On My Life by Angela Clarke

On My Life by Angela Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Mulholland Books UK

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Framed. Imprisoned. Pregnant.

Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing.

And the police think she did it...

Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:

Clear her name
Save her baby
Find the killer

But can she do it in time?

'An angry, powerful read - one of those rare crime novels with more to deliver than routine thrills.' Mick Herron, author of London Rules



My Review

Split between then and now, we meet Jenna, accused of killing her stepdaughter and fiance, his body hasn't been found yet. Jenna is innocent but noone believes her, it is only a matter of time before the inmates find out she is a child killer. Jenna has to find a way to prove her innocence but all the evidence points to Jenna, her fiance is missing presumed dead and how can you prove anything when you are stuck in jail and your only hope is your lawyer?

Then takes up back to Jenna meeting her now fiance, now we go through her being incarcerated post the killing and the run up to her trial. Now focuses on her experiences in jail and it isn't pleasant, threats are hanging on every corner. We follow Jenna as she finds out what it is like to go from a normal life to being a child killer, what jail life entails and the knowledge of those closest have given up on you. The then chapters are how her relationship starts, her life before it is changed and a glimpse into a not so perfect relationship, all the while asking yourself where is the fiance?

The jail scenes are gripping, danger, violence, death and devastation at the power some have over others, the abuse and vulnerability these woman experience. Gripping and pulls you in pretty much from the get go, this isn't my first dance with Clarke and it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time. This is a standalone and if you haven't read anything of hers before this is a great place to start.

View all my reviews

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - As and when over 2 days

Pages - 336

Publisher - Mulholland books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


Police Sergeant William South has a good reason to shy away from murder investigations: he is a murderer himself.

**Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year
A methodical, diligent, and exceptionally bright detective, South is an avid birdwatcher and trusted figure in his small town on the rugged Kentish coast. He also lives with the deeply buried secret that, as a child in Northern Ireland, he may have killed a man. When a fellow birdwatcher is found murdered in his remote home, South's world flips.
The culprit seems to be a drifter from South's childhood; the victim was the only person connecting South to his early crime; and a troubled, vivacious new female sergeant has been relocated from London and assigned to work with South. As our hero investigates, he must work ever-harder to keep his own connections to the victim, and his past, a secret.
The Birdwatcher is British crime fiction at its finest; a stirring portrait of flawed, vulnerable investigators; a meticulously constructed mystery; and a primal story of fear, loyalty and vengeance.



My Review

William South is a police officer in a small town, when a fellow birdwatcher is found brutally murdered William is compelled to find out what happened. When a name from his child hood pops up as a suspect William finds himself revisiting his childhood and the secret he had long ago buried.

As well as the murder, South has a new partner Cupidi who has her hands full with her teenage daughter and her own past she would like to keep quiet. An unlikely friendship with Cupidi and her daughter, South finds himself no longer the lone ranger, even his bird watching time is shared. South wants the crime solved and can't take a step back or follow orders, who did this, why and are people who they say they are?

I really liked this, the murder kicks everything off and we follow the investigation, the relationships South has with the folk living in town and flashbacks to his time growing up in Ireland. I loved the bird watching parts, it isn't something I have ever done myself but this is the second book I have read with it in it, it works well.

If you have issues with swearing, be warned there is a fair amount of it in this book, the police banter and some of the characters are rough and ready so it is fitting with the story. There are brief flashes to the troubles in Ireland as South was brought up during that time and we have a wee glimpse into that time period. It is very well written, the characters come to life and draw the reader in pretty much from the beginning. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

ARC - Guilt By Degrees by Marcia Clark

Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 3 days

Publisher - Mulholland Books

Blurb From Goodreads

Someone has been watching D.A. Rachel Knight--someone who's Rachel's equal in brains, but with more malicious intentions. It began when a near-impossible case fell into Rachel's lap, the suspectless homicide of a homeless man. In the face of courthouse backbiting and a gauzy web of clues, Rachel is determined to deliver justice. She's got back-up: tough-as-nails Detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey stir things up, they're shocked to uncover a connection with the vicious murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier. Something tells Rachel someone knows the truth, someone who'd kill to keep it secret.

Harrowing, smart, and riotously entertaining, GUILT BY DEGREES is a thrilling ride through the world of LA courts with the unforgettable Rachel Knight.

My Review

The press release I got with this one had some big names with good comments associated with it but I always reserve my own judgment as my taste varies. I have to say, I agree with pretty much all of the comments that came with it but I digress, onto the actual story and review.

District Attorney Rachel Knight is our main character along with her buddy, Detective Bailey Keller and they make quite the team. Rachel barges into a case being poorly handled by the prosecution, about to be dropped and takes it on. A homeless man murdered with very little to go on, until she starts digging. Slowly more pieces are revealed showing there is more to the case than initially thought that will put people at risk including Rachel.

Ah it isn't very often I really like a character so quickly, especially in a court type kind of book. However Rachel takes on the murder of a homeless man that no one else really cares about and that alone made me warm to her instantly. She is a tad impulsive and has a name for it in her work but continues to fight for justice and like a dog with a bone won't let go.

Her past comes into play during the book and it isn't until later you find out why and it had me thinking all kinds of theories and conspiracies. The story is quite compelling and I have to admit, I was dragged in very quickly. The chapters are really quite short, you know how I love them, which means you can dip in and out, however it also means "just one more chapter" turns into 2am when it's a work night! Ignore the fact it took 3 days for me to read this because the reality is, had I not had loads of assignments and projects due in I would have devoured this book in one sitting.

The pace is quite good and well balanced, it isn't a murder every two minutes kind of book however there are lots of twists and depths within it which keeps it interesting and you hooked. My biggest complaint has to be I was left hanging, I absolutely hate this! It is a fabulous trick by authors because you are guaranteed, well I am, to having to get the next book to find out where the story goes and get closure. Sorry to be vague but I don't do spoilers and they say it is a good author who keeps the reader wanting more, I am just very impatient! This was my first encounter with Marcia Clark and it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time. A huge thanks to Kerry Hood & Mulholland books for sending me an ARC copy of this book and for introducing me to another new author. The book will be available from all good retailers from 11th April 2013, in paperback and ebook for £6.99 - you can find Marcia on facebook and twitter

View all my reviews