The Prison Doctor - Dr Amanda Brown

Horrifying, heartbreaking and eye-opening, these are the stories, the patients and the cases that have characterised a career spent being a doctor behind bars.

Violence. Drugs. Suicide. Welcome to the world of a Prison Doctor.

Dr Amanda Brown has treated inmates in the UK’s most infamous prisons first in young offenders institutions, then at the notorious Wormwood Scrubs and finally at Europe's largest women-only prison in Europe, Bronzefield.

From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protests, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking acts of self-harm, she has witnessed it all.

In this eye-opening, inspirational memoir, Amanda reveals the stories, the patients and the cases that have shaped a career helping those most of us would rather forget.

Despite their crimes, she is still their doctor.

What did I think?

I like to read non-fiction now and again and The Prison Doctor by Dr Amanda Brown caught my eye.  You could be forgiven for forgetting that this is non-fiction as some of the stories are as harrowing and shocking as crime fiction but this is real life.

Dr Amanda Brown's writing is vibrant and honest, which makes the reader feel as if they are in the prison hearing the shouts of the inmates and the clank of the doors.  As she has made some monumental decisions in her medical career, Dr Brown does include a little bit of her personal life and I really liked this aspect.  We often don't realise how much a GP practice is run like a business with targets and requirements being imposed that impact the doctor and the practice financially.

Leaving her GP practice was heartbreaking as the patients Dr Brown had cared for over many years were so sad to see her go.  I'm not surprised her patients were heartbroken as she wasn't just a doctor to many of them, she was often also a counsellor and a friend.  Dr Brown comes across as someone who loves her job and gives 100% to whatever task is presented to her.

The stories vary from funny to disturbing so there's a good mix and I'm sure Dr Brown had many stories to choose from.  I laughed at some of the stories from the young offenders institution and I gasped with shock at some of the stories from the adult prisons.  The Prison Doctor really does give a 360 degree of a doctor working behind bars and gives us a glimpse of what life is like for some of the prisoners.

The Prison Doctor is an interesting, disturbing and often funny memoir that provides an honest insight into the challenging life of a modern doctor.  Very well written and incredibly enjoyable reading.

My rating:

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Always the Dead - Stephen J. Golds

 

Los Angeles, California. 1949.

Scott Kelly is a World War Two Marine veteran and mob hitman confined to a Tuberculosis sanatorium suffering from consumption, flashbacks and nightmares from his experiences of The Battle of Okinawa and a botched hit for Bugsy Siegel.

When his movie actress girlfriend disappears, he bribes his way out of the sanatorium to search for her.

What follows is a frantic search, a manic murder spree, stolen contraband, and a briefcase full of cash.

A story that stretches from the war torn beaches of Okinawa, all the way to the playground of the rich and famous, Palm Springs, California.

An exploration into the depths of L.A crime, PTSD and twisted love.

A semi-fictional novel based around the disappearance of Jean Spangler.

What did I think?

I discovered Stephen J. Golds books when I was drawn like a moth to the flame to the cover of his brilliant novel Say Goodbye When I'm Gone but I have to say that the postcard cover of Always the Dead is absolutely breathtaking.  Always the Dead has the same vintage thriller feel to it and although it is a little darker, I consider it to be his best book yet; I've honestly never read anything like it before.

I don't know how he does it, but reading Always the Dead is like watching an old black and white movie with a New York twanged narrator.  I was absolutely flabbergasted that such authentic vintage scenes could be conjured from such very well chosen words, which is solely due to the immense talent of Stephen J. Golds.

The main character of Scott Kelly is one that you simultaneously fear yet root for.  Scott is a war veteran, clearly suffering from PTSD, but it's his tuberculosis that sees him confined to a sanatorium.  With inner demons waging war inside his head, it's a wonder that Scott can function at all but it's thoughts of his girlfriend Jean that keep him going.  Jean isn't a traditional girlfriend and I found her to be something of an enigma, wondering if we ever see the real side of her.  When Jean disappears, Scott sets off to look for her, settling a few old scores along the way. but his physical and mental health deteriorate rapidly.

