Anarchy by Megan DeVos

Anarchy by Megan DeVos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 396

Publisher - Orion books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads


The world is different now. There are no rules, no governments and no guarantees that you will be saved . . .Rival factions have taken over, fighting each other for survival with no loyalty to anyone but their own. At twenty-one, Hayden has taken over Blackwing and is one of the youngest leaders in the area. In protecting his camp from starvation, raids from other actions and the threat of being kidnapped, he has enough to worry about before he finds Grace. The daughter of the head of the rival camp, Greystone, Grace is slow to trust anyone-much less the leader of those she has been trained to kill . . .This is danger. This is chaos. This is anarchy . . .


My Review

A bit The Walking Dead (minus zombies) with a vibe of Romeo and Juliet. So the world is toast and we have small communities of survivors that have their own place (hence the Walking Dead vibes, Alexandria, The Governors place etc). To survive they raid the other communities and head into town, they do what they need to. When Hayden is caught raiding Greystone, instead of being shot on the spot his and anothers life is spared by Grace. Hayden has principles and loyalty so when he sees the chance to repay the favour he saves Grace. She can never go home and must stay in Blackwing. This follows their time in the before, how they meet and everything that follows after.

So natural enemies, teens, natural draw to each other you get the picture. Hayden is the leader of Blackwing so very selfless and aloof. Grace needs to stay with him as she is the natural enemy so not safe in Blackwing but can't be allowed to go home. Forced proximity, readjustment and we get glimpses of the before the world came to be like this.

One thing I noticed was a lot of breath mentioned, took a breath in, let a breath out, inhaled a sharp breath. I didn't count but it was more than a few times and I noticed it, meh! A bit Romeo and Juliette, limited resources, danger coming from just about every field. Survivalism, mixed emotions, danger on almost every corner, 3/5 for me. It is book one so will see how we go.

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Predator: Incursion by Tim Lebbon book 1

Predator: Incursion by Tim Lebbon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 1 week

Pages - 270

Publisher - Titan

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Predator ships stream into human space in unprecedented numbers. The Colonial Marines, controlled by Weyland-Yutani, respond to the incursion, thus entering the Rage War. This terrifying assault by the Yautja cannot go unchallenged, yet the cost of combat is high. Predators are master combatants, and each encounter yields a high body count. Then when Lt. Johnny Mains and his marines—the VoidLarks—enter the fray, they discover an enemy deadlier than any could imagine. Book one in an epic trilogy that continues in INVASION and concludes in ALIENS VS. ARMAGEDDON. The universe will forever be changed.



My Review

Opening scene, xenomorph choas and then we flip to the Colonial Marines who guard earth'/space boundaries (ish) - I am the first to admit I don't describe stuff perfect but you get the jist. Anyway they clock the Predators (the ultimate fighting aliens in the movie with Arnie Schwarzenegger, they can't see us when we have mud all over us and by us I mean humans) although in the book they are referred to as Yautja. Anyway there has always been a bit of barny/murder death kill between us (marines) and them but something isn't right and soon both realise that a bigger foe is coming and our only chance may be to put our differences aside and unite.

I LOVE the alien universe and also the predator so a book that sees crossover HELLO sign me up! It does jump about a wee bit to start with and a wee bit of time jump but once you get into it and understand what the chat it it is good. I felt we had echoes of Predator 2 with Danny Glovers character, a wee bit of a mash between Bishop/Ash/Andy in one artificial human.

If you haven't come to this from the movies/franchise and this is your first dance I think you will still like it but maybe not quite appreciate it just as much as us who consume all the movies (I am still quite new to the books so playing catch up). 4.5/5 for me, I have books two and three at the ready (this is a trilogy set but there are MANY of the xeno books), I absolutely recommend and look forward to book two!

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Holmes, Marple and Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

Holmes, Marple & Poe by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Century Books

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple and August Poe run the most in-demand private investigation firm in New York City.

The three detectives make a formidable team, solving a series of seemingly impossible crimes which expose the dark underbelly of the city; from priceless art theft, a high-stakes kidnapping, and a decades-old unsolved murder, to a gruesome subterranean prison, and corruption and bribery at the highest levels of power.

But it's not long before their headline-grabbing breakthroughs, unconventional methods - and untraceable pasts - attract the attention of the NYPD and the FBI.

After all, it's no surprise that there's a mystery or two to unravel in the city that never sleeps . . . not least, who really are Holmes, Marple and Poe?


My Review

Three Private Detectives, Holmes, Marple and Poe (yes that is their names) start up their own private detective agency. Intruding on a case and publicity high they take advantage of the opportunity and become super popular. They end up with a missing persons case, a kidnap/ransom and some very pricey stolen items. The trio peak the interest of the investigating cop, everyone has something to hide don't they and what is the deal with those names?

I never guess anything that is coming, work out twists or any of that I did guess one thing in this book, early on which is very unlike me but it didn't detract anything from the book/story. The book does have some themes in addiction, secrets, lies, risks, friendship and some very fabulous attitudes & tricks. I really really like Marple, she is just fabulous!

The trio are very different but compliment each other with their styles, special abilities and even their quirks seems to work well. The book is decent paced, short chapters which I LOVE and is always a pull for Patterson books, first time reading Sitts, I will check and see if he has anything else. Murder, skulduggery, investigation, attitudes I really liked this book, with all that it also has a heart. I just checked and book two came out today so I just ordered it, 4/5.

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Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 305

Publisher - Orion Publisher

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

From Charlaine Harris, the bestselling author who created Sookie Stackhouse and her world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, comes a darker locale - populated by more strangers than friends. But then, that’s how the locals prefer it...
Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...



My Review

Welcome to Midnight Crossing, a small town in book one of a new (well new to me) series. We have a psychic or is it a scammer? a witch and a vampire all living in the one wee town because Midnight Crossroad is the perfect place to go when you need to get away. A missing person, a new arrival, a very special wee cat, some small minded people, some trouble and a whole lot of someone has something they are keeping to themselves.

So I haven't read any of her other books, this was my first, I am led to believe some of these characters appear in other series but I don't think any spoilers are here. Friendships, relationships, magic, murder, mayhem, a little bit of mystery and an absolute wee show stealer in the cat. I love animals and this wee pair of paws is a special little star so I hope to see more in the other books.

Short chapters, a bit of a cozy mystery type feel with little snippets dark than a usual cozy. I did like it and will be reading more of her stuff, pretty sure I have the vampire books up the stair, 3.5/5 for me.

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A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 419

Publisher - Bloomsbury

Source - Friend gave me her copy

Blurb from Goodreads

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.


My Review

So I have never read this author but heard/seen the books/series all over book clubs, book tok etc but I got my copy off a friend who struggled to get into it. First heads up and warning, the opening chapter has animal death, Feyre is a bit Katniss Everdeen style character. Poor, struggling, she has her bow and arrow and is hunting to keep her siblings and father from starving. It is the event there that changes her life and sees her forced to live with immortal faeries that she and her fellow humans hate.

The book covers so much, family, character, strength, romance, survival, treachery, different beings, humans and faeries. I got Beauty and the Beast vibes from it too, instead of books/library it is paintings and a love of art. Some of the characters really annoyed me, like the whole family let the youngest, Feyre, go out hunting, risking herself whilst they stayed safe at home, only coming out with the lure of money from a sale from Feyre's hard graft. This is a tiny part but it really enraged me, some of the stuff that happens over in Faerie Lands. Like I love a riddle (I suck at them though) and any type of quest especially so much at stake however the shady underhanded behaviours of X was like really, why? How is that an actual show of power but that is just a wee thing that irked me too. There is a lot to like to be fair, it has magic, romance, hierarchy, evil, murder, lots of elements and the series is hugely loved by many, for me 3/5.

For me it is a good foundation and book one of a series, I will be reading book two to see what is next in store

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Wee surprise giveaway

You guys know I love supporting authors, where able. I also love seeing authors supporting others and recently I seen author M A Comley (Mel Comley) doing just that. She is always just a really nice person and so good to others.

So, I am doing a wee giveaway to support her and thank her for being so nice to someone else (it wasn't me I just saw it).

Mel has loads of books and series so it is hard to pick but I have went for book one of the Hero series, Torn Apart. This is an ebook giveaway and as the book will be sent directly from Amazon the competition is open to UK ONLY, Amazon won't allow me to gift outside my own country guys so apologies. However I do have another giveaway that is worldwide so check that out HERE.




Blurb for the book from Amazon

From M A Comley NY Times bestselling author of the Justice series.

Evil emerges in many forms...

Keen on goading the police, prompting them into action.

A senseless murder is discovered...

DI Nelson took an oath to rid the streets of the dross in society, however, someone has their own agenda for making the streets safe.

Will this person prove to be a hindrance or help in the investigation?

Nelson is forced to put his life on the line to seek the answers.

With many dangerous obstacles in his way...

Grab this fast-paced thriller - if you dare!

Ideal for fans of James Patterson and Angela Marsons.


If you are wondering how things are going with the new blog assistant, Miss Luna Paws......


Here she is, she was 16 weeks old yesterday, still very much in training but has her moments for "helping" - she has her own instagram but infiltrates ours too always_reading To enter, as always, just use the Rafflecopter below. Please only complete entries you actually do, winning entries are always checked. Thanks and good luck guys.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carved in Blood by E R Fallon

Carved In Blood by E.R. Fallon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 211

Publisher - Endeavour press

Source - bought copy

Blurb from Goodreads

That happens when your mother kills your best friend, then goes on to kill other young men.

Wanting a clean break, Evelyn joins the Navy and afterwards goes to college.

It is around that time that Evelyn becomes Evan Lane and fully embraces being a man.

Now, Evan lives in Seven Sisters, a big city a few states over from Freedom Village, where he grew up.

He has a lovely girlfriend Sammie, a dog named Paige and a job cleaning up crime sites.

No one knows he’s transgender, or that his mother was the serial killer Alice Lane.

And that’s just the way he wants it.

Until the bodies of young men start showing up and Evan learns they have a message for Evelyn carved in their flesh.

But Evan’s mother is in prison.

So who is killing young men in Seven Sisters?

One day Evan wakes to find that someone he thought he could trust has sold his story and also divulged information about the investigation.

When it goes viral, Chief Gilani is furious and he is suspended.

With time on his hands, Evan figures he can clear his name before things get any worse…

He travels to his hometown of Freedom Village seeking answers.

For the first time in twenty years, Evan sees his mother and learns she might be innocent after all.

And he might be in the killer’s sights.

Carved in Blood is the gripping first installment of the Evan Lane Mystery Series .


My review

Evan is no stranger to dead bodies, he has a team that goes in and cleans up crime scenes. He also happens to be the off spring of a serial killer. As an adult Evan has nothing to do with his mother and has long since left the town he grew up in. Evan is in a happy relationship with Sammie, has a wee dog and quite happy with his lot. When bodies of young men start appearing in his area and he finds out one has a message relating to his old life Evan has to consider is the killer speaking to him? Is he in danger and will he need to face his past to survive his future?

So, as this is in the blurb it isn't a spoiler, Evan is transgender and with bodies piling up he needs to confront his past. His estranged mother has no idea Evan is transgender, in fact she knows nothing of his life. Evan finds himself having to "come out" deal with issues from the past and consider was there more to his mothers crimes that he initially knew?

The book has a few layers, the crime, Evan's personal life, trans phobia, relationship issues, unresolved issues with his mother, his past and how it all impacts on his current life plus a killer who seems to have Evan in their eye!

This is the first book I have read, I think, with a transgender character, it really makes you think about the issues, ignorance, hate and general vileness the trans community face just for living their lives as their true identity. All of this in among a killer on the loose and trying to keep a semblance of a normal life with the past ripping its way into Evan's present. For the start of a series I think it is a good paving stone for book one, I look forward to what is next for the characters and where the author decides to take the series, 3.5/5 for me.

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Random by Craig Robertson

Random by Craig Robertson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 329

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought (bookstore I think)

Blurb from Goodreads

Glasgow is being terrorised by a serial killer the media have nicknamed The Cutter. The murders have left the police baffled. There seems to be neither rhyme nor reason behind the killings; no kind of pattern or motive; an entirely different method of murder each time, and nothing that connects the victims except for the fact that the little fingers of their right hands have been severed.
If DS Rachel Narey could only work out the key to the seemingly random murders, how and why the killer selects his victims, she would be well on her way to catching him. But as the police, the press and a threatening figure from Glasgow's underworld begin to close in on The Cutter, his carefully-laid plans threaten to unravel - with horrifying consequences.


My Review

Told in first person narrative we open with the killer, awaiting his next victim, people watching but instead of usual intrigue and being nosey he is lining up his next victim. We watch him zone out his date and hone in and assess/dismiss whether this could be the person to be murdered. We follow the killer follow his prey until the moment he strikes. We read about his killing via a newspaper which reports every so often throughout the story.

This book is the start of a series, the heart of the book is around the killer, his life, thoughts, routine and eventually we get a better understanding on who he is as a person. It will be interesting to see where the path of the other books go as the police input is flashes between the news clippings and small interactions.

Set in Glasgow which is always nice to read about a place you know and I don't think I have read many books set here. I think this is a good start to a series and I am looking forward to the rest of the series, I have book six I think it is so I need to go buy book two now.

I think this one stands out, for me, as a bit different from the copious amounts of other books I have read like this is the killer is pretty human. Yes yes I know all of them are but some are sadistic, void of humanity but this killer is different, I thought, as he IS pretty human. Yes he is brutal in his killings and at one scene I was like oh God no no don't do that but as we follow him in his mission and learn more about him dare I say you feel a bit sorry for him. He isn't like so many of the other serial killers created in books and once you read this I think you will get what I mean. 3.5/5 for me this time, a good start and I will be buying book two, my first dance with this author it won't be my last.

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Faceless by Rob Ashman

Faceless by Rob Ashman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - less than 1 day

Pages - 296

Publisher - Bloodhound Books

Source - Fellow book worm

Blurb from Goodreads

After surviving a vicious knife attack, which left her husband dead, DI Rosalind Kray returns to work and is handed a serial killer investigation.

This killer is different, he doesn’t just want to take the lives of his victims, he wants to obliterate their very existence. The murders appear random but the killer selects his quarry with meticulous care.

While fighting her superiors Kray must conquer her own demons, which are tearing her apart.

Kray has the ability to think like a killer and her skills lead to a series of horrifying revelations that turn the case on its head. She believes she is getting close, then her world comes crashing down with devastating consequences.

Will Kray find the murderer and escape with her own life in tact?

The truth is closer than she could have ever imagined…




My Review

DI Kray has just came back to work after almost losing her her own life in a vicious attack, one that killed her husband. Her first proper case is a serial killer and this is a killer unlike any they have came up against so far. Murdering people in a horrific fashion but the violation does not end there and this killer is smart, has a plan and no one is getting in their way.

Ooft guys, this is my first dance with this author. The scenes are really graphic so absolutely not for the faint hearted. You can here the noise in the room (in one particular scene), feel the vibrations, taste the acrid smell and it is a talented writer that can carry you into a scene like that. The killer is really smart and meticulous in the details, choices and planning that goes into everything they do.

The chapters are short and you know, if you follow my reviews, that I love that. We have first and third person narration, first person is when we hear from the killer and it also gives us insight into a tormented soul who has decided on the direction their live will take. Things from their part that shaped the person they have become and the why behind the horror they create. Third person is when we are with the investigation and everyone else.

Kray is a great character, obviously dealing with a horrendous recent past and bereavement, returning to her job and taking on a mammoth task. Not only that, some of her colleagues are actual muppets, vile, pathetic and you want to slap them. She is skilled in catching bad guys and her skills are pushed to the limit, no one is safe and the killer is fearless. Absolutely a page turner, whilst it is my first dance with this author it won't be my last, 4.5/5 for me this time. I have the next book on my tbrm, I will need to bump it up!

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Review - Hollowlands (The Hollows #1) by Amanda Hocking

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 2 days

Blurb From Goodreads

"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

My Review

Remy is our main character and on a mission to be reunited with her little brother. All that stands in her way is a world over run with zombies and some of the dregs of society that survived the infection. With a small band of survivors Remy travels across towns and land trying to locate him and picking up some acquaintances along the way.

If you follow my reviews you know I love all things Zombie however this really impressed me as it is YA although written that the mature adult can enjoy too. A lot of zombie books don't deal with the how and why but this one does which I also really liked. Without spoiling it (I don't do spoiler reviews) my love of animals comes into play in part for liking this book so much and once you meet Ripley you will understand.

There is a bit of everything in this book, gore, romance, sex (although briefly so no need to worry about that I only mention it as some people do like a heads up), loss and angst. I really enjoyed it and my only moan would be there wasn't enough, I feel more could have been explored and given in some of the situations (although it might be covered in book two). Had the author joined this and book 2 into just one meaty read it would have been better however at the time of posting this, the first book is free whilst the second one is just over £4. If you like your zombie reads this is worth checking out, it is free on Amazon (kindle only) so give it a go, 4/5 for me this time.

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