Tag: crime fiction

books

Published Today: Preserved – Fiona Sherlock

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She’s stuck in the past, the killer wants to immortalise his future.

When a local farmer announces on
social media that he has discovered a bog body in Ardee, the world’s historians are keen to explore
the secrets of the life and grisly death of the victim.

Antique journalist January Quail is fighting to keep her newspaper job and uncovers far more than she bargained for. The victim is actually a recent murder, and January uses her nose for the truth to investigate the
County Louth town. From shopkeeper to the publican, everyone is a suspect, but when the Gardai can’t find the killer, can January?

Once she sets down the liqueur glass, January gains the confidence of the lead garda investigator.
Within days, the case unravels into a much more dangerous situation with a killer on the loose.
Despite the risk, January is electrified that this newest discovery has come at the perfect time to inject some colour into her flailing career.

January relinquishes her old ways to fight for survival, abandoning her antiques column and vintage corsets to solve a cryptic crime that has the experts puzzled. This woman who longs to lives in the past must now fight for her life in the present.

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Fiona Sherlock is a crime writer from Bective, in Ireland. Her murder mystery games are played across the world. She also writes poetry and prose but cannot stay away from a good murder.

After spending a decade in Dublin working in public relations and journalism, she moved to the country for mid-day fires and elderflower champagne.

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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Art of Death – David Fennell*

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London’s latest art installation is a real killer . . .

An underground artist leaves three glass cabinets in Trafalgar Square that contain a gruesome installation: the corpses of three homeless men.
With the artist promising more to follow, newly-promoted Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her caustic DS, Harry Quinn, must race against time to follow what few clues have been left by a savvy killer.
As more bodies are exhibited at London landmarks and live streamed on social media, Archer and Quinn’s pursuit of the elusive killer becomes a desperate search.
But when Archer discovers that the killer might be closer than she originally thought – she realises that he has his sights set firmly on her . . .
He is creating a masterpiece. And she will be the star of his show.

My thoughts:

This was really good, dark and compelling. The weird “art” installations are a brutal and shocking concept, a killer keen to show off, preening at their own cleverness.

DI Grace Archer is an intriguing character, her back story is never fully revealed but it’s dark and tragic, and the marks of it linger in her panic attacks and claustrophobia. Her team is full of bitterness and secrets, which makes their working relationships awkward and tense, adding complications to their investigations.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Longest Shadow – R.J. Mitchell*

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This is my review of the third book in the DS Thoroughgood series. Book one (Parallel Lines) is here and book two (The Hurting) is here.

THE LONGEST SHADOW begins atop Scotland’s Wallace Monument where a skeleton from DS Thoroughgood’s past threatens to put a stop to his future.

The third installment in the DS Thoroughgood series of Scottish crime thrillers sees Angus Thoroughgood in pursuit of a suspect he believes to be the psychotic leader of a vicious gang wanted for abduction and murder.

Taking to the streets of Glasgow’s West End, these famous streets are the stage for a high octane pursuit that will leave the reader gasping for breath — but does Thoroughgood have the right man?
With the case still wide open, Thorughgood’s complicated love life drags him into the battle for the control of the Roxburgh Whisky dynasty. Tensions build towards a nail-biting crescendo as Thoroughgood works to identify the killer intent of wiping out Scotland’s most famous whisky family. With the finger of guilt pointed at a powerful Triad leader, clues from a 70-year-old war-time diary lead Thoroughgood to realise nothing as it seems.

However, with the charms of Victoria Roxburgh clouding his judgement, Thoroughgood is dragged into a fight to the end with a ruthless foe whose identity shocks them both.
The Longest Shadow sees author RJ Mitchell drawing from his 12 years of experience as a Glasgow police officer utilising his knowledge of the city and its history to his advantage in this thrilling third chapter of the DS Thoroughgood series.

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Matthew James Publishing

Robert James Mitchell was brought up in Stirling. Mitchell was initially detailed beat duties out of the former Blackhill Police Office and then Baird Street Police Office in the former ‘D’ Division, or the North, as it was known to all the men who served in the division.

In January, 2007, while recovering from an appendicitis, Mitchell decided to write the first draft of ‘Parallel Lines: The Glasgow Supremacy‘, drawing heavily on his own experiences and featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant Gus Thoroughgood and DC Kenny Hardie.

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My thoughts:

Another cracking case for Thoroughgood and Hardie, as they pursue a gang of meat thieves turned kidnappers and then solve the hunt the killer stalking the Roxburgh family as they attempt to save their distillery business and family name.

Thoroughgood never gets a chance to rest, his cases crack on at a pace, his body taking some serious damage as he literally runs after madmen and throws himself around trying to stop them.

These books are really clever and highly enjoyable, the details are all there and I felt like I was there with the intrepid duo as they chase criminals through Glasgow’s streets and the stunning Scottish countryside.


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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: An Eye For an Eye – Carol Wyer*

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A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.

DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.

But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police. Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.

As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide. But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

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USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in LITTLE GIRL LOST and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

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My thoughts:

This was a very enjoyable, clever and sinister thriller with a dedicated and determined protagonist in DI Kate Young, ably assisted by her team as she hunts the killer while struggling with traumatic flashbacks.

The killer and their torturous methods kept me hooked, wondering who it was and why they were killing the specific victims, the ending was satisfying and neatly done.

*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: Dark Memories – Liz Mistry*

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Three letters. Three murders. The clock is ticking…

When the body of a homeless woman is found under Bradford’s railway arches, DS Nikki Parekh and her trusty partner DC Sajid Malik are on the case.

With little evidence, it’s impossible to make a breakthrough, and when Nikki receives a newspaper
clipping taunting her about her lack of progress in catching the killer, she wonders if she has a personal link to the case.

When another seemingly unrelated body is discovered, Nikki receives another note. Someone is
clearly trying to send her clues… but who?

And then a third body is found.
This time on Nikki’s old street, opposite the house she used to live in as a child. And there’s another
message… underneath the victim’s body.

With nothing but the notes to connect the murders, Nikki must revisit the traumatic events of her childhood to work out her connection to the investigation.

But some memories are best left forgotten, and it’s going to take all Nikki’s inner strength to catch the killer…

Before they strike again.

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Born in Scotland, Made in Bradford sums up Liz Mistry’s life. Over thirty years ago she moved from a small village in West Lothian to Yorkshire to get her teaching degree.

Once here, Liz fell in love with three things; curries, the rich cultural diversity of the city … and her Indian husband (not necessarily in this order). Now thirty years, three children, two cats (Winky and Scumpy) and a huge extended family later, Liz uses her experiences of living and working in the inner city to flavour her writing.

Her gritty crime fiction police procedural novels set in Bradford embrace the city she describes as ‘Warm, Rich and Fearless’ whilst exploring the darkness that lurks beneath.

Struggling with severe clinical depression and anxiety for a large number of years, Liz often includes
mental health themes in her writing. She credits the MA in Creative Writing she took at Leeds Trinity
University with helping her find a way of using her writing to navigate her ongoing mental health
struggles.

Being a debut novelist in her fifties was something Liz had only dreamed of and she counts herself lucky, whilst pinching herself regularly to make sure it’s all real. One of the nicest things about being a published author is chatting with and responding to readers’ feedback and Liz regularly does events at local libraries, universities, literature festivals and open mics. She also teaches creative writing too.

Now, having nearly completed a PhD in Creative Writing focussing on ‘the absence of the teen voice in adult crime fiction’ and ‘why expansive narratives matter’, Liz is chock full of ideas to continue writing.

In her spare time, Liz loves pub quizzes (although she admits to being rubbish at them), dancing (she does a mean jig to Proud Mary – her opinion, not ratified by her family), visiting the varied Yorkshire landscape, with Robin Hoods Bay being one of her favourite coastal destinations, listening to music, reading and blogging about all things crime fiction on her blog, The Crime Warp.

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My thoughts:

This was a really dark, gripping read. As bodies of seemingly unrelated victims turn up in Bradford, and Cambridge, DS Nikki Parekh is receiving anonymous messages and starts to realise that she might be the connection. Which means contending with her past.

The plot jogs along at a good pace and the characters are well written and realistic, I particularly liked Nikki’s cheeky nephew and her partner, Saj, with his immaculate suits and pocket hankies.


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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Keeper – Jessica Moor*

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An addictive literary thriller about a crime as shocking as it is commonplace.

When Katie Straw’s body is pulled from the waters of the local suicide spot, the police are ready to write it off as a standard-issue female suicide. But the residents of the domestic violence shelter where Katie worked disagree. These women have spent weeks or even years waiting for the men they’re running from to catch up with them.

They know immediately: This was murder.
Still, Detective Dan Whitworth and his team expect an open-and-shut case–until they discover evidence that suggests Katie wasn’t who she appeared.

Weaving together the investigation with Katie’s final months as it barrels toward the truth, Keeper is a riveting mystery and a searing examination of violence against women and the structures that allow it to continue, marking the debut of an incredible new voice in crime fiction.

My thoughts:

Years ago I worked for an organisation that supported victims of domestic violence, I saw how hard the IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocates) and ISVA (same but for sexual violence) teams worked to support women and children living with the effects of this particularly insidious crime, an often ongoing, sometimes non-physical abuse.

Refuges are few and far between, they’re poorly funded and despite attempts at keeping them secret, not always as safe as they want to be.

The refuge Katie works at in Keeper, has some of these problems, and unfortunately the paranoia, totally understandable as it is, often means reports of a man hanging about outside aren’t taken very seriously.

Katie has secrets, but as her story is revealed to the reader, they too are completely understandable.

The police do cursory investigation, never taking the women’s claims that Katie was murdered seriously, and once the twist at the end is revealed (no spoilers) you’ll see an entire new narrative.

Powerful, shocking and sadly still necessary, this puts human faces to the terrible things that some people go through.

*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: Crow Court – Andy Charman*

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Spring, 1840. In the Dorset market town of Wimborne Minster, a young choirboy drowns himself. Soon after, the choirmaster—a belligerent man with a vicious reputation—is found murdered, in a discovery tainted as much by relief as it is by suspicion. The gaze of the magistrates falls on four local men, whose decisions will reverberate through the community for years to come.

So begins the chronicle of Crow Court, unravelling over fourteen delicately interwoven episodes, the town of Wimborne their backdrop: a young gentleman and his groom run off to join the army; a sleepwalking cordwainer wakes on his wife’s grave; desperate farmhands emigrate.

We meet the composer with writer’s block; the smuggler; a troupe of actors down from London; and old Art Pugh, whose impoverished life has made him hard to amuse. Meanwhile, justice waits…

Andy Charman was born in Dorset and grew up near Wimborne Minster, where Crow Court is set. His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including Pangea and Cadenza. Crow Court is his first novel, which he worked on at the Arvon course at The Hurst in Shropshire in 2018. Andy lives in Surrey and is available for interview, comment and events.

My thoughts:

This was a really interesting piece of historical fiction that follows the residents of a small Dorset town after the suicide of a young boy and the murder of the choirmaster who mistreated him.

Each chapter follows a different person, from the four men who are thought to be involved in the murder, to interested and nosy neighbours.

I really enjoyed the use of the local dialect, as someone who loves hearing people’s accents and local phrases it was a treat, I find it brings books to life as it gives you a real feel for place and time.

Moving, powerful and slightly magical at times, this is an extraordinary debut novel and promises much more to come from the 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: To The Dark – Chris Nickson*

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Winter is about to take a chilling twist…

Thief-taker Simon Westow is drawn into a deadly puzzle when the melting snow reveals a dark secret in this gripping historical mystery, perfect for fans of Anne Perry and Charles Finch.

Leeds, 1822. The city is in the grip of winter, but the chill deepens for thief-taker Simon Westow and his young assistant, Jane, when the body of Laurence Poole, a petty local thief, emerges from the melting snow by the river at Flay Cross Mill.

A coded notebook found in Laurence’s room mentions Charlie Harker, the most notorious fence in Leeds who’s now running for his life, and the mysterious words: To the dark. What was Laurence hiding that caused his death? Simon’s hunt for the truth pits him against some dangerous, powerful enemies who’ll happily kill him in a heartbeat – if they can.

Chris Nickson has published 28 novels, all historical crime, most of them set in Leeds, whose people and history are his passion. The Richard Nottingham series began things, taking place in the 1730s, followed by the Tom Harper novels, which begin in 1890 and have now moved to the 20th century. Between them, Lottie Armstrong, Urban Raven and Dan Markham cover Leeds from the 1920s to the 1950s.

The three books featuring thief-taker Simon Westow explore a changing Leeds, growing rapidly in the 1820s as industry – the factories and mills and belching chimneys – comes to dominate the town. The Hocus Girl, the second in the series, received starred reviews from Kirkus, which called it a “tour de force,” and Publishers Weekly, which declared “historical mysteries don’t get much better than this.’

Chris grew up in Leeds, but lived in the US for many years, making his living as a music journalist. He still reviews occasional releases, but his focus these days is fiction.

My thoughts:

This was a really good historical crime thriller that went to some interesting places and made me want to know more about the characters.

There’s several strands to the plot and all of them filled with danger and intrigue. There’s the murder case that leads to some evil soldiers and put Simon in serious harm’s way, Jane’s own shadow and the threat of Big Tom on her tail.

Filled with historical details and strong relationships (I loved Simon’s wife Rosie, she’s brilliant) as well as gripping moments and some shocking events, this was a really enjoyable and interesting read.

*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 Hurting – R.J. Mitchell*

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This is the second DS Thoroughgood book I’m reviewing. Book one – Parallel Lines is reviewed here. Book three – The Longest Shadow will be reviewed on the 3rd February.

THE HURTING finds DS Angus Thoroughgood recovering from injuries from his most recent adventures in ‘Parallel Lines’ and questioning his career with the Glasgow police force. After handing in his resignation, Thoroughgood is pulled back into the line of duty once his recovery at the police convalescence home, Castlebrae, is complete.

Terrorist attacks in and around Glasgow see Thoroughgood, alongside his partner DC Hardie, return to action. As their world as they know it and the city they love falls apart, the pair work alongside MI5 in a race to discover the source of these attacks.
The second installment in the DS Thoroughgood series of novels by RJ Mitchell, The Hurting picks up right where Parallel Lines left off and sends Thoroughgood and Hardie on a rollercoaster ride through Glasgow’s seedy underworld and that of international terrorism.
The Hurting sees author RJ Mitchell drawing from his 12 years of experience as a Glasgow police officer to provide an accurate portrayal of real life police work whilst guiding the reader through an intricate plot filled with lies and subterfuge.

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Matthew James Publishing

Robert James Mitchell was brought up in Stirling. Mitchell was initially detailed beat duties out of the former Blackhill Police Office and then Baird Street Police Office in the former ‘D’ Division, or the North, as it was known to all the men who served in the division. In January, 2007, while recovering from an appendicitis, Mitchell decided to write the first draft of ‘Parallel Lines: The Glasgow Supremacy‘, drawing heavily on his own experiences and featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant Gus Thoroughgood and DC Kenny Hardie.

In January, 2007, while recovering from an appendicitis, Mitchell decided to write the first draft of ‘Parallel Lines: The Glasgow Supremacy‘, drawing heavily on his own experiences and featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant Gus Thoroughgood and DC Kenny Hardie.

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My thoughts:

Recovering from the climatic events of Parallel Lines, DS Gus Thoroughgood and his solid sidekick, DC Hardie are thrust into another monstrous case as Islamic terrorists pitch up in Glasgow looking to cause chaos.

In a way all the madness of tracking a terror cell and trying to prevent an atrocity does Thoroughgood some good, helping him refocus and distracting him from his grief. There’s a lot of character development here and Hardie is more rounded too.

I really enjoyed this, it was fast paced and engaging, clever and well written. I like all the little details that the author includes from his own experiences as a police officer.

*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: End of the Line – Robert Scragg*

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Read my review of the first book in the series here

Detective Jake Porter’s life was ripped apart by the hit-and-run driver that killed his wife. The life he has been building up piece by piece is rocked by the discovery of new evidence that might finally lead him to her murderer.

At the same time, he has a volatile case to juggle. Ross Henderson was a Vlogger with over ten million followers rallying against the growing tide of the far-right. As his audience tuned in to listen to Henderson tear apart more anti-immigrant vitriol, they watched in horror as he was brutally murdered during a live broadcast.

Struggling to prevent full-blown riots and following the trail to his wife’s killer will take its toll upon Porter, and there’s no guarantee he will come out the other side intact.

My thoughts:

This was really good, the investigation into the vlogger’s death was tense and an interesting commentary on politics at the moment, with the EWP standing in for an existing group of right wing thugs playing at being politicians (pick one), eager to get rid of any critics or awkward questions about their dodgy leader.

Alongside that is Porter’s personal quest to find his wife’s killer, taking on a dangerous and supposedly untouchable gang leader, putting his safety, and that of his loved ones, on the line.

The team work well, handling the case and gathering evidence like a well oiled machine, but they’re still able to be there for their boss when he needs them, even if he thinks he doesn’t.

A sophisticated crime thriller that resonates with the times and introduces new angles with the addition of a counter terrorism detective and new personal responsibilities for Styles.

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