Tag: Crime Thriller

Posted in Blog Tour

The Stranger’s Wife by Anna Lou Weatherley @annaloulondon @bookouture #bookreview

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Sunday all!

Excited to share with you today my review for this fab book from a fab series. I keep saying I’m not going to get caught up in any more series and somehow I keep getting hooked!🚄

My Thoughts

A Fait Accompli

Anna Lou Weatherley brilliantly weaves together a psychological thriller and a police procedural. A tense page turner filled with well developed characters and a riveting storyline. This is the third book in the Detective Dan Riley series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. Two women from completely different backgrounds. Beth lives in a wealthy neighborhood with her adorable daughter Lily and her distant and deranged husband Evan. Cath’s circumstances are quite different, she lives in a run down neighborhood with an abusive addict as her partner. When the women’s paths cross one day on the 3:15 train it seems as though it is faded. What follows is a compelling story of revenge and deceit.

I loved watching Beth and Cath tangle themselves up in this tale. I also loved watching Dan try to untangle the tale. Dan is such a great character, and in all the books it has been remarked on that he has very “kind eyes“. I also love how his personal life is infused into the story. There was a lot of gray area in this book, the path to justice was not clear-cut. And as much as I wanted Dan to solve the case, I also did not want him to. Complicated, captivating, addictive, tents. A riveting read with a satisfying ending.

This book in emojis. 👭 🚄 👮🏻‍♂️ 💉 🔫 🧩 🚨

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

Beth and Cath are leaving their husbands.

This is a story about two very different women.

One is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not.

One is living hand to mouth, suffering at the hands of a violent partner who would rather see her dead than leave him.

You may think you know these women already and how their lives will unfold.

Beth will live happily ever after with her little girl and her soulmate.

Cath will go back to her abusive husband.

And these two women will never cross paths.

But you will be wrong.

On the 3.15pm train from London to Bristol, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.

A clever, engrossing and absolutely unputdownable page-turner of a read about what really lies beneath the surface of a marriage. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Stranger’s Wife.

 

About the Author

Anna-Lou began her career as a dancer but a moped accident in Ibiza put paid to those aspirations and so she went back to her first and one true love – writing! She re-trained as a journalist, specialising mainly in women’s interest and celebrity, becoming the Editor of J-17 and Smash Hits as well as writing for a host of women’s magazines.

 

Anna-Lou has written three Adult Fiction titles – Vengeful Wives and Wicked Wives, both published by Avon in the UK and Bookouture in the US and Canada and Pleasure Island published by Bookouture.

 

To find out more about Anna’s novels, go to https://www.facebook.com/annalouweatherleyauthor/ or follow https://twitter.com/annaloulondon on Twitter.

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Posted in Blog Tour

First Cut by Judy Melinek &; T. J. Mitchell @harlequinbooks #bookreview

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Monday all!

My kids go back to school today, so things are back to regular schedule! Excited to share my review for this intriguing medical examiner procedural not certain if that’s a thing, but it should be!

My Thoughts

If you are fascinated by forensics this books for you! Judy Melinek wrote this enthralling book with her husband T. J. Mitchell. Melinek works as a medical examiner and that really gave an authentic realistic feel to the story. Dr. Jessie Teska just transferred from the LA Office of the medical examiner to its SF counterpart. She is surprise by the rundown state of the SF office especially after being spoiled by the sparkling new stainless steel LA office. But Jessie doesn’t have much time to acclimate she is quickly brought in on a case, a possible overdose. What follows is a tense story of push and pull, Mystery and politics. An addictive procedural with some grit.

This was such a compulsive compelling story. I’ve always been fascinated when it comes to forensics and autopsies. It is so interesting to me the clues that your body leaves behind. Parts of the story might be a little too detailed or descriptive for some, but I thought it was well done and truly gave you a real sense of the characters and what they dealt with. There was a part in the story where Jesse was unable to shower after performing an autopsy and then had to go interact with the cops. I felt so bad for her and was simultaneously repulsed by her possible smell. The setting of San Francisco lended well to the story and I have to say I love the fact that Jesse took up residence in a renovated cable car. Real, raw, gritty, gruesome, absorbing, addictive, enthralling, engaging. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is just the first in a new series!

