One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon

One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 410

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

An unusual black precipitation is having a horrifying effect on the residents of Bixby, California, transforming ordinary people into deranged killers. Original.


My Review

So I apparently read this back in 2011 so before my reviewing I believe and one of the reasons I started reviewing. I would buy/read books and be like oh I have read this so this way I can keep track and I actually remembered none of this book at all. A young boy was brutally murdered, likely racially motivated. An officer is back at the scene, looking around when the heavens open and the rain comes pounding down. This is no ordinary rain, it is black and upon touching the skin of a person they become wild, dangerous, murderers even cannibalistic in some cases. It is only affecting the small town of Bixby California and before the night is over many lives will be gone and changed forever.

Right big warnings here guys, racism, racist language, murder, sa, sv, abuse, cannibalism like all the biggest and baddest things humans can do to each other is in this. The book follows a few main characters, a police officer (not the guy at the start), a young girl and her babysitting charge, the wee girls parents who are headed to a restaurant, three teenage boys who are vile even before a spot of rain touches them and a pizza delivery woman who unfortunately delivers to the teens.

It reminded me a little of the movie crazies but far far darker and shocking. Absolute horror, quite graphic in the abuse, murders, sexual violence and abuse so please prepare yourself, 3.5/5.

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Love As Always, Mum by Mae West

Love as Always, Mum by Mae West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 320

Publisher - Seven Dials

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The true story of an abused childhood, of shocking brutality and life as the daughter of notorious serial killer, and master manipulator, Rose West.
You're 21-years-old. Police arrive on the doorstep of your house, 25 Cromwell Street, with a warrant to search the garden for the remains of your older sister you didn't know was dead. Bones are found and they are from more than one body. And so the nightmare begins. You are the daughter of Fred and Rose West.
'Mae, I mean this ... I'm not a good person and I let all you children down ...' Rose West, HM PRISON DURHAM
It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes.
Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?



My Review

There isn't many people who haven't hear of Fred and Rose West nor at least some idea of their horrific crimes against their own kids and many who came along their path. This is written by one of their daughters, Mae, and it is brutally graphic. It is almost written as the way you do in a diary (NOT DIARY FORMAT) what I mean is you write for you and you are brutally honest, warts and all because you are being truthful to yourself. Well its written like that, very honest, shockingly so at times.

When you think you know their crimes and just how unhinged they are/were you honestly don't. I cannot imagine living in a house where a father threatens abuse (sexual) to his kids as is his right :O and him being the better/less threatening parent (her words). Honestly the book is something else, I have read a lot of true crime/case over the years and these two perverts are amongst some of the worst out there. I think Rose West is up there with Myra Hindley because we expect more/better from women, especially Rose as she was a mother and you expect them to protect their children, not use/abuse them.

Not for the feint hearted and even those seasoned readers of true crime, this one really knocks you. There is mention of animal harm and death too, there isn't any kind of abuse I don't think not mentioned in this book, approach with caution. Mae is a brave woman who has overcome so so much considering all she has survived and it also shows how difficult her relationship was with her mother and how strong the hold was on her even after her mother was incarcerated, 4/5.

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The Mercy Chair by M W Craven

The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 485

Publisher - Constable

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin . . .

Washington Poe has a story to tell.

And he needs you to listen.

You'll hear how it started with the robber birds. Crows. Dozens of them. Enough for a murder . . .

He'll tell you about a man who was tied to a tree and stoned to death, a man who had tattooed himself with a code so obscure, even the gifted analyst Tilly Bradshaw struggled to break it. He'll tell you how the man's murder was connected to a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier when a young girl massacred her entire family.

And finally, he'll tell you about the mercy chair. And why people would rather kill themselves than talk about it . . .
Poe hopes you've been paying attention. Because in this story, nothing is as it seems . . .



My Review

Book six in the Tilly and Poe series, we open with Poe talking to a mental health professional after he has had a traumatic case. Whilst Poe takes us back to before, during and after the incident, in between reliving it and back and forth to the doctors office. A religious fanatic/leader is found murdered, tied to a tree and stoned to death. Poe has to figure out who targeted him and why kill him in such a way. Someone new is assigned to the team and following Poe and co as they delve into the case, Poe is untrusting as is his way and actually quite funny (and rude) to the new guy.

I love Tilly and Poe, no secret at all they are polar opposites and work so so well together. Now on the case they have to look into the past and the dead mans community/followers - secrets, shady behaviours galore so walls flung up at every corner.

Some of the backstory and things Poe discovers is pretty shocking, hate filled, bile, horrific like I can't go into it without spoilers but absolutely shocking hate/violence/torture/homophobia. As usual Craven is really good at weaving a twisty tale but prepared to be angry/outraged. 4/5 from me this time, not sure where Craven is going to take the story next but we look forward to it!

