Stolen Children (DCI Matilda Darke #6) by Michael Wood

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Some cases won’t die.

A young boy walks into a police station in France. He claims to be Carl Meagan – a missing child from Sheffield whose name is still whispered as a warning to kids who stay out after dark.

 

Some children won’t be found.

On her way home from the supermarket, nine-year-old Keeley Armitage vanishes without trace. Her family is overcome with shock and DCI Matilda Darke can’t help but focus on memories of the Carl Meagan case that almost ruined her career.

 

Some killers won’t be stopped.

As Matilda investigates, she peels back the layers of grief and sadness that surround Keeley’s family. Until she is left with an unimaginable choice: betray those closest to her or let a violent killer walk free…"

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Oh my goodness ... that was riveting!

This is the 6th in this excellent series and although, ideally, it would be good to read them in order, this is not absolutely essential as this works as a standalone but you do miss the development of the characters and some back story relating to previous cases.  However, please do not let this put you off starting the series with this one because you will so kick yourself for missing out on this excellent book and then you can go back and enjoy the rest!

This book has a strong and compelling story line BUT it's also dark and upsetting so be warned that there are some sections that are very difficult to read.  The pace is perfect and I found myself racing through the chapters desperate to find out what was going to happen next.  The characters are excellent and believable with DCI Darke being one of my favourite fictional characters - she is strong, sensitive, likeable, loyal but with flaws that make her sensitive and not above making mistakes; this makes her believable and plausible.

I have read some good books this year but this has got be amongst the top so far without a shadow of a doubt and I have to give a massive thank you to HarperCollinsUK / One More Chapter and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I cannot wait for the next one especially if that ending is anything to by!!

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The House of a Hundred Whispers by Graham Masterton

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Dartmoor, with its mists, bleak winter weather and overwhelming sense of isolation, is the perfect place to build a prison. It's not a place many would choose to live – yet the Governor of Dartmoor Prison did just that. When Herbert Russell retired, he bought All Hallow's Hall – a rambling Tudor mansion on the edge of the moor, and lived there all his life. Now he's dead, and his estranged family are set to inherit his estate.

But when the dead man's family come to stay, the atmosphere of the moors seems to drift into every room. Floorboards creak, secret passageways echo, and wind whistles in the house's famous priest hole. And then, on the morning the family decide to leave All Hallow's Hall once and for all, their young son Timmy goes missing..."

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I have been a fan of Mr Masterton's books for more years than I care to remember but I have to admit though that I do find his books can be hit or miss with me but this one was definitely a hit.

This is a creepy, atmospheric story that starts off quite slowly but soon develops into a fast paced spine-tingling read with ghosts, demons, witches, wizards and a secret priest hole that isn't all as it seems.  The characters are well developed and the setting is absolutely perfect and this adds to the mystery and tension that runs throughout.

This is a horror book but not an all out blood-and-guts horror book - there are a couple of gruesome scenes but they are definitely in the minority and I would recommend to those who like a bit of a scare but who are not into gratuitous violence or a lot of gore unless of course you live in a creepy, old house in which case I would leave it!

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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The Stranger (Jude Lyon) by Simon Conway

 

Blurb from Publisher Website:

"ISIS can’t control him.

MI6 can’t find him.

But he’s coming…

Things change quickly in the world of espionage and clandestine operations. Jude Lyon of MI6 remembers the captured terrorist bomb-maker. He watched him being flown off to Syria, back when Syria was ‘friendly’. No-one expected him to survive interrogation there.

Yet the man is alive and someone has broken him out of jail.

Bad news for the former foreign secretary who authorised his rendition. And Jude’s boss Queen Bee who knew he wasn’t a terrorist at all, but an innocent bystander. Now she calls Jude back from a dangerously enjoyable mission involving a Russian diplomat’s wife.

He has a new job: close down this embarrassment. Fast.

But embarrassment is only the beginning. Someone is using the former prisoner to front a new and unspeakably terrifying campaign. Someone not even ISIS can control.

He is like a rumour, a myth, a whisper on the desert wind. But he is real and he is coming for us …

He is the genius known only as …

The Stranger.

From the corridors of Westminster to the refugee camps of Jordan, the back streets of East London to the badlands of Iraq, The Stranger is a nerve-shredding journey of suspense as Jude Lyon pieces together the shape of an implacable horror coming towards him – and a conspiracy of lies behind him."

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I was lucky enough to be invited to read "The Stranger" by Hodder & Stoughton after having read and reviewed other books from their catalogue in the past.  I haven't read anything by Simon Conway despite this being his fifth book and, if I'm honest, I hadn't heard of him before either but he is definitely on my radar now.

This is a complex tail involving terrorists, spies, lies and subterfuge within the murky world of MI6.  I admit that it took me a while to get into it but once I did, I couldn't put it down.  The characters are believable and interesting and the plot is complex, tense and gripping and, unfortunately, not beyond the realms of reality.

This is a very well written and researched spy thriller and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review and for introducing me to yet another great author.

