End of the Line by Robert Scragg #blogtour @NetGalley #EndoftheLine @robert_scragg @allisonandbusby

 End of the Line by Robert Scragg

(Porter & Styles book 4)

Published by Allison & Busby

Publication Date: 21st January 2021

Police Procedural

Book Description:

Detective Jake Porter s life was shattered when his wife was killed by a hit-and-run driver nearly four years ago. Since then, he has been building a new life piece by piece, but this is rocked when evidence comes to light that might finally lead him to her killer.

At the same time, he and his partner DS Nick Styles have a volatile case to juggle. Ross Henderson was a vlogger rallying against the growing tide of the far-right. As his audience tuned in to his latest live broadcast, they watched in horror as he was brutally murdered.

While struggling to prevent full-blown riots in the wake of the atrocity, following the trail to his wife s killer will take its toll. Porter will have to act like a criminal in order to take down the personal responsible, but there's no guarantee he will come out the other side alive.

My Thoughts:

The first thing to say is a huge thank you to Christina Storey at Allison & Busby publishers for the invitation to be part of the blog tour for this book. The opinions expressed here are my own and are unbiased - I have followed this series right from the start and could not have been more excited to discover Porter & Styles were back for another instalment.

I was quite surprised to find the opening of the book goes pretty much straight to the action with information filtering through to Porter that there has been a breakthrough in the years-old hit and run case in which his wife was killed. Despite being directly told to keep away from the case, Jake can't overcome his instinct to find his wife's killer and vows to himself he will do his own investigative work - whilst promising his bosses he will stay away.

While the detectives are dealing with that bombshell, a new case comes in: the graphic 'live on social media' slaying of a prominent political influencer Ross Henderson which soon means that Porter & Styles have their hands full and are well and truly distracted. With the possibility of terrorist activity in their case the Chief brings in the Counter Terror Unit to support their team, in the form of DI Taylor Bell. She may be small but she makes a big impression on the detectives;  Jake can't help but take a liking to her, however Styles isn't so sure. All this high profile activity doesn't stop Porter doing a bit of moonlighting on his own investigation though and he's soon burning the candle both ends with the effects very quickly becoming obvious to his partner Evie as well as his workmate Styles. Well, you can't really hide a trip to your local A&E can you?

This is a book which pulls you strongly into both storyline threads at the same time with some great characters from the criminal fraternity being created by the author as well as the detectives' boss continuing in his arrogant, self-indulgent manner which we have seen demonstrated in earlier books. It is very much a book of its time with the terror angle, the far right attitudes so accurately recreated in some of the nasty members of the cast and the reflection of today's on-line promotion of attitudes and ideas which so quickly inflame sections of society to jump on band wagons which promote hate and violence so easily. I'm sad to say I found this to be a very believable story.

Amongst all the violence and criminal activity there are also some very witty lines and I love the banter which flows between the characters - especially bringing in a feisty new female detective with her own brand of wit. I hope we see more of her in future instalments of this series.  The book flows well and kept me well and truly hooked in - even at three quarters of the way through I could not see where we were heading for the conclusion.  Would we find out who was responsible for killing Holly or would that be the one that gets away until the next book? Is the killer of Ross Henderson the one we initially assume it to be?  I am definitely not giving anything away on either count but have to say it's been a while since a book had me as bamboozled as this one.

Definitely a 5 star read for me and if you haven't read this series I suggest you do as it is a cracker. You could read this as a standalone but I feel you will get a lot more from starting at the beginning and growing with the characters along the way.

Thanks again to the publisher - I only have one question: when is book 5 due out please?

About the Author:

Robert Scragg had a random mix of jobs before taking the dive into crime writing; he's been a bookseller, pizza deliverer, Karate instructor and Football coach. He lives in Tyne & Wear, and is a founding member of the Northern Crime Syndicate crime writers group. For a full list of upcoming events and more info about Robert and his books, visit www.robertscragg.com

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli #NetGalley #Unfaithful

 Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli

Published by Bookouture

Publication Date: 27th November 2020

Mystery & Thrillers

Book Description:

“Thank you,” I say sweetly when she tells me I’m lucky to have such a beautiful family. But I want to tell her it’s not just luck. A family is like a fortress you have to defend all the time. You can’t relax because there’s always someone looking for a breach, always someone trying to get in. Someone just like her…

When I arrive unannounced at my husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wineglasses drying by the sink and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair.

Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house—but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I will make him see that I’m still the woman he married; attractive, successful, the glue that holds our perfect family together. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own, something that would destroy everything I’ve already sacrificed so much for.

But when the police arrive at my door asking questions about Alex’s death that I can’t answer, and threatening text messages start appearing on my phone, I know that someone close has been watching me very carefully.

The truth is, there are three people in my marriage, but only one of them is deadly…

My Thoughts:

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to  read this book in exchange for my honest review.

If ever there's a character who likes to make life difficult for themselves it's the maths professor who takes the lead role in 'Unfaithful'. The way the story sets off you will be horrified by her actions. But this is just the start of the story. Then you come to realise that, despite the huge secret she's keeping, other people also aren't particularly on her side. But it will all be okay when the project she's been working on comes to fruition - won't it? 
Every aspect of her life gradually begins to look like they are going to implode, then the police come asking questions the situation begins to look like it can't get any worse.
I did wonder at first whether this book would hold my interest as it seemed to be based around a maths problem which I had no understanding of but the focus broadened as the story went along and the plot had me well and truly hooked.
More and more revelations come out and some cracking twists in the storyline bring the story to a brilliant climax.
There are some very unlikeable characters throughout the book - in fact I can't think of a single nice person in the whole thing. But therein lies the skill of the author that you will love to hate every single one of them!

About the Author:

Natalie Barelli can usually be found reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, enjoys riding her Vespa around town and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia, with her family.

The Spark by Jules Wake #TheSpark @Juleswake #NetGalley

 

The Spark by Jules Wake

Published by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Publication Date: 11th December 2020

Womens Fiction, Romance

Book Description:

Jess is falling for Sam.

Sam is falling for Jess.

But it seems life will do whatever it takes to make them fall apart.

When Jess and Sam lock eyes at a party, a spark ignites. The spark. But love at first sight isn’t like the movies, especially when Sam’s ex, Victoria, is determined to make their honeymoon period a living hell.

Is love at first sight enough?

My Thoughts:

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read The Spark - the first of Jules books I have read, but certainly won't be the last. 

The Spark is such an easy read, the words just flowed from the page and I whizzed through this rollercoaster love story. Jess and Sam meet at Jess's aunt's garden party and instantly feel the click of attraction. There's only one problem: Sam has a long term, drop dead gorgeous girlfriend. And after Jess's dad walked out on her mum when she was a child, Jess has always vowed never to step on another woman's toes where men are concerned.  But the attraction is strong, and it takes all their efforts to stay away from one another.  But Cupid is a determined little chap and finds ways of getting the couple together. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading how the couple juggled with the moral dilemmas thrown up by Sam's situation, and when his attempts to end his relationship in a proper manner hit numerous snags Jess wonders whether it is all worth the effort.  The story is so well narrated I felt every heart string twang for both of the youngsters. The fly in the ointment of their relationship is a really nasty piece of work who has no thoughts for anyone but herself; it's easy to see why Sam would rather be with Jess. I wanted to fight Jess's corner for her on more than one occasion as she is just too nice to stand up for herself - or is she? Everyone has their limits in the end.

Jess's own family back story also gets reviewed and I was really pleased that she managed to face some ghosts from her childhood, and came to understand that there is always more than one side to every story.

A great book, well worth reading.

About the Author:

Jules Wake's earliest known declaration that she planned to be a writer came at the age of ten. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands, taking journalists on press trips to awful places like Turin, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and occasionally losing the odd member of the press in an airport. It gave her the opportunity to eat amazing food, drink free alcohol as well as providing opportunities to hone her writing skills on press releases and to research European cities for her books.

Eventually the voices in her head persuaded her it was time to sit down and write the novel she'd always talked about. Her debut novel in 2014, was quickly followed by the bestselling From Italy With Love, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, which reached number 1 in the Amazon Kindle charts.

Jules' book Covent Garden in the Snow was a Kindle Top 2 bestseller and the follow up book Notting Hill in the Snow was nominated for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

She also writes cosy romantic fiction as Julie Caplin and the sixth book in the Romantic Escapes series, The Little Tokyo Teashop was published by One More Chapter in the summer of 2020 and the seventh, The Little Swiss Ski Chalet will be published in January 2021.

Follow on twitter @juleswake. Or visit her on www.juleswake.co.uk

Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh #NetGalley @JudyLeighWriter #HeadingOvertheHill

 

Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh

Published by Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 3rd December 2021

Womens Fiction

Book Description:

Growing old disgracefully and having a grand old time…

Billy and Dawnie may be in their seventies, but that won’t stop them taking chances or starting again. Their grown-up children have families and lives of their own, so now it’s Billy and Dawnie’s turn, and a life near the sea in Devon beckons.

But the residents of Margot Street (or Maggot Street as Dawnie insists on calling it), don’t quite know what to make of their new neighbours. Billy’s loud, shiny and huge Harley Davidson looks out of place next to the safe and sensible Honda Jazz next door, and Dawnie’s never-ending range of outrageous wigs and colourful clothes, means she’s impossible to miss.

As new friendships are formed and new adventures are shared, Billy and Dawnie start winning their neighbours’ affection. And when life teaches them all a terrible lesson, the folks of Margot Street are determined to live every day as if it’s their last.

Judy Leigh returns with a soul-warming, rib-tickling, timeless tale of true love, true friendship and happy-ever-afters.  

My Thoughts:

First of all my thanks go to the publisher, Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this fabulous, fun  book.  I am a big reader of crime and psychological thrillers so this was a step away from the norm for me. And wow! I absolutely loved it!

We are introduced to retired couple Billy and Dawnie who are looking to put down roots for their retirement.  They have moved many miles to live out their dream of a coastal retreat now that Billy has retired from a long army life - it's a big change for Dawnie too, as it will just be the two of them after many years of living with their children and grandchildren in the same house.

Billy and Dawnie make a stir amongst the neighbours as they move into a rented property while they search for their dream home. Maggot Street (as Dawnie not-so-affectionately calls the road) is quiet and quite stereotypical with twitchy net curtains and grumbles about parking, so when the couple turn up on their noisy motorbike some of the residents are less than keen to be friendly. They soon get the neighbours talking, some in a more friendly manner than others.

I love this study of Britishness, and enjoyed reading how the neighbours gradually get to know one another. Judgmental behaviour is rife in some of the properties but as time moves along it becomes clear that everyone has life experiences which have made them the way they are over the years. All it takes is a little bit more effort and understanding with one another to make life happier.

This is a real feel good book although it does have its sad parts which I have to admit did bring a tear to my eye.  If only real life could work out the way the residents of Margot Street managed to. Judy Leigh has written a really thought provoking book without being preachy or judgmental at all. She has reflected just about every street in England and I could recognise various of my neighbours past and present in the characters she has portrayed here.

I recommend this if you want a nice easy read with some fabulous people among the pages. I will definitely pick up more of Judy's books in future.

About the Author:

Judy Leigh has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset. After teaching theatre, writing lyrics for a punk band and setting up Shakespeare Festivals, she completed an MA in Professional Writing.

Her latest novel, Heading over the Hill, is available in December and follows the bestsellers Five French Hens and The Old Girls' Network . All her novels, including A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure, celebrate the ups and downs of life, relationships, the power of laughter and the belief that everyone has a second chance at happiness, whatever their age.

She is a prolific writer, but when she is not at her computer you will find her on the beach, walking, doing yoga or splashing in the sea. She is also a Reiki healer, a vegan and an animal lover. She has three black cats and she enjoys travelling, live music, theatre and football.

The Coffinmaker's Garden by Stuart McBride #NetGalley #TheCoffinMakersGarden

 The Coffin Maker's Garden by Stuart McBride

Published by HarperCollins UK

Publication Date: 7th January 2021

Crime Fiction

Book Description:

A village on the edge…
As a massive storm batters the Scottish coast, Gordon Smith’s home is falling into the North Sea. But the crumbling headland has revealed what he’s got buried in his garden: human remains.

A house full of secrets…
With the storm still raging, it’s too dangerous to retrieve the bodies and waves are devouring the evidence. Which means no one knows how many people Smith’s already killed and how many more he’ll kill if he can’t be found and stopped.

An investigator with nothing to lose…
The media are baying for blood, the top brass are after a scapegoat, and ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson is done playing nice. He’s got a killer to catch, and God help anyone who gets in his way.

My Thoughts:

I have to admit to having made a huge error in choosing this book as I haven't read the previous books in the series which put me on the back foot big time.  I struggled to understand how the characters interlinked and had no knowledge of previous events which had a huge bearing on the story.  I understand that this was entirely my error and as such I apologise to the publisher for offering to review this book without having done sufficient background research.  Having said that, I did enjoy the story of The Coffinmakers Garden. There are several story threads which give plenty of depth to the plotting and character building talent of the author. There are plenty of situations where you really don't know who's going to make it out of the book alive - and whether the law or the vigilante are going to reach the target first.

The book begins with a very atmospheric scene of a child going missing during a raging storm. The coastline is taking a battering from a very rough sea and coastal erosion is taking its toll on the cliff edge, with a chunk of cliff collapsing into the sea exposing the shocking remains of a serial killer's secret cemetery. Former DI Ash Henderson and his team are brought in to find out what on earth has been going on in this remote Scottish coastal town - and how long for.

Despite this being a shocking tale of kidnap and torture I love that there are excellent touches of dark humour throughout this book. The characters are so well-written with gritty Scottish phraseology used to make the people very genuine and credible.  I definitely want to re-visit this series from the start so I can enjoy it in its entirety and get the most out of this excellent author's writing. 

Thank you again to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book, and I am sorry I wasn't the best person to review it - my rating reflects the struggle I had with the lack of background, not the quality of writing.

About the Author:

Stuart MacBride was born in Dumbarton near Glasgow but grew up in Aberdeen. He is the number one bestelling author of several novels featuring DS Logan McRae. He has been shortlisted for the Theakstons's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award twice. Stuart won the 2007 CWA Dagger in the Library, awarded for a body of work, and was named Best Breakthrough Author at the 2008 ITV Crime Thriller Awards.