Tag: Crime series

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Her Last Goodbye (Detective Gina Harte 15) by Carla Kovach

Published May 17th, 2024 by Bookouture
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this dark and ominous thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Her small hands tremble and tears run down her cheeks. Shivering in the dark, damp storeroom, the little girl clutches her favourite toy dog. She cries out for help, but nobody answers. Her mother went missing last night and, as dawn breaks, there is still no sign of her.

Four-year-old Cleo shakes with fear as she tells the police that her mother, Darcie, was taken by a man on their way home last night. Darcie told Cleo to run and hide, and the last thing she saw was Darcie being pushed into the back of a car.

When police look into Darcie’s life, they discover a drunken argument with her best friend hours before she went missing, a dark figure seen loitering near where Cleo was found, and a recent assault allegation against a customer at Darcie’s work.

It seems like everyone around the young mother was keeping secrets, but Darcie had a dark secret of her own – one she hasn’t dared tell a soul.

Did Darcie’s deadly past finally catch up with her? And will she find the strength to fight for her life and keep her promise to return for her beloved daughter?

If you enjoy reading Angela Marsons, J M Dalgliesh and Mark Edwards then you’ll absolutely love this addictive page-turner.

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MY REVIEW:

“Tik, tick, tick. The clock is ticking and when eleven comes, we’ll take a lovely trip down memory lane.”

Four-year-old Cleo is found clutching her favourite toy dog in the barn of the B&B. Shaking, the little girl tells police that a man took her mother, Darcie, as they were on their way home last night. Detective Gina Harte and her team are called in to investigate and quickly begin to uncover clues that point to everyone around her keeping secrets. Not only that, but Darcie is hiding a dark secret of her own that may have come back to haunt her. The clock is ticking. Can Gina and her team unravel the clues and find Darcie before time runs out?

Her Last Goodbye is the 15th book in the Detective Gina Harte Series, and it’s another ominous, tense and gripping thriller. I inhaled this book, hooked once more by the skillful pen of Carla Kovach. My love of this series and author is no secret. Ms. Kovach books are an auto-read for me, and she can always be relied upon to deliver a fast paced story that I can’t put down. She is skilled at crafting dark, morally complex storylines and characters that show both the best and worst of humankind. Her multilayered plots never fail to put your emotions through the wringer, and her characters are all brilliantly written and compelling. And her villains. They never fail to unnerve me, but this time she really sent chills down my spine with the lengths this person went to in stalking their victims. I’ll be looking closely at my ceiling from now on!

One of my favourite things about a book series is revisiting much-loved and familiar characters. It was great to be back with Gina and her team, and I appreciated that Ms. Kovach gave them a break in their private life after the intense goings on in the last book. Gina is a brilliant protagonist. Feisty, determined, and with a strong sense of justice, I love how she fights for those unable to fight for themselves. It is nice to see her past torment her less as time goes on, and I appreciate the realistic but sensitive representation of domestic abuse and trauma that is shown through Gina and other characters in this series. As a survivor it is empowering to see books like this that help us to feel seen and raise awareness and understanding of things such as coercive control. All that aside, I am still rooting for Gina to find her happy-ever-after with a certain someone. Please make it happen Carla!

Dark, suspenseful and pacy, this page-turner is a must for any thriller-lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach is a USA Today bestselling author from the UK and is published by Bookouture, Sphere, Boekerij and Virtualo. Her DI Gina Harte series has been translated into Dutch, German and Polish.

As well as novels, she has also written stage and screenplays.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers that are taking part in the blog tour.

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Support Debuts

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Crow Moon (A Martha Strangeways Investigation, 1) by Suzy Aspley

Published March 14th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Hardboiled, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural, Supernatural Fiction, Crime Series

It’s a few days late, but today I’m sharing my review for the dark, beguiling and shadowy gothic thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and Orenda for the proof copy.

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SYNOPSIS:

An investigative reporter gives up her job when her young twins are killed in a fire, but when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager, she’s thrust into a chilling investigation that will leave no one unscathed…
 
 ‘An extraordinary debut: intriguing, unsettling, heavy on atmosphere and with a formidable leading lady … Suzy Aspley is one to watch’ Mari Hannah
 
‘A gripping piece of contemporary gothic, Crow Moon signals the arrival of a hugely promising new talent’ Kevin Wignall
 
‘A nerve-tingling thriller that both enchants and terrifies. Aspley weaves sinister folklore into a tense murder investigation that has you looking over your shoulder as you turn each page’ Eve Smith
 
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When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…
 
Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire.
 
Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back…

When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows. 
As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha…
Both a nerve-shattering, enthralling and atmospheric thriller and a moving tale of grief and psychological damage, Crow Moon is a staggeringly accomplished debut and the start of an addictive, unforgettable series.

