Book Synopsis:

Tom, single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On the same day each year, he and its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for his little girl, a moment of magic to make her childhood unforgettable.

But there is another reason behind these annual shows: the very first production followed Hannah’s diagnosis with a heart condition that both of them know will end her life early. And now, with Hannah a funny, tough girl of fifteen on the brink of adulthood, that time is coming.

With the theatre under threat of closure, Hannah and Tom have more than one fight on their hands to stop the stories ending. But maybe, just maybe, one final day of magic might just save them both.

A tale about growing up, the beauty of a special bond between father and daughter, and finding magic in everyday life, Days of Wonder is the most moving novel you’ll read all year.

Days Of Wonder is available to buy now in hardback and ebook.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I was such a huge fan of A Boy Made Of Blocks so you can imagine my delight when I was asked to be on the blog tour for his next book, Days Of Wonder.  I did initially approach this book with a bit of trepidation as I didn’t think it would be able to be as good as A Boy Made Of Blocks.  I was wrong!

This book is just so wonderfully magical and heart warming.  Some of the descriptions of the things Hannah’s dad had done for her in her childhood were brilliant to read about and brought a lump to my throat.  The wonderful descriptions just let me imagine the scenes from a child’s point of view which let me imagine the sheer awe Hannah must have felt on experiencing those things.

The father – daughter relationship that Tom and Hannah have is just incredible and so lovely to read about.  It was great to read about the little silly games they played and how much they obviously cared for each other.  They both just wanted the best for each other, even if they didn’t want it and the realisation of this brought tears to my eyes.

The story is told from both Hannah and Tom’s point of view which helps add to the emotional feel of the book as the reader is privy to both of the characters inner most thoughts and feelings.  Both of the characters are really relatable and easy to love which makes the reader a lot more involved with the story as you find yourself really caring about what happens.  I loved Tom’s goofyness, how he always tried to make everything fun and be everything that Hannah needed.  My heart went out to him as I can only imagine how hard the situation must be for him and how difficult it must be to not let Hannah’s illness rule their lives.  Hannah is brilliantly described as the moody, embarrassed teenager but it’s clearly obvious to the reader how much she does care and worry about her dad which was very poignant to read about.

This is such a wonderful, engrossing story that I so enjoyed reading and one that will definitely stay with me.  I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

Huge thanks to Clara Diaz and Little Brown for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of the book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Keith Stuart is an author and journalist. His heartwarming debut novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and a major bestseller, and was inspired by Keith’s real-life relationship with his autistic son. Keith has written for publications including Empire, Red and Esquire, and is the former games editor of the Guardian. He lives with his wife and two sons in Frome, Somerset.

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Today I’m thrilled to have my lovely guest reviewer Kirsty back on the blog for her first ever blog tour, Carpenter Road by N. M Brown.

Carpenter Road is available now in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only 99p but you can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I share with you Kirsty’s review, here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

When a young woman swaps coats with a prostitute then vanishes, it marks the start of a mystifying case for Leighton Jones.

After traffic officer Leighton is called to an altercation in a used car lot he is confronted by a prostitute rambling on about a girl who stole her coat. He thinks nothing off it. That is until the body of a Jane Doe shows up, matching the prostitute’s description.

What is the link between the fight in the car lot and the dead woman?

Leighton proceeds to gather evidence, which he attempts to pass onto the lead Homicide detective, Slater. However, Slater tells Leighton to back off, and that a suspect has been arrested.

Fearing there is more to the case than he first thought, Leighton is driven to keep digging and soon ends up on the trail of a serial killer.

But Leighton might be out of his depth this time…

Kirsty’s Review:

There is a lot to like about this book. The leading character Leighton is very likeable, he is warm, well rounded and it is clear from the beginning that he has become a cop to make a difference and do the right thing. I also liked the character Rochelle, she is a prostitute who becomes increasingly involved in the case. Yes, she has her troubles but I found her character warm and strong, willing to stand up for her friends and trying to carve out a better life for herself.

I immensely disliked Detective Slater and Leighton’s chief but that makes you route for the ‘good’ guys all the more, Leighton plays a clever game where they are concerned.

