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Mimic (Audiobook) – Daniel Cole

1989: DS Benjamin Chambers and DC Adam Winter are on the trail of a twisted serial killer with a passion for recreating the world’s greatest works of art through the bodies of his victims. But after Chambers almost loses his life, the case goes cold – their killer lying dormant, his collection unfinished.

1996: Jordan Marshall has excelled within the Metropolitan Police Service, fuelled by a loss that defined her teenage years. Obsessed, she manages to obtain new evidence, convincing both Chambers and Winter to revisit the case. However, their resurrected investigation brings about a fresh reign of terror, the team treading a fine line between police officers and vigilantes in their pursuit of a monster far more dangerous and intelligent than any of them had anticipated….

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to join this audiobook blog tour. I received a review copy of Mimic from the publishers through Netgalley.

Mimic is one of the dark ones. A serial killer story with an intense and relentless murderer who is replicating classic sculptures using the bodies of his victims. It was also a fab audiobook listen!

The story begins in 1989 as DS Chambers and a young Winters find a body mounted high on a statue in a London Park. The body had been left in plain sight for anyone to find but due to the off-path location and the inclement weather it actually takes some time for the body to be discovered. It’s a confusing and complicated crime scene which initially looks like an obscure suicide but Chambers has suspicions.

Almost immediately the pair are at a second crime scene in a house where a mother and her son are found posed in the style of a classic sculpture. Although both men are convinced both events are connected their boss is less confident and tells them to treat each death as an isolated incident. There is NO connection and Chambers and Winters are over-reaching to make something from random events.

The good news for readers (listeners) is that Chambers is adamant he is correct and continues to follow his instincts and look for connections between the two deaths. Winters and Chambers identify two potential suspects but lacking official authority they find their investigations cannot proceed unless they are prepared to act beyond their authority.

The pair decide they owe it to the victims to take on both their suspects and try to find the evidence they need to bring a murderer to justice. It doesn’t go well and both men face life changing consequences.

The aftermath of their actions is picked up seven years later. There have been mo more murders but Jordan Marshall has been looking into the cold case which Chambers and Winters had initially worked. The sculpture murderer was never caught and Marshall believes she can help move things forward. She seeks out Chambers and Winters and the three begin to dig deeper. It alerts their target who resumes his murderous mission.

Mimic is a brilliantly plotted and pacy thriller. If serial killer stories are your thing then you absolutely need to read this. The killer feels they have a purpose and a goal they need to fulfill and the police are chasing but cannot get the breaks they need to stop the carnage. It’s the kind of book I love to read and I couldn’t get enough of this one.

As advertised above, this was an audiobook listen for me. Narration duties for this audiobook sit with Jude Owusu and he was a new voice to add to my audio experiences. The most important factor is can the narrator hold my attention – yes, absolutely. Does he give characters distinctive voice? And then some! Listeners get to excperience a terrific range of voices and accents for what was quite a large cast. It gave the extra depth I hope for when I listen to a book and, crucially, Owusu is very listenable.

Mimic is a tension packed listen packed with twists, shocks and red herrings which kept me guessing right to the end of the story. Daniel Cole knows how to spin a captivating tale, this was a highly enjoyable treat.

Mimic is published by Trapeze and is available in digital and audiobook format at present – the Hardback is due to release on August 19th. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mimic/dp/B0916D7WXD/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Daniel+Cole&qid=1626817991&s=audible&sr=1-4

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July 3

Down by the Water – Elle Connel

Seven friends gather at a castle in the Scottish Borders. One last weekend before Georgie’s wedding. Near the castle, through a path in the woods, is a loch. After a few drinks, they head down to the water to take photos. The loch is wild, lonely, and stunningly beautiful. They set their camera to self-timer and take some group shots. Later, looking back at the pictures, they see something impossible.

Behind them, eyes wide, a small, drenched boy emerges from the water.

