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Kat has an incredibly close relationship with her daughter Amy who has now gone to university but still phones and texts every day. One weekend Amy is due to come home but fails to arrive or make any contact at all.

Kat becomes frantic but everyone else thinks she is overreacting. What secrets is Kat keeping and why is she so anxious? Can she trust her husband or is Amy’s biological father involved in her disappearance?

The Empty Nest had me hooked straight away. I’m sure every mum can identify with Kat’s fears. I want my children to grow up to be happy and healthy, confident and independent people, but part of that is to grow away from me. It hurts like a kind of happy grief. My own mum once said that she would have failed as a mother if I stayed at home forever and now I am a mum myself I see the truth of what she said. I see or speak with my mum almost every day but my sister can go weeks without making contact.

Kat’s panic is believable, if a little extreme. I could fully understand how her fears would overwhelm her as I always think the worst too! Author Sue Watson has cleverly created a plot where we are not sure whether to worry about Amy or not: is she being a typical teenager at last and striking out independently or has she disappeared against her will…

The style of writing is tense to represent Kat’s emotions. We are kept guessing about the truth behind Amy going missing until right at the end and are misdirected towards suspecting a number of characters being involved. Kat’s past with her violent ex and Amy’s health are hinted at and gradually revealed over the course of the book which increases the feeling of dread and fear.

This was a gripping book, playing on the fears that all parents feel about their children. I will certainly hug my kids a little closer while I can…

Book Description:

‘Sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us, Kat. Everyone has secrets, even the people we love, the people we live with…’

Kat remembers the days when her only daughter Amy wouldn’t leave her side. Amy was the baby who cried when you walked out of the room, the toddler who was too shy to speak to strangers, the small child who clung to Kat’s legs in the school playground.

But now Amy is grown up, and Amy is gone – to university in a town several hours away. Kat’s house – which once felt too full, too noisy, too busy – is deathly quiet, and Kat awaits the daily phone call to tell her that her beloved daughter is thriving and happy.

Until the day Amy doesn’t call, sending Kat into a panic. Her husband and friends say she’s being paranoid – surely Amy is just out, having fun? But Kat feels sure something is very wrong – she knows her daughter, and she would never just disappear.

As the hours turn into days, her fears are confirmed: Amy is missing. But there are secrets about her daughter that Kat doesn’t know about yet. And the truth about Amy’s whereabouts may be closer to home than Kat could ever imagine…

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and an ending that will blow readers’ minds. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Girl Before and Gone Girl will be gripped by this unputdownable story about a mother’s obsessive love for her child.

Author Bio:

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.

USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written fifteen novels – many involving cake – which have been translated into several languages and involved tough ‘cake research.’ Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR and THE EMPTY NEST. Writing in this new genre doesn’t involve the deep research of baked goods and Sue’s hoping the change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent procrastinating, eating and watching ‘My 600lb Life,’ on the sofa.

http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

 @suewatsonwriter

https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks/

Set in 1920s Paris against a backdrop of the aftermath of World War One and the Russian Revolution, The Paris Girl is the story of displaced Russian Princess Tatiana. She is engaged to aristocratic Gerard but his brother Armand, deeply disturbed by his war experience, is madly in love with her.

American photographer Regan is an unlikely saviour for Tatiana but comes to her rescue time and time again. There are plenty of dramatic twists and turns which throw the pair together…

Tatiana is a really interesting character. She is vulnerable and likeable but also spoilt and infuriating. She is dealing with the innate misogyny of the period, the double standards which allowed men to have affairs but expected woment to be virginal.

The politics of love, the power of old money and the heady excitement of the post war era are brought to life by Natalie Meg Evans. This is a really enjoyable book and it is fun to read because we don’t always agree with or like the main protagonist Tatiana whilst the events of the book are utterly compelling.

The plot and style are rich in historical detail and the Paris of the 1920s is beautifully realistic. There is a lot of emotion in this book as we see the aftermath of the war and revolution on the main characters and the poverty and heartache they have experienced as a result.

The Paris Girl is an impressive, almost epic saga of love and loss and I ope to read more from this author soon!

Book Description:

Author Bio:

Natalie Meg Evans has been an art student, actor, PR copywriter, book-keeper and bar tender but always wanted to write. A USA Today best-seller and RITA nominee, she is author of four published novels which follow the fortunes of strong-minded women during the 1930s and 40s. Fashion, manners and art are the glass through which her characters’ lives are viewed. Each novel is laced with passion, romance and desire. Mystery is never far away. An avid absorber of history – for her sixth birthday she got a toy Arthurian castle with plastic knights – Natalie views historical fiction as theatre for the imagination. Her novels delve behind the scenes of a prestige industry: high fashion, millinery, theatre, wine making. Rich arenas for love and conflict. Most at home in the English countryside, Natalie lives in rural Suffolk. She has one son.

http://nataliemegevans.uk/

@natmegevans

Dell Shaw has a beautiful but resentful mother and a kind but drug addicted father. On one visit to her mother, she is groped by a ‘friend’ of Anita’s, but finds no support from either her mother or the man’s wife. Instead they blame her for inciting his attentions.

Years later, she falls in love with his son Mason who has no idea about this incident. They are happy together until she discovers her father has died of an overdose, medicine prescribed by Mason’s father. At the funeral she realises she is pregnant and asks Mason to choose between his parents or her and their child. He hesitates and she leaves…

Dell has the baby adopted and is rebuilding her life when her mother visits to tell her the baby is in danger. Minutes later, Anita is injured in a car crash and despite her heartbreaking childhood and teens, Dell wait by her bedside, hoping for recovery to find out more about her child.

There is a gravitas to this style of narrative, and I was reminded of some of the older Margaret Atwood books. The descriptions and tone are vivid and of high literary quality, which is very impressive considering this is author Kelly Heard’s debut novel.

The plot is delivered in a non linear way, with chapters set in 1979 when Dell was young, 1990 when she became pregnant and then 1991 which is the present day. This allows us to see how Dell’s attitude to becoming a mother has been defined by her own unhappy relationship with Anita.

The Fortune Teller’s Promise is very emotional book. I became so angry with Anita and her selfish behaviour, and frustrated by the way Dell is let down by people but also keeps secrets which lead to further sorrow. I could understand Dell’s lack of trust in her lover and her own ability as a mum but she has built up protective walls and makes the wrong choices in an attempt to save herself from further heartbreak.

Book Description:

Counting things in threes usually calms Dell’s crippling anxiety—the passionflower vine along the shop wall, the jimsonweed by the roadside, the sleeping valley in the distance—until the day her baby daughter goes missing.

1979, Virginia. Growing up amongst the sprawling valleys and forests of Blyth, beautiful young Dell has always had a natural intuition for how to fix other people’s hurts, if not her own. She hopes for a better future, although thanks to her alcoholic father and narcissistic mother, happiness seems far out of her reach. She certainly could never have predicted holding her baby girl for the first time, and the life-changing, powerful love she would feel when she did.

Even as a heartbroken single mother in a small town riddled with gossips, she suddenly feels that she can do this. She can raise her daughter. But when she turns to her own mother for help, her mother convinces her that the child would be better off with another family. With nobody to fight her corner, Dell must watch the local church take the baby away, leaving her alone and completely devastated.

Dell feels there’s nothing left for her in her tiny hometown but heartache and shattered dreams, and so she flees, vowing never to go back. It finally seems like luck is on her side when she finds a small shop for rent, overlooking the peaceful Shenandoah Valley. This quiet corner of paradise feels like the perfect place to heal and use her gift to help others heal, too. Until Dell’s mother tracks her down to tell her that her baby girl is missing.

Dell knows she won’t find out where her child is in the stars or on her palms. Instead, she must do the one thing she promised she never would. She must return to Blyth. Will what Dell finds there finally heal her fragile heart, or break it into a thousand irreparable pieces?

An unforgettable and heart-wrenching debut about the endurance of love, the power of forgiveness, and finding beauty in the world around us. Your must-read book of 2019. Perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, Kristin Hannah and Kerry Lonsdale.

Author Bio:

Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, Kelly Heard now lives in Richmond with her husband, spoiled house cat, and two-year-old daughter. She writes poetry, adult fiction, and creative nonfiction. When she is not writing or reading, Kelly enjoys spending her time gardening, cooking, and playing the ukulele for her toddler.

Twitter:  @heardkj1

https://kellyheard.wixsite.com/mysite

Somehow the previous 7 books in this series had escaped my notice (I blame the kids as I gave up reading due to lack of time and am now rediscovering my passion as I try to inspire them to love books too). Book number 8 Silent Crimes works perfectly as a stand alone book and I actually didn’t realise there were previous books until information at the end of the book lists them.

DCI Sophie Allen’s daughter Jade discovers the body of a local tramp who she had befriended and fed. It becomes clear that Paul Prentice had left the world behind in order to escape his past. He was a member of a commune over a decade ago; internal politics, rifts and relationships had led to the disappearance of the owner Katie and then the disintegration of the commune.

Allen liaises with other police forces to pursue the investigation and secrets begin to unravel…

Michael Hambling has created a storng female lead but in this book she is very understated. There are little touches of description from her daughter and colleagues that possibly hint to a more dominant personality than is explored in this book but may be present in the preceding ones.

There is little violence or graphic forensic detail in this book: the focus is very much on the police investigation. At one point Rae discusses her boyfriend’s love of police novels and TV shows,  laughing at their hype and stereotypes which are rarely representative of real police work.

The investigation concentrates in several directions as the current murder is connected to the disappearance of Katie and also linked to the attempted murder of another commune member. The perpetrator of the latter crime has just been released from prison and is intent on creating problems for his ‘enemies’ but did this include murdering Paul?

All of the loose ends are concluded by the end of the book and the full detail of the motive and culprit is not revealed until right at the end.

Silent Crimes is a very enjoyable police investigation novel. I liked the range of detective characters and now want to read the rest of the books in the series to see how their personalities, relationships and careers have progressed up until this case.

SILENT CRIMES (Detective Sophie Allen #8) by Michael Hambling

Looking for a gripping mystery by a best-selling author? Full of twists and turns, this crime thriller will keep you turning the pages until the satisfying conclusion.

AN INTRICATE MYSTERY FULL OF BURIED SECRETS
Detective Sophie Allen’s daughter discovers the body of a reclusive tramp in remote woodland in Dorset. He’s been dead for a week.

Sophie and her team try to piece together something about his life, but progress is slow.

NO ONE IS QUITE WHAT THEY SEEM.

Then a hidden package is discovered near his rudimentary shelter. The police also find out that someone has been in the area asking about the tramp recently. A picture begins to emerge.

He was an important member of a commune that had a three-year existence on a farm on the Quantock Hills in Somerset more than decade earlier.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE COMMUNE AND WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL DYING BECAUSE OF IT?

Discover the truth in this captivating crime mystery.

If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Colin Dexter, Ruth Rendell, or Mark Billingham you will be gripped by this exciting new crime fiction writer.

SILENT CRIMES is book eight of a new series of crime thrillers featuring Sophie Allen, head of the Violent Crime Unit in Dorset.

THE DETECTIVES
DCI Sophie Allen is Dorset’s acknowledged expert on murder and violent crime. She is 42 as the series starts, and lives with her husband and younger daughter in Wareham. Her elder daughter is studying in London. Sophie has a law degree and a master’s in criminal psychology. Her brilliant mind conceals some dark secrets from her past.

DS Barry Marsh is based at Swanage police station. He’s quiet, methodical and dedicated, the perfect foil for Sophie’s hidden fragility.

THE SETTING
Dorset. A beautiful English county which includes a stunning section of the coastline, but whose beauty belies darkness beneath the surface.

DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE MYSTERY SERIES NOW

THE DCI SOPHIE ALLEN BOOKS
Book 1: DARK CRIMES
Book 2: DEADLY CRIMES
Book 3: SECRET CRIMES
Book 4: BURIED CRIMES
Book 5: TWISTED CRIMES
Book 6: EVIL CRIMES
Book 7: SHADOW CRIMES
Book 8: SILENT CRIMES
Join the Joffe Books mailing list to hear about the next book in the series.

Michael Hambling – author bio

Like many writers, I have been a keen reader all of my life. I remember one day as a nine year old in the summer holidays, when I visited the local library four times in one day because a child’s ticket only allowed one book out at a time! I can even remember the plot of one book, a story about a boy taking up fly-fishing, read while sitting outside in a sunny back garden in Bristol.

I live in the west-country, in the beautiful cathedral city of Salisbury, although I set my novels in the neighbouring county of Dorset. We own a lovely flat in the small Dorset coastal town of Swanage, and spend a lot of time there, walking the famous Jurassic Coast world heritage site.. The early novels in the series are based on the Isle of Purbeck, one of the UK’s most beautiful coastal regions. But the rest of the county of Dorset does get a look in, and there are scenes set in other locations in the central south of England.

I write because I constantly create scenes, people, imaginary conversations and unusual situations in my head. I have always done so, ever since I was a child. Using the richness of the English language to set down these creations in words is a great joy. Maybe by the time I’ve edited a passage for the umpteenth time it’s beginning to lose some of its sparkle for me, but I do believe in reshaping and polishing until it’s as good as I can make it. It then becomes something about which I can feel some justifiable pride.

Who are my own favourite writers? Hilary Mantel, of course. Not just the the recent Thomas Cromwell novels, but the brilliant and sly characterisation of Beyond Black.
Doris Lessing has written some startlingly original stories over many years. I’m also a great fan of David Mitchell. He shows great creativity in all of his novels.
Philip Pullman has written many books of startling originality, full of imaginative ideas. Not just the Lara series, but the earlier Sally Lockhart novels. One of my sons bought me La Belle Sauvage (volume one of the Book of Dust trilogy) for Christmas. I loved it, so much so that I’ve already re-read it a month later, something very rare for me. Wonderful stuff.
Another author I’ve come to admire greatly is Charity Norman. She writes about families in crisis situations and how the problem is partly resolved. I came to her books with “The New Woman”, a novel that probes the problems created by gender variance. Her other novels are equally good. Her writing style is outstanding.
I’ve recently read “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold and was bowled over by it. So much emotional punch and so well written. I’ll be packing her other novels to read on my forthcoming holiday.

In crime fiction I like Val McDiarmid’s work, Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels and the books of Mo Hayder. I also enjoy Colin Dexter’s Morse and Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels.

I cannot compete with these greats, so I aim for something different. I hope that I have succeeded to some extent.

LINKS

Website:  http://www.michaelhambling.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelhambling.author