Tag Crime

The Fall by Louise Jensen @HQstories #crime #thriller #mystery #NetGalley #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review today for The Fall by Louise Jensen. This is a wonderful crime, mystery and thriller read that I really enjoyed.

My huge thanks to HQ Stories for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

She promised she wouldn’t tell. They made sure she couldn’t…

At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.

Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.

Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.

Because some secrets are worth killing for…

MY REVIEW

The synopsis does a fabulous job of hinting at what this book is about. A young girl falls from a bridge, but this is not the only fall that is going to be brought up as the story of the girl and her family and relations is gradually teased out.

I loved what the author mentioned at the end of this book, she wanted to take a normal family and try to tear them apart and see if they could fit back together again! Did she succeed, well I think she definitely did!

Tegan and Caily are the best of friends and cousins. Their parents are twin sisters Beth and Kate. They live close to each other and the grandparents own a farm. The sense of family and the ties that bond is extremely strong. The twin connection is as well as the closeness of the cousins. Using the cost of living crisis as a way to stretch the family to the limits was a great way of testing how strong her character could become in times of crisis and adversity. Adding into the mix, a fall leaving one in a coma, the stresses of investigations and just that general feeling of one thing after another piling up. I do think the author chose a great idea and how she ran with it, or should I say, allowed her characters to run with it, made for very nerve-wracking reading.

It is good to come across a good-length book, this one is 448 pages so it gave me the chance to get to know the characters in more depth. There is a danger that a longer format can be filled with a bit too much padding, but not so in this case. It felt on point all the way through. There are things that made me sit on the edge as I tried to work out all the kinks and twists, I never got close to sussing things out by the way.

The author has taken this family and just piled onto them one thing after another. It really does show their strength but also the cracks are mounting, tempers fray and words are said. Stress, debt, illness and crime are all excellent nerve-jangling dramas for any family to deal with, having them all for one family makes for great reading.

Seeing this strong family begin to wilt and waver was particularly sad, but there was more to come. The ending of the story was a shocker and slowly all the nitty gritty bits and pieces were finally slotted into place. It made for a very sad but right feeling to finish the book.

If you like a fictional story that tests a family to its limits then this is definitely one for you. It has crime, mystery, family secrets and a threat looming over at all times. It just goes to show that you never know what goes on behind closed doors, even when those doors are close family! A fabulous book and full of tension that I would happily recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Revenge by Kerry Kaya @KerryKayaWriter @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #ganglandfiction #crime #thriller #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review today for Revenge by Kerry Kaya. This is another fabulous read that continues in the Tempest series. Ideal for fans who love gangland crime thrillers.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy via the publisher Boldwood Books.

Revenge
Damage will be done…
After the brutal gangland murder of her husband Terry, Tracey Tempest just wants to move on. She’ll never get over Terry’s betrayal, but she’s determined his shady past won’t spoil life for her and her beloved boys Ricky and Jamie.


Max Hardcastle just wants a quiet life and to maybe see how things go between him and Tracey. He knows she’s been hurt in the past, but he’s nothing like Terry and he’ll do anything to keep Tracey happy and safe.


But some people have other ideas.


When Max’s car garage is torched, he’s certain someone still has a grudge to settle. And when the Tempest boys discover one last secret Terry’s been keeping, the fallout could tear their family apart.
Will the Tempests survive this storm? Or will revenge be their downfall?


Purchase Link – HERE

MY REVIEW

When Tracy Tempest’s husband was killed in a gangland murder, it took her a while to come to terms with just what her husband did for a living. It seems she was the only one who didn’t know just what a devious man he was. Her two sons, Ricky and Jamies, knew and were up to speed with how things had been over the years. Two years later and Tracy is starting to move on, she is in a new relationship with Max Hardcastle, he is no choir boy himself and it seems that someone is out to destroy him and his businesses as well.

This is a brilliant follow on to the previous book, Travy has had to deal with the death of her husband as well as learn some home truths. She is now more aware of the gangs and the lives her sons and new partner are involved in. While she may be aware she is not fully grasp the seriousness of what is to come. Naive, yes she is but loyal and fiercely protective of her sons.

It is great to see another instalment in this series and the author brings you up to speed with some of what happened in the previous book. This one starts with a bang, quite literally as a car dealership goes up in flames, not a simple accidental one either, this one was planned. But who by is the question. Several other gangs are included in this story and they have been mentioned before, but they all have something in common, they cannot be trusted and they will each look out for their own.

