Blood Lines (D.I. Kim Stone #5) by Angela Marsons - Book Review

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

Here we are! Book number five and still not enough! How does she do it?

Blood Lines is the fifth book in the DI Kim Stone series. And Angela Marsons did it again! I still can't get enough of her books. With every book next in the row, the author makes me more and more addictive to her writing. I absolutely love her books.

This time, Kim Stone's arch enemy is back. Alex Thorne is in prison, but she still feels like the puppet master and has a plan: to destroy Kim Stone. She plays with human minds, she knows which buttons to push. Anything to get what she needs.

Kim and Bryant have a tough case to solve. A woman has been killed, probably a robbery went wrong. But everything is there, every piece of jewellery, every single pound in the wallet. Who wanted the murder to look like a robbery?

But when a young girl, a local drug addict, is killed the same way, Kim knows that these two cases are connected. Nothing connects the two victims, except the way they were killed. Are these killings work of a serial killer?

In the very same time, Kim's private life turns upside down. Her mother has been in a mental hospital for years since she killed Kim's little brother. Now, Kim receives a note that her mother is going to be released. Her behaviour has been very much improved since Kim started to send her letters full of forgiveness. But Kim hasn't sent a single piece of paper. What the hell is going on?

Wow! If I have to explain this book with one word, it would be WOW! If I have to explain this book with three words, they would be OH MY GOD! I can't stop reading till finishing it! It is fifth in the series and I still can't get enough of it. I have no idea where the author finds the inspiration and the energy for so many books for such a short time, but she is amazing. Angela Marsons definitely knows her job and knows how to keep your hair stand on the neck till the very last page.

What to say more?

READ THE BOOK! I TOTALLY RECOMMEND IT!

My opinion: 5 / 5.

Sonata of the Dead by Conrad Williams-Book Review

It's four months on from the events of Dust and Desire... Joel Sorrell has recovered from the injuries he sustained in his fight with The Four-Year-Old. A body has been found, sealed into the dead space behind a false wall in a flat in Muswell Hill. Beheaded and surrounded by bloodstained pages of typewritten text, it is the third such murder committed by a killer known as The Hack. And it may be linked to his daughter's disappearance.

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

Conrad Williams is a brand new author to me, and when I started reading his book, I didn't know what to expect. This is his second book in the series but definitely can stand alone.

Cover Reveal: Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

Hi. today is the D-Day. Perfect covers for a perfect book. And yes, there are two covers. I simply love them both and wanted to share them both. And I can't wait to read the book.

Let me introduce Helen Fields' debut crime thriller, PERFECT REMAINS.

Book Review: Guilt Trip: The Mystery (Lauren Beck #2) by Donna Huston Murray

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

Lauren Beck is back! This time with a family issue to solve. A cancer survivor with no place to live, Lauren sets up on her brother's farm together with his family. And then, her brother's wife, Karen, survives a tragedy. Her brother has committed a suicide. But Karen knows her brother well, and she knows that he would never ever do that. So she asks Lauren to help.

Together with Karen's other brother, Lauren goes to the funeral. She makes up a cover story, just to make sure that she can sneak into the lion's den and find out what really happened. Something isn't right here. Why would someone who recently got married and expects the first child commit a suicide? Even if all the evidence says the obvious, Lauren is not satisfied. Something fishy is going on here!

Blog Tour and Book Review: Strangers by Paul Finch

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

Hi, guys. Today is my stop for the blog tour of the gripping read written by Paul Finch. Strangers is one hell of a read, full of adrenaline and I believe that there isn't even a single page that doesn't make the hair on your neck stand.

PC Lucy Clayburn has to live with the skeletons in her closet. Four years ago, a convicted murderer escaped while handcuffed to her. She almost got killed then and the entire operation failed. But Lucy loves being a copper and since then she desperately tries to prove to herself and others that she is a good cop.

And the opportunity arrives....

A man has been killed. Alone, in the woods, mutilated. The police connect the case with some previous cases where other men were killed and also mutilated. Everything points to a serial killer.

But what if the serial killer is a woman?

Vacations Can Be Murder by Jane DiLucchio - Teaser Spotlight

Hi guys! Today I have the pleasure to post a teaser spotlight for a mystery book. Vacations Can Be Murder came out on June 1-st and if you are a fan of mysteries and murders (on paper of course) then this is a perfect read for you. Summer is already here and if you want a mysterious read for the beach, look no further. I am sure you're going to love it. 

