No. 23 has a secret. In this bedsit-riddled south London wreck, lorded over by a lecherous landlord, something waits to be discovered. Yet all six residents have something to hide.
Collette and Cher are on the run; Thomas is a reluctant loner; while a gorgeous Iranian asylum seeker and a 'quiet man' nobody sees try to stay hidden. And watching over them all is Vesta - or so she thinks. In the dead of night, a terrible accident pushes the neighbours into an uneasy alliance. But one of them is a killer, expertly hiding their pastime, all the while closing in on their next victim... As a cloying heatwave suffocates the city, events build to an electrifying climax in this dark, original and irresistibly compelling thriller. Another of my books i've been meaning to read forever. I'm finally playing catch up, for every 2 new books I read, I have to read one i've had a while. It will work for at least 3 books until I change my mind again.
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Description
DCI Warren Jones has a bad feeling when the body of a young woman turns up in Beaconsfield Woods. She’s been raped and strangled but the murderer has been careful to leave no DNA evidence. There are, of course, suspects – boyfriend, father – to check out but, worryingly, it looks more and more like a stranger murder. Warren’s worst fears are confirmed when another young woman is killed in the same way. The MO fits that of Richard Cameron who served twelve years for rape. But Cameron never killed his victims and he has a cast-iron alibi. Then personal tragedy intervenes and Warren is off the case. But the pressure is mounting and another woman goes missing. Warren is back but will the break he desperately needs come before there’s another victim? The DCI Warren Jones series: Book One - The Last Straw Book Two - No Smoke Without Fire
I seem to have had this book to read for some time, It seemed to get lost in the never ending kindle ether. I was about to start this when I realised it was book 2 and I have a bit of an issue reading books out of order. I went to buy book one on amazon but luckily it tells you that you all read own the book, apparently I bought it in 2015. That is so bad of me, so I mad a point to read book one first.
I enjoyed the first book, so then was able to dive right into this one, so sometimes being behind can have its advantages.
Description
The fourth unputdownable book in the DS Mark Heckenburg series. A killer thriller for fans of Stuart MacBride and Luther, from the #1 ebook bestseller Paul Finch. His worst nightmare is back… As a brutal winter takes hold of the Lake District, a prolific serial killer stalks the fells. ‘The Stranger’ has returned and for DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg, the signs are all too familiar. Last seen on Dartmoor ten years earlier, The Stranger murdered his victims in vicious, cold-blooded attacks – and when two young women go missing, Heck fears the worst. As The Stranger lays siege to a remote community, Heck watches helplessly as the killer plays his cruel game, picking off his victims one by one. And with no way to get word out of the valley, Heck must play ball… A spine-chilling thriller, from the #1 ebook bestseller. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and James Oswald. Book 4 in the DS Mark Heckenburg series. I hadn't actually realised that I was so far behind with this series. After finishing this book I also realised I hadn't read books 1 & 2. That said, it didn't take away any enjoyment I had of the book. So i would say it can be read as a stand alone. I just don't think books should be read out of order, and i'm annoyed with myself.
Family is not always a place of safety.
Kathleen was just eight years old when her mother was tragically killed in a car accident. And when her father remarries it is to the bitter and resentful Irene who has two children of her own and no space in her heart for another. Irene goes out of her way to make Kathleen's life as miserable as possible and will stop at nothing to get her out of their lives… When Kathleen is sixteen, a shocking incident rocks the family, and life takes a darker turn. Among this darkness, Kathleen finds a glimmer of hope in an older man, but Irene is ruthless in her mission to destroy her. Can Kathleen find happiness or is she destined for tragedy?
Having just realised this was book 4, I went to double check that I was up to date with the series. Somehow i've managed to miss out book 3, but I can't see it being an issue, I feel these seem ok to be read out of order. That said, I need to read the last book to satisfy my mind. I hate reading out of order.
