Mystery & Detective

Review: Snakes and Ladders by Victoria Selman

April 5, 2020 Yvonne 1 Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

snakes and ladders by victoria selman - Review: Snakes and Ladders by Victoria Selman

Snakes and Ladders by Victoria Selman
Published by THOMAS & MERCER on December 17, 2019
ISBN: 9781542008792
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Thrillers, Crime, Psychological
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

five stars - Review: Snakes and Ladders by Victoria Selman

Psycho meets The Silence of the Lambs
One killer on the loose. Another setting the rules. A profiler caught in the middle.
A serial killer is terrorising London, removing a body part from each victim and leaving in its place a single pink rose.
Dr Vernon Sange, a multiple murderer awaiting extradition, seems to know the culprit's identity--but he'll only talk to profiler Ziba MacKenzie, the woman responsible for putting him away. Though there's something he wants in return from her. And time is running out.
With one killer whispering in her ear and another running rings around the police, Ziba must play a game in which only her opponent knows the rules, and the forfeit is death.

Wow…Snakes and Ladders was the dog’s testicles for sure! Billed as psycho meets Silence of the lambs, never was I going to refuse a match up like that! Although this book is one that you should go completely blind into. It was very Silence of the lambs, but it far exceeded my expectations. Do you want a book that will give you blunt force trauma by its sheer brilliant narrative and its impending threat that just constantly lurks around every corner. If you only read one crime series this year, make it this one!

Victoria Selman translates such equivocal storytelling onto the page with such ease. She gives the reader a snapshot of her powerful imagination. Snakes and Ladders is essentially a power to be reckoned with. She pushes us to our emotional limits, squeezes us to accept humanities flaws and highlights society’s cracks.

Snakes and Ladders will hook you immediately. The setting, the storytelling and the characterisation will do a blinder on you! I do love a good crime fiction novel but very few have been able to suck me into the storyline quite like this. Add in the intensity of two serial killers and the flawed character of a highly successful criminal profiler and it eagerly ticks all the boxes for a hugely addictive crime novel. All it takes is one taste of the story buried underneath and you will be gone.

Snakes and Ladders is one of those books that are so incredibly difficult to review. The story is so intelligent and compelling, but I don’t want to give anything away that may spoil the story. Ziba Mackenzie is an extremely strong protagonist. I think ultimately this is the reason I loved the story so much. The flowed around her, she strengthened it, but she had her flaws and for that, she was relatable – we can all see parts of ourselves within her character. Her personality felt like an echo resonating out with the pages. Her role within the investigation was as a freelance criminal profiler. I enjoyed this angle and it made an intriguing change from the usual detective or police viewpoint. She delved into the investigation with vigour and I was intrigued about the personal connection she seemed to have with one of the serial killers, Vernon Sange. He’s still behind bars but somehow, he’s still able to pull the shots. He’s intimidating and creepily intelligent. He’s for sure a dead ringer for Hannibal Lector. He gave me chills!

Our other serial killer, The Pink Rose Killer is the focus of this investigation, but it is no less devastating. How does Vernon Sange know so much about him? Are they in contact? Will he give a name? can they stop him before he claims his next victim? We get insight into the killers past with flashback chapters and it really nails home just how much the past can have a firm grip on our present and future.

Snakes and Ladders has cemented Victoria Selman as an exciting crime writer to watch. Twist follows twist at such a breakneck speed. Cancel all your plans. Turn your phone off, lock the doors and get comfy…you won’t be going anywhere until the final page is closed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

victoria selman picture 3 - Review: Snakes and Ladders by Victoria Selman

Victoria’s first novel, BLOOD FOR BLOOD, was shortlisted for the 2017 Debut Dagger Award and is a Kindle #1 bestseller. Her second novel, NOTHING TO LOSE went straight to #22 on the Kindle Movers & Shakers chart when it was published in March.

She has written for The Daily Express, Ham & High and Independent newspapers and in 2013 she won the Full Stop Short Story Prize.