Vacations Can Be Murder by Jane DiLucchio

Series: A Diega DelValle Mystery, #3

Published on 01.06.2016

Genres: mystery

Format: e-book and paperback

Buy on amazon.co.uk or Buy on amazon.com 

Book Description:

When Diega DelValle and three of her friends go on an impromptu vacation in Talkeetna, Alaska, Diega envisions an enjoyable summer break from teaching along with time to heal from a break-up. However, even before the friends arrive, this small town on the edge of Denali National Park becomes a less than an idyllic vacation spot. Gail, a Talkeetna native, dies on the mountain. Melissa, Gail's cousin and a former student of Diega's, arrives in Talkeetna and raises doubts about the death being accidental. Due to Melissa's pleas for help, Diega and her friends are thrust into an investigation of a small town and its inhabitants - an unsavory pastime that turns deadly. 

Author Bio:

Jane DiLucchio is the author of the Diega DelValle and Kate Matthews Mysteries. A retired college professor, Jane enjoys reading, card games, amateur farming and travel. She lives in Southern California with her wife and their two furry children.

Links:

Website: www.janedilucchio.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jane.dilucchio.mysteries

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/803861.Jane_DiLucchio

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?

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.

The Body on the Doorstep by A.J. Mackenzie Blog Tour + Guest Post

Kent, 1796. Shocked to discover a dying man on his doorstep - and lucky to avoid a bullet himself - Reverend Hardcastle finds himself entrusted with the victim's cryptic last words. With smuggling rife on England's south-east coast, the obvious conclusion is that this was a falling out among thieves. But why is the leader of the local Customs service so reluctant to investigate? Ably assisted by the ingenious Mrs. Chaytor, Hardcastle sets out to solve the mystery for himself. But smugglers are not the only ones to lurk off the Kent coast, and the more he discovers, the more he realises he might have bitten off more than he can chew.

The Body on the Doorstep by A. J. MacKenzie 
Series: Romney Marsh Mystery #1 
Published by Zaffre 
Published on 21.4.2016 
Genre: historical fiction 
Pages: 272 
You can buy the book on amazon.co.uk or  amazon.com 
Goodreads 

Detection without DNA

Some of our friends and fellow authors who write police procedurals are frankly envious of our working in the eighteenth century. So is Marilyn’s sister, a crown prosecutor in Canada. ‘You don’t have to worry about DNA or any of the technical stuff’, she complained. ‘You’ve got it easy.’

On one level we do, and we are full of admiration for our friends who write police procedurals and other modern crime drama. To make these books believable requires a lot of technical knowledge and – even more important – the ability to make that knowledge interesting to a non-technical reader and integrate it into the story. Very impressive, you guys. Don’t know how you do it (but love the results).

Our technical problems are few and simple. If we need to know whether it is possible for someone to be murdered in a particular way, we tend to act it out ourselves. This will get us in trouble one day, as our windows face onto the village street and we sometimes forget to close the curtains. To any members of Devon and Cornwall Police who may be reading this: we really are writers, what you saw as you drove past just now was just research. Honest.

Book Review: A Disguise to Die For (Costume Shop Mystery #1) by Diane Vallere

Someone is dressed to kill in the debut Costume Shop Mystery from the national bestselling author of the Material Witness mysteries. No sooner does former magician’s assistant Margo Tamblyn return home to Proper City, Nevada, to run Disguise DeLimit, the family-owned costume shop, than she gets her first big order. Wealthy nuisance Blitz Manners needs forty costumes for a detective-themed birthday bash. As for Blitz himself, his Sherlock Holmes is to-die-for—literally—when, in the middle of the festivities, Margo’s friend and party planner Ebony Welles is caught brandishing a bloody carving knife over  a very dead Blitz. For Margo, clearing Ebony’s name is anything but elementary, especially after Ebony flees town. Now Margo is left to play real-life detective in a town full of masked motives, cloaked secrets, and veiled vendettas. But as she soon learns, even a killer disguise can't hide a murderer in plain sight for long.

