Singapore Killer (Ash Carter #5) - Murray Bailey

A helicopter crash and burned bodies.

A faceless corpse.

A mysterious town.

It's September 1953 and Ash Carter is drawn into a dark case from which there seems no escape.

What did I think?

Don't worry about picking up this Ash Carter thriller mid-series; although it's book 5, you can definitely read Singapore Killer as a standalone and not feel like you're missing something.  This is my first Ash Carter book and it definitely won't be my last; I absolutely loved it.

Singapore, even Asia, is a new literary location to me and I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual trip there.  I love how Murray Bailey brings the location to life and I felt that not just the location, but also the characters (especially Carter's receptionist, Madam Chau) were described very vividly.  I'm sure I'd get a steely glare from her for calling Madam Chau a receptionist; I certainly wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of her!  

There's a very intriguing helicopter crash at the beginning that hooked me like a greedy fish and I absolutely raced through the pages.  Main character Ash Carter reminded me of a cross between Andy McNab's Nick Stone and 24's Jack Bauer; Ash Carter is a brilliant investigator and fearless in the presence of danger.  Carter is on the trail of the mysterious BlackJack who is targeting and killing military personnel; the trail takes Carter undercover into a cult-like village where the danger levels (and my pulse) went off the scale.

I was surprised how quickly I read Singapore Killer, reading it cover to cover over a period of 24 hours; it just shows you how fast-paced and gripping the story is, without being too heavily military-based (which tends to bore me).  The book is quite unique in that it simultaneously ends on a reveal and a cliffhanger which left me not just thirsty, but positively parched for more!  While I wait for Ash Carter's story to continue, I'll content myself with catching up with Carter's past in the previous four novels.

Singapore Killer is a vivid and gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to well beyond the finish, where I'll continue to perch until book 6 is released!

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

My rating:

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The Puppet Show (Washington Poe #1) - M. W. Craven

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive...

What did I think?

I had heard so many people raving about The Puppet Show that I bought two copies; one for me and one for a gift.  I was so confident that it was going to be good that it's the first time a recipient has read the book before me.  Actually, 'good' isn't a word I'd use to describe The Puppet Show; it's far too mediocre.  Exceptional, outstanding and magnificent come closer to describing how completely brilliant it is.

I love how it's a DS Washington Poe book but it is his soon-to-be civilian partner, Tilly Bradshaw, we are introduced to first.  I've always been described as very literal so I loved Tilly right from the start; she even loves numbers as much as me!  Tilly takes literal to the extreme, however, but it just makes her more endearing.  It's absolute genius to pair her with Poe, a gruff Northerner who pushes (and oversteps) the boundaries to see justice served.  After stepping so far over the line he couldn't see it with binoculars, Poe finds himself brought back from suspension when a serial killer runs rampage in Cumbria.

Written in a refreshing no-nonsense way, M. W. Craven tells it like it is in this outstanding first instalment of the Washingon Poe series.  With his dogged determination and disregard for authority, you can't help but compare Washington Poe to Harry Bosch.  Poe is definitely someone that Bosch would like and admire, and Bosch could maybe even learn a thing or two from him.

This has to be one of the best starts to a series I have ever read and if the only way is up, then I can't wait to read more of the Washington Poe series.  Luckily, at the time of writing, I already have the next two instalments waiting impatiently on my Kindle.  Absolutely superb, The Puppet Show isn't just my book of the year, it's my book of the decade.  It's well deserving of a full 5 stars and then some.  So very highly recommended, it's a book that you won't be able to put down and a series to which you can't wait to return.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: I Made a Mistake - Jane Corry

IT STARTED WITH A KISS... AND ENDED WITH MURDER.

In Poppy Page's mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands, and those who are not. Until now, Poppy has never questioned which she was.

But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake - and that mistake will be far more dangerous than she could imagine.

Someone is going to pay for it with their life . . .

What did I think?