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MY REVIEW:

When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…

Dark, shadowy, eerie and beguiling, Crow Moon is an outstanding debut gothic thriller steeped in folklore, dripping with suspense and pulsing with fear. It centres around Martha Strangeways, a former investigative journalist who gave up her job following the death of her young twins in a tragic house fire. But her journalistic intrigue is awakened when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager, his body covered in a strange poem about crows. When another teenager goes missing Martha teams up with DI Derek Summers to investigate and soon discovers there is more to this than they first thought and no one in the village of Strathbran is safe…

There’s a new queen of gothica in town. Suzy Aspley’s chilling debut is the apex of suspense writing and a spectacular start to an exciting new series. Filled with folklore, fear, loss and grief, the dark horror instantly gripped me; the atmosphere charged with dread and emotion as Aspley held me in a vice-grip, drip-feeding information and rationing the reveals to keep me guessing. The evocative imagery she draws plays an important role too, transporting me to this small village in the Scottish Highlands where whispers of witchcraft provide a dark heartbeat that lurks under the surface of this ordinary place. With each page I fell further and further into this eerie tableau of horror and mystery and was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, breathless with anticipation as I awaited the big reveal. 

“People believed there was magic in these woods, and local tourist guides still told tales of witches. They knew nothing, he thought. But the stories meant they didn’t want to be here after dark, which was just as well.”

Legend and folklore play a central role in this story and provide a lot of the story’s eerie ambience and nerve-jangling fear. When Martha discovers Fraser’s body she notices writing on him which she later learns from DI Summers that this was the second of a four verse poem called Feannag Dhubh, a strange legend that originated from the Scottish witch trials of the 17th Century about a local woman who could turn herself into a crow. As she investigates Martha finds more and more links between the ancient story, her former home and current occurrences. While she doesn’t believe in the folklore, it is clear that there is someone who does, and as the crow moon gets closer the danger escalates and there’s a race against time to find this person before it’s too late. 

Martha Strangeways is a compelling new protagonist. The investigative journalist lives with her teenage son, Dougie, and is still trying to wade through the darkness of her grief after losing her twins in the fire. She hasn’t worked in the time since the tragedy but can’t shake the intrigue that is sparked by the disappearance and terrible murder of her son’s friend. As someone of a similar age with sons near to Dougie’s age, I found Martha easy to connect with, and my heart broke for her after the loss of her other children. Throughout the book we also have the perspective of Fraser’s kidnapper. They are written like a murmur and the man’s desperation to rid himself of whatever haunts him is palpable. Danger radiates from him as we see he will go to perilous lengths to make that happen and this menacing villain sent chills scissoring up my spine each time he was on the page. 

So, if, like me, you enjoy stories that are hauntingly atmospheric, drenched in gothica, gleaming with malice, and radiating tension, this is for you. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Originally from the north east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in Scotland for almost 30 years. She writes crime and short stories often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her.  She won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect in 2019 with the original idea for her debut novel and was shortlisted in the London Capital crime festival’s new voices award. In 2020, she was mentored by Jo Dickinson as part of the Hachette future bookshelf initiative. Her novel Crow Moon was also long listed this year for the Caledonia Novel Award. She’s currently working on the second book in the series featuring journalist Martha Strangeways. When she’s not writing, she’s either got her nose buried in a book, or is outside with her dogs dreaming up more dark stories.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan

Published January 4th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series, Domestic Fiction, Urban Fiction, Science Fiction

I’m finally sharing my review for the brilliant In the Blink of an Eye, which was a Squadpod Reviews book. Thank you Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

As seen on BBC 2’s BETWEEN THE COVERS

‘I devoured this in one sitting’ Rob Rinder, as featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers

‘Terrifyingly timely and provocative’ Val McDermid

‘The most original crime novel you’ll read this year’ Clare Mackintosh 

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.
Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye. 

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat’s instincts come up against Lock’s logic. But when the two missing person’s cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal. 

AI versus human experience. 
Logic versus instinct.
With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic? 

In the Blink of an Eye is a dazzling debut from an exciting new voice and asks us what we think it means to be human. 

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MY REVIEW:

I’m a sucker for a crime series and In the Blink of an Eye is the first book in a crime series like nothing you’ve read before.

DCS Kat Frank is picked to lead a pilot programme where she will be partnered with AIDE (Artificial Intelligence Detective Entity) Lock. Kat isn’t a fan of AI or Lock, but when the two cold cases they are investigating become active investigations and things take a personal turn, she finds Lock is the only one willing to help her. 