She also co-hosts the true crime podcast, CRIME GIRL GANG in which three crime writers examine real life cold cases then solve them from a fictional perspective: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/crime-girl-gang/id1447814645?mt=2 …

If you’d like to get in touch please use Twitter @VictoriaSelman

Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

March 23, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the girls in the lake by helen phifer - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

The Girls in the Lake by Helen Phifer
Published by Bookouture on December 9, 2019
ISBN: 9781786819253
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, General, Thrillers, Medical, Crime, Suspense, Traditional, Women Sleuths, Romance, Psychological, Small Town & Rural, Private Investigators, Hard-Boiled, Noir, Amateur Sleuth
Pages: 291
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Peering over the side of the boat, the glare of early morning sun catches on something pale in the inky water. The boy’s curious fingertips break the surface, pulling up a tangle of long blonde hair from the reeds below…

The discovery of a girl floating face down in Lake Windermere, her naked skin almost translucent in the freezing water, looks like yet another tragic teen suicide. But the victim’s lack of clothes make Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams want to investigate further. Anything to distract her from the arrival of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s body on the mortuary table that morning.

With witnesses keeping tight-lipped and any clues washed away by the tides, it’s up to Beth to find the evidence her team needs. But then another girl is found in the lake, this time still clinging to life. She tells them she was at a party on a boat, and that she was pushed…

As more bodies surface, tiny traces of boat paint lead Beth to a tragic accident involving a group of school children years ago, and the feeling that the killer might be closer than anyone could ever have imaged. But with her personal life spinning out of control, can she persuade her team before another life is lost?

An absolutely unputdownable serial killer thriller that will have you sleeping with the lights on. Fans of Patricia Gibney, LJ Ross and Angela Marsons will have to hold on tight for this nail-biting rollercoaster ride!

Readers love The Girls in the Lake:
‘Brilliant… keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the last chapter...loving this series and the characters in it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Plenty of twists… I didn’t want to put it down… suspenseful and riveting, you will want time to read it in one sitting.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Hooked from the beginning and it kept me engaged until the very last page.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Full of twists… full of tension… several times I caught myself holding my breath.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another thrilling, tightly plotted addition to this already fabulous series...I loved this book…fast paced, realistic… plenty of action, mystery and suspects. Definitely comes highly recommended and deserves all of 5 stars.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘I thoroughly enjoyed… an engrossing tale… I don’t know where the time went, one minute I started to read and a few hours later I was finishing.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A humdinger of a crime thriller that grabs you and draws you in from the brilliantly written and powerful opening scene to the nail-biting, butt-clenching finale.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars

The water is beautiful. The water will also pull you under into its murky depths without a care or a thought about race, gender or social standing. If you don’t grant it the respect it so deserves it will unleash its power and it isn’t a battle you are going to win. The Girls in the Lake is a steady paced police procedural which picks up a few weeks after book 1. I felt that the first half of the novel was slower paced but it took off like a rocket in the second half.

The story is centred around the main character, Dr Beth Adams, a forensic pathologist. She has had an extremely tough life, having been subjected to a traumatic abusive relationship for the past seven years. Fast forward and she has marginally moved forward happy in the knowledge that her ex is in prison but still frozen in the past and being haunted by the effects that relationship has instilled in her. She is now living with DS Josh Walker. Life is good but usually when its that good something comes along and has a habit of turning it on its end. Cue, two dead bodies turning up in lake Windemere and the onslaught of the impending investigation.

Things get even more personal with a third girl being pushed into the water from a troublesome party boat…are the three women connected or was its mere accidents?

I really liked the character of Beth. Although she often participated in the sport of self-depreciation, she was an extremely strong character. She knew her worth and knew what she needed to do to move forward and boy did she go out and do it. She is one hell of a woman! I think to a certain extent she is struggling with the possibility of suffering from PTSD and seeks solace in the bottle more than she should but again we all have our crutches to bear. She navigates the murky waters of following her gut instinct and at points I thought that she was more on the ball as a detective than the actual police were.

The girls in the lake was a haven for geeks like me. I really enjoyed reading about the science behind the pathology of Beth’s work and the other forensic anomalies that popped in her freelance investigating. Call me a weirdo but I love what killed someone and the science that backs it all up even more.

I was mildly frustrated with the avoidable spat that occurred between Beth and Josh. In any relationship, trust and communication is paramount and their issue just seemed like a non-issue. Beth seemed to go a little off the deep end without having any proof and it did feel a little at odds with the character that I had been becoming acquainted to previously. But, overall, The Girls in the Lake was an enjoyable reading experience and I would like to give the first book a go.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

download - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Helen Phifer is the #1 Bestselling crime and horror novelist of the Annie Graham and Lucy Harwin series. Helen lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children. She has lived in the same town since she was born. Surrounded by miles of coastline and not too far away from the beautiful Lake District. She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.

Her debut novel The Ghost House was released October 2013 and introduced readers to police officer Annie Graham. It went on to be an Amazon #1 bestseller in Canada. It reached #1 on the Amazon Contemporary Horror Charts in both the UK and the US, pushing her idol Stephen King off his #1 spot many times.

She was thrilled when the second book in the series The Secrets of the Shadows managed to push The Ghost House off its #1 spot even if it was a little surreal. This was followed by The Forgotten Cottage, The Lake House, The Girls in the Woods and The Face Behind the Mask.

The Good Sisters is a standalone old, fashioned horror story which Helen admits scared her so much when she was writing it that she couldn’t write once it got dark. Set in an abandoned convent it will definitely give you the chills.

March 2017 saw the publication of Dark House, a gripping psychological thriller which introduced readers to the dangerous world of Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin. Dying Breath and Last Light are books two and three in that series.

The Haunting on West 10th Street is a supernatural thriller set on the streets of New York.

The Girl in the Grave featuring Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams is released 16th July 2019.

Helen Phifer

Blog Tour: Endless Silent Scream (DI Bliss #6) by Tony J. Forder

March 13, 2020 Yvonne 6 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

50256734. SY475 - Blog Tour: Endless Silent Scream (DI Bliss #6) by Tony J. Forder

Endless Silent Scream by Tony J. Forder
Published by Spare Nib Books on March 9th 2020
Genres: Crime, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four stars - Blog Tour: Endless Silent Scream (DI Bliss #6) by Tony J. Forder

four stars - Blog Tour: Endless Silent Scream (DI Bliss #6) by Tony J. Forder

He saved her life once. Can he do it again?

When DI Bliss prevents fifteen-year-old Molly from jumping off the roof of a tall building, he has no idea how deeply she will impact on his life. After learning that the girl is a drugs courier, Bliss realises she is in great danger. As he struggles to have Molly relocated, a local drug dealer and an enforcer sent by the supplier, have other plans for her.

After the remains of a freelance journalist are discovered, an old flame comes back into Bliss’s life. With the clock ticking down, he realises it’s only a matter of time before reports emerge linking the murdered journalist with the police, putting added pressure on the Major Crimes team to find the killer – even if it’s one of their own.

With Bliss torn between the two investigations, he becomes increasingly desperate to move Molly to safety before she can be silenced. But with his focus on saving the girl for a second time, Bliss is blinded to other dangers…

I want to make one thing crystal clear…Endless Silent Scream is the very first book that I have read penned by the incredibly talented Tony J. Forder. Upon finishing this one, I immediately added the other five books to my tbr. This book can easily be read as a standalone and I certainly didn’t feel that I missed huge chunks of backstory. This author has a new fan – his writing is akin to being blindfolded and thrown into an icy lake and being left to tread the icy depths alone. It’s in equal measures terrifying but also thrilling and you best be prepared for the ride of your life.

The synopsis instantly drew me in. it was a difficult topic with that was dealt with the utmost dignity and respect. His characters are edgy and relatable and its most definitely inspiration from everyday life. These are people you would meet on the street, they seep in compassion, the indominable urge to do right and they all seem to have a personal history that makes them carry out the job over and above the call of duty. They say that when you join the police force you become married to it, the characters in Endless Silent Scream are no exception.

A girl on a roof threatening to jump. A thrilling starting point to our novel and the first point of contact with DI Bliss. It sets the scene perfectly. The eeriness of someone having reached the end of their rope, someone feeling so bleak that they see no way out, really struck a chord…an emotional one. The descriptions of the grey buildings and the weather matched the mood of the opening chapter resolutely. Stand back and allow the wind and rain to whip through your hair but beware of the precipice you are standing on – one wrong move could end your existence. Tony J. Forder’s unique narrative style ensured that I would stay rooted to the spot and swallowed into his immersive way of storytelling. DI Bliss treats the girl like the daughter he never had…although quite obviously worried about her mental state he tackles it in the best way possible. The only way. Banter. Still giving her anonymity. Her own will. She isn’t railroaded. This event has affected DI Bliss in more ways than he bargained for and he must see it to completion.

One point about this story I loved was the team. The author injected a realistic sense of camaraderie but also with those sticky prickly colleagues. Everywhere has them! The truth of the matter is, when push comes to shove, they all work together bypassing those office politics that I absolutely hate! DI Bliss is our hero and although he was soft to the suicidal girl, he has a tough outer shell when needed. The perfect characteristics for a police officer. His one liners and banter and had audible giggles escaping and that kept him endearing in through-out. I did however, wonder how he got through some events in his past – my eyes were in sharp focus and searching for my own clues!

The speed and pace of this novel was like a bullet. You had to be careful to dodge those speeding impacts, but you still wanted to race to the finish to determine the secrets from the lies and I can hand on heart say that the ending was super satisfying. The emotion broke free from the pages and grabbed me by the throat. A book so incredibly well written.

Endless Silent Scream took me on a twisty and emotional journey that left me vulnerable and wrought – a rare gem that stands out with its beautiful writing and mesmerising narrative. Compelling and utterly immersive.

Thanks to Sarah @ Books On The Brightside for spot on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

cropped 1 - Blog Tour: Endless Silent Scream (DI Bliss #6) by Tony J. Forder

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling crime thriller series featuring detectives Jimmy Bliss and Penny Chandler. The first four books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, and The Reach of Shadows, were joined by The Death of Justice, on 9 September 2019. Book number six, Endless Silent Scream, will be published on 9 March 2020.

Tony’s dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, featuring ex-detective Frank Rogers, was also published by Bloodhound Books. This is a stand-alone serial-killer novel. Scream Blue Murder, an action-adventure thriller, was published in November 2017, and received praise from many, including fellow authors Mason Cross, Matt Hilton and Anita Waller. The sequel, Cold Winter Sun, was published in November 2018.

Tony lives with his wife in Peterborough, UK, and is now a full-time author. He is currently editing a new novel, and has also started on Bliss #7, Slow Slicing.

Links

Website: https://www.tonyjforder.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyjforder/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyJForder @TonyJForder

Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B01N4BPT65

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16166122.Tony_J_Forder

Fantastic Fiction: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/tony-j-forder/

Tony can also be found on Instagram.

Blog Tour: Mexico Street (Chas Riley #8) by Simone Buchholz

March 11, 2020 Yvonne 1 Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

mexico street by simone buchholz - Blog Tour: Mexico Street (Chas Riley #8) by Simone Buchholz

Mexico Street by Simone Buchholz
Published by Orenda Books on March 5, 2020
ISBN: 9781913193157
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, International Mystery & Crime
Pages: 276
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Blog Tour: Mexico Street (Chas Riley #8) by Simone Buchholz

Night after night, cars are set alight across the German city of Hamburg, with no obvious pattern, no explanation and no suspect. Until, one night, on Mexico Street, a ghetto of high-rise blocks in the north of the city, a Fiat is torched. Only this car isn't empty. The body of Nouri Saroukhan--prodigal son of the Bremen clan--is soon discovered, and the case becomes a homicide. Public prosecutor Chastity Riley is handed the investigation, which takes her deep into a criminal underground that snakes beneath the whole of Germany. And as details of Nouri's background, including an illicit relationship with the mysterious Aliza, emerge, it becomes clear that these are not random attacks, and there are more on the cards.

