December 17

Cast A Deadly Shadow (audiobook) – Roger Granelli

With Cast a Deadly Shadow Roger Granelli has followed his exciting series of Palermo Stories with a full-length novel that is a fast-moving tale of murder, betrayal and lust.

Continuing their never-ending fight against the Mafia, detectives Carpanini and Bracchi have captured their longtime target, the gangster Bardolini, setting off a dramatic chain of events in which dangerous men of the Sicilian underworld get involved – each one with his own agenda.

Carpanini’s marriage is on the rocks, and Bracchi has a heart-rending choice of devotion over duty, and the redoubtable duo are in their tightest spot ever – threatened by three different Mafia entities, all trying to gain the upper hand, as the story twists and turns towards an explosive final climax.

 

My thanks to Anna at Midas PR for the opportunity to join the blog tour and for providing a review copy of the story.

 

Cast A Deadly Shadow is only available as an audiobook and I listened through the Audible App. I did receive a review copy for the purpose of the tour but when the book released last week I also picked up a copy through the Audible Store (I like to nudge up the narration speed through the app).

Although I read a lot of crime stories I seldom get to enjoy a tale about the Mafia families so I took to Cast A Deadly Shadow with huge anticipation and I splurged on the book.  Running time is over 8 hours, I got through it over two days.  To put that into perspective, at present I normally only listen to an audiobook for around 30 to 45 mins per day. I got a bit caught up in this one!

Italy is the setting and we are in the company of detectives Carpanini and Bracchi. They have secured the arrest of one of the Mafia’s biggest thugs who had turned his fists on his girlfriend only to have her call the police and reveal his location.  Carpanini and Bracchi are escorting their prisoner back to Palermo when the Mafia henchmen catch-up with the cops on the train. A shoot-out ensues and the fallout has repercussions for the rest of the book.

After the incident on the train one of the shooters targets the police to get revenge for the twarted plan. Carpanini and Bracchi have to deal with the emotional fallout and we see how high tension events (a staple of crime thrillers) should and does have ramifications for those involved and hos it impacts upon those they are close to.

But organised crime doesn’t stay quiet for long and soon the police are dealing with a robbery – protagonists heavily armed and casualties high. A kidnapping, which made for quite uncomfortable listening as we follow the kidnapper narrowing in on his target and there needs to be a rescue attempt to have us racing towards the end of the story.

I found Cast A Deadly Shadow to be well paced and nicely told. It held plenty of twists and thrills but the quieter moments were well covered too and the author made the characters engaging and well defined for a new reader/listener.

As ever an audiobook is reliant upon the narrator. Cast A Deadly Shadow has Andrew Wincott taking us through the tale.  No complaints over his skills to deliver a well told and dramatic story – as I indicated I got caught up in this story and listened for hours in a single sitting.  One thing which did strike me as odd was the fact all the Italian gangsters had a broad (thick?) London accents. It slightly distracted from the fact events were taking place in a totally different country; when locations were mentioned it brought the anomaly back to my attention.  Minor quibble and, as I previously stated, the narrator is very good.

All in – good fun was had. Enough action to hold me, not too many characters and events to make it confused and over the top. Definitely a thumbs up – enjoyed my time with this listen.

 

 

 

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December 12

A Window Breaks – C.M. Ewan

If your family was targeted in the middle of the night, what would you do?

You are asleep. A noise wakes you.
You stir, unsure why, and turn to your partner.
Then you hear it.
Glass. Crunching underfoot.
Your worst fears are about to be realized.
Someone is inside your home.
Your choices are limited.
You can run. Or stay and fight.
What would you do?

 

I received a copy of A Window Breaks from the publisher through Netgalley.

 

Reading A Window Breaks is like riding a rollercoaster.  You purchase your ticket (buy the book) and climb into the car (start reading).  As your rollercoaster car starts to move you are filled with the anticipation of the shocks, twists and surprises that will soon follow.

