Monday’s child is fair of face. But the woman that has been murdered no longer looks so fair. Tuesday’s child is discovered next. Will Detective Ellie Reeves be able to stop the killer before the rhyme is complete and seven women are dead…?
OMG what a book! Wildflower Graves is a wonderfully gruesome thriller. It is the second in the Ellie Reeves sereis from Rita Herron but I have not read the first. I suggest that you read the first, not just because I assume the writing style and plot are as good as this one, but due to the multiple references to plots twists and the conclusion of the last book.
Ellie Reeves is struggling both personally and professionally due to the outcome of the previous case. Relationships have been left in tatters and she is being hounded by the media. Now a serial killer is contacting her, taunting her with the dead women she could not save. I liked Ellie’s character and could understand her troubled emotions in relation to her family and colleagues.
The majority of the book shows us the police perspective but there are some chapters that give us insight into the victims and killer. We then share Ellie’s desperation to find her friend Shondra who is being tormented by the killer but is still alive.
My own personal preference is for short chapters and this book has those. My eyes gobbled up the plot as it races along. The use of the weekdays for the killings meant that events occur quickly and you can feel the tension as the police attempt to find clues.
Overall, I loved Wildflower Graves and will now track down the first book in the series even though I know the outcome!
RITA HERRON MEDIA PACK:
Title: Wildflower Graves
Author: Rita Herron
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Description:
The darkness closed around her. She tried to clear her vision, but there was no light, no noise, nothing. Only the emptiness, the echoing sound of being alone. Fear pulsed through her. The man had come out of nowhere. Who was he? Blinking away tears of frustration, in the pitch black she felt the floor and walls surrounding her. Cold. Steel. Bars.
Detective Ellie Reeves heads into the wilds of the Appalachian Mountains when she wants to get lost––to forget the whispers chasing her and the past that keeps her up at night. She’s sick of having to prove herself to her small town.
But hiking in the endless miles of woods isn’t the escape she was hoping for. One night, as dusk falls, a gust of wind blows some petals on to Ellie’s path. Following the trail, she finds a golden-haired young woman dead on a bed of daffodils, with a note: Monday’s child is fair of face.
When Ellie emerges from the forest, there is a message on her phone. Someone has sent her a picture of her colleague, Officer Shondra Eastwood, with the words: Can you find her, Detective Reeves? Ellie is racked with guilt––while she was busy hiding from life a killer was on the loose, and he has taken her beloved friend.
The wilderness, and its shadows, are the perfect hunting ground for a criminal––but what does the sinister nursery rhyme mean? It soon becomes clear when another dead woman, Tuesday’s Child, is found.
Ellie is up against a serial killer who will claim a victim for every day of the week, and in the next twenty-four hours there will be another body. As this ruthless murderer closes in on her, can she save more innocent women––and Shondra––from his clutches? Or will he get to Ellie first?
An utterly gripping and completely breathless crime thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. You’ll have trouble falling asleep after this heart-pounding page-turner!
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
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Eve Mallow makes a new friend at her winter party and is looking forward to his hosting the next party in the new year. But the second party never happens as the old mill is burned down with Harry inside. Eve discovers that Harry was actually an agony aunt with a forceful style that led to legions of fans but also enemies: could he have given the wrong advice and revenge is the motive? She is called upon to write his obituary and begins to investigate his murder…
Mystery at the Old Mill is the fourth book to feature Eve and the village of Saxford. However, it works perfectly well as a stand alone novel as there are no spoilers about previous books.
The style of writing is easy to read and there are no gruesome forensic details so I would definitely describe this as a cosy murder mystery. The focus is on the investigation by amateur Eve assisted by former police officer Robin and her dachshund Gus. There are plenty of suspects for Eve to question so the mystery is sustained well over the course of the book.
Eve remains a very likeable character and comes across as determined rather than nosey. Her ex continues to stir up her dismay and I felt a little sad that we didn’t meet her children at Christmas. She has good friends in the village and, as I’ve said before, this would make a perfect Sunday night TV drama series.
