Wendy Cartmell

Author of the Sgt Major Crane crime thrillers

The Ballroom Anna Hope

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July 27, 2016

1911: Inside an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors,where men and women are kept apart. It is the story of how John and Ella meet and how they, and Dr Charles Fuller react to that meeting. Overlaying the plot is the historical part of the story, which takes a hard and detailed look at how the poor were regarded and treated at the time.
I found this book spellbinding and compelling. The characters were very different from each other and all changed in some way or another during the course of the story. A captivating read full of obsession, love and revenge. I really couldn’t put this down and would highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Click on the cover to go to the Amazon UK book page.

 

The Promise Alison Bruce

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July 27, 2016

After the tragic end to a previous case, DC Gary Goodhew finds himself questioning his reasons for returning to work until the badly beaten body of a homeless man is found on Market Hill.
A good solid police procedural with interesting characters and interesting plot line, all of which kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed it but it may have been better if I’d started the whole series from the beginning. I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Click the cover to go to the Amazon UK book page.

 

As Mad As Hell Paul Casselle

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July 27, 2016

In this second book of the Bedfellows series we follow Joseph Miller, a rogue MI6 agent who is using every resource he can to hunt down the culprits behind the New World Order. But he is a man battling with his own internal demons as well as the One Percenters.

This is a highly entertaining and very well thought out spy novel. It draws on real events – the 9/11 attack – as Joseph tries to expose those behind the conspiracy theories. Using elaborate and very clever illusions, Joseph and his friends attempt to rob one of the One Percenters so they can then persuade him to make public his insider knowledge of the attack on the twin towers.

Mr Casselle’s development as an author is clear to see in this intriguing novel. The plot is intricate, his characters are believable and there are lots of unseen twists and turns. Joseph is particularly well drawn and in this novel we learn a lot more about him, his past as an MI6 agent, how he views the world and his loyalty to his small circle of friends. The type of man you’d much rather have on your side, rather than an enemy. The dialogue is crisp and on point and the background explanations are clear and concise.

As Mad As Hell is a great read and I look forward to reading Part 3!

The Tortured Detective Pirate Irwin

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July 26, 2016

Detective Inspector Lafarge, a former prisoner of war, is sent to investigate the murder of the beautiful young film actress Marguerite Suchet. As Lafarge becomes increasingly repelled by his colleagues’ behaviour towards all those who oppose the Nazis, he must question the allegiances and loyalty of everyone around him…and ultimately his own as well.

Hats off to Mr Irwin for pulling off a complex murder mystery intertwined with the equally complex political situation in France during WWII. I knew very little of the lives of people in Paris during the occupation and found the detail in this novel really interesting. The writing shows the author’s ability to evoke suspense and mystery. A really good crime novel, which is not overshadowed by the sense of place and time it is set in, but complimented by it.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Click the cover to go to the Amazon book page.

 

Imperfect Strangers Lea O’Harra

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July 26, 2016

When President Nomura, head of a small private university in southern Japan, is found in his office with his throat cut, the quiet provincial town of Fujikawa comes alive with conspiracy and secrets. Darkness and deceit begin to rise to the surface, shattering the everyday façade of peace and conformity.

The title of this novel, All These Perfect Strangers, is so apt. On first glance everyone conforms to the Japanese way of life, including ex-pats, but there is only a slim thread holding them together and once that thread is severed, then friends and colleagues turn out to be strangers after all, despite their perfect behaviour. That’s all I’ll say for now as I don’t want to reveal anything of the plot. Being set in Japan makes the novel all the more interesting, as the reader learns about the country, its people and the way of life. I’ve never been to Japan but Ms Clifford paints such a vivid picture that I felt I was there, sweating with the heat and constrained by the customs of the character’s lives. A fascinating, multi-faceted, murder mystery.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Click on the cover to go to the Amazon book page.

Illusions Jean Saunders

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July 26, 2016

The luxury cruise was the reward for a job well done, or so Private Investigator Alexandra Best had planned. What she hadn’t envisaged was meeting Leanora, an elderly psychic who warned her of an impending death. Leanora herself is the victim of her own prophecy, and when her daughter, Moira, begs Alex to investigate she is forced to reveal that someone has been stalking both mother and daughter.

And so begins a fast-paced, well written mystery, with a female PI. To me this read as a cross between a romantic novel and a cozy mystery. There is no let-up in pace, or twists and turns in the plot. Believable characters, with a smattering of psychic skulduggery, make this a very enjoyable read.

Click on the cover to go to the Amazon book page.

Blue Heat John Bray

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July 26, 2016

Everyone is corrupted. Except Dante. Until now. His trophy girlfriend is demanding far more than he can afford on a cop’s pay. Is his devotion to justice about to crack? Can he be tempted to cross the line…and join forces with the men he has spent his life trying to put behind bars?

This fast paced, gritty, police crime thriller asks questions of those officers who spend their lives enforcing law and order, sometimes at great personal cost. Being British I wasn’t used to the US legal system, but Mr Bray handles that deftly, all the while weaving the story lines through believable characters. A great police procedural novel with a twist.

I received a copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Click on the book cover to go to the Amazon book page.

Agent of Death John Drake

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July 26, 2016

A young and near-genius German scientist has developed a formula for a chemical agent with the potential to wipe out whole cities in one sweep of an aircraft. The staff at Bletchley Park and Downing Street need to know as much as possible about this Mem Tav, and how to eradicate it and the threat it poses. David Landau, a first generation English–Polish Jew, now an officer in the RAF, is tasked with the job of uncovering everything he can about Mem Tav.

This book is a secret nugget of gold amongst the many eBook offerings in the Amazon store. Written in an entirely believable style, with wit, historical realism and not too much scientific or military stuff, this is a tour-de-force of a WWII tale of daring-do and spying. It deserves a wider readership and I have no hesitation in recommending this book. Any chance of more David Landau adventures please Mr Drake?

I received a copy of the novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Click on the cover to go to the Amazon page for this book.

Cold Legion Simon Clark

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July 26, 2016

This is a thriller that is an intriguing look at how brainwashing can affect people. Ben Malton was a regular guy. A lovely home in Yorkshire, married, two children and a job he loved. He had always considered himself fortunate that he had been raised not only by his parents, but also by his aunt and uncle. He had the ideal life. Until his world was ripped apart by the disappearance of his father. The police said it was suicide. Uncle Karl knows different. And now, people all over the world are reactivating.

Ben is thrust into a chase across Europe to find his father and deal with the ever increasing number of former agents being reactivated. No good thriller would be without a bad element and Simon Clark gives us that in spades. This novel is ultimately a fight against good and evil and it’s up to the reader to draw their own conclusions about the resolution.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Click on the picture to go to the Amazon book page.

 

The Bonus Boys Jan Needle

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July 26, 2016

When go-getting Scottish journalist Rosanna Nixon sets up an interview with Thea Astley she sees it as a smooth and easy route to getting her chaotic life back on track. But career criminals are planning a raid on her house and they get there first.

Jan Needle’s great skill is making this crime thriller such a good all round read. There are criminal investigations, parliamentary investigations, reporters and newspapers trying their best to get ‘the scoop’ and the families suffering the fall-out from the criminal activity. This is a creepy crime novel, brutal, yet eloquent, in its delivery. I loved Rosanna, her doubts about her work and her on/off relationship with Andrew, felt for the battered wives, and was contemptuous of the police. The pace of the narrative picked up as the story progressed to its explosive end. A brilliant read!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Click the cover to go to the Amazon book page.

 

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