Seven Days by Robert Rutherford

Description from Goodreads:

"Your father is on death row. You have seven days to save him. But do you want to?

Alice knows her father is guilty of many things. 

He's guilty of abandoning her.

He's guilty of being unfaithful to her mother.

But is he guilty of murder?

Now on Death Row, he has seven days to live.

Some people want him released.

Others will kill to keep him just where he is.

Alice has only one chance to save him. But should she?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

 

I was really looking forward to reading this but, unfortunately, it didn't come up to the expectations I had from reading the synopsis.

It started out really well and it's a great concept but it soon became boring ... too much talking and descriptions and not enough action.  I admit that I made it to about 50% and then skipped to the end to find out what happened which is never a good sign but it just didn't grip me in the way that I had hoped.

Sorry but not much more to say really except please read other reviews as other readers have loved it and it might just be for you.

Many thanks to the author, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Seven Days.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

X

Close to Death (Hawthorne & Horowitz #5) by Anthony Horowitz

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong, and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll, until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, gaggle of shrieking children, and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and quickly offend every last one of the neighbors.

When Charles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator they can call to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I must admit this didn't grab me quite as much as the others I have read in this series, not quite sure why but maybe because Mr Horowitz took more of a back seat in this one?  I don't know but I still enjoyed it.

Horowitz needs to write another book but, unfortunately, no bodies have turned up so he writes about a previous case Hawthorne was involved in and what a case it is.

It appears to be an open and shut case relating to a murder of a man in a small community by his neighbour however, nothing is quite so simple especially when the alleged murderer is found dead in his locked garage, in his locked car from apparent suicide.  It all seems a bit too simple and it certainly is.

Full of excellent and interesting characters, told at a good pace and with some great twists, this is an intriguing story and one I would recommend reading by people who enjoy this genre and I highly recommend reading the others in the series.

Many thanks to the author, RandomHouse UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this great addition to a brilliant series.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Anthony Horowitz I have read and reviewed:

A Line to Kill (Hawthorne & Horowitz #3)

The Twist of a Knife (Hawthorne & Horowitz #4)

 

World's Greatest Dad [Short Story] by Edward Lorn

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"What would you do if you were given the chance to avenge your child's death?

After Carl Nelson's daughter, Kimmy, is brutally murdered, he begins receiving messages on the surface of his WORLD'S GREATEST DAD coffee mug.

Is Kimmy attempting to reach her father from beyond the grave?

SAVE HER..."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This was a short story, approximately 28 pages on my ©Kindle, but it certainly packed a lot in.  I don't read a lot of short stories as I prefer longer novels but, every now and then, I quite like to read something from start to finish in the time it takes to drink a nice brew.

Carl is out trick-or-treating with his daughter when the absolute worst thing happens - she disappears and when her body is found, his world falls apart.  However, a message from a very unexpected place takes Carl from the depths of despair to avenging his daughter's murder.

A really good short story that, although the subject matter is dark, I enjoyed and was extremely satisfied with the ending!

I have had this story on my ©Kindle since 2014 ... can you believe that!! It's been on there that long it's no longer available on Amazon where I originally got it from.  It's a shame because it's a really good story.

📚📚📚📚📚📚

 

A Lesson in Cruelty by Harriet Tyce [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Candida Gubbins 🎙🎙🎙

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"WHAT PRICE WOULD YOU PAY FOR THE PERFECT LIFE?

They say you can't always get what you want. But you can take it.

Anna wants a fresh start. She doesn't believe she deserves it, but after three years behind bars she has finally paid her dues. Most of them, anyway.

Lucy craves the attention of the only man she can't have, her alluring Oxford professor. He's married - not for the first time. Maybe she should be next in line?

Marie the recluse has been locked up for too long. She's not ready to be free, but some rules are meant to be broken.

Everyone wants a perfect life. But not everyone is prepared to take it.

Unless someone decides to teach them a lesson."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I found this a very difficult book to stop listening to and ended up hoping for a traffic jam just so I could listen some more!!! 

The story follows the lives of 3 woman - all very different and all experiencing difficulties in their own lives mostly of their own making I have to say; there's also a professor with questionable ethics.  It's clear that they are going to come together at some point but it's intriguing to see how and why and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

Written at a good pace, with excellent characters and with a narrator that did a good job, this is a really good book to get your teeth into (or ears if, like me, you listen to the audiobook version) and I will definitely be looking out for more of Harriet Tyce's books in the future.

