Hell To Pay by Rachel Amphlett - Blog Tour Review

Who isn't excited about the next instalment of the Detective Kay Hunter series, Hell To Pay, by Rachel Amphlett? When I heard there was going to be a blog tour, I immediately jumped at the chance to be able to read, review and be a part! As you'll be able to tell from my review, I'm so glad I did. 

Hell To Pay 

When a road traffic accident on a dark autumn night uncovers a disturbing conspiracy, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter’s investigation exposes a ruthless serial killer exploiting vulnerable young women.

With her enemies unmasked and her career spiralling out of control, Kay’s determination to seek vengeance for the victims brings her dangerously close to those who want to silence her.

Undeterred, she uncovers the real reason behind a plot to destroy her career and sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.

Could Kay’s need for revenge be her undoing, or will she survive to see justice served?

My Review

Detective Kay Hunter is officially in my top detectives of all time. She's strong, intelligent, determined and I think a great role model. She does her job properly and even when things get personal, she stays professional to make sure the job gets done. 

Hell To Pay is the fourth instalment in the series, but though it is fully recommended to read the three previous books because of how good they are, this can be read as a stand alone as there is plenty of character development throughout. There are some spoilers for previous books though if you are planning on reading them all. 

I was completely sucked into this story and became increasingly invested in the outcome. When real life came knocking and I had to put the book down, I was constantly wondering what would happen next and how things would be resolved. There's a lot of tension and at times, you're nervously waiting to see if something would go wrong. 

I've grown to love detectives portrayed with a happy home life, instead of the tried and tested cranky, alcoholic loners (loveable though they may be) and I love the balance we are given, seeing Kay's home life with Adam and the simple joy she gets out of babysitting for some Guinea Pigs. I like how they are both so supportive of each other and their respective careers. It comes across as a very healthy relationship. 

Hell To Pay is incredibly well written and I thoroughly enjoyed my read, in fact I am already eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, just to see where it goes from here and what decisions Kay will make following everything that has happened to her. 

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

Rachel Amphlett is the bestselling author of the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the new Detective Kay Hunter series, as well as a number of standalone crime thrillers.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel’s novels appeal to a worldwide audience, and have been compared to Robert Ludlum, Lee Child and Michael Crichton.

She is a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold, being sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint in 2014, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag in 2017.

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

Dark Water by Robert Bryndza - Release Day Book Blitz

Today is the release date of Dark Water by Robert Bryndza, the 3rd book in the DCI Erika Foster series, and I have an exciting extract to celebrate. 

Blurb 

Beneath the water the body sank rapidly. She would lie still and undisturbed for many years but above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning. 

When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip-off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child. 

The remains are quickly identified as seven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news twenty-six years ago. 

As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she must dig deeper and find out more about the fractured Collins family and the original detective, Amanda Baker. A woman plagued by her failure to find Jessica. Erika soon realises this is going to be one of the most complex and demanding cases she has ever taken on. 

Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone is keeping secrets. Someone who doesn’t want this case solved. And they’ll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth. 

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice and The Night Stalker, comes the third heart-stopping book in the Detective Erika Foster series

Extract

Dark Water

by

Robert Bryndza

AUTUMN 1990

It was a cold night in late autumn when they dumped the body in the disused quarry. They knew it was an isolated spot, and the water was very deep. What they didn’t know was that they were being watched.

They arrived under the cover of darkness, just after three o’clock in the morning – driving from the houses at the edge of the village, over the empty patch of gravel where the walkers parked their cars, and onto the vast common. With the headlights off, the car bumped and lurched across the rough ground, joining a footpath, which was soon shrouded on either side by dense woodland. The darkness was thick and clammy, and the only light came over the tops of the trees.

Nothing about the journey felt stealthy. The car engine seemed to roar; the suspension groaned as it lurched from side to side. They slowed to a stop as the trees parted and the water-filled quarry came into view.

What they didn’t know was that a reclusive old man lived by the quarry, squatting in an old abandoned cottage which had almost been reclaimed by the undergrowth. He was outside, staring up at the sky and marvelling at its beauty, when the car appeared over the ridge and came to a halt. Wary, he moved behind a bank of shrubbery and watched. Local kids, junkies, and couples looking for thrills often appeared at night, and he had managed to scare them away.

The moon briefly broke through the clouds as the two figures emerged from the car, and they took something large from the back and carried it towards the rowing boat by the water. The first climbed in, and as the second passed the long package into the boat there was something about the way it bent and flopped that made him realise with horror that it was a body.

The soft splashes of the oars carried across the water. He put a hand to his mouth. He knew he should turn away, but he couldn’t. The splashing oars ceased when the boat reached the middle. A sliver of moon appeared again through a gap in the clouds, illuminating the ripples spreading out from the boat.

He held his breath as he watched the two figures deep in conversation, their voices a low rhythmic murmur. Then there was silence. The boat lurched as they stood, and one of them nearly fell over the edge. When they were steady, they lifted the package and, with a splash and a rattle of chains, they dropped it into the water. The moon sailed out from behind its cloud, shining a bright light on the boat and the spot where the package had been dumped, the ripples spreading violently outwards.

He could now see the two people in the boat, and had a clear view of their faces.

The man exhaled. He’d been holding his breath. His hands shook. He didn’t want trouble; he’d spent his whole life trying to avoid trouble, but it always seemed to find him. A chill breeze stirred up some dry leaves at his feet, and he felt a sharp itching in his nostrils. Before he could stop it a sneeze erupted from his nose; it echoed across the water. In the boat, the heads snapped up, and began to twist and search the banks. And then they saw him. He turned to run, tripped on the root of a tree and fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of his chest.

Beneath the water in the disused quarry it was still, cold, and very dark. The body sank rapidly, pulled by the weights, down, down, down, finally coming to rest with a nudge in the soft freezing mud. She would lie still and undisturbed for many years, almost at peace. But above her, on dry land, the nightmare was only just beginning.

Robert Bryndza 

Three Weeks Dead by Rebecca Bradley - Review

Blurb

How far would you go if someone took your wife? 

Especially, if you buried her a week ago. 

When Jason Wells is faced with this scenario, he is confronted with the prospect of committing a crime that will have far-reaching consequences. 

Can young DC Sally Poynter get through to him before he crosses that line, or does a desperate husband prove to be the case she won’t ever forget? 

Review

I have never read a Rebecca Bradley book before, but that did not affect me reading this as it is a prequel to her DI Hannah Robbins series. I actually think this is a great jumping in point if you've never read her books before to get a feel for the characters. After reading this I will definitely be moving on to read her other published work in the series. 

The story follows new recruit DC Sally Poynter as she gets involved with her first case on the major incidents team and as she tries to find her place within that team. I instantly took a liking to Sally as she felt so very human, she was nervous and unsure and you could sense her feeling of wanting to fit in. She was also hard working and just needed to find her footing to gain confidence in herself. She was very relatable to me. 

I also really liked the small bits of DI Hannah Robbins that we got to see, it was a nice introduction to her from a viewpoint of a team member. She seems very good at her job, both with the investigating side as well as managing her team.

The story itself is fast paced but yet feels like a full story rather than a novella. There is just enough going on without it feeling crammed or without losing sight of the main story. The idea of kidnapping a dead body to manipulate was a new concept and I though it was done really well. The police procedure side of things was done to perfection, just enough to be realistic, but not enough for it to slow down the story. 

I think overall this was an absolutely excellent story and I'm incredibly glad that I had the chance to read it and discover a new to me crime writer. 

I gave this book a full 5 stars. 

Unquiet Souls by Liz Mistry - Meet The Matchmaker

Today is my turn on the Unquiet Souls by Liz Mistry blog tour and I am very excited to be bringing you the third extract from Unquiet Souls, the first book in an exciting new series! To read the first extract Meet DI Gus McGuire check out Crime Thriller Girl's blog here and to read the second extract DI Gus McGuire Laid Bare check out From First Page To Last's blog here.

Meet The Matchmaker

Sunday, 12pm, Cambridge 2003

The Matchmaker inhaled deeply each time he pulled himself up: chin to the bar, toes pointed,
naked sweaty torso rigidly straight, the smell of his own perspiration creating an almost sexual
pleasure, spurring him on to complete each agonising repetition. Finally, he was done.
Dropping gracefully to the floor, he towelled his soaking body and, frowning at the silent phones
on his desk, walked through to the ensuite. A cursory two-minute shower, clean clothes and he
was back at his desk.


Leaning back in the soft leather chair he waited, his impatience betrayed only by the jig of
his right knee and his fingertip’s measured tap on the polished mahogany desk. It had taken
years, combined with the creation of his ‘Decompression Room’, to finesse this level of self-
control.


He pumped the number into a safe phone and waited. The idiot still wasn’t answering.
Deliberately, he replaced the phone on the desk. His fingers and knee continued their languid
dance, but his breathing was strained. Leaning over he pressed a button. Immediately, relaxing
music filled the room. Eyes closed, hands resting on his abdomen he allowed the calm to
embrace him until his anger receded.


