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.

The Hummingbird's Cage: Tamara Dietrich review

The Hummingbird's Cage

by Tamara Dietrich
Rating: 4 Star

Joanna and Jim seem to be the perfect couple.

He is a respected deputy sheriff and she appears to be a happy, contented wife. Living in Wheeler, New Mexico, US together they have a young daughter called Laurel.

However, behind closed doors Jim is a violent monster. Joanna bears the mental and physical scars from years of his abuse and now lives in constant fear of both her and Laurel's life.

Will a stranger's unexpected offer finally provide a means of escape?

The Undying (The Undying Series): Nathan Reid review

The Undying

By Nathan Reid

Rating: 3 Star

Jeanie and Ben arrive in Paris just in time to celebrate the New Year with their friends. Unfortunately, things soon start to go very wrong with earthquakes, fireballs raining from the sky, and massive devastation spreading across the city. 

Black-Eyed Susans: Julia Heaberlin review

Black-Eyed Susans

By Julia Heaberlin
Rating: 4 Star

A sixteen year old Tessa Cartwright is found in a mass grave in a field in Texas covered by wild flowers called Black-Eyed Susans.

After her miraculous rescue, she is labelled in the media and her local town as 'the lucky one'. Tessa was the only 'susan girl' to have survived the killer.

The Girl Who Broke the Rules: Marnie Richies review

The Girl Who Broke The Rules

by Marnie Richies

Rating: 3 Star

I first picked up this book thinking that it was another in the Stieg Larrson series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 

The Girl Who Broke The Rules by Marinie Richies is not connected with Larrson, but I fans of Larrson may well enjoy this novel as it has many similar aspects, a crazed killer, a dedicated detective, and fast-flowing pace.

Little Black Lies: Sharon Bolton review

Little Black Lies

by Sharon Bolton review

Rating: 4 Star

The tag line of this book really grabbed my attention - what a line!

"We were inseparable... until the day she killed my sons". 

The Eye of Shiva review: Alex Lukeman

The Eye of Shiva

by Alex Lukeman

Rating: 4 Star

"The Eye of Shiva" is number 8 of a series of books focusing on a secret US anti-terrorist team called "The Project" by Alex Lukeman.

The story begins with a raid on a terrorist camp in the Philippines where an ancient gold coin is found. From there, the plot rapidly expands before focusing on a plot to start a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

The Shadow Artist: James Grayson book review

The Shadow Artist 

by James Grayson

Rating: 3.5 Star

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel stars Alex Winter, an experienced CIA operative with an amazing ability to draw photo-realistic pictures from memory.

One day on assignment in London Alex sees the last person on earth she would ever expect. Right there in front of her eyes (just before he jumps into the Thames) is her father who she has believed dead for over 20 years. 

Following on from this revelation Alex finds herself pitched into a complicated international conspiracy against a classic "bond type" villain who is intent on causing havoc in the international currency markets.

"The Shadow Artist" is a fast-moving spy thriller with some well-written characters, dramatic plot turns, and a fast pace. Alex is a great central character, who is well described and has a lot of back story. I look forward to reading more in the series.

Please note: I know that a lot of Spy Thrillers are popular with young adults. This story contained quite a lot of well-written and highly descriptive fight scenes and one particularly tough torture scene. Caution advised before reading from that perspective.

Passenger 19: Ward Larsen book review

Passenger 19

by Ward Larsen

Rating: 4 Star

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

NTSB investigator and former pilot Jammer Davis is faced with the toughest assignment of his life when he is asked to investigate the disappearance of a passenger airliner over dense jungle in Colombia which was also carrying his daughter.

We follow widower Davis through the plot at breakneck speed as he rushes to Colombia to find his daughter and solve the mystery behind the crash.

If you liked the Taken movies you'll certainly enjoy this action-packed thriller. Jammer is a determined character who will stop at nothing to find his daughter.

He pushes and shoves his way through anything or anyone slowing down his search, and despite some of the scenes pushing my willing suspension of disbelief a little bit, it was a great read that I zoomed through really quickly.

A trained aircraft investigator himself, Larsen adds a lot of detail about the air crash investigation into this novel and also describes the jungle areas of Colombia in a lot of detail. This novel might also appeal to anyone who likes Tom Clancy's style novel of fact & fiction combined within a story.

Authors website: Ward Larsen

Dead Drop: Jesse Miles Review

Dead Drop

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Dead Drop is the first novel from Jesse Miles and as is a very fast paced Mystery/Thriller novel. I rated it 4 Stars.

Jack Salvo is a Los-Angeles based private investigator who also teaches part time at a local college as a Professor of Philosophy. This combination gives his character in the novel quite a unique outlook on life and I really liked him as a character. His investigations actually seemed realistic

Shortly into the novel Jack is hired by an Aerospace company to start investigating a case of suspected embezzlement. Jack finds the first culprit very quickly and thinks that the case is all wrapped up before he discovers evidence of a far greater-reaching mystery lurking underneath the surface.

From there on, the plot quickly increases in pace and scope as Jack works through each layer of the case with the assistance of Lilith Lin, a security expert at the Aerospace company. Soon Jack and Lilith find themselves wrapped up in an international conspiracy with their own lives at stake.

Dead Drop was a great fast moving plot with good dialogue and very detailed descriptions of Los Angeles. I look forward to reading more of Jesse Miles' work.

Life or Death: Michael Robotham Review

Life or Death

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story starts with a compelling question:

Why would convicted robber (Audie Palmer), suddenly choose to escape prison after 10 years of confinement, one day before he's due to be released?

So begins the exploration of Audie Palmer's background and the history behind the $7 million dollar robbery that sent him to jail and killed 3 others.

As Michael Robotham develops the story via a richly described series of flashbacks told from individual character perspectives we learn that there is much more at stake than the robbery haul. Audie is keeping a promise that he made 10 years ago and now time, and the odds of success, both seem to be against him.

This story flows at a very fast pace and has enough twists to make you want to read further at the end of each chapter. I really liked Audie Palmer's character in this story and the other main protagonists; Sheriff Ryan Valdez, FBI Agent Desiree Furness, and fellow prisoner Moss Webster. 

I have seen several comparisons made to the Shawshank Redemption in other reviews due to the friendship between Audie and Moss in prison and if you liked that or other novels of that genre then I would definitely recommend this.

Life or Death was an excellent read, and it warranted a very rare 5 out of 5 rating from me, I simply couldn't put this novel down and finished it within a few days.

To learn more about Michael Robotham visit his web page here: http://www.michaelrobotham.com/

The Devil Will Come: Glenn Cooper - Review

The Devil Will Come 

This is the second Glenn Cooper novel that I've read and I have really enjoyed them both.

"The Devil Will Come" is an archaeological and religious thriller which pits the Church against a secretive organisation known as the "Lemures" who are intent on its destruction. 

When the current pope dies and the Vatican begins the process of appointing a new Pontif, the Lemures set in motion an evil plan to fulfil an ancient prophecy and destory their arch enemy once and for all.

Given that the novel is set largely in Rome and the Vatican, and that the main character Elizabetta Celestino is a Nun, the theme of religion does flow throughout the plot, but this is first and foremost a thriller set within a religious context.

I liked the main character Elizabetta Celestino and thought she was a well rounded and strong character. Elizabetta, a former archaeology student turned Nun who uses her skills as a scientist and her access to the Vatican archives to expose the Lemures conspiracy before it is too late.

Glenn Cooper has weaved together a conspiracy that spans centuries in this novel. If you enjoyed Dan Brown's "Robert Langdon" novels or similar works then I'd definitely recommend this.

I obtained a preview version of this novel for review viahttp://www.netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.