Blog Tour Review: Trickster by Sam Michaels

Trickster by Sam Michaels

Published: 16th April 2019

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 367

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

To be ruthless is to be powerful, at least it is on the Battersea streets...

Georgina Garrett was born to be ruthless and she’s about to earn her reputation.

As World War One is announced a baby girl is born. Little do people know that she's going to grow up to rule the streets of Battersea. From a family steeped in poverty the only way to survive is with street smarts.

With a father who steals for a living, a grandmother who’s a woman of the night and a mother long dead, Georgina was never in for an easy life. But after a tragic event left her father shaken he makes a decision that will change the course of all their lives – to raise Georgina as George, ensuring her safety but marking the start of her life of crime…

Review

Trickster is the debut novel from Sam Michaels set in the gritty crime-ridden streets of Battersea just as World War One is breaking out and follows the story of Georgina Garrett.

Georgina didn’t have the best start in life as her mother dies when she was born and then she was kidnapped as a toddler and abused. After that her dad decided she was safer to be brought up as a boy and follow him into the thieving trade. George as she then became was tough and took no nonsense from anyone, even the local bully Billy Wilcox and his gang.

The story follows George through her life until her early twenties during this time she experience many brushes with the law, threats from Billy Wilcox and even heartache as she watches her best friend Molly Mimple suffer in squalor, but George emerges a strong, smart and ruthless young women who has learnt to hide her emotional scars from those she cares about.

Sam Michaels has done a great job capturing the realism of this time period. It was a harsh time for the poor of London, often resorting to prostitution and thieving just to survive. The fear people had of heavy gangs such as the Wilcox’s and equally the police resonates throughout the book. For this reason, I did find this a tough book for me to read as it deals with many sensitive subjects such as domestic abuse, rape, child abuse and murder which are written about in enough detail to make me feel squeamish on more than one occasion.

I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how George developed as a character. I was thrown by the last few chapters where she suddenly decides to become Georgina again and finds herself a love interest. I did feel some of her rough and ready attitude melted away in his presence and was very out of character, perhaps this is a storyline which will develop in the next book.

Talking of the next book I’m intrigued to see where Sam Michaels will take Georgina next as I felt Trickster ended with a dramatic conclusion for all the characters.

Thank you so much to Aria and Netgalley for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Sam Michaels lives in Spain with her family and plethora of animals. Having been writing for years Trickster is her debut novel.

Follow Sam:  

Facebook: @SamMichaelsAuthor

Twitter: @SamMichaelsGG

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Upnb7S

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2UsPiTE

iBooks: https://apple.co/2HmWLA7

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2H8HrI3

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

Blog Tour Review: The Lost Children by Theresa Talbot

The Lost Children by Theresa Talbot

Published: 1st April 2018

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 466

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

First in a gripping new thriller series featuring investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil. Perfect for fans of Broadchurch.

TV journalist and media darling Oonagh O’Neil can sense a sinister coverup from the moment an elderly priest dies on the altar of his Glasgow church. Especially as his death comes as she is about to expose the shocking truth behind the closure of a Magdalene Institution. The Church has already tried to suppress what happened to decades of forgotten women. Is someone also covering their tracks?

DI Alec Davies is appointed to investigate the priest's death. He and Oonagh go way back. But what secrets lie behind the derelict Institution's doors? What sparked the infamous three-day riot that closed it? And what happened to the girls that survived the institution and vowed to stay friends forever?

From Ireland to Scotland.

From life to death.

Review

Oonagh O’Neil is a TV journalist who is on the verge of exposing the secrets behind the Magdalene Institute when her prime link to the place Father Kennedy, mysteriously dies in front of his congregation. Sensing there is more to the priest’s death than just old age Oonagh teams up with fellow priest Father Thomas Findley and DI Alec Davies to uncover the truth behind the priest’s death and what really happened to the poor girls in the Magdalene Institute all those years ago.

Right from the start this book was gripping in the way it portrayed the distressing situation those poor young girls at the Magdalene Institute faced, but this drew me into the very well written story. A story which did get to me emotionally and I’m not ashamed to say a few tears were shed while reading this book.  It’s not all completely distressing as there are some lighter moments which break-up the sensitive nature of this story. This mostly comes from the dialogues between Oonagh, Alec and Tom which was like banter between old school friends.

I loved Oonagh as a character, she may come across as fragile and feminine especially when she is on TV but underneath she’s a tough cookie. Throughout the book she relentlessly goes after her story and seeking justice for the lost girls, despite getting herself in some very difficult situations which don’t end well for her. I loved the relationships she built up with both Father Tom and DI Alec Davies, it was refreshing and honest and I really hope these three characters come tighter again in Theresa Talbot’s next book.

 In The Lost Children Theresa Talbot has written a gripping and realistic story surrounding this sensitive subject and I think she has pulled it off very well. I highly recommend it if your looking for a gritty and emotional crime fix. I’m really looking forward to where she takes us next with Oonagh O’Neil.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

About the Author

Theresa Talbot is a BBC broadcaster and freelance producer. A former radio news editor, she also hosted The Beechgrove Potting Shed on BBC Radio Scotland, but for many she will be most familiar as the voice of the station's Traffic & Travel. Late 2014 saw the publication of her first book, This Is What I Look Like, a humorous memoir covering everything from working with Andy Williams to rescuing chickens and discovering nuns hidden in gardens. She's much in demand at book festivals, both as an author and as a chairperson.

Links to buy

 Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pFMSUo

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2GzG9oE

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2IUYsmE

iBooks: https://apple.co/2ulECxt

Follow Theresa Talbot

 Website: http://theresatalbot.com.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/

Twitter: @Theresa_Talbot

Facebook: Theresa Talbot

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Facebook: @ariafiction

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Instagram: @ariafiction

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Sign up to the Aria newsletter: http://bit.ly/2jQxVtV

Blog Tour Review: The Death Chamber by Lesley Thomson

The Death Chamber (Detective's Daughter #6) by Lesley Thomson

Published: 5th April 2018

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 400

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Queen's Jubilee, 1977: Cassie Baker sees her boyfriend kissing another girl at the village disco. Upset, she heads home alone and is never seen again.

Millennium Eve, 1999: DCI Paul Mercer finds Cassie's remains in a field. Now he must prove the man who led him there is guilty.

When Mercer's daughter asks Stella Darnell for help solving the murder, Stella see echoes of herself. Another detective's daughter.

With her sidekick sleuth, Jack, Stella moves to Winchcombe, where DCI Mercer and his prime suspect have been playing cat and mouse for the past eighteen years...

Review

The Death Chamber is the sixth book in the Dectective’s Daughter series and this time it sees Clean Slate owner and part-time private detective Stella Darnell and trusty sidekick Jack Harmon head to the Cotswolds village of Winchcombe to solve two murders which have been troubling DCI Mercer for almost twenty years.

June 1977, while celebrating the Queen’s silver jubilee Cassandra Barker spots her boyfriend with another woman and storms off home, never to be seen again. December 1999, Bryony Motson disappears after a night out with two friends. Charlie Brice the man believed to have abducted Bryony leads DCI Mercer to the body of Cassandra Baker, linking him to both girls but sadly admissible evidence meant he couldn’t be charged for either murder.

Seventeen years later and DCI Mercer is on his death bed and he longs for Charlie Brice to serve justice for the crimes Mercer believes he committed and for the mistakes which cost Mercer his glowing career. Daughter Lisa summons detective duo Stella and Jack to help solve the case once and for all.

Stella and Jack head off to the country, Stella reluctantly as she is a city girl who prefers the perks of London life including public transport, wi-fi and electricity and not to mention the distinct lack of mud.  Jack is more enthusiastic about their trip, been in love with Stella from afar for ever Jack jumps at the chance to play house with her alone in the country…plus it gives him time to think about the bombshell ex-girlfriend Bella has just dropped on him…he’s going to be a dad.

The Death chamber is a book which could be read as a standalone but after reading the previous novel The Dog Walker I think you will get much more enjoyment if you’ve read at one of the previous novels. The first third of this book was steady and centred more on the personal lives of Jack and Stella than the actual case. I enjoyed this as having read the previous book it was good to catch up with the characters, if you’ve not read the previous book then you may struggle.

Once the story heads off to the country it’s not long before Stella and Jack are fully immersed in the case and the pace picks up, with a growing number of suspects it turns out to be more complicated than they first thought. With the help of journalist Lucie can Stella and Jack solve the crimes? Who is behind the creepy activity with drones, crows and scarecrows? Will anything happen with Stella and Jack and what exactly is Stella’s secretary Jackie Makepeace got to do with everything?

I really enjoyed reading The Death Chamber, its one of those novels where you just keep reading a bit more and then discover something else so read a bit more and before you know it your husbands home and wondering where his tea is (true story).  I love the way Lesley Thomson has added depth to the story with each of the main characters having their own dramas going on which all tie into and enhance the main storyline instead of detracting from it, very cleverly written.  My favourite character in this book had to be Endora the budgerigar, just because of the witty one-liners she came out with which just made me smile.

I enjoyed everything about this book and really hope we have another instalment in this series soon. Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

Blog Tour Guest Post: Blood Ties by Heather Burnside

Blood Ties by Heather Burnside

Published: 1st March 2018

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 296

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Today I'd like to welcome Heather Burnside to my blog to kick off the start of the blog tour for her latest novel Blood Ties, which is the second instalment of her Manchester crime trilogy and follows on from Born Bad published last year. Heather is sharing today her tips on writing a trilogy, something which as readers we will know is a daunting task, so thank you Heather.

Blurb 

Adele Robinson is locked up – convicted for the murder of her abusive father. She quickly realises that she'll have to play it tough if she's going to survive, and soon gains a reputation for standing her ground.

Meanwhile, her brother Peter is building his criminal empire on the outside – running protection rackets, seedy nightclubs and all manner of schemes to make a fast buck. He soon comes to the attention of, not only the police, but also Manchester's rival gangs, and a turf war breaks out.

And when things start to get bloody, only Adele can step in to protect the family business. Will she get out in time to save Peter? After all, blood is thicker than water, and when family's in trouble you can't look the other way.

Guest Post: The Challenges of Writing a Trilogy

Hi and thank you for inviting me to be a guest on your blog. I am excited to introduce Blood Ties, the second book in my Manchester crime trilogy.

The opening part of Blood Ties sees our protagonist, Adele, serving time. Adele’s skills as a kickboxing black belt combined with her fiery temper have earned her a tough girl reputation. Because of this she gets on the wrong side of the prison bullies who want to bring her down. Adele then becomes immersed in a battle for survival during her time behind bars.

When Adele finishes her sentence things don’t get any easier for her in the outside world. Unable to gain honest employment because of her prison record, she agrees to do the bookkeeping for her brother, Peter’s businesses. But not all of Peter’s businesses are legal and above board, and Adele soon gets sucked into the seedy underworld of 90s gangland Manchester and has to face the dire consequences.

While Blood Ties is hitting the shops, I’m busy getting the first draft of book three ready to submit to my publishers, Aria Fiction. Publishing a novel brings a tremendous sense of achievement as well as relief that it’s finally out there, and with a trilogy those sentiments are tripled.

