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The Suffering of Strangers – Caro Ramsay

DI Costello faces a disturbing child abduction case; a six-week-old has been stolen and replaced with another baby. The swap took cold and meticulous planning, so Costello treads the seedy, Glaswegian backstreets for answers. She’s convinced that more than one young life is at stake.

Promoted into the Cold Case Unit, Colin Anderson reviews the unsolved rape of a young mother, whose attacker is still out there. Each case pulls Anderson and Costello in the same direction and, as their paths keep crossing, they begin to suspect their separate cases are dangerously entwined.

My thanks to Amber at Black Thorn for the chance to join the blog tour for The Suffering of Strangers.

An Anderson and Costello thriller from Caro Ramsay always brings the promise of a gripping story and unsettling themes. This is the 9th book in the series, it can be read and enjoyed without reading the earlier titles (though returning readers will likely get more satisfaction/reward from the character developments).

The Suffering of Strangers has two main investigations for the reader to follow. Colin Anderson is investigating cold case crimes and turns his attention to an unsolved rape case. Anderson knows the victim and also knows the long-lasting consequences of the attack.

DI Costello also has a harrowing case to contend with. A baby has been taken. Left unattended in his mother’s car for just a few short minutes, baby Shoto is gone – in his place is another baby. A swap. An exchange. A nightmare for Shoto’s parents. Costello will need to work with child services to try to track down new mothers who may now be caring for a child that is not their own.

Two extremely emotive crimes and Caro Ramsay tackles them brilliantly to ensure the horror and consequence of each is forefront in the narrative. This is a well crafted police procedural where the investigations are diligently pursued by the lead characters and the reader gets the real feeling of being included in their quest for the truth.

On a personal note, I love reading books where the location can play a key role in the development of the plot. Glasgow shines in The Suffering of Strangers and while no spoilers are permitted in my reviews, the city and its history has a fascinating contribution to make and this delivered a very unexpected twist in proceedings.

Both investigations will bring surprises and by the end of the book there will be significant changes to the lives of Costello and Anderson. This story will shape things to come.

Hugely enjoyable reading. If Caro’s books are not on your radar yet then I urge you to grab a copy of The Suffering of Strangers and start catching up on this terrific series.

The Suffering of Strangers is published by Black Thorn and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07L6GKVYH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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May 30

Killer Impact – Linden Chase

As Tranquility comes to terms with the bloody repercussions of the events documented in Killer Intent, Zane King reluctantly sets off on a mission to finally find out the truth about the island.

Accompanied by self-acknowledged psychopath Travis and amoral mercenary Blaine, it’s fair to say Zane doesn’t rate his chances of success very highly.

And as expected, things don’t go smoothly, anything but.

Will Zane finally confront the shadowy forces behind the Tranquility Experiment?

Will he find the answers he needs?

Will anyone live to tell the tale?

In this thrilling conclusion nothing is as it seems, and nothing can be taken for granted as The Tranquility Trilogy stabs, shoots, strangles and gouges its’ way to a bloody and wholly satisfying conclusion.

My thanks to Fahrenheit Press for an early review copy.

All good things must come to an end and Killer Intent brings Linden Chase’s Tranquility Trilogy to its conclusion. But before the final curtain is drawn Zane King has one more adventure to survive (possibly).

I have been eagerly awaiting Killer Impact as I was a huge fan of the first two books in the trilogy (Killer Instincts and Killer Intent). The story began in Instincts with main protagonist, Zane, arriving on Tranquility Island to investigate what was taking place on the secretive island. It was a bloody, violent and captivating story – Lord of the Flies with added brutality.

Then came Intent, Zane out of the frying pan and into the fire with another desperate fight for survival. Tranquility island is perhaps the most inappropriately named location on the map!

Now Killer Impact will give the readers some answers. The battlegrounds of Tranquility are left behind as Zane and his psychotic companions Travis and Blaine will meet the people behind the Tranquility Project. There are answers to be found but it is clear there are also questions still to be asked and answered about the Project. Those behind Tranquility need to consider if their venture was successful, has the Project got scope to continue or should it be shut down?

The people behind Tranquility are not in agreement as to how to proceed. Unfortunately for Zane, Travis and Blaine this means they are pawns in a new game. Political powerplays using psychopaths as test subjects leaves all parties at risk of making fatal mistakes. Some will find this out the hard way and Zane cannot know who to trust – worse still is the prospect of trying to help the wrong side and being caught up in the fallout.

Linden Chase rounds off the Tranquility Trilogy in the only way I wanted. More blood gets shed. Alliances are shattered and the body count is high. Throw in lots of sex, cussing and destruction of property and all the ingredients are there for a roller-coaster of a read.

Killer Impact is published in paperback and digital format by Fahrenheit Press. You can order a copy on the link below – if you buy the paperback then you get a digital copy to own too.

http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_killer_impact.html

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May 26

The Warehouse – Rob Hart

Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.

Amidst the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour. Yet, beneath the sunny exterior, lurks something far more sinister.

Paxton never thought he’d be working Security for the company that ruined his life, much less that he’d be moving into one of their sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, perhaps Cloud isn’t so bad. Better still, through his work he meets Zinnia, who fills him with hope for their shared future.

Except that Zinnia is not what she seems. And Paxton, with his all-access security credentials, might just be her meal ticket.
As Paxton and Zinnia’s agendas place them on a collision course, they’re about to learn just how far the Cloud will go to make the world a better place.
To beat the system, you have to be inside it.

I received an early review copy from the publishers, Bantam Press, through Netgalley.

I don’t often do pre-publication reviews but I finished The Warehouse last week and really, really enjoyed it so wanted to start cheerleading early.

We are in a future where society is coping with a harsh reality, society’s tolerance has all but vanished and people are reliant upon the global retail giant: Cloud. Cloud provides hundreds of thousands around with world with jobs, residential places at their vast warehouses, consumers can want for nothing as Cloud offer it all.

Stepping into the Cloud Warehouse in Rob Hart’s novel is Paxton. He ran his own business, a firm with a product which people found useful and which allowed him to be moderately successful. When Cloud noticed his small success they approached Paxton to work with him, a deal was reached but margins were squeezed and trading got tougher and tougher. Eventually Cloud forced Paxton’s firm out of business and we meet him as he approaches Cloud with a view to getting a job with them.

During the selection process Paxton meets Zinnia. Zinnia is not keen to strike up a conversation with Paxton as she is applying for a job with Cloud for a very different reason. Security and employment is not Zinnia’s primary motivation – she is working undercover to infiltrate the Cloud building with a view to uncovering some of the secrets of the firm’s operation.

Both Paxton and Zinnia enter The Warehouse with very different agenda but both are trying to keep a secret. Over the course of the story we see how they will become indoctrinated to the way of life of Cloud. Compliant to the unique rules which Cloud operate. Conscious of the need to fit in and to meet the expectation of their employer or face the consequence of being Cut.

Rob Hart has created a fascinating micro-world in which to set his story. The clever use of chapters where mundane tasks are completed show just how hard Zinnia has to work to keep her cover in place and shows the routine Cloud expect from their employees. I loved the idea of a corporate giant taking over our lives (but it is also rather chilling as you ponder if this could actually become prophetic).

The Warehouse will release later this summer and is a title which is worth looking out for. I enjoy reading a book which feels different and gets me thinking about consequences of our actions. If our commercial urges are not tempered could a firm like Cloud become a dominant force in our society?

Great read – get your orders in now.

The Warehouse is published on 13 August 2019 and will be available in hardback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warehouse-Rob-Hart/dp/1787631249/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QBJ6CPMZGX6T&keywords=the+warehouse+rob+hart&qid=1558905600&s=gateway&sprefix=the+warehouse+rob%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-1

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May 24

The Never Game – Jeffery Deaver

Escape or die trying…

No.1 international bestseller Jeffery Deaver returns with a stunning new thriller – the first in an exciting series featuring enigmatic investigator Colter Shaw.

A student kidnapped from the park.
Nineteen-year-old Sophie disappears one summer afternoon. She wakes up to find herself locked inside a derelict warehouse, surrounded by five objects. If she uses them wisely, she will escape her prison. Otherwise she will die.

An investigator running out of time.
Sophie’s distraught father calls in the one man who can help find his daughter: unique investigator Colter Shaw. Raised in the wilderness by survivalist parents, he is an expert tracker with a forensic mind trained to solve the most challenging cases. But this will be a test even for him.

