#BookReview Murder Bag by Tony Parsons @TonyParsonsUK @Bokfabriken (SWE/ENG)

The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

Kriminalpolisen Max Wolfe är alla mördares mardröm en impulsiv, egensinnig och envis yrkesman. När två män brutalt mördas i Londons West End misstänker polisen att det är en seriemördare som härjar, och Wolfe sätts på fallet. Det första offret är en rik bankman som under många år bedragit sin hustru, medan det andra offret är en hemlös man. Till en början verkar mordoffren inte ha något gemensamt, men det visar sig att de båda männen tjugosju år tidigare gick på samma skola. Vad kan ha utlöst mördarens besinningslösa vrede, och varför är just de här männen utvalda?

Mördarens metoder och offer diskuteras flitigt i sociala medier och det är ingen tvekan om att mördaren själv följer varje steg. När någon utger sig för att vara mördaren på internet tar spekulationerna verkligen fart, och Wolfe inser att både han själv och dottern Scout är i skottlinjen.

Murder bag är första boken om kriminalinspektören Max Wolfe i London.

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Innan jag läste denna bok så läste jag novellen Dead Time vars berättelse utspelas mellan denna bok och nästa. Jag föll verkligen för Max och hans dotter Scout direkt. Och vi får inte glömma hunden Stan. 

Murder Bag är en riktigt bladvändare och jag kunde sluta läsa. Handlingen är väldigt mörk men man får små ljusglimtar tack vare Max och Scout. Max är en ensamstående pappa och man får reda på vad som hände med Scouts mamma i handlingen. Denna del av boken jag mig rejält arg. Morden som begås i boken är brutala och det var ibland svårt att läsa vissa stycken pga av det. Man tror att man blir van när man läser mycket thrillers, men en del av mig finner fortfarande visa saker osmakligt att läsa.

Murder Bag är välskriven och fängslande med flertalet överraskande vändningar.

Tack till Bokfabriken för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

The gripping first novel in an explosive new crime series by Tony Parsons, bestselling author of Man and Boy. If you like crime-novels by Ian Rankin and Peter James, you will love this.

Twenty years ago seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter's Field. Now they have started dying in the most violent way imaginable.

Detective Max Wolfe has recently arrived in the Homicide division of London's West End Central, 27 Savile Row.

Soon he is following the bloody trail from the backstreets and bright lights of the city, to the darkest corners of the internet and all the way to the corridors of power.

As the bodies pile up, Max finds the killer's reach getting closer to everything - and everyone - he loves.

Soon he is fighting not only for justice, but for his own life ...

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The first time I became acquainted with Max Wolfe was in the short novella Dead Time that is set between this book and the next one; The Slaughter Man. I liked him and his family; daughter Scout and dog Stan immediately.

This is a really good book, it's very dark but so engrossing and I just adore little Scout and Stan. Max is a single father and you get to know why a bit later in the book and let me tell you, the knowledge of why made me really pissed off. The murders are brutal and even I found some parts hard to read and I thought that I was quite used to read about the awful things men to each other, but it seems that there are still parts of me that find some readings hard.

The Murder Bag was a well written and captivating book, full of twists all the way until the end of the book.

Thanks to Bokfabriken for the review copy!

#BookReview A House of Ghosts by W.C. Ryan

A House of Ghosts by W.C. Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Winter 1917. As the First World War enters its most brutal phase, back home in England, everyone is seeking answers to the darkness that has seeped into their lives.

At Blackwater Abbey, on an island off the Devon coast, Lord Highmount has arranged a spiritualist gathering to contact his two sons who were lost in the conflict. But as his guests begin to arrive, it gradually becomes clear that each has something they would rather keep hidden. Then, when a storm descends on the island, the guests will find themselves trapped. Soon one of their number will die.
For Blackwater Abbey is haunted in more ways than one . . . 

An unrelentingly gripping mystery packed with twists and turns, A House of Ghosts is the perfect chilling read next winter.

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I would say that A House of Ghosts is a book that is perfectly all right. It's neither scary nor that thrilling to be perfectly honest. However, it's a good story. It's a story to be read when it's dark and stormy outside and you are all alone in a house (far far away from civilization preferably). Of course, it's perfectly all right to read it in bed in the dark as I did. Not that stormy outside, but I was alone.

Anyway, I got sidetracked. The story in itself is interesting, and it has everything you want in a mystery book. An isolated place, people with secrets, a promise of romance and of course ghost. Who doesn't love ghosts? I just wish the story had been a bit more tense, a little more thrilling. Then, it would have been perfect! As it is I was interested in the story. Loved the setting, an island is always a nice place for a murder mystery. Kate and Donovan worked great as the main characters in this book. And, yes I would recommend this book.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview A Fine Summer's Day by Charles Todd @CharlesToddBks @WmMorrowBooks

A Fine Summer's Day by Charles Todd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On a fine summer’s day in June, 1914, Ian Rutledge pays little notice to the assassination of an archduke in Sarajevo. An Inspector at Scotland Yard, he is planning to propose to the woman whom he deeply loves, despite intimations from friends and family that she may not be the wisest choice.

To the north on this warm and gentle day, another man in love—a Scottish Highlander—shows his own dear girl the house he will build for her in September. While back in England, a son awaits the undertaker in the wake of his widowed mother’s death. This death will set off a series of murders across England, seemingly unconnected, that Rutledge will race to solve in the weeks before the fateful declaration in August that will forever transform his world.

As the clouds of war gather on the horizon, all of Britain wonders and waits. With every moment at stake, Rutledge sets out to right a wrong—an odyssey that will eventually force him to choose between the Yard and his country, between love and duty, and between honor and truth.

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What a fabulous book! I loved that Charles Todd decided to write a book that takes Ian Rutledge back in time to before the war. To when he still was carefree, in love and not haunted. Now, I do think he got away when it came to the marriage issue. Especially when there is someone in his life that definitely suited him better. On a side note, I still hope to one day read a book where he and Bess Crawford meets!

As for the case, it took an awfully long time for the dots to be connected. But, then again it's a case, or rather or cases that don't seem to have not much in common. And, it was interesting to read about this frustrating case, how Ian tried to solve them. Not giving up when a man he thinks is innocent is charged with murder. Ian just keeps on trying to solve the murders...

