5* Reviews – Page 7 – Grab This Book

Red Snow – Will Dean

TWO BODIES

One suicide. One cold-blooded murder. Are they connected? And who’s really pulling the strings in the small Swedish town of Gavrik?

TWO COINS

Black Grimberg liquorice coins cover the murdered man’s eyes. The hashtag #Ferryman starts to trend as local people stock up on ammunition.

TWO WEEKS

Tuva Moodyson, deaf reporter at the local paper, has a fortnight to investigate the deaths before she starts her new job in the south. A blizzard moves in. Residents, already terrified, feel increasingly cut-off. Tuva must go deep inside the Grimberg factory to stop the killer before she leaves town for good. But who’s to say the Ferryman will let her go?

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the chance to join the blog tour.

We first met Tuva Moodyson in Dark Pines – a book I included in my Top Ten Reads of 2018. Tuva’s debut appearance was a shining example of how to make your lead character instantly memorable and entirely likeable. I have been really looking forward to her return in Red Snow and I was not disappointed with Will Dean’s latest release.

Tuva is leaving town, she is counting down the days left at work, has agreed the end of the lease on her car and is saying her farewells to colleagues and friends. However, Tuva is not going to get the chance to slip away quietly. She finds herself outside the large liquorice factory (the business which employs most of the townsfolk) just as the factory owner leaps to his death from the highest chimney of his plant. He dies at Tuva’s feet.

Tuva will find herself drawn back to the Grimberg liquorice factory and while being taken on a tour of the facility she makes a shocking discovery.

To uncover the truth Tuva will need to get close to the owners of the factory, however, they are notoriously secretive and are not keen to have Tuva disrupting the workings of their factory…too many jobs rely upon business as usual.

I loved Red Snow. The small town in what w to be a perpetual ice block gives the story a cold, atmospheric feel which is perfect for the sinister tale Will Dean is spinning. Tuva is a delight to read about, her determination and focus delightfully balanced by wobbly nerves when she gets flustered by a new crush.

Will Dean is creating wonderful stories, you really should read them as I know you will enjoy them.

Red Snow is published on 10 January 2018 by Point Blank and will be available in hardback, digital and audiobook. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Snow-Tuva-Moodyson-Mystery/dp/1786074796/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546790529&sr=8-1

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December 31

City Without Stars – Tim Baker

Mexico – Ciudad Real is in crisis: the economy is in meltdown, a new war between rival cartels is erupting, and a serial killer is murdering hundreds of female workers.

Fuentes, the detective in charge of the investigation, suspects that most of his colleagues are on the payroll of his chief suspect, narco kingpin, El Santo. If he’s going to stop the killings, he has to convince fiery union activist, Pilar, to ignore all her instincts and work with him. But in a city eclipsed by murder, madness and magic, can she really afford to trust him?

Dark Pines – Will Dean

SEE NO EVIL

Eyes missing, two bodies lie deep in the forest near a remote Swedish town.

HEAR NO EVIL

Tuva Moodyson, a deaf reporter on a small-time local paper, is looking for the story that could make her career.

SPEAK NO EVIL

A web of secrets. And an unsolved murder from twenty years ago.

Can Tuva outwit the killer before she becomes the final victim? She’d like to think so. But first she must face her demons and venture far into the deep, dark woods if she wants to stand any chance of getting the hell out of small-time Gavrik.

The Darkness – Ragnar Jonasson

A young woman is found dead on a remote Icelandic beach.

She came looking for safety, but instead she found a watery grave.

A hasty police investigation determines her death as suicide . . .

When Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavik police is forced into early retirement, she is told she can investigate one last cold case of her choice – and she knows which one.

What she discovers is far darker than suicide . . . And no one is telling Hulda the whole story.

When her own colleagues try to put the brakes on her investigation, Hulda has just days to discover the truth. A truth she will risk her own life to find.

The Lost Village – Neil Spring

The remote village of Imber – remote, lost and abandoned. The outside world hasn’t been let in since soldiers forced the inhabitants out, much to their contempt.

