Woman in the Water by Katerina Diamond

Woman in the Water by Katerina Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 432

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

I’m alive. But I can’t be saved . . .

When a woman’s body is found submerged in icy water, police are shocked to find she is alive. But she won’t disclose her name, or what happened to her – even when a second body is discovered. And then she disappears from her hospital bed.

Detectives Adrian Miles and Imogen Grey follow their only lead to the home of Reece Corrigan, and when his wife Angela walks in, they immediately recognise her. She’s the woman from the river, with her injuries carefully masked.

The more they dig into the couple, the less they understand about them.

Why have people in their past been hurt, or vanished?

And why doesn’t Angela want to be saved?

Smart, shocking and twisty – perfect for fans of Cara Hunter and Karin Slaughter.



My Review

Guys I read this book I think 3 or 4 books ago and it has taken me til now (and a few re writes) to get my review down. If you haven't read the previous books in the series please do as 1. you are missing out on great books and 2. the back story and character(s) I think are more meaningful if you have been through the previous books with them.

Detective Adrian Miles comes across a body in the water, a crowd are gawking and he calls it in only to discover the body is actually still alive, barely. The woman is beaten, has no recollection of what happened or how she got there and Adrian is really affected by this woman's plight. He and his partner (in more sense than one) Imogen Grey are on the case investigating. With reluctant witnesses and leads drying up, folk would rather go to unthinkable extremes than cooperate with the police.

Oh guys this is a hard one to review without going into spoilers which I never do. The story has multi dimensions to it, Adrian and Imogen's relationship, the investigation such as it is, their mystery woman, what happened to her and everything that follows once they pull her from the river. We also hear from the woman herself, her thoughts, revealing snippets as the book goes on, adding to the mystery.

The case has a huge impact on Adrian, domestic violence is something he grew up with and survived so something about this case, this woman, gets under his skin. Adrian has been known to react on emotions, behaving recklessly but he is a good cop and until now has always came out on top, his hunches pay off. The problem with things like this, the more you play with fire the likelier you are to be burned.

The case proves to be their hardest yet and has ramifications for both Miles and Grey, will Adrian's past spill into the present and can his and Grey's relationship survive this case? There are quite a few harrowing scenes in the book, domestic abuse is a huge part of it, violence, sexual abuse, coercion, murder and it is really hard hitting. If you have ever been in a domestic abuse relationship or loved anyone who has, the book evokes raw emotions, hence still thinking about it X amount of books later. Manipulation, power, the darker side of humanity - it is hard going and I think the reason it packs such a powerful punch is because we all know just how real this kind of "power" and abuse is. I don't think there will be one reader who hasn't been touched by some of these issues, either personally or by someone close to them. Hearing from the victim, seeing the actions and consequences it really makes you think about what exactly people go through and the long reaching impact traumas/experiences can have on us. Compelling, dark, emotive are just a few of the words to describe this roller coaster of a book, 4.5/5 for me this time.

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A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin Blog Tour

Today is mine and the final stop in the blog tour for A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content/reviews.




A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads -

Oxford, 1961

A family day out at Briar’s Hall ends in tragedy when a young boy goes missing – and his body is found at the bottom of a disused well in the orchard.

It looks like a simple case of an eleven-year-old exploring where he shouldn’t: a tragic accident. But Coroner Clement Ryder and Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday aren’t convinced. If Eddie had been climbing and fallen, why were there no cuts or dirt on his hands? Why would a boy terrified of heights be around a well at all?

Clement and Trudy are determined to get to the truth, but the more they dig into Briar’s Hall and the mysterious de Lacey family who live there, the murkier things become.

Could it be that poor Eddie’s death was murder? There are rumours of blackmail in the village, and Clement and Trudy have a horrible feeling that Eddie stumbled on a secret that someone was willing to kill for…


My Review

We open with a nice day and someone pondering over the fact they need to kill, there is no other option, how is that for a wee opening! A boy is reported missing and the search is on, the police aren't overly concerned but sure enough they find the lad and it isn't good news. Coroner Clement Ryder and Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday are asked to look into it, on behalf of the family whose grounds it happened on. Not everyone likes people poking around in their business and of course when investigating one matter others tend to arise and someone has much to hide, enough to kill a child over!

So this is book 4 in the series, I haven't read anything by this author and can honestly say I don't feel at a disadvantage starting here. There is reference to things gone past in the previous book(s) and I think haven't my interest piqued I will absolutely be checking out the previous books. Means I will also get to know the characters better.

