Sins Of The Father by Sheryl Browne

Sins of the Father by Sheryl Browne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < than 1 day

Pages - 329

Publisher - Death by Choclit

Blurb from Goodreads

What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?

Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget – and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.

But the past is the past – or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.

When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?



My Review

DI Matthew Adams is slowly recovering from his last case that almost cost him his family and his life. Now he faces possibly the worst time of his life, as a police officer he is accused of a horrendous crime, doubted by those closest to him Matthew does what he can to protect his family.

This is book two in a series, whilst this can be read as a standalone I would advise reading the first as it gives you much better insight into the relationships and what they characters have already endured. Ooft this is a hard hitting book, it covers many subjects that can be hard hitting for some readers, abuse, rape, enforced drug use, kidnap, murder and that's just scratching the surface. There are many dimensions to this story, relationships and the strain and strength after something so horrific is unleashed upon one family.

I had questions from the previous book about Ashley and her imaginary friend which I felt I got a bit more clarification this time round although it is a very small part of the book. This book looks at the other side of false accusations, both as the victim and perpetrator which is usual and different. As second in the series you are always at risk of losing something especially if the first has been action packed, not so in this case. At times I felt myself holding my breath getting through some scenes, action packed, horrific and the tension rising as the scenes got darker. 4/5 for me this time, thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy to review, all opinions are my own. I look forward to the next in the series and what the future holds for the Adams.

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After She's Gone by Sheryl Browne

After she's Gone by Sheryl Browne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Publisher - Choc Lit

Pages -

Blurb from Goodreads

He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?
There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable.
When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.

But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.


My Review

DI Matthew Adams was bullied as a kid, by none other than Patrick Sullivan who is now a top dog pimp, drug runner, murderer and psycho. Their bad blood has gone on all these years and worse still, blood has been shed. When Patrick loses one of his own his retribution is swift, deadly and sets the ball rolling for more bloodshed, anger and vengeance.

Ugh it is never a good thing when a child dies and one of the earlier scenes really hits the reader hard, how can it not when a child is involved. It sets the precedent for everything that follows and cements a long running feud with innocent bystanders set to suffer. We learn about Adams family and introduced to his niece whose "invisible friend" takes the story on a different spin. I would have loved to have heard a lot more about her and seen this aspect of the story explored in a lot more detail, I hold out hope for it in the next installment.

The book is fast paced, we fire in to some disturbing scenes and history between the two main characters. Both have a very negative affect on each other and we see the characters spiral down a dark path. Patrick is a psychopath, as the story goes on we see just how cracked and depraved one person can be and how a balanced individual can destruct when pushed to the limit. The story covers many topics, family, loss, grief, death of a child, abuse, sexual depravity, murder, drugs and prostitution to name just a few. Not for the feint hearted, a good start to a new series, if you haven't read Browne before this is a great place to start. 4/5 fr me this time, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.

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The Rest Of My Life by Sheryl Browne

The Rest of My Life by Sheryl Browne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 246

Publisher - Choc Lit

Blurb from Goodreads

You can’t run away from commitment forever …

Adam Hamilton-Shaw has more reason than most to avoid commitment. Living on a houseboat in the Severn Valley, his dream is to sail into the sunset – preferably with a woman waiting in every port. But lately, his life looks more like a road to destruction than an idyllic boat ride…

Would-be screenplay writer Sienna Meadows realises that everything about Adam spells trouble – but she can’t ignore the feeling that there is more to him than just his bad reputation. Nor can she ignore the intense physical attraction that exists between them.

And it just so happens that Adam sees Sienna as the kind of woman he could commit to. But can he change his damaging behaviour – or is the road to destruction a one-way street?


My Review

Adam is a Lothario in a small town, on a path to self destruction. After a personal tragedy and relationship crisis, Adam is going about life the wrong way. Bedding wives, girlfriends and just about any woman who comes along his path, Adam is making himself a target for the wrong kind of attention. Enter Sienna, sweet, innocent, who has rented a cottage with her friend, her wee dog and is writing her screen play. When she sees the Adonis that is Adam she can't help but be drawn to him, aware of his reputation she aims to keep her distance. However as the attraction grows, Sienna can't help but ignore her head and listen to her body. With so much stacked against them, can Adam get over his past and Sienna keep her heart safe?

This is a very chick lit book, relationships, lust and attraction are big features however there are more layers and deeper emotive topics covered. Adams previous relationship has left emotional scars and the driving force for his behaviour with woman and alcohol. His friend wants to support him but we all have our limits and Adam is pushing the boundaries. Sienna is almost sickly sweet, some of her behaviour, for me, was very irritating however I believe it echos the reality of some women in positions such as she finds herself in. Adam will draw in scores of female fans who would love to rush in and save him from himself, he does have many layers rather than just the boy toy he initially presents as. For some readers, I think he will evoke fury, having no respect for some of the women (or their partners) when he beds them. Infidelity often gives rise to rage for a lot of readers so just an FYI.

The story goes along the boy meets girl style story, obstacles in the way however it goes a bit deeper and delves into issues that some readers may find a touch a nerve. We hear a lot from Adams view point which is quite refreshing as a lot of these books have the female as the main protagonist. Certainly a different read and whilst I didn't love the characters, I did have a soft spot for Sienna's father, I did enjoy the book. 3/5 for me this time, this is my first dance with this author, I would read her again. I voluntarily reviewed this book, thanks to the author for introducing me to her writing!

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