It wasn't until after I finished reading Always the Dead, that I found out that it was inspired by the true story of the disappearance of Jean Spangler.  Off to google I went and, as I often say, I love books that send me off researching fascinating stories or facts.  Jean being a real actress makes this book even more authentic and it would make an amazing movie, in black and white of course.

Brilliantly written with a vintage feel, Always the Dead is dark, gritty and compulsive reading.  Stephen J. Golds is a hugely talented author and definitely one to watch.  A well deserved five stars and highly recommended reading.

Many thanks to Stephen J. Golds for sending me an early copy to read; all opinions in this review are my own.

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The Coincidence (The Trial Trilogy) - David B. Lyons

How wide can a coincidence stretch your beliefs?

Joy Stapleton is Ireland’s most infamous prisoner.

She was incarcerated for two life sentences, after the bodies of her two young sons were found buried in a shallow grave in the Dublin mountains.

But she has always maintained her innocence, and argues the only reason she was ever arrested in the first place comes down to mere coincidence.

But it’s a coincidence that didn’t convince detectives.

A coincidence that didn’t convince a jury.

And a coincidence that hasn’t impressed the inmates of Mountjoy Prison.

That is until eight years into her sentence, when new evidence emerges, and everybody — including Joy’s long-suffering husband Shay — is forced into a rethink.

Take your seat in the courtroom for the retrial of the century… and see just how wide you’re willing to allow a coincidence stretch your beliefs…

What did I think?

I absolutely love books set in the courtroom for their high drama and edge of your seat thrills and David. B. Lyons delivers drama and thrills in abundance in The Coincidence, the third book in The Trial Trilogy.  It's such very compulsive reading and once you pick it up, it's impossible to put down.  David B. Lyons’ writing is so vivid and immersive I actually felt as if I was sitting in the courtroom; in fact it felt like I was in the judge's seat as the reader is privy to judge Delia's thought processes.

The case in this book is a retrial so the defendant, Joy Stapleton, is already in prison serving two life sentences for the murder of her sons.  Joy was convicted after being caught on CCTV near to the burial site, however, Joy claims it wasn't her in the video and the image isn't clear enough to confirm this.  New evidence is brought before the court to cast doubt on the person's identity in the video and a retrial is granted.

David B. Lyons paints such a vivid picture of life behind bars that my kindle virtually hummed with the underlying tension and the threat of violence.  An extra layer of suspense is added by the reader first meeting Joy 3,000 days ago when she is brought to Mountjoy Prison and the days count down to the verdict.  As if there wasn't enough tension already, the countdown clock made me put on my literary running shoes so I could race to the end of this very cleverly crafted and completely addictive book.

I had to take a few moments at the end of the book to gather my thoughts as I had so many questions flying around my head.  Some of these questions could have been answered along the way if I'd read a bit slower, but once I sat down and thought it over I fully appreciated the brilliantly clever plot.

The Coincidence is so gripping and fast paced, I couldn’t put it down; you’d think it was made out of chocolate the way I completely devoured it.  With clues to collect along the way, there’s so much to absorb and discuss which makes The Coincidence the perfect read for book groups.  A fantastic book and highly recommended.

Thank you to David B. Lyons for sending me an ARC to read; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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When Angels Fear (The Flammark Series Book 1) - Polly J. Mordant

 

She runs from a terrifying past, to a village with problems of its own

 

Exhausted, desperately seeking sanctuary, Emma arrives at the pretty English village of Flammark. 

But she cannot rest. A strange sleeping sickness stalks the village and a young woman has disappeared.

Why won't the police investigate?

As events unfold, Emma becomes embattled yet again, compelled to fight for her life against a deadly curse linked to an ancestry about which she had no knowledge.

She is the only one able to vanquish the evil, but doing so will entail confronting an horrific and all-too-familiar enemy.

The question is, will she be strong enough?

What did I think?

Wow!  This book is completely awesome!  I honestly couldn't put it down and would have read it all in one day if my eyes hadn't decided it was time to sleep and I wanted my full wits about me as the electrifying conclusion approached.  Described as a supernatural thriller, it really only dips its toe into the fantasy genre so it will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy thrillers and police procedurals.  It's an absolute must read for anyone who watches (or watched when it was good) the TV show Supernatural.

