Into The Dark by Fiona Cummins

Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able in and out over 4 days

Pages -

Publisher - Pan Macmillan

Source - ARC Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Into the Dark is the new dark and gripping crime thriller from Fiona Cummins about revenge, greed, ambition and the true cost of friendship.

THE PLACE: Seawings, a beautiful Art Deco home overlooking the sweep of the bay in Midtown-on-Sea.

THE CRIME: The gilded Holden family - Piper and Gray and their two teenage children, Riva and Artie - has vanished from the house without a trace.

THE DETECTIVE: DS Saul Anguish, brilliant but with a dark past, treads the narrow line between light and shade.

One late autumn morning, Piper’s best friend arrives at Seawings to discover an eerie scene – the kettle is still warm, all the family’s phones are charging on the worktop, the cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted.

In fifteen-year-old Riva Holden’s bedroom, scrawled across the mirror in blood, are three words:

Make
Them
Stop.

What happens next?


My Review

The Holden family have disappeared, the house in a state as if the family only just left. The police are investigating, things may not be as they seem and are the family? Concern ramps up when a blood stained message is found in the teenagers room, what happened to the Holden's and where are they now?

The timeline flips around the disappearance, days, hours, weeks before and with each jump we get a different glimpse of the people they are. What was happening in their lives, interactions, actions and secrets. Present day takes us into the investigation, DC Saul and colleagues and the missing wife Piper's best friend Julianne. Pretty much all of these characters have some kind of secret to hide, aren't exactly the nicest of people, seriously some of them are super weird!

It took me a little bit to settle to and get my head around it, a fair few characters, storylines and as I said timelines surrounding the missing family. I have a lot going on at home so my concentration is all over the place and hooking into a book just now is a struggle. I was pulled in pretty quickly (as I do with Cummins books) because I am a total nosey reader. I want to know what went down, how, why and when you get a book that teases out the information and reveals it secrets layer by layer you absolutely get invested. The characters aren't nice people, some of the behaviours are indeed shocking *gasp* which makes you reluctant to put it down. I would like to see some of the characters again because what on earth could X Y Z do next, this may just be wishful thinking as I don't think Cummins does series but they say a good author leaves the reader wanting more, 4/5 for me this time.

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Acts Of Love by Talulah Riley

Acts of Love by Talulah Riley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days (on and off)7

Pages - 320

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Blurb from Goodreads

A bold, intelligent, and modern love story which reminds us that the most powerful relationships are not so much about two people finding each other as they are about that most human quest to find ourselves.

Bernadette is expert at hiding the truth.

She has built her career as a journalist on her talent for lulling powerful men into a false sense of security, then exposing them in her ruthless profile pieces.

But in Radley Blake, she may have met her match. Immune to her charms, he seems to see through every layer of her carefully constructed act: right to the truth of who she is inside.

We think we're looking for love - but what if it's ourselves we need to find? Talulah Riley's wonderful first novel is an irresistible will-they-won't-they tale that asks how it is we can strive for independence, but still believe in destiny..


My Review

Bernadette St John is beautiful, strong, charming and calculated, she has men eating out of the palm of her hand, all but the one she wants. Lusting after her manager who is also in a relationship with her "friend" Bernadette is waiting to pounce. People only see the sweet facade she puts forward, until Radley Blake comes along. Radley is rich, intelligent, friends with Bernadette's circle and drawn to Bernadette like most men. However Radley sees through her guise and calls her on her behaviour, mocks and challenges her. They seem the perfect match but Bernadette has only one man in mind and Radley isn't him!

This book had echos of Gone with the Wind with Bernadette being a modern day Scarlett O'Hara and Radley mirroring the wonderful Rhett Butler. Bernadette has strong feminine values, scorning men after being hurt in the past and sculpted by the thorny hands of her father. Tim, her manager, is the only man who escapes her scorn which draws her to him and wobbles her feminine principles. Radley sees Bernadette's true character and forces her to examine who she really is and what she really desires.

A book that looks at the impact a child's rearing can have on the adult they will become, testing relationships, a look at feminism, friendship, adultery and personal growth. Bernadette isn't a very likeable character, she is selfish, self involved, rude, deceptive and calculating however glimpses into her past offer explanation as to why. An interesting debut novel that delves into feminist attitudes and a plethora of societal & personal issues, 3/5 for me this time. I would certainly read this author again oh and on a side note, my cover of the book is different to the one shown here. I do hope they go with this as the final release, the texture of the material is really nice and the colours of predominantly white with metallic blue works really well together. Thanks so much to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. This book is available to buy from all good retailers for £12.99, hardback, from 11/08/2016.

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The Caller by M A Comley & Tara Lyons

The Caller by M.A. Comley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 198

Publisher - Jeamel Publishing Limited

Blurb from Goodreads


When The Caller rings... what would you do?

The Organised Crime Team is a newly-formed unit with one of the toughest tasks in London. Led by DI Angie North, their first investigation is a cold case that has foxed several officers in the Met for months.
After Angie holds a TV appeal regarding the case, a number of similar aggressive attacks are brought to her attention. The team call on their contacts on the street for help. Their interest is sparked when several local names surface.
To bring the criminals to justice a member of the Organised Crime Team is asked to risk their life in a dangerous covert operation.


My Review

Meet DI Angie North, leading member of the Organised Crime Team, tasked with solving a cold case and bringing the new team together. More attacks come to light and the clock is ticking for Angie and her team to capture the culprits and save the unsuspecting public from another attack.

This tale is two fold, one is the team relationship and how they come together, bond, react to each other and the second is the criminal aspect of the story. The hierarchy of the gang members, the dynamics of their group and how loyalties are tested. As well as examining police procedures, pulling an investigating team together and the inner workings of a gang and gang mentalities we see the difficulties police have to endure during this type of operation/investigation.

The prologue sets the reader straight on the theme of the book, brutal, graphic, sexual violence, murder and that is just the opening! The theme is fast paced and jumps between the bad guys and the police officers trying to catch them. The chapters are relatively short in length which is something I personally like in a book. There are some dark themes that some readers may struggle with, violence, murder, sexual abuse, torture, drugs and of course some bad language all of which you would expect when gangs are involved.

This is my first time reading these authors, although I have some of their independent work on my tbr, and I really enjoyed it. A tale that is both dark and deep, if you like thrillers or crime then this is a book for you, 4/5 for me. Thanks so much to the authors for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Shtum by Jem Lester

Shtum by Jem Lester
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Orion

Blurb from Goodreads

Powerful, darkly funny and heart-breaking, Shtum is a story about fathers and sons, autism, and dysfunctional relationships.

Ben Jewell has hit breaking point. His ten-year-old son Jonah has severe autism and Ben and his wife, Emma, are struggling to cope.

When Ben and Emma fake a separation - a strategic decision to further Jonah's case in an upcoming tribunal - Ben and Jonah move in with Georg, Ben's elderly father. In a small house in North London, three generations of men - one who can't talk; two who won't - are thrown together.


My Review

Ben and Emma are at their wits end, their ten year old son Jonah has a severe form of autism and they are being penalized for being a united strong couple. So they fake a separation to help their quest to get Jonah into the school and care they desperately need for him. Ben reluctantly moves in with his father, Georg, in a small house with Jonah and try to cope with the complications of father son relationship.

This book isn't out until tomorrow however it is already receiving rave reviews and praise. Ben is not a likeable character, in fact I would have liked to have slapped him if truth be told. There is no doubt his daily struggles are many and the book opens your eyes to just how much a family goes through with a child with severe autism. However, Ben is so full of self pity and destructive behaviour it is irritating and you really feel for Jonah and those around them.

It took me over 200 pages to really get into the story and we get to see Ben go on a journey of self discovery and growth. I was not a huge fan of Emma either to be honest and struggled to understand her behaviour. However, the relationship with Jonah and his grandfather was the saving grace and really very touching. Georg is not the main character but he really does steal the story, well he did for me. Reading about his past and his stories to Jonah really pulled me in and left me wanting more, he is a grumpy old man you can't help but love and he is so tender with Jonah.

The is a very hard hitting story, Ben is very honest in some of his thoughts towards his son and some of that was hard to read. There is a lot of swearing, a little humour littered throughout the story and huge focus on relationships and family dynamics. I would certainly recommend this book but I do not think it is for everyone, I found some of it hard going. I would have gave it 3.5 but the ratings are full not half and for me it isn't 4 stars, so 3/5 for me. I think there is a lot that can be taken from this book and I think Lester has done very well with a hard subject. I think Ben's honesty will be loved by some readers and hated by others. Possibly another marmite book, I didn't love it but I did like it and would have loved to have read more on Georg and the background on Ben and Emma. My thanks to Tracy F and TBConFB for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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ARC - Lawless by Jessie Keane

Lawless by Jessie Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Publisher - Pan

Pages - 493

Blurb from back cover


It is 1975 and Ruby Darke is struggling to deal with the brutal murder of her lover, Michael Ward. As her children, Daisy and Kit, battle their own demons, her retail empire starts to crumble.

Meanwhile, after the revenge killing of Tito Danieri, Kit is the lowest he's ever been. But soon doubt is thrown over whether Kit killed the right person, and now the Danieris are out for his blood and the blood of the entire Darke family.

As the bodies pile up, the chase is on - can the Darkes resolve their own family conflicts and find Michael Ward's true killer before the vengeful Danieris kill them? Or will they take the law into their own hands . . .


My Review

Ruby Darke is still reeling from the murder of her partner, Michael Ward. Kit, her son, is also taking it hard and hell bent on revenge which will put all their lives at risk. Retribution will be swift but who will pay for Kits actions?

The story opens up and flings us right into the mix immediately, Ruby is accosted on her way home and the story throws back a bit to give us the know of why we got to this point. The book is set in 1975, in England and crime was established and growing even then. People are hard to forgive or forget any indiscretions made against their family and soon the body count is rising. Ruby's daughter Daisy has some issues going on in her life too although nothing in comparison to Kit. Ruby's son has never forgiven her and never will, he is angry about Michael's death which he blames upon the Danieri family, especially Tito. An eye for an eye sees tension rising between him and the surviving brothers, Vittore & Fabio. Can the families work out their differences or will it be bloodshed all the way?

I do enjoy Jessie Keane, it is gritty crime, fairly fast paced and if you have read her before you know what your getting. Murder, bad language, sex, crime, betrayal and that is usually just scratching the surface. I have read a few of her books and the last one wasn't, I felt, as good as the others. This one sees her back on top, writing with an ease and drawing you into a fast paced dangerous way of life. The women characters in this tale are as strong or dominant as the main male characters, I felt, which is a nice change. There are a few shocks along the way and I could have read this in one sitting had time permitted. Overall 4/5 for me, thank you to Anne for passing this ARC along in exchange for an honest review. You can get your hands on a copy from the 17th of July, 2014 so not long to wait.

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