A MISSING GIRL. A RACE AGAINST TIME. Ten-year-old Elodie Fry vanishes overnight, along with a rucksack filled with her meagre belongings. Acting DI Gaby Darin and her team are fighting the clock to reunite Elodie with her distraught mother – but was Elodie kidnapped or did she run? Later that day, a local undertaker uncovers a nasty surprise: the remains of an unidentified second adult among a late pensioner’s ashes. Torn between the two investigations, Gaby decides the gruesome discovery at the crematorium must wait – the team are desperate to find Elodie before they lose her trail. But as she follows the evidence, Gaby realises the two cases have a sinister connection… and there’s a killer on the loose. Can Gaby find the missing girl alive… or is she already too late Buy
Born in Dublin, Jenny O’Brien moved to Wales and then Guernsey, where she tries to find time to write in between working as a nurse and ferrying around 3 teenagers. In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You’ll be pleased to note she won’t be entering Bake-Off. She’s also an all-year-round sea swimmer. Readers can find out more about Jenny and her books on her blog and she can also be found on Twitter and Instagram Facebook
My thoughts: this was an enjoyable, solid police procedural. With several crimes being investigated, the team are flat out but slowly the connections are being made and there seems to be a link between some of the events.
It’s a race against time to find missing Ellie Fry, but there’s also a missing woman, a spare hip replacement (surely no one has 3 hips!) and Gaby still needs to send in her DI application form, if she ever finds time to fill it in.
Well written, with a strong narrative, interesting characters and lovely scenic Wales in the background, as murder and missing children take the detectives’ time and attention.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Welsh detective Winter Meadows takes on a new murder case. There were a lot of things you could call Stacey Evans. And many of them would be true. And unprintable. But did she deserve to be murdered? DI Winter Meadows has no doubt of the answer when he takes on the case.
The crime was violent. The victim helpless. But the motives are many, and the only clue is a strange word left on Stacey’s body. DI Meadows struggles to pierce the secrecy surrounding the teenager’s busy love life. Was the killer one of her pursuers acting out of jealousy? Maybe someone’s wife seeking revenge?
But as each suspect is excluded from the enquiry, and other markings turn up, Meadows is convinced that something more sinister is afoot. When another body is found, a veil of silence descends like a fog upon Gaer Fawr. What more will it take for the village to give up its secrets?
A KNOT OF SPARROWS is the fourth standalone title in a series of murder mysteries by best-selling author Cheryl Rees-Price. It will appeal to fans of David Pearson, L J Ross, John Dean, Joy Ellis, and Pippa McCathie.
The full list of books is as follows:
THE SILENT QUARRY
FROZEN MINDS
SUFFER THE CHILDREN
A KNOT OF SPARROWS Cheryl Rees-Price is also the author of the standalone thriller BLUE HOLLOW. All of these books are FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback from Amazon.
Cheryl Rees-Price was born in Cardiff and moved as a young child to a small ex-mining village on the edge of the Black Mountain range, South Wales, where she still lives with her husband, daughters and cats. After leaving school she worked as a legal clerk for several years before leaving to raise her two daughters. Cheryl returned to education, studying philosophy, sociology, and accountancy whilst working as a part time book keeper. She now works as a finance director for a company that delivers project management and accounting services. In her spare time Cheryl indulges in her passion for writing, the success of writing plays for local performances gave her the confidence to write her first novel. Her other hobbies include walking and gardening which free her mind to develop plots and create colourful characters.
My thoughts: this was a solid police procedural crime thriller. The detectives were personable and easy to like as characters, none of them were a sort of Gene Hunt type, so I enjoyed following them as they solved the crimes and investigated the series of suspicious deaths in a village in Wales.
I did sort of guess the ending but it was very nicely done and the fact that they had so many suspects in some cases but virtually none in others made it interesting to see how a resolution could be reached and justice served.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
A stalker. A popstar’s family murdered. A terrified photographer.
