Tag Archives: reading

March 16, 2024 · 6:59 am

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner – a review BLOG TOUR

I’m not the most prolific blogger or have the biggest following therefore I am always incredibly grateful to be offered the chance to read and review books, even more so when they are the latest from one of my favourite authors. So I was incredibly excited to be invited onto the blog tour for the latest by Lisa Gardner Still See You Everywhere.

Still See You Everywhere sees the return of people finder Frankie Elkin. She is invited to death row to meet notorious serial killer the Beautiful Butcher, who wants her to find her missing sister Lia. The Butcher believes Lia has been kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend and reclusive millionaire MacManus. So Frankie heads out to a remote paradise island to see what she can find. It’s not long before paradise starts to look less appealing as deadly creatures of all types appear.

Still See You Everywhere was an absolutely rip roaring adventure that I loved. The story is all set on one remote island accessible only by boat or plane and only when the weather is good. That gave this book an element of a locked room mystery where everyone is a suspect but at the same time anyone can appear which I really enjoyed.

I like the character of Frankie Elkin, she has got a great attitude and a steely determination when it comes to finding those she searches for. She has her demons as all good protagonists do but she is also strong enough to carry on. It was nice to see a bit of a softer side to her this time. Still See You Everywhere is the third in the series and although the story is completely standalone the character makes more sense if you have read previous stories. The actual story is good and the island itself came to life through the descriptions, including the rather large crabs.

This was an excellent bit of escapism that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would recommend.

Find out what others thought on the blog tour

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February 2, 2024 · 5:33 pm

Blunt Force by Lynda La Plante – a review

It’s the latest instalment of #TeamTennison and I can’t believe we are already on book 6!

Blunt Force by Lynda La Plante sees Jane Tennison having been kicked off the flying squad back into petty crime and worrying that her career has reached it’s pinnacle. However the discovery of a body soon changes that. Showbiz agent Charlie Foxley has been brutally beaten to death then dismembered and disembowelled. As an agent he had a lot of powerful friends but also a lot of enemies and the list of suspects just keeps getting longer. Jane alongside her old partner Spencer Gibbs is soon having to use all of her skills to try and find the killer.

Blunt Force was a good story that saw Jane struggling with her career and try and keep herself motivated despite feeling so despondent. I quite liked seeing a slightly different side to her this time as her upward trajectory had been halted yet she still wasn’t going to let that hold her back.

I enjoyed the story in this one as I always like a good murder and this was particularly brutal. Alongside this there was a secondary storyline focussing on corruption in the police force and again this was interesting and a good vehicle for Tennison to explore her options further and I suspect that this might come up in future novels.

As always the setting of the story is one of the things that standout in this series and it really interesting to have read them from the start and to see how attitudes are changing albeit slowly.  I especially like the way that the story shows how procedures change, and how the techniques used in detection seem so antiquated compared to now.

Whilst I have been reading this series from start I think this could easily be read as a stand alone but I would highly recommend reading this series from beginning and I can’t wait to book number 7.

Team Tennison book list

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December 28, 2023 · 2:43 pm

The Switch by Lily Samson – a review

I recently spotted The Switch on netgalley and was lucky enough to be accepted for a proof copy. I then visited The Sister who said she had a book she recommended, it wasn’t until I got home that I realised it was actually a proof copy of The Switch she has picked up at a recent festival, it was definitely better to have two copies than none, this was a great novel.

The Switch is a story of two couples. Elena and Adam are housesitting in Wimbledon and are soon seduced by the glamour of the area, and by their enigmatic neighbours Sophie and Finn. When Sophie proposes a game whereby they swap partners in secret, Elena, after a bit of persuasion agrees. However it soon becomes clear that Sophie is playing a dangerous game and her motives are not just about fun and sex.

This was a superb book that I found utterly intriguing and read quickly over a few days. The Switch is an interesting take on a relationship drama that mixes a love story with a thriller element and turns them into a surprising and addictive read.

There is an interesting mix of characters none of whom are really how they first seem. The main narrator is Elena but we do hear from others too. The four main characters are intriguing with dubious morals throughout. None of them are completely innocent yet their motivations when finally revealed do give some kind of reasoning behind the actions.

The backstory of the characters was written with tantalising slowness and details were revealed but never quite enough to give the game away. The story genuinely surprised me towards the end and I did not see the big reveal coming. 

Despite the main premise being maybe a little far fetched (surely you’d notice someone getting in and out of your bed?) this is a cracking story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend this twisty sexy surprising debut novel. 

Get your copy here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Switch-Lily-Samson/dp/1529909473

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August 31, 2023 · 5:31 pm

Tennison by Lynda La Plant – a review BLOG TOUR

As I’ve said before because of the plethora of fantastic new crime fiction that comes out every year it’s often easy to ignore those series that have been going for a while. Therefore when the opportunity was offered to read every single one of the Tennison series by Lynda La Plante I thought it was a great chance to revist an old favourite.

Tennison is the very first of the books that introduces us to Jane Tennison. In 1973 she has just finished police training and is thrust into her first investigation, the murder of a young woman. While trying to do her job and having to navigate her way in a male dominated world she overhees a potential bank robbery and so begins a start to her career that very nearly brings the end.

This was a great read that had me hooked from the start. Everyone who has seen or read the Prime Suspect series will already have an impression of Jane Tennison, but the Jane we meet here is a whole different kettle of fish. A quiet slightly nervous woman, but with the spark and the steel that we will come to know and love.

It has to be remembered that this book was set in the 1970s, which although it’s written as a prequel and was released in 2015 it’s actually written true to the language and the culture that was deemed acceptable of its time. The language and the speech gives it a sense of authenticity, while highlighting how far attitudes have changed. It also shows how different investigations are when they don’t have the benefits of technology such as mobile phones.

This was a great novel that I really enjoyed. Apart from the enjoyment of learning about Tennison from the beginning the story itself was engrossing and I was gripped throughout. The ending was an utter shock to be honest. I’d be going through expecting something that would end one way, and I did not see the end coming.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest in this series and can’t wait to let you know what I think.

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