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The Hiker by M.J. Ford – REVIEW
The Hiker has it all – suspense, mystery, and tension. A small-town mystery with the nostalgia of midsummer murders or Jonathan Creek. Not one word is wasted. Well strike me down – The Hiker is a story that you will not want to read in the darkened shadows of the countryside. It creeps into the mind’s darkest recesses and makes its home; it lays down roots and leaves you searching for the answers. The prologue set the scene perfectly – a sense of mystery and fear that creeps into the reader’s peripheral vision. I held my breath and attempted to count to ten, I have to say I found it…
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The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas – REVIEW
The Girls Who Disappeared is a story crafted by the Queen of the unfathomable twist. It’s like an itch you can’t quite reach, a brilliant character study with razor sharp writing. The girls who disappeared is a strong novel about friendship, family, and the spreading virus that is lies and betrayal. We can all remember what it was like being eighteen, right? That taste of freedom has seeped into our veins, and we want more of it. A driving license, a car, and a group of friends – the possibilities are endless, well they would be if it wasn’t cut to a drastic end with a car accident on the…
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Someone’s Watching Me by Zoe Rosi – REVIEW
Someone’s Watching Me is a creepy read that ramps the anticipation to the end. This fast-moving tale will stop you from looking out your window in the dead of night. Someone’s Watching Me leaves you with a presence that fills you with dread. It’s everywhere you look. You feel it in the shadows, air, and bones. It’s a presence that leaves you paler than a sheet and the unconquerable desire to look over your shoulder. What would you do if you constantly felt on edge because you were being watched? It would make you rethink every step and action and make mistakes because your mind would continuously be elsewhere. It…
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The Santa Killer (DI Barton #6) by Ross Greenwood
The Santa Killer is a complex case fraught with angst. A blistering piece of crime fiction. I love police procedurals, crime novels, and books with an air of mystery. The only thing that takes that fascination to the next level is stories with a propulsive background story. It’s all very well and good to have a killer storyline, but it needs to be believable. There needs to have a tinge of realism at its core. Otherwise, it doesn’t work. The Santa Killer does that impeccably. It features real-life characters flawed by real-world problems. It doesn’t follow the typical trajectory but instead follows its own path, abides by its rules, and…
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The Night Watch (DS Max Craigie #3) by Neil Lancaster
The Night Watch is a killer concept, an unflinching look at generational trauma and the mind’s reaction. Suffused with menace…it’s bloody brilliant. To follow a series with a sense of abandonment there have to be certain elements that scream to them. The X factor – something that keeps them coming back for more, the DS Max Craigie series is no exception. Travelling the pages is like walking a tightrope, danger threatens to knock the characters askew. There are so many elements that just make this series work – flawed characters. The realism of human nature. Betrayal. Raw storytelling. Neil Lancaster’s storytelling is like no one else. The police procedural should…
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The Beach Party by Amy Sheppard – REVIEW
I have a soft spot for cold cases; I will inhale all the true crime podcasts, books, and documentaries that I can find. They tend to throw up all manners of dead ends, webs of deceit, and secrets lurking around every corner. That’s why The Beach Party caught my eye. With an enticing cover and a dark premise, it promises a story to keep you guessing. It promises to have the reader so engrossed that the ticking of the clock is the only sound you can hear in the background. A girl was found murdered on the beach, and no one was ever charged for it, but it’s being re-examined…