Writing a trilogy also brings its own unique set of challenges as it’s important to ensure that each book flows on from the preceding ones. Fortunately, there are ways to keep track of things and I use a few techniques to help me:

Outline – I always draw up an outline before I begin writing a novel. Then, as I develop the novel I flesh it out. To me an outline is important as it helps me to quickly recap if I don’t write for a couple of days. Unlike a lot of authors, I don’t write every day. Instead, I treat it like any 9-5 job and give myself weekends off when I focus on other things.

Character Lists – For me a character list is very important since the characters are essential to any novel. As well as giving physical details of the character, the list should detail their personal characteristics, skills, likes and dislikes etc. I also bear in mind that characters change during the course of a novel and more so with a trilogy. They may change physically in appearance as they grow older and their personalities will also be affected by what happens to them.

List of Place Names – This isn’t so much a list of towns, cities etc. but more a list of homes, pubs, businesses and any other places that my characters frequent. It gives details of what those places look like and how they are set out. So, for example, Adele’s childhood home in book one is situated in Gorton, Manchester. The living room is the first room off the hallway then the kitchen/dining room is at the back. A shabby back garden with a passageway runs along the back of the house etc. etc.

My list of place names has served me well as it’s so easy to lose track when you’re writing a trilogy of over 250,000 words. For example, I almost dropped a clanger with book three when I described the area where a particular pub is located only to find when I checked my list that I had already located it in a different area in book two.

Timeline – This is where I set out the day and week when a particular scene or chapter occurs in relation to the rest of the book. It can be incorporated into the Outline. I would always write a timeline for any novel but for a trilogy it is particularly important so that I can ensure everything fits in sequentially. Otherwise I might make a mistake such as having someone give birth only a few weeks after they become pregnant.

I must admit that I find the timeline one of the most challenging aspects of writing a novel. I draw up a rough guide at the outset but then as the novel progresses other scenes come into play. This often means that I have to make adjustments to the timeline when I have finished writing the novel.

This may seem like a lot of lists but it helps me save time in the long run by avoiding many pitfalls.

I do hope you’ll enjoy reading Blood Ties as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now that I’ve published Blood Ties, I’m looking forward to completing the third and final book in the trilogy.

With best wishes,

 Heather x

About the Author

Heather Burnside is a Manchester-based author who, after taking a career break to raise a family, swapped credit control for writing and decided to study for a writing diploma. Heather had articles featured in several popular UK magazines before publishing her first Manchester-based crime thriller in 2014.

Links to buy

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2C7MllX

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2CCWcMg

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2sGi4qp

iBooks: https://apple.co/2omUg5x

Follow Heather Burnside

Website: https://heatherburnside.com/

Twitter: @heatherbwriter

Facebook: @HeatherBurnsideAuthor

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Facebook: @ariafiction

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

NetGalley: http://bit.ly/2lkKB0e

Sign up to the Aria newsletter: http://bit.ly/2jQxVtV

Blog Tour Review: Death in the Stars by Frances Brody

Death in the Stars by Frances Brody

Published: 5th October 2017

Publisher: Piatkus

Pages: 385

Available in Hardback, Paperback and on Kindle

Pre-Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Yorkshire, 1927. Eclipse fever grips the nation, and when beloved theatre star Selina Fellini approaches trusted sleuth Kate Shackleton to accompany her to a viewing party at Giggleswick School Chapel, Kate suspects an ulterior motive.
During the eclipse, Selina's friend and co-star Billy Moffatt disappears and is later found dead in the chapel grounds. Kate can't help but dig deeper and soon learns that two other members of the theatre troupe died in similarly mysterious circumstances in the past year. With the help of Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden, Kate sets about investigating the deaths - and whether there is a murderer in the company.
When Selina's elusive husband Jarrod, injured in the war and subject to violent mood swings, comes back on the scene, Kate begins to imagine something far deadlier at play, and wonders just who will be next to pay the ultimate price for fame . . .

Review

Fans of the Kate Shackleton mysteries by Frances Brody will be pleased she is back for her ninth investigation in Death in the Stars. In this novel Kate has been enlisted to accompany theatre star Selina Fellini to view the upcoming eclipse at Giggleswick School Chapel. Selina is worried as two members of her theatre group have met unfortunate endings in the last eighteen months and she fears she might be next, but sadly it is her long-term friend and co-star Billy Moffatt who is found dead in the Chapel grounds. Kate calls on the help of good friends Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden to help her uncover the truths behind Billy’s death and the so called accidents at the theatre.

In Death in the Stars the event of the eclipse and the following day take up the first half of the book where we learn more about Selina Fellini and the company she keeps. Selina seems to lead a very glamourous life and always seems to have someone to accompany her to various events, which sadly for Billy Moffatt doesn’t end well. She also has her life kept in order by manger Trotter Brockett and personal assistant Beryl Cooper and estranged husband Jarrod never seems to be far away.

I loved the glimpses we are given to theatre life in the 1920s and all the different variety acts which were so popular at the time. I would love to have seen Jake and his miniature pony perform. I also loved the edition of Harriet, Kate’s niece who brings youthful excitement to the team as she is willing to help investigate too.

I love that these novel are very gentle and more mysteries than crime novels, no gory scenes here. I love the though precise way in which Kate carries out her investigations and find many similarities to the famous “Miss Marple ” by Agatha Christie. With many characters falling under the suspicions of Kate and her team there are many twists and turns before the murder is finally revealed, this made for a very enjoyable read.

Kate and her team are characters which are growing on me and I’m looking forward to see where their next investigation takes them. Thank you so much to Piatkus for this review copy and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour

Blog Tour Review: Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody

Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody

Published: 6th October 2016

Publisher: Piatkus

Pages: 389

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Pre-Order now from Amazon

Rating 5/5

Blurb

Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton deserves a break. Heading off for a long-overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there.
Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that Alma's daughter Felicity has disappeared, leaving her mother a note and the pawn ticket for their only asset: a watch-guard. What makes this more intriguing is the jeweller who advanced Felicity the thirty shillings is Jack Phillips, Alma's current gentleman friend.
Kate can't help but become involved, and goes to the jeweller's shop to get some answers. When she makes a horrifying discovery in the back room, it soon becomes clear that her services are needed. Met by a wall of silence by town officials, keen to maintain Whitby's idyllic façade, it's up to Kate - ably assisted by Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden - to discover the truth behind Felicity's disappearance.
And they say nothing happens in August . . .

Review

Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody is my first Kate Shackleton mystery and one I was very much looking forward to as being a Yorkshire girl I love it when places are set somewhere I know, like Whitby which is a place I love.

Kate Shackleton a woman who has been widowed by the WW1 and has taken up investigating with her friend Jim Sykes and her housekeeper Mrs Sugden. This story is set in August 1927 when Kate and her assistants believe nothing much will happen in their hometown of Leeds so decide to each have a well-earned break on the East Coast.

Kate heads to Whitby to visit old school friend Alma and her daughter Felicity. On arrival Kate takes a walk round Whitby reacquainting herself with memories from her past with husband Gerald. When she enters the jewellers where Gerald bought her wedding and engagement rings Kate makes a shocking discovery, the owner Jack Phillips is lying dead in the back room. Alarmed by her discovery Kate goes for help and soon finds herself as a prime suspect for murder.

To make Kate’s visit even worse she discovers that her goddaughter Felicity has disappeared along with her boyfriend Brendan and a pawned watch-guard. Can Kate help Alma find Felicity and work out who killed Jack Phillips and are the two things linked? One thing is certain, Kate is going to get the nice relaxing holiday she was planning.

The overwhelming feeling I had when reading this book was how much like an Agatha Christie novel this was with murder described in not much detail and the sleuthing taking place by amateur investigators at a very gentle pace. Kate Shackleton reminded me instantly of “Miss Marple”, but a few years younger with her need to solve the mystery. I loved her very English and “proper” way of doing things like when she was reluctant to meet with new acquainted men in the hotel bar.

