The Last Resort by Susi Holliday

 

Blub from Goodreads:

"Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime.

When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.

Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.

As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late to get out?"

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Hmmm ... this is a really difficult book to review for me because I am in two minds as to whether I really enjoyed it or not!

The premise is excellent and it started off really well and, I thought, this is going to be good but alas it soon became a tad boring and I gradually lost interest the further on I went.  I was hoping for that "wow" ending that might redeem the book a little but, for me, it didn't really happen.

The characters aren't particularly likeable but that doesn't really matter in this book and I ended up looking forward to seeing what inventive ways were going to be employed if/when they were to die but it was all rather "meh" and anti-climatic.

What I did like was the setting of the remote island, the mystery surrounding why they were all there and how the advanced technology was used but I wanted more tension and excitement ... there are times throughout the book where it ramped up a little but they didn't last long enough and there were too many down-times and periods of inactivity for me.

I think there will be many, many people out there who will love this book particularly those who prefer a more slower paced mystery so please don't take my word for it and give it a go if you like the sound of the blurb.

Many thanks to SJI Holliday and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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Kill A Stranger by Simon Kernick

 

Description from Goodreads:

"WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO SAVE YOUR LOVED ONE?

AND DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE REALLY IS?

They took your fiancée.

They framed you for murder.

You're given one chance to save her. To clear your name.

You must kill someone for them.

They give you the time and place.

The weapon. The target.

You have less than 24 hours.

You only know that no-one can be trusted...and nothing is what it seems."

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I have no shame in saying that I am a huge fan of Simon Kernick's work so was absolutely chomping at the bit to read this latest outing and I wasn't disappointed.

What we have here is a gripping and twisty plot of secrets and lies which is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing to the very end.   Written at a strong pace, this book will have you turning the pages and your head spinning trying to work out just what the heck is going on ... in the way good thrillers do!

The cast of characters aren't particularly likeable, to the point where you don't really care what happens to any of them and actually look forward to them getting their comeuppance, but they are interesting and well developed and perfect for the story line.

Highly recommended for Simon Kernick fans and lovers of action packed thrillers that make you use your brain.

Thanks must go to Headline and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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The Embalmer (The Tattoo Thief 3) by Alison Belsham

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Has the ancient Egyptian cult of immortality resurfaced in Brighton?

When a freshly-mummified body is discovered at the Brighton Museum of Natural History, Detective Francis Sullivan is at a loss to identify the desiccated woman. But as Egyptian burial jars of body parts with cryptic messages attached start appearing, he realises he has a serial killer on his hands. Revenge, obsession and an ancient religion form a potent mix, unleashing a wave of terror throughout the city. Caught in a race against time while battling his own demons, Francis must fight to uncover the true identity of the Embalmer before it's too late..."

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Full of action, suspense, gritty scenes and loads of tension, this is a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed despite this being the third instalment of this series but the first I have read.  It does work as a standalone but I think it would be even better had I read the other 2 beforehand.

The characters are strong, as are the storylines which made things fast-paced and interesting which had me totally immersed from the start.  The writing style is easy to read and although told from different points of view, I didn't find it hard to keep up and, in fact, felt this enhanced my reading experience.

The only thing I have to complain about is myself!!  Why haven't I come across the first 2 in the series before? I must have been walking around with my eyes closed!

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

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Retribution (A Claire Whitcomb Western Book 1) by D.V.Berkom

 

Description from Goodreads:

"They took everything. Now she wants revenge.

Spring 1880: Claire Whitcomb and her family are building a good life near the boomtown of Leadville, Colorado, when tragedy strikes: a group of renegades attack, killing everyone but Claire and burning their home. Not knowing who to turn to, Claire teams up with Mart Duggan, the town’s tough-as-nails marshal, to track down the outlaws responsible. Duggan and his friend, Thomas, a local Ute, skirt the law to get results, but that’s fine by Claire.

She’s gunning for the men who destroyed her life—and won’t settle for anything less than retribution."

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I am lucky enough to be a part of D.V. Berkom's advance reader team and I was sent a copy of this prior to it's release on 20-Nov-2020 for which I will be eternally grateful because what we have here is an introduction to what I believe will be another excellent series featuring a strong female character.

I am not normally one for reading westerns, in fact I usually give them a wide berth and don't even bother reading the blurb but given I have read several of D.V. Berkom's books featuring the excellent Leine Basso, when I was asked if I would like to receive an advance copy, I thought why the heck not and I was so pleased I did.

Claire, her husband Josiah and 3 children move to the Wild West in search of a new life however, tragedy strikes when Josiah and the children are brutally killed and Claire is left alone.  It soon transpires that Claire is being accused of the murders and so she teams up with Mart and Thomas to clear her name and seek revenge.

This is a fast paced read with excellent characters, great setting and exciting plot.  If I have one complaint, it's that it's over way too quickly; I was left wanting to read more now ... oh well, I will just have to wait to see what scrapes and adventures Claire finds herself mixed up in and how her character develops as she roams the Wild West on her trusty steed, Rose.

Thank you to D.V. Berkom for writing another absolute cracker, for giving me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and for introducing me to another genre ... now hurry up and get the next one finished 😉

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Other books from D.V. Berkom that I have read and reviewed:

Shadow of the Jaguar

Dakota Burn

Absolution

Dark Return

The Last Deception

The Body Market

Silent Night by Nell Pattison

 

Description from Goodreads:

"What happened while they were sleeping?

A school for the deaf takes an overnight trip to the snowy woods. Five teenagers go to sleep, but only four wake up. Leon is missing, and a teacher’s body is found in the forest…

Sign language interpreter Paige Northwood is brought in to help with interrogations. Everyone at the school has a motive for murder – but they all have an alibi.  

As Paige becomes increasingly involved, she suspects there’s something sinister going on. With the clock ticking to find Leon, only one thing is certain: the killer is among them, and ready to strike again…"

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This is the second book featuring the British Sign Language interpreter, Paige Northwood, and the second I have read and although you don't particularly have to have read the first (The Silent House), it does help.

Here we have a complex story of the murder of a teacher and the disappearance of one of his pupils; the police employ Paige as the interpreter but she soon becomes embroiled in the investigation whilst she is also having to deal with a lot of angst in her own life and herein lies the problem for me.  The story already covers a lot of themes; the deaf community, bullying, coercion, domestic abuse, relationships and that's before we get to the murder and the missing child!  On top of all this, there is a lot of time taken up about Paige and, I felt, it was just too much and I found it became more and more tedious, repetitive and annoying so by the end, it had an impact on my enjoyment of the book.  I am sure however that there are many out there who will find this focus on the main character and her story appealing as opposed to the crime itself but it just spoiled it a bit for me I'm afraid.

Putting that aside, the twists and red herrings were excellent and I was constantly trying to guess who-done-it.  The characters were well developed and interesting.  The pace was a little slow to begin with but picked up in the second half/final third. The look into the frustrations experienced by the police when witnesses/suspects don't cooperate and withhold vital information was infuriating and probably pretty accurate!

Overall, a pretty solid book but just a bit too much focus on the main character for me.

Thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

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