Reading Stuff 'n' Things

Sunday, 8 January 2023

The Innocent One by Lisa Ballantyne

💥💥💥 due out 12-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"Innocent

Ten years have passed, but everyone remembers the Angel Killer. Sebastian Croll was just eleven years old when accused of murdering his playmate.

Criminal solicitor Daniel Hunter helped prove Sebastian's innocence in a trial that gripped the nation, and now the past is being unearthed when he gets a call from his old client.

Or guilty?

Sebastian's university professor has been brutally murdered and everyone who knew her is in the frame. As Daniel steps in to represent Sebastian for a second time, news about the boy's past spreads like wildfire, instantly branding Sebastian as guilty.

With tensions around the country rising, can Daniel prove once again that Sebastian is the innocent one? Especially when he realises it's not just Sebastian in danger, but himself . . ."

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I didn't realise this was a follow on from a previous book (The Guilty One) but I don't think it detracted too much from my reading enjoyment of this, the first book by Lisa Ballantyne I have read.

Eleven year old Sebastian was acquitted of murdering his friend and Daniel Hunter was his solicitor. Fast forward 10 years and Sebastian is studying at Cambridge when one of his tutors is brutally murdered. Sebastian is in the frame and he appoints Daniel as his solicitor once again.

The story focuses on Daniel, the difficulties he is experiencing with his marriage, reconciling a difficult childhood and the fallout from representing Sebastian previously as well as having to deal with the uncertainty surrounding Sebastian's innocence/guilt now.

This was a bit of a slow burn but I thought this worked quite well with this particular story especially as I hadn't read the previous one. There was definitely a growing sense of tension and unease from the start with me wondering where it was going and how it was going to play out and I wasn't disappointed.

Recommended to mystery thriller lovers and thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Innocent One and for introducing me to another author to look out for in the future.

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Devil's Way (Kate Marshall #4) by Robert Bryndza

💥💥💥 due out 12-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"THE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

Kate Marshall’s investigation into a young boy’s disappearance sends her down an unexpectedly twisted path in a riveting thriller by multi-million bestselling author, Robert Bryndza.

When Private Investigator Kate Marshall is rushed to hospital after being pulled into a riptide current in the sea, the near-death experience leaves her shaken. During her recovery, she befriends Jean, an elderly lady on the same ward. Jean tells the harrowing story of how her three-year-old grandson, Charlie, went missing eleven years ago during a camping trip on Dartmoor.

By the time Kate is well enough to go home, she's agreed to take on the case, but when Kate and her trusty sidekick Tristan start to look at the events of that fateful night, they discover that Jean has a dark past that could have put Charlie in jeopardy.

Was Charlie abducted? Or did he fall into Devil's Way? A rushing river that vanishes into a gorge close to where they were camping.

When Kate and Tristan discover that a social worker who flagged concerns about Jean and her daughter was found brutally murdered shortly after Charlie vanished, it makes them question everything they thought they knew about the family..."

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My 1st review of 2023 and what a cracker it is.

This is 4th in the Kate Marshall series and, in my opinion, this is a great series. This might not be the best one out of the 4 but it is equally as good. You don't have to have read any of the previous books as this works well as a standalone, but if you want my advice, I would read them anyway because they are really very good!

The characters are really strong and I am now quite attached to Kate and Tristan; they make an excellent partnership and I am particularly enjoying their character development as each book comes along. The pace was perfect for me and the story was full of intrigue and although I guessed the twist ... eventually, I really enjoyed how it all played out.

Mr Bryndza is now one of my go-to authors and I highly recommend his books and I must thank Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Devil's Way.

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Other books by Robert Bryndza I have read and reviewed:

Nine Elms (Kate Marshall #1)

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall #2)

Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3)

Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7)

Saturday, 31 December 2022

The Narrator by K.L. Slater

💥💥💥 Due to be published 06-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"What if the chance of a perfect life… put your daughter in grave danger?

Being a single mother is tough, but I’d do anything for my little girl Scarlet. I’d given up on my career as a voice actor when the call came, but suddenly I was the new narrator for a secret book from bestselling author Philippa Roberts, who has been missing for eight months. It was a lifeline for me and my daughter.

