No Turning back - Tracy Buchanan

About the book...

You’d kill to protect your child – wouldn’t you?

When radio presenter Anna Graves and her baby are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her daughter.

But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister.

A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the ‘Ophelia Killer’, responsible for a series of murders twenty years ago.

Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgivable, if committed to save your child’s life…? 

About the author...

Tracy Buchanan is a web journalist and producer who lives in Milton Keynes with her husband, their little girl and their one-eyed Jack Russell. 

Tracy travelled extensively while working as a travel magazine editor, sating the wanderlust she developed while listening to her Sri Lankan grandparents’ childhood stories – the same wanderlust that now inspires her writing. 

Find out more about author Tracy Buchanan

Web Page: Tracy Buchanan
Twitter: @TracyBuchanan

My thoughts...

I was given a copy of No Turning Back by Harper Collins, Tracy Buchanan's publishers in exchange for an honest review something I'm more than happy to do.

Wow, where to begin?  This was a real page turner and captured my imagination from the very first few pages.  Tracy's perception of life, bitterness, jealousy and shear shocking horror is so vivid my heart beat faster for practically the whole book.  

The story begins as Anna returns to work from maternity leave to her job as presenter co-hosting a radio chat show, featuring hard hitting, gritting phone-ins.  A job she loves and is good at.  Tracy captures the emotions perfectly - the dead on your feet barely functioning aspect of any new mother returning to work who see-saws between wanting to be at home with her child and needing to be back at work for herself.  Add to that she has recently become a single parent and is facing the spiteful jealousy of a bitter colleague.  Oooh how I loathed Heather from the very first words she uttered!   

At the end of that first day back at work, Anna is exhausted but glad to be getting back to work.  She takes her customary, nightly walk over the beach out to the lighthouse, owned by her grandparents to say goodnight to her beloved grandfather who's life ended, tragically on the rocks beneath it.  Heading for home, Anna and daughter Joni encounter a situation that proves to be life changing.  Not just for them but a whole community.  A community that was rocked on it's heels twenty years ago is once again facing tragedy so awful it's unthinkable, literally everybody touched by it but none more so than Anna.

It was at this point that I thought OMG - I can't read this, the storyline had just taken a dramatic turn, it was shocking and rocked my equilibrium.  The sun was shining and I had turned one page too many into a dark, twisted place with no where to run.  It was so close to the beginning of the book I knew it had to get worse before it could get better and boy did it!

Tracy Buchanan is without doubt one of the best writers I've read that can write in such a shocking way, yet you're compelled to read on - I felt like I was living Anna's world, I really was the fly on the wall - seeing and hearing everything, my heart rose and fell in total sync with the tempo of the book and so many times I wished I could un-read the words.  But for me, the brilliance was in Anna's inner voice, the conversations in her head that play out as thought processes as she decides what to say, who to trust, what to do  Nobody really seems to listen or understand. 

No Turning Back has clearly been researched to a tee.  Tracy has demonstrated through media and that of a small community how word of mouth and the written word can twist and turn what was actually said or done.  Public opinion changing in a blink of an eye. 

Anna's strength of character comes across - many would have crumbled with all that she has to face and the support she gets or doesn't get is surprising. The characters in this book aren't always likeable and in fact aren't always what they seem.  She doesn't know who to trust or who to turn to - her sole focus is that of a mother, the lion like nature kicking in, facing demons far worse than she ever thought possible in her pursuit of the truth.

In case you haven't guessed, I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it - it's a psychological thriller with a plot that is so intricacy woven it will leave you guessing right until the end.  So many times I had my theories blown like dandelion clocks in the wind and when the answers come with the end of the book you like me will sit back open mouthed and words will fail you - a book with an unthinkable storyline running through it that will make you sit back and be thankful it was just a book, it's not real - yet it so easily could be!

Tracy, thank you - such a vivid, capturing book that will stay with me for a long time to come.

We”ll Always Have Paris - Sue Watson

Is it ever too late for a second chance at first love?

About the book… 

A charming, moving second-chance love story for fans of Thursdays in the Park, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Last Tango in Halifax.

Does first love deserve a second chance?

When she was almost seventeen, Rosie Draper locked eyes with a charismatic student called Peter during their first week at art college, changing the course of her life forever. Now, on the cusp of sixty-five and recently widowed, Rosie is slowly coming to terms with a new future. And after a chance encounter with Peter, forty-seven years later, they both begin to wonder ‘what if’ . . .

Told with warmth, wit and humour, We’ll Always Have Paris is a charming, moving and uplifting novel about two people; the choices they make, the lives they lead and the love they share.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: We’ll Always Have Paris

About the Author...

Sue Watson was a journalist on women's magazines and national newspapers before working in a career in TV where she was a producer with the BBC. She has published six novels, her most well-known being Love, Lies and Lemon Cake. Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives in the Midlands and writes full time.

Contact Links: 

Twitter: @suewatsonwriter

Website: www.suewatsonbooks.com 

My thoughts…

Where to begin?  It's no secret how much I love Sue Watson and her writing - she has characters that are engaging and so very true to life. Stories that provide the perfect amount of escapism but you don't have to totally suspend belief - they're realistic, touching and heart warming with a generous helping of fun and laughter to counter balance the more serious aspects.

We'll Always Have Paris is a story packed tightly with love, family. friendship, and hope.  It's about a family drifting through each day without a rudder to guide them.  Mike, husband to Rosie, father to daughters Anna and Isobel passed away, taken by the dreadful curse that is cancer; just six short weeks after diagnosis.  

Married for over forty years Rosie is struggling to get back to normal.  A year has passed and she realises that she has to start to regain some normality in her life, to do things for herself and begin living again.  She goes back to work in the florist shop she owns and runs with her daughters.  She finds just being out of the house is a big enough step for her to begin with - the thought of facing everyones sympathy face to face is too much so she takes a role in the background preparing the flowers for a big wedding.

A chance meeting whilst accompanying Anna to deliver the wedding flowers with a man, who as a teenager was the love of her life literally knocks Rosie for six. Peter is equally reeling, they haven't seen each other for over 40 years.

I can only imagine the tug of love played out in Rosie's mind as she was drawn to Peter and the 'perfect' memories of teenage love, then the heart stopping guilt because she feels she shouldn't be happy because the man she married is dead.  After all she's a widow and is still grieving.  Feeling immense guilt because she loved Mike, but he wasn't the love of her life. That was Peter, something Mike always knew but he still loved and cherished her all the same.  

The more I read of this book the more entranced I became.  Through this book Sue demonstrates how grief and grieving is a process.  There isn't a rule book and it can also be a positive thing.  Somehow, grief can empower people, giving purpose, focus as a result of reflection - this was certainly the case for Rosie.  

Grief affects us in different ways and takes differing amounts of time for people to come to terms with their loss. The wanting and needing to move on versus the guilt for being the one left behind enjoying life is all too apparent as Rosie struggles with her inner self.  At the same time she also has to consider the feelings of her daughters.   They're so busy looking out for their mother their own grief is on hold.  It's a complete role reversal that though well meant, in the end comes across as patronising - they have become the parent and she Rosie, the child.  

Through Rosie Sue demonstrates how we often look back at life through rose tinted glasses, remembering the good bits and erasing from our memories the worst bits.  It's easy to forget that young people have fewer commitments and don't often look beyond the here and now so everything was perfect then. Peter's re-arrival in Rosie's life is the catalyst, the turning point for Rosie.  When shrouded in grief she could only see herself as a widow.  With Peter back in her life, a friend to share happy memories with she finds the strength and begins the process of taking control of her life, stepping back into the shoes of her other roles.  That of Mother, grandmother and daughter. Connecting with her daughters on a much closer level, sharing her past and the events in her life that have shaped her. 

We'll Always Have Paris has a strong storyline that each and everyone of us can relate to.  It has family at the heart of it, led by a mother who always has her children's best interest at heart. The connection and understanding between mothers and daughters not always evident until they too become parents and face the same challenges - loving and protecting them, making decisions based upon experience. The older characters were perfect for this story about reflection, the dynamics of family life and taking second chances - with age comes maturity and understanding.  We all, I'm sure, can remember a time when we couldn't understand our parents reasoning and thought they was just being deliberately mean or awkward but as mature adults, perhaps as parents ourselves suddenly 'see the light' and get it.  It's a book that highlights the need to take chances, to live your dreams as we only have one life after all - life is too short and we shouldn't lose sight of our own hopes and aspirations whilst nurturing those of the people closest to us - it is still possible to achieve them whilst helping others achieve their own. Grief shouldn't be, but is often is the thing that gives us a kick up the bum to live our lives a little fuller.

I just loved this book, it's taken me three hours to try to put into words how much I loved it and I'm still not happy, I haven't done it justice.   It's such a thought provoking, reflective story told from the heart.  I smiled and savoured the raspberry macaroons - thank you Sue! Whilst at the same time laughing to myself as I thought about the many texts I receive off my daughter on a weekly basis, checking up on me - asking me where I am, what time I'll be home and telling me to ring when I arrive somewhere.  I'm not quite sure when I became the child and my daughter the mother but it has slowly happened in this house too!

The Skeletons of Scarborough House - Kitty French

About the book...

An absolutely hilarious, totally entertaining, spookily sexy read that you won't be able to put down!

Life’s tricky for Melody Bittersweet. She’s single, she's addicted to sugar and super heroes, her family are officially bonkers and ... she sees dead people. Is it any wonder no-one’s swiping right on Tinder? 

Waking up lonely on her twenty-seventh birthday, Melody finally snaps. She can’t carry on basing all of her life decisions on the advice of her magic 8 ball; things have got to change. 

Fast forward two months, and she’s now the proud proprietor of her very own ghostbusting agency – kind of like in the movies but without the dodgy white jumpsuits. She’s also flirting with her ex Leo Dark, fraternising with her sexy enemy in alleyways, and she’s somehow ended up with a pug called Lestat. 

Life just went from dull to dynamite and it’s showing no sign of slowing up anytime soon. Melody’s been hired to clear Scarborough House of its incumbent ghosts, there’s the small matter of a murder to solve, and then there are the two very handsome, totally inappropriate men hoping to distract her from the job… 

Welcome to Chapelwick, home of the brand new and hilarious Girls Ghostbusting Agency series, where things really do go bump in the night. 

About the author...

Kitty French lives in the Black Country with her husband, two young sons and two crazy cats. She’s a lover of all things romantic - songs, music, and most of all, books. 

Her USA Today best-selling Lucien Knight series topped the erotic chart on both sides of the pond, and she also writes romantic comedy as Kat French for Avon, HarperCollins. She's over the moon to join Bookouture with her brand new paranormal romantic comedy series, Melody Bittersweet and the Girls Ghostbusting Agency.

My thoughts...

I was given an ecopy of this book by Kim at Bookouture, Kitty French's publishers, in exchange for a review on the final day of Kitty's Blog Tour.  Where to begin, Kim told me way back she'd read an absolutely amazing book and I should read it 'you'll love it' she said.  Love isn't a strong enough word!  This book was an absolute delight - I found myself laughing out loud and sitting with a stupid grin on my face from the very first page.

Melody Bittersweet was born into a 'different' family to say the least - her grandmother, mother and herself all live and work together with dead people - they all have the gift? Affliction? of seeing ghosts.  

Melody is single, addicted to chocolate and cakes and reaches a crossroads in her life on her twenty seventh birthday - time to flee the coop and strike out on her own setting up her own business.  Her mother and grandmother need ghosts to pass on messages, find lost items and generally comfort people.  Melody decides she's going to be a modern day ghostbuster - getting rid of unwanted ghosts and desperately seeks the blessing of her family.   

And so begins Melody Bittersweet and the Ghostbusting Girls - well girls and one boy! Melody is joined in business by a whole host of characters that can only be described as a bag of revels - each one completely different - love them or not they compliment each other perfectly.  There's best friend Marina, Glenda part-time office manager to herself and her mother, Babs the company vehicle with more than a little character and Artie - the member of staff she didn't know she needed until she had a message from his dead father. 

This has got to be one of the best feel good books I've read in a long time.  Different to anything else I've read with colourful, vibrant characters that play off each other.  Each and every chapter is filled with humour, fun and laughter alongside a murder mystery with a difference and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.  Kitty French really has used artistic licence in writing this book and to find out it's part of a series is just brilliant.  Doctors should prescribe this book as the perfect, tongue in cheek tonic that wouldn't fail to lift even the lowest spirits - no pun intended :D.  

Until the next time...... thank you Kitty.

My Girl - Jack Jordan

About the book...

Paige Dawson: the mother of a murdered child and wife to a dead man.  She has nothing left to live for… until she finds her husband’s handgun hidden in their house. Why did Ryan need a gun? What did he know about their daughter’s death? 

