Sarah

This is the first book I've read in this series and the first one with an older cast of characters, which is nice.

I worked out the mystery early on and then just wanted to see how long it took for the main character to work it out.

The characters are fun but some seemed a little over judgemental at times but that was eventually sorted. Will be keeping my eye out for the rest of the series because I prefer to read series in order, I'm crazy that way!

Huge thanks to Mary Marks, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

I started this a while ago and for the life of me I can't remember why I put it down, picked it up again today (obviously) and couldn't put it down! It grabbed me and refused to let go.

We follow DI Murphy and DS Rossi as they try to piece together the disappearance of soon to be MP Sam Bryne, as they start the investigation things take a dark, violent and murderous turn and they, along with their team, struggle to figure out exactly what's going on as horrific secrets begin to be uncovered.

The characters are wonderfully well written, the story is engaging with twists and turns and I didn't want it to end!

Huge thumbs up to Luca Veste, I will definitely be checking out more books by him.

Huge thanks to Luca Veste, Simon and Schuster UK Fiction and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Told from the perspective of three different characters; Tom, a True Crime writer, Ian, a Detective Sergeant and Helen, an Investigative Journalist.

Together they are trying to solve 3 crimes; the identity of a burned female body, the disappearance of a young woman and the innocence or guilt of a man in prison for the murder of his lover.

The mysteries, as usual, have twists and turns, some you see coming and some you don't. The end leaves enough open for the next book in the series.

The author weaves the narrative well and the characters are explored enough for you to feel for them and get into their investigation.

I look forward to the next in the series and will keep my eyes open for the first in this series.

Huge thanks to Howard Linskey, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Even though this is the 9th book in the series you get enough background information so you can enjoy the story without missing out on any relevant information.

The mystery has a few twists and turns and is wrapped up well, the characters are fun and believable and the setting is wonderful.

I will be on the lookout for more in this series to see what other scrapes Ellie gets into and get more tips on organising.

Huge thanks to Sara Rossett, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Book 3 in the series shows the group trying to prove Amanda's innocence after the murder of Martin Lane.

Nice to be back with these characters again and to see the relationship between Savannah and Edward moving forward.

Fun mystery with lovely characters and lots of real ale, gotta love the real ale!

Huge thanks to Cheryl Hollon, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

I finished this a couple of days ago and don't know why I didn't review it then but anywho.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy although I do seem to say that about the majority of cosies I read. This, however, was really good, I hated Helene and Keith and thought they needed a good punch in the face, especially Helene.

The majority of the characters are likeable and they're all well written, the mystery is intriguing and the setting is just wonderful, I love books about old houses and their renovation, even though this was more about the wedding and the main characters own personal and professional problems.

I look forward to reading more in this series and to see where the characters go from here.

Huge thanks to Stephanie Blackmore, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't sure what my rating was going to be for this book as I thought it was a slow starter but once I got past the first few chapters it really started to build.

Jericho is still a grumpy bleeder but you can understand why if you read the first book, Haynes is really getting into the swing of things and is getting a real feel for his job.

The action mainly takes place in Switzerland and Oslo but there are scenes in the UK and Paris, it's nice to see Jericho and Haynes out of their comfort zone and having to take orders from other people rather than doing as they want.

The end of the book is wonderful and sets up the third book in the series perfectly, I can't wait to read it and see what happens.

Huge thanks to Douglas Lindsay, Blasted Heath and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

This is such a good cosy mystery! Full of fun, mystery and wonderful characters.

Based on a cruise ship with a Dickension theme we see people dressed as characters in his many classic books, Oliver Twist being the main theme. Plenty of English meals like the full English breakfast (needs bacon on it too), a ploughman's lunch (pickled onions are a must) and toad in the hole (which is awesome), are a welcome addition to the story. I'm English so I may be a little biased!

The characters are fun and well written, the humour is not over the top and the mystery is fun. Overall it's a really good read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Huge thanks to Cindy Brown, Henery Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Fun cosy read, the first in a new series and it was just the right blend of character development, small town charm, mystery and a pinch of supernatural goodness.

Will be reading more in this series as soon as more are released.