Finally, pulling his chair closer to the desk, he looked at his computer. The order form was
on the screen. Granted the client had made a particularly difficult request but, he’d also paid
handsomely for their delivery agreement. Now, three days before the due date the acquisition
form remained unvalidated. The client was becoming nervous. So was he and, to make matters
worse, The Provider was uncontactable. Not acceptable… not acceptable at all. It was
beginning to look like the delivery would fail or, at the very least, be delayed. The resultant
financial loss would be catastrophic, to say nothing of the damage to their reputation.


The phone rang three times before he answered. “Speak.”
It wasn’t the voice he’d expected but, nonetheless, the call was important.
“Client 21 has returned damaged goods again.”
The Matchmaker frowned and pulled the relevant file up on his computer. “That’s becoming
an issue.” He listened. “You’re right. Client 21 is becoming careless and arrogant, putting us
all at risk. We’ll make him pay.”
The Facilitator laughed. “Yeah, hit him where it hurts most…in his pocket.”
The Matchmaker considered the Client’s file before responding. “I think a £100,000 damage
fee should teach him. No more supplies till he’s settled, ok?” Hanging up, he typed a note on the
file and glared at the silent phone.


How amazing does that sound! Unquiet Souls is published by Bloodhound Books.

Do make sure you check out the rest of the blog tour -

Contact The Author

Twitter - @LizCrimeWarp

FB - @LizMistrybooks

Website - https://lizmistrycrimewriter.wordpress.com/

Email - lizbmistry@yahoo.co.uk

Bloodhound Books Website - http://www.bloodhoundbooks.com/

Deadly Harvest - Michael Stanley Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley, the fourth instalment following the wonderful Detective Kubu.

Last year I was lucky enough to review A Death In The Family (my review is here) and at the time I said I was looking forward to getting time to read other books in the series, so when this blog tour came up I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about Detective Kubu and follow him in solving cases.

I mentioned it last time, but I'll mention it again this time, but you would never know that there are two authors writing these books. The whole thing is so well written and it flows beautifully. There aren't sections that you can tell that are written by one person or the other which is what I've found when reading other books by more than one author.

The story itself is wonderfully crafted and is full of the twists and turns that I now expect from a Michael Stanley book. I don't want to say too much about the contents of the story as I don't want to spoil anything for people, but it is a lot darker than A Death In The Family and I really liked that about it, I felt because of the darkness I was drawn deeper into the story and I felt really invested in what would happen next to the characters.

The setting of Botswana is a wonderful backdrop to the story and again I learnt so much more about it and it's people and traditions. I very rarely read books that are set in places other than America, England or a fantasy setting, so it is really interesting to diversify into such a different country. There has been a lot of research gone into making sure a true image is given and it really shows.

I have to mention how well rounded all the characters are, in patricular Detective Kubu. Kubu is just an amazing character, he's intelligent, he's funny, he's caring, he loves his family and he totally owns the fact that he is a larger frame. I really enjoy following him and seeing the way he goes about his day and how he works his way around a case.

Overall an excellent book and I thoroughly enjoy it to anyone who loves their crime novels.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip

I received a copy of Deadly Harvest from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

My Kind of Justice: How Far Would You Go For Justice - Col Bury

I was extremely lucky to receive an e-book copy of My Kind of Justice: How Far Would You Go For Justice direct from the author Col Bury through his publisher Caffeine Nights Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

My Kind of Justice is set in Manchester, which is a city in the North West of England and quite literally on my doorstep. I've spent a lot of time in Manchester over the years and so it was really good to be able to recognise a lot of the places and the accent and the dialogue was all really familiar to me. Most books I read are set in America or fantasy lands and books that are set in England are set in London or Scotland so I genuinely loved it having a local feel to it. It is however set on the "wrong side of the tracks" and is extremely gritty and full of course language which adds to the dark feel of the book.

The main character is called DI Jack Striker which is seriously one of the coolest police names I've come across so far. He just sounds badass before you even get to know him. He's a guy who has changed his life around from running with the wrong crowd as a teenager to making something of himself as a police officer as an adult. There is your usual rogues gallery of characters from the old time, say what you want policeman to your hard nosed, cold woman who got to the top not through hard work but other means and your new policeman who is willing to do anything to prove himself. Each one though is done extremely well and I grew to love Bardsley in particular. The only character that I really didn't think much of at all was DC Lauren Collinge, her personality just didn't come through in this book, though she may come into her own in future books.

