Tag: Crime Thriller

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New Thriller Series Reveal! Available Now!

Today, it is something a little different. There’s a thriller series I think you should see.

First, check out the covers.

George McKenzie series

Now, how about some descriptions and buy links? Just click on the title if the description of the book moves you!

The George McKenzie series follows George, criminologist, and the most kickass heroine you’ll find since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Over the course of five books, she faces some of the worst killers around… but doesn’t hesitate to pursue justice and help save the innocent.

  • The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die: after a bomb goes off in a university campus, George McKenzie, criminology student, is recruited to help Detective Paul van den Bergen work the case. But is it terrorism… or something even worse?
  • The Girl Who Broke the Rules: women are dying on the streets of Amsterdam. And to get answers, George McKenzie will have to face jailed serial killer Dr. Silas Holm. But is she walking into his trap?
  • The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows: a killer called Jack Frost is stalking the shadows, leaving no trace behind… Only George McKenzie and Detective Paul van den Bergen can crack the case… and its strange link to the tragic disappearance of two children.
  • The Girl Who Had No Fear: when George McKenzie receives a plea for help from the father she’s not seen since she was a small child, she’ll stop at nothing to find him and get answers after years of silence. No matter the risks…
  • The Girl Who Got Revenge: someone is killing Amsterdam’s war heroes. As George and Detective Van den Bergen investigate, they realize that the sins of the past cast long shadows…

So, what do you think? Here’s a bit about the author – just so you know you’re getting a good thing in this series!

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Twitter: Marnie_Riches

Author Bio:

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in north Manchester. Exchanging the spires of nearby Strangeways prison for those of Cambridge University, she gained a Masters in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist and professional fundraiser.

Her best-selling, award-winning George McKenzie crime thrillers were inspired by her own time spent in The Netherlands. Dubbed the Martina Cole of the North, she has also authored a series about Manchester’s notorious gangland as well as two books in a mini-series featuring quirky northern PI Bev Saunders.

Detective Jackson Cooke is Marnie’s latest heroine to root for, as she hunts down one of the most brutal killers the north west has ever seen at devastating personal cost.

When she isn’t writing gritty, twisty crime thrillers, Marnie also regularly appears on BBC Radio Manchester, commenting on social media trends and discussing the world of crime fiction. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Salford University’s Doctoral School and a tutor for the Faber Novel Writing Course.

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Little Bones (Gibney)-BoT-Crime Thriller -Available Now

Lottie Parker is back for her tenth (wow!) crime investigation. At this point, faithful readers know what to expect from one of her investigations, and it’s safe to say that you’ll get what you expect.

But, as always, this can be read as a standalone also, because the author does a great job of giving enough information for a new reader not to be lost while keeping old readers “in the loop.”

That being said (again, as always), if you know the history from the past books, you’ll understand the relationships and have a better grasp of the characters’ motivations. You don’t need them, but they greatly enhance the story.

Lottie’s investigations walk the line between being just this side of “ripped from the headlines.” I don’t mean that in terms of you could find these stories in the news. I just mean that they’re realistic and intricate, just like a real-life investigation would be.

The team works together efficiently, although I didn’t feel like Lottie was as strong as she has been in the past few books.

I’m chalking that up to personal reasons because there are big things going on in her life in this book. Both she and Boyd have been through the wringer lately and just when you think things might even out for them…well, you’ll have to read it to know what happens.

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As I mentioned, the case itself is good. I will say that it involves kids and abuse – so if those are triggers for anyone, be warned. But any good crime thriller needs to have absolute villains…it doesn’t get viler than that.

There were a few times this felt formulaic, but I think it was more that I was familiar with the characters and had expectations that were met rather than the author being boring and calling it in. The latter was not the case at all.

With any series that reaches a certain point, there are going to be times that a consistent reader will feel like they’ve seen it before. To me, it just means that the author is doing their job.

Standalone or series fan, this entry can appeal to anyone. And with Lottie’s personal cliffhanger, I look forward to seeing where it all goes in the future.

FACEBOOK: trisha460
INSTAGRAM: patricia_gibney_author
TWITTER: trisha460

About the author

Patricia is the million-copy bestselling author of the DI Lottie Parker series. She yearned to be a writer after reading Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene and even wanted to be Nancy Drew when she grew up. She has now grown up (she thinks) but the closest she’s come to Nancy Drew is writing crime!

In 2009, after her husband died, she retired from her job and started writing seriously. Fascinated by people and their quirky characteristics, she always carries a notebook to scribble down observations.

Patricia also loves to paint in watercolour and lives in the Irish midlands with her children.

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What She Did (Kovach)-BoT-Crime Thriller-Available Now

I think it is admirable when an author has a well-liked series but decides to give something else a try. It’s easy to stay with the familiar, and much harder to strike out in a new direction, because you run the risk of alienating a fan base.

The author has a popular crime-thriller series (Gina Harte), but this is a standalone novel is part crime thriller, part psych thriller. Wisely, the heroine in this novel is quite the opposite of Gina, which is one reason I think this is a successful attempt.

Marissa experienced a horrific event when she was a child and then was put in another awful situation. This has essentially laid the course of her life. She blends in, is invisible, and prefers not to be noticed. However, somebody has been paying closer attention to her than she knows…and that’s not good.

Especially when people connected to Marissa start turning up dead. And she has no real memories of the time frames when the crimes occurred.

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This book almost ends up being more of a psychological twist on the reader than on the characters. I thought the author did a great job of making Marissa non-descript to the point where she almost was invisible. That’s how I think she saw herself, but it’s also how I took her in the bigger picture.

There are periodic flashback chapters from various past events in Marissa’s life as well. At first, they seem to be unrelated or simple background for her character, but as the plot picks up, the reader sees that there is more to them than meets the eye.

I don’t want to say too much more because of my dislike of plot spoilers. Let’s just say that everything happens for a reason in this book. Sometimes there are red herrings or false leads. I really didn’t get any of those because ones that seemed like it, well….

Yeah, I’m thisclose to giving something away.

But as Marissa uncovers the secrets of her past, the reader will start to see where things are connected. And just when you think both you and Marissa have things figured out, you probably don’t.

I enjoyed this book by letting it just take me for the ride. I would recommend it to anyone willing to do the same.   

Facebook: CarlaKovachAuthor/
Twitter:  @ckovachauthor
Instagram:  carla_kovach/

Author Bio

Carla started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre.

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Never Saw Me Coming (Kurian)-Blog Tour-Thriller-Available Now

This has to be one of the most interesting books I have read in recent memory.

Not only did it have twists and turns, and a feeling of foreboding, but it has one of the most anti-heroine protagonists I’ve ever “met.”

It’s quite the strange feeling to know that a character really isn’t nice and is in fact a diagnosed psychopath bent on revenge…and still root for her.

That’s the genius of Chloe. We know from the beginning that she is no good as she tells us right off what her plans are. But then the plot continues, and things get more involved, you can’t help but root for her.

So weird.

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Anyway, that’s another remarkable aspect of this book. I mean, where else does a murder plot take second and third fiddle to the plight of a group of psychopaths?

I’m probably not doing a good job of talking this book up, but it’s difficult because I loved experiencing it on my own, without thinking about what other people thought. And I want others to have this experience.

That being said, there’s a lot that goes on that I can’t even begin to relate accurately because the plot is twisted. It’s part cat and mouse, part revenge, part college-life…and all of the parts work together to make one page-turner of a plot.

I thought that the interactions between Andre, Charles, and Chloe were intriguing because they all approached the issues from different perspectives and with varying amounts of fervor.

I also found Andre to be an interesting character. I don’t want to give anything away, but in some ways, I think he was possibly the most psychopathic of all. But I can’t say why. And I wish the author had done a little bit more with his character.

I did think there were a few missed moments, such as the Halloween party. The catalyst for the major twist came late in the story and felt very rushed. I would have loved a bit more detail and more hints about it earlier on. And I’m not quite sure about the end. It felt abrupt.

Regardless, the book still held me enthralled, and I would certainly recommend it. Just be prepared to root for someone who you probably should be rooting against.

Social Links:
Author Website
Twitter: @vera_kurian
Insta: @verakurianauthor
Goodreads

Vera Kurian is a psychologist and writer and a longtime resident of Washington DC. She has a doctorate in social psychology, specializing in intergroup relations, political ideology, and quantitative methods. She has studied fiction at Breadloaf, Sewanee, VONA, and attended juried workshops at LitCamp, Colgate, Juniper, and the Marlboro Summer Writing Intensive. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was a semifinalist for the Mark Twain Royal Nonesuch Humor Writing Contest.

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Her Deadly Touch (Regan)-BoT-Crime Thriller-Available Now

Josie Quinn is back for her 12th book, and she just keeps moving forward.

That’s something that I notice in series that have this kind of longevity. Does the main character stay static, or do they continue to grow as a real-life person would?

And let me just say that I think either is okay. For example, books like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone are good. Kinsey is who she is – she doesn’t often have a personal arc, but it doesn’t matter; you know she is going to get the job done.

But if an author is going to create a realistic character and give them real-life problems to deal with, then they better show some growth and react to things like a normal person.

Josie Quinn definitely does that.

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Fresh off the trauma she suffered, she is immediately thrust into another creepy case. This time (as you can read in the blurb) someone is killing off members of a support group. What makes it especially poignant (and particularly eerie) is that the group was made up of parents whose children died in a horrible school bus crash.