Oh wow; what a twisty little web you weave, Jane Corry!  I Made a Mistake captured me in its web from the very start with a brilliantly tense, breathtaking and claustrophobic prologue.  The tension and intrigue continued to mount as the story unfolded and, as my eyes widened in surprise at the end of chapter one, I can definitely say that this fantastic novel is astonishing.

The story is told from two perspectives with Poppy and her mother-in-law Betty having alternating chapters.  Both stories are so completely riveting that I found myself eager to get back to each one of them and I felt like I was in the speed reading Olympics as I raced through the pages as fast as I could.  I loved both characters' stories equally; Poppy trying to juggle family life and her own business and Betty's traditional 1960's marriage with her husband as the breadwinner.  I found it really interesting to compare and contrast marriages from different generations; with the focus very much on equality nowadays, it's shocking to think that we were ever so antiquated.

Without revealing any of the plot, other than what is already in the blurb, Poppy's marriage is put to the test when an old flame enters her life.  Whilst it might be easy to condemn Poppy's actions, there are mitigating factors and she more than pays for her mistake.  As the book title suggests, 'mistake' is a common theme in the book and consequently forgiveness and penance.  We humans do like to beat ourselves up for mistakes we make but we shouldn't keep paying for it for the rest of our lives!  

With a cleverly crafted and perfectly plotted storyline, I Made a Mistake took me in completely unexpected directions from start to finish; every single twist and turn surprised me.  I Made a Mistake is absolutely brilliant and I can't recommend it highly enough.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



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Stranger Still (Strange Series Book 3) - Marilyn Messik

Telepathy, along with sundry other odd abilities, have landed Stella more than once, in situations at best controversial, at worst life-threatening. But she’s always known; you have to fight your own corner as best you can, no point beating yourself up about it.

Now though, times have changed, different priorities. She’s married, with a baby on the way and a flourishing business. She simply has to deal with a couple of worrying issues and then all should be smooth sailing.

But, isn't it a fact; just when you think you’ve got all your ducks in a row, life can turn right around and bite you on the bottom?

What did I think?

I've really been enjoying the Strange Series so the third book, Stranger Still barely hit the doormat before I'd scooped it up and started reading.  I do think you have to read this series in sequential order as Stranger Still, although hugely entertaining in its own right, won't make as much sense as a standalone.  For anyone new to the series, or a refresher for established fans, Marilyn Messik has very kindly included a cast of characters at the beginning.  I love little extra touches like this.

So in this third outing, we find newly married main character Stella in grave danger in the prologue.  I wasn't too worried as there hasn't been a sticky situation she hasn't yet got herself out of, however, as I continued to read the tension and danger seemed to mount.  Just what has Stella got caught up in this time?  Whatever it is, it had my heart in my mouth at times.  I think that not only because I have read the earlier books but because Marilyn Messik has created such an unusual and unforgettable character in Stella, I feel as if I know Stella personally so I was really worried for her and her friends.  Especially as Stranger Still has a darker feel to it than the other books.

Not only are the characters unique, but Marilyn Messik's style of writing is one of a kind.  Marilyn has a wonderfully dry sense of humour that adds depth to her quirky characters and she also has a knack for finishing her chapters with oodles of suspense which ensure you need to read 'just one more chapter' until there are no more left. 

With the usual 'strange' cast of characters, Stranger Still is another brilliant instalment in the exceptional Strange Series.  I thought Stranger Still was the conclusion to a trilogy but I was delighted to read in the acknowledgements that there are more adventures to come.  Uniquely different and strange with a capital S, I've loved all three books and I heartily recommend this series.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: No Signal (iMe #2) - Jem Tugwell

Can a game change the world? 

The Ten are chosen - they are reckless, driven and strong. They are tested. Ten become Four. In a country where everyone is tracked, how can the Four hide from the police? 

DI Clive Lussac hates the system that controls everything, but he's ill and it's helping him. He must decide: conform or fight. 

As Clive's world unravels, he and his partners DC Ava Miller and DS Zoe Jordan can't believe the entry price to the game. They strive to answer the real questions. Why does the ultimate Augmented Reality game have four different finishes? And how is a simple game wrapped up in politics, religion and the environment?

