Caroline
My first foray into the works of Stuart Neville. It won't be my last. This is a riveting collection of short stories, perfect for a cold winter's evening.
Another brilliant thriller by Anders de la Motte. This is my favourite to date. The author ramps up the tension throughout and, just when I thought I had it all figured out, surprised me at the end. That's my kind of book.
I love Chris Carter's books, and this was no exception. Thrilling and chilling right to the last page.
As a fan of John Connolly's Charlie Parker, this book was essential reading for me.
In Charlie Parker: A Mysterious Profile, John Connolly talks about his time working as a journalist in Dublin and what inspired him to turn from writing for a newspaper, to writing a bestselling detective series.
We learn how Charlie Parker came to be, and what inspired the author to add the supernatural element to the series.
This book is a must have for all fans of the Charlie Parker series.
Brilliant. This is an hilarious insight into life in the country with a menagerie of animals, from the man who brought us Lily Savage. I can't see Lily taking to life in the country in quite the same way Paul has.
There are many laugh out loud moments in this book, and towards the end of the book Paul shares some recipes, which was a pleasant surprise.
Absolutely brilliant. A great insight into my favourite band, with some hilarious anecdotes. A must read for fans of Queen and the legend that is Freddie Mercury.
What the hell did I just read? I love Stuart MacBride's books because they're so gripping and full of that gallows humour I've come to love. The characters, even some of the baddies, are likeable, and the stories are well crafted.
No Less the Devil is a standalone. Oldcastle, home of MacBride's Ash Henderson, is the setting, and Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh is our heroine. Lucy and her team have been searching for a killer nicknamed the Bloodsmith for 18 months. Tensions are running high, and the team are under increasing pressure to catch the killer.
The story moves at a fast pace, with the suspense mounting chapter by chapter. The dark humour and the likeable characters are present and correct. So far so good.
It's when we get to the final 20% of the book that things start to go a little bonkers, and the reader is left wondering what the heck is going on. Some readers may be put off by this. Not I, however. I like bonkers, and I loved this book.
The 18th book in the Cooper and Fry series, and I still love it. I'm even starting to warm to Fry now (I disliked her when I first started the series.)
As always, Stephen Booth takes the reader on a breathtaking journey through the Peak District. That's the the thing I love about Stephen. As well as delivering a great police procedural, his descriptions of the Peak District make the reader feel as if they are there.
I love John Bishop, he is one of my favourite comedians.
Although there was some humour to be found, I found this book a little on the depressing side, but I guess the sad fact is we are all growing old. Some of us just don't like to reminded of that fact.
My first foray into the world of Liz Nugent, and it definitely won't be my last. This lady piles on shock after shock, and what a thrilling ending. Kudos to you Ms. Nugent.
Adam Neville has written some very creepy books, books you don't dare read with the lights off.
This one is no exception, but what makes it stand out from the rest is the fact there are no people in the stories. It's all about atmosphere. The tales are eerie and, yes, I kept the light on.
Another hilarious romp with Stephanie Plum, her long-suffering parents and Grandma Mazur.
Once again Mark Billingham delivers a cracking great thriller. Thorne is as grumpy as ever, still very much the maverick, but he still gets results.
And now for something completely different....a book that doesn't have a murder, or indeed any crime to speak of, unless you count lying.
The Guests is a short read, with just four characters and no action per se. More psychological drama than thriller, the reader can feel the tension between the characters.
As to those characters, none of them are especially likeable, least of all Karin, who comes across as neurotic and pathologically jealous.
There's a nice little twist at the end that I didn't foresee. All in all, an enjoyable read.
Book 3 in the Blix and Ramm series. An enjoyable read with a great cliffhanger of an ending.
Another brilliant thriller set in Iceland. The banking scandal and it's repercussions are the backdrop for this story of murder and cover-ups. Brilliant.
Lee Evans was one of my favourite comedians, before he retired in 2014. The Life of Lee is his autobiography, but if you are expecting to find out what Lee has been up to since retirement, you will be disappointed as this book was published in 2011.
The Life of Lee chronicles Lee's childhood and teenage years, the early days of his marriage, and his first step towards becoming a household name.
There is humour in this autobiography, but it's of the dark variety. There is an undercurrent of sadness. One cannot help but feel for the young boy who felt like an outcast, who was bullied and told that he would never amount to anything.
Happily we can rejoice that Lee proved his detractors wrong.
A great little novella by my favourite author. The Monks of Appalling Dreadfulness is a follow up to the Samuel Johnson Trilogy, and raised a few much needed laughs.
This book will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about Alan Turing and the breaking of the Enigma code.
It's a long book, and the mathematics was way over my head, but it gave a great insight into the man who came up with the idea for the Universal Computer.
Malin Fors returns, as do her demons. While investigating a series of gruesome murders she faces the daily battle to remain sober, and the constant worry about her daughter, Tove.
A brilliant read.
Book 2 in The Childrens House series is a compelling read, equal parts thrilling and sinister. Yrsa knows how to book her readers and feel them in. Definitely a page turner.
The Cuckoo marks the welcome return to the coastal town of Fjällbacka, and two of its residents, Patrik and Erica.
Patrik finds himself investigating the murders of Rolf, a photographer, and those of Peter and his young sons Max and William.
Erica meanwhile, is looking into the unsolved murder of a trans woman and her young daughter in Stockholm in 1980, with a view to writing a book about it. It soon becomes clear that there is a link between Patrik's cases and the cold case.
The story is slow to begin with, but as soon as the murders begin, the pace quickens.
There are lots of plot twists, but despite these I had figured out whodunnit before the big reveal.
A dark, gripping read.
I love Icelandic noir, and Ragnar Jonasson is up there with the best of them. I didn't quite warm to the book's protagonist, but the story was engaging with plenty of plot twists. I look forward to the next book in the series.
The life and times of The Yorkshire Vet, Peter Wright. An interesting and informative read.