Tag: crime fiction

blog tour, books, reviews

#TeamLyons Blog Tour: Risk of Harm – Lucie Whitehouse

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The gripping new crime thriller from the bestselling author of Before We Met and Critical Incidents

Robin Lyons is back in her hometown of Birmingham and now a DCI with Force Homicide, working directly under Samir, the man who broke her heart almost twenty years ago.

When a woman is found stabbed to death in a derelict factory and no one comes forward to identify the body, Robin and her team must not only hunt for the murderer, but also solve the mystery of who their victim might be.

As Robin and Samir come under pressure from their superiors, from the media and from far-right nationalists with a dangerous agenda, tensions in Robin’s own family threaten to reach breaking point. And when a cold case from decades ago begins to smoulder and another woman is found dead in similar circumstances, rumours of a serial killer begin to spread.

In order to get to the truth Robin will need to discover where loyalty ends and duty begins. But before she can trust, she is going to have to forgive – and that means grappling with some painful home truths.

About the Author

Lucie Whitehouse was born in Gloucestershire in 1975, read Classics at Oxford University and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of The House at Midnight, the TV Book Club pick The Bed I Made and Before We Met, which was a Richard & Judy Summer Book Club pick and an ITV3 Crime Thriller selection.

@LWhitehouse5

My thoughts: Robin has rejoined the police, but not the Met, she’s working at West Midlands Police under Samir. She’s heading up a team in Force Homicide – and her latest case is not an easy one. A murdered girl found naked and unidentifiable in an old factory popular with the homeless.

Soon the far right have picked up on the fact that, while another team have quickly solved the murder of a Black teenager, this young woman remains both unknown and no one has been arrested. Then another young woman’s body is found, but Robin thinks it might not be the same killer, something is just a bit off.

As the team dig into the case and attempt to identify the first victim, the press are hot on their heels and so is a local far right rabble rouser. Tensions are rising, the bosses are on the war path and Robin is trying to hold everything together.

This second outing for Robin is shocking, gripping and a total thrill ride. Birmingham is in the midst of a knife crime epidemic, things are reaching boiling point and they need to solve this case fast, but it turns out to be much more complicated and far darker than first suspected.

By skipping forward a few months from the events of the first book, we miss out on the teething problems of Robin’s return to work, which allows us to ease into the story and get to know the team after they’ve got used to one another. Skipping over the complicated, messy stuff, getting into the knitty gritty of both the case and Robin’s life, which I really enjoyed. Roll on book three!

*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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#TeamDaniels Blog Tour: The Longest Goodbye – Mari Hannah

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LIES COST LIVES


THE BRAND NEW KATE DANIELS THRILLER

Three years ago police officer Georgina Ioannau was murdered, her killers never brought to justice.
Now the prime suspects have been shot dead within hours of their return to the UK.
Has someone finally taken the law into their own hands?

Seeking out the truth will force Kate Daniels to confront her own past mistakes, and put her career, and her team’s lives, on the line.

The gripping new Kate Daniels thriller about what happens when someone takes the law into their own hands from awardwinning crime writer Mari Hannah.

My thoughts: another utterly gripping and brilliant read from Mari Hannah. Kate and her team are thrust into the closest case to them. Georgina was not just another police officer, she was Kate’s friend. Her death was devastating and since both her children are also police, one that has never gone away.

The DI put in charge of the investigation at the time, Curtis, did a terrible job, possibly intentionally, and no one was ever prosecuted. Now the two biggest suspects, the Bradshaw sons, are back in Newcastle, and then shot dead on the doorstep, their father later killed by a firearms officer.

As Kate attempts to separate herself from the emotions of the case, that firearms officer is in critical condition in hospital, her team are struggling. Putting herself as OIC of reviewing Curtis’ mess and asking Hank to run the new incident – who was the Bradshaw shooter? But gradually it becomes obvious it’s all one case, someone was getting revenge for Georgina – but who?

Digging into her friend’s life and secrets, she realises that despite how close they were, Kate didn’t know Georgina at all. She had secrets, ones she kept from everyone, her friends, her husband, and one of them is the solution to Kate’s questions, and it’s very close to home.

Carmichael comes close to breaking point too, and once again Kate’s relationship with Jo almost cracks under the pressure, it’s Christmas and this case is too hot to wait, so there’s no turkey for any of the MIT this year.

This is an intense and highly tangled case, it could leave some of Kate’s relationships completely ruined and with Bright away, she’s also running the show. Will the pressure finally get to her, pushing herself too hard and spreading herself too thin?

*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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Blog Tour: The Djinn’s Apple – Djamila Morani, translated by Sawad Hussain

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Winner of an English PEN Translates Award.

Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn’s Apple, an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad.

A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.

When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…

Full of mystery and mayhem, The Djinn’s Apple is perfect for fans of Arabian Nights, City of Brass, and The Wrath and the Dawn.

Publisher 
Amazon UK Goodreads


Djamila Morani is an Algerian novelist and an Arabic language professor. Her first novel, released in 2015 and titled Taj el-Khatiaa, is set in the Abbasid period (like The Djinn’s Apple), but in Kazakh- stan. All of her works are fast-paced historical fiction pieces. She is yet to have a full-length work translated into English. Djamila lives in Relizane, in the west of Algeria.

You can find Djamila on Twitter @DjamilaMorani and  Insta @morani_djamila

You can find Sawad on Twitter @sawadhussain and Insta @sawad18

My thoughts: this was a really sad and moving story of love and revenge, scholarship and the dangers of too much knowledge.

Nardeen’s family are brutally murdered, she swears she will avenge them. Taken in by the doctor Muallim Ishaq, she trains to be a doctor in the Bimaristan (hospital) in Baghdad, then a shining example of hygiene and medicine.

This brings her into contact with the man she believes is behind her family’s deaths. But her mentor is hiding secrets. When she learns what the Djinn’s Apple is and how far some will go to get it, she starts to understand exactly what her father, also a doctor, was caught up in. 

A clever and intense, enjoyable mystery with a smart and rather brilliant young woman as its protagonist. A glimpse into a past much of the world is rather ignorant about.

The historical notes at the end provide context and firmly plant Nardeen in the Baghdad of its past, when it was a shining example of multi-cultural life and education, bringing it into the present and to life once more. A delight.

*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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Blog Tour: The Graveyard Killings – Wes Markin

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A decades old case….

When the body of a young girl is found exhumed from her grave, DCI Emma Gardner knows there’s more to this grisly find than just misadventure. Penny Maiden was killed in a hit and run accident forty years ago, and her killer was never found…Could someone be trying to right an old wrong?

A DI on the rails…

Determined to bring a dangerous gang of drug dealers to justice, DI Paul Riddick is trying hard to play by the rules. After his previous reckless actions, he knows this is his last chance to stay in the job he loves. But when his private life takes an unexpected turn, Riddick begins to lose control again.

Emma needs Paul to help her with her case, especially when more bodies are found in the same graveyard. But hurt badly by Riddick once before, Emma’s not sure she can trust him again.
But as Paul’s behaviour begins to spiral even more, Emma worries she may have left it far too late to save her old friend Riddick from his own destruction…

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Wes Markin lives in Harrogate and is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels set in Salisbury. He is also the author of the Jake Pettman series set in New England. You can find out more by following him. 

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My thoughts: another shocking and gripping case has DCI Emma Gardner calling on her old friend DI Paul Riddick for help as a case of his is connected to hers.

A wave of murders and bodies in the local graveyard has the usual reporters and gossips up in arms. The first has been buried in another person’s grave, that body disinterred and placed on her mother’s final resting place. And if that wasn’t terrible enough, two young people are found bludgeoned to death and placed on a bench in the same graveyard.

Could a local drug dealing gang be involved? The young man was one of them, dealing super strong ecstasy to his friends and other people, and he and his girlfriend were last seen arguing. Did she want him to quit?

And what is the connection between all of this and retired MP Sebastian? And with Riddick’s vendetta back in Bradford?

There’s a lot for Emma to solve, and she’s worried about a strange man who keeps popping up at her house, scaring her au pair, are her kids safe?

Clever, highly readable and enjoyable, this is Emma’s most complicated case yet, but I know she can figure it all out.

*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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Blog Tour: Immorality Act – Berend Mets

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Cape Town, in the 1960s.

 Love across the colour bar is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment.

 John Terreblanche, a police reporter seeking redemption, tells the story of a Xhosa nurse, Promise Madiba, a Dutch doctor, Willem Jansen, and a Malay prostitute, Marja de Koning, who engage in a passionate love triangle in the shadow of the Sharpeville massacre, as South Africa lurches towards becoming a Republic.

 Violent yet tender, Immorality Act spans from Indonesia to Cape Town and is a moving account of the impact of apartheid, racism and colonialism on lives in the twentieth century, as well as a celebration of the ungovernability of the human spirit.

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Dr Berend Mets was born in Indonesia of Dutch parents, and amongst other countries grew up in apartheid South Africa where he became a doctor, anaesthetist and scientist. He came to fiction through an MFA degree after a career of medical, historical and scientific writing. Berend is a Professor of Anesthesiology at the Pennsylvania State University and divides his time between America, the Dutch Caribbean, and Cape Town, South Africa.

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My thoughts: inspired by his experiences and those of his father, Dr Berend Mets has crafted a fascinating and moving story of the second half of the twentieth century. From Indonesia under Japanese occupation and the horrors of WW2 to the Netherlands and then apartheid South Africa, the story of Willem, Marja and Promise is both terribly sad and full of joy.

Falling in love across the colour bar is illegal in 1961, but not something Willem and Promise do intentionally. Meeting in the hospital where they both work, the damaged doctor and the impassioned nurse fall in love and work secretly to end apartheid.

Marja is Willem’s childhood friend, his first love, long thought lost to him. Near death, he saves her life in the operating theatre. As she recovers in Promise’s home, the net is closing in on them. Promise’s political activities and the fact a white doctor has been spending so much time with her has brought scrutiny on them. The Immorality Act forbids sex between the races and it is this law that sees Willem and Marja in court, Promise having escaped.

The framing narrative of a book written by Afrikaans journalist John Terreblanche is interesting and allows for the inclusion of court documents and police reports but does at times feel intrusive  – as does his presence in their lives. He’s not part of their tangled relationship and doesn’t really belong. His guilt at his involvement in the case, only confessed later on, drives him to tell their story, but is it his to tell?

Powerful and moving, evocative and provoking, this is an interesting and intelligent book about a time when love was illegal and the government of South Africa felt it had the right to involve itself in people’s personal lives.

*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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Blog Tour: The Perfect Parents – J.A. Baker

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Jackson and Lydia Hemsworth are pillars of the community, feted for having the perfect marriage and three wonderful children – Florence, Jessica and Ezra.
But appearances can be deceptive.

Because behind closed doors Jackson Hemsworth rules his family with cruelty and control. His marriage is a sham; his children for years have cowed in fear.
Until the day that Jackson and Lydia throw themselves off Newport Bridge in a joint suicide pact – the final cruel blow by Jackson to control his wife and torture his adult children.

As the Hemsworth siblings return to their family home, they must try to make sense of their parents’ last act. But there are many dark secrets waiting to be unearthed at Armett House.

Like, why are the townsfolk so suddenly hostile towards them? And who are the strangers who arrive at Armett House unannounced? And why has their mother’s body still not been found?

In the aftermath of their parents’ death, it becomes clear that something terrible is about to be exposed about the Hemsworths’ perfect parents.

A secret they may all wish had stayed hidden…

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J. A. Baker is a successful psychological thriller writer of numerous books, previously published by Bloodhound. Born and brought up in Middlesbrough, she still lives in the North East, which inspires the settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in December 2022.

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My thoughts: Florence, Jessica and Ezra gather at the family home after the funeral of their parents, dead in a terrible suicide pack. Things have changed in the village – people are hostile and their controlling father didn’t pay his bills before killing himself, leaving the people who worked for him in debt. 

The siblings don’t feel welcome in the village, and have a lot of stuff to wade through in the house, their parents left a lot up in the air and all three have questions.

But as they sort through everything, more questions rear their heads – is their mother still alive? When handyman Coop takes off all of a sudden without a word, it seems suspicious. Then there’s a terrible accident that turns their world upside down and makes it more important than ever to get some answers.

Gripping, with twists and turns I didn’t see coming, this is an incredibly enjoyable and clever thriller.

*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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Blog Tour: Prisoner of Acre – Murray Bailey

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Ash Carter returns to Israel on what should be a straightforward mission except for one small detail. Why did Alfred Duffy go AWOL from the British Army, go to Israel and then hand himself in at Acre Prison.

The mystery deepens when Carter finds that Duffy escaped just as he arrived.

The hunt begins but as the mystery unravels towards an exciting climax, it becomes unclear who is the hunter and who the hunted.

My thoughts: Ash Carter is dispatched to Israel, the newly formed country in former British Mandated Palestine, a country still riven with internal struggles.

He’s looking for a British soldier who’s gone AWOL, and been imprisoned in the old fortress prison in Acre, after handing himself in. But why did he go to Israel, only to hand himself in and where has he gone now? When Carter and Co turn up to take him into custody, he’s gone. And he’s escaped with another prisoner.

As Carter pursues him across the fledgling state, he uncovers a shocking and terrible series of deaths and an evil that goes right to the heart of the country, crossing all religious and ethnic lines.

I’m a big fan of Murray Bailey’s historical crime books, and of Ash Carter, so I was really excited to read this, and I wasn’t disappointed. Ash races back and forth across the desert, sometimes with others, often alone, despite having no real authority now the British have left, which brings him under suspicion at times. There’s a relentless pace as he’s up against it and the pressure of solving the case and finding Duffy is not exactly easy.

Ash of course wants to do the right thing, even if it means ignoring his orders, and luckily he’s the only one who knows exactly what’s happened. Which keeps the victims safe and Ash from getting locked up himself. Bring on his next high octane adventure!

*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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Blog Tour: Power in Betrayal – Kirby Ann

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Step into the captivating world of Andrea de Laney, leader of the DeLaney Mob. In this gripping tale, Andrea finds herself entangled in a web of personal and professional challenges as her organization faces relentless attacks. Amidst the chaos, she unexpectedly encounters Valerie Cross, a resilient young woman whose own past traumas resonate deeply with Andrea. As their connection deepens, Andrea begins to realize the void that has long existed in her life.
As DeLaney prepares to engage in a fierce showdown against their rivals, The Fury and Ban Jack Mafia, Andrea assumes the role of a cunning mastermind, strategizing to outmaneuver them all and emerge victorious. However, the stakes are higher than ever, and survival becomes the ultimate goal.
Join Andrea de Laney on a suspenseful journey where loyalty, ambition, and unexpected love converge. Will she navigate the treacherous path ahead and emerge triumphant, or will the odds prove insurmountable?

Amazon Goodreads


Other books in the series:
Book 2: Power In Vengeance
Book 3: Power in Justice


Kirby Ann has always been captivated by the world of literature. From a young age, her love for reading laid the foundation for a lifelong passion for storytelling. It wasn’t until her twenties that she took up writing seriously, embarking on a journey of self-expression.
Away from writing, she finds joy on trips with friends and family, drawing inspiration from the new landscapes and cultures she encounters. When in need of a break, she immerses herself in the world of online gaming, finding both relaxation and creativity in the virtual realms.
In 2023, she took a bold step forward, deciding to share her works on a larger scale. As her professional writing career takes its first steps, she is filled with optimism and high hopes for the future. With a unique blend of Texas spirit, a love for storytelling, and a supportive network, she looks forward to weaving more tales that resonate with readers and leave a lasting impact.


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Extract;

Andrea’s stomach flip-flopped as the main door closed behind Valerie. She wondered
how she let this get so out of hand. Scarlett had tried to kiss her while Valerie was in the apartment with them. Of all the stupid things her friend had done this week, that was the lowest of them all. She knew Scarlett was just using a tactic they used before where they fought and made up many times over the years, but today was the last time she could ever allow that to
happen.
Before Andrea could bring herself to turn around and give Scarlett an ultimatum the
redhead started speaking. “The Fury are trying to kill you. Your own brother hired them. Bryan betrayed you on every level. We chased a man in the tunnels where you were shot, and Allie literally pulled a bullet out of your arm. You have a very important city council vote tomorrow
about a project that means a lot to you. You need to name a new number two and we have to find an accountant you can trust. That doesn’t even include all the other businesses DeLaney has and the things that need to happen with them this week. I mean fuck Andrea, on top of all of that you
decide this 26 year old, who is 12 years younger than you, who you’ve known for less than a week, is suddenly your great love or something?” Scarlett chuckled darkly and Andrea heard the rustle of fabric behind her. She didn’t turn around though, she knew she wasn’t finished. “You
know what giving her that necklace is going to tell everyone and what they are going to say don’t you?”
Andrea turned and looked directly at Scarlett who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
“That she is mine. That if someone, including you, so much as touches her, looks at her wrong, or threatens her, I will kill them. I knew what it meant when I did it and if you think for one second that I didn’t you don’t know me at all.” She straightened her shirt again and fixed her belt while trying to gather her words. “A few days ago you told me I could handle a million things at once better than anyone you’ve ever seen. Now you think I can’t handle any of it because of Valerie?” Andrea laughed and rolled her eyes. “If it weren’t for her this week, I would’ve
already killed Asher, blown up half the city trying to eliminate Brody and The Fury, and I would have met with the mayor and told him to get behind my proposal or I’d kill him next and run this city the way my grandfather did.”
“So what? I should be thanking her for preventing all out war?” Scarlett ran her hand over the sheets and rolled her eyes too. “You don’t want war and I know that. You should’ve just fucked her and sent her on her way that first night like you do everyone else!” Scarlett ran a hand
through her hair and sighed. “Now that I think about it, maybe the fact that she’s not satisfying your needs is the reason you’re so pissed.”
She wasn’t going to play these games anymore. Andrea stepped closer and in a tone that left no room for questions as to what it meant, she said, “You have until I walk into that meeting with you and Victor downstairs to figure out if you can handle this. Because none of the other things you listed are relevant to you if you can’t get over yourself and move past my relationship with Valerie and your own misguided feelings.” Andrea grabbed her jacket off the dresser and slipped it on. “And if you can’t, I suggest you get the fuck out of this building and out of my city
because I’m not kidding, Scarlett. I’ve given you more leeway than I would give anyone else, but you are testing my patience and the limits of our friendship. Now, get out and make your choice.”
Scarlett swung her legs down to the ground and stood from the bed. She looked around the room. “Well, once again whatever Andrea de Laney says is the final word huh?” As she passed Andrea, she let their shoulders brush. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

As soon as she heard the door close, Andrea sat on the bed and took a deep breath. This wasn’t how she wanted to start her morning. There were actual problems she needed to solve and plans she needed to make. The last thing she needed today was this drama with Scarlett.
Remembering the pain in Valerie’s eyes made her stomach drop. Andrea wondered just how much her girlfriend had heard and how far this whole scenario would set them back. With another deep breath to calm down a bit further, she stood and headed for the main door, but when
she opened it there was no one in the hall. Bril was gone as was Valerie, and her heart started racing.