A killer playing a dangerous game.
Soon a blogger called Henry is abducted – left to die in the dark heart of a remote forest – and the whole case gets turned on its head. Because this killer isn’t following the rules; he’s changing them. One murder at a time…

My thanks to Rebecca at Harper Collins for my review copy and for inviting me to host a leg of the blog tour.

An action packed thriller from Jeffery Deaver and a plot closely lined to videogames and puzzle solving. This book is just a coffee and a danish away from filling my “favourite things” bingo card.

Readers are pitched straight into the action “Level 3: The Sinking Ship”

Wait…what? Where is the prologue? What’s happening? *reads a few pages* Gosh this is exciting.

Level 1: The Abandoned Factory. Oh two days earlier. Cool how did we get to the sinking ship? Will Colter Shaw manage to rescue….oh wait, there can be no SPOILERS.

The Never Game starts at 100mph and then takes the reader back to introduce the hero of the piece (Colter Shaw) and bring us back to a point where he is not diving into the water to try to save a life. We know Shaw is one of the good guys from the very first page but as we learn more about him we also discover he is a bit of a loner, doesn’t smile much, is one of the best in the business at tracking (wilderness tracking) and he earns money by collecting rewards. Not a cop, not an investigator, not a PI but a man who uses his skills to claim rewards. In the first instance he his working to find a young woman who has gone missing, her father has offered $10,000 if someone can find her.

Shaw is an engaging character, his reasoning and logical deductions are shared with the reader so we can keep up with his thought process and understand how he ticks. Early in the story Shaw will have a run in with the police who don’t warm to his solo endeavours. If justice is to be found then Shaw and the police need to establish a working relationship so the bad guys can be brought down.

Action in The Never Game takes place in Silicone Valley. Computing firms and videogame manufacturers are very much involved in the story. Shaw is not comfortable in the world of gaming but fortunately he finds an expert to help him out in the form of the mysterious and secretive Maddie Poole. The relationship and interactions between Shaw and Poole are slick and entertaining. Each is trying to outsmart the other and there is a clear attraction between them but the author makes sure you never quite know Maddie’s motivations and cannot fully trust what she is saying. That really hooked me in.

The Never Game was an enjoyable read. Deaver knows how to deliver the thrills and the twists and as it appears Colter Shaw may well return in future I was pleased to get to the end of the book and find I wanted to read more about him. I had a couple of niggles about the gaming side of things which I blame on 30+ years of playing computer games. Non gaming readers will not spot the niggle points and need not worry about the book being too geeky (it is most certainly not).

There is a reason Jeffery Deaver is a household name – he writes great stories which readers love. The Never Game delivers the thrills his readers are seeking.

The Never Game is published by Harper Collins and is available in Hardback, Digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Game-Jeffery-Deaver/dp/000830372X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1558642377&sr=1-1

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May 22

Dark Sacred Night – Michael Connelly

A MURDER HE CAN’T FORGET.
A CASE ONLY SHE CAN SOLVE.

Daisy Clayton’s killer was never caught. In over ten years, there has been no breakthrough in her murder case.

Detective Renée Ballard has faced everything the LAPD’s notorious dusk-till-dawn graveyard shift has thrown at her. But, until tonight, she’d never met Harry Bosch – an ex-homicide detective consumed by this case.

Soon, she too will become obsessed by the murder of Daisy Clayton.

Because Ballard and Bosch both know: every murder tells a story. And Daisy’s case file reads like the first chapter in an untold tragedy that is still being written – one that could end with Ballard herself, if she cannot bring the truth to light…

I received a review copy from the publishers to take part in the paperback blog tour. My thanks also to Tracy Fenton for the invitation to host this leg of the blog tour.

Fans of Michael Connelly will likely have already encountered Renée Ballard – she was the star of The Late Show – and events in that story are alluded to in Dark Sacred Night. Possible spoilers to be found but Dark Sacred Night can be read (and enjoyed) without first reading The Late Show.

Ballard works the night shift for LAPD, “dusk to dawn.” One evening she returns to her desk to find a stranger rifling through the filing cabinets of one of her colleagues. Naturally Ballard challenges the stranger and discovers she has finally met Harry Bosch…a name well known in the LAPD and a name very much known and loved by the crime fiction fraternity.

