Play Dead by Angela Marsons

Bookouture (14 May 2016)

The Blurb . . .

The dead don’t tell secrets… unless you listen.

The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess.

Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime.

Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next?

As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …?

My thoughts . . .

Play Dead sees the return of D.I. Kim Stone in this superbly written, fourth instalment of the series, in which Stone and her team are sent to visit the local 'body farm' where they discover the body of a recently murdered young woman. As the investigation continues and the body count grows, Kim must uncover the past to determine the future and stop one of her personal nemesis' becoming a victim.

As always, told in the third person, the chapters are well thought out and detailed enough to make the book work as a stand alone novel, but not overly repetitive with details from previous books that serial readers are bored. In fact, Marsons manages to add something new to the back stories in all her books, building on the depth of the characters and making you fall in love with them a little more with each book you read.

I quite simply adore Marsons writing, she makes me laugh, cry, gasp out loud in surprise and leaves me breathless with her plot twists and turns.

Her books are phenomenal and Play Dead is no exception, it is an utterly awesome read with shockingly brilliant, stomach churning twists and heart-breaking revelations, you are in for an absolute treat with this one.

I could write pages and pages about Angela's books (just look at my other reviews!), I really could, but the fact is, they are brilliant, in every way, shape and form, so just go and buy them, read them and I promise you will not be sorry!

I would like to thank the publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for providing with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the author . . .

Angela Marsons is the author of Amazon #1 Bestseller SILENT SCREAM.

She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their bouncy Labrador and a swearing parrot.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read "Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people's".

After years of writing relationship based stories (My Name Is and The Middle Child) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 8 books. The second, third and fourth books in the Kim Stone series, EVIL GAMES, LOST GIRLS and PLAY DEAD are also now available.

The Devil's Work by Mark Edwards

Thomas & Mercer (13 Sept. 2016)

The Blurb . . .

It was the job she had dreamed of since childhood. But on her very first day, when an unnerving encounter drags up memories Sophie Greenwood would rather forget, she wonders if she has made a mistake. A fatal mistake.

What is her ambitious young assistant really up to? And what exactly happened to Sophie’s predecessor? When her husband and daughter are pulled into the nightmare, Sophie is forced to confront the darkest secrets she has carried for years.

As her life begins to fall apart at work and at home, Sophie must race to uncover the truth about her new job…before it kills her.

My thoughts . . .

When Sophie decides to go back to work 4 years after her daughter is born, she can't help but wonder if the work/life balancing act is worth it. Strange things are going on the office, her predecessor with no real explanation, her team are fractured almost immediately and her husband isn't all that keen on the extra hours she is having to put in, nor is her daughter.

I really enjoyed this book, having read some of Edwards' work in the past I was certain this would be a corker, and it didn't let me down. Written in really easy to follow now and then chapters, the pace of this book is fast from the start and doesn't let up until the very last page.

I loved how Edwards' described working in a publishing house! It gives the reader a bit of an insider view as to how this wonderful industry works, although I am certain from his note at the end that your typical publishing house doesn't harbour murderous psychopaths (I hope!).

I found that Sophie was really easy to relate to, especially as a working mother myself, her struggles are so real; the want and need to gain your independence back, to spend the day talking to adults and using your brain again is a situation I too found myself in. Sophie has a real vulnerability about her, she wants the job to work, she's so desperate to succeed and not allow "things" to happen, that at some points she almost comes across as weak and I found myself mentally screaming at her to man up!

But then thinking back to those days of feeling inadequate, of having to continually justify being at work in my head instead of at home I can see exactly why she is like she is - team that with her big secret and well, once that is revealed, you'll understand her a lot better.

The Devil's Work is one of those books I struggle to discuss without giving away the plot twists, but rest assured, Edwards' builds up an intense tale which is very slick and brilliantly written, a total edge of your seat of thriller which will keep you guessing until the very end.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the author . . .

I write psychological thrillers. My influences include writers such as Stephen King, Ira Levin, Ruth Rendell, Ian McEwan, Val McDermid and Donna Tartt and movies like Rosemary's Baby, Single White Female, Fatal Attraction and anything in which scary things happen to ordinary people.

