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Dead Ground – M. W. Craven

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

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

I received a review copy from the publisher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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May 17

Come Closer – Sara Gran

There was no reason to assume anything out of the ordinary was going on.

Strange noises in the apartment.

Impulsive behaviour.

Intense dreams.

It wasn’t like everything went wrong all at once.

Shoplifting.

Fighting.

Blackouts.

There must be a reasonable explanation for all this.

I received a review copy through Netgalley from the publisher

This came highly recommended by fellow blogger Liz, at Liz Loves Books, who tweeted that this was genuinely creepy and unsettling. If Liz was unsettled by a book then I wanted to read it. Having zipped through Come Closer in a day (it’s a horror novella) I fully understand why Liz flagged up the unsettling nature of this one, it’s a disturbing tale of demonic possession.

It is Amanda’s story. We first see her handing a piece of work to her boss except the submission contains some personal insults about her boss which most definitely were not in the draft which Amanda prepared. Amanda is horrified that someone would try to prank her in such a mean way and quickly defuses the situation by printing a fresh copy of her report which is insult free. Her boss accepts someone had been mucking about and order is restored but Amanda cannot help but concede to herself that the insults were a good reflection on how she felt about her boss.

First signs of trouble and disharmony are in place and mysterious incidents are going to quickly follow. In their appartment Amanda and her husband Ed hear a tapping noise. It’s irritating, untracable and goes on for weeks. Amanda hears it when she is home alone. Ed didn’t hear it when he was home alone. The noise comes and goes, no pattern and no routine just an irritating tapping.

Amanda begins to have strange dreams. The dreams are intense and vivid and the reader begins to see a lack of focus in Amanda’s daily life. The readers see how Amanda’s grip is starting to slip away from her. Through some fun wee plot devices the author introduces the possibility to Amanda that she may be possessed, but she rejects the notion – initially.

Come Closer is a close-up look at the main character of a story losing everything. As I mentioned, this is a novella, so I flew through the book in a single day – aided by the fact I had more time that usual that day to get some reading done. But once Amanda’s life starts to go off the rails I just wanted to keep reading. Everything happening to her (and the things she was happening to) were compulsive reading and I wanted to know how she was going to get herself out of the mess she was in. Then I began to wonder IF she would get out of the mess she was in. It is slick writing from Sara Gran which keeps you hooked and although it’s not a long book it packs a very effective punch.

Come Closer is published on 1 June 2021 by Faber and Faber. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/come-closer/sara-gran/9780571355556

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April 28

Geiger – Gustaf Skördeman

The landline rings as Agneta is waving off her grandchildren. Just one word comes out of the receiver: ‘Geiger’.

For decades, Agneta has always known that this moment would come, but she is shaken. She knows what it means.

Retrieving her weapon from its hiding place, she attaches the silencer and creeps up behind her husband before pressing the barrel to his temple.

Then she squeezes the trigger and disappears – leaving behind her wallet and keys.

The extraordinary murder is not Sara Nowak’s case. But she was once close to those affected and, defying regulations, she joins the investigation. What Sara doesn’t know is that the mysterious codeword is just the first piece in the puzzle of an intricate and devastating plot fifty years in the making . . .

My thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to join the Geiger Blog Tour and to the publishers for my review copy.

My introduction to Geiger was a powerful promotional tease. A woman waves goodbye to her visiting family, takes a phonecall on which a single word is spoken”Geiger”. She then retrives a hidden pistol and executes her husband. How could you not want to know what followed that?

When you pick up Geiger that tease happens right at the start of the book. The story opens with the end of a family holiday where the grandchildren had been staying with Grandma Agneta and Grandpa Stellan. The grandchildren’s parents have been on holiday but now return to see their parents and recover their children. A happy family gathering where Grandpa Stellan shows off his garden and all his plants and Grandma Agneta tries to keep a degree of calm amongst the brood of grandchildren before they are packed into cars and the holiday ends. As the families depart and goodbye’s are waved that phone call takes place. Grandma Agneta answers and shortly after she steps up behind Grandpa Stellan and shoots him in the back of the head.