I think Frances Brody has perfectly captured the essence of Whitby and the period of the 1920s from the details of the town to the descriptions of social etiquettes of the time. It shows she has done her research well to make a realistic story.

I loved the flow of this mystery a number of people are suspected and there are a few twists to overcome before the murderer is revealed making this a very enjoyable read. I’m so glad to have found this new to me author as I love her writing style and am looking forward to going back and reading her previous works as they are perfect for when you want a little mystery but nothing too gruesome.

I’d like to thank the publishers Piatkus for this copy to review in exchange for my honest opinions and also for inviting me on the blog tour.

Blog Tour Review: Kill Me Twice by Anna Smith

Kill Me Twice by Anna Smith

Published: 25th August 2016

Publisher: Quercus

Pages: 300

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

A beautiful model's death uncovers an ugly conspiracy stretching all the way to Westminster in Rosie Gilmour's darkest case to date.
When rags-to-riches Scots supermodel Bella Mason plunges to her death from the roof of a glitzy Madrid hotel, everyone assumes it was suicide. Except that one person saw exactly what happened to Bella that night, and she definitely didn't jump. But Millie Chambers has no one she can tell - alcoholic, depressed herself and now sectioned by her bullying politician husband, who would believe her? And that's not all Millie knows. Being close to the heart of Westminster power can lead to discovering some awful secrets...
Back in Glasgow, Rosie's research into Bella's life leads to her brother, separated from her in care years before. Dan is now a homeless heroin addict and rent boy, but what he reveals about Bella's early life is electrifying: organised sexual abuse in care homes across Glasgow. Bella had tracked him down so that they could tell the world their story. And now she's dead.
As Rosie's drive to expose the truth leads her closer to Millie and the shameful secrets she has kept for so many years, it becomes clear that what she's about to discover could prove fatal: a web of sexual abuse linking powerful figures across the nation, and the rot at the very heart of the British Establishment...

Review

Kill Me Twice by Anna Smith is the seventh book in the Rosie Gilmour series and is actually the first one I’ve read, but I feel it could easily be read as a standalone. I’m definitely planning on going back and reading the rest of the series as Anna Smith’s writing is intense and gripping and it had me hooked from the start and I want to read more.

In the book Rosie has been sent to Madrid to report on the apparent suicide of famous model Bella Mason but while she’s there she gets a tip-off that someone witnessed what happened to Bella and it wasn’t suicide.  That someone was Millie Chambers, a woman who is full of despair, verging on alcoholism, with nothing to lose since her marriage to ex tory MP Colin Chambers fell apart. Millie goes on the run but bad luck means Colin catches up with her and has her locked away as the secret of Bella’s death is not the only thing that Millie knows.

On returning to Glasgow Rosie unearths Dan Mason, Bella’s long lost brother living on the streets among the Glasgow junkies and Dan has his own secrets about Bella’s life that someone is trying to keep hidden. Can Rosie expose the hidden stories before it’s too late and someone gets hurt?

Kill Me Twice was a very addictive read with a plot that quickly develops several strands all which Rosie must piece together to get her story. I found it a very fast paced read where there was always something being added to the story without any filler chapters being included, which made great reading.

I really enjoyed the main character Rosie, she initially comes across as tough and hard-nosed but I loved that as the story developed we could see a softer side to her, especially with Dan and that she was actually a quite an emotional character. I also enjoyed the glimpses of her personal life we are given and would love to have read the series from the start to see how she has developed as a character.

This is a novel which touches on some quite deep issues such as drug addictions, alcoholism, child abuse and political cover-ups. At times I found I did grimace at some of the scenes as the writing felt so realistic and very detailed but I think that’s is to be expected with this kind of novel.

Overall I thought this was a great read and one which I can highly recommend and I’m eager for January when the series continues.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me this copy to review and also for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Blog Tour: Blood Symmetry by Kate Rhodes Exclusive Story and Review

Blood Symmetry by Kate Rhodes

Published: 14th July 2016

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Pages: 342

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Today it's my stop on the Blood Symmetry by Kate Rhodes blog tour, firstly we have an exclusive story from Kate from Mikey's perspective of events and then keep scrolling down for my review of this gripping crime novel.

Blood Symmetry: Mikey’s story
I think in pictures, not words. Mum says I should go to art school one day, but she’s left me behind, just like my dad. Alice looks after me now. She lets me help her to cook our meals, and sometimes she sings to me when I can’t sleep. It’s her voice I love best: gentle and quiet and kind. She keeps asking questions about mum, and I want to explain, but when I open my mouth, no sound comes out. Words sit in my mind like the stones I hide in my pockets, when mum takes me to the beach.

I keep trying to remember what happened. I see mum waiting by the front door that morning, while I lace up my trainers, then I’m chasing her down the path. She looks back over her shoulder, laughing. Circles of light fall to the ground as we sprint through the trees, round as gold coins. Our footsteps drum louder and my heartbeat’s racing to keep up. Then mum screams, and I can’t see anything anymore. Rough fabric covers my face, scratching my skin, filling my lungs with the smell of petrol. That’s when everything stops. The images shudder then fade away, like a DVD breaking down. Each day the pictures get clearer, but forgetting is safer than remembering. I want to keep mum safe in my mind, laughing back at me as we run through the trees.

Sometimes I think it’s my fault. I woke mum up, to come running with me. If I’d let her sleep, we’d still be together, and I could go back to school. I miss the lessons when the teacher lets us paint whatever we like most of all. Alice has given me a pad and pencils, but it’s not the same. I keep drawing the same picture, of the path across the common. I see it even with my eyes closed. But the nightmares are worst of all. The hood over my head is too tight to breathe, and when it comes off, there’s blood on the ground. It’s too dark to tell where it’s come from, or whether it’s mine. I wake up screaming, but Alice is always there. She says the police will find my mum, and soon I can go home, but what if she’s wrong? I want to push words from my lips, so my thoughts run freely again, but they cling to the sides of my mouth. If only making time go backwards was as easy as spinning the hands on a clock. Mum would still be at home, resting in peace. She wouldn’t have to run through the trees and never come out again.

Thank you Kate for that exclusive piece, Blood Symmetry is out now and can be purchased on Amazon here.

Blurb
Clare Riordan and her son Mikey are abducted from Clapham Common early one morning. Hours later, the boy is found wandering disorientated. Soon after, a pack of Clare's blood is left on a doorstep in the heart of the City of London.
Alice Quentin is brought in to help the traumatised child uncover his memories - which might lead them to his mother's captors. But she swiftly realises Clare is not the first victim... nor will she be the last.
The killers are driven by a desire for revenge... and in the end, it will all come down to blood.

Review
Clare Riordan and her son Mikey have been abducted on Clapham Common while taking a morning run. Hours later eleven year old Mikey is found wandering the streets disorientated and mute. Later that day a pack of Clare’s blood is found left on a doorstep in the heart of London. Alice Quentin is brought in to help Mikey try and uncover his memories and help find his mother. Soon it’s clear to Alice and the police team that Clare is not the first victim and she won’t be the last as these killers have a very distinct desire for revenge.

Alice has soon formed a bond with Mikey and is determined to bring his mother’s abductor to justice. Clare works in the haematology department at the Royal Free Hospital and it soon becomes clear that blood is the key to her disappearance as further victims are uncovered and more blood packs are found.  Alice believes there is a link between Clare and two previous attacks on medical professionals, she’s determined to prove the connection is the Tainted Blood Panel a team of experts brought in by the government to assess the damage of the use of Factor 8 on haemophilia. Can Alice and Burns find the link and the killer before it’s too late?

