4. Crime / Thriller

I Am Pilgrim by

Terry Hayes

This is by far the best crime/thriller I have ever read. The first 250 pages are a bit slowish as the book is steadily introducing all of the characters, but then after this, hold on to your seat as you're in for one hell of a ride. 

About a quarter of the way into the book there is an exceptionally gory scene that is definitely not for the feint hearted.

Considering how thick this book is, I read this faster than a normal sized fiction book. I could not put this down. Wherever I went, this came with me.

To sum up what "I Am Pilgrim" is about - an American detective travels across Europe to try and solve the murder of a woman lying face down in a bath full of acid in NYC - with all identifying features completely disolved or removed - and then just as he starts getting close to answers, his own life is then at risk and he needs to run, fast!

Every Pretty Thing by

Chris Mooney (2017)

This is the 7th book in a series about Detective Darby McCormick. I have read all of the previous books in this series which are all as good as each other (I just haven't listed them here as I don't have a copy of those books to place on my blog), but they do all come highly recommended.

Chris Mooney is one of my all time favourite authors as he never disappoints in his writing and story telling. I cannot turn the pages quick enough as his books are full of suspense, with the ending of each chapter leaving you on a cliffhanger. Laughably because of this, I speed up my reading and then end up skipping huge chunks of text (accidently) to find out what happens next. It's a very annoying trait of mine.

This book follows Darby McCormick investigating a crime alongside another FBI agent, who ends up going missing...... And Darby has to race against time to get things solved ASAP.

Can she help her colleague in time?

The Snow Girls by

Chris Mooney (2018)

This is the 8th book in the series about detective Darby McCormick.

Darby investigates a young girl who has gone missing whilst out in the snow. There are lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing, complete with the usual action and fast pace. Again, another book that doesn't disappoint and of which I highly recommend.

I'd like to write more here, apart from I am afraid that I will give the story line away.

Crime / Thriller

No Time For Goodbye by

Linwood Barclay (2008)

This was the first book of Linwood's that I read. I found it on the bookcase at the hotel I was stopping at in Tenerife - and what a blessing that was as I have become completely obsessed with Linwood's writing and books.

"No Time For Goodbye" is his first fiction book - standalone.

There are so many twists and turns in this book, you'll be frantically turning the page to find out what happens next.

It starts off with the daughter waking up to find the house is completely empty and doesnt know where any of her family disappeared to. Theres no note, no message, nothing.

If you want a book that jumps straight into the action, leaving you more and more curious, then this is the book!

Too Close to Home by

Linwood Barclay (2009)

This is Linwood's second - standalone and is another edge of your seat crime/thriller, where putting the book down will literally become impossible as you want to know more, you need to know more......

The synopsis is that the family next door are mysteriously all murdered, but what makes this strange is that it has happened in a quiet neighbourhood where nothing ever happens. 

This then starts everyone thinking....'Who is the murderer'? 'Where is the murderer right now'? But far more worryingly, 'could you be the next family targetted'?

Fear The Worst by

Linwood Barclay (2010)

This is Linwood's third - standalone book.

A fathers daughter goes missing, of which he goes to investigate - however, there is someone watching his every move and is aware he is trying to find his daughter. Will his worst fears be confirmed, or will he be able to find her in time?

You are kept guessing all throughout the book as to who the suspect could be, afterall there are many potential people who could be guilty. As usual, lots of twists and turns. Get ready for heart pumping action, as you're in for one hell of a ride with this book.

Yet another brilliant page turner written by Linwood Barclay.

Never Look Away by

Linwood Barclay (2010)

This is Lindwood's fourth - stand alone and is just as good as all of his previous books - you cannot put it down!

A family day out to an amusement park turns into a nightmare when during the course of the day, the protagonist's wife ends up mysteriously disappearing.

Far more worringly, when the husband goes to find help to search for his wife, the only record of him entering the amusement park is only with his son. And then the finger starts to point at him, raising suspcion that he was the last person who saw his wife alive.

In a race against time he must find out what happened to his wife before it is too late. Time is not on his side.

Another rollarcoaster of thrills, unexpected turns and lots of excitment.

The Accident by

Linwood Barclay (2012)

This is Linwoods fifth - stand alone, of which you're in for one hell of a ride. 

This book stayed with me for many years after due to the facinating storyline.

A mans wife dies in a car accident, but all is not as it seems. As he starts to unravel the mystery behind his wifes accident, as he is adamant she wasnt the cause of it all, he becomes aware of many secrets that he must deal with, as well as the psychological warfare of his and his daughters grieving emotions. 

