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.
Plotters are just pawns like us. A request comes in and they draw up the plans. There’s someone above them who tells them what to do. And above that person is another plotter telling them what to do. You think that if you go up there with a knife and stab the person at the very top, that’ll fix everything. But no-one’s there. It’s just an empty chair.
Reseng was raised by cantankerous Old Raccoon in the Library of Dogs. To anyone asking, it’s just an ordinary library. To anyone in the know, it’s a hub for Seoul’s organised crime, and a place where contract killings are plotted and planned. So it’s no surprise that Reseng has grown up to become one of the best hitmen in Seoul. He takes orders from the plotters, carries out his grim duties, and comforts himself afterwards with copious quantities of beer and his two cats, Desk and Lampshade.
But after he takes pity on a target and lets her die how she chooses, he finds his every move is being watched. Is he finally about to fall victim to his own game? And why does that new female librarian at the library act so strangely? Is he looking for his enemies in all the wrong places? Could he be at the centre of a plot bigger than anything he’s ever known?
The Plotters is utterly mad, but not in a bad way! It is raw, acerbic and witty while totally in keeping with the crime book genre.
Assassins who get told to kill by The Plotters, so it is essentially a hierarchical strata. You can’t go above your station, you just have to do what you’re told.
But what happens if you rebel? Reseng, an assassin, is going to find out.
The Plotters is dark, offbeat and definitely a quirky read. My first time reading Korean crime, but not the last. It is a unique and intriguing read.
Munch and Krüger. An unexpected pairing. A brilliant team.
Winter 1996 An old man is driving home when his headlights catch an animal on the empty road up ahead. He stamps hard on the brakes. But it is not an animal at all. It is a young boy, frightened and alone, with a set of deer antlers strapped firmly to his head.
Fourteen years later, a body is found in a mountain lake. Within weeks, three people have died. Each time, the killer has left a clue, inviting Special Investigations Detectives Munch and Krüger to play a deadly game – a game they cannot possibly win. Against the most dangerous and terrifying kind of serial killer. One who chooses their victims completely at random.
To find the killer they must look deep within their own dark pasts, but how can you stop a murderer when you cannot begin to predict their next move?
Out now, you can grab a copy by clicking the link below:
Having read and loved the first two books in this series, I was delighted to get a review copy for The Boy in the Headlights, so thanks to Transworld for this one!
We’re back with Holger and Mia in The Boy in the Headlights as they recover from the events of The Owl Always Hunts at Night. They each had a lot to deal with and are doing so in their own way.
When a body is found at a mountain lake, they are called in to investigate. But as with all good crime novels, the body count inevitably rises. As Holger and Mia work to find out who is leaving them clues at each scene, they find themselves drawn in deeper into the killer’s game at every turn. What follows is a game of murderous cat and mouse that delves into their pasts while simultaneously threatening their future.
I really like the pairing between these two detectives, it shouldn’t work, but it does. Both have their own flaws and foibles, but they know each other well enough to push past them and focus on the job at hand.
The Boy in the Headlights is another excellent addition to the series. A gripping plot, dark characters and great writing make this a highly absorbing read.
If you like your Scandi crime (as we all know, I LOVE it), this is a series you need to add to your TBR!
Dr Jaqueline Silver blows things up to keep people safe.
Working on avalanche control in Slovenia, she stumbles across a delivery problem with a consignment of explosives. After raising a complaint with the supplier, Zagrovyl, a multinational chemical company and her ex-employer, her evidence disappears. She is warned, threatened, accused of professional incompetence and suspended. Taking her complaint to Zagrovyl head office, she narrowly escapes death only to be framed for murder. Escaping from police custody, she sets out to find the key to the mystery.
From the snowy slopes of Slovenia, to the wreckage of Chernobyl, Jaq attempts to expose the trade in deadly chemical weapons, while fighting for her life.
Published by Point Blank Books, click the link below to get your copy:
I had seen The Chemical Detective popping up on social media recently so I was delighted to receive an ARC from the publisher for review on the blog.
The Chemical Detective follows Dr. Jaq Silver, a chemical engineer, as she uncovers some inconsistencies in what looks like a routine delivery from supply company Zagrovyl. Jaq used to work for this multi national company, but left under a cloud.
When evidence of these inconsistencies disappears, and people start getting hurt, Jaq realizes quite quickly that there is something serious amiss in the explosives supply and delivery.
What follows is a fast-paced thriller, reminiscent of Cold War era espionage movies, and almost cinematic in its writing. I could easily picture the snow covered mountains, the explosives facilities, all of it. It could even be a Bond movie, it’s got that kind of vibe.
Dr. Jaq Silver is an interesting main character too. Flawed, but with a fairly decent moral compass, it’s hard not to feel sorry for her with everything that takes place in the book.
If you like Jason Bourne, you’ll love The Chemical Detective.
Today I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for After The Eclipse by Fran Dorricott, and I’ll be sharing my review with you a little further down.
About the author:
Fran Dorricott is a bookseller and author. She studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia, and she received a distinction for her MA in Creative Writing from City University London. Her day job in a bookshop is secretly just a way for her to fuel her ridiculous book-buying addiction. The opportunity to draw inspiration from the many wonderful and wacky customer requests is also a plus.
