Tag: crime fiction

A Yeovil Literary Prize award winner

A lifeboat is lost off Cornwall’s wild Atlantic coast. All eight crewmen die. The cause is never fully explained.

Ten years later, Kate Tregillis, the editor of a small, struggling newspaper, becomes obsessed with solving the longstanding mystery.
Her investigations provoke a backlash of threats and violence in the insular fishing community of St Branok. In exposing the truth, she risks the future of her newspaper and even her life – and discovers that the man she loves has his own secrets.

Praise for The Echoing Shore:

‘A gripping story full of twists and turns’ – Margaret James, Writing Magazine.

‘An enthralling read that keeps you guessing to the end’ – Victoria Howard, author and judge for the international 2023 Yeovil Literary Prize.

‘I would definitely pick this book up from the bookshop shelf’ – Claire Gradidge, winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition.

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Jason Mann is an award-winning journalist and writer living in the South West of England with Nicola, his wife, and their lively whippet, Patch. He is also a shore-based volunteer for the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution.

Jason says: ‘Many of my stories are set in the wonderful county of Cornwall where truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction. I have swum and surfed there much of my life. It has been a special place for me with its legends, soaring cliffs, rugged moors and wild seas.
The landscape has a raw, mystical magic. My father and mother’s recollections of rescues and tragedies on the North coast are often the inspiration for my stories. My father became one of the county’s early lifeguards after his predecessor was killed by a strike of lightning while standing in
waist-deep water during a rescue.’

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My thoughts: This was so good, utterly gripping, with well written characters, a real sense of creeping menace and a brilliant plot. Dark deeds done in the deep waters off of my beloved Cornwall. In winter, when the tourists leave and only the locals remain, where the beauty of its coastline is hidden by bad weather and the grinding struggle to get by.

Kate has returned from London and is trying to keep the local paper solvent and a going concern in a time where fewer and fewer copies sell and there’s not much news to print. The arrival of a freelance writer looking into the loss of a lifeboat and it’s crew ten years ago stirs up old pain and new threats.

The boat’s crew were all lost, except one man, who was conveniently unwell and didn’t go, but then promptly left town. This seems suspicious and Kate agrees to help investigate whether it really was a terrible accident or something more sinister. Then the threats begin. Notes left in her cottage, a break in at the paper. Who could be trying to stop them reporting on the tragedy and why?

I was completely hooked, this is the other side of small town life, and Cornwall, where those rugged cliffs and swirling tides turn dangerous. Kate’s attempts to get answers put lives, including her own, at risk, and she could lose the paper too. A real page turner that will keep you up all night, desperate to finish it.

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

Nobody is safe…

When the murdered body of a woman is found in a Sheffield carpark, former cop turned private investigator Matt Forrester finds himself embroiled in the case, because the last call the victim made
was to him…

But the case isn’t as simple as the drug theft it looks like, and – when a young boy becomes the next victim – Matt and his life partner, DI Karen Nelson, realise they’re investigating a terrifying series of
revenge killings.

Arrests start to be made, but enemies are being made. And, as the killings continue, nobody is safe…

A totally unputdownable crime novel, from bestselling author Anita Waller, guaranteed to keep readers up all night.

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Anita Waller was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1946. With many books to her
name, she feels she has finally realised her dream. In 2021 Waller signed a five book deal with Boldwood Books, and currently has six published books with them: One Hot Summer, The Family at No.12, Fatal Secrets (the first in a new series set in Sheffield), The Couple Across the Street, Fatal Lies, the second in the Forrester series and The Girls Next Door. The Family at No.12 reached #2 in the Amazon Kindle charts. The final book in the Forrester series, Fatal Endings, is to be launched on 13 November 2024.

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My thoughts: the final book in the trilogy about former DI Matt Forrester turned PI brings various cases to their end and has a big shock twist that alters the lives of the characters forever.

A young boy is murdered and his older brother vows revenge, the police are keen to talk to him but he’s disappeared, could his drug trafficking grandfather be helping him stay out of sight? Karen and her team are tracking him down after the chief suspect in the younger brother’s murder is killed, when tragedy strikes.

Meanwhile Matt is looking into a wealthy woman’s husband after he starts taking sums of money out of their joint account and making her suspicious. He’s also looking after Harry, who’s returned to school after his running away, and needs some gentle support.

This series has been really enjoyable, the author’s books are always engaging and clever, with well written and interesting characters. This is a big case, with lots of complications and ends the series dramatically.

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

After learning of a suspicious attempt to burn down a beloved old pub, The Crooked Horse, Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran reluctantly agree to investigate.
But when a local antiques dealer mysteriously disappears after apparently taking out his boat, it appears there are dark and sinister forces at play.

Can Libby and Fran uncover a connection between the fire and the missing man? And will unravelling a deadly case put them in terrible danger?

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Lesley Cookman writes the Libby Sarjeant Murder Mysteries and the The Alexandrians, an Edwardian Mystery Series. She lives on the south east coast of England, and is a former model, actor, and journalist. Her four adult children are all musicians and writers.

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My thoughts: I really like this series, Libby and her “Loonies” as her friends call themselves. Solving crimes involves a lot of time spent in pubs it seems as Libby and Fran do some digging into the attempted destruction of the titular Crooked Horse and a missing local antique dealer.

Ian, Libby’s police detective friend, asks her to ask around about the incidents, but she uncovers a conspiracy involving stolen Anglo-Saxon treasure, a local building contractor, and some rather nasty criminals.

This was another excellent addition to the series, with Libby pursuing possibly her most dangerous case yet.

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

We regret to announce the tragic death of Phoebe Fredericks…

When crime novelist Phoebe opens the post and receives an invitation to her own funeral, she’s horrified. Not least because the date of her death is marked as tomorrow.
Deciding it’s nothing more than a prank from an enemy from her past, she determines to put it to the back of her mind.

But the next morning, when her completely infuriating postman (who likes to think himself her no.1 literary critic) rings her doorbell, a parcel of poisoned pen-nibs explodes in his face. Forced to
confront the fact her correspondence is more RIP than RSVP, Phoeve realises someone must want her dead.

Together with the newly-formed Village Detectives – Juno, Mil and Felix – Phoebe resolves to find out who is behind the poison pen letters before they strike again and her fate is signed, sealed and
delivered!

A totally hilarious, modern cozy crime mystery, from million-copy bestselling author Fiona Walker, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janet Evanovich and Janice Hallett.

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Fiona Walker is the million copy bestselling author of joyously funny romantic comedies. Most recently published by Head of Zeus, she will be turning to cozy crime for Boldwood. The first in her new Village Detectives series, The Art of Murder, will be published in May 2024.

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My thoughts: This is such a fun series, I love Juno and her determination to be a detective, despite not always getting it right. She wants to help Phoebe so much, but her instincts are not always spot on. As she and Felix hurtle around in her mother’s rather battered old car, including a jaunt to Paris, Phoebe herself is looking a little closer to home.

The Twitter accounts that harassed her once before might be connected to the shocking death of the postman on the doorstep and the horrible things she’s been receiving in the post, but Phoebe reckons it’s someone in the village, it doesn’t feel quite the same to her. What she uncovers is a sad and rather different story than the one Juno and Felix are following.

Lots of fun and all carried out in Juno’s unique chaotic style, with help from her son Eric, and of course the delightful Mil, pub landlord and protector of potential murder suspects.

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

The BRAND NEW Barton thriller from the bestselling Ross Greenwood.

After three years behind a desk, Inspector John Barton wonders if he’s still got what it takes.
An opportunity arises to return to Major Crimes, so he jumps at it, after all he’s been around the block a few times. When he and his team are called in to investigate an attempted murder which seems to be linked to the case of a missing child, Barton is immediately thrust back into the life of a detective – early mornings, late nights and endless pressure to get to the truth.
Then a man dies.

Something deadly is going on behind the high walls and imposing gates of the mansions in the sleepy village of Castor. The locals are keeping each other’s secrets and if Barton doesn’t find out why soon,
the bodies will start mounting up.
The Village Killer knows who’s next, and the clock is ticking…

The book all Ross Greenwood fans have been waiting for – Barton is Back! Ross Greenwood returns to his bestselling series, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin.

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Ross Greenwood has had an eclectic career, ranging from financial advisor to Prison officer. The advent of parenthood and the terrifying rise of Spice in prison led Ross to become a stay -at-home parent and a novelist.

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My thoughts: DCI Barton returns to his former team at the MIT to lead them in searching for a missing fourteen year old girl, whose mother seems rather blasé for someone whose only child has disappeared.

There’s also the near miss of a local woman, who thinks someone tried to run her over while she was out jogging. Then her neighbour dies in suspicious circumstances, what is going on in the village of Castor ? Behind their gates, in their fancy houses, there’s secrets that could prove deadly.

Barton slots back into his old team pretty neatly, giving Zander some much needed time off means he’s actually out interviewing and being involved in the case, not just overseeing it from the office. This gives him a way to reconnect with his colleagues. It also puts him front and centre as they try to sort out the incidences in Castor and find a precocious teenager, who might not exactly be in the trouble they think.

Clever, compelling and really enjoyable, the Peterborough MIT team are diligent and dig into the lives of the people who live in these posh houses, and those who work there too. Someone has a vendetta and as lives unravel, Barton and his team of detectives must work to catch a killer and help those who need it.

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

A mysterious bequest and the legacy of a tragic love – only one person can unravel the hidden secrets of the past before it’s too late…

When Elisabeth Quemener dies she leaves a small parcel with the instructions that it must only be opened by Astrid Oake. The trouble is, no one knows who Astrid Oake is…

Elisabeth’s family turn to Touissants detective agency for help but, when Mila Shepherd and Carter Jackson try to track Astrid down, their frustration soon mounts. Their only clue is a photo of two
young women holding the hands of a tiny child. The women are smiling but Mila is haunted by the sadness in their eyes. Is this Astrid and Elisabeth and if so, who is the child? And why are there signs
everywhere in Elisabeth’s home that the old woman was frightened despite her living a quiet life with no known enemies?

As Elisabeth and Astrid’s story slowly unfolds, Mila feels the walls of her home The Sea House closing in. And as the secrets finally begin to reveal themselves, she is ever more determined to carry out
Elisabeth’s final wishes. Because what is inside that unprepossessing parcel might just save a life…

Louise Douglas is back in the Brittany seaside town of Morranez with a heart-stopping, heart-breaking, brilliantly written and utterly compelling mystery. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lucinda Riley.

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Hello! I’m Louise, author of 12 novels mostly set in the Somerset countryside close to where I live and Sicily. I’m thrilled to have won the RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller award 2021 for The House by the Sea which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies.

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My thoughts: I’ve read some of the previous books featuring Toussaints investigators but you can read this as a standalone.

An unusual bequest in a will leads Mila to the wilds of Yorkshire’s moors in the quest for a woman no one remembers seeing in years. At the same time the results of the DNA test carried out on the body found in a sea cave are due – is it her brother-in-law Charlie? If it is, how will his daughter Ani, Mila’s niece, react?

Travelling back and forth from France to Britain, attempting to trace the life of the missing Astrid Oake and the woman who left her the bequest, Elisabeth Quemener, as well as prepare for Christmas with fiancè Luke, still living in Bristol, means Mila has a lot on her plate. Will something have to give?

Another clever and complex riddle for the team at Toussaints to unravel, how do you find someone who seems to have vanished into thin air? And while dealing with the ongoing tragedy of Sophie and Charlie’s accident at sea. Ani is turning sixteen, and needs Mila both more and less than before, leaving Mila torn between raising her niece and marrying the ever patient Luke.

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

A tragic accident?

When Italy’s greatest opera singer, Rodolfo Argento, is killed in a terrible car accident, the police initially rule his death a tragic accident or suicide. But his elderly mother, Violetta, believes this to be poppycock! Her son was a brilliant driver and had too much to live for. She suspects foul play and turns to Private Investigator, Dan Armstrong to discover the truth.

A cheating spouse?

So Dan and Oscar travel to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, to find out what really happened.
There Dan discovers Rodolfo’s private life could have come straight out of a Shakespeare play.
Although now happily married, Rodolfo was a man with a reputation to rival Casanova, his past strewn with heartbroken women. Could his death have been a star-crossed lover determined to get revenge?

A family feud?

Or does the truth lie much closer to home? With his large inheritance still to be settled, the motive for Rodolfo’s murder could simply be greed. As Dan searches for suspects while staying at the Argento Opera Academy (where people randomly launch into operatic arias.) life for Dan is
complicated by the fact that Oscar has a habit of joining in with the singing…

Can Dan solve the case before he and his tone-deaf dog get thrown out?

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I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing romance and whodunnits. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. Murder mystery is all very well, but it needs to put a smile on your face, so that’s why I like to inject some humour.

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My thoughts: I love this cover, with Oscar playing a canine Romeo in his smart yellow bow tie!

This time we’re in Verona, where Dan and Anna (and Oscar) are invited to stay at the Argento Operatic Academy while investigating the death of opera singer Rodolfo, whose family own the academy. He crashed his car into a tree, speeding, but his mother believes the police are wrong in assuming it was suicide or a tragic accident.

Dan asks a lot of questions and Oscar gets a girlfriend! All of his questions do seem to be leading to murder, and he’s got plenty of suspects to rule out, from family members, Rodolfo’s agent, staff at the Academy, various locals the singer either seduced or their husbands, it’s a lot to sort through.

Dan works with the local police to find out who the killer was and also why they killed Rodolpho. It almost leads to another death, and things get a bit intense, but thankfully things work themselves out. Though Oscar’s romance with fellow Labrador Elektra has yet to be resolved. 

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

It never rains but it pours . . .

When a ruthless gang burgles the home of a Premier League football player, DCI Gavin Roscoe and DS Sunita Roy suddenly have a murder and a kidnap on their hands.
The footballer’s stepson, Marcel, is taken from the palatial property whilst it is being ransacked, and his bodyguard is shot, stone cold dead.

To help them with their task, DI Parkes from the National Crime Agency’s Kidnap Unit joins the investigation  but he has very different ideas about how the operation should be run.

While rain lashes the surrounding countryside, tempers rise, as do the flood waters.
Can the police track down this dangerous gang, unmask its malevolent ringleader, and reunite the boy with his family before it’s too late?

IT NEVER RAINS is the sixth book in the detectives Roy and Roscoe crime fiction series by Tony Bassett.

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Tony Bassett is a former journalist who worked on regional and national newspapers in Britain for more than 40 years.
He mainly reported on crime, show business, human interest and consumer topics. Now retired, he writes crime fiction.
Tony is best known for his series of novels set in the West Midlands.
They feature Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Roscoe, an experienced detective and family man, and his sergeant, law graduate and resourceful problem-solver Sunita Roy.

The fifth book in the series, Heir To Murder, was judged first in the Mystery and Suspense (Police Procedurals) category in the American Fiction Awards in June 2024.
The novel concerns a peer of the realm’s son found axed to death after a row over loud music. Two years earlier, his older brother mysteriously disappeared while hiking in Spain.
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The series is published by The Book Folks, an independent London publisher specialising in crime fiction.

Other books in the series (in order) are: Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor and Out for Revenge.
His stand-alone thriller Seat 97, about a man shot dead at a London concert hall, has also been published by The Book Folks.
Two further works (the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway and the spy novel The Lazarus Charter) were published by The Conrad Press.

Tony first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he produced a junior school magazine.
A few years later, his local vicar in Tunbridge Wells staged his play about the Biblical story of Naboth’s Vineyard.
At Hull University, Tony was judged Time-Life Magazine student journalist of the year in 1971.

Tony, who has five grown-up children, is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin

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My thoughts: This was a very clever, interesting police procedural and DS Sunita Roy does tremendous work unravelling the case and finding the missing boy. Unlike the twit they’ve been landed with from the NCA’s Kidnap Unit – DI Parkes, who just seems to have useless ideas and get under foot. At one point I thought he might be the man on the inside, so inept is his involvement.

Thankfully the rest of the team, and DCI Roscoe aren’t idiots and follow the evidence. Which shows a much larger, and more complicated conspiracy than it first appeared.

Another great read from Tony Bassett, a man who knows how to write a gripping and intelligent story.

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