Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley - BLOG TOUR REVIEW

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley, which was published by Orenda Books on 15 May 2016. Read on for my review.

Deadly Harvest
By Michael Stanley
Published by Orenda Books (15 May 2016)
ISBN: 978-1910633441

Publisher's description
A young girl goes missing after getting into a car with a mysterious man. Soon after, a second girl disappears, and her devastated father, Witness, sets out to seek revenge. As the trail goes cold, Samantha Khama - new recruit to the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department - suspects that the girl was killed for muti; traditional African medicine. She enlists opera-loving wine connoisseur Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Benga to help her dig into the past. But as they begin to find a pattern, Kubu and Samantha suddenly find they are in a race against time...

My verdict
Deadly Harvest is a brilliant crime novel set in a sunny climate. I absolutely loved its exotic setting - not only did the book interest and entertain me but I also learnt so much from it. Botswana truly comes alive on the pages, with its aromas, sights and sounds, as well as political background, providing a fascinating culture to explore further.

The plot concentrates on witch doctors and the use of human remains in traditional African medicines. This is based on a true story, when a young girl went missing in 1994. If you've been following some recent newspaper stories, you'll realise that hunters selling body parts to witch doctors is still very much an ongoing problem. The underlying tragic and horrific truth really brings the book to life. There's also mention of AIDS and HIV, raising often forgotten health issues affecting Africa today.

The book is beautifully written and gripping from the first page until the last, with a few surprises along the way. Who is kidnapping young girls by enticing them into their car? Why has no one seen these girls again? This is a modern mystery, yet feels timeless, as the detectives search for clues.

I loved Detective Kubu and his stable family setting, which provided some lighter moments amidst all the darkness, corruption and deception. His character proves that detectives don't always have to be driven by inner turmoil, as seen so often in crime fiction. He was a complete contrast to Samantha Khama, the new female detective who is far more hot headed and ready to dive in without thinking first. I thought there would be a more explosive clash of personalities, but both characters managed to develop a professional relationship that worked for them.

Deadly Harvest has dark and sinister undertones because of the subject matter. But I loved every word and didn't want it to end. This was my first Detective Kubu book, but certainly not my last. I have already added this series to the list of books that I'll read again and again and recommend to everyone I know. I'm so excited that I don't have to wait TOO long before I can read the next Detective Kubu book!

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

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The Missing by C.L. Taylor

The Missing
By C.L. Taylor
Published by Avon (7 April 2016)
ISBN: 978-008118051

Publisher's description

You love your family. They make you feel safe. You trust them.

But should you…?

When fifteen-year-old Billy Wilkinson goes missing in the middle of the night, his mother, Claire, blames herself. She's not the only one. There isn't a single member of Billy's family that doesn't feel guilty. But the Wilkinsons are so used to keeping secrets from one another that it isn't until six months later, after an appeal for information goes horribly wrong, that the truth begins to surface.

Claire is sure of two things – that Billy is still alive and that her friends and family had nothing to do with his disappearance.

A mother's instinct is never wrong. Or is it?

Sometimes those closest to us are the ones with the most to hide…

My verdict
Unlike many similarly-themed books around at the moment, The Missing concentrates on a missing teenager, rather than a young child. And this certainly provides a welcome change.

The story begins six months after 15-year-old Billy disappeared. The family have no idea if he is still alive but haven't given up hope. C.L. Taylor certainly puts you right into the heart of the family, so you can feel the impact Billy's disappearance has had on the family unit. Claire, Billy's mother, keeps experiencing blackouts, brought on by stress. Her memory loss makes her completely unreliable, and as a reader it's very difficult to know who to trust.

The Missing is more than simply a book about the search for a teenager. Other themes shining through include the psychological impact of tragedy and dark family secrets. As the book progresses, it's clear that Billy certainly isn't the 'golden child' that his mother wants everyone to believe, and that something has been bubbling under the surface.

As the mother of two teenagers, The Missing certainly made me think and worry about my own children. I guessed the 'who dunnit' and the 'how dunnit' wasn't quite dark enough for me - but that probably says more about me than the book. Overall, The Missing is a compelling read, and a well-plotted psychological thriller, and it certainly kept me engrossed from beginning to end.

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

A Divided Spy by Charles Cumming

A Divided Spy
By Charles Cumming
Published by HarperCollins (2 June 2016)
ISBN: 978-0007467518

Publisher's description

Thomas Kell thought he was done with spying. A former MI6 officer, he devoted his life to the Service, but it has left him with nothing but grief and a simmering anger against the Kremlin.

Then Kell is offered an unexpected chance at revenge. Taking the law into his own hands, he embarks on a mission to recruit a top Russian spy who is in possession of a terrifying secret. As Kell tracks his man from Moscow to London, he finds himself in a high stakes game of cat and mouse in which it becomes increasingly difficult to know who is playing whom.

As the mission reaches boiling point, the threat of a catastrophic terrorist attack looms over Britain. Kell is faced with an impossible choice. Loyalty to MI6 – or to his own conscience?

My verdict
A Divided Spy is the third Thomas Kell novel, but the first Charles Cumming book I have read. So I read it as a standalone. The fact that I hadn't read the two previous books didn't detract from the main plot at all, although I do feel that I now need to read them to understand more about Kell's personal and professional background.

Former MI6 agent Thomas Kell is torn between doing the right thing for his country and avenging the death of the woman he loved. Due to past events (I assume in previous books), he has no idea who to trust - even within his own circle. There are two main subplots within this book. The first focuses on Kell's mission to recruit a top Russian spy. The second focuses on a young Muslim man who has returned to the UK from Egypt. These two subplots are intricately woven together to culminate in a dramatic finale.

A Divided Spy provides a fascinating insight into the world of espionage. It's an intriguing blend of love/relationships, terrorism, spies and counter-terrorism. There were plenty of twists and turns all the way through to the end. I particularly loved the London scenes, with their familiar streets, locations and landmarks, and found the characterisation to be strong, well-rounded and believable. The writing is so succinct, gripping and tense that I couldn't put the book down, reading most of it in one sitting.

This book is ideal for fans of John le Carré and Ian Fleming and/or the TV series Spooks.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through Lovereading.

Where Roses Never Die by Gunnar Staalesen - BLOG TOUR REVIEW

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Where Roses Never Die by Gunnar Staalesen, which was published in paperback by Orenda Books on 1 June 2016. Here's my review.

Where Roses Never Die
By Gunnar Staalesen
Published by Orenda Books (Paperback - 1 June 2016)
ISBN: 978-1910633090

Publisher's description
September 1977. Mette Misvær, a three-year-old girl disappears without trace from the sandpit outside her home. Her tiny, close middle-class community in the tranquil suburb of Nordas is devastated, but their enquiries and the police produce nothing. Curtains twitch, suspicions are raised, but Mette is never found. Almost 25 years later, as the expiry date for the statute of limitations draws near, Mette’s mother approaches PI Varg Veum, in a last, desperate attempt to find out what happened to her daughter. As Veum starts to dig, he uncovers an intricate web of secrets, lies and shocking events that have been methodically concealed. When another brutal incident takes place, a pattern begins to emerge … Chilling, shocking and full of extraordinary twists and turns, Where Roses Never Die reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers.

My verdict
Set in Norway in 2002, Where Roses Never Die is a slow burning private investigator novel. It's an intriguing and gripping read and darker than it initially appears.

The book is set three years after the previous book, We Shall Inherit the Wind. Private investigator Varg Veum is struggling with his inner demons, turning to alcohol to get through each day and to escape his memories, until an unexpected visitor turns up at his door. A woman begs him to investigate the disappearance of her little girl 25 years earlier and Veum reluctantly takes on the case. Through his investigations, he discovers that the victim of a recent armed bank robbery lived in the same complex as the little girl. Could there be a link between the two?

Gunnar Staalesen is a talented storyteller, bringing together various different subplots. Writing in the first person, he gets right into the heart of disturbed family dynamics and relationships. The complex dark and emotional side to his narrative and dialogue provides a window to Veum's own inner turmoil.

Veum investigates crimes the old fashioned way - by interviewing people associated with the case, visiting scenes of the crime, asking questions, nosing into people's business and thinking everything through. He works alone and there's very little police procedural in the book - this is very much a 'one man show'.

Where Roses Never Die isn't hailed with big fanfares or highlights of unexpected twists - yet the many twists, turns and red herrings kept me engrossed all the way through. The tension builds up gradually as secrets are revealed, yet the story moves quickly and I read it in just two sittings. It's cunningly plotted and kept me guessing right until the end, when I not only gasped but also shed a tear as all was revealed.

A perfect choice for fans of Nordic Noir as well as intense chilling crime fiction.

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

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Writing a Trilogy by Nikki Owen - author guest post for The Killing Files Blog Tour

I'm kicking off Nikki Owen's The Killing Files Blog Tour today. I'm delighted to welcome Nikki to my blog to talk about Writing a Trilogy. Her latest novel The Killing Files (the second part of The Project Trilogy) is published by Mira today (2 June 2016).

Writing a Trilogy

by Nikki Owen

The thing with writing a trilogy is it just never leaves your head. It’s different to a standalone book. Standalone books you can, like a lover you’ve grown tired of, leave, walk away from, shut the door and never come back. But a trilogy? It’s like a lover you’ve had a child with and so, no matter what you do, there’s always a connection, always a tug and a tie (but, thankfully, in a good way.)

I never set out, initially, to write a trilogy. I’d read many of them, mainly YA: The Hunger Games, The Divergent series, and (don’t judge me), um, The Twilight series (oh, who am I kidding: I LOVED Twilight. FYI: I’m Team Edward.) Anyway, it wasn’t until I got writing what is now the Project trilogy that the concept of actually writing one myself began to become a real possibility. I’d read Stieg Larsson’s epic Millennium trilogy and admired not only his amazing and original kick-ass heroine, Lisbeth Salander (which my protagonist, Dr Maria Martinez has been likened too), but truly was agog at his skill to plot, to create believable, 3-D characters and to go to a level of researched, intricate detail in the narrative that just blew my mind.  I read it and I thought to myself, ‘Nope. I can’t do that.’ But, thing is, if myself or someone else tells me I can’t do something, or says, with grave reality, that I have no chance, then I am on it. I mean, seriously, I am a woman with a mission focused on proving everyone wrong.

And so that’s how I found myself knee deep in a trilogy of my own, giving it a shot. Don’t get me wrong though – it’s been tough. The plotting alone messed with my head sometimes – the multiple story lines, the complex characters, the way I had to, through it all, ensure that all the tiny details I described of Maria’s Asperger’s were accurate and true. I felt – quite rightly – a deep responsibility to the female Aspie community to get it spot on, to do them justice and represent them fairly, as real people, with real thoughts and emotions.

The way I’ve planned the trilogy over the last two/three years of writing has evolved. The first book was written with major pen and notebook assistance (much like Maria’s notebook, funnily enough – she likes notebooks A LOT). The second novel planning in the series I did in a more methodical manner: a full on spreadsheet motherboard tracing every single plot line and character development for each scene. It worked to a point, but when I forgot to look at it, my writing would go off piste – although this actually turned out to be a good thing and created new ideas I hadn’t planned for. I’m finishing book three of the trilogy now (no title as yet) and I think, finally, I have found my groove when it comes to planning. See, while I like to plan (I used to be an advertising agency brand planner) I’m also a creative, and by creative, I mean I daydream, and daydreaming often brings out ideas no amount of planning can predict. So I now find the best way that works for me is to plan a chapter, then write it, then plan the next one, then write it and so on. Especially with a huge, epic story arc of a trilogy, this method seems to fit my brain best on balancing my planning gene with my wandering creative one.

So there you go, writing a trilogy is a labour of love. And laughs. And (lots of) tears. A love that, despite its ups and downs, endures and stays in your head and, try as you might, never leaves. And that’s just the way I like it.

About Nikki Owen

Nikki Owen is an award-winning freelance writer and columnist currently based in Gloucestershire.

Previously, Nikki was a marketing consultant and University teaching fellow before turning to writing full time. As part of her degree, she studied at the acclaimed University of Salamanca – the same city where her protagonist of the Project trilogy, Dr Maria Martinez, hails from.

You can find out more about Nikki Owen on her website. Follow Nikki Owen on Twitter - @NikkiWriter

The Killing Files
By Nikki Owen
Published by Mira (2 June 2016)
ISBN: 978-1848454415

Publisher's description

What to believe

Who to betray

When to run…

Plastic surgeon Dr Maria Martinez has Asperger’s. Convicted of killing a priest, she is alone, in prison and has no memory of the murder.

DNA evidence places Maria at the scene of the crime, yet she claims she’s innocent. Then she starts to remember…

A strange room. Strange people. Being watched.

As Maria gets closer to the truth she is drawn into a web of international intrigue and must fight not only to clear her name but to remain alive.

My review is coming VERY SOON.

Find the book on Amazon UK by clicking here.

For my review of the first book in the series - Subject 375 (originally called The Spider in the Corner of the Room), click here. To discover why the book changed its name, click here. 


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