The Two O'Clock Boy by Mark Hill

           

Description from Goodreads:

“TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS...ONE BECAME A DETECTIVE...ONE BECAME A KILLER...

One night changed their lives

Thirty years ago, the Longacre Children's Home stood on a London street where once-grand Victorian homes lay derelict. There its children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the home's manager.

Cries in the fire and smoke

Then Connor Laird arrived: a frighteningly intense boy who quickly became Tallis' favourite criminal helper. Soon after, destruction befell the Longacre, and the facts of that night have lain buried ...until today.

A truth both must hide

Now, a mysterious figure, the Two O'Clock Boy, is killing all who grew up there, one by one. DI Ray Drake will do whatever it take to stop the murders - but he will go even further to cover up the truth.

Discover the gripping, twist-filled start to a fantastic new London-set crime thriller series starring morally corrupt DI Ray Drake - the perfect new addiction for fans of Luther.”

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This is the debut novel for Mark Hill and, I think, a successful one and I want to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

I admit to being a crime book addict so I can be hard to please but I really enjoyed this one. The story is a familiar one of past misdemeanors coming back to haunt you but it’s told in a quite unique way. The characters are great particularly DI Ray Drake who is far from perfect and isn’t afraid of bending the rules; I found him compelling and I was desperate to find out how far he would go to hide the past. DS Flick Crowley has recently been promoted and is the lead investigator into the gruesome murders of people from Ray’s past and their families but she finds herself hampered by Ray who wants to keep the past buried however, it becomes clear that this is not going to be possible as the killer, named The Two O’Clock Boy, has him and his daughter in his sights.

This is a compelling read with great characters, an intricate plot which is well written at a great pace and, I think, will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy a dark story with twists and turns and a satisfying ending.

Mark Hill has created an interesting and complex character in DI Ray Drake and I am very much looking forward to the next installment in the series.

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Author website - http://markhillauthor.com/

Author twitter - markhillwriter

Publisher website - Little, Brown Book Group

For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood

“A brilliant début”

Blurb from Goodreads:

“Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more…

A darkly compelling debut crime novel. The start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid, and James Oswald.

DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word.

Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more…”

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What a great book and, hopefully, the first of a series of many involving DCI Matilda Darke and the fantastic cast of excellent supporting characters. Well written at a great and unrelenting pace, the story follows the investigation of a cold case and the, possible, link to a recent murder.

As I am an avid reader of crime fiction, it takes something special to get me so enthused and Michael Wood has managed it with this one. Brilliant, interesting and complex characters from the main players to those fulfilling a bit-part role. The storyline is scarily believable and has you hooked from the first chapter and doesn’t let go until the very end. The mix between getting to know the characters, the police investigation and the action is just right.

What more can I say? One of the best books I’ve read this year and thanks go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction/Blue Door via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

Now I’m off to buy the next in the series - Outside Looking In

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Author Twitter - MichaelHWood

Publisher website - HarperCollins UK

Armadillos by P K Lynch

"A good début"

Synopsis:

“Aggie is fifteen, a ‘sub’ from a ‘sub’ family, one of Texas’ downtrodden. Her father and brother enact that ‘sub’-ness on her, week in, week out. She has only the vaguest notion that there is something wrong with the abuse she endures and instead dreams of the outside world.

And then one day, Aggie walks out, and like the armadillos that flourish in Texas’ barren landscape, she is a survivor…

In her escape, she gravitates to those who are just as maltreated as her. They offer Aggie the sense of family, albeit a thoroughly dysfunctional one, that she’s been searching for. But when she gets embroiled in a crisis involving stolen money, Aggie soon realises there are some problems you can’t run away from.”

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Once again, I want to thank the Publisher, Legend Press, for sending me a copy of this book in order to provide an impartial review as part of the Legend 100 Club. It’s not a book I would normally pick up to read and therefore I had no expectations at all but overall, I was pleasantly surprised although it is not a “happy” story rather one that is quite dark and intense.

This is a “coming of age” story about 15 year old Aggie - a strong, young, female character who is brave and wise for her years. The book is told from her perspective both the present and flashbacks.

Aggie is a survivor born into a dysfunctional family which she suddenly decides to escape from one day to undertake a dangerous journey to find a better life. She starts off in the Texan desert going from one truck stop to another using her experiences to survive before arriving in the city where she befriends “Freak” and moves into a squat full of colourful characters. It is during this journey that you realise Aggie is one tough cookie and very intelligent despite her upbringing. Despite her best efforts though, Aggie is not able to leave her past behind and there is an inevitability that she will return home and confront what deep down she already knows but has yet to accept.

I thought the book was extremely well written and flows really well resulting in it being easy to read. The author has an excellent ability to tell a story and to describe locations, situations and characters - she makes them believable and come to life off the page.

On the negative side, the story was interesting enough to keep my attention but I was left feeling something was missing. It’s hard to explain but I was reading with anticipation that something “big” was going to happen, it never really did and I felt even the ending was a bit of a let down and anti-climax. However, as I've said, I didn’t know what I was expecting as it’s not my usual genre - I am used to twists and turns and things being thrown at you in surprise - this isn’t that type of book but what it is, is an exploration of a young woman’s need to live a normal life and her attempts to get there - Aggie is a memorable character and I for one will remember her.

Overall, this is a good début and an author I will look out for in the future.

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Publisher website: Legend Press

Author website: https://lynchpinpauline.wordpress.com/

Author twitter: @lynchpinpauline

Someone Out There by Catherine Hunt

Description from Goodreads:

“Top divorce lawyer, Laura Maxwell, appears to have it all – perfect career, perfect husband, perfect life. But how well do you really know the people around you? All it takes is one tiny crack to shatter the whole façade.

A series of accidents leads Laura to believe that someone out there is deliberately trying to harm her. The fear starts to pervade every part of her life, affecting her work and her marriage. Increasingly, she feels that no one believes her story, and she must face down her attacker alone. One woman, fighting to survive in a nightmare world.

“Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins, and Into the Darkest Corner, by Elizabeth Haynes.” – Killer Reads, Harper Collins.”

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On first impression, Laura has the perfect job, the perfect husband and a perfect marriage but all is not what it seems and her life begins to unravel before her eyes following a series of “accidents” and “events” and those around her begin to question whether they have actually happened. At the same time you, the reader, start to question the other characters in the book as many seem to have a motive to make Laura’s life a misery.

I usually like to give a brief outline of the main characters in a book but won’t on this occasion as to do so would give away some of the storyline and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone but would just like to say that the author has outdone herself on the creation of interesting and complex players in this book.

The story is written at great pace from the start and flows from beginning to end interweaving the different points of view which, rather than being confusing, enhanced the story for me as it gave an insight into the motivations of each character. This also enabled clues from each person being dropped in but it’s only towards the end that they all come together in a thrilling climax.

Overall, Someone Out There is a really enjoyable début novel full of suspense, tension, drama and intrigue with interesting characters and a great storyline and I look forward to reading more from this new author.

Thank you to the Publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a copy in return for an unbiased and honest review.

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Author Website - http://www.catherinehunt.com/

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/CHWrites

Publisher - https://www.killerreads.com/  http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/