A mutilated body is found lacking head and hands to prevent identification. A mother begs Detective Madison Harper to find her missing baby. But Madison has her own worries as her fiance vanishes in the middle of the night…
The Crying Girls is the 8th book in the Detective Madison Harper series. There are a few plot threads that follow on from the last book (which I have somehow missed đ ) so I would advise reading the books in order.
Madison is deluged with crime cases to investigate but her focus is affected by Nate’s disappearance. Events in the last book have taken their toll on his mental health and he needs space so steals away in the middle of the night, not even taking his beloved dog Brody with him. Madison’s son Owen also has something major to announce which also takes her by surprise and adds to her emotional turmoil.
Most of the book is written in the present day to show Madsion and her investigation. However, there are some chapters from the perspective of a teenager held captive. It soon becomes clear from that timeline that this plot thread goes back many years. I guessed the connection between the two timelines around the halfway point and then enjoyed seeing how Madison worked it out. However there were other twists that I had no clue in advance!
The style of writing is easy to read and the chapters are quite short meaning that the plot develops quickly. There are some gruesome passages about the forensic details of the bodies: these are presented objectively but the characters have a natural reaction against their findings.
The Crying Girls is a tense and enjoyable crime thriller with some great twists.
The Crying Girls by Wendy Dranfield
About the book:
Dawn breaks over the mountains. Not a single part of the girlâs once-beautiful body is free from pain. She prays sheâll slip into a blissful unconsciousness, but the sound of an engine rouses her. Her swollen eyes struggle to focus as she raises a bruised arm and waves from the long grass. A decision that will cost her much more than her innocent little lifeâŚ
With her partner missing, Detective Madison Harper has her work cut out for her juggling the discovery of a body in the murky shallows of Lost Creek and a distraught mother searching for her missing baby boy. She barely has time to eat or sleep. But someone in this small town has lost a loved one, and a childâs life could be in danger. Madisonâs sense of duty drives her on, poring over cold case files and interviewing inhabitants of the trailer park near where the headless body was found.
Without a face to identify, or teeth to match to dental records, the decapitated victim is almost impossible to name. Then the postmortem reveals a single red rose stem forced down his throat. What monster would do such a thing? What message were they trying to send? It feels like a dead end until Madison returns home to find the photo of a distressed-looking girl on her windshield. Written on the back is a message that grips her with ice-cold fear:Â Sofia. Day 1.
Now hunting for a missing child, a murderer and a missing girl, Madison is pushed to her limit. As terror chokes the close-knit community, she vows that no more innocent lives will be lost on her watch. But as these cases connect, and she comes face to face with the twisted individual at the heart of it all, will there be anyone left to save?
A totally addictive and twist-packed crime thriller guaranteed to get your heart racing! Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.
About the author:
Wendy is the bestselling author of the Detective Madison Harper series and the Dean Matheson series, as well as two standalone thrillers: The Birthday Party and The Night She Vanished.
She is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer. Some of her books have been shortlisted for various writing competitions and awards, including the International Thriller Writer Awards.
You can find more information on her website.
Follow Wendy on Amazon for new book alerts (click the Follow button next to her profile pic).
The only social media Wendy uses is her Facebook author page: Wendy Dranfield Author.
A body is found frozen after disappearing over a decade ago. Tyler is convinced there is a link to his father’s apparent suicide but his usual supportive superior officer (and also his godmother) has vanished along with a corrupt cop on the run…
Cold Reckoning is the third book in the DS Adam Tyler series. Some dimensions of the plot directly lead on from the last book Nighthawking so I would advise reading the series in order.
Tyler generally handles cold cases and this one is frozen! The victim is linked to a murder 16 years ago that Tyler’s father was investigating. The body has been hidden for all that time but why and where? Tyler hopes this is a chance for his father’s death to be reviewed and finally proved not to be a suicide. He has made an unlikely alliance with his colleague Doggett but both are trying to keep new recruit Mina Rabbani away from the case for her own safety. One senior officer has gone on the run rather than face corruption charges and another has vanished completely (massive cliffhanger from previous book!)
This was my favourite book of the series so far. I felt much more in tune with Tyler and his focus on finding the truth about his dad merged seamlessly with the new case. He lets his emotional side come to the fore and this allows him to build relationships with his colleagues. The style of writing is clear and I liked the segments about Edith which added mystery as to how they related to the main plot threads.
Cold Reckoning is a tense and engaging crime thriller and police procedural.
Book blurb:
The darkness from his past will finally come to light.
For sixteen years, DS Adam Tyler has been searching for answers to his father, Richardâs, death. Convinced it wasnât suicide, he has been investigating the case in secret.
When a body is found in a frozen lake, linked to a cold case from 2002, it doesnât seem to have anything to do with the death of his fatherâexcept Tyler knows Richard was investigating the same case shortly before he died. And Tyler doesnât believe in coincidences.
As he throws himself into finding out what really happened that day, Tyler uncovers a string of botched investigations, mysterious disappearances and, ultimately, deep-seated police corruption. There are dangerous people who donât want Tyler asking questionsâand the truth always comes at a price.
This time, it could cost him everything…
Wolfe is frantic when his daughter’s plane crashes during a blizzard. He finds the crash site but no sign of his daughter so the team begin to search for her. Instead of Julie, they find the remains of three women frozen to death…
Their Frozen Bones is the 23rd book in the Kane and Alton series of crime thrillers set in the USA.
Wolfe is a dedicated father and Jenna and Dave treat his family as an extension of their own. Emotions are high but still kept in check as they begin their search for Julie after her plane crashes. Added to this is the discovery of women frozen in the snow with no obvious injuries but they were deliberately left to freeze to death.
The snow plays a major factor in this book, combined with the treacherous geography of the area which makes the search for Julie and a killer difficult and dangerous. Julie has been rescued but she is wary of trusting a man who has hidden himself away from society. This makes us suspicious of him too and wonder if there is a connection with the women’s deaths. The murder side of the book felt secondary to the emotional turmoil focussed on Julie’s disappearance. There is some tension as we see the next victim being held by the killer. The threat is palpable but there is little violence.
Another element of the plot is that Jenna is pregnant which adds a different dynamic as Dave wants to protect her espcially in the wintry conditions (sorry but I found the whole Kane as protector thing is a bit annoying). The dynamics of the police team may also be about to change with the impending maternity leave and this leaves some characters considering their personal and professional futures.
Their Frozen Bones is an enjoyable addition to this strong series.
MEDIAÂ PACK
Book: THEIR FROZEN BONES
Author: D.K. HOOD
Pub Day:Â OCTOBER 1ST 2024
Buy Links:Â
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About the book:Â
Her eyes snap open and she takes in the snow-covered forest around her. She canât remember how she got here, and a dark figure is running toward her. She doesnât have time to scream before heâs upon herâŚ
When Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy, David Kane, hear reports of a plane crashing into the mountains that surround Black Rock Falls, their hearts shatter. Their friendâs blonde-haired teenage daughter, Julie, was on that flight. They wonât sleep until they bring Julie home to her distraught family.
A blizzard closing in, Jenna pushes on with the search until, just beyond the snow-capped trees, she finds the plane. She falls to her knees at the sight of the lifeless bodies, still buckled into their seats. But one passenger is missing: Julie has vanishedâŚ
Racing into the remote forest, Jenna finds heavy footsteps around the crash site which are too big to be Julieâs. Someone was here before them. Following the prints, Jennaâs pulse races as she finds the bodies of three young women hanging from the tall pine trees, their limbs frozen, their faces lifted to the sky above.
When the victims are identified, Jenna notices that each girl had long blonde hair when they went missing, just like Julie. But when they were found in the forest, their hair had been cut, their looks changed forever. Is a twisted killer preying on girls who he can manipulate before their death? Could Julie be his next victim? With snow piling up around them, Jenna doesnât have long to find Julie alive. Can she track down this monster before he takes his next innocent life?
Readers of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, will be absolutely blown away by this totally addictive 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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Dr Anna Jones is a confident heart surgeon. But her life changes forever when her son is kidnapped and she is told to kill a patient in order to free him. Can she put her morals to one side to save her son?
Do No Harm is a medical thriller set in the UK.
Anna has been through a rough break up and lives with anxiety and mum guilt. She frequently feels like her career gets in the way of spending time with her son. Now Zack’s life is in danger from a terrifying gang and Anna is forced to confront the idea of losing him forever if she doesn’t give in to their demands. How will she cope if she kills a patient yet she knows the gang are serious as they murder her friend and neighbour Paula…
The book is written from the first person perspectives of Anna and also Margot, a pregnant nurse with spiralling debts who is thieving from her colleagues, and Rachel, the police officer in charge of Paula’s murder case. This allows us a greater depth of understanding about their emotions and the reasoning behind their decisions.
The premise of the book taps into all of our worst fears. Our natural desire to protect those we love, particularly our children, and it made me wonder how far I would go to save them. Added to this is the tension and pressure of hospitals, the fear of not waking up from an operation and of being vulnerable. The book is fast paced and the change of perspective maintained the momentum.
Do No Harm is a dramatic and tense medical thriller.
Simon and Ryan are planning to open a new restaurant but a body is found behind a wall during the refurbishments. The police are painfully slow to investigate so the king’s niece Lady Rossex steps in to help her friends get their project back on track by catching the killer…
A Death of Fresh Air is part of the Right Royal Cozy Investigation series of murder mysteries. There are no spoilers about earlier cases but the personal relationships have developed over the series.
As soon as the book mentioned that the old chef had gone to Australia during the last refurbishment and never returned, followed by the decision to remove a wall, I KNEW they would find his body! Lady Bea’s boyfriend is no longer part of the royal police protection so isn’t leading the case and the new detective is sooooo sloooooow! Bea and Perry have no choice but to try to save the restaurant’s opening night by finding the killer themselves.
The victim didn’t seem to have any enemies so the first task is to look for potential motives. Things get tense in a professional kitchen so was one of his colleagues to blame? Or how about his ex girlfriend who claims to have ended the relationship? There are lots of plot twists and red herrings for Bea and Perry to wade through, ably supported by their friends and Daisy the dog!
In tandem with the murder investigation, the other main feature of the plot is Bea’s feelings towards Rich and the future. The conclusion of the case was a complete surprise, but more importantly the relationship of Rich and Bea has a pleasing development that will melt the hardest heart (yes, even mine!)
A Death of Fresh Air was a hugely enjoyable cosy murder mystery and I loved the royal aspect as usual.
A Death Of Fresh Air
In a charming seaside town, secrets donât stay buried for longâŚ
Body of Chef Found in Wall Three Years After He âLeft to go to Australiaâ
Human remains found inside the wall of a disused building have now been identified as those of Victor Blackwell. He was the head chef at Windstantonâs The Seaside Lounge until just over three years ago, when, according his friends, he left for a job in Australia. Detective Inspector Albert Finch from Fenshireâs Cold Case Unit has asked for anyone who has information about the chefâs movements three years ago to come forward.
We have no choice! With only three weeks until the Grand Opening, the last thing Bea and Perry need is the grim discovery of a skeleton in the wall of Simon and Ryanâs soon-to-open restaurant, SaltAir. But when itâs designated a crime scene, and the policeman in charge of the investigation into Vicâs murder refuses to let them have access to continue the refurbishment, they have no other option than to investigate the murder themselves or risk letting Simon and Ryan down.
But in a town where everyone harbours secrets, can they uncover the truth in time or will SaltAirâs opening be a damp squib?
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Author Bio â
Hello. Iâm Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
Itâs crazy busy at our house, so when Iâm writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
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