But none of them saw him, and nobody knows where he went. They’re miles from the nearest town. How did he get there? Where did he go?

As the weekend unravels and terrible secrets come to light, it soon becomes clear that their perfect weekend is turning into a perfect nightmare. They’re desperate to leave – but someone won’t let them.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Down by the Water tour. I received a review copy from the publishers, Wildfire Books.

A group of university friends are reuniting for a weekend away before one of their number gets married. All the friends are to be be bridesmaids for Georgie, who is essentially the guest of honour, but the trip will bring back the girls bring the girls back to Scotland for a castle getaway and a drunken party. As you can tell from the blurb (above) things are not going to go smoothly.

The problems begin on the train North. Although the friends all met at St Andrews University they now all live back in England and are returning to Scotland as a nod to their time together. This entails a long train journey and the drinking begins on the train. In the night Tessa is woken from her sleep and called to help one of their number (Bea) who has taken drugs and is in a bad state. As the only medic in their midst Tessa is called to assist.

This incident sets the scope of the characters well. All the girls will be drinking through the story, drugs are accepted and enjoyed too and this makes some of their choices and reactions interesting as events unfold. We also learn from an early stage that Tessa is seen as the more practical member of their number, that Bea is more vulnerable and that the friends will close ranks and try to resolve problems internally without seeking outside support. A close group who, despite not seeing each other for a number of years, still revert back to old patterns of friendship.

Interestingly as the story plays out and the friends settle into their remote castle for their weekend retreat we see the power dynamics change. Georgie is the bride to be and the largest personality of the group, Tessa appears the more practical and the peacemaker. But these friends have not seen each other for a number of years and any easy companionship they may have previously had is now altered as their lives changed. Within the group of seven there will be sniping, bitching and outright hostility. They will try to overcome these differences for the sake of harmony over the weekend but the drink and drugs will fuel hosilities and loosen any tongues which may otherwise have been curbed.

Within their party there are secrets and old resentments. Why has Georgie suddenly brought together the university crowd and not any of her friends from work? Why does Bea keep disappearing and what is the book she is reading? Why has Tessa booked such a remote place to gather? Why does the castle’s owner act so strangely around the friends? Then, most shockingly of all, how did none of the girls spot the young boy rising out of the loch behind them as they posed for a group selfie? The chilling vision in their photograph gives all the events a decidely creepy feel.

Elle Connel has done a fantasic job making these “friends” a compelling read. The Amazon listing suggests this book is for readers that enjoyed In A Dark, Dark Wood and The Hunting Party. Having read both those books I can see why they are suggested. The tension from In A Dark, Dark Wood is very much present. The Hunting Party brought together a group of friends who were all extremely unpleasant individuals. While Down by the Water does have a few unpleasant characters their toxicity is nowhere near as bad as The Hunting Party. For me, this makes Down by the Water much more enjoyable to read as I could become more invested in the welfare of the characters and actually care if they were to survive to the end of the book.

Thrillers built around secrets are always a good read. When the reader is learning the secrets at the same time as the characters you can’t help but look for clues as to where the story may be heading. Down by the Water did the slow reveals very well and (no spoilers) by the end of the book you may find your sympathies and frustrations at some of the characters have changed over the course of the story. Very nicely pitched and the pacing and reveals were spot on – I enjoyed this one.

Down by the Water is published by Wildfire and is available in digital format now and in hardback and audio from 8 July 2021. You can get a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P4DSRX8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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June 24

Truth or Dare – M.J. Arlidge

DO YOU WANT TO PLAY THE GAME?

A crimewave sweeps through the city and no-one is safe. An arson at the docks. A carjacking gone wrong. A murder in a country park. What connects all these crimes without causes, which leave no clues?

Detective Inspector Helen Grace faces the rising tide of cases which threatens to drown the city. But each crime is just a piece of a puzzle which is falling into place.

And when it becomes clear just how twisted and ingenious this web of crime is, D.I. Grace will realise that it may be impossible to stop it . . .