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

A young woman, Margo, comes home in a small town to help her father after having a heart attack. He runs a costume shop and she practically grows up there. No wonder she dresses in costumes her entire life. A rich client comes to the shop to order a costume-themed birthday party. Famous detectives, that's the theme. But the birthday party goes all wrong. The birthday kid is found dead, and Margo's dear friend and the closest thing to a mother is standing next to him with a knife. She is absolutely sure and believes in her innocence, but the thing is, who dun it? Is it Miss Marple, or Veronica Mars, or maybe the Great Sherlock Holmes? That's the problem with the costumed parties, everyone wears a costume. But the question is, who killed the rich kid, and who is trying to frame an innocent person?

Margo takes the things in her own hands. The costumes are hers and it is her friend convicted of murder!

Book Review: Going Coastal by Jane DiLucchio

A client dying on her massage table is traumatic enough for Kate Matthews, but when the police declare that death a murder, life becomes more painful for her as she is cast as the major suspect. None of this is what Kate expected from her move to the peaceful town of Santa Barbara. After a near-fatal heart attack, an early retirement from her Los Angeles law firm, and a change in careers, Kate envisioned a quiet life with her wife, Alicia, and their grown children. Since the client held a position on the California Coastal Commission, her death becomes a media event. Kate finds herself and her family sucked into the maelstrom. The former lawyer has all she can do to find the truth behind Celia's death without adding her own name to the body count.

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

After all those serial killer reads (which I absolutely love to read), reading a cozy mystery was like going on a real vacation. Nice, warm, cozy mystery, perfect for chilling on a February rainy day.

When your famous client dies on your massage table, you are in trouble! Celia Tucker, California Coastal Commissioner, is rich and famous and very picky as a client. But Katherine Matthews has nothing against her, she is just a client. When Celia dies during the massage, Katherine is the one who is suspect for a murder. It seems that Celia dies of anaphylactic shock caused by the oil rubbed during the massage. But Katherine knows that it is not possible. She has a specific bottle of oil for each client made by her son, Ben. She cares for her client's needs and possible allergies. So, she starts her own investigation, to clean her own name and save her son.

Book Review: Dead Lucky by Matt Brolly

A fast-paced crime-thriller, full of chilling twists, turns and grisly surprises, Matt Brolly’s Dead Lucky will have you gripped from beginning to end! DCI Michael Lambert is back… When a woman is murdered, the twisted killer forcing her husband to watch her slow and painful death, DCI Michael Lambert knows that his next case might be his toughest yet. And when the second set of killings are discovered, with exactly the same MO, the race is on the find the lethal sociopath before he strikes again. But Lambert never expected to receive an anonymous call from the killer. This time, it’s personal: if Lambert doesn’t find the murderer soon, his own loved ones will be next…

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

After the phenomenal debut Dead Eyed, another killer read comes from the writing pen of Matt Brolly. This time, we see DCI Michael Lambert facing ever more gripping murders than ever imagined. Whoever has read the first book would know what I am talking about. If you haven't read it, don't worry, Dead Lucky can perfectly stand alone.

At first look, it seems that an ordinary burglary went wrong. The police assume that the wife came home earlier and surprised the burglar. But what is obviously wrong here is that the wife is tied next to her husband and slowly murdered, while he is forced to watch. Too cruel for any living soul. The part that makes the things more complicated is that the husband is a member of the police department. Is it just a robbery that goes wrong or a personal revenge? And who is the real target?

Book Review: Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

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

Tracy Crosswhite is a character that can easily be put on the list of great and strong female detective fictional characters. Still recovering from her sister's death and catching her killer, another hard case is on her desk. This time, women are killed in cheap motel rooms, tied, with no sexual violence. The media gives the killer the name Cowboy. Victims are not raped, just tied and the life is sucked out of them. Some of them are prostitutes and the society isn't paying much attention for them. But Tracy is the one who connects the dots and is in the search for justice for all the victims of the Cowboy, including himself because she sees him as a victim of someone else long time ago. In the very same time, someone is after her. Maybe is the killer himself, maybe it is someone else. But Tracy knows one thing. She has to catch this monster!

Blog Tour, Review and GIVEAWAY: Death in Shanghai by M.J.Lee

Blurb: Shanghai, 1928. The body of a blonde is washed up on the Beach of Dead Babies, in the heart of the smog-filled city. Seemingly a suicide, a closer inspection reveals a darker motive: the corpse has been weighed down, it’s lower half mutilated…and the Chinese character for ‘justice’ carved into the chest.