But now, a dark secret threatens all who venture near. Everyone is in danger, and only Harry Price can help. Reluctantly reunited with his former assistant Sarah Grey, he must unlock the mystery of Imber, and unsurface the secrets someone thought were long buried. But will Sarah’s involvement be the undoing of them both?

Thirteen – Steve Cavanagh

THE SERIAL KILLER ISN’T ON TRIAL.

HE’S ON THE JURY…

‘To your knowledge, is there anything that would preclude you from serving on this jury?’

Murder wasn’t the hard part. It was just the start of the game.

Joshua Kane has been preparing for this moment his whole life. He’s done it before. But this is the big one.

This is the murder trial of the century. And Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house.

But there’s someone on his tail. Someone who suspects that the killer isn’t the man on trial.

Kane knows time is running out – he just needs to get to the conviction without being discovered.

The Lingering – SJI Holliday

Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history

When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution…

The Hangman’s Hold – Michael Wood

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.

He knows your darkest secrets.
He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

And he is closer than you think.
DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

The Janus Run – Douglas Skelton

When Coleman Lang finds his girlfriend Gina dead in his New York City apartment, he thinks nothing could be worse… until he becomes the prime suspect.

Desperate to uncover the truth and clear his name, Coleman hits the streets. But there’s a deranged Italian hitman, an intuitive cop, two US Marshals, and his ex-wife all on his tail. And trying to piece together Gina’s murky past without dredging up his own seems impossible. Worse, the closer he gets to Gina’s killer, the harder it is to evade the clutches of the mysterious organisation known only as Janus – from which he’d long since believed himself free.

Packed with plot twists, suspense and an explosive climax, The Janus Run is an edge-of-the-seat, breathtaking thriller – NYC noir at its finest.

The Puppet Show – M.W. Craven

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District’s prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he’s ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive …

The Dali Deception – Adam Maxwell

Five criminals. Two forgeries. And one masterpiece of a heist.

Violet Winters—a professional thief born of a good, honest thief-and-con-artist stock— has been offered the heist of a lifetime. Steal a priceless Salvador Dali from the security-obsessed chairman of the Kilchester Bank and replace it with a forgery.

The fact that the “painting” is a signed, blank canvas doesn’t matter. It’s the challenge that gives Violet that familiar, addicting rush of adrenaline. Her quarry rests in a converted underground Cold War bunker. One way in, one way out. No margin for error.

But the reason Violet fled Kilchester is waiting right where she left him—an ex-lover with a murderous method for dumping a girlfriend. If her heist is to be a success, there will have to be a reckoning, or everything could go spinning out of control.

Her team of talented misfits assembled, Violet sets out to re-stake her claim on her reputation, exorcise some demons, and claim the prize. That is, if her masterpiece of a plan isn’t derailed by a pissed-off crime boss—or betrayal from within her own ranks.

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December 27

The Woman in the Window – A. J. Finn

What did she see?

It’s been ten months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside.

Anna’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she sits, watching her neighbours. When the Russells move in, Anna is instantly drawn to them. A picture-perfect family, they are an echo of the life that was once hers.

But one evening, a scream rips across the silence, and Anna witnesses something horrifying. Now she must uncover the truth about what really happened. But if she does, will anyone believe her? And can she even trust herself?

My thanks to Rebecca at Harper Collins for my review copy.

This will be my last review of 2018 – glad I get to finish with a five star cracker of a read! The Woman in the Window is one of those stories you just want to finish in a single sitting. It is chilling, tragic, unsettling, funny and just plain perplexing at times and I loved it.

Anna Fox has not left her home for months. She suffers from agoraphobia and is terrified to step outside her front door. Anna connects to the world through an online chat forum where she helps fellow agoraphobics to face their fears and chat to a friendly and supportive fellow sufferer. Anna also plays chess, drinks far too much and spends a lot of time watching her neighbours.