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to join the Truth or Dare blog tour.

I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Some bookbloggers are better than others at getting through their TBR. I am not one of those bloggers. My attempts to prioritise the books I recieved for review means the books I want to read from my personal collection get dusty. The best example I have of this is from when I explained this dilemma to Mark Billingham who signed my purchase of his latest book with “To Gordon, Read This One”

Why is that relevant here? Well I read the early Helen Grace books from MJ Arlidge and really enjoyed them. Then the blog took over and I wasn’t reading anything which wasn’t a review copy. I do still have a nice wee collection of unread books by MJ Arlidge to read once the blog is stood down. I kept buying them knowing I WILL read them but just haven’t yet.

So here we are at the Truth or Dare blog tour. I got to read this one! I can also category confirm that you don’t need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy Truth or Dare, it most definitely can be read in isolation as any past events you need to know about are made known to the readers. I can also confirm that if you read Truth or Dare without reading the earlier books you would be adding those earlier books to your TBR – Truth or Dare was brilliant and will make you want to read more in this series.

DI Helen Grace is under pressure. Southampton is slipping out of her control as violent deaths are increasing, the conviction rate is falling and the local press are out to get her – placing full blame at Helens door for the increasing crime in the city. Within her own team there are also fractions forming as her former lover and her second in command, DS Hudson, is actively undermining her. He is leaking stories to the press to discredit Helen and is splitting loyalty within her squad. Everything will need to come to a head and Helen is isolated and vulnerable.

The real challenge Helen faces is a spate of unconnected murders which have been taking place. The victims are killed in different ways, in different locations and at different times of the day. The police are nowhere and the press know it. Then a lucky break gives Helen a line of enquiry to pursue and it opens up a can of worms. With resources stretched and half her team pulling in the wrong direction the challenge for Helen is to make a seemingly random coincidence tie in to the information she holds.

Truth or Dare is one of the best police procedurals I have read this year. The painstaking investigation is brilliantly laid out for readers to follow and there are more than a few shocks along the way. I was totally in the dark and yet entirely satisfied with where the story took me.

It would be greedy to wish for every book to grab my attention in the way Truth or Dare managed. When a book gets its claws into you it’s a wonderful feeling. Loved it.

Truth or Dare is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format from today and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08KXQBYWQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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June 23

True Crime Story – Joseph Knox

‘What happens to those girls who go missing? What happens to the Zoe Nolans of the world?’

In the early hours of Saturday 17 December 2011, Zoe Nolan, a nineteen-year-old Manchester University student, walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months.

She was never seen again.

Seven years after her disappearance, struggling writer Evelyn Mitchell finds herself drawn into the mystery. Through interviews with Zoe’s closest friends and family, she begins piecing together what really happened in 2011. But where some versions of events overlap, aligning perfectly with one another, others stand in stark contrast, giving rise to troubling inconsistencies.

Shaken by revelations of Zoe’s secret life, and stalked by a figure from the shadows, Evelyn turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to help make sense of a case where everyone has something to hide.

Zoe Nolan may be missing presumed dead, but her story is only just beginning

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the blog tour. I recieved a review copy from the publishers.

It’s nice to sit down to write a review of a book which you loved. I came in to True Crime Story blind so had no idea what to expect and what I found was a slick story told unconventionally through a series of interview snippets and email correspondence. Initially I wasn’t sure I would enjoy reading the short bursts of contributions from various characters, an edited conversation pieced together after the events in question. However, I quickly found my first hesitancy had been misguided and I found I was really enjoying spending time reading something which shook up the norm.