The story revolves around catching the "Hoodie Hunter" who seems to be on some sort of vendetta against criminals with ASBOs and is killing them off, mixed into this is some sort of link to the past of Jack Striker. I don't want to go too much into detail as I don't want to give away spoilers, but the story is very well written and everything weaves together beautifully,

The only reason I'm not giving a full five stars to the book is due to some editing issues throughout the book, one bit in particular that stood out to me so much that I actually had to go back and check that I hadn't read something wrong.

Overall a great first book and I will be picking up the next books in the series when they come out, to follow the story of Jack Striker and his team members.

I started reading this book on the 27th of December 2015 and finished it on the 31st of December 2016.
I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

My Review of A Death In The Family

I received an advance e-book copy of A Death in the Family by Michael Stanley directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A Death in the Family is the fifth outing for Detective Kubu and is written by Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip (known together as Michael Stanley). I always find it mind boggling when more than one person has written a book as to how they can get on and make their ideas work together and yet these two are on their fifth book.

 I've never read a Kubu book before but the synopsis sounded great and was exactly what I was in the mood for reading, When the weather turns cooler and autumn arrives, I love a good crime book. This book centres around the murder of Kubu's father and murders related to a mine expansion in a small town called Shoshong. We follow Kubu as he deals with the grief of losing his father and trying to keep away from that investigation (and failing) while trying to concentrate on the murder of an official and the troubles in Shoshong,

The story was really well written and full of twists and turns which worked perfectly without feeling shoehorned or pasted together. The characters are all really well formed and I really loved Kubu, he felt very real and you felt his emotions with him. His relationship with his family and his mother is portrayed beautifully as well and it was nice to see a strong family that loved each other and got on with each other, Seeing a detective with a wife and family that was together was really good to see for a change, I think my favourite character however is Jacob Mabaku, the Director of the Botswana CID. He is exactly the kind of boss you want, someone who respects you but is willing to put you in your place when it's needed. He came across as a really nice man but a complete badass,

Before reading this my knowledge of Botswana was a complete zero. Throughout the book I learnt so much about the country and about its culture, and it incredibly interesting. I felt that all the cultural references and explanations fit smoothly into a crime novel and it really gave a sense of the country the book is set in. I also think the fact the Kubu in Setswana (one of the languages spoken in Botswana) means hippopotamus is fantastic, it fits the character so perfectly, I definitely want to look into finding out more about this part of Africa in the future.

My only niggle about the book is that the bad guy felt a little stereotypical or cardboard cutout - actually I think I might go with panto villain, I wanted to scream "he's behind you" a few times. But really this doesn't take away from how well the rest of the book is written and how well thought out and plotted the storyline is.

Overall a really interesting and enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone even if like me you haven't read a Detective Kubu book before, you can very easily just jump in on this book. I personally will also be seeking out the earlier books to read in the future.

A Death in the Family is out on October 27th 2015.

I started this book on the 11th of October and finished it on the 19th of October 2015
I gave this book 4.5 Stars on Goodreads

The Beginning of Something Great - My review of A Study In Scarlet

I seem to be cruising through my challenges so far, however we are only a few days into the new year so I best not get too confident!

I need to start reading one shorter book and then one longer book so that I don't get stuck with all the massive volumes at the end of the year as that is just asking to fail. For the mystery or thriller section of the PopSugar challenge, I made the decision to read A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as though I have read all the other Sherlock Holmes adventures, I have never read the one book where it all began.

I genuinely love the character of Sherlock Holmes and I found myself smiling as he was introduced to Dr Watson and then during their subsequent conversations. It was nice after all this time to read for myself how they met and how their friendship and partnership was begun. ( I think the closest I've come to it is reading and watching Basil the Great Mouse Detective) 

I really enjoy the way Doyle wrote, I think the way he writes is beautiful and an absolute pleasure to read. Everything I've read by him is just so easy to read and you don't notice that the language used isn't of this time.

There is one thing that I will say about this book (and it may be because I was reading it on my Nook) and that is that when Part 2 began and started at chapter 1, I was a little baffled as to whether I had stumbled onto another book and that A Study in Scarlet had just finished abruptly. The story was set in a different time and place with, to start off with anyway, different characters, so it really threw me, Once I'd realised that I was reading the back story of the culprit, everything fell into place and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the reasons behind the crime.

Overall I'd recommend this book to anyone, especially people who would like to read "classics" but are worried about the language used or the way they would be written. This would be a perfect book to try and you get to meet Sherlock Holmes!

I started reading this book on the 11th of January 2015 and completed it on the 14th of January 2015
I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads