Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙Narrated by Jeremy Vine🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"The first in a brand new murder mystery series now!

There's a killer on the airwaves … and they're calling for you.

Darkness looms over sunny Sidmouth, when an unsolved murder comes to the attention of late-night radio talk show host Edward Temmis.

Recently sacked from his beloved job after a devastating tragedy, Edward is cast adrift – until he meets Stevie, whose grandmother, a devoted listener, died in a suspicious fire last year. Well, nobody hurts his listeners and helping Stevie might just give him the purpose he needs.

Joined by his old fling, Kim, they discover Stevie's grandmother wasn't the only one of his listeners targeted – this is just the tip of the iceberg.

But who is pursuing his ageing audience and why? And can Edward, Stevie and Kim get to the bottom of this mystery before it’s too late?"

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Unfortunately, this was a 'did not finish' book for me. I just couldn't get on with Jeremy Vine's voice as the narrator - I found him stilted and didn't project the characters very well. I don't mind listening to him on the radio but he shouldn't have narrated this book which ruined it for me. As a consequence, I couldn't get into the story or the characters so had to stop listening.

Unless the narrator is changed, I will not be following this series but thank you to the author, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this book.

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The Train That Took You Away by Catherine Hokin [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Sarah Durham 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"Berlin, 1938. I wipe the tears streaming down my darling son’s face, my heart shattering into a million pieces. “I promise I will find you, my love. No matter what…”

Ever since the Nazis came to power, violence has spread through the city Esther Spielmann once called home. Each night she prays her family will be spared. But when her husband and father are murdered alongside fellow Jews during Kristallnacht, she has no choice but to send her beloved son, Sascha, to safety.

Esther’s heart breaks as she watches his thin legs trembling in the cold as he is ushered with the other crying children towards the Kindertransport. As the train leaves in a cloud of smoke, she thinks of the painting of the two of them hanging in their house. In it, they are tightly embracing and laughing, everything just as it should be. She vows that she will hold him like this once again. But has Esther made a promise she can’t possibly keep?"

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This is a heartbreaking but powerful story of the intertwined stories of Esther, a Jewish mother, and Amalie, an art conservator.  

Esther Spielman, loses her family and sends her son away during Nazi occupation; she has to fight for survival in the hope that she will be reunited with her son.   Amalie, driven to protect art from Nazi looters, remains in Berlin, going against her family's pleading to return home to England; her experiences there fuel her continued fight for justice when she is forced back home.

I'm not going to go any further into the story but will say that it had me riveted from the very beginning with the narration of Sarah Durham being second to none and really bringing each of the various characters to life.

Highly recommended for people who enjoy reading books from this time period and many thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this excellent audiobook.

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Making a Killing (DI Fawley #7) by Cara Hunter

Description from Goodreads:

"When Nick Vincent, producer of true-crime show Infamous, hears about an explosive new angle on a high-profile case—the 2016 murder of an eight-year-old girl in Oxford—he leaps at the chance to send a researcher to verify the claims.

Two months later, a dog walker discovers a woman’s body, bound and buried in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the disappearance of that same child.

DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in to run the enquiry. And he remembers the case well—he arrested the child’s mother for murder. A murder he now knows she didn’t commit.

The investigation raises more questions than answers. What connects the two crimes? Where has the dead girl been all these years? How did she manage to disappear? For Adam Fawley, this is personal..."

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This is a follow-on from Book One of the series, Close to Home, however, you don't have to have read it as the author provides enough of the back story to get you up to speed.  Also, whilst this is the seventh in the series, you don't have to have read any of the others however, I would recommend it as you are missing a treat.

What we have is an enthralling and intriguing read told from the perspective of various characters in the book.  Once again, Cara Hunter uses different media to give the story more relevance however, the articles reproduced did not work well on my Kindle.  This may have been because I received an advance copy but is something to be aware of.

The story is a bit of a slow-ish burn to start with but you become totally engrossed in the story as it's told and it becomes faster paced the more you get into it and totally gripping by the end.

Highly recommended to lovers of police procedurals with twists and turns that keep you guessing ... roll on number 8!  Many thanks to the author, HarperCollinsUK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this enthralling book.

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Evil Families: A History of Bad Blood by Martin Knight [Audiobook]

 

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Maya Grant 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"Is it true that the apple never falls far from the tree?

Throughout history, you see examples where criminality seems to run in the family. From the Ptolemaic dynasty that terrorized Greek Egypt to the modern mafia, familial ties often dictate your relationship to violence, cruelty and the law.  Evil Families examines just this, using case studies from across history. These include the Qing Dynasty of Ancient China, the cannibalistic Beane family in 15th century Scotland, the Stafflebacks of Kansas and the Messina brothers of London's West End. This book is about murder, madness, lust and ruthless ambition, as well as those devastating cases where family members gang up and cause harm other relatives.

Everyone strives to protect their own family, but what cruelties are concealed by these bonds of blood?"

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A very interesting but shocking and disturbing look at evil and depraved families from Ancient Rome to more recent times. 

It is clear that the author has done an awful lot of research and it must have taken ages to write; it is full of facts and information from some crimes I haven't heard of before, and I have read and watched a lot of true crime, and new information from crimes I have some knowledge of which was very interesting and enlightening.  It never ceases to amaze me how evil some people can be to their fellow human beings.

I applaud the narrator for her professionalism whilst reading some of the most heinous crimes over the years however, it was a bit monotone and without any feeling at all which detracted from the book somewhat but I definitely recommend the audiobook as I would imagine the physical book would be very dry.  I listened to it in the car in short bursts so this kept my interest.

Overall, an interesting book for people who enjoy reading about true crime but beware, there are some horrendous stories.  Many thanks to the author, Arcturus Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this disturbing but enlightening book.

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The Promise She Made by Julie Hartley

 

Description from Goodreads:

"As our ship starts to sink, I see flares lighting up the midnight sky. ‘Hold on tight. I will keep you safe. I promise,’ I say to my terrified little sister as I hold back my tears. But I know I can’t hold on for much longer and as she slips away, my heart breaks. Will I ever see her again?

York, 1942. On the night of the Blitz, Ruby returns to her beloved hometown with her heart shattered. She couldn’t keep the one promise she made to her dying mother, to keep her little sister Eliza safe from harm. The Germans have taken everything from her – her family, her fiancé Antoine, and now, her home. When she finds her family home destroyed, she falls to her knees in tears. Among the ruins of her life, she wonders if she has the strength to carry on. But then, she finds a mysterious note which gives her a flicker of hope.

Eliza is alive. I’ve seen her. You must find her…

Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Ruby joins the Special Operations Executive keen to defend all that she has left and fight against the Nazis. Whilst there, she is tearfully reunited with Antoine, who believes he may know what happened to Eliza that dark night on the ocean. Can they reignite their love after all the loss they’ve suffered, and will Ruby ever see her little sister again?"

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This is a compelling and emotional roller-coaster WWII fiction book that had me completely hooked.

The book follows the story of Ruby, a young woman from Yorkshire who has seen her fill of tragedy even before she gets out of her teens.  Ruby promised her mum that she would look after her little sister so when war breaks out, she seizes the chance to get her sister on a transport to Canada where she will be safe but to do this, she has to go against her family and the love of her life.  Little does she know, that more tragedy is to hit which compounds Ruby's feelings of guilt.

Existing rather than living, Ruby vows revenge and so begins the next chapter of her life but will treachery, misogyny and people from her past get in her way and will Ruby and those she love survive?  

With excellent, strong characters, a riveting story line written at a good pace, this is an excellent read that I thoroughly enjoyed and one which I would recommend to others who enjoy this genre. 

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this emotional roller-coaster.

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