A man is left brutally beaten in a park with words cut into his flesh. His dying words tell the police to look for a twin. Within days there are more victims, all horrifically killed and words carved into their bodies. Can DS Smith find the killer before more people are attacked?
The Twin is the 22nd book in the DS Jason Smith series. There are references to the previous book, The Viaduct, although no spoilers about the specifics of that case.
A savage hammer attack leaves the police horrified. The victim lives long enough to leave a clue to the perpetrator but another body is quickly discovered. The descriptions of the bodies are graphic and disturbing but the violence is not directly depicted.
The majority of the book is written to focus on the police investigation. There is some tension amongst the team based on events in the last book. One person in particular is struggling to fit in and Smith needs to negotiate this relationship carefully.
There are also some chapters which show The Twin’s perspective and gradually reveal his story and motive. I felt mixed emotions as the man is obviously emotionally damaged yet his actions are abhorrent.
The narrative is fast paced, dialogue-led and there are plenty of red herrings and twists which kept me guessing.
The Twin is an intriguing and grisly crime fiction novel. I love the police team and this series is just so good!
The Twin (A DS Jason Smith Thriller Book 22)
From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith series.
‘This isn’t about you.’
The first victim is lucky. He is mutilated beyond belief, but he is allowed to live.
The second isn’t so fortunate. But the words carved into his chest are the same.
And when a third man is found with the same four words etched into his skin, Detective Jason Smith is wide awake.
Smith manages to get two words out of the first victim before he dies.
The Twin.
Who is this Twin?
Nobody knows, but he’s about to send Smith and the team into the stuff of nightmares.
What readers are saying about THE TWIN
Oh wow! I’m in awe of crime writers- just when you think you have seen (read) everything, something that surprises you comes along and also blows you away. This is that read.- Misfits Farm
This is a gritty read with some dark scenes. But to offset that, there is quite a bit of humour throughout. I love the way Stewart writes about Jason’s family. They come across as an everyday family, even with what Jason and Whitten deal with on a regular basis. Great storytelling. – Maureen
THE TWIN kicks off with a horrific discovery. Chilling, gruesome incidents keep your heart racing. The labyrinthine path to unravel the bewildering mystery will freeze you on the edge of your seat. Riveting chapters with unforeseen twists and turns send the pages flying by. Suspense builds during a tension filled race against time that culminates in a shocking finish you’ll never see coming. – Eileen
Its got every twist imaginable and hard to believe how a twisted mind can do this to innocent normal people, fantastic read to open your eyes, leaving you hanging on wanting the next chapter, and I LOVED IT. – Booklover Bev
Stewart Giles – Author Bio
After reading English at 3 universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.
In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.
The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.
The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.
Twitter: @stewartgiles
1911, Scotland. Maud McIntyre defies convention by setting up her own detective agency with her former maid Daisy Cameron. Their first case begins as a jewel theft but swiftly turns into a murder investigation…
The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency is the first book in a new series to feature Maud and Daisy as they establish themselves as female private detectives.
The Duchess of Duddingston is hosting a house party and she doesn’t want the notorious jewel thief to target her guests. She hires Maud and Daisy to attend the party but nobody expects a murder to take place. The pair seem to solve the case quite quickly and then move on to three new cases in Edinburgh (a missing bride to be, stolen letters and a vanished Pekingese).
I enjoyed the historical elements to the plot. The world is three years away from war, the suffragettes are campaigning for the vote, King George V has recently been crowned. Maud feels passionately about women’s rights and is determined to succeed in her own venture as a private detective despite the prejudice against her. The class and social norms also play a key role in the investigations.
The cases interconnect cleverly and I found myself rooting for Maud and Daisy to uncover the truth. They are both hugely easy to like although I did feel that the Scottish dialect was applied a little haphazardly. There is a wonderful frisson of romantic tension mixed with antagonism between Maud and Lord Urquhart over the course of the book.
The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency was a very enjoyable cosy murder mystery. I look forward to reading more about Maud and Daisy’s adventures in the future.
Book Description:
When Maud McIntyre sets up her own private detective agency, she never imagines her first case will involve murder… A mystery in the Highlands? The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency is on the case!
Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid, Daisy, form a detective agency, they never dream their first case will take place at a glamorous house in the Scottish Highlands. But when the Duchess of Duddingston, concerned that a notorious jewellery thief will target her lavish weekend party, employs Maud to go undercover as a guest to find the culprit, the agency has its first case to solve…
Undercover with Daisy as her maid, Maud follows a trail of clues across the Duddingston House estate. And as she meets the weekend guests, she hopes one of them will reveal themselves as the jewellery thief. But when one of the house guests is discovered dead, Maud and Daisy realise they’re not only hunting precious gems, but a murderer…
As Maud and Daisy investigate, they realise that a connection in Edinburgh might hold a vital clue that will help them solve the case. Travelling back to the city, Maud hopes that what she and Daisy uncover will help them piece together the mystery.
But when Maud receives a telephone call from the Duchess requesting urgent assistance, she realises that the murderer didn’t have just one victim in mind. Speeding down the drive to Duddingston House, Maud and Daisy hear gunshots ring out across the estate. Will they reach the Duchess in time to save her? And might they catch the murderer in the act?
A warm page-turning historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.
Author Bio:
Lydia Travers was born in London. She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.
Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird’s Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers’ Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.
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A dog walker makes a grisly discovery on a beach: a decapitated man and a woman buried alive in the sand. DS Ashley Knight and her team are in charge of the case but there are soon more bodies…
Death on Cromer Beach is a police procedural and crime thriller set in Norfolk. It is the first book in a new series.
Ashley has a heap of personal problems and a new DC to introduce to the area and police routines. There are several mentions of her past so I initially thought this might be a second book in a series but she comes clean to her new DC Hector Fade. This brings us up to date and kickstarts a more respectful and warm relationship between the pair.
I liked the personal and professional dimensions to the police characters. They are sympathetic to the vulnerable yet have a job to do so persevere with their investigations despite their personal feelings. Between the police characters there is a gentle humour and teasing but also a genuine feeling of collaboration and support which extends to other police teams.
The discovery of the first bodies is quite horrific as the woman is still alive but unable to escape. The case seems to relate to an event in the past and there are a range of suspects who could be involved or responsible. There are plenty of twists and turns and I thought the pace was good. I felt that the balance was just right between the developing relationship of the main investigating pair and their investigation of the murders.
Death on Cromer Beach is a vivid and dramatic novel.
I have previously reviewed two books from Ross Greenwood’s DI Barton series: The Cold Killer and The Fire Killer.
Death on Cromer Beach
A brutal double murder on a Norfolk beach horrifies the town of Cromer. The way the victims died is chilling and so Norfolk’s Major Investigation Team task DS Ashley Knight to manage the case.
It soon becomes clear that the murders were carefully planned and the finger of suspicion points to an organised crime gang, but as the evidence mounts, a far more sinister theory emerges.
Ashley has been allocated a young but opinionated partner in Hector Fade, and sparks soon fly. Annoyingly for Ashley, Hector is no pushover and looks destined for great things. When the pair delve into the case, they struggle to understand who would inflict such suffering on their victims and hope the crime is a one off from a deranged and dangerous individual. But then another body is found.
There’s a killer on the loose who wants them to believe that the beach has a memory. They must be caught, or others will meet their end by the sea.
Author Bio –
Ross Greenwood is the author of crime thrillers. Before becoming a full-time writer he was most recently a prison officer and so worked everyday with murderers, rapists and thieves for four years. He lives in Peterborough.
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Izzy is at a hen night when one of the guests is killed in a bizarre incident involving concrete. She is convinced it is murder and together with her cousin Penny embarks upon an investigation into the death…
The Swan Dress Murders is the fourth book in the Cozy Crafts murder mystery series and I have recently reviewed the first three books in the series: The Wonderland Murders, The Painted Lobster Murders, and The Sequinned Cape Murders.
Izzy and Penny find themselves investigating another murder when one of Izzy’s old friends is killed during a hen party. There are several suspects and potential motives to explore. Meanwhile they are also trying to construct a guest’s dress based on Bjork’s infamous swan dress.
Penmy and Izzy and ably assisted in their murder investigation by Dr Denise and Aubrey so the murder side of the plot felt more prominent in this book than in the previous ones. The dress making still plays a key role and I enjoyed the backdrop of the wedding to underpin the plot. On the romantic side, Izzy is enjoying her new relationship whilst Penny is still torn between two men.
The Swan Dress Murders was another hugely enjoyable book in a fab series. The tone is wonderfully warm and quirky. Little instances of humour make this series such an enjoyable read. The fifth instament comes out next month and I will be first in the queue!