Emma is escaping an abusive relationship and drops a pin in the map which directs her to the quaint little village of Flammark.  Emma arrives in Flammark at a turbulent time as the villagers are devastated when one of their own goes missing.  Not only that, the church is getting emptier and the doctor's surgery is a ghost town as one by one the villagers succumb to a mystery illness.  Something dark is coming to Flammark and it wants Emma...

I really can't begin to describe how good this book is; it's just absolutely fantastic.  Intriguing and gripping from the start, creepy in the middle and sensational at the end.  It has to be one of the most addictive books I have ever read and it completely possessed me to the point where I couldn't put it down.  P. J. Mordant's writing is so very descriptive, both in the painting of scenes and exploration of feelings.  I had a very clear picture of Flammark in my head and I certainly felt the fear!

There are some outstanding characters in the novel and some are not who they first appear to be.  I really should have connected the dots on this one but it came as a complete surprise to me!  I'm not saying what, as it will spoil the story, but it was very nicely done and I loved this element of the story.  I also loved Emma's mysterious ancestry that added an extra layer to the storyline.  I just loved everything about this book and I'm absolutely thrilled that it's the first in a series; I'm really looking forward to visiting Flammark again.

An outstanding debut novel from P. J. Mordant, When Angels Fear is simply exceptional.  I really can't recommend it highly enough; it's one of my favourite books of the year and fully deserves 5 stars and more.

I can't thank P. J. Mordant enough for sending me an ARC to read and review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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The Last Resort - Susi Holliday

 

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime.

When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.

Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.

As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late to get out?

What did I think?

Having read Susi Holliday's brilliant book Violet, I couldn't wait to get my hands on her new book: The Last Resort.  I was very intrigued by the synopsis that sounds like a cross between Lost and a reality show but unlike Lost, the characters aren't all dead...yet.

Seven strangers are invited to an island to test a new product, they have no idea what it is they are testing but all except one fall into the 'fame hungry' or 'owt for nowt' categories.  Amelia is the exception as she is an aid worker who doesn't own a company or have a million followers, so she is immediately singled out as 'different'.

The guests have a memory tracking device fitted to their heads, except Amelia whose device didn't work so she gets to wear a wrist tracker instead which causes further grumbling within the group.  Their only task is to make their way to the main house on the island for the end of day party but you know it's not going to be a simple journey.  Secrets are about to be revealed that will not just make this trip unforgettable but deadly.

Susi Holliday has created such an irritating cast of characters that you love to hate.  I really didn't like them at all, but I guess that's the point as they are clearly bad inside.  I loved the way that each secret was revealed and it felt very much like a reality show as the 'host' attempted to turn the guests against each other before they reach their destination.  The story and intrigue builds up very nicely towards the conclusion of the novel, however, it seemed to fall a little short and ended up being rather anticlimactic.

On the whole, The Last Resort is a very addictive read with an intriguing plot, a stunning setting and a cast of purposefully obnoxious characters.  Although it sounds like science fiction at first, it turns out to be a pretty scary storyline when you read Susi Holliday's inspiration for her novel.  

Thank you to TBC Reviewers Group for providing an ebook for me to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Plague Letters - V.L. Valentine

WHO WOULD MURDER THE DYING...

London, 1665. Hidden within a growing pile of corpses, one victim of the pestilence stands out: a young woman with a shorn head and pieces of twine delicately tied around each ankle.

Symon Patrick, rector of St. Paul's Covent Garden, cannot say exactly why this corpse amongst the many in his churchyard should give him pause. Longing to do good, he joins a group of medical men who have gathered to find a cure for the plague, each man more peculiar and splenetic than the next. But there is another, unknown to The Society for the Prevention and Cure of Plague, who is performing his own terrible experiments upon unwilling plague-ridden subjects.

It is Penelope - Symon's unwanted yet unremovable addition to his household - who may yet shed light on the matter. Far more than what she appears, she is already on the hunt. But the dark presence that enters the houses of the sick will not stop, and has no mercy...

What did I think?

Set in 1665 during the Great Plague of London, I am amazed by how much The Plague Letters shows shocking similarities to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020.  Written well before Covid-19 was even a twinkle in a bat's eye, it's well worth reading just to prove that we will never learn, not even from history.

As doctors race to develop a cure, a murderer is roaming the streets of London experimenting on the sick and dying.  Rector Symon and his sidekick Penelope become somewhat amateur sleuths as they follow the corpses to lead them to the killer.  It's mainly Penelope really as Symon is completely smitten with a married woman and he would much rather sit at home reading her letters and dreaming of an impossible future.

Whilst I was intrigued by the murders, it was the spread of plague that completely mesmerised me and that brings me on to an element of the book that I thought was a fantastic addition but only if you read The Plague Letters as a physical book (unfortunately, I read an ebook).  I will always choose a physical book over a kindle copy mainly because I love the feel of a book in my hands, but there are also a lot of features that just don't work in kindle.  In this case, a map of London is interspersed between the chapters showing the spread of plague moving across London in red.  This would have been a very dramatic graphic if kindle could only show colours.

Other than the enigma that is Penelope, and Symon's cute little cat that said 'mweep', I didn't really connect with any of the characters.  Symon is wetter than a wet weekend in Skegness and I just wanted to give him a shake to make him stop obsessing over Elizabeth.  The other medical men seemed to all merge into one and I couldn't really separate them in my mind, although there is a very useful cast of characters at the start of the book but it's not so easy to flick back and forth on a kindle as you could so easily do with a physical book.  I call Penelope an enigma as I'm not really sure what her role is in Symon's household; she seems to annoy Symon a lot of the time but he doesn't even consider getting rid of her.  The air of mystery surrounding her certainly adds to the intrigue of her character.

The Plague Letters may be historical fiction but it's like reading about the present day.  Shocking in its similarities to 2020, it's a very well written novel with a murderous twist.

Thank you to Viper Books for approving my NetGalley request to read an ebook; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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I've Been Watching You - KA Richardson

 

Ben Cassidy is a new crime scene investigator and is finding her feet juggling work and motherhood. Keen to better herself, she enrols on a course in Digital Forensics and meets Jacob Tulley, an ex-army veteran struggling with his past.

When Detective Inspector Alistair McKay and the team are called to a suspected hit and run involving a care home worker, Ben suspects there is more to it, and uncovers a link to a series of murders that hits far too close to home.

Ben and Jacob must work together when evidence of a digital footprint emerges from the killer who knows how to cover his tracks. He’s confident they can’t find him, and when he realises ‘the one who got away’ is under his nose, sets out to finish the job he started.

Can Ben cope with overwhelming memories, can Jacob put his past aside to help Ben and DI McKay gather the evidence needed, and can they stop the cycle of victims?

What did I think?

Oh my word, this book is SO creepy.  KA Richardson has created a stalker on steroids in her recently republished novel, I've Been Watching You.  I have read a few of KA Richardson's later novels so I know how dark they can get but I've Been Watching You still had my skin crawling; it's that creepy feeling of someone watching your every move without you realising it.

The storyline has two main threads: the stalker serial killer and the blossoming relationship between two damaged characters who are hunting the murderer.  This is one heck of a sick, twisted killer but I loved how we get a glimpse of their past, not so much to explain why they're doing what they're doing but to see what broke them.  That's as close as I'm getting to talking about the plot for fear of spoiling it for others.

I loved the characters of Ben Cassidy and Jacob Tulley who both have very disturbing back stories of their own.  It's no wonder that they are drawn to each other like magnets as they must be able to see similarities to themselves in each other.  It's wonderful to see that both characters are very family oriented and they are as important to their families as their families are to them.

As I've read KA Richardson's books out of order, it was great to see characters I recognised and it felt like meeting an old friend you haven't seen for years.  I certainly wouldn't mind having some of these strong, loyal and determined characters on my team.  As I've Been Watching You is set in the North East of England, particularly Sunderland, it's also great to see locations I know; I'll never tire of reading books set in my native North East.

Prepare to have your skin crawling when you read this creepfest from KA Richardson; I've Been Watching You is dark, creepy and completely addictive.

My rating:

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