The story focuses around the disappearance of student Zoe Nolan. Last seen on Saturday December 17th 2011. She vanished from her halls of residence at Manchester University and events around this incident are recounted by a number of people who crossed paths with Zoe and the subsequent investigation into her disappearance. The key players in the story are Zoe’s twin sister Kim, her boyfriend, their flatmates and (subsequently) Zoe and Kim’s parents. Other people phase in and out of the interviews but everything his brought together by Evelyn who is writing a book on Zoe’s continued absence and is sharing her writing and a few other thoughts and problems with her friend Joseph Knox. Yes the same Joseph Knox – it’s a nice twist to the narrative.

Where to start but not do any spoilers? Tricky.

Readers get to understand the relationship Zoe and Kim had with their parents and then see how the twins were very much different people, with different interests and a very different destiny. When Zoe and Kim get to university they form friendships and get thrust into accommodation with strangers, they will all need to adapt to their new surroundings and the new faces around them. Needless to say things do not go smoothly and there are several flashpoint incidents and situations which gives the reader a glimpse into the characters of all the players in this game.

True Crime Story is an emotive story and nobody connected with Zoe Nolan is going to come out of this book unscathed. Joseph Knox captures the claustrophobia of a group living in close proximity and the fractious relationships that this can bring. He brings life to these characters and my investment in their individual stories was sealed very early into the book. The outstanding narrative style works perfectly and gives the young students an authenticity that you do believe you are indeed reading a True Crime Story.

True Crime Story is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08HGMDNP2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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June 20

20/20 – Carl Goodman

Can you see a killer before it’s too late?

On the first day of her new job, D.I. Eva Harris is called to the scene of a brutal murder at the heart of Surrey society. A shocking crime by a meticulous killer – who escaped with the victim’s eyes.

With the body drained of blood and no forensic evidence left at the scene, Harris’ efforts to find the killer becomes desperate. But as her investigation is complicated by corruption at the heart of the police, she doesn’t know who to trust on her own team.

As the pressure mounts, Eva realises the murder is even more horrific than it seems, and her own dreadful history threatens to be drawn out with it…

My thanks to Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side Publicity for the opportunity to join the blog tour.

I received a review copy from the publisher through Netagalley.

DI Eva Harris is starting her new job. It’s the first day in her promoted role and before she can even get to her desk she is called out to a murder scene. A nasty murder scene and one which Eva’s background has not really prepared her for as she had spent much of her formative time in her career working with computers and cyber crime, dead bodies are not quite the same when they are pixels and binary constructs.

Eva more than holds her own and with her dependable sargeant by her side she navigates the crime scene, befriends the medical examiner and manages to find a significant clue which puts her face to face with the killer – a balaclava obscures their face and a fight ensues to make sure capture is avoided.

It’s a terrific opening to the book and the grim manner in which the victim has been killed makes for a fascninating read. I always think there is always something more primal and disturbing whena victim’s eyes are attacked (or in this case, removed). Back at the police station Eva finally meets her team, she is shaken from the start to her day and the encounter with the killer but the reader cannot help but note that Eva seems to know quite a lot about her team before she even meets them. All soon becomes clear, however, as it emerges Eva has been placed into her new role to help identify a bent copper who operates out of her new station.

Carl Goodman is treating readers to a thriller which is focused on several angles. The police corruption, a cracking police investigative story, Eva’s own backstory is extremely enjoyable and her relationship with the officer who is controlling the corruption investigation is not one of mutual respect and there is a cold case from a few years previous which shares similar traits to the current murders. With many elements to focus on I was a very happy reader and found myself enjoying 20/20 immensly.

I found 20/20 to be an intelligent and engaging read, the motive behind the killer’s actions was perfectly in keeping with the story which I had been enjoying and I loved the progression of Eva’s investigation and the hurdles she had to overcome during the course of the book. Pacing and tone of 20/20 were spot on for me, there was always something which kept me reading and when the book came to a close I knew I wanted more books featuring DI Eva Harris – that’s a sure sign of a good book.

20/20 is published by Hera and is available in digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0936GWTHN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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June 14

Falling – T.J. Newman

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

I received a review copy from the publisher. My thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the tour.