I love hearing from readers and always respond. I can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: markcity@me.com

Twitter @mredwards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/markedwardsbooks

You can download a free box set of 'Short Sharp Shockers' by visiting www.markedwardsauthor.com/free

THE MAGPIES (2013) and BECAUSE SHE LOVES ME (2014) topped the Kindle chart in the UK, as did FOLLOW YOU HOME (2015) which also was a top five bestseller in the US. My other solo novel is WHAT YOU WISH FOR (2014) and I have one short story, KISSING GAMES, available on Amazon. My next psychological thriller, THE DEVIL'S WORK will be published on 13/9/16.

I have co-written six novels with Louise Voss: CATCH YOUR DEATH (2012; a #1 bestseller), KILLING CUPID (2012), ALL FALL DOWN (2013) and FORWARD SLASH (2013). We are now writing a series featuring DI Patrick Lennon. The first two books are FROM THE CRADLE (2014) and THE BLISSFULLY DEAD (2015). In total, I have sold over 1.5 million copies of my books.

After a career that has taken in everything from answering complaint calls for a rail company to teaching English in Japan and being a marketing director, I now write full-time.

I live in the West Midlands, England, with my wife, our three children and a ginger cat.

Please note: there is another author called Mark Edwards. If a title is not listed on my author page, it's not by me.

Saving Sophie by Sam Carrington

Maze (12 Aug. 2016)

The Blurb . . .

A teenage girl is missing. Is your daughter involved, or is she next?

Your daughter is in danger. But can you trust her?

When Karen Finch’s seventeen-year-old daughter Sophie arrives home after a night out, drunk and accompanied by police officers, no one is smiling the morning after. But Sophie remembers nothing about how she got into such a state.

Twelve hours later, Sophie’s friend Amy has still not returned home. Then the body of a young woman is found.

Karen is sure that Sophie knows more than she is letting on. But Karen has her own demons to fight. She struggles to go beyond her own door without a panic attack.

As she becomes convinced that Sophie is not only involved but also in danger, Karen must confront her own anxieties to stop whoever killed one young girl moving on to another – Sophie.

A taut psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and I Let You Go.

My thoughts . . .

THE best thing about being a book reviewer/blogger is getting my hands on one of those books before anyone else (apart from other lovely fellow bloggers) which make me want to scream from the roof top "Thank God for authors and their creative genius!", those rare ones which make you talk about it like you wrote it yourself, and tell everyone within earshot that no matter what else they do, they need to have this pre-ordered or be stood outside Waterstones four days before publication day like a One D fan at a concert venue.

Saving Sophie, the DEBUT novel - yes that wasn't a typo it really is Sam Carrington's first book - is another one of those books (you've all heard me and still do hear me going on about the brilliance of Louise Jensen's The Sister like a stark raving lunatic, well sorry but I'm about to go full maniac on you with this beauty around too!) that once you have read it, you immediately want to start it again. You get that book hangover, that immediate sense of "Now what do I do?" and this is heading to straight to that particular pile.

The ones we NEVER forget and I can't believe I have been lucky enough to have two land in my kindle over the last couple of months.  

We start by meeting a drunken teenage girl, Sophie, who has had to be escorted home by the police who found her wondering the streets at night. Sophie's mum, Karen, immediately knows something isn't right and begins to probe, realising that there is so much more going on than a few too many vinos.

Then, one of Sophie's friend goes missing, Sophie had been rambling some drunken nonsense about said friend to Karen the night before, was she involved? Or is she in danger? Karen doesn't know, but what she does know is that she will do anything to protect her daughter.

This is an unbelievably remarkably written book, it is such a cliché for us reviewers but it genuinely grips you from the start, it takes hold of you and completely draws you in. I connected with every single character in this, Karen is exactly like the mother I'd like to be and Sophie is the daughter I know I was (and no, I'm not looking forward to my own 2 girls turning into stroppy, secretive, drunk teenagers!). Sophie is so torn, between her loyalty to her friends, her own self preservation and her mothers' suffering and all those feelings jump out of the pages and make you love this lost little girl.

This is a psychological crime thriller in every sense of the words, but one thing that really stood out for me was that there is a clear police involvement, but it's not the focus. It was a really refreshing change to have the police playing the parts of "additional" characters for a change, the focus being completely on Sophie and Karen and their friends. That's not to say the police weren't important or didn't play a part, far from it, they were just as terrifically written as everyone else.

The story is told in chapters depicting a different characters situation at the same time as another's, I really loved that Carrington kept us in the loop with what everyone was up to at the same time (yes I know that doesn't make sense but it will WHEN you read it! - it's not always easy to explain things on paper [screen] you know!)

The fact is, just like Jensen did with The Sister, Carrington has absolutely nailed it with her debut novel, this is one of the most fast paced, plot twisting, edge of your seat, heart stopping, blood freezing books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, I didn't want it to end - my heart is still pounding!    

If you haven't already, pre-order it or get your sleeping bag ready for a night outside Waterstones (other good book shops are also available) to grab your paperback hot off the press!

This an absolute must buy and I am utterly excited to see what else Carrington has for in the future.

I would like to thank the author (a million times), publishers and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the author . . .

Sam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband and three children. She worked for the NHS for 15 years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a Psychology degree she went to work for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Programme Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist. SAVING SOPHIE is her debut psychological thriller novel.

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Zaffre (22 Jun. 2017)

The Blurb . . .

Two girls go missing. Only one will return.

The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.

And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad.

Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour...

Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families' past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone's child pay the ultimate price?

My thoughts . . .

In the third instalment of Marsons D.I Stone series, the team are faced with the agonising task of finding two young girls who have been kidnapped. Stone is requested to lead the investigation by one of the mothers, who, it turns out was in the social care system with Stone when they were younger. The team have to take their investigation to the home of one of the parents due to a media and force blackout. I'm not sure if this procedurally correct in real life however I trust Marsons, and it made for an interesting read in terms of the dynamics between the police and the victims’ parents.

Marsons' really got underneath the skin of the parents. The way she portrayed their anguish and pain was utterly outstanding, the emotions felt at every point of the investigation are written in such a way that you can almost imagine that it is you going through this horrendous event. Marsons really has you questioning yourself, what would you do in this situation? How far would you go for the ones you love? And not just in Lost Girls, she has a real ability with her writing to bring out your deepest fears and face them head on (I typically get to these points when I'm in a public place, ask the people I commute with - tears and gasps of shock on the bus at 7.30 a.m. are quite amusing to my fellow passengers!)

The relationship between Stone and her team is beginning to really develop, The characters are quite stereotypical, the dependable girl, the good looking charmer, the hard-nosed boss and the side-kick who can control her with the team dynamics being clear, Bryant is Stone's one and only friend, Stacey is the dependable one, always there ready to back the team up with any information they need and Kevin is the young womaniser, who so far has been a bit of a liability, not always with his mind on the job and allowing his personal life to interfere with his work. Over the last three books, the team have shone together, really upping the ante as it were in regards to their understanding of each other and, surprisingly Kevin has really come into his own in this one, even changing Stones' opinion of him.

When the investigation starts to heat up, the pace runs at a million miles an hour really getting your blood pumping, heart pounding and tears flowing!

I am glad that we don't have to read all about Stones' past in every book, as a standalone novel you get enough information to know that something terrible happened, but not too much so that people who have read the others get fed up of it.

Once again Marsons has produced an exquisitely captivating story which will leave you breathless, make you dig deep to your inner most fears and wonder in awe at the brilliance Marsons’ continually produces.

I’d like to thank myself again for buying this book!

About the author . . .

Angela Marsons is the author of Amazon #1 Bestseller SILENT SCREAM.

She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their bouncy Labrador and a swearing parrot.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read "Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people's".

After years of writing relationship based stories (My Name Is and The Middle Child) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 8 books. The second, third and fourth books in the Kim Stone series, EVIL GAMES, LOST GIRLS and PLAY DEAD are also now available.

Roy Grace Series 1 - 10 by Peter James

Publisher: Macmillan (3 Dec. 2015)

The blurb . . .

The first ten novels of Peter James' enormously popular, multi-award-winning crime series featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace are collected together in this EBook bundle.

These ten bestselling titles follow Brighton's best police detective as he investigates missing persons, terrible murders, copycat killers, and races against the clock to catch dangerous criminals before they strike again.

Peter James' Roy Grace EBook Bundle: Books 1-10 contains the following gripping novels from the Roy Grace series:

Dead Simple
Looking Good Dead
Not Dead Enough
Dead Man's Footsteps
Dead Tomorrow
Dead Like You
Dead Man's Grip
Not Dead Yet
Dead Man's Time
Want You Dead

My thoughts . . .

First of all, I started reading these in paper back way back before the Kindle even existed! It seems like a life time ago (it's actually 11 years since Roy Grace first graced (no pun intended) our book shelves!) and I was totally in love from the start. My brother actually introduced me to Peter James and I have never looked back. I sit and wait eagerly for the next instalment to be published, and devour it in the day - although I try my hardest not to because I never want them to end!

I've come to the blogging world too late to review them all individually, but I certainly will be moving forward!

I would highly recommend these books, each follows the life of DS Roy Grace, Brighton's finest major crime investigator. Each book works exceptionally well as a stand alone, you are given enough background about his personal life to understand any references and to appreciate what is going on in that particular book, but the focus is on the crimes and criminals of that story.

Each book is so brilliantly written, with plots that twist and turn and shock and stun and leave you gasping for breath and begging for more.

James introduces us to some of the most unsavoury criminals ever, with some of the most heinous and gruesome crimes possible.

I can't wait for the next one!

About the author . . .

Peter James was educated at Charterhouse, then at film school. He lived in North America for a number of years, working as a screenwriter and film producer before returning to England. His novels, including the Sunday Times number one bestselling Roy Grace series, have been translated into thirty-six languages, with worldwide sales of fifteen million copies. Three books have been filmed. He has also written a short story collection, A Twist of the Knife. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in-depth research, as well as his fascination with science, medicine and the paranormal. He has also produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London, and near Brighton in Sussex.

Watching Edie by Camilla Way

Publisher: HarperCollins (28 July 2016)

Source: ARC via Net Galley

Format: Kindle Edition

The Blurb . . .

THERE ARE SOME FRIENDS YOU’LL NEVER FORGET…
NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY

BEFORE

Edie is the friend that Heather has always craved. But one night, it goes terrifyingly wrong. And what started as an innocent friendship ends in two lives being destroyed.

AFTER

Sixteen years later, Edie is still rebuilding her life. But Heather isn’t ready to let her forget so easily. It’s no coincidence that she shows up when Edie needs her most.

NOW

Edie or Heather?
Heather or Edie?

Someone has to pay for what happened, but who will it be?

My thoughts . . .

When Heather shows back up in Edie's life 16 years after they last saw each other, Edie is shocked and stunned. Heather is acting like nothing has happened and Edie is scared. Why has she suddenly reappeared? What does she want? And why now?  

I've said a few times before, I love an author who can write between two time periods and Way is no exception. We have Edie's chapters in the present, Heather's in the past and, seeing it from both sides in a then and now format adds a real depth to the story that I really enjoyed.

It's such a cliché but I really was gripped from the start. We are given enough of the story in the first chapter to keep us wanting more, and every chapter is the same there after, giving you more information, building up the story perfectly and leaving you needing to keep on reading and keep turning those pages.  

As the intensity builds, Way draws us into a powerful and superbly written tale of jealousy, love, hatred and shame, with raw emotion oozing off of the pages and twists that you will never see coming.  

This is a gripping thriller about friendship, love and the most ultimate betrayal, which left me emotionally drained, and thanking God that I never had a friend like Heather or Edie… I'll certainly be picking up more of Way's books for my TBR pile!

I would like to thank the author, publishers and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the author . . .

Camilla Way was born in Greenwich, south-east London, and studied Modern English and French Literature at the University of Glamorgan. Formerly an editor on the men’s style magazine Arena, Camilla now writes full time and lives in south-east London with her partner and twin boys.

My First Blog Update

Well, what a month it has been since I started my Little Book Worm blog...

I have discovered a whole host of wonderful people within the publishing industry; authors, publishers, fellow bloggers and readers and I must say, what an amazing group they are! All filled with lovely and meaningful advice and always happy to help and promote each other, it really is a joy to be involved with these great people!

My most successful blog post is by far the absolutely amazing The Sister by Louise Jensen, what a flipping book... With over 600 views, I was blown away!

I've read some great books over the last couple of weeks, including:

• Silent Scream by Angela Marsons
• Mummy's Favourite by Sarah Flint
• The Fire Child by S.K Tremayne
• Local Missing Girl by Claire Douglas
• The Step Mother by Claire Seeber
• Willow Cottage (Sunshine & Secrets Part 1) by Bella Osborne

And I even had my first ever book banner quote by Aria Fiction with a quote taken from my review!

I've just added an email subscription option to my site (only just figured out how to do it!) so feel free to sign up!

Over the next few weeks you can expect reviews of the following:

• In the Wake of Death by Billy McLaughin
• The Good Husband by Christobel Kent
• The Lost Girls by Angela Marsons
• Evil Games by Angela Marsons
• Cut To The Bone by Alex Cann
• Play Dead by Angela Marsons

I am certain you may have noticed a theme running through my TBR pile... I read my first Ms Marsons book, Silent Scream last week and boy oh boy, what a book it is! I was gripped, totally and utterly adore the way she wrote and as such, I downloaded the rest of her books on my Kindle immediately, I have these to read for pleasure though as I have a few reviews to do for others first (which is obviously brilliant, but at the same time I want to read more D.I Stone!!)

I am also working on writing some retrospective reviews of the book s I have read in the past, this is taking a while though as I am reading and working on the current book reviews! One thing I have noticed since starting this blog is that I am never not reading, having recently given up a career in sales to start training as a proofreader, all I seem to do at the moment is read, read & read some more!!! I took a little part time job in customer services for a carpet manufacturer and as it's all phone based, I can read in-between calls - which is brilliant!

Well, I'm heading off to start another book, the lovely Shell Barker over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrimeBookClub/ has asked for a review so I best get started... Then next on the list is Christobel Kent's The Good Husband which I will be completing for www.TheBookBag.co.uk

Hope you all have a great week get in touch if you would like me to review a book or just to say hi!

Love & all that jazz

Emma x

 

The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne

HarperCollins

16 June 2016

The Blurb...

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.

But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

‘You will be dead by Christmas.’

My Thoughts...

I loved that the chapters start at ‘178 Days Before Christmas’, putting the reader in the unusual position of knowing when something will happen, it really helped to build up the tension as the countdown to Christmas began and continued throughout the book.  

Due to the fantastic historic descriptions in this novel, you could be forgiven for thinking you had picked up a history text book at some points, although it really does work in the book. Tremayne really builds the sense of isolation Rachel feels, having given up her life in the bustling city of London, she is suddenly Lady of the Manor, a huge house in the middle of nowhere, with no friends to speak of and little option to make any, Rachel is struggling with the isolation.

With very few characters in this book, they needed to be well written, and thankfully they are, you really get a sense of how hard it is for both Rachel and widower David, to move on from past tragedies and start their new lives together with David’s 8-year-old son Jamie. Rachel is hoping to take over the renovation of Carnhallow House, started by David’s deceased ex – Nina, whilst David spends the weekdays working in London. There really isn’t anything else for her to do, however, when she starts looking at Nina’s plans, and exploring her new home, Rachel discovers that all is not as it seems with the explanation David gave her about Nina’s death. Jamie, her stepson begins to act strangely, convinced he can see his mother still walking the halls of Carnhallow House, Rachel starts to question both his, and her own, sanity.

Things start to take a sinister turn and, as Rachel begins to question the past, family secrets and past transgressions start coming to light. This is an emotionally charged tale of love, fear, intrigue and dishonesty, wonderfully thrilling and deceptively scary, it is by no means a fast-paced read, there aren’t several stories and plots intertwining and there isn’t much to think about, which I think makes for a really rather unique novel. It feels quite obvious, how the story is going to turn out, but don’t be deceived, once the story picks up pace, there are some shocking twists and unexpected jaw-dropping turns that will leave your heart pounding.

This is definitely a must read and I’d like to thank the publishers and Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the author . . .

S. K. Tremayne is a No. 1 bestselling author, an award-winning travel writer, and a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines around the world. Born in Devon, the author now lives in London. S. K. Tremayne has two daughters.

Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas

Penguin (11 Aug. 2016)

The Blurb . . .

Twenty years ago

21-year-old Sophie Collier vanishes one night.
She leaves nothing behind but a trainer on the old pier -
and a hole in the heart of her best friend Francesca.

Now

A body's been found.
And Francesca's drawn back to the seaside town she's tried to forget.
Perhaps the truth of what happened to Sophie will finally come out.
Yet Francesca is beginning to wish she hadn't returned.
Everywhere she turns are ghosts from her past.
The same old faces and familiar haunts of her youth.
But if someone knows what really happened to Sophie that night then now's the time to find out - isn't it?
Except sometimes discovering the truth can cost you everything you hold dear - your family, your sanity and even your life . . . 

My thoughts....

Frankie is back in the little seaside town she left when her best friend disappeared, and her dialogue is written as though she is speaking to Sophie in the present day. The chapters then switch to Sophie's diary from all those years ago, which are formatted in italics which I found brilliant, it makes it much easier to remember whose part you are reading and keep a track of what is going on.


I really enjoyed the way this book is written, and although I found some of Frankie's dialogue repetitive, it did help to build up an idea of her frame of mind, she's struggling being back in the little town having spent the last 18 years in London as a career woman as opposed to the dead girls friend.

I found that this story seemed to take a while to really kick in and pick up momentum, but when it does, my gosh does it pick up! There are lots of twists, lots of plots building up to really give you the run around and, although there was a point at which I thought some of it was a little pointless, BAM! It all falls into place perfectly (I even gave a gasp of shock whilst sat on the bus!)

Some books are quite predictable and you can gauge an idea of who dunnit, or where the story is going, I thought I had and I was shocked by the plot twists and turns at the end! Douglas brings everything together brilliantly and you will be left gasping for breath by the end!

I really enjoyed Local Girl Missing and would certainly recommend it to others, thank you to Net Galley and Penguin for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I will be keeping an eye out for Douglas' work in the future!

About the author . . .

Silent Scream by Angela Marsons

Bookouture / Zaffre

14 July 2016

The Blurb . . .

Even the darkest secrets can't stay buried forever...
Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood...

Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country.

But when human remains are discovered at a former children's home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she's on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades.

As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it's too late?

My thoughts . . .

As an avid reader I just love finding a new talent, whether they are new to the world of publishing or just new to me personally, I love that feeling of knowing I have so much more to look forward to in the future and Angela Marsons is definitely one for me.

It’s half past midnight and I have just finished Silent Scream (honest – check my Twitter feed!) and I am too geared up to even contemplate sleeping. I am sat thinking about how wonderful it must be to be able to create such brilliant written work, to be able to take people completely out of their “real” world and totally absorb them into somewhere you have created and make them feel, make them immerse themselves, make them forget they have 4 children to feed (ooppsss!! It’s ok really, the hubby sorted them out).

This was my first taste of Marsons’ work but it will not be the last, not by a long shot.

In Silent Scream, D.I Kim Stone is called to investigate the body found dead in the bath of a house that has been set on fire. As she and her team start to investigate the suspicious circumstances, it becomes clear that this isn’t going to be an isolated case and they are in a race against the clock to find out who could be next on the killers hit list, and why.

I loved the way Marsons wrote this book, there was just enough background about each character to allow the reader to get a really good feel for them and each was a relatable and likeable (obviously apart from the villains but I’m not telling you who they are!). Kim Stone is a survivor if ever I saw one and she is so fantastically written, a stereotypical hard assed woman excelling in a man’s world, but with the most wonderful soft side that I hope we see more of the future.

The chapters are really well paced, starting nice and slow to allow the reader to get a gage of everything that is going without over-facing you with lots of unnecessary jargon and descriptive narrative. Then, when that point comes, you know the one, when the intensity levels hitch up a notch (a bit like the key change in a Westlife song and they all suddenly stand-up to sing the final part) and you just know that that is it till the last word has been read, you will not be putting this book down, the pace really speeds up but is so brilliantly written you don’t get lost.

I think this comes down to not having too many plots going on, don’t get me wrong there are twists and turns and you will be left reeling by some shocking developments but they all fit, they all make sense and they are all integral to the story. You don’t leave it thinking “What was the point in that?” like I have done with a lot of books before. Everything in this book is in it for a reason and that makes for an even better read in my humble opinion!

I loved that we didn’t have to suffer a million different suspects and their interviews, that the police officers actually got some time off to go and sleep and that they ate more than a snack from the police stations vending machine, it was really refreshing! I loved everything about this book and I really cannot recommend it enough and would like to thank The Bookbag and Bookouture for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you like Val McDermid’s Tony Hill series and Peter James’ Roy Grace, then this series will be right up your street.

Go and buy it. Now . . .  

Go on!!

About the author . . .

Angela Marsons is the author of Amazon #1 Bestseller SILENT SCREAM.

She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their bouncy Labrador and a swearing parrot.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read "Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people's".

After years of writing relationship based stories (My Name Is and The Middle Child) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 8 books. The second, third and fourth books in the Kim Stone series, EVIL GAMES, LOST GIRLS and PLAY DEAD are also now available.

The Sister by Louise Jensen

Bookouture

7 July 2016  

The Blurb . . .

‘I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me …’

Grace hasn’t been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie’s words the last time she saw her, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear that there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend.

When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie’s father, Anna,
a girl claiming to be Charlie’s sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan’s home.

But something isn’t right. Things disappear, Dan’s acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace’s mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger?

There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie … Or was there?

My Thoughts . . .

Wow. Just Wow. Well, not just wow, I am going to give you my thoughts but for a moment, just WOW!

In The Sister, we meet Grace, whose best friend Charlie has recently died, leaving a massive hole in her life that nothing can fill. Having been through so much heartache in her life already, Grace is really struggling to carry on as “normally” as possible. With her job and relationship on the line, will anything or anyone be able to help her? Then along comes Anna, Charlie’s long-lost half-sister. Who better to take fill the void left by Charlie than her actual sister?! But all is not as it seems, is Anna really in this for the right reasons? Can Grace ever really get to the bottom of Charlie’s secrets and move on from her heartache and guilt?

Jensen spins an intricate web of lies and deceit, leading the reader up and down the garden path and back again. With the story flashing back to the day Grace and Charlie met, and brilliantly moving through their lives together, switching from the past to the present, Jensen vividly allows us to see how they grew together, and what effects those formative years have on the present day. Jensen delivers an intense and gripping narrative with shocking twists and turns that will leave you breathless, your heart in your mouth and your emotions in tatters.

There are books that you will read in your life that you hate and can’t finish, there are some that you will enjoy and then forget. There are some that you will read, enjoy and perhaps recommend to your family and friends. Then, there are THOSE books, a real select few that will leave an impression on you, never to be forgotten which you will shout about from the rooftops. I have a few of those, Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers, Judy Bloom’s Just as Long as We’re Together, Nick Hornby’s About a Boy, Jackie Collins’ Lady Boss – all for different reasons – have stuck with me over the years and I just know that The Sister by Louise Jensen is going straight on that list.

The Sister is an absolutely superbly written psychological thriller; an emotional rollercoaster that will make you love, hate, cry and loathe. But most importantly it makes you feel…

I genuinely cannot believe that this is Jensen’s first novel. Nothing like starting with a bang!

The way Jensen writes is unbelievable, I was totally absorbed in this book, the raw emotions surrounding death are heart wrenching and I can only assume that this emotion is drawn from real experiences. It is written in such a way that your heart will swell for the characters and, even if you are lucky enough to have never lost a loved one, you will be left knowing what it feels like. This book should be sold with a box of Kleenex and Pro-Plus because you will not sleep until it’s finished. It’s books like this that make me wish I didn’t have a day job!

There is not much more I can say without giving away spoilers, other than thank you. Thank you Louise (if I may?) for going to that writing class, thank you to everyone in her acknowledgements for not letting her give up on this book, thank you Bookouture for publishing it and thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it in advance, in exchange for my honest review ... But most of all, and again, thank you Jensen for bringing these characters to life and for taking that risk.

Jensen is most definitely top of my “to watch” list, I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us.

About the author . . .

Louise lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, children, madcap spaniel and a rather naughty cat. The Sister is Louise's debut novel.

Louise loves to hear from readers and writers and can be found at www.louisejensen.co.uk, where she regularly blogs flash fiction.