INSTAGRAM TOUR: Murder at the Book Club (The DCI Chloe Taylor Mysteries) - Colin Wade

Two years after solving The Murder at the Manor, Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor has another murder on her hands. A member of a local book club has been poisoned, but the motive for her murder is unclear.

Taylor’s initial investigation is hampered by the fact that one of the book club members, Rosemary Channing-Brearley, is a personal friend of the Chief Constable and a member of the Police Commissioner’s crime panel. The worst type of social climber, she lords her superiority over Taylor and the rest of the book club.

Two more brutal murders follow, both involving members of the same book club. Two suspects are quickly identified, and Taylor comes under increasing pressure to convict them based on seemingly compelling evidence. But the more her team investigates, the more convinced they become that dark secrets within the book club, and a deep hatred of Channing-Brearley, are key to solving the case.

As Taylor tries to balance the stresses of work with her husband’s desire for them to have another child, her resilience is stretched to the limit as she searches for the truth.

Can she solve the Murder at the Book Club?

 

What did I think?

I haven't read Murder at the Manor, the first book in the DCI Chloe Taylor Mysteries series, but you definitely don't need to have read it to enjoy Murder at the Book Club as I thought it was brilliant.

This is a very intriguing mystery with members of a book club seemingly being targeted and killed one by one, with the remaining members wondering who will be next.  This should be an easy one to solve for the police as the book club is the only link but it's a lot more complex than that.

It's my first introduction to DCI Chloe Taylor and I loved her.  What a fantastic well-developed character!  Colin Wade brings Chloe and all of the characters to life with his vivid and descriptive words.  I am hooked after just one book and want to read the previous book as well as all future books now!

Gripping, intriguing and compelling, Murder at the Book Club is an absolutely cracking crime & mystery novel and it's one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

I received a gifted paperback for the Insta Book Tours Instagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

Ice Flower Herbarium - Dzena Andersone (Author), Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini (Translator)

When he wakes to find a body in a sack on the roadside outside his home, police chief Vincents sets off a chain of events that threaten to overwhelm him and the sleepy, Latvian backwater town he has lived in his whole life.

A reluctant and unlikely hero, Vincents grapples with his failing marriage, a domineering former police partner and an ever-growing number of strange and bewildering cases. As the body count rises and Vincents' precariously constructed world crumbles around him, the focus of his investigations closes in inexorably on a troubled young man, Jens, whose odd behaviour can no longer be contained by his controlling Aunt Erika. 

Ice, Flower, Herbarium is a haunting psychological story of inherited guilt and the consequences of raising a child without love or human touch. Will Vincents uncover the truth and find the strength to stand up to the town, or will his resolve melt away with the snow?

 

What did I think?

If Ice Flower Herbarium was any more atmospheric I would have had to put my woolly hat and gloves on!  Wow!  What a fantastic piece of crime fiction from Dzena Andersone, beautifully translated by Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini.  It is certainly one of the best translated crime fiction novels I have read.

From the very first page I was thrust into the snow and ice of the isolated Latvian location and could easily visualise the scenery through the vivid and evocative writing.  It's plotted quite differently as the reader knows what has happened to the missing woman and how the body ended up outside Vincents' house but it is more about why this happened and it is heartbreaking.  I didn't think I would ever sympathise with a killer!

It speaks volumes that I am still thinking about the book after I finished reading it and I have even been talking about it to family and friends.  I can't really go into what I have been talking about as it would spoil it for other readers but it really did make me grateful for the life that I personally have had.

Ice Flower Herbarium is the first Latvian novel that I have read and what an absolute cracker it is!  It's a book I couldn't put down when I picked it up and couldn't stop thinking about when I put it down.  Very highly recommended.

Many thanks to Fly on the Wall Press for a gifted ARC; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Fly on the Wall Press (use promo code BOOKMAGNET10 for 10% off)

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Reckoning (Glasgow Southside Crime Series Book 5) - Maureen Myant

When a successful businessman is left for dead in a tenement close, police in Glasgow are flummoxed. Who could want him dead? His wife has a strong financial motive but the decoding of a mysterious inscription on his forehead points to a motive of revenge.

Then a second body is found, horribly mutilated, also bearing a message. DS Mark Nicholson and DCI Alex Scrimgeour fear they may have a potential serial killer on their hands. Their fears are realised when two more murders turn out to be connected.

Can Mark keep his mind on the job for long enough to work out how exactly these deaths are related to each other? He has enough worries of his own, what with juggling work, being a single parent to two-year-old Gus and now his boss Alex is edgy and distracted. He’s hiding something, but what?

With the help of DC Megan Webster, Mark vows to catch the twisted killer before they strike again but are they on the right path? Is the killer hiding in plain sight after all?

The gripping fifth book in the Glasgow Southside crime series by CWA shortlisted author Maureen Myant is perfect for fans of JD KIRK and SIMON MCCLEAVE, blending Scottish police procedural with dramatic domestic noir, and a peppering of dark humour.

 

What did I think?

Maureen Myant is an author whose books I read without reading the blurb as I love her books and I know it'll be a good one.  I absolutely love the Glasgow Southside Crime Series and although The Reckoning is book five you can definitely read it as a standalone.

I have read the series from the start so the police characters aren't new to me and I loved catching up with them to find out what's been going on in their eventful lives.  The crime in this instalment is a real page-turner as it's about revenge and it really is a dish that is best served cold.

It's actually heartbreaking to read the perpetrator's story as it shows how the social care system can fail at times and leave already vulnerable people with lasting scars.  The police really have a puzzler on their hands to untangle this one as the bodies start to mount up and they are struggling to work out the identity of the killer.

I simply couldn't read The Reckoning fast enough and read it in two sittings. I loved the crime storyline and also the personal stories of the main characters that kept me invested in the story and eager to read more.

Fast-paced, gripping and thrilling, The Reckoning is a perfectly plotted page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  I love this series and can't get enough of it!  It's an easy five stars for this unmissable book.

I received a gifted paperback for the Hobeck Books blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

Lie To Me (Detective Karen Hart Book 12) - D. S. Butler

As soon as he picks up the phone, Arnie knows something is terribly wrong. ‘We’ve found him. Damon’s finally been found.’ For thirty-five years, DS Arnie Hodgson believed his childhood friend was dead. But he didn’t die back then. He was murdered yesterday.

DS Karen Hart’s heart breaks for her colleague as she joins the investigation, but soon the case takes a darker turn. Burned into Damon’s chest is a vivid scarlet mark—a Victorian branding iron shaped like a scythe. Why did Damon vanish that night? And why has someone killed him now?

As Karen and Arnie track down his old friends in the small coastal town of Humberston, they become sure answers lie buried in Arnie’s past; they were all together at the fairground that summer night thirty-five years ago when Damon disappeared. And when the detectives uncover another body, it’s clear someone will kill to keep their secrets buried.

Then another person close to Arnie is brutally murdered—with the same vivid scarlet mark seared into their skin. And when a driver tries to run Arnie down in a car, he must finally confront a terrifying question: is one of his old friends a killer? And if so, can he bring them to justice before they turn on him next?

 

What did I think?

Whether Lie To Me is your first or your twelfth Detective Karen Hart book, it's an absolute cracker!  You can definitely read it as a standalone but make space on your bookshelf as I can guarantee that you will want to read all of the earlier books too.

The story revolves around a group of old schoolfriends who are clearly hiding something about the night Finn died and Damon went missing.  Arnie is now in the police force but he has lived with the guilt of not knowing what happened that night 35 years ago because he was too drunk to stay awake.  When Damon's body turns up, this is Arnie's chance to put things right but he is too close to the case so DS Karen Hart joins forces with him.

The police investigation is a real page-turner and it is interspersed with chapters belonging to a chilling voice who knows exactly what happened that night.  As suspicion falls on all of Arnie's old friends, I didn't know who to believe or trust as one of them is clearly willing to kill to keep that secret well buried.  I was definitely pointing my finger at every single one of them at one point or another and I didn't work it out until very close to the big reveal.

Filled with tension, suspense and danger, Lie To Me is a gripping and fast-paced crime thriller.  I definitely want to read the earlier books in the series now and I can't wait for Karen Hart's story to continue.  A very highly recommend read.

I received a gifted paperback for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Shotley Bridge Revenge (Shotley Bridge Thrillers Book 2) - Bobby Cussens

Justice is slow. Revenge won't wait.

Built on ironstone and hemmed in by the swollen Derwent River, Shotley Bridge wears calm like a disguise. When Reya's body is discovered on Front Street, DC Heather Hudson is called to investigate a case that carves up the village and puts her children in the killer's path. She isn't just hunting someone determined to settle every score. She's also the prey. Through brutal retribution beneath the relentless rain, the closer Heather gets to the truth, the harder it becomes to know who deserves justice. Or revenge.

Get ready for a gritty British crime thriller with a complex female detective fighting for respect in a male-dominated force. Set in the atmospheric North East England, this book is perfect for fans of Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves. With multiple twists and a chilling epilogue that changes everything, this is a must-read for those who crave atmospheric detective fiction.

If you enjoyed books like LJ Ross's "Holy Island," you'll love this second instalment in the Shotley Bridge Thriller Series.

SHOTLEY BRIDGE REVENGE is Book 2 in the Shotley Bridge Thriller Series—continuing with a sleuth you'll want to follow through every dark twist.

 

What did I think?

Having absolutely LOVED Shotley Bridge Murders, I couldn't wait for the series to continue and not only was I not disappointed, it has somehow got even better!  I think you could read this second book as a standalone but it is sheer perfection when read as part of the series.

The village of Shotley Bridge is once again left reeling after a murder in their midst.  There's still a killer on the loose from the first book and it certainly looks like he's struck again.  It's another case for DC Heather Hudson to solve, if only that misogynist DS Roberts would leave her alone.

Whilst the murder is the main plotline, the ongoing battle between Hudson and Roberts adds another level to the story.  To say I was furious at Roberts is an understatement, if he would only get on with his job instead of trying to get Heather sacked they might catch the killer a lot quicker.  Roberts would be a great pantomime villain and Bobby Cussens has certainly created a character that all readers will love to hate.

Talk about fast-paced!  I had to check my hands for papercuts as I was turning the pages so quickly.  I would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have to sleep and that ending...now that's what I call a doof doof moment; Eastenders has got nothing on Bobby Cussens!  I hope Bobby is a fast writer as I'm on tenterhooks for book three!

Shotley Bridge Revenge is an outstanding sequel that has really raised the crime writing bar.  I think I'm safe to say that it's lining up to be one of my favourite crime/police procedural series of all time and it's only at book two.  WOW!  Don't miss this one, crime fans!

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

Follow the tour:

REVIEW TOUR: We Are For The Dark - Gretchen McNeil

 

An isolated town. A missing priest. An ancient, hungry darkness. 

When Father Shane Ryan is summoned to a meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Jacobs, he’s confused. A recently ordained priest at a small Maryland parish, Father Ryan has no idea why His Eminence would want to meet him. When he arrives, the Cardinal opens by laying out Father Ryan’s past as an FBI analyst. It seems a priest has gone missing, and the case is…unusual. 

Weeks ago, Constable Miriam Rideout from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary fielded a frantic call from a priest on a remote Newfoundland island. He begged for help, but then the line went dead, and no one has since been reported missing. When permission to perform a wellness check is denied by her superiors, Miriam takes some vacation time and books a ticket on the ferry. 

Thrown together with friendly but cagey locals, Miriam and Father Ryan soon learn that something about the island isn’t right. There’s a fishing port without boats, a town with no stores and no cars, and strange, bulbous purple wildflowers are growing everywhere. The two don’t trust each other, but they begin to learn that an alliance, however uneasy, is a necessity. Because something evil lurks beneath the island—something ancient, eternal, hungry—and neither it nor the uncanny islanders have any intention of letting these newcomers leave. A growing sense of dread intensifies until it explodes in this pulse-pounding supernatural horror.

