TRIGGER WARNING: rape and self harm
A young woman is abducted and trafficked to the UK. She makes a daring escape but is killed by a crossbow killer. DI Jemima Huxley leads the case despite beings seven months pregnant following a rape.
The Leighton Meadow Killings is the fourth book in the DI Huxley series but the first that I have read. There are mentions of previous cases (but no spoilers) and also events from the past in the personal life of Jemima.
The book begins with the trafficking and death of a young Czech woman before moving onto the past to show us Jemima’s rape. We then rejoin the present day as Jemima investigates the murder. It has taken place in the safe small Welsh village in which she lives so she feels almost violated once more.
The book is written in the third person to allow us to see the victim’s perspective before her death as well as Jemima’s. I think it was a good idea not to have first person persepctives as it would have been too rawly emotional with the rape content.
The plot and investigation develop at a reasonable pace. Jemima is a character who is easy to like so we readers are keen for her to succeed personally and professionally. The style of writing is easy to read and there is a good mix of description, dialogue and the characters’ emotion.
The Leighton Meadow Killings is an enjoyable detective thriller and I would like to read more by this author.
THE LEIGHTON MEADOW KILLINGS
MEET DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JEMIMA HUXLEY IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS.
Leighton Meadow is an idyllic village in the Vale of Glamorgan. But evil lurks beneath its tranquil surface.
A woman is found dead in the village church. She thought she’d found a sanctuary from her killer. But they found her in the end.
And they shot her through the heart with a crossbow.
The locals all clam up when questioned. Detective Jemima Huxley is worried that they’re hiding something — but what?
The dead woman turns out to be a Czech student. She went missing on a night out with friends.
She was doing well at uni. She came from a good family. How did she end up dead in a Welsh church?
And where are the other missing women?
Detective Huxley must find them before it’s too late.
A BRAND-NEW, RACE-AGAINST-TIME CRIME THRILLER THAT WILL KEEP YOU UP ALL NIGHT.
Readers of Simon McCleave, Rachel McLean, Ann Cleeves, Helen H. Durrant, Joy Ellis, Angela Marsons, L.J. Ross, J.M. Dalgliesh, Patricia Gibney, Mark Edwards and Lynda La Plante will love Gaynor Torrance’s feisty and flawed protagonist DI Jemima Huxley.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GAYNOR TORRANCE’S DI JEMIMA HUXLEY SERIES:
“This fast-paced thriller had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning.” Racquel
“Gaynor Torrance writes with such passion . . . leaves you wishing for revenge.” Bob
“Absolutely brilliant. Read cover to cover in two days.” Helen
“Riveting . . . I loved the surprise ending.” Robin Smith
“A brilliant read, fantastic plot and story. I found it very hard to put down.” Kaz
“Very engrossing. Looking forward to reading the next in this series.” John.
MEET THE DETECTIVE
DI Jemima Huxley is a driven detective who cares deeply about getting justice for victims and their families. With a degree in psychology, she is intelligent, loyal, fearless — and a competent kickboxer. She enjoys trying to get into the mindset of the killer, often taking down violent suspects while her male partner hesitates.
But Jemima has a secret. When circumstances threaten to overwhelm her, she self-harms. Her inner turmoil hints at a troubled past. She has been married for seven years and is desperate for a baby, but it just hasn’t happened. And this obsessive desire is what sets her on a destructive emotional rollercoaster.
ALSO BY GAYNOR TORRANCE
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JEMIMA HUXLEY
Book 1: THE CARDIFF KILLINGS
Book 2: THE BRIARMARSH CLOSE KILLINGS
Book 3: THE CAERPHILLY MOUNTAIN KILLINGS
Book 4: THE LEIGHTON MEADOW KILLINGS
GAYNOR TORRANCE
Gaynor Torrance lives near Cardiff with her husband and their rescue cat, Cleo. The area is the setting for her Detective Inspector Jemima Huxley series of books. Like Gaynor, Jemima has a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Though, apart from them both having a keen interest in human behaviour, that’s where any similarity ends.
When she’s not writing or glued to her Kindle, Gaynor enjoys listening to music, playing the piano, walking, travelling, and eating far too much chocolate.
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Two weeks, four friends and one big bucket list of secrets to unravel…
Val Murray and her best friend, Josie had been planning a ‘Thelma and Louise’ bucket list style holiday.
Now Josie is gone, and Val needs to make the trip before it’s too late.
But Val doesn’t want to do it alone, so she enlists the help of her nieces, Carly and Carole, and their best pal, Jess, who jump at the chance to join Val on a trip of a lifetime.
What Val doesn’t realise is that Carly, Carole and Jess are all at turning points in their own lives, nursing crushing secrets, lies and betrayals.
Somewhere between Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York they all hit a crossroads and have to decide if they want to return to the lives they left behind or let Josie’s last wishes take them on a brand new adventure.
Author Bio –
Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.
Social Media Links –
Rachel and her daughter Lily move to the city to get away from her abusive husband Keith. She quickly settles into the apartment but can’t help wondering what happened to the previous tenant who disappeared…
The Girl Before Me is a psychological thriller set in Chicago, America.
The book starts with Annie feeling threatened and scared before skipping to Rachel’s story. The move to the city is a big one and quite emotional as she has divorced her husband. This added an extra dimension to the story as she is trying to deal with her own issues while also feeling uncertain about the previous tenant. Her neighbours keep mentioning Annie and her mysterious disappearance and Rachel starts to feel unsettled in the apartment.
