The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben

 

Having read two of Coben’s books, I now know what to expect: the plot is never straightforward. Minor roads of twists and turns feed into the plot highway, confounding and confusing, while the suspense builds towards an explosive—and usually unexpected—ending. Magic.

Here*, a viciously bullied teenager goes missing. What could that possibly have to do with a controversial politician running for president and the man determined to stop him? Throw in Wilde, who had a decidedly unique and unusual start in life, and…well, who knows? (See About the Book below.)

Coben does. That’s his exceptional skill. He takes seemingly unrelated threads, tangles them up, throws in a few more twists for good measure and then, somehow, makes the whole lot come together. Clever, sharp and immensely readable.

I’m now on to my fourth Coben—Wilde #2. I think I can say quite emphatically, I’m absolutely hooked.

*Provided by NetGalley

See Also:

I Will Find You
Run Away

Run Away by Harlan Coben

 

I read my first Harlan Coben about two years ago (I Will Find You), which was enough to give me a voracious appetite for his books (especially after the Netflix dramatisation of the same book). So, I’m now on a bit of a Coben bender.

This* had the same maze of plot twists and turns. The same intensity and intrigue. And the same superb quality of writing. Coben makes it so easy to get completely immersed from the very beginning.

This is a story (See About the Book below) of the lengths parents will go to save and protect their daughter from the grip of drugs, addiction and extremely bad choices. But her (new) world is beyond anything they could have imagined and the discoveries are dangerous and life-changing.

Well plotted, well characterised and brilliantly executed with a ‘well, I wasn’t expecting that’ ending. Took me all of a nanosecond to open the third of my stops of my Coben tour.

*Provided by NetGalley

See Also:

I Will Find You

Death Sentence by Rob Kaufman

 

Interesting question, isn’t it? What will people say about you at your funeral? That’s exactly what Ethan wonders. (See About the Book below.) Only, he decides to stop wondering and puts a very controversial, if not, as some might say...immoral...plan into action to find the answer to that very question. It’ll be fine, though. Once he’s heard what he wants to hear, he can put a stop to it all.

But dangerous plans have dangerous, unexpected and spiralling consequences.

Kaufman can’t put a foot wrong...ever. Or should I say, write a wrong word! He dragged me into the story* from the get-go, had me constantly guessing how the story would turn out (and I kept getting it awfully wrong, of course), glued me to my reading sofa and reminded me why he’s an absolute master, if not genius, of the tense, twisty, psychological thriller. Whether or not I liked Ethan is up for debate—but how much I loved the book is most certainly not.

*Provided by BookSirens

See also:

A Broken Reality
Altered
False Faces
One Last Lie
Silent Shadows
Twisted Truth

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz

You’re in for a long ride with the Atticus Pünd cases—they’re books within books, puzzles within puzzles, and the skill lies in keeping you avidly turning pages right to the end. Mission accomplished by Horowitz.

Susan Ryeland, now back from her Greek island life and trying to piece her life together, finds herself editing what is meant to be the final Pünd novel. The original author is long gone (Moonflower Murders fans will know the history), but a bright young—if rather troubled—writer steps in to take up the mantle. Naturally, nothing goes smoothly when an Atticus Pünd manuscript is involved. (See About the Book below.)

I’m a great admirer of Horowitz’s writing and everything of his I've read (so many more to read!) hasn’t disappointed me yet. If I have one teensy niggle, it’s that there were a lot of nods and acknowledgements at the end—even the bookseller got a wave, so I do hope the most important nod, which seemed to be missing...the one to the reader...was an accidental omission. It’s a tiny quibble in an otherwise hugely enjoyable read.

Clever, twisty, and hugely enjoyable. A must for Horowitz fans.

See Also:

Moonflower Murders
The Twist of a Knife

Tell the Truth by Karen Fitzgibbon

 

I've read and enjoyed two books by this author so I really didn't have to think hard about picking up a third.

What a corker this* is. About a quarter in, I was convinced I’d sussed the plot. Well, I absolutely hadn’t, of course. The twists, turns and just enough misdirection make this a superbly tense and compelling thriller.

It’s another case for the tenacious PI Lana Bowen. She’s sharp, persistent and impossible to ignore when something feels off. Fitzgibbon really knows how to build suspense and keep you gripping the edge of your seat. (See About the Book below.)

A slightly tighter edit wouldn’t have gone amiss (spelling errors/missing words/incorrect character name), but nonetheless, an edge-of-your-seat and thoroughly enjoyable read.

*Provided by BookSirens.

See also:

Never Look Back
The World's End

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

I didn’t realise this* was YA when I picked it up (not my usual go-to), but it hooked me straightaway.

One minute, Avery’s a normal (though financially disadvantaged) teen, the next she’s heir to a billionaire’s (Tobias Hawthorne) entire fortune and living in a mansion that’s basically a giant labyrinth—complete with four Hawthorne grandsons, who are less than impressed by her presence. (See About The Book below.) It’s fast, fun, and full of twisty riddles that make it very hard to put down.

My only real complaint is the cliff-hanger ending. I like a little pre-amble warning before I’m left dangling. However, the characters, plot and without doubt the writing, are intriguing enough to keep me going because I (along with the grandsons, their mother and anyone who was disinherited) need to know why Tobias Hawthorne chose Avery.

I’m looking forward to the sequel, but I would just say that while the author’s acknowledgements thanked everyone except the neighbour’s cat, the readers, without whom a book goes nowhere, didn’t get a mention. I hope that was just an oversight.

*Provided by NetGalley

The Woman with no Prints by Cai J. Patson

 

Oh my days. Oh. My. Days. That’s it, that’s my review.

Seriously, though, this* has you in its grasp from the very first paragraph: nail-biting, tense, suspenseful, gripping edge-of-your seat stuff. In short, first-class.

Melinda Forrester has endured trauma all her life, and she’s learnt not just to survive but to focus her fury on predators the law sometimes seems far too keen to protect. Enter Melinda with her own particular brand of justice. (See About the Book below.)

This is the first in a trilogy, so there are a few loose threads at the end. Normally, that annoys me if it’s sprung on the reader, but in this case, fair warning was given here, so no nasty surprises.

Patson is a seriously good writer. Her attention to detail is second to none, and while I’m waiting with bated breath for books #2 (and #3!), I can’t help thinking Melinda is destined for the big screen. 

Flippin’ brilliant.

*Provided by BookSirens

Imminent Risk by S. Lee Manning

 

About eighteen months ago, I read Deadly Choice by Manning, which is an impressively paced, compelling novel, so I plunged into this* with great enthusiasm. Despite being the fourth in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone; any necessary context is woven in seamlessly without disrupting the flow of the story.

This is the very definition of unputdownable (See About the Book below). The writing is sharp and confident, the characters feel fully alive, and the tension never lets up. From page one to ‘The End’, it’s a gripping, edge-of-your-seat ride that completely pulls you in and refuses to let go.

An intensely absorbing and satisfying read, and one that’s persuaded me not to leave such a long time before returning to Manningland and certainly more Kolya Petrov thrillers.

*Provided by BookSirens

Someone is Lying by Heidi Perks

I've read one other book by this author…Now You See Her…which I enjoyed but was disappointed by bad editing. Happily, the editing in this* book is much, much better. However, it is let down by the use of the present-tense narrative. It let the book down.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it (See About the Book below): it focuses on an intolerable dilemma a mother faces in order to protect her daughter.

Perks writes really well with credible and relatable characters. I found the ending delightfully unpredictable: I really didn't see it coming, despite all my guesses. This all ensures I'll pick up another book by this author, but please, oh please, avoid present-tense narrative!

* Provided by NetGalley

See Also:

Now You See Her

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

 

I can't quite make up my mind about this story* about two best-friend podcasters, Benny and (narcoleptic) Joy. Though hugely successful at what they do, the sudden disappearance of Joy and her husband, Xander, becomes a national mystery and, of course, of intense interest to their many avid followers. See About the Book below.

It's written in the present-tense narrative (bad choice) and peppered with chapters of Joy's draft memoir, which chronologically recounts events leading up to the time of the disappearance. I found this messy, and it took a minute to realise where in the course of events you were. The flow was not smooth and sometimes rather overworded.

It's a decent enough story, but I couldn't engage with the characters. I found them slightly frustrating. The best-friend relationship hovered very annoyingly at the gate of something more serious, and it takes the whole book to establish where this relationship should (although obvious) be.

As a first novel, it's commendable, but I felt it needed ironing out.

*Provided by NetGalley

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

I balked a bit when I saw how long this* book was, so I hoped it would keep me enthralled to the very distant end.

It didn't. It's a story (see About the Book below) encompassing nearly a hundred years, but it jumps about erratically. One minute we're in the early nineteen hundreds, and then we're in 2005. And back to 1975 and after that maybe back to 2005 or 1913 or even 1900. Or we could quite possibly not bother going back to any particular year and just read a fairy tale or two that the author decided we had to read because one of the main characters, Eliza Makepeace, was an authoress of fairy tales. All this was messy and frustrating and with a fair cast of characters you sometimes forgot who the heck was who.

None of the cardboard characters were in the least bit likeable or relatable, Eliza's sacrifice was beyond unbelievable, and the story just dragged on and on (and on) with just too many unneeded words. As for the included fairy tales, they are just a waste of your reading time.

I've reached the end of many books with 'oh no, I don't want this to end'. Ironically, this book never seemed to end, and I so wished it would. The misery was finally topped off by the author's acknowledgements that didn't even include a thank-you to her readers. They are the ones to whom any author owes his/her success the most.

*Provided by NetGalley

             

The Murder at World's End: #1 (Stockingham & Pike) by Ross Montgomery

 

The minute I 'met' Decima (see About the Book below), I knew I was going to like her. A Miriam Margolyes of the early nineteen hundreds! I want to be like dear old Decima when I'm 80, that's for sure.

Young Stephen Pike not only finds himself in Cornwall in the home of a viscount after being released from Borstal, he's also nominated to be the 'carer' of quite a force of nature: Decima Stockingham, the family matriarch. Together, they form a somewhat chalk-and-cheese sleuthing pair when a seemingly unsolvable murder takes place in the viscount's stately home.

Stephen's voice is very endearing and really quite charming, whilst Decima doesn't hold back. At all.

This* was a sheer delight from start to finish: extremely well-written, thoroughly entertaining, with a gosh-I-wasn't-expecting-that ending. Just perfect.

The '#1' tagged onto the title suggests there will be a #2. I do hope so…I can't wait.

*Provided by NetGalley

Shadows of Truth by Barry Finlay

 

Having read three of the Jake Scott mysteries, it was with great eagerness that I dived into this, the fourth.

As homicide detective Dani Perez's gentle sidekick and romantic partner, retired investigative journalist Jake and her make quite the sleuthing couple. In this, they are getting to the bottom of a murder (or two) on the ocean waves: Jake is a reluctant…very reluctant…passenger on a cruise that Dani persuaded him to 'enjoy'. (I'm with Jake on this one!)

Despite having to battle with jurisdiction protocol and some rather stormy weather (I'm very definitely with Jake!), the pair unearth some likely suspects, but when it gets extremely personal, there's no stopping them.

These crime thrillers are an immense pleasure to: there's always a well-written, meaty plot that runs alongside the very endearing growing relationship between widower Jake and Dani. 

'The End' left me sad to have to leave Jake and Dani's company but avidly waiting for their next adventure...on terra firma, I hope, for Jake's sake.

See also:

Just Keep Climbing
Searching for Truth
The Burden of Darkness
The Guardians of Truth
The Secret Truth

Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt

 

This* was a fun diversion from my usual diet of crime thrillers.  It's a very entertaining tale about the two major elements of existence, death and life, personified. 

Death and Life are sisters, would you believe. Like most sisters, they bicker, sometimes hate each other, but mostly can't do without each other. 

Death has been in charge of every single death over quite a few millennia and is singularly unimpressed when she learns of three 'unplanned' demises: ones she didn’t know about.  Investigation is therefore essential.  This entails a bright, mismatched, eccentric wardrobe, some unexpected friendships and some rather dicey situations, even for Death. See About the Book below.

Quirky, darkly comic but wonderfully entertaining. 

Just a little note to Ms Dapunt.  In your very comprehensive list of acknowledgements (pet dog included), where was that nod to your readers?  Whilst all your helpers are important, where would you be without readers?  Food for thought.

*Provided by NetGalley

False Faces (Edge of Fear Series) by Rob Kaufman

 

You can write a review of Kaufman's books before you've even read them because of the inevitability: it will be excellent, gripping and flippin' brilliant.

This* is, obviously, all of the above. One of Kaufman's (many) talents seems to be managing to make you think you are reading a very long book when in fact, it isn't. Inside 260 perfectly constructed pages, there's War-and-Peace-length tome busting to get out. Carefully chosen words masterfully put together give you an enthralling plot full of suspense and captivating from start to finish.

This is the first in a new series (Edge of Fear): an agoraphobic author is put through a reign of terror by a stalker (see About the Book below). I'll be honest, I did suss out the perpetrator fairly early on, and the ending wasn't a total surprise: as I neared the finale, a (correct) possibility did cross my mind. But, but, but, this didn't spoil my enjoyment one jot, not a one. The journey was just as thrilling, exciting and satisfying.

*Provided by Book Sirens

The Cleaner by Mary Watson

 

Well, gosh. This* has everything: revenge, tragedy, drugs, domestic abuse, deceit, violence, obsession, death, bribery and…believe it or not…love and passion. The whole kit and caboodle. See About the Book below.

I loved it. It kept me glued to the pages (well, my Kindle!) and with all the twists and turns, guessing until the final pages.

It's dark, it's deep, it's tense and the suspense builds as you peel back the layers of secrets and lies to reveal why Esmie, the cleaner wriggled her way into cleaning three homes. Three homes owned by three families of very particular significance to Esmie.

I'm a bedtime reader and couldn't wait to go to bed and devour this book for an hour before lights out.

*Provided by NetGalley

Murder at Church Lodge by Greg Mosse

 

This* is a gripping and entertaining cosy murder mystery. It's well-written, suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable.

Maisie is our amateur, would-be Miss Marple (a much younger version!), trying to piece together the events that led to her estranged brother's murder, helped by the policeman with whom she'd been at school and whose soft spot for her all those years ago is still there. See About the Book below.

The cast of characters is diverse and the clues lead you down many different paths. The seventies setting brought back many memories of those miserable power-cut days!

It's well strategised and well paced and brought to a gentle conclusion, but I am now curious if Maisie and her policeman ever pick up where they left off so many years previously. I was very pleased to discover that this new-to-me author has written other Maisie Cooper mysteries, so I shall enjoy familiarising myself with them all.

*Provided by NetGalley

The Protest by Rob Rinder

 

I love a book you can't wait to pick up at any free moment but is also one you don't want to finish because you enjoy it so much.

Rinder's books are those books. Not only a qualified barrister, he's an extremely entertaining TV personality. As it happens, he's also an outstanding author.

This* is the third in the Adam Green series: a newly qualified barrister, who, in this, is defending a young activist accused of killing a very prominent artist with cyanide-laced spray paint (See About the Book below). It's hugely enjoyable, superbly written with excellent character choices. Adam continues to be a meticulous and thorough barrister, and the dialogue between him and his doting and uber-proud mum is pure class. It's nail-biting until the jury's verdict right at the end, but just when you think it's all over, there's the tiniest, tiniest prospect that it might not actually be 'The End'.

It's a promising hint that there is going to be a book number 4. I do hope so.

*Provided by NetGalley

See Also:

The Suspect

The Trial

The Suspect by Rob Rinder

 

Rob Rinder is one of those TV celebs I never hesitate to watch. He has a wry and intelligent sense of humour and a dry wit. This qualifies him to be a very entertaining writer. His first Adam Green book was very engaging, and I couldn't wait for the next. I must have snoozed because I suddenly spotted number three was available, so of course I had to rush over to Amazon to buy this, book number two!

A brilliant sequel, just as well written (well, just a few punctuation and grammatical errors), just as compelling and masterfully plotted and characterised. The dialogue between Adam and his doting mum that punctuate the drama are just excellent.

The fact that Rinder is a qualified and esteemed barrister just ices this literary cake…the authenticity envelops the courtroom drama to very credible effect, all without bombarding the reader with legalese. It's wonderfully easy to read and understand.

I waited all of five seconds to start the third in the series.

See Also:

The Trial

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C. L. Miller

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Miller's debut novel, The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder, so of course I was really keen to read novel number two.

We're back with Freya and her wonderfully exuberant and ostentatious Aunt Carole as they search for stolen antiques under the mantle of their fledgling stolen-antiques agency, a side line to their antiques shop. It's an exotic pursuit this time, as they join a cruise to Egypt and Jordan.

It's every bit as enjoyable as the first novel, so very well done to Miller for another perfectly executed book. There is a 'but', though. Too many Americanisms, such as 'gotten', 'afterward', and other American spellings (marvelous instead of marvellous) I found that rather jarring. They didn't sit well in a British-authored novel. Perhaps it was the Canadian editors who were used? Although I'm not so sure who was responsible for overlooking 'an river', and phrases like 'she looked at him from under her eyelashes' belong in a trashy chic lit. (Does anyone actually look at anyone from anywhere else?)

That aside, this* is well written, well characterised and well plotted. I'm ready and waiting for more Freya and Aunt Carole adventures (un-Canadian edited).

*Provided by NetGalley

See also:

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder