Tag: crime fiction

Uncovering a web of conspiracy that intertwines past and present, can Lady Beatrice and DCI Richard Fitzwilliam catch a killer and unveil the truth of her husband’s death at long last?

BREAKING NEWS

Second Senior Police Officer Dies Within a Week
A senior officer from the Protection and Investigations (Royal) Services died unexpectedly yesterday.
His death comes hot on the heels of Detective Inspector Ethan Preece (43) from City Police, who died of a suspected heart attack last week. Although he’s not yet been named, the dead officer was a
greatly respected public figure, who had served in policing for over thirty years. A PaIRS spokesperson has confirmed that ‘neither men’s death is being treated as suspicious at this time’.

With the senior PaIRS officer dead, so is any hope of reopening the inquiry into Lady Beatrice’s husband’s accident fifteen years ago. Unless, of course, there is something that links the two men to
the earl’s fatal car crash?
Can she and Fitzwilliam, along with their friends, work together to unravel the mystery and catch a killer before the truth is buried forever?

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Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in a small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two
dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a
lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes

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My thoughts: this series just gets better and better, and finally Lady Bea might just get some answers to the mysterious death of her husband fifteen years ago – or not. As two of the police officers with links to the case die one another the other – of suspected sudden heart attacks but DCI Fitzwilliam doesn’t believe in coincidences.

Digging into the deaths, and armed with some interesting ideas from the autopsy, he’s pretty sure there’s foul play afoot. But does it have to do with the investigation into the past or is it something else?

Bea is also dealing with moving back into the Dower House, the home she left pregnant and widowed, for her parents’, but now, with her son away during the week at school, it’s time. Or so she thinks, she just needs a spot of redecorating with Perry’s assistance and hopefully it will feel like home again, but minus any bad memories.

Another brilliant book and the title made me laugh. Intelligent and enjoyable, I can’t wait for the next one.

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

If Ruth had stayed on leave, none of it might have happened…

An astronomer working at the Maurice Frazer Observatory, Ruth Russell is enjoying her time in Rome. That is until Charles Digham, top fashion photographer and Ruth’s lover, has his camera stolen and the thief ends up a headless corpse in the zoo park toletta.

When Ruth meets the enigmatic Johnson Johnson, in Rome to paint a portrait of the Pope, she’s confident he’ll help unravel the mystery. But as they begin the search for clues it soon becomes clear that more is at stake than the secrets of a couture house … something far more deadly.

Dorothy Dunnett (1923-2001) gained an international reputation as a writer of historical fiction. She moved genres and turned to crime writing with the acclaimed Dolly books, also known as the Johnson Johnson series. She was a trustee of the National Library of Scotland, and a board member of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In 1992 she was awarded an OBE for her services to literature. A leading light in the Scottish arts world and a renaissance woman, Dunnett was also a professional portrait painter and exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy on many occasions.

My thoughts: the bifocal clad painter is back in another case of international intrigue and skullduggery, this time in the Eternal City – Rome.

The strange things that have been happening at an observatory outside the city, from stolen cameras to break ins have bigger consequences that someone wanting some fashion photos.

A jaunt around the Italian coast in Dolly follows, as the various parties involved chase after each other. But who Ruth Russell, an astronomer at the observatory, trust? Is one her friends or acquaintances the one she needs to be wary of?

Another fantastic and highly enjoyable adventure, with an entertaining cast and some silly moments as well as a heady dose of danger.

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

With a terrifying certainty, she knew she was going to die.

DI Geraldine Steel knows people go missing all the time. So when her partner Ian asks her to look into the disappearance of his football-buddy’s girlfriend, her first instinct is to reassure him there’s no need for concern. Until she’s called to a suspected murder. The young woman has earth and fragments of twigs in her hair. It’s as if she’d been completely encased in earth. And yet she was found on the pavement, at the side of a suburban road, where she wasn’t in contact with any soil or mud.

Without a crime scene, the investigation focuses on her boyfriend. But then another young woman is reported missing. Unless he has an accomplice, they have an innocent man in custody. And Steel is running out of time . . .

A page-turning puzzle of a case with an unexpected final twist. If you’re a fan of Angela Marsons, Mel Sherratt and Karin Slaughter, you’ll love Leigh Russell.

Leigh Russell is the author of the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTunes with Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People’s Book Prize.

My thoughts: another gripping and perplexing case for DI Geraldine Steel and her team. Several young women have gone missing in a small area of York, and now another. But this time, she survives just long enough to stumble into a road and be found, only to die in hospital.

She was covered in leaves and dirt, like she’d been buried alive and clawed her way out. Was her boyfriend the one who did this to her or is something more sinister going on?

Meanwhile Geraldine has been feeling a bit off, is her relationship with Ian in trouble? Maybe she just needs a holiday.

As the case unfolds, we’re offered the killer’s obsession and his strange justification for the deaths he’s responsible for. A twisted mind that the police can’t understand.

Clever, twisted and compelling, this is another excellent book in this series.

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

Sometimes it’s best to let the past stay buried…
Thirty years ago, Jess’s mother, Nora, disappeared while on a charity hike in the US. The devastating loss has afflicted Jess well into her adult life and even inspired her decision to become an investigative journalist.
So when Jess receives an anonymous tip telling her that remains have been recovered in the spot her mother disappeared, she wastes no time in jumping on a plane.
They say the Appalachian Mountains have secrets, but as she begins to ask around, she learns that the locals do too. But no matter how much they lie, she is determined to find the truth – even if it will
irrevocably change her future.
Someone wants to keep the past buried. And they will stop at nothing to keep Jess as quiet as the tranquil mountain trail itself…
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M. A. Hunter is the alter ego of Stephen Edger, the bestselling author of psychological and crime thrillers, including the Kate Matthews series.

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My thoughts: I don’t think I’d be very keen on hiking the Appalachian Trail, which passes through a huge amount of America, passing through 14 states (says Google) and covering hundreds of miles of mountains and forest, small towns and some probably quite grumpy bears.

This book doesn’t make me want to do it at all, though Bill Bryson put me off first, at least no one he knew went missing somewhere along the trail (A Walk in the Woods, if you’re interested).

Jess lost her mother thirty years before, while hiking a section of the trail to raise money for Jess’ best friend Ashley, who happened to also be Nell’s goddaughter. Despite some pretty huge setbacks, Nell was determined to complete her section. But then she vanished. Her fellow hikers had no idea where she went or what happened. Jess was devastated, and after her dad died, all alone. Except for Bruce, who stepped in to look after her.

Now, Nell’s remains might have been found, can Jess finally get some answers or will someone stop her learning anything?

Nell’s hike was terrifying, honestly some of the things she saw were downright awful, and Jess doesn’t have a much better experience. It all gets a bit Deliverance-esque in a small town, Rockston, where the locals have some unusual beliefs. But did they, as Jess’ strange informant insists, harm Nell or is something else going on?

Twists and turns, much like the path through the mountains, abound, and there are a few times it seems the hikers in both timelines are done for, but the ending is surprisingly upbeat and hopeful.

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

The high society wedding…
Social media influencer Crystabel Hughes is determined her wedding to Giles Preston Smythe will be the talk of the town. No matter the cost or the upset, nothing will stop this wedding!
A cheating groom…
But for Alexi Ellis and the rest of the staff at Hopgood Hall, Crystabel’s demands are becoming increasingly extreme. And when Alexi spots the groom getting up close and personal with one of the bridesmaids, she fears trouble is only a bouquet toss away.
A killer bride caught red-handed?
And Alexi’s fears are confirmed when the groom is found dead on the night before the wedding, stabbed through the heart – the person holding the dagger. his beloved bride-to be Crystabel.
Hopgood Hall doesn’t need any more bad press, but the race is on to find the killer and close the case before Crystable live streams her dilemma.
Can Alexi, Jack and Cosmo find out why Giles was killed? And, more importantly, can they stop the killer before they strike again?
Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Frances Evesham and Emma Davies.
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Evie Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and is now redirecting her talents to produce dark gritty thrillers for Boldwood. 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.

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My thoughts: this series gets better, and the murders more outrageous, with each book. This time the Hopwood Hall Hotel is hosting the wedding of the year, or at least so the bride and her mother/manager think it will be.

Crystabel is an influencer, and in her mind at least, basically a Kardashian, so she’s going all out. But in insisting the hens return to the hotel so she can keep an eye on the stags, has she set the ball rolling on events that lead to her being found standing over her groom holding a knife?

As Alexi, Jack and Cosmo (cats are excellent detectives) investigate the murder, and all the potential suspects, was this marriage ever going to work, even before the groom’s life was cut short?

Lots of twists and turns, anyone of the assembled guests could be the killer, so there’s plenty to investigate, which keeps all the suspects trapped in the hotel, while the police, and the Hopwood team dig into the lives of Giles and Crystabel, an extremely unlikely couple.

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

With Shakespeare on the stage, there’s danger waiting in the wings for super-sleuth Libby Sarjeant
. . .
Libby Sarjeant is proudly hosting an original production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Oast Theatre, which features a daring twist on the classic play. But an old acquaintance of Libby’s –
irascible director Constance Matthews – is outraged by the show, stirring strong feelings throughout Steeple Martin.
When a body is subsequently found in the woodlands of a grand estate, the community is shocked by the prospect of murder. But the case is far from straightforward, with dark secrets lurking beneath the surface.
With the help of friends and family, can amateur detective Libby – and her friend Fran – unravel a truly perplexing puzzle?
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Lesley Cookman is a former actor, model and journalist. She lives on the Kent coast in south east England with her two cats and the occasional returning offspring. In her past, she has been Editor of such diverse publications as The Call Boy – official magazine of the British Music Hall
Society – and Poultry Farmer’s Weekly. She has written for the stage, and her pantomimes were at one time performed all over the country – she even wrote a book on how to do it. She writes the
Libby Sarjeant Mystery series, of which there are currently 24 and three novellas and The Alexandrians, an Edwardian mystery series about a seaside concert party. She has four children, all musicians (one also a writer) and two grandchilden.

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My thoughts: I haven’t been to the theatre since before the pandemic and my little theatre kid heart is sad, so a book set during the run of a play will go a long way, throw in the fact that it’s a murder mystery and a Shakespeare production – was this written just for me?

It’s really good too, with lots of twists and turns and plenty of potential suspects, as the victim is a horrible person, who bought up people’s homes and evicted the tenants, or tried to, they also tried to buy more properties with threats and coercion. I don’t like greedy landlords at the best of times, but this person really does sound awful. Maybe I did it?

They’re also a bully, and totally mean-spirited. The production of Much Ado has an incredible actor, and a wonderful twist on the old performance, which I won’t spoil, even though this misery guts does. There’s a point where even Libby wonders why she’s bothering to investigate.

But a lot of people wanting someone dead doesn’t mean they deserve a horrid death, and so Libby and Fran, and their pals, dig into the victim’s life and try to work out who could have bumped them off, and why. All while running the theatre and also campaigning against holiday lets taking over the town and forcing locals out. A busy life indeed.

Tremendous fun, looking at social issues, the arts and of course, a murder in a picturesque setting. Thoroughly enjoyable stuff.

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