From The Bookshelf – Page 13

The Thursday Murder Club (Audiobook) – Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

My thanks to Chloe at Penguin Random House for the opportunity to listen to The Thursday Murder Club audiobook ahead of the publication date.

After a summer of COVID related publication delays this week saw a tsunami of new titles heading our way. Many debut authors will get lost in the flurry but as one of the most familiar faces on our telly boxes I doubt that will apply to Richard Osman. Indeed a quick glance at the Amazon charts shows that The Thursday Murder Club is sitting in the top ten Mystery titles. But here’s the thing – this is a good book and irrespective of how well known the author may be a good story shines through and The Thursday Murder Club definately shines.

I was invited to join the blog tour for the audiobook of The Thursday Murder Club so the past two weeks I have spent my time in the company of Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron; four residents of a retirement village in once of the nicer areas in Southern England. Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Joyce (as relayed to her diary) however narrative does change viewpoints and we get a good opportunity to view many different events and discussions as the story unfolds. This is extremely helpful as there is a lot going on down in Coopers Chase village where our amatur sleuths reside.

For clarity, the Thursday Murder Club are not a gang of aged killers biding their time to pick off the next victim. Elizabeth is good friends with a former police inspector who now finds herself hospitalized and seemingly receiving end of life care. The police officer and Elizabeth (along with Ron and Ibrahim) would review old case files and try to find clues which the investigating teams may have missed many years before. Their endeavours are keeping their minds active and deep down Elizabeth knows there is little hope of actually catching a killer. At the start of the story we see Joyce (former nurse) being consulted by Elizabeth on the liklihood of a stabbing victim dying within a certain timeframe. Having considered the extent of the wounds – Elizabeth has crime scene photographs for reference – Joyce is able to surmise there was time between stabbing and death for the victim to have received medical assistance which would surely have saved her life. Elizabeth concurred and Joyce appears to have passed the “entry exam” and is invited to join the Thursday Murder Club. Thus Joyce and the reader become members of Elizabeth’s core circle.

Archive files are all well and good but when an actual (brutal) murder takes place and the members of the Thursday Murder Club knew the victim, the old cases are promptly forgotten as there is a killer to be found. Using their combined skills Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce and Ibrahim manage to befriend the local community police officer, get her brought into the team investigating the murder and then work their charms on her boss to facilitate an exhange of information to ensure they are kept up to date on the progress of the police investigation.

If that sounds whimiscal and unlikely then you may well be right but it is fun and that’s what’s really important here. Richard Osman has crafted a light hearted, funny and engaging story. It is cozy crime but with an unexpectedly large death count by the end of the story and there are so many charming, tender and emotive moments in the book that you can find yourself laughing one paragraph only to have a casual throwaway line in the next bringing a tear-prick to your eyes. Joyce’s Jersey Boys story nearly did for me.

The hook in this story is not the murder or even the investigation. It is very much the characters – the four Club members, Donna and Chris the two police officers investigating the murder, the gangsters who knew the victim (he was one of them) and the dozens of supporting characters that come and go as life goes on around the Coopers Chase retirment village. If you enjoy larger than life characters wonderfully realised on page then Richard Osman is your current go-to book of choice…he nails it.

I do need to point out that it took me a while to embrace this story. The narrative style is very conversational and that took me some time to get my head around. Characters have conversations with lots of tangents, drifting off point to discuss the daughter of the person they met and oh she had a new car and her husband is not the nicest chap in town. It is a frighteningly realistic portrayal of group discussions in a retirement home and adds so much more insight into how the characters are thinking but when I was reading I was initially horrified about having to listen to all the ramblings. But the ramblings are sometimes important, they are often emotive or funny and they can lead to some unexpected outcomes. I am more accustomed to dark and edgy crime thrillers so the mental shift to cosy, chatty was needed. I think I was around 90 mins into the audiobook (over 10 hours in length) before I embraced it fully. And I am glad I did.

The all important information you need to know about the audiobook is how does the narration sound? Leading us through this story is Lesley Manville – she was a great choice and made Joyce, Elizabeth and the others really come to life for me. She has, what I consider to be, a posh English accent which I associate with tea with the vicar, the chair of the local WI branch and someone who uses the word “frightful” in every day conversation. Not much like the voices I hear in my neighbourhood on the edge of Glasgow! But it works perfectly for The Thursday Murder Club and that’s the key.

Not my usual listen as I tend not to enjoy the cosy crime stories but The Thursday Murder Club had so much going on and was written with buckets of charm and clever, clever red herrings I could not help but love it. Not too shabby at all – good job Mr Osman!

The Thursday Murder Club is available in hardback, digital and (obviously) audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07S5D5TH7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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September 3

The Watcher – Kate Medina

If you see him it’s already too late…

‘A brilliant and believable female lead’ Good Housekeeping

Some secrets can’t be hidden.

The Fullers are the picture-perfect family, a wealthy couple with a grand home in the middle of remote woodland. But even they have something to hide – and it will prove fatal.

Some crimes can’t be forgotten.

Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Marilyn Simmons arrive at the Fuller’s home to find a suburban nightmare. A crime scene more disturbing than anything they have ever encountered.

Some killers can’t be stopped.

Jessie knows that this is no random act of violence. And if she can’t unlock the motivation behind the crime and shine a light into this killer’s mind, the Fullers won’t be the only family to die…

I recieved a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join The Watcher Blog Tour

I hadn’t realised The Watcher was part of an ongoing series and that Dr Jessie Flynn had appeared in previous Kate Medina books. It certainly did not stop me enjoying The Watcher and it made me keen to go back and read the books which lead into this one. As a reader there is no better feeling than enjoying a book by a “new” author then learning the author in question actually has an established back catalogue for me to get stuck into.

The good news for new Kate Medina readers (like myself) and committed fans of Jessie Flynn and DI Simmons is that The Watcher is a terrific read which perfectly hit the balance of psychological thriller and strong police procedural. The murders in the book were twisted and nasty which is what I enjoy in crime stories and when I finally realised the driving force which prompted the murders I felt there was a very satisfying build up to the reveal.

I don’t want to encroach into spoiler territory but Jessie is asked to assist DI Simmons (Marilyn) when he is called to a double murder of a successful couple in their luxurious home. The attending police are deeply unsettled by the vicious nature of the attacks and Jessie is asked to share her thoughts on potential motives behind the sadistic attacks. Her initial conclusions are not entirely accurate and before long the killer strikes again to give further confusion to our investigators.

Kate Medina has done a wonderful job in pacing out The Watcher. It read so smoothly and I flew through the chapters as I always felt the story was enticing me to keep reading. There is a steady investigation progression, the threat of danger over some characters looms large and you want to know how that turns out. There is a fascinating side story around Jessie’s boyfriend and a problem he has been experiencing (something returning readers will very much appreciate) and I enjoyed the side story about the kennels – which you need to read to understand!

In brief, The Watcher was a hit with me. I want to read more in the series as I loved the characters. The book is deliciously dark, creepy when it matters and it gave me a fair chance at working out killer and motive (but I didn’t).

The Watcher 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/gp/product/B07DQ9T6HW/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Follow The Tour

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August 8

The Witch House – Ann Rawson

Who can you trust, if you can’t trust yourself?

Alice Hunter, grieving and troubled after a breakdown, stumbles on the body of her friend and trustee, Harry Rook. The police determine he has been ritually murdered and suspicion falls on the vulnerable Alice, who inherited the place known locally as The Witch House from her grandmother, late High Priestess of the local coven. When the investigations turn up more evidence, and it all seems to point to Alice, even she begins to doubt herself.

Can she find the courage to confront the secrets and lies at the heart of her family and community to uncover the truth, prove her sanity, and clear herself of murder?

My thanks to Red Dog Press for my review copy and for the chance to join the blog tour

Witchcraft entwined with a murder story in The Witch House by Ann Rawson. The majority of the tale is very much the murder side though and Alice’s association with witchcraft giving more of a theme to the background story – well that and the fact the murder victim appears to have been laid out in a ritualistic position.