It’s thirty years since Becky White joined the police. Now, six months after leaving the force, she is suffering from PTSD, when an old friend turns up with a tempting offer. Following the creation of The White Knight Detective Agency, their first client is a press photographer – a member of the Paparazzi – a young woman with a mysterious and troublesome stalker. But as the case develops, Becky and Joanna find themselves embroiled in murder. When they are unable to prevent further deaths, their investigation takes them down an unexpected path. But can they trust their instinct? And will they identify the killer in time to save a child’s life? Paparazzi, the second instalment in the bestselling Becky White Thriller series. takes you on a journey into the deceptive world of superstars – and those who follow them!
Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire, UK. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled “Science Can Be Fun”. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office. Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers. When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her husband, two sons, a Corgi and a tankful of tropical fish. She is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and a reading group. WebsiteFacebookTwitterPinterest
Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Revelation by Jo Fenton (Open INT)
My thoughts: this was an interesting crime novel, and I couldn’t guess the killer, which is always a good thing. As ex-copper turned PI, Becky is a fascinating character, she no longer has the powers to arrest she once had or the resources, but she’s still clever and has a nose for detection. Her colleagues Joanna and Will are able to assist and are as brave as she is, which comes in handy when confronting a murderer.
The only thing that jarred a bit for me was the inclusion of either MI5 or 6, looking to recruit Becky, they got in the way a bit and it wasn’t fully explained as to what they wanted, I found Roger a bit too pompous and oblique. Hopefully in the next book this plot line is expanded upon and makes a bit more sense as I got a bit fed up every time the investigation got a bit sidetracked.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
**Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and wil lnot be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
The longlist for the Theakstone Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year has just been announced. There’s some fantastic books on the list and I’ve already read some of them, the rest need to be added to my tbr ASAP!
The longlist is: (I’ve starred the ones I’ve read!)
– Cry Baby by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)
– The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish (Simon & Schuster)⭐
– The Cutting Place by Jane Casey (HarperCollins, HarperFiction)⭐
– Fifty Fiftyby Steve Cavanagh (The Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)⭐
– Black River by Will Dean (Oneworld Publications, Point Blank)⭐
– Between Two Evils by Eva Dolan (Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books)
– The Guest List by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins, HarperFiction)⭐
– The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)⭐
– The Big Chill by Doug Johnstone (Orenda Books)⭐
– Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton (Penguin Random House UK, Viking)⭐
– Still Life by Val McDermid (Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere)⭐
– The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)
– Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)
– Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent (Penguin, Sandycove)
– A Song For The Dark Times by Ian Rankin (Orion, Orion Fiction)
– Remain Silent by Susie Steiner (HarperCollins Publishers, The Borough Press)⭐
– We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker (Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre)⭐
– The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)
Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “The way the global obsession with the crime genre continues to grow year on year is simply astonishing and this year’s longlist proves the remarkable talent on offer in crime writing– from legends of the craft to eager-eyed newcomers. The shortlist is already too close to call so we encourage all to get voting! A hearty toast of Old Peculier to all longlisted authors for this coveted award – and we look forward to what we know will be a fiercely fought competition!”
Run by Harrogate International Festivals, the shortlist will be announced in June and the winner on 22 July, at the opening evening of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival – with the public able to vote for the winner on harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com.
The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with WHSmith and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021 by UK and Irish authors.
The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith.
The public are now invited to vote for a shortlist of six titles on www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com, which will be announced inJune. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 22 July, and will receive £3,000, and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculiar.
Have you read any of these books? Do you have a favourite? Let me know in the comments!
Fiona keeps herself to herself – it is safer that way. She allows few people to get close, having learned the hard way that most have their own agendas.
Lowering her barriers and trusting her husband Rob, is a decision she has reason to regret. His indiscretions were coming to light even before the news of his hit and run killing one summer afternoon.
In the aftermath, blame and hostility is shown to her by many. The relationship with her mother is unravelling and she has shut herself away from any friends she once had. Who can she turn to? Who will believe her? Other than her son Jack and her father, there is nobody she can count on.
Can Fiona stay away from her oldest and most faithful friend, the bottle? Or is her life as over as her husband’s?
Only the truth of Rob’s untimely death can decide that.
Maria Frankland’s life began at 40 when she escaped an unhappy marriage and began making a living from her own writing and becoming a teacher of creative writing.
The rich tapestry of life with all its turbulent times has enabled her to pour experience, angst and lessons learned into the writing of her novels and poetry.