Huge thanks to Tonya Kappes, Henery Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Gripping and a surprisingly fast read, the pace is on the go from when you start and doesn't really let up until the final pages.

Jude escapes from her captor after 3 years and thinks that diving back into her job as a homicide detective is the best thing for her, she's still suffering from her kidnapping and when the body of a young girl is found she stops at nothing to find the truth.

There are some twists and the beginnings of a good relationship between Jude and her partner Uriah. I hope this is a series as I want to know what these two get up to next.

Huge thanks to Anne Frasier, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Well THAT was exciting!!

It is a slow build, there's a lot of backstory and moving about in time but it needs it to complete the entire story, there's still plenty of characters and it can get a little jumbled up in your head at times but there's a core unit of characters whose stories you see more.

The proper action kicks in about 45% through and it builds to a violence filled section and dips slightly before it builds to more action and then the end. There's also an epilogue of a few chapters so all is kinda tied up.

Really, really enjoyed it despite the odd parts that dragged a little. Will have to re-read The Passage soon, now I know what to expect from Justin Cronin and his jumping in time thing.

Huge thanks to Justin Cronin, Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

This is the sort of light hearted book I love to read when I need a break from the heavier books I usually pick up.

Humorous, emotional, informative and a very good read. We learn about Bo's childhood and the family and friends who moulded him into the person he was to become when he grew up and became a vet, all the animals he's fixed and all the weird situations he's found himself in plus all the eccentric characters he's come across in his career.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, fun and easy read.

Huge thanks to Bo Brock, Greenleaf Book Group and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

4 stars

Huge thanks to Shawn Reilly Simmons, Henery Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

More about the mystery than Penelope's job, it's mentioned a couple of times but doesn't overshadow what she's trying to accomplish or the murderer she's chasing.

Fun characters who you enjoy reading about and with some of them being actors and actresses they were written about as more down to earth and ‘real' than they could've been portrayed.

I want to read the rest of the series as I really enjoyed this and want to see what else Penelope can get herself into.

Another wonderful read from Michael Hambling. I absolutely love this series, Sophie Allen has grown more as a character since the last book and talks about her breakdown and illness because of it and even though she's still vulnerable the team she has around her and the support for her family help her through the transition back to work.

It's wonderful to see a transgender character introduced as not everyone is usually included in a crime/mystery book and if they do they don't end up in the best light or it doesn't end well for them.

These books just keep getting better and better and I eagerly await book 4 which, I believe, is coming out later this year!! Cannot wait!

Huge thanks to Michael Hambling, Joffe Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

5 stars

Huge thanks to Robert Bryndza, Bookouture and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another stunning read from Robert Bryndza! After all the murder and mayhem in The Girl in the Ice you may think that it couldn't be beaten but this, this takes it up an extra notch.

A man is found naked in bed suffocated with a bag on his head. Is it a hate crime? Sexually motivated murder? Or something altogether different? That's what DCI Erika Foster and her team have to figure out, hopefully before another murder occurs.

I love Erika, she's a strong female character who does her job and occasionally disobeys orders when she knows that her instincts are right. I still hate Sparks, with a fiery passion that is further inflamed when he smirks, he needs that wiping off his face!!

The characters are well written, their stories flow nicely and everything comes together within the twists and turns. To write a twisted serial killer who you feel sympathy for is hard to do but here it is done extremely well.

Bravo Mr. Bryndza, you've written a cracking novel and I am eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.

5 sharp teeth

Huge thanks to Kurt Anderson, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Told from multiple perspectives (including the massive and multi-toothed predator) this is the sort of book I absolutely love and don't find ones this good very often.

Plenty of violence, blood and gore and an awful lot of water. All characters are fleshed out and you feel for the humans but I also felt for the creature too (that's just how I roll!)

If he writes anymore books that are like ‘creature feature' I will definitely be reading them. So very good!!

3.5 stars

Huge thanks to Daniel Palmer, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all I did enjoy this book but I felt it could've been two separate books in a series.

The main story could've been about Nadine and what happened with her and Angie's story could've been the background one leading up to a shocking conclusion that's followed by another book where she delves deeper into her families past.

But no, that's not how it happens and I think it may have worked better if it did.

Don't get me wrong, the stories are good and both mysteries give you that ‘I know what happened' feeling whether you guess right or wrong, but it felt a little rushed at times for me.

I will pick up more books by this author and see what they're like.

5 stars

Huge thanks to Janet Finsilver, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have yet to read the first book in this series but you get just enough info from this to know the previous story without detracting from the mystery at hand.

The characters are well written (I seem to put that a lot but I wouldn't say it if it weren't true!), the descriptions of the B and B's and surrounding area are lovely and there's dogs, gotta live a good cosy with dogs in it!

A few mysteries interlink in this story with Kelly and the ‘Silver Sentinels' on hand to get them solved and find the killer.

I look forward to the next book in this series.

4.5 stars

Huge thanks to Shani Struthers, Crooked Cat Publishing and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

While not as creepy as Rise to Me this still has that wonderful unsettling feeling to it.

More of a mystery to this one too, the storylines twist and move about and you can pick up on where they may be heading. We learn more about the back stories of the characters, Ness mostly this time, and it's done very well, as is all the writing about them all.

I still love Jed, he's wonderful!

I eagerly await a 4th story in this series because there's still so much more, I'm sure, about the characters that we don't know.

5 stars

This was much creepier than the first book, much, much creepier! It was darker too and instead of sleeping (which I should've been doing at 2am) I continued on with this because I had to see how it would end.

The characters are drawn out even more and you get to know more of their back stories especially that of Ruby and Jessica, you find out what happened all those years ago and you hope that everything will be ok in the end, that they'll face their ‘demons' and be able to move forward.

It's took me a little longer than I wanted to get to this but now I've finished it in on track to finish 44 Gilmore Street before it's released on Friday. I have high hopes it will be just as good as this one.

5 stars

Huge thanks to Edith Maxwell, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy, a good mystery with well written characters and some nasty ones too.

Even though it's the 4th in a series you don't have to have read the other 3 to enjoy it, you get bits of info about the back stories of the characters but nothing to leave you on the back foot about anything.

The story moves at a good pace and has a good mix of the mystery, Cam's life and her relationships with the other characters. The story also ends with a glimpse of what may be to come in the next book.

3 stars

Huge thanks to Sandra Bretting, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always on the hunt for new cosy mysteries as I really enjoy reading them, some are excellent, some not so much, this is solidly in the middle for me.

Missy is a fun character and I was surprised at her age because she seems written as someone older. Bo is a good foil for her but is very underused, I like to see the relationship between the main protagonist and his/her best friend/partner and how it develops and grows as the story continues.

There are a lot of suspects and sneaky goings on but the mystery seems to be over very quickly and then their ‘main jobs' take centre stage.

I like a good mix in a cosy, mystery, fun characters, relationships, humour etc and this one fell a little short for me. I'll read the next one in the series and see if the mix is better. Hopefully.

5 stars

Huge thanks to Maddie Day, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another cosy I really enjoyed! A good cast of characters, wonderfully described settings, fun mystery and recipes. Can't go wrong with that!

The mystery build up is well done, enough clues dotted about to help you piece together the murderer and a couple of action scenes.

The relationships between the Robbie and her friends, customers and family is written well and there's a good mix of the story at hand and the back stories of all the characters.

4 stars

After reading The Passage I kinda knew what to expect with this one and by that I mean the backwards and forwards in time thing that can confuse the heck out of you.

There are so many characters but some are from ‘the time before' and you just have to try and keep them all where they're supposed to be.

The little strings of the various times do merge to move the story forward and you get those ‘oh yeah' moments with regards to family and friends of the characters.

I enjoyed this book and will be picking up The City of Mirrors shortly as I want to know how this all plays out.

4 stars

The characters are well written and likeable, Jed is my favourite, a gorgeous ghost dog. The story is nowhere near creepy enough for me but it's a nice story with a good mystery to solve.

I have the second book which I will start soon so I can get to the 3rd which is released next week.

I'm intrigued as to what will happen in the next book.