Death Falls by Todd Ritter (a.k.a Bad Moon)

"5* book for me"

Description from Goodreads:


“When a young boy goes missing, it’s easier to believe the lies than to believe the truth… Perfect for fans of Gregg Hurwitz and P.J. Tracy.

On the same night that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, nine-year-old Charlie Olmstead jumped on his bike to see if he could get a better look. It was the last anyone ever saw of him.

After Perry Hollow Police Chief Jim Campbell found Charlie's bike caught up above a waterfall, he assumed the worse, and so did everyone else except Charlie's mother. Years later, Eric Olmstead – and famous author and Charlie's brother – has come back to bury his mother and fulfill her last request: find his brother.

To do so he goes to the current police chief and his former sweetheart Kat Campbell, and it isn't long before they discover that finding Charlie was his mother's secret obsession, and while she never found him she uncovered clues suggesting that he wasn't the only victim.”

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What an intense ride that was! I cannot even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this book, I have a tick list in my head and each point I feel is essential for a 5* book is being ticked off the list as being achieved here:

Easy to read and flowing … tick

Interesting, believable and engaging characters … tick

Intriguing and captivating plot … tick

Complex but not confusing … tick

Plot twists and red herrings … tick

Full of suspense, secrets and lies … tick

An ending you don’t see coming (well I didn't) … tick

And finally, a good cover that draws you in and makes you pick the book up in the first place … tick

What more can I say? Mr Ritter has written a cracker here and although it’s a part of a series, it works very well as a standalone so please don’t let that put you off from picking this up and devouring in a very short space of time … not because it’s a short read but because once you start, it’s extremely hard to put down.

Thank you to HarperCollins Maze, Avon and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in return for an unbiased review and for introducing me, yet again, to a great author.

Please note - if you are looking to buy this book, it was originally published as “Bad Moon” in 2011.

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Author website - http://www.toddritteronline.com/

Twitter - @ToddAlanRitter

Publisher website - http://corporate.harpercollins.co.uk/imprints/avon

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Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton

"A slow burner"

Description from Goodreads:

“Don't Look

At first, they struggle to escape. Then a torrent of blows rains down upon their bodies until their eyes cloud over in final agony. The killer shows no remorse--just a twisted need to witness each victim's last terrified moments.

Don't Speak

Public defender Rachel Wainwright is struggling to reopen a decades-old case, convinced that the wrong man is in prison. Homicide detective Deke Morgan doesn't want to agree. But if Rachel's hunch is correct, whoever fatally bludgeoned young, beautiful Annie Dawson thirty years ago could be the source of a new string of brutal slayings.

Just Prepare To Die

Rachel's investigation is about to reveal answers--but at a price she never thought to pay. Now she's become the target of a rage honed by years of jealousy and madness. And a murderer is ready to show her just how vicious the truth can be. . . “

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Not having read any of Mary Burton’s books before [where have I been living!!!!], I didn’t know what to expect but the description sounded like something I would enjoy and I did. I was a little worried that it was put in the genre of romance/mystery/thrillers … not being a particular lover of romance books but it wasn’t overdone at all and in fact, I don’t even think it should be classed as a romance to be honest - it’s definitely more of a thriller.

For me, this was a slow burner. It took a while for me to get into it but once I did (around half way), I was hooked and devoured the second half in no time at all. There are many interesting characters and the setting is perfectly described. I liked the writing style which was easy to read and flowed well. The plot is complex but not too complex that it becomes confusing and Mary Burton was very successful at not providing too many hints at “who-dun-it” so the reveal was a surprise.

Overall, I quite enjoyed it and thanks to the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley, for my copy in return for an honest review.

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Author website - http://www.maryburton.com/

Author Twitter - @MaryBurtonBooks

Publisher website - http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/

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The Art Teacher by Paul Read

“A gritty, thrilling debut”

Description from the book:

“Patrick Owen managed seven years at Highfields Secondary School without punching a pupil in the face.

Unknowingly drawn into a war against his own pupils, Patrick's patience finally snaps as he finds himself the number one target with the boy the school just can't seem to expel.

When one of his art students needs his help, she unwittingly pulls Patrick further into the line of fire, altering their lives forever.

With the media circling and rumors of his involvement reaching new highs, Patrick must escape the world he lives in, or face the consequences.”

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With an opening line of “Patrick Owen managed seven years at Highfields Secondary School without punching a pupil in the face” you just know this is going to be an “interesting” read and it doesn’t disappoint.

Paul Read captures magnificently Patrick’s disillusionment with teaching, the daily grime of teaching disinterested students in a tough part of the city, the difficulty he has in coming to terms with his failed marriage and separation from his young son and the struggle he has with just getting up in the morning but when he gets involved with someone he probably shouldn’t, things become a whole lot worse.

The story captured me from the very first line and didn’t let up until the very end. The style of writing is natural and easy flowing. The characters are interesting, well developed and believable, scarily so in some cases, with the setting of the school and its surroundings feeling authentic. The story is quite a dark and sombre one but the author pops in humour which made me laugh out loud several times and provided a little light relief from what is a gritty thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely seek out further work by Paul Read in the future if this debut is anything to go by and I must thank the publisher, Legend Times Group via the Legend 100 Club, for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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Author twitter - @paulreadauthor

Publisher website - Legend Times Group

Legend 100 Club

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Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan

"An enjoyable read"

Description from Goodreads:

"Margot Lewis is the agony aunt for The Cambridge Enquirer. Her advice column, Dear Amy, gets all kinds of letters - but none like the one she's just received:

Dear Amy,

I don't know where I am. I've been kidnapped and am being held prisoner by a strange man. I'm afraid he'll kill me.

Please help me soon,
Bethan Avery

Bethan Avery has been missing for years. This is surely some cruel hoax. But, as more letters arrive, they contain information that was never made public. How is this happening? Answering this question will cost Margot everything . . ."

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This is a really difficult book to review without giving away any of the story or dropping spoilers so I will have to keep it brief.

This is a well-written psychological thriller which, for the most part, is fast paced - the latter stages of the book being more so. The main character, Margot, is well developed and a complex but flawed person; a little paranoid and prone to bouts of whining (aren’t we all!) but it was a little tiresome at times and this reduced my ability to connect with her or really care that much about her and her plight. The plot is fairly enjoyable with parts of it being plausible but with some of it being a little over the top. I liked the writing style which was easy to read and flowing.

Overall, an enjoyable read but not one that I can be overly enthusiastic about but I would read more of Helen Callaghan’s books in the future and thanks to the publisher, Penguin UK Michael Joseph via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another new British author.

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Author website - click here

Twitter - hecallaghan

Publisher - Penguin UK Michael Joseph

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