This author is brilliant at injecting tension, drama and danger into her novels and this one is no expectation. There are some spectacular twists and scenes that she has worked into this story and it had me on the edge of my seat. I do like the Tempest family and Max, they seem to be the more moral ones in the story, that does not mean they are not brutal or any less dangerous though.

As the story progresses the author brings in other twists and characters, they all have a place in this story but what part they play is not always clear until it needs to be.

If you have not read the previous book I would definitely suggest you do, although it isn’t strictly necessary, it does give a brilliant intro to this family and the events.

This is open for fans who like a hard-boiled, dangerous and toxic gangland crime setting. It is a fabulous book and storyline and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerry Kaya is the hugely popular author of Essex-based gritty gangland thrillers with strong family dynamics. She grew up on one of the largest council estates in the UK, where she sets her novels. She also works full-time in a busy maternity department for the NHS.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Predators by Tony J Forder @TonyJForder #ThePredators #crime #thriller #policeprocedural #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review today for The Predators by Tony Forder. This is the 2nd book in the DC Roston Chase series and it is another fabulous book. I adore this author’s books and I am loving this new series, a great place to start if you have not read any of his books yet.

The frozen corpse of a female hiker discovered on snow-covered downs presents DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and Trainee DC Alison May with a fresh murder case to investigate.

The more the body thaws the more it reveals, and as the investigation gathers momentum hopes are dashed of an early and successful outcome. It soon becomes clear that the victim and her killer were not the only ones on the hillside when the murder occurred, and the police are desperate to locate everybody who was.

But when the operation is interrupted by a series of related abductions, with all witnesses swiftly falling under suspicion, Chase realises that their case is far more complex than any of them could ever have imagined…

MY REVIEW

Once again the author has done a fantastic job of completely flummoxing me. I had no idea how this story would pan out and when I did start, it was only because the author led me there.

Chase, Laney and May are called to look at a body that has been found, frozen and in the elements for some time. When they start to put the scant clues together they are left with even more of a puzzle than when they started. When five more people who are connected with the case go missing there is something that the team are missing. They are joined by another unit and together they are really grasping to find the connections.

DS Royston Chase is a character I like, he can be a bit tunnel minded at times but with good reason. He does focus his mind to the nth degree, but he has a way of switching off to allow his mind to relax and focus instead on his family. They keep him grounded while at home but at work, well that falls to DC Claire Laney. Outspoken, brash and trying at all times to embarrass her boss. It is a hilarious combo but one that does work rather well. The two of them banter and poor Trainee DC Alison May is never quite sure who is being serious about making fun of her. It’s not just the job she has to learn, but how her two superiors work.

The setting is a semi-rural one and the exposure and expanse of the area add to the overwhelming feeling that I got and the team showed. You expect more questions than answers at the start of an investigation, but the questions are not really getting the answers or the results that would usually help. With the rural setting, it makes the usual security, shop, road cameras and the like a no-go for information, there are blackspots for mobile coverage and the people that may know something can’t be found.

The further this continues the more intriguing it gets, while I am giving the impression that this case may be slow in getting answers, the pacing of the story is anything but. It is brilliant for details and the author keeps the ideas and thoughts of his characters constantly thinking and using everything at their disposal to discover a chink that will allow them to proceed further.

This is a complex case but also it is one that had me hooked. It follows the investigation and brings the reader into a close-knit and tight group of people who are all invested in discovering the right outcome.

The first book was excellent at introducing the key players in this series and with this second book, the author has added a little more detail. Once again bringing the reader a story that delves into some tough themes but done in a way that does not go into detail, there is no need to.

It is one that I adored and it was good to come back to these characters, it didn’t take me long to remember them and their quirks and habits which is for me great as I do read quite a few books.

If you are looking to start a new series then this one is a good one to start with as this is only the second book, so not too much catching up to do. The Predators is a perfect title, snappy, to the point and relevant. A police procedural that definitely falls within the crime thriller genre and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. The first seven novels, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of Shadows, The Death of Justice, Endless Silent Scream, and Slow Slicing, were joined in December 2020 by a prequel novella, Bliss Uncovered. The series continued with The Autumn Tree and Darker Days to Come, and The Lightning Rod. The next, What Dies Inside Us will be published in autumn 2023.

Tony’s other early series – two action-adventure novels featuring Mike Lynch – comprises both Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun. These books will hopefully be joined in 2024 by The Dark Division.

In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, Fifteen Coffins.

The Huntsmen, released in October 2021, was the first book in a new crime series, set in Wiltshire. It featured DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May. The second book, The Predators, will be released on 15 May 2023.

Tony’s first 8 novels were originally released by a publisher specialising in crime fiction. In 2020, Tony decided to strike out on his own, and subsequently negotiated the return of all publishing rights to himself. Each of those 8 books has subsequently been re-released under his own imprint, Spare Nib Books.

Tony lives with his wife in West Sussex, UK, and is a full-time author. He is currently working on the two more Jimmy bliss books.

Links
All of Tony’s links can be found on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TonyJForder

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Savage Sisters by Heather Atkinson @HeatherAtkinso1 @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #crime #thriller #gangland #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review of Savage Sisters by Heather Atkinson. I adore this author’s gangland crime books and this latest one is an amazing read.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of the book from Boldwood Books. book

Jane, Carly and Rose Savage are savage by name, savage by nature.
Having lost their mum too young, and with a bedridden father too ill to work, the sisters learnt early to stand on their own two feet. The family’s flat in the rough streets of Glasgow’s Haghill is their fortress, but when Carly’s ex-boyfriend Cole Alexander is released from prison, trouble soon comes knocking at their door. The Alexanders have beef with the Savages, so the girls call for back up in the shape of their uncle Eddie and his two gorgeous but dangerous sons, Harry and Dean.
As a turf war breaks out, the Savage sisters have choices to make. Stick to the straight and narrow or fight for what they deserve? And when the vicious girl gang Jane used to lead, the Unbeatable Bitches, are thrown into the mix, their minds might be made up for them. Because once a Savage always a Savage, and when the chips are down, there’s no one more deadly than a Savage sister.


Purchase Link – HERE

MY REVIEW

What an amazing start to a gangland thriller. It soon became obvious to me that I was not going to put this one down until I had read it from start to finish in one sitting.

Savage by name and savage by nature!

Three sisters Jane, Carly and Rose Savage spend their days either working or caring for their ill father, while the youngest Rose is still in school. They lost their mum to cancer and their dad has early-onset Parkinson’s. He was once a feared man as were his daughters, but priorities change and they are now happy to keep their heads down and out of trouble. This is what was happening until Carly’s ex, Cole Alexander, was released from prison. His elder brother Ross thought Carly was a bad influence on Cole as she wanted to avoid the family gang business. While Coel was inside things had settled but now he is out she and her family are threatened to keep away from Cole. It’s a shame Cole doesn’t keep away, he is desperate to make amends with Carly. It is Carly’s father Alex who finally makes the decision to call his brother and nephews in.

This is a fabulous, fast-paced and danger edge of your seat crime thriller, if you are a fan of gangland crime then this is one you want to keep your eye out for.

The author has created some characters in the Savage family and some absolute psychopathic creations in the Alexander family. That does not mean that the Savage family are all innocent and sweetness, but when pushed they definitely know how to make a stand and defend themselves. Savage is one word for this family another is brutal, but that could apply to all of the characters involved.

This is one of those books that had me so addicted and the more I read the more I needed to know. The stories of the different families and how they are linked and what they have done in the past give some indications of what is to come, but it was the way the author felt like she had given them free-rein to do what was in their nature that really made this a fabulous read for me. I know they are fictional characters but I was so invested in them that they almost became real. The imagery that the author built up was amazing.

I adore this book a huge amount and it is one that I would definitely recommend if you are after a brutal, gangland crime thriller with some great scenes. I should add that there is a bit of a romance in this and it will be interesting to see if this continues in the next book. I can’t wait to see what the auhtor has in store for the Savage Sisters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Atkinson is the author of over fifty books – predominantly in the crime fiction genre. Although Lancashire born and bred she now lives with her family, including twin teenage daughters, on the beautiful west coast of Scotland. Her gangland series for Boldwood, set on the fictional Gallowburn estate in Glasgow begins with the title Blood Brothers.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

No Easy Answers by Robert Crouch @robertcrouchuk #mystery #crime #murder #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for No Easy Answers by Robert Crouch. This is the 9th book in the series and it is a series that I have adored from the very beginning. This is such an appropriate title for this book and there really are No Easy Answers for Kent Fisher.

