#ADGIFTED book given in return for a blog post, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. I love murder mysteries so I opt for that genre mostly.

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The Ash Lake Murders

MEET DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES.

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A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish.

A female serial killer with a deadly agenda. The detective who must stop her. Luxury holiday lodges in the stunning Peak District. The game begins . . .

Callum is lured to an isolated boathouse by an attractive older woman. When she gets him alone, she knocks him out with a single blow. As he wakes up, her voice comes out of the darkness, “You’re a sprat to catch a mackerel.”

Surrounded by hills and lakes, Still Waters is home to a close-knit community of wealthy retirees. It’s an unlikely setting for violence. The police don’t take Callum’s disappearance seriously: he’s 24-years-old, after all. But Callum’s mother, a Still Waters resident, knows that something is very wrong.

Then a body is discovered floating in the lake. Head bashed in. But it’s not Callum.

And someone tweets: Come out to play one last time, Alice. Still Waters run deep. #MadHatter.

That’s when DCI Alice Rossi is called in. She’s back.

IT’S A CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME BETWEEN AN OBSESSED KILLER AND A DETERMINED DETECTIVE IN THIS GRIPPING MYSTERY FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS.

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths, J.M. Dalgliesh, Steph Broadribb or Patricia Gibney.

READERS LOVE HELEN H. DURRANT:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Another first-class read from Helen H. Durrant.” Iain

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A satisfying and enjoyable read.” Carol S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow . . . this will keep you on the edge of your seat. Brilliant story from this author.” Booklover Bev

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Loved it. Read it in one sitting.” Aileen G.

THE DETECTIVE
DCI Alice Rossi of Greater Manchester’s Serious Crime Squad has served with the police for the past twenty-nine years. Since the death of her husband, Paul, six years ago, she has lived alone in a large, three-storey Edwardian terrace on the outskirts of Manchester. Her grown-up son lives in Edinburgh with his family. Alice is about to retire — but she’s not looking forward to it. Since her husband died, work has been her mainstay, not because she misses Paul — he was a bad man — but because it keeps her dark thoughts at bay.

ALSO BY HELEN H. DURRANT
DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI
Book 1: THE ASH LAKE MURDERS

DETECTIVE RACHEL KING
Book 1: NEXT VICTIM
Book 2: TWO VICTIMS
Book 3: WRONG VICTIM
Book 4: FORGOTTEN VICTIM
Book 5: LAST VICTIM

THE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: DEAD WRONG
Book 2: DEAD SILENT
Book 3: DEAD LIST
Book 4: DEAD LOST
Book 5: DEAD & BURIED
Book 6: DEAD NASTY
Book 7: DEAD JEALOUS
Book 8: DEAD BAD
Book 9: DEAD GUILTY
Book 10: DEAD WICKED
Book 11: DEAD SORRY

THE DCI GRECO BOOKS
Book 1: DARK MURDER
Book 2: DARK HOUSES
Book 3: DARK TRADE
Book 4: DARK ANGEL

MATT BRINDLE
Book 1: HIS THIRD VICTIM
Book 2: THE OTHER VICTIM

DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE
Book 1: THE GUILTY MAN
Book 2: THE FACELESS MAN

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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 ten books in the ‘Calladine & Bayliss’ series available – Dead Wrong, Dead Silent, Dead List, Dead Lost, Dead & Buried, Dead Nasty, Dead Jealous, Dead Bad, Dead Guilty and the latest – Dead Wicked.

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.

The four DI Greco books are available as a box set at a bargain price.

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

The DCI Rachel King series has four books – Next Victim , Two Victims, Wrong Victim and Forgotten Victim.

There are currently two books in the Lennox & Wilde series, The Guilty Man, The Faceless Man.

The entire Calladine & Bayliss series are also available as a boxset.

My Review It isn’t often you find a book to read about a female serial killer, so it felt like a refreshing change for that alone, and that it’s set in the Peak District. And if anyone reads my blog knows, I walk around the Peaks every week, so it feels eerily familiar, and added to the spooky, thriller aspect to the book.

She is ruthless and calculating and it’s so intriguing to try and work out the connection, nothing is given away too early. This kept me on the edge of my actual seat. Nail biter as they say.

