Crime – Page 4 – Judefire33

#Review of #TheRetreat by @SarahVPearse published by @TransworldBooks @PenguinUKBooks 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Most are here to recharge and refresh.
But someone’s here for revenge . . .

The new atmospheric locked-room thriller from the author of The Sanatorium, the bestselling crime thriller debut of 2021.
___________________________________

This is a warning for all our guests at the wellness retreat.

A woman’s body has been found at the bottom of the cliff beneath the yoga pavilion.

We believe her death was a tragic accident, though DS Elin Warner has arrived on the island to investigate.

A storm has been forecast, but do not panic. Stick together and please ignore any rumours you might have heard about the island and its history.

As soon as the weather clears, we will arrange boats to take you back to the mainland.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy your stay.

Well after reading and loving The Sanatorium last year, I’ve been counting the days down to receive and read The Retreat.

And what a stinking bookbanger The Retreat is! From the outset we are taken on a spooky, locked island journey with out heroine DS Elin Warner on an Island called Reapers Island off the coast of Devon UK.

The Retreat moves along at at fabulously fast pace, with punchy chapters and superb characters. The description of Reapers Island is amazing and really struck me as being so visceral! How writers are able to take the reader to a place and make you feel like you are there, always amazes me, and Sarah Pearse has done it again here! I was almost out of breath at the climatic ending and it’s situation!! ( Nope not giving that away! )

For Sarah’s second book it is an amazing gem of a well written cast, and I love the way we are able to get into DS Elin Warners mind, and her doubts and fears really add to this storyline. The plot is stunning and I didn’t guess the perp until the very end when they were revealed, there are twists and turns a plenty and it really is a gripping read! Sarah seems to have a absolute gift at writing “locked room” mysteries and I am in awe of her talent, a modern Agatha Christie!

I hope with The Retreat this will seal Sarah’s writing in the Suspense/Thriller genre. And I cannot wait for the DS Elin Warner book 3!

A superb and gripping book and a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ readi!

AUTHOR

Sarah Pearse

Sarah Pearse lives by the sea in South Devon with her husband and two daughters. She studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Warwick and worked in Brand PR for a variety of household brands. After moving to Switzerland in her twenties, she spent every spare moment exploring the mountains in the Swiss Alpine town of Crans Montana, the dramatic setting that inspired her novel. Sarah has always been drawn to the dark and creepy – remote spaces and abandoned places – so when she read an article in a local Swiss magazine about the history of sanatoriums in the area, she knew she’d found the spark of the idea for her debut novel, *The Sanatorium*. Her short fiction has been published in a wide variety of magazines and has been shortlisted for several prizes.

You can find out more about Sarah Pearse on her WEBSITE

You can BUY The Retreat HERE

My turn on the #BlogTour of #DoNoHarm by @JackJordanBooks @simonschusterUK @RandomTTours out 25.05.2022

My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…

Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.

As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.

As a mother, I know I must kill him.

You might think that I’m a monster.

But there really is only one choice.

I must get away with murder.

Or I will never see my son again.

Could you kill another person to save your own child?

When heart surgeon Dr Anna Jones returns home to find her son kidnapped, she is forced to make an impossible choice. Kill a high-profile patient on the operating table, or never see her son again.

Told from the perspectives of Anna, her scrub nurse, Margot, who has her own secrets to protect and DI Rachel Conaty, Anna must first make the impossible decision…

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

From the opening chapter of Do No Harm, I was totally gripped by the fabulous plot, the opening chapter sets the scene for this exquisite, thrilling rollercoaster of a book!

We travel through the story from the point of view of several people but our main character is Dr Anna Jones a highly respected cardiothoracic surgeon at a hospital in Redwood, A focused and formidable doctor, Anna is also a devoted mother to 7-year-old Zack and currently trying to negotiate her way through an acrimonious divorce with Adam whilst raising their son and working full time at the hospital. Upon her return home one evening she finds people inside her home and no sign of her son, Zack is being held hostage and in order to get him back, she has to do something that goes against everything she stands for as a doctor – kill a patient.

And not just any patient, a high profile MP Ahmed Shabir who is tipped to be the future leader of the Labour Party.

