Tag: review

Blog Tour: The Controller by Matt Brolly

Hey everyone,

Today, I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Controller by Matt Brolly and I’ll be sharing my review with you all a little further down!

About the author:

Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law, Matt Brolly completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University.

He is the bestselling author of the DCI Lambert crime novels, Dead Eyed, Dead Lucky and Dead Embers. The fourth in the series, Dead Time, was released by Canelo in May 2018 and a prequel, Dead Water, will be published in September 2019. In 2020 the first of a new crime series set in the West Country of the UK will be released by Thomas and Mercer (Amazon Publishing).

The Controller, released in May 2019, is the first of a new thriller series set in Texas.

Matt also writes children’s books as M.J. Brolly. His first children’s book, The Sleeping Bug, was released by Oblong Books in December 2018.

Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children. You can find out more about Matt at his website MattBrolly.co.uk or by following him on twitter: @MattBrollyUK

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattBrollyUK @MattBrollyUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattbrollyauthor/

Website: https://www.mattbrolly.co.uk/

About the book:

From the bestselling author of the acclaimed DCI Lambert series comes The Controller, a gripping serial killer thriller introducing Sam Lynch and Special Agent Sandra Rose. 

It is six years since special agent Samuel Lynch left the FBI following the disappearance of his son, Daniel. Lynch believes an underground organisation known as The Railroad is responsible and has never stopped searching. 

When Special Agent Sandra Rose investigates a house invasion gone wrong, she discovers the assailant has the legendary, and infamous, Railroad tattoo carved onto his back and he claims to know Daniel’s whereabouts.

Rose draws Lynch in to her case, and together they become embroiled in an unparalleled world of violence and evil.

It seems that to see his son again, Lynch will have to confront his greatest fear and face the ultimate test: an encounter with the Railroad’s enigmatic and deadly leader, The Controller.

The Controller (Lynch & Rose 1) by Matt Brolly

My thoughts:

The Controller is the first in a new US crime thriller series by Matt Brolly, and what a promising start it is. It follows Samuel Lynch as he searches for his son who went missing six years ago, and he thinks its connected to an underground organisation known as the Railroad. Special Agent Sandra Rose, called to an assignment, ends up pulling Lynch in to the case as she believes it to be connected to the Railroad.

I found The Controller to be a solid start to a new series. It builds up enough back story, introduces the characters, and leaves enough unanswered questions that the reader will be looking forward to the next book.

The premise for the book is also quite clever. Lynch was ousted from the FBI after he carried out an investigation into The Railroad, but he ends up being pulled into Rose’s case when she finds out the assailant has the markings of the Railroad on his body.

What follows is an action-packed, dark and at times, harrowing read. You will question the motivations of those involved, while at the same time, willing Lynch on as he continues to search for his son.

The Controller is dark, cinematic and definitely one to add to your list if you enjoy US-based conspiracy thrillers.

Recommended for sure.

Check out the blog tour:

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhari McFarlane

About the book:

‘I love your laugh. x’

But that was twelve years ago. It really began the day Georgina was fired from The Worst Restaurant in Sheffield (© Tripadvisor) and found The Worst Boyfriend in the World (© Georgina’s best friends) in bed with someone else.

So when her new boss, Lucas McCarthy, turns out to be the boy who wrote those words to her all that time ago, it feels like the start of something.

The only problem? He doesn’t seem to remember Georgina – at all…

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhari McFarlane

My thoughts:

I hadn’t read any of Mhari’s books for years but I loved the sound of this one. Not least because its the title of one of my favourite songs.

Georgina, when we meet her, is having a nightmare of a time. She found her boyfriend in bed with someone else, and she got fired from her job in a restaurant on the same day!

Taking the next job she’s offered, she ends up working as a barmaid in a newly opened pub. What she’s not expecting is to be working with a boy she loved in school, and he doesn’t even remember her!

What follows is a funny, awkward and really brilliant story. I loved the characters. I was really rooting for Georgina the whole way through the book. It is genuine, honest and proper laugh out loud at times, but it is a novel with real heart and emotion.

Highly recommended!

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus

About the book:

A perfect town is hiding secrets. 
Two teenagers are dead. Two murders unsolved. And a killer who claims to be coming back. 

Ellery’s never been to Echo Ridge, but she’s heard all about it.

It’s where her aunt went missing at age sixteen, never to return. 

Where a Homecoming Queen’s murder five years ago made national news.

And where Ellery now has to live with a grandmother she barely knows, after her failed-actress mother lands in rehab.
_____

Malcolm grew up in the shadow of the Homecoming Queen’s death.

His older brother was the prime suspect and left Echo Ridge in disgrace.

His mother’s remarriage vaulted them to Echo Ridge’s upper crust, but it could all change when mysterious threats around town hint that a killer plans to strike again.

And the return of Malcolm’s brother doesn’t help matters. But his return is just a coincidence… isn’t it?

