I'm 47, married to Steve (50), Mum to two (24 & 23) and a Shih Tzu called Bella (13). I'm our Church Treasurer (on a voluntary basis) since July 2014. I started my Book Blog in October 2015. I created Bowen's Book Publicity in June 2020. I love to #sharethebooklove 💕
It was the most anticipated summer break of their young lives. For Bran Lampshire, that summer of 1986 would be far different. The lure of a wilderness adventure sends him and his friends on a troublesome journey that would see them far from home and into the isolated shadows of the Sleathton Estate. In a forgotten land where nature thrives, an unexplained mist settles upon the shaded grounds. And stories were told of events so chilling, they were forcibly buried over time.
Lose yourself beneath the endless trees. And discover that legends are sometimes so much more than ghost stories.
Amongst The Mists is a brilliant read. I got stuck into it over the weekend and found myself increasingly absorbed in the story.
We follow Bran, Marcus, and Jack as summer begins and they ride off into the woods. I admired their sense of adventure although there is no way I would have let my children do that at their age. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with it now to be honest and they’re in their twenties. Lol! This was the 80s though and times were very different then.
The lads are all excellent characters. The banter between them is sometimes laugh out loud funny. Typical boys of that age but all with very different personalities. They are also very brave. Braver than I would ever be. What they experience that summer is nothing short of terrifying.
This book has a very ‘Stand By Me’ feel about it for me. It gave me goosebumps. I loved it!
I can’t wait to read what M.L. Rayner writes next.
Honour among thieves. Keep your enemies close. Loyalty is everything.
When DI Allie Shenton is called out to a murder suicide, it quickly becomes clear that it’s a double slaying, and there is a killer on the loose. The bodies are found in a property owned by local entrepreneur/drug dealer Kenny Webb. Several young women are staying there, they are refusing to talk and one of them is missing.
While she waits on forensic evidence, Allie decides to do what she does best. She takes to the community to see who will talk. Right now, she’s the only one who can get answers. But then a third murder rattles everyone. Another known dealer is taken out.
With lives and lies being twisted, Allie needs to work out how everything is connected. It’s clear someone is out to finish things. Can she and her team rid the streets of Kenny Webb and his gang of merrymen, once and for all? And in doing so, stop the top man, Terry Ryder, from getting out of prison?
Set within the gritty streets of Stoke-on-Trent, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery with an emotional pull.
Twisted Lives is the sixth book in the Allie Shenton series of crime thrillers from the million selling British author, Mel Sherratt, is perfect for fans of Helen Durrant, DS Butler, LJ Ross, Angela Marsons, Joy Ellis, Rachel McClean, Caroline Mitchell and Meg Jolly.
‘A gritty, authentic, fast-paced read that you won’t want to put down.’ Caroline Mitchell
‘Mel Sherratt is the new queen of gritty police procedurals.’ C L Taylor
‘Sherratt is a unique voice in detective fiction.’ Mail on Sunday
‘I love all Mel Sherratt’s books.’ Ian Rankin
Twisted Lives (Allie Shenton 6)
By Mel Sherratt
My review
Twisted Lives is a brilliant addition to the awesome DI Allie Shenton series. I have LOVED it! I was so sad to hear it is to be the last.
Catching up with Allie and the team always feels a bit like catching up with old friends. They’re such a good bunch! I love the professional relationships they share as well as the close friendships that have developed as a result of working so closely together. They do make an excellent team. I’d certainly want them on my side if I needed help from the local police. And they are local to me as I live in Stoke-on-Trent. Well, close enough, in Newcastle-under-Lyme. I love it when I recognise the place(s) mentioned in a book. At the very beginning Smallthorne roundabouts are mentioned which are very near to where my dad and step mum live. For me, this always adds to the excitement of Mel Sherratt’s books.
People are at the heart of this story. People are always at the heart of Mel Sherratt’s stories. The team as well as the public they serve. This is one of the main reasons they are so gripping in my opinion. I find myself invested in the characters every single time, especially the vulnerable ones who find themselves dragged into dangerous situations for fear of what might happen if they refuse to comply. There are some proper dodgy characters in this book, some we have known from the beginning of the series. Some who seem to think they own the city and everyone in it. I’m sure there are people like this living not far from me, or from most of us for that matter. It is a terrifying thought.
Such characters do make for an excellent story though.
This is a fast-paced, gritty, crime thriller which kept me on the edge of my seat once again.
I loved how Grace is still involved too.
I also love how Allie and her husband are now helping the community in a much more personal way. Such a sweet ending.
I really hope Mel changes her mind and brings Allie and the team back again at some point. I’d love that.
**Many thanks to Mel Sherratt for my review copy – my apologies for taking so long to publish my review**
An informant goes missing after disclosing to DS Martin Draker, of the Northwest’s Regional Organised Crime unit, that a corrupt police official is importing heroin from India.
Field analyst, Cath, is investigating an upsurge in deaths caused by a new drug with similar effects to cocaine.
A body, believed to be that of the missing informant, is discovered in a burned-out car, along with a note threatening further deaths if the police don’t back off.
Cath launches a TV appeal warning of the dangers of Sky White. The gangster, Dan Manning, is incensed; she could kill the new drug’s market before it gets going.
Before Manning has a chance to stop her, the police must catch him before the body count rises.
Inside Threat: DS Martin Draker: Book 1
By Roger A Price
My review
Inside Threat is an excellent start to a new series!
This book has an intricate plot which grabbed my attention from the start and kept me intrigued throughout.
Dangerous drug dealers are not only targeting vulnerable addicts but are also willing to do anything to stop the police from hindering the sale of their synthetic cocaine substitute which is causing horrific side effects in those who use it.
Fast-paced, full of action, tension, and suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The lead characters are all very likeable. I’m going to enjoy catching up with this team as the series progresses.
I very much recommend to all who love a good crime thriller.
Looking forward to book 2!
**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my advance review copy**
How many times is too many times when it comes to saving the world?
Two years ago, Paul, Sabrina and their friends stopped The Consortium from inflicting a massive drone strike designed to provoke World War III.
Thinking the bad guys are defeated, they try to relax, but faced with constant home invasions to steal vital information they hold, are forced back into action. Dealing with secret hostels, black ops gangs, and corrupt politicians is never easy – but finding out the original threat was only the beginning, and that the drones are back and deadlier than ever, means they’ll need to regroup and start again.
Can they save the world once more, or will The Consortium finally get the war it wants?
The rag-tag gang returns in this action-packed sequel to A Guy Walks into a Bar.
A Girl Walks Into A Bar
By Mick Williams
My review
I absolutely loved A Guy Walks Into A Bar so I was SO excited when I found out there would be a sequel! Mick Williams is one of my favourite authors. I have loved everything I have read of his. All his books are so different but are equally excellent. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
A Girl Walks Into A Bar is just as brilliant! I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Paul, Sabrina, Lennon, and Monica. They are all such awesome characters! Having said that I don’t think I’d feel safe hanging out with them as they don’t seem to get much peace for very long. Honestly, I was exhausted reading this book. SO much action! Fast paced would be an understatement.
The foursome saved the world once before and no one could deny they make a fantastic team. I would definitely want them on my side in an emergency. Now they face serious danger again, but they face it with the same courage, determination, and a cracking sense of humour. I did find myself laughing out loud at times. Given the nature of the story and what the characters are put through that is quite a talent!
I mostly found myself holding my breath and praying.
An easy five stars for me!
**Many thanks to Mick Williams for my review copy**
How can a memory so vivid be wrong? In the summer of 1986 Robin and Izzie hold hands under The Faerie Tree and wish for a future together. Within hours tragedy rips their dreams apart. In the winter of 2006, each carrying their own burden of grief, they stumble back into each other’s lives and try to create a second chance. But why are their memories of 1986 so different? And which one of them is right? With strong themes of paganism, love and grief, The Faerie Tree is a novel as gripping and unputdownable as Jane Cable’s first book, The Cheesemaker’s House, which won the Suspense & Crime category of The Alan Titchmarsh Show’s People’s Novelist competition. It is a story that will resonate with fans of romance, suspense, and folklore.
The Faerie Tree is an absorbing read. I have thoroughly enjoyed Izzie and Robin’s story. It’s a fascinating tale of love, loss, and acceptance of a life that is how it was meant to be. I found their differing memories of the same situation quite fascinating. It is funny how our minds can alter our memories to protect ourselves from pain.
I can’t say that I found Izzie an easily likable character, but I could certainly understand her and empathise with her. She is struggling with her own grief whilst trying to be a good mother to her sixteen-year-old daughter, Claire, and battling with her own conscience over reuniting with Robin.
Robin I warmed to much more easily. I can’t really say why, I just did. I’m not sure if it’s just me or if the author intended for him to be more likeable of the two. Either way, I think it’s a testament to his character how patient he is with Izzie.
This book is so full of raw emotion. It maintains an air of mystery throughout and I found it a very difficult book to put down.
I very much recommend!
I will be adding Jane Cable’s other books to my TBR list.
I can’t quite believe I started my little blog seven whole years ago!
Thank you if you’ve been with me from the start. Thank you for reading if this is the first of my posts you’re seeing. Thank you for all the likes, comments, and shares along the way. You’re all awesome!
Here’s to another year of fabulous books, fabulous authors, and hopefully more fabulous events along the way.
Jenny has just given birth to the baby she’s always wanted. She’s never been this happy.
Her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can’t be his. He’s never felt so betrayed.
The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She’s crazed with grief.
When chance throws Hannah into Leo’s path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them.
Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known – and her own life – in grave danger. Because some people will go to desperate lengths to protect the secrets their lives are built on . . .
Wow! What a story this is! It certainly kept me glued to my Kindle late at night.
When we meet Leo and Jenny they are about to have a baby, but Leo knows the baby isn’t his. Jenny doesn’t realise he knows that.
When Jenny gives birth she is besotted with her little girl. Leo isn’t so enamoured, but he keeps his thoughts to himself so as not to rock the boat. He needs Jenny to be able to continue doing what he loves. He’s a writer and Jenny’s steady income and second property means he has had the luxury of focusing solely on his writing career. He is determined to become a best seller. Leaving Jenny isn’t an option if he wants to succeed. He is not a likeable person.
My heart went out to Jenny. I can’t even imagine how anyone would begin to move on from the trauma she suffers after just giving birth.
My heart went out to Hannah also, at the beginning. The grief she suffers is unimaginable too. Nothing can justify what she does next though. Her life collides with Leo’s in the most spectacularly twisted way, and she takes advantage of the situation, seemingly, without a second thought. What follows is horrifying.
Two mothers, two baby girls, stories entwined in a way I could never have imagined.
Keep Her Quiet is a fast-paced, suspenseful novel which had me holding my breath on more than one occasion. An incredibly emotional story, full of twists and turns. And, likeable or not, the characters are all fascinating. I loved it!
Highly recommend!
**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley. I am working my way through my list, slowly but surely**
Chat About Books 