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

When We Were Alive by C.J. Fisher

In the minority ... once again!

Blurb from Goodreads:

"When we first meet Bobby, he is a shy, twelve-year-old magician who falls in love with his best friend.

William is consumed with self-hate and drinks to escape the memories of his father’s sadness and his mother’s death.

Myles is writing letters to a mother he has never met.

Three different people from three different times each explore the dark side of relationships, search for beauty in sadness and try to bear the burden of guilt from living in a world we are powerless to fix."

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First off, I want to thank Legend Press for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Secondly, I want to apologise to Legend Press and the author for not actually finishing the book because, sadly, it just didn’t grab me in the way I think books should.

Now having said that I didn’t finish it, I will say that what I did read was well-written and the author definitely has a gift for description but, for me, it was a little too descriptive and long-winded and I found myself losing the thread part-way through a paragraph and having to go back and start again or skipping it totally. On reflection, I think this was part of the problem - doing this resulted in me losing interest and I had to force myself to read on and there were times when I would do anything other than pick it up. It was at this point, that I decided not to continue reading it - I hate doing that but life is too short and my “to-be-read” pile is massive!

I definitely think the fault is with me rather than the book - I just love getting lost in a book that excites me and gets my heart racing and my brain buzzing but, unfortunately, this book didn’t do that for me, then again, it isn’t being sold as such so this isn’t surprising.

After reading other reviews, it looks like I am in the minority (once again) so I would suggest that people who enjoy literary fiction and are tempted by the excellent cover and blurb, give it a go.

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Publisher website: http://www.legendtimesgroup.co.uk/legend-press

Author website: http://oldhotradio.com/

Tough Justice: Exposed (Part 1 of 8) by Carla Cassidy

"A great opener to a series"

Description from Goodreads:

“A new job. A new case. A new criminal...?

Special Agent Lara Grant will do anything to get her mark — until her last undercover case, infiltrating the notorious Moretti crime ring, forced her to get close to the top. Way. Too. Close…

Now starting a new job in New York City, all Lara wants is to leave the ghosts of her past behind. Until a dramatic sniper attack leaves Lara’s face — and real name — all over the media. In the blink of an eye, her cover is blown, her identity exposed.

Then a woman’s body is found, branded with the ritual Moretti tattoo. Someone knows who Lara is…and exactly how to make her pay…”

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This is Part 1 in an 8 part series of books following the character of FBI Agent Lara Grant and although it is fairly short and a quick read, it certainly packs a lot of information and action.

This first part (and the last one) is written by Carla Cassidy with subsequent parts being written by other authors. This is a novel way of writing a series of books and it remains to be seen how this works out but this first certainly sets the scene with excellent writing and a fast pace.

Lara has recently returned to active duty in the Crisis Management Team following an undercover operation putting a major crime boss behind bars which resulted in a year being spent in a safe house. Unfortunately, whilst trying to prevent a man from committing suicide, the media splash her face all over the news and her cover is blown and all clues to this death and others point to the crime syndicate she helped to put an end to and which open wounds Lara took a long time to bury.

As I said, this is really well written and is an excellent opener to a series. The characters are interesting and believable, the story intriguing and fast paced but don’t expect any answers to the many questions raised in this short book … be prepared to want - no need - to read the next installment as this one ends on a cliff-hanger.

I was kindly provided with a copy of this book by the publisher, Harlequin (UK) Ltd, via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review but you can currently download a free copy from Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, WHSmith and likely other websites so what are you waiting for! You’ve nothing to lose.

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Author website - http://carlacassidybooks.com/

Author twitter - CarlaCassidy2

For more information on Harlequin UK follow @Mira_BooksUK, @MillsandBoon and @MiraInk

Trust No One (Mike Lockyer #3) by Clare Donoghue

"No hesitation in recommending to anyone"

Description from Goodreads:

"A marriage is what you make it, isn't it? It's what you put into it. It's not just about love, it's about understanding another person's point of view. Sometimes there are things you find out about yourself and each other which means the marriage has to end. Sad, particularly when kids are involved - but all pretty normal. Normal that is, until there's a murder. DS Jane Bennett and DI Mike Lockyer are called in to investigate one of the South London murder squad's most difficult and distressing cases yet - where family and friends come under scrutiny in the hardest of circumstances."

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I must admit to having finished reading this book some time ago but have only just got round to writing my review due to unforeseen circumstances but such is the excellent writing ability of this author, that I was able to recall how good this book was very quickly.

The main focus of the story is the death of Richard, a father of 2 young children. At first it is thought to be a tragic but unfortunate death but it soon becomes clear that all is not what it seems and DS Bennett and DI Lockyer are brought in to investigate. Soon everyone associated with Richard is under the spotlight and no one is beyond suspicion with the investigation uncovering lies and deception which opens the door to many suspects. The author has a knack of dropping red herrings in so just when you think you know who the culprit is, another twist appears that forces you to rethink.

The pace of the book is just right with a great mix of the investigation and the life of DS Bennett so that it is not overly procedural or personal. The characters are believable and complex as is the story but I still haven’t made up my mind about the ending although it was a complete surprise and not beyond the realms of possibility.

This is the 3rd book in the DI Lockyer series but can be read as a standalone quite easily but I think it’s best to read at least one of the previous books as it provides insight into the Lockyer and Bennett characters. If I'm totally honest, I'm not sure why this is called the Mike Lockyer series as it seems to focus more on Bennett's character but, having said that, I'm not complaining as she is a strong female character who has to juggle a very difficult job with a complicated personal life. I have read and reviewed number 2 in the series - No Place To Die - which, again, was a great read and I would have no hesitation in recommending Clare Donoghue’s work to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Pan Macmillan, for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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Author Twitter - claredonoghue

Sorry

Due to family bereavement, I will not be posting any reviews for a short while.

Hazel
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