We follow her terrifying journey trying to get her son back, the twisty events that beset her with every decision she makes, and the lies she tells in order to get Zack home, will she do everything the kidnappers ask? Well I’m not going to tell you – you need to buy Do No Harm and find out for yourselves!

I read Do No Harm in 2 days, and I loved it! It is going to be a massive hit when it’s released. It has it all, a clever plot with so many twists, you will be left gasping and giddy, throw in some gore and violence and you have an absolute bookbanger!

This is my first book by novelist, Jack Jordan and I shall be buying his other works as I love his style of writing!

A 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Star read and a future award-winning book!

Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman

Scorned, Before Her Eyes, and Night by Night and an Amazon No.1 bestseller in the UK, Canada, and Australia. After selling at auction in the UK and numerous foreign territories, Do No Harm is set to be the thriller of the summer in 2022. The idea for Do No Harm came to Jack after undergoing a minor medical procedure where he had to be sedated and trust strangers with his welfare. After the anaesthesia wore off, Jack began scribbling his notes, wondering to himself just how iron-clad a surgeon’s oath is, and what it would take to break it…

You can BUY Do No Harm HERE

You can follow Jack Jordan on TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

My #Review of #DeadRich by #GWShaw @william1shaw @riverrunbooks

Part locked-room suspense, part adventure story, Dead Rich is an unforgettable, edge-of-the-seat thriller set in the blazing heat of the Caribbean

‘A totally gripping, impeccably crafted thriller that never slackens the tension for a minute. . . Hugely enjoyable’ Jane Casey

‘A fresh, high-octane take on the ever-popular adventure thriller genre’ Vaseem Khan

W G Shaw’s gripping new thriller strips bare the ugliness of the filthy rich’ Lesley Thomson

Superyachts are secretive, like their owners. The bigger the richer. Like castles, they are created to inspire awe. Like castles too, they are defended. They are an entire world, separate from the rest of us.

Kai, a carefree once-successful musician is invited by his new Russian girlfriend Zina to join her family’s Caribbean holiday. Impulsively accepting he learns that Zina is the daughter of a Russian oligarch, Stepan Pirumov and that the trip is aboard his yacht, the Zinaida, moored in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

On arrival Kai discovers that the head of security has been arrested, armed guards are below deck, and there’s an onboard panic room and a strong sense of all not being quite right beneath the gleaming surfaces of the Pirumov’s lives. An unnerving presence punctures the atmosphere: a murderous imposter is on board the Zinaida, but who is it?

Kai will find that the only person he can trust will be Erin and that the world of the super-rich will become a prison from which they must escape.

Dead Rich had me gripped from the outset. A fantastic easy to read and unputdownable well crafted thriller set in the seas around The Caribbean.

I loved the setting and the attention to detail in describing a luxury yacht had me hitting Google to look for pictures of million-dollar yacht interiors! William Shaw has really done his homework here and I was enthralled to read about these yachts.

The cast of characters isn’t huge but they are so authentic and I loved our 2 main protagonists Kai and Erin, indeed so much so that I’d like to see them appear in another book!

I sped through Dead Rich in 3 days ( as always reading during the night due to my insomnia! ) and having just finished, found the ending to be a great closing climax! Dead Rich should be read by fans of yachting and suspenseful novels.

A fabulous 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read!

As a journalist working for magazines and newspapers in the UK and US, GW Shaw travelled widely, reporting from China, Russia, the USA, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa.
As William Shaw he is the author of several acclaimed police procedurals, including the Alex Cupidi series set in Dungeness.
He now lives in Brighton.

You can BUY DEAD RICH HERE

William Shaw Website HERE

You can follow William Shaw on TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

#BlogTour #Review of #YesIKilledHer by @HFwritesCrime published 17.05.2022 by @HobeckBooks

For fans of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Chris Brookmyre, Yes, I Killed Her is Harry Fisher’s audacious follow-up crime thriller, starring Edinburgh detective Mel Cooper. She takes no crap, not even from the bad guys.

In the 21st century, is the perfect murder remotely possible?

Edwin Fuller is convinced it is. He’s cunning, calculating and chilling. He makes a plan. He carries it out. And he kills his wife.

His plan has worked; he’s got away with murder. Case closed.

Until he makes a big mistake.

This is the 3rd book I’ve read by Harry Fisher, and book 2 in the DI Mel Cooper series, and I was really looking forward to reading Yes I Killed Her.

From the start of page 1, Yes I Killed Her had me grabbed around the neck like serial killer’s grip!

An absolutely gripping story of a cat and mouse chase to catch a killer… who thinks he is so much cleverer than the Police. But luckily for us readers who want the bad guys caught, the perpetrator had come up against DI Mel Cooper and her team of smart young Detectives, and frankly, he never stood a chance of getting away with it!

This is an intelligently written thriller, with a phenomenal eye for Police Procedures and laws in Scotland, that I found totally enthralling. You can tell that Harry Fisher has done a lot of homework on Yes I Killed Her, it really shows and makes this his best book yet.

The plot is extremely clever and revealed slowly as the team of Detectives pursue a cocky arrogant killer, in particular, DI Mel Cooper who gets the bit between her teeth and never let’s go. She is smart, Tenacious and a ball breaker! I loved the storyline in Yes I Killed Her, it really was an enthralling read, and I would suggest fans of Steve Kavanagh and Val McDermid will love this book.

I must commend Harry on his writing because it really is fabulous and it’s lovely to see an author starting to flourish. This is Harry’s best novel so far and I urge you all to buy it, a gripping read with wit and humour and attention to detail on Police and Legal matters, and a great build-up to a satisfying ending.

A 5 star read from me!

I’m Harry Fisher, I write crime thrillers. They are:
Way Beyond A Lie – published Autumn 2021
Be Sure Your Sins – published Autumn 2021
Yes, I Killed Her – will be published 17 May 2022.
I live in Aberdeen with my wife, Shiona and our dog, Harry. And there it is – the lie exposed. Harry Fisher (the writer) is a pseudonym and here’s why. Despite the fact that in my entire life I’ve never met anyone with the same name as me, when I came to self-publish Way Beyond A Lie I discovered a namesake down south who writes crime thrillers. Honestly, what are the chances? (Mutter mutter.)

I’m a native of Edinburgh and that’s where Way Beyond A Lie is (partly) set. Write about what you know, and all that. It’s also set in Prague. We went there for a long weekend in 2000 so you can see a theme developing. We’ve been to Ballachulish a couple of times too but I couldn’t fit it into the story. Sorry about that, folks.
My second book – Be Sure Your Sins – involves six events, suffered by six people, leaving six lives destroyed. It’s not a sequel but Way Beyond A Lie readers said two of the police characters were strong enough to lead in their own series. So DS Mel Cooper is the central character in Be Sure Your Sins, and DC Andrew Young is her sidekick. It was published in Oct 2021. Here’s the first sentence:
“When Celia Fraser, who only had one arm, had left her Edinburgh home that morning with her granddaughter and her dog, she could never have imagined that only one of the three would return home safely.”
My third book, Yes, I Killed Her, is the next in the DS Mel Cooper series. Here’s the first sentence:
“Philip Walker reckoned he had less than twenty-four hours before the police came to tell him they’d discovered his wife’s body hanging upside down in a dense tangle of undergrowth: better get a move on, he thought.”
Things I’m into apart from walking the canine Harry every day: travel, outdoor stuff, wine and food, and if all four can be combined then so much the better.
If you’d like to keep in touch, my contact details are below.
All the best,
Harry

You can BUY Yes I Killed Her Here

You can Follow Harry Fisher on TWITTER FACEBOOK

#BlogTour #TheDarkFlood by #DeonMeyer @MeyerDeon @soph_ransompr published by @HodderBooks on sale now!

One last chance. Almost fired for insubordination, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves demoted, exiled from the elite Hawks unit and dispatched to the leafy streets of Stellenbosch. Working a missing persons report on student Callie de Bruin is not the level of work they are used to, but it’s all they get. And soon, it takes a dangerous, deeply disturbing turn.

One last chance. Stellenbosch is beautiful, but its economy has been ruined by one man. Jasper Boonstra and his gigantic corporate fraud have crashed the local property market, just when estate agent Sandra Steenberg desperately needs a big sale. Bringing up twins and supporting her academic husband, she is facing disaster. Then she gets a call. From Jasper Boonstra, fraudster, sexual predator and owner of a superb property worth millions, even now.

