What I read in August

The Night Caller by JM Hewitt

Published by Bookouture

Publication date 15th August 2019

Detective Carrie Flynn and her team work frantically to find serial killer branded 'The Pusher' before he takes his next victim. But something seems amiss with his last victim, but can they crack the case in time?

The Holiday by TM Logan

Published by Zaffre

Publication Date 25th July 2019

RICHARD & JUDY SUMMER BOOK CLUB CHOICE

Three families take a much needed holiday to sunkissed Provence. But under the blazing Mediterranean sun, suspicions are rife and tensions come to a head with one of their number not making it home from their holiday. There's a killer in their midst. But who?

The Fourth Victim by John Mead

Published by Book Guild Publishing

Publication Date 28th October 2018

Three parks, three deaths, four victims, two grieving families, one murder enquiry team and an unknown number of killers. Can an answer be found? Whitechapel in London has a notorious history of unsolved murders of young women. But the detectives investigating this latest cluster of killings are determined that these women won't be added to their number.

The Girl Before You by Nicola Rayner
Published by Avon Books
Publication Date 22nd August 2019

She was his.
She was perfect.
And then, she was gone.
Alice has always been haunted by the women from her husband’s past. As a politician and now a TV personality, George Bell’s reputation as a ladies’ man precedes him. But when Alice falls pregnant, her unease becomes an obsession.
And there’s one ex in particular she can’t get out of her head, a beautiful student who went missing before they finished university: Ruth.

Bloodline by Pamela Murray 

Published by Bloodhound Books

Publication Date September 2019

When a young boy discovers a man’s body lying in a doorway, DI Burton and DS Fielding are called to the scene. Believing the man was homeless, the police are shocked to discover the true identity of the victim; a Detective Constable from London who was working undercover. But when the DNA from the victim is linked to a cold case Burton and Fielding find themselves looking into another unsolved murder. And as the case unfolds, the detectives are faced with unpicking through a web of lies and deceit. But can they solve the murders before any more blood is spilt?

Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard

Published by Corvus

Publication Date 22nd August 2019

PLAY
Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Holiday Cottages, watches his only guest via a hidden camera in her room. One night the unthinkable happens: a shadowy figure emerges onscreen, kills her and destroys the camera. But who is the murderer? How did they know about the camera? And how will Andrew live with himself?

PAUSE
Natalie wishes she'd stayed at home as soon as she arrives in the wintry isolation of Shanamore. There's something creepy about the manager. She wants to leave, but she can't - not until she's found what she's looking for...

REWIND

This is an explosive story about a murder caught on camera. You've already missed the start. To get the full picture you must rewind the tape and play it through to the end, no matter how shocking..

Very Nearly Dead by A K Reynolds

Published by Bloodhound Books

Publication Date September 2019

Jasmine Black, a 34-year-old alcoholic, criminal lawyer, has a secret. At the age of 16 she was a member of a gang of youths. The gang attacked a boy and his girlfriend. The boy was killed in the attack, and girl was so badly injured that she fell into a coma and never recovered. Jasmine, although present during the attack, didn’t hurt anyone. She has concealed the crime for eighteen years out of fear of retribution if she talks.But as members of the gang start being killed one by one, Jasmine fears for her own life.

Desperate to uncover who is responsible for the murders Jasmine starts to investigate.

But can she uncover the truth before it’s too late? And can she escape with her life and conscience intact?

The Holiday by TM Logan #Book #Review @TMLoganAuthor @ZaffreBooks

The Holiday by TM Logan

RICHARD & JUDY SUMMER BOOK CLUB READ

Published by Zaffre

Publication Date: 25th July 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

496 pages

Book Description:

Seven days. Three families. One killer.It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Provence.

But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends.

One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined.

Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

My Review:

The thing I love most about this book is the pacing of the story.  Based on the title, you obviously know it's about a holiday and the book starts with the inevitable fusion of the stresses of a long journey mixed with the anticipation of some downtime and relaxation in the sun. But already there's an awkward undercurrent between Kate and Sean on the long journey from England to the continent. With the kids in the back of the car and the fact that they have only just started their vacation, Kate is reluctant to cause an argument but her suspicions are tying her in knots and will continue to do so over the coming days.

Theirs is not the only strained relationship, their friends Rowan and Russ are at odds regarding precocious 5 year old daughter Odette's behaviour. Meanwhile Jennifer and Alistair and their teenagers Ethan and Jake are having a completely different set of issues, with Jake in particular testing the boundaries of parental tolerance. It's a real pressure cooker of emotions simmering away gently under the heat of the Mediterranean sun; add in a hearty dose of alcohol and it's just a matter of time before something's going to blow. But who is going to break first, and how?

