BLOG TOUR: The Seven O'Clock Club - Amelia Ireland

At seven o'clock one Tuesday evening, in a perfectly ordinary tower block near Westminster, four strangers meet for the first time. They each have three things in common: all suffered a traumatic experience six months earlier; all exhibit a dogged inability to put it behind them; and all accepted an invitation to attend tonight's counselling session with the unconventional Genevieve - a determined woman with an unusual theory to test.

But this isn't a novel about psychotherapy or self-forgiveness. Because there is another reason these four people have been brought together. And when that perfectly ordinary tower block near Westminster turns out to be not quite so ordinary, all five are forced to make some unexpected - and, for some, impossible - decisions . . .

A novel about friendship, strength and love, The Seven O'Clock Club is a reminder that life can give you hope. Even in the darkest of spaces.

 

What did I think?

I. Am. Broken.  I have never been so completely blindsided by a book and had the rug pulled out from under me so effectively that I gasped out loud and felt my heart break at the same time.  Then my shattered heart was put back together piece by piece as I devoured every single beautiful word that Amelia Ireland had written in her extraordinary debut novel.

Written in five parts representing the five stages of grief, we are introduced to five characters: four (Victoria, Mischa, Freya and Callum) who are grieving and one (Genevieve) who has set out to help them through the process as part of an experiment.  I experienced a wealth of emotions as each character gradually revealed their own story of loss and it is evident that Amelia Ireland has poured her heart and soul into this novel.

Have your tissues handy when you read this one as the tears come when you least expect it.  I thought I was all cried out but more tears kept appearing and I had a real lump in my throat at the end.  It's a bit of tearjerker but completely uplifting and hopeful too, so hold on to your tissues whilst you're riding The Seven O'Clock Club emotional rollercoaster.

Incredibly poignant and beautifully written, The Seven O'Clock Club is a stunning debut novel that took my breath away and left me speechless.  I'm not sure how Amelia Ireland is ever going to follow this book as she's set such a high bar but what a wonderful problem for a debut author to have.  A very highly recommended read and an easy five stars for this unmissable and unforgettable novel.

I received a gifted hardback copy to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

Amelia Ireland wrote The Seven O'Clock Club in memory of her mother, who died shortly after being diagnosed with early onset dementia. She travels extensively for work, beginning the novel on a flight to Kampala and finishing it in a Hilton in Frankfurt.

A lawyer by profession, Amelia lives and works in London. The Seven O'Clock Club is her first novel.

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BLOGATHON: Pure Evil (DC Jack Warr book 4) - Lynda La Plante

It was supposed to be a simple case: a young man arrested for armed assault.

But it was just the beginning.

As Rodney Middleton awaits trial, Detective Jack Warr is warned by his mentor DCI Ridley that they have only scratched the surface of the man's crimes.

Then DCI Ridley is suddenly removed from his post. No one is to contact him - and no one will say why.

As Warr digs into Middleton's past, Ridley calls pleading for help, now accused of a murder he insists he didn't commit.

To catch a monster and exonerate his friend, Warr must weed out the lies. But what awaits Warr if he uncovers the truth?

 

What did I think?

Pure Evil is the fourth book in the Detective Jack Warr series and although it does have its own self-contained crime storyline, I wouldn't particularly recommend reading it as a standalone.  The magnetism of the Jack Warr series for me is the man himself (and his family and colleagues) so whilst the crime part of the plot is gripping (and grisly) it's the personal storylines that kept me turning the pages.

Jack's life seems to be getting more complicated with each book; he has a young daughter, a busy doctor for a wife and a widowed mother at home as well as being run ragged at work.  Then he gets himself involved in his boss's mysterious problems and he barely has time to sleep.  Oh Jack, you've spread yourself too thin - I really wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out.

So Jack is very busy and the book is too.  There is an awful lot going on and I found it a little difficult to grasp onto each thread and keep track with the various stories.  The crime part of the plot is very good but I found I was more interested in Jack's and Ridley's personal lives, which forced the crime into the back seat for me.  I'm just too invested in these characters now and I can't wait for book 5.

