In Bloom by CJ Skuse

In Bloom
By CJ Skuse
Published by HQ (9 August 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

If only they knew the real truth. It should be my face on those front pages. My headlines. I did those things, not him. I just want to stand on that doorstep and scream it: IT WAS ME. ME. ME. ME. ME!

Rhiannon Lewis has successfully fooled the world and framed her cheating fiancé Craig for the depraved and bloody killing spree she committed. She should be ecstatic that she’s free.

Except for one small problem. She’s pregnant with her ex lover’s child. The ex-lover she only recently chopped up and buried in her in-laws garden. And as much as Rhiannon wants to continue making her way through her kill lists, a small voice inside is trying to make her stop.

But can a killer’s urges ever really be curbed?

My verdict
Sweetpea was one of my favourite books of 2017 - a perfect serial killer read filled with dark humour. In Bloom follows on from the moment Sweetpea ends, with Rhiannon pregnant and in a serious spot of bother.

I really didn't think CJ Skuse could top Sweetpea, but she certainly has. In Bloom is evil and dark, with plenty of shocks and surprises, and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It's also emotional and even heartbreaking in places, as Rhiannon tries to come to terms with her impending motherhood and make some decisions about her future.

Yet again, I found myself rooting for Rhiannon when I really shouldn't, getting a better understanding of her background and why she's the way she is. While she appears fairly 'normal' on the outside with her love of her dog Tink and her Sylvanians collection, she's certainly not a 'people person' - although she has now made a friend, of sorts, called Marnie. The question that arises throughout the book is whether Rhiannon is 'mother material'.

The book reads like a totally twisted pregnancy guide. Rhiannon describes all of her aches and pains, angst and worries, as you would expect in any pregnancy, but then there are also her murderous tendencies and psychotic urges. Fortunately (or not so fortunately for her), she now has a conscience - her unborn baby. The book is cleverly (and hilariously) written as 'baby' makes Rhiannon choose between being a mother and being a murderer every time she 'gets the serial killer urge'.

In Bloom is another fantastic read from CJ Skuse, as long as you don't mind bad language, graphic descriptions and some uncomfortable reading! This book sets the scene perfectly for another book (although it does tie up loose ends too) and I'm now desperate to know what happens next!

BEST OF CRIME with Vicky Newham

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

VICKY NEWHAM

for her Turn A Blind Eye Blog Tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS
Sophie Hannah (because her debut novel, Little Face, blew me away with its mix of psychology and procedural) and Kate Atkinson (whose Case Histories showed how a crime novel doesn’t have to be either literary or commercial).
Other favourites are Gillian Flynn and Tana French (both for their extraordinary use of language), Peter Robinson (Inspector Banks was one of the first long-standing series that I read), Anya Lipska (whose writing is smart, funny and fresh) and Harlan Coben, who does identity illusion and suspense like no-one else.

... FILMS/MOVIES
Tell No-one (adapted from the Harlan Coben novel) is one of my all-time faves.

Psycho, although I could just say anything by Hitchcock, who is the master of suspense.

Cape Fear still has it. Atmosphere from the setting, suspense and it’s extremely scary. Brilliant acting from De Niro and Nick Nolte.

... TV DRAMAS
I got into Peaky Blinders late and then became obsessed. It’s a bit violent for me and I’ve got bored with the storylines but the first two series are pure class. Cinematically sumptuous, fast and dramatic.
I adore Line of Duty. Great characters and isn’t everyone secretly fascinated by police corruption? Plus I’ve had a secret crush on Adrian Dunbar for twenty years.
I adored The Bridge. Saga is gutsy, compelling and struggles in her social world. It’s impossible not to root for her. Hinterland for its brooding landscapes and plots which originate in the socio-economics of the region, plus its fabulous acting. Wallander and Inspector Morse are my go-to comfort-drama. Krister Henriksson and John Thaw are the ultimate jaded, grumpy detectives.

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
Dexter was such a clever idea, and so funny.

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
Inspector Morse, because he’s all about the deduction. DI Jimmy Perez in Shetland because he wants to do the right thing, takes risks and cares hugely.

... MURDER WEAPONS
I read a recent book which had murder by cake poisoning. Won’t say which as I don’t want to spoil it.

... DEATH SCENES
I’ve recently been reading some of Chris Carter’s novels and he sets the bar high for imaginative murder methods and crime scenes!

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
My books are very psychological so I use the British Psychological Society, New Scientist, and the BPS Research Digest regularly.

... WRITING TIPS
Mine are simple: write about what fires you up, set targets for yourself and forget about how other people’s books and careers are doing.

... WRITING SNACKS
I would love to say that I don’t snack but … biscuits, crisps and chocolate.

About VICKY NEWHAM

Vicky Newham grew up near Chichester, West Sussex. She moved to London to go to university, and taught Psychology there for many years before moving to Whitstable, Kent, where she now lives. Vicky gained an MA Creative Writing from Kingston University in 2014. 

Vicky has drawn on her Psychology background and her experience of living and working in East London for her debut novel, Turn a Blind Eye. Published by HQ/HarperCollins, it’s the first in a new series featuring Bangladeshi-born DI Maya Rahman and Australian fast-track officer, DS Dan Maguire. It has been optioned for TV by Playground Entertainment. 

Find Vicky Newham on her website, on her Facebook page and on Twitter - @VickyNewham

About TURN A BLIND EYE

Publisher's description

A dead girl.
A wall of silence.
DI Maya Rahman is running out of time.

A headmistress is found strangled in her East London school, her death the result of a brutal and ritualistic act of violence. Found at the scene is a single piece of card, written upon which is an ancient Buddhist precept:

I shall abstain from taking the ungiven.

At first, DI Maya Rahman can’t help but hope this is a tragic but isolated murder. Then, the second body is found.
Faced with a community steeped in secrets and prejudice, Maya must untangle the cryptic messages left at the crime scenes to solve the deadly riddle behind the murders – before the killer takes another victim.

Read a snippet of my review

'Turn A Blind Eye is a well-paced, well-researched, well-written and well-plotted police procedural... It felt fresh and authentic and in keeping with modern times.'

To read the rest of my review, click here.

Turn A Blind Eye was published by HQ on 5 April 2018.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Follow the Blog Tour

Sweetpea by CJ Skuse

Sweetpea
By CJ Skuse
Published by HQ (2 November 2017)
I bought the Kindle version with Audible narration

Publisher's description

The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…

I haven’t killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I’d feel bad. Like an alcoholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up at all. And for once, no bad dream either. This morning I feel balanced. Almost sane, for once.

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret.

Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhinannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.

A kill list.

From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…

My verdict
I think my #BookLove2017 banner for Sweetpea sums up my thoughts. This was the first audiobook I had listened to properly without reading the book first. And it was the perfect choice. I didn't have time to write a full review at the time, so felt compelled to create this banner instead, adding it to my #BookLove2017 tweets.

Sweetpea is a devilishly dark comedy, filled with outrageous humour and some explicit descriptions. This is certainly not a book for the faint-hearted or easily offended. I loved every minute of it - and every word.

I listened to the audiobook while I was out and about walking and had some very odd looks from passersby as I couldn't stop laughing! I have been known to read a Kindle while out walking but there was no way I could have read Sweetpea while on the move. I would have walked into every lamppost and every vehicle and would probably have been run over in the process.

Rhiannon, the female serial killer protagonist, has such a distinctive compelling 'voice'. She's sharp, witty, sarcastic, highly critical of others (to the point of wanting most people dead) and a psychopath, which she readily admits in her head (though not to anyone out loud, obviously). I found myself rooting for Rhiannon, even though I really shouldn't do so, as she's certainly not a 'people person'.

I loved all of the other characters too - even the ones I probably wasn't meant to love. I believe that this was a direct consequence of listening to the audiobook. While the words on the page were the same as the ones I listened to, Sweetpea was brought to life brilliantly by the narrator, Georgia Maguire. Georgia was perfect for the job, with her different voices and accents for every character. I had planned to listen to the whole audiobook but I switched to the Kindle version at around 70% because my listening time was more limited over the festive season. When I switched back to the Kindle version, it was Georgia's voices that I heard in my head.

If you're looking for an audiobook equivalent of 'a book you can't put down', this is the one to choose! Sweetpea is unique and brilliant! It's also gruesome and disturbing! And I need more!!!

BEST OF CRIME with Mel McGrath

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

MEL McGRATH

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS

I’m going to say Raymond Chandler because it was partly through his work that I discovered crime fiction, though Daphne Du Maurier has a lot to answer for in that regard as well. Were it not for devouring Chandler and Du Maurier when I should have been revising for my A-levels, I would probably not have got that D in chemistry. 

... FILMS/MOVIES
I absolutely love almost everything the Coen Brothers have ever made, so it’s a tie between their first movie, Blood Simple, and the later, brilliantly witty Fargo. There’s a kind of dark, macabre and yet grimly funny tone which I love and is all their own, and they always manage to get amazing performances from their cast. No one does dysfunctional small town America better.

... TV DRAMAS
We’re slap bang in the middle of a golden age of crime drama, so I’m surprising myself by picking a relative oldie, The Sopranos. It’s art. Simple as that.

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery. I enjoy crackpots who think they are perfectly sane, and there are none more cracked than Annie, romance writer Paul Sheldon’s ‘number one fan.’ Also a dark satire on the perils of success.

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
I know he’s a terrible womaniser and borderline misogynist, but I can’t help myself wanting to spend time with Philip Marlowe, for his droll wit and self-deprecatory humour.

... MURDER WEAPONS
There was a true crime case in the US not so long ago where a woman had attempted to kill her husband by lacing her genitals with poison and persuading him to perform a sex act. It really doesn’t get much weirder than that.

    

... DEATH SCENES
I can watch the death scene in Thelma and Louise over and over on a loop. I can’t think of any other death scene that evokes such contradictory feelings of elation, melancholy and rage. It’s one of the great movie moments in any genre.

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and get inspiration there. Among my favourites, Criminal and My Favourite Murder.

... WRITING TIPS
Thomas Mann said that writers are people who find writing harder than other people. Writing requires enormous mental agility and discipline. You have to confront your own limits daily. Don’t expect it to be easy and you won’t be disappointed.

... WRITING SNACKS
I keep a bucket of popcorn on my desk and try to pretend I’m at the movies.

About MEL McGRATH

Mel McGrath is an award-winning and bestselling writer and journalist. She has also been a TV producer and presenter.  Her Edie Kiglatuk (pr Kig-la-took) series of Arctic mysteries is translated into 18 languages and was twice longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. It is currently being developed for TV in the US. Give Me The Child is her first psychological thriller. The Financial Times calls it a 'triumph' and The Sun describes it as 'addictive' and 'edge of your seat stuff.' Mel is a cofounder of the Killer Women collective of crime writers.

Find Mel McGrath on her website and on Twitter - @mcgrathmj

For more 

About GIVE ME THE CHILD

Publisher's description

An unexpected visitor.

Dr Cat Lupo aches for another child, despite the psychosis which marked her first pregnancy. So when Ruby Winter, a small girl in need of help, arrives in the middle of the night, it seems like fate.

A devastating secret.

But as the events behind Ruby’s arrival emerge – her mother’s death, her connection to Cat – Cat questions whether her decision to help Ruby has put her own daughter at risk.

Do we get the children we deserve?

Cat’s research tells her there’s no such thing as evil. Her history tells her she’s paranoid. But her instincts tell her different. And as the police fight to control a sudden spate of riots raging across the capital, Cat faces a race against time of her own…

Give Me The Child was published by HQ on 27 July 2017.

About Killer Women

Killer Women is an author collective of 21 female crime-writers, who work together to put on exciting, innovative crime fiction events around the country, for men and women. It also offers its Crime Club members exclusive access to free chapters of Killer Women authors' new books, giveaways, competitions and discounted early bird tickets to their annual Killer Weekend event. 

To learn more about the Killer Women Killer Weekend from 28  to 29 October 2017, click here.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Sometimes I Lie
By Alice Feeney
Published by HQ (23 March 2017)
ISBN: 978-0008225353

Publisher's description

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.

1. I’m in a coma

2. My husband doesn’t love me any more

3. Sometimes I lie

My verdict
Sometimes I Lie is a well written, highly unsettling read.

At first, the book seemed to be a standard psychological thriller with yet another coma victim. And it took a little while to get going. But then the chills and intrigue set in as I delved further into the story. And eventually I couldn't put the book down.

Amber is stuck a coma. She's aware of her surroundings and knows she's been in accident, but can't remember much more than this. We hear her thoughts, as family and friends visit her in hospital and she tries to put the pieces of her shattered memory back together.

The narrative was compelling and gripping, with a totally unreliable narrator. I wasn't sure who to trust, what was real and what wasn't, how much was truth and how much was lies. The book is very cleverly plotted, unravelling layer by layer until the bitter end, with a fantastic twist.

Sometimes I Lie is definitely a book intended to baffle the reader. And it certainly did in my case. It's unpredictable, with plenty of shocks and surprises. Highly recommended!

I received an Advance Reader Copy.