I am delighted to share my review today for Canaries in the Coal Mine by Ross Greenwood. This is an author whose books I really enjoy, ideal for fans of dark crime thriller-style genres. This one was also brutal and brilliant to read.

She begged for two promises.
The first was to save a life.
The second was to take one…

Life changed in the blink of an eye when a man died.
My best friend, Angelica, and I entered a hell on earth: every day was a battle to survive.
I served my sentence, but she had to stay.
Alone, with Angelica’s promises ringing in my ears, I struggled to pick up the pieces of my life while looking into her past.
Stepping into a nightmare world, I met a man so evil, he’d ruined countless lives.

Now I have to decide. Can I keep my second promise?

Ross Greenwood’s modern thriller will introduce you to characters you’ll never forget in a place where gender is nothing… and everything.

MY REVIEW

Having read quite a few books by this author it was a no-brainer to pick up his latest one. This one is a fantastic read and does have a different side to it compared to his usual style of books, but my goodness it is a fabulous one.

Angelica and Robbie are great friends, they have each other’s backs and look out for each other as best friends do. If you have read any of the author’s previous books then you will be aware that many of them have a prison scenario in them, this one is no exception, it is also where we find Angelica and Robbie. Luckily they have been placed in the same wing of HMP Peterborough and the story tells of their time inside and how they got to be there, then there is the time after when a chance to begin again is offered.

This story is so addictive and once again the author shows another side to the prison system and how people are treated. Robbie is of South American descent and Angelica was raised in Peterborough, both are lovely women and they definitely catch people’s eye when they are out and about.

It is frustration, anger and drugs that caused the girl’s predicament and how they find themselves inside. Their time in prison is one that is fraught, scary and dangerous for them in particular.

The story is one of survival and acceptance. But this is only a very small part of the story. The author has brought in something else and the way in which he has incorporated it into the crime thriller genre is eye-opening. I will not reveal too much about this but it has been very well done. I will add that there is a section at the end of the book from the author and also from another person, this makes the book even more thought-provoking.

If you are looking for a crime thriller that has something slightly different then this is one you should look at. It is a social and inclusionary topic that brings opinion and prejudice to the forefront of the story and made me stop. It brought things up that I had not realised, or if I am totally honest, not even occurred to me before reading this book. As I mentioned, thought-provoking and eye-opening.

It is a fantastic book and a story that really made me think. It is emotional and has an honesty about it and it is one that I do feel explores some important subjects and needs to be out there and talked about. It is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I’m still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, i randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.

I’ve now written five further books. My second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by a publisher, and Lazy Blood is also out. All my books are thought-provoking and told with a sense of humour. Reading the reviews has been great.

The first three books are stand-alone, however, some of the characters cross over, and you can see how at times, their lives overlap.

Abel’s Revenge is something a bit different. It’s a modern-day love story set against the backdrop of an escalating serial killer. There’s a whodunnit element to it, and some smiles along the way.

Shadows of Regret was inspired by my time on the women’s side of the jail in Peterborough, and analyses the close relationship between victim and villain. You won’t have read a book like it.

I hope you enjoy reading them.

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