Detective Harlow Durant is having a break when she is called back to deal with a cold case that has gone live. Skeletal remains have been found but then a fresh body is dumped on the site. Is there a connection between the old and new crimes?
Their Final Cry is the third book to feature Harlow Durant (I have previously reviewed the second book in the series The Girls in the Fire). She has serious issues centred around her serial killer father and there are flashback chapters showing her past.
The personal side to the main detectives’ lives is crucial to the plot but also fascinating to read. Harlow and Lucas really come to life and have a great rapport with each other. They are both flawed and have vulnerabilities which meakes them easy to like and empathise with. We are more alligned with Harlow as the plot is deivered through her first person perspective.
The murder mystery is quite atmospheric with characters mentioning haunting voices in the woods. There is some forensic evidence but it is not particularly graphic. The descriptions of Harlow’s father’s killing were more visceral as they include her emotive reaction. I felt that the tension was maintained well through the book and the pace was quite rapid. However the plot strands are not wrapped up, leaving a huge cliffhanger and no sign of a sequel…
Their Final Cry is a dramatic and intense detective thriller.
Their Final Cry book description:
As the sheet was pulled away, Harlow started to get a picture of her victim. Looking down at her alabaster skin, flowing blonde hair and striking cheekbones, it was not hard to see why she was known as the sweetheart of this town. But as Harlow’s eyes scanned down to the purple bruising around her neck, it was clear that someone wanted her dead.
When the body of sixteen-year-old Mazie Winters is discovered on the site of an abandoned farm, the small and tight-knit community of New Paltz in upstate New York is rocked to its core and Detective Harlow Durant is called in immediately to investigate.
Harlow’s partner Lucas Park is already working at Ackert Farm on a cold case, identifying human remains found in a cellar. Looking out at the desolate farmland, Harlow can’t help but think that dumping Mazie’s body on the site of an active crime scene is a warning: leave the remains in the past or more innocent lives will be lost.
Searching old farm records and interviewing previous owners, Harlow discovers that no one ever stayed long: the ground appeared to be cursed and owners soon moved on. The only shred of evidence is of teens heading into the vast network of woods to hear the supposed cries of women, presumed to be the ghosts of the past. But were those screams real?
As Harlow pieces together a picture of Mazie: a loving daughter of the local pastor who spent her weekends singing in the church choir, she is called to an abandoned outhouse hidden in the woods. Forcing open the door, she is shocked to find the remains of two women. But the case soon becomes personal as Lucas recognises the necklace found on one of the bodies.
Could the remains be linked to the tragic disappearance of Lucas’s mother decades before? And when another teenager vanishes, Harlow senses history repeating itself. With a killer at large, Harlow knows that time is running out to catch the killer and bring justice to Lucas’s family. But how far will the killer go to cover up their darkest crime?
A completely gripping and pulse-pounding crime thriller perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Robert Dugoni.
Author Bio:
Author Dea (D.H) Poirier is the author of NEXT GIRL TO DIE, which hit #1 in the Amazon charts. She was raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she got her start writing in creative writing courses. She attended The University of Central Oklahoma for Computer Science and Political Science. Later, she spent time living on both coasts, and traveling the United States, before finally putting down roots in Central Florida. She now resides somewhere between Disney and the swamp. She spends her days at her day job as a President of Digital Marketing, and her nights writing manuscripts.
Buy Link:
You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo
Violet Parker is forced to become a housemaid to Queen Victoria and has strict instructions to attempt to reconcile the young queen with her mother. Violet struggles with her mission and her personal life is thrown into crisis when she falls in love with a man who never lets his heart rules his head…
Victoria and Violet is an historical novel set during the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. There are a couple of inaccuracies (that will annoy pedants like me!) but not enough to detract from enjoying the book overall.
Violet is a sweet young girl who has lived under her mother’s control. She has much in common with the new queen who is flourishing now she is freed from her own domineering mother. Her new role in the queen’s household is a dream come true but her mission overshadows her enjoyment.
