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.

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.

The Boat House by Mark Sennen

"No one’s seen him in years…

An isolated boat house. A reclusive old man. A body.

DI Charlotte Savage’s first ever case as a detective.

AN 11-PAGE SHORT STORY, INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT OF TELL TALE."

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This is a very short story which introduces Charlotte Savage. Well it does that but not much more. It starts off really well with excellent descriptions of characters and places and I certainly got the author’s attempts at building the tension but then as soon as it starts to get interesting, it ends. One minute, Savage is in a bit of strife and the next, she’s back at the Police Station. I found it very disappointing and a bit of a damp squib!

However, what this also does is provide a glimpse at Mark Sennen’s next, full length, novel “Tell Tale” and this looks like it could be something good if the first couple of chapters are anything to go by.

Overall, The Boathouse was a story without the meat on the bones but a good way to pique the interest of the reader.  I would add though that if the peek at the new book wasn't included, this short story would make me think twice about reading anything further from this author so maybe that's a warning ;)

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK Avon via www.netgalley.com for inviting me to provide an impartial review.

darkness, darkness by John Harvey

"The final DI Charlie Resnick novel, from the Cartier Diamond Dagger winner and Sunday Times bestselling author of Cold in Hand.

Thirty years ago, the Miners' Strike threatened to tear the country apart, turning neighbour against neighbour, husband against wife, father against son - enmities which smoulder still.

Resnick, recently made up to inspector, and ambivalent at best about some of the police tactics, had run an information gathering unit at the heart of the dispute.

Now, in virtual retirement, and still grieving over the violent death of his former partner, the discovery of the body of a young woman who disappeared during the Strike brings Resnick back to the front line to assist in the investigation into the woman's murder - forcing him to confront his past in what will assuredly be his last case."

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What a great book!

The storyline took me back to my early teenage years and I recall watching the news about the miners strike with my parents but, not coming from a mining community and being quite young, I never fully appreciated what was really happening. I have since seen a couple of things that have touched on the subject but I felt this book brought me new perspectives to this difficult time in British history particularly from the point of view of the striking miners, the "scabs" and the families caught on both sides. Although this is a work of fiction, I found it very believable with a feel of authenticity and I particularly enjoyed the way the author switched from the present to the past throughout which, for me, worked very well.

The book was full of interesting and colourful characters many of whom have their own demons to deal with not least Resnick himself who I felt came across as a sad and melancholic man who appears disillusioned with not only his work but also his life. Many of the characters had “issues” outside of the main focus of the book and I felt these were seamlessly woven throughout which added further dimensions to this engrossing story. This is all written at great pace which kept me engaged throughout and, to cap it all, it kept me guessing who the killer was right until the end.

Where have I been? I must have had my head in the sand for many years not to have come across John Harvey and Charlie Resnick before! This is Resnick's last case and my first foray into the world of this very interesting character ... it won't be my last and I will go back to the start of the series in order to find out how it all began.

I am grateful to the publisher, Randomhouse UK Cornerstone and www.netgalley.com for sending me a copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another new author to add to my ever-growing list of great writers.

The Mysterious Miss Mayhew by Hazel Osmond

"Tom doesn't need any more women in his life. He already has his hands full with his five year old daughter, an estranged wife who keeps blocking his efforts to get divorced and a mother who might be having an affair with the vicar. When Fran Mayhew turns up - years younger than him and with all the tact of a dinosaur with its backside on fire - she's just another tricky person to deal with.

And what's she doing in his remote part of Northumberland crawling around in graveyards anyway?

But soon Tom discovers that there's more to Miss Mayhew than meets the eye - and it's not just his heart he's in danger of losing."

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This book is quite a large step away from what I normally read. I think it was the cover design that first drew me to it and then the description made it all the more appealing with the phrase “the tact of a dinosaur with its backside on fire” bringing a smile to my face and thoughts that this could be right up my alley for a change …. and it was.

The characters were excellent; a real mixed bag and totally believable - some of which I am sure I have come into contact with over the years although I won’t say which ones!

Tom - the main character and the one whose point of view the story is mostly told - is a single father who, from my perspective anyway, seems to be doing a pretty good job although he does have his faults (don’t we all) but who is trying to hold everything together under intense pressure from his ex-wife, Steph (a truly horrible person) and the owners of the magazine he runs, the Mawsons (equally as horrible). I think telling the story from Tom’s perspective is genius and a refreshing change from the norm.

Hattie is Tom’s 5 year old daughter and who, in my opinion, is the star of the book. She is not your typical 5 year old girl - she has a love of wrestling and pirates and is so innocent and truthful with her observations it makes her totally believable. Hattie is funny and caused many a “laugh out loud” moment for me (the testicles incident being just one of them!) but she also provided some of the heartbreakingly sad moments … did I mention how truly horrible Steph is?!!

Fran - the Mysterious Miss Mayhew - an unconventional and straight-talking lady who, initially, comes across as being a little uptight but despite only getting to know her through her 10 point “Things I have learned today” diary entries, she very quickly grows on you. It’s amazing how much you can get to know a character just from 10 points and I applaud the author as I imagine this must have been very difficult to write having to condense the information into those 10 small chunks.

The story flows easily with a great mix of mystery, humour, tension and romance. Humour is a very fickle thing - everyone has their own tastes and preferences so I think it’s particularly difficult to appeal to the masses but I feel it was done so naturally by the author that it should appeal to anyone with even a tiny sense of humour.

Overall, I am really pleased that I took a punt and requested a copy via www.netgalley.com and am grateful for the publisher, Quercus Books, for sending me it and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a great story with fantastic characters.