DC Ffion Morgan book 2: This very much Summer read thriller has all the right ingredients; set in North Wales in a small community that unwittingly plDC Ffion Morgan book 2: This very much Summer read thriller has all the right ingredients; set in North Wales in a small community that unwittingly plays host to a national phenomenon of a reality TV show called Exposure, where the winner takes it all, and each loser will have had a huge secret revealed on air in what is essentially a ‘Game of Lies’. With so much at stake, what lengths will the contestants go to, to protect their reputations? [image] Perfectly weighted with its characterisations, tension, humour, mystery and action, this is a perfect Summer read. It came as no surprise to find out the writer Claire Mackintosh, was a former police officer. 7 out of 12 Three Star read, [image] 2024 read...more
Harry Bosch #6, Bosch Universe #7: Angels Flight in LA., the 'world's shortest railway' becomes a crime scene when two passengers' murdered corpse areHarry Bosch #6, Bosch Universe #7: Angels Flight in LA., the 'world's shortest railway' becomes a crime scene when two passengers' murdered corpse are found. It turns out that one of the victims is a prominent African-American lawyer who already beaten the LAPD in court many times was about to nail them again for the torture of black criminal when he was thought to have been involved with a paedophilic kidnap! With the police themselves as suspects the powers that be need someone who looks independent, the recently married Bosch. They never learn, Bosh and his two Black detectives turn over stones that the LAPD don't want turning over. As the city is on the brink of city wide rioting Bosch and co. race to show justice will be served! [image] This series really does well at tracing an LAPD's detective (Bosch's) career to the backdrop of real events like Rodney King and the corrupt workings of the LAPD. This one's pretty good, portraying the post-Rodney King LA in a realistic and seemingly starkly honest way. Six books in. the complex and at times difficult to work out Bosch, is really humming now, with the writer comfortable with his take on LA and his great maverick cop; maverick, because he genuinely wants to protect and serve! 8 ou to f12 for this insightful look at 1990s Los Angeles. [image] 2024 read...more
A surprisingly entertaining and endearing story of a trainee legal officer getting stuck as the main support for the defence of the the very much presA surprisingly entertaining and endearing story of a trainee legal officer getting stuck as the main support for the defence of the the very much presumed guilty, ex-convict Jimmy Knight, alleged to have poisoned, super-cop and part time celebrity Grant Clivedon! This was a joy to read, a down to earth tale of a possible miscarriage of justice and one young man's fight to give an ex-convict is fair day in court, a gripping crime story without guns, violence or gore of any kind. A fun crime fiction mystery read that I have rated an 8 out of 12, Four Star read. [image] 2024 read...more
Big Man in small county, Judge Atlee is on his death bed, so he sends out a Summons for his two sons, one is an alcoholic and drug addict; the other wBig Man in small county, Judge Atlee is on his death bed, so he sends out a Summons for his two sons, one is an alcoholic and drug addict; the other who actually turns up is law professor Ray Atlee, who return to his childhood home to be at his father's bedside. His father's legacy is unexpected and turns out to be very dangerous. Another interesting Grisham thriller suspense read that took me along many oaths I did not expect! 7 out of 12, Three Star read. [image] 2024 read...more
I struggled with this sequel throughout as I felt that I didn't really understand the first book; and it was only on writing this review that I realisI struggled with this sequel throughout as I felt that I didn't really understand the first book; and it was only on writing this review that I realised I had bought and read the wrong sequel; the book I read was The Maid and not 'The Housemaid'! D'oh! [image] What I will say, is that the main character in this book seems like a twin to the The Maid, including some of her life story. That asides, this mystery centred around a caring pro-woman housemaid who helps woman escape toxic relationships as a side-hustle, was OK, although I found it chock full of plot-holes so I would say that this has to be read with a huge pinch of salt. 7 out of 12, Three Star jam. [image] 2024 read...more
In a South West England coastal town (St Ives), pillar of the community police officer DS Sophie Keane is called on to investigate a murdered corpse tIn a South West England coastal town (St Ives), pillar of the community police officer DS Sophie Keane is called on to investigate a murdered corpse that turns up after the opening might of glittering new art exhibition. The case feels like it has stirred up the community's dark past and maybe Sophie's as well! There's also the complication of Sophie kind of feeling attracted to one of the suspects! [image] My first ever read by best selling writer L.J. Ross, comes as a pleasant surprise in as how much I much I liked it. Very much a Hallmark day-time mystery drama, but well written with simplistic, yet interesting characterisations and plotting. This book series appears to very much meet the expectations set by the series' name. A perfect light summer mystery read, a 7 out of 12, Three Star jam from me. [image] 2024 read...more