What did I think?

If I had to describe No Signal in two words they'd be: FLIPPING AWESOME!  I've always said that I don't read science fiction but if this is an example of the genre then consider me converted.  I haven't read Proximity, the first book in the iMe series, and I didn't feel at a disadvantage at all so you can definitely read No Signal as a standalone but I do really want to read Proximity now too.

In a future UK, everyone is fitted with an iMe - a device that not only tracks a person's location but, among many other things, monitors their health and wellbeing.  You have no secrets from the powers that be therefore crime is virtually non-existent.  You can't even eat a bar of chocolate without it being deducted from your allocated 'Freedom Units' and this is a big issue for the main character, Detective Inspector and chocaholic Clive Lussac.  I thought I liked chocolate but I think Clive would actually die for a bar of chocolate, especially one that he can eat off the radar.  It always amazes me that no matter how complex and secure you think a system is, there's always someone who finds a way to get around it.

Gamers from all over the world have been invited to compete for a place in the ultimate augmented reality game on the 'Forbidden Island', also known as UK.  Ten have been chosen but only four can compete.  I've never been into games but I really enjoyed reading about the very inventive and imaginative tasks that the players had to undertake.  The final four comprises players from France, South Africa, America and Italy, who fly to the UK and are fitted with a compulsory iTourist that tracks their every movement.  The first task in the game is to disable the tracking device and then for each of them to make their way unaided to a particular location.  The first person to reach their location wins the game but disabling the iTourist sends out an alert that sees Clive and his team reverting to good old-fashioned police work to track them down.

The intelligent plot of No Signal is absolutely fantastic; it had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  It's set in a dystopian future but it's so scarily realistic when you think about the current trend for fitness trackers that monitor our health; it's almost like fitness trackers are phase one and phase two will see a fitness tracker getting implanted in our necks.  I don't think people would even have a problem with that but it would certainly take Big Brother up to the next level.  Speaking of which, I couldn't help but compare No Signal to Orwell's 1984: both books depict a scarily realistic future and 70 years later we are seeing some of Orwell's predictions come true.  As with 1984, I can see No Signal becoming a classic and when the first tracker gets implanted, I'll say I read that in Jem Tugwell's book!

No Signal is an instant classic; it's an absolutely outstanding dystopian crime thriller with an inventive and intelligent plot.  It's fast-paced, gripping and scarily realistic; I really can't recommend it highly enough.  They'll be talking about this book in years to come, so make sure you grab a copy now!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Jem Tugwell is a crime fiction author with a Crime Writing MA from City University.

NO SIGNAL is the second book in the iMe series and follows his thrilling debut novel PROXIMITY.

Jem is inspired by the fascinating possibilities of technology, AI and the law of unintended consequences. In a past life, Jem had a successful career in investment management, and he now lives in Surrey with his wife. He has two great children and a dog. Outside of his family and writing, Jem's loves are snowboarding, old cars and bikes.

Please visit his website (www.jemtugwell.com) to read more.

Follow Jem on Twitter @JemTugwell

or Facebook JemTugwellAuthor

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BLOG TOUR: The Babysitter - Phoebe Morgan

On the hottest day of the year, Caroline Harvey is found dead in Suffolk. Her body is left draped over a cot – but the baby she was looking after is missing.  

Hundreds of miles away, Siobhan Dillon is on a luxurious family holiday in France when her husband, Callum, is arrested by French police on suspicion of murder.

As Siobhan’s perfect family is torn apart by the media in the nation’s frantic search for the missing baby, she desperately tries to piece together how Callum knew Caroline.

What happened that night? Was Caroline as innocent as she seemed – or was she hiding a secret of her own?

What did I think?

I love a book filled with secrets and The Babysitter is absolutely bursting at the seams with them.  There's a murder, a missing child and more secrets than you can shake a stick at, making this such a gripping and addictive book that you won't want to put down for a second.  I even felt like I didn't want to blink in case I missed something.

