Tag: blogathon

blog tour, books, reviews

Blogathon: The Executioner – Chris Carter

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Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked body of a priest. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim’s chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

My thoughts: It’s another twisted case for detectives Hunter and Garcia, starting with a dead priest in a church, his head replaced with that of a dog. The killings are nasty and replete with meaning known only to the killer, but Hunter must get inside this murderer’s head to understand the motivation and stop him before more people are killed.

Each victim is made to confront their deepest, darkest fears as they die, and the deaths are gruesome and sadistic. Whoever the killer is, he knows a lot about his victims. The duo dig into the lives of the deceased to hunt for their killer, a warped and cruel mind.

Another chilling case for Hunter and Garcia, utilising Hunter’s remarkable ability to think like a killer and Garcia’s straight down the line policing. They balance each other well, Garcia providing a grounding presence as Hunter turns inwards and mentally becomes the monster they seek.

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

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Blogathon: Pure Evil – Lynda La Plante

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It was supposed to be a simple case: a young man arrested for armed assault.

But it was just the beginning.

As Rodney Middleton awaits trial, Detective Jack Warr is warned by his mentor DCI Ridley that they have only scratched the surface of the man’s crimes.

Then DCI Ridley is suddenly removed from his post. No one is to contact him – and no one will say why.

As Warr digs into Middleton’s past, Ridley calls pleading for help, now accused of a murder he insists he didn’t commit.

To catch a monster and exonerate his friend, Warr must weed out the lies. But what awaits Warr if he uncovers the truth?

My thoughts: This is definitely the darkest and most shocking book in the series so far, the case takes Jack into the nasty recesses of a terrifying sociopath and deals with human trafficking, kidnap, murder and psychological control.

Jack’s boss DCI Ridley is also in trouble too and needs Jack’s help to clear his name.

Dealing with both cases and needing to be very secretive about Ridley’s leaves Jack feeling pulled in different directions and he isn’t seeing the issues in his own home as his mother seems to be struggling.

Another brilliant, knotty, intelligent read from the queen of crime, this had me hooked from page one and as Jack does his best to solve the mysteries surrounding Rodney Middleton and his peculiar girlfriend, as well as help Ridley, he puts his job at risk and a strain in his marriage, leaving Maggie handling their personal lives as well as working long hours in the hospital.

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

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Blogathon: The Crucifix Killer – Chris Carter

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THE FIRST CHILLING NOVEL IN THE ACCLAIMED ROBERT HUNTER SERIES

When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in Los Angeles, Robert Hunter is thrown into a nightmare case. The victim suffered a terrible death, and on the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer.

But that’s impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him?

Hunter and his rookie partner, Garcia, need to solve this case and fast.

My thoughts: This first book in the Detective Hunter series doesn’t start off softly, the murders Hunter and Garcia investigate are brutal, the violence is nasty and the descriptions not for the faint hearted. Even Garcia gets sick at the sight of their first victim.

Hunter doesn’t believe this could be The Crucifix Killer, he helped put that person away, but certain clues, things never released to the public, suggest otherwise.

So now Hunter must revisit his old files and with Garcia as a new pair of eyes, start searching for a killer he thought he’d never have to deal with again.

Gripping and expertly written, this will haunt you a bit and make you look forward to the next one, or at least it did for me. I’ve been reading crime fiction for a very long time (starting with Agatha Christie at about 10 years old) and it’s not often that I get completely hooked in like this. But this series, buckle in. It’s shocking, thrilling and takes you into the darkest parts of some pretty terrible people.

Hunter is a genius, a paper he wrote is taught at Quantico (FBI school) and he’s the go to detective for these horrific sorts of cases, assisted by Garcia, who is slightly in awe of his partner and represents a more normal, average cop, married to his sweetheart, Anna, and he reacts like most of us probably would to the crime scenes they visit. As the series and their relationship continues, this duo really grow on you, trust me.

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

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Blogathon: Leave No Trace – Jo Callaghan

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One detective driven by instinct, the other by logic.
It will take both to find a killer who knows the true meaning of fear . . .

When the body of a man is found crucified at the top of Mount Judd, DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI detective – are thrust into the spotlight with their first live case.

But when they discover another man dead – also crucified – it appears that the killer is only just getting started. When the Future Policing Unit issues an extraordinary warning to local men to avoid drinking in pubs, being out alone late at night and going home with strangers, they face a hostile media frenzy. Whilst they desperately search for connections between the victims, time is running out for them to join the dots and prevent another death. 

And if Kat and Lock know anything, it’s that killers rarely stop – until they are made to.

My thoughts: Another absolutely brilliant case for Kat, Lock and the team. Now more established after the successful conclusion of their last big case, and their unit is able to command more resources supposedly, but it still comes down to the key group of Kat, Lock, the professor and Kat’s two detectives, Debbie and Hassan.

The team are searching for a killer who’s leaving men in open, but remote spaces, crucified. They’re sending a message, but to who?

It’s the first live case the team has been given, and the press are very intrigued, cue an awkward press conference. One reporter in particular seems to be ahead of the team, knowing facts about the case almost too quickly.

Lock is definitely developing a personality, even using sarcasm and humour, so the learning part of his programming is working, but curiously he seems to be wrestling with something.

Kat is also learning, learning how to be alone, now that her son Cam is at uni. She keeps buying food no one eats, and is struggling with the empty house and the quiet.

But the case gives her something to focus on for now, as the body count increases. And her new friendship with the pathologist, means she has at least one person to talk to apart from Lock.

It’s winter, and the killer is utilising the cold to help them finish off their victims, as snow sets in and one of the team falls into the killer’s clutches, can the others save them before they too succumb?

More gripping, clever and deeply interesting stuff. Lock grapples with the concept of humanity, the team are locked in a desperate race against time, the ideas that this series has, the thoughts I keep having while reading it, so, so good. Hooked.

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

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Blogathon: Vanished – Lynda La Plante

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When an eccentric widow claims she is being stalked by her former lodger, Detective Jack Warr is the only person who believes her wild claims.

Days later, she is found brutally murdered in her home.

When the investigation uncovers an international drugs operation on the widow’s property, the case grows even more complex. And as the hunt for the widow’s lodger hits dead end after dead end, it seems that the prime suspect has vanished without a trace.

To find answers, Jack must decide how far is he willing to go – and what he is willing to risk – in his search for justice. Because if he crosses the line of the law, one wrong move could cost him everything . . .

My thoughts: Book three and a rather peculiar case for Jack and his team. Avril is a pain in the neck for her local police station, and now she’s claiming her former lodger is stalking her, breaking into her house, stealing odds and ends. Jack gets asked to speak to her and see if he can’t make some sense out of all her strange stories.

Then she’s murdered, and now it’s much more serious. Especially when they discover a greenhouse full of weed and a secret basement pill plant. Who was Avril really and was this her lodger’s business?

Taking in organised crime, the drug squad, forcing Jack to once again work with other teams, as he hunts down the lodger and unravels Avril’s life in the search for her killer. This is another brilliant, clever, compelling case with the truly interesting detective.

His moral compass is wobbling, will he cross the line and conceal things from his colleagues, giving into the criminal biological father he never knew but feels lurks inside him, or stay true to who his adoptive parents raised him to be? A father himself now, he has to wrestle with his conscience and do what is legally right or what he feels is morally so? 

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

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Blogathon: Judas Horse – Lynda La Plante

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‘Do you know what a Judas Horse is? When the wild mustangs are running free, you corral one and train it. When he’s ready, you release him and he’ll bring his team back into the corral – like Judas betraying them…’

Violent burglars have been terrorising residents across the English countryside. But when a mutilated body is discovered in a Cotswolds house, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary group of opportunist thieves.

As Detective Jack Warr investigates, he discovers locals with dark secrets, unearths hidden crimes – and hits countless dead ends. With few leads and the violent attacks escalating, he will have to act as audaciously as the criminals if he hopes to stop them.

When Warr meets Charlotte Miles, a terrified woman with links to the group, he must use her to lure the unsuspecting killers into one last job, and into his trap. But with the law already stretched to breaking point, any failure will be on Warr’s head – and any more blood spilled, on his hands…

My thoughts: So, so good, another excellent outing for DI Jack Warr. This time he’s on loan to the police force in the Cotswolds, helping to investigate a string of burglaries that have escalated to violence, and butting heads with the Oxford murder squad.

He suspects someone local is giving the gang insider information on the homes that have been targeted and that this person may now be at risk themselves as the gang turn nasty and assault an autistic man in his home. They’ve also committed at least one murder. He goes undercover to find out a bit more about them.

On the home front, his partner Maggie is pregnant and her colleague is as well. With his mum Penny living with them, Maggie is happy for him to be off chasing the criminals. He’s anxious about becoming a dad, but knows solving cases like this make his future child’s world safer.

Gripping and clever, Jack is a brilliant protagonist in a case that sees him pit his wits against a mastermind and his gang of thugs.

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

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Blogathon: Buried – Lynda La Plante

ramblingmads

DC Jack Warr and his girlfriend Maggie have just moved to London to start a new life together. Though charming, Jack can’t seem to find his place in the world – until he’s drawn into an investigation that turns his life upside down.

In the aftermath of a fire at an isolated cottage, a badly charred body is discovered, along with the burnt remains of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes.

Jack’s search leads him deep into a murky criminal underworld – a world he finds himself surprisingly good at navigating. But as the line of the law becomes blurred, how far will Jack go to find the answers – and what will it cost him?

In BURIED, it’s time to meet DC Jack Warr as he digs up the deadly secrets of the past . . .

My thoughts: Obviously, Lynda La Plante is one of the best crime writers out there, and her quality never lets up.

This series is so, so good. I have raved about it in person already to several friends, in the best way. Now it’s your turn faithful blog readers.

Jack Warr has recently joined the Met from Devon, and is plunged into a complicated case involving murder, robbery and conspiracy going back decades.

The story is so clever and I really love the gang of female crooks he uncovers, who wanted to do something really good with their ill gotten gains, but couldn’t, because the police were already suspicious of them. They’ve waited years, lost several of their original group and now, just as it seems they’ve been forgotten, a dead body and a burnt out cottage might spoil everything. Unless Jack looks the other way.

He’s also dealing with complicated personal issues – his beloved adoptive dad Charlie has terminal cancer and his parents are planning to take an around the world cruise for his final few months. He doesn’t want treatment, and he doesn’t want Jack to be upset.

This triggers a desire to find out more about his biological parents, especially his father. Even though his partner, Maggie, thinks this might not be for the best.

As he investigates his origins, it crosses paths with some of the names in his new case, will learning who his father was lead Jack down a dangerous path?

This is addictive writing, as soon as I finished this book, I was straight into book two, which I will tell you all about very soon.

If you love well written, gripping, intelligent crime writing, get reading!

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

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Blogathon: In the Blink of an Eye – Jo Callaghan

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DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat’s instincts come up against Lock’s logic.

But when the two missing person’s cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal. AI versus human experience. Logic versus instinct. With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic?

My thoughts: The premise of this book is really interesting – a brilliant scientist has developed an AI program to assist the police in solving crimes. It removes the emotions from the investigation but does that make it foolproof?

Paired with DCS Kat Frank, herself and excellent detective, can AIDE Lock help her find out who is abducting people, cases that have gone cold, before anyone else goes missing?

The case becomes very personal to Kat and Lock has a lot to learn from the human investigators in the team. Can their unique blend of cutting edge science and emotional intelligence create a crime solving team better than anything that’s come before?

I really enjoyed this, Kat and her team are great, and Lock is really intriguing, both as a concept and as a character, he’s designed to learn and expand his knowledge, but will it make him more human?

The case itself is shocking and disturbing, which adds to the sense that this is something new. It’s a science based case in many ways as well as being deeply human. Absolutely cracking stuff. I dived straight into book two from here, I couldn’t resist.

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

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Blogathon: Redemption – Jack Jordan

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For this blogathon I’m re-sharing my review of Jack Jordan’s thrilling Redemption.

THE LATEST PULSE-POUNDING THRILLER FROM MASTER OF THE MORAL DILEMMA AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER JACK JORDAN

Aaron Alexander has just been released from jail after serving eleven years for causing the death of Joshua Moore in a hit-and-run. Now a free man, all he wants to do is stay on the straight and narrow and leave his troubled past behind him.
But for Joshua’s mother Evelyn, eleven years in jail isn’t nearly enough. Consumed by grief and rage, she has been waiting for Aaron’s release, counting down the days until she can exact the revenge he deserves. And now that time has come.
But as Evelyn and her husband Tobias embark on a road trip to track Aaron down, they find themselves caught on two different sides of a gripping game of cat-and-mouse. Because Tobias knows what Evelyn is planning, and he will do anything to save her from herself.
Even if it means protecting the man who killed their son.

Locked in a collision course set in motion eleven years ago, Aaron, Evelyn and Tobias are about to find out whether the road they have chosen leads to redemption . . . or to retribution.

My thoughts: this is a rollercoaster of a revenge road trip from hell. Ordinary couple Evelyn and Tobias had their lives turned upside down by the death of their son, and now, instead of returning to the UK and working through their grief, Evelyn has decided to track down the recently released Aaron and kill him. 

She abandons Tobias in a motel and heads off on her own with a gun and no real plan. Tobias has to commit several crimes to chase after her, trying to stop her killing anyone, especially Aaron. Unfortunately it’s a bit late as Evelyn’ rage is blinding her to anything and she’s trigger happy.

As Tobias chases Evelyn and Aaron has to go on the run to avoid her, truths come to the surface and all three are forced to reevaluate their lives.

Twisty, intelligent and cinematic, thus thriller has a real punch..

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Blog Tour: Lake Child – Isabel Ashdown

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When a young Norwegian woman wakes from an accident robbed of her most recent memories, she trusts her parents’ advice that she must stay confined to her attic bedroom while she recuperates. But when Eva decides the time has come to break free of their caring incarceration, she discovers a world of secrets and lies, and a journey to discover her true identity begins.

Could she really be the missing baby Lorna of British newspaper headlines? Are the people she calls Mum and Dad actually her abductors? And why did they choose to conceal the arrival of her new baby brother, born while Eva was locked away?

While the present day story unfolds, clear slices of Eva’s idyllic childhood are revealed as she tries to piece together the mysteries of her past – and those of her increasingly untrustworthy parents.

My thoughts: as this story slowly unfolds and Eva starts to work out what’s happened to her and piece her past together, it gets more gripping and more shocking with each revelation.

Her parents have locked her in the attic, supposedly for her own good, after an accident and a period in hospital she can’t remember. They don’t seen inclined to help her remember and they won’t allow her any visitors (like her best friends) apart from the cops.

But she’s determined to get answers, especially after she hears a baby crying, and her doctor mother keeps giving her pills that knock her out, which seems suspicious too.

The fragments of her memories are confusing and without anyone to help her put them together, she’s really scared. Then a stranger approaches her with some answers and she finds herself in the middle of a huge cold case. Is she missing baby Lorna, abducted from the hospital just before her mother’s death? Or is it a bit more complicated than that?

Clever, intense and woven with a complicated plot and a strong protagonist in Eva, who despite all the strange things happening to her is always determined to get to the truth about herself.

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