Guilty by Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose

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

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 432

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Amazon

It's time to confess their sins.

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

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

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



My Review

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

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

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

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Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh

Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 496

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

He's a boy made of fire, and he's about to meet his match. The second son in a broken marriage, Joey Lynch has spent a lifetime picking up the pieces of an unraveling family. When his older brother skips town, twelve-year-old Joey finds himself thrown into the role of protector to his mother and younger siblings, plagued by self-loathing and furious with the world. Soon, he finds himself teetering precariously close to a life of addiction that threatens to swallow him whole. The only light in his dark seas is Aoife. His boss's firecracker daughter. His classmate. And soon, something far more complicated. Aoife Molloy has always moved forward, not backward. Bubbly, strong, and self-assured, she's never feared being led astray, even by her own heart. That is, until her first day of secondary school, when she collides with a hotheaded boy who sparks a burning curiosity inside of her that only grows stronger by the day. But their friendship is tangled and complex, full of unwinding secrets and feelings simmering beneath the surface. Aoife wants to let Joey in. Joey desperately fights to keep Aoife out. But even if it takes years, what's between them is bound to combust. And their hearts will never be the same.



My Review

So you could read this as book one instead of book three because this is Joey's story and it goes back to before and during the time of Binding 13 and Keeping 13. I loved Joey in those books and this one gives us more insight into everything Joey went through, not just the some/passing we do in the previous books.

I absolutely feel for Joey, his mother ugh, I really didn't like her in the previous books but the way she treats Joey in this. I get it she is in a horrible cycle and he looks like the man she seems drawn to and forgives everything but Joey is her literal saviour and she still treats him like that. He has so little self worth and self value because of how they (his mum and dad) treat him, it is heartbreaking.

The romance part, it doesn't have quite the same punch as Little Shannon and Johnny probably because he was the saviour, powerful one with everything. Joey is flawed, trying to save everyone and battling with self loathing, violence at home, addiction and then him and his bestie Aoife who becomes his other half. It doesn't happen easily or quickly, he didn't want to even be friends and whilst they continue to draw towards each other they have their own "romantic interests". Joey doesn't commit but is a stud and all the girls want him. Aoife has a long time boyfriend, Paul, the guy is a walking red flag, he comes from money and is popular he is also a total douche! I hated how long she kept him around though, that ground my gears I have to admit. Without going into spoilers as we don't do them but the parts that was giving Bella/Edward, if you know you know, ahhhhh!

I have the next book in the series to read and hopefully not be too long before we get to it, 4/5 from us this time.

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Holmes, Marple and Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

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

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Century Books

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

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

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

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

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


My Review

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

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

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

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