I found the start a little contrived, but bare with it as the book quickly picks up pace. The descriptions of Oceanside are well written and gave you a great sense of the stifling heat and the sights and sounds of the city. The book is written in very short, sharp chapters, I personally enjoy this as it makes me want to keep reading (just one more chapter!), in fact, I read this book in two sittings.

The killers story is told quite early on and I found this gave an interesting depth to the book as you realise his motivations and his justifications for doing what he did.

I must admit I was slightly unsatisfied with the ending, but overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I hope that Brown will write some more books featuring Leighton Jones, I feel his story hasn’t been fully told.

Many thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bloodhound books and Netgalley for letting me have a copy to review.

About The Author:

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Book Synopsis:

The legions of Rome are a fading memory. Enemies stalk the fringes of Britain. And Uther Pendragon is dying. Into this fractured and uncertain world the boy is cast, a refugee from fire, murder and betrayal. An outsider whose only companions are a hateful hawk and memories of the lost.
Yet he is gifted, and under the watchful eyes of Merlin and the Lady Nimue he will hone his talents and begin his journey to manhood. He will meet Guinevere, a wild, proud and beautiful girl, herself outcast because of her gift. And he will be dazzled by Arthur, a warrior who carries the hopes of a people like fire in the dark. But these are times of struggle and blood, when even friendship and love seem doomed to fail.
The gods are vanishing beyond the reach of dreams. Treachery and jealousy rule men’s hearts and the fate of Britain itself rests on a sword’s edge.
But the young renegade who left his home in Benoic with just a hunting bird and dreams of revenge is now a lord of war. He is a man loved and hated, admired and feared. A man forsaken but not forgotten. He is Lancelot.

Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian’s epic new novel tells – in Lancelot’s own words – the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur’s knights, the warrior who fought at his lord’s side – yet stole his wife. This is the story of the of one of the great figures of British myth and legend – a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.

Lancelot is available to buy in Hardback and paperback now, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Lancelot is a stunning work of historical fiction about a legend I didn’t know much about.

The writing is exquisite with the reader drawn into the book almost immediately and transported to 5th Century Britain.  It was fascinating to read about what life was like at that time with some pretty brutal but realistic descriptions of the dangers and battles people would have faced then.  I felt at times like I was there walking along beside them experiencing all the action first hand.  I could hear the battles, and almost smell the blood and fear, which really added to my reading experience.

The story is told from Lancelot’s point of view and it was brilliant to see his transition from timid little boy to brave knight.  He was a character you could really get behind and support.  I found I developed a bit of a soft spot for him and I really wanted to continue reading to find out what happens to him.

This book is quite fast paced with lots of action and intrigue to keep the reader interested.  Despite the length I flew through the pages utterly fascinated by the story.  The old romantic in me did want the story to end slightly differently but I know that wouldn’t have been possible as it’s not how the legend goes.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I can’t wait to read more from him in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book.  If you like utterly fascinating, realistic and thrilling historical fiction you’ll love this book. A definite must read for fans of the genre.

About The Author:

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Book Synopsis:

Polly, 28, lives in London with her ‘perfect-on-paper’ boyfriend. She works a dead end job on a free London paper… life as she knows it is dull. But her banal existence is turned upside down late one drunken night on her way home, after a chance encounter with a man on a packed tube train. The chemistry between them is electric and on impulse, they kiss, giving in to their carnal desires. But it’s over in an instant, and Polly is left shell-shocked as he walks away without even telling her his name.

Now obsessed with this beautiful stranger, Polly begins a frantic online search, and finally discovers more about tubing , an underground phenomenon in which total strangers set up illicit, silent, sexual meetings on busy commuter tube trains. In the process, she manages to track him down and he slowly lures her into his murky world, setting up encounters with different men via Twitter.

At first she thinks she can keep it separate from the rest of her life, but things soon spiral out of control.

By chance she spots him on a packed tube train with a young, pretty blonde. Seething with jealousy, she watches them together. But something isn’t right and a horrific turn of events make Polly realise not only how foolish she has been, but how much danger she is in…

Can she get out before it s too late?

Tubing is out now in ebook and paperback now.  The ebook is currently only £1.99 and you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Tubing is one of the most original, addictive thrillers that I have read.  It had me wondering whether it was a real thing, I definitely won’t travel on the tube the same way again!

I wasn’t sure if I liked the main character Polly, she had a relationship most people would dream of but wants more than it can offer her.  She came across as being quite a silly, spoilt little girl who liked to pretend she was the victim when she quite clearly wasn’t! There were definitely times in the book that I wanted to shake her and ask her what on earth she was doing.

There was some quite risqué action in the book which might not be to everyone’s taste.  It isn’t graphically described though and helps to add a lot to the tension especially in the first part of the book as you wonder if this will be the time they get caught.

The action is quite fast paced at times, getting faster and faster as Polly gets drawn deeper into the seedy life of tubing and her ‘perfect stranger’.  I found I couldn’t put the book down, promising myselfmyself one more chapter’ than reading long into the night.

The reader is promised a twist from the blurb but despite this it still took me by surprise.  My mind had been swirling with possibilities and it wasn’t any of the ideas I had thought of which I thought was skillfully done.

This is the author’s debut book and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.  If you like fast paced, original and risqué thrillers then you’ll love this book.  For me I though it was similar to The Girl Before so if you liked that book, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Huge thanks to Anna from Red Door Publishing for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

K.A. McKeagney studied psychology in Bristol before completing a Masters degree in creative writing at Brunel. She won the Curtis Brown prize for her dissertation, which formed the basis of her first novel Tubing. She has worked in London as a health editor writing consumer information as well as for medical journals. Her writing has been commended by the British Medical Association (BMA) patient information awards.

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Book Synopsis:

When a family camping trip takes a dark turn, how far will one mother go to keep her family safe?

Struggling with working-mother guilt, Marlene Greene hopes a camping trip in the forest will provide quality time with her three young children—until they see fires in the distance, columns of smoke distorting the sweeping view. Overnight, all communication with the outside world is lost.

Knowing something terrible has happened, Marlene suspects that the isolation of the remote campsite is all that’s protecting her family. But the arrival of a lost boy reveals they are not alone in the woods, and as the unfolding disaster ravages the land, more youngsters seek refuge under her wing. The lives of her own children aren’t the only ones at stake.

When their sanctuary is threatened, Marlene faces the mother of all dilemmas: Should she save her own kids or try to save them all?

All The Little Children is available to buy now in ebook and paperback.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

All The Little Children is a book that I definitely won’t be forgetting any time soon! The book gripped me from the start with the action starting almost immediately.  I was instantly intrigued, what had happened? Where was everyone?

The tension in the book is almost unbearable at times as the author cleverly increases it as the situation gets more confusing and murky.  I found I simultaneously wanted to read more to find out what happens and to stop reading as I wasn’t sure if I’d like the answer.  I could almost feel Marlene’s sense of confusion and desperation as she tries to keep her family and the other children safe.  I found myself biting my nails as I read wondering what she was going to do.  I also wondered what on earth I would do in a similar situation.  I would be desperate to save my kids but I’d like to hope i’d help the others too.

Marlene is a fantastic main character and one that I found quite relatable as she does a lot of things I know I do with the children.  My husband and I are forever spelling words out and I often try to hide from them when I’m trying to talk on the phone.  (They always seem to get so loud and have a burning question that needs answering right then!) I did feel for her and the other adults in the book as they tried to keep everyone together and do what they thought was best.  Her fear and confusion about the situation she found herself in was quite heartbreaking and I wanted to give her a hug at times.

The pace and intrigue gradually increases as the story goes on making the book hard to put down.  It’s quite creepy at times and I did find that I didn’t want to turn the light off to sleep whilst reading it.  The twist at the end was brilliant and took me by surprise which was brilliant!

This is Jo Furniss’s debut novel which is hard to believe as this book is so well written and plotted.  It would make a great book club book as there is lots to discuss.  I definitely look forward to reading more from this author soon, her next book The Trailing Spouse is out in a few months I believe.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and to Jo Furniss for sending me a copy of the book.

If you like gripping, dark dystopian thrillers you will love this book!

About The Author:

After spending a decade as a broadcast journalist for the BBC, Jo Furniss gave up the glamour of night shifts to become a freelance writer and serial expatriate. Originally from the United Kingdom, she has lived in Switzerland and Cameroon and currently resides with her family in Singapore.

As a journalist, Jo has worked for numerous online outlets and magazines, including Monocle, the Economist, Business Traveller, Expat Living (Singapore), and Swiss News. Jo has also edited books for a Nobel Laureate and the Palace of the Sultan of Brunei. In 2015, she founded SWAG—an online literary magazine for writers in Singapore.

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Book Synopsis:

In 1937, courageous and independent Martha Gellhorn travels to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War, and finds herself drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in devastating conflict. She also finds herself unexpectedly – and uncontrollably – falling in love with Ernest Hemingway, a man already on his way to being a legend. In the shadow of the impending Second World War, and set against the tumultuous backdrops of Madrid, Finland, China, and especially Cuba, where Martha and Hemingway made their home, their relationship and professional careers ignite.

But when Hemingway publishes the biggest literary success of his career, they are no longer equals, and Martha must make a choice: surrender to the suffocating demands of a domestic lifestyle, or risk losing her husband by forging her way as her own woman and writer. It is a dilemma that will force her to break his heart, and her own.

Based on a true story:

Martha Gellhorn was one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century

FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLS was dedicated to Martha, and inspired by the time they were together in Spain. It was Hemingway’s most successful book to date, it sold half a million copies within months, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and triumphantly reestablished his literary reputation.

Love And Ruin is available to buy now in ebook and in hardback on the 7th June.  You can purchase or pre-order your copy here.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction thars based around real life characters.  I love being able to look them up and find out more about them.

Love And Ruin follows Martha Gellhorn as she meets Ernest Hemingway and becomes a war correspondent during the civil war.  The author has a fantastic way of capturing the atmosphere of that time.  The Fear and uncertainty everyone feels is almost palpable at times.  I admired their courage in the face of the unknown.  The patriotic spirit and sense of optimism shown by the Spanish was wonderful to read about, though a little poignant as we know how things turn out.

I knew from previous books about Martha & Ernest that I would love the two main characters.  I’ve not read a book from Martha’s point of view before or one that gets behind the character, which was really fascinating to read about.  I definitely felt that I knew Martha a little better by the end of the book.  Martha is a very determined woman who knows what she wants and works hard to achieve it.  Her bravery in journeying to Spain alone and the courage she shows in certain situations in the book was brilliant to read about.  She is a little niave some times, hoping that everything would magically fall into place but I think that was part of her charm and made me like her all the more.

The author’s depiction of Ernest was spot on and exactly as I’ve always imagined he’d be like.  He really comes to life in the pages and I found I wanted to read on to find out what he’d do next.  Ernest Hemingway is one of the top historical characters I’d love to meet as I think he’d be very interesting and fun to talk to.

The only thing that stops this book being 5 stars is that the pace is quite slow.  This didn’t matter to me as I love reading books about this period and I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of Ernest and Martha’s growing relationship.  However some readers may find it hard going.  I’d recommend continuing though as this is a fantastic story about a remarkable woman that deserves to be read.

Huge thanks to William Upcott and Little Brown for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996.

She is the author of The Paris Wife, a New York Times and international bestseller, which has been published in thirty-four languages. The recipient of fellowships from Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, she is also the author of two collections of poetry; a memoir, Like Family, Growing up in Other People’s Houses; and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives with her family in Cleveland.

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Book Synopsis:

When a car is pulled from raging floodwaters with a dead man in the front and the decapitated body of an evil woman in the boot, Cumbria’s Major Crimes Team are handed the investigation. The woman is soon recognised, but the man cannot be identified and this leads the team and their former leader, Harry Evans, into areas none of them want to visit. Before they know it, they’re dealing with protection scams and looking for answers to questions they didn’t know needed to be asked.

When The Waters Recede is available to buy now in paperback and ebook.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

When The Waters Recede is a fast paced, gripping crime novel that I really enjoyed.

The author has cleverly chosen the recent flooding as a background to this story which helped add to the intrigue and tension of the story as you were never sure if the water was hiding anything else.  It also made the story seem more realistic as the floods happened fairly recently so most people should remember them and know what flood water can do.

The opening of this book was one of the most dramatic and gripping starts to a book that I’ve read for a while.  Being stuck in a car in water is one of my worse nightmares and I’ve often wondered what on earth I’d do if it happened.  I could well imagine the fear and panic that the victim would have felt in such a situation.

I loved Harry.  He’s a big, loveable character and I enjoyed reading about how he handled the case.  He has a lot of respect from his old colleagues but doesnt try to throw it in his replacements face which I admired about him.   He seemed to really care about finding the murderer even though the victim wasn’t a very nice person, another admirable quality of his.

The book is full of many twists and turns that keeps the reader on their toes and guessing about how it would end.  The tension is gradually built up throughout the book, increasing the speed of the book and ensuring the reader is thoroughly gripped.  I could out the book down at times and raced through the pages to the satisfying conclusion.

This is the first book by Graham Smith I have read though it won’t be my last as I really enjoyed this book and his style of writing.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Please note that Over The Rainbow Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway or the distribution of any prizes.

I’m excited to be on the blog tour for The Log House by Baylea Hart today and to have a great guest post from the author aboya the inspiration behind his books to share with you.

The Log House is available to buy now in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only £1.99.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I share my guest post with you, here is a little about the book.

Book Synopsis:

The forest is a deadly place. Nobody knows this better than Penny. She has spent her whole life hiding in the darkness, shielding herself from the terrors that watch and wait within the trees. When Penny is abandoned and left for dead in the forest, she is forced to navigate this terrifying labyrinth in order to return home to her son and take revenge on the woman who tried to kill her. But the murderous creatures with the false smiles aren’t the only monsters to lurk in the forest, and some demons may be closer than she thinks.

Guest Post: Inspiration behind the book.

What inspired me to write my novel?

There are so many things that can inspire a story. I’ve written characters based on people I see on commutes, or short stories based on a single line of a song I’ve found particularly interesting. Even the weather can inspire me sometimes. Usually though, my writing begins with a single image I see flash in my mind. With The Log House, this image was of a woman waking in a stairlift, miles above a forest canopy. I remember vividly waking up one morning with this image in my head, perhaps something left over from a dream.

In the end, this image didn’t make it into the novel, but it was enough to spark it into life. I wanted to know who the woman was, and how she would make it out. Character is always most important to me – I have playlists by the dozen of music dedicated to particular characters, but nothing I thought of seemed to fit this time. I could see the place she had been sent from, I could even get a taste of why she had been sent away, but the woman herself was hazy and out of reach, and remained that way until I asked myself another question.

Does the woman in the stairlift deserve to be there?

I have always loved morally grey characters, characters you never know if you can trust. The protagonist is the driving force of the novel, you are following events through their eyes. Though it would have been fun, and perhaps more conventional to go the route of the “wronged woman”, I decided I wanted to play with the other side of the coin. What if the woman DID deserve to be sent away? What kind of thing could she have done to deserve that?

Eventually, I decided I wanted readers to go through the novel both rooting for and disliking my main character. I wanted there to be points where she seemed to make a completely rational decision, only for a later event to show the spite and malice behind it. In the end, this push for a true “grey” character even shaped the layout of my novel. Instead of one long narrative, I found myself adding extra chapters, scenes from the past that would alter or add meaning to what was currently happening.

After a year or so, I finished with a story completely different to the one I had started with. Instead of a woman, scared and alone, hanging precariously over the trees, I had Penny; a bitter, vengeful woman who would take down monsters to get what she wanted. And boy, am I glad for it.

About The Author:

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Book Synopsis:

She took a mouthful of the sweet liquid and started to feel a pounding in her head. Arms went around her waist and she was half lifted and half pulled. The last thing she was aware of was her head hitting a step…

Sixteen-year-old Emily had everything to live for. A bright, beautiful teenager with a promising future ahead of her. But in one night her life is cut short. The police say it’s an accident. But her parents think she was murdered.

When Detective Rachel Prince is called in to investigate the shocking death at the height of the Edinburgh festival, her instincts tell her that things are not as they first appear. Something is very wrong.

As the case takes an unexpected turn, Rachel discovers a chilling link with the suspicious death of another international student, who stayed in the same house as Emily two years before.

Just as Rachel finds herself on the hunt for a serial killer, a painful relationship from her own past catches up with her. And Rachel must decide what is more important – catching the killer or keeping her own secrets?

A breath-taking, tense roller-coaster crime thriller featuring unforgettable series detective Rachel Prince. Now She’s Gone is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Peter James and Karin Slaughter.