My huge thanks to Rob for asking me to be part of his Book Launch and providing me with an e-copy of his book for my unbiased review.

Confronting the past can be deadly.
As Christmas approaches, murder is the last thing on Kent Fisher’s mind.
When contractors employed by local entrepreneur Stephen Fox discover the remains of a woman on the site of Kent’s original animal sanctuary, old family secrets come to light, threatening those closest to him.
Fox believes it’s his missing wife. Despite intense pressure and a lucrative fee, Kent still refuses to investigate, having promised not to take on more cases. But when the police launch a murder inquiry, can he keep his promise?
Or will he investigate?
If he does, he risks interfering with a criminal investigation and losing the woman he loves.
If he doesn’t, the wrong person could be accused of murder.

‘A fantastic series that just gets better and better.’

MY REVIEW

I have to say I really enjoyed this latest in the Kent Fisher Mysteries. While Kent is still trying to come to terms with the fact that his wife, Gemma, had disappeared and then found she still is not ready to come home to him. The previous book was one that was emotional for Kent and this left Gemma feeling betrayed. One thing he has agreed to do is to stop his investigating, it is something this retired Environmental Health Officer had done at the same time as running the Animal Sanctuary and working. Trying to focus more on the sanctuary is not as easy as it once was.

The sanctuary was literally Kent’s sanctuary, it grounded him and while he only just made ends meet, the animals were looked out for. The sanctuary has moved and morphed into something more financial. Over the series, I have come to know Kent and he really isn’t a people person but he has staff, volunteers and visitors coming at him from all directions. One visitor wants his help, it means breaking his word to Gemma.

The tension and stress of this story is one that is evident throughout. Kent is struggling to keep to his word but when a missing person becomes a victim then the rules change. Especially when it is somewhere close to his heart. With the police trying to tell him to back off, but also knowing how he can be of use, they have an understanding.

The mystery of the body is one that had me hooked, with so many twists it gives it that whodunnit feel, not enough to be a crime thriller but also too much to be a cosy mystery. I do like the balance that the author has found with his characters, there is an element of danger which keeps you on your toes, but not the massive blood and guts that you can get.

What the author does bring is a tale and investigation that is quite complex but not while you are reading it. It has a great flow and just rolls along at the right pace. There are so many red herrings but also lots of clues. I did wonder if I had guessed the identity of the killer, but I had no real idea as to how things were linked until a lot later in the story when the author allowed me to slot the pieces together.

The story is one that does focus on Kent and the investigation but also on his personal life. He is trying to juggle two and not always well. Kent has some tough decisions in this one, while he may not be a huge people person he also doesn’t like to upset them. He is going to have to do this though. Who it is and why is revealed in this fabulously addictive story. The ending that the author came up with for this book made me grin and I cannot think of a better one.

This is a brilliant series that I have followed from the beginning, I do like Kent and various other regular characters, and yes there is one or maybe two that do wind me up. Then life is made up of people like that!

This is another addictive read for fans of crime mystery novels that have a big sleuthing feel to them. This is one, well I think I say this for all the books in the series, it is one that is better read as part of the series to understand the larger picture that has been developed over each one. Fabulous story and series that I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert wanted to bring something fresh and original to the murder mystery novel.
He drew on his own extensive experience to create environmental health officer Kent Fisher, a different kind of sleuth to appeal to today’s readers. While neither a police officer nor a private detective, Kent has the enforcement skills, contacts and determination needed to tackle the most complex murders.
While Robert taps into his early experiences of injustice to explore the motivations that drive people to kill, he tempers this with irreverent humour and a hint of romance. A love of wildlife, nature and the environment help add a contemporary slant to the stories.
When not writing, Robert can be found walking among the gentle hills and the coast of the South Downs with his wife. Armed with a camera, or two, he likes to photograph the local wildlife and seek out settings for the next novel.
You can find out more about at his website, https://robertcrouch.co.uk, where you can also join his Readers Group for more news, insights and giveaways, including a free short story.