Dark, gripping and intriguing, Pure Evil is an intricately plotted police procedural that is an integral part of the outstanding Jack Warr series.  I am on tenterhooks to see where Lynda La Plante takes this series next and there's not long to wait as Crucified is released next month.

I received a gifted copy to review for the Compulsive Readers blogathon and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Luminous - Silvia Park

The lonely worlds of three very unusual siblings collide in this breathtaking tale of what it means to be human

Three siblings. Two human, one robot. The spectacular new debut about what it means to be alive.

In a recently reunified Korea, robots have integrated seamlessly into society. They are our teachers, our bus drivers and policemen. They are our lovers. They are even our children.

Eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scrap metal in a Seoul junkyard, searching for anything that might repair her failing body. There amongst the piles of junk she happens across a robot boy: lifelike, strange and unlike anything she's seen before.

Across the city, estranged siblings Jun and Morgan Cho haven't spoken since the abrupt disappearance of their robot brother Yoyo, which shattered their childhoods and left a gaping hole in their lives. But Ruijie's discovery is about to bring the lives of brother and sister hurtling back together, forcing them to confront the reality of Yoyo's true nature, and the dark purpose their father never revealed.

At once a dazzling work of speculative fiction and a poignant family drama, Luminous is a timely, unforgettable story about what it really means to be human.

 

What did I think?

Luminous is an original and imaginative debut novel that is set in a scarily realistic future where robots live among us.  To say it is thought-provoking is an understatement as I can't stop thinking or talking about since I finished reading it.

There are two strands to the story and both are linked by Yoyo, a robot who was once the sibling of Morgan and Jun but is found in a junkyard by Ruijie.  Ruijie's story really got to me as despite all the robotic enhancements to her body, her time on this earth is limited.  At least getting to know Yoyo enhances her life as her previous solitary existence is turned into an adventure.

Morgan and Jun have very different memories of Yoyo and memory is a very thought-provoking theme in the book.  I couldn't help but wonder whether what makes us unique is perhaps our own individual memories but if you could transfer these memories to another being when you die, do they effectively become you?  This is just one of the thoughts that this inventive book has planted in my brain but there are many more to provoke and challenge every reader.

I don't read a lot of speculative fiction so I did get a bit lost in the narrative sometimes, however, I couldn't put the book down as I was completely immersed in the fascinating world created by Silvia Park.  It's a world that is very easy to imagine as its reality is perhaps closer than I might think.

Evocative, thought-provoking and alluring, Luminous is a wonderful debut novel that has stayed with me long after turning the final page.  It's well worth a read if you're looking for something different and a must-read if you're already a fan of speculative fiction.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

SILVIA PARK grew up in Seoul and has spent most of their life in Korea. They received their BA from Columbia and their MFA from NYU, in addition to completing the Clarion Workshop in 2018 on the George R.R. Martin “Sense of Wonder” Fellowship. Their short fiction has been published in Black Warrior Review, Joyland and Tor.com, nominated for a Pushcart and reprinted in the 2019 Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. They teach fiction at the University of Kansas and split their time between Lawrence and Seoul.  LUMINOUS is their first novel and a TV series is under development with Media Res Studio. 

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BLOG TOUR: One in a Million - Beverley Kendall

A fun, spicy romcom with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

Megastar Whitney “Sahara” Richardson has everything planned - including when she’ll have kids. But a medical mix-up makes her the biological mother of a child she didn’t carry and whose father she’s never met. 

 

World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a half-billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away. However, a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse, and Sahara suddenly has a daughter... whose biological father is reluctant to share.

What did I think?

Having read Token last year (which gave readers a sneaky peek at One in a Million), I was like a cat on hot bricks as I patiently awaited Sahara's story.  I have to say that it was well worth the wait as I absolutely loved it.

Sahara is a global megastar but when the cameras stop rolling she becomes Whitney Richardson, a down-to-earth woman who might want children some day.  That day comes a lot sooner than she planned when the fertility clinic calls to admit to a terrible mistake: Whitney's egg has been mixed up with another woman's and there's now a mixed-race 6 month old little girl who is paying the consequences of this horrendous error. 

Holly Redmond demanded a DNA test when she suspected that baby Haylee wasn't her daughter...but to complicate matters further, the DNA test confirms that Holly's husband Myles is Haylee's father.  As soon as her suspicions are confirmed, Holly gives Myles an ultimatum: choose either her or Haylee.  Myles doesn't have to think twice so it's him and Haylee from now on...until Whitney asks to meet her.

Whoa the chemistry between Myles and Whitney almost causes sparks to fly off the page and the sexual tension crackles and fizzles until the inevitable conclusion.  I loved seeing how Miles and Whitney's relationship grew as well as witnessing Whitney's instant love for Haylee.  

Fun, emotional and a little bit steamy, One in a Million is a fresh and flirty romance with a lot of heart.  It's a bit like an adult fairy tale with a Wicked Witch, a Prince Charming and not one but two Princesses but you'll just have to read it for yourself to see if they all lived Happily Every After.

 

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: What You See - Hilly Barmby

Harriet (Haitch) Boswell’s career as an artist could be about to go stratospheric. She’s been nominated for a prestigious bursary that would change everything. To secure it, she needs to see off five other hopefuls and charm the man who holds the purse strings during a weekend at a stunning location in Spain.

But just before she’s due to leave, she falls ill. There’s no way she can attend the event. Perhaps there’s a solution… her twin sister, Tilda.

But Tilda’s life is in turmoil. Her husband Sam has left her, declaring his love for a mystery woman. Spending a weekend schmoozing with the cream of the creative world while pretending to be her sister, is the very last thing she wants to do. But the bonds of sisterhood are strong. Haitch begs her, and Tilda agrees.

What if she’s discovered as an imposter? There’s Haitch’s egotistical agent Damian to get past first. Then there’s the small matter of surviving the selection process – all five nominees are pitted against each other in an intellectual beauty contest.

And then when someone discovers a body the next day, no one is prepared for what comes next...

 

What did I think?

Oh this book was so good and I simply couldn't put it down.  There are so many layers of intrigue to hold the reader's interest and I was well and truly hooked.

Haitch and Tilda are identical twins but although they may look alike they are very different in nature.  Haitch is the outgoing one who says what she thinks and Tilda is the quiet nerdy one who thought she had found the perfect man with whom to spend the rest of her life...until he left her.  

Tilda is reeling from Sam's bombshell so a change of scenery could be just what she needs so she doesn't take much convincing to impersonate Haitch when Haitch falls ill and can't attend a prestigeous event in Spain.  It looks like the twins have got away with their ruse but complications arise when a dead body is discovered after the event.

Oh this is very intricately plotted and I loved every minute of it.  Hilly Barmby's vivid and captivating writing cleverly drew me in to an amazing web of deceit before going in for the kill with a superb twist.  What an absolute cracker!

Intriguing, gripping and twisty, What You See is an outstanding psychological thriller that hooked me from the start and didn't let go.  A very highly recommended read.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Awful Truth About The Sushing Prize (The Awful Truth Book 2) - Marco Ocram

Should I tell him about Sushing or play dumb?

Sticking in my comfort zone, I played dumb.

Writer Marco Ocram has a secret superpower—whatever he writes actually happens, there and then. Hoping to win the million-dollar Sushing Prize, he uses his powers to write a true-crime thriller, quickly discovering a freakish murder. But Marco has a major problem—he's a total idiot who can't see beyond his next sentence. Losing control of his plot and his characters, and breaking all the rules of fiction, Marco writes himself into every kind of trouble, until only the world's most incredible ending can save his bacon.

Fast, funny, and utterly different, welcome to the weird world of The Awful Truth.

 

What did I think?

Well I can definitely say that I've never read a book quite like this before!  It's a story that is being written as if in real time so there are plot holes and dead ends that the author must find his way out of in often very amusing ways.  This is book two in The Awful Truth series and it works really well as a standalone but I do think I would have benefitted from reading book one beforehand.

The author (the real one, Denis Shaughnessy not the fictional Marco Ocram) is very astute and has highlighted several writing habits that I had never even noticed before.  Of course the next book I read after this one just had to mention that the vehicle had tinted windows and I nearly fell off my seat laughing.   

I think this is a book that deserves a second reading as I probably missed a lot of the more subtle nods at writing styles and crime fiction tropes.  I say 'nods' as although it might seem like a dig at first, it's not done nastily and it's all true anyway.  After the tinted windows thing, I'm sure to spot many more things that Marco Ocram has pointed out.

Sharp, witty and totally bonkers, The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize is a unique and imaginative crime spoof that is incredibly entertaining and completely unforgettable.  It's well worth a read.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/sushingprize-zbt

About the author:

Denis Shaughnessy is the author of the mold-breaking Awful Truth series, published under the name Marco Ocram. His books, which break all of the rules of fiction, have been described as ‘a dazzling tour de force', 'mind-bending’, 'wildly inventive', 'an entirely new type of narrative' and 'utterly unique’. He has won two CIBA first prizes for Humor and Satire and was shortlisted for the prestigious Thurber Prize. He has a PhD in quantum theory and lives on a small-holding in the New Forest. He is currently working on a middle-grade novel featuring a junior Marco Ocram.

Denis’ Social Media

Twitter: https://x.com/denishaughnessy

Website: https://www.theawfulauthor.com/

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BLOG TOUR: SON (The Kari Voss Mysteries Book 1) - Thomas Enger & Johana Gustawsson

Psychologist and expert on body language and memory, Kari Voss investigates the murder of two teenaged girls in the small Norwegian town of Son, as suspicion is cast on multiple suspects. A mesmerisingly dark, twisty start to a nerve-shattering new series by two of the world's finest crime writers…

Everyone here is lying…

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too…

 

What did I think?

WOW!  What have I just read?  A twisty, gripping masterpiece, that's what!  I know it says on the front that "Everyone here is lying" but I just didn't expect to have the rug pulled from under my feet to that extent.  Absolutely brilliant!  What a blistering start to an exciting new series!

I haven't read any books written by Thomas Enger or Johana Gustawsson but if their books are half as good as SON then I definitely want to read more from these two amazing authors.  The writing is seamless and if it didn't say so on the cover then you really wouldn't be able to tell that there are two authors.

Even the title is clever as Son is both a place in Norway and the mystery that haunts psychologist Kari Voss.  Kari's son Vetle disappeared on his ninth birthday and seven years have gone by without any clues as to what happened to him.  Kari is kept busy with her work as a reknowned psychologist and she is so successful at her job that she is known as 'The human lie detector'.  Her latest case is very disturbing as it involves some of Vetle's childhood friends and the police think they have caught the killer but Kari doesn't agree.

Oh I absolutely loved this amazing book.  I was hooked from the start by Vetle's shocking disappearance and really felt for young widow Kari as her world was shattered once again.  It just shows what a strong character she is that she can get up each day and continue with some semblance of a life.  I can't wait to read more of this series, especially with such a jaw-dropping cliffhanger at the end of the book.

Incredibly gripping and completely unmissable, SON is Nordic Noir at its very best.  I would give it more than 5 stars if I could - very highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: A Death in Berlin (Berlin Wartime Thrillers Book 3) - Simon Scarrow

BERLIN. MAY 1940. AS HITLER PREPARES TO INVADE WESTERN EUROPE, THERE IS BLOODSHED CLOSER TO HOME

'Scarrow's Berlin is sharply drawn with closely observed detail, a place that reeks of threat and fear - and not just from the Gestapo' Financial Times

CI Horst Schenke is an investigator with the Kripo unit. Powerless against the consequences of the war, he fights to keep criminals off his patch. But with doubts growing about his loyalty to the Nazi regime, he is walking a tightrope. If his relationship with a Jewish woman is exposed, a dreadful fate awaits.

Berlin's gangsters run their crime rings with impunity. Decadent senior Nazis protect them. Schenke is different. He won't turn a blind eye when innocents are caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. But dangerous enemies know everything about him. They will do whatever it takes to bend him to their will . . .

From the seedy wartime nightlife scene to aristocratic homes frequented by the Führer, as the distant war spirals ever closer, A Death in Berlin conveys the horror and banality of evil - and the terrible danger for those who dare stand against it.

The stunning new Berlin wartime thriller from the author of Blackout and Dead of Night.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I could not put this fantastic book down!  A Death in Berlin is the third novel featuring CI Horst Schenke but it is the first one that I have read and I absolutely loved it.  You can definitely read it as a standalone and it has certainly made me eager to read the first two books.

This period of history is often a depressing subject to read but it's important that we never forget these awful events.  Simon Scarrow brings wartime Berlin to life in this outstanding novel as rival criminal gangs fight to be top dog.  Corruption is rife and the gangs are protected by members of the Nazi party so the police have quite a task on their hands when they investigate ration fraud and a murder.

I loved the character of CI Horst Schenke; he doesn't buy into the Nazi ideology that has caused him to hide his relationship with Ruth, a Jewish woman.  It does mean that he has a secret that can be used to blackmail him, despite the imaginitive precautions he believes he has been taking to communicate with Ruth.

Filled with danger and suspense, A Death in Berlin had me on the edge of my seat as I raced through the pages as fast as I possibly could.  I was gripped from start to finish and I am well and truly hooked on this magnificent series after just one book.  Very highly recommended and unmissable for fans of historical fiction.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Caio (The Limerent Series Book 1) - LS Delorme

Sarah Baker is a paralegal in a law firm in modern-day Brooklyn. Her life is bouncing between her abusive lawyer boyfriend, the voices she hears in her head and her soul-sucking work at the law firm. On a New York spring day, she meets Caio as he plays basketball on a street court.

He is alluring, intriguing and young. Yet that’s the least of his mystery, for Caio was beaten, thrown into a hole and left to die. In 1905.

Sarah tries to understand this enigmatic stranger while juggling the dubious ethics of her law firm and the ghosts in her head. As she struggles with loss, grief, love, beauty… and lawyers, she will need to summon the strength to break all of society’s rules, save several lives and step into a new and potentially magical life.

Caio is the opening book of a new series of supernatural romantic thrillers that will pull on your heartstrings, challenge your perceptions and lead you on a singular journey of discovery and revelation.

 

What did I think?

Caio is the first book in the Limerent Series but it's the fourth one I have read so I was very eager to read more of Caio's story as he has become one of my favourite characters in the series.  It's a great story and I don't think it was spoiled in any way by me sort of knowing the ending.

Caio may look like a teenager but he's older than you might think...a LOT older.  Sarah Baker is in her forties so she is confused by her attraction to this basketball playing teen but Caio is persistent and when he trusts Sarah completely he finally shares his incredible secret with her.

Sarah hears voices in her head and they help and advise her throughout her life.  I just wish they'd advised her to stay clear of Karl who abuses Sarah both mentally and physically.  I was so mad at how he treated Sarah but her life is so entangled with Karl's that it's almost impossible to leave him.  Until Caio makes an appearance in Sarah's life and changes it in ways she could have never imagined.

Spellbinding and mind-blowing, Caio is a brilliant start to a highly original series that will entertain and delight readers of many different genres.

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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Glorious Exploits - Ferdia Lennon

Ancient Sicily. Enter GELON: visionary, dreamer, theatre lover. Enter LAMPO: lovesick, jobless, in need of a distraction.

Imprisoned in the quarries of Syracuse, thousands of defeated Athenians hang on by the thinnest of threads.

They’re fading in the baking heat, but not everything is lost: they can still recite lines from Greek tragedy when tempted by Lampo and Gelon with goatskins of wine and scraps of food.

And so an idea is born. Because, after all, you can hate the invaders but still love their poetry.

It’s audacious. It might even be dangerous. But like all the best things in life – love, friendship, art itself – it will reveal the very worst, and the very best, of what humans are capable of.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

What did I think?

Wow!  Glorious Exploits has to be one of the most original and brilliant debuts I have ever read.  It's like nothing I have read before nor expect to read again and I absolutely loved it.

The quarries are home to prisoners of war from Athens and if they don't starve to death they will be baked alive by the sun.  Syracusians Gelon and his friend Lampo come up with a get rich quick scheme to put on a play starring the Athenians, if they survive long enough to perform.  What follows is a heartwarming tale of humanity with a comedic edge that had me rooting for the characters and chuckling at their escapades.

It's almost impossible to describe this book.  It's almost a retelling of Greek myth in the style of Monty Python with an Irish slant.  It also feels like an homage to a few of my favourite comedies.  Imagine the Life of Brian with Del Boy and Rodney mixed with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and a bit of Father Ted.  There is a lot of subtle humour and I couldn't help but laugh out loud on a few occasions.

Highly original, humourous and heartfelt, Glorious Exploits is a magnificent debut and a veritable feast for the eyes.  I devoured it and loved every minute of it.  An easy five stars and a highly recommended read. 

Glorious Exploits is longlisted for Swansea University's Dylan Thomas Prize with the shortlist to be announced on 20th March.  Good luck to Ferdia Lennon - I have my fingers crossed that I have read the winning book.

I received a gifted ARC to celebrate the Dylan Thomas Prize longlist and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOGATHON: Vanished (DC Jack Warr book 3) - Lynda La Plante

KILLERS DON'T JUST DISAPPEAR . . .

The unmissable brand new thriller from the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante - now available in hardback, eBook and audiobook.

When an eccentric widow claims she is being stalked by her former lodger, Detective Jack Warr is the only person who believes her wild claims.

Days later, she is found brutally murdered in her home.

When the investigation uncovers an international drugs operation on the widow's property, the case grows even more complex. And as the hunt for the widow's lodger hits dead end after dead end, it seems that the prime suspect has vanished without a trace.

To find answers, Jack must decide how far is he willing to go - and what he is willing to risk - in his search for justice. Because if he crosses the line of the law, one wrong move could cost him everything . . .

What did I think?

Vanished is the third book in the Detective Jack Warr series and I am absolutely loving the series so far.  You can read Vanished as a standalone but it's better when read as part of the series to fully understand the foibles and flaws of the characters that are developing in each instalment.

This was a bit of a strange one for me as I was more interested in the characters' personal lives than the actual crime story in Vanished.  I was interested in the murder and intrigued by the mystery of the disappearing lodger but I was absolutely riveted by the events in the lives of  DS Jack Warr and his family, as well as his boss DCI Simon Ridley.  I have come to know and love the characters over the course of the series and I just can't get enough of them.

The murder mystery is very good and there are lots of shocks and surprises in store for the reader.  It's also a little grisly as Lynda La Plante paints such a vivid picture of events with her masterful words.  I just love Jack Warr and his inability to focus on anything but the case in front of him, even if that means disappointing his family or lying to his boss.  Jack gets results but you perhaps don't want to look too closely at how he got them.

Filled with mystery and intrigue, Vanished is another fabulous instalment in the Detective Jack Warr series.  They don't call Lynda La Plante the Queen of Crime Drama for no reason and I highly recommend this whole series.

I received a gifted copy to review for the Compulsive Readers blogathon and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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Variation - Rebecca Yarros

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets and deep regrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.

As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.

When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.

 

What did I think?

I would have had to be living under a rock to have never heard of Rebecca Yarros but it's her contemporary romance rather than her fantasy novels that became my first Rebecca Yarros book.  Variation is a romance that is filled with family drama and a will they/won't they pair of main characters whose hearts tell them that they are destined to be together but their heads say the opposite.

Allie and Hudson are meant to be together and even though the tide may take them away from each other it always seems to bring them back to shore.  There are lots of reasons why ballerina Allie and rescue swimmer Hudson can't be together and most of that is geography but some of it is a deeply buried secret that if it comes out could tear them apart forever.

I absolutely adored the gorgeous love story that had me rooting for Allie and Hudson from the start.  There are a few steamy scenes to increase the reader's heartrate but I found Hudson's audible stamping of ownership on Allie to be a little annoying. 

At the heart of the story is a dysfunctional family of four sisters: Lina who died, Anne who became a lawyer and Allie and Eva who are following in their mother's footsteps as ballet dancers.  Lina is painted as the perfect sister, Allie is the guilty one who holds herself responsible for Lina's death,  Anne is the disappointment who didn't become a dancer and Eva is the spoilt envious one; it's like a series of Dallas or Dynasty set in the world of ballet.

Filled with cliffhangers, and told from different points of view, Variation is a veritable page turner as I couldn't read fast enough to continue where each character left off.   It felt so finely balanced as to whether they could ever become more than a fling and you will just have to read it to find out what happens in the end.  

I received a gifted copy to read as part of the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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