This book in emojis 🌫 🚃 💉 🩸

*** Big thanks to Harlequin Hanover Square for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

“Scalpel sharp.” (Kathy Reichs) 

A young rookie medical examiner. A suspicious case. An underworld plot only she saw coming. 

From the New York Times best-selling authors of Working Stiff 

For San Francisco’s newest medical examiner, Dr. Jessie Teska, it was supposed to be a fresh start. A new job in a new city. A way to escape her own dark past. 

Instead, she faces a chilling discovery when an opioid-overdose case contains hints of something more sinister. Jessie’s superiors urge her to close the case, but as more bodies land on her autopsy table, she uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate plot involving drug dealers and Bitcoin brokers. 

Drawing on her real-life experiences as a forensics expert, Judy Melinek teams up with husband T.J. Mitchell to deliver the most exhilarating mystery of the year. Autopsy means “see for yourself”, and Jessie Teska won’t stop until she has seen it all – even if it means that the next corpse on the table could be her own.


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Posted in Blog Tour

Why She Ran by Geraldine Hogan @@bookouture #bookreview

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Thursday all!

Less than a week till Christmas! We’ve been taking a bit of a holiday around here. But today I am super excited to share my review for this addictive crime thriller!

My Thoughts

This was an addictive slow burning crime thriller. Geraldine Hogan’s vivid writing painted a descriptive picture of this small Irish town and these characters. This is the second book in this series (something I did not realize going in) and I think I would have appreciated the story more had I read the first book. There was a lot of backstory that I was not privy to. Nevertheless I found the Mystery absorbine and the detective’s relationships compelling. A tent mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

Rachel was a caring nurse with a loving family. Who could possibly want her dead? Everyone is shocked when Rachel‘s bloody body is discovered at the elite rehab Center where she works. The main suspect is Eleanor a 15-year-old girl who is both troubled and entitled. Iris The detective on the case who is still reeling from past events is not so certain that Eleanor is guilty, but where is she? As Iris hunts down Eleanor the layers of the case start to peel away. As invested as I was in this mystery, I have to admit there were times I was slightly confused. There were some things going on in this book that I had a hard time puzzling in. All in all this was a well done crime thriller with a vivid setting.

*** Big thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

‘Rachel. They must have made a mistake. A mother would know?’ She let her words pour into the emptiness of the kitchen. She began to shiver. ‘I can’t feel anything,’ she said softly and rocked back and forth, as if she was a huge child, seeking solace in the simple gesture.

When young, pretty nurse Rachel McDermott is found murdered in the harsh lights of the hospital kitchen where she works, her mother can’t accept the news, and the small Irish town of Corbally reels in disbelief. Rushing to the scene, Detective Iris Locke vows to find the sick killer, whatever it takes.

The last person to see Rachel alive was her close friend, sixteen-year-old Eleanor Marshall, a troubled teenager, estranged from her family. Eleanor was spotted fleeing the kitchen where Rachel’s body was found and becomes the main suspect. Iris has a search party combing the endless woods near the Comeragh mountains where they believe she is hiding. But Iris is consumed with worry for the vulnerable girl and can’t shake a prickly disquiet that Eleanor shouldn’t be a suspect.

Eleanor’s sister agrees but a day later, when she is found dead in the area Eleanor is hiding, things don’t look good for the runaway teen. Iris can’t see Eleanor, who still sleeps with her childhood teddy bear, as someone who would kill her little sister and her best friend, but all the evidence seems to point that way.

Sleep-deprived and desperate to find the truth, Iris takes a closer look into Rachel’s background and discovers that she was keeping strange, shadowy company the night before she died. Convinced that Eleanor is in terrible danger, Iris sets out to find her, in the icy-cold woods, alone. But what if somebody else makes their way through the darkness and reaches Iris and Eleanor first?

This gripping mystery thriller is perfect for fans of Carol Wyer, Robert Dugoni and LJ Ross.

About the Author

Geraldine Hogan was born in Ireland. She gained an Honors Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree in Training and Management from University College, Galway. She is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of four contemporary fiction novels under the pen name Faith Hogan.
HER SISTER’S BONES is her first crime novel, her second WHY SHE RAN is due out in December 2019.
She is currently working on her next novel. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She’s a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger – except of course when it is raining!You can find out more about Geraldine here:
http://www.Facebook/GeraldineHoganAuthor.com
Twitter @gerhogan
https://www.instagram.com/faithhoganauthor/?hl=en 
Buy Links: 

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Posted in Blog Tour

Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan @bookouture #bookreview

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy almost weekend bibliophiles!