The opening scenes set us up nicely for what may follow. Alice lives in a remote location and stumbles upon the corpse of a rabbit. The rabbit has been laid out as if it has been used in a ritual. Chalkmarks depict symbols around its body and a stake has been thrust into the corpse. Alice is upset by her discovery but doesnt want anyone else to see the dead animal so she cleans the sight and throws the corpse off into the distance. Unfortunately for Alice that was just a precursor for what was to follow. She goes to see her friend (and Trustee) Harry Rook only to find he has also been killed. His body is positioned exactly the way the dead rabbit had been. Alice is naturally upset and moves the stake which had impaled Harry when searching for signs of life. Unfotunately for Alice the police take a very dim view of her decision to interfere with a crime scene – particularly when Alice appears to be their prime suspect.

The Witch House has a degree of uncertainty for the reader. Alice reveals to readers that she was sectioned after the death of her grandmother – the two were very close whereas Alice’s relationship with her mother is clearly a challenge for them both. The uncertainty I mention comes from the fact Alice seems to doubt her own memory on a number of ocassions. There are details and events which she has to discuss with the police but she cannot honestly recall some of the things they believe she may have done. This adds an extra layer of intrugue as while reading The Witch House I couldn’t shake the feeling that the information Alice was sharing with the reader may not actually represent the truth.

Despite the murder of Harry Rook, Alice is determined to get on with her life. She knows she is not a killer and before Harry’s body was found she was in the process of signing up to resume her studies. Alice’s grandmother appears to have amassed a healthy collection of rare treasures which Alice and her new professor are discussing and exploring. I found the archaeology elements of Alice’s life to be fascinating and they gave nice moments of respite from the murder scenes and the anxious moment Alice feels when having to deal with her mother or the intense questionning from the police.

I have purposefully not focussed too much on the detail of Alice’s life and the complexities of her mental health concerns while under suspicion of murder. The reading of The Witch House allows much of the information to be drawn out at the best time in the story, knowing too much too soon would detract from the reading enjoyment. Alice’s story is well worth exploring – she is a likeable lead character who you want to be able to trust. But should you?

The Witch House is published by Red Dog Press and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B088S7PD5H/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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July 30

The Resident – David Jackson

THERE’S A SERIAL KILLER ON THE RUN
AND HE’S HIDING IN YOUR HOUSE

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer. With a trail of bodies in his wake and the police hot on his heels, it seems like Thomas has nowhere left to hide. That is until he breaks into an abandoned house at the end of a terrace on a quiet street. And when he climbs up into the loft, he realises that he can drop down into all the other houses through the shared attic space.

That’s when the real fun begins. Because the one thing that Thomas enjoys even more than killing is playing games with his victims – the lonely old woman, the bickering couple, the tempting young newlyweds. And his new neighbours have more than enough dark secrets to make this game his best one yet…

Do you fear The Resident? Soon you’ll be dying to meet him.

My thanks to Viper Books for my review copy and for the opportunity to join the blog tour.

Thomas Brogan. Serial Killer. Star of The Resident. This is his story, no detective being tormented by an elusive character leaving cryptic clues to taunt the police. No reporter chasing down a story and stumbling across a killer’s legacy. This is Brogan, a dangerous killer who from the opening pages is on the run as his latest murders have been discovered too soon. Brogan is on the run and the police are hot on his tail.

Fortunately for Brogan (and for the story) he eludes capture by hiding in an abandoned house at the end of a row of terraced properties. Seeking a safe place to lie low he makes his way to the attic space and makes a fascinating discovery – he can access all four houses in the terrace by moving along the loft space. Brogan’s first thought – he can find more victims to have fun with.

How do we know Brogan’s thoughts? Well author, David Jackson, shares Brogan’s inner dialogues – he talks to himself (argues frequently). We hear Brogan’s thought process, his internal debates over the next course of action and his common sense telling him what he should and should not consider to be his next move. This works well for driving forward the story. If nobody knows Brogan is in the loft and Brogan doesn’t have his conversations with himself then it would be difficult for the reader to understand why Brogan is acting the way he does because Brogan has a plan and he plans to have some fun while he waits for the coast to clear.

There is nothing of interest in the abandoned house which Brogan used to access the loft space. The other three houses in the terrace offer much more interesting fare. There is the elderly woman who only gets visited by her carer each day. The arguing couple who seem best ignored and the young professional couple in the last house. They have so much potential for Brogan and he plans to mess with their heads before he ends their lives.

Brogan is not a likeable character and his actions when he comes down from the attic space into the houses below re-enforce what a loathsome character he is. He purposefully stirs up disharmony in the young couple’s marriage. He digs into their secrets when they are out and moves items around their house. He steals food from all the houses where he can but soon finds an easier way to get the grub he needs. Being Brogan this involves upsetting another character in the book but this means little to him as the end result works to his advantage.

Following Brogan’s activities had a very real “one more chapter” dilemma, I just didn’t want to take a break from the book. I am very much a fan of serial killer stories and The Resident has a very different feel from the “normal” murder tales because the reader travels with the killer. I powered through The Resident in very short time and was nicely caught out by a few of the unexpected details which arose. It’s different, it zips along at a cracking pace and I loved it. Five star thrills once again from David Jackson.

The Resident is published by Viper and is available in physical and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083ZL59H9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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July 25

Catching Up – Quick Reviews

Some people consider blogging envy to be the state which exists when Blogger A sees Blogger B receiving an opportunity which Blogger A wanted but did not get. Not always. In my house blogging envy is when I see other bloggers keeping up to date with their reviews! Okay I jest (honest) but a combination of lockdown fatigue, no laptop for six weeks and my general scattyness does mean that I have missed sharing my thoughts on quite a few titles.

In a bid to get caught up I thought I would do some shorter reviews, just share the blurb and my thoughts – rather than provide my usual oversight on some of the themes and threads before capturing my overall thoughts on a book. Still with me? Great. Books I didn’t enjoy don’t appear on the blog so I don’t want you to presume I am doing shorter reviews because I was underwhelmed or unhappy…that’s not how we roll here.

Into The Fire (An Orphan X Thriller) – Gregg Hurwitz

Evan Smoak – former government assassin, ‘Orphan X’, turned white knight of last resort – is planning on hanging up his gun.

Then he gets one last call.

Max Merriweather has lost his wife, home and career. Now it looks like he’s going to lose his life. A murdered cousin has left him a package and a team of assassins on his trail . . .

Nothing Evan can’t handle.

If it weren’t for the fact he’s carrying a brutal concussion that’s made him vulnerable. Or that the simple job of keeping Max safe quickly escalated into a mission unlike anything he’s ever encountered.

But as Evan’s problems mount just one thing is clear: he is now in the most dangerous position of his life

I will start with a Five Star Read. When I was doing my 6-hour daily commute to work a few years back I hit the audiobooks pretty hard. One of the gems I discovered was the Orphan-X series by Gregg Hurwitz. I hung onto every word of that first book and quickly downloaded all the others available at the time – now I patiently wait for news of the next instalment.

Evan Smoak was an assassin for the US Government, part of the “Orphan” programme which recruited orphans who were trained as dispensible killers. Smoak left that world behind and went into hiding with a large bank balance to support his off the radar lifestyle. He tries to do some good and put his skills to use, he helps people in desperate situations and when he has solved their problem he asks them to find someone else who needs his help.

The books have all been terrific to read and Into The Fire may just be my favourite. Smoak is moving further away from the life he once knew and watching him try to adapt to a more mundane lifestyle (dating, residents association meetings, mentoring a young hacker etc) while also plotting to bump off some bad guys was wholly absorbing.

I am a huge fan of this series and encourage you to seek them out if action heroes are your thing.

Last Light – Helen Phifer

When a young woman’s body found hanging upside-down from a crucifix in an abandoned church, Detective Lucy Harwin is plunged into a case that will test her to her very limits.

Before Lucy even has time to get started, another body is found. And this time it’s someone Lucy and her team consider one of their own; the chief’s mother. Her body too is hanging upside-down, so Lucy fears there’s a serial killer stalking the streets of her small coastal town.

