It's all written in the stars

Blurb:

Astrologer detective David Lowell’s most difficult case begins with a man, a briefcase, and a challenge. Dr. Ethan Williamson promises a briefcase containing one million dollars if Lowell can find the twin brother of the doctor’s teenage son in time for a live-saving kidney transplant. Thanks to an exceedingly rare blood type, there are no other viable donors and time is running out for the doctor’s son. 

Aided by his staff—spitfire assistant Sarah, psychic hacker Mort, and bodyguard Andy—Lowell sets out to find the twin and the mother, who have been missing since the birth of the boys. 

As Lowell digs deeper into the investigation, it’s evident he needs legal advice in a case that’s shaping up to be an ethical quagmire. Lowell enlists the legal counsel of his daughter Melinda, an attorney and prize astrology student. 

As more comes to light, will Lowell be able to find the missing twin in time to save Williamson’s son? Or do the stars foresee a more tragic end for this case?

Review:

This was an unusual detective novel; unusual, in the fact that the main character uses astrology to help solve cases.

I loved the way the two stories that made up this novel were written and it was clear to the reader which particular case was being discussed at which particular time.  What a maze of twists and turns each story takes although this reader guessed the culprit of the main mystery long before it was revealed.

The characterisation was good (as one would expect of the third novel in the series). This novel definitely grabs your attention.  All the characters are written intelligently, they use their initiative, they are proactive rather than reactive which makes a great change in this genre.

You get really invested in these characters and want to know what happens to them next.

I will definitely be looking out for future novels by this author.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I have rated this 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I loved it' on Amazon (5 stars) and 'It was amazing' on Goodreads (5 stars).

Those 'phones are so easy to hack

Blurb:

A dead hack, a private eye on the run, a sinister billionaire. It's front page news.

Liv Paxton, whipcrack smart chief of London's biggest murder squad, is hunting the men who slaughtered the reporter at the very heart of the celebrity hacking scandal. As the killers claim another victim, Liv discovers the reporter had been tortured by professional interrogators before he died. What secret story was so dangerous that it cost him his life?

Liv quickly finds herself of up against powerful and implacable enemies - on both sides of the law. Enlisting the help of her best friend, newspaper boss Louise Brighouse, Liv enters the world of a mysterious Tartar oligarch and crosses swords with a psychotic underworld kingpin who vows vengeance on her. Her own life is on the line as she peels back layers of deceit and treachery to unveil the most terrifying criminal conspiracy London has ever seen.

Hacked is the first in the series of Liv Paxton crime novels.

Review:

What I did enjoy about this book was that it was written by an English author, set in London and had an English accent, a real treat after reading numerous American murder mystery novels (which is by far my favourite genre).

But I think that is where the fabulous end, this novel is inspired by a recent high profile newspaper hacking story that rocked the UK.  The heroine is a foul mouthed ranking officer in the police force.  She is the ubiquitous female rocking her work but having an abysmal track record with men and is wary of starting a new relationship.  This begs two questions (1) why does she fall in love with this unknown entity in such a short space of time; and (2) why would such an intelligent police officer have a newspaper deputy editor for her best friend?

This is a reasonably fast paced novel which, although interesting to read, is not totally satisfying.  In this type of thriller do we really want the politics and intrigue damped down by details of what these people wear when they go our or what they are feeling about Mr X or Mrs Y?

This book had 'great potential' (as Thor said in Stargate SG1) but fell short.  The plot was shallow and some of the dialogue was unrealistic and did we need quite so many swear words.  The descriptive parts interrupted the flow of the narrative too frequently.  Although this is an ARC, there should still be some quality in the work presented, however, in this instance the numerous typesetting, grammatical ad punctuation errors were so off putting.  This included introducing a new helicopter manufacturer.

Due to these issues it was difficult to follow dialogue as it was unclear who was speaking when.  Another problem was the various and varied points of view which was also unsettling as, once again the reader is not clear as to which point of view we are on at any particular moment in time.  Had she novel been more interesting these issues would not have been so glaringly obvious.

Therefore, due to all these issues I cannot recommend this novel.  Next time please publisher’s make sure that the proof is more read worthy.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 Stars on Netgalley and 'It was OK' on Amazon (3 Stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).

