Claimed by J R Ward

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

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 509

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A heart-pounding new series set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world, with a scientist fighting to save the timber wolves—and getting caught in a deadly trap herself...

Lydia Susi is passionate about protecting wolves in their natural habitat. When a hotel chain develops a tract of land next to the preserve, Lydia is one of the most vocal opponents of the project—and becomes a target.

One night, a shadowy figure threatens Lydia’s life in the forest, and a new hire at the Wolf Study Project comes from out of nowhere to save her. Daniel Joseph is both mysterious, and someone she intrinsically wants to trust. But is he hiding something?

As the stakes get higher, and one of Lydia’s colleagues is murdered, she must decide how far she will go to protect the wolves. Then a shocking revelation about Daniel challenges Lydia’s reality in ways she could never have predicted. Some fates demand courage, others require even more, with no guarantees. Is she destined to have true love... or will a soul-shattering loss ruin her forever?


My Review

This is book one of a trilogy, Lydia is all about protecting the wolves in their natural environment and a new hotel/chain is putting everything at risk. Daniel, a drifter appears at the perfect time looking for a job. Someone has poisoned a wolf, money at the facility is low and Lydia will do just about anything for the wolves safety. Both Lydia and Daniel are mysterious and or aloof in their own way and it isn't long before sparks fly between the two and their attraction has more pull that what they are hiding.

So the book is from the Lair of the Wolven series and we have snippets of chapters going to the Blackdagger Brotherhood characters, specifically Xhex, dreams and freaking out, then back to Lydia with no seeming reason or cross over, I am hoping with book two we will have more clarity and info (I have book two and three at the ready).

There is murder, intrigue, dodgy behaviour, skulduggery, stalking and wolves of course. I would say it is a slow burner at times but when you get to the end it all comes together and absolutely needs book two to be read asap.

There is some spice, intrigue, wolfy interactions, secrets, danger and all is not what it seems, like even the folk Lydia has worked with and it being a small town there are secrets and reveals to be had. I am very much looking forward to book two and seeing what is next in store, a good foundation book setting up for the rest, 4/5.

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The Survivors by Jane Harper

The Survivors by Jane Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 375

Publisher - Little Brown Books

Source - Netgalley & Bought Hardback

Blurb from Goodreads

Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets...

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.

The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.

Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.

When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away...



My Review

Book location is Evelyn Bay, Tasmania, beautiful but unpredictable sea that has already claimed lives. Kieran Elliot is back to help his mum, dad's dementia is much worse than Kieran realised and being home reignites all his guilt. Twelve years ago his brother and friend died and it is all Kieran's fault. Now back with his partner, also from there, with their baby Kieran is feeling mixed emotions and reception from people. When a young girl is found dead an investigation starts and a lot of the past is raked up which is never a good thing in a small town.

Intrigue, mystery, secrets, love, friendship, lies it has a mix of everything and I loved reading it when our weather turned so we had a thunder and lightning storm. It just made it for perfect reading, very atmospheric, she creates a great visual for the reader anyway but having it both on paper and surrounding me was just perfect timing.

It isn't the type of book where it is actions and fast paced, more of a slow burner but absolutely drawing you in. Small town, no privacy, everyone has an opinion on everyone and everything and you feel Kieran reexperiencing how he obviously felt back when the tragedy struck. Things highlight why we left i the first place, the impact on his relationship with his parents. Small bits of the story teased out and slowly revealed so you are kept guessing, well I was.

I think this is my second book by Harper and will absolutely be reading her others, 4/5 for me this time.

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A Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs

Today is my turn on the blog tour for A Whisker in the Dark by author Leighann Dobbs, for my stop I have my review.



About the author



USA Today bestselling author, Leighann Dobbs, discovered her passion for writing after a twenty year career as a software engineer. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. Her book “Dead Wrong” won the “Best Mystery Romance” award at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention. Her book “Ghostly Paws” was the 2015 Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem First Place category winner in the Animal Mystery category.

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A Whisker In The Dark by Leighann Dobbs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 233

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Discovering the 300-year-old skeleton of shipping tycoon Jedediah Biddeford in the ballroom wall is a big old hassle for Josie Waters, owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. Especially when Biddeford’s descendants turn up, certain that a family legend about treasure buried nearby must be true.

Josie is too busy dreaming up the perfect cake for the Oyster Cove’s 250th anniversary celebration to worry about the Biddeford family – plus half the town – digging up her yard... until one of her guests is murdered in the guesthouse garden.

With worries that her guesthouse will get a reputation for being the kind of place you only leave in a body bag, Josie must put her detective skills to work to find the killer. Lucky for her, Nero and Marlowe and their gang of cat sleuths are also on the case.

From the old wharf, to the town common, to the guesthouse itself with its many nooks and crannies, the cats are sure to sniff out the killer… but can they help Josie stop the person behind the mysterious murder before they strike again?

A fantastic page-turner from a bestselling author, purrfeect for fans of Agatha Christie, Adele Abbott, cat lovers and everyone in between!

Readers absolutely love the Oyster Cove Guesthouse series!


My Review

So this is book two of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse series, I have never read this author before but I don't feel I missed out by starting here. Josie Waters owns the guesthouse and is still finding her feet getting into the routine, cooking (without ruining the food) and a bit of a revamp going on. During which a skeleton is uncovered, this isn't the first time a body has been found in the guesthouse but this one is a few hundred years old and may be a relation to her current guests. Add to that there is a rumour of treasure bringing everyone and their shovels to Josie's yard to dig.

So the chapters alternate between Josie and her cats, Nero and Marlowe, the cats love a good investigation but how do they communicate with the silly humans? The cats speak to each other and do their own thing whilst Josie tries to keep on top of the challenges presented by running a guest house, looking after visitors, small town rumours, personal life and of course a murder mystery.

I loved the cat chapters, it won't be for everyone but I have read a few books with animals being characters and their point of views. They bring a bit of furry humour and sass which as a cat lover totally appeals to me. With them investigating along with the humans it was reminiscence of my Scoobie Doo days and the gang investigating only the humans in this don't realise the cats are awesome and helping.

There is a lot of family issues, friendships, police investigation, red herrings and I loved the overall feel of it was like watching a Murder She Wrote. You think one thing then something changes so you think you have it figured then something else makes you re evaluate. I love when a book does that and I think I am now a fan of cozy mysteries, sure this is the first one I have read.

I will absolutely be checking out the other books by this author and hope little paws are in them all, it is very cute but doesn't take away from the murder/investigation parts of the story, in fact for me it added to it. 4/5 for me this time, first dance with Dobbs but it won't be my last!

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Bring Me Back by B A Paris Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the newest offering by B A Paris "Bring Me Back". Please check out the other blog tour stops on the poster as you find, generally, all stops offer different content.





I have to include a picture of the book itself, the page ridges were yellow and I think small touches like that, matching the ink on the cover just draws you immediately to it.





Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - HQ

Source - Advanced Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she's not inside. No one ever sees her again.

Ten years later he's engaged to be married; he's happy, and his past is only a tiny part his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She's turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his wife is the sister of his missing first love.

As more and more questions are raised, their marriage becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?



My Review

Lets kick it off by saying I have read the author's previous books and really enjoyed them. I think she had a unique voice in her writing that draws you in quickly. We meet Finn McQuaid, talking about the night his girlfriend disappeared 12 years ago and the statement he gave the poilce, admitting it was not quite the truth! What a way to open a book eh, I am super nosey so needed to know why wasn't it the truth, why did he lie or omit details and of course what happened to his girlfriend Layla. We flip to the present day, Finn has moved on and has a new partner that may raise a fair few eyebrows. We flip from present to past, back and forth getting an insight into Finn's world, what things were like in the before and now with the past catching up.

Paris creates a great suspense, thrilling atmosphere, teasing the readers with snippets of details and you know very quickly something isn't right, but what? The chapters are relatively short which is great for dipping in and out however, if like me, one chapters turns into ten you will just race through. I wouldn't advise reading this if you are just wanting one chapter before bed as you will have a late night for sure.

There are three main characters really, Ellen the new(ish) partner of Finn, Finn himself and Layla, despite being missing she is still very there especially in the then throwbacks. We learn the kind of man Finn is, what he has endured and how Layla going missing has shaped him as a man. The breakdown of characters psych as they experience what I can only describe as a type of cat and mouse game and how that impacts not only on them but their relationships and interactions to those around them.

As I said I do really enjoy Paris's writing, I do hope her next book is already being penned and we don't have to wait too long for it. All the books are standalone's and I think Paris is an author for watching, she creates characters that despite liking or hating them you are left wanting more and more. I really enjoyed this book, 4.5 out of 5 for me, if you like page turners and being kept on your toes I think you will love this!

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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.

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The Bucktown Babies by Janine R Pastel

The Bucktown Babies by Janine R Pestel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - ebook ?

Publisher - Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

In this gripping thriller, we see that demons are real and they like the souls of babies and unborn children alike. Father Gunter is a demon's worst nightmare. But even he will need help to destroy the demon that is killing the babies of Bucktown, a small farming community. Help does come, but from a very unlikely, and unexpected, source. Will it be enough to see the demon hunter through the final showdown with evil? If Father Gunter can find and kill the demon who is harming babies in Bucktown, he will be that much closer to finding the demon that took his sister from him. He knows she's not dead. She can't be.


My Review

Father Gunter is a man on a mission, ex priest now demon hunter, searching for his sister he is also keeping an eye out for where he is needed. Bucktown is having an unusual amount of child deaths and miscarriages, he knows he is needed and heads in to investigate. He finds assistance in an unlikely ally and sets out to stop the demon!

This is the first book in a series and absolutely sets the foundations for the next book(s) in the series. Father Gunters back story is offered in segments throughout the book in between the hunt for the demon. Some of the scenes are eerie and you can feel the tension building as Gunter tries to make sense of the deaths, identify what is going on and go after the demon.

There is action, intrigue, suspense and a few hair raising moments where we see the main character deal with evil and supernatural beings. I think the author has created a foundation for a fabulously dark world that really boils down to good and evil with all kinds of sideline issues. Family, personal, the solid beliefs of a (ex) priest with some of his faith now missing after a previous encounter with evil. It has a promising start and I really look forward to seeing what is next in store for Gunter but more so getting answers to my questions. I did enjoy a fair amount of this book but I was left with so many questions and some readers love being kept in suspense but I am a nosey riot and cannot wait to be in the know. 3.5 stars out for 5 for me this time, the author has previous published work that I will have a nosey at, however this was my first introduction to her work.

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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Publisher - Phoenix

Pages - 321

Blurb from Goodreads

When two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family's mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows - a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims - a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.



My Review

Camille Preaker is our main character and a journalist. When a child goes missing from her home town and one had gone missing previously she is sent home to get the scoop. Camille has many issues that stem from a strained childhood and troubled relationship with her mother. She has a 13 year old sister who has some major issues and controls and dominates some of the town. Trying to break down the barriers to get the story in town, deal with her sister and cope with her mother and their relationship proves to be quite a task for Camille.

This story is really quite disturbing I found to be honest. Camille has scars all over her body, her way of coping with her issues growing up. As the story progresses we discover just how dark Camilles past is and why she behaves as she does. The previous murder of the little girl was uncomfortable to read about, any ill to a child is however this killer makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

Whilst this is a book about a troubled reporter investigating in her own home town it is largely more about her dysfunctional family. Her coping mechanisms of trying to deal with it, her personal demons being quieted or confronted. There is some uncomfortable references to sexual encounters that some people may be fine with but worth giving a heads up. There is also a reference to some animal cruelty, in my opinion, that makes for uncomfortable reading too.

It is a dark tale that, for me, was like a car crash, horrific but you find it hard to look away. I felt I needed a shower after reading it, dark, gritty, brutal but very enthralling, 3/5 for me. I have read Gone Girl and have Dark Places still to read by this author, she has a specific tone to her writing, if you liked Gone Girl I think you may well "enjoy" this one.

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