Wendy Cartmell

None of them would forget that week on the wild Norfolk coast. Best friends Rosie and Lisa’s families had always been inseparable. But that summer, Lisa had an affair with Rosie’s husband Nick. And now, after years of silence, she sends Rosie a letter begging for help. A letter which exposes dark secrets. Daughter Daisy’s fragile hold on reality begins to unravel. Teenage son Max blames himself for everything that happened that long hot summer. And Nick must confront his own version of events. There are four sides to this story. Who will you believe?
This is a believable and interesting story of family life in crisis, and which also explores how the mental illness of one person in the family affects not only the person herself but ripples out to the rest of the family. Having dealt with her OCD once, Daisy finds herself falling more and more in its thrall. In her warped determination to shield her mother from upset, she inadvertently provides the catalyst for everyone having to face up to what they saw during that holiday, or didn’t see, as the case may be.

Blue Monday Nicci French

wendycartmell

Blue Monday by Nicci French

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blue Monday is the thrilling first novel in Nicci French’s top-ten bestselling killer new series introducing psychotherapist Frieda Klein *** Monday: five-year-old Matthew Faraday is abducted. His face is splashed across newspaper front pages. His parents and the police are desperate. Can anyone help find their little boy before it is too late? Psychotherapist Frieda Klein just might know something.
What an excellent opening book in a new series for author Nicci French. The story is so polished it glitters, despite the awfulness of the crime. Her relationship with the police, her family and her mentor and his builder are so well drawn you feel you could be standing in the room with her. The twist is excellent and the ending leaves you begging for more. I thoroughly recommend this for readers of psychological fiction and crime, thriller and mystery. This book can hold its own against anything written by Jonathan Kellerman and Harlan Coben.

Anything you do say Gillian McAllister

wendycartmell

Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s the end of the night. You’re walking home on your own. Then you hear the sound every woman dreads. Footsteps. Behind you. Coming fast. You’re sure it’s him – the man from the bar who wouldn’t leave you alone.You make a snap decision. You turn. You push. Your pursuer tumbles down the steps. He lies motionless, face-down on the floor. Now What?
And that’s the big question. Told as a dual narrative (reveal and conceal) the story explores what would happen in either scenario. A brilliant, captivating, thought provoking read, which will keep you up reading long into the night – at least it did me!

Good Friday Linda La Plante

wendycartmell

Good Friday by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every legend has a beginning . . .
During 1974 and 1975 the IRA subjected London to a terrifying bombing campaign. In one day alone, they planted seven bombs at locations across central London. Some were defused – some were not.
Jane Tennison is now a fully-fledged detective. On the way to court one morning, Jane passes through Covent Garden Underground station and is caught up in a bomb blast that leaves several people dead, and many horribly injured.
Crikey, what a rattling good read! At first I wasn’t sure about reading about the early career of Jane Tennison. Then I watched the tv drama and was hooked. I like Jane as a character and its really interesting to see how she develops her skills and enthusiasm for the job. The writing brings the drama to life and draws us into the mid1970’s when the IRA were determined to disrupt British life as much as possible. As much a drama as a crime thriller this book is hard to put down!

The Silent Corner Kean Koontz

wendycartmell

July 15, 2017

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“I very much need to be dead.”
These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for—but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter what. She discovers other people who had supposedly committed suicide as she races around America, flying well under the grip, as she races around America trying to find those behind her husband’s unexpected death. The plot is not as pacy as normal Koontz books, which disappointed me somewhat. The lengths Jane goes to stay hidden are interesting but is she really as undetected as she hopes?
I had mixed reactions to the characters in this book, sometimes empathising with them and sometimes not. An interesting read, if not satisfying, read. Be warned, this book is part of a trilogy and so does not have all the plot threads resolved.

The Good Daughter Karin Slaughter

wendycartmell

July 15, 2017

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every now and again a book comes along that you don’t want to put down, you don’t want it to end and you wish you could write as well as Ms Slaughter!. This is such a book.
An engrossing read, with well defined characters. Yes, they are flawed, but you don’t feel the flaws are in any way over the top, rather you perfectly understand who they are and why they are that way. The narrative grips you from the early pages and doesn’t let go until the very end of the book. Full of intrigue, mystery and double dealing there is a revelation in every chapter and I didn’t work out who did what they did and to whom! A seriously satisfying read for lovers of crime fiction.

The Fourth Monday J D Barker

wendycartmell

July 15, 2017

The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In many ways this is an old-fashioned serial killer story, with a huge battle of good and evil. Grizzly packages are sent to the detectives and the 4KM (the fourth Monkey Killer) taunts them at every turn. A great read, which keeps you turning the pages. Mr Barker has impressive writing credentials and this book shows you that they are more than well deserved.

Every Last Lie Mary Kubica

wendycartmell

June 23, 2017

Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She always trusted her husband. Until he died. Clara Solberg’s world shatters when her husband and four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. But when Maisie starts having nightmares, Clara becomes obsessed that Nick’s death was far more than just an accident. Who wanted Nick dead? And, more importantly, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out the truth – even if it makes her question whether her entire marriage has been a lie…
This story is told in two parts. Clara and her husband Nick. It’s a story of several themes, how people deal with grief, a police investigation and how marriages change over time, especially once children appear.
The suspense builds throughout the novel and the reader is challenged to make decisions about Clara’s thought process. Do we believe her that her husband was murdered by someone causing the accident? Or was it just one of those freak things?
A very classy novel that does what it says on the tin.

Little Big Lies Liane Moriarty

wendycartmell

June 23, 2017

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane hasn’t lived anywhere for longer than six months since her son was born five years ago. She keeps moving in an attempt to escape her past. Now the idyllic coastal town of Pirriwee has pulled her to its shores and Jane feels as if she finally belongs. She finds friends in the feisty Madeline and the incredibly beautiful Celeste, two women with seemingly perfect lives – and their own secrets.
Okay I confess I succumbed to the hype surrounding this novel and the subsequent tv system. I didn’t watch the tv version, instead wanted to read the book ‘cold’ as it were. And what a book! The style of writing draws you in. I loved the little vignettes from those people at the scene of the murder. I loved the hidden problems in the three women’s lives. I loved not knowing who had been killed and who the murderer was. In fact, you guessed it, I loved the whole thing! A great novel that I hated having to put down, when life got in the way of my reading!

A Dark So Deadly Stuart McBride

wendycartmell

June 23, 2017

A Dark So Deadly by Stuart MacBride
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Callum uncovers links between his ancient corpse and three missing young men. O Division’s Major Investigation Teams already have more cases than they can cope with, so, against everyone’s better judgement, the Misfit Mob are just going to have to manage this one on their own.

No one expects them to succeed, but right now they’re the only thing standing between the killer’s victims and a slow, lingering death. The question is, can they prove everyone wrong before he strikes again?

I have absolutely loved Mr MacBride’s previous work, so I was keen to read this novel and see if a change of characters would be as impressive. And boy were they! The author has a dark, deadly sense of humour and it shines through in just about every page. But the other thing that shines through is the humanity in his characters. Yes, they are all oddballs in some way or another (and that includes the cast of secondary characters) but the situations they find themselves are always real and gritty. The plot twists and turns and is as intriguing as the characters. I can’t recommend his work highly enough. Go and read a book of his. Now!