Book reviews

Authors are readers too. Avid readers.

We also know what it’s like to write a book, so I only post reviews for books I finish. If a book’s not for me, I stop reading and move on.

At all times I aim to be constructive and fair, but it’s only my opinion. I no longer give ratings or stars, except on Amazon, Bookbub and Goodreads.

My tastes are almost exclusively crime fiction, though I venture beyond murders from time to time.

I hope the reviews will help you discover new authors and novels to enjoy.

Smoke and Mirrors by Cheryl Bradshaw

11th October 2020. 5 stars. In her eighth adventure private eye Sloane Monroe finds herself in Australia, working for a senator whose sister has been murdered, as has her partner ...
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Murder at the University by Faith Martin

10th October 2020. 4 stars. The second DI Hilary Greene novel starts with the mysterious death of a French university student in Oxford. It takes a while to uncover the ...
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Dark Crimes by Michael Hambling

6th October 2020. 4 stars. I love it when a book surprises me. In this case it was the character of DCI Sophie Allen, who was fresh, original, charismatic and ...
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Murder Plot by Kevin McCarthy

24th September 2020. 3.5 stars. I found this entertaining cosy mystery buried among the books on my Kindle. The story's set in 1975. GP, Lance Elliott, becomes involved in a ...
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The Keeper of Secrets by ML Rose

21st September 2020. 4 stars. Someone is playing mind games with DCI Arla Baker, breaking into her flat, sending her items that suggest they know her secrets. Worst of all, ...
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The Scent of Guilt by Tony J Forder

20th September 2020. 5 stars. Having read and enjoyed Bad to the Bone, the first book in the series, I was keen to see what DI Bliss would face in ...
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Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

16th September 2020. 3 stars. The subject of domestic abuse can’t be an easy one to tackle, so full marks to the author for depicting the suffering women can endure ...
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The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

15th September 2020. 5 stars. This is the first novel to feature Miss Marple. In her first appearance, she’s described as a bit of a busybody, who’s always right in ...
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The Third Rule by Andrew Barrett

9th August 2020. 4 stars. Let me first say how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure this would be the case when I opened it on my Kindle ...
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The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey

30th August 2020. 4 stars. It’s no secret that I prefer private detectives and sleuths to police procedural crime fiction. It’s much more challenging for a sleuth to solve a ...
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Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran

18th August 2020. 5 stars. This is an excellent introduction and guide to independent publishing that’s perfect for a novice or seasoned indie author. It’s filled with practical tips and ...
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No Obvious Cause by Valerie Keogh

18th August 2020. 4 stars. This is the second book in the series, building on the characters and relationships in the first, No Simple Death, which I reviewed here. When ...
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The Soul Killer by Ross Greenwood

13th August 2020. 4 stars. I enjoyed my second outing with DI Barton and his team as they pursued a serial killer who managed to stay several steps ahead until ...
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Find Them Dead by Peter James

9th August 2020. 5 stars. Roy Grace takes something of a back seat as the story focuses on the trial of a ruthless drugs baron who will do anything to ...
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I Could Be You by Sheila Bugler

4th August 2020. 4 stars. A dead woman lies at the side of the road and her child is missing. Former journalist, Dee Doran, who has problems of her own, ...
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Dancing with the Octopus by Debora Harding

25th July 2020. 5 stars How do you review a story that’s so intensely personal and traumatic, where the author opens her heart and soul to you? Simple – you ...
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Bad to the Bone by Tony J Forder

16th July 2020. 4 stars. The skeletal remains of a woman are found in a shallow grave in a wood in this first book featuring DI Bliss and DS ...
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Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle

16th July 2020. 4 stars. As the title suggests, this book is aimed at independent authors. It’s a positive, encouraging book that shows you what it’s possible to achieve with ...
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