48 drones carrying explosives hover over Guernsey. Luckily there are only 5 fatalities. Liam O’Reilly abandons his honeymoon to start investigating and discovers a link between 4 of the victims…
Fire on the Island is the 13th book in the DI O’Reilly series. There are some mentions of earlier cases but no spoilers.
One teenager is killed accidentally but Liam is convinced that the other 4 victims were deliberately targeted by a cold blooded killer intent on revenge. His investigation discovers that they had a connection but then he needs to work out who had motive and opportunity.
As always with this series, Liam has run ins with colleagues and the press. I love the cheeky insubordinate side to his personality that he uses to get his own way. Even though he has only just got married, there was less of his romantic relationship featured in this book as he is so focussed on the case.
The style of writing is easy to read and dialogue led. Short chapters push the plot along speedily and there were plenty of twists and dramatic scenes to make me read faster and faster.
Fire on the Island is full of drama and action, and is a great addition to the series.
FIRE ON THE ISLAND (Detective Liam O’Reilly #13) by Stewart Giles
From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Liam O’Reilly series.
In the evening of the 4th of July 2019 four dozen drones descend on Guernsey, and the peaceful island is ablaze in minutes. 48 individual bombs have caused destruction in all four corners of the island.
Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly takes this extremely personally. He was enjoying his honeymoon in the far north of the island at the time.
As the fire on the island continues to burn, O’Reilly can’t sit back and wait for it to die down. He needs answers to why this happened on the island he now calls home.
But the truth is going to take him to hell and back.
The fire on the island is only the start: this is a case that O’Reilly may never recover from.
What readers are saying about FIRE ON THE ISLAND:
OH MY GOD, the research gone into this book is remarkable, very unstable reading, and gripped me well in. Well done! Once again this author has delivered to me another mind-blowing top read that I just could not put down reading it in a full day. Watch out for a lot of harrowing chapters. Could not fault it one bit. And yes I want more in this series. – Booklover Bev
Stewart does it every time. He produces a book that I can’t put down with twists and turns that keep the pages ever turning. There’s something really special about his writing that engages the reader right the way through. Liam is a very likeable character and has steely determination to achieve justice- sometimes in his own inimitable way, A thoroughly enjoyable read that I raced through. – Misfits Farm
Plenty of twists and turns and a lot of red herrings all contributed to make this a thrilling read. Revenge, lies, smuggling and hate all play a part and we learn more about the regular characters while being introduced to new ones which makes for a well-rounded story. – Amazon Reviewer
Liam is my favourite character but his team of DC Katie Owen, DS Will Skinner and DC Andy Stone, add so much to the mix. Another great read in this series. Plenty of humour, lots of it from Liam’s interaction with DC Andy Stone. Andy is his daughter, Assumpta’s, partner. Liam gets so riled when Andy is around. Liam doesn’t have much tolerance for some people, in this book it is DCI Urban from the Guernsey Border Agency that sets him off, and I end up reading with a smile on my face. I have loved all the books in this series, and this is no exception. – Maureen
Stewart Giles – Author Bio
After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.
In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.
The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.
The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.
Twitter: @stewartgiles
TRIGGER WARNING: rape, drugs, child murder
Billie Ann Wilde is a detective but the latest case is personal as her family are targeted…
In Her Grave is the third book in the Detective Billie Ann Wilde series. I have not read the earlier books but intend to catch on them urgently as this one was fab!
A young boy has his throat slit. His father confesses. A drug addict is held captive and cruelly injured. Two teens are attacked. The connection? All are family members of Billie Ann Wilde and she fears her children may be the next targets in a campaign of revenge.
I was utterly gripped by this book from the first page to the last. Most of the book is written to show Billie Ann’s first person perspective as the case unfolds, but there are also chapters to show the victims as well as episodes from the past which seem unconnected.
Billie Ann is a great lead character. She is trying to negotiate the breakdown of her marriage and it is linked to an event in the past. Her husband is awful but the danger their children are facing would bring out the worst in all of us. She is unable to investigate the case as she would like due to the family connection as I could understand her frustration.
The chapters are short so the plot speeds along. I thought the writing was vivid and the descriptions of the killings were chilling, even more so as many of them involved children.
In Her Grave was a brilliant detective thriller.
Book blurb
A killer lurking in the shadows. A detective who will do whatever it takes to protect her family…
Rushing towards the tall trees in the distance, Detective Billie Ann Wilde can already hear the sobs of those gathered at the scene of the murder of a young child. And when she spots the little boy’s pale skin and beautiful blond ringlets, her heart catches in her chest. It’s Billie’s own nephew, Charlie, whose life has been taken.
Billie is immediately told she can’t work on Charlie’s case, but nothing will stop her finding justice for her brother, Peter. Seeing Peter for the first time in years, he looks nothing like the happy-go-lucky teen she grew up with. She’s shocked to her core when, with a trembling voice, he confesses to Charlie’s murder.
But Billie is determined to defend her brother: she knows he’s not a killer. Sneaking into the case files, desperate to save Peter from a terrible fate, she finds a link between his other young son and the murder weapon. Is Peter taking the fall to protect the only child he has left?
Then Billie gets a call from an unknown number that turns her blood to ice. Her heart splits as she recognizes the cry of her own son, Zach. The killer has taken him…
A non-stop thrill ride from the first page to the last, fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Mary Stone won’t be able to put this book down.
Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy bestselling author of more than 90 novels. Several of her books have reached the top 10 of all books in the Amazon store in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than seven million books, which have been translated into many languages. Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting page-turners with twists you won’t see coming; that’s why her fans call her “The Queen of Plot Twists”. Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watching the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Website
Facebook URL
Instagram URL
Twitter URL
Goodreads URL
TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi ideology and brutality
1940, Poland. Mirek runs an orphanage but the Nazi occupation means it is a daily struggle to feed the 100 children in is care. Can Mirek escape Poland and save as many children as possible…?
A Song of Silence is an historical book set in Poland during the Second World War. It is based loosely on real people which gives the plot and characters extra poignancy.
Mirek is devoted to his charges. He welcomes Jewish and non Jewish children into his orphanage but fears for their safety as the reality of life under Nazi occupation becomes brutally obvious. The whole community are threatened and there are some chillingly awful incidents to strike fear into even the bravest of hearts.
This isn’t a happy story. There are moments of hope and love which sparkle through the darkness. However, these do not diminish the intensity of the cruelty imposed by the Nazis. It is beautifully written, vividly portraying Polish life and death at Nazi hands. The use of natural-feeling dialogue meant I felt totally immersed in the lives of Mirek and his orphans.
During the final chapters, I had such a dark feeling of dread. I wanted to stop reading and allow Mirek’s story to last longer but I couldn’t resist reading on to the conclusion. Afterwards, I wanted to cry but also smile at the triumph of love. Even hours after finishing it, I wasn’t ready to move onto another book as I was still processing my emotions at the devastation wreaked upon innocents.
A Song Of Silence is a genuinely inspiring book despite the horror and tragedy.
Book blurb
War thrust them together. Love will tear them apart.
Inspired by a true story…
When the Nazis invade his sleepy Polish town, Mirek swears to keep everyone in his orphanage safe at all costs. Yet, despite his struggles and sacrifices, the war drags him and his children deeper and deeper into its violent nightmare.
With 89 children looking to him for hope, Mirek must do whatever it takes to protect them — no matter how criminal, distasteful, or perilous it may be.
And just when he thinks things can’t get any worse, the arrival of a sadistic SS captain brings unspeakable atrocities to his town — and surprisingly, a glimmer of hope for Mirek to save all those he cares about if only he has the courage to grasp it…
Inspired by a true story of love, bravery, and compassion, A Song of Silence explores history’s darkest hour and how, even in the face of overwhelming evil, one man can become a dazzling beacon of light.
Discover what it means to be human. Discover A Song of Silence.
Author bio
Apart from animals and writing, Steve’s passion is travel. He’s visited 60 countries and enjoyed some amazing experiences, including cage-diving with great white sharks, sparring with a monk at a Shaolin temple, and watching a turtle lay eggs on a moonlit beach. He’s explored Machu Picchu, Pompeii, and the Great Wall of China, yet for all that, he’s a man of simple tastes — give him an egg sandwich and the TV remote control, and he’ll be happy for hours!
He lives in the North of England with his partner, Ania, and two black cats who arrived in the garden one day and liked it so much, they stayed. Graciously, the cats allow Steve and Ania to stay in ‘their’ house.
Dinah spends a weekend with her friends at a luxury holiday home but quickly becomes obsessed with the owners and wants to inveigle herself into their lives. Can Dinah get the life she has always dreamed of…?
The Perfect Guest is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
Dinah has not had an easy life and always feels like the odd one out. She wants a better life for herself and thinks that friendship with the Rivers family will make all the difference. But she is lying to them and maybe everything isn’t as perfect in their lives as it seems.
Poor Dinah frequently compares herself to others and finds herself lacking. She obviously has serious mental health issues and is an unreliable narrator. The book is written in the first person so we experience her hopes and fears, understand her emotions and actions. Her behaviour is dark and dangerous as her obsession grows. I felt annoyed that she doesn’t appreciate what she has and blames others for her unhappiness instead of taking responsibility.
As the plot progressed, I was unclear what Dinah hoped to achieve. She is fully aware that she is lying and that the friendship is built on falsehoods. None of the characters is particularly easy to like, and in fact I actively disliked some of them. The final third of the book takes a more sinister turn as it is revealed that Dinah isn’t the only one with secrets.
The Perfect Guest is an enjoyable psychological thriller.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She stayed in your house. Now she wants your life . . .
‘Tense, compulsive and gripping, The Perfect Guest is uncomfortable in the best possible way’ Charlotte Levin, author of If I Let You Go
We all have that friend – the one who doesn’t quite belong. Dinah Marshall is that person and knows it. After someone drops out, she’s invited to spend the weekend at a luxury holiday home with women she’s known since university. However, the gulf between them has widened since then, and Dinah is conscious of being the only one with no money, career, partner or children. Feeling like an outsider, she takes to snooping around the house. She’s fascinated by its owners, Sarah and Isaac Rivers – and when she discovers she can secretly stay an extra night, that fascination quickly spirals into obsession.
When Isaac Rivers meets ‘Diana Malone’ at an exclusive members club, he introduces her to his wife and friends, and she’s soon welcomed into the group. She seems to be trying a little too hard, however, and as her somewhat intense behaviour starts to raise both eyebrows and questions, one of her new acquaintances begins to suspect she isn’t who she says she is. For Diana – or is it Dinah? -this is a disaster: she’s worked hard to get where she has, and these suspicions threaten everything. But Diana isn’t the only one with secrets, and if she’s going down, then she might just take everyone else with her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ruth’s debut thriller, The Perfect Guest, is published in 2024 by Black & White and she is working on her second thriller.
Trained as a classical musician, Ruth teaches music around her writing. She lives in South West London with her husband and two children.
TRIGGER WARNING: teen pregnancy, forced adoptions, miscarriage, sexual abuse, drug abuse
Katrin Gold seems to have the perfect life. She has created it for herself, having come from nothing. But as she hosts a celebration for her latest achievement, an incident occurs that could change her life forever and reveal secrets…
Homecoming is a psychological thriller set in Dorset.
Katrin and her family are property developers and pride themselves on having created a perfect little community at the Starlings. But a night of celebration with their friends and neighbours ends in tragedy and the past haunts the attendees.
The book begins with the party and then leaves a cliffhanger so we don’t know who is missing or what might have happened to them. We are taken back in time to see the tensions, emotions and relationships between the characters. Lots of potential scenarios are set up and I was kept guessing about how the plot would progress.
There is also a lot of emotion in the book. I felt deeply saddened by the information about the history of the mother and baby home that treated young women so abominably. Frida’s awful family situation and the neglect she suffers is also very upsetting.
I felt that perhaps there was a little too much delay in getting back to the present day and finding out what had happened at the party and who was affected, but I loved the ensuing police investigation when we return to it. There are plenty of clues about secrets and lies that are hidden by various characters which are then gradually revealed.
Homecoming has an intriguing mystery at its heart.
Welcome to The Starlings… sun, sea and neighbours to die for.
Security, a sparkling sea view and the best kind of neighbours – The Starlings gated community has it all. Here, doors are left open, children run free, and at the heart of it all is the entrepreneurial Gold Family, who first dreamed up this aspirational vision of ‘Dorset’s Safest Community’. To the outside world the popular family appears glitteringly blessed… until an idyllic party takes a dark turn and one of their number is found slumped at the foot of the clocktower. Who knows what really happened? And what answers are harboured within the old building, the former Highcap Mother and Baby Home?’
A mesmerising, character-rich thriller with a long-buried secret vibrating at its core: this is Isabel Ashdown at her heart-stopping best, for readers who enjoyed Big Little Lies, Doctor Foster or Little Fires Everywhere.
