Fatal Secrets

by Anita Waller

Pub Date: 8 Feb 2023

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 24 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

DI Matt Forrester receives a call from his dad in distress, who is former detective, but since he was shot on duty, is now a PI.  On arrival, Matt finds his dad dead, and his work partner fatally injured.  His nemesis, and person he caught his wife in bed with, Supt Brian ‘di@khead’ Davi’s, is put in charge of the case and refuses to allow Matt to investigate, resulting in Matts resignation.  He sets out to investigate what happened to his dad with the aid of his sister, Hermia, best friend Steve and DS Karen Nelson.  However, whoever killed his dad, also has a vendetta against Hermia and things take a dramatic personal twist.  They need to find the killer before someone else dies.
Anita Waller is a great story teller and the characters seemed very familiar.  You quickly came up to speed on their backgrounds and spurred them on to find the truth.  With full on action, the characters still found time for some romantic connections!  Can’t wait for more books in the series.  You won’t be disappointed with this read, and will soon divulge it.

 

Last Seen Alive (Detective Amanda Steele Book 6)

by Carolyn Arnold

Pub Date: 6 Oct 2022

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 24 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

Detective Amanda Steele is on date with old flame Logan and when they go back to his place, things come to a dramatic end when there is a dead body, clearly murdered on his bed.  The woman, is Logan’s wife, Claire, but her ID say otherwise.  With the proximity to the crime, Steele is not allowed to investigate but twists some arms to be allocated the case.  With partner, Trent, Steele tries to track down confirmation the body is actually Claire and how she ended up in town dead.  Logan is arrested and Steele needs to clear his name, believing his innocence.  Claire had a dark past and those close to her seem to be meeting with ‘accidents’.  Then the killer threatens Steele’s family.
A gripping police procedural, Carolyn Arnold always delivers an exciting reading with Steele.  It is beneficial to have read previous books to understand Steele’s character and her link to adopted daughter Zoe.

 

Good Bad Girl

by Alice Feeney

Pub Date: 3 Aug 2023

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 24 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

Another corker by Alice Feeney!  A story told by multiple characters, Patience, Frankie, Edith and Clio, starting with a baby going missing on Mother’s Day 20 years prior.  The plot centralises around young care worker Patience, working in a care home where Edith has been placed in without consent by her daughter, Clio.  Frankie’s daughter has runaway and is desperate to find her.  For some unknown reason, she is also seen at the care home.  Then the care home manager, miserable Joy is murdered and DCI Chapman investigates and is fixated on there being three suspects, two murders and one victim.  They are all liars, and the truth needs to be told.
In typical Alice Feeney style, the plot builds up and the characters lives are interlinked, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing and need to know more right until the end.

 

Pure Evil

by Lynda La Plante

Pub Date: 30 Mar 2023

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 15 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

Detective Jack Warr is back preparing for trial for an assault offender, Rodney Middleton.  DCI Ridley has been removed from his post under mysterious circumstances but he reaches out to Warr to help him unofficially in his predicament.  Ridley indicates that the assault is only the tip of Middletons crimes.  Warr starts looking into Middleton and find 17 old Amanda in his flat and has been living with him since she was 12.  Suspicions point to Middleton having a link to several missing runaways but just needs to find the evidence to prove it.
Another epic instalment from Lynda La Plant.  Warr is a great detective, always trying to balance his work and personal life.  This can be read as a series or a stand alone book.

 

A BLOODSTAINED COAT

by Stephen Williams

Pub Date: 15 Jun 2023

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 15 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

A spectacular sequel for Stephen Williams.  Ex-police, now PI Raine is back in fully rogue action when she enters a club she had a tip that was selling young girls as sex slaves.  Back up arrives and Detective Mary Humes and DS Echo become involved in looking into the dark activities at this club.  Meanwhile, a body of an unidentified male is found at the bottom of a lift shaft on the building site.  When the blood on his coat is ran through the DNA database, they find three other sets of blood on coat.  One belonging to a missing person Raine was investigating before her body was found.  Rain e is determined to find out what happened to Julie and whose blood they also found.
A fast paced plot, with two likeable characters that are completely chalk and cheese.  With a strong personal connection, Mary is always looking out for Raine and her unconventional methods.  With lots of complex plots, this book comes together nicely with the obligatory twists.  Another fantastic read and looking forward to the next instalment.

 

The Rule of Three

by Sam Ripley

Pub Date: 20 Sep 2023

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 9 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

Three girls that have experience family grief and sorrow tell the story of The Rule of Three.
The synopsis of the book was rather gripping, but as I was reading through, I struggled to retain interest in the plot as it become quite slow in places and hard to connect with the main character.

 

First Born

by Will Dean

Pub Date: 14 Apr 2022

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 9 Jun 2023

My Recommendation

 

Molly lives a quiet life, very orderly and safe.  Her twin, Kate is polar opposite, and the life and soul of the room.  They were inseparable until Kate decided to move to New York where she had settled into a gear lifestyle.  Then Molly gets a call from her parents who are visiting Kate, to tell her Kate has been killed.  Travel phobic Molly does her best to over come her fears to be with her parents in New York and determined to find out what really happened to Kate.
An interesting suspense thriller, with an amazing twist at the end.  A steady paced read with Molly as a strong character.  Plausibility goes slightly out the window but worthy of perseverance.