I swear it's taken me forever to write up this post. It's been really difficult to form sentences that actually make sense haha. Here's hoping that I've proof read it enough that you can actually understand it. So we spent a week in Devon towards the end of June where I managed to read 3 books. It was bliss and meant my total for the month came to 4. Not too shabby.
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 Stone and 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?"
I have only recently discovered Angela Marsons books but I am a huge fan (Silent Scream and Evil Games Reviews). I find the Kim Stone books pretty similar to my other favourite, M.J Arlidges Helen Grace series. I love Kim Stone. She's pretty bad ass and tries to distance everyone but I just want to give her a hug. This book is so tense as the lives of two children are at stake and the families have a fight on their hands as to who gets their child back. Best friends become enemies. As usual I was a bit suspicious of every character and the ending was definitely better than I imagined. I was gripped for the whole thing.
If you are looking for a new crime series to get you're teeth into then I 100% recommend this one. I need the rest ASAP.
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter
"A body is discovered in an empty Atlanta warehouse. It's the body of an ex-cop, and from the moment Special Agent Will Trent walks in he knows this could be the most devastating case of his career. Bloody footprints leading away from the scene reveal that another victim - a woman - has left the scene and vanished into thin air. And, worst of all, the warehouse belongs to the city's biggest, most politically-connected, most high-profile athlete - a local hero protected by the world's most expensive lawyers. A local hero Will has spent the last six months investigating on a brutal rape charge.
But for Will - and also for Dr Sara Linton, the GBI's newest medical examiner - the case is about to get even worse. Because an unexpected discovery at the scene reveals a personal link to Will's troubled past. The consequences will wreak havoc on his life and the lives of those he loves, those he works with, and those he pursues.
But Sara's scene-of-the-crime diagnosis is that they only have a few hours to find the missing woman before she bleeds out . . ."
I picked this up when it was on offer in Tesco. I swear I can't remember the last time I did a food shop without a book or two ending up in my basket. I was a bit nervous about reading it as I didn't really enjoy the last book in the Will Trent series and I really wasn't a fan of one of her other latests (review here and here).
Safe to say I had no need to be worried. It was really good. I was hooked and I read it in a day. I set up camp on the sofa with this book and some snacks and I didn't move all day. It was heaven. If you loved the Sara Linton series then I definitely recommend this. It's pretty fast paced and definitely gripping. You get to see more of Will and Sara's relationship. I did kinda want to punch Will a few times though. He just doesn't have a clue when it comes to relationships. A certain pain in Sara's ass is back and causing more trouble. The clock is counting down to find the missing woman and it is fast paced but it definitely doesn't feel rushed. If you haven't read any of Karin Slaughters earlier books where have you been? They are a must.
The Escape by C. L. Taylor
"Look after your daughter's things. And your daughter…
When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn't.
The stranger knows Jo's name, she knows her husband Max and she's got a glove belonging to Jo's two year old daughter Elise.
What begins with a subtle threat swiftly turns into a nightmare as the police, social services and even Jo's own husband turn against her.
No one believes that Elise is in danger. But Jo knows there's only one way to keep her child safe – RUN."
This is the first book from C.L Taylor that I have ever read and I really enjoyed it. It was a pretty stressful read because it is all about no one believing Jo that her and her child are in danger. I even started to question whether they really were. I suspected one of the characters was a bit shady but the twist did still surprise me a bit as it didn't seem to match some of what was said. Either way it was a good read and kept me hooked until the end. Definitely recommend it.
The Missing by C. L. Taylor
"You love your family. They make you feel safe. You trust them.
But should you…?
When fifteen-year-old Billy Wilkinson goes missing in the middle of the night, his mother, Claire, blames herself. She's not the only one. There isn't a single member of Billy's family that doesn't feel guilty. But the Wilkinsons are so used to keeping secrets from one another that it isn't until six months later, after an appeal for information goes horribly wrong, that the truth begins to surface.
Claire is sure of two things – that Billy is still alive and that her friends and family had nothing to do with his disappearance."
There always seems to be one book I'm not a massive fan of each month. This month it was this one. This book was hard work and I even cheated and flicked to the end to see if Billy was alive or not because I was bored. I did finish it but I had to force myself. Billy isn't a likeable character and I found it hard to gel with the majority of the characters to be honest. With regards to the ending I suspected most people but definitely wasn't expecting that one. I don't know why this one was such hard work but it definitely felt like a chore to read.
What have you been reading recently? Let me know if you have any recommendations.
Beth...x
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