This is the sequel to The Coming Darkness and sees the return of previous hero Alexander Lamarque
‘He had known from the very first that what they shouThis is the sequel to The Coming Darkness and sees the return of previous hero Alexander Lamarque
‘He had known from the very first that what they should all fear was Darkness.’
Alex is hailed as a hero, the man who saved the world. We are in a broiling dystopian future, with Lamarque having promised to mop up the remnants of the conspiracy that ended in the coming darkness. Where others see success, he sees threat but with his new found celebrity, his life is leaking into the public domain and he wants to exile himself from that.
‘In the 2030’s the two degrees of average global temperature rise thought to be manageable are anything but that.’
This book makes you feel on edge throughout and I LOVED it! It’s not just the action, which twists and turns and ratchets up the tension as you read but it’s the climate aspect, set in 2037, it shows us a world I don’t recognise, not just the technology but the effects of climate change and this is the scariest part of the book.
‘Could the new web videos promising a ‘Coming Storm’ indicate that some kind of controlling intelligence persisted, more potent even than the dead traitor?’
As well as Alex, we also follow Mariam and Amaury who were with him in the first book. Each have their own story arc and part to play and Mosse threads their stories together with ease.
‘This was, perhaps, the last moment of quiet at the eye of the coming storm.’
I could feel my pulse rising as I read, as the full horror of what was unfolding I read faster and faster, all coming together in a chilling and thrilling climax! I cannot wait for the next book already!...more
Emily is invited to join the infamous Scarmado family on a five night voyage aboard their glamorous new ship. It's a chance to see her best friend, BeEmily is invited to join the infamous Scarmado family on a five night voyage aboard their glamorous new ship. It's a chance to see her best friend, Belle, newly married to Mattia Scarmado. She hasn’t seen her in years.
On the first night,the glamour envelopes her.
On the second night, she receives threatening notes.
On the third night, someone will die.
On the fourth night, she discovers that someone knows the truth of what she did.
On the last night, she is left for dead.
‘crewing on yachts in big oceans under the hot sun. Those images are sticky and bright, and I’d tried to wipe them away. To forget what I’d done. The whole thing.’
This book will just wrap you up in thrills, fear and glamour right from the start. You can feel the burning sun, the rolling waves and the tension ratchet up as we set sail on a fantastic locked ship thriller!
‘From love to death. I am already short on time. I had better tell my tale quickly.’
The Scarmado’s are an unpleasant lot it’s quite Succession vs The Sopranos with a big dollop of a locked mystery a la Christie. They are horrible, but I loved them, so well drawn in such a short amount of time. I was hooked and couldn’t trust anyone, one thing I’ve learned from reading Christie!
We learn what happened to Emily and Belle in their past and how it ties in with the first Mrs Scarmado. Emily is getting two sides of a story and doesn’t know who to believe.
Emily and Viola’s stories run in tandem and little snippets are trickle fed to us the reader. With everyone stuck on a ship together. It’s full of drama and really keeps you wanting more.
‘Let the ship sail, the holiday continues.’ ….. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.’
As we reached the end of the story, I was expecting one thing and thought I had the culprit - and I did ( in part - everyone loves a little win! ...more
Ash Carter returns to Israel on what should be a straightforward mission. However there is a mystery. Why did Alfred Duffy go AWOL from the British ArAsh Carter returns to Israel on what should be a straightforward mission. However there is a mystery. Why did Alfred Duffy go AWOL from the British Army, go to Israel and then hand himself in at Acre Prison? The mystery deepens further when Carter finds that Duffy escaped just as he arrived. As Carters hunt begins and as the mystery unravels, it becomes unclear who is the hunter and who the hunted.
This is an Ash Carter Near East Crime-Thriller and is set before the Singapore series of books. This is the fourth in the series, I think they read perfectly well as stand alone’s.
I really like Ash Carter, I feel I know him quite well now and can just pick up these books, like you do when chatting with an old friend. Bailey writes with an easy flowing style, they are packed with details and packed with action, the narrative is fast moving and keeps you on your toes, this is a proper thriller!