Agneta goes on the run. Many years earlier she had a handler, a contact who ensured she had access to an untraceable car, money and another weapon. What prompted this shocking turn of events? The police will initially be stumped. Grandpa Stellan is famously known across Sweden as Uncle Stellan. He was one of Swedish televisions most beloved faces, for years he had been a reliable and safe pair of hands and everyone in Sweden knew and loved Stellan. His murder will cause shockwaves through the country. The disappearance of his wife, Agneta, is the most worrying element for the police – was she kidnapped, is she running for her life or has she been killed and her body hidden? It certainly does not occur to them that Agneta may have been responsible.

Sara Nowak is a Swedish police officer. She works to prevent prostitution, attacks on working women and to stop the men who are exploiting vulnerable women and working as their pimps. Sara struggles to supress her anger when she sees men abusing the women she is trying to protect. Men being arrested are fair game to a kick or a punch from Sara and it is causing problems with her colleague. Sara has just arrested a man for beating a prostitute when the call comes through about Uncle Stellan. As a child Sara had grown up with Stellan and Agneta and she had played with their daughters – Sara’s mother had been the cleaner for the family. Sara rushes to the crime scene intent on being part of the investigation.

From this point on Sara relentlessly pursues the truth behind the family she grew up with. She uncovers a hidden life for Uncle Stellan who appears to have been deeply sympathetic to the East German political approach and there are strong links to the Stasi. His political leanings are just the tip of the iceberg though and Sara will unearth more and more shocking information about the family she clearly did not know as well as she thought.

Dividing her time between official investigations into attacks on the working girls in Sweden and the digging she is doing into Stellan’s disappearance we see Sara stretched and worn down by events. She enlists help from journalists, other police and even the security services will try to tap her for information – Sara will need some quid-pro-quo on that front.

There’s a lot to take in with Geiger. It’s a police drama with a lot of espionage and terrorism elements in there too. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a spy thriller, a police drama and everyone that likes a great story – be warned, however, there are some potentially upsetting elements too best described in a non-spoilery way as “exploitation”.

Well worth hunting this one down – powerful drama.

Geiger is published by Zaffre on 29 April 2021 and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here:

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April 10

The Plague Letters – V.L. Valentine

WHO WOULD MURDER THE DYING…

London, 1665. Hidden within the growing pile of corpses in his churchyard, Rector Symon Patrick discovers a victim of the pestilence unlike any he has seen before: a young woman with a shorn head, covered in burns, and with pieces of twine delicately tied around each wrist and ankle.

Desperate to discover the culprit, Symon joins a society of eccentric medical men who have gathered to find a cure for the plague. Someone is performing terrible experiments upon the dying, hiding their bodies amongst the hundreds that fill the death carts.

Only Penelope – a new and mysterious addition to Symon’s household – may have the skill to find the killer. Far more than what she appears, she is already on the hunt. But the dark presence that enters the houses of the sick will not stop, and has no mercy…

My thanks to Fiona Willis at Viper Books for the chance to join the blog tour for The Plague Letters. I reviewed a Netgalley copy of the book which was provided by the publishers.

London is a city in lockdown, it is 1665 and the advice is to restrict movement and stay home. A deadly disease is spreading through the city and there are countless deaths which the medial profession are unable to cure but are frantically trying to find ways to ease suffering. A Plague Society has gained a few notable members but the extent of their success is not apparent and Rector Symon even questions (to himself) what methods they are using to conduct their research.

I mention Symon as he is one of the key players in our tale. A man of faith and someone that is coming into frequent contact with the dead as the bodies are brought for blessing and burial. In the midst of the bodies arriving at his church there is one girl who has died with her hair cropped off, burns on her body and her hands and ankles bound with twine.

