Tag: crime fiction

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: A Corpse in Christmas Close – Michelle Salter

ramblingmads


When a pantomime turns deadly, Iris investigates a cast of killers…

Christmas, 1923.

When reporter Iris Woodmore is sent to cover the Prince of Wales’ visit to historic
Winchester, she discovers more than just royal gossip.
The leading lady in Winchester Cathedral’s charity pantomime is found dead in mysterious circumstances. And the chief suspect is Cinderella’s handsome prince, played by Percy Baverstock’s younger brother, Freddie.
For the sake of the Baverstocks, Iris must investigate the murder, even though it means confronting an old enemy. And as the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously, she’s ensnared by someone
she hoped she’d never see again…

Everyone’s favourite amateur sleuth returns for a Christmas mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, Claire Gradidge and Emily Organ.

Purchase


Michelle Salter writes historical cosy crime set in Hampshire, where she lives, and inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. Her Iris Woodmore series draws on an interest in the aftermath of the Great War and the suffragette movement.

My thoughts: Iris gets drawn into a murder mystery at a charity pantomime in Winchester, when Cinderella is found dead outside the church hall at rehearsal. Now I’ve done panto and there are always times when you think about offing whoever is the most annoying member of the cast (or the director) but as far as I know, it’s not happened, at least in any show I’ve been involved with.

However the actress, Rachel, is involved with some rather dodgy people through her work as a receptionist at a local car dealership, both her boss and the manager have secrets, and so did Rachel. Could her death be related to her job and not her role as Cinders, or is something else altogether going on?

Iris digs a lot, asking questions the police don’t or haven’t, she’s determined to get to the truth, even if it puts her in danger. She’s pretty certain that Percy’s brother Freddie (Prince Charming) is innocent, despite his war career, he just seems too gentle, but when his boss also meets a sticky end, it points the finger of suspicion at him ever more firmly. Thankfully Iris doesn’t understand the concept of minding her own business!

Christmas is round the corner, and she’s hoping to get to the bottom of this case before the year ends. Unfortunately the horrible Archie is back in town, and Iris doesn’t need the distraction and upset as she investigates.

It’s another cracking case for the intrepid journalist, the twists are totally unexpected and brilliantly done. And who doesn’t love a festive murder?

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

books, reviews

Cover Reveal & Book Review: The Passion of the Cross – Tony Lee Moral

ramblingmads

When famed curator Giovanni Montefiore is shockingly murdered at the Italian Opera in Rome following his bold proclamation regarding the authenticity of the True Cross, there are many suspects, but suspicion falls heavily upon his nephew, Mario Montefiore.

With his American girlfriend, actress Catriona Benedict, by his side, they embark on a perilous quest for truth and to uncover the real killer, leading them through some of Italy’s most iconic and glamorous cities.

But as the body count rises and the relentless pursuit of both law enforcement and paparazzi intensifies, they find themselves fleeing to Florence in search of the True Cross, which they hope holds the answers they need. Amidst the ancient streets of Florence, Catriona assumes a daring new identity, delving into a world of shadows and deception.

Will they uncover the secrets surrounding the True Cross before it’s too late?

Tony Lee Moral is a mystery and suspense writer who has previously published three novels, and four non-fiction books about the works of Alfred Hitchcock in both the UK and US.

Order here

My thoughts: this was really good, a crime novel with all sorts of twists and turns, the plot is clever and involves a centuries old mystery – is the relic that the Vatican believes to be a piece of the True Cross real or just a random chunk of old wood?

Catriona and Mario are in Italy having recovered a lost Caravaggio in New York and returning it to the gallery it belongs to. They were expecting a reward, but Mario’s uncle says there isn’t any money – although he never really explains why. After a row, the men part ways on bad terms. Which is why when Giovanni is murdered at the opera, Mario becomes a suspect. But the dying man’s last words send them off on a treasure hunt and running away from the police to Florence chasing the clues.

The pair and their friend Freddie are put in danger as the search intensifies – there’s an FBI agent, the Roman police, dodgy collectors and a gangster too. The whole tale is like the Italian mountain roads, with turns and twists, sudden terrifying moments and blind corners (this is a terrible metaphor). 