What did I think?

WOW!  I just couldn't put this book down; We Are For The Dark is an absolute belter from Gretchen McNeil.  I used to say that I didn't read horror but I'm so glad that I changed my mind as it would have been a travesty to miss this brilliant book.

It begins with a bit of a mystery when Constable Miriam Rideout receives a phone call from a priest about a missing person on an island nobody has heard of but Miriam doesn't take it seriously until he utters Miriam's mother's dying words and the call ends...  Talk about goosebumps!  Eeeeeeek.

At the same time, newly ordained priest and former FBI agent, Father Ryan is summoned to see the Cardinal and asked to visit Bale Island to investigate a missing priest but to keep his investigation under wraps.  Father Ryan meets Miriam on the ferry and as much as they each want to keep their investigations separate, they need to join forces against a bigger evil than they imagined.

The writing is mesmerising as Gretchen McNeil drew me into the story and, just like the residents of the creepy island can never leave, my eyes couldn't leave the page.  The characters are so vividly drawn that I could easily picture them in my mind and it feels like even the island itself is a living, breathing character.

I devoured this book like it was my last meal and, although it's incredibly creepy and scary at times, I put on my big girl pants and resisted hiding behind the virtual sofa because I was desperate to see what was going to happen next.  This book would be AMAZING on the screen and I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a film or series.

Deliciously dark and incredibly addictive, We Are For The Dark is an unmissable novel that I will be recommending for a very long time.  I loved it so much that I could pick it up right now and read it all again.  An easy five stars.

I received a gifted hardback for the Black Crow PR review tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Black Crow Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Deadly Mooring (DCI Jack Mason Crime Thriller Series Book 8) - Michael K Foster

The deeper you dig, the deadlier the game ...

Deciding to put his past behind him, DCI Jack Mason is finding it difficult to conceal a secret from his partner. Sent to investigate a Tyne River cruiser fire, emergency services have unearthed charred remains. While authorities suspect arson, Mason holds a different view.

Caught in a web of deceit and brutal homicide, the one person who can help this seasoned detective lies gravely ill in hospital. Going it alone won’t be easy. This cunning predator, a master of disguise, has a long history of targeting law enforcement.

Will Mason trust his own instincts? And what secrets do people take to the grave?

Lives are at stake, and time is fast running out.

The Deadly Mooring is the eighth book in the DCI Jack Mason crime thriller series. If you like complex female protagonists, fast-paced action, and dark mysteries, then you will love Michael K. Foster’s latest novel. Fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin, J.R. Ellis, Frieda McFadden, and Alex Smith will not want to miss this book.

 

What did I think?

I've read the first five books in the DCI Jack Mason series so I've missed a couple as The Deadly Mooring is book eight.  You can definitely read it as a standalone though as it contains its own crime storyline but it's just the characters' personal lives that have moved on.

It's so sharply plotted and meticulously researched that i felt as if I was part of Mason's team as they simultaneously investigate a murder, a missing person and an art theft.  It sounds like there's a lot going on but the reader knows they are all linked together and I loved being privy to both the perpetrator's and the investigator's thoughts.

You may think from the cover that it is set in South Shields, but the characters don't set foot in the coastal town and it's mostly set upriver in Newcastle and Gateshead.  I do love books set in my local area as I feel like I'm walking in the characters' footsteps or sitting in the passenger seat of their vehicle.  

Whilst the crime part of the plot kept me riveted, I loved the developments in Mason's personal life and it was good to see profiler David Carlisle once again.  This really is a brilliant crime series and I am eager to not only read more but to catch up on the instalments that I have missed.

Incredibly fast-paced and completely compelling, The Deadly Mooring is a fantastic crime novel that I couldn't put down.  Very highly recommended. 

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the LBT Bookstagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Never To Be Found - Jo Spain

She helped him disappear.

She'll wish she hadn't . . .

In Japan, one hundred thousand people voluntarily disappear every year, aided by those who help them start over. They call them Johatsu - the evaporated.

I brought the idea to England. No judgement, no questions. Just new identities, packed bags, and discreet escape plans from abusive partners, debt, or simply lives that no longer fit.

I thought I was doing something good - honourable, even. Until now.

I know now that not everyone is fleeing hardship. I've helped someone who committed a crime to flee the police. I've disappeared a murderer.

And unless I find him, I don't know what he'll do next . . .

 

What did I think?

I love Jo Spain books and I really think she's raised the bar with her latest thriller, Never To Be Found.  It is outstanding and incredibly thought-provoking as it is inspired by the jōhatsu phenomenon, the voluntary disappearance of people in Japan.  I had never heard of jōhatsu before and I can't stop thinking about it, long after finishing the book.

Veronica's dad disappeared in Japan when she was young and the police ruled it as suicide but Veronica never gave up hope of her dad still being alive, especially when she heard about the jōhatsu phenomenon.   People can be helped to disappear, leaving all their problems behind, and start afresh with a new identity.  Whilst this is a better alternative to suicide, the loved ones left behind have no body to bury and no closure.

The moral dilemma of the story comes many years later when Veronica is providing this service in England and one of her clients turns out to be a murderer.  The police want to know the details of the new identity but by breaking her own rules, Veronica puts the trustworthy reputation of her business on the line.  What a conundrum!  I wouldn't have wanted to be in Veronica's shoes at all, although I was constantly considering what I would have done in her position.

Jo Spain once again draws her readers in with an intriguing and gripping storyline that entertains, shocks and surprises.  The pacing is fast and furious as the hunt for the murderer progresses and I was reading faster and faster as the breathtaking conclusion approached.  

Incredibly thought-provoking and completely compelling, Never To Be Found is an unforgettable and unmissable novel.  An easy five stars and a highly recommended read.

I received a digital 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

Follow the tour:

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Dead Air - Freddie Pickard

BEING ON AIR CAN BE MURDER!

When a well know DJ is murdered at the radio station’s annual party there’s no shortage of suspects. Could it be his egotistical boss? Was it his fame obsessed co-presenter or their producer? Or had he crossed someone in his past who was now getting even?

For newly promoted DCI Joel Jennings and his team it feels like everyone has a motive and the race to catch the killer is on. When a second body is discovered the question is… do they have a serial killer on their hands?

With dead DJs, exploding sports cars and a drug dealer in a hole, Dead Air is a fun, easy to read irreverent murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. 

What did I think?

What a cracking start to a new series! I absolutely loved Dead Air and had to double check that it is Freddie Pickard's debut novel as it is simply outstanding.  It's virtually impossible to put Dead Air down once you pick it up and I didn't want it to finish so I can't wait to read more in the DCI Joel Jennings series.

I'm not sure I've read a book set in a radio station before so it was a very unusual setting and there were many suspects to keep me on my toes.  As with most stars, they have several different personas and Bobby Sligo might be a much loved radio show host but he's a nightmare to work with.  Even when he's found dead, nobody has a good word to say about him.

What a tricky case for DCI Joel Jennings and his team.  Any number of people had motive to kill Bobby but the second victim has them scratching their heads.  I didn't have a clue 'whodunnit' and to be honest, I didn't really try too hard to work it out as I was just thoroughly enjoying the story.

A magnificent debut novel and a very impressive murder mystery, Dead Air is a thrilling start to a new series and Freddie Pickard can consider me hooked.  Absolutely fantastic and very highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the LBT bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Her Rising Star (The Gloucestershire Crime Series Book 3) - Rachel Sargeant

 

DI Steph Lewis comes under an unforgiving media spotlight in this twisty locked room mystery, where murder is committed live on air.

While attending a police conference at Cheltenham Town Hall, Steph is summoned to a nearby film studio. A chat show panellist has collapsed during a live broadcast.

At the scene, Steph discovers the man sprawled on the floor. The livestream is still running, other panellists are horrified and the studio is in chaos. Is the death accidental, the result of a severe allergy, or is there more to the fatality than meets the eye?

Despite intrusive press interest in the case, Steph must investigate her suspects: the producer, the studio runner, the cameraman and the diverse cast of panellists.

Nothing about this on-screen death adds up.

Is just one of them a murderer? Or do they all have something to hide?

Her Rising Star is the third book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series, featuring DI Steph Lewis, a spirited, no-nonsense detective with secrets of her own.

What did I think?

I enjoyed catching up again with DI Steph Lewis in the third Gloucester Crime series book, Her Rising Star.  I have read the series in order but you can certainly read each book as a standalone as they contain their own murder mystery case for Steph to investigate.

This case is a bit of a puzzler as there are a lot of suspects when a chat show panellist dies live on air.  As Steph starts to dig into the lives of the victims and the suspects she uncovers lots of buried secrets that give each one of them motive for murder.

There are quite a few characters and I did sometimes get a little confused about who was who but I was reading faster than normal so I think it would be better if I'd taken my time.  I was completely riveted by the mystery plot and didn't have a clue 'whodunnit'.  Rachel Sargeant is an author that I often liken to Agatha Christie and Her Rising Star firmly cements that comparison.

Sharply plotted and filled with secrets begging to be uncovered, Her Rising Star is a compelling instalment in this fantastic series.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Blood Loss (Steph Grant Murder Mystery Series Book 6) - Lin Le Versha

Colleague of former detective Steph Grant at Oakwood Sixth Form College, Robin Hughes, is found dead in mysterious circumstances. The police initially conclude suicide. But who is ‘Kirsty’, the new love interest Robin met at a Grief Retreat weekend, and why has she completely vanished?

Steph and art teacher Caroline Jones, convinced that Robin was murdered, decide to do a bit of undercover sleuthing. Having suffered bereavement themselves, they join the next Grief Retreat weekend. They don’t tell anyone of their plans, not even Steph’s fiancé, DCI Philip Hale.

There they find Archie Denham, leader of the charity, oozing ex-military magnetism and charisma. All the other attendees seem to hang on his every word. But why, when Steph mentions Robin do they react so cagily, especially Archie?

Soon Steph and Caroline find themselves embroiled in a tangled web of deceit and lies much bigger than a spot of amateur sleuthing on a weekend away. Can they keep up the pretence without anyone getting hurt? And will they ever get to the bottom of what happened to Robin?

Blood Loss is the sixth thrilling book in the Steph Grant murder mystery series by the brilliant Lin Le Versha.

 

What did I think?

Blood Loss is the sixth instalment in the outstanding Steph Grant Murder Mystery series by Lin Le Versha and it can totally be read and enjoyed as a standalone.  The mystery is unique to this book and it's the main characters that link the whole series together.

Steph and Caroline has a vested interest in the latest mystery as their colleague appeared to take his own life after being scammed at a Grief Retreat weekend.  The pair go undercover to find out what's really going on at these weekends but things take a dramatic turn when there's another apparent suicide.  Just what the heck is going on?

The storyline is quite dark as the majority of the characters are grieving and it's so sad to think that nefarious people can use this fact for their own advantage.  There's a bit of lightness added by the amateur sleuthing, of Caroline at least as Steph used to be detective, that is very entertaining and amusing.

Fast-paced, riveting and unpredictable, Blood Loss is a superb mystery that captivated me from start to finish.  This whole series is outstanding and Blood Loss keeps the standard set at the highest level.  A highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Festival Days (The Clapham Trilogy book 3) - Julie Anderson

May 1951

Celebration is in the air with the Festival of Britain and for the first time in years the mood is one of hope rather than hurt.

For Detective Constable Faye Smith, London is not as safe as it seems. The criminal underworld is gaining strength, enjoying a lively existence below the surface. Then two bodies are found in the war-time shelters, a man and a woman. Who are they?

What’s their story? Why were they murdered and how did they end up in the shelters?

Meanwhile, Ellie Peveril is busy with a celebration of a different kind. Ellie does all she can to support her friend but has her own worries, with ex-fiancé Patrick Havistock looming in the shadows. Faye, keen to unravel the mystery of the double murder, finds herself tangled up in crimes that stretch far beyond a simple killing.