It also seems that these books have all had a revamp. New covers and new titles. I have to admit I love the covers now, they have a great look to them. In this book we have a mixture of love and hate, a story of growing up and starting out a new life, learning of how to grow and understand. Kathleen has lived with her father and evil stepmother in their home, a pub which the family run. Now at 17 Kathleen is learning just how evil her stepmother is and learning to adjust. Finding love takes Kathleen on a whole new journey, and watching her grow into the woman she has become was interesting. This was an easy to follow read, enjoyable. I look forward to reading more by this author. The new covers and titles do the books more justice than the old. I just feel this book could have had so much more 'grit' thrown into it, to make it an exceptional read. It's disappointing to see a lot of 1 star reviews for this book, it seems most of them are because the books were individually written in 3 parts to start with, so you could buy them in parts or as a full book. People not realising this then leave 1 star reviews which doesn't really reflect on the book itself. Series Tales of the Notorious Hudson Family 1. Our Vinnie (2014) Now. In Cold Blood 2. My Uncle Charlie (2014) Now, Blood Line 3. My Mam Shirley (2014) Now, Closer Than Blood 4. Blood Ties (2016) 5. Bad Blood (2016) 6. Blood Sisters (2017) 7. Hidden Sin (2018) I hope I have these right. lol
‘Don’t take my baby.’
Kirstie Rawlings is jolted awake by a child crying. Racing upstairs to check on her new-born, she is plunged into every parents’ worst nightmare. She hears an unknown voice in the baby monitor, saying: ‘Let’s take the child – and go.’ Is someone trying to steal her little girl? In the bedroom, her daughter is safe asleep in her cot. Is the voice coming from a nearby house? But there aren’t any other children living on her quiet country road… The police don't believe her. And neither does her husband. Kirstie knows something isn’t right. She thought she could trust her neighbours, now she isn’t sure. As she unravels the secrets of the people living on her street, Kirstie’s perfect life begins to fall apart. Because someone is hiding a terrible lie. And they will do anything to stop Kirstie uncovering the truth. But is the danger closer to home than she thinks? From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother, this completely gripping psychological thriller will make you wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. And will keep you guessing from the first page until the final shocking twist. AWowzers.... What can I say? What a book. This is certainly one of those books that keep you thinking, keep you guessing. It certainly keeps you on your toes. Freaky, scary. kirstie is convinced she has just heard voices over her baby intercom. Frozen with fear, but knowing she has to go rescue her daughter. Her daughter is fine, fast asleep. Kirsty becomes almost neurotic, convinced that her child is not safe, convinced someone is trying to steal her baby girl. If her child is safe then maybe it's another child that is in danger. Kirstie is then convinced her neighbour is harbouring secrets and makes it her mission to find out what. Is it that Kirstie is going a little deranged, imagining the worst case scenario on everything, or is she perfectly sane and the only person that can see something is not right. Why won't people believe her, or is there anything to actually believe in. A story that will keep you guessing, keep you wondering, it certainly keeps you turning the page. I think this book was put together brilliantly. A story that keeps you wanting more. I was holding my breath right at the beginning of this book, then it gives you an ending that leaves you thinking, What!!! Wow, I didn't see that coming. This is a psychological thriller you don't want to miss.
Will you look her in the eyes, just before she dies? A terrifying crime thriller that will set your pulse pounding. Perfect for fans of M. J. Arlidge, Robert Bryndza, and Angela Marsons.
On the streets of London, a vicious killer is using social media to turn murder into entertainment . . . I, Killer has posted two photos of his first victim online - Before Death and After Death. They've gone viral before DCI Fenton's team even discovers the body. Soon, another victim's photo is similarly posted . . . and so begins the killer's following. DCI Fenton is determined to discover the identity of I, Killer before another innocent life is claimed. Then the case takes a dark turn, and Fenton's search becomes a matter of life or death for him and his young daughter. But as I, Killer's body-count rises, his number of online followers is growing - and he loves to give his fans what they want . . .
