A Stranger on Board by Cameron Ward

 

Description from Goodreads:

"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A luxury superyacht. And a killer picking you off, one by one...

When ex-marine Sarah French joins a luxury superyacht as on-board security, she's excited to get her life - and career - back on track.

Surrounded by crystal waters, it seems like the perfect place to start over.

As they head into open water, though, tensions between the crew quickly build. And when someone goes missing, Sarah has a terrifying realisation.

One of them is a killer. All of them are suspects.

To protect the other passengers, Sarah needs to uncover the killer's identity, and return the boat safely to shore.

But there's a storm on the horizon - and not all of them will make it out alive..."

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I am really disappointed that this didn't deliver the thrills or excitement I was expecting but rather it was a slow burn that seemed to drag on and had me skipping large chunks to get to the action.

The premise is great; a different take on the locked-room genre where here we have a luxury superyacht needing to be delivered across the Atlantic but not long into the voyage, things start to go seriously wrong and then people start to disappear.  

The characters are an interesting and eclectic bunch who are well developed and whilst some of them are not particularly likeable, they all have their place within the story.  

My main problem with this book is that it promises so much but doesn't really deliver for the majority of it.  This is a book of thirds with the final third being where most of the action takes place with the first two thirds were, I presume, written to create tension and suspense but they ended up being rather boring for me.

Overall, I think this will work for people who like a book that doesn't jump up and hit you in the face but rather one that talks about it and threatens to do so without ever actually doing it!

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read A Stranger on Board and to share my thoughts.

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The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley

 

Description from Goodreads:

"KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE.

...WHATEVER THE COST.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first baby.

With a few weeks to go, they head off for a final weekend break in a remote part of the North Pennines. The small and peaceful guesthouse is the ideal location to unwind together before becoming parents. Upon arrival, they are greeted by Barry and Fiona, the older couple who run the guesthouse. They cook them dinner and show them to their room before retreating to bed themselves.

The next morning, Jamie and Victoria wake to find the house deserted. Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be seen. All the doors are locked. Both their mobile phones and car keys have disappeared. Even though it's a few weeks early, Victoria knows the contractions are starting.

The baby is coming, and there's no way out."

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This is a compelling and disturbing read and whilst it may be a tad unbelievable and OTT in places, it is enjoyable and rather riveting and has a premise like no other I have read before.

The characters are well developed and whilst you may not like some of them very much, this works well with the story.  It is written in the past and present which helps to build the tension and intrigue until the killer twist is revealed.

Recommended to those who enjoy something a little different with plenty of suspense and thanks go to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Guest House and to share my thoughts.

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The Lost Ones (Detective Jackie Cooke #1) by Marnie Riches

 

Description from Goodreads:

"The young woman was sitting as though she might get up at any minute, her dark brown hair hanging over her shoulders. But her blue eyes were staring into the distance, into the future she would never get to see…

Despite all Detective Jackie Cooke’s experience, the murder of vulnerable teenager Chloe Smedley shakes her to the core. Chloe’s body has been left in a cold backyard, carefully posed to make it look like she could get up at any minute. As Jackie studies her innocent face, she vows to find the monster who did this.

When Jackie tells Chloe’s mother her daughter is gone, the woman’s cries cut through her. She knows the pain of an unsolved crime only too well – the disappearance of her brother as a child still haunts her family. Determined to solve the case, Jackie sets to work, finding footage of Chloe waving at someone the day she went missing. Did she know her killer?

But then a second body is found, arranged on the side of the road in another macabre scene, and Jackie becomes sure she is hunting a serial killer. Someone has been preying on the missing and vulnerable for decades. Only Jackie seems to see that they were never lost. They were taken.

Her boss is pushing for a quick solution and has no time for Jackie’s theory. But then Jackie returns home to find a brightly coloured bracelet on her kitchen counter – the same one her brother was wearing the day he vanished. The killer is taunting her directly. And Jackie will bring him to justice, no matter the risk… "

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Oh my goodness ... what a cracker of an opener to a new series!

There is so much to like about this book - the characters, the plot, the pace, the twists, the back-stories, the inventiveness of the murders, the writing style - pretty much all of it to be honest which made this a particularly hard book to put down.  Luckily, I was on holiday so didn't have the usual work and life distractions so was able to devour the pages at my leisure.

Jackie is a strong, female character; she might be heavily pregnant, the mother of twin boys, with a musician for a husband, her mother living in her basement and a boss that clearly doesn't like her but she doesn't let these hold her back or prevent her and her team from investigating what is a horrific set of murders.

The book is packed full of tension, secrets, lies and the twists and turns and the scenes of peril just keep coming.  A warning here though, the descriptions of the murders are quite graphic so if you don't like to read that sort of thing, you might want to skip over those bits.

My verdict - an excellent new series to get my teeth into and I can't wait to see what happens next with Jackie and her team and I must give my thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Lost Ones and to share my thoughts.

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One Fatal Secret by Jane Isaac

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Sometimes your enemies are closer than you think…

Nicole Jameson has always been proud of her husband, Ethan. He’s built a successful career in finance, and his employers, the Harrisons, treat them like family. They’re a firm who look after their own, and even gave a loan to the company chauffeur, Conrad, to fund his pilot licence.

When the two men are returning from a business trip, the worst possible thing happens – their plane crashes into the sea. No survivors are expected to be found. Nicole is heartbroken, much like Conrad’s wife, Ania. She never warmed to Nicole, but now they share a bond of grief.

When evidence is found that Conrad took drugs shortly before the plane departed with him at the controls, the two women begin to wonder if all is not what it seems. But when they ask questions about events leading up to the crash, unsettling occurrences suggest it wasn’t a good idea. Sinister-looking men follow them, the Harrisons are increasingly cagey, and the women wonder if there is not more to this than a tragic accident.

But are the most dangerous people the ones they have already allowed to get too close…?"

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An enjoyable and easy read from an author I look forward to reading.

This was a good thriller that kept me engaged throughout.  The plot was intriguing and the pace was just right but the characters weren't particularly likeable and the excitement just wasn't there for me unfortunately.  The first half of the book was great but things waned a bit in the second half before increasing again towards the end.

Overall, a good easy-to-read thriller and thanks must go to Canelo and NetGalley for enabling me to read One Fatal Secret and share my thoughts.

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Other books by Jane Isaac I have read and reviewed:

One Good Lie

Before It's Too Late (DI Will Jackman #1)

Beneath the Ashes (DI Will Jackman #2)

A Deathly Silence (DCI Helen Lavery #3)

Evil Intent (DCI Helen Lavery #4)

Cat & Mouse (Helen Grace #11) by M.J. Arlidge

 

Description from the Publisher:

"When you think you’re safe,

When you think you’re all alone,

That’s when he’ll come for you…

A silent killer stalks the city, targeting those home alone at night, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the victims.

As panic spreads, Detective Inspector Helen Grace leads the investigation, but is herself a hunted woman, her every step shadowed by a ruthless psychopath bent on revenge.

As she tracks the murderer, Grace begins to suspect there is a truly shocking home truth that connects these brutal crimes. But what she will find is something more twisted than she could ever suspect…"

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Oh my goodness ... that was a good book ... had me absolutely hooked from the beginning to the end!

This is the 11th book in the Helen Grace series but if you haven't read any of the others, don't worry, it works quite well as a standalone but I think you will want to go back and read the others after finishing this one if only to put a bit more flesh onto the main characters.

This is an intense read where the short and punchy chapters add to that intensity and keeps the story rolling along very nicely.  The plot is engaging and intriguing and the characters are strong and well developed.

Full of action and heart-in-the-mouth scenes of peril, this is one for people who enjoy a great crime thriller/police procedural but, be warned, you will definitely be checking your windows and doors more than once each night!!

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read Cat & Mouse and to share my thoughts.

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Other books by M.J. Arlidge that I have read and reviewed:

Down to the Woods (Helen Grace #8)

All Fall Down (Helen Grace #9)

The Doll's House

Fatal Objective (Leine Basso #12) by D.V. Berkom

 

Description from author:

"A missing assassin. An unlikely betrayal. A secret cabal sowing chaos.

Leine Basso’s missing.

She’s not answering her calls. Or texts. Lou and Santa fear she’s been compromised. According to her contact on the op she’s fine, just busy.

When she finally responds it doesn’t sound like her.

The two men who know her best aren’t buying it. Something isn’t right.

Leine Basso’s missing.

And Lou and Santa are going to find out why."

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DV has, once again, surpassed herself with this latest outing for Leine Basso. I never thought I would still be enthralled by a series of books for this long but they just keep getting better.