A chunk of the story is obviously the "investigation" into what happened to the wee boy, who was around, anyone who knew him. However we also have a huge focus on WPC Trudy, her personal life, her family and how important the job is to her. I do enjoy when a book has depth to the characters and a bit of meat in the story, not just the police procedural parts. Ryder and Loveday seem to have a tight friendship which is unusual for both the time, opposite sexes and job differences but it works. I look forward to going back to the beginning of this series and seeing how their friendship comes about. I like how it highlights how unusual Trudy's choice is to focus on a career, despite being good/successful at it. It reminds us of just how apt that was for that time and I do like books that capture a different time period and how things are so very different now! 4/5 for me this time, it may be my first dance with this author but it won't be my last, it also kept me guessing, I had no idea who the baddie was!

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The Frighteners by Peter Laws

The Frighteners: Why We Love Monsters, Ghosts, Death & Gore by Peter Laws
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 320

Publisher - Icon Books

Source - Bought at horrorcon

Blurb from Goodreads

The Frighteners follows the quest of Peter Laws, a Baptist minister with a penchant for the macabre, to understand why so many people love things that are spooky, morbid and downright repellent. He meets vampires, hunts werewolves in Hull, talks to a man who has slept on a mortuary slab to help him deal with a diagnosis, and is chased by a chainsaw-wielding maniac through a farmhouse full of hanging bodies.

Staring into the darkness of a Transylvanian night, he asks: What is it that makes millions of people seek to be disgusted and freaked out? And, in a world that worships rationality and points an accusing finger at violent video games and gruesome films, can an interest in horror culture actually give us safe ways to confront our mortality? Might it even have power to re-enchant our jaded world?

Grab your crucifixes, pack the silver bullets, and join the Sinister Minister on his romp into our morbid curiosities.


My Review

Peter Laws is a minister who just happens to love horror, that in itself perks your attention, it isn't something you hear every day to be fair. Laws delves into horror, the movies, themes, actual true events, his experiences and how he came to embrace the genre he loves despite his "day job".

I really want to go visit Transylvania after reading this, he went for a big birthday and describes what the place is actually like, the people and things to check out. Just from reading about it, the crosses everywhere, you could totally envision it, I really want to go and check it out, the place of so many movies/legends/stories.

He takes us on a journey of some of his favourite movies, what it was that allowed his to embrace his love of horror rather than give it up as he did with so much with his faith. He also chats about how folk react to him when they realise he is a man of the cloth. From hunting down legends of a werewolf, speaking to folk who genuinely believe they transform, examining true horror acts from humans, how kids and adults process some of the most atrocious acts, it is a really interesting read.

The book has a few places he has visited and at the back of the book he references things mentioned that you can check out for further reading. I think it is a book I will go back to as there are quite a few movies and things mentioned new to me that I won't remember off the top of my head. For fans of horror who want something a wee bit different I recommend picking up a copy of this, 4/5 for me this time!

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So Lucky by Dawn O'Porter Blog Tour

Today is my turn and the final stop on the blog tour for "So Lucky" by author Dawn O'Porter.







You can read more about Dawn on Fantastic Fiction (one of my fav go to sites) https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/dawn-oporter/ or find her on Twitter @hotpatooties



So Lucky is out to buy NOW, treebook and ebook format, enjoy!


I have my review for my stop, enjoy!

So Lucky by Dawn O'Porter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Harper Collins

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

IS ANYONE’S LIFE . . .


Beth shows that women really can have it all.
Ruby lives life by her own rules.
And then there’s Lauren, living the dream.


AS PERFECT AS IT LOOKS?

Beth hasn’t had sex in a year.
Ruby feels like she’s failing.
Lauren’s happiness is fake news.


And it just takes one shocking event to make the truth come tumbling out…


Fearless, frank and for everyone who’s ever doubted themselves, So Lucky is the straight-talking new novel from the Sunday Times bestseller.

Actually, you’re pretty f****** lucky to be you.



My Review

Three main characters,, Lauren we only really hear/meet through her instagram posts and captions, Ruby, mum to a three and a half year old and struggling with so many aspects of her life, motherhood, body image and interactions with just about everyone. And Beth, attentive husband, job planning weddings to the stars, beautiful baby - she has it all or does she?

The story focuses mostly on Beth and Ruby, Lauren gets her time but as I said only from what she posts on Instagram, it isn't until a good bit in we get to hear or see any actual interactions behind the Instagram posts. Beth may look like she has everything going on but really her husband hasn't touched her since she got pregnant with the baby. His mother is overbearing and the more Beth tries to initiate any kind of sexual contact the more her husband reacts negatively. We saw the cause and effect of that. Ruby is a character that is really hard to warm to, we know she has body images, we know something happened to ruin her relationship with her husband. Her interactions with her child is hard to read at some points but as the story goes on we get a better understanding of who Ruby is and why she behaves as she does.

The book has quite a few dimensions to it, we have body image, relationship breakdowns, gas lighting so subtle that the person affected is completely oblivious. Looking at "the perfect life" the person living it and actually what the reality is underneath the superficial beautiful curtain presented to society. Sex has a huge chunk of the book so if you are easily offended this book will not be for you. Some graphic chat/scenes, some humour, awkwardness and even cringe scenes that will make you laugh out loud, blush or even a tad mortified.

This is my first time reading this author so not sure if this is the vein her other books take, if it is I need to read them. Funny, bold, mortifying and more than a few scenes that does make you sit and take stock. How much do we see, read, hear in our own lives that make us question or even act/behave or want certain things. How we behave, how we are manipulated, how hard we are on ourselves and really how we should be kinder to ourselves and enjoy what we have and embrace who we are. That actually makes the book sound really heavy and it isn't, I laughed more than a few times but it does have a mix of really serious topics/undertones linked in. Normally when chapters go from character to character you get a bit annoyed as you want to follow the thread but I actually enjoyed following all the characters and seeing what was coming next for them. 4/5 for me this time, I look forward to seeing what O'Porter brings next and need to see her previous stuff!

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Slash by Hunter Shea Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Slash by Hunter Shea, perfect for a October read for sure!





About the author:

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself. He’s the author of over25 books, including The Jersey Devil (Pinnacle)and We Are Always Watching (Sinister Grin). Hunter’s novels can even be found on displayat the International Cryptozoology Museum.

The Montauk Monster was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. He was selected to be part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line in 2011 alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. He’s an avid pod caster and can be heard and seen on Monster Men and Final Guys every week. Living with his crazy and supportive family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to see the skyline without having to pay New York rent. You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.

About the book:




Five years after final girl Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith. With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort,a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims.

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched recently in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners,and exciting, original voices.

Slash is out to buy NOW and a perfect read for October.

For my stop I have my review, thanks to Anne from Random Things Tours for having me on the tour, I really do need to check out this guys back catalog!

Slash by Hunter Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 256

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith.

With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected.


My Review

Everything is fine in Todd's life, his fiance Ashley hasn't had the easiest time since escaping the claws of a maniac five years ago, the sole survivor. When Todd comes home to find Ashley has killed herself his world is turned upside down. Ashley leaves some hints to what happened five years back and Todd heads back to the abandoned resort to get some answers. What really happened that night, why did they never find the killer and why after five years was Ashley never free from it.

Oh guys! I LOVE an abandoned building and this one is a resort, a resort where five years ago a massacre took place with only Ashley surviving. Now Todd is heading back to the scene of the crime and we are going with him. The killer was never caught but that doesn't mean he has gone for good and Todd may just get exactly what he is looking for!

The killings are brutal, gruesome, sadistic, horrific and you can start to appreciate why Ashley could never sleep or get over it as details are teased out across the story. A build up of eerieness especially once we hit the resort and I LOVED the fact we have inclusive of "crime fans" or should I say fanatics, folks who became obsessed with what happened there and Ashley. It gave a more modern feel to this type of story, we have lots of murder, spooky, eerie type stories but they don't always include real life things ie podcasts, folk obsessed with serial killers, groupies` or unsolved murders. I think this is the second book I have read by this author and I really do need to check out his other stuff. If you like creepy, dark, tense and can cope with some shocking style murders, brutal in their cruelty then this is absolutely for you, 4.5/5 for me this time!

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Happy November

The time of the year it is so cold it is all about hot drinks and even our cups need jackets (December is usually when this one starts to make an appearance).





I have a fab giveaway for this month. As you know I am very lucky to get review copies of books and I buy tons myself, finished copies and it is just nice to support authors as and when able. This book I am sure is the first I read by this author and never looked back. So I bought x1 paperback copy of "Born Evil" by author Kimberley Chambers, as pictured for this giveaway.





And to go with it a yellow silicon bookbandz, if you stop reading mid chapter the wee hand sits at the last sentence you read. I have a few of these, they are great and because they are silicon, if you are a bit of a germophob they are easy to keep clean. To be in with a chance of winning just fill in the Rafflecopter as usual, I will open this one up to worldwide.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stand Against Injustice by Michelle Diskin Blog Tour

Today is my turn and closing stop on the blog tour (Love Books Group Tours) for "Stand Against Injustice" by Michelle Diskin.







About the author (from Amazon)

Mother of three, campaigner for justice and Committed Christian.

Michelle campaigned for eight years for the release of her disabled brother, Barry George, after he was wrongly convicted in 2001, for the high profile murder of BBC television presenter, Jill Dando. Mr George was acquitted in 2007 and sent for re-trial in 2008. He was found not guilty, by unanimous jury verdict on 1st August 2008.

Born in Fulham, London in 1955, Michelle lived in West London until 1973. She then moved to Cork, Ireland, where she lived until 2012, with her three adult children. Michelle's first husband, Patrick, died unexpectedly in 2007 after a short illness, but, with God's grace, she is now married again, to Peter, who supports her in her Miscarriage of Justice (MOJ) activities. They are both committed Christians, who worship at a Baptist church in Northamptonshire, taking on many responsibilities within the fellowship.




About the book

On April 26, 1999, BBC TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered outside her home in London. Barry George was convicted and imprisoned for the murder but was later acquitted after an appeal and retrial. Stand Against Injustice is the powerful memoir of the sister of Barry George. For the first time, Michelle Diskin Bates tells her story, the human side and truth behind one of recent history's most high profile and damaging miscarriages of justice whose life is inextricably interwoven in the drama, the trauma, the conspiracy and the fight for justice. A self-confessed 'ordinary housewife', Michelle's voice weaves the personal everyday struggles that bring depth, color, and passion into what is an extraordinary account. A troubled childhood weighted with overbearing responsibility, fear and insecurity, depression, and the challenges of marriage and adult relationships, Michelle's life has never been easy. However, the one constant in her life - her faith in God - underpins and provides the foundation upon which she now stands - against injustice.

Buy Link
https://amzn.to/2pc2i5o

Twitter Handles

@malcolmdown

@Michelle_Diskin

@LoveBooksGroup




For my stop I have my review, enjoy.

Stand Against Injustice by Michelle Diskin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 280

Publisher - Malcolm Down

Source - Review Book

Blurb from Goodreads

On April 26, 1999, BBC TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered outside her home in London. Barry George was convicted and imprisoned for the murder but was later acquitted after an appeal and retrial. Stand Against Injustice is the powerful memoir of the sister of Barry George.

For the first time, Michelle Diskin tells her story, the human side and truth behind one of recent history's most high profile and damaging miscarriages of justice whose life is inextricably interwoven in the drama, the trauma, the conspiracy and the fight for justice. A self-confessed "ordinary housewife," Diskin's voice weaves the personal everyday struggles that bring depth, color, and passion into what is an extraordinary account.

A troubled childhood weighted with overbearing responsibility, fear and insecurity, depression, and the challenges of marriage and adult relationships, Diskin's life has never been easy. However, the one constant in her life - her faith in God - underpins and provides the foundation upon which she now stands - against injustice.

My Review

I don't think there is one person, of a certain age and above, who hadn't heard of the Jill Dando murder. She was a big tv personality on Crime Watch so we all knew of her and when it was announced she had been murdered everyone was shocked. That is about as much as I remember, I don't remember following anything in the news as I was younger and didn't really follow anything like that. So when the opportunity came to read this book I absolutely agreed, I like reading true crime and it would be interesting to read more about the case.

It is worth noting that this is not all about Barry George, the man accused of killing Dando although he does of course feature a lot in it. This is his sister Michelle's story, everything is through her, where she was when she heard, everything that transpired afterwords through her experiences. Background and family history of Barry and Michelle, their relations, upbringing and the journey they went through, experiences with the police, prison, media and how it affected them and their immediate family. As well as battling to prove her brothers innocence, Diskin also reveals the loss and heart break she experiences during this time and how she her faith got her through some of the hardest times during it all. There are also verses included from the bible and at the very end an inclusion of the organisations that helped Barry and Michelle during their ordeal. Michelle has spoken in many places and done interviews in relation to what they experienced and survived.

It is a book that spans across twenty years and we hear a little snippet from Diskin's grown children, how they felt, looking back on everything that happened. There are a few mentions of other people who were wrongly accused and a bit explaining what the organisations are and what they do with links added for readers to explore more if they so wish. Raw in places and an emotive book I imagine for her to write, her faith is evident through many of the passages. Absolutely worth a read and it makes you realise how quick many of us are to make judgments based upon things we read/see on the newspapers/tv and the toll that can take on others, 3.5/5 for me.

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