Operation North Sea by William Meikle

August 2, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Operation North Sea by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The chill grey waters of the North Sea off the Scottish coast are treacherous at the best of times and become even more so when something attacks an offshore oil rig.

An old friend calls for S-Squad’s expertise but what they find is a bigger enemy by far than any they have previously encountered.

This time they’re going to need bigger guns.

The lads from S-Squad are sent just a short jump away onto an oil rig on the chilly waters of the North Sea off the Scottish coastline. While they’re sent away with an old friend what they hadn’t anticipated was the monster they find lurking beneath the dark water is far, far bigger than even they could have imagined.

I really love this series and thoroughly enjoyed this addition. Short and very fast paced, this time more guns and fire power weren’t helpful against the biggest beastie the boys have faced yet. I thought this quick story was exceptionally well thought out by the author and I was very happy with the progress of some of the characters – Wiggins in particular. His character is certainly growing and learning, and I found that a joy to read. A few of the small interactions between Wiggins and Captain Banks in particular really had me feeling there was room for more to come in the next few books.

As always – this series is a rollicking good time. Fine literature and twisty turning complex plots is not the aim of the game here. Rather this is a loud, brash and joyous good time with plenty of drinking, swearing, monsters and bravery. I adore these squaddies and this series and while it’s certainly not needed to have read any of the previous books you’re missing out if you haven’t.

With monsters, brave soldiers and a whole bunch of collateral damage this is a fun and frivolous read that is sure to brighten anyone’s day. I love this series and found this to be a wonderfully good time. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes

August 1, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

DI Ben Kitto needs a second chance. After ten years working for the murder squad in London, a traumatic event has left him grief-stricken. He’s tried to resign from his job, but his boss has persuaded him to take three months to reconsider.

Ben plans to work in his uncle Ray’s boatyard, on the tiny Scilly island of Bryher where he was born, hoping to mend his shattered nerves. His plans go awry when the body of sixteen year old Laura Trescothick is found on the beach at Hell Bay. Her attacker must still be on the island because no ferries have sailed during a two-day storm.

Everyone on the island is under suspicion. Dark secrets are about to resurface. And the murderer could strike again at any time.

For ten years DI Ben Kitto has worked in London with the Murder Squad, but after a tragic event he worries his nerves are shot. Refusing to allow him to quit, Ben’s boss instead convinces him to take three months off and not make a hasty decision. So, Ben returns to his uncle’s boatyard on the tiny Scilly Island of Bryher where Ben passed more than a few happy holidays as a child. But that peace is shattered when the body of a sixteen-year-old local girl washes up on the beach at Hell Bay – and due to a two-day storm, no ferries have sailed since she was last seen, so the killer must be a local resident. Does Ben have the strength to search for a killer in the place that was meant to be his refuge?

This is the first book in a new-to-me author and series. Set on the small islands off the Cornwell coastline this British police procedural is based around a small island with only a few hundred residents on it. Readers looking for an action-orientated novel or a fast pace to the plot probably won’t find what they’re after here. I really enjoyed the slower pace to the plot, helping to really set the scene and let me ease into the new character of Ben and the residents of the island who are so familiar to our protagonist.

It felt clear to me that the slower start to this novel really was just to set the landscape for the reader. The opening scene is the murder of the teenage girl and while it takes a few chapters for her body to be found, I was pleased this time was given for me to get so attached to both Ben’s character and the small coastal town he had returned home to in order to recover. I had no doubt the murder would be discovered and so I didn’t feel any rush and the fact the author clearly had a similar idea really sat well with me. I do find these smaller town, police procedural style of novels are equally as much about the characters as with the murder and mystery aspects so having them each given plenty of time had me eagerly turning the pages.

Once the murder is discovered and Ben is – somewhat reluctantly – drawn in to the whole situation I did feel the pace quickened a little. Readers who like the slow and steady progress of many British police procedural style of novels should absolutely find this fits the bill for them. I really enjoyed the cast of characters and I’m always astonished how quickly I can get drawn into another small and sleepy village setting of any novel. This book was no exception, and I hadn’t even finished this book before I had purchased the next on in the series.

With well drawn characters, and interesting plotline and a “locked door” stye of murder mystery this was a great book and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Waiting For Spring by Sonya Rhen

July 31, 2024 By 5 Comments


Waiting For Spring by Sonya Rhen
Jelly Beans and Spring Things Series
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Returning to belly dance at the annual Kirkland Crocus Parade with the Habibi Nile Dancers, Shayna vows to forget her breakup after last year’s parade and guard her fragile heart. However, her best friend is just as determined to find her a new love interest. Shayna would rather not think about matters of the heart and just concentrate on entertaining the spectators by dancing with her dignity intact. Which is harder than she thought. As the parade participants march on through Kirkland’s quaint downtown streets, the Easter Bunny, her fearless leader, her best friend, an eye-catching drummer, and a jelly-bean-tossing clown, might give Shayna a reason to open her heart…after all, spring is in the air!

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Old Bones Lie by Marion Todd

July 31, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Old Bones Lie by Marion Todd
Publisher: Canelo Crime
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

DI Clare Mackay is about to face a test of her loyalty…
When a report comes in that a van containing two prison officers and a convicted jewel thief is missing, the police in St Andrews work quickly to locate the vehicle. Their efforts prove in vain when no trace is found and they realise the wives of both officers also appear to have left the area. Is this a case of corrupt guards springing a felon, or innocent people caught in the crossfire?

DI Clare Mackay leads the team but has to do without her right hand man; DS Chris West is a cousin to one of the missing prison officers and must not be involved in the case. With a new sergeant at her side plus a previously unencountered DCI, Clare’s people skills are pushed to the limit. Especially once she realises her boss is keeping her on the sidelines. Just what is it that Clare doesn’t know? And if she has to choose between keeping secrets from a friend, or letting slip something that could see a culprit go free, which path will she take?

DI Clare Mackay is racing the clock trying to find a missing prison van with two guards and a seemingly escaped convicted jewel thief. When it quickly becomes apparent the wives of the two missing guards are also nowhere to be found, the question is asked were the guards complicit in the escaped man – or are they innocent men caught in a terrifying crossfire. Without her right-hand man – DS Chris is the cousin to one of the guards, and with both a new partner, new DCI and new team members Clare has her plate full.

I found this to be an interesting and well-paced police procedural style of mystery/suspense novel. I feel it stands very well alone, and while a number of the team members have been working cohesively together for a while now, there are a number of new characters introduced here and so I don’t feel readers will feel like they need any of the previous books to thoroughly enjoy this novel. I also feel the author did a good job helping this story feel fresh without casting too much tension or an unbelievable amount of conflict into the story. Adding new characters and changing the team’s dynamic like this certainly to my mind helped keep everything feeling fresh and different.

I also really appreciated the complexity to the plot. There were two to three main investigations interweaving throughout the whole story and working out what was linked and what was independent kept me on my toes for much of the story. Tension and emotions were also running high – with one of the prison guards being a well-loved cousin to a long-standing team member and with the new characters not immediately being transparent there were plenty of questions and double-guessing going on for me personally. This helped keep the complexity of the plots high to my mind and I enjoyed trying to unravel everything.

Each of the main plotlines had a solid and thorough explanation and conclusion – so readers who detest cliff hangers or “find out more next book” shouldn’t find anything here to annoy them. I also enjoyed how while Clare’s personal relationship with their previous DCI is still ongoing and was continued in this book at no stage did I feel it detracted or overshadowed the police investigations or the main plotlines. I thought the author balanced all these elements really well and I found it an excellent and enjoyable read.

Readers looking for a solid, well-paced and cleverly plotted Scottish police procedural story should definitely give this book a try. While all the books in this series are good this can easily be read by itself, and I feel it’s an good addition to the “tartan noir” Scottish based mystery/suspense genre.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Ice Into Ashes by John Carson

July 29, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Ice Into Ashes by John Carson
Publisher: Amazon Kindle (Self-published)
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Time is a healer…unless you’re the one doing the killing…

DCI James Craig is heading home to Fife for a family funeral after the discovery of his wife’s uncle’s lifeless body at home, having fallen down the stairs. The incident was classified as a Sudden Death, attributing it to the man’s advanced age and fragility. Case officially closed.

Or is it?

Craig, inherently skeptical, approaches matters from a unique perspective, a skill honed on the streets of London. He hesitates to accept the neatly wrapped conclusion surrounding the old man’s demise.
As he contemplates letting the matter rest, certain details stand out, prompting him to reconsider the circumstances surrounding the death.