If you have not read this series yet run don’t walk to wherever you purchase books and get the first book in the series and binge it immediately! If you are already familiar with Josie Quinn and this fabulous series, I seriously think this is the best one yet!🤩

My Thoughts

This series just keeps getting better and better and better… this is the seventh book in the series end it could be read as a standalone, but I would strongly encourage you to read this entire series. There is so much character growth throughout the books and the characters continuous story arc adds to the brilliance of the series. The story kicks off with two dead bodies at a campsite in the woods and then a pregnant woman fleeing out of the trees in the same forest. As Josie and Noah begin to investigate they run across a “sanctuary“ in the middle of the woods. What follows is a wild investigation involving murder, kidnapping, a cult, and a hermit. All this is going on while Josie continues to wrestle with her demons and come to terms with her estranged mother’s impending death.

This crime thriller was so cleverly plotted and perfectly pased. I was completely sucked in from the very first page then at about 80% the tension was ramped way up and I was unable to tear my eyes from the pages. My heart was pounding and my mind was racing, I needed to find out what the heck was going on. I had a slight inclination as to the direction these cases were going in, but I had no idea of the complexities involved. Once again my detective hats off to you Lisa Regan! If you have not read this series run don’t walk to wherever it is you purchase books from Anne start bingeing this brilliant series, and if you are already a fan this is the best one yet!

this book in emojis. 🏕 🌲 🔪

*** Big thanks to Bookouture for my gifted copy ***

About the Book

In the stark light of dawn, the young couple are laid out on their backs by the dying campfire, their hands clasped between them. Their eyes are open, but their hearts are cold…

When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.

Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…

Trawling the couple’s photo albums for clues, Josie can’t imagine why anyone might want to harm these smiling, carefree young lovers. Until a face in one of the pictures stops her in her tracks and leads her to a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There they meet a young girl with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying. But the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…

With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make. But first she must find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken. Is she already too late?

An addictive and gripping crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Readers who love Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and Rachel Caine will be sleeping with the lights on after this rollercoaster of a read.

About the Author

Lisa Regan is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and an Amazon bestselling crime novelist.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University.  She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Find out more at her website: www.lisaregan.com

 

Author Social Media Links: 

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Lisa-Regan-189735444395923/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Lisalregan

WEBSITE: www.lisaregan.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6443334.Lisa_Regan

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Posted in Blog Tour

November Road by Lou Berney @wmmorrowbooks @tlcbooktours #bookreview

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

happy Thursday everybody!

This is one of those books that snuck up on me. I was definitely not expecting to love it as much as I did! Love it when that happens!



My Thoughts

Lou Berney has a way with words, this stunning story was both mesmerizing and memorable. A story about second chances, heart crime thriller, part romance, set against the backdrop of 1960s America. The Kennedy assassination, civil rights, Vietnam, the time was as much a character as the characters were. Frank Guidry has it made snappy dresser smooth talker a lieutenant in the mob, one of Carlos Marcello‘s best men. Then things change after he has delivered a Cadillac Eldorado to Dallas days before the JFK assassination. Guidry knowing that he is now a disposable loose end those on the run. Charlotte is fed up! She’s tired of dealing with her drunk husband and a job that won’t take her seriously. So she packs up the car with her two daughters and heads to LA. When Frank and Charlotte’s paths cross they become friends and possibly even more. Meanwell Barone has been hired to hunt Frank down and eliminate him.

This book was so good, these characters so Multi dimensional. I was rooting for all of them even the mobster and the hitman, and I could not figure out how this could turn out well for everybody. The bond that forms between Frank and Charlotte was quite remarkable I was both hopeful and afraid for them. The overlying theme of the story really was second chances, but sometimes these characters second chances weren’t necessarily better then there previous situation. Out of the frying pan into the fire if you will. Beautifully told, captivating characters, compelling storyline, what more could you want?

This book in emojis: 🏩 🛣 🏙 🚗 👩‍👧‍👧

*** Big thanks to William Morrow for my copy of this book ***



About November Road

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (October 22, 2019)

“When people say they want to read a really good novel, the kind you just can’t put down, this is the kind of book they mean. Exceptional.” –Stephen King, New York Times bestselling author

Named a Best Book of the Year by Entertainment Weekly • Washington Post • AARP • Newsweek • Dallas Morning News • South Florida Sun-Sentinel • Crime Reads

Set against the assassination of JFK, a poignant and evocative crime novel that centers on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s America—a story of unexpected connections, daring possibilities, and the hope of second chances from the Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone.

Frank Guidry’s luck has finally run out.

A loyal street lieutenant to New Orleans’ mob boss Carlos Marcello, Guidry has learned that everybody is expendable. But now it’s his turn—he knows too much about the crime of the century: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Within hours of JFK’s murder, everyone with ties to Marcello is turning up dead, and Guidry suspects he’s next: he was in Dallas on an errand for the boss less than two weeks before the president was shot. With few good options, Guidry hits the road to Las Vegas, to see an old associate—a dangerous man who hates Marcello enough to help Guidry vanish.

Guidry knows that the first rule of running is “don’t stop,” but when he sees a beautiful housewife on the side of the road with a broken-down car, two little daughters and a dog in the back seat, he sees the perfect disguise to cover his tracks from the hit men on his tail. Posing as an insurance man, Guidry offers to help Charlotte reach her destination, California. If she accompanies him to Vegas, he can help her get a new car.

For her, it’s more than a car— it’s an escape. She’s on the run too, from a stifling existence in small-town Oklahoma and a kindly husband who’s a hopeless drunk.

It’s an American story: two strangers meet to share the open road west, a dream, a hope—and find each other on the way.

Charlotte sees that he’s strong and kind; Guidry discovers that she’s smart and funny. He learns that’s she determined to give herself and her kids a new life; she can’t know that he’s desperate to leave his old one behind.

Another rule—fugitives shouldn’t fall in love, especially with each other. A road isn’t just a road, it’s a trail, and Guidry’s ruthless and relentless hunters are closing in on him. But now Guidry doesn’t want to just survive, he wants to really live, maybe for the first time.

Everyone’s expendable, or they should be, but now Guidry just can’t throw away the woman he’s come to love.

And it might get them both killed.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

© Brandon Michael Smith

About Lou Berney

Lou Berney is the author of three previous novels, Gutshot Straight, Whiplash River, and multiple prize-winning The Long and Faraway Gone. His short fiction has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Ploughshares, and the Pushcart Prize anthology. He lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Find out more about Lou at his website, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Posted in Blog Tour

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter @slaughterkarin @wmmorrowbooks @tlcbooktours #bookreview #thelastwidow

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Thursday all! This was my first Karin Slaughter and I absolutely loved it! Definitely will not be my last! Thanks Trish for my invitation to the tour!

My Thoughts

The Hype IS Real!!!

This was my very first Karin Slaughter and I have to say… I get it! Dark, disturbing, and oh so delicious! This is the ninth book in the Will Trent series, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as a standalone. I’d definitely go back and read the previous books I’d like to learn the history between these characters especially Will and Amanda (his boss/pseudo-mother). Will was quirky and likable, I’d love to witness how his character has evolved through the course of the series.

The book starts with a BANG! Dr. Michelle Spivey a scientist at the CDC is abducted from a Walmart parkinglot. The book then jumps forward a month, will and his girlfriend Sarah(Who is also a medical examiner) are at her parents house when they hear an explosion. The explosion appears to have happened at Emory university home of the CDC and several hospitals. Will and Sarah immediately start heading to the bomb sight knowing they will be needed, but they never get there. There is a car accident, a gun fight, and then another kidnapping. Chaos ensues …we are then caught up in the dark world of white supremacy, terrorism, rape, and pedophilia. Most of this was so timely, so real, it made the book all that more frightening. The book jumps around between the perspectives of Will, Sarah, and Will’s partner Faith. This was extremely impactful because we were always privy as to what was going on, there were even a few times we got the same scene from both Will and Sarah’s perspectives. This book was action packed edge of your seat thrilling from first page to last. Never a doll moment! Karin Slaughter has a new fan right here!

This book in three emoji’s: 💣 🔪 👩🏼‍🔬

About The Last Widow

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (August 20, 2019)

New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter brings back Will Trent and Sara Linton in this superb and timely thriller full of devious twists, disturbing secrets, and shocking surprises you won’t see coming

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. The authorities are desperate to save the doctor who’s been vanished into thin air.