This is another action packed thriller starring the irreplaceable Leine Basso who, once again, has found herself in a bit of a pickle and it will take all her guile and acumen to get herself out of it with a little help from some friends along the way.

With fantastic characters throughout and an intriguing plot, Fatal Objective is a compulsive read that will have your eyes whizzing across the pages (or screen) in a bid to find out what happens next.  I didn't want it to end but admit that I felt a little sad after finishing it and I really hope this isn't the last 'adventure' for Leine.

Highly recommended series but please be reassured that this can be read as a standalone although I would advise you to go back and read the others ... you won't be disappointed.  

I must thank D.V. Berkom for allowing me to be a member of her Advance Reader Team and for allowing me to read Leine's latest outing and share my thoughts.

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More of D.V. Berkom's books I have read and reviewed:

The Body Market (Leine Basso #4)

The Last Deception (Leine Basso #6)

Dark Return (Leine Basso #7)

Absolution (Leine Basso #8)

Dakota Burn (Leine Basso #9)

Shadow of the Jaguar (Leine Basso#10)

A Plague of Traitors (Leine Basso #11)

Retribution (A Claire Whitcomb Western #1)

Gunslinger (A Claire Whitcomb Western #2)

Legend (A Claire Whitcomb Western #3)

The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Auschwitz, 1943: As I held the tiny baby in my arms, my fingers traced the black tattoo etched across her little thigh. And I prayed that one day this set of numbers, identical to her mother’s, would have the power to reunite a family torn apart by war…

Inspired by an incredible true story, this poignant novel tells of one woman’s fight for love, life and hope during a time of unimaginable darkness.

Ana Kaminski is pushed through the iron gates of Auschwitz beside her frightened young friend Ester Pasternak. As they reach the front of the line, Ana steps forward and quietly declares herself a midwife – and Ester her assistant. Their arms are tattooed and they’re ordered to the maternity hut. Holding an innocent new-born baby, Ana knows the fate of so many are in her hands, and vows to do everything she can to save them.

When two guards in their chilling SS uniforms march in and snatch a blond-haired baby from its mother it’s almost too much for Ana to bear. Consoling the distraught woman, Ana realises amidst the terrible heartache there is a glimmer of hope. The guards are taking the healthiest babies and placing them with German families, so they will survive. And there are whispers the war is nearly over… Ana and Ester begin to secretly tattoo little ones with their mother’s numbers, praying one day they might be reunited.

Then, early one morning, Ana notices the small bump under Ester’s thin striped clothing…"

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This is one of those books that hits you and stays with you for a long time and although it is a work of fiction, the author has clearly done her research and there is a lot of this book that is based on fact.

As you can imagine, this is a hard book to read; it's a story filled with despair, death and unimaginable suffering but it's also a story filled with hope, the power of friendship and love.

Ana and Ester are the two main characters and oh what characters they are; strong and with a will to continue to do good whilst all around them descends into chaos and madness.

This book had my emotions in a constant state of flux; angry, sad, tearful, horrified but also hopeful and in awe and wonder of the people who went through such despicable crimes but continued to keep their humanity unlike the Nazis!

Like I said, this is a difficult read but, I think, an essential one and I must thank Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read it and share my thoughts.

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Do No Harm [Audiobook] by Jack Jordan

 

Narrated by Lucy Paterson; Sarah Feathers; Jane Collingwood

Description from Goodreads:

"My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…

Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.

As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.

As a mother, I know I must kill him.

You might think that I’m a monster.

But there really is only one choice.

I must get away with murder.

Or I will never see my son again.

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?"

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For me, I find the measure of a book is how memorable it is and I can safely say that this is one that I can clearly remember even though I finished listening to it a number of weeks ago.

I found this rather gripping and was disappointed when I had to stop listening when work and family life got in the way!  

The story is intense and fast moving; the plot is engrossing with a number of twists and turns that had me taking a few sharp intakes of breath at times.

The three main characters of Anna, Margot and Rachel are all told by different narrators - this was genius and helped to differentiate between their 'parts' in the story.  The narrators did an excellent job and helped keep the tension going from start to finish. 

I haven't read or listened to anything by Jack Jordan before but I will certainly be keeping my eyes open in the future and I must thank Simon & Schuster UK Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to Do No Harm and share my thoughts.

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