Showing posts with label stalking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stalking. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 September 2025

Bad Blood by Angela Marsons

Bad Blood (DI Kim Stone, #19)Bad Blood by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Bought (ebook and treebook)

Blurb from Goodreads

The victim is lying under the trees, arms lifted above his head, unnaturally still. His muscles are slack. His eyes are empty. There are no signs of life. But he is not quite dead…

When Detective Kim Stone races to the crime scene, there is no body waiting for the paramedics are desperately trying to save the victim’s life. But there is something very strange about the way the man was found, his arms raised above his head, his legs spread apart. When he dies on the way to the hospital, Kim is certain she’s on the hunt for a killer… but all evidence at the scene has been destroyed.

The dead man, Eric Gould , seems ordinary, until the team dig into his past. As a teenager, he was locked away for attacking his girlfriend, and Kim suspects he was hurting his fiancé now. Was someone trying to stop history repeating?

Then another man is found on the verge of death, his bones broken to force him into an unnatural shape. The team realise the killer is sending a message – the victims’ bodies are spelling out their sins. As boys, they were both part of a group of six who bragged about their terrible crimes. But they were children then, and when she sees the grief on the faces of their loved ones now, Kim swears to find answers.

Is someone finally getting revenge… or do they think these men are still dangerous? The killer is threatening to strike again, and the only way Kim can crack the case is by tracking down the rest of the six first.

But then a revelation about what one of her team is suffering makes Kim understand why people take the law into their own hands. Do these victims deserve what’s coming to them? Or is there even more to fear from their brutal killer?

Unputdownable from start to finish, Bad Blood is a brilliantly gripping crime thriller with a reveal you’ll never see coming. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Robert Dugoni and Val McDermid will love the latest compulsive read from multi-million-copy bestseller Angela Marsons.

Can be read as a standalone.


My Review

Guys this is book nineteen in the series and normally I would say you can read as a standalone or start here BUT I would absolutely advise reading the others. One because it is a great series but if you don't want to go back that far at least read book eighteen first as there is a central storyline in this one that I feel hits more with the context/background of the previous book. A victim has been found under a tree, no signs of life, Stone is called down. A shock turn of events has no body waiting for Stone and the start of some nasty bodies popping up. From the previous book we see Stacey struggling with her stalker, trying to deal with it alone as she hasn't told anyone what is happening. With a team as small and tight as Stone's nothing remains a secret for too long and Stacey's secret has huge impact on all of the team.

I do love the Stone series, the team is such a great bunch and I love how Bryant is the Ying to Stones Yang. The investigation into the almost dead victims, why would someone do this and what are they trying to say with each body/victim. We see Stone go tonto when she discovers what has been happening to Stacey and the impact it now has not only on Stacey but the team and an investigation.

Kim is like the maw of the group and Bryant the dad I would say we see this more in this book. The usual police investigation parts with relationships, danger and shady individuals. Despite this being book nineteen Stone manages to keep the writing and plots fresh and pulling you in from the opening chapter, 4/5.

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Friday, 8 August 2025

Watching You by Helen Fields

I got an arc copy thanks so much to Avon books for giving me a copy, it is out to buy the 28th of August but you can preorder now, AMAZON LINK.


Watching YouWatching You by Helen Sarah Fields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

A face in the crowd. A killer in the shadows…________

On the dark streets of Edinburgh, a killer is waiting.

When a body is found, it is only the beginning. Soon there will be seven more.



In the city’s hospital, renowned surgeon Beth Waterfall is grieving.

Her beloved only daughter fell prey to a vicious stalker a year previously – and now he’s coming for her too.



Edinburgh’s police are desperate.

After one body comes another, and then another. The brutal deaths are all seemingly unconnected, and yet DS Lively and forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine know they are dealing with a serial killer – they just need to prove it.

But time is running out, and The Watcher is already set on making Beth Waterfall his next victim…

The million-copy international bestseller returns with a gripping serial killer thriller that will have you hooked from the first page to the very last.


My Review


Ooooh what a twisted web! So we bounce around a little bit but absolutely easy to follow, we hear from the killer as they are going after their victims. We don't always get this is crime fiction books so it is always interesting I think to be seeing through their eyes. Beth is going to be the next victim, The Watcher is sick, focused, obsessed and already targeted Beth's daughter now Beth is his obsession. Beth is a medical professional, a surgeon and great at her job, her and DS Lively cross paths through work. Beth finds herself in danger, threats becoming more and more evident and could something be there with her and grumpo Lively. Beth herself is grieving, traumatised but a strong and focused individual so that gives us a lot of insight and an emotive character. DS Lively is quite different and some of their interactions brings banter/light relief (he is a bit of the grump type though he plays well) but also the serious side of police investigation.

Do you know what I love about this book? I have read a fair few of Fields (I checked and I have two I think to catch up on, one I have another I have to buy) and I don't always read in order. However in this one I recognise quite a few characters. The ball busting boss we have met before in other books, Profiler Connie is so weird but in the absolutely best kind of way, Winnie, Midnight also make wee appearances and I love that. I did have to check my other reviews because I was like I know those names so the crossover is something I really appreciate. It also makes me check what book(s) I have missed and will be getting them sorted.

This one has stalking, murder, friendship, love, family, mental health, trauma and that is just for starters. Fields has a gift for creating some horrific baddies interwoven with characters facing some real heartache, loss, recovery so it is a real rollercoaster. 4.5/5 for me this time, Connie could have a series of 20+ and I would read them all, she isn't exactly a main character in this one but defo a central character and I think she scene steals because she is just so unique and genuine!

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Thursday, 24 April 2025

Human Remains by Jo Callaghan Blogathon

Today is my stop for Human Remains by Jo Callaghan, book 3 in the Kat and Lock series.
Human Remains (Kat and Lock, #3)Human Remains by Jo Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The truth will always come out, but at what cost?

Fresh from successfully closing their first live case, the Future Policing Unit are called in to investigate when a headless, handless body is found on a Warwickshire farm. But as they work to identify the victim and their killer, the discovery of a second body begins to spark fears that The Aston Strangler is back. And as the stakes rise for the team, so do the tensions brewing within it.

When DCS Kat Frank is accused of putting the wrong man behind bars all those years ago, AIDE Lock – the world's first AI Detective – pursues the truth about what happened with relentless logic. But Kat is determined to keep the past buried, and when she becomes the target of a shadowy figure looking for revenge, Lock is torn between his evidence-based algorithms and the judgement of his partner, with explosive results. 

When everything hangs in the balance, it will all come down to just how much an AI machine can learn, and what happens when they do . . .


My Review

Guys if you haven't read book one and two PLEASE go back and read them first then come back because they are fab, you need the back story and they are pretty epic so just do it. So we open with someone plotting dastardly plans towards Kat and then onto the present day and finding of some bones, possibly human and DCS Kat Frank needs to investigate.

The interactions between Lock and Kat are absolutely one of my fave things about these books, LOCK is a machine but learning o fast it is actually scary. He can process information, scenes, stats but the human intuition and nuances escapes him. We see the short comings of AI but also the positives but the Sheldoness of the machine is an absolute fave.

As well as investigating the bones and what follows from there Kat is being scrutinised publically and online as a podcast has an old case of hers under the scope and questioning is she got it wrong. Is it linked to the new finding of bones and Kat is good but she is human and the pressure is on, cracks are showing. Add into that her son is coming home and bringing his new girlfriend home, it is stress city for Kat and folk online seem to have it in for her and someone is watching her every move and waiting.

Lots of high emotions, the pace is fast and multifactorial with different threads/stories taking place - all interlinked. I cannot wait for the next book in the story and see where it is going, Lock reminds me a bit of Vision/Jarvis from the avengers like he is good, he was created for good purposes and has a bit of Sheldon (from the Big Bang Theory) and I like all off them, echoes of but Lock is a whole new creation. Strap in folks this one will take you through a host of emotions & I didn't want to put it down, I NEEDED to know! 4/5.

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Saturday, 25 May 2024

Every Move You Make by C L Taylor

Every Move You MakeEvery Move You Make by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read -

Pages - 422

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley & bought a copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Alexandra, Lucy, Bridget, River and Natalie. Five friends who wish they’d never met. Because the one thing they have in common is the worst thing in their lives: they are all being stalked.

When one of their group is murdered, days after their stalker is released from prison, time stands still for them all. They know their lives could end just as brutally at any moment—all it takes is for the people they fear the most to catch up with them.

When the group receive a threat that one of them will die in ten days’ time, the terror that stalks their daily lives becomes all-consuming. But they know they don’t want to be victims anymore—it’s time to turn the tables and finally get their revenge.

Because the only way to stop a stalker is to become one yourself…



My Review

Ooft the opening chapter! A whatsapp group of people - all joined together by one thing, being survivors of stalkers. When the unthinkable happens to one of them the group feel they need to take matters into their own hands. Pinging between messages in the Whatsapp group to happenings in their actual lives we follow the four, Alexandra, Lucy, Bridget, River as they try to take back control and their lives before their stalker(s) strike.

A murder, horrific stalkers, secrets, lies, coercion, gaslighting, the horrible feeling of being stalked, watched, cat and mouse. A constant threat looming and they are all potential targets, I did like the way the book kept you guessing but I also got frustrated and screamed NOOOOOOOO WHAT ARE YOU DOING a few times. Don't do that, oh no why why why.

It is pretty shocking and eye opening, I think when you read the end note from the author about her experiences and know the book is written by someone who went through some of this it hits different. Claustrophic and eerie at parts, you are kept intrigued/hooked and even shocked at parts, 4/5 from me.

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Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons

Deadly Fate (DI Kim Stone, #18)Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out as able over 5 days

Pages - 353

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The woman’s bright blonde hair floats in the breeze. She almost looks like she could be resting on the soft green grass. But her brown eyes stare unblinking up at the sky, and the final cut across her mouth is dark with blood. Her words silenced forever…

Late one evening, as the final church bell rings out, Sandra Deakin’s cold and lifeless body is found in the overgrown graveyard with multiple stab wounds. When Detective Kim Stone rushes to the scene, the violence of the attack convinces her that this murder was deeply personal. What could have caused such hate?

As the team dig into Sandra’s life, they discover she believed she could communicate with the dead. Was that why she was targeted? The last people to see her alive were a group of women who had a session with her the night before she was killed, and as Kim and her team pay them a visit, they soon learn each of the women is lying about why they wanted Sandra’s help…

Kim realises she must dig deep and open her mind to every avenue if she’s going to stand a chance at solving this case. And when she learns that Sandra was banned from the church grounds and had been receiving death threats too, she’s ever more certain that Sandra’s gifts are at the heart of everything.

But just when she thinks she’s found a lead, the broken body of a nineteen-year-old boy is found outside a call centre – a single slash across his mouth just like Sandra’s. Kim knows they are now racing against time to understand what triggered these attacks, and to stop a twisted killer.

But they might be too late. Just as Kim sits down at a local psychic show she discovers something that makes her blood run cold. Both Sandra and the call centre were named in an article about frauds. And this show stars the next name on the list. She looks around the audience with a feeling of utter dread, certain the killer is among them…


My Review

If you haven't read the previous ooks in the series, seriously where have you been! This is book 18 and whilst yes this can be read as a standalone I would absolutely read the previous ones because they are such a great series and you know the backstory for the characters. Anyways back to the book/review, this one features two main themes guys, psychics and stalking!

The book opens with the murder of a psychic and there kicks off the investigation by Stone's team. As the book goes on we quickly find that someone has a murderous hate for psychics and this is just the beginning. We have a separate "case but not a case" of a dead homeless man whose identity is unknown and if you know Stone you know the minimal Stone likes is for the dead to at least have their name so as a side thread that is going on. Whilst investigating the psychic a stalker comes up in their investigation and Stacey finds some disturbing info, could this be our killer?

I love the banter/camaraderie with the team especially Stone and Bryant, they are so different and compliment each other as does the team to be fair. The research as always is bang on and woven in to go smoothly and seamlessly with the story. Like I am a fan of psychics and one of the characters in the book debunks them and goes into detail on how they manage to do what they do, I find that so fascinating. The stalker stuff, I am shouting RED FLAG RED FLAG, why why why to X character, pulled right into the story as always. Despite being eighteen books deep Marsons manages (in my opinion) to keep you hooked and invested in the characters, even when you get annoyed you are absolutely invested and questioning why X character is doing XYZ behaviour(s).

I think this book is setting up some bits for the next book and as always we are always waiting with bated breath. Also the pathologist guy, whilst he doesn't make huge appearances in the books I do enjoy their character and their *relationship with Stone. Here is to the next one 4/5 for me this time.

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Thursday, 3 August 2023

Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh

We were lucky enough to get a wee arc of this book, you KNOW we are big Cavanagh fans here especially the Eddie Flynn series. This is a standalone, new charaters (not Eddie Flynn). And today is publication day, you can buy your copy NOW, here is the link for AMAZON UK


Kill For Me Kill For YouKill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time Taken to Read - In and out over 3 days (as able)

Pages - 416

Publisher - Headline

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

The twisting new thriller from the award-winning, top ten bestseller...

SHE WILL KILL YOUR WORST ENEMY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS KILL HERS.

One dark evening in New York City, two strangers meet by chance.
Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise they have so much in common.

They both feel alone. They both drink alone.
And they both desperately want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families.

Together, they have the perfect plan.
If you kill for me, I'll kill for you...


My Review

Imagine losing the one person you love the most, your life/family torn apart and the person who killed them is walking around free. That is what it is like for Amanda & now she finds herself in trouble with the law as the bad guy is using them to punish her for "stalking him". Amanda finds herself in a group of people who have experienced loss like hers and that is where she meets Wendy, Wendy has also had her child brutally ripped from life and the perp is also walking around free, untouchable. When a few drinks and bonding turns to some serious chat........If you kill for me I will kill for you. It is the perfect plan, neither know the others bad guy, neither is associated with each other (the group is anonymous) so what could go wrong? If you had your whole world ripped from you, your only child - would you not take the steps to avenge them?

Guys, I am always a bit apprehensive reading a new creation of an author I really enjoy because it is a step away from characters I love and if they are really good is this the book that won't be? Needless worry for nothing, you are pulled in quickly, get to know the characters and what drives them and you can't not feel sorry for them. Whilst this is fiction we know from real life how many injustices actually happen, murderers getting a slap on the wrist or a few years or a lesser charge whilst the families get a life sentence so to speak, suffering, loss and no or little justice.

The book looks at how far people will go, what happens when your world is ripped apart by crime/loss/attack/murder. The devastating ripples it has and also the after affects of those left behind. It is shocking, riveting, weaved with parts to pull the rug out from under you - sure even those reader who guess everything will be hard pushed to know what is coming. You read along with the characters as they plot/plan and carry out their much needed revenge and yet the author still manages to surprise, engage and keep you hooked from the start to finish. 5/5 from us, whilst it isn't Eddie Flynn (yes yes we are a tad obsessed but he is pure dead brilliant, who doesn't love a goody guy with a wee bit of shade but heart of gold) but it is new characters, skulduggery and a whole lot of what ifs, how far would you go and how far can a person be pushed/put through! It is great, go get it, it is out today, Happy Pub day to the author.



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Monday, 6 December 2021

Your Neighbour's Wife by Tony Parsons

Your Neighbour’s WifeYour Neighbour’s Wife by Tony Parsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company, she's the sort of person you'd want to live next door to, who might even become your best friend.

But what sort of person is she really?

Because in one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk. And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won't leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.

There seems to be only one way out.
And it involves murder...



My review

Wow this is an intense read so buckle in! Tara Carver is an independent business women, she runs a dating agency app whilst her stunning, fit husband Christian looks after their wee boy. When Tara flies to Japan for a business convention and meets James, well when the cat is away....... Tara has never done anything like this in her life, she is happy in her marriage and quickly regrets her one night with James. However Tara is about to learn that actions come with consequences and James isn't willing to let her go.

Oh Tara Tara Tara what a nightmare. James seems lovely but dear Lord how appearances can be deceiving. Even when Tara leaves Japan and thinks it is over but really it is just starting. The chapters flip between Tara and Christian as the story unfolds, the tension and steaks run high and things just go from bad to worse. You initially find it hard to have sympathy for Tara, she did cheat on her husband but things get dark really quickly and it isn't just impacting on Tara but those around her and she loves.

It is a pretty dark book, some really shady characters/actions throughout, Parson's brings swipe after swipe and things go from bad to worse to really really bad. Pretty short chapters and you are hooked in really quickly. It has been ages since I read Parson's and don't remember that book being anything like this. Really engaging, shocking, page turner and Parson's shows us again and again how things can just keep getting worse! 4/5 for me this time, I will be having a nosey at their back catalogue, my reading mojo has taken a kicking just now with stress etc but this was a book I found I could loose myself in for a wee while. If you think things aren't great yourself at least we aren't Tara ooft!

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Saturday, 8 May 2021

Looker by Laura Sims

LookerLooker by Laura Sims
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 182

Publisher - Scribner

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


In this taut and thrilling debut, an unraveling woman, unhappily childless and recently separated, becomes fixated on her neighbor—the actress. The unnamed narrator can’t help noticing with wry irony that, though she and the actress live just a few doors apart, a chasm of professional success and personal fulfillment lies between them. The actress, a celebrity with her face on the side of every bus, shares a gleaming brownstone with her handsome husband and their three adorable children, while the narrator, working in a dead-end job, lives in a run-down, three-story walk-up with her ex-husband’s cat.

When an interaction with the actress at the annual block party takes a disastrous turn, what began as an innocent preoccupation spirals quickly, and lethally, into a frightening and irretrievable madness. Searing and darkly witty, Looker is enormously entertaining—at once a propulsive Hitchcockian thriller and a fearlessly original portrait of the perils of envy.




My Review

A shocking insider look at a spiral of mental health and obsession. The protagonist is obsessed with her famous neighbour, from stalking her in real life and online. We get to know her (unnamed protagonist) as she goes about her daily encounters. She has a job, a professor, she is in the midst of a break up, failed IVF attempts and unable to get pregnant are only some of the reasons her o/h has left her.

Despite being a small book it packs a huge emotive punch, she is an unlikeable character and at points I felt sorry for her, others I cringed and another I wanted to slap her. As her obsession spirals so does her personal life and with chaos comes more chaos.

Voyeuristic, shocking, self destructive, disturbing, a psychological thriller with a pace that is hard to label. A descent into madness, we start off in a bad place and it just goes from there, interesting because we go through it with the main character, her view point and how everything is fine despite some very horrific and destructive behaviour until it all comes to a head. I would have loved this book to be longer, I certainly would have appreciated more about what happened next, maybe the author is considering revisiting this character. 3/5 for me, there is a thing in regards to an animal which I just can't, I struggle with anything like that. Otherwise I would recommend and interested to hear what others make of this.



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Wednesday, 11 March 2020

Strangers by C L Taylor

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

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.


My Review

If you follow my reviews you will know this house is a big fan of Taylors writing. The opening scene captures you straight away and leads you into the book wanting to know, why, how and what happened before hand, who are these people!

Three main characters, Alice - trying to get back into dating, her husband left her, her daughter is having boyfriend trouble and Alice is dipping her toes back into the world of dating. Ursula, ooft what a car crash of a person, we know something has happened and she is struggling to get through day to day. She is her own worst enemy and being a kleptomaniac and compulsively choosing the wrong decision in almost everything isn't helping. Gareth, caring for his mother who has dementia whilst holding down a security job with its own pressures. All three couldn't be anymore different so what links them and what will bring them into each others path?

The dating stuff, ugh I could have screamed at Alice and her daughter, warning flags and just no don't do that, don't text ahhhh. I suppose that is a nod to the authors talent, creating characters and situations that make you so mad because they are so real to life, we have all seen or done some of these things! Ursula, same, warning flags, don't do it, ask this, question that but when you are desperate you tend to ignore warning flags and when things are so bad and you have limited options you can only go with what is available to you. Gareth is a different character, I felt so sorry for him, caring with someone with dementia is heartbreaking, having unresolved father issues is something many readers will empathetic with.

Each character gets chapters and titled so you know whose is who and it is easy to follow. You have no idea what is coming, where the story is leading (for any of them) and I love when books do that for you. 4.5/5 for me this time, I have read all of Taylor's books (to my knowledge) and cannot wait for the next. Out to buy from April 2nd, ebook and hardbackk, paperback will be available in September.

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Wednesday, 25 September 2019

Stop At Nothing by Tammy Cohen

Stop at NothingStop at Nothing by Tammy Cohen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Transworld

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A mother's job is to keep her children safe.

Tess has always tried to be a good mother. Of course, there are things she wishes she'd done differently, but doesn't everyone feel that way?

Then Emma, her youngest, is attacked on her way home from a party, plunging them into a living nightmare which only gets worse when the man responsible is set free

But what if she fails?

So when Tess sees the attacker in the street near their home, she is forced to take matters into her own hands. But blinded by her need to protect her daughter at any cost, might she end up putting her family in even greater danger?

There's nothing she wouldn't do to make it right . . .



My Review

As a parent you are always worried about your children, when your daughter is attacked you see danger on every corner. But what is the attacker is nearby, you are already a "failure" as a mother, have a divorce, your own problems, you cannot let anything happen to her again. And when your new friend agrees well sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands!

Oooh this book grips you pretty quickly because the attack happens pretty much at the beginning and everything that happens thereafter is because of it. Tess is struggling with her failed marriage, her other daughter isn't speaking to her and Tess just wants her family safe.

What follows is some really questionable behaviour, when you are scared for your kid, rational thinking goes out the window. One event kicks off so much you are reading parts of this with baited breath. Stalking, family, relationships, friendship are just some of the themes covered in this book. If you haven't read Cohen before you really should, this is a great book, standalone, gripping and keeps you going page after page to see where it all ends up. 4.5/5 for me this time, I think I maybe have a few of this author I haven't read yet I need to get them!


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Saturday, 14 September 2019

Q&A with author Paul Burston

Q&A with author Paul Burston



Photo by Krystyna FitzGerald-Morris


• The book I hear is based on something you experienced yourself, is that true and if so what happened?

Yes, it’s true. Several years ago, I had a cyberstalker who made my life hell. It started with emails and trolling on Twitter, then spilled over onto various websites where I was employed as a journalist or featured as an author. It was mostly homophobic abuse. At its worst, I was receiving dozens of malicious communications every day. The stalker also contacted people who employed or supported me in some way, trying to persuade them to drop me. Then they started buying tickets for my events, posting the booking info on Twitter and making veiled threats to come and sort me out. Eventually I went to the police, who were very understanding. The scene in the book where Tom reports Evie to the police is pretty much as I remember it. I then helped the detective to build a case by taking screenshots of everything and making numerous police statements. Basically, you have to relive the abuse over and over again. Eventually the woman responsible was arrested and tried, found guilty and given a suspended sentence and a restraining order. I never heard from them again but the after effects of the harassment lasted for months.

• How did you get over something like that?

With time and support - from my partner, my GP, friends and victim support. I had counselling and was also prescribed anti depressants. I wasn’t in a good way! I was very angry, not just with the woman responsible but also with myself for letting it get to me. Of course I realise now that I was wrong to feel that way. Harassment or stalking is seriously disruptive and unsettling. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I wanted to communicate some of that in the book. The impact of what happened to me still lingers, but in a more positive way. I changed my online behaviour. I’m far more discerning about what I share on social media now.

• How did you find writing the book when it is something so close to something you experienced?

It was very therapeutic. I often mine my own life experiences for my fiction, so I knew I’d write about it at some point. The idea for the book really seeded itself when I moved into crime fiction a few years ago. I knew it would make a good story. It was a story I had a specific insight into.

• The characters, well the main male and female, are not the nicest by any means how did you come up with them?

They’re partly based on various people or character types I’ve encountered over the years. I also put a bit of myself into each character I write - in this case, my less admirable qualities! I’m not really interested in nice characters. They’re not as much fun to write. I’m far more interested in characters who are compelling or damaged in some way. They’re more of a challenge.

• The female character, her voice was so authentic was that hard to create?

I found writing her the most enjoyable. I wanted the story to be more ambiguous than it was in real life, and for her character to be more sympathetic than the person who inspired her. Once I had her voice, writing her came quite easily. I’d hear her whispering in my head, sit down and write.

• Who was more fun, Evie or Tom?

Evie, for lots of reasons. She’s clearly damaged, obsessive and relentless but also very witty and well read. Her pop cultural references were great fun to write, too - Morrissey, obviously, but also Blondie, Bowie and Madonna. I’ve interviewed Debbie Harry and I met David Bowie. I’ve gone off Morrissey but I’m still a big Madonna fan. She’s a great pop star. So Evie and I have a few things in common.

• What is next for Paul Burston?

I’m working on my next book. It’s another psychological thriller, also set in Hastings, and revolves around a man seeking revenge for things that happened to him in the past. It’s more of a family drama than the current book. I’m also touring with my literary salon Polari and preparing for our Polari Book Prize event with Tracey Thorn in October and our twelfth birthday event with Russell T Davies in November, both at the Southbank Centre.

• Where can fans find you? (dare I ask that after reading “The Closer I Get”

My website has information about upcoming author events and Polari events. www.paulburston.com

I’m also on Twitter @PaulBurston, Insta @paulburston1 and Facebook @paulburstonauthor

• Anything else you would like to add/answer that I haven’t asked?

I’d like to encourage your readers to please support local bookshops and libraries! They do so much for authors.

About the book, My Review, Blurb from Goodreads




Tom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone. Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has. When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing. But things aren’t really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he’s letting on. A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…


And if I haven't spoiled you enough with the interview I have a wee giveaway of the book. x1 ebook, UK ONLY, sorry guys but Amazon doesn't allow me to gift outside my own country. To be in with a chance just fill in the Rafflecopter below, good luck.

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Friday, 9 August 2019

The Closer I Get by Paul Burston

The Closer I GetThe Closer I Get by Paul Burston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 311

Publisher - Orenda Books

Source - bought ebook & fellow blogger sent a tree copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Tom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone.
Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has.
When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing.
But things aren’t really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he’s letting on.
A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…


My Review

Tom is an author who seemingly has it all, his first book smashed the sales and he was on everyone's A list. Then when his second didn't do so well and he struggled to write his third he found a boost in Evie an online friend and fan. Things take a sinister turn when Evie goes from friend to foe resulting in a restraining order and going to court. But every story has three sides, his side, her side and the truth.

Ooft what a story and warning about how fame can go wrong, we hear from Evie in first person narrative, her side of the story and to be honest she is a bit of a scary biscuit. Tom's story is told in third narrative and we glimpse the person he is in the before, his friendship with his confident and close friend Emma and how he is "coping" with the whole Evie situation.

The story makes for really uneasy reading as you are hearing both sides, at different timelines, how they react and who they seemingly are with their interactions and actions. Whilst Evie is scary Tom isn't the most likeable character and I found myself questioning a lot of the actions in the book.

Almost from page one I had a sense of unease that grew as the book went on, it is chilling, creepy and may make you think twice when it comes to online interactions. The timeline goes from present day to X amount of time before the court case, all well signposted so you know where you are. If you want a book that will creep you out and keep you reading into the wee hours then look no further, 4/5 for me this time. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last!




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Saturday, 4 May 2019

Sleep by C L Taylor Blog Tour

Hey you guys, today is my stop on the blog tour.





It is a big blog tour for this one, Sleep by C L Taylor. In fact so much so we need two posters to cover all the bloggers taking part, please check all the stops as we all offer different content!





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

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 368

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…



My Review

After an accident that changes her life, Anna escapes to an island in Scotland called Rum, to work in a wee hotel. Unable to sleep and sure someone had been stalking her a physically demanding job away from home is just what she needs. But someone is stalking Anna and no matter where Anna goes she will be followed....

The opening chapter grabs you from the very beginning, Anna the main character has written a letter "If you're reading this then I am no longer alive." Ooft what an opening, we see Anna in the lead up to the accident and the immediate after. Once she gets to Rum we have seven new guests, people as always have secrets but on the island we have a killer and Anna isn't safe!

So the opening chapter packs a punch and then starts to build up a picture of Anna and the eerie creepy atmosphere starts. Anna has to deal with guilt, lack of sleep, overhaul of life as she knew it and once you hit the hotel you know something is coming but what and who? We visit the family of those involved in the incident that changed everything for Anna and I was like an episode of murder she wrote, that's the killer, no that one, no that one.

I do enjoy a book that keeps you guessing and gives you plenty of suspects. Taylor has a knack for sucking the reader in and building up the fear and suspense, keeping a beady eye to have your AH HA moment, I suck and never work out the bad guy though. I really enjoy this authors writing and think with so many books out it is hard to offer something new, fresh and a page turner, I think Taylor nails it, 4/5 for me this time.

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Thursday, 14 February 2019

Stalker by Lars Kepler Blog Tour




Today is my stop on the blog tour and the final stop, I am sharing today with fellow blogger Karen Twitter who blogs over at Hair Past A Freckle, we are closing the tour.

I did a bookstagram piccy with the book, you can find my Instagram HERE if you like book accounts.




I am sharing my review as part of the tour.

This is the book cover and you can buy your own copy now, available as ebook and treebook format, here is the link to Amazon!


StalkerStalker by Lars Kepler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out 2 days

Pages - 560

Publisher - Knopf Publishing Group

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The internationally bestselling authors of The Sandman and The Hypnotist return with a terrifying new thriller: Detective Joona Linna--recently returned from compassionate leave--reunites with hypnotist Erik Maria Bark in a search for a seemingly unassailable sadistic killer.

The Swedish National Crime Unit receives a video of a young woman in her home, clearly unaware that she's being watched. Soon after the tape is received, the woman's body is found horrifically mutilated. With the arrival of the next, similar video, the police understand that the killer is toying with them, warning of a new victim, knowing there's nothing they can do. Detective Margot Silverman is put in charge of the investigation, and soon asks Detective Joona Linna for help. Linna, in turn, recruits Erik Maria Bark, the hypnotist and expert in trauma, with whom Linna's worked before. Bark is leery of forcing people to give up their secrets. But this time, Bark is the one hiding things.
Years before, he had put a man away for an eerily similar crime, and now he's beginning to think that an innocent man may be behind bars--and a serial killer still on the loose. . .




My Review

Welcome to the team seeking a brutal voyeuristic killer who videos the unsuspecting victim, sends it to the cops and then goes in for the kill. Hot on their tail is psychiatrist and hypnotist Erik Maria Bark brought in by detective Margot Silverman, heavily pregnant and against the clock before the killer strikes again.

This is my first time reading this author and although this is book five I still managed to keep up with the story, characters and didn't feel particularly lost not knowing all their back story. The book gives an intimate look at the characters, we get an insight into the victims right before they meet their killer. The book has a lot of focus on police procedure, the investigation and the victims immediately before the brutal murder and during.

The chapters are relatively short which I love, if you work long shifts but still like to read everyday or are struggling to keep switched on it offers you the option to dip in and out without causing much distraction.

It is pacey, dark, hair raising, riveting and down right creepy at points. There is so much going on I don't think we will ever see the word boring associated with this book! From questionable practices, unreliable characters we get to follow the professionals in a game of cat and mouse before another is killed.

This isn't a book for the faint hearted, if you like to be creeped out and enjoy multiple characters/plot lines with a killer you will struggle to figure out then this is absolutely for you. I am not a huge fan of translated books but I really enjoyed this one and will be checking out the previous books in the series. I cannot wait to hear more about these guys and what is still to come for them, 4/5 for me this time. Thanks to the publishers for giving me a chance to try a new author, it may be my first dance with this author it certainly won't be my last.



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Sunday, 3 February 2019

Apple of my Eye by Claire Allan Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for "Apple of my Eye" by Claire Allan, please check out the other stops on the tour as we all offer something different.





I had a wee cozy day reading this, the perfect time to bring out my apple shaped candle and wee blogger mug.




Apple of My EyeApple of My Eye by Claire Allan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Just how far is a mother willing to go?



When a mysterious note arrives for six months pregnant Dr Eliana Hughes, she begins to doubt every aspect of her life – from her mixed feelings about motherhood to her marriage to Martin, who has become distant in recent months.


As the person behind the note escalates their campaign to out Eli’s husband as a cheat, she finds herself unable to trust even her own instincts, and as pressure builds, she makes a mistake that jeopardises her entire future.


Elsewhere, someone is watching. Someone who desperately wants a baby to call their own and will go to any lengths to become a mother – and stay a mother…



My Review

Eliana Hughes is heavily pregnant and still working as a nurse at a hospice, the work is heavy (as is her belly), the emotions are high (coupled with pregnancy hormones) and her husband is aloof and working away A LOT! When someone starts leaving notes for Eliana, first at her work then to her home tensions run high, she is scared and wondering can she trust her husband. Terrorising from the get go, who is out to get a pregnant palliative nurse, or is her husband the target or is something much darker at play?

This is my first dance with this author, we have titled chapters so we know who is leading that part of the story and the chapters are short, I LOVE THIS! We hear from three main characters, Eliana, her mother Angela and someone called Louise. Louise is a bit of a scary character, you feel for her as she has had a horrific loss, the loss of a child, unimaginable but she is stalking women, looking for a new baby.... Eliana is your every day hard working person and thoughts/worries about her first born baby, many fears I am sure some pregnant women can identify with. Angela is Eliana's mother and her concern is her daughter and grand child, family is everything for Angela, her whole world.

The tension builds up really quickly, hairs standing on the back of your neck and concern for Eliana, seriously who would stress out a pregnant woman like that. The letter kicks off fear that have been brewing for Eliana and who do we turn to when we are in trouble, our mama. The fear is palpable for Eliana and Angela as the events transpire and the more we hear from Louise the more those hairs prickle. Unease, tension, page turning, gut wrenching, challenges nurses fear, obstacles, emotions and fear pregnancy harbours. Nail biting at parts and a wee gasp out loud once or twice for me, always an issue when reading in public, you get so wrapped up you can't help it.

I had suspicions and ideas of who it could be, why and couldn't wait to see if I was right or wrong again as per. By the time you get to the end you are just through the ringer, not quite as much as the poor characters but still. An emotive read for sure, pacey and whilst this was my first time reading Allan it won't be my last. I have another book of hers on my tbrm, I need to bump it up the list, 4.5/5 for me this time.



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Tuesday, 6 March 2018

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 BackBring 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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Saturday, 16 December 2017

Save Me by Mandasue Heller

Save MeSave Me by Mandasue Heller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Pan MacMillan

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A gripping thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Run, Mandasue Heller. When Ellie Fisher misses her train home one night, she has no idea that being in the right place at the wrong time will change her life forever. That night she comes across Gareth, a young man about to take his own life, because as far as he’s concerned there is nothing left to live for. Putting her own life in danger Ellie convinces Gareth that there is always something left. Her own life is no bed of roses, she explains, but she always pushes on. However, good deeds aren’t always repaid the way we want. Has Ellie unwittingly put her life in danger, or is the real danger a lot closer to home?



My Review

Ellie Fisher misses her train home, bringing her into the path of a stranger Gareth who is going to take his own life. Ellie puts herself at risk, saving Gareth and in turn causing more ripples in her own life. Her controlling husband is suspicious, her colleagues take advantage of her good nature as does her sister who is utterly vile. All actions have consequences and Ellie is about to discover just how big an impact one kind deed can have on her life and those around her.

It has been a while since I read a book that grabbed me pretty much from the get go and it wasn't due to the knowing something bad was coming. The relationship dynamics infuriated me, I wanted Ellie to deal with the selfish horrible people in her life and put them in her place. I think depending on your family life and personal experiences will depend on how much that part of the story will impact on you. I was so infuriated I could have flung the book because I was so angry at how much Ellie allowed people to walk over her. The more I read and the more things happened I got so exasperated, then you have the violent side. Things start happening, you don't know who to trust or really what is coming next.

I have always enjoyed Heller's books, I didn't even look at the blurb when going for this book so it was a bit different from what I expected. It isn't her normal estate gritty type book, this is relationships, families, stalker type vibe with violence, suspense and building up page by page. 4/5 for me this time, available to buy from 28th December this year, my thanks to Netgalley.

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Monday, 11 September 2017

You by Caroline Kepnes

You (You, #1)You by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - less than 1 day

Pages - 422

Publisher - Simon Schuster

Source - Book shop

Blurb from Goodreads

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.


My Review

Meet Joe Goldberg, Joe is working in a bookstore when sees her, from the first sentence we see Beck through Joe's eyes. Cataloging her dress, her expression, her book choice, her interaction with him we see how it all kicks off. Joe stalks Beck and starts sculpting himself to be her perfect man. Page by page we are drawn further into Joe's world and watch as he goes to deprived lengths to get exactly what he wants, Beck.

This book is absolutely not for the faint hearted or easily offended. There is a lot of sex, masturbation, depravity, the C word which many find offensive as well as other derogatory words for the female anatomy, some of which feature within the first 14 pages! I think it is to show just how dark, depraved and creepy Joe actually is and as the tale unfolds it he gets darker and creepier. His obsession with Beck knows no limits and nothing and no one will get in his way.

It isn't too often we get a book where we see the tale from within the psychopaths perspective particularly as Joe thinks his behaviour and actions are completely normal for someone "in love". There isn't a rapid decent into madness it is just a constant stream of interactions, actions and situations and how Joe reacts to them. Some of it is disgusting and horrifying particularly as Joe deems it all as normal. Whilst you want to put the book down and go give your eyes, brain and soul a shower you can't help but turning page after page to see what comes next. Apparently there is another book after this one, I can't imagine where the book will go but I think I have to read it to find out what comes next, 4/5 for me this time. This was my first encounter with this author, with themes of a strong sexual nature, stalking, violence, murder and very disturbing "acts of love" this is to be approached with caution.

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Tuesday, 11 April 2017

The Book Of You by Claire Kendal

The Book of YouThe Book of You by Claire Kendal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 hours

Publisher - Harper

Pages - 362

Blurb from Goodreads

For Clarissa, being called to do jury duty is a relief. It means she can leave work for a couple of weeks and avoid the unwanted attentions of her university colleague, Rafe. An intense man who is an expert on grisly folk tales, Rafe has always unnerved her, and Clarissa still cannot understand how she could have let herself have a drunken one-night stand with him.

As the trial unfolds, Clarissa begins to see the parallels between the violent tale related by the young woman whose attackers she is judging and her own situation. But with no crime to report and only her gut feeling to guide her, she is powerless. What can you do when the lines between fantasy and reality, love and fixation become dangerously blurred? How do you protect yourself from an enemy that no one else can see?

With an original structure and a heroine whose voice is equal parts unsettling and unforgettable, The Book of You is tinged with the darkness of a macabre fairy tale, yet is terrifyingly close to reality, a story that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.


My Review

What a great wee debut novel!

The book opens in diary form, Monday, 2 February, 7.45 a.m. from Clarissa in first person form. The book goes with this theme as well as 3rd person narrative. The diary entries are well signposted and flip back to when she first really encounters Rafe and things go down hill from there, it does it really well and you can follow the time shift easily. Rafe is obsessed with Clarissa, stalks her, believes they are in a relationship and won't take no for an answer. We follow their encounters both in present day as Clarissa keeps a diary of "evidence" of their interactions and going back to how they got to where they are now.

This is a really creepy, thought provoking story about just how easy it can be to fall into the clutches of an unhinged human being. I have read many crime and thriller books, even a few psychological thrillers but this is my first stalker type one and it is really haunting. Some of it is graphic, sexual and makes for really really uncomfortable reading. However, busy as I am with coursework, I couldn't put it down. The author has done an amazing job of creating a tale filled with fear & horror for the main character which you are dragged right into. I have never been stalked however after reading this book, I felt like I had experienced the trauma of it, such is the vividness of Clarissa's world she paints.

There were one or two issues I had with the book however it was more to do with unanswered questions and a few stickler points that are a personal preference when reading. I honestly think, if you like a good book that will freak you out and have you looking over your shoulder, you really must give this a read. 4/5 for me this time and I look forward to more from this lady and hope she is in the process of writing her next! Thanks so much to Harper for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review and highlighting a debut novel to me.


what a great wee debut novel!



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Friday, 27 November 2015

Follow Me by Angela Clarke

Follow MeFollow Me by Angela Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM...


My review

Freddie is a journalist, well she would be if she could catch a story and get herself out there. Whilst trying to keep her bills paid and working in a coffee shop she meets her old friend Nas. Nas is a police officer and Freddie finally has a chance to possibly scoop a story, finding herself in the middle of the investigation Freddie must help to catch a killer before he strikes again.

Oh Freddie, what an annoying little character she is, I felt sorry for Nas having to deal with her. Initially she seems to have no thought for anyone but herself although, as the story progresses and we get through the tough veneer we see another side to Freddie. Both her and Nas did something as kids, that is referred to throughout the tale however it doesn't come to light until much later. The story focuses on the victims, the killer and how the police try to catch the killer with the help of Freddie. Freddie is a loose cannon but she knows social media and the police need all the help they can get catching this killer who is flaunting his crimes on social media.

There is a lot to like in this book! Every chapter starts with an online text speak header, for example IKR - meaning I Know Right, there are loads of these I still don't know despite being a user of social media for years, I liked that. The games played with the police, the taunting, always one step ahead, reminded me of a few killers I have read before and loved. The chapters are fairly short which keeps your attention and makes for putting it down hard. There are some shocks along the way and the killings are fairly brutal so not for the faint hearted. 4/5 for me this time, I think this is a strong debut novel and I will be watching for more from this author. Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This title is available to buy on the kindle on the 3/12/15 or in paperback format from the 31/12/15.


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