Faye and Ellie must face their toughest case yet as their lives change, irrevocably, for the future.

What did I think?

Festival Days is the third and final book in The Clapham Trilogy and it's a real firecracker.  I only joined the series at book two so I enjoyed catching up with DC Faye Smith again but you can definitely read it as a standalone and still enjoy it.

Set in 1951, Faye is a woman in a man's world and it's unheard of to have a woman on the force in the 1950s but her colleagues are more accepting of her now.  Faye's latest case that this book centres around is quite tricky as it looks like a gangland execution so she needs all the help she can get.  

Faye's friend Ellie should be looking forward to her wedding day but she is convinced her ex-fiancé will turn up to ruin her day.  Even with all her own worries, she finds a way to help Faye but it puts her in grave danger.  What a wonderful friendship they have!  It makes me quite sad that this is a trilogy and not a long-running series as I could read more about these amazing characters.

Incredibly atmospheric, gripping and tense, Festival Days is a fantastic conclusion to an outstanding trilogy.  Whilst I'm sad it has come to an end, it does give me the opportunity to read book one for the first time and experience the trilogy in its entirety.  This is a highly recommended read that is sure to pick up new fans to the series.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Murder Most Foul (A Harvey Ross Coastal Mystery, Book 1) - Theo Harris

A hidden satchel. A long-buried murder. A seaside town with secrets worth killing for…

When Harvey Ross's terrier unearths an old leather satchel on Sheringham beach, the retired Detective Inspector discovers something the Norfolk waves should have claimed decades ago: evidence of an unreported 1950s murder—and a cryptic reference to treasure the locals swear doesn't exist.

Newly divorced and restless, Harvey can't resist pulling the thread. But as he navigates seaside gossip, forgotten grudges, and lies that have aged like the salt-worn groynes along the coast, he realizes someone is watching. Someone who's kept this secret for seventy years and won't let a meddling newcomer drag it into the light.

With Max at his side and allies among Sheringham's quirky residents, Harvey must solve the mystery before the next high tide washes away more than just footprints in the sand.

A delightful coastal cozy brimming with charm, twists, and dark currents beneath the surface. Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Richard Osman, and Frances Evesham. 

What did I think?

I really enjoyed Murder Most Foul and I'm so glad that Theo Harris has more books planned in the Harvey Ross Coastal Mystery series.

I loved the coastal setting of Sheringham in Norfolk that I found really easy to visualise thanks to the vivid and descriptive writing.  I also loved Harvey Ross and his dog Max who are brought to life so well that they almost pop out from the page.

Harvey may have retired from the police force but he still has a copper's nose so when Max finds an old satchel on the beach there's a mystery for Harvey to solve.  There's an old arsenic bottle in the satchel that relates to a murder most foul indeed.  A murder that was never investigated at the time and one that someone in the town doesn't want Harvey to investigate.

This is a very intriguing story that hooked me from the start as I wanted to uncover the secrets that had been buried with the satchel.  I absolutely raced through the book as I couldn't put it down and I became very fond of Harvey (and Max) over the course of the book.  I can't wait to catch up with them again and I will definitely be reading more books in this fabulous series.

Mysterious, dangerous and captivating, Murder Most Foul is a fantastic start to an exciting new series.  It may be cosy crime but it has an intelligent and intricate plot that kept me riveted from start to finish.  A very highly recommended read.

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

About the author:

Theo Harris is an emerging author of crime action novels. He was born in London, raised in London, and became a cop in London. Having served as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police service for thirty years, he witnessed and experienced the underbelly of a capital city that you are never supposed to see. Theo was a specialist officer for twenty-seven of the thirty years and went on to work in departments that dealt with serious crimes of all types. His experience, knowledge and connections within the organisation have helped him with his storytelling, with a style of writing that readers can associate with. Theo has many stories to tell, starting with the ‘Summary Justice’ series featuring DC Kendra March, and the 'Harvey Ross Coastal Mystery' series, and will follow with many more innovative, interesting, and fast-paced stories for many years to come. 

For more information about upcoming books please visit theoharris.co.uk

Follow the tour: