BLOG TOUR: The Fallen (Glasgow Southside Crime Series Book 4) - Maureen Myant

An errant crisp packet is all that stands between DI Alex Scrimgeour being murdered on his way to work. Who would want Alex dead? Or was it perhaps a case of mistaken identity? If the bullet wasn’t meant for Alex, then who was it meant for and why?

Alex’s journalist daughter, Kate, newly in his life and now happily settled in the same city, is obsessed with finding out more about a spate of apparent teenage suicides in the city. What do the deaths have in common, if anything? And who are the two mysterious ‘friends’ claiming that some of the teenagers were suicidal despite their families believing otherwise?

Despite pressing domestic issues, Kate can’t let the matter go, plunging her into a potentially dangerous situation.

When his would-be killer turns up dead, Alex is forced to look further back into the past to discover what motivated the shooting. Who is behind the vendetta? Can they be stopped before the next attempt is more successful?

 

What did I think?

You're always guaranteed a good read with a Maureen Myant book and The Fallen is no exception.  It's the fourth book in the brilliant Glasgow Southside Crime Series and, whilst you could read it as a standalone, it's absolutely superb when read as part of the series.

I was hooked from the moment I picked this book up when an attempt is made on Di Alex Scrimgeour's life.  He's certainly a bit of an acquired taste but he doesn't know who could possibly want him dead.  I really like Alex and his personal life plays a big part in the book; I loved seeing the relationship blossoming with his daughter Kate which is in stark contrast to the relationship he has with his dour niece Gillian.

Kate is a journalist and she has sniffed out a story regarding some recent teen suicides.  The families don't believe their children would take their own lives and it's heartbreaking for them.  Kate thinks there's something off too but getting close to the truth puts her in danger and my eyes were on stalks as I was reading.

The suicide storyline is very dark and disturbing but it is written sensitively and respectfully.  There's a lot going on in the book to keep the pages turning rapidly as the myriad strands of the plot weave in and out of the vivid prose.

Gripping, thrilling and fast-paced, The Fallen is an outstanding instalment in a magnificent series.  Very highly recommended.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: What Lies Beneath - Maureen Myant

A family Christmas to remember

An idyllic, snow-covered landscape. A cottage in rural Northumberland. Full of love, laughter, food, wine and mince pies. The recipe for a joyous Noel, or is it?

They seem like the perfect family

With her seemingly perfect family, Lisa Truett is envied by all her friends. Husband David is solid and dependable, salt of the earth, adores his family. Enigmatic adult twins Emilia and Rosamund are on the path to successful careers in journalism and music. Her youngest, Oliver, is blessed with brains and beauty. He can expect a brilliant future. No wonder they’re known as the ‘too good to be Truetts.’

But they never thought it would end like this

Someone is stalking them but who? Whose footprints mingle with theirs in the snow around their cottage? It turns out the family is far from perfect, after all. Will Ros ever stop seeking male approval? Is Em’s eating disorder back again? What is Oliver hiding, or, rather, who is he hiding from? David has been distant and aloof recently. Is he having an affair? But it is Lisa who hides the biggest secret of all and it could tear the family apart.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware, What Lies Beneath is this year's winter must-read - some things, just cannot, remain hidden...

 

What did I think?

I chose to read What Lies Beneath without reading the synopsis, simply because I have loved all of Maureen Myant's books that I have read, so I was surprised and delighted with the snowy Northumberland setting.  

The Truett family have decided to spend Christmas in their holiday cottage in Northumberland but each one of them has something to hide and not even the snow is deep enough to keep these secrets buried.  Ooooh I absolutely love a book filled with secrets as they all have to come bursting out at some point and there are some corkers in this book.   

A Northumberland winter is almost a season of its own and whilst it's very picturesque when you're wrapped up warm in the house, it's very disruptive and dangerous when you need to go out in it.  The snow is almost a character in itself as it sneakily covers rogue footprints and dramatically blocks escape routes.  Maureen Myant's vivid writing paints a wonderful picture of the chilly wintery scene, but it's not just the snow that gives the reader chills. 

The cottage is very isolated but it feels like the Truetts are not alone.  With stalkers, blackmailers, thugs and scary local myths in the frame there are numerous suspects that could have followed the Truett trail to Northumberland.  It's masterfully plotted as any one, or all, of the family could be the target and I simply couldn't put it down.

Gripping, compelling and hugely atmospheric, What Lies Beneath is a fantastic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat with the book clutched tightly in my hands; I wasn't putting it down until every single juicy secret had been revealed.  Put this one on your Christmas list - it's 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.

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BLOG TOUR: The Shame (Glasgow Southside Crime Series Book 3) - Maureen Myant

Glasgow

The cellar of a suburban bungalow has been hiding a dark secret. During building work, a skeleton is uncovered. DI Alex Scrimgeour and DS Mark Nicholson soon discover the remains have been there for sixty years. The owners of the house from that time, Richard and Doris Cavendish, are dead, but their daughter may still be alive.

Edinburgh

Edith Drummond is pleased to be back at work as a teacher after lockdown. She's a difficult woman with no friends but she's good at her job and the children love her. However, her Head Teacher, Olivia Waring, wants her to retire. Edith is determined to stay put, but their feud soon pales into insignificance when Edith receives a visit from the police.

Mark is sure Edith is hiding something, but he doesn't know what. His suspicion deepens when further remains are found at the bungalow in Glasgow, this time of a newborn baby. Despite dealing with his own personal problems, Mark is determined to get to the bottom of this bizarre case. Is there a link between the two crimes? Is the answer staring him In the face or is there more to the mystery than meets the eye?

 

What did I think?

The Shame is the third book in the Glasgow Southside Crime Series and although you can read it is a standalone and thoroughly enjoy it, it's absolutely brilliant when read as part of the series.  

The character development throughout the series is outstanding and I was as hooked by the continuation of their stories as I was by the actual crime they were investigating.  It's a rather grisly crime when the new owners of a home discover a skeleton in their basement so the police need to trace the previous occupants to identify the body and solve the crime.  

Edith Drummond was so ashamed of her past in Glasgow that she changed her name and moved to Edinburgh.  Edith is a difficult woman to love but she really did grow on me and I completely sympathised with her past family life and her present working life as a teacher.  I was so annoyed that the head teacher can't see what a brilliant teacher Edith is but instead is set on making Edith retire.  I was virtually fist bumping the air when Edith continued to stand up to her.

I am completely hooked by DS Mark Nicholson's story and although I do feel sorry for him, he made his bed so he has to lie in it.  Unfortunately for Mark, that bed is in his boss's flat as his wife threw him out after his affair.  DI Alex Scrimgeour is a bit of a teddy bear now that his own personal mystery has been solved but I really wouldn't be helping myself to his whisky if I was living in his flat!

As impossible to put down as it is to predict, The Shame is a cracking piece of crime fiction that had me on the edge of my seat and reading with my virtual running shoes on.  I already consider this to be one of my favourite crime series and The Shame proves that it is just getting better and better.  Very highly recommended.

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Deception - Maureen Myant

Her past was a lie. Dare she uncover the truth?

When Kate’s mother dies, a man turns up at the funeral claiming to be her uncle. Kate is mystified; her mother was an only child. She agrees to meet him but when she tells him more about herself, he disappears. It’s best to forget him and get on with the business of grieving but when she finds her own death certificate, she realises she can’t let it drop. Besides, there are the threatening phone calls and messages to her mother to consider…

Four hundred miles away in Glasgow, DI Alex Scrimgeour is haunted by memories of past crimes. Is he responsible for a miscarriage of justice? He’s already worried when Kate contacts him with her story. If she is who she thinks she is, it could ruin his entire career. Despite their mutual antipathy, only by working together will they understand the past and finally put old ghosts to rest. 

What did I think?

Absolutely brilliant!  That's how I'd describe The Deception in two words and those are the exact words I uttered when I turned the final page.  I thought Maureen Myant's previous novel, The Confession, was good but The Deception has the wow factor, in my opinion.

I loved virtually meeting up again with Alex Scrimgeour and Mark Nicholson, who we met in The Confession, but The Deception is a complete standalone novel as it's just the characters who link the two books.  Scrimgeour takes a front seat as we find out more about his past, both personal and professional.

It gave me goose bumps when Kate finds her own death certificate after her mother's death.  Not only that, but her mother appears to have been threatened with exposing her terrible secret - oh I love secrets, the darker the better!  Kate is naturally upset but she's determined to get to the bottom of who she really is...even if that means exposing a miscarriage of justice.  Scrimgeour was certain that he put the right man away until Kate's appearance throws that in doubt.

With more hooks than in a fisherman's tackle box, The Deception is a veritable page-turner and a completely unmissable novel.  I couldn't put it down and I can't recommend it highly enough.  I can't wait to see what Maureen Myant writes next, although she's set the bar pretty high with The Deception.

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Confession - Maureen Myant

A house on a quiet street on the southside of Glasgow. Neat, terraced homes with manicured lawns and pruned trees. Not the sort of place that reeks of decay or where dead bluebottles pile up on a windowsill.

When the police break in, there’s a surprise in store for them. They find Julie Campbell’s decaying body at her desk, her laptop open beside her. She’s a well-liked, respectable woman. On the laptop is a confession – to five murders. There’s one major problem though - only one of the victims she names is actually dead.

DI Mark Nicholson is persuaded by his boss DCI Alex Scrimgeour that the confession is a fantasy, and to drop the case, but Mark senses there’s more to it than meets the eye. As he delves further, the darkest of secrets are revealed, and everyone around him is dragged into a vortex of fear, danger and murder. No one is beyond suspicion as The Confession becomes a murderous reality.

 

What did I think?

Maureen Myant kept me on the edge of my seat as I greedily devoured The Confession as fast as I possibly could.  I wasn't just hooked from the start, I was hooked from the cover - how can someone who has died confess to future murders?

Julie Campbell is found dead in her home with a written confession that claims she has murdered five people.  The confession is quickly disregarded by the police as the people Julie confesses to killing are still alive...for now.  When the bodies start to mount up, DI Mark Nicholson sees a connection to Julie Campbell's confession but Julie was dead long before the first murder.

It's such a puzzling premise that I was constantly asking myself 'how did she do it?' and it's so very cleverly plotted that I simply couldn't put it down.  Mark is such a flawed character that his story was almost as gripping as the murder storyline.  I really wanted to reach into the book and give him a good shake at times as he seemed intent on flushing his life down the toilet.

Fast-paced, intriguing and compelling, The Confession is a cracking 'how did she do it' that kept my eyes glued to the page from start to finish.  It's well worth reading and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

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

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