Twins Alex and Donna Macintyre meet up with old friend Jimmy Devlin whose family have moved into a stately home after winning the lottery. The Priory is reputedly haunted and Jimmy’s family are starting to notice strange things. The staff are acting oddly and an expensive ring has gone missing. Alex and Donna offer to help investigate but should they be afraid of the living or the dead…?
Haunted is the second book in the Eye Spy series of children’s books by Tessa Buckley. The series is aimed at children aged 8-12 and I think my 8 year old daughter would love this as she wants more grown up book with a crime plot. I have not read the first book and there are a few references to events in Eye Spy but there are no major spoilers.
The book is written from the first person perspective of Alex. He and his twin seem to be in permanent trouble but always have the best intentions. Their lives outside of their investigation felt very realistic and will help young readers to identify with the twins. They are both likeable and the unfairness of their teacher’s attitude makes them more endearing too.
I found myself in a cosy mystery which reminded me of The Five Find-Outers (or ‘The Mystery Of’ books as I called them) by Enid Blyton which I loved as a child. There is plenty of suspense as well as some spooky parts and the mystery is well maintained through the novel. The children do find themselves in danger at the end of the book but it is dramatic rather than scary.
Haunted is a fun and entertaining book that it a quick read for adults and a more grown up read for children developing in confidence. I will be sharing with my own children right away as I think they will enjoy it!
Haunted book blurb
Alex doesn’t believe in ghosts, but he is about to have his beliefs challenged…
When Jimmy Devlin asks the twins to investigate the strange things that have been happening at The Priory, Alex seizes the opportunity to prove to his sister that there is no such thing as ghosts. However, it soon becomes clear that unquiet spirits are not the only problem facing the Devlin family.
Are the family servants hiding secrets? Has a valuable ring been stolen, or just mislaid? And what has happened to Jimmy’s missing elder brother, Harry? As the twins and Jimmy try to solve the many mysteries of The Priory, they discover they are dealing with a very dangerous enemy…
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Author Bio –
Tessa Buckley was an inveterate scribbler as a child, and spent much of her time writing and illustrating stories. After studying Interior Design, she spent fifteen years working for architects and designers. She took up writing again after her young daughter complained that she couldn’t find enough adventure stories to read. This led, in 2016, to the publication of Eye Spy, the first in a series of detective stories for 9-12 year olds, designed to encourage reluctant readers. The second book in the series, Haunted, was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2017.
Tessa lives with her husband and a large white cat called Pippa. in a town on the Thames estuary, which inspired the seaside setting for the novels. She also writes about health and nutrition, and family history, which has been her passion for many years.
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1955 and rationing has only just ended. Flora Steele has inherited her aunt’s bookshop but books are still a luxury few are buying. The last thing she needs is the notoriety when a man breaks in and dies in the shop! Flora is determined to discover why this man broke in and cajoles local crime writer Jack Carrington to assist her.
The Bookshop Murder is the first book in a new cosy crime and murder mystery series from Merryn Allingham. I have not read any of this author’s previous books (but have now downloaded one!)
Flora hasn’t had an easy life, losing both her parents and caring for her aunt during her final illness. Now she is struggling to keep the bookshop going, has no friends and is worried she’ll never find a husband. Shje is fully involved in village life and we see many interactions with other villagers over the course of the book.
Jack is a quieter character. He is quite a recluse, happy to hide away from the world. His involvement in the investigation goes against his natural instincts but he has a kind heart and wants to help Flora to restore the reputation of her bookshop.
The murder element is not described in great detail as you would expect from this genre. The mystery of the young man’s death is intriguing and maintained my interest through the book, but his is not the only sudden death…
The Bookshop Murder is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery and I look forward to meeting Flora again in the next book.
The Bookshop Murder book description:
Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, day dreamer and amateur detective as she tackles her first case!
Sussex, 1955: When Flora Steele opens up her bookshop one morning she’s in for the surprise of her life! Because there, amongst her bookcases, is the body of a young man, with a shock of white-blond hair. But who was he? And how did he come to be there?
Determined to save her beloved bookshop’s reputation and solve the baffling mystery, Flora enlists the help of handsome and brooding Jack Carrington: crime writer, recluse and her most reliable customer.
The unlikely duo set about investigating the extraordinary case, following a lead across the sleepy village of Abbeymead to The Priory Hotel. When the hotel’s gardener dies suddenly, and they find out their victim was staying there, Flora’s suspicions are raised.
Are the two deaths connected? Is someone at the hotel responsible – the nervous cook, the money-obsessed receptionist, or the formidable manageress?
As the trail of clues takes Flora and Jack all over the village it becomes clear there’s more than one person hiding secrets in Abbeymead…
But does Flora have what it takes to uncover the truth – or will her amateur sleuthing put her in harm’s way?
Love Agatha Christie, Midsomer Murders and T E Kinsey? Then this brand-new cozy crime series featuring bookshop owner Flora Steele is just what you need!
Author Bio:
Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.
Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
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DCI Paolo Sterling has just been promoted but has trouble at work with a disgruntled colleague who has the ear of their superior. Their drugs case has stalled and then a murder is discovered and another woman vanishes. The pressure on Sterling is intense…
Love Me Tender is the fifth book in the police thriller series by Lorraine Mace. It is the first book I have read by this author and works perfectly well as a standalone novel. There are references to events in the past but they are easy to follow if you haven’t read the previous books.
Paolo is grieving for a colleague who recently died, the nephew of his boss. He blames another colleague for goading Dave into taking the risks which ended his life but Jack has endeared himself to the boss. This creates huge amounts of tension within the team. Meanwhile Paolo has a positive relationship with his ex wife and they are both concerned about their daughter volunteering abroad.
At the start of the book, the team are investigating drugs at a nightclub without much success. But a murder victim is found and then her best friend is abducted and there is a link between the suspects and the club. It becomes a race against time for Paolo to find the missing woman.
Some of the book shows the murderer’s perspective. We see the abuse he suffered at the hands of his grandfather and how this has caused his skewed thinking about love and relationships. This caused me mixed emotions as I pitied his life as he is desperate for love and affection but couldn’t condone his actions.
Love Me Tender was a gripping police thriller and I want to catch up on the previous books in the series.
Love Me Tender book blurb
IF HE WANTS YOU . . . THERE’S NO ESCAPE.
A brutal murder . . .
Responding to a tip-off, newly promoted Detective Chief Inspector Paolo Sterling arrives at an apartment block to find the dismembered body of a young woman. And with no indication of a break-in, all signs suggest the killer was known to her.
An abduction in plain sight . . .
Then the victim’s friend is snatched with no witnesses and the unanswered questions mount up.
At the same time, Sterling’s team are leading the surveillance of a local club, thought to be involved in a drug operation. But when one of his colleagues ends up in hospital close to death, Paolo begins to lose his grip.
A detective on the edge . . .
With the odds stacked against him, and time running out, can DCI Sterling uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will this case finally tip him over the edge?
Author Bio – Born and raised in South East London, Lorraine lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. She lives with her partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and enjoys sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. Her knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop her waistline from doing the same, she runs five times a week.
Author of the D.I. Sterling series of novels, Lorraine has been engaged in many writing-related activities. A columnist for Writing Magazine, she has recently stepped down from writing two columns for Writers’ Forum and also her role as head judge of the magazine’s monthly fiction competitions in order to concentrate on her own writing. She is currently writing two standalone psychological thrillers for Headline Accent.
She also runs her own private critique and author mentoring service.
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A girl kidnapped by her father. A drug dealer teen on the run. A housesitter, wallowing in the past. A young PC desperate to impress. A seasoned DS on the hunt for a killer. Five lives that blend together…
Brilliant, what a book! Running Out Of Road is a wonderfully written novel where the strands of plot overlap and intersect soooooo cleverly!
The third person perspective of the five characters weave together brilliantly. The coincidences and narrow misses are completely enthralling and had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. The danger and tension are maintained throughout and I just couldn’t put it down!
The five main characters are all likeable and endearing in different ways. Scarlett is in danger from her father who murdered her mother. But she is brave and desperate to escape by any means necessary. Dylan is involved with drugs but is a teenager trapped in a vicious cycle. His good nature is revealed by his behaviour towards Scarlett when he realises her situation. Ron has been bullied out of the fire service due to his sexuality and now shies away from human contact.
The two police officers are at different points in their careers and personal lives. PC Ahmed Ali is young and inexperienced. But he is eager to impress his colleagues, wants to make a high profile arrest, but most of all make his parents proud. DS Laura O’Neil is an exhausted mother who has been hunting for Scarlett’s father and is determined to bring him to justice.
Running Out Of Road is well written, cleverly plotted and utterly enthralling.
Running Out Of Road: about the book:
A missing schoolgirl, a middle-aged recluse, an exploited teenager. Lives thrown into chaos and set on collision course. With the police in hot pursuit.
Scarlett is dancing in the school talent show tomorrow. Nana, who Scarlett lives with since Mum died, reckons Scarlett will be on Strictly at this rate. Except Scarlett doesn’t make it home from school. She’s abducted by a man she never imagined she’d see again. A man on the police’s most wanted list. Her dad.
Ron has made a living as a house and pet sitter since quitting his career on the front line in the fire service. He’s currently looking after a place deep in the Derbyshire Peaks. The solitude suits him. And managing animals is so much simpler than coping with other people.
Dylan’s a ‘cuckoo’, dealing drugs on the county line, moving from nest to nest, picking out people who daren’t say no. Keeping his head down, one step ahead of the law. So far. But now everything’s falling apart.
DS Laura O’Neil is running on empty after nights dealing with her teething toddler. But Laura is driving the hunt for Scarlett and knows that every minute counts. Any delay, any mistake might cost Scarlett her life. A devastating prospect.
PC Ahmed Ali discovers a seriously injured man in a drug den and chases his suspected attacker across the hills. Ahmed is determined to bring him to justice. But fate has other plans in store.
A race against time, played out in the brooding wilderness, the limestone gorges and gritstone edges of the Peak District. Themes of escape and entrapment, of shifting loyalties and new alliances, of violence, fear and love, resilience, kindness and hope.
About the author
Cath Staincliffe is a best-selling, award-winning novelist, radio playwright and the creator of ITV’s hit series, Blue Murder, starring Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis.
Cath’s books have been short-listed for the British Crime Writers Association best first novel award, for the Dagger in the Library twice and twice for the Short Story Dagger, winning in 2012. She was a winner of the WGGB Best Radio Drama Award in 2019. Cath’s Sal Kilkenny private eye series features a single-parent sleuth working the mean streets of Manchester.
Her debut Looking For Trouble was serialised on Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. Trio, a stand-alone novel moved away from crime to explore adoption and growing up in the 1960s, informed by Cath’s own experience. Letters To My Daughter’s Killer was selected for Specsavers Crime Thriller Book Club in 2014 and featured on ITV3’s Crime Thriller Club. Cath also writes the Scott & Bailey novels based on the popular UK TV series.
Cath created the probate detective series Legacy for BBC Radio 4 and guest writes on the Stone police drama. Her recent stand-alone novels examine the impact of crime on ordinary families. The Girl in the Green Dress was inspired by her experience as the parent of a transgender child.
Cath’s latest book, Quiet Acts of Violence, sees detective duo DI Donna Bell and DC Jade Bradshaw investigating the death of a newborn baby and launching a hunt for her missing mother. Cath is one of the founding members of Murder Squad – a group of Northern crime writers who give readings, talks and signings around the country.
Cath was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, UK and now lives in Manchester, Lancashire with her family. You can follow her on Twitter, @CathStaincliffe, where she hangs about when she should be busy writing!
Savannah has gone into witness protection to save her life but now she is threatened. Her mother hires private investigator Kyle Roche to track down Savannah and protect her. Can he find her and keep her alive past the deadline…?
The Witness is an action packed crime thriller set in the US. There is plenty of tension and anticipation as events unfold. The book does contain violence but at a level that I’d expect from this genre and it was not gratuitous.
Savannah is struggling to cope with the drastic changes necessary once she is put in witness protection. She misses her family and past life and can’t adapt easily to her new identity. Her life is in danger after she testifies at a trial and her mother is told that Savannah will be dead by noon on Monday.
Enter Kyle Roche, private eye…!
I loved the character of Roche. He is blunt and has a wonderful turn of phrase using portmanteau word such as ‘monutastically’. This makes him human and realistic. He is ruthless when he has to be but doesn’t injure or kill unless it is necessary.
Roche’s natural instincts make him suspicious of Savannah and believes she is hiding something from him. This adds an extra element to the plot as he muses on her behaviour to try to understand it. He is determined to keep her alive at all costs and is frustrated that she doesn’t follow his instructions designed to save her!
The Witness rattled along at a relentless pace, fraught with danger, action and violence.
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Book: The Witness
Author: John Ryder
Pub Day: July 19th 2021
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About the Book:
“Find my daughter in twenty-four hours. Or she’s dead.”
Kyle Roche is a man whose job it is to stay invisible. Dark, mysterious, and only sometimes on the right side of the law, only a lucky few know how to reach him: Kyle can fix their problems, however dangerous.
Now he’s been hired to save a woman in Witness Protection, one who doesn’t officially exist anymore. But before he can keep her safe, he has to find her. And he has less than twenty-four hours to do it…
Savannah Nicholls is in hiding because of a tragic mistake. Her mother insists her daughter is just a nice girl, from a good family, that she’s never gotten in trouble in her life. But she also says someone knows where her daughter is. And they want to kill her.
If he’s going to keep Savannah safe, Roche needs to know who is after her, as well as what she witnessed, who her enemies are, and if they have really been able to find her. But how can he protect a woman who is as invisible as he is?
Because the clock is ticking…
This totally gripping, pulse-pounding thriller is perfect for fans of David Baldacci, JB Turner and Mark Dawson.
Author Bio
John Ryder is a former farmworker and joiner. He’s turned his hand to many skills to put food on the table and clothes on his back. A life-long bibliophile, he eventually summoned the courage to try writing himself, and his Grant Fletcher novels have drawn inspiration from authors such as Lee Child, Tom Cain, Zoe Sharp and Matt Hilton. When it comes to future novels, he says he has more ideas than time to write them.
When not writing, John enjoys spending time with his son, reading and socialising with friends. A fanatic supporter of his local football team, he can often be found shouting encouragement to men much younger and fitter than he is.
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