Blog Tour Wrap Up – Game of Crones by Jay Raven #Horror #shortstories #blogtour #BookReview @jayravenauthor

Jay and I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all the bloggers who helped with the Blog Tour for GAME OF CRONES your help is very much appreciated.

What the Bloggers thought:

Donna’s Book Blog

I love the author’s ability to bring his stories to life and he creates some fantastic characters. Link to post

Debbie Hipster

Some of the characters had me howling with their cunning Wiley ways, I wish I knew some of them!! Crones are the wise ones, it pays to listen carefully to them. Link to post

Shalini’s Books & Reviews

The last line of each story left me bewitched. What a wicked mind this author had!!  Link to post

Loopy Laura

Obviously some stories I enjoyed more than others but the range of plots and characters made for fascinating reading from the very first page.  Link to post

Jessica Belmont

Jay Raven’s ability to world build, character build, pull the reader in and keep them invested such a short stories is a true testament to his writing abilities. Link to post

Black Books Blog

All of the short stories are brilliantly written with lots of atmosphere and twisty ending which I never saw coming. Link to post

Susan Wallace

I really enjoyed this book. It was different. I liked the different stories. Although I didn’t have a favourite I still enjoyed them. Read in one sitting. Link to post

Game of Crones

Available from AMAZON

Forget Happily Ever After – the most delicious fairy tales end in darkness and despair!

Welcome to a world of cruelty, hexes and treachery, where malicious magic rules and you are but a single necromancer’s spell away from eternal terror.

From malevolent medieval magicians  to Wild West witches, this spellbinding volume by a master of the macabre is packed with frightening fables guaranteed to send a supernatural chill down your spine.

Amongst the haunting historical horror stories, you’ll meet:

  • A half-crazed girl locked up in a high security mental hospital by those accusing her of causing a devastating earthquake.
  • An impoverished French noblewoman who’ll stop at nothing to marry  her daughter to a wealthy prince – even if it means dabbling with a dangerous love potion.
  • The hated public executioner Pandora whose fabled box has already killed 55 men – without leaving  a trace of violence on their bodies.
  • Wily witch Merta who uses all her wits and trickery to turn the tables on the corrupt Mayor who wants her burnt alive at the stake.
  • A faery mage without conscience or pity with the perfect plan to make Mankind turn on itself  – and all it takes is one innocent baby.
  • A drought-stricken frontier town that seeks magical help from the local Indian tribe to make it rain, but learns it comes at a terrible cost. 
  • The doubt-ridden King, plagued by nightmares of his death, who consults an enchantress to learn the most of hidden of secrets: just when the Grim Reaper will claim him.
  • A Mid Western widow who is convinced her homesteading husband is still alive, held hostage by a sorceress.

If you’re thrilled by exciting dark fantasy tales, with cunning twists, edge-of -the seat tension and unexpected shivers, you’ll love Game of Crones. Pick it up today. If you dare…

My Review

I am growing to love the Jay Raven books he has a way of making horror different and in a way amusing. 

This is a collection of short stories each one totally different but very  good.  I am not usually a fan of short stories I like something I can really get into but I did really enjoy reading these each story is different but they all made for very good reading.

I wont say much about the stories as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but they are well worth reading if you are looking for something you can pick up to snatch a quick read over lunch or on the bus these will fit the purpose perfectly.

I am really looking forward to more from Jay

Jay Raven – author bio

Dark fantasy author Jay Raven blames a misspent childhood watching Hammer Horror films for his lifelong obsession with history, woodland, horse-drawn carriages and visiting castles – preferably during the hours of daylight! All of which might explain why he now lives in a creepy old house perched atop a steep hill on the edge of a 500 acre forest teeming with bats.

A writer for 23 years, Birmingham-based Jay was a journalist before leaving behind the clamour of headlines and deadlines to chase his dream of capturing monsters and releasing them into the world of fiction. During that time his work has been widely published in horror and fantasy anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic.

As well as reinventing traditional Gothic horror for a modern audience, he writes alterative history urban fantasies – usually with supernatural themes. He loves to cross genres and bring unexpected elements  – if not elementals – to the party.

He has two regrets in life – that he hasn’t had a chance to visit Transylvania yet, and that his house isn’t haunted. But long suffering wife Liz has threatened to do something about the latter…

Links

Twitter: @jayravenauthor

Website: www.jayraven.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iain.pattison.1

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The Forgotten Child by D. E. White #bookreview #crimefiction

Happy publication day to Daisy White. Today THE FORGOTTEN CHILD is released and you all have the opportunity to read a brilliant gripping page-turner. Read on to find out more about the book and read my thoughts.

Eleven years ago, Holly’s brother disappeared and his girlfriend was killed.

