BLOG TOUR: The Less Unkind - Rosaria Giorgi

At the tender age of twenty-one, Pico’s world is one of linguistic puzzles and academic pursuits. A student at the University of Copenhagen, she is thrilled to get a summer job working for enigmatic antique dealer Antonio Bartram. When Antonio suddenly disappears leaving behind nothing but a series of cryptic messages, Pico decides to use her linguistic prowess to decode the clues – with fateful consequences.

As Pico investigates, she uncovers a labyrinthine plot that stretches back decades to the theft of a priceless Caravaggio from a church in Sicily. Caught in the crosshairs of an obsessive art collector, a police murder investigation and a Mafia-sanctioned vendetta, her quest takes her across Europe: from the shadows behind the veneer of Copenhagen’s Nordic serenity, down the sun-kissed streets of the Italian Riviera, and even along the secretive corridors of the Vatican.

As she fights to uncover the truth and witnesses the lengths one will go to protect the secrets of the past, Pico confronts the moral quandaries that emerge when the pursuit of art eclipses the bounds of right and wrong.

 

What did I think?

I don't have an interest in art so I nearly didn't pick up The Less Unkind and what a travesty that would have been as I thoroughly enjoyed it.   It's like a cross between The Sopranos and The Da Vinci Code with a Mafia boss trying to locate a stolen work of art and a student who may hold the key to its location.

The pacing is quite gentle at first as Rosaria Giorgi paints a vivid scene of Copenhagen with her beautiful words.  Pico is an Italian who is studying at the University of Copenhagen and her friend Leo recommends her for a summer job at A. Bartram Antiques.  Pico doesn't have any experience in art or antique dealing but she speaks several languages so she is a very useful assistant for Antonio Bartram.

When Antonio goes missing, Pico must use both her language and problem-solving skills to uncover Antonio's hidden past, which will give her the clues to discover his current destination.  I was completely drawn into the web of intrigue that the author had cast around me and the pacing rose to a crescendo as I raced towards the breathtaking conclusion.  

Based on a true story, Rosaria Giorgi weaves fact with fiction to create an intelligent, intriguing and multi-layered mystery in her breathtaking debut novel.  A recommended read for crime fiction fans and unmissable for anyone with a love of art.

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 Dark Flood (Benny Griessel Mysteries Book 7) - Deon Meyer

One last chance. Almost fired for insubordination, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves demoted, exiled from the elite Hawks unit and dispatched to the leafy streets of Stellenbosch. Working a missing persons report on student Callie de Bruin is not the level of work they are used to, but it's all they get. And soon, it takes a dangerous, deeply disturbing turn.

One last chance. Stellenbosch is beautiful, but its economy has been ruined by one man. Jasper Boonstra and his gigantic corporate fraud have crashed the local property market, just when estate agent Sandra Steenberg desperately needs a big sale. Bringing up twins and supporting her academic husband, she is facing disaster. Then she gets a call. From Jasper Boonstra, fraudster, sexual predator and owner of a superb property worth millions, even now.

For Sandra, the stakes are high and about to get way higher.

For Benny Griessel, clinging to sobriety and the relationship that saved his life, the truth about Callie can only lead to more trouble.

Taut with intrigue, murder and suspense, exploding with action and excitement, The Dark Flood is a masterpiece from the author of Trackers and The Last Hunt.

 

What did I think?

The Dark Flood starts with a bang and the pacing doesn't slow at all; I had to put it down at times just to stop and catch my breath.  It's the first book I've read in the Benny Griessel series so don't be put off by this being book 7 in the series as you can definitely read it as a standalone.  It's originally written in Afrikaans and translated beautifully by K. L. Seegers;  there's even a glossary at the back to explain the words that have been left in for authenticity.

I loved both Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido from the start when they're setting off in pursuit of security van robbers in South Africa.  When it all goes wrong, they find themselves demoted and shipped off to the university town of Stellenbosch.  Their first case is to investigate a missing student that uncovers a lot more than they bargained for.  I loved the camaraderie between the pair and enjoyed finding out about their personal lives too.

Running alongside the missing persons case is a story about estate agent Sandra who is experiencing what it's like to be a woman in a man's world.  It really made my skin crawl when I was reading the passages detailing her interactions with her boss and her client.  Unfortunately, a lot of women have experienced similar things so it's good to keep highlighting it.  Sandra's plotline is superb - I'll never forget it!

So you may be wondering, like I was, how the two stories relate to each other.  Well, it all comes together brilliantly; it's so good that The Dark Flood would be the perfect book to study in a crime writing masterclass.

Accomplished, tense and gripping, I absolutely loved The Dark Flood and it's certainly made me want to read the earlier books.  If you like all the great modern crime writers (such as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and James Patterson) then you will LOVE Deon Meyer.  Very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

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BLOG TOUR: Truth or Die (D.S. Imogen Grey #5) - Katerina Diamond

Their darkest secrets won’t stay buried forever…

The butchered body of a professor is found in a private office of Exeter University. It is the first in a spate of horrific murders that shakes the city to its core.

Who would target a seemingly innocent man, and why? DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles turn to his students for answers, but their investigation turns up no leads. Someone must know more than they’re letting on…

As the body count rises, the police have to look into the past to uncover the person responsible before it’s too late.

But are they brave enough to face up to the truth?

What did I think?

I've been a fan of the D.S. Grey and Miles books since being bowled over by the first book in the series, The Teacher.  Unfortunately for me I haven't yet read book 3, The Angel, which sees the introduction of some characters who make a reappearance in this book.  It didn't disadvantage me too much, and you can definitely read Truth or Die as a standalone, but I did feel like I had missed out on a great back story so it has spurred me on to read The Angel as soon as possible.

With such multi-dimensional and established characters as D.S. Imogen Grey and D.S. Adrian Miles, Katerina Diamond writes one hell of a police procedural.  Add to that her dark and twisted imagination and you are guaranteed a crime thriller you will never forget.  Often grisly in its level of detail, one particular method of murder is spine-tinglingly chilling but there's a pun attached to the victim's name which did make me smirk.

There's almost a dual storyline running through Truth or Die with Grey and Miles getting a little more up close and personal as well as chasing down a killer of students and professors at Exeter University.  These murders aren't random by any means and Grey and Miles discover that there's a dark and disturbing game afoot.  Can they catch the ringleader before more bodies turn up?  I certainly couldn't read fast enough to find out!

I deliberated a bit over my rating for this one; as a standalone I would rate it 4 out of 5, but as part of the series I have no doubt that it would scoop the full 5 stars.  I now want to read the whole series all over again to see what I've missed and to revisit Grey and Miles from the start.

Fast paced and gripping, Truth or Die is another outstanding page turner from Katerina Diamond that sees the D.S. Imogen Grey series go from strength to strength.  

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

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The Gift Maker - Mark Mayes

'Gifts ought to be free, but they never are. They tie you to the wishes of others. To your own sad expectations. To the penitentiary of your dreams.' 

Late one night, Thomas Ruder receives a strange package: a small blue box. Another such item is delivered to his friend Liselotte Hauptmann. These 'gifts' will change their lives forever. 

In the far-off border town of Grenze, a play is to be performed at the Sheol Theatre. Reynard the impresario expects a very special audience. Thomas and Liselotte, together with their friend Johann, are drawn into Reynard's seductive web, as Daumen, the gift maker, must decide who his master really is. 

The Gift Maker is a story about identity, about fulfilling your dreams and becoming the person you always were ... at whatever cost.

What did I think?

I'm not really sure what I've just read but you could have slapped me in the face with a wet kipper whilst I was reading The Gift Maker and I wouldn't have noticed.  This is PURE escapism, more theology than fantasy but with a massive thought-provoking ending that left my mouth open catching butterflies.

Thomas and Liselotte are students who each have a strange blue box delivered in the middle of the night.  Thomas wants to get back to bed so puts his box in a drawer and goes back to sleep, but Liselotte naturally opens hers straight away.  When Liselotte shares the contents of her box with Thomas, he rushes back home to find his box gone.  Enter Reynard (who I couldn't help but think of as the fox) and Thomas and Liselotte find their world spun on its head.

What follows would make Lewis Carroll wish he'd written it or Tim Burton wish he'd filmed it first.  So jump down the rabbit hole with Mark Mayes and prepare to be amazed, astounded and gobsmacked at this fairytale style unusual story.  The Gift Maker defies all genres and refuses to be put into a box, it's an absolutely magical, captivating story. 

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

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