Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts

Friday, 24 October 2025

BLOG TOUR: No Safe Place To Hide (The Philippines Thrillers Book 1) - Murray Bailey


A gripping noir thriller that exposes the dark heart of a nation in turmoil.

Journalist Martin Gillie has vanished, and his wife wants him found. It seems like a straightforward case for newly arrived Ash Carter. But in post-war Philippines, nothing is ever straightforward.

Carter follows a trail that leads from the smoky boxing rings of Manila to the rebel-haunted provinces. And as Carter digs, with each uncovered clue, the stakes rise higher. The police can't be trusted. The military has its own agenda.

Carter begins to wonder: Is Martin Gillie hiding from something—or someone? And if Carter finds him, will either of them live to tell the story?
 

What did I think?

If you haven't read any of Murray Bailey's Ash Carter Singapore series then you've missed out on some cracking thrillers BUT No Safe Place to Hide is a new spin-off series set in the Philippines that is going to result in a new legion of fans discovering Ash Carter.  You definitely don't need to have read any of the previous Ash Carter books to enjoy No Safe Place to Hide as it's absolutely brilliant.

Set in the 1950s it's like a full-colour step back in time as the story unfolds.  Ash Carter can't help getting himself into trouble but he's so quick-witted and clever that there's almost no situation he can't escape from.  He's supposed to have left the country but he ends up investigating a missing journalist and getting tangled up in political corruption.  The danger signs were flashing in front of my eyes and I had no idea who Ash could trust.

There is lots of action and plenty of shocks and surprises in this atmospheric, gripping and fast-paced thriller.  I couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next book in the series.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The Blue - Lucy Clarke


They had found paradise.  What would they do to keep it?
With a quick spin of the globe, Kitty and Lana escape their grey reality and journey to the Philippines.  There they discover The Blue – a beautiful yacht, with a wandering crew.
They spend day after languorous day exploring the pristine white beaches and swimming beneath the stars, and Lana drifts further away from the long-buried secrets of home.
But the tide turns when death creeps quietly on deck.
A dangerous swell of mistrust and lies threatens to bring the crew’s adventures to an end – but some won’t let paradise go…whatever the price.

What did I think?

This book was simply amazing, completely gripping and an absolute page-turner.  I’ve had it in my pile to read for quite some time and although I was interested enough to request a copy, other books seemed to pique my interest more.  How wrong I was to leave this little beauty gathering dust.  If you have it in your TBR pile, read it now!

I love books that flick back and forth between the past and the present so I knew that once I picked this up, I wouldn't be able to put it down.  You feel that all of the characters on The Blue are running away from something or perhaps simply trying to make a new start, either way they are all hiding secrets and you don't know who can be trusted.  You can feel the air almost crackling with tension; on the surface they all appear to be friends but underneath alliances are being made and it's only a matter of time before the weakest may get thrown overboard.

I was absolutely captivated by this story, I fell in love with the beauty of both The Blue and the scenery she sailed in.  I read it so fast as I wanted to know why Lana left The Blue, what happened to Joseph and whose body is now floating in the sea.  There was so much I didn't even see coming, even though the clues were there but I was just enjoying myself so much being swept along with the magic of The Blue.

This really is a stunning book, it is so vivid and written so beautifully that I felt I was part of the voyage.  I won't ever hesitate again in picking up another book by Lucy Clarke.

I received this e-book from the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: