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Jimmy Osbourne has been on the run since eluding justice after the killing of a cop. The cop’s partner Loughton has never forgiven him so when Jimmy arrives back in Edinburgh, police rally to watch him. Soon he is suspected of a jewellery heist and a teenager is shot is an apparently iunrelated incident. DS Helen Carter teams up with Loughton to investigate Jimmy and search for any link to these two crimes…

The Suspects is the third book to feature DS Helen Carter as she attempts to gain the respect of her male colleagues. I have previously reviewed the first two books in the series: The Uniform and The Evidence.

Events from the last book are mentioned but not followed up very much. Helen’s ex does not feature but there is subplot relating to Craven’s ex. The Edinburgh dialogue seems to be missing in this book compared to the previous two.

Once again Helen is dealing with outdated 1970s views on women police officers, proving her worth time and time again! The 1970s are also brought to life with brand names from the era and the lack of technology is both refreshing and shows the reliance on methodical policing.

I liked the personal nature of the case and the book begins with Loughton’s experience of losing his partner. This gives us an emotional link to the case and the police which makes us want Jimmy to face justice.

The Suspects is an entertaining police drama book and I look forward to reading more of this series.

The Suspect by Jodie Lawrance

SHE’S OUT OF UNIFORM BUT SHE’S STILL IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

Discover a thrilling new Scottish crime series starring Detective Helen Carter.

Detective Helen Carter needs a break. Instead, she’s going head-to-head with notorious cop killer Jimmy Osbourne.

Eight years ago, he pulled off the perfect heist and fled to Spain, leaving behind a trail of carnage. But not a shred of evidence to implicate him.

Now he’s back in Edinburgh. But why? Helen has her suspicions.

Within days, a mystery jewel thief surfaces on CCTV. A shooter hits a seedy back-alley.

The suspects are piling up, but Helen knows Jimmy is behind them. All her instincts tell her he’s guilty. She’s watching him. But he has eyes on her too . . .

Can she take him down before he gets to her?

Fans of Ashes to Ashes, Caro Ramsay, Helen H. Durrant, J.D. Kirk, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Val McDermid and Alex Gray will love this retro Scottish crime series set in the 1970s.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JODIE LAWRANCE:

“[Jodie Lawrance] is a writer to take note of right now. In terms of style and content it will appeal to fans of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Christopher Brookmyre, but there is something else going on. With the action starting at a rapid pace from the off, and not letting up till the last page, you could read it as a straightforward crime novel and you will not be disappointed.” Scots Wae Hae magazine, on The Uniform

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Such a great debut story. I loved it and can’t wait till the next one . . . Recommended for anyone who wants a new detective story to get into.” Michelle

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A promising start from an exciting new author. It’s a police procedural based in Scotland, set in the 1970s. Featuring newly promoted Detective Helen Carter, it’s well researched into attitudes towards women at that time. An addictive read, cleverly plotted. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.” Carol

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow! I devoured this book in literally one sitting. This was a fast-paced thriller. With amazing characters. I’m so excited to have another book to look forward to reading! I’m hoping it’s released sooner than later! Can’t wait!” Rubie

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is a good start to a new series and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.” Barbara

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I thoroughly enjoyed The Uniform, which is a good start to a new series.” Elaine

MEET THE DETECTIVE

Detective Sergeant Helen Carter is used to getting a rough time of it at work. As one of the few women officers around, she has heard it all before: she’s only there as a box-ticking exercise, or she only got the job because of her father, who was a detective inspector. But she can handle it. She knows she can hold her own against any man on the force. The only thing she can’t handle, however, are the constant fights with her fiancé, Ted.

THE SETTING

Edinburgh CID in the 1970s is on the third-floor of the ugly, modern concrete lump that is the police station. On a sunny day, you can look right out to Arthur’s Seat. And on any day, you can see spotty-faced, bored teenagers coming and going from the local high school across the road. With its historic cobbled streets and fair share of deprivation, Edinburgh police are up against every type of criminal imaginable.

DETECTIVE HELEN CARTER SERIES

Book 1: THE UNIFORM

Book 2: THE EVIDENCE

Book 3: THE SUSPECTS

JODIE LAWRANCE

Jodie graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2018 with an MA in Creative Writing. When not writing, she is also an actress and has appeared in a variety of television, stage and film.

She’s also a contributor for BBC The Social.

BOOKS BY JODIE LAWRANCE

COMING SOON!

FOLLOW JODIE ON

AUTHOR WEBSITE
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1916: Clara is orphaned during WW1 and goes to live with her distant relatives. Desperate to escape, she begins work at the local hospital caring for injured soldiers. She saves the life of an Indian doctor, beginning a connection that lasts for decades. 1995: Indira has fought against the glass ceiling her whole life. She has become CEO of her company but at significant cost to her personal life and family. She is forced to reevaluate her life when a family member becomes very ill…

The War Child is a dual timeline novel set across the decades between and during the wars as well as the more modern 1995. The plot evolves across India and England and is narrated in the third person from two women’s perspectives.

Clara experiences utter heartache as her family all die before the end of WW1. She is determined to travel to India to retrace her father’s footsteps and make the journey her mother never made. Indira has fought her whole life and her ambition has led her to ignore her family. Now fear for them leads her to re-evaluate her priorites.

The majority of the book is written about Clara with only a single chapter now and then to update us on Indira’s crisis. This gave me a greater knowledge of the older timeline but made me want to know more about Indira’s life in 1995! The two timelines do eventually merge in a heartwarming yet heartbreaking conclusion.

This is a really emotional book with love and grief being the main themes in my opinion. Time has been squandered yet given gratefully. It makes a beautiful story about one’s choices and priorities. I’m not sure that I could ever agree with either woman’s choices but their bravery is undenaible.

The War Child is an engaging novel that had me feeling desperately for the two main characters. I have previously reviewed The Orphan’s Gift by Renita D’Silva.

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Book: The War Child

Author: Renita D’Silva

Pub Day: August 24th 2021

Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0979929GTcover

About the Book:

Everything will change, my love, she whispers to her only baby. I will make sure you are protected, looked after, loved. She commits his smell, the feel of him, to memory and fastens the gold St Christopher’s medal around his neck, tucking it into the blanket. Kissing him one last time, she lets him go. And with him go the pieces of her shattered heart.

London, 1940. Clara Knight grew up an orphan in the first world war and now is fighting to win the second. Nursing brave soldiers, she falls in love with one of her patients, whose warm brown eyes give her hope for a brighter future. But then he is sent to the front, leaving her alone with their child amidst the bombs raining down on the city… When she is offered the chance to give her son a better life, Clara makes the impossible choice to let him go. She leaves her mother’s precious St Christopher pendant with him, vowing to find him again when the war is over, so they can be a family once more.

Years later. Indira’s life has taken an unexpected turn and her only solace is caring for her grandfather. As he lies in bed, weak and confused, he calls her ‘Clara’, begging forgiveness for an unknown terrible act, tears rolling down his face. Indira goes looking for the truth… and discovers a tattered box of unsent letters, a gold St Christopher’s medal and a photograph of a baby swaddled in a blanket. Who was Clara Knight? And who is the baby in the photo? Her quest will reveal a devastating secret spanning decades, and change everything Indira thought she knew about her family…

An unforgettable and heart-breaking novel set in World War Two: the powerful bond between a mother and her child and a betrayal that echoes across generations. Anyone who loves Orphan Train, Before We Were Yours and Shirley Dickson will find The War Child impossible to put down.

Author Bio

Renita grew up in a picturesque coastal village in the South of India, the oldest of three children. Her father got her first story books when she was six and she fell in love with the world of stories. Even now she prefers that world, by far, to this.

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Detective Kay Sharp’s latest case is a murder and kidnapping. Her only witnesses are two girls under the age of 10. She is suspicious that the victim’s family and neighbours are acting oddly, but are they capable of such a wicked crime…?

The Angel Creek Girls is the third book to featue former FBI profiler Kay Sharp. I have previously reviewed the first two books in the series: The Girl From Silent Lake and Beneath Blackwater River.

The case itself is highly emotional and we witness the murder and kidnap in the opening chapter. The book is written in the third person with the majority of focus upon Kay and her investigation. We do get some chapters from the killer’s perspective and from kidnapped Julie: this ramps up the tension as we anticipate a further death…

Kay needs to use her psychology skills to encourage the two young girls to provide evidence and clues to the motive and identity of the killer. This puts her at odds with her chief as well as the family who gain legal backing to regain control of the girls.

Kay and Elliot’s romance doesn’t move forwards much as their entire focus is on the case. Personal considerations do not feature much in the book as Kay is determined to find the killer and save Julie if possible. Her focus is upon her psychology skills and this results in a dramatic ending as Kay refuses to give up on finding Julie alive.

The Angel Creek Girls is an enjoyable and entertaining crime thriller and I hope for more personal aspects for Kay in the next book.

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Book: The Angel Creek Girls

Author: Leslie Wolfe

Pub Day: August 19th 2021

Buy Link:

https://geni.us/B094D461HYcover 

About the Book:

Her chestnut hair, long and shiny, fanned around her head, moving gently in the wind. Eyes, still open, stared at the back door, and her hand stretched out in a pleading gesture. Her lips, pale under the rosy lip gloss, were parted slightly as if to whisper one last word, to draw one last breath.

9 HOURS AGO: In a sleepy mountain town, widow Cheryl Coleman stares anxiously out of her kitchen window while a storm rages outside. When the knock comes, she glances back at her daughters before opening the door with trembling hands…

NOW: Detective Kay Sharp vows to get to the bottom of a heartbreaking murder that has rocked Mount Chester. A single mother has been brutally killed in front of her three daughters. The youngest, three-year-old Erin, is lying inches from the body, her pigtails loose, her face tear-stained. Eight-year-old Heather is discovered hiding under her bed. Sixteen-year-old Julie is nowhere to be found.

The first twenty-four hours are critical in child abductions, and the girls are the key to saving their missing sister. But Heather is in shock, unable to communicate, and all tiny Erin can say is “A monster came”. When Kay finds three suitcases lined up in the hallway, it’s clear that the family were about to run away. But why? And who were they trying to escape?

Thanks to her own past, Kay knows all about traumatic childhoods shrouded in tragedy, and she works around the clock to get justice for the orphaned girls. Turning the town upside down, she uncovers the shocking truth about their peaceful community: it’s home to a serial killer who preys on helpless girls. Faced with the most twisted case of her career, can she catch the monster before another innocent life is lost?

Think you know the meaning of gripping? Think again! Leslie Wolfe takes gripping to a whole new level. Fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot will be totally addicted to this twist-filled page-turner.

Author Bio

Leslie Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense, backed up by extensive background research in science, technology, and psychology. Her engaging writing style and addictive story lines have made Leslie one of the most read authors in the genre.

Leslie Wolfe lives in Florida with her husband, “the Wolfe,” and their dog. She enjoys engaging with her readers every day, exchanging emails and Facebook postings.

Social Media

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/LWNovels

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Three women, three sets of lies. Saylor hosts a housewarming and gender reveal party when she moves to a new home so that she can meet her neighbours. Single mum Celeste and famous vlogger Frankie are welcoming but all three women are hiding behind a complex web of lies and secrets…

The Liar Next Door is a tense thriller which has a psychological yet domestic edge. Every chapter ends with the narrator pondering on her situation, a little mini cliffhanger that kept me hooked as I wanted the truth!

The blurb included below only focuses on the final part of the book as the majority of the plot builds up the relationships between the three women and hints relentlessly at the deeper secrets hidden beneath the personae presented to the community.

The book is written from 3 first person perspectives: Celeste, Saylor and Frankie in the present day and then Frankie also in the past. All of the women are very likeable and the tension radiates from them as they struggle to live with their lies.

I was totally engrossed in this story and frequently trying to guess at how the plot strands would develop. The author has cleverly constructed the women’s lives to deliver little clues to us as we read. However, I doubt that anyone would guess how the final chapters will play out…

The Liar Next Door was a captivating thriller that I really enjoyed reading. I have previously reviewed other Nicola Marsh books including My Sister’s Husband, The Last Wife, and The Scandal.

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Book: The Liar Next Door

Author: Nicola Marsh

Pub Day: August 23rd 2021

Buy Link: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B095PLZ3LJcover

Apple: http://ow.ly/4wKU50EVACt 

Kobo: http://ow.ly/itdV50EVAAX 

Google: http://ow.ly/qXSt50EVAEt 

About the Book: 

Numbness floods my body as I stumble up the steps leading to my house. Inside I know my five-year-old’s bed is empty, her dresser is ransacked, her overnight bag is gone. I can see her dolls lying untouched through the window of our perfect family home – in the place where I thought I could protect her forever. My daughter is missing.

You’d think my first instinct would be to call the police.

But I know who’s taken my daughter.

And I know that the police can’t help me.

Only I can convince the woman who has my baby to give her back. She thinks she knows my secrets… but she has no idea.

Fans of Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth and The Girl on the Train will love this utterly unputdownable domestic thriller from USA Today bestselling author Nicola Marsh.

Author Bio

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Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NicolaMarsh

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Louise is hit by a car when cycling home after an argunment with her boyfriend. Her broken leg forces her to stay at home and she decides to redecorate so that she has some company. She feels a connection with Ed but both are hiding secrets about their pasts…

I Let Him In is described as a domestic drama but is so much more than that! It appears to have a mystery at its heart: who was driving the car that hit Louise? Was it deliberate? I had several theories about who could have been responsible and what their motivation was.

However this book completely surprised me…

The pace is reasonably slow as Louise recovers from her injuries and begins a friendship with decorator Ed. Things step up a gear halfway through when they both reveal the secrets that have got in the way of their previous relationships. My heart was breaking for both of them suffering alone for so long and I felt delighted that they had finally found someone to trust.

I was enjoying this book as a gentle romance and a mystery concerning Louise’s accident. However, the last quarter of the book blew me away with the plot twists. My jaw literally dropped and I devoured the pages as the book raced towards its conclusion. The final pages saw me sobbing and even now writing this review my eyes are filling with tears thinking of the beautiful ending.

I Let Him In was so much more than I expected. I have previously reviewed The Mistress,The First Wife and Invisible Girl by Jill Childs.

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Book: I Let Him In

Author: Jill Childs

Pub Day: August 17th 2021

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B096MP3X7Bsocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/bp2Y50F4h3g

Kobo: http://ow.ly/ixMy50F4h1X

Google: http://ow.ly/dhC650F4h53

About the Book:

Last night I dreamt about the past for the first time in years. I thought I was over it. I thought I’d finally learned to block it out. But I’m right back there, all over again, inside the house. The room is dark, the corners black with shadow. Then, the scream…

When Louise Taylor is hit by a car as she cycles home in the rain following a fight with her boyfriend, she’s left hurt, frightened and confused. And worse, something tells her it wasn’t an accident.

Housebound in her cramped apartment while she recovers, flashbacks to her traumatic childhood begin to resurface, threatening her hard-won self-control. Desperate to keep busy and distract herself, she hires Edward – a friend of a friend – to repaint her shabby living room and, hopefully, keep the past at bay.

But when Edward arrives – quiet, considerate and handsome – Lou instantly feels like they’ve met before, that she can trust him. Tired of carrying the guilt alone after all these years, Lou tells Edward her secret. And to her surprise, he doesn’t pull away. He doesn’t gasp, or grimace or preach about what she did. And Lou is so relieved to finally be free of this burden at last.

Until she learns that Edward has a secret of his own. One he’s been waiting a very, very long time to tell…

A gripping domestic drama from a USA Today bestselling author full of twists and turns, and with a very unexpected ending. Fans of Amanda Prowse, Kerry Fisher and Jodi Picoult won’t be able to stop turning the pages.

Author Bio

Jill always loved writing – real and imaginary – and spent thirty years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She’s now made her home in south-west London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does. Although she’s covered everything from earthquakes and floods, wars and riots, she’s decided some of the most extraordinary stories are right here at home – in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets just like yours.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jill.childs.71

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17843718.Jill_Childs