This is one of the best books in this series. A bittersweet book. If not the war happened, just imagine what kind of life Ian would have had. Not to mention poor Hamish...

#BookReview Det som göms i snö (What is Hidden in Snow) by Carin Gerhardsen (SWE/ENG)

Det som göms i snö by Carin Gerhardsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW 

Ett otroget kärlekspar sätter sig i bilen för att hitta en avskild mötesplats. En ung, vilsen kvinna får oväntat lift av en främling. En man kör för fort på de snötäckta vägarna. Alla inblandade har passerat samma ravin. Men bara en har kört någon av vägen, bara en har lämnat någon att dö.

Från att inte ha känt till varandra knyts de samman av en eskalerande våldsspiral, och fastän ingen av dem känner till hela bilden är det ändå någon som vet tillräckligt för att berätta historien.

Det som göms i snö är en oförutsägbar psykologisk thriller, där ingenting är vad det ger sig ut för att vara. Skuld, hat och destruktivitet är det bränsle som driver berättelsen framåt, och i fjärran hägrar hämndens ljuva eufori.

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Det som göms i snö är en spännande bok som påminner mig om Harlan Coben eller Linwood Barclays böcker i och med att så mycket händer som man absolut inte förväntar sig. Om det är något jag uppskattar så är det böcker som upprepande gånger överraskar mig och det gör sannerligen Det som göms i snö. Och som så ofta när det gäller thriller som denna bok så är det svårt att recensera då jag inte vill avslöja för mycket. Men jag vill verkligen belysa faktumet att inget är som man tror när man börjar läsa boken. Att ens uppfattningen hela tiden ändras ju mer man får reda på angående trafikolyckan samt de inblandade i den. Jag lyckades räkna ut själva twisten i slutet, men annars var det mycket som skedde som tog mig med överraskning.

Det som göms i snö är den första boken jag har läst av Carin Gerhardsen. Jag är verkligen imponerad över berättelsen och jag ser fram emot att läsa fler böcker av henne.

Tack till Bookmarks förlag för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

An unfaithful couple is out driving to find a secluded meeting place. A young, lost woman gets an unexpected lift from a stranger. A man drives too fast on the snow-covered roads. Everyone involved has passed the same ravine. But only one has driven off the road, only one has left someone to die.

From not having known each other, are they now linked by an escalating spiral of violence, and although none of them know the whole picture, it is still someone who knows enough to tell the story.

What is Hidden in Snow is an unpredictable psychological thriller, where nothing is what it sets out to be. Debt, hatred, and destructiveness are the fuel that drives the story forward, and in the distance, the sweet euphoria of revenge is looming.

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What is Hidden in Snow is a thrilling book that reminds me of the books by Harlan Coben or Linwood Barcley. It's the fact that so much is going on that the story twist and turns all the time that makes me think about Coben and Barcley's books. And, if there is one thing I love when it comes to books is it when the story keeps surprising me as this book did. Also, that makes this book hard to review since I don't want to reveal too much of what's going on. However, I really want to point out that nothing is what it seems in this book. One's perspective keeps changing as the story progresses. The more you learn about the traffic accident and the people involved in it the more you realize that your perspective is wrong. I did figure out the big twist towards the end of the book, otherwise, the book kept me on my toes all the way through the book.

What is Hidden in Snow is the first book I've read by Carin Gerhardsen and I'm really impressed by it. I'm looking forward to reading her previous books.

Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!

#BookReview Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima @crookedlanebks

Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

On a rugged Colorado mountain ridge, Mattie Cobb and her police dog partner Robo make a grisly discovery—and become the targets of a ruthless killer.

Colorado’s Redstone Ridge is a place of extraordinary beauty, but this rugged mountain wilderness harbors a horrifying secret. When a charred body is discovered in a shallow grave on the ridge, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are called in to spearhead the investigation. But this is no ordinary crime—and it soon becomes clear that Mattie has a close personal connection to the dead man.

Joined by local veterinarian Cole Walker, the pair scours the mountaintop for evidence and makes another gruesome discovery: the skeletonized remains of two adults and a child. And then, the unthinkable happens. Could Mattie become the next victim in the murderer’s deadly game?

A deranged killer torments Mattie with a litany of dark secrets that call into question her very identity. As a towering blaze races across the ridge, Cole and Robo search desperately for her—but time is running out in Margaret Mizushima’s fourth spine-tingling Timber Creek K-9 mystery, Burning Ridge.

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Burning Ride is the second book I've read in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. And, I just have to face the fact that this series isn't for me. And, it all boils down to the fact that I'm just the wrong reader. It's a bit frustrating when a book has everything I usually like, a small town with a main character with a traumatic past. And, of course, a dog. Who doesn't like dogs? Yet, I feel no connection with the story nor the characters. It's so bland. And, that's just my opinion. I'm sure others love this series and I get it. I wish I did. Instead, I feel during the progress of this book that it just lulls along at a slow pace and that I'm not truly engaged in the story.

Now, this all sounds pretty negative. However, this is just me. If you like crime stories, set in small towns and if you are a dog lover. Then, I don't see why this series won't work for you. It's not all bad, you know. I did want to know the ending of the book and it was an interesting ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband & The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn @avonbooksuk @LittleBrownUK

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While you were sleeping...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife

When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...
Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

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I had planned to read The Other Miss Bridgerton, then I realized that The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband was the second book in the series and I had yet to read it. So, I picked this one first. First, I want to say that I rarely read romance books. Historical romance just doesn't rock my boat. The plots are way too predictable. However, I find Julia Quinn's books to be charming, the humor suits me. So, I make an exception for Quinn's books.

This book worked well for me, I found the pacing to be nice. I was a bit skeptical to the plot (of course), a lie like this, will, in the end, be found out (even the blurb says it) and I pretty much just waited for it to happen. But, it's a sweet story, Cecilia and Edward are a nice couple. I loved the fact that they pretty much fell in love through the letters they wrote to each other.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!

The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

She was in the wrong place...

Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own. Sadly, none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers' hideaway tucked inside a cave. But her delight turns to dismay when two pirates kidnap her and take her aboard a ship, leaving her bound and gagged on the captain's bed…

He found her at the wrong time...

Known to society as a rascal and reckless privateer, Captain Andrew James Rokesby actually transports essential goods and documents for the British government. Setting sail on a time-sensitive voyage to Portugal, he's stunned to find a woman waiting for him in his cabin. Surely, his imagination is getting the better of him. But no, she is very real—and his duty to the Crown means he's stuck with her.

Can two wrongs make the most perfect right?

When Andrew learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he will likely have to wed her to avert a scandal—though Poppy has no idea that he is the son of an earl and neighbor to her aristocratic cousins in Kent. On the high seas, their war of words soon gives way to an intoxicating passion. But when Andrew's secret is revealed, will his declaration of love be enough to capture her heart…?

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The Other Miss Bridgerton started off great with Poppy being abducted by two pirates and taken to Captain Andrew Rokesby ship and there held captive. The rational part of me does think this whole kidnapping thing is crazy. And, yes Andrew is now a real pirate, and he's a gentleman. Still, it's still kidnapping. Then again, I do read more crime and thriller novels than romance, so kidnapping for me is seldom a good thing when it comes to books.

Anyway, this story worked well at first for me, there are a lot of funny moments and I found Poppy and Andrew to work well together. Then, it all fizzles out. I'm sorry, somewhere along I just lost interest in the story. I think around the starting to fall in love moment is where I just didn't enjoy the story so much. The whole plot in Portugal and what happened after that was just plain boring. So, a good beginning, but not a very good ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Formula of Deception by Carrie Stuart Parks @CarrieParks @tnzfiction

Formula of Deception by Carrie Stuart Parks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When her twin sister was murdered, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again—and may be back in the killer’s crosshairs.

The memory that Murphy was asked to draw was from an Alaskan hunter who discovered five bodies on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago, but has only shared the information with the police now that he’s dying of cancer. When they go to the island to investigate, no skeletons remain but there is evidence that the bodies may have been deliberately destroyed. But the big discovery is of a World War II Quonset hut.

As one by one the people who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much deeper at stake. What happened there during WWII? And who is willing to kill to keep those secrets buried?

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Formula of Deception is a book that hooked me from the start. I love how the present crime story has a connection to WW2. Also, the setting Kodiak, Alaska really worked great for me. I love stories set in remote towns or islands. And, a crime novel set in Alaska worked well with me since I don't read many books set in that state. 

I was engrossed with the story. I found Murphy Anderson to be an interesting character. She's a person I felt I connected with. Her losses in life really moved me. I liked the characters she met in the book and Carrie Stuart Parks managed to add some really nice surprising twists to the story. All and all is this a great book and I hope this is the first book in a series!

I have previously read Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks that I enjoyed and I'm glad to say that this one was just as good as Portrait of Vengeance (from the Gwen Marcey series) and that I definitely want to read more books by her. 

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview The Gown by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @WmMorrowBooks @FreshFiction

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century—Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown—and the fascinating women who made it.

“Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.”—Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding

London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?

With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.

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So, what makes a story about a gown so special? In this case, it's the wedding gown that Princess Elizabeth wore at her wedding. Jennifer Robson has woven together a fascinating tale about two women that worked on the gown and a young woman that discovers her grandmother has some skeletons in her closet...

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview The Three Secret Cities by Matthew Reilly @gallerybooks @FreshFiction

The Three Secret Cities by Matthew Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The thrilling new novel featuring Jack West, Jr. from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Matthew Reilly!

A shadow world behind the real world

When Jack West, Jr. won the Great Games, he threw the four legendary kingdoms into turmoil.

A world with its own history, rules and prisons

Now these dark forces are coming after Jack...in ruthless fashion.

That is reaching into our world...explosively

With the end of all things rapidly approaching, Jack must find the Three Secret Cities, three incredible lost cities of legend.

It’s an impossible task by any reckoning, but Jack must do it while he is being hunted...by the greatest hunters in history.

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THE THREE SECRET CITIES by Matthew Reilly is the fifth book in the Jack West, Jr series, and I'm very late to the party as this is the first book I read in the series. Luckily, it was a very easy book to get into since it all begins with a summarizing of what happened at the end of the last book, THE FOUR LEGENDARY KINGDOMS. The story in this book picks up right away with Jack, the winner of the Great Games, realizing the world is about the end, and he and his friends must stop it from happening. However, first they must find the "Three Secret Cities." It's not easy, especially because they have a lot of enemies that are out to kill or capture Jack, his family, and friends.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview The Stranger Upstairs by Melanie Raabe @panmacmillan

The Stranger Upstairs by Melanie Raabe
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

From Melanie Raabe, the author of The Trap, The StrangerUpstairs is another dazzling, dizzying psychological thriller guaranteed to keep you guessing until the very last page.

Several years ago, your husband, and the father of your young son, disappeared. Since then, you’ve dreamed of his return; railed against him for leaving you alone; grieved for your marriage; and, finally, vowed to move on.

One morning, the phone rings. When you answer, a voice at the other end tells you your husband’s on a plane bound for home, and that you’ll see him tomorrow.

You’ve imagined this reunion countless times. Of course you have. But nothing has prepared you for the reality. For you realize you don’t know this man.

Because he isn’t your husband, he’s a complete stranger – and he’s coming home with you.

Even worse, he seems to know about something very bad you once did, something no one else could possibly know about . . . Could they?

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Honestly, this is a bloody hard book to review. I had a hard time getting into the book, the only reason I kept going was the fact that I wanted to know the truth about the stranger. I was a bit frustrated at first, I mean come one, how could you just keep up the charade? If a man steps out of an airplane and is a total stranger, would you not say so? There must be photographs to prove the fact. However, all this, my questions, my musings got answered at the end. Still, I'm not even sure I totally liked the book. It's just not so thrilling and that's not a good thing for a book labeled a thriller. The very last part explains a lot and it's an interesting twist.