Starting this review with a trip to dictionary.com –

RELENTLESS

adjective

not easing or slackening; maintaining speed, vigor, etc.:a relentless barrage of bad news.

Dead Ground – M. W. Craven

Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved and isolated croft, when he is summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Poe is confused – he hunts serial killers and this appears to be a straightforward murder-by-pimp – but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows.

As Poe and the socially awkward programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a high-profile job, why does nothing in the victim’s background check out? Why was a small ornament left at the murder scene – and why did someone on the investigation team steal it? And what is the connection to a flawlessly executed bank heist three years earlier, a heist where nothing was taken . . .

I received a review copy from the publisher.

There are certain books which I always look forward to reading. Characters I have loved returning for another challenge, authors who I know always write top quality books or (the best combo) authors who write top quality books and bring back recurring characters. That third combination brings me nicely to Dead Ground.

The Poe and Bradshaw thrillers by M.W. Craven are a high point in the release schedules for me as Craven hits the perfect balance between dark and gritty but also scores with many laugh-out-loud moments too.

The joy in reading the Poe/Bradshaw books are the two lead characters. I do a disservice to the brilliantly twisted crime stories which the they have to investigate (more on this in a moment) but the dynamic between Washington Poe, the dogged determination and relentless pursuit of getting to the truth with his rules-be-damned attitude and Tilly Bradshaw, genius, socially awkward and absolutely guaranteed to voice exactly what is in her head at any given time. Their partnership is genius and ruthlessly effective. I could read about them nipping to the chippy and know it would bring a smile.

In Dead Ground the pair are facing a whole new challenge as they are called to support the security forces who normally work in the background, keeping secrets and are very used to ensuring they hold all the aces. Poe is very much not that kind of team player and readers know there will be conflict as Poe will not accept people withholding information in a murder investigation.

I don’t want to spoil too much (or indeed, any) of the story so I choose my words carefully here. Poe is tasked with finding who killed an influential figure involved with an upcoming top security meeting. If you have read The Curator (Book 3 on the series) there is a returning character to shake up the dynamic and bring a new edge to the investigation. There are also some brilliant interchanges between Poe, Tilly and the spies who are desperate for discretion but know Poe won’t play their game.

Dead Ground is easily one of the best new releases out at the moment. Reading this was an absolute joy and it falls into the “don’t want this to end” category. If you have yet to discover this series for yourself then I envy you the four wonderful novels which await – not to mention the short stories that will demand your attention too. It’s an easy five star score for Dead Ground.

Dead Ground is published by Constable and is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Ground-Washington-Poe-Craven/dp/1472131975/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1623359635&sr=1-2

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June 7

Knock Knock – Anders Roslund

He thought she was safe. Then the past came knocking.

Seventeen years ago, Inspector Ewert Grens was called to the scene of a brutal crime. A family had been murdered, with only their five-year-old daughter left behind. The girl was moved out and placed under witness protection, but while the case went cold, Grens is still haunted by the memory. When he learns that the apartment where the crime took place is now the scene of a mysterious break-in, Grens fears that someone is intent on silencing the only witness. He must race to find her…before they do.

My thanks to Rhiannon Morris at FMCM Associates for the opportunity to join the Knock Knock blog tour and for the review copy of the book I recieved to allow me to participate in the tour ahead of publication day.

I picked up Knock Knock assuming his would be a gritty, Scandi Noir tale which saw the lead character dwelling on an old investigation and trying to work out how events from seventeen years ago were connected to a current case. How wrong I was! This is a fast-paced action thriller with a high body-count, characters under constant threat of death and a story where you never know what’s coming next or who you can put your trust in.

It’s a dark one too. The book opens with the murder of a family, executed in their homes with a trademark/signature two shots to their heads by the killer or killers. But the killers missed one of the family and a five year old girl was locked in her house with her dead parents and her siblings. Inspector Ewert Grens was first on scene and he was shocked by what he found, he made sure the young girl was placed safely into protective custody and rehomed with a new family and a new identity. That was seventeen years ago and now there are murders taking place where the victims are found with the same signature shots to their heads. It appears someone may know of the existence of the young survivor and Grens is worried they may come back to find her. The problem is, he doesn’t know her name or where to find her now.