Ballard and Bosch will team up to try and uncover the truth behind the murder of a young woman, Daisy Clayton. Daisy’s murder has been unsolved for too long and it troubles Bosch. Not least because he currently has Daisy’s mother, Elizabeth, sleeping in his spare room. Elizabeth is with Bosch as he has taken her in to try to allow her time to get her life sorted out. She is a habitual drug user and the loss of her daughter and her addiction had left her in a bad way. Bosch is trying to help but Elizabeth’s presence is causing friction in Bosch’s relationship with his daughter.

The story in Dark Sacred Night flips between Ballard and Bosch. Each have their own lives and each are involved in a case (or cases for Ballard) which does not concern the other. Readers get to follow Ballard on her nightly shifts and the random crimes she is required to investigate and then we spend time with Bosch who is determined to bring down a gang leader. As they are working together we also get some overlap when Ballard and Bosch meet up to discuss Daisy’s murder and the progress (or lack of) in chasing down leads and identifying possible suspects.

The variety of cases Ballard comes into contact with were particularly fun to follow, it broke up the focus on murders and gangs and gave the author the chance to show off Ballard’s skills and reasoning. She is surely a character with much more potential and I do hope she gets further chance to shine in future.

Bosch does not have it so easy. The gang leader he is chasing becomes aware he is the focus of attention and he takes steps to warn Bosch off. The lengths the gangs are prepared to go to to ensure the police do not get too close are shocking and this, in turn, led to some terrifically dark twists in the story. Bosch will find himself in more danger than he may have considered. As he is clearly not as young as he once was, the reader does start to wonder if Mr Connelly is planning for a future without his leading man.

Dark Sacred Night is a very pleasing murder story. The interaction between Ballard and Bosch worked very effectively and they make a great team in this story. Splitting the narrative broke up the story nicely – at 480 pages it is one of the longer crime books I have read of late. Yet the dual voices kept the story flowing and allowed the action to be shared between the characters so we don’t feel Ballard pings from one fraught danger to the next without taking time to catch her breath.

With so many wonderful tales already committed to print, readers can know that picking up a Michael Connelly book will be a rewarding reading experience. Let yourself get lost in another cracking book from this master story teller – you can’t go wrong with Connelly.

Dark Sacred Night is newly released in paperback by Orion and is also available in digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Sacred-Night-Ballard-Thriller-ebook/dp/B079753GG4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UJABTHNLUONB&keywords=michael+connelly&qid=1558290153&s=digital-text&sprefix=michae%2Cdigital-text%2C149&sr=1-1

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May 21

Playing The Martyr – Ian G Moore

A retired Englishman is crucified on the banks of the Loire Valley and the peace and quiet of rural France is shattered. Blackmailed into leading the investigation, the recently widowed Juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard feels shattered too.

An apparently innocuous victim, held in high regard by the French locals, who would target the Englishman? And why like this? Is someone using the 500-year-old legend of Joan of Arc to stir up tension between the French locals and the British expat community? And for what purpose?

Lombard must use all his experience to break down the wall of silence in small-town France and avoid the failure his bosses are hoping for. Will his half-English, half-French background help? Will it give him the freedom to move inside both communities or does it mean he’ll be trusted by neither?

While fighting his own grief and his own team, the case turns up a gut-churning connection with his late wife and lays bare something that he’s known all along; that the River Loire, like the valley itself, has a calm surface hiding a murderous undercurrent.

I received a copy of Playing the Martyr from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I read a lot of crime novels. The majority of these stories are set in the UK or the US. I have a good understanding of their hierarchy of police squads and the respective judicial systems. Playing The Martyr is set in France – the lead character is Matthieu Lombard, he is Juge d’instruction. I had no idea what that meant but I loved that Playing The Martyr had a “new” feel to it even before the story got going.

What an absolute treat it was to learn more about the position Juge Lombard holds, particularly as Lombard has not enjoyed the best of times of late and is facing a few political challenges to his authority. Overcoming personal tragedy, facing down rivals who would challenge his authority and dwelling too long on past events he cannot possibly change – the reader meets Lombard at an interesting time.

But personal issues aside – Lombard has a murder to solve. An Englishman has been found crucified in the beautiful Loire Valley. His murder (and other incidents which take place as the story unfolds) appear to have a connection to Joan of Arc. This does pose something of an issue for Lombard as the town where the murder occurred is desperately trying to establish a connection to the Saint so they can cash in on the tourist opportunities. Is the murder a grotesque effort to put the town on the map or are the Joan of Arc references an elaborate red herring to put the police off the scent?

From being a bit of a Twitter stalker I know that Ian Moore lives in France and he does a terrific job of depicting this idyllic part of the world in Playing The Martyr. It is great when authors capture the spirit of their chosen locations – too many books can be cut and paste stories into any random town or city. Not so here – the sense of place was striking at times and I felt genuine pangs of wanderlust to make a visit to the Loire Valley and soak up some of the atmosphere.

I loved the time I spent with Playing The Martyr. Lombard was a great lead character and I hope he returns in the not too distant future. Supporting cast were well defined and there were some fun and lighthearted moments to break up the darker twists. Pleasingly I was nowhere near guessing the secrets to the story and that’s how I like it!

Playing the Martyr is a Pause Publications book and can be purchased in paperback and digital format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Martyr-Ian-G-Moore-ebook/dp/B07LG71TGL/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=playing+the+martyr&qid=1555351140&s=gateway&sr=8-1

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May 14

Your Deepest Fear – David Jackson

‘Sara! Remember! Victoria and Albert. All I can say. They’re here. They’re-‘

These are the last words Sara Prior will ever hear from her husband.

As DS Nathan Cody struggles to make sense of the enigmatic message and solve the brutal murder, it soon becomes clear that Sara is no ordinary bereaved wife. Taking the investigation into her own hands, Sara is drawn into a world of violence that will lead her in a direction she would never have suspected.

For Cody, meanwhile, things are about to get personal in the darkest and most twisted ways imaginable . . .

My thanks to the publisher for my review copy which I received through Netgalley and to Tracy Fenton for the opportunity to join the blog tour.

Where to start with this beauty? David Jackson has delivered a storming read, darker than the average police thriller. Delightfully creepy moments are plentiful as he pits his lead character (Nathan Cody) against his mysterious nemesis – a masked stranger responsible for the death of Cody’s partner and for mutilating Cody himself.

This is the fourth Nathan Cody book. Cody is very much a man defined by his past and as such readers will benefit from reading the earlier titles (A Tapping At My Door, Hope To Die and Don’t Make A Sound). However, everything you need to know about Cody’s background is nicely covered in Your Deepest Fear so there is no chance you will fail to understand the significance of some of the bigger moments in this book.

Cody is investigating a brutal murder. The victim has been subjected to a prolonged attack prior to death which would have meant he suffered greatly before the end. There is nothing in the mans background which would have given cause for suspicion or may have brought him into contact with the ‘wrong types’. So why was this man chosen for such an unpleasant death?

The victim’s widow is also causing problems for Cody. She found her husband’s body after he had left a message/call for help on her answer phone. Contained in the message was a possible clue to identify his killers but she cannot work out what the clue means. At least that is what she is telling Cody.

Despite having a murder to solve Cody is distracted in Your Deepest Fear. This is because his own Deepest Fear is coming back to taunt him. The clowns. The terrifying clowns who tortured Cody and left him broken have returned. Their leader wants to play a game with Cody…the prize is the chance for Cody to discover the identity of his tormentor. But the game will be dangerous and Cody will have a high price to pay for the information he wants.

I don’t know if I can do Your Deepest Fear justice in a review without spoiling too much of the story. It is a wickedly good read. Cody is put through an emotional wringer yet the clowns always seem one step ahead of him. David Jackson has pitched the terror in the cat and mouse game perfectly.

Some books you just don’t want to put down. Count Your Deepest Fear on that list – it has a story guaranteed to draw you in. Simply brilliant.

Your Deepest Fear is released on 16 May 2019 and is published by Zaffre in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Deepest-Fear-darkest-thriller-ebook/dp/B07JWBG9X4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=david+jackson&qid=1557773893&s=gateway&sr=8-1

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May 6

Hunting Evil – Chris Carter

‘Every story one day comes to an end.’
As roommates, they met for the first time in college. Two of the brightest minds ever to graduate from Stamford Psychology University.
As adversaries, they met again in Quantico, Virginia. Robert Hunter had become the head of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Lucien Folter had become the most prolific and dangerous serial killer the FBI had ever encountered.

Now, after spending three and a half years locked in solitary confinement, Lucien has finally managed to break free. And he’s angry.

For the past three and a half years, Lucien has thought of nothing else but vengeance.
The person responsible for locking him away has to pay, he has to suffer.
That person … is Robert Hunter.
And now it is finally time to execute the plan.

The Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter has become a firm favourite of mine over the last year or two. I was typically late to discover this series so have been enjoying catching up on the earlier novels (whilst picking up the newer titles when they release). All the books have stood up well as stand-alone thrillers but Hunting Evil is a sequel to an earlier title and even Chris Carter himself (in the intro) advocated reading An Evil Mind before picking up Hunting Evil.

Just for the record – I had not read An Evil Mind before I read Hunting Evil and while there are clearly spoilers for the earlier title I still had a blast with Hunting Evil so it can be enjoyed on its own.

For the new reader to this series – Robert Hunter is introduced and described in detail early in the book. He is a Detective with LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit and he deals with some of the most horrific murders I have read about during my blogging years. These stories are not for the faint of heart!

Hunting Evil begins with a prison breakout. Lucian Folter has managed to escape from a high security prison and is on the run. His first priority is to get to safety, his next is to get Robert Hunter. A dangerous game of cat and mouse is about to commence as Folter will stop at nothing to destroy Hunter and harm the people around him. A

Both Folter and Hunter have known each other for a long time and Hunting Evil sees each trying to outsmart/out-think the other. Folter leaves clues and messages for Hunter to decipher. If Hunter can unravel the puzzle Folter leaves for him then he will save innocent lives. If he fails then the price will be high and Hunter’s conscience may not cope the burden of responsibility. It makes for hugely engaging reading.

The whole story has a high octane, fast paced feel. The reader is caught up in the chase to bring Folter down. Hunter cannot take on the challenge alone and along with LAPD, other agencies will get involved – a large taskforce but with Hunter at the helm steering the investigations towards the clues he is left by his old friend.

Throughout the book it seems inevitable there will be a coming together of the two forces. Hunter vs Folter. With Folter holding all the aces it is hard to see how this can end well for the good guys.

This is a weighty tome – over 100 chapters and approaching the 500 page mark, yet I flew through the story as it was incredibly readable. These are the types of book I enjoy the most. A strong lead, great supporting characters, a deadly enemy and some extremely dark twists. The Robert Hunter books represent a high point in the release schedules, Hunting Evil delivered on every level.

Hunting Evil is published by Simon & Schuster and is available in Hardback, audio and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Evil-Chris-Carter/dp/1471179524/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RJF60C1BULIG&keywords=chris+carter&qid=1557077419&s=books&sprefix=c%2Cinstant-video%2C261&sr=1-1

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April 30

The Way of All Flesh – Ambrose Parry

Edinburgh, 1847. City of Medicine, Money, Murder.

Young women are being discovered dead across the Old Town, all having suffered similarly gruesome ends. In the New Town, medical student Will Raven is about to start his apprenticeship with the brilliant and renowned Dr Simpson.

Simpson’s patients range from the richest to the poorest of this divided city. His house is like no other, full of visiting luminaries and daring experiments in the new medical frontier of anaesthesia. It is here that Raven meets housemaid Sarah Fisher, who recognises trouble when she sees it and takes an immediate dislike to him. She has all of his intelligence but none of his privileges, in particular his medical education.

With each having their own motive to look deeper into these deaths, Raven and Sarah find themselves propelled headlong into the darkest shadows of Edinburgh’s underworld, where they will have to overcome their differences if they are to make it out alive.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the paperback blog tour for The Way of All Flesh. I received a copy of the book from the publisher to allow me to join the blog tour.

This is how to do Historical Fiction! The Way of All Flesh transports readers back to Edinburgh in the 1840’s and breathes life into the city and its residents. Add in a few unexplained deaths and prepare to lose yourself in the past.

It’s not just the Edinburgh of old which which will captivate readers, Will Raven and Sarah Fisher are the lead characters and you want to learn more about them, to see them overcome the challenges they face. You also want them to be a bit nicer to each other.

Raven is a trainee medical student. He is given the chance to work alongside Dr Simpson, a gentleman of fine standing and great repute. Raven hopes to learn from Simpson and advance his training. He is badly in need of money as he owes the wrong man too much coin.

Sarah Fisher also works in Doctor Simpson’s house. She is a housemaid but is well read, has basic medical knowledge and seems keen to advance her skills. It is not the done thing though and her household duties often get in the way of what Sarah would rather be doing.

When a young prostitute, known to Raven, is found dead the young man is determined to uncover why. He overhears the police describe her as another “deid hoor” and Raven cannot accept her life being dismissed so easily.

Sarah also knows of a young woman who has vanished unexpectedly and she too suspects foul play. The pair realise there may be a connection between the two incidents and an unlikely alliance is formed.

I often find historical stories to be hard going or overly fussy about detailing the events of the time. Not so with The Way of All Flesh, I flew through it and never felt the historical setting was being forced upon me. Locations are described efficiently and effectively without detracting from the events which are unfolding. The story zips along at a good pace and the “one more chapter” factor is very much a thing.

Dark times in the old city = great for readers. The Way of All Flesh should be in your suitcase this summer. Highly recommended.

The Way of All Flesh is published by Canongate Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-All-Flesh-Ambrose-Parry/dp/1786893800/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556567944&sr=1-1

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April 29

The Innocent Ones – Neil White

Three lives cut short. Two decades of silence. One evil secret.

By day, the park rings with the sound of children’s excited laughter. But in the early hours of the morning, the isolated playground is cloaked in shadows – the perfect hiding place to conceal a brutal murder.

When London journalist, Mark Roberts, is found battered to death, the police quickly arrest petty thief, Nick Connor. Criminal defence lawyer, Dan Grant, along with investigator Jayne Brett, are called to represent him – but with bloody footprints and a stolen wallet linking him to the scene, this is one case they’re unlikely to win.

Until help comes from an unlikely source…when the murder victim’s mother says that Connor is innocent, begging Dan and Jayne to find the real perpetrator.

Unravelling the complex case means finding the connection between Mark’s death and a series of child murders in Yorkshire over twenty years ago. Father of two, Rodney Walker, has spent years in prison after being convicted of killing of 6-year-old William and 7-year-old Ruby back in 1997.

But when Mark Roberts gets on the trail of the story, convinced that Walker is innocent, he exposed secrets that have long been buried. Secrets so dark, someone will kill to keep them hidden.

Dan and Jayne are in a race against time to uncover the truth – before a killer silences them forever.

Started and finished in a single day – The Innocent Ones completely drew me in and kept me reading. Stories like this (the ones you just get absorbed in) are the reason I keep reading and are the books I want to shout loudest about.

Dan is due to go to court to defend a man accused of murder. Before the trial starts the victim’s mother approaches Dan and suggests his client is innocent. For a grieving mother to make such a significant intervention is a real eye opener and Dan starts to do some digging.

He enlists his former colleague, Jayne Brett, to do his investigative work. Dan and Jayne have appeared together in two previous novels and The Innocent Ones is the last part in a trilogy. Confession time – I have not read the first two books so I can honestly say this book stands well on its own. At no time did I feel I was playing catch-up on the backstory.

Back to The Innocent Ones…Dan and Jayne are asking questions and soon draw attention to themselves. However someone doesn’t like their questions and our heroes will find themselves in real danger. The last person who asked the questions they are seeking to answer was the victim at Dan’s court case. If the pair continue to seek the truth there may be a high price to pay.

Events in The Innocent Ones link back to the deaths of two young children in the late 1990’s. A little flashback action and we have some characters who will live to tell the tale and bring the reader a compelling murder tale. Lives were broken and long shadows cast onto current events. Neil White does a brilliant job of showing the effects of horror and how people cope (or not) with unspeakable trauma.

This story flowed so smoothly, I just kept reading and became caught up in events. I had to find out why Dan and Jayne were being targeted. Who was keeping secrets? Who had most to lose? Who needed long forgotten deaths to be left forgotten?

I read a lot of crime fiction and I know what I like. I like The Inncocent Ones. A murder story, a thriller and some courtroom scenes – ideal.

The Innocent Ones is published by Hera Books and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Innocent-Ones-absolutely-gripping-thriller-ebook/dp/B07NCBH5HP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=neil+white&qid=1556483769&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

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A MURDER HE CAN’T FORGET. A CASE ONLY SHE CAN SOLVE.

A MURDER HE CAN’T FORGET.
A CASE ONLY SHE CAN SOLVE.