February 26

The Playing Card Killer – Russell James

Brian Sheridan may be losing his mind.

Asleep, he’s plagued by dreams of murder, women strangled with a red velvet rope then left with a playing card tucked in the corpse. While awake, he’s hallucinating that he’s being stalked by a man painted like a skeleton. It’s getting hard to know what’s real. He hopes all this is driven by his cold turkey withdrawal from a lifetime of anti-anxiety medications.

But when one of his nightmare’s victims shows up on the news, dead, Brian fears he himself may be the unwitting killer…

 

I received a copy from the publishers so I could join the blog tour and provide a review. My thanks to Anne at Random Things tours for the opportunity to participate.

 

My previous experience of Flame Tree Press books have been of horror tales and ghost stories.  The Playing Card Killer is a crime thriller, an engaging murder mystery story.

The principle protagonist is Brian Sheridan. He is going to experience some unpleasant and vivid dreams which will determine how events in The Playing Card Killer will play out.  Unfortunately Brian does not know this so when we meet him at the start of the novel he is making the important (if misguided) decision to stop taking his medication.  Brian’s girlfriend Daniela has made it clear to him that if he doesn’t take his meds then she will not stick around – but Brian knows best and wants the fog removed from his brain so he can think for himself.  Yup all the warning signs are there and it is not too long before Brian’s decision comes back to haunt him.

Remember those dreams I mentioned?  Brian is having very real dreams about murders. He hopes they are dreams. He is sure they are dreams. But how can he know so much about these deaths and visualise them so clearly when they are occurring in places he has never been yet can describe perfectly?  When one of the deaths from Brian’s dream becomes a real news story Brian begins to question his sanity even further – could he be killing strangers in his sleep?

Russell James sets up the reader nicely for this solid detective thriller.  Once it is clear there are real-life murders to be investigated the cops enter the tale. A great “good cop/bad cop” combo entertained me here.  The two are not partnered, the good cop is exactly that – a determined and focused detective in pursuit of the truth (and a killer).  The bad cop is a schmuck. He takes the easy route, steals credit for other people’s work and we know not to like him.  The dynamic and the squad-room competitiveness added a nice layer of detail to the story.

To share too much more detail about Brian’s problems would be to share too many spoilers. So that isn’t going to happen.  What I can share is that The Playing Card Killer was a fun read which I enjoyed over a couple of days. Russell James has a nice writing style which kept the pace of the story nipping along without any dips or excessive padding. Keep the story going and you will keep me happy while I read – job done!

The real test of a good story is to ask myself if I would pass the book to friends for them to enjoy…in this case I certainly would.  And I know they would enjoy it.

 

The Playing Card Killer is published by Flame Tree Press and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Killer-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B07L9JWH94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1551128200&sr=8-1&keywords=the+playing+card+killer

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November 20

Stoned Love – Ian Patrick

Detective Sergeant Sam Batford has been lying low at a remote safe house in the highlands of Scotland. He’s doing his best not to attract the attention of the enemies he made, on both sides of the law, during his last under-cover operation but Batford knows he’s just killing time.

Inevitably the sharks begin to circle and as Batford is called back to front-line action in London he’s thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse where it seems everyone is out to get him.

After having to endure a frustrating resolution to their previous undercover operation together DCI Klara Winter from the National Crime Agency is determined to prove that Batford has crossed the line into criminality and finally bring him to face justice.

All Sam Batford wants is to outwit his enemies long enough to stay alive and come out ahead of the game.

My thanks to Kelly at Love Books Group for the chance to join the blog tour.

 

After an outstanding debut appearance in Rubicon, Sam Batford returns for another outing in Ian Patrick’s Stoned Love. Another ripper lies ahead.

Batford has been hiding out in the Scottish Highlands, a terrific place to keep off radar. Events in Rubicon have made life tricky for Batford – he needs to lay low and shift some of the drugs he stole when we last met him.  But his escape to the country will be short lived as he is summoned back to London to take on a new assignment.

We are thrust straight into the action.  As Sam makes his way South he realises he is being followed and a pursuit through Edinbugh ensues. Ian Patrick writes a good chase scene and I felt the tension of Sam’s plight as I followed his dodging and weaving through the city.

On eventual arrival in London we see Batford being thrown back onto the front line. A new undercover assignment awaits and the chance for another profitable venture if he can pull it off. However there are dangers awaiting.  A contract on his life for crossing a drug dealer. His own police force have suspicion Sam is not being entirely honest with them. Plus Sam is haunted by ghosts from his past.

Keeping one step ahead of everyone around him will be a huge strain on Sam. Reading about Sam trying to keep one step ahead of everyone is extremely entertaining.  Once again Ian Patrick delivers an edge of your seat adventure – this is a terrific story and I highly recommend it to anyone that has ever enjoyed an action adventure tale.

More stories like this would be most welcome, this is a good’un.

 

 

Stoned Love is published by Fahrenheit Press and is available in paperback and digital format here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_stoned_love.html

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April 4

Pond Scum – Michael Lilly

My name is Jeremy Thorn, and I’m a serial killer.

Jeremy ‘Remy’ Thorn is a detective from a small town in Oregon. He does his job well and keeps to himself. A past of trauma and abuse, and a compulsive need for balance have shaped him into the person he is today: a decisive, effective killer. His routine is simple but trustworthy. Step one: Find two targets. The first, an abomination of a human being whose only contribution to the world is as fertilizer. The second, a detriment to society, perhaps a sidekick or accessory. Step two: Kill the first. Frame the second. Easy.

After his latest, and most personal kill, all seems to be going well. He makes it home by morning and continues with his plan as normal, with each perfectly timed maneuver all mapped out. But to his horror, he finds that the man he was trying to frame—a hotshot detective from a major nearby city—has been called in to work the case. And what’s worse … he’s privy to the truth.

 

My thanks to Sarah at Vulpine Press for my review copy

Remy is a serial killer. He selects his victims carefully, identify a bad guy…kill him. Then plan evidence which will implicate a second bad guy – two birds with one stone and this leaves Remy free to repeat the process in future. Being a cop means Remy knows what the investigators will be looking for and it helps him keep one step ahead of trouble.

As we join events in Pond Scum Remy has just killed his latest victim. However, this time it has been a very personal murder as Remy has killed his own father.

The murder appears totally justified as Remy’s father subjected him to years of abuse and his crimes were not restricted to the torment of Remy. Remy’s father shared and distributed child pornography over a long number of years and was instrumental in the prolonged abuse of many innocents.

Remy frames another cop who was aiding his father, however, Remy’s plans are about to come unstuck as the cop he is trying to frame is put in charge of finding who murdered Remy’s father. It is also very apparent to Remy that he knows full well who is responsible for the murder. A high-stakes game is about to begin and neither man can afford to lose.

Pond Scum is gripping reading. Remy should not be a likeable character given his secret hobby, however, readers cannot help but root for the killer on this occasion and Michael Lilly does a brilliant job of balancing the potential ethical dilemma, we want the least bad bad guy to win.   Unfortunately Remy is not going to get everything all his own way.

In a tense drama I always enjoy a few lighter scenes to lift the tension. Happily Pond Scum has the perfect sparring partner for Remy – his partner Beth…a cop who takes no nonsense and will keep Remy “honest”as he struggles to keep himself safe from unknown enemies.

Nice twist to the serial killer/cop story and Pond Scum is definitely one to look out for.

 

Pond Scum is published by Vulpine Press and can be ordered in paperback or digital format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pond-Scum-Darkthorn-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0784XWXCC/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522531696&sr=1-2

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