A more pressing and intense issue lies with the second thread to this story – a police officer (Hoffman) who worked undercover for many, many years discovers that his secret identity has been discovered by all the wrong people. A full file of his background has been taken from police headquarters and now seems to sit with gangsters who intend to use their knowledge to gain leverage over Hoffman for their own gain. His family are targetted to ensure he cooperates and Hoffman receives instruction he is to recover a rare weapon and use it to attack a gang in Sweden whilst ensuring a different gang take the blame for the attack. If he stirs up this in fighting then his family may be spared.

Hoffman is under constant surveillance and feels backed into a corner – he has very little time to deliver on the demands or his family will be killed. But when backed into a corner Hoffman becomes very dangerous and his fightback is going to have to be conducted very carefully as the consequences of a single mistake will be catastrophic.

This is a pacy thriller which felt edgy, tense and exciting to pick up. I hadn’t encountered Inspector Ewert Grens prior to this book but it seems to be the 9th book in which he has featured. It made not a jot of difference to my enjoyment that I didn’t know about the first eight books – this is a story anyone could enjoy and you should absolutely give it a blast if you like the books of Simon Kernick, Neil Lancaster or Jo Nesbo.

I am thrilled to be kicking off the Knock Knock blog tour ahead of publication date on 10 June. You can order a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08HTV95L2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

Follow the tour

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May 30

Strange Tricks (Audiobook) – Syd Moore

Secretly Rosie Strange has always thought herself a little bit more interesting than most people – the legacy her family has bequeathed her is definitely so, she’s long believed. But then life takes a peculiar turn when the Strange legacy turns out not just to be the Essex Witch Museum, but perhaps some otherworldly gifts that Rosie finds difficult to fathom.

Meanwhile Sam Stone, Rosie’s curator, is oddly distracted as breadcrumb clues into what happened to his missing younger brother and other abducted boys from the past are poised to lead him and Rosie deep into a dark wood where there lurks something far scarier than Hansel and Gretel’s witch….

My thanks to Danielle at the The Reading Closet for the invitiation to join the Audiobook Blog Tour. Thank you also to Isis Audio for the review copy of Strange Tricks.

Strange Tricks was an interesting audiobook listen over the last couple of weeks. I have been meaning to start reading Syd Moore’s Essex Witch Museum series for a couple of years. The concept had sounded right up my street and then on my sole (brief) visit to the Harrogate book festival in 2019, the lovely Derek Farrell told me that I really must be reading these books. So when I was offered the chance to join the audiobook tour for Strange Tricks I decided this was not an opportunity I wanted to miss out on.

The verdict? I will absolutely be picking up the earlier books and I will be back to the Essex Witch Museum, there was a lot in here I loved. However, not having read the first five novels there was a lot of background character information I did not know and which left me slightly floundering as the story unfolded. No reflection on Strange Tricks – if you jump into a series at book 6 you are going to have missed things. Returning readers will get a lot more from this story and if I enjoyed it without initially appreciating lots of the nuances then the fans of Rosie and Sam will get a real kick from where this story goes.

Syd Moore (and the wonderful narrator, Julia Barrie) lulled me into a false perception of how the story may play out. Initially events felt light, whimiscal and the lead character, Rosie Strange, fluctuated between ditzy and horny. This was fun to listen to, particularly as Julia Barrie nailed tone of the inner dialogue within Rosie’s head – suppressed outrage, mentally slapping down her own coy flirting and second-guessing herself as she chatted to a dish called Dorcus. But the whimsy was left behind and by the end of the book I had a deeper respect for Rosie and I had mentally moved Strange Tricks from “light and entertaining” to “dark and intriguing.”