Is he strong enough to get to the bottom of everything and reveal what did actually happen on the night of his wifes car accident.

Yet another brilliant read, written by Linwood.

Trust Your Eyes by

Linwood Barclay (2013)

This is Linwoods sixth - stand alone.

Imagine storing all the streets and road layouts of a city in your head, firmly believing that they have to be memorised. Then in a strange turn of events, desperately recalling these stored maps in your head, in order to solve a murder of a woman you saw being killed.

This is what Thomas has to do and then becomes embroilled in a susposed consipiracy theory.

Never Saw It Coming by

Linwood Barclay (2013)

This is Linwoods seventh - stand alone.

I ended up buying this book several times (accdiently), and when I began reading the book again for the second time, the story is that good, I continued through and read the entire book again from cover to cover. It was just as enthralling, if not more, reading it the second time around.

This is a story about a psychic, except she's a fraudulent one, just bascially ripping people off and exploiting those who are emotionally vulnerable. Apart from when she goes to target a man about his wife's disappearance, the psychic actually has a vision and maybe far too close to the truth as some would like her to be. But the real question is, is she safe in the work that she does?

A Tap On The Window by

Linwood Barclay (2014)

This is Linwood's eighth - stand alone.

This is another fantastic book that leaves you thinking about it many months and years after reading it.

A man drives by at night, in the torrential rain and recognises a young girl who is in the same class as his son at school. He gives her a lift, but then the next morning, she is found dead and he is suspected of her murder.

Can he prove his innocence and help establish who really did kill the young girl, that night he dropped her off?

Yet another brilliant piece of writing by Linwood that has you hooked from page one!

No Safe House by

Linwood Barclay (2015)

This is Linwood's nineth - stand alone.

A family in emotional turmoil, parents living apart and a daughter who hangs around with a young lad who is a bad influence on her. But why is he so much of a bad influence on her? And why is it that the father ends up going down a one way path in order to simply save his family?

There are many questions that need answering, but can the ultimate one be answered - can the father rescue the family and get them all to a place of safety before it's too late as there are killers on the loose hunting their next prey?

I must state here that Linwood has gone on to write several further books - of which I will be reading this summer and will review when I have read them - therefore, 'Watch this Space'.

Historical Fiction

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by

Heather Morris

I met Heather Morris in person at Warwick Books (an independent book shop in the heart of Warwick), during the summer of 2018, at a 'Meet the Author' event. At this particular time, The Tattooist was pretty much unheard of, along with Heather. I sat and listened to her tell us the story of how she met Lale and how he had wanted his story to be told with such facination and interest. I could have listened to her talk for hours and hours as she completely had us all captivated. It was wonderful listening to Heather tell us about Lale's and Gita's life, as well as her own trip to Auschwitz to see the remains of the block Lale had lived in.

I really liked this book (if you can use these words in this context) and I also like Heather's style of writing as to me, it flows beautifully, is not confusing and is easy to follow.

The Tattooist takes us on a very emotional journey, informing us of the atrocities of the Holocaust and the awful conditions the prisoners not only lived in, but also endured on a daily basis. This book brings hope and love.

I have heard people ask that if this book is a 'true story' or a 'memoir', why is it classed as fiction? Heather explained to use that due to the decades that had passed, Lale couldnt recall certain events with 100% precision, as obvioulsy our minds get foggy over the years when trying to recollect things. Therefore, small parts of the book had to have information added in to complete the story, such as giving people names as their true names over the years, had been forgotton. Other small subtilties like this were changed or slipped in to give a scene context, but on the whole, the majority of the story remains exactly as it happened, all those years ago, people desperate to tell their story before it's too late. Sadly both Lale and Gita both died before this book was published, but it is a lasting legacy to them both and for them to never be forgotten. As Heather repeated from Lale, a Jewish proverb states:

"To save one man, is to save the world"

Cilka's Journey by

Heather Morris

This is the sequel to the "Tattooist of Auschwitz". Gita's close friend Cilka also had a story waiting to be told.

Again, a nice easy read which follows on beautifully from the Tattooist.

I did struggle a bit with this book in certain parts due to a couple of medical/nursing inaccuracies. For example, if a patient is put to sleep they also have to be intubated for their airway to be effectively managed and I felt these little things let the book down in parts. However, if you have no medical or nursing background, you probably wouldnt even notice these small, minor mistakes as the book flows nicely all throughout and is consistant.

Cilka is only 16 years old when she enters Auschwitz. It transpires quite quickly that she is being sexually abused and treated as a sex slave. It is amazing to read of a young womans courage that Cilka had and helped keep her alive. The book talks about the emtional impact the abuse had on her and the way how she was treated by other fellow prisoners. Cilka feels guilty for her beauty as it is this that is keeping her alive.

I remember when I saw Heather at Warwick Books for the 'Meet the Author Event', listen to her talk about writing this book and how she desperately felt that Cilka's story had to be told as well.

When you think you have just about learnt everything you can about the second world war and the prisoner camps, theres something new that arises, making your hair curl and tears form in your eyes.

The Children's Block by

Otto B Kraus

Yet another book that gives you goose pimples as you read it. The incredible story here is just amazing.

The Children's Block is based upon a diary/manuscript that had been written throughout the entire time the prisoners were kept at Auschwitz. It was kept hidden beneath the floorboards, under the bunkbeds, out of sight and out of mind - safe - waiting to be discovered if any of those poor souls never lived to escape from the camp.

Completely forgotten about when the camp was liberated, this diary was then discovered many years later and placed in a museum in Poland.

Otto tells us all about this diary, his time in Auschwitz and the years after the war. How he moved to Israel and his marriage to his wife Dita. He managed to go on and live a very prosperous life, espeically academically and as a writer. It was using these tools of the trade, so to speak, that helped him write this book and share his story with the world.

There is one line from this book that I would like to end this section on:

"We believed that by leaving a written record we wouldn't vanish from human memory....."

The Defence by

Steve Cavanagh (2015)

This is Steve Cavanagh's first book in his Eddie Flynn series.

I had initially never heard of Steve Cavanagh and his books until someone suggested them on one of my FB - book groups that I am on. And I am so glad that I was introduced to him. His books......Wow! They absolutely take your breath away.

I took his first four books that he had written with me on holiday, to Croatia for two weeks. By the end of the holiday, I have devoured every single book from cover to cover (some may argue that this is slow reading in comparison to them, but for someone with dyslexia, this reading speed and retaining the story is very impressive.)

"The Defence's" storyline is just incredible. Eddie Flynn is an American lawyer who has been hired to defend a notorious criminal - the head of the Russian Mafia and Eddie MUST win the case. But thats not all, to add spice to the mix, Eddie's daughter has been kidnapped and held hostage by the Russian Mafia and as for Eddie himself......well he has a bomb strapped around his waist which will detonate if he loses the case.........

It has been a very long time since I last shouted out at a book with excitement and adrenaline. This book is sure guaranteed to get your heart pumping.

The Plea by

Steve Cavanagh (2016)

This is the second book in the Eddie Flynn series.

In "The Plea", Eddie ends up being a lawyer  come  detective. He is made to prosecute a man who he suspects is being framed for something he never did and is innocent. Just as Eddie realises this, the FBI then jump in saying they have incriminating evidence on his wife, blackmailing him into carrying on with the prosecution. Deep down, Eddie knows he has to do something about his client being innocent and sets about investigating what really did happen.

What will be the lengths Eddie will go to, in order to protect both his client and his wife?

Yet another page turner and a perfect beach read - because once you get started with this series, you will not want any distractions or inturruptions.

The Liar by

Steve Cavanagh (2017)

This is the third book in the Eddie Flynn series.

Eddie is approached by a man who has had his daughter taken hostage. With Eddie's background of working in the criminal jurisdiction and the clients he has worked with, Eddie has learnt a thing or two about the criminal underworld and how it works. Plus, it wasnt all that long ago that his own daughter had been kidnapped and taken hostage; so with this still fresh in his mind, he will begin a journey that he wish he hadn't started.

Theres more twists and turns than the F1 Grand Prix. You'll be left desperate, wanting to know more.

Th1rt3en by

Steve Cavanagh (2018)

This is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series.

Steve Cavanagh has such a way with words when telling a story. I really like his style of writing and the fast pace of his storylines. His books are never slow, or have boring parts in, they are completely go,go,go from the very first page, just like this book!

There's a killer sat where he shouldn't be - he is impersonating a jury member so that he can sit on that case......They are scheduled to listen to a murder case, but not just any old murder case, one that was actually committed by him - the man who is falsely sitting on the jury panel.

If this isn't bad enough, someone is sitting in the dock accused of that murder, of which they had never committed. Fortunately, someone suspects this and that the man in the dock is actually an innocent man who is being framed for a murder he did not commit. But can they prove his innocence before it is too late and he is sentenced......?