I hated that it meant leaving Scarlet with my ex in his perfect new home with his perfect new girlfriend. But I knew it was the right thing to do.

But as I start reading Philippa’s new novel, I start to wonder if it’s no coincidence that I’ve been chosen to narrate it. There’s something hidden in the pages of this book, I’m sure of it. Some clue to Philippa’s disappearance. And I don’t feel safe. I think I’m being watched. My room has been searched.

And then my ex’s girlfriend calls in tears and everything starts to click together. If I don’t find answers fast, I’ll lose more than my second chance. I’ll lose my daughter."

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This is a twisty and intriguing thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Eve narrates books for a living and when a book surfaces from an author that disappeared months ago and Eve is asked to narrate it, she jumps at the chance. Having received the book by email, Eve realises something's not quite right with it and so begins Eve's quest to find out just what happened to the missing author but what she finds, is far more than she expected.

With excellent characters, an enthralling plot and twists that surprise, this is a great book and Ms Slater is fast becoming one of my go-to authors.

A twisty, psychological thriller that I devoured in quick time and thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Narrator.

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Other books by K.L. Slater I have read and reviewed:

The Girlfriend

Her First Child by Sheryl Browne [Audiobook]

Narrated by Tamsin Kennard

Description from Goodreads:

"A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.

New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn’t seen her heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn’t told a soul about what really happened the night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in…

When the phone rings in the dead of night, Eve’s heart pounds as she hears the voice at the other end. ‘Hello Mother’, she replies, an ice-cold chill creeping down her spine. She grips her son’s tiny frame close to her trembling chest as she reluctantly agrees to let her mother visit.

But when Eve has to make an emergency call from Kai’s bedroom early one morning, she curses herself for allowing her mother back into her perfect little family.

‘Kai was fine when I checked on him a few hours ago.’ Her mother says, breathlessly as she watches her daughter’s face change from fear to rage.

Why was Lydia in Kai’s bedroom during the night? And as Lydia pleads her innocence, could it be that she’s not the most dangerous mother in this family?"

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This is a suspense and intrigue filled book that kept my attention from the start with a narrator that was great and really brought the story and the characters to life.

With multiple characters and a story that is told over two timelines, this is a book that could easily get away from you but the author cleverly keeps you on track and on your toes.

I have to admit that the characters aren't particularly likeable but they are very interesting and complex so I don't think it matters too much with this book and it adds to the intrigue and keeps you guessing to the end.

This is the first book by Sheryl Browne I have read and it certainly won't be the last and I want to thank Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen and share my thoughts of Her First Child.

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Still Standing (Matt Standing #3) by Stephen Leather

💥💥💥 Due to be published 05-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"The SAS are used to deaths during combat - it goes with the turf.

But when one of their own is said to have committed suicide in Thailand, red flags are raised.

Pete Green wasn't the sort of soldier who would ever take his own life - and no one is more sure of that than his twin brother, Davie.

Davie is determined to fly to the Land Of Smiles to find out what really happened to his twin brother. But if he is going to find out the truth he'll need help - the sort of help only SAS Sergeant Matt Standing can provide.

But soon after they arrive they come under attack, leaving Standing to investigate on his own. There are clearly people who want to shut down all enquiries and Standing knows he will have to use all his SAS jungle skills to survive. This will be the toughest of assignments but nothing will come between him and the truth ..."

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Once again, Mr Leather treats us to a story full of action and intrigue from the start. This might be the third in the Matt Standing series but can easily be read as a standalone so don't worry.

When Pete Green apparently commits suicide whilst taking a break in Thailand, his twin brother smells a rat; Matt agrees to accompany him to find out how Pete died and repatriate his body back to the UK. On arrival, it quickly becomes apparent that things are definitely not what they seem and things quickly go downhill and it's going to take all Matt's SAS training and guile, as well as a little intel from a certain "Spider" back in the UK, to get out of the trouble he finds himself in.

Well written, fast paced with great characters and an excellent story, this is a great read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others and my thanks go to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Still Standing.

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Other books by Stephen Leather I have read and reviewed:

Standing Alone (Matt Standing #2)

Slow Burn (Dan Shepherd #17)

Short Range (Dan Shepherd #16)

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