Although Rosie is our lead character I did feel her colleague, Sam, got his story moved into the spotlight. I will not be sharing plot spoilers but it felt we were getting some background on a formerly unknown part of Sam’s history. It changes the dynamic of the relationship between Rosie and Sam and Rosie seemed put out that her own family history (which is complex and extremely important for her to understand better) was getting pushed out of thought by Sam.

There are plot threads set up in Strange Tricks (or possibly continued through Strange Tricks) which were not addressed in full by the end of the story, more to come on that front. There also also opportunities for Rosie to read back about her late mother through the pages of a journal – those flash-back chapters give some background assistance tied to current events and I felt Rosie’s family background will continue to distract her for time to come too.

The characters seem wonderfully deep and complex. The Essex Witch Museum was not featured as much as I may have liked; Syd Moore made it sound a wonderfully eerie and unexpected building which was hiding more than its fair share of dark secrets. But Strange Tricks was a road trip up North so the museum will need further expoloration when I undertake my catch-up reading.

As mentioned above, narration is wonderfully handled by Julia Barrie. Rosie is an Essex Girl and has a strong Essex accent, some events in the book are set in Northern England so the conversations change and another regional accents dominates your listening. Growing up near Glasgow means I too have a *bit* of an accent so it is always refereshing to listen to an audiobook where regional representation is wonderfully delivered. If you want an old-school classic BBC annunciated accent then this is not the audiobook for you as Strange Tricks gives you locals, comfortable in their corners of England.

In brief: A top production from ISIS Audio, an unsettling story from Syd Moore and a great performance from Julia Barrie. If you know the series I highly recommend listening. If, like me, you are new to the stories there will be spoilers on earlier books and some conversations in Strange Tricks may not fully make sense initially – but by the end of the book you will be more than glad you stayed onboard for the ride. A new series for me to follow – that’s the best outcome.

Strange Tricks releases on 3 June 2021 and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LDWCLN7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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May 26

Where Crows Land – Paul McCracken

This gripping thriller is set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and chronicles the dramatic events when a former detective, Joseph Carter, sets out to gain redemption from the consequences of an old case that cost him everything.

Carter is still haunted by the murders of his niece and brother-in-law at the hands of a serial killer he was trying to track down. One year on, the killer has returned and Carter, now a disgraced detective gone private, launches a personal vendetta to catch him this time around.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the blog tour for Where Crows Land. I recieved a review copy ahead of joining the tour.

Joseph Carter has been in the police and was working on a particularly horrific case when his life turned upside-down. A killer had been snatching victims and setting their bodies alight, their burning remains found around Belfast almost like a taunt to the authorities.

Carter discovered that his niece had been snatched and was almost certain to be the next victim. A meet was agreed to pay a ransom but rather than follow procedure and notify his colleagues Carter and his brother in law rushed off to try to secure his niece’s release. It ended badly and Carter was left a bloodied and bruised sole survivor. The killer was never found.

Spinning forward to current days and Carter has had to leave the force after he shouldered full blame for the (potentially) avoidable deaths of his brother in law and niece. He now works as a private investigator but still makes use of a couple of police contacts where he can.

Carter becomes embroiled in a new case but there appears a connection to the events which led to the death of his niece. Not prepared to be bested for a second time Carter throws himself fully into this new case and is adamant he will get justice or retribution for past events.

This felt a relentless read, it’s not a long book but the action comes thick and fast. Paul McCracken keeps Carter spinning from one incident to the next. It felt intense at times, no respite for a driven Investigator who will lose perspective, patience and his self control to get the information he needs from suspects.

The police are aware of Carter’s obsession and determination but there is only so much sympathetic former colleagues can do to keep Carter out of jail as he over-steps the mark I his pursuit of a truth which will give him closure.

Punchy, intense and with a pleasing endgame.

Where Crows Land is available in digital format and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PFWTLV3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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