But rollercoasters don’t just launch you into those breakneck speeds or hurl you round a sharp twist – there is a period of build up as you winch up an incline, the car getting ready for that point where you are tipped over the edge of a shocking drop and the real rush begins.

When reading A Window Breaks there is the same steady winch period where the reader gets introduced to the family at the heart of the story. You have time to take in your surroundings and get comfortable while out of sight there are cogs whirring and slowly drawing you to the top of the incline.

Then in the story A Window Breaks.

That is the point where this book tips you over the edge of that first rollercoaster incline and you, as a reader, are plummeting forward on an unstoppable thrill ride of twists, shocks and surprises.  It is an adrenaline filled rush and you will not want to get off the ride are you are now fully committed to the whole experience.  You can’t stop, you are compelled to keep moving forward, drawn along by the events which are unfolding and you want to be there at the end so you can proudly proclaim “I did it” and then you will recommend to your friends that they make the same journey and read A Window Breaks.  It’s a rush.

So what’s the story actually about?  Well I can tell you some of it but not too much as that takes us too deep into spoiler territory and I am not keen to do that.  A Window Breaks follows a family who have endured too much personal trauma of recent times.  The Sullivan family were originally a family of 4, the eldest son has recently died in a car crash (the car taken before he was legally entitled to drive). Parents Tom and Rachel are devastated and start to drift apart, their young daugher is keeping them together. Then further trauma occurs – a mugging as they leave a work event sees daughter, Holly, receive a nasty injury and the fragile family security takes another impact.

To allow healing time Tom, Rachel and Holly are invited to spend a few days in a remote lodge in the Scottish Highlands. The idyllic retreat will allow them time to relax and hopefully repair some of the cracks which have appeared in Tom and Rachel’s marriage. All seems well…until A Window Breaks.

I really, really enjoyed the latest thriller from C.M (Chris) Ewan.  He can take the reader through an emotional wringer and his plots always carry a satisfying punch. Definite five star read for me, a proper page turner.

 

A Window Breaks is currently available in digital format and will release in paperback on 20 February 2020.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Window-Breaks-Nerve-shredding-Pulse-racing-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07S1TS6L6/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1575661790&refinements=p_27%3AC.+M.+Ewan&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=C.+M.+Ewan

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December 1

The Sound of Her Voice – Nathan Blackwell

Detective Buchanan remembers every victim. But this one he can’t forget.

The body of a woman has been found on a pristine New Zealand beach – over a decade after she was murdered.

Detective Matt Buchanan of the Auckland Police is certain it carries all the hallmarks of an unsolved crime he investigated 12 years ago: when Samantha Coates walked out one day and never came home.

Re-opening the case, Buchanan begins to piece the terrible crimes together, setting into motion a chain of events that will force him to the darkest corners of society – and back into his deepest obsession…

 

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the blog tour. I received a review copy from the publishers.

 

Over the last couple of years I have been invited to read some really great New Zealand based thrillers and it has opened my eyes to a wave of crime writing talent perviously not on my radar.  Add the name Nathan Blackwell to that list – The Sound of Her Voice was a terrific read.

The story is led by Matt Buchanan, he is a cop in Auckland and he is called to investigate when human remains are found. The body (as is) has been in place for over 10 years and to investigate Matt will be required to revisit many incidents from the past.

As the blurb aludes to, every cop has a case which they will not let go. For Matt that is the unexplained disappearance of a young girl who simply vanished with no trace and has haunted Matt since. He keeps in touch with her family and refuses to accept he will never find the missing girl. However the discovery of the murder victim will bring that cold case back to focus and a sequence of disturbing revelations will follow.

Nathan Blackwell makes very effective use of multiple timeline narratives. We will be in present day, back to significant events in Matt’s early days of being a member of the police force and we touch into several key elements of his developing career. It allows the reader to understand what drives Matt and to watch him find his place. The action flows well and characters are likeable (if appropriate), plausible and I wanted to read more about them.

The Sound of Her Voice was another #yeahnoir treat – to find more great New Zealand crime thrillers I highly recommend searching #yeahnoir online – so many gems to discover.

 

The Sound of Her Voice is published by Orion and is available in digital, paperback and audiobook format.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sound-Her-Voice-addictive-thriller-ebook/dp/B07JX57RBG/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1575196261&refinements=p_27%3ANathan+Blackwell&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Nathan+Blackwell

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November 26

Violet – SJI Holliday

When two strangers end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express, an intense friendship develops, one that can only have one ending … a nerve-shattering psychological thriller from bestselling author SJI Holliday

Carrie’s best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they’d planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone.

Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is also desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available.

When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend’s place.

Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond. But as the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…

 

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the chance to join the Violet Blog Tour. I received a review copy of Violet from Orenda Books, my thanks to Karen.  I also listened to the audiobook (Isis Publishing) through Audible.

 

From the opening chapter the reader knows that Violet is going to find herself in an extremely unwelcome position. Her predicament is unclear but the reader knows she is in a foreign country, far from home, alone and in whole lot of trouble.  Obviously you want to know what has happened and that’s just the first of the claws Susi (SJI) Holliday will use to drag you into Violet’s story.

Rewind the clock though. Violet’s opening chapter predicament takes place several hundred miles West of where we join her story. First we have to see her splitting from her boyfriend in Thailand. Sick of his lack of attention and his desire to remain in Thailand (to party), rather than continue traveling with Violet she makes the decision to dump him and continue her journey alone.

At the travel centre Violet arrives too late to secure a booking on the train which will take her West as she had intended. As the ticket office closes for the evening Violet heads to a bar to drown her sorrows and take stock of her situation. In the bar she meets Carrie. The two had briefly met at the ticket office and as two British girls alone in a strange city they struck up conversation.  It transpires that Carrie was meant to be traveling with a friend, however, fate threw a spanner in the works and Carrie’s friend was back in Scotland with a broken leg.  With a spare ticket for the journey that Violet wanted to make Carrie suggests Violet travels with her.

We join the two girls as they form a friendship and get to know each other. Carrie is much more outgoing and vivacious than Violet and this can be challenging for Violet to accept. We know this as the story is mainly viewed from Violet’s perspective.  Carrie’s voice is also heard but through a clever use of emails she sends back home. Some emails are to her friend Laura (she of the broken leg), others to her parents and also messages to Carrie’s sister. The picture of Carrie’s background is uncovered through these emails and we know that she has left a relationship in Scotland for reasons she is not keen to discuss with those close to her.

Both Violet and Carrie are keeping secrets. Carrie notices some odd traits in Violet’s personality and does not fully accept Violet is being honest with her. Violet is clearly disturbed by Carrie’s erratic and outlandish behaviour but Violet also finds she is attracted to Carrie and is prepared to forgive the irritations. Particularly as Carrie is picking up the tab for much of their journey.

Susi Holliday makes the characters so real for her readers. We are traveling with Carrie and Violet as they head through Mongolia and Russia and we watch the relationship between the two develop. Violet becomes possessive of Carrie when other travelers try to join their adventure. Too much drink, not enough food and the pair bounce from drama to drama – it is engrossing. Then comes Russia and things take a dramatic turn. It is from this point you simply will not put the book down…try not to hit that point too close to your normal bedtime or you will be reading into the wee small hours.

Violet is Susi Holliday on top form. This is a wonderfully devious tale and I loved it.

I also need to give a huge, huge shout to Imogen Church who narrated the Violet Audiobook for Isis Publishing.  This was an incredible performance, I could have sworn I was listening to a dramatization with multiple actors performing the roles. Her Scottish accent for Carrie was perfection and she conveyed the more reckless elements of Carrie’s character with a wildness which contrasted so well with the more uptight and restrained portrayal of Violet. Holliday’s words with Church’s vocal talents was a match made in heaven for this reader.

 

 

Violet is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QW4CK9Y/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

 

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November 17

Bad Memory (Audiobook) – Lisa Gray

Quiet towns keep big secrets.

Private investigator Jessica Shaw is leading a quiet life in a Californian desert community, where she spends her days working low-level cases. But when a former resident asks Jessica to help her sister, Rue Hunter—a convicted murderer whose execution is days away—Jessica can’t resist the offer.

Rue doesn’t remember what happened the night two high school students were killed thirty years ago, but everybody in town is certain she’s guilty. As Jessica looks for answers, she finds that local rumors point one way and evidence points another. And nobody wants to face the truth. Meanwhile, Jessica can’t shake the feeling that someone is stalking her—now more than ever, she knows she can’t trust anyone.

As Jessica digs deeper, she encounters local secrets in unlikely places—including the police department itself. But the clock is ticking, and Jessica must find the truth fast—or Rue’s bad memory may be the death of them both.

 

I bought this audiobook through my Audible subscription. Sometimes I can take an age deciding how to use my monthly credit, however, having recently read the first Jessica Shaw thriller by Lisa Gray (Thin Air) I was keen to hear more of Jessica’s adventures. It was a good purchase decision!

Bad Memory is a story which spans a generation.  Thirty years ago Rue Hunter killed two of her friends at a deserted make-out spot on the edge of town. She was found guilty in court after confessing to the crime and sent to death row to await execution.

That was then – the reader (listener in my case) gets to be with Rue at the time the crime takes place.  We see how she finds the couple, she is a little drunk, she is a little stoned and she has a knife. The reader lives the murder with Rue as she plunges the knife into the back of her victim. There is blood – lots of blood – and Rue’s fate is sealed.

Into the now.  Jessica Shaw is approached by Rue’s sister.  She wants Jessica to help prove Rue is innocent of the crime that everyone thinks she committed and that she herself confessed to committing. Thirty years down the line and with just a few days until Rue is due to face lethal injection Jessica will have her work cut out to discover if there were any missed clues. One thing which may help is that Rue no longer believes she committed the murders but if she is telling the truth now then why did she lie thirty years ago?

Despite the lack of pages in an audiobook – this was a definite page turner.  Bad Memory has that terrific “one more chapter” feeling which just keeps the reader glued to the story.  Lisa Gray achieves this by keeping the story punchy, switching narrative and timeline between the present and the past and a secondary story, which does partly overlap with Jessica’s investigation, was also very engaging. Pacing is perfect as the story zips along and the deadline to Rue’s execution looms ever closer.

Despite this being the second Jessica Shaw story you can easily pick up Bad Memory without reading Thin Air. Jessica’s private life gives the reader a nice distraction from the ongoing investigations. Things are distracting too for Jessica as she has a few issues she needs to address as she contemplates leaving town and settling down elsewhere.

I do need to give a special shout-out to the narrator of Bad Memory: Amy Landon.  She has the perfect voice for this story, very listenable while giving distinctive voice to different . She adopted a pleasant drawl which suited the small-town and seemingly sleepy locations where Bad Memory is set. An audiobook is made or ruined by the talent of the narrator and Amy Landon is a name I shall look out for in future audiobook purchases.

In short – I am calling this an inspired audiobook purchase.  The story had me gripped and kept me entertained throughout. Exactly what I need from a good crime thriller and Bad Memory is a very good crime thriller.

 

Bad Memory is published by Thomas & Mercer and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07Q8FD47T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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November 16

The Blood Is Still – Douglas Skelton (Cover Reveal)

I received the best book news this week as I was asked if I could help share the cover reveal for Douglas Skelton’s new Rebecca Connolly thriller: The Blood Is Still.  “Oh Hell Yeah” – I replied.