Molly Monroe woke up with a blazing hangover with a partially dressed hot dude in her bed; what she didn't know then was that she was trending worldwiMolly Monroe woke up with a blazing hangover with a partially dressed hot dude in her bed; what she didn't know then was that she was trending worldwide on social media having been filmed performing a sex act in public in Central London; oh, and her best friend lay dead in the bathroom! 'Teen mag' journalist Molly refuses to believe her fellow journalist and flatmate died in an accident and sets about investigating the death whilst her name and image are trending like crazy and she is being vilified and ridiculed on multiple aps, and being dissected in the mainstream media! [image] The narrative voice was one of the few things I really liked with Katy Brent's How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, but this book blew off my face, what a ride. Another great narrative voice alongside a story, a plot, a mystery that I just couldn't put down. A very much recommend 21st century read. I enjoyed this on multiple levels; I feel that the last piece of the writing jigsaw now for Katy, is a bit more flesh on her supporting characters. All-on-all, I am very much queueing up for her next book; indeed I would very much like another book on Molly Monroe off-key woman investigative journo! [image] 2024 read...more
Bee-keeper and happily exited from toxic marriage Olivia loves her life and her son Asher. Well adjusted, polite and caring Oliver loves his girlfrienBee-keeper and happily exited from toxic marriage Olivia loves her life and her son Asher. Well adjusted, polite and caring Oliver loves his girlfriend the enigmatic and beautiful Lily Campanello. One day Oliva gets a call... Lily is dead, and her son was the person who found her! The story them travels to different times in the family's lives as the past, present and trial are brought together and the truth slowly unveiled as secrets are exposed or shared... things is, secrets are kept for a reason. [image] So a 21st century Picoult 'dilemma-drama' so not only chock full of feints, half-truths and delightful plot twists but a cast across races and genders. I feel Picoult overreaches in this one, the core dilemma of a mother refusing to see darkness in her child despite contrary evidence rings true and is very very good, but the domestic violence, societal condemnation, gender fluidity, transphobia, rebuilding lives etc. arcs were all paper thin and felt considerable less-researched despite the trans co-writer Jennifer Finney Boylan; it's my person opinion and feel that all that was good about this read came from the highly experienced mind and pen of Picoult. Still, overall, for the range of topics and scenario, a very much worthwhile mystery read, which had me hard-trying to work out what really happened throughout; sadly the court case plays a not as substantial role as I would have liked. 7 out of 12, Three Star read. [image] 2024 read ...more
Joy Delaney, one-time very successful tennis school and trainer with her husband, with four grown up kids and now in her seventies, has gone missing, Joy Delaney, one-time very successful tennis school and trainer with her husband, with four grown up kids and now in her seventies, has gone missing, leaving zero trace or trail of where she has gone , or indeed of any foul play. This story shares the tales of the family members as memories and incidences are brought up in the police investigation of her disappearance. [image] From the wrote that gave me the gem that is comes another beautiful layered and graduated read set in Urban middle-class Australia, with multiple interesting characters and character journeys tied to numerous mysteries that all feed into the core 'mum is missing' story. Some of the sub-arcs feature characters pondering whether a damaging negative trait of a forebear will pass on to them, hence the the book title. [image] I am fast becoming a fan of Lianne Moriarty's modern mystery-dramas with her near perfect take on interpersonal and intrafamily relationships, as well as between the sexes. This book has a pretty cool take on sibling rivalry as well. She also give great dialogue; that expertly uses speech and human interactions to tell the reader as much as descriptive chapters do in other books. On top of this all, she has a great sense of humour that is deftly used throughout this compelling with a hint of farce or satire. A recommend writer and book, I gave this one a firm 8 out of 12, Four Stars. [image] 2024 read...more
This is the story of published true crime writer Amanda Bailey's investigation for her upcoming book on the Alperton Angels cult; a cult that gained nThis is the story of published true crime writer Amanda Bailey's investigation for her upcoming book on the Alperton Angels cult; a cult that gained notoriety in the early 2000s in North West London after a murder and suicides, yes, suicides plural. Amanda, like others before her, found herself actually considering whether there was a supernatural slant to the case, as some conspiracy theorists had claimed! When a fellow writer/investigator from Amanda's past started a similar investigation for his book, the two were forced to work together, sort of. Did they uncover the truth about the Alperton Angels? And what did they do when some of their sources, sources plural, got killed in 'random' accidents? [image] In typical Janice Hallett style the story is told from records of texts, WhatsApps, written letters and notes, published articles, websites, transcribed interviews etc. I very much enjoyed Hallett's other works especially her first book The Appreal, but this mystery investigation just had too many characters as well as too many stories within stories that it just didn't work for me in this modern epistolary format. What did work very well for me, was the way the book looked at how, when, where and why information is shared and how the data owners can use their data to further their own aims; in addition it also take a pretty clever look at how modern conspiracy theories emerge etc. The complexity (of this very good story) wasn't coherent enough for me in this format, as I often lost who was who, and who did what. Armed with the knowledge gained from reading this, I can see how a second reading would produce a much stronger grading from me than the 7 out of 12 Three Stars I have given it this time round. [image] 2024 read...more
New wife Hannah gets a note from a random child; a note that is in her husband's writing, saying 'protect her', she doesn't initially realise that herNew wife Hannah gets a note from a random child; a note that is in her husband's writing, saying 'protect her', she doesn't initially realise that her life is going to change forever. Hannah and her teenage step-daughter Bailey's least trouble is her husband (Bailey's dad) being implicated in a massive tech start-up fraud; that's because he disappeared without a trace! As Hannah tries to find him, and find out what's really going on, both her and Bailey, begin to realise that he might not be the person they thought they knew and loved! This is an intriguing and hard-to-put-down 'what the Hell is going on" thriller made that even more compelling because the step-daughter Bailey had not got on with Hannah aa all, but the two of them have to try and work together to get to the bottom of this mystery! A strong Three Star, 7 out of 12 for me. [image] 2024 read...more
Molly the maid, is not like your average swanky hotel maid, for one she is extremely meticulous about order and cleanliness, and I really do mean metiMolly the maid, is not like your average swanky hotel maid, for one she is extremely meticulous about order and cleanliness, and I really do mean meticulous; she was raised by a very old-school grandparent; she is really bad at reading people and is at times, hyper-literal - so not the best placed person to find the murdered body of an infamous guest! Ridiculed by some, puzzling to others, disliked by a few, and appreciated by even fewer, how can Molly manoeuvre around a murder mystery and still keep her hotel rooms spick and span! [image] Deservedly a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, we follow a week in the life of Molly the maid, as she seeks to understand not only the murder of the unfortunate guest but the reality of her own life and work at the hotel itself. Very much a book with a heart and a craftily created protagonist, that is the least informed person around, and appears to know and understand less than even we as readers do! A heart warming, intriguing and highly entertaining 8 out of 12, Four Star read. [image] 2023 read...more
Amelie was orphaned as a child so had leaned to be a survivor, so when this story begins with her kidnapped, and locked in a room without any light wiAmelie was orphaned as a child so had leaned to be a survivor, so when this story begins with her kidnapped, and locked in a room without any light with just a mattress and blanket, she still feels she has many options. The Prisoner in mostly alternating chapters tells the story of Amelie's life before the kidnapping and the forced imprisonment itself, both from Amelie's point of view. [image] For want of another adjective I would call this a professional piece of work, a many multi-layered mystery-thriller that really caught my attention, that was genuinely interesting and had me thinking throughout, even though it does stretch credibility in places. (view spoiler)[The book also takes a thought provoking look at the power of brands and how they could navigate #MeToo moments with their ambassadors and/or representatives. (hide spoiler)]. Another very fine read from the 2023 Richard & Judy Book Club. An easy 8 out of 12, Four Star read. [image] 2023 read...more