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhoods has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo by Alison Rosa

About Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her eighteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Townand the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her standalone novels The Good Daughter and Cop Town are in development for film and television.

Find out more about Karin at her website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Posted in Blog Tour

Her Silent Cry by Lisa Regan @lisalregan @bookouture #bookreview #hersilentcry

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Friday y’all!

Cannot believe this is the sixth installment in this fantastic series! The Josie Quinn series is definitely one of my favorites! Thank you so much Noelle for my invitation to the tour!🎠

My Thoughts

Josie Quinn is back! Can’t believe this is book six! This is hands-down one of my absolute favorite police procedural series, I just love Lisa Regan’s writing style. This time Josie is on the hunt for a missing child. While at the park with young Harrison Josie has a front row seat when little Lucy disappears into thin air after a ride on the carousel. The kidnapper has left several messages implying that this is personal and Josie is convinced that the parents are keeping secrets. As the body count rises the tension increases, will Josie solve the crime in time?

This book had a little bit of a different feel to it. The rest of the books in the series have a personal connection to either Josie or one of the other members of her team. Both Gretchen and Noah are in the story, but neither of them play a very significant role. So while I was interested in the story I missed the personal touch. I think one of my favorite parts of this series is Josie and how much her character has developed over the course of the series, there was a little of that but not as much as I would’ve liked. Having said that the mystery was very well done. The kidnapper/killer was quite disturbed, diabolical, and cunning. I was completely invested and liked how all the pieces came together. Cannot wait to see what’s next for Josie, Gretchen, Noah, Trinity, and Luke.

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

Round and round she goes, blonde pigtails flying, her high-pitched giggle catching on the wind. But as the ride slows to a stop, her seat is suddenly empty. Little Lucy is gone…

When seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park, Detective Josie Quinn joins the frantic search. She’s the one who finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die…

The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter – but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed.

Josie is faced with the most high-stakes case of her career as each new phone call from someone connected to the family ends with the shocking discovery of another body. This twisted killer wants revenge, and he won’t stop until the Ross family are in pieces…

Something is telling Josie that Lucy’s parents aren’t giving her the whole truth, but digging deeper into their lives will force her to confront a life-changing secret of her own. Does Josie have what it takes to crack this case? She has no choice if she’s going to bring Lucy home alive…

About the Author

Lisa Regan is an Amazon bestselling crime novelist.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University.  She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Find out more at her website: www.lisaregan.com

 

Author Social Media Links: 

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Lisa-Regan-189735444395923/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Lisalregan

WEBSITE: www.lisaregan.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6443334.Lisa_Regan

 

 

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Posted in Audiobook Review, Blog Tour

The Cutting Room by Ashley Dyer @AshleyDyerAuthor @wmmorrowbooks @tlcbooktours @harperaudio #bookreview #audiobook #thecuttingroom

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Tuesday all and happy publication day to this deliciously disturbing book!

I’ve been really trying hard not to start any more crime thriller series, but I am certainly glad I gave this one a try! It was seriously SO good! Thank you so much Trish for my invitation to this tour!🎨

About The Cutting Room

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (June 18, 2019)

Detectives Ruth Lake and Greg Carver, introduced in the electrifying Splinter in the Blood, must stop a serial killer whose victims are the centerpiece of his macabre works of art.

While Britain is obsessed with the newest hit true-crime television show, Fact, or Fable? detectives Ruth Lake and Greg Carver are tormented by a fiendish flesh-and-blood killer on the loose.

Lured to a “crime scene” by a mysterious digital invitation, Ruth Lake is horrified by what she finds: a bizarre and gruesome tableau surrounded by a crowd of gawkers. The deadly work is the latest “art installation” designed by a diabolical criminal dubbed the Ferryman. Not only is this criminal cold-blooded; he’s a narcissistic exhibitionist desperate for an audience. He’s also clever at promoting his deadly handiwork. Exploiting England’s current true-crime craze, he uses social media to titillate and terrorize the public.

Ruth is joined in the investigation by her partner Greg Carver, who is slowly regaining his strength after a run-in with another sadistic criminal. But Greg can’t seem to shake the bewildering effects of the head wound that nearly ended him. Are the strange auras blurring his vision an annoying side effect of his injury, or could they be something more . . . a tool to help him see a person’s true nature?