Her new neighbours are causing her some frustration, she doesn’t know enough about them yet and so, with camera in hand, Anna is fact finding. She discusses the neighbours with her husband – he and Anna are separated at present and he lives elsewhere with their daughter. It is clear that Anna misses them terribly but their relationship hit a rocky patch and they are currently not together. This doesn’t prevent Anna from spilling the beans on the new neighbours when the couple have a catch-up chat.

The Russells have moved in over the road. Father, Mother and a teenage son. Anna first meets the son who pops around with a gift from his mother. A few days later Anna meets Mrs Russell (Jane) and the pair spend an entertaining afternoon together before Jane has to head off. The next time Anna sees Jane it is through the window of her home and Jane is being attacked.

Anna is convinced that Jane is dead and tries to report her suspicions to the police. The detectives that come to call upon her have some good news – Mrs Russell is very much alive and there was no attack in her home. But the irrefutable proof they offer Anna that no crime took place shock her to the core and leave her doubting everything she has seen or done in recent weeks. It also confounded the hell out of this reader.

The Woman in the Window is one of the books worthy of the “page turner” accolade. It is the physical embodiment of “one more chapter” and is a thumping good read. I will be recommending this to everyone for some time to come.

The Woman in the Window is now available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Window-J-Finn/dp/0008234183/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545940819&sr=8-1

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December 8

The Craftsman – Sharon Bolton

Devoted father or merciless killer?

His secrets are buried with him.

Florence Lovelady’s career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Glassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago. Like something from our worst nightmares the victims were buried…ALIVE.

Larry confessed to the crimes; it was an open and shut case. But now he’s dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves.

Did she get it wrong all those years ago?
Or is there something much darker at play?

My huge thanks to Tracey Fenton at Compulsive Readers and to the publishers, Trapeze, for my review copy and a chance to join the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Tour.

Breaking from my traditional review format to put my conclusion first…The Craftsman is a brilliant, brilliant read – buy it!

Now I need to try to explain why I loved this book as much as I did. Returning visitors to Grab This Book will know that I like my thrillers to have a dark edge to them. A killer that buries his victims alive is certainly a dark twist – add in a juicy helping of the supernatural (we have witches people, witches!) and we have a book which I read in a single day. Could not put it down!

We first meet Florence Lovelady in 1999. She is attending the funeral of a killer she helped to identify many years before. Florence is now a police officer in The Met but she has returned to Lancashire where her police career started and to the scene of her first big case. After the funeral is over and after chasing the ghosts from her memories Florence returns to her former home and makes a shocking and chilling discovery.

Readers are reeling from the revelation and working out the implications of her discovery when Sharon Bolton whisks us back in time to 1969. It is 30 years in the past where the majority of The Craftsman takes place – WPC Lovelady is thrust into the thick of a missing persons investigation and finds herself propelled from beat duties to the investigation team.

Lovelady has an analytical mind and a combination of hard work and sharp thinking help her drive the investigation forward, despite having to counter the sexism and superior attitudes of her older, male colleagues. She will encounter witches, freemasons and a killer determined to ensure their secrets remain secret.

The Craftsman is wonderfully written, the story flows at a cracking pace and I just wanted to keep reading. As I said at the start of this review…buy this book it is brilliant.

The Craftsman is published by Trapeze and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Craftsman-most-chilling-book-youll-ebook/dp/B073WZTZXT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544307762&sr=8-1&keywords=the+craftsman+sharon+bolton

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November 24

The Lingering – SJI Holliday (Audiobook)

At once an unnerving locked-room mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre.

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for the opportunity to review the audiobook of The Lingering for the blog tour.

I was lucky to receive an early review copy of The Lingering and my review of the book is reproduced below. Spoiler…I loved it. But when I was invited to join the blog tour I asked if I could review the audiobook of The Lingering.

Over the last 12 months I have become an audiobook convert. While the reading pace is frustratingly slow I am finding I get so much more from my books when every word is carefully articulated by an array of excellent actors. The Lingering really emphasised the difference between two reading experiences and the audio Book is incredible.

Knowing the story made no difference to my enjoyment, the dual voice narrative was a treat and, while I did not think it possible, it is was a more eerie and chilling experience to have the story told to me.

The Lingering has been one of my favourite stories if the year. Outstanding and capitvating in equal measure – to listen to the audiobook rubberstamped that opinion. Whether you elect to read or listen to this book you need to make sure it is one you grab as soon as you can.

My original review:

I spent most of my teen years pouring over all the ghost stories and horror books I could get my hands on but I do feel that there is currently a lack of good new ghostly tales for readers to enjoy. This is why, when I first heard that Susi Holliday was writing a spooky thriller, I was beyond excited and The Lingering instantly became my “most anticipated” book.

The wait was entirely worth it as there was no Lingering over this story. I was flicking pages so fast I am surprised the pages didn’t burst into flame.

The setting for The Lingering is a large creepy house which was once used as a psychiatric hospital. Within the house is a commune, the residents are odd collection of characters who live a seemingly simple and self-sufficient life. Into this mix come Ali and Jack Gardiner – they bring secrets and their past is a mystery but it is clear to the reader that the couple are trying to escape a troubled past and get a fresh start.

Jack and Ali discover that their new home is rumoured to be haunted and it is not long before Susi Holliday starts to unsettle the reader with odd occurrences and strange sightings. The constant ghostly undertone to the story is a joy and when chilling incidents arose I found myself drawing deeper back into my chair and scanning the dark corners of the room to ensure I really was alone.

As with all her previous books the characters in The Lingering are wonderfully defined so you will get drawn into the lives of Ali and Jack and also that of “Fairy” Angela (the resident self-appointed ghost hunter) and Smeaton, the commune leader. Strong characters give me much more of a personal investment into a story and this meant when unpleasant things started to happen I felt an anger/outrage and upset that I don’t normally expect to get from books.

The joy of The Lingering is that Susi Holiday sets up many mysteries throughout the story and it is the desire to uncover the truth which will keep you reading. Make no mistake this is a dark, dark story and there are some deeply unpleasant events to be uncovered but discovering these secrets is an absolute joy.

I am reluctant to share too much about what happens within Rosalind House and its occupants past and present. Suffice to say that The Lingering is a brilliantly chilling tale and that Susi Holliday is on top, top form delivering a story which feels like an instant classic

The Lingering is published by Orenda Books and is available in digital, paperback and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lingering-S-J-I-Holliday-ebook/dp/B07DFVXVDX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543010848&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lingering

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November 15

Kill it With Fire – Adam Maxwell

They say revenge is a dish best served cold but some like it hot.

Double-crossed and with her reputation as a master criminal compromised,
Violet Winters means to fight fire with fire.

She doesn’t play by other people’s rules, or any rules so hell’s fury is about to rain down.

Furious, fearless and fighting mad she is ready to risk her life to save her name.

Time for a quickie? Of course you do – especially when I want to tell you about the fabulous Kill it With Fire.

Earlier this year I raved wildly about a brilliant heist story I had enjoyed. It was called The Dali Deception and was written by Adam Maxwell. If you click the link on the book title you can see my 5* review. I took to Twitter and proclaimed my love for the brilliant story telling and urged Mr Maxwell not to keep us waiting too long for another adventure for Violet Winter and her motley crew. Happy Days, he answered our pleas and Kill it With Fire is here.

I mentioned this was a quickie – Kill it With Fire is a novella which comes in at around 130 pages. A nice bite size read with loads of fun, action, scrapes and twists crammed into an entertaining evening’s reading.

It’s tricky to do a review of Kill it With Fire (as it was with The Dali Deception) as the enjoyment of the stories comes from not knowing what Violet and her gang have planned. They have a target or, in KIWF’s case, a mission to accomplish. It is hard to see how the different members of Violet’s team all can contribute to the chaos she has planned but with flawless planning and terrible execution this story takes us on a trip into destruction.

How vague was that? Sorry, but I don’t want to spoil too much as I really want you to read the book. All the fun comes from not knowing what is about to happen next or how a seemingly impossible feat can be conned to work to Violet’s advantage.

Adam Maxwell will give you just a glimpse as to what Violet has planned but the best laid plans seem to come unstuck. Can Violet think on her feet fast enough to save her life? Lets hope so as I want more books in this series!

The Dali Deception and Kill it With Fire are “Kilchester” books – they rank highly among the best stories I have read this year. Clever, funny, exciting and brilliantly readable. A crime novel where the bad guys are our good guys and there are badder bad guys to boo. Perfect.

Kill it With Fire is available in digital format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KKP33WM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1542320298&sr=1-1

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November 2

Hydra (Six Stories) – Matt Wesolowski – Audiobook

A family massacre. A deluded murderess. Five witnesses. Six stories. Which one is true?

One cold November night in 2014, in a small town in the north west of England, 21-year-old Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, father and younger sister to death with a hammer, in an unprovoked attack known as the Macleod Massacre. Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation.

King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five witnesses and Arla herself, as he questions whether Arla’s responsibility for the massacre was a diminished as her legal team made out.
As he unpicks the stories, he finds himself thrust into a world of deadly forbidden ‘games’, online trolls, and the mysterious black-eyed kids, whose presence seems to extend far beyond the delusions of a murderess…

Dark, chilling and gripping, Hydra is both a classic murder mystery and an up-to-the-minute, startling thriller, that shines light in places you may never, ever want to see again.

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my Audible books review copy.

I have seen early copies of Changeling reaching readers this week. Changeling is a Six Stories thriller from Matt Wesolowski and I am very much looking forward to seeing what it will bring (mainly because of this review by Kate at Bibliophile Book Club).

Why am I so excited about Changeling? Well recently I had the pleasure (a chilling pleasure) of listening to Matt’s second Six Stories book Hydra. If ever a series should be enjoyed as an audiobook then it must surely be this one.

Six Stories is a podcast produced by Scott King. He revisits a crime or an event and over a six part series of podcasts he interviews guests who will cast new light onto the known/established facts and listeners are challenged to reconsider the “official” findings or outcome of events.

As the books in the Six Stories series are each recreating a podcast show it makes complete sense that Wesolowki’s books are best enjoyed as an audiobook listen. It also helps that the actors/narrators who contributed to Hydra were exceptional and brought this creepy tale to life in a way I don’t normally experience with an audiobook. It is possibly more accurate to consider the Hydra audiobook as a dramatization than a reading.

How to do Hydra justice without spoiling the story? Hydra focuses on a family murder – Arla Macleod killed her mother, step father and her sister. There is a suggestion that her fascination with supernatural may have influenced her actions – Arla suggests that on the night of the murders she opened the door to mysterious Black-Eyed Kids. Could these ghostly children have brought about the death of three innocents?

Arla’s story (and that of her fellow contributors) are chilling, tragic and desperate tales. I got too involved in the stories and became enraged at stories of bullying, frustrated at the ignorance of children and happy when the underdogs tried to stand up for themselves. The author has done a fantastic job of capturing the best and the worst of human behaviour.

Hydra was wonderfully interlaced by dramatic events away from the podcast too. No spoilers, however, the Six Stories host will come to realise that not everyone appreciates his work. The local community does not like three brutal murders being brought back to the attention of a wider audience and a mysterious stranger certainly does not welcome the nature of discussions which are being broadcast.

Hydra is a wickedly chilling read. It takes a very clever narrative style and delivers a dramatic punch. I urge you to try the audiobook but you really should ensure you read this story. A five star score from this reader.