Many thanks to the author, Headline Audio, Wildfire and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this intriguing book.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Facebook

Instagram

 

The Devil You Know (DS Max Craigie #5) by Neil Lancaster

Description from Goodreads:

"A CASE GONE COLD

Six years ago, Beata Dabrowski arranged to meet her lover in Glasgow and was never seen again. There were no leads. . . until now.

AN UNRELIABLE WITNESS

Imprisoned gang boss Davie Hardie wants to talk in exchange for his freedom. He knows exactly where Beata is buried, and he’s prepared to take the police to her grave.

A KILLER DESPERATE TO ESCAPE

But when the mission to locate Beata’s body is hijacked, DS Max Craigie is drafted on to the case. Someone is selling secrets.

Max will stop at nothing to expose police corruption and uncover Beata’s murderer. . . but can you ever really trust a killer to catch a killer?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Just excellent!!

Once again, Mr Lancaster has written another cracking addition to this series that just seems to get better and better.  This can be read as a standalone but you will get much more out of it if you go back and read the rest in the series ... believe me, you will not be disappointed.

You would be hard pressed to find a more brilliant set of characters than DS Craigie and his team; their relationship and dialogue feels authentic and I love the banter between them that feels natural.  This is a dark story but I found myself giggling away to myself at times which helped lighten the mood.

Full of suspense, twists and turns, this is great story that had me absolutely glued to my screen from start to finish and I cannot wait for the next in the series.

Highly recommended and many thanks to the author, HQ, HQ Digital and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this excellent addition to the series.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Facebook

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Neil Lancaster I have read and reviewed:

Dead Man's Grave (DS Max Craigie #1)

The Blood Tide (DS Max Craigie #2)

The Night Watch (DS Max Craigie #3)

Blood Runs Cold (DS Max Craigie #4)

 

Out of Darkness by Alex Gray

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"DSI William Lorimer and his wife Maggie are taking their first extended holiday for the first time in years, and they're looking for an adventure. What better place than Zimbabwe, with its bustling cities and beautiful scenery?

Back in Glasgow, PC Daniel Kohi, former inspector with the Zimbabwean police, finds himself uncomfortably close to a murder investigation. Why did the murdered man appear at Daniel's house just hours before he was killed? And how he is connected to the troubled family history of Netta Gordon, Daniel's dear friend and lodger?

But it's not just Netta's history that's about to resurface. For in Zimbabwe, rumours are circulating about Daniel Kohi, and the couple from Scotland who appear to know him. Rumours which could place the Lorimers in unimaginable peril."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

You would have thought that book 21 in a series would be feeling a little stale but this is absolutely not the case and whilst I have only read a few in this series (I know, I must have been living under a rock!), the ones I have, can be read as standalones quite successfully as this one can but, as with all series, you do lose a bit of the backstory and character development.

Full of excellent characters, an intriguing storyline set in Glasgow and Zimbabwe and with twists and turns throughout, this is an excellent addition to the series and the way the author describes the setting in Zimbabwe made me feel like I wanted to be there experiencing the noises, the scenery, the wildlife but not the dodgy Police!

I thoroughly enjoyed this and would very much recommend it to everyone and I must thank the author, Little, Brown Book Group, Sphere and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this excellent addition to this fantastic series.

 👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Alex Gray I have read and reviewed:

Before the Storm (DCI Lorimer #18)

Echo of The Dead (DSI Lorimer #19)

A Body on the Doorstep (London Ladies' Murder Club #1) by Marty Wingate [Audiobook]

🎙🎙 Narrated by Naomi Frederick 🎙🎙

 Description from Goodreads:

"Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…

London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.

As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?

As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.

As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger... Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I listened to the audiobook of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's a cosy murder mystery set in 1920's London that kept me guessing and intrigued from the start.

The author has created a fantastic character in Mabel Canning; she is strong, independent but not afraid of accepting help when it's needed and when a dead man literally falls at her feet whilst she is assisting at a wake for the Useful Women's Agency, so begins Mabel's foray into the world of investigation whilst juggling various jobs for the Agency.