As the tension builds between the various adults in the group, the kids are dealing with demons of their own: bullying, teenage relationship issues, jealousy, sibling rivalry to name just a few.  But their parents are too wrapped up in their in-fighting to even notice. Kate's son Daniel seemed particularly tormented on the holiday, being too young to be part of the teenagers' gang - other than to be singled out for teasing - yet too old to want to be around spoiled Odette all the time. My heart went out to him as he sought solace in his book alone in the privacy of his room.

The pace of the novel steps up in the last quarter with conclusions jumped to, accusations made and the friendship group is in danger of imploding in the final days of the holiday. It's only when tragedy strikes and the truth finally comes out regarding Kate's initial suspicions that the group realises how trivial some of their spats have been in comparison.

This is a great study of how different personalities deal with the trials life sets for us all and what the consequences of impulsive behaviour can be. A great read for by the pool in the sunshine.

About the Author:

Bestselling author TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His debut thriller LIES was one of Amazon UK's biggest ebooks of 2017, selling 350,000 copies and gathering more than 1,400 5-star reviews.

Together with his second standalone thriller, 29 Seconds (2018), his books are now published in 14 countries around the world including the USA, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and the Netherlands.

His latest thriller, The Holiday, is a Richard & Judy Book Club pick for summer 2019. It takes place over a sweltering summer week in the south of France, as four best friends see the holiday of a lifetime turn into a nightmare of suspicion, betrayal and murder…

Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

The Girl Before You by Nicola Rayner #Book #Review @AvonBooksUK @Nico1aRayner

The Girl Before You by Nicola Rayner

Published by Avon Books UK

Publication Date: 22nd August 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

384 pages

Book Description:

She was his.
She was perfect.
And then, she was gone.

An addictive and twisting psychological suspense, perfect for summer. If you liked My Lovely Wife, you’ll love this.

Alice has always been haunted by the women from her husband’s past. As a politician and now a TV personality, George Bell’s reputation as a ladies’ man precedes him. But when Alice falls pregnant, her unease becomes an obsession.

And there’s one ex in particular she can’t get out of her head, a beautiful student who went missing before they finished university: Ruth.

When Alice thinks she see Ruth on a train, she can’t shake the feeling there’s more to the disappearance than George has told her. But does she really want to know what her husband has been up to behind her back all these years?

My Review:

First of all, my thanks to publisher Avon Books for very generously forwarding a review copy of this title in order for me to tell you all my thoughts on the book.

It's a slow, slow burner of a book this one which simmers gently along with sinister under currents and a lot of teenage angst. There's a feeling of dread sitting just under the surface all the way through right from the first page where we learn of the disappearance of the figurehead of the book.  Who is she though and what happened to her? 

Years later and someone knows more about that night than they have ever let on and Alice, lawyer and pregnant wife of former MP turned TV presenter, thinks it may be her husband George. Ever since Alice thinks she sees missing person Ruth on a train going to the capital she can't shake that feeling however when she questions George when she gets home his reaction leads her to doubt him even more rather than dispel her fears.

There are a lot of flashbacks to the group's university days at St Anthony's, told from various points of view.  As long as you keep tabs on who's who and their relationship with others in the group you can quite easily keep on top of proceedings. How these events come to have significance to the mysterious disappearance of Ruth, the enigmatic redhead, all becomes clear in the end. But with what happened at St Anthony's staying at St Anthony's and the reluctance of those present at the time to share their knowledge you do begin to wonder whether some secrets will remain hidden forever.

It's a great reminder this novel that what happens to us in our formative years is ingrained deep in us and can sit uncomfortably if not dealt with at the time. First love, betrayal and heartbreak are all examined in various guises by the characters here and there are some shocking happenings revealed which went unnoticed and unchallenged at the time which could have saved a lot of heartache over the years.

I wasn't particularly keen on any of the characters in the book, and a few of them I found very distasteful. As a lawyer I felt Alice should have been a stronger character, although quite often in life we find that those who are strong in their professional lives are quite weak in the home environment. I'm not going to discuss the ending of the book as although I rather liked it and it certainly didn't take the turns I was expecting I don't want to give anything away. I'll be interested to know what others think about this book - a great suggestion for a book club read in my opinion.

I found this to be a strong debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Nicola Rayner's work in future.

About the Author:

Nicola Rayner was born in Abergavenny, south Wales, and works as a freelance journalist, specialising in dance and travel. The Girl Before You, her debut novel, was runner-up in the Cheltenham First Novel Competition in 2018. She lives in London with her husband and Jack Russell.

The Night Caller by JM Hewitt #BlogTour #book #Review @bookouture #NetGalley @jmhewitt @nholten40 #TheNightCaller

The Night Caller by JM Hewitt

Publication Date 15th August 2019

Published by Bookouture

Police Procedural

My thanks to Noelle Holten from Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this title ahead of publication.

Book Description:

Detective Carrie Flynn has spent twenty years searching for her little sister, who was kidnapped and never found. The worst part for Carrie is that she was with Hattie on that hot summer day. Carrie saw her sister’s abductor, but she was just a little girl herself, and remembers nothing. She will never forgive herself for letting Hattie down.

When the chance came to join the police force, Carrie didn’t hesitate. She would solve missing person cases and fight for justice – no more families stuck in limbo, no more grieving mothers, no more sisters growing up alone… But now a serial killer is stalking Carrie’s hometown of Manchester: late at night, people are going missing down at the canal. Six years, a dozen disappearances.

When another victim is taken, Carrie is sure the family is hiding something and she’s determined to find out the secret behind their silence. Why does the mother not want to answer Carrie’s questions? Who is the mysterious girl next door? Carrie knows that to track down the killer, she must find out everything she possibly can about the innocents they have chosen to hunt.

Carrie holds on to one fact: last year, standing by the water, she caught a glimpse of the killer, and the distinctive tattoo on his arm. He slipped through her fingers, but she won’t let it happen again. She’ll never stop searching, for the grieving families, for her belief in justice, and her hope that, one day, something she finds will lead her back to her lost little sister. 

Can she finally solve the case that has cast a long shadow over her career and will the demons in her own past help her to catch this deadly killer?

If you love Val McDermid, Robert Dugoni or Angela Marsons you won’t be able to put down this dark and twisty thriller. J.M. Hewitt will keep you guessing until the very last page. 

My Review:

This an extremely atmospheric book, with lots of angles to it.  The prologue is a creepy insight into the night time activities which are the focus of the police investigation throughout the book.  'The Pusher' is someone who is targeting young men and pushing them into the murky depths of the canals around Manchester but his MO seems to have changed from the first victims compared to later ones.  Can troubled detective Carrie Flynn and her colleague Paul Harper find the perpetrator before he claims another life?  Carrie believes she saw the man on the opposite side of the canal watching events unfold as one of his victims is retrieved from the water however he mysteriously vanishes into the night leaving her chasing shadows.

Interestingly the detectives are not the main storyline here - obviously the crime investigation takes up a big thread of the story but the spotlight falls far more onto victim's mum Emma Robinson and her neighbour Jade, their mutual history and their neighbourhood.  Emma's son Jordan has gone missing, the latest suspected victim of The Pusher. His body has yet to be found, which is the anomaly in the investigation.  All the others have been found within hours of their disappearance but he remains missing days later.

The story looks into missing Jordan's life, his friends - or lack of them - and the people closest to him.  Carrie is convinced his mother is holding back information, but is it more the case that she never really knew her son at all?  Nobody really seems to 'know' him, only the persona he creates at a given time. He is a character with more hidden depths than the dark, cold waters the police are searching for him in.

I was totally drawn into the chilling, dark atmosphere of this book and although I had my suspicions about the conclusion of the book virtually from the start, the author takes us on an exceptional journey to reach that end. Suspicions fall on a few people along the way, and I particularly liked the character of nosy, judgmental character Mrs Oberman who has a starring role all of her own in this novel which makes the reader think about just how well we really know anyone at all.

Buy your copy here:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07S35FB6SSocial

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2VVYXSG

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2QBoIa5

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2W6GDeB

About the Author:

J.M. Hewitt writes crime fiction and is the author of two previous crime fiction novels and has been published in two short story publications. Her work usually incorporates twentieth and twenty-first century events and far flung locations, and her novels explore the darker side of human behaviour.
In contrast to the sometimes dark content of her books, she lives in a seaside town in Suffolk with her dog, Marley.

When she was ten years old she'd read all the books she owned, all those on her mother's bookcase and everything the library had to offer. She decided the only course of action to take was to write her own stories. Thirty years later, she is still writing them.

Author Social Media Links:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/j.mhewittauthor/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jmhewitt

WEBSITE: www.jeanettehewitt.com

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Chameleon by Michael K Foster @BOTBSPublicity #Chameleon #book #blogtour #review @sarahhardy681

Chameleon by Michael K Foster

Available in ebook

Crime Fiction/Police Procedural

451 pages

My thanks to Sarah Hardy of Books on The Bright Side for the opportunity to read the latest instalment in the Jack Mason series as part of the promotional blog tour.

Book Description:

The New Jack Mason Crime Thriller:

When a ten-year-old boy playing hooky from school sees a young woman’s body hanging from a tree, a man at the scene gives chase.

Still recovering from near fatal injuries, Jack Mason is sent to investigate. He knows the boy’s life is in danger, but that’s the least of his worries. There is a much darker side to this investigation, and one that threatens to change many people’s lives.

What really happened in the woods that day? What dark secrets was the dead woman hiding?

And who, or what, is Chameleon? 

My Review: 

This is my first foray into the world of Detective Jack Mason and I am keen to read the previous novels as I became intrigued by the lead character, now on light duties following a life threatening attack in the line of duty. I want to know how he became the victim of such a vicious assault and who has them in their sights seeking vengeance. This latest book though has Jack temporarily replaced by ambitious yet unlikeable DI Gamble who is keen to step into his usual role. A situation Jack is determined is not going to happen on a permanent basis -over his dead body if necessary, meaning he has to call in a favour from a colleague in order to persuade the medical board that he is fit to return to full duties. While the medical report gets processed Jack receives a call from an old contact, a private investigator who has been approached to look into reports of a body being seen hanging from a tree by a young lad playing truant from school. A lad who was then chased by a man who was present at the scene and keen to remove any witnesses. The investigator gives Jack the details and indeed a body is found as described by young Martin Richardson which opens up a whole can of worms far bigger than anyone could have imagined from the initial report. It's not long before Jack Mason and his team are signed up to provide protection for Martin as it becomes obvious that the poor lad has stumbled across The Chameleon in action. But who is this mysterious character who has connections to some of the biggest international felons around? Is he working for one of these 'Mr Big' characters or has he gone rogue in order to try and remove the only surviving witness to his illegal actions? While Jack has one eye on the bigger investigation into Russian spies, money laundering, double agents and an assassin with access to deadly poisons, Martin isn't the easiest 10 year old to keep under surveillance and protection and has the team running around the country in their attempts to keep him safe. Can he keep one step ahead of the game, and where will Chameleon end up? Back in Russia, in the British Custodial system or will he be victim to his own deadly games? A gripping edge of your seat thriller which had me reading way into the small hours. I'm off to find the earlier instalments of Jack Mason's story:

The Wharf Butcher (Book 1)
Satan’s Beckoning (Book 2)
The Suitcase Man (Book 3)
Chameleon (Book 4)

About the Author: 

Michael K Foster has been writing crime thriller novels since 2006, all of them based in and around the North East of England. His bestselling debut novel, ‘The Wharf Butcher,’ was released in 2015 and offers a unique insight into this rugged landscape. He has now written four full-length novels featuring the hard-hitting DCI Jack Mason and local criminal profiler David Carlisle. His latest book in the series, ‘Chameleon,’ is scheduled for release in June 2019.

Michael was born in Plymouth, England. After ten years’ service in the British Army, he moved to Newcastle where he gained a master’s degree. A former Magistrate, he now writes full time and lives with his family in County Durham.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010775401631

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

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The Night You Left by Emma Curtis #book #Review #BlogTour @emmacurtisbooks @hannahlbright29 @TransworldBooks #TheNightYouLeft

The Night You Left by Emma Curtis

Publication Date 22nd July 2019 (ebook) 

Published by Transworld Digital

Womens Detective Fiction

Book Description:

IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO UNRAVEL A PERFECT LIFE . . .

When Grace’s fiancé vanishes without a trace the night after proposing, her life is turned upside down. But has Nick walked out on her, or is he in danger?

As Grace desperately searches for answers, it soon becomes clear that Nick wasn’t the uncomplicated man she thought she knew. And when she uncovers a hidden tragedy from his childhood, she realises an awful truth: that you can run from your past – but your secrets will always catch up with you . . .

My Review:

Well, where to start with this book? It is written with two separate timelines which seem to only be linked by the events of a holiday shared by two families. Secrets from the teenage years of Nick and Taisie come crashing into 2018 and the life of Grace and daughter Lottie -with tragic consequences.

Nick and Grace are in a happy relationship, so much so that Nick proposes to Grace and things couldn't be rosier. Until the evening following the proposal when Nick goes out for a walk and disappears out of her life.  He doesn't turn up for work the following week and it's not long before his boss starts asking awkward questions.  Grace does her best to cover for him but eventually has to come clean.

Which is more than Nick has done with Grace. With flashback chapters back to the turn of the millennium secrets, lies and tragedies are exposed which Nick's parents are quick to dismiss the importance of in the present day chapters. As Grace gradually discovers some people go back way further in her partner's life than she had any idea of she becomes more and more concerned for Nick's safety.  This is a book which holds a whole cemetery-worth of skeletons falling out of numerous closets and the author has created some really unlikeable characters so if you like a cast of people you can love to hate then this is certainly a book you will love to get your teeth into.

This is a great book to get your grey cells working on as you try to work out what exactly is - and has been - going on;who knows what about each other and the personality traits of each person as to whether they are right to be dragging up things which happened so long ago.

My thanks to Hannah Bright from publisher Penguin RandomHouse (Black Swan) for the chance to read and review this book ahead of publication.

About the Author:

Emma Curtis was born in Brighton and now lives in London with her husband. After raising two children and working various jobs, her fascination with the darker side of domestic life inspired her to write her acclaimed psychological suspense thrillers One Little Mistake, When I Find You and The Night You Left. Find her on Twitter: @emmacurtisbooks

The July Girls by Phoebe Locke #BlogTour @phoebe_locke @Wildfirebks #book #Review @annecater

The July Girls by Phoebe Locke

Publication Date 25th July 2019

Published by Wildfire

Psychological/Crime Thriller

Book Description:

Every year, on the same night in July, a woman is taken from the streets of London; snatched by a killer who moves through the city like a ghost.

Addie has a secret. On the morning of her tenth birthday, four bombs were detonated across the capital. That night her dad came home covered in blood. She thought he was hurt in the attacks - but then her sister Jessie found a missing woman's purse hidden in his room.

Jessie says they mustn't tell. She says there's nothing to worry about. But when she takes a job looking after the woman's baby daughter, Addie starts to realise that her big sister doesn't always tell her the whole story. And that the secrets they're keeping may start costing lives . 

My Review:

Jessie and Addie are sisters.  Their mum isn't around anymore which means their dad has to work long hours driving his taxi in order to keep a roof over their heads. Bringing up Addie has pretty much fallen to Jessie, and Addie loves and trusts her more than anyone else in the world. Addie knows her mum still loves her though, because she always gets a birthday card from her. But Addie's safe little world changes on the day of her 10th birthday when terrorists detonate 4 bombs in London, bringing the capital virtually to a standstill. The events that followed for Addie make her doubt everything she previously knew and believed in.  Her sister seems to change - become determined to make something of herself, dumping her long-term boyfriend who Addie adores, and finding work as a nanny to the father of a young baby whose mother went missing during the bombings.

Over the course of the book we are privy to all of Addie's inner thoughts and turmoil. At a difficult time in any young girl's life Addie's mind is buzzing with thoughts and theories as to what happened that day.  She questions everything and even loses touch with her closest friend when he repeats local gossip which suggests the girls' dad might be a dodgy character. Nothing makes sense but all the evidence is pointing one way and the police do eventually come knocking on the door.  But who are they looking for - and have they got their facts right or are they just listening to the loudest noises?

I read this book so quickly as I was easily drawn into Addie's world and the torment she faced every day.  Should she tell anyone her fears - would she confide in anyone? The one person in the world she should be able to go to with her problems was actually the person she couldn't tell.  Her fears and emotions are described so well by the author that I was going through them with her - and with her being so young made me feel even more protective of her.

The conclusion to the book was not at all what I expected and I was left pondering events long after I closed the last page.  I've not read any of this author's books before but she has just been allocated a spot on my top author's list and I have since looked up her backlist in order to add them to my already huge mountain of books I need to read.

My sincere thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things tours and the publisher Wildfire Books for the privilege of being part of the blog tour for this book.

About the Author:

PHOEBE LOCKE is the pseudonym of full-time writer Nicci Cloke. She previously worked at the Faber Academy, and hosted London literary salon Speakeasy. Nicci has had two literary novels published by Fourth Estate and Cape, and also writes YA for Hot Key Books. She lives and writes in Cambridgeshire. THE JULY GIRLS follows Phoebe Locke's debut thriller THE TALL MAN. 

Find Phoebe on Twitter @phoebe_locke 

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