She recognises that the darkest places can exist within family relationships and this is reflected in the domestic thrillers she writes.
She is a ‘born ‘n’ bred’ Yorkshirewoman, a mother of two and has recently found her own ‘happy ever after’ after marrying again.
Still in her forties, she is now going to dedicate the rest of her working life to writing books and inspiring other writers to also achieve their dreams too!
As is probably obvious from the fact that this is the fifth title I’ve reviewed, I really enjoy Maria Frankland’s dark, clever thrillers, featuring ordinary people whose lives get completely turned inside out.
In this case it’s Fiona, a wife and mother, recovering alcoholic and daughter of warring parents herself, whose life is suddenly flipped upside down after her husband Rob is killed in a hit and run.
As the police investigate, Fiona finds herself the number one suspect, but Rob had a lot of secrets and she’s sure one of those will eventually lead to his real killer. Meanwhile she’s trying to hold it all together for her young son, and resist the urge to throw away her sobriety.
Fiona is a likeable protagonist, naive and perhaps a little overly trusting, but her love for her family is genuine and her determination to find out what Rob was keeping from her is a powerful motivator to keep going.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Lady Annabelle Trask is missing. Unfortunately, MI6 doesn’t know if they’re looking for a woman, a cow, or something in between!
Is it real or is it fantasy? That’s the question MI6 Agent Mathilda Honoria Spencer struggles with on her latest assignment. Tasked with discovering the whereabouts of Lady Annabelle Trask, Tillie is thrust into the world of Hucows and other human animals. It’s a world that raises serious questions about sexual fetishes, intentional physical enhancements, and even pornography, but in the end, Tillie has only one mission—to rescue and return Lady Annabelle to the Queen. However, as she and her partner, Agent Abdul Ali, attempt to find Lady Annabelle and keep her out of the clutches of terrorists bent on destroying the monarchy, they must also wrestle with their feelings for each other. Can they draw the line between their duty to the Crown and their relationship with one another? Or must they embark on separate paths to continue to serve the Queen?
Award-winning author Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, sometimes with a dash of kink.
Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nineteen works of fiction, including the new paranormal romance series Donovan Trait, as well the erotic romance Kinky Briefs series and The Feisty Lawyers romantic suspense series. She also authored The Last Christmas, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The President’s Daughter, Seizing Hope, The White House Wedding, and participated in the romance anthology Pieces of Us.
When not spinning romantic tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently, she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you! Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Author’s Amazon Page
Read an Excerpt from Bovine Tricks
Harun stood and hugged his brother. Then he turned to Tillie. His gaze was steady, but his eyes were cold. “Forgive me if I cannot give you a similarly warm welcome, but my wife and I have not yet recovered from the brutal attack on our daughter.”
“Harun.” Marianne Benson spoke softly, but her gaze was fierce. “I believe Hope and the Agency have settled the matter. You don’t need to pursue it further.” She turned to Abdul and smiled. “I am pleased to see you, Abdul.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Though for a while there, the rumor was that you had gone rogue and were dancing with the devil.”
Abdul laughed. “I may dance with the devil occasionally, but that does not mean he owns my soul. I am still slaving away for the Queen.” He smiled at Mari. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”
“Well, it’s hard to ignore a summons from the Queen, and when your husband has a plane, it is much easier to respond quickly.” Mari motioned to the chairs at the table. “Please sit. Let’s get down to business. It was made clear that time was of the essence.”
Everyone sat, and Mari walked over to a control panel set into a console. She pushed a button, and a whiteboard lit up. “As you know, after we rescued the people off Flight Eight Seven Zero and The Mars were prosecuted, Dianna and Anders interviewed them extensively at Guantanamo Bay. We were able to collect a considerable amount of information on the organization, its members, and its financing.”
Twelve photos appeared on the screen. “These are the current members of Marwolaeth I’r Frenhines. Six are incarcerated at Guantanamo, three have been released, and three are recruits.”
Tillie leaned forward and studied the faces. It always amazed her how normal terrorists appeared. There was nothing in their faces to indicate that they were evil. Most were smiling in their photos. However, the tell was in the eyes. They were stone cold.