Desperate for the truth, Paige begins to unearth her husband’s secrets. But she has no idea who she is up against, or that her life isn’t hers to gamble – she belongs to me. 

From the bestselling author of Anything for Her, Jack Jordan's My Girl is the new chilling thriller that you won't want to miss.

About the author...
Jack Jordan lives in East Anglia, England. He describes himself as an introvert disguised as an extrovert, an intelligent person who can say very unintelligent things, and a self-confessed bibliomaniac with more books than sense. 

Author of Anything for Her and My Girl.

I love connecting with other readers, so don't hesitate to add me as a friend. Let's talk books! :-)

My thoughts...
I was given an ecopy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review, something which I am more than happy to do.

Where to begin? This is a shocking tale of a woman, Paige who thinks life can't get any worse - her daughter was murdered at fourteen identified by her fingers found in a river but with no body to bury, the case still unsolved and a husband who committed suicide in the bath. Paige is lurching from day to day in a drunken stupor, surviving on wine, fags and prescription drugs. For what reason she doesn't know - her life really is not worth living.

I read this book in an afternoon at sea, a relaxing holiday read it was not but, I was literally glued to the pages. There were times when I wanted to put the book down but that was never going to happen - My Girl was intensely gripping. 

Jack's descriptions of both people and scenario's was superb.  The characters complex and haunting.  Paige a shell of a person, nothing left of her but a bleeding heart, needing something/someone to drag her out of the abyss. To her mother-in-law with her brittle, biting her lip calm like manner unable to reach Paige and feeling her own pain which she was holding in check - just. Then there was Paige's homely, but emotionally crushed father.  I could have wrapped my arms around him, I visualised his sad, woeful eyes knowing he was as crushed as Paige but not able to shake her out of slump. Maxim her older brother, sitting quietly on the sidelines, bailing her out when necessary, reading her the riot act and retreating until the next time. Their mannerisms and actions played like a cinema reel across my eyes as I read.  

There are twists and turns in this book that are shockingly graphic and highly emotive with the major twist causing a jaw dropping OHHHHHHHH.  I literally never saw that coming and didn't want to deal with it when it did.  If you think Paige is living in hell at the beginning of the book by Part II you'll despair, my stomach literally dropped.  

Jack Jordan hooked me with his synopsis and reeled me in with the story - he is definitely an author to look out for. I'm still reeling now a month after reading it and can honestly say nothing I've read recently has come close to this.  I highly recommend Jack Jordan and My Girl - utterly brilliant and powerfully shocking.  What's next Jack?

How to Find Love in a Bookshop - Veronica Henry

About the book...

Nightingale Books, nestled on the high street in the idyllic Cotswold town of Peasebrook, is a dream come true for booklovers. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open. The temptation to sell up is proving enormous - but what about the promise she made to her father? Not to mention the loyalty she owes to her customers. 

Sarah Basildon, owner of stately home Peasebrook Manor, has used the bookshop as an escape from all her problems in the past few years. But is there more to her visits than meets the eye? Since messing up his marriage, Jackson asks Emilia for advice on books to read to the son he misses so much. But Jackson has a secret, and is not all he seems... 

And there’s Tomasina, painfully shy, who runs a pop-up restaurant from her tiny cottage. She has a huge crush on a man she met and then lost in the cookery section, somewhere between Auguste Escoffier and Marco Pierre White. Can she find the courage to admit her true feelings? 

How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia’s fight to keep her bookshop alive, the customers whose lives she has touched - and the books they all love. 

Published in Hardback by Orion Books 16th June 2016, £12.99. Also available in ebook and audio. 

About the author...

Veronica Henry has worked as a scriptwriter for THE ARCHERS, HEARTBEAT and HOLBY CITY amongst many others, before turning to fiction. She won the 2014 RNA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD for A NIGHT ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Veronica lives on the coast in North Devon with her sons. 

For more information on Veronica Henry 

Visit her website www.veronicahenry.co.uk

Follow Veronica on Twitter @veronica_henry

See Veronica’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/veronica- henry author 

My thoughts...

I was offered a copy of How to Find Love In a Bookshop in exchange for an honest review by Elaine Egan, Publicity Manager at Orion Books, something which I am more than happy to do.

This was a touching book that was a pleasure to read.  Emilia, finds herself alone with big decisions to make.  Her father, Julius was a single parent to Emilia and his love of books and their ability to soothe and enlighten was a gift which he passed onto his daughter. Sadly, How to Find Love In a Bookshop begins with the death of Julius and the reality that Nightingale Books is now Emilia's responsibility, bringing with it problems and the one person who she always leant on and sought advice from - gone.

Nightingale Books is a responsibility that she wants to take up but when the reality of the challenge facing her is presented in black and white it becomes a challenge that may be that step too far.

Veronica sensitively conveys Emilia's feelings and her grief, that was at times all consuming.   I really felt for Emilia as she dealt with the huge tug of love that was Nightingale Books.  She realises the bookshop is struggling financially but initially not quite how bad. Grief is a terrible thing that effects us all differently and for Emilia the yo-yoing between decisions is made harder when she arranges a memorial service for her father and practically the whole community wants to take part. The emotional strain of dealing with the desire to keep the bookshop open for her fathers sake, but realising it appears to be a hopeless case so she should sell up is all too evident.  

Emilia slowly begins to realise that perhaps she isn't all alone.  The love and genuine support given and received by Julius and subsequently Emilia was evident with each and every character introduced to us.   Nightingale Books really was at the heart of Peasebrook and to close it down would be like ripping the heart out of the community.   I felt strongly that Emilia should keep it open and willed her on with each chapter.  Every time I thought she had made a positive decision to stay open something would happen to change her mind and I genuinely felt saddened by this.  

I loved this story, at times it was sad and I felt quite emotional but at others found it to be an uplifting read that made me smile and wish for the chance to walk through the doors of Nightingale Books. The descriptions were so vivid I could smell the books and see myself stroking the spines as I chose my next read, wanting to be a part of a community that has a bookshop playing a pivotal part in the community.   Thank you so much for this beautiful read.

House of Dreams - Fanny. Blake

About the book...

It's only a long weekend - what could possibly go wrong?

'House of Dreams is a heart-warming tale of secrets slowly revealed and family tensions in a beautiful Spanish setting. A compelling and delightful read' - Santa Montefiore

In the hilltop villa with its spectacular views across rolling countryside to the straits of Gibraltar, Lucy anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and sister.

They’re spending the weekend together to say farewell to Casa de Sueños, the house in the mountains of southern Spain where they grew up.

Her sister, Jo, landing at the airport with her fractious four year old, dreads the prospect of this time with her family which will fulfil their mother’s last instructions that they celebrate her birthday together. Only this time their mother won’t be there.

Tom, their brother, remembers the chaos of his bohemian upbringing and wants nothing more than for their stay to go off without a hitch. Then a beautiful face from his past appears at the villa . . .

Over one long, hot week weekend, past secrets will spill out, making the siblings question themselves, the choices they’ve made and where their future lies in this gorgeous new novel from Fanny Blake.

About the author...

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing fiction and general non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written several bestsellers and acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities. She is also Books Editor of Woman and Home magazine. Her novels include The Secrets Women Keep (Orion) and With a Friend Like You (Orion).

My thoughts...

I was sent a copy of House of Dreams by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Something that I,m more than happy to do. Jo, Tom and Lucy, siblings, are heading to their family villa -  a place of happy memories for one last holiday in remembrance and at the express wish of their recently deceased mother.

This is such a lovely book, a story that explores the dynamics of family life. The stereotypical dynamics of sibling rivalry - it never ends but is taken mostly as banter and not personal.  Three children, now adults - three very different characters who don't realise that deep down they actually beat from the same heart and share the same values.  

This was a beautiful story, woven around a setting that from the cover of the book alone just oozed warmth, lazy days, sunshine and smiles - a happy book despite the reason for the visit.  Jo, Tom and Lucy come together to have one last holiday in a house that holds so many happy memories - they are to scatter their mother's ashes, party one last time in her memory - unsure exactly who will turn up and then divide the contents and move on. Something that each of them was dreading.

I loved how Fanny created so many stories within the story and managed to tie them all up nicely over the course of just one long week-end. Each of the siblings at stages in their lives where decisions needed to be made, three very different characters who don't always share the same opinion nor strength of character.  Tom who seems to let his wife and family ride rough shod over him.  Jo, madcap and funny but devoted in her role as single mother to daughter Ivy and lastly, Lucy, the swan - gliding gracefully on the surface taking everything in her stride and paddling like mad underneath.  I simply loved how each thought they couldn't cope or move on without their mother to guide them - little realising that the quality time spent together would unearth some secrets and change opinions not just about each other but themselves too and from this gain the strength to help each other.

I was so looking forward to this book and Fanny Blake delivered ten fold - if you like reading about the intricacies and dynamics of family life and everyday real life situations then you'll love House of Dreams.  It's not all candy floss and gloss, it delves into real life situations and I can guarantee you'll form opinions on each and every one of the characters and for most you'll change that opinion.  First impressions are not always what they seem because the family, very much like most of us, puts on an outward face. Using it like armour to portray a positive image and to protect.  Fanny taps away at the chinks until the real characters with their vulnerabilities are uncovered.  Each of them giving and receiving the love and support of each other, strengthening them individually and as a trio.  Ultimately the memories of their mother, the secrets they uncover brings questions and answers that give them the strength to carry on - the passion to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past. It really was such a good read. I highly recommend this book to everyone as a light read that delves quite a bit deeper than you'd probably expect.

Play Dead - Angela Marsons

About the book… 

The dead don’t tell secrets… unless you listen. 

The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess. 

Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime. 

Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next? 

As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …? 

Buy Links: 

About the author… 

Angela discovered a love of writing at Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.

Angela wrote the stories that burned inside and then stored them safely in a desk drawer.

After much urging from her partner she began to enter short story competitions in Writer's News resulting in a win and three short listed entries.

She used the Amazon KDP program to publish two of her earlier works before concentrating on her true passion - Crime.

After many, many submissions Angela was signed in a 4 book deal to http://bookouture.com as their first crime author.  Her first book SILENT SCREAM was published in February 2015 and was an #1 Amazon best seller.

Contact Links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriteAngie
Bookouture: http://bookouture.com

My thoughts…

Angela's latest book Play Dead - absolutely, definitely was on my list of must read books, I literally couldn’t wait to start.

Play Dead is the fourth book in the D.I. Kim Stone, detective, thriller series and is equally as gripping and terrifyingly, breathe holding as the first.  As ever, Kim is on the hunt for a serial killer, this time the case is discovered whilst visiting a body farm.  Kim identifies a newer body than those she's there to look at and so begins the hunt for the person who has brutally murdered a young girl, dumping her at a supposedly secret to the public location.  Westerley research facility is studying the decomposition of the human body by natural elements and insects - my stomach is still turning at the thoughts and images evoked whilst reading this book.  Yet, Angela has the knack of delivering just the right amount of detail to be realistic, stopping just short of the need to have me committed to a secure unit as a gibbering wreck.  

Play Dead is very similar to the rest of the series in that the main character is a constant.  Kim Stone is still the brash, matter of fact, hard nosed inspector hell bent on solving a crime - breaking the rules, yet knowing just how far she can push her boss and her team before pulling back.  She has the knack of shutting out the here and now and getting under the skins of the victims and everyone around her.  Despite the gruelling pace she expects her team to work under it's clear they have her back - working a mind numbing number of hours when necessity calls.

Angela Marsons, in Kim Stone drives the narrative at an alarming rate, I literally couldn't put this book down.  Just how many bodies were going to be discovered in the same shocking manner before the case was solved?  This had me reading faster and faster. If I read quicker and got to the end, perhaps I'll save a few people - shocking, unbelievable but it's how I felt.  She really does get under your skin, with characters that are flawed but likeable.

As ever when reading a crime book I like to second guess which character is the guilty one. In Play Dead I guessed, second guessed, third guessed and sat with just pages to go with my mouth open - totally shocked.  At one point I partially guessed but then dismissed the whole idea as ridiculous.  I didn't see that ending coming at all.  The characters are complex and all seem to have a side we as the reader are not privy to, hence questioning everyone's motives. 

I can't tell you how massively brilliant this book and whole series is.  Each could be read as stand alone books but by reading the whole series you'll get a greater insight into what makes D. I. Kim Stone tick.  She really is a multi-faceted, diamond of a character. Sharp, shiny and at the top of her game - four books into this series and there are a few smoothed edges, almost as if she's becoming comfortable with her readers so revealing more of herself.

I can only say if ever I had the need of a detective that would leave no stone unturned and rip the clues apart in pursuit of a serial killer - Kim Stone would be the first, in fat only person I'd call.  Thank you Angela for another book of escapism that is just that little bit too close to reality to ever be a comfortable read - I like the edge of seat, heart hammering experience you provide - until the next time.