Author: Sarah Hardy

Book Description:

One sunny August afternoon, the residents of Cedar Close throw their annual summer barbecue. Children play in the cherry-tree lined street, tables are laden with food, and the wine is flowing. For Laurie Mills, it’s her first time meeting the neighbours. And it’s the first time she discovers her husband Robert is having an affair.

Cedar Close has always been a nice place to live – a quiet suburban street where everyone looks out for one another and bad things don’t happen.

Until late one evening, when Robert Mills is found dead in his bedroom.

Downstairs, in their beautiful kitchen, his wife Laurie sits alone in the dark with her head in her hands. 

She can’t remember the last few hours, but she knows she didn’t kill Robert.

The trouble is, no-one believes her…

An utterly gripping page-turner about the dark secrets that lie behind closed doors. Perfect for fans of JP Delaney’s The Girl Before and Gone Girl, The Couple on Cedar Close will keep you reading late into the night.

My Thoughts:

I am sure what Laurie goes through in this book is everyone’s worst nightmare. To be accused of something you know you haven’t done. Couldn’t think of anything worse.

Detective Dan Riley and his team seem to have it all worked out. Dan though isn’t entirely convinced. I am a true believer of going with your gut instinct as it’s never proven me wrong so far and Dan can’t get rid of that niggling feeling. Even though the pressure is on from above to make a conviction.

The story alternates between present and past to a little girl who we don’t quite know who she is or how it all ties in with what is happening in present day. Things do become apparent quite early on though and the story has a cat and mouse feel to it which I really enjoyed.

The murders are pretty gruesome in this story which I absolutely loved but may not be for the more faint hearted of readers. It was good to see how even the police who get quite hardened to death are still affected. I also felt like I got to know Dan a bit better throughout this novel and he truly is one of the good guys in life.

The Couple On Cedar Close goes to show that people never know what truly goes on behind closed doors. I enjoyed the battle of intelligence between the police and the killer and the author keeps the reader on their toes as to who will win. A dark and gripping read with plenty of thrills and chills.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

The Couple On Cedar Close is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).

Author Bio:

Anna-Lou began her career as a dancer but a moped accident in Ibiza put paid to those aspirations and so she went back to her first and one true love – writing! She re-trained as a journalist, specialising mainly in women’s interest and celebrity, becoming the Editor of J-17 and Smash Hits as well as writing for a host of women’s magazines.

Anna-Lou has written three Adult Fiction titles – Vengeful Wives and Wicked Wives, both published by Avon in the UK and Bookouture in the US and Canada and Pleasure Island published by Bookouture.

To find out more about Anna’s novels, go to https://www.facebook.com/annalouweatherleyauthor/ or follow https://twitter.com/annaloulondon on Twitter.

Book Description:

A price on her head. A secret worth dying for. Just 48 hours to expose the truth…

Single-mother bounty hunter Lori Anderson has finally got her family back together, but her new-found happiness is shattered when she’s snatched by the Miami Mob – and they want her dead. Rather than a bullet, they offer her a job: find the Mob’s ‘numbers man’ – Carlton North – who’s in protective custody after being forced to turn federal witness against them. If Lori succeeds, they’ll wipe the slate clean and the price on her head – and those of her family – will be removed. If she fails, they die.
With North due in court in forty-eight hours, Lori sets off across Florida, racing against the clock to find him and save her family. Only in this race the prize is more deadly – and the secret she shares with JT more dangerous – than she ever could have imagined. In this race only the winner gets out alive…
Brimming with tension, high-stakes jeopardy and high-voltage action, and a deep, emotional core, Deep Dirty Truth is an unmissable thriller by one of the freshest and most exciting voices in crime fiction.

My Thoughts:

It is so good to be back with Lori again. She has her man back and life is as normal as it’s ever going to be. Or should I say was. When it comes to Lori’s world, nothing is ever normal for long.

Without a doubt this is my favourite book in the series so far. I absolutely loved the story line. The mafia, a dead line to get a job done otherwise her own life, and that of her daughter’s and JT’s lives, are at risk. It makes for some seriously compelling reading. 

North is a great character and I really took to him. Even though he has been on the opposite side of the law, I couldn’t help liking him. There is something almost admirable about him and I was desperate for Lori to come up with some way for all of them to come out of the situation they are in, alive. 

The setting for the story was just great with not only the mafia being a threat, but the gators also. It made the story more sinister and I wasn’t sure which way would be the best way to go if you were going to get caught by one or the other. Either way the chances of getting out alive are pretty slim!

Deep Dirty Truth is an exhilarating and addictive read. Every time I put the book down to do stuff in the real world, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again to see what else was in store for the characters and myself. A compelling and thrilling read with a kick ass protagonist readers are going to love. 

My thanks to Orenda Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

Deep Dirty Truth is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link). 

Steph Broadribb was born in Birmingham and grew up in Buckinghamshire. Most of her working life has been spent between the UK and USA. As her alter ego – Crime Thriller Girl – she indulges her love of all things crime fiction by blogging at crimethrillergirl.com, where she interviews authors and reviews the latest releases. She is also a member of the crime-themed girl band The Splice Girls. Steph is an alumni of the MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at City University London, and she trained as a bounty hunter in California, which inspired her Lori Anderson thrillers. She lives in Buckinghamshire surrounded by horses, cows and chickens. Her debut thriller, Deep Down Dead, was shortlisted for the Dead Good Reader Awards in two categories, and hit number one on the UK and AU kindle charts. My Little Eye, her first novel under her pseudonym Stephanie Marland was published by Trapeze Books in April 2018.

Book Description:

Let the dead stay dead.

Clara Marsh is an undertaker. She spends her solitary life among the dead and bids them farewell with a bouquet from her own garden. But Clara’s carefully structured life shifts when she discovers a neglected little girl, Trecie, playing in the funeral parlour, desperate for a friend.

It changes even more when Detective Mike Sullivan starts questioning her again about a body she prepared three years ago, an unidentified girl found murdered in a nearby strip of woods. Unclaimed by family, the community christened her Precious Doe. When Clara and Mike learn that Trecie may be involved with the same people who killed Precious Doe, Clara must choose between her solitary but steadfast existence and the perils of binding one’s life to another.

Clara’s search for the girl pulls her into a spiralling series of events that threaten to endanger the few people Clara has grown to love – and finally brings her own tragic and long-buried past to the surface.

My Thoughts:

As soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew it was one I had to read. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the main character has worked in an undertakers and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a bit of a morbid fascination with what the role entails.

I have to say that when I die, I hope I have someone like Clara taking care of my body. She gives her job her all and deals with her clients with the utmost respect. As we get to know Clara though, this is just the caring type of person she is. She is a bit of a loner and likes to just get her job done and then go home for the day. That all changes when she starts getting involved with the little girl that she finds playing in the funeral parlour.

Mike is a great detective. He is battling with his own demons but he is another character that goes above and beyond in his job. You can tell he is another caring soul of which stands out throughout the novel.

I have to admit I guessed very early on a couple of things that I think we’re supposed to be twists or surprises later on. Saying that, the story in itself is still a very compelling one and one that I did really enjoy. I think what sells this book is the very unique story line and for me that more than made up for working things out early on.

The Unforgotten is an enthralling read that will draw you in and keep you there. Clara is a great character, there is just something about her that has you championing for her. I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait to see what else the author comes up with.

My thanks to Trapeze and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

The Unforgotten is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).

Book Description:

D/C Mike O’Shea, a young cop with a knack for working hard and following hunches, is on the verge of cracking a prostitution ring when an undercover from another unit burns him. With only days left before their pimps shuttle the girls out of the country, Mike pushes his team into overdrive. Hours later, with too little information, sleep, or luck, the unthinkable happens. 

And now, the chase is personal. 

In the first of the Mike O’Shea Crime Fiction Series, 10-33 Assist PC draws us into the dirty world of human trafficking through the eyes of the cops who put their lives on the line every day to shut it down. Written by a Real Detective, 10-33 Assist PC is the story of a cop who must decide how to move forward without forgetting the past.

Real Detective. Real Crime. Fiction.

My Thoughts:

I have to be honest, it took me slightly longer than normal to get into this book and wasn’t sure to begin with if it would be one for me, having now finished it though, I can safely say it definitely was. 

Set in Toronto, Mike and his partner Sal are part of the Juvenile Prostitution Task Force. I’m not even sure if we have such a thing here in the UK, we probably do, but don’t think I have ever come across it in a crime series so was very intrigued to see just what sort of work they actually do. It must be hard coming across young girls whom have been forced into that sort of life and definitely not a job for everyone.

Sal had to be my favourite character in the novel. He is like a big kid. Annoying yet lovable. His love of Sunflower seeds was certainly rather annoying and I had every empathy for Mike having to sit in a car with him whilst he ate them. Not to mention how they get everywhere! The bond between both men was really great to see as they are definitely more than just work colleagues.

As Mike, Sal and the rest of the team close in on the mission they are on, I was well and truly gripped. I was so wrapped up at one point that I hadn’t even realised I was crying as what I was reading had affected me that deeply. Certain parts really make for some very emotional reading and was very unexpected. 

10-33 Assist PC turned out to be an engrossing read that overall I really enjoyed. It has left me very much looking forward to the next in the series and getting to know the characters even better. This probably isn’t one for the faint hearted but if you love a crime novel that is dark, raw and gritty, then look no further.

My thanks to Shell Baker at Baker’s Blog Tours and Promo for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

10-33 Assist PC is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link). 

Desmond P. Ryan  – Author Bio

Very few books give you the real crime experience because even fewer authors have it.

Desmond P. Ryan has it.

For almost thirty years, he worked the back alleys, poorly-lit laneways, and forgotten neighbourhoods in the city where he grew up. Murder often most unkind, assaults on a level that defied humanity, and sexual violations intended to demean, shame, and haunt the victims were all in a day’s work. Days, evenings, midnights–all the same. Crime knows no time.

Exhilarating. Exhausting. Often heartbreaking.

Whether as a beat cop or a plainclothes detective, Desmond Ryan dealt with good people who did bad things and bad people who followed their instincts. He wrote thousands of reports describing their lives, the places they lived, and the things they did. He investigated their crimes and wrote detailed accounts of the activities that brought him into their world.  Detective Ryan also held victims as they wept, talked desperate people off of ledges, and sat beside the decomposing bodies of men and women who, in life, had been discarded and long-forgotten by society.

Now, as a retired detective with three decades of research opportunities under his belt, Desmond Ryan write crime fiction.

Why?

Because he wants to tell you a story like no other. Because he wants to bring you inside a world that will both fascinate you and challenge what you thought you knew about human nature. Because he wants to seamlessly weave truth and fiction together to create a place for you where the Good Guys ultimately win.

And because you deserve to have the most authentic crime fiction experience every time you pick up one of Desmond Ryan’s books.

Real Detective. Real Crime. Fiction.

Book Description:

The President is Missing. The world is in shock.

But the reason he’s missing is much worse than anyone can imagine.

With details only a President could know, and the kind of suspense only James Patterson can deliver.

My Thoughts:

I used to be a big fan of James Patterson and used to literally devour every book as soon as it came out. As usual, life gets in the way and for some reason I stopped reading his books. As soon as I heard that he had teamed up with a former president though, I knew I had to get myself a copy and read it. 

I’m not sure if I was hoping for some sort of sneak peak into the life of a president but have to say I don’t feel like I know anymore than I did before reading this novel. Yes we get a glimpse of what life is like with the pressures that come with that sort of role but I guess I was hoping for a little bit more. 

I would probably class this as a political thriller. Not a genre that I would typically go for but come on, James Patterson and Bill Clinton wrote it, or did they? I notice that there is also a ghost writer which makes me think how much input James and Bill actually had. 

Now, you’re probably thinking did she even enjoy this novel as it isn’t sounding like she did. Well overall yes, I suppose I did. It was just slightly under whelming than the authors other books. In fact a lot so. The trade mark short chapters are there and it is packed full of tension, suspense and action so it does have that going for it. There are a fair few characters to try and keep track of which I don’t think really helped but I liked the president’s character and you do route for him hoping that he will save the day.

The President Is Missing, whilst far from being one of my favourites by the author, is still a solid read with tension leaping from every page. I could easily see it being turned into a block buster film. It didn’t quite reach my expectations but I have no doubts that the authors devoted fans will probably love it.

The President Is Missing is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).

Book Description:

A loving mother. A perfect family. A shock wave that could shatter everything.

Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter.

But when Lexi’s struggles with weight take control of her life, everything Freya once took for granted falls apart, leaving the whole family with a sense of helplessness that can only be confronted with understanding, unity and, above all, love.

In this compelling and heart-wrenching new work by bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one ordinary family tackles unexpected difficulties and discovers that love can find its way through life’s darkest moments.

My Thoughts:

I have been having a bit of a binge read of this authors books recently. Every one of them has touched me in some way but more so this one.

This certainly wasn’t an easy read by any means. I’m sure we are all aware of eating disorders, through Freya and her family, we get to see first hand what it is like to live with anorexia.

I found this to be an extremely emotional read. My heart literally broke in so many pieces, not just for Lexi or Freya, but for the whole family. It was awful seeing Lexi on a road to self destruction and taking her family with her.

Having never witnessed this disorder first hand, it was such an eye opener seeing how much it affects the people closest to it. I wanted to reach out to Lexi and get through to her. The authors skill of getting across the characters emotions is just exceptional. I felt every bit of their pain as if it was my own. Absolutely heart breaking.

The Food Of Love is just a superb novel that fully gets across life with an eating disorder. The story line hit me hard, at times leaving me breathless. I cried so many tears over the families ups and downs. Such an emotional and heart breaking read and bravo to the author for such an exceptional read.

The Food Of Love is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an affiliate link).