In this utterly engrossing and thrilling tale of suspense, a pair of seasoned detectives face off against a wickedly smart and inventive psychopath in a tense, bloody game that leads to a shocking end.

My Thoughts

ᴅɪsᴛᴜʀʙɪɴɢ. ᴅᴇʀᴀɴɢᴇᴅ. ᴅᴇʟɪᴄɪᴏᴜsʟʏ ᴅᴀʀᴋ.

Ashley Dyer has twisted together One deranged, disturbing, and deliciously dark tale! Would you follow a serial killer on Instagram? This book picks up shortly where the first book leaves off (from what I can gather). I did not read the first book and I still thoroughly devoured this book. However I think it would’ve been nice to have read the first book because both Ruth Lake and Greg Carver are suffering from repercussions from their previous case. There is a sadistic serial killer on the loose, preying on the men of Liverpool. Not only does he kill, but he publicly displays the body parts and calls it art. A narcissistic psychopath who thrives on attention. Attention that is easy to get in the age of social media. The serial killer really whipped the public into a frenzy creating a mob mentality where ever his artwork was displayed. Made you wonder could this really happen? Would people follow a sadistic killer on Instagram?

This was such a well done crime thriller! I loved all the investigative and forensic details. I particularly liked all the time that Lake and Carver spent with the medical examiner. The characters were all so well developed, so real. I particularly was fascinated by Carver and the auras he would see as a side effect of his head injury. Oras that allowed him to read peoples moods and emotions, that really helped him in his role as a detective. We also got a glimpse into Ruth Lake’s past and private life. Glimpses that I am sure will be expanded on in future books. I also got to spend some time in the mind of this serial killer. This book was told from multiple perspectives including that of this sadistic deranged killer. If you’re like me and like spending some time with crazy you will love how off the chains this character was! I’ve really been trying to avoid starting any new crime series, but I am certainly glad I gave this one a shot! Going to try to read the first book before the next one comes out. What a wild and crazy ride that I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of!🎧🎧🎧 Peter Noble masterfully narrated this dark tale. I thought he had the perfect English accent to draw me into this atmospheric story. When you read a book set in England there is nothing better than having it read to you by someone with an accent, it really gives you a true sense of the story.

*** many thanks to William Morrow and Harper Audio for my copy of this book ***

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Ashley Dyer

Ashley Dyer is a writing duo based in the United Kingdom.

Margaret Murphy is a Writing Fellow and Reading Round Lector for the Royal Literary Fund, a past chair of the Crime Writers Association (CWA), and founder of Murder Squad. A CWA Short Story Dagger winner, she has been shortlisted for the First Blood critics’ award for crime fiction as well as the CWA Dagger in the Library. Under her own name she has published nine psychological suspense and police procedural novels.

Helen Pepper is a senior lecturer in policing at Teesside University. She has been an analyst, forensic scientist, scene of crime officer, CSI, and crime scene manager. She has coauthored, as well as contributed to, professional policing texts. Her expertise is in great demand with crime writers: she is a judge for the CWA’s Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction Award, and is a forensic consultant on both the Vera and Shetland TV series.

Find out more at their website, www.ashley-dyer.com.

Posted in Blog Tour

Savage Games by Peter Boland @PeterBoland19 @BOTBSPublicity #bookreview #savagegames

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

Happy Sunday evening/Monday morning!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! Excited to share with you today my review for this action packed Mystery! Thank you so much Sarah for my invitation to the tour!🕵🏼‍♂️

My Thoughts

This was an action-packed fast-paced thriller. This is the second book in Peter Boland’s John Savage series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. The story starts off with a body being found in a tree. A young man approaches JohnSavage to help solve the murder of his father who also happens to be a old school friend of Savages. There is also a second storyline about “undesirables“ living in less than desirable conditions. Two storylines seemingly completely disconnected that come together to form the perfect crime thriller.

This was a well done action driven crime thriller with some pretty remarkable and interesting characters. John Savage suffers from PTSD, there is a constant struggle between his inner demons and himself. I thought this part of John’s character made him so authentic, complex, and vulnerable. Tannaz, Johns sidekick, a hacker who really balances John out. The relationship between these two characters really was the highlight of this book for me.The story was a definite high-octane thriller perfect for adrenaline junkies. In the blurb John Savage is compared to Jack reacher and I thought that was a fair comparison. If I’m being completely honest this is not my favorite type of thriller, but the strength of the characters really made this an enjoyable read for me! So if you like a lot of action in your thrillers you will absolutely love this one! Great characters, high flying action, and a perfect ending!

