Brick by Conrad Jones - Blog Tour Review

Today I am super excited to be kicking off the blog tour alongside Chelle's Book Reviews for Brick by Conrad Jones. 

Brick 

When a teenager is the victim of an unprovoked attack while walking his dog, a murder investigation begins. A cruel twist of fate makes his innocent family the targets of a vicious campaign of terror. As the detectives of Liverpool’s Major Investigation Team try to contain the violence, several key members of an organised crime family begin to topple, causing shock waves across the world. 

Why was the teenager attacked?

And will the villains be brought to justice? 

My Review

Well, where do I start with this book?

Bryn, the main character, is just a normal 14 year old boy going about his life when a chance occurrence irreparably changes his and his family's life . This book just shows how one moment can completely change everything. Bryn is absolutely lovely and throughout the book I was hoping against hope that things would work out for him. I didn't think I'd get behind a teenage boy as much as I did and that just shows how well written the character is. I actually found all the characters believable in one way or another and DI Braddick was really interesting. 

It was really interesting to see gangs/crime families based in the UK as I think all other gang related books I have read have been based in America. Their workings are so intricate and how each affects the other is fascinating and just incredibly well written. It's also terrifying to think just how much influence some people can have and the lengths some people will go to. The story also shows the extreme grit and brutally of the gangland in Liverpool, so this book is not for the faint of heart! 

Brick is extremely fast paced and I flew through it, following each character and seeing how all the stories intertwine and overlap. It's definitely a hold onto your pants and edge of your seat kind of read and you'll find yourself arguing with the characters when they're doing things that are beyond baffling! There are so many intricate goings on that I just can't do the story justice in any description I can come up with and I definitely don't want to spoil anything by going into too much detail. 

Overall an excellent book and one I just couldn't put down. If you are a fan of grittier and hard hitting crime stories based in the UK, then this book is definitely for you! 

I gave this book 4 stars. 

About The Author

I am Conrad Jones a 50-year-old Author, originally from a sleepy green-belt called Tarbock Green, which is situated on the outskirts of Liverpool. I spent a number of years living in Holyhead, Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee manger with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.

In March 1993 I was managing the Restaurant in Warrington`s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day I was deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime related that I could get my hands on.

I link this experience with the desire to write books on the subject, which came much later on due to an unusual set of circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their leader, John Tankersley, or `Tank`and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on steroids’.  

I had no intentions of writing until 2007, when I set off on an 11-week tour of the USA. The Day before I boarded the plane, Madeleine McCann disappeared and all through the holiday I followed the American news reports which had little or no information about her. I didn't realise it at the time, but the terrible kidnap would inspire my book, The Child Taker years later. During that trip, I received news that my house had been burgled and my work van and equipment were stolen. That summer was the year when York and Tewksbury were flooded by a deluge and insurance companies were swamped with claims. They informed me that they couldn't do anything for weeks and that returning home would be a wasted journey. Rendered unemployed on a beach in Clearwater, Florida, I decided to begin my first book, Soft Target. I have never stopped writing since. I have recently completed my 17th novel, SHADOWS, something that never would have happened but for that burglary and my experiences in Warrington.

As far as my favourite series ever, it has to be James Herbert’s, The Rats trilogy. The first book did for me what school books couldn’t. It fascinated me, triggered my imagination and gave me the hunger to want to read more. I waited years for the second book, The Lair, and Domain, the third book to come out and they were amazing. Domain is one of the best books I have ever read. In later years, Lee Child, especially the early books, have kept me hypnotised on my sunbed on holiday as has Michael Connelley and his Harry Bosch Series.  

To Connect With Conrad Jones

Facebook - Conrad Jones

Twitter - @ConradJones

Don't Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Tour

Hereafter by LeeAnne Hansen - Book Review

I am really excited to be revealing my review for Hereafter (A Southern Haunting Book 2) by LeeAnne Hansen today as I read it a few weeks ago and I have been busting to talk about it, but I couldn't share until after it had been released.

Hereafter

Forced to live and run a business with a woman who shattered his heart years ago, and without his father's help, Charles' life is far from ideal. Renown as a ladies' man, Charles now finds himself coming up short on women, charm and even dead bodies for his mortuary. He knows who is to blame for all this, even if he hasn't the slightest idea why she is causing him so much torment ... 

Samantha has been given a second chance even though she knows that she does not deserve one. Now haunted by her past, she fled from a life she was desperate to escape, only to collide with the man who once held her heart but now wishes nothing but to crush it. Has she just run from a smouldering fire to an even deadlier one? 

As the night grows darker and storms brew on the horizon, both Charles and Samantha realise that the past is not an easy ghost to shake and the future is rarely predictable.

My Review

When ever I review one of LeeAnne's novels, I always end up gushing because I just love them so much (See my reviews of Yonder and Ghost Light). I don't know how to put into words just how much I enjoy her books and that means that I end up waffling so apologies in advance for this one! 

Hereafter follows the same time line as Yonder and starts by going through each of Isabelle's birthdays, except they are from the point of view of Samantha and Charles instead. Having read Yonder and already knowing each scene, it was incredibly interesting to see the exact same thing from a different perspective and it shows just how much things can be missed or misunderstood when you only know one side of a story. 