About the book:
A little girl is abducted during the darkness of a solar eclipse. Her older sister was supposed to be watching her. She is never seen again.
Sixteen years later and in desperate need of a fresh start, journalist Cassie Warren moves back to the small town of Bishop’s Green to live with her ailing grandmother. When a local girl goes missing just before the next big eclipse, Cassie suspects the disappearance is connected to her sister – that whoever took Olive is still out there. But she needs to find a way to prove it, and time is running out.
It’s been a while since I have read a psychological thriller so I was looking forward to reading After The Eclipse as it sounded like an interesting premise. Two girls go missing sixteen years apart, coinciding perfectly with a solar eclipse.
It follows Cassie, sister of the first missing girl, as she returns home to take care of her grandmother. When the second girl goes missing just before the eclipse, it leads Cassie to thinking it’s connected with her sisters disappearance all these years ago.
What follows is a dark and layered story that lovers of books like this will enjoy. It’s got plenty in the way of suspense and tension as the reader goes on the journey with Cassie to find out what happened to her sister, and what happened to the local girl who has disappeared this time.
I read After The Eclipse in a handful of sittings over the course of 24 hours. I was eager to see where the author would take the reader, and to see what was going to happen. The plot moves along nicely, the characters are intriguing and it’s another good addition to the psych thriller genre. I look forward to seeing where Fran Dorricott will go with her next book!
Many thanks to Titan Books for my copy in exchange for a blog tour review.
William L. Myers Jr. is a Philadelphia lawyer with thirty years of trial experience in state and federal courts up and down the East Coast. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, he has argued before the United States Supreme Court and still actively practices law.
Myers was born into a proud, working-class family and now lives with his wife, Lisa, in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.
About the book:
For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense. When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened. On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence. As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters—some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.
Having read and loved the first two books in this series, I was delighted to read A Killer’s Alibi!
First off, I will say it would be helpful to have read the first two books because the characters are interwoven throughout the books. Secondly, just read the books because they are brilliant legal thrillers! 🙂
There are two plots in A Killer’s Alibi, one focusing on Mick McFarland and one focusing on his wife, Piper, as she tries prove the innocence of a woman convicted of killing her father.
Bill Myers is an exceptional plotter. The way he uses misdirection to throw the reader off the scent is brilliant. I always find myself trying to figure out where the story is going, and I am NEVER right. I love that, because it means I am engrossed from start to finish, eager to know how everything pans out in the end.
I liked the thread with Piper trying to prove the innocence of Darlene Dowd. I thought it was really interesting to see how she works, especially considering events in the previous books!
Also, we meet Jimmy Nunzio again, and this time he is found holding the knife over his daughter’s dead lover. Nunzio retains Mick for his defense, and it becomes one of the hardest cases because how can you get a not guilty verdict when the man is a known killer!?
I don’t want to go into any more detail because the joy of reading these books is the figuring out of the various plot points. I always look forward to these because I am always hooked straightaway and I end up devouring them as fast as I can!
A Killer’s Alibi is a thrilling, pacy and thoroughly engaging story, with some excellently shady characters and plenty to keep the reader turning those pages!
I’ve got a review for you all today! I KNOW, an actual review!!! It’s been a while, right! 🙂
About the author:
Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, sharp skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter.
About the book:
Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job because she shot a murderer in cold blood and refuses to apologize for it. Forced into group therapy for victims of violent crime, Ellery immediately finds higher priorities than “getting in touch with her feelings.”
For one, she suspects a fellow group member may have helped to convict the wrong man for a deadly arson incident years ago. For another, Ellery finds herself in the desperate clutches of a woman who survived a brutal rape. He is still out there, this man with the spider-like ability to climb through bedroom windows, and his victim beseeches Ellery for help in capturing her attacker.
Ellery seeks advice from her friend, FBI profiler Reed Markham, who liberated her from a killer’s closet when she was a child. Reed remains drawn to this unpredictable woman, the one he rescued but couldn’t quite save. The trouble is, Reed is up for a potential big promotion, and his boss has just one condition for the new job―stay away from Ellery. Ellery ignores all the warnings. Instead, she starts digging around in everyone’s past but her own―a move that, at best, could put her out of work permanently, and at worst, could put her in the city morgue.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Vanishing Season (review below), I was delighted to receive a copy of No Mercy from Titan Books to read ad review on the blog.
No Mercy catches up with Ellery in the aftermath of the events in The Vanishing Season (no spoilers, but I’d suggest reading it before you read No Mercy!) where she is off work pending the outcome of her therapy sessions for victims of violent crimes.
However, Ellery being the tenacious character she is, finds more to the therapy than she bargained for. An old arson case, and a brutal rape are just two of the situations her fellow group members are dealing with. And Ellery can’t leave well alone.
What follows is a tense, taught and gripping thriller. Ellery calls on her FBI profiler friend Reed Markham, who also happened to save her from a killer when she was a child, to come in and see if he can help her figure out whats going on with the two cases and its safe to say, things get very dark once they start investigating!
I’m not going to say any more about the plot because there is so much going on that I don’t want to mention anything by accident! No Mercy is a great book, pushed forward by the brilliant Ellery and supported effortlessly by Reed (my fave!). It has everthing I look for in a thriller.
Engaging, fast-paced and cinematic, No Mercy would not be out of place on the big screen if you ask me!