Fast-paced, tense, twisty and gripping, this is an exciting and original take on the familiar detective buddy trope. I’m a big fan of these kinds of books but always enjoy finding something a bit different and Jo Callaghan’s debut really does stand out from the crowd. It explores whether AI and logic are superior to human experience and gut feelings when it comes to solving crimes, the truth about loss, and what it means to be human. The story is narrated by Kat but every so often we have a section that is narrated by an unknown man who is being held captive. His terror leaps from the pages and as the story gets darker the tension goes through the roof, my heart racing as I tried to predict what would happen next. 

I’ll admit that, like Kat, I had some apprehension about a robot detective. I needn’t have worried. In Lock Jo Callaghan has created a character who is obviously AI while also breathing the right amount of life and humanity into him to make him compelling. I liked that Kat is his total opposite and is a no-nonsense detective who relies on her instincts. I related to her in many ways on a personal level and enjoyed discovering more about her backstory. I enjoyed the banter between her and Lock and watching them learn how to work together rather than being at odds. The rest of Kat’s team were equally as well written and I am looking forward to returning to the whole cast of characters in the next instalment next month. 

Thought-provoking, thrilling and addictive, In the Blink of an Eye is a strong start to what promises to be a great new series. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jo Callaghan works fulltime as a senior strategist, where she has carried out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce.She was a student of the Writers’ Academy Course (Penguin Random House), was long listed for the Myslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, her debut crime novel. Published to critical-acclaim, it selected by Val McDermid for her New Blood panel of the best debuts of 2023 and for BBC Two’s Between the Covers Book Club. TV rights were sold in a major acquisition.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: The Spy Coast (The Martini Club, 1) by Tess Gerritsen

Published January 18th, 2024 by Bantam Press
Thriller, Suspense, Spy Fiction, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Pensioners in the Pages, Book Series

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Spy Coast, the exhilarating new thriller from Tess Gerritsen. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Bantam Press for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘The Spy Coast is The Thursday Murder Club on steroids’ SAGA Magazine

‘I loved it. A hugely entertaining read!’ ANN CLEEVES

Maggie Bird is many things. A chicken farmer. A good neighbour. A seemingly average retiree living in the seaside town of Purity. She’s also a darned good rifle shot. And she never talks about her past.

But when an unidentified body is left on Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a calling card from old times. It’s been fifteen years since the failed mission that ended her career as a spy, and cost her far more than her job.

Step forward the ‘Martini Club’ – Maggie’s silver-haired book group (to anyone who asks), and a cohort of former spies behind closed doors. With the help of her old friends – and always one step ahead of the persistent local cop – Maggie might still be able to save the life she’s built.

The Spy Coast is the first novel in the Martini Club series.

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MY REVIEW:

“If they knew her name, then they must know about the others as well. The past, it seemed, was about to catch up with them all. 
So much for a comfortable retirement. It was time to go back to work.”

Tess Gerritsen has been one of my go-to thriller authors ever since I read The Surgeon and I am a huge fan of her Rizzoli and Isles books in particular. I’ll read anything she writes, but I will admit to being very excited when I read the synopsis of The Spy Coast and discovered she was writing a new series about a retired group of spies. After reading the author’s note at the beginning of my proof copy where she shared her inspiration for the book I was even more hyped and knew that this was going to be a book I loved. 

The Spy Coast introduces us to Maggie Bird, a retiree who you couldn’t glance twice at. A couple of years ago, Maggie moved to Blackberry Farm and settled into her new life in the quiet seaside town of Purity, Maine where she works as a chicken farmer and attends a book group with her friends called the ‘Martini Club’. But while these pensioners can be sweet as honey, they also have a vicious sting in their tails and these five friends are actually a cohort of former spies. When the body of an unidentified woman is left in her driveway, it seems Maggie’s past has come back to haunt her, and the ‘Martini Club’ combine their skills and experience to try and track down the person who wants her dead. Also on the case is Purity’s tenacious police chief,  Jo Thibodeau, who is at first exasperated by the Martini Club, but soon begins to wonder who this group of pensioners really are. They must keep one step ahead of her if they want to keep their secrets safe. 

“We may have dubbed these meetings our ‘book club’ evenings, but what we’ve really come for are the martinis. And the gossip.”

I’m a big fan of the current trend for ‘pensioners in the pages’ and Maggie and the Martini Club are a fantastic group of new characters that I adored. As you’d expect for a former spy, Maggie holds her cards close to the vest and struggles to trust even those closest to her. Flashbacks slowly reveal her history and offer clues to the person they are searching for, while in the present Maggie has to learn to share her secrets if the Martini Club are going to find the person who wants her dead. These characters were so much fun to read and a great reminder that we aren’t over the hill just because we reach a certain age or retire, and that we shouldn’t underestimate someone on the basis of those things either. 

