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The Big Chill – Doug Johnstone

Running private investigator and funeral home businesses means trouble is never far away, and the Skelf women take on their most perplexing, chilling cases yet in book two of this darkly funny, devastatingly tense and addictive new series!

Haunted by their past, the Skelf women are hoping for a quieter life. But running both a funeral directors’ and a private investigation business means trouble is never far away, and when a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she can’t help looking into the dead driver’s shadowy life.
While Dorothy uncovers a dark truth at the heart of Edinburgh society, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jenny’s ex-husband Craig is making plans that could shatter the Skelf women’s lives, and the increasingly obsessive Hannah has formed a friendship with an elderly professor that is fast turning deadly.
But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothy’s disappears and suspicion falls on her parents. The Skelf women find themselves sucked into an unbearable darkness – but could the real threat be to themselves?

Following three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, The Big Chill follows A Dark Matter, book one in the Skelfs series, which reboots the classic PI novel while asking the big existential questions, all with a big dose of pitch-black humour.

My thanks to Orenda Books for providing a review copy to allow me to participate in the blog tour and to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for giving me the opportunity to join the tour.

Picking up from events in last year’s A Dark Matter, Doug Johnstone takes us back to Edinburgh and reunites us with the Skelf family. The Skelf women are three generations of one family and they all work for the family businesses: undertakers and private investigators. As The Big Chill continues the family story is really is advisable to have read A Dark Matter – as both books are excellent reads this should not be too much of a problem.

It would be nice to think that during the six month period between the two books life had been a bit quieter for the Skelf family. Events in A Dark Matter were devastating for the family and a convalecence spell would have been required. As we rejoin their story we learn the youngest Skelf, Hannah, has been attending therapy sessions to help her come to terms with recent events. Hannah’s mother Jenny is also healing and is forging a new relationship while trying (and failing) to leave behind all memories of her ex-husband Craig. It is Jenny’s mother Dorothy that seems to have life more under control than her daughter and grand-daughter. The family matriach is still very much active in the family businesses and as The Big Chill opens we see Dorothy in a cemetry as another client of the Skelf’s is laid to rest. However the deceased does not get their eternal sleep off to the most restful start as a car crashes through the cemetry gates and heads straight at the funeral party only to end up in the open grave.

Dorothy is shaken by the incident and when she learns the driver died in the incident but cannot be identified by the police she begins a personal investigation and tries to trace the young man who nearly ended her life at the end of his own life. Dorothy also has a personal investment in another “case” which requires her investigative skills. She has been tutoring a young teenager who wants to learn to play drums – the girl didn’t show for a lesson and Dorothy goes to visit the girl’s mother to ask after her. Dorothy is puzzled by the reaction of the mother and the girls step-father; both seem upset she is missing yet their reaction to Dorothy’s interest is strange so she takes it upon herself to try and trace her student.

Doug Johnstone keeps all three Skelf women in the spotlight as the book progresses. Each get a chapter where they are the focus and their stories zip along nicely. Although Dorothy is chasing down potential leads to satisfy her personal curiosities it is Hannah’s chapters where the most tragedy seems to arise this time around. Ignoring the fact she works in a funeral home, Hannah appears to be facing a distressing number of deaths. I am trying to avoid steering into “spoiler” territory but early in the book she is preparing to speak at a memorial service for a friend when a random encounter brings fresh hurt and a lot of unanswered questions.

The third Skelf, Jenny, was having a quieter story this time around until suddenly she wasnt. Again I veer away from potential spoilers but as you can see from the blurb (above) her ex-husband is causing problems for the Skelf family and if he gets his way then life for Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah will never be the same again.

I always have a huge sense of anticipation when I pick up a new Doug Johnstone book. He is a wonderful storyteller but he also has a wicked imagination so his books never go where I think they will. I have given up on trying to second guess where the Skelf story is heading I just strap myself in and let him take me on the emotion rollercoaster. Love these stories – you should all be reading them.

The Big Chill is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0885ZNW86/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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July 13

Watch Over You – M.J. Ford

The hunt is on. And this time, it’s personal…

When DS Josie Masters is called out to a house in North Oxford to investigate a serious incident, things take a personal turn. The body is Harry’s – her friend and former colleague.

Josie thought Harry lived alone, but evidence suggests he’d had a lodger – a young woman who has fled the scene.

And as more killings stun Oxford, the police discover the picture is more complicated than it appeared.

The young woman is on the run, and someone is following her – leaving a stack of bodies in their wake…

My thanks to Avon who provided a review copy through Netgalley

I have been back into police procedural reading this week with the entertaining Watch Over You. It sees lead character Josie Masters returning to work after her maternity leave and finding herself thrust directly into a murder investigation.

Thrust may not be the best word to use in this instance. Josie is determined she will not be stuck behind a desk on her return to duty so she takes the opportunity to get involved in active cases as soon as she gets into the squadroom. Unfortunately for Josie the first incident she attends turns out to be the death of a friend and former colleague. His body is found in his home, a nasty head injury appears the cause of death. Josie had bonded with Harry (the deceased) during her maternity leave and the pair often met for a chat in Harry’s local pub. Josie cannot let someone else handle this case.

While inspecting Harry’s house for signs of an intruder Josie and the Scene of Crime team find evidence to suggest Harry had a house guest. He never mentioned this to Josie and there is no sign of anyone else in the house now, yet the evidence is clear – Harry hadn’t been living alone. So where was this mystery (female) guest?

When questioned neighbours indicated they had seen a young girl in Harry’s house. There is also the suggestion that the girl had been angry and was spotted running away from Harry’s house on the day of the murder. Josie had a suspect but very little to go on other than knowing she was looking foe a young girl with long blonde hair.

Fate was to throw Josie a helping hand – but at a steep price. A double murder elsewhere in Oxford shows a link to Harry’s death. The link being the blonde girl. The police now know her name and it seems she may be connected to another case Josie’s colleagues have been working on, the death of a young drug dealer.

The body count is mounting up and Josie is no closer to finding the blonde girl. However there is a new added complication – the blonde may also be in danger. Can Josie find her to get the truth about Harry’s death before it is too late?

Watch Over You is a perfect pick for readers that want to be in the thick of an investigation. The story does have a few cut-away moments which set up some key background events, however it is very much Josie’s story. The death of her friend. Juggling baby and a busy return to work. Dealing with a difficult ex and reintegration with her colleagues. Plenty going on and the author balances the story well.

Watch Over You is published by Avon and is available in paperback, audiobook and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XZ6GRVL/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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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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July 1

The Corruption of Alston House – John Quick

Katherine’s life has been on a downhill turn, filled with tragedy and heartbreak. When she bought Alston House in the small Tennessee town of Poplar Bend, she hoped it would be the chance to turn things around, center herself again, and get serious about her art. True, it was a risk buying a house virtually sight unseen through the internet, but she knew it needed some extensive renovations, so what could go wrong?

What the real estate agent never told her was that Alston House had a history that was among the darkest secrets in the small town. As Katherine begins to put her life back together following her dream as a painter, she discovers there is more here than meets the eye. One of the home’s former residents never left, even after death, and now he seems to have set his sights on her. Can she uncover the darkness at the heart of the town and overcome her personal ghosts, or will she become one more victim to the town’s hidden hearts?

I received a review copy from the publishers, Silver Shamrock, but I also bought my own copy which I read through Kindle.

Forgive me readers but it has been one month since my last confe…erm…my last blog post. This is entirely down to gravity. Had it not been for gravity my laptop would not have fatally rushed towards the floor after it lost balance from a high place and the screen would certainly not have cracked up. Not that it cracked up anywhere near as much as I did trying to get a replacement laptop through my insurance company – but all sorted now and no need to involve the Ombudsman as I eventually had to suggest may happen.

*And Breathe*

So let me turn to John Quick’s excellent The Corruption of Alston House. I started this one back at the beginning of lockdown but rest assued it has not taken me over 100 days to get through it. Sadly for much of the lockdown time I have been unable to focus on books, everything I had started back in March got put to the side and it has taken me several weeks to slowly get back into my reading. But I had been enjoying The Corrupton of Alston House so I went back to the start and began again – a good decision!

I have always enjoyed a creepy story with a haunted house and in that regard this book was exactly what I needed. Katherine moves to Alston House to start a new life for herself, she leaves upset and tragedy behind her and hopes to restablish her painting as she is a talented artist. Her new home, Alston House, is a grand property but in need of some maintenance to make it comfortable. I was already imagining the sprawling old homestead with dark nooks and hidden corners. There is a graveyard in the grounds (never a good sign) and the basement gives Katherine the chills when she needs to venture down in the dark.

The author builds up the anticipation around the secrets of Alston House really well and even before the really weird stuff kicks in there is a definite sense of foreboding. The first unusual incidents manifest themselves around the paintings which Katherine produces – she becomes so lost in the creative process she cannot even remember some of the details she includes. It is not long before the paintings are just a small part of the shocks which lie in store.

Katherine is befriended by the local marshall who is also trying to match-make her with his younger colleague Bradley. As events in her new home become increasingly dangerous for Katherine she relies more and more upon the support of Bradley and there is more than a spark of romance in the air. However, one former resident of Alston House wants Katherine for himself and he will not let anything, not even the grave, stand in his way. As Katherine gains greater understanding of the horrors which ocurred in her home many years earlier she realises a confrontation is looming – one she may not survive.

I always enjoy swapping out my crime reading to take in a good horror tale and The Corruption of Alston House helped me out my lockdown reading slump. Horror readers should have this one in their collection.

The Corruption of Alston House is available in paperback and digital format and is free to Kindle Unlimited readers. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0826TT1HH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

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June 1

Fair Warning – Michael Connelly

HOW DO YOU FIND A KILLER WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU?

Jack McEvoy is a reporter with a track record in finding killers. But he’s never been accused of being one himself.

Jack went on one date with Tina Portrero. The next thing he knows, the police are at his house telling Jack he’s a suspect in her murder.

Maybe it’s because he doesn’t like being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Or maybe it’s because the method of her murder is so chilling that he can’t get it out of his head.

But as he uses his journalistic skills to open doors closed to the police, Jack walks a thin line between suspect and detective – between investigation and obsession – on the trail of a killer who knows his victims better than they know themselves…

My thanks to Alex at Orion for the opportunity to join the Fair Warning Audiobook Blog Tour. I received a copy of the audiobook from the publisher.

Michael Connelly brings back one of my favourite characters: reporter Jack McEvoy. His previous outings both saw him cross paths with killers and Fair Warning is no different.

McEvoy is working for consumer protection website Fair Warning. A close knit team who feed important stories to big newspapers but Fair Warning is in constant need of funding so they can’t be complacent. Stories need to be written.

McEvoy is about to publish a story about a school for training con men when the police arrive at his house. They have linked McEvoy to a murder victim, Tina Portrero. The police think McEvoy is a likely suspect and the chief investigator and McEvoy immediately clash. Jack knows the suspicions around his conduct are ludicrous but suspects the police have little to go on so are blustering.

Tina’s murder unsettled Jack, he remembers enjoying her company on a one night stand over a year ago but she didn’t want to see him again. Jack discovered there were unusual circumstances surrounding Tina’s death and after doing some digging determined there were other women who had died in a similar manner in different states.

Further digging determined that all the deceased women had submitted a DNA sample to a firm that helped them trace their lineage. But if the process was anonymous how was the killer able to identify a single type of potential victim?

McEvoy begins an investigation into the science and regulation of DNA labs and discovers there are no enforced checks or controls. Someone is using confidential information to target vulnerable women – McEvoy knows there is a story and a public safety issue he needs to investigate. Unfortunately he is a prime suspect in Tina’s murder and his boss does not believe Fair Warning can get involved. Jack has many challenges to face and now a killer knows Jack is on his tail.

I had the pleasure of listening to the Fair Warning audiobook. Audio narration sits almost entirely with Peter Giles who takes us through Fair Warning as Mcevoy. The only exceptions are the chapters where the narrative is with The Shrike and for these short sections Zach Villa takes the microphone. Both deliver very good performances. Giles sounds like I had imagined McEvoy would sound – an older, smokey or gravelled voice but also strong, confident and articulate. A seasoned reporter who is good at what he does but has been doing it for years.

Zach Villa sadly has very little air time as the killer isn’t given the opportunity to be subjected to any real scrutiny by the reader/listener. The Shrike casts his shadow over the whole book yet he is very much out of sight for most of the story.

The difference between the sound of Giles and Villas voice is quite noticeable and that worked well in audio. Using Villa rather than Giles for the killer allowed his character to remain apart from the investigation.

So to bring both elements together. The story was terrific, everything a good thriller should be and I can say with certainty it is one of the best books I have read for some time. The audio was really well delivered the casting is strong and with such fabulous material to deliver it makes the Fair Warning audiobook an essential addition to your audio library.

Fair Warning is available as an audiobook and in hardback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Warning/dp/B082975V1M/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Michael+Connelly&qid=1590990022&s=books&sr=1-2https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Warning/dp/B082975V1M/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Michael+Connelly&qid=1590990022&s=books&sr=1-2

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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

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

May 18

In Plain Sight – Marion Todd

A child’s life is at stake. Which of the residents of St Andrews is hiding something – and why?

When a baby girl is snatched from the crowd of spectators at a fun run, the local police have a major investigation on their hands. DI Clare Mackay and her team are in a race against the clock when they learn that the child has a potentially fatal medical condition.

As Clare investigates she realises this victim wasn’t selected at random. Someone knows who took the baby girl, and why. But will they reveal their secrets before it’s too late?

I was invited to join the blog tour of In Plain Sight by Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers.

When I completed my review of my favourite reads of 2019 I included Marion Todd’s See Them Run (the first Clare Mackay book) as the best debut I had read last year. I pre-ordered In Plain Sight as soon as I had finished See Them Run and when offered the chance to join the Blog Tour for In Plain Sight I leapt at the chance – this is a series which fans of police procedurals need to be reading.

Easy housekeeping first. In Plain Sight is the second Clare Mackay book, you can easily read it as a stand alone story. Clare left the police in Glasgow to move East and took up a role on the force at St Andrew’s. Anything else you need to know is deftly interwoven into the story by Marion Todd.

I consider myself fairly unflappable when I am reading. Having read numerous dark crime thrillers and grim horror tales for many, many years I find it quite easy to take on what I am reading without being upset by the content. However, In Plain Sight opens with the abduction of a baby from her pram and I found this more disturbing than many hack and slash horror tales. The prospect of a baby torn away from her parents chilled me and Kudos to the author here as the depiction of the aftermath and the reaction of the parents was brilliant.

Mackay and some of her colleagues were on the scene at the time. The abduction took place during a charity fun run and Clare was due to participate. The frenetic hunt for the baby, the hastily assembled (all hands on deck) squadron and the national appeals for help gives In Plain Sight an urgency which befits the need for a prompt resolution for this crime.

Clare and her colleagues have little to work on initially but the baby’s family may merit closer inspection. Her aunt has a history of drug abuse, the parents don’t seem to be coping (understandably) but is their behaviour suspicious?

A burglary at a chemist shop in nearby Dundee sees a rare drug stolen – one which is specifically needed by the missing baby. The search broadens and soon Clare has a murder to investigate which may be linked to the abduction…or is it? Are the police making links where there are none to be found? With the clock ticking and a baby missing everyone is under real pressure to get answers quickly.

I really enjoyed how Marion Todd executed In Plain Sight. A police procedural where the reader gets to experience the investigation in full. I shared the highs and lows of the case with Mackay and her colleagues and there was great character development built around the story too as we get to know Clare and her colleagues.

Two books into the series and the third on its way later this year. You don’t want to miss the boat with these books – really enjoyable and I don’t hesitate to recommend them.

In Plain Sight is published by Canelo and is available in digital download here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZGL6B1B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Category: 5* Reviews, Blog Tours | Comments Off