Cold Christmas: Alastair Gunn review

Cold Christmas (Antonia Hawkins #4) 

By: Alastair Gunn
Rating: 3 Star

DCI Antonia Hawkins is investigating a series of murders where there is no sign of any external trauma on the bodies. On top of that, things are not going well in her relationship with fellow officer DI Mike Maguire.

How is the murderer killing their victims and what connects the victims?

One of Us is Lying: Karen M McManus review

One of Us is Lying

By: Karen M McManus
Rating: 4 Star

An unusual whodunnit set amongst a high school setting, One of Us is Lying focuses on the unexpected death of a student in detention, and the investigation to find out who killed him.

The Last Dog on Earth: Adrian Walker review

The Last Dog on Earth

By: Adrian Walker
Rating: 3 Star

Adrian Walker's debut novel 'The End of the World Running Club' was one of my favourite books of 2016 so I was delighted to get an early copy of his new title 'The Last Dog on Earth' for review via NetGalley.

The Last Dog on Earth is set in London in the not too distant future.

Its main characters are Lineker, the faithful and world-weary dog and former electrician Reginald. They live together in a nearly deserted London.

Sycamore Row: John Grisham review

Sycamore Row

By: John Grisham
Rating: 3 Star

Sycamore Row is set in the fictional Ford County, Mississippi and is the same setting for the earlier novel by Grisham A Time To Kill.

Sycamore Row focuses on a legal battle over a Will made by a local businessman Seth Hubbard shortly before he kills himself.

Was he in his right mind when he leaves his entire fortune to his housekeeper Lettie Lang?

The Light Between Oceans - ML Steadman Review

The Light Between Oceans

By: M.L Stedman

Rating: 4 Stars

The Light Between Oceans tells the story about an Australian lighthouse keeper and his wife who have their world turned upside one day when a boat containing a body and a baby wash up on their island.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman Review

The Graveyard Book

By: Neil Gaiman
Rating: 4 Star

I have read several Neil Gaiman books over the years and have so far always enjoyed them.

This is a story about Nobody Owens, a boy who grows up in a graveyard with only ghosts for company after a mysterious stranger murders his entire family.

The Phoenix Project: D.M. Cain review

The Phoenix Project

By: D.M. Cain

Rating: 4 Star

The Phoenix Project is set in a future where the government has come up with an innovative solution to keep prison populations down. 

A new type of prison is currently on trial in Salverford where prisoners fight to the death, on television, as public entertainment.

Wool: Hugh Howey review

Wool

By: Hugh Howey
Rating: 5 Star

Wool and its follow on novels, Shift, and Dust enjoy a huge following. Wool is the first of the series.

Set in an unspecified future, Wool follows the story of a group of people forced to live permanently inside a gigantic Silo.

See You in the Cosmos: Jack Cheng review

See You in the Cosmos

By: Jack Cheng
Rating: 4 Star



Alex Petroski is a space-obsessed eleven year old who narrates his story via a series of recordings on his iPod.

He plans to launch this into space on a rocket so that aliens can one day learn what life is like on Earth.

His faithful companion is his dog Carl Sagan (named after the famous astronomer) and they are about to embark on the adventure of their lives, covering Colorado, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and Los Angeles.

Spoils: Brian Van Reet review

Spoils

By: Brian Van Reet
Rating: 5 Star

Spoils is the debut novel from author Brian Van Reet.

The story is set in the early stages of the Gulf War in 2003. The plot centres around US Specialist Soldier Cassandra Wigheard and her deployment in Iraq. During her deployment, Cassandra is captured by mujahideen fighters and held hostage.

Written in Bones: James Oswald review

Written in Bones

By: James Oswald
Rating: 3 Star

Written in Bones opens dramatically with the gruesome murder of Bill Chalmers, an ex-policeman turned drug kingpin who is found dead high up in a tree in the Meadows, Edinburgh.

Detective Inspector McLean is called in to investigate the murder and the more immediate question of how the body ended up being dropped from the sky.

Theodore Boone: The Fugitive: Theodore Boone: John Grisham review

Theodore Boone: The Fugitive: Theodore Boone 

By: John Grisham
Rating: 3 Star

I didn't initially realise until recently that John Grisham had a new series of books aimed at a young adult audience.

When I first started reading The Fugitive though, I could immediately tell that it had been written for a totally different audience than 'A Time to Kill'.

Earworm: A Novel about the Music Industry: Sean McManus review

Earworm: A Novel about the Music Industry

By: Sean McManus
Rating: 4 Star

Simon and Fred are working hard to make it big with their band -they just need a way to get recognised by the music industry and make their name known.

However, music buying patterns have changed, and the small record labels have all been bought up by Bigg records. This means that the chances of Simon and Fred 'making it' are getting slimmer all of the time.

Missing, Presumed (A DS Manon Thriller): Susie Steiner review

Missing, Presumed (A DS Manon Thriller)

By: Susie Steiner
Rating: 4 Star

This novel starts with the apparent disappearance of Cambridge student Edith Hinds. 

Her front door has been left open, there is blood on the floor and her wallet, phone, and passport have all been left behind.

Stealing Snow: review

Stealing Snow

By: Danielle Paige

Rating: 2 Star

17-year-old snow has been incarcerated in the Whittaker Secure Mental institute for most of her life. 

The regime there is bleak, routine, and full of anguish for Snow as she is kept away from her one true sole mate Bale (who is also a patient there).

The Smoke Hunter: Jacquelyn Benson review

The Smoke Hunter

By: Jacquelyn Benson
Rating: 3 Star

Set in London 1898, The Smoke Hunter follows the story of Eleanora Mallory who finds a mysterious necklace and secret map to a lost South American civilization one day at work (as you do).