Mexico Street, where the atmosphere is buzzing and the air is smoking, quite literally! It reminds me of a slogan that should be on the city’s signs. The title hides the depravity and the greed that is Hamburg’s underbelly. It’s a novel that packs a seriously kilter throwing punch. Gangster families. Strong women. Forbidden love. it investigates the complexities of whether good truly dominates over evil or whether that is just a fabricated construct to give us hope. Be prepared to freshen up those pearly whites because this is a novel with bite!

We open with a bang or more accurately a scorch. There’s a car on fire in Mexico Street. There’s a man still in it, threatening to be burned alive. The fire brigade arrives, the man is taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. It said he comes from the crime family, Saroukhan from Bremen. His death is neither a shock nor does it unsettle them, he has been dead to them for several years. Just how bad does it need to be for an entire family to disown their son? Their reaction and the lives this family leads had me entirely curious about the sanctity of family in their eyes. We are immediately catapulted into the brutality and the mistreatment of the woman. If we can say a woman is the nurturer in a family, then the men of this story are the destructors.

The ones trying to decode this crime are an elite team. We have our unlikely heroine, Chastity Riley, the state prosecutor. She can throw punches like the big boys and break barriers with her iron will. She’s flawed just like the rest of us. Cracking complicated crimes seem like a piece of cake to her but relationships seem unattainable, shrouded in smoke, not quite trusting herself to let go and be herself. She was a galaxy away from what I expected going into this book, but she was so imperfectly perfect she was a character I was straight behind, ready to take any insight she felt confident giving out. Somethings don’t add up in her initial estimations. Who was the redhead woman they saw running away from the scene of the crime, an innocent bystander or the culprit? *Enter twilight show theme music*

Simone Buchholz is an entirely new author for me and wow I was equal parts amazed and perplexed not only by her ability to weave a raw and gritty crime narrative but her writing is tack sharp with large doses of tension thrown into the mix with a threatening shadow that creeps into every aspect of the investigation. It’s dark, it’s dangerous and it will delight all crime fans. This is a complicated story of family and the saying especially rings true in this tale – “you can’t pick your family.”

Mexico Street is highly compelling and brought me straight upright and reminded why I love crime fiction. It brought us a wealth of details and sucked me into a black hole of twisty thriller-ness!!

Thank you to Anne Cater @ Random Things tours for my spot on the blog tour. Big Thanks also to Rachel Ward on the translation without whom, i would never have read this absolute gem!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up in the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Simone Buchholz

Review: Dark Hollows by Steve Frech

March 10, 2020 Yvonne 1 Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

48414275. SY475 - Review: Dark Hollows by Steve Frech

Dark Hollows by Steve Frech
Published by HarperCollins UK on December 6, 2019
ISBN: 9780008368227
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Thrillers, Psychological, Suspense, Horror, Mystery & Detective, General
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Review: Dark Hollows by Steve Frech

‘Wowzers, what a read... I absolutely LOVED this book... An unputdownable page turner of a read.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars
Jacob Reese enjoys the quiet life, running a coffee shop and renting out his cottage in The Hollows, Vermont.
But the calm is shattered when a woman who looks eerily similar to his ex-girlfriend Laura turns up to stay in the cottage, and leaves a mysterious note in the guest book.
Now Jacob’s seeing Laura everywhere—a glimpse of her face across the street, her music box left outside his house, a gift he gave her years before hanging from the trees.
But it can’t be Laura. Because Laura’s dead.
Someone knows Jacob’s secret—what really happened the night Laura died—and they’re out for revenge...
A gripping and twisted thriller. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Gregg Olsen and Mark Edwards will love Steve Frech.
Readers LOVE Dark Hollows:
‘Wow!... This book just pulls you right in... I couldn’t put it down!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Best psychological thriller of 2019.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Couldn’t put it down... Absolutely fantastic nail-biting novel, so gripping I just could not stop reading.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Exciting and thrilling... Like riding a rollercoaster... Should be on everyone’s reading list.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I burned through this.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Once I started I couldn’t put it down!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow! I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from page one.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Impossible to put down.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Great book! I could not put it down. Read the book in one day. Had me guessing until the end.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘This one would go down on my list of favorite thrillers this year... I loved this book!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