The Stranger Upstairs turned out to be not what I expected. I found it to be a so-so book with an ending that lifted the book thanks to it being not at all that I expected it to be. I both read and listen to this book's audio version (at work). Listening to it I think made a difference since I couldn't skim the book and it got me past some slow parts.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Netgalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Edgar Allan Poe and the Jewel of Peru by Karen Lee Street @karenleestreet @OneworldNews

Edgar Allan Poe and the Jewel of Peru by Karen Lee Street
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philadelphia, early 1844. As violent tensions escalate between ‘nativists’ and recent Irish immigrants, Edgar Allan Poe’s fears for the safety of his wife Virginia and mother-in-law Muddy are compounded when he receives a parcel of mummified bird parts. Could his nemesis have returned to settle an old score?

Just as odd is the arrival of Helena Loddiges, a young heiress who demands Poe’s help to discover why her lover died at the city’s docks on his return from an expedition to Peru. Poe is sceptical of her claims to receive messages from birds and visitations from her lover’s ghost. But when Miss Loddiges is kidnapped, he and his friend C. Auguste Dupin must unravel a mystery involving old enemies, lost soulmates, ornithomancy, and the legendary jewel of Peru.

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Nowadays I listen to more books than I read. That's why I'm always thrilled when I can combine books I have (whether it be arcs or books I have bought). This gives me the opportunity to listen to books at work and then read when I get home. Like with this book that I've been looking forward to reading. First, I want to say that my knowledge of Edgar Allan Poe is very basic, I know some of what he has written and of course details of his life (and quite puzzling death). But, I was ignorant enough that it took me some googling to realize (or remember) that Dupin is his own creations. Adding those books to my want to read list btw.

As for this book. I was charmed. I know that Virginia (Sissy) was only 13 when she married Edgar Poe (27 at the time). And, that may seem, especially nowadays a bit off-putting. However, Sissy is a truly great character, and so is her mother and of course Edgar himself. Not to mention C. Auguste Dupin. I quite enjoy the mystery that Helena Loddiges brought to the family Poe's house. And, Helena is such a wonderfully eccentric character with her love for birds. I love historical mysteries and I especially love those with real people staring. Well, and of course as with books like this one, characters that are the creation of the real person that happens to have become a fictional character. LOL, yes that line felt a bit odd writing.

This is a great book and I can't wait to read/or listen to the first book in the series!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia @MejiaWrites @QuercusBooks

Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the author of the “compelling” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) and critically acclaimed Everything You Want Me to Be, a riveting and suspenseful thriller about the mysterious disappearance of a boy and his stunning return ten years later.

There is a place in Minnesota with hundreds of miles of glacial lakes and untouched forests called the Boundary Waters. Ten years ago a man and his son trekked into this wilderness and never returned.

Search teams found their campsite ravaged by what looked like a bear. They were presumed dead until a decade later...the son appeared. Discovered while ransacking an outfitter store, he was violent and uncommunicative and sent to a psychiatric facility. Maya Stark, the assistant language therapist, is charged with making a connection with their high-profile patient. No matter how she tries, however, he refuses to answer questions about his father or the last ten years of his life

But Maya, who was abandoned by her own mother, has secrets, too. And as she’s drawn closer to this enigmatic boy who is no longer a boy, she’ll risk everything to reunite him with his father who has disappeared from the known world.

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Last year I read the fabulous Everything You Want Me to Be by Mejia and I've been looking forward to reading Leave No Trace. And just like with Everything You Want Me to Be is the writing excellent in this book. I greatly enjoy reading mystery books and I was engrossed with the story of this book. What happened to the man and the boy after they disappeared ten years ago? What's the boy's story? Can Maya Stark, the assistant language therapist get him to talk? Maya herself has secrets, and a traumatizing upbringing. Her mother left the family when she was little.

As the story progresses do we learn more about Maya, what she's been through. We also get to know more about the boy's story, what he was doing in the outfitter store and why he's hellbent on escaping the psychiatric facility. And as Maya is growing closer to him is she more and more risking everything to help him. But, is he really worth it all?

Leave No Trace is a great book that I warmly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley @panmacmillan

The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Keeping secrets is a dangerous game...

1995, London.

When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five he leaves behind not just a heartbroken family but also a secret so shocking, so devastating that it could rock the English establishment to its core...

Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist, assigned to cover the legendary actor’s funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world are there. But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a letter James Harrison has left behind, the contents of which others have been desperate to conceal for over seventy years. As she peels back the veil of lies that has shrouded the secret, she realizes that there are other forces attempting to prevent her from discovering the truth. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before she does.

The Love Letter is a thrilling novel full of secrets, lies and unforgettable twists. from the internationally bestselling author, Lucinda Riley.

**********

I was really looking forward to reading The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley. Riley's The Seven Sisters series is a favorite of mine and I was curious to see how this stand-alone book would be. And, the mystery and the events surrounding the mystery is gloriously entertaining to read about. I love mysteries that makes the characters in books dig deep to reveal truths from the past. And, if I'm lucky the love stories that usually are a part of books like this will work out for me.

Unfortunately, that's what made this story limp a bit. I found myself not really caring about the romantic hookups. Partly, I think this lies in the fact that the character never really truly connected with me. And, this is a massive book, the Kindle edition is 624 pages. And, to feel, unconnected with characters in such a large book is a bit hard. Thankfully the main story, the secret that James Harrison left behind is pretty amazing. If the story had focused more on that, rather than the romantic entanglement, not to mention all the cheesy moments (especially the ending) than the book would have been truly great.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. It sure is a thick book, but Lucinda Riley is a great author and if you're lucky you will find both the mystery and the romance great.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Hemligheten i Cornwall (A Cornish Affair) by Liz Fenwick @liz_fenwick @norstedts (SWE/ENG)

A Cornish Affair by Liz Fenwick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

Jude får kalla fötter på sin bröllopsdag och låter sin blivande make stå och vänta vid altarringen eftersom hon aldrig dyker upp i kyrkan. Hennes fästman blir förtvivlad, hennes mor rasande och alla de upprörda bröllopsgästerna får nu något att samtala om ute på Cape Cod under det närmaste året.

Skamsen och skuldmedveten tar Jude sin tillflykt till Pengarrock, en fallfärdig herrgård i Cornwall där hon fått i uppdrag att katalogisera familjen Trevillions gigantiska bibliotek. Herrgården Pengarrock blir en perfekt tillflyktsort för Jude, eftersom den är full av historia och hemligheter. Men en ny ägare till Pengarrock dyker upp med vidlyftiga planer för huset och markerna. Jude känner sig manad att försvara Trevilion inför främlingen, hennes efterforskningar har nämligen lett henne in på upptäckten av en fruktansvärd tragedi som ägde rum för århundranden sedan, en dispyt om en förlorad skatt.

Den nye ägaren vill sätta ut Pengarrock till försäljning för att kunna genomföra sina planer och tiden håller på att rinna ut för Jude om hon vill avslöja hemlig­heten och hindra försäljningen.

**********

Vilken underbar bok! Hemligheten i Cornwall är en bok som jag kände redan från början tilltalade mig. Inledningen är så fantastisk, Jude som inser på självaste bröllopsdagen att detta är inte alls vad hon vill. Hon har inte haft ett ord att säga till om i planeringen av bröllopet och vill hon verkligen gifta sig John? Så, när chansen uppenbarar sig så flyr hon. Vad hon nu ska göra vet hon inte, så hon lämnar Cape Cod för England dit de skulle flytta efter bröllopet. Fast nu är hon ensam. Men av en lyckans slump för hon jobb på Pengarrock, en fallfärdig herrgård i Cornwall. Nu ska hon arbeta med att katalogisera biblioteket där. Men livet här blir inte heller så enkelt...

Hemligheten i Cornwall är en charmig bok om att finna sig själv. Att ta steget ut i det okända och våga följa sitt hjärta. Detta är den första boken jag har läst av Liz Fenwick och jag vill absolut läsa fler av henne. Jag älskade att läsa om Cornwall och jag verkligen älskade att boken även innehöll ett mysterium som Jude försökte lösa. Nu ser jag fram emot att läsa Flytten till Cornwall som utkom innan denna bok.

Tack till Norstedts för recensionexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

Sometimes running away is the answer...

Running out on your wedding day never goes down well. When the pressure of her forthcoming marriage becomes too much, Jude bolts from the church, leaving a good man at the altar, her mother in a fury, and the guests with enough gossip to last a year.

Guilty and ashamed, Jude flees to Pengarrock, a crumbling cliff-top mansion in Cornwall, where she takes a job cataloguing the Trevillion family's extensive library. The house is a welcome escape for Jude, full of history and secrets, but when its new owner arrives, it's clear that Pengarrock is not beloved by everyone.

As Jude falls under the spell of the house, she learns of a family riddle stemming from a terrible tragedy centuries before, hinting at a lost treasure. And when Pengarrock is put up for sale, it seems that time is running out for the house and for Jude.

**********

What a wonderful book! A Cornish Affair is a book that I felt right from the beginning that it would work for me. The opening is so amazing, Jude realizing on her own wedding day this is not what she wants. She has not had a word to say about the planning of the wedding and does she really want to marry John? So, when she sees her chance to escape is she off. What she will do now does not know, so she leaves Cape Cod for England where she and John should have moved after the wedding. But, she's now on her own. By a lucky chance, does she get a job at Pengarrock, a crumbling mansion in Cornwall. her work will be to cataloguing the library. But, life here is not that easy either...

A Cornish Affair is a charming book about finding oneself. To take a step out in the unknown and dare to follow one's heart. This is the first book I have read by Liz Fenwick and I will definitely read more of her. I loved reading about Cornwall and I really loved that the book also contained a mystery that Jude tries to solve. Now I look forward to reading The Cornish House.

Thanks to Norstedts for the review copy!

#BookReview Into the Night by Sarah Bailey @sarahbailey1982 @GrandCentralPub

Into the Night by Sarah Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the shocking murder of a high-profile celebrity, Gemma Woodstock must pull back the layers of a gilded cage to discover who among the victim's friends and family can be trusted--and who may be the killer.

Troubled and brilliant, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock finds herself lost and alone after a recent move to Melbourne, brokenhearted by the decisions she's had to make. Her new workplace is a minefield and Detective Sergeant Nick Fleet, the partner she has been assigned, is uncommunicative and often hostile. When a homeless man is murdered and Gemma is put on the case, she can't help feeling a connection with the victim and his lonely, isolated existence.

Then Sterling Wade, an up-and-coming actor filming his breakout performance in a closed-off city street, is murdered in the middle of an action-packed shot, and Gemma and Nick have to put aside their differences to unravel the mysteries surrounding the actor's life and death. Who could commit such a brazen crime? Who stands to profit from it? Far too many people, and none of them can be trusted. Gemma can't imagine a pair of victims with less in common--and yet as Gemma and Fleet soon learn, both men were keeping secrets that may have led to their deaths.

With riveting suspense, razor-sharp writing, and a fascinating cast of characters, INTO THE NIGHT proves Sarah Bailey is a major new talent to watch in the world of literary crime fiction.

**********

Into the Night is the sequel to the great The Dark Lake. In this book, has Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock left behind her old life and started over fresh in Melbourne. Her relationship with Scott has hit a dead end and their son is staying with his father. Gemma herself is a shadow of herself. She misses her son, she mourns her failed relationship with her lover Felix that moved away. And, alone in Melbourne is she spending her time working cases and picking up strange men at bars at night for one night stands. One really gets the feeling that she's not OK.

Then a homeless man gets stabbed to death, but that case is quickly overshadowed when a young popular actor is killed on set. Together with her new partner Nick Fleet is Gemma trying to solve the actor's murder. There are many people on the set and those around the actor are all trying to paint the actors as being well liked. So, who killed him, and why?

Into the Night is a great sequel. The story is bleak, and Gemma I feel is not all there. She such a broken character, depressed and lonely. I do hope life will brighten for her. I was not that surprised at the ending. I had my suspicions along the way, but it was a satisfying ending. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. 

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

HARDCOVER BOOK - 1538759950 / 9781538759950

ELECTRONIC BOOK - 1538759934 / 9781538759936

Available wherever books are sold December 04, 2018

Into the Night (Gemma Woodstock, #2) by Sarah Bailey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Bailey was born in Melbourne, Australia, where she has lived all her life and currently resides with her two young sons. She has a degree in journalism and has a career in advertising. She is currently a partner at the creative agency Mr Smith.

Website: https://www.sarahbaileyauthor.com
Facebook: @sarahbaileyauthor
Twitter: @sarahbailey1982
Instagram: @sb_did_it

#BookReview The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone @emilybestler @AtriaBooks @FreshFiction

The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After two years of living on cheap beer and little else in a bitterly cold tiny cabin outside an abandoned, crumbling mansion, young programmers Shawn Eagle and Billy Stafford have created something that could make them rich: a revolutionary computer they name Eagle Logic.

But the hard work and escalating tension have not been kind to their once solid friendship—Shawn’s girlfriend Emily has left him for Billy, and a third partner has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. While Billy walks away with Emily, Shawn takes Eagle Logic, which he uses to build a multi-billion-dollar company that eventually outshines Apple, Google, and Microsoft combined.

Years later, Billy is a failure, beset by poverty and addiction, and Shawn is the most famous man in the world. Unable to let the past be forgotten, Shawn decides to resurrect his and Billy’s biggest failure: a next-generation computer program named Nellie that can control a house’s every function. He decides to set it up in the abandoned mansion they worked near all those years ago. But something about Nellie isn’t right—and the reconstruction of the mansion is plagued by accidental deaths. Shawn is forced to bring Billy back, despite their longstanding mutual hatred, to discover and destroy the evil that lurks in the source code.

**********

THE MANSION is Ezekiel Boone's new book after fabulous The Hatching trilogy. This book is something else completely. It's a story about an old crumbling mansion and a love story that will destroy a friendship and turn two men into bitter enemies.

Shawn Eagle and Billy Stafford were once a great team, but Shawn's girlfriend Emily left him for Billy. Shawn, however, ended up with the innovative computer Eagle Logic that he and Billy had created together. So, while Billy and Emily had each other, Shawn ends up one of the richest men on the planet.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush @crookedlanebks

The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father's bedside, and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death, Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are in this pitch perfect mystery debut.

Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.

Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.

Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming.

**********

This book was pleasant. Yup, like watching a Hallmark movie. If that's your thing. I'm a bit on the fence, however, since I love my crime novels to be a bit darker, more surprising and let's face it less romantic. I saw the plot, what would happen in Emily Hartford's life right from the start. Or, rather from the moment, she met her ex-boyfriend when Emily came back to the town. Her perfect life in Chicago suddenly didn't seem to be so great when her fiance kept surprising her with news about the wedding that his mother is now organizing. This romantic side story is so unoriginal. And, yet I kind of liked the book. I liked the little city, the characters and yes the crime mystery was good. So, it was a pleasant book.

Would I read a sequel? Yes, I would. Not least because the book ended with some loose threads that I want answers to. So, like crime novels with a romantic triangle drama? The go for this book!  

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Netgalley for an honest review!

#BookReview A Woman of War by Mandy Robotham @AvonBooksUK

A Woman of War by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Kate Furnivall comes a gritty tale of courage, betrayal and love in the most unlikely of places.

Germany, 1944. Taken from the camps to serve the Führer himself, Anke Hoff is assigned as midwife to one of Hitler’s inner circle. If she refuses, her family will die.

Torn between her duty as a caregiver and her hatred for the Nazi regime, Anke is swept into a life unlike anything she’s ever known – and she discovers that many of those at the Berghof are just as trapped as she is. And soon, she’s falling for a man who will make her world more complicated still…

Before long, the couple is faced with an impossible choice – and the consequences could be deadly. Can their forbidden love survive the horrors of war? And, more importantly, will they?

**********

Don't read this review if you are worried about spoilers. It's hard to write about this book without addressing the main event in this book and I was spoiled myself before I started this book. Although that just intrigued me...

Anka Hoff, a midwife sent to a camp is the "lucky" one to be selected to help a woman through her pregnancy and upcoming delivery. The woman is Eva Braun. Yup, she's expecting Adolf Hitler's love child. But, what you think now. Eva and Adolf did not have any children. Right, this is a "what if" story. Totally fiction. However, it's so very well written that you for the moment you read this book actually starts to think about what would have happened if this would have been the truth. An heir to Hitler. But, also an innocent child. This story is interwoven with flashbacks to Anka's time at Ravensbrück. How she came to be there and what she experiences there. It's a very strong story, with some tough moments. Anka herself falls in love with someone, but can their love last?

A Woman of War is a tough book to read, but well worth it. If you enjoy "what if stories" or like to read WW2 novels than I recommend this book warmly!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Kiss of Death by Paul Finch @paulfinchauthor @AvonBooksUK

Kiss of Death by Paul Finch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Could this be the end for Heck?

The Sunday Times bestseller returns with an unforgettable crime thriller. Fans of MJ Arlidge and Stuart MacBride won’t be able to put this down.

Don’t let them catch you…

A Deadly Hunt
DS ‘Heck’ Heckenburg has been tasked with retrieving one of the UK’s most wanted men. But the trail runs cold when Heck discovers a video tape showing the fugitive in a fight for his life. A fight he has no chance of winning.

A Dangerous Game
Heck realises that there’s another player in this game of cat and mouse, and this time, they’ve not just caught the prize: they’ve made sure no one else ever does.

A Man Who Plays With Fire
How far will Heck and his team go to protect some of the UK’s most brutal killers? And what price is he willing to pay.

**********

I have a tendency to let the books I need to review pile up a bit. So, when I sat down to write reviews today and it was this book turn did the remembrance of the books godawful ending hit me again. And, I had managed to move on. And, now it all comes back to me...

First, I want to say that this is the first book I have read in the DS Heckenburg series, and I didn't know until I had started to read it that it was book seven. That didn't bother me much, just meant I have six books more to read. I had previously read the novella Death’s Door so I was a bit familiar with Heck.

As for this story, it was interesting especially when it all started to make sense, you know why all those dangerous men could have disappeared from the face of the earth. And I loved the fact that a short conversation at the beginning of the book where Heck learns some interesting, but at the time relevant, facts would, later on, be important to the case. Now, the story is good, I felt that this is a perfectly alright crime novel. And, then BAM Paul Finch decided to end the book with a twist so big that I mentally felt my jaw drop. Now, these are all pretty new characters for me, but that ending hit me so hard. I never ever expected that ending. I did feel before that godawful ending that the story had its ups and downs, you know a good crime novel. Some slow parts and some really good parts. However, Paul Finch saved the best (or the worts?) until the last minute...

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!   

#BookReview The Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash @TomBarbash @simonschusterUK @ScribnerUK

The Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A charming and wildly absorbing novel about the Winters, a family living in New York City’s famed Dakota apartment building in the year leading up to John Lennon’s assassination.

It’s the fall of 1979 in New York City when 23-year-old Anton Winter, back from the Peace Corps and on the mend from a nasty bout of malaria, returns to his childhood home in the Dakota. Anton’s father, the famous late-night host Buddy Winter is there to greet him, himself recovering from a breakdown. Before long Anton is swept up in an effort to reignite Buddy’s stalled career, a mission that takes him from the gritty streets of New York, to the slopes of the Lake Placid Olympics, to the Hollywood Hills, to the blue waters of the Bermuda Triangle, and brings him into close quarters with the likes of Johnny Carson, Ted and Joan Kennedy, and a seagoing John Lennon.

But the more Anton finds himself enmeshed in his father’s professional and spiritual reinvention, the more he questions his own path, and fissures in the Winter family begin to threaten their close bond. By turns hilarious and poignant, The Dakota Winters is a family saga, a page-turning social novel, and a tale of a critical moment in the history of New York City and the country at large.

The epic and intimate story of a family living in the famed Upper West Side apartment building, The Dakota, in the year leading up to the John Lennon assassination, a moment that shaped a generation.

**********

I was just little over a year old when John Lennon was killed, and writing this review is it just days after the 38 anniversary of his death. And, this story was extra poignant when you think about how much John Lennon had left to give when his life was cut short. This is a fictional story, but Tom Barbash writes in a way that makes it all feel real. Like Anton, his father Buddy and the rest of the family really existed. Cudos to Barbash to make fictional characters come to life.

I loved reading a story set in New York 79/80. I'm too young to remember those years, but nevertheless, it made me nostalgic. And, letting Dakota, one of the most iconic buildings in the city be the central point was a great move. I loved getting to know Anton and Buddy. To follow them as Anton tries to help his father return to the limelight as well as trying to find his own place outside his father's shadow. There is so much going on the world, the Olympics, Ted Kennedy's campaign. I really, really loved Joan Kennedy part in this story. As the saying goes, "behind every successful man there's a woman". And, Joan really showed in this story how to rise above Ted's infidelities. Not to mention standing by Ted, despite the Chappaquiddick incident that in the end ruined his political ambitions.

There is so much going in this book. I first gave the book four stars. However, when I started to write this review did I start to think about how much I enjoyed this story. And, how sad I was to have to say goodbye to Anton and the rest of the characters at the end of the book. So, I raised the rating to five stars. I warmly recommend this book!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Broken Ground by Val McDermid @valmcdermid @groveatlantic

Broken Ground by Val McDermid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Internationally bestselling author Val McDermid is one of our finest crime writers, and her gripping, masterfully plotted novels have garnered millions of readers from around the globe. In Broken Ground, cold case detective Karen Pirie faces her hardest challenge yet.

Six feet under in a Highland peat bog lies Alice Somerville's inheritance, buried by her grandfather at the end of World War II. But when Alice finally uncovers it, she finds an unwanted surprise--a body with a bullet hole between the eyes. Meanwhile, DCI Pirie is called in to unravel a case where nothing is quite as it seems. And as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that not everyone shares her desire for justice. Or even the idea of what justice is.

An engrossing, twisty thriller, Broken Ground reaffirms Val McDermid's place as one of the best crime writers of her generation.

**********

I had the great joy of reading OUT OF BOUNDS and BROKEN GROUNDS back-to-back. Both books are really good. I quite like that in this book Karen Pirie seems to be on the brink of happiness after the loss of Phil a year before. Also, the case is really interesting. A body is found in with a treasure from WW2, however, the body is more recent than so. So, the question is, who is this man and who killed him?

If there is one thing I love is it cold cases and that's why I enjoy this series so much. I especially liked that the case in question dates back all the way to the WW2 Now it's up to Karen and her team to try to figure out who the dead man is and who was it that killed him. But, it's not an easy case to solve, a great deal of digging must be done. Meanwhile, while Karen is working this case does she also overhear a heated discussion in a café and she can't resist butting in. This will have some consequences...

BROKEN GROUND is an excellent crime novel. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Judaskyssen (Judas Kiss) by Kristina Tilvemo & Michael Wainwright @HoiForlag

Judaskyssen by Kristina Tilvemo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

Oavsett om en människa avrättas med en kula i huvudet i ett mörkt gathörn, hittas livlös efter elva timmar i en städskrubb utan övervakning på akuten, eller dör ensam med liggsår på ett underbemannat äldrevårdshem, finns det någon som ligger bakom. Någon som gett en order. Någon som bär ett ansvar.

New York, sommaren 2013. Med ett djärvt ingrepp räddar den unga svenska läkaren Peter Larsson livet på en svårt skadad bilförare.

Ett halvår senare ser Peter – som nu tjänstgör på Malmö sjukhus – en gymnasieelev brutalt skjutas ned på gatan. Än en gång försökerhan rädda ett människoliv.

De två händelserna bildar upptakten till ett rafflande kriminaldrama där Peter och flickvännen Erika dras in i en våldsam värld präglad av oväntade vändningar, stark psykisk påfrestning och tvära kast mellan Malmös hårda gatuliv och Lunds akademiska elegans.

Hoten mot Peter och Erika kommer snart från flera håll. När en ny mordvåg sveper in över Malmös mörka gator handlar det bara om att överleva. Frågan är hur mycket – och vem – man är beredd att offra.

Judaskyssen bygger vidare på den starka traditionen av politiskt engagerad skandinavisk kriminallitteratur som bär en tydlig social och politisk agenda. Alla patientfall bygger på verkliga händelser.

**********

JUDASKYSSEN är en intressant bok. Jag tyckte speciellt mycket om att boken hade med riktiga patientfall i handlingen. Det stärkte verkligen handlingen och man fick en inblick i den obehagliga verkligheten när det gäller svenska sjukhus. Att tjäna pengar och att inte bry sig om patienterna bästa verkar vara normen nuförtiden.