Hydra is available in paperback, digital and (my recommendation) audiobook format. You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hydra+matt+wesolowski&sprefix=hydra+matt%2Caps%2C151&crid=2LDXHENNPTBB3

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October 28

Lost in the Lake – AJ Waines

She came at first for answers…now she’s back for you

Amateur viola player Rosie Chandler is the sole survivor of a crash which sends a group of musicians plunging into a lake. Convinced the accident was deliberate, but unable to recall what happened, she is determined to recover her lost memories and seeks out clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby.

But Rosie is hiding something…

Sam is immediately drawn to the tragic Rosie and as she helps her piece the fragments together, the police find disturbing new evidence which raises further questions. Why is Rosie so desperate to recover her worthless viola?

When Rosie insists they return to the lake to relive the fatal incident, the truth about Rosie finally emerges. Now Sam is the one seriously out of her depth…

My thanks to Emma at Bloodhound Books for the chance to join the blog tour

Sam is a clinical psychologist and she has helped patients recover lost memories. It is through this skill that she encounters Rosie – a young woman who has narrowly survived a terrible ordeal and is reaching out to Sam to help her recall the events leading up to the accident which she had been involved in. Rosie hopes that by recovering her memories of the event she may understand what happened to her friends that were in the van she was traveling in. All she can recall is that the van left the road and Rosie managed to get out but her friends do not appear to have been so lucky.

Lost in the Lake begins with Rosie’s near death experience then spins forward to her first encounter with Sam. From the very first meeting of the two women it becomes clear to the reader that Rosie is a deeply troubled person and has experienced more than one terrible ordeal. However, we also get a hint that she is not being entirely honest with Sam and that she is keeping things back.

We also spend time with Sam. Events from Inside the Whispers have cast a bit of a shadow over her current personal situation (nb reading Whispers is not essential as the author deftly provides all the relevant information). Sam appears at a bit of a low ebb, her oldest and dearest friend may soon be moving away and there is a suggestion that Sam is lonely. But she is throwing herself into her work and the chance to assist Rosie is a compelling motivator.

Once the pattern of visits is established we come to see that Rosie is not behaving normally and that her dependency upon Sam is spilling out of control. Sam too is becoming aware that Rosie is becoming too needy for Sam’s attentions and she begins to wonder if she should end Rosie’s sessions.

The relationship between the two becomes a tense and intricate dance. While their conversations are professional and aimed at helping Rosie we also know how each woman is also trying to control the nature and extent of the relationship they have with each other – it is brilliantly conveyed by the author and I was gnawing at my fingernails in horrified frustration.

I cannot share too much detail over how the “dance” unfolds, however, if you are a fan of psychological thrillers and books which ramp up the tension as the characters reveal more and more of their driving forces, then you will not go far wrong with Lost in the Lake.

I read the whole book in two sittings as I had to know how events were going to play out – I was not disappointed. Lost in the Lake is available now and I urge you to read it.

Lost in the Lake is published by Bloodhound Books and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Lake-psychological-thriller-Samantha-ebook/dp/B07J59N6G4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540726587&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+in+the+lake

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October 13

Come and Find Me – Sarah Hilary

On the surface, Lara Chorley and Ruth Hull have nothing in common, other than their infatuation with Michael Vokey. Each is writing to a sadistic inmate, sharing her secrets, whispering her worst fears, craving his attention.

DI Marnie Rome understands obsession. She’s finding it hard to give up her own addiction to a dangerous man: her foster brother, Stephen Keele. She wasn’t able to save her parents from Stephen. She lives with that guilt every day.

As the hunt for Vokey gathers pace, Marnie fears one of the women may have found him – and is about to pay the ultimate price.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things for the chance to join the Come and Find Me blog tour.

I have read all the Marnie Rome novels and enjoyed each one immensely. Come and Find Me is my favourite. So far…

We join Marnie and her colleague DS Jake at a very difficult time. A prison riot saw several men brutally attacked, some prisoners died from their wounds. A fire took hold during the ensuing chaos and many prisoners suffered smoke inhalation. The man responsible has escaped confinement and the police are frantically hunting for him.