I found the pace of the book a little slow in the first half as we are introduced to Rachel and her situation. The tension builds gradually as we meet more of the building’s occupants and sinister things begin to happen which make Rachel feel unsafe. There are twists which I was not expecting and I felt that the mystery of Annie was sustained well over the course of the book.
The Girl Before Me is an enjoyable thriller which kept me guessing to the end.
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Book: THE GIRL BEFORE ME
Author: Laura Wolfe
Pub Day: APRIL 29TH 2022
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About the Book:
I switched on the bedroom light, casting a glow across the apartment. No one was there. But then the locks on my front door caught my eye. I thought I’d locked them both, but now one was open…
When I moved into the apartment with my little daughter Lily, it was meant to be a new beginning for us. Now we are right in the heart of downtown, in a building with its own doorman. For the first time in a long time we are safe, away from my ex-husband.
But just as we settle into our new lives a letter arrives for someone called Annie. The neighbors tell me to ignore it. She’s just the woman who lived here before me, who moved out one day without a word.
Curious, I open it anyway and am shocked by what I read. It says Annie wasn’t safe. It said she needed to get out.
Now, I can’t escape the idea that someone is watching us. I feel I can’t trust my neighbors.
And I can’t help but think… Something happened to Annie. Something bad. And Lily and I are not nearly as safe here as I thought we were…
A totally unputdownable gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and Gillian Flynn.
Author Bio and Social Media
Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes fast-paced and twisty psychological thrillers and suspense novels. Her recent titles published by Bookouture include WE LIVE NEXT DOOR, HER BEST FRIEND’S LIE, SHE LIES ALONE, and TWO WIDOWS. Laura’s YA mystery series and adult suspense novel, TOP PRODUCER, have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Kate Palmer is manning the first aid tent at the local fair when Sienna Stone flounces in. Kate is angry about Sienna crashing into her car and quickly sends her away. But within hours, Kate discovers Sienna’s body on the beach after being pushed off the cliffs, and finds herself the prime suspect…
A Body on the Beach is the fifth book to feature amateur sleuth Kate Palmer and her now husband, retired police officer Woody Forrest.
Kate can’t resist a new investigation especially when she needs to prove her own innocence. As she digs deeper into the life of Sienna Stone, she finds a collection of suspects and motives. I loved it when Kate’s sister points out that Palmer is an anagram of Marple!
Kate is able to use her nursing to access other characters without coming across as nosy. She is supported by her husband Woody and in this book we see her maternal side as her son visits and she has concerns about his new girlfriend. Her relationship with her sister Angie has also become more positive now that Angie’s behaviour is more settled.
The case itself concentrates on the motives of the characters and there is no graphic description of violence or forensics. I found the style of writing easy to read and love the traditional setting of a quintessential English village.
A Body on the Beach is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery, continuing a good series.
It’s Tinworthy village’s summer fete: a brass band, cream teas, gentle gossip… and a body on the beach? The party’s just getting started for super sleuth Kate Palmer!
Kate Palmer thought spending the day at Tinworthy’s annual summer party would involve sea air, sunshine and Cornish cream cake – how very wrong she was! When Kate goes for a cliff-top walk she is shocked to spot the body of Sienna Stone – Cornwall’s biggest gossip – on the sandy beach below.
Rumours swirl around the close-knit community and all eyes are on Kate. Half the village saw her arguing with Sienna at the party earlier that day. It was the usual bickering between neighbours, but when Kate finds herself in the frame can she – and her new husband Woody Forrest – solve the puzzling death and clear her name?
There’s a long list of people who might have wanted to push Sienna – her long-suffering husband Irvin, her jealous younger sister Sally and Timmy Thomson, the man who idolised her, not to mention all the villagers who felt the sharp end of her tongue. Finding out the truth isn’t going to be easy…
Just as Kate thinks she’s getting closer to an answer, an unexpected afternoon visitor shares some curious information over tea and scones that sets her on an entirely different path. And soon she starts to wonder if she might be in real danger too…
Can Kate solve the curious case before the murderer declares the party over? Or have her days of sleuthing come to an end?
If you love cosy crime stories complete with quirky characters, twisty plots and plenty of suspects, A Body on the Beach will have you absolutely hooked until the very last page! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase.
Author Bio:
Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.
She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.
Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!
Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.
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Millie is fresh out of prison and living in her car. She urgently needs a job and somewhere to live but is genuinely shocked when she is hired to be a live in housekeper. But her new job has a sinister edge. The lady of the house Nina is unpredictable and Millie lives in a state of fear for her job and possibly even her life…
The Housemaid is a psychological thriller set in America.
Millie has had a run of bad luck so is relieved to get a job and home in one fell swoop. But from the very beginning she has an unsettling feeling regarding her boss Nina. Nina’s behaviour is erratic and Millie feels constantly on edge.
I couldn’t believe the vile way that Nina acted towards Millie nor the repulsive state of the house. Her snide comments as well as her daughter’s brattish behaviour were truly awful and instantly allied me with Millie. However, I was eager to learn why Millie has been in prison and found herself in such a desperate situation.
All the while, I had the prologue in my mind and was guessing how the plot would play out. This book is not one sided as we then get to see Nina’s perspective before both viewpoints merge for the finale. Wow! The change in perspective is a fab twist and the ending left me feeling satisfied. The chapters are short so the momentum and pace are speedy, enticing me to read one more chapter.
The Housemaid was a gripping thriller and I couldn’t put it down!
The Housemaid: An absolutely addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist by Freida McFadden
“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…
Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.
I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.
But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.
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About the author
#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
To hear Freida talk more about herself in the third person, visit her website: https://www.freidamcfadden.com/
Author social media
Twitter: @Freida_McFadden
Instagram: @fizzziatrist