*** A huge thank you to Sarah and the author for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

A body hidden in a tree.
A forest full of dark secrets. 
A man determined to find the truth…
“Wow. Just seriously wow!” Goodreads reviewer, five stars
 
John Savage receives the shocking news that his friend has been found dead in bizarre circumstances. His body hidden in the branches of a towering fir tree in the New Forest. Savage vows to find out who is responsible. 
 
Together with brilliant computer hacker Tannaz, he discovers his friend was down on his luck, living among those who society would rather forget – the dregs, the desperate and the homeless. Entering this dark and dangerous world, Savage soon discovers that the death of his friend was just the tip of the iceberg…
 
Savage Games is a bestselling, fast-paced action thriller for fans of James Patterson, Lee Child and David Baldacci.

About the Author

After studying to be an architect, Pete realised he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings he just couldn’t make them stand up, which is a bit of a handicap in an industry that likes to keep things upright. So he switched to advertising, writing ads for everything from cruise lines to zombie video games.

After becoming disillusioned with working in ad agencies, he switched to writing novels (or was it because he wanted to work at home in his pyjamas?). He soon realised there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about a year). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing, playing Nintendo Switch with his son, watching America’s Next Top Model with his daughter and drinking beer in a garden chair.  
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Berit☀️✨

Posted in Blog Tour

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten @nholten40 @BOTBSPublicity @HarperImpulse #bookreview #DeadInside

Posted on by Berit @ Audio Killed the Bookmark

TGIF!

Excited for the weekend and excited to share my review for this wonderful debut! Thank you so much Sarah for my invitation to this tour, I enjoyed your character in the story! And thank you Noelle congrats girl!🥳

My Thoughts

ᎴᏗᏒᏦ. ᎴᎥᏕᏖᏬᏒᏰᎥᏁᎶ. ᏰᏒᎥᏝᏝᎥᏗᏁᏖ.

Noelle Holten’s debut was dark, disturbing, and brilliant. This is the first book in the DI Maggie Jamison series but it really centered on Lucy a probation officer. Three men have been murdered, three men that were convicted of domestic abuse, three men whose probation officer was Lucy sherwood. When Lucy’s own abusive husband is killed, she becomes the primary suspect. But could Lucy possibly be a killer? And is murder ever justified?

This was less of a crime investigation and more of a dark character study of abusers and the abused. Noelle worked for 18 years as a probation officer and I thought this really shown through in this book and gave it some major authenticity. Abuse is a dark and difficult subject, but I think it was handled with a careful hand in this story. I thought it was important that the book really showed you that abuse doesn’t discriminate, anyone regardless of their background or Socio economic status is vulnerable. It is easy to say why don’t you just get out, but unless you have been there I don’t think that is a fair statement. Lucy was such a complex character she had so much strength and yet was so vulnerable. Maggie is a character I am really looking forward to getting to know even better in future books.

This was a well told story with a large cast of characters. It took me a while to get all the characters straight. Additionally if you are a book blogger or follow book blogs there are lots of familiar names in this book. This distracted me and took me out of the story quite a few times in the beginning, until it didn’t. And Noelle i’m certain there is a Berit in the next book, right? Murder victim, murderer, best friend of the murderer, I’m not picky! The murder mystery in this book even though it wasn’t as prevalent as I thought it would be it was compelling and I was super surprised by the outcome. Simply put this was a compulsively readable dark tale that will have you coming back for more. Well done Noelle!

*** thank you to Harper Impulse for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

Book Description:

‘Kept me hooked … excellent pace and a very satisfying ending’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

‘A brilliant debut – gritty, dark and chilling. Noelle Holten knows her stuff’ Mel Sherratt

A dark and gripping debut crime novel – the first in a stunning new series – from a huge new talent.

The killer is just getting started…

When three wife beaters are themselves found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered.

And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the police are running out of time, but can Maggie really believe her friend Lucy is a cold-blooded killer?

About the AuthorAuthor Bio:


Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, author-stalking and sharing the booklove via her blog. 
Dead Inside is her debut novel with Killer Reads/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

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Have a magnificent day!🌼

Berit☀️✨