Dark Hollows. The premise of this book instantly grabbed me. A spooky setting, an intriguing backstory, a loveable mutt and shrouded in the cloak of Halloween. The vista was hypnotic. I envisioned myself walking the paths, talking to the characters and being entranced by the quaint little town of The Hollows. Life is finally going the way Jacob Reese wants it to. He’s a respected businessman, a well-liked individual and most importantly he’s put his past to bed. It’s not coming back to haunt him…until of course, he takes that booking from an attractive female. A booking that he decides to forgo his usual booking protocols for.

Jacob Reese inherited money from his parent’s death. They didn’t quite see eye to eye when they were alive but none the less, they left everything to their only child. He put that money to good use and bought his home and a cottage to rent out in The Hollows, Vermont in New England. He topped it off by buying a coffee shop on the main street – life was good. There was an undercurrent of dread palpating through-out Dark Hollows that had my fingers itching ready for the madness that was surely just around the corner.

Things are about to get even better for Jacob, with talks of a company interested in turning his gem of a coffee shop into a franchise he could be looking at a cool couple of million in the bank. He can’t believe his luck! With a hardworking team and a booming business all his dreams could come true – that can happen, right? Can the appearance of a face from his past (or is it?) undo everything he has worked so hard to achieve or is his mind just working overdrive? Red Hair. Those Eyes. That Scar. He’s imagining it, he’s almost sure of it, and yet…

Things kick into overdrive when he wakes up the next morning and finds his house guest gone. The front door is left open, the entire house takes on a creepy edge and he can’t bat away the feeling that something is dreadfully wrong. The dog feels it. He feels it. Has he let something sinister into his house and more importantly, how on earth do they know certain details about his past? Halloween is edging towards them, its meant to be fun but it just adds to the threatening dread that builds in intensity.

At some points I had a hard time connecting with the Jacob we met at the start of the story to the Jacob that we become accustomed to from the middle of the book onwards. We met a kind and generous man with an infinity towards giving back to the community. Whereas we got to meet a man that became consumed by his desire to get to the root of his troubles (not necessarily a bad thing but…) he became, obsessive, taking courses of action that were not only unhinged but could have landed him in even more trouble. Sometimes the character didn’t fully add up.

Dark Hollows is a great read that will give you the creepy feels. It was an immersive examination of how your past is never really in the past. Actions have consequences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Frech lives in Los Angeles. His debut thriller, ‘DARK HOLLOWS’, is available through Harper Collins/HQ Stories. His followup novel, ‘THE NIGHTINGALE HOUSE’, a supernatural thriller, will be available in July of 2020. In addition to writing, his award-nominated podcast, ‘Random Awesomeness’, has been developed for television by the Emmy-winning team at ‘Thank You, Brain! Productions’. He is also the co-creator of ‘Sports? with Jessiemae Peluso’ for Comedy Central. He is a frustrated fan of the Chicago Bears, finds cooking to be very cathartic, and is amazing a pub trivia.

Steve Frech

Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

February 28, 2020 Yvonne 3 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

avenge the dead di frank farrell book 3 by jackie baldwin - Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

Avenge the Dead (DI Frank Farrell, Book 3) by Jackie Baldwin
Published by One More Chapter on February 28, 2020
ISBN: 9780008383909
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Christian, Suspense, Action & Adventure, Literary, General, Thrillers
Pages: 410
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

Sometimes murder is the only way to get even...
The gripping new Scottish crime thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for fans of L J Ross and Val McDermid.
Four friends with dark secrets. One killer out for revenge.
DI Frank Farrell and DS McLeod are tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a defence solicitor’s wife in Dumfries.
It’s been over a year since they left the town after an investigation robbed them of a dear friend. But now they’re back and must find a way to move on.
When the son of another defence solicitor is murdered, a strange tattoo etched on his body, the case takes them into darker, more disturbing territory.
It leads them back into the past – to a horrific fire in a cottage that took a woman’s life, to four friends harbouring dark secrets – and finally to a killer waiting patiently for revenge.
Praise for Avenge the Dead
‘Expertly plotted, I was completely engrossed in the investigation and the lives of the characters, there were twists and turns all the way through keeping me on the edge of my seat... definitely a “just one more chapter” kind of read!’ Sharon Bairden, Chapter in My Life
‘Brutal and gritty in parts whilst sensitive and emotional in others, this book had me turning the pages well into the night’ Alison, NetGalley
‘This was another riveting foray into the world of DI Frank Farrell! From the first chapter, I could not put this novel down, staying up late to finish just to see what would come next’ Krystal, NetGalley

Avenge The Dead is an exquisite case study on how the past never truly can stay buried. Life in the spotlight can have dire consequences. The invisible bands that hold together relationships and families can violently tear with no means to be repaired. The story paints a vivid picture of how an action change the landscape of one’s life forever. This gritty police procedural ticked all the boxes. Jackie Baldwin gently coaxed me down an unsuspecting path before setting her trap – I aimlessly walked straight into it and she wasn’t sorry a bit! I greedily lapped it up like there were no tomorrow.

DS Mhairi MacLeod and DI Frank Farrell are pulled in to assist with the murder of a very prominent solicitor in Dumfries. Are things as straightforward as they seem? The husband has an alibi, but it seems weak. Is it always the spouse that’s to blame or is there darker avenues at play?

The investigation has many hurdles, none so prominent as the obvious turmoil that DI Frank Farrell is suffering from. He’s a mess. Can he really be trusted to lead an investigation appropriately and to completion? Drinks a problem. Bottling up his emotions has become a problem. it’s obvious that something needs to be done. This humanity and realistic reaction to trauma was especially well done. Although I wanted him to get better, the depths of my feeling for the situation was one of empathy.

Avenge The Dead tackles some particularly difficult topics. We are fed the idea that the murdered wife was less than faithful to her solicitor husband. An affair with another solicitor. Is it possible that either her husband or her lover could have murdered her? Is she keeping any other secrets in her closet or is the husband? The author led us on a merry trail of betrayal, secrets and brutality. The clue finding was an adventure and I was more than ready. Buckled up and ready to go.

We are catapulted into the fire alongside our detectives once again when it comes to light that another murder has been committed. This time, a son of another solicitor. I know what you’re thinking…what’s the connection between the solicitors? Buy the book to find out, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Some of my estimations were way off the mark, its actually laughable just how wrong I was. The author skilfully pulled the wool over my eyes, I was blind to it. The pace was like a bullet…swift, complete and without mercy.

Avenge The dead is seeping in the need for justice. Clear your schedule because you won’t rest until that last page has been digested. Jackie Baldwin discusses dark themes with compelling authority.

Thanks to Emma@ Damppebbles for my place on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie 02 by Kim Ayres 683x1024 - Blog Tour: Avenge The Dead (Frank Farrell #3) by Jackie Baldwin

Jackie Baldwin is a Scottish crime writer. Her debut crime novel, Dead Man’s Prayer, was published by Killer Reads on 2^nd September 2016. The second in the series, Perfect Dead was published on 15^th June 2018. For most of her working life, she has been a solicitor specialising in Family and Criminal Law. She later retrained as a hypnotherapist. Married with a grown family, she recently moved from Dumfries to East Lothian.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieMBaldwin1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackieBaldwinAuthor/

Website: http://jackiebaldwin.co.uk/

Competition Time!

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An Avenge the Dead Prize Bundle featuring all three books in the DI Frank Farrell series signed by the author plus extra treats!

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Avenge The dead is seeping in the need for justice. Clear your schedule because you won’t rest until that last page has been digested. Jackie Baldwin discusses dark themes with compelling authority.

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Competition Time!

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