Ellery and Malcolm both know it’s hard to let go when you don’t have closure.

Then another girl disappears.

As they race to unravel what happened, they realise every secret has layers in Echo Ridge. The truth might be closer to home than either of them want to believe. 

And somebody would kill to keep it hidden.

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus

My thoughts:

I loved One Of Us Is Lying when I read it so I was super excited to be sent a copy of Two Can Keep A Secret to review.

Ellery and her brother move to Echo Ridge to live with their grandmother while their mother goes to rehab. Ellery’s aunt went missing from Echo Ridge when she was 16, and now they return 5 years after another girl was murdered.

Another girl disappears, and Ellery was one of the last people to see her alive. What follows is a twisty turny narrative with so many secrets and layers that it is difficult to reconcile the truth out of any of it.

I really enjoyed Two Can Keep A Secret, not as much as One Of Us Is Lying, but it definitely kept me hooked because the characters kept pulling me back into the narrative.

Recommended for sure!

Gone By Midnight by Candice Fox

About the book:

They left four children safe upstairs.
They came back to three.
_________________

On the fifth floor of the White Caps Hotel, four young boys are left alone while their parents dine downstairs. 

But when one of the parents checks on the children at midnight, they discover one of them is missing. 

The boys swear they stayed in their room. CCTV confirms that none of them left the building. No trace of the child is found.

Now the hunt is on to find him, before it’s too late – and before the search for a boy becomes a search for a body…

Gone By Midnight by Candice Fox

My thoughts:

Gone By Midnight is the third book in the Crimson Lake series, but it absolutely can be read as a standalone. I didn’t feel like I had missed out on anything by jumping in with book 3.

When a young boy disappears from a hotel while on holidays with his mother and friends, Ted Conkaffey ends up being drawn into the investigation. The boy’s mother hires him in the hope that he can find her son.

I found Gone By Midnight to be a really engaging read. Short chapters, plenty of action and a solid plot meant I raced through it in record time. I couldn’t put it down!

Gone By Midnight is an emotive and thrilling book, packed with great characters and a scarily plausible plot. It eerily echoes the Madeleine McCann case from years ago. Its every parent’s worst nightmare.

I really enjoyed Gone By Midnight. So much so, that I would happily go back and start the series from the beginning to catch up.

Highly recommended!

We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo Mini Review

About the book:

In a city where magic is feared and the dead are worshipped, life is overshadowed by a powerful and devastating storm cloud.

One young woman is running for her life. Another is trying to return home. Both are looking for a place where they belong.

But what Lena and Constance don’t realise is that the storm cloud binds them. Without it, neither can get what she desires.

We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo

My thoughts:

We Are Blood and Thunder is a stunning new YA fantasy, reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas.

It follows Lena and Constance as the former tries to leave her sealed city, and the latter is looking for a way out.

This book unfolds slowly, drawing the reader in to Lena and Constance’s world as they try to deal with their problems.

Surrounded by a storm cloud, the city they live in is under a spell but nobody knows who cast it or why. Neither young woman know it, but they are bound together.

Their journey is only just beginning. Strong women, politics, ambition and power are all in play in We Are Blood and Thunder and it is a brilliant addition to the genre.

Highly recommended.

Blog Blitz: The Paramedic’s Daughter by Tara Lyons

Hi everyone,

Today I’m taking part in the blog blitz for The Paramedic’s Daughter, and I’ll be sharing my review with you all a little further down!

About the author:

Tara is a crime/psychological thriller author from London, UK. Turning 30 in 2015 propelled her to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. She studied English Literature at Brunel University and was Assistant Editor at an in-house magazine for 8 years, 

In the Shadows is the author’s solo debut novel self-published in March 2016. Bloodhound Books later re-published it, and the rest of The DI Hamilton series followed suit. Tara is now working on standalone novels, the first of which will be published in May 2019.

When she’s not writing, Tara is kept busy by her two young children.

About the book:

Would you ever lie to your family to protect yourself?

Paramedic Abi Quinn is hailed as a hero by the patients she saves with the London Ambulance Service; but a secret she’s kept since she was a teenager now threatens to shatter that perfect illusion.
When her daughter Rose goes missing while studying at Brighton university, and ghosts from her past return to haunt her, Abi’s caught in a race against time to untangle the web of lies she set in motion over twenty years ago.

Everyone has something to lose.
Everyone is trying to protect themselves.
Everyone is broken.
But what lengths will they go to in order to stop the truth from being exposed?

A shocking psychological suspense.

Click the link below to order your copy:

The Paramedic’s Daughter by Tara Lyons

My thoughts:

The Paramedic’s Daughter is the latest novel by Tara Lyons, and its a step away from her previous books as its a standalone psychological thriller dealing with family secrets and how they can change lives forever.

I read most of this book in one sitting, such was the need to see where Tara was going to take the reader. I’ll hold my hand up and say I figured this one out early, but it in no way detracted from my reading experience. I thoroughly enjoyed The Paramedic’s Daughter.

Tara is a super-talented author and she has showcased this beautifully in this book. Weaving together the past and present and showing the damage that keeping secrets can do, it keeps the reader turning those pages.

The Paramedic’s Daughter is a great addition to the psych thriller genre. It is dark, emotive and engaging.

Recommended for sure!

Check out the blitz:

First Monday Crime May 2019 Spotlight- Hunting Evil by Chris Carter

Hey guys,

Today I’m shouting out about May’s forthcoming First Monday Crime Panel with a review for Chris Carter’s newest book, Hunting Evil. First though, here’s all the info you need to know about the May 2019 FM panel! And can I just say, what a panel it is!!!!

About the panel:

May Panelists (it’s a Tuesday!)

Reserve your seat for May 7th here

Mark Billingham – ‘Their Little Secret’

Mark Billingham is one of the UK’s most acclaimed and popular crime writers. A former actor, television writer and stand-up comedian, his series of novels featuring D.I. Tom Thorne has twice won him the Crime Novel Of The Year Award as well as the Sherlock Award for Best British Detective and been nominated for seven CWA Daggers. His standalone thriller IN THE DARK was chosen as one of the twelve best books of the year by the Times and his debut novel, SLEEPYHEAD was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade. Each of his novels has been a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller. 

A television series based on the Thorne novels was screened in Autumn 2010, starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne and a BBC series based on the standalone thrillers IN THE DARK and TIME OF DEATH was shown in 2017.

Mark is also a member of Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. Performing alongside Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Stuart Neville, Doug Johnstone and Luca Veste, this band of frustrated rockers murders songs for fun at literary festivals worldwide.

Chris Carter – ‘Hunting Evil’

I was born in Brasilia, Brazil where I spent my childhood and teenage years. After graduating from high school, I moved to the USA where I studied psychology with specialization in criminal behaviour. During my University years I held a variety of odd jobs, ranging from flipping burgers to being part of an all male exotic dancing group.

I worked as a criminal psychologist for several years, during which I interviewed and worked on over one hundred cases involving serial killers, murderers and serious offenders, before moving to Los Angeles, where I swapped the suits and briefcases for ripped jeans, bandanas and an electric guitar. After a spell playing for several well known glam rock bands, I decided to try my luck in London, where I was fortunate enough to have played for a number of famous artists. I toured the world several times as a professional musician.

A few years ago I gave it all up to become a full time writer.

Deborah O’Connor – ‘The Dangerous Kind’

Deborah O’Connor read English at Newnham College, Cambridge before going on to become a television producer. Having worked on everything from The Big Breakfast to Big Brother she produced the BAFTA award-winning poetry documentary Off By Heart and is currently the head of factual development at TV production company, CPL. 

Born and bred in the North-East of England, she now lives in East London with her husband and three-year-old daughter.

Vanda Symon – ‘The Ringmaster’

Vanda Symon is a crime writer, TV presenter and radio host from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the chair of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors. The Sam Shephard series has hit number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. She currently lives in Dunedin, with her husband and two sons.

Hunting Evil by Chris Carter

‘Every story one day comes to an end.’
As roommates, they met for the first time in college. Two of the brightest minds ever to graduate from Stamford Psychology University.
As adversaries, they met again in Quantico, Virginia. Robert Hunter had become the head of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Lucien Folter had become the most prolific and dangerous serial killer the FBI had ever encountered.

Now, after spending three and a half years locked in solitary confinement, Lucien has finally managed to break free. And he’s angry.

For the past three and a half years, Lucien has thought of nothing else but vengeance.
The person responsible for locking him away has to pay, he has to suffer.
That person … is Robert Hunter.
And now it is finally time to execute the plan.

Click the link below to order your copy:

Hunting Evil by Chris Carter

My thoughts:

I have been a huge fan of Chris Carter ever since I read The Crucifix Killer, so after working my way through the entire series, I was super excited to be able to read Hunting Evil and its safe to say I was NOT disappointed.

In Hunting Evil, Carter brings back one of the most cunning antagonists I’ve ever read, Lucien Folter. I’m not ashamed to say I love a good villain, and Folter is the epitome of a villain. He is devious, scary, patient and thoroughly twisted in his methods and I AM HERE FOR IT!

That being said, I have a soft spot for Robert Hunter, so I spent the entire book holding my breath as Hunter and Garcia worked towards trying to corner Lucien. Vengeance is key for Lucien, so its safe to say that othing is what it seems with him here. Every move, every action has a consequence for those involved. It truly was a nail-biting read.

Hunting Evil is Chris Carter at his best. It is tense, dark, gruesome and gripping in equal measure. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Highly recommended for sure!

In case you need it again, here’s the link to grab your free ticket to the FIRST MONDAY CRIME PANEL MAY 7TH 2019:

Reserve your seat by clicking here!