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The Point Of No Return (Audiobook) – Neil Broadfoot

How far would you go to find the truth?

After more than a decade of being in prison for the brutal murder of two Stirling University students, Colin Sanderson has been released after his conviction was found to be unsafe.

Returning home to a small village not far from Stirling, Sanderson refuses police protection, even in the face of a death threat. But the PR firm that has scooped him up to sell his story does know of a protection expert in Stirling. They want Connor Fraser.

Connor reluctantly takes the assignment, partly as a favour to DCI Malcolm Ford, who is none too keen to have Sanderson on the loose, particularly as he was involved in the original investigation that saw him imprisoned.

When a body is found, mutilated in the same way as Sanderson’s victims were, all eyes fall on the released man. But how can he be the killer when Connor’s own security detail gives him an alibi?

As Connor races to uncover the truth, he is forced to confront not only Sanderson’s past, but his own, and a secret that could change his life forever.

I am an Audible member and I bought the Point Of No Return audiobook on release.

Some housekeeping first and an apology to Neil Broadfoot. This is the third Connor Fraser book but the first I have reviewed. Earlier this year I read the second book, No Place to Die, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, this was one of the books I was reading when we first went into the March 2020 Covid Lockdown. A quick glance at my blog archive will show very little reviews were prepared over the first few months of the year as I found it incredibly difficult to keep focus on anything at that time. I stuggled and reviews which should have been written were not. My apologies to Neil for missing the paperback publication window of No Place to Die with a review I did so want to write.

The earlier Connor Fraser titles are readily available in paperback and digital format. Connor’s story builds with each book (though each title can be read as a stand alone). If you haven’t already read the previous books No Mans Land and No Place To Die then I would encourage you to pick them up and immerse yourself in these terrific stories.

The Point Of No Return opens with a miscarriage of justice being corrected. Some 14 years ago Colin Sanderson was convicted of the brutal murders of two students. The reader is left in no doubt that Sanderson is a nasty piece of work and there are interested parties, other than the police, unhappy to see his conviction overturned after his lawyer found an irregularity in the evidence used to secure the original Guilty verdict. Sanderson is free and is not looking to slip quietly into the background. A PR firm have ensured he will be given a platform to air his grievances (he has many) and there is talk of a book deal to allow him to tell his story. Enter Donna Blake, reporter for Sky News who is handed exclusive interview rights and the lure of the chance to ghost-write Sanderson’s book. Donna is a friend of Connor’s and their paths have previously crossed in devastating ways.

Just a few days after his release Sanderson manages to shake off the observation team working for Connor’s security firm. During the period where he is not being watched another murder takes place on the Stirling University campus. There are stiking similarities between the new murder and the deaths of the two students Sanderson was accused of committing. Have the courts freed a murderer on a technicality?

There is a constant sense of peril surrounding both Connor and Donna in The Point Of No Return. Neil Broadfoot managed make me believe both characters were just one step away from falling foul of a dangerous killer. I love when a story grips me in the way Point Of No Return did.

It should be noted there are also some emotive scenes away from the murders where Connor is starting to understand his own family history a bit better. His relationship with his father is strained but he dotes on his grandmother,who is in ailing health. Connor’s relationship with his gran and his father come into close scrutiny and he will not always like what he discovers when he starts asking questions about their past. Families have their secrets and Connor is going to have to face some unpleasant realisations before this book reaches its climax.

The Point Of No Return delivers a cracking murder story and anyone that enjoys a great thriller cannot go wrong with this one.

Huge shout to the team behind the audiobook too. Narration duties were handled by Angus King and he was excellent. There is a fair sized cast in this story and King gave each their own voice and brought the characters to life. Audiobooks can really let down a great book if the vocal performances are jarring or the voices chosen are unsuited to the material presented. In the case of The Point Of No Return there were no concerns – this is a polished and quality production and the source material shines.

Great book and a cracking addition to the Connor Fraser series. Don’t miss out on these stories – they are too good to let them slip by.

The Point Of No Return is published in Hardcover, digital and audiobook format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085PV4NHV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

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June 1

Fair Warning – Michael Connelly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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February 22

Death Deserved – Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Police officer Alexander Blix and celebrity blogger Emma Ramm join forces to track down a serial killer with a thirst for attention and high-profile murders, in the first episode of a gripping new Nordic Noir series…

Oslo, 2018. Former long-distance runner Sonja Nordstrøm never shows at the launch of her controversial autobiography, Always Number One. When celebrity blogger Emma Ramm visits Nordstrøm’s home later that day, she finds the door unlocked and signs of a struggle inside. A bib with the number ‘one’ has been pinned to the TV.

Police officer Alexander Blix is appointed to head up the missing-persons investigation, but he still bears the emotional scars of a hostage situation nineteen years earlier, when he killed the father of a five-year-old girl. Traces of Nordstrøm soon show up at different locations, but the appearance of the clues appear to be carefully calculated … evidence of a bigger picture that he’s just not seeing…

Blix and Ramm soon join forces, determined to find and stop a merciless killer with a flare for the dramatic, and thirst for attention.
Trouble is, he’s just got his first taste of it…

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for a review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to join the Death Deserved blog tour.

To borrow a line from Taffy in the Captain Caveman cartoons….Zowie! Death Deserved is more than a little bit good.

As soon I started reading Death Deserved it was the only book I wanted to be reading this week. I normally juggle three or four titles at once but Death Deserved was the book I kept coming back to – nothing else got a look-in. I make no secret of the fact I enjoy serial killer stories and that’s very much what I got from Death Deserved, even if that may not have been clear from the start.

Sonja Nordstrøm was due to publish a book. As she reached her 50th year she wanted to lift the lid on a few secrets and scandals which she experienced or encountered during her highly successful athletics career. But on publication day she failed to show for an interview, most untypical behaviour for Sonja. She is nowhere to be found and when celeb journalist Emma Ramm arrives at her home to try to speak with Sonja she finds evidence of a struggle. The police are called and this brings Emma into contact with Alexander Blix.

Unbeknownst to Emma, Blix has previously encountered her family and that encounter changed the path of Emma’s life. Although she is unaware, Blix recognises her name instantly and decides he will offer her stories and tips from inside the resulting investigation. The leads Blix feed Emma gives her the opportunity to work outside celebrity stories and interact with the crime reporters. Sonja Nordstrøm’s kidnapping is very much the starting point of a fast paced and high intensity investigation which will see several celebrities meet a nasty end. It puts the police on a manhunt and we follow the investigation as they try to figure out the motive (and next victim) of a killer. Emma contributes to this too as her background seems to give her a different focus on how to view the unfolding events and the insights she can offer become a benefit to Blix.

I really don’t want to reveal too much of the actual plot but at the same time I want to rave about how good this story was and how much I enjoyed it. The best dilemma to be honest. When I want to reveal and discuss everything I loved about the book it means the book got under my skin and into my head. I want to put copies of Death Deserved into the hands of my friends and implore them to read it and then hope that they enjoy it just as much as I did (which I am sure they will). It’s a who-dunnit, a fast paced police procedural, it has great characters and the lead players are given time to grow and develop between the many twists and shocks the authors have sneaked into the chapters. So much fun to read and wonderfully executed (no murderous puns intended).

The story has been translated from Norwegian by Anne Bruce and she has done a magnificent job, the prose flows seamlessly the whole book was very readable. Some translated texts I encounter feel laboured, jarring or the dialogue stilted but none of these issues could be raised about Death Deserved. Indeed, it was not until I read the author acknowledgements at the end of the book that I remembered that I was reading a translated novel. Oh and the acknowledgments are fabulous – do not skip them!

Death Deserved was devoured in very short time. I loved the Blix/Ramm dynamic and I sincerely hope the authors feel it is worth revisiting. Soon would be good guys! Sooner if possible?

Death Deserved is published by Orenda Books and is available in Digital, Paperback and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XBW6SFN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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May 22

The TV Detective – Simon Hall

Dan Groves is a television reporter newly assigned to the crime beat and not at all happy about it.

Dan knows next nothing about police work or how to report on it, so when he persuades Detective Chief Inspector Adam Breen to allow him to shadow a high-profile murder inquiry it seems like the perfect solution. Sadly for Dan it soon becomes clear some members of the police force have no intention of playing nice with the new boy.

With his first case Dan is dropped in at the deep-end. A man is killed in a lay-by with a blast through the heart from a shotgun. The victim is notorious local businessman Edward Bray, a man with so many enemies there are almost too many suspects for the police to eliminate.

As tensions rise Dan comes close to being thrown off the case until the detectives realise that far from being a liability, Dan might actually be the key to tempting the murderer into a trap.

My thanks to Emma Welton for the chance to join the blog blitz and to Fahrenheit Press for my review copy.

The newsroom is meeting the squadroom in Simon Hall’s The TV Detective. Dan Groves is the environment reporter for his local TV news channel. He loves his role and has developed a great reputation for reporting on contentious issues with a sympathetic understanding.

Dan finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time to avoid a new assignment from his demanding boss. A man has been attacking prostitutes in the Plymouth area – Dan is sent out to see if he can secure an interview with someone who knew the latest attack victim. A rash decision to secure the story sees Dan landing in hot water – the only way to avoid the wrath of the powers that be is to accept an immediate move to the Crime Beat (something Dan knows nothing about).

With no time to find his feet Dan finds himself dispatched to cover the latest hot news story. Local businessman and all round bad-fellow has been shot in his car by person unknown. Dan is to cover the police conference, see if he can establish any story leads from the scene of the crime and put out the best story which will ensure his network has the best coverage of the shooting. Easy. Or not so much.

Further shocks lie ahead for Dan when he learns that agreement has been reached for him to work alongside the chief investigating officer on the case, DCI Adam Breen.

Splitting his time between police station and tv studio we get to see Dan finding his feet in his new role. Shadowing the police and being allowed to contribute to discussions on suspects, motives and other case sensitive information. As the story unfolds Dan begins to show his value to the police both as a sounding-board for suggestions and as a helpful (friendly) media voice.

The TV Detective is a very accessible and entertaining read. Dan and Breen have good verbal sparring throughout the story as each man comes to understand the other and boundaries are established. Away from the investigation we are also treated to Dan’s first attempts at online dating, some light relief from the murder tale and a fun way for the reader to understand the main character a bit better too.

The TV Detective is made by the characters, a small(ish) cast are all really well presented. Dan and Breen hold centre stage and the story is built around them but the supporting cast are also well defined and the author makes you want to know more about his cast – it keeps you reading.

The TV Detective is published by Fahrenheit Press and is available in digital and paperback editions. You can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_the_tv_detective.html

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May 23

The Dark Inside – Rod Reynolds

1946, Texarkana: a town on the border of Texas and Arkansas. Disgraced New York reporter Charlie Yates has been sent to cover the story of a spate of brutal murders – young couples who’ve been slaughtered at a local date spot. Charlie finds himself drawn into the case by the beautiful and fiery Lizzie, sister to one of the victims, Alice – the only person to have survived the attacks and seen the killer up close.

But Charlie has his own demons to fight, and as he starts to dig into the murders he discovers that the people of Texarkana have secrets that they want kept hidden at all costs. Before long, Charlie discovers that powerful forces might be protecting the killer, and as he investigates further his pursuit of the truth could cost him more than his job…

Loosely based on true events, The Dark Inside is a compelling and pacy thriller that heralds a new voice in the genre. It will appeal to fans of RJ Ellory, Tom Franklin, Daniel Woodrell and True Detective.

My thanks to Sophie at Faber for my review copy

The Dark Inside is one of those stories which will totally get under your skin – in a good way. It made me rage at the characters, it made me worry when the lead character (Charlie Yates) wouldn’t listen to reason and the bullying – oh the bullying – at times it made me hate everyone in Texarkana. So well realised is the world of 1946 USA that Rod Reynolds took me to a time and a place far away from my mundane commute to work.

Charlie Yates is a disgraced reporter. He has clashed with his boss one time too many (early signs of the temper which will cause him problems throughout The Dark Inside) and he is sent to small town Texas to report on a series of brutal murders. But when he gets to Texarkana the authorities do not want a city reporter sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. They also don’t want to accept the possibility that the murders which have taken place may be the work of one man – a man as yet unidentified and who may possibly kill again. Yates is facing opposition to his investigations every where he turns. He is warned off pursuing leads and, when he doesn’t listen, the warnings become more forceful. Yates needs to leave town – while he still can.

The Dark Inside captures the mood and feeling of 1940’s USA. The setting is so very unusual in today’s crime fiction releases that it stands out from the crowd, distinctive, different and very memorable. Charlie Yates is a likeable lead character but he has some very real flaws which have brought his life to a real low-point, the inner demons that he faces add an interesting angle to the story.

I touched on the bullying. I hate bullying, but it is rife in Texarkana and Mr Reynolds plays this to wonderful effect. Was it a sign of the times? The powerful men of the town all believe that they call the shots, but there is always someone more powerful, someone with more knowledge and clout and one by one the bullies will fall. It kept me reading, that wait to see justice done, fairness restored and ‘good’ winning through. Did it? Well that would be a *spoiler*.

When when an author can make me angry at his characters then I know that I am reading a book I am going to love. When that book finishes and I immediately want to read more from that author then I am a happy reader.

This is a debut novel – it is a mighty fine thing. Assured writing, excellent pacing, wonderful characterisation (even those odious bullies) and a cracking murder mystery. Read this!

The Dark Inside is published by Faber & Faber and is available in paperback and digital formats. You can order a copy by clicking through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Inside-Charlie-Yates-mystery/dp/0571323057/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463954652&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dark+inside

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