A young woman is found dead, seemingly in an accident but the autopsy reveals murder. She was branded before her death in an act which is hauntingly familiar to the patholgist who was herself branded…
Close Her Eyes is the 17th book to feature Detective Josie Quinn, her family and police team. The personal storylines continue from earlier books but there are no spoilers about previous cases.
Shannon Eddy was branded then strangled to death. The only clue the police have is the link to pathologist Anya Feist’s personal experiences of being branded by her ex husband Vance. Josie discovers multiple links between the victim and characters from another town including Vance. The case seems quite straight forward but twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing. Josie is unable to prevent a second victim being killed and there is another cold case which is connected…
Josie’s protective side comes to the fore as Anya reveals her traumatic past. But Josie can’t afford to ease up on the investigation to protect her friend. The descriptions of the bodies is quite graphic although handled using an objective forensic perspective to minimise the emotional impact.
Josie is placed in danger as she investigates and this brings back her own issues from the past. There are some big shocks as we neared the end of the book and Josie is emotionally and physically challenged.
Close Her Eyes is a vivid and engaging police thriller that kept me guessing.
Media Pack Info Sheet:
Title: CLOSE HER EYES
Author: Lisa Regan
Publication Day: MAY 3RD 2023
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The young woman lay among the rocks next to the creek like a broken doll, strands of her long dark hair covering her face. Her body was the kind of cold that only the dead can be…
A body lies beside Kettlewell Creek, the waters rushing and churning next to her broken form. When Detective Josie Quinn arrives at the scene, she finds few clues and a victim with no enemies. Nineteen-year-old Sharon Eddy was cherished by her beloved grandmother, who raised her, and her death shocks the Denton community where she worked at the local animal hospital.
When Josie is called to the morgue to hear the results of Sharon’s autopsy, the case takes a sinister turn. She is horrified to see that a mark has been burned on to Sharon’s left hip with a cattle brand: a horseshoe shot through with an arrow. Shaken and terrified, the usually cool and collected Medical Examiner Anya Feist lifts her own top to show Josie an identical mark. Ten years ago, Anya fled her hometown after her marriage to her high school sweetheart ended in terror.
But Josie can find nothing to connect Anya’s ex-husband Vance Hadlee to the murder. Her search of his family farm leads to more questions than answers.
Then another body is found. A young woman in a red coat, lying in her final resting place, her hip bearing the same tell-tale horseshoe mark. As Josie gets closer to finding the truth, the killer creeps ever closer to home, threatening the lives of those Josie loves the most. Can she put together the pieces of this terrifying puzzle before it’s too late?
A completely unputdownable crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Gripping, page-turning and guaranteed to keep you up all night, it’s perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine
Author Bio:
Lisa Regan is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series. Lisa is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S. with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip. Find out more at her website: www.lisaregan.com
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Three celebrities prepare to open a retreat and Eve Mallow has been asked to write a review. However, she is soon back to her day job of obituary writer when one of the owners Kitty is found murdered. And of course, Eve can’t resist investigating the death herself…
Mystery at Farfield Castle is the 10th cosy murder mystery novel featuring Eve, her dog Gus and boyfriend Robin.
Eve is a bit nervous of going outside her comfort zone and doing a review rather than an obituary but the fates soon conspire to put her at her ease! Eve has observed several incidents which indicate friction between different characters so once the murder takes places she needs to assess what she has seen and heard.
There are a limited number of suspects present at the castle and each has a different motive so Eve has to dig deeper under the guise of writing the obituary. We do get to return to the familiar territory of the village and Eve’s friends so she can discuss the background to the characters and events.
On the personal side of the plot, Eve’s boyfriend Robin’s circumstances have changed and this gives her pause for thought. The dynamic between them has also altered now that they are not keeping their relationship or his true identity secret. Eve is accompanied once more by her dog Gus throughout.
Mystery at Farfield Castle is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
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Book: Mystery at Farfield Castle
Author: Clare Chase
Pub Day: May 5th 2023
About the Book:
Beautiful Farfield Castle is opening its grounds for a party, and everyone in Saxford’s invited. But as the champagne flows, the owner takes a fatal fall. Fortunately, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow is on the case!
When novelist Julian Fisher buys Farfield Castle to turn the charming old building into a writers’ retreat, he wants the neighbours onside. But he has his work cut out: Saxford St Peter locals tried to buy the castle for the village, and are furious that only the very rich will be able to enjoy it.
At the lavish launch party, Fisher treats the villagers like royalty, but Eve Mallow is distracted by the tension in the air. She watches as Fisher’s wife Kitty argues with several guests, almost in tears, before she disappears altogether…
Later that evening, when Kitty is found dead in the castle’s icehouse, it’s quickly proved to be no accident. With dozy Detective Palmer on the wrong track, Eve can’t resist getting involved. Convinced the answers lie inside Farfield Castle, Eve questions an overly inquisitive journalist, Kitty’s less-than-loyal husband, and his prickly PA.
But when it emerges that a family heirloom and Julian’s computer both went missing on the night of the party, Eve is sure that solving the theft will solve the murder. Who is behind this deadly tale… and can Eve find the killer before she gets written off?
A completely charming English cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and J.R. Ellis.
Author Bio
Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies 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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A pregnant woman goes missing but is soon found dead. Her body has injuries which suggest a Satanic cult could be involved but, as Jo Fournier investigates, she discovers the woman had secrets that could have led to her death…
Little Lost Dolls is the 7th police procedural and crime thriller book to feature detective Jo Fournier. There are no spoilers about previous cases although the personal and family plotlines have continued.
Jo’s heart sinks when her brother in law’s pregnant ex lover calls her asking for help locating her missing friend Madison. The personal dynamic to Jo’s involvement creates a layer of tension as she struggles to maintain her professionalism. She has to put her distaste to one side as she begins to fear for Madison’s safety and her fears are confirmed when a body is found in the woods.
The descriptions of the body are unpleasant especially as the death of an unborn child is completely abhorrent. Jo has a naturally emotional response to the discovery of the body even though she needs to try to remain objective and focussed.
The posing of the body and a symbol left at the scene suggest a Satanic cult could be behind the death but Jo also finds that Madison has been keeping secrets from her friends and family. There are mutiple avenues of investigation for Jo and her partner Arnett and I was kept guessing until the end.
Little Lost Dolls is an emotionally engaging detective thriller.
MEDIA PACK
Little Lost Dolls: An absolutely gripping crime thriller with a shocking twist (Detective Jo Fournier Book 7) by M. M. Chouinard
The young woman lying on the forest floor looks like she’s dreaming; her brown hair fanning out into a crown around her head, her hands clasped over her breast. She could be sleeping—if it weren’t for the brutal slash across her neck…
It’s autumn in Oakhurst when Detective Jo Fournier rushes to local beauty spot, Crone Ridge Woods, desperately hoping to find Madison Coehlo alive. Instead, she discovers the pregnant woman’s pale and lifeless body, killed in the spot where she loved to walk her dog. Madison looked after her sick mother and studied at community college, who could have wished her harm?
Madison’s mother is utterly broken by her brutal murder, but she cannot give Jo any insight into the tiny doll pushed into her daughter’s hand. Supposed to bring luck to whoever finds one, is it a coincidence or a warning from the killer? When Jo gets another frantic emergency call, she rushes to the scene, determined to catch this cruel monster before he can steal more innocent lives. Her heart pounds when she finds another identical plastic doll.
As the local community panics, Jo and her team work round the clock to keep other pregnant women safe. The call logs of the murdered expectant mothers give Jo the clue she desperately needs, but her heart splits in two when she realizes another woman is in danger. Can Jo get to her first, or is the killer pulling them both into a deadly trap?
From USA Today bestseller M.M. Chouinard, Little Lost Dolls is a keep-you-up-all-night utterly gripping crime thriller with a truly jaw-dropping twist! Fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Gregg Olsen will be completely addicted.
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M.M. Chouinard’s first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them. She’s currently at work on her seventh novel.
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Six friends on a stag weekend, heading for a remote island. But they never get there as the boat loses power and they start drifting with no means of communication with the outside world. A body is found and the friends realise that someone on board is a killer…
Adrift is a psychological thriller set on a boat. It is very claustrophobic and there are a limited number of suspects. The book alternates between the present day and events 10 years ago which gives clues to the motives behind the current situation.
Tension exists right from the start as the friends have had little contact since uni. When the friends wake on the first morning, they cannot find the boat operators…until they find their bodies. There is danger from a killer on board but also sharks circling in the surrounding water!
The first person narrator of the book is Pete and we are swept along with him as he tries to work out who is attacking others and why. I think I suspected everyone at some point or other! The events in the past show the strain that the various friendships have negotiated and give clues about potential motives.
The chapters are quite short which increases the pace of the plot developments in the past and present. I really liked having a male first person perspective as most books I read have a female narrator or dual viewpoints. The tension and mystery is maintained well until the reveal in the final pages.
Adrift is a tense and claustrophobic novel.
Adrift
A stag do, six old friends … and a secret they’d all kill to protect.
When Pete and his friends set sail on a private yacht in the Balearics to celebrate Fergus’ upcoming wedding, they’re all looking forward to sun, sea and copious quantities of alcohol.
But there’s a reason they are still entwined in each other’s lives a decade after leaving university. A terrible event they’ve all been trying their hardest to forget.
They say you can’t outrun the past … And these six friends are about to find that out the hard way.
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/Adriftsocial
Author Bio –
M.A. Hunter is the pen name of Stephen Edger, the Amazon bestselling author of psychological and crime thrillers, including Snatched, and the Kate Matthews series. Born in the north-east of England, he now lives in Southampton where many of his stories are set, allowing him to use his insider knowledge to deliver realistic and unsettling suspense on every page.
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Naomi asks her friend Jane to pick up 4 year old Florrie from school. But when Jane arrives, the school inform her that the girl has already been collected. Is Florrie safe and who has taken her?
The Other Mother is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
Jane is a psychologist and secret agony aunt. But nothing can prepare her emotionally for the events about to occur. She is asked to do a favour for a friend but is late arriving to collect little Florrie. She discovers that the school have already allowed Florrie to leave with a woman claiming to be Jane and this sparks a huge panic and major police investigation.
Most of the book is written from Naomi and Jane’s first person perspectives as they struggle to cope with events. However as the book approaches halfway the viewpoint of the kidnapper is included. This increases the tension as we see Florrie’s unhappiness and the mental instability of the kidnapper.
The book is full of drama and tension which is well maintained, especially once we find out the identity of the kidnapper. However I did have to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the book. As someone who works in a school, I found it incredible that a child could be collected without a password. I also struggled to believe fully in the police element.
The style of writing is easy to read and the pace is quite speedy. There are major revelations and big twists as it becomes apparent that secrets from the past could be key to finding Florrie. Relationships and friendships are in tatters as the plot progresses and the characters battle to negotiate change.
The Other Mother is fast paced, dramatic and full of twists.
Book Blurb
Four-year-old Florrie is missing. Who has taken her, and what do they want?
When Jane is asked to pick up her friend’s daughter, Florrie, from school, she can’t imagine the horror that will unfold. Because someone pretending to be Jane has already collected Florrie. And now the little four-year-old is missing…
Things don’t get any easier when Jane starts receiving anonymous letters that include intimate details about her life. As a psychologist and agony aunt, she’s used to getting letters asking for advice, but these are different. Are they somehow connected to the missing child?
Then, to her utter dismay, Jane finds incriminating evidence in her own home, evidence that is clearly linked to Florrie. She starts to doubt everyone around her, even her own family – could one of them be implicated in Florrie’s disappearance?
Under the unspeakable stress, her marriage crumbles, her children act out and her once-successful business falls apart. And that’s when Jane discovers a shocking secret that shatters her entire world.
In a heart-pounding race against time, Jane must find Florrie and uncover the truth. Can she save Florrie and her own family, or will she be too late to stop the unthinkable?
The Other Mother is an explosive psychological thriller that will grip readers till the very end.
Author Bio
Miranda Rijks is a writer of psychological thrillers and suspense novels. She has an eclectic background ranging from law to running a garden centre. She’s been writing all of her life and has a Masters in writing. A couple of years ago she decided to ditch the business plans and press releases and now she’s living the dream, writing suspense novels full time. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband, musician daughter and black Labrador.
