Strangers Review | C.L Taylor

Despite seeing C.L Taylor come up a lot, I’ve never actually read one of their books before. I was looking forward to this one and seeing whether the author is worth the hype. I think it’s fair to say that the answer is yes from me – here’s my review on Strangers.

Publisher: Avon Books UK | Date: 2020 | Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Plot: Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life. Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards. And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.

Book Review: Sword of Shadows by Jeri Westerson

Publisher: Severn House

Date: 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Plot: London, 1396. A trip to the swordsmith shop for Crispin Guest, Tracker of London, and his apprentice Jack Tucker takes an unexpected turn when Crispin crosses paths with Carantok Teague, a Cornish treasure hunter. Carantok has a map he is convinced will lead him to the sword of Excalibur – a magnificent relic dating back to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table – and he wants Crispin to help him find it.

Travelling to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall with Carantok and Jack, Crispin is soon reunited with an old flame as he attempts to locate the legendary sword. But does Excalibur really exist, or is he on an impossible quest? When a body is discovered, Crispin’s search for treasure suddenly turns into a hunt for a dangerous killer.

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The Never Game Review | Jeffery Deaver

Jeffery Deaver is a name I’ve come across a few times, but haven’t ever read any of his work before. I’ve been looking forward to a good thriller, and this one did not disappoint. A gripping plot, interesting characters and it left me wanting to read more from this author. Here’s my review on The Never Game.

Publisher: HarperCollins | Date: 2019 | Genre: Thriller

Plot: “You have been abandoned.”

A young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America’s tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry.

“Escape if you can.”

When another victim is kidnapped, the clues point to one video game with a troubled past–The Whispering Man. In that game, the player has to survive after being abandoned in an inhospitable setting with five random objects. Is a madman bringing the game to life?

“Or die with dignity.”

Shaw finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game, risking his own life to save the victims even as he pursues the kidnapper across both Silicon Valley and the dark ‘net. Encountering eccentric game designers, trigger-happy gamers and ruthless tech titans, he soon learns that he isn’t the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast.

Book Review: Someone Like Me by M R Carey

Title: Someone Like Me

Author: M.R. Carey

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Date: 2018

Plot: She looks like me. She sounds like me. Now she’s trying to take my place.

Liz Kendall wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s a gentle woman devoted to bringing up her kids in the right way, no matter how hard times get.

But there’s another side to Liz – one which is dark and malicious. A version of her who will do anything to get her way, no matter how extreme or violent.

And when this other side of her takes control, the consequences are devastating.

The only way Liz can save herself and her family is if she can find out where this new alter-ego has come from, and how she can stop it.

Endgame Review | Daniel Cole

The Ragdoll series by Daniel Cole has been a chilling yet gripping read. The crimes have made you flinch while you root for the heroes, hoping for a happy ending – if such things exist in books like this. Today’s review is on Endgame, the final in the trilogy!

Publisher: Trapeeze | Date: 2019 | Genre: Thriller

Plot: A locked room. A dead body. A secret that went to the grave.

When retired police officer Finlay Shaw is found dead in a locked room, everyone thinks it’s suicide. But disgraced detective William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes isn’t so sure.

Together with his former partner Detective Emily Baxter and private detective Edmunds, Wolf’s team begin to dig into Shaw’s early days on the beat. Was Shaw as innocent as he seemed? Or is there more to his past than he’d ever let on?

But not everyone wants Wolf back – and as his investigation draws him ever deeper into police corruption, it will not only be his career on the line – but the lives of those he holds closest as well… 

Book Review: Garnethill by Denise Mina

Author: Denise Mina

Title: Garnethill

Publisher: Vintage

Date: 2018

Plot: Maureen O’Donnell wakes up one morning to find her therapist boyfriend murdered in the middle of her living room and herself a prime suspect in a murder case. Determined to clear her name, Maureen undertakes her own investigation and learns of a similar murder at a local psychiatric hospital.

She soon uncovers a trail of deception and repressed scandal that could clear her name – or make her the next victim.

Book Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Author: Stuart Turton

Title: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmarks

Date: 2018

Plot: Tonight, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed… again.

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot. 

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath…

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Review | Stuart Turton

Highly popular books often leave me dubious whether I’ll enjoy them or not. But it’s fair to say this one lived up to its expectations. The plot was unique, the characters engaging and the narration style different to what I’ve previously come across. It’s fair to say my review on The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle just proves how much I enjoyed it!

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmarks | Date: 2018 | Genre: Mystery

Plot: Tonight, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed… again.

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot. 

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath…

Book Review: The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine

Author: Liv Constantine

Title: The Last Time I Saw You

Publisher: Harper Collins

Date: 2019

Plot: The internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish follows that success with an addictive novel filled with shocking twists about the aftermath of a brutal high-society murder.

Dr. Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career, and a beautiful home anyone would envy.

But all that changes the night Kate’s mother, Lily, is found dead, brutally murdered in her own home. Heartbroken and distraught, Kate reaches out to her estranged best friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes to her side for the funeral, where the years of distance between them are forgotten in a moment.

That evening, Kate’s grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend’s help.

Once Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate’s friends and relatives with her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily’s killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But whoever it is, it’s clear that Kate is next on their list…

Traitor’s Codex Review | Jeri Westerson

I’m venturing into a completely new author this time, and I fell in love. Westerson creates a historical mystery full of charm and fantastic characters that swept me away. It didn’t matter that my first was several books into the series (this is book 12!), I soon figured it out, and now want to read the rest. Check out my review on Traitor’s Codex.

Publisher: Severn House | Date: 2019 | Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Plot: Crispin Guest, Tracker of London, is enjoying his ale in the Boar’s Tusk tavern – until a stranger leaves a mysterious wrapped bundle on his table, telling him, “You’ll know what to do.” Inside is an ancient leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language. Accompanied by his apprentice, Jack Tucker, Crispin takes the unknown codex to a hidden rabbi, where they make a shocking discovery: it is the Gospel of Judas from the Holy Land, and its contents challenge the very doctrine of Christianity itself.

 Crispin is soon drawn into a deadly maze involving murder, living saints, and lethal henchmen. Why was he given the blasphemous book, and what should he do with it? A series of horrific events confirm his fears that there are powerful men who want it – and who will stop at nothing to see it destroyed.