Guilty by Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose

Guilty: the brand new novel by the legendary author by Martina Cole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 432

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Amazon

It's time to confess their sins.

Steph Barker can't forget her past. A single mother, Steph runs a women's shelter for local prostitutes while coming to terms with a tragic loss. And it's people like Joseph Potter, battling with his own grief, who keep her going.

When Hennie, one of her friends from the shelter, goes missing, Steph's convinced Hennie's violent pimp Artie Rogers has something to do with it. Steph and Artie go way back, but his reign of terror throughout the Medway towns is out of control and even she can't do anything to stop him. Then another prostitute disappears and it's time to find out who's guilty.

Everyone has their secrets - but one of them is getting away with murder.



My Review

If you have read Martina Cole you know what you are getting, this one is particularly dark. Steph runs a shelter for prostitutes, she got out of that life and knows just how hard it can be. She has her ex who is just a piece of work but he is the father of her daughter so he will always be around. Her current partner is on support after a hit and run that left him unresponsive and killed her wee baby. His brother runs the girls and rules with an iron fist, drugs and his partner who is a complete deviant with muscles. As some of the girls disappear Steph realises that something much darker than their pimp may well be on the prowl and no one is safe.

The book has some really dark themes, issues, sa, child abuse, murder, coercion, dv, manipulation, absolute deviants they would give you the absolute boke. We see families pushed to the brink and having to make choices so they can survive, threats of violence, being put in unimaginable positions. Prostitution features heavily throughout the book and all the perils that come with it, shady punters, predators, substance issues and a stalker/murderer.

When I finished this I needed to genre switch, a lot of the worst sides of humanity feature in this one as well as strength, love, friendship and family. There is child endangerment and some hard scenes and threats featuring them so be warned, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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The Escape by C L Taylor

The Escape by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - over the course of 1 day

Pages - 433

Publisher - Avon

Blurb from Goodreads

The new psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Accident, The Lie and The Missing.

"Look after your daughter's things. And your daughter…"
When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn't.

The stranger knows Jo's name, she knows her husband Max and she's got a glove belonging to Jo's two year old daughter Elise.

What begins with a subtle threat swiftly turns into a nightmare as the police, social services and even Jo's own husband turn against her.

No one believes that Elise is in danger. But Jo knows there's only one way to keep her child safe – RUN.



My Review


Jo Blackmore has a lot going on, she has a condition that controls most aspects of her life, her daughter is her pride and joy. When Jo is approached by a stranger and her daughter is threatened it kick starts a change of events that will change Jo's life and everything she thought she knew.

The book kicks off with an unpleasant encounter for Jo, a request for a lift turns to a threat on her daughter. Jo is in an utter panic and speeds off to rescue her child, her husband listens to her claims but lets face it, Jo has priors for over reacting and Max is trying to be a good husband but Jo is being increasingly erratic. The book was multi dimensional for me, it tackles mental health, consequences of choices and actions, marriage, family, love, loss, violence and stalking. One mothers harrowing journey of trying to protect her family, keep her sanity and be mistrusted and questioned by those closest to her.

The vibe of fear and claustrophobic atmosphere is evident from practically page one, drawing the reader in to the story from the get go. At parts I was frustrated by some of Jo's choices however it echos, for me, the realistic fears and limitations of living with a condition that dictates almost every aspect of your life. Add to that a hefty dose of fear for your child's life, an inability to trust your own self and to be questioned by the one person who should have your back whilst trying to battle just going out and about. Taylor does well to create an every day family then pour on every parent's worse nightmare, a cat and mouse game and the breakdown of relationships all because of one incident.

I have read all of Taylor's books so far, I enjoy her writing style and had I not had lots of things getting in the way I would have read this in one sitting. Tense, atmospheric and leading the reader down a path where you trust no one, suspect everything and turn into a Jessica Fletcher desperately trying to solve the mystery before it is revealed to you. 4/5 for me this time, available to buy from all good retails in treebook and ebook, this is a standalone so you can grab it and jump right in.

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