I, Killer has posted two photos of his first victim online - Before Death and After Death. They've gone viral before DCI Fenton's team even discovers the body.
When the body is discovered, it is the body of Lauren Bishop. It's tasked to DCI Fenton and his team to try and find this killer. #Ikiller is trending on social media and he seems to be gaining a fan club that is feeding his ego. He needs to keep his fan's happy and give them what they want, which to him means more killings, more pictures posted online. This turned into a really good crime thriller, there was certainly enough going on to keep you interested in the story, and the odd twist to keep you guessing and leave you wanting more. A very well put together story that I think most crime fans would enjoy. I liked how social media was used, a very up to date storyline. DCI Fenton not only has his job to work on, he's also a single father. Balancing the job and parenting seems a little to much for him at time. I liked this aspect of the story as it made him seem more of a real person, a believable character. I would have liked to get to know DCI Fenton a little more, I don't think we got everything about him as a person, so hopefully this is going to become a series of books where we get to know him better. I think he's going to be a great character going forward. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Life for the firefighters of Red Watch, East Brighton, is already complicated due to the imminent closure of their fire station. But this is soon to be the least of their worries.
When the team stumble upon a car in a ditch, they discover the driver is dead and a bag containing five hundred thousand pounds in cash. Before anyone arrives, the crew decide to take money, believing it to be a victimless crime. When they later learn that the driver was killed by a bullet wound to the head their world is turned upside down. Then a stranger appears at the station claiming the money belongs to him. Soon the firefighters are drawn into a dangerous underworld and find themselves at the mercy of violent criminals. But is this stranger who he claims to be? And can Red Watch escape with the money and their lives in tact?
As soon as I read the description of this book, I knew I needed to read it. What really caught my attention is the fact that the book is Fire Fighters. (nothing to do with my obsession of Firemen, Honest!) The fact that it was something a little different from the usual Police procedural books I love reading, really got my attention.
What a book it was. I really did enjoy it. I couldn't see at first how a story around a fire station and the firefighters could go, but it certainly went in the right direction for me. This story is based around Red Watch, A superb set of characters make up this fire fighting team. Attending a road traffic accident, gives these firefighters a chance to do something they have never done before. A perfect opportunity has arisen for them to take take a bag of cash from the scene of the crash. There is no one around and no one will ever know they did it. Will they? How you go from good guys to bad guys in the blink of an eye. Brilliantly told story that will keep you turning those pages. #TheNextGirl(detectiveGinaHarteBook1) #NetGalley
DescriptionShe thought he’d come to save her. She was wrong.
Deborah Jenkins pulls her coat around her as she sets out on her short walk home in the pouring rain. But she never makes it home that night. And she is never seen again … Four years later, an abandoned baby girl is found wrapped in dirty rags on a doorstep. An anonymous phone call urges the police to run a DNA test on the baby. But nobody is prepared for the results. The newborn belongs to Deborah. She’s still alive. If you love Lisa Gardner, Patricia Gibney and Robert Bryndza, you’ll love this jaw-dropping new crime thriller from Carla Kovach. The Next Girl will keep you guessing until the very last page.
I just love it when I find myself a new author. This is book one in what I believe is going to be a series of books.
We are introduced to Detective Gina Harte. It's great getting to know new characters and I think Gina Harte is going to be a great character to follow. What a brilliant story this is, with a great start to the book. 'Old Albert is making his way home from the pub, when he notices a bundle of litter in the doorway of the library. Crossing the road to pick it up and put it in the bin, he realises that it isn't a bundle of rubbish. it's actually a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket. Shocked he manages to get himself to a nearby house, to alert someone and get the emergency services here. The baby suffering from hypothermia, is rushed to hospital by the paramedics. I was holding my breath the whole way through this. Something drastic has to have happened for someone to leave their new born like this. Investigating the case is DI Gina Harte, and when they receive an anonymous call to do a DNA test on the baby, they certainly were not expecting to find out what they did. Gina and her team are eagre to get this case solved, and the team give it their all. What a great, thrilling, page turner this book turned out to be. I will certainly be looking forward to reading more from this author, and look forward to meeting Gina Harte again.
A missing woman, a disfigured corpse, a chillingly persuasive serial killer. A gripping crime thriller perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Mel Sherratt and Mark Billingham
True-crime writer Tom Carney receives a letter from a convicted murderer who insists he is innocent. His argument is persuasive - but psychopaths are often said to be charming. Across the city, Detective Ian Bradshaw has a murder case on his hands. But he can't catch the killer if he can't ID the victim, and this woman's identity has been extinguished in the most shocking manner imaginable. And meanwhile, journalist Helen Norton is one step away from uncovering a massive criminal conspiracy. Soon, she will learn the price of the truth. Three crimes. One chilling connection. A gripping crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages long into the night.
I hate when i've had a book to read for ages, and it turns out this good. Maybe I should not tell myself off, for not getting around to reading it sooner, and realise that some things are worth the wait.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I certainly look forward to reading more from this author. I found once I'd started the book, it was quite difficult to put it down. I wanted and needed to know exactly what was coming. I think the book description above gives enough detail about the book. Some great character in this one, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
When Zoe was taken into care at the age of 13, she thought she was finally going to escape from the cruel abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood. Then social services placed her in a residential unit known to be 'a target for prostitution', and suddenly Zoe's life was worse than it had ever been before.
Abused and ostracized by her mother, humiliated by her father’s sexual innuendos, physically assaulted and bullied by her eldest brother, even as a young child Zoe thought she deserved the desperately unhappy life she was living. ‘I’ve sharpened a knife for you,’ her mother told her the first time she noticed angry red wounds on her daughter’s arms. And when Zoe didn’t kill herself, her mother gave her whisky, which she drank in the hope that it would dull the miserable, aching loneliness of her life. One day at school Zoe showed her teacher the livid bruises that were the result of her mother’s latest physical assault and within days she was taken into care. Zoe had been at Denver House for just three weeks when an older girl asked if she’d like to go to a party, then took her to a house where there were just three men. Zoe was a virgin until that night, when two of the men raped her. Having returned to the residential unit in the early hours of the morning, when she told a member of staff what had happened to her, her social worker made a joke about it, then took her to get the morning-after pill. For Zoe, the indifference of the staff at the residential unit seemed like further confirmation of what her mother had always told her – she was worthless. Before long, she realised that the only way to survive in the unit was to go to the ‘parties’ the older girls were paid to take her to, drink the drinks, smoke the cannabis and try to blank out what was done to her when she was abused, controlled and trafficked around the country. No action was taken by the unit's staff or social workers when Zoe asked for their help, and without anyone to support or protect her, the horrific abuse continued for the next few years, even after she left the unit. But in her heart Zoe was always a fighter. This is the harrowing, yet uplifting story, of how she finally broke free of the abuse and neglect that destroyed her childhood and obtained justice for her years of suffering.
I need to start this with saying, What an amazing courage this must have take to tell your story.
This subject has been very topical recently in the news, and after the big Rochdale scandal that broke out, being just a few miles from my home town, it was something I followed. This book is very similar to what happened there, only in this case no one wanted to help Zoe. Unloved and uncared for by her family, Zoe found herself in care. What goes on to happen to this poor girl whilst in care is utterly tragic. It hard to imagine it is happening. That those vulnerable children are being take advantage of. Zoe was failed by everyone around her, it makes you angry reading this, it makes you cry, it makes you want to reach out and help. Heartbreaking, and very upsetting. This was a difficult read due to the subject, yet it was brilliantly told and put together. Knowing it really is happening out there, yet children like Zoe find a strength to carry one. An amazing person. This book stays with you long after you finish reading it. |
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May 2023
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