This book is full of fantastic characters and the setting is vividly described putting you right there in that time period.  The plot is intriguing and the pace was perfect for me especially as it was an audiobook.  I found it easy to get back into the story when I had to take a break from listening ... due to work getting in the way!!!

Overall, a really good start to a new series and one that I am looking forward to seeing how the characters develop further and where it takes me.  Thanks must go to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this promising new series.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Facebook

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas

Description from Goodreads:

"Tasha has always felt in the shadow of her older sister, Alice. Their lifestyles couldn't be more different; Alice is married to wealthy entrepreneur Kyle and has a high-flying career, Tasha is married to her childhood sweetheart and lives in a Bristol suburb with their four-year-old twins.

When Alice realises that Tasha is struggling - with money, the kids, losing her identity - she suggests they do a lifeswap for a week. Alice and Kyle will come to stay at Tasha's terraced house to look after the twins, while Tasha and Harry spend the week in Alice and Kyle's Venice apartment.

But a few days in, it all goes terribly wrong. Tasha receives a phone call to say Alice is in hospital and Kyle is dead after an intruder broke into their house. They think it must have been a burglary gone wrong.

Until a note arrives through the letterbox saying It was supposed to be you.

Who was there that night, and why?

Is it really Tasha they are targeting?

And can these two sisters find the answers they need, or are they about to stumble upon something more sinister?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This is a complex thriller that full of tension, misdirection and great characters.

Tasha and Alice lead completely different lives but they become intertwined when disturbing and tragic events occur to them both ... coincidence?  Their mother, Jeanette, has moved to France following the death of her husband - she, and her family, have a tragic backstory and this becomes interwoven with the main story when she returns following the horrific events that have occurred.

Written at a good pace, full of tension, mystery and red herrings, The Wrong Sister is a riveting read that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading complex thrillers.

Many thanks to the author, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Wrong Sister.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

X

Facebook

Instagram

The Counterfeit Countess by Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Julie Teal 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"The astonishing story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg—a Jewish mathematician who saved thousands of lives in Nazi-occupied Poland by masquerading as a Polish aristocrat—drawing on Mehlberg’s own unpublished memoir.

World War II and the Holocaust have given rise to many stories of resistance and rescue, but The Counterfeit Countess is unique. It tells the remarkable, unknown story of “Countess Janina Suchodolska,” a Jewish woman who rescued more than 10,000 Poles imprisoned by Poland’s Nazi occupiers.

Mehlberg operated in Lublin, Poland, headquarters of Aktion Reinhard, the SS operation that murdered 1.7 million Jews in occupied Poland. Using the identity papers of a Polish aristocrat, she worked as a welfare official while also serving in the Polish resistance. With guile, cajolery, and steely persistence, the “Countess” persuaded SS officials to release thousands of Poles from the Majdanek concentration camp. She won permission to deliver food and medicine—even decorated Christmas trees—for thousands more of the camp’s prisoners. At the same time, she personally smuggled supplies and messages to resistance fighters imprisoned at Majdanek, where 63,000 Jews were murdered in gas chambers and shooting pits. Incredibly, she eluded detection, and ultimately survived the war and emigrated to the US.

Drawing on the manuscript of Mehlberg’s own unpublished memoir, supplemented with prodigious research, Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa, professional historians and Holocaust experts, have uncovered the full story of this remarkable woman. They interweave Mehlberg’s sometimes harrowing personal testimony with broader historical narrative. Like The Light of Days, Schindler’s List, and Irena’s Children, The Counterfeit Countess is an unforgettable account of inspiring courage in the face of unspeakable cruelty."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This is another powerful and important story about how one 'normal' woman ended up doing extraordinary things in a time when death was just around the corner and a story that needs to be told and shared with as many people as possible.

Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg, a Jewish mathematician, used a carefully crafted fake identity and an enormous amount of bravery to help save thousands of prisoners in the Majdanek concentration camp all whilst the threat of her identity becoming known hung in the air meaning a likely death sentence.

Written using Dr Mehlberg's memoir, an amazing amount of research and an excellent narrator, The Counterfeit Countess is a story that reads like a film and, in my opinion, needs to made into one so that her story becomes as well known as others such as Schindler's List.

Thank you to the authors, Bonnier UK Audio, John Blake and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this remarkable woman.

👆👆👆👆👆👆

The Therapy Room (FBI Agent Susan Parker #1) by Sam Baron

Description from Goodreads:

"It’s a typical farm kitchen. A large table fills the space, and in one of the chairs is the lifeless body of Doctor Magnusson. Under his feet and the dusty wooden floorboards lie the basement – and twelve therapy rooms. Behind each locked door, the victims are about to be rescued…

When a world-renowned psychiatrist is found dead in an abandoned ranch house in the Californian Santa Carina Valley, a post-it note with the words ‘Susan Parker’ and her cell phone number is taped to the basement door.

Still grieving her husband’s devastating suicide less than a year ago, FBI agent Susan Parker is taking a break from work and trying to rebuild her life as a single mom to her seven-year-old daughter Natalie. When she’s called to the crime scene of Doctor Magnusson, a chill runs down her spine.

For years, Susan had been trying to hunt down the doctor, convinced he was the serial killer known as ‘Splinter.’ Someone is playing a cruel game with her, and they’ve only just begun.

Desperate to speak to the twelve victims rescued from the locked therapy rooms, Susan finds herself faced with a wall of silence. Why won’t they talk?

Battling her demons while confronting the toughest case she’s ever had to solve. Susan discovers a chilling truth about the true nature of ‘Splinter’ – a killer preying on those seeking therapy.

But that’s not all she finds…

She’s about to uncover a shocking secret behind her husband’s death – one that links him to the Splinter case.

With her family’s safety hanging in the balance and her career on the line, can Susan protect her precious daughter and prevent a new killing spree before it’s too late?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I love coming into a series with the very first book as I like to be where it all starts and whilst some can be a hit and some a miss, this is a semi-hit for me but it could have been an absolute stunner.

Susan is a great character; strong, tenacious and not afraid of ruffling some feathers but she is also a widow and a mum with a sad and tragic history -this is a bit of a cliché as are some of the other characters in the book which made me actually tut and give my head a little shake at times.

I did like the way she worked with her team and felt the camaraderie between them clearly and I am looking forward to getting to know them more in future books however, I found some of their dialogue strange and not what I would have expected.

The plot is intriguing and whilst I pegged the "bad guy" early on, I did quite like the way the story got there but felt it took a bit too long and was a bit long-winded even when, strangely, the time period jumped ahead which felt a bit out of sync.  I also wasn't expecting the ending and tried to flick to the next page to keep reading only to find ... nothing ... I now have to wait until the next book!!!! 

There are other little niggles and inconsistencies that I noticed however, it is a creditable debut and I would like to see how the series develops.  Thanks to the author, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the first in an intriguing new series.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Facebook

X

Instagram

TikTok

 

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C L Miller [Audiobook]

🎙🎙 Narrated by Emilia Fox 🎙🎙

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"What antique would you kill for?

Freya Lockwood is shocked when she learns that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and her estranged mentor, has died under mysterious circumstances. She has spent the last twenty years avoiding her quaint English hometown, but when she receives a letter from Arthur asking her to investigate—sent just days before his death—Freya has no choice but to return to a life she had sworn to leave behind.

Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Freya follows clues and her instincts to an old manor house for an advertised antiques enthusiast’s weekend. But not all is as it seems. It’s clear to Freya that the antiques are all just poor reproductions and her fellow guests are secretive and menacing. What is going on at this estate and how was Arthur involved? More importantly, can Freya and Carole discover the truth before the killer strikes again?"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I listened to the audiobook which was excellently narrated by Emilia Fox (the excellent British actor) and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is the debut novel by C L Miller and I think it was pretty successful.  The plot was intriguing, the characters were excellent, if a little stereotypical at times, and the twists, whilst not totally unexpected or a massive revelation, fitted well with the story.  The pacing was a little slow and had this not been an audiobook, I may have struggled a little more but as it was, it worked ok for me.

This is a cosy mystery with no swearing and very little violence which was a welcome change to what I usually read!  I really hope this is the start of a series as I would certainly welcome getting to know Freya a little more and delving into the murky world of antique theft.

Many thanks to Macmillan UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts on this excellent debut novel.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Instagram

For Our Sins (Inspector McLean #13) by James Oswald

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"The wages of sin is death.

The partial collapse of a disused Edinburgh church reveals a dead body in the rubble, his head badly smashed by falling masonry. Soon identified as an old ex-con - Kenny Morgan - his death is put down to a heart attack and deemed non-suspicious.

