Bring Me Back – B A Paris Book Review

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis – The Disappearance
Twelve years ago Finn’s girlfriend disappeared.

The Suspicion
He told the police the truth about that night.
Just not quite the whole truth.

The Fear
Now Finn has moved on.
But his past won’t stay buried….

My Thoughts – I downloaded this as it was the daily deal on Amazon. This book is about Finn, a man who 12 years ago lost his girlfriend in France following an argument. She has never been found – he has moved on with her sister. But things have been coming to light to indicate that Layla, the first girlfriend, is alive.

Never have I been so confused by a book – in a good way. It really messed with my head and I couldn’t work out which way this plot was going to go. I did work out around halfway through what I thought would happen – and it did eventually happen – however I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the different narrations and the going back and forward in the time lines. A very enjoyable listen.

Rating – 4/5

The Forth Friend – Joy Ellis Book Review

Format – audiobook

Synopsis – Crimebusting duo DI Jackman and DS Evans are back, solving another crime that will make your skin crawl.

Police detective Carter McLean is the only survivor of a plane crash that kills his four best friends. He returns to work, but he is left full of guilt and terrible flashbacks. So for each of his four friends, he decides to complete something that they left unfinished.

Eighteen months before the crash, Suzanne Holland disappeared, leaving a room with traces of blood but no other leads. Suzanne was the wife of one of Carter’s four best friends. Adding to the pressure, the boss’ niece has a stalker. Due to the sensitivity of the Holland case, Carter is put on this investigation.

DS Marie Evans is the only person Carter can confide in. But even she begins to doubt whether he can really cope and whether he is actually losing his mind. DI Jackman and DS Evans of the Fenland police face a battle to untangle three mysteries, and can they really believe their friend and colleague Carter?

My Thoughts – I am loving this series of books set in the Lincolnshire Fens. This is the 3rd book in the series and I’m going to be sad when there is no more left to read!

This book is more about Marie Evans than Jackman as opposed to the first couple of books and it was good to have a bit of difference in the series. I did wonder for a while how the missing person plot and Carter McClean were going to tie in together and I was a little frustrated with it to start with. However I enjoyed how the two sub plots became one plot in the end. The ending was very sad too – I wished that there could have been a different outcome but I understand why it happened that way.

The next book is released on audible on 15th February and I’m very much looking forward to it!

Rating – 4/5

The Secret Child – Kerry Fisher Book Review

Format – audiobook

2018 book

Synopsis – You can run from your past, but it will always catch up with you…

Susie was forced to do something she will always regret. Everything that led to the choice she made had to be buried and forgotten.

Her secret echoes down through the years, tainting everything it touches. Her husband wonders why his wife is so distant. Her daughters can’t understand their changeable mother.

Susie knows her past is pushing her family apart, and the guilt is eating her up, but she can’t escape from the consequences of what she has done. No-one but Susie knows the whole story, and when her daughters discover a piece of the puzzle, she must face the question she has struggled with for most of her life:

Would the truth bring them back together, or break them?

My Thoughts – I downloaded this on audible as I’m really enjoying thrillers and this sort of genre at the minute. This book is about Susie a woman who lives in England and how one event can shape not only her whole life but all those others around her. It was quite a thought-provoking book about how you could be married to someone and not quite know everything about them and the guilt that you could feel from one tiny little secret.

This book was the first that I had read by this author and I really enjoyed it – I’d definitely want to read more.

Rating – 4/5

Whiskey From Small Glasses -Denzil Meyrick – Book Review

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis – DCI Jim Daley is sent from the city to investigate a murder after the body of a woman is washed up on an idyllic beach on the West Coast of Scotland. Far away from urban resources, he finds himself a stranger in a close-knit community.

Love, betrayal, fear and death stalk the small town, as Daley investigates a case that becomes more deadly than he could possibly imagine, in this compelling Scottish crime novel infused with intrigue and dark humour.

My Thoughts – I downloaded this book on the 3 for 2 audible offer a few weeks back. thrillers are fast becoming one of my favourite genres of books and I’m very much enjoying listening to crime thrillers.

This book centres on DCI Jim Daley – a Scottish detective that is asked to investigate a gruesome murder in a small rural village. It also tells a lot of his personal life – in the form of his relationship with his wife Liz. I didn’t understand to start with why this was talked about in detail but as the book went on I started to grasp why.

This book was ok – i enjoyed the plot and I did work out who was the murderer fairly early on and there was a good few plot twists too. Overall a good story – I might continue the series in the future if I come across it as its book #1 of 5 in the series.

Rating – 3/5

The Murderers’ Son – Joy Ellis * Book Review *

Format – audiobook

Series – DI Jackman #1 (although #2 by audible)

Synopsis – Crimebusting duo DI Jackman and DS Evans are back, solving another crime that will make your skin crawl.

Twenty years ago: a farmer and his wife are cut to pieces by a ruthless serial killer.

Now: a woman is viciously stabbed to death in the upmarket kitchen of her beautiful house on the edge of the marshes.

Then a man called Daniel Kinder walks into Saltern police station and confesses to the murder.

But DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans of the Fenland Constabulary soon discover that there is a lot more to Daniel than meets the eye. He has no memory of the first five years of his life and has a rather unusual obsession with his mother….

Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you gripped until the shocking ending.

My Thoughts – I had this book on pre-order as I enjoyed the first book on audible (Their Lost Daughters) so much!

This book is a return to DI Jackman and DS Evans and the Fen murders. As I’m originally from that area it appeals to me a lot as I had a really good idea of the area in which it was set and recognised a lot of places that were discussed. In this book another brutal murder has taken place and they have a confession from a man but no evidence to back up his story.

The plot was really good – full of twists and turns again and although I had managed to work out the plot it really didn’t ruin it for me – it was brilliant! I am really enjoying this authors books. The next one is released on Audible in December and it is already on my wish list. I can’t wait for more – very enjoyable.

Rating – 4/5

Halfheros – Ian W Sainsbury

Series – Halfhero #2

My thoughts on Healfhero #1

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis – The world’s only superhero was discovered in 1969. No others were ever found. Until now.

With Station destroyed and their friends dead, might Daniel and Abos finally be allowed some peace? Yeah, right.

Daniel’s talents are needed by a UN department taking on the bad guys, including rogue halfheroes. Abos is searching for more of her species. She soon finds she’s not the only one looking. There’s a new threat that no one saw coming. And halfheroes are being targeted.

When Daniel goes missing, it’s down to Abos to find out what’s going on and try to stop it. Her only chance of success means risking everything she’s gained since she stopped being The Deterrent.

Meanwhile, Daniel’s staging a breakout from the most secure prison ever built, but what’s waiting for him is even worse. It’s time for Daniel to find out if he’s a halfhero or a real hero.

My Thoughts – As I had enjoyed #1 in the series I downloaded the second book to listen to. This book is about Daniel and what happens after Station was destroyed and what happened to Abos after the events of the last book. This was a really good book again, the plot was really good and the characters were really good too.

 

I also enjoyed the narration of this book again. It took me forever to get through this but no fault of the book – I decided to have the baby in the middle of the book and as I tend to listen to audiobooks in the car I didnt really go anywhere for a couple of weeks!

I’ve just seen on Amazon that the final book in the trilogy is available so I’ve just added it to my library. The author has also written another series – the World Walker series and I’m going to listen to this aswell as I really enjoyed the writing style!

Rating – 4/5

Differently Morphous – Yahtzee Croshaw * Book Review *

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis -A magical serial killer is on the loose, and gelatinous, otherworldly creatures are infesting the English countryside. Which is making life for the Ministry of Occultism difficult, because magic is supposed to be their best kept secret.

After centuries in the shadows, the Ministry is forced to unmask, exposing the country’s magical history – and magical citizens – to a brave new world of social media, government scrutiny, and public relations.

On the trail of the killer are the Ministry’s top agents: a junior operative with a photographic memory (and not much else), a couple of overgrown schoolboys with godlike powers, and a demonstrably insane magician.

But as they struggle for results, their superiors at HQ must face the greatest threat the Ministry has ever known: the forces of political correctness….

Differently Morphous is the latest and greatest tale to emerge from the mind of writer (and narrator) Yahtzee Croshaw.

My Thoughts – I brought this book on audible as it was the daily deal a couple of weeks ago and I thought that it would be the sort of book that would really appeal to me. I do enjoy magical/young adult type books however for me it wasnt as good as I was expecting.

I really struggled to get into the plot of this and I got a little bit confused with the different characters. I think the main issue for me is that it isnt a book that is to be taken too seriously and for me I struggle with the writing style and humour in this type of book.

The overall plot was good – a little like if the world found out that there was a Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter but I just struggled with the sub-plots.

The author does narrate this book so it was nice to hear the book read by the author – I always find this quite interesting and it seems like the author has written more books.

There are lots of positive reviews for this book on amazon so I think its probably just one that I couldnt agree with.

Rating – 2/5

The Visitor -K. L. Slater * Book Review *

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis – When Holly moves in to Baker Crescent, a quiet suburban street she causes quite a stir. Beautiful, talented, and friendly, it doesn’t take long for her to charm the other residents. But why has she left the bright lights of the big city behind and settled in with Cora, a lonely old lady who is delighted to offer her visitor a place to stay?

The neighbours are fascinated by Holly and watch her from their windows every opportunity they get. Just when Holly has begun to feel at home someone sees something that they shouldn’t – something that’s impossible to ignore.

What is Holly hiding? And are the dark secrets from her past going to put them all into terrible danger?

My Thoughts – I downloaded this book a couple of weeks ago as it was on the audio daily deal and the thriller genre is really appealing to me at the minute.

This book bounces between three main characters, Holly, David and Cora. Holly has moved back to Nottingham after living in Manchester for a while and falling on hard times. She moves in with a little old lady called Cora, who also has a secret. David lives next door and he has a different outlook to others in life.

Throughout the book you find out what has made the characters the way that they are and what has happened to them in the past. I did enjoy listening to there back stories and it explained why they are like they are.

The ending was really good and it wasnt something that I was expecting too.

This is the first book by the author that I have read/listened too but I would listen to more. It was also narrated very well.

An overall good book.

Rating – 3.5/5

Their Lost Daughters – Joy Ellis * Book Review *

Format – Audiobook

Synopsis – Introducing Audible Exclusive Their Lost Daughters, the first in the Jackman and Evans crime series, written by Joy Ellis, Audible’s breakthrough crime author of 2018.

Deep in the muddy fields of the Lincolnshire Fens, a teenage girl is found wandering, delirious, claiming to have been drugged at a party. Metres away, the drowned body of another girl is found on an isolated beach. And all this on a small stretch of land where, nearly 10 years ago, the shocking disappearance of a young girl remains an open case.

For DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans, the pressure is on to bring the perpetrators of these shocking crimes to justice. Are the crimes linked? Who are these young girls? And what on earth is going on under the green and pastured land of the Lincolnshire Fens?

An Amazon Kindle number one best seller, Their Lost Daughters by Joy Ellis is performed by the incredible Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) and available exclusively at Audible. Be prepared for your pulse to rise and your nights to be disturbed as our breakthrough crime author of 2018 weaves her dark web of mystery. Perfect for fans of Sarah A. Denzil, LJ Ross and Denzil Meyrick.

My Thoughts – I’ve recently got into listening to audiobooks while I’m driving and this is the first fiction book that I’ve actually listened to in a very long time.

This is about two detectives Jackman and Evans and them trying to solve a few crimes set in the Lincolnshire Fens. This book really appealed to me as I live not too far from the Lincolnshire Fens (well I used too) so a lot of the areas mentioned and villages I was a little bit familar with.

This book was brilliantly written – every time I thought I had worked out the plot it twisted and turned again and I was left with more questions to be answered. Thankfully at the end of the book everything was tied up however it kept me guessing to the very end. I was almost sitting in the car at the end of every journey just waiting to hear more and more!

It was also narrated brilliantly – I have come across some audiobooks and while they sound really good the narration puts me off – but this was brilliant.

Joy Ellis has written more books in this series – the next to listen to according to audible is The Murderer’s Son which isnt out on audible for another few weeks (16/10/2018) but I’ve already pre-ordered it!

There is also another series that she has written based in the same area that I’m also going to buy to listen to.

An amazing book that I cant wait to get more into this authors works!

Rating – 5/5

The Secret Barrister – The Secret Barrister Audiobook Review

Synopsis -“I’m a barrister, a job which requires the skills of a social worker, relationship counsellor, arm-twister, hostage negotiator, named driver, bus fare-provider, accountant, suicide watchman, coffee-supplier, surrogate parent and, on one memorable occasion, whatever the official term is for someone tasked with breaking the news to a prisoner that his girlfriend has been diagnosed with gonorrhoea.”

Welcome to the world of the Secret Barrister. These are the stories of life inside the courtroom. They are sometimes funny, often moving and ultimately life-changing.

How can you defend a child-abuser you suspect to be guilty? What do you say to someone sentenced to ten years who you believe to be innocent? What is the law and why do we need it?

And why do they wear those stupid wigs?

From the criminals to the lawyers, the victims, witnesses and officers of the law, here is the best and worst of humanity, all struggling within a broken system which would never be off the front pages if the public knew what it was really like.

Both a searing first-hand account of the human cost of the criminal justice system, and a guide to how we got into this mess, The Secret Barrister wants to show you what it’s really like and why it really matters.

My Thoughts – I’ve recently got into listening to audiobooks as I travel a lot for work at the minute and this is probably the first one thats hooked me in.

This book is about a barrister who is almost blowing the whistle on what happens during the court and the justice system in the United Kingdom. I really found this fascinating as I had many of the misconseptions that were stated in the book. For example, that a barrister could lie if they knew there defendant was guilty. (They cant!)

It was also fascinating learning about the history of the justice system and how it has become what it has today. It was also very shocking the examples of miscarages of justice that have happened and probably will continue to happen due to budget cuts and people not doing there jobs properly.

This was a really good book and one that I would recommend. It was really well read too and I really enjoyed it.

Rating – 4.5/5