The timing of this cover reveal is perfect. Last weekend Douglas Skelton featured in an article in The Herald newspaper which highlighted Scottish authors you really should be reading.  The article was written by DCI Daly author, Denzil Meyrick, and included Douglas, Michael J Malone, Theresa Talbot, Alex Kane and Caro Ramsay – all terrific writers and reviews of their books can be found across the five year history of Grab This Book.

So what can we hope for when The Blood Is Still releases? Well here comes the cover blurb then scroll on down for the cover in all its lushness.

 

 When the body of a man in eighteenth-century Highland dress is discovered on the site of the Battle of Culloden,

journalist Rebecca Connolly takes up the story for the Chronicle.

Meanwhile, a film being made about the ’45 Rebellion has enraged the right-wing group Spirit of the

Gael. They see themselves as modern-day Jacobites and have connections to a shadowy group called Black Dawn which has been linked to death threats and fake anthrax deliveries

to Downing Street and Holyrood.

When a second body – this time in the Redcoat uniform of the government army – is found in Inverness, Rebecca

finds herself drawn ever deeper into the mystery. Are the murders connected to politics, a local gang war or

something else entirely?

 

The Blood is still is published in March 2020 and if you want to ensure you get your copy on launch day then you can pre-order here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Still-Rebecca-Connolly-Thriller/dp/1846975301/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1573901512&refinements=p_27%3ADouglas+Skelton&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Douglas+Skelton

Ready for that cover?

BOOM

I love it. Having grown up just along the road from where the story is set I know this cover captures the spirit of the location wonderfully…cannot wait to read this.

The Blood is Still is the second Rebecca Connolly thriller and catches up with a character first introduced in Thunder Bay.  You can read my thoughts on that here.

The Blood is Still will be published by Polygon on 5 March 2020.

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November 11

Nothing Important Happened Today – Will Carver

Nine suicides
One Cult
No leader

Nine people arrive one night on Chelsea Bridge. They’ve never met. But at the same time, they run, and leap to their deaths. Each of them received a letter in the post that morning, a pre-written suicide note, and a page containing only four words: Nothing important happened today.

That is how they knew they had been chosen to become a part of the People Of Choice: A mysterious suicide cult whose members have no knowledge of one another.

Thirty-two people on that train witness the event. Two of them will be next. By the morning, People Of Choice are appearing around the globe; it becomes a movement. A social media page that has lain dormant for four years suddenly has thousands of followers. The police are under pressure to find a link between the cult members, to locate a leader that does not seem to exist.

How do you stop a cult when nobody knows they are a member?

 

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things tours for the chance to join the blog tour and to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy.

 

Nine suicides. Nine apparent strangers who all congregated on a bridge in London and, as one, stepped off the side.   Each of the nine hanged – they all had had a noose prepared.

It’s a grim premise and a bleak prospect for the nine. We get to know a bit about all their lives before they meet for the first time on that bridge. The reader knows that they are leaving unfinished business behind. One has a dog, two are parents, one is a doctor…it goes on. Worse still (for me) is that they are not even given names but referred to by identifiers, a number and a description such as The Doctor, The Poet, The Lovers. Their identity is stripped away and their lives become irrelevant – what they have done and who they all are is less important than what they will/must do.

Nothing Important Happened Today is one of the darker offerings hitting bookshelves this month and I’d be lying if I said it was an easy read. Will Carver offers some grim insights and viewpoints to keep the tone melancholy, sinister and thoughtful throughout.

The narrative style also needs mention. The reader is taken on a circuitous journey as they read Nothing Important Happened Today. The journey will visit each of the nine (and others), it will discuss their situations in the abstract, in a present tense and with a retrospective look back too. Be prepared to give this your full concentratation – as a skim reader who normall has 4 or 5 books on the go at once this challenged me and I had to slow everything down to ensure I was keeping up with the constant shift in focus.

It is exceedingly tricky to discuss much of the story without spoilers. More so than most other books. It is actually fiendishly clever and I had a great jawdrop moment when the penny finally dropped as to what I was reading. The payoff for your time with this book is very much at the end.

I am not sure how to summarise Nothing Important Happened Today. I struggled with it. I nearly threw in the towel twice but I stuck with it and I was glad I did. Would I recommend it? Yes. But with a caveat…don’t make the mistake I did and pre-judge it halfway through as it is very much the sum of all its parts.

 

 

Nothing Important Happened Today will be published on 14 November by Orenda Books and is available in paperback and digital format.   You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QX36CM8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

 

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November 5

See Them Run – Marion Todd

In a famous Scottish town, someone is bent on murder – but why?

On the night of a wedding celebration, one guest meets a grisly end when he’s killed in a hit-and-run. A card bearing the number ‘5’ has been placed on the victim’s chest. DI Clare Mackay, who recently moved from Glasgow to join the St Andrews force, leads the investigation. The following night another victim is struck down and a number ‘4’ card is at the scene. Clare and her team realise they’re against the clock to find a killer stalking the streets of the picturesque Scottish town and bent on carrying out three more murders.

To prevent further deaths, the police have to uncover the link between the victims. But those involved have a lot more at stake than first meets the eye. If Clare wants to solve the case she must face her own past and discover the deepest secrets of the victims – and the killer.

 

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the blog tour. I reviewed a pre-ordered purchased copy.

 

I make no secret of the fact I love Scottish crime thrillers and I leapt at the chance of joining the See Them Run blog tour. I am so glad I did and that I didn’t let this book sit too long in my TBR pile!  Marion Todd introduces DI Clare Mackay – a Glasgow cop who has left the big city and headed East to switch coasts to take up a new position in St Andrews.  I got totally caught up in this one and I love when I lose myself to a story.

Now I hold Glasgow very close to my heart (and after visiting their university I turned down the chance to study at St Andrews) so my first thought was “Why would Clare make that move?” But she has a very good reason to relocate as Clare is trying to get a fresh start. The reason for her move is brought out as the story unfolds and Marion Todd builds up Clare’s back story in a steady stream of nicely paced reveals. DI Mackay is one of the more memorable and likeable lead characters I have encountered of late.

I am jumping ahead – you can’t have a good crime thriller without a crime or two to investigate. See Them Run opens at the end of a Scottish wedding.  The band are pulling up the dancers to join in the Orcadian Strip The Willow (a real crowd pleaser) but Andy Robb doesn’t fancy it.  His wife is dragging up a stranger to dance with her so Andy is free to ponder who may have just sent him a flirty text message.  The messages continue and Andy is lured out into the night – as a man with an eye for the ladies this is not an opportunity he can miss.  Sadly his murderer will not miss either and Andy is plowed down by an onrushing car.

DI Mackay is called to investigate – there can be no doubt that Andy is dead but the police cannot work out why a white card with a number 5 written on it is sitting on his body. Before too long there is a second death and a card with number 4.  The connection between the deaths cannot be ignored but there is no obvious connection between the victims.  Clare and her colleagues will have their work cut out and we get to join their investigation as they race against time to try and prevent further deaths.

Marion Todd has written an engrossing and cleverly plotted thriller. I am a big fan of police procedurals and I loved that I got to follow Clare’s investigation without having too much knowledge of who the killer may be or what motivated them. By the time I had reached the endgame I was in a story I could not have anticipated after the first few opening chapters.

Strong start for DI Mackay and I hope to have the chance to pick up her next outing very soon – if it is even half as good as See Them Run then I will be in for a treat.

 

See Them Run is published by Canelo and is available now in digital and paperback format.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07X6GLQ3Q/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 3

Ghoster – Jason Arnopp

Kate Collins has been ghosted.

She was supposed to be moving in with her new boyfriend Scott, but all she finds after relocating to Brighton is an empty flat. Scott has vanished. His possessions have all disappeared.

Except for his mobile phone.

Kate knows she shouldn’t hack into Scott’s phone. She shouldn’t look at his Tinder, his texts, his social media. But she can’t quite help herself.

That’s when the trouble starts. Strange, whispering phone calls from numbers she doesn’t recognise. Scratch marks on the door that she can’t explain.

And the growing feeling that she’s being watched . . .

 

My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the blog tour and to Orbit for my review copy.

 

Ghoster is the most impressive contemporary horror tale I have read. It also seamlessly blends the traditional themes of a strong horror tale, loss, isolation, obsession, terror and paranoia and drops it into a modern day tale with social media, smart phones and our societies expectations. Clever, chilling stuff.

Kate Collins is looking for her soul mate. On Valentines Day she is browsing Tinder looking for possible matches when one profile picture leaps out at her. This guy has a handsome but vulnerable look and Kate feels an immediate connection.  She clicks on the super-like and waits. And waits. But when she gets a like back it is not from the guy she clicked on. Instead she ends up with a disasterous match which subsequently forces her off social media.

In a bid to purge her obsessive online fascination with her ex-boyfriend’s activities Kate books into a weekend retreat digital detox clinic. Also booked onto this course is Scott, the handsome guy she had Super Liked on Tinder.  He doesn’t recognise her, why would he? But Kate certainly recognised him and over the weekend the pair find themselves drawn together and they seem to click.

Moving forward a few months and Kate is leaving Yorkshire to move to Brighton where she is moving into Scott’s house. She has given up her paramedic’s role in Leeds and making full commitment to their deepening relationship. So imagine her horror in arriving at Scott’s house to find it entirely empty.  No Scott, no furniture and no indication as to where he may have gone.  Scott has totally vanished. Is he Ghosting her?  Is he dead?  Has she been dumped or is she the victim of an elaborate hoax?  Kate’s life is in turmoil and she has no idea where to turn. The only clue she may have is that Scott’s mobile phone is found hidden outside his flat on his balcony.  Can Kate somehow piece together the life Scott was leading while she was still in Leeds?

Narrative swings between the current day as Kate tries to juggle her investigations and her new job in the Brighton paramedic team and then back to six months earlier as we read how Kate and Scott’s relationship grew while they spent time together.

Kate goes through an emotional wringer and she makes some shocking discoveries about the man she thought she knew but seemingly massively misjudged.  Kate needs to know the truth and her quest to uncover Scott’s secrets threaten everything she holds dear. But where is Scott?

I was kept guessing on Ghoster and at times I wasn’t even sure I was reading a horror tale. Well until a ghost appeared that it. Kate’s story was one of loss and personal drama but where does the horror lie?  Everywhere. And at times it is so normal I didn’t even see it for what it was.

This is sublime, clever and chilling writing. Ghoster is a modern horror classic. If you love this genre then you need to read this book.

 

Ghoster is published by Orbit Books  and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06X3V9VSX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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October 28

Impostor – L J Ross (Audiobook Blog Tour)

I am thrilled to have something rather special to share today. I am hosting the 5th leg of the audiobook blog tour for Impostor – the first book in the new Dr Alexander Gregory series from author LJ Ross.

As it is the audiobook blog tour I have an extract from Impostor for you to listen to…keep reading it is a little further down the page.  Narration duties are in the extremely capable hands of Hugh Dancy, British actor and star of the critically acclaimed NBC series Hannibal. 

Before I get to the audio clip it would be helpful to know what Impostor is about:

There’s a killer inside all of us…

After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.

In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Irish landscape.

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Sounds terrific and you can also get to hear how good it sounds. Once you have listened to the extract below, I have also got a chance for one lucky reader to win a copy of Impostor on audiobook on release day – 31 October 2019.  All you have to do to enter the competition is like and comment on my review tweet over on Twitter.  I shall pin the review at @grabthisbook to make it easy to find.

Now to the story.

Love it!   If you want to hear more of the story then follow the blog tour from start to finish:

Impostor is published on 31 October and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XYFLBVD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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