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Child Behind The Wall (Paterson & Clocks #6) by Steve Parker

 

Description from Goodreads:

"4 a.m. on the outskirts of London

A police squad descend swiftly on a house, eager to exploit the rare opportunity of catching a burglar in the act.

Nothing could have prepared them for what they find.

From inside a room on the ground floor, comes the eerie sound of a woman singing, ‘the childmaker . . . the childmaker . . . beware the childmaker’.

Four officers break down the door to enter a darkened room. Their flashlights illuminate the body of a man with a knife in his chest and a bloody mess where his face should be.

Nearby, stands a small, thin woman. In her hand is a kitchen knife . . .

By the time, Detectives Ray Paterson and Johnny Clocks arrive at the scene, there is carnage.

But what is bricked up behind the wall is far, far worse."

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Never having read anything by this author before let alone any of the others in this series, I took a punt based on the blurb and I certainly wasn't disappointed and I was absolutely hooked from page 1.

On his website, Mr Parker describes "My style of writing is hard-hitting, fast-paced, violent and carry moral messages that you might have to dig a bit deeper for. I try not to use more words than is necessary although more than a few of them are of the swearing variety. Hey! People swear. And they swear a ******* lot in my world.  I will unashamedly tackle issues where some writers fear to tread."  I would say this is a pretty accurate reflection - this book is not for the feint-hearted; it contains bad language and graphic scenes which leave nothing to the imagination so be warned!

This is a fast-paced, action packed read from the first to the last page with twists and turns and shocks along the way.  The characters are an interesting and eclectic bunch with the 2 main protagonists of Paterson and Clocks being, what I would describe, an acquired taste - Mr Parker advises that they are based loosely on characters he has known throughout his 20 year career in the Police ... all I can say is that if I knew Clocks in particular, I would have probably disliked him intensely on first impression however, I can see a very loyal friend who would do anything for you plus there is definitely a troubled softie in there.  Having said that, I still found him annoying!

The main plot is hard-hitting and totally gripping - there is some humour interspersed throughout which did provide some much needed lighter moments.  The sub-plots are intriguing and an interesting insight into the politics within the various echelons within the Police; these, I assume, are linked to previous cases covered in earlier books in the series.  Like I said, I haven't read any of the others but didn't find this too confusing but I do think I was missing the backstory somewhat which probably impacted on my overall enjoyment of the story as a whole but this is my fault rather than the fault of the author.

This is a no-holds-barred, gritty thriller that I would recommend to any who enjoy the harsher stories dealing with horrific crimes but, as I have said, it does contain gruesome details of crimes against children so if this isn't your preference, then I wouldn't go there but you will be missing out on a really excellent book.

Many thanks go to Joffe Books via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

"In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved killings.

But when a local property developer shows up dead, 'The Thursday Murder Club' find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

The four friends, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?"

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Well, that was a nice surprise!  I usually stay clear of celebrity writers as, in my experience, they tend to be over rated and over hyped but I have to say that this book by Richard Osman was pretty good and had me engaged from start to finish.

The plot is multi-faceted with several murders both recent and historic but rather than this causing confusion, it all seems to flow smoothly and logically despite its complexity although you do have to keep your wits about you to keep up at times.  The writing style is easy to read and flows well and although the main subject matter is murder, there are snippets of humour and more tender moments too.

The setting of a rather upscale retirement village is unique as are the main characters who are engaging, appealing and, at times, amusing.  I really would like to get to know Elizabeth better - she is a very intriguing character and there are teasing morsels of her previous working life which are very interesting and I want to know more.

This book is what I would call a cosy-read that could be enjoyed by anyone and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a classic murder-mystery without the violence and graphic detail.

Thank you to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

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Fifty-Fifty (Eddie Flynn #5) by Steve Cavanagh

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Two sisters on trial for murder. Both accuse each other.

Who do YOU believe?

Alexandra Avellino has just found her father's mutilated body, and needs the police right away. She believes her sister killed him, and that she is still in the house with a knife.

Sofia Avellino has just found her father's mutilated body and needs the police right away. She believes her sister, Alexandra did it, and that she is still in the house, locked in the bathroom.

Both women are to go on trial at the same time. A joint trial in front of one jury.

But one of these women is lying. One of them is a murderer. Sitting in a jail cell, about to go on trial with her sister for murder, you might think that this is the last place she expected to be.

You'd be wrong."

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This is most definitely one of my reads of 2020 and one that I can't recommend highly enough and although this is number 5 in the series, it can most certainly be read as a standalone - so what are you waiting for ... go buy it now!

With fantastic characters that you are drawn to and care about, an original and brilliant plot with twists and turns that keep you guessing, fast paced and so enthralling and riveting that you just have to read one more chapter and then one more and then ..... you get the idea 😊

I have read number 4 in the series "Thirteen" which was absolutely brilliant and one of my reads of 2018 and one of the best books I have ever read! I thought it couldn't be topped but "Fifty-Fifty" comes very, very close.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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