The Crime Warp

Thanks so much to Boldwood books and Rachel's Random resources for the opportunity to review Buried for Good as part of the blog tour. My 3 word summary Kick-ass, poignant, tough! But before I reveal all my thoughts ...   Here's the blurb On a remote island, everyone is a suspect... When Private Investigator Hanlon is hired to protect famous yoga instructor Camille Anderson on her Scottish island retreat, she thinks this may be her simplest job yet. But when an attack on Camille's life goes wrong, it soon becomes clear that there is a murderer on the island - and Hanlon will stop at nothing to track them down.   With only a small group of guests the suspects are clear, but as the body count rises Hanlon must step up to find out who the killer is before it’s too late...   A tense, atmospheric page-turner from Alex Coombs. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Lisa Regan.   Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3jQVGBS My Thoughts Available here What a joy to be ba...

Delighted to review Third Kill by John Ryder today. My three word summary is:   Breathless, Frantic, Action-packed Here's the blurb In a city of sinners, a killer is hunting… Las Vegas, Nevada: a killer is on the hunt. When the two of the city’s crime bosses are found brutally murdered within days of each other, the fragile balance of Sin City threatens to collapse. It’s exactly what the killer wants… But there is one thing this killer hasn’t counted on… Grant Fletcher has been sent to Vegas by a shady government agency. He has one job: find the killer, and stop them before more people die. Stop them, by any means. Would you send a desperate man to find a vigilante killer? It looks like a dangerous gamble. But what neither the killer nor the government agency know is that the odds are never good unless you’ve got Fletcher on your side. My Thoughts Available Here Hold on to your breeches folks, for your in for one hell of a ride with this one. As action packed as the first two in t...

I'm always on the lookout for series that push the boundaries, show different cultures and allow me to experience, second hand, things I might never experience for myself. I also love narratives that shine a light on areas of society that are often ignored and Nell Pattison's novels fulfill all of that criteria with bells on. Then there's the fact that I recently met Nell at Hull Noir 2021, where I had the undoubted pleasure of chatting with her (and Alex North and Russ Thomas) on the In Cold Blood panel and she's lovely and very entertaining.  So far I've read the first three of the Paige Northwood series and am most definitely hooked and hope their will be more to come from this author.  The books are set in the deaf community which was illuminating for me as I'd never spent time with a deaf person before. Paige Northwood is a British Sign Language interpreter who is the only hearing person in her family (her sister is the only member of her family still alive...

Lovely to host my old friend Owen Mullen on The Crime Warp again. Huge thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me. Here's the Blurb ... Games People Play Available here When a baby is stolen from a Scottish beach, private investigator Charlie Cameron reluctantly agrees to take the case. While her parents are just yards away, thirteen-month-old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland. Three days later, her distraught father turns up at private investigator Charlie Cameron’s office. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has taken his daughter. And why. Against his better judgment, Charlie takes the case—and when bodies are discovered, he suspects this may not be an isolated crime. Is there a serial killer whose work has gone undetected for decades? Is baby Lily his latest victim? Charlie won’t be able to give up on this case. Memories and guilt from his childhood won’t let him… My Thoughts I always love a good bit of Scottish crime fi...

Absolutely thrilled to be hosting an post by Kerena Swan on the importance of research when writing fiction. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Hobeck Books for inviting me to participate in the Blood Loss Blog Tour.  The Fact of the Matter – The importance of research   For me, a book is a walk in someone else’s shoes and a whole new world I wouldn’t otherwise experience. On this journey, I especially like to learn about places I’ve never visited, careers, police procedures, and, most of all, realistic human behaviour and need to trust the author to tell me the truth and get their facts straight. As a writer I spend a lot of time researching all sorts of random details for my books and will home in on minute details to ensure accuracy. I don’t necessarily include everything I learn in the story, because that would be boring, but once I have a good understanding of the subject I can write with confidence. As an example, in Here She Lies I included a scene with poli...

Huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to review The Hashtag Killer as part of the blog tour.   The Hashtag Killer Blurb Catch a killer or save a child. What would you do? DI Jen Flowers thought she’d seen it all after fifteen years on the force, but when a vigilante serial killer hits the city and uses social media to gather supporters, she must fight the public and her doubts to catch a murderer and save her daughter. Suffering from blackouts and abandoned as a child by her father, Ruby Vasquez has been chasing that one scoop to make her an internet star. Living with an alcoholic mother who hates her, Ruby discovers a secret about the vigilante’s first victim, which puts her in the killer and DI Flowers’ sights. Jen and Ruby have to overcome the secrets in their past while battling each other to discover the Hashtag Killer’s identity. Jen will have to choose between keeping her daughter safe or finding a killer, while Ruby will need to decide if...

Thanks so much to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto the Willow Weeps Blog Tour. I am delighted to share a guest post by the author.  Willow Weeps  is the latest novel by Louise Worthington, a psychological suspense with heart. Willow Weeps Blurb A secret is a lie in the making. A divorcee and his young daughter. The promise of a new life - together as a family in a flash apartment in a historic building. A fresh start – or the key to a nightmare? Who will Willow believe – a young offender, or the love of her life? Willow is about to embark on a new chapter in her life by moving in with her partner and his daughter, but not all is as perfect as it seems. Coping with the grief from her sister dying in a house fire when they were children, Willow believes that her sister can communicate with her from beyond the grave. Various inexplicable incidents occur, with warnings of people or places. Could these be a coincidence, or is Willow misinterpreting things with her sup...

I was after something very different from my usual police procedural, gritty, serial killer reads when I was offered the chance to participate in the After The Storm Blog Tour. Thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for the chance.  The fact that the reading of the novel coincided with the torrential rain and wind of a wet March in 2021 added to my enjoyment of the book and I'm so glad I opted to read it.  Here's the blurb ... After The Storm When a violent storm blasts England’s south coast, it’s up to retired Italian detective Giuseppe Bianchi to sift through the devastation and piece together the tragic events left behind in the storm’s wake. Giuseppe Bianchi’s brief visit to Bexhill-on-Sea has become an extended stay. He is loath to return to his home in Rome because of the haunting images that made him leave in the first place. During his morning walks along the seafront with Beagle, Max, he meets Edward Swain, who becomes Giuseppe's walking companion....