Yes I read these kinds of books too

Blurb:

Thirty days of discovery...

with her self-esteem at an all-time low following a disastrous relationship Jules just needs a place to hide away, so when her childhood Theo offers her a place to stay she jumps at the chance!

But the handsome, suave and sophisticate man who greets her is unrecognisable as the teen aged nerd she knew ten years ago.  She's out of her depth in Theo's new world, especially when he reveals the nature of the business that has made him a very wealthy man ... Theo owns and runs an exclusive club, a very private members club, catering to clients seeking something extra to spice up their private lives.  But Jules' shock and embarrassment turns to fascination and excitement when Theo gifts her a complimentary thirty day membership.

Review: 

A short read in on sitting read.  But this book could be made so much more.  We could investigate the back story of both Jules and Theo.

What we do get is rather delicious and Jules definitely get more than she bargains for.  The sex is well described and not too kinky. This book is about a woman finding a place where she can explore her own sexuality without fear of recrimination and in so doing finds her perfect relationship.

The identity of her ‘dream’ lover was pretty obvious though.  There were a couple of twists when it came to dealing with the perfect relationship but again this was fairly obvious.  These characters present so much potential yet some of they just get fleeting treatment.

As said at the start of this review this reader, in particular, would love to see this novella developed into a full length novel so that more time is given to develop the characters and reveal their history and how they came to be where they were at the point of this story.  I would also have loved to learn more about this relationship and how it developed.

Delicious but too short.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (3 stars)

Those ghosts can make any house unquiet

Blurb:

Mire House is dreary, dark, cold and infested with midges.  But when Emma Dean inherits it from a distant relation, she immediately feels a sense of belonging.

It isn’t long before Charlie Mitchell, a grandson of the original owner, appears claiming that he wants to seek out his family.  But Emma suspects he’s more interested in the house than his long-lost relations.

And when she starts seeing ghostly figures, Emma begins to wonder: is Charlie trying to scare her away, or are there darker secrets lurking in the corners of Mire House?

Review:

This is a gothic novel in the vein of Northanger Abbey about a creepy house and its occupants.  Not my typical pick and this is why Netgalley is so good; it allows you to try genres and books that you would normally try.

I mean who in their right mind would see a remote house once and then remove themselves from their former life (even if that new house was inherited) but that said if she had acted like a normal person there would not be a story!

The prose of this novel was, at times poetic and the story had many fresh original elements that kept the familiar plot original enough to keep this reader entertained, although the pace did stumble to a crawl towards the end. 

The mixing of the different times was intriguing with many twists and turns on the way, and ratchets up the unquiet of this novel to an amazing level of tension, dread, foreboding, and ambiguity to keep the reader guessing, right up to the final reveal or twit which was unexpected to say the least

This book is creepy in every sense of the word and that feeling stayed with me for quite a while after the ending. 

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'it was ok' on Amazon (3 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars)

That bittersweet lemon cake is to die for

Blurb:

Faye Dobson has lost her sparke.  Living on file star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can't help feeling that life is passing her by.  She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars.  But the wrinkles are mitiplying, her husband's passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she'll get to Rome is a take-away pizza.

So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli he can't help but wonder what it would be like to see the world.  He is blond, tanned, ten years younger and bakes the most amazing lemon cake.  Unlike her husband Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles ... Oh. My. God.

But is Faye being silly? what would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him?

Review:

This is a delicious yet bittersweet novel, as the title suggests.  Faye is a women in her middle years (just like this reader) and so I can identify with her wholeheartedly.

Where those characters that are critical to the plot are well developed and the lesser characters are developed to a lesser degree (as it should be).

This novel is laugh out loud funny in so many moments, and there were equally heartfelt moments which this reader identified with.  There were also some moments when the humour was catered more for the adult audience, so be warned if this is not your cup of tea.  Essentially this book can stir emotions like a wooden spoon stirring that lemon cake.

Written at a good pace and the author deals with something what most women have been through yet keep behind closed doors with a light engaging touch.  It is also a reminder that we should not be so complacent with life that we just sit back and let it happen to us.  Rather we need to grab life by the hands and become an active participant.

The ending is excellent.  In short a wonderful read that I found myself lost in.  I will definitely be on the lookout for her other books.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this book 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I really liked it' on Goodreads (4 stars) and 'I Liked it' on Amazon (4 stars).