The moment Inspector Danilov lays eyes on the dismembered body, he realises that he has an exceptional case on his hands. And when the first body is followed by another, and another, each displaying a new, bloody message, he has no option but face the truth. He is dealing with the worst kind of criminal; someone determined, twisted…and vengeful.

Someone who must be caught….whatever the cost.

Death in Shanghai is the first novel in M J Lee’s Inspector Danilov series, perfect for fans of Philip Kerr.

                                          Links:  Goodreads  /  Amazon UK

Book Review: Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Two girls go missing. Only one will return. The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die. When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping. And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stoneand the squad. Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour... Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?

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

Angela Marsons is quite new on the crime scene, but with three books in a row for less then a year, she definitely is a name to be remembered. I still haven't seen an author who can write that fast and that good. She became my favorite author with her first book, Silent Scream, and I love her writing more and more with every next book. Every time she leaves me with my jaw dropped and I am not surprised that easily. The third book, Lost Girls, is definitely cherry on the top of the cake, but knowing Angela Marsons, The Kim Stone Series are far from over.

Two little girls, two best friends, have been kidnapped together. Soon after the abduction, the families receive text messages. The family that pays more, gets the daughter back. The other one dies. The families that have been friends like forever, become worse enemies. There is no friendship when your child is in danger. A year ago, another two girls have been kidnapped. One girl came home, the other one didn't. But the game is far from over.

DI Kim Stone has a lot on her back. One of the mothers is her foster sister, and she counts on her. Kidnappings are not Kim's domain, murders are. When a case of a murder of a protected witness leads the team to the case of the kidnapped girls, Kim takes them both. Tough from outside, Kim is a real softie from inside, especially when is comes to protecting the ones who can not protect themselves. So she does her best. Her final goal, to bring BOTH girls back home, safe!

Apart from the case, this time we can see the softest side of Kim. In the last book, she adopted a dog. She really cares about her new best friend, her only friend, except Bryant. She slowly starts to break the walls around her and let people inside. She starts to care.

As I said previously, Lost Girls was even above my expectations, and I had high ones for Angela Marsons. I had only one issue, but that's just me and my opinion, I've found one scene particularly very grossy and disturbing, and my opinion is that the effect of the story could be achieved even without that scene. But even with that scene as a part of the plot, I couldn't leave my kindle until I finished my reading. She wrote a gripping story that literally brought tears to my eyes at the ending. This time we coped not only with murders, but with every parents' worst nightmare, their child's safety, and every child's nightmare, being locked alone in the dark. Angela Marsons really nailed it this time!

Would I recommend this book? Million times!

My opinion: 5 / 5.

You can buy the book HERE and HERE.

About the author

About the publisher

Book Review: Defenceless by Kati Hiekkapelto

Chilling, disturbing, and terrifyingly believable, an extraordinary thriller by one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction When an old man is found dead on the road—seemingly run over by a Hungarian au pair—police investigator Anna Fekete is certain that there is more to the incident than meets the eye. As she begins to unravel an increasingly complex case, she’s led on a deadly trail where illegal immigration, drugs, and, ultimately, murder threaten not only her beliefs, but her life. Anna’s partner Esko is entrenched in a separate but equally dangerous investigation into the activities of an immigrant gang, where deportation orders and raids cause increasing tension and result in desperate measures by gang members—and the police themselves. Then a bloody knife is found in the snow, and the two cases come together in ways that no one could have predicted. As pressure mounts, it becomes clear that having the law on their side may not be enough for Anna and Esko.

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

Finland. When a Hungarian girl runs over an old man on the road, it turns out that the man has already been dead. Murdered!

Senior Constable Anna Fekete is called for the road accident because of her Hungarian origin. But knowing the Hungarian language isn't the only thing that connects her with this case. Soon the murder becomes her priority case that starts to reveal much more than a dead body on the road.

Sammy arrives in Finland hidden in a truck like many immigrants like him before. He runs away from war in Pakistan and leaves behind him his family. But the dream for the promised land soon becomes nightmare. Sammy becomes drug addict and a criminal. Few robberies here and there, just to get the dose he needs. But murder was never on his mind!

An old lady is missing. A neighbor from the building where the man found on the road lived. Is there a connection?

When two girls find a bloody knife in the woods, no one knows who the blood is from. But very soon, Anna starts to connect the dots.

Anna has to deal with her own skeletons in the closet. She is an immigrant from Serbia, part of Hungarian minority that lives in Vojvodina, northern Serbia. One of her brothers dies during the war in the nineties, and her family leaves for Hungary in order to save the other son. Anna leaves for Finland, but she finds no peace there. No matter how much she tries to mix with the rest, she is always the outsider, she is always the immigrant. At least she is a hard-worker, not like her brother who likes to depend on social care.

This is my first book by this author, but it certainly won't be the last. As a lover of Scandinavian crime noir, I've found this book very thrilling and interesting. What starts like a car accident, ends like totally jaw-dropping planned crime. The plot is fast-paced, creepy and sometimes very emotional. Murder is there, also enough blood, mystery is all over the scene. The author also deals with the issue of the immigrants, all from different countries and all there from different reasons. She gives the perspective from the eyes of the immigrants but also from the eyes of the local Finnish people. The ending of the story left me little bit wandering, some things were left untold, but I suppose that was because a sequel it's on its way. I would love to read a sequel of this book.

My opinion: 4,5 / 5.

You can buy the book HERE and HERE.

About the author

About the publisher

Book Review: Dead Eyed by Matt Brolly

DCI Michael Lambert thought he’d closed his last case… Yet when he’s passed a file detailing a particularly gruesome murder, Michael knows that this is no ordinary killer at work. The removal of the victim’s eyes and the Latin inscription carved into the chest is the chilling calling-card of the ‘soul jacker’: a cold-blooded murderer who struck close to Michael once before, twenty-five years ago. Now the long-buried case is being re-opened, and Michael is determined to use his inside knowledge to finally bring the killer to justice. But as the body count rises, Michael realises that his own links to the victims could mean that he is next on the killer’s list… The gripping first novel in a thrilling new crime series by Matt Brolly. Perfect for fans of Tony Parsons, Lee Child and Angela Marsons.

* Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Michael Lambert has to live with the skeletons in his closet. Twenty years ago, he lost a college friend. The guy was brutally murdered in his own room in the college, his eyes removed, his body mutilated with words carved into the skin. An image pretty hard to forget.

Now, twenty years later, another college friend receives photos of a body mutilated just like the one before. But the previous murder wasn't the first one. It was just one more body in the row, a work of the serial killer called The Souljacker. It was the last murder until now, when photos of another body appeared.

Is The Souljacker back? Why did he stop for twenty years? It really him now or is it a copycat? What is the link between the victims? The research shows that the new victim is also a friend from college days. Something strange is going on.

With DI Sarah May breathing down his neck, Lambert starts his own investigation. Two of his college friends are killed in the most horrible way, and the third one is involved. As the investigation shows some progress, the number of bodies arises. Lambert and his friend Klatzky are the main suspects in DI May's investigation. But someone else is the main suspect in Lambert's investigation.

Matt Brolly is not a name familiar to me, but is definitely a name I'll be looking for in the future. His writing is creepy, violent and full of tension, and definitely doesn't lack dead bodies. The murder scenes are vividly described, bringing a dose of horror and panic. The main character is a real action hero, a former member of an undercover police unit. He is not just anyone involved in the killings. He uses his knoledge, connections and skills to find the real killer, 'cause everything points out that he is the target. Still recovering from his little girl's death, he has to put himself all together in order to save the ones he loves.

„Dead Eyed“ is a gripping psychological thriller, a story full of creepy and violent murdering scenes and characters with closets full of skeletons. Unpredictable and adrenaline-loaded, it is an absolute treat for fans of hardcore murders (in books). I absolutely recommend it!

My opinion: 5 / 5

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Book review: The Girl Who Broke the Rules by Marnie Riches

PREPARE TO BE GRIPPED! The pulse-pounding new thriller starring Georgina McKenzie and Paul van den Bergen. For anyone who loves Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson, this book is for you!

* Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Amsterdam. Black woman, naked, her lifeless eyes staring in the unknown. Her corpse is ripped off, her internal organs missing. Paul van den Bergen has one more murder to solve.

London. Georgina (George) McKenzie is in psychiatric hospital observing a patient, a serial killer. She works on her doctorate in criminology, has a special sense for details, what makes her more than a good detective. She is civil, but she is connected with van den Bergen, and he calls her to help him to solve the murder of the African girl in Amsterdam.

When second body appears, ripped off like an unzipped bag, it is more than obvious that it is a work of a serial killer. Both victims are murdered in similar way, both are from the streets and nobody misses them.

Van den Bergen and George are starting one hell of a journey to find the serial killer who kills people from Amsterdam to London. The lead will take them to the underground world of children's pornography, slave trading and prostitution. It will take them to the finest and most respective surgeons in the world. From one end of the line to the another, when it comes to the twisted human mind, there are no limits, there are no boundaries. Still unhealed from the previous case, van den Bergen and George have to smooth their differences and join the forces in order not just to find the murderer and stop the killings, but to heal their own wounds, physical and emotional.

The relationship between van den Bergen and George is constantly on-off. She has a boyfriend, Ad, but she has a crush on van den Bergen and he has a crush on her. But his consciousness tells him that she is his daughter's age. There is chemistry, definitely, but also many unanswered questions between them. Each one of them lives in his/hers own bubble, not letting the other one in. As the story goes, the differences between them are getting smaller and this relationship is definitely going somewhere.

This is book two from the series and I feel sorry not starting from the first book. The second one can definitely stand alone, but I would like to know how it all started.

„The Girl Who Broke the Rules“ is one hell of a book. There are scenes in the story so tensed that are very hard for reading. Brutal, sadistic, violent, fulfilled with creepy details. Some of them were very hard for me to read. Ms. Riches has written a psychological thriller that won't let you sleep at night. Creepy, scary, violent and emotional, will take you on a journey that you'll never forget. A new turn-over on every page, a lead that goes to a dead end, a creepy scene where new murder is going to happen. This story has it all! Totally recommended! Attention, it will leave you sleepless for couple of nights because you won't be able to put it down till finish reading it!

My opinion: 5 / 5.  

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Book Review: The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas

The opera singer Sophia Siméonidis wakes up one morning to discover that a tree has appeared overnight in the garden of her Paris house. Intrigued and unnerved, she turns to her neighbours: Vandoosler, an ex-cop, and three impecunious historians, Mathias, Marc and Lucien - the three evangelists. They agree to dig around the tree and see if something has been buried there. They find nothing but soil. A few weeks later, Sophia disappears and her body is found burned to ashes in a car. Who killed the opera singer? Her husband, her ex-lover, her best friend, her niece? They all seem to have a motive. Vandoosler and the three evangelists set out to find the truth.

I was looking for French crime authors for my #InternationalCrime meme, and I stumbled upon Fred Vargas. Winner of International Dagger Award for three times, she (Fred is shortened from Frédérique) is not just a writer, but also historian and archaeologist. I assumed that I would love her books, and I wasn't wrong.

The Three Evangelists is her first book which won International Dagger Award and it is written in 1995, translated in English in 2006. The story starts with an opera singer, Sophia Siméonidis, who wakes up one morning just to notice a big tree in her backyard, a tree that wasn't there the day before. She is a famous person and she considers this as a personal threat from a lunatic fan. The house next door is a home of four extraordinary people. Armand Vandoosler, a former police commissaire, his god-son Marc, Lucien and Matthias. The old Vandoosler names the three young men the three evangelists, Saint-Mark, Saint-Luke and Saint-Matthew. The three evangelists are historians, for different time of history and they are all live in their own world, in the time they study. Sophia asks their help for the tree, they dig it and find nothing. But soon after that, Sophia disappears. Later, her body is found burned in what suppose to be a car accident.

The three young historians with the help of the old former detective are in the search of their neighbour's killers. Who would think that the knowledge of history can help solving a murder?

Saint-Marc, Saint-Luke and Saint-Matthew are so original characters. Each one of them lives in his own world, each one of them is some kind of knight in shining armour. Some people might consider them lunatic, but they are all very intelligent and perfectly stand on their own feet. Their conversations are even more interesting than the plot itself. Their medieval knowledge is perfectly incorporated in not just the plot itself, but also in their every day fights and talks and their own very unique view of the world.

There are other characters in the story, characters that might be involved in the murder. The husband, the neighbour, the niece, they are all suspects. They all seem like nice people, all of them concerned for Sophia's death. But nothing can trick the old commissaire's eye. And with the help of his three house mates, Sophia can finally rest in piece.

It is my very first book of Fred Vargas, but certainly it won't be the last. I am hooked on her crime noir writing and I'll be definitely in the search of her other books. And they are so many.

My opinion: 4,5 / 5.