Category: reviews

A woman with a dark past…

Helen Appleby just wants a quiet life. Recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner, she’s trying to forget her past mistakes – all of them – to rebuild her life and move on.

When she decides to open a bookshop, she’s certain this is the perfect new start. Here, amongst the quiet shelves of her shop and between the covers of her books, she can hide away from the real world and begin again. The world of books the perfect place to find happiness – even if it is all lies.

But the past can never stay hidden…

As she settles into life as an apparently timid bookseller, it seems that someone is determined to sabotage Helen’s new life and ruin everything she’s built.
But Helen has killed once before. And to protect her future, she could be willing to kill again…

Don’t miss another page-turning, nail-biting read from the queen of psychological thrillers, Valerie
Keogh!

Perfect for fans of J.A. Baker, Keri Beevis and Nina Manning.

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Valerie Keogh is the best-selling author of The Nurse. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels –
she now writes psychological thrillers.
The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021
Valerie has a BA in English and an MA in American Literature.
She is currently published with Boldwood Books.

Facebook: @valeriekeoghnovels
Twitter: @ValerieKeogh1
Instagram: @ValerieKeogh2
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My thoughts: I know you’re probably not supposed to empathise with a murderer, but I really liked Helen. She killed her partner in self-defence and sentenced to four years, only served two, released on good behaviour on license.

She’s decided to use her inheritance to open a secondhand bookshop near her home and put her past behind her, as much as she can. Her meddling probation officer is driving her a bit mad, and she’s paranoid about her business’ friendly neighbours. Struggling to trust people after her time in prison, she’s relying on her sister and despite all her big plans, keeps wondering if it’s worth it.

Someone seems out to sabotage her, both her shop and home get broken into and ransacked, she’s fast running out of money and her PO keeps threatening to send her back to prison.

But slowly she starts to learn to trust again, first her neighbours at the pizza place, then a student she hires to help out. And the business is doing well, the set backs can be overcome and she’s an intelligent woman, capable of standing up for herself when threatened.

I really enjoyed this book, the optimism that, despite the ups and downs, there is life after prison, that Helen is not just what she did, but who she can become now.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

When a teenage couple go missing, the police aren’t too concerned. Young lovers often make bad choices.

Then a body is found near a Suffolk lighthouse, and shortly after, two girls seem to vanish into thin air.

Freshly promoted DI Ashley Knight knows she has a battle on her hands to keep the public safe, and she’s going to need expert help.
Ashley turns to her old protégé, Hector Fade, seconded from The Met to analyse an avalanche of data. But neither Hector nor Ashley are prepared for the chilling connection his work uncovers to the
body by the lighthouse.

Ashley, Hector and the team must break down a fiendishly complicated network of people smugglers, but another victim is found at Horsey Mere and their worst suspicions are realised. A member of the gang has gone rogue and is taking lives for fun. When Hector uncovers a pattern in
the choice of victim, time is against the detectives to stop the murderer killing again.

Ross Greenwood is back with a brand new, heart-pounding case for DI Ashley Knight, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Ian Rankin and Peter James.

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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.

My first book Chancer was written after I decided to do something challenging while my knees permitted. No skydiving for me. I became a prison officer for four years. 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.

It’s surprising for me to realise I’ve written sixteen books now. There are three strands, one where the books concern lives affected by prison, and then my detective series starring DI John Barton.

The first Barton book, The Snow Killer hit the coveted number one spot on KOBO and AUDIBLE, with the  rest of the series not far behind.
I’ve also written four detective books in a Norfolk series now, starting with Death on Cromer Beach.
There are two more planned.

My publishers kindly told me I had reached over half a million sales with them in five years in July 2024.
I hope you enjoy reading what I’ve written.
Please feel free to get in touch on Facebook, Insta or Twitter

Facebook: @rossgreenwoodauthor
Twitter: @greenwoodross
Instagram: @rossg555
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My thoughts: I really like Ashley, and this series puts her front and centre, leading the team as they investigate serious crimes in Norfolk, full of sleepy little villages but also dark deeds.

When a fisherman finds a body floating in Horsey Mere, it shows the police they’re dealing with something much bigger and more serious than they thought. The missing couple and the kidnapped teenagers are part of a larger, horrific criminal network, people traffickers who have been kidnapping women and forcing them into the sex trade. But now one of the gang’s members has started killing.

Determined to put a stop to it and bring the victims home, Ashley and her team work closely with the team from the NCA that includes former colleague Hector. Liaising with Dutch team working that end of the case gives them the knowledge that East Anglia is where the gang has fled, having lost several of their number in mainland Europe.

As they tighten the net around the remaining people smugglers and work to identify their killer, big risks are being taken and the team risks losing someone they used to work closely with.

There’s lots of action, even car chases, which in the quiet Norfolk lanes is pretty uncommon, it just isn’t a place that you imagine being a crime hot-spot, at least not the bits I’ve visited. But that’s probably the point.

There’s a brief cameo from DCI Barton too, as some of the case requires operating on his patch in Peterborough, and in the prison there too.

I really enjoyed this book, I’m a fan of the author’s work so this was basically just a delight for me. Ashley is shaping up to be a really impressive detective and her team (even Barry) are great too.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

Freya and Carole are back on an antique hunting adventure in the sequel to the international bestseller, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder.

When a painting vanishes from a maritime museum, and a dead body is found nearby, the newly established Lockwood Antique Hunter’s Agency, Freya Lockwood and her aunt Carole, are called to investigate. Following a lead that takes them aboard a glamorous antiques cruise sailing toward the Red Sea in Jordan, they quickly discover that the ship‘s art gallery is filled with stolen antiquities.

Each antique is also listed in Freya’s late mentor’s journals that detail unsolved cases. In chasing a murderer with a stolen painting, they may have found something more sinister than they could’ve imagined . . .

Their hunt soon turns deadly when they learn the enigmatic and dangerous art trafficker named The Collector could be on board. But on a ship full of antiques enthusiasts – plus some unexpected familiar faces – will Freya and Carole be able to discover The Collector’s identity and stop his murderous plans before the ship docks? Or will the killer strike again?

Cara Miller started working life in publishing as an editorial assistant for her mother, Judith Miller, on the Miller’s Antique Price Guide to Europe before she went into hospitality and events. After she had children, she decided to follow her long-held dream of becoming an author and began writing full-time. She was an Undiscovered Voices winner in 2022 and was showcased in the UV 2022 anthology. She lives in a medieval cottage in Suffolk with her family.

This book was written in consultation with international antiques expert Judith Miller (1951–2023), a regular specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Judith was also the co-founder of the bestselling annual Miller’s Antiques Price Guide, which started in 1979. She went on to write more than 120 books on antiques and interiors.

My thoughts: Freya and Carole are settling into their new lives in Arthur’s antique business and looking for their next case, which comes in the form of a stolen painting at a maritime museum. There’s also been a murder, but the police are dealing with that, so they can focus on the painting.

It’s listed in one of Arthur’s journals, and the trail leads them to a cruise down the Nile to Jordan, where several experts are due to give talks on antiques and a range of items is on display. Stolen items, including the painting.

Chasing it will lead them into danger, as there’s plenty of people on board with their own motives, interests in the antiquities and possibly even the mysterious Collector. Friendly FBI agent Phil also happens to be on board, along with furious thief Bella.

Freya has tech support in the form of new employee Sky, but is she who she claims to be, or is she somehow connected to the Collector?

Carole is even more flamboyant than ever in kaftans and neon, while Freya is having to overcome her natural shyness and give talks in Arthur’s stead, as well as risk her life to expose the criminals in their midst and attempt to get the painting back for the museum, even if it isn’t exactly authentic.

Arthur had a lot of secrets, and was probably double crossing some very dangerous people, some of which Freya encounters on this adventure  – not that staying home is much safer, thank goodness for the villagers.

Great fun, funny and witty. I’m already looking forward to the next book, when they head off to Scotland following the next of Arthur’s journals and his list of stolen treasures.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

Lesley Hamilton is starting a new life in Florence when she discovers a dead
neighbour. An inexplicable mistake leads her to Paolo Bianchi, an individual
unaffected by usual human emotions. His involvement in crime leaves him living in
the shadowy fringes of society where decisions are made for him. When he is left to his own devices, his actions lead to tragic consequences, not just for himself but also for all those lives he touches.

As Paolo’s life unravels, Gianfranco Valdi and his Caribinieri team must unpick the
threads that lead to Paolo and his connection with organised crime.

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Laura Jane Smith began writing seriously in 2019 when she took early retirement
after a 34-year career in education. She lives in Perthshire in Scotland, where she
enjoys gardening, walking, theatre and going to the cinema, as well as cycling and
cross-stitching.
Her interest in writing came not just from her own reading but also from the
process of teaching others about reading, writing and understanding the written word.
The ideas for her first novel came from her experiences in education and
travelling in Europe, as well as her enjoyment of a well-told psychological thriller.
She focuses on human behaviour and individual motivation when faced with life-changing events and difficult decisions.
Relationships are at the heart of the novels. The decisions made by the characters and the relationships they develop drive the plot. The inspiration for this first novel, Listen to Mother, came initially from a trip to Florence in 2011. However, the main inspiration was a desire for others to experience the world from the viewpoint of someone with highfunctioning autism whose struggles with the reality of life result in his joining a world in the shadows

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My thoughts: This was a really interesting way of writing a crime novel, setting it both before and after the central crime, giving the perpetrator all the opportunities to stop and reconsider his plan, and then showing the aftermath, the investigation, the pain wrecked on the victims’ families and the almost inevitable end for the killer.

Lesley has moved to Florence, a stunning city, with the intention of writing a novel, but discovering the body of a neighbour sets into motion a terrible chain of events. I’m not sure I’d agree with her actions and the decisions she makes, bringing into contact with a killer and also with the detective she falls in love with.

Paolo, our assassin, is a strange man, obsessive and still following instructions left by his dead mother (hence the title). It is only quite far into the book before anyone says that he’s autistic, and while his condition isn’t why he becomes a killer, it does govern how he goes about his job and the way in which he behaves when events get beyond him. I found him quite sinister, not because of his autism, more the stalking behaviour and the wearing of black leather gloves, even to do the gardening.

I liked Lesley and Diego, their deaths are awful, but the detectives who investigate were pretty decent and I like Gianfranco and Violetta a lot, I hope we see more from them in a future book.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.