As with past books, there are multiple characters to follow, but I never felt confused – well, at least not too much. I thought the author did a good job of keeping the families of the children straight, especially as it was revealed that they each seemed to be hiding something.

One aspect I really like about the books in this series is that they read like episodes from a favorite television crime show. There is enough detail that I can easily visualize the action, but everything moves along at a good pace and doesn’t get bogged down.

My standard for books is to not give plot points away unless they’re already covered by the blurb (and my feelings on that are well-known to anyone who has read my reviews). That’s especially true of crime novels.

Suffice to say that once again, the author weaves a credible case with believable turns and switches. It’s very true to real-life investigations.

As mentioned above, I like how Josie continues to develop, and the end (with no spoilers) indicates that will continue to progress in the future.

I look forward to reading about it.

Facebook: LisaReganCrimeAuthor 
Twitter: @Lisalregan
Website: https://lisaregan.com/
Instagram: lisareganauthor/

Author Bio:

Lisa Regan is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series. Lisa is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S. with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.

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One Left Behind (Kovach)-BoT-Crime Thriller-Available Now

I’ve read several of the books in this series, so I thought I knew what to expect in this one (book #9). I was partially right about some of it, totally wrong in my expectations in other ways.

I like how the author picks right up where the action left off from the previous book but also doesn’t dwell too much on detailing past plot points. There are enough references that somebody new to the series wouldn’t be too lost. Usually.

In this case, however, there are some things from Gina’s past that make reappearances and take more of a central focus. In fact, pretty much most of Gina’s personal life is wrapped up in these points in this book.

In some ways, it felt a little bit long in the tooth, because the event in question has been examined at length in past books. And Gina is still dealing with it.

I think I understand the reasons that the author brought it back into focus in a particular manner because there were similarities with the police case Gina was working on. The things that kept occurring made for blurred lines between professional and personal, and caused Gina to steer her investigation in several directions.

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Audible:
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The case itself was okay. I don’t know if it was because teenagers were the main characters or if the story just didn’t grab me, but I didn’t feel the pop that I have felt from past cases with Gina.

Maybe because teenagers always seem to have so many secrets from adults to begin with, it was difficult to understand and get behind the lies and secrets from this group? I’m not sure. Maybe it would have been better if they were adults.

I did like how the characters were human. For example, PC Kapoor still has scars from the last story but is working through them, and the visual scars are lasting longer than the mental ones (supposedly). There is great continuity to be found in these characters and their work.

All in all, I suppose this is a good entry in the series, but not the best of stories. I’ll still look forward to the next outing by Gina Harte, though, because I want to see where her relationship goes with her daughter, and I have become invested in the characters.  

Facebook: CarlaKovachAuthor/
Twitter: ckovachauthor
Instagram: carla_kovach/

Author Bio: Carla Kovach is a crime and horror author from Worcestershire. Her most popular work, the DI Gina Harte series is published by Bookouture. As well as books, she also writes stage and screenplays

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Cross My Heart (Hood)-BoT-Serial Killer Thriller-Available Now

By this point (book 12!), you would think that we would be familiar enough with Detectives Kane and Alton that things would feel familiar and comforting, right?

Wrong!

While there is a lot that you can take for granted (especially if you’ve read any number of the previous 11 books) this author has a talent for upping the game each time, making every new installment seem just as fresh as the previous one.

It’s a tough task, especially in a series with this kind of longevity, but I’m always impressed with the author’s ability to keep things moving and non-repetitive.

I’ve made clear in the past how I sometimes have trouble writing reviews of crime thrillers. I truly think they’re best experienced if people come into them knowing as little as possible. I know that others don’t share my opinion, and they often mention spoilers or other bits that can ruin a twist or surprise.

You won’t get that here.

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I will say that if you’ve read the past books in the series, you may feel a sense of déjà vu about this one. There’s good reason for it, but don’t for a second think that you will get a rehash of the earlier book.

The author does a stellar job of making everything old seem new again. Yes, there are familiar faces and events, but it doesn’t feel repetitive. The author uses Jenna’s personal growth as a starting point for how she deals with everything this time around.

This is also one of the more atmospheric stories of the series. I’m not sure if it’s because it is set around Halloween? That’s one of those things that can instantly put me in a spooky frame of mind – or at least be more open to the spookiness of what would otherwise be normal events.

As with past books as well, we get alternating points of view throughout. I really enjoy how the author manages to get into the mind of the villain – it gives insight to the motivations as well adding an extra layer of creepiness.

I can’t say it enough times: these stories never get old, and the author outdoes herself each time. As always, even though it can be read as a standalone, this one, in particular, would be best if you’ve read the previous books.

So, go out and grab them first! 😊

Facebook: dkhoodauthor
Twitter: @DKHood_Author
Instagram: d.k.hood/ 

Author Bio:

D.K Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and Amazon Bestselling Author of The Kane and Alton Series. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Australian Crime Writers Association, and Sisters in Crime Australia.

D.K. lives very quietly with her husband enjoys her beautiful garden filled with birds and water dragons. The dogs and cats in her stories are reminiscent of her wonderful companions. Website: http://www.dkhood.com/

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A Cut for a Cut (Wyer)-Blog Tour-Crime Thriller-Available Now

Just when I think Natalie Ward is my favorite investigator, along comes Detective Kate Young. I thought the introduction of this character in a new series was excellent and was excited to read the second installment.

I expected to be wowed, and boy, was I! No sophomore slump for Kate.

One of the things that I love most about this author’s books is the way the author creates characters who are real. They’re never caricatures or composites or seem fake in any way.

Honestly, when I read her books, I feel like she must have just followed a person around and simply wrote what they did throughout the day. That’s how realistic her characters are.

I also like how they’re intelligent women. They’re not ball-breaking feminists who think they have to be like a man to be respected – they get there on their own merits. But, at the same time, they’re vulnerable and subject to the emotions that go along with being female.

I know that might seem like an odd thing to say, but with gender such a subject of discussion, I think it’s important to recognize that women are unique and what some people may see as weakness may actually be a woman’s strengths.

For example, in this book, Kate is still getting advice from her husband Chris – you’ll know why this is important if you read the first one.

And if you haven’t read the first one, stop reading this right now and go read An Eye for an Eye; it will also give you a better idea of why these books are amazing.

Then read this one. Then you can come back to the review.  

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3pCnXyX
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2TXmOGn

Anyway, back to Kate. Some would see her need to still talk to him as that she is losing a grip on reality, but I think it actually shows the importance of bonds between people and how they can remain strong, even when people are apart. (No spoilers).

The author weaves an intricate story, continuing with the investigation started by Chris that Kate has now picked up. The ins and outs of this plot line are multiple and masterfully related in the context of the immediate investigation.

This one has a personal angle for Kate as well. I’m not going to say much more on it, but in the course of investigating both threads, Kate realizes that the web being woven by certain characters is much bigger than she imagined.

She also realizes that the number of people she can trust is dwindling, which makes for some very tense moments.

As I have mentioned in the past, crime thrillers are difficult to review because I hate to give away any plot points that could ruin the investigation for other readers. At the same time, I want to convey how good a book is and why someone should read it. Quite a tightrope to walk.

I hope that I have done enough to convince you to read both books featuring Detective Kate Young. It’s early in the series and there is still time to get in on the bottom floor. Now is a good time before the through plot gets more complicated, which I’m sure will happen.

Reading this series is like watching a movie, and a great way to spend a few hours of your summer. You won’t want to put it down.

About Carol Wyer:

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction. 

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in LITTLE GIRL LOST and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

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The Burning Girls (Herron)-BoT-Crime Thriller-Available Now

Detective Ellie Reeves is back, and she is carrying a lot of baggage with her.

First point to make, if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, I would suggest doing so before reading this one.

While the case at hand does not require any prior knowledge and be read as a stand-alone, Ellie’s personal life takes a more prominent place in the story.

While the author does a good job of explaining things, I sometimes felt like it was “just enough” to get by. You will most certainly have a deeper understanding of Ellie’s frame of mind if you have her full backstory from the first books in the series.

Now, with all of that being said, the case itself is a good one. Just like Wildflower Graves, the author jumps right into the action.

(Side note: This is one of the few authors I have found who does this. Others may have a few months in between the action in books, and that’s fine. But these take place within a few weeks of each other.)

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This immediate continuity allows for the author to build on experiences without having to go through a lot of exposition explaining what had previously occurred. It gives the story a bit of urgency and allows the reader to truly submerse in the story.

Submersion is good, because there is never a lot of time to breathe in these plots. Ellie pretty much stumbles across crimes in the Appalachian Mountains every time she tries to go hiking to clear her head.

It’s actually sort of ironic, really.

Anyway, you can read other book report reviews that recount the plot. I’m here to tell you that Ellie remains sharp-witted and a bit stubborn in her investigation process. There were a few times that I felt her personal life infringed on the investigation a bit too much.

But I also liked her growth as she comes to terms with the bombshell news. Ellie is not a static character; she definitely learns and adjusts as information continues to be revealed.

I will say that this story is told from multiple points of view and gets pretty twisty. If you’re not concentrating, you could get lost pretty quickly.

I would highly recommend setting time aside to really concentrate on this one, because it’s a good plot with a winning heroine, and you should give it the time it deserves.

Facebook: authorritaherron/
Twitter: @ritaherron

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.

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