For Sandra, the stakes are high and about to get way higher.

For Benny Griessel, clinging to sobriety and the relationship that saved his life, the truth about Callie can only lead to more trouble.

Taut with intrigue, murder and suspense, exploding with action and excitement, The Dark Flood is a masterpiece from the author of Trackers and The Last Hunt.

Thanks must go to Hodder & Stoughton for very kindly sending me a copy of The Dark Flood.

This is the 7th in a series of novels, The Benny Greisall Series by Deon Meyer ( I didn’t know this when I wanted to read The Dark Flood) …. However it works well as a standalone. BUT I will say after finishing it I immediately went and ordered the 6 preceding books as I LOVED The Dark Flood so much!

The storyline starts with a cracking opening chapter and really from that point on it is a gripping, explosive and frankly edge of your seat thriller!

I adored the writing style of Mr Meyer, smooth but so descriptive, I haven’t read any books based in South Africa, and I was totally invested by the fabulous descriptions of real life places in South Africa and also the authors invented places, it had me straight on The Google! You can tell that this is an author that cares very deeply for his Country, which considering the history, is actually lovely, I believe it comes through strongly in his writing that he loves his Country and all its people. I loved that there are words in Afrikaans in the book (there is a handy dictionary at the back!) …. It made it really easy to ‘hear’ the words being spoken.

The storyline is fantastic, I’m not giving anything away but let’s just say it had me gripped…the undercurrent of anxiety totally kept me reading! The ending was also gasp making! It also had moments of humour which had me laughing out loud….for instance….

“Griessel and Cupido watched Sandra Steenberg drive away in the EcoSport.

“Benna she’s so hot, she gives me heat rash. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well I thought you have Desiree already and so …”

“Partner, I’m a one woman man. I’m just saying. I feel like phoning the fire brigade about that hotness…” This had me laughing SO hard!

So in conclusion I would say if you like gripping, crime fiction, Thrillers and you haven’t discovered Deon Meyer yet, then you NEED to go out and buy his books now, and outstandingly great, award winning author! And one I’m hooked on! Bravo Sir!

A former journalist, advertising copywriter, Internet manager and brand strategist, Deon has published fifteen novels and three short story collections. His books have been published in more than 40 countries world-wide. Two of his books — *Dead Before Dying* (as *Cape Town*) and *Trackers*) — were turned into international TV series.
He has also written two series for television, and four screenplays for feature films, and has produced and directed movies in his native Afrikaans.
Accolades for his books include Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (2003) and Le prix Mystère de la critique (2004) from France, the Deutsche Krimi Preis (2006, 2009), the Swedish Martin Beck Award (2010), the ATKV Prose Prize (2000, 2003, and 2004), the ATKV Suspense Fiction Prize (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2019), the M-Net Award for Most Filmic Novel (2009, 2012), and the Barry Award for Best Thriller in the USA (2010).
Deon was born in Paarl in 1958 and matriculated in Klerksdorp in 1976. He studied at the Universities of Northwest, Free State and Stellenbosch, and holds a Masters’ Degree in Creative Writing.
He lives in Stellenbosch with his wife Marianne, and is passionate about South Africa, Mozart, mountain biking, cooking, photography, and Free State Cheetahs and Springbok rugby.

Deon Meyer on TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

Deon Meyer WEBSITE

2022 Reading Challenge

I have read 14 of 75 books for the 2022 Reading Challenge! What should I read next? http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/31693641

My #Review of #TheChristieAffair by @NinadeGramont @MantleBooks

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. Only I know the truth of her disappearance.
I’m no Hercule Poirot.
I’m her husband’s mistress.

Agatha Christie’s world is one of glamorous society parties, country house weekends, and growing literary fame.

Nan O’Dea’s world is something very different. Her attempts to escape a tough London upbringing during the Great War led to a life in Ireland marred by a hidden tragedy.

After fighting her way back to England, she’s set her sights on Agatha. Because Agatha Christie has something Nan wants. And it’s not just her husband.

Despite their differences, the two women will become the most unlikely of allies. And during the mysterious eleven days that Agatha goes missing, they will unravel a dark secret that only Nan holds the key to . . .

The Christie Affair is a stunning novel which reimagines the unexplained eleven-day disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926 that captivated the world.