Tony McLean is approached by a notorious crime lord who suggests the police should be looking into Morgan's death more closely. Despite struggling with his recent retirement, he is reluctant to involve himself.

But when a second man is found dead in another disused church, his forehead branded with a cross, this time it is clearly murder.

There's a killer stalking the streets of Edinburgh. Is it time for McLean to get back to doing what he does best?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

This might be the 13th book in this series but it is no less a riveting read and slightly different to the previous ones as it focuses more on Acting Detective Inspector Janie Harrison with McLean taking a bit of a back step.  Whilst this may not please everyone, I for one enjoyed it and because of this, you can definitely read this is as a standalone although I would definitely recommend you delve into previous books to get the backstories of the main characters and an understanding of the nuances of their individual stories.

For Our Sins is a story of death under strange circumstances. It has the usual great plot with all the twists and turns you would expect and with a touch of the supernatural thrown in to make this more than the usual police procedural that all blends together seamlessly to give an engaging and totally engrossing read.  

I would highly recommend reading any of the books in the series especially if you enjoy something a bit different than the usual police procedurals and I must give thanks to Headline, Wildfire and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of yet another great read in this fantastic series.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by James Oswald I have read and reviewed:

Cold as the Grave (Inspector McLean #9)

Bury Them Deep (Inspector McLean #10)

What Will Burn (Inspector McLean #11)

All That Lives (Inspector McLean #12)

No Time To Cry (DC Constance Fairchild #1)

Nothing To Hide (DC Constance Fairchild #2)

Nowhere To Run (DC Constance Fairchild #3)

Lethal Vengeance (Detective Erica Foster #8) by Robert Bryndza

Description from Goodreads:

"The man lay on his front, his arms and legs bound and pulled up with a rope connecting the two. His head was arched back, so he faced the curtains, and there was masking tape over his mouth. Erika gingerly reached out and checked his pulse.

Yep. Dead all right.

When Detective Erika Foster finds politician Neville Lomas naked, hog-tied, and dead in his own bed, skittish higher-ups at the Met quickly rule the death from natural causes. Case closed . . . until two months later when a well-known casting director and a star footballer are found murdered and tied with the same knots. The Met can no longer ignore what’s staring them in the face: there’s a serial killer loose in London, and they’re out to settle a score.

As Erika and her team investigate, things take a strange turn as CCTV footage turns up five female suspects . . . and they’re all identical.

In the hunt to identify the women, Erika is outpaced at every turn by an elusive sex worker with dirt on enough powerful men to make the Met’s top brass nervous – and desperate.

As time ticks away until the killer strikes again, it’s up to Erika to untangle the web of evidence and answer the critical questions: What ties the victims together, who else is caught up in this scandal, and how far are the higher-ups willing to go to protect their own?"

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Once again, this is a peach of a book from an author that I am most definitely a fan of.

This might be the eighth in this series but don't let that put you off; it reads well as a standalone and whilst you have missed some of the character development, Mr Bryndza's writing is so good that it's not really an issue.

The characters are really strong, the plot riveting and the pace is perfect.  Who is killing high profile men and leaving them in uncompromising poses with the only evidence being a polaroid photograph with the name "Annabelle" written on the back ... who is Annabelle, how can she be stopped before she strikes again and who is going to be next?

This is a gripping and tense read for fans of police procedurals, serial killer stories and crime thrillers and one that I can highly recommend along with the rest of Robert Bryndza's work.

Many thanks to the author, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Lethal Vengeance.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Robert Bryndza I have read and reviewed

Check them out:

Nine Elms (Kate Marshall #1)

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall #2)

Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3)

Devil's Way (Kate Marshall #4)

Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7)

Fear the Silence

 

The Social Cull by Steven Jenkins

Description from the author:

"Twenty-nine-year-old Lana is a social-media fanatic and climate-change activist, born into a world where criminals are executed to reduce the population. The majority of citizens—Lana included—are content with the system, but overcrowding is still a problem.

Faced with intolerable pollution levels, the government secretly uses social media to assess whether or not a user must face execution. The plan gets leaked, and a cull list is released to the public.

Lana is on the list. 

Forced into a life on the run, she takes refuge in a remote lake house with her boyfriend. In her new world of paranoia and isolation, Lana must learn to survive without safety, family, and technology to evade the cull.

Without a keyboard to hide behind, Lana is compelled to re-examine how well she knows herself and how she wound up a fugitive in the first place—and the answers might hit painfully close to home. "

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I have read a few of Steven Jenkins' books before as I like to partake in a little escapism to the dark side every now and again and I have to say that I quite enjoyed this.

The "Social Cull" is based on a short story called "The Cull" which appeared in "Little Horrors Vol. 1".  It is a story of the lengths the world will go to to save the planet due to climate change and how people's behaviour, particularly on social media, comes back to bite them in the behind and whilst I don't condone the actions of the government in this book, I do wish there were consequences for trolls and generally nasty people who post unnecessary hate online.

A very thought-provoking book that had me thinking and I must thank the author for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this disturbing and thought-provoking book.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Facebook

YouTube

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Read my reviews of other books by Steven Jenkins:

A Cure for Everything

Mould (Liam Tate #1)

Devil (Liam Tate #2)

Little Horrors Vol. 1

The Murder After the Night Before by Katy Brent

 Description from Goodreads:

"Something terrible happened last night.

My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident, but something doesn’t feel right. Posey was keeping secrets, and I owe it to her to find out what happened.

But I can’t remember a thing… 

I’ve woken up with a hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and, to add to all this chaos, I’ve gone viral for all the wrong reasons. But that won’t stop me from getting to the truth..."

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I listened to the audiobook of Katy Brent's debut book "How To Kill Men and Get Away With It" and I absolutely loved it so wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to read this now was I?  I am so glad I didn't, because this is another cracker.

This is a gripping, dark and entertaining book that is certainly of our time which deals with some difficult subjects with honesty and humour.  The main character of Molly is excellent and very relatable; her plight in this book would send anyone screaming into the wilderness but she is determined to find out what happened to her best friend and we are taken along for the ride.

The story is relevant, up to date and frighteningly plausible which moves along at a really good pace.  There are twists and turns which kept me reading way into the night so desperate was I to find out how it was all going to end and I wasn't disappointed.

This book will have you going through all manner of feelings and emotions and I highly recommend it and must thank the author, HQ, HQ Digital and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this excellent book.

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Read my review of the audiobook of Katy Brent's debut comedy thriller:

 

Little Witness (DI Tessa Burns Book 1) by S.A.Dunphy [Audiobook]

 

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Melanie MacHugh 🎙🎙🎙

💥💥💥 Due to be published 12-February-2024 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"They came in the dark. They took her parents. And now she is the only one who can save them.

Hidden away in an isolated cabin on the edge of her farm, seven-year-old Aisling Connolly shivers as the cold night air whistles through her thin jacket. It’s been two days since the men came, since her mammy told her to run like she’d never run before, to not look back. She hasn’t seen her parents since. And she’s terrified.

But when Aisling is finally found by the police, she knows instinctively she can trust Detective Tessa Burns. A former child-witness herself, Tessa understands what Aisling has been through, and that Aisling must remember everything she can about that terrible, dark night if she’s to save her parents. Something Tessa was unable to do for her own parents all those years ago.

As the little girl slowly starts to open up, Tessa uncovers much more than she’d bargained for – another murder, clearly a horrific warning to Aisling not to speak. But time is running out, and any hope of finding Aisling’s parents alive is rapidly fading. And Tessa must do everything in her power to ensure the little girl isn’t next…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

After having listened to another of S.A. Dunphy's books previously and thoroughly enjoying it, I didn't hesitate to grab the first book in a new series and I wasn't disappointed - it had me gripped from the very start.

The story is absorbing, the pacing is perfect and moved along at a good rate and there is plenty of action.  What I think did it for me are the characters - Tessa and her new team of Danny, Maggie and Pavlov are exceptional.  They all have their own unique personalities and skills that they use to good effect in the story and it was a refreshing change to have someone with cerebral palsy being a huge and essential part of the story.

The narration was excellent and was perfect for the story; the narrator didn't try to change her voice too much when voicing male parts but relied on a slight change in tone which I felt made for a better listening experience.

Overall, this is an excellent book to listen to and, I expect, to read as well and I would definitely recommend it to others who enjoy this genre and I must thank the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this great start to a new series.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:

Website

X

Facebook

👀👀👀👀👀👀

Read my review of Lost Graves also by S.A. Dunphy: