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Scared to Death – Rachel Amphlett

“If you want to see your daughter alive again, listen carefully.”

When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong.

But Detective Kay Hunter isn’t convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession.

When a second schoolgirl is taken, Kay’s worst fears are realised.

With her career in jeopardy and desperate to conceal a disturbing secret, Kay’s hunt for the killer becomes a race against time before he claims another life.

For the killer, the game has only just begun…

Rachel Amphlett has just released the 5th Kay Hunter book (Call to Arms) and I have already seen some cracking reviews for it already from my fellow bloggers. Expect to see a review here in due course too as this is a series I really enjoy.

But what if you don’t want to jump into a series at book 5? Many readers (myself included) prefer to join a series at the first book and watch the characters develop. So I am jumping back in the Kay Hunter timeline to review Scared to Death, the first book and where the fun begins.

Not that there is much fun to be found for Kay as we start Scared to Death. A kidnapped girl, two distressed parents who have paid the ransom and not told the Police of the family plight and the shadow of an incident at work which Kay is trying to move on from. That’s just her work life – at home there has been a significant incident which Kay cannot just brush off and it is fascinating watching how she reconciles work pressure with home anxieties.

Unfortunately the recovery of the kidnapped girl ends in tragedy – it seems the kidnapper (now a killer) had no intention of letting the girl survive and she was held in a perilous location from which she could not have expected to be saved. The motivation behind this cruel stunt becomes clear as the story unfolds and it made for an intriguing twist for the reader, making it clear that Kay and her colleagues would have their work cut out.

Having read several of Rachel Amphlett’s books I knew that Scared to Death would be a story I enjoyed – I was not disappointed. What lifted the enjoyment was the fact I “read” it as an audiobook – so technically Alison Campbell read Scared to Death and I just got to listen in. The narration was brilliantly done – some audiobooks I will pass on when I don’t enjoy the narrators style – but Alison Campbell nailed this for me and I will now likely join her again for Call to Arms (book 5) rather than read it myself again.

In short, if you have yet to read Rachel’s brilliant Kay Hunter series then you are missing out. Scared to Death is the easy starting point but all the books can be read as stand alone. If you like an audiobook then you can’t go wrong with this offering, great story, terrific reader and more of the same to follow.

Scared to Death is available in digital, paperback and audiobook. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scared-Death-Detective-detective-thriller-ebook/dp/B01N9DS5NG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Category: 5* Reviews, Audiobook, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

November 19

Hell to Pay – Rachel Amphlett

When a road traffic accident on a dark autumn night uncovers a disturbing conspiracy, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter’s investigation exposes a ruthless serial killer exploiting vulnerable young women.

With her enemies unmasked and her career spiralling out of control, Kay’s determination to seek vengeance for the victims brings her dangerously close to those who want to silence her.

Undeterred, she uncovers the real reason behind a plot to destroy her career and sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.

Could Kay’s need for revenge be her undoing, or will she survive to see justice served?

My thanks to Emma Mitchell for the chance to join the blog tour.

Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter is back in a 4th outing. She has had a rough time in the previous books (not that it is essential to have read them) but in Hell to Pay she will come directly up against Josef Demiri – the man behind much of her pain.

Hell to Pay has a great opening sequence. Called to a traffic incident Hunter finds that what may have been a simple car crash has become exceedingly unpleasant as it becomes clear there was a body in the boot of the crashed car. Investigation into the car and its driver reveals a connection to Demiri. Hunter has been waiting for her chance to get back at Demiri and she wants to be involved in the investigation – she is determined to arrest him and bring down his criminal empire.

Dimiri is equally determined to get to Hunter. He feels she needs to pay for her previous interference in his business affairs. He has been keeping a close watch over her – too close for Hunter’s liking – and he now feels that the time has come to put an end to her attempts to arrest him.

Rachel Amphlett has made a truly deplorable bad guy in Demiri. Returning readers knew he was a danger to Kay, however, the stakes are significantly raised in Hell to Pay. We get to see the worst of Demiri yet it appears that he is mocking the police and simply toying with them…all to ensure he can get a chance to get to DS Hunter. It ensures the story builds towards an inevitable showdown and it did have me worrying that Kay’s obsessive focus to bring down Demiri may be ill-advised.

I always enjoy Rachel Amphlett’s books – the interplay between her characters does make the reader feel they are part of a tense and frustrating investigation. Hell to Pay zips along at a good pace and I loved the twists and turns along the way. The Kay Hunter series is highly recommended – if you pick up Hell to Pay you will find that you will want to catch-up on the first three books too.

Hell to Pay is a gripping fast paced crime thriller, and the fourth in the Detective Kay Hunter series:

1. SCARED TO DEATH
2. WILL TO LIVE
3. ONE TO WATCH
4. HELL TO PAY

You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hell-Pay-Detective-Hunter-Book-ebook/dp/B077CLS6RL/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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May 31

One To Watch – Rachel Amphlett

Sophie Whittaker shared a terrifying secret. Hours later, she was dead.

Detective Kay Hunter and her colleagues are shocked by the vicious murder of a teenage girl at a private party in the Kentish countryside.

A tangled web of dark secrets is exposed as twisted motives point to a history of greed and corruption within the tight-knit community.

Confronted by a growing number of suspects and her own enemies who are waging a vendetta against her, Kay makes a shocking discovery that will make her question her trust in everyone she knows.

My thanks to Emma Mitchell and to Rachel Amphlett for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour.

If you are not reading Rachel Amphlett’s books yet – you really should be. One To Watch is the third in the Kay Hunter series and my favourite thus far.

At a private party the guest of honour is found brutally murdered. Her close friend knows the victim had a big secret which she was going to announce to her family the next day but could this secret have been the reason she was killed?

I don’t say this lightly but there were shades of Dame Agatha in One To Watch. We have a small group of potential suspects: the Lady seeking to protect the family name and ancestral home. Her husband, who has a more down-to-earth outlook on future prospects. There is the American Businessman, he holds aspirations of joining the gentry. Their children, their minister and a rogue “bit of rough” that has invaded their idyllic life.

As you would expect the first impressions of all of these characters may be misleading and at various stages in the story you will start to doubt what they are telling the police. Some will seemingly have a very good motive for killing Sophie but did they have the opportunity. As Kay Hunter and her colleagues start to unpick the lies and half-truths it becomes clear that some secrets will be revealed and they will have devastating consequences for those involved.

The pacing of One To Watch matched the feel of a Golden Age crime story too. There is no need for a series of high-octane set piece scenes as everything is investigated and discovered with careful shrewdness. This is a story driven by the characters, how they live, the choices they made and how they interact with those around them.

Where One To Watch also excels is when Amphlett returns to the ongoing problem that has spanned all the books in the series thus far – someone is out to get Kay Hunter. While the “no spoilers” rule is very much in place I can hint to some incidents in One To Watch which will further develop the ongoing story arc that someone is trying to undermine her position at work and to possibly end her career permanently. It is a delightfully eerie shadow which will hang over the whole book and I loved that.

I inhaled One To Watch and read it in two sittings. Very much the kind of book that I can get utterly lost in – a 5 star read and I immediately start looking forward to the next one.

One To Watch publishes on 8 June and you can order a copy here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/one-to-watch/id1232535445

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April 3

Will to Live – Rachel Amphlett

Reputation is everything.

When a packed commuter train runs over a body on a stretch of track known to locals as ‘Suicide Mile’, it soon transpires that the man was a victim of a calculated murder.

As the investigation evolves and a pattern of murders is uncovered, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter realises the railway’s recent reputation may be the work of a brutal serial killer.

With a backlog of cold cases to investigate and attempting to uncover who is behind a professional vendetta against her, Kay must keep one step ahead of both the killer and her own adversaries.

When a second murder takes place within a week of the first, she realises the killer’s timetable has changed, and she’s running out of time to stop him…

Will to Live is the second book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter – a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future…

My thanks to Rachel and Emma (Emma Mitchell, Publicity Manager) for a review copy and the chance to join the tour.

It has been a while since I read a serial killer story. There have been a few books with multiple victims; but a serial killer story where a murderer stalks his victims, has a “style” which the police can use to identify a single killer and a team of detectives chasing down the clues…well it has been far too long since the last one!

Thank goodness, therefore, for Will to Live. Rachel Amphlett’s 2nd book to feature DS Kay Hunter was a very welcome companion on my daily commute as this was a serial killer story that I could really get my teeth into. As I hadn’t read Hunter’s introduction in Scared to Death I was slightly apprehensive that I may miss some important back story. If I did then it didn’t impact in any way upon my enjoyment of Will to Live, I was wholly consumed by the story and never felt that I had missed something vital through not (yet) reading the first book.

Hunter was immediately likeable as a lead character and her ongoing feud with one of her bosses gave an edge to the scenes in the department. For me, a good police procedural story will feature the squadroom discussions so we get a real feel of the investigation which is ongoing. No solo copper solving all the problems on their own but a team effort to track down a killer. Will to Live delivers this in fine style! I loved the dynamic which the author has established between Hunter and her team and the mutual respect that the characters show each other really helps ground the characters and gives them authenticity.

What particularly drew me to Will to Live was the way the killer was dispatching his victims. Death by train is particularly gruesome and some of the scenes which take place by railway lines made for chilling and harrowing reading (exactly what I want in a crime thriller).

Away from the murders there is a backdrop of characters who have suffered, or are suffering from, depression or who are dealing with post trauma shock. These aspects of the story were handled with a great deal of sensitivity by Rachel Amphlett, highlighting a very real and often overlooked problem which impacts not just the individual but their family and friends too.

Will to Live – loved it, snatched every possible reading opportunity to keep the pages turning and I got through it in a day. I would be happy if I got into all my books in the way I was absorbed by this one.

Will to Live is available in digital format and can be ordered through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Live-Detective-Hunter-thriller-ebook/dp/B06XZHB17C/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491255620&sr=1-13&keywords=rachel+amphlett

Follow the blog tour

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February 7

Cover Reveal : Rachel Amphlett – Will to Live

I am thrilled to be able to join in with this morning’s cover reveal for Rachel Amphlett’s new novel: Will to Live.

Following on from last year’s Scared to Death, Detective Kay Hunter returns and here is what we can expect:

Reputation is everything

When a packed commuter train runs over a body on a stretch of track known to locals as ‘Suicide Mile’, it soon transpires that the man was a victim of a calculated murder.

As the investigation evolves and a pattern of murders is uncovered, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter realises the railway’s recent reputation may be the work of a brutal serial killer.

With a backlog of cold cases to investigate and attempting to uncover who is behind a professional vendetta against her, Kay must keep one step ahead of both the killer and her own adversaries.

When a second murder takes place within a week of the first, she realises the killer’s timetable has changed, and she’s running out of time to stop him…

Will to Live is the second book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter – a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future…

If you like Angela Marsons, Peter James and Robert Bryndza, you will love Rachel Amphlett’s new series.

Will to Live is coming later in 2017 and I cannot wait.

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