The Forgotten Child

by D. E. White

Available from AMAZON

Holly has tried her best to forget the traumatic events of her past, turning her back on her crime boss father and making a new life for herself and her son away from the notorious Seaview Estate. But when she’s involved in a car accident and regains consciousness to find a strange child on the backseat, she’s drawn back into everything she’s been trying to escape from.
 
Who is the child and where did he come from?
 
Already struggling to deal with her volatile ex-husband, Holly now finds herself haunted by long-buried secrets too. She has spent years trying to get away from the estate, but someone will stop at nothing to get her to return.
 
As events that began eleven years ago come to a head, Holly is forced once again to fight for her life… and her son’s.

My Review

Wow this book really starts with an adrenaline pumping introduction. As Holly is driving in the night she is being bombarded with hateful texts and is being tailgated by a van on a dark lonely road.  The inevitable crash knocks her out for a while and when she wakes up there is a strange child in the car with her son.  Where did this child come from?  How and why is he unconscious in her car?

The mysteries continue to add up as secrets from the past come back to haunt not only Holly but her friends and family.

The characters develop well over the course of the book and I loved getting to know Holly and the other characters.  I like how the story and the histories of each character meshed perfectly with the story making this a riveting read that I couldn’t put down.

The story itself is intriguing it had me hooked from the beginning and there are numerous twists and turns throughout to keep the reader’s interest.  I thought I had worked it out several times but then the story twisted again and I had to rethink.

A brilliant book with a lot going on all the way through I loved it.  5 stars from me.

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Blog Tour – Game of Crones by Jay Raven #Horror #shortstories #blogtour #BookReview @jayravenauthor

Firstly, a big thank you to Jay Raven for helping me rediscover my love of Horror books. Jay writes horror brilliantly bringing a modern twist to the old legends and sprinkling it with a uniqueness that makes them very readable and oh soooo addictive – I cant wait for more. Today I am sharing my review of GAME OF CRONES which is a compilation of short stories that are perfect when you just have a little time over lunch or a cuppa and want to read something quick and gritty.

Game of Crones

Available from AMAZON

Forget Happily Ever After – the most delicious fairy tales end in darkness and despair!

Welcome to a world of cruelty, hexes and treachery, where malicious magic rules and you are but a single necromancer’s spell away from eternal terror.

From malevolent medieval magicians  to Wild West witches, this spellbinding volume by a master of the macabre is packed with frightening fables guaranteed to send a supernatural chill down your spine.

Amongst the haunting historical horror stories, you’ll meet:

  • A half-crazed girl locked up in a high security mental hospital by those accusing her of causing a devastating earthquake.
  • An impoverished French noblewoman who’ll stop at nothing to marry  her daughter to a wealthy prince – even if it means dabbling with a dangerous love potion.
  • The hated public executioner Pandora whose fabled box has already killed 55 men – without leaving  a trace of violence on their bodies.
  • Wily witch Merta who uses all her wits and trickery to turn the tables on the corrupt Mayor who wants her burnt alive at the stake.
  • A faery mage without conscience or pity with the perfect plan to make Mankind turn on itself  – and all it takes is one innocent baby.
  • A drought-stricken frontier town that seeks magical help from the local Indian tribe to make it rain, but learns it comes at a terrible cost. 
  • The doubt-ridden King, plagued by nightmares of his death, who consults an enchantress to learn the most of hidden of secrets: just when the Grim Reaper will claim him.
  • A Mid Western widow who is convinced her homesteading husband is still alive, held hostage by a sorceress.

If you’re thrilled by exciting dark fantasy tales, with cunning twists, edge-of -the seat tension and unexpected shivers, you’ll love Game of Crones. Pick it up today. If you dare…

My Review

I am growing to love the Jay Raven books he has a way of making horror different and in a way amusing. 

This is a collection of short stories each one totally different but very  good.  I am not usually a fan of short stories I like something I can really get into but I did really enjoy reading these each story is different but they all made for very good reading.

I wont say much about the stories as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but they are well worth reading if you are looking for something you can pick up to snatch a quick read over lunch or on the bus these will fit the purpose perfectly.

I am really looking forward to more from Jay

Jay Raven – author bio

Dark fantasy author Jay Raven blames a misspent childhood watching Hammer Horror films for his lifelong obsession with history, woodland, horse-drawn carriages and visiting castles – preferably during the hours of daylight! All of which might explain why he now lives in a creepy old house perched atop a steep hill on the edge of a 500 acre forest teeming with bats.

A writer for 23 years, Birmingham-based Jay was a journalist before leaving behind the clamour of headlines and deadlines to chase his dream of capturing monsters and releasing them into the world of fiction. During that time his work has been widely published in horror and fantasy anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic.

As well as reinventing traditional Gothic horror for a modern audience, he writes alterative history urban fantasies – usually with supernatural themes. He loves to cross genres and bring unexpected elements  – if not elementals – to the party.

