Sunday 15 February 2015

The Doll's House by M. J. Arlidge



Blurb from Goodreads:

"The Doll's House is the new twisting and terrifying thriller in the Detective Inspector Helen Grace series from M.J. Arlidge.

Arlidge is the author of Eeny Meeny and Pop Goes the Weasel, and has been dubbed 'the new Jo Nesbo'.

A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare.

Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing - her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave.

For Detective Inspector Helen Grace it's chilling evidence that she's searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful - a predator who's killed before.

And as Helen struggles to understand the killer's motivation, she begins to realize that she's in a desperate race against time . . ."



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This is the third book in a series but the first I have read. I think I was at a slight disadvantage not having read the first two but not so much as it spoiled things for me because I was highly entertained by this book.

The story starts off as it means to go on with a terrifying description of a young woman’s realisation that she has not woken up in her own bed after a night out. It continues with the account of an idyllic family trip to the seaside which quickly descends into terror with the discovery of a young woman’s body buried in the beach. Enter the hero of the book, DI Helen Grace, who you quickly realise has her own demons to deal with which, from the glimpses provided by the author, follow on from the two previous books.

The book is written from several perspectives and this all helps to see and understand things from each of the viewpoints of the main characters including the killer, suspects, victim and police officers. The story is written at a great pace, particularly the ending, which keeps you on your toes throughout and, in my case, my fingers swiping my Kindle screen with enthusiasm and reading deep into the night unable to stop. One thing I didn’t like was the bitching and back-stabbing that went on between police officers but, unfortunately, this is probably quite close to real life.

I really enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, thrill from start to finish but I feel it would be better to read the previous novels first as I feel this would add extra dimensions to the overall story.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and Netgalley for the uncorrected advance proof copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Friday 13 February 2015

Zombies from the Deep by Nick Grey




Description from Goodreads:

"Debut author Nick Grey blends the zombie humor of Shaun of the Dead with the satiric irreverence of Fight Club in his tantalizing and terrifying tale, ZOMBIES FROM THE DEEP.

They packed for the beach…

Mike and Sara Jones never missed their annual beach getaway. Every year, they looked forward to driving down to the Gulf and enjoying the white sandy beaches with those amazing sunsets. This year was no different than the rest. Swimsuits, check. Sunblock, check. Then, the zombies came.

They came from the ocean.

Out of the depths of the ocean, the walking dead arrived. There was blood in the water, but this ain’t no shark attack. When zombies paint the beach red, Mike and Sara’s annual getaway is interrupted. They panic. What would you do?

Survive at any cost.

Covered in blood and short on temper, Mike suggests they cut their vacation short. Sara’s not entirely sure Mike knows what he’s doing. But does anyone? Like most couples in a stressful situation, Mike and Sara soon resort to petty bickering.

Will they crack?

As if on cue, Jim and Theresa Banyon appear. They are smart, charismatic, and best of all rich. It’s easy to follow their lead. But Mike and Sara soon find that following Jim and Teresa risks their safety, their marriage, and even their sanity.

Readers be warned: Zombies From The Deep is a sexually explicit and graphically violent pulp fiction novel detailing the end of the world and survival during a zombie apocalypse."



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Where do I start with this book?

To be honest, I nearly didn’t make it to the end. It started off quite well but then quickly descended into something ridiculous which had me laughing at its absurdity - the nymphomaniac? Don’t even go there!! However, I have been “told off” for reviewing a book I have not finished before so I persevered. I must admit to heaving a sigh of relief when I had finished and thought it was a pile of rubbish and I was going to write a review straight away but I didn’t have time, so have left it a couple of days and I am glad I did because I have had time to digest and reflect on what I have read and have changed my mind.

I think this is a cleverly written book which appears one thing at the start but becomes something completely different by the end and all the bits that seemed preposterous suddenly made sense. I can’t say too much as I don’t want to give the game away but I will say that this book is not as it seems so I advise anyone who reads it to keep going to the end and then let it sink in for a while.

Thank you to the publisher, Hocus Pocus Publishing Inc and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Sunday 8 February 2015

The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne




Blurb from www.goodreads.com:

"A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.

But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity – that she, in fact, is Lydia – their world comes crashing down once again.

As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past – what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died?"


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I am in two minds about this one.

What I liked:

The premise of the book was excellent; who could resist a creepy story about identical twins? This was a psychological thriller with twists and turns throughout which kept me guessing about what happened from the beginning to the end. The surviving twin - is it Lydia or Kirstie? - is the best and most likeable character in the book and one I really felt for throughout and what she was experiencing touched me, I just wanted to give her a cuddle. The pace of the book was good and the way the story was told from the two different perspectives helped to increase the confusion as you are never quite sure who is telling the truth or recalling events as they actually happened.

What I didn’t like:

I found some of the dialogue was unnatural and a bit stilted and although I thought the description of the island and the weather really helped to bring atmosphere to the story, there were times when it was a little over-descriptive . For example when the author described someone having “ginger Jewish hair” … what? Is the ginger hair Jewish and what difference does this make? I also found the 2 main characters, Angus and Sarah, not particularly likeable and therefore found it hard to have any sympathy with either of them however, I wonder if that was the author’s intention.

Overall though, there was more that I liked than didn’t like and I kept going back for more primarily because I wanted to find out how the twin had died and which one it was - all became clear at the end. I haven’t quite worked out whether I liked the ending or not, the jury is still out on that one but I would like to thank the publisher, HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction/Blue Door and Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

Sunday 1 February 2015

Follow The Leader by Mel Sherratt




"A man’s body is found on a canal towpath. In his pocket, a magnetic letter in the shape of an E.

Days later, a second victim is found, this time with the letter V tucked into her clothing.

As the body count rises, the eerie, childlike clues point to a pattern that sends DS Allie Shenton and her colleagues into full alert.

The race is on. Allie and the team must work quickly to determine where the killer will strike next. The rules are simple but deadly—to catch the killer, they must follow the leader."


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Wow. What a great read. I am unable to give this anything less than top marks … it was that good. I was not aware of Mel Sherratt before reading this but I certainly am now and I will most definitely look out for her books in the future.

This is the second in the DS Allie Shenton series but I don’t feel it essential that the first one is read - I hadn’t read it - but the author has written this so well, that I didn’t feel I was missing something and it can be read as a standalone.

I think it’s a real skill that an author is able to give away who the killer is at the beginning and keep the reader on their toes throughout. This author manages this with ease but not only that, she also gives us the “why” and the “who” as well and still makes the story full of suspense and anticipation.

The story is written from the point of view of various characters but rather than this causing confusion, it really made the book as it brought those characters to life. It is also written in the past and present with the author providing snippets of the past life of many of the characters whilst also shedding light on the motivations behind the murders.

This book is not just a great story about a serial killer or about the police investigation, it is so much more than that. It highlights the potential outcome of abuse and bullying in childhood which resulted in me jumping between abhorrence and sympathy not only for the killer but also the victims.

The ending makes you want more … I shouted out “no” after reading the final words as I didn’t want it to end and I am so looking forward to the next instalment.

I would like to thank the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another fabulous British author.