TwIsted by

Steve Cavanagh (2019)

I have not yet read this book

I will be taking this on holiday with me as another one of my beach reads. Therefore, watch this space for my update on my review for this book sometime in the Autumn.

One things for sure, it certainly looks like another page turner from the synopsis that I have read!

The Survivor by

Gregg Hurwitz (2012)

This is a stand alone book, but one that has you hooked straight away from the very first sentence.

Gregg is another one of my favourite crime authors because I always like a book that jumps straight into the action with lots of twists and turns.

In "The Survivor", a man is about to jump off the side of a building, to commit suicide, but just as he's plucked up the courage to do so, he suddenly hears gun fire directly below him. Obviously natural instinct means that curiosity gets the better of him and he is curious to what is happening in the building he is trying to throw himself off.

Will he jump, or will he go and investigate what is happeneing? But more importantly, which is the safer option?

The Old You by

Louise Voss (2018)

"The Old You" is a stand alone book. 

Louise Voss is another author who I have personally met at a 'Meet the Author Event', held by Warwick Books. I really enjoyed listening to her pitch "The Old You". She read an excerpt from this book and I was immediately hooked. Louise has a beautiful way of telling a story and this book was brilliantly written.

What is this book about? A married couple are going through a very troubling time as Ed, the husband, has been diagnosed as having early onset dementia, shattering all of their future dreams. But then Lynn's mind also starts to forget things, exacerbating the whole situation.

I won't say anymore on this book as I am afraid that I'll give the plot away. But this is another definite MUST.

The Last Stage by

Louise Voss (2019)

This is Louise Voss's latest stand alone book.

I personally don't think she has enough publicity as she is a true hidden gem in this genre of crime thriller. If I had not have attended the Warwick Books event, I would not have been familiar with Louise Voss's books at all. Hence the purpose of my online blog - to introduce and recommend brilliant authors to readers.

Everyone needs to experience Louise Voss's writing.

"The Last Stage" is about a woman who is being stalked and is beside herself with worry and concern. Then one day a body is found near her home, causing great alarm and upset. Is this a hidden message to her? Is this a sign of things to come? Who can she trust?

Lots of action coupled with a screamingly fast pace, this book will have you up all night.

The Trophy Taker by

Lee Weeks (2008)

This is not only Lee Weeks first book, but also the very first in the Johnny Mann series. The books are set in and around Asia, mostly Hong Kong and Thailand. I have to say, this series is quite educational as it teaches you about gang culture - the triads - and the names of common weapons they tend to use.

Lee Weeks I feel, should have far more publicity as her books are just fantastic. She is another one of my favourite authors that not many people have heard of and I enjoy highly recommending her to readers who like the crime/thriller genre.

"The Trophy Taker" is about a serial killer targeting women in Hong Kong. In steps Detective Johnny Mann. He is the only one with sufficient knowledge about the triads, as his father was killed by them when he was younger. Johnny Mann knows how they work, how they evade capture, how the infiltrate society......and how they wont stop at anything.

This book will certainly have your adrenaline pumping.

The Trafficked by

Lee Weeks (2008)

This is the second book in the Johnny Mann series.

I must state here that only a couple of years ago, Lee Weeks re-released this book, but slightly changed the title to "Trafficked", therefore if you see this on the shelves, it is the exact same book as "THE Trafficked". Dont make the same mistake I did and buy it twice, otherwise you will end up with two books the same - but with just slightly different titles.

"The Trafficked" is centred around children being abducted. Johnny Mann ends up coming on board to lead the investigation when a rich businessman's daughter is kidnapped.

Johnny Mann ends up travelling back to the UK as part of the investigation, but whilst he is there, there is a huge explosion killing many women and children. Sadly they all die due to being restrained, unable to escape when the fire took hold. Were they deliberately killed? Or was this an accident? Why were they all strapped to their beds? Is this somehow linked to Johnny Mann's investigation and if so how? Its a race against time to stop more children being abducted and prevent any harm coming to those already kidnapped.

Death Trip by

Lee Weeks (2009)

This is the third book in the Johnny Mann series.

We are taken on a journey to Thailand and Amsterdam as the investigation starts to gather pace. 

Following on nicely from the previous book, Johnny Mann ends up going undercover to establish where a bunch of volunteers have disappeared to in Thailand. This undercover investigation was prompted by a telephone call he received out of the blue from a lady saying she knew his father before he was killed......and that she has some vital information for him.

What will this information hold? Will it help him investigate the volunteers and find out where they are and what has happened to them before it is too late? He has to act fast in order to gain the answers to all these questions, but most importantly, the answer towards why his dad was brutally murdered when he was a child.

There are many unpredictable twists and turns in this story and I love it as it keeps the fast pace going all throughout the book. 

Kiss and Die by

Lee Weeks (2010)

This is the last and final book in the Johnny Mann series (unless anymore are in the pipeline to be published.)

This is a story set on a female serial killer who's occupation is that of a prostitute, targeting rich businessmen.

Out of this entire series, I would probably say that this is the most gruesome book (for those who like lots of blood and gore in their stories.)

Nicely following on from the previous book, Johnny Mann is left feeling very troubled from his discoveries about his father. This accounts for his deterioration in his health, but then he needs to get his act together quickly as he is needed on this investigation, with 100% focus and concentration. Can he do it?

The killer needs to be stopped, but is Johnny Mann mentally stable enough to do his job effectively one last time? Only time will tell!

NEW SERIES

Dead of Winter by

Lee Weeks (2012)

This was the very first book written by Lee Weeks that I read (out of both series). I discovered my passion for Lee Weeks writing when on holiday in Croatia (there's a bit of a theme developing here in that all the great books I have discovered have been the ones I have found on holiday).

I picked this up in the book exchange room and eagerly opened the cover......I did nothing else on holiday for the next 48hrs, other than read this book. Wow!

I really do prefer Lee Weeks second series of books. I love the Johnny Mann series too and if there was to be another book written, I'd be one of the first to read it, but personal preference is this series which belongs to DC Ebony Willis.

"Dead of Winter" is the first in this series and revolves around the discovery of human remains found in the back of a garden. Ebony Willis is sent to investigate as the killer is still at large, but will she be able to find the killer after so many years and what will the forensic team unearth? Ebony Willis needs to be very careful in her investigation as the key person knows they are after them!

Cold as Ice by

Lee Weeks (2013)

This is the seond book in the DC Ebony Willis series.

This is nail-bitingly tense and a book you cannot put down in a hurry - primarily because Ebony Willis must pretend to be the killers next victim, putting herself in the way of harm.

This is because a womans body was pulled from the local canal in a plastic bag, with her face covered in heavy make up, as if done deliberately, but why?

And then another woman goes missing.....

Can Ebony stop the killer before he strikes again and will she be able to trap him - but live to tell the tale?

I really cannot compliment Lee Weeks enough on her work. She is a brilliant writer and has a real flare for constructing her crime thrillers.

Frozen Grave by

Lee Weeks (2014)

This is the third book in the Ebony Willis series.

A serial killer is on the loose killing women, but are all these cases linked? And who will be the next victim? Will there even be another victim? And what really is the modus operandi of the killer? Can Darby stop them before they strike again?

The reader is thrown straight into the investigation of the first murder.

The storyline is so articulately written that you feel compelled to turn each page, like some kind of addiction as you are left hungry wanting to know more. Can DC Darby McCormick succeed in solving these murders? And why would someone want to kill these women?

Another excellent book written by Lee Weeks.

Cold Justice by

Lee Weeks (2015)

This is the fourth book in the Ebony Willis series.

"Cold Justice" starts with action at the very first paragraph. You are literally dragged straight into the storyline and hooked on what is gong to happen next?

The opening scenes describe a suicide and the story is written around this and why it happened. And then his grandson goes missing.....

There are flash backs to 15 years previously and a rape that had been reported to the local police, but was never properly investigated. All these cases are interlinked, and always comes back to a connection with Cornwall.

There's lots going on in this book so make sure you set some adequate time aside as you will be left wanting to finish this book in one sitting!

Cold Killers by

Lee Weeks (2016)

This is the fifth book in the Ebony Willis series.

It is completely mind blowing from the get go, because the opening scenes are that of Ebony Willis's work partner and very good friend, Dan Carter who is tied up, bound and gagged and about to watch a woman (who we don't yet know at this point, who she is), about to have a knife cut across her throat. Is it Ebony? Is it a realtive of Dan's? Who is it? We need to know.

The story then rewinds 10 days, telling us how Ebony's work colleague and boss ended up in the situation he is in.

The entire story centres around the initial paragraph, building up the suspense all throughout the book, as you become so desperate to know what happens and get back to that scene.

Another book I was jumping up and down to, shouting out with excitement.