These sunny days and long road trips have helped me have some extra reading time to myself. What better way to enjoy a book with the sea lapping softly while to bask in the sunshine! Happy days

Wishbone By Stewart Giles #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED all opinions are my own and I do a review in return.

WISHBONE

‘BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.’

These seemingly innocent song lyrics are about to send Detective Jason Smith over the edge.
Still traumatised after a harrowing trip back home, Smith is sent headlong into the stuff of nightmares when he returns to
work. When a woman is found dead with her spinal cord severed Smith and his team are thrown into the most disturbing investigation ever.

Then another body is found and when Smith realises what this woman was subjected to he knows he’s on the trail of the most sadistic killer he’s ever come across.
All clues point to a death metal band.
Wishbone are in town for a few shows and when
Smith realises all the murders bear striking similarities to their song lyrics he starts to wonder if there is something more to this band than meets the eye.

This is the most horrifying case of Smith’s career and one the people of York will never forget.

Stewart Giles – Author
Bio

After reading English at 3Universities 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.

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 bookslater, 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.

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 publishedand soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

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 amazingresults. 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.

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 anidea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow with book 16 coming soon. In addition I have an new series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey. The first 4 books in the Detective Liam O’Reilly series are now available.

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Twitter: @stewartgiles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

Review

Its not a secret at this point that I LOVE LOVE LOVE these characters and books, the series are seamless in action and mystery, with thrills and spills in between.

They literally hit the ground running and the tension is ramped up immediately, so I wouldn’t say it’s an easy beachy read. As I get so caught up in it, I’d be burnt to a crisp!!

Rather this is a perfect curl up and snuggle under blankets, and watch the hours fly by, as you turn page and page and struggle to put it down.

Now these characters are so familiar they almost feel like real people in life, it’s hard to read about their hurting and emotions, you get really intertwined with the story.

Smart women’s guide to Murder by Victoria Dowd #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED once again I’m reading for the blog tour, murder, mayhem and thrills, I love it all. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MURDER

A GOLDEN AGE COUNTRY HOUSE MURDER MYSTERY BROUGHT BANG UP TO DATE
A faded country house in the middle of nowhere.
The guests are snowed in.
The murders begin.
Ursula Smart (not her real name) gate-crashes her mother’s book club at an isolated country house for a long weekend retreat. Joining them are Mother’s best friend, Mirabelle, Aunts Charlotte and Less, and Bridget with her dog Mr Bojangles. It doesn’t matter that they’ve read Gone Girl three times this year already. But someone has other ideas.
A body is found in the grounds.
Is a lone killer hunting them? Or has one of their own group embarked on a killing spree?
What they need is a guide to survive.
Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, Liane Moriarty, Faith Martin, Frances Lloyd and Stuart Turton.

About the Author
After graduating from Cambridge, Victoria was a criminal law barrister on the London circuit for many years, where many of her cases were much stranger than fiction.
Victoria is now an award winning writer, having won the Go Gothic Short Story Award for 2019. She has had short fiction published in places such as Aesthetica: A Review of Contemporary Artists and was chosen as the runner up in The New Writer’s writer of the year award. Her work was Highly Commended by The Writers’ Forum and long-listed for The Willesden Herald International Short Story Competition. She has had short stories published in the BTS Literary and Arts Annual, Dream Catcher arts journal and Gold Dust Literary Magazine.
Victoria lives with her husband and two children. She writes full time, splitting her time between London and Devon, where she can indulge her passion for all things Agatha Christie.
BOOKS BY VICTORIA DOWD
ONE TO WATCH: NEW 2020 AUTHOR – BOOK RELEASE COMING SOON!
FIND VICTORIA ON
Author Website: https://victoriadowd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaDowdAuthor/
Twitter: @victoria_dowd https://twitter.com/victoria_dowd?lang=en
Instagram: @dowdvictoria https://www.instagram.com/dowdvictoria/

My Review

I have been howling at this, not often is a good murder mystery quite so comedic as well. It’s been an eye opener for me, and one rabbit hole I will have to fall down.

The writing is absolutely genius!! The characters are despicable but so glorious at the same time. A modern day murder mystery but so dark and twisty. It’s macabre but delicious too.

Never have I enjoyed a book so thoroughly and laughed so heartedly, especially when you shouldn’t!!

I’m sure how ever lovely the estate was and is, I would never want these people as my friends to be snowed in with.

Definitely looking forward to more of this style and from this author.

Glass Dolls by D E White #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED although gifted it is reviewed freely by myself, and all opinions are my own.

I’ve honestly never come across this Author, and I have no idea what the theme was before I stated I would do it. I simply stated a yes, as frankly I need the distraction and I’m open to new authors and genres.

After reading the theme, it’s definitely my kind of book. I do love a murder mystery.

What is it about?

GLASS DOLLS BY D E WHITE

ONE OF THE MOST ELECTRIFYING THRILLERS YOU’LL READ THIS YEAR

A teenage girl is found murdered, encased in glass.

Detective Dove Milson is called out to the chilling crime scene by the Devon coast. The murder is a replica of the work of serial killer Peter Hayworth, known as the Glass Doll murderer. He would be the prime suspect . . . but he’s already dead.

FOUR YEARS AGO DETECTIVE DOVE MILSON’S NIECE WAS KILLED BY THE GLASS DOLL MURDERER

Now Dove leads the case. It’s her first job as part of the Major Crimes Team. She is recovering from a breakdown a few months earlier.

Then another Glass Doll is found in an isolated cove.

A TWISTED COPYCAT KILLER?

Dove finds her family is at the heart of this new case. The latest Glass Doll victims both worked at her sister Gaia’s strip club.
The club’s manager found the second Glass Doll. He claims to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Dove doesn’t believe in coincidences.

THEN DOVE’S SURVIVING NIECE DISAPPEARS

Will she become the next Glass Doll?

Time is running out for her niece. Dove must race to catch a killer before it’s too late. Then a new lead tears a hole in the case.

Discover a brand new thriller with a jaw-dropping twist you won’t see coming.

Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, K.L. Slater, Robert Bryndza, Helen Fields and Angela Marsons.

The Author

Daisy White Biog 2020
Daisy White started writing fifteen years ago, scribbling ideas at work on the night shift, firstly flying as cabin crew, and latterly working for the Ambulance Service.
Her 1960’s cosy mystery trilogy, The Ruby Baker Mysteries, was published in 2017 by Joffe Books, followed by psychological thrillers Remember Me and The Forgotten Child (HarperCollins) in 2019.
Daisy’s new crime thriller GLASS DOLLS, (Joffe Books), is out at the end of March 2020, and is the first in the DC. Dove Milson series.
Daisy is a multi- award-winning entrepreneur, and loves inspiring new writers to put pen to paper to start their own creative journey. She is represented by The Kate Nash Literary Agency.
Website; www.daisywhiteauthor.co.uk
Social Media;
https://www.facebook.com/DaisyWhiteAuthor
https://twitter.com/DEWhiteAuthor
https://www.instagram.com/daisywhiteauthor/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisy-white-b6764059/
For book enquiries; lina@katenashlit.co.uk
For speaking engagements please contact; kaye@andromedatalent.com
To contact Daisy; daisy@daisywhiteauthor.co.uk

My Review

Totally new author to me, so I had no experience of the writing style or pace, but I will say I enjoyed it. The pace and back tacking to clues and threads of evidence, were fast paced and perfect to keep you hooked.

Dove is a character we can all identify with, juggling family, and work. I love that they touched on mental health and being scarred both mentally and physically.

You end up sucipious of everyone, questioning their motives all through out. I loved it kept me on my toes!!

The story for me was original and unique, which I think is very hard in this genre.

A great read to take my mind off reality for a wee while, is frankly a godsend at the moment.

Jealousy is Murder by Jeanette Taylor Ford #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED but all opinions are my own.

Now it’s Jan 2020 the BBC have started #FatherBrown again I’m loving my murder mysteries, also channel 5 has a murder mystery every day. So I can honestly say I’m getting my sleuth on!!

Jealousy is Murder
When a young woman is found strangled in her camper-van and her twelve-year-old son goes missing, DI Cooke and DS Grant have a dual problem on their hands. And what does this murder have to do with the fatal stabbing of a young man in Portsmouth several years before? And how on earth are residents of Sutton-on-Wye involved?

The Author
I’m a lifetime bookworm! From reading to my children to now creating stories of my own, books have always been a large, important part of my life. Those who have read my stories have enjoyed them, so I finally decided to inflict them upon the world in general. Some of them are ghostly tales, combined with loveable characters and interesting situations which make them ghost stories with a difference. However, I also write children’s stories, the first of which, ‘Robin’s Ring’ is published and I’m working on another Robin story. My new series, The River View Series, presents mild mysteries with a difference – and are set in my beloved Herefordshire.

Much to our youngest daughter’s disgust, I love old buildings, castles, mansions, historical places, especially ruined buildings and they are often the inspiration for my stories.

My retirement from my job as a teaching assistant has given me the opportunity to indulge my love of writing and I ask for no more than to give pleasure to my readers. When not writing, I’m making cards, singing in a ladies’ choir, doing Family History and all sorts of other things. I am married to Tony, a retired teacher, and we have six children and seven grandchildren. We live near Nottingham, England.

LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.ford.16

My Review

Although this is book 4 I believe in the River View series, it’s book 1 to me, new author new mysteries. New characters and plots are always exciting. Will I like them? Will they be clichéd? Will the book stall? And I’m happy to say I Loved the characters, even the villagers, Bemusing as they are. Some are clichéd but that’s ok, I think I’d be disappointed if they weren’t. And for me, the book never stalled.

The campervan mentioned in the blurb pipped my interest first, so I just HAD to read. There’s nothing more English than countryside murders and campervans.

With realistic and vivid descriptions you can easily picture yourself smack bang in the middle of the mystery, plodding the beat looking for clues.

Fast paced and an absolute page turner, I was sad it was over. I will be going over the previous three, as I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Likeable characters that you will warm too, and invest in. I think it’s suitable to all readers. A definite one to take on holiday and enjoy that ‘me time’ with.

Game of Crones by Jay Raven #BlogBookTour

It’s been a while since I last did one, life and family have been super busy so I simply had no opportunity to join in.

However I recently went on holiday, which meant I had a perfect time to read and collect myself. This time I stepped out of my comfort zone, and opted for a genre I don’t traditionally read at all.

So I chose this as the title shouted out at me, and seeing as it’s the witches Manon Sabbat as I write this, it’s perfect that it’s about Witches, and Wild women.

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…

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…

My Review

I was tad confused at first as I hadn’t realised it was a collection of short stories, so it led to some frustration as some stories were ended of cliff hangers and I yearned for more, to discover what happened next.

But after that initial disappointment I soon got over it, as each one was a perfect length for the beachy visits we did, nothing was too complex so that it fried your brain while you’re meant to be relaxing, I found them easier to read on holiday than a classic novel.

A new author to me and I found the style easy to digest and understand, I would be hunting out this author for more gothic tales and bumps in the night.

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.

Nowhere to Hide by Stephen Puleston #BlogBookTour

#AD GIFTED but as always opinions are my own, I always stick to the genre I love, so it’s hard to not like them. I struggle to read genres that I have no personal interest in.

Once again it’s a new author discovery for me, which I find exciting, as if like me to start to love a particular author, you literally read everything they’ve ever wrote. I’ve Patricia Cornwell or Nora Roberts I have read them ALL.

The tile is intriguing and I like the cover of the book too, it lures me in. I found Nora Roberts purely by being drawn to her cover on one book! So I don’t underestimate the power of being eye-catching, and titles are important too.

Nowhere to Hide (Inspector Drake #7) by Stephen Puleston
A murdered mother… A failing police force…A detective looking for justice.

When drug addict Dawn Piper is found dead in her own home, her neighbours are far from surprised. Dawn’s habit led her to mix with some dangerous people. But this quiet mother of one was small fry …would anyone want Dawn dead?

Inspector Drake knows there is more to Dawn’s murder than a simple drug deal gone wrong. As he digs deeper, he discovers that Dawn hoped to clean up the streets of her community that are being overrun by drugs and the dangerous County Lines gangs that sell them. And it cost her her life. Have the police force failed the community they serve?
Drake is used to the murky world of organised crime groups. He knows the dirty games they play to evade arrest. But in his toughest case to date Drake is determined to make the guilty pay.
This time, they will have nowhere to hide”

The Author

Biography

I write crime fiction based in Wales and about Wales. The rural landscape of north Wales provides the backdrop to the Inspector Drake novels. And Cardiff the capital of Wales provides the setting for the Inspector Marco novels set in a modern urban environment.
I love the novels of Raymond Chandler, Ian Rankin, Mark Billingham, Henning Mankell, Val McDermid – the list could go on! And I enjoy watching detective series on the television the recent Hinterland series based near Aberystwyth in Wales was great. One of my favourites is the French series Spiral but The Bridge and Broadchurch and the Rebus series with Ken Stott and Kenneth Branagh in Wallander are great too.

I have been on writing courses at the Welsh Writers Centre in Llanystymdwy, North Wales tutored by Matt Whyman and Marcus Sedgwick as well as crime writing courses with Peter Robinson and Andrew Taylor at the Scottish Writers centre.

I was born in Anglesey an island off the north Wales coast and after leaving school in Holyhead I went to University in London before training as a solicitor/lawyer. I practised in a small family business doing criminal work in the magistrates and crown courts, divorce and family work.
I still live on Anglesey, North Wales near the beach and the mountains of Snowdonia

My Review

After reading Stephens biography I was fully invested. He loves Spiral (one of my favourite series) and boardchurch and the bridge. So straight away I’m thinking he has excellent taste in viewings, so he must know and feel what means those series so successful and enjoyable.

I like the way things are written, and based in Wales. It feels familiar and homely. Nothing too graphic or crude, it’s cleverly written and the storyline flows well.

I think I like Drake, but I want to read more books with him in, to build up a a better picture of him. He sounds complex and driven, all that I expect from an Inspector.

I like the thriller aspect of it, and I enjoyed reading it and learning new things too along the way. Definitely looking out for this author for more.

Dropzone Stewart Giles #BlogBookTour

#AD GIFTED but all opinions are my own.

Excited to be reading a #StewartGiles series once again, they have become a new guilty pleasure of mine. The pace is good, and not too complex for me, though I usually work out who, what and why I love watching it all unravel. And I’m thrilled it’s the two dynamic duo back together again as well.

From #1 best-selling author: Stewart Giles comes book 2 in the very popular DS Jason Smith and DC Harriet Taylor series.
Brandon Stone is doing his first Accelerated Free Fall Skydive. He has done the training and his instructors are with him so nothing can go wrong…. Can it? A double malfunction and Brandon is staring death in the face. A very rare accident. Or is it?
Jason is returning to work after 3 months recovering from injuries at the hands of Boronov. Light duties? Not if Jason can help it.
DC Harriet Taylor is taking a well deserved holiday with Jon Finch that includes tandem skydiving. Out of all the planes in the country they were on the same one as Brandon.
With a detective as a witness this should be an easy case to solve. Wrong! Jason and the team need all the help they can get to unravel the lies and find the clues before more bodies turn up.
This is a gripping story with twists, turns and intrigue all the way through. A fast moving page-turner you will not be able to put down.
THE DETECTIVES
DC Harriet Taylor had only been married for 2 years when her philandering husband was killed in a car crash. It is common knowledge around the station that the woman who died next to him was his latest lover. Harriet transferred to Trotterdown to escape the gossip and sympathetic looks. She is now finding her way around Cornwall and getting to know the other members of the team.
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 life and is now a dedicated detective. He is a bit of a loose cannon – he has his own way of doing things and that doesn’t always mean following orders and procedures.

The Author

After reading English & Drama at three different English Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling and finally ended up in South Africa, where I still live. I enjoy the serene life running a boat shop on the banks of the Vaal Dam. I came up with the DS Jason Smith idea after my wife dropped a rather large speaker on my head. Whether it was intentional still remains a mystery. Smith, the first in the series was finished in September 2013 and was closely followed by Boomerang and Ladybird. Occam’s Razor, Harlequin and Phobia (a series of short stories detailing Smith’s early life) were all completed in one hazy 365 days and Selene was done and dusted a few months later. Horsemen, the seventh in the DS Smith thriller series is out now. The Beekeeper, a departure from the DS Smith series will be released through Joffe Books on 22 May.

