Angel by LJ Ross

I would like to thank the author for an advanced review copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I have been such a huge fan of the previous three books in the DCI Ryan series, Holy Island, Sycamore Gap and Heavenfield, but LJ Ross has really out done herself with Angel, which is by far the best book in the series so far. 

Angel brings us back to DCI Ryan, this time on Good Friday morning, when Ryan and the rest of his team get a call to say that a red headed woman has been buried in a shallow grave, arrranged as an Angel in one of Newcastle's biggest graveyards.  But nothing ever runs smoothly for DCI Ryan and team and soon they have more bodies fitting the description being found dead and being reported missing in equal measure.  With the women being buried under the cover of darkness and no sign of forced entry to the graveyards in question, the team make links between the murders and the Catholic Church.  Once again the question is can Ryan and the rest of the team bring these women to justice and catch the killer before he can take more lives.

Angel can be read as a standalone novel, but I highly suggest that you read the rest of the series, so you can properly acquaint yourself with DCI Ryan.  

LJ Ross has a writing style like no other author that I know.  She has the ability to throw in twists and turns without you even realising that she has done so.  So much happens in such a short space of time, but unlike other books I have read where the same happens, I am able to follow what happens in the DCI Ryan series perfectly.  In fact, I get so caught up in the books in this series that I hardly blink while I am reading them in case I miss something important.  No matter how many times you try to guess what is going to happen, the book takes a completely different direction, which takes your thoughts back to the drawing board once more.

I cannot praise this series, but especially this book enough.  I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and I didn't want to put the book down even for a second.  The ending was a huge surprise to me and I am glad that I have High Force, the next book in the series sitting on my bookshelf, so I don't have to wait too long to find out what happens next. 

This is the kind of series where even if there was 80 DCI Ryan novels, it would never be enough.  I adore this series and I love all the characters.  I cannot get enough of this author and her amazing writing style.  I have become so invested in this series that I am always waiting for my next fix.  I cannot express enough how amazing this series is and I can't find the words to recommend it enough. 

5 stars

My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon

I would like to thank the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Shamefully, I have to admit that despite there being three Jane Fallon books sitting on my bookshelf, My Sweet Revenge is the first Jane Fallon book that I have actually read and I am pleased to say that I loved it.

Paula feels her life is incomplete in a way.  She has a famous actor for a husband, who gets recognised by old ladies everywhere he goes and a daughter who is about to leave home to study medicine at college.  On paper, Paula's family is perfect.  But Paula feels that she's let herself go, she doesn't know how or why she has put on so much weight and she is at the point where she is nearly afraid to look in the mirror.  The one thing she did get right though was her family, or so she thought until a text message comes through to her husband, Robert's, phone, signally that he is having an affair with one of his co-stars. But Paula has decided that she won't go down without a fight and pledges to make her husband fall back in love with her, so she can leave him and break his heart.

As the book went on, I started to admire Paula more and more.  That doesn't means that I necessarily agree with what she was doing, but Paula proved herself to be strong and independent where other women would have fallen down in a crying wreck.  The way that Paula took control of her life and started making changes for herself, was what I admired the most about her, because she was letting nothing come in the way of her goal.

Paula, Robert, Robert's mistress and on screen wife Saskia, and her husband Josh are the main characters in My Sweet Revenge.  The lies and scandal that goes on with these characters throughout the book make My Sweet Revenge the funny, quirky novel that it is. I laughed and cried along with these characters and I sometimes even cried laughing at them.  

I have not read a book as funny and charming as My Sweet Revenge in a very long time and I really needed the laughter that it provided me with.  I instantly fell in love with Jane Fallon's easy way of writing and the story just flowed. I loved that she has thrown the odd twist and turn in there too, that really kept me on my toes when reading this book.

My Sweet Revenge has exceeded my expectations and I am so looking forward to discovering the author's previous books.  This book is laugh out loud funny and I can't recommend it enough.  You will not regret reading it! 

4 stars

You can buy My Sweet Revenge here.

Heavenfield by LJ Ross

Thank you to the author, LJ Ross, for providing me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Heavenfield is the third book in the DCI Ryan series, that I have grown to love so much.  Set in Newcastle, Heavenfield brings us back all of the character that we know and love from the previous two installments.  The book starts with a man being found dead by DCI Ryan in a remote church, known as Heavenfield.  As DCI Ryan is  the only person for miles around, he soon finds himself arrested in suspicion of murder.  Add this to the trouble Ryan in already in from a previous investigation, which led to him being suspended from his job, and things are not looking good for the police officer.  Not only does Ryan have to fight to clear his name, but also to try to bring whoever is committing the crimes around him to justice.  But when the person who is committing all of the murders that have been happening in the area, sets their sights on Ryan being the next victim, Ryan and his team have to work fast to try to uncover just who is executing all of the murders and if they can be stopped before they take another victim.

I fell in love with this series when I read the first two books, so I'm not sure what kept me from reading this book for so long.  Heavenfield is every bit as good as Holy Island and Sycamore Gap, with twists and turns thrown in along the way to keep you guessing.  The minute I opened this book, it's like a hand popped out the page, grabbed me and pulled me into the book!  I lived every bit of this book, and what a rollercoaster of a journey it is.  Just when I thought I had all of the pieces of the puzzle put together something happened in the book that proved me wrong.  My brain was working overtime trying to guess what was going to happen, and no matter how many guesses I made, I never came anywhere near close to the truth.

While Heavenfield can be read as stand alone, I highly suggest that you read Holy Island and Sycamore Gap first so that you can really the series.  After reading this book in less than twenty four hours, it is easy to see why this series is doing so well and is getting such great reviews.  LJ Ross is one of the most talented crime writers that I have come across, with her ability to keep you on the edge of your seat and always coming up with a nail biting final chapter.

Everything about this novel was a winner, the pace was perfectly set and the tone of story is dark and mysterious, even though there are some moments when I couldn't help but smile.  What hits me the most about these novels though, is how the author can pick a location and describe it so very well in her writing.  A simple google took me to images of the church and the area and they are just what I imagined them to be.  The fact that these novels are set in such remote places really sets the scene for the story and this along with the characters, make this novel and the series a true winner.

Not only this instalment, but the whole series is full of mystery, wonder and suspense and is truly one of the best series that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.  I can't to sink my teeth into the next two instalments of the DCI Ryan series to see what twists and turns await me.

Heavenfield is a fast paced, crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning to the nail biting end.  I really cannot recommend this series enough.

You can but the book here.

Blog Tour: Burned and Broken by Mark Haddie

Burned and Broken opened with one of the most graphic and horrific scenes that I have ever read.  The book opens with DI Sean Carragher burning to death in his car.  His body is found, burnt beyond all recognition.  Meanwhile a vulnerable young girl, fresh out of the care system is trying to get to the bottom of why her friend was killed.  As DS Frank Pearson and DC Catherine Russell from the Essex Police Major Investigation Team are brought in to solve the mystery that surrounds their colleague's death, they're under intense pressure to crack the case without damaging the force's reputation.  When a dramatic turn of events shed light on both cases, it is up to DS Pearson and DS Russell to piece the puzzle together and try their best to bring both their colleague and the young girl to justice.

There was something about this book that was so dark and so haunting about this book that it left me entranced.  It really is one of the hardest books that I have ever read in terms of graphics and gore, but it was so well written and edge of your seat good that I loved it anyway.

The characters were very relatable.  I can't believe that this a debut novel because it has the style of someone who has been writing novels for many years.  Burned and Broken just flows easily and even though the story does jump in places, it is very easy to follow.

There was simply no way that I was going to be able to guess what happened in this book and the twists and turns were coming so fast that I felt like I was on a rollarcoaster.  Burned and Broken is one of the best thrillers that I have ever read, with its fast pace keeping me interested for the duration of the book.  I'm still very new to crime novels and thrillers, but the more I seem to read, the more I am realising how much I like this genre.  This book stands out from the crowd when it comes to this genre and I will have problem reading his work again, likewise, I will have problem recommending it.

I would like to thank the publisher for my copy of this book in return for an honest review as part of the blog tour.

Blog Tour: Relativity by Antonia Hayes

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure if it was for me.  I was worried that this book was for a more mature audience, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  It's easy to see why this book has been receiving such rave reviews, as it is really very hard to put down and I found myself reading this book in one sitting.

Relativity tell the story of Claire, a single mother to twelve year old Ethan.  After suffering a brain injury at just four months old, Ethan's future was never certain, but he has recovered remarkably well, exceeding all expectations and is a genius when it comes to physics and astronomy.  The book also introduces us to Mark, Ethan's estranged father who is returning home to be with his dying father after being absent from his life for many years.  As well as focusing in family, Relativity also focuses on friendships in the form of Ethan and Allison, a friend that he has made while he was in hospital. 

Relativity shows the relationships between family members and how they react to one another.  It also has a string focus in friendships as I have already mentioned.  Throughout the book we see relationships being formed, especially when it comes to Ethan, with us seeing him striking up a friendship with Allison and also getting into contact with his father.  However, for a book with relationships at its core, it also focuses on heartbreaking subjects, which I won't go into, because I don't want to spoil the story for future readers, but it makes for some very hard reading towards the end.

This is not my usual kind of read and I really should not have liked this book, going by my usual reads, but I absolutely loved it.  The author really pulled off this story, with the themes and emotions complementing each other brilliantly.  I can see that this book is one that is going to take the world by storm.  Relativity is beautifully written and absolutely heart-wrenching at the same time.  I loved everything about this book and I really cannot recommend it enough.

I would like to thank the publishers for a copy of this novel in return for an honest review as part of the relativity Blog Tour.

The Year of Saying Yes Part 1: It Started with a Dare by Hannah Doyle

Even though I've only read the first part of this four part series, I am already completely in love with it.  The Year of Saying Yes, Part 1, is a breath of fresh air, that made me laugh and smile the whole way through it.  While I would have loved to have been able to sit down and devour all four parts of this story in one go, I am happy in the knowledge that I have three more installments of this little gem to enjoy in the future.

In Part 1 of The Year of Saying Yes, we meet Izzy, who finds herself spending every New Year writing down the same list of resolutions and never actually seeing them through.  This year she is determined to stick to her resolutions and she plans on doing this by saying Yes to new experiences instead of saying no to things.  With this in mind, she sees a way that she can forward her career while sticking to her new year resolutions.  Each month Izzy will be set challenges by members of the public that will see her say yes to something that she would not otherwise have done. Part 1 of the series sees Izzy complete these challenges for January, February and March.  

I can't remember the last time that I enjoyed a story or a character as much as this one and I was disappointed that I had to stop reading after part 1.  I can't wait to get my hands on the next three installments of this story, so I can catch up with Izzy and find out what she did next.

Hannah Doyle has really made an impression on me, as she pulled me into the story and kept me thoroughly entertained throughout with her effortless style of writing, that was also laugh out loud funny.  The Year of Saying Yes is a perfect pick me up read for these long, dreary January days and will put a huge smile on the readers face.

I really can't recommend this series enough and I am so looking forward to getting my hands on the next three installments.  I read a lot of books in this genre and a lot of them can be hit and miss, but what I have read of this series so far has made a huge impression on me and I will telling anyone who will listen to me, just how great this story really is.

I would like to thank Frances at Headline for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

You can buy this book here.

BLOG TOUR: The Dry by Jane Harper

When I started reading this book, I really wasn't sure if it was for me.  I started to steal ten minutes with it here and there for a while, until I got to about page 50 and then I no longer had trouble with picking up the book, the trouble was with putting it down.  Set in Australia, in what is the biggest drought the country has seen in many many years, the rural town of Kiewarra has bigger problems to face then the drought.  After fleeing the town two decades earlier with his father, after being accused of murdering his friend and girlfriend at the time, Policeman, Aaron Fauk makes a return to the town to attend the funeral of his one best friend, Luke Hadler.  Hadler is accused of murdering both his wife Karen and their six year old son Billy, before turning the gun in himself.  The only surviving member of the Hadler family is Luke and Karen's thirteen month old daughter, Charlotte, who has now been placed in the care of Luke's mother and father.  But there is a reason that Fauk hasn't returned to his hometown before now, as many of its residents are certain that he murdered Ellie Deacon twenty years ago and are setting out to ensure that he knows he is no longer in the town.  After seeing how the accusations made against his childhood friend is affecting the family members that he has left behind, Fauk finds himself opening an investigation into what happened to the Hadler family and more importantly, who.  But in the midst of this investigation, Fauk may just find the answers he has waited twenty years to hear in relation to the death of Ellie Deacon.

After finishing this book, it is very easy to see how the film rights have already been sold.  The Dry was written to be adapted into a film and, in my opinion, has all the right ingredients to make it a huge blockbuster.  The suspense in The Dry is second to none, and I have never read a book that has had me on the edge of my seat like this one has.  Jane Harper keeps the story moving at a brilliant pace and keeps the suspense up, only to break it down again, when you realise that the story is moving in a completely different direction that the one you thought it was going to take.

There was many shocks for me when it came to reading this book, but the biggest shock was not contained within the story or the pages.  The biggest shock for me is that this book is Jane Harper's debut novel, because the style of the writing is what you would expect from someone who has been dishing out a novel a year for a couple of decades.  I am so looking forward to seeing what else Jane Harper has up her sleeve, when it comes to future books.

The Dry is a harrowing story, that is full to the brim of twists and turns and that keeps the reader thoroughly entertained and on the edge of their seat.  I had this novel devoured in a few short hours and I am finding it nearly impossible to find the words to do this book justice.  The characters all seems so real and I felt as if I was watching this on a documentary rather than reading a work of fiction, they were all so very well developed. 

The setting for the story is very unique and spellbinding.  While this book could be set anywhere at all in the world, the fact that it is set in Australia in the height of a drought adds to the suspense of the story.  

I can not recommend this book enough.  It's my second read of the year, but is definitely a front runner for my book of 2017.