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An eminent doctor and his family are brutally murdered with the exception of his eldest daughter. Abby Pearce leads the investigation, racing against time to uncover the killer and find the missing girl…

Silent Island is the second book to feature Abby as she adjusts to live away from New York. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, Her Ocean Grave. However, this book could be read as a stand alone novel as there are no major spoilers about the crime in the previous book.

Abby is still haunted by the death of her former partner in New York. Her drinking is under control but her love life has stalled. She locks horns with her boss but has positive relationships with others in her team.

The book is written from Abby’s first person perspective so we view her internal struggles as well as follow the clues to catch the killer. We see her determination and dedication at work, whilst also seeing the personal side of her life which reveals her vulnerability.

The case itself appears straight forward at first but when Abby realises the daughter of the murdered family is missing, it adds a tension to the plot. Motive is key to these murders and Abby puts herself at risk when she decides that there may be a mob connection.

Silent Island is an enjoyable crime thriller novel and the lead detective Abby is carefully constructed to be flawed but easy to like.

I have also reviewed The Silent Victim and The Golden Girl by Dana Perry.

Author Bio:

Dana Perry is a New York City journalist and an author who writes mystery thrillers featuring Detective Abby Pearce on the island of Martha’s Vineyard (SILENT ISLAND, HER OCEAN GRAVE) and NYC newspaper reporter Jessie Tucker (THE GOLDEN GIRL, THE SILENT VICTIM).

https://twitter.com/DanaPerryAuthor

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3COcAt0

Apple: https://apple.co/2VcayCt

Kobo: https://bit.ly/376WGvX

Google: https://bit.ly/39IeCys

Lady Kitty Underhay and her private investigator beau Matthew Bryant are invited to Thurscomb Castle for her cousin’s wedding. But the nuptials are overshadowed by a murder and the pair are straight on the case. Can they find the killer and prevent another death?

Murder at the Wedding is the 7th book by Helena Dixon to feature Lady Kitty Underhay. We revisit characters from previous books as well as mentions of plotlines that have threaded through the rest of the series. However, there are no major spoilers and this could be read as a stand alone novel.

The 1930s are brought to life, especially the upper classes as Kitty travels to a stately home to celebrate the nuptials of her cousin Lucy who we had met in a previous book. However, Kitty’s gentle nature allows her to makes friends in all classes although once again the police are not keen on her involvement!

There are whole array of characters to suspect as they all seem to be acting suspiciously or be hiding secrets. I admit I did get a little confused as they are referred to variously by their first or second names. Kitty and Matt have to wade through the red herrings to find the correct motive and therefore the killer.

But perhaps more important for fans of the series… the love blossoming between the lead characters finally seems on track…

Murder at the Wedding is an enjoyable historical and cosy murder mystery. Other books in the series that I have reviewed: Murder at Enderley Hall, Murder at the Playhouse, Murder on the Dance Floor, Murder in the Belltower, and Murder at Elm House.

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Book: Murder at the Wedding  

Author: Helena Dixon 

Pub Day: Oct 6th 2021

Buy Link: 

https://geni.us/B096KXJZZScover 

About the Book: 

’Till death do us part may come sooner than they thought…

1934. Kitty Underhay steps out of the battered Rolls Royce and onto the gravelled driveway of Thurscomb Castle in deepest Yorkshire. She’s honoured to be a bridesmaid at her cousin Lucy’s wedding to the reluctant Lord Rupert Woodcomb, but as family and friends gather for welcome drinks, Kitty dodges intrusive questions about her own marital status by taking a stroll about the castle grounds. As she passes through the manicured gardens, a fatal shot rings out…

The valet, Evans, is dead. And Kitty can’t help but notice how rattled the man standing next to him seems. Could Rupert’s best man, The Right Honourable Alexander ‘Sandy’ Galsworthy, believe the speeding bullet was meant for him?

When she discovers that Sandy has been receiving blackmail notes, Kitty suspects that one of the assembled guests has plans to make good on their threats. The local constabulary won’t act on Kitty’s hunch, so, busy with her bridesmaid’s duties, she asks her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, to help.

The ceremony passes without a hitch. But when an anxious Sandy slips away during the dancing, Matt follows, only to make a hideous discovery: Sandy is dead, flattened on the terrace by some falling masonry.

Now the duo are sure that there is a murderer within the castle walls. But can they untangle Sandy’s final hours and catch this killer before they strike again, or will the wedding bells be replaced by a death knell for Kitty herself…?

A completely charming and unputdownable cozy historical Golden Age murder mystery! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.

Author Bio

Helena Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo and a tank of tropical fish. Helena was the RNA winner of the Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010.

Social Media

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NellDixon

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/helenadixonuk 

Queenie is a successful singer in London as the world adjusts to peace after WW2. Her best friend Joy is more reserved and stays out of the limelight working as a waitress while Queenie shines on stage. But both women have come to the attention of a dangerous stranger…

The Girl At My Door is a dark crime novel based on the real life serial killer John Christie who murdered at least 8 women at the infamous 10 Rillington Place.

The book is set in 1949. The Second World War ended 4 years previously but still has a huge impact on everyday life. Queenie and Joy are determined to find opportunities in life: the former has Broadway in her sights while the latter can hear wedding bells. There is a subplot about Terrence who is homosexual during a time when it was still illegal. He struggles with his identity as well as keeping his sexual orientation a secret.

There are also chapters written from John Christie’s perspective, including his viewpoint during the murders he committed. His parts of the book are quite creepy as he watches and waits, lurking with murderous intent. This creates an intense anticipation as we fear for the main female characters.

I enjoyed the mix of compelling fiction and thorough research that has gone into The Girl At My Door. The killer is devious and sinister while the women are headstrong with a passion for life. Terrence’s plotline inspired my sympathy. The fictional characters blur with the real life killer, creating a plot that is fascinating to watch as it unfolds.

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Book: The Girl at my Door

Author: Rebecca Griffiths

Pub Day: Sept 23rd 2021

Buy Links: 

Author Bio

Rebecca Griffiths grew up in mid-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English Literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland she returned to rural mid-Wales where she lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their four black rescue cats, two pet sheep the size of sofas and writes full time.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebeccagriffit7  

The whole village of Dedley End is excited to be invited to the engagement party being held at the stately home of the Roth family. Notoriously private, the Roths have held no such gathering in over 20 years. Among the guests are Nancy Hunter and her grandmother, the owners of Dedley Endings Bookshop in the village. Their enjoyment of the party is quickly destroyed when one of the Roth family members is found murdered…

Murder at the House on the Hill is a cosy murder mystery novel set in a quintessential English vilage.

Nancy runs the village bookshop which, due to the name of the vilage, Dedley End, only sells crime and murder mystery novels. Having read so widely on the subject, she thinks she is an expert on finding clues and uncovering motives. She is invited to catalogue the Roth library but uses it as an opportunity to begin her investigation.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Nancy and her grandmother Jane. They have been through a lot together from Nancy’s mum walking out to the tragic death of Nancy’s father. Now they run the book shop together and have a wonderfully close relationship.

There were a whole bunch of suspects and motive is important to Nancy’s investigation. This reminds me of Agatha Christie novels. There was also a modern twist with the inclusion of text messages and I had my fingers crossed at the potential for romance for our amateur sleuth.

Murder at the House on the Hill is a very enjoyable murder mystery novel and I look forward to reading more about Nancy and the village of Dedley End in future books.

Murder At The House On The Hill

Once Upon A Crime…

Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…

That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in twenty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party.

While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short. Beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade.

But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why?

Nancy and Jane decide to investigate – after all, not only do they own a crime themed bookshop, they were also both named after famous literary detectives – but soon wonder if they’ve taken on more than they can handle. Especially when it seems the killer has worked out that they’re hot on their heels…

Can they catch the murderer before the murderer catches up with them? Or will there be a deadly ending to this story?

Join the unlikeliest detective duo for the killer opener of The Dedley End Mysteries series, by a major voice in women’s fiction.

Purchase Links

AMZ: https://amzn.to/3yJqSKk

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2SzAN4h

Apple: https://apple.co/3yJGkWE

Author Bio – Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. She’s the author of the bestselling GLENDALE HALL series, which continues with its third book HOPEFUL HEARTS at GLENDALE HALL in September. Victoria has also written two other standalone novels – SUMMER at the KINDNESS CAFE, and THE SECOND LOVE of my LIFE. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for two RNA awards. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star, and her books have won wide reader acclaim.

Victoria is a full-time author. She lives in Surrey with her cat Harry, and loves books, clothes, music, going out for tea and cake, and posting photos on Instagram.

Find out more about Victoria by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on Twitter at @Vicky_Walters or by visiting her blog at:https://victoria-writes.com/.

Amanda Steele is called away from an important trial to investigate the double homicide of a couple and the disappearance of their daughter, Zoe. The young girl is quickly found but unable to tell the police about what she saw. But the killer doesn’t know that and Zoe becomes a target…

The Silent Witness is the third book by Carolyn Arnold to feature Detective Amanda Steele. There are significant spoilers about events in the first two books (The Little Grave and Stolen Daughters) so I would advise reading the series in order.

The threat involving a young girl instantly affects Amanda emotionally due to her own past. She sees the parents’ murder as almost execution like and is concerned that national security may be involved due to the husband’s work. The other mystery is that the family had abruptly and unexpectedly returned from a holiday. The police team need to sift through the clues to protect young Zoe.

Amanda’s character continues to lead the series. There is a vulnerability to her despite the backbone of steel she attempts to display. Her emotional backstory and the events of the preceding books do not detract her attention from the case. I enjoyed the relationships and dialogue she shares with others in the book as they serve to make her more human and realistic.

The Silent Witness is a gripping police thriller with a very strong lead character. The book is fast paced and thoroughly engaging.

I have also reviewed other Carolyn Arnold books from other genres: Halloween Is Murder and The Secret of the Lost Pharoah.

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Book: The Silent Witness

Author: Carolyn Arnold 

Pub Day: Sept 24th 2021

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B09236T3JFsocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/xODf50EmlNI

Kobo: http://ow.ly/ZPy050EmlFW

Google: http://ow.ly/jl8S50EmlKE

About the Book: 

It’s 4 a.m. when her mom shakes her awake. “Get up baby, we’re going to play hide and seek.” The little girl presses back into the dark space, holding her breath as she hears the shots ring out. She knows she’s next…

When the bodies of a local family are discovered on a quiet street in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele takes charge of the case. Brett and Angela Parker were shot three times each, leaving no hope of survival, and their tidy suburban home has been ransacked. But there is no sign of their beloved six-year-old, Zoe.

Zoe is the same age as Amanda’s daughter was when she died, and Amanda can’t bear the thought of another little girl in danger. She’s organizing a search for the child, when she notices something strange about the ottoman at the foot of the Parkers’ bed. She opens it to find Zoe, mute and traumatized, but alive.

With Zoe completely uncommunicative, Amanda must find another way to untangle what destroyed this seemingly perfect family. It’s clear that the killer is searching for something the Parkers had, and until she has this monster behind bars, Amanda fears that he may return for Zoe. When she learns that Brett Parker cut short the family’s recent lakeside vacation, she wonders why. What happened at that lake house, and did it ultimately get them killed?

Amanda heads out to Lake Chesdin on the feeling it might be key to the case, and when she finds a cell phone in the murky waters next to the Parker cabin, she knows she’s made a breakthrough. But then terrible news reaches her from Dumfries; Zoe has been taken from her school playground.

Someone wants to silence the Parker family for good, can Amanda catch them before the little girl she’s desperate to protect pays the price?

A completely gripping and addictive crime thriller that will keep fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni entertained into the early hours.

Author Bio

Carolyn Arnold was born in a small Canadian town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. As an international bestselling and award-winning author, she has several continuing fiction series, including her popular Detective Madison Knight series. She offers readers nearly three dozen published books in genres ranging from crime thrillers and hard-boiled mysteries to cozy mysteries and action adventures. She currently lives north of London, Ontario, with her husband and two beagles.

Social Media

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold

Website: https://carolynarnold.net/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorcarolynarnold/