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Keep You Near - Robin Roughley

17/3/2017

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Book Description
How far would you go to save your sister?
A normal day in the park turns into a nerve shredding nightmare for eleven-year-old Marnie Hammond when she find herself in a desperate chase to stop the 'bad man,' from abducting Abby.

Fifteen years later, Marnie is a Detective Sergeant but the memory of her missing sister still haunts her dreams.
When it becomes clear that someone is stalking the streets of Kirkhead DS Hammond has her hands full, and after remains are discovered buried in dense woodland, Marnie fears the worst. But this is only the start of a nightmare that will unearth more bones, more victims and the terror that Abby might be among the dead.
To stop the monster Marnie knows she must break the rules, but when the twisted killer turns his attention on her it becomes a fight not only for the truth but for her sanity and her survival.
Can Marnie catch the murderer and solve her sister’s disappearance? 

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5/5

WOW!! What a book!! This rarely happens to me but as soon as I started reading the first few pages of 'Keep You Near' I felt immediately sure that this was going to be a fantastic book... and it was! I've just finished reading it and oh my! I still can't shake off the tension. 

With this book, author Robin Roughley has started a new thrilling serial killer series and introduced his new heroine, DS Marnie Hammond. In this first book, Jenny Bell, an eight-year-old girl is abducted on her way home from a party. There are no witnesses and no leads. Soon after, old skeletal remains of a child are found in nearby woods. These two cases shake Marnie to the core and immediately throw her back in time, forcing her to relive the horrific childhood experience that has shaped and devastated her life. Fifteen years previously, her younger sister Abby was abducted before her very own eyes and she was helpless to do anything about it. Abby was never found. Who took Jenny now? And whose remains are those found in the woods? Are the two cases connected?

When more bones are found, Marnie and her boss DCI Reese find themselves on a frenetic race against time to try and find a link between a number of missing girls to try and save Jenny and catch a vicious killer that has been stalking the streets for decades. Could there be some connection with Abby's abduction?  

Even though I have several books by Robin Roughley in my kindle, I'm ashamed to say that I haven't read any of them. But with this book Mr Roughley has surely secured a new fan in me. 'Keep You Near' is a fast-paced, roller-coaster read with non-stop tension from start to finish.

All characters in this book are well portrayed and realistic. I just love Marnie and already can't wait to meet her again in future books. She's blighted by guilt and I could feel her pain and internal turmoil. I wished I could make her feel better in some way but I admired her courage and determination despite everything. I also liked and felt sorry for poor Luke too. He's a character that actually surprised me. We have chapters from the point of view of the killer. We don't know who he is, but the author gives us a very deep insight into his psyche. We know that this sick-minded man is passing through a very confusing time in his life. It's almost as if he doesn't have any control over his thoughts anymore and that makes him even more dangerous. What's sure is that his heydays are over but he's hellbent to reignite his killing spree after a long absence.

Thanks to vivid descriptions, intrigue and numerous nail-biting suspenseful scenes, this book kept me hooked throughout and made me feel all sorts of emotions. I felt bad for the abducted kids and their families. I felt bad for Marnie and for Luke. I also felt angry, disgusted, helpless and shocked. The ending is just heart-stopping and the stuff of nightmares. Impressive!

Even though it's very dark, I enjoyed every minute I spent reading 'Keep You Near' and I HIGHLY recommend it. Won't be surprised if it's turned into a movie someday. Now, I already can't wait for the next in the series. 

With thanks to Bloodhound Books for a review copy of this fab book that I voluntarily accepted to read and review.

About the Author
Robin Roughley lives in Wigan in the the North West of England (God's coal bunker) though he hopes to one day be released for good behaviour. 
He is the author of eleven crime/thriller novels featuring DS Lasser. The novels are set between the run down streets of a northern town and the beautiful yet desolate west Pennine moors. 
If you love your crime fiction crammed with square jawed heroes driving flash cars and glorious women who shimmer with inner light, then the DS Lasser novels are probably not for you. 
However, if you prefer your characters to be flawed, with a sprinkling of dandruff and old acne scars,the plots to be laced with dark humour, then give them a try.
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In Plain Sight - M. A. Comley

14/3/2017

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Book Description
No one is safe... not even the police.DI Hero Nelson is used to violent crime but this one is personal. When he's called to a crime scene he discovers the victims are two police officers one of whom is a good friend.
Determined to track down the killer, he’s dealt another blow as the body count continues to rise. To catch the killer before he strikes again, Hero calls upon the public for help. But when the criminal ups the ante by taking hostages, he soon regrets his actions.
Can Hero and the police catch the murderer before more innocent victims are hurt?  
Hero must apprehend a killer who is hiding in plain sight before the time runs out.​

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5/5

Author Mel Comley has brought DI Hero Nelson back to her readers in another fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller. Though third in the series, this book can very well be read as a standalone.

When Hero is called to a double homicide scene, he's shocked to discover that the victims are two fellow police officers, one of whom a close friend of his. The officers were killed in cold blood on the road while on duty. This horrific event is immediately followed by a murder and robbery at a local post office. The postmaster's murder shows clear signs of a very sick mind running loose in town. What's happening? Was this the deed of the same killer who murdered the police officers? When the number of post-office murders increases very rapidly, Hero and his team find themselves on a race against time to track down this madman before more innocent people are killed. But before this could happen, the killer plays his final card and this gives the case a whole new dimension...

WOW! What a tension-packed explosive book this is. Mel Comley never disappoints but with this one she truly excels. I wonder how the author manages to pack in so much action, drama and suspense in one book. The plot is twisty and clever with several terrifying, heart-pumping scenes that made me wince and bite my knuckles. I found myself frantically swiping my kindle as I wanted to know if and how Hero will manage to capture the killer. Reading some of the scenes I wished I could grab this cruel, sadistic killer and throttle him with my own bare hands.

This book kept me on edge throughout and I ended up devouring it in just one sitting. The author has once again awarded her readers with non-stop action, intrigue and suspense, all together in another great instalment that's guaranteed to keep every thriller lover entertained from start to finish. Well done! Highly recommended!

With thanks to the author for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review.
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Bully Boy Blue - John Nicholl

14/3/2017

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Book Description
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Every aspect of Kathy’s life is dominated by her abusive bully boy husband. Now she’s pregnant and in fear for her life. Can she ever escape him?

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5/5

​Following three full-length thrillers, John Nicholl has now written 'Bully Boy Blue', his first standalone novella. It is a fast-paced, heart-racing read that I gobbled up in one sitting. 

The main characters are Kathy Conner and her husband Michael. To the outside world Inspector Michael Conner is an excellent detective and above all an exemplary loving and patient husband to his mentally ill wife. Everyone wonders just how he copes with his wife's condition. However, within the confines of their house, the reality couldn't be more different. 

With novellas you can't say much in reviews for fear of spoiling the plot. All I'll say is that I really enjoyed reading this one and ended up devouring the whole book in less than an hour. I found myself shouting at Kathy to get a grip and wishing I could punch the brute on his face. I rushed through the book to see how it will all end, but I could never have envisaged the ingenious plan Kathy comes up with in the end. Clever girl!

With thanks to the author for an ARC of the book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review. Recommended!

About the Author
John Nicholl, an ex police officer, child protection social worker and lecturer, has written three dark psychological suspense thrillers, each of which have been Amazon international bestsellers, reaching # 1 in multiple categories in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia, Canada and the USA. John is always happy to hear from readers, bloggers or the media, and can be contacted via his author website at: http://www.johnnicholl.com. Rights enquiries should be directed to Mr Toby Mundy - Literary agent at TMA.
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Dead Embers - Matt Brolly

10/3/2017

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Book Description
An explosive fire. A double murder. And that's just the start.

When DCI Michael Lambert is called out to an apparent house fire, he knows it can’t be routine. Instead he finds the remains of a burnt house, a traumatised child and two corpses - one of whom is a senior police officer.Lambert’s got other problems. Anti-corruption are onto his boss. His relationships is on the rocks. He can’t get over his ex-wife and he keeps blacking out.
But when a detective has been murdered the stakes are too high to get distracted. All is not as it seems. As the investigation continues Lambert realises he is getting drawn into something altogether bigger and more terrifying than he could ever have imagined…
Trust no one.

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5/5

'Dead Embers' is Matt Brolly's third book in his DCI Lambert series. I read and enjoyed the first two and thought they were excellent reads, so was really looking forward to reading this one too. Now that I've read it, I dare say this is absolutely the author's best to date.

A house is engulfed by flames. Fire officers manage to save a young child from the inferno, but sadly it's too late for the girl's parents. The mother was a senior policewoman. When Lambert and fire experts are sent to the scene, it is quickly established that the fire was no accident, but arson. Someone murdered these people. Someone wanted to wipe out the entire Jardine family, but who? And why? Is this connected to the mother's work? Or to the father's banking business?

This is one of those books which you can't say too much about for fear of spoiling the plot, as early on in the book, we have a major unexpected twist that ensnares the reader and throws the whole story in a completely different direction. All of a sudden, the case becomes far more complex than solving a double homicide, to such an extent that Lambert begins to doubt his capability of solving it. It seems someone is always one step ahead of him and his team, disrupting their every move. Soon the number of victims rises and a huge tangled web of corruption, deceit and depravity is uncovered. Will Lambert be able to track down the dark mind behind it all?

I really enjoyed reading this book and found myself devouring large chunks of it per sitting. 'Dead Embers' can be read as a standalone, but I would still recommend readers to read the series in order to fully appreciate it. I was rather surprised at how the author has brilliantly weaved this book's plot and was curious to see how it will all end. Certainly I could never have imagined the way the story developed. 

All characters are very realistic and vividly brought to life. I like Lambert. He's an excellent police officer, a troubled soul ravished by guilt. Suffering from occasional blackouts, he's not feeling too comfortable in his current on-off relationship with DCI Sarah May. Lambert can't leave his past and the past won't leave him. I liked the interaction between Lambert and his heavyset superior Tillman, who very frequently pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable in his line of work. Lambert is joined in the investigation by DS Matilda Kennedy - another source of guilt for him. Matilda is another likeable character and a bold police officer and I just hope the author will leave the pair together in future books as they form a great team. 

'Dead Embers' is a very intriguing suspenseful read full to the brim with non-stop fast-paced action, explosions, tension, claustrophobic scenes that made me gasp for breath, and finally, a shocking ending. Highly recommended!

With thanks to the author for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review.

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 author of the DCI Lambert crime novels, Dead Eyed, Dead Lucky, and Dead Embers which is released March 6th 2017. In addition he is the author of the acclaimed near future crime trilogy, featuring DI Kate Swanson, which begins with Zero.

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: @MatthewBrolly
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The Abattoir of Dreams - Mark Tilbury

4/3/2017

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Book Description
The past is never far away.

Michael Tate has not had an easy life. With his father in prison, and his mother dead, Michael was sent to Woodside Children’s Home.
Now an adult, Michael wakes up in hospital from a coma suffering from amnesia and paralysis. Confused and terrified, he is charged with the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Becky. He also learns he attempted to end his own life.
Detective Inspector John Carver is determined that Michael is sent to prison.
With no way of defending himself, Michael is left in his hospital bed awaiting transfer to remand.
But then strange things begin to happen and his childhood comes back to haunt him.
Can Michael ever escape the past?
Will he ever discover the truth about Becky’s murder?

And why is DI Carver so eager to make him suffer?


I've taken part in the blog tour of this fab book

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4/5

The Abattoir of Dreams is a very dark, disturbing read. It's a shockingly powerful work of fiction.

Oxford, 1976. Michael Tate wakes up in hospital from a coma. He's paralysed from the waist down and suffering from amnesia. He doesn't know who he is or what happened to him. A rather loathsome cop, Detective Inspector Carver comes to visit him and accuses him of brutally murdering his girlfriend Becky. Michael is informed that after the murder he attempted suicide. Michael is stunned. He doesn't remember a thing!

Then bizarre things start to happen. In a number of scenes that reminded me of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Michael is taken from his hospital bed, back in time, vividly reliving his miserable childhood and teenage years. Michael is terrified and confused by these episodes. What's happening to him? Is he just imagining everything? Is this the result of his fall from the tower block? A side effect of his medication? Or is his memory trying to come back? Will Michael find the truth of what really happened? Did he really kill his girlfriend in a frenzied attack? Or is someone trying to set him up?

Having a supernatural element and abuse as its main theme (two things I try to avoid in books) I was a bit concerned that I would not enjoy this book, but I took the plunge and read it. This book is somewhat different to what I would normally read but it's very well written with a well thought out, heart-wrenching plot at its heart. Now that I've finished it, to say I 'enjoyed' it wouldn't exactly be the right phrase to use, due to the book's theme - abuse -  but I am just so glad I've read it. I feel I've gone on a journey alongside poor Michael. I've suffered with him through his ordeal and felt his pain. 

Now, I like my stories to be as realistic as possible, so I would have preferred that this book did not include any supernatural happenings. I tried not to focus much on that aspect and instead concentrated on Michael's story. I wanted to know how Michael ended up accused of murder, what horrors has he gone through and what will happen to him.
 
