Book Review: Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern

An estranged father’s weekend with his beloved five-year-old daughter turns into a nightmare when she gets into the lift of a city centre tower block and goes down without him. She vanishes without a trace. It sets off a race against time, and a nationwide manhunt, to find her. As the police investigation closes in, suspicion falls on those closest to her - with devastating consequences. Daddy Dearest is a terrifying story of love, obsession, and psychological meltdown. 'My daughter has always had a thing about lifts. There’s something about the thrill of pressing a button and seeing the lift doors close which excites her imagination. It terrifies me. Every time she walks in, I imagine it’s the last time I’ll see her. What if she hits the button before I get there? What if the lift doors close and I can’t get her out? It drives me nuts. There are eight floors in the Sears building, nine if you count the basement, and the lift is fast: more like a fairground ride, really. It does top to bottom in twelve seconds. I’ve timed it. Taking the stairs, I’ve done it in forty-two. That leaves a gap of thirty seconds. You’d be surprised what can happen in that time. I was.'

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book, I had very different expectations. But, must say, Daddy Dearest is very different from every other thriller I've read. It is so complex and so painfully real, there were moments when I didn't know should I cry or laugh. Let me tell you something about the plot:

The main character is a man who is living in a flat. He is just an ordinary man, something very grumpy, sometimes very ironic. He describes himself as „not necessarily misanthropic by nature“. He hates people but wants to be loved by them in the same time. He finds his neighbors annoying and avoids too much contact with any of them.

The Family Man by T.J.Lebbon - Cover Reveal

Today I have the pleasure to take part in the cover reveal for T.J.Lebbon’s new book ‘The Family Man’, which is coming out on 11-th of August. And now, without any further ado, here’s the cover for The Family Man and the blurb:

Just imagine!

It’s a normal day. You’re out with a friend, having a chat, enjoying the sunshine. And then you have an idea. You follow it, take a risk.

Everything changes.

You make one mistake, and you’ve put everyone you love in danger.

What do you do?

The new novel by TJ Lebbon looks at just that – how one wrong decision upturns your entire life, with terrifyingly brutal consequences. This summer, get ready to run.

You take ONE risk. Now, those you love must pay …

Dom Turner is a dependable husband, a loving father. A man you can rely on. But it only takes one day to destroy a seemingly perfect life.

Emma thought she could trust her husband, Dom. She thought he would always look after her and their daughter Daisy….

Then one reckless act ends in two innocent deaths – and Dom’s family becomes the target of a terrifying enemy.
There’s nowhere to hide. They’re on the run for their lives. And if Dom makes one more wrong move, he won’t have a family left to protect.

The Madam by Jaime Raven: Blog Tour + Review + Extract

Women always uncover the truth . . . Three years and eleven months. That's how long Lizzie Wells has been banged up inside Holloway prison, serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. Six months. That's how long it’s taken Lizzie to fall in love with her fellow inmate, Scar. Now they are both finally free and, together, they are about to embark on a vengeful search to find those who framed Lizzie . . . and to make them pay. THE BUSINESS MAN. THE COPPER. THE MADAM.

Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Today is my stop of the blog tour of The Madam by Jaime Raven and must say it is my pleasure to review this book. It is the first book that comes from the writing pen of this author, and I hope it won't be the last. He has created a real female vigilante, a character that had to grow up and fight for herself too early in life.

Lizzie has spent last four years in prison for a murder she claims she never committed. She used to work as an escort and her customer has been murdered. His blood has been splattered all over her body and that was enough for the police to make her guilty. To make things worse, her little son dies of meningitis while she is serving her time in prison. But her time behind the bars is over. She comes out as a free woman and she doesn't wanna just settle down and enjoy the freedom. She wants justice! She wants the people responsible for her stitch-up! But can she prove her innocence?

Book Review: Play Dead by Angela Marsons

The dead don’t tell secrets… unless you listen. The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess. Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime. Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next? As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …? The latest utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestseller Angela Marsons.

ARC Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I can't even believe this. Angela Marsons showed up on writer's stage last year and published four books in a row, with each one of them getting better and better. Every time when I think that I know her writing style, she surprises me in the most inconvenient ways. My jaw literally hurts me because of dropping so many times.

This is the fourth book in Detective Kim Stone Series. This time, she and her team go to a body farm, a place where dead bodies are being studied for murder investigation purposes. There suppose to be seven bodies there are studied in different environments. But there is a problem. There is one more body, a body that isn't there like the rest of them. A body that wasn't there yesterday.

The body belongs to a young woman. She is beaten to death and her mouth is full of ground. No sexual violence, no robbery, just strange marks along the legs and torso.

A couple of days later, another body appears on the body farm. Beaten to death, mouth full of dirt, strange marks on the legs. Only, this time, the young woman is still alive.

Kim and her team have full hands job to do. A serial killer is lurking young women. What is the connection between them, and why leaving them at that particular place? And that noisy reporter Tracy is always there, always ready for her top story no matter how many bodies she has to walk over. Also, people who work on the body farm have their own secrets, their own reasons why they are there. Everyone is a suspect.

In every book, we see a little bit from Kim's personal life. Having very difficult childhood, she has built a wall around her and she is not letting anyone in. She doesn't drop the guard and very few people can climb that wall and meet the real Kim. There are people in her life who love her, but it is hard for her to show her love back. Because that is Kim Stone!

This time, we see more of Tracy as a character. She has one image of herself to show to the outside world, and another one locked inside her home. She has reasons for that, and both her and Kim have something in common here. They are true opposites, but both are good examples of how we judge people without trying to walk in their shoes for a while.

I love the introduction of Dr. A, a kick-ass forensic archaeologist who swears in multiple languages, who comes originally from Macedonia, with a complicated name shortened to just „Dr. A“. She looks pretty familiar to me and would love to see more of her in next books.

What to say more? I am out of words in English, maybe I should use some Macedonian superlatives. My jaw dropped so many times, I stopped counting. There are not enough words or phrases for recommending this book. I read it in one evening, I started and couldn't stop until finishing at 01.00 AM. Totally recommended!

My opinion: 5 / 5.

Meet the author: living with killers

For five years, crime-thriller author Frank Westworth has been living with killers, the fictional characters who populate his gritty thrillers.

Undercover operatives, hard as nails hitmen, ice cold contract killers, manipulated men and bewildering women: they’ve all been a part of his daily life.

Today, Thursday 12 May, Frank is letting these dangerous people loose – in the nicest possible way – upon the population of Porlock, normally known for its easy access to the rolling hills of Exmoor’s National Park.

Frank will read a short excerpt from one of his books to introduce the audience to his characters and the complex world they inhabit, and then explore the murky depths of thriller writing and criminal minds. Where do these strange people, their snappy dialogue and their dangerous tales come from?

Surely it’s all invented? Maybe it’s not…

Entry to the event is free and refreshments will be provided (donations to the library would be appreciated). Frank will be signing copies of his paperbacks, and all who attend will be entitled to claim one of Frank’s quick thriller ebooks. 

City of Shadows by M.J.Lee: Blog Tour + Review

Hello, friends, fellow bloggers, and avid readers! Today is my stop of the blog tour of the book City of Shadows by M.J.Lee. It is the second book in the series and I am sure you'll enjoy it.

A family of four is found murdered in the heart of one of the new Art Deco estates in the city. It’s a brutal crime, committed without mercy. Under questioning, a suspect confesses, but Danilov is not convinced of his guilt. When the accused is murdered on the steps of the police station, he investigates to clear the man’s name, diving deep into the dark heart of Shanghai, uncovering the greed and jealousy, triads and police corruption that lurks in the City of Shadows. This is the second book in the Danilov series. The first, Death in Shanghai, is also available from Carina.

Copy provided by Neverland Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

An entire family is dead. Slaughtered. A husband and wife, two little children. Someone entered into their home and killed them in the most brutal way. The killers shot some of the victims, cut the throat of the others. But nothing is taken. The jewelry, the money, the papers, it is all there, not even touched.

Soon after the murders happen, a person has been arrested. He confesses the crime. But Inspector Danilov isn't confident about it. The man is obviously beaten by the police officers and the confession doesn't hold water at all. Something fishy is going on here.