I was so excited when I received a proof copy of The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont from Mantle books, thank you so so much!

As a child growing up in Surrey, I found out that Agatha Christie had abandoned her car at Newlands Corner, which was within 10 miles of where I lived, I was obsessed with what happened to her during those missing days and it fuelled my imagination looking for clues in her books. So when I say The Christie Affair was being published I knew I had to read it.

Although it is a work of fiction by Nina de Gramont, it is exceptional! The settings are so well described and the way the plot and storylines evolve is truly immense. Not a fast read, but a slow-burning storyline involving great heartbreak, abuse, love and of course murder.

I adored the feel of the story, it takes you away to an age between the Wars, so wonderfully, the thorough research of Agatha’s disappearance is very obvious. As are the other aspects of the storyline ( I can’t say more as I really don’t want to give anything away!), the descriptive writing of the settings throughout England, are just sublime.

I have to say that I didn’t guess the storyline until very near the end, which I loved, as it makes it a real mystery and it really is a lovely tribute to Agatha Christie.

If you like books based around historical occurrences, then this is for you, its just a marvelous book.

A terrific and enthralling read and another 5 Stars read for 2021.

About Nina De Gramont

Nina de Gramont (also known as Marina Gessner) lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband, the writer David Gessner. She teaches at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is almost always in the company of her two dogs, Missy and Isabelle. She’s the author of the acclaimed Meet Me at the River, Every Little Thing in the World, Gossip of the Starlings, The Last September, as well as The Distance from Me to You, which has recently been optioned for a movie.

Nina’s Social Media Links – Website Twitter Instagram Facebook

My 10 best books of 2021

I have had such a year of differing emotions! For those that don’t know, I started my book review blog in February, after being made redundant. (First time in over 30 years working and I was gutted) I wanted it to be something to keep my mind busy whilst I looked for another job. I am disabled and have chronic illness after contracting Lyme Disease in 2013, but my mind is sharp it’s just my body that feels 100! Anyway I have not been able to find another job (DWP rules state I can only work to certain criteria) BUT my blog has been a source of joy and amazement to me as it’s grown and opportunities have availed themselves to me.

I must thank Fiona Brownlee for inviting me to interview an author for Bloody Scotland 2021, and that author was Stuart MacBride, without these two wonderful people, my blog would not have evolved into what it is today, so thank you so so much from the bottom of my heart!

So in less than a year, I’ve found out that I have a little talent for writing, this is a surprise to me! I’ve always had the gift of the gab, and have a way of communicating verbally that makes people at ease, and usually telling me their deepest secrets! And I have been able to read some superb books which have kindly been gifted by authors and publishers, thank you so much for your kindness I am eternally grateful. And of course the authors themselves that have let me probe them with my questions, and who have taken the time to write their answers, you are ALL the stars not me!

And finally to anyone who has followed my blog, and who reads my blog posts….THANK YOU so much for your support! I am forever grateful!

Now on to my Top 10 books of 2021!

(In no order as ALL are worthy of the Top Ten!)

**The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard**

**The Inheritance by Gabriel Bergmoser**

And finally my Book of The Year goes to ………….

ALL of these books are absolutely amazing and brilliant in their own right, written by a plethora of Uber talented authors, however I had to choose The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean because I read it in January of this year and I can still remember the whole storyline and characters after reading another 50+ books!! It is a gripping, page-turning, thriller which made my anxiety go thru the roof! Which is why it’s my book of the year! Thank you Will Dean for your magnificent talent!

My #October #Reads

So October is over, and now we are into the lovely cold and hopefully snowy Winter months. There have been some amazing Book Bangers this month!

Thank you to any publishers or authors who have been immensely kind and sent me books, as always, I am humbled.

Her Secret War – Pam Lecky

Opal Country – Chris Hammer

Bad Apples – Will Dean

The Inheritance – Gabriel Bergmoser

Lethal Game – Charlie Gallagher

Black Reed Bay – Rod Reynolds

Falling = TJ Newman

Be Sure Your Sins – Harry Fisher

Because its #BlackHistoryMonth I’m proud to announce I will be doing a Q&A with @nadinematheson, the hugely talented author of #TheJigsawMan…. COMING SOON!