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
x

The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid

"A great example of story telling"

Description from NetGalley:

"When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a world of intrigue and betrayal, spanning the dark days of the Balkan Wars.

Karen's search for answers brings her to a small village in Croatia, a place scarred by fear, where people have endured unspeakable acts of violence. Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge, but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined . . ."

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I haven’t read anything by Val McDermid before (shock, horror!!) so didn’t really know what to expect but I have heard many good things about her previous books so took a punt and requested a copy via NetGalley and was approved by the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK to receive it in return for an honest review.

Set in Scotland, England and Croatia, the book follows the investigation into the murder of an unknown male found as a skeleton at the top of a derelict building in Edinburgh. The murder is put in the hands of the Historic Cases Unit and DCI Pirie who, with the help of her colleagues, discovers the identity of the body which leads her on a trip to Croatia and the discovery of secrets from the Yugoslav war of the 1990s. Running alongside Pirie’s investigation, we enter the world of two lawyers who work for the International Criminal tribunal who are attempting to find a killer who is assassinating war criminals. In amongst all this, we are transported into the world of Professor Maggie Blake, her relationship with a Croatian General and work in the underground universities in the former Yugoslavia.

This is a complex book with complex characters, interweaving timelines and historical events with the present. For me, it’s not particularly fast paced and it took a while to get into it but once I did, it held my interest to the end. The characters are believable and the locations are expertly described.

Would I recommend this book? In the main, yes but although it is described as a crime thriller, for me it lacked the “thrills” but is a great example of crime writing and story telling.

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Author website - click here

Author twitter - valmcdermid

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

"Full of people you love to hate"

Description from Goodreads:

"Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.

My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family's holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.

When three-year-old identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.

But what really happened to Coco during her father's 50th birthday weekend?

Set across two weekends - the first when Coco goes missing and the second, at the funeral of Coco's father, where at last, the darkest of secrets will be revealed..."

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This is a subject matter that is any parent’s worst nightmare; their 3 year old child goes missing but, in The Darkest Secret, that is only the beginning of the story and when money and reputations are at stake, it becomes something even more sinister.

The story builds from the first page and takes a very firm grip on you. It covers 2 main timelines - the days leading up to Coco’s disappearance and the days leading up to her father’s funeral some years later. It’s told from various perspectives which, I think, was very clever as it provides different views of the same events and how each of the characters explain and, at times, justify their actions.

We meet some of the most thoroughly abhorrent and loathsome characters you are ever likely to meet but, on the other hand, we meet 2 sisters who, despite their childhood and upbringing, turn out to be half decent human beings. There are characters that you dislike at the beginning but develop sympathy for and their are others you take an instant aversion to which grows in intensity as the book develops, the story unfolds and the shocking truth starts to emerge.

I can’t recall having read anything by Alex Marwood before but after reading this, I will certainly read something by her again. If you enjoy dark, twisty stories that are full of people you love to hate, then this is the one for you.

I want to thank the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for a copy of this engrossing book in return for an honest review.

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Author website - click here

Author twitter - AlexMarwood1