6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, @nholten40 @0neMoreChapter_ @HarperCollinsUK @RandomTTours

October 14, 2022September 6, 2022 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

I was so excited to receive Noelle Holten’s new noir crime book 6 Ripley Avenue, a gripping thriller of secrets and lies. Holten is the author of Dead Inside, Dead Wrong, Dead Perfect, Dead Secret and Dead Mercy, a series I absolutely love, so I new this was going to be FABULOUS!

Book Description:

ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.

At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

Don’t miss the first nerve-shredding standalone thriller from Noelle Holten, author of the Maggie Jamieson series.

Praise for Noelle Holten:

‘Hugely confident … harrowing, visceral … recommended’ Ian Rankin

‘Kept me hooked’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

‘Gritty, dark and chilling’ Mel Sherratt

‘Unputdownable’ M. W. Craven

No wonder this book is trending in the reading charts. It is a pretty unsettling and creepy read that quickly grabbed my attention with its story and alluring characters. 6 Ripley Avenue is the talented Noelle Holten’s first standalone psychological thriller. With a unique plot line, this book will interest crime fiction lovers.

6 Ripley House, a probation hostel where UKs most violent offenders are housed, is not a popular place amongst the residents of the area. Most notably Helen Burgess, still raw from the death of her husband, who started her neighbourhood watch scheme. But when Danny Wells, a convicted criminal, is killed in the early hours, things intensify. This is a serious problem for Jeanette Macey, Senior Probation Officer and manager of the premises. The surveillance equipment failed to record anything of significance due to neglect, and with Jeanette’s drill—if it isn’t recorded, it didn’t happen—they are lost without proof.

Enter freelance investigative journalist Sloane Armstrong, who is already well-versed in the hostel’s goings-on. I liked her immensely. Plenty of backbone and humour, all the ingredients that make up a gutsy investigator. With so many high-risk offenders housed in the hostel, you’d think the culprit couldn’t be far away. But Helen and Sloane begin their investigation at their own risk, at one point avoiding Jeanette pressing charges. It becomes clear Jeanette is unaware of the illegal activities taking place, even with the intense level of scrutiny they’re experiencing.

This book provides a realistic glimpse into a life only Holten knows about. Her background qualifies her to write not only her Maggie Jamieson crime thrillers but 6 Ripley Avenue as well. Just when you think you have worked out the plot—BAM! Another bend in the road appears. Sinister, evocative, fascinating and very addictive, are just a few of the many characteristics of this book. Written in a clear, crisp style, this book’s structure alternates between five different perspectives. Not an easy task, especially keeping voices distinct. But hats off to the author because it paid off.

The mysteries of the story were well devised and I hope Holten continues venturing into the psychological thriller genre. I’d definitely pick up whatever she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Noelle Holten for the privilege of reading this advance reader copy. Many thanks to Random Things Tours for including me in this amazing blog tour.

About the Author:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. 6 Ripley Avenue is her first stand-alone crime thriller.

Connect with Noelle on Social Media here:

Subscribe to Newsletter: http://ow.ly/cgww50BkBtt

Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor/

Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/

Instagram: @author_noelleholten

Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk  

Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

Other books by this Author:

#RandomThingsTours #Bloggers #Reviewers

The Source by Sarah Sultoon, published by Orenda Books #review #Blog @SultoonSarah @OrendaBooks

April 17, 2021March 25, 2021 / Bookpreneur / 4 Comments

I was so excited to take part in The Source blog tour, an unforgettable debut with sharp writing and a brilliant plot. Even more exciting that this first book is currently in development for television. Written in two points of view, it takes the reader to London in 2006 as seen through Marie’s eyes and to Warchester in 1996 in Carly’s world. With its cast of hard-hitting and uncompromising characters, I was curious to know who was behind this gruesome ring.

Book Description:

A young TV journalist is forced to revisit her harrowing past when she’s thrust into a sex-trafficking investigation in her hometown. A startling, searing debut thriller by award-winning CNN journalist Sarah Sultoon.

1996. Essex. Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Carly lives in a disenfranchised town dominated by a military base, struggling to care for her baby sister while her mum sleeps off another binge. When her squaddie brother brings food and treats, and offers an exclusive invitation to army parties, things start to look a little less bleak…

2006. London. Junior TV newsroom journalist Marie has spent six months exposing a gang of sex traffickers, but everything is derailed when New Scotland Yard announces the re-opening of Operation Andromeda, the notorious investigation into allegations of sex abuse at an army base a decade earlier…

As the lives of these two characters intertwine around a single, defining event, a series of utterly chilling experiences is revealed, sparking a nail-biting race to find the truth … and justice.

A riveting, searing and devastatingly dark thriller, The Source is also a story about survival, about hopes and dreams, about power, abuse and resilience … an immense, tense and thought-provoking debut that you will never, ever forget.

Product details

ASIN : B08NXT7DL9
Publisher : Orenda Books (February 15, 2021)
Publication date : February 15, 2021

Marie is a junior TV journalist working with a crew to expose a gang of sex traffickers. Even though Dominic stashes a camera in his pants in case he gets frisked, the footage they capture on camera is only a coded exchange that doesn’t incriminate the perpetrators. Viewers need a victim. Someone they can root for. When the police commissioner reopens a billion pound investigation into the British Army, Marie knows new information on a cover-up could bring down half the government.

Carly is thirteen and struggling with a bleak home life. Her mother is unable to take care of her baby sister and the home is a wreck. Without her squaddie brother’s help they’d be destitute. The life they lead is distressing and you can’t help feeling a nudge of pity at every page. A three year-old left in dirty clothes, unchanged and covered in rashes, latterly to be taken to hospital for a high fever. Rach teaching Carly all she knows and introducing her to a dark world that forces her to grow up too fast. This is where I was desperate for Carly’s life to change and for someone to come to her aid. I wanted to slap her brother, a sergeant desperate to keep face rather than protect his sister. But he’s afraid, same as Carly.

I wasn’t sure if I liked Dominic until I realised his story mirrors Marie’s. The nugget of a bond forms around their separate lives, a friendship that embraces hidden truths. They understand what sacrifices it takes to keep secrets. Each personality is rugged, perhaps more the nature of TV journalists, and Marie’s inner monologue puts us right beside her, seeing what she sees and feeling her pain. I am truly impressed by how the threads of this book wrap so tightly around the reader, it’s impossible to let go. Even though some parts are hard to read, they are subtly described.

The writing is razor sharp and the plot is thought-provoking. I don’t think there was one thing I didn’t like about this book. The timeline is easy to read, never the distracting array of different dates and years of other books in this genre tend to depict. It flowed well. There will be that unforgetable residue long after putting the book down. Thank you to Orenda, Anne Cater and author Sarah Sultoon for the privilege of reading this book.

About the Author

Sarah Sultoon is a novelist and journalist, whose prior work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate degree in languages, chosen mainly so she could spend time itinerantly travelling the world. She likes running, Indian food, cocktails, playing sport with her children and throwing a ball for her dog, order dependent on when the cocktails are consumed. The Source is her first novel and is currently in development for television with Lime Pictures.

Shadow Sands: A Kate Marshall Thriller – Book 2 by Robert Bryndza, published by Thomas & Mercer. @RobertBryndza @AmazonPub @kirsteenastor @NetGalley #thriller #review #bestsellers

November 3, 2020October 28, 2020 / Bookpreneur / 1 Comment

Another knife-edge thriller that unfolds with cut-throat ferocity! This is the second book in the Kate Marshall series, an ultra-satisfying, seat-of-your-pants action mystery with a corkscrewing plot.

An Amazon Charts bestselling series.

THE UNMISSABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GIRL IN THE ICE AND NINE ELMS ROBERT BRYNDZA

The moors are a perfect hiding place for a serial killer. And a chilling return to the past for nascent private investigator Kate Marshall in a pulse-racing thriller by the author of Nine Elms.

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall Book 2) by [Robert Bryndza]

US Link here

Criminology academic Kate Marshall is on a scuba jaunt with her son when they dive toward a shocking discovery: the body of a teenage boy entangled below the surface of the Shadow Sands reservoir. The detective chief inspector’s too-quick narrative of a tragic drowning doesn’t add up, and when Kate follows the evidence, it leads to a darker discovery.

The victim is only the latest in a series of mysterious deaths and disappearances linked to the moorlands—and a mythic phantom said to hide in the rolling fog. When a researcher of urban legends vanishes without a trace, Kate and her associate Tristan Harper must act fast and look deep if they hope to find her alive.

But the elusive serial killer they’re hunting isn’t the only one a step ahead of Kate and Tristan. Someone else is making dead certain that the secrets of Shadow Sands stay buried.

The book opens with a UK regional swimming champion being attacked by an unknown assailant at Shadow Sands reservoir. Two days later, forty-two-year-old Kate Marshall and her teenage son, Jake, are swimming in the same waters, taking pictures of a sunken village — only to stumble on a gruesome find, something that Kate is rather good at.

Kate becomes embroiled in the case at the request of the victims mother. With the help of Tristen Harper and the mortician, it becomes clear the Kendal boys death was no accident. Geraint Jones’ melancholic statement and Alan Herman’s refusal to comment on time of death make this an eerie case—that and the police’s rapid decision to rule accidental death.

There’s clearly something much bigger going on with witnesses about to give statements and then winding up dead. The ending, as with all Bryndza’s books threw me for a loop. I’m loving the PI stance to Kate’s career and I’m hoping to see her getting up to all kinds of ticks without the oppressive rules of a police department to hinder her. Another ACE read.

This is one of those books that gives you goose pimples, a few sniffles and sniggers. Loved the cappuccino/Al Pacino comment. Oh, and Dylan and Thomas. It explores the darkest criminal minds and puts killers where you least expect to find them.

Bryndza’s writing is always clear, well researched. His understanding of forensics and police procedural always makes me feel I’m in reliable hands. His descriptions of the area: Kate’s two-storey house in Thurlow Bay and the edgy, dark imagery of the crime scene is sure to stay with you for a very long time.

This series is maddeningly addictive and soaks up every dark pleasure and every nail-biting terror and provides a protagonist you definitely want to root for.

Thank you to the author Robert Bryndza, Netgalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

What people are saying:

‘Robert Bryndza knows how to keep the pages – and your stomach – turning’ – The Times

‘It is impossible not to root for the feisty, flawed Kate’ – Daily Mail

‘So chilling, with truly terrifying characters and a hard-hitting storyline that is gripping from start to finish’ – Rachel Abbott

About the Author

Robert Bryndza began his career training at the Guildford School of Acting in the U.K. He spent six years as an actor, doing all kinds of strange jobs in between, which was the perfect training for being an author. He began to write during a long period of unemployment, first comedy sketches, a show which he took to the Edinburgh Festival, and then four romantic comedy novels which he self-published, and they became Amazon charts bestsellers selling over 250,000 copies.

His debut crime thriller The Girl in the Ice was the first book in his Detective Erika Foster series. It has sold over 1 million copies in the English language, and won the Dead Good Reader Award for best kick-ass female character at the 2016 U.K Harrogate Crime Festival. Erika Foster has gone on to kick-ass in five further books; The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath, Cold Blood and Deadly Secrets. The series was twice nominated in Goodreads Choice Awards (Mystery and Thriller category) in 2016 for The Girl in the Ice, and in 2017 for Last Breath. Robert’s books have sold over 3 million copies in the English language, and have been translated into 29 languages.

Nine Elms, the first book in his new Kate Marshall private detective series was published late in 2019 and was an instant Amazon USA no.1 bestseller, an Amazon UK top 10 bestseller and topped bestselling charts around the world. The second book in the series, Shadow Sands, will be published in November 2020. Robert is British and lives in Slovakia.

You can find out more about Robert at http://www.robertbryndza.com and on Twitter and Instagram @RobertBryndza

(Simply cut-and-paste that address into your browser. Your email will never be shared and you will only be contacted when a new book is out.)

Other books by Robert Bryndza

When You Disappeared by John Marrs, published by Thomas & Mercer, @johnmarrs @AmazonPub #Blog #review

August 14, 2020August 11, 2020 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

After reading What Lies Between Us, I rushed to buy another John Marrs book. When You Disappeared is a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat, but it will also leave you emotionally drained. Published in 2017, it still holds up as one of the finest pieces of psychological thriller writing. It will stay with you long after you’ve read the last page.

Description:

US Link Here

All she wanted was the truth, but she’ll wish she never found out.

When Catherine wakes up alone one morning, she thinks her husband has gone for a run before work. But Simon never makes it to the office. His running shoes are by the front door. Nothing is missing—except him.

Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn’t just leave her. He wouldn’t leave the children.

But Simon knows the truth—about why he left and what he’s done. He knows things about his marriage that it would kill Catherine to find out. The memories she holds onto are lies.

While Catherine faces a dark new reality at home, Simon’s halfway around the world, alive and thriving. He’s doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the truth.

But he can’t hide forever, and when he reappears twenty-five years later, Catherine will finally learn who he is.

And wish she’d stayed in the dark.

Print Length: 349 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (July 13, 2017)
Publication Date: July 13, 2017
ASIN: B01MR4XQL6

I didn’t know what to expect when I read the description of this book, but I was gob-smacked by the unique way Marrs wove together two stories both present and past. I hated Simon from the beginning. Callous, narcissistic and driven to immense hatred by something that happened in the past, I was incensed by him abandoning his family. Why and what caused him to do such a despicable thing?

Twenty-five years ago, Catherine and her young children are abandoned by her husband. She is left to pick up the pieces and start all over again. But there is no body to bury and no closure, and as the in-laws begin to pick away at the marriage, and question if Catherine had any part in Simon’s disappearance, you feel her desperation and her loneliness. Instead of wallowing, she picks up the pieces and forges her own career while single-handedly bringing up her children. When you’re a single mother (like me) you know how hard this is. Marrs takes great care to show her failures and successes in a realistic and well-paced manner. I loved her story.

Meanwhile Simon contemplates ending his own life, and then decides instead to simply throw in the towel to a good career and marriage, and swan off to pastures new. He doesn’t look back. Much. His life takes on a grotesquely downward spiral as he travels abroad. A free spirit now, he has no direction, but there is a curiously OCD side to him, a strength of character that I found both fascinating and despicable. Each page brings you closer to finding out why Simon did what he did. You can’t help being completely invested in the characters because you know there is a huge chunk missing. We catch glimpses of a terrible mistake that had somehow impacted the relationship and brought it to its knees.

I did ask myself a question as I closed the book. What happened to the sons? The illnesses all round were sad, although I wondered if perhaps there were too many.

Although I felt terrible sadness for Simon’s story and his friendship with Doug, I wanted to stand up and scream. A life changing tragedy incurred by a simple lack of communication seemed so unnecessary, but when you consider why secrets weren’t divulged at that time, you can understand it more clearly. But the most unforgettable scene for me was the final admission. An innocent child which amounted to an act of unforgivable neglect. Yet Marrs still made me feel sorry for the villain when I shouldn’t have given a damn.

Trigger Alert: This is an unputdownable book for me, but the tragedy at the heart of it is so dark it may be a nightmare for some readers. Please read the reviews before diving in. Even so, I gave it a solid five stars because of the skillful formatting of the story and the twists and turns that leave you breathless.

What people are saying:

“A compelling dark read that gets you thinking.” 4/5, The Sun Newspaper.

“It’s crammed with twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing right until the very end.” 5/5 OK! Magazine.

“Looking for a thrilling read? Then look no further.” -TV Extra Magazine, Sunday Star Newspaper.

“A magnificent story, one that truly captivated from the start with its style and grace and ever so subtle disclosure of the ultimate history.” – littleebookreviews.com

“A story that left me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put it down. You simply must read this book for yourself.” – Book Lover’s Attic.

“The story is masterfully told … the book is one that will stay with the reader for a long time. It is an extremely impressive first novel.” – Online Book Club

“There are many jaw-dropping moments. If you pick up this book, expect to be shocked! This is a book that firmly deserves to be defined as a page-turner.” – Cleopatra Loves Books. –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. What Lies Between Us is his seventh book. Follow him at http://www.johnmarrsauthor.co.uk, on Twitter @johnmarrs1, on Instagram @johnmarrs.author and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/johnmarrsauthor.

More Books by John Marrs

The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne, published by Little, Brown Book Group UK, G.P. Putnam’s Sons #TheWickedSister #NetGalley @sphere

August 4, 2020July 31, 2020 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Having read the Marsh King’s Daughter, I knew I was in for a treat. The Wicked Sister —rich in descriptions, paired with deep research into psychology, made this a must read for me. Evocative settings and complex characters are Dionne’s hallmark, that and powerful drama, twists and tension galore.

Description

She thought she’d buried her past. But what if it’s been hunting her this whole time?

UK Link here:

From the bestselling and award-winning author Karen Dionne comes a startling novel of psychological suspense as two generations of sisters try to unravel their tangled relationships between nature and nurture, guilt and betrayal, love and evil.

You have been cut off from society for fifteen years, shut away in a mental hospital in self-imposed exile as punishment for the terrible thing you did when you were a child.

But what if nothing about your past is as it seems?

And if you didn’t accidentally shoot and kill your mother, then whoever did is still out there. Waiting for you.

For a decade and a half, Rachel Cunningham has chosen to lock herself away in a psychiatric facility, tortured by gaps in her memory and the certainty that she is responsible for her parents’ deaths. But when she learns new details about their murders, Rachel returns, in a quest for answers, to the place where she once felt safest: her family’s sprawling log cabin in the remote forests of Michigan.

As Rachel begins to uncover what really happened on the day her parents were murdered, she learns – as her mother did years earlier – that home can be a place of unspeakable evil, and that the bond she shares with her sister might be the most poisonous of all.

Set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula wilderness and told in dual narratives, The Wicked Sister flips from past to present in this compulsive tale of manipulation and deception. Rachael Cunningham is locked up in the Newberry Regional Mental Health Centre, believing she has committed an unspeakable crime. Subjected to horrific torment and having only a spider for company since the age of eleven, she has surely paid her dues. But when a discrepancy in the police report is discovered, no matter how Rachael looks at it, the crime could not have been committed by her. Discharging herself from the facility, she is free to investigate on her own terms.

Jenny, a wildlife biologist, must escape the neighbourhood after a tragic accident. Leaving behind a trail of devastation, the family travels to the wilderness to research bears. But Jenny’s young daughter Diana is precocious, manipulative and decidedly psychotic. I found it frustrating to watch a parent cave to such outrageous demands, but as disturbing as these scenes are, Dionne writes them so well. I found myself as uneasy and as traumatised as Jenny, with little or no solution to offer. A child with callous-unemotional traits is not everyone’s cup of tea. She certainly isn’t mine. The pillow incident made me want to throw something at someone and there were other cruelties that sadly fit the criteria. As these devastated parents endeavour to keep Diana’s condition a secret, I wonder how long it will take for another life-threatening accident to happen.

The massive hunting lodge made of Oregon pine is sadly the scene of a murder. Two ravens, nesting outside Rachel’s old bedroom may have answers to what really happened. As Trevor leaves Rachel alone in the house there is a spark of something in the air. I was excited by this chapter because of Rachel’s ingenuity and I wanted to know how she could possibly pull off keeping herself hidden from her sisters for the reasons she chose.

There are so many things to like about this book; the rapid pace and robust setting, and an exceptionally powerful conclusion. It’s not often you find a book with so many psychological layers, drip-fed a morsel at a time—an unnerving psychological thriller with enough suspense and action to hold you spellbound to the very end. Absolutely sensational!

Many thanks to the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group, UK, Netgalley and to the author, Karen Dionne for the privilege of receiving an advance reader copy of this book.

About the author:

Karen Dionne is the #1 internationally bestselling author of the award-winning psychological suspense novel The Marsh King’s Daughter. She is the co-founder of the online writers’ community Backspace, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, where she served on the board of directors. She enjoys nature photography and lives with her husband in Detroit’s northern suburbs.

What people are saying:

Review

“A gut-clenching wilderness thriller.”–Minneapolis Star Tribune

US link here:

“Dionne paints a haunting portrait of a family hurtling toward the tragic destiny they can foresee but are powerless to stop.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review) “The Wicked Sister is massively thrilling and altogether unputdownable. Dionne is proving to be one of the finest suspense writers working today.”–Karin Slaughter, author of 20 International Bestselling Books

“A terrifying thrill-ride of psychological suspense. Karen Dionne is wickedly good at deception, deceit and misdirection and The Wicked Sister is seductively compelling. You will not stop reading.”
—Robert Dugoni, New York Times Best-Selling Author of My Sister’s Grave

“In Karen Dionne’s wilderness, humans are the most dangerous animals of all. The Wicked Sister is enthralling and terrifying, and I couldn’t put it down. A terrific novel.”–Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire

“A chilling portrait of a psychopath that will shock and fascinate you. Dionne is a master storyteller who has crafted a terrifying thriller that will haunt you long after the last page is read.” –Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“Chilling and captivating, The Wicked Sister explores the complex layers of family bonds, guilt, and redemption. A beautifully written, haunting psychological thriller.”—Megan Miranda, author of All the Missing Girls

“Karen Dionne is back with a dark, atmospheric and chilling tale set in the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Beautifully written, The Wicked Sister moves seamlessly between past and present, unraveling the truth behind a family tragedy. From her insightful depiction of both the grace and bitter cruelty of humanity, to her command of the plot and pacing, Dionne’s brilliance shines through on every single page. Prepare to be blown away!”–Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before

“Fresh, truly original, and utterly unpredictable, Karen Dionne is at the top of her game with the gorgeously told The Wicked Sister. I devoured this book in one sitting! It’s hard to balance complex and heartrending familial relationships with pulse-pounding suspense, but somehow this book does exactly that. Propulsive and terrifying to the very shocking end!”–Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year

Other books by Karen Dionne

Left for Dead by Caroline Mitchell #LeftForDead #NetGalley @Caroline_writes @AmazonPub @BOTBSPublicity #writingcommunity #blog #review

July 10, 2020June 23, 2020 / Bookpreneur / 2 Comments

I was so excited to receive a copy of Caroline Mitchell’s new book. By far one of my favorite authors, this is a five star read that leaves you chilled to the bone. Gripping and deliciously creepy, Left For Dead is the third installment in the DI Amy Winter Thriller book series.

Book description:

A victim on display. A detective on the rails.

Left For Dead (A DI Amy Winter Thriller Book 3) by [Caroline Mitchell]

Link here

Shopping with her sister, DI Amy Winter is admiring a Valentine’s Day window display of a perfect bride encrusted in diamonds and resplendent in lace—until she notices blood oozing from the mannequin’s mouth.

This is no stunt. A post-mortem reveals the victim was left to die on her macabre throne for all to see. When a second victim is found, it emerges that both women were ‘Sugar Babes’ arranging dates with older men online—and Amy finds herself hunting an accomplished psychopath.

As she tracks down the killer, Amy’s instincts go into overdrive when the charismatic head of the agency behind the display makes no attempt to hide his fascination with her serial-killer parents. What exactly does he want from Amy? With her own world in freefall as her biological mother, Lillian Grimes, appeals her conviction, Amy pushes the boundaries of police procedure when a third ‘Sugar Babe’ disappears…Is she as much at risk as the killer’s victims?

Print Length: 332 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (July 8, 2020)
Publication Date: July 8, 2020
ASIN: B082HT291W

The book opens on a chilly February day in the office of Samuel Black who, after having scratched his way to the top, now lives in a large home in Notting Hill. Itching to release his hidden desires, he unlocks the second draw of his desk, and with the help of a little black notebook, he is thrust from his mundane life into the bowels of a secret society.

DCI Hazel Pike is retiring and Donovan, toned and muscular and without a tie, has been transferred from Essex Police to take over her role. Dubbed as the psychopath-whisperer and with fan-mail to boot, it’s a bitter pill for DI Amy Winter to swallow. But I love Donovan, in fact, I quite fancy him myself.

A shopping trip with her sister down London’s Oxford Street on a Saturday morning, starts the ball rolling on the most bizarre case yet. A widow display with the distinctive scent of death and a dummy, left on a throne, ice cold with blood dripping from her mouth. A small heart-shaped wound had been cut in her chest, reminiscent of Claire Lacey’s murder twenty years ago— nicknamed The Love Heart Killer.

With all the ingredients of a fabulous plot, this book definitely delivers on many counts. The antagonist is deliciously creepy (which I love) and the protagonist is a pitbull of a crime fighter, whose punchbag sessions in her basement gym make up a small part of her amazing strength. The word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in her vocabulary and wedging a boot in a closing a door demonstrates her prickly dedication. Reluctant to discuss the Beasts of Brentwood with the likes of Samuel Black, she will have to atone for Lillian’s crimes, the true reason why Amy does what she does. But with tainted blood running through her veins—or you could say a foot in both camps—I wonder if this makes her twice as intuitive. Her nemesis in this case may refer to her as ‘same dog, different fleas,’ but he doesn’t know what he’s dealing with.

On the final stretch of the crime, the twist in the tale had me reeling. I thought I might have it all worked out by about the three quarter mark, but I hadn’t. A twenty-year-old murder told from two perspectives, with a cruel and perverted outcome. What’s that Harper Lee saying? “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

I always have my go-to crime writers and I’m happy to say, Caroline Mitchell is one who never disappoints. Edgy, dark and showcasing one of the finest detective characters in modern fiction, it’s exciting to note that the series has been optioned and will soon be on our screens to watch.

Huge thanks to author Caroline Mitchell, publisher Thomas & Mercer (APub) and Sarah Hardy at Books on the Bright Side Publicity and Netgalley for an advance reader copy of this book.

About the author:

A former police detective, Caroline Mitchell now writes full-time.

She has worked in CID and specialised in roles dealing with vulnerable victims—high-risk victims of domestic abuse and serious sexual offences. The mental strength shown by the victims of these crimes is a constant source of inspiration to her, and Mitchell combines their tenacity with her knowledge of police procedure to create tense psychological thrillers.

Originally from Ireland, she now lives in a pretty village on the coast of Essex with her husband and three children.

You can find out more about her at http://www.caroline-writes.com, or follow her on Twitter (@caroline_writes) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/CMitchellAuthor).

Other books by Caroline Mitchell:

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs, published by Thomas & Mercer @AmazonPub @johnmarrs1 #Review #blog #DomesticThriller #psychological#fiction

June 8, 2020June 7, 2020 / Bookpreneur / 1 Comment

A twisted and evocative read. This is my first book by John Marrs and I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews about his books and decided to give this one a try. I’m very glad I did!

Book description:

Link here

Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

Print Length: 371 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (May 15, 2020)
Publication Date: May 15, 2020
ASIN: B07XDVHDH4

To say this is the worst thing that could ever happen between two people in a house is an understatement. It’s a sheer nightmare. It tested my perspective and interpretation to the max. Both women wreak havoc in each other’s lives, and both have a price to pay.

Maggie and Nina take crazy to a whole new level, harbouring secrets of the worst kind that unfurl meticulously with each page. You’ll be thrown back and forth sympathising and hating them both at the same time and you may think you’ve figured it all out. Think again.

I empathise with Maggie the most. With all her sacrifices – be they tragic and gruesome – I can’t help rooting for her. Locked in a room with a cuff and chain, she is a prisoner in her own home. Ironically, you could say this is the price she must pay for her choices, and an ingenuity that goes well beyond sanity. As a mother, I know I couldn’t have done half of what she did, nor would I have had the physical or emotional strength to go to such lengths.

Love is the driver, and to some this love might seem a little extreme. If you think baby wipes, a bucket and a plate of food is all she needs to sustain her, you’d be wrong. There is no way out of her attic room, and for nearly three years she has been held captive with no one to call for help. If scratching away at a tiny hole is the only hope she has, then freedom is her biggest stumbling block.

Nina is a conundrum from page one. You know there’s something sinister lurking beneath the surface, not only because of the part she plays, but the psychological unravelling of past and present. Nina allows her mother downstairs for dinner where Maggie is taunted no end, depending on Nina’s mood. I couldn’t help screaming inside for Maggie to tell her side of the story, but how much does Nina really remember? And if she remembers, how dangerous could that be for Maggie?

When you think help is on its way, it is very quickly dashed. To me, this book was like a house of mirrors – a puzzle with so many obstacles there seemed to be no way out. Just when you thought there was an escape, another challenge presented itself. Told in two perspectives, both Nina and Maggie are sensitively and beautifully drawn, bouncing from present day to 25 years ago. Their lives and their secrets are woven into this well-plotted novel, so much so, I wasn’t sure what to believe.

Toxic co-dependency and a serious case of DID, made my skin itch. There is so much to unpack, you’ll love every twist and turn this clever author has to offer. You could say it is a game of wits – a gaoler and a hostage each with their own agenda. But are both their stories reliable? Are they both prisoners in mind and spirit? I guess you’ll have to read it to find out.

What people are saying:

“Dark and disturbing.” —Crime Monthly

“[Marrs’] most sinister novel to date.” —Daily Express

“A modern-day Whatever Happened to Baby Jane that is dark, twisted, and full of surprises.” —Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Here to Stay and The Retreat

“An excellent psychological thriller. A one-sitting read about a daughter who keeps her mother locked in the attic. Twisty, moving, and chilling.” —Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

“Great premise and masterful use of twists.” —Claire McGowan, bestselling author of What You Did

About the author

Other books by John Marrs

Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald, Published by Orenda Books @FitzHelen @OrendaBooks #bookreview #blog

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 / Bookpreneur / 2 Comments

This is my first Helen Fitzgerald book. Nail-biting suspense, and a roller-coaster plot with pitch-perfect characters and tension a plenty. A relatable, thrill-a-minute ride that takes you into the heat of Fran’s Australian hometown – the last place she wants to go. A tour de force of storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Book Description:

Helen Fitzgerald Ash Mountain Cover Image (2)

Link here

Fran hates her hometown, and she thought she’d escaped. But her father is ill, and needs care. Her relationship is over, and she hates her dead-end job in the city, anyway.
She returns home to nurse her dying father, her distant teenage daughter in tow for the weekends. There, in the sleepy town of Ash Mountain, childhood memories prick at her fragile self-esteem, she falls in love for the first time, and her demanding dad tests her patience, all in the unbearable heat of an Australian summer.

As past friendships and rivalries are renewed, and new ones forged, Fran’s tumultuous home life is the least of her worries, when old crimes rear their heads and a devastating
bushfire ravages the town and all of its inhabitants… Simultaneously a warm, darkly funny portrait of small-town life – and a woman and a land in crisis – and a shocking and truly distressing account of a catastrophic event that changes things forever, Ash Mountain is a heart-breaking slice of domestic noir, and a disturbing disaster thriller that you will never forget…

A fateful wish, a town burning. Ash Mountain, an inland town in Victoria, is about to succumb to the tragic loss of life and wildlife. Fran Collins prays she can get her daughter Vonny back before the fire storm above McBean’s Hill swallows the world whole. As the sky reddens, Fran must leave her dad alone and get to the monument.

Rewinding ten days prior to the fire, Fran returns home to look after her dad. As her story unfolds, we see a larger-than-life character who desires all the things a young woman would want and has survived exclusion and ridicule to boot. Understandably resentful of the town and it’s memories, she is tough, relatable and emotionally alert enough to survive this. But not without a few more challenges along the way. Humor sprinkled with high tension, Fran re-examines her life and the events that changed her forever — a hard-hitting journey expressed with lyrical prose and one that stays with you long after the book has finished.

The novel has a strong sense of place where secrets are peeled away through the chapters and staggering surprises keep coming. In fact, every new detail makes you wonder where the story is heading. A good portion of the book is dedicated to Fran’s backstory with scenes that drop you right there, seeing it through her eyes and feeling what she must have felt. Although I preferred being catapulted to the present, the backstory in this book is relevant to Fran’s character arc and has to be examined in order to appreciate her many layers.

As the fire engulfs the area, it is eerily quiet and the heat unbearable. The clock ticks and the burning question is; who will make it out alive. The power is off and there is no access in or out of the town. Everything is smoke as the fire approaches from the northwest. Fran grieves one death and soldiers on desperate to find Vonny. The burning photos are so poignant as is that last kiss, and hope and loss laid to rest one final time. Poor Ronnie Corbett brought a few more tears and I felt drained at the end.

I raise a glass to the author. This book is not only packed with emotion but stuffed with gold stars. It’s a powerful read which twisted and lurched where you least expected.

HUGE thanks to Anne Cater for organizing this tour, Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books and author Helen FitzGerald for a copy of this incredible book.

About The Author

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is now a major drama for BBC1. Her 2019 dark comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in both The Guardian and Daily Telegraph. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband.

Praise for Helen Fitzgerald:

‘Helen Fitzgerald’s sublime Worst Case Scenario, a foul-mouthed, satirical revenge thriller in which Glasgow probation officer Mary Shields battles career burnout and the menopause’ The Guardian

‘ The plotting is intricate and beautifully handled, and the narrative pace is absolutely breakneck … a wonderful, energetic, hard-hitting and deeply funny novel’ The Big Issue

‘Shocking, gripping and laugh-out-loud hilarious’ Erin Kelly

‘ The main character is one of the most extraordinary you’ll meet between the pages of a book’ Ian Rankin

‘A dark, comic masterpiece which manages to be both excruciatingly tense and laugh out loud funny at the same time’ Mark Edwards

‘Outrageous, extremely funny and ultimately devastating ’ Ambrose Parry

‘Fabulously transgressive and completely unique’ Mark Billingham

‘ The classic thriller gets a hell of a twist ’ Heat

‘FitzGerald writes like a more focused Irvine Welsh or a less misogynist Philip Roth’ Daily Telegraph

Other books by Helen Fitzgerald:

One Of Us Is Lying by Shalini Boland @ShaliniBoland @bookouture @GrandCentralPub #review #blog @sarahhardy681

April 5, 2020March 30, 2020 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

WOW! An addictive story from an author I hadn’t read before, and it takes off like a rocket! I didn’t just read this mesmerizing book, I inhabited it. One Of Us Is Lying is one of those rare stories that grips you until the early hours. With such glowing star ratings and testimonials from happy reviewers, I was longing to read this much anticipated book.

Book Description:

Tia never harmed anyone. So why does someone want to destroy her?

Tia is walking home with her children, along the lakeside of their quiet, safe town, when she realises something is wrong with her five-year-old daughter, Rosie. She seems troubled, not at all her usual happy self.

But when Tia finally coaxes Rosie to open up, she wishes she hadn’t. Because her sweet daughter asks a question Tia never thought she’d hear.

‘Mummy, why did you kill someone?’

Tia knows how rumours spread around her small town. She just can’t understand who would have shared such a horrible story. Or why.

It can’t have anything to do with what happened. Only her two best friends really remember that…

Tia thought she could trust Fiona and Kelly with her life. They’ve been through so much together. But when she’s sent photos of herself that could tear her whole world apart, she starts to wonder. Someone is determined to punish her. But who? And will her friends stand by her, or will the past destroy all of their lives?

Print Length: 299 pages

Publisher: Bookouture (April 3, 2020)

Publication Date: April 3, 2020

ASIN: B083QH6VS2

It’s a well-crafted mystery about three friends living immaculate lives and dealing with the inevitable emotional and psychological trauma that occurs with a few threatening texts. Tia, Fiona and Kelly form the narrative in this cracker of a story in alternating points of view, each with their own tale to tell.

Tia is horrified when her daughter alludes to a terrible rumor. A few boys at school say she killed someone, an allegation Tia hotly denies. Not to mention a few photos that could easily destroy her marriage. Kelly, recently widowed and with a recklessly bleeding heart, allows a stranger to stay with her — a stranger who is escaping a violent husband. Fiona, impossible to read and somewhat mysterious, is an interior designer who is being audited by the HMRC. An ambitious woman who wants to enjoy her career without the burden of kids, at least for now.

The book hurtles onwards and can only be described as a heart-pounding, page-turning, can’t-put-down, adrenaline-pumping novel. Each character is drowning in a mire of someone’s making and their carefully ordered lives are turning into a tangle they never expected. The book examines the obliterating trauma that comes with keeping secrets and their aftermath.

Each chapter goes back in time to provide the reader with an inviting summary, shaping each woman a contour at a time. As silhouettes begin to transform, it becomes clear that envy sits center-stage, and someone is threatening them. In such a small community, there is nowhere to hide. Dialogue provides a discrete eye into who they are and what they’re about. But the burning question throughout the book is who is targeting them and why is the past returning to bite them? Their lives are irrevocably damaged and things become chaotic in a very small space of time. The pace ramps up when Kelly receives a text to meet someone at the boathouse in Ashridge Falls, Fiona receives a message that intimates Mr Taxman will disappear, and Tia sees a text that assures her the photos will be destroyed — but it’s not all plain-sailing and the ending will have you tied up in knots.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this novel. Many thanks to Bookouture, Shalini Boland and Negalley for the privilege of reading this book. And to Sarah Hardy @sarahhardy681 for organizing the tour.

What people are saying:

‘Totally mesmerising! I literally had to pick my jaw up off the floor… had my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst! Totally amazing and brilliant!… a definite must-read author!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic, suspenseful… so, so good. I really didn’t want to put the book down and finished it in one day.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Another stunner… 5 stars all the way from beginning which hooked me to the very last page… I already want more!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow… thrilling… worth each and every minute’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Enthralling… leaves you gasping for air… If you haven’t read anything by this author, then you really should. Be warned though as her books are highly addictive… you won’t be going anywhere until you get to the last word.’ Bytheletterbookreviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic… thrills us with twists, turns and suspense… tense, gripping… captivating and addictive… I’m already looking forward to the next one!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oooh!!… Another stunning read from the very talented Shalini. Boy has she done it again!’ Nicki’s Book Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the Author:

Shalini Boland is the million-copy, USA-Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers: ‘THE GIRL FROM THE SEA’, ‘THE BEST FRIEND’, ‘THE MILLIONAIRE’S WIFE’ (optioned for TV by Legendary Studios), ‘THE SECRET MOTHER’, ‘THE CHILD NEXT DOOR’, ‘THE SILENT SISTER’, ‘THE PERFECT FAMILY’, ‘THE MARRIAGE BETRAYAL’ and ‘THE OTHER DAUGHTER’.

Her titles are published by Bookouture, Grand Central (USA) and Tantor.

Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing psychological thrillers (in between school runs and endless baskets of laundry).

She is also the author of two bestselling Young Adult series as well as a children’s WWII novel with a time-travel twist.

Be the first to hear about her new releases here: http://eepurl.com/b4vb45

http://www.facebook.com/ShaliniBolandAuthor
http://www.shaliniboland.co.uk

Tweets by ShaliniBoland

Other books by Shalini Boland

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen @panmacmillan @netgalley @greerkh @sarahpekkanen @StMartinsPress #blog #review #thriller

March 4, 2020 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Absolutely amaaaaaazing! I had this on my anticipated reads for this year and loved it.
So cleverly and powerfully written and gallops along at break-neck speed. A fiendishly clever thriller with masterful twists that will keep you guessing.

Book Description:

You Are Not Alone: A Novel by [Hendricks, Greer, Pekkanen, Sarah]

US Link

The electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling authors of THE WIFE BETWEEN US and AN ANONYMOUS GIRL return with a brand new novel of psychological suspense.

Shay Miller wants to find love, but it eludes her. She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end. She wants to belong, but her life is increasingly lonely.

Until Shay meets the Moore sisters. Cassandra and Jane live a life of glamorous perfection, and always get what they desire. When they invite Shay into their circle, everything seems to get better.

Shay would die for them to like her.
She may have to.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (March 3, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1250202035
ISBN-13: 978-1250202031

What people are saying:

One of Newsweek‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2020
One of SheReads Most Anticipated Books of 2020
One of PopSugar’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020
One of HelloGiggles’ Most Anticipated Books of 2020
One of Marie Claire’s Best Fiction by Women in 2020
One of Woman’s Day’s Best Fiction Books Coming Out in 2020

You Are Not Alone: The Most Gripping Thriller of the Year from the Bestselling Authors of the Richard and Judy Smash Hit The Wife Between Us by [Hendricks, Greer, Pekkanen, Sarah]

UK Link

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are two of my favorite authors so I knew I was in for a treat. They’ve mastered the art of building suspense and dishing out inner secrets one grain at a time. It’s more-ish. You have to get back to it after a day at work and it rattles around in your mind while you’re driving home. A book that leaves it’s glorious residue long after you’ve finished it.

Hooked from the start You Are Not Alone follows the story of Shay who works a low-paid temporary job and lives with the love of her life. A devoted statistician, she’s extremely relatable — a young woman who feels isolated and vulnerable, perhaps someone whose helplessness comes into question. But when she witnesses a shocking accident, her focus on the victim could be seen as obsessive.

Shay meets the Moore sisters — Cassandra and Jane — two stylish and alluring women who appear to have everything, demonstrating the lifestyle Shay would love. There is definitely an unsettling mood right from the start which made me want to read on. The book digs deep into the multi-layers of each character and their secrets, an enigma if ever there was one!

Shay’s obsession to find out more about Amanda may come at a cost, and the Moore sisters seem to be all too controlling. I did wonder why she didn’t have an ‘Aha’ moment a little sooner, and regroup to weigh up her options. But what is obvious to the reader, is not obvious to Shay. She’s complex and insecure and desperate for friends, and let’s face it, she’s been abandoned, so why not? I think this more than adequately covers for any inconsistencies in character. For instance, why didn’t she get suspicious about her make-over? Then I reminded myself that her naivety was born out of loneliness and a hungry need to fit in.

There are quite a lot of characters and for me, this became a little confusing. I wondered if they scrambled the plot a little and whether they were entirely necessary. This book is about greed, paranoia and revenge, and while the roller-coaster journey was dark and tense, the ending is nicely wrapped up. A clever twist I didn’t see coming.

At no time did I get that jarring feeling that the book was written by two authors. The narrative is joined seamlessly and effortlessly to give an outstanding reading experience. A medium to fast burn for me, which is what kept me coming back.

Thank you to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the privilege of reading this book.

About the Authors:

GREER HENDRICKS is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Wife Between Us. Prior to becoming a novelist, she spent over two decades as an editor at Simon & Schuster. She obtained her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Allure, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children.

Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally-bestselling author of THE WIFE BETWEEN US and the upcoming AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, cowritten with Greer Hendricks.

THE WIFE BETWEEN US – an instant New York Times bestseller – is a twisty psychological tale that has been optioned for film by Amblin Entertainment. Sarah and Greer are penning the screenplay for Amblin.