Keep an eye out for the other stops on the book launch…

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Run to the Blue P N Johnson #PNJohnson @RandomTTours #crime #thriller #bookreview

yvonnembee 7 Comments

I am delighted to be opening the Blog Tour and to share my review today for Run to the Blue by P N Johnson. This is a fabulous story and one that mixes crime with a thriller and has a romance aspect to it.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my copy of the books and for my spot on the Blog Tour.

It was supposed to be the best day of her career, the day when she was the hero, the reporter whose story put a deadly gangster behind bars.
But as crime boss Ken Lean is sentenced, ace reporter Tess Anderson instead finds herself in the headlines: her husband is exposed as having an affair with a top government minister, and Tess herself faces death threats from the Lean crime family.
With her life collapsing around her, Tess runs to her friend’s villa on the Greek island of Paxos, but soon finds she’s been tracked down by killers and spies. Her only hope of escape is a mysterious, glamorous, and somehow familiar American yachtsman.
Can Tess stay alive long enough to see her pursuers behind bars?
Who can she trust as her enemies close in?
And what is the secret that her husband and his lover are so keen to ensure remains buried?
The latest novel from P N Johnson, the author of Killer in the Crowd, Run to the Blue is a fast-moving action thriller set in the world of television news in London, and in the beautiful Greek islands.

MY REVIEW

Oh what a fabulous book this was, I started it and read it in one sitting. The author had me completely hooked on his story of Tess Anderson.

Tess is a journalist and she is one that has been in some dangerous situations as she has reported on some tough people. The day she is waiting for the jury to return a verdict on crime boss Ken Lean, a story she helped to expose and was vital to getting the conviction of, she discovers that she is also in the headlines. Married to Sven, a TV marriage guidance councillor, the last thing she expected was to be in the headlines. Who would have thought that when the breaking news of a verdict would also be the same time as her husband was outed as having an affair?

While she is trying to get her head around her husband’s betrayal, she is also aware that her life is in danger. The repercussions of her story and the subsequent verdict and imprisonment of Lean become obvious as she is followed. Her life is at risk so she decides to go into hiding and a friend offers her a place in Greece to disappear to. One problem though, whoever is following her knows where she is again on her trial.

Enter the mystery yachtsman, he becomes someone who is going to help her, but she is wary and there is something about him that is familiar.

This is such a brilliantly paced story and one that mixes crime, thriller and romance altogether. The story that Tess broke is one that is tough but fitted so well within the character of Lean. The cheating husband is something that also works so well in this story. It also has its own repercussions and one that injects another level of danger.

While the author puts Tess in some unenviable positions, he does give her a lifeline. This allowed me to travel around some of the wonderful places, bays, coves and amazing food is part of the story. I really liked this reprieve from danger, although it always lurks there.

As the characters zip around the seas I soon found myself zipping through the book. It is the first time I have read anything by this author and it has been a wonderful introduction. Full of drama, tension and danger and balanced with friendship and romance. I added this one a lot and I would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a TV Newsreader, Reporter and Producer for both BBC East and ITV Anglia, Phil Johnson covered everything from tracking down criminals in Spain and going on high-octane police chases, to interviewing pop stars, politicians and celebrities.
Phil was also the face and voice of Crimestoppers in the eastern region for many years and created the successful TV series: “999 Frontline”.
Now living near Norwich, England, Phil loves music, travelling, walking, and sailing, and bringing exciting new characters with amazing stories to the page.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Death on Cromer Beach by Ross Greenwood @greenwoodross @BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #crime #thriller #policeprocedural #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today of Death on Cromer Beach by Ross Greenwood. I am a big fan of this author and have read several of his books over the years. Death on Cromer Beach is the start of a new series and it is a brilliant way to start!

My huge thanks to Boldwood Books for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Publication Date – 26th April 2023

The first in a new series from bestselling author, Ross Greenwood!

A brutal double murder on a Norfolk beach horrifies the town of Cromer. The way the victims died is chilling and so Norfolk’s Major Investigation Team task DS Ashley Knight to manage the case.

It soon becomes clear that the murders were carefully planned and the finger of suspicion points to an organised crime gang, but as the evidence mounts, a far more sinister theory emerges. 

Ashley has been allocated a young but opinionated partner in Hector Fade, and sparks soon fly. Annoyingly for Ashley, Hector is no pushover and looks destined for great things.  When the pair delve into the case, they struggle to understand who would inflict such suffering on their victims and hope the crime is a one-off from a deranged and dangerous individual. But then another body is found.

There’s a killer on the loose who must be caught, or other victims will meet their fate by the sea.

MY REVIEW

I have read several of this author’s books and when I saw he had a new series I definitely needed to check it out.

DS Ashley Knight, loner, single, middle-aged, has just been asked to investigate a double death on Cromer beach. She has also been saddled with one of the fast-track detectives, Hector Fade.

Finding a double murder on her local beach is not something Ashley would have expected to get a call out to, especially when there is more to this than meets the eye. She has a bad feeling and she is not wrong as more bodies surface.

This first book in this new series is so good, it has such a tense and atmospheric feel to it. Having to deal with a double murder and then more as another and another body turns up is tough on the whole team. What makes this case even harder is that the link is tenuous but it is a link. Those connected are so varied and have many problems and this also makes trying to work out events, truths and lies very difficult.

In between the questioning and interviews, the author takes the time to have Ashley and Hector get to know each other, a great way to fill in some details about them. They are very opposite and so their differences can show. Discovering more about them helps to understand their characters a little more, there is more to each than you first imagine.

Having more to it than first expected also goes for the case. There are reasons for it to have a connection to an event from years ago. What this connection is and how it is worked into this story is such a good one. There are twists and misdirections and an overall sense of danger and of something lurking and waiting.

This is a fabulous first book in the series and I do hope that Hector is not fast-tracked out too soon as I do kind of like him. Ashley is a tough one, and she does get on well with her younger colleague, Between them, I do think they would make a great team, but then I am not writing the books 🙂

If you are looking for a new series then this is one you need to look at if you are a fan of tough, gritty crime thrillers. There are so many unexpected things that occur and this adds to the mystery and the suspense. Excellent storyline and great characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and I would definitely recommend it.

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.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks by @CaitlinDavies2 @RandomTTours @TheHistoryPress #nonfiction #truecrime #womeninhistory #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks by Caitlin Davies. There are many books around about male criminals, so it was a great book to read that focused on women. I can honestly say after reading this, they should have their own books because my goodness some of the women were evil!

My huge thank to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my paperback copy of this fabulous book from the publisher The History Press.

Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays … All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised, even when they killed. But where are all the female crooks? Where are the street robbers, gang leaders, diamond thieves, bank robbers and gold smugglers?
Queens of the Underworld reveals the incredible story of professional female criminals from the 17th century to today. From Moll Cutpurse who ruled the Jacobean underworld, to Victorian jewel thief Emily Lawrence and 1960s burglar Zoe Progl, these were charismatic women at the top of their game.
But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not ‘real women’ or not ‘real criminals’, and in the process their stories have been lost. Caitlin Davies unravels the myths, confronts the lies, and tracks down modern-day descendants in order to tell the truth about their lives.
‘A riveting dive into the criminal underworld and the women who queened it there’ – Helena Kennedy QC

‘A rollicking account of all kinds of crime committed by women, who have not only been forgotten or ignored, but who put their male counterparts to shame’ – Julie Bindel, The Spectator

MY REVIEW

There are many books, documentaries, films and online features about crime. When you look many or most are about the men in the world that commit those crimes. Women are mentioned but they are often thought of as trophies, a bit of fluff or an accomplice. Most of the time they are not seen as the masterminds behind the crime or the gangs that are involved.

The author takes several women who, over the centuries, committed crimes that would have been serious, dangerous and downright shocking. They may have sweet angelic faces but beneath this veil, there is a shrewd and often deadly woman.

These women are mostly from around the London area and the author gives details about the women, their crimes, families, what made them stand out, when they were caught and how they then passed out of sight and mind. In some respects, you could say that these are the most notorious but are they the Queens of the Underworld as there are so many accounts that have been lost? There is also something else to consider… what about those who have not been caught!

The way women are seen in society plays heavily in this book and from the early accounts women are seen as not having any reason to be educated in any form as they are there to look after the home, and the children and maybe do chores or cleaning for others or they are prostitutes. They are not deemed worthy of being able to handle the intellect to plan and carry out a crime. Even in the modern day and at the turn of our century women are not classed as the worst of the worst. This mantle of the worst criminal always seems to go to the men.

Are women who commit crimes wanting to be seen in the same respect as their male counterparts or are they looking to make a statement? Or is it because they are responsible for raising and providing clothing and food for their children? There are mentions of women of different ethnicities, social classes and backgrounds to give a well-balanced mix. It has been difficult for the author though to find the information and gather all the details she would have liked. Again this is something where the male criminal has another advantage as such, there are so many more books and theories and documentaries about them, and you find yourself sifting through to find the women.

This is a fabulous book and I do like how the author links and then at times comes back to the women she has already mentioned. From pick-pockets to armed robbers and swindlers to contraband smugglers the author takes the reader on a journey through history. It is a fascinating book and has made me realise how little I know or have been aware of as regards women and crime are concerned. It has opened my eyes and it is a book I would definitely recommend.

About the Author

Caitlin Davies is the author of six novels and eight non-fiction books, many of which have a criminal theme. The Ghost of Lily Painter was based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, while Bad Girls: The Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison was the first comprehensive history of Europe’s most infamous female jail. It was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, 2019.

Caitlin is a trained teacher, who started her writing career as a human rights reporter in Botswana. She currently works as a Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at NHS Kent & Medway.

Queens of the Underworld tells of her journey into the lives of female crooks from the 17th century to today. Her upcoming book, Private Inquiries: the secret history of female sleuths, to be published in October 2023, reveals the true tales of female private eyes from the 1850s to the present. Caitlin trained as a private investigator as part of her research, but wasn’t nearly as observant as she hoped she’d be.
 

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The Monk by Tim Sullivan @AriesFiction @HOZ_Books #policeprocedural #murder #NetGalley #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today of The Monk by Tim Sullivan. This is part of the DS Cross series, I have not read them all but I am aware of the uniqueness of Cross and how he applies it to his work.

My huge thanks to Aries & Aria Fiction for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Publication Date – 27th April 2023

To find a murderer, you need a motive . . .

THE DETECTIVE
DS George Cross has always wondered why his mother left him when he was a child. Now she is back in his life, he suddenly has answers. But this unexpected reunion is not anything he’s used to dealing with. When a disturbing case lands on his desk, he is almost thankful for the return to normality.

THE QUESTION
The body of a monk is found savagely beaten to death in a woodland near Bristol. Nothing is known about Brother Dominic’s past, which makes investigating difficult. How can Cross unpick a crime when they don’t know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk?

THE PAST
Discovering who Brother Dominic once was only makes the picture more puzzling. He was a much-loved and respected friend, brother, son – he had no enemies. Or, at least, none that are obvious. But looking into his past reveals that he was a very wealthy man, that he sacrificed it all for his faith. For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder. But greed is a sin after all . . .

Perfect for fans of M.W. Craven, Peter James and Joy Ellis, The Monk is part of the DS George Cross thriller series, which can be read in any order.

MY REVIEW

I have not read all the books in this series, but I have read one of them and found it an easy series to get into. I then seem to have missed a couple more and now come across this latest one. again another one that is easy to pick up given that it is a series. The character of DS George Cross was very easy to remember as he is socially awkward and has a very specific way of dealing with his life, those of people he knows and of the crimes he is investigating.

He is tenacious and it is this tenacity that has helped him navigate his way through tricky investigations before and will do so again this time as well. While he has always been able to look at crimes from the outside, this time he discovers a connection that makes one of his friendships a little strained.

Luckily for him, he has people around him who know how he works and he has built up a level of respect. He really is a character I like given his very literal understanding of everyday conversations, sarcasm, joking and general banter.

When the body of a monk is discovered it leads Cross and the team along a route that even surprises them. Everyone comes from somewhere and even a monk has a past, even one that has been left behind. As the team investigate there seems to be something more than first meets the eye.

Having different threads in this story the author is able to weave what would seem like a complex case. If I was to try to explain it, well it would be complex, but the way the author lays it out makes sense. Leads are followed, but not always successfully or with full understanding. Progress is slow and is hampered by not having knowledge of all the facts.

While this is a police procedural first and foremost, the author does bring in the out-of-hours or off-the-job aspect to his main characters. It is a chance to get to know more about Cross and what happened to his mum and dad when he was younger and they went their separate ways.

Being on the spectrum, Cross is shown to struggle with changes in his routines and these revelations do up skittle him. He is however a professional and is able to departmentalise so his focus is where it needs to be. Being a stickler for having every ‘I’ dotted and ‘T’ crossed he will always keep working at things that niggle him.