Meanwhile, she catches the eye of James Greene who is an assistant to Lord Melbourne the prime minister. At first I was worried that Jack was too shallow but it soon becomes clear that he has his own demons in his past that affect any possible relationships. The pair develop a gentle yet intense romance which unfolds despite the barriers to their happiness. The book is written from Violet and Jack’s third person perspectives so we get to know them equally well.
Victoria and Violet is an enjoyable novel that brings the Victorian era to life.
Victoria & Violet
It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…
When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent.
Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.
Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.
Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…
Purchase Links
Author Bio –
Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.
Social Media Links –
Jack Treadwell arrives at the Empire theatre looking for work but discovers friendship, romance and so much more! He works with different social classes, famous actors and starlets, musicians and stage hands in a wonderful theatrical atmosphere. But there are people who want the Empire to fail and this threatens all Jack holds dear…
The Empire is the debut novel from renowned performer (dare I say musical legend?!) Michael Ball. It was an utter delight to read. I was immediately swept into the 1920s era and felt that the social and cultural situation, impacted by the recent First World War, felt authentic.
The characters are effectively brought to life through descriptions and dialogue. Don’t be put off by the character guide at the start which felt a little overwhelming. I skipped it but found the relationships easy to understand. There is a fine mix of the flamboyant, honourable, devious, wholesome and eccentric. Perhaps a little melodramatic with characters we love to hate but I was totally hooked.
The plot itself centres around the Empire being inherited by a man with poor business sense and dubious morals. He needs to convince his step-grandmother to part with her shares whilst the business itself is struggling against a rival theatre. On the personal side, Jack is dealing with his return from France after the war, finding himself an orphan and needing a career. There is a big twist which I guessed but this did not affect my enjoyment at all.
The Empire is a captivating and richly written historical novel.
The Empire
Welcome to The Empire theatre
1922. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly mesmerised. But amid the glitz and glamour, he soon learns that the true magic of the theatre lies in its cast of characters – both on stage and behind the scenes.
There’s stunning starlet Stella Stanmore and Hollywood heartthrob Lancelot Drake; and Ruby Rowntree, who keeps the music playing, while Lady Lillian Lassiter, theatre owner and former showgirl, is determined to take on a bigger role. And then there’s cool, competent Grace Hawkins, without whom the show would never go on . . . could she be the leading lady Jack is looking for?
When long-held rivalries threaten The Empire’s future, tensions rise along with the curtain. There is treachery at the heart of the company and a shocking secret waiting in the wings. Can Jack discover the truth before it’s too late, and the theatre he loves goes dark?
Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this, his debut novel.
Enjoy the show!
Author Bio – Michael Ball OBE is a singer, actor, presenter and now author. He’s been a star of musical theatre for over three decades, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical twice, he’s also won two BRIT awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Michael regularly sells out both his solo tours and his Ball & Boe shows with Alfie Boe and has multiple platinum albums. The Empire is his first novel.
1944, the Second World War continues and Jewish Margarete is still pretending to be Annegret Gruber, an Aryan German. But her true identity is threatened to be revealed by a high ranking Nazi and danger finally catches up with her…
Daughter of the Dawn is the fourth book to feature the story of Margarete, a Jewish woman living under an assumed identity in Nazi Germany. We are quickly caught up on the plotline from previous books in the opening chapter so it would work as a stand alone novel if necessary,
The tension which has been explicit through the previous books continues as Margarete attempts to protect others from their fate in the extermination camps. Her own position is precarious as she struggles to maintain her secret identity yet she constantly puts herself at risk for the sake of others.
I genuinely cared about Margarete’s character and wanted to beg her to stay safe for a few more months until the end of the war. She has finally found some happiness and love which offers a glimmer of hope during the dark times described in the book. The emotional side of the characters balances against the fear and tension that Margarete and her friends experience as a result of the brutal Nazi ideology.
Daughter of the Dawn is a fine ending to this historical saga and I enjoyed following Margarete’s journey.
Daughter of the Dawn book description:
1944, Germany: The war is still raging, as a young woman named Margarete hides from the Nazis in plain sight. With each day that passes, she takes more risks. But will one of those risks ultimately take her to the most evil place on earth?
After a bombing led to her identity being mistaken, Margarete Rosenbaum has been living disguised as one of the Nazis themselves, for almost the entire war.
But secretly—aided by Stefan, a resistance fighter she’s becoming impossibly drawn to—she is trying to liberate the Jewish workers sent to work on the land she’s inherited, and to sabotage the work of the factory she’s meant to be in charge of.
She knows that every day she is risking her life. But she also knows what she has to do. Because it could be her on the other side of the barbed wire fence. And for every person she saves from the Nazis, it’s worth it.
Until she is discovered. And to protect the people she had been helping, she knows she must accept her fate. Even when they send her to the very place she’s hoped to save her prisoners from: Auschwitz… Where no one comes out alive. As the war moves towards its brutal end, will she survive to see Stefan again?
A totally heartbreaking story about courage, love and betrayal, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Beneath a Scarlet Sky and All the Light We Cannot See.
Author Bio:
Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.
Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.
Buy Links:
You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo
FBI Agent Nikki Hunt is getting ready for Christmas with her family when she gets a call that a body has been found in a frozen lake. The victim is perfectly preserved but her hands and feet have been removed. The only suspect is her boyfriend but the dismemberment suggests a confident killer rather than a teen…
Her Frozen Heart is the 6th book to feature Nikki Hunt. There are several plot developments from earlier books that play a significant role in the main characters’ current lives so I would recommend reading the books in order or treating it as a stand alone.
The prologue is hugely emotive as it shows us Kesha begging for her life. This really catches the reader and throws them straight into the action. We then skip ahead to the discovery of her body which is heartbreaking after her desperation to live.
The pace of the plot developments is quite speedy but delivered through chapters which are reasonably long to show the thoroughness of Nikki’s investigation. A young man’s disappearance and the discovery of a mass grave makes the case more complicated and adds new dimensions.
The majority of the book is written in the third person from the police perspective. However, there are some chapters that show a past timeline which has an uncomfortable and increasingly sinister atmosphere. The interactions between Nikki, her family and colleagues all contribute to strong relationships which underpin the investigation and contrast against the dark atmosphere.
Her Frozen Heart is an entertaining and dramatic detective thriller.
MEDIA PACK
Book: HER FROZEN HEART
Author: Stacy Green
Pub Day: Oct 13th 2022
Buy Link(s):
About the Book:
The girl’s pretty face was relaxed, snowflakes settling on her cheeks as they began to fall over the quiet frozen lake where she’d been found. She could have been sleeping… but her empty eyes and the blooming bruises around her neck told a different story…
When Special Agent Nikki Hunt receives a call on Christmas Day, she knows it can’t be good news. Seventeen-year-old missing teenager Kesha Williams has at last been found… her body floating in an icy forest lake, miles from her hometown.
As Nikki rushes to the scene, she’s chilled to see the past repeating itself. Kesha disappeared from the mall where Nikki’s own little girl was targeted the year before. With Kesha’s grieving parents desperate for answers and the media out for blood, Nikki promises she’ll find Kesha’s killer no matter what it takes.
Local police are convinced it was Kesha’s boyfriend, who was spotted disappearing from security cameras that day at the mall, but Nikki isn’t so sure. The dense marshes and unstable ground around the crime scene mean it’s nearly inaccessible from the road. Whoever took Kesha is a local, and this probably isn’t his first kill.
Nikki’s worst fears are confirmed when the team find another grave on the shore – a second teenage girl, her body wound in a brightly coloured beach towel. Suddenly on the hunt for a serial killer, Nikki knows that an early break is the key to solving this case. But as the body count rises, will Nikki be able to find Kesha’s killer… or will he find her first?
An unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night! Fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Robert Dugoni will absolutely love this gripping read.
Author Bio
Stacy Green is a USA Today best-selling author of more than a dozen mysteries and thrillers. Her books include the award-winning Lucy Kendall series, the Cage Foster series, and the USA Today best-selling Nikki Hunt series. Stacy has bachelor’s degrees in Journalism/Mass Communication and Sociology from Drake University. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.
Stacy lives in Iowa with her husband, daughter, and fur babies.
Social Media
