Tag: crime fiction

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Blog Tour: Tropical Issues – Dorothy Dunnett

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Rita, a small, tough Scottish make-up artist is on Madeira trying to find out who killed Kim-Jim, an American make-up supremo. Also anchored off the island is Dolly, the yacht of Johnson Johnson with whom she teams up. Rita’s fighting spirits are aroused despite her danger. She is not one for quitting, even when she learns she is caught up in an international drug-smuggling ring. But she also discovers that dealing with the maddeningly enigmatic Johnson Johnson is, by no stretch of the imagination, plain sailing.

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: this was lots of fun, it’s a shame I hadn’t come across Dorothy Dunnett before (what a name for the crime genre!) as she’s a great writer. In this book we’re off to Madeira and then onto the Caribbean in the company of Rita Geddes, make up artist and now amateur sleuth.

She’s not entirely thrilled to be out of the UK, and certainly not in the company of artist (and spy) Johnson Johnson. But her friend Kim-Jim is dead, her other pal Ferdy is on hand and she wants justice, and to rehome the parrot she just inherited.

But there’s a whole conspiracy of drug smuggling, trans Atlantic proportions going on and a hurricane closing in. As Rita and her colleagues race to get ahead of the murderous smugglers on a boat called Dolly, will they be in danger too?

Tremendous fun and the first in a series of adventures featuring Johnson Johnson and Dolly, though sadly not Rita, who I loved.

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

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Blog Tour: Mr Stoker & the Vampires of the Lyceum – Matthew Gibson

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London, September 1888. Jack the Ripper roams the streets. A scream rings out from beneath the stage of the Lyceum Theatre…

A young ‘actress’ has been attacked, suffering peculiar bite wounds to her neck; an event that announces a series of strange, vampiric happenings, and thrusts an unwitting Bram Stoker – acting manager of the Lyceum and aspiring author – into the limelight, and the action.

Increasingly perplexed by the unsettling behaviour of his ‘Guv’nor’, the brilliant but mercurial actor, Henry Irving, and Irving’s acclaimed leading lady, Ellen Terry, Stoker soon starts suspecting the worst. And then, another attack reveals a vicious Prussian baron, returned to London as a vampire seeking revenge…

Alive with Gothic intrigue, reversal and surprise, Mr Stoker will keep the reader enthralled and confounded until its final, shocking scene – indeed, until its very last word.

‘This is a fully realised Gothic world, a stimulating mix of homely familiarity and lurking menace which will engage readers of all ages.’ David Punter, author of The Literature of Terror

Matthew Gibson is a leading scholar on Bram Stoker and the Gothic. Currently an Associate Professor at the University of Macau, he previously worked at the universities of Surrey and Hull, as well as in Poland and Bulgaria. Author of Dracula and the Eastern Question, and contributor to The Cambridge Companion to Dracula, Matthew curates Stoker resources for Oxford Bibliographies. Mr Stoker is his first novel.

My thoughts: this is a richly imagined tale of terror and blood, told through the eyes of Bram Stoker, manager of the Lyceum theatre, who later wrote the infamous Dracula. Working under the famous actor Henry Irving, Stoker was responsible for the day to day running of the theatre, while also training to be a barrister at the behest of his wife.

Here he, Irving, and his brother George, a surgeon, chase after a mysterious figure – the baron Lucarda, responsible for a series of murders (not the Whitechapel ones however) and a violent attack on Ellen Terry, the actress.

Peopled with real life associates and friends of Stoker, Gibson brings the Victorian world to life, from the thick London fog, to the rattling carriages and murky Underground railway. The story is fun and exciting, as these very normally sensible men chase across Europe in the pursuit of the deranged baron and get involved in the dark world of vampires and cult like orders of Rosicrucians and Masons.

Drawing on his scholarly research into Stoker’s life, this is a solid and well written Gothic thriller, complete with mysterious goings on in the theatre cellars and murders in Bayswater mansions. A treat for fans of the genre.

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

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Blog Tour: I Promise You Pain – Bart Baker

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I Promise you Pain copy

“Not your daddy’s Jack Reacher, Cordon Finn is a different breed…”

Welcome to the book tour for I Promise You Pain by Bart Baker. Read on for more details!

bookcover I Promise You Pain

I Promise you Pain (The Cordon Finn Vengeance Series #1)

Genre: Crime Fiction/ Action Thriller/ LGBTQ2+ Books

Publication Date: May 11, 2023

Hired by a Chicago billionaire to pluck his runaway son from the Palm Springs compound of a wealthy pedophile, former military extraction and information specialist, Cordon Finn, believes it will be a simple snatch-and-go job with a big payday. But Cordon discovers that his quarry isn’t the billionaire’s underage son, but rather his trans-daughter, Lucious, whose father wants her dead. After fighting off assassins, Cordon vows to keep Lucious alive. But when the billionaire kidnaps Cordon’s girlfriend and comes after his family and friends, Cordon takes the fight back to the billionaire’s door. With the help of Lucious and his sister, Annie, Cordon craves vengeance, even if the cost is his own life.

I PROMISE YOU PAIN contains brutal violence as well as raw language, consensual and nonconsensual sex. There are trans and gay characters. Not your daddy’s Jack Reacher, Cordon Finn is a different breed. Fascinating, faceted, damaged but relatable, Cordon seeks vengeance for those who can’t.

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Excerpt

“I got money,” Lucious says. “Whatever you’re getting paid for, whatever you’re doing, I can get you more.”

“Shut up,” Cordon demands, pushing Lucious behind him as Cordon plots their escape. As he calculates the route out, Cordon is snapped back to the moment when he hears Luscious behind him.

“I’m at Wayne’s! This fucking lunatic is kidnapping me! He about killed Way—” Lucious barks into his phone as Cordon whips around. Yanking the cell phone from Lucious’s hand, Cordon smashes it against the wall. Dropping the pieces to the floor, Cordon stomps on it.

“What the hell!? That’s a brand-new iPhone!”

“Hear me and hear me good, knucklefuck. You pull any bullshit, you call for help, try to signal someone, anything I don’t like, I will rip that little swimsuit off your ass and gag you with it. Understand?”

“Yeah, but—”

Cordon slaps his hand over Lucious’s mouth. “Shut! Up! You talk, you die. You keep your mouth shut, do as I say, you will come out of this alive, Lucas,” Cordon warns in a harsh whisper as he takes his hand away from Lucious’s mouth.

“Lucious! My name is Lucious! She! Her!”

Again, Cordon slaps his hand over Lucious’s mouth again, his face getting close to hers.

“Don’t! Care!” Cordon snaps back.

Lucious glares into Cordon’s eyes, fighting her rage. She carefully reaches up and pulls Cordon’s hand away from her face. “Why are you kidnapping me?”

Cordon’s finger gets right in Lucious’s face, ignoring her question. “We’re going down those stairs together, our arms around each other, and right out the front door. Remember, you try to alert anyone, I will punch you in the head so hard you will wake up in the hospital if you wake up at all. If I’m clear, nod.”

Lucious defiantly does as asked. As Cordon turns back to the door, Lucious seizes the moment and grabs Cordon’s hand, putting a lock on Cordon’s thumb, slamming her elbow into a pressure point in Cordon’s neck. More startled than injured, Cordon’s free hand comes up fast, right into Lucious’s solar plexus, the air blasting from Lucious’s lungs.

Staggering back, Lucious recovers quickly, jumping into the air and surprising Cordon with a kick that connects with his head. Cordon wobbles a step, his fist coming up defensively. Lucious strikes, pummeling Cordon with kicks and punches, her skill as a fighter remarkable but not

unexpected. Cordon knew the kid was a champion and prepared himself for Lucious to fight back.

Blocking Lucious’s attack, Cordon finds his back against the wall. He drops to the floor and sweeps out Lucious’s legs. Lucious hits the floor hard but startling Cordon, Lucious kips back to her feet, ducks under Cordon’s meaty swing, pile-drives a few punches into Cordon’s rib while screaming for help, hoping someone can hear her over the blasting music.

Cordon shoves Lucious back hard into the dresser, but Lucious comes back swinging and kicking. Cordon continues to block most of Lucious’s blows as Lucious continues to scream for help with each swing and kick. The music continues to drown out her pleas.

“I. Should. Be. The. One. Calling. For. Help!” Cordon barks, as he blocks the flurry of Lucious’s punches from doing any damage.

Needing to batter Cordon back long enough to escape, Lucious leaps in the air, her hips jerking hard as she comes around with a furious spin kick to Cordon’s head. But Cordon catches Lucious by the calf and slams her leg into the wall, holding her there, the leg up around Lucious’s face as the barrel of Cordon’s gun jams into Lucious’s balls.

“Hit me again, I’ll open you up like a can of fish,” Cordon snarls into Lucious’s face.

Slowly letting Lucious’s leg drop, Cordon grabs hold of the dozens of necklaces Lucious wears, many appearing homemade, dangling with a charm or amulet, tightening his grip until the necklaces dig into Lucious’s skin, choking her.

“Turn around,” Cordon orders, spinning Lucious towards the wall.

In the small black bag over his shoulder, Cordon pulls out a two zip ties. “I didn’t want to do this,” Cordon says as he binds Lucious’s hands together with the ties, and then grabs the necklaces again to maintain complete control over the kid. Yanking Lucious’s body against his, Cordon holds her tightly, sliding the gun barrel up to Lucious’s cheek. “This is how serious I am about this. I want to get out of here. And unless you want half your pretty face blown off, you’re going to do what I say. I feel you so much as tense a muscle, I’m going to send you home to your family in a plastic trash bag.”

“My father would like that.”

“Let’s not find out, Bruce Lee.”

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Bart Baker headshot (2)

With seven novels, two seasons of a Kindle Vella story, SCRAPS, eight plays, and 19 produced film and TV credits, Bart has been writing for over 40 years. Starting in the theater, the film rights to Bart’s play, RELAY, were bought by Warner Bros., which led him into screenwriting. Bart has had two feature films produced (LIVE WIRE and SUPERCROSS,) eleven produced movies for television for CBS, ABC, USA, Family Channel, and Hallmark as well as work on four television series including DIRT, starring Courtney Cox. Bart’s novel, HONEYMOON WITH HARRY was a critical and commercial success with the movie rights purchased by New Line/Warner Bros when the book was in galleys.

Bart lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his husband, Joe Elvis, and two children, Isaiah and Emmanuel. Besides writing, Bart is a lifelong swimmer and gym rat. Follow Bart on Facebook, on Twitter at @firstBartBaker, on Instagram @thefirstBartBaker, IMDB as Bart Baker, or his website http://www.bartvbaker.com.

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Blog Tour: Seat 97 – Tony Bassett

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SEAT 97: wrong place, wrong time: the mystery of a very public murder
A man who had it coming, or mistaken identity?
People are finding their seats for a soul concert when a shot rings out. David Barron crumples to the floor. Next to him, journalist Nick Colton and his wife, Greta, step in to help.
The assassin quickly escapes from the building. Realising this might be the scoop of his life, Nick rushes after him.
Although the man evades him – perhaps a good thing, seeing as he is holding a gun – Nick is determined to find the killer. Despite the misgivings of the police.
So who was David Barron and why was he shot? Why was he holding the lethal ticket for Seat 97?
Can you work out the mystery?
This is a totally gripping standalone crime mystery set in London that will keep you guessing.

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Author Bio – Tony Bassett, a former Fleet Street journalist, has had seven crime novels published so far.
This latest book, Seat 97, introduces Nick Colton, a journalist who is swept up into a murder investigation. It is a standalone novel which may possibly lead to a series. The book is published by London-based independent publishers The Book Folks, who specialise in crime fiction.
Tony is best known for his Midlands series of crime novels featuring DCI Gavin Roscoe and DS Sunita Roy (Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor and Out For Revenge, all published by the Book Folks).
He first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he and a friend produced a magazine called the Globe at their junior school in Sevenoaks, Kent. When he reached his teenage years, growing up in Tunbridge Wells, his local vicar staged one of his plays, about Naboth’s Vineyard.
At Hull University, Tony was named student journalist of the year in 1971 in a competition run by Time-Life magazine and went onto become a national newspaper journalist, mainly working for the Sunday People in both its newsroom and investigations department.
His very first book to be published, the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway, was released in December 2018. It concerns a Kent couple who harbour a stowaway and then battle to clear his name when he is charged with murder.
Then, in March 2020, the spy novel The Lazarus Charter, was released. It involves foreign agents operating in the UK. The book has kindly been endorsed by Marina Litvinenko, widow of the murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, and by Stan and Caroline Sturgess, parents of the innocent mother-of-three poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in 2018.
Tony has five grown-up children. He 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 really interesting, fast paced and clever crime read. When the man next to him at the Royal Albert Hall is shot dead, chaos erupts, but smart thinking journalist Nick gives chase to the gunman. He ever gets a snap of the getaway car.

The story of a lifetime, or so it seems, as Nick carries out his own investigation, despite the police disapproval. He seems to be able to get a lot more information out of people – even though he’s a journalist, his proximity to the victim seems to make people willing to open up. He gets a lot more than the police do.

A second murder muddies the waters, the victim was also at the fateful concert, but Nick carefully untangles that one too. The police come across as a little bit slow, Nick’s finding the clues and answers on his own, and their whole team aren’t getting anywhere as fast. Luckily he’s a nice guy and shares his findings.

I really enjoyed this book, and could see it easily becoming a series. Nick’s a great protagonist, and clearly has a nose for investigating knotty cases.

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

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Blog Tour: A Dead Herring – Helen Golden

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BREAKING NEWS Urshall United FC Owner Dies at Drew Castle.
Details are sketchy at this stage, but it is believed businessman Ben Rhodes (38) was found dead in his bathroom at the king’s Scottish home by his twin brother Max, where the pair were guests at a
shooting party hosted by Lord Frederick Astley (39), brother of Lady Beatrice (36). The cause of Mr Rhodes’ death is not known, but he started receiving death threats from football fans after his
controversial takeover of the club and had recently employed his own personal security.
How unlucky can a girl get? Is fate playing a cruel trick on her for boorish Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam to be the only person who can get to the snowed-in castle to investigate Ben Rhodes’s death? And with no other external resources available to him, he now needs her, her smart dog, and her best friends’ help to catch the killer. Can they put their issues behind them and
work together to find the murderer before the weather improves and the perpetrator is free to leave?
Another page-turning cozy British whodunnit with a hint of humour from author Helen Golden.
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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: another fun royal romp as a millionaire drowns in the bath at the family’s Scottish Castle and Lady Bea, Perry and Simon are needed to help DCI Fitzwilliam out once more.

Cut off by snow, the killer can’t leave, and neither can anyone else. So they have a perfect country house murder mystery to unravel. Who killed Ben Rhodes and why?

Aided by Daisy’s sharp canine nose (vital clues are always her wheelhouse) and with Bea’s ability to get people to open up, it shouldn’t take too long for them to find their killer. But it’s a lot more complicated when there’s so many possible suspects and they’re trying to keep the Queen Mother (Bea’s grandmother) in the dark too.

Lots of fun, at times very silly, and clever. This series just gets better and better.

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

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Blog Tour: Blackjack – Gail Meath

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A lifetime game of solitaire turns into a vicious family feud.

New York City 1923

Back in the city after a nightmare vacation, PI Jax Diamond and his courageous canine partner, Ace, just can’t catch a break when three quick and easy cases explode into a massive mess of unrelated major crimes with victims, dead and alive, piling up.

Laura Graystone’s career soars as she rehearses for her new Broadway musical. Yet, she senses something’s amiss when Jax spends more time with a new buddy aboard a steamboat than solving crimes. With the help of their friends and a mysterious stranger, Laura and Ace set out to get to the bottom of it.

It’s a whirlwind of twists and turns as Jax discovers there is far more to a family than just blood relatives. And who knows? They may just solve the biggest case of his life.

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Award-winning author Gail Meath writes historical romance novels that will whisk you away to another time and place in history where you will meet fascinating characters, both fictional and real, who will capture your heart and soul. Meath loves writing about little or unknown people, places and events in history, rather than relying on the typical stories and settings.

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My thoughts: Jax has so many different cases on the go in this book, and gets distracted by the charismatic cruise ship owner Nick, so Laura and Ace do a fair bit of investigating with the help of Carla and Jeanie. They’re trying to help Jax out and they’re worried about him.

Some of the cases seem very tightly connected to Jax, and the orphanage where he grew up. Who is the mysterious woman Laura keeps running into? Will Jax finally get some answers about his parents and who he really is?

Obviously Ace does a lot of the heavy lifting again, emotional support, catching bad guys, finding evidence. He’s the hardest working dog in crime fiction. But Laura comes a close second, she should be the detective really, Jax completely fails to get much done.

I really enjoy this series, it’s a lot of fun and clearly well researched, you get a real feel for the 20s, and the friends Jax has made come to life. Really enjoyable and entertaining. With a cute dog, what more do you need!

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

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Book Review: Slaughterhouse Farm – T. Orr Munro

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A family secret worth killing for…

In the dead of night, 72-year-old Miriam Narracott is found wandering on Exmoor, holding a knife and covered in blood. Inside the family farmhouse lies the body of her adult son, Gabe.

CSI Ally Dymond is on compassionate leave, but when approached by the new DI, recently arrived from London and eager to have Ally’s keen eye and local knowledge on the case, she finds herself being drawn back in.

With their only suspect Miriam unwilling – or unable – to talk, the team must dig into the family’s history to uncover a motive. Instead they find evidence that Gabe was involved with a criminal network, suggesting a completely different chain of events. But if Miriam isn’t the killer – then who is?

The gripping second novel in the CSI Ally Dymond series.

T. Orr Munro was born in Hampshire to an English mother and a Greek-Armenian father who later moved to Devon. After university she trained as a CSI, then became a secondary school teacher. She changed career at 33 to become a police and crime journalist. She has since returned with her family to live in North Devon, the setting for Breakneck Point. Her time as a CSI provided much of the inspiration for the novel, shining a light on what happens behind the crime scene tape.

My thoughts: I know bits of North Devon fairly well, my Grandma came from there and some of my family live there now but this series takes you into the bits you won’t see on the travel shows. And I like it for that. Dark Devon like Nordic Noir in a way.

The farm of the title gets its name from one of the uses its outhouse was put to. Farming is pretty and blood is part of raising animals for food. But the blood this time is from the murdered body of the man running it, Gabe Narracott. Far from the angelic inspiration behind his given name, he’s a man with dark secrets and criminal friends.

His mother, refusing to speak, looks like the culprit. But Ally digs into the evidence and the local knowledge she’s been asked to provide. Something else is going on at the Narracott farm.

Ally also has worries of her own, her relationship with her daughter Megan is struggling, Ally is struggling too, with her own demons and fears. Her refuge at Penny’s holiday site isn’t as safe as it once was. She’s worried about Jay, Megan’s friend, who needs help and she’s sort of started a relationship with Kit Narracott, Gabe’s brother. Which could get awkward.

Interwoven with the case is Miriam’s story, something Ally looks into, and it’s sad, dark and tragic. But it gives some of the answers the team investigating at the farm need to explain everything that’s happened. Dark Devon indeed.

This series gets better and better, Breakneck Point was great but this is more assured, more complex storytelling, with multiple narratives and more detailed character work, creating depth and realism even at the most outlandish, shocking moments. Cracking stuff. The book is out now to buy from all good bookshops.

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

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Blog Tour: The Dog-Sitter Detective – Antony Johnson

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Meet Gwinny, an unlikely bloodhound, and her four-legged friends determined to dig up the truth. Bestselling author Antony Johnston launches a brand-new contemporary cosy crime series, ‘The Dog Sitter Detective’, following former actress Guinevere ‘Gwinny’ Tuffel who stumbles upon murder cases and embarks on a burgeoning romance, often accompanied by her canine companions. Each book follows a different breed of dog influenced by the author’s lifelong love for dogs and support of rescue charities.

Retired actress Guinevere ‘Gwinny’ Tuffel is finding life hard after inheriting her late father’s run-down house and discovering she’s broke. So she is delighted to be at Hayburn Stead in Hertfordshire for her best friend Tina’s upmarket wedding to a handsome Italian business magnate. But when the big day ends with a dead body and not a happily-ever-after, Gwinny is left with a situation as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.

When her friend is accused of murder, Gwinny takes it upon herself to sniff out the true culprit. With a collection of larger-than-life suspects and two pedigree Salukis in tow, she is set to have a ruff time of it.

Antony Johnston is a New York Times bestselling writer. The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde is based on his graphic novel; his critically acclaimed Brigitte Sharp thrillers are in development for TV; and Dead Space, his first videogame, redefined its genre. He recently returned to survival horror to write Resident Evil Village, the Game of the Year-winning eighth instalment in the blockbuster franchise.

His productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload, and he interviews fellow writers on his podcast Writing and Breathing.

Antony’s work includes The Exphoria Code, The Dog Sitter Detective, The Patrios Network, Daredevil, Shang-Chi, Shadow of Mordor, the Alex Rider graphic novels, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.

Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of the International Thriller Writers group, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.

My thoughts: I hope this is the start of a series with Gwinny, new pal ex-DCI Birch, and various canines investigating crimes. I think it would be tremendously enjoyable and fun. Gwinny is an out of work actress, I believe it’s called “resting”, invited to an old friend’s fifth wedding. Where there’s a terrible murder.

Gwinny gets saddled with two Salukis (fancy breed of dog) and starts to investigate the crime – her friend is the police’s chief suspect. The police seem a little fixated on Tina, but Gwinny knows her pal couldn’t have done it. And she’s determined to prove it.

With the help of a retired police detective she meets walking his dog, she sets out to interview the witnesses, accuse a few suspects and gather clues, before, in the grand tradition of crime fiction, gathering them all in the library to reveal whodunnit. Marvellous.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and Gwinny is a fantastic protagonist. Even as she’s trying to restart her acting career and do up the mouldering family home she’s inherited, she’s not going to let the police ignore her, and she’s going to find the killer. Fabulous stuff from a very accomplished author.

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

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Blog Tour: The Woman in Carriage 3 – Alison James

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An ordinary journey. A shocking secret. And the perfect murder…

Breathlessly, I rush into carriage 3 just as the train doors slam behind me. It’s the same train I get home every night – the 18.53 – and I always sit in the same seat, with the same people. Each journey is fairly uneventful. Except this one…

A passenger drops dead and shockwaves ripple through the train. The lights go out and we’re left waiting in darkness, trapped until further notice. Is it an accident, or something more sinister?

The unwritten rule is you don’t talk to your fellow commuters, but the group of people huddled around me all seem like nice, normal people. I just hope they don’t notice my dishevelled hair or smell the alcohol on my breath. Because my life is far from perfect and there are things I’ve done I’m not proud of.

But as we all get to know each other, I wonder if I can really trust them? Or are they all hiding dangerous secrets…

Was someone in carriage 3 involved in the passenger’s death? And if so, how far will they go to stop the rest of us finding the truth?

An absolutely addictive psychological thriller that will keep you up late into the night. If you love Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Perfect Couple, you’ll be gripped.

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Alison James was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of her formative years abroad. She studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after her two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, she worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.

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My thoughts: this is why you should never make eye contact, let alone talk to strangers on a train. Just don’t do it. Otherwise there’s murders, disappearances and international art theft in your future. They should hand a copy of this to every new commuter, and not just because it’s a bloody good read.

I was totally hooked by the 18.57 Crew, as they name themselves. Gregarious barrister and secret vaper on the train Julian, scatterbrained Hattie who could do with a few more sober nights, charming Casper, mysterious Lewis, mousy Bridget and stressed out Carmen.

At first it seems like a locked room murder on a train might be in store, but as the story unfolds and Hattie and Casper get closer, Julian starts to look into something and a much bigger, more elaborate scheme has got this unlikely group in its sights.

So much fun, as the crazy plan takes off involving an incredibly expensive artwork, a suitable “Patsy”, two brazen thieves and the involvement of the police as the group travel back and forth to work, Hattie tries to get her life together and people turn out not to be who they seem. Loved it.

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

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Blog Tour: Second to Sin – Murray Bailey

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“It only takes a second to sin,” Father Thomas said. He believes in saving souls, but Charles Balcombe is beyond saving. His control over his killer instinct appears to be weakening. BlackJack has killed again and more questions are being asked of Detective Inspector Munro. He is under increasing pressure to solve the murders, especially when he picks up more cases from Kowloon rather than solving his own.
As Balcombe battles with his demon, he investigates the death of a young woman. Was it an accident or did she kill herself? At first Balcombe thinks it’s straightforward but as he digs, other cases reveal an evil in Hong Kong. One that could consume them all.

Set in 1954, this is book 2 of the series. It can be read as a stand-alone but the author recommends book 1 (Once a Killer) first.
Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, David Baldacci and Tom Wood.

My thoughts: Balcombe is asked to look into a supposed suicide by a friend, the young woman was a Catholic and the scene felt odd. She wasn’t depressed and the last thing she’d done was take confession.

While he’s digging into her life and finding other suspicious deaths of young women, Inspector Murdo has his hands full. He’s looking into a cold case where a little girl went missing, and trying to keep another detective from getting too close to the BlackJack killings – he doesn’t need anyone to connect too many of the dots.

Balcombe is starting to lose control of BlackJack, the most recent killings have been extra brutal and he messed up slightly, leaving a clue that Munro’s colleague picks up on. Could it all get too hot for the unlikely pair?

There was less Albert in this book, which was a shame, but the cases Munro and Balcombe worked on were interesting and shocking, especially Balcombe’s – you won’t guess the ending at all. This series gets better with each book and is currently free on Kindle Unlimited.

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