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Blog Tour: Point Zero – Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Louise Heal Kawai

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Tokyo, 1958. Teiko marries Kenichi Uhara, ten years her senior, an advertising man recommended by a go-between. After a four-day honeymoon, Kenichi vanishes. Teiko travels to the coastal and
snow-bound city of Kanazawa, where Kenichi was last seen, to investigate his disappearance. When Kenichi’s brother comes to help her, he is murdered, poisoned in his hotel room.

Soon, Teiko discovers that her husband’s disappearance is tied up with the so-called “pan-pan girls”, women who worked as prostitutes catering to American GIs after the war. Now, ten years later, as the country is recovering, there are those who are willing to take extreme measures to hide that past.

A triumph by Seicho Matsumoto, the master of Japanese mystery writing. A beautifully written crime novel that takes on the taboo of Japanese prostitution catering to GIs during the American post-war occupation.

First published in Japanese in 1959, the novel abandoned the template of closed-room mysteries so popular in pre-war Japan to embrace social criticism.

In a radical departure from tradition, the novel has a female protagonist, a housewife seeking to find her missing husband. Respectful of the proprieties expected of a Japanese woman of the time, but stubborn, intrepid and a naturally intuitive sleuth.

Seicho Matsumoto (1909-1982) was Japan’s most successful mystery writer. His first detective novel, Points and Lines, sold over a million copies in Japan. Vessel of Sand, published in English as Inspector Imanishi Investigates in 1989, sold over four million copies and became a movie box-office hit.

Louise Heal Kawai is a translator of Japanese literature based in Yokohama. She previously translated Seicho Matsumoto’s A Quiet Place for Bitter
Lemon Press. She is the translator of other works in the mystery genre, including
Seishi Yokomizo’s The Honjin Murders and Death on Gokumon Island, and
Seventeen and The North Light by Hideo Yokoyama.

My thoughts: this was an excellent read, translated from the original Japanese, it brings to life the 1950s post-war country, recovering its identity and economy after being occupied by the US.

Teiko agrees to a marriage arranged through a match maker, but after her husband goes missing she realises she knows next to nothing about the man she married. As she investigates his disappearance, and his brother also goes missing, she uncovers a terrible truth that dates back to the war and someone who will go to any lengths to keep it hidden.

Teiko is doing the work the police seem to be unbothered by, they don’t put much effort into the search for Kenichi, so she and Kenichi’s colleague Honda are the ones doing all the digging. When Honda becomes another victim of the killer, Teiko starts to put the pieces together – and solves the case.

Clever and with enough twists to keep people hooked, this is exceptional crime writing that lingers. Japanese crime fiction had its own golden age, and we’re finally seeing some excellent translations, like this one, reach the English readership.

*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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Blog Tour: Deadly Animals – Marie Tierney

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Thirteen-year-old Ava Bonney is unlike other children. Exceptionally bright, she has an obsessive interest in the rate at which dead animals decompose. The motorway she lives by regularly offers up roadkill, and in the dead of night Ava likes nothing better than to pull her latest discovery into her roadside den so she can study it. But one day when she arrives she stumbles across the body of fellow pupil, Mickey Grant. DI Seth Delahaye is given the case, one of the most challenging of his career. But Ava is not the sort of person who will step back and let someone else take charge when children like her are dying. She uses all her unusual skills and deep local knowledge to try to track down the serial killer in her community.

My thoughts: this was so good, dark and twisted and with an incredible protagonist in teenager Ava, a young woman with a passion for science and pathology in particular. She’s checking on one of her research projects late at night when she finds the body of a schoolmate, a bully, but someone she knows. He’s been brutally murdered, and Ava decides to investigate.

I loved Ava’s relationship with DI Delahaye, despite her being so young the detective trusts her instincts and her understanding of the area and other teenagers. Ava is incredibly smart and has read books on so many subjects and seems to have memorised all the things she’s learnt. Her mum doesn’t see how brilliant she is, in fact most of the adults around her don’t, just Delahaye, her dad and her best friend John’s Grandpa, who keeps an eye on their investigation.

I hope there’s a sequel with a grown up Ava putting all her scientific knowledge to use solving crimes for the police, either as a detective or as a CSI.

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