Swerve by Vicki Pettersson

"A little implausible but certainly entertaining"

Description from Goodreads:

“It’s high summer in the Mojave Desert, and Kristine Rush and her fiancé, Daniel, are en route from Las Vegas to Lake Arrowhead, California, for the July Fourth holiday weekend. But when Daniel is abducted from a desolate rest stop, Kristine is forced to choose: return home unharmed, but never to see her fiancé again, or plunge forward into the searing desert to find him…where a killer lies in wait.”

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What a great thriller this is from start to finish but it most definitely isn’t for the faint hearted. It all starts out so innocently with a happy couple making a road trip for the 4th July celebrations but who knew a spilt coffee could be the start of a nightmare that goes from bad to worse.

The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Kristine. Kristine is a single mum who has had a traumatic and difficult upbringing. Periods of Kristine’s life are dotted throughout the book and these provide an insight into her character and why she is a strong as she is and crikey, is she strong; she’s like an Amazonian! The trials and tribulations she is made to go through to rescue her fiancé, Daniel, within 24 hours are extreme and put her and those around her at great peril. The violence to which she is exposed to is severe and graphic so if you don’t like that sort of thing, I would steer clear.

The book is written with great pace and with tension oozing from the pages, it makes for a gripping read. There are surprising twists which change the whole feel of the story which make it more than your usual ‘cat and mouse’ fare and yes, it may be a little implausible but it certainly is entertaining.

How would I put this book into a genre …. absolutely no idea! It’s loads of genres mixed into one highly engaging and absorbing book which I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers, horrors, suspense and stories about survival in extreme circumstances but, as I said before, it’s not for the faint-hearted so if you don’t like blood and gore, don’t even go there.

Thanks to the publisher, Gallery Books, via NetGalley for introducing me to another new author to look out for and for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.

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Author website: http://www.vickipettersson.com - to keep up with the latest news, releases, signings and the occasional exclusive giveaways

Author twitter:  VickiPettersson

Publisher:  Gallery Books 

The Body Market by D.V. Berkom

Description from Goodreads:

“A retired assassin is called in when a celebration south of the border turns into a nightmare.

Former assassin Leine Basso is hired by a wealthy Beverly Hills power couple to find their missing daughter, Elise, who was last seen partying with her boyfriend at a club in Tijuana. At first, police believe the two teenagers are the victims of a carjacking. But when Leine finds their missing vehicle with the boyfriend’s mutilated body inside, and the local cartel warns her away, she knows if Elise isn’t already dead, she will be soon, or worse.

In the lethal world of organized crime, there’s always a worse.

As Leine races the clock to uncover the reason behind Elise Bennett's disappearance, she must also battle the powerful interests fighting to keep her from the truth.”

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Oh my goodness, I can’t even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this book from start to finish so before I try, I want to thank the author, publisher (Duct Tape Press) and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

I have never read anything by D.V. Berkom before and therefore have not read the first 2 books in this series but I really didn’t feel I missed out at all. There is a back story to the main character, Leine Basso, which, although is touched upon in this book, I felt the author gave enough of it to give me a good insight into her motivations and strength. Leine is a very strong character but with a soft and caring side and you see all of these in this story. Now don’t get me wrong, she is not so perfect that she becomes unbelievable rather that she has flaws that make her more plausible.

The other main character in this story, Elise, is not your usual victim. Despite her going through some horrific experiences, she maintains a strength and fighting spirit throughout which was unexpected given where she comes from and although not the most likeable character at the beginning, I did start to warm to her as her plight deepened.

The secondary characters add other dimensions to the story with each one being expertly developed and none feeling superfluous or an afterthought.

The story is a difficult one to cover, that of kidnapping, murder, organ theft and trafficking but D.V. Berkom writes without sensationalising those subjects. The pace of the story is fast and it’s very difficult to stop reading even though you have to get up for work the next morning!

Overall, a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and now I’m off to get the first 2.

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Author website: http://www.dvberkom.com/

Twitter: @dvberkom

Fade to Black(Awake in the Dark Book 1) by Tim McBain and LT Vargus

Description from Goodreads:

"Live. Die. Repeat.

Dying violent deaths over and over again totally blows. Loner Jeff Grobnagger has learned this the hard way. Every time he has a seizure, he dreams that a hooded man strangles and kills him. He runs. He fights. He hides. No matter what he does, his efforts end in a pretty bad case of death.

But when someone tries to kill him in real life, he realizes that what happens with the hooded man isn't just a dream.

"Dude, please stop trying to kill me."

Who is the hooded man? And who tried to kill Grobnagger in real life? His quest for answers leads to a missing girl, cults obsessed with astral projection, an arcane puzzle sphere, an evil book, a private detective named Louise and a mustached man named Glenn that makes 'the best martini you've ever tasted.'

Yep. If it weren't for all of the horrific deaths, Jeff Grobnagger would be having the time of his life."

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I really don't like writing bad reviews but I think honesty is the best policy and this book was not for me. I didn't connect with the characters at all and I just couldn't get into the story. It started off really well but went downhill soon after and I quickly became annoyed with the characters, particularly Jeff whom I found irritating. Jeff is supposed to be 27 but, to me, he comes across as a teenager - either that or he's just quite immature for his age.

As I have said, the story starts off well but then goes nowhere apart from all over the place and then stops with no conclusion.  I hate it when that happens.  Yes, I know it's book 1 in a series but, even so, I expect some insight which will make me buy the next book not just an ending which forces you to buy the other books just to get the rest of the story.  I would rather just read one large book than 3 smaller ones.

I can imagine this might appeal to teenagers/young adults but me, a slightly more mature lady (!), not so much but it has received quite a few 4 and 5 star reviews so what do I know? Give it a go and judge for yourself, you've nothing to lose at it's free on Amazon, I may well have missed something that is totally obvious to others.

Although I was directed by one of the authors to Amazon to download a free sample of 3 books in the series, I did actually have a full copy of this 1st book on my Kindle and so I didn't bother downloading the free sample and, given how I felt about this, I don't think I will be reading the other 2. 

Nowhere Girl by Ruth Dugdall

Description from Goodreads:

“A psychological crime novel from an author with 10 years experience as a probation officer in high security prisons

When Ellie goes missing on the first day of Schueberfouer, the police are dismissive, keen not to attract negative attention on one of Luxembourg’s most important events, its annual city fair. Probation officer Cate Austin has moved for a fresh start, along with her daughter Amelia, to live with her police detective boyfriend, Olivier Massard. But when she realizes just how casually he is taking the disappearance of Ellie, Cate decides to investigate matters for herself. She discovers Luxembourg has a dark heart. With its geographical position, could it be the center of a child trafficking ring? As Cate comes closer to discovering Ellie’s whereabouts she uncovers a hidden world, placing herself in danger, not just from traffickers, but from a source much closer to home.”

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I haven’t read anything by this particular author before but because I had read and reviewed Before It’s Too Late by Jane Isaac for the Publisher - Legend Press via NetGalley, I was invited to read this one by the same Publisher. Well, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I accepted but unfortunately I was left a little disappointed.

Although the book is well written and easy to read, it was also easy to put down and didn’t have that “just one more chapter before I go to sleep” moment which I found a little bit sad because I hate it when that happens. Unfortunately, I did not feel a connection to any of the characters which is a shame and, in addition, none of the characters seemed to have much of a connection with each other either particularly Cate and Olivier. Now I got the impression that Cate and Olivier are a fairly new couple and should still be in the stages of ‘dreamy-eyed love’ but I didn’t get that sense at all … don’t get me wrong, I’m not one for romance and gushing love but they just seemed to be on totally separate wavelengths to me … it’s really hard to explain but it felt unnatural.

The story itself is interesting and whilst parts are scarily believable and there were a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, the way it played out felt a bit too contrived for me and how it was all wrapped up at the end felt rushed and a little far-fetched. I did however like how the story was told from different perspectives and I particularly liked Amina and found her the most interesting character in the book.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad read but rather I found it a bit frustrating and it just didn’t grab me as much a I would have liked. From reading other reviews, I get the feeling that to get the most out of this particular book, you need to have read the previous one which introduced Cate - “Humber Boy B” - so I would recommend to anyone thinking of buying this, to buy and read that one first.

Last Resort: A Novella by K R Griffiths

Description from Goodreads:

“For Shane Clifford, things can't possibly get any worse. What should have been an idyllic vacation - a week of snowboarding at one of Canada's most beautiful ski resorts - becomes toxic when his wife tearfully confesses her infidelity.

Overcome with grief, all Shane wants is to get away, but a freak storm has closed the roads, and it seems there will be no escape from his torment until the weather clears. Yet when Shane snaps and tries to leave the resort against all advice, he soon discovers that there is more on the mountain than just snow and trees.

And things can always get worse…”

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This is a short read (81 pages on my Kindle) but it packs a punch. It has everything you could want in a horror book - atmospheric and sinister, tension and thrills and imaginative “killers”. K R Griffiths is adept at drawing you in quickly by creating and developing characters that you care about which is just as well as this is a quick read. However, unlike many short horror stories I have read, it’s really well written and doesn’t just rely on gratuitous blood and gore - now don’t get me wrong there is blood and gore in there but it’s there for a purpose and not just for the sake of it.

The story grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the last and the only complaint I have is that I didn’t want it to end. I loved the ending but it came too soon for me … I wanted more; I want a full size novel … am I greedy? You bet when it comes to a good read!

I have been a fan of Mr Griffiths since reading Survivor: A Horror Thriller, I then went on to read Adrift, followed by Adrift 2 and every one has been brilliant and I can safely say that I am a fan and would most definitely recommend him to anyone who likes a good scare or that feeling of trepidation when you are alone in the dark!

Thank you Mr Griffiths for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Author website: http://www.krgriffiths.org/ where you can subscribe to the newsletter for new releases and bonus content.

Twitter: KRGriffiths1