journalists in the country and settled back in Haddley, thanks to the support of its close-knit community. But then a fresh murder case shines new light on his brother’s death and throws suspicion on those closest to him.

Ben is about to discover that in Haddley no one is as they seem. Everyone has something to hide.

And someone will do anything to keep the truth buried . . .

What have I finished reading?

He’s looking for his next victim. She looks just like his last.

Primrose Hill, London. Offender Profiler Ziba MacKenzie arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder with a disturbing sense of déjà vu. Nine days earlier, another woman’s body was found: same location, same MO, same physical appearance. For the police, it’s clear a new serial killer is on the loose. But for Ziba, it’s even more sinister—because the victims look just like her.

Ziba has been the focus of a killer’s interest before, and knows that if she gets too close again this case could be her last. Still, she’s not one to play by the rules—especially when her secret investigation into her husband’s murder begins to attract unwanted attention.

With someone watching her every step, can Ziba uncover what connects the two victims before she becomes one herself?

What will I read next?

One last chance. Almost fired for insubordination, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves demoted, exiled from the elite Hawks unit and dispatched to the leafy streets of Stellenbosch. Working a missing persons report on student Callie de Bruin is not the level of work they are used to, but it’s all they get. And soon, it takes a dangerous, deeply disturbing turn.

One last chance. Stellenbosch is beautiful, but its economy has been ruined by one man. Jasper Boonstra and his gigantic corporate fraud have crashed the local property market, just when estate agent Sandra Steenberg desperately needs a big sale. Bringing up twins and supporting her academic husband, she is facing disaster. Then she gets a call. From Jasper Boonstra, fraudster, sexual predator and owner of a superb property worth millions, even now.

For Sandra, the stakes are high and about to get way higher.

For Benny Griessel, clinging to sobriety and the relationship that saved his life, the truth about Callie can only lead to more trouble.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley #bookreview #blogtour @lucyfoleytweets @fictionpubteam @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Lucy Foley, The Paris Apartment. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Welcome to No.12 rue des Amants

A beautiful old apartment block, far from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and the bustling banks of the Seine.

Where nothing goes unseen, and everyone has a story to unlock.

The watchful concierge
The scorned lover
The prying journalist
The naïve student
The unwanted guest

There was a murder here last night.
A mystery lies behind the door of apartment three.

Who holds the key?

MY THOUGHTS

The Paris Apartment is an intriguing mystery steeped in suspense, and it takes you right into the very heart of Paris, France. Paris is a city I’ve always wanted to visit from when I was very young, so I was more than intrigued, when I saw that Lucy Foley’s latest book would be set there.

The setting is a luxurious apartment block in Paris, and the story is told from various different viewpoints. We meet Jess who has travelled to Paris to see her brother, Ben, who lives in the block, but discovers that he is missing, and to her, it seems, under suspicious circumstances. But what has happened to Ben?

The mystery surrounding Ben’s disappearance was really intriguing. I felt that all the residents in the apartment block had something to hide, and I felt that one person, especially, had answers. As Jess tried to get to the truth of what happened to her brother, I felt that she was putting herself in danger, and that she would end up meeting the same fate. Like Jess, I wanted to know what happened to Ben, and what led up to his disappearance. I wanted her to get answers, especially as it seemed that someone in the building was trying to cover up what happened.

Lucy Foley creates a real sense of menace, especially as Jess begins to delve into the mystery. I really liked that we got to hear from the different characters. The person who intrigued me the most in this book was the concierge. I got the feeling that they knew the secrets of all the residents in the building, and that they could quite easily blackmail them, if they ever wanted to. This really added to the suspense.

There are some surprising reveals as Lucy Foley reveals the truth about what happened to Ben, and there is an intense finale as Jess realises the truth. I didn’t know what was going to happen to her and I was rooting for her to find out what happened.

Fans of Lucy Foley’s work will love The Paris Apartment. I was utterly gripped right the way through.

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication date: 3rd March 2022

Print length: 412 pages

The Paris Apartment is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR

The Couple at No.9 by Claire Douglas #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new novel by Claire Douglas, The Couple at No.9.

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When Saffron Cutler and boyfriend Tom move into 9 Skelton Place, they didn’t expect to find this.

Two bodies, buried under the patio over thirty years ago.

When the police launch a murder investigation, they ask to speak to the cottage’s former owner – Saffy’s grandmother, Rose, whose Alzheimer’s clouds her memory.

But it is clear she remembers something . . .

What happened thirty years ago?
What part did her grandmother play?
And is Saffy now in danger? . . .

MY THOUGHTS

I’m a huge fan of Claire Douglas’s books. The premise of her latest, The Couple at Number.9 sounded really intriguing. Imagine moving into your dream home, and before you’ve even settled there, two bodies are discovered in the garden during renovations. This was a really strong hook, and it compelled me to read on. I had to know who the people were, who were buried in the garden, and who had killed them.

Claire has created a complex plot which has been weaved together very well. We meet Saffy and Tom, a young couple who are expecting a baby, who are thrilled to be moving into their dream home, mortgage free. But there are dark secrets in their family’s past. I could see just how distressed they both were, following the discovery of the bodies in their garden, especially as the case was quickly picked up by the press, which made the situation all the more distressing. Saffy comes to realise that her grandmother, Rose, must have some sort of answer concerning the two bodies and who the people were. But Saffy has no idea just how devastating the truth will be.

I really connected to the characters, and I wanted to get to the truth about the discovery as much as Saffy and Tom did. It made me wonder what they would choose to do following the discovery of the bodies in the garden, if whether or not they would choose to keep their home. But who would want to buy it now, knowing what was found in the garden? They face an impossible dilemma.

Claire Douglas really keeps the tension ticking up a notch, especially as Saffy begins to realise that there is something dark in her family’s past. Someone else, who isn’t part of the police, is also after answers too. I wanted to know who this person was, and what the information was that they were after. It was so chilling.

The reveals that come are so clever and I loved how Claire Douglas pulled her plot together. There are some devastating twists which left me reeling. I could really feel the emotions the characters were experiencing. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, as Claire revealed the secrets.

If you’re a psychological thriller lover, you need to read The Couple at Number.9 if you haven’t done so already. It reels you into the story from the very first page, and I did not want to put this book down. I had to know what was going on. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 16th September 2021 (kindle) 30th September 2021 (paperback)

Print length: 407 pages

The Couple at Number.9 is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

Faceless by Vanda Symon #bookreview #blogtour @vandasymon @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Vanda Symon, Faceless, on my blog today. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Worn down by a job he hates, and a stressful family life, middle-aged, middle-class Bradley picks up a teenage escort and commits an unspeakable crime. Now she’s tied up in his warehouse, and he doesn’t know what to do.

Max is homeless, eating from rubbish bins, sleeping rough and barely existing – known for cadging a cigarette from anyone passing, and occasionally even the footpath. Nobody really sees Max, but he has one friend, and she’s gone missing.

In order to find her, Max is going to have to call on some people from his past, and reopen wounds that have remained unhealed for a very long time, and the clock is ticking…

MY THOUGHTS

I love Vanda Symon’s writing and her latest novel, Faceless is another utterly gripping read. It’s Vanda’s first standalone and I raced through it in just two days. It is so good and there is real emotional depth to Vanda’s writing. I had to know what was going to happen. It’s a really powerful piece of writing that will make you root for the characters. 

Max is a character who’ll really pull at the heart strings. I really felt for him, especially as he tried to express his concerns to the police that his friend, Billy, a teenage escort is missing. You can see that apart from one police officer, he is struggling to make his voice heard to those who should be taking his concerns seriously. I could really feel his frustration and concern for his friend.

The tension in this book does not drop at all. Vanda Symon writes some intense scenes, especially those which feature Max’s friend Billy. Billy’s story is a heartbreaking one. She is still a teenager and it is heartbreaking that she has been forced to work as a prostitute on the streets. It seems that Max is the only one who cares for her and when she goes missing it becomes his determination to find her, even if no one else is prepared to listen. I really admired Max and he comes across as person who would be a good friend for anyone to have around. I was rooting for him all the way through the book and I wanted him to succeed in finding Billy.

Vanda writes some very tense scenes from Billy’s perspective. We know what has happened to her which is why I felt so frustrated when the majority of the police officers showed little or no interest in finding her, despite Max’s protests. I was so desperate for them to take Max seriously as I had no idea if Billy was going to survive. Vanda Symon creates a real sense of danger and this kept me utterly gripped to the book.

Vanda’s characters are so well developed. Their emotions come through so strongly on the page. You get a real sense of what drives them, especially with Max. This is a real page turner of a novel. It is so addictive and the short snappy chapters kept the pace flying forward.

Fans of Vanda Symon’s novels, you are in for a real treat. Faceless will keep you utterly gripped right the way through. I loved it!

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 17th January 2022 (kindle) 17th March 2022 (paperback)

Print length: 320 pages

Faceless is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo

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The Curfew by T.M. Logan #bookreview #blogtour @TMLoganAuthor @ZaffreBooks

On my blog today, I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the new gripping thriller by T.M. Logan, The Curfew. With thanks to Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for inviting me to take part.

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I should have known something was wrong. I should have sensed it. Felt it in the air, like the build-up of pressure before a thunderstorm, that heavy, loaded calm.

The curfew
Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight.

The lie
When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever.

The truth?
Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything…

MY THOUGHTS

I’m a huge fan of T.M. Logan’s writing, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his latest novel, The Curfew. As with all of T.M. Logan’s novels, his latest book is so addictive, and I flew through it in just a couple of days. It is so tense and I really had no idea what direction the novel was going to go in.

Andy and Laura are thrust into a nightmare, when their son, Connor, fails to return home one night. They are both trying to understand themselves what happened that evening, but it makes matters worse when the police get involved. What has their son done?

I was desperate to find out what Connor had got himself involved in, especially when the police investigation began. The suspense in the novel grows as things begin to get more serious and scary for Connor and his family. A teenage girl has disappeared, one of Connor’s school friends, and the police believe he had something to do with her disappearance. I really felt as though I couldn’t trust Connor, or his parents, as the novel developed. You can see just how keen they are to protect their son, and it seems they are prepared to do anything to achieve that. But I really wanted to know if Connor was really guilty and what happened that night he failed to return home.

You can really feel Connor’s parent’s desperation as the police investigation into their son gets under way. They begin to feel as though their whole world is closing in on them. I could really see the tension this was causing and the fear. It’s what makes this book so gripping, I had no idea what the characters were going to do to try and get out of the situation they were in.

The characters were so well developed. I thought it was interesting when T.M. Logan explored the relationship between Andy and his brother. It was interesting to see both of their reactions in a time of crisis, and see what they would do to protect the ones who mean most to them.

As the charges that the police were putting towards Connor became more serious, I really felt as though I couldn’t trust him. I felt things could go either way for him, and I couldn’t make up my mind about if he was guilty of being involved in the girl’s disappearance, or not. It was hard to feel sympathy for him, when he refused to tell the police the truth about what happened.

The tension really rises as the full story of what happened to Connor’s friend, begins to unravel. I had no idea how this would pan out in the end. It was so gripping and I flew through the final chapters at break-neck speed.

T.M. Logan is such a brilliant writer and you can always be guaranteed that you’ll be kept reading, well into the early hours of the night, with his books. Psychological thriller lovers and T.M. Logan fans, you do not want to miss The Curfew.

Publisher: Zaffre

Publication date: 17th March 2022

Print length: 480 pages

The Curfew is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

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56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard #bookreview @1stMondayCrime

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new novel by Catherine Ryan Howard, 56 Days. Catherine will be appearing on Monday’s 1st Monday Crime panel and I’ll have all the details about how you can access the event at the end of this post.

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56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.

35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who – and what – he really is.

TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime?

MY THOUGHTS

56 Days is the first book by Catherine Ryan Howard which I’ve read. I’ve been meaning to get round to reading her books for some time now, and I’m so pleased I finally have. It’s only the second book I’ve read which has featured the pandemic, which is something I wasn’t too keen on reading about in fiction so soon, but it really works in this book, and it adds to the tension. This is such a clever read, and it gripped me right from the first few pages. I’ve seen a lot of praise for this book on social media, and I can certainly see why now that I’ve read it.

I love a dual timeline novel. In 56 Days, we know in the present, that a body has been discovered, but we don’t know much more detail than that. 56 Days previously, a new couple are just about to move in together.

The idea of spending lockdown with a new partner could either be a horrific idea, which could go badly wrong, or it could be the best thing that ever happens to you. It is the ultimate test to see if your relationship can survive. This is the situation which faces Ciara and Oliver when they meet, shortly before Ireland is plunged into lockdown, along with the rest of the world, and they agree to move in together, otherwise lockdown could have spelled the end of their relationship. You can see that their relationship is just beginning to blossom, and it feels, for them, that this is the next positive step.

The novel is told from both Ciara and Oliver’s perspectives, and what I thought was interesting, was how Catherine Ryan Howard explored both their perspectives on the same scenes. You can see what they are both thinking at the same time the event is happening, and I found it really eye opening. It’s not something that I’ve seen much of before in fiction, and I really liked how Catherine did it. I thought this was an ingenious way to misdirect the reader. I thought I could see the novel going in one particular way, which is why the direction it took, was so surprising.

The tension continues to build as the plot progresses, and I was more and more desperate to know what had led to the discovery of the body in the present day. I thought the chapters told from Oliver’s perspective were particularly tense. You can see that he hides a dark secret in his past and he is terrified of anyone discovering it. He even begins to wonder if Ciara is too good to be true.

Catherine also tells part of the book through the eyes of the detectives, who have been called out in the present day, following the discovery of the body. Catherine keeps these scenes ambiguous and gradually reveals more information as the plot develops.

I flew through this book, desperate to find out what would happen to Ciara and Oliver, and to see whose body was going to be found by the detectives. I will definitely be catching up on Catherine Ryan Howard’s previous novels. The plot of 56 Days is ingenious and so well thought through. I highly, highly recommend 56 Days.

Publisher: Corvus

Publication date: 19th August 2021

Print length: 363 pages

56 Days is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones

First Monday Crime is taking place live on their Facebook page from 19.30 p.m. on Monday, 7th March 2022. Appearing alongside Catherine to talk about their recent novels will be, Janice Hallett author of The Twyford Code, Robert Gold author of Twelve Secrets and Stuart Neville author of The House of Ashes. The panel is being moderated by crime writer, Joy Kluver. If you’d like to watch the event, you can do so by clicking on the link below which will take you through to their Facebook page.

First Monday Crime

The Death of Me by Michelle Davies #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new novel by Michelle Davies, The Death of Me.

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When Isaac Naylor committed suicide after a teenage fan was found dead in his hotel room, the world thought it had lost one of the greatest rock stars of a generation. Naylor, lead singer of The Ospreys, had been arrested for causing the girl’s death and was on police bail when he drowned himself in the sea off the Devon coast, leaving two notes addressed to his bandmates and his younger brother, Toby, discarded on the beach.

Now, eight years on, music journalist Natalie Glass stumbles across a blind item on a US gossip website that suggests Naylor’s death wasn’t quite what it seemed – and he might in fact still be alive. The item claims he is the mystery songwriter who has for the past year been submitting lyrics to producers in London via his lawyer for other artists to record. He insists on anonymity and the only person who knows his identity is the lawyer.

But as she delves deeper into what happened, the plot to stop her intensifies and Natalie finds she has a stark choice: give up trying to find out what happened to Naylor or risk her own obituary ending up in print.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve really enjoyed Michelle Davies’s writing in the past, so I bumped her latest novel, The Death of Me, straight to the top of my TBR pile. Michelle Davies delves into the music industry in her latest book, following music journalist, Natalie Glass. Natalie is obsessed with the story of Isaac Naylor, a disgraced music star who died several years earlier, following claims he was involved in the murder of a young fan. But Natalie thinks something else happened the night Isaac died. She thinks he is still alive, and she is determined to prove it.

Michelle Davies opens this book with an intense opening chapter that immediately propels you into the story. I wanted to know what was going on here, and what had led up to this moment. As Michelle peels back the layers and works her way up to this scene, we begin to follow Natalie’s journey and a tense story begins.

I really connected to Natalie. You can see how desperate she is to get the breakthrough in the story that she is after, and how frightened she becomes when she feels as though she is being targeted. Someone sets out to stop her from reaching a successful conclusion, but all this does is fuel her speculation that she is on the right path. I felt sorry for Natalie as well, especially as she doesn’t see her son all the time, who lives with his father. You can see in Michelle’s writing just how much this pains her that she can’t be with him all the time, and how much she yearns to be a full time mum to him.

Michelle Davies continues to keep the tension ticking up a notch and she made the plot even more intriguing. I felt that the deeper Natalie was sinking was sinking into this story, that she was putting herself closer and closer to danger.

What Michelle Davies also highlights in this book is the power that celebrities hold over their fans. You get the sense, sometimes, that people will do absolutely anything for a celebrity they really like, even though they only know them from media reports and have never met them personally.

I thought Isaac Naylor’s story was really interesting and I wanted to learn more about his character. Like Natalie, I wanted to find out if he was still alive, and what prompted him to go undercover if he was, especially, as Natalie thinks, he is still writing songs. He was one of the biggest stars in the world, why would he want to hide away in the shadows?

The Death of Me is a riveting thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. If you’re looking for an engaging read packed with suspense, then I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Orion

Publication date: 11th November 2021

Print length: 342 pages

The Death of Me is available to buy:

Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones