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Detective Amanda Steele’s life was devastated five years ago when a drunk driver killed her husband, her daughter, and her unborn child. Now she is called to the scene of his murder. Can she solve the case despite her personal interest. And will she convince her colleagues that her alibi is real…?

The Little Grave is a fantastic start to a new detective series. The heartbreak in Amanda’s life is so tragic and engaging as she struggles to find a murderer whilst dealing with her own emotions. She has also been assigned a new partner so there is a new professional relationship to develop. Plus her alibi is a one night stand so she needs to track him down but he already told her he wanted more (there may be trouble ahead…)

Amanda was an intriguing lead character. She isn’t always the most likeable person but she is dedicated and honourable. The tragedy of her past is one that we all dread, being the sole surviving family member and having to carry on living with a broken heart.

There were plenty of twists in the book for her to contend with, even until the very final chapters. Her personal involvement in the case in problematic for her superiors but an associated serious crime comes to light which she can investigate wholeheartedly.

The Little Grave was a very enjoyable police thriller. I have no idea where the series will go from here so will definitely be waiting eagerly for the next book in the series!

I have previously reviewed The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh and Halloween is Murder by Carolyn Arnold (both are differents genres).

Carolyn Arnold Media Kit:

Title: THE LITTLE GRAVE

Author:  Carolyn Arnold

PUBLICATION DAY: Jan 11th 2021

BUY LINK:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08LHBX81DSocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/2KQC50BZr47

Kobo: http://ow.ly/KjwQ50BZr1j

Google: http://ow.ly/3O1750BZr8y

Description:

Detective Amanda Steele stops just inside the doorway, recognizing the victim’s face instantly. He seems so vulnerable in death; soft, human, even harmless. But she can never forget the evil he has inflicted. Her heart is hammering as she remembers her precious daughter, with her red curls and infectious laugh, and how she was lowered into that little grave…

It’s been five years since Detective Amanda Steele’s life was derailed in the path of an oncoming drunk driver. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on from the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, but Amanda cannot. When the driver who killed her family is found murdered in a motel room, she can’t keep away from the case.

Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work an investigation with such a personal connection to her, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes. And when Amanda finds the link between a silver bracelet in his possession and the brutal unsolved murder of a young exotic dancer, she realizes she’s caught up in something darker than she ever imagined and suspects that more girls could be in danger.

But as Amanda edges toward the truth, she gets closer to a secret as personal as it is deadly. Amanda has stumbled upon a dangerous killer, and she must face some terrible truths in order to catch this killer – and save his next victim as she couldn’t save her own daughter…

The Little Grave: a gripping, page-turning thriller full of mystery and suspense. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni.

Author Bio:

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has nearly thirty published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small 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.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

Author Social Media Links:

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold

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

1990s Sweden: Ingrid moves home to care for her aged grandfather. He has early dementia and is confused, leading him to reveal that he once had a twin sister…

1930s Germany: Asta and Jurgen are twins who grew up in Hamburg. But their lives changed forever when the Nazis take power in 1933 and Jewish communities are persecuted. Their parents are arrested and the twins go on the run towards the Danish border but the Nazis remain hot on their heels…

The original title for The German Girl was The Flight of Swallows and I truly think it should have kept it due to the link with the twins’ surnames and their flight from danger. The original title was poetic and evocative of the plot and I hope it is reinstated.

This book is terrible (in a good way) and beautiful. The sense of anticipation waiting for the bad events to take place was completely compelling. Yet I also had hope, that perhaps the twins were merely separated, that the kindness and goodness of some people would prevent the Nazis’ cruelty. The only thing I didn’t like was a spot of non linear narrative which I felt was unecessary as it all caught up a few chapters later.

The twin characters are wonderful. The honesty and humour of their childhood sharply contrasts with the devasting events as the Nazis take power and measures to destroy the Jews begin to gain momentum. The racism elicits a revulsion from the reader and a heartbreaking inevitability as we know that this was the beginning of the Final Solution which caused the deaths of millions.

I was particularly interested in the setting of the Nordic countries as they are an area I don’t know much about historically. It has also been under-represented in the books I have read about WW2 and the Holocaust.

The German GIrl was a wonderful historical novel and I loved the development of the main characters against the unusual setting of the Danish border during Nazi occupation.

Author Bio:

Lily has been telling stories since she was a child, starting with her imaginary rabbit, Stephanus, and their adventures in the enchanted peach tree in her garden, which she envisioned as a magical portal to Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree. She’s never really got out of the habit of making things up, and still thinks of Stephanus rather fondly.

She lives with her husband and her English bulldog, Fudge, and brings her love for the sea and country-living to her fiction.

https://lilygraham.net/

https://www.facebook.com/LilyRoseGrahamAuthor/

https://twitter.com/lilygrahambooks

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/3b2aGdL

Beth Callaghan and her boyfriend Will have started on their momentous parenthood journey. Newborn Joe is a source of wonderment and confusion as they suddenly find themselves adapting to their new roles. But can their relationship cope with the pressure and changes a baby brings…?

OMG I snorted with laughter soooo many times while reading Did My Love Life Shrink In The Wash? Author Kristen Bailey has such a down to earth way of writing and her turn of phrase is just magically and wickedly funny. Her brilliant way with words frequently made me chuckle as she brought back memories of childbirth and the early day with a baby: she describes postnatal girl bits resembling a dropped lasagne!!! Hahaha, other mums will appreciate that one as I did!

Beth is a fab lead character. She is kind, funny and loyal which makes her hugely appealing to us as readers. I think non-parents will laugh increduloulsy at the events and descriptions, whilst parents will nod along in understanding of the reality of having kids.

The relentless monotony of early motherhood is handled comically but the emotional side is not forgotten. The feelings of inadequacy and even the grief for the ‘old me’ are realistic and a little heartbreaking. A confused sense of identity and ‘losing yourself’ was portrayed accurately and sensitively despite the comedic tone of the book overall.

Family and friendships are strong themes throughout the book. I didn’t realise until the end with other book blurbs that this is actually the third book to feature the Callaghan family so I definitely want to catch up with their antics! This therefore works perfectly as a standalone novel.

Did My Love Life Shrink In The Wash? was an absolutely wonderful book. It has a genuine warmth that makes it extra special.

Sure, my bedroom gets lots of action. It’s called snoring.

Will and I didn’t have a clue what we were signing up for. It turns out that there’s loads we weren’t warned about:

1) You’ll spend more time spooning your child’s cuddly donkey than your own boyfriend.
2) Communication with your other half will be via post-it notes on the fridge, mainly telling him to buy more milk.
3) If you make the mistake of going to a nightclub you’ll nod off, drool, and be woken up by an angry bouncer.
4) In the middle of the night you’ll be begging Siri for advice on getting your baby to sleep. (Whale music doesn’t work.)
5) Sex is something that happened in another dimension.

But even if I feel like I’m waiting for my motherhood powers to come in the post, at least I’ve got Will. Our old life – festivals, sambuca shots, an actual sex life – might be a distant memory, but we can get through anything together, can’t we?

At least that’s what I thought until, one day, Will walked out on us… If I’m on my own (apart from Siri, obviously) can I do this whole parenting thing? Or I am destined to lose my sanity one sleepless night at a time?

A totally hilarious and absolutely relatable tale for anyone who has survived parenthood purely on microwave meals and wished for an IV drip of coffee to get them through! This uplifting page-turner will make your belly ache with laughter. Perfect for fans of Why Mummy Drinks, Sophie Ranald and Sophie Kinsella.

Author Bio:

Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She writes women’s fiction and she hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love and family.

You can find out more about her at her website: www.kristenbaileywrites.com.

You can also find her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

https://twitter.com/mrsbaileywrites

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/3rDlXak

Apple: http://apple.co/33TMwxZ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2FtCFpk

Google: http://bit.ly/3nNQq3s

Two female bodies are pulleed from the river. They look almost identical and one has had surgery. When Detective Mackenzie Price goes to inform the next of kin of the first identified victim, she is shocked to find the victim is alive: who are the two bodies who look so much like Katy Becker? Then Katy goes missing…

Their Frozen Graves sees Mackenzie back for her latest case, yet she is still reeling from recent events so don’t read on if you want to catch up on the first book Hidden Lake. She is estranged from her husband who cheated on her, and her father is back in her life after being declared dead decades ago. The local community are angered by the revelations of crime from prominent people which has caused a downturn in finances for many families. And Mack gets the blame for exposing it 🙁

The murders and links to an old case are certainly intriguing. How and why are these women looking so similar to Katy and did this happen before with another woman and her double? The plot twists as the case gets more and more confusing held my interest but I had no idea about motive or culprit.

The inclusion of major plot developments in Mack’s personal life does slow down the speed of the murder plotline. The chapters are quite short to keep the plot flowing but the case and Mack’s personal life take up equal amounts of text overall. However, our attention is maintained through the intensity of the emotions that Mack contends with as she adapts to these momentous life changes.

Their Frozen Graves is an enjoyable police thriller with the main protagonist absolutely central to the novel. Just like the first book, there is a major twist at the end so we wait for the next instalment…

RUHI CHOUDHARY Media Kit:

Title: Their Frozen Graves

Author:  Ruhi Choudhary

PUBLICATION DAY: 07/01/21

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08LDJ7LV2Cover

Apple: http://ow.ly/8oFG50BX9XF

Kobo: http://ow.ly/MM7g50BX9TA

Google: http://ow.ly/TXcW50BX9ZX

Description:

Two women are dead. They both look like you.

The giant stretch of frozen river was melting and the light made the lake glitter like crystals. The women lay side by side on the shore, eyes open and glassy. Their long, dark hair was like tangled rope, their faces a reflection of each other…

When two bodies are found dumped in one of the vast lakes in Lakemore, Washington, Detective Mackenzie Price is first on the scene. She identifies one of the victims as Katy Becker, a local known for her work helping the community. The other victim looks strikingly similar.

Still grappling with a shocking revelation from her past, Mack is only too happy to throw herself into the case. But when she goes to break the news to Katy’s husband, the investigation takes an unexpected turn: Katy is very much alive, and has never met the women who resemble her so closely.

Now the race is on to find the killer before Katy becomes the next victim. But when Mack unearths a disturbing connection to a sixteen-year-old suicide, she realizes they could be hunting someone whose crimes span decades – and there are more lives than just Katy’s at stake.

Addictive, pulse-pounding and packed full of jaw-dropping twists, fans of Lisa Regan, Angela Marsons and Karin Slaughter will love Their Frozen Graves.

Author Bio:

Ruhi Choudhary discovered her passion for writing when she was seven years old and wrote her first Star Trek episode. Being a fan of the dark and twisted, she found her calling in crime thriller.

She likes to write stories that make you a little uncomfortable and characters that you struggle to make up your mind about but stay with you.

She lives in Toronto and spends her days training to be a scientist and wishing it rained more often!

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RuhiSChoudhary

Melanie Douglas is a single mum with a violent ex in prison, desperately trying to make ends meet as she cares for their daughter Kate. She receives a letter offering her an inheritance yet she was abandoned as a baby: does she have a secret family and can she protect herself from her dangerous ex?

The Single Mother is Mel, a vulnerable woman who is very likeable and struggling to cope financially and emotionally. She has had an unhappy life, abandoned as a newborn and growing up in foster homes so she is determined to give her own daughter love and security. But her ex Billy is in prison for a variety of crimes including domestic violence.

Mel’s vulnerability makes her someone that readers will feel warm towards especially as she continues to face hardships. I felt myself being distrustful of the other characters in the same way that she is: her past is very emotive and affects her relationship with her daughter which then in turn creates a fear when dealing with others.

The plot device of the unexpected inheritance provides Mel with opportunities but also concerns. She gets the chance for a fresh start but there are secrets hinted at by the locals as well as the mystery of who her benefactor is. Added to this is the hope of new love as Mel and Tom grow closer but the past continues to haunt her happiness.

I did not find Single Mother very credible but it was certainly enjoyable and I think it would make a great psychological drama on TV. I found myself emotionally invested in Mel and willing her to find happiness to counteract the loss she has felt all her life. The final chapter has some big reveals that will make you reconsider some parts of the plot and the characters themselves.

I have previously reviewed other books by Samantha Hayes including: The Happy Couple and The Liar’s Wife.

I will do anything to protect my daughter. She’s all I’ve ever wanted and all I really have, but the moment I opened that letter and accepted the inheritance, I walked us right into a dangerous trap.

I know I should have got her to tell me who she’s been talking to on the phone late at night, and where she was the day I went to pick her up from school and couldn’t find her, but she’s not spoken a word since she found that little pile of bones buried in the garden.

And now she’s missing…

A jaw-dropping, addictive and totally twisty psychological thriller that will have you sleeping with the light on! Perfect for anyone who loved The Girl on the Train, Friend Request or The Wife Between Us.

Author Bio:

Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.

When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.

https://www.samanthahayes.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHayesAuthor/

https://twitter.com/samhayes

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/37kxIdp

Apple: http://apple.co/34wLg2L

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3jHlLCA

Google: http://bit.ly/3lj7xYO