My review

As it is book 2, in this case I would recommend book 1 first, so you have a better feel and understanding of the relationship and how they start where they do. However the storyline is a stand alone one, so it’s not important to read from the beginning.

Once again it’s full of red herrings, keeping you guessing, and pondering on how did 2 chutes fail. Who is the murderer? It’s a good gripping pace, and highly enjoyed. The relationship is developing well, and the characters I’m quite bonded with now. The feel familiar almost family, so it’s warming to read.

Though they have different policing styles they meld well together, such a complimentary task force, getting the job done. Looking forward to more of them together.

#BlogBook Tour The Tea Time Mystery Faith Martin

I absolutely adore this series, and I sorely wish I could watch it on TV, as I feel the characters would translate well on a daytime afternoon series. Think #FatherBrown #ShakespeareAndHathaway kind of vibe.

#AD Gifted, as I’m part of a blog book tour I am given the book to read, in exchange for my opinions and reviews, but all thoughts are my own.

THE TEATIME MYSTERY by Faith Martin
Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. These charming mysteries will have you scratching your head to work out who the murderer is.

Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective.
Please note this book was first published as “JUST NOT CRICKET” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.
Jenny Starling is doing the catering for the village cricket match. But she’s not expecting one of the players to turn up dead.
Everyone from the village has turned out to watch the match, and with this being the club’s centenary, Jenny Starling has been hired specially to provide her stunning food for the event.
Then the next man up to bat, Tristan Jones, is nowhere to be found. He is discovered behind the pavilion, murdered by a blow to the back of the head with an old cricket bat.
The handsome twenty-something had a reputation as a Lothario, with an appetite for married women. Did a scorned woman or a cuckolded husband kill him?
However, he’d annoyed other people too. He was a stockbroker who took big risks with other people’s money and lost their lifesavings.
Soon another body turns up and Jenny Starling is going to need all her cunning to crack this complex case.
This is the sixth in a series of enjoyable murder mysteries with a great cast of characters and baffling crimes which will keep you in suspense to the final page.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey, and J.R. Ellis.
JENNY STARLING
In her late twenties, Jenny Starling is an impressive woman. Physically, she stands at 6ft 1inch, and has shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous (and now very rich) father, is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny drives a disreputable cherry-red van, and is happy travelling the country catering events and cooking great food. She is on a one-woman crusade to bring back ‘real’ food. And definitely doesn’t like having to divert her attention from achieving the perfect Dundee cake or creating a new sauce recipe by having to solve a murder. She finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. Nevertheless, she is very good at reading people, and with a quick and agile brain, becomes very good at unmasking killers. And her always-undaunted sense of humour goes a long way in keeping her sane when all around her people are dropping like flies.
THE AUTHOR
FAITH MARTIN is the best-selling author of the DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE mysteries, which have sold over 1 million copies globally in just over a year.
JENNY STARLING MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY
Book 2: THE WINTER MYSTERY
Book 3: THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERY
Book 4: THE CASTLE MYSTERY
Book 5: THE OXFORD MYSTERY
Book 6: THE TEATIME MYSTERY

FAITH MARTIN

Faith Martin was born in Oxford, and has spent all her life within twenty miles of the university city, even working at Somerville College for five years before turning to writing full-time. The author of the popular DI Hillary Greene novels, she also writes more classic-style ‘whodunits’ under the pen name Joyce Cato, but began her writing career as Maxine Barry, winning an award for penning romance novels! A popular writer for over 25 years, she has had nearly 50 novels published so far. Her hobbies include walking her now ageing dog, wildlife-watching, reading and (reluctantly) gardening.

My Review

As I said above I adore this series, it’s just light hearted enough to be enjoyed thoroughly on holiday, while not been too graphic and gruesome, although the mysteries keep you well entertained.

Jenny’s reluctantly to divert her focus off catering to solve murders always makes me giggle, as she’s so good at it. She is a book version of Murder she wrote, trouble always seems to follow her.

Always entertaining and I love the characters, they are so English to me. Another one loved wholeheartedly x