Clever and intricate the initial hunt for Duffy was great, lots of misdirection which I loved and it was a real page turner! It set Carter on the trail of Duffy and Hajjar and lead him into the gang underworld. It’s complicated and I’ve read more to try to understand the complexities of the region and educate myself. Really at its heart this is a solid action packed thriller that you won’t be able to put down!...more
1947, Jerusalem Bill Wolfe, SIB operative part of the Military Police, and is hard and tough as they come. Hated by soldiers who in turn are despised b1947, Jerusalem Bill Wolfe, SIB operative part of the Military Police, and is hard and tough as they come. Hated by soldiers who in turn are despised by the populace, the atmosphere created is heavy with tension, suspicion is everywhere, a fragile existence of three religions ready to go up in a second.
“ He knew Jerusalem’s shadows like old friends…this place got inside a man, became part of him.”
A yellow ribbon on a door is like lighting a match and the story sets off apace. A Jewish woman attacked on her way home by a para, who Wolfe recognises. Are there links to the seven women murdered over the previous seven months? Instinct tells Wolfe that a single killer is stalking the streets, with bodies discarded like trash across the city he is determined to root out the killer. Setting off a train of events mired in the troubles of the region.
This is a masterful short thriller, atmospheric and evocative. We have a clever killer who think they have covered their tracks, terrorism, and a threat to the delicate balance in the area. I found it quite unnerving given the current situation in Israel and the link to previous events written about here. I enjoyed meeting Bill Wolfe and finding out about his back story. It rattles along at a fast pace and despite the short length it is full of tension which kept me hooked. A sharp, punchy and gripping thriller with more to come....more
When Adele and Jack, struggling influencers post a crowdfunding video on line, they are amazed when a mysterious benefactor offers to buy them an old When Adele and Jack, struggling influencers post a crowdfunding video on line, they are amazed when a mysterious benefactor offers to buy them an old French chateau. It’s the lifeline they need and the answer to Adele’s prayers. She can vlog their journey and her subscriber numbers rocket. When the posts stop suddenly, her sister Erin visits and discovers that the couple have simply disappeared without trace. The chateau holds dark secrets, and as the truth is unravelled it puts Erin in mortal danger.
There is a lot of tension in this read, with the POV changing between Adele and her sister, Erin. It gave me the ‘just one more chapter’ vibes and I raced through it, determined to find out the key to the mystery, it’s a real page turner!
Adele is a dreamer, head in the clouds, thinking she deserves her fairytale life, without let’s face it much effort! She is quite naive and it was interesting to see her descent unfold, that influencer life not quite as shiny as it seems. Although they were few characters I actually liked it added to the read as I wanted to know what was going to happen to who!
‘There was a tension about the place. The people. It feels like the town is closing ranks on me. As if they have a secret they’re hiding.’
This is a dark and twisted thriller, well paced and at times very disturbing and horrifying. There are a few epic shocks but I found it addictive and is a great follow up to The Villa. ...more
Rani wishes for another life, she views a house as someone else, the woman she wants to be, cashmere, heels and on the rich list. The truth is a tiny Rani wishes for another life, she views a house as someone else, the woman she wants to be, cashmere, heels and on the rich list. The truth is a tiny flat with two kids, no job and a husband.
Natalie has that life, perfect husband, perfect house, everything Rani wants to be. But underneath she is something else, secrets are kept and the consequences of getting sucked into someone else life are going to be apparent and devastating.
‘I know I need to be with them. But I also need my independence. Is it possible to have both or will I always feel this conflicted.’
This book certainly keeps you on your toes, it’s psychological and dark, twisting and turning and just so compelling! With short chapters, it keeps you turning the page, I was very much ‘just one more’ to satisfy my need to know what happens and it barrels along at a slick pace.
‘How can this be the same man as yesterday?…I must be living with two versions of the same person. My very own Jekyll and Hyde.’
Although the I t contains largely unlikeable characters for me, I wasn’t hugely sympathetic to them, certainly intially, but I LOVED it!
‘But I feel nothing. This is not me.’
It’s heart thumping as the tension ratchets up, it feels claustrophobic, Shah makes you feel the fear and danger that the characters experience and at times I didn’t know what I should believe. The gaslighting is subtle until the plot simply blindsides you and I was like whaaat?!
A deliciously good psychological thriller, it just goes to show you never know what goes on behind closed doors, this one will pull you in and keep you til the very end!
Oh yes! We are into this straight away in classic Francis style, it does exactly what it says on the tin, fast paced, exciting and right up my street.Oh yes! We are into this straight away in classic Francis style, it does exactly what it says on the tin, fast paced, exciting and right up my street.
Theo Jennings is a young auctioneer at the Thoroughbred sales ring in Newmarket, where big money exchanges hands in frenzied auctions: millions of Guineas paid for horses that are as yet unnamed, untested, and have never taken a step on the track. It's the greatest gamble in all of horseracing, and one that can end in ruin.
Theo has just made the biggest sale of his life, when he overhears a conversation between the two bidders to fix the price of his big sale? When that same horse is found dead the next morning, he has no choice but to investigate, even against the wishes of his boss. But the more he uncovers, the less he can trust the people around him.
This set off at a cracking pace and didn’t stop, I’ve always been a fan of Francis’ books, both Dick Francis and Felix too. They are fast, thrilling and almost exclusively set in the horsey world. It is just good old fashioned brilliant story telling at its best. This was a perfect beach read for me, I got totally absorbed, finished it in a day and got fooled by the twists and turns, fab plotting by a master thriller writer. Already looking forward to the next one!...more
‘Balcombe had control over BlackJack. However Munro had control of him.’
I really love these books, a spin off from the Ash Carter Near East series, we‘Balcombe had control over BlackJack. However Munro had control of him.’
I really love these books, a spin off from the Ash Carter Near East series, we follow Blackjack and his alter ego Charles Balcombe in Hong Kong.
BlackJack is a killer, he kills for the thrill of it, the urge of it and has a distinctive MO. Balcombe, his alter ego controls his killer instinct and is in turn under the control of Detective Inspector Monro, taking his orders to kill the worst of Hong Kong Villains; or is he? It’s a great premise as I find myself rooting for both characters even though they are both bad!
"It only takes a second to sin," Father Thomas said. He believes in saving souls, but Charles Balcombe is beyond saving. His control over his killer instinct appears to be weakening. BlackJack has killed again and more questions are being asked of Detective Inspector Munro. He is under increasing pressure to solve the murders, especially when he picks up more cases from Kowloon rather than solving his own. As Balcombe battles with his demon, he’s asked to look into the death a young woman, Margaret Sotherland. An assumed suicide by opium overdose. Using it as a distraction from his killing urges he investigates and finds other similar deaths. Is the church saving souls by insisting deaths aren't suicide? At first Balcombe thinks it's straightforward, but as he digs, other cases reveal an evil in Hong Kong. One that could consume them all. Set in 1954, the second book on the series, you could read alone but I would recommend you read book 1 first; Once A Killer - you won’t regret it!
I always feel conflicted about Balcombe/Blackjack, he’s a great character, he is a villain and does unspeakable things but he also helps people. Balcombe’s control seems to be unravelling over Blackjack and makes for a tense and suspenseful read.
‘No, you will not. You step over that line… you start killing innocent people and I’ll come after you.’
The plot tanks along nicely with two strands running alongside each other and I love the cat and mouse aspect to Munro and Balcombes relationship, plus the addition of Inspector Garrett. Garrett is after Munro’s job and is after Balcombe/Blackjack too, I liked the introduction of this character it brings more jeopardy to the storyline for Balcombe.
‘Garrett has spotted the similarity to the butcher’s murder. If he gets any closer, I won’t be able to protect you.’
A really excellent thriller, with plenty of undercurrents and full of tension to keep you hooked. I can’t wait for book 3; A Third Is Darkness. ...more
Based in Cyprus in 1949, this is the third book of the Near-East series which can be read in any order.
This time we find Ash Carter on Cyprus investigBased in Cyprus in 1949, this is the third book of the Near-East series which can be read in any order.
This time we find Ash Carter on Cyprus investigating the death of a Marine found on the Troodos mountain range. The soldiers are stonewalling and there seem to be lies wherever he looks, then there is another death and his attention turns to the mines in the hills. Working with detective Sofia Mackenzie, they soon find they are under threat themselves and have to work quickly to unearth the truth.
This is one of those series that I feel like I wouldn’t have discovered if it wasn’t for bookstagram and book Twitter but it is an absolute Gem!
They are really great thrillers, tightly plotted which you can read in or out of order. Ash Carter is a superb protagonist, you don’t get all the annoying James Bond stuff but he’s gritty with a touch of soft on the side. They are set in a few different places, this one is in Cyprus and are meticulously researched. He writes women well and of the time they are set in but they are feisty and strong.
I got absorbed in this one pretty quickly, it’s pacy and keeps you wanting more. The sections in the mines feel claustrophobic and set the heart racing and I loved following all the twists and turns. Mackenzie makes a great foil to Carter. I loved their relationship. Carefully plotted, I was surprised by the ending, it’s clever; I was fooled, which I love!
I am always on the look out for great series, if you are the same you can’t go wrong with this one!...more
Paris 2037, Alexander Lamarque of the French external security service is searching for eco- terrorists. He has learneThe Coming Darkness - Greg Mosse
Paris 2037, Alexander Lamarque of the French external security service is searching for eco- terrorists. He has learned to trust no-one, not his lover, Mariam or his old mentor Professor Reynard. He follows a trail of child murders, a coup in North Africa and extraction of its leader under fire, a sequence of events including his mothers infection with a novel virus which ominously threaten to spiral out of control. Whilst always at the edge of his vision is The Coming Darkness, someone wants to destabilise the controls that protect the world from climate change and Alex may be the one man to prevent chaos and destruction taking over.
A dystopian future comes knocking and it’s a bit scary. This book made me feel on edge with Covid and the Climate Emergency it seems it could become our reality. Quietly seething with tension which builds through the book, it is dark and astoundingly bleak. Alex is troubled, there are so many secrets, it felt like a twilight darkening world, each event taking us spiralling further toward the centre of a dark web. This is next level Tinker Tailor crossed with the Night Manager, addictive, brutal and oh so good!
‘I don’t mean that I have no sense of the future. I mean I see ‘a nothing.’ An absence. A vast loss.’
I didn’t know who to trust, even Alex himself, Mosse cleverly manipulates the reader into seeing one thing only to blindside you the next with a truth. This is a dark and brooding dystopian thriller with intelligent and complex characters. Add a twisting plot which gathers pace and we have a truly chilling and fantastically executed novel with a superb ending!...more
Harriet Reed is marrying into one the most famous, rich and closed off families in the the US. Meeting her fiancé Edward Holbecks family for the firstHarriet Reed is marrying into one the most famous, rich and closed off families in the the US. Meeting her fiancé Edward Holbecks family for the first time, his father Robert gives her a tape to listen to, a novel he is thinking of writing.
But when Harry listens to the tape it is a confession of not one but several murders. Trapped by her own dark secrets and history, she realises she has to find out the truth but she is finding that she cannot trust the entire Holbeck family and the games they are making her play.
‘This Christmas invitation feels like some sort of Balmoral test. A test to weed out those who fit in with the family and those who do not.’
This story is so twisted it’s unbelievable! With an utterly bonkers dysfunctional family it made me think of those big powerful families that you read about; the Royals, the Kardashians and it just really engaged my antenna. What it’s like to be in a family ‘firm’, you can almost imaging the Holbecks as an amalgamation of these real life families. And that is so clever!
‘If I manage to survive some unspoken codes, hell, if I manage to survive, then perhaps they will accept me as one of them.’
Glossy, dazzling and full of family secrets, this is heart thumpingly good! I didn’t much like the characters, although I was rooting for Harry I’m not sure how much I actually liked her! They were all selfish, self-centred people - except the gorgeous Billy, but he was a 3 year old! And seemingly with more sense than the rest of them put together! I mean the whole Krampus thing was nuts!
‘You’re a Reed, and us Reeds - we have no history to live up to at all.’
This book really kept me buzzing with anticipation and I was guzzling this one up so fast. It has a sheen of glamour to it but there’s a dark side too and slowly, as the temperature rises to boiling point, the tension is palpable! I began to have my suspicions of one particular family member about 3/4 way through and wrote it down. I was right in my thinking but with so many secrets unravelled, my enjoyment was not spoiled in the slightest, in fact I did a little air punch at the reveal!
What a book, what a twist, fabulous!
✩✩✩✩✰
With thanks to Jess Barratt, Simon & Schuster UK and Catherine Steadman for my copy of this book to review...more
Sid Halley, former jump jockey champion and private detective is not having a good day. Devastated by his wife Marina’s decision to leave him he takesSid Halley, former jump jockey champion and private detective is not having a good day. Devastated by his wife Marina’s decision to leave him he takes a call from an old friend Gary Bremner, ex- jockey trainer. He is being threatened and wants Sid to investigate. The next morning he has disappeared, his stables torched and horses killed. Sid starts to investigate and becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of racing and then even closer to home.
Sid Halley is back! I remember reading him of old, pinching my mums old Dick Francis paperbacks and tucking myself away somewhere to read them. So I leapt at the chance to meet him again. These Francis books are just so easy to read, absorbing, gripping and fast paced. Sid is an easy character to love and its a bit like catching up with an old friend.
‘Could it really be the case that someone was trying to manipulate all of British racing for their own greedy ends?’
The underbelly of the racing world is exposed here, cartels of jockeys agents, holding trainers and jockeys and owners to ransom effectively running racing, who wins, who loses, it’s juicy! This one gallops apace, the excellent Chico Barnes makes an appearance too and I simply raced through it and couldn’t put it down.
Another great read from the Francis stable ...more
This is just the sort of book I love, chunky, loads to just get immersed in. Families, secrets, multiple time lines, mystery, obsession and dripping iThis is just the sort of book I love, chunky, loads to just get immersed in. Families, secrets, multiple time lines, mystery, obsession and dripping in gothic vibes.
Nell Churcher has come home at her families insistence for a celebration. It is fifty years since her fathers book, The Golden Bones was published. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, it became a sensation. Clues within the book leading to buried jewels; parts of the skeleton of the stories murdered woman Elinore scattered all over England. A community of ‘Bonehunters’ was formed, all obsessively desperate to complete the quest, people selling homes, marriages breaking down and death. Nell, herself stalked by fans who cannot tell fantasy from reality, hides from the world. Now the book is reissued with a new treasure hunt and a TV documentary. The location of the final missing bone revealed - Nell is terrified and all hell breaks lose.
This book is just masterful, the characters walk free from the page, all very entwined in each other’s lives, haunted by the spectre of The Golden Bones. It is an addictive read and don’t let the chunkiness of it put you off, it is tense and full of gothic suspenseful vibes. I’m afraid I pretty much ignored my family for a couple of days whilst reading this one!
I found myself totally under the spell of this story, entranced and obsessed myself with getting to the end. There are so many layers to this, each one unpeeled from the next like a plaster, each shock fresh to the system. I had to finish it and stayed up way past my bedtime!
I sat down and just thought I’ll have a little peek at the first couple of chapters and low and behold I got totally sucked in and read the whole thinI sat down and just thought I’ll have a little peek at the first couple of chapters and low and behold I got totally sucked in and read the whole thing!
Businesswoman Laura Sharples owns a high end chain of clothing shops, but not so long ago she called herself Crystal and worked the streets of Manchester. But when her business is repeatedly vandalised, and staff are threatened she begins to fall back into old habits to cope with the stress. As the attacks escalate, the police have no leads. It seems that someone knows about her past life and will stop at nothing to let everyone know.
This is a spin off from another series so some of the characters may be familiar to some readers but I came to this fresh and it works well as a standalone. This is one gripping story and has a really great flow to it. I liked Laura but I loved her daughter Candice more. They both are gutsy women with sass and as the plot twisted and turned, my gaze was led from one suspect to another until the reveal and it wasn’t what I thought, which is always a bonus!
A gutsy gripping thriller that will capture your attention! A perfect holiday read...more
Oh yes! I do love a juicy, darkly twisting thriller, especially with a Scandi element to it. This book sees three women all with seemingly separate stOh yes! I do love a juicy, darkly twisting thriller, especially with a Scandi element to it. This book sees three women all with seemingly separate stories which rapidly become intertwined with consequences for them all. Liv Carlsen, a single mum disappears without trace with her young son Adrian from Sandefjord in Norway, she will do anything to keep him safe. Anastasia, a young Russian woman plucked from obscurity to model in Milan, realising that the life is not the glamorous one she thought and needs to escape. Selma is an investigative journalist in Oslo, unable to get her article on the dark underbelly of the modelling industry published is sent to Sandefjord to uncover a huge story about the disappearance of a woman and her child.
‘You’re not his, remember that. You’re only ever your own.’
I felt really affected by this dark story of beauty, power and love. I felt quite connected to the characters and their stories, my heart really went out to little Adrian, his described autism rang true. I really liked how we get to see the story from each woman’s viewpoint and then also Adrian’s and can watch as their paths begin to collide. It really is a darkly unsettling and at times a disturbing read and is frankly fantastic!
‘Nobody is above the law, and the truth always wins.’
Revealing the dark underbelly of the modelling industry, it really made my skin prickle reading some of these scenes, especially in light of recent news stories and the MeToo movement. It is so difficult to review without giving away spoilers, but as the story progresses and twists and swirls I finally realised what had happened and I bow down to Alex, this was so clever and brilliantly realised!
This just a superbly gripping, fast paced and unsettling thriller that you don’t want to miss. Alex Dahl is now one of my new auto buy authors!
✩✩✩✩✩
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Thanks so much to Sophie Ransom PR, Head of Zeus and Alex Dahl for my copy of this book and spot on the blog tour...more
Emily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she canEmily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she can to forget the shame and the trauma—and the people involved. She has tried to focus on the life she has built with her children and husband, Nick. But events like that can’t just be forgotten. Not without someone answering for what they’ve done. When an invitation arrives to a University reunion, everything clicks into place. Emily has a plan. Because if you can’t forget—why not get revenge?
This book has vibes of The Secret History set in Cambridge. A cliquey set of largely unlikeable characters with one of them being a bit of an outsider, something happens that splits them apart from the rest and then we slowly find out about the fall out. I have to admit I wasn’t sure about this one to start with but as I got into it, I got more and more addicted and ended up gobbling it up!
Emily the main character I found to be very self absorbing to start, a bit selfish, uptight and unlikeable. I much preferred her husband Nick, laid back and frankly a bit more of a grown up. But as the stories of these people unfold, we find out Emily’s story in flashback, what happened to her at Cambridge, why she left and her plan for revenge. This plot winds tighter and tighter as you read, the tension is palpable and the twists - well, just brilliant! You will not know who to trust and I just had a massive smile on my face because Polly Phillips pulled a blinder with the ending, just superb!
I would say this is the perfect summer thriller read!
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Thanks so much to Harriet at Simon and Schuster UK and the Squadpod for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review...more
Well I just can’t seem to get enough of Murray Baileys books! I’m a big fan of the Ash Carter series and this book is the first in a new series followWell I just can’t seem to get enough of Murray Baileys books! I’m a big fan of the Ash Carter series and this book is the first in a new series following the infamous villain known as Blackjack from that series. He is under the guise of Charles Balcombe, although even that isn’t his real name and we find him in Hong Kong. getting his thrills from the bored housewives of rich bankers, casinos, parties, races but, once a killer as they say.
‘I can control the urges, he told himself. I can control BlackJack, but I need a distraction.’
He’d been a member of the elite Special Investigations Branch of the Royal Military Police—until he’d disappeared and changed his identity. This, he said, was a secret. They weren’t to tell anyone else. But someone does tell and then he is asked to investigate the disappearance of a woman’s son.
‘The note said: I know what you did.’
Oh, I liked this a LOT! I was sucked in from the start, gripping, addictive and full of detail as you would expect from Bailey. Balcombe is an interesting character, fighting for control of himself, flashes of kindness, a bit of a vigilante, definitely brutal and a killer. I have to admit I felt conflicted by him as in previous books he has been the unknown, the villain of the piece, but this time he is front and centre and I was rooting for him! We also follow Munro, a detective, tasked with finding the killer of a laundry man, who has been killed in an odd way and a girl who has been frozen. Are these deaths linked and who killed them?
The storylines of Munro and Balcombe run in tandem and I really have to say this worked brilliantly and I was totally hooked by this story. They are two great characters pitted against each other, although they don’t know it until nearing the end when the threads of the story entwine. It’s an absolute page turner and I loved it! Baileys best book yet!
‘Time to release Blackjack.’
This is my favourite so far!! More please ☺️
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Thanks so much to Murray Bailey for my copy of this ebook and spot on the tour ...more
I love the Ash Carter series. I’ve read a few now, not in order as I just never do. It might help, but to be honest these Singapore 52 - Murray Bailey
I love the Ash Carter series. I’ve read a few now, not in order as I just never do. It might help, but to be honest these books are great as standalones. This is the relaunch to celebrate it going permafree on Amazon - other apps are also available!
In Singapore 52 we meet Ash Carter as he arrives after the books set in Cyprus and the Middle East ( Cyprus Kiss, The Killing Game)
It is Chinese New Year 1952, Ash Carter had to leave the Near East in a hurry and a letter from a friend asking for help draws him there. But when he arrives in Singapore he finds himself in the middle of a much bigger problem. No one knows where, or when, or who but someone is planning an attack. Carter is told to make sure it doesn’t happen. With pressure from politicians and the army and with Chinese Secret Societies watching his every move, he has other plans. He is more interested in finding out who killed his friend.
Ash Carter is a great character, I have him as a mix of Bond, Jack Reacher, and Cormoran Strike - don’t ask me why ...more
Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, Mikki about to marry Jack, a guy she’s only just met. She is shocked butThe Bay - Allie Reynolds
Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, Mikki about to marry Jack, a guy she’s only just met. She is shocked but determined to protect her friend and so tags along on a surfing trip they are heading off on. Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. Sky, Ryan, Clemente and Victor have come to ride the waves and disappear from life.
Kenna soon realises they will do anything to protect this place and the extremes they will go to for a thrill. They are all hiding something and the thing about The Bay is, nobody ever leaves.
What a set up! Closed off from the world, impenetrable trees on one side, the ocean on the other, multiple murderous insects, snakes and sharks and then there are the human residents, not to be trusted with secrets to hide and murder on their minds!
These are a largely unlikeable bunch of characters, a bit aggressive (Sky, Ryan) all super gorgeous (Jack, Clemente)all worryingly with secrets to hide (Mikki, Victor), the cast are brilliantly realised and I didn’t trust one of them! Kenna was my favourite, she is the outsider and I felt for her coming into this clique, looking over her shoulder, the fear drip, dripped it’s way into my mind and I felt like I was really inside this book, feeling what Kenna was feeling!
This is one fabulously juicy locked beach mystery, full of sizzling tension and suspense. I could feel the burning sun, see the turquoise blue water and feel the fear rising as I read. Allie Reynolds can really get inside your head and mess with it, I was subsumed into this one, fast paced, darkly thrilling and exciting and the descriptions of the water, the surfing and the dread fear of waves and drowning are crystal clear.
‘This is my favourite place on earth. I’ll do anything to stay here.’
Brilliant brilliant brilliant, this is one of my favourite reads of the year!...more
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