crime thrillers

Book Review – The Housewarming by S. E. Lynes Published by Bookouture

/ Eva Jordan / 1 Comment

“And can it be that in a world so full and busy the loss of one creature makes a void so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of eternity can fill it up!” –Charles Dickens

As a mother and grandmother, I have one word to describe how I felt when I started reading this book – frantic! Ava and Matt’s two-year-old daughter is missing and their loss, guilt, fear, and disbelief are so heartbreakingly real it pulses off every page.

Set in the present day, The Housewarming starts a year after the disappearance of Ava and Matt’s infant daughter, Abi. With no motive and no suspects, the couple are no closer to knowing what happened to their daughter on that fateful day any more than the police are. Abi was last seen at home, sitting in her pushchair in the hallway. Ava, who blames herself for leaving the front door open, and whose grief feels so realistic it pours from the pages, replays that terrible morning repeatedly in her head. Matt, on the other hand, is desperate to move on and find, or at least try to, a way to start living again. Their neighbours, the Lovegood’s, are having a housewarming and Matt thinks it would be a good idea for them to accept their invitation, if only to help Ava, now a virtual recluse, to start socialising with people again. Reluctantly, Ava agrees. However, conversations with friends at the housewarming about Abi’s disappearance leave Ava with more questions than she already had. Questions that, as she digs deeper, lead to devastating answers.  

Narrated in dual timelines one year apart, The Housewarming, which centres around a missing child, is not an easy read. The writing, however, is stunning; hauntingly good. Ava’s remorse and regret is tangible, and although heartrending it is also gripping and once started, impossible to put down. 

#BookReview – Murders at the Winterbottom Women’s Institute By Gina Kirkham @GinaGeeJay Published by @Bloodhoundbook

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“Murder is always a mistake – one should never do anyting one cannot talk about after dinner.” ––Oscar Wilde

This is the first of two books in The Prunella Pearce Mysteries which, if you like cosy crime with a good dollop of laughter and a smattering of slapstick, is most definitely the book for you. For me, reading it, while tucked up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night was a real treat and something I really looked forward to. A murder story I knew I could indulge in without fear of nightmares, and often saw me snorting out loud, more likely to die laughing than worrying about things that go bump in the night.

Set in the quaint town of Winterbottom, this is a story of murder and mayhem as one by one, several members of the local Women’s Institute meet their untimely and, may I add, rather unique deaths – if only because the killer has both an imaginative and rather wicked sense of humour (never again will I look at lemon drizzle cake in quite the same way!). However, because we know who the perpetrator is very early on, this is not a typical murder-mystery. The real mystery behind this story is the reason for the killings in the first place, which, as we follow amateur sleuths and WI members, Librarian Pru (Prunella Pearce) and best friend, Bree, who take it upon themselves to follow the clues left by the killer, is slowly but surely revealed.  

A little dark in places with an unexpected twist at the end, Murders at the Winterbottom’s Women’s Institute is best described as light-hearted escapism that is easy to read but brilliantly written. The characters are well-drawn and likeable, including the villain who, as the story unravelled, I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for. A fab read and one I highly recommend. 

#BookReview – The Santa Killer by Ross Greenwood @greenwoodross Published by @BoldwoodBooks

/ Eva Jordan / 1 Comment

“Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and contrives presumptuous deeds.” — Hesiod

With Christmas just around the corner, and in keeping with last month’s festive theme, my book choice this month centres around the approaching holiday season. However, as the title suggests, this isn’t a cosy Christmas tale but rather a criminally good one by local (to me) best-selling author Ross Greenwood.

Set in Peterborough, this is the sixth book in the DI John Barton detective series. It is also the last in the series but the first for me. However, although I am looking forward to reading the rest of the DI Barton collection (now added to my ever-growing TBR pile!), I’m pleased to say The Santa Killer works perfectly well as a standalone.

Narrated by two main characters, namely DI Barton and the unknown assailant, the story opens a couple of weeks before Christmas. A woman is violently assaulted outside her front door, followed several days later by another assault on another woman in a similar fashion. The common theme being, both women are attacked by someone dressed up as Santa. DI Barton – a large, likeable, family loving man who enjoys his food – and his team are determined to catch the dangerous perpetrator. Nonetheless, with no apparent motive for the attacks, and no real clues, DI Barton and his colleagues certainly have their work cut out.

With a rich cast of believable, flawed, and well-rounded characters, set amongst the diverse streets of Peterborough, The Santa Killer is a suspenseful mystery that sensitively explores themes like grief, loss and abandonment, highlighting the very real lack of help often needed for those members of society struggling with such issues. However, it is also a gritty crime thriller that will see you glancing over your shoulder with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right up to the very end.

If you’d like to know more about the author, click here to read an interview I did with Ross in 2018.

#Bookreview The Perfect Liar by @BevHarvey_ published by @bookouture

/ Eva Jordan / 1 Comment

“The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.”–Stephen King.

This book has been on my ever-growing TBR pile for some time, and my only regret after reading it is, I wish I’d read it sooner. The Perfect Liar is a taught thriller with well-crafted characters set against the beautiful backdrop of Tuscany.

Three friends, Susanne, who is getting over a divorce, Dale, who is dealing with a relationship break-up, and Evie, who is still grieving the loss of her recently deceased mother, decide to take a holiday together in Italy. Susanne’s neighbour owns a villa in San Gimignano – a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena – and agrees to let the three friends stay there during the summer, for free, on the proviso they keep an eye on her godson, Harry. Harry, a twenty-four-year-old Cambridge graduate who has been travelling around Europe for a while, is already at the villa when the three friends arrive. Well-spoken and well-mannered, Harry seems very charming. He also, much to her surprise, and that of her friends, takes a shine to Susanne, which, despite their large age gap, sees them embark on a steamy affair together. However, all is not as it seems at the picture-perfect Villa Giardino. Especially when it comes to Harry.

The Perfect Liar is a perfectly paced, multi-layered thriller, full of intrigue and deceit, with both believable and well-rounded characters. The writing is sublime – I could feel the sun, see the architecture, and taste the food. If you’ve never been lucky enough to holiday in Tuscany, you’ll probably want to after reading this; a page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat, immersed in both the plot and the story’s beautiful surroundings, culminating in not one, but two twists.

To keep up with Beverley you can find her at the following places:

Twitter @BevHarvey_

Website www.beverleyharvey.co.uk

#Bookreview – The Baby Shower by @SELynesAuthour Published by @bookouture

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“The truth will out in the end.” ––William Shakespeare

Released in March this year, The Baby Shower is a taut, multi-layered psychological thriller exploring the themes of friendship (good and bad), infidelity, gaslighting, infertility, broken families and, rather interestingly, male consent.   

Set in present day Wimbham, a fictional, once scruffy South London suburb, but now a gentrified smart London village, this is the story of thirty-somethings Jane and Frankie Reece who, although not particularly wealthy, each run their own successful businesses; Jane, as the owner of an independent coffee shop, and Frankie, who has his own plumbing company. Like most married couples, they’ve had their share of problems, but overall, they are happy. Jane’s friendship circle – Sophie, Hils and Kath – is small but close, and, coming from a broken home, one that Jane puts great value on. However, when Sophie introduces someone new to the group, Jane’s world is turned upside down. Lexie, with her glossy hair and flawless skin, who looks like she’s just stepped out of a magazine, doesn’t like Jane, which is obvious from the outset, but only to Jane, because Lexie is a master manipulator, which often sees Jane confused and questioning herself, wondering if she’s being oversensitive, or imagining things until, within a week of Lexie’s arrival, she has an uncomfortable sense of no longer belonging.  

Easy to read but brilliantly written with well-drawn, realistically flawed, believable characters, The Baby Shower is a suspenseful, pacy page turner that delves into the murky world of toxic friends and relationships. The author writes with great compassion and sensitivity about fertility and pregnancy, and I particularly enjoyed some of her witty social observations, which, despite being a psychological thriller, had me laughing out loud at times. I suspected the outcome quite early on, but it did nothing to spoil my enjoyment of this fabulous book.

If you’d like to know more about the author you can read my interview with her here.

Book Review – Reputation By @SVaughanAuthor Published by @simonschusterUK

/ Eva Jordan / 1 Comment

“It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute.” –Will Rogers

Well, what can I say! This, the fifth novel and third thriller by Sarah Vaughan, which was released on Thursday 3rd March, is, I’m pleased to say, another superb pulse-racing legal drama. Like the author’s first thriller, Anatomy Of A Scandal; a Sunday Times top five bestseller and soon to be released major Netflix series (which I loved), Reputation takes us back to the to the courtroom and the Houses of Parliament. Suffice to say, my expectations were high, and I’m delighted to say I wasn’t disappointed. 

Set-in present-day London and Portsmouth, this is the story of Emma Webster; a high-profile Labour MP who wants to make a difference. The honourable member for Portsmouth South––also a devoted single mother to her teenage daughter, Flora––helps launch a campaign to protect women from the effects of online bullying after it comes to light that one of her constituents, a young woman who was the victim of revenge porn, has taken her own life. Ironically though, her involvement in the campaign only adds to her own online abuse, including veiled and open threats of rape and attack which, although deeply disturbing, she handles like a true professional. “Keyboard warriors, they called themselves. Such a pathetic term. Laughing at them, even if the laughter was hollow, helped a little – though it did nothing to unpick the knot in my stomach”. Inwardly, however, it is obvious Emma is struggling, despite outwardly putting on a brave face suggesting otherwise. At least, that is, until her teenage daughter’s reputation is threatened, which, unfortunately, fuelled by fear, leads to disastrous consequences culminating in accusations of murder.

Reputation is a gripping read with wonderfully written prose that is succinctly, yet beautifully descriptive. A clever, timely, courtroom drama that helps shine a light on violence and misogamy towards women with an important message about the treatment of women in the public eye.

Eva Jordan in conversation with writer and investigator @DavidVidecette

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Recently on my blog I reviewed Finding Suzy, which delves into the real-life crime and investigation case of 25 year old Suzy Lamplugh, an estate agent who went missing in July 1986 and has never been seen since. Written by David Videcette, it is a thought provoking, compelling read and you can read my thoughts about it here.

Today, David is my guest. Welcome David, thanks for chatting to me today. Can you please tell everyone a bit about yourself?

I’m an investigator, security consultant and writer. My background is in criminal investigation, having spent decades in the police, the majority fighting organised-crime and terrorism as a Scotland Yard detective.

It’s clear the Suzy Lamplugh case meant a lot to you as does the need to resolve it. When you’ve experienced the worst sides of human nature, is it hard to see the good in people?

We’ve probably all heard the phrase ‘humans are inherently good’? Yet many philosophers have struggled to understand why we humans inflict the most unspeakable acts on each other.

I believe most people are born ‘good’. If someone collapses in front of your eyes in your local high street, it’s a natural reaction to rush to their aid. But what of those who use the occasion for criminal gain? What motivates those people who see it as an opportunity to steal a bag from someone in obvious distress?  And what of those who look the other way?

It’s these questions that have always fascinated me in any crime I’ve investigated, including the case of missing estate agent, Suzy Lamplugh.

Most people can live together in large scale societies, even when they strongly disagree. But whereas bees and ants may instinctively cooperate and work together for the common good, humans are often self-interested. First and foremost we will look out for our own safety. After that come motivations to maintain reputation, social standing, and material wealth. Underpinning all of that will be animalistic desires and drives, placing us in direct conflict with others.

I can’t counteract human nature. Untangling people’s real motivations in any interaction is what makes investigation so fascinating and cold cases so challenging to solve.

As a writer, how does writing fiction compare to writing to non-fiction?

Although all of my books are rooted in real cases, I am bound by the Official Secrets Act, which barred me from writing factual books about my time in the police. Instead, I began by writing crime fiction as a cathartic exercise. My first two books are thrillers: The Theseus Paradox focuses on the London 7/7 bombings and The Detriment unravels the Glasgow Airport attacks.

I write using my memories of experiences, so you get the pure raw emotion and intensity on the page. All of my books put the reader front and centre. You experience the action in real time, as I did.

My third book, Finding Suzy, documents my real-time hunt for answers in a true crime case I’ve worked on since returning to civilian life. I’ve spent five years reinvestigating the mysterious disappearance of missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh. Because people don’t just disappear…

And finally, the question I love to ask all writers! For anyone thinking of becoming a writer, what advice would you offer?

Writing is just like anything else we do – the more you do it, the better you become. Never give up.

If you’d like to know more about David, you can find him at the links below:

The DI Jake Flannagan crime thrillers based on real events (in order):

The Theseus Paradox (ebook): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015UDFYQ6

The Theseus Paradox (paperback): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/099342631X

The Detriment (ebook): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07227XS4G

The Detriment (paperback): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0993426336

True crime investigation/non-fiction:

Finding Suzy (hardback): www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0993426387

Finding Suzy (paperback): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0993426379

Finding Suzy (ebook): www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0999M1FJ4

Amazon author page UK: www.amazon.co.uk/David-Videcette/e/B015UNLEN8

Website: www.davidvidecette.com

Book Review – Finding Suzy by @DavidVidecette Published by Videcette Limited

/ Eva Jordan / 3 Comments

“Absence from whom we love is worse than death, and frustrates hope severer than despair.” ―William Cowper

My first book review for the New Year is Finding Suzy by writer, investigator, and former Scotland Yard detective, David Videcette. As well as having a wealth of investigative experience behind him, including several high-profile cases like the July 2005 London bombings, David is also the author of the fictional DI Jake Flannagan crime thriller series. However, it is this, the author’s own private investigation into the real-life missing person case of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, that really piqued my interest.

Suzy Lamplugh went missing in July 1986 and has never been seen since. Her mother, Diana Lamplugh, said, “There has not been a single trace of her. Nothing. Just as though she had been erased by a rubber”. It was (and still is) a case that drew a lot of media attention, but the generally accepted narrative is that Suzy left the Fulham office she worked at, showing a house by appointment to a “Mr Kipper” who it’s then believed, abducted, and killed her. However, her body has never been found and 16 years later, following a second investigation, John Cannan, jailed for abducting, and killing Shirley Banks, is believed to be the illusive “Mr Kipper”. However, as David’s thorough investigation shows, any links made to Cannan and this case are dubious to say the least. So, the author did what any good investigator would and he began the investigation again, from scratch.

Easy to read, thought provoking and compelling, Finding Suzy is a gripping read that shines a light on how missed opportunities, politics, and even the grief of Suzy’s family have perhaps hindered the discovery of her whereabouts. David makes a good argument about where she might be and surely, if only to give her family some closure, the police owe it to them to follow this up.

To get your copy of Finding Suzy click here.

Book Review – Coming Home by @pbadixon published by @bloodhoundbook

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“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”–George Santayana

I absolutely adored this book. Set in the present day with flashbacks to the past, Coming Home is a beautifully written festive family drama full of secrets and lies, intrigue and deceit, but above all else, love and hope. The story opens on Christmas Eve 1969, where we meet six-year-old Carmen Appleton.

“A child is seated at the kitchen table, that’s me. My mother, Sylvia, with her blonde beehive and candy-pink lipstick is opposite. She’s beautiful… A sound distracts me… Dad. He’s home… my wonderful most perfect dad… All I have to do is close my eyes and go to sleep and it will be Christmas morning, the Christmas it should have been before the knock on the door that ruin[ed] everything.”

Fast-forward to the present day, 2021, and we meet Carmen as she is now, a mother, grandmother, and successful businesswoman and owner of Appleton Farm. Christmas is always a bittersweet time for Carmen, not least because of that fateful night during her childhood, but she loves her family and has always done her best to make it a special time. This year, though, everyone is coming home for Christmas and Carmen is determined to make it the best one ever, plus, she has an announcement to make, a secret to share. However, little does Carmen know, her three adult daughters, Rosina, Violetta, and Leonora, are all harbouring their own secrets. Secrets that are weighing them down but are too afraid to share for fear of ruining their beloved mother’s merry plans.

The characters of this festive tale are well-rounded, wonderfully human individuals with Granny Sylvia, in particular, providing some delightful moments of comic relief. Written with humour, pathos, and depth, Coming Home has all the ‘feels’ of a typical Christmas story with all the ‘chills’ of a compelling family drama.

A well deserved 5 stars from me!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

To grab your copy of this wonderful festive read click here

Book Review – Killing Time in Cambridge by Philip Cumberland

/ Eva Jordan / 6 Comments

“AI is likely to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity”­­––Stephen Hawking

This month I interviewed local author (to me) Philip Cumberland (see here), who is also one of the coordinators and founding members of a local U3A Writing Group, Whittlesey Wordsmiths. As well as a contributing author of several anthologies written by the group, Philip has also recently published his debut novel, Killing Time in Cambridge, and this is my review.

The story opens with an axe wielding knight of old, dressed in full body armour, clanking down the corridor of a software company, who then hacks down the office door of the managing director, demanding to know who the ‘master’ is. The poor MD then has a heart attack, the knight disappears, and a short time later the building is besieged by medieval catapults. At this juncture, we are introduced to the main protagonist of the story, Detective Chief Inspector Cyril Lane, better known to everyone as Arnold, a self-effacing individual who likes his food and has a keen, pragmatic approach to his work. It’s Arnold’s job, and that of his colleagues, to figure out what is going on. However, as the story unravels and the plot thickens, it quickly becomes apparent that time travel plays a huge role in this quirky tale, which also includes several eccentric secondary characters including the quick-witted Sylvia, who provides some fine moments of comic relief, not to mention Marvin, the mind reading AI (Artificial Intelligence).

Set in the present day (with glimpses through time) in the beautiful historic city of Cambridge and the surrounding fens (including Ely, Hunstanton, Heacham, and Ramsey) Killing Time in Cambridge is a good old whodunnit (think Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, and Inspector George Gently) featuring a mix of light-hearted whimsey and dark humour and, rather unexpectedly, time travel and AI.

Killing Time in Cambridge is available at Parker’s newsagents, on Amazon, from Niche Comics and Books Huntingdon, Waterstones and whittleseywordsmiths.com.