A flood cause two bodies to be washed down from the caves. Cole and Abby died twelve years ago and were assumed to have run away together. The original investigation was lacklustre at best and Sheriff Jenna Alton is determined to find the killer as her predecessor should have done…
Tears On Her Grave is the 24th book in the Kane and Alton series of serial killer thrillers set in America. It would work as a stand alone novel but there have been plenty of personal and professional developments for the law enforcement team over this extensive series.
The book begins on Halloween 12 years ago with a group of young adults going to a party. Cole and Abby sneak off and come to a violent end courtesy of an axe. Now the terrible weather causes their mummified bodies to be washed out of their sandy grave in the caves. Jenna is appalled by the lack of investigation by the previous sheriff who supposed the pair had run away.
Most of the college friends are still in town so Jenna makes it her mission to uncover the truth. But the killer is also still around and determined to silence the weakest links in the group to preserve their heinous secret. There are some chapters that show the killer and victim perspectives and this increase the tension and mystery.
The majority of the book focuses on the law enforcement team, led by Jenna and Dave. The investigation is constrained a little by Jenna’s pregnancy and Dave’s over protectiveness but these do not stand in the way of getting to the truth. Some of the forensic and attack details are quite graphic and vividly described but this served to emphasise the danger.
Tears On Her Grave is a tense thriller in a prolific and confident series.
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Book: TEARS ON HER GRAVE
Author: D.K. HOOD
Pub Day: DECEMBER 17TH 2024
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About the book:
Stepping into the dark cave just a short distance from the safety of her college friends, the blonde-haired girl immediately senses danger. A tall figure steps out of the shadows, and she knows there’s no time to run…
When a heavy storm hits Black Rock Falls, it brings a trail of destruction. Sheriff Jenna Alton is more than prepared, but she never expects to find college sweethearts Abby Jaye and Cole Peters floating among the wreckage in the river. Missing for twelve years following an end-of-school party, no clues were ever found and the couple’s devastated parents gave up hope that their beloved children would ever come home. Could the fraternity pin clutched tightly in Abby’s hand be the key to finding out what really happened that night?
As Jenna and her deputy David Kane speak to the pair’s classmates, they’re struck by how startlingly similar their stories are. They all say that nothing suspicious happened that night—they describe the open fire, the cans of cheap beer and the way Abby and Cole seemed totally in love before they disappeared. Their accounts are word-for-word identical, Jenna suspects the friends are keeping a deadly secret, and she’s determined to find out what it is.
Days later, Marissa, who still lives in town with her husband and young children, is found dead at a remote farm miles from her cozy family home just hours after answering Jenna’s questions. Jenna’s pulse races as she realizes the killer could be one of the group, and so could their next victim…
As Jenna inspects the isolated barn, gun shots ring out nearby. Heart pounding, she receives a panicked phone call from the youngest member of her team. She races to the forest, praying that her friend is still alive. But with a deadly storm brewing overhead, and a twisted killer on the loose, will she make it in time to save another life from being taken?
If you love reading Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, you will be hooked by this absolutely gripping crime thriller from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author D.K. Hood.
**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone***
Author Bio
D.K. Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and AMAZON bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.
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Gary has quite a mundane existence until an acquaintance turns up dead and he becomes involved in a murder investigation. His alibi is an elusive woman whose name he doesn’t even know…
The Satsuma Complex is a wonderfully funny novel which is also surprisingly deep emotionally. The audiobook is read by author Bob Mortimer and Sally Philips who are both sensational. The recording has breath sounds and feels like they are chatting directly to you, making the text seem realistic and authentic instead of fiction.
I have been a fan of Bob for years and love his apprearances on Would I Lie To You? This book feels very much like one of his tall tales which then turn out to be true! He is simply wonderful and the nuances of Gary’s existence are vividly brought to life. The tiny details are just divine, so natural and a tad crazy, just like all of us!
Book blurb:
My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London. To describe me as anonymous would be unfair but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity. I did make a good connection with a girl, but that blew up in my face and smacked my arse with a fish slice.
Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers.
And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life…
A page-turning story with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Satsuma Complex is the brilliantly funny smash hit first novel by bestselling author and comedian Bob Mortimer.
Leo doesn’t want anything for Christmas. His mum died during the year and he is determined to keep the festive spirit in her honour. However, things don’t go to plan and time is running out…
The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas is a children’s book written by Matt Lucas. I think it is probably aimed at children aged 8-10 but think families would enjoy sharing this together.
Poor Leo is grieving for his mum and it is his first Christmas without her. He wants everything to be perfect but nothing goes right and he despairs. There are some big emotions featured in this book but I think it is important for children to see that Christmas goes beyond the presents and celebrations.
To contrast and soften the emotion, there are lots of funny moments as well as references to Bake Off, plus Baked Potato songs! Personally, the musical interludes didn’t really work for me as I was listening to the main narration at 2.5x speed which made the songs almost incomprehensible! The writing is warm and easy to read/listen to, so I’m sure it will be a family favourite.
The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas is an enjoyable children’s book with a careful balance of emotion and humour.
Book Blurb:
Dive in to this funny and heart-warming debut magical adventure from star of stage and screen, Matt Lucas – a festive modern classic for young readers of 8-12!
Leo LOVES Christmas. And this Christmas needs to be absolutely perfect, because it’s the first one without Mum. Only it all keeps going wrong!
The fairylights are in a tangle. The Christmas cards aren’t finished. The tree isn’t decorated. And the Christmas cakes have all been destroyed!
Soon Leo decides he’s had enough – he makes a heartfelt wish that it would all GO AWAY.
Then Leo wakes up on what SHOULD be Christmas Day – and it’s gone!! All of Christmas! But Leo isn’t going to let it escape that easily . . .
Join Leo as he sets out on a mission to undo his wish and get Christmas back in the brand-new festive classic by bestselling author Matt Lucas.
Home Alone meets A Christmas Carol in a hilarious adventure with a big dollop of festive magic. Funny, sensitive and emotional in all the best ways, this warm and seasonal family story touches ever so gently on childhood grief but is wrapped up in a chaotic and heart-warming adventure.
Listen to over 20 original songs, written and recorded by Matt to accompany the story, bringing the joy of a musical to book form!
The body of a man is found among the rubbish, his own severed finger in his mouth. Then more bodies are discovered with the same mutilation. Smith and his team are met with a vow of silence from the suspects…
The Creed is the 30th book in the DS Jason Smith series of police procedurals. The whole series is brilliant so read them ASAP!
A sinister cult/group is targeting abusers. One member breaks her vow of silence to contact the police but this only leads to more questions for Smith and his colleagues. Could hypnotism be responsible for the silent suspects? Smith decides to explore this angle and it puts him at odds with his superiors once again.
On the personal side of the plot, Smith and Whitton’s plan to adopt Fran meets with difficulty in the shape of a jobsworth social worker. His colleagues also have their fair share of emotional turmoil in the form of break ups and this leads to the usual banter and teasing.
The style of writing is easy to read and the characters are brilliantly depicted and brought to life through their dialogue. There is a humour in the character relationships which lightens the tone as well as adding realism. The deaths were not as grisly as other books in the series and the hypnotism gave a unique angle to the case.
The Creed is another excellent addition to the series.
THE CREED (Detective Jason Smith #30) by Stewart Giles
From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith.
Detective Sergeant Jason Smith thought he’d seen every kind of murderer there was to see.
Until now.
When the body of a man is found in an alley, Smith thinks it’s just one more unlucky soul in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But why was his index finger severed, and shoved inside his mouth?
When another corpse is discovered with a finger in his mouth, Smith is baffled.
He gets a break in the investigation in the form of an anonymous call from a woman who claims to know why the men had to die, but the trail hits a dead end when Smith realises what he’s dealing with.
A group of people are hell bent on killing, but every one of them has pledged a vow of silence to the creed they hold sacred.
As the bodies keep on piling up, Smith wonders if the silent killers devoted to The Creed are going to be the ones to finally outsmart him.
What readers are saying about THE CREED:
I adore this series and get through the books rather quickly as they are all tantalising page turners. Stewart has a gift of a twisty mind (that is a compliment! honest!) that can take the reader on a journey quite like no other whereas one small piece comes into place and then boom! – Misfits Farm
I enjoyed the murder investigation. Smith’s personal life is like a soap opera and this for me is the addiction! When I reach the end of the book, I am eagerly awaiting the next installment! Once again, a thoroughly enjoyable read, highly recommended.- Carol
This author never writes two books the same, mind-blowing cases that keep you entertained. Smith is a fantastic detective and a family man that brings the books to life. I loved it. Once again it’s a five stars and more. – Booklover Bev
There are usually plenty of bodies through these books, but they are fun reads mainly due to the great characters. The storylines are usually nasty and twisted, and goodness knows where Stewart gets his ideas from, but the darkness is certainly offset by plenty of humour. – 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
Christmas 1924 is rapidly approaching and Lady Eleanor Swift and her fiance are looking forward to a quiet romantic festive period to plan their future together. But plans go awry when they are summoned to a shooting party by the Duke of Auldwyke and their host’s secretary is murdered within minutes of their arrival…
A Midwinter Murder is the 20th book in the Lady Swift series of cosy historical murder mysteries. Her redoubtable butler, Clifford, and long suffering fiance, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, assist her in trying to catch the killer and save Christmas!
Ellie turned down the invite to attend the duke’s annual shooting party but her RSVP was lost and now she feels honour bound to uproot herself and her staff in order to attend. Her host is the reclusive Duke of Auldwyke who hasn’t been seen in public since the death of his wife. The prize for winning the shooting competition is an audience with His Grace and the granting of a wish. But the only thing Ellie wants is to bring a murderer to justice.
There are a range of suspects among the guests and staff. Ellie, Hugh and Clifford have various motives to explore and their investigation reveals many alibis are not true. I was kept guessing until the reveal at the end, although I did deduce part of the direction the case was heading in.
Ellie brings her entourage along with her which offers some light hearted relief, especially Gladstone and Tomkins (the pets). I loved the festivities and jollity of the ladies which brought a real warmth to their parts of the narrative. There are some big conversations with her fiance Hugh as they plan their future together.
A Midwinter Murder is an enjoyable murder mystery and I enjoyed the historical details.
Book Description:
Homemade baubles, reindeer-shaped cookies and snowy walks across the rolling moors… but Lady Swift’s festive plans are ruined when a body turns up!
Winter 1924. When Lady Eleanor Swift unexpectedly finds herself a guest of the reclusive Duke of Auldwyke, she’s determined to enjoy Christmas with all the trimmings at his sprawling manor house. And that includes kisses under the mistletoe and cozying up by the fire with her fiancé, dashing detective Hugh Seldon.
Instead, the season of goodwill turns frosty as she finds the Duke’s studious secretary, Mr Porritt, dead in the storeroom. Clasped in his chilly hand is a golden pendant in the shape of a rose. The Duke denies ever having seen the necklace before. But Eleanor can see the lies in his eyes… Did it belong to his mysteriously absent wife?
Hugh and Eleanor must ditch relaxing with hot cocoa in favour of interviewing the Duke’s holiday guests. Every suspect has a secret they’d kill to keep: the socialite with the false name, the Sir with a questionable inheritance and the husband hiding a crack in his marriage.
As the blizzard outside rages, Auldwyke Hall becomes cut off. Trapped by the snow, Eleanor and Hugh must skate around the increasingly secretive Duke to unwrap the identity of the killer. But does the answer to the secretary’s murder lie with a ghost of Christmas past? And when an attempt is made on the Duke’s life too, they realise the killer is closer than they think…
A gripping and twisty Golden Age murder mystery set in a country house on the Yorkshire moors, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss!
Author Bio:
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
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