Sedan har vi kriminalfallet. Peter Larsson är en vanlig man som blir inblandad i två händelser som kommer förändra hans liv. Att läsa denna bok kändes som att se en tåg krasch i slowmotion. Många dumma beslut fattas av speciellt Peter och Erika och flertalet gånger ville jag bara säg åt dem att växa upp upp och inse att de gör bara saken värre. Sedan kommer en totalt chockerande vändning...

JUDASKYSSEN är en kriminalnovell som även tar upp social orättvisa. Jag tyckte om den kombinationen och vill gärna läsa fler böcker som denna.

Tack till Hoi förlag för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

Whether a man is executed with a bullet in his head in a dark street corner or found lifeless after eleven hours in a broom cupboard without supervision in the ER or dying alone in an underprivileged retirement home, there is someone behind it. Anyone who gave an order. Someone who has a responsibility.

New York, Summer 2013. With a bold intervention, the young Swedish physician, Peter Larsson, saves the life of a seriously injured driver.

Half a year later, Peter - now serving at Malmö Hospital - sees a high school pupil brutally shot down the street. Once again, he's trying to save a human life.

The two events form the origin of a thrilling crime drama where Peter and his girlfriend Erika are drawn into a violent world characterized by unexpected twists and turns, strong psychological stress and a sharp throw between Malmö's hard street life and Lund's academic elegance.

The threats to Peter and Erika are coming soon from several directions. When a new murder wave sweeps across Malmo's dark streets, it's just about survival. The question is how much - and who - you are prepared to sacrifice.

JUDAS KISS continues to build on the strong tradition of politically committed Scandinavian crime literature that has a clear social and political agenda. All patient cases are based on real events.

**********

I found this book to be very interesting, especially all the patient cases one reads about. Why? Because they are all true, and they show just how bad the situations are in the hospitals here in Sweden. Saving money and not caring about the patients seems to be the norm nowadays. 

Then there is the crime story part. Peter Larsson, an ordinary man that happens to be involved in two events that will change his world. Reading this book felt very much like watching a train crash in slow motion. Lots of stupid decisions and you just want to tell the characters in this book, especially Peter and Erika to wise up. Then comes a shocking twist to the story that I never expected...

JUDAS KISS is a book that deals with social injustice as well as being a crime novel. I liked this setup and I want to read more books like this.

Thanks to Hoi förlag for the review copy!

#BookReview Out of Bounds by Val McDermid @valmcdermid @groveatlantic

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Internationally bestselling author Val McDermid is one of our finest crime writers, whose gripping, impeccably plotted novels have garnered millions of readers worldwide. In her latest, Out of Bounds, she delivers a riveting cold case novel featuring detective Karen Pirie.

When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test reveals a connection to an unsolved murder from twenty-two years before. Finding the answer to the cold case should be straightforward. But it’s as twisted as the DNA helix itself.

Meanwhile, Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another mystery that she has no business investigating, a mystery that has its roots in a terrorist bombing two decades ago. And again, she finds that nothing is as it seems.

**********

OUT OF BOUNDS is the fourth book in the Inspector Karen Pirie series and I have previously read book two and three in this series. This is a series that is growing on me. I still prefer the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series by the author, but this one and the one that comes after (that I picked up straight after I finished this one) are really good and I now want to read the first book that I haven't yet read.

Karen Pirie lost the love of her life recently and she spends her nights walking around in the city trying to come to grips with her loss. That doesn't mean that she isn't doing her damn best to solve cold cases. A joyride crash has given new life to an old rape and murder case. However, finding the answers will not be that easy. Karen is also drawn to a recent murder case that is linked to a terrorist bombing that happened twenty years ago. Could there be a link between the two deeds?

OUT OF BOUNDS is a really good book and it's not necessarily to read the books in the right order since each book has new cases.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BookReview Caged by Ellison Cooper @MinotaurBooks @FreshFiction

Caged by Ellison Cooper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair hunts for evil in the deepest recesses of the human mind. Still reeling from the death of her fiance, she wants nothing more than to focus on her research into the brains of serial killers. But when the Washington D.C. police stumble upon a gruesome murder scene involving a girl who'd been slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage, Sayer is called in to lead the investigation. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a high profile senator, Sayer is thrust into the spotlight.

As public pressure mounts, she discovers that another girl has been taken and is teetering on the brink of death. With evidence unraveling around her, Sayer races to save the second victim but soon realizes that they are hunting a killer with a dangerous obsession...a killer who is closer than she thought.

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When a young girl is found dead in a cage, FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair must take a break from her research into the brains of serial killers. This killer seems to be very sadistic, letting the young victim slowly starve to death, but strangely, had given the girl a puppy. The case is complicated further by the fact that the girl is the daughter of a senator. Sayer tries to figure out the killers motive, but the situation becomes dire when they realize another girl is locked up somewhere...

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#BookReview The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman @GenevieveCogman @BerkleyPub @FreshFiction

The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the latest novel in Genevieve Cogman's historical fantasy series, the fate of worlds lies in the balance. When a dragon is murdered at a peace conference, time-travelling Librarian spy Irene must solve the case to keep the balance between order, chaos...and the Library.

When Irene returns to London after a relatively straightforward book theft in Germany, Bradamant informs her that there is a top secret dragon-Fae peace conference in progress that the Library is mediating, and that the second-in-command dragon has been stabbed to death. Tasked with solving the case, Vale and Irene immediately go to 1890s Paris to start their investigation.

Once they arrive, they find evidence suggesting that the murder victim might have uncovered proof of treachery by one or more Librarians. But to ensure the peace of the conference, some Librarians are being held as hostages in the dragon and Fae courts. To save the captives, including her parents, Irene must get to the bottom of this murder--but was it a dragon, a Fae, or even a Librarian who committed the crime?

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THE MORTAL WORD is the fifth book in The Invisible Library series. I've read every single book in the series and I could not wait to read this book. Irene's job is to steal rare books from different worlds for the Invisible Library. She loves her job, the adventures, the books. After a job in Germany, Irene learns about a secret Dragon-Foe peace conference that the Library is overseeing. But when a high- ranking Dragon is murdered, the peace talks come to a halt. Irene and her friend, private detective Vale, are ordered to go to 1890s Paris and investigate the murder and find out who killed the dragon, and why?

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