When the story kicks into the present day (1940's) it then follows Charles and Samantha as they struggle with the situation they have been forced into. As I learnt more about both of them I came to love them the same way I did with Isabel and Benjamin in Yonder. I honestly never thought I would change my opinion of Charles, I thought he was pompous and a bit of an ass, but I did change my mind after getting to know him better. Another lesson learnt there, that you shouldn't judge someone until you get to know them. 

They are some really beautiful moments throughout the book, some quieter moments which are so important but that can be over looked. The talks that Charles and Samantha have over the years about the stars and Peter Pan are just so sweet. Samantha also has some moments with a girl called Wendy and they were so touching and poignant, that they have stayed with me log after I finished the book. 

The haunting in Hereafter is a lot more subtle than in Yonder, and I liked how it was incorporated into the story. I enjoyed the subtlety and I thought it worked very well with being a "lighter" haunting as there is a bit more darkness in the main story line. 

Overall an absolutely excellent story and another love for me, I can already tell you a spoiler for my twelve days of Christmas, that this book will be on my list of the twelve top books of the year. I am also incredibly excited for the next instalment of A Southern Haunting and finding out what happened between Eve and Doug. 

I gave Hereafter ALL THE STARS! 

About The Author

If you'd like to know more about LeeAnne, I interviewed her last year as part of my review for the audio book release of Yonder, you check that out here.

LeeAnne Hansen was born in Paris, grew up in Oklahoma and now lives in sunny southern California with her husband and cats. She enjoys writing, acting and playing bass guitar. She can be seen gracing the stage in various theatres or even directing. She is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and has studied art and astronomy. She also thoroughly enjoys long walks on the beach.

Connect With The Author

Twitter - @LeeAnne_Hansen_

Facebook - LeeAnne Hansen

Website - https://www.leeannehansenbooks.com/

Watch You Burn by K A Richardson - Blog Tour Review

Life Of A Nerdish Mum is kicking off the blog tour for Watch You Burn by K.A. Richardson today. Watch You Burn is the newest book in The North East Police Series. 

Watch You Burn

Someone is breaking into Fire Investigator, Edina Blaze’s, home and leaving deadly messages. When Glen Peacock is burned alive, she has to put her own problems aside and attend the location with Crime Scene Manager, Kevin Lang. 

As the body count rises, Edina’s sister Heather becomes involved. Is it her setting these gruesome fires? Or is she a target too?

Kevin has seen it all in his years on the force, but when a young girl is found burnt to dead, even he is shocked. 

Who is taking pleasure in watching people burn? Why are they doing it? And will they be caught? 

DI Alistair McKay and the team from North East Police have to work quickly to stop the killer, before they all end up in flames.

My Review

I did a very naughty thing reading Watch You Burn, I stayed up till 2AM to finish it even though I knew I needed to get up early the next day! Once I started reading it I could just not put it down, it was seriously that good. 

I loved both main character, Kevin Lang and Edina Blaze (honestly how cool is her name) and the fact they weren't the usual detectives. Kevin Lang is a crime scene manager and Edina Blaze is a fire investigator (again how much more perfect is that name). The whole idea of The North East Police Series is brilliant as each book can be read as a standalone, but there are characters that pop up in all of them and some crimes are mentioned that have happened in other books. The series is just based around the police in that area. Their relationship also feels extremely natural and organic and I was routing for them right from the start. 

The pace was fast and at times breath catching as the team raced to find out who was burning people and then when personal problems intensified too...woah! 

It was interesting to hear different terminology and science than in a usual crime novel with the characters being from crime scene and fire and you can tell the knowledge and research that went into making everything realistic and authentic. The camaraderie between the firemen came across as very realistic and true to what it would need to be when you're putting your life in someone else's hands on a daily basis.  

Overall an absolutely excellent book and really well written. I really enjoyed reading Watch You Burn and it was worth the 2AM bed time and the following tiredness the next day! 

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

My name is Kerry-Ann Richardson (generally known as Kerry) and I write as KA Richardson. I started writing the North East Police series in 2010 when I was working towards my MA Creative Writing – I used the first 15000 words of With Deadly Intent as my dissertation. I passed my MA in 2011 and kept on writing. This all came about from working as a Crime Scene Investigator – I’d always written but when I was a CSI I went to see a psychic, Anthony, and he wanted to know why I wasn’t writing. He reminded me that it was my passion and said he could see me signing in Waterstones in 5 years. That was 5.5 years before my first ever signing in Waterstones so he wasn’t far wrong! 

I did the normal things writers do when their book is ready to go out into the world – submitted to agents etc. I got a few nice personal responses back – still saying no but being constructive and polite about it. I approached Darren Laws from Caffeine Nights whilst at a crime festival and he asked to see my work. He agreed to publish With Deadly Intent from there, and once that was out I approached Bloodhound Books as wanted to know if there was any other interest in my novels. Bloodhound came back within 24 hours and offered me a 3 book deal!  And I’ve since signed an additional 3 book deal with them which covers the series up to and including book 7! 

Connect With The Author

Website - www.kerryannrichardson.com

Twitter - @kerryann77 or @karichardson77

Facebook - K A Richardson

Amazon - K A Richardson

Don't Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Tour