Wee October giveaway

Happy October guys, I LOVE October. It is the month of horror, scare & all things spooky.

I am the same come December but then it is Criimbo stuff. My o/h isn't into horror at all but indulges my love of tat and horror because it makes me happy. My Halloween decorations from last year are still MIA but I managed to get some stuff for the bathroom, so it begins.

October is one of my themed reads months so my current read is Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have sworn I had read it but it turns out I have not, hoping to finish it today.

I know not everyone loves October/horror/spooky so I thought I would do a wee giveaway not horror related. For my spooky lovers there is still time to enter the competition for x1 horror character bookmark (winner chooses from those available which one they want), over on our INSTAGRAM page, as pictured below.

For this wee October giveaway I have the newest offering from author Katerina Diamond, a standalone, crime fiction, x1 paperback "The Heatwave" and one metal cat shaped bookmark, both as pictured below. To enter, just use the Rafflecopter below. As always, the more entries you complete the more times you name is entered. Please only complete entries you have actually done, all winning entries are checked. Good luck and happy October xxx

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Heatwave by Katerina Diamond

The Heatwave by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Netgalley & bought a treebook copy

Blurb from Goodreads

One summer. One stranger. One killer…
Two bad things happened that summer:
A stranger arrived. And the first girl disappeared.

In the wake of the crime that rocked her community, Felicity fled, knowing more than she let on.

But sixteen years later, her new life is shattered by the news that a second girl has gone missing in her hometown.

Now Felicity must go back, to face the truth about what happened all those years ago.

Only she holds the answers – and they’re more shocking than anyone could imagine.

The heatwave is back. And so is the killer.



My Review

Sixteen years ago a girl went missing in Felicity's small town, she bolted and kept her mouth shut about what she knew. Now another has gone missing and Felicity feels compelled to go back because if the killer is back only she will be able to help find her.

The story goes between present day and back "then", then features Jasmine, a young girl whose closest friend is Felicity. The girls are so different but close and the then revolves around them, what happens to them and what they discover. Now is Felicity leaving her family and going back to the town she would rather have forgotten.

Lots of anticipation, psychological thriller, some unsettling themes. I wasn't sure how the then and now narrative linked in to everything and Diamond keeps you guessing throughout. Felicity seems a bit unhinged at times, reckless making you question and wonder what went down all those years ago, it certainly had a profound impact and maybe now she can address it. Some dodgy characters throughout and I found it hard to put it down because I wanted to know what happened, where it was going and if it was all connected. 4/5 for me this time, I am a fan of Diamond's writing, this is a standalone so you can start with this. I look forward to her next whether it is part of the established series or another new set of characters/standalone.

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Woman in the Water by Katerina Diamond

Woman in the Water by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 432

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

I’m alive. But I can’t be saved . . .

When a woman’s body is found submerged in icy water, police are shocked to find she is alive. But she won’t disclose her name, or what happened to her – even when a second body is discovered. And then she disappears from her hospital bed.

Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey follow their only lead to the home of Reece Corrigan, and when his wife Angela walks in, they immediately recognise her. She’s the woman from the river, with her injuries carefully masked.

The more they dig into the couple, the less they understand about them.

Why have people in their past been hurt, or vanished?

And why doesn’t Angela want to be saved?

Smart, shocking and twisty – perfect for fans of Cara Hunter and Karin Slaughter.



My Review

Guys I read this book I think 3 or 4 books ago and it has taken me til now (and a few re writes) to get my review down. If you haven't read the previous books in the series please do as 1. you are missing out on great books and 2. the back story and character(s) I think are more meaningful if you have been through the previous books with them.

Detective Adrian Miles comes across a body in the water, a crowd are gawking and he calls it in only to discover the body is actually still alive, barely. The woman is beaten, has no recollection of what happened or how she got there and Adrian is really affected by this woman's plight. He and his partner (in more sense than one) Imogen Grey are on the case investigating. With reluctant witnesses and leads drying up, folk would rather go to unthinkable extremes than cooperate with the police.

Oh guys this is a hard one to review without going into spoilers which I never do. The story has multi dimensions to it, Adrian and Imogen's relationship, the investigation such as it is, their mystery woman, what happened to her and everything that follows once they pull her from the river. We also hear from the woman herself, her thoughts, revealing snippets as the book goes on, adding to the mystery.

The case has a huge impact on Adrian, domestic violence is something he grew up with and survived so something about this case, this woman, gets under his skin. Adrian has been known to react on emotions, behaving recklessly but he is a good cop and until now has always came out on top, his hunches pay off. The problem with things like this, the more you play with fire the likelier you are to be burned.

The case proves to be their hardest yet and has ramifications for both Miles and Grey, will Adrian's past spill into the present and can his and Grey's relationship survive this case? There are quite a few harrowing scenes in the book, domestic abuse is a huge part of it, violence, sexual abuse, coercion, murder and it is really hard hitting. If you have ever been in a domestic abuse relationship or loved anyone who has, the book evokes raw emotions, hence still thinking about it X amount of books later. Manipulation, power, the darker side of humanity - it is hard going and I think the reason it packs such a powerful punch is because we all know just how real this kind of "power" and abuse is. I don't think there will be one reader who hasn't been touched by some of these issues, either personally or by someone close to them. Hearing from the victim, seeing the actions and consequences it really makes you think about what exactly people go through and the long reaching impact traumas/experiences can have on us. Compelling, dark, emotive are just a few of the words to describe this roller coaster of a book, 4.5/5 for me this time.

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Truth or Die by Katerina Diamond Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Truth or Die by Katerina Diamond. It is a huge blog tour, everyone will be offering different content/reviews so feel free to check them out.







Truth or Die by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

‘All hail the new Queen of Crime’ Heat magazine

Their darkest secrets won’t stay buried forever…

The butchered body of a professor is found in a private office of Exeter University. It is the first in a spate of horrific murders that shakes the city to its core.

Who would target a seemingly innocent man, and why? DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles turn to his students for answers, but their investigation turns up no leads. Someone must know more than they’re letting on…

As the body count rises, the police have to look into the past to uncover the person responsible before it’s too late.

But are they brave enough to face up to the truth?


My Review

When a professor is found brutally murdered and butchered, Imogen and Miles are on the case and turn to the students for information. As more people die the team have to pull it together to see what they have in common and someone must know more than they let on. Fling into the mix additional pressure when an accusation is cast all whilst Imogen and Miles try and ignore their blooming feelings.

So this is book five in the series and up to this point I would have said you could pick up any of the others as standalone I would advise reading the previous books before this one. There has been so much happened in the previous books that I think you need all of the back story to appreciate this instalment and all that has gone before.

There is a lot of history in this one, particularly between the officers so aswell as death, investigation, police procedural there is a lot of focus on the personal side of those characters. Particularly Imogen as she is dealing with grief, bereavement and family matters.

I really liked the pace of this one, a death quickly, the investigation but more personal stuff before it gets into the brutality we have come to know from Diamonds killers. Not for the faint hearted, I do think she creates some fabulous multi layered tellings and Truth of die is no exception. I cannot wait for book 6 to see what is in store next, 4.5/5 for me this time. If you have loved the first 4 books, clear your schedule as you won't want to put this one down.

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The Promise by Katerina Diamond

The Promise by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - less thank one day

Pages - 448

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley (review copy)

Blurb from Goodreads

‘All hail the new Queen of Crime!’ Heat

When troubled teen Connor moves to Exeter from the US to escape his past, he finds himself embroiled in a world of popular kids and easy girls. Everyone wants to be his friend, but they don’t know about what he did…and they don’t know about his father.

As Connor’s life in England begins to unravel, DS Adrian Miles and his partner Imogen Grey are working up against the clock to catch a serial killer who dates his victims before he kills them. Determined to uncover the truth, Imogen is forced to act as bait – but will she take it too far and risk her own life?

Katerina Diamond is back with a bang in this dark, twisted novel, perfect for fans of M.J. Arlidge and Karin Slaughter.


My Review

This is book four in the series, I say often you can pick up a book and start reading but with this I would advise going back to get the back story of the characters and more understanding of the existing relationships. Connor is 16 and moved with his dad to where his dad grew up, Connor is beautiful, popular and soon pulled into school life but they don't know why Connor had to leave his old school. Nor do they realise what Connor's father is really like and what is the pull to the neighbour next door?

Detective Imogen Grey and Adrian Moles are on the case of a murdered woman, why was she targeted and is this a serial killer? We then split into another narrative, a young trouble woman being abused, targeted and in fear for what is coming next. It took me a wee bit to settle into the three separate stories, Connor - we know something in his past happened but why and what is the deal with his father? The young woman whose story will bring chills to anyone who has dealt with an abusive and or manipulative partner. We get to see a more personal side to the detectives, four books we have been with them, seen them survives challenges, killers, family life, work life engagement. It is a really busy wee book but it works, I think Connor's story was the main focus rather than the killer/detectives or the unidentified woman but I found them all engaging .

I sank into the story quickly, I have read all the books in this series so was eager to see what came next for our officers. It is brutal in parts, riveting, shocking but we also see a gentler side of our detectives from the reverberations of everything that has passed so far. During a few scenes I gasped out loud, one in particular I had to read over again I was so shocked, I LOVE when a book catches you like that! 4/5 for me this time, I cannot wait for the next installment in the series, hurry up writing Diamond.

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The Angel by Katerina Diamond

The Angel by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 464

Publisher - Avon

Source - Book shop

Blurb from Goodreads

THE TRUTH WON’T STAY LOCKED UP FOREVER

When a burned body is found in a disused signal box, suspicion falls on lonely teenager Gabriel Webb. There’s no doubt he was at the scene of the crime, but does he really deserve what awaits him in prison?

DS Imogen Grey is certain there’s more to the case than meets the eye. But while she struggles to convince those around her of the truth, her partner DS Adrian Miles is distracted by his own demons.

When a brutal double murder is reported, their investigation is stopped in its tracks. Is the body in the box even who they thought it was? The duo realise Gabriel might have been locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. But with enemies watching Gabriel’s every move, they may be too late.

Miles and Grey are back in the thrilling new novel from bestselling author Katerina Diamond, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and M.J. Arlidge.


My Review

This is book three in the series, whilst you could technically read this as a standalone I think you would enjoy it more reading the previous and getting the back story. Gabriel Webb and his beautiful girlfriend are goths and end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gabriel is in jail awaiting his punishment, he won't give his girlfriend or the people he was with. DS Grey and Miles are assigned to the case and soon suspects not only is Webb innocent but there is more, much more to this case.

Both detectives have things going on from their past, more so Miles which has a huge part in this story. Grey also faces issues from her past making her question the thing she holds above all else, her loyalty to the job. It has heat, relationships, jail life, sex, violence, murder, sexual references, police investigation and partnership. I love the friendship between the two detectives and how they work together.

The chapters are relatively short which as you know I do love in a story, great for when you are working but if your concentration is off it helps for dipping in and out. I think we get to see a wee bit more to who the characters are, the more personal side without losing focus on the actual case, investigations.

The prison scenes with Webb are hard going at times, it isn't always the what happens more the threat, ominous atmosphere and psychological torture. Diamond creates split themes in the book, the jail with Webb, the police investigation, the deaths, the police personal lives but does so where it all links and doesn't detract from each story line. I think that can be a balsy move by authors, too much going on and the reader becomes bored and or frustrated but if you do it right you reader just want more! 4/5 for me this time, I cannot wait to pick up book four!

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The Secret by Katerina Diamond

The Secret by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 417

Publisher - Avon

Source - Book shop

Blurb from Goodreads

‘A terrific story, originally told. All hail the new Queen of Crime!’ HEAT

‘A web of a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. This formidable debut is a page-turner, but don’t read it before bed if you’re easily spooked!’ SUN

EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW IS A LIE…

Can you keep a secret? Your life depends on it…

Bridget Reid has a secret, one that could get her killed… If she can escape the man who is keeping her locked in a basement bedroom.

DS Imogen Grey is good at keeping secrets – truths she’d never reveal to her colleagues at Exeter Police. She worked hard to get where she is – she nearly died for it. Now her past is catching up with her…

As DS Grey and her partner DS Adrian Miles search for Bridget, they uncover a terrifying web of abuse, betrayal and murder. And they realise that some secrets are better left buried…



My Review

Bridget Reid is undercover as a prostitute when she goes missing, her partner is beside himself knowing just how bad the situation can be. The people she was living with are brutally murdered and she is nowhere to be found. DS Grey and DS Miles are on the case, Grey has elements of her past she would prefer to remain there but as they dig into the case and collaborate with Reid's team the past threatens to come out.

This isn't one for the faint hearted, the murders and violence are brutal, there are webs of deception overlapping and secrets a plenty. The timeline is duo flipping back to Grey's previous team and present day which took me a little while to settle into however it is well signposted. There is a lot of violence and sexual violence, some of the murders are brutal and graphic so it isn't one for the faint hearted. If you haven't read the authors previous book you can get away with starting on this one however if you can I would read it as you get your intro to Grey in book one.

The book deals with a number of issues, not just the case at hand, DS Grey's past and her very strained relationship with her mother, her past, and fellow colleagues. It is a page turner, the pace never drops and keeps the readers on their toes, 4/5 for me this time. Her new book has just come out, I will be buying it, I think this author is going from strength to strength.

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The Teacher by Katerina Diamond

The Teacher by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Blurb from Goodreads

You think you know who to trust?
You think you know the difference between good and evil?

You’re wrong …

A LESSON YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.

This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.

Warning: Most definitely *not* for the faint-hearted!




My Review

I picked this one up as part of a new feature starting on the Crime Book Club although I had heard lots of people raving about it. A head teacher is found hanged at a prestigious school in Devon, not long after receiving a parcel. Soon more bodies turn up, each more gruesome than the other and the police in Exeter know they have a deranged killer on their hands. As they investigate, the police find a horrendous motive and secrets that will rip open their small community. They have to stop the killer before they strike again, but who will be next and will they want to?

Oh I have to say guys, this book is not for the faint hearted, the killings are pretty graphic, brutal and leave the reader with a very vivid picture of what is happening. There are a lot of themes within the book that may upset some readers, exploitation, sex, abuse, torture and murder of course.

The chapters are not particularly long, not as short as James Patterson but not conventional length either, which I enjoy in a books makeup. There are a fair few characters however when switching or introducing a new one, they are highlighted at the top of each chapter. We have a split timeline for one of the characters from then and now, helping to understand why the person is the way they are. Sounds jumpy and complicated but it is actually written really well so the reader can follow it with no problems.

I read this pretty much in one sitting, you get the jist very early on what has happened, or hinted at and don't want to put the book down to see what happens next. The Teacher is a strong debut novel that certainly packs a punch and leaves you a tad squeamish but wanting more. I will be looking out for more of this authors work, 4/5 for me!

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