Mari pointed at the photos of those recently released. “These three have been fairly quiet. We could not detect any significant communication or contact between them and the new members, which makes me think this may be a new group that merely adopted the name.” She brought up a few more photos. “These gentlemen are believed to be the financiers of the new order.”
Tillie studied the group and gasped. “But that’s a former member of Parliament.”
Harun nodded. “And someone who wishes to dissolve the Monarchy. Apparently, he has put his money where his mouth is.” Another screen popped up. A bank statement.
Abdul cleared his throat. “Fifty million pounds? That’s pretty significant. Has this been verified?”
Harun gazed at Abdul. “I’m afraid so. We have transfers to the account, bank acknowledgments, and proof the newest members of The Mars have been drawing on these funds.”
Mari pulled up another screen. “Though we were a little puzzled by their purchases until now. We thought they had gone into farming.” She pointed at an invoice. “Everything you need to raise a cow, or in this case, a human cow.”
Tillie hugged herself and shuddered. “Lady Annabelle is most certainly in their sights.”
Mari gazed at her husband and nodded. Harun opened a file he had set in front of him. “Apparently, it is much worse. There were also several purchases for the care of an infant. Either Lady Annabelle is pregnant, or they intend to impregnate her.”
Abdul slammed his fist on the table. “Bloody hell. A royal baby? The Queen would move heaven and earth to protect her own blood. What a crafty way to manipulate her for their own purposes. She would be damned no matter how she responded. That could end the monarchy.”
Tillie stood. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Giveaway: – 2 eBook Copies of Martimus (Feisty Lawyers Book 5)- eBook Copy of Bovine Tricks (Royals Gone Rogue #1)
My thoughts: this was a bit strange, the human cows aka hucows thing was creepy and weird but if you can think of it, there’s probably somebody who’s into it I suppose!
Apart from that it was quite a fun read, the agents of MI6 are determined to crack the case, even if they have to work with the Americans. Was Lady Annabelle really kidnapped or did she voluntarily get involved with the disturbing world of animal human hybrids? I liked Tillie and her utter eye rolling disbelief at how some people get their kicks and especially the super rich.
*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 the murder of last year’s fête judge now but a hazy memory, the village of Elmesbury has retired to its former tranquil existence.
That is, until a mysterious newcomer sets in motion a series of events that will see members of the W.I. crossing wooden spoons at dawn. In the midst of preparing for her long-awaited engagement party, redoubtable village busybodyBeattie Bramshaw not only finds herself embroiled in a one-woman campaign to save the elm tree from which the village gets its name, but having to contend with an outbreak of unrest within her beloved W.I. group. Rivalry to win favour with the judge of this year’s fête has fuelled dissent within the ranks and, when two members are found dead in mysterious circumstances, suspicions run rife.
Confident the devil is not only in the cake but in the detail, Beattie determines to uncover the clues that will ultimately lead to the killer’s conviction. But can she solve the mystery before another member of the W.I. is picked off? Banana Devil Cake is a comedy crime caper in the spirit of Agatha Raisin and one that is guaranteed to lift your spirits.
Prepare yourself for a tale of tea, cake and riotous goings-on from the author of Marrow Jam.
Susan A. King lives with her husband in a quiet suburb in Hampshire. Between them they have four grown-up sons. The inspiration for her Beattie Bramshaw novels comes from her long experience and observation of competitors at the local Romsey Show, where she regularly aspires to win Best in Show with her floral arrangements. TwitterInsta
My thoughts:
This was a fun, and slightly silly, cake based cosy crime romp. Who knew the perfect sponge could cause so much trouble?
As members of the WI had murdered in the run up to the annual village fete, Beattie puts her thinking cap on and tries to solve it. But her first suspect, the slightly oily Leo, an incomer, seems a bit obvious. Or is he?
This was an enjoyable and entertaining read, complete with absent minded vicar, a historic tree in peril, a court case and some award winning vegetables.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Find links to all my previous reviews of this series here
On a remote island, everyone is a suspect…
When Private Investigator Hanlon is hired to protect famous yoga instructor Camille Anderson on her Scottish island retreat, she thinks this may be her simplest job yet.