Mystery at the Old Mill is a classic and enjoyable murder mystery novel with a strong lead character and entertaining plot.
Media Kit:
Title: Mystery at the Old Mill
Author: Clare Chase
Publication Day: Dec 7th 2020
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Description:
When the calm of Saxford St Peter is disrupted by a deadly fire at the Old Mill, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow finds herself investigating a most surprising mystery!
Everyone in Saxford St Peter is desperate to know more about Harry Tennant, the newcomer who owns the Old Mill. He usually keeps himself to himself, but he’s finally invited the villagers round for drinks, and Eve Mallow isn’t the only one looking forward to having some questions answered.
But two days before the party, a terrible fire sweeps through the mill, and Harry is found dead. When Eve passes the burned remains of his beautiful house, she can’t resist the call to investigate. Especially when it turns out quiet, charming Harry was living a double life as the famous advice writer Pippa Longford. Eve has to wonder what revelations were contained in the letters he received… and whether one of them was worth killing for.
Accompanied by her reliable dachshund sidekick Gus, Eve starts digging. She soon realises Harry was at the centre of a web of lives – and lies. There’s an uncle desperate to inherit, two women who thought they were his one and only, not to mention everyone who shared their darkest secrets with him. Was one of those strangers much closer to home than Harry knew? And can Eve untangle the truth before she finds herself face to face with a killer?
A completely charming page-turner, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Betty Rowlands.
Author Bio:
Clare Chase writes women sleuth mysteries. After graduating from London University with a degree in English Literature, Clare moved to Cambridge and has lived there ever since. She’s fascinated by the city’s contrasts and contradictions, which feed into her writing. She’s worked in diverse settings – from the 800-year-old University to one of the local prisons – and lived everywhere from the house of a Lord to a slug-infested flat. The terrace she now occupies, with her husband and teenage children, presents a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
You can find Clare’s website and blog at www.clarechase.com
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Urban explorers, also known as urbexers, have been disappearing whilst out exploring abandoned buildings. No noise, no sign of a struggle, they just disappear. Jackman and Evans begin the investigation into the missing men but then gruesomely displayed bodies are discovered and a murder case ensues. Meanwhile in the police headquarters, the head of IT, Orac disappears. Is this linked to her mysterious past and secret identity?
They Disappeared is the 7th book in Joy Ellis’ Jackman and Evans series. It would work as a stand alone novel but the relationships between the officers, their personal histories and the cases they have previously worked on are included.
There is a lot of build up to the crimes. We are introduced to the hobby of urban exploring as well as finding out more about Orac’s past. Bodies are not found until half way through the book and I did find the pace a little slow in the first half of the book. The descriptions are vivid and creates a fanstastic atmosphere of suspense. The abandoned sites build anticipation and dread, and the mystery of an old airfield is intriguing.
There is a naturalness to the characters which draws in the reader as we feel an affinity with them. I was a little disappointed that pathologist Rory didn’t shine as prominently as previous books. This time it was Orac who held centre stage as we discover more about her astonishing past, both personal and professional.
Overall, They Disappeared was an enjoyable police thriller, and it was good to catch up with Jackman and Evans and their team.
I have reviewed several of Joy’s books before (see the purple highlighted titles below)
THEY DISAPPEARED (Jackman & Evans #7) by Joy Ellis
FROM #1 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOY ELLIS, A TOTALLY ABSORBING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS.
Discover the author who’s sold over two million books globally.
Detectives Rowan Jackman and Marie Evans are told that their IT boss has disappeared. They soon suspect foul play. Orla Cracken, known as Orac, is no ordinary techie; she was once a field agent traveling abroad undercover, working for the government.
Meanwhile DC Robbie Melton discovers that two people, both urban explorers, have mysteriously disappeared while out exploring abandoned buildings. One went missing at a disused airfield, but was it a military base, or was it civilian?
The gruesome discovery of their decaying bodies found hanging in ancient church ruins bursts the case wide open, and Jackman and Evans are under pressure to find the killer.
It soon becomes clear that the murderer is targeting urban explorers, but why is he determined to track down and torture these innocent people, and how is the case connected to Orac’s mysterious past, still shrouded in secrecy?
THE LATEST CRIME THRILLER BY JOY ELLIS, SET IN THE LINCOLNSHIRE FENS, WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING — AND YOUR PULSE RACING— UNTIL THE VERY END.
What readers are saying about Joy Ellis
“Another breathtaking thriller from Joy.” Carole
“Great read from start to finish.” Nerys
“Just a wonderful enjoyable read.” Nicki
“A hugely compelling police procedural, with twists and turns that raise tension and suspense.” Paromjit
“All the twists and turns kept me reading.” Viv
“Another great book from Ms Ellis.” Barbara
Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Sarah A. Denzil, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.
THE DETECTIVES
DI Jackman leads the investigation. He is extremely smart and has a knack for bringing out the best in his diverse team. DS Marie Evans is haunted by the loss of her husband in a motorbike accident. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues.
ALSO BY JOY ELLIS
THE NIKKI GALENA SERIES
Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS
Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS
Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS
Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS
Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS
Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS
Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS
Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS
Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS
JACKMAN & EVANS
Book 1: THE MURDERER’S SON
Book 2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS
Book 3: THE FOURTH FRIEND
Book 4: THE GUILTY ONES
Book 7: THEY DISAPPEARED
JOY ELLIS
UK #1 BEST SELLER WITH THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS, DARKNESS ON THE FENS, THE FOURTH FRIEND, BEWARE THE PAST, FIRE ON THE FENS, AND THE GUILTY ONES
OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
“I was born in Kent but spent most of my working life in London and Surrey. I was an apprentice florist to Constance Spry Ltd, a prestigious Mayfair shop that throughout the sixties and seventies teemed with both royalty and ‘real’ celebrities. What an eye-opener for a working-class kid from the Garden of England! I swore then, probably whilst I was scrubbing the floor or making the tea, that I would have a shop of my own one day. It took until the early eighties, but I did it. Sadly the recession wiped us out, and I embarked on a series of weird and wonderful jobs; the last one being a bookshop manager. Surrounded by books all day, getting to order whatever you liked, and being paid for it! Oh bliss!
And now I live in a village in the Lincolnshire Fens with my partner, Jacqueline, a highly decorated retired police officer, and our four barking mad Springer spaniels. If I do get any spare time, which is rare these days, my one relaxation is painting, especially using soft pastels. We have been here for twenty years now and although I’ll never be a true ‘Yeller Belly’, a native born to this county, I have adopted it as my own. I love the mists, the big skies and the endless waterways. All my books are set here on the Fens, and why not? The location is perfect for murder!”
OTHER BOOKS BY JOY ELLIS
MATT BALLARD SERIES:
BEWARE THE PAST
FIVE BLOODY HEARTS
STANDALONE NOVELS:
GUIDE STAR
FIND JOY ON
Epiphany Bloom, known as Pip, seems to rattle from one disaster to the next. She is unemployed, has no rent money and no boyfriend. But then a case of mistaken identity gets her a temporary job as a private investigator searching for a missing teenager. Can she keep up the pretence long enough to find the boy…?
The Kensington Kidnap is a fun and light hearted cosy mystery novel. The tone of the narrative is gentle even during scenes with more action. This book frequently left me with a smile on my face at implied and direct comedic moments.
The plot itself is not particularly realistic but that doesn’t matter at all as the overall novel is so entertaining and I felt myself pulled along by the main character.
Pip’s character is absolutely fantastic. There are plenty of allusions to incidents and escapades in the past which tantalise the reader by making you imagine the madcap things she is capable of. She is very endearing as she attempts to solve the mystery in her own exuberant style.
I also adored Pip’s sister Flis. A blogger (like me!) but her misuse of words is hilarious and they have a really lovely relationship. I hope we meet their overbearing mother in a future book…
The kidnapping plot is engaging and I think the extra dimension of the environment and social media adds a layer of context. I had suspicions about what and who was behind the ‘kidnap’ but the ending and full reveal was still a surprise.