Lucy knows the chief is a good man. She trusts him, but can’t pin down his alibi. Just as she’s beginning to suspect the worst, she pushes for a test on some animal hairs, and uncovers a link to an old unsolved murder.

Lucy knows she’s getting close, and works around the clock to catch this killer before he strikes again. But then the trail leads her to the church where her teenage daughter volunteers. Can Lucy prevent a tragedy that will tear her world apart again?

After reading Last Light I discovered that Helen Phifer had penned several horror stories which explained why a police procedrual had some pretty brutal murder scenes. The story spends time with the investigating officer (Lucy Harwin) and we also get an insight into the killer as the narrative jumps back to the killer’s childhood and we get to see how they grow into the fully fledged murderer that Lucy needs to track down.

The most intruging element of Last Light was that I felt nobody was safe in this story. Possibly this is another consequnce of the author’s horror writing? I feel the best horror tales can make anyone a victim at any time. Lucy and her colleagues felt at risk during this story, too many police stories have untouchable heroes but Last Light didn’t give that feeling and the story benefits from the feeling of peril.

This was a pretty decent read, the payoff comes at the end when the various threads come together but I felt it took me a while to reach that point. Currently on Kindle for under £2 which makes it cheaper than a latte – buy the book not the coffee.

Golden in Death – J.D. Robb

‘Doctor Kent Abner began the day of his death comfortable and content’

When Kent Abner – baby doctor, model husband and father, good neighbour – is found dead in his town house in the West Village, Detective Eve Dallas and her team have a real mystery on their hands. Who would want to kill such a good man? They know how, where and when he was killed but why did someone want him dead?

Then a second victim is discovered and as Spring arrives in New York City, Eve finds herself in a race against time to track down a serial killer with a motive she can’t fathom and a weapon of choice which could wipe out half of Manhattan.

The 50th Eve Dallas thriller. FIFTY. By my reckoning I have read 47 of them and I have two of the missing books in my TBR pile. It is fair to say I am a big fan of this series. We have seen Eve Dallas grow from kickass socially awkward New York cop into a kickass socially awkward New York Cop who is surrounded by loads of great supporting characters. Watching Dallas grow and her character evolve has been an absolute joy for me. As a reader, finding a character you love is always special – when that character appears in 2 or 3 new books each year – well that’s icing on the cake.

For the 50th story in the series (Golden for 50) I was expecting some huge development in Eve’s personal life – a massive shift in the dyamic of the books – but it didn’t arrive. We began and ended book 50 in much the same position. Now that doesn’t mean J.D Robb may not come back to events in this book and spin them into something new (it has happened in the past with the infamous Icove case) but it didn’t have that feel. Instead we get a solid story with Dallas and Peabody trying to prevent deadly chemicals being released into the city.

There are a couple of deaths – witnessed by the reader so we know what is about to happen. It gives Dallas the opportunity to establish a link between victims, it seems a long shot when they begin to interview suspects, however, the arrogance of one of the suspects gives her cause to dig deeper. I always enjoy watching Dallas and Peabody working a case, turning their attention to characters that don’t behave as they would expect and digging deep into their lives to find the gaps in their alibi.

The humour, the thrills and the fun of the In Death series were very much present. As a fan of these stories I was delighted to have the opportunity to revisit my favourite characters. Trying to convert new readers to a series with 50 volumes may seem a daunting prospect, this isn’t the book which would draw in a new reader and have them hooked but it is a damned fine addition to a terrific collection.

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July 6

Thirty-One Bones – Morgan Cry

When Effie Coulston drops dead on the floor of her bar in a small Spanish town mid-business meeting, her daughter Daniella feels it’s her duty to return for the funeral. But Daniella has been estranged from her mother for over twenty years, and Effie’s life in Spain harbours many secrets . Daniella is soon confronted by a hostile group of ex-pat misfits who frequent the bar and who, along with Effie, are involved in a multi-million-pound property scam. But the money has vanished, and the ex-pats are threatening to implicate Daniella to save themselves.

Meanwhile, a Spanish detective is investigating Effie’s death. He’s convinced Daniella knows more than she is telling. And now a terrifying enforcer has heard about the missing cash. With no idea where the money is and threats coming from all sides, Daniella is up against a seemingly impossible deadline to find the cash. She’s a stranger in a strange town – and she’s seriously out of her depth.

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things blog tours for the opportunity to join the tour for Thirty-One Bones.

I took a month away from blogging. This came after an even longer period of not being able to focus on reading.

*shakes fist at lockdown*

But my reading mojo is back and Thirty-One Bones played a huge part in that. I was able to lose myself in this book as it had an engaging story, a tight cast of characters and an underdog I could get behind and will to succeed. For the first time in weeks I had a story I wanted to keep reading.

It starts so well – Effie is in her element, she is in her rundown Spanish bar, she is mid-con as her silver tongued sales pitch is about to scam a potential investor out of €20,000. Before she can seal the deal one of her previous victims bursts into the bar demanding his money back as he has realised he was conned. The situation is getting out of hand but Effie is feeling bad and not because she has been caught out. Before she can seek assistance she suffers a massive heart attack and all her problems are dumped into the lap of her estranged daughter Daniella.

Not that Daniella knows this yet. She is several hundred miles away working in a call centre on a zero hours contract, Effie’s Spanish legacy is an unknown complication which Daniella will soon have to contend with. As are drunks, crooks, enforcers and the Spanish police – all because there is over €1 million missing and lots of people (that Daniella has never even met) believe she can find the cash.

One of the strengths of Thirty-One Bones is that the locations are brilliantly described. From the opening pages with Effie to the arrival of Daniella and her attempts to familiarise herself with her new surroundings, I felt like I was there under that warm Southern sun.

Once I was immersed in the locale I was able to enjoy Daniella’s predicaments. Her mother was an influential player in a circle of undesirable ex-pats. She provided the bar they frequented and her rules gave them the flexibility to indulge their worst behaviours – to a point. Daniella has large shoes to fill but it is not clear she wants that responsibility or that her new found authority will be accepted.

Arriving in Spain with the sole intention of burying her mother and wrapping up her affairs, Danila finds she becomes inextricably drawn into her mother’s ventures. Any hope Daniella may have had of walking away from the toxic legacy are dashed when she faces the prospect of having to choose between violence (I refer to the book title) or potential imprisonment. Daniella has to be smart and keep one step ahead of everyone else.

Thirty-One Bones is a joy to read. Daniella is the likeable hero. The bad guys are nasty, unpleasant, stupid or drunk and none of them can be trusted. There is a prize to be found but a ticking clock and a persistent policeman brings a sense of urgency to proceedings. Time is running out for Daniella and you need to read this book to find out how she copes.

Thirty-One Bones is published by Polygon Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0855RDYBZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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July 4

The Curious Case of Faith & Grace – David B Lyons

Almost two years ago, Faith and Grace Tiddle arrived home from their Saturday morning dance class to find both of their parents face down in pools of blood

Five days later, the twins — only nine years old at the time — were arrested for the double homicide.

And now, twenty months on, the entire country awaits with bated breath as the jury are dismissed to deliberate their verdict on a case that has become a national obsession.

But if Lead Detective Denis Quayle — the man who knows the case better than anybody else — isn’t fully convinced of the twins’ guilt…

Can a twelve-person jury be?

You won’t know what to make of the Tiddle twins

My thanks to Emma at Damppebbles Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the tour and for providing a review copy.

Faith and Grace – 9 year old twins who come home from a dance class to find their parents have been brutally slain in their home. The investigating detective doesn’t believe the twins could be guilty of such a terrible crime but he appears to be the lone voice protesting their innocence.

We know most people believe the twins are guilty because The Curious Case of Faith & Grace tells two stories. One chapter addresses the murder and the investigation which is being conducted while the next chapter jumps forward around two years to the deliberations of the jury who have to decide if the twins are guilty or not guilty of murder. It’s a police procedural story and a legal drama too – win win!

But the fun doesn’t stop there…the reader gets to join the jury and look in on their discussions as we follow Alice, one of the jurors. Alice fully believes the twins are guilty, however, someone knows that Alice has a secret and if Alice doesn’t convince enough of the other jurors to return a Not Guilty verdict then that secret will be shared with Alice’s family and friends. For Alice this cannot be allowed to happen so she must put aside her own opinions and argue to free two young girls who may actually be cold blooded killers.

The story swings between Alice’s predicament and that of investigating officer Denis Quayle. Both characters are fighting a losing battle to convince those around them of the twins innocence. Readers also get to dip into events prior to the murders as the author lets us see what life was like for Grace and Faith. Their parents were somewhat unusual and the girls were brought up in small town Ireland as part of a church who welcomed visitors from far across the globe. Not all the locals enjoyed the variety of visitors to their town, could a stranger be responsible for the terrible crime? Quayle believes the Church and its congregation played a part in the murder of Mr and Mrs Tiddle.

Nicely paced. Cleverly plotted. You cannot help get drawn in to the jury deliberations. Are the Twins guilty? Should Alice be trying to help free them (even if it is only for her personal gain)? Is Quayle right and the twins are innocent? If so then why are we seeing their trial? You keep reading because you want answers – a definite contender for a book group read, the moral discussions will split the room. I enjoyed this a lot and was already recommending it before I started writing this review.

The Curious Case of Faith & Grace is available in paperback and digital format. You can buy a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BCTVKJB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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May 31

Springtime For A Dead Man – Douglas Skelton

When Dominic Queste is asked to spend an hour merely talking to troubled Sylvester Lemay, he has no idea where it will lead. But it’s Queste – he never has much of a clue anyway.

Short story and a short review – having reviewed both Dominic Queste novels I wasn’t going to pass up the new short story Douglas Skelton sneaked out last week.

An unexpected short story which sees the return of smart-talking Dominic Queste. I had loved both the Queste books and wasn’t going to turn down the chance to see what he was doing now.

Well it turns out Dominic isn’t in the best of places – little work and regretting missed opportunities. So when a stranger with a story to tell asks to pay Dominic to listen to him he feels he can’t really say no.

This short story can be read in one easy sitting but I found it left me thinking well beyond the end of the tale. Brilliantly pitched and emotive writing wirh a story direction I hadn’t expected.

I was sorry Queste only had two outings in full novels, I will happily take more wee snapshots and short stories like this one. Good characters are a gem for returning readers.

Digital copies of Springtime For a Dead Man can be bought here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Springtime-Dead-Man-Dominic-Queste-ebook/dp/B089655RVR/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=douglas+skelton&qid=1590929733&sprefix=douglas+sk&sr=8-11https://www.amazon.co.uk/Springtime-Dead-Man-Dominic-Queste-ebook/dp/B089655RVR/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=douglas+skelton&qid=1590929733&sprefix=douglas+sk&sr=8-11

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May 30

The Creak on the Stairs – Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

When a woman’s body is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, investigators discover shocking secrets in her past. First in a disturbing, chillingly atmospheric new series.

When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.

Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day …

But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the chance to host today’s leg of this tour.

The Creak on the Stairs comes with a sub heading on Amazon which states it is Book 1 in the Forbidden Iceland series. Initially I didn’t give this too much consideration, but on finishing The Creak on the Stairs I remembered the “Book 1” part and was hopeful we would return to these characters. More importantly was the “Forbidden” element of the sub title as “forbidden” conjured up the suggestion of more unsettling and unexpected stories – if they are anything like The Creak on the Stairs then they are stories which I shall very much look forward to.

Akranes is the setting for this book – a small Icelandic town of around 7,000 inhabitants. Big enough to merit a police force but still small enough to realise that most people know the majority of the townsfolk by sight and that everyone knows everyone else’s business. I always maintain that small town stories lead to the best opportunities for crime fiction as secrets are so much harder to keep and tend to impact so many more people when the secret gets out. This would very much appear to be the case in The Creak on the Stairs.

The story is driven (in present day) by police officer Elma. She has been working in Reykjavik but after her relationship ended she returned to Akranes where she had lived as a child. Elma was able to secure a role with the Akranes police department and is just settling into her role when a woman’s body is found in the water beside a lighthouse by two courting teens.

Initial investigation quickly establishes that the woman has been murdered and her body moved, no accurate crime scene and no.obvious clues.

The dead woman’s story is told retrospectively through a series of chapters set in the late 1980s and early 90s. We see Elisabet (the victim) enduring the tragedy of loss, the despair of neglect and then become victim to circumstance worse than being overlooked. Her childhood was a terrible ordeal and as we learn more about Elisabet through the book we see how her struggles shaped a cold and un-compassionate soul.

The present/past narrative works very well for this police procedural tale. The investigation progresses and Elma and her new partner Saevar are developing a good working relationship. The reader gets Elisabet’s childhood chapters to reveal a little more about characters that may become relevant to Elma and Saevar or to show some of the pain Elisabet endured which also has an influence on her subsequent murder.

There came a tipping point in the reading when all the clues and hints started to fall into place and the dark secrets got exposed. Those pages blurred for me as I practically inhaled the last sections of the book – everything came together so well. And that final reveal in the last chapter was devastating.

Today marks the end of the blog tour for A Creak on the Stairs and I have seen fellow bloggers wildly enthusing about this book all month. It’s easy to see why it has been gaining so much praise, it’s very, very good.

The Creak on the Stairs is published by Orrnda Books and is available in digital format with the paperback to follow later in the year. Order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creak-Stairs-Forbidden-Iceland/dp/1913193047/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+creak+on+the+stairs&qid=1590825139&sprefix=the+creak+&sr=8-1

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May 19

The Goodbye Man – Jeffery Deaver

Say goodbye to your problems
In pursuit of two armed fugitives in the wilderness of Washington State, unique investigator Colter Shaw witnesses a shocking suicide. This leads him to the Foundation – a cult that promises to transform people’s lives. But is there more to it than meets the eye?

Say goodbye to your freedom
Shaw goes undercover to expose the Foundation’s real purpose. Before long he meets the charismatic leader Master Eli, a man who commands terrifying loyalty from his followers.

Say goodbye to your life
Something truly dark is going on beneath the surface of the idyllic community. And as Shaw peels back the layers of truth, he begins to see there is only one way to escape the Foundation … and the price for that freedom might well be your very life.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the chance to join this tour. I received text of the book from the publisher.

Colfer Shaw is a reward seeker who uses his considerable talents, intellect, athleticism, to undertake investigations or complete tasks which offer financial reward. He is not a private investigator who takes on clients for payment – Shaw finds the client.

In The Goodbye Man Shaw is on the trail of two young men who have gone on the run after an “incident” at a church. A cross has been burned in the churchyard and also firearms discharged at a staff member. Two men in their early 20’s appear to have been to blame, they are described as Nazi sympathizers and a reward has been offered if they can be found and prosecuted. Shaw is on hand.

Shaw speaks with the parents of both the suspects and the information he gleans does not fit the profile of Nazi supporters. But he has a lead to follow and sets off into the wilds on the trail of the suspects.

I had anticipated The Goodbye Man being a cat and mouse chase story with Shaw just missing his targets every step of the way. Not so. He finds them relatively quickly (he is a smart, smart operator). But during the apprehension of the two, one of the young men chooses to jump from a high ridge rather than face justice. During the aftermath of the incident Shaw becomes aware of a group who may have been involved in the man’s life – the Foundation.

They are a select group who take people in to hear the teachings of Master Eli. It is promised if you join the Foundation your life will never be the same again. Shaw decides to infiltrate the Foundation and get a closer look at how they operate.

No more spoilers in this review other than to confirm the Foundation are best described as a Cult and what Shaw discovers about them is chilling but makes for compulsive reading.

Jeffery Deaver has an amazing track record of penning gripping stories. The Goodbye Man adds to this in fine style. He captures the intensity of Shaw’s determination, the location feels remote and claustrophobic, the members of the Foundation are intense, alarming and Deaver’s description of their devotion and compliance with Master Eli was pitched perfectly.

Hugely engaging page-turner which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Goodbye Man 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/gp/product/B07Y4T316K/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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