Don't Turn Around by Caroline Mitchell

Don't Turn Around
By Caroline Mitchell
Published by Bookouture (24 April 2015 )
ISBN: 978-1909490970

Publisher's description
As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave.

When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked.

What she discovers is more chilling than she could possibly imagine. The murders mirror those of the notorious Grim Reaper - from over twenty years ago. A killer her mother helped convict.

Jennifer can no longer ignore the personal connection. Is there a copycat killer at work? Was the wrong man convicted? Or is there something more sinister at play …

With her mother's terrifying legacy spiralling out of control, Jennifer must look into her own dark past in a fight not only to stop a killer - but to save herself and those she loves.

My verdict
Don't Turn Around is exactly as it describes itself - a supernatural thriller. It's certainly not run-of-the mill. The book is creepy, intriguing and an enjoyable read.

The story focuses on DC Jennifer Knight and her mother Elizabeth, who was also in the police force. A series of murders in the present day bear a startling resemblance to a series of killings in the past, and Jennifer is convinced that there is a link between the two.

Jennifer is a great character, trying to keep herself together as she becomes plagued by voices from beyond the grave. She has a special connection with her partner Will, and there's good banter between them, which brings some humour into the story.

The book flows well, with powerful descriptive language, and builds up to a terrifying conclusion. I love how the link between the past and the present grows more obvious as the book progresses but still keeps you guessing until the end.

Without giving away any spoilers, the ending of the book sets itself up very well as the start of a series, so I look forward to seeing how the characters and stories develop over time.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Corpse Role by Keith Nixon BLOG TOUR

I am delighted to be today's stop on the BLOG TOUR for Keith Nixon's The Corpse Role, which was published in Kindle edition on 10 April 2015 by Gladius Press.

The Corpse Role
By Keith Nixon
Published in Kindle edition by Gladius Press (10 April 2015)
Published in paperback edition by CreateSpace (18 March 2015)
ISBN: 978-1508933502

Publisher's description
Not everything that gets buried stays buried… sometimes things have a nasty habit of resurfacing…

When the body of a security van driver implicated in an unsolved £1.2 million heist turns up in a shallow grave two years later, it's just the beginning for Detective Inspector Charlotte Granger. She embarks on an investigation that takes her into dangerous territory - a world of dirty cops, dodgy private investigators, local villains and nosy journalists. Meanwhile events from Granger's own past are threatening to come back and haunt her.

As people are killed to silence them and vital information vanished from files, can DI Granger get to the truth. And if she does, what will that truth reveal?

My verdict
This enjoyable police procedural is a tale of police corruption and how the past comes back to haunt those involved. It is well written, with fast-paced descriptions, a hard-hitting plot, great characters and unexpected twists and turns.

DI Charlotte Granger is called when a body is discovered in a shallow grave. The murder victim is connected to a former police officer, now turned private investigator (PI). Both the victim and the PI are linked to a bank robbery that took place two years earlier. DI Granger tries to discover the truth about the murder victim, but has her hands full as the dead bodies start piling up.

The Corpse Role deals with gangsters and dodgy dealings. The narrative switches between the present and the past. You are given very few clues about the narrator in the past, which adds to the intrigue and keeps you guessing about their identity all the way through the book. 

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

About the author

Keith Nixon has been writing since he was a child. In fact, some of his friends (and his wife) say he's never really grown up. Keith is currently gainfully employed in a senior sales role, meaning he gets to use his one skill, talking. Keith writes crime and historical fiction novels. His crime work is published by leading indie house Caffeine Nights. Keith also reviews books for Crime Fiction Love and Al's Books & Pals blog.

Find out more

Follow the Blog Tour: Next up is http://crimethrillergirl.com

Follow Keith Nixon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/knntom

The Winter Foundlings by Kate Rhodes

The Winter Foundlings
By Kate Rhodes
Published by Mulholland Books (14 January 2015)
ISBN: 978-1-444-73884-1

Publisher's description
Ella Williams is ten years old. She loves her granddad and her sister and her shiny new red shoes.

She's just been abducted by a killer - someone who kidnaps young girls, holds them for a few weeks, then returns their bodies clothed in white foundling dresses.

The crimes are clearly linked to notorious child murderer Louis Kinsella, locked away in a high-security hospital. Is it a copycat? Or is he giving someone direct orders from behind bars?

To save Ella's life, psychologist Alice Quentin must form a relationship with Kinsella. But he is slow to give up his secrets, and all the while, time is running out ...

My verdict
The Winter Foundlings is the third book in the Alice Quentin series. I haven't read the first two books (which has shocked me, as this book was so good). But this didn't spoil my enjoyment at all and anyone could read this as a standalone.

This excellent thriller is creepy and filled with nail-biting suspense. It's brilliantly written and well constructed. I could tell that the author had researched her subject well. The story flows along at a steady pace and keeps you guessing until the end. The little twists and turns keep up the momentum and try (successfully in my case) to steer you in the wrong direction.

I love Alice's character - she's feisty and determined and has a complex past, yet remains realistic and very likeable. The short chapters from young Ella's point of view are sad, chilling and disturbing in places, so may not appeal to the faint hearted.

I recommend The Winter Foundlings to any crime fiction fan who likes their book to have interesting characters and an in-depth well-researched story.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers by Louise Candlish

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers
By Louise Candlish
Published by Michael Joseph (7 May 2015)
ISBN: 978-1405919845

Publisher's description
They were the life and soul of the street. So why did they disappear overnight?

Joe and Christy Davenport's dreams come true when they buy their perfect house on sought-after Lime Park Road. And they happily overlook the fact that the previous owners seem to have fled overnight.

But once moved in, Christy witnesses strange behaviour from her new neighbours. One of whom is Doug Whalen, reclusive, unkempt and aggressive. And the more Christy's attempts at friendship are met with silence, the more she's convinced the only way to discover the truth about Lime Park Road is by unpicking the shocking story of her predecessors, Jeremy Fraser and his glamorous wife Amber.

My verdict
The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is a story about secrets in suburbia. The quest for the perfect home. Life with twitching curtains. A place where everyone knows, or tries to know, each other's business.

The book focuses on two women - Christy and Amber. Christy and her husband Joe have just moved into their 'forever' home in Lime Park Road, a highly sought-after location, but they find that the neighbours don't want to know them. Something obviously happened there, and Christy is desperate to discover what it was. Amber and her husband Jeremy lived in the house before them, but left in a hurry and no one knows where they are. So what is the secret that all the neighbours are determined to hide?

The book alternates between Amber and Christy's stories, building up to the final reveal. I found myself comparing these two women, their husbands and their lives. It is cleverly written, because the other characters - especially the mysterious Joe - come across very differently, depending on whether you are reading Christy or Amber's chapters.

Overall, The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is an enjoyable read that keeps you guessing to the end. However, it's a slow burner, so not for people who are expecting a fast-paced psychological thriller. And the secret wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, which was a slight disappointment after all the build up.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and also through the Lovereading Reviewer Panel in exchange for an honest review.

The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

The Defence
By Steve Cavanagh
Published by Orion (12 March 2015)
ISBN: 978-1409152309

Publisher's description
Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter Amy.

Eddie only has forty-eight hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if he wants to save his daughter.

Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

Lose this case and he loses everything.

My verdict
The Defence is a fast-paced thriller. So fast, there's little time to pause and think. The short sentences, paragraphs and chapters and the snappy dialogue keep the book flowing from beginning to end. I felt quite exhausted (in a good way) by the last page.

Yes the plot is cliched, in fact totally ludicrous at times. There are good guys, bad guys, action scenes with plenty of suspense, twists and turns ... But that just makes the book more appealing. And I loved the ending (don't worry, no spoilers - you will have to find out for yourself).

Eddie is a brilliant character, with a sense of morality despite his dodgy past - and I look forward to hearing more from him (and the author) very soon.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley and won the audiobook in a competition through the author. I read parts of the book and listened to the rest. Due to the short snappy chapters, and dialogue that reads like a film script, The Defence works very well as an audiobook.

One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon

One Small Act of Kindness
By Lucy Dillon
Published by Hodder & Stoughton (23 April 2015)
ISBN: 978-1444796025

Publisher's description
Libby helps a stranger, and transforms her life in the process.

Libby and her husband Jason have moved back to his hometown to turn the family B&B into a boutique hotel. They have left London behind and all the memories - good and bad - that went with it.

The injured women Libby finds lying in the remote country road has lost her memory. She doesn't know why she came to be there, and no one seems to be looking for her.

When Libby offers to take her in, this one small act of kindness sets in motion a chain of events that will change many people's lives…

My verdict
One Small Act of Kindness is an easy read that makes you feel right at home. It's more than just chick lit, not just a tale of romance. It carries the message that a simple action - one small act of kindness - can have an impact on many people and change their lives forever.

A young woman loses her memory after being hit by a car outside Libby and Jason's family hotel. Libby offers 'Pippa' a home until her memory returns. But who is 'Pippa', where has she come from and why has she ended up at the hotel? Lucy Dillon takes us on Pippa's journey to discover herself. As Libby and Jason run into financial difficulties while restoring the hotel, Libby begins to question her own life and what is actually important.

Filled with realistic characters, One Small Act of Kindness is charming and uplifting. It's the perfect book to put your feet up with a cup of tea (or coffee) or glass of wine and plenty of chocolate.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through BookBridgr in exchange for an honest review.

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller

Our Endless Numbered Days
By Claire Fuller
Published by Fig Tree (26 February 2015)
ISBN: 978-0241003930

Publisher's description
1976: Peggy Hillcoat is eight. She spends her summer camping with her father, playing her beloved record of The Railway Children and listening to her mother's grand piano, but her pretty life is about to change.

Her survivalist father, who has been stockpiling provisions for the end, which is surely coming soon, takes her from London to a cabin in a remote European forest.

There he tells Peggy the rest of the world has disappeared. Her life is reduced to a piano which makes music but no sound, a forest where all that grows is a means of survival. And a tiny wooden hut that is Everything.

My verdict
Our Endless Numbered Days is a beautifully-written tale, filled with mesmerising descriptions and haunting prose.

At the age of eight, Peggy is taken away from London by her survivalist father James to a remote part of Europe. He tells her that the rest of the world has come to end and that her concert pianist mother has died. With all the wonder and innocence of childhood, Peggy believes him and puts all her faith in her father's ability to keep her safe. They move into a ramshackle mountain hut, scavenging for food and struggling to survive in the cruel, harsh environment.

At the centre of the story is a silent piano, which James builds for Peggy, and Peggy's determination to learn how to play it. As the story progresses, her father descends further and further into madness.

The book is narrated by 17-year-old Peggy, who has now returned to civilisation after nine years in the forest. Obviously Peggy gets older during her story, but at times she doesn't appear to age at all - still viewing life with the naivety of an eight-year-old girl.

Our Endless Numbered Days keeps you guessing to the end. Why did her father take her away in the first place? Why and how did Peggy return? The book flows with ease, with vivid passages of prose that appeal to all of your senses, and finishes with a few surprise revelations. This is a novel that will stay in my memory for a long time.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.