The Swan Dress Murders
Cozy Craft Mysteries can be read in any order. A funny whodunnit series, full of charming characters and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the very end.
A wedding is a cause for celebration. Not only do dressmakers Penny and Izzy get an invite to the big day but they have an unusual dress commission to complete for one of the guests.
It seems Penny’s only problem is deciding which potential boyfriend to take as her plus-one guest — practical handyman Aubrey or cultured fabric expert Oscar.
But bigger problems arise when the maker of the wedding cake is found dead in the grounds of the stately home where the wedding is to take place.
And when another key individual in the wedding plans is also murdered, it seems like someone has deadly plans to prevent this marriage.
Can Penny and Izzy unravel the mystery and solve this crime before the big day is fatally ruined?
If your ideal book features mystery, friendship, cute romance, crafting and a charming rural setting then this is the book for you.
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Giveaway Prize – The Wonderland Murders, a cross stitch book, a floral notepad, a note writing set and a grass bunny.
Author Bio – Millie Ravensworth writes the Cozy Craft Mystery series of books. Her love of murder mysteries and passion for dressmaking made her want to write books full of quirky characters and unbelievable murders. Millie lives in central England where children and pets are something of a distraction from the serious business of writing, although dog walking is always a good time to plot the next book.
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David is deported in a cattle truck. His only hope is the secret document he has entrusted to his sister Hannelore and thirteen year old daughter Clara. Can they reach safety or will the Nazis find them?
A Light to Guide Us Home is an historical novel set during WW2. It is the third book in a series but works as a stand alone novel. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, The Watchmaker’s Daughter.
Clara is just 13 but has been given a hugely important task to complete. The danger and tension is present from the start as David is hauled away to a camp. All his hope for a better future and a chance of survival is in the successful transport of a document to Allied hands. Meanwhile he has given the other half of the document to his sister in the hope that at least one of them can get to safety.
The book is written from various points of view which allows us to better understand the characters, their feelings and actions. The author has clearly researched the era and geography of the locations so her descriptions bring the events to life.
The youth of Clara adds an extra dimension to the tension and my maternal instincts kicked in as I worried for her situation. Intense drama, fear and danger radiate through the book but this is balanced by the hope of a better future and the simple acts of humanity that make a difference during the darkest days.
A Light to Guide Us Home is an emotional and intense read about hope and danger in war-torn Europe.
A Light to Guide Us Home: An utterly heartbreaking and powerful WW2 historical novel (The Resistance Girl Book 3) by Dianne Haley
‘Please, you must get Clara out of France!’ cried the woman, her voice breaking in desperation. ‘She’s only thirteen and her parents have been taken to a death camp. Can you save her before it is too late?’
1943, Nazi-occupied France: Valérie Hallez clings to the hope that she will soon reunite with her beloved fiancé, Philippe, fighting the Nazis in Italy. Until that day comes, she risks her life helping Jewish children flee across the border with the resistance, but each tear-stained face breaks her heart a little more.
So, when she learns of little lost Clara, an orphan whose family has been torn apart by the German occupation, and is asked to rescue her, she jumps at the chance to save another innocent life. But she isn’t the only one searching for the young girl…
Because brave Clara is carrying a crucial Nazi document. And the secrets it holds could change the course of the war forever.
Frantically trying to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo, Valérie traces Clara to an isolated children’s home– but she is too late. German soldiers have already raided the building.
Her relief when she hears that Clara escaped is short lived, as there’s not a whisper of her whereabouts. And just when she’s about to start on her search, devastating news reaches her about Philippe.
Shattered by the thought that Philippe may never come home, Valérie tries to pull the pieces of her broken heart back together. She knows there’s a little girl lost out there who needs her. So, she must make the hardest choice of all. Even if she can’t save her dearest love, can she save poor Clara – and help her end this terrible war?
A totally unputdownable and heart-wrenching wartime story about love, bravery and sacrifice. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Alice Network.
A Light to Guide Us Home can be read as a standalone.
Author bio:
Originally from the north of Scotland, Dianne now lives with her husband in Edinburgh and has two grown-up children. After a thirty-year business career in London and Edinburgh when Dianne wrote between projects, she is now writing full-time.
Dianne and her family have been visiting the area round Lake Geneva since 1992 and love the Alps in all seasons. The inspiration for her series set in WW2 Switzerland came from a drive through Geneva’s old town on a rainy October evening, the cobbled lanes a perfect setting for secrets and hiding places.
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