But when an attack on Camille’s life goes wrong, it soon becomes clear that there is a murderer on the island – and Hanlon will stop at nothing to track them down.
With only a small group of guests the suspects are clear, but as the body count rises Hanlon must step up to find out who the killer is before it’s too late…
A tense, atmospheric page-turner from Alex Coombs. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Lisa Regan.
Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He is the author of the highly acclaimed DCI Hanlon series.
I really like the Hanlon books, both as a police officer and the newer PI ones, they’re smart, engaging and enjoyable so I knew I was going to like this.
Playing with conventions of crime fiction, from the And Then There Were None style remote island setting, to the hidden killer and the old switcheroo, this is a clever piece of writing that throws up red herrings and sends Hanlon all over Scotland looking for clues.
I enjoyed the development of Hanlon too, her burgeoning relationship with Murdo adds some depth to her character, although obviously Wemyss the dog remains her first love.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Beautiful places hide dark secrets … Devon’s very own crime writer L.V Hay (The Other Twin, Do No Harm) brings forth three new short stories from her dark mind and poison pen: – For kidnapped Meg and her young son Danny, In Plain Sight, the remote headland above Lynmouth is not a haven, but hell. – A summer of fun for Catherine in Killing Me Softlybecomes a winter of discontent … and death. – In Hell And High Water, a last minute holiday for Naomi and baby Tommy becomes a survival situation … But that’s before the village floods. All taking place out of season when the majority of tourists have gone home, L.V Hay uses her local knowledge to bring forth dark and claustrophic noir she has come to be known for.
Lucy V. Hayis a novelist, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. She is the associate producer of Brit thrillersDeviation(2012) andAssassin(2015), both starring Danny Dyer.
Lucy is also head reader for the London Screenwriters’ Festival and has written two non-fiction books, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays, plus its follow-up Drama Screenplays.
She lives in Devon with her husband, three children, six cats and five African Land Snails.
My thoughts:
I’ve been to Lynmouth as my aunt and uncle live nearby, but I don’t recognise its dark side and the unpleasant people lurking in it.
These three very short stories leave a lot to the imagination – there’s no resolution to the situations the three women find themselves in, so you have to imagine what happens next, which is an interesting concept. And one I very much enjoyed.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
November 1929. A woman’s dismembered corpse is discovered in a suitcase and police quickly identify her husband, Doctor Ibrahim Aziz, as their chief suspect. Incriminating evidence is discovered at his home and his wife was rumoured to be having an affair, giving him clear motive.
With his reputation for winning hopeless cases, barrister Arthur Skelton is asked to represent the accused. Though Aziz’s guilt does not seem to be in doubt, a question of diplomacy and misplaced larvae soon lead Skelton to suspect there may be more to the victim’s death.
Aided by his loyal clerk Edgar, Skelton soon finds himself seeking justice for both victim and defendant. But can he uncover the truth before an innocent man is put on trial and condemned to the gallows?
My thoughts:
I love these books, they are smart, intelligent reads and this one might be even better than the first.
There’s more delightful letters from Skelton’s eccentric cousins, John and Norah, who I adored in the first book, there’s more Mina, Skelton’s excellent wife and lots more Edgar, his brilliant clerk. His team are a bit odd but they always solve the case, and Rose, who has now joined Duncan’s solicitors firm, is a fabulous detective, and is about to fall in love.
Skelton criss crosses the country representing the innocent and the not-so, while also attempting to unravel the truth about the body in the suitcase, if it is Mrs Aziz, who killed her? And if it isn’t, who is it?
There are funny bits and serious bits, some very modern concerns about prejudice, showing things like racism have always been with us, and Skelton knows it could cause Dr Aziz, a man he is sure is innocent, to lose his life anyway if put in front of a jury. How sad that a book set in 1929 shows such relevance to 2021.
But Skelton, ably assisted by his crack team of oddballs, will prevail, and help his dad find a retirement activity or two to fill his time, cheer Mina on with her new hobby, support Edgar through his own turmoil, solve a series of thefts and be back in time for the dinner Mrs Bartram has put on.
Simply put, I thought this was another marvellous adventure for Skelton and Co and cannot 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.