Blood Symmetry is the fifth Alice Quentin novel by Kate Rhodes but the first that I have read. I believe it can be read as a standalone but like me you will probably become hooked by Alice and by Kate’s brilliant writing. I’m definitely eager to go back to the beginning and find out more about Alice as she’s enthralling. She’s been in a relationship with DCI Don Burns, who she just happens to have to partner with in this book, for four months and she’s unsure whether to fully commit or run for her life as these new feelings make her uneasy. DCI Burns has left his wife but is unwavering in his affection for Alice despite her inability to commit, for me this relationship dynamic was fascinating and I’d love to find how it all began.

There are many suspects in this book including many of Clare’s colleagues, her neighbours, her sister, members of a blood activist group, the list goes on. I loved this because just when I thought I had everything worked out, Kate Rhodes threw another spanner in the works to confuse me even more. This had me gripped to this book as I was determined to work out the killer before they were revealed, sadly I couldn’t!

I also enjoyed the chapters which are written from the killer’s perspective and were like reading their mind, which is a format I feel works very well in crime novels as we get more insight into the “why”. Beware though this book has some gruesome moments which did make my stomach churn a little.

I liked how the motive for these killings had a connection to real events in history and was connected to something which affected many, many lives rather than just being a “I don’t like you, so I’ll kill you” kind of book.  Some of the characters we meet were living with the effects of Factor 8 and it was obvious through the writing that these people and their families were really struggling and for this reason you can emphasize with the killer a little as all they really wanted was recognition and justice for their suffering.

I think this was a brilliant read and had everything I want in a crime novel, a complex plot to work out, interesting killer and suspects and protagonists with more in their lives than work. I’m definitely going to be reading the rest of the Alice Quentin novels, hopefully before the next book is published.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of the Blood Symmetry blog tour.

Book Review: Crossing the Line (Jessica Daniel #8) by Kerry Wilkinson

Published: September 11th 2014

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Pages: 300

Available: Kindle and Paperback

Order from Amazon here

 

Blurb



Long before Jessica Daniel became a police officer, Manchester was once a ghost city after dark. Fear ruled as people were afraid to be out by themselves, the notorious Stretford Slasher terrorising its inhabitants.

Twenty-five years on and the media are feeling nostalgic over the milestone but Jessica has a new panic to worry about. Apparent strangers are being targeted in daylight, the attacker unworried about being caught. If only she and her team could find him…

It’s the coldest spring in memory and Jessica has old friends to look out for, plus secrets - so many secrets - that should have long been buried.

 

Review

 

Firstly I would like to thank Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book to review.  I’ve not read many crime novels recently and this is the first time I have encountered the author Kerry Wilkinson and the Jessica Daniel novels. I didn’t realise this was book eight in the series so I wasn’t sure whether or not to read this but it says it is book 1 in “Season 2” and is a good place to start for new readers, so I decided I  would just jump and review this book as it is.

 

Jessica Daniel has been recently promoted to Detective Inspector and I’m guessing this is the reasoning behind the season 2 label.  Jessica is a very complex  character to understand  and as the book starts right in the middle of the action  it took me a good third of the book to understand a bit more about her. There are lots of hints about her past which did help me to gain more insight into her character but also gave away things which probably happened in previous books, so if you haven’t read them and want to I would recommend reading from the start if you don’t want spoilers.

 

I did feel that the first third of the book was quite slow in what was happening and it did take me a while to completely get into this book but once the case started to unfold  I was hooked, wanting to know what happened. Some plot twists were a bit unexpected and a bit abrupt but somehow it all linked together and formed a cohesive ending.

 

Crossing the Line is an honest look at the gritty Manchester underworld with a fearless and likeable female lead in Jessica Daniel. I’ve had a taste for Kerry Wilkinson’s writing and will definitely be back for more. Hopefully I will have time to start from book one and catch up before book nine appears.

 

Rating 4/5