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Profile K by Helen S Fields

Profile K by Helen Sarah Fields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - AVON

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet. There’s something wrong with me. For years I’ve hidden it. Suppressed it. Blended into society. But The Test awoke something within me. It was just a routine application designed to get to know me better – with results that would show me everything I was capable of. But it showed me that the wickedness is still inside me – and that I am capable of the worst possible things. And now that I know that, there’s no telling what I’ll do next…


My Review

Ooft, the opening chapter just gets right into it and gives us an intro into the bad guy then we meet Midnight. She works in a powerful business that offers profiles to help colleges/businesses with applicants/suitability. When midnight comes across a profile K - basically someone who is off the scale abnormal like ticking all the boxes for being a killer/psychopath in their responses to what they see. When it becomes apparent that someone is killing women in a horrific way but also one that Midnight recognises who can she turn to? The business is all about the business, money, power and with that corruption is rife because the business/reputation must always comes first.

Very much a cat and mouse as Midnight tries to learn more about who she is convinced in a killer and the killer now has Midnight on their radar but very little information to go on apart from her name. The book breaks down really three fold, Midnights pov and happenings, the killers pov and outside the company ie Midnight's private life, being carer to her twin and why she does what she does like everything revolves around her and her care.

Creepy, atmospheric, the killing aspects is horrific and not for the faint hearted. In between all of that what have family, friendship and relationships. I tutted and NOOOOOOOO/FGS Midnight what are you thinking, don't do/say that, ahhhhh. That being said sometimes people behaving daft/questionable is very reflective of real life. Stalking has a big part in the book too so just an fyi/headsup for you. We have read Fields before and will read her again, she has a knack for creating bad guys/creeps and Profile K is no exception, 4/5 from me.

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A Glasgow Kiss by Sophia Gravia

A Glasgow Kiss by Sophie Gravia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 292

Publisher - Orion

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

A headbutt or a strike with the head to someone's sensitive area

Meet Zara Smith: 29, single and muddling her way through life as a trainee nurse in Glasgow. With 30 fast approaching, she's determined to do whatever it takes to find love - or at least someone to sext! Cheered on by best friends Ashley and Raj, Zara embarks on a string of dating escapades that are as hilarious as they are disastrous. From online dating to blind dates, hometown hook-ups to flirty bartenders, nothing is off limits.

But when Dr Tom Adams, aka Sugar Daddy, shows interest, it's a game-changing moment. Zara has had a crush on Tom since her very first day at the aesthetics clinic she works at part-time. As things heat up between them, Zara can't help but wonder: is this it? Or is it another disaster waiting to happen?

Filthy, hilarious and painfully relatable, Zara Smith is Bridget Jones for the millennial generation, from the writer of the Sex in the Glasgow City blog. Fans of Fleabag, Girls and Lucy Vine will love A Glasgow Kiss.



My Review

EVERYBODY has been talking about this book for ages and I hadn't gotten around to it but FOMO (fear of missing out) and it was (and still is at time of posting) only 99p on kindle so I got it. Zara is a student nurse trying to get to her end goal of becoming a nurse and working at an aesthetics clinic in between. One of the docs there is older and HOT but he is her work college so one can but drool and dream. We follow Zara and her dating disasters and what happens when your love life crosses over into your work life EEEK.

Guys this is your warning now, if you don't like spicy books this isn't for you, if you don't like graphic scenes with very descriptive body fluids scenes, this isn't for you. Zara has some "interesting" moments with those she dates and some very cringe moments. She is like Bridget Jones if Bridget covered more graphic/body fluids than the innocent/more gentle side of Bridget J we know.

I laughed, I cringed, I was mortified, I got annoyed at her and wanted her to have a backbone at times. I air punched at one point but that was more to do with someone I hated to someone I actually switched to liking. It is entertaining, shocking, boke inducing at times, friendship, relationships and the old when someone makes dumb decisions when dating someone they are hooked on. Zara tends to fall/forgive quickly which some will identify with some with be irritated with. Modern day dating, shameless, I had a riddy for her at parts but you definitely wanted to see where it went. Loads of folk LOVE this book, I liked it and will read book two but defo not in the omg it is amazing. I would say for those who haven't dated in a long time it is an eye opener of modern day dating, whilst it is fiction, from folk I know who are currently dating in these times, it isn't far off the mark in the truth stakes, it is wild out there, folk be wild lol, 3/5.

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Inside The Mind of the Yorkshire Ripper by Chris Clark and Tim Hicks

Inside the Mind of the Yorkshire by Chris Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 345

Publisher - Ad Lib Publishers

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

The account of the crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, including those he was not charged with and has never previously been connected to.

The police believed that Sutcliffe attacked women only in Manchester and West Yorkshire, travelling in his car. The authors show that, in fact, he attacked his victims across the UK and sometimes even overseas, while driving his employer’s lorry.

Now that Sutcliffe is dead the full extent of his crimes cannot be known, but authors Chris Clark and Tim Hicks have meticulously researched his life and, in this definitive investigation, they reveal many previously unknown victims for the first time. The book includes a number of first-hand accounts from women and children who narrowly escaped death at Sutcliffe’s hand.

The police failed to deliver justice for the victims’ families – both in the original investigation and in subsequent cold-case reviews – and the media has failed to hold them to account for this failure. The authors hope that by revealing all Sutcliffe’s attacks and telling the victims’ stories they can help to bring closure for friends and relatives of his victims, both those who are known and those who have remained unacknowledged – until now.


My Review

So I have seen many documentaries and or programmes over the years about the Yorkshire Ripper including articles and discussions on true crime groups. I had no idea just how horrific his MO was, I think every one knew about the hammer(s) but this book gives graphic details and insight into just how depraved he really was.

There is a lot of data in the book as well as maps giving locations and routes, potentials too as there are many more victims attributed to him that those commonly posted/discussed. I never knew he was suspected of male victims too and different attack styles to throw the police off. Add into that how he tried (effectively in many ways) to put the police off his track.

The book also discusses those well knows tapes and letters from the alleged ripper and how the police blindly clung to them and just how many times Sutcliffe slipped through their fingers as a result.

The book is shocking in many aspects, the bungled investigations, time after time, how some officers were dissuaded from linking cases that they knew was the ripper. The underhanded behaviours, criminal at times, in some of the actions of lack of actions in handling victims, witnesses, statements. It is amazing he was caught and you cannot help but think how many lives may well have been saved had they not missed or ignored so many tings.

I think another jaw dropper is that despite knowing all they did wrong, when they were reached out to in more recent times they still refuse to release information or acknowledge certain similarities/cases/victims. One of the authors of this book is an ex police officer so it adds more weight and shock to some of the things you read and what was ignored. Truly shocking in so many areas and I think a lot of information in this book will raise more than a few eyebrows, like I say I had been familiar with the case, who isn't but so much information, victims, falsely accused is discussed in this book, it is actually quite scary how badly it was overall (the case handling not the book). For people who love true crime I think this is a must read as there is so much new (well for me anyway) information, it is wild how much he got away with and how many still have no closure/justice, 4/5.

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Cannibal: The True Story Behind the Maneater of Rotenburg by Lois Jones

Cannibal: The True Story Behind the Maneater of Rotenburg by Lois Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days as able

pages - 215

Publisher - Berkley pub group

Source - I think I bought this or was given it

Blurb from Goodreads

German native Armin Meiwes placed this ad in an internet chatroom catering to cannibals. He received 430 responses. Among them was Bernd Juergen Brandes, who arrived at Meiwes’s isolated country home literally to be eaten alive. Escorted to the “slaughtering room”—equipped with meat hooks, a cage, and a butcher’s table—Meiwes assisted Bernd in a gourmet candlelight dinner of his own cooked flesh. Meiwes then stabbed his victim in the throat—bringing the ghastly videotaped ordeal to an end.

From a childhood perverted by unhealthy obsessions to his notorious trial that ended in a stunning verdict, Cannibal discloses for the first time the true story of a real-life Hannibal Lecter and his victim. And with details never before divulged to the public, it takes readers step-by-step through the unspeakable crime that fascinated and revolted the world.



My Review

So this happened in the 1990's and was apparently covered quite wide on the news, I have no idea why but I don't think I ever seen nor heard of it. German native Armin Meiwes was obsessed with the thought of eating another person, his obsession/fetish whatever you want to call it started way back them. Armin was quiet, polite and relatively normal seeming in real life, in his private life he spent many hours online, in cannibal chat rooms and websites looking for someone who wanted to be eaten. Honestly this is a true story and what is more disturbing is he found many people. Most backed out when they realised it was a genuine request and not just a fantasy, until he found Bernd Juergen Brandes. Bernd had his own obsessions again rooted from childhood but he wanted to be consumed and for him and Armin they felt they met their perfect match(s).

So I have read many a horror (fiction) and many true crime but this one is really and truly disturbing. I think because the book is so so graphic like you are walked through exactly what happened to poor Bernd. Even with the strongest stomach I think you will struggle to get through it, I did I had to put the book down several times and switch to lighter books.

It is unimaginable someone would want to eat another human being or that a human would want someone to eat them and be party to their own mutilation. Hannibal Lector is a scary character but he is fiction, Armin is a very normal, non violent, regular person who yearns to do these diabolical things, feel they are very normal and actually commits the unthinkable. 3/5 for me for this one, absolutely one of the most disturbing stories I think I have ever read, I also feel for Bernd's family/partner having to have lost a loved one and learn the horrors involved, it is just heartbreaking.

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Night Chills by Dean Koontz

Night Chills by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 369

Publisher - Berkley books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The fever is spreading. Seizing the men and women of Black River. Plaguing them with night chills. Driving them to violent acts of rape and murder.

The fever is spreading. Designed by top scientists, and unleashed in a monstrous conspiracy - its deadly spell can unlock the most frightening potential of the human mind.

The fever is spreading. The nightmare is real. And death is the only cure.



My Review

Imagine tapping into a power where you have absolute control over other people, control to push people to do literally anything you wish. That is what we have here, mastering the formula to manipulate people in every way possible a trio decide to try it out in a small town. One of them then goes to see first hand just how much they can do/push/try/control and the results are shocking!

It took me a wee bit to settle into it but the book gives you the background on how they managed to accomplish the mind control and how to distribute and test out their new invention. Warning, as you would expect when people have complete control over other humans without fear or reprimand, repercussions or exposure things go to the darkest extremes.

It is an interesting idea and Koontz gives us a bit of, this is already in place look at x,y,z and it isn't a whole leap to thinking this could come to fruition which is terrifying. A small town, sexual deviancy, violence, abuse, murder, manipulation, SA, suicide, the book takes more than a few dark turns, 4/5 from us, approach with caution.

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 624

Publisher - Bloomsbury Publishing

Source - Gift

Blurb from Goodreads

The seductive and stunning #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas's spellbinding A Court of Thorns and Roses .

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.



My Review

I read book one in the series and I know this is well loved by so many, I thought it was ok so went into book two with an open mind. I really really like this and think you do need to read book one to really have a feel for the characters and what their history is. Feyre is still recovering from her death experience and going from human to superior being. Her wedding to Tamlin is set and everything is going well, if only he would stop imprisoning her in their home for fear for her safety. Pesky Rhysand is still holding their bargain over her and Tamlin's head. Feyre hates him after everything she has heard and seen. As Feyre spends her time with Rhysand she finds out more than she bargained for and trying to use her time to hon the unexpected changes she experiences.

I don't know but for me this book had much more meat, moments of funny, shocking, jaw dropping, switch ups. Along with Feyre we are hating on Rhysand because of everything we learned in book one. I felt so bad for Tamlin and Feyre but with this book we get a fresh perspective as we navigate the Night Court that Feyre finds herself in. As more animosity builds between Tamlin and Rhysand, Feyre herself is conflicted with how things are turning out in the Spring Court and what her role seems to be there.

We find ourselves getting more of a picture of Rhysand, his people and both his and Tamlin's history. Feyre herself comes a bit more into herself, we knew from book one she wasn't ok with just being caged and pampered to, that wasn't her role when she was human and she finds it isn't a role she can fit into regardless of her status now. Feyre is independent, fierce, protective and likes to be active. She doesn't even have the bliss of painting to loose herself in now with all her trauma from everything she endured and survived in book one.

I thought book one was ok, book two is really good, I felt it had a lot more going, like book one we have threat to life, ultimatums, death etc but this book we get a lot more of who the characters are and I felt more about them. Threat of war is imminent, Tamlin won't believe it, Rhysand knows it is coming and we along with Feyre find out what we believe to be true and what side we stand on, 4.5/5 for me. I have book three waiting to be read, it won't be long before I pick that up!

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The Sinner by J R Ward

The Sinner by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (in and out)

Pages - 512

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A sinner’s only hope is true love in this passionate new novel in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Syn has kept his side hustle as a mercenary a secret from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. When he takes another hit job, he not only crosses the path of the vampire race’s new enemy, but also that of a half-breed in danger of dying during her transition. Jo Early has no idea what her true nature is, and when a mysterious man appears out of the darkness, she is torn between their erotic connection and the sense that something is very wrong.

Fate anointed Butch O’Neal as the Dhestroyer, the fulfiller of the prophecy that foresees the end of the Omega. As the war with the Lessening Society comes to a head, Butch gets an unexpected ally in Syn. But can he trust the male—or is the warrior with the bad past a deadly complication?

With time running out, Jo gets swept up in the fighting and must join with Syn and the Brotherhood against true evil. In the end, will love true prevail...or was the prophecy wrong all along?


My Review

I don't really remember Syn too much in previous books but I do remember Jo Early, the reporter who with another co worker where trying to cover the vampires/destruction when the Lessers and vamps battled. Turns out Jo is a half breed and on the cusp on transition and Syn is brought into her life as a job and Syn has no idea what lies ahead for him. So Syn is a bit rogue, whilst him and his fighters have taken oath to the king he is still a bit nomad, a loner, wild, a killer. He has had a horrific past and not the best of relations with the other sex. We hear a bit about his past and know he is a hitman, man, woman it doesn't matter he is happy to take folk out. So when Jo comes into his path he is not ready for the impact she has on him nor what it can mean for him.

We also get an unexpected pop up from Covet, book one in another series by this author, I think I need to read the rest of them for fear of spoilers in the next in this series, plus I did enjoy that one. Butch features a wee bit more and I feel we haven't seen a whole lot of the Lessers nor the Omega in the last few so it was nice to get a bit more of that side from the series.

As usual there is graphic adult scenes of an adult nature so not for the easy to blush or quick to be mortified, this is book 18 so you should know by now what you are getting. The book has a glossary at the start which I think is a fantastic idea to keep up with the terminology, no matter how long you have been reading the series it is good to have them. Murder, love, friendships, a wee bit almost gaslighting, certainly I was a bit annoyed at some of the behaviours of some but from the beginning you know he has a dark/dangerous/aggressive side. Always nice to see progression from the stories and I think with this one Ward has injected a new lease of life into the series and look forward to seeing where it goes, 3.5/5 from me.

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The Seven Ages of Death by Richard Shepherd

The Seven Ages of Death by Richard Shepherd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 408

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Through 24 intriguing, never-before-told cases, Britain's top forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd takes us on a journey through life in death.

From old to young, murder to misadventure, and from illness to accidental death, each body can reveal something: about human development, about mortality, about its owner's life story, and even about Shepherd himself.

From the author of comes a powerful, moving and above all reassuring book uncovering the secrets of death - how to understand it, postpone it, and, when our time comes (as it must), how to embrace it as the last great adventure.


My Review

I have read his first book and seen the tv programmes where he discusses famous autopsies so I knew I was buying this when I seen it. I just want to warn/heads up that the start of this book discusses a baby death and in the mortuary and details, the book is about death/autopsies etc and I know some people find children hard to read.

The book covers different cases and at least one high profile (I had to Google as I didn't know of them), you get details about the body, how areas works depending on what he is discussing at the time. This is all known if you are familiar with his works.

What I would say is this one gives you a bit more about the author, he admits to some medical stuff of his own, things happening and going wrong with his own body as he ages. Some people will like this change some won't, I didn't mind but I did find this book had less pathology/cases than the first or maybe just less depth. For me it had a different feel, Still interesting, still would read another book if he puts it out but for me 3/5 this time.

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The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields

The Last Girl To Die by Helen Sarah Fields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

The island watched and wept…

In search of a new life, sixteen-year-old Adriana Clark’s family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque.

Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.

The deeper she digs into the island’s secrets, the closer danger creeps – and the more urgent her quest to find the killer grows. Because what if Adriana is not the last girl to die?



My Review

This is a standalone. A young girl has gone missing, the police don't seem overly convinced, the family are at their wits end so hire a private detective, Sadie. The police don't like her interfering and worse when she finds Adriana, dead and mutilated. There is a killer on the loose, Sadie and the police are at logger heads, the locals are shaken, some helpful, some not so much and as with all small towns, lots and lots of secrets.

Oh guys Sadie is feisty! She will not take any nonsense from the local police, nor will she be threatened nor bullied out of town. Her promise is to her clients, the poor girls family and she won't stop digging until they get the answers.

Some of the scenes are absolutely brutal and what is done to Adriana, graphic descriptions as Sadie is a PI and going through her findings and us with her as the reader so be warned. There is a lot of anger, hostility, threats and brutality, Fields doesn't shy away from creating scenarios and characters that are reflective of the uglier sides of humanity.

It has a good pace, horrific murder and then trying to pull through secrets, lies and sure is there not always folk hiding stuff for one reason or another. Sometimes Sadie annoyed me I was like don't do that, don't say that, ahhhh why are you touching that! But she was also fierce and despite being scared in X situations she never backed off from trying to get answers and keeping her word. 4/5 for me this time, I do like Fields books and whilst this one had a few graphic shocks (I have a shell we got on the beach I can now never look at the same way) along the way it is gripping and well for me anyway, kept me guessing.

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Genesis by Chris Carter

Genesis by Chris Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 544

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A killing like no other.
A killer more twisted than he’s ever seen before.
A case that will test him to the limit.
Has Robert Hunter finally met his match?

‘Do you believe the Devil exists, Detective?’ the officer at the end of the line asks. ‘Because if you don’t . . . I’m sure you will once you get here.’

Robert Hunter is called to the most vicious crime scene he has ever attended. It is made even more disturbing when the autopsy reveals a poem, left by the killer, inside the body of their victim.

Soon, another body is found. The methods and signature of the murder differs, but the level of violence used suggests that the same person is behind both crimes. Hunter’s fears are confirmed when a second part of the poem is found.

But this discovery does more than just link the two killings – it suggests that this is the work of a serial murderer.

With no forensic evidence to go on, Robert Hunter must catch the most disciplined and systematic killer that he has ever encountered, someone who thrives on the victims' fear, and to whom death is a lesson that needs to be taught.

From #1 Sunday Times and multi-million copy bestselling author, Chris Carter, comes the most compelling and ruthless Robert Hunter thriller yet.


My Review

The opening chapter of this was so creepy I went my first time ever live on Tiktok (smbslt) as I was reading it home alone. The character comes home drunk after a night out and starts getting messages from her phone, asking how her night was then turning a little sinister. Then they send a wee video, well that was me, checked my front door and read it and the rest of the chapter on TT so I wasn't alone. Absolutely creeped me out and if you have read Carter before he has a knack for being creepy and bringing to life some seriously shady characters.

The killer is brutal, the victims are very different from each other and how they are killed yet Garcia and Hunter know they are related because of something the killer leaves at each scene. Not for the faint of heart or easily offended. The killer is cruel, sadistic, brutal and the murders are graphic and stomach turning.

The book also deals with a lot of triggering themes, there is a heads up at the start of the book and a page of contacts people who are struggling with mental health etc can access. If you haven't read the previous books you could start here but you miss a lot of the history and they are really good books so I would recommend going back.

Dragged in and hooked from the opening scene and the book doesn't drop pace. Despite some horrific and sensitive issues being dealt with I think Carter handles them well, we know he suffered a significant personal loss too and I think you can feel the emotion/sensitivity whilst still keeping his usual graphic/horrific killer/killings. I also think many will appreciate the page of contacts for people struggling, 4.5/5 for me and I look forward to the next one.

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The Chosen by J R Ward

The Chosen by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 544

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier’s fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla.

Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor’s life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear—even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation, and death.

As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love... or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.



My Review

So I missed this book and read the one after so was going back however the books focus on certain characters and the one I read didn't have any impact from missing this. Book 15, we know Layla and Xcor's history was going to come crashing down at some point, we knew it would be fiery, I don't think anyone appreciated just how implosive it would be.

There is so much history between The Blackdagger Brotherhood & Xcor's band so I don't think anyone could have foreseen where it was headed. Now these books are always adult themed and have erotica with graphic scenes and body fluids galore. However this book actually, I felt, had much more focus on storyline, development of the characters, a lot of things I had been looking for closure or development from previous books/threads came to fruition. There is still romance, erotica and all that jazz but much more action this book round and sometimes I think you need it especially with so many characters. 4/5 for me this time, I have the next few of the series so hoping it won't be long before I get to the next installment.

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Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Amazon

'Just tell them you're looking for Jane...'

2017
When Angela discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten letters, she begins to look for the intended recipient. Her search takes her to the 1970s and 80s, when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network known only by its whispered code name: Jane . . .

1971
As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was forced to give her baby up for adoption. Swearing she'll do everything she can to make sure other women have the right to choose, she joins the Jane Network to provide safe but illegal abortions. There, she crosses paths with Nancy, who was told that if she ever found herself 'in a position', she should ask for Jane. Nancy soon becomes the Network's newest volunteer, desperately trying to help others while family secrets threaten everything she knows to be true.

Over the years, Evelyn, Nancy, and Angela's lives intertwine to reveal the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice, and the buried secrets that will always find a way to the surface . . .

Spanning decades, Evelyn, Nancy, and Angela's lives intertwine to reveal the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice, and the buried truths that will always find a way to the surface...


My Review

Spanning over many timelines and characters the book focuses centrally on abortion, it is fictional based on historical facts around abortion. It looks at young mothers to be, unmarried, no father for multiple reasons and the home for these "unfortunates" and the nuns that "care" for them.

We go through the horrors women face because abortion is illegal at one of the timelines and what they go through, in detail at points, protests. We also look at motherhood, the impact is has when it is thrust upon you, when you have a partner, when you don't. Options available to women back then or lack of and how one woman's experience drives her to "Looking for Jane".

The book is graphic, brutal, emotive and heartbreaking at points. It has been well researched and multiple links and info available for the reader when they finish.

You don't realise how lucky you are (general you) in the healthcare and options we have as modern day females. That said what is going on in America with the abortion laws really brings a lot of this home just how scary it truly is and the risk women are yet again going to put at. A book that gives pause for thought, 4/5.

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The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 164

Publisher - HarperTorch

Source - Bought (ebook) Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

In a quiet house on a quiet street Frank and Julia are having an affair. Not your ordinary affair. For Frank it began with his own insatiable sexual appetite, a mysterious lacquered box- and then an unhinged voyage through a netherworld of imaginable pleasures and unimaginable horror… Now Frank - or what is left of Frank - waits in an empty room. All he wants is to live as he was before. All Julia can do is bring him her unfulfilled passions… and a little flesh and blood…


My Review

I feel like this is my first Barker book but I have absolutely seen the movie. My concentration has been all over the place & I needed a book in between. I seen the movie years ago but remember it quite vividly because it was pretty graphic and I was pretty young.

The book is very close to the movie, I always thought Kirsty was the daughter but reading this I wasn't so sure as it was a bit dodgy although Frank is an absolute creep.

If you haven't seen the movie prepared to be horrified as some of the scenes are absolutely boggin, if you have seen the movie you know of which I speak and sometimes, on paper it is actually worse, more graphic.

For a small read it has a lot of detail and gets going pretty quickly, some very shady characters, the cenobytes are creepy/horrifying and coming! 3.5/5 for me, I hadn't realised there was so many movies so I need to catch up on them too!

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Sons of Brutality by Daniel Jeudy

Sons of Brutality #1 by Daniel Jeudy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages -

Publisher - Vivid Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads/back cover

When Detective Addison Mowbray begins investigating the murders of two young women in the Hollywood Hills, he can't imagine where the case will lead. He suspects the crimes were inspired by an occult fascination, due to some missing body parts and the inverted Christian cross branded on the victims' breasts. But apart from Addison's temperamental partner, Jed, the only other person keen on them pursuing that line of investigation is Lilly Coniglio, a medical examiner from the Coroner's Department. The LAPD is already under immense public pressure due to all the bad press another killer – a vigilante – has brought to their door: it's been over a year since the first organized-crime figure showed up full of holes, with a plastic police badge beside his body.

As Addison and Jed navigate a murky, disturbing occult landscape in search of answers, they uncover something even more terrifying than a killer hiding in the shadows: an organization so vile and powerful that it changes their lives forever. These two troubled detectives are all that stand between this organization and a spectacular season of carnage.

Set against a backdrop of urban bleakness and social inequality, 'Sons of Brutality' combines deeply flawed protagonists with human monsters, integrating strong dialogue, violent action and gripping suspense.



My Review

Detective Addison Mowbray is investigating the brutal murders of two young women in Hollywood Hills, the bodies have been mutilated. As the case progresses, Mowbray feels more and more the murders have more than a little nod to the Occult. Add into that LAPD are already under fire as another serial killer is operating in the area, killing bad guys and leaving plastic badges by the bodies. If that isn't enough for you dear reader we have a third player, Narek, high ranking in the Mafia, ruthless, racist, misogynistic, foul mouthed villain, it is a busy book!

It is a lot crammed into 328 pages, Mowbray has a lot of issues/baggage, issues with the bottle but is a good dude. We follow his investigation, hear from the killer and their views, the vigilante and the Mafia bad guy. Despite multiple storylines I didn't feel too disjointed bouncing from person to person.

This isn't for the faint hearted, there are so many dark, brutal, graphic, horrific elements, some of the characters are really sick, twisted individuals. Narek really brings up the bile, the way he speaks to, thinks about and treats women, the C word is bandied about frequently and that isn't close to being the worst, he is a racist scumbag. I found his parts quite hard going and remember there is an occult/sadist/horror individual, also dark reading but Narek really got under my skin. I think because there is so much hate/bile/abuse in reality it just touched a nerve, I was rooting for someone, anyone to pan his melt in!

I would love to see the vigilante get more *air time* - I got echoes of a bit of Jack Reacher code from him. We always love to see someone bring justice to bad people so yeah I would like the next book to be theirs or heavily featured if there is a book two. I think if there is a series then there has been good foundations laid down. I would like to read more from this author but definitely prepare yourself to step into a very dark, nasty world, 3/5 for me.

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Off Season by Jack Ketchum

Off Season by Jack Ketchum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 308

Publisher - 47 North

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

September. A beautiful New York editor retreats to a lonely cabin on a hill in the quiet Maine beach town of Dead River—off season—awaiting her sister and friends. Nearby, a savage human family with a taste for flesh lurks in the darkening woods, watching, waiting for the moon to rise and night to fall...

And before too many hours pass, five civilized, sophisticated people and one tired old country sheriff will learn just how primitive we all are beneath the surface...and that there are no limits at all to the will to survive.




My Review

Think Wrong Turn meets The Hill Have Eyes meets House of 1000 Corpses, a pinch of each and you get the vibes for Off Season. This is NOT for the faint hearted or easily offended and this version is "The Author's Uncut, Uncensored Version so if you have read the other version this has more bokey OMGness. Carla has rented a wee cabin, out the way of town on a hill next to a beach type town, off season. Her sister, lover and pals are coming up to join her, she has no idea she i being watched by savage killers, killers who murder for joy, pleasure and food!

The opening chapter gives a taster for what is coming, a women is brutalised by weans of this group and it really kicks off from there. We get to know the city folk who come to the cabin for some fun and then all hell breaks loose and it is just murder, carnage, blood drenching, stomach turning horror.

The killers are actual savages, they live in the wild, other living beings are for their use, pleasure, consumption. The descriptions are graphic, gorey and manky in some parts, again think of the three movies I mentioned and you know what you are in for. Torture, abuse (sexual and the violent), animal abuse/deaths, human torture, I think the book hits just about everything on the list.

For the other movies I wanted a police presence and or more if they were in it, this book offers a bit of that. This is only my second book by this author, again he is not for the faint hearted from what I have read. If you like your horror shocking, bloody, dodgy depraved killers ooft this is your book. I grew up on horror but even parts of this made me wince, he paints very vivid pictures, probably best not to eat whilst reading this one, 4/5 for me.

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Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter

Gallery of the Dead by Chris Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 448

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads


‘Thirty-seven years in the force, and if I was allowed to choose just one thing to erase from my mind, what’s inside that room would be it.'

That’s what a LAPD Lieutenant tells Detectives Hunter and Garcia of the Ultra Violent Crimes Unit as they arrive at one of the most shocking crime scenes they have ever attended.

In a completely unexpected turn of events, the detectives find themselves joining forces with the FBI to track down a serial killer whose hunting ground sees no borders; a psychopath who loves what he does because to him murder is much more than just killing – it’s an art form.

Welcome to 'The Gallery of the Dead'.



My Review

Book nine in the Robert Hunter series, a killer who seems to kill at random, his victimology changes, his trophies changes, the writing on the corpses change. How do you catch a killer who is sporadic in location, gender, trophies? The FBI come on board and join forces to track down one of the worst criminal masterminds they have came across.

I love these books, the FBI agent clashes with members of the LAPD team - well Garcia comes into his own I felt in this book. With the clashes with the FBI agent I thought we saw a bit more of him which I really enjoyed.

We get a bit more of Hunter's personal life and of course his mindset, thinking and reading of crime scenes, I think he is such a fascinating read and character. As always Carter doesn't pull any punches with his kills/gore so not for the faint hearted but if you have read him before you know what to expect. If you haven't, go back to the start, the books are so good you don't want to miss out. Also, how Carter closes this tale makes me want to bump the other(s) up my tbrm so I doubt it will be long before we hit up book 10, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Caller by Chris Carter

The Caller by Chris Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 480

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The terrifying new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of I AM DEATH.

After a tough week, Tanya Kaitlin is looking forward to a relaxing night in, but as she steps out of her shower, she hears her phone ring. The video call request comes from her best friend, Karen Ward. Tanya takes the call and the nightmare begins.

Karen is gagged and bound to a chair in her own living room. If Tanya disconnects from the call, if she looks away from the camera, he will come after her next, the deep, raspy, demonic voice at the other end of the line promises her.

As Hunter and Garcia investigate the threats, they are thrown into a rollercoaster of evil, chasing a predator who scouts the streets and social media networks for victims, taunting them with secret messages and feeding on their fear.



My Review

Imagine getting a video call from your loved one, restrained and captive of a psychopath. The threat is real, you have to answer two questions, just two, and your loved one will be freed. You have five seconds to answer, any failure to comply or wrong answers results in brief but brutal violence to your friend/family/partner. Can you imagine?

Hunter and Garcia are on the case, the killer leaves no traces and is brutal. What connects the victims if anything, how are they being chosen? Who will be next. Each killing is brutal, I mean really graphic in the details, none repeated ooooft not for the faint hearted.

As you know, this is book eight so if you have read the previous you know what his work is like this book doesn't differ. The chapters are short (which I love), the story has multiple threads and even though we are eight deep into the series Carter manages to keep it fresh, us on our toes and surprises along the way.

I feel we got a wee bit more of Hunter in this one too, a personal aspect as we are always so case focused and he keeps himself from interacting with others, out with work. I hope we get more of this in the books to follow, I have three more I think still to read. Hunter is one of my fave characters, he is super intelligent, faced multiple killers who are the devil incarnate and a loner by choice. We get wee nuggets of his past, him as a person as the books progress, I love it, 4.5/5 for me this time!

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