Bluestockings and Captains Oh My

Blurb:

Captain Xavier Grey's body is back amongst the beau monde, but his mind cannot break free from the horrors of war.  His friends try to help him find peace.  He knows he doesn't deserve it.  Just like he doesn't deserve the attentions of the sultry bluestocking intent on seducing him into bed ...

Spinster Jane Downing wants off the shelf and into the arms of a hot-blooded man.  Specifically, the dark and dangerous Captain Grey.  She may not be destined to be his wife, but nothing will stop her from being his mistress.  She could quote classical Greek by the age of four.  How hard can it be to learn the language of love?

Review:

This is the second (or rather the third) book in the series.  Yet again, can be read as a standalone novel but is a much better read if you have managed to read the other novels first.

I found this particular much more entertaining than the previous one.  This novel is written with great intelligence and the characters have a fantastic wit and humour about them.  The characters are believable and really life-like; and this reader can certainly identify with both.

Without giving too much away, I loved the truth or dare banter in the drawing room.  And the inevitable love scene was delicious.

There was also a brief pause and angst as they realised how much they loved each other and could not live without them.  The proposal was rather unique and brought an out loud ‘awwwwwwww’ from this reader.  Although there is not marriage mentioned here there is an engagement which would inevitably lead to a HEA.  Hopefully the wedding will be featured in a later book.

The story line is not new and follows the formula used for the previous two books but there are elements that make this story vibrant and alive.  One particularly wonderful aspect of the book was the antics of the cat Egui.  These were hilarious as were the results of the repairs Jane had to perform on the Captain’s under shirts.  This reader hopes that Egui will see a welcome return in the later books in the series.

This reader hopes to be offered the opportunity to read the later stories in this series.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 5 stars on netgalley and 'I really liked it' on Goodreads (4 stars).

What happens to the Tide at Night

Blurb:

Blast from the Past ...

Blake Sanders thought he left his Midwestern past behind when he went to UW on a basketball scholarship more than 20 years earlier.  But Keely Radcliffe drags it back into the present when she shows up on Blake's stoop one morning to ask for his help.

Back them, Keely's sister was killed in a lab explosion on a university campus in southern Illinois.  Blake's best friend Perry Langford was arrested and convicted of murder for setting the charge, but Langford always maintained his innocence, claiming someone else blew up the building.  Not even Blake knows what really happened, and he was there, a secret he's kept all this time.  Now Langford is out of prison, and he's gunning for all those he holds responsible for his 20-year stint in stir, including Blake.

A week later, Blake's cop friend Charlie invites him to a backyard barbecue at his folks' house. Masked gunmen burst in on the festivities before the two of them even open a beer.  Charlie and Blake manage to hold off the marauders, but Charlie is wounded, and when the smoke clears Charlie's parents have vanished.

Events begin to snowball, putting Blake on the run from both the shooters and Langford, his childhood friend, and Blake realises they're all related.  Soon the FBI and even naval intelligence officer Reyna Chase are on his tail, too..  whoever planted the bomb 20 years ago is cleaning up loose ends, and the prize they're still seeking after all this time - a revolutionary battery design-is with a fortune, even worth selling out one's own country ... and killing for.

Review:

This book is the second in the series and although it can be read as a stand-alone however, this reader felt as though I was missing something with the constant references to Cole.

Initially I found this book was confusing because the first chapter read like it related to a female where in fact the main character is in fact a male (confused you will be!).  What did make a change to other books was that the main character was the only one written in the first person and the remaining characters were rightfully written in the third person.

The main characters and their relationships are detailed and the back story is revealed piece by piece as the lengthy detailed plot calls for it … which is intriguing.  There are many twists and turns before the culprit is revealed.  Intrigue and danger are rife in this novel.

The principal character is not particularly likeable and he is complicated, certainly flawed ad making do working two menial jobs.  He suffers from ADHD which is only mentioned when it impacts on his and the story.

The author has a lovely turn of phrase but at other times was verbose, especially in the description department.  There are also a great many characters which makes this book difficult to follow.  So much so that at about half way through this reader felt as though there was very little happening and yet the story was still going strong.  It seemed to this reader that it was taking ages to get anywhere with this novel. 

Finally, answers to get answered but this reader found the ending rather a let-down after all that hard work.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'it was ok' on Amazon (3 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).