Tag Fast Pace

Closer To You by Adam Croft @adamcroft #PublicationDay #BookReview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review for Closer To You by Adam Croft. I would also like to take the opportunity to wish Adam a Happy Publication Day 🙂

Let me show you what Adam’s book is all about…

What if your loved one wanted you dead?

Grace wants to spend the rest of her life with Tom. She needs to. Because otherwise he’ll kill her.

He’s the perfect gentleman. He’s kind, attentive and caring. Her family love him. And he needs Grace dead. But why?

As the feeling grows that Tom is not as perfect as he seems, he begins to slowly and systematically destroy her life. Can she discover the truth and escape with her life?

This is a quick, pacy and riveting 229 pages of intrigue, manipulation and deception. Grace thinks she has found Mr. Right when she meets Tom via a dating app. He is charming, a gentleman and very attentive. He comes across as supportive and compassionate. Grace, it seems has been swept off her feet by him so why are her friends not quite so keen on him?

This is a fast paced read that in some ways mirrors the pace of Grace and Tom’s relationship. Things move quickly and it isn’t long before he has moved in. Things should be rosy, and on the relationship side of things, that is the case. However, work, friends and family relationships all seem to have problems. Things are not going well, there are fraught conversations that seem to appear out of nowhere. Grace is so confused and is so glad that she has Tom there.

This is a clever and quick read that just zooms along and is easily read in one sitting. The author does a really good job of giving the reader a story that is very easy to get caught up in. There are doubts about Tom from the synopsis and also from the reactions and responses from Grace’s close friend and her family. Grace is slowly being manipulated and doesn’t realise until Tom’s attitude changes, subtle changes, but changes all the same.

If you like quick paced, domestic thriller reads then Closer To You is a good book to pick up. The characters are good and I was able to see what the other characters could see, I could understand their frustrations and I could also see the doubt creep slowly in over Grace. For a quick read this does pack a lot of drama and tension. thoroughly enjoyable read and one I would recommend.

With more than half a million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world, and one of the biggest selling authors of the past year.

Following his 2015 worldwide bestseller Her Last Tomorrow, his psychological thrillers were bought by Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing. Prior to the Amazon deal, Her Last Tomorrow sold more than 150,000 copies across all platforms and became one of the bestselling books of the year, reaching the top 10 in the overall Amazon Kindle chart and peaking at number 12 in the combined paperback fiction and non-fiction chart.

His Knight & Culverhouse crime thriller series has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, with his Kempston Hardwick mystery books being adapted as audio plays starring some of the biggest names in British TV.

In 2016, the Knight & Culverhouse Box Set reached number 1 in Canada, knocking J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child off the top spot only weeks after Her Last Tomorrow was also number 1 in Canada.

During the summer of 2016, two of Adam’s books hit the USA Today bestseller list only weeks apart, making them two of the most-purchased books in the United States over the summer.

Before writing full time, Adam had previously worked as an internet marketing consultant, delivery driver and professional actor.

Adam has been featured on BBC Radio, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Bookseller and a number of other news and media outlets.

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

Marked For Death by Tony Kent @TonyKent_Writes #review

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I was lucky enough to win a proof copy of this book August last year on TBC, and yep I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

Marked For Death is the second book in the series by Tony Kent. In my usual style, I have still got the first book Killer Intent to read, it is now sat glaring at me from my TBR. I bought Killer Intent before I had even got through the first few chapters of Marked For Death, that gives you an indication as to how much I enjoyed reading it.

Now let’s see what Marked For Death is all about…

A thrilling follow-up to one of 2018’s hottest debuts, Killer Intent

When London’s legal establishment is shaken to its foundation by the grisly crucifixion of a retired Lord Chief Justice, Detective Chief Inspector Joelle Levy is tasked with finding his killer. With fifty years of potential enemies to choose from, only the identical murder of former solicitor Adam Blunt offers a ray of hope: what is it that connects these victims who met such a gruesome end?

Assigned to the story from the start, news reporter Sarah Truman sets out to investigate on her own, not suspecting that the trail will lead straight back to her own front door and her fiancé Michael Devlin. A criminal barrister determined to prove the innocence of his own client, Michael is at first oblivious to the return of the murderous figure from his past – until tragedy strikes closer to home.

Struggling with his grief and guilt, and now caught up in a madman’s terrible quest for revenge, Michael must race to bring the killer to justice – before it’s too late.

I am not one for reading the synopsis immediately before I start reading a book or the author bio for that matter, I usually leave it till the end. For some reason, I decided to read both beforehand. It made me wonder how much of the authors’ experiences would show in his story and also how would they come across to me as a reader. He is a Barrister, Ex-Boxer and Crime Writer, well that’s an impressive resume! Well, I immediately felt that the author had an advantage, the legal stuff (stuff is not very technical I know!) had extra details, not that I am knowledgable in this area, but they had that extra something to them. The boxing details again showed themselves and added the air of someone who really knows what they are talking about. The writing well if I say I loved this book I think that will give a pretty good indication of how much I enjoyed it. I think 3 out of 3 is pretty spot on.

Right to the story itself then… this is a thriller that is fast paced, it has brilliant courtroom scenes, an intense investigation and if that is not enough, there are friendships and relationships that intersperse and link the various different characters.

The characters themselves are brilliant and it did not take me long to become familiar with them, they have interesting traits that make them stand out from each other. Many come across as strong and have their own determined presence, they really suit and complement this style of story. A weaker character just wouldn’t cut it in this powerful cast.

The plot or I should say plots are carefully entwined and full of surprise. They are clever and twist their way through the story, full of red herrings and blind alleys. I loved that I could keep up with all these without feeling confused or lost and it left me to thoroughly enjoy this intense story. The courtroom scenes I really enjoyed, especially while witnesses where being interrogated, sorry questioned, especially when those cocky, so sure of themselves ones, got so tangled up they fell flat on their faces.

The police investigation that is part of the story is also linked in with a news reporter. The pressure that DCI Levy is under to solve the case is evident and believe me when I say she is not a woman to be messed with, I really liked her tenacity and principles, but she is a woman with a past and would love to get to know her a bit more.

I have to give mention to the bad guy, Oh he is a real nasty piece of work and such a cleverly put together character.

So, a mix of courtroom drama, police investigations, thriller, crime and full of action from start to finish. For me, this was an absolutely brilliant read with so many aspects that hit the mark for me. It is one I would Highly Recommend.

Photo Credit – taken from the authors Goodreads Page.

Tony Kent’s first novel, KILLER INTENT, was one of the ‘must reads’ of 2018. It was selected for the Zoe Ball Book Club and is now to be adapted for television, directed by the award-winning filmmaker Duncan Jones.

Tony Kent grew up in a close-knit Irish family in London and studied law in Scotland.

A top-ranking barrister, Tony’s case history includes prosecuting and defending many high-profile, nationally reported trials.

Before his legal career, Tony boxed internationally as a heavyweight and won a host of national amateur titles.

Tony’s love of crime thrillers was inspired by powerhouse writers like Lee Child, Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, David Baldacci and Frederick Forsyth.

Follow or visit Tony on Facebook – Twitter – Website

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

#Reckoning by J.B. Turner #AmericanGhost #NetGalley #Review

yvonnembee 2 Comments
Reckoning (American Ghost #2)

Today I am sharing my review for Reckoning by J.B. Turner. This is actually the second book in the American Ghost Thriller series. My thanks to the publishers, Thomas & Mercer and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy via NetGalley.

Synopsis:

A sister kidnapped. A journalist in danger. A killer out for revenge.

After taking out a covert facility run by the Commission, a deep-state syndicate, Nathan Stone has made powerful enemies. He’s a black-ops asset—and he’s gone rogue.

But the organization wants payback. Kidnapping Stone’s sister from a Florida psychiatric hospital, the Commission have their asset exactly where they want him. They instruct him to neutralize journalist Mark Mahoney, to whom Stone had previously leaked documents about the Commission and their deadly conspiracy. Now, Nathan Stone has a choice: neutralize Mahoney and kill the story for good, or lose the only family he has left.

Stone knows that these men will stop at nothing to get what they want. Killing Mahoney is just the beginning. And when Stone learns the identity of their final target, he knows he has to stop the Commission once and for all—no matter the cost.

Purchase Here

My Thoughts:

As is the norm with me and reading a series in order, I started with Book 2, and so I can honestly say that “yes this works well as a stand-alone, but you would benefit from reading these in order”.

If you are a fan of Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher style books then this one will be right up your street. The main protagonist is Nathan Stone, an ex-military man who has definitely stood on some toes and made some very powerful enemies. These enemies have hit Nathan hard when they kidnap his sister and use her in a blackmail attempt.

The scenarios that play out are fast paced, violent and action-packed and I really liked the variety in these scenarios as they were not too samey or stereotypical. They were used in such a way as to keep the speed of the read at a breakneck tempo.

With Nathan being backed into a corner he comes out fighting and kicking, stabbing… I think you get the idea. Yes, he is a man who has gone rogue there is no argument about that, but underneath this dangerous exterior there resides a man who has a soul and morals but only towards those who deserve them.

As I mentioned this is fast paced and if you are someone who likes mysteries, corruption and double dealings then this is a great book to read. I have bought the first so I can back track to learn more about the origins and what makes this character tick and look forward to reading more in the series.

One I would definitely recommend to readers.

About the Author:

J. B. Turner is a former journalist and the author of the Jon Reznick series of conspiracy action thrillers (Hard Road, Hard Kill, Hard Wired, Hard Way, and Hard Fall), as well as the Deborah Jones political thrillers (Miami Requiem and Dark Waters). He loves music, from Beethoven to the Beatles, and watching good films, from Manhattan to The Deer Hunter. He has a keen interest in geopolitics. He lives in Scotland with his wife and two children.

Many thanks for reading my post.

A like or share would be wonderful 🙂Y

#BookTour : You’re Next by Michael Fowler : published by @caffeinenights : tour organised by @CarolineBookBit

yvonnembee 1 Comment

You're Next - Michael Fowler - Book Cover

It is my pleasure to be part of the blog tour of “You’re Next ” by Michael Fowler, by

Caffeine Nights Publishing  on 9th November 2017 and is available in paperback.

 

Synopsis:

It is the opening day of Detective Sergeant Scarlett Macey’s biggest case of her life – ‘The Lycra Rapist’ is standing trial for a series of brutal rapes.

But things don’t go according to plan – the trial collapses – and James Green is freed.

Scarlett is determined his freedom will not last long and immediately begins planning his downfall.

Meanwhile James Green has his own plans for revenge, and driven by feelings of hatred begins to pick out those who brought about his downfall – priming them for the kill.

Scarlett has faced many villains in the past, but never one quite as terrifying as James Green…

My Thoughts:

D.S Scarlett Macey has been working on the case of “The Lycra Rapist” and it is now trial time, everything is all lined up ready for James Green to be locked up for his crimes.  Well that was the thought, but an unforeseen event leads to James being released.  Scarlett wants justice, and James wants revenge.

This story starts off running and does not let up, just as you start getting your head round one thing, it twists and something else is thrown in.  The plot has been very cleverly manipulated, twisted and convincingly developed.  It does not give an inch as far as guessing the plot goes. As I was reading I guessed at one thing and was so far off the mark. The good guys are really good, the bad guys are monsters!

Macey and her partner D.C Tarn Scarr are the two main detectives in this story, but add to that various other characters and you have a cast that is not massive, but just the right amount to add the variety and extra depth.  It is set in London and the descriptions the author gives are spot on.  One thing that really jumped out at me were the procedural details.  It was the little things and the comments that were added, it appeared to be written by someone who had a knowledge of policing.  After reading the book I checked out Michael’s bio, sure enough he was an ex-police officer, the added extras that he brought to the story from his own experiences really did show.

This is my first experience with this author, I can honestly say it will not be my last.  This is perfect for a reader who likes action packed, fast paced and a well written book with some good characters and deep well developed plots.  I found it to be an addictive page turner from start to finish, I read it in a day as I really could not put it down.  Perfect for Crime /Thriller / Mystery readers. I would highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank Caroline at Bits About Books for allowing me a spot on this tour.  Also many thanks to Michael Fowler and Caffeine Nights Publishing for my copy of this book.  My thoughts expressed are my own and are unbiased.

Author Bio:

Michael Fowler Author Image

Following retirement, after thirty-two years as a police officer, working mainly as a detective, Michael returned to the deadly business of murder, as a writer. His past work brought him very close to some nasty characters, including psychopaths, and gruesome cases, and he draws on that experience to craft his novels: There is nothing gentle about Michael’s stories.

His landmark novel Heart of the Demon, published in 2012, introduced Detective Sergeant Hunter Kerr. Michael has since written five novels and a novella featuring Kerr. He also released the first DS Scarlett Macey book in 2016. Michael is also the author of a stand-alone crime novella and a true crime thriller.

Michael has another side to his life – a passion for art, and has found considerable success as an artist, receiving numerous artistic accolades. Currently, his oil paintings can be found in the galleries of Spencer Coleman Fine Arts.

He is a member of the Crime Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.

Follow Michael on his Website.  To see all of Micheal’s books check out Caffeine Nights Publishing.

Book details:

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Caffeine Nights Publishing (9 Nov. 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1910720895
  • ISBN-13: 978-1910720899

Order from :  Amazon UK  |  Amazon US

Many thanks for reading my post.  If you liked it give it a share. Better still, go and buy this book xx