This is a fabulous story and as I mentioned this does not have to be read in order. It does mention this is the book blurb so I will be going back to read the previous ones I have missed. If you are a fan of crime, thriller and police procedural stories then this is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Sullivan is an acclaimed screenwriter. He originally read English and Law at university – the latter forced on him by his Dad – but instead, he wriggled free of those parental ambitions and pursued his own, to make films. His writing credits include A HANDFUL OF DUST, starring Kristen Scott Thomas, WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, starring Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham Carter, JACK AND SARAH (which he also directed) starring Richard E Grant, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen and LETTERS TO JULIET, with Amanda Seyfried. He is also a Television director whose credits include SHERLOCK HOLMES and COLD FEET and CORONATIONS STREET. He has written extensively in Hollywood in both live-action and animation, working with Ron Howard, Scott Rudin and Jeffrey Katzenberg on the fourth SHREK movie.

He has now embarked on a series of crime novels featuring the eccentric and socially-awkward, but brilliantly persistent DS George Cross.

He self-published the first two books and once they’d achieved over 200,000 downloads he came to the attention of Head of Zeus publishers. So thanks to all his readers for this success and their shared love of George.

The novels are set in Bristol in the southwest of England, Cross’ methods often infuriate his colleagues and superiors “not so much a thorn in my side as a pain in my arse,” according to his boss DCI Carson. But his conviction rate, thanks to his dogged persistence and attention to detail, is the best in the force. Tim has now written the first four in the series with The Patient being published on March 3rd 2022.

Tim feels confident in his claim that he is the only crime writer around who has also co-produced and written a My Little Pony movie for Hasbro. MY LITTLE PONY – A NEW GENERATION is now available on Netflix.

Tim lives in North London with his wife Rachel, the Emmy award-winning producer of THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA and PIONEER WOMAN. Their daughters live nearby.

For more stuff about Tim visit his website http://www.timsullivan.co.uk

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 x

A Truth for a Truth by Carol Wyer @carolwyer @zooloosBT #policeprocedural #crime #thriller #bookreview

yvonnembee 6 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for A Truth for a Truth by Carol Wyer. This is the 4th book in this series and I do urge that you read these in order. The main character has a unique something about her! 🙂

My huge thanks to Zoe at Zooloos Book Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fabulous book.

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished…

But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Stanka, the sex worker who supplied the evidence against Dickson, leads her to crucial information on another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her dubious involvement with sex traffickers.

As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

MY REVIEW

Oh my goodness this series is amazing. It is one of those that you really should read in order as there is something about its main character that does need to be understood. Detective Kate Young has dealt with some tough stuff while working for Superintendant John Dickson. She has some information about him that she knows will have repercussions if it gets out. Trying to get the final pieces of information and to prove his guilt she arranged to meet him. After a tussle, he gets shot.

Understanding what makes Kate tick is key to this story as well as the ongoing storyline about the death of her husband, the sex traffickers and a girl she saved and befriended is something that is explained in previous books, they are all brilliant reads by the way!

As Kate tries to keep her cool she is also tasked with finding the man she killed. Balancing her emotions is tough and she is constantly walking on eggshells, trying not to slip up, making sure she has covered all the bases. trying to work in an open and honest way with her team and also keeping things secret is pulling her apart.

The investigations that are running and the people involved could make this a very confusing book, that is if I were to try to explain it in more detail. Luckily for us, we have the wonderful ability of the author to keep the lines clear and not muddy the waters. It makes for a story that flows and weaves its way through those involved and brings others into this evolving plot.

This is a tense thriller and the psychological aspect of it is so good. It gives a nice twist to the character of Kate and gives her her own special trait. The others in her team have their roles to play and they also have their own storylines, not as prominent but they are there.

Doubt, distrust and suspicion are evident on every page and this adds to the thrill of the story. Kate herself is someone who you should be able to trust, but she is definitely overstepping the line. Once this would never be an issue, but now… who knows how far she will go!

This is one that will appeal to fans of police procedurals and crime thriller stories. I do seriously suggest reading this in order to be able to get the full realisation of how Kate works and for the ongoing storylines. Another brilliant book in a brilliant series that I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer’s crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Australia. The third, A Life For A Life, is due out March 15th, 2022, but is available to preorder.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy who is very, very grumpy.

When not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx