ARC - Guilt By Degrees by Marcia Clark

Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 3 days

Publisher - Mulholland Books

Blurb From Goodreads

Someone has been watching D.A. Rachel Knight--someone who's Rachel's equal in brains, but with more malicious intentions. It began when a near-impossible case fell into Rachel's lap, the suspectless homicide of a homeless man. In the face of courthouse backbiting and a gauzy web of clues, Rachel is determined to deliver justice. She's got back-up: tough-as-nails Detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey stir things up, they're shocked to uncover a connection with the vicious murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier. Something tells Rachel someone knows the truth, someone who'd kill to keep it secret.

Harrowing, smart, and riotously entertaining, GUILT BY DEGREES is a thrilling ride through the world of LA courts with the unforgettable Rachel Knight.

My Review

The press release I got with this one had some big names with good comments associated with it but I always reserve my own judgment as my taste varies. I have to say, I agree with pretty much all of the comments that came with it but I digress, onto the actual story and review.

District Attorney Rachel Knight is our main character along with her buddy, Detective Bailey Keller and they make quite the team. Rachel barges into a case being poorly handled by the prosecution, about to be dropped and takes it on. A homeless man murdered with very little to go on, until she starts digging. Slowly more pieces are revealed showing there is more to the case than initially thought that will put people at risk including Rachel.

Ah it isn't very often I really like a character so quickly, especially in a court type kind of book. However Rachel takes on the murder of a homeless man that no one else really cares about and that alone made me warm to her instantly. She is a tad impulsive and has a name for it in her work but continues to fight for justice and like a dog with a bone won't let go.

Her past comes into play during the book and it isn't until later you find out why and it had me thinking all kinds of theories and conspiracies. The story is quite compelling and I have to admit, I was dragged in very quickly. The chapters are really quite short, you know how I love them, which means you can dip in and out, however it also means "just one more chapter" turns into 2am when it's a work night! Ignore the fact it took 3 days for me to read this because the reality is, had I not had loads of assignments and projects due in I would have devoured this book in one sitting.

The pace is quite good and well balanced, it isn't a murder every two minutes kind of book however there are lots of twists and depths within it which keeps it interesting and you hooked. My biggest complaint has to be I was left hanging, I absolutely hate this! It is a fabulous trick by authors because you are guaranteed, well I am, to having to get the next book to find out where the story goes and get closure. Sorry to be vague but I don't do spoilers and they say it is a good author who keeps the reader wanting more, I am just very impatient! This was my first encounter with Marcia Clark and it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time. A huge thanks to Kerry Hood & Mulholland books for sending me an ARC copy of this book and for introducing me to another new author. The book will be available from all good retailers from 11th April 2013, in paperback and ebook for £6.99 - you can find Marcia on facebook and twitter

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Cold Hearted by Beverly Barton

Cold Hearted by Beverly Barton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 4 days

Blurb From Goodreads

TRUSTING HER…
They all loved her. That was their mistake. Two husbands, her college fiancé, and influential boss – every man who gets close to Jordan Price is made to pay in blood. And the list is growing…

COULD BE…
Hired by the Powell Agency to investigate Senator Dan price’s death, Rick Carson can see at once why people would believe Jordan Price is incapable of cold-blooded murder. Slender, pale, and elegant, she stands by her late husband’s graveside exuding sweet vulnerability. Only Rick notices that she never sheds a tear. And the deeper he delves into the string of deaths from which Jordan has profited handsomely, the more convinced Rick becomes that he is dealing with a callous, cunning, unstoppable killer…

THE LAST THING YOU EVER DO…
The closer rick gets to the chilling truth, the more dangerous this game of cat-and-mouse becomes. The targets are changing, and suddenly, nothing and no one is safe. If Jordan is as innocent as she claims, Rick may have placed her in a killer’s cross hairs. And if she’s guilty, he’ll never live to regret it…

My Review

Jordan Price's husband has just committed suicide, his brother refuses to believe it and hires an investigator Rick Carson. The investigation soon reveals Senator Dan Price wasn't her first husband to die and soon a police investigation begins. Jordan is accused of being a black widow and has to face facts, if she didn't kill the men in her life then someone close to her must have and who will be next?

The story kicks off fairly quick with the night the Senator dies and what actually happened to him. The story goes along at a fairly good pace. The killer comes in at intermittent intervals thinking back to past murders and what is happening present day. These is no change in the text when the killer is talking and it takes a few sentences to catch on it is the killer, this annoyed me somewhat.

I also disliked Rick Carson. He is a hired professional who battles whether or not he thinks Jordan is innocent or a cold hearted killer, add into that his conflict about his feelings for her. He comes across at times as a hormonal teenager rather than a professional caught in a murder investigation.

Despite the irritation the story itself is really good and I was guessing right up until the end who the killer was. I think I had about 6 different theories and was wrong on them all. 3/5 for me this time.

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February's Competition winner is......

Jen Boucher, no website given. The winner has been notified and the book and voucher will be sent soon. Thanks so much to everyone who entered, it was a very popular competition. Apologies to everyone for the delay in announcing a winner, I have been swamped and today was the first chance I have had.

As I have so much to do, at the moment I have no plans for a competition for March, hopefully I will sort one out for April or if I get a spare minute I will sort something out for March, watch this space. Thanks again and hope your all having a wonderful mothers day xxx

The Promise by Lesley Pearse

The Promise by Lesley Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 5 days

Publisher - Penguin

Blurb from Goodreads

London 1914

Belle Reilly finally has the life she's dreamed of thanks to a devoted husband in Jimmy and the hat shop she's wanted to own since she was a child. But as the storm clouds of World War One begin to gather, Belle's already turbulent life is to change in ways she never imagined possible.

When Jimmy enlists in the army and leaves for the battlefields of Ypres, her world is shattered and she realises she can no longer stand by and watch, she must volunteer to help the wounded. But her work as a Red Cross ambulance driver in France throws her into the path of Etienne, the enigmatic man who played a significant role in her childhood, and Belle finds herself torn agonisingly between forbidden passion and loyalty to a good man.

But the past returns to haunt her present in other - more unpleasant - ways and Belle's character is put to the test like never before. Can she survive this most brutal of wars with her spirit intact? And will destiny finally lead her to lasting happiness even while war rages all around?


My Review

I read Belle a few years ago, centered around the characters of this book but years previous. As so much time has passed I had forgotten a lot of it and just remembered some parts of it however Pearse covers enough in this one that you can get away with not reading Belle. I would say though it is a great book so if you can, read it first.

Belle and Jimmy are married, settled and very happy however War has broken out and Jimmy has to step up. Belle faces some life changing and heartbreaking events which lead her forward to doing her bit and volunteering during the war. Belle's past comes back to haunt her in more ways than one and soon Belle is faced with some hard choices, does she do what is right or what her heart tells her?

I really enjoyed this book, some people have slated it saying it was predictable and while there was one or two aspects I could see coming, overall it was delightful. There were some twists I didn't see coming and as always you felt a connection with at least one if not more of the characters. The chapters vary in length some ten pages long some double that in length which means you can still dip in and out fairly regular throughout the day.

The back story and the war aspect seems to have been very well researched, from what little I know of the war, it reads very realistic and paints a vivid picture. Overall a very good read, 4/5 for me this time.

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ARC - The Lost Boy by Camilla Lackberg

The Lost Boy by Camilla Läckberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 6 days

Publisher - HarperFiction

Blurb from Goodreads

No. 1 international bestseller and Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg's new psychological thriller - irresistible for fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo. On a late summer's night, a young woman jumps in her car, her hands slippery with blood on the steering wheel. Taking her five-year-old son, Nathalie flees to the only safe haven she knows: the island of Graskar off the coast of Fjallbacka...Meanwhile, Detective Patrik Hedstrom has barely stepped foot inside his office following a lengthy sick leave before he catches a murder investigation. A man has been murdered in his home: the victim, Mats Sverin, was the council's financial director, heading up a regeneration project worth millions. But when Patrik and his team start digging into the dead man's life, all they can uncover is unanswered questions. Why was Mats in such a rush to return to his home town of Fjallbacka after years in Gothenburg? And is it pure coincidence that Mats's childhood sweetheart Nathalie has also suddenly returned to the area? Mats visited Nathalie on Graskar before his death. The locals call the island 'The Ghost Isle' - they say that it's haunted, and that the dead have something to tell the living. But will anyone get close enough to uncover the dark secrets that lurk there?



My Review

The book draws you in from the first page, in fact even the first sentence. "It was only when she placed her hands on the steering wheel that she saw they were bloody". Nathalie is fleeing with her son, her hands covered in blood, but what has happened and why is she running? Patrik is a police officer in the small town of Fjallbacka, where Nathalie is running to, married to a successful novelist Erica trying to cope with grief and a murder case. Mats Sverin was left behind years ago by Nathalie, now she is back and suddenly he is dead. Is it coincidence? What has Mats been hiding and did it lead to his death?

I liked the story and found myself drawn in fairly quickly however there was far too many characters and different stories going on for me to keep up. Obviously you have the main one(s) but there are quite a few side lines ones and I kept finding myself having to go back to rediscover who was which story which is a bit frustrating.

There is also, in between chapters where the story goes back to FJALLBACKA 1870, the story is always titled and the year also written in italics so you know it has gone back in time. I loved reading these small glimpses of the past and Emelie's story however by the end of it I honestly thought, really? Thats is as I would have loved so much more and in depth.

This was my first time reading this author and to be honest, nothing is lost in translation and it's not often I will say that. It was a good story and you get tie ups to just about all the stories but I did find a few of the stories could have been dropped and or concentrated more on the main ones. However all in all a good introduction to this author and her work, I would consider more from this series, 3/5 for me. Thanks so much to the publisher, HarperFiction for sending me an ARC copy - available to buy from Hardback and ebook from all good retailers for £12.99 from 4th April 2013.

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ARC - Pretty Girl Thirteen by Liz Coley

Pretty Girl Thirteen by Liz Coley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 1 day

Publisher - HarperFiction

Blurb From Goodreads

A gripping, suspenseful debut that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page…

Angie Chapman is only 13 when she gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night.

The next thing she knows she’s returned home, scars around her wrists and ankles, physically exhausted. Her parents collapse into tears when they see her, but Angie doesn’t understand – until they tell her she has been missing, presumed dead, for three years.

Angie doesn’t remember anything from her missing years. But there are people who do – people who could tell Angie every terrifying detail, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind.

With help, Angie begins to unravel the darkest secrets of her own past.

But does she really want to know the truth?



My Review

Angie Chapman is just 13 when she is kidnapped, she finds herself returning home with no memory of what had happened and covered in scars. Things aren't the same although she stills feels 13, however she soon is told that three years have passed and everyone wants to know where she has been and what has happened. Angie starts therapy and soon learns pieces and glimpses of how she survived and what she endured during her time away. How will she cope with it and how can she fall back into her old life when everyone has aged three years and changed. Nothing is the same and Angie's family is already struggling to cope with her sudden reappearance, lack of answers and what is still to come.

I really liked this story although considering the context I think like isn't the appropriate word but you know what I mean. It kicks off right away and is broken into decent length chapters with some sections covered by another "voice" which is done in different font or italics so you know. It is hard to describe that bit without giving too much of the plot away however there are people who know what happened to Angie and it is them who are talking when the font changes.

The story is brutal but done in such a way that you don't have to read all the horrible nitty grtty details, it is done in such a way you still get the full impact and there are some disturbing scenes but written delicately.

Angie is a strong character, she comes across much older than 13 however when you start to understand what she has endured it makes it believable and your heart goes out to her. The book definitely has echos of The Room and The lovely bones so if you liked them this is definitely one to read. I wasn't too sure when I started reading it if I was going to like it, looking at the clock and seeing it is past 1am I realized I had been totally drawn in! It loses a star because there are a few things I would have liked more clarification and followed up on but I really enjoyed it and will read this author again, 4/5 for this one. Thanks to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for providing me with an ARC and introducing me to yet another new author. This book is available to buy from any good retailer on the 28th February 2013, paperback for £7.99.

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February competition - apologies

Sorry I haven't listed a giveaway or competition. Things have been really busy lately and any spare time I have had has been lost in either textbooks, ARCs or just a wee break into a book for the pleasure of reading. I can't believe I missed a Valentines giveaway and don't have a romantic book lined up as a giveaway.

To make it up to my fabulous followers, and any newbies who stumble across the comp, I will do a double giveaway. An amazon voucher for the value of £5 and Kathy Lette's book Dead Sexy. Now if you read my review you will see I didn't rate the book much but my tastes vary and you might love it. The book is immaculate and you could give it away as a gift, there is no damage or creases to the spine and it is exactly how I bought it.

The book is only available for UK entries as postage is creeping up at the moment, however the amazon voucher is world wide so as long as you have an email address you can enter.

As always if you leave a comment on this post you will get an additional entry. If you wish to enter both competitions you can use the form below just once and state you would like to enter for the book and the voucher. If you only want one please specify which it is. If you are entering for the book, please provide your name and address you would like the book sent to and or provide your email address if your entering for the amazon voucher. The reason being if you win and don't provide the details you only have up to 24 hours, sometimes 48 hours, to respond or another winner is picked. Sadly people have lost out on the prize before due to not providing the accurate information.

Feel free to follow on Twitter @smbslt or like our facebook page So Many Books, So Little Time.

Click here to enter the competition
Good luck to all entering, the competition runs to the end of the month. The winner will be picked at random using the usual system, announced on here and contacted by email. If you have a website, feel free to include it in your entry and if you win I will link it on the announcement page.