Symon is a man with distractions. He is being pestered to release some of the corpses which have come to him for burial to the self-proclaimed scientists. He is also obsessed with a married woman – the Lady Elizabeth. Her name crops into his sermons and the two have a steady correspondence by letter Symon travels to visit Elizabeth at her home but finds others also in her company and their relationship seems rather cool in person.

Trying to focus Symon’s attention to the very real problem of missing girls in London is a strange soul – Penelope. She appears something of an urchin, unkempt, displaced in the city and often subject of sharp comments regarding her appearance. Yet she manages to make a place for herself in Symon’s household and is doing what she can to make him forget his obsession with Elizabeth and concentrate on the increasing number of bodies which arrive at the church with hair missing and twine binding the hands and ankles. Penelope is trying to make Symon see that a killer is active in the city but will she have any success in getting him to listen to her warnings?

Through the book the story is punctuated by a wonderful use of city maps which show the spread and devastation of the plague. This was slighly impacted on my digital copy as the Kindle didn’t reflect the red colouring which grows from map to map showing the increased coverage of the disease. In a hardback, physical, copy I have no doubt these maps will look glorious. I seldom advocate a perference of physical/digial or audiobook but in this case I make a rare exception and only for aesthetic reasons.

The Plague Letters is a cracking period thriller. If historical crime is your thing then you absolutely must seek this one out. As someone who only dabbles with historic stories it took me a little longer than I would have liked to adjust to the narrative style and the (excellent) depiction of 1660’s London life. Once I was into the rhythm of the language my initial hesitance faded away and I grew into the story as the world built up around me. I clearly need to read outwith my comfort zone more than I do at present – The Plague Letters was extremely good fun to read with pleasing surprises and more than a few villianous players to raise my suspicions.

The Plague Letters is published by Viper Books and is available in Hardback and Digital verisions. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FNPM7ZC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 1

The April Dead – Alan Parks

NO ONE WILL FORGET . . .

In a grimy flat in Glasgow, a homemade bomb explodes, leaving few remains to identify its maker.

Detective Harry McCoy knows in his gut that there’ll be more to follow. The hunt for a missing sailor from the local US naval base leads him to the secretive group behind the bomb, and their disturbing, dominating leader.

On top of that, McCoy thinks he’s doing an old friend a favour when he passes on a warning, but instead he’s pulled into a vicious gang feud. And in the meantime, there’s word another bigger explosion is coming Glasgow’s way – so if the city is to survive, it’ll take everything McCoy’s got . . .

My thanks to Jamie at Canongate for a review copy of The April Dead and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the oppourtunity to host this leg of the tour.

Harry McCoy is the new name to add to the list of Scotland’s Best Fictional Coppers. His city is Glasgow and The April Dead takes us to 1974 – a full decade before Taggart became known as “Scottish For Murder.”

This book opens with a bang – literally. A homemade bomb has blown up in a rundown house in a quiet part of town. It looks like the bomb-maker made one final mistake at the wrong moment. McCoy isn’t good with blood so being asked to investiate a death where the victim is spread around a room really isn’t the best way for him to begin his day.

Before too long McCoy will be spinning more than one plate and finding himself in another unwelcome position. As ever, one of the key elements which bring these predicaments is is oldest friend Stevie Cooper – recently released from Peterhead prison and back in town to re-establish himself as the big noise with a finger in every pie. McCoy’s friendship with Cooper, one of Glasgows biggest criminals, is always problematic but never more so when Cooper is arrested for murder by McCoy’s young apprentice Wattie.

It seems the clumsy bombmaker may not have been working alone as there are further incidents around the city and McCoy finds he is relying upon the skills of a colleague who transferred from Northern Ireland. His experience of dealing with the aftermath of IRA bombs across the Irish Sea has given him unwelcome knowledge of different bombs and the destruction they can cause. In the mid-1970s the IRA were starting to make their presence felt on the mainland UK and unfortunately for McCoy he appears to be drawing attention to himself and being noticed by the wrong type of people.

With regular sidekick Wattie spending some of his time dealing with his new paternal responsibilities we see McCoy using some of his personal time trying to help out a retired American naval captain. His son (also a sailor) has gone missing in Glasgow and Capitan Stewart has travelled to Scotland to try and trace him. He is reliant upon McCoy’s support and McCoy appears happy to spend time with Stewart and help him to find the missing boy. However, it seems Stewart junior may have fallen in with a bad crowd and McCoy is certain there are elements of his life which his father knows nothing about. Diplomacy isn’t really McCoy’s strength so digging into possible criminal activities while keeping Captain Stewart in the dark is just another challenge for McCoy.

As with the earlier Harry McCoy novels I find the author’s depictions of Glasgow, as she was, to be mesmerising. It’s a familiar city in unfamiliar coat. McCoy knows his home and he knows many of the undesirable characters who live within but he moves around and spins those plates and by shaking up the right people and knowing the questions to ask he begins to make progress. The bombings are a clear and present threat and there are too many young military types cropping up in the investigation for McCoy’s liking. Alan Parks keeps the reader hooked with multiple events and threads and you know that when the book reaches the endgame lots of those threads are going to be connected – but which ones?

I make no secret of the fact I adore the Harry McCoy series. I recommend them above many other crime books and each new release brings increasing levels of anticipation. The April Dead did not disappoint – if I did “starred” reviews it would be a nailed on Five Star recommendation. I know you have a TBR which is taking over your house but you need to be reading these books. So read them. No excuses.

The April Dead is published by Canongate Books and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook fomat. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08H2BQR1T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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February 16

Deity – Matt Wesolowski

A shamed pop star
A devastating fire
Six witnesses
Six stories
Which one is true?

When pop megastar Zach Crystal dies in a fire at his remote mansion, his mysterious demise rips open the bitter divide between those who adored his music and his endless charity work, and those who viewed him as a despicable predator, who manipulated and abused young and vulnerable girls.

Online journalist, Scott King, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation, investigates the accusations of sexual abuse and murder that were levelled at Crystal before he died. But as Scott begins to ask questions and rake over old graves, some startling inconsistencies emerge: Was the fire at Crystal’s remote home really an accident? Are reports of a haunting really true? Why was he never officially charged?

Dark, chillingly topical and deeply thought-provoking, Deity is both an explosive thriller and a startling look at how heroes can fall from grace and why we turn a blind eye to even the most heinous of crimes…

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy of Deity. Thanks also to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Deity Blog tour.

Six Stories. A phenomonal concept and Matt Wesolowski just seems to deliver chills and tension every single time. With Deity we are concentrating on Zach Crystal, a musician who reached the very top at a young age and lived a mysterious and controversial lifestyle before tragedy struck and he died in a fire at on his remote country estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Scott King is a podcast host who in each of the four previous Wesolowski novels has conducted interviews with six guests in a bid to cast light on mysteries, murders or strange phenomonon. The story telling is always wonderfully layered and the salient points to each story will not be immediately obvious to the reader until Scott King himself draws your attention back to they key revelations which can turn your understanding of a narrative on its head.

Deity is no different. Six interviews with six people to understand better the complex and controversial superstar Zach Crystal. The first story makes it quite clear where the headline controvosy will be found. King interviews a man who alleges Crystal was active in an internet chatroom trying to arrange a meet with a 12 year old girl (Crystal at this time was in his mid 40s). Throughout his career Crystal has spent time with young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds at his remote Highland home. “Entirely innocent” he always maintained and there was never any real traction behind the few stories which cast doubt on his assurances of innocence.

The reason the stories never amounted to anything, King’s first guest asserts, is that King employed a team of hostile investigators who would shut down any rumour or story before it could manifest itself into anything more substantiated. No proof, no story. But Crystal cannot hide from all bad press and when two young girls are found dead (it is alleged in mysterious circumstances) on the grounds of his Highland Estate it has to be acknowledged that his extensive security staff could not have done anything to prevent the unfortunate death in the inhospitable environment of the Cairngorms. It is also worth mentioning that Crystal has bought land and settled in a notoriously dangerous part of the mountains and local legend tells of dangers in the Whispering Woods and Crystal tells of seeing a cadaverous wild animal which stands tall and has flesh hanging from the skull under a wild antlered head.

Crystal himself chooses to wear antlers and often masks his face when performing so the link to the mysterious creature is a fascination for the reader. It also makes Crystal seem even more of an odd character.

The accusations against Crystal which were laid out by King’s first guest are firmly shut down by his second guest. A YouTube star who is a devoted fan of Zach Crystal, has spent time in his company and on his Estate, and who believes all the stories of inappropriate behaviour with minors is just women seeking to cash in on the deceased star now that he cannot defend himself. This guest turns the story of the the first guest on its head. Although the reader may not like what they are hearing about Crystal (he does come across as a total bampot) it cannot be taken for granted he is guilty of the allegations which follow him around.

Through four more guests we strip back some of the mystery surrounding Crystal. Did he deserve to die? Was he a troubled individual – thrust into fame too young and with no social skills to survive in the entertainment industry? Why did he always have to take groups of vulnerable underage girls to his home? It does make for uncomfortable reading and I never shook the feeling that Crystal was a dangerous individual, so why are his defenders so determined to protest his innocence?

One unexpected development was the return of a character from an earlier novel. No spoilers but I found this a nice touch for returning readers but the appearance of this character will not leave new readers baffled as their involvement is very different. One other surprise was that the story is set, in part, in Inverness and surrounding areas (one interview takes place in Aviemore). I grew up in the Inverness area. When you live in London you probably don’t bat an eye if you pick up a book and find the story is set in your home town – if you live in Inverness this is much more of a novelty and it certainly brought a smile or two as I was reading.

Deity is the fifth book in the Six Stories series. I own all the earlier books in audiobook, paperback and in digital format – I am a bit of a fan. It is a tough call but I think Deity may be my favourite of the five books. I think the complexity of Crystal and the frustration King encounters in trying to find tangible proof around any of the rumours linked to the star make this the most complex of books in the series. Kings podcasts assert they are not to uncover the truth or reach a conclusion but to present more facts to allow listeners to make their own judgement – the reader is doing this here to a greater degree than other books.

If you are new to the series you can read the Six Stories books in any order – I envy you the hours of enjoyment they will bring you. If you are a returning reader you can be assured Deity is a triumph.

Deity is published by Orenda Books and is currently available in paperback and digital version. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08D6J458T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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November 24

Sins of the Father – Sharon Bairden

Lucas Findlay thinks he has struck gold when he marries Rebecca, but she married him for one reason only – to destroy him.

TRAUMA RUNS DEEP

When her past comes back to haunt her, Rebecca begins to disconnect from herself and the world around her. As secrets are unearthed, she begins to fear for her sanity… and her life.

TRUTH WILL OUT

With her world unravelling around her, Rebecca clings to her determination to make Lucas pay, whatever the cost.

FORGIVE HIS SINS

But someone must pay for the sins of the father…

My thanks to Meggy at Red Dog Press for my review copy and for the opportunity to join the blog tour for Sins of the Father.

Stand down cozy crime fans this one isn’t for you I am afraid. Sins of the Father is very much a dark and gritty story which tackles (amongst other things) domestic abuse, mental illness, murder and child abuse.

Still with me? Good you should be as Sharon Bairden has delivered a powerful debut which takes an unflinching look at some of societies darker secrets and wrapped a story of betrayal and revenge around them.

The focus of the story is Rebecca. The first quarter of the book introduces the reader to her world and shows how Rebecca had always been a bit different – from a young age she could hear voices in her head who would try to take over from Rebecca and guide her to say or do things which she may not normally have considered. The strongest of these voices was Samantha and Rebecca would often speak directly to her – essentially arguing with herself and allowing the reader to understand Rebecca’s conflicts.

