My Review: I absolutely adored MRC Kasasian's Gower Street series (start with the Mangle Street Murders, so I was delighted to get the chance to read the first Betty Church story.
Betty Church is one of the first female police detectives, and let's be fair if it wasn't near-war time she might not have got a look in. As if those weren't difficult enough odds, Betty only has one arm. It's Girl Power 1930s! Betty is a brilliant protagonist and as per Mr Kasasian's previous series, (set in Victorian London) the research of the time and location is exemplary. It's Team Betty the whole time when she comes up against common-place (of its time) discrimination and prejudice. It's heartbreaking at times how people are treated and disregarded. The book is a riot from start to finish. I hope to see and read more of Betty Church's escapades. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.
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25/2/2019 0 Comments Review: Bitter Edge
My Review: This is the fourth in the DI Kelly Porter series, but the first one I have read (NB - I will definitely be checking out the others in the series).
The story is intertwined with many characters but you're never at a loss at who anybody is. There is a nice realism to the professionals and it felt like I was in the middle of a police investigation, with scraps of information and other cases and real life interruptions. There was a good amount of red herrings that kept you guessing what actually happened on the night in question. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 21/2/2019 0 Comments Review: Never Tell
My Review: A riveting read from start to finish.
The book is told from three the perspective female characters: - Evie - 16 years earlier she accidentally killed her father and she has rebuilt her life and comes home to find her husband dead from a gunshot wound. - DD - A senior policewoman who first questioned Evie all those years ago. - Flora - The survivor of a violent kidnapping, and now works as DD's confidential informant. From the very first chapter I was hooked. Why did Evie act so unexpectedly when she found her husband's body? The book looks at the old case of Evie's father in more detail. DD is adamant Evie isn't going to get away again. Yet, when her informant Flora recognises Evie's husband, there is more than meets the eye in both deaths. Everyone is harbouring secrets. Flora's story is heartbreaking, her courage seeps through with her every action - I hope to see more of her in the future! I read this in as close to one sitting as possible, with meals and sleep getting in the way. A brilliant book. And if you like Karin Slaughter and Gillian Flynn do not hesitate to read Never Tell. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 11/2/2019 0 Comments Review: Adèle
My Review: I thought this was pitched as a story about an unhappy marriage and it is but it is so much more. I went back to the book blurb and it says it all:
But beneath the veneer of 'having it all', [Adèle] is bored - and consumed by an insatiable need for sex, whatever the cost. Adele is unhappily married and feels trapped by her husband and child, both of whom she loves. She's addicted to strangers and risky one night stands. She alienates her best friend who she uses as a regular alibi. Adèle is a brilliant book, and the eponymous protagonist gives it all with little remorse. There are moments of sex, but rarely sensual. It concentrates of the perfunctory of coitus and Adèle's sex addiction is the chase and the conquest rather than the deed. As Adele herself confesses her only ambition is to be wanted. The betrayal of her family is deep-rooted. The story is fascinating as it flowed. It is intimate and revealing, as if I was being told the all the gory and exposing details from a friend. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. 7/2/2019 0 Comments Review: The Promise
My Review: I've really enjoyed Ms Driscoll's I Am Watching You and was looking forward to reading The Promise, so much so – it may have skipped ahead of others to make it to the top of the pile!
From the get go you know something has happened in the past of Beth, Sally, and Carol, and it's bad. And that bad thing is coming back to haunt them. Beth and Sally hire a private detective but he comes with his own demons. They have to find Sally. The more they look for Sally, the more she doesn't want to be found. And then things really start to go wrong. It's a haunting psychological thriller, a brilliant book and great story. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review. |
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