Now She’s Gone is out now in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only £1.99! You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I heard a lot about Alison James so I was very excited to read her new book Now She’s Gone.

The author has a great way of gradually increasing the tension and intrigue in the book so before I knew what was happening I was hooked.  What starts out as a fairly simple looking investigation, soon becomes very murky as it becomes obvious that things aren’t as they seem.

The two main characters were absolutely brilliant and a duo I hope the author includes in another of her books.  Their easy relationship and the banter between them was great to read about.  It helped to break up the tension and lead to some very funny moments.  The fact they brought a dog around on their investigations was hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things that happened as a result.

I loved the vivid descriptions of Edinburgh and the festival, especially as I’d really like to go visit one day. It was fascinating to learn a little more about what the festival is like and what type of things you can do there.

The author highlights the interesting differences between the English and Scottish justice systems.  It’s interesting to know that the buck stops at only one person regarding determining how they died and if anything further needs to be investigated. It makes me wonder if any real life crimes were similarly dismissed as an accident when they weren’t.

This is the second book in the series but the first ive read.  I think it works well as a standalone as anything you need to know about the characters past is explained.

Thanks to Noelle Horton, Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog blitz.

About The Author:

Born in the Cotswolds, Alison spent most of her formative years abroad. She studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after her two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, Alison worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.

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Book Synopsis:

An unmissable new serial killer thriller from the author of The Mechanic Trilogy. 

After surviving a vicious knife attack, which left her husband dead, DI Rosalind Kray returns to work and is handed a serial killer investigation.

This killer is different, he doesn’t just want to take the lives of his victims, he wants to obliterate their very existence. The murders appear random but the killer selects his quarry with meticulous care.

While fighting her superiors Kray must conquer her own demons, which are tearing her apart.

Kray has the ability to think like a killer and her skills lead to a series of horrifying revelations that turn the case on its head. She believes she is getting close, then her world comes crashing down with devastating consequences.

Will Kray find the murderer and escape with her own life intact?

The truth is closer than she could have ever imagined…

Faceless is available to buy TODAY in paperback and ebook.  The ebook is currently only 99p! You can buy a copy of both here.

My Review:

I was such a big fan of The Mechanic Trilogy so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review Rob’s new book and I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed.

Faceless gripped me from the start with its unusual and graphic opening, the like of which I haven’t read before.  The descriptions of the crime scene were so brilliantly described I felt that I was experiencing everything first hand amongside the police.  I could smell the stomach churning smells which caused me to feel very sick and could here the buzzing of those nightmare inducing flies. I actually ended up dreaming about the flies so vividly were they described.

I liked Kray the main detective on the case.  She is a very strong, determined woman who seems to know her stuff concerning police investigating.  She knows what should be done and likes to conduct investigation by the book, her way, not allowing anyone else to have her say.  She is just back to work after the murder of her husband and feels like she has a lot to prove regarding her performance.  My heart went out to her in this as I can imagine how hard it must be having everyone watching you, waiting for you to mess up.  Her relationship with her boss seemed fraught with competition and anger.  I enjoyed reading about her ability to play her boss and felt like cheering when she got one over on him and made a huge discovery in the case.

The story is told from the point of view of Drake and the murder which really fascinated me.  It was interesting to be able to see into the murder’s mind, learn more about them and why they were doing what they did.  The murder was definitely, as they described themselves, a psycho and some of his thoughts and reasons sent a shiver down my spine.  They seemed to have a lot of hatred and it was interesting finding out more about their background and what had happened to make them do this.  As the reader has a first hand account of the murders there were times when I worked stuff out before Kray which was very effective as it made me reader faster and faster as I willed her to make the connection for herself.  It also helped make some of the situations in the book more tense as I knew stuff that the characters didn’t, which I thought was brilliantly done.

The story is very fast paced with lots happening and lots of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat, sometimes quite literally! I managed to read this book in two days no mean feat for a woman with three kids on half term. I thought it was absolutely brilliant and I urge everyone to read it.

Rob is the author of quite a few amazing books and I think I’ve read most of them.  His thrillers are always fantastically written, unusual and quite dark which combined makes for a great read.  I really look forward to reading more from him in the future.

Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound books for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

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