Have you ever read a book and hated the villain so much you wished you could somehow get inside the story and kill him with your own bare hands? Well this is one such book. I have never hated a character as much as I've hated Detective Inspector Carver! He must be the most horrible, despicable and hateful villain I've ever encountered in all the books I've read. And he wasn't the only disgusting pervert in this book.

Brilliantly written, this book made me feel all sorts of emotions. I was angry, sad, tearful, on edge, frustrated and disgusted, but also hopeful. My heart went out to Michael. I was gutted for what he went through and I wished I could help him in some way. And though there were some scenes I found a bit difficult to read, that made me wince and bite my knuckles, the author did an incredible job in tackling the subject of abuse as sensitively as possible, using the right words to soften the horror. 

I feel that this book has had some kind of effect on me, not sure how to explain it, but I know that Michael will remain with me for a very long time. 

This was my first book by Mark Tilbury, but it certainly won't be my last. With thanks to the author for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review.
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About the Author
Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria,although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.
After serving in the Royal Navy and raising his two daughters after being widowed, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused. He's always had a keen interest in writing, and has just written his third novel, The Abattoir of Dreams.
When he's not writing, Mark can be found trying and failing to master blues guitar,and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.
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After She's Gone - Maggie James

3/3/2017

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Book Description
​Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.

Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family start to fall apart. And, as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.

Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…

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2/5

Having read and enjoyed Blackwater Lake by Maggie James a few months ago, I was really looking forward to reading her new book 'After She's Gone'. But unfortunately even though with a great premise, this book fell miserably short of my expectations.

Jessie, a teenage girl, fails to return home one night. Her mother Dana and sister Lori are desperate to know her whereabouts. Living at home with the family are Dana's partner Jake and his son Spencer. 

Spencer wakes up dazed and confused in a basement. He's horrified to find that he's in one of Dana's empty rental properties and lying near him on the floor is Jessie... dead. He also smells smoke and realises that the place is on fire. Terrified he makes a swift exit. Someone has murdered the girl. But who? And why? Did he do this under the effects of drugs? Or someone else? All he knows is that he was enjoying himself in a bar and then nothing. How did he end up there?

When Jessie's body is discovered by fire rescue, Dana and Lori are devastated and their lives are thrown into a horrible nightmare. The police start their investigation, and Lori begins to go through her list of suspects too. Who could have done this to sweet Jessie? At the same time we also have a pyromaniac on the loose in town, setting abandoned warehouses on fire everywhere. Who is this madman? Was it this person who killed Jessie and set the house on fire?

The book's blurb was enticing enough to make me want to read it. It started off very well and I really enjoyed the first part and found it very intriguing. I wanted to keep on reading to find out who of the many possible suspects would be the killer. 

Now, I have great respect for this author. I know she's written a number of brilliant thrillers. However, I don't know what happened with this one. I'm not sure, maybe it's just me not connecting with the story. As the plot thickened, the characters began to literally wear me out. At times it felt as if they were just going round and round in circles. I came across the following routine numerous times: Dana goes upstairs to cry in her room, Lori leaves her claustrophobic house, goes to Aiden's house, fuels her suspicions on his housemate Damon, then on to her boyfriend Ryan for some kissing and cuddling. Afterwards back home for some hugging (and we have A LOT of hugging!). I wondered how Oreo the cat didn't end up bald by the end of the book with the number of times Lori strokes its head (lucky bugger!). By the end, I'm sorry to say that I did not care for any of them, not even Lori or Dana with all the bad things happening to them. Spencer was the most interesting character, but sadly he disappears from the scene early on. 

Apart from being a bit repetitive, I thought the plot was predictable too. I had an obvious suspect in mind from the beginning and I kept hoping the author would blow me away with some unexpected twist to prove me wrong, however there was no such twist and by the end I was proved right. I just hate it when that happens!

The book lacks any heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat suspense and I thought there was too much going on at the same time. I think Jessie's murder should have been kept at the centre of the story, but at times it seemed to be just a side story with more emphasis put on the numerous fires being set out throughout the city, Dana's condition and to other secondary things. I persevered and read the whole book, but the ending too was not convincing enough and raised questions in my head. 

The whole idea behind the book was very interesting and intriguing, but I think the way it was delivered was not right. With a lot of things going on (some of which unnecessary to the plot), a complete deviation from the murder, repetitions and long chapters, this book was just not for me. Sorry! 

This was my honest opinion. With thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily accepted to read and review.

About the Author
Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels. 

Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!
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