This book is exactly why Tess Gerritsen is one of my favourite crime authors. Mysterious, thrilling, twisty, and action-packed, she had me in her thrall from the first page and kept me guessing as I tried to predict what would happen. A crime fiction powerhouse, I know I can rely on Gerritsen to deliver a fast-paced, scalpel-sharp page turner that is skillfully written and cleverly plotted. And while  a story about a group of retired spies might sound like a cosy mystery, this is classic Gerritsen, and has a much darker, gritty edge. I couldn’t get enough but also never wanted it to end and ‘just one more chapter’ was the constant refrain in my head as I struggled to put the book down so I could sleep. 

Suspenseful, propulsive, unexpected and addictive, The Spy Coast promises to be the first in a riveting new espionage series and I can’t wait for the next instalment. If you loved The Thursdays Murder Club but also enjoy darker mysteries, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.

While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction and in 1987, her first novel, Call After Midnight, was published. It was just the first of 32 suspense novels that she’s written over a 36-year writing career. She also wrote a screenplay, “Adrift,” which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.

Tess’s 1996 medical thriller, Harvest, marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list and her novels have hit bestseller lists around the world ever since. Among her titles are Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, Listen to Me, and her upcoming spy thriller, The Spy Coast, which has just been optioned by Amazon Studios for a television series. Her books have been translated into 40 languages, and more than 40 million copies have been sold around the world.

Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the hit TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles,” starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.

She lives in Maine.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the review from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: A Soul For A Soul (Detective Kate Young Book 5) by Carol Wyer

Published January 30th, 2024 by Thomas & Mercer
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series

I’m delighted to be opening the blog tour for A Soul For A Soul, the amazing new thriller from Carol Wyer which is out today. Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the invitation to take part and to Carol Wyer for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

The syndicate have taken everything from her. It’s time to take them down―or die trying.

DCI Kate Young never meant to shoot Superintendent John Dickson at the reservoir that night―even if, as a scheming corrupt cop and head of the shady syndicate, he probably had it coming. But now Kate has photographic evidence that someone else knows her terrible secret…

Tormented by guilt and the voices of the dead, Kate is desperate to unmask the rest of the corrupt officers before her own sins catch up with her. When DI Harriet Khatri, awaiting trial for the murder of Kate’s mentor, claims she was framed by Dickson’s syndicate, Kate reluctantly agrees to help in the hope of finding answers.

Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson finds herself on the hunt for a double murderer―a man who incapacitates his victims with a powerful narcotic called Devil’s Breath. Desperate to measure up to her role-model boss, Emma finds herself hurled into the deep end in more ways than one…

While Kate’s grip on reality wavers and the syndicate closes in, and with the mystery killer taking a special interest in Emma, could this be the case that defeats both detectives?

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MY REVIEW:

I’m thrilled to be one of the bloggers opening the tour for A Soul For A Soul, the sensational new thriller from Carol Wyer, which is out today. But this isn’t only her latest book, it is also her 30th book published, making it extra special. Congratulations Carol! 

The fourth book in the Detective Kate Young series ended with a dramatic cliffhanger which saw Kate’s freedom hanging in the balance, and book five picks up right where it left off. Her confrontation with Superintendent John Dickson didn’t go as planned and she is now left trying to keep her part in his death a secret while also trying to track down the person who witnessed it. Unable to turn to her mentor, William, after he was also killed, Kate feels more alone than ever, is struggling with her guilt, and tormented by the voices of the dead. But she is determined to finally expose the corrupt syndicate once and for all. Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson is on the hunt for a killer. Two women have been incapacitated and killed by the powerful drug Devil’s Breath and Emma must find their killer before they strike again.

This book was one wild ride! Showcasing Carol Wyer’s masterful storytelling, cunning plotting, surprising twists, and compelling characters, the parallel storylines don’t give us a moment to catch our breath. There’s a pervading sense of mistrust and unease and like the characters I had no idea who was friend and who was foe, leaving me suspicious of everyone, while the familiarity and connection that comes with reading a series helped raise the tension as I tried to predict if a much-loved character really was part of the corrupt syndicate. The murder investigation did feel secondary to the corruption investigation at times but that didn’t make it any less intricate or fascinating. In fact, this is one of my favourite methods of murder Carol has written yet. Then there’s the chapters written from the killer’s perspective. These were chilling, sending shivers down my spine as he hunted his victims. And as he puts a member of the team in his crosshairs the stakes get higher, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the dramatic finale. 

Kate Young is a brilliant character and I have enjoyed seeing her mental health struggle portrayed in such a realistic way. Her grief has also been authentic and we’ve seen her go through the various stages that come with losing someone we love. She’s been through more in a few years than some experience in a lifetime, so her PTSD and mental health issues are to be expected. Though I will admit to being surprised and torn as she shifted to being the kind of person she’s always despised in the last book and her battle between those two sides of herself is fascinating to read. In this book she continues to unravel as the guilt eats at her and her grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous as the voices of the dead refuse to leave her in peace. What was once the comforting voice of her late husband has now become an angel and demon on her shoulders that leave her torn between covering her tracks and delivering the justice she still believes in. 

While I found it strange at first that Kate’s promotion means she’s not as involved in the investigations, I did come to appreciate that this allowed other characters the chance to shine. DI Emma Donaldson and her boyfriend, DI Morgan Meredith feature more prominently in this instalment and I really enjoyed seeing more of them. The couple have recently moved in together and both been promoted, with Emma leading the double murder investigation. Their relationship is impacted by these changes and they face a number of personal and professional challenges and dilemmas over the course of the book that felt relatable and real. 

Gritty, sinister,  and suspenseful, A Soul For A Soul is an adrenaline-filled thriller that I highly recommend. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carol Wyer is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the People’s Book Prize Award. Her crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from writing comedies to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1bestselling book on Amazon UK, USA and Australia. Since then, four further books in the series have been published with a fifth, A Soul for a Soul, due out January 30th 2024.

Her first standalone psychological thriller, Behind Closed Doors, was an Amazon Editor’s Pick and selected as one of the Best Books of December 2022.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on Sky and BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband, Mr. Grumpy . . . who is very, very grumpy.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These links are affiliate links

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Cozy Mysteries Read Christie

READ CHRISTIE 2024: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Series Book 1) by Agatha Christie

Published October 1920
Mystery, Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Detective Story, Classic Fiction

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SYNOPSIS:

When Emily Inglethorp is poisoned the police are certain they’ve found the killer, but Hercule Poirot is not so easily satisfied. The sleuth digs deep into a tangled mystery in his debut appearance as the detective hero of Christie’s classic crime series.

Agatha Christie’s first mystery novel marks the initial appearance of her renowned Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, known for his impeccably neat appearance, fine mustache, and ability to cut to the core of some of the most complex and puzzling mysteries ever conceived. Summoned to investigate a murder in an elegant English country house, Poirot begins assembling clues and finding reasons to doubt the apparently obvious culprit was actually responsible for the murder. Riddles and secrets multiply as documents vanish, secret alliances are unveiled and the seemingly unsolvable is broken wide open. Deliberately conceived and written to puzzle devoted mystery fans, The Mysterious Affair at Styles has delighted readers since its first publication in 1920 and marks a perfect entry point for those new to the author or her unforgettable sleuth.

With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles is both modern and readable.

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MY REVIEW:

Ok. I confess. I’m a bad book blogger and I had never read an Agatha Christie book before this one (despite owning many). Like most people I am familiar with the stories and have watched many film and TV adaptations over the years but never got around to picking up one of the actual books. Every year since joining Bookstagram I’ve wanted to take part in the Read Christie, the official Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, but didn’t manage to fit it in. This year I was determined to make it happen and I am thrilled to have finally read my first Agatha Christie. . 

Each year Read Christie has different prompts and in 2024 they are exploring Christie’s works through the decades, starting in 1920 and going all the way through to the 1970s. January’s prompt is the 20s, so after talking to my Christie-expert friend, Sue, I decided to start at the very beginning with Christie’s first ever novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was first published in the US in October 1920 and in the UK on 21st January 1921, introducing the world to the now-famous Hercule Poirot.

Enthralling, compelling and mysterious, I loved this book. It isn’t a story of Ms. Christie’s that I’m familiar with but I loved that it felt both completely new and comfortingly familiar. It felt like finding a soft toy I’d had as a child and holding it again. Sue recommended listening to the audiobook and I am so glad I took her advice. I loved the little details like the sound of the typewriter keys clicking and thought the narrator was fantastic. I was enrapt and couldn’t stop listening, finishing it in just a few hours. And that ending! Wow. 

This book was a brilliant start to my Agatha Christie reading and one I’d recommend, especially if you’re looking to start her books for the first time like I was. Roll on another one next month! 

Rating: 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie became, and remains, the best-selling novelist of all time.

She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon* |

Special Edition (Waterstones)*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Unnatural Death (Kay Scarpetta Book 27) by Patricia Cornwell

Published November 23rd, 2023 by Sphere
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fition, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Women Sleuths, Medical Thriller, Crime Series

Today I’m delighted to be opening the blog tour for the riveting new instalment in the Kay Scarpetta series. Thank you to Midas PR and Sphere for the invitation to take part and gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

THE BREATHTAKING NEW KAY SCARPETTA THRILLER FROM THE 120-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

Two mauled bodies in the woods. Two top secret autopsies. The most chilling case of Scarpetta’s career . . .

In this thrilling new instalment of the #1 bestselling series, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta finds herself in a Northern Virginia wilderness examining the remains of two campers wanted by federal law enforcement.

The victims have been savaged beyond recognition, and other evidence is terrifying and baffling, including a larger-than-life footprint.

After one of the most frightening body retrievals of her career, Scarpetta must discover who would commit murders this brutal, and why.

‘A chilling, thrilling, macabre masterpiece. Unnatural Death is Patricia Cornwell at her mesmerising finest. The best just got better’
CHRIS WHITAKER, author of WE BEGIN AT THE END

‘Sinister, surprising and utterly unputdownable. Cornwell at her brilliant best’
M. J. ARLIDGE, author of EYE FOR AN EYE

‘Classic Cornwell with an up-to-the-minute twenty-first-century plot. An intoxicating blend that proves Scarpetta is still queen of the autopsy and Cornwell is still queen of crime fiction’
ANDREA MARA, author of NO ONE SAW A THING

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MY REVIEW:

The bodies of two campers are discovered in Buckingham Run, a remote part of the North Virginia wilderness. The victims have savagely mauled so viciously that they are unrecognisable and the rest of the evidence is bizarre, perplexing, and frightening. To make matters even more complicated, the victims were wanted by federal law enforcement, and Dr Kay Scarpetta and her team liaise with them as they investigate this baffling case. 

There’s no question that Patricia Cornwell is one of the queens of crime fiction or that her Kay Scarpetta series is incredible, so needless to say, I had high hopes for Unnatural Death and was excited to read it even though it has shamefully been a number of years since I last read one of her books. I was not disappointed. Timely, tense, mysterious, eerie, this gripping thriller was a brilliant return to this series for me. It was easy to read as a standalone, Ms. Cornwell catching the reader up on important facts about the characters and their histories succinctly so that you feel like you’ve never missed a thing. The plot is intriguing, with hints of mythology and something ‘other’ hovering ominously over the pages alongside the very human threat that is also present. Cornwell pulls no punches, diving headfirst into the action from the first page and not letting up until the last, keeping me guessing the whole time. This was a case where I truly had no idea where it was going and I enjoyed the ride with its many twists and turns. 

Kay Scarpetta is a likeable and charismatic character and makes a great narrator. She was likeable, easy to root for, and I loved her bold, tenacious and outgoing personality. There is a lot of great banter between her and the other characters, but I particularly enjoyed her relationship with her niece, Lucy. Lucy was my favourite character after Kay and they seem like real peas in a pod. I even think Lucy would make a great focus for another series – hint hint.

Unsettling, elusive, mysterious, and compelling, Unnatural Deaths is a riveting must-read for any self-respecting crime fan,

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

In 1990, Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. An auspicious debut, it went on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity Awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize—the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. Growing into an international phenomenon, the Scarpetta series won Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.

Today, Cornwell’s novels and iconic characters are known around the world. Beyond the Scarpetta series, Cornwell has written the definitive nonfiction account of Jack the Ripper’s identity, cookbooks, a children’s book, a biography of Ruth Graham, and two other fictional series based on the characters Win Garano and Andy Brazil. While writing Quantum, Cornwell spent two years researching space, technology, and robotics at Captain Calli Chase’s home base, NASA’s Langley Research Center, and studied cutting-edge law enforcement and security techniques with the Secret Service, the US Air Force, NASA Protective Services, Scotland Yard, and Interpol.

Cornwell was born in Miami. She grew up in Montreat, North Carolina, and now lives and works in Boston and Los Angeles.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones*| Bookshop.org*| Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These links are purchase links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Her Hidden Shadow by Carla Kovach (Detective Gina Harte Book 14)

Published September 20th, 2023 by Bookouture
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Noir Fiction, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this first-class thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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SYNOPISIS:

Her perfect night out just became her worst nightmare…

Lauren returns home from celebrating her engagement with friends and stumbles as she gets out of the taxi. So what if her best friend Sienna didn’t show up? Lauren had a good night anyway. As she walks towards the small house she shares with her fiancé, Robbie, she’s surprised to see every window in total darkness. And when she calls his name, the house remains silent. Where is Robbie?

Kicking off her red heels, Lauren heads towards her bedroom, feeling more nervous with every step. And when she opens the door, she immediately knows something is very wrong. The sickly metallic smell sobers her up instantly. And there is someone in her bed…

Moving closer, her heart races in her chest. Instead of her fiancé, in the bed lies the lifeless body of a young woman, and although long dark hair covers her face, Lauren can already see who it is… her best friend, Sienna.

As Lauren’s scream breaks the silence, someone stands outside the bedroom, tracking her every move. Did Lauren’s perfect little home just become the most dangerous place she could be?

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, Her Hidden Shadow will have you hooked from the very first page.

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MY REVIEW:

Lauren stumbles out of the taxi after a great night out with friends celebrating her engagement. The only thing missing was her best friend, Sienna, but she had fun anyway. Life is great and she couldn’t be happier to finally be engaged to Robbie. As she enters her small house all is dark and quiet, so she undresses and crawls into bed next to her fiance. But something isn’t right. He feels cold. And why can she feel something wet? She turns on the light to see the body of her best friend covered in blood. Why is Sienna in her bed? And what has happened to Robbie? Lauren’s scream pierces the air and as she picks up her phone to call the police she hears a thud from another room. The killer is still in the house…

Her Hidden Shadow is another first-class thriller from Carla Kovach. It had everything I’ve come to expect from one of her books and she pulled me in with her compelling characters, intriguing plots, and heart-stopping suspense. I like how she always tackles a deeper topic in her books, this time exploring the effects of trauma with honesty, sensitivity and compassion. Her stories are always hard to predict and I was on tenterhooks as she built up to the big reveal. 

This is the fourteenth book in the Detective Gina Harte series and at this point Gina and her team feel like old friends. So despite the dark and difficult topics these books always feel like comfort reads to me. I’m emotionally attached to these characters, something Kovach uses to her advantage by adding in storylines featuring Gina and her team that threaten everything you think you know. It heightens the tension and makes it impossible to put the book down. And boy did she put me through it with this book, though I’ll not say more as I don’t want to ruin the surprise. 

Action-packed, tense, addictive, and full of twists and turns, Carla Kovach has knocked it out of the park once again. I can’t wait for book fifteen!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach is a USA Today bestselling author from the UK and is published by Bookouture, Sphere and Boekerij. Her DI Gina Harte series has been translated into Dutch.

As well as novels, she has also written stage and screenplays.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Their Cold Hearts (Detective Gina Harte 13) by Carla Kovach

Published April 14th, 2023 by Bookouture
Thriller, Mystery, Suspemse, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Psychological Thriller, Noir Ficiton, Crime Series

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SYNOPSIS:

She shuts the door behind her, relieved to be in the safety of her own home. But tonight her house is the most dangerous place she could be. Someone has been waiting for her, and they know she’s home alone…

Sasha loves her job finding accommodation for homeless people, and she’s proud of the small but cosy apartment she rents on the good side of town. She’s worked hard to leave her dark past behind her and make amends for the accident that still haunts her memories. She knows she was innocent, though she’s still careful about who and what she tells of her old life. But not all secrets stay hidden forever…

When her phone rings loudly in the middle of the night, Sasha fears what she’ll hear when she picks up – a deathly silence. It’s happened every night for weeks. Is it a childish prank, or a chilling warning that someone has uncovered her secret?

But the news of a body found at a local shelter means her worst nightmare has come true. It can’t be a coincidence that evidence related to the victim has been found at the same location where the most devastating moment of Sasha’s life took place.

Days later, a second body is found and Sasha’s heart pounds wildly as she takes in the victim’s unforgettable green eyes. She hasn’t seen her in a long time, but she’d know her old friend anywhere. She was the only other person who knew Sasha’s secret, so how can Sasha prove her innocence now?

Sasha doesn’t know who’s coming for her, but she’s certain of one thing: she’s next on the list…

Fans of Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh will love Their Cold Hearts – a totally thrilling and addictive crime thriller that will have you up all night!

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MY REVIEW:

A homeless shelter should be a place of sanctuary for those in need. But one such place becomes a nightmare when one of the residents of a local shelter is found brutally murdered with what seems to be a cryptic coded message from the killer. A number of suspects soon emerge, but when a second body is found – this time a woman in her home – the mystery deepens. What is her connection to the first victim? What do the killer’s clues mean? And who is next on the killer’s list?

Sinister and suspenseful, Their Cold Hearts had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Complex, layered, and twisty, Carla Kovach has once again written an intricately woven thriller that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. It’s fast-paced, compelling and twisty with lots of red herrings. I thought I had the killer’s identity figured out, but Kovach blindsided me with the shocking big reveal. 

This is the thirteenth book in the Gina Harte series, and it’s no secret that I’m a big fan. At this point Gina and her team feel like old friends and I’ve got a special place in my heart for Gina in particular. In this book, Gina is going through a lot in her personal life partly because of her dedication to her job, and it was a very emotional read in places. Then there’s that ending, which broke my heart into pieces. But I love the relationship that the team shares and how they are a family, something that Gina needs more than ever. But she’s still the feisty, determined woman who will do everything she can to bring a criminal to justice. And the person she’s facing this time made my blood run cold. We only get a few glimpses into their psyche, but they made a chilling impression. 

Dark, tense and forbidding, Their Cold Hearts is a riveting thriller that I didn’t want to put down. I’m so glad to have the next book in the series waiting for me so I can find out what’s next for Gina. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach is a USA Today bestselling author from the UK and is published by Bookouture, Sphere and Boekerij. Her DI Gina Harte series has been translated into Dutch.

As well as novels, she has also written stage and screenplays.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Watestones* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*these links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Lost Little Angels (Detective Eve Bennett Book 2) by Holly S. Roberts

Published July 14th, 2023 by Bookouture
Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural, Romance Novel, Crime Series

I’m a few days late due to illness, but here is my review for this tense and twisty thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

She wakes suddenly, realizing with a panic that her darling baby daughter should have woken long before now. Racing to the pink-colored nursery, she lets out a deep cry as she opens the door. The crib is empty. Her little girl has vanished.

It’s after midnight when Detective Eve Bennet receives a distraught phone call from an unknown number. The voice at the other end begs her not to hang up—a baby has gone missing. But what the caller says next makes Eve’s heart race. “She isn’t the first. There are many, many more.”

Rushing to the missing girl’s home, Eve finds the house empty, and when she knocks on their neighbors’ doors, not a single person answers. Whoever reported the missing baby doesn’t want to be found…

Secrets are held tight in the small town of Hilldale and as an outsider, Eve knows that the only way to uncover the truth is to persuade someone to talk. She finally has a breakthrough when a young wife goes against her husband’s wishes and tells Eve it’s not just babies being taken—mothers are disappearing too.

The woman leaves Eve a hand drawn map leading her to an isolated trailer park. What she finds there shocks her to her core. But she hardly has time to think before she notices a lone figure watching her every move. She’s not alone.

Can Eve save herself in time to finally unmask the truth before more innocent children disappear forever?

Fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Lisa Regan won’t be able to put down this utterly gripping crime thriller from a USA Today bestselling author.

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MY REVIEW:

Just after midnight Detective Eve Bennett receives a call from an unknown number. It is a distraught woman claiming her baby is missing and that there are many others who have also vanished. Eve rushes to the caller’s home only to find it empty and the neighbours unwilling to answer the door. No one is willing to talk in Hilldale. The town is home to a polygamist sect and secrets run rife, as does their distrust of outsiders. Eve and her team have to convince someone to talk if they are to find the baby or her mother. And what she eventually uncovers is worse than anything she imagined…

The second book in the Detective Eve Bennett series takes us back inside the twisted world of a fundamentalist cult and the battles Eve and her team face trying to help their innocent victims. But don’t worry if you’ve not read the first book, because Holly S. Roberts catches you up succinctly, making it possible to read this one while still feeling like you understand all the nuances of the story and character relationships. It is well written and gripping, taking you through a wide range of emotions and keeping you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end as she expertly weaves heartbreak, anger, frustration, laughter, disgust and strength into the narrative.

Eve Bennett is a fantastic protagonist, and I stand by my comments from my review of book one where I referred to her as ‘a new star in crime fiction.’ Feisty and tenacious; she is passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless and helping people escape the cult. It is personal for her, as she escaped the cult as a teen and is still coming to terms with the long-term trauma of being raised there. It was great to see her slowly allowing love into her life in this book and watching her continue to grow as a person. Her team is also made up of fascinating characters and I love their dynamic. It makes you believe in them and root for them to solve the case despite the many obstacles in their way. There are also some brilliantly written villains in the book who will make you rage and your stomach turn, Roberts expertly walking that fine line by making you feel those feelings while also helping you understand the indoctrination they’ve been subjected to and also never using it to excuse their actions, making it clear they should still be held accountable. We also see some incredibly brave characters who risk their lives either by helping Eve or reaching out for  help themselves. It is a reminder of just how dangerous these extremist views can be and the risk to those caught up in them. 

Gritty, chilling, twisty and tense, this heart-pounding thriller is a must read for fans of the genre. Now I just have to wait impatiently for book three.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

TW: Religious indoctrination, abuse

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Holly Roberts began writing to alleviate stress in her day job, that of a homicide and sex crimes detective. Romance was her go to genre because she required a happy ending. She also touched on cozy mysteries and added six books to her forty book romance repertoire. Now that she’s retired and her mind at peace, she decided to delve into crime thrillers using her background and thirst for research to write the Eve Bennet series.

Holly has two movie/television options under her belt for her amazing life story. Part of the reason is Holly became a police officer at age 45 and led two high profile cases, one involving a serial killer. Now she enjoys the excitement of writing about crime while sitting at home with her two dogs, laptop, and a cup of hot tea close by.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers talking part in the blog tour.

*These links are purhcase links