Craig reconnects with his former boss, now a Superintendent, from his probationary days in Fife. He requests permission to join the inquiry and is paired with DS Isla McGregor.

The two of them are soon caught up in a series of killings that stretch back years, back to the days when a young copper called James Craig was just starting out. A case that Craig remembers very well.

Because he almost caught a serial killer who was starting out on his own journey.

And now their paths are going to cross again.

DCI James Craig has returned for a week to Fife, Scotland from London with his wife Eve. Eve’s uncle tragically died falling down the stairs in what has been ruled an accident and they’re each taking a little time to arrange things including the funeral. But Craig spots a few odd items around Eve’s uncle’s home that has him quietly questioning whether this was an accident or something far darker. Calling in a few favours with his previous colleagues at the local precinct, Craig is determined to find answers – no matter where that might lead.

This is the first book in what I believe will be a new series for this author. I enjoyed the set up and found myself drawn into the deepening mystery as Craig uncovered more and more strange coincidences. While I expect this series will become more police procedural style this particular book wasn’t too heavily focused on that, partly I expect because Craig was away from his own turf of London and the Met, but equally because as the victim was his wife’s uncle this was an incredibly personal investigation for Craig. I found these two points made this an engrossing mystery, but since I strongly enjoyed the author’s prose and style, I expect I will be just as happy with a more regular police style investigation.

While the plot didn’t feel overly complicated to me, I was incredibly happy with there was quite the twist at the end – most of which I didn’t see coming at all. As an avid reader it’s not often a plot can so comprehensively turn on its head and retain all sense of logic. The author managed this admirably to my mind and it had me rechecking all the facts and hints for quite some time after I turned the last page.

I admit this author usually writes with a huge cast and while this book certainly wasn’t slim on the number of characters I was rather pleased the cast was kept well done in terms of size. I found this really helped me keep a handle on who everyone was and what their involvement was – particularly considering this was the first book. I feel readers absolutely should feel confident in picking this book up on a whim and using it as a tool to decide if they like the author’s style or not.

With a solid mystery and some enjoyable characters, I really felt this was a good book and I am pleased I gave it a try. I expect I’ll pick up the next book in the series fairly soon.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Lies to Tell by Marion Todd

July 26, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Lies to Tell by Marion Todd
Publisher: Canelo, UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Early one morning DI Clare Mackay receives a message from her boss DCI Alastair Gibson telling her to meet him in secret. She does as he asks and is taken from St Andrews to a secure location in the remote Scottish hills. There, she is introduced to ethical hacker Gayle Crichton and told about a critical security breach coming from inside Police Scotland. Clare is sworn to secrecy and must conceal Gayle’s identity from colleagues until the source is found.

Clare already has her hands full keeping a key witness under protection and investigating the murder of a university student. When a friend of the victim is found preparing to jump off the Tay Road Bridge it is clear he is terrified of someone. But who? Clare realises too late that she has trusted the wrong person. As her misplaced faith proves a danger to herself and others, Clare must fight tooth and nail to protect those she cares about and see justice done.

DI Clare Mackay is all settled in St. Andrews and feeling good about how things are going. When she’s instructed that her morning meeting has been cancelled and she needs to meet her boss in secret things become weird fast. DCI Gibson and Clare are taken to an underground bunker in the remote Scottish hills and threatened with having their Warrants taken if they breathe a word of what’s discussed in those walls. Clare trusts her team implicitly, but with the threat of her entire career hanging on the line she’s going to have to get used to subterfuge very quickly. Will it all be a deadly mistake?

I’ve been enjoying this series and this book was no different. I was pleased that Clare is feeling settled and happy in her life and strongly feel this book can be read as a stand alone. The relationships and much of the history between the characters and Clare’s team is very well explained and I don’t feel readers will miss anything if they start fresh with this book.

I found this to be very much a police procedural style of novel and set in Scotland but not in Edinburgh or Glasgow I thought it had a good blend of a more rural feel while still being a university city based police story. I also was really impressed there were two or three main plotlines all twining together and this helped keep the pace of the story feeling like it was moving along and not dragging in any areas. I was pretty impressed I managed to guess one of the main plot endings – but was rather surprised with a few others and so this also felt very balanced and enjoyable to me.

I must admit Clare’s love life is getting a little more complicated and the ending left a few big questions hovering in the air. This is a love-life question – not a plot being left unresolved – but readers who dislike any real romance might find this book strays a little too far for their liking. And while the police/mystery aspects to the story are all very neatly tied up some of Clare’s personal life is definitely left unresolved so these might be issues for some readers.

With interesting characters and a very strong plot with complications and a few different aspects to it this was a complex and well written police procedural that I greatly enjoyed.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Destination Wedding by Sean Michael

July 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Destination Wedding by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Two years ago Royal walked in on his husband Bobby in bed with another man, leaving him a single dad with a three year old boy and a baby girl, who he loves with all his heart. Now his ex and the other man are getting married and they want the kids in the wedding.

Logan received divorce papers when his husband Rick cheated on him, leaving him with a four year old son and another child on the way. He resents having to let his ex have his son every second weekend, but is happy he doesn’t have to share his little girl.

When Royal gets to his room at the destination wedding resort, he meets Logan and the two men get along like a house on fire, commiserating over the fact that their exes cheated with each other, are getting married, and that they want the kids to be a part of the ceremony.

Commiseration becomes friendship, and the kids all consider each other siblings. Can Royal and Logan find more than friendship with each other?

When Royal walked in on his husband Bobby, cheating with a man named Rick, it left him as a single man raising their two toddler children effectively by himself. Royal loves his now five and three year old children more than anything – but now Bobby and Rick are getting married they want their kids – including the young son Rick has with his ex-husband Logan – involved in the wedding. Royal and Logan are both still trying to get their lives somewhat under control and the routines and schedules with their respective children into a system, so it’s understandable that while at this destination wedding they find a strong supportive friend with each other. But can that friendship and camaraderie maybe lead them to something more?

I enjoyed this full length novel and found the characters very well drawn. I was particularly pleased that this story had a slower pace with the two men becoming supportive and understanding friends before either of them explored or acted on their attraction. In this circumstance I’m not sure I’d have found an insta-love or quicker paced romance too believable, especially considering both Logan and Royal had two small children each and they’d both been very badly burned by their ex’s and the cheating two years prior. I was so relieved the author made their journey about the comfort, strength of friendship and the whole family situation an equal – if not greater – part to the relationship along with the sex and companionship. It just gave the whole story a more realistic and enjoyable vibe to me and I really loved that.

The sex – and there is plenty of that once the men get there – is smoking hot but also tender and heartfelt and very well written. I feel readers used to the spicier M/M books out there should find it very satisfying and I found it utterly realistic considering the circumstances of both men’s lives.

I also felt there was plenty of plot based around the two families and their lifestyles. There was ample conflict considering the ex’s and even plenty of normal, day-to-day experiences of single parenting with young children. I feel readers who enjoy this style of story should definitely feel this book well worth a try. I was pleased this was a very stand-alone style of book and readers should have no concerns over picking it up even if they’ve never read anything by this author.

With interesting characters, adorable and memorable children and two single dads doing the best they can this is a great book with plenty of chemistry and a lovely read I thoroughly enjoyed.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda

July 24, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

For a young woman coming of age in sixteenth-century Guatemala, safeguarding her people’s legacy is a dangerous pursuit in a mystical, empowering, and richly imagined historical novel.

Catalina de Cerrato is being raised by her widowed father, Don Alonso, in 1551 Guatemala, scarcely thirty years since the Spanish invasion. A ruling member of the oppressive Spanish hierarchy, Don Alonso holds sway over the newly relegated lower class of Indigenous communities. Fiercely independent, Catalina struggles to honor her father and her late mother, a Maya noblewoman to whom Catalina made a vow that only she can keep: preserve the lost sacred text of the Popol Vuh, the treasured and now forbidden history of the K’iche’ people.

Urged on by her mother’s spirit voice, and possessing the gift of committing the invaluable stories to memory, Catalina embarks on a secret and transcendent quest to rewrite them. Through ancient pyramids, Spanish villas, and caves of masked devils, she finds an ally in the captivating Juan de Rojas, a lord whose rule was compromised by the invasion. But as their love and trust unfold, and Don Alonso’s tyranny escalates, Catalina must confront her conflicted blood heritage—and its secrets—once and for all if she’s to follow her dangerous quest to its historic end.

The setting is sixteenth-century Guatemala, and the story is told from the point of view of a young woman named Catalina. Catalina is living between two worlds: that of her Spanish father, and that of her late Mayan mother. Her dad’s colleagues have conquered and suppressed her mother’s, leaving Catalina in a desperately uncomfortable situation. Much drama is written into the story as it unfolds. We get to know and love Catalina as she maneuvers her way through a lot of danger and intrigue.

The novel comes across almost as a diary, with real emotion to help us not only understand, but feel what’s happening to Catalina. Her supporting characters are richly drawn and unpredictable. The world around her is easy to picture due to the author’s skill in weaving in time and place details.

This is a moving, suspenseful tale of a young woman living in fretful times. Readers will surely enjoy getting a feel for the history of the era as well. Recommended.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Develop Your Career Path in a Post Pandemic World by Zail Dugal

July 23, 2024 By Leave a Comment


How to Develop Your Career Path in a Post Pandemic World by Zail Dugal
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the wake of the global pandemic, the professional landscape has undergone profound changes, challenging traditional notions of career advancement and stability. Recent graduates are having trouble finding their footing in the workplace after many other professionals have been laid off or furloughed. Some professionals have had gaps in their employment because of parental responsibilities, having their own health challenges, or caring for their aging parents. How to Develop Your Career Path in a Post Pandemic World is a comprehensive guide that navigates readers through this evolving terrain, offering practical insights, strategies, and actionable steps to thrive in the new normal.

Uncertainty can be a gift.

Not every job is the perfect fit for every worker. I nodded in agreement as I read about the importance of knowing one’s skills, strengths, and weaknesses before deciding which positions to apply for. Even something as simple as preferring background noise or preferring a quiet workplace should be considered, and I liked the fact that the author spent so much time talking about the many different factors that should be considered when looking into possible roles.

The thought that crossed my mind over and over again as I read this was that I wished the author had included more details about every step in the process. She covered a lot of important information about modern job hunting, but she didn’t have time to dive deeply into any one particular topic. It would have been especially helpful if she had talked more about how online job applications have altered the job search process, how to tailor a resume to a specific position, and what people who are disabled or part of other minority groups can do to increase their odds of success. She did discuss some of the unique challenges mothers and caregivers face in the workplace, so I would have been keen to see this section expanded by several chapters so that other perspectives could be included as well.

I appreciated the attention Ms. Dugal paid to the emotional aspects of job hunting, from feeling the sting of rejection to building resiliency and maintaining a hopeful outlook on life. It can be quite difficult to send out countless job applications that are never replied to or to interview for positions for companies that do not keep applicants updated on the process. There are a lot of things one cannot control while looking for work, so remaining upbeat about the things one does have an influence on makes a great deal of difference. If only this section had been longer! Honestly, I think it was the most important chapter of them all.

How to Develop Your Career Path in a Post Pandemic World was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

July 22, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Where the Marble Arch stands today in London was once the Tyburn gallows – also known as The Hanging Tree. The walk toward those gallows along Oxford Street and past the Mayfair mansions has a bloody and haunted history as the last trip of the condemned. Some things never change. For both blood and ghosts have returned to those mansions of the super-rich. And it’s up to Peter Grant – England’s last wizard and the Metropolitan Police’s reluctant investigator of all things supernatural – to get to the bottom of the sinister doings.

PC Peter Grant doesn’t usually get involved with any old suspicious death, not even when the young adult who died is extraordinarily wealthy and the apartment where the death occurred is inside one of the most exclusive apartment complexes in the rich section of London. But Lady Ty’s young daughter was at the party in question and Peter owes Lady Ty a big favour. And as seems to always happen with Peter, nothing is quite what it seems. And when it comes to asking difficult questions at inopportune times, Peter just can’t help himself.

This has been an exceptional series and I am really enjoying the blend of humour with a paranormal world and some really excellently plotted police procedural murder mysteries. Readers might want to have read one or two of the previous books in this series as a number of the characters aren’t given a whole lot of background in this book and so coming in blind might make it difficult to initially work out how everyone is connected, but this is such a great book and a fabulous series reading some – or all – of the previous books really shouldn’t be too hard.

I did enjoy that a number of the longer term plot arcs got a fair bit of traction – both with Lesley May and the other magical practitioners, as well as Peter gaining some momentum with his magical skills and training. The actual plot of the murdered young adult and the rich and famous party goers was also very interesting and well paced so I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects to this book.

A great blend of dry British wit, with a large dose of police procedural mystery and a lovely sense of the absurd I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more in this series. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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