I need to read the previous book in this series  – The Two Masks of Vendetta – to read all about Catriona and Mario’s Caravaggio adventure. Both books are being published this September and will be available in all the usual places.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Prey – Vanda Symon

ramblingmads

On her first day back from maternity leave, Detective Sam Shephard is thrown straight into a cold-case investigation – the unsolved murder of a highly respected Anglican Priest in Dunedin. The case has been a thorn in the side of the Police hierarchy, and for her boss it’s personal.

With all the witness testimony painting a picture of a dedicated church and family man, what possible motive could there have been for his murder? But when Sam starts digging deeper into the case, it becomes apparent that someone wants the sins of the past to remain hidden. And when a new potential witness to the crime is found brutally murdered, there is pressure from all quarters to solve the case before anyone else falls prey. But is it already too late…?

Vanda Symon is a crime writer from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the President of the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. The Sam Shephard series, which includes Overkill, The Ringmaster, Containment, Bound and Expectant, hit number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and has also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award. Overkill was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Bound and Expectant have been nominated for USA Barry Awards. All five books have been digital bestsellers, and are in production for the screen. She is also the author of the standalone thriller Faceless, and lives in Dunedin with her family.

My thoughts: I did a happy dance when the lovely Anne sent over my review copy of this book, I enjoy this series so much. Sam is a fantastic character and the crimes she investigates are so well plotted and just twisty enough.

She’s just back from maternity leave, worrying about not being with her daughter, navigating breast milk pumping in the office and getting into a schedule so someone always does the pick up from childcare.

Given a very personal cold case by her awful boss, one where the witnesses are few and far between, that has been open for a long time with no answers. That’s because Sam wasn’t the one on the case. Now she is, she’s a dedicated detective, but the things she uncovers might not be what her boss wanted to hear.

Dealing with the office politics on top of everything else is a lot and if it weren’t for her colleagues, I’m not sure Sam would stick it out. The case is just interesting enough though for her not to bail and run home to snuggle up with her baby.

It’s a doozy, a murdered vicar, his family the last to see him according to the reports from the time. No one left in the church and no obvious suspects. The victim was well liked by his community and no one appeared to have a motive. But as Sam digs, that turns out not to be quite the truth.

I really enjoyed this book, I was so pleased to have more Sam Shepherd in my reading life, Vanda Symons is such a good writer. The case was clever and with some excellent twists and turns. Really good stuff.

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

books, reviews

Book Review: Singapore Worlds – Murray Bailey

ramblingmads

Independent of the government, Carter is looking for work and thinks the unsolved death of a police officer. Sergeant Cox appears to have been murdered by a skilled assassin. The police have few clues and fewer suspects, but the suggestion that there may be a boxing connection intrigues him.

In this novella, set between Singapore Girl and Singapore Boxer, Carter confronts fighters in the ring and the streets to solve who killed Sergeant Cox and why.

My thoughts: Ash Carter is freelance but available to the military police, while working with the local force on the case of the murdered policeman. This will see him entangled in a world of gangs and underworld boxing rings. He’s sure that Sergeant Cox was crooked and his death has something to do with the gangs of young men he was supposed to be investigating.

A quick trip to look into the accidental death of a young soldier gets Carter some new acquaintances in the MP, which come in handy when he goes in search of a young gang member who might just hold the answers to both the murdered cop and a murdered gang leader.

I like Carter and the way he likes to work, just outside the lines, so it was nice to return to his story, as he investigates these cases, willing to go to places the police can’t. This story explains how he ends up boxing for a promoter in his next book too.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: A Deadly Affair – E.V. Hunter

ramblingmads


A local gossip is about to get her just desserts!

Life at Hopgood Hall is never boring, but Alexi Ellis hopes that there will be no more murders for the time being – she’s solved four already and is getting a reputation in the local area for being bad luck.

So when local gossip Polly Pearson arrives at Hopgood Hall, Alexi knows this can only mean bad news. Polly has made it clear that she dislikes Alexi and has campaigned for her to leave Hopgood Hall forever – so what could Polly want?

Then Polly reveals that her partner, Gerry, has been found murdered in her B&B and that she is the main suspect!

Alexi, her partner Jack, and Cosmo the cat are all left speechless. More so when Polly begs Alexi for help improving her innocence.

But Alexi isn’t sure she wants to help this spiteful gossip. Is she really innocent or as deadly as the police believe her to be?

Purchase 


E.V. Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and revenge thrillers as Evie Hunter. She is now redirecting her talents to produce cosy murder mysteries. For the
past twenty years she has lived the life of a nomad, roaming the world on interesting forms of transport, but has now settled back in the UK.

Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletter

My thoughts: My cat is very jealous of how much I enjoy this series and Cosmo the crime fighting feline. I was reading this book and Ted was furiously demanding attention – oops!

But it is a great read, Alexi’s nemesis in the village, a woman who has spread malicious gossip about her for a while, now needs her help. Oh, and Jack’s horrible ex-wife is in town too, she’s Polly’s friend and conveniently turns up to support her.

There’s a lot of twists and turns in what the police originally thought was a straightforward murder case. He was found stabbed in Polly’s home, in her bed, with a knife like the set she has in the kitchen. And the B&B guests had heard Gerry and Polly arguing before he was killed.

But as Jack and Alexi (and obviously Cosmo) dig into Gerry’s life and all his secrets (and there are many) there are more suspects than just Polly. The local CID are quite happy for the team to do the legwork while they work on other cases, being a small department. And most people are more or less happy to help, except for a shady livery owner who tries to set his dog on them. As Jack and Alexi get to the bottom of Gerry’s shady dealings, secrets and lies spill out from everywhere.

Another absolutely fiendish and intelligent read from E.V. and a great book for fellow crime fans. Enjoy!

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Pursued by Death – Gunnar Staalesen, translated by Don Bartlett

ramblingmads

When Varg Veum reads the newspaper headline ’YOUNG MAN MISSING’, he realises he’s seen the youth just a few days earlier – at a crossroads in the countryside, with his two friends. It turns out that the three were on their way to a demonstration against a commercial fish-farming facility in the tiny village of Solvik, north of Bergen.

Varg heads to Solvik, initially out of curiosity, but when he chances upon a dead body in the sea, he’s pulled into a dark and complex web of secrets, feuds and jealousies. Is the body he’s found connected to the death of a journalist who was digging into the fish farm’s operations two years earlier? And does either incident have something to do with the competition between the two powerful families that dominate Solvik’s salmon-farming industry? Or are the deaths the actions of the ‘Village Beast’ – the brutal small-town justice meted out by rural communities in this part of the world.

Shocking, timely and full of breathtaking twists and turns, Pursued by Death reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s greatest crime writers.

One of the fathers of Nordic Noir, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty titles, which have been published in twenty-four countries and sold over four million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. Staalesen has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour). Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Nordic Crime Fiction, and Big Sister was shortlisted for the award in 2019. He lives with his wife in Bergen.

My thoughts: Varg does manage to find quite a few dead bodies in this book, and annoy quite a few police officers too, as he pokes around a small town, ostensibly looking into the death of a writer two years before, but also the disappearance of a young man a few weeks ago. The missing student’s mother happens to have been the dead man’s partner, and she hires Varg to look into what was ruled an accident at the time.

Even after being warned off by the police multiple times, he can’t seem to leave the current investigation alone. He just can’t help himself, and he’s annoying even more people as he goes. I don’t think he’ll be holidaying in Solvik any time soon.

He’s digging around the local, somewhat controversial, fish farm, there seems to be a link there, but after a bomb goes off at a meeting, he focuses on the locals a little more – the police have got their man, or so they think.

Varg is an interesting character, he’s a natural loner but people are either drawn to him or find him so impossibly irritating. He’s incredibly good at what he does, but never seems to build connections in useful ways (annoying every police officer he meets doesn’t help) and seems to find trouble at every turn, but I really enjoy reading about him. The stories are always so clever and compelling, full of sudden twists.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Flowers from the Black Sea – A.B. Decker

ramblingmads

Tasked by Ben, an old friend, to locate a man in Turkey, private investigator Matt Quillan soon finds himself out of his depth when he has a flash drive thrust on him by a stranger who is arrested by armed officers shortly afterwards.

When Ben reveals that his mission is to avenge the murder of his sister, the conjunction of this assignment along with the flash drive burning a hole in Matt’s pocket puts them both – along with holidaymaker Amber – in mortal danger.

As the case lands Matt in the crosshairs of a local mobster, it is not only Ben’s search for vengeance which is left hanging in the balance.

Goodreads Purchase

A native of Exeter, A.B. Decker studied at Newcastle, London and Bristol. He worked briefly as a teacher of English in Germany and a translator in the UK. On receiving an offer that he couldn’t refuse, he moved with his young family to work for a multinational company in Switzerland, where he eventually set up his own business. Flowers from the Black Sea is his second novel, having published his first, The Dark Frontier, in 2021.

Facebook Twitter

The Book Guild

Facebook Twitter Instagram Website

My thoughts: agreeing to go to Türkiye for a friend to look for someone as a favour might just be the worst idea Matt Quillan ever had. From the moment he arrives in the country he’s dealing with the police, accidentally getting caught up in something political when a stranger asks him to deliver a USB to someone in the resort town he’s heading to.

Then he starts looking for the man he’s seeking – and uncovering a whole lot of skeletons in the cupboard. It’s a lot more complicated than he’s been lead to believe – there’s a probable murder, a connection to a gangster, corruption and some old spies playing games too.

Then there’s the woman he meets, on holiday, staying with her sister, who gets herself far too involved for her own good and once his furious, vengeful friend Ben arrives, all hell breaks loose. 

There’s a Wild West feel to the story – the police can’t be trusted as the local mob boss has them in his pocket and Ahmet (Matt’s quarry) seems to be in bed with him. The various residents of the town are all a bit odd, and all of them have their opinions of Susie’s death, and each other. 

Somehow Matt has to make sense of all of this and keep himself, Amber and Ben from ending up dead or arrested by the local jendarmerie. A lot happens very quickly and there’s lots of racing around, trying to stay one step ahead of those looking for them. 

The ending is a shock twist and I really hope there’s a sequel so we can find out what happens next – and what becomes of Matt and his friends. 

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Murder in Portofino – T.A. Williams

ramblingmads


A much-needed holiday…

Dan Armstrong hasn’t done much retiring since moving to Tuscany, and with his new career as a successful private investigator taking off, it seems murder seems to follow him. He’s hoping a much-needed trip to beautiful Portofino will give him the break he needs and quality time with girlfriend
Anna.

A gathering of celebrities…

Portofino is a celebrity paradise, and holidaying on a nearby superyacht is a group of British media stars, all famous for being infamous. Dan isn’t impressed by their status or wealth, but when he overhears an argument between two of the group, he suspects something fishy could be going on…

A cold-blooded killer?

And then a body is washed up on shore and Dan’s hopes for a holiday go overboard. Could this simply be a tragic accident or is there a killer amidst the assembled celebrity cast? Dan and Oscar
have their work cut out before the tide turns…

It’s another gripping case for Dan and Oscar – it’s murder in paradise!

Purchase


T. A. Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances. Trevor studied languages at University and lived and worked in Italy for eight years, returning to England with his wife in 1972.
Trevor and his wife now live in Devon.

Facebook Twitter Newsletter Bookbub

My thoughts: if you’ve read my reviews for a while then you know that I love this series (and most of Trevor’s excellent books). I love Italy and the sheer number of delicious things Dan gets to eat is enough to make me so hungry.

This time Dan, Anna and our hero Oscar the Labrador (I love Labs too) are off to Portofino, known as a destination for the rich and famous. There’s a yacht full of British celebs in the harbour, and their boss is found floating in water.

Despite promising Anna that he was not going to get involved and be on holiday…well of course he gets involved. He can’t help himself. So he and Oscar go out to the yacht to help the police investigate the murder.

It’s another fiendish and fun case for Dan and Oscar. Even Anna manages to be OK with it. Thankfully, as I like her and their relationship.

If you’re looking for some crime in beautiful places, then look no further than this series – it’s well written, intelligent and super enjoyable.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blogathon: Russ Thomas – Firewatching

ramblingmads

A taut and ambitious police procedural debut introducing Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler, a cold case reviewer who lands a high-profile murder investigation, only to find the main suspect is his recent one-night stand . . .

When financier Gerald Cartwright disappeared from his home six years ago, it was assumed he’d gone on the run from his creditors. But then a skeleton is found bricked up in the cellar of Cartwright’s burned-out mansion, and it becomes clear Gerald never left alive.

As the sole representative of South Yorkshire’s Cold Case Review Unit, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is not expected to get results, but he knows this is the case that might finally kick start his floundering career. Luckily, he already has a suspect. Unluckily, that suspect is Cartwright’s son, the man Tyler slept with the night before.

Keeping his possible conflict-of-interest under wraps, Tyler digs into the case alongside Amina Rabbani, an ambitious young Muslim constable and a fellow outsider seeking to prove herself on the force. Soon their investigation will come up against close-lipped townsfolk, an elderly woman with dementia who’s receiving mysterious threats referencing a past she can’t remember, and an escalating series of conflagrations set by a troubled soul intent on watching the world burn . . .

About the Author

Russ Thomas grew up in the 80s reading anything he could get his hands on, writing stories, watching television and playing videogames: in short, anything that avoided the Great Outdoors. He spent five years trying to master the Electronic Organ and another five learning Spanish. It didn’t take him too long to realize he’d be better off sticking to the writing.

After a few ‘proper’ jobs (among them: pot-washer. optician’s receptionist, supermarket warehouse operative, call-center telephonist and storage salesman) he discovered the joys of bookselling, where he could talk to people about books all day. Now a full-time writer, he also teaches creative writing classes and mentors new authors. Firewatching is his first novel.

My thoughts: Adam Tyler is not an easy person to get to know, he keeps a lot to himself and he isn’t easy to work with either – as the only member of the Cold Case Review Unit (CCRU) he works alone, except that he has to work with other officers, like this case.

After a man’s remains are found in the wall of a house a firebug has set alight, the cold case of the man’s death and the current case of an arsonist at work collide, forcing Tyler to have to work with his colleagues instead of going off alone. Or does it? His boss can’t get him to work well with others.

The case is more complicated, more twisted and requires a lot more digging than it might first appear. The case kept me hooked from the very start and didn’t let up. Tyler is a complex man with a difficult past that keeps getting in the way of his present.

I really liked PC Mina Rabbani, who becomes his sidekick, her instincts are great and she works out how to handle Tyler pretty quickly. Tyler’s past impacts a lot on how he is and his contentious relationship with his bosses, his dad’s career and death cast a long shadow.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: An Old Tin Can – Bryan J. Mason 

ramblingmads

YOU ONLY KNOW WHO YOU ARE AT THE SHARP END

Belfast 1989. The Troubles.

Harry Burnard joins a police force confronted with threats on every side.
His team, ‘The Squad’, a bunch of abandoned oddballs, are only allowed to work criminal cases.


But there is no crime. Only terrorism. So, do they really have nothing to do?

When Harry uncovers clues about an apparently random series of sectarian stabbings, he gets caught up in an increasingly complex political landscape.
And sets out to find a killer unlike any other.

In this explosive witty novel, where not everyone is who they seem to be, it can be dangerous to know who you are.

Are you a Billy, a Dan, or an old Tin Can?


In a land where identity is everything, it gets bloody complicated.

An Old Tin Can is the first in a new black comedy crime series featuring Harry Burnard and The Squad.

Goodreads Purchase

Bryan J Mason has managed to hold down a variety of jobs including brush salesman, rent collector and tax inspector and he has also made sound effects for BBC radio and done the occasional acting job. 

He writes regular theatre reviews for Bristol 24/7 and StageTalk. His first novel, Shaking Hands With The Devil, took over 30 years to be published and finally came out in 2021. 

He lives in Bristol, with his wife and has two children in their twenties.

TikTok Twitter Instagram

My thoughts: Set in Belfast during the Troubles, Jewish police officer Harry Burnard has transferred from Brighton to the Northern Irish city, not really understanding the situation he’s landed himself in.

However there’s a serial killer on the loose, killing both Catholics and Protestants by turn. The chief is happy to dismiss it as terrorism, but Harry spots the clues that suggest it’s much more than that. Who is the killer and what is his motive?

An interesting and clever police crime thriller set during a complicated and bloody period of our recent history.

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