Life isn’t easy for Rebecca, initially living alone with her mum the pair are close and determined to take on the world. Unfortunately for Rebecca her mother makes a new friend and starts to lose interest in her daughter, drink and drugs take over and soon a string of strangers will be at Rebecca’s home looking for time with her mother…and subsequently with Rebecca. The young vulnerable girl becomes too easy prey.

All too late the authorities catch up with what has been happening and Rebecca concludes her childhood in care and foster homes. She is a shell of her former self and seemingly irrevocably damaged.

Yet we spin forward a few years and Rebecca has her demons mainly under control. She is a successful player in Glasgow’s charity sector and has married Lucas, a fellow charity worker. The pair appear happy but behind closed doors this is a badly damaged coupling and there is much more to this marriage than anybody would have thought possible.

But Lucas and Rebecca have bigger problems, even if they don’t know it yet. Someone is watching. Someone who has been waiting for an opportunity to right a wrong and someone who wants revenge. It may be too late for Lucas and Rebecca – is their world about to collapse around them?

Powerful, emotive and dark – this is one hell of a debut.

Sins of the Father will be published by Red Dog Press on 27 November 2020 and will be available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B088HGYLFF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 5

The Law Of Innocence – Michael Connelly

THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE OF HIS LIFE.
ONLY THIS TIME THE DEFENDANT IS HIMSELF.

“The law of innocence is unwritten. It will not be found in a leather-bound code book. It will never be argued in a courtroom. In nature, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the law of innocence, for every man not guilty of a crime there is a man out there who is. And to prove true innocence the guilty man must be found and exposed to the world.”

* * * * *

Heading home after winning his latest case, defense attorney Mickey Haller – The Lincoln Lawyer – is pulled over by the police. They open the trunk of his car to find the body of a former client.

Haller knows the law inside out. He will be charged with murder. He will have to build his case from behind bars. And the trial will be the trial of his life.

Because Mickey Haller will defend himself in court.

With watertight evidence stacked against him, Haller will need every trick in the book to prove he was framed.

But a not-guilty verdict isn’t enough. In order to truly walk free, Haller knows he must find the real killer – that is the law of innocence…

I received a review copy of The Law of Innocence from Orion through Netgalley. I would also like to thank Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to join this blog tour.

There are a lot of Michael Connelly books. As a fan I consider this to be a very good thing, my relationship with Connelly’s characters has been developed and nurtured over many books and many years. So when I discovered The Law of Innocence was a Mickey Haller story my anticipation heightened. Haller is The Lincoln Lawyer and this suggested a courtroom drama was heading our way.

Not just any courtroom drama – a huge drama as it is Haller himself that is the accused. Of murder. And despite knowing he is innocent Haller will need to be at the very best of his game to ensure he can also convince a jury of his innocence. Who else is at the very best of his game? Michael Connelly is too as The Law of Innocence is one of his best yet (possibly even THE best).

If you enjoy a courtroom drama then The Law of Innocence is your essential read – I can’t think of a legal thriller I have enjoyed more. Haller is everywhere in this story and we see everything unfold as he does. From the point he is arrested to the time he spends in jail awaiting a bail hearing we are there experiencing Haller’s predicament with him.

Connelly has crafted this so well. Readers get to see Haller and his team building his defence. The frustration at tricks which the prosecution will pull to hamper his case. We will cheer when the judge reprimands the prosecuting attorney and laugh as Haller scores points at their mis-steps. You cannot help become anything but wholly immersed in this story.

As the case draws closer Haller and his team begin to peel back layers of lies and secrets which suggest Haller has been unwittingly dragged into something far bigger than he originally anticipated. For someone Haller is a useful and expendable distraction. If he gets too close to the truth then Haller cannot be allowed the opportunity to take the stand and present his defence…now it is not just his freedom which is at risk.

The Law of Innocence breezes straight onto my Best of 2020 selections – few books are more befitting of the title “page turner”.

Loved it.

The Law of Innocence will be published by Orion on 10 November 2020. It will be available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087ZCX3CD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

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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

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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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