Marnie’s team are leading the manhunt but she has the added distraction that her adopted brother was in the prison but is currently unconscious in hospital after the incident in the prison. If he dies then Marnie may never learn why Stephen Keeps killed her parents.

DS Jake has his own personal problems. He has arrested his own brother to try and keep him away from the street gang which was threatening to take control of Saul’s life. While Jake feels he has done the best thing he could to protect his brother their mother is devastated and family tensions are high.

Personal drama aside the hunt to find prison escapee, Michael Vokey, makes for great reading. He was receiving letters from women who wanted to save him or who wanted to be with him. Will Vokey seek out these letter writers? Will they be safe? Vokey was in prison for entering the home of a single mum and terrorising her.

The investigation into Vokey’s escape is frustrating for the police and the women they are trying to protect are not minded to assist the police on finding Vokey.

Sarah Hilary has written a blinder. One interview Marnie conducted during this book made for one of the very best audio book chapters I have ever listened to. Masterful dialogue and amazingly narrated by Imogen Church who gave the scene so much more heart and feeling than I would have ascribed to it had I been reading it alone.

I do need to give special mention to the audio book as it was one of the best I have listened to this year. Imogen Church narrates Come and Find Me wonderfully. The story had me hooked but the narration, hearing the characters every day for two weeks, made this feel more real and I got totally drawn into Marnie’s complicated world.

I cannot wait to see what comes next. If Sarah Hilary keeps true to past form then more compelling reading shall follow and we will be guaranteed more jaw-dropping moments.

Come and Find Me is published by Headline and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Come-Find-Marnie-Rome-Book-ebook/dp/B072M1ZZX1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1539282536&sr=1-1

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September 19

The Hangman’s Hold – Michael Wood

Your life is in his hands.

In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields.

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.

He knows your darkest secrets.
He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

Book 4 in the DCI Matilda Darke series and one of the few books I have been keeping an eye out for. Despite the volume of crime thrillers which are released each year – one or two crime series do stand out for me in the publication schedules and command urgent reading on release. Michael Wood’s Matilda Darke series is in my select band of “must read new books”.

A significant factor in my love of these stories is Darke herself. She is something of a car crash and carries more emotional baggage than most. Her back story has been well defined in the first three novels and returning readers will enjoy how the author builds on the past events to twist the knife in Matilda’s recovery progress. Fear not New Readers as everything you need to know is deftly explained by the author to ensure you can read The Hangman’s Hold as a stand-alone thriller (though you will want to go back and catch up on the earlier books).

Serial killer stories always fare well at Grab This Book as they are my favourite crime thrillers. Sit me down with a good serial killer tale and I will lose myself in a book for hours. The Hangman’s Hold is a good serial killer tale – a VERY good serial killer tale.

The clue is in the title so it is no great shock to find that the murderer leaves his victim hanging from a traditional hangman’s noose. He targets his victims to ensure the people he kills “deserve” to die – at least they do in his opinion and as the Hangman is delivering judgement on his victims there will be no leniency shown.

The reader gets a close look at the crimes and Michael Wood also ensures we see the impact the killers actions have on the families of the deceased. A very powerful and effective way of bringing us fully into Matilda’s world as she tries to find a way to prevent more deaths and catch the killer.

From very early in the story the actions of the murderer will strike close to Matilda and her friends. As events unfold Matilda becomes a target for the Hangman, he taunts her and the suggestion is made that the killer may be known to her – who can Matilda trust and could mistakes she has made in the past place her in danger today?

My anticipation for The Hangman’s Hold was entirely justified. I chewed this one up and immediately had the wistful realisation that there will not be another Matilda Darke novel for a wee while. These books are a treat – go read them.

The Hangman’s Hold is published by Killer Reads and is available in digital and paperback format. You can (and should) order a copy through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hangmans-Hold-gripping-thriller-Matilda-ebook/dp/B07CQ972JC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537218191&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hangmans+hold

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