Ipswich is left reeling when Caroline Harvey is found dead in her apartment with no sign of her friend's baby who she was looking after.  The parents of the missing child give local TV executive Callum Dillon's name to the police and he becomes their prime suspect.  Callum is on holiday in France with his family when the police turn up to arrest him and take him back to Ipswich for questioning.  Everything points to Callum murdering Caroline then calmly jetting off on holiday, but why did he do it and what happened to the baby?

With flashbacks to before the murder and present day, The Babysitter sets a blistering pace that ensures the reader will be turning the pages as fast as possible until all of its dark and delicious secrets are revealed.  There are some amazing heart-stopping moments that left me breathless and gasping with shock but my eyes insisted on greedily devouring every single word without giving me the chance to pause.

I love the mixed media that Phoebe Morgan has included in her story; the police interview transcripts and tweets really give an extra dimension to the story making it feel very realistic.  Weirdly, I wasn't that keen on the characters but I think that's kind of the point: Callum is completely detestable and Siobhan just likes to bury her head in the sand to avoid problems with her husband and daughter.  Caroline's story is perhaps the saddest one I have ever read and I was surprised how empathetic I felt towards her.

The Babysitter is incredibly gripping and addictive with such a clever jaw-dropping plot that you won't be able to put it down once you pick it up.  Make sure you clear your schedule and find a nice quiet place to read as you won't want to be disturbed once you start The Babysitter.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




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BLOG TOUR: Lionheart (Richard the Lionheart Book 1) - Ben Kane

REBEL. LEADER. BROTHER. KING.

1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme.

But there is unrest in Henry's house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion.

Ferdia - an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland - saves the life of Richard, the king's son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior.

Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine. The bloody battles and gruelling sieges which followed would earn Richard the legendary name of Lionheart.

But Richard's older brother, Henry, is infuriated by his sibling's newfound fame. Soon it becomes clear that the biggest threat to Richard's life may not be rebel or French armies, but his own family...

What did I think?

As a fan of historical fiction, I've always wanted to read a Ben Kane book so when I saw that he had changed historical period from Roman to Plantagenet I thought it was a good time to pick one up.  Richard the Lionheart is such a famous historical figure and I am ashamed to say that I knew very little about him, although I know a bit more about him now that I have read Lionheart.

Richard is Duke of Aquitaine when we first encounter him in Lionheart and rather surprisingly he is not the main character in the book.  The story is told from the point of view of Ferdia, an Irish nobleman who is being held captive at Striguil (now known as Chepstow) in Wales.  Ferdia is nicknamed Rufus because of his red hair and quickly acquires an arch-enemy, a knight named Robert FitzAldelm, who Ferdia refers to as Fists and Boots due to the constant physical bullying.  Ferdia and FitzAldelm take an instant dislike to each other but fate sees them crossing paths on many more occasions.

Lionheart tells Richard's story through Ferdia's eyes and it covers quite a lot of ground over a 10 year period from 1179 to 1189.  Richard's father, Henry II, is on the throne and growing weary of his four sons feuding and backstabbing each other.  I really enjoyed reading about the plotting and scheming between the boys: Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John (they sound like a medieval Beatles).  I was aware that Richard and John were brothers, but I didn't realise that there were other siblings so it was really interesting to find out how Richard I became Henry II's successor.

There are not only battles between the brothers, but there are actual battles portrayed in Lionheart.  The level of detail and vivid depiction of battle is clearly Ben Kane's forte.  The sights, sounds and smells of battle jump out of the pages as Richard evolves into the warrior we know he becomes.  I have to say that I found the battle scenes a bit hard going as I'm not terribly interested in strategy and war but I'm sure that most people will find it gripping and thrilling.

I loved reading Ferdia's story as his growing respect for Richard sees him overcoming his hatred of the English.  Ferdia seems very loyal, in both love and war, so I think that Richard has a good man by his side and Ferdia will have many more tales to tell in future instalments.  In this first instalment, Lionheart sets the scene perfectly for what I'm sure will be an epic series.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




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