A young woman is found dead at the bottom of a viaduct. She has a suicide note in her pocket but her mother convinces the police it is fake. More victims are discovered over the next few days and the police are hard at work to prevent further murders…
The Viaduct is the 21st Book to feature DS Jason Smith, his family and his police colleagues. There is so much backstory by now that, although the criminal case works as a standalone, there are a lot of personal and professional relationships to understand so reading the previous books would be my recommendation (plus they are fab!)
This book had a very dark tone. A network of drugs, manipulation and murder all interweave in a sinister manner. The dead women had a new and scary drug in their system which completely altered their perception and made them vulnerable to the evil suggestions of others. The suspects were all portrayed in the worst possible light to make you eager for the police to succeed in stopping them.
Smith and Whitton’s experience of parenting a teenager is terrifying for those of us that are parents. Lucy is attempting to establish her own independence and increasing freedom but she is naive and trusting which puts her in danger. I felt that the personal relationships depicted in the book all felt natural and authentic.
This series is well written and the pace is so quick. The book is dialogue led although there are descriptions of the characters, settings and deaths that bring the events to life. Unfortunately, I wasn’t keen on the ending. I didn’t feel that the Smith acted in character even though I approved of his choices. In my opinion there were still some loose ends to tie up so I am hoping that these will be resolved in the next book.
The Viaduct is a vivid and disturbing detective thriller.
The Viaduct (A DS Jason Smith Thriller Book 21)
From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith series
Two hundred feet below an old bridge, a teenage girl lies battered and bruised. Barely alive, she knows she’s not going to make it.
Two days later, another teenager is found in almost exactly the same spot.
Suicide. That’s what the papers are saying.
But when a third victim of the now legendary viaduct turns up, Detective Sergeant Jason Smith doesn’t buy it. Something else is happening here – something much darker.
As Smith and the team start asking questions, the investigation takes a turn for the worse when things get much closer to home.
Smith’s adopted daughter goes missing, and when he finds out she was last seen close to this sinister viaduct, he fears the worst.
Smith knows he’s running out of time.
Will he get to the truth before the viaduct lures its next victim to their death?
What readers are saying about Stewart Giles’ books:
This author has once again captured another best selling read for his readers, that you won’t be able to put down. – Booklover Bev
I love Stewart’s books- there is always a comfort about them despite the subject matter, of a warmth of characters and a plot that draws the reader in very quickly. – Misfits farm
I haven’t read such a brilliant detective thriller for quite while. This is one of the best ever. – LooseBoots
My first introduction to this author’s work and wasn’t my last by any means. – Patricia Burton
My first read from this author ..5 stars ..Stunning storytelling.. – Livia
Totally gripping, it has the perfect balance of action, mystery and humour and this is written by a very talented and passionate author, I loved every page – thank you. – Sarah
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
Lou is friendly and dependable. The other mums and their kids love her for being so kind and helpful. But one day she picks up the kids and doesn’t drop them home…
The Mother Next Door is a psychological thriller set in the south of England. A storm is brewing, both in terms of the weather and the psychological turmoil of the main characters. The weather is almost another character as it interweaves through the plot and provides an extra dynamic and layer of tension or danger.
Fiona, Alison and Jasmine are all frantic when their children fail to arrive home as usual. Then they get a text from Lou telling them to confess the truth. Fiona kissed a colleague, Alison has remortgaged her home and Jasmine is an alcoholic. But these current secrets are nothing compared to the one in their past.
The book is written from Fiona, Alison and Jasmine’s perspectives in the main. However there are some chapters from the children’s first person viewpoint which heightens the tension. Each chapter is clearly labelled with the character’s name and a time so you can see the chronology of events.
There were plenty of twists and the short chapters combined with the mulitple perspectives create a rapid pace and tension. I did guess the biggest twist but still enjoyed seeing how events played out.
The Mother Next Door is a twisty and emotional psychological thriller, and the potential risk to children is every parent’s nightmare.
Book Description:
I glance over at Lou’s house as I pull onto my drive, surprised that it is still in darkness. Lou and the kids should have been home from school long ago. I should be preparing a delicious meal for my children as they tell me about their day. But Lou’s car is nowhere to be seen…
The night is drawing in and Lou has still not returned. I try not to panic, but deep down I know something is wrong. Lou is the most dependable friend. Our children are at the same school. We always help each other out, and she cares for my two like only a mother can.
As a storm rages outside and local news reports tell everyone to stay indoors, a feeling of deep dread starts to swell. Then the call comes. The police have found Lou’s car, with my children’s schoolbags still inside along with Lou’s phone. But they are nowhere to be seen.
Clutching my husband’s hands, willing our children to be found safe and sound, I try to silence the voice inside my head. I’ve not been honest. I’m being punished for what happened all those years ago.
And then I get Lou’s message and I know that if I want to see my children again, I need to tell the truth to everyone I love.
What I don’t yet know is that Lou has been keeping her own dark secret. And once the storm passes, nothing will ever be the same again.
A gripping and addictive psychological suspense about dark obsession, intense motherly love and how far we will go to protect those we love the most. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Adele Parks and Sally Hepworth.
Author Bio:
Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a Master’s in Journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing…fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.
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1944, Poland. Wanda’s life changes forever when her father is hot by a Nazi officer. She vows revenge but discovers a shocking secret about him which enables her to fall in love with him instead…
The Polish Girl is an historical novel set in the 1940s in Poland. The Nazi occupation is devastating the country and Wanda is part of the resistance. This angle on the war is quite unique as I haven’t read other books showing the Polish experience.
The book is written mostly from Wanda’s viewpoint. Her journey is heartbreaking as she copes with the occupation of her country, constant fear of being caught, and the death of her father. She is then conflicted when she is thrust into the company of the man who killed her father. But she soon discovers that the cold and cruel Stefan has been replaced by his sensitive twin Finn.
There are also some chapters from Finn and Gerda’s perspectives. Finn hates his brutal brother and wants to free Poland from the terror of Nazism. He works as a double agent, taking his brother’s place, but his safety is compromised. Gerda is a fascinating character. Brainwashed by Nazi ideology, she has betrayed her own mother. She now wants to marry Stefan to comfirm her place in society and fulfil what she sees as her destiny serving the Fuhrer. Yet she remains troubled by her mother’s arrest and this shows her vulnerability.
The emotion of the book, the love and hate, is well written and the first person perspective allow us insight into the characters and their actions. There are some episodes of brutality but they are not described in too much detail. I found the ending a little rushed and it stretched my credulity but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the book overall.
The Polish Girl is a dramatic and emotional love story set against the horror of war.
The Polish Girl: An utterly heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical novel (The Secret Resistance Series) by Gosia Nealon
Poland, 1944. “Please, officer, I beg you—”, I cry. But my father has already fallen. “Don’t leave me, Tata,” I whisper, rushing to desperately cradle him close. As the kind, loving man who raised me takes his last breath, I weep into my hands and promise to fight to end this terrible war, no matter the cost…
Although it won’t bring her beloved father back, twenty-three-year-old Wanda vows to honour his memory and all he stood for. Throwing herself into the Polish resistance, she risks her life on the dangerous mission of transporting ammunition for the underground network’s uprising against the Nazis.
Slipping through the night-time shadows of an empty park to meet an informant—one who could provide crucial supplies in the battle for what’s right—the sight of the man waiting turns Wanda’s blood to ice. Even in the dim light, she instantly recognises him as the soldier who killed her father.
The soldier claims he is a double agent, working for the resistance. Questioning everything, Wanda’s heart races as she is forced to make a split-second decision. Believe the man who she thought was the enemy? Or endanger the lives of her network—and their secret plans to fight the Germans?
Can Wanda trust the man she hates most in the world? Did her father die in vain? Or if she fights her every instinct, will she truly change the tide of the war?
Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will adore this utterly heartbreaking page-turner. You will not forget this unputdownable story of love, loss, and the courage it takes to hold on to hope in darkest times.
Previously published as The Last Sketch.
About Gosia Nealon
While Gosia Nealon is a proud New Yorker, she was born and raised in Poland. Her journey to the Big Apple revealed a wealth of cultural differences, but also the values that connect us all. Like the fierce desire to protect family, find love, and ultimately, discover who we are and why we’re here.
Gosia’s award-winning short stories have always delved into life’s biggest questions, but it was the drama, sacrifice, and tragedy of WWII that led her to pen her debut novel, which won a gold medal in the 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY).
Growing up in Poland, Gosia heard many firsthand accounts of the war, told from a perspective rarely captured in mainstream literature. She was compelled to breathe life into two young people falling in love in the midst of the most terrifying conflict of our time.
When Gosia isn’t tapping away at her laptop, she’s often walking the streets of New York. With her husband and two young sons in tow, they search for the most succulent pierogi, transporting them back to the cobbled streets of her childhood.
Author social media
Millie is keeping her past a secret. She starts a new cleaning job but soon fears that her employer is abusive towards his wife. Can she help Wendy to escape? And can she escape her own past?
The Housemaid’s Secret is a psychological thriller set in America. This is the second book that I have read by Freida McFadden. The Housemaid had similar huge twists and you should definitely read it. However, the books work as completely separate stand alones.
Millie begins the book by losing her job. She struggles to find new work due to her criminal history so is grateful to find a well paid housekeeping position for a wealthy businessman and his reclusive wife. Milie soon discovers that Wendy is very unhappily married and vows to help her.
There are lots of little hints that Millie has major secrets in her past which allows us to make assumptions and be misdirected. I was rooting for Millie as she struggles to make her way in the world. She helps others who are vulnerable which makes her noble and easy to like. She herself is flawed and at risk due to her financial situation and she believes someone is following her.
Halfway through the book the perspective changes and we see Wendy’s viewpoint. This provides a dramatic contrast and plenty of twists. The writing is atmospheric and tense as well as fast paced. I was completely immersed in this book and couldn’t out it down: I just had to keep reading and find out what would happen to Millie and Wendy!
The Housemaid’s Secret was a spectacular page turner!
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The Housemaid’s Secret: A totally gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist
“Don’t go in the guest bedroom.” A shadow falls on Douglas Garrick’s face as he touches the door with his fingertips. “My wife… she’s very ill.” As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can’t risk losing this job—not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe…
It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.
It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…
That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.
Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…
This absolutely explosive and shockingly twisty sequel to international bestseller The Housemaid will keep you racing through the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will be totally hooked! This book can also be enjoyed as a standalone.
About the author
#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
To hear Freida talk more about herself in the third person, visit her website: https://www.freidamcfadden.com/
Author social media
Twitter: @Freida_McFadden
Instagram: @fizzziatrist
TRIGGER WARNING: child sexual abuse
The body of a young woman is found in a field of sunflowers. Her body is riddled with wounds and these are found to be arrow injuries. Casey White is called upon by the victim’s family to investigate and finds a link to a current attempt to overturn a conviction…
Their Resting Place is the 8th book to feature Detective Casey White, her family and team. There are no spoilers about the crimes in previous books but there are details about the friendships and relationships that continue from earlier books.
A young woman is dead; she is a relative of a police officer who calls in Casey and her team. Links to the past are quickly made and Casey is repulsed by the historic child sex abuse she has to confront. She tries to protect other potential victims but more members of the archery team are found dead, hunted and killed with arrows.
Some of the death descriptions and crime scene details are quite grisly even for the experienced detectives. I enjoyed the information about legal cases which forces Casey out of her comfort zone. There were plenty of twists and potential suspects so I was kept guessing until the end.
The book includes a personal plotline which continues over the course of the book and isn’t resolved by the end. Will Casey and Jericho move to Philiadelphia to be with her daughter, even though neither of them want to leave their home? There is a great cliffhanger to tempt you to read the next book…
Their Resting Place is an entertaining and intriguing detective mystery novel.
BR Spangler Media Kit:
Title: Their Resting Place
Author: B.R. Spangler
PUBLICATION DAY: February 21st 2023
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Description:
Out in the field the tall stalks sway in the breeze, hiding a girl lying on the ground as if asleep. But she doesn’t stir when rain falls from the gray sky and lands on her soft cheeks. Her beautiful dark eyes stare up, unseeing, as her blood mingles with the rich brown earth.
When a member of Detective Casey White’s team turns up at her door begging for help, Casey races to find the broken body of twenty-year-old Charlie Robson abandoned in a sunflower field. Yellow petals and broken stalks scatter the ground—and Casey immediately recognizes the red markings all over Charlie’s body as arrow wounds. Heartbroken, Casey vows to find the monster who would hunt Charlie down like this.
Interviewing Charlie’s distraught mother, Casey’s blood turns to ice when she learns about a tight knit group of Charlie’s best friends who once called themselves The Sunflower Girls. They met in archery club and have drifted apart since high school. Casey knows the killer is sending a message with arrows… could the other girls be next?
But as Casey instructs her colleagues to track down the five remaining friends, another girl’s body is found, shot with arrows in her own home. Clutched in her hand is a broken sunflower petal. Turning the house upside down Casey finds a bone-chilling, one-word note: Guilty.
Someone is picking off The Sunflower Girls one by one. But why? Interviewing the four remaining girls, Casey is certain they are hiding a dark secret that stretches back to their school days. Trusting no-one, Casey will have to risk everything to track down a deadly killer… but with her own team keeping secrets too, could the real danger be much closer to home?
An unbelievably twisty rollercoaster ride that will have fans of Robert Dugoni, Kendra Elliot and Lisa Regan totally hooked until the last explosive page!
Author Bio:
B.R. Spangler is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Mysteries and Crime Thrillers.
A resident of Virginia with a wonderful family, including five cats, two birds and a lizard. During the day, the hours are filled with engineering work. Off hours, time is spent writing, editing, and thinking up the next great story.
With too many stories to write, books are split across pen names, writing crime thrillers, science fiction, horrors, paranormal and contemporary fiction.
To keep up to date, sign up for the BRSpangler newsletter by copying and pasting this link into a browser: https://brspangler.com/sign-up. No spam will ever get sent, just some random musings or a heads up on when the next book is published.
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