Overall, I love The Kensington Kidnap: it was the perfect light relief to relax with.
The Kensington Kidnap book description:
A missing teenager, a mysterious cult and a case of mistaken identity – just another day’s work for Epiphany Bloom.
Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom is down on her luck. She can barely afford cat food, and just because Most has three legs doesn’t mean he eats any less. So she absolutely can’t afford to mess up her latest temp job. But when she walks through the door of the private investigation firm, her new boss mistakes her for a missing persons expert. He then charges her with finding Matty Price – the teenage son of two A-list celebrities – who has mysteriously disappeared from his home in Kensington.
It ought to be a disaster, but Pip reckons it’s actually an opportunity. She’s always been curious (nosy, her mother calls it) and has an uncanny knack for being at the wrong place at the right time (she doesn’t want to know what her mother thinks of that). After years of trying to find something she’s good at, has Pip managed to walk straight into the job she was born to do?
She owes it to herself and poor missing Matty to find out.
But searching for Matty takes Pip into the strange, intimidating world of the rich and famous. And it soon becomes clear that some of these people’s love for themselves doesn’t extend to their fellow humans.
As Pip investigates further, she realises the question isn’t whether Matty ran away – it’s whether Pip will find him alive and make it home safely herself…
An absolutely brilliant, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T E Kinsey, Lauren Elliott and Joanne Fluke, featuring an irresistible new heroine.
Author Bio:
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.
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Sophy’s marriage has broken down after her husband’s gambling addiction leaves the family homeless. Desperate to protect her daughters, she take a private nursing job, living in at an old stately home withe the reclusive owner. Jack Hyland was hideously disfigured in a fire and rejects human company. Can Sophy’s care heal her own heart as well as Jack’s or will the past haunt them both?
The Silent House is an intriguing book. An old house, family secrets, physical and mental scarring, all combine to capture the imagination of the reader.
Sophy is a very likaeble lead character. Devoted to her daughters, betrayed by her husband, and trying to negotiate the change in circumstances while also grieving for the love and life that have been destroyed.
Jack is quite a mysterious character to begin with. Gruff and reclusive, desperately clinging to his independence after suffering severe injuries. However, his journal in part 2 of the book allows us to learn about his history and reveals secrets that have been hidden for years.
I enjoyed the multiple perspectives used in the narrative structure of the book. The inclusion of Sophy’s daughter Isobel as one of the leads allowed us to step back from the events and see things through an alternative viewpoint. Most of us will identify with the struggles of being a teenager!
Overall The Silent House was an enjoyable mystery novel which had very relatable characters.
Author: Laura Elliot
Book: The Silent House
Publication Day: 01/12/20
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Description:
In the small hours of a cold winter morning, charcoal grey clouds gather in the sky over Hyland Hall where a young teenage girl is about to make an emergency call to say her life is in danger …
With her marriage in pieces and desperate to find work and a new home for her and daughters, Isobel and Julie, Sophy accepts a job as a live-in nurse for Jack Hyland.
Once a magnificent house, Hyland Hall has fallen into disrepair and its owner, Jack, disfigured in a terrible fire that broke out on the property years ago, is now a recluse.
As Sophy’s daughters struggle to adjust to their new surroundings, exploring every forbidden corner of the house, Sophy does her best to care for Jack and her broken family.
But Jack has secrets of his own and Sophy’s arrival is about to set in motion a chain of events that will uncover the devastating truth of Hyland Hall’s past. A truth that will put her daughters in harm’s way.
An intense and emotionally engrossing read that will keep you compulsively turning the pages late into the night. If you read one book this year, make it The Silent House.
Previously titled: The Tinderbox
Author Bio:
Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist who writes psychological thrillers and lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her novels are: The Thorn Girl, The Wife Before Me, Guilty, Sleep Sister, The Betrayal, Fragile Lies, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister. Her latest novel,
The Tinderbox is due for release in December 2020. AKA June Considine, she had written twelve books for children and young adults. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor.
Social Media Links:
(@Elliot_Laura)