He has two regrets in life – that he hasn’t had a chance to visit Transylvania yet, and that his house isn’t haunted. But long suffering wife Liz has threatened to do something about the latter…

Links

Twitter: @jayravenauthor

Website: www.jayraven.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iain.pattison.1

1

Blog Tour: SEVERED (Detective Jason Smith #10) by Stewart Giles #Detective #CrimeFiction #BookReview #NewRelease #DSSmith #Severed @StewartGiles @Books_n_All

Today is my birthday and I am honoured and thrilled to be sharing it with Stewart Giles’ book birthday for SEVERED. If that isnt exciting enough I am also kicking off the Blog Tour (yippeee). SEVERED is book 10 in the brilliant Detective Smith series and it is another stunning read. Stewart gets better and better book by book and this is one heart-stopping, adrenaline pumping page-turner.

SEVERED (Detective Jason Smith #10)

Available from Amazon for 99p/99c
Read more on Goodreads

From #1 best-selling author: Stewart Giles comes a new addition to the popular Detective Jason Smith series. 

A student, who hasn’t been seen for a while is found dead in her room.  Her throat has been cut but it turns out that is not the cause of death!  The post-mortem reveals that she had been drained of all her blood.

The killer has left behind no evidence and there are no clues.  Is there a vampire loose in York?  When another body is found Smith and the team are struggling to find a link or a motive.  Will this be the case that defeats the brilliant DS Smith? How much more heartache can Jason Smith bear? Severed will take him to hell and back.

My Review

I am loving all the books Stewart Giles is writing this year so I was thrilled to be reading this one.  Book 10 and I have read them all but I did start with book 8 and then went back to read his back list so I can confirm they do work perfectly as stand alone.

A student’s housemates report a noxious smell coming from her room and as the team investigate they find her with her throat cut.  How could nobody miss her for 2 weeks?  The mystery deepens when a post mortem reveals she has been drained of blood.  Is there a vampire on the loose in York.  There are no clues and Smith is unsure where to look.

This is a very intriguing story and as I expect from Stewart a very unusual one.  It is fast paced and the reader gets drawn in to the story in the early pages and then is hooked into a fast paced journey full of dead ends and shocking curve balls all the way to the totally unexpected ending.

Smith is pulled apart by this case at a time when he is still reeling from events in a previous case.  Will this be one case too far and push Smith over the edge?  It certainly puts his emotions under extreme duress but whether he survives physically and mentally – well you will have to read the book to find out.

Another brilliant addition to the series.  10 books in you would imagine the characters are fully developed but there is still much to learn and I am hoping that this series will continue giving for many more books to come.

5 golden stars from me

THE SETTING
At the confluence of the River Ouse and Foss, York is the traditional county town of the historic county of Yorkshire. York Minster and a variety of cultural and sporting activities make it a popular tourist destination.

THE DETECTIVE
DS Jason Smith is an Australian who was sent to York to live with his Grandmother when his sister disappeared from a beach. He has suffered many losses in his short life and is now a dedicated detective. He is a bit of a loose cannon he has his own way of doing things that doesn’t always mean following orders and procedures.  However, he does get results. 

What the readers are saying about SEVERED:

‘It’s worth picking up I really enjoyed it like I do with all these authors books. He delivers something different in his stories every time’ – Booklover Bev

‘As with all the books in this series, it is well-written with skilfully created characters. The crimes are filled with red herrings and high stakes.’ – Linda Strong

‘A little humour here and there and a plot to keep the grey matter active.’ – Misfits Farm

‘Will this be one case too far and push Smith over the edge?  It certainly puts his emotions under extreme duress but whether he survives physically and mentally – well you will have to read the book to find out.’ Amazon Reviewer

Books by Stewart Giles

DS JASON SMITH SERIES
Book 0.5 -Phobia
Book 1   -Smith
Book 2-Boomerang
Book 3-Ladybird
Book 4-Occam’s Razor
Book 5-Harlequin
Book 6-Selene
Book 7-Horsemen
Book 8-Unworthy
Book 9-Venom
Book 10-Severed

DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1-The Beekeeper
Book 2-The Perfect Murder
Book 3-The Backpacker
Trotterdown a box set of DC Harriet Taylor books 1-3

DS JASON SMITH &DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1 -The Enigma
Book 2 – Dropzone

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS
Miranda
Mistress – coming soon

Stewart Giles Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results.  I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brings together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

Miranda is something totally different. A stand-alone psychological thriller, it is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

Severed, book 10 in the DS Jason Smith series is now available. I am currently writing Mistress, the sequel to Miranda.

Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

You can join the Stewart Giles reader club by completing this form  https://mailchi.mp/a64f6de4c541/sgreadersclub

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BLOG TOUR WRAP UP – Play Dead (Sam Clayton #3) by Anne Penketh #CrimeFiction #Detective #netgalley #PlayDead @joffebooks

Anne, Joffe Books and I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all the wonderful bloggers, reviewers and readers who helped with the promotion of PLAY DEAD by Anne Penketh. Your help is very much appreciated x

What the reviewers and bloggers thought

Linda Strong Book Reviews

This small picturesque village is known for its lack of crime and friendly residents. DI Clayton and his colleagues have their hands with suspects. Trying to find a motive is almost impossible when it seems everyone has secrets that they will kill to protect. The serial killer they are looking for is smart, and conniving.  Read more here 

The Word is Out

The suspense over the identity of the killer was maintained almost to the end, and there was still a shocking turn of events thrown in that was hard to see coming. I shall now go back and enjoy the first two books in this series and await more of DI Clayton and his team in the future. Read more here

Donna’s Book Blog

#guestreview by Sarah Lizzibeth 

Loopy Laura

Play Dead was an excellent police procedural novel. The police team is at the heart of the book and their investigation takes place before our eyes. There is humour and banter as you would expect from a team and this gives a degree of realism without the hierarchical tensions that are often rife in police books. Read more here

Robin Loves Reading

I found the drama and the intrigue to be equally compelling and I did enjoy the fact that I was left guessing. This really was a great read, and I was able to devour it in one sitting, in part, because I really wanted to know who the killer was. In addition to that, this was a very well-written and engaging story. I look forward to continuing this series as future titles are released. Read more here

Sharon Rimmelzwaan

I thoroughly enjoyed this, it held me well enough and I found it a compelling story too. Had all the wrong turns as you expect with mystery stories, highly recommended. Read more here 

By the Letter Book Reviews

#guestpost

Joanna Larum’s Reviews

This is the third in a new series but I must admit to not having read the first two. I can say, with confidence, that it is possible to read it and enjoy it without knowing the background to the series. I will be working back and reading the first two now that I know what a good story this lady writes. Read more here 

On The Shelf Reviews

Play Dead a fast paced and gripping police procedural with plenty of clues and red herrings for you to figure out along the way.  Read more here 

Herding Cats

#Guestpost

Black Books Blog

I am really enjoying the team and how they work together to solve the nysteries, and was hooked on this one as i thought i knew who ot was but, as usual, i was wrong so kept double guessing myself throughout the book.  Read more here

Turn The Page Blog
Alison’s Catty Book Corner
Ginger Book Geek
Susan Angela Wallace

Play Dead (Detective Sam Clayton #3) by Anne Penketh

A SLEEPY ENGLISH CITY IS ROCKED BY A SERIES OF MURDERS TARGETING MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ORCHESTRA.

WHO IS KILLING OFF MUSICIANS WITH THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS?

Detective Inspector Sam Clayton is called in to investigate three victims with ties to the Norfolk Festival Orchestra. 

Musician Kristina Manning is impaled by her cello spike. 

The disgraced conductor is found with his head stuffed into a piano. He’s on the brink of death. 

A trumpeter dies, poisoned by his mouthpiece.

Will Clayton’s new girlfriend, Melissa, a singer in the NFO, be next on the murderer’s list? 

Is there a serial killer with a musical edge on the loose? 

What does the disappearance of former orchestra member Lauren Garner have to do with it?

A MYSTERY WITH A STUNNING TWIST AND A RACE AGAINST TIME TO STOP A MURDER SPREE

PLAY DEAD is the third in a new series of page-turning crime thrillers set in an atmospheric part of Norfolk. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Mel Sherratt, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.

My Review

This is book 3 in the Detective Sam Clayton series but the books work perfectly as stand alone.

Why are members of an orchestra dying, seemingly at the hands of their instruments?  That is the question Sam and his team have to find the answer to.  But as more members die the team are struggling to find a motive or a viable suspect.

I loved learning more about the characters and I especially like how Sam’s ex plays a small part bringing a sense of reality to the story and characters.

The story itself is unique I have never read anything quite like this one and I say that in a good way.  Given the number of crime books I read it is rare that I don’t work out who the murderer is but in this book I can honestly say I didn’t have a clue.  I loved the twists and turns and red herrings that ran all the way through the book making for a fast paced read that kept the pages turning all the way to the shocking ending. 

A brilliant read I am looking forward to more in this series

What readers are saying about ANNE PENKETH

“Five out of five stars!” Michelle K

“I had a hard job putting this one down as it had me fully engaged and wanting more.” Dawn J

“This book was brilliant from start to finish, it was totally gripping from the first page. I read this book in one sitting, it was so good I didn’t want to put it down.” Lynn G

“Great book to read on holiday with a satisfyingly twisting storyline.” CH

“A real page turner.” Barb D

“It had many twists which kept me guessing. I would never have worked out the ending.” Shamiela A

“Riveting read.” Penny B

“Sam Clayton is not your average hard-boiled detective. He has problems of his own as he sets out to find a serial killer.” Meg B


THE TEAM

Detective Inspector Sam Clayton leads the investigation into the North Norfolk murders, joined the police straight from school as a beat bobby in Manchester before rising through the ranks of the CID. He was transferred to Norwich after being promoted to DI following a high-profile case investigated by Lancashire Constabulary.

Detective Sergeant Julie Everett is an intuitive officer who was promoted to detective sergeant from her home town of Ipswich where she had a background in child protection. She is discreet about her personal life among colleagues, particularly about the tragedy which haunts her. She has to deal with a high-pressure job while raising her child who moved with her to Norwich.

ALSO BY ANNE PENKETH
THE DI SAM CLAYTON SERIES 
Book 1: MURDER ON THE MARSH
Book 2: THE BAD SISTER
Book 3: PLAY DEAD

Anne Penketh – Author Bio

I’m a Lancashire lass but for most of my career, I’ve been a foreign correspondent. I’ve reported from all over the world on some of the most cataclysmic events of our time, including the Egyptian revolution and the collapse of the Berlin wall.

While in London I was diplomatic editor of The Independent, but these days I’m based in Paris and concentrating on fiction writing. The third in a series of crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Sam Clayton, Play Dead, is out now. My first novel, Food Fight, was published in 2015.

I’ve reported from Paris mainly for The Independent and The Guardian, but I also contributed to France24 television and Monocle radio.  As a freelancer, I’ve written for The New Zealand Herald and The National (Abu Dhabi), as well as the LA Times, the New York Times, the Radio Times, the Oldie, Monocle magazine, Quartz, and Spark News.

Between 2009 and 2012, I headed the Washington office of the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), a trans-Atlantic NGO focused on nuclear disarmament.

During my ten-year stint on The Independent I was one of the few journalists to report from Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, I was a staff foreign correspondent with the French news agency, AFP, which posted me to Moscow during the incredible Gorbachev years. I also reported for AFP from France, and New York where I covered the United Nations.

I started my journalistic career in Canada, arriving with two suitcases to seek my fortune in Montreal, from where I reported for British newspapers before getting a job on the Montreal Gazette.

Before that, I was a postgraduate student at University College London whose French department nurtured my lifelong love of French literature and culture.

LINKS

Website:  www.annepenketh.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anne.penketh.9

1

The Diamond Murder by Roy Lewis. #newrelease #detective #crimefiction @joffebooks

Are you looking for a gripping detective story?. Roy Lewis is one of the most acclaimed crime writers of his generation, and his latest classic mystery is now available at a special launch price of 99p.

Whether or not you’re yet acquainted with Lewis’ policeman-turned-lawyer, Eric Ward, this one is particularly pacy.

THE DIAMOND MURDER by Roy Lewis
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIAMOND-MURDER-addict…/…/B07XY9M3WF UK 99p
https://www.amazon.com/DIAMOND-MURDER-addictiv…/…/B07XY9M3WF USA $0.99
https://www.amazon.com.au/DIAMOND-MURDER-addic…/…/B07XY9M3WF AUS 0.99
https://www.amazon.ca/DIAMOND-MURDER-addictive…/…/B07XY9M3WF CAN 0.99

Eric Ward, a policeman-turned-lawyer, has finally managed to get his private life on track. His hard-won peace is shattered when his client, an investigative journalist, stumbles across a body.

Ward is dragged into a dark underworld of shady businessmen, where those who ask questions are badly beaten. To cap it all, a woman from his troubled younger years shows up demanding protection.

Ward quickly discovers that excavating the past can be a dangerous business.

1

BLOG TOUR – Play Dead (Sam Clayton #3) by Anne Penketh #CrimeFiction #Detective #netgalley #PlayDead @joffebooks

Today it is my turn on the Blog Tour for PLAY DEAD and I am sharing my review of this brilliant addition to the Detective Sam Clayton series. Although this is book 3 it does work perfectly as stand-alone and is ideal for anyone who loves a good, fast paced, detective story.

Play Dead (Detective Sam Clayton #3) by Anne Penketh

A SLEEPY ENGLISH CITY IS ROCKED BY A SERIES OF MURDERS TARGETING MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ORCHESTRA.

WHO IS KILLING OFF MUSICIANS WITH THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS?

Detective Inspector Sam Clayton is called in to investigate three victims with ties to the Norfolk Festival Orchestra. 

Musician Kristina Manning is impaled by her cello spike. 

The disgraced conductor is found with his head stuffed into a piano. He’s on the brink of death. 

A trumpeter dies, poisoned by his mouthpiece.

Will Clayton’s new girlfriend, Melissa, a singer in the NFO, be next on the murderer’s list? 

Is there a serial killer with a musical edge on the loose? 

What does the disappearance of former orchestra member Lauren Garner have to do with it?

A MYSTERY WITH A STUNNING TWIST AND A RACE AGAINST TIME TO STOP A MURDER SPREE

PLAY DEAD is the third in a new series of page-turning crime thrillers set in an atmospheric part of Norfolk. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Mel Sherratt, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.

My Review

This is book 3 in the Detective Sam Clayton series but the books work perfectly as stand alone.

Why are members of an orchestra dying, seemingly at the hands of their instruments?  That is the question Sam and his team have to find the answer to.  But as more members die the team are struggling to find a motive or a viable suspect.

I loved learning more about the characters and I especially like how Sam’s ex plays a small part bringing a sense of reality to the story and characters.

The story itself is unique I have never read anything quite like this one and I say that in a good way.  Given the number of crime books I read it is rare that I don’t work out who the murderer is but in this book I can honestly say I didn’t have a clue.  I loved the twists and turns and red herrings that ran all the way through the book making for a fast paced read that kept the pages turning all the way to the shocking ending. 

A brilliant read I am looking forward to more in this series

What readers are saying about ANNE PENKETH

“Five out of five stars!” Michelle K

“I had a hard job putting this one down as it had me fully engaged and wanting more.” Dawn J

“This book was brilliant from start to finish, it was totally gripping from the first page. I read this book in one sitting, it was so good I didn’t want to put it down.” Lynn G

“Great book to read on holiday with a satisfyingly twisting storyline.” CH

“A real page turner.” Barb D

“It had many twists which kept me guessing. I would never have worked out the ending.” Shamiela A

“Riveting read.” Penny B

“Sam Clayton is not your average hard-boiled detective. He has problems of his own as he sets out to find a serial killer.” Meg B


THE TEAM

Detective Inspector Sam Clayton leads the investigation into the North Norfolk murders, joined the police straight from school as a beat bobby in Manchester before rising through the ranks of the CID. He was transferred to Norwich after being promoted to DI following a high-profile case investigated by Lancashire Constabulary.

Detective Sergeant Julie Everett is an intuitive officer who was promoted to detective sergeant from her home town of Ipswich where she had a background in child protection. She is discreet about her personal life among colleagues, particularly about the tragedy which haunts her. She has to deal with a high-pressure job while raising her child who moved with her to Norwich.

ALSO BY ANNE PENKETH
THE DI SAM CLAYTON SERIES 
Book 1: MURDER ON THE MARSH
Book 2: THE BAD SISTER
Book 3: PLAY DEAD

Anne Penketh – Author Bio

I’m a Lancashire lass but for most of my career, I’ve been a foreign correspondent. I’ve reported from all over the world on some of the most cataclysmic events of our time, including the Egyptian revolution and the collapse of the Berlin wall.

While in London I was diplomatic editor of The Independent, but these days I’m based in Paris and concentrating on fiction writing. The third in a series of crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Sam Clayton, Play Dead, is out now. My first novel, Food Fight, was published in 2015.

I’ve reported from Paris mainly for The Independent and The Guardian, but I also contributed to France24 television and Monocle radio.  As a freelancer, I’ve written for The New Zealand Herald and The National (Abu Dhabi), as well as the LA Times, the New York Times, the Radio Times, the Oldie, Monocle magazine, Quartz, and Spark News.

Between 2009 and 2012, I headed the Washington office of the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), a trans-Atlantic NGO focused on nuclear disarmament.

During my ten-year stint on The Independent I was one of the few journalists to report from Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, I was a staff foreign correspondent with the French news agency, AFP, which posted me to Moscow during the incredible Gorbachev years. I also reported for AFP from France, and New York where I covered the United Nations.

I started my journalistic career in Canada, arriving with two suitcases to seek my fortune in Montreal, from where I reported for British newspapers before getting a job on the Montreal Gazette.

Before that, I was a postgraduate student at University College London whose French department nurtured my lifelong love of French literature and culture.

LINKS

Website:  www.annepenketh.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anne.penketh.9

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#BookReview DEAD LOST (Detectives Calladine & Bayliss #4) by Helen H Durrant @hhdurrant @JoffeBooks #detective #crimebook #TeamJoffeBooks

DEAD LOST (Detectives Calladine & Bayliss #4)

A BRAND NEW GRIPPING DETECTIVE MYSTERY FROM A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

An abandoned cotton mill holds horrific secrets
Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss face one of their toughest challenges yet. A group of homeless people have set up camp in the grounds of a disused cotton mill belonging to local businessman Damien Chase.

But one of the men is not what he seems. He has a secret he will do anything to cover up. And once Calladine and Bayliss investigate, they find the crimes go much further than they could have ever imagined.

Will Ruth be able to juggle her personal and professional lives, and can Calladine deal with their new boss, a woman he neither trusts nor likes? Willing to do anything to bring terrible suffering to an end, Calladine make an astonishing move . . 

Tom Calladine is a single, fifty-one-year-old detective inspector who is devoted to his job. His personal life, however, is not so successful. Having been married and divorced before the age of twenty-one has set a pattern that he finds difficult to escape. 

Ruth Bayliss is in her mid-thirties, plain-speaking but loyal. She wishes she had more time for the gym and a love life. She uses her demanding workload as an excuse not to try too hard with the men she meets. Her hobby is birdwatching.

The series is set in the fictional village of Leesdon on the outskirts of an industrial northern English city. There is little work and a lot of crime. The bane of Calladine’s life is the Hobfield housing estate, breeding ground to all that is wrong with the area that he calls home.

MY REVIEW

Another great addition to the Detectives Calladine and Bayliss series.

Calladine is struggling personally.  He is trying to find himself after the bombshell his Mum left him.  His is bouncing from one unlikely relationship to another and his Sergeant is heavily pregnant and about to go on Maternity leave.  But things are going to get worse before they get better and to add to the confusion he has to deal with the upcoming court case knowing that there are people out there who will stop at nothing to prevent him giving evidence.

He suspects someone in the force is corrupt but who is it?  Prime suspect is his new DCI.  They get off on the wrong foot and he begins to think she is on a mission to remove him from the team or dismantle the team either way he is very much on his guard.

The story has several strands.  The homeless camp seems to be the central point but a very unlikely one.  When homeless men go missing will anyone care?  Well Calladine and his team do and when their investigations turn up other possible crimes the team are struggling to work out what is going on.

Another gripping story full of twists, turns and red herrings all the way to a totally shocking conclusion.  A 5 star read that will appeal to all crime fiction readers.

Helen H Durrant Author Bio

Helen sets her books in the area she has lived in for many years. The towns and villages that sit in the shelter of the Pennine hills. This is an area between two counties, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and between the city and the hills. It offers a rich mix of the industrial and the countryside and all the character therein. 

Helen always planned to write crime novels. But until she retired from full-time work in a local further education college, it had to go on the back burner. Once she did retire – there was no excuse. She now writes full-time. Retirement proper will have to wait! 

Currently there are nine books in the ‘Calladine & Bayliss’ series available – Dead Wrong, Dead Silent, Dead List, Dead Lost, Dead & Buried, Dead Nasty, Dead Jealous, Dead Bad, and the latest – Dead Guilty. There is also a box set of the first three books.

Also available are four books in the ‘DI Greco’ series – Dark Murder, Dark Houses, Dark Trade, and the latest – Dark Angel.

There are two books in the DI Matt Brindle series – His Third Victim and The Other Victim.

The DCI Rachel King series has two books – Next Victim and Two Victim

LINKS

Website: https://booksnall.blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helenhdurrant/

Twitter: @hhdurrant

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#BookReview – DETECTIVES CALLADINE & BAYLISS 1-3 by Helen H Durrant @hhdurrant @JoffeBooks #detective #crimebook #TeamJoffeBooks

CALLADINE & BAYLISS 1-3 by Helen H Durrant

YOU GET THREE ENTHRALLING MYSTERIES IN THIS BOX SET

Available from AMAZON

BOOK 1: DEAD WRONG

A bag of severed fingers is found in the playground by a rough housing estate

Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss race against time to track down a killer before the whole area erupts in violence. Their boss thinks it’s all down to drug lord Ray Fallon, but Calladine’s instincts say something far nastier is happening on the Hobfield housing estate.

Can this duo track down the murderer before anyone else dies and before the press publicize the gruesome crimes? Detectives Calladine and Bayliss are led on a trail which gets dangerously close to home. In a thrilling finale they race against time to rescue someone very close to Calladine’s heart.

BOOK 2: DEAD SILENT

A body is found in a car crash, but the victim was already dead . . .

D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss race against time to catch a vicious serial killer. The first two victims are American university students and both have livestock tags fixed to their earlobes.

Who wanted them dead and what’s the connection? The detectives piece together the forensic evidence and track down the witnesses, to reach a shocking conclusion.

BOOK 3: DEAD LIST

An unlikely serial killer with a bucket list of victims . . .

Calladine and Bayliss battle a murderer who is working their way through a list of victims. Each murder is meticulously planned and unique, and a tarot card is left at the scene of the crime.

When two children disappear in the local area, the stakes are raised and the team are baffled by the link between the crimes. Calladine and Bayliss race against time to prevent any more carnage.

THE DETECTIVES

Tom Calladine is a single, fifty-something detective inspector who is devoted to his job. His personal life, however, is not so successful. Having been married and divorced before the age of twenty-one has set a pattern that he finds difficult to escape. 

Ruth Bayliss is in her mid-thirties, plain-speaking but loyal. She wishes she had more time for the gym and a love life. She uses her demanding workload as an excuse not to try too hard with the men she meets. Her hobby is birdwatching.

My Reviews

Book 1 – Dead Wrong

I joined the Calladine and Bayliss series at Dead Jealous and reading the series from book 1 has been on my TBR list ever since.  So I was thrilled to find a slot to go back to the beginning.

Usually I expect book 1 to be slow going with a lot of character building but Helen has successfully avoided this and the book moves along at an adrenaline pumping pace from beginning to end.

Calladine is DI, married to the job.  His first marriage broke down in the early stages as Rachel couldn’t cope with coming second.  He is now in a relationship with Monika who works at the Care Home where his Mother lives.  However, he isn’t committed to the relationship.  He is a good detective but he always looks for things that don’t appear to be there and his team find this annoying but what is more annoying is that he is usually right.

Ruth Baylis is his Sargant and a dedicated one at that but she is methodical and deals with the facts in front of her.  She is single and happily so and like Calladine is dedicated to her job.

We learn about the characters as part of the story.  It is expertly done.  The characters gain depth and complexity as the investigation unfolds with events prompting the look back into their backgrounds.

The story had me hooked from the prologue.  It starts with school bullies which lead to a boy dying.  The death is decided to be accidental but someone wants the bullies to pay for the part they played.  When the first body parts turn up it has all the markings of a drug war but the reality is much worse.  Who is killing the bullies and why now?

This is a gripping story full of twists and turns but the ending is a shock I never saw coming.  This is a brilliant beginning to a bestselling series.  Helen has set the foundations on which to build the series and I am thrilled to be along for the ride.

5 stars from me.

Book 2 – Dead Silent

Book 2 in the Calladine and Bayliss series and another brilliant read.

Calladine is suffering.  His mother has died and Lydia has gone the last person he needs to see at his Mother’s funeral is Fallon, his wayward cousin. Then he is called away to a murder.

Someone is targeting American students and who is Vida?  How can these young women go missing and nobody knows or cares?  Except Alice, a student who has been doing a bit of amateur investigation.

This is a totally gripping twisty turny book with plenty going on:  an abducted child, murder of a witness and the dead/missing young women.  Given that Calladine is short a detective and his DCI is ineffectual the team have their work cut out trying to juggle everything so the last thing Calladine is expecting is to have Pandora’s box delivered from the grave.

But this is Calladine and with Ruth Bayliss’ help he will put the pieces together and get the bad guys, all of them.

The characters continue to develop and I felt I got to know Calladine a lot more.  He is a realistic character with flaws and good points and his team all work together really well so it is no surprise that they start to untangle the web of lies and secrets and find the way forward to solve the cases.

Another brilliant read.  I am loving this series.

Book 3 –  Dead List

I do like the format of the books in this series so far.  With the Prologue providing you with a taster and the story switching between the police investigation and the mind of the killer.

The characters continue to develop and the events in their personal lives makes them more interesting and realistic.  I won’t say too much about the characters and events as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

This book sees the introduction of Greco (he has a series of his own so I wont say much about him at this stage).  When the cases overlap between the different forces Greco and Calladine clash each wanting control of the case/s and Ruth is tasked with trying to persuade Calladine to be less precious which makes for an interesting side story.

The story itself is intriguing and really makes you think outside the box with a very unlikely killer on the loose working through a bucket list.  There is no MO each murder is different and the clues are sparse as the team appear to be fishing in the dark looking for something, anything that could turn into a lead.

Lots of twists and turns and a massive helping of stress for Calladine as he struggles to crack the case before Greco .

Another brilliant addition to a very addictive series.

Helen H Durrant Author Bio

Helen sets her books in the area she has lived in for many years. The towns and villages that sit in the shelter of the Pennine hills. This is an area between two counties, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and between the city and the hills. It offers a rich mix of the industrial and the countryside and all the character therein. 

Helen always planned to write crime novels. But until she retired from full-time work in a local further education college, it had to go on the back burner. Once she did retire – there was no excuse. She now writes full-time. Retirement proper will have to wait! 

Currently there are nine books in the ‘Calladine & Bayliss’ series available – Dead Wrong, Dead Silent, Dead List, Dead Lost, Dead & Buried, Dead Nasty, Dead Jealous, Dead Bad, and the latest – Dead Guilty. There is also a box set of the first three books.

Also available are four books in the ‘DI Greco’ series – Dark Murder, Dark Houses, Dark Trade, and the latest – Dark Angel.

There are two books in the DI Matt Brindle series – His Third Victim and The Other Victim.

The DCI Rachel King series has two books – Next Victim and Two Victim

LINKS

Website: https://booksnall.blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helenhdurrant/

Twitter: @hhdurrant

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