Serial dater of unobtainable men, and news reporter, Laura, finds herself thrust undercover on no-holds-barred reality show The Villa, set outside of rSerial dater of unobtainable men, and news reporter, Laura, finds herself thrust undercover on no-holds-barred reality show The Villa, set outside of regulatory oversight at a secret location, and relayed solely on the internet. The show promises to break all known boundaries and promises to be a sensation. The story begins with a detective interviewing Laura after the death of one of the contestants, and then goes on to tell the story of The Villa alongside the post-death interviews by the police. [image] This absolutely does what it says on the tin; with a double grab of attention from the start, with the reporter infiltrating the reality show; and the detective questioning Laura about the yet to be identified suspicious death. I wolfed this down whilst walking, exercising, travelling, a light read that needs little concentration but makes a compelling read. I must admit to being a huge fan of fictional portrayals of reality shows, so my view is likely biased. Not the best written, characterised or plotted yet that in a way is apt in line with the nature of reality TV itself? A must-read for lovers of summer blockbusters, a firm 8 out of 12, fabulous Four Star read. [image] 2023 read Also for number one Swiss reviewer Zainab, I got to say that this one is almost a murder-mystery-romance! Indeed! [image]...more
On the Fleet Ward of a psychiatric hospital for those that have been sectioned, a patient has been brutally murdered. Told and thought in the first peOn the Fleet Ward of a psychiatric hospital for those that have been sectioned, a patient has been brutally murdered. Told and thought in the first person by DCI Alice Armitage, working alone, she deep dig investigates the murder; I suppose that there's one thing I should also mention, Alice is also an in-patient in the Ward![image] Set in the DI Thorne universe this is a complex and clever book written from the point of view of unreliable narrator Alice; who shares the Ward with multiple unreliable sources the other patients; the hospital is run by staff that are all unreliable sources as they have to manage what they share due to patient confidentiality; and to top it all off the police are unreliable sources as they can't share certain case details with anyone! Billingham creates a claustrophobic and fascinating mystery as the reader 'lives' the book through the perception and interpretations of mentally compromised Alice, shadowing her down her self perceived rabbit hole of a an enquiry.! It all got a bit repetitive towards the end, so despite a cool concept and tidy execution this was a 7 out of 12, Three Star read for me. [image] 2023 read...more
This is the prelude to the sensational bestselling and very well worth reading (well the first two books in the series) A Good Girl's Guide to MurderThis is the prelude to the sensational bestselling and very well worth reading (well the first two books in the series) A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy. We join Pippa Fitz-Amobi a few months before the start of the first book in the series and she's not looking forward to going to her friend's 1920's themed murder mystery / roleplay game. Pippa and her friends (not as much as she) find themselves enveloped in the game as they try to work which one (or more?) of them is the murderer. [image] A book to tell us where Pippa's blog idea and concept really first came to mind? It's an OK read, catching up with the characters back when they were all 'friends', but at 176 pages it sure felt like a pointless read. Still, great characters, nice reality, and genuinely interesting murder mystery game and of course the human dynamo that is Pippa Fitz-Amobi, so I still have to give this read a Three Star 6 out of 12. [image] 2023 read...more
Karen Pirie, book 4: When a suicide is quickly written-up by another (lazy) detective, and Karen Pirie discovers further suspicious deaths in the victKaren Pirie, book 4: When a suicide is quickly written-up by another (lazy) detective, and Karen Pirie discovers further suspicious deaths in the victim's family, she opens up a dual case, one for her Historical Crimes Unit and one for the alleged suicide. Will Karen be able to solves the cases before internal politics or the past stop her? She's courting trouble as technically she is.. out of bounds! [image] I'm getting addicted to Karen Pirie, a focused, deep thinking detective who refuses to be bullied or indeed intimidated by senior (male) officers; who fosters and grows a network of women friends in labs, courts, tech etc.; a woman who mentors and strongly supports her loyal team of one, working class Jason; and this is where you know it's fiction, a detective who can't stand Trump or racists, and likes, and goes out of her way to support immigrant communities! Oh, and this was a great dual-case with some really interesting Scotland set police procedural. So I've now read two books in this series, and they both get 8 out of 12, Four Stars from me. [image] 2023 read...more
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