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31/3/2018 0 Comments

Review: Framed

Framed by Ronnie O'Sullivan
​
Genre: Crime Fiction/Thriller
​Page Length: 352 Pages
Publication Date: 17 November 2016
Publisher: Orion

Stars:  4.5 out of 5

LINKS: Amazon (UK)


ABOUT FRAMED

​Frankie James is a young man with a lot on his shoulders. His mother disappeared when he was sixteen; his father's in jail for armed robbery; and he owes rent on the Soho snooker club he inherited to one of London's toughest gangsters.

And things are about to get a whole lot worse when Frankie's brother Jack is accused of killing a bride-to-be. He needs to find out who framed Jack and why; but that means entering the sordid world of bent coppers, ruthless mobsters and twisted killers.
But in the dog-eat-dog underworld of 1990s Soho, is he tough enough, and smart enough to come out on top?
​
WHEN THE GAME IS MURDER, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE. 
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My Review:

I am a fan of thrillers and love the nostalgia of notorious gangsters à la The Krays. However, snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan’s debut novel Framed would have probably passed me by unread had it not been for Victoria Sadler’s rave review of Double Kiss (the follow-up to Framed, and second book of the Soho Nights trilogy). “Double Kiss by snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan may well be one of the best commercial crime novels I’ve read this year!” 

Set in the nineties, it is lovely to relive the Soho I remember, rather than 1960s gangland London before my time. Framed focusses on Frankie James, and the stitch-up of his little brother Jack. I finished it in a couple of leisurely days by the pool. It is a thoroughly decent thriller, the characters and dal and believable and the story had me guessing and changing my whodunits from chapter to chapter as the drama raced to a climax. I’ll definitely be back for the second instalment of the Soho Nights trilogy. 
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28/3/2018 0 Comments

Review: Drawing Danger

Drawing Danger by LE Luttrell
​
Genre: Crime Fiction/Thriller
​Page Length: 384 Pages
Publication Date: 8 December 2017
Publisher:
Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. ​

Stars:  4 out of 5

LINKS: Amazon (UK)

ABOUT DRAWING DANGER
When she was very young, Cate Brant witnessed the murder of her mother. The killer was never found. Cate never forgot the killer’s face. He haunted her nightmares for many years.
Determined to keep the image of the man who murdered her mother alive in her head, Cate begins obsessively drawing him, which brings trouble for her at home and at school. However she can’t stop and continues her passion in secret, naively confident and determined that when she is an adult, the police will be able to help her trace this killer. Her first police visit brings disappointment. But after spotting the killer many years later on a suburban street in Sydney, she once again approaches the police. This time around, Cate’s visit to the police triggers a series of tragic deaths and puts her life at risk.
Will Cate be able to overcome her grief, feelings of guilt, and fear of endangering the lives of family members, to work closely with the police to catch this ruthless killer?
Set in England and Australia, ‘Drawing Danger’ is about a young woman’s struggle to bring her mother’s killer to justice. 
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My review: 

​I really enjoyed this book. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story. The style of writing reminded me of a true crime book which only added to the suspense of Cate's turbulent life. Just when I felt comfortable with the story and where it was going there was another twist and turn to keep me on my toes. I liked how the story was spread across two continents and the detail to both countries' idiosyncrasies were well presented and engaging. A romp of a read. 
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24/3/2018 0 Comments

Review: Conclave

Conclave by Robert Harris
​
Genre: Political Fiction/Religious Fiction/Thriller
​Page Length: 400 Pages
Publication Date: 20 April 2017
Publisher: Arrow
Source: Audible (UK)

Stars:  4.5 out of 5


LINKS: Amazon (UK)

ABOUT CONCLAVE
The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 118 cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next 72 hours, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth. ​


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My Review

The book starts at the death of the pope and the story describes the choosing of a new pope, through the traditional method of the conclave. The thriller is a work of art, with a multitude characters, and the diplomacy and duplicity involved to dictate who should get the top job. I found myself rooting for the protagonist the entire time. And between chapters I researched the history of conclaves. Robert Harris' research was detailed and rich, and this added to the story. 

An absolute brilliant read.

​This is my first Robert Harris novel, and I will endeavour to look for more of his novels in future. 
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21/3/2018 0 Comments

Review: Girl on Fire

Girl on Fire (DC Max Wolfe) by Tony Parsons

Genre: Crime/Thriller/Police Procedural 
​Page Length: 416 Pages
Publication Date: 8 March 2018
Publisher: Cornerstone Digital (Kindle) Century (Paperback and Hardback)
Source: ARC via NetGalley

Stars:  4.5 out of 5


​LINKS: Amazon (UK)

ABOUT GIRL ON FIRE:

When terrorists use a drone to bring down a plane on one of London's busiest shopping centres, it ignites a chain of events that will draw in the innocent and guilty alike.
DC Max Wolfe finds himself caught in the crossfire in a city that seems increasingly dangerous and hostile.
But does the danger come from the murderous criminals that Max is tracking down? Or the people he's trying to protect? Or does the real threat to Max lie closer to home?

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My review:

I am a massive fan of the DC Max Wolfe series. This could make one bias but actually it is the opposite; as a result I have such high expectations of the series. Also as I listened to two DC Max Wolfe books (The Hanging Club - book #3, and Die Last -  book #4) on audiobook, it’s now impossible for me to read without hearing Colin Mace’s brilliant voice. 

DC Max Wolfe delivers again!
I really enjoyed this book, the first chapter opens in the middle of action and immediately you are along for the ride. 

The book covers terrorism, race relations, PTSD, child custody, and proves thought-provoking when dealing with the pressure of armed police officers (doing their job could earn them a medal or a jail sentence). The ending was devastating and stayed with me for days. 

I’d recommend starting series with the first book - The Murder Bag - but you could dive in with this one, and easily enjoy it as a stand-alone novel. 

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. 
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15/3/2018 0 Comments

Review: Two Steps Forward

Two Steps Forward by ​Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 
​Page Length: 368 Pages
Publication Date: 5 April 2018
Publisher: Two Roads
Source: ARC via NetGalley

Stars:  5 out of 5


LINKS: Amazon (UK)

ABOUT TWO STEPS FORWARD

Zoe, a sometime artist, is from California. Martin, an engineer, is from Yorkshire. Both have ended up in picturesque Cluny, in central France. Both are struggling to come to terms with their recent past - for Zoe, the death of her husband; for Martin, a messy divorce.
Looking to make a new start, each sets out alone to walk two thousand kilometres from Cluny to Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain, in the footsteps of pilgrims who have walked the Camino (the Way) for centuries. The Camino changes you, it's said. It's a chance to find a new version of yourself, and a new beginning. But can these two very different people find themselves? Will they find each other?
In this smart, funny and romantic journey, Martin's and Zoe's stories are told in alternating chapters by husband-and-wife team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist. Two Steps Forward is a novel about renewal - physical, psychological and spiritual. It's about the challenge of walking a long distance and of working out where you are going. And it's about what you decide to keep, what you choose to leave behind and what you rediscover along the way.

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My Review:

I loved the Rosie Project, so when I heard Graeme Simsion with his wife Anne Buist (his very own Rosie?) had written a book together I couldn’t wait to read it. 

The two storytellers intertwined beautifully with the point of view changing at the beginning of each chapter.
And by chapter seven I was searching the Internet for 90-day Camino pilgrimages. It was hard to put down and I found myself forgoing evening television to continue my journey with Zoe and Martin. It was a delightful book to read.

​HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Many thanks to Two Roads and NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of Two Steps Forward in exchange for my honest review.
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