Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour, for my stop I have my review, enjoy.






Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Amazon

TICK…

In the city of Stoke, a teenage girl is murdered in the middle of the day, her lifeless body abandoned in a field behind her school.

TOCK…

Two days later, a young mother is abducted. She’s discovered strangled and dumped in a local park.

TIME’S UP…

DS Grace Allendale and her team are brought in to investigate, but with a bold killer, no leads and nothing to connect the victims, the case seems hopeless. It’s only when a third woman is targeted that a sinister pattern emerges. A dangerous mind is behind these attacks, and Grace realises that the clock is ticking…

Can they catch the killer before another young woman dies?

The number one bestselling author returns with a breath-taking police procedural thriller series that will have you on the edge of your seat.


My Review

A young girl murdered in a very public and risky place. DS Grace Allendale and team are called in to investigate as another victim is targeted but who is choosing them and why. The clock is ticking and lives are at stake. In between all of that Allendale is trying to work on her relationship, Simon is a journalist which puts them both at odds with each trying to do their job as best they can.

This is book two of a series with kick backs to the first book however you can read this as a standalone to be fair. The investigation side the police have another victim and need to work out if it is related to their earlier killing, do they have a serial killer? We then have the personal aspect with Grace and Simon, their blooming relationship, how it effects their jobs and the personal strains they face. It gives Grace a much more human character, seeing a raw and emotive side gives her a more relatable side the reader can warm to. Trying to connect with Simon's teen daughter who wants nothing to do with her, as dad's new girlfriend and her being a police officer.

There are scenes with teenagers which give a different feel in the book and different strands and stories lines to keep the reader engaged. Lots of pace, action and threads where we don't know what is coming next, the how or why and plenty of times I thought I knew where it was going! Sherratt keeps you on your toes and I can't wait to see where book three is going to take us! 4/5 for me this time.

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Tick Tock by Dean Koontz

Tick Tock by Dean Koontz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - Dipped in and out over 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Headline Book Publishing

Source - Birmingham Horrorcon

Blurb from Goodreads

Tommy Phan, a successful detective novelist, comes home one evening to find a small rag doll on his doorstep. That night, with the popping of two stitches, something terrifying will emerge to tear apart the fabric of Tommy's reality--and his life.


My Review

Tommy is having issues with his family, he is Vietnamese-America, embracing his American half where his family want him to embrace the Vietnamese heritage. Tommy is struggling, he is a successful novelist making good money but it will never be acceptable by his mother. Just when he celebrates buying a flash new car, he happens across a doll that changes everything. On the run for his life, he comes across an unlikely ally in Del, a waitress he met earlier and are thrown together. Between them and her dog, the three try to stay ahead of the killer and stay alive before time runs out.

I have read Koontz before but think this book is a bit different, a monster yes but it has humour, family, family issues, attraction and I bloody love Del's dog, I only wish it had bigger parts in the story. Lots of hair raising moments, a deadly pursuit, life or death situation and Del, despite coming in as the second main character, actually steals the show. She is strong, quirky, seems to know so much more than she is letting on, talks in riddles and her dog, mother and home are all fantastic.

Pacey, intriguing and keeps you wanting to know what is coming next. The chapters are quite long, although there are wee page breaks so you can dip in and out reasonably well. I don't think there is a follow up to this book which is a shame as I would have loved to have seen more of these characters. I